“So what does that mean?” Aurora crossed her arms and looked at the bubbling beaker.

“It means, there’s nothing I can give you to offset the poison.” Nitya shook their head and leaned against the counter. Looking at the persistent golden syrup bubbling in the beaker. “I can give you things for the wound but this poison is unlike anything, and everything, I’ve ever come up against.”

“There isn’t a cure-all that exists?” Kyi fiddled with one of the rubber corks in a box.

"I guess, theoretically." Nitya nodded. “Even magic has its limits, you understand. But there are cure-alls that exist. None commercially available. I don’t have them.”

“But there is one,” Kyi asked. Nitya nodded. “Where?”

“Hell if I know,” Nitya shook their head and lifted the beaker off the flame by it’s top. They shook their head again at the beaker. “You could appeal to the churches. Clerics might be able to navigate divine intervention. Or strike a bargain with a warlock. Some of them are fairly reasonable and love a good sob story. Science has failed here but there are those who know how to meld magic and machines. If you don’t mind replacing a few things. The fae know their way around nature’s magic.” Aurora took a deep breath and covered her face.

“So. Arson?” Kyi placed the rubber cork back into its box. Aurora peeked through her fingers. Contemplating it behind her eyes.

“That would definitely win us some favors with the warlocks,” She mused. Aurora looked at Nitya. “Hold up a second, uh. That poison is completely unrecognizable?”

“Yup, nothing like it. Not that I’ve ever seen anyway.” Nitya put the beaker down on the counter.

“Not natural, would you say?,” Aurora continued her thought process.

“Yes?”

“Could the poison be magic?” Aurora asked. Nitya paused. They picked up the beaker and looked at it with new eyes.

“Now that’s a theory,” Nitya mused. “Move.” Nitya flew through the alchemy lab. Nearly running Aurora over on their way. Aurora looked at Kyi with a hint of annoyance and offense in her eyes. Kyi shrugged and followed Nitya out of the room. Aurora sighed but followed after, trying to avoid tripping on the cats as she did. Nitya ducked into a room where the center of the room held a moderate magic altar. The altar was made of an emerald green basin, bordered with star signs. The table part of the altar held small statues to every deity, lawful and chaotic. Beneath them were the effigies to the fae spirits and Omnisaiah. It was a strange eyesore of ideologies. With electric coils that cracked electricity when Nitya flipped a switch.

"Oh, that is…" Aurora's mouth dropped open aghast.

"Fucking hideous," Kyi finished. Aurora's mouth shut with a snap. Trying not to agree aloud.

"It does it's job and that's what matters," Nitya said. They placed the jar in the basin and put their hands on the side of the basin. "May I borrow your energy?"

"Uh, guess that depends on what you need from us," Kyi said.

"Hold hands around the altar, concentrate." Nitya said.

"Yeah that's fine," Kyi nodded. Rolling up their sleeves and rounding Nitya's left.

"Is this going to make our personal deities upset?" Aurora asked, moving around Nitya's right.

"Is yours particularly vengeful?" Nitya asked, taking Kyi's hand.

"Not really," Aurora said.

"Should be fine then," Nitya took Aurora's hand and brought the three close.

"This feels weird," Kyi grumbled.

"Same," Aurora murmured.

"Shut up and hum," Nitya snapped. The three harmonized together with the hum of electricity. Nitya began to speak in foreign words. Kyi and Aurora kept their eyes on the jar in the basin. The rest of the altar was too confusing to behold to concentrate. The contents of the jar began to boil.

“It is not science magic,” Nitya said in harmony with the buzzing electricity. The jar changed and the liquid began to turn. Turning black, then white.

“It is not claimed by patrons, holy or unjust.”

The jar’s contents stopped bubbling and turned gold again. The thick honey bubbles moved sluggishly up to the top.

“Fae magic,” Nitya said. “Show us the source.” The bubbles stretched and twisted. Ballooning into a gold tinted apple. The apple bubble popped and a new bubble appeared. Twisting into a pale, dark brown tree.

“Gold apples. Dying.” Aurora broke the hum. The sudden force of magic burst like a bubble. Shattering the jar and throwing the three across the room.

-----

The front door slammed and Eoin’s eyes opened. He had fallen asleep against the window. He sat up and lunged to his feet. His sudden movement startled Pandora awake. She’d passed out on the ground in the groove her pacing made.

“What is it?” She asked, the words had no sooner left her mouth than the two heard the sound of crashing up the stairs. Eoin grabbed Pandora’s hand and lifted her to her feet. Tossing her blades to her and taking up his own sword. They slid up against either side of the door.

“EOIN! PANDORA!” Aurora yelled as she crashed up the stairs. Pandora sighed in relief. Eoin put his sword away first and opened the door as Aurora stumbled up to it. Kyi right behind her. Aurora tried to speak but was too out of breath. Kyi wasn’t any better, they doubled over with their head hung; hands on their knees.

“Apples!” Aurora finally caught a hold of their lungs. “Gold apples! The jar had a poison in it that was enchanted with fae magic!”

“If we can get a gold apple to Nitya in town they might be able to reverse engineer an antidote.” Kyi wheezed. Eoin snapped his fingers.

