《All Hallows Queen》 Chapter 1 - Daughter of Claus Chapter 1 Daughter of Claus
¡°Mama, can I ask you a question?¡± The voice of a little girl echoed in the darkness. ¡°Of course, mi peque?a luna.¡± A woman¡¯s voice rang back, ¡°Ask away.¡± ¡°I read from a book that only one place in the world has snow. Is it the really tall mountain over there?¡± The child asked curiously. ¡°Yes, it is.¡± The woman answered softly. ¡°We would have to move north to see it up close.¡± ¡°Have you ever seen it?¡± ¡°I have, and when it covers the mountains, it looks like a glittering wonderland under the moonlight. One day, I¡¯ll bring you to see it.¡± The child squealed excitedly. ¡°Really!? You mean it!?¡± ¡°¡­I¡­omise¡­¡± The woman¡¯s voice began to fade in and out, as though it was being pulled into the abyss. ¡°Mom?¡± The girl said, the worry in her voice rising. ¡°¡­Pro¡­se¡­¡± The woman¡¯s voice flickered into silence, no words could be heard. ¡°MOM!¡±
Nyxis gasped for air sharply as she sprung up from the bed, her hair and back drenched in a cold sweat. She sat still with her hands gripping the sheets in a desperate attempt to catch her breath and steel her nerves. ¡®Again¡­why is it happening again?¡¯ She mused to herself. A dream, but it was always the same dream. One where she could never see and never talk, but she could only hear the familiar voices. The elf tried to collect her breath and calm her thoughts with a mantra she learned from a friend. ¡®Inner peace¡­be calm¡­¡¯ She glanced over to her curtained windows and peered through the gap in between, noticing the wind whipping the air outside with snow, but just over her window. Not over the city or the vast mountains of which she would escape to for peace and quiet. The elf¡¯s shoulders fell in defeat. ¡®A message from the witch herself¡­¡¯ Her face subconsciously scrunched at the mere thought of ¡°her boss¡±. She moved her loose, curly hair back from her face and just sighed. Either from the immediate exhaustion of managing her boss, or just from being alive. ¡®Off to work, I go¡­¡¯, she thought as she pushed back her heavy blankets and carefully rose up from her bed, levitating above it. Nyxis made the bed quickly, then floated over to her desk. She reached for her pocket watch that sat on the surface, which was already open to the time and a picture of a woman and little girl. She lifted the watch closer to her face and took a moment to carefully look over the picture again, something she had done every morning since starting the Military Academy. The woman in the photo wore a tired smile with experienced, soft brown eyes. Her dress was cinched at the waist and adorned with pink and yellow flowers on the hem of a white base. The dress was old, but well kept in general. The excited child in the blue dress next to her was Nyxis herself, around 10 years old and eager to learn about this foreign world around her. How blind and naive she was then. How sentimental she was now of that decade of her life that she should have cherished longer. ¡®Inner peace¡­Be calm¡­¡¯ The elf was awoken from her trance by a curt, light rapping of knocks against her bedroom door. ¡°Come in.¡± Nyxis said aloud as she closed her watch and placed it back on the desk. The door opened and another elf stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. This other elf stood taller than herself, yet young and donned in the House Claus red uniform with a white fur neck collar trim, a color that Nyxis couldn¡¯t respect in good faith. His thick, snow white hair fell from his shoulder as he bowed respectfully. ¡°Good Morning, Commander. Did you sleep well?¡± His voice was deep and soothing to the ear, like a comforting warm hug. ¡°I regret going to sleep. I missed out on precious time doing the Witch¡¯s bidding, it seems¡­¡± Nyxis lamented as she shrugged and floated over to her attached bathroom. She left the door cracked to hear the man, as she moved to her vanity. Silver snowflakes lined the hexagonal border of the mirror, with two crystal sconces sitting towards the top, adding glittering light from the early morning sun into the room. She stood in front of the grand mirror, reflecting back her exhausted face and frame. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Good morning, Bast. I¡¯m¡­already in a mood, so please don¡¯t take it personally.¡± ¡°I see you got her message. I would be too if I were woken up like that.¡± The man called into the crack in the door. He knew that working with their boss was extremely difficult. He couldn¡¯t fault her for getting a few more minutes of sleep. But only they can keep things running. ¡°Sorry to make your day just that much brighter, but I have some public concerns that need clarifying and verifying.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± She called back. Nyxis stood in her vanity mirror, quickly plating and pinning her hair back into a neat bun. She was already fully dressed in her uniform of black trousers and blue waistcoat, a skill she learned from boot camp. ¡°The Herd are preparing for the Reindeer Games and Dasher requested the Commander to attend as a formality. The date is set for Novembris 15th. He wanted to confirm early with you to lock in the date.¡± Bast rattled off the first item quickly. He learned early on to keep his reports short for less delay and easier communication. Nyxis placed the last pin to the bun before she grabbed her dark blue sleeves and slipped them on over her arms. ¡°Confirmed. Winter knows she wouldn¡¯t dare attend something so¡­¡°trivial and mundane.¡±¡± She then grabbed her cloak and closed her sapphire brooch around the front. The man nodded his head towards the bathroom door in silent confirmation. She was not incorrect about the miniscule attendance rate of his boss, but he continued. ¡°Then the Workshop wants to implement a new alteration to the gift wrapping center to extend the line to include 127 more seats for incoming volunteer helpers.¡± The door to the bathroom opened fully to Nyxis, wrapped in her cloak and staring at her advisor, bemused. ¡°Why would they wait to begin such substantial alterations so close to the Holiday Season? I could have pushed that through four months ago without hesitation. But now, I¡¯m not sure the Witch will approve it.¡± Bast shrugged and shook his head. ¡°They couldn¡¯t get the permit in time, but we can try to bypass the system and get it approved without her knowing.¡± She sighed. ¡±She only cares about the results, not the process. Fine. See what you can do about that. Bring it up to Father Wynter if you have to, but only as a last resort. What else?¡± She floated back to desk and grabbed her pocket watch, tucking it into her cloak pocket and patting it down for reassurance. ¡°Some of the troops over in Frostlyn would like to schedule their holiday¡¯s off.¡± He noted, green eyes peering up from his clipboard. ¡°Have Henry review them, and I¡¯ll approve them later.¡± Nyxis confirmed. ¡°The next shipment of Amnis Powder and Glacier Petals for the Creation Station is still delayed and the townsfolk are worried that the decorations aren¡¯t going to be ready in time.¡± Bast tapped his pen on the clipboard in his hands. ¡°Send a message to the Frostlyn Navy and tell them to check the radars for any merchant, trader, or harvesting boats coming from the north. If necessary, send one of the ships out for recon and potential rescue.¡± She flew over to where Bast was standing and lowered herself onto the ground. While her rank allows her to fly as high as 7 stories at maximum, her advisor was stuck to the earth beneath his feet. As such, she had taken to walking with him as they spoke, instead of pretending that her feet should not touch the ground. Unlike some people. Bast opened the door as Nyxis exited into the bright hallway, with the man closing the door behind them. They walked down the hall to the nearest staircase, but their conversation didn¡¯t not waver for a moment. ¡°The Moon-Lake Ballet Troupe arrived last night and are resting in the Crystal River Suite of the Valkyrie Hotel. They are ready to practice for the celebration and are asking for permission to use the Grand Ballroom as their practice room, to familiarize themselves with the space. This is their 4th request, as the reason approaches.¡± The commander shook her head and huffed, exasperated. ¡°Another request that could have been completed earlier in the year had she been approving these requests timely. What is the point of a review-and-approve system that she doesn¡¯t even care to enforce?¡± ¡°Because why would she care about the mundane complaints from the common folk when she could just sit on her throne of deceit and abuse, carried by her favorite work mule?¡± Bast rolled his green eyes with disgust. His disdain for their ¡®boss¡¯ rivaled her own in measures only she could truly understand. Nyxis believed that reason alone sheltered the absolute trust the elves held in each other. The man in her shadow served as her family¡¯s advisor for the past 8 years, her Personal Relations representative on social occasions and her therapist on hundreds of work-filled sleepless nights. Her only brother-in-arms upon Mt. Wynter, trudging with her through a mental war of attrition. Nyxis¡¯s brow furrowed as they traveled down the staircase. ¡°Quite spicy. Did we have an early, unexpected run-in?¡± ¡°I had a regular run-in, which is bad enough.¡± He frowned. ¡°But I know for a fact that she is not in the mood to sign basic permit papers, and if we¡¯re going to get anything done in time for Decembris, we¡¯ll have to quickly finish ¡®Cleaning the castle¡¯, as well. The woman''s ice blue eyes rolled in annoyance. ¡®Cleaning the castle¡¯ was an elven code for forging the witch''s signature on official documents. The process consisted usually of a particular group of scholars who are loyal to the citizens of Mt. Wynter, and were chosen personally by Bast. The group is casted into the Forgers to study handwriting from over the centuries. The most astute of the Forgers have the ability to replicate signatures for signed requests so minuscule in comparison to the thousands of important petitions of the Mt. Wynter citizens that the Witch herself wouldn''t be able to remember signing it. The fact that Nyxis even has to sign off on such executive decisions was stressful enough on the Tier 1 Spirit. She didn''t have all of the tools to assist the city, but she had just enough time to set a plan for one of the busiest months of the year. Even though the most she could do was help and support the citizens with what little resources then she had to share, it still wasn¡¯t enough. It infuriated Nyxis to her very core. ¡®Inner peace¡­be calm¡­¡¯ They moved along the grand staircase, quickly retreating from the West Wing to the landing of the main hall. Nyxis halted at the landing of the ground floor, with Bast right behind her. ¡°¡®At least the castle will be tidy¡¯ enough for the guests.¡± The woman responded back briskly. ¡°Is there anything else, Bast?¡± ¡®Call the Forgers, get it done.¡¯ The man slightly bowed his head, fluffy, white hair moving in kind. As silly as it was to use a secret code in the home they share, one could never be too careful. Under the Witch¡¯s rule, she was the castle, and the castle was alive. ¡°I believe that covers everything. But we should pay the Valkyrie Hotel a visit at some point today, to welcome the dancers.¡± Bast checked off all the items of their meeting, tapping on the final unresolved item listed on his clipboard. ¡°About that.¡± Nyxis turned to him, worry stitched into her brow. A face she wore quite frequently in matters of Mt. Wynter that the man attended to daily. Her emotions were usually collected and controlled, rarely overreacting to even the smallest of issues. But there were times where even Bast would notice them; the little flashes of emotion in her eyes, ranging from contemplation and frustration, to a deep never-ending rage. He was always impressed with how Nyxis was able to control her emotions. ¡°I may not have time to go, depending on what my ¡®duties¡¯ are today. Adding insult to injury, there¡¯s no guarantee that their request will be granted if her mood is that of Grim Grass, but they still need a venue to work out of. I¡¯ll do my best to get them the access to the grand ballroom as early as I can, but in the meantime, can you make your way over to the West Library and ask Roza for help? I¡¯m sure the troupe would love their first official greeting from Mt. Wynter Officials to be from the Prima Donna herself.¡± ¡°You know that¡¯s going to be a favor, right?¡± He mused. A deep sigh erupted from the woman. ¡°First one of the week is free.¡± Bast smiled lightly as he bowed to the Commander. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll add that to the list and see to the preparations.¡± The woman nodded to her advisor and gazed up at the main hall. The rays of light from the mid-morning sun shone through the cathedral-like high ceilings, glistening their path of glittered ice under a Christmas Red carpet. The scene was gorgeous, but then her gaze shifted from the glittering ceilings to the menacing air of the East Wing of the castle. The Witch¡¯s Suite. With a sigh, she moved over to the other set of stairs, with Bast in tow, and walked up. They moved in silence up the stairs, passing one of the hurried seamstresses, her arms filled with reams of red and silver cloth. ¡±Good morning Lord Ringfeld, Commander Frost.¡± She said quickly in passing. The two elves watched the nymph move down the stairs without looking back then shared a look of confusion, suddenly hurrying themselves up to the third floor. The sight was chaotic, more so than any other usual day. From servants quickly floating along the walls to others cleaning the various areas, the East Wing was crowded with castle staff. And further down the high ceiling hallway, they heard enraged shouting, then the shattering of glass. The entire hallway suddenly stood still with fear. The servants all craned their necks around to the last room at the end of the hall, but none of them dared to move. Nyxis rolled her eyes and turned back to Bast, who¡¯s expression matched her own. Without losing a beat, they walked down the middle of the hallway, surprising the servants with their boldness to approach the room. Their gazes shifted hesitantly between each other until they ultimately dropped to their knees, either in a bow or a courtesy. Out of fear, the servants respected Mrs. Claus. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. But out of complete and utter respect, the citizens of Mt. Wynter all adored Commander Frost. The elves approached the room, with Nyxis knocking on the golden ornate door. ¡±Enter.¡± A snarky voice came from behind the door. With a deep breath, she opened it and walked into an enormous room with shelves of various books and scrolls stacked end to end and high to the stone ceilings. The windows were tall with dark red curtains pulled back to a glorious view overlooking the Capricorn Mountains and the Northern Lighthouse. But in the middle of the room stood an enraged woman with golden hair tied into a queenly high bun; in her very familiar crimson red day dress, her pale complexion marred red with rage. Next to the woman sat a young girl, no older than 16 years old, silently crying holding her cheek. In between them sat a shattered ornate vase, the Glacial Roses it held now wilting into a puddle of muddy water on the red carpet. Bast stilled as he took a quick scan of the situation. He moved to step forward, but Nyxis positioned her arm in front of him, pausing him. She cleared her throat and moved her gaze to the woman. ¡¯Be calm¡¯ ¡°Good Morning, Mrs. Claus.¡± The Commander started, steeling her nerves. ¡°I believe you wanted to discuss something with me?¡± The woman switched her glare to her ¡®Commanding Officer¡¯. ¡°About time you¡¯ve arrived.¡± The woman jabbed, annoyed at her attendant¡¯s tardiness. Her voice was stern and regal, and tone heavily condescending. ¡°It would help if you could appear instantly when summoned, but 2 hours late is quite¡­ negligent, don¡¯t you think, Commander?¡± ¡±Ah, yes. You will have to forgive me. After a month of overseeing the majority of the preparations for the Holiday Season, even your graciousness can understand the ever-present need to rest. After all, not all of us are so magnificent as yourself to be able to stay awake for days on end, partying with the elites.¡± The advisor tapped on the Commander¡¯s shoulder twice with his clipboard in warning. ¡®Calm down¡¯ The red-dressed woman glared intensely at the elves in her presence then switched her gaze to the young girl on the floor. ¡°Leave us.¡± The nymph bowed to Mrs. Claus, Commander Frost, and Lord Ringfled respectfully, quickly gathered the many vase shards in her apron, and ran out the room, fresh and dried tears streaking her face as she passed. The male elf side-eyed the Commander; when she nodded curtly, he bowed to the ¡®The Witch¡¯ then exited the room as well, closing the door behind him. The Commander had always tried her best to be civil in front of a room of people. However, if left alone in a room with her ¡°boss¡±, all bets were off. Mrs. Claus turned around, sauntering over to her desk. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know any better, child, I would believe that you were trying to supersede me.¡± ¡°Now now, Rowena, why would you think-¡± Nyxis was cut off by the loud smack of a heavy book. The source of the noise was from Mrs. Claus¡¯s desk, a Tome of Autumnal Ruin Traditions. She noticed it by the vibrant orange, red and yellow hues on the spine. That book did not belong in this country, and to possess it without explicit permission from the Rey de Los Muertos is strictly forbidden within the laws of the treaty. For Mrs. Claus to possess the tome, her only solution would have been to steal it. ¡°Don¡¯t play games with me, you little shit!¡± The woman sneered at the elf. ¡°You had better watch your attitude and tone when you address me in front of those¡­troglodytes. Remember that any words of disrespect towards your Realm Leader is an act of defiance.¡± Nyxis matched her boss¡¯s glare, tapping her hands at her sides. ¡°Stealing a text from a different country is also an act of treason, but you don¡¯t see me traveling through country lines to obtain a book.¡± ¡°Just who do you believe you are speaking to, Frost? You of all people should know that the Jack Frost position is expendable and that I can find literally anyone to fill that position; Choose your next words very carefully.¡± Rowena loomed over her desk, her glare turning deadly. ¡°You would have to explain my termination to Father Wynter with a detailed report, and I have reason to believe that you haven¡¯t touched a single request or petition since your extended ¡®Summer Vacation¡¯. The citizens need help starting the decorations for the Holidays-¡° she tried to reason with the arrogant woman standing before her. Another slam from the book. Damaging goods purposely is a crime. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to remind me what my job is; you should focus on your own!!¡± The blonde lifted the book in her hand, waving it. ¡°You¡¯re two hours late and I don¡¯t see anywhere on my desk the list of holidays I deem important enough to attend. What the hell have you been doing this whole time?!¡± ¡°Alabastor prepared you a list-¡± Once again, Nyxis was cut off. ¡°How many times must I emphasize that I don¡¯t attend meager holiday celebrations! I do not care about intermingling with other nations! That is Father Wynter¡¯s role as Elder, not mine!¡± Rowena¡¯s glare intensified. ¡°Tonight is an Autumnal Holiday, Dead Day, or whatever-¡° ¡°D¨ªa de Los Muertos.¡± Nyxis corrected her boss, tilting her head with a sneer. ¡°You¡¯d think by actually reading the book that you¡¯d know how to pronounce it.¡± ¡®Inner peace¡­be calm¡­¡¯ ¡°And you¡¯d think, as Jack Frost, that you would actually complete a simple task for once. Now go make yourself useful for once and dust the world with snow for the Holiday Season.