"It wasn't that bad," Dimitri argued.
"Anyone can catch on fire. Just throw a match at them. Better yet, a ball of fire will do the trick," Ryuu commented.
"It was a shitty hint. Just tell her," Yuriel sighed.
"I swear angels can't swear," Dimitri argued.
"Huh? Yuriel's an angel? He smells like death," Wolfgang noted.
"What does death smell like?" I whined, leaning over to Yuriel's side to sniff him. Yuriel didn't look annoyed, but he eyed me carefully. "He smells like baby powder. With a hint of lilies. So nice,” Wolfgang teased.
"Thanks," Yuriel replied. "Can we move back to what Dimitri is?"
"Right," I replied, looking at Dimitri with wide, intrigued eyes. "Please, Dimitri? I'm not good with Shifter 101. "
Dimitri smirked. "Since you asked so nicely." He ran his hands through his hair and smiled. "I'm a hellhound."
"Huh. Aren't hellhounds scary, vicious, ghostly creatures that have fire or lava pouring out of their mouths?" I questioned before looking at Wolfgang. "And hellhounds and werewolves don't get along?"
"My kind has various types. Almost as though they're categorized by elements. I can use different elements, which is a rare trait, but I prefer fire. We are vicious, but that's a different side of me you don't see often. He's sleeping." Dimitri shrugged. "As for the whole wolf thing, it's basically because we're similar breeds. It's usually a competition. People assume hellhounds are stronger than wolves but that's not always the case."
Wolfgang nodded. "Some wolves can also use strong elemental magic, which makes the line between the two shifter races thinner. Hellhounds, however, have alter egos and those sides are dangerous. Their focus is solely on killing the enemy by any means necessary and their bodies triple in size. Not to mention they'll still be able to use magic in that form, too."
"That sounds so cool. Like a last resort lethal weapon," I praised and looked back at Dimitri. "Does your mana reset, too? For those who use magic, I mean."
"Yup. It's an all-or-nothing shift. Everything from your mana to actual stamina is reset, but once you either kill the enemy or run out of power, you’re basically done for. You can't carry on into a next fight. That's why it's reserved as a last resort method. I can still switch to my alter but he doesn't need to go into that mode unless it's a desperate situation. Or I just want to show off and rip people's heads off."
"Brutal," I replied. "But still pretty cool. So that's why you have a strong sense of smell."
Dimitri nodded. "When we're born, our vision comes last. It takes us two years before we obtain it. That's why we rely heavily on smell to guide us. In the beginning, we simply familiarize ourselves with our home environment and our mother's scent. That way if we ever get separated, we can always find our mother."
"Even if you're super far away?" I inquired.
"Yup. It's similar to how I picked up your scent in this huge school. I was at the entrance of the dorm area when I picked it up and followed the scent toward the auditorium. It only takes a cub forty-eight hours to secure their mother's scent. Once it's embedded in them, distance is nothing. It's just difficult to get there being blind, but survival instincts always kick in with any race," Dimitri explained.
"That's amazing. Thank you for sharing, Dimitri," I praised, loving that I now knew a lot more about his kind. "What about Wolfgang? You're a werewolf, but anything else we need to know?"
"I'm nothing super special." He laughed. "I'm an elemental wolf, so I can use other elements like fire, ice, wind. When we go into specifics, I can also use very rare magic like dark and light skills. I can half shift if I want to, but I like shifting fully. Easier to maneuver."
"Intriguing." I nodded in fascination. "Wait. Didn't you say you and Ryuu were brothers?" I asked.
"That's impossible. You two are different shifter races," Dimitri added.
Plus, Ryuu looked African and Wolfgang must have been Russian, given his last name.
"We're not by blood. Our background is complicated," Ryuu replied. I met his gaze in the rear-view mirror.
"Are you a normal dragon, Ryuu?" I inquired.
"I'm a Mageri dragon. One that can shift into two types," he replied. "It's why my eyes are the way they are. One side of me can shift into a fire dragon, while the other can shift to a water one. I can still use a bit of ice magic, but it's not my strong suit. Dragons are pretty big in size, to begin with, but I can shift to a smaller form if I have to."
