She glanced back at the mountain and gasped, realizing how far away it was. How did Showl fly so far and so fast? She thought with disbelief.
“Well, unfortunately it seems were going to need the cover of the dark and cold after all,” he commented displeased.
Ange glanced back to him, confused by his words. Her eyes widened with shock as she realized his eyes were glowing ominously like two yellow sol-crystals were set into his face.
Her eyes swept up to the sky where dark clouds were suddenly starting to roll across the sky, the wind picked up, it was bitingly cold and the snow flurries were suddenly falling heavier and faster.
Ange shivered, not from the sudden cold in the air but from the dread and awe that had since replaced the chill.
“Why are you starting a storm?” Ange asked baffled assuming it was his doing.
Showl gave her a grave smile. “Unfortunately the land is too white, the only way to hide our shapes from being spotted is to make the world around us like night.”
Ange sighed tiredly. “A few feet of snow in front of the enemy’s face never hurts either,” she commented reluctantly.
He smiled with a wink. “Exactly, you humans don’t have the best vision after all, but we can never be too careful.”
Ange snorted. “I think your just finding excuses to turn them into ice statues.”
His smile vanished into a pensive frown. “That too,” he admitted after a moment of thought.
A shocked laugh escaped Ange unexpectedly and she found herself trying to change the subject with a topic she knew he found disagreeable. “Well, since frozen corpses don’t need any valuables, we might as well take anything we find off them, a few coins can never hurt.”
Showl’s face was reflective, as if he was trying to consider the seriousness of her words.
“It is how I’ve accumulate the majority of my money over the years,” he admitted as well.
Ange let out another laugh, filled with nervousness as she started to creep away. “Right,” she agreed.
Showl’s voice became defensive as the storm raged around them as he walked after her. “It’s not like I’ve ever killed a human intentionally,” he asserted. “But you would think your kind would be more intelligent than attempting to cross a tundra that stretched hundreds of miles wide and usually has a storm every day and where the nights are below zero in temperature,” he commented amicably.
Ange chuckled from his sudden uneasy. “I don’t believe you actually meant harm. But your right, there as some very daft humans out there,” she acknowledged jokingly as they continued to walk, Ange suddenly realized she couldn’t see five feet in front of her, the city’s lights were lost to the storm. Her shoulders sagged as an infuriated sigh escaped her as her eyes watched the steam that escaped her lips into the frigid air.
“And how are we supposed to see five feet in front of our faces?” she asked sarcastically as she came to a halt.
She could suddenly see Showl very clearly as the snow cleared around them in a small radius that expanded a few feet around them.
He smiled widely. “I wonder if you’re ever going to get tired of hearing me repeat this, but I am a dragon after all.”
“Oh, it already got old. Trust me,” she insisted with a crooked smiled as she started to walk ahead.
He smiled wider at her response as they continued in a general southern direction, Ange gazed up often to the dark clouds and wondered what time of day it was now. She knew much time hadn’t passed, but the storm certainly made it feel like nighttime. She shivered involuntarily.
“Why don’t I feel cold?” she asked suddenly, turning her curious gaze to Showl.
His face was blank as he responded quietly. “Because you’re near me.”
She frown, more confused than she had originally been.
“Once you take your sword and the bond is complete…”
Ange opened her mouth, about to protest, Showl’s white steel gloved hand covered her moth before she could utter a word.
“Let’s not argue, shall we? I believe we’ve both made it clear on how stubborn we can be.”
Ange closed her mouth and pushed his hand away, she nodded in agreement and waited for him to continue.
“When the bond is complete, you’ll become completely immune to the cold and anything composed of the ice element. Since it is our birth element, you’ll be able to control ice by your sheer will and mind, with a bit of training of course,” he continued. “Since we are currently in each other’s presence, the magic that joins our souls becomes stronger because our connection to one another is nearly established irrevocably, it’s almost like we have a completed bond.”
“Is that why you can feel emotions? Is it because I’m near you?” she asked as comprehension came to her.
“Yes, though they are still not as strong…as real as they should be,” he replied carefully.
Ange grimaced thoughtfully. “This magic is…very complex,” she finally stated.
He smiled slightly as he agreed. “Indeed, and it only gets better.”
Ange rolled her eyes. “Marvelous.”
His smile widened. “Though I’m sure you’re eager to hear more.”
Ange sighed and shook her head, wondering how she was going to deal with her current companion and if she even wanted to consider having him around for an extended period of time. “Yes, do enlighten me while we are walking through a raging storm and I can barely hear my own voice!” she yelled over the wind.
He chuckled loudly. “Point taken.”
They continued to walk in relative silence, the snow continued to churn violently but never touched them. The cold wind continued to lash and sting but never chilled nor did it drain the pitiful strength Ange was starting to believe she had stored since she had fainted. She felt exhaustion starting to catch up to her when the storm began to calm and she could distinguish the night sky from the unnatural storm Showl had conjured to hide them. She noticed one constellation peeking through the clouds, one of the few she knew by name.
“Do you know the name of that star pattern?” Ange asked enthusiastically as she pointed to the eight star constellation.
