Skies of Fyir Box Set

by Gabriela Voelske

  Abel was out of the question, as she had no direct way of contacting him. The easiest time to slip out would be when Amnur left in the morning to track down more food, assuming she could get back before he did. If nothing else, the trip out would offer some relief for her mind. For the last month, all she had seen was the same four walls. Her father had placed her in his bed, to give her access to the warmth of the fire. Amnur had tried his best to keep her entertained, but she was starting to become stir crazy.

  The first thing she had to do was attempt to walk. With a deep breath, she braced her hands on the bed and dragged her feet over the edge. She wiggled her feet, staring at her toes. That act alone caused her no pain, so she decided to go for the next step. One foot reached the ground and flinched, feeling the cold tinge of the floor against the exposed skin. Once the sting had worn off, she placed the other foot down.

  “One, two… three!”

  Sakura lurched onto her feet, noting the weakness in her legs. Her left hand grabbed the nightstand, countering the effect of her distorted balance. As the seconds passed, the uneasy sensation in her legs began to subside. A chair on the other side of the room was her target, a short distance away. She eased one foot in front of the other, enjoying the thrill of being able to walk again. Once she calmed her nerves, the action of walking became natural to her. The motion didn’t hurt her half as much as she expected. If anything, the pain was annoying.

  Her hands settled on the back of the chair, and her mind changed target, locking onto the fire. The demon lifted the chair with care, waddling forward towards the fireplace. A slight scrape accompanied the chair as it was put down, with Sakura shooting a glance towards the door to ensure Amnur didn’t come rushing through in response. With no sign of her father, she sat down on the chair and began stretching her legs. Taunt muscles greeted her as she flexed, but her wound only nagged occasionally. It felt good to move again after coming so close to death.

  The door creaked open, and Amnur stepped into the room, freezing when he saw his daughter sat by the fire. “Sakura?”

  “I’m fine, don’t worry,” she replied, swinging her legs under the chair. Amnur stared at her for a moment, examining her expression. Seeing that her face showed no pain, he relaxed. He fetched the other chair and settled down next to her, propping up her new set of bandages on his knee. She offered no resistance while her father sorted out her injury, giving it a gentle clean and covering it up once again.

  “If you want to walk around, I won’t stop you, just take it easy. You’re blind in one eye now.” Amnur paused, letting out a sigh. “Could you at least stay within sight of the house? For my sake.”

  “I’m surprised you’re letting me out at all, so that’s fine by me.”

  “I know more than anyone that keeping you cooped up drives you crazy. Any pain and you come back, though. No judgement from me.”

  It’s far more than she expected, and it worked in her favour. She could step out without having to sneak around, to the benefit of them both. Now, she just had to convince him to let her help.

  Chapter 2: The State of the Swamp

  Sakura woke up and examined the room, noticing the smouldering fire. Amnur had been gone for at least an hour, leaving the fire turning over on a few sticks. Due to him filtering out his aether on a regular basis, determining the exact fuel reserve of the fireplace could be difficult. For it to be so low, he wasn’t present within the house. As she eased down from the bed, she grabbed a couple of sticks and stoked the fire. The wood, too, was starting to run low. Wood was one thing the swamps wasn’t short of, at least.

  A fresh rush of warmth filled the air as the flames rose, edging out the residual chill. Her father added a notable level of heat to the house, something that was currently missing. The demon settled down next to the fire for a few minutes, before heading off to her room to find some suitable clothing. She selected her winter garments and changed into them, taking care not to aggravate her wound. Tighter fitting clothes felt pleasant on her skin. Her baggy clothes were a thing of summer only.

  After a bit of searching, she found where Amnur had stored her blades and slotted them in on her belt. Her final course of action was to use the cloth scrap to cover her missing eye, protecting it from the elements. She took a deep breath and walked to the front door, pressing her hand against the wooden frame.

