Drakon

fire & ash

[♘ a l i s t a i r   s e l w y n ♘]

"Celeste, please, just hold the knife and pull it out of your dress. Then you'll be free!" Terris had stormed off after pinning the younger lady in pink to the wall, and Celeste still refused to pull the daggers out herself.

"I will not touch those unholy weapons!" She shrieked. "Servants, free me now!"

"The servants never venture out here, neither does the gardener. Hardly anyone comes, so usually Terris cuts the bushes and tends to the flowers for me. No one can hear you. And no one will see you touch the weapon except for us." I sighed slowly, talking to her like she was a child.

"Think on the bright side, Pink Lady." Kia said, who was using her knife skills to carve the bushes into shapes of dragons. She had already finished an 'Ironfang' masterpiece, which was quite easy, since my silver dragon was quite big and had very definite curves that were easy to cut, and was now working on a bush for Starfire. "If any ugly suitors come your way, or any man looks at you funny, you can gut them like a fish!" Kia pretended to gut me like a fish, and I flinched, jumping backwards.

"I will do nothing like a fish!" Celeste shrieked indignantly. "Street scum! Help me get out of these bonds!"

"You arms and legs are free, it's only your train that's stuck." Kia mumbled, ignoring the girl. I watched as she glanced towards me, violet eyes flashing, ebony hair falling into her eyes. I walked towards her, also ignoring the whining duchess, and brushed the strands out of her face.

"Careful with your hair, Kia. If your enemy grabs a hold of it, they could yank your head down and snap your neck." I murmured, smirking down at her.

"Isn't that a dirty trick that you disapprove of, your gracious Highness?" She said with a small smile, a devious one.

"The world plays dirty out there. So, so do we." I fired back.

"Ugh you two aren't flirting, are you?" Terris's voice rang out from behind us. "We have more pressing matters at hand. Like why Hawkeye just tried to break into the castle."

Cecil followed Terris into the opening, while a black lump was slung over his shoulders. A black lump that was a human.

A black lump that was a human that happened to be cussing like a sailor.

"Put me down you big ugly guard! Where did you guys put the Queen of Shadows? I knew I should never have let her follow that stupid prince! Let me go!" The figure kicked into the air fruitlessly, trying to aim for his nuts. "You bloody oaf!"

"Ash?" Kia asked with a confused look. "What are you doing here?"

'Ash' was still slung over Cecil's shoulder, so he couldn't see who was talking. "Kia! Kia, is that you? Where are we? What did they do to you?"

"I'm fine, Ash." Kia muttered, before turning to Cecil. "Put him down, Cecil."

My best friend obliged, revealing a ferrety figure, with unruly auburn hair and a skinny frame. He immediately went to kick Cecil where the sun didn't shine, but Terris's quick thinking stopped him, holding him in place with her magic as he floated around in the air, struggling to escape. "Witch! Witch! What is this sorcery?"

"I'm not a witch, Hawkeye." Terris narrowed her eyes. "I'm a mage. There's a difference."

"Plus, we've seen those make believe witches on the streets before, Ash. Is it that strange to see actual sorcery taking place?" Kia asked happily.

I coughed. "Um, can someone please introduce us please?" I grunted, looking at the other four people, still ignoring Celeste.

"Of course." Terris grinned with a mischievous glint in her eye, and I tried to interject.

"Oh, no, I was asking Ki-"

"I insist, your Highness." Terris said sweetly, the same sparkle remaining in her eyes. "Your Highness Prince Alistair Russell Selwyn, meet Ashton Reeves, or as he is known on the streets, Hawkeye. He and Kia have been friends and literal partners in crime since they were six. Ashton Reeves, this is the Prince, whom you probably already know, who has became incredibly close friends with your best friend Kitana Drake over the past month. So close that she forgot to come back to the criminal kingdom you built together down on the streets of Lukar."

I instantly disliked Ashton. So this was Kia's best friend on the streets, another faceless thief that made a name for himself with his sharp aim and good eyesight. I always knew that Kia was friends with 'Hawkeye', and I knew all about their criminal activities as thieves. They were the King and Queen of the streets, all the young pickpockets' idols, and they were always pictured as the tightest knit alliance, two peas in a pod.  Or rather, "as thick as thieves".

I was jealous of his relationship with Kia. They had known each other for 12 years; I had only known Kia for one month. Wait. Why was I jealous of just another street rat like him?

"I am not bowing down to you, your Highness." Ashton spat on the ground at my feet, as Terris jiggled him around in the air.

"No one's asking you to, ferret." Terris scoffed. "My name is Teresa Hunter, I'm a scholar. The 'big ugly oaf' is Cecil F-Brantley, Prince Alistair's best friend and bodyguard. And the whining pink thing in the background that you can ignore is Lady Celeste Greenswick, Duchess Rachelle Greenswick's daughter."

"Why is she pinned to the wall?" Ashton asked with pursed lips, eyebrows raised skeptically.

"Because I'm trying to get her to touch a weapon. Do you know how damn tiring it is?" Terris groaned. "Now, I'll be on my way. Cecil and I have some things to discuss." She strolled past us, before loosening all her control over the wind around Ash. The boy immediately dropped like a stone to the ground and I refrained from laughing in his face.  Served him right, in my opinion.

I raised an eyebrow at Cecil, who shrugged before chasing after Terris. "What was that about?" Kia asked. I glanced at her, her ruby red lips glinting in the dim moonlight. Why did I keep thinking about how she looks? Stop it, Alistair, stop it! I was on the verge of pulling my hair out

"I don't know. Terris and Cecil have grown really close this past month. Do you think-" I started.

"No, no, no. Gross. Ew. Definitely not. Whatever Terris is doing, it's actually serious. I don't know why she needs Cecil's help, but it's serious."

"Is anyone going to help me up?" Ash's voice called from the ground, and I glared at him. Kia, however, gave him a hand, helping him to his feet, before wrapping her arms around him. Something in my chest tightened, and I clenched my fists.  I wanted to punch something.  Or someone.

After what seemed like forever, they finally let go of each other. "I've missed you, Ash." She whispered, gazing up at him with a happy smile.

"I missed you too, Kiki." He mumbled affectionately. I looked at him and scowled again. Those two were so close, it hurt to watch them.

"The bedrooms are that way. Make yourselves comfortable. And avoid my father." I said, not meeting Kia's eyes. "I assume you two have a lot to talk about."

"Alistair..." Kia frowned, looking straight at me, but I refused to meet her gaze.

"Just go, Kia. Just go."

She left with a sigh, tugging Ashton after her like a he was her sad little puppy. I crumpled on the stone, right next to Kia's unfinished bush-cutting of Starfire. Why did it hurt so much? To watch her walk away?

A hand rested on my shoulder, and I flinched. I looked to the figure who had touched me, and was surprised to see it was Celeste, three diamond daggers in her other hand, outstretched towards me. "You- you touched the daggers?"

"I just pretended they were just jewelry, and anyways, I have to help my darling older cousin with his love dilemma!"

"What dilemma?"

"Seriously? Oh my god, and you say I'm hopeless!" She cried. "Did you even remember I was still there?"

"Truth to be told?" I said, scratching my head. "No."

image: celeste's diamond daggers