The next visit to Queen Scarlet's palace for her birthday went to the same script as last time for the most part. The only difference is that Burn left their room for a moment to go talk to someone before the two curled up on a much nicer pile of furs. Even the fights went along the same lines, the same number taking place before Rust volunteered.
A few who recognized him from last time raised their voices even louder when Rust landed on the sand. Vermillion, another dragon to recognize him, gave him a (unnaturally) wide grin and a weird (and slightly pitying) look before beginning his announcements to rile up the fight. As he did, a scarred SkyWing was dropped onto the sand who gave Rust a (weird) menacing look.
Vermillion also went off script from his usual one and done announcements. "Everyone here has some type of thing to hold against their parents, right?" he said, raising his arms in the direction of the audience who gave some type of agreement. "Whether it be that they didn't let you get that scroll that you really wanted or something much more serious."
He ain't saying...
"Today, I give you a case where the dragonet has all the reason and more to hate their parents. This SkyWing, who I'm insulted to even call a SkyWing, had an affair with a SandWing."
No, no way...
"When it was clear that the SandWing had given an egg to this world, this whelp decided that he didn't want an egg. He just wanted to be with his darling SandWing with no evidence of their relationship. I don't entirely blame him for wanting to be with a SandWing, they are great," Vermillion had the gall to wink at Burn. She glared at him, making him give her an apologetic smile. "Anyway...
"After he came to that decision, he came to another. He was too weak to crush the egg himself so he told a friend of his about it. That friend told him that it would be taken care of."
Getting the gist of everything, Rust raised his barb and snarled at the SkyWing who had the nerve to look surprised.
"That friend had told a friend, that second friend coming up with the scheme to take the egg for their own. Reluctant, that first friend waited until the last second before taking the forsaken egg from its hiding place. That dragon took the egg to their friend who finally gave it to our great and wonderful ally, Burn.
"Now, doesn't that sound like a tragic story?" Vermillion asked, getting some type of affirmative from the crowd. "And doesn't that sound like the SkyWing who was too weak and cowardly should be punished?" that got a much more clear agreement. "So, instead of this SkyWing being the first to go, why not his partner?"
Hearing the crowd roar their approval, the SkyWing tried to resist against the guards who came to take him. It wasn't that hard to grab him and put him on one of the pillars again, this time one hat had a front-row seat. In his place, a SandWing who looked terrified and yet somewhat content was dropped into the arena.
"Dragged down by her poor choice in lovers, in one corner we have Marigold of the SandWings! In the other, we have the forsaken dragonet raised with the right dragon, Rust, champion of Burn!
"Claws up, flames ready, fight!"
"Oh, aren't you just lovely?" said Marigold, her observation taking her breath from her as she stared at him fondly. Despite the warmth that should've come from a compliment from his biological mother, there was a disconnect in Rust's head. This SandWing wasn't his mother.
I don't have a mother. I only have my guardian and protector, Burn. This is just another dragon for me to kill.
"Sorry Marigold, the arena holds no room for reunions," said Rust, darting forward to give her two quick slashes across the chest before jumping back. "I'm sorry that ya got caught up in his cowardice."
She hissed at the pain, stumbling back and away before she pulled herself together. "I'm fine, now we can finally be mother and son," she said, smiling at Rust like he was the best thing in the world. "I'm just so happy that we can be a family."
Oh, you poor naive dragon.
"I think I know why it was so easy for him to act as if he liked me," said Rust, taking a moment to spill a little more blood from her. "You see the good in everyone to the point that it blinds ya. A heart of gold so heavy that it drags ya down."
Marigold yelped as his tail slashed across her face, creating a line of dark and poisoned scales. "Maybe this can finally make a dent in that overly optimistic attitude," said Rust, his face neutral as he swept her talons out from under her. She fell on her side, given no time to react as his tail barb pierced the area over her heart.
The crowd went up in cheers as Rust stepped away from the dead body. He didn't react, his world was too muted to. So it took a moment before he just went with his usual act, flaunting around and waving at the crowd as if he felt as proud as he did the first time he went into the arena.
I'm sorry, Marigold. Maybe in another world, we can live your fantasy. Until then, I'm still Burn's and she's still mine.
"Wasn't that just a spectacle? Brutal in action and words! Now, something else just as brutal must take place. This takes father-son conflict to a whole new level with one corner having Folly of the SkyWings! The other corner still having the great champion of Burn, it's Rus--!"
Vermillion couldn't finish his announcement before Folly was rushing forward directly after being dropped. "YOU KILLED HER!" he roared, swiping at Rust to have the other easily move out of the way.
"Straight into it!"
"Don't you mean that your mistakes killed her?" Rust quipped, smirking as Folly roared his fury and attempted to translate it into a blow. That blow didn't land but Rust's did, drawing blood from a line that Rust carved into Folly's side. "It's ridiculous how fitting your name is, ya foolish idiot."
"Shut up!" Folly shouted, trying to deal another blow that didn't land.
"So what? Ya can deal with the loss of your partner in peace? Guess what? You'll never get peace as long as I'm around," said Rust, drawing a little more blood from a quick dart in and out of Folly's range.
"You monster! You messed up everything!" Folly screamed, his fury this time translating into flames. Quickly dancing out of the way, Rust got to smirk at Folly's snarl wreathed in smoke.
