She felt her fury melt away as she noticed her best friend pacing back and forth with worry. She quickly hurried to him. His eyes snapped to her with relief.
“What took you so long?” he asked anxiously. “I almost thought you got caught,” he breathed relieved.
She smiled widely, she wasn’t about to tell him about her embarrassing fruit venture. “Nah, just a few complications, nothing I couldn’t handle,” she assured.
He grimaced and stared at her silently for a while and she knew she hadn’t convinced him in the least, and she was usually a good liar.
His eyes widened as he looked down at her hands. “Ange, what happened to your wrist and hand?” he asked angrily as he stared at the injuries.
Ange stared shocked and looked down at her hands, she noticed in surprise that her slender wrist was a swollen purple in a ring about two inches wide all the way around and stung. On her left hand, dry blood had dripped all the way down to her pinky and ring finger.
She blinked, feeling disoriented as Daren grasped the arm where her wrist was bruised and lifted it up to where she was staring straight into his furious eyes.
“Who did this, Ange?” he snarled infuriated.
She glared and yanked her arm back and tucked them into her pockets out of sight. “No one, Daren,” she snapped knowing well he would not relent unless she made it clear she didn’t want to talk about it.
He glared and let out an angry huff of air as she turned away and started to walk.
They began to make their way toward base.
Feeling bothered, she decided to be discrete and hoped Daren could quell her lingering dread the strange man had sent rampaging in her. She never felt afraid, it was absolutely out of the ordinary for her, then again that man was definitely not just a simple ‘man’. Under his touch she felt like a trapped mouse in the talons of an owl.
“Hey, Daren…do you believe in monsters?” she asked with a quake in her voice.
His head snapped to her immediately as he noticed the note of fear in her voice.
Damn it, talk about discrete, I sound like a frightened child. Ange berated herself mentally and made a better effort to control herself.
“Monsters?” he echoed. “What kind of monsters, Ange?” he asked seriously.
She shuddered and grimaced. “You know, the evil kind. The magic kind,” she explained.
He blinked confused. “Of course not, not living ones that is. We could definitely make a machine into something like a monster like the legendary dragon mounts made for exclusive military generals. But real monsters? No way. There’s no proof even dragons ever existed, it’s all just myth, Ange.”
She nodded. “Yeah, just myth,” she agreed unconvinced. She remembered the book back at home that Daren had given her some years ago. It was a book mostly about dragons, well dragon pictures, she couldn’t read. But Daren would read it out loud for her, she had never really desired the ability to read, she didn’t need it, she only needed to recognize certain words. Not that Daren had never tried teaching her, it just didn’t make sense when he tried explaining it, and so she gave up. She loved dragons and she wished they actually existed. It would have been amazing to actually see one and she wondered if the book had other information.
“Have you ever read anything then about a…creature…in the shape of a man with yellow eyes and fangs?” she asked absently.
He blinked. “I’ve never heard of anything like that, sounds like you’re talking about vampirism or a shifter. Though someone with vampirism would have red eyes if the stories hold true,” he stated.
“And a shifter?” Ange asked concerned.
“Well a shifter is a broad name for someone or something that turns into something else, usually an animal, whether it’s willing or a curse determines what kind of a shifter. Like an angel,” he explained
“You mean the dragons that turn into humans with wings?” Ange questioned.
He nodded. “See, that’s a willing transformation, it was said they could go back and forth between the two shapes. On the other hand, a werewolf changes shape under the influence of a full moon by force.”
Ange frowned thoughtfully. “I feel sorry for the werewolves, at least one of the moons in the sky are usually full, even during the day,” she observed.
He smiled. “It’s only myths Ange, werewolves don’t actually exist,” he reminded.
She nodded and glanced up at the sky. One moon was hovering high in the sky over the city, a hazy white in the blue sky and it was full.
“You know what you described might be something close to an incubus or succubus,” he murmured thoughtfully.
