Sky Warriors: Poleuthan's Thief (Sky Warriors Saga Book 1) (35 page)

“I see…how very interesting,” he folded the letter into his sleeve as he turned his bright dark blue eyes to Ange.

“Welcome to the Tower of
Ingled, Dracoligatus Angeline. I am Asmanth, head of the Scolarium de Valtor or as in the common tongue knows us as, the Bookmen of Valtor.”

Ange bowed her head warily, her instincts told her danger as she met his eyes. She could swear she felt power ebbing through the air from him.

She shoved the feeling away and stood up straight, and readied her voice.

“It’s nice to meet you
,” she was surprised she didn’t correct him and realized she was becoming accustomed to being called Angeline. She was about to ask a question when Showl interjected.

“D
racoligatus means Dragonbound, it’s a formal title all Dragonbounds were referred to as. But as a member of the Council, once your training is completed, you will be referred to as Dracoligatus Regina. There was a whole hierarchy of titles in the old days that the Bookmen still use today. He and the others will expect you to call them ‘Scolaris’ till your education is complete and your position in the council is affirmed.”

Ange frowned realizing it wasn’t going to be easy
to be around these people without being offensive.

“Your friend, Richard, has been expecting you,” informed one of the women in the back in a soft voice.

Ange perked up surprised and relieved. “He’s here?” she asked astounded.

Asmanth
nodded. “Very bright and talented young man, we hope he will join our ranks as he studies and continued to nurture his talents here. He will make an excellent study partner for you.”

Ange smiled, glad to hear the annoying young man was alright.

“The cat has also been a welcome addition,” spoke the woman again. “The sea rats are not so pleased though.”

“Says you,” grumbled one of the other men. “Like the boy said, the cat’s a devil.”

“And its dandruff is most certainly not welcome,” added the last man.

“Silence!” snapped
Asmanth. He turned his gaze back to Ange, his expression softening. “I will show you to your room. Then we can proceed with the ritual.”

Ange gulped suddenly nervous as anger flared through her with a twinge of resentment.

“Well, have fun,” Amaris smiled halfheartedly as she quickly embraced Ange. “Don’t be too much trouble,” she teased.

Ange snorted and gave her a partial smile. “When will I go back to the palace?”

Amaris encouraging smile faltered. “It’ll be only a few months…or years at the least.”

“At the least?!” Ange echoed shocked.

Amaris smiled apolitically and shrugged. “You’ll be fine, don’t worry. If anything comes up I promise to make sure you know.”

“Promise?” Ange inquired skeptically.

Amaris nodded as she stepped back into Corvus’s arm. “Promise.”

A burst of inky plumage erupted from his back as he shot up suddenly into the sky, Amaris in
tow. As they quickly accelerated, Amaris climbed up to his shoulder before suddenly pushing off.

Ange stared awed as her friend’s small frame shot up from the dragon’s human shoulder. She smiled exhilarated, her short hair and sash on her hip
whipping around. Ange could see Corvus grin monetarily before his body became a swath of shadows that expanded and solidified into the giant body of a black dragon, his tail whiplashing out into the air as his wings propelled him up. Liquid steel shot out from Amaris’s belt, spilling onto Corvus’s black head and quickly hardening into a saddle. Amaris landed gracefully into a perfect crouch and stood up fluidly, the reeling shooting out as she stood erect and caught the handles.

She glanced back and gave them a mischievous wink before another thrust of
Corvus’s powerful black wings took them out of sight and into the mist surrounding the lonely island.

“Come with us,” spoke the woman who had remained silent, her green analyzed her like she was an experiment waiting to be tested. Ange shivered involuntarily under the stare.

The sea continued to tremble quietly as the last sun sunk in the horizon, swallowed by the sea and bleeding it crimsons and oranges as the darker waters waited to swallow the light. The stone doors creaked as they opened, only about ten feet high, not like the giant doors that accompanied each balcony of the Dragon Palace.

It was surprising warm inside, the perfect ambient temperate and somehow the air was dry as the doors closed behind them.

Ange looked to the statues that greeted them on either side of the wall, a sitting dragon bent over a book upon a tall pedestal. Ange didn’t have much time to observe the statue as the Bookmen walked on, but as she glanced at the stone eight foot objects as they passed them she could see the wisdom that had been carved into the faces.

“How long have you been bound?” asked
Asmanth politely.

“Three months and four days, so a total of a hundred and twenty-four days to be exact,” Showl replied instantly.

Asmanth glanced back surprised. “And you have been able to use telekinesis since…” he directed the question towards Ange, his eyes piercing and his voice gravely as he spoke.

Ange answered
nonchalantly, feeling the subject was getting old. “Since day one.”

The robed figured halted in their tracks and gasped, looking at her in utter disbelief and then beginning to chatter amongst each other in the dragon langue, only
Asmanth remained composed, his eyes becoming dark as his stare bore into her.

Ange stared, unsurprised by their reaction. Though she admitted she was truly starting to worry about the fuss.

“And…what sort of action did you perform?” he asked slowly in a strange hush.

The others feel silent, looking back expectantly, eager and somehow frightened.

Ange sighed, knowing they weren’t going to like her answer.

“I stopped time,” she answered simply, almost bored.

Asmanth lost his composure, his eyes growing wide as the other Bookmen stared on in disbelief as if she was lying.

“That’s impossible,”
Asmanth hissed between his teeth in a quiet murmur.

“I’m afraid not, we are
praeditum,” Showl answered almost too calmly.

“Wait, I thought you said that was a secret
,”
Ange cut in.

