Skies of Fyir Box Set

by Gabriela Voelske

  “He’s fine, he’s genuinely trying,” Sakura replied to his concern, but Amnur pulled a face.

  “I don’t know,” he said, letting out a sigh.

  “Is peace not better than the alternative?” Abel stated.

  “Yeah, it’s just… I’ve been stung before. The last thing I need is for that to happen again.”

  “Give it time, you don’t have to trust him yet,” Sakura stated, slipping him a smile to calm his nerves. Seeing his unease, though, she decided that hanging around would be best for today. She settled down and removed Nathaniel’s journal from its resting place. While she felt like flicking through until she found what she wanted, the beginning also interested her. What were Nathaniel’s thoughts when he first started writing? Were they always deluded, or did that change?

  The questions swam in her mind as she tilted open the cover, sliding the cover page under her fingers. Time crept by as she read each page, noting the words with curiosity. At times, Solomon came over and presented her with food, water, and medication. Buried within the deluded paranoia, she found what she wanted: the details of how he killed her grandparents. It was how she suspected, he poisoned them. She had queried a human noble over the subject of subtle murder before, after rescuing them from an otherwise watery grave.

  Due to their rigid social structure, the act of Nathaniel gifting them wine was not considered unusual. He had poisoned the wine and served it to all of them, and then snuck a secondary bottle that contained the antidote. Despite all his boasting about his power, he beat them with cowardice. The worst part about it all is how he detailed what he did afterwards. She skimmed it, getting the gist while avoiding the gory facts.

  Her eye shifted to her father, and she contemplated something. When he was distracted, she grabbed the box and removed the jewellery. Using the corner of her top, she polished it up the best she could. Once they reached a reasonable level of shine, she wrapped them up in her hand and stashed it behind her back.

  “Hey Dad, can I have a word?”

  Amnur paused, before gesturing for her to continue. She relayed her findings, minus the gory details. His face turned grim, but Sakura knew his anger wasn’t directed at her. The cowardice burned him to his core, stinging his heart. With his pain apparent, Sakura decided to reveal her secret. The hidden hand came out into full view, showing Amnur the jewellery. He gasped, lifting the pieces out of her palm.

  “They exist, they still exist,” he babbled, rolling the rings around his hand. His eyes watered as he felt the metallic pieces, the horrific memories flooding back in. Amnur debated offering one of the necklaces to her, but he knew that it would be ill-fitting. It represented everything she wasn’t and it would be unfair to impose that on her. He was proud of what she was, and what she had become.

  “Dumon, can you store these for me?” he queried. Amnur knew he wasn’t worthy of any of the pieces, not yet. The healer turned his head and saw what he was being offered.

  “Sure thing.”

  Sakura watched as Dumon took the articles, wrapping them up in a soft cloth and stashing them away safely. As he finished his task, the door to the healing chamber creaked once more. She saw Sebastian and prepared herself with questions to ask him, wishing to follow up on Nathaniel’s journal. Before she could approach, however, a demon followed him in. It was a woman, clad in a mixture of steel and leather.

  “This is Shae,” Sebastian said, introducing her to them. Amnur stood up and Shae’s mouth dropped. They ran towards each other and shared a passionate embrace, eager to reunite after twenty-five years. The King found himself smiling at the scene, but then his attention was torn away. Sakura paced towards him, clutching the book tight. Her face was taut, and her breath was shallow. He lured her out of the room, and then led her to the ruling chamber for privacy.

  She settled down on his lap, taking a deep breath. A groan emitted from her mouth as she calmed down. “Sorry about that, my mind decided to panic.”

  “Why? What happened?”

  Sakura tapped her fingers on the book, debating whether she trusted him enough to tell. Something about Sebastian was comforting, and genuine. There was no hidden intention with him, he displayed everything.

  “My mother used to abuse me: emotionally, physically, and her final act was to try and kill me through poisoning,” she said, a quake present in her voice. The next thing she felt was Sebastian stroking her head, soothing her.

