Lexy woke up to barking as usual,

“go figure. This is a thing now, isn’t it? You know what I don't answer, I already know the answer.”

Lexy got out of bed and put on some fresh clothes consisting of a turquoise hoodie, a white shirt underneath, and black pants. She headed for her bedroom door.

Lexy stepped out of her room and saw Varikin,

“All alright I need to head to town to grab a bunch of food. I’m thinking about how they responded to spaghetti. I'm just going to get more of that and oatmeal for those who have barbed wire stuck in their necks.”

Varikin nodded and followed Lexy downstairs to the dining room. The two entered the room to see everyone was there but Leslie. Lexy took a seat by Carin and tilted her head,

“Where's Leslie?”

Thokath looked up and smiled,

“Oh, she has a court case this morning.”

Lexy’s eyes widen,

“why? Is she getting sued?”

Thokath shook his head,

“oh no she’s a lawyer she just had a case. It's her work.”

Lexy nodded now understanding, a butler came in and placed Lexy’s food down in front of her. Lexy smiled at the man,

“Thank you.”

The butler nodded and walked away.

Varikin once finished eating watched Thokath, interest, and curiosity filled the wolf. Last night it makes him wonder if Thokath knows what he is? He hums he has never sensed ill intent from this man. But for how he was talking it also makes him wonder about Lexy’s mother and father.

Varikin shook it off; he likes simple things. Why can’t things in the world just be simpler? Then his head wouldn't hurt from so many questions.

Lexy finished up her food and stood up,

“Hey, Thokath?”

Thokath turned to her,

“Yes?”

Lexy gave a small smile,

“could you please have one of the drivers bring me downtown?”

Thokath nodded and turned to one of the butlers who nodded and quickly strolled out of the room.

Thokath then turned back to Lexy,

“The driver should be here so you can go ahead.”

Lexy nodded,

“Thanks, Thokath.”

Thokath smiled and nodded,

“any time kido.”

With that Lexy left the dining room Varikin shortly behind. The two entered the lobby and no one else was there. Lexy turned to Varikin,

“you’ve got to stay here ok?”

Varikin frowned and nodded; he never liked this.

Lexy smiled,

“Tell you what, I'll bring you back something Ok?”,

Varikin tilted his head and then nodded

With that Lexy exited the mansion. Outside was a limo waiting for her. Lexy got into the limo and the driver looked back,

“the store as a usual young miss?”

Lexy smiled and nodded,

“Yes please.”

The driver returned the smile with one of his own and started the engine. Lexy watched yet again with curiosity when they passed the military camp at the crossing at the end of the estate.

Beyond that nothing interesting on the way there to Lexy. Until the driver pulled up into the parking lot.

Lexy rushed in with the butler and purchased ten sets of oatmeal containers, twenty boxes of noodles, ten large bags of frozen pork, ten containers of oatmeal, five bags of sugar, five bags of salt, and ten bunches of tomatoes.

She got all the food in eighteen paper bags and got them out to the limo. The driver helped her put the food in the back and then got back in the limo. He turned to her,

“anywhere else?”

Lexy shook her head,

“no, just back home please.”

The driver nodded and started back up the limo.

The drive back was uneventful. The driver pulls up into the driveway and stops.

Lexy smiled and turned to the driver before she exited the vehicle,

“Thank you.”

He returned the smile and nodded,

“Of course, young miss”

The driver popped the trunk and Lexy exited the vehicle.

Lexy headed to the back and unloaded the food in the paper bags she set them down on the concrete and then waved the driver goodbye.

Lexy walked into the doors of the mansion and opened the door. She peeked inside and saw Varikin waiting for her. She smiled,

“Come on you, silly boy.” He yipped with a happy tone and followed Lexy out of the building.

Lexy then brought all the food into the forest as far as she could. She turned to Varikin,

“Can you please help me Varikin.?”

Varikin nodded,

“Yes, I will.”

With that, the white wolf grew to the size of a draft horse. He laid down and let her carefully put all the bags of food on his back and then hopped on herself.

“Alright, you remember last time?”