  Outside was worse than she ever could have imagined. The land around the house represented a lake, with the house itself only being spared by the stilts it was built upon. Trekking around in these conditions would be hazardous for the healthy, without the injured and half blind. She gingerly approached the staircase, unsure if the prolonged damp had caused the wooden deck to become slippery. To her relief, there was still a respectable level of grip.

  One foot reached the grass below and squelched, creating a dome of water around her foot that spread out over the ground. Further steps produced the same result, leaving behind a trail of sunken impressions. After a couple more, Sakura had to admit defeat. The only thing she was managing to do was make her feet damp. Standing back on the deck, she groaned. Without the seasonal implications for the fish, all the extra water would make them difficult to catch. Amnur wasn't the best hunter, either. She couldn't offer her help here, the wound would make her a liability.

  Her mind wandered to other food sources, and her wings twitched in response. The swamps weren't going to yield her any food, but there were other settlements on the Central Isles. Walking out of the swamps would be difficult. She, however, had wings. Shadekeep would be the logical option, possessing enough food to feed its populace with enough spare for her to take some for herself. Getting there without rousing her father's suspicion would be the hard part; she was sneaky enough to slip in and out without being seen. Even if she was seen, many demons passed in and out of Shadekeep. As long as she wasn't recognised, it would be fine.

  Sakura spent a while stretching her wings in and out, feeling the tension in her back. As she exercised, Amnur had made his way back to the house, creating a rhythm of squelching as he went. She greeted him from the doorway, noticing his disappointed expression.

  "No luck?" she queried.

  "Nope, sorry." Amnur sighed, raising his empty hands. "I think I spooked the fish off after yesterday."

  "It's fine. I actually feel pretty strong at the moment. I can see it's bad out here."

  "We're going to need a dry winter, that's for sure," he said, making his way up the stairs. Sakura gave him a playful nudge, and he chuckled, seeing her efforts to cheer him up. "I imagine Crono's feeling it right now, he needs twice the food we do."

  "If the Commons weren't scarred I would've suggested taking Abel for a fishing trip, but who knows what monsters are out there now."

  "Chaos magic sure causes a lot of chaos, that's for sure," Amnur remarked. He put his hand on Sakura's shoulder, giving it a soft shake. "C’mon, it's cold out. Let's go settle by the fire."

  The day passed at a glacial pace without any food to cook, punctuated only by brief periods of conversation. Amnur sat huddled near the flames, flaring up it when he needed a blast of warmth. To try and ease the chill, Sakura had fetched him his own winter clothes for him to put on. As he changed out of his damp, swamp scented clothes, she got a good look at him. His skin hugged his bones, and it was dull. A notable contrast to the usual sheen his skin held. He had been starving himself on more than the odd occasion. That much was obvious. It was no wonder he was so cold, there was nothing there to sustain him. Sakura had to help him, or he wouldn't see out the winter.

  Watching him shudder pained her, so she suggested that he rested up in bed. She took his hand and led him to the bed, waiting until he had laid down to yank off his boots. The incessant damp had penetrated his body and refused to free him, regardless of her efforts to do so. Over time, the shivering decreased as Amnur clutched the blankets. Sakura stayed by his side as he drifted off, touching his skin to check his temperature.

  Once he was asleep,
Sakura grabbed a scrap of parchment and wrote her father a note. She detailed her plan and told him not to worry, he needed to preserve his strength. All she needed to do now was leave it somewhere he'd see, so she placed it on the nightstand with one corner weighted down with a book. With that done, Sakura made her way out of the house, pausing only to ensure the fire was safe.

  The light outside was still generous, enough to allow her passage to the East and back again. She stretched her wings wide in the chilly air, evaluating the direction and strength of the wind. A few powerful beats of her wings and she was airborne, wobbling back and forth. Her muscles were still stiff, but it was enough.

