Sky Warriors: Poleuthan's Thief (Sky Warriors Saga Book 1) (34 page)

A glare was burning into her skin, she could feel it as she reluctantly turned her gaze back to the council.

Everyone was staring at her with either shock, alarm, or disbelief. Everyone except Ileana, her dark brown eyes were staring at her dangerously with cold fury that promised death if need be and Ange could not help but flinch under the stare.

“Did…did I do that?” she whispered turning her gaze up to Showl, her voice echoing through the room despite trying to be quiet.

Showl frowned deeply, his yellow eyes cloudy and troubled as he gave her a single nod in confirmation.

She returned her gaze back to the ice, her eyes wide as she stared at it in disbelief. She didn’t remember trying to freeze anything yet the ice glistered before her as irrefutable proof that she had no control or awareness of her own power.

She swallowed and pushed Showl’s hands off her shoulders.

“I’ll got pack,” she stated quietly with a note of defeat and turned away without a glance back.

Her thoughts were lost as she trekked back to her room, she could hear the bubble of distant murmuring as she walked away from the council chamber and the faint sound of footsteps as Showl quietly walked behind her.

She reached her room before she even knew it, staring at the door blankly before walking in.

The shadows of the evening filtered through her windows, a weak fire burned in the fireplace, brimming a faint orange glow upon the objects in her room. Her desk still had the same books she had been studying that morning, her once empty shelves impressed into the wall were filled with the books she was expected to study. The lantern on her nightstand was off, the metal petals hid a splendorous sol gem beneath their polished exterior.

Something was out of place in her room, she could tell instantly despite her dark and pressing thoughts. She turned her gaze to the wall between her nightstand and the fireplace. She gazed intrigued at the mannequin that was no longer bare and unused.

Her armor rested there, the white plates brimmed in the weak firelight with the same clear icy shine that Showl’s armor had. Silver filigree tinted with crystal blue wove into lovely and complex patterns upon the surface. The divided cuirass had the embossed shape of Showl’s dragon head at the neck as the horns curved back to hold the icy blue cloak that draped over the back.

She quietly walked over and inspected the chest plate, noticing how it was not a solid piece but divided into many smaller interlocking pieces, she suspected the design was meant for flexibility. She boldly touched the smooth material and traced the designs as she recalled only the leaders of the Sky Warriors were permitted to have gold filigree whilst the rest had silver tinted with the color corresponding to their element.

She switched her gaze to gauntlets, noticing the fancy work didn’t seem to appear to have an area where a blade could be hidden. She inspected the metal over the wrist and back of the hand, glaring at it. She touched the right gauntlet, looking for some kind of opening.

No damn blade.
She thought unsatisfied. The moment the word ‘blade’ crossed her mind a sharp long piece of steel shot out with a twang and she recoiled surprised. As her fingers left the surface of the scale material the blade retraced.

She smiled slightly, admiring the armor. It was hers and it was far more beautiful than the one Vera had given her, much to her dismay. Even if the material was brilliant white and she envied her friend’s pitch black armor, she still loved this one. She only hoped it was suited for her preferred style of movement and combat.

“You will need to wear it for the trip. Just in case.”

Ange turned her hazel eyes to Showl and his dark broody expression as he stared at her.

She swallowed as she caught the meaning of his words and nodded once.

“Don’t worry, me and Corvus are coming with you,” Amaris assured as she walked into the room and gave Ange a faint smile.

“Don’t you need to stay here?” Ange questioned hollowly.

“They’ll be okay till I get back,” she stated confidently. “Corvus and I can zap from her to the Tower of
Ingled in a blink of an eye.”

Ange frowned confused. “How?”

“Remember how we arrived to the battlefield after your bonding?” Ange nodded. “That’s how, so long as there is connected shadows, me and Corvus can travel anywhere in seconds,” she smiled gloatingly. “So far Ana and I are the only ones that have ever been able to do that. Of course she and Grace do it using light, though.”

Ange marveled at the possibility and swore her face must have looked green with envy.

Amaris frowned, suddenly saddened.

“I’m sorry it has to be this way.”

Ange sighed quietly. “Thanks for defending me though,” she thanked sincerely.

Amaris’s frown deepened as her eyes darkened and she appeared to be looking elsewhere, not at Ange. “I just pray to the Five that nothing bad comes of this,” she whispered as the fire crackled and died out.

Chapter
19: A Tower Enshrouded by Mist

It was late into the afternoon of the next day as they flew over the clouds close to the northern hemisphere of Domus. The air was sparse and made breathing difficult for Ange but she had quickly learned to control her breathing and focus her thoughts as they continued to fly unstopped to the Tower of Ingled on the other side of Sterilis, the continent her beloved city Cyridell resided on. According to one of her history books the original name of the continent was Sterilis Patriae, meaning ‘Barren Country’ in the dragon language.

Ange glanced down at Showl’s casted shadow over the clouds, knowing full well that was where her friend and her partner were hidden. On occasion as the clouds broke they would emerge and fly with them, but even those moments were spent in silence.

