Chapter 7

Loyalties

"Regular Talking"
:Telepathic:
Flashback

Author's Note: Good Luck to all countries in the Olympics! Readers: I have caught up to all that I have written so far. I hope to have another chapter up for this next weekend, but it may take a little longer, so please bear with me. It took me all day today writing, rewriting, and editing this chapter until I was happy with it. Please enjoy and review at the end!

"The saddest thing in the world, is loving someone who used to love you."-Anonymous

…2 Years Later…

Toma observed from inside the as Celiane and Apollonius went against one another. Apollonius was armed with his sword that he had and Celiane had a dagger.

Toma had been against Apollonius' wish to allow Celiane more freedoms after such a short amount of time. Toma knew he could take care of himself, but the very fact that the wingless one should be allowed anymore freedom than she already had been.

The anger he had felt when Apollonius had first started teaching the wingless one swordplay. His anger was immeasurable.

Toma had been watching Apollonius from afar as he approached the wingless one tending to the flowers….

Celiane settled back on the balls of her feet and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

She gazed around at the flowers surrounding the path that she stood upon despite the skeletons surrounding her in and amongst the flowers. His garden was filled with white roses and it was the one place that the wingless one appeared to like to work in because the other Shadow angels rarely came.

:Celiane: She and Toma turned their gazes toward Apollonius.

She stood and greeted him with a polite bow, "Good day Apollonius."

Apollonius nodded in return. :There is no need to be so formal with me when we are alone, Celiane:

Toma frowned at his casualness around the wingless one. She flashed a grateful smile back at him and turned back to the roses she had been tending to when he had arrived. "What can I help you with?"

Apollonius placed a hand on her shoulder and another under her arm. He gently applied pressure signaling she should stand.

:I was curious to know if you would like to help me pass the time with a sparring match?:

She turned to face him surprised. "Really?"

He gave a nod in return. Celiane's surprised face lifted with excitement. "I'd love to!"

:Then come: he gestured for her to walk with him :Friend:

She halted mid-step unaware that Toma was bristling with anger.

Apollonius had gone on ahead a few feet and looked over his shoulder at her.

:Coming?:

"Uh, yeah...Yeah, I'm coming!"

Outside in a crumbling coliseum Celiane held the short sword strangely in her hands. To Toma's experienced eyes it didn't appear as though the wingless one had ever handled a sword before.

"Apollonius, there is one little problem with this..." she caught his gaze with her own. "I've never learned how to use a sword..."

:So you've only ever used a spear in battle before?:

"Yeah."

:Well then, I shall remedy this. Come: he glided to her side. Toma's anger flared into an overwhelming aura around him. He took her hands and placed them side by side on the leather wrapped grip between the pommel and cross guard. :Have a firm but relaxed grip here. Now try an overhand cut:

He stood back giving her space. She tested the balance of the blade first, then raised the blade above her head to slice back down in an overhand cut. With the full force of the downward stroke she stumbled forward regaining her balance by catching the tip of the sword in the dirt in front of her.

"I'm definitely not balanced for that!" she exclaimed.

:It should be fine...Unless...: His eyes traveled to her legs and feet :How do you place your feet when you are using your spear? Are they together like they are now? Or do you spread them apart?:

Celiane rolled her eyes and huffed. "Right, the stance. Why didn't I think of that before?"

She spread her feet apart about shoulder width with one foot slightly forward and the other back with bent knees. She swung the sword up above her head once again and sliced downwards, this time with a clean cut and no stumbling or becoming unbalanced.

:Much better: Apollonius praised.

Toma's hands clenched into fists at his sides. :Why? Why does he give the wingless one such kindness? Why does he grant her such freedoms?:

Since then Toma had taken to quietly observing the interactions between the two.

The two continued their sparring match and Toma dissipated the image from the observation mirror. Nothing more was going to happen at the moment.

Scorpius stood in front of the passenger seat of the armored vehicle that one of his fathers soldiers was currently driving.

The vehicle hit every bump jarring his knees and body, but he paid no attention to the pain intent on their destination. His search parties had finally found what he had been looking for. All the time spent at his father's castle going on in life and waiting for the results of what his father and so many others had told him was a futile search.