¡± Rowena bit back, lowering herself into her throne of a chair. ¡°When do I have time to do that, what with literally maintaining the livelihoods of the citizens and preparing Mt. Wynter for the season change? I¡¯m trying to manage it all, but without the resources-¡° ¡°Haven¡¯t I given you enough, Frost?¡± The woman shook her head in disbelief, her words seething. ¡°You have a castle to live in, you have a job that many unfortunate people would kill for, you have a unit under your command, you have Legacy Ice Magicks in your very veins. You have the literal world at your fingertips, and yet you want more!?¡± ¡°I-¡± ¡®I have nothing and you know that!¡¯ ¡®Be calm.¡¯ ¡°I do not care about the needs of those people, that is why we have advisors! Managers! Supervisors! It¡¯s called delegation, my dear! Mt. Wynter has tiers of control for the people to answer to, and it is not you!¡± Rowena gestured to the easternmost window overlooking the town before placing her elbows back on the desk. ¡°Need I remind you that you are to only take orders from myself or Father Wynter!? And with that being said, my orders are as such; Go to the Autumnal Ruins tonight and start the snow showers early to end their meager festival early.¡± ¡°You want me to halt another country''s holiday because¡­?¡± The elf huffed. There truly was no rhyme or reason for this type of infiltration. But then again, there was. ¡°Because I said so! The first snowfall of the season can start as early as Novembris, as we had done for centuries past. You are to start in the Autumnal Ruins. Is there an issue with that order, Frost?¡± Rowena crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance, her face contorted with a sneer. Every encounter, every debate with the Leader of Christmas was a war of attrition. A war in which the Commander had to carefully pick and choose her battles. A war she always ultimately lost. With a firm shake of her head, Nyxis frowned. ¡°No, Ma¡¯am, no issues whatsoever.¡± She said with a low growl. ¡®Inner Peace¡­Be calm¡¯ Rowena smirked for the first time of the day, ¡°Finally, a decent reply from an underwhelming dog of an assistant.¡± Nyxis¡¯s left eye twitched. She exhaled slowly, her blood boiling in her veins. She had to still try. Despite the constant berating, and despite the unwillingness to work with her boss, she had to still try, for her people. ¡°Before I leave, we received a request from the Moon-Lake Ballet Troupe. They wish to expedite the use of the grand ballroom for practice, but they are waiting for your approval.¡± She said through gritted teeth. Rowena rolled her eyes, exasperated. ¡°Well, that is just too unfortunate! If they wanted to begin working on their little dances, then they should have requested that earlier. They will have to wait until Decembris; denied. Now, if there is nothing else from you, then you may leave.¡± Nyxis said nothing else and bowed curtly. She opened the door behind her, passed backwards through it, and closed it quickly without facing the woman further. She stood there for a moment, trying to get the blood pulsing in her ears to calm down. Another battle lost. But on Mt. Wynter, the war rages on. The Commander turned around to a group of servants in the hallway huddled near the entrance of the room, facing the now closed door. One of the nymphs stepped forward, wearing a simple red dress with a tan, raggedy apron and holding a newer, but equally gaudy silver vase with freshly placed Glacial Roses in her arms. ¡°Commander, is everything alright?¡± The woman questioned. With a sigh, the elf gave an exhausted smile to the woman. ¡°Yes, Arielle.¡± Then, she addressed the group, waving them over to speak quietly. She leaned in, careful not to speak loud. ¡°Everyone, thank you for your concern, but please return to your duties. I won¡¯t return to the castle until later tonight, so please try to keep heads low as you work and stay out of sight, if possible. She¡¯s in a mood.¡± The servants murmured quietly amongst themselves, then with various bows and courtesies, the group dispersed quickly, either returning to work or leaving the wing entirely. The nymph behind Nyxis pulled on the other woman¡¯s heavy blue cloak, grabbing her attention. ¡°We really do appreciate you lending a hand in regards to ¡®The Witch¡¯, but you should probably take your own advice. The last thing you need is a target on your back.¡± Arielle whispered. ¡°I would love to, but our leader doesn¡¯t care about the livelihoods of her servants, much less her people. If I can keep the heat off your backs for issues out of your control, it would be my pleasure.¡± Nyxis turned back to her, tapping her hand in reassurance. But the nymph was less than convinced. Arielle placed the decorated vase on a side hallway table and grabbed the elf''s hands within her own, gripping them lightly. ¡°Ma''am, if I may speak candidly¡­ You are an absolute boon to this country, and I just don''t want to see you get fired, or worse, exiled. You and Bast work so hard for us, just for her to ruin centuries of celebrations out of spite!¡± The elf tapped on her left hand twice with her thumb, before rubbing the spot softly. ¡®Warning¡¯ ¡°Don''t worry about me, I''ll be alright. She can''t fire me without approval from the Courts, and we both know well that Father Wynter will not accept that.¡± Arielle huffed, blowing her light brown bangs out of her face to reveal a smirk. ¡°I swear, you are so hard-headed.¡± With a curt smile, Nyxis shook her head. ¡°No, I''m just confident. Now, where¡¯s Bast?¡± The woman pointed further down the hall, to a set of ornate red and gaudy silver benches. Bast was crouched in front of the young servant that had run away from Rowena¡¯s study, consoling the young nymph. The women moved back down the brightly lit hallway, and as they approached, Nyxis watched the girl twitch with hiccups, trying to catch her breath. The light taps of feet along solid ice floors alerted Bast, and he switched his gaze to the duo. ¡°How is she?¡± Nyxis questioned as they approached. The girl flinched, but the man sighed deeply and stood up straight, moving back a bit. ¡°Still a little shaken up. She said that she was cleaning the study, but was startled by a loud sound and accidently dropped the vase. The Witch suddenly got angry and slapped her. She doesn¡¯t want to go back there.¡± The man put it simply. Arielle shook her head, her face scrunched with a sneer. ¡°I don''t blame her; especially after what happened.¡± She reached for the girl¡¯s hand and pulled carefully, signaling the young nymph to stand. With her face no longer shrouded by her hair or the dark corner, the young brunette stood, stricken with fear and donning a new bright red mark on her cheek in the shape of a handprint. Dried tears streaked her face and her brown eyes were red and puffy; the sight broke the older nymph¡¯s heart. ¡°You did nothing wrong, Gemma.¡± She pulled the girl closer and hooked her arm carefully around shoulder, gently rubbing her back to soothe her. She looked between the advisor and the Commander, nodding assuredly. ¡°Let me bring her down to the servants¡¯ quarters first, then I¡¯ll return and clean up the mess. The bitch will have to wait for me to return.¡± Bast eyed the Head Housekeeper in stern warning. ¡°Careful, the walls have ears.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll walk you down.¡± Nyxis piped up. She walked with nymphs, with Bast in tow, out of the darkness of the East Wing back into the safety of the glittering Main Hall. When they reached the Main Foyer, the older nymph bowed politely to the two, and floated with the girl past them down the stairs and towards the kitchen. Once they were out of view and earshot, Bast turned to Nyxis. ¡°I take it that you had a pleasant conversation?¡± He asked. ¡°Begrudgingly no. It was a regular dumpster fire, sprinkled with snark and cynicism.¡± The elf admitted. She started to move down the stairs, but the man grabbed a part of her cloak, tugging her back. ¡°How bad?¡± ¡°She denied the ballet troupe, so they need another venue to use until Decembris 1st.¡± Nyxis said swiftly. ¡°She would¡­¡± The man sighed. He quickly scribbled something down on his clipboard, which was floating next to him now. ¡°Are you willing to pull another favor from Rozaliya?¡± ¡°If I truly have to.¡± She answered, watching him return his focus back to his board. ¡°And what does Mrs. Claus have planned for you today?¡± ¡°Snow Drop Duty, and the first stop is the Autumnal Ruins. Apparently, we¡¯re starting early this year.¡± She turned back to the stairs. ¡°On D¨ªa de Los Muertos? One would almost assume that she is trying to break decorum by sending her Commander into a country that still holds a tentative relationship with Mt. Wynter.¡± He muttered. ¡°Well, she¡¯s already in possession of stolen material, so I don¡¯t think that she cares much about decorum. And it definitely won¡¯t make relations better.¡± Nyxis shrugged. The man¡¯s thoughts halted at the new revelation. To hold forbidden material from another country was treason, something he knew well. He looked sternly at the elf. ¡°How do you want me to proceed?¡± The woman stood with crossed arms concealed under her blue cloak. She could not do much for them, and yet she was willing to somehow fix the impossible. ¡°Give her a finalized list of next year¡¯s ¡®worthy holidays to attend¡¯. Make sure that the Elder Spirits from Verne Valley and Midsummer Cape are not attending. You¡¯ll have to somehow try to coax the book away from her; if you can, please return it to my room.¡± She pointed briefly to the West Wing.¡± Before I leave, I¡¯ll grab it from my room and bring it back to the Ruins before they realize it''s gone. It¡¯s on her desk, with a red, orange and yellow spine.¡± ¡°That is a steep plan. Are you certain it will work?¡± Bast¡¯s brow furrowed with worry. ¡°Bast, she is trying to get rid of me.¡± The woman sighed deeply. ¡°Every day is a fucking battle. She¡¯s doing everything she can to keep me out of public affairs, and while I want to help the citizens, we still need more resources in order to start the Season off without a hitch. The citizens don¡¯t have what they need, she doesn¡¯t care to fix it, and I can¡¯t do much of anything besides go drop 3 feet of snow on another struggling country¡¯s doorstep for, what I can only describe as, either shits and giggles or out of pure fucking spite!!¡± Two taps on the floor. ¡®Warning¡¯ ¡®Be calm¡­¡¯ Bast stood quietly, allowing the woman to catch her breath and collect her thoughts. He saw the rage flash in her eyes for just a moment before returning to clear blue. Nyxis shook her head, defeated. Stopping an international tragedy was not on her to-do list, and yet it still somehow became her problem. Like usual. ¡°I doubt it will work, but I don¡¯t have any other ideas. I don¡¯t suppose you have one.¡± She muttered softly. He released her cloak and placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it softly. ¡°I don¡¯t have a plan, but I¡¯ll make one up as I go. We''ve been doing this for centuries, so believe it or not, you can rely on me. Let me handle the finer details; you go get ready to leave.¡± Nyxis looked up to the man, and nodded slowly. ¡°Yeah, I''ll¡­go now. Thanks again.¡± With a reassuring nod, Bast released his hold and watched as she floated away, down the main hall stairs. He understood the weight the woman was under. The elf was the only one close enough to the Elders that could speak for the people, but even then, she could not bring reason to that frustrating woman. Rowena never believed that the Commander was the real reason the citizens of Mt. Wynter received any help whatsoever. When a situation arose, the people went to their Commander for assistance and support. Lady Claus was a figurehead, just a glorious display of old money and even older lineage. But nothing Commander Frost could do would make the Witch come to reason.
The night was cold and dark, and the skies were clear of the clouds. Nyxis flew over the Autumnal Ruins, quietly admiring the architecture of the Gothic buildings, the beautifully designed dark buildings with sharp roofs and chimneys littered the streets. Although for a holiday, the normally bustling streets were scarce with people. But D¨ªa de Los Muertos was a different holiday, one that was always held in the Forgotten City, Remisia. The Royal Family lead the citizens of All Hallows through the forest gate to the Other Side, where a grand festival is held with their family members that had already passed on. The party lasts for three days and three nights, so there would be no reason for the Royal Family to be home this evening. The elf lowered herself on one of the balconies of the All Hallows Royal Castle and peaked into an open window. She scanned the room for people, before stepping in quietly. The room was filled with dark wood shelves lined with colorful spines of books and tomes, with additional opened books strewn along the dark oak tables. They paled in comparison to the spiked black chandelier dangling from the high ceiling. The air was still with the silence of the night, a blessing from the bustling noise of her own castle. She stepped in further, gazing in awe at the height of the bookshelves. Nyxis had always loved books, but more so learning. Any book she could get her hands on was studied carefully for new information about the world she was pulled into. At some point, her love of learning became a way to survive. As much as she would regret to say it, she yearned to open one of the numerous tomes to learn the secrets inside. But doing so carried a possible death sentence. Nyxis shook her head, returning her focus to the book in her hand. She turned around to one of the many dark oak tables and placed it down under one of the vibrant tomes, hiding it among the other colorful book faces. With an exhausted sigh, she moved back towards the window, floating over the egde of the balcony. Part of her job was complete. No one saw her arrive, the book was returned to its rightful place and no one will see her leave. International tragedy avoided. And yet, there was still an emptiness that lingered in her. After all, she should have been in Remisia, as well, celebrating. But not tonight. Another year missed. ¡®I should be there¡­.¡¯ Nyxis was so deep in her thoughts that she didn''t notice at first how low she was flying. She moved to another balcony and lowered herself towards the railing, overlooking the grand city. It was quite rare for her to visit any other country nowadays, especially after what happened years ago. It was a shame she couldn¡¯t visit more, for its beauty could only truly be experienced at night. Now it was her job to ruin this solemn beauty? Suddenly, the elf heard the opening twist of a doorknob. Without glancing back to see, she floated hastily to the left side of the window, out of view. The footsteps slowly moved closer to the balcony, then a man, donning orange and black ceremonial attire with a regal pumpkin orange sash, passed through the threshold of the window, continuing to the edge of the balcony. The blood drained from her face. ¡®Shit shit shit shit shit! Not now!¡¯ The elf watched the man sigh with exhaustion, overlooking the very city she was moments ago. Without making a sound, she floated upwards to the roof, focusing her eyes to the sky. She had to start the squall, before she was noticed. But then, a deep voice rang out in the quiet night air, in her direction. ¡°Now is not the time, Frost.¡± The voice was deep and warm, yet cold and distant. There was an air of exhaustion and frustration in his aura. Nyxis could feel the cautious glare on her face. Enemy spotted. ¡®Be calm¡­let''s play this cool¡­¡¯ ¡°I never asked, Your Highness. I''m not here for you. I honestly didn¡¯t expect you to be here tonight. Don¡¯t you have a party to be attending?¡±, she watched as thick dark clouds moved over the city, cooling the atmosphere around them. The man clearly was not paying attention to the sky. Good. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. Why the hell are you at my castle?¡± He growled. She could feel his glare piercing at her skin. ¡°You know why. It¡¯s the best view in the house to begin my path. I am doing my job, after all.¡± She stayed simply. Well, it wasn''t a full lie. ¡°It''s D¨ªa de Los Muertos. Can''t you find another time to ¡®do your job¡¯? Let the people celebrate without the fear of pneumonia.¡± He projected above. Right then, she felt a sudden wave of hesitation. Was that a plea? From a Prince?? The clouds were in place. Nyxis finally shifted her gaze from above to the Prince of All Hallows under her feet, anger filled emerald green eyes meeting calculated Glacier blue. ¡°I think you and I both know I can''t do that. Mrs. Claus wouldn''t stand for it.¡± ¡°...Fine¡­ If you have to do your job, then can you at least leave Remisia alone?¡± He was pleading, a rare sight indeed. ¡°Hm¡­That will cost a favor, Your Highness. Are you willing to part with one?¡± She smugly coaxed. The elf noticed the Prince''s right eye twitch. ¡®I''m really not supposed to be here, but maybe I can leverage this¡­¡¯ ¡°...What do you want?¡± ¡°A free favor, one that I can use on anything; anytime, anywhere.¡± The elf said. His green eyes squinted in suspension. ¡°Why extort a favor from me? Why not my father, or my uncle?¡± he questioned. ¡°I could, but I''m not talking to either of them right now, am I? I''m here, talking to you, and getting ready to do my job and lay the first snowfall of the season. But if there''s a problem with that, then I-¡± ¡°Fine! One free favor from the Prince of All Hallows! Ya happy!?¡± The man screamed into the quiet night air. He was definitely riled up, but was it from her presence, or something else? The elf felt a smirk form across her lips. A favor from the Crown Prince of All Hallows was unconventional for a Wynter Spirit, especially in the treaty''s current state, but it was always a welcomed occurrence. ¡°Ecstatic¡­That''s more than enough. Good evening, Your Highness. Always fun to frustrate you.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the air swirled around her frame with snow and hail before disappearing into loose snowflakes. Before she knew it, Nyxis had arrived back at the Realm Gate to the Hall of Titles. She sighed softly, not even gazing at the miraculous display of architecture. Tonight, she saw what could only be quiet desperation from her enemy. But was he really her enemy? The life she lived in Lili¨¢cea was nothing compared to the one she was living now. Her mother had always told her to give people second chances, even when they didn''t deserve them. ¡®But in truth, he did nothing wrong¡­¡¯ Another exasperated sigh escaped her lips. She couldn''t punish the citizens of a struggling country, not on one of their happiest holidays. He owed her a favor, and after tonight, she decided that she would owe him one of her own. An eye for an eye. A favor for a favor. ¡®Tomorrow is another fucking day¡­¡¯ Chapter 2 - Son of the Hallowed King Chapter 2 Son of the Hallowed King
¡°The stars are alive, for they are the Children of the Universe. Be wary not, for they will watch over you,¡± the voice of a woman echoed gently to the small child in her lap. The small boy gazed in sleepy awe at the woman as she told her story. ¡°And sometimes, the stars send gifts from the universe; some of which were miracles, others were¡­ not so much. You could always tell what type of gift was sent by the color of the trail.¡± ¡°I remember! I remember! If it''s blue, then dreams come true, if it''s red, we may be dead!¡± The boy perked up quickly with a smile so bright he could outshine the sun. The woman giggled at his honest response and hugged him close, which he reciprocated with little arms reaching around her waist. ¡°That¡¯s right, Geddeon. I see that your training with your father is going well.¡± ¡°We learned¡­ about stars¡­ ¡± He yawned, lightly kicking his little feet. As the woman peered down at the small child, she silently noted the exhaustion setting in for the boy. As she shifted the child in her arms in preparation to return him to his bed, he piped up. ¡°Will another gift come one day?¡± Geddeon asked. ¡°Yes, I do believe so, little prince.¡± She answered back. With the comforting warm night air and a long story as an aid, the boy succumbed to slumber.
