Dragon Talons (Indigo Apocalypse Book I)

Chapter One: Welcome To The Kingdom Of Self-righteous Dragons

ZAVALA:
    "Freezing dragon tails." That was the only thing I could say, the only thing I could even think to say, as we traveled through the gigantic glacier that marked the beginning of the Snow Kingdom territory, and were just flying over the Northernlands, the very tip of the Snow Kingdom. There was a space that separated the glacier from the mountains. A space that was occupied by a huge waterfall that pooled at the base of the mountains. The mountains were the biggest surprise, them, and the waterfall. The waterfall, called the Dragon Breath Falls, were legendary, supposedly created by the oldest snow dragon in history, supposedly it blew over the gigantic glaciers with it's final breath and created the thunderous falls. The Dragon Talons, were, the, mountains. Large claws that, well, that clawed the blue skies and silver disk sun. Even larger than any human mountains, the Dragon Talons were terrifying, ancient beings that supposedly guarded it's inhabitants, which were again, supposedly, ancient creatures even the Queen feared. We flew over those mountains for two weeks, and made camp that night in the foothills that sat in the talons's shadows. Both Liaisons said that it wasn't wise to stay for very long, otherwise creatures older than the Queen would find them. Huntor had rolled his eye and asked, "Then why did we stop?"
    But they hadn't said any real answer, so we'd rested, ate, and flown the next day and the day after. Flown, and flown, and, wow, the Dragon Spines were horrifying. Seven of the tallest mountains, completely covered in ice and snow, they stood like the spines on a dragon, and looked just as imposing. Again, supposedly no one knew how old they were, how tall, or how powerful. Apparently, only the strongest could climb just one of their peaks and survive. Supposedly, no one has climbed all seven and survived, though thousands, hundreds of thousands have tried and failed. Why you'd wanna climb for glory is beyond me, but, oh well. Anyway, it took us three weeks to fly to the Snow Kingdom Capital, three weeks for me to get use to the idea of having Huntor around all day every day. Three weeks for my affections to him to turn from just lust, to an all out desire, an all out craving for him, frozen dragon fangs turn into an all out need for him. I couldn't simply eat and not think of him, simply sleep without dreaming of in doing things to my body, my wings. Yep, Holly was right, I'm horns over tails for Huntor, an there was no way for me to ignore or deny it. The worst part was when Draco found out. One of the days we were camping, I had went with Huntor and Raveaque to find dinner, and when I'd come back, Draco had hunted me down, and said, "Spill sister, right now." So I had told him everything. He had laughed at first, then, when he realized how serious I was, he'd calmed down. I was just hoping Huntor wouldn't find out just how much I, well, how much I, loved, him.
    After the second week, we'd left the mountains, and flew over the Silver Plains, apparently the ice plains between the mountains and the Capital. Sure enough, forests, and ice plains were all around us. Oh, I also forgot to mention the rivers, and lakes, and great oceans, yes, great oceans. Oceans, where the dragons of the Snow Kingdom live, oceans filled with creatures who's names I couldn't even pronounce. Seven great oceans, and several hundred rivers and lakes. All created by the Dragon Breath Falls. Then another little incident, just because my luck can never turn out. As we flew one day over a forest covered in snow, I sat in front of Huntor. Ok, yes, I always sit in front of him on Draco's back, but this was different, this time, I was so horny, so needy that it was all I could do not to lean back and grind my butt against him, especially when he was so close. Yeah, three weeks, was, so, not, helping. But, on the final night, the night where we'd fly for three hours and would reach the Capital limits, found us sitting around a fire of Seeka's creation, and Huntor roasting something over the flames. Wenzi, whom teased Huntor relentlessly about his supposedly horrible cooking, said, "You know, how would you all warm yourselves without us here?" She waved to her, Theia, Seeka, and two other Molten Dracons, oh, spoiler, apparently you don't put an apostrophe between the c and o n of the word Dracon, and apparently all of us have been spelling it wrong. Though I doubted Huntor even cared.