The results were just up ahead according to the coordinates of where the search team spotted them. The anxiousness he had been feeling before had tripled in might while traveling.

If his team was right, then he would have Celiane back with him once again… however he was not looking forward to telling her about that day…

Scorpius pushed the rice grains around his plate chasing them, but never going in to capture them.

"...Scorpius...Scorpius! What has gotten into you?" his father's voice broke his train of thought.

He rose and bowed politely. "My apologies Father. I hadn't realized that I had become so distracted tonight. May I be excused for tonight?"

"Go," he waved his hand. "It's obvious that you aren't going to be any kind of company while you are this distracted."

Scorpius nodded and left the room.

His father was right. He had been distracted.

Before any of this had happened.

Before the attacks.

Before losing friends to the abominable Shadow Angels.

Before losing Celiane...

He would have allowed himself to become distracted. Now there was no excuse for distractions.

It was either kill or be killed and he intended to be the killer rather than the corpse.

He halted his path as he passed a window and gazed out upon the city surrounded by steep cliffs. The golden city was pocketed in a canyon easily concealed had the city not been so bright. He placed his hand upon the glass gazing out at those walking along the paths above and below the buildings.

He narrowed his eyes when he spotted the familiar brown swath of hair that belonged to the one Celiane had rescued, her lover David. He appeared to be chatting with a couple of girls...no not chatting...flirting.

"That bastard," he muttered angrily under his breath. Scorpius stormed down the hall.

"Hey sweetheart. Want to go get a drink?"

She graced him with a seductive smile. "Well, you appear to be a gentlemen. I'd be happy to take up your offer."

The man held out his arm triumphantly. She gently placed her arm upon his with another smile.

The man was suddenly swept off his feet and sent flying backwards. The woman's happiness was transformed into shock as she looked in the opposite direction that the man had gone flying to see the Duke's son.

"I-is there a problem, my Lord?" she stuttered out fearfully.

David pushed himself up with one hand while rubbing the back of his head with the other.

His eyes were riddled with annoyance and hate. His hands were clenched at his sides in tight fists. His entire body posture was so tense he looked like a rubber band ready to snap at the slightest touch. .

"You BASTARD! Celiane spent all these years worrying over a conniving, cheating, disloyal BASTARD!" Scorpius heard whimpering to the side and turned his glare onto the poor girl who had come to be the innocent victim. "Leave us!"

The girl whimpered in fear of the young lord. She frantically nodded and bolted. She would put as much distance between them as was physically possible. Scorpius turned his loathing gaze back upon the man.

"David. Don't you understand what she went through? Don't you understand that she still loves you? Don't you understand any of this? Or has your brain become so addled by your time with the Shadow Angel's that you can't make any sense of the world anymore."

David looked up at Scorpius scowling at the Dukes son. "Look Scorpius, I'm grateful an all for the help, but I really just want to find the peace. The peace that I felt. The love. The happiness. The warmth." A dazed and dreaming look crossed over onto David's face, "All those lovely feelings. I've never felt anything like it before..."

Scorpius stared at David astonished. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. This was the man Celiane had spent all these years searching for and now he didn't care about that...not even once did it phase him. Scorpius' astonishment turned into disgust.

"I can't believe you..." Scorpius turned away from David. "You disgust me."

Scorpius left David sitting on the ground with an unfocused look.

He made it back to the front doors of the castle before he reached up to wipe away the tear that had slid down his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Celiane." Scorpio fell back against the closest wall wrapping his arms around his trembling body and staring down at his feet. "I just don't know how to reach him... or you for that matter…Everything is slipping away."

"Sir."

Scorpius brushed back his hair with one hand bringing himself back to the present.

"Yes?"

"Sir, we will be arriving at the coordinates in a few minutes."

"Alright. Are all the teams ready?" Scorpius asked.

The soldier nodded, "Yes, sir."

"Send the scouting team ahead to determine where she is. Once they have her exact whereabouts, then have the other teams split up and surround the area she is in. If there are any Shadow Angels, then fight for the kill. Is that understood?"

The soldier gave a curt nod and began passing along the instructions giving each team their job.

A vehicle alongside them pulled ahead speeding onward while the other vehicles including the one he was in slowed to a stop pulling off to the side where a small clump of trees were spread out creating a small amount of cover.