"I might be made from fire and sand but I'm no mirror," said Rust, breathing a little fire of his own. Folly moved out of the way of it, stepping right into the way of Rust's barb. Howling at the pain that stretched from his elbow to his talon, Folly stumbled away.
Not letting him get far, Rust tripped Folly up and let him fall. Hovering his barb over Folly's heart, Rust gave one last line for the show, "And as much as I hate ya, I'm not as cruel as you to keep someone away from Marigold. Don't mess up this time, ya fool."
With that, Rust ended Folly's life with a sharp jab of poison to his heart. The crowd roared their approval, throwing gems at him for his performance. Smirking, Rust began to flaunt around to get them to cheer louder.
"A show and a half, I must say! Anything you would like to say to close off this great act, Rust?" asked Vermillion, raising his voice over the crowd after a few moments.
The crowd quieted down, some leaning forward to catch more of his words. It only took a moment before Rust remembered again that this was a show. All of this was just a show.
"Just that two a day keeps the sisters away!" shouted Rust, getting peels of laughter from the crowd. He took a few bows before flying back to being next to Burn.
She nudged him with a wing, keeping in contact for a few seconds longer than the last time they were in front of the SkyWing kingdom. Rust nudged her back, hopefully reassuring her of his health. Physically, he held no wounds. Mentally, he felt so numb.
I'll be okay, they're just another couple of dragons to add to the kill count. The only dragon who matters to me in the way they would've mattered is Burn. Still and forevermore, I'm hers.
Rightfully so, that thought made him feel just a little bit warmer than he had during the entire time during the arena.
{(:)}
Maybe a couple of days or so after the fight, Flower (aka Rose as Rust learned) finally found a time that Rust was alone so the two could talk. As sparse as they were, the two had been engaging in lessons of their selective languages. Learning the official language of the two species was fun but making one of their own was even better.
That's what Rose spoke when she went to check up on him. "Are you okay?" she asked, making him look down at where she was patting his talon in comfort.
"Kinda. I feel pretty numb," said Rust, shrugging off the feeling that encompassed his entire being to no avail.
"Why? I heard you got in a fight but I couldn't get much else," said Rose, frowning at the thought of her friend feeling down.
"In an arena, I had to kill both of my parents," said Rust, getting her to gasp. "I shouldn't feel anything from it, they were never around. But all of it turned off my emotions and now I'm just numb."
"They were still your parents so I can get it. For now, all you can do is try to enjoy your time with Burn and I. You don't have to feel everything in an instant, just take little steps," Rose advised, patting his talon again in a show of comfort.
"Thank you, Rose," said Rust, smiling at the scavenger. "Speaking of time, shall we use ours to learn?"
"Thought you'd never ask," Rose joked, getting a chuckle from Rust before they launched into their lessons.
They went on for quite a while, the two learning as much as they could before Smolder found them. Rose instantly went to his side, making the dragon smile before he turned his attention to Rust. "Burn's looking for you," said Smolder as he helped Rose onto his shoulder.
"I better stop her search then," said Rust, flashing a brief smile before moving to leave.
"Rust, wait," said Smolder, making Rust pause. "If you need anything, I'm here."
"Thanks, Smolder, I'll keep that in mind," said Rust with another small smile before actually leaving. "Bye Smolder, bye Rose."
"Bye."
"Bye-bye!"
It didn't take long for Rust to find Burn. She said nothing when she spotted him, motioning him to follow. They ended up in their room, Burn pulling out a weird squirrel mouse hybrid thing to busy her talons.
"What's up?" Rust asked, sitting down beside Burn as they both looked at her wall of oddities.
"I should be asking you that. After the fight, I haven't heard that much from you," Burn said, brushing her wing with his to comfort him.
"Just having funny thoughts like how the one who ain't even fighting for the throne killed their mother while yours died from something other than ya," he said with a bitter chuckle. That got Burn to put a talon on his shoulder and trace patterns like always.
"Do you regret it?" she asked after a moment of silence.
"Not really. They were just another couple of dragons who I had to kill. They might've been my parents but they weren't my family," he said, shrugging lightly to not disturb her talon that still traced patterns on his scales.
"I'm glad that you could make that disconnect," Burn said, this time not flinching when he pressed his snout to her chest. "Speaking of, I need to talk to you about something else that you need to make a disconnect about when it comes the time."
"What would that be?" Rust asked, not moving from his place.
"If by some miracle somebody finds the Eye of Onyx and it finds a queen who isn't me, I want you to pledge your loyalty to her," she said, expanding the area that she traced patterns in as he processed.
"What?! I can't! I still would be loyal to you!" he said, trying to raise his head from her chest before her other talon kept him there. "Burn!"
I can't, I can't. I'm still hers till the end. I need to be hers.
"And I would fight whoever got the Eye in a fair duel. If I lose, I die, and there would be nowhere for your loyalty to go. As much as I need the position, animus magic is beyond my control," said Burn, grabbing his chin so the two could look each other in the eye. "Rust, promise me."
"I can't--"
"I would respect the Eye's decision even if I challenged the new queen. As such, I need you to promise me that you will pledge your loyalty. Promise me."
"I-I-I--"
"Rust."
"I-I promise..."
"Thank you," said Burn, going as far as to briefly twine their tails together to show her gratitude. He simply nodded, finally able to let his head drop and his nose press against her chest again. They spent the rest of their time in silence, enjoying each other's company.
I can promise my loyalty. I can't promise my being. That's yours, Burn, it always will be.