Skies of Fyir Box Set

by Gabriela Voelske

  Chapter 41: Explanations

  Sakura watched as Rin debated her words, tapping her fingers on the table. The events since her disappearance were a lot to take in and those were only the events that Sakura knew. What the demon noted is that she didn’t respond with anger or disappointment. Rin just seemed to accept what was being told.

  “I don’t agree with him on the issue of your father, given the obvious fact that I’m not dead,” Rin said, letting out a sigh, “I’m not going to judge him though, hindsight helps no one.”

  “I expected you to take all of that worse,” Sakura replied.

  “He had to make choices based on the situation and evidence given, so there’s that. The Ciel situation is different, that’s not on him.”

  “We do have a plan for that.”

  “As you said, although if you’re intending to shock the spirit, I may be of use for that. Ciel’s not going to be expecting to see me. If he’s not too far gone then he may fight against it.”

  Rin’s suggestion was a good suggestion, anything to give them a bonus. Sakura too, had an idea. Her magic may be the extra hint of shock they needed if it wouldn’t damage Ciel too much. That was something for her to run past Solomon, and Sebastian himself. He may have accepted her element, but when she was debating hurting his son with it, his opinion may sway. This was a question for another day though, as she was unsure if she were even capable of helping. Maelor listened to her thoughts and confirmed that it was indeed possible, with a bit of training.

  “If you need any help from us, Uriel wouldn’t say no,” Sariel remarked, breaking the silence. “I don’t know if light wouldn’t be too damaging, but Gabriel’s main element is lightning, so there’s that.”

  “Ah right, that was one piece of information that Sebastian hadn’t opted to share,” Sakura said, a sheepish grin emerging on her face. The angel let out a weak chuckle, relieving her guilt. It wasn’t a fact that would hurt to be shared, not to the right party.

  “It won’t be spread to the wrong people, so don’t worry.”

  Rin stared at the exhausted angel, seeing the bead of sweat roll down his pale skin. He was enjoying being out of his bed, but he was feeling the effects of it. She stretched her arms out, placing her hands gently on top of his. A protest emerged from his lips, knowing her intent. It was half-hearted, however. Sakura backed Rin’s concern, leaving the angel unable to fight his corner. After a few minutes, he conceded.

  “Alright, I’ll go. You two are hard to say no to, you know?”

  The angel stood up and ambled away, only to find Sakura following him. He tried to dismiss her, to no avail. She had promised to look after him, so she was going to do just that. After a stumble Sariel found himself lifted off the ground, surrounded by Sakura’s arms. With the weight difference between them, she found carrying him a simple task, even with his squirming. He found the floor once more when she had taken him back to their bunks, and Sakura found herself getting bopped on the head for the audacity of it. His anger came from the assault to his dignity, rather than anything else.

  Once he was curled up under the duvet, Sakura relaxed against the wall next to his pillow. Despite his earlier protests that he was fine, he drifted off to sleep after a few minutes. Rin stuck her head in, and on seeing the sleeping angel, opted to talk in gestures. Given Sariel’s ability to stomach some food, she would see to it that he was given a meal at dinner, something he could handle. Sakura gestured back her thanks, and the demon bid her farewell. With Rin gone and Sariel asleep, Maelor decided it was a good time to talk. He had promised to explain things, after all.

  “You remember that creature, the Globeholder?” he asked, after brief pleasantries with her. “That’s not the only intelligent one there, though it is the only intelligent creature.”

  “By that you mean?”

  “There’s… others. They embody an element, acting as protectors of the plane. I never met all of them, but from those I did meet, I understood that they originated from here.”

  “Others with access to the plane? Is that possible?”

  “To what I know, they lack the ability to control their access. They simply fell into the plane somehow.”

  “So a chaos mage is of use to them,” Sakura replied, beginning to understanding the connotations of her existence. She didn’t suspect the inhabitants of the Nether Plane to have negative intentions, but that access must be of some use to them. Maelor sputtered in to confirm her thoughts, adding in that they wished for the aether flow between the two planes. Why they desired the lesser aether of the Overworld he was unsure, they hadn’t informed him of the reason.