“A what?” she asked, mortified by the very sound of the words.
“Incubuses were demons, dragons who were evil and took on human form. They were stunningly beautiful, their eyes and hair were sometimes unnatural shades but alluring, fangs when they revealed them, long claws, and curling horns of different shapes and varieties coming from their heads and some of them even had a tail or wings like the angels. The females were called a succubus. They were powerful and dangerous beasts. Rumored to even have the power to calm and fog the mind, and entice mortals into their arms. The most powerful incubuses were said to look entirely like humans with the exception of their eyes and hair, it was the only thing they apparently couldn’t change with their magic.”
“And what did these incubuses and succubi do with these mortals?” she asked quietly.
Daren’s face twisted with distaste. “They seduced humans and copulated with them till they died and then devoured them.”
Ange shuddered horrified. She recalled the man with his unnatural beauty and eyes, his head had been covered and his entire frame shrouded in a cloak, but she didn’t notice any protrusions on his back and she really hadn’t been focusing on the top of his head, he had been a lot taller than her. Then she recalled his clawed gauntlet and fangs and the air of pleasantness that seemed to have been emitting around him.
She shook her head and grimaced as she looked back at the road, she couldn’t believe she was actually considering fantasy for an answer!
He was just an odd young man, nothing more. Yet the thought alone was nowhere convincing nor comforting.
Chapter 3: Foxes and Ferrets
Ange found herself rummaging through her pack after strapping her light black leather garments for the raid within the hour, and coincidently she was arguing at the same time.
“Daren, how many times must I say no?” she puffed exasperated as he asked her the same question a tenth time while she placed a rope into her bag.
“Ange, I insist. Forget thieving! It’s not right to steal from other people, let’s head to the surface before it’s too late,” he persuaded without avail.
“Too late for what?” she asked suspiciously and tired of his evasiveness. He was hiding something and she knew it.
His face contorted into indecision and stubbornness. “Will you just trust me?” he hissed impatiently.
“No, not if you’re not going to tell me what’s going on,” she hissed back.
His face twisted into desperation. “Please Ange, just this once-”
“Kids, you ready?”
Daren fell silent instantly as he and Ange turned to see Vera at the doorway. She wore her tight sleek black leather leggings and clothes with a long lightweight hooded cape.
Ange nodded, her annoyance yet not spent as she pulled her forearm-length daggers from underneath her sheets and buckled the worn leather belt around her waist, a dagger on each of her hips. They weren’t the nicest daggers all around but they were sharp and they did their job.
“Nearly,” Ange replied with a small smile.
Vera smiled and looked her over quizzically. “Well, you sure aren’t going in that Fox,” Vera reprehended affectionately.
Ange blinked perplexed and looked down at her clothes in confusion.
Vera smiled and pulled out two paper wrapped objects. “I had these especially made f
or you two,” she strode forward and placed one of the packages into Ange’s hands then the other in Daren’s. “Though I know you won’t be staying with us, Daren...” Vera said with a sad motherly-like voice as she brushed his hair out of his face and tilted his chin up to look her in the eyes. “I hope this will help you remember us, and that we’ll always be your family down here,” she gazed at him with a fond yet impish grin. “Besides, who knows, you might find the surface life too boring, you can always come back,” Vera winked suggestively.
Shame washed across Daren’s face as he took a step back and lowered his gaze.
Vera frowned troubled then sighed. “Well, enough of these gushy confessions, open your gifts and get out here,” she said as the strictness reentered her voice and she stepped back out quickly to the main room, leaving the curtain door shuffling behind her.
Ange gazed after her surprised considering this was quite out of character for her, then again she was different around them.
She glanced at Daren who was simply staring at the package in his hands.
Ange looked down at hers and felt curiosity over take her and she quickly unwrapped the mystery.