    "You know dear Sissy, I have no idea." Huntor said, turning to face the Liaisons. "How would that work? None of us can blow fire." "Speak for yourself." Sarah muttered. The male Liaison shifted his legs, looking nervous. "Well, see, we'd actually all would be in our dragon forms." He looked at Huntor, who was leaning against a rock, clearly in his human form. "And what if I didn't wanna go walking around like a half human dragon all day?" "Well," Now he looked really nervous, as if it were Huntor who breathed fire, not Wenzi. "Sorry," Sarah said. "I don't wanna go around looking like that either." The female said, "You'll have to learn how to survive like a dragon, learn our ways, learn our systems and religion, learn—" the knife flew from nowhere, and both Liaisons screamed in fear. The guards, who stood at attention, moved frightenly fast, but weren't fast enough. A knife appeared in front of their throats, floating there. The knife, quivered, half an inch from the female's throat. Huntor smiled as he raised his hand, and one of the blades floated higher. "Sorry, but I don't even need to touch my enemies to kill  them, to hurt them. Neither does Sarah or Wenzi. Remember, we, chose, to come here, we didn't have to. So, we can learn all you want us to, but we'll decide if we follow your so called, religion and systems."
    Huntor let the blades fall, and smiled crudely at the Liaisons and guards. "If I was inclined to, I could've killed all of you." "Then you'd be committing treason, you—"You think he gives a shit?" Sarah squealed. "You honestly believe Huntor gives a shit, a flaming dragon's talon about treason?" She leaned forward. "He could care less, he's only doing this because it could be useful for him, for his, court." She put an emphasis on the word, court. "He doesn't care about the Queen, the Snow Kingdom, any of it." "The Snow Kingdom is his birthright, he could rule it." The male snapped, luculently offended. "As far as I'm concerned, the Snow Kingdom, can burn in Hell, along with the Queen." Huntor, said. Even the forest around us went silent, as if it never heard someone speak so freely, speak with such hatred and repugnance, with such condescension. The Liaisons, had, no, reply. So, we kept traveling, kept flying, and soon, soon, soon, we, made, it. Honestly, I wasn't sure what I was expecting. Maybe glaciers filled with terrifying beasts, chains, whips, the whole bang. But the city enclosed by a huge wall, wasn't what I had expected at all. "It's like the Great Wall of China." Wenzi said as we clustered around, staring at it. "Just bigger." "I thought you said you never remembered your homeland." Huntor said. "I've seen pictures." Wenzi snapped back, smiling.
The gigantic ice wall was turquoise with bits of sky, dark, and almost purpling blues woven through it. We flew lower until we landed, landed by a carriage of sorts, one fit for a prince alright. "We must travel through the wall to get in, it is the way of security." The female said. Huntor nodded, sliding off Draco's back, and holding up his arms for me. I knew my face was bright red as his hands gripped my hips, and, helped me down. I took a better look at him, and froze. He was in his warrior garb, at least, parts of it. How come I never noticed, and I always, always, was staring at him. He had on the forearm braces, his knee-high boots with the shin and boot braces. Both the forearm and boot braces were indigo blue, as was the crown he wore on his forehead. His shirt, one that exposed his entire arms, and left me drooling, was turquoise blue, and, impossibly, made, of, dragon, scales, as was the pants he wore, though they were indigo blue. "Where did you get that from?" I must've asked the question aloud, because Draco chuckled behind me. "I offered it to him, just to see what he looked like, awesome doesn't he?" "That's an understatement." Sarah snickered. I licked my lips, unable to look away. "Zavala." Raveaque said quietly. I looked toward him, his face was cool, just like frozen ice, just, what, I, needed. I shook off my spell, and walked toward him. Huntor's hand gripped my upper arm though and I froze, looking up at him, but he was looking in the Liaisons' direction. "I hope we can all fit in there. I'd hate to make any of my court run along side the carriage in their dragon forms." "We should all fit well." The male said haughtily. Huntor nodded. "Good." It wasn't, a comfortable fit.
