To Monroe's horror the man of flames stepped past the barrier, only momentary steam as evidence before the barriers were reconstructed. Monroe tried to scramble back but he'd have to go under the table to get any further away.
"Where did all the dragon bravado go?" Ashton teased snatching the boy up by the collar, "Your kin should really pick their battles better." Ashton murmured lifting the boy so they were face to face.
Jaxon stumbled but had rushed to the barrier, when he tried to pass through his shoulder had frozen solid before Lucian had pulled him back. "Ashton! Let him go!"
Lucian kept Jaxon from jumping into the barriers while Devlin was still on the ground steaming. When the faceless head suddenly started to open in the middle Lucian almost lost his hold of Jaxon. "You said next time!" Lucian called trying to calm Jaxon.
Ashton stopped, then let his head fall to the left to look at the gathering crowd. He let the smile stretch across his face, "But I'm hungry now."
Lucian felt as if he'd not only been frozen solid, but that he'd been gutted at the same time.
Ashton then glanced back up at the shivering child, "Besides, the little kinling would probably prefer being eaten. At least then he'd be free, yes?"
"I don't want to be free!" Monroe nearly screamed, while the heat was painful, he wasn't being burned from the grip.
Ashton extended his arm so there were a few inches of space between their faces, then he grinned again. "I'm sure I can barter for you now… perhaps Lucian will trade you to know the nature of the dragon's curse?"
Jaxon paled when the flames started to distort around Monroe, "You already humiliated our emperor! What more do you want?!" Jaxon demanded.
Leonard had already sent for both mage and priest healers before he was able to make his way over, "Jaxon, calm down." Leonard hissed seeing Ashton's teasing looks. Clearly the boy was taking delight in throwing his weight around.
"Humiliate?" Ashton asked, suddenly he dropped Monroe to hold Jaxon by the throat. "Apparently, Lucian is not the only dragonkin in need of having his arrogance curbed."
Leonard immediately gripped Jaxon's flailing legs and held them up to keep Jaxon from choking, "Please, forgive him! He's lashing out from fear!" Leonard rasped as loudly as his dry damaged throat would allow. The pressure on his new brand nearly had him dropping Jaxon, but he grit his teeth through the pain.
The relief from Leonard helping hold him up allowed him to take in a quick breath. Unfortunately, breathing was becoming less of a concern as the flames were increasing the heat around his neck.
Ashton eyed Leonard, he was still half standing in the barrier as he held Jaxon. "The insult will cost you Leonard, since you're so quick to defend them." Ashton tossed Jaxon aside as he walked back into the barrier and reached for Levi.
Levi trembled but didn't run. Running will only make it worse, a moment later he regretted the fool hardy thought. Ashton was reaching his hand of flame into his chest, Levi felt as if Ashton was ripping not only his heart out, but all the connected veins.
Leonard's heart was beating so fast he was sure it would stop as he saw Levi's agonized expression, but he didn't move. He hoped… hoped whatever Ashton was doing wasn't lethal or permanent.
Ashton carefully threaded through Levi's mana channels, then pulled the influence left behind out. Soon a tiny red and gold flame was pulled out as Levi collapsed into a trembling, gasping mess.
Leonard jolted when the silver flame body was suddenly leaning down so that he was face to face with that unnervingly wide grin. Before he could even think to react Ashton's right hand was tairing at his heart. "Ugh!"
Ashton leaned in close, "Rejoice, today you liv." Ashton whispered sweetly, then pulled his hand out. A slightly larger flame, half the size of his palm was pulled out. Only the base was golden, while the rest was a vibrant red.
Leonard fell to his knees as he tried to breathe. Levi was still curled up while Emma and Emmett were standing close but not helping. Serafin was helping Monroe up while Natasha had curled half under the table trying to escape as her cries ranged from full on screams, to quiet whimpers.
Ashton combined the flames as he waved to the barriers of wind, water, and ice away. At the same time, his body pulled all of his flames in. Then he nonchalantly leapt into his nest while playing with the flame. "How interesting, little flower, do you recognize this flame?" Ashton asked with genuine curiosity.
Hazel jolted as she quickly glanced up, after a brief hesitation, "Umm, I've heard of it…" She whispered watching him toss the flame around.
"It was hidden rather well, fortunately for the Silas house Leonard is already cautious otherwise they might have been turned to puppets." Ashton commented in half praise.
Hazel nodded quickly, "And the curse was a good diversion," Hazel added in a small voice.
Leonard paled, he'd been able to half crawl, half stumble to Levi. Leonard pulled Levi half into his lap to pat his back comfortingly. Leonard couldn't find any obvious damage, but there was no telling what pulling those flames out meant.
Ashton sent Leonard a teasing glance, "Luckily for you, I want this flame, and hopefully you learn from it."
Leonard stared at Ashton trying to process the information. Ashton's abrupt change in attitude was so jarring he couldn't connect the two beings for a moment… "You… put on a show?"
Ashton raised a brow, "Of course not, though I did… exaggerate just a bit." Ashton surveyed the garden with a smile, "This is hardly a place to entertain guests, then again the dragonkin aren't known for their protection."
Leonard went over everything that had happened since Ashton opened that box… "Were we… being watched?"
Ashton grinned, "I suggest you convince the dragonkin to move to the hunting grounds, though… who the hunter and who will be hunted has yet to be determined."