  “Why would someone wish to block that, though? Surely that creature can’t be the only reason.”

  Maelor had no answer to give for that one, as his confusion was the same. With that out of the way, he changed the topic to her abilities and her continued training of them. The boat was not an optimum place to practise, but he could at least teach her the theory. While so far she had accepted him taking control, he’d rather that she could fight for herself. To wrench complete control of her body from her felt wrong, regardless of the consent. Sakura was at least an avid student, so knowledge came quick.

  Chapter 42: Arriving Home

  Sakura set to sorting Sariel out for the final time as the boat shuddered into the dock, ensuring the angel looked respectable, if he was still feeling rough. He was eager to get off the ship, and that was keeping him going. Their arrival had not been announced to Sebastian as far as she knew, something she wished to capitalise on. She wanted to keep Rin’s continued existence hidden, in order to surprise him. A brief word to Rin earlier had told her that she would follow the plan, given she thought it was cute. It’d help stay her nerves, too. Iliana and Dyn would also keep their heritage hidden until Sakura could explain the full situation.

  A knock on the door followed the ceasing of the ship’s movement, informing them that they had arrived and that it was time to leave. Sariel gave himself one final prune, before giving Sakura a nod; he was ready. Outside the door stood Solomon, who ushered them up to the deck. It was quicker to use the top as a launch pad than to walk home, so the others had met up top.

  A sharp breeze chilled their skin as they emerged from the warm cocoon of the deck, swirling around and nipping at their wings. They were home, no doubt about that. Dyn shuddered as the cold sank into his bones, his eyes fixed on the overcast sky.

  “Guess I’m going to have to get used to this, huh?” he murmured, tugging on the edges of his hood to bring it in close.

  “To be fair, it is unduly cold at the moment,” Sakura replied, a hint of a grin emerging from her lips as he stewed. “Imagine how we felt arriving in the South, then.”

  “I understand now.”

  Sariel shivered as he stood waiting for the call to depart, but he shunned Sakura’s concern. It was not far to fly to Shadekeep and then to Eriden. Given he was unsure if anyone knew their rough arrival time, he couldn’t say whether Uriel would be there or not. Either way, he had to look as presentable as possible. Unable to convince the angel otherwise, she had to relent. Abel reassured her that if the angel faltered in flight, he would swoop in to ensure he avoided harm.

  With everyone sorted, Sakura gave the boat crew a final thank you and a farewell. Aside from the breeze, the weather was fair, such a trip back to Shadekeep should be uneventful. She rallied her posse, and they took to the skies.

  Chapter 43: A Welcome Surprise

  The guards outside Shadekeep were wary to let Sakura back in with a group of shades, but they had a hard time denying her given Solomon’s ability to vouch for them. They had to concede to whatever plan she had in mind, although she promised them it was an innocent one, at least. She gave them the group one last pep talk before the doors opened, revealing Sebastian talking to his now surprised guest, Uriel.

  Uriel’s eyes fixed on the assorted group and then darted to one member in particular. Now that he knew it was safe, Sariel was
showing his exhaustion. The angel staggered as he tried to remain upright, the chill from the flight having a bigger toll than he anticipated. Sakura saw the same thing and ushered Abel to take him to the healing chamber, she could deal with the explanation herself. Uriel went to say something but his words came out as only a stutter before he found himself shooed by Sebastian. Their conversation could wait, for now.

  “Mind if we go somewhere more private?” Sakura enquired as the angel hurried past. Sebastian gestured to the ruling chamber behind him, the guards pushing wide the doors as he neared.

  “I’m not sure how to take that question, but given that you’re not distraught and your party is heavier than before, I gather I’m about to get an explanation?” Sebastian said after the doors had closed, given them the privacy that she wanted.

  “Hah, yes, well…”

  “Go on then, I’ll keep quiet until you’re done.”

