Skies of Fyir Box Set

by Gabriela Voelske

  Lilith laughed, a grin spreading across her lips. A flick of the wrist instructed her companions to do as they please, while her attention focused on Sakura. With the knowledge of her magical abilities, the King decided to push the offence. He tensed his hands and leapt in front of the girl, his intent set on Lilith's heart. A tut escaped her lips.

  In a split second, Sebastian had been launched through the throne room doors. He clattered to the floor, letting out a cry as his wings smashed against the stone. Sakura managed to shake her fear and charged towards the King's downed body, only to meet a wall of pulsating black spines. She tried to leap over them, but they slapped her down to the floor.

  "Oh so sad," Lilith teased, strolling past.

  "Leave him, he's done nothing to you. Take me if you will, but leave Sebastian alone."

  Her mother stopped, her head turning towards her, then to Sebastian, and then back again.

  "But where's the fun in that?"

  The spines merged, forming one vicious, deadly spine. Lilith's fingers wiggled as the spine rolled around, taunting Sakura to try something. She knew it was a trap, but she had to help. Her feet threw her forward, landing her at Sebastian's side in time to see the thorn zip past and burrow in near his heart. He gasped, his eyes opening wide in shock. A cold laugh filled the extensive room as Sakura comprehended what happened.

  "If you want to save Sebastian, you'll have to let me in," an unknown voice echoed in her mind. In its wake, her skin tingled and her blood felt hot. Given the urgency, however, she had no choice. The heat increased, followed by a flash of pink. A startled Lilith had to take a series of rapid footsteps backwards to avoid the oncoming magic, letting out an irritated growl. Sakura found her hands darting in front of her without any command, placing themselves above the bleeding hole on the King's chest. Pain surged through her hands, but also power.

  “I have no idea if you can hear this Sebastian, but if you can, just relax,” the voice whispered to the King once Sakura had contact with his skin. She was unsure what was happening with her body, or this voice, but she could see the wound disappearing. Sebastian blinked at her, feeling the rush of consciousness return to him. His eyes went wide, his arm pointing behind her.

  “Incoming!”

  A wave of darkness hurried over, flooding out of Lilith’s hands. It rose up, blotting out the light. Sakura’s mind instructed for a barrier, so one appeared around them. The area went black, highlighted only by the sparks that erupted from the barrier as it battled the incoming spell. She began to pant. Her body ached with all of the casting. All these years, she had never been a mage. For her to become one was unheard of, a fact which was starting to become apparent. The aether use was burning her body, exhausting her. Sebastian could see that, too.

  Cracks spread along the barrier, warning them that the spell was coming to an end. Sparks flew off at an increased speed, barraging the demons with a shower of pink highlights. With the hopeless situation in front of him, Sebastian took a deep breath. He fought through the pain, forcing himself to roll over. The King used his body to shield her, guarding her against the horrors above.

  An explosion erupted out, blinding everyone in the room. In its dying breath, the barrier had negated the flood of darkness. In the distance, Lilith huffed. Her reserves, however, were still primed. She threw another attack towards them, determined to not let her quarry slip away. Sakura could feel Sebastian pressed against her back, but she had nothing left to give. The voice in her head shouted in anger as they tried to rouse some aether, to stop the incoming spell.

  Instead of pain, they were greeted with heat. Flames scattered through the room, forcing Lilith to break her spell. Furious footsteps reverberated as they approached, their owner stopping above.

  “Lilith!” Amnur bellowed, his hands arched in contempt.

  “So, you’re here too? Saves me the trip,” she replied, a smug smile on her face. “Such a shame to see you reconcile with the King, though.”

  Amnur’s response came as a growl. The necklace that managed his aether jangled on the ground, in range for Sebastian to grab it. Their position in the room was tenuous, with no protection. He knew this, so he put the pressure on Lilith. Flames flew towards her, aimed towards her hands and chest. Conjured darkness rallied around in reply, battling with the flares. Swathes of flickering flames lit the ruling chamber, daring Lilith to make a move.

