^{Chapter 10}_{The Blind Mage}


"Princess." Prince Rysxaro approached me, a small trinket clutched carefully between his teeth. The black clothing that I had hastily strapped on rustled slightly as I craned my neck around to face him. "This is mine - the guards will be more inclined to believe you if I send you with this."

It was beautiful. Attached to a fine, copper-coloured strand of thread was a gleaming pink gem, perfectly matching the colour of my eyes. It was roughly-cut, but the layers meant that it refracted the light in an interesting and appealing way. When he placed it around my neck, I gazed down at it.

"You may keep it afterwards if you wish." Through the teeth of his mask, I glimpsed a slight smile, genuine in nature.

"T-thank you, prince." Once I thanked him, his manner returned to normal, as he began to go through the details of the mission again. Although I had told him that I was certain that I knew what to do, he insisted that I heard the plan a few more times, though, this time, he added in who I was to travel with.

"I have assigned a small party to go with you. You are familiar with Erixeth and Laiya, but there is a third. Vixea, the blind mage." At the mention of that name, a Puffadore appeared. I wasn't sure about how she arrived, or when she had, but she was there.

A pink bow was pinned to her ear, still despite the chilling breeze that swept through the camp. Her pelt was striped with a deep black, and patched underneath with various shades of pink. Though what stood out to me the most were her eyes - foggy, staring blankly at nothing.

Somehow, those grey orbs found my face, and she smiled directly at me.

"It is nice to meet you, Princess." Although the gesture was meant to be friendly, it only scared me. There is something wrong with her. I can just... feel it.

I put aside my initial reaction when I replied. "It is nice to meet you too, Vixea." The smile widened into a toothy grin when I spoke.

I can't quite pin-point it. Is it the way that her blindness seems fake? Or perhaps it's just that smile. She looks like one lost for sanity. And those ghastly eyes... I should not be judging so harshly, but she terrifies me, and I can hardly stand it. What was Prince Rysxaro's reasoning behind sending her on one of the most important missions that he has mostly likely ever managed?

I steadied my slowly-panicking self with a final internal statement.

If Prince Rysxaro can trust her, then so can I.

"...You must depart with haste." I had been completely ignoring the prince this entire time. He had been speaking of the mission, but I had been focusing on the oddity that was the Puffadore mage. I behaved as if I had heard more than just that final sentence

"I understand." I pulled the ebony folds of a scarf up and over my nose, muffling my voice and my expressions. I glanced nervously over at Vixea, then over at Erixeth and Laiya. "Are you ready?" Erixeth nodded.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

--

We spotted a Vorkid stalking through the bushes, however we did not see much more than that in terms of threats. The journey was uneventful, and we passed the time by re-telling stories from our pasts. Erixeth boasted about the time that he beat a Myconid Sprout when he was but a hatchling; Vixea talked wistfully of when she had been an apprentice in the Great Spire of Yterria; Laiya remained mostly silent, but when encouraged to speak, she described the meadows of Lyapol, and the fond memories of collecting flowers with her mother.

I avoided the subject of Kaidelus. There was no point in talking lightly of one so vile. Instead, the adventures of myself and Errikin in the library one morning brought joy to our group. When I mentioned Aritael's reaction to the chaos, Erixeth had to stop to catch his breath after laughing so hard.

This is what life should be like, I thought. We shouldn't have to worry about or fear anything.

If only I was queen.

The glow of happiness that I had built up listening to the tales had been stomped out by reality. I returned to the sullen, philosophical silence - a state familiar to me. The other three had noticed this shift, but decided not to comment. Instead, they talked amongst themselves, and I watched them do so.

"Halt!" A voice called.

My gaze left the ground, and I looked upwards. The blinding sun was behind the figure, and the monochrome wooden platform that he glared downwards from. There was a bright blue flash, and he was on the ground in front of us, blocking our path.

"You have reached the Malledus-Shadowlands border. State your name, and your purpose of entry." The Nytekrie strode up to each of us, squinting his pale eyes at each of our faces. When he was in front of me, he noticed the necklace and frowned.

"My name is Princess Candy of Malledus." I did not pull down my black mask to prove it. "I have permission from Prince Rysxaro of the Shadowlands to pass. This trinket is proof of his allowance."

"That is just a pretty gem," the guard scoffed. "It means nothing, apart from a message from him that you may have missed." I blushed at that. Yes, that is true. Why did I not immediately think about it? That fool - misinformation could end up with us killed. "The border controls are strict. Only those accompanied by the prince himself can enter - he said it himself. I cannot override those orders because of a pink crystal." Eyes narrowed, he gestured for us to leave. "Move along. You are wasting my time."

I turned around.

"Come on. Let's go." I did not openly say what I had in mind - the Nytekrie would have probably arrested me on sight. I led the group away from the outpost, the guard smirking at his victory over a noble. He enjoyed that. Well, I'll let him keep that enjoyment, for now. But when he realises...

"What the hell was that? Why didn't you stand up to him?" Erixeth hissed between gritted teeth.

"I have a plan," I stated. I glanced over at Vixea. Now is the time to test her loyalty towards our cause. She twitched when my eyes rested on her face.

"What would you have me do?" She already knows. For once, I wasn't afraid of her mysterious abilities. I was actually pleased by her reply.

"I need you to create a distraction."

^{Chapter 11}_{Dancing with Shadows}


Sat in the centre of a circle of various objects, the blind mage pressed her paws against the ground. She had advised us all to stand back, and so we were watching from behind a gnarled black tree.

"What do you reckon she's going to do?" Erixeth whispered, his pale eyes fixated on Vixea's face. A spark flew up from one of the assortment of items, gleaming red and orange as it crackled. Erixeth swore, flinching at the sight and cowering behind me, only bringing himself to look again after the noise had died down.

"That's... not want we need," I commented, grim-faced. "Creating a lot of sound will only bring them to us. We want them away from the border, and also away from us, so that we can get past them." I inhaled sharply as a second flame shot up, this time, a deep purple. It hissed menacingly as it fizzled out of existence, mere seconds after being born from a pile of leaves.

Before I could speak again, shock clamped its cold hands over my mouth and muffled my words.

Ebony mist, ominously murky. It rose from each pile of objects, regardless of the material. Tendrils of darkness choked the light as they began to conceal Vixea, stroking her pelt with soft movements. The mage let out a gasp as she was fully covered, and, for a moment, became no more than a pulsating, featureless ball.

All the while, we stood, frozen.

Terror. Awe. Confusion. All emotions blended into one with this sight.

To avert our gazes, or to continue staring with a strange captivation. If we were witnessing black magic gone wrong, the possibility of this creature consuming us too was great. Running was what we were supposed to be doing, according to all of our instincts, but instead we were rooted to the spot, bound by vision to this monstrosity that swirled around the mage.

Then it vanished.

The wind died down. It seemed that all life had suddenly been sucked out of the environment, leaving the clearing a shell of what it once was. Though when I looked, nothing had changed at all.

Erixeth was the first to speak.

"She's... gone." He stumbled over to the circle of supplies, inspecting each one as if she had somehow managed to hide herself under one. Though when he leaned in to touch the leaves, they disintegrated as soon as he made contact with it. He yelped, then backed away.

I feared the worst.

Has she abandoned us?

If she had, then we were stuck. Or, at least, our only options were far more dangerous.

