Drekablóð Rising:Fire(Book 1)

Chapter 17 {Ignatius}

Ignatius groaned in pain as he slowly regained consciousness.
His eyelids cracked open to find himself not in the forest but in a dark cell.
He sat up immediately, wincing as his shoulder blade protested at him for using his arm to get up.
The cell was six by six with a bed and waste bucket. No windows accompanied the cell; Et ignis in Terris didn't believe in the hope of freedom once you were throw in the dungeons. Only a door with small slide hatch was his only view outside this cell.
Ignatius tried to recall how he got here, but his head was still a little fuzzy.
He didn't know how long he had been here, or what happened to Zephyr and Anahita; he hoped they were safe. He did know that he needed to get out of here and find them; Zephyr was still in critical condition, unless Anahita or someone else helped her already.
Getting to his feet, he started pacing back and forth in the tiny space, thinking of a way of escape.
Would he be willing to attack his own? A guard that was just doing their job on order from King Agni. He wasn't sure. Nonetheless, if he wanted to get out of here then he was going to have to do whatever.
An image of Anahita came to his attention.
He clenched his fists.
If he wasn't willing to attack one of his own for himself, then he would do it for Anahita.
He waited in silence for hours, waiting for the guard to come by.
   Then finally the door opened.
He tensed his muscles from behind the door, as he watched the door clicked open.
A slim figure walked in, and turned out not to be a guard at all.
"Hello, Ignatius." The princess said without looking at him.
He didn't respond to her. He knew it was considered absolute rudeness, but something just didn't feel right about her. There was a weird aura around her that just didn't seem to fit her character.
She looked at him with her golden eyes with the bright orange rings around them.
   "I would like to talk to you."
   "About what?" He asked.
   "About a high ranking position that just happened to open up. One that I would like you to fill. So can we have a civilized talk? Not hiding in the corner like an animal."
   He looked at her carefully. He had that feeling again. Something was off about her. She hardly ever talked to anyone. So why was she here to offer him a position when that was King Agni's job?
   Savita walked into the cell, and sat down on the bed, looking at him with those masked eyes.
   "Are you going to join me or are you going to run?" She asked.
   "Where is your father, Princess Savita?"
   Savita didn't even flinch as she answered. "He was murdered along with the rest of my family."
   "By who?"
   "Phoenyx. Now making me queen of Et ignis in Terris. And as queen I need people that I can trust in high ranking positions, one of which I would like you to fill."
   "Why me? We've never been close." He asked, wondering why in Elementa she would choose him over others far more capable.
   "Cause there's one thing that I've always admired about you, Ignatius."
   "And that is?"
   "Your loyalty." She answered. "You have always been loyal since the moment Ignacio had you enrolled as a guard in training. It's what I need to make those who don't want me on the throne to see that I am a good queen. The best thing for Et ignis in Terris."
   "And how am I going to do that? I'm just a guard—former guard in training." He corrected himself, remembering that he basically dropped out of the program the moment he left the citadel.
   "By becoming the Warlord of the Lava Lands around the citadel." She responded, shocking him.
That was Baskara's post. He knew that Baskara was the oldest of the warlords, though that made no sense why he would suddenly be dead. He had been in perfect health the last time he saw the warlord, which was about two weeks ago when Baskara came to meet with King Agni.
Something wasn't right around here. All the sudden deaths just didn't add up. He knew that King Agni wasn't Phoenyx's favorite person, although that still didn't explain why she killed him, his entire family, and left Savita alone; maybe because of their friendship. He just didn't know. Things just weren't adding up.
"That's Baskara's post. Has something grave happened to him?" He asked, pretending not to be suspicious of whatever was going on around here.
Savita shook her head as she adopted a more sorrowful tone. "I'm afraid to say that Phoenyx has an accomplice. Hakan. He poisoned Baskara's food, and delivered it to him. He used Baskara's death to allow Phoenyx to escape. I'm sorry. I know you and Hakan were friends. But he is an enemy of Et ignis in Terris, and enemies of Et ignis in Terris are locked up until trial and judgement."
Ignatius looked at the ground. He didn't know what to make of this far fetched tale.
Hakan would never hurt anyone and killing just wasn't something Hakan was born with. Hakan was the nicest person he had ever met, probably nicer than Elidi, who was as kind as rain in Et ignis in Terris during the scorching summers
He felt like this was just some elaborate act to get him to take Baskara's post.
