Amaris and Corvus looped over them, blotching out the stars in a sheet of pure black, his glossy feathers ruffled in the gentle breeze as he peered down at them with Amaris relaxing lazily on her black and silver etched saddle.
“Come on, you call that flying?” she teased as she stuck out her tongue tauntingly as Corvus let out a deep chortle before diving away.
Ange smiled feeling enthusiastic and determined.
“Now?” She instigated suggestively.
A deep rumble-like growl reverberated through Showl.
“Now,” he agreed with a flicker of childlike excitement.
His wings suddenly tucked in as Ange pressed her body down and grasped the handles of the saddle tightly. The plunged into a powerful dive as they fell from the sky, allowing gravity to lend them speed.
Ange laughed exhilarated as they swooped past Corvus and Amaris.
“Hey!” Amaris protested surprised as they flashed past, disrupting the wind they were flying upon.
Ange glanced back and gave her a taunting smile and mocking wave.
Amaris grinned, her face becoming serious as Ange and Showl got farther ahead.
“Hold on, little thief. This race is going to get wild.”
“Gotcha.”
Showl’s white downy form began to twist as they spun quickly to the left, changing their route smoothly but effectively making Ange nauseous. The cool air though quickly cleared her head as she took a deep breath. She glanced back as Amaris and Corvus quickly caught up to them, swiftly coming up to Showl’s lower flank.
“Are you up for a little challenge, little thief?” Showl asked high spirited.
“Bring it on,” Ange smirked, thrilled by the wind that rushed past her, flapping her clothes against her skin as her coppery hair was held back by the rushing air.
“Then let us see how much they remember from their lessons,” Showl exclaimed as he built up speed.
His jaws parted as a powerful roar boomed from his throat. Energy began to pull between them, straining through their connection as Ange felt him draw upon his power, the air shivered for a moment around them.
Ange squinted her eyes, then smiled as she realized what Showl was doing.
Just ahead, a large stretch of water was quickly icing over before sheets broke from the surface and flew up into the air, breaking apart before reforming once more into dozens of rings that spanned several miles around the island. They glinted coldly and obscurely in the night and as Ange watched she guessed they ranged in size as they hovered stilly in the night air.
Corvus roared jubilantly behind them as Showl took the lead. The first icy ring was coming up swiftly.
“I am a bit out of practice, little thief. And I imagine this will be a bit nauseating for your first time, but I assure you will become use to it in no time.”
“Thanks for the warning, but if I throw up on your head it will be your fault,” Ange warned.
“Your warning has been duly noted. Now let’s fly!”
Ange gasped as he twirled quickly in midflight. The spin lasted less than a second but didn’t fail to make her dizzy. She swallowed hard and wondered seriously for once the wisdom of racing at the moment.
“Come, little thief. Fly with me,” Showl insisted.
Ange frowned confused.
Brilliant light washed in behind her eyes as Showl entered her mind. Instinctually she froze at the intrusion, she relaxed as warmth and reassurance washed through her mind, calming her. Suddenly the light formed into claws, grabbing on to her essence and tugged.
She resisted for a moment feeling more perplexed as her hands tightened on the handles of the saddle.
“Trust me,” Showl whispered.
Ange frowned and nodded, reluctantly forcing her mind to unhinge itself from the security of her head.
Showl’s hold was gentle, then a slow tug reeled her away and pulled her into the tunnel between their minds. Her sight began to darken, frightening her so she closed her eyes and focused on Showl’s brilliant mind instead.
A breath escaped her, the last thing she felt of her own body as she plunged into the sea of energy that was Showl’s psyche. His power engulfed her, pulling her front and center of his thoughts, ignoring the rest of the swarm of thinking that passed by.
Strands began to sting through her, piercing her soul and person without pain, weaving into her own channels of thought. She felt frightened by the energy that felt like it was changing her from the inside, though she could feel Showl’s essence in the channels and she rationalized that she had nothing to fear. Thinking so did not change the sense of fear that coursed through her nonetheless.
Somehow her eyes opened, and they were a thousand times sharper.
She held in a gasp as her mind went into shock and she realized she was looking through Showl’s eyes. She could barely feel her own body, she found herself at awe and intrigued, her fear vaporized in a second as their thoughts joined and mingled into the nous of one living being. She felt their combined influence reach out, string through to Showl’s other senses.
It was the most powerful intimacy she had ever experienced and that knowledge frightened her. Their emotions brushed against one another, their quietest thoughts seemed to be yelling as they collided. Their personalities began to mix and she felt his memories lend into her own and she suddenly knew everything there was to flying, incomprehensible information became comfortable thoughts to her and they were suddenly controlling one body together, Showl’s.
Their wings spread wider for a moment as their long sinews neck curved slightly down, in turn tilting their entire body several degrees down into a gradual dive.
The first ring was approaching fast.
A single glance back reassured them that Corvus and Amaris was still behind them.
They caught every detail, Corvus and Amaris held themselves close to their trail.
Their flight leveling was even, perfect form and concentration on their faces. Ange’s curiosity mingled with Showl’s pride as they returned their gaze ahead.
