VERMILLION: The fall of Zaleon

Chapter 21

For the first time in his life, Reigar had been truly content. He had a smile on his face as he returned to his house that night, being able to fly back with ease this time, as his newly found mate did the same. He knew they would have to face their demons the next day, and figure out their next steps, but for the time being he appreciated all that he had found. So much so, that he had forgotten completely about Siandra, whom he had left back on Crestian borders. The woman had refused to leave until she received an explanation, and stuck to her word as 2 hours later, he returned in the darkness of night, gasping when he caught sight of her. What was he going to tell her? He evidently had no reason to be with her anymore, and he couldn’t avoid her touch and affection without breaking it to her that he no longer wanted to be with her. 

‘Siandra, what are you still doing here?’ He asked, shocked that she remained in the cold, waiting for him with tear stained eyes. 

‘Where have you been? You left me here for 2 hours! Just to go talk to that stupid Pixen? Who is that Pixen and Fairen to you anyways?’ She questioned accusatively, whisper-yelling to avoid getting caught in the dead of night. He moved closer to her, feeling terrible about abandoning her, though he maintained a distance, knowing he would never want to do anything to hurt his mate, for she was now the most important if not the sole important thing in his life. 

‘What? Nothing, they’re just old friends I re-encountered. The Fairen ran away because you were here and she thought she might get into trouble if someone realised that she knew me. The Pixen just wanted to talk to me about her, she’s been unwell, her parents passed away so she’s been trying to cope. But I left them ages ago, I was just taking a walk back, decided to think for a while, and stick to my thoughts, that’s why I’ve been gone for so long. I didn’t expect you to still be waiting here by the time I got back. I’m so sorry’ he lied, still staying away from her. She seemed to have believed his words in an instant, though still remained confused about certain obvious things. 

‘Why is a Fairen your friend? They’re Amethyst Reigar, surely you haven’t forgotten that?’ She accused, and that’s where he decided to draw the line.

‘Yeah well the rest of the world might prejudice against this, but I don’t. Priscilla is a nice person, she has the best of intentions. I ran into her 9 years ago when I was trying to get my dragon under control. I landed on Fairen territory and helped me out. She’s been my friend ever since. So I’m sorry if you have a problem with my friendship Siandra, but perhaps you should work on your own prejudices rather than being an arrogant woman who considers herself upper class’ he spat, and she was taken absolutely aback. Never in their 2 years of being with one another had Reigar ever raised his tone with the woman, aside from that one moment right there, where his mate had been targeted. Surely the woman knew something was up, she just had to piece things together, and she intended on doing that with more questions and more politics. 

‘You care that much about the Fairen that you raise your voice at me like that? The woman who is supposed to marry you?’ She posed, and Regiar took it as an opportunity to break the truth to her, in the best way possible. 

‘Actually, you’re not the woman I’m going to be marrying Siandra’ he began gently, and the words alone had completely stunned her, enough to keep her mouth shut. ‘Look, that’s what I was thinking about on the way here anyways. I’ve been thinking about our marriage plans, revisiting them through a different lens. The truth is, marriage is about love between two people. It’s the kind of love I saw between my parents, that I do not see between us. Between us, it’s all just physical, intimate, it’s lust, not love. I don’t feel that feeling of wanting to hold you to me all day, with you it’s just that excitement of mating you at night, and then carrying on with my life. I know this sounds terrible, but believe me I haven’t been doing it on purpose. I do care for you Siandra, but I just can’t marry you, I’m sorry’ he had expected tears to be streaming down her eyes like crazy, but instead he found that she remained silent, and that too, was dangerous. 

‘You’re right’ she responded, this time catching him by surprise. 

‘I am?’ He asked for confirmation. 