“Didn’t Seren say that guy they were writing to had one?” He said to Pandora. She stared at him blankly. “Where’s the letter?”

“I don’t think we ever sent it,” Pandora snapped back to attention.

“Their room,” Eoin said. A hush fell over the group.

“Who wants to go grab it?” Pandora whispered. Her quiet words sounded like a booming echo.

“I will,” Kyi stood up and turned to Seren’s closed bedroom door. They shook as they raised a hand to knock. Then remembering no one would answer; lowered their hand to the handle instead. Kyi shoved their way into the room, the door slammed into the wall behind the door. They were paralyzed in the doorway. Seren’s window curtains were open, letting in the light of the moon. It’s pale light shone on the nightstand and part of the bed. A deathly white hand was laying still on the dark bed covers. Unmoving.

Kyi reached for the light. Chiding themself for being wary of waking the room’s occupant. They lit the room, their stomach in knots. The lantern light was worse than the dark. Kyi entered the room, their eyes stuck on Seren. They hadn’t seen Seren’s hair down much. Seren’s shoulders were bare with white bandages tied around their chest. Barely visible under the bed covers. Pale wasn’t the right word to describe Seren’s skin color. Corpse grey did it more justice.

Kyi blinked and twisted their head in the direction of Seren’s desk. Where the unmailed letter should be. The desk was hauntingly heavy. Kyi couldn’t pick out which of the papers on Seren’s untouched desk was the letter. The aura of the desk was so heavy it warded off Kyi’s searching hands. They swallowed the lump in their throat and leaned down to the desk. Kyi started messing with the papers. Separating the blank ones with the used ones. Looking for letter formats but not finding any loose papers that matched the description. Kyi ripped open the desk drawers and started rifling through it. Displacing things in their frustration. Kyi slammed the last drawer shut and turned. The dresser was to the side but the top of it only had a few random things Kyi had swiped from the castle. The night stand however, had a pencil on it.

Kyi swore and walked on their toes toward the nightstand. Again their eyes were drawn to Seren. They were moving so subtly that Kyi couldn’t tell if they were dead or not. It sent a shiver up their spine, the wood of the bed frame looked more like a coffin. Kyi opened the drawer silently. Afraid that the slightest of noises would trigger Seren’s bruised eyes to open. Kyi’s throat closed as they looked through the nightstand. Pulling the sketchbook out of it. Sweat was beading on their forehead as they held the sketchbook. Taking the book from their friend was more nerve wracking than any theft of an awake and alert house. Kyi flipped through the sketchbook to the loose pages. Pulling the letter they’d been looking for from it.

Kyi put the sketchbook back in the nightstand and closed it. They held the letter and stood next to the bed. Staring at Seren, one of the arms was on top of the blankets. It seemed so empty. Kyi looked at the dresser, and the little fabric doll laying on it. They moved to pick up the doll and went back to Seren’s side. Placing the letter on the bed for a second. Tucking the doll under Seren’s arm. Kyi froze in place when Seren’s face changed. Their eyebrows lowered together and their pale lips frowned. Kyi felt their heart jump and then plummet after Seren’s face became passive again. Kyi picked up the letter and wiped their nose. They ran out of the room, turning off the light and slamming the door shut again.

“I’ve got it!”

The four crowded around as Kyi opened the letter.

“Dear James, (I thought we agreed ‘dear’ was too bland??) I’ve left the castle, but I think you’ve already gathered that. (Well yeah, he was pretty damn vocal about it.) I’m staying with new friends. (They called us friends! Friends!) I don’t even know how to explain them. But I’m lucky they found me. (Damn lucky, does this letter mention the apples at all?) I would be happy to see you again. I’ve heard you can’t- (Seriously speed read until you get to the apples!)

… … … …

(Ah!) I’m genuinely surprised that apple I gave you was still so perfect. It’s been years and yet it didn’t age a day. I haven’t had one since the Queen put up the barriers.”

“What barriers? Where? Does it say?” Eoin took the letter out of Kyi’s hands and sped through the words. “Damn, it doesn’t.”

“That’s not a bad thing,” Aurora said. “Because if it doesn’t say that means James knows what barriers.”

“Sjodyr is a mountainous and huge-ass kingdom!” Pandora’s mouth dropped open. “What do we do? Saddle our fastest riders and send them to the first castle in Sjodyr?”

“We could change and post the letter through Nitya. They can magic send it to the castle,” Aurora suggested.

“I think Nitya has to know, have a possession of, or a picture of the person they’re sending things to.” Kyi said.

“Only if they aren’t a notable person or place,” Aurora said. “If it’s a main location, like a castle, or a generic title, like prince, then there’s leeway.”

“Okay, but then there’s the whole travelling thing,” Pandora asked. “We need that antidote now,”

“You think Nitya can send people?” Kyi asked.

“It’s not impossible,” Aurora said.

“Let’s move this conversation to Nitya’s,” Pandora shoved the party toward the stairs. “A lot of this planning involves them.”

-----

Seren picked themself up off the ground pressing their hands to their chest. They could only just feel their heart hammering away. They pressed harder but felt their rhythm getting farther away.