She gasped in shock as her fingers brushed expensive black leather, silky and lightweight and padded with designs and heavier pieces of leather coverings in a smoky black. She unfolded the long sleeve padded shirt with buckles across the chest and gazed in amazement at the center of the shirt was a black owl with wings arcing up inside a circle and a bag of coins in its claws. Each feather was detailed beautifully.
She excitedly jumped up to her bed and closed the curtain behind her and tried on her new suit, it came with magnetic gloves with black retractable talons, leggings and boots that matched and smelled absolutely new, even a new black belt to go around her waist attached with small convenient packs. The leggings also came with extra pocket compartments on the lower ends. The boots had even a secret compartment for a small dagger and underneath the soles was a hidden sharp knife that shot out at the touch of a button at the back of the heel, obviously for scaling walls.
Even a long cape with black feathers around the hood accompanied the entire gift. Her outfit fit as snug as a glove and even breathed, she gasped in amazement as she noticed a mask on the edge of her vest-like shirt and pulled it up. It stretched all the way over her neck and concealed half her face leaving only her eyes and forehead revealed, it was light and it didn’t impair her breathing even though it was a very close-fit. She couldn’t believe Vera had given them such an amazing gift. It was the best kind of suit for a night thief and even for a small time warrior like herself, though it felt almost like she was an assassin in the dark clothing.
Buttoning the cloak around her neck, she jumped out of the bed in a backflip in attempt to test out the flexibility of the garments, it almost felt like she was wearing nothing as she landed. She twirled around excitedly to show off the outfit and ask Daren how she looked.
She froze when she saw her best friend already in his new attire and standing still.
Ange gasped as she took notice of his identical armor, except for a male of course. The suit was tight over his frame and accented his form and to Ange’s chagrin, showed off his muscular torso, legs, and arms. The hood shadowed his face and made him look like a dark and threatening figure. His green eyes gleamed from the shadows of his hooded face, unsure, wary, and filled with guilt. Ange had never noticed how handsome Daren had become, especially since they always wore unflattering and dirty clothing.
Ange frowned, wondering what made him look so miserable.
She stepped towards him and grasped his gloved hand. “What’s the matter, Daren?” she promoted worried. “You didn’t like the suit?”
He gave her a half smile and shook his head. “No, the suit is nice,” he took his hand from her and flexed it, staring at the dark material. “Though I don’t deserve it,” he muttered sadly.
“Of course you deserve it,” Ange corrected with steel and conviction in her voice. “You may want to go clean Daren, but a part of you will always be the thief that grew up among the Black Owls,” she frowned and grabbed his hand with both of hers. She stared into his face, trying to reassure him. “And there’s nothing wrong with that,” she promised.
He smiled sadly at her. “I’m afraid I might be something worse than a thief,” he replied with quite grief.
She blinked confused but before she could ask what he meant, she found his other hand pulling her into a tight hug, his body trembled slightly. “Thank you,” he whispered, “for always looking out for me. Please forgive me…for tonight,” he said the last words in a hush.
Ange was left speechless and frozen by the unexpected contact as he let go and left without another word. She stood rooted for a moment before she felt her body wilt physically as if she was suddenly tired. A sense of ominous defeat suddenly came over her and she suddenly felt tense and worried. She took a deep breath and rationalized the feelings were irrelevant as she fixed her hand over one of her daggers and clutched it tightly as if danger was approaching and walked out to where the rest of the thieves waited.
She saw Daren hanging far away from the rest with a cold determined set on his face. Vera was speaking with Garrett as the other thieves in their own attire stood around loosely, waiting.
Vera turned to Ange as she approached. She smiled with gloating satisfaction.
“It suits you perfectly,” Vera chimed. Her lips puckered and her eyes squinted as she looked over Ange as if something was out of place. She snapped her fingers as realization washed across her face. “That’s it!” she strode over and began to pinch at the center of Ange’s chest right above the Black Owl’s crest. “You didn’t notice the little feature I added to yours,” Vera said excitedly. She fiddled with one last string and stepped back. “See?”