  “Shae won’t hurt you, she’d never do anything like that,” he replied after a period of silence.

  “Yeah, the situation just overwhelmed me. Amnur always used to talk about her, and I was fine with the concept of her. When she appeared, my mind just froze. I guess I never worked with the reality that I would meet her.”

  Sakura rested against his chest for a while longer, mustering her nerves. The book turned over in her hands, and she took a deep breath.

  “Do you mind if I ask what your relationship was like with your father?” she queried. Such a question took Sebastian by surprise, but it was a pleasant surprise.

  “When he took the throne, our relationship was decent. After that though, it went downhill. We always argued, rather aggressively at times. I suppose knowing what I do about him, it’s not surprising that it was him that caused Rin’s demise.”

  “What about when you were younger?”

  “That’s not I question I get often, if ever. He was always arrogant, but arrogance alone doesn’t make you evil. Nathaniel was actually courageous and charismatic, someone who would’ve made a good King. I honestly don’t know why that changed,” Sebastian said, letting out a sigh. Sakura could hear his tone was pained but also thankful that she asked. People didn’t care for Nathaniel’s past, they only cared about his actions. Regardless of his history, he was still Sebastian’s father.

  “Did you ever read his journal?”

  “No, I confined it to that box I gave you. Part of me always wanted to, but I feared what I’d read.” Sebastian paused for a moment, taking a breath. “Well, to be truthful, I read one bit. I tried to see if he wrote anything about Rin, but he didn’t. That’s actually the reason I suspected your father. He died shortly afterwards though, so I suspect that he just never got time to write about it.”

  Sakura remained silent. The book had nothing good to say about him, nothing that he would wish to hear. He squirmed a tad in response to the silence, knowing what it meant.

  A clack broke the silence, causing the King to tilt his head to the side.

  “Sakura? What are you doing here?” Ciel said, sliding out from behind his door, “and Dad?”

  “Ciel?” Sebastian replied, amazed by his son’s presence. In the last few weeks, he had become a recluse, for no reason he wished to share.

  Before Sakura could mount a reply, she was on the receiving end of a hug, and a passionate kiss. Her skin crawled, unsure what about her elicited such a response from him. “I’m sorry Ciel, but I remember nothing of what happened.”

  The King’s son recoiled, his expression one of anger. He stormed out of the ruling chamber, leaving Sakura confused, and perturbed. Sebastian too was speechless at the scene.

  “Did he show any affection towards you before?” Sebastian asked after a while of silence.

  “To what I do know; he was friendly, perhaps smitten thinking back on it.”

  “There’s someone we can ask, he was there the whole time. Drake would probably like to know that you’re safe, too.”

  Sakura nodded and dropped off his lap, allowing him to stand up. The King stood up with a stretch, freeing up his joints after the restriction of the throne. He offered her a hand; she was blind in one eye and the halls were a dark place, it seemed the kind thing to do. She took up the offer, and off they went.

  As they strolled down the hollow hallways, Sebastian made small talk with her. All the conversation regarding Nathaniel had brought back memories, ones he felt comfortable about sharing. He told her how she reminded him of Rin; her courage, braver
y and stubbornness. Without knowing Rin, the comparison meant little to Sakura. However, she could see his happiness as he dwelled on it, so she prompted him to continue. Rin was his life, his joy. Losing her was crushing, more so without a body or any confirmation of death.

  At one point, Sakura staggered due to the proximity of a demon walking the opposite way. Her hand slipped out of Sebastian’s, resulting in her claws scratching his skin. He paused to examine the cut, with her assembling all the apologies she could think of.

  “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Those things are sharp, huh? I could get you some gloves made for them.”

  Hearing his calm words worked wonders, and soon they resumed their walk towards Kaiser and Drake’s chambers. The conversation rose once again, this time Sebastian’s interest being those peculiar claws. He knew that demons could have sharp fingers, he did himself. Full claws, however, were rarer, and usually the trait of old bloods. Sakura had said nothing about her mother, though.