  Sakura thanked him, taking a moment to compose herself. To give Iliana the best chance, she had to be selective on when she introduced him. She kept her explanation brief, remarking how they found themselves to be in the company of the Raven. It was there she found the company of a familiar stranger, to which Dyn understood to be his cue to reveal himself. Sebastian fixated on the brother, but he soon realised that is was not Amnur. He wished to say something, yet he knew Sakura wasn’t done. His eyes turned back to her, inviting her to continue. She reeled out the details of the following few days, keeping Iliana referred simply as “friendly assistance”, or other such words. Eventually, she reached the escape from the house, and the fact they had to leave Amnur behind to allow him to heal. Seeing the end of the story, Sebastian went to speak, only to be silenced by the demon.

  “There’s still more,” she said, turning her gaze towards Iliana. He went to take off his hood, feeling his skin crawl as he slipped the interior bands off his horns. The King had no reason to be kind to him, other than Sakura’s word. As those northern horns became visible, Sebastian took a sharp breath. Sakura soon launched into who he was, and his desire to go against Lilith’s plans. She relayed that the friendly assistance was actually Iliana, but she could see that he was still unsure. It was time for Sakura to play her final trump card, revealing that there was one other that featured in this story.

  Rin knew this to be her moment. She took down her hood, taking Sebastian’s attention away from his target. He tried to speak, he looked for words, but there was none. His anger over Iliana vanished and was replaced with a stream of wet streaking his face. The two charged for each other, with Rin being hoisted high into the air.

  “How…?” the King stammered. Sakura offered him a knowing smile and gestured to the others.

  “I’ll leave you two be,” she replied with a grin. He wanted to thank her, but he didn’t wish to be torn away from his wife, however brief it would be. Sakura instructed Iliana to put his hood back up, just until they reached the healing chamber. No need to cause any trouble with the others just yet, after all.

  As they left the ruling chamber, the guards went to question Iliana over his continued desire to hide himself, only to be interrupted by Dyn. He gave them a wink and a sly comment that the King would prefer not to be bothered right now, causing them to look at each other. Unsure what it implied but noticing that they were one short, they let them go, for now. Iliana let out a sigh of relief as they moved away from the ruling chamber and towards the healing chamber. Sakura knew Uriel would be inside, although she knew the angel would evaluate the situation with a more subjective view.

  As they reached the room, Sakura peaked her head through the door just to ensure they weren’t crashing any tender moments. Uriel was being kept at a safe distance to Sariel while Dumon flittered about, with Abel collecting more blankets to tuck the angel in tight. The Angel Monarch turned to face them, attempting to distract himself from the situation.

  “Sariel tells me you’ve been looking after him,” he said, letting out a sigh. “Thank you for that.”

  “It’s been nice having him with us. How is he, anyway?”

  “The cold’s sapped his strength, and I understand from Abel that he hasn’t eaten much, but aside from that I don’t see why he shouldn’t make a full recovery,” Dumon stated, placing a damp rag on the angel’s forehead. “I’ve told Uriel to keep a distance just in case, but Abel went over his symptoms with me and I don’t believe him to be infectious.”

  “Ah, that’s good. He was insistent that he flew over here, even if I’d rather someone carried him.”

  “Sounds about right,” Uriel replied, a hint of a laugh escaping for the first time. “He knows he doesn’t have to be on top form in front of me, but he’s determined to do so. Got to give the kid credit for that.”

  Sakura smiled, watching as his attention fixated on the newcomers. She took a moment to lock the doors, preventing anyone new from entering.

  “I heard something about how you were a comfortable bed before he drifted off. Care to explain what happened in the South?”

  The explanation was repeated, but this time she gave Uriel the full story. He listened on in silence, taking stock of Iliana once he removed his hood. Unlike Sebastian, the angel didn’t seem phased by the obvious northern heritage, although he might have been hiding his reaction better. Once she was done talking, the angel took a moment to think on what he’d been told, tapping his fingers together.