Neolani took up post beside the nest, the garden was in ruins and the people of the capital were still in a panic. Even if Ash was exaggerating… this was unusually… aggressive. He'd been acting a bit off since last night.
Alexei made a show of glancing over the garden with a smirk. "I'm not sure Ash, this might be an improvement."
Ashton pulled the box of rings out and picked up the center ruby ring. The flames were sucked in, when Ashton titled the ring, the hair inside had coiled tighter. "For some more than others." Ashton agreed mildly distracted.
Alexei hesitated, "You're acting… unusual. Even if it was just a show."
Ashton raised a brow, "The Silas's were not the only ones influenced. Of course, though while I am riding the enhanced perceptions, they were unknowingly abducted." Ashton added teasingly.
Neolani furrowed her brows, Ashton was just lying there looking at the ring… but there was something oddly… languid. His actions by anyone else might have even been seductive… "What kind of sin is this beast?"
Ashton grinned slowly as he held the ring up to the light, "A game then, any Smyrnaean who can name the beast before it's appearance will gain a boon, but if there are prizes… there must be punishments. For every five wrong answers… I get a piece of Monroe."
Jaxon and Leonard paled, "If we refuse to guess?" Jaxon demanded as several healers were led into the garden.
"Tisk Tisk, that would be boring. For everyone who refuses to play… I also get a piece of Monroe, and hmm" Ashton made a point of making eye contact with all the Smyrnaeans. "At least ten must try, every day until we get to the hunting grounds. Then only five a day must try."
Leonard gripped Jaxon's arm then winced, he'd forgotten the new brand on his hand. "Calm, please Jax." Leonard whispered, then stepped forward. "What happens when we guess correctly, there are only a handful of sin beasts."
Ashton gave a sly grin, "Well, first even if you guess there must be… one, two… nine, ten, eleven." Ashton pointed to Leonard, Levi, each of the three rings, Serafin, Charmaine, back to Leonard and Levi, himself, then finally to a tiny red and gold flame he produced. "11 obvious clues, you must have 3 reasons per guess."
Leonard inwardly cursed, but didn't get distracted, "And if someone guesses correctly? The game is done?"
Ashton tutted at Leonard, "So selfish, the game continues until the beast reveals itself. That is when we will tally the answers and the reasoning. If you decided to use more than three reasons, at least three must be correct for the answer to count."
Leonard almost collapsed as his vision spun, "That's not fair." He stated glancing at the Inago for their reactions, Ashton had always been fair, even if they had to work for it.
Alexei only shrugged while he grinned, "Sounds like a personal problem, or at least… personal problems for the Darnings."
"Can my boon to be you can't harm Monroe?" Jaxon asked in as neutral tone he could manage. He'd managed to stand between Ashton and the children… not that he was much of an obstacle clearly.
Ashton tossed the ring up twice and caught it before he answered, "One boon, one piece can be reclaimed." Ashton decided glancing past Jaxon to look over the lordlings.
"What do you actually have planned for the pieces of him?" Leonard asked before Jaxon could lose what little rationality he had left. Ashton looked almost… confused by the question.
"They will be eaten." Ashton stated squinting his eyes, "What else is such a young dragonkin good for?"
Jaxon stared in disbelief, then he looked at the visiting royals who didn't look surprised, "Do your beasts eat people?!" Jaxon demanded.
Zane only shrugged, "Occasionally, it's more common for sin beasts but even in my lifetime, Alaina has eaten a few people. Though… she just swallowed them whole."
Rommel nodded, "It's more surprising Young Song spends so much time in his human form… I don't think Alaina has taken her human form in over a hundred years…" Rommel added glancing over Monroe.
Monroe flinched, his imagination went wild as he thought of his limbs being ripped off and eaten… while healers could reattach limbs growing new ones was unheard of.
Ashton grinned past them meeting eyes with Lucian, "Poor dragonkin… at least your death will delay the end of the Empire. Perhaps even long enough to find hope."
"We won't sell him." Lucian stated firmly, Ashton glanced over them as if he were bored. A moment later he perked up as he created a tiny silver flame over his index finger.
Ashton smiled teasingly as the silver flame no bigger than a candles flame shot straight into Monroe's chest over his heart. "It would be a shame if you… were lost. This way I will always know where you are." Ashton added in a teasing voice.
Lucian clenched his jaw, he wanted to throttle the boy. "What would We have to do for you to spare Monroe?"
Ashton frowned as he tossed the ring up a few times. "I don't like your arrogance… though I like your greed even less. But, if Monroe can humble one of the pride before the beast reveals itself or prove his own pride… I may find something else to collect as my boon."
Neolani turned to Ash, she wasn't sure he was in control. "That's unusually vague…"
Ashton met Neolani's searching eyes. The surging feelings of playfulness took an immediate dive, Ash also forced all the influences down. "You believe I am not in control Ember?" Ash kept his tone neutral.
Neolani took a deep breath, then nodded. "You've been… unusually arbitrary and stubborn since seeing the rings. Your emotions have also been fluctuating more in the last few minutes than in the last twenty years."
Ash kept eye contact with Neolani as his hand burst into silver flames… then reached into his own chest. The sensation wasn't comfortable, but not painful. He pulled the foreign flame out for Neolani to see, then added it to the ring.