Sky Warriors: Poleuthan's Thief (Sky Warriors Saga Book 1)

by Pendragon, Nicole

  As she opened the door, stormy fresh salty air assailed her senses.

  She observed the large circular area for a moment as she took a deep breath and noticed the stormy sky. The open space was like a lighthouse but at the center was a large crystal hovering between massive metal plates with runes etched deeply into their surface that manipulated the constant fog that surrounded the library island. The giant round crystal was in fact a very rare blue sol gem, glowing like a star that had fallen from the heavens, measuring a good ten feet in diameter and would have been blinding if not for the tempered glass and mirrors around it that refracted the light yet still kept the area around it warm.

  She ignored the large crystal she had recently been learning more about, its name in the dragon language which had kept to the common language was an accurate description for the crystalline energy source. The thick shell around the miniature sun was a composite of the densest kind of diamond in existence, which Ange never bothered to memorize its name or its atom structure that was apparently so important to recall. And the sun within the hollow section worked exactly like the ones that dotted the universe, only on a smaller scale. They produced the same radiation, capable of flares, and erupting into black holes which was a rare occurrence that lasted only moments but destroyed everything around them and could usually be predicted.

  She leaned against the stone railing, looking out to the stormy waters as the liquid churned in pale grays and blues. Quietly she heard the click of the stone door behind her and the soft foot falls.

  She sighed as Showl stopped next to her, leaning on the rails with the journal in his hands. They stayed like that for a while, listening to the angry sea and breathing the air as it grew more violent.

  “You should keep this,” Showl stated quietly as the wind subsided for a moment as he passed her the book.

  She raised an eyebrow and stared at it incredulously as she took the book from his hands.

  “Why?” she asked flipping the book in her hands.

  “I believe it is intended for you,” he admitted. “If anyone can discover its secrets, I believe it is you.”

  She gaped surprised by his confidence in her and could sense his sincerity trough their bond.

  Touched, she opened her mouth but was caught off guard as the locket resting against her chest under her shirt began to vibrate wildly.

  Showl gazed down surprised at the ring on his right hand.

  “It’s Amaris, she wishes to speak with you. Apparently it is urgent,” he said with a dark expression.

  Ange blinked surprised before quickly tugging out the locket and snapping it open. She quickly slipped the ring over her right index finger and swiftly the vague presence of the other Sky Warriors touched her mind.

  “Ange!” Amaris’s voice came through relieved.

  “What is it Amy?” Ange asked concerned by her breathlessness, automatically tensing.

  “Thank the Five you answered, we can’t talk long, Ana will realize soon that you’re wearing the ring even when she’s asleep. So I need to speak with you both quickly.”

  “What’s going on, is everything alright?” Ange asked glancing over at Showl realizing he was also receiving the message.

  “No, not really. Ileana’s contacts have informed us that a recent digging has discovered an artifact from the old days…The Compass of Coronders.”

  “The Compass?” Showl snarled in disbelief.

  Ange glanced up at Showl’s horrified expression, his nails elongated into black talons as he agitatedly clawed the stone. She didn’t understand the significance of the news.

  “What’s so special about this compass?” she asked.

  Showl’s face flinched as he quietly explained.

  “It’s an Aeterna Vas shaped into an ellipsoid, set into complex metal rings with ten metal vials and crystals containing blood and mana. This device is special and dangerous because…” he sucked in a heavy breath, “it can lead to any one of the Regina and Rexes in whatever state they may be in.”

  Ange’s eyes grew wide with horror as she realized the implications of his words.

  “You mean…it can lead the Adherent to Phoenix?” she whispered.

  He nodded gravely.

  “Exactly,” Amaris replied. “And the Adherents know that it’s been discovered. They plan on retrieving it after it’s unveiling in a few days at a reception by the noble that invested into the archeological expedition. Ana didn’t want you to be informed because she thinks we can handle it ourselves but I disagree…the Adherent have used their power and influences to outbid us for the artifact. The only way we can get it now…is to steal it during the party from right under their noses.”