  Sebastian stopped before a set of giant doors and knocked. Sounds echoed behind the door before it dragged open, revealing Kaiser. “Is Drake there?”

  “Come on in,” Kaiser replied. The King gestured for Sakura to go first, so she did. Their shared room was huge, yet featureless. There were few beds carved from stone and covered in blankets, but other than that, nothing. Laid on one of the beds was Drake, although he wasn’t asleep. She greeted Kaiser and then went over to his son, who was surprised to see her.

  “It’s good to see you up and walking, Sakura, I heard what happened. How can I help?”

  Sakura reiterated her lack of memory and enquired if Ciel had feelings for her. Drake thought on it for a moment, drumming on the bed with his hand. “He did, his feelings for you were strong, but I couldn’t say how reciprocated those feelings were. Romantically, at least.”

  “We’re asking because he just freaked out when he found out she remembered nothing, but even with what you said, I can’t understand his reaction,” Sebastian stated. Drake frowned at the news, but they both noticed that he didn’t appear surprised.

  “Leave it with me, he may be willing to talk to me.”

  Sakura gazed at Sebastian, giving the first option of consent. Ciel was his son, after all. He noted her action and agreed. She then thanked Drake and wished him luck. The two behemoths bid them farewell, waving them off as they left the room. Sebastian decided that it had been long enough since he had extracted her from the healing chamber, so she should return, before Amnur panicked.

  Once outside, Sakura found herself being stopped by the King. He patted her on the shoulder and looked into her eye.

  “You sure you’re going to be alright? Shae might still be there.”

  “Yeah, I’m fine, but thanks.”

  Sakura pushed open the door and peered inside, checking who was still in the room. Shae had left, leaving her father rather upbeat. Their reunion had been her a pleasant encounter, then. Sebastian stuck his head in, and on seeing the same thing, bid her farewell. As she turned away from the King, Amnur leapt at her, smothering her in a hug.

  “You’re upset, what happened?”

  Her father knew how to pick up on the subtle hints of her unease, ones that she had learnt to keep hidden from others.

  “If Sebastian’s hurt you, I’m going to-“

  “It’s not him, don’t worry. It’s just bad memories, that’s all.”

  The grip on her changed from tight and protective, to soft and comforting. He knew what she meant. She decided to keep the cause of that quiet, as the relationship between him and Shae was something she’d like to foster. After all, she knew it was a silly reaction and that it could be overcome.

  “Sebastian comforted me on it, actually,” Sakura added. Amnur’s expression remained neutral over the fact, and his body language didn’t sour. It was a welcome surprise to see her father accept it.

  “Why don’t you get some rest? Those memories tend to take a toll on you.”

  Sakura nodded, settling down on a bed once Amnur had decided the embrace had gone on long enough. As the night progressed, she couldn’t shake Ciel’s response to her. Part of her wanted to question her father about it, but given he was unconscious for a period of time, his information may be lacking. There was the fact that he had opted not to tell her what he did know, so either it was bad, or he didn’t want her to feel indebted to Ciel. For now, all she could do was wait and see if Drake had any luck with him.

  Chapter 9: A Lingering Thought

  Morning broke, and the thought still nagged at her mind. The other occupants of the healing chamber were still sleeping so she slipped out before anyone woke. Shadekeep’s halls were quiet, allowing the dim wisps of sunlight to pour in uninterrupted. Sakura could tell that she had woken early, dawn could not have been long ago. Her mind had one goal, and that was to speak to Ciel.

  This morning, the ruling chamber only had one guard on duty. With the threat from the angels reduced and the strange monsters wrangled, the only worry was the North. He spotted her and waved, wishing her a good morning.

  “Morning,” she replied, “have you seen Ciel?”

  “He’s not left in the few hours I’ve been on shift, and I was told he was in his room when I started.”

  “May I go in to speak with him?”