Varikin nods “I do” with that Varikin begins the slow walk through the forest and to the clearing. Once there he stopped and looked at Lexy who smiled knowing what he was asking.

Lexy closed her eyes and thought of the rebellion's base door. She opened her eyes to see the door had moved again. It was now at the base of some cliffs.

Varikin resumed his slow and steady course until they got to the outside of the base's larger building. He laid down and let Lexy get all the food off him. He then turned into his human form and picked up eight of the bags while Lexy picked up two.

He turned to the small blond,

“I can get some of the others to get the rest you take these and get started on the food.”

Lexy smiled,

“Thanks, Varikin.”

He smiled and brought what he grabbed to the kitchen.

Katie smiled seeing what Lexy brought,

“Oh good, the others ate the last of the soup last night.”

Lexy smiled,

“Glad I can help. Varikin and a few others are going to get the rest of it.”

She said while she smiled at Varikin.

Varikin nodded and headed out to the cafeteria; he spotted Cody and walked up to the young redhead.

“hey Varikin”

Cody looked around,

“Where's Lexy?”

Varikin sighed hating for what he’s about to ask,

“Will you help me bring in some food? It's for Lexy.”

Cody blinked,

“Wait, Lexy supplies the food?”

Varikin nodded,

“Yes and she can’t do it all alone, so I need you and Espa and Reba.”

The young redhead nodded,

“Sure, I'll help.”

The two find the elf and wonder wolf pair communicating through Reba writing on parchment and Espa asking questions for her.

The two walked up to the pair,

“Hey, Reba? Espa? We need your help to bring in some food quickly.”

Varikin stated.

Reba nodded and then Espa did the same,

“Very well, we will help.”

The brown and crystal spider said her tone monotone.

Varikin smiled,

“Thank you.”

With that Varikin began leading the three to the exit.

Magi looked back at Reba and Espa only to see the two smirk at him and say ever so softly while their eyes glowed a fluorescent red “hello Magi.” Magi’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

He looked at the duo with absolute terror he now knows why these people were spared they were given a fate worse than torture or death combined. He shrunk in stature knowing who exactly was talking through the two females.

Magi whimpered out a very, very soft,

“Hello, your highness.”

The two noded and their eyes stopped glowing. Cody looked straight forward shuddering. He had to tell Varikin. He pulled himself out of his thoughts and looked at Varikin worry on his face.

The four head outside and Espa hopped on Reba's shoulder and turned into her human form. She and everyone else picked up two bags.

The group headed back inside and set down the bags on the kitchen counter. Lexy smiled,

“Thanks, guys, it's appreciated.”,

Varikin and Cody smiled.

While Reba and Espa’s eyes flashed red while mumbling,

“Little rebel.”

But Lexy didn’t notice. Magi did though and was relieved to hear Varikin,

“All right there’s just two bags left I can get them.”

Reba and Espa nodded and walked away.

Varikin turned to go get the last two bags when Cody jumped in front of him,

“Can I help PLEASE?”

Varikin stopped and saw the fear in Magi’s eyes. He nodded,

“come on”

Magi nodded and followed Varikin.

Once out of the base Varikin stopped,

“Alright, what do I need to say? It must be pretty scary if a specialist is scared.”

Magi’s eyes widened,

“How?”

Varikin shrugged and picked up the last two bags,

“you’re sent, why do you think I don’t like being near Lexy? Now, what do you need to tell me about Magi?”

Magi shuddered,

“the survivors, there is something wrong with them. Something worldly wrong, and I’m not referring to the barbed wire. Have you ever seen their eyes glow red?”

Varikin shaked his head,

“no but I feel you did, and you know why?”

Magi nodded,

“Yes, It’s the king's magic. He planted a seed in them and no it's not physical it’s through emotions. He can manipulate them and change how people feel about certain things. If he does it often enough with someone, he will eventually be able to control them.”

Varikin’s eyes widened,

“So you're saying any who survived are being controlled?”

Magi shook his head,

“Yes but do understand the host doesn’t know when he was controlling them and their eyes glow red that is a key factor.”

Varikin looked to the base with worry in his eyes and he looked back to Magi,

“Is there a way to save them?”