The soft ring of a bell broke the silence, snapping Geddeon awake from his deep trance. Returning to reality, he realized that he was facing the sky and the stars. The man shifted around to survey his surroundings; he was standing in a forest clearing. The familiar warm breeze whipping through the air was perfumed with the alluring scent of warmth and spice, like cinnamon. It was a wide-open field of Vermillion Germanium flowers with dark trees rustling around the border, filling the quiet night air. Though, with enough focus, Geddeon could still hear it in the distance. The quick steps of small feet on dirt and the light huffs of a child. ¡®Good. He should be close enough.¡¯ As the light sound of dead leaves and stray twigs crackled faster in his direction, he sprinted swiftly towards the sound, careful to keep his steps light. The man easily closed the distance between them in a matter of seconds, and extended his bony hand until he clasped a hold of something. The crisp fabric of a blue shirt collar. The child in his grasp immediately tried to stand completely still, but was still shaking. ¡®Is he cold?¡¯ Geddeon suspected. Figuring that the chilly night air was the cause of the boy¡¯s shaking, he closed his eyes. Suddenly, a gold flame sparked on his head, until glowing horns grew in its place, rounding over his short dreadlocks. They flickered like fire, even in their glowing state. Slowly, the man leant down to the boy¡¯s level, removing his hand from the child¡¯s collar. He could see the child shaking harder and slightly hunched over, almost as though he was preparing for the worst. ¡®Oh¡­I¡¯m scaring him! Shit!¡¯ Geddeon panicked for a moment before he had another thought. He softly patted the boy¡¯s head to display that he was not in danger. ¡°Are you, by chance, Alejandro Ramirez?¡±, the man questioned; his voice rumbling through the darkness of the forest. ¡®Oof, Dial it back.¡¯ The boy flinched when he spoke. He didn¡¯t speak, but he did finally stop shaking. When the child nodded his head, the man felt a shift in his soul, feeling his shoulders relax and drop for the first time in the last hour. His ¡°Alert Mode¡± switch had flipped off, and now he could relax. He found who he was searching for. Geddeon observed the child further now that he was in clear view. The child couldn¡¯t be any older than 6 or 7, and the modestly handmade bag of toys on his waist certainly supported that theory. His tunic and pants were desaturated blues and greens, so it was understandable why no one else could have located him, due the swift setting of the sun and the density of the Forgotten Woods. Realizing how terrifying his voice was to the child initially, this time the man lowered his tone and tried to speak as softly as he could so he wouldn¡¯t scare the child into shock. ¡°Forgive me for startling you, but this part of the forest is off-limits. There are dangerous creatures in this area that could hurt you.¡± The child slowly turned his head towards the light, and met face with the dark skinned man. There was just enough space between them for him to not feel cramped or threatened. Both of their faces were bare to see. Geddeon watched the child move and furrowed his brow bone while confusingly shuffling his shoulders. ¡°Does my appearance frighten you? I apologize, but this is one of the few ways that I can see, with how dark it currently is.¡± The boy spoke again, but this time he was able to muster enough strength to speak. ¡°No¡­ You¡¯re not scary.¡± Alejandro whispered through dry lips. Then he continued. ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡± ¡°What!? No! I¡¯m one of the guardians of the Autumnal Ruins Realm Gate. I¡¯m helping guide the Hallions over to the festival!¡± Geddeon¡¯s face crunched in surprise. He quickly held his hands up, revealing empty, calloused palms and fingers. ¡°What kind of ops do you have, kid?¡± He didn¡¯t answer the question, but the ease of conversation was enough to calm the kid down, at least visibly. His shoulders drooped in relief and he signed a shaky breath. The man allowed him to take a moment to breathe, opening the floor to be asked anything else. After a quiet moment, the child spoke again, and clearly. ¡°Are we lost?¡± ¡±No, I know the way back, but why did you run off from the group?¡± The man started. He wasn¡¯t going to scold the child; he just wanted to understand his mindset. The child clutched the hem of his shirt in shame and looked down at his bare dirty feet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wanted to get closer to see the lights better,¡± he muttered. Geddeon tilted his head to the side, his brow bone furrowing under the flickering light. ¡°Wait, lights?¡± He asked. ¡°Yeah. I saw these really bright square lights and I followed them because I thought that it was the right way, but it got dark and I couldn¡¯t see the way back.¡± Alejandro admitted. ¡°I tried to find and follow the river, just like mama told me.¡± The man reached out and patted the boy¡¯s curly head. In his youth, he too, marveled at the mesmerizing Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns from the Westernmost continent, Lapis Solene. The festival was usually during the month of Septembris, and the finale of the variously sized bright lanterns flying in the dark night sky were to finish off the celebrations. They were just bright enough to glitter the sky with thousands of little lights, until their flames went out and the land was steeped into darkness. What this child saw were not those lights, but something else. Even to a very skilled soldier, it was almost impossible to navigate this forest at night, so he couldn¡¯t blame the boy for quickly losing direction. Though, he was surprised by the young boy¡¯s survival potential; to know to follow the river when lost in a forest at such a young age, and to retain that knowledge was rare within the realms. A skill that was taught at secondary schools, or to rookie soldiers and reconnaissance operatives. The man shook his head in amazement, his short dark dreadlocks moving in kind. ¡°I understand your excitement, but next time, please stay with the group.¡± He spoke as he held out his hand to the child. ¡°Unless you can survive a night in this forest without any protection, you cannot be permitted to enter this area without a guide or guardian. Now, I was asked by a woman named Yamira to find you and bring you back to her, unharmed. You are unharmed, correct?¡± Alajandro quickly scanned himself over, and returned his gaze to the man, nodding back. ¡°I¡¯m OK, but are you sure my mama asked you to find me?¡± The man tilted his head to the side, puzzled. ¡°Yes. Is something wrong with that?¡± ¡±Well, it''s just that¡­ I know mama doesn¡¯t know you, because I¡¯m with her all the time. I¡¯ve never seen you before, and mama told me to never talk to strangers.¡± ¡°Your mother is very smart and you take well from her.¡± Geddeon confirmed quietly. The boy was small, but exceptionally intelligent. It would be difficult to gain his trust, but the man had an idea. He held out his hand, lit aflame with the same golden fire on his head. Suddenly, the flame fizzled out, leaving a small black item in his hand. Cautiously, the boy took a step forward to view the item closely. It was a physical insignia; decorated with a vibrant colored pumpkin with black and peach flowers over a wooden frame. As his eyes gazed over the item, Alejandro began to remember one specific story, told by his older sister; The Family of Death that wore sugar skull masks blessed with colorful flames. It was the official crest of Los Muertos. The Seal of All Hallows Royalty. By displaying his crest, Geddeon had revealed his status and association with the Royal Family: His status as a Fright Knight and his association with a family of rampant delusions and consistent failures. ¡±I was tasked to find you by Los Reyes. If you come with me, I can bring you to your mother.¡± Geddeon said, reassuringly. The man watched as the gears turned in the boy¡¯s head. After a moment and a deep breath, Alejandro mustered all the courage he had and grabbed ahold of Geddeon¡¯s hand with his own clammy hand. ¡°You promise you won¡¯t hurt me?¡± the child questioned. Final reassurance, just in case. With a soft smile and a light grip of the child¡¯s hand, the man nodded. ¡°You have my word.¡± Hand in hand, the boys walked through the forest in silence. Geddeon took notice of Alejandro¡¯s sudden interest in the wooded area around them, but remained silent. His own mind drifted as he looked down to his empty left hand, silently reminding himself of the Third Tenant of Knighthood; To safeguard the wellbeing of the citizens of the Autumnal Ruins. For years, he tried to live solely by that tenant. For centuries though, the people living in the Autumnal Ruins have been neglected and forgotten by the very institute that claims its superiority. Geddeon wanted to be strong for his people, and he made it his being. Even the mere thought of the Los Muertos Royal Family somehow came with negative connotations about him. Even still, the child continued walking with him, almost without a care in the world. The world was truly perplexing. After a few moments of walking in silence, Alejandro cleared his throat to speak. ¡°¡­Have you always had horns?¡± He asked. Geddeon glanced down at the child, surprised by his question, but chuckled nonetheless. Children were the most perplexing of them all. ¡°Yeah. I was born with them.¡± The man wiggled his head from side to side to emphasize their sturdy attachment to his head. ¡°What are they like? Do they feel weird?¡± The child perked up with more questions. ¡°Not really. It feels natural, like your ears.¡± Geddeon trailed off in his speech. ¡°Huh¡­¡± The child trailed off. Then he piped up again. ¡°Are you a Fright Knight?¡± ¡±Yup, Top ten of my class.¡± The man admitted. ¡°Whoa! My sister, Yasmin, said that only the strongest of warriors of All Hallows can become one. So when I grow up, I want to be a Fright Knight!¡± Alejandro proclaimed proudly, holding his tiny fist up to the sky. The child¡¯s excitement was sudden, but reassuring. Geddeon couldn¡¯t resist smiling at the young child¡¯s antics, and chuckled softly. But for the briefest of moments, the man eyed the child carefully. When he was summoned to help find Alejandro, he did not see any other child, nor any seemingly related female, young or older, next to the wailing woman. The woman was alone, and seemingly only worried about her son. The man formulated a multitude of theories, before offering insight to the boy. "I believe that you can. Just know that the training for Knighthood is very intense. You would have to train at the Academy until you graduate. You would have to leave your mom and sister at home.¡± Alejandro started to speak but stopped short as he continued to walk in deep thought, lowering his hand from the man¡¯s hand. Then, he looked at the man. ¡°How long?¡± ¡±13 Autumns, and you have to live at the academy, too.¡± The man said. ¡±That¡¯s a long time¡­ What is the training like?¡± ¡±Well, most of the time, it¡¯s pretty¡­rough. You''ll mostly be training from early dawn to late in the evening.¡± Geddeon started, ¡°Then you have downtime; where you can do whatever you want as long as it¡®s not illegal. Eat, sleep, hang out with friends, walk around All Hallows, whatever you want. Once every month, those that don¡¯t live in the city can go home and visit their families.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡±Do we get paid?¡± Alejandro asked quickly. The man smirked down at the child. His eagerness of knowledge was intriguing. ¡±Not only do you get paid, but all of your basic needs will be free, and if you do well in the academy, you can move your family into All Hallows. For 13 years, though, you¡¯ll be away from your family, and you have to be at least 18 to begin training for Knighthood. Is that something you still want?¡± The boy walked quietly with his thoughts, and Geddeon remained silent. It was a good question, and the boy mused deep into thought. But before the child could speak up to answer, Geddeon had stopped short and tugged the boy¡¯s shirt collar back before he could touch the stone steps. Alejandro shook his head of all thoughts and became very alert. He hadn¡¯t realized how relaxed he had become, nor did he realize that he had let go of Geddeon¡¯s hand and was walking ahead. Geddeon set his gaze on black stone stairs and followed them upwards, to a tall construct that stood before them; A dark stone arch and large black lanterns hanging from the corners of the pavilion. It was daunting to look at from below. He broke his gaze away from the top of the structure and moved to a glimmer of light above the stairs. The glow trailed to an enormous mirror, without a frame, embedded in the bark of a magnificent Maple tree, with falling leaves flickering like stray embers. The child¡¯s eyes then met the mirror peeking over the stairs, but couldn¡¯t see fully. ¡°Where are we?¡± The boy questioned, his ever diligent eyes darting around the pavilion. ¡°This is the gate to Remisia, where the festival is. Once we pass through the mirror, your family should be on the other side.¡± Geddeon stated. He pointed to their reflections in the mirror. ¡°I stopped you because if you try to go through without me, you¡¯ll turn into dust.¡± The boy¡¯s eyes widened, startled by the new information. ¡°Oh.¡± The man walked forward until he reached the top of the platform and the mirror in the tree. Alejandro then slowly walked up the stairs behind him, watching the dark vines wrap around the dark cobblestone banisters as he moved. As he stood in awe, Geddeon spoke up. ¡°Don¡¯t touch the vines. Come along.¡± Alejandro snapped out of his trance and with a nod, moved closer to the reflective gate. The child blinked at his reflection, before he looked over to Geddeon¡¯s, surprised to discover that the man had been truthful about being granted a Fright Knight title. Geddeon looked into the mirror, reflecting an exhausted, dark-skinned man with tightly bound dreadlocks decorated with golden bands, dark bags underneath sharp emerald green eyes, and standing in a high-necked formal jacket emblazoned with orange ornaments and embellishments paired with formal dark slacks. Unsurprised by the exhaustion reflected in his face, Geddeon tapped on the glass until it rippled vigorously like water. Confused by the mirror, the boy spoke up. ¡°But how do we get through it?¡± ¡°By walking through it.¡± The man said simply. He, once again, held out his hand to the child. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Alejandro nodded briskly with an unsure smile. He took the man¡¯s hand, a deep breath, and with Geddeon as the lead, the boys walked through the portal.
When they stepped over the threshold to the other side of the gate, the boy was nearly blinded by the sudden bright lights of various colors, even through his closed eyes. Once their visions settled into view, Geddeon watched as Alajandro¡¯s cheeks rose with an ecstatic smile. The lights and colors of the Dia De Los Muertos Festival dazzled the road,the scents of roasted meats, fried vegetables, and freshly poured fruit juices filled the night air. The night was alive with children running around playing and elders laughing and drinking together. Older children were dancing at the center of the square, with music from drums and guitars of all kinds. All the excitement of the party was cut by the sharp wail of a woman who approached quickly. Before the two knew it, the boy was snatched from the man¡¯s grip and hoisted up into a tight, familiar embrace. ¡°??Oh, mi beb¨¦!!¡± ¡°??Mam¨¢!!¡± Alejandro was startled, but tears welled quickly in his eyes. He cried, bursting into a heavy flow of tears, muffled by her festive pink shawl. The man could understand. After all, the child was alone in the dark for the better part of 2 hours. They sat there momentarily, simply crying and holding each other, the woman¡¯s loud wails calling over a small crowd. As Geddeon watched with quiet curiosity, looked on with equal parts understanding and, as much as he would never admit it, a little envy. When she placed him back down on the ground, the woman leaned down to the boy¡¯s height and shook him back and forth. After a second, she stared at the boy sternly. ¡°No vuelvas a hacer eso nunca m¨¢s!¡± She voiced sternly to the child. Alejandro could only look down at the ground in shame. ¡°Lo siento, mama¡­¡± he said quietly. The teary-eyed woman¡¯s eyes darted around the boy¡¯s mellow expression. She watched the boy carefully, huffed in relief, and glanced back over to Geddeon. ¡°Gracias, se?or. Muchas gracias!¡± She said gratefully. ¡°No gracias necesarias. Solo estoy haciendo mi trabajo, se?ora.¡± The man smiled at the mother. Silently the woman shook her head, as she knelt to hug her boy again, a quiet sob of concern ripped through her frame as she released the panic that had consumed her. After another moment, Yamira briefly looked up from her son, wiping the fresh tears from her face. She barely was able to stifle the gasp that had escaped from her. Geddeon¡¯s gaze followed hers to see what had caused this reaction and turned around, his eyes widening briefly. ¡°?Mis Reyes!¡± Behind him stood two men of almost equal stature, the first was dressed in black formal attire, a long formal coat covering most of his frame with hints of a dark red waistcoat peeking from underneath, the only other color being the thin orange pauldrons that adorned his shoulders and the light orange cravat he wore. His face carried the creases of smiles past and worries abated, even his yellow green eyes shone with mischief and regality. His compatriot, while less formal, seemed to capture the spirit of the festival more, a deep purple jacket emblazoned with intricate patterns across the arms and lapel. His attire screamed of flamboyance from the red bandana under his trilby to the golden disks that circled his neck. He too, had a face that reflected his jovial nature. To the woman holding her child, these men were the renowned great rulers of the realm; the King of All Hallows himself - Chamiabac Los Muertos, and his brother, the Lord of the Forgotten Dead and Guardian De Muerte; Xibalba los Lobos. These men were two titanic figures of the Royal Palace of All Hallows, beings whose magnanimous bearing were the ideals of legend, and the very shapers of the realm themselves. But to Geddeon, they were- ¡°Joven, Informe¡±, the smooth baritone of Xibalba cuts through the festive night air. Geddeon swallowed unconsciously, before falling to his knee in a bow. His head lowered just enough to carefully watch the King¡¯s mannerisms as his fire dimmed ever so slightly. ¡°Mis disculpas, Su Excelencia. Tengo la situation controla-¡± he stopped short, watching the King''s hand raise subtly to pause his speech. ¡°Rise my son, and at ease,¡± Chamiabac said warmly. His words caused the woman to whip her head from the two kings to the knight before her, her mouth agape as she could only stare at the young man. While she dared not to speak in front of the rulers out of respect, her eyes spoke clearer than any voice. Geddeon stood up from his kneel, the bright, gold flame flickering on his head. Slowly, the flame in his horns began to dim and smolder itself, replacing it with a thick smokey red hue. His own green eyes were closer in color to his uncle than his father¡¯s, though the young man''s face was a near-spitting image of Chamiabac. ¡°?Mi Reyes!¡± The woman muttered quickly before releasing her son from her grasp and kowtowing to the men, stunned into silence. Yamira couldn¡¯t fathom the idea that the Crown Prince of All Hallows was the very knight who went to search for her son. This would be a debt that she could never pay back in return. She grabbed her son¡¯s hand and pulled him to a bow. Geddeon eyed the men carefully before standing at attention to speak again. ¡°The situation is handled. The child was near the south bank path when I found him. He was looking for the lanterns to make his way back, but he couldn¡¯t see through the darkness of the forest and kept moving southwest. He is relatively uninjured, minus a few scrapes from the bushes.¡± Xibalba nodded at his nephew and glanced back at the mother and child. ¡°Very well done, knight. And quite astute for one so young. It sounds as if he was instinctively walking with the water.¡± The younger man nodded curtly. ¡°Yes, he possesses some survival instincts, quite interesting for one so young.¡± Chamiabac looked on before whipping around with a bright smile. A startling sign of a wild machination forming from the All Hallows King. With every scheme he designed came devastation from the opposite party involved. The average person would list it as an inconvenience, though it was a constant curse for the young prince. ¡°A survivalist! Now that is quite the future profession. Just imagine the great deeds he could do in the army, Why, If he hones it well, it would be a great boon to the Fright Knights.¡± Geddeon felt his left eye twitch with his father¡¯s comment. Xibalba watched his nephew carefully and leaned closer to Chamiabac. ¡°Come now Brother, we have no right to assume the child¡¯s future profession. You of all people should know that.¡± He whispered. ¡°I jest, I jest. Of course, I am aware, dear brother,¡± The All Hallows King patted the man¡¯s shoulder briskly, his smile dimming ever so slightly. ¡°T¡¯was merely a thought, not a suggestion.¡± He turned from his brother to his son, waving his hand nonchalantly. ¡°And at ease, knight. You¡¯re not being interrogated here.¡± On command, Geddeon relaxed his shoulders. He waited patiently for the next order, much to his chagrin. ¡°You have the rest of the night off, knight. Enjoy the festivities,¡± Chamiabac said quietly before he patted his son¡¯s shoulder and turned around to the crowd behind the group. With a sharp clap of his hands, he easily captured the crowd¡¯s attention. ¡°Everyone, I appreciate your concern. All is well tonight, so please worry not and return to your regular activities.¡± The King spoke with kind authority to the crowd. And as if on queue, they quickly dispersed into the stalls and the overall larger crowd of passersby, all with the same general thought. This was not the night to try and anger a King. Xibalba lent over to Geddeon¡¯s ear. ¡°Your annoyance is showing.¡± Geddeon sighed, exhausted. ¡°I apologize. I¡¯ll try to control it.¡± The Forgotten King shook his head. ¡°It is not your fault, ni?o. I understand.¡± He then walked back to Chamiabac, clearing his throat. ¡°Shall we continue our tour, brother?¡± ¡±Ah yes, we shall!¡± The regal man said jovially. He looked over to the still bowing woman and child. ¡°You both, please stand and enjoy the rest of the festival!¡± Yamira flinched at the voice calling into her direction. Cautiously, she lifted her head to view their feet, as practiced since her youth out of respect. Even when ordered, she dared not move lest she suddenly anger the man. She cleared her dry throat as best she could. To speak to the Kings out of turn could result in death, but she had to take the risky gamble. ¡°?Gracias, Mi Reyes! Siempre estar¨¦ en deuda contigo.¡± She said as clearly and quickly as she could. Alejandro glanced over to his mother, confused and slightly concerned at her current expression, before returning back to the Kings. Just how much power did they hold? Chamiabac nodded to the woman before he nodded to the prince. ¡°Enjoy the rest of your evening, my son.¡± ¡°Yes, father, you and T¨ªo as well.¡± Geddeon nodded surely, faking his smile as best he could. He watched the Kings disappear into the crowd, then with a sigh of exhaustion, he looked over to Yamira and Alejandro, who had not moved an inch in fear of angering the remaining man. The knight bowed his head. ¡°Excuse me, I must be on my way.¡± ¡±Gracias, Alteza. No s¨¦ c¨®mo pagarte alguna vez.¡± Yamira spoke softly, the courage to speak to royalty further wanning. The Prince, noting her expression, raised his hand placatingly and he shook his head. ¡°Como dije, no es necesario. Pero disfrut¨¦ el resto de la velada en paz¡±. Bowing slightly, he moved past the mother and son, and towards the center of the town. The woman and child watched the Kings leave, entranced by their Royal Family¡¯s charisma and chivalry, until Alejandro¡¯s attention was taken by a tug on his shoulder. He turned his head to the right to see a young woman, around 13 years old, with white flowers in her long curly hair and an orange and pink dress, embroidered with yellow flowers. Her hair flowed like wisps in the nonexistent wind, and if anyone looked closer, they would notice that she did not have a shadow. She crouched down to his level, glancing at him with a small smile. ¡°Did you get lost?¡± Alejandro smiled back at the girl, his eyes brightening under the colorful lights. ¡°Yeah, but it wasn¡¯t so bad.¡± He whispered. The girl''s gaze then fell to his bare forearm, where she poked the skin right above a small bleeding scratch. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± ¡°Nah, just a few scrapes.¡± He shrugged off in pride but the smile beamed brighter. ¡°But, it was really cool! When I get older, I''ll bring you with me, Yasmin!¡± The girl giggled and ruffled the boy''s curly hair, though not a single strand moved. ¡°Only if you can beat me in a race.¡±