  She ran towards the top of the room, launching a barrage of needle-like projectiles. A wall of fire jumped up, burning out the dark aether. Behind the attack, a wave of darkness flooded in to extinguish the fire. The air hissed and wailed as the two elements battled it out. It was an arduous effort from both sides, but Amnur won. He tossed the remnants of the barrier outwards, nipping her wing.

  “Bastard,” Lilith spat, nursing her newfound injury. As she observed him, she began to grin once more. His veins had taken on an orange hue, glowing above his dark skin. “That’s going to kill you, you know.”

  “Not before you die.”

  The battle carried on for a while, with neither side landing a decisive blow. Amnur had begun bleeding in a few locations, while Lilith had a few more burns littering her body. He was aware that her words were true, this would kill him soon if he didn’t end it. His blood fizzled as it hit the floor, letting off a puff of foul-smelling steam. This needed to stop, and he had a plan in mind to do it. With a deep breath, he dug deep and seethed aether into his hands. A swift snap of his arms created two independent fireballs, one under the control of each hand. They snaked wide as he swung his arms, surrounding Lilith. The air sizzled. She stared at the display, throwing up a defence. Undeterred, the flaming serpents continued on, desperate for blood.

  Heat flooded the room as the flames collided with one another, scorching the area below. Lilith screamed as she leapt away, clutching her now heavily burnt side. She rustled through her clothing and grabbed hold of something, before disappearing from sight. A teleportation talisman. Amnur stood panting, glad that it was over, for now. Sebastian tapped Amnur’s foot, jerking back his hand when he felt the hot skin through his boot. In his hand sat the necklace, which Amnur took back and put it back in its place. The orange streaks on his skin began to dim, giving him some relief from the burning.

  “That’s not going to kill her, I only caught her right-hand side,” Amnur remarked, letting out a sigh. “Unless she decides to not get help, anyway.”

  “She’s something else,” Sebastian responded, “how’d you end up with that?”

  “Lilith is one thing to your face and another thing behind your back. Trouble all around. Is Sakura alright?”

  “Are you okay?” Sakura said, poking her head out from under the King. She found herself panting, however. “I know how that burns you.”

  Spotting his daughter made him smile. She was safe, she was alive. He had yet to push himself to the point of danger, but he would need to calm down before it did damage. Sebastian’s knowledge on magic was vague, so he didn’t know how to help on the issue; Solomon however, would know. The King suggested for them to retire to the healing chamber, aware of his own pain.

  “You’ll have to help each other there. If I touch anyone, I’ll burn them,” Amnur said. He watched with a pang of guilt as Sebastian struggled to stand, with Sakura using her strength to push him up from below. “I can get you some help.”

  “I’m good, just a nasty bruise. Probably.”

  Chapter 13: Unusual Magic

  When they arrived, the guards were already being seen to. They had managed to defeat Lilith’s consort with the aid of the others around the hall, although they had suffered some wounds as a result. While they were all good soldiers, the Northerners were ruthless. That level of aggression was hard to contend with. They cared little if they survived the encounter. Despite the pain, they were in good spirits. The mood was heightened when they saw Amnur; he had instructed them to get their wounds tended to, as he would deal with Lilith. To see him again with Sebastian and Sakura
in tow said that he was successful.

  Sakura found herself being lead into Dumon’s private room by Sebastian, leaving her alone with the King. In the corner of her eye, she could see the healer come to follow them in, but he was interrupted by her father who explained everything to him. Everything that he knew, anyway. Sebastian was curious about the magic and it was something she was intrigued by, too. She was wary, though, voices and unusual magic were an odd topic.

  He settled down on the bed, gesturing for her to join him. “What was that magic, and that voice? It sounded familiar.”