Magi nodded,

“Luckily for us, my elven magic is dreams and memories, I can create a dream but it is very hard for me to force sleep on someone. It can have horrid side effects on the person I do it to. But shortly we need all survivors asleep so I can fix them. If we don’t fix them soon this can become permanent.”

Varikin nodded,

“it would also be easier if everyone was asleep. But for us. Do you think you could brew a potion?”

Magi hummed,

“mmm, maybe it will probably need a flower.”

With that Cody pulled out of his pocket a tiny piece of leather and unfolded it until it’s a large book. He opened it and started flipping through the pages. Until he found what he was looking for. The redhead sighed,

“I knew it, it needs a bloom called a passionflower and I don’t know what these other ingredients are.”

Varikin hummed,

“mm write it down, Lexy can probably find them for you.”

Magi raised a brow,

“you’re going to drag her into this?”

Varikin glared and dangerously “be glad I’m not telling her your secret boy.”

Magi shuddered when he remembered the bite behind Varikin’s growl,

“Yes sir.”

With that Magi pulled out a piece of parchment and turned to a Page with a feather on it and pulled off the feather. He then turned to a pitch-black page.

He dipped the feather in it and wrote on the spare piece of parchment and once done handed it to Varikin,

“I need four of each ingredient. You do that and I’ll find somewhere we can make the potion”

Varikin nodded,

“very well. I'll inform Lexy of this matter. Be careful.”

Magi noded and the two-headed back into the base.

Varikin and Cody split off to go do their set tasks. Varikin set down the last of the ingredients on the kitchen counter and Lexy smiled,

“Thanks, Varikin.”

Varikin nodded,

“When will you be done?”

Katie looked from what she was doing,

“why? Do you need her?”

Varikin nodded,

“yea and captain has another training exercise for us.”

Katie turned to Lexy,

“You can go, I've got this.”

Lexy nodded and turned back to Varikin,

“oh hey quick I wanted to show you the greenhouse.”

Varikin nodded and followed Lexy to the greenhouse and looked in absolute awe when all the corn was grown along with other plants he did not recognize and was being picked by other rebels.

Lexy turned to Varikin and smiled,

“Kanki had some fun with the plants. So that’s what I was doing while you got the supplies. I was showing Katie and the others how to pick and cook this stuff. I just need to finish explaining the tomatoes and why you can’t eat the rest of it.”

Varikin nodded,

“Do you have your father’s knife on you?”

Lexy nodded confused by the worry in his voice,

“yea?”

Varikin sighed,

“Keep it on you. But go and finish. Just be careful.”

With that, he turned into his ferret form and hoped onto Lexy's shoulder. Cody’s note being held fiercely tight in his paws.

Lexy walked up to the survivor with the tomatoes and a basket in their hand. She smiled,

“Sorry, where did I leave off?”

They point to the leaf’s and Lexy snaps her fingers and turns to the tomato plants “oh yea I had screamed at you not to eat the leaf. Yeah sorry about that but the leaves are poisonous along with the stems but the red fruit, you can eat.”

She didn’t see the once orange eyes of the survivor go to dangerous crimson. The survivor smirks and gently pulled at the necklace made of thorns unaffected by blood beginning to seep from it,

“Hello, little rebel.”

Their voice was soft yet knowing.

Lexy and Varikin freeze, only one person ever calls Lexy this. She sharply turns around panic and fear pulsing through her like lightning. The rune on her father’s knife began to glow dark purple.

Her storm blue eyes meet those of crimson. It's then she realizes that the king isn’t here but the eyes. The blond’s blue eyes widened,

“what? How?”

Varikin glared,

“This is what I wanted to warn you about.”

Lexy glanced from Varikin and back to the survivor. She was about to say something only for them to chuckle,

“How? Oh, gladly I’ll tell you.”

He paused

“Magic.”

sarcasm dripped from his voice.

Lexy’s shocked expression changed to a glare when her blue eyes looked at the red ones.

“Why are you pretending to be one of the survivors? It's pathetic and enraging how far you have gone.”

The survivor chuckled,

“oh no I promise this is very much a person just someone else is talking.”

