[THE ST.ROSEBURY, THE BOYS' PRIVATE ROOM — MINUTES BEFORE TAKEOFF]
Aurora slept on a bed, her mind in a place far, far away. This dream was the same one that'd been plaguing her for weeks since she left Kremlin.
She imagined a white, wisp-like figure draped in a long, heavy coat hovering over her. The only thing with color was the person's mask, and even that was strikingly minimalist: a white-iron mask with a black magician's circle customized over its left eye. The mouth was curved into a frown.
"Focus, girl," the mask would say. "A tempest is no mere wind. It is the strength of the divine! A whirling magic that will burst on the heads of the wicked!"
"Master Hedeon," Aurora whispered. "I…"
The vision shifted with a gust of wind, blowing away and transforming into another familiar sight. Aurora braced herself. She hated this one.
"What's wrong with her?" a voice in the form of a child asked. Aurora looked up. Several other ghostly children with black eyes stood around a bed where a young woman who appeared to be in her mid-late twenties lay, a bouquet of anemone flowers tucked between her hands. If not for her still-rosy cheeks, one would've been mistaken in believing she was dead. But she wasn't. She had the same purple streaks as Aurora, but hers were thicker and spread all over her hair, not just one strand.
"She's cursed," one of the children said.
"Cursed?" another repeated.
A chorus of "cursed" began to reverberate as the ghouls looked from the woman on the bed to Aurora herself. The girl stiffened with fright.
"S-Stay away!" she begged. The children did no such thing. Instead, they came closer, their eyes on the verge of tears.
"You're next," they sounded in unison. "Next, next…"
Aurora's hand instinctively went to her head where her one purple streak lived. She covered it immediately.
"That won't stop it," the children said. "She's of corrupted blood."
"Yes, corrupted."
TWF! TWF! TWF!
One by one, the children vanished, fading into the blackness as their words curled around her ears like the wind.
"No!" Aurora cried, trying to reach out to them. "I can control it! I can!"
She hated them: how they abandoned her every time she'd seen them, leaving as quickly as they'd arrive. They would never give her the answers she sought.
She collapsed to her feet as the rest went back into the void — to the deepest recesses of her mind. Aurora crumpled with shame. She could already feel the tears welling.
"...Chyornokrov."
Aurora froze. What?
Her head lifted towards something she'd thought impossible. A shaky breath escaped her throat as her eyes traveled upward, from the feet of the child to its head. It was the last of the ghosts: a little girl with a swallowtail headpiece.
She's not disappearing! Aurora realized. But how?! This is the first time, isn't it? The first time they've stayed!
The girl extended her hand. "Chyornokrov," she repeated. The nickname was both familiar and unfamiliar to her. What did it mean, she wondered?
"Find… the… snake," the girl chanted. "Find the snake… Find the snake… Chyornokrov."
Aurora's brow furrowed, and just like before, she instinctively raised her hand. She neared the girl's fingers. Would this be the first time she could touch them? Another moment and she'd have her answer.
GWWWWWW
Their hands finally touched, but before she could clasp the girl's palm, she scattered, like ash, and in its place, a warm, bright light filled the chasm of her mind. For an instant, Aurora could have sworn she'd seen wings.
SHHHHAAAAAAAA
"Weather the current, child of the Tempest," was the last thing she heard before waking up.
-------🅰🆂🅷🅵🅸🅴🅻🅳-------
"Calm down, Aleximus!" Aurora heard a voice say. Her eyes fluttered behind the lids.
"She didn't mean it!" another said. She recognized this one as the orange-haired boy she'd stolen a Barnabas from — Alexander.
GRFT!
She screeched, her eyes shooting open with panic. Though she didn't know what to think regarding what stood ahead of her, her first thought before waking up was that she hadn't remembered falling asleep to begin with. That thought led to the memory of being knocked out from behind during her confrontation with the two boys she'd met earlier. But now…
The black haired boy who'd threatened her with a dagger earlier — Aleximus, as she'd heard — was sprawled out on the floor beneath her, his hand over his nose like someone had struck him with a bat. Around him, pleading desperately for him to calm down, were Alexander and another white-haired boy who looked strikingly similar to Aleximus. Aurora faintly remembered seeing the boy in the line outside the Wyvern Ship when she'd robbed them. She figured he must have been the one to knock her out from behind.
What's going on?! She wondered if she'd been kidnapped or worse, and began to feel her body for anything out of place. It was then that she'd noticed her right arm had been pointed in Aleximus's direction. In it, like the tail-end of her dream, was her wand.
She looked from the stick to Aleximus, and then back to the stick.
Did I hit him?
Aleximus glared at her and reached for something at his waist. Alexander jumped on his arm and tied it down, screaming, "Are you insane?! I told you not to take that thing on board the ship!"
Jacender fervently nodded in agreement. "He's right! Remember, the guards still haven't checked us yet!"
