“You three ready, then?” Dumon queried. They gazed at each other, with each of them confirming individually. With that settled, the healer led them back to the main corridor. Sebastian stood waiting for them, discussing matters with Sariel. Shae had left on the order of the King, intending to sort something.
“We had a boat due to leave for the South tonight, so I sent Shae to delay it for you,” Sebastian said, “they won’t hold it long, though. If you’re ready, we’ll leave now.”
“Let’s go, then,” Sakura said.
***
Sunset created an impressive, fiery backdrop to the harbour as they arrived. The golden light kissed the wooden frame of the boat that sat nestled in the hidden port, welcoming them to its bow. This port was the first thing that Amnur saw on his arrival to the Central Isles, and Sakura would ensure that he would see it again.
“Should I be seeing this port?” Sariel queried, noticing the wary glances from the dock workers.
“Are you honestly telling me that you don’t already know of its existence?” Sebastian replied, to which the angel laughed. A demon stood next to the boat grabbed his attention, waving to them. “Ah Shae, the crew ready?”
“Just awaiting our passengers,” she replied, gesturing towards the boat. Sakura steeled herself, preparing her mind for the journey ahead. She regarded Sebastian and gave him a fond farewell, promising that she’ll be back, with no fewer body parts than she had now. That promise extended to the others, too. As she finished talking, she felt him place something in her palm. It was heavy, lumpy and jangled as she wiggled it.
“The South runs on money, it’d help you if you had some.”
“Thanks, you didn’t have to.”
Sebastian smiled, reaching down and fussing her hair. He ushered her towards Shae once the goodbyes had been exchanged with Sariel, ensuring the boat left on time. Shae offered her a hug and a remark that if she needs anything, she can ask anytime.
They boarded the boat and settled down on the top deck, waving farewell to their onlookers as it departed. As the light faded away, the only thing that stood out against the background was Sariel’s white wings. A light in the darkness.
“Would it be weird for me to go with them?” Sariel asked as the boat began to slip away into the horizon.
“Do you want to? I can inform Uriel for you,” Sebastian responded.
“The best way to deal with a demon is with an angel, weaknesses and all of that.”
“And because you want to help? You can admit to that, it’s fine.”
Sariel failed to hide his grin from him, an act which earned him a pat on the shoulder.
“Go along then, before the boat gets too far from sight.”
***
Sakura leant against the railing on the boat, listening to the sea splash against the hull. The journey to the South was long compared to travelling within the Central Isles, so the wash of the waves was going to be a constant companion. She could feel Abel leaning against her, protecting her. His warmth was welcome as the cool night air pressed against her face, wafting her hair around. The air whipped up and concentrated, followed by a thud on the deck.
“Got room for one more?” Sariel enquired, the hints of a grin appearing in the murk. Sakura spread her arm wide, inviting him to sit alongside her.
“Of course.”
Chapter 19: The Start of a Journey
The stiff bunks within their provided chamber caused a restless night for Sakura, combined with the worry over her father. Once the disturbed sleep had irritated her enough, she opted to wake up and do something. She sat on the bunk and stared at the others, seeing their similarly disturbed state. Sariel was on the bed that sat above hers, while Abel’s bedsit was opposite with Solomon above him. Creaks and the soft whoosh of passing water greeted her ears as she listened, but any noise from the crew was minimal. It was still early, she thought. Their room had no windows to confirm, however.
Two doors sat on opposite ends of the room, one lead back towards the deck but the other was unknown. With the others still asleep, her curiosity took her to the mystery door. She placed her hand on the doorknob and twisted it, hearing the lock pop open. A thump inside made her freeze, wary that she just disturbed a crew member with her sniffing around. With a deep breath, she took a step inside and peered around the door. It was a storeroom, a small storeroom. Not somewhere she would expect to see a worker if she could see anyone at all. The room was devoid of life.