Lexy went to pull her knife from its leather sheath, the rune on it began to glow brighter and Varikin could feel the magic pressure increase.

They smirk,

“oh go ahead injure them but you’ll be hurting them instead of me.”

Lexy stopped herself from drawing the blade,

“I will stop you”

They smirk,

“I'd love to see you do so.”

With that their eyes stop glowing and they shake their head and look at Lexy confused. Lexy and walked out of the room. She headed outside and stopped,

“alright do you have a plan?”

Varikin sighed,

“Yes, Cody and I do.”

Lexy raised a brow,

“Cody knows? Alright tell me the plan”

The ferret handed Lexy the list of ingredients for the sleeping potion,

“We need three of each.”

Lexy nodded,

“Right, first I need to head training with Jackson if we don’t act normal, they will ask what’s wrong and I don’t want to lie. Then we head back home and get all the stuff for Cody’s potion”

Varikin nodded,

“Alright sounds good let’s go.”

Lexy sighed,

“right.”

The two-headed back inside. Lexy walked swiftly through the base and reached the entrance of the training area to see Jackson standing by the doorway. Saylis on his shoulders.

Jackson turned to Lexy,

“oh hi, I heard you were here today I wasn’t sure if you would have remembered or not with all the commotion as of late. Come on”

With that, the group entered the training room. Lexy looked in awe when she entered the new area filled with forest on giant cliffs and waterfalls.

Jackson smirked,

“alright Lexy, today I decided since you did so well on your mission, I think it’s time I brought up your training. Today you are going to be hunted by me, Saylis and Varikin. You can beat us by lasting an hour or snagging our flag. Each of our flags is at a different peak. The flags will be guarded as well by something.”

Lexy nodded and Varikin hopped off her shoulder while turning into his giant wolf form.

“Do I have time to hide?”

Jackson nodded,

“go ahead but I’m not telling you when time is up.”

Lexy ran into the forest. She ran until she saw a stream feeding from one of the waterfalls. She took Magi’s note and put it in her utility belt and took off her hoodie revealing her black shirt and chain scars. She placed the hoodie on a nearby tree and then jumped into the stream.

Lexy swam to the other side without too much trouble. Now on the shore, she covered herself up with mud and then continued running. While running something caught her eyes and she stopped a hole covered up with a bush and a tree on top of it. She quickly gathered up loose leaves and hopped into the hole.

She covered up the entrance with the leaves and curled up into the hole watching and waiting.

****

Varikin looked at the forest with curiosity and then heard Jackson,

“Alright, that’s as long as I’m waiting. We all split up. Saylis you take the right; I take the left and Varikin you take the middle.”

The two wolves took off in their given directions. Varikin immediately caught Lexy’s scent and began to follow it. He eventually followed the scent until he saw her hoodie. The wolf immediately went to tackle the hoodie only to find it’s not Lexy.

He sniffed for more of the scent but it went beyond there. He shook his head as his mind rattled with one question,

“how?”

****

Lexy focused on her magic being bottled up and hidden in herself. It's then she heard heavy footsteps. Lexy stayed quiet and still. The footsteps passed and she just kept focusing on keeping her magic in.

She stayed like this until she heard shouts,

“LEXY! LEXY? Where are you? It's over now. You can come out.”

She heard Jackson say worry was in his voice.

She crawled out of the hole now standing right behind Jackson “oh ok.”

Jackson jumped in surprise and quickly turned on a dime to face Lexy while he drew his curved blade. He sighed the second he saw the small blond,

“oh, it's you. What’s with the mud?”

Lexy shrugged,

“It's a part of a trick I know.” She says shaking off all the dirt.

Varikin and Saylis come up in their wolf forms and then both transform into their human forms.

Saylis's eyes were a deep hazel and blue. Her long black hair is near to touching her ankles. Her dress is simple with a dark blue body with white accents. Her black ears are pierced with simple jewelry.

Saylis smiled and was about to praise Lexy when she saw under the thin coat of mud. Lexy’s scars. Saylis’s smile faded and stared at Lexy.

Lexy recognized that look it was the same one she saw on the little lizard beast-blooded. It was like Saylis was looking at a monster.