"I don't care, you idiots!" Aleximus spat. He let go of his nose and pointed to her. A strong vein formed atop his twitching eye. "I'll kill her!"
Jacender and Alexander spun around to look at her. Aurora looked back at them, wide-eyed and afraid. She climbed far back into the bed until she touched the cushioned headboard. Or at least… what she thought was the headboard.
"Eiee!!!" she yelped, feeling the fur of something small. She barely pulled back her hand before a pair of jaws jutted forward to bite her. She looked down to see a lion cub with red fur staring back at her.
"Leon!" Jace said, his voice stern. "Don't bite people for waking you up!"
The cub growled playfully and jumped off the bed. Aurora didn't allow herself to untense until she was sure it was far away from her. She had a fear of cats, big and small.
"Sorry about that, Aurora," Jace said. The girl's head whipped his way. Jace could see the nervousness painted on her face.
"How… How do you know my name..?"
Jace gestured to her bracelet. "Says it right there. Or was I wrong?"
Aurora quickly hid the ornament with her hand and glared at him. "It's rude to look at people's stuff, you weirdo!"
Aleximus sucked his teeth. "Bold words coming from a thief!" He stood up and shook his head. "I knew we should've taken her wand away, but no, Jace wanted to be nice."
Alexander combed his hair and flashed her a white grin. "That's a given, right, Jace? When dealing with a pretty girl, you've gotta have style! That's what my friend Riz always said!"
Jacender grimaced at the words and approached the bed. "Could you put that down, please?" His chin was wagging towards the wand in her hand. "We don't want to get into any more trouble, Aurora."
A hint of red flashed in Aurora's cheeks. "Stop saying my name like that!"
"Like what?"
"All comfortable-like!" she spat. "It's weird! Weirdo!"
She surveyed the room: 400 feet of golden-black tiles with a small desk in the front of the bed. To her left, she made out a small living room area. To her right stood a full-wall window that stretched from floor to ceiling. She could see the handlers pulling away the large pipes connecting the airship to the terminal port. They steamed as they were removed.
Across from the living room stood a bathroom, and adjacent to that was the door. She considered making a break for it right then. She looked at Jace. "Why did you guys take me? Why didn't you report me and leave it there? Are you gonna do something to me?"
Blood came down Alexander's left nostril. "How forward…" he said stiffly. "But we'd never, my lady."
Aleximus slapped the back of his head. "Then why are you blushing?"
Jace came to the edge of the bed, his blue eyes boring into her golden-black irises. He found a sudden interest in her hair. "We paid for your ticket," he said. "The Barnabas is in your robe. We're already in enough trouble as it is without adding you to it." He gave her a friendly smile and inclined his head toward her breast pocket.
Aurora used her free hand to check for it. She felt the rough edges of the Barnabas and knew then that he was telling the truth. Slowly, she lowered her wand.
"Why are you going to Pendragon?" she asked. Aleximus's eyes narrowed.
"That's a weird question. Shouldn't you be saying thank you?" When Aurora didn't respond, he hit her with a question of his own: "Why are you going to Pendragon?"
He noticed the tightness in Aurora's gaze as she looked down, refusing to answer. Jace waited for a moment and then scratched his head. "Forget it then. It's not our business, right?"
Aurora stared at him in silence.
"Say," Jace smiled. "You might be the first girl we've met since we left home." He looked closer at her head. "Your hair is cool, too."
The redness in her cheeks flushed ever hotter. She'd never gotten that compliment from a boy her own age before. To hear it so brazen and in such a pure way…
"Who asked you?" she mumbled. She covered the purple strand of hair and furrowed her brow. "You don't know anything about me."
It's weird… My dream… She glanced from Jace to Aleximus, and then to Alexander. It's never changed like that before, she thought. Was it because of them? Did they have something to do with my augury?
"Your names," she said sharply, "what are they?"
Aleximus didn't respond. He merely crossed his arms and took a seat at the table in front of them, crossing his arms and looking out into the window. So Jacender took it upon himself to answer instead. "I'm Jacender — Jace for short. That's my brother Aleximus."
Aurora blinked. "You don't have a last name?"
Jace could feel Aleximus's cold stare bearing down on his neck. Though neither of them fully knew why, Uncle Matsuda and Nahasch had both warned them against telling others their last name — at least until they met with whoever Malik was.
Jace let out a dry chuckle. "Can't say, haha…" She rolled her eyes and glanced at Alexander.
"And you?"
Alex proudly puffed out his chest and made a heart with his hands. "I'm Alexander — Alex for short, my lady!" Aurora's blood chilled at his attempt at flirting. She shook the feeling off and pressed forward with another question:
"No last name?"
Alexander's posture stiffened. Jacender swore he saw pools of sweat rushing down the boy's nape. "Uh… Afraid not," Alex forced a laugh.
"He won't tell us either," Jace revealed. "Says we'd shake in fear if we knew."