Geddeon watched the children speak from afar, smiling softly. The woman would have never noticed the young girl at her son¡¯s side, proving his initial theory; the girl was dead, and had been for a while. She must have been waiting for them by the Remisia Realm Gate, and had become anxious. She was quite a diligent older sister, by alerting the Kings¡¯ of the boy''s disappearance. And there it was again. That sting of jealousy of life as an only child. The love of a mother, unconditional in all rights. He let out a heavy sigh and shook his head from those thoughts, walking away from the warm family. He had never experienced such a closeness. He passed miles of various food stalls, excited running children, cackling elders playing cards, and awe-struck middle-aged women who gossiped just quietly enough to each other to not alert the most handsome, eligible bachelor in the kingdom of their presence. In truth, anywhere Geddeon walked throughout the festival came an array of gorgeous young women, practically throwing themselves at his feet. Though he was bearing witness to the efforts of his privilege, he could help but inwardly groan. Of course they were enamored with him. Everyone believes him to be different from his family. And he was. The Prince kept moving until he arrived at a massive maple tree, with the trunk carefully carved into the likeness of a phoenix. The leaves that fell looked like glittering embers breaking off from a magnificent blaze, and the mirror that sat embedded into the tree shined a bright orange-red, the colors of a gate that the man knew well. He walked up the stairs to the mirror, tapped 6 times, watching the reflective surface ripple before it started to dim and reflect a new view: one of a foyer in a grand castle. Once the mirror stopped rippling and the view was clear enough, he stepped through it. The other side of this gate was much darker in contrast to the bright lights and sounds of the festival. Though, the quietness of the foyer of the All Hallows Castle was immediately calming to his nerves and his spirit. While he would have loved to ¡°join in the festivities¡± as his father had suggested, Geddeon knew that his energy had begun to wear down. He strolled quietly up the black marble staircase, decorated with beautiful portraits and elegant gifts of the Upper Class. Centuries of All Hallows history littered the high walls of the inner palace, but the man didn''t bother to look around. He knew these halls well enough to not have to pay attention to where he moved. Every time, the same path: up the stairs, make a left, up more stairs, make a right. His footsteps echoed in the empty hallways as he made his way to the third floor, an area restricted to only the Kings and Prince. Before he knew it, he had arrived at the door to his quarters. It, too, was emblazoned with obsidian and gold, much like the rest of the castle''s decorative interior. He opened the door and walked into his room, quietly shutting the door behind him. Geddeon sighed a breath of relief. Though minor in difficulty, he knew that his completed duties for the day were major in terms of keeping his father satisfied. The exhausted prince surveyed his spacious room; the bed was still made with not a single hair on it, the fireplace was lit and warming the room, and his desk was still disheveled with important documents and Magick volumes. Just staring at the desk sparked new stress for him, even if he dared not touch any more papers in the room, he was ¡°free for the evening¡± after all. Instead, he moved to the open window leading out to a wide balcony. He leaned on the decorative railing and took an exhausted deep breath, overlooking the dark city and clear night sky. Tonight, the people of All Hallows may celebrate with their loved ones in Remisia, but tomorrow, their everyday struggles will resume, like usual. Temperantia will keep turning, whether they like it or not. And it didn''t help that his father, in a time of absolute peace, wouldn''t do more to assist those very same struggling people. The most he could muster is throwing lavish festivals, falsely reassuring the people that he is helping. Instead of festivals, instead of parties, the people beg for basic needs: food, water, shelter, medicine, Support! These were his people. These were their people! Yet all the prince could do was try to provide for them with little to no resources, every single day. It infuriated Geddeon, to no end. He lowered his head onto his arms propped on the ledge of the balcony. To solve one issue was to invite several more, and the pressure for Royal support had undoubtedly been addressed numerous times over the years: by other officials, by the citizens, by himself and his uncle. He stood musing to himself about the various issues of his citizens, until he was snapped from his thoughts when something fluttered past his eye. Something cold, small, and white. A snowflake. ¡®No¡­ not now¡­¡¯ Geddeon thought as he frantically turned around. No one stood before him, but the flakes turned flurries trailed upwards to the sky. The Prince followed the trail to the roof of his window balcony. And there she was. An elf - a Cold Elf - with espresso complexion, dark hair tied into a precise upscale bun, and a recognizable powder blue cloak floated quietly on the edge of the roof, gazing into the night sky. And he watched the ominous clouds begin to roll in from the west. ¡®You bitch¡­¡¯ Geddeon¡¯s right eye twitched again as he exhaled, frustrated. ¡°Now is not the time, Frost.¡± ¡°I never asked, Your Highness. I''m not here for you. I honestly didn¡¯t expect you to be here tonight. Don¡¯t you have a party to be attending?¡± Her gaze never moved from the sky, but her tone was as cold as the atmosphere around them. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. Why the hell are you at my castle?¡± He glared at the woman on his roof, but he would take no action until she explained herself, if she chose to explain herself. ¡°You know why. This is the best view in the Autumnal Ruins to begin my path. I am doing my job, after all.¡± She said simply, her gaze never moving from the present darkening sky. Storm clouds were rolling in faster than expected. ¡°It''s Dia de Los Muertos. Can''t you find another time to ¡®do your job¡¯? Let the people celebrate without the fear of pneumonia.¡± The elf finally shifted her gaze from the cloudy sky to the Prince under her feet, calculating Glacier blue eyes met enraged Emerald green. ¡°I think you and I both know I can''t do that. Mrs. Claus wouldn''t stand for it.¡± ¡®She wants me to beg for it¡­¡¯ the Prince thought, his anger nearing to a boiling point. He wasn''t in the mood to barter with the Wynter Spirit; he only wished for peace and quiet. With a deep sigh, he momentarily quelled his rage. He stood quietly for a moment before he groaned under his breath. ¡°...Fine¡­ If you have to do your job, then can you at least leave Remisia alone?¡± Geddeon asked, almost pleadingly. Her ice blue eyes shined with a conflicted light. ¡°Hm¡­That will cost a favor, Your Highness. Are you willing to part with one?¡± She said, smugly. His right eye twitched once again. ¡®...Quell the rage¡­¡¯ ¡°...What do you want?¡± ¡°A free favor, one that I can use on anything; anytime, anywhere.¡± The elf said. Geddeon¡¯s eyes squinted in suspension. ¡°Why extort a favor from me? Why not my father or my uncle?¡± he questioned. ¡°I could, but I''m not talking to either of them right now, am I? I''m here, talking to you, and getting ready to do my job and lay the first snowfall of the season. But if there''s a problem with that, then I-¡± ¡°Fine! One free favor from the Prince of All Hallows! Ya happy!?¡± The man said sharply, feeling his blood burn with anger. ¡®Quell the rage¡¯ The elf smirked slyly. ¡°Ecstatic¡­That''s more than enough. Good evening, Your Highness. Always fun to frustrate you.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the air swirled around her frame with snow and hail before disappearing into loose snowflakes. Geddeon pinched the bridge of his nose and inhaled sharply in annoyance, trying to silence the rage in his head. He turned back to All Hallows, only to find the clouds above releasing a heavy snowfall, covering the city in a blanket of white. The Prince could only prop his head on the balcony railing in exhaustion. ¡®Tomorrow is another fucking day¡­¡¯ Chapter 3 - Kin of Storms Chapter 3 Kin of Storms
Nyxis¡¯ POV Nyxis remained quiet as she stood in Rowena¡¯s massive study, though unperturbed by her boss¡¯s presence. It wasn¡¯t unusual for the young woman to be summoned before noon, especially during the frantic holiday season, but the elf knew exactly why she was there that day. ¡°Did you complete your task of dropping the first snow?¡± Rowena sat in her decorated wooden throne of a chair, elbows on her desk with her fingers interlocked together. Her face was marred by her regular sneer, as per usual. ¡°Yes, I did.¡± The elf confirmed, short and nonchalantly sweet. ¡°Is that so?¡± The woman tilted her head to the side, her sneer deepening. ¡°Yes, ma''am. I dropped a record 2 feet of snow on All Hallows, as directed.¡± Nyxis sternly replied. Rowena rolled her eyes, annoyed at the mere presence of the young woman, but more so of the amount listed. ¡°And what of Remisia?¡± ¡°Untouched until the middle of Decembris, as I have more pressing matters here to attend to in the meantime.¡± She did not lie. A loud scoff suddenly erupted from the older elf, who threw her hands into the air briefly before glaring at the elf. ¡°Oh? And pray tell, what other pressing matters do you need to attend to, other than the tasks I give you?¡± Nyxis felt her left eye twitch, her blood rising for the second time this morning. It was far too early to start an argument, but she did have a point to make. Every day, she had to walk on eggshells, but during the Holiday Season, she was basically expected to hide away from the world. Every argument they had stemmed from Rowena as the aggressor, most times, for no rhyme or reason other than argue. Nyxis had originally thought that it was due to Mrs. Claus¡¯ widow status, during what was supposed to be the happiest time of the year. After all, she herself was quite accustomed to grief and the truth of how long it takes to heal. Rowena wasn¡¯t healed, though. Mrs. Claus chose to thrive on hate, and was all but consumed by it. The citizens of Chakram may not know the details, but they absolutely remember the shifts in her demeanor; both the morning that Nyxis arrived at Chakram, and the night that her husband, Nicholas Claus, died. Her attitude towards the citizens, her late husband¡¯s advisors, and even Father Wynter deteriorated further to bitterness and spite ever since. Giving her a title after all of that just inflated her fragile ego. Since the night of the Fallen Leaf Incident, the younger elf knew that working together, even for the sake of the people, was not an option; Rowena hated Jack Frost for her very existence, and Nyxis would never respect Mrs. Claus as a Leader, much less a person. Their current obligations were solely linked to the Claus bloodline, and nothing more. Rowena, with the status and title of Acting High Commander of Mt, Wynter, had all the power necessary to help the people, not just of Chakram, but of all of Mt. Wynter, and had chosen not to. Jack Frost, as a secondary Commander to Mt. Wynter had no such power and was merely a servant to not only Father Wynter and Mrs. Claus, but to the citizens under their care. She already had nothing, so why not throw caution into the wind? ¡®Inner peace¡­be calm¡¯ ¡°Ma''am, with all due respect, the description of my Jack Frost title also entails that I am to ¡®provide assistance for the citizens and or the Mt. Wynter Leaders in preparation for the Holiday Season.¡¯ I don''t simply work for you; I also work for Father Wynter and Mt. Wynter as a whole.¡± ¡°What are you getting at, Frost?¡± The woman carefully placed her hands on her desk and slowly stood up, her glare never faltering. ¡®Steel yourself¡­Do not back down!¡¯ ¡°Rowena, we do this dance every year. You know I help the citizens as much as I can, especially around this time of year. You know, of all people, that I''m stretched quite thin in terms of work, because you assign my work.¡± Nyxis spoke candidly. The adrenaline was starting to rush, and it took all of her willpower to not shake from the effects. ¡°I''m sure you must have noticed that the citizens are now starting preparations for requests that should have been approved in the middle of the year. The citizens need our assistance, your assistance. If you could-¡± ¡°If I could, what?¡± Rowena shouted abruptly, her face beet red with repressed rage. She slapped her hand once upon another red book; one of Mt. Wynter¡¯s this time, the sound echoing in the empty room. ¡°Do you realize just who you are speaking to? I have been consistent and exemplary in my career centuries longer than you have even been alive and you have the audacity to tell me how to do my job!?¡± Their eyes locked, and if anyone else were in the room, they would scurry in fear from the tension. ¡°Well, I have been completing my tasks, as well as yours.¡± The elf equally sneered, annoyance seething through her teeth. ¡°And last I checked, Bast has been completing the remaining tasks of yours that I cannot. What I mean to say is that if you were so ¡°exemplary¡± at your job, then maybe you would know just how much your people need help, especially now. Can you please try to help-¡± Nyxis was suddenly cut off when she watched the woman across from her throw the heavy tome in her direction, just for the book to whip past the elf¡¯s head, hitting the wall, and tumbling to the ground, on its back cover. ¡°Enough! I will not stand for this insubordination!¡± Rowena screamed at the top of her lungs. Mrs Claus glared daggers into the elf across from her desk. ¡°You are remarkably lucky that you are well liked by Father Wynter, but do not think that makes you special in any fucking way! I have absolutely no reason to answer you, or to anyone! I am the Leader of Chakram, as is my right! Meanwhile, you stand before me, like the marriage ruinous troglodyte you are, demandingsomething from me!?¡± The elf stood quietly, a flicker of pain shadowed her glare, but only for a second. She wanted to scream back. She wanted to throw the book back with twice the force and triple the precision. She wanted the fight that Rowena was evidently proposing with her actions. But she wouldn¡¯t, for she had to maintain decorum as Commander. She couldn¡¯t, because she had too much to lose and the time for her Trial had not yet come. Oh, but how she wanted to, because the abuse was already too much to bear. Rowena stood tall, her nose pointing high, as she was normally viewed by anyone watching her. The scowl of the Witch, as it was commonly murmured throughout the townsfolk. ¡°As the Leader of Chakram, I declare that the punishment for your juvenile display of insubordination is to attend all future proposals from the Courts in the name of Mt. Wynter. If you believe you can do my job better than myself, you are more than welcome to take over my Personal Relations until further notice!¡± Nyxis felt her face contort into a confused frown. ¡°So my punishment is to do more of your work? How is that any help to them?!¡± ¡°Well perhaps it will give you a new appreciation of the real leaders of Mt. Wynter and what we do. You are simply a child that needs to remember the words of the Rulers of Chakram are law, and if you studied the laws as well as you claimto have had, then you¡¯d know well to remove yourself from my sight, because all is said and done!¡± The woman sneered down, her hate rising to the peak. ¡°Those people do not need you! Father Wynter does not need you! And I have no need for you. You are not necessary! Now. LEAVE!¡± The Commander remained there for a moment after the woman¡¯s tirade, the fire she held tightly dimming quickly from her eyes. Rowena knew well how to dig deep into her insecurities, and reveled in trying to pull any emotion from her, frequently failing. But there are those rare times that she broke through. Nyxis bowed and turned around to the door, side eyeing the tossed book for a moment, before leaving the room and closing the door behind her. She stood by quietly, breathing deep with shaky breaths. The adrenaline was intensely pumping through her veins, more so than the blood, and the white spots in her vision flickered all over. ¡®Inner Peace. Be Calm. Inner Peace. Be Calm. Inner Peace. Be Calm.¡¯ The mantra she kept close wasn¡¯t helping as it usually did. Her inner peace was disrupted, broken, exposed. The Commander could never be exposed, especially not in or to the public. Without a thought left, Nyxis lifted the hood of her cloak and quickly floated away from the Witch¡¯s Office and the West Wing. She tried to breathe carefully as she moved, but it worked against her when she felt a lump in her throat. Her vision had returned, just for it to then become blurry with slow welling tears, but muscle memory kept her moving. Down the stairs, make a right, down more stairs, cross the landing, up the stairs, make a left, up more stairs. When she arrived at a silver ornate door, she twisted the knob, flew inside and closed it softly, leaning her back and head against it. She placed the palm of her hands on the cold mixture of steel and wood, the cooling feeling slowly calming the rage inside. Nyxis would not allow Rowena to see her pain, her hurt, or that she was even capable of pulling an emotion from her. But there are times that the verbal abuse was so damaging that the Commander¡¯s heart would darken, and her vision would begin to deteriorate, but she was always pulled back to reality, usually by Bast. But he wasn¡¯t there, her vision was still dimming and she was starting to believe the hurtful words. Suddenly, the elf heard a soft thump and the sound of wood shifting over a carpet. She did not move from her spot nor did she glance over to see, but she knew who it was. Only three other people had open access to this room. ¡°You look pale¡­ Bad convo with the Witch?¡± A soft voice rang through the room. A woman''s voice. Nyxis sighed deeply through shaky breaths. ¡°Do you even have to ask? Everyday is a-¡± ¡°¡®Everyday is a fight.¡¯ Yes, that you are winning because even the Witch knows that she can¡¯t outlast youth, with her old ass!¡± The woman piped up. The elf couldn¡¯t help but smirk at the comment. ¡°It sure doesn¡¯t feel like I¡¯m winning. You sure it¡¯s not a fluke, Rozaliya?¡± Nyxis¡¯ vision was returning slowly, as was her breathing. Then, she felt a finger poke at her clavicle. When she finally lifted her head from the door to look, she was staring back at a slightly taller pale nymph with sharp, ocean blue eyes, staring back. ¡°No way. When I make predictions, I¡¯m always spot on! I don¡¯t make mistakes, I deliver investments.¡± The woman said proudly, her pale, strawberry blonde curly bob bouncing around her shoulders. A chuckle escaped Nyxis¡¯ lips. ¡°There are such things as bad investments.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure, but they¡¯re not coming from me! Again, I only make spot-on predictions. She will drop dead one day, and then you¡¯ll be free!¡± Rozaliya spoke candidly. The Commander then felt her cloak hood fall and cold hands holding her cheeks, lifting her head up to eye level. ¡°But you gotta stop poking the bear. You know she doesn¡¯t give a shit, so why should you? You just need to keep doing what you have been doing and just stay clear of her.¡± ¡°How, Roza? How can I do that when she literally antagonizes me with more work than I can finish? How can I not care about the citizens? How can I detach myself from her when I have to report to her?¡± Nyxis questioned. She truly needed answers, but the questions she posed were too numerous to count. ¡°Have you gone to Father Wynter about this?¡± The nymph asked. The commander shook her head. ¡°Father Wynter has been out on official business and won¡¯t return until the day before the Fall Banquet. She is in charge until then.¡± ¡°Two weeks from now?¡± Rozaliya mused, panning around the room behind her. She removed her hands from the other woman¡¯s face and grabbed her wrist, pulling her over to one of the couches that sat by an enormous fireplace. When they sat, the tension in Nyxis'' shoulders evaporated and she slumped into the fluffed cushions. The adrenaline was gone, but the emptiness remained. With full vision returned, the Commander scanned around the very familiar room. Her grand library, decorated with high ceilings and thousands of books lined along various Darkwood shelves; a gift bestowed to her upon arrival to Chakram to live. In truth, it was a present from her father, but Father Wynter was the person that gave it to her. That room was her sanctuary; the only place she could go where the Witch couldn¡¯t find her. Well, technically, Rowena could find her here, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to enter. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°I just don¡¯t know how to help the citizens. That¡¯s all Father Wynter asked me to do.¡± ¡°What needs to be done?¡± Rozaliya questioned. ¡°The Workshop has a major Alteration incoming, and they need help building, and the Creation Station is still waiting on Amnis Powder to make the decorations.¡± Nyxis rattled off the issues that required troubleshooting, problems that kept her awake for over a week. The woman next to her sat in thought for a moment before piping up, clapping her hands together. ¡°Well, I can fix one of your problems.¡± Rozaliya began, smiling all the while. ¡°You can leave the Workshop to me. Bast already told me about the troupe and luckily for you, I had just the space for them. My girls usually volunteer around the city during the season, so they can help at the Workshop. Before you get up in arms against it, they are excellent woodworkers and are volunteer stage builders.¡± The commander started to speak when Rozaliya¡¯s dancing Troupe, Aphrodite¡¯s Swans, were mentioned. Though, as her friend explained further, she chose to sit silently. The Swans were the top dancers on Aeon, flawlessly elegant when dancing, but many of them started as young carpenters, assistant chefs, and seamstresses. They already had that eagerness to learn, succeed, and survive, more so in a different country than Bordeaux. Nyxis know that they were more than capable to help the Workshop. ¡°Assuming you told him already, I¡¯m sure that Bast will come up with a plan about the Amnis Powder. We can handle this, so maybe you can relax, if only for a little bit.¡± The nymph concluded, releasing Nyxis¡¯ wrist and patting her hand reassuringly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go read off some of that steam?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t read when I¡¯m stressed out.¡± The Commander sighed. It was true, as she still didn¡¯t have a plan nor explanation for the Amnis Powder situation and it weighed on her not to know. ¡°Then go punch it off.¡± The older woman suggested. Nyxis shook her head with a bit of force. ¡°The Training room is in the West Wing. I¡¯m not going back over there if I could help it.