  “Where is this going to be?” Ange asked suddenly serious.

  “In Cyridell,” Amaris stated with a hush.

  A lump formed in Ange’s gut, then a wicked grin crossed her face. It was going to be on her turf.

  “How fast do you need us there?”

  “Now. We are leaving in the afternoon as the suns are to set. Got to go, get here fast!”

  Ange removed the ring and immediately placed it back in the locket.

  “Angeline, this is rash,” Showl warned as she raised her hand to stop him, the wind was picking up again.

  “Don’t,” Ange hissed cutting him off with a piercing glare of her hazel eyes. “You promised you wouldn’t change me and you still have another promise to keep.”

  His expression warped darkly as he scowled at her.

  “You never took me back to Cyridell as we had agreed. Or are you not a dragon of your word?” she taunted knowing he would not appreciate a blow to his pride.

  It worked and she had to suppress a smile form surfacing.

  His long claws scraped the stone as he furiously snarled as his fangs made an appearance.

  “Do you truly believe I will let you provoke and manipulate me so easily, little thief?” he asked menacingly.

  “Let?” Ange mocked with a small laugh. “I already have.”

  His brows pinched together as he closed his mouth and forced his hands to relax, the black talons shrinking back to normal nails, his eyes narrowing.

  “Oh, you are a vile little extortionist, aren’t you?” he replied exasperated. “You realize this will be dangerous, that we are going against orders, ignoring moral protocol, tempting fate, and that you are putting your life at risk above all else?”

  Ange winked deviously. “It wouldn’t be any fun otherwise. And that is our lives at risk,” she corrected.

  Showl groaned, his shoulders sagging in defeat. “I wonder, when will I cease to repeat that we are doomed?” he asked rhetorically with a fond smile and a sad shake of his head.

  Ange smiled. “I wouldn’t start counting, because you’re probably going to keep asking that so long as we live.”

  He groaned which turned into a growl. “Angeline, this is still too risky. If the Adherent can’t get their hands on the Compass, we will be within talons’ reach, it may even be trap for that very purpose.”

  “We’ll have the others with us, what is there to worry about?” she rebuked confident.

  “Someone will have to stay behind to guard the Palace, usually a pair. At best it only be six of us against whoever of the Adherent go to retrieve the artifact and they will not hesitate to kill the others like we would.”

  Ange glowered remembering that argument with the Council, they didn’t want to kill their enemies because the reincarnation cycle would provide no leverage and because of the bonds they still felt with their hopeless brethren. The Adherent had a means of warping the soul of Rex or Regina before it was born, assuring them the new dragon would be aligned to their cause just like they had done with Sora. On the other hand, the Adherent had no qualms of killing the remaining Sky Warriors except Showl because of the seals Harfang had imbued to his being that could reveal Phoenix’s location as well as how to unseal her.

  Ange believed it would give them more time if the Adherent had to
wait to be reborn and provide them an advantage against the struggle, but the Sky Warriors refused to consider killing them in hopes they could still be saved as it was against their philosophy. Ange believed the Sky Warriors were a bunch of hopeless idealists.

  “All the more reason to go, what if only Ileana and Amaris go to retrieve this compass? They may be able to turn into light and shadows but they wouldn’t risk doing that around humans, they could be easily outnumbered,” Ange persuaded. “While they are holding off the Adherent who better than a thief to steal your pretty compass?” she rationalized as the wind whistled around them.

  Showl sighed shaking his head. “Let’s go.”

  Her eyebrows rose up in surprise as her eyes grew wide with disbelief that she could have convinced him so easily.

  He read her like an open book as always, giving her a sad smile as he responded. “If I don’t take you, you’ll find another way to get there. I might as well agree to save us all the grief in between.”

  Ange grinned widely as the air whipped around her as she teased. “And here I thought you weren’t learning anything about fighting the inevitable.”