I don't want to return to the Prince. He needs to be at the camp, not here. He's counting on us to go to Eyrir-beyond-the-shadowlands, since he can't go himself. We cannot fail him.

My thoughts were broken by a sharp, piercing shriek. It was joined by several others - a haunting chorus of wailing. In each one, the agony of the thing emitting it was evident.

I shivered.

"What... What is that?" Laiya exclaimed quietly. She was trembling as her eyes flickered back and forth across the trees, searching like a radar for the slightest bit of movement. "E-even if she does r-return..." Her next statement was bolder than anything I had ever heard her say. "I want nothing to do with her. She's clearly involved in the dark arts, and... someone like that shouldn't be here. At least, that's what I think." Towards the end of her little outburst, she was returning to her usual, meek self.

Admittedly, I felt similarly to Laiya. If Vixea was indeed using black magic - and, since it looked like nothing that I had ever seen before, I assumed it was - then the usual punishment would be banishment or imprisonment.

If that was her, and she killed all of those guards... That could be anywhere between nothing and the full extent of her powers. Regardless of which one it was, it would terrify me, knowing that I was in the presence of such a dangerous Puffadore.

I had originally trusted Prince Rysxaro's judgement, but now I could not be certain as to whether he wanted to protect me or wanted to have me murdered.

There was a whirr, and in front of me, Vixea was crouched.

She stood. I wasn't sure why, but it appeared as if the colour around her eyes had darkened. Additionally, her face was turned downwards slightly by a mild frown.

"It is done. We may now pass."

--

I kept my distance as we passed over into the Shadowlands. In fact, we all did, frightened of what the blind mage may or may not have done.

I don't see any bodies. That was the one detail that seemed... wrong. Surely if she slaughtered them all, there would at least be blood?

A smile passed across Vixea's face when I looked at her. A toothy grin, revealing strangely-pointed, gleaming white fangs. I shuddered.

I'm not sure how much of her I can take. She scares me too much.

The Shadowlands were very different to Malledus. The grass was darker; the trees were spindly and darkly-coloured, with only a few white leaves scattered here and there on the branches; there was no wildlife to be seen.

Vixea seemed much at home amongst the seemingly dead forest. She walked as if she was familiar with this path, and had walked it many hundreds of times. She even stepped over the jutting out branches without hesitation, her blank eyes not moving in the slightest.

I was not convinced that she was anything like we had been led to believe. For a start, I had no doubts that her blindness was fake - no-one could simply avoid everything and not be able to see. And then there was the matter of her power. It had been explained that she was a mage. An ordinary mage was what I had pictured. Discovering that the prince had ties to black magic was shocking, though, I should probably had expected it, as some of the notable civilians of the Shadowlands had been necromancers, including Ixuelle the Grave Robber.

I took another glance at Vixea before turning my attention to sky.

When did it become so dark?

The clouds were black against a murky purple and red background. The stars were nowhere to be seen behind the shimmering mass. In Malledus, you can see them all.

I glanced over my shoulder. We weren't far from the border, but the shift in the tone of the environment had been instant and completely different to where we had come from. It made me uneasy, and I began to theorise about what could have caused this.

Black magic. Weather phenomenons. Changes in the air. It could be anything. Though it could all be the result of the first issue.

I do not like this place, I thought, as the fields of Malledus vanished behind me, the fog slowly descending on us.

^{Chapter 12}_{The Three Strangers}


My eyes opened slowly, and my senses flooded back into my body. The oddly sticky dew that plastered my pelt; the sweet smell of the dead grass; the partially concealed murky colours of the sky.

Slowly, I rose up from the ground, the leaves of the makeshift shelter rustling above my head. My limbs were stiff from lying on the uneven ground, and I heard the bones click as I stretched. My ears pricked forwards as I pushed aside the entrance, and peered out to check my surroundings.

Silent as ever.

The lack of sound was making me paranoid. My ears were deprived of something to listen to, and so I savoured every footstep as I walked.

The fog's icy fingers brushed my coat, seeping through every gap and causing me to shiver. It had been only slightly warmer inside the crude construction that we had built the night before, but the small difference of temperature meant everything.

Stiffly, I took a stroll through the surrounding area, watching for any movement. In a way, I was excited by the prospect of seeing another entity other than one of my group. As much as I held nothing against them or their company, I needed someone else to confirm that there was indeed still a world left.

It has only been a day, I thought. Already, I am feeling so isolated, despite not being alone at all. I have Erixeth, Laiya and Vixea. Why do I feel like I am so devoid of social opportunities?

"Candy?"

I turned, and saw Erixeth. Without fur on his body, he was suffering more than I was in the frosty weather. I immediately went to him.

"You should not be out here, Erixeth. It is far too cold for you." I got as close as I dared to him, in an attempt to somehow transfer my body heat to him through the air. The Sylvorpa smiled, as if to reassure me with his expression, however his body language told all. He was trembling - even his pupils seemed to shake as his gaze met mine.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I needed to stretch my legs. I cannot stay cramped up in that small space for long." All of a sudden, the light in his pale yellow eyes died.

"You need to stay by the camp. We don't know what is out there."

"Nothing is out there," I said, in an attempt to finish the conversation swiftly. When he stared blankly at me, I added more. "Look around you. This forest is sparse enough to see everything. Tell me, do you see a single thing other than me, you, and our shelter?"

Silence, once again.

I sighed.

"It is a good thing that you are only asking me to return at the end of my morning walk."

--

I could not tell what time it was when it happened.

All I remembered was that we had been travelling for a while. The unsatisfying rations meant that I was somewhat easier to anger at that moment in time. Neither was I focusing solely on what I was doing.

If I had, then perhaps we would not have stumbled into them.

Three. One Vulnyx, one Zolnixi, one Kelpari. No correlation between their attire, with the exception of a black tag around their necks, inscribed with deep pink runes.

When they noticed us, they all turned at once. Each had a malicious stare, and were poised to pounce on us at the slightest movement.

The Vulnyx grinned, his splendid display of gems shimmering, despite the low amount of light.

"The Queen will be pleased. Kirra, Zera. Arrest them immediately."

Everything went black.

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Author's note:

A bit of a short chapter today - I need to do some revision for my German speaking exam in two days, and I don't know any of what I have to say.

There probably won't be anything tomorrow, as I have a lot of things that need doing.

^{Chapter 13}_{The Queen's Bandits}


"Hey! Unhand me!"

There was a clang of metal, and a thud. Then, the scrabbling of claws and the brushing of a tail against the floor, followed by panicked breathing.

Pain shot through my skull as I slowly regained control of my body. Slipping out of unconsciousness, I opened one eye, to see Erixeth, patting the crimson blood slowly leaking out of a wound on his flank. He winced every time he brushed the edges of the red gash.

Laiya seemed unharmed. She was on the opposite side of the room, staring down at the floor with her round orange eyes. It was strange, but, for a heartbeat, I thought that I saw the smugness of victory flash across her expression.

"Candy," I was being prodded by a small paw. I lifted my head to see Vixea, gazing blankly down at me. When I moved, she let out a sigh of relief. "I am glad to see that you are awake. The three bandits captured us and brought us to the cells. They said that we would meet 'her' in a few minutes." She frowned. "Who this 'her' is, they refuse to say."