  “Take hold of him, I’ll explain everything,” it said. This time Sakura could pick up that it, or he, sounded nervous. As requested, she took hold of Sebastian’s hand. “Right then…”

  The voice first told them about the magic and its problems. That was chaos magic or at least a taste of it. He had trouble getting her body to do it, as the aether had been bound for some time. Sakura had always been a mage, but the aether had been sealed away by someone. The next thing the voice did was introduce himself: Maelor. Sebastian flinched at the news. Feeling that reaction, Maelor made haste to tell him the truth. While yes, it had been his body that caused all the problems, it was not his mind. Within the Nether Plane existed an abomination that sought only to reclaim its place in the Overworld, something that can only be done by a chaos user. He had managed to fend it off for years, only for it to launch an attack the second his guard was down. Maelor wished to hold the Magi Council to account over their crimes, and as such, had opened a rift. Bidding farewell had been a distraction, a fatal one. His final comment was to say how he ended up within Sakura’s mind; he could see that he had no influence over his body, so he inserted his soul into hers to protect her from the magic.

  “It was strange to kill myself, but it had to be done.”

  Sakura could feel the sweat rolling down her face, Maelor’s explanation had told them much, but it put her in a precarious position. He had told Sebastian two dangerous things, how was he going to react? His grip was still loose and soft, his demeanour calm. That could just be hiding his response, however. Taking a mage by surprise was for the best if you wanted them dead, after all.

  “I’m not going to hurt you, kid,” Sebastian said, “you used that to help me, both of you.”

  “You’re okay with this?” Maelor replied.

  “If recent events have taught me anything, it’s that spirits are difficult to remove, but not impossible. As such, if you want to survive you need to do right by her. I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt on past issues.”

  “I will, and thank you.”

  Sakura offered the King a smile, still trying to comprehend everything herself. He placed an arm around her shoulders, although she could see that the action caused him pain.

  “Just one question, if the Council could pick up on you, could they detect her?”

  “I would think that to be the case, yes.”

  The last thing Sakura wanted was more enemies. Lilith’s sudden reappearance had unsettled her enough, without someone else who hated her for existing. Sebastian snuck in a comment about telling Solomon, as he had the means to mute her energy signature. Telling someone else was a worry, but Maelor added that he'd rather the blood mage check over Sebastian's healed up wounds, anyway. Chaos magic was erratic and as such, he was unsure of its ability to last. She opted to consent to the suggestion, unable to see another way forward.

  The King excused himself for a moment, sticking his head outside of the room to call the mage over. Within moments, Solomon was inside the room. Sakura took a deep breath, ready to explain and defend herself. Only, she didn't have to. Sebastian took the lead on that, relaying to him that he's fine with the fact. It allowed her to watch Solomon's expression, her mind open. He face remained neutral, with a hint of surprise at what he was being told. Once Sebastian had finished talking, the room went silent as the mage contemplated a reply. The fact he wasn't angry or running out to tell others was a bonus, learning of a chaos mage can't have been drastic to him.

  "I can make her something to hide her signature, that's not a problem," Solomon said after some deliberation, "whether it'll work is another issue, but it's not going to hurt you to wear it."

  "You seem alright with this," Sakura stated, deciding to throw the line out there. Solomon smiled in reply and gestured to himself.

  "I know what it's like for people to be scared of you, to hate you. We're not our parents, nor are we our elements. One rogue incident says nothing, more so considering what I've just been told about Maelor."

  "I imagine it'll be a learning experience for you, Solomon," Sebastian said, his tone soft.

  "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about the whole thing," he replied with a chuckle. With the air cleared, Sakura allowed herself to relax. She watched as the mage examined Sebastian, checking the handiwork on around his heart. Considering he wasn't performing any complex spells as he went, the chaos magic must've worked. It was a relief and a useful thing to know. If anything, Solomon was more concerned by the King's back. He gave it a few measured pokes, pausing as Sebastian reacted with pain. Then, he started pulling on the base of the wings. That elicited a greater reaction, so Solomon stopped and changed back to magical examination.

  "Perhaps a fracture or two, but minor ones if so," Solomon remarked, running his hand up and down the bone, "keep it still if you don't want Dumon to bind your wings."

  "Easy enough done, hopefully," the King replied, letting out a sigh. "I doubt Lilith would be up for trying something again so soon."

  "My father's burns are often severe in nature."

