Forum Thread

The kingdom of Phanteria was once a prosperous place. There was riches beyond compare, food to feed the kingdome for centuries, and no wars touched the peaceful kingdom. All in all, it was a wonderful place, ruled by a wonderful man. King Taurus was known as one of the greatest kings to ever hold the title in the entire land. He was firm, but gentle in his reign, with a heart set on justice and peace. He would let no wrong doing go unpunished, but always looked for the peaceful solution. Under King Tarus's reign, evrey farm was prosperous, evrey storehouse full, and all considered him to be a great king. But, all good things must come to an end.

One day, without warning, like a great storm cloud, there came an unkown assilant. As quiet and invisible as the wind, she simply marched through their gates, dark magic hiding her and her soldiers. This was a force that none of them had reckoned for. Etheria, as she called herself, immieadiently stormed the castle. After that day, no one saw King Tarus come out of his castle, despite his reputation of frequent visits into the city. It was as if he had compleltley and utterly vanished. No one offered even the slightest hint of resistence as the now Queen Etheria took rule. Her undead soldiers, who brought the stench of those no longer living brought unaturally from the grave with them, infested the city, taking the place of the once friendly soldiers who had faithfully guarded the peasents. Queen Etheria's reign brought a terrible, terrible new era.

It seemed as if there was no hope. The Royal Court was held hostage in the castle, swords to their throats as they continued to live on, hoping not to anger Queen Etheria. While there were some who adjusted quickly, swearing fealty to the new ruler and bowing under her submissive rule, living like cowards beneath her thumb as she used them for her own gain, there were others who stalled, pushing away that invietable question-Would they take faith that someone would come to the rescue, or accept this fate? Which one of these are you?

There are rumors...faint, tiny whisps that travel in hushed tones amoung the villagers. Of a band of robbers. Despite their less then honest work, they could be the ones who saved the kingdom from Queen Etheria. Others are desperate enough to belive the stories of a the Dark Hero, the heir of the Serpent King who could either destroy or save the world. Which one are you?

Queen Etheria

She always preferred darkness. No one knew why, but they all put it down to her being a witch. Most things these days were put down to that. After all, when your ruler is messing with magic arts, it makes sense that most anything strange would be pinned on her. Especially when that ruler was of evil nature, and had caused the true king to dissapear. The high court could barely see her, the only light coming from candles placed around the room, giving off only so much light that cast strange shadows on the walls. It was an eeire feeling indeed. WIth the ceiling higher then the faint light of the candles could reach, the darkness made it seem as if they were at the bottom of a pit. And sitting on a throne not meant for her was the reason that they say, "Always look before you step." She sat as still as a statue, like the ones before her, King Taurus, with all of his glory, reduced to a stone statue. No one dared speak. All they did was watch the figure on the throne, who was perched like a cat, the sharp blue eys watching them from behind a silver mask. Peircing the silence, suddenly, like a weapon through flesh, Queen Etheria spoke. "Tell me," she said quietly, though it echoed loudly, "Are you afraid of my pet?" Slithering across the cold tile floor was a huge snake. It was the color of ivory, with long cracks like magma in rock covering its body. An emerald eye glittered sinesterly on either side of its head. The snake moved from behind the throne, stopping once so that Queen Etetheria could stroke its head slowly. It then procceded to slither between the two lines of the Royal Court, and at the end, rose up. With a hiss that came deep from the snake's throat, it began to transform, becoming a tall man, with deep green eyes, tinted with red. "Because if you didn't, you will now. Say hello to your general, Royal Court."

---

Sou had always been exceptionally lucky. He was lucky to have been taken in as a member of the castle's staff, lucky to have survived this far, lucky to even be alive. He was lucky that he was even allowed to stand within the throne room, silently serving what remained of the royal court, keeping his head down as he observed the on goings. The snake was undeniably pretty and Sou found himself wanting to pet the reptile, though he kept such desires to himself. He always did have a fondness for animals. Carefully avoiding the gaze of his new queen and her general, he continued to silently do what he always did, as if this was another normal day and an usurpation of power hadn't happened.

---

Isolde's eyes had followed the snake both cautiously and with intrigue. Oh, yes, it was a slightly frightening creature, but the fear she felt brought her joy, and she had to quickly lifted a black-gloved finger to cover the little grin that flickered across her mouth when it transformed into a human. Absolutely enthralling. Granted, it wasn't exactly an action to worry about hiding, at least for her; the young woman almost constantly had some form of amusement in her expression, to the point where it was simply assumed to be normal for her, which it was. If she didn't appear to have her interest caught by something, the best thing for those around her to do was get out of the vicinity as quickly as they may.