“Lexy. What are those scars from?”

Jackson and Varickin stopped and looked at Lexy, their eyes widened. Jackson stepped forward,

“Lexy what are those from?”

Lexy’s expression hardened while she was silent analyzing the different expressions of her peers,

“If you must know, I've had them for as long as I can remember.”

Jackson’s eyes narrowed and he shared a worried glance with Saylis,

“Alright, you're done for today.”

The blond nodded,

“Hey, do you have my hoodie?”

Varikin noded and tossed it to her.

She caught it and put it on,

“Thanks, Come on Varikin, we've got other stuff to do.”

Lexy then turned to Jackson,

“Thanks, Jackson, that was fun.”

Jackson sighed,

“it wasn’t supposed to be fun it was supposed to be a training exercise”

Lexy smiled,

“But it was fun, anyhow come on Varikin time is of the essence.”

The wolf nodded and hopped onto her shoulder while he transformed into his ferret form,

“Do you have the note?”

Lexy nodded,

“Yup.”

She pulled out the list,

“Alright we need to head back and find where we can get one of these passion flowers but beyond that, all these other ingredients will be a synch.”

With that, the duo headed out of the training room and then outside the rebellion's base door. Only to see Magi waiting for them. Lexy smiled,

“hi, Cody you found a place to make the potion?”

Magi shook his head,

“No, not yet, do you know anywhere?”

Lexy frowned and her mind went to Callum’s Library.

“I know a place.”

Lexy put one hand on Magi and another on Varikin. She thought of the cave Callum and her promise made.

Lexy opened her eyes with a sad look while Varikin and Cody looked in awe. Cody looked to Lexy,

“What is this place? It will work perfectly!”

Varikin looked to Lexy who just gave a fake smile,

“Alright I got all the materials and we met here at night.”

Magi nodded,

“Alright, I’ll get this ready, meet you then. I have a few spare transport positions I can use so I can bring stuff here.”

Lexy gave a thumbs up and touched Varkin’s scruff,

“meet you then.”

She thought of the vail and Lexy opened her blue eyes to see they were back in the forest. Lexy and Varikin walk to the mansion. Varikin put on his allusion and the two walked to the entrance of the building and entered to see Thokath in a chess match against Varan who for once is not reading a book. But Axle was chucking popcorn at him.

Thokath looks up to see Lexy,

“oh hi, you two.”

Lexy smiled,

“hi Thokath quick question is there a computer around I can use?”

Thokath hummed,

“yes actually there’s a few in the entertainment room here I’ll show you.”

Thokath turned to Varan,

“I’ll be back in a bit.”

Varan nodded and picked up a book.

Thokath led the two to the entertainment room to see Mina and Misa playing video games.

Thokath led Lexy and Varikin to the back and pulled a laptop off a shelf.

He set it down on the desk which has a printer next to it. He opened the laptop, turned it on, and put in a password. The computer showed a home screen. Thokath pated Lexy’s head and walked off,

“have fun”

Lexy smiled,

“Thanks, Thokath.”

But he was already out of the room. Lexy turned back to the computer and took out the lists of ingredients for the sleeping potion,

“Alright, we need a pinch of a spice that burns, the hair of a caster, and a passion bloom. Passionflower, where have I heard that?”

She typed into the computer Passionflower and it came up with flowers that have properties that help people relax and sleep. She grimaced at the next piece of information “they grow in southern areas? Dam it”

Lexy stood up and closed the computer. She left the entertainment room and entered the hallways. The blond-headed to her room passing Thokath and Varan. She entered her bedroom and grabbed a piece of paper and a hairband. Lexy then returns to the halls and heads back through the lobby. She walked through and headed to the dining room.

Lexy entered the dining room and laid the black paper flat on the table. She grabbed one of the pepper shakers and poured a mound of pepper onto the paper. Lexy put back the pepper shaker and took the edges of the paper. She quickly realized this was not going to work.

Lexy headed into the kitchen and grabbed a paper bag. She walked back to the dining room and carefully put all the pepper into the bag and then sealed the top with the hairband. With that, she headed back to the lobby and stopped by Thokath.