Slowly, I pushed myself up and into a sitting position. I could feel the pulsating heat of a bruise on my cheek, and the muscles in my left front leg ached uncomfortably. Before standing, I gave myself a quick check over, to, thankfully, find nothing else of concern.

It was then that I noticed the jewelled Vulnyx by the door. His wings rustled as he stood on guard, and he gave narrow glares to anyone who passed by, regardless of whether they returned the look or not.

I padded up to the metal bars between me and him.

"Please, sir, might I ask a favour of you?" I sounded like a child, rather than the royalty that I was supposed to be. The guard turned, a scowl etched into his expression.

"I am no 'sir', you foolish Puffadore." He spat, landing it mere centimetres from me. I backed off a little, raising myself up on my hind legs and placing my paws on the cold steel. "I will not take any orders from the likes of you."

"Yet you would take them from Kaidelus, the criminal, who has pillaged multiple towns and devastated their inhabitants." I leaned closer, trying to search his face for a shift in emotion. "All I wish to know is where we are, and who we are meeting." The Vulnyx diverted his eyes from me, and his ears flickered forwards. He's ignoring me. He knows that he is wrong.

"Kaidelus is working to bring harmony to Kyarin. He destroyed them since they posed a threat. For example, the village of Uyarie housed Tyrinn Erill the Ravager, the Aurleon warlord who had a severe hatred for Puffadores and Lighiras. People like that cannot exist if there is to be unity." There was a pause, and the violet-pelted bandit stretched his wings. "Kaidelus seeks to abolish the Puffadore monarchy, and, as such, he needs the co-operation of all Sylestis. Sylestis who are biased towards certain types cannot be a part of a perfect society, nor can they be leaders, as it needs to be as equal as possible."

"So he seeks to destroy individual opinion?" If he thinks that killing everyone who disagrees with him is going to work, then he's in for a shock.

It was at that point that the subject changed swiftly. The Kelpari who had accompanied the Vulnyx when we were captured had returned with a message.

"Iszerrai," she called out, almost tripping over herself as she galloped over. When she was few metres away, she slowed, then halted in front of the guard. "The Queen is ready to see them now. She wants to speak to Byii first, however." Laiya's gaze locked with hers.

"Please, Candy, move aside," the Faelora requested, her voice quiet. I gave her a strange look. Byii? Isn't her name Laiya? Nevertheless, I lowered myself from the bars and stepped away to let her through.

The door was locked after her. A slight smirk was on her face as she glanced back at Erixeth, Vixea and I.

"It was nice knowing you," she whispered.

The Kelpari and her talked as if they were good friends all the way down the corridor, their voices only stopping when they faded into the distance.

Erixeth had switched his attention from his injury to the scene, and had heard everything that had been said. Shock and upset was dominating his expression as he contemplated it all.

A tear dripped off of his cheek.

"S-she..." He was quivering, hardly able to speak. "She... b-b-betrayed us!" He shook his head. His mouth moved, but no words continued to make his feelings known. Instead, he opted for breaking down and crying, the cruel act piercing his heart and causing him agony beyond my imagination.

Laiya. Laiya. What an ironic name.

I too felt as if a piece of myself had been snatched away. I had not known Laiya to the extent that Erixeth had, but I had shared my memories with her. I had sympathised with her initial fear of me; I had done my best to befriend the shy Faelora; all for nothing.

Erixeth was still sobbing by the time that we were taken from our cell to meet the 'Queen'.

In the centre of a large, crudely-constructed hall was an equally as primitive chair, made of sticks bound by vines. Some of the edges of the throne were lined with thorns, glinting under the green shade of the leafy roof.

Perched in this surprisingly sturdy woodland seat was a pink and black Puffadore, a crown of dead branches on her head. She watched with gleaming silver eyes as we were presented before us.

"Queen Caiphe. This is Princess Candy of Malledus, and her party of a select few of Prince Rysxaro's scum." The Vulynx spat the last word, as if it was a bad taste on his tongue. The Queen smiled crookedly, showing her unusually sharp teeth.

"Ah, Princess Candy. I have heard much about your betrayal of your own kin." Stepping daintily down from her seat, the Queen's eyes were fixated on me. Since we had arrived, she had not even glanced at Erixeth or Vixea. Once mere centimetres from my face, she decided to introduce herself. "I am the Queen of the Shadowlands. Prince Rysxaro named me so, in the event of his death or disappearance, despite the fact that I have no relation to him. As such, I found a way to remove him from my way, and... Marrying Kaidelus has given me this throne. In fact, according to law, he should go back and claim Malledus for himself too."

"He cannot," I protested, "He is not next in line. You cannot simply skip ahead."

"Unless, of course, there is no-one to skip." The look that Queen Caiphe gave me sent shivers down my spine. I desperately tried to scrape together a second reason as to why he could not take the place that was rightfully mine.

"The marriage has to be done by a legitimate authority, which would be a Puffadore ruler. I don't see another king or queen here." I paused, calculating carefully what should be said next. "If you bringing me here was to use me, then you have carried out your plan too early. I am no queen, and as such, I cannot do what I think that you may want me to do."

"Silence!" The Queen's voice was suddenly raised. "King Kaidelus will destroy this discriminatory system once and for all! He does not need to abide by such laws when he seeks to be rid of it!" Her ears were pinned back against her skull as she let out a low growl. "I do not need to be lectured on laws by a mere princess!"

A paw smacked me across the face, the claws leaving scratches on my already damaged cheek. Eyes wide, I jumped backwards, only to be shoved forwards once more by the Vulnyx stood behind me. I felt the hot blood trickle down, staining my fur red.

"Iszerrai. Take the Sylvorpa and that blind Puffadore back to their cells," she hissed. "I want to show this ignorant princess something."

^{Chapter 14}_{Kaidelus' Army}


"These are the soldiers of The Shadowlands. Devoid of emotion. Eager to serve." Pacing up and down in front of a black-maned Lighira, the Queen continued her lecture. "They were born here, and they shall die here. That is the way of our army." Extending a paw, she placed it on the cheek of the blank-faced soldier.

Without warning, she scratched him.

Blood ran from three thin tears in the Lighira's skin. He took the blow without flinching or questioning the motive behind the attack.

I gasped.

"What was that for?" Queen Caiphe's pale eyes locked with mine as I spoke. "Why would you injure one of your own?" She dismissed my question with the flick of her tail.

"Thousands of these loyal members of our army. They do not feel pain, nor do they complain of hunger, thirst or fatigue. They will work until they drop dead." A smirk played on her lips. "Thousands of fully-trained and disciplined elites, versus a disorganised mess of a few hundred bandits. Tell me, why has Prince Rysxaro placed so much faith in your victory?" She was close to me now, her hot breath spreading across my face as she mocked me. "I wonder, does he even realise what my King has achieved?"

"He does not," I admitted, quivering. I wanted to follow that weak statement with something else, but my mouth simply hung open, refusing to form the words.

"Then it shall stay that way." The Queen's gaze switched to the Lighira. "Kill her."

Almost immediately, I scrambled away from the soldier. The masked face turned towards me, the cold, deep pools of black directed towards me.

"No! Please!" My cries for mercy rung through the mostly empty hall. Queen Caiphe stood off to the side, watching with a grim expression, even though her eyes glinted with smugness.

The Lighira charged.