‘Yes, I never felt the love either, I just enjoy mating you. Since we don’t have mates, this is the closest I’ll ever get. I don’t believe in the concept of love because the Amethyst and the Ivory took that from us. Only they deserve it, which is why I’m prejudicial against them. It’s not fair that they get to love and we don’t. So I don’t see why you and I can’t get married. We enjoy mating each other, and in the day we can go on about our lives, I don’t see what’s wrong with that. It’s a partnership, a great one’ she responded, now walking forward, and placing her hand on his chest with a smirk on her face. She had been desperate to reveal the truth to him for so long, and seeing that he himself revealed it made her content, knowing she could drop the act now, and enjoy the lustful relationship they had. Though when he took her hand off his chest and pushed her away, she knew something was seriously wrong. 

‘I’m sorry Siandra, that’s just not what I’m looking for. I’m looking for love, and I’ll only marry if I’ve found it. I don’t want a partnership, that’s not marriage’ he responded, and she let out a humourless chuckle, as if not believing him. 

‘You can’t be serious? Are you rejecting me after everything we’ve been through?’ She asked, attempting to approach him again, only to get shunned away once more. 

‘No, I’m just changing direction. Given the fact that you’re clearly looking for something different, I think we should go our own ways. You want just a partnership, a lustful relationship, I want love, true love, which I can’t get with you. Look we had a great time, and you’re a wonderful person, I just think it’s best if we end this now, and start looking for what we want with people who can give it to us’ he responded, and she squinted her eyes in confusion. Surely the Pixen and Fairen had something to do with his change of heart, as it was quite strange for the Doirekh to act so enamoured. 

‘You’re never going to find love, because it doesn’t exist for us Vermillion. Don’t come crying to me when you’re a lonely t**t’ she snapped, and he shook his head. 

‘It does exist, and I hope that someday you find it, and be happy’ he responded, walking out of her sight. She remained halted in her position a few minutes after, looking into the distance of the forest, knowing what she had to do. Something was up, and the Doirekh was certainly hiding something. Something that she planned on uncovering in order to get back at the man that after 2 years, abandoned her. 

The truth was that Siandra was as hateful towards the flame as Elize grew up to be, and that is what lost her the chance to love in the first place. It was a loss like no other, one that she would not discover till much later. She returned home for the night, knowing that tomorrow she would tail the man, and find out what his secret was, so she could destroy him, and with it, induce the first great war of Zaleon. 

That night was like no other for the newly found pair who had only dreamt of seeing each other again, and going to the Galon, where they would seek their answers and find a way to make things work. Little did they know that the toughest time was yet to come for them, and it would be a story as tragic as the flame’s, though not quite. 

It was all part of a plan, a master plan the flame had created, one where the storyline revolved around his own story, and his own losses, and just his own forbidden love, Reigar and Priscilla had their own forbidden love to look forward to. 

Daylight came quickly, and with it came the time for Reigar to escape his home and travel to the forest where he would meet his mate. Siandra had been waiting early morning in the same spot she had left him, hiding behind as many bushes as she could before she followed him, keeping a distance between them to see if her suspicions were, in fact, right. The moment Priscilla’s face came into view, she knew something large was at play, and the moment their lips touched she knew she was right. Reigar had fallen in love with a Fairen. She had no idea that they were mates, of course, but she didn’t stick around to find out either. She travelled back to Crest with only one intention, to destroy her new enemy: Reigar, before he got a chance to experience true love with his mate. It was too late for that, however, as the man was completely whipped for the woman whom he had thought of and remembered for 9 years after their brief interaction as children.

They travelled together to the Galon of Tetra, hiding and evading everyone on the way, having Pietra as they lookout as she was the fastest flier amongst them. Once they reached, a tentative yet excited Reigar took a step forward into the grand space, walking forward and finding himself amazed at the sight of the flame, feeling nothing but love, gratitude and respect towards it. The Galoness sat in the middle of the room as always, right behind a sparkling Leopold, ready to speak for him and be his voice. 

‘You bring me a Doirekh. A special Doirekh’ she began, watching him enter without even opening her eyes. Soon enough, she did, and smiled at the man approaching. 

‘Galoness, we need you to help us. We need to know-’

‘If this Vermillion is truly your mate? Because, Vermillion aren’t meant to have mates, are they?’ She asked, reading the woman’s thoughts as she arrived in front of her. 

