Skies of Fyir Box Set

by Gabriela Voelske

  The King stood up and opened the door for them, gesturing for Sakura to lead. She stepped out and spotted her father sat on a far bed, watching her step out. Right away, she could see the white bandages sticking out against his dark skin. His skin was at least dark, though. Not a single orange streak in sight. Amnur was eager to speak with her, even if he was tempering his desire to move.

  "Why is it you heated up Amnur? I've never known it to happen before," Sebastian remarked, also noting the lack of orange. He stared at the King, intrigued by his curiosity.

  "He has too much aether for his body, but to use it instead of mitigating it is a risk, one he reserves for those situations he's truly angry," Sakura responded.

  "Ah."

  Amnur sighed, his body changing to a hunched position. Sebastian’s simple reply told him that he knew something about the situation, about why he was furious. He was being given the opportunity to explain the circumstances before any accusations flew, while it was still calm. After a few twiddles of his fingers, the demon decided to bare all. It was information that most of them already knew, but the King praised him for telling him none the less. Such a thing was something Amnur would rather keep buried. A Northern partner was a worrying fact, one that was causing problems. The deed was done, however. Sakura’s birth couldn’t be undone.

  Sebastian cracked a smile, regardless. He had to excuse himself, for now, there were deeds to be done in the wake of Lilith’s actions. Solomon followed along, just in case there were any attackers still alive. Shadekeep had a lot of hiding spots, there could’ve been more than just the three that decided to attack. The King doubted it due to the nature of the attack, but it was better safe than sorry. His final action was to reassure the guards, instructing them to rest. They had done well, it was well deserved.

  With those remarks, Sakura’s mind changed direction. She questioned Abel’s location, as he could be another target of ire for her mother. Her father, however, was calm. He had taken Abel to the bathing chambers earlier, and given the fact he had yet to return, it was a fair guess to say he was still there. The bathing chambers were in the far part of the keep, so they were protected. To Sakura’s knowledge, Lilith didn’t know the truth about Abel which protected him. If she knew that he was a dragon, then he would end up with the same fate.

  “I heard from the guards how you stood up to her, that took some courage,” Amnur remarked, scooting over towards her. Dumon noted the move and gave him a gesture to take it careful.

  “I couldn’t let her hurt Sebastian, he’s an innocent in all of this,” she replied, allowing her father to hug her. His skin was no longer burning but instead a comfortable heat, surrounding her in a familiar warmth. Sakura pressed her injured side against his chest and gazed upwards, staring into the deep crimson of his eyes. He began stroking her head, soothing her.

  “Something bothering you, sweetheart?”

  She debated telling him about the magic, about Maelor but decided otherwise. Such information could be dangerous in the wrong hands, so the fewer people she told, the better. It would be best to wait for Abel to return before making any announcements. Every time she opted to tell someone, there was a chance that someone else would hear. For now, the only topic she wished to discuss was Lilith herself.

  “I just want to spend some time with you,” Sakura said, an action that caused Amnur to smile.

  “Sure thing.”

  Chapter 14: Discussing Matters

  Sebastian retired to the communication chamber once he was happy that there were no further attackers within the keep. Lilith’s target had been specific, any efforts to cause further damage had been neglected. He sat on the chair that was nestled next to the orb that linked to Eriden, preparing himself for the conversation ahead. Uriel could be amicable when the facts aligned with his plans, something Sebastian was aware of, and wary of. His fingers cracked as he stretched them, taking a deep breath.

  Magic warmed his hands as he placed them on the orb, waiting for a sound to echo within his head. The line remained quiet for some time before the faint sound of shuffling became audible.

  “Uriel?”

  “Indeed, my apologies for the delay. The messenger got caught up,” Uriel replied, letting out an audible sigh. “What can I do for you?”

