Lexy opened her eyes and saw she was in the woods near the mansion. The sky was a dark black with the only light from the stars. She felt nauseous and walked slowly when she heard it. The rushed sound of footsteps.

Lexy looked around with wide eyes and let out a scream when Azriel rushed up to her blood-stained