Dragon Talons (Indigo Apocalypse Book I)

Chapter Two: I'm Starting With The Dracon In The Mirror, Yeah, Jackson Time

HUNTOR:
"Well shit." Was the only thing Sarah could say as we entered the antechamber of the great castle. Turquoise marble glowed in the silver disk of the sunlight let in through the slits of the chamber's roof high, very, very, very high above. Zenvanescence lead us through, dragons of all shapes and sizes flying overhead, Dracons walking or flapping along side them, however, there was a definite notice, as if they, the dracons who flew, wanted to distance themselves from the lesser beings, such as the servants. Zenvanescence lead us through the main door to the castle hall, and we all froze, froze, because the huge hall, the huge space was even larger than the antechamber, was even larger than New York's skyscrapers. Then there were the ramps and staircases, and, the, tunnels. Tunnels lead off through the castle's main hall, through this main cavern, some had ramps and staircases to them, others did not. Sarah said in a telepathic link, "They're watching us, watching us like we're scum, grunge under their shoes, or, talons more like." "Well, we'll give them a show then." I thought back. Zenvanescence called a guard over, who allowed her to ride, and she said, "I'll take you to your rooms, your court's rooms are being accommodated as we speak." "Great, thank you again." I said. "She's nervous." Sarah thought. "She doesn't know what to make of you, but she's a clever bitch, she's trying to figure you out, trying to play the part you want to see, trouble is, you don't want her to play any part. The trouble is, there's no part she can play." "Exactly, she's clever, and, if I had to guess, dangerous. How much you wanna bet your fine chubby ass she has her own agenda and plans?" "Awww, so sweet, but, as I've learned from Briella, never bet against the house."
The dragon took off and Draco followed, flying gracefully through the air. Zavala leaned against me involuntarily, sighing in pleasure. That was something else. I knew the girl wanted me, hell, she actually might've loved me on some fundamental level, but, well, there was that gaping wound in me, Sydney, Sydney Sydney Sydney, her, and someone else, someone else who wanted me, craved me, thought she loved me, but didn't, I didn't wanna give Zavala the same treatment, and have her sacrifice herself for me. I shook my head, and breathed, ignoring the cause of my being here, the unlocking of my huge powers, of my IndoDragon body. "You ok Brother?" Wenzi asked in my head. "Yes, I'm fine." I said, then cut her out. The flight took us into a turquoise tunnel flecked with royal, ha ha, purple and dark blues. "I could get tired of this." Sarah said as we walked along the hall, also flecked with underwater treasures, pearls, and glowing sea plants and sea animals in tanks woven through the walls. "You think this is bad, you should see the Molten Kingdom, all red golds bronze, ugh." Seeka said, waving her hand. We rounded the fourth corner and were met with huge double doors, again, deep blue with flecks of turquoise and royal purple. Zenvanescence bowed and said, "Your rooms Sir, and those of whomever you choose." I smiled and said without looking, ha ha, "Sarah and Zavala you can take one, I take the other, Draco and Raveaque can take the living area." Then, I opened the doors myself. It was a room fit for a prince. Priceless rocks glowed in jars, tanks, bowls, a pond sat dead center of the antechamber, filled with creatures I didn't know the names of, a room stood on either side of the chamber like the wings on a dragon, and ahead, beyond the pond, was another set of doors, leading to the living area. "Raveaque, Draco." I gestured toward the living area and they walked toward it. "You know what to do?" I asked Sarah through my head. "Yerp." She chirped. "Sarah and Zavala, you take the left room, I'll take the right."
They walked away, opening the doors. "The rest of you can mingle, I'll check out my own room, Zenvanescence, will you join me?" She followed mutely as I opened the doors, and closed them smartly. "Is there something I can assist you with, I realize belatedly that you have a vision condition so I can easily serve in any—"Let's cut the usual servant master speech." I said coolie, and smartly went through the room, feeling with telekinesis, and finding many spy holes, and, plugging them with my power. "No one can hear us, no one will hear." Zenvanescence shifted on her feet, and I had the urge to call Sarah in just so I knew her face, then again, I could invade her mind. I had never done that before, not without consent, but, however, I, could, do, it. But I just waited, wondering what she'd do. And, I also knew that silence was a great weapon to use to get people to talk. "I, I don't know what you mean by." I smiled and stepped forward. "How did you get that injury?" That was a short way of putting it, for the servant's back, her, wings, were ravaged, barely anything but barely healed bones, jagged and sharp, bones with flesh over them. Nothing remained of the beautiful wings that she must've had, wings that had to match the indigo eyes she bore. The question hit directly home. She gasped and took several steps back. "I, I, I don't, I—"Come on Zen, you're a clever female. You may be a servant, but you are extremely, extremely clever. You tried to figure me out, tried to read me. They say you can't play the game with someone who knows the score. So tell me, what's in that clever mind, and who, hurt you that badly."