Showl’s shadow look no different than normal, rippling across the surface of the buoyant clouds that were only a short length from his long shape, making Ange doubt that there was anyone there.

She shifted uncomfortably in her saddle, something she seemed to be doing on purpose more than for comfort to break the stillness that seemed to exist. Since they had left the castle, she hadn’t spoken once to Showl and was missing his company and presence in her mind. Her pride continued to stifle her and she didn’t wish to admit that she missed him and his caring if not overbearing behavior.

Ange sighed and relented, she knew he was still hurt from her actions and perhaps she had been too rash when she had decided to block him. Warily she opened the bond between their minds, removing the wall she had placed between their souls.

His mind washed in instantly like a ruptured dam as she felt a ripple under her body come from him. She was surprised to feel his relief rather than anger as well as
apology in his thoughts.

“Angeline.”

It was a simple statement, her name, filled with utter remorse and shame.

“What’s wrong?”
she asked surprised.

“Forgive me,”
his words were begging, desperate for forgiveness.

She frowned even more bothered.
“I…thought you’d be angry,”
she admitted reluctantly.

“I could never stay angry with you, little thief,”
Showl replied softly.
“I was unfair to you, please say you will forgive me.”

Ange’s brows pinched together, utterly startled and bewildered by his words.

“I did not mean to make you feel you had been stripped of your mental privacy, my little thief. I spent the last three hundred years in absolute solitude, silence, and degradation. When I first felt the liveliness of your mind mingle with my own and fill wholly the hole I had been born with…I was overjoyed, exuberant. No words could possibly describe my rejoice and I was completely blind and oblivious to how it must have all felt like to you. It was so natural and soothing to hear your thoughts bring peace and life into my mind that I never realized, considered that it was bothering you. That my voice would make you feel strangled and judged. I ask for you forgiveness Angeline and…another chance.”

Ange’s heart broke at his broken words and she felt completely ashamed that she had brought Showl to his current state where the proud dragon she knew was begging for her forgiveness. Once again she realized she had been selfish and hadn’t considered for one moment why Showl lingered in her mind so constantly, she had hurt him and for her there was no excuse for doing so.

“You were not the one at fault, as your partner I should have foreseen this. I should have been anticipated how this would affect you.”

“You can’t always be the one at fault, Showl. You can’t always know every possibility in the path we’re going to take. I have to learn to take the blame too,”
she growled, remembering Vera’s words to her at one time.

You need to learn to grow up Fox and take the blame when it rightfully belongs to you. Not every adventure is going to go exactly as planned,
improvising and adapting is as vital to any thief as is skill and thought. Unless it’s the guard, lie and the idiot that so happens to be nearby during the crime, don’t worry about throwing the blame their way!

She smiled at the memory of a terribly
misconstrued plan to steal from a noble’s house that happen when she was only twelve and had blamed Daren for their fall when it had been entirely her fault after ignoring his protests to the scheme.

Showl was silent and she knew he had watched the memory with her. His thoughts were foggy and difficult to interpret.

“Will you forgive me nonetheless? Can I still hear your thoughts but with a promise to only listen, not comment?”
he asked quietly.

Ange gave a hoarse laugh and laid completely down on her saddle as she pulled one of the gauntlet off, her hand and reached for some of the feathers on his head as she began to stroke them. She could feel the comfort and assurance the simple touch brought to him as she replied simply.

“Yes.”

An audible sigh escaped his jaws and she felt him physically relax under her as his wings quietly slapped the air and kept them aloft. His alleviation and cautious joy were evident in his thoughts as they lapsed into a peaceful silence.

Without thought they mingled their minds together as Ange closed her eyes and entered his mind, flying once again with him. The air was cool and smooth to their senses as they traveled the space above the world quickly, they spent the time measuring the land passing by and assessing their speed. The last sun was sinking in the horizon to their backs and Corvus and Amaris flew on their starboard as they traveled over the Shivering Sea.

The waters seemed to shutter, never still, painted in deep dark blues edged with burning ruby and silver as the sun cast the last of its light in their direction. They had been flying over the
brackish waters for over an hour, as Showl shared with her images that helped determine the distance that remained before the swirling mist came into sight.

She sucked in a deep salty and fresh breath as her body regained its conscious as she withdrew from Showl’s mind and body, releasing her united control of his body and senses as she reconnected with her own and opened her hazel eyes.

The vibrant colors that had existed through his eyes were subdued, dulled, and less sharp in her eyesight yet she realized that a notable difference existed since the first time she had shared his sight. Her eyesight was improving, ameliorating past the normal vision a standard human possessed.

The mist was finally in sight.

It was stagnant. A towering and ominous dome stretching across the sea and as Ange looked closer she realized it was moving, ever so slowly like a storm cloud waiting for the opportune moment to release its built up chaos.

As they hit the mist, it engulfed them in a cold blanket that didn’t let them see a little more than a few inches in front of them. The mist was dry but cold as it touched the skin of Ange’s face as she tried to look head, squinting. The wing beats of the dragons fell into an even quieter note of silence, the world seemed still, empty.