  Chapter 3: Opportunities and Answers

  Less than an hour later and Shadekeep was in sight. The imposing obsidian structure impressed Sakura as she approached, although she could see it posed a problem. A single entranceway was the only route in and out for the population, making it hard to sneak in. She landed in the forest and paced around, searching for an alternative entrance. Her eye fell on a window, hanging half open on the top floor. With a deep breath, she calmed herself and began to walk towards the keep.

  Due to her calm appearance, no one in the area regarded her for more than a second. Once she had made it to the wall, she swung her head side to side to check if she was alone. Happy that she was, Sakura jumped up into the air and flapped up to the window. Her legs braced as she perched on the windowsill, keeping her balance in case she needed to depart. Inside she couldn't see anyone; the window must've been left open to allow airflow within the building. It worked to her advantage, though.

  Sakura used the brief moment alone to pull her hair down over the bandages, hiding the faint beige bandages under her black hair. Her horns were harder to conceal, but she tried her best with a few wisps of hair.

  Due to her father's time in the keep, she knew a rough layout. Her target was the canteen downstairs, and by relation, the food stores. She kept her head down as she descended the two sets of stairs to the bottom floor, ignoring any demon she passed. Shadekeep came over as quiet to her, Sebastian must have let the soldiers have some time off. A subtle meaty whiff grabbed her attention, alerting her to the presence of food. The canteen door was open, allowing her to slip in without anyone questioning her. In the distance were a group of demons enjoying a spot of chatter, thoroughly distracted with one another. Sakura could see two of them wearing aprons, suggesting that the kitchens were empty while the food cooked.

  On her left was a door, the entrance to the kitchen she assumed. She crouched down and tried the handle, a grin spreading across her face as it swung open without making a sound. One final check showed that no one had noted her presence, so she slunk in. A secondary door gave her the prize she wished, a giant store of food. Sakura opened her bag and pulled out several sheets of leather, emptying select handfuls onto them and wrapping them up. With her bag full, she started feeding herself. Hunger sated, Sakura fled into the corridor and steadied her pace.

  As she neared the entrance hall, she spotted Sebastian. He was stood facing the windows on the far wall, chatting to the chamber guards. Sakura went to leave while he was distracted, but she noticed that the doors to the ruling chamber had been left open. There were no other demons in the hall to see her, and the opportunity to get answers about something was right there. She had to take it. With their backs still turned, the demon mustered her courage and slipped into the room.

  Her first course of action was to take to the air, to hide within the massive wooden beams. No one came after her, indicating her actions were quiet. After a few minutes, Sebastian appeared, having bid farewell to the guards. She watched him take a few steps forward before stopping, turning towards her hiding place. He stared at the banners hanging from the ceiling, noticing them rocking back and forth. Sakura kept still, taking gentle breaths in and out. The gaze remained for an uncomfortable period of time until Sebastian decided that there was nothing there.

  "Wind must've whipped up," the King murmured, strolling forward and settling down on the throne. Sakura remained in her position, examining Sebastian from her vantage point. He appeared distracted and uncomfortable, shuffling around on the stone seat with his eyes darting to the windows. Amnur had not mentioned what happened during the chaos magic battles, all he had told her was that she had saved someone that wouldn't appreciate her actions. She took that to mean Sebastian, given the history.

  As she watched on, the chamber door opened once again. Her gaze turned towards the newcomer, curious to see who was visiting the King.

  "Ready for your checkup?" Dumon queried.

  "Wouldn't say no to some pain relief, so let's get to it," Sebastian replied, standing up with a hint of effort. He came alongside the healer and gestured for him to lead.

  "Still having some trouble with it?"

  "I'm just not used to it, or I think that's all."

  Sakura listened on with interest; Sebastian had sustained some injury, enough to make him still require assistance weeks on. His absence gave her some options, ones she intended to take advantage of. Behind the throne were two doors. One lead to his bedroom, but she was unsure which. Once the chamber doors had shut behind her, she glided down and tried the furthest door. It opened without any resistance, allowing her to peer inside. The first thing she saw was a bed, informing her that she had picked correctly.