  The guard agreed and went to open the door when it began opening itself. Out popped Ciel, who froze halfway through when he saw Sakura. Before he could decide to dart back in, she greeted him and apologised for yesterday. She reiterated her lack of memory, stating that the last thing that she remembered is rescuing her father. Then she mentioned her meeting with Drake yesterday, who confirmed that he had feelings for her. Once again she apologised, but Ciel’s expression remained cold.

  “That’s an awfully convenient excuse you’ve got there,” Ciel grumbled, letting out a low growl. The guard stepped in between them and pushed him back, not keen on the violence of his reply. Sakura stared as Ciel stormed off, heading back to his room. Her mind was unsettled by the response, but she couldn’t drop it. Persistence worked with his father, it could work with him. She chased after him, hearing the guard shout in the background.

  He stepped into his room, with Sakura reaching the door just as it shut. Sakura pulled the door open and ran past him before he could block her entry. A quiet noise came from behind her, but she was unsure of its origin. The perseverance appeared to pay off for her, as she noted Ciel’s calmer expression. She began talking him down, this time giving him a detailed count of all of the events. As she talked, his posture relaxed and he approached her, his arms down by his side.

  Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, an act which proved to be a mistake. He lunged forward and grabbed her wrists, taking turns to tie each one to the headboard of his bed utilising the bandages off her head. Desperate, she tried to cry out, but Ciel shoved a gag in her mouth before much noise could be emitted. Her legs flailed at him, but that too was muted by Ciel’s massive size. The vile reality set in. She wiggled the best she could to try and prevent it, to deny what was about to happen.

  A voice screamed in her head, and then Ciel’s weight was gone. His body thumped as it collided on the floor, followed by a vicious shout. Footsteps echoed through the chamber as he charged back. Sakura was tugging at her bindings, trying to rip them off the headboard. Her eye went wide as she saw the glint of a blade in his hand. The cold metal slid into her neck but came to a stop. Ciel froze as he heard the door being forced in, and then the blade was removed from her skin.

  She watched in horror as Ciel spun the blade around, and without hesitation, impaled himself in the chest. A gasp from the far side of the room resonated her sentiment. It had come from Sebastian, who was stood in the doorway. Sakura saw him struggling to take stock of the situation; Ciel needed help, but so did she. Using her legs, she gestured for him to get his son help first. He picked up on the intent and rushed Ciel out of the room.

  The guard from earlier entered the room, rushing to her
side. He cut her out of her bonds and took the gag from her mouth. She felt his hand examine her neck as she laid against the bed, taking a few shallow breaths.

  “It’ll need seeing to, but it doesn’t look too bad. It’s not bleeding much, anyway,” he stated, forcing a calm tone for her benefit. “Soldiers may not be healers, but we’re taught a basic knowledge of first-aid.”

  After a couple of minutes, she sat up and felt the wound herself. His analysis was correct, which gave her some options. Ciel would be in the healing chamber, so it not somewhere she wished to be right now. Her bandages could be left for now, too. As she thought on it, she felt the guard place a hand on her shoulder.

  “Why don’t we go somewhere to calm down?”

  “Won’t Sebastian tell you off for leaving your post?”

  “Nah, not after what happened. There are enough guards around that I can shout one over to take my place.”

  Sakura smiled and followed the guard out. He stopped to shout another guard as he said, before continuing on. The guard led her down a corridor that she didn’t recognise and opened the door at the end. Inside was a variety of plants, bathing in the light of an aether lamp of a specific design. Water trickled down from a hidden source, filling the air with a pleasant sound.

  Her companion bent down and brushed away the accumulated plant matter, gesturing for her to sit.

  “Sorry for the overgrowth, the botanical garden hasn’t had a caretaker in a while,” he said as she sat down. She told him not to worry about it, the wildness was nice, if anything. The guard tried passing the time with small talk, although he found his interests varied from hers. After a while of testing all the topics he could think of, he brought up weaponry. He remembered her blades, their wear indicating that they saw some use.