The way she sat in her chair would have appalled her mother, a prim, proper woman long since buried beneath the earth; one leg was crossed over the other as she leaned slightly to the side, her right elbow resting on the armrest, chin on the back of her right hand. Oh, she didn't mean it in disrespect to her ruler, who she, for one, found to bring about quite a bit more occurrences which fell into the realm of fascinating than King Taurus ever had. Isolde was frightened by Queen Etheria, but, as with the snake, though on a greater scale, was also invigorated by that fright. No, she simply found it more comfortable, and also quite enjoyed the withering glares she had gotten at first from the older court members, though they had morphed into more of irritated sighs of annoyance over time. Not necessarily as pleasing, but still acceptable.

---

Peregrine set the two bowls from hers and her brother's meal on the countertop with a clunk. Their parents had eaten a bit before the two siblings and now sat together just a couple feet away preparing pelts in what served as the family's sitting room, though in reality their entire cottage only truly had three rooms, one of which was for food storage, one her parents' bedroom, and one served as a kitchen, dining room, sitting room, and closet. It was a small home, but it served their needs and they had learned to make do with what they had.

Behind her, she heard a rustling, and so turned around quickly. By the door hung some old tattered coats, one for each family member, a wide-brimmed hat, a wooden walking stick for her father, and her own bow and quiver. These latter two objects were now being once more inspected, as he was oft to do, by her brother, a scrawny brown-haired fifteen-year-old by the name of Osprey. Peregrine had never discouraged his fascination with the tools of her trade; in fact, she was quite pleased with it. In a year or so, once he was old enough that their mother would allow him, she hoped he could join her in her work, hunting wild game and selling their furs and the meat her family didn't need. However, at the moment, her mother wanted Osprey to pick up a more respectable profession, such as a soldier, like their father had been before his injury. Peregrine was working on convincing her otherwise, but she hadn't made much headway, and it wouldn't help the cause for her brother to be seen taking down and gazing at her bow, as he now was.

"Osi," she muttered in a low, quiet voice, hurrying up behind him and gently reaching for the weapon. "Why don't you go help Father with cleaning the pelts?" She quickly set it back on its hook and silenced his protest by squeezing his shoulder. "It's important. Please?" After a moment of hesitation, he sighed and nodded. In a whisper, she added, "And don't be playing with this while I'm out; it wouldn't do for Mother to spot you." "Aw, Peregrine..." Osprey whined, though he seemed to comply with her command, stalking away to flop onto the floor beside their father. "Make sure to be as noisy as you can!" she called after his stomping footsteps before kneeling to pick up the stack of already-prepared furs collected over the course of that week that she was due to bring to the market. Pulling up the hood of the cloak she had donned prior to dinner, the young woman slipped out the door of the cottage, sliding the wooden latch closed behind her and setting off down the stone pathway leading to the main road, which in turn lead to town after a twenty minute walk or so.

---

Cardinal was not going to let this woman, this usurper, this-monster frighten her, or her abomination of a reptile. Both were creatures of darkness, and if there was anything that Cardinal held as a standard, it was never to let herself down to such a level as to bow underneath the reign of darkness. King Taurus had been a good king, a just king. This woman was anything but, bringing a rule of fear and torture. But what could she do? She stared straight at the wall, hands clasped as firmly as a rock in her lap, eyes slightly narrowed and lips pursed. "No emotion," she reminded herself, "No weakness." It was like being around a wild cat. She must not show any sort of fear.

Escavelier's reaction was much more diffenrent then Cardinal's. While he held the same hatred that was buried underneath a mask of cool inddifference, his reaction to the snake, and to Queen Etheria was a rather lazy, relaxed pose. He hid his fear and anger underneath a rather amusing reaction. That was how he always did it.

Queen Etheria spoke again. "This is General Favonius. Since I have decided that you are to stay here, under my watch, he's going to be touring the cities, keeping reports for me. If you have anything you wish to say about this, do speak now." Of course, no one could say anything even if they wanted to, since Queen Etheria moved her hand in a strange gesture, causing a thick cloak of silence to fall over them in that minute. Favonius made that same walk between the line, making eye contact once with Isolde, his eyes flashing and the faintest sound, which to some, may have sounded like a chuckle, but underneath, was like the deep, inhuman hiss of a snake. "Alright," Queen Etheria said, "You are dismissed for now. As you know, any attempt to move beyond the castle grounds will be met with imprisonment, for your own sakes." She waved her hand again, and the doors flew open, allowing them to leave the dark and ominous room. Oustide of the room, Cardinal caught up with Escavlier. "What were you thinking? You acted like a fool in there!" "What, I was supposed to be all uptight like you?" "You were supposed to keep yourself proper. Queen Etheria could punish you for that!" "And since when were you so afraid of the queen?" "Quiet!" she hissed, pulling him along, their argument continuing.