Showl smiled as looked up at the stars. “You mean Fenera, the First Regina of Nature who fell for the heart of a human man?”
Ange blinked surprised as the snow slowly calmed as they walked further out of the Artic Desert, the snow level dropping quickly from her knees to her ankles. “Fenera was the Regina of Nature?”
Showl nodded, a sad frown on his face. “She was among the last of the Regina and Rexes to find her Soulbound. She had not been eager nor adamant on seeking him out, in fact, he found her…Fenera had a love for all that was alive, she often dwelled in the forest she was born in, contemplating and unraveling the mysteries of life. That was until one day a young man stumbled upon her favorite aerie, seeking a rare flower. Fenera was dumbstruck by the sheer possibility of the man finding her for she felt an uncontrollable pull towards him and she knew immediately who he was to her. But instead of speaking or approaching him she simply observed him. They stared at each other for a while, the man was bold, confident, and showed no fear for the great dragon that laid before him, his eyes only shone with respect. He stepped forward and bowed to her, and to Fenera’s shock, he did something no human had ever done before. He asked her if he could pluck one of the flowers from her aerie.”
Ange blinked, intrigued by his deep voice and how he presented the story. Ange stared at him eagerly, anxious to hear the true story.
“Fenera had always only known humans to be creatures that took without thought or remorse, they destroyed and had no respect for the natural world she cared for so deeply. Only that they could use it to their own ends. Intrigued and confused she asked:”
‘Why do you ask human? Your kind takes without regard, why do you believe yourself to be so different?’
“The young man replied with sincerity in his voice. ‘I am no different Great Dragon. But as I
walk past, every plant that brushes my sides sighs your name and warns me of the greatest danger in this forest.’
‘And what danger would that be?’ she purred.
‘That would by myself.’ he replied earnestly.
“Fenera blinked again, shocked by his reply for she could see no deception in his words.
‘You listen well.’ she commended softly. ‘But you have yet to answer my first query. Why do you ask?’
“The young man smiled and replied happily. ‘I cannot claim to understand all the replies of the plants, O Great Dragon. But I know that by asking their Keeper, I will not be causing harm and I will have their blessing for taking their beauty into my own hands.’
“Fenera sat back and stared at the young man, pensive and curious. For a long while she brooded over her opinion of the human race and the value of the Dragonbounds. In that moment, she believed the human race indeed had a means of salvation from their destructive path and considered for the first time that the bond they shared with the dragons was of some good. The human Dragonbound waited patiently for her reply, in fact, he waited for hours for her to finally speak.”
‘Very well, human. You may take one blossom from my aerie, but only one.’ she warned.
‘Thank you, Great Dragon. I swear I will not betray your trust.’
‘I would hope not, young Dragonbound. My name is Fenera, remember it well.’
“And with that said, the young man plucked the flower from her aerie and thanked her. Curious to learn more about the man she told him to return the next sunrise. He complied and returned the next day and the next. They spent evenings together, speaking of the plants and their medical properties, the young man learned a great deal from Fenera. And slowly without realizing it, Fenera found herself falling in love with the young man, even though they were not bound. She found herself often thinking of him rather than watching the forest she dwelled in and eventually she came to stop hearing even the plants speaking to her for her infatuation was so great for the gentle human that rather than hearing life’s whispers, her own thoughts were louder. She was always anxious for him to return so she could feel the emotions that had quickly begun to play at her heart. When Fenera gained the courage to understand the emotions and be truthful to herself, she spoke to him of her feelings and told him they should complete the bond so he could become a fully realized Dragonbound and she would be completed. The young man was speechless, and obviously troubled by her revelation. After that day, the young man stopped coming all together. Fenera became worried and did something she rarely did, she left her forest and searched for the young man.”
Ange imagined the dragon flying from her woods in search of the man she loved, but she had never heard the story so detailed and she wondered if the ending had remained true to the original story.
Showl sighed into the cold night, the snow was now gently falling, the clouds clearing and revealing more of the sky.
“She followed the pull towards the man, she quickly found his small home in the hills and within its perimeter was the loveliest garden Fenera had ever seen. As she alighted into the garden, taking on human form willingly for the first time in her life she witnessed the many different flowers blooming harmoniously in the garden as they sang to her of their gentle caretaker. She smiled and quickly walked up the path with as much grace as she could muster in her newfound legs. She had never seen a human home before and she quickly ran to the nearest window to peek inside and hope she could observe her Soulbound in his daily life. She froze the moment her eyes befell on him... He was sitting by a small bed, tending to a young woman under the sheets, who was obviously gravely ill. Fenera watched her young man tend to her, speak gently to her, and touch her hands softly. Then he did something that retched Fenera’s heart with agony, he kissed the young sick woman and gazed at her with all the love Fenera had hoped he would look at her with. Fenera was mortified and in the wake of her grief she transformed back into a dragon and roared her sorrow to the sky and destroyed part of the garden as she fled, an act she would have considered blasphemy before…”
“Then…?” Ange pressed quietly as silenced lapsed for a moment between them as they continued to walk, the depth of the snow quickly lowering.