  “I’m not going to lie, I’m not comfortable with him,” Uriel remarked, raising a finger aloft before anyone could speak, “but I’m not going to do anything to him. It just makes the situation… interesting.”

  The Angel Monarch earned a squint from Iliana. Unlike the others, Uriel appeared to know who he was, and the implications of him opting to desert. Given that, the discomfort was fair. No one else was giving him a second look, nor was Dumon scanning him with any indication of dread, fear, or anything negative. Uriel’s words hadn’t roused suspicion among his peers.

  “Sebastian was too distracted to give a proper reaction,” Sakura said, earning a chuckle from the angel.

  “That I imagine he was. I still need to talk to him given we were interrupted, so I’ll level with him tomorrow, probably. I somehow doubt I’m going to see him today.”

  “No, I don’t imagine anyone’s going to see him today,” Dumon remarked. “I’m sorry to hear about your father, kid, but I would agree with Solomon’s choice on that. Although it is nice to finally meet you, Dyn. Amnur talked enough about you.”

  Dyn let out a sigh, trying to force a smile for the old healer. He received a shake of the head in reply, hindsight helped no one. His brother’s struggles in the Central Isles weren’t something he could’ve predicted, nor was he to blame for not speaking out. The only thing he could do was thank Dumon for standing by Amnur’s side through it all, despite the risk of death. Dumon tried to deflect it by stating it was just his duty, but Dyn insisted. Duty would’ve been just tending to his wounds.

  “Take the praise, Dumon,” Uriel interjected, shooting the demon one of his sly grins. The healer sighed, shaking his head.

  “Fine, fine.”

  Chapter 44: Bidding Farewell

  Sakura woke the next morning to find Uriel already absent, intent to finish whatever discussion he had started with Sebastian. She was unsure if the demon would be up, given the events of yesterday, but the angel had a way of being insistent. Aside from that, the morning was quiet. Everyone was asleep that she could see, although quiet shuffling in the distance suggested that Dumon was awake somewhere. One by one, she went around the beds, checking in on their inhabitants until she reached Sariel. As she went past to reach Iliana, the angel had been sleeping but now she could see a hint of blue peeking out from behind his eyelids.

  “Morning sleepy head,” she whispered, earning a quiet groan, “Uriel’s not here, by the way.”

  The angel’s eyes opened fully, staring at the black ceiling above. He tried to discern her bluer skin tone from the solid black behind, unaided by
the faint light in the chamber. It was a far cry from the bright, sterile walls of Eriden.

  “I didn’t make a great impression, did I?” Sariel enquired, earning a chuckle from Sakura as she brushed a lock of hair away from his face.

  “I did tell you to let me carry you. Uriel was more concerned for your health than your pride.”

  “I didn’t want to impose, but yesterday is mostly a blur if I’m being honest.”

  “You’re rather chatty when you’re bordering on delirious, you told Uriel about the whole boat thing.”

  Sariel whined, rolling on to his back. Of all the things he could’ve decided to tell the Monarch, it had to be that one event. Sakura tried to reassure him that Uriel seemed amused by the whole thing rather than shirty, but he hadn’t commented anything negative.

  “He wouldn’t to you, and besides, I have a reputation to keep.”

  “A reputation, eh?”

  “Got to keep on top form in Eriden, or they’ll eat you alive. I’m already not everyone’s favourite.”

  “Not willing to decry the demons?”

  “Among other things, not that I don’t have issues with some demons but that’s personal. I won’t trouble you with that.”

  “Fair enough,” Sakura replied. With the current situation not requiring her to be on the lookout for danger, she turned her mind to what she could do for Sariel, given he was willing to let her. One thing that was obvious was his hygiene, or lack thereof it. The main bathing chambers were out of the question, due to the presence of other demons. Dumon had his own shower though, and Sakura doubted that the demon would mind Sariel using it. She gave him one last look, opting to go with hoisting the angel there herself. To her surprise, he didn’t fight her on it.

  “I’m offending your nose that much, eh?” the angel remarked after seeing where he was being taken to. “Demon’s sense of smell and all of that.”