Before Sou could leave, Queen Etheria slammed the doors shut. "You, boy," she said harshly, "Come here." She gestured with one gloved hand for Sou to step closer to her, the candles casting strange shadows over her face.

Meanwhile, the city itself was quiet. Shops were closed up, few people moved in the streets, but in a hidden corner of the city, there was a ruined building in which a fight was going on. A group of people were gathered in a circle, with two inbetween. A tall, burly man with blonde hair in a tight braid and many tatoos that covered his face and neck circled around a smaller, weasly looking one with greasy aurburn hair and pointed gray eyes. The crowd was cheering noisly, and occasionly, coins would skitter across the ground, bettings being shouted, mixed with encouragments and curses.

---

"Of course You're Majesty." Sou pipped up without any hesitation, the familiarity of the title rolling off his tongue as if he had been practicing in secret for the day he would be called and he could address the king without botching it horribly. Or well, it was now the Queen he supposed as he hurried to comply with his new ruler's request. Although he kept his head down and mouth shut, it didn't seem like Sou was afraid. Quite the contrary if one was to look closer as what could have been passed of as nervous fidgeting was simply the actions of a child who was unused to standing under scrutiny for too long but was still quite eager to carry out any task that was asked of him. Perhaps it was because he didn't know better, still so young and clueless about the world. But for whatever reason, he still stood before his queen about as eager as a golden retriever waiting for his master's instructions.

---

"I'm sending Favonius into the city, as you might have heard. But I want you to go along with him. Is that clear?" She didn't move a muscle, but her voice still echoed clearly around the room. It seemed as if now that they were the only ones in the room, her voice was much louder. It was as frosty as the temprature, making it feel as if she were adding to the cold aura of the room. Her blue eyes watched Sou, never breaking off of him.

---

The first emotion to flicker across the young boy's face was confusion. Why him? Sure he was friendly, maybe too much, and he knew the people in the city but he was just a servant. No one of importance. But someone wanted his aid and that was really all Sou cared about so he beamed and nodded eagerly. "Of course, Your Majesty. Anything you say I'll do." He chirped sounding way too carefree for the situation though he respectfully kept his head down. He was much like the sun, the cold crawling over him but never reaching past the surface level melting as soon as it tried to shake him to his core.

---

"Good. Of course, if you had refused, I could have made you do it anyways, but your enthusiasam is appricated. Favonius is waiting outside. Go. Obey his orders. I'll be watching." That last part was obvious. The Phantom Witch was always watching. That was what made her dark reign all the more terrifying. With a loud screech, the doors swung open, allowing Sou to walk through. Light poured through, but it seemed to mix with the darkness, creating a strange misty grey area.

The two men circled eachother, the smaller one grinning weasily. "Think you can defeat me? I've gone through dozens of challengers, and not one of them has been able to stop me." "Don't be so sure this time!" The larger one struck out, but in a quick exchange of blows and steps, the larger man was flat on his back, a dagger pointed at his neck. "Do you yeild?" "Yes," he gasped." The man cut a tiny line in the side of his neck, before letting him step up and limp into the crowd. "Who else will challenge me? Anyone?" He spread his arms wide, looking around. "I will," an unkown female voice announced, turning all heads as a tall, blonde girl stepped out, brown eyes flashing.

---

The queen's final words sent a shiver down Sou's spine, the first sign of an emotion other than blinding optimism. But still he heeded the Queen's silent dismissal and quickly scurried away unable to hide the wide grin that stretched across his face. The Queen had asked him to do something! That small fact kept a smile on his face as his childish feet ran as fast as it could to meet up with the new general. Skidding to a stop a few paces away from Favonius, arms windmilling in a desperate bid to keep his balance, Sou grinned at the imposing man. "Hello there! Her Majesty told me to accompany you to the city." He declared, tongue tripping over the slightly complicated words. "Is it okay if I call you General Favonius? Or would Sir be better? Gotta make sure you feel welcome after all!" Rocking back and forth on his heels, Sou could still remember how pretty Favonius had been in his serpentine form with pretty shiny scales and sleek streamlined strength.