  Sebastian brought up the North in a general fashion, questioning the angel over whether they had noticed any aggression. Uriel deliberated for a few moments, before responding that scouts reported an increase in activity. However, the scouts were forced to move away to prevent being discovered, so the exact activity was unknown. There was nothing different in the settlements visible from the coast, so he couldn’t elaborate on any theories. If Uriel had to guess, the North was interested in the recent events. The news from Shadekeep had yet to reach his ears, but the angel may have relaxed his spy network in recent years.

  Sebastian told him about the events of the day, referring to Lilith as a Northern attacker. Uriel’s quiet fidgeting stopped, being replaced with a sigh. Northern aggression was bad news, as was a brazen attack on the King. The one thing that did intrigue Uriel was the poor planning behind the attack, something which lead him to question the intentions and identity of the attacker. Sebastian paused for a moment, before letting slip that they were after Sakura.

  “Really? Sakura’s mother is a Northerner? That’s curious, but it doesn’t explain this,” Uriel stated. The King noticed that his voice was still calm and intrigued, rather than irritated. “Did you happen to get a name? Or, could you give me a description, perhaps?”

  Sebastian obliged and gave Uriel both, to what he remembered of Lilith in the brief, heated situation. Her personality was something that got remarked on, too. As he finished, he heard Uriel take a sharp intake of breath. The conversation remained silent for a while, with Uriel breaking the quiet with a grumble.

  “You told me that Abel was a dragon, yes? A dragon that’s close to Sakura.”

  “Yes, that’s correct,” the demon replied. Abel’s secret is something he might have let slip in a prior conversation, not that he wouldn’t have found out after what happened.

  “Well, this is awkward and unexpected.”

  “Go on.”

  Uriel sighed and Sebastian could hear him tapping on the orb.

  “The woman you described to me, Lilith, matches both the description and the name of the Queen of the North’s youngest daughter, Lilith. Sakura being good with dragons would relay this, also,” the angel said, his shuffling loud enough to be picked up on the other side.

  “Oh.”

  “Oh indeed. I don’t know if she knows Sakura’s abilities first-hand, but simply her existence is a threat to the North. The control over dragons is the ability the Northern heritage is explicitly known for, it’s the thing that’s given them their power.”

  Sebastian went silent as he processed the information. It made sense, but it was troubling. Dangerous, even. Amnur had no idea who the Northerner was who he had fallen in love with, as even he doubted that Amnur would’ve let himself be played. That brought up an interesting point, however. If Lilith was playing Amnur, why did she let herself fall pregnant? Such a thing was preventable when it came to demons. In all of his misconceptions about Amnur, he never saw him as a rapist. He spoke these musings to Uriel, but the angel wasn’t suspicious.

  “I did say she was the youngest daughter. Lilith is known for making rash decisions and responding with violence if the results aren’t to her liking. Simply put, I imagine that she did truly fall in love with Amnur, breaking her plan. It wasn’t until a few years after Sakura’s birth that she realised the mess she made.”

  “She hides her feelings in anger,” Sebastian stated, hearing Uriel mumble in agreement. “If Sakura’s such a threat, or mistake, however, why doesn’t the North send a better force to deal with her?”

  “I would say that Mother doesn’t know. Telling such an individual that you’ve just provided the North with the biggest weakness it has ever known can’
t be a fun conversation.”

  “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to be Lilith in that situation,” the King replied, giving his chin a scratch, “that’s something that the South would love to find out. Not that I’m promoting Sakura as a weapon, or anything.”

  “I know,” Uriel said, with a small chuckle. “I don’t know why Lilith’s taken so long to attempt to finish it off, but I would say that Mother didn’t appreciate her daughter’s prolonged and erratic disappearance.”

  “The recent events gave her a perfect excuse to try again, scouting us for any exploitable weaknesses,” Sebastian responded. One fact nagged at his mind, though. “Given my misconceptions of Amnur and all of that, how did she know that Sakura was inside Shadekeep, nevertheless near to me? I would’ve expected here to be the last place she checked.”