‘Yes, please help us understand what is going on, and what we can do to survive this’ Priscilla pleaded, and the Galoness shut her eyes once again. 

‘My child, you are mates. It is true that the Vermillion don’t have mates, but then again, Reigar Doirekh, you are no ordinary man, are you? You are the beginning of the end. This relationship is a marked one. You are marked within the prophecy’ she explained, not quite making things clear for the pair who remained clueless. 

‘We don’t understand, what do you mean-’

‘Emerge your hands into the flame, children. All will be explained’ she interrupted once again, and the pair did so immediately and without question, eager to know the answers. 

Within seconds images flashed into their heads. The images displayed a story, a vision, a prophecy. It was their prophecy. The prophecy of the first greatest war of Zaleon, a war that was initiated by the first couple in the history of Zaleon to be mated in such a way. Reigar Doirekh was the first ever Vermillion to have a mate, and his mate was a Fairen. A forbidden love that was created out of the tragic story of the flame, to mark the beginning of the end. It was a war that would bring upon the current fate of the Vermillion, which would lead to the second greatest war of Zaleon, and perhaps the last. War upon war, Leopold wanted to do everything in its power to change his own fate by mending the fate of Zaleon, though he knew deep down it was all a charade, and nothing would bring back his Cassandra. 

The prophecy that the pair saw of themselves had devastated them more than anything, for they had certainly not expected to see that, out of everything. 

‘Galoness, what is the meaning of this? What is the meaning of this prophecy? How can we change it? Tell us Galoness, how can we survive this?’ Reigar persisted, desperate for a way out with his new woman. 

‘Trust the flame’ was all she said, before her eyes closed back up, and the faint smile remained on her face. Though her words had done nothing to cheer the pair up, nor provide them with the courage they would need for the war to come. 

They exited the Galon more confused than ever, travelling to a corner of the forest, one where the three paced around, wondering what the answer to their problem would be. 

‘According to the prophecy, this is going to initiate a war. I just don’t understand why? What does the flame mean that we are the beginning of the end? Does that mean that we will survive? Or die?’ Asked Priscilla, more confused than ever. Even Pietra, who knew not the fate of her companion, had nothing to say. 

‘There’s only one way to avoid this war’ Reigar stated, having thought of the solution. ‘We run away, somewhere where we can find shelter, and stay there forever. No one would know the truth about us, or what happened to us. We could just be lost souls, taken by the flame’ he stated, completely unaware of the fact that at the very moment he was talking to his mate, Siandra had already spread news about his affair with the Fairen. The pair had not even realised it but the fate of Zaleon was already collapsing, and the war that was to come had already been initiated. 

‘Where would we go?’ Questioned Pietra and Priscilla at the same time, knowing one would not leave without the other. 

‘Gloarian. We cross the borders into Gloarian, and find shelter there. Surely someone is bound to give us shelter. If we explain to them that we are in love, and only wish together, and not harm anyone, perhaps someone will help us, and no one would suspect our presence there, because we have no reason to move to Gloarian’ he explained. Priscilla nodded, thinking of nothing else but her life with her mate, and was willing to leave right there and then. 

‘Then let’s do it. Let’s go right now. We have no reason to wait. The prophecy talked about a war, and if we go back we risk that war even more. If we want to avoid it then we should go now whilst we still can. We don’t need anything, no possessions as long as we have each other, so let’s just go. We can take shelter with the Hybrids, or Werewolves, I’ve heard they’re the friendliest out of the lot’ responded Priscilla, and like her, Reigar agreed, with no hesitation in his bones that he wanted to be with her. 

‘I’m going to miss Tetra’ squeaked Pietra from behind, and the two embraced her tiny frame into a hug, before taking off for Gloarian, avoiding everyone around them to get there. 