Showl sighed, looking ahead, his eyes distant and hazy. “The young man was shocked that Fenera had sought him out and called out after her. She ignored him and flew far away, as far as she could fly. She flew for three days before she crashed on the dawn of the fourth day in a frozen wasteland, much like this one. She curled up and cried out her pain till she finally fell asleep. She slept for three days, covered in snow and ice and she was quickly dying from the cold for her body was not built for it. She had lost all hope and was resigned to simply die there than see her Soulbound in the arms of a human woman…But on the third day, she felt something was wrong, as she was close to extinguishing her life she felt something powerful calling her back. Reluctantly she unfurled her wings and began the long journey back to her forest, wondering what had stopped her from dying… When she arrived at her favorite aerie she found nothing amiss, that was until her eyes fell upon the rare flowers, three were missing and the scent of the young man still lingered in the air where the flowers once were, flowers that could cure the most volatile of diseases…”
Showl’s eyes met Ange’s and she slowed as the glow in his yellow gaze impacted something deep with her, a sense of danger and pain and a faint echo she could not place as a pair of furious glowing eyes flashed through her mind.
“Fenera broke into a rage at the sight, not only had the human man won her heart and crushed it, he now had betrayed her trust and most sacred value. He had harmed her home and scorned her most significant duty as the Regina of Nature, he had taken a life that was not his.”
“Wait, a plant? She was angry because he picked a plant?” Ange cut in with disbelief in her voice.
Showl nodded. “You may not see the significance, but a dragon that is connected to even the simplest of life does not take lightly the disrespect others show for the spirit every living thing possesses. Even a plant. She had placed her trust in this human in the midst of her domain, intentionally harming the life under her protection is one of the greatest forms of disrespect he could have done. But the young man had been desperate and had hoped Fenera would have understood his actions…”
“What happened then?” Ange asked anxiously.
“When Fenera realized what the young man had done, she flew into a rage. She was beyond furious, because she knew those flowers he had picked where for the woman she had witnessed him caring for. A horrendous tide of hate took Fenera and she flew quickly to the young man’s home…She did not hesitate, with her talons she ripped the house apart and snatched the young woman into her claws from her sickbed…and roared:”
‘You dare betray my trust, pitiful creature?’
‘Great Dragon Fenera! I beg your forgiveness!’ cried the man. ‘But please don’t harm my beloved, you were not present and if I had not taken the blossoms my love would have died!’
“Fenera snarled. ‘Then you have sinned in vain, human. For now you will taste my fury and pain!’
“And with that, Fenera crushed the woman in her claws before the young man’s eyes. The man cried out devastated.
‘Why, Fenera? Why?’
“Fenera snarled furiously. ‘I gave you my soul, my trust, and my love and you betrayed me. Now you will bear the consequences, die!’
“The man gazed at Fenera with true terror and sorrow as her jaws reached for him, he had nowhere to run nor did he attempt to escape his fate, his love was gone and with her, his reason to live. Fenera snapped him in half and tossed his body away in disgust. The moment his heart stopped beating, an unbearable retching pain stole its way into Fenera’s body. Painfully she flew back to her favorite aerie, her body quickly degrading and dying, she flew back almost unconsciously, suffering in constant agony. As she arrived, the grove and plants her Soulbound’s blade had been sealed
in died. The blade hovered of its own accord, drained and defeated she watched blankly as the blade rushed for her before it plunged deeply into her chest. All her hate gone, she felt hollow and a mere husk of her former glory. Her body shattered into a thousand leaves and petals…but her hate never died, it was reborn strongly into the current reincarnation…As the Draconis Council heard of the unfortunate ordeal, they renamed a constellation in her honor for she had been a beloved and wise member and a mother to many of the younger dragons. Her story was never forgotten, and by her death, came quietly and almost undetected, the first hints of the trials the dragons and humans had yet to face.”
He fell silent, gazing up at the sky.
“It’s hard to believe…” Ange began thoughtfully, “that she allowed jealousy to kill the man she loved.”
Showl smiled sadly. “It’s more complicated than that, but yes, jealousy did overtake her. Dragons began to become cautious when it came to falling for their Soulbounds and relationships in general. It was one of the complications they hadn’t expected. Emotions were still fairly new to our race, and the consequences of those feelings caught many of us off-guard.”
Ange nodded, wondering what other ‘complications’ he could possibly be referring to. She fixed her eyes on the constellation, the stars glinting in the night, three of the five moons hung in the sky. The largest was a shade of pale gray-white and waning, the smallest orange moon was waxing to its three-quarters shape, and the second to smallest moon was a pale gray-blue and full.
Chapter 9: Detours and Knowledge
“We’re even farther from the city than when we began!” Ange screamed outraged. She glared accusingly at Showl’s unfazed face.
“Relax. We’ll get there…eventually,” he added evadingly.
“Ha! After what? Ten other misdirected detours on your behalf?” she snarled, knowing well he had led her in the wrong direction intentionally.
Sky Warriors: Poleuthan's Thief (Sky Warriors Saga Book 1) Page 11