  Uriel went silent again for a moment, trying to identify potential spies in his mind. Nothing jumped to mind, though. “Pissed anyone off lately with your relationship with Sakura?”

  That line made Sebastian stutter, it told him who did it: Ciel. But why? Lilith was a manipulator, but to speak to a Northerner like that was a significant breach of trust. Treason, even. It had to be that spirit controlling his actions, the rest was too dark to think about. Uriel noted the falter and opted to change the conversation away.

  “Regardless, what now? Lilith won’t permit Sakura to live, but she’s also the first credible resistance we’ve had to the North since well, ever,” the angel queried.

  “I’m not letting Lilith hurt her!” Sebastian snapped back, taking a moment to calm himself. “Sakura’s terrified of her, I’m not letting her go through that.”

  Uriel was surprised by the outburst, hearing the fatherly support in his tone. To him, Sakura was a daughter, one he would protect.

  “I wasn’t suggesting that, but to harm Lilith any more would make Mother aware of the situation, and Mother isn’t going to let a threat exist. Which leaves one option, really,” Uriel said, rubbing the orb with his fingers.

  “That being?”

  “If we’re not surrendering to the whim of the North, then we’re opting to stand with her against them, to earn our freedom.”

  Sebastian wished to debate his words, but he knew them to be true. There was no third option, not one with a safe exit for Sakura. The South may be willing to use her against the North, to render the dragons useless. In the end, however, he doubted they’d let her live. Spreading the bloodline was too much of a risk, one with a simple solution. To what he knew of the North, the Queen had four children. Did they all share their mother’s opinions? They were a deadly family of mages, so the less of them that objected to Sakura, the better.

  “I would advise keeping this quiet from everyone, including Sakura. It’ll create more backlash than anything else,” Uriel remarked.

  “Agreed.”

  “Thank you, for bringing this to my attention. I wish I could offer more positivity on it, though.”

  “Before you go, Uriel, could I convince you to swing by in the next few days? There’s something else I want to discuss,” the King queried, considering it best to inform him about Sakura’s magic in person.

  “I can come by tomorrow, gets me out of Eriden for a bit.”

  “I’ll see you then.”

  Chapter 15: Catching Up

  Abel returned within the hour and was surprised to hear what had happened. He lifted Sakura high off the ground, coddling her from the horrors. Amnur too didn’t escape unscathed. The worried demon grabbed him in an embrace, despite his half-hearted protests. Now that he was back, Sakura turned her mind to informing them about magical matters. She approached Dumon to ask permission to use his personal room, not that he seemed to mind individuals using it. He nodded and offered her the key, but she invited him to join her. With Dumon in tow, she directed Amnur and Abel towards the room, also.

  Once they were all inside, she locked the door. All eyes focused on her, unsteadying her nerves. She took a deep breath, rolling the key between her fingers. These were people who knew her, who trusted her. They wouldn’t react with aggression, or so she hoped. A quiet, irritated growl escaped her lips, but she told them about the chaos magic. Maelor however, was a topic kept quiet. Sakura didn’t want Amnur to overreact.

  The room was silent. Amnur’s jaw dropped, but no words escaped his lips. Seeing his reaction, Abel smiled, offering Sakura some comfort.

  “I knew something was different when I woke you up. I didn’t think it was my memory being off,” Abel said, lifting her off the ground. “It’s nice to think I’m not the only different one.”

  “Does it make a difference? Aside from the whole mage versus non-mage thing,” Dumon replied, shrugging his shoulders. “Mages can be harder to operate on, but that’s mages in general. That’s why Solomon’s handy.”

  Amnur was still silent, something Sakura noted. His expression wasn’t one of anger, though. He was thinking through everything, thinking back to all those tests that proved that by all counts, she wasn’t a mage. After a while of being wrapped up in his thoughts, his eyes wandered skyward. When his eyes met Sakura’s, he hung his head in shame over the silence.