"That's super handy and cool. I've only seen a dragon once and that was only in the sky. Are there a lot of you?" I asked.
"Not really. It depends on the country," he admitted. "Where I'm from there's a lot of us, like a congregation. But when you travel to different parts of the world, there are very few of us. We tend to live alone or among our families, but due to the hunting, we live in clusters. That way if we're attacked, we can work together to fight the enemy."
I nodded in understanding, thinking about the three shifters so far. I slowly looked to Yuriel, who was staring out the window. His eyes seemed far away, as though he wasn't here.
"Yuriel?" I asked. He blinked a few times before looking my way. "Hmm?"
"And you're an angel. A regular one?" I asked. Yuriel was silent, and the longer the quiet stretched, the more I wondered whether he was going to answer or not.
"Angel shifters have to be careful with what they say," Ryuu announced. The three of us looked his way, his eyes focused on the road as he continued.
"Angels of all kinds have special rules they have to follow. They can only reveal stuff to another angel shifter or if an individual finds out what type they are during combat. Angel wings go for millions of dollars. The church and other holy sanctuaries buy them to complete purification rituals. They're more endangered than dragons. Therefore, he doesn't need to answer," Ryuu concluded.
"Damn," Wolfgang mumbled. "I didn't know they got hunted for their wings.”
"Me neither," Dimitri noted. "Without their wings, they can't ascend upon their death, correct?"
"What do you mean they can't ascend?" I asked, looking between them before taking a glance at Yuriel, who was still silent with a blank expression.
"If an angel loses their wings during their shifter life on earth, they're unable to go back home. Essentially, they lose their privilege to go back to heaven and become fallen angels."
"Fallen angels," I repeated.
"Most angels have white wings, or if they have strong magic, their wings will reflect that. However, when an angel’s wings are either torn off or severely damaged, they slowly grow back, but instead of being white feathers, they're pure black. There is a possibility they can regain their white feathers, but it's some urban legend and super complicated. It also requires a female angel."
I was silent, falling deep in thought.
What if the angels are being hunted? If their wings are so valuable, wouldn't hunters do anything to obtain them?
Something soft brushed my check, and I looked over to see it was Yuriel's hand. His calm eyes were analyzing me. "What's wrong?"
"I was just thinking. Well...what if those angel shifters are hunted? Like it's not their fault that they lost their wings. If it was maybe in battle, that's a sacrificial risk that comes with fighting, but if an angel shifter is minding their own business, and gets attacked, that's not really fair. They shouldn't be punished for someone else's wrongdoing against them and their kind," I explained the best I could, trying not to get emotional about the matter.
I was always sensitive with topics like these. Violence was never the answer to anything, and it wasn't fair that angels had to suffer the consequence for something out of their control. “They shouldn't have to hide in fear of being hunted and not ascend because their wings were stolen from them."
"The government is aware of the situation, Blossom," Dimitri whispered, reaching out to hold my left hand.
"They're trying to ban hunting in general and have special law enforcement spread across the
world to enforce it. It's just one of the many positions we'll be able to maintain when we graduate S.S.S." Wolfgang explained.
"It's not fair to those who've already been targeted, but they're looking more into the legends and a better way to help those who lost their wings out of injustice," Ryuu concluded.
"I hope they do find an answer," I whispered. The others nodded, and Yuriel returned to looking out the window.
"How about you, Silver?" Wolfgang asked. "Ryuu and I don't know much about you."
"Right," I replied. "Well, I'm a witch. I don't know if shifters know about the Solange family, but I come from a powerful line of magic users. I want to get a chance at S.S.S. school," I summarized.
"That's all?" Ryuu asked. "I don't want to sound mean, but there has to be more to that."
"I've heard of the Solange family. You guys are no joke. Super powerful witches and wizards and highly respected. You guys have close relations to the Fireside family," Wolfgang revealed.