A box was knocked over on the floor, a victim of the tides, perhaps. The source of the thump, she would suspect. She stepped over and picked the box up, putting it back in its original place. This time she ensured that it was firm, to prevent it from falling again. Content that was all, she went back to the door. As she reached the doorway, a force shoved a gag into her mouth and yanked her back. She dropped to the floor as a shadow loomed over her, locking the door to trap her in the room.
“What the-” Maelor echoed in her mind, giving her the voice that she lacked. “Get ready!”
The gag, however, was removed and replaced with a hand. She could tell it was a demon, not that she expected it to be anything else.
“Don’t scream,” they said, letting Sakura go once they felt her relax. The tone suggested a male, although his body was obscured with a cloak. He took a couple of steps back, giving Sakura some space. She saw him debate the height difference, staring as he opted to crouch down to equal their heights. Whatever this was, it wasn’t being done to intimidate her. After a moment, he slipped off his hood. A set of downward pointing horns greeted her, rolling around and ending near his eyes; a Northerner.
Sakura slid back and reached for the lock, but his calm persona intrigued her.
“My horns mean something to you,” he said. That calmness persisted in his voice. It wasn’t taunting, or spiteful. Just soft.
“I’m pretty sure those horns would mean something to anyone.”
“Anger I would expect, but you react with a particular fear. Almost as if you’ve seen these before.”
He was correct, of course. They looked similar to Lilith’s. She debated how to respond to his statement, his curiosity.
“Who are you?” he queried, his position remaining neutral. If he were a mage, he either had no intention to attack or was skilled enough to mount an attack without much physical manipulation.
“Sakura,” she replied, taking a deep breath, “a resident of the Central Isles.”
“With a northern name but southern heritage? Curious.”
The game was making her uneasy. He was reading her, but she struggled to read him. That calmness was eerie. Was it real, or was it false? If it were a lie, he was doing a good job at maintaining it.
“Let’s not bat around the point, what does Lilith want? I know you’re here because of her,” Sakura remarked. That name caused him to tilt his head, but he didn’t respond with aggression.
“That’s what I want to know.”
An enemy? An unwilling ally? His response created intriguing theories. Before she could speak up again, he stepped forward and grabbed her face. The grip, however, was soft. He regarded the scar for a brief moment, before turning his attention to her remaining eye. His fingers rubbed against her cheek, lifting off for a moment so he could examine the small scales on her face. She felt another hand slip up her sleeve, examining the scales there.
“Let’s see then, can you understand this?” he said, talking in a language that Sakura knew to be dragon tongue. Whether she intended to or not, she reacted to that statement. It caused him to let go of her, letting out a sigh. “What is Lilith to you?”
“She’s my mother.”
His eyes went wide for a moment until he regained his composure. “That’s interesting. Very interesting, but it complicates matters.”
“Why?”
“I’ll start this off by saying that I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, earning a raised brow from her. “My name is Iliana, I’m Lilith’s oldest brother.�
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Sakura froze, her hand once again reaching for the lock. Iliana saw her fear and sat down, pressing his back against the wall. He left himself open, confirming his words that he had no intention to hurt her.
“Lilith’s hurt you, hasn’t she?”
His words stayed her hand. He knew her fear, he knew her reaction. Iliana had seen this before, perhaps even experienced it. She stared at the lock once more, before sitting down on the floor herself. The words flowed out of her mouth, giving him a detailed picture of her past. For the first time, his calmness was broken.
“I’m sorry for what she did to you, I really am.” Iliana sighed, tapping his fingers on the wooden floorboards. “And for what she’s still doing to you. Why are you on this boat? I was told you’d be here, but I was told nothing more.”
She relayed the recent events to him, including the now obvious suspicion that Lilith was the cause of it. He thought on the details for a moment, understanding now why his sister wasn’t doing it herself.
“That’s her alright. A simple, straight death isn’t her style. She prefers maximum pain.”
The conversation dropped to silence between them, with neither side sure how to continue. Sakura opted to get a decent look at her uncle, a term that gave her mixed feelings as she thought on it. He was around the same height as her father, although with pitch black skin compared to Amnur’s blue tinge. His eyes were a dark purple, unlike Lilith’s lavender, an indication of his magical abilities perhaps. Black, shoulder length hair sat pinned behind his horns. Clothes obscured the rest of his features, but he seemed to lack the scales that she had. His face wasn’t glossy enough.