---

General Favonius was waiting across the hall. Though most of the Royal Court had dispensed by now, the few left quickly made their way around the man, giving him a wide berth. No one wanted to be near the person that once slithered across the ground on his stomach as a reptile. He watched Sou run up to him, his face cold and expressionless, but a warm, dripping smile spread across his face as he bent down to Sou's level, so that the dark red veins that pierced through the jade green were imminent. "General Favonius will do. After all, that is what the queen created me to be." He straightened up, his eyes still watching Sou. The cold, hard look in his eyes never left, but neither did the sickly sweet smile. "Let us be off then." The servants, everyone with half a brain, did not dare make eye contact with the general. His footsteps quick and fluid, like a strange unknown dance, that only he could understand, carried him quickly to a huge set of black doors, that stretched far beyond them. He stopped suddenly and turned to face Sou. "Listen carefully, boy. You are here to show me the city, no? Your task is to help me understand them. Do not forget that."

Escaviler and Cardinal had fled down the halls, and into the library. Cardinal dragged Escaviler to the balcony, closing the doors behind them and dragging a chair in front of them. She walked forward so that she was backing Escaviler to the end of the balcony. Once his back was pressed up against the railing, she snapped, "Henry Edison Escaviler. You are the most idiotic man I know." "Cardinal, you're a coward and you know it," he shot back, and for an instant, something flashed in his eyes as he realized what he'd said, and then, she slapped him. "You know very well that calling myself a coward is something I had to move on from," she said, her anger shaking her voice. "Cardinal, please, I'm sorry." She clenched her fists, took a wavering breath, and nodded. "You're right. I apologize for hurting you." "And I apologize for bringing that up. You're no coward, just...you seem to take things too slowly, that's all. You're too careful." "What else can we do? We're in total lockdown!" "But, there are still options." "What?" "You'll see." Escaviler was already moving the chair away from the door.

The victor burst out in laughter, cutting through the silence that had drifted in as the girl arrived. "You? Challenge me? Girl, go home to your mother and father, this is a den of thieves." "And who says I'm not one of you?" She shot back. "I'm a thief. A liar. I'm no better than the one who ties up your horses, and he's just as dishonorable as your greatest leader. And I can be that person." "The Guilde will not be led by a child!" "I'm seventeen, actually. And anyone who has the blood of the guilde in their veins can challenge." The victor scoffed. "So you're telling me that you have the blood of a Guilde member?" "As clearly as I can see you. And I do see a mockery just waiting for a downfall. Despite their efforts, a few chuckles arose from the crowd. The girl spread her arms. "They think I'm worth something, isn't that something to consider?" "If you truly hold the blood of the guilde, who gave it to you?" "Easy. Jean-Fragques Lionclaw." "You're the daughter of the Jungle King?!" The Jungle King was the former leader of the Thieve's guilde. He was known for his ruthless ways, his lack of emotions, and his thirst for thievery and blood.

"Alright, someone get her out," the victor said impatiently, waving a sword he had retrieved from his fallen foe. "No!" the same voices from the crowd who had chuckled earlier were now protesting. "Let's see a battle!" The man in the arena looked around, frustrated, before finally shouting, "ENOUGH!" He paused. "We'll fight then. What is your name?" She grinned. "Just call me Roxxane."

---

Sou felt his throat dry at the swirling void of Favonius' eyes, their unique nature catching the boy off guard. It was mesmerizing, seeing something so unnaturally beautiful that it nearly thralled him into blurting out his thoughts. Before he could do something that embarrassing, however, the general's voice snapped the servant boy out of it and Sou scurried after him, his childish stride struggling to keep up with the other, nearly tripping over himself in his haste to keep up with Favonius so much so that he nearly ran into the snake-turned-man's back when the general suddenly stopped. Standing up straight as he was addressed, hands gripping the edge of his slightly oversized shirt, Sou nodded eagerly. "What would you like to see? I know the best times to go out and buy cheap without large crowds, the cheapest stalls, the tastiest food, which streets to take to avoid patrols, which shopkeepers will lower the number if you ask nicely, which roofs are okay to run on, things like that. I don't know everything though so we can learn together!"