"We do," I replied. "As to my deep reason...it's probably stupid, but my dad always wanted me to attend S.S.S. He knew about the rules and all, but he always said I had some potential and could help many shifters if I attended."
"I think your dad would second guess that if he knew you were in a team of four guys."
"I'm twenty-two. If I want to surround myself with four guys, I certainly can without anyone's permission," I announced with an eye roll. "Not like he can say anything anyway. He's dead."
A heavy silence descended in the car, and I lowered my eyes to the map.
The soft squeeze of my hand caught my attention, and I looked to Dimitri, whose eyes were filled with empathy.
"Sorry, Silver," he whispered. I gave him a smile, glancing at the others, who had turned their attention to me. "It's fine. It was a few years ago," I assured them, meeting Ryuu's eyes in the rear-view mirror. "I just want to achieve the dream he had for me. He wanted to prove that witches could also be a part of S.S.S. and help in this growing world. He never got a chance after raising us, but he always encouraged me to try things no one else dared to try. This could all be in vain, but at least I can say I tried."
I noticed a red blinking dot on the map, diverting my attention from the topic. We were super close.
"We're almost at the destination."
"We'll park and head there by foot," Ryuu suggested.
"It's better that way. The place won't reveal itself unless we're close," Yuriel mentioned.
After a few more minutes, Ryuu found a spot to park, and we made our way out. Following the directions, we got closer and closer to the red flashing dot, and Dimitri sniffed the air.
"Lava?" he questioned. "And a bit of cinder."
"The grass seems familiar," Wolfgang noted.
"We should be there in a minute," I noted, walking ahead with the others following.
I stopped when I felt a shift in the air, noticing a strong force two steps ahead. "A barrier?"
"This must be the place," Wolfgang replied.
"We just walk through the barrier and it will reveal the place where the ring is located," Yuriel instructed.
"Perfect. Let's go," Dimitri replied, reaching out to hold my hand.
He took the first step through the barrier before he tugged my hand in encouragement to walk forward.
I walked through, shivering at the weird sense of magic before gasping at the sight. "Holy shit."
The other three soon walked through the barrier and Wolfgang crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "I knew it."
We turned to him with questioning looks. "What?" Yuriel asked.
"Uh..." Wolfgang looked over to Ryuu, who groaned. "This is totally ironic. Why did I even travel?"
"What do you mean? What's the irony in this situation?" I asked.
The two of them exchanged looks and Ryuu gave us a displeased frown.
"We're stealing from my dad."
8
Dragon Mountain Den
"WHAT?!" The three of us exclaimed, looking between Ryuu and Wolfgang, who looked completely serious.
"You're joking," I suggested.
"Nope," Ryuu replied, pointing to the mountain just a few feet away from us. "That's my dad's house."
"You live inside a mountain," Dimitri stated.
"It's actually pretty cozy. The heat insulates itself inside. Perfect for winter. It's a pain in the summer, but there are air conditioners," Wolfgang noted.
"How would you know?" Yuriel asked.
"I live with Ryuu and his family. If they stay here, I usually hang around. If they go to their three other homes across the world, I try to tag along," Wolfgang replied.
"You don't fly, do you?" I asked.
"Nah. I ride on Ryuu's back. He's big enough for me to do laps while he's up in the air," Wolfgang revealed.
"That's pretty cool," I admitted, Dimitri nodding in agreement. "I want to try one day," Dimitri declared.
"It's not that amazing." Ryuu rolled his eyes. "Anyway. I didn't think Dad would have the ring we need. It should have dawned on me, though."
"Why would your dad have the ring?" Yuriel questioned.
"My dad's a well-known jewellery collector. Dragons love the finest jewellery, especially men. Women are more into silks and high-class clothing and bags. They also like jewellery but it isn't as serious as for men," Ryuu explained.
"That's an intriguing swap," I replied with interest. "That means he'd have the magic artifact."
"Most likely. The only reason I decided the quest would be a good one for me is because I could ask him about artifacts. However, if we're going to have to steal it from him, we can't ask him directly. To be honest, I don't believe he's home."