“Dead people don’t have heart beats. Faint as it might be,” Seren reassured themself. They took a deep breath and started along the hall. The clicking of the Queen’s heels were long gone, even the echoes had died away.

Seren followed the hall by memory alone, Closing their eyes and trying to feel their heart firmly. But it never got any closer. Their skin prickled as pockets of cold brushed past them. Seren’s eyes opened to the empty halls. Another cold breeze passed through their shoulder making Seren jump. They pressed themself flat against the wall and watched the empty halls. There was whispering in the walls. Coming and going like a swift winter breeze. Snippets of words could be caught when the breeze came close to Seren.

The hall was on the first floor, it was the well travelled main road of the castle. Seeing it empty made Seren’s head spin nauseously. The surreal nature was only made worse by the sounds of disembodied whispering. The hall sounded as alive as ever, but was empty. Seren pushed off the wall shakily. They swore they could hear the sounds of heels clicking against the hardwood. The clinking of dishes. There were even phantom smells; hot coffee. Pastries. Fresh flowers. Clean linen. Seren considered perhaps they were a ghost. Walking among the living but unable to live. Seren pressed their hand into their chest again to find their faraway heart beat. They didn’t know where they were going, there were a thousand ways to get to any corner of the estate. But Seren didn’t know where they should go, or why.

Seren could hardly breathe, they kept their hand pressed hard on their chest. They stepped on something and jumped back. Laying forgotten on the carpet was a little fabric doll. It had on a roughly hand sewn short dress. It’s scrap of fabric was worn but the stitches held. The doll had long black yarn hair. The ends were frayed from the years and one of the button eyes was missing.

“What are you doing out here?” Seren said. They reached down and picked up the doll. “I haven’t moved you from the chest in years.” Now Seren had a destination. They moved quickly through the halls. Ducking down the arches that they knew by heart.

-----

Pandora and Aurora elected to stay behind. Eoin and Kyi went back to the town. Kyi led Eoin the back way and banged on the trap door. The moon was high in the sky as Kyi waited in the shadows for the door to open. It creaked and a faint purple light illuminated Kyi’s eyes.

“Back so soon?” Nitya yawned, they held an enchanted lantern in their hand below the door.

“It’s urgent,” Kyi said. Nitya nodded slowly.

“Always is at one in the morning,” Nitya opened the hatch and started down the steps. Kyi and Eoin followed and shut the hatch behind them. The purple light was darker and more shadows danced as the trio walked through the store room.

“So what’s the urgency?” Nitya asked.

“Can you send letters or people instantaneously?” Eoin asked before Nitya had even finished speaking.

“It’s not that simple so why don’t you tell me what you need?” Nitya stopped and leaned against a shelf. Hanging the lantern on the shelf’s hook.

“We need this letter and a person sent to Sjodyr with the intent of two returning.” Eoin produced the letter from his pocket. Nitya looked at the letter then back at Eoin.

“I miss when you would come to me for simple things like candles at reasonable hours,” Nitya shook their head.

“So like…” Kyi spoke up, “literally two days ago?” They wanted to grin but couldn’t quite manage it.

“Is it something you can do?" Eoin asked.

“I know of A way,” Nitya nodded. “It’ll take a little time and I need a visual of where you're trying to go." Kyi and Eoin looked at each other.

"Are you familiar with a castle in Sjodyr?" Kyi asked hopefully. "Or anyone in it?" Nitya looked up in contemplation.

"Maybe," they said. Nitya grabbed the lantern and pushed off the shelf. Moving swiftly through the hall and up the stairs. Kyi and Eoin jogged behind them. Nitya went to the eyesore altar again. There were grooves in the woods and chips in the altar from the glass exploding. Nitya put their hands on the altar.

"Show me those who bear my crest," Nitya commanded as they poured cloudy water into the basin of the altar. The water spun into a vortex. Then it stilled without a ripple, in the reflection were a party of adventurers.

“Teddy,” Nitya spoke into the pool. The man walking at the front of the party stopped and looked up. “Where are you?”

“Uh?” He looked around and turned back to one of his companions and they consulted a map. “The Coal-way Gorge?”

“That’s on the border of Sjodyr!” Kyi jumped.

“Double back, get as close to the castle of Sjodyr as possible,” Nitya commanded.

“The dragon’s blood!” Teddy protested.

“We’re doing the 1, 2, step.” Nitya explained. Teddy nodded.

“Tell him to get to the castle or the prince. He’s the important part.” Eoin said. Nitya nodded.

“These guys are saying get to the castle or the prince. Whichever is closest.” Nitya said.

“Will do,” Teddy called back. The water went blank again. Nitya looked around the room distracted for only a second. Their attention brought back to Eoin who held up a bag.

"Payment," he said. Nitya held out their hand and he tossed the bag to them. Nitya's face lit up as they looked inside.

“Wonderful! I had no idea Pandora could grow this!” Nitya said, closing the bag and bouncing in place with it.

”I’m going to give you some recall tokens. That’ll bring you back here.” Nitya placed the bag on a convenient table to the side. “I suspect you’ll be coming back anyway so we’ll save some time.”