  Chapter 21: Silk and Deception

  The stormy rain lashed and pattered off Ange’s white armor, none of the water managed to seep through and drench her but the cold wind and thundering sky made her shiver as Showl quickly fought the gales and tried to rise above the storm. She was thankful that Showl had packed the helmet and that the cloak was weather proof, sleeking the rain away like the oiled feathers of a duck.

  Ange glanced back at the dwindling Tower of Ingled, she was disappointed she had to leave Felis behind but she would be good for Richard. She caught a glimpse of him as she had rushed down the stairs with Showl after packing her belongings, he had stared after her with a blank gaze.

  The Bookmen were surprised with their sudden need to leave and insisted that she return as soon as she could to continue learning. She had grudgingly agreed, realizing she was actually enjoying her education.

  Just as Showl had transformed, Asmanth had stopped her, surprising her with a book covered in cloth that he pressed into her hands.

  “Take it with you,” he had stated quietly before retreating among the other Bookmen.

  Ange had been shocked as she uncovered the book, it was the tome Harfang had written, the one that held a morbid interest to her. She wondered how the head Bookman had known and for how long.

  Flying quickly over the storm the air above was oddly still with sudden bursts of turbulent air that made Showl bounce on his flight path. Ange gazed down at the blanket of gray clouds, surprised by its expansion. They flew several hours and she was more than certain that the storm reached deep into the mainland as she looked up at the starlit night, the moons gone from the heavens as she charted the constellations she had memorized.

  She vigorously tried to measure the distance they had traveled without Showl’s assistance, he was quiet, his mind still as calm water as he traveled the skies. She observed his enormous length, trying to measure his wing length and as she looked back, able to see clearly his entire length she realized her eyesight was still improving. She clenched her fist and tried to measure the strain and strength her muscles would exert but it was difficult to determine especially since she had allocated little time to excising during her stay at the tower except for complex stretches to increase her balance and flexibility.

  Soon, she was becoming sleepy and her eyelids drooped tiredly despite the awe-inspiring view that slowly turned above her head. They left the storm behind and now flew under the bows of northern lights, weaving in an everlasting dance among the rivers of stars.

  “Sleep, little thief. I will wake you when it is time,” Showl promised.

  Ange let out a tired sigh, groggily nodding her head as she stretched herself over the length of the saddle and breathed a cool breath before her minds slipped into sleep, dreaming of the endless streams of stars and infinite possibilities of the universe.

  “Angeline, wake, we have arrived,” Showl’s words probed her mind, lulling her outside her dreams. She lazily blinked her eyes, squinting against the sunlight, a distortion of brown was before her eyes and she had to blink several times and rub her eyes before she could make out the object.

  It was the castle island and dawn was just compassing the world with brilliant shades of gold and pink to the softest of lilacs.

  Ange perked up immediately shuffling back bumping into their bags of belongings. She glared down at the stony outcrop, expecting to see anyone among the giant balconies. Finally on an eastern ledge stood eight figures by one of the many giant doors.

  Showl gently rode the currents down as they ascended Ange was suddenly caught by a wave of awestruck as she watched Showl’s shadow eclipse the Sky Warriors below. She, a lowly orphan and thief was riding a dragon, her dragon, and had stepped into the world that she had once believed was myth and was already part of their history, a forgotten time the people of Domus may never know again.

  The idea brought sorrow to Ange but was quickly swept away by nervousness as Showl’s claws and padded feet softened their landing as she undoubtedly felt Ileana’s suspicious glare on them.

  “You weren’t kidding about getting into trouble,” she muttered mentally as defiance took her, she wasn’t going to be afraid of their ‘leader’s’ disapproval.

  “Of course not,” Showl replied nonchalant as he leaned his forward and rested his massive skull on the marble floor.

