Fireflight

Chapter Sixteen

Far away in the Beurnanenland Lord Kirin sat in the company of Princess Octavia and her friend and bodyguard Loona. The three of them sat around a table set atop one of the flat roofs of the palatial citadel. A large canvas awning shielded them from the hot beating sun of the semi-arid regions of the lower country. Both Kirin and Octavia sat in deep conversation while Loona sat back on her phone, a small smile playing on her lips. She had felt a spark between the two of them and was content to let her friend get to know the young man she was interested in. Meanwhile she would text Brenden stupid questions teasingly, knowing he would answer back in befuddled logic. 

"So you said you were into taxidermy?" Kirin asked. 

Octavia nodded. "Yeah, I like to collect. Nothing too big though, I don't have a whole lot of space in my room." 

"Perhaps you would like to see my collection?" Kirin asked. 

"You have one?" the avian princess asked intrigued. 

"Yeah, I like to keep trophies of my hunts. It's tradition going back as far as my great, great grandfather. We have relics from that far back all the way to what I've recently killed." Kirin explained. 

Octavia smiled. "Not too many people are interested in taxidermy. It's nice to find someone else who is." 

"Excellent! I'll take you to see it now if you'd like." Kirin said standing up. 

"Sounds great! Loona, you coming?" Octavia asked. 

"Yeah, I'm down." the hellhound agreed, putting her phone away. "Might as well give Brenden a break." 

"A break from what?" her friend asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Oh, I was just fucking with him." Loona smirked. 

"You're such an ass!" Octavia chewed her out with a small, playful smile on her face. 

"I can't help it." Loona said. At a mock harsh glance from Octavia she amended her sentence. "Actually I can, I just don't." 

Octavia nodded. "Sounds about right." 

The three of them left the hot rooftop quickly and entered into the refreshingly cool palace. Kirin led them down the ornate halls of the vast building and too an exhibition room full of the bones and stuffed carcasses of animals. 

Octavia looked around in awe, taking in every detail. "Wow, its amazing!" she gasped. 

"I'm glad you like it." Kirin smiled. 

The prince let the two young women wander through the large hall and take in the sights. All manner of specimens were housed there from the fossils of bygone creatures to the taxidermized bodies of creatures small enough to fit in one's hand to beasts many times their size. 

While they toured the room, Loona sidled up to Kirin. "So why do you wear that mask?" she asked. 

"It is the mantle of the kingdom's guardian. Every Guardian and Enforcer wears this masked helmet. Its an ancient artifact, going back at least eight hundred years and worn from then on." Kirin told her. 

"So do you ever take it off?" Loona asked. 

The prince shook his head. "Only in the presence of myself or those deemed very close to me, such as family." 

"That must be tough." Loona said. "What if you've got an itch or something?" 

"Then I either ignore it or excuse myself to go take care of it." Kirin answered. 

As the three of them talked and viewed the menagerie four demons dressed in work clothes entered, casually strolling over. 

"What's this?" Kirin asked.