Scorpius waited alongside his team until finally a crackling on the radio got their attention.

"We've found the target. There are two shadow angels here. One is a small puppy with wings. It doesn't appear to be much of a threat, however the other one is a male Shadow Angel. He has flaming red hair and is wielding a large broadsword. The two appear to be sparring."

Scorpius frowned, "Sparring? Are you sure she isn't resisting and trying to escape?"

"Positive sir. There doesn't appear to be any ill will in her attacks. Hold on…They have stopped sparring and appear to be talking now. The Angel dog is flying over to Celiane and she has allowed it to land in her arms. She is currently petting it and talking to the Shadow Angel..."

"Enough," Scorpius commanded. "All teams move in! We are taking this Shadow Angel down and bringing Celiane home."

"Yes, sir!" all the soldiers answered.

The drivers all started up their vehicles engine around them and took off for their positions around the area. As they approached crumbling walls came into view. The vehicles on either side of Scorpius split off from the center group to travel around either direction.

As the vehicle Scorpius was in slid to a halt, he leaped out of the vehicle drawing his blade at the same time to land crouched and ready to spring into action.

Apollonius stood across from Celiane. Celiane stood strongly with her short sword in hand panting from exertion of attempting to catch him off guard and win their sparring match.

She charged forward once again to slash at him.

He moved to the side with minimal movement except a turn of his head.

Celiane planted her left foot and spun around on it using the momentum from her charge. She charged once more this time sliding to a halt next to Apollonius and striking out at his side. He caught the short sword with his own holding it there calmly. They pushed away from each other with their blades held out in front of them.

She attacked once more this time striking again and again trying to break through his guard. Apollonius calmly blocked each strike until he finally locked their blades together and gave Celiane a small smile.

:You've gotten better, Celiane:

Celiane smiled in return, pushing away from his blade.

A flutter of wings and a small quiet bark interrupted them as Pollon drifted into Celiane's arms and gave her a lick on the cheek.

"Hello to you too Pollon," Celiane greeted scratching his head.

Pollon's friendly greeting changed to a growl. Pollon jumped out of Celiane's arms and faced one of the columns broken in half.

Celiane looked at the column in confusion moving to Pollon's side in an attempt to calm him. "What's wrong Pollon?"

Apollonius placed a hand on her shoulder.

:Easy, Pollon: Apollonius shifted his attention away from the Shadow Angel Dog :Reveal yourself Wingless one:

The three watched as a figure moved out from behind the shadow of the column.

"Scorpius!" Celiane gasped.

Scorpius smiled, "Celiane, I've finally found you."

He moved farther out into the open with his sword raised in front of him. He eyed Apollonius standing just behind her.

:If you wish to attack, Wingless One, then do so:

Scorpius frowned. "So are you able to read minds, as well then?"

Apollonius answered by raising his own sword and pushing Celiane behind him. Celiane quietly moved back.

"Scorpius, please! I ask that you honor the bargain I made with Apollonius."

Scorpius shook his head. "I have spent the last two years searching for you. I will not let you disappear again just because these Bastards tricked you into staying!"

A hand grabbed her wrist from behind yanking her back. She reacted instantly thrusting her short sword around and behind her stabbing into flesh.

"Celiane! Don't fight them! They can take you far away from here!" Scorpius cried out to her.

Celiane turned to face the soldiers breaking cover behind her. "I already told you Scorpius! I will honor my word to Apollonius!"

"Please come with us Miss," a soldier requested.

Celiane raised her blade to the soldiers.

:Wait, Celiane. If they are willing to put up this fight and you wish to go with them, then I will allow you to do so:

Celiane glanced back at Apollonius. "You would let me go?"

"That doesn't mean we will let you go off on your merry way you Shadow Angel Bastard!" Scorpius snapped.

With his sword raised overhead he charged forward. The blade was stopped with a resounding clang.

Scorpius pressed down with all his strength. He stopped when he registered who was standing in front of him as his opponent.

"Celiane!" He pulled back in surprise.

"Scorpius, quit this ridiculousness. Apollonius has already said he would allow me to return. Besides Apollonius has been nothing, but kind and courteous to me. Apollonius is a friend!"