“I could come with you, help get your father back,” Iliana said after a while, “a powerful mage could go a long way.”
“Wouldn’t that get you in trouble?”
“Lilith just told me to kill you, she didn’t say when I had to. Since she’s singled me out to do this, it means that Mother doesn’t know. If she doesn’t want Mother to know, then she can’t tell anyone.”
“Which frees you to act as you want,” Sakura stated.
“Indeed. I need some time to think, anyway.”
She nodded. Despite what he just said, she still believed that he had no intention to harm her. Northern politics were something she knew nothing about, so whatever he had to think about she couldn’t help with. Abel had told her enough about the importance of his language to know that her existence meant something. A threat, even.
“If you’re coming with us, then I need to introduce you to the others.”
Iliana opened his mouth, but he couldn’t protest. In the end, he smiled and agreed. She knew him to be wary, it was a respectable fear. After a moment of fiddling, Sakura had the door unlocked and invited him to follow her. A mumble from the bedroom informed her that someone else had woken, a sleepy greeting. The next thing Sakura heard was a growl. Abel had seen Iliana. Solomon and Sariel’s eyes locked on the newcomer, deliberating on their responses. Her calmness with the situation went a long way to prevent Iliana from being lynched, but Abel was still wary.
Sakura seized the opportunity to explain the situation, clearing the air. For the other two, it was enough. Abel, however, wasn’t convinced. He stood up, towering over Iliana. The limited height of the ceiling forced him to lean forward, creating a looming shadow. They locked eyes, holding the gaze in a test.
“You’re quite the odd looking demon,” Iliana said in the standard demon tongue, before swapping to draconic, “would there be a reason for that?”
Abel’s eyes narrowed at the second half of the statement, making Iliana stutter. He had said that second half a joke, he never expected Abel to understand him.
“Well, that’s awkward. For both of our sakes, let’s just go with calling you a weird demon,” Iliana said, “it’s safer than the alternatives.”
The statement made Abel back down, but he had one act left to display his opinion on the situation. Sakura found herself wrapped up in a tight, protective embrace. After Lilith, Abel was unwilling to trust another Northerner, more so one with a direct relation. He sat down on the bunk and continued his watch. Iliana was unfazed by the act, though.
“That’s a male dragon alright,” he murmured to himself, too quiet for anyone to hear. To break the awkwardness, Solomon took the time to introduce himself, Sariel and inform him of Abel’s name. Aside from Abel, the one that took Iliana’s attention the most was Sariel. He had never seen an angel in his life, and now he was in the same room as one. They were also told that angels and demons had a bad relationship, so it was strange that they opted to have one as company.
One of Sariel’s wings were dangling over the edge of the bed, so Iliana invited himself to touch it. The softness thrilled his fingers, along with the delicate structures of the feathers.
“No pulling,” Sariel warned, too groggy to bother with stopping the action. It was a simple rule to follow, one Iliana didn’t intend to break. He continued his examination of the wing, feeling the resistance of the shaft as he pressed against it. When he let go, the wing was extended to give him a better view of the layered feathers. His curiosity was amusing the angel. It also acted to calm Abel, watching his genuine awe.
“Any idea on the time? I’m hungry,” the angel grumbled. All of the events of yesterday meant he skipped dinner and combined with the erratic sleep, he was feeling the effects of his hunger.
“Shall we go find out?” Sakura replied. Sariel grumbled again as he forced himself out of bed, dropping down to the floor in little more than his underclothes. “Better get dressed, first.”
On hearing that, Solomon excused himself to the storage room to dress. The act bemused Sakura, given that he never was fazed by the amount of skin he showed previously. She grabbed one of the sets that Dumon had provided for her and changed, noticing Iliana frown when he spotted the extent of her scar. He turned away afterwards, offering her some limited privacy. A few minutes later, Solomon re-emerged. Iliana pulled his hood back up, hiding his horns once more.