"He's not?" Dimitri asked.
"Doesn't feel that way. My parents go on vacation a lot. I'm sure the annoying guard is there, though. He's going to be a pain in the ass for us."
"Can't you say you came back home?" I suggested.
"I could, but knowing him he'd ask if I passed or not, or contact my parents. We wouldn't want that. He hates my guts," Ryuu replied.
"That's because you prank him all the time," Wolfgang reminded.
"He deserves it." Ryuu shrugged. "His heart is full of coal."
"Coal that he uses to fuel his growing rage toward us." Wolfgang chuckled, shaking his head. "We have to avoid the guard at all cost."
"All right. Guard is evil. What else do we need to know?" I didn't want us going in completely blind. Even if the place was familiar to two of our members, there could have been traps.
"The guard is the only major security," Ryuu replied.
"Just one guard," Yuriel stated with a hint of judgment. "Is he super tough or something?"
"He was my dad's second-hand man in their early years when they faced wars and stuff during the first outbreak of shifters. He's someone you don't want to mess with. We only got away with pranking him because my mom is super nice," Ryuu admitted.
"Definitely avoid the guard then," Dimitri noted. "Does that mean you won't tell your parents?"
"I'll tell them after we've obtained it and claimed our spots. It'll be easier to explain when I come back with the acceptance letter and score of our performance. My Dad won't send an army until twenty-four hours have passed. We should be good."
"An army," I whispered. "Jeez, serious stuff for a ring."
"It has to be a rare artifact. If it's in a dragon's possession, it's most likely extra special. They focus on collecting specific jewels and artifacts," Yuriel stated.
"If I can do anything to get the guard in trouble, total bonus points," Ryuu cheered.
"We haven't pranked him in a while. It'll be fun to see his red face," Wolfgang added with a grin.
"Let's do this then." I looked around to see the guys’ determined faces. "We'll get this ring and claim our spots at S.S.S. school!”
"We'll split up from here. I'll stick with Ryuu just in case I have to hide our presence. Yuriel and Wolfgang, you two can snoop around the
lower floor. Dimitri has the strongest sense of smell. He'll be able to find any of us if anything happens. Be careful," I instructed.
The four of them nodded, and we split up.
From the inside, you would have never expected the luxurious four-level home to be within a mountain. It wasn't super-hot, more like a comfortable warmth, kind of like drinking a cup of hot chocolate next to a burning fire in the winter.
The floors were laid with red carpet, and the walls were decorated with gold decor and artwork. There were many pictures, some individual photos, but the majority were family portraits.
As we snooped around, I couldn't help appeasing my curiosity, looking at the different pictures.
I could tell right away who Ryuu was, even in his younger years, but in the full dragon form pictures, I wasn't sure.
"Do you have two siblings?" I asked before realizing it was a rather personal question. "Actually, don't answer that. Sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?” Ryuu asked, coming to a stop at a specific portrait. It was him, a man who looked a lot older than him, and a little girl in a big dress. They were full of smiles.
"It's a personal question. We just met. I shouldn't be asking about your family so soon," I admitted.
"I take no offense," Ryuu replied. His eyes lingered on the picture before us. "At least you care."
The way he said those words made my heart ache, his tone giving me a vulnerable feeling centered on loneliness.
"Brother?"
We both turned to our left, my eyes landing on a little girl.
She had gold curly hair with orange highlights and wore turquoise blue pajamas with a red baby dragon pattern. She had fuzzy ducky slippers and was holding a ducky doll while her other hand rubbed her sleepy eyes.
She opened her heavy eyelids slightly, revealing a pair of mismatched eyes like Ryuu’s, but hers were a mixture of teal-gold in one eye while the other was pink-purple.
Glancing at Ryuu, I saw his expression soften as a small smile formed on his lips.
"Hey, little sis. Why are you walking around? Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" Ryuu's tone was soft and comforting as he walked over to the little girl.
SSS: Year One (Supernatural Spy School Book 1) Page 9