¡± ¡°Fine, then why not go to Farrum Ember? The training facility is far away, and you know the bitch won¡¯t leave Mt. Wynter. This is as far as she will go to look for you.¡± Rozaliya pointed out. The elf blinked in thought. The Farrum Ember training facility was past a Realm Gate, and as Jack Frost, she does have access to that gate. ¡°Do I have to pull a favor for the Workshop assistance?¡± ¡°No.¡± Rozaliya stated, before lifting herself over the couch, levitating above the cushions. ¡°I¡¯m fierce in my favors, but I¡¯m not an asshole. I can see when someone needs help and I don¡¯t indulge in kicking the helpless while they¡¯re down.¡± The nymph poked the Commander¡¯s nose before floating just out of reach of the couch. ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to go work my magic, and you should go before she ¡®summons¡¯ you for something else. If she asks for you, I¡¯ll just say that you¡¯re busy.¡± The Commander reached up to slap Rozaliya¡¯s hand away from her face, but it was too late; she got ¡°booped¡±, a signature move of the Valentinian Lady. ¡°Please be careful on how you word it. The last thing I need is another ¡°punishment¡± for minor insubordination.¡± ¡°In that case, your location will be on a need to know basis, and she doesn¡¯t need to know shit.¡± The nymph stuck her tongue out at the Commander and floated over to the door, exiting the room. Nyxis smiled softly towards the closed door. Rozaliya Belmont, the Head of the Valentinian Family Line of Bordeaux, was the closest person she had to an older sister, being an only child herself. She still recalled a time where the two couldn¡¯t speak to each other, mostly due to her priorities being on her early studies. But one day, the young Water Nymph managed to break into her library in the middle of the night, just to speak to Nyxis. Rozaliya was previously just as uncomfortable with conversing as herself, due to her own seclusion on Bordeaux, and they bonded over their shared social anxieties. It was easier to speak to each other now than it was then, but even as close friends, Nyxis still had some closely held secrets to keep to herself. Her deeper insecurities of being labeled as ¡°useless¡± and fear of rejection, compounded by her fear of disappointing Father Wynter, after he lovingly took her in all those years ago. She didn¡¯t want to let him down, even while she was at odds with the cranky-ass Witch. Nyxis shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Rozaliya was right; She did need an outlet for her anger and remaining in the castle was only going to further complicate the situation. With the adrenaline gone, she could then feel the light pain in her stomach, twisting around and constricting. Her rage was eventually going to retaliate against her body should she continue to repress it. After a monitoring session of deep breaths, she eventually rose from the couch by the fireplace, and floated over to the door. Nyxis floated deeper into the Weiss Forest, past various Darkwood and Yewlight trees scattered across a snowy landscape. The late afternoon air was cold and brisk, and snow blew softly in the wind. The rare times that Nyxis was allowed to leave Chakram, she had always suggested visiting the Weiss Forest. Regardless of the weather, she had always found peace here. But the southern area of the forest was off-limits to civilians. That was due to the weather and the Realm Gate, a portal of space that links the continents of what used to be Temperantia. Those specific gates had the power to transport a person to the closest continent, and all of the Realm Gates lead to one specific area; Ferrum Ember, the Archive Domain of Old Temperantia. The gate she approached looked just as she had remembered it all those years ago; a grand construct with a snow-covered roof blended into the enormous tree that held the gate, extending to the pearl, marble stairs leading towards the gate. it, too, was covered by snow, but undisturbed and prestinely even. Nyxis dared not place her feet to the ground, to preserve the beauty, and floated over the stairs towards the gate. Once she was under the roof, she moved closer to the gate, tapping on the mirror until it rippled, like water. Then, she watched as an all-brick fortress rippled into view, standing mighty in the middle of a deep forest of trees with amber leaves. When the rippling ceased, the Commander walked into the mirror, until she stepped out into that Emberlite Forest. She arrived at a two-story guarded fortress of stone and copper, with a path leading inside. No snow in sight, in fact, it was quite neutral in temperature. Golden amber leaves fell all around, yet somehow were growing back in a questionable fast rate of revivification. Though, it still looked more beautiful than most places she had been able to visit. She proceeded away from the entrance of Mt. Wynter¡¯s Realm Gate, following a lit path of lanterns that led into the fortress. When she arrived at a colorful stair landing under overarching ceilings and windows, she followed it all the way down until there were no windows, and the grand staircase came to an end. Nyxis was quite accustomed to busy castles and towns of Lili¨¢cea and Chakram, but Farrum Ember was completely different. The Hall of Titles didn¡¯t have attendants, servants or maids. The entire continent was controlled solely by the Record Keeper, a title and occupation created merely as a lifelong punishment from the Fae King of the Midsummer Cape to one of his Fae attendants. Even after the Rebellion of Storms, the attendant remained in Farrum Ember, forever attending to collected tomes and records of the world. Where she was going, however, held no such records. In the second level basement of the fortress sat an acre wide room, adorned by various weapons and stationary training mannequins, perfect tools for combat training lining the walls. Though, she soon noticed that the room was occupied as she moved closer to the elongated door. Dueling before her were two men; A shirtless, fair-skinned Storm Nymph donning merely dark green pants and blue, silver and gold greaves. The other man was darker-skinned and also shirtless, but kept on his dual-toned brown boots and muted dark blue pants. Both men were focused solely on their fight, but the sound of her feet landing on the floor made them separate from each other, each sliding back a good distance away to a halt. When they faced her, the elf raised both of her hands preemptively in defense. Don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯ll be in the other corner.¡± The woman spoke up. ¡°Ah! If it isn¡¯t Commander Frost! Did you come down here to test your might?¡± The darker man chuckled loudly, his robust deep voice echoing off of the stone walls. If anyone else were greeted like that, they would probably see it as a challenge. But she knew better. ¡°No, Tyr. I¡¯m just here to train.¡± Nyxis removed her hood as she floated over to a smaller sitting area. She removed her cloak, revealing black biker shorts and tank top, but her arms and legs were still covered by the dark blue sleeves she regularly wore. She usually trained barefoot to better feel the floor, so shoes were not required. ¡°You¡¯re here to train, or to hide?¡± The other man spoke up, still focused on his opponent. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter why you enter, but you know what is required! If you want to train in my domain, then you train by my rules!¡± Tyr proclaimed, clapping his hands together once before turning around to the man he was previously sparring with. ¡°Vincent! I¡¯ll let you off the hook for ditching our last session if you fight Nyxis.¡± The nymph¡¯s faded yellow pupils rolled as he stood up straight, noting his spar with the other man was over. ¡°Seriously? It¡¯s my day off!¡± Tyr shook his head and folded his arms over his wide chest. ¡°We had an arrangement, and you should have been here. If you don¡¯t like it, you can try to beat my ass, but after you spar.¡± The elf couldn¡¯t help but speak up. ¡°I was just-¡± ¡°You can just prepare yourself! It¡¯s already been decided! I will spectate!¡± The bearded man smiled brightly, interrupting her. In truth, she knew she couldn¡¯t change the man¡¯s mind. After all, the room they were standing in was his domain, regardless of the Record Keeper¡¯s constant noise complaints from thirty feet above ground. Not even the Elders of Old Temperantia can impart their rule here. At best, they can only give suggestions. Tyr was one of the extremely few humans to ever see through the Fog, cross the threshold, and live to tell the tale. He, like herself, was not born on the lands of New Temperantia. While she was born in Peon¨ªa, Tyr was born on an island off of the coast of the Autumnal Ruins, called Carmen. The two were similar in terms of their upbringing, but differed greatly when it came to attunement to Albrun. While Nyxis, a half-Primordial human with a Legacy Bloodline, had to create a room just to absorb the Mana she couldn¡¯t hold within herself, Tyr, a natural-born human, somehow had such overactive Mana Circuits when activated that his control over Mana was on par with the Elders. Though, the man cared not about being a leader. He was a fighter through and through, who swore allegiance to the Fae of Midsummer Cape, but was friendly to all. He even took her under his wing in terms of training after the Fallen Leaf Incident. ¡°You know, you don¡¯t treat Cielo like this when you train her.¡± Vincent complained, wiping sweat from his brow. He tightened the fabric strip that held his hair in a ponytail, glaring at his former opponent. ¡±That¡¯s because Cielo shows up to combat training when scheduled, unlike someone I know.¡± Tyr shrugged and walked towards the sitting area where Nyxis stood, plopping himself down in the seat. ¡°Listen, fucker. I didn¡¯t need training, and I was busy!¡± The nymph shouted back, clearly annoyed. ¡°You were busy with what?¡± The man asked. ¡°Busy with my business!¡± Vincent retorted. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Cielo in a while. How is she?¡± The elf piped up, sitting on the floor, stretching forward to her right foot. She had already pre-stretched after she changed her clothes, but she figured it wouldn¡¯t deteriorate her. ¡°She¡¯s doing well! Most days, her princess duties with Queen Astoria have been extending well into the evening. So we made arrangements for her combat training to be on alternating days.¡± The man shifted his arms from over his bare chest to behind his head. ¡°Today is not her day to train, so I pulled that slacker for a warm-up.¡± ¡°I resent that remark.¡± Vincent snorted. ¡°I resent that work ethic.¡± Tyr snorted back. ¡°Boys, please. You¡¯re both pretty.¡° Nyxis groaned, walking into the middle of the room, to the starting point for sparring. She kept her eyes on Vincent, carefully scanning him from head to toe. He stared her down as well, but she was looking for things in particular. The nymph in front of the Commander was about a foot taller than her, still wearing his greaves, and sweating; all bad signs. Taking him off his feet wasn¡¯t an option due to height and shoes, and then she had to prepare for being shocked upon contact. She had memorized most of his fighting style from before, but the last time they had actually sparred was before the Fallen Leaf Incident. She shook her head. No thoughts were needed, especially now. ¡°Ready yourselves, and begin!¡± Tyr announced from his seat. By the man¡¯s call, both Nyxis and Vincent began to circle each other, each walking lightly and slowly, gazes unmoving. Despite his calm visage, the elf could see the spark in the nymph¡¯s eyes; the subtle flash of lightning was her only warning before he bolted at her with a flying kick. Acting quickly, she braced her arm between her head and his leg, using the momentum to slide closer to him, attempting to hit him with a jab to the sternum. Vincent, inhumanly quick as he was, used her outstretched arm like a springboard to flip over her. The shock upon contact with his hand was expected, but wasn¡¯t a deterrent. She leapt at him mid air, catching him in the stomach with a rising knee, expelling the air from the nymph¡¯s lungs, but only momentarily. Vincent rolled when he hit the floor, narrowly avoiding the landing stomp that she had attempted. Using his momentum of the roll, he spun his leg into a rising triple kick, which Nyxis blocked by swiftly holding her hands to her face. Now upright, he surged forward, landing a heavy punch to the elf¡¯s exposed stomach that lifted her off her feet, and dropped her to one knee, gasping. She felt the strong electric current course through her abdomen as she coughed, taking a moment to cradle her pained stomach. ¡°We¡¯re even now,¡± Vincent said panting, only to then swerve backwards as the woman suddenly rose for a vicious uppercut to his jaw. ¡°Dirty pool!¡±, He protested while blocking her follow-up jabs and hooks. ¡°You got time to brag, you got time to dodge!¡±, Nyxis said through gritted teeth, landing an open palm strike to the center of his chest. Another shock, but that one felt good. She closed the distance between them, elbowing the nymph in the collarbone. The jolt was stronger than last time, but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop her. Her momentum was building; her strikes became quicker, her dodges more fluid. She had far too much on her mind and only one outlet to utilize, without complications. She was truly in her element, and she never wanted to leave. Not to be out done, Vincent slipped past the elf¡¯s next jab, pulled her back to him and tossed her over his shoulder, landing her hard on her back with an echoing slam. Trying to capitalize and end the fight as quickly as he could, he held her in a standing arm-bar, pulling until they were both on the floor. She felt the burn in her shoulder, the pain and the current running up her forearm. The smart thing to do would be for her to tap out. Her body begged for it, screamed for it even. But she¡¯d be damned if anyone got one over on her, much less Vincent. Not today. Ignoring the strain, the jolts and the pain, Nyxis stiffened her arm and tightened her muscles. Against the best wishes of her body, of physics, of her pain receptors, she held strong. She refused to tap. Instead, she raised her arm, and with the pure power in her core until the nymph was off the floor, slammed it and Vincent back down, the impact echoing loud against the walls. The air quickly left his body and on reflex, the nymph released her, gasping for air. Ignoring the screaming pain in her shoulder, Nyxis scrambled behind him and wrapped her uninjured arm around his neck, into a rear naked choke hold. Vincent thrashed and fought but unlike his opponent, and the elf knew he couldn''t keep the fight going. Eventually, the Commander felt the satisfying rapid tap on her forearm, releasing the man and falling to her knees. They both sat on the floor after the ordeal, panting and coughing. ¡°Win goes to the Commander!¡± Tyr clapped, proclaiming the victor as he stood from his seat. He strolled over to the challengers, satisfied with the results. ¡°This is why you should come to combat training, Rhyddid. ¡®War does not end with a single battle.¡¯ You need to prepare yourself for multiple, even simultaneous.¡± ¡°Go¡­fuck yourself.¡± Vincent coughed out as he laid flat on his back, unmoving on the training room floor. ¡°Oh, quit your bitchin! Get off the floor and shake the better person''s hand, ya little shit.¡± ¡°In a¡­minute¡­¡± The nymph groaned as he slowly rolled over to his knees, carefully crawling into a standing position. On his feet, he turned to Nyxis with his hand held out, looking more tired than she had felt. But she couldn''t hold back the smirk that crossed her lips when she shook his hand. It was a victory, however fleeting it was. The elf knew she could''ve done better; she easily pinpointed the flaws in her technique and the miscalculation in her steps, but to take down a Midsummer Spirit with battle experience, it was one of the better wins of the week. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky. You only won because I was already tired!¡± Vincent frowned, pulling away to wipe the sweat from his brow. ¡°Get the sand out of your asscrack and suck it the fuck up.¡± Tyr muttered before a wicked grin crossed his face ¡°¡­Unless you wanna go for a round against me?¡± The air seemed to lose its moisture and the ground vibrated under their feet. For the briefest of moments, the sound of thunderous war drums could be heard as the oppressive feeling of Tyr¡¯s Aura flooded the training room. ¡°No, thanks!¡± The nymph shouted, walking faster to the sitting area. He held his hand out until his bolero jacket that was resting on the rafters flew to him, grabbing it out of the air. ¡°I want no part of that!¡± When the Commander finally stood up, the air slowly returned back to its neutral state and the sounds diminished. The man next to her smiled brightly and clapped his strong hand against her back, causing her to wobble on her feet. ¡°Good! You''re getting better. That was faster than usual.¡± Tyr cheered. ¡°I guess¡­¡± Nyxis mused aloud. She exhaled, breathing deep. It was a faster spar, and it wasn¡¯t enough. She wasn¡¯t done. She wasn¡¯t ready to end the fight, and sparring with Tyr was not advisable. She was not ready to leave. ¡°In truth, we had just started our fight when you arrived. He¡¯s just lazy.¡± The man said, ¡°I noticed.¡± Nyxis confirmed, walking away from the center of the room over to the sitting area, grabbing her cloak. ¡°He tried to end it early.¡± ¡°And you flipped it on him. You¡¯ve studied well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still here, you know.¡± Vincent warned from the corner of the room. ¡°Keep talkin, you¡¯re still within reach!¡± Tyr glared back with a devious smile. Nyxis sighed. Midsummer Cape denizens certainly had the tendency to be overly enthusiastic about their hobbies, almost to the point of gluttony. Tyr¡¯s ¡°hobby¡± was fighting, in the aspects of combat and training. Meanwhile, Vincent preferred drinking and reconnaissance, always searching for something new in the world. They were free to do as they please, and go where they want. ¡®Truly free¡­¡¯ She couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of envy. Even still, they were better company than the empty halls of the Mt. Wynter Castle, or the Witch. ¡°I¡¯m going to head out.¡± She said, putting on her cloak, clipping the brooch to close it, and floating towards the door. ¡°Leaving already? That was only one fight!¡± Tyr exclaimed. ¡°I only had about an hour of freedom, and I spent most of it just getting to Farrum Ember.¡± The elf explained. She walked over to her mentor and tapped his arm, reassuringly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll come back when I have more time.¡± ¡°If you say so, but I¡¯ll hold you to that. Come back anytime!¡± ¡°Gentlemen.¡± Nyxis nodded to both men, before retreating away from her teachers up the stairs. Vincent, sitting hunched on one of the various benches in the sitting area, tapped his foot on the ground to pull the other man¡¯s attention. ¡°The capacity size of her Mana Circuits have increased, as well as accuracy. She might be able to hold as much as Terran now.¡± ¡±It¡¯s an improvement, but not enough to kill the bitch.¡± Tyr nodded, arms folded over his chest. ¡°The last time the Commander came around for training was about six years ago. She needs more training.¡± ¡±Fuck that, she needs more rest.¡± The nymph frowned. ¡°She honestly should¡¯ve taken a nap rather than come here.¡± Tyr eyed the other man, inquisitively. ¡°She can do both.¡± The nymph sat back against the stone wall, arms remaining folded. ¡°That throw she did with her arm was sloppy, but actually quite effective, suggesting that she already trains on her own time. The bags under her eyes suggest that she¡¯s not getting sleep, good or otherwise, probably due to training or working.¡± The bearded man nodded slowly. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡±To add insult to injury, a hour to train? Even I know that our spars can go for hours. But to come all the way to Farrum Ember for a thirty minute duel is particularly questionable. Even more so when there¡¯s a training room in her own country she could¡¯ve gone to.¡± Vincent sighed, stretching his head from side to side. ¡°She didn¡¯t come here to train, she came here to hide.¡± ¡±Regardless of what she came here to do, we cannot intervene in other country¡¯s matters. She will have to learn how to stand stronger.¡± Tyr shrugged, walking back towards the sitting area to grab his horn of Mead. ¡°True. I still believe the day when Jack Frost finally snaps is going to be wild.¡± Vincent smirked, envisioning the chaos to come. Chapter 4 - Children of Life Geddeon''s POV Geddeon huffed at his messy work desk, sifting through multiple loose papers. Another day of bullshit to slough through. Most days, he would awaken by four in the morning, not by choice but by habit, and prepare for the day with stretching and light training. By 7:30 on the dot, one of the castle servants would arrive at his room with a neat stack of official documents, waiting for review or approval, but it wouldn''t remain in that state for long. The documents usually consisted of requests from the public, regarding the various issues with irrigation farmers, sewage, education, or one of the many other problems that he could only ¡°look into¡± and never officially ¡°solve¡±. He sighed deep, leaning forward over his ornate wooden desk. By right, the reports and requests should go to the King, and yet they were entrusted to him to find some grand solution. Another stack to be placed on his father¡¯s desk only to be ignored by his flights of fancy, but what else could he do? Suddenly, a heavy thump pounded at the closed door, followed by heavy shuffling. ¡°Ay, brat! You up?¡± A loud groggy voice nearly shouted. Geddeon groaned under his breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Yes, Kujo. Come in.¡± The door flew open and an enormous black hound entered the room, a thick cigar lit in its clenched jaws. It padded over on all fours to the man by the desk, blowing smoke in his direction. The Prince waved his hand back and forth to push the smoke away from his breathing space. ¡°If you were already up, why ain¡¯t you downstairs?¡± The Hellhound glared at the man. The Prince carefully lifted a messy stack of papers before casually dropping them back on his desk with an audible ¡®thump¡¯, multiple loose sheets flying spilling over the side. ¡°This is the reason. I¡¯ll leave when I-¡± ¡°You¡¯re being summoned by ya pops.¡± Kujo said, taking a pull of his cigar. The man halted his words before realizing what was said. He groaned loud, flopping back against his chair. ¡°Are you serious?! I literally do not have time for this!¡± He seethed, perturbed and exasperated. He did not have time for distractions. ¡°Not my problem. Skedaddle.¡± The hound confirmed, blowing more of the thick smoke into Geddeon¡¯s direction. Kujo then moved nonchalantly from the doorway to the fireplace, laying down. The Prince merely sat in the plume, unmoving for a moment. Just when he was starting to get some work done, he had another spontaneous task he had to accomplish. He already knew that it would definitely have a negative effect on any future tasks. It was bad enough that he had to scramble to help remove the snow and ice after his last encounter with Jack Frost, and that took well over a week. The Town was not prepared for another squall, much less anything else. There was already too much to handle. ¡®Quell the rage¡­Quell the rage¡¯ Defeated, Geddeon stood up from his chair, eyed the papers on his desk and the floor, and walked over to the already open door. ¡°Don¡¯t burn down my room.¡± He warned his hound. ¡°Fuck off.