Dropping him on the bed, Indrani says, "And that's why you should listen to your aunty. Because I am the strongest Dragon around."
With a cheeky smile, Zahhak says, "But you've still never managed to beat mommy."
Grabbing his cheeks, she pulls them and says, "Because the Dragon King of War kept using annoying battle tactics, instead of just clashing our strengths against one another."
"Muscle brain!"
Indrani bites the top of Zahhak's head, causing him to joyfully laugh as he says, "You're tickling me!!!"
As she pulls her mouth away, they both let out a laugh, and Zahhak turns around and then says, "Hey, Auntie."
"What is it, my little King?"
"Why did Father and Mother send me here?"
Her eyes open wide, and Zahhak continues to say in a panic, "It's not like I don't like being here with you, Paouruazi and Garəbra. But I am the child of different Dragon Kings, so I have never understood why I had to spend the first decade of my life here?"
A smile appears on her face, and she lifts him up, saying, "It's because I am pretty lonely that your mother took mercy on me. Since the Dragon King of Enlightenment was taken from this world, I have been alone with just my two daughters, and my best friends in the world selfishly fulfilled my request to let me keep you at my side. Pathetic, isn't it?"
Zahhak's eyes fill with tears, and he says, "Auntie, are you really that lonely? I didn't know that. I promise I will come back and visit you every day when I can summon a Wyvern. I love you so much!"
Seeing him cry her eyes fill with tears as well, and she holds him close, saying, "I love you so much, Zahhak, my precious little baby boy! Please forgive me for my selfishness now and forever more."
"I promise I will!"
The tears of the two of them fill the room as their cries continue to echo all through the night.
-The Next morning-
Location: Dragon King of Destruction's Temple, Bushyasta; Wardrobe
Sitting in a chair as maids sit around him, Zahhak begins to sweat from head to toe, as jewellery is placed over his body. In his hands, he takes Jasmhid and holds him close as he starts to slowly curl his body into a ball.
"It looks like someone is nervous, I see," a cherry voice says, walking into the room.
Turning his head, Zahhak sees a group of women who wear choli along with baggy pants, which are mostly white and black, with a dupatta that has sun engraved into them. Across their stomach, thighs, and shoulder are sun tattoos and standing in front of them all is a honey-skinned woman with the horns of the Ekāgra.
Smiling Zahhak says, "Paouruazi!"
Walking over to him, she says, "Zaza, how are you?"
Shaking from head to toe so fast that the very ground begins to rumble, Zahhak says, "I am doing fine."
"Really?"
"Of course."
With a gentle smile, she says, "Really?"
"NO!" He says, bursting out in tears.
Picking him up, she cradles Zahhak and wipes the tears off his face with her tail. "Don't worry about this, my little, cute Zaza. Today is your tenth birthday, a day of celebration, a day when you should rejoice for all the amazing things happening to you. Right now, you shall return home to your land and be hailed as the 2nd son of the Dragon King of Truth. You'll finally get to meet your big brother."
"Big brother? What type of man is my big brother?"
With a joyful smile, Paouruazi says, "The 1st son of the Dragon King of Truth, the Falling Star Dragon, is a mighty warrior and leader of the Great Dragons known as the Deva, which are the greatest Dragonic warriors in our land outside of the Kings themselves. He is a once-in-a-generation talent who many have said might even surpass the Dragon Kings as they are."
Looking downwards with fear and discomfort, Zahhak says, "Do you think he will like having me as his younger brother?"
With her face glowing brighter, she says, "OF COURSE. He is a giant, big wall of kind muscle. Back when I was just a baby, he always used to lift me up and down, talking about how cool having a younger sister was. I am sure he will love to hang out with you every day."
Zahhak's face fills with energy, and soon the shaking across his body comes to an end. "I need to try my best then!"
"You'd better. Don't go embarrassing my sister by not showing off your stellar education."
"You betacha."
Turning around, Paouruazi says, "Now, my Sun Maidens, let's add the final touch to my little baby here!"
-Break-
Location: 7th city of Mount Hara: Naēca.Dragon King of Destruction's Temple, Bushyasta; Palace.
Throughout Mount Hara 7th city that lies at the very top, people from all across the country stand as the celebration of Zahhak's 10th birthday commences all throughout the land. People dance, they sing, they scream, and they party till their hearts' content, and at the very centre of the city, the temple of the Indrani lies, where all the elder Dragons of the country stand awaiting its arrival, and throughout it all, one boy joy completely dominates the area.
Standing beside, Indrani, Garəbra and Paouruazi, Zahhak constantly gyrates and moves his feet and tail as his smile only increases by the seconds. Using his ears to hear around, he turns to Garəbra and says, "Everyone is celebrating me."