Ange look down and blinked in amazement as she noticed that the leather armor that had a V-neck cut down to the crest had the mask sown right to it, but now a triangle of Ange’s skin was revealed as the cloth part of the outfit was pulled up and away from the leather armor and held by two small black buttons adorned with small silk strings in fancy knots.
The skin that had been revealed now brandished her tattoo for everyone to see.
Ange felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment as she looked up at Vera, unable to say anything.
Vera wore an expression of confidence and assertiveness. “It’s a beautiful and unique tattoo, you should be proud of it even if you don’t know what it means. Something tells me in my gut,” she didn’t say these words lightly but with all seriousness, “that mark is very important, and that someday you will know just how much.”
Ange felt a moment of shock before a sense of warmth and gratitude for her mentor over took her and she smiled thankfully. “You’re right Vera, thank you.”
Vera smiled.
“Everyone is now here, Vera,” Garrett informed as he came up. “Four of the Crimson Crows members within our guild have agreed to join the event.”
She grinned wider. “That’s more than I expected,” she replied pleased. Vera raised her voice and turned to the audience, capturing everyone’s attention. “We will all split up and make our way and rendezvous at the mines northwest of our current position. I expect everyone to arrive there in no less than thirty minutes, by the Sole facility warehouse,” she informed strictly. “We shall carryout the raid from there, the guards will be patrolling the northern sector by that time and we should have a clear opening. Our target is west of the Sole Mines in an operation that’s been named Dragon’s Hoard, are we all clear?”
“Understood!” shouted many of the voices in unison.
Ange smiled enthusiastically as the guild broke up and the other Owls went their own separate way to the destination. She quickly made it to Daren’s side.
“Ready?” she asked thrilled.
Daren nodded silently, his face still cold. Ange frowned wondering what was on his mind. She led the way out quickly, straight for the sam
e entrance they had used the other day to slip the guards.
Quickly and agilely they climbed the ladder up to the pipelines after closing the floodgate. They walked through the watery passages as rats scurried by and water sloshed past their feet and over their new black leather boots, which to Ange’s joy kept the damp and cold out. Once to the sewer hatch, she stepped aside and closed her illuminator as Daren swiftly unlocked the hatch and opened it to the fresh cool night, a full moon shown down upon them.
Ange smiled at the sight then frowned, realizing it was going to be a bright night tonight, which called for extra stealth and caution. Their armor suits practically screamed ‘criminal’. She smirked at the challenge and buckled her lantern to the side of her belt as Daren acrobatically pulled and leaped himself out of the sewers to the dark alley, Ange followed with as much grace as she flipped up from the small ladder and into the open. She scanned the alley for extra measure as the hatch quietly closed behind her, even though she knew Daren must have already checked. They could never be too careful.
Quickly and without a word they flitted to the wall and began their trek toward the northern part of town and to the barrens where most of the mining facilities were, close to the mountains the city edged.
They were not far, by the fifth alley they were sneaking through Ange was startled as Daren suddenly broke the silence.
“Follow me, I know a shortcut.”
Ange was about to protest when he darted ahead and she had no choice but to follow.
How the heck would he know a shortcut? We’re never on this side of town! She thought as she grumbled unintelligibly under her breath as she tried to catch up.
She noticed instantly that they were starting to head west, away from the mines. She suppressed an exasperated groan as she jogged to catch up, wondering where the heck Daren was leading them.
She was about to hiss an objection when a quite noise caught her attention and froze her still.
Her eyes tracked the darkness by several trash bins, she could discern nothing from the darkness. The three visible moons of that night were conveniently hidden either by a building or the tall dark Poleuthan Mountains and she wondered for the millionth time in the back of her head what that weird word could possibly mean.
Sky Warriors: Poleuthan's Thief (Sky Warriors Saga Book 1) Page 4