I rolled off to the side. I had attempted to jump out of the way, but he had caught my back legs, flinging me a few metres. Hopelessly entangled in myself, I kicked out with my legs, hoping that I would hit something, despite the fact that I could feel nothing there.

After a while of panic, I paused, breathing heavily, listening to the surroundings.

The soldier had gone quiet. In fact, I was certain that I could not hear anything.

I swivelled my head around, to see that I was alone.

Where did they go? I stood, my reflection in the floor spooking me somewhat. I inspected my pelt for wounds, though I found nothing. Am I dead? Is this just a dream?

I pushed against the door, and it clicked. With a frown, I tried again, eventually ramming my shoulder into the wood. I cried out and leapt away with splinters embedded in my flesh.

I shivered.

I've been locked in. Why have they locked me in here?

"HELLO?!" I shouted, hoping that someone would hear me. I thought that I heard some faint shuffling on the other side, though I could not be certain. Tears began to form in my eyes as my fear became a reality.

I can't get out. I'm alone. I'll die.

"Please! Someone help!" I hammered on the door with a paw until my muscles ached and my skin was sore. The whole world became a blur, and I felt water, as hot as blood, run down my face. The unbearable pressure of terror eventually dragged me down, and I collapsed, eyes closed.

My chest was rising and falling rapidly. Trying to ignore my situation, I listened, though my internal screams of emotional agony were all that I could hear.

Frustration bubbled up in my throat, and I let out a pained wail. I could not express myself with words, nor actions. It was my last hope that I could be noticed.

As expected, it resulted in nothing.

No-one is coming to save me this time. Not Prince Erukin, not that Lupora, not Anuki, Aritael or Errikin. Prince Rysxaro isn't going to come charging through the wall and whisk me away to destroy Kaidelus.

Thinking of my kin only brought more tears to my eyes.

The castle. All at the castle. They're waiting for me to return.

To return to embrace me once more and show me the love that I am yearning for? Or to stab me in the back, and leave me bleeding out?

I hugged myself in a feeble attempt to re-create the feeling of Jyarris being with me, though, despite my best efforts, I simply could not imagine it. Bringing him into the list of those that I was thinking of only furthered my upset.

My love. His tri-tonal face faded into existence before my eyes. I have failed him. I tried to get him closer to me, and now I have been pushed away by my duties.

Curling my tail around my body, I tried to sleep. Ears flattened, I rolled over several times, eventually finding the most comfortable position to lie in. Even so, the draught coming in underneath the door and the freezing touch of the tiling prevented me from falling into the warmth of unconsciousness.

Anuki. Aritael. Errikin. Maxwell. Prince Erukin. Prince Rysxaro. Erixeth. Vixea.

Please. Save me.

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Author's note:

It took me a few attempts to get this chapter right, but I reckon that it turned out well. I think a lot of the characters that have been mentioned may have been forgotten, since they haven't played major roles in the story (yet).

Thank you to everyone reading this! Every view helps to motivate me to write this; I really appreciate it! :)

^{Chapter 15}_{The Unexpected Hostage}


How long has it been?

Lying on my back, I tried to force my eyes open, but they stung as soon as the air made contact with the surface. My mouth was so dry that I could not peel my tongue off of the roof of my mouth. My sides ached, hunger gnawing at my abdomen, and my senses yearned to hear, see, taste or touch something other than the hard floor or the patterned wallpaper.

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, as if I was anticipating something. I had been waiting for an undetermined amount of time, and, despite everything that I had been through, hope still flickered in the back of my mind. I clutched that positive idea tightly, desperately trying to draw it back in whenever I felt it drifting away.

My wings twitched. My ears pricked up at a soft thud. It was distant, but it was something.

What was that?

The castle had been silent since I had come here. Not even the expected noise of the servants' or guards' footsteps had penetrated the crushing lack of noise.

Now there was shouting, somewhat panicked in nature.

Have my wishes come true?

I groaned as I rolled over, the simple action requiring more willpower and energy than I had ever thought that it could. With my paws, I opened my eyelids, and blinked rapidly. Before me was the blurred outline of the door. I reached out with my legs and began to attempt to drag myself along.

I tried to call out, but all that came from my mouth was more like a choking sound than speech. Again, I strained my vocal cords, but I could only emit a pitiful wail that mimicked a wild animal.

More thudding. Coming this way.

My whole body had gone weak. Resting my chin on the floor, I watched eagerly. I was too tired to cry out of happiness, nor could I leap for joy.

BANG!

Something was ramming against the wood. My ears perked up once more.

BANG! BANG!

Clinking echoed around the room as two golden-painted screws fell. Swinging open on one hinge, the door scraped along the floor, leaving a scar across the tiles.

"A-Aritael...?" I breathed. It was all I was able to say. Aritael rushed to my side, the bell around his neck jingling with each step. He knelt by my side, giving me quick visual inspection. He moved in to hug me, but then decided against it, noticing that I was clearly uncomfortable. Glancing over to Kritholxo, he issued a command.

"Kritholxo. The Princess needs immediate medical attention. You are dismissed from the battlefield. Your new duty is to protect her at all costs." The Kelpari nodded, and trotted over. With the combined strength of my kin and the guard, I was hoisted onto Kritholxo's back. Relief washed over me as I hugged the guard's cape close to me.

I'm saved. They came for me.

"Aritael..."

"Princess, please, save your strength." Through his formal tone, I could see that he was equally as happy. A slight smile played on his lips as he gave a nod. Then, with the swish of his cloth, he exited the room, rushing off to find someone to assist.

Throughout the journey to the tents, I lay my head against the Kelpari's back, feeling the rise and fall of his shoulders beneath me as he galloped. With one paw clinging firmly to his armour, I watched the blur beneath us, my thoughts shifting swiftly away from what had happened to what was ahead.

Safety.

Only temporary safety, as, provided that Kaidelus showed the same loyalty to Queen Caiphe as she did to him, we would be under attack soon.

No doubt, I would end up back in the midst of this conflict. After all, this whole thing was started because of my refusal to marry one who had claimed my brethren's favour, and because I had not recognised what Kaidelus truly wanted.

It is my duty, as the future Queen of Malledus and Puffadore ruler, to ensure the safety of, not only my own people, but those across all of Kyarin, regardless of race, beliefs, personality or class.

Whenever I went through anything challenging, those were the words that I repeated to myself. It gave me hope to hear them, as they pushed me to become the benevolent ruler that I wanted to be.

The only thing stopping me was marriage.

I felt Kritholxo slow, and I opened my eyes.

The medical tent was cramped, filled with wounded soldiers and civilians, though, when I was offered a larger, private room 'fit for someone of your stature', I refused. After hearing that such a thing had been set up, I demanded that it was to be split up to be used by other patients.

I was set down in one of the corners, and, almost immediately, food and drink were brought to me. Again, at my request, I was given what the others had - bread that was very close to being stale, and water that had an oddly sharp taste. However, I was too ravenous to complain, and soon I was licking the loose crumbs off of the plate.

Not long afterwards, I was taken outside once more. I needed to rest, but the news that had reached the camp was more important than my needs.

Aritael and Errikin were outside the tent, waiting for me. Errikin, being the excitable young prince that he was, sprinted up to me and almost knocked me off of my feet with an embrace that couldn't be matched by even the strongest of guards.

"Candy!" he exclaimed. Somewhat dazed, I returned the greeting.