  This was Sebastian's bedroom and previously, his father's. It was Nathaniel's belongings that interested her, specifically those which had been looted from her grandparents. Sakura was also curious whether the tyrant King possessed any form of diary, a sounding board for his madness. The demon rustled through Sebastian's possessions, pulling open drawers and examining all the contents. She dug through every corner of the room but failed to find anything. There was nothing that Nathaniel owned here, and none of Sebastian's items grabbed her interest. A scowl spread across her lips. If it wasn't here, then it was lost.

  Defeated, she went to leave when she heard voices on the other side of the door. The door handle rattled and sent her into a panic. She dived under the bed, hiding the lighter coloured bag under her wing. Footsteps filed in as the door swung open, freezing when they saw the room.

  "This isn't how I left my room," Sebastian remarked. He locked the door behind him, trapping Sakura inside.

  "Ciel searching for something perhaps?" Dumon said.

  "To leave it in this mess? No."

  Sakura could see the two sets of feet making their way around the room, examining her handiwork. Due to the size difference, it was obvious which of the two Sebastian was. He was staring at the set of drawers, fiddling with the doors.

  "I can't see anything missing, though. Not that I keep anything of interest in here."

  "If it's not Ciel, I wonder how they got in here. None of the windows were smashed, and the guards reported nothing."

  The smaller set of feet kept making their way around the room, pinning her between them and Sebastian. She knew that there weren't many hiding places here. It wouldn't take much to spot her if they looked.

  "There was something off in the ruling chamber, but I just assumed it to be wind," Sebastian remarked, "I was chatting to the guards earlier, so it's not impossible someone slipped in."

  "Someone with wings? Although I would've thought an angel would be easy to spot, which leaves a demon. Not sure why a demon would... hm."

  The sudden drop in dialogue made Sakura wary. Dumon had thought of something, but what she was unsure. She took a deep breath and kept still, hoping her dark skin would blend into the darkness under the bed. Footsteps echoed near her head, coming to an abrupt stop. After a brief period of silence, a hand started touching her face, tugging on the bandages. She had been found, but she remained stationary in vain hope.

  "What you doing down there, kiddo?" Dumon said, his voice ringing in her ears. "We're not going to hurt you, don't worry." Sakura could tell by the voice and gentle handling that it was Dumon talking to her, his hand giving her head a rea
ssuring stroke. It wasn't him she was wary of though, it was Sebastian. "He's not going to do anything to you, I won't let him."

  "What would I be doing, exactly?" Sebastian replied, but Dumon ignored it.

  She wanted to block it out and pretend that this never happened, but Sakura knew that was impossible. Dumon backed out of the way to allow her to drag herself free of the bed, coming into full view of the King.

  "Oh."

  "Hi," Sakura said, with a dose of over-enthusiasm. Sebastian glared at her, folding his arms in a sign of contempt.

  "...Hi."

  Dumon raised an eyebrow at the negative response, opting to show a positive one instead. Sakura soon found herself trapped by a tight hug from a demon that for the first time, was the same size as her. No more awkward crouching hugs.

  "I, for one, are glad to see you survived. That wound was terrible."

  "Now you just sound like I want her dead," Sebastian grumbled under his breath, letting out a sigh. "What are you doing here? Should you be moving with that wound?"

  "Fetching food," she replied, showing off the bag once Dumon had let go of her.

  "This isn't a kitchen."

  "I know that. I saw the opportunity to sneak in so I thought I'd do a quick search-"

  "For what, exactly?" the King interrupted.

  "Nathaniel's belongings."

  Sakura watched as Sebastian's expression softened, contemplating her words. He tapped his fingers on one arm, before lowering both arms down. Without a word, he unlocked the door and gestured for her to follow. Dumon grasped her hand and guided her out, giving Sebastian a silent warning. The silence remained as they were led forward. Sakura was unsure where she was being taken to; Shadekeep did have storage rooms, but she didn't know their exact location.