Flames of Ashes

Chapter Eleven. Dinner.

"There was always an answer and the journey to uncover the truth is the answer to those who understand."~Cadvere

***
An imposter. Yes that was what I was. I sat in the very same place Arthur and Drake had dreamt of all these years, living the lives robbed of them. If they had listened, this wouldn't have happened. Yet I shouldn't be here. I didn't belong here.

They were gone. Gone. Gone. All of them. Andrew, Stefan, Dre, Ila, Liase, Maze, Arthur, Drake, Quince....
All of them, burnt or turned to ashes. I caused it. It was my fault. Bile rose to my throat, my face whiter than purity herself and my eyes dazed.

Why were they gone? Why did they take them from me? My heartbeat sped up drowning out the chatter around me.
"Xarian!"  the voice was in my head, but the faces of their faces made it impossible to concentrate on anything being said.

"Xar, Xar, Xar!" Tamsin's tapped my arm and I snapped out of it.
"Tara Valdiren?"

"Gods you are completely out of it. Not all of us speak Caramatian, you know?" Ben said.
"She was just asking what we were saying," Raph replied, as he sipped his water out of the stainless cup.
"So you weren't even listening to a word of what we were saying." Tamsin's face was full of disappointment.

"I listened but didn't hear anything worthwhile, so Jarda you were right to travel to Astoria." Celia's words earned a scowl on Tamsin's face. That expression seemed natural anytime Celia said anything at all to him.

"Tell me, doesn't it bother you the kind of powers nobles seem to have?" The boy wasn't talking to us, but I knew the jab was directed at me. I was the only noble seated anywhere close to them.

"I beg of you, you do not need to answer the ramblings of a mad man!" Celia told the people sitting with the boy that spoke. He sat on the table in front of us. His face seemed familiar, but I couldn't place where.

"I am a mad man?" he laughed. "Tell me, Xarian-Jarda, how did you manage to burn an entire building full of ten thousand people and come out alive and unpunished?" His face became serious, even though his voice sounded like it was a joke.

Unpunished? I lost my friends and got denied the right to enter the Hood of my choice.
"Do you want to find out?" I shot back.
"Are you threatening me?" His eyes narrowed at me, before turning to Eritrea. "See this Eritrea? Tell me, how does it feel to be breathing the same air as the person that murdered your sister?" I clenched my fists at my side.

"How about your little friends tell me how bad it is to be in the same squad as you, dickhead?" My jaw dropped at Eritrea's words. Was she defending me?
Dickhead didn't seem fazed by her response and tsked.

"I expected so much from you, Eritrea. Especially given the way she views people like you and me."
How I viewed them was in fact the only way to view them. Perisdians were barbarians and nothing more.

"Go fuck yourself! But knowing the kind of sadist you are, Michael you might actually enjoy it." Ben gave him the fakest smile I had ever seen, which seemed to do the trick because he gave me one more hateful look and stopped paying us any attention, so we all turned to stare at Eritrea.

"What?" she shrugged. "He pushed one of my mates off the fucking wall, so he's no better than you." Right. She could never like me.
To her, I was a 'noble'. The people of Perisidians were utterly brainwashed that we were the bad ones.

"You said his name was Michael?" I asked Ben.
"Michael Dil Waine." Waine? As in Stefan Kil Waine? Eldor's fire, were they related? But he is from Persidia, and Stefan had lived in Caramat all his life.

"When I get bonded to a dragon, I'd burn him first." Tamsin glared at the back of his orange hair. He was playful but we all knew that when Tamsin wanted to be serious, he was rabid. During combat training, the way he beat up his opponent wasn't something I wanted to be at the receiving end of.

"How'd you know you of all people would get bonded to a dragon, Tammy?" Celia asked, chewing a piece of her stake.
"Malax light, why not?"
"Because dragons are rare and the last thing they would do is bond with the likes of you".

"Ha ha very funny, Benjee."
"They are as rare as Tamsin's brain." Another troop member, Frena remarked.
"Caramat's Knight school has the highest number of dragon breathers, 32," I said.
"Griffins are only 50, but Quinoha has like 56. They are going to be useful during wars." Benjen said. His voice tinged with his pride for his kingdom. It wasn't an easy feat. If a war ever happened.

Arthur would never allow for a war to take place, let alone condone the talks of it.
"Zarir is bonded to the most powerful Dragon of our generation. I heard he is a descendant of Eldor. I've heard rumors about his Arcana but no one seems to know what it is actually." Celia's voice changed to the gossipy tone she used.

I was also curious since he was the only person to get the 4 flames. He must be very powerful and I almost shuddered and was a little bit amazed knowing how dangerous it would be to go to war with him.

"You know, Xar, if you are becoming bored of this place both of us could leave and no one would notice." He smirked, playfully.
"And do what, Tammy?"
"Tamsin wants to shoot his shot Cel, it's only a matter of time before someone fucks Xari." Ben leaned back in his seat, with a look of enjoyment.

"And why won't anyone want to fuck her? If her pussy is as pretty as her face, I'm game."
"She is sitting right here, and do not you talk about me like I am an object." My voice came out harsher than intended.

"Fiesty! I can't wait to get to taste you." He licked his lips and I threw a lettuce leaf from my plate at him.

"You would like that, my little murderer, for him to fuck you?" Tempting, skin crawling and each word drawled made it sound like he was behind me, whispering in my ear.
"No!" My face flushed.

"Sheesh, Xar, you sure do know how to break a man's heart softly." I didn't know I said that too loudly. I searched the hall for any sign of him but he wasn't there. Members of the legion rarely came to dine with us. They were Athika's knights, after all, bonded to the four creatures given to humanity by the gods.
My face fell a little.

"Are you missing me, my little murderer?"
"Why would I miss you? You are the crown prince of Persidia inciting people to think that there would actually be a war, so are you proud of yourself?" I managed to say it in my head because I guessed that he could hear my thoughts.

"Should I be?"
"You should, leading a rebellion and all." I tried to make my voice even.
"That's a serious accusation, Xarian-Jarda, and you should know better than to accuse a prince." My name on his lips sounded even better than I had imagined. It was slow as if he was afraid of not getting it right like it was an important word in a spell.
"Get over yourself."

"When you stop being Arthur's little whore."
"I am not his whore so get out of my head!"
And he did. For the rest of the night, I didn't hear anything again, and his absence ached.
I pictured Arthur's look of disapproval, knowing I was conversing with the enemy and even missing him.

"You have read about all the atrocities they committed and how they defiled the will of the gods, Xarian." He would say.

I touched my necklace, hoping for some sort of peace and a way to survive this place with my heart intact because tomorrow wasn't going to be any better.
***

A/N: Hey guys!!! I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! If you are, leave a comment and vote, it means a lot to this cute author of yours🤭🤭🌚. See you next time!