“
These wise old sages know, they protect knowledge against all that would misuse it. We shared this knowledge with Valtor long ago in hopes we could learn more about our gifts, he was a wise and intelligent dragon among dragons.”

The Bookmen continued to stare, speechless.
Asmanth fixed his gaze on Showl.

“Astounding, truly unimaginable,” he whispered still shocked. “And from what I understand from Lady Ileana’s letter is that young
Dracoligatus Angeline has no constraint, no control whatsoever?”

Showl shook his head regretfully. “She accidently taps into her powers sometime, it’s amazing she hasn’t caused any damage as of yet. But the first time she tapped into the endowment, she nearly died,” his voice catching at the end.

Ange snarled furiously.
“I am right here you know.”

Showl looked down at her, before he could speak
Asmanth broke in.

“Do not be outraged young
Dracoligatus Angeline, it is out of concern for your safety that he says this. An Endowment can kill even the most experienced and is not a gift to be taken lightly. The mere fact that you discovered it and were able to use it upon your day of Binding…it is difficult to believe.”

Ange scowled, feeling bitter as they continued upon the topic.

“Ange!”

Before she could react, something landed on her shoulders as a furry shape pressed to her cheek purring.

She laughed and scratched Felis’s ear fondly as she turned around to see Richard at the bottom of the stairs panting before giving her a huge grin, his blue eyes looked darker than she remembered and his brown hair was as messy as ever.

She couldn’t suppress the wide smile that spread across her face, admitted happy to see the annoying young man again.

He walked over slowly, stopping a few feet away from her. Felis jumped off her shoulder and landed on his, turning her inquisitive and bright eyes back to Ange who was surprised to see Richard pet the owl-cat gently.

“It’s good to see you, are you more knowledgably since we last met?” he asked teasingly.

Ange grinned wickedly, slightly irritated by his implication. “I am. It’s good to see you too.”

He smiled only slightly as he tilted his head and observed her. “You’re different.”

She frowned and looked down at herself, wondering what he meant other than the armor that plated her body.

“You don’t look much different,” he corrected. “But your power…I can feel it fully now, it’s unrestrained…and intimidating,” he admitted with a sheepish smile.

Ange frowned, confused by his words. She couldn’t understand what he meant, she had never gauged her aura to another individual. She didn’t know how powerful it felt to him.

“D
iscipulum Richard, please escort Dracoligatus Angeline to her quarters. I am sure you two have much to share while we speak with Draco Rex…” Asmanth stuttered, falling short of his sentence glancing at Showl as if fearing to be rude.

Showl bowed his head slightly. “You may address me as Showl.”

Asmanth nodded as he turned his head back to the two youngest people. “We will come for you when everything is prepared.” They turned away in the opposite direction, traveling quickly down the hall and without a glance back.

Ange stared after Showl as their connection strained and she realized they were
mutually blocking one another, allowing privacy for once and she smiled, happy they had found a common ground for compromise yet her curiosity boiled to know what they would discuss.

“Come on.”

Ange turned back, surprised by the suddenly lame voice that had originated from Richard, she caught of glance of his dull eyes as he turned for the stairs he had come from.

She frowned, her gut warning her of a feeling she was well aware of, loss. It was ridding off Richard in waves and she wondered how she failed to notice it before.

Her armored hand skimmed over the stone bricks as they began climbing up the stairs, a slight screech emanated from the friction created between the cold metal infused scales of the claws at the end of her gauntlets and the tough stone. She stopped, contemplating the tower library, something was ominous in the air, and something seemed to stir, oppressed by the stone walls. Her senses were running amok and curiosity gnawed at her as she looked over the stairs as they continued to climb. Her instincts as a thief were going wild, there were secrets to be found in this place, secrets she was obviously not meant to find and that made her smile, giddy.

They climbed past two floors and Ange stared after Richard as he continued down the hall after the stairs, doors lining the walls. He paused by the eleventh door and stared at her, his eyes dark and almost lifeless.

Ange glanced up at him then the plain stone door, without hesitation she opened the door and peered into her assigned room. She stared surprised at the dank and simple room, the stone walls made the square room seem small. A simple bed on stone struts and across from it was another object composed of stone, a study table with a simple wooden chair. She walked in and looked out the small window, seeing the sea far below in the darkness, but the dock was not within sight.

A ticking aught her attention and she glanced to the right, above the desk was a metallic device much like the giant one she had seen in the Dragon Palace. A clock and calendar, simple and
rustic in design, no were as extravagant. On the desk was a lamp with intricate cogs and wheels behind a metallic rigid blossom shaped holder for a sol-gem. It was not elegant and artistic like the ones back at home.

Home.

The word stuck darkly in her mind as she looked over the stone room and realized it was very similar to the sewers she had lived in only without the reek of sewage and scurrying of spider-rats, nasty vermin with eight long limbs with tiny claws and a nasty bite.

She smiled, taking a sad liking to the room.

Ange looked back at Richard in the dark room as he walked in,
Felis jumping off his shoulder and glided over to Ange’s bed while he clicked a small button at the base of the lamp, the room was quickly flooded with white light.

He turned away and slightly closed the door to reach a strange device against the wall by the door. He pressed button and turned a dial as a soft thrumming filled the room, the cold air was quickly replaced by warm air.

Ange gazed curiously at the old industrial metal box with mesh and vents on its sides and she immediately wondered if it was one of those ambient control units she had heard about existing in the homes of upper class citizens in Cyridell. It didn’t look as she had expected, it looked…like ancient technology, nothing modern and sleek like the machines in her old city.