Long-ish chapter this one. I hope you enjoy it. Review guys, it would be much appreciated.
Chapter Twenty-Six
After a long needed shower and meal, I am waiting for The Dark Ace in the small private dining room just down the hall from the Throne room.
"We will begin your training now. Come," he says brusquely. I stand up and follow him out into the training yard. It's nearly empty except for a few Talons bludging about. The sun is low in the sky, so I'm guessing it is late in the afternoon. We walk to the far right corner of the training yard.
"We'll start with the basics," he states.
"I know how to fight. Sky Knight, remember?" I say pointing to myself.
"I'm aware of that," he replies sighing, "This is Talon training. You've never battled a Sky Knight. They are predictable, but shifty. You need to be able to tell when they're about to use their signature attack; that can sometimes be quite devastating, depending on their level of concentration at the time."
"It can't be that hard," I say, rather childishly.
"You wonder why so many lower ranking Talons get defeated? Because they have the same attitude as you," he growls, apparently annoyed.
Shut up Phoenix, just listen to him.
"It's easy enough for you to defeat anyone who crosses your path."
"I know how to fight. Dark Ace, remember?" he says pointing to himself as I did earlier.
"Fair point."
"We will be practicing with these," he says as he throws me two pieces of wood, resembling energy blades. He picks up a wooden sword for himself. I give him a questioning glance.
"So one of us doesn't end up in the hospital bay. I don't underestimate your powers or skills, little Birdie. I would prefer to leave this training session in one piece."
He actually said that? I'm flattered, Talon.
"Um, thanks. Do you have any pointers?" I ask, taking the opportunity.
"Not at this point. We will battle as we would if you were fighting me any other time," Dark Ace replies.
"Ok. Shall we start?"
"Yes. Assume battle stance," he commands. I do as I'm told and take up my Battle stance, my 'blades' at the ready, "On the count of three. Don't hold back. Just because you're a woman, doesn't mean I am going to go easy on you."
Yeah I already know that, Talon, you made it quite clear the first week I was here. "I've no intentions of holding back," I say, narrowing my eyes. Maybe I can crush his windpipe with these.
"Good. One."
I ready the wooden blades.
"Two."
Get on with it Talon!
"Three."
I lunge forward quickly, aiming for his torso. Dark Ace blocks my attack and counters, swinging for my left leg. I jump out of the way, swinging around to bring my blade upon his back. Failure. His lightning fast reflexes allow him to block just before I make contact. With both of his hands occupying the wooden sword, blocking my two smaller wooden blades, he leaves himself open for an attack. I take the opportunity and jab at his stomach, successfully hitting him. He steps back, obviously winded.
"Good form," he breathes, still winded, "Again. This time, defensive only."
"Understood," I reply. There's no way that would happen in a real battle with him, he must be going easy on me.
This time he's the one to make the first move. He lunges towards me. I block without hesitation. Lunge, block, lunge block. This goes on for at least half an hour.
"Enough. I think that concludes your training for today. You did better than I expected. Being in that cell hasn't weakened your spirit."
"Another two days and I wouldn't have a spirit," I reply, shuddering at the thought of that confinement.
"Well you're out now. The master has informed me that you are my responsibility."
"It could be worse," I shrug at him.
"That means, wherever I go, you must follow and vice versa. I have to keep both eyes on you at all times, report on your progress. I hope you don't hate me too much, because you're going to have to spend all of your time in my presence."
"I can handle that. I don't think I hate you as much as I did about a week ago. It doesn't mean I want to be your friend, but you let me out of that cell. I am completely thankful to you for that." And I might be able to learn a thing or two about you, which will make it easier for me to kill you later.
"Good. I'll show you the sleeping quarters. You get a room to yourself. If any Talons bother you, you have my permission to hurt them as much as you wish, Just don't kill them," he says.
"Understood," I reply.
"Come," he commands. He turns to walk and I follow him.
We reach the sleeping quarters; the room is drab and grey. There is a double bed in the far right corner and a small desk on the opposite side. It's not much, but it's a lot more comforting than a Cyclonian prison cell.