Ignatius looked up and met her eyes.
"Of all the people you could have chosen, you chose me and not just because of my loyalty. You chose me for some other reason. Why is that?"
"If I told you, you would think I was mad."
"Try me." He had seen enough crazy to last him a lifetime. How could her idea be crazy?
"I chose you because I know what you are, Ignatius."
"What do you—," he said hurriedly, hoping she was wrong and not about to say what he thought she was about to say.
"Do not play dumb with me, Ignatius." She said in a dead serious tone, piercing him with her eyes. "I know what you are. A Draconigena. That's why I want you in that position. To protect you from those who would see you killed like some wild animal. Ignatius, you are just like the rest of us, but born with an amazing gift that you can use to help Et ignis in Terris. So please consider taking my offer. I'm just trying to protect you and hopefully others like you. If you take my offer, I will see to it that every Draconigena is put under my protection. And if anyone would move against them, they would be moving against me and all of Et ignis in Terris. With you at my side we can bring Draconigena back from the brink of extinction."
Now he knew that she completely crazy. No one in Et ignis in Terris would accept this, including—oh shit. Savita was more than just crazy. She was absolutely insane and murderous. Phoenyx didn't kill the royal family. Savita did. It was the only way she would get her way.
Baskara must have started to catch on, and she had him killed, and let Hakan take the blame.
Now she was trying to throw him in that position to be her little slave. As well as to have a Draconigena under her control and at her disposal to use against others. He couldn't even imagine the chaos if Savita gathered enough Draconigena to go head to head with another kingdom. That must be why she wanted him in that position. To convince others to seek refuge in her and in return do whatever she wanted from them, even destroying another kingdom in vengeance.
He couldn't let that happen. He had to tell someone that she was insane and unfit to rule.
Ignatius glanced at the unguarded hallway, hoping there were no hidden guards in wait.
"If you're thinking about escaping, don't. The guards will catch you before you even make it to the end of the hallway." Savita said.
"I'll take my chances over being enslaved by a mad person." He growled, and rushed out of the cell, and down the hallway as fast as he could, hoping no one would see him.
   So far no one had seen him and Savita hadn't called out. It looked like he was going to make it after all.
As he came to the corner, he was greeted by a familiar face.
He stopped abruptly, taking a few steps back.
"Hello, boy. I take it Savita didn't think you would run away?" Ignacio said.
"She's mad. So let me through, I need to stop her before she does something stupid and breaks out a worldwide war."
"Is that so? How do I know you just aren't telling stories?"
"I'm not." He growled back.
"Well, let me tell you something. I don't believe you."
Then guards appeared, and grabbed him, preventing him from running.
"Let me go! Your queen back there is a complete lunatic! She's going to get us all killed!" He tried to persuaded the guards, getting no reaction out of any of them.
None of the guards responded.
"I'm sorry Ignatius, but I can't have you trying to run away when you are clearly demented after your trip in the wild. I'm afraid that you need some time to recover in the psych ward." Savita said, appearing suddenly from behind him.
"With family supervision." Ignacio said with a cruel smile on his face.
"You are insane! You'll kill us all if you—,"
"Shut it, boy." Ignacio said, slapping him across the face. "No one wants to hear you blabber about death and destruction that Queen Savita is going to bring down on us."
He boiled with rage. No one was listening to him. They all thought he was the crazed one when it was Savita.
Ignatius struggled against his captors, succeeding in one of them shackling his hands behind his back.
Ignacio took to the front of the group as they prepared to throw him in the insane asylum. King Agni used to throw his enemies in there, and now it seemed like Savita was doing the same. It looked like the apple didn't fall far from the tree, even if Savita loathed her father enough to kill him.
"Why are you doing this?" He asked her as he walked by her.
"Because its a cruel world out beyond my walls. Something you'll soon learn. But know this, I and I alone am the only one that can protect you. And I think you'll know that when you accept my offer." She said to him, as the guards prodded him onwards.
He walked along, seething with rage.
They soon came to the hospital part of the citadel, and entered the area set aside for the mentally unstable.
Ignatius was thrown into one of the dark cells, and locked in with nothing but his own thoughts and the darkness.