---

Favonius's honey dripping smile didn't change, and with a slight nod, he said quietly, "Of Course, Of Course. And remember boy, if you see anything at all, you have to tell me, no?" He barked to the guards, "Open up the gates! Queen Etheria commands it." Without a word, the guards pulled open the doors with a screech, and beyond them, the gates were opening as well, revealing the bridge that led to the city. There were two knights leading two horses, which they brought from the side of the castle to where they were standing. "We'll be off in a minute then, and it is your job to show me this kingdom. You might have realized this, but our presence will not be welcomed. Do not worry, I will show them their place."


The two of them faced off, and Roxxane drew a short blade from her boot. The man smirked. "Did you nick it from your mother's kitchen, girl?" "Not quite," she said calmly. "I'll give you the first move." "Won't need it to beat you, but I thank you-" He had gone to kick her in the side, but she had caught his foot as quickly as the kick had come. She jerked her hand, and he toppled to the ground. "Don't worry, shouldn't be too much of a fight," she said in a slightly mocking tone. "But mostly for me." He growled, jumping to his feet and tackling her. As he rammed towards the ground, she flipped over his head, using her feet to send him the rest of the way to the ground.

---

Isolde, despite her enjoyment of the presentation, had left quickly, not too keen on being caught in the crossfire. Dying didn't seem particularly fun, at least if she was the one doing it. Other people dying could be entertaining, though, especially if they had attachments. It had been so very long since she herself had formed any sort of bond, or even a relationship in which she viewed the other person as anything more than a source of amusement. In fact, she didn't know whether or not she ever had. Her mother had always been aloof, full of never-met expectations. Isolde was fine with that. She didn't feel any remorse for her lack of love; it was simply what she knew, and she was at peace with it. Her shoes clicked against the palace floor as she walked, and she began humming cheerfully, her dress swishing about her ankles. Irritating. She'd deal with it when she got back to her quarters.

---

Peregrine hurried quietly into the subdued town, keeping her gaze down. Her hood cast a shadow over her face, causing the dapples on her skin to become less noticeable. It didn't hide them completely, but at least they weren't as in-your-face as normal. The condition had begun to develop when she had just turned eleven, and her mother had immediately panicked, despairing of her daughter ever finding a husband or being accepted by society. She herself had been too young to really care or understand, but her mother had sought out everyone she could think of who may have some knowledge of witchcraft, assuming it to be a curse. Finally, a passing physician had seen her playing out in the front yard and paused to ask her mother about the origination of the discolorations, saying it was a known medical condition from where he was from. Peregrine's mother remained somewhat unconvinced, but her desperate search for a solution had come to a halt. As the girl had gotten older, it had become clear that her mother wasn't the only one of that view. Most children her age had refused to ever touch her for some superstition that the blemishes may be contagious. They weren't, clearly, as the other members of her family didn't have any such markings, but explaining that had never worked.

As she set the furs down on the table outside her client's boarded up home along the usually-bustling commerce avenue of the town, a faint commotion caught her attention above the deafening silence of town that now lay quiet as a mouse. A noise from inside could be heard, though, as a harried looking man slipped out, glancing both ways before leaving the doorstep, taking the furs, and depositing a handful of coins on the table. Peregrine usually had to wait in line to make the exchange, and at first had been offended by this, as he tended to hand them directly to most other vendors, but by now it had become simply routine. She quickly counted them and noted that the amount had once again decreased. She said nothing, but her body language must gave given away her disappointment. "I'm sorry, girl, but business is tight," he said, not unkindly, before hurrying back inside. He wasn't a mean man, and the young woman knew that. Everything was tight nowadays, anyway. She just would have to increase her hunting hours, work harder than previously. While she could feed her family just fine, there were always tariffs and taxes to pay, and she suspected they may increase yet again quite soon.

Slipping the coins into a hidden pocket just on the inside of the hem of her dress at the shoulder, she decided to investigate the shouting. If it proved to be trouble, she reckoned, she did have her hunting knife with her.

---

"Not while riding horses that's for sure." Sou agreed, glancing at the animals warily. "When the sun's high in the sky like now, there's a lot of people in the market so its hard for animals to get through. The small streets are too tight for three people, let alone a horse. Walking is usually better but roof walking also works. The people are used to knights and castle staff walking in the city so I think we're okay." He also didn't know how to ride a horse but assumed that was common knowledge already and didn't voice it. It was also a little obvious that his small stature couldn't mount a horse, let alone ride it without falling off.