They left for the deck, with Abel walking between Sakura and Iliana. As they stood outside, the low morning sun dazed them. Solomon volunteered himself to ask the crew about breakfast arrangements, leaving them outside. With that sorted, Sakura settled down against the railing and stared out at the beautiful, blue ocean.
“Hey, Maelor, what do you think about all of this?” Sakura pinged the spirit, taking him by surprise.
“My opinion?”
“Well, you’re the best I’m going to get when it comes to an independent opinion.”
She could hear him debating the matter, trying his best to give her a helpful answer. Their whole situation had been forced by a bad situation, and Maelor had expected her not to care about him on matters that didn’t regard chaos magic. For her to seek out his opinion was sweet. It was also nice to talk to someone.
“I believe Iliana’s conflicted. While I wouldn’t distrust him, I wouldn’t fully trust him, either. You being who you are confused him, but it sounds like there’s always been some discontent there between siblings. It’s whether discontent is enough, though.”
“We’ve come to the same conclusion then. Do let me know he does anything that warrants attention, regardless of whether I notice it or not.”
“I will.”
Her attention was drawn back to the current situation by Solomon’s voice, calling them in for food. She gathered up those above deck and followed him, eager for the morning meal.
Chapter 20: The Lore of the North
After a few days, the limited excitement of the boat was starting to wear thin. To Iliana’s relief, however, Abel had accepted him. He could go about his day without a plethora of glares, general avoidance and the odd growl. Abel’s trust was something he wished to earn, as regardless of his heritage. He had never been allowed prolonged contact with the dragons. Those he did end up near were all female, and aggressive.
One day after breakfast he approached the overly
tall demon, asking if he would be up for a chat. Abel glanced towards Sakura, then back to him. Iliana reiterated that it was him he wanted to talk to, but if he wished to share anything with her then it was fine. He gestured to an open space on the deck, giving Abel a warm smile as he passed.
They settled down next to each other, listening to the sea as it splashed against the hull. A swift jerk of Iliana’s head revealed that they were alone, giving him the freedom he wanted.
“Do you know what she means to Northern politics?” Iliana queried. Abel tilted his head, examining the same thing that he had done previously.
“Yes, I know who Lilith is.”
“Does Sakura know?”
“No, aside from the fact she knows the importance of the language,” Abel replied. He leant against the railing and relaxed, letting his wings hang in the breeze. “I don’t know if anyone else has made the connection.”
“Does Lilith know of your dragon side?” Iliana said although he would’ve suspected Lilith to say something if she did.
“No. She believes me to be an overbearing friend, or so I’d think. Lilith didn’t like me much once Sakura was born.”
“Sakura told me about her abuse, and how you stepped in to help her.”
Abel’s white eyes locked on him, taking in his pained expression. One arm slipped off the railing and after a moment, landed on Iliana’s knee. A gesture of comfort, one that was welcome. The Northerner thought about where to go next. So far, he had only asked questions without giving anything in return.
“Aside from your knowledge of the language, I can tell you’re a dragon due to your nature,” he said, “unlike my sister, I’ve done my research when it comes to both sexes in dragons.”
“Are there no male dragons in the North?”
“The females we have left got competitive over mates to the point of killing them, so those quick enough fled the continent.”
Abel frowned, disturbed by the prospect. Iliana opted to turn the conversation back to his original point, Abel’s nature. In dragon culture, it’s not unusual for a lone male to find a young, orphaned female and raise them as their charge. Once the female was old enough, they could fight their way into society and offer their adoptive father a comfortable life. As comfortable as a male could expect, anyway. The matriarchal nature of dragons reduced them to little more than caregivers for any offspring born, related or not. Iliana could see Abel’s relationship with Sakura as being the same, whether Sakura was aware he was doing it or not. Abel listened to Iliana’s words with interest, nodding along as he went.
Skies of Fyir Box Set Page 54