"This will be your room until you go through the initiation process of becoming a Talon Commander. I will be in the room opposite." A quick flash of annoyance crosses his face when he says he will be in the room opposite.
I want to make a smartass remark about him not sleeping in luxury because of me, but hold my tongue, knowing full well that I do not want to cross this man when he is irritated, especially in my condition at the moment.
"When do I get my energy blades back?" I ask.
"When the master sees fit. I don't know when that will be. If you're lucky you will get them back during your initiation."
"I guess that's fair," I say with a sigh.
"Oh, and always remember to lock your door at night. Most of these men haven't had the touch of a woman for a very long time and they wouldn't think twice about hurting you."
"I thought you were to be around twenty-four-seven?"
"I have a key, should I need to enter here."
"Who's to say that you're not like the other men around here?" I raise an eyebrow at him.
"I may be evil, but having my way with women against their will doesn't quite float my boat, Phoenix," Dark Ace says, appearing to be stung by such an accusation.
"Just making sure," I say holding my hands up semi-apologetically.
"You should rest. We will be doing a full day of training tomorrow, and I think that I'm right in assuming you have not slept properly since being here."
I walk over to the bed and sit down, removing my shoes and socks. I look out the tiny window and see the sun setting, silhouetting the towers of Cyclonia.
"I'll be turning in now, if you've everything you need?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Goodnight."
"Sleep well. Remember, full day training tomorrow. I want you to be well rested."
"Don't worry, I fully intend to get as much sleep as possible," I reply.
"Lock this door as soon as I'm out, Phoenix," he demands sternly, a hint of something like protectiveness hanging and lingering in his tone for a quick moment.
"I will. See you in the morning," I reply sleepily, wanting him out of here.
He turns and walks out the door, closing it behind him. I make sure it is locked, and then climb into bed.
This is definitely more comfortable than a prison cot, I think to myself. Slowly, I drift off to sleep; silently thanking the man I hate the most for freeing me.
I awake with a start, sitting bolt upright.
Stupid dream.
It is still dark outside. I blink in the obscurity, trying to see. There's a sound coming from outside my door. I jump out of bed, creeping slowly to the sound. I feel helpless without my weapons; I have to use my Energy Casting, but my powers have diminished from not using them for so long. A weak aura surrounds me, lighting up the room ever so slightly. I stand in the middle of the room, just as my door swings open. I'm about to blast whoever it is, when they talk.
"Oh good, you're awake," says the Dark Ace as he strides into my room, looking fresh and ready for the day.
"Oh, it's just you," I reply, letting out a semi-relieved sigh.
"Yes, who else were you expecting?"
"Well, I heard noises outside my door, I got startled," I reply feeling a little embarrassed. I let my Aura dissipate and we stand in silence for a moment.
"Come. You will eat breakfast and get ready for training."
He makes to leave the room, I follow.
After breakfast, we are heading once more to the training field. The sun has only just begun to rise when we reach the far corner.
"You went easy on me yesterday when you said you wouldn't. Why?" I ask, breaking the silence.
"Indeed, I did go easy on you," he mutters, glancing down at me briefly, "I just needed to know how much strength you had, I didn't want you holding back."
"How considerate of you," I mumble.
"You seem to have gained a fraction of you strength back overnight," Dark Ace states, eyeing me.
"It's amazing what a good night's sleep can do," I reply, bending down to pick up the wooden training blades from the crate, also throwing Dark Ace the sword. Catching it, he walks closer and kicks the crate out of the way and I take up my stance.
"You need to regain all of your strength, fast. So here is what we are going to do." He pauses for a moment to stretch out, cracking his neck slightly. "Each training session will become more intense, but I won't push you over your limit. You will need to fight fiercely, with speed and above all else, without mercy. Therefore, every time we are out here, we are enemies, you will have to ground me, make me yield. If you cannot manage to beat me each day then you are not recovering fast enough. I expect you to be able to defeat me at the end of your training when I am holding nothing back; if you cannot do that then you have no chance of becoming a Talon Commander. Clear?"