---

Til had quietly slipped away once the Council had been dismissed, quickly tugging a book from under his shirt. Glancing over his shoulder, he started towards the mighty library of the royal keep, already flipping through the ancient pages of the book. Searching for where he'd left off in the book, he let his feet carry him as they wished. The path was memorized, from anywhere to the tall shelves of books. He'd arrived in a matter of only minutes, quickly sitting down before a shelf and crossing his legs. The book he held seemed to have no title, though whether it had ever had a title, or had the title removed by time and wear was unknown. Slowly, Til scanned the pages, each word analyzed carefully. He was a slow reader, true. But he would gladly read this book, this genre, to try and find what he was looking for. After a few minutes more, he paused. Holding up his right hand and holding his place with his left, he inhaled slowly, then spoke a single word: "Ignis."

Nothing happened.

The general looked at him, then the horse, and chuckled, the sound oddly rasping, like the hiss of a snake. "Oh, how foolish of me! It seems that you are too small to ride this horse! No worries, we'll simply return this one." He snapped his fingers. "One horse, then, the Queen commands it." The knights moved methodically, and without a word, one turned to lead the horse back. "You'll simply ride with me. Everything, including the horses, is under her majesty's control, after all. You will have no trouble riding with me, no?" He took the horse's reins from the knight. "I will assist you as well." He let the reins down, and cupped his hand around the horse's ear, whispering something in the horse's ear. The most visible change was the horse's amber eyes turning a slight blue color, but nothing more. Favonius gestured for Sou to come closer. "Let's go then, no time to waste."

"Escavelier!" Cardinal protested. "Will you please tell me what you're doing?" "I'm getting us a way out of here," he announced, walking through the library. It was rather large, and he had no idea that Til was even there. Cardinal caught his wrist. "Henry!" He stopped. "What, Cardinal?" "Are. you. insane." "The court hasn't made a decision on that one, actually." She lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. "You can't go around making plans to rebel against the queen!"

---

Til sighed, the sudden sound if bickering filling the silence of the library. Shutting his book quietly, he set it on the ground next to him. He recognized the voices, though he couldn't place faces to both of them. They were quiet enough to mask their conversation, but still loud enough to disturb the peace that Til valued so much. Opening his mouth, he let his voice fill the room. A quiet shout, the best comparison. "Your bickering. Stop it. Or take it elsewhere, as there are studies taking place here." He wasn't enraged at all. Not even annoyed in the slightest. But his voice suggested that he was. It carried a harsh edge, as if he were speaking for a god that wished them silent. Til could only hope that they did stop, as he desperately wished for the heavy silence of the library to return.

Sou pouted, but ultimately did what he was told and came closer. Up close the horse was large and a little imposing but his love of animals won over and he gently patted the horse's flank hoping that the animal wouldn't drop him. He wasn't really sure if Favonius would catch him if that happened. He was too preoccupied with wondering if it was really safe to ride such a large animal that he completely missed the horse's change as innocently clueless about the world and potential dangers as always

---

As the twenty-three-year-old turned around the corner, the cadence of arguing voices caught her attention. She formed a small 'O' with her mouth and raised her eyebrows, green eyes twinkling, as she picked up the pace slightly, poking her head through the entrance to the library. "What topic are we debating so fiercely today?" Isolde chirped, her tone bubbly. Nothing like a spot of conflict to brighten things up! She recognized two other members of the court, Cardinal and Escaviler, though she'd hardly interacted with them. Interesting.

---

The two of them froze, almost comically. "Didn't realize we weren't alone," Escavlier muttered. "I apologize for disrupting my studies, my lady and I will take our conversation elsewhere." "Escavelier, I absolutely despise you," Cardinal announced, stalking away. "Oh, come on, it was just a jest!" The two of them moved out of the library, walking along with lowered voices as they continued to talk. "Look, it's just sneaking out of the castle. We'll be back before anyone notices we're gone!" "Have you forgotten one key detail? She's a literal witch!" They froze again just as they were about to exit. "Oh come on!" Escaviler said out loud. "I apologize for his actions," Cardinal said lightly, taking his arm with a death grip, "we were just about to leave."


Favonius assisted Sou onto the horse, before jumping on himself. His hands were unnaturally cold, but he seemed pleasant enough. Favonius took the reins, clicked his tongue, and the gates squealed open. They hadn't opened in quite a long while, since the Phantom Witch had entered the kingdom and taken over. But now, the way to the kingdom was wide and clear.


The two of them were fighting, though it was clear that Roxxane was going easy on him. She eventually pinned him to the ground with her knife at his throat. "You yeild?" "I yield," he gasped.

---