Over the dark ocean spanning at just the edge of the mist hung each individual ring at different heights, some even had drastic drops between short distances.
The first ring was tight, a relatively short diameter.
Their wings tucked in close, their neck turned to the left, beginning the momentum of a twist, and their tail formed the perfect counterbalance, keeping them straight on their path.
Showl’s wide skull passed through the icy ring first. They twisted perfectly, every muscle clenched, flexed, and reacted in the ideal direction, shifting Showl’s massive weight evenly and keeping their length perfectly straight as they spun completely out of the ring and straight into a dive in a mere second.
The air coursed through their plumage, brushing away insulated warmth from Showl’s ivory white scales. It was a marvelous sensation, clawing at them as gravity failed to keep up with them. They jetted through the air to the ring below.
They glanced back as Corvus easily passed through the ring. As the black feathers of his tail passed the ring, it shattered into glittering crystal dust. Hovering down from their original place like slow moving stars in the backlight of the starry night.
The muscles at the edge of their powerful jaws quirked into a dragon’s smile, as they quickly left the easy obstacles behind.
Ange and Showl flied seamlessly together, working in perfect unison as they didn’t restrain each other’s thoughts from one another but naturally allowed their minds to mingle and work as one entity. Ange’s emotions were still fairly distinct from Showl’s and she felt disembodied, and almost anonymous as they functioned together without individuality. It was peaceful yet alarming.
With Showl’s help she was able to keep the emotions at bay, keeping their minds conjoined as they concentrated on the race.
The last six rings were coming quickly into view as they sailed the wind vertically, skimming and disturbing a portion of the misty wall as they glided by.
The first two of the six rings were connected by a tunnel of icy mist, forming a loop that then led to the last rings that formed a downward spiral to the sea.
Ange excitement quaked with Showl’s, she loved doing backflips and she wondered if they could execute one successfully together in the first loop.
They pushed off from the wall of mist with a few powerful strokes of their wings, and made a gentle roll till they flew horizontally once more. Ange felt Showl pull at the energy within his body, Ange weaved her sense of thought through his own, trying to comprehend the ability to call upon the magic within their own bodies.
His reached deep into his mind, do the deepest recesses where a brilliant sun burned in the darkness, his will latched onto the burning energy and he yanked, pulling the energy from its vault and allowing it to pour out of him, his command was already instinctually inlaid with the pull and his power immediately reacted to his will.
The air around them chilled, making the air heavy and they were suddenly diving rapidly.
Ange followed his motives with confusion, unable to understand what had just happened to make them suddenly plummet more rapidly.
Feeling her confusion, Showl’s knowledge washed into her, she drank it in without hesitation or restrain. Sudden comprehension dawned in her.
Cool air sunk as warm air rose in the atmosphere, cooling the air around their warm bodies caused them to sink more rapidly on a cold air current as the heat was pulled up and away. Warm air helped a winged creature to rise more rapidly into the sky, cold air did the exact opposite, lending them a powerful burst of speed.
Ange would have smiled at the revelation, thankful for the simple explanation though she guessed Showl could have gone much further into detail and she appreciated that he hadn’t.
They glanced back, unsurprised as Corvus and Amaris took advantage of the sudden cold path of air and quickly followed their lead to the last rings miles down, they were close to passing them.
Feeling confident and inspired Ange pulled out strings to her own body, swiftly passing the tunnel that permanently connected their thoughts and reached into her own psyche, she delved deep into herself till she found the same vault of darkness illuminated by a powerful source of energy. It was not as immense as Showl’s, but she did not hesitate to latch onto it as Showl had done with his own, she yanked on it and it exploded out without restrain.
She felt her body momentarily inhale as the energy washed through her, seeking escape. She imbedded her will, unsure she would succeed and feeling Showl’s puzzlement and worry at her sudden rash actions. She reached out and felt the moister in the air, willing for the energy to freeze it to Showl’s body in a coat of ice.
The energy instantly reacted and lashed out from her body, exploding out in a wide circumference around them, surprising Ange. She felt the threads of energy spin into wide and complex webs as the water in the air instantly froze on contact and pulled towards them like a magnet.
The ice grasped at Showl’s feathers, a thick sheet of ice froze over is neck, back, belly, and tail in a matter of seconds.
They were suddenly sinking at a deadly speed to the rings below, leaving Corvus and Amaris struggling to keep up behind them.
Ange withdrew from herself and back into Showl’s mind. She felt thrilled and excited that her idea had worked without a hitch. Showl’s pride burned for her like a towering mountain and she could help feeling even more pleased by her quick thinking.
She returned her concentration to flying with Showl.
The moment they came within feet of the ring, Showl released another wave of energy, shattering the coat of ice like glass as it exploded from his body, flying away quickly as they dived into the ring. They immediately arched their neck up as it passed through the ring and kept their wings tucked.
A sharp pain rode up their spine as it curved and Ange felt her mind flinch at the pain, amazed as Showl simply grimaced with determination and ignored the pain as they completed the backflip and dived through the second ring and straight into the next hoop.
They turned their tail, allowing the feathers to curve their flight path to follow a twist down the first ring, then the second, third and finally they rocketed past the fourth.