"Errikin. It is nice to see you." Aritael stepped forwards, and Errikin released me from his hug.

"The castle has been taken, Princess." He glanced from Errikin to me, then continued. "Even though that is a fantastic piece of news, we are not here to discuss this. You see, we have taken some hostages, one of them being Queen Caiphe, and another..." He paused. "It appears that Kaidelus is the father of an eggling. Though they claim that they are married legitimately... the rest of the realm with view this child as being born out of wedlock."

My mood immediately darkened.

Children born outside of a marriage were frowned upon. For one of royal blood to do such a thing would be unforgivable, and, no doubt, the eggling would be in danger.

Execution. Such acts are punishable by execution, either of the child or one of the parents.

Should King Pyris of Riiaro hear about this and get involved... Kaidelus, Queen Caiphe and the eggling... They will be slaughtered like animals. I shivered.

"Princess, what should we do?" Clearly, Aritael was having the same internal conflicts as I was. I felt my throat tighten as he watched my expression, awaiting my response.

I should hand it over. But... but this is an eggling. I can't just let it die.

"Tell nobody about its true origins. Give the eggling to me. I shall claim that it was found abandoned when the destroyed buildings were searched." Aritael's gaze locked with Errikin's, then he looked back at me.

"Princess... If anyone should find out, the consequences..."

"I will bear the burden of them." With a swish of my tail, I turned. "Take me to it. I will keep it in my tent." Before either of them could protest, I came up with more to convince them. "If I am sharing my space with anyone, I will tell them the story that I have just told you."

--

Half-wrapped in blankets, the pink and white egg gleamed under the limited light.

I had moved my bedding closer to it to keep it warmer. I had also repeated my story over and over again in my head to convince myself that that was the truth, so that I did not falter when I repeated it.

When a pale head popped through the folds of the tent entrance, my heart leapt up.

"Erixeth!" A wide grin spread across the Sylvorpa's face.

"Candy!" Jumping inside, he held the white cloth open for another familiar face to enter through.

"Vixea?" Overjoyed, I bounded over to the two. "You managed to escape!" I was relieved to see that both of them were unharmed, with the exception of some weight that had fallen away from their frames.

Once the initial ecstasy had died down, Erixeth commented on the eggling.

"What is that doing here?"

"Oh, it was found in one of the buildings that had been partially destroyed. It had been abandoned by its parents, and so Aritael brought it back to camp. I offered to care for it until a relative stepped forwards." Perhaps I rushed that a little, I thought. Though the explanation seemed to work, as Erixeth relaxed.

"Ah. I see." I was reassured when the glint in his eyes returned.

That was close. I am not certain as to whether I can keep this act up for as long as I will need to.

^{Chapter 16}_{Aritael's Illness}


My eyes slowly opened, and I stretched, accidentally pressing my nose against the eggling's shell. I withdrew quickly, placing one paw on my face and staring into the dull reflection of my face on the round object.

I wonder how long it will be until it hatches. Placing one paw on its surface, I contemplated this. I hope that it is not soon. Queen Caiphe is still in the camp, and if parallels are drawn between its appearance and hers... Judging by the colours, it would not resemble Kaidelus closely, which was both good and bad in many ways. I pressed my forehead against the small object and my eyes flickered shut, as if I was trying to transfer my thoughts to it.

It was at that moment that I felt a small bump. My eyes snapped open, and I lifted my head.

Please tell me that it is not so!

I waited, but nothing else happened. I swallowed hard, my gaze inspecting it closely. As quietly as possible, I let out a sigh of relief.

Good.

That was the first sign of activity that I had felt from it since it had been placed in the tent. Though there was no guessing how many times that that had occurred during the night while I was unconscious.

Pulling the blankets around the eggling, I gave it a final check for any signs of hatching, though, thankfully, I found none. I stood, then padded past Erixeth and Vixea, carefully picking my way between their equipment in an effort to not wake them. I did not want to bring them out of sleep, even though the glow of day was clearly visible through the folds in the tent.

My nose led me to the food area. Since nothing had been made yet, I decided to peer inside the construction in which the cooking was done.

To my surprise, Errikin was with the chefs. Rather than ordering them around like the prince he was, he was actively getting involved, transporting the supplies here and there, rushing around and occasionally tweaking something being cooked.

When I strolled on, he noticed, and did his best to wipe the juices from the apron tied around his neck. With a mischievous grin, he came over.

"Hey, Candy!" He playfully pushed me with his nose. "Go get in line with everyone else!"

"There isn't a line. The whole camp is sleeping." Errikin rolled his golden eyes.

"Well then, go be the first one then!" He paused to give me a chance to respond with an action, but, seeing that I wasn't going to leave regardless of what he said, he continued, but with slightly more serious tone. "So, how are things? The eggling... Are you fine with keeping it in your tent? It doesn't take too much space up?" I shook my head.

"No, does not. Those in my tent think that the eggling is from where I said it was from." I kept my voice low to stop the other cooks eavesdropping on our conversation. "Though... I have my concerns. I think that it may be close to hatching. In which case, we may have just made the problem worse by keeping it as a hostage. Kaidelus may even go so far as to not want it back, on the premise that we may have taught it something that he does not want it to believe."

"I don't think that even Kaidelus would be cruel enough to abandon his own offspring," Errikin commented. "Listen, if it hatches, we must continue as if it was still an eggling. We care for it as if it is indeed what we said it is. It is an orphaned eggling, remember?"

Our conversation was going to continue, when we were cut off by the rushing of feet outside of the entrance to the cooking area. The cloth was drawn aside, revealing Kritholxo, his stare intense.

"My apologies, Princess Candy and Prince Errikin." He lowered himself into an awkward bow, his tail swishing impatiently from side to side. "This requires your immediate attention." His blue eyes flashed with terror. "It is about Prince Aritael. We suspect that he has been poisoned. We require your attendance at his bedside immediately to confirm this."

--

For the moment, he had a look of peace on his face, his mouth turned downwards in a somewhat wise-looking frown. Though he was trembling, and a black crust lined his teeth and tongue.

"What is this?" Errikin was leaning over to look at the effects of the suspected poison. He was incredibly upset and enraged at seeing his kin in such a state. The Ryori medic pried open Aritael's jaws with his claws, and scraped a bit at the unknown material.

"I cannot be certain." Holding up a few crumbs, he squinted at the sample, his blue eyes glowing a little more in concentration. "I am certain that whatever he has ingested was invisible. I have been monitoring the diets of all of the leaders in this camp in case something like this happens. In fact, I am almost one hundred percent sure that this is not a result of anything he has eaten." Glancing nervously at Errikin and I, the doctor tried to cram more information in to please us. "I would attribute it to magic, but there are no traces of that either."

"Black magic is untraceable," I said. "Is there a possibility that this is the work of a dark mage?" The Ryori shook his head.

"No. Black magic can be identified through various other methods. Besides, this looks to be more of an effect of poison than magic. Magic tends to work externally rather than internally." His justification seemed weak, but it was clear that he was trying his best. He pointed to the black reaching down Aritael's throat, coating the inside of his mouth. "We can't go any further with an investigation until we know what this is."

"Do we have an expert on poisons in the camp anywhere?" Errikin asked. The medic paused.

