Shilagon

As soon as Queen Fixashia spotted an iguana camouflaging itself by the wolfberry bushes, she grabbed it with her claws, clinching it to its last breath before handing it over to Princess Hashiga. The Princess munched it regretfully, ‘Can I wash it with the berries at least..?’ ‘Suit your taste,’ Fixashia smiled, amazed as she watched the Princess picking berries with her claws. Reminding her the time when she used to lust for the same. Just that instead of those ruby wolfberries, she crazed the citron like colour, seaberries. Hashiga’s shoulder wiggled for a moment as the taste of the berries mixed with the fresh blood on her taste buds, into her throat. Her eyearchs narrowed with squinting eyes, ‘Not an enjoyable taste Mum… That would be enough blood for me till at least the next moon.’ Queen Fixashia licked remnant of bluish green blood on the side of Hashiga’s mouth, ‘Not all the time we can do the things that we love to do as we wish to do them My Princess…’ ‘But why?’ ‘Because we are bound to be what we’ve been created for.’ ‘But I still wish I could Mum… It makes me happy somehow…’ ‘Look at Shilagon, in this very peaceful Kingdom that your Dad and I rule, there are so many other creatures beside us. Birds fly amongst us in the sky, soaring with the clouds just like us but can they survive a fierce, tough and rough thunderstorm all of a sudden?’ ‘I don’t think so…’ ‘We are dragons, the air dragons. We have been created for this Kingdom to keep the balance of life centuries ago and for more centuries to come.’ ‘Who are our enemies then? Everything is prudentially perfect ever since I can remember.’ ‘Yes, a true blessing…after you hatched My Princess.’ ‘So there will be not a thunderstorm anymore…and there is nothing we should worry about, right? Our enemies have left us in peace.’ ‘Hopefully… I do hope so. However, as the reign of the Kingdom, you most of all My Princess, must never take any circumstances for granted.’ Hashiga nodded with worries eluded in her mind after listening to her mother’s rationalization. She pretended to smile somehow, ‘You are so wise Mum. Will I ever be like you?’ ‘You will be wise when you learn from your elders, observe your surroundings and take lesson from our mistakes. Most importantly, BE YOURSELF. Everyone is special in their own way…’ Hashiga jumped to hug and kissed her mum on the cheek. Queen Fixashia startled for a moment then gave back her Princess the most compassionate hug a mother would give to her one and only daughter. Laughing and enjoying the morning still, they continued their stroll in the forest path. Breathing the morning breeze deeply, Princess Hashiga felt nothing more valuable than enriching herself with the subtle wind that blew softly, gently in the peaceful forest, stroking her cheek mildly. She smiled to herself, ‘Shilagon is always in peace…’ ‘It wasn’t always…’ ‘But I’ve never seen any war…’ ‘For a century now, never been a war. Before that, it was always war.’ ‘For what cause? Isn’t it better to just be living at peace?’ ‘If everyone can see that…and if everyone can believe in that.’ ‘I will make sure everyone would.’ ‘I’m sure you will,’ Fixashia gave Hashiga a promising smile, hoping the peace would stay forever. Deep in her heart a heavy feeling saying that this peace was about to end soon. Keeping that worry behind, she had to prepare Hashiga for if the worst was yet to come. ‘Mum, how did you meet Dad? Was he an arranged mate just as mine?’ ‘That is a very difficult question.’ ‘Oh, Mum…You wouldn’t try to hide anything from your daughter…?’ ‘It will not be a crime if I choose to do just that…’ ‘Please…you can tell me…’ ‘Now let me recall…’ Queen Fixashia pretended to ignore the question. She looked up in the sky then smiled to herself. ‘Mum…?’ Hashiga could not wait for her mother’s answer any longer. She tickled Fixashia’s scaly waistline with her claws tenderly expecting for an immediate reaction. The Queen laughed as she fell onto the flower bed full of daisies and daffodils. Princess Hashiga then tickled Queen Fixashia’s feet continuously. They rolled together with giggles and chuckles, crushing the bright yellow and white petals. Blue, purple and black butterflies flew away to save themselves from the scene. ‘I will not stop until you tell me the origin of your love story Mum…’ ‘Oh, please… I will tell you my story…but not now.’ ‘Why not?’ ‘Because Dad and Roshan must be on their way here by now…’ Princess Hashiga stopped tickling Fixashia instantaneously at the mentioned. She kept silent, stone still, standing beside her mother. Her gaze was drawn away to a meadow up front, where does and fawns were grazing sparkling greens. The meadow looked cheerful and radiant in the bright sun. Unlike the sunny morning, the Princess’s heart turned dim. Dimmer than an eclipse of the sun on a cloudy day. ‘I am not ready Mum… I can’t lie to myself,’ Hashiga said in an almost whispering tone without looking at the Queen. The Queen realized how her Princess hated the idea of spending time with her future mate. She got up from the ground standing on her knees to look at Princess Hashiga right in the eyes, ‘You will give him a chance, won’t you…? ‘I don’t know…’ for a few moments Princess Hashiga just stared blankly into her mother’s eyes. She could not explain her feelings. She was not ready for this. She had heard some dragons died when they mated. The thought that she had to mate Roshan out of duty for the Kingdom was unbearable. Her heart was pounding seriously as she repeated her mother’s question over and over again in her mind. Suddenly, the bright sun was shadowed by two mighty dragons above them. Roshan rushed down from his flight towards the meadow and grabbed one of the fawns with his mighty jaw before he landed right in front of Princess Hashiga and Queen Fixashia. ‘Good catch,’ says King Danduro, the minute he landed beside Roshan, the Princess’s soon to be mate. Hashiga clutched to her mother in fear and disgust. Knowing her Princess’s hatred towards killing, the Queen hugged Hashiga closer to her, whispering to her ear, ‘He’s just trying to impress you My Princess…’ ‘I don’t like him. I don’t like him at all!’ Princess Hashiga released her agony in front of them. She could not hide how she felt any longer. The thought of mating a male dragon out of duty tarnished her dream of finding true love. The ruthless killing that was unnecessarily for a custom she did not believe right in front of her eyes had hurt her kindhearted soul!