They let out a jubilant roar that cut short as Ange recoiled surprised by the loud noise coming from her mouth and then remembered she was sharing Showl’s body.
Slowly Showl pulled his mind away from her own, leaving her feeling disoriented and suddenly hollow as their once tightly weaved minds split from each other. She felt as if holes were left behind where his thoughts one took place with her own, like empty dark tunnels were now present throughout her mind.
She pulled herself away, fleeing through the tunnel in-between their minds before Showl could feel how disturbed the experience had left her.
Quickly settling comfortably into her own head once again, she felt cozy yet clustered in her own body as she realized how small it was compared to the body of a dragon. She felt as if her conscious was too large and would spill over, but the sensation quickly vanished as she reconnected with every aspect of her own flesh.
She inhaled a deep breath and opened her eyes and looked about bewildered, disgruntled by her dull vision and missing the depth she had been able to capture with Showl’s eyes. She touched her stomach, surprised she wasn’t the least bit nauseous after the acrobats they had performed.
“You were extraordinary,” Showl praised happily.
“Really?” Ange asked feeling proud yet slightly anxious.
“Yes. That last maneuver you pulled was very intuitive and a shocking surprise.”
“Shocking?” Ange snapped crossly. “What? You think I am not smart or something?”
“No, little thief. You shouldn’t jump to conclusions so fast.”
Ange crossed her arms as she leaned over stared into one of his yellow eyes expectantly.
He rolled his huge topaz eye and continued.
“It was shocking because all new Dragonbounds can’t even access their natural magic for months if not years, much less control it on their first try. But you simply felt me do it once and then you did it yourself without any effort. The majority of Dragonbounds took months to even be able to manipulate a small sample of their affiliated element…”
Ange sat back surprised. “Really?”
“Yes,” Showl replied simply, contemplating. “You have natural talent and powerful instincts, very rare gifts that usually took Dragonbounds years to obtain. You didn’t even use words, a very risky and dangerous way of performing magic for those with no experience. If you hadn’t done so shockingly well I would be scolding you to no end, so let’s not press your luck till you’ve had a formal education in magic. Agreed?”
Ange huffed annoyed feeling suddenly deflated and nettled.
“Angeline,” Showl growled into her mind, waiting.
“Fine!” Ange snapped sourly.
“That was fun!”
Ange turned surprised as Corvus and Amaris came up to their flanks.
“I haven’t done that obstacle in well…years would sound like so little time. But centuries would make me feel old,” she laughed laying down on her saddle.
“Thank you, Showl. It has been too long since we had a taste of Rex Harfang’s tests,” Corvus thanked quietly as he glanced at them both.
“You both did well, Harfang would have been proud,” Showl replied humbly.
Corvus tilted his head in gratitude. “Thank you again, Master.”
Amaris bowed her head as well.
“I am not your Master, Corvus,” Showl growled. “That life ended long ago. Now this new body and mind is younger than yours.”
“It matters not, within you is still our Master. You may be a new and younger dragon, but you will always hold our Master’s soul within you. You are still him even if you are different. And if we are to go about by the age of our souls, then you are still far older than me.”
“Why is that?” Ange
asked curiously sensing an argument was about to ensue.
Corvus’s white eye focused on her.
“Because unlike the others, I and Grace have died many times at each other’s fangs,” he replied quietly in with soft contemplation in his dragon voice.
Ange frowned feeling even more confounded.
“Showl has informed you that it can take days or even decades for us to be reborn, yes?” he asked quietly.
Ange nodded.
“You see, for some strange reason, since the beginning of our immemorial existence. The Rexes and Regina of Lux and Umbra have always sought to devour each other. Thus, many of our reincarnations never lived for more than five hundred years.”
“Until me and Ileana came along,” Amaris pitched in.
“Yes,” Corvus agreed. “After the Souls Binding Contract when we were unbound, we became even more dangerous to one another. No matter the distance between us or the Soulbound we had, there was always a drive for us to seek each other out and kill the other. That was until these unique two gave us that balance we had always been missing. When I and Grace were reborn into our current states, we noticed something different. The urge to kill each other had been attenuated and we had a powerful metal connection even without magic. At first we thought it was because we had been simultaneously born together, something that had never occurred among the dragons of the Council before. Because of this we were able to restrain our urge to kill one another till…”
“Ana and I had been born,” Amaris chipped in. “Once we sealed the bond, their urge to kill each other completely vanished,” she quipped with a smile as she ruffled some of Corvus’s black feathers on his head.
Corvus nodded his head slightly, falling silent.
“That was an amazing move you pulled off Rex Showl, you’ve never done that before,” Amaris said full of admiration.
“Simply Showl will be fine, Amaris,” Showl corrected with a deep rumble.
A question popped into Ange’s head which Showl answered within a heartbeat as if expecting her inquiry.
“It is customary and polite to refer anyone in the Council by title unless otherwise told.”
“And that maneuver was actually done by Angeline,” he added.
Sky Warriors: Poleuthan's Thief (Sky Warriors Saga Book 1) Page 24