Chapter 8: More than a Stargazer
#8 of A chronicle of Lunrba family
The Star-eyed child, the chosen one, the one who heard the will of the stars, all those words are used as titles for Prince Kirros. With Lunbiv's absence, Kirros can have more time to focus on his personal training and having more time for his father. The power to control the star is not the only thing he needed to practice on but at least Kirros knows he doesn't need to learn how to be a king. That burden is now on the shoulder of the white tiger who is preparing his drink.
"What an honor to have you here young prince."
"Don't worry about that title..."
"Nonsense, every moments in your life will define who you are, a prince, a king, an oracle or even a memory. So, how is your teacher ?"
"Confronting himself... Are you sure he is not one of you ?"
"To be honest, I have to say no, he has everything he needs to become one of us but I don't think he wants to live like us. We are destinated to wandering forever but he always has a home."
The Geniuses are always cryptic about what they said but Kirros thinks this is not something they said for fun. But the good thing when have the support of a Genius on your side is the ability to walking around in the Walled City without getting mugged or losing your life. Lunbiv's relentless assult causing nothing more than chaos among the noble but this caused them to shift the attention from the Walled City and the royal family. Now they are nothing more than coward trying to save their own life.
"Sirius..."
"Yes, my prince ?"
"Do you know wolf of the night ?"
"You means Begulf Lunrba ? He is one of the most fearful existance but why do you ask ?"
"Since you both are wolves, the moment he returns, maybe you can convince him... Nevermind, after that day, this world will not be something I need to care for."
"So our contract will end... Well, the time with you wasn't that bad."
Sirius was the best friend to Kirros but as Kirros knows more about himself and his father, Sirius became something else, maybe a higher will or a guider but it is something different from a friend. Like when the children saying goodbye to their imaginary friend, nothing happen because they don't say goodbye to their imaginary friend, the imaginary friend just simply vanish like they were never here before. Kirros never say goodbye because Sirius doesn't disappear, a star can't simply vanish but Sirius is no longer a friend, his existance is nothing more than a star and a normal person can't talk to a star.
Kirros doesn't need a star or an imaginary friend, he knows his father loves him more than anything even when he doesn't know who is his mother. Probally she is just another victim to Helina but there is no use to cry over spilled milk or cry and grief for someone who will never return. Move toward the future and that is how Kirros lives, he lives with love and positivity because Kirros knows Lunbiv will protect him and his father.
"Did I tell you, how much I love you ?"
"Why do you need to tell me when you can show me that ?"
Kirros feel the touch of his father, the alluring scent of the older tiger, the softness of his fur, and the warmth of his breath. Feeling the older tiger nibbling his ear, feel every gentle gestures, Kirros can't help but let out a soft moan as Aphaze slowly disrobe him. With the caring look from his father, Kirros can't help but lean in for a kiss and Aphaze never disappoint him, even when he is rumoured to be a lecherous and lazy man, Aphaze never cared for anyone but his son.
"Remember all those time ?"
"You always do everything to satisfy me but I really wanted to ask, how do you feel ?"
"As long as you happy."
"It's always about me, how about this time I do something for you."
Kirros embraced his father, they have a life to love each other and Kirros knows exactly the way to excite his father. Even when Kirros always something extreme, he knows the old tiger is a very gentle person, he feels the breath of the older tiger and hear his moaning as he give his beloved father a gentle bite on the neck. And this is the first time Kirros knows gentle can be as great as extreme, to celebrated the joy as the burden lifted from your shoulder.
"Let's get comfortable, how about jasmine scented candle ?"
The candle was lit and the scent filled room as the flame flickering in the wind. Kirros felt the warmth in his father's embrace, and the warm mouth around his cock and with his experience, Aphaze deep-throated Kirros. The pleasure continued to fill the young tiger as Aphaze's finger popped in his asshole, the young tiger moaned as Aphaze continued to give him a prostate massage.
"Dad, I want you..."
"Don't worry and you don't need to say another word."
Aphaze lifted Kirros's legs and took the lube bottle on the desk near the bed, Aphaze coated his cock with the lube and moved closer. No matter how many time they repeat this, Kirros can never feel bored, his father who look at him and smiled, slowly wrapping his hand around his child and they leaned in for another passionate kiss.
"My precious star, my precious child."
"No matter the future, I will always love you."
Kirros moaned as the old tiger's cock hit the sensitive spot, through the haze of pleasure, Kirros can see his father gentle smile as their fur slowly glowing. His howl of pleasure became muffled sound by his father's kiss. Aphaze started to go harder, faster and deeper, until the older tiger was grunting like a rutting beast with every smack of his crotch. Still his eyes remain the same look, tender and caring, Aphaze know what his child wants and he isn't hesitate to play into any role that he has to play.
"Father, I can see your smile but there is no need for such mask. We don't need any mask any longer."
"I want you happy."
"Aren't we both want the same thing. I also want you happy."
"The stars are telling me something, someone is trying to disturb us."
"Then let show them our authority."
Astrologik is not something simple like watching the star or searching for an answer, the power to guide the star, to seal fate and to guide others to a predestined death. The light of the star formed a simple gun in Aphaze's hand, and then, there is no and then for the intruder, the sound of the gun can be mistaken for any weapon made by Jbyss. The capability of astrologik are endless like the starry sky itself, after the shot, the Ursa Major manifests by his side, the big polar bear standing by his side and protecting him.
Different from his father, Kirros has a different way to fight, even when Sirius is nothing more than a forgotten imaginary friend, they still have a connection. The connection that allow them to understand and fight along each other, Kirros and Sirius, the two shadows fight like how they always fight. But something different, Kirros wants something different, he wanted to use his own words and his own way to fight.