¡± Kujo replied, blowing more smoke in his direction. The prince rolled his eyes before leaving the room, closing the door behind him. The halls of the Los Muertos Royal Castle were more bustling than usual. Various servants stopped what they were doing to stare at the Prince, all bowing as he walked down to the grand staircase. No one dared to breach his sight, as the man was walking with a mission. Time and time again, he had to deal with tasks out of his control. And every time, it was his responsibility. The king needs to make these important decisions, not him. And this time, Geddeon was going to tell him that. He sped down the stairs and halls, not paying mind nor attention to the servants he passed. When the Prince arrived at the Meeting Room door, he quickly turned the handle and stepped in. ¡®Today was the day.¡¯ ¡°Father, I have to speak to you about-¡±, Geddeon stopped short, taking a moment to observe the room. The orange high walls were adorned with a myriad of Darkwood framed military and naval achievements of his family line, patriotic citizens and political martyrs of the Autumnal Ruins. He had seen them before, but he wasn¡¯t focused on that. In the middle of the room sat an elongated Darkwood table, with matching ornate chairs lined around it, and at the very end of it sat Xibalba, waiting patiently. ¡°Ah, Geddeon! Good morning!¡± The King of Remisia greeted enthusiastically. ¡°T-T¨ªo? I thought Father called for me.¡± The Prince muttered aloud, befuddled. ¡°What? No!¡± Xibalba laughed deep, his voice bouncing off of the walls. ¡°I asked Kujo to send for you. Your father went ahead to Farrum Ember to attend a meeting with the Temperantia Elders. It¡¯s not until later, but he wanted to get a head start.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Geddeon mumbled. Suddenly, it became a morning of surprises. He hadn¡¯t expected his father to actually be attending official business, much less working. He wasn¡¯t complaining though. After all, his uncle was far more agreeable, and easier to speak with. ¡°Well, Kujo lied then.¡± ¡°Ah, the tricks of that hellhound.¡± The King laughed. ¡°You need to keep a better eye on him.¡± ¡°How? He can literally fly through walls, but chooses not to! I can¡¯t control that.¡± The Prince protested. ¡°He is your Specter and your responsibility.¡± The older man reminded his nephew. The younger could only scoff and throw his hands in the air. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯ll listen to me.¡± He frowned. Xibalba stood from his seat and walked over to his nephew, patting his shoulder, reassuringly. ¡°He¡¯s still a pup, Ni?o. One day, you both will see eye to eye. It will come with time. Now, I need you to accompany me to Yggdrasil this afternoon.¡± Geddeon¡¯s brow furrowed, perplexed. ¡°Verne Valley? Why?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The man started. ¡°Your aunt and I were going to visit Mother Nature for tea, but Carnati will also be in that meeting, so La Muerte chose to stay home. I was also asked to attend the meeting, but I am still willing to visit for a little bit.¡± ¡°I see. Um¡­ With all due respect, T¨ªo, I don¡¯t quite see where I come into all this.¡± The Prince spoke, questioning further. ¡°Yes, well¡­ A certain child requested your presence. Well, she damn near demanded it without being rude.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Within seconds, he understood why he was summoned. His demeanor immediately changed from puzzled to stunned. ¡°What¡¯s today?¡± ¡°Novembris 10th.¡± ¡°Oh. Wait, what time is it?!¡± The Prince asked, eyes widening and suddenly frantic. He remembered something. ¡°13:58. In the afternoon.¡± The older man answered. Without skipping a beat, Geddeon inhaled through his teeth. He made a promise to a friend. He was at least ninety percent completed with the requests, but he didn¡¯t account for the time it would consume. He fucked up¡­ ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll take that as your agreement. Make ready to depart within the next hour. ¡° XIbalba calmly stated as he rose from his chair. ¡°But first, you look hungry. Accompany your old T¨ªo to scrounge up some food, yes?¡± His uncle clapped his hand on his nephew¡¯s shoulder, seemingly teleporting from the chair to the doorway the Prince was still standing in, causing the younger man to flinch back. The man¡¯s tone was jovial but the tight grip on Geddeon¡¯s shoulder made it clear he had no other options. Usually, the Prince would be so absorbed into his duties and training that he would often skip meals. It wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t hungry; it was just due to his hectic schedule working better without the need to eat. His uncle¡¯s tone was also a dead giveaway, which only meant one thing. ¡®Kujo snitched¡­¡¯ ¡°W-Well, I mean¡­¡± the prince stuttered out, his gaze shifting downward, attempting to come up with a convincing reason to not go to Verne Valley with his uncle. Not that he didn¡¯t want to; quite far from it as he loved spending time with the older man. And Autumn knows he could use a break, but he hesitated. His mind flashed back to the paperwork on his desk, the necessities his people needed that weren¡¯t getting filled, and the needs of his kingdom going unanswered. How could he stop when they needed him? ¡°Ni?o.¡± A calm, but forceful tone called out, enough to snap Geddeon out of his thoughts. ¡°You¡¯re no good to anyone if you¡¯re dead on your feet.¡± The words were direct and a bit harsh, but it cut to the heart of the matter. The prince couldn¡¯t help anyone if he had passed out from starvation. So reluctantly, he acquiesced. ¡°Yes, of course, Uncle. Lead the way. I''m sure the kitchens have something edible for us to indulge in.¡± A lopsided smile crossed his face. If his uncle noticed the unease beneath his visage, he didn¡¯t bring attention to it. ¡°!Que Suerte! Now, let¡¯s go fill our bellies!¡± The joy in Xibalba¡¯s voice almost made Geddeon forget his woes and the mountain of issues waiting for him on his desk. But only temporarily. As an honorary ambassador of All Hallows, many citizens have asked Geddeon what the highlight of Verne Valley was. In his opinion, it would always be the foliage; acres of lush green valleys, various varieties of colorful flowers and vibrant tall trees lining the distance. While the Prince adored the warmer hues that naturally grew around his kingdom, there was always something special about the truly expansive colors that Verne Valley had on display. When he stepped out onto the stone foundation of the Sakurai Forest Realm Gate, the bright sunlight and warm air welcomed him, permeating through the brisk air that All Hallows left behind. The platform beneath him was decorated with the fallen petals of the Pastel Tree of the Realm Gate and surrounding forest. He didn¡¯t even have to gaze around to see the gargantuan canopy of Yggdrasil, soaring far beyond the tree line; The magnificent tree stood as the largest monument in Verne valley. Many have said that the tree was nurtured by Mother Nature¡¯s own Mana. There was an almost calming effect in the air, that even the Prince could take a minute to relax a second. Geddeon inhaled deeply, feasting on the fresh scent of flowers, moss, and dirt. Although, there was also a wafting odor of¡­ Rabbit? An audible whistle was his only warning; and were it not for his reflexes, the small missile would have surely taken him off his feet and into the tree line. Thinking quickly, Geddeon pivoted his body and caught the projectile, spinning them both to a stop. He smiled as he held up a younger girl with a chocolate complexion, large rabbit ears, and no older than fourteen Autumns. But she was not smiling. Far from it, to be exact. The girl in question wiggled in the Prince¡¯s hands until she leapt from his arms, landing onto the platform with an audible stomp and a pouting glare on her face. ¡°You''re LATE!!¡± She yelled and stomped her foot again, her pastel yellow dress crinkling with the movement. It was almost cute, but then he noticed her stomped foot also cracked the ancient stone platform. Never a good sign, especially from a Rabbit. Her large rabbit ears bent back, blending seamlessly into her thick curly black hair in preparation to attack, and unfortunately for Geddeon, her gold eyes were fixated on him, glaring. Then, without warning, she closed the gap, landing little punches to the Prince¡¯s abdomen, which despite her petite stature, actually had enough power behind them to hurt. Far more so than it should. ¡°OW ow oW OW!! Aei, knock it off!!¡± He shouted as her rapid barrage of baps continued to rain down on him. ¡°Seriously, at least let him off the platform, Bun-Bun.¡± A mischievously mocking tone sounded from below the Realm Gate stairs. It made the girl stop briefly, only to stick her tongue out at the heckler. ¡°Shut up or you¡¯re next, Travis!¡± She shouted back, before resuming her assault on the Prince. A paler Arbor Nymph remained at the bottom of the stairs, out of range of the conflict, and mischievously grinning with barely constrained laughter as he watched Geddeon¡¯s plight. ¡°We¡¯ve been here since 11, and she took a nap to reenergize. She¡¯s now your problem, Your Highness.¡± The Prince could only try to dodge around the platform, but she was far faster than him. Then, he held his arms up in meager defense. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aeifael! I was finishing up work, but I¡¯m here now!¡± Geddeon explained, trying to calm her down. ¡°You should have been here hours ago!!¡± Aeifael shouted back through more punches. She was not amused by nor convinced of his tales. ¡°You promised!!¡± ¡°I know, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Geddeon pleaded with her, backing into one of the side railings of the Realm Gate. He had nowhere else to go, and she stood angrily between him and freedom. ¡°My my, ni?o.¡± Xibalba¡¯s voice sounded through the chaos. ¡°You¡¯ve made quite the fuss. The Arbor Nymph, Travis, finally noticed the King stepping through the gate, and sped to the young girl, snatching her away from her victim to turn her around to face the King of Remisia. ¡°Lord Xibalba! Please forgive my sister for her indiscretion and immaturity.¡± His green eyes cut to Aeifael, sneering under a fiery red fringe. She glared at her brother, and ripped her arm away. ¡°There is no need, ni?o. I see there were some prior arrangements made.¡± The King chuckled heartily, eyeing the group. ¡°Yes. Um, Mom- I mean, Mother Nature has been expecting you.¡± Travis stuttered and corrected himself quickly. ¡°Although, I thought Lady La Muerte would be accompanying you.¡± Geddeon caught the slip-up. Travis was pretty decent at diplomacy; better than Aeifael, for sure, though he often struggles to address his mother with her title. But their eldest brother was leagues ahead of them. ¡±Ah well, the Lady had to take a rain check. Carnati and I have a meeting to attend with the Elders, and Autumn knows how long it will be.¡± Xibalba stated simply. He took in a fresh breath of Verne air and smiled brightly with an exhale. ¡°Shall we?¡± ¡°Yes, of course!¡± The younger man spoke up, trying to match the King¡¯s energy. He looked down at his sister with squinted eyes of judgment before fixing his face and walking off of the platform, standing next to the King. ¡°Right this way, Your Grace!¡± When the Arbor Nymph turned his back, Aeifael snapped back to glare at Geddeon, who flinched back with arms up, ready for the next strike. Instead, she pointed two of her fingers at her gold eyes, pointed them towards him in warning and turned to leave behind the men. The Prince exhaled quietly, slowly lowering his defenses. After a few seconds just for good measure, he pushed himself off of the railing, and moved across the platform towards the stairs. He couldn¡¯t help but smile. The girl was small, but terrifying, and certainly not to be trifled with. Travis was nonchalant and goofy, knowing never to be in between his sister and her target. Verne folk definitely came in different flavors, but they were honest and incredibly loyal friends. Afternoons in Verne Valley were always busy and bustling, but today was more so than usual. The fields to the south were littered with thousands of Rabbits scouring across the valley in groups, with many oversized Rabbits assigned to each group. A few of them noticed the group and bowed respectfully before returning back to work. ¡°My my, it¡¯s busy around here.¡± Xibalba observed aloud, stopping short in his walk to allow a small group of Rabbits holding various sized straw woven bags of seeds to pass. ¡°Yessir! We had a bountiful harvest this year with the highest quality of crops. The Farmer''s Circuit is just reaping the fields for the next planting.¡± Travis piped up, pointing to the bulkier Rabbits pulling crops from the ground. ¡°I see. Pray tell, where does it all go?¡± The King questioned, astounded by the efficiency and speed of the workforce. ¡°Well, uh¡­ I don''t exactly know the numbers, but a good majority of the harvest is exported out to Midsummer Cape, the Autumnal Ruins and Bordeaux.¡± The redhead explained. Geddeon stood in awe as the Farmer''s Circuit produced their meticulous work. If the Autumnal Ruins had something similar to this, maybe the country could thrive. It would definitely solve half of their problems with the western dry fields, and it would create work for hundreds. Perhaps a rest day was needed¡­ He glanced over to Aeifael, who was still pouting as they traveled along the road. He lightly bumped her with his elbow to get her attention. ¡°Hey. I really am sorry.¡± He whispered, careful to not catch attention. The girl side-eyed the man, pout unwavering. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re gonna be¡­¡± To anyone else, that statement would have a declaration of war, however, he knew exactly what she meant. And that alone was a reason to be worried. The group proceeded north past acres of farmland and plenty of Vernefolk, towards the capital; Yggdrasil. To thousands of people, it was also known as the Grand Tree, and world renowned for its height. Geddeon could easily remember the first time he saw its magnificence up close. The enormous size of it made him cling to his mother in fear when approaching, but once under the canopy, the Grand Tree¡¯s leaves danced in the wind, revealing calming hues of peach and white petals, almost twinkling in the shade. It calmed him as a child to see so many lights in the darkness, but today was different; It was still just as peaceful, even through all of the hustle and bustle of the Rabbits. But he was no longer a small child, afraid of the darkness. Walking under the canopy towards the base, Xibalba¡¯s already jovial smile widened. ¡°Ah! Still just as beautiful as the last time I visited!¡± Suddenly, Aeifael¡¯s large ears perked up, twisting around, listening for something. Once she pinpointed it, her gold eyes followed, and suddenly, her fourteen mile long pout turned into an even brighter smile. The girl maneuvered around her older brother, kicking him in the shin before running off ahead of the men. The suddenness of it all made Geddeon snort and cover his mouth with his hand, trying to mask his reaction. Travis groaned and dipped momentarily from the force of her kick, but stood up quickly. ¡°Wait, Aei!¡± He tried to call, but then he noticed why she ran. Just of them stood two figures, speaking quietly to each other. One of the figures was an Alrune youth, about the same age as Geddeon, lighter of skin with long black hair tied into a high ponytail. His attire usually consisted of his staple Jade Montsuki, but today, he was not wearing his formal Jade Haori. The other figure standing next to him was an older, full-bodied woman with chocolate complexion, with thick curly hair just as full, in a vibrant pink dress of large flower petals. Her aura was doused in compassion and kindness, but also strength and power unmatched to the villagers. When the young girl halted in front of the duo, they paused their conversation and turned to the girl. As the men approached, they watched as the girl dropped her ears and turned to point at the Prince. ¡°Mom! Can we take Terran and go train with Geddeon? Please?¡± Aeifael pleaded sweetly to the woman. The Alrune man¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Wait, why am I being volunteered?¡± ¡°You always come with us. Why would today be any different?¡± The girl frowned, signaling him with enlarged, pleading eyes. ¡°Maybe mom has something for me to do. You don¡¯t know.¡± He sighed back. ¡°Your Senior Greenery duties are done, Terran. You¡¯re free for the day.¡± The woman smiled and placed a hand on her son¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Please keep an eye on your siblings and behave yourselves.¡± The man nodded reassuringly to the woman, before squinting over to the girl, menacingly. ¡°Yes, mother.¡± Terran said through gritted teeth. It stunned Geddeon just how quickly the girl¡¯s attitude would switch. She could easily pass for a child of his uncle, with how similar they acted. But she was the youngest child of Mother Nature, and apparently, the most fickle. ¡°Thank you, my dear.¡± The woman removed her hand and floated past her children to the smaller group. ¡°Thank you as well, Travis, for escorting our friends to Yggdrasil. I knew I was correct in asking you.¡± She patted the nymph on his head and smiled. ¡°Anytime, Mom! Oh, I-I mean¡­¡± Travis stopped and glanced over to the grinning King and head shaking judgement of the Prince. ¡°You are also free for the day. Please keep an eye on your siblings. You know just how rowdy they can be.¡± Mother Nature smiled softly and carefully pushed him towards his siblings. Both Aeifael and Terran heard that and whined simultaneously. ¡°Hey!¡± With a chuckle Mother Nature turned to the Ruinites. ¡°Welcome to Yggdrasil and please forgive the playfulness of my children.¡± ¡°Now, there is no need to apologize, My Lady.¡± Xibalba reassured the woman, bowing in complement. ¡°It is rather refreshing to see such vibrant youths. Your son is quite knowledgeable in flora.¡± ¡°Yes. He has been quickly rising in the ranks as Assistant Arbor. It seems that information about plants is easier to retain for him.¡± The woman confessed. ¡°That¡¯s amazing! He truly is on the way to Arbor. You should be proud, Carnati.¡± The King¡¯s tone was expressively excited. ¡°I am, and I thank you, my friend.¡± Then, she turned to the Prince, who immediately bowed. ¡±G-Good Afternoon, Lady Carnati. I hope your day is proceeding well.¡± Geddeon quickly recovered from his flounder and gave a confident smile. As Prince, he had to keep decorum. The regal woman gave a hearty chuckle, her voice smooth and mellow. ¡°It is, thank you, Your Highness. I hope you wouldn¡¯t mind accompanying my children today. They seem quite inclined to keep you for a while.¡± ¡°It would be my pleasure, My Lady.¡± Geddeon nodded reassuringly. It wasn¡¯t like he had a choice. Geddeon noticed it three miles back, and a quick glance to his Rabbit friend confirmed his thought. Aeifael had been glaring at him the entire trip over and now she was smirking devilishly. She either was planning something, or already had something planned. Just then, he knew he wasn¡¯t leaving Verne Valley without injuries. ¡®I¡¯m in danger¡­¡¯ ¡°Very well! Now that all is in place.¡± Carnati turned back towards Xibalba. ¡°We have a meeting to attend. Shall we?¡± ¡°Already? But we must still have some time left!¡± The King sighed, pulling his pocket watch from his blazer pocket. ¡°Yes, but you and I have business to speak of, as well.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Xibalba¡¯s tone was light, but also full of weight. Geddeon noticed that as well. While he was used to his uncle¡¯s rambunctious and jovial personality, he was also witness to the myriad of times where ¡®T¨ªo Xibalba¡¯ disappeared and ¡°Lord Xiabalba of Remisia¡± took his place. It was like a switch, turning off or on. ¡®I¡¯ll never get used to that switch.¡¯ Geddedon mused in his head. It wasn¡¯t often that he did this, but when he did, it was regarding a serious manner. ¡±Of course, My Lady.¡± The King bowed, then glanced over to Mother Nature¡¯s children. ¡°Please take good care of my sobrino.¡± Terran, the oldest of the trio, bowed in kind, black hair flowing over his shoulder. ¡°You have our word, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Great!¡± The King said gratefully, turning to his nephew, brow stern and well as his voice. ¡°Behave yourself. Remember that you represent a country.¡± ¡°Yes, T¨ªo.¡± Geddeon confirmed, nodding his head curtly. ¡®There goes that switch again¡­¡¯ The title holders watched as Xibalba and Carnati disappeared in a cloak of leaves and vibrant pink flower petals. Only Aeon Elders can teleport, although not between other countries. With the ¡°adults¡± gone, there was a stillness in the air. Until a whistle shocked Geddeon from his core, and an object impacted his abdomen, pushing him a few feet back under the canopy. Then, it climbed up his back and to his head, until he was looking at little feet in white stockings. But one shoe was off. Suddenly, the top of his head was bombarded with multiple thumps of her shoe, making him crouch in pain. ¡°Wait! Ow! Aei! We discussed this!¡± He cried. ¡°We ain¡¯t discuss shit! That was a four hour walk! You owe me time!!¡± She shouted back, continuing her assault. ¡°OW! OK!!¡± The Prince cowered, waiting for her to hop off of his shoulder. She didn¡¯t, but the thumps did. Travis chuckled as he tried to walk away, but a grip on his purple collar pulled him back into the fray ¡°Nooooo! Terran, I don¡¯t wanna!¡± ¡°Aeifael! Down!¡± Terran¡¯s stern voice echoed, making her flinch in place. When her gaze lifted from her victim, she watched as they approached them, his hand was pointing to the ground. He released the redhead and pushed him forward, ready to walk over and grab the girl if she didn¡¯t move on her own. With a glare, Aeifael slowly climbed down the Prince¡¯s back and onto the ground, quickly putting her shoe back on. Once she was off of his shoulders and back onto the ground, he stood up and adjusted his blazer. ¡±Mom said to behave yourself.¡± The Alrune warned. But being the snarky Rabbit she was, her response was a middle finger and a pointed tongue. Ignoring the girl with a roll of his bright green eyes, he set his gaze on the Prince. ¡°So, Princeling, how¡®s life nowadays?¡± Terran smirked at the man. ¡°As well as your social life, Flower Power. Thanks for asking.¡± Geddeon sneered back. ¡°If anyone has a lack of social life, it certainly would be you, but go off.¡± The Alrune retorted, brow raised. ¡°I know the nymph locked in a tree isn¡¯t trying to tell me about socializing.¡± The Prince snorted, feigning astonishment. ¡°I doubt anyone can tell you anything and you retain it, with your strainer of a brain.¡± ¡°You know, you talking a lot of shit for someone within ass-whipping distance.¡± Then, Geddeon dropped the act of regalness. ¡°You can surely try to beat my ass, but you won¡¯t win.¡± Terran¡¯s smirk widened. ¡°So what¡¯s up, then?¡± Geddeon stood proud, arms wide in encouragement. ¡°What you trying to get into?¡± The Alrune held his hand out, until various leaves and vines began to bind together, strengthening into a wooden glaive adorned with embedded vines. At full creation, he spun it in his hand and lifted it to rest on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m on whatever you on.¡± The Prince¡¯s horns began to glow in anticipation. His right arm curled behind his head, and with a crescent of gold flames, summoned a thick broadsword with an obsidian blade. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky.¡± Terran commented. ¡°I¡¯m not cocky, I¡¯m confident.¡± Geddeon assured, emerald eyes narrowing. A battle. An actual challenge. Today was a good day. ¡°HEY! I¡¯m supposed to fight him today! You¡¯re hijacking!!¡± Aeifael complained. She was the one that called the Prince to Verne Valley, but the men had a different type of bond. There was an unspoken rule that at any time anywhere, they may fight; A vow the men made in their youth to always challenge each other. After all, they both were expected to lead their next generations. The trash talk was just for flavor, but as snarky as they were to each other, they were also just as compassionate. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Though, they would never verbally admit it. ¡°You can fight whatever¡¯s left, after me.¡± Terran said assuringly to his sister. ¡°Yeah, when I¡¯m done dog-walking him, we can fight.