Silence ruled in my room for a time, Zenvanescence mulling over my words, picking them apart, reading everything between. Then she said, "Every servant gets their wings clipped, but the females, we, we, we get them torn off completely." I sat in a chair, thinking on a tangent how it was made for wings and tail. "Wings, wings are, they are a sign here, they express power and pride, a form of, of, of freewill, of pleasure, of desire. Servants are not permitted to have such things. We serve the Queen, her courts, her sub-courts, the nobles, and everyone between. Every royal is privileged to a personal servant, to do, whatever, they like." There was a bite to that word, "Whatever," a bite that meant servants could be brutalized and no one would care. "I'm sorry." I allowed the genuine emotion to fill the room, my face, my eye. Then I said, "I was brutalized when I was young, brutalized in a way that no child, human or dracon should ever feel. I had to learn to live with it, am still learning." "What happened?" The question was barely a push of air, and I shook my head. "I don't know you Zenvanescence, you don't know me. You may be my servant, but someone else holds your leash. I tell you something, you could sell it to the highest bitter." Silence between us, then, "I would never betray your confidence." "Why? Because I'm your master, because I could have you whipped, beaten, could do it myself?" "No," Her voice held no fear, continued to hold none, as she said, "Because you're different, different from the other royals, from the queen. I don't know what it is, but, you're different, and, I trust you." That, was exactly, what, I, wanted, to hear, and, needed.
I rose, and stepped toward her. I held out my arms, and said, "Come here, I'm going to give to you something i doubt anyone has." She came obediently forward, and I wrapped her in my arms. She gasped, and I said, "Relax." She breathed deeply, and allowed herself to fold into my embrace. I held her for a few moments, then released her. "That is what I offer you, I'm not going to brutalize you, harm you, debase you for pleasure. I don't do that, never will. Know that, understand it." I leaned forward and said, "I can protect you, protect you from the wrath of the kingdom, if you join my court." She gasped loudly, and simply stayed quiet. "YOu have a clever mind Zen, fast and tough, sharp instincts, sharp wits, I trust you, now I want to help protect you." I pulled away. "Think on my offer. Everyone with good intentions has a place in my court." I framed her face in my hands, and said, "I won't hurt you, and, I'm saying this, heere and now, I won't rape you either." She gasped again, and begged, "Please, please don't, I can't, I—"I, won't, I, will, not, hurt you like that. Any sex that happens between us, if it does, will be consensual, I, won't, hurt you like that." This time tears flowed down her face, and I knew I had one of the most clever dracons in the kingdom on my side. Now, to get more.
    We walked into the living area, which was smaller than my room, but still larger than any real living room. Sofas, couches, long benches, tables of all sizes were placed everywhere. Pedestals with glowing jewels inside, little tables with shells, bowls of gems, tanks with sea creatures that, like in the halls, were woven through the walls and floors. "You know Huntor," Draco said, sprawling over a bench. "I rather like this place, can we stay a while." Raveaque, ever the cool and calm one said, "Ironically, if I strangle him, everyone will hear him scream." Draco laughed and said, "As if you could even try brother." I laughed, but Raveaque had answered my question. There were spy holes in heere too, and, it was very likely that the sea creatures in the tanks had ears, and were reporting everything they heard and saw. Reporting it, directly, to, the, queen. I turned to look down at Zenvanescence, "You know, Zenvanescence is one hell of a long name, I might have to shorten it, if that's ok with you." "I, yes, yes you can." I thought of it, and said, "Ok, I'm going with Zenvyyvu. Pronounced Zen-vea-vu. But spelled Z e n v y y v u." She bowed. "I like it Sir." I rolled my eye. "No sir, just Huntor." "Yes, Sir." She said, with the barest hint of a smile.