But that’s not what haunted Ange the most, she could feel something probing her mind, enveloping her, searching. It reached into her core and the mark on her chest began to glow faintly, she could feel the icy sensation crawling over her skin in that area before she even looked down and realized her armor was in the way.

The invading sensation left and suddenly the mist parted, swirling quickly away, revealing an island in the distance. A large cylindrical tower rose far above the sea at the center of the island made of white marble but dulled over the years by the salty air into a grayer tone. A large building over eight stories high hugged the giant tower and stretch across the small island shaped like two interlocked circles, taking its shape, leaving little shore between the building and the sea. The only windows that existed were four stories above the ground from where the wall like building began and the gloriously designed and stained long windows that encircled the tower to its peak.

It was a grand and ancient building, simpler in design compared to the palace but still boasted a monumental aura, it was obvious by just a glance that the interior was just as colossal as the halls and Council Chamber of the Dragon Palace.

A giant stone platform jutted out from a pair of great stone doors on the western side of the island they faced and Ange realized that the platform was as much as a landing place for dragons as it was a dock were small wooden fishing boats were tied to great stone pillars even though it was meant for large ships that it had probably not seen in centuries.

On the platform dock was a small group of robed figured, six in total.

As they dived for the landing, Corvus and Amaris took the lead. The black dragon’s body was quickly unraveling into wisps of shadows, becoming a mass of shadows that swirled down, shrinking in size as it washed over the dock and quickly twisted inward into
Corvus’s human shape as he gently set down Amaris with the one arm he had been holding her by. She didn’t hesitate, she stepped out of his reach and approached the robbed figures with authority in her posture but respect in her eyes.

Showl dipped quickly down, thrusting his wings to slow their landing, the scent of the ocean became stronger as a soft and cool breeze met them. He landed next to their flying companions, his claws clicking and scratching across the stone floor and
shuddering the dock with his massive weight, but the stone proved to be thick and reliable, absorbing the shock with a quiet rumble as Showl quickly lowered his head so Ange could dismount.

Ange sent a disgruntled thought his way.
“Why couldn’t we land in a cool fashion like them?”
She asked annoyed as she swung over the saddle and slid down the left side of his giant head, the saddle quickly dissolving and following her blade.

The only response she received was a mental chuckle as his body shattered into crystalline form and compressed to form his tall human figure.

“Lorem Draco Rex, et Dracoligatus Umbra. Lorem Draco Rex, et Dracoligatus Glacies,” the robed figured greeted formally in unison, bowing.

Ange frowned perplexed, casting a quick glance at Showl as he came up to her side.

“Welcome Dragon King and Dragonbound of Shadow. Welcome Dragon King and Dragonbound of Ice,”
he translated without a glace in her direction.

“May the knowledge of
Valtor bring you wisdom and understanding,” they uttered in continued unison but in the common language.

Ange curiously gazed at the mysterious people. There robes were a deep earthy brown, leaves and vines were stitched into the cloth, a symbol rested at the center on their robes, a dragon head bowed over a thick open tome in in the same dark green as the rest of the décor.

“Thank you, may his teaching always lead us to the truth,” Amaris replied.

“May his knowledge always endure
,” Corvus and Showl ended together in a resonating tone.

The assembled group seemed pleased with the reply, pulling back their hoods. Ange gazed inquisitively at the six people. Two were women late into their adulthood, while the other four were more aged men. The
one that stepped forward was a man obviously in his late fifties or early sixties.

“It is good to see you Draco Rex Corvus and
Dracoligatus Regina Amaris, it’s been nearly a hundred years since your last visit,” he stated kindly, his bright blue eyes gazing at them with fondness as his long gray hair hung straight from his head to his shoulders, is face barely had any wrinkling.

Ange gawked at his words.

“Wait! How old are these geezers?”

“Some of them are around three hundred years old or younger.
Asmanth is around three hundred and fifty if I remember correctly,”
Showl replied calmly.

Ange glanced at them again bewildered, shocked even though she felt she probably shouldn’t be surprised by now, yet things continued to startle her.

“It’s good to see you all,” Amaris agreed.

“Is your sister, Lady Ileana, alright?”
Asmanth asked concerned. “She has not visited in the last ten years, odd for her to be away without a visit in so long.”

Amaris smiled. “She’s fine and sends her regards and hopes to visit soon. She told me she has some new research and findings to share.”

Asmanth gave her a wide grin at the news, all his teeth perfectly intact for his age. “That is wonderful news.”

“You now, we both prefer it if you just call us by name
,” Amaris reminded kindly. “You don’t have to call us by any title.”

“It wouldn’t be proper. I only refer to
Dracoligatus Regina Ileana as Lady because she would scold me to no end if I continued to call her ‘Dragonbound Queen.’” Asmanth replied with a bow of his head and an amused smile.

Amaris sighed, letting out a heavy breath that ruffled her short hair on the right side of her head.

“As you insist,” she answered glumly. She took out a letter from her left pouch on her hip and handed it to the man.

He gazed down at the letter for a moment before opening it and quietly began to read it. After a minute of silence and Ange twitching in place, the man muttered.