¡± Geddeon said back to the girl, preparing himself. Aeifael pouted harder and stomped on the ground, before walking away. ¡°This is some bullshit!¡± As soon as the girl was out of range from the men, Geddeon charged forward. He knew that the Alrune excelled in projectiles, and also acknowledged that close combat was the only option. Terran, accounting for his opponent¡¯s speed, held his empty hand out, palm facing to the canopy. Suddenly, a lime green light started to glow in his palm and only strengthened as he crouched low to place his hand over the cool cobblestone. Then, the light zipped from the Alrune¡¯s hand to under the Prince¡¯s feet. Geddeon had mere moments to stop his charge and sidestep to the right, just before the light entrapped the spot he was standing in. In his place, five dark green, thorny vines sprung out of the ground and entangled themselves, capturing nothing by the empty air. He exhaled in surprise, but kept his eyes on his opponent. The light then zipped around once more, returning under the Prince¡¯s feet. He sidestepped again, dodging the next set of vines, just for the light to move again. That''s when he then realized that his opponent was keeping him at a distance on purpose, and being farther away left him open. Travis watched as the Prince of All Hallows danced around under the canopy, narrowly avoiding his older brother¡¯s Vine Hold technique over and over again. ¡°How long are you gonna keep him at bay?¡± The redhead asked, curiously. Terran smirked and shrugged. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not sure. This is very amusing to me.¡± The Prince, after hearing that, flipped over the next group of vines, and picked up a small pebble during the flip. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he cocked his arm back, pivoted his foot back for stabilization, and launched it towards the Nymphs, breaking at least one speed barrier and shaking and rattling the leaves of Yggdrasil with force. The Alrune, however, thought faster than his brother, and removed his hand from the ground, lifting it until his palm faced his opponent. Once the pebble was in range, large glowing leaves sprung from his palm, creating a rounded, glowing barrier for protection. Then, upon impact, the pebble shattered into even tinier pieces, mostly falling to the ground or flying back. But the impact point was pronounced, dipping into the barrier. It assured Geddeon to know that Terran couldn¡¯t attack and defend at the same time. ¡®A weakness. Always good to know.¡¯ ¡°I think he heard that.¡± Travis smiled. His older brother lifted the glaive off of his shoulder and spun it in his hand, readying himself. ¡°Good. That means he¡¯s paying attention now.¡± Terran smirked harder. Suddenly, he launched himself forward through the barrier, releasing its hold until it scattered into smaller leaves into the wind. He moved in closer than the Prince ever could to him, and swung the bladed side of his glaive underhand. Geddeon remembered that Terran was ambidextrous, and kept in mind which hand Terran favored, as well as the positions for most of his attacks. Stumbling back, he dodged the low incoming strike, watching Terran spin around and lift his weapon high. ¡®A high strike. Gotta move.¡¯ The Prince could only hold his sword high to prepare for the strike. His grip tightened on his sword hilt and he held it up to block. Within seconds, the blade of the glaive came down, clashing with the sword with a sharp ring. Even after those two hits, Terran rapidly spun again and drew back his weapon as far as he could, just to flip it around to thrust the wooden end forward with force into Geddeon¡¯s stomach. The progression was quick, but Geddeon strengthened his core at the last minute and endured the hit, sliding back. He kept his eyes on the Alrune, slightly impressed at his combo. ¡°You got faster.¡± He admitted. ¡°And you got slower.¡± Terran retorted, spinning his glaive in his hand again. The Prince¡¯s eye twitched. It always annoyed him when his friend only used one hand on his weapon. It made him feel as though their fights weren¡¯t proper challenges. That he wasn¡¯t a challenge. Geddeon adjusted his stance, holding his sword out as to the side. He will be acknowledged as a challenge, even if his opponent was a Tier 3 Spirit. The true fight was about to begin. And he was set on winning. ¡®Locking in.¡¯ Terran recognized the change in Geddeon¡¯s demeanor, and his smirk fell. The Prince wanted a real fight, not a friendly spar. The men circled each other slowly, carefully observing the other. The sunlight was slowly diminishing over the treeline, casting a red hue across the valley, and under the canopy. Once the sunlight dipped under their chins, they once again charged forth. Geddeon took the first opportunity to attack, and swung his sword underhanded, only to be blocked with an overhand strike, accompanied by a thrust by his ear. The Prince swiftly cocked his head to the side to avoid the impact, then lifted his foot to kick the Alrune in his stomach. But Terran easily sidestepped the kick, making the other man stumble forward. Once he tugged his weapon back into position, he dropped it from above again while Geddeon¡¯s back was turned to him. But the Prince had something up his sleeve. He waited until the glaive blade was at least at his shoulder¡¯s height, before he pushed a bit of Mana into his left fist to reinforce it. Then, when the conditions were perfect, he turned around and backhanded the staff under the blade, and thrusted his own sword into Terran¡¯s face. The feint made Terran cock his head to the side, just as he made his opponent. The Alrune was impressed, but ever so slightly. He decided then to indulge the Prince, gripping his glaive with both hands and sliding back to attack. Geddeon, attuned to the fight, carefully eyed his friend¡¯s movements. If Terran was annoying one-handed, two-handed was problematic. But he specialized in solving problems. Terran lunged his weapon forward, the force rattling the leaves above. The Prince would have dodged it, but instead, he lifted his sword over his head and lowered it down, blocking the strike. Then, the glaive was trusted towards the Prince¡¯s feet. He jumped back and swiped underhand again, but diagonally. It was also blocked with a bright ring. When the third thrust came, Geddeon threw his body forward, instinctively dodging the glaive, and reinforcing his fist with Mana again to punch the man in the abdomen. Though, Terran could not make a barrier fast enough. Then, the punch landed on its target with a loud crack, completely pushing the Alrune off of his feet and rolling onto the ground. The man had rolled to a stop, but then Geddeon had quickly descended upon him with smoke blowing from his mouth. He lifted his sword above his head, ready to end the fight. This was his win! Suddenly, the Prince halted all movement due to a lime green light shining bright underneath his feet. Instead of the thick, thorny vines he had been dodging earlier, the light summoned four more glaives, exact replicas to the Alrune¡¯s weapon, all aimed towards Geddeon¡¯s neck. ¡±You lost.¡± Terran commented, lifting himself from the ground and dusting his sleeves off. ¡°Had you moved an inch further, you would have been skewered.¡± A deep growl erupted from the Prince, glaring down his friend momentarily before closing his eyes; a sign of forfeit. The Alrune grabbed onto one of the orbiting glaives, until the other three merged into the held weapon with that same lime green light. Geddeon slowly lowered his sword and glanced at the ground, observing the tiniest sliver of sunlight extinguishing into darkness. Another loss. Another moment for Terran to tease him with. He couldn¡¯t win against Tyr; hell, no one can. He can barely hold his own against Vincent, and even Aeifael is a combat level above him. Tier 3 Spirits were always strong, but his friends were just¡­built different¡­ And there he sat, a Tier 2 Spirit; stronger than others within his Tier, but weaker than his friends. ¡®Quell the rage¡­¡¯ ¡°Oi.¡± Geddeon was physically smacked out of his thoughts, flinching forward. When he had turned around to the source, Terran¡¯s hand was out. ¡°Fix your face. You got a single strike in, at least.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I was supposed to wash you.¡± The Prince admitted, a frown growing on his face. He shook the man¡¯s hand firmly, but he sure as shit wasn¡¯t happy about it. Terran chuckled snarkily. ¡°Nah, you still have a ways to go, Princeling.¡± ¡°Yeah, rub it in, Flower Power. One of these days, I will rock your shit. And I will shut your pompous ass up.¡± Geddeon glared at his friend. ¡±Keep trying. It¡¯s going take you a while.¡± Suddenly, a thump sounded on the ground, causing both men to turn around. Another thump came, and Aeifael proudly walked closer to the men. ¡°Good! Now it¡¯s my turn!!¡± Aeifael smiled devilishly, jumping in place to warm the blood in her legs. ¡°You better ready your ass, Ged!¡± Geddeon almost whimpered, but coughed to clear his throat. Travis was easy to fight; he had always been the defensive support type. Terran, being in the Prince¡¯s age group, was an annoying challenge to fight; as an Alrune General should be. Aeifael, however, even as a fourteen year old Rabbit, also held a Tier 3 title just like her older brother. She was exceptionally far scarier to fight. He was mentally preparing to dodge her rapid fire kicks, when a portal of fire and black smoke appeared between them. It swirled with dark red flames, until a figure passed through its threshold. The figure in question was a dark-skinned woman, wearing a crimson red and black dress adorned with gold. Her hair was wildly curled, and her aura commanded attention but demanded respect. Her emerald green eyes darted around the area until she pinpointed the Prince. Upon view of the woman, Geddeon immediately stabbed his sword into the ground, standing at attention. ¡°Ma¡¯am!¡± Both Terran and Travis bowed to the woman¡¯s presence, but Aeifael did not. The girl had a one-track mind, and was always ready to fight. ¡°Lady Wrath, welcome.¡± Terran called out to the woman. ¡°To what do we owe the pleasure?¡± ¡±I need Geddeon for a mission.¡± Wrath stated, eyeing down her princely son. ¡°There are Void Spawn sightings near Cycron. Come along.¡± At the mention of a ¡®mission¡¯, Geddeon¡¯s legs unconsciously moved towards the woman. When there was a mission from a SINN, there was absolutely no questioning it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone. I¡¯ll have to come visit another time.¡± ¡±Are you kidding me!?¡± The girl screamed into the evening air. She stomped her foot multiple times into the ground, effectively breaking the cobblestone path into shards of rock. All of her rage culminated into one final stomp, the force breaking the sound barrier. After all the dust and rocks fell, a little black Rabbit poked its head out of the hole it made, gold eyes glaring. ¡±I¡¯m sorry, Aei. We¡¯ll make time again.¡± The Prince sighed. ¡°I planned this day two months in advance! You owe me TIME!!¡± The Rabbit growled, standing on her hind legs and pointing at the man, menacingly. Terran bowed as both the Prince and Lady Wrath quickly exited through the portal, watching it shrink into wisps of fire and smoke. The redhead piped up from the bottom of the entrance stairs. ¡°Void Spawn? Is there anything we can do to help?¡± Travis mused aloud. His older brother shook his head, placing his hands into his kimono sleeves. ¡°No need. He is more than capable of handling it.¡± Terran answered back, then he looked in between his siblings. ¡°Let¡¯s go make sure the Farmer¡¯s Circuit is paid.¡± Aeifael, thoroughly upset with the day, kicked her tiny Rabbit feet into the ground with such force that both of her brothers had to jump back towards the entrance of the Yggdrasil. ¡±You high jacked my day, you fuckin scrotum-deficient booger!!¡± The black rabbit screeched into the echoing darkness, pointing at the Alrune with gold eyes flaring. ¡°Now, you owe me time!!¡± ¡°Aeifael! Language!¡± Terran bellowed, annoyed with his sister¡¯s antics and her foul mouth. To the north of the Autumnal Ruins sat the town of Cycron; though many have considered it a Micro-City. The use of the Stheno River through the middle of the town led to its technological boom. Steam became its main source of power, causing requisite pipes to decorate the quickly growing Town and providing the citizens with heating, electricity, and any other strange inventions that were created. On better days, the gentle scent of steamed Pumpkin Buns would waft on air, and the mild hum of the piles would echo through the streets. Today was not that day¡­ Instead, a loud blaring alarm echoed over the town, accompanied with the cries of various townsfolk. The roaring of searing flames lit the night sky, causing shadows to flicker to the ground. Fear choked the air as more and more civilians were evacuated to the outskirts of the Town. Upon Geddeon¡¯s arrival from the south, the chaos was undeniable. He quickly took mental notes of everything he saw and what would need repair, then he hurried further into town. From his recollection, in a Void Spawn Event, all townsfolk were told to go to Rosewood Avenue. Depending on the severity of the event, associated ranked Fright Knights were deployed. If the Prince was called to help, then Gold Helms were in the area, meaning the issue was surely severe. The Knights were all trained to secure and rescue, and in unfortunate cases, recovery. But nowadays, recovery is almost always the method chosen. He kept moving regardless, running around corners and avenues of destroyed homes and establishments. The more streets he passed displayed higher levels of destruction. Before he rounded Rosewood Avenue, he heard a shout reverberating off the brick buildings, almost buried under the commotion. ¡°KEEP MOVING!! THE BUNKER IS ON ROSEWOOD!!¡± Geddeon stopped short, noting the harshness and the desperation of the voice. It was followed by hulking growls of an unknown creature. ¡°DON¡¯T STOP! DON¡¯T LOOK BACK! KEEP MOVING!¡± The voice shouted again, his volume diminishing. Turning on his heels, he bounded back, honing in on the distance from the echoes. Approaching around a corner, he almost ran into a disheveled woman with a crying, bundled infant in her arm and a child in her grip, running for their lives. The moment the woman set her gaze on the Prince, she clung to his ornate sleeve, her face marred with grief. ¡°Please! You have to help us!¡± She sobbed, nearly doubled over. ¡°There¡¯s a Knight back there that needs help! He¡¯s fighting a Void Spawn on Fallvail!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help him!¡± Geddeon reassured the woman, carefully holding her up by her shoulders and gripping them softly. ¡°Listen to me; go back the way I came and make a right. There should be a Gold Helm that will bring you to the bunker.¡± He knew that in a crisis, many people couldn¡¯t retain a lot of information due to adrenaline, but breaking steps down was an effective way to direct people to safety. ¡°A-Are you sure?¡± The mother hesitated, tears and dirt fresh on her face. The small child next to her clutched the panels of her skirt for dear life, brown eyes wide with terror and crying. ¡°Yes. I can assure you there are no Void Spawn in that area. Now, go!¡± He nodded quickly, pointing to the street sign labeled ¡°Rosewood Avenue¡±. The woman nodded back and pulled her child down the street. Once he was sure the small family had turned the corner, The Prince dashed faster down the street, turning right until he stood on the corner of Fallvail Avenue and Ignis Boulevard. He immediately reached over his shoulder, summoning his sword from its invisible sheathe with a flash of gold flames, and stood ready. Further down towards the middle of the avenue was a battle, though extremely one-sided. Before him stood a sickening parody of life, what the continents of New Temperantia call a Void Spawn. The creature had loose, pimpled flesh painted on a gangrenous anomalous form. It was down an eye, possibly due to the remains of a sword sticking out from one of the deep recessed sockets. A revolting green drool oozed from its mangled maw, and many clawed legs sliced across the pavement, with grotesquely huge fore limbs following suit. In front of the creature, leaning against a destroyed wall was a singular Gold Helm, terribly injured and trying to hold the beast at bay. The Void Spawn bellowed a thunderously shrill shriek, shattering windows within at least one mile. But the Gold Helm rose slowly through noise and his shaking body, resolute in his will. As a tenant of Knighthood, no matter how damaged the knight may be, he must still hold the line. But the Prince wouldn¡¯t allow another one of his own to fall. Geddeon launched himself down the street towards the creature, tightening the grip on his sword hilt. Suddenly, the central clear core of the broadsword began to fill with gold flames, then the dark Obsidian blade began to glow radiantly. As soon as the sword was at full heat capacity, the Prince quickly closed the gap between the Gold Helm and the creature. He leapt high into the air and plunged his blade down at the nape of the Void Spawn¡¯s neck, fully decapitating it. Upon impact, the creature collapsed under its own weight, flailing horrendously from the searing heat of the blade and lack of head. After a moment of useless writhing, the Void Spawn went limp, disintegrating into a thick black smoke until nothing remained. The head that rolled to the Gold Helm¡¯s feet was the last to disappear. The Gold Helm was purely astounded, until his legs gave up from under him. Geddeon sprinted over to the Knight, leaning down to his level. ¡°Can you stand, Knight?¡± The Prince questioned, though upon further review of the man, watched as the energy steadily left the man''s frame. The Knight¡¯s attention was out of focus, but he was still able to utter a sentence in his exhaustion. The Gold Helm''s injuries weren''t devastating, but he had certainly hit the air at one point,and slowly, he was about to slumber. ¡°F-Family¡­went ahead¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I directed them to the bunker, and they told me where to find you.¡± Geddeon patted on the man¡¯s uninjured shoulder. ¡°Let''s get you home, hero.¡± The Prince approached the bunker of Rosewood Avenue, with the now unconscious Gold Helm over his shoulder. The Knight had fought until he had completely depleted his strength, and surely deserved rest. Though, before he passed out, the Knight had just enough energy to give his name: Raymond Castillo. Geddeon committed the name to memory. Carefully, he adjusted the man over his shoulder, trudging past the facade of clean storefronts and standing homes, towards a simple metal door of a four story residence. He ducked under the fake brick threshold, only to be met with another door; one of heavy blackened steel mixed with Obsidian. His horns began to glow a fiery gold in the darkness, illuminating the tiny space. There was nothing notable in the room, though as many as five people could stand within it at a single time. ¡°Open the door! We have more injured!¡± A woman¡¯s voice echoed from a small speaker bolted to the rafters of the foyer. Geddeon turned towards the speaker, quickly spotting a red light blinking from a circular surveillance camera sitting beneath the speaker. Then, he heard a myriad of levers, bolts and heavy locks clunking through the structure, trickling into the center. With a low mechanical hum, the door began to slide sideways. Once fully open, Geddeon moved past the door frame, leading into a wider room of gurneys and mobile hospital curtains in place. Though, there were no injured persons in the room. In a corner of the room, multiple people were shouting and various Fright Knights, Gold and Silver Helms, were standing not with the group but against them. From a booth to the far side of the room came another of the Gold Helms, finally noting the figure now coming into focus along with an injured Knight on his back. With the call of injured, two Medic Knights sprinted to the door, with a gurney ready between them. When they arrived at the entrance, the medics stopped short in hesitation. None had realized that the person carrying the injured was the Prince himself. ¡°M-My Liege! I-¡± The man started but was cut off as soon as Geddeon raised his hand. With surprising gentleness, he lowered the injured Gold Helm to the gurney presented, then he turned to address the approaching Gold Helm, though not as a prince¡­ But as a General. ¡°Name and Rank?¡± Geddeon rapped off quickly. He heard the thick metal door slid shut behind him, with those heave locks reattaching into place. ¡°O-Oh, Yes sir!¡± Immediately, the man snapped into a salute, standing at attention. ¡°Antonio Vegara, Gold Helm Promethium Second Lieutenant, Sir!¡± ¡°Where is your Captain, Second Lieutenant?¡± The Prince glanced around. The group of townsfolk and soldiers halted their argument and turned their attention to the Prince of All Hallows, standing at the entrance of the room. Antonio gestured to the unconscious man on the gurney. ¡°Captain Castillo was determined to get as many civilians as he could from the battlefield. He commanded First Lieutenant Lima to be on lookout at the bunker.¡± ¡°And his orders for you?¡± Geddeon asked, as he examined the people in the corner. The group in the corner wasn¡¯t nearly enough to be the only heads counted. Cycron had a population of almost two to three thousand; there were only seven here by his count. Hopefully, the rest were resting further into the bunker. ¡°First Lieutenant Lima and I happened to be nearby, Sir.¡± The Knight answered back. ¡°Our families live in Cycron, so we were on site when the alarms went off. Sir.¡± Geddeon turned his head back to Antonio, a genuine smile gracing his face, as he patted the Gold Helm on his shoulder. ¡°Well done knight. When this campaign is over, I¡¯ll be sure to put a commendation in all your jackets.¡± ¡®And hopefully, I can ensure raises for each of them.¡¯ Antonio sputtered as he tried to express his gratitude when the First Lieutenant came down from the inner watch tower, her stride pausing slightly as the prince was right in front of her. When she stopped in front of the men, she saluted the Prince immediately. ¡°Sir! Promethium First Lieutenant Nevaeh Lima, reporting!¡± The woman saluted, standing at attention for the General. ¡°Lieutenant, what''s the situation?¡± he said, cutting to the heart of the situation. ¡°Sir, we have successfully evacuated two-thousand, eight hundred and seven residents of Cycron. Unfortunately¡­¡± The woman¡¯s head dipped as she braced herself to report the rest, a change in demeanor Geddeon noted and equally braced himself for a death toll. ¡°At least one hundred and fifty have been lost to the horde, though we have intel that the remaining civilians have boarded themselves up in the Town Hall. Sergeant Major Absko was able to decipher that they¡¯re holding for now with their barricade, but won¡¯t hold for long.¡± Geddeon solemnly nodded, as he closed his eyes, reimagining the damage and destruction of Cycron, seeing the flames and smoke climbing high over the town''s edge. ¡°How long until reinforcements arrive from All Hallows?¡± Geddeon asked. Lima shook her head dejectedly. ¡°Not soon enough, I''m afraid. We were hoping you had a contingent with you when we heard Lady Wrath had sent for you.¡± ¡°How many hostiles?¡± The woman swiped her hand through her sweat slicked brown hair, as she exhaled. One of the Knights eyed the woman, worriedly, a guarded look crossing her face. ¡°Permission to speak freely, sir?¡± Geddeon quirked an eyebrow, before halting her report to address the people in the corner. After all, this was their home. ¡°Ladies and gentleman, I am aware that no simple apologies can be made for the devastation that has occurred this evening. However, I am here to ensure that no one else is lost.¡± The Prince placed a hand over his chest, bowing to the group, respectfully. ¡°I promise you now, we will end this event, and we will ensure that all of your lost ones are accounted for and properly sent off.