On Sapphire Wings and Jade Scales

Chapter 24: Dawn at the Boardwalk

The sun had long since descended for its rest, letting the moon bring its serene shine upon Aegean City. Eila and Tomas awoke from their dinner-induced sleep, stirred by steady knocks on their room's door. His eyelids heavy, Tomas sluggishly opened the door, only for his eyes to shoot open after meeting with the man in green's ever-sharp pupils. Beside him stood a confident Dolce, a slightly disheveled Joanne with a cloth wrapped around her forearm, and a familiar stout man wiping sweat off his forehead. Squinting his eyes, Tomas recognized him as Marco, the owner of the bakery they went to earlier in the day.

The boy watched the grown-ups in confusion, until the man placed a hand on his shoulder, gently urging him to stand aside so they could enter. Joanne and Marco shambled behind the man, with Dolce closing the door with a quick swipe of her tail. Eila and Ari jolted up from the bed as Tomas sat beside them.

"Terribly sorry for waking you, we arrived much later than anticipated," said the man in green as he sat down in front of the mirror. "Our walk by the coast took an unexpected turn."

"No kidding," muttered Eila, her eyes fixed on Joanne's bandage and torn jacket. "What happened, Jo? You, um, don't look so good."

Joanne sighed and smiled at Eila, though the girl could see her weariness through the bags under her eyes. She could not help but lower her gaze as their first meeting with an injured Mr. Green flashed in her mind, with the same tired look as Joanne's.

Marco tapped his foot against the floor, huffing with impatience. After glancing at Dolce, he boisterously asked, "So, Joanne... you gonna explain why you were hollerin' like a banshee at us down the street, lookin' like you'd crawled out of a rat king's cave with that scratch? Definitely made my evening stroll with Dolce here a lot more entertaining though."

Dolce emitted a puff of mist, her head held high with a smug grimace. Ari wagged her tail and purred in return, her eyes glistening with curiosity and slight dismay at missing out on the action.

The man in green glanced at the group and rested his elbow on the desk. Closing his eyes, he said, "There are certain details we would rather not concern you with, but you have my utmost thanks for assisting us. However, I advise you to be careful once Suilah arrives for her performance. There are certain... ruffians of sorts wandering about the city targeting her."

"Tch, so you're sayin' there's some gang after Suilah? Freakin' celebrities can't catch a break," grumbled Marco, "so long as they leave my bakery and my dragons alone, I won't get too involved. But, uh, I could put in a tip for the guards, see if I can sway 'em for extra security. Their boss is one of my top customers, you see."

The man in green eyed him with slight hesitation, but an approving nod from Joanne prompted him to assent, "Thank you."

Marco and Joanne exchanged a few friendly pats and farewells before calling Dolce to leave for the night. Ari huffed and bowed her neck, flaring her frills when Dolce reciprocated. After a few moments of silence, with Marco's heavy steps becoming faint, Eila jumped off her bed and scooted to Joanne's side.

"So... what happened?" she asked with pleading eyes.

"Hoo boy, where to begin," Joanne sighed, taking off her dirty jacket, "Long story short, we thought we found where yer parents were, but instead we barged into Mr. Ugly's shack o' darkness. 'Least we know they used to be there if Mr. Green over there is right."

The man nodded. "I had but mere minutes to examine, but I am sure the Diderots were held in that room until recently. As for where they are now... we can guess they were taken to a location closer to the boardwalk, in preparation for the sea guardian's arrival."

Tomas furrowed his eyebrows while Eila sighed.

"So, what're we going to do tomorrow? Try getting mom and dad back again?" Eila asked, her voice quivering with desperation. "Second time's the charm, right? We could go with you and—"