Where did I sit, in the whole thing, the whole thing with windows on either side, and two rows of benches, right on Huntor's lap. I swore the world just loved to watch me squirm, which I did, right on his lap, squirmed, shifted, trying not to think of the long hard flesh beneath my butt, trying not to imagine, just, how, good, it felt. Trying to ignore my brothers, Draco, who grinned wickedly with Seeka on his own lap, Raveaque, who stood by the window to my right, face blank as usual, though hinting at a soft smile whenever he looked at me. I just bared my fangs at both of them. The ride into the city, the capital through the wall was short, a group of six guards took one look in, and signaled us through. "No doubt word has already made it to the castle that the great Huntor has arrived." Huntor said coldly. "You and Sarahynyquae—"Sarah." Sarah said coldly. "Sarah, are one of the royal family, of great importance pride and power, a great honor, great breed." "Of course." Sarah muttered. "I've always wanted to be of great breed." The Liaisons said nothing. The carriage was being pulled by two white dragons, these without wings, though just as imposing as any, the guards that came with the Liaisons, the ones who remained quiet all throughout our encounter, still remained silent. But then, we, were, in, and, all of us, gasped.
The capital of the Snow Kingdom, was, beyond, gorgeous. Beyond the wall, was a highway of sorts, a highway that streamed carriages of all shapes and sizes through the city. Homes of all sizes too, could be seen. Ice dwellings in the slums, houses of sparkling woods and shiny stones. The castle itself rose up over it all, and I had to wonder if the person, or, more likely persons, built the castle in imitation of the Spines behind us, because seven towers rose up to oversee the city. Somehow though, the castle emanated a near crude and abhorrent ora. A superjacent being that accused, "If you aren't of this pedigree, of this class, then you will never be allowed in. If you are not of this high class, of this power, you will never be looked upon with anything but abhorrence and repugnance. You, will, never be, one, of, us." No wonder Huntor already hated this place, these Liaisons, the kingdom. "Whoever built this place thought very highly of themselves and the ruler." Sarah said. "Yeah," Wenzi's face was a little pale, "I have to agree with you." "The Snow Queen—"Save it." Huntor said smoothly. "I'm sure we'll hear all about it."
The carriage traveled pass the slums, dracons of all poverty watching us with distain, hatred, fear, greed, desire, everything between. "I will help you." I wasn't sure if anyone heard him, wasn't sure if I was the only one. "I, will, help you, bring you to light, and defend you." I squeezed his fingers in reply, letting him know I heard, and, understood. Now, as we left the slums, the houses grew to be prettier, to be more sophisticated, or, maybe Huntor's eye was rubbing off on me, because to me, they looked like they were trying to match the hight of the castle at the far end of this road. As if they were trying to gain notice from the royal family within and all it's occupants, "We're here too, don't forget we are more important than the slobs and grunge by the wall." The idea, sickened me, and I could feel it disgusted Huntor. When we reached the gates to the courtyard of the castle, a miny version of their Great Wall, but no less guarded, in fact, even more guarded than the wall, anyway, as we reached it, the guards took one look in, and said to each other, "Send word to the Queen immediately, Huntoruukos, has returned." "Honestly." Huntor said. "You'd think I was some sort of long lost deity or something." "In a sense brother, you are." Wenzi said.