"No. Unless Prince Rysxaro is going to join us at this castle. It is known that he has many among his ranks who know about these kinds of rare afflictions." Errikin nodded, gazing down at Aritael's closed eyes.

"We should try and contact him as swiftly as possible. However..." He clenched his jaw. "This is a time of war. Our message could be easily intercepted, and Kaidelus could learn of Aritael's illness. This would motivate him to continue, which is the last thing that we want. In fact, it could encourage him to attack us before support arrives." I breathed deeply.

"Our fates rest with Prince Rysxaro, then. We can only hope that he has heard of our victory, and has decided to reclaim the lands that are rightfully his."

--

This news left me in a dark mood for the rest of the day. Despite Erixeth's jests, and Vixea's display of the harmless side of her powers, I was unable to take my mind off of Aritael.

I could not escape the comments. Some camp members who I had passed by had mentioned that they had heard screaming from his tent. Others thought that they saw shadows dancing on the walls.

The tales left me anxious. When in solitude with the eggling, I could not stay still. I paced up and down, listening for any positive news, though no-one came.

Eventually, I sat on my hind legs, and stared up at the roof of the tent.

I have not prayed to the gods since I was young. I suppose it can't hurt to try.

I lifted a paw above my head.

M'yat, give me strength. Tenris, give me wisdom. Iva, give... give...

I faltered. My memories had been overwhelmed by my emotions, and I was unable to recall the rest of the prayer. Closing my eyes and exhaling slowly, I stayed perfectly still and silent, listening to the world around me.

I was in a half-daze when a shout dragged me back to reality. It was a panicked, half-scream, suggesting terror. Leaping to my feet, I went to the exit, and took a look outside.

Torches. In the distance.

If I strained my ears, I could hear a steady booming, like a heartbeat, echoing around the stirring tents.

War drums.

They are here.

Oh gods, they are here.

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Author's note:

*suspense intensifies*

Sometimes I forget how much I enjoy writing this XD

Anyway, I hope everyone is enjoying this so far! I may be able to post a chapter tomorrow rather than leave it on such a tense note for a few days, since it'll be the weekend, and, mercifully, I haven't got any homework to do.

^{Chapter 17}_{Battle Born}


Panic seized me. It directed me this way and that, as I darted between the tents. My legs were on fire, the pain of sprinting for so long rushing up my limbs as I searched the growing crowd of soldiers for Errikin or his tent.

Strapped to my side was the eggling. I didn't have the heart to leave it behind, and so I had bound it to myself using my outfit. Though, now that my mind only had one thing to focus on, my worry that I had only endangered it began to fester in my heart, which was sinking in my chest by the minute.

There was a flash of gold that immediately caught my eye.

Errikin!

I swiftly changed direction. My breathing was laboured, and I felt myself slowly becoming weaker with each step, but I could not give in to exhaustion. Gritting my teeth together, I forced myself to keep going. I have to reach him. He will require my assistance in organising and leading the troops.

He was within a few metres of me when I shouted his name. He turned, his golden eyes locking with mine. Though when they flickered to the eggling, he showed immediate displeasure with my choice.

I almost collapsed onto him. The yell had drained my lungs of the last morsels of oxygen, and my whole body heaved as I desperately tried to suck in enough to calm my screaming muscles and my thumping heart. The floor dipped and shifted beneath me, and dizziness clouded my thoughts, but I had reached my objective.

"Candy, are you insane?!" His voice struggled to compete with the footsteps of the soldiers as they began to make their way into their battle formations. "You've brought an eggling into battle!" An eager soldier hovered at his shoulder, trying to get his attention. He recognised this, and so gave me one final instruction. "Go. Go to Aritael's tent. Your priorities are to protect him. If you have to sacrifice one of the hostages, so be it!"

With that, he was dragged back into the flow of the crowd.

A groan escaped my lips as I dragged myself back into movement. I tried to run again, but at this point, my will alone could not get me to move any faster. My limbs had gone stiff, disallowing me from moving any quicker than a shuffle.

Aritael's tent was in sight. I focused on that, and, for the last few metres, brought myself to a running pace, and pushed through the folds of the entrance, startling the Ryori medic.

"My apologies." I didn't pay him much attention, as Aritael was my main concern. I went to his bedside, checking him over. I heard shifting behind me.

"Princess... Shouldn't you be elsewhere?" I turned my head to face the two glowing blue eyes of the doctor. I shook my head, gesturing towards the eggling held in a nest-like basket by my side.

"I cannot go into battle," I explained. "Errikin refused to let me involve myself while carrying this. As such, I have been placed in charge of caring for Aritael and the hostages." I looked around at the mostly-empty interior. "Speaking of hostages, where is Queen Caiphe? I must bring her here, as we cannot have Kaidelus freeing her." The Ryori blinked a few times.

"She was transferred to the north side of the camp." When I gave a nod and indicated that I was to leave, he grasped my leg with his claws. "Princess, I beg of you, do not go back out there. She is too far away, and-"

He was interrupted by a sharp sound. A crack, like something fragile had been smashed on the ground. It sent me into a panic, and I looked around, but only when my gaze was directed at my left did I notice.

A thin, jagged line had appeared in the eggling's gleaming red shell.

Without thinking, I instructed the medic to aid me in getting it to the floor. We worked swiftly, watching for any signs of movement in case it suddenly burst out.

Once cushioned on the ground, we watched intently. The tempest of chaos tearing up the outside world was no longer of our concern, as we were absorbed in these new events. Despite the suddenness of it, there was an air of calm around us, as we awaited the hatching of new life.

Soon, a young Puffadore was shaking off bits of eggshell. His pale eyes looked up at both of us, and a soft 'mew' sound came from its mouth as it shakily walked over to me. I caught it with my paw before it fell, the exhilaration of what I had just witnessed captivating me.

He bore more resemblance to Queen Caiphe than Kaidelus, and, in fact, had markings that neither of its parents had on their pelts. The lightly-coloured runes that spiralled around his body made him quite different to them. It was a relief to see that he, at his current stage in life, could pass off as someone else's child, provided that he was not placed side-by-side with his mother.

I hugged the small Puffadore close. The loud sounds were clearly distressing him, and he let out a pitiful whimper as he trembled, pressing up against me in an effort to be shielded as best as possible from the unknown noises.

Both the medic and I were blissfully unaware of the sudden stillness. But when several Sylestis stormed into the tent, the Ryori let out a gasp.

Those striking orange eyes. That flowery-headdress.

"Kaidelus..." My voice was close to a malevolent hiss as I watched him saunter over, two of his warriors stood either side of the entrance. I was shielding the newly-hatched Puffadore from his gaze, but, judging by his sweeping gaze that eventually rested on the bits of broken eggshell, he knew.

"What have you done with my child?" He was unnervingly calm about it. When he was not far from me at all, he gazed down his nose at me.

I was momentarily distracted from Kaidelus, as I saw Queen Caiphe's head peer around to watch what was unfolding in the tent. Her expression was smug, though, behind her eyes, there was terror as to what I may or may not have done.

Slowly, I stood, revealing Kaidelus' child to the onlookers. Upon seeing his father, the hatchling ducked behind me, quivering and watching with wide eyes. Kaidelus frowned.

"Secure the tent. Take the traitors hostage. The medic can be executed." The medic let out a wail of dismay at the command, trying to back away into a corner. With a cold glare, Kaidelus watched as I was grabbed and hoisted up and over the shoulder of a Morkko. All I could do was watch as the young Puffadore let out a cry of terror as he was separated from me, however a second guard prevented him from reaching me.