"Of course, we have only had to deal with deaths in recent millennia regarding the royal bloodlines. People are excited to be celebrating the first decade of a new one, you should enjoy today as well as your next celebrations, when you turn 100, then 1000 years old."
"I know, I know. But let's not forget I am not the only new life that's on the way," Zahhak says, pointing at Indrani's stomach.
As Indrani rubs her bump, Paouruazi says, "A multi-millennia pregnancy. I believe that is just a bit shorter than how long it took to birth Zahhak."
With a smile, Indrani says, "And it was a pain in these last few centuries. Having the ability to birth a child in 9 months is the sole thing that makes me jealous of humanity."
A series of impacts from her belly moves through her body, and Zahhak places his tail against her, saying, "Please be kind to auntie, if you do, I will come play with you when you're born."
Smiling Indrani says, "The baby stopped? I guess my future son is already fond of you."
Zahhak, putting his hands up into the air, says, "He must feel how much I love him already."
Paouruazi says, "Then you should show him control and elegance today, don't you think?"
"RIGHT!" Zahhak says before turning and facing forward posture so perfect that it brings tears to Paouruazi's eyes.
Turning to face her mom, Garəbra asks, "Son?"
"I already have two daughter I would like a boy next!"
"I knew it, mother is sick of me."
Wacking her in the butt with her tail, Paouruazi says, "Don't be down, sister. Without you running the country, it would already have burned to the ground millennia ago."
"I feel like my youngest daughter has just thrown an insult at me."
"I would never do such a thing mother. It is just that your greatness and gifts should never be dedicated to a field such as menial documents. Why would we let such a rigid world contain an infinite being?"
A proud smile fills Indrani's face as she stares up at the sky and says, "Right."
And in that very instant, a figure drops down in front of them all, leaving a tremor through the area. All Dragons in the room are instantly put on alert, with many, including Garəbra and Paouruazi, instantly moving up to the Dragon with their tails against its neck.
But as everyone's eyes fully capture the details of the person, they pull back. In the middle of them all, a man with a cacao skin tone, along with green eyes, wears a giant rope which covers mainly his body and arms. In the centre of his chest, a giant emerald gem lies encased in scales, and from each side, red pipes emerge that connect directly into every scale on his body. Across the bottom of his face, her wears an emerald mask, and emerging from the side of his head are two Royal Horns.
The Dragons surrounding him walk back, as Garəbra asks, "What are you doing here, Olodumare? Don't you know this is a celebration for Zahhak, one of your country's royals?"
With a playful tone, he says, "You're always uptight about everything, Garəbra. That attitude is why you're still alone after all these decades."
Garəbra falls to the floor holding her heart, and Paouruazi holds her in her arms, saying, "You know that was too far, Olodumare!"
"Whatever, whatever, stop bitching and whining about everything you t-."
In a moment, a pressure moves across the entirety of Mount Hara that brings all movements, thought and words to a close, then from Indrani's mouth the words, "State your proposal, or vanish from existence with no aspect of you remaining."
He instantly falls to his knees and places his fist in his palm as he lowers his head, to say, "As both one of the Deva, and as a representative of the Dragon King of Truth, I, the Blood Dragon Olodumare, have come to send a message to you from the Ahura Mazda's household."
"Daddy," Zahhak says under his breath.
"Speak it now," Indrani replies.
"The return of Zahhak to the Dragon King of Truth's and Dragon King of War's territory shall be postponed till further notice."
As the bombshell of words release from Olodumare's mouth, shock, awe, surprise, anger, confusion, and fear move throughout the faces of all the Dragons gathered in the area, and Indrani's eyes fall on Zahhak, whose eyes open wide, causing her to say, "For what reason!"
"That was all I was given. No other reason was told to me. I am merely a Deva; I cannot answer any further questions."
"Then go get them now!" Turning her head, she says, "Contact the Hunting Dragon, the Curse Dragon, the Diamond Dragon, and the Heavenly Dragon to go and assist the Blood Dragon. I need the Deva's to get me answers this mome-."
In an instant, Zahhak rushes out of the room through the door, causing Indrani to yell, "ZAHHAK!"
ΦTrying to fight back the tears forming in my eyes, I say, "Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why!" Tripping and falling to the ground, I yell, "WHY!!"
Φ Staring at the young boy struggling to spare the world from his tears, I feel like I have seen this once before. The face of someone so scared of whether or not their life has value or not that they can barely give themselves the strength to go on.
Right now, all I wish is to hold this boy, all I wish is to protect this boy, but I can't. Because this has all already happened, it has all already passed, and now all I can do is continue to see the despair his majesty has been forced to face.
And deep inside my heart, I hope he can surpass it. For is someone like him can't, what hope does there remain for someone like me? For the Pathetic Dragon Named Cyrus.