COBALT: The Red Phantom (Book One)

Chapter 15: Asking Nicely (Part 3/3)

          "Who is that guy?" Vera seethed, still burning at the strangers knowledge and jabs at her even as they walked towards the forest trail.

          Ray chuckled dismissively, still drawn to the overhanging towers of black mere minutes from loosing a shower of droplets on them. "He's an information broker, shopkeeper, advertiser and distributor of... contracts... He's a great guy. Don't worry, I don't think he meant to threaten you, he was being blatantly honest."

          Vera sighed, relaxing her face to fatigued indifference. "I guess most of the information on me isn't really guard-worthy, I just don't like people creeping on me."

          "Don't worry, he didn't creep on you, someone else did," Ray said, his smile souring Vera's lips even further.

          "Thanks for that," Vera replied sarcastically.

          Another crack tore through the sky with an echoing roar, and Puff dug his claws into Káel's shoulders. Like the highly intelligent creature he was, he had accepted their fate, waiting for whatever monster the booms originated from to show itself and eat them.

   —————  

          The group returned to Cobalt with their own personal puddles, their shoes slapping across the polished flooring as Cinder perched on Puff's scruff like a miserable bundle of wet red felt. When they had reached the silver dorms, Vera stopped everyone to take her coat and shoes off, lagging their journey enough for Puff and Cinder to have a short and indecipherable conversation that ended in Puff shooting a blast of fire at the small bird and engulfing it in hot flames.

          "Puff!" Káel exclaimed, taken by surprise at the dragons actions.

          Puff licked his lips and looked to Káel questionably, as if he hadn't done a single thing wrong, and Káel looked to Vera, who didn't seem to see a single thing wrong with what had happened.

         Truvius looked at Káel's horrified expression and leaned in to talk to him. "Puff's drying her off, it's impossible to kill a Phoenix with fire."

          When the flames died down, there sat Cinder, dry and cheery at her friend's assistance. "Thanks Puff," Vera said, rubbing his forehead then shaking the wet droplets off her hand. With a small farewell, the group split to their rooms, and when Káel reached his room, he found Jeremiah. Thankfully still asleep on his bed.

          He awoke the cat by sliding the letter into his collar, assuring the frowning feline he didn't expect him to leave immediately with the roaring sky and rattling windows. 

          Then, Káel sat down on his bed with nothing to do. 

          Phantom had barely made a sound since Káel had ignored his pleas, but he also hadn't stopped staring at him with an extremely annoyed posture, which had done its job in wearing down his comfort levels.

          Truvius was in the study room again, so Káel grabbed a loose piece of paper and a pencil and scribbled on it. 

You gonna do that forever?

          Phantom looked at the paper, and unfolded his arms. "Trust me, I'm patient, you on the other hand, have a test coming up."

          His face sunk to defeat, without Phantom he'd be dead for the science test; so that subtle threat was really working.

         He scribbled another word on the paper and held it up.