¡± The group stood quietly for a moment before one of the residents, a middle aged man, pushed his way past the rest to the front. ¡°And why the hell should we trust you?! Everyone knows that the Crown only shows their faces when lives are lost! They only ever offer thoughts and prayers! None of you actually cares!¡± The man shouted at Geddeon. Almost as if on instinct, every Fright Knight within the room turned to the man and began to draw their swords from their sheaths. The Knights knew that defiance against the Royal Family was a treasonous affair. However, Geddeon did not agree with that notion. He understood the history of these people, and their distrust with his family. They were justified in their feelings and experiences. But this was not the time nor the place. People¡¯s lives were at stake. ¡°I understand your concerns, and while I cannot answer for my family¡¯s past indiscretions, the least I can do is reflect on their actions to conduct myself better.¡± Geddeon stood up from his bow and raised his hand, halting all of the Knights from movement. He didn¡¯t yell or shout, but his words were sincere, yet stern. ¡®They didn¡¯t just need help, they needed hope.¡¯ ¡°Please note that I am not my father, and I understand the severity of this situation has everyone extremely tense and frightened, but now is not the time for a debate. We still have people to save, lives to account for, and structures to rebuild.¡± Geddeon gestured towards the closed metal vault door. The man frowned deep, but was effectively silenced. He didn¡¯t have anything else to say, mostly because all had been said. ¡°Now, I must ask you all to leave us. While this bunker is built like a fortress, it is still dangerous to be near the entrance.¡± The Prince called to the residents, causing many of them to immediately proceed further into the bunker. The heckler glared at the Prince and his guards, shaking his head before also walking away. With the citizens out of earshot and Fright Knights slowly moving their stations near the entrances, Geddeon returned his attention back to Lima, motioning her to continue. ¡°When Captain Castillo and I arrived, there were only three Void Spawn; two Mid Level and one unknown. Nothing out of the ordinary especially around this time of year for the satellite cities.¡± Geddeon nodded. Normally, the towns and villages further away from the Crown City would often have Void Spawn sightings. While dangerous, Void Spawn tended to be solitary, mostly due infighting amongst themselves. To them, it was safer to be loners. Though, it was rare that any Void Spawn worked together. If they did, they usually only ran in small groups, with the biggest known cluster being four strong. But even with that considered, four Void Spawn could not cause this much damage, and the spawn he had saved Captain Castillo from was far above a Mid Tier, in terms of durability at least. Lima continued on, adjusting the bow on her shoulder. ¡°We dealt with the initial sighting, but when we were about to call in, there was a pillar of light coming from the Town¡¯s Archives. The next thing we knew, we were surrounded. We took a fair number of them down but they weren¡¯t acting like regular Void Spawn, Sir.¡± Geddeon tilted his head, Intrigued. ¡°What do you mean, Lieutenant?¡± ¡°Most Void Spawn use their bodies or that blasted Void Energy when hostile, but when we first evacuated, Castillo mentioned that he may have seen one of the more humanoid Spawn using a Bow. At first, I thought he was seeing things but, when one of the civilians ran past us, I saw a Spawn using a sword, as though it had practiced with it.¡± ¡®Void Spawn using weapons, working in tandem with each other, and in such high numbers?¡¯ Geddeon sighed as cracked his neck. Challenge Accepted. He turned to the remainder of Promethium Squad, with a smile on his face so reassuring they truly believed he could save them. ¡°Here''s what we¡¯re going to do; I¡¯m going to get our people out of the Town Hall, and hopefully end this as soon as possible.¡± The Prince started, turning his attention to his Knights. ¡°Lima!¡± Lieutenant Ayala¡¯s eyes snapped to Geddeon as she jumped to attention. ¡°I want you back in the Nest and keeping a look out for friendlies. If a hostile gets too close, lead it away or to the grave.¡± The First Lieutenant snapped off a quick salute in response, and returned to her post. Geddeon then turned to address the two remaining members. ¡°Second Lieutenant, you''re with me. You are to patrol the area closest to the safe zone; any hostile that Lima misses, you turn it away from the street,¡± The Prince turned to Antonio, who nodded as he readied the axe on his back. ¡°Absko, you are the final line of defense. You are to either defend or get the people moving to Solcrim should we fail. Am I understood?¡± ¡°Sir, yes Sir!¡±. The Fright Knight shouted in shorus, each preparing for their duties. The smoke filled remains of Cycron greeted those about to depart. With a final nod to Lima they were off. The General and Second Lieutenant Vegara shot out from the gate, the General¡¯s horns lighting the way as he dispatched two minor Void Spawn that were unfortunate to be in his path. From his peripheral, he watched as Antonio¡¯s large axe blade cut through another smaller Spawn as they split ways. While Geddeon was born in the Capital City, a minority of his mother¡¯s training pertained to landmarks of every settlement in his Father¡¯s Kingdom. It was those lessons that led him through the destroyed streets searching for the Town Hall. While dashing through the darkness, he placed his index and thumb in his mouth, letting out a short whistle. Almost as soon as he did, his shadow warped underneath his feet and scurried from the floor into being, smoke filling in the silhouette until it formed into his Hellhound. ¡°What the hell!? I was in the middle of a nap!¡± Kujo shouted before he inhaled his cigar, ready to blow smoke. ¡°Sorry, but I needed your help. You¡¯re the only one whose nose I¡¯d trust to keep track of all these spawn.¡± For once, Kujo was stunned into silence, slightly due to the complement and majority due to the direness of the situation. He completely inhaled his cigar until he swallowed it, until his paws and tail began to ignite. He took a deep inhale, almost immediately, the smell of death invaded his nostrils ¨C as well as the smell of burned flesh and rubber. They ran side by side through the streets, but Geddeon could only gaze upon the sparse corpses of residents that Lieutenant Lima had mentioned prior. ¡°Kid over there!¡± Kujo barked, gesturing to the left. The Specter¡¯s warning was punctuated with a nearby scream. Geddeon stopped running and moved towards a nearby building, carefully peering around the corner. His eyes widened at the scene before him. There was a woman, younger in age, running away from two feline Spawn with multiple barbed tails, and mindlessly screaming. Acting quickly, the Prince summoned his sword to hand and bisected both Spawn in a flash of gold flames. Once he saw the smoke dissipate, he turned to the woman who gazed at him with barely contained gratitude. Then, Geddeon pointed to where he came from, shouting to her, ¡°The Evac Area is on Rosewood, left of Fallvail; Head there as quickly as you can! I¡¯ll keep the rest distracted!¡± ¡°Thank you, sir! Thank you!¡± The woman desperately shouted her gratitude as she ran past him. He had dispelled his sword and pushed himself onwards, sprinting down the street once more. Void Spawn were attracted to Mana, so he would have to give them something to look for. Suddenly, the night was pierced by the faint scent of cloves and cinnamon, as Geddeon¡¯s golden orange Aura burst to life around him. He proceeded forward, shouting, banging on walls, and smashing through trash cans as he brought more and more attention to himself. The Aura Expulsion should have been enough to catch any Spawn¡¯s attention, but the noise was just for good measure. By then, any Void Spawn that were bold enough to chase him down or attempt to kill him were met with the Prince¡¯s sharp obsidian blade through their skulls. Every civilian he rescued or assisted was sent off with directions to the Evac Area, and as he approached the Town Hall, the ground suddenly began to shake violently. Then, Geddeon could hear something approaching, and by the way it shook the earth under his feet, he knew that it was the Spawn he was looking for. Thinking quickly, Kujo jumped on top of a fence. The Prince quickly reached out to grab the hound¡¯s collar before they both leapt high onto the roof of a dilapidated house. The man landed lightly next to his hound, listening in closely for the source of the stomping, then he sternly eyed his Spectre. ¡°Stay here. Call out if you see another Spawn closing in on me, okay?¡± Geddeon asked the hellhound honestly. They conflicted with each other often, but even after all of the bickering, there was still a level of respect they shared. As much of an asshole as the hellhound was. Kujo eyed the man back before regurgitating his cigar back up to his maw, pressing his paw against the end to light it and breaking eye contact. ¡°Yeah yeah. Go be a hero, but you better listen this time, or I¡¯ll let you get overrun by them fucks.¡± The hound grumbled, blowing smoke into the wind, away from his friend. If Geddeon didn¡¯t know any better, he would have believed Kujo¡¯s words, but he understood the hound was concerned merely about him. A small smile crept on his face as he knelt down to the pup, scratching behind his ears. ¡°Thanks Kujo.¡± The Prince muttered low. He stood up and moved towards the edge of the building and peered over the corner. Via their connection Geddeon could tell that there were Void Spawn incoming, but they were too far out at the moment. He turned around and moved to the other end of the building, once more peering around the corner. When he did, his emerald eyes widened. It was another looming, anomalous being, with translucent bruised skin and bones visibly peeking through. Its eyes were pale pink behind cloudy white blindness and all over its body were incisions reflecting skinned, grey muscles. Both hands and feet accompanied razor sharp claws made to easily rip men apart. In its massive maw were flesh rending teeth, the size of human broadswords. Geddeon opened his mind, trying to remember what his uncle had taught him about sensing the Void in these monstrosities and immediately, he had to fight the urge to vomit. The disgusting, oily feeling of Void energy surged from the beast so prominently that it was like being nose deep in an overflowing trash island. Regaining his composure, he tried to hone in on a sense of its power when he felt something deep within the creature; Something familiar, but he couldn''t recollect it. The Void Spawn¡¯s Mana was a different kind of mess than what was pulsing around it. It was as if the two energies were similar enough to register, but differed too heavily to merge together. ¡®Where had I felt this before?¡¯ ¡®Kid.¡¯ Kujo barked, trying to alert the Prince. The Void Spawn was strong, far too strong to be one Lima and Castillo faced. Geddeon pushed his Aura out further, attempting to link his senses to feel that same, familiar energy from the monster. All of the Void Spawn in the town reflected the same energy. Why was it so familiar to him? ¡®KID, FOCUS!¡¯ The hound shouted, snapping the man from his thoughts. Kujo was right; the Town Hall was a priority. The Prince glanced around from atop the roof, quickly regaining his bearings and recalling where the Town hall was. He looked down from his spot, noting the vanishing of the beast, and to the north, he could see about a few streets over. Luckily, there sat the Town Hall. It stood tall and unencumbered by the events of the night, heavily fortified with the klaxon siren still blaring from its place from the hall¡¯s Steeple. He leapt away, landing on an adjacent roof and running across. As he made his way toward the Town Hall, he vaulted over pipes and balconies. ¡®Heads up!¡¯ Kujo¡¯s voice sounded in his head. Geddeon heard a grand roar of a Spawn, followed by a pained scream of a man. He grit his teeth as he looked up, enraged emerald green eyes glowering at the monster. The Prince leapt from the roof to the street. With broadsword in hand, he let out a loud echoing battlecry that flared his Aura as high as it could go. From Kujo¡¯s perch, a bonfire of gold erupted from the street in front of Town Hall. Immediately, the air shifted. ¡®You rang the dinner bell, kid, They''re ALL on their way to you now.¡¯ Suddenly and without warning, a myriad of Void Spawn, each a sickening parody of mutated life forms, spilled into the main road, funneling towards him like a flood of rotten flesh and meat. A contorted grin crossed Geddeon¡¯s face as he twirled the sword through his fingers and stepped confidently into the street. He scanned the area; the horde of Spawn made their way towards him, some a sloughing Gait while others raced as fast as they could towards him. To Geddeon though, they all might as well be moving through Syrup. ¡®Good.¡¯ He watched carefully as just about every remaining Spawn was crawling towards him. Maybe it was the protectiveness he harbored for his country. Maybe it was the unyielding fury after witnessing Cycron¡¯s horrors. Maybe it was the fact that he lost to Terran earlier that day. But for the first time in a long time, Geddeon didn¡¯t allow the rage to diminish. No. This time, when his Mana sparked and burned in his gullet, he fed it a fine vintage of fuel. These were just the victims to let loose on. He ran forward moving with such speed that he went almost unseen, as they got closer he ducked under the first attack and grabbed one of the nearest Spawn¡¯s spindly arms. With a glare, he ripped it from its body and summoned a spiked obsidian mace into his off hand. Finally, in a flash, the mace raised and smashed through the creature¡¯s twisted skull. The Prince then raised his sword, parrying an incoming claw attack. He spun around and slammed the mace in the Void Spawn''s head, shattering it into flesh scraps. He moved his hand to the side, parrying another attack and forcing another monster¡¯s weapon down. Then, he raised his sword and lopped the Spawn¡¯s head off. Surprisingly, the body collapsed on the ground in a heap of wet gore coated bones. Geddeon¡¯s head snapped up as he raised his sword in front of him, an arrow hitting the side of the blade and ricocheting off to the ground. Geddeon slowly lowered his hand and charged forward towards the archer. ¡®This must be the Spawn Lima mentioned.¡¯ As if on sight, the Void Spawn slowly pulled the string back and released another arrow, but the Prince was able to sidestep the projectile. As he moved in closer, he cocked back his right hand before slamming the fist in the archer Spawn''s skull, ripping through its frame and cracking the pavement. The man turned around as the ground suddenly began to shake, and before long, he stood before the beast. It loomed over him, eyes glowing the same sickening green from the Spawn on Fallvail, and its body covered in green flames ¨C with a handful of Void Spawn around it. Geddeon twirled his weapons through his fingers as he glared towards the beast before sprinting forward. The largest void Spawn roared, standing its ground. The beast charged forth with bared fangs and unsheathed claws. Within seconds, the small army collided with the Prince, with several heads being sent flying upwards as the man decapitated them one by one. Many didn¡¯t have time to dodge or attack. He spun around slamming the mace in a Batlike Spawn''s head, then jumped over an attack, landing behind the creature. He spun around, roundhouse kicking it and sending its head flying. One by one, the army began to thin down, and each kill angered the beast, which roared in anger, echoing through the night. Geddeon was surely making his way towards the beast, dispatching any one that appeared. He smashed his mace through another Void Spawn¡¯s head, swapping his mace and sword mid spin. He spun a complete turn and took down the Spawn around him, he stopped spinning and faced the beast, his burning rage fueling his very soul. The Prince¡¯s head snapped up as he moved his body to the side, several spikes and projectiles flying past him. The man looked behind him and saw the Void Spawns in the distance, though he opted to ignore them, as the true ''prize'' was just a few feet away from him. Geddeon proceeded forth, moving his weapons to the side. As he moved in closer, the beast swiped its claws towards him, but he had jumped over the attack and stabbed the beast in the chest with his sword. As the beast bellowed deep, the man moved his left arm back and then slammed his mace in the beast''s chest making it take a few steps backwards. The Prince placed his feet on its chest and pushed himself away, letting the sword dispel and leaving a gushing fountain of syrupy black blood streaming. He landed in front of the creature and sneered up. The beast slammed its fists on the ground, but faster than the hulking monster, Geddeon had already jumped out of the way, running past its fists behind the creature. It lumbered around very slowly, trying to catch up with the man. But it wasn¡¯t fast enough. Heat was building in his chest, the Prince¡¯s rage heightened as the fight continued. He dispelled his mace in a flash of flames, but the golden fire remained, blanketing his hands and forearms. As the embers began to diminish, he was left with a pair of studded Obsidian Cestus, with ingots of the blackened stone embedded into the knuckles. Geddeon jumped up, slamming a powerful hook into the beast''s leg, causing the Spawn to bend the knee. Once more, he charged forward, jumping high and landing on its back. He grabbed onto the creature by the back of its head and began raining down vicious punch after punch onto the monster. The beast bellowed again as it stood up and began shaking itself, trying to dislodge the Prince from its back. The monster then suddenly slammed its body onto one of the nearby houses. Geddeon jumped down at the last second as the creature let its body drop on top of the burning house. He landed nearby, scanning the creature; it was still breathing. As he raised his hands to face it, the beast stood up, and let out another lower bellow causing the ground to shake. He peered to the side and noticed numerous skeletal hands coming out of the earth. It was summoning reinforcements¡­ It was making Void Spawn?! ¡®That¡¯s impossible¡­ How the hell-?¡¯ ¡®KID LOOK OUT!¡¯ Geddeon looked up and his eyes widened as the beast''s fist connected with him, sending him flying through streets, smashing into the glass window of a storefront. With a groan, the Prince slowly staggered upright, cocking his head to the side to spit out blood. The man¡¯s ever growing rage began to show, as he watched the Spawn slowly moving towards him with an army of Skeletal Void Spawn by its side. He growled as he cracked his neck and pushed forward, jumping over the Void Spawn and ducking under its claws. Geddeon slammed an uppercut into its hand and a thunderous crack echoed out, the beast bellowed out in pain as its ruined hand flopped uselessly. Quickly, the man leapt into the air towards the creature¡¯s head and within an inch of its face and with all of his force he slammed a jab into the monster¡¯s eye, causing the beast to stumble back stunned. The Prince grabbed onto the still open wound in the creature''s chest, halting his fall. He peered up as he placed his feet on its chest and pushed himself upwards, ripping off a thick slab of flesh as he did. Then, he reached out to the creature''s face once more, delivering a second attack, slamming an uppercut with all his might in its face. Then, the creature fell onto its back over a burning building, both crumbling down to the foundation. Geddeon landed on the creature''s face, a withering glare gracing his features towards it as he pummeled the beast¡¯s face; bone shattering punch after punch. The horde stood unmoving around the body of the beast; even as the Prince continued to rain down punches into the face of the already dead monstrosity. The Void Spawn began to shake as they started disintegrating into a sickly pale smoke. The night once more began to fall silent; the only sounds that could be heard were the blazing fires and the wet snapping sounds of the beast being demolished. A familiar sickly pale green aura formed under the beast''s body, it moved down into the earth and slithered away like a snake until it vanished. After almost twenty minutes of rending the dead beast''s face into fine bloodied paste, Geddeon¡¯s senses began to resurface,as well as labored breath and a brow drenched in sweat. He forgot what it was like to give into his rage, and as he glanced down at the gore and visceral remains of a skull. It was at that point, he remembered why he held himself back so often. He sat there, his Cestus fading into the smoke around him. His aura petered out until it was a faint glowing orange outline around his body. It was quiet. Finally quiet. He rose to his feet, wobbling as he spat a glob of blood and saliva onto the pavement. He got cocky, and got sloppy as a result. The beast was certainly tough, but in his heart, he knew better; he should have been able to take it down faster than that. His Mother was going to tear him a new one. ¡°KUJO!¡± he shouted, his voice echoing off of the brick rooftops. He was thoroughly exhausted, but was still able to catch his hound with his arm, who lightly landed on the pavement. ¡°Fuck a duck, Kid. What the fuck was that?¡± the hellhound snarled at him. ¡°We arrived together. How the hell am I supposed to know?¡± he hissed as he stretched, feeling a couple of satisfying pops along his back, ¡°Listen, head back to the Evac Area, find Lieutenant Lima and let her know the coast is clear. I''m gonna get the remaining friendlies out of the building, okay?¡± Kujo scoffed as he slowly faded into a black mist. ¡°I ain¡¯t one of ya goddamn troops¨C¡± The hound barked, his voice trailing off as he completely disappeared from view. Geddeon huffed as he regained his bearings. The buildings were a bit difficult to discern from shadows of stoked flames and broken lamp posts, but even in the darkness, he could still locate the Town Hall. At least he hoped it was. After all, it would be rather embarrassing if he couldn''t find a building that he argued funding for. In truth, Fortifying the Town Hall was a good strategic advantage; one he personally championed. The addition of a larger bunker within is what made the town easily defensible, especially as it was built below the Stheno River that ran through the Town. With the inclusion of heavy doors and sturdier materials, the vast amount of resources was probably why it was so easy to argue for. But the adrenaline in his veins made it difficult to focus on his surroundings. He could hear his mother now. ¡®Be not the General who loses his way.¡¯ Then, his own thoughts began to fill his head with the negativity he had heard for the majority of his life. ¡®He can''t even use an Armament¡¯ ¡®Useless¡¯ ¡®Weak¡¯ The ground around him began to crack and crumble around Geddeon as his aura spiked briefly. He shouldn''t have let himself indulge in his anger, and yet, every time it occurred, it became increasingly harder to calm himself down. He used a mantra that his mother had taught him. Quell the rage. Focus and breathe. After a moment, his racing thoughts began to subside as he focused on his breathing. Each inhale cooled his burning temper, and in kind, every exhale slowly brought clarity he needed. ¡®Quell the rage. Calm your thoughts. Quell the rage, Focus and breathe.¡¯ Suddenly, the calm that he strove for immediately shattered his nose filled with that same sickeningly familiar energy radiating from behind him. Then, a flash of pale sickly green light flared out behind him, like writhing tentacles as the sound of footsteps on the cobblestone and the smell of cheap booze filled the air. When Geddeon turned around, his face fell further into his frown. He knew then why that energy was familiar. A hearty, slurred chuckle released from the last person the Prince ever wanted to see again. ¡°Hola, Primo.¡±