    "Have the others left to their own rooms yet?" I asked. Raveaque said, "Yes, they will return in an hour, when we'll leave to meet the queen and the others, for dinner." I kept my face blank, kept my voice easy, as fear, true terror flooded me. The queen, we were going to meet the queen. The woman who was supposedly my biological mother, the woman who orchestrated my rise, orchestrated the Keepers and Indigos into going to war, the woman, who, unknowingly, assisted the Dark Queen in awakening her. That cooled my terror into icy rage. Raveaque must've noticed, because he said, "Zavala and Sarah have yet to come out of their own room, perhaps we should see what has them tangled in a tangent." Yes, yes, Raveaque, with his white hair, sky blue eyes, the calm stone, the unmovable rock, to Draco's raging seas, to his laughing cruel mouth. The light, to Draco's dark. Yes, yes I needed both of them, was glad I brought both of them. But it wasn't enough to cool the void, to push back the power that started roiling, the power that has been roiling for weeks, months. The ocean rose, a yawning beast of hunger and greed, a beast ready to strike. "Easy." I said to my dragon. "Easy, easy, easy, soon, very, very, very soon. Easy, easy, easy." The dragon snarled, but backed down. Raveaque came toward me, and whispered in my ear, too low for any ears, for even dracon ears to hear, "I understand, I get it, we will, we, will, one, step, at, a time." I nodded mutely, and turned to Zenvyyvu, "Zenvyyvu, when is dinner?" "Preset." She answered. I raised an eyebrow and she clarified, "A few hours before sunset." "Which is when?" I asked. "In, in, I believe an hour." She crossed to the double doors leading outside to a huge garden balcony, and opened the doors. "Yes, an hour." I sighed. "This'll be interesting, to say the least." I turned toward the doors, "I'm going to say hello to our friends, Zenvyyvu, you may wait out the main doors." Without question, she walked around Draco, out the living area doors, around the pond, and out the main doors. "So Huntor, I—" Draco went silent as I held up my hand and walked away, toward Sarah and Zavala's room.
    I knocked on the doors and was greeted with, "HOLD ON, ZAVALA'S NAKED." Followed by massive giggling and Zavala's squeal of, "NO I'M NOT." Then, more giggling, and finally, the doors opened. There stood Sarah, grinning up at me, and tugging on my arm. "Huntor, Huntor, baby, how are you, where have you been? Zavala and I missed you horribly, we were so lonely." I rolled my eye and asked, "What game is this Zavala?" "Many you're no fun." Sarah pouted, letting go of my arm. "You were supposed to play along." "I'm sorry." Zavala walked over, her wings trailing over rugs, then wood. "I don't know what got into her, I swear it, I'm innocent." "Nu-uh, you were telling me just how much you wanted Huntor's tongue on your nipple, his hands between your legs or on your wings, and his cock on your—"Ok then." I said, stepping between them, because I could feel Zavala's rising hunger, the lust and love she held for me building. "Sarah, this is, so, not the time." I sighed, and said, "Did you check?" "Yes." Sarah sobered and said, "We have eyes and ears, but they're currently blind and deaf, no offense." "None taken." I said. "Also, did you get a look at Zenvanescence? Her back—"Is brutalized." I finished. "Servant apparetnly, get their wings clipped off, completely, brutally torn from their backs so they may never fly, either in the air, or in the water." "I feel so bad for her." Zavala said. "She didn't ask for this, didn't ask to be a servant or slave." "Which says she is clever." Sarah said. "Says she can think on her feet, plot and plan in the most powerful of ways, under the mostpressure, and in the most dangerous of situations." "Which also means we now have a spy, a spy to get in on everything we need." "So what's the first plan?" Zavala asked. "We watch and listen, find out everything we can. It may be the queen is innocent, may be she only did what she did for guilty pleasure." But you don't think so." Sarah noted. "She orchestrated everything, knowingly, or, unknowingly with the Dark Queen, she made me go through what I did, made you go through those months in Khione's care." Sarah's body went on red alert. "She'll pay for that." "Exactly." I said. "We wait, we listen, before striking. We gather information, sway as many to our side as we can, then, if need be, we attack. But for now, we gain trust and loyalty."
"HELL YEAH." Sarah yelled. Zavala said, "Flaming dragon talons." Then silence reigned for a time, then Zavala asked, "So, what's the first step?" Before I could answer her logical question, Sarah said, "Geez ZZ, are you that slow? He just said it." "Now now Sarah, there's no need to be so rude." She giggled. "Oh she knows I'm teasing." "Either way," I said. "We meet the others in an hour, and head over to dinner with the queen." "Shit." Sarah muttered as Zavala said, "Dragon tails." "Dinner with our mother, well fuck me, how much fun will that be?" "Is that a retorical question?" I asked. Sarah snorted and kissed my cheek, nipping it with her teeth. A spark of desire struck my core, but I ignored it and pushed her playfully away. "I wish I could do that." Zavala whispered. "What?" Sarah and I asked. I could actually feel the heat in Zavala's face, and knew exactly what she meant. "Be that playful with you, to tease you and touch you, and, more." My laughter froze, so did Sarah's. Zavala had never actually actually stated any kind of intense affection toward me. Oh of course it was there, of course she loved me and wanted me, but she, never, ever, said it was there, never admitted to it, until now. "Well, technically, you can." Sarah said. "He and I do it all the time, tease each other, playfully nip and touch each other." "Well, that kinda stopped since Sydney." I noted. Sarah scoffed. "But she isn't here anymore, she hurt you, horribly, and I won't ever forget that, but we're lustful dracons, and go after whom we want. If I wanted to bed Huntor, skies knows I'd do everything I could to get him in bed."