  “Sorry, Sakura. It’s awesome, it really is. It’s just…”

  “A lot to take in?” she replied. Amnur smiled at her understanding. “Take your time, it’s fine. I’m still getting my head around it myself.”

  “Sebastian and Solomon know, I assume? Given that I see you’re sporting a new necklace,” Dumon remarked, pointing at the hidden ornament.

  “That’s correct.”

  Sakura got Abel to let her down and unlocked the door. She knew Amnur wanted to be alone to think it through, he preferred solitude to trawl his thoughts. The others opted to follow her lead, leaving Amnur alone. Given it was late and she was still drained from casting, she decided to call it a night. Darkness was both a relief and a worry after the day’s events, but Abel moved in beside her to offer her comfort. With his warmth behind her, sleep came easy.

  Chapter 16: Coming to Terms

  Amnur woke early the next morning, the events of yesterday still weighing heavy in his mind. Everyone was asleep, so he opted to go out for a walk to clear his mind. The outside air held a bitter chill, the ground decorated with a spattering of brown leaves. A subtle damp smell greeted his nostrils, taking his mind back to the swamps. When he found out that Sakura wasn’t a mage as a child, he was disappointed, but he never thought less of her. He remembered the lessons that his parents used to give him, their praise and their amusement over his deeds. While fire was a dangerous element, accidental burning could cause a laugh when no one got hurt, or nothing significant got damaged.

  Despite her lack of ability, he taught her everything about magic. In all of his research, however, he never read anything about a non-mage becoming a mage. Was her aether somehow dormant? The tests always showed her to have a lower amount than even what would be considered low, so for it to be hidden is strange. It could explain a few things about her, but it wasn’t something he wished to dwell on.

  Maelor’s attack could have stirred something; he was a chaos mage and now she’s one. Was chaos somehow infectious? It could explain the Magi’s Council’s policy on killing them. That would mean Sakura was at risk, though. He growled as the thoughts scratched at his mind, nagging at his worries. The best thing he could do for her was to teach her how to control her powers, to use them for good. If chaos was capable of such a thing, anyway.

  His idle wandering had ended him up at the coastline, staring out towards the distant swamplands. As he watched the waves wash over the cliffs, the grass behind him crunched and rustled. Footsteps. Amnur whipped around, fearing a Northern individual.

  “It’s been a while since I’ve seen those horns, and that face,” the individual said. Amnur gasped at the figure in front of him. He went to greet them when his vision started to fade. Realising what was happening, he tried to rally a defence. Nothing came, however. “This thing worked exactly as promise
d, always good to know.”

  Amnur blacked out, leaving him to the whim of his attacker.

  Chapter 17: A Trip to Eriden

  To see Amnur missing in the morning came as no surprise to Sakura, so she thought nothing of it. She doubted Lilith would try to take down Amnur first as if she learnt anything from their battle, she wasn’t capable of taking him down. No, she would use the opportunity to kill her while her father was absent.

  A knock on the door grabbed her attention, with a guard sticking their head in after a moment. They spotted her and relayed their message; Sebastian wanted a word. For him not to come personally suggested that perhaps he had contacted Uriel and that Uriel was here. She thanked the guard and neatened her appearance, taking a deep breath to stay her nerves. On the way out, she offered a still sleeping Abel a goodbye, unsure if he was listening.

  The corridors were busier than she had seen them before, the locals were wary of any further aggression. Some of the soldiers regarded her as she passed, taking stock of why the North was interested in one so meagre. Rumours had spread within the barracks, or so she thought. None of the soldiers was willing to stop her, so they had no solid evidence or had been warned not to hassle her.

  With the previous set of door guards resting within the healing chamber, there were two new individuals stood outside the throne room. Compared to the other guards, they were gruff and battle-hardened. They whisked her inside, a bit too rough for her liking.

  “I did tell them to be nice to you, it seems the memo got lost somewhere,” Sebastian said, one brow raised. “Sorry about that.”