"We will do a grand announcement." The male liaison said. "We'll open the doors, and—"I do believe I can handle my own entrance, and will grant my court, the same courtesy and respect." The male visibly bulged, as if he were trying to keep his dragon contained. Huntor gave him a wolfish smile, and, as the carriage finally stopped, said, "Zavala." Swiftly, I slid off his lap, my back, butt, and tail feeling cold without his warmth. The male said, "We shall announce your return home, we—"Will do no such thing." Huntor said coolie. The male looked like he was going to explode, like his dragon would fire, or, is it ice, out of his skin and latch itself around Huntor's throat. Sarah said cheerfully, "You'll come to realize, Huntor just loves to make his own entrances, and doesn't like to be told the script." Huntor opened the back doors to the carriage with his telekinesis, and the dozen castle guards bowed deeply. Huntor jumped down, his booted feet spraying bits of ice and black stones as he landed, and straightened. "Since I'm certain word has already reached here, I'll just say my name is Huntor, and it's a pleasure to meet you. You may rise." The guards did rise, and, goggled. "Oh, did no one mention my human form?" He asked as an afterthought. Then turned an held out his arms, to me. I stepped forward, and, he helped me out, his hands branding me with heat. I smiled stupidly up at him as he helped Sarah, Wenzi, even Seeka and Theia out, then nodded respectively at the others, at my brothers. When the female Liaison came forward, Huntor ignored her. Her own face went ruddy, but she jumped smartly down. The carriage was closed, and sent away.
I looked around at the courtyard. It was exorbitant, and very shiny. Statues of great dragons stood in different stages of flight or rest, or stages of attack all around the area. The main gates themselves were great dragon wings. The roads were made from black stone and ice shards. However, in here, there was just stone, while the gardens, and others, were covered in snow and ice, as if a winter wonderland, Wenzi said, "This place is, horrifyingly foreboding." "I hope we can bring some light to the darkness here." She waved toward the sun. "That simply won't do." "Easy Sissy." Huntor said. "We'll work through it." The guards shifted in confusion. Luculent that they weren't sure what to make of Wenzi, Seeka, and Theia, nor of the other dracons. "Oh, how rude, I didn't mention my court." He pointed to each of us in turn, and the guards all paled. When he was done, he said, "Where are our quarters? We need time to adjust to the sudden thrust into this world, we were brought here." "We were, brought, here." Great choice in wording. As if we were all taken, dumped here against our will. As if we had a life outside of this and intended to get back to it by any means necessary. If there was one thing, Huntor, was a master, at wording, at his diction. A servant came forward, her long indigo colored hair down in a braid, her wings, I wasn't the only one who was shocked at her condition. But no one let anything show, not the slightest hint. Her indigo eyes were blank, void of anything but politeness and soft harmless affection, with a twinge of fear. Fear, to insinuate pliancy, obedience, respect. To insinuate dominance, like he was the bigger dog, he ruled her, which, meant. I looked again, looked at her condition, so vulgarly displayed. Yes, yes even that, even that was meant.
"My name is Zenvanescence." Her accent, like mine, like Seeka's, Theia's, like all of us, was Italian, but her's  was musical, musical and beautiful, and spoke volumes. Huntor's face was expertly composed as he said, "It is an absolute pleasure to meet you Zenvanescence." He bowed, bowed, actually bowed to her, and held out a hand. If she was surprised, she hid it behind her blank mask. "I will be your personal servant, anything you need, I will always be within earshot." Huntor gave her a subdued smile, and I wondered if he heard those words under the mask. "I will hear everything you say, no matter what, I will be watching." "Thank you very much." Through the whole encounter the dozen guards, the guards of the liaisons, the liaisons themselves, were all in stages of shock and fury, as if no one bowed to a lonely servant, or showed so much appreciation toward them. "I will accompany you to your quarters, I apologize, you will have to fly." "That's alright." He smiled at Draco. "My ride is here." Draco grinned wickedly, took a few running steps, jumped, and shifted into his dragon skin. I rolled my eyes. "Well done brother, you shredded your clothes, again." Draco gave me a dragon's grin. Huntor climbed on his back and I turned to the servant, "Would you like a ride?" Shocked silence echoed through the entire courtyard. "I," That mask slipped for just a moment, then, was replaced. "No thank you Zavala." I nodded, and climbed in front of Huntor. "Well, show us the way dear friend."