Every step of the shadows turned wood into cobblestone, turned vases and painting into trees and flowers. His domain slowly expand and filled the room and then everything around it, and finally, the world becomes what he always wanted, a garden with blooming flower, chirping bird and gentle wind under a beautiful moonlit night.
"Don't be surprise, you expect to learn from destroyed document is better than to learn from the master himself."
The garden and the scenery become nothing more than a beautiful dream, but the garden is more than just a scenery, the moonlight become a curtain to hide the shadows of the prince and Sirius. The aroma and gentle breeze washed away the consciousness of every creatures in his domain, to them, this is nothing more than a beautiful paradise, a land that can only exist in their dream. But the dream and the paradise is the perfect curtain for pain and nightmare, Sirius's light combined with the moonlight brought nothing but fear to the assassins.
"Still, this realm can't last forever. Let's end this."
From the shadow, Kirros appears, wearing his imperial robe with a folded embroidered silk fan in his hand, with a roar from Ursa Major, the wind and the petals dancing in the moonlit sky. The petals sharp like razor blades cutting through everything cloth or fur, is that even important in this deadly paradise that they already fell in love with. A little bit of himself, a little bit from his father, a little bit from the teaching of both teachers, the petals dance in the wind mark the end of their performance as the domain slowly fade away.
The Walled City, the area where no noble dare to step foot in, but what will surprise them is the fact that the king and his child can easily use this place to avoid their manipulation. The old buildings covered in moss, stacking on each other and to imagine his people have to live in this place for the noble and the rich to live in comfort bring nothing but guilt and uselessness to Aphaze.
"As usual for me."
"Of course. So how were your day ?"
"Assassins."
"That could be annoying... his action does scare them quite a bit, don't you think ?"
"My father get on this position because of his dirty trick even goes against the contract with the Lunrba family. So maybe, this is the price for breaking the contract, irony isn't it ?"
"Well, Lunbiv is not a normal person so don't blame yourself for that, your father may do the wrong thing but you are correcting his mistake. And well, even your child are helping you."
Even after the encouragement of the prophet, Aphaze still can't help but feels guilty after the Nightmare incident, did this side of Lunbiv appear because of the action of his father. But what he doesn't know is the fact that the Nightmare exist even before their time and after hearing this explaination from the Prophet, Aphaze is a little bit more tense but anyone would be like that.
"I don't know anything about Jbys, I just know they are doing everything to gather as much information as possible but Harr... that is a different story."
"I am planning to teaching Astrologik to every Gvtre or at least some kind of power to allow them to defend themselves."
"Are you sure they are not going to cause chaos ?"
"I expected that but that is not an real threat, beside, any sign of abusing will be considered as a failure. Beside, Jbys and Harr let their people use their power then why we shouldn't."
Aphaze can feel the power of the Prophet, even Lunbiv mentioned his domain can be broken by the Prophet. But one thing Aphaze knows is the fact that the Prophet is affected by Lunbiv's curse, so there will be no reason for them to fight as enemies. Beside, sitting on the throne and wearing the crown doesn't make you a king, and his father's pawn controlled him for his whole life then this can be a better solution. At least when he lets everything fall, he can witness the most beautiful sight in his life, and in the end he can have what he always wanted to see, freedom and vengeance without being called as a tyrant.
"So from your organization, do you know anything about the allies of those nobles ?"
"Jbys doesn't want to open their border or doing anything like that so we can presume they allied with Harr or any tribes on the other side of the world."
"That can be troublesome, the Yvba with their mental attack and enhanced physical feature, the Qrre with their telekinetic power... I only know a few of them."
"We can only hope and hope for Lunbiv's awakening and his plan."
The gentle music played in the bar does its work and helps the old tiger king relax, life was never easy for him or his child but maybe this could be something new for them. Another chance to live another life as someone's dream, at least that is better compare to a life that manipulated by someone until the moment they are buried under five feet of dirt. At least in that dream, Aphaze and his child can still exist and have their love accepted, it is the best to live the way you wanted than to do something that you have to do for your whole life.
"Ah, you're here. Kornell, Carnello and Eldar."
"You invited the Klyers ?"
"Of course, they will be a part of this new government, afterall, it's Lunbiv introduced them, how could I say no. I don't why he recommended you three but you should know we are not just stargazers."
"The prince explained everything Your Highness, ever since that day, I also feel that I can't do anything to help you. Those nobles go against their own oath but you wish to let go the throne then we shall follow your will."
"Alright, that is enough of formal talk, how about I cook something then we celebrate."
"For what occasion ?"
"For a new nation."
"Why do you like this ? Three hundred times and you will always lose."
"Because this is the only way I can see you, as a Nightmare, what is the other way for me to see you, your family love you but do you know how cold I feel ?"
"So you decided to bottled up those emotion and now you decided to unleash it after all those time ? Do you know how much I hate that ?"
"Then what can I do, show them these ugly emotions ? And don't start with the lecture like you can change, this is who I am, I just desire those warm touch."
"Then why don't you give me back what was mine ?"
"I don't have a choice, I don't want to see those expression on your face again. I am greedy, am I right ?"
"No, this is also my fault, I am sorry for created you like this, for imprison you in this school, for how I treated you like scrap and rag. If not for you, I could collapse long ago, I could be buried by the cycle of life and death. So, if it is not too late, I want to say... thank you."
There is no light or any trope like that, the school just slowly vanish and they returned to the moonlit lake. A spirit carried a piece of cloth or Lunbiv to clean the wound and the blood on his other self. And after that kiss, maybe they can be a little bit more honest and understanding of each other situation. And maybe they can learn from each other a little bit more.