Thokath makes a chess move,

“Do you need anything else?”

Lexy nodded,

“yea do the stores sell passion fruit?”

Thokath hummed,

“mm I don’t know if they do probably not but there is an Asian market on del. St id tries there.”

Lexy nodded,

“Thanks, Thokath.”

With that, she rushed up to one of the butlers,

“Hey, do you think you could get the driver, please? I need to head to the Asian market in town.”

The butler nodded,

“very well young miss.”

The man rushed off.

Lexy smiled and headed upstairs and grabbed the card. The blond then headed to the front of the mansion only to see the limo was already there.

“I still wonder how they work so fast.”

Lexy then walked out of the mansion and got into the vehicle.

The driver looked to her,

“to the local Asian market?”

Lexy nodded,

“Yes please.”

With that, she put on her seat belt and the driver began taking her to this store. They drive past the growing military camp and the store she usually visits. They head to a different strip mall and there the last store was the Asian market.

The driver pulled up into the parking lot and parks. With that, she rushed inside and stopped. It's much different than she expected, a lot of china where and noodles in packaging she can’t read.

But her efforts were not worthless there in the fruit section is a bit of passion fruit. She grabbed two and put them into a shopping basket.

Lexy headed up to the cashier who was a teenager with black ruffled hair and looked to be at least seventeen holding their head in their gloved hands and that was when Lexy saw it the rebellion's crest was on his arm.

Lexy gasped,

“Where did you get that?” she said while handing him the passion fruit.

He looked at her and shrugged,

“you wouldn’t believe me if I ever told you, kid.”

The boy said with boredom in his voice as he rang up the fruit,

“that will be six dollars please.”

She smirked and pulled down her sleeve to show her crest,

“Actually I think I will.”

The teen's eyes widened,

“Wait, you? Do you know? You’ve seen them haven’t you.”

Lexy nods “yup who did you meet?”

He smiled,

“I used to live south with my parents. I was out fishing when a giant talking bird landed on the boat. If it wouldn’t have been for them, I would have been dragon food.”

Lexy smiled while she handed him some cash,

“Well, I’d say you met Phenic or one of the beasts blooded.”

He rang it up with a smile,

“you know the different creatures?” and handed the fruit back to her

She smirked,

“yup, they're a bunch.”

With that, she took the fruit and was about to leave when she heard him say,

“and forever say for tomorrow.”

She turned back to him, saluted, and left.

Lexy got in the limo,

“All alright home please.”

The driver nodded and started up the vehicle. They drive past the stores, café’s and eventually the military camp. The driver reached the estate and parks.

Lexy smiled,

“Thank you.”

The driver nodded and Lexy got out of the limo with the passion fruit in hand. She headed inside and saw Varan and Thokath were still playing chess.

She smiled when she saw Varikin walking toward her.

“Alright, I’m heading back to the forest. I love you see you later bye!” The two rushed out of the building before Thokath could say anything,

“You love me?”

He restated it, he himself was trying to understand those simple words left from Lexy’s mouth.

Lexy and Varikin headed into the forest. Varikin stopped and transformed into his giant wolf form.

“so, you have what you need?”

Lexy shook her head,

“Yes and no we need to visit Kanki. As for the spice that burns, I knew exactly what to get and a strand of the caster that’s the hair of whoever is making the potion. The flower of passion? These things I got are passion fruit and that’s what we’re going to need Kanki’s help with.”

Varikin nodded while Lexy leaned over and touched his scruff. She closed her eyes and thought of the rebellion's door. She felt a sharp pain in her stomach. The second she opened her eyes. She coughed and choked on blood.

Varikin’s eyes widened,

“Are you going to be ok?”

Lexy nodded,

“yeah, ill” She took in a shuddered breath,

“I'll be fine.”

Lexy whipped the blood away from her mouth. The wolf nodded and shortly after he turned into his ferret form and hopped onto her shoulder. The duo entered the base and then the cafeteria. To Lexy's luck, Kanki was eating lunch with her dad.

Lexy walked up to the two,

“Hey, Kuma?”

Kuma turned to her,

“yes?”

Lexy blond smiled,

“Can kanki get these to grow just until their flowers really quick?”