I doubt it, Aurora grumbled. But if that's the case, then that means they've just recently met. So my augury had to have changed because of the twins!
"How about you, Aurora?" Jace asked. Just like they all did, she too froze up, her expression giving her away even worse than the rest of them. She recalled her dream from just minutes ago.
"Weather the current, child of the Tempest."
Her fingers tightened hard around her wand. "I don't want to say."
Jacender let out a loud laugh. "Guess we're all in the same boat!"
"—Tell me," Aurora interrupted suddenly. "Are either of you from Nazareth?"
Aleximus turned to her and tilted his head, as though he hadn't heard right. "Nazareth?" He thought back a few hours to the carriage. Damien had said something about that, didn't he?
"Nice joke! Who doesn't know about Nazareth?" he'd said. Aleximus hadn't followed up on it so as not to get caught, but it seemed more important than he thought.
Jacender opened his mouth, forgetting for a moment that they weren't supposed to let anything slip regarding where they came from. "No, we—"
"CANT SAY!" Aleximus shot loudly over him. He gave Jace a stern look and then turned back to Aurora. "Why do you ask?"
Aurora hung her head in disappointment. "Guess not… I thought you two might be related to a Seer or something, but I was wrong."
"A Seer?" Alex asked. A strange look came over him. "Why would you need one of those? Unless…" He rushed forward to the edge of the bed, just as Jace did, a huge grin coming over his face. "Did you get an augury?!"
Augury? Aleximus wondered.
Aurora nodded solemnly. "It started when I was four — the visions. They always come when I'm asleep or unconscious. Though I heard that it's the same for most people who get them."
"So what kind of prophecy did you get?" Alexander asked. "I heard tons of people in Nazareth and outlying Mongol tribes have gotten them! Some are really boring, but others sometimes give you a hint about your future! Which did you get?"
Aurora was unsure if she wanted to share any more, but before she could even make up her mind, a loud buzz came from overhead, turning all of their heads.
"DEAR PASSENGERS, FINAL BOARDING FOR THE ST. ROSEBURY HAS BEEN COMPLETED. I REPEAT, ALL BOARDING FOR THE ST. ROSEBURY HAS BEEN COMPLETED."
Aurora's eyes darted to the window. The sun was nearly gone behind the mountain pass. Streetlights were beginning to flicker on in the town below.
"AVIATOR BODIL AND THE CREW INVITE ALL PASSENGERS TO OBSERVE TAKE OFF FROM THE OBSERVATION DECK. PLEASE COME DOWN FROM YOUR ROOMS AND FOLLOW THE SIGNS TOWARDS THE DRAGON-DOME SPECULUM ON FLOOR FIVE. TAKE OFF IS IN FIVE MINUTES. AS ALWAYS, WE THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING ORMR AIRLINES AS YOUR PREFERRED METHOD OF TRAVEL."
Leon brushed Jace's leg and nipped gently. He wanted to see take off, too. "I know, boy!" Jace grinned. "Our first take off! Isn't that exciting?"
They rubbed noses.
A childlike curiosity played on Aurora's face. "You mean… you've never been on a Wyvern Ship either?"
"Nope," Jace said. "Let's go see it together! I think I saw that observation deck place earlier when we were bringing you up!"
Aurora blushed again. "W-weirdo! You think you can just tell me where to go and I'll go? I barely know you!"
"So you don't want to?" Jace asked.
Aurora turned redder. "I… never said that."
Jace jumped over the bed and grabbed her hand. "Well, then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Aurora's pace quickened as she tried to keep up. "W-Wait, Jacender!"
FSSH!
The door opened, and just like that, they were gone into the hallway. Leon bolted out of the room, following them.
"Hey!" Alex called with a smile. "Wait for us!"
He made his way to the door, then stopped. "What are you waiting for, spike-head?" He glanced at Aleximus with a sour face. "Don't tell me you still don't trust her!"
Aleximus stood, approached the bed, and scoffed. He looked down at the small wand Aurora had left behind. "You say that like I trust you."
Alexander scoffed, too. "What's there not to trust. A knight is the definition of trustworthy!"
Aleximus picked up the wand and pocketed it. "She left this here. She's either an idiot, ridiculously strong without it, or really doesn't have bad intentions. She can't control her powers, so I doubt she's really strong. The other two seem way more likely."
"You sure have a silver tongue, don't you, you bully," Alex muttered.
"I heard that," Aleximus said as he walked past him. "In any case, you shouldn't take it personally. Jace may be nicer, but even he isn't always naive. And I may have been on edge since we got here, but I can tell you right now…"
A darkness circled in his eyes as he glanced back at him. "...I don't trust anyone who isn't my brother."
He walked through the door, his hands shoved in his pockets, and saw Jacender and Aurora in the distance.
"Now are you coming, or what?"
[TAKE OFF]