She sat on my lap and I said, "Sarah, you pervert, get off." She pressed her butt into my lap, and, effectively, making me horny. "See." She purred the word, and it made my flesh harden faster. "It takes just the right demands and pressure, literally, to get him horny." She pressed harder and I growled, in more hunger than annoyance. Then she was up and moving away. "That's what I want." She said. "To have you, to have you in me, making me purr, moan, scream, all of it." Her voice was a moan, a jealous moan that made me hornier. I glanced over to Sarah, and let her read the emotions in my eye, to understand why I couldn't let Zavala do what we both wanted her to. Sarah said, "I understand." "What?" Zavala asked. "You understand what?" "I can't Zavala, as much as I may want to, as much as you crave to, I can't do it, any of it." "Why?' She whined it, sounding very much like her, and furthering my resolve. "I can't ZZ, I just can't." "But Huntor, I can't stand another day without you, without feeling you in me, touching my breasts, your tongue on mine, your hands on me, I can't survive without it anymore, please, please, please." I just shook my head. Sarah sat next to me and said, "There are things Zeej, things that he went through, things that neither of us can explain right now, but it's part of the reason he can't." "IS IT BECAUSE I'M TOO YOUNG?" She shouted. "IS IT BECAUSE I'M STILL A HATCHLING? I'll have you know both of you are hatchlings too." I shook my head again. "It's part of it Zeej, but it's not the whole thing." "I'm not a kid anymore. I'm of breeding age, I don't want anyone else but you Huntor, no one else, I crave nothing else but you." She stood and walked around the room for a bit, then sat in my lap. My flesh hardened, and she begged, actually begged, "Please, please, please. I, need you, I, need, need, need, you. Need to feel you, need to have you, please, please, please." I rested my face against her's, and pressed my lips to her's. She gasped and moaned, but I pulled away, "I can't ZZ, I can't, I may never be able to." I gently pushed and she slid off dejectedly. "Fine." She pouted, and walked to the far corner of the room, looking, just, like, her. "I understand." Sarah said in my thoughts. "I, understand."
There was a kknock on the main doors, and I heard Draco answer it, then come walking over to bang on their door. "Oy, if you three are having a threesome you'll have to cut it short, it's time to dine with royalty." "Piss off." Sarah said in answer. I rose and walked toward Zavala. She shrank away, but I wrapped my arms around her and said in her ear, "I will tell you one day, tell you why I can't have a relationship between us, tell you why it hurts me so much, why, even after all this time, you remind me of someone. Someone I allowed myself to love, and, have taken from me." Her beautifully horned head tilted up, pixy face glowing with tears. "Who, who—" but I pressed my lips to her's and said, "I'll explain one of these days." She snuggled into me, and I wondered, if, for once, this was a real, true, mistake. We walked toward the doors, and Sarah opened them with her telekinesis. Draco sttood there, and snickered. "Hmm, well well well. I ain't saying anything." "Draco." Raveaque said coolie. "What? I didn't say anything." "You don't have to, it's written all over your face." Raveaque said with such a dry tone I laughed. "Huntor, Mi'Lord." I rolled my eye. "Zenvyyvu, sir was one thing, but Mi'Lord, really?" Instead of answering, she said, "This way, the queen has summoned you." So, we walked out, and down the corridor. "How do you wanna play it?" Sarah asked as we met up with the others. "We'll walk in their like a court." I said telepathically. Then, out loud, I said, "Let's assume our positions, wouldn't want to disappoint her majesty." Zavala stepped to my right, Sarah to my left, Theia stepped to Zavala's right, Seeka to Sarah's left. Wenzi stepped behind me, Raveaque and Draco flanking her, the last three mirroring them. We rounded several corridors, and walked up several staircases, and through it all, I started mapping out the royal towers. As we drew closer to the dinner hall though, I, could, feel it, feel the power, scent it in the air. We rounded another corner, and a huge room yawned wide in front of us. "Rumor has it that you like to make your own entrances." Zenvanescence said with smooth silky calm and so softly I knew she was a clever dracon. "So, I'll let you handle it." I nodded, and allowed my body a concentrated shift. I never done this before, only shifted certain parts of my body. My ears elongated to sharp points on either side of my head, my fangs showed, talons grew from my fingers, and I knew Wenzi and Sarah were mirroring my example. "That'll make a statement." Draco said. So, I stepped forward into the huge room, and, silence, reigned.