On my way out, I saw a body, dark brown and gold, drenched in red.

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Author's note:

Sorry that it took a while for a new chapter - I've not been feeling like writing lately. I should pick up the pace again with this after some time, provided that work towards my GCSEs doesn't drag me away from my laptop for too long.

I've unfortunately hit the character limit on the first post, so that is going to be/has been (depending on when you are reading this) rearranged. It's a bit of a pain, but it's better than re-shuffling all of the chapters along one post.

^{Chapter 18}_{The Paper}


"Sign here."

Ever since I had been taken behind the lines of Kaidelus' camp, I had been sat here. The scratchy rope bindings that held me hostage bonded me to an equally as uncomfortable wooden chair. Only my front legs were free to do as they wished, at least to a certain extent.

"I will not sign it." Staring defiantly at Queen Caiphe's silver eyes, I tilted my head backwards. Fury twisted in her expression once I had dismissed her order once again, and she came over to the table.

"You will sit here until you do, then," she growled, baring her gleaming white teeth. With one paw pressed on the edge of the paper, she ran a claw along the inked line on which I was to sign. "You are denying him the authority he deserves, and should rightfully have. Malledus needs a strong leader whose ideals are inline with the creation of something unquestionably perfect. He will benefit all of Kyarin, whereas you will hand the nation over to the bandits." Closer than ever now, I could feel her chilly breath on my face. The green crystal around her neck seemed to pulsate, much like the redness of her face as she ranted. "So you sign that line, Princess, and we'll let you go back to that rogue prince of yours. You belong in the wilds, so you should stay there."

"Kaidelus will bring only immense suffering. He will devastate families, and kill so many." I spat my retort back with venomous hate, for both her and the self-proclaimed king. All of my repressed anger was boiling to the surface, but I managed to contain it before I began to yell. "It will be genocide. No king can be considered glorious when their reign has sprung from roots like that." Queen Caiphe shook her head.

"I expected you to grow up somewhat from your time locked in that room. I suppose I was wrong."

Withdrawing from where she was stood, she went back to the opposite corner of the room, eyeing me with pure hatred. I returned the glare for a few seconds, until the entry of another distracted me.

Kaidelus was immediately met with praise from his wife when he ducked inside. Though he practically ignored her, addressing her only with a solemn thanking and a brief moment of eye contact.

What he was really here for was me.

"Candy." Hearing him call me by my first name repulsed me, and he knew it. Ever since he had gone on this mad quest to seize power, he had lost all formalities and respect for me. The only thing he retained was his emotionless gaze.

"Speak. What do you want from me?" I was trembling in my seat - strange, as I did not truly fear him.

"I heard that my lady was having trouble with motivating you to do as she had asked." He paused, calculating what to do next from my expression. "As you may or may not know, Errikin is close to death. Now, we could heal him - and Aritael, for that matter. So I will make a deal with you." My ears pricked up, intrigued, though I still stayed aware of his intentions. "If you sign that line, I will save them. If you do not, then do not be surprised to find that... we have lost sight of them in an unfortunate accident."

"A-And how do I know that you're not lying?" That quick glance at hope had dented my composure, as elation began to flood through my body, only to be sucked back up again by his second comment and my mistrust of him. "You're a raider, and a monstrous one at that. How can I be sure that you do not actually mean them harm?"

"If I am truly... 'monstrous', as you put it, then you know that I will definitely kill them if you do not sign. So why not take your chances and perhaps save them, Candy?"

I will abandon my people. I will destroy the realm. The printed ink on the paper began to swirl nauseatingly under my gaze.

I pushed away the paper, my vision fuzzy.

I cannot be selfish. The lives of two are far less than those that would be lost saving them.

My eyelids flickered shut, and I let the tears roll down my cheeks.

They would have wanted it this way.

Even without seeing Kaidelus, I could feel his frustration, his anger, his sorrow. He needed me to sign that paper, and not even the most horrific of threats could defeat me. He had not expected me to be so well-trained in a monarch's abilities.

"And you call me the monster."

When I opened my eyes, he turned on his heels, and left. I heard him order his guards to go to Errikin and Aritael in the medical tent, and execute them publicly for treason. He then also mentioned something about attendance, before his footsteps faded away.

I did not weep. I could not. It would satisfy Queen Caiphe's smugness, that had already crept onto her face in the form of a slight smile. And I would not give her that satisfaction.

--

Time passed. I was visited several more times by Kaidelus, and insulted and persuaded by Queen Capihe, though my answer never changed, and the line remained blank.

I spent most of my silence inspecting the black ink on the page, reading and re-reading the terms laid before me.

I, Princess Candy of Malledus, willingly step down from my position as heiress, and place King Kaidelus, my brethren, as the rightful heir of Malledus. I admit that his marriage to Queen Caiphe of the Shadowlands is a legitimate affair, and, as such, he will be permitted to rule as soon as he assumes the position. I will seek out a signature from another Puffadore king or queen, and be present when they are declared as they should be. I will also not interfere in any of King Kaidelus' plans for the realm, even if there are conflicts of opinion, and I shall not confer with any bandits or outcasts, of which Prince Rysxaro of the Shadowlands is included. Justice shall be one of my goals, and I will report any and all law-breakers, regardless of my relationship to them.

I accept that going against these rules is punishable by death.

Those words were an insult to my independence, and everything that I stood for. They sought to break apart my logic, and force me into the position of a mute servant, unable to express my opinions or beliefs.

That is a life that I cannot live.

Eventually, I was fetched by Kaidelus. He untied me somewhat roughly, leaving uncomfortable sites of rope burn all over my body. Though the freedom of allowing me to stretch my stiff limbs was a relief.

I was rushed into a central square area, and positioned at the front. Two guards were brought forwards and stationed either side of me, in the case that I should try to flee.

In the centre was a block. Errikin was already there, lying on his back, his neck pressed against the cold wood. He struggled every now and then, but it was not enough to overcome the firm grip of the executioner. The blood on his pelt was distressing, open wounds weeping crimson with every movement of his body.

Our eyes met, and I almost cried.

I need to stay strong. I can't show fear.

I was fully aware of the stares of the crowd behind me. I was shaking, struggling to control my own emotions in the way that I was supposed to. The whirlwind of chaos wreaking havoc through my mind would not stop for enough time for me to collect my thoughts and repress them correctly.

Kaidelus stepped up, pausing beside Errikin's form.

"We are here today to execute Prince Errikin, one of the royal traitors of Malledus!" Booes and cheers alike rose from the collection of soldiers as they looked on. Kaidelus revelled in the noise for a moment, until it faded to nothing. "The failure of Princess Candy to sign what would almost entirely seal our victory has given us no choice. As such, this is why he is here today, up on this block, sentenced by his own kin!" The sounds rose up once more, this time directed at me.

It's not my fault! I wanted to scream. Can you not see how cruel and vicious he is? He is using you!

The executioner shuffled a bit, and revealed a knife that had been tucked in his armour. When Kaidelus gave a nod for him to proceed, I drew a sharp intake of breath as the serrated blade flashed.

When he knelt by Errikin's side and pressed the metal to his throat, I couldn't bear to look. I suppressed a wail of emotional pain that rose in my throat, releasing only a soft squeak as I turned my head away.