I nod in reply, my still sleepy brain trying to process all his words.
Beat him: got it.
No mercy: done.
"Assume offensive battle stance, you will be attacking first to wear yourself down; I need to know how much you can take before I begin fighting back."
I nod again, switching my stance to offensive. On his signal, I lunge forward, swinging my left blade to distract him, and then jabbing with my right one. Unsurprisingly, he sees right through my distraction technique and blocks with easy grace, raising the wooden sword in time, just before my right blade makes contact with his underjaw. I swing up with my left blade, knocking his sword out of my way. He leans back just as my blade touches him, and smirks.
Gritting my teeth, I continue slashing and thrusting, occasionally spinning around to take a shot at his back. I just cannot seem to land one attack, which frustrates me immensely. Dark Ace only infuriates me more by mocking me with that stupid smirk every time he counters.
Screw this! Taking him completely off guard, I kick out; my foot connects with his sternum, knocking him off his feet and nearly sends the wooden sword flying from his hand. Before he can get to his feet, I step over him, kick the sword away and press my right blade to his windpipe, kneeling with one knee on his chest.
"Yield," I growl from the back of my throat, willing myself not to crush his windpipe right here.
He stays put for a moment, a sly grin playing about his lips before he sighs, and bridges, pushing me off him, and pinning me, somehow grabbing the sword in the process and holding it to my throat.
"You will need to try better than that, little Birdie," he breaths, his warm, sweet breath washing over my face. I try not to gag, and attempt to push him off me, but he won't budge. I can feel most of his body weight pressing me into the dirty ground, my chest rising and falling rapidly. This is too close, far too close for him to be near me.
"Get off me," I whisper. My voice comes out sounding husky and ragged without my meaning to, and I am shocked at the tone. I take a deep breath and swallow hard, scowling at his returning smirk.
"You're getting carried away, we are not to battle properly until you have worn yourself down," he drawls, staring down at me.
"Get off of me," I say again, my voice still husky.
"Are you going to behave, little Birdie?" he asks rather condescendingly.
I glare back at him, my breathing becoming rapid and my heart pounding against my ribcage. Why is my body reacting to him this way? I hold no attraction for him at all. I just hope he doesn't notice.
I have to part my lips to accommodate my already rapid breathing, and not only do I just catch his scent, but I can taste him on my tongue - a sweet and bitter taste that clouds my mind. I turn my head away, into the dirt, and inhale the scent of the earth, blocking out the enthralling smell of Dark Ace. My senses return and I concentrate my energy on the parts of my body where Dark Ace is making contact. A weak fiery-orange aura pulses out slightly and I project my energy onto him, burning him. He jumps up lightning fast and scowls at me, patting himself down – checking for a trace of flames probably. I jump up off the ground, with the help of my energy, and brush myself off, keeping my eyes trained on Dark Ace, my expression glacial.
"I would appreciate it if you kept yourself off of me," I hiss venomously, wiping the dirt from my face before gathering up the wooden training blades and throwing them back in the crate.
"What are you doing?" Dark Ace asks, cocking an eyebrow at the crate.
"What does it look like? I'm packing up, training is finished for today," I declare, shooting him another death stare.
"I don't think so, little Birdie," he says quietly, calmly.
"Don't you? Well that's just too bad, because I'm finished for the day," I retort.
"Training is over when I say it is over," he snarls, taking a few steps towards me.
Instinctively, I take a step back, but continue my piercing gaze into his eyes. "What makes you think that I'm going to follow your orders and be your puppet, Dark Ace?"
"Because that is what is happening, you are my puppet, and I, your master. You will do as you are told, no questions," he states, becoming irritated.
I narrow my eyes at him and inhale sharply through my nose before replying. "I am quite sure that delusions of grandeur are a sign of bipolar or schizophrenia. You should get yourself checked out. You are most certainly not my master, and I shall not do your bidding without question. One day, I will take your place; Cyclonis will throw you out like yesterday's trash. You will be a nobody, Ace," I breath defiantly, watching as his eyes turn to molten lava, looking like they want to burn a hole straight through me.