  Ange pushed herself off, unsnapped their bags from the molded saddle before sliding off down the side of Showl’s head. She landed with a heavy clank, the bags almost falling out of her grip as she turned to face the stares of the others. She couldn’t suppress the wide grin at their surprised expressions all but Amaris who seemed to be trying to appear innocent and Corvus’s usual blank expression.

  “What are you doing here?” Ileana hissed, her arms crossed as she flashed an accusing glare at her sister, indicating she knew the answer.

  “I got bored,” Ange replied unbothered as Ileana returned her flinty gaze back to her.

  “Bored?” she echoed with disbelief. “Your education is not meant to be entertaining.”

  Ange shrugged unbothered. “I’ll get back to it,” she pacified in an uppish tone. She ignored Showl’s chastening thoughts as he quickly took the shape of a man.

  “Don’t upset her,” he warned as he came up to her side.

  “Besides,” Ange continued smoothly, “I have some unfinished business to attend to in Cyridell before I can get cozy with all the old books again. Besides…I hear you need a thief, the best one around,” she smiled confidently.

  Ileana’s face twitched from one of suspicion to a blank expression, her frame relaxed but her brown eyes were deadly as she turned them to her sister who met them boldly.

  “We need help,” Amaris stated out right and flatly.

  Grace touched her Soulbound’s shoulder lightly, Ileana turned to meet her fiery eyes.

  “Amaris has a point, Ileana. If your premonition is correct, three of the Adherent will be there with their Silents and we are at a disadvantage among so many humans. We cannot rely on any skills that will give us away…but we can keep them at bay while a thief,” Grace smiled as she glanced at Ange, “steals the prize before any are the wiser.”

  Ileana inclined her head, her eyes half closed thinking, considering.

  “Bringing them along will provide two opportunities for the enemy to discover Phoenix’s location. This risk is equally as dangerous to failure as the possibility of success,” she argued softly.

  “So are our chances of winning if it’s only the four of us and without powers,” Amaris countered.

  Ileana was silent, a difficult quiet existence among them for a while. Ange took the time to meet the eyes of all those assembled, she particularly noticed Chrysaetos grim and weary expression and Ange wondered if their mating had been unsuccessful, guilt lodged in her throat at the thought.
<
br />   “I will let you come if…” Ileana declared with absolution, “you can pass my test.”

  Ange locked gazes with her, determination and the desire to prove herself burned in her veins.

  “Take out your sword,” Ileana commanded as she pulled out her twin blades from their sheathes on her hips. “I understand you can use a weapon to some degree, correct?”

  Ange frowned as she pulled out her blade, it weighed heavily in her hand as she grimaced at it. “Daggers, not a sword,” she stated reluctantly, hating to show any form of incompetence before her.

  “Then change your weapon.”

  Ange raised an eyebrow confused.

  “The Key will take any shape you desire,” Showl stated calmly as he took her hand, his metal claws touching the blade, it quivered in response as Ange shivered as well. Quickly she reigned in her stray thoughts as her heart began to hammer. Ignoring them she focused on the blade, willing it to split into two long daggers.

  The Key seemed to respond to her thoughts immediately, it trembled in her grasp as Showl let go and as she watched the metal seemed to melt in her hand, only the gem remained intact. A glob of the living material split off, reaching for her other hand. A handle began to form and she grasped it, quickly the metal shaped into a new form.

  She stared amazed at the now double daggers, the one on her right hand still clutched the gem but the daggers swept forward dangerously before the metal double backed and formed a long blade reaching back past the handle. A dragon was embossed down the metal as well as her and Showl’s mark. They were beautiful, shaming her old ones like simple table knives. Even the sheath had changed around her waist.

  “The weapon will always reflect its owner’s personality,” Ileana commented absently. “Be on the ready!” she commanded with a snap, the tips of her long swords brushing the ground.

  Ange smiled and twirled her knew blades, happy with their feel and weight. She crouched, analyzing the white clad ancient girl as the others backed away. Amaris flashed her an encouraging stare though her eyes also glinted with worry.