Lexy said while she pulled out the passion fruit.

Kanki smiled,

“sure.”

The little girl came up to Lexy and taped the two fruits and they began to grow.

“I would put them in a pot though.”

Lexy nodded,

“Thanks, Kanki.”

And rushed to the green room with the growing plants. She entered the room and put the two growing plants into two pots large enough for her to fit in.

Lexy backed up and watched when two trees grew from the pots. She smiled when she saw the color full blooms come from the trees. Lexy quickly grabbed three of the blooms before they became fruit. She gently grasped the blooms and turned to Varikin who smirked,

“Alright, we do this at night.”

The two exited the green room and the.

Magi“ Do you know what?”

Lexy smirked,

“Yes, we have all of what we need.”

Magi smiled,

“That's great, this gives me time to prepare it, but I’ll need the ingredients.”

Lexy nodded and handed him all of what she had,

“ok, so you have a strand of caster-covered hair then? Because that’s the hair of whoever casts it.”

The redhead smiled,

“got it, meet you there at night.”

Lexy and Varikin nodded,

“Yup.”

Lexy and Varikin left the base and Varikin hopped off the blond shoulder and turned into his wolf form. Lexy leaned down and closed her eyes. She began thinking of reality. Lexy opens her storm blue eyes and she now finds that she and Varikin were in the forest.

Lexy let out a strangled cry when she coughed up blood. Her arms shook and her scars felt itchy. Varikin stared at her with worry but before he could say anything he saw her shadow move on its own. In an unnatural way that did not match Lexy’s. He gave a soft growl at whatever was in Lexy’s shadow and it seemed to notice him.

Lexy shook her head,

“Ok let's go, I'm ready for a bit of sleep.”

Varikin nodded and looked back to her shadow that outlined somebody that was not Lexy. Varikin stopped once he saw the mansion. The two head inside to see Thokath and Varakin reading the same book now. Lexy smiled,

“hi.”

The two-wave and respond with a vague,

“hi.” Back.

Lexy shrugged,

“welp I’m going to bed. Night.”

She hears from the two in unison,

“night.”

Lexy sighed and headed up to her bedroom door. She turned to Varikin who laid down on the dog bed next to her door,

“we will sneak out once it's dark out.”

Varikin nodded to her and then curled into himself on the dog bed. Lexy headed into her room.

****

The teen sighed his dark hair loosely in his face, his brown eyes danced around boredom filled him. The girl was interesting, but she left before he could lengthen the conversation.

He remembered when he met the rebels and how he tried to tell his parents only for them to send him up to live with his uncle Mark who was a detective and his uncle’s wife who operates an Asian market.

He looked up when he saw his uncle enter the building.

“It’s dusk outside. I'm surprised you got back early today.”

His uncle looked at him and shrugged,

“Damian, do you think you can close up the shop for your aunt? I think she fell asleep in the back. The door was locked” He isn’t old, none of his hair is white, and is just in his late twenties, and trust when Damian says that this man is a great lie detector.

Damian smiled,

“Sure thing.”

This was why his uncle was so confused by Damian’s story of seeing a human-sized bird.

His uncle nodded,

“Oh, my brother will be coming by to pick me up. He's in town and no, it's your uncle roger.”

Damian tilted his head confused,

“Wait, isn’t uncle Roger a military general?”

His uncle Mark nodded,

“yes and that’s what I’m going to ask him about. There’s a military camp on the outskirt of town.”

With that, his uncle was about to head to the back only to see a car pull up,

“And that’s him, see you later kid. Take care of your aunt.”

Damian nodded and watched when his uncle Mark exited the building.

Mark looked to the setting sun and sighed when he got in the back seat. On the opposite back seat was another man who was dressed in a U.S general uniform.

Mark looked to the man,

“So Roger, what are you doing here, some special operation?”

Roger’s expression hardened “you know I can’t tell you that but since you’re an officer and my brother I will tell you this. Be careful not everything is going as it seems. This whole town is in danger.”

***

Lexy watched when the last of the sun's light left. She smirked and grabbed her utility belt and put it on. Now equipped for the night, Lexy left her room and turned to see Varikin was awake. He stood up and began following the small girl.