It seemed like the horrific concoction of gurgling and muffled screaming would never stop. Each time the volume grew and sank, my cheeks were dampened further by the endless stream of water running from my eyes.

The silence was welcomed, but it was brief. The crowd's shouts of various emotions pummelled my ears as I sat, shocked, and still unsure of what had truly happened.

Every time I tried to look, at the first glimpse of Errikin's pelt, I hastily adjusted my vision so that it was not there. I could not help myself from doing it, and I could not overpower my instincts, and, as such, I placed one paw over my mouth, sniffling every now and then.

I could hardly contemplate it. The thought of having lost someone so close to me, someone who I had lived so much of my life with, was beyond my comprehension. I'd always thought Errikin to be immortal, after all of the things he'd been through with me, and everything that I had done with him.

"She won't even look at what she's done," Kaidelus commented, his voice laced with spite. "Pathetic."

His insults would have hurt, if I could have been any more hurt than I already was.

But then a very different sound was audible.

This time, the war drums were welcoming.

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Author's note:

What a cheerful chapter. Why do I always kill off the likeable characters? ;-;

I hope everyone is enjoying it so far!

^{Chapter 19}_{The Unity of Enemies}


All of the air rushed out of my lungs as I awoke. Choking on nothingness, I felt the grass beneath my paws, attempting to work out my orientation. My eyes snapped open, and the world was spinning, tumbling. Just as I was ready to fall back into unconsciousness, a dark figure caught me.

"Looks like she awake." His voice was distant, echoing, bouncing around my skull. I flinched at every word, the hammering headache piercing through my thoughts.

"That is good." A concoction of white and blue drifted over, and knelt by my side. As it dabbed my forehead with a cool piece of cloth, I noticed the crimson patch that grew each time it made contact with my head. I let out a grunt of discomfort, trying to roll over or stand, but I was kept on the ground by the cloud of colour's sweet-sounding way of talking. "Please, do not move. You are terribly injured, Candy." When my confused expression did not change, she continued. "Kaidelus is not here. He ran off with his tail between his legs when we descended upon him." What I could only assume was a slight smile crossed her face.

"Errikin... Aritael..." I couldn't form the questions properly, my speech impaired equally as badly as my eyesight. The two who were stood by me were slowly coming into focus; they began to take on a more familiar and structured form, their details becoming sharper by the second.

Princess Erella and King Pyris.

I had never expected to see them together. I had always known them to have a bottomless hate for each other's ideologies, with King Pyris preferring traditional practices over Erella's progressive ones. However, it had seemed that, with the threat of Kaidelus' invasion of the different realms of Kyarin, they had formed an unstable unity, obvious by the tension that I could feel between them.

"Errikin is dead." The princess shook her head, as if she could hardly believe it herself. "The wound was too deep; he was likely dead within seconds anyway." She rested a paw on my shoulder reassuringly. "As for Aritael, we managed to take him out of the medical tent before it got raided. He's a little stunned, and can hardly move because of the poison, but we've sent him to our most gifted healer - no doubt, he will feel considerably better once the treatment is over." A frown crossed King Pyris' face.

"Alternatively, we could give him the herbal remedies that would no doubt be more effective than unreliable mages. However, if you are not concerned - which you should be - then we will leave him under the care of this 'healer'." Erella's eyes locked with his, giving him a disapproving glare, however she did not comment.

Completely changing the subject, Erella pushed a flask of water towards me, and beckoned for me to sit up. That I did, though with some difficulty, as my head was still spinning. "Drink. You're incredibly dehydrated." Again, I followed what she asked me to do, and, by the time I had emptied the liquid down my parched throat, my vision was stabilising.

"Thank you..." I breathed, licking my lips to re-hydrate them. I then glanced between the two. "Do we have any plan for what our next move is?"

"That we shall discuss when we get to the tent," King Pyris stated, swishing his tail from side to side impatiently. The corners of his mouth turned down when he squinted in thought. "However, we do not have much, so do be prepared to be disappointed."

--

"We can't do anything, sir!"

The plainly-coloured Zolnixi's eyes would not focus on one face for more than half a second.

"We must wait for Prince Rysxaro! If he is not aware of our actions, one wrong move could set him against us. Besides, he has been fighting for longer against Kaidelus than any other army in Kyarin, and as such, knows his weaknesses on the battlefield." He then glanced to me. "Combine that with the Princess' knowledge, and our forces would be unstoppable! There would be no need for us to lose more soldiers than necessary."

"Prince Rysxaro knows Queen Caiphe, not Kaidelus." A shockingly bright pink Bulbori entered the tent, his unusually deep voice reverberating through the air. "And therefore, he is useless, as she has been slain in battle." Leaning on a golden-edged sword emblazoned with the mark of a long-dead Bulbori clan, his gaze met every fearful stare in the tent. "We do not have the body. My only proof of this statement is those who witnessed it, and the blood on this blade. I severed her head from her body - the only true way to kill a foe." Shaking his head, he reflected on something else. "Kaidelus, that madman... He swooped in and took the corpse with the help of some of his soldiers, screaming something. Some say it was a mournful cry for his fallen Queen; others suggest that he was cursing and swearing to the gods that he would destroy us."

"E-even so!" Clearly, the Zolnixi was intimidated by the entrance of the warrior. "His knowledge may not help us, but his forces certainly wi-"

"Bandits. Thieves. Murderers. Pillagers." King Pyris stood, and the hum of quiet chatter amongst those present died down. "We would be taking sides against evil with those who have done so much evil themselves." Tapping his paw on the table, he emphasised each word by prodding the woodwork. "We must strike him from behind, while he is fleeing. Kaidelus is a threat, and we have to make use of every opportunity we have to take him down." Determination flashed in his eyes.

"That would be reckless." I also stood. The sea of eyes turned in my direction, and all ears were pricked forwards towards me. "Rysxaro housed me from harm. I lived amongst his people, and, you will be surprised to hear that they are not all what you say they are." I met King Pyris' gaze without hesitating. "In fact, most of his army are those who have fled Kaidelus' oppression themselves. You are generalising them by picking out the minority, making them seem heartless, but, in truth, they are just as scared as we are." The Zolnixi seemed pleased by response, knowing that I had taken his side, and gave me a nod before I finished my small speech. "We wait. We wait for Rysxaro. In the meantime, we send messages to as many monarchs as we can to inform them. Not that all of them will become involved until Kaidelus becomes a 'real' threat to them. It would be a simple courtesy."

There was silence, then Erella expressed her opinion.

"It is true. Fighting now so soon after a battle would be a foolish plan, and our odds of winning would be severely dented." King Pyris scowled at her words, though she did not back down. "We must hope that Prince Rysxaro makes his way to us."

"A week," King Pyris growled, only partially adhering to our plan out of politeness. "A week is all he has. If we do not catch sight of him, then we will need to locate Kaidelus once more and bring the fight to him." He began to leave, but then paused by the door. "Should he formulate his own ideas and attack first, and succeed, then remember this in your last moments: You could have solved this earlier."

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Author's note:

A bit of a short chapter today. There wasn't really much to write in this one, and neither am I in a particularly great mood for writing at the moment :( Anyway, the next one should be more detailed, and perhaps more interesting than more repetitive political discussion.