In the meantime the war had begun, the Doirekhs had taken their armies into Tetra, and the Fiarens, who had received intelligence, had awoken the Warmecks, who had risen who fight the battle of a lifetime. Armies fought, and they all looked for the crazy couple of Zaleon who had thought of doing the unthinkable on a planet made up of hierarchies. It was the first ever love to go out of order from what they all believed in, and caused an entire war to break out. 

The pair had been clueless of the horrendous and frankly outrageous acts of their planet, and as they all trekked to Gloarian, and arrived Hybrid territory, asking for shelter, the war had begun, and the pair was long gone and buried into the depths of the kind hearted Hybrids of Gloarian. It had not occurred to them that whilst they were existing in peace on Hybrid lands that the rest of the planet had barged into war over them, and they didn’t find out until the war had ended, and the Hybrids themselves had found out. 

It was a time more peaceful for the Ivory, one where they had less prejudice to worry about, and more poverty to worry about, though they were content in their lives, having no reason to be grumpy or unhappy. Though when the news came from the Galon of the war, they had no choice but to report it to their renegades. 

‘A war? In Tetra? It happened? What are you talking about? How could it have? No one knew! We left there as soon as we found out!’ Complained Priscilla to the former leader of Hybrids.

‘The Galoness said that someone by the name of Siandra initiated the whole thing. Apparently she knew and told the leaders of Doirekhs. From there it all escalated. The Warmecks awoke and a war broke out. The Vermillion are done for, there are only a handful of them left. One Doirekh family, one Witch’s family and one Vermoca family are all that are left. The Warmecks have gone back into hibernation and the Fairens and Pixens are going about their lives, though they lost thousands of members too, just not as much as the Vermillion’ stated the leader bluntly. Reigar put the pieces of the puzzle together, understanding that Siandra must have followed him or caught onto his lie, and placed a hand on his forehead as he thought of the other the thing that was bothering him. 

‘How is that even possible? The Vermillion can’t lose to the Warmecks and Fairens, can they? The Vermillion are supposed to be strongest-’

‘They are, but the Warmecks have been in hibernation, which makes them even more blood thirsty when they awake, that’s why they have that privilege, because it’s their duty to protect this planet. Perhaps if the Warmecks were not asleep they would not be as powerful, but the flame granted them their wish, and they have been complying on their side. I think perhaps the two of you should go back to Tetra to figure things out’ said the leader, and the pair and Pixen wasted no time before heading back to the lands they came from to see the damage that had been done. 

Gregov Doirekh had yet to burn the Pixens out of existence, and the worst had yet to come, but still the pair that had lived in complete bliss and ignorance for so long finally came to terms with what they were seeing. In front of them was a land that belonged to the Fairens, but that was completely burnt down to the ground. The remnants of Doirekh fire had been evident as they walked around, looking for a way to explain this to the Fairent leader without causing another war. 

It was due to this that the pair decided to visit the one place they might find answers in before facing their reality: the Galon. Just like the previous time, they hesitantly stepped inside, approaching the gleaming flame behind which sat the Galoness, who had been anxiously waiting for their return. 

‘Welcome back, survivors’ she said, her eyes opening. 

‘Galoness, what happened? The prophecy-’

‘I told you to trust the flame, my child, and you have, well done’ she interrupted, and the flabbergasted couple had nothing to say. 

‘But Galoness, we only made things worse’ Priscilla said, not knowing what else to say. 

‘No my child, you have not. The war was meant to happen for the path to clear for the new. Something large is at play, and this was a crucial part of it, this was the beginning of the end. The flame is happy with your performance. Though alas, it is time for the three of you to depart from Zaleon’ she then said, shocking them even more. 

There came a time in every person’s life on Zaleon, when the flame would take them, and they couldn’t believe that this was their time, so sudden, so soon. They barely had time to say goodbye to each other, but in that moment as Reigar held onto Priscilla and Pietra, there was nothing else that mattered. The three shared eyes, and out of nowhere they felt ready to leave their vessel, and accept their fate from the flame.

Priscilla kissed Reigar one last time, passionately, and they hugged each other, with Pietra in the middle, as they said to each other. 

‘Goodbye’