The two-headed down the stairs and to their luck no one was in the lobby room. The two then headed outside and entered the forest. Varikin transformed into his ferret form and hopped onto Lexy’s shoulder.

Lexy closed her eyes and thought of Callum's library. She opened her eyes to see she was in the library and Magi was already there. Lexy hopped off and saw the glowing green eyes of the redhead,

“Hi Cody, is it ready?”

Magi flinched and nodded,

“yea, oh and you two are going to need these.”

He said handing Lexy and Varikin gas masks like the ones Anawrath soldiers were and he put on his own. He opened his satchel which was filled with vials filled with a glowing magenta liquid.

“you open it and set it down. That’s all you need to do.”

Lexy nodded,

“got it.”

Lexy then put a hand on Magi’s shoulder. She closed her eyes and opened them to see they were at the rebellion’s door. Magi pulled out two satchels and divided the vials among the bags.

“Alright, you each get a bag and make these count. Tell me once you find the dorms of the survivors.”

Lexy nodded and Varikin turned into his human form. Magi handed him his mask and then Magi handed the two the satchels.

Magi opened the door and opened one of the vials and slid it inside. They open the door slowly and see that anyone who was in the cafeteria was asleep.

The three split up and began spreading sleep near to everyone in the base. Lexy headed down a hall and recognized it as the one where the survivors sleep. She rushed up to the dorm door and opened it softly and slid in a potion. She quickly finishes putting all the others to sleep and heads back to Cody.

Lexy walked up to the redhead,

“Hey, Cody?”

The redhead finished sliding another potion and turned to the blond,

“yea?”

Lexy hummed,

“I found the survivor's dorms.”

Magi noded,

“lead the way.”

Lexy nodded and led him to the survivor’s dorms. The two entered the room filled with sleeping rebels. Magi in the middle of the room begins humming a slow tune, his eyes begin to glow a gold color, and all who were asleep in the room, a white tendril came from there for heads and connected to Magi.

Magi gritted his teeth, this was proving harder than expected. He balled his hands into fists when he felt the strain.

Varikin walked up to Lexy and then saw what she was gaping at and the two looked in awe when suddenly a large flash of white light consumed their vision.

Soon after a long minute, Magi was there panting with an orb of red magic. He grabbed one of the vials and put the red magic in it. He sighed,

“alright Lexy, can you hide this?”

Lexy nodded,

“yea.”

And put the vial of red magic in her satchel,

“Cody, can you clean up all the vials before anyone wakes up?”

Magi nodded,

“yes.”

Varikin looked between Magi and Lexy,

“ok, so we head back?”

Lexy nodded,

“yea I don’t want to be caught by Thokath.”

Varikin nodded

Cody stood up and began picking up empty Vials.

While the duo left the building only to see a wall of water in their way. Lexy turned to see where the water was coming from. There standing with his hood off was Miko.

His skin was ash black along with his hair. His eyes are golden yellow. His head was encased in water. He glared and made his water shape into swords “what are you doing?” His voice is soft and comes out in strange bubbles.

Lexy sighs “I can explain.”

Miko was sitting across from Lexy, Varikin, and Cody. Make pitched his brow and shaped softly whispered in a tone that of a frustrated parent,

“So let me get this straight you three discovered that the king was possessing the survivors with magic and you three extracted what was letting him control them?”

Lexy nodded,

“yea.”

She pulled out the container of dark red magic,

“see.”

Miko’s eyes widened,

“oh I see alright but my requirement for not telling. If you three keep me in the loop of this kind of stuff. I have a feeling this won’t be the first instance.”

The three nods and Lexy and Varikin stood up.

“We've got to get home and thank you, Miko.”

Miko nodded to Varikin and got up.

The two-headed outside and Varikin took off his mask and handed the mask and his satchel to Lexy. Lexy put the mask and bag in her satchel.

Lexy put a hand on Varikin and thought of her bedroom. She opened her eyes to see they were in her bedroomVarikin headed to his dog bed by Lexy’s bedroom door. While Lexy just collapsed once she got on the bed.