  "Amnur told us about that. How are you?" Solomon said, turning his head towards Sakura while his hands continued their examination. She was unsure how to answer the question as her emotions were mixed. Fear nagged at her mind, but anger at Lilith's actions rose to combat it. Part of her also felt a misplaced sense of relief at being able to stop her from killing Sebastian, when she was the one to place him in danger to begin with. The earlier abuse was at an age she was powerless to stop it, this time she could do something.

  "Like that eh? I don't blame you," the mage replied to her silent conflict. "The dread, the anger, the relief. I get it with Raz'iel."

  "You don't refer him as your father?"

  "He might've played a part in creating me, but that's as far as it goes. If I called anyone Father, it'd be Dumon."

  "Distancing yourself doesn't change the facts. It does help, however," Sebastian added, garnering a nod from Solomon. It gave Sakura to think about, to consider. Lilith's abuse may have shaped her life, but it didn't have to shape her future. The silence returned to allow her to mull over her thoughts. She wanted to talk in depth with Solomon, to share their experiences. Assuming he was willing, of course. He was also curious about her magic, which would give her a partner to help her grow.

  "One more thing, though," Solomon said once he had finished with Sebastian, taking in a deep breath.

  "Yes?" Sakura replied with unease, noticing the shift in tone.

  "I know it's not ideal, but I would suggest informing Uriel about matters, even if you opt to keep Maelor hidden."

  "I wouldn't expect him to take the human's words as the exact truth, however, it is a good idea. It's more convincing that you're a safe, innocent individual if you take the initiative to tell him first," Sebastian remarked, scratching his chin, "the final decision is yours though, kid."

  Her only encounter with Uriel had been brief, as well as forced. The Angel Monarch had been amiable then, this was a whole different situation. Sebastian's trust, however, spoke volumes. He had a point too, getting Uriel onside on the matter would give her a defence against the Magi Council. Potential political unrest would be enough to force Thardosean to step in, reining in the Council's desires.

  "I'll do it."

  "Good. Uriel's better with words than I am and they're far more willing to listen to him, being an angel and all."


  "You scare them, don't you?" Sakura said.

  "Maybe," Sebastian replied with a laugh, "humans don't like things taller than them and for every foot extra they get worse."

  "Their opinion of Kaiser must be something, then."

  The King rose his arms up and mimicked screaming, twiddling his fingers. Sakura laughed, making him grin. To laugh after everything that happened felt good, it felt right. A slight metallic tang hit her nose as the impression continued, distracting her away for a brief moment. Solomon was fiddling with his skin, pulling something out from the surface. She stared with interest as he worked on his project, an object that was taking the shape of a necklace. It was forged out of his own blood and shaped with exquisite attention to detail, creating a piece both functional and beautiful. For him to have such control was impressive, but she could see why such a thing caused people to fear him. He had complete power over that blood, even if it was his own.

  "Oh, sorry. I thought you were distracted," Solomon said, noticing the attention. "To do the spell for the signal muffing I need a catalyst and-"

  "Don't apologise, I was enjoying watching your skill."

  Solomon opened his mouth to say something, only for nothing to emerge. He fidgeted with the necklace for a moment, before offering it up to her.

  "Why don't you put it on for her?" Sebastian queried, causing the blood mage to blush. With a deep breath, he steadied his nerves. Sakura kept still, feeling his unease as he fumbled with the stiff necklace. After a few attempts, he managed to slot it on around her neck. There was no obvious difference in her aether, but Solomon indicated that he'd be worried if there were.

  "I can still sense you, but I am what I am, so that's not a surprise," he said, "so long as those further away can't, then it's fine."

  Now that was sorted out, Sebastian suggested they turn their attention back to the other situation: Lilith and Amnur. Sakura agreed, her father was stressing himself in the other room knowing him. The fact he hadn't decided to follow Solomon in was peculiar, but to her, it showed renewed trust in the King. Either that or Dumon was fussing over his wounds. His faith in the healer was enough that if he told him to rest, he would rest. By the sound of Solomon's light-hearted threat to Sebastian about his wings, she gathered that obedience in regards to wounds was a rare thing. She too was guilty of that.