"Try me, girl. I can always kill you and make it look like a tragic accident. I dare you to keep using that insolent tongue," he growls, his voice appearing calm, but I can detect the threat in his silky tone.
"Do not talk to me as if I am an insolent youth then, puppet master," I reply, my voice as equally silky and deadly as his.
I see the corners of his mouth twitch, and his gaze softens slightly. Shaking my head, I continue to stare icily, waiting for him to say something. The silence stretches on between us, and we continue to stare each other down, not moving or speaking, just staring.
Finally, after what seems like an hour of standing here, Dark Ace talks. "You are going to make a great Talon, little Birdie. The fact that you just will not back down from me…No man has the balls to do what you do, or say to me. I do not necessarily want to admit it, but your determination and stubbornness is almost to be admired - although, most would say it is stupid to even think about standing up to one such as myself. You are one stupidly brave woman. Now we need to get back to training."
What? First he threatens to kill me, and then he compliments me for standing my ground? Okay, he is definitely bipolar.
"What are you waiting for? Pick up your weapons." He points to the crate and I roll my eyes, bending down and taking out the wooden energy blades again.
"I made you yield, why should we continue training today?" I ask testily.
"But you did not defeat me. As I recall, I had you at quite a disadvantage. I think you are worn down enough. Let's see if you can bring me down when I am fighting back."
"I've done it before," I mutter, remembering the first and only battle I fought against him with The Storm Hawks.
"That was merely a technicality, I would have killed you if the master didn't want you alive," Dark Ace replies, narrowing his eyes.
"I would have killed you if I wasn't following Aerrow's orders at the time, Talon," I hiss back.
"Are you constantly going to try and one up me every time?" he asks, rolling his eyes.
I say nothing, words will get me nowhere with this idiot. Readying my wooden blades, I inhale slowly, waiting for Dark Ace to get on with it.
Why full day training? I can barely stand half an hour of this disgusting man.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes at myself – I have got to stop this childishness.
Okay, The Dark Ace – I hate him, yes, but I have to put all those feelings aside for a little while, just until I can kill him and get the hell out of here.
Taking up my stance, I wait for Dark Ace to make the first move, taking note of his stance, any sign of facial expressions and every twitch of a muscle. He lunges and I counter, knocking the wooden sword away from me and thrusting with my right wooden blade.
Hours have passed; bruises have occurred and on more than one occasion, I have found myself struck dumb by the pure skill and grace with which Dark Ace handles his weapon. It's too bad that he chose this life over that of one with pure heart. What ever happened to make him this way? There is no longer a question about it, I must find out why he is the way he is. Maybe I can bring this obscured man into the light.
"Focus, little Birdie!" Dark Ace scolds, snapping me out of my reverie just in time to block the downward slash he is executing.
At least my reflexes are still good. My heart is pounding hard; I don't think I can keep this up for much longer. I am guessing the time is around noon, so I am just going to have to either beg for mercy or knock this bastard off his feet now. I decide with the latter.
I begin sidestepping, Dark Ace watching me carefully, no doubt aware of my plan. We circle each other, keeping it tight. With a sudden rush of energy and a flash, I am swiping my wooden blades all over the place, with deadly quick precision, knocking his sword away each time he attempts to block or counter. With the help of my Energy Casting, I am able to overpower him, but only just. When I feel my sudden burst of energy diminishing, I take the opportunity to sweep my leg under Dark Ace, knocking his feet from under him. Without hesitation, I kick his wooden sword away, and kneel over him – my legs either side of his midsection – and place my right blade at his throat. I notice the familiar look in his eye, and realize his plan. Just as he tried to bridge, I twist my body and bring my left blade down upon his knee cap, causing him to let out a pained hiss.
"Not this time, Talon," I growl form the back of my throat.
He makes a low agitated growl in the back of his throat, and stares up at me, his eyes burning into my skin. I am aware of my chest rising and falling rapidly as I take small short breaths through my barely open mouth. I blink a few times and press the blade firmly against his throat.
"Yield," I breathe, my voice doing that weird husky, velvet thing again. I clear my throat and glare at Dark Ace, who seems to have laughter dancing behind his eyes. "Yield," I repeat, forcing my tone to sound authoritive and cold.
"It appears you have won," he states, a look of admiration flitting across his face.
"It would appear so," I reply in a small voice.
Our eyes are locked, glaring at each other, and for a second I forget that I have him pinned beneath me.
"You going to let me up any time soon, little Birdie?" he asks, an amused expression upon his face.
Before I can reply, there is a voice calling from somewhere across the training yard.
"Looks like the Commander is finally getting some!" a Talon yells, and a few others roil with laughter.
I turn my upper body to the right and spot the Talon and his chums, all pointing and laughing. Without as much as a thought, I send a blast of energy towards them, knocking every one of them onto the ground, curled up in pain. I stand up off The Dark Ace, and smooth my hands over my clothes, brushing off some dirt before offering my hand to Dark Ace and helping him to his feet.
He nods his head in a gesture of thanks and turns to the injured Talons, still curled on the ground. He gestures for me to follow him, and begins to stride over to them. Barely halfway across the yard, we reach them and Dark Ace laughs down at them.
"Afternoon men. Do you know who this is?" he asks, holding out his hand in my direction.
They are too injured to even reply, so Dark Ace goes on. "This young woman here is going to be my second in command within a few short months. Phoenix here does not take well to rude fools, as you have just experienced. If you wish to stay permanently injured, then by all means, make every sexual joke under the sun that involves her. If you need reminding of who Commands you, I will be happy to jog your memory."
Well, it looks like I have more in common with Dark Ace than I originally thought. It seems he does not like to be the object of crass remarks either.
"We apologize, Commander," one of them chokes out, wincing as the makes to stand.
"I am assigning you all with new duties. You are to clean my hanger bay, along with the public Talon hanger bay, then you are to clean the common dining hall, the kitchen, the bathrooms, and do the housekeeping for the unit to which you belong."
"Yes Sir," they reply in unison.
"Good. And if you give this woman any trouble, it might be the last thing you do. As you just witnessed she defeated me in training only moments ago. Do not cross her," Dark Ace threatens.
I give him a sceptical glance as he orders the Talons away.
"What was that all about?" I ask as we head back to our area of the training yard.
"Talons are quite a disrespectful bunch, I have to keep them in line, and there is no better way to do that than strike the fear of a powerful woman into them," he replies, a sign of amusement on his face.
"I only beat you because you were going easy on me," I mutter, a little more than slightly agitated.
"For most of the day, yes that is true."
"What do you mean?" I ask, placing my hands on my hips.
"It means that, to have any chance of not being injured, I had to fight back without restraint. To put it simply, you beat me completely."
"I don't believe you," I say, narrowing my eyes, waiting for the punch line.
"Believe what you want, it doesn't change the fact that you had me, and in a real battle, I would be dead now," he shrugs nonchalantly.
"You're lying. I know you're just trying to give me some incentive for training," I mutter, annoyed that he is patronizing me like this.
"You are one difficult woman to convince. I just admitted that you could have killed me, and you shrug it off, what more do you want me say?" he asks, clearly exasperated.
I study him for a few moments. He is not lying. Not a trace of a falsehood can be found in either his words or expression. "Does that mean we can stop training now?"
"No, we must continue your preparation. There will be one or two missions Master Cyclonis will send us on for your training. However, I think for today we can call it in," Dark Ace declares.
"You're going easy on me again," I say with an involuntary chuckle in my words. I'm being friendly because he is, I assure myself.
"Don't make me change my mind," he states, raising an eyebrow.
I shut my mouth and we pack up the training blades and kick the crate back to where it belongs before heading back inside.
"Are you hungry?" Dark Ace asks as we approach his private dining room.
I think about his question for a moment, and my stomach grumbles. "Yeah, famished," I reply.
"Good. Lunch time."
He steers me through the door to the dining room and I take a seat at the rustic dark wood table. Dark Ace sits opposite and reaches over to activate a message crystal. He talks into it, but I don't take notice of what he says, I am too interested in the strange carvings that line the edge of the table. My fingers unconsciously stroke some of the symbols and the wood is cool and smooth under my skin. Some of the carvings look eerily familiar, but I can't for the life of me remember where I might have seen them before. I put it down to de-ja vu and continue my examination of the symbols. It surprises me that such a man could own something so beautiful. My fingers continue to run over the symbols, until they hit something in their way. I look up and realize that it is Dark Ace's hand. I pull mine away, instantly going bright red. I catch his gaze and he looks questioningly at me.
"I was just admiring the artwork on here," I mumble, my voice barely above a whisper.
Dark Ace looks away as if nothing happened. Because nothing happened. I shake my head and put my hands in my lap, waiting for the cook to bring our food.
Minutes later, the cook appears and places our food on the table before disappearing again. I pick up my fork and prod the salad – chicken Caesar, I think. I do not start to eat until Dark Ace does, confirming that it is safe. Of course, it tastes delicious. We eat in silence, and when we finish, the silence continues to stretch on until someone comes and clears our plates away.
I sit, fidgeting with my hands in my lap, not sure what to do – do I leave and head back to my room? Do I have to stay here and wait for him to order me to do something?
Clearing my throat, I glance around, my eyes occasionally falling over Dark Ace as he sits patiently. What is he waiting for?
Maybe he's seeing how uncomfortable he can make me.
"So, are we just going to sit in here for the rest of the day, or do you have a plan?" I ask, refusing to give in to his mind games.
"I'm thinking, little Birdie," he replies, not looking at me.
"Well don't hurt yourself, Talon," I mumble. He rolls his eyes and turns to face me.
"I was thinking," He says, pauses and goes on, "About sleeping arrangements. You have quite a smart mouth, and now I am thinking of changing my mind about putting a word in to Master Cyclonis for you. You see, I was going to be kind enough as to move you to the sleeping quarters that shall be yours after your initiation. But apparently, you're quite fond of Talon quarters."
Bastard! Me and my smart mouth, damn it. He is probably just trying to get me to bite. "If I may be excused for my smartass remark, I simply cannot help it, it's a natural reflex when I'm in close proximity to you, Dark Ace," I say, my tone slightly laced acerbity.
"You are really something else, little Birdie. I cannot blame you for having that safety mechanism. I shall put a word in to Master Cyclonis," he ripostes.
I am shocked, why is he just acting so…human? It's freaking me out. "Why are you being so nice to me, I am quite concerned. "
"I'm not being nice, I'm being pragmatic. We will be working together, so it is only smart that we should be at the least on each other's good side. Other than that, I don't particularly care for you," Dark Ace states nonplussed.
I am more than surprised to feel a soupçon upset about his last remark.
Well of course he doesn't care, he's an evil bastard, and you don't necessarily favour him either. The annoying voice is back again. Is that my conscience? Whatever it is, it is right. Squaring my shoulders, I plaster a hollow smile on my face and look directly at him.
"Oh, I wouldn't expect you to. But to be honest, I thought we were becoming great friends," I say, projecting my sarcasm onto him.
He grins and shakes his head. "We'll see. But for now, I'm just your babysitter until you are initiated."
He's considering becoming my friend? Oh this is just too perfect! I cannot wait to see the look in his eye when his only friend betrays him.
So you will do to him what he did to Lightning Strike? That dark voice hisses from the back of my mind.
That would make me exactly like him… Am I already turning into one of them?
I shake my head to rid the thought. Barely three weeks in this dump and I'm already losing my mind. I will never be like him, if he thinks that I am his friend, then I cannot be held accountable. The fine thread of sanity is weaker than I thought, but I will fight to hell and back to keep mine.
"What is going through your head right now, little birdie?" Dark Ace asks, pulling me from my thoughts.
"Oh? Nothing, just…this place. How ever have you kept your sanity in a place like this?" I beseech, furrowing my brows at him.
His shoulders rise with a solitary chuckle, and then he responds. "Keep busy."
"Oh. So no special trick, just keeping busy?"
"Yep, that's about it," he says shrugging.
"Well, I should kiss my sanity goodbye then," I mutter.
"Let's go. I suppose I should report your remarkable progress to Master Cyclonis. She will be pleased."
Dark Ace stands up, his chair scraping across the stone floor. With a sigh, I follow him out of the dining room and down the corridor to the Throne room.
It doesn't take long, and we are walking down the magnificent corridor towards the large double black doors. He reefs them open and ushers me through before closing them behind us. I hesitantly step forward, and Dark Ace sighs, grasping my wrist and pulling me along behind him until we are standing in front of the throne. Cyclonis is nowhere to be seen and I look around, expecting her to appear out of thin air.
"Wait here for a second," Dark Ace says, then walks towards a door to the left side of the throne in the wall behind.
I wait patiently while Dark Ace knocks once and then enters, closing the door behind him. It's not long until he emerges and strides back over to me, taking a spot at my right and standing straight with his hands behind him.
"Master Cyclonis will be with us shortly."
I nod my head in reply and continue to wait, tapping my left foot and blowing out a breath through pursed lips. I glance up to see Dark Ace looking at me out of the corner of his eye and a smirk playing about his lips.
"What so funny?" I ask quietly.
"You, little Birdie. Quite impatient, quite temperamental, quite annoying. The list goes on," he replies, his smirk growing wider.
"I could say the same for you, Talon," I mutter.
Finally I spot Cyclonis heading our way. I straighten up and square my shoulders, looking directly at her.
"Dark Ace. Do we have a problem with Phoenix?" Cyclonis asks, her eyes flickering over me momentarily.
"Not at all, Master. Quite the opposite, actually," Dark Ace replies, without hesitation.
"Oh? What brings you here?"
"Phoenix has displayed remarkable skills, her recovery is phenomenal. She beat me at my full potential just today, although I will continue her training."
"Would you please stop talking about me as if I am not here?" I interject agitatedly. "Yeah, I beat him on my second day of being free from that cell, big whoop, I have advantages. Training will continue, blah, blah, blah. The reason Dark Ace brought me in here is to suggest to you that I may possibly be moved to new sleeping quarters. I agree, one such as myself should not be left to reside with lowly Talons."
Cyclonis raises her eyebrows at me, possibly amused. "Is that right?"
"Indeed, Master Cyclonis, although, Phoenix was rather blunt about it, that was my intention," Dark Ace explains coolly.
Cyclonis regards the both of us for a moment before focusing her gaze solely upon me. "You defeated Dark Ace in your training today?"
"Yes, is it that hard to believe?" I reply.
"Some may believe so. I am impressed with your recovery. To be honest, Phoenix, I was not expecting you to be at your full potential for at least another week or two. You will do fine here." She smiles fiendishly then turns to Dark Ace. "Take dear Phoenix to her new sleeping quarters."
"Yes, Master."
With a quick bow, Dark ace grabs my arm and leads me out of the throne room and back down the corridor.
"Seeing as you will be my second in command, you will be sharing my sleeping quarters," Dark Ace states.
I stop dead in my tracks. "What?" I ask, shocked.
He laughs when he sees my expression. "I have a double suite, two bedrooms," he elaborates, when he is satisfied with my level of horror.
"Oh…good," I mutter, relief more than evident in my tone.
"But only one bathroom, I'm afraid," he says, his eyes alight with humour at my displeasure.
"Wonderful," I mutter petulantly.
We continue walking in silence, our footfalls the only sound. We reach the end of the corridor and turn right, walk down another hall until we reach a flight of stairs. We ascend the stairs and turn left when we reach the landing, walking down yet another long corridor with no visible doors. We reach the very end and are standing in front of two large doors, much like the throne room, but red. Dark Ace produces a key and unlocks them, pushing them open and ushering me inside.
I step in and I'm sure my jaw hits the floor. I have to say that this is damn well luxurious. The bed is the first thing I notice. It is huge, bigger than a king-size. Why would one man need a bed that damn big? It's beautiful, a four-poster with a canopy, all dark rosewood. The posts are carved with exquisite craftsmanship, the canopy has what I would explain as a crown or something and is filled with what appears to be gold. The bedding itself is all black and dark red, and I am assuming silk or something. The curtains are black, and something like gossamer.
My eyes continue to survey the room, spotting a black changing screen, an ornately carved writing desk with a high-backed chair that looks to be bound in red velvet. I see two other doors, one on the right side of the room opposite the bed, the same as the doors we just came through, only smaller. The door on the left side of the room is much, much smaller and a dark-brown colour. I notice a few windows; big arches with thick blackout curtains pulled to each side letting in the light.
"Your room is through here," Dark Ace says and takes hold of my wrist, leading me to the small red double doors and ushering me through.
I step through. The room is nearly as big as Dark Ace's. The bed is the same, only a fraction smaller. I have my own writing desk, and a chair not as impressive as the other but still looks comfortable. A lovely dark-wood wardrobe stands inconspicuously in the far right corner parallel with my bed. There are two bedside tables placed snugly next to each side of the bed, the one on the left with an old looking vase and an illumination crystal sitting in a lamp. The windows and curtains are the same. The only thing that is missing in here is a changing screen, but it's not like I'm going to walk through Dark Ace's bedroom practically naked to get changed.
"So, does this accommodation live up to your Sky Knight standards?" Dark Ace asks pompously.
I turn to him, my eyebrows raised. "You should know better than anyone that Sky Knights don't hold standards for such materialism. I think this is beyond luxury, and to be honest, I feel rather intimidated by it," I explain.
"I expected you would. But it beats those claustrophobic cupboards that you call rooms on the Condor, does it not?"
"I guess," I mumble, scanning the room once more. Please do not bring the Storm Hawks into this conversation, it's hard enough knowing that they may hate me for what I've done, let alone talking about them.
"Out of curiosity, what room did they put you up in on the Condor?" he asks out of the blue.
I eye him suspiciously, but answer him. "Third room down form the Captain's on the left of the hall. Why do you ask?"
"You don't say?" A contemplative look crosses his face, replaced by semi-amusement.
"What's funny?" I ask, pursing my lips.
"That room, it was the one with the patched hole just right of the window?"
"Yes, it was. I hope you are not going all 'I-remember-the-good-old-days' on me," I mutter, tilting my head to the side.
"That was my room," he says simply, a smirk upon his face at my expression.
"What?" I have slept where he has? In the same bed? Of course, everything I do has to revolve around something this asshole has done.
"Have I shocked you, little Birdie?"
"No. No you have not. I can hardly say that I am surprised, I could have had any of the other spare rooms, but I happened to choose the one that you of all people had, and then betrayed The Storm Hawks to join Cyclonia. I don't believe in coincidences either."
Evaluating me for a moment, he steps closer and I have to tilt my head back to keep eye contact. "I see right through you, little Birdie. You are not as tough as you make out to be. Inside, you are just a heartbroken little girl with nowhere to go. All the smartass comments you make at my expense; they are not who you are. Your eyes can't hide the fear you feel when you are in my presence. I make your skin crawl just from talking. Yet, you persist to uphold that nonchalant exterior, this veneer, to try to make you more acceptable to your peers. You have no self-esteem. The only things you have are your powers and if it were not for them, you would be nothing but another pathetic Sky Knight. So stop with this, and be who you are. You are exactly like me," he snarls, glowering at me.
My breath is coming in short strange heaves, and I am unaware of the tears that burn in eyes until I blink them from my eyes.
"I think it best if you leave me alone," I breath, turning away and hugging myself. Dark Ace leaves and closes the door behind him.
Why is he right?
The Dark Ace can be so mean, can't he? Well, I want to make him meaner! I shall update again soonish. I hope you lot will love what happens XD