King Of The Skies

Chapter 19

Jasper, Root Roost, Sector Periit, 9:36 am

Hearing that Kage had witnessed a suicide at nine thirty in the morning was not on Jaspers bucket list. The apple was starting to swirl in his stomach as Lyn kept asking gruelling questions and Kage begrudgingly answered. The second thing that wasn't on his bucket list was listening to his brother joke, he was glad that Nathan called him out.

Jasper listened intently as Kage explained the information he was given and the deadline. The thought of having only two days until . . . what? Two days until what? What is some wingless bastard going to do? Run after me?

"So we know that the wingless cult leader now has connections to the Outer City Mafias. And those Mafias are probably giving them supplies, weapons, information and places to hide," Lyn summarised.

A cold feeling crawled up Jaspers legs. Are Bonnie and Athena okay? Did those humming birds follow us?

"We can also guess that they have some sort of tracking device, given the fact on how quickly they found us in the Outer City and out here," Lyn kept going, she seemed unfazed by the danger that they were in.

"He said two days, right Kage? They must be planning something," Angelica noted, leaning back on her hands.

Two days? I have two days before I'm dead? Jasper panicked internally, he kept white at the others chirped around him.

"This wingless cult's regime is to de-wing everyone with their reason being 'you're free when you can't fall', which is straight up wrong. We don't know how many people are following this bastard and we have no idea how much of what that messenger said is true," Kage said, his fingers were resting on his temple, he looked mad.

"So he's after Kai, but why?" Eva asked, gazing at Kai.

Kai's wings twitched. "I don't even know who he is and now you expect me to know why?"

"Calm down chicken leg, no need to get your feathers ruffled," Jackson said, a smile twitched at his lips.

I swear by all of the power of the Phoenix if that mimic says one more joke I'm gonna snap his wings off, Jasper seethed. Jackson was really starting to piss him off.

"Back to the problem at hand, we have two days until they bring the fire. Base Nidus is the least likely to back us up, Mafias are out of the question, and we have no idea what is going on at Palace Cubitum," Angelica pondered, eyes on the dirt ceiling above them.

Jasper wasn't a fan of the Root Roost, it brought up too many dead memories of his childhood in the Back Valleys. Jasper and Jackson would run wild in the tunnels that their ancestors had dug years ago, some roots of the trees and shrubs would dangle from the ceiling and Jasper would squeal when they tickled his face. He and Jackson would play games in the tunnels until the sun set, ether wings and hair filled with dirt and dust.

Jasper remembered the way their mother would wait at the main entrance for them and play her flute. The tune echoed around the tunnel, Jasper would run full pelt at it, running straight to his mother.

Then the sour tune of that flute stung his mind, the panicked and quick notes she played to get them out of the tunnels. The raging storm, the rolling thunder made his knees weak. Jasper froze in the tunnels, Jackson by his side.

Stop it.

Your fault.

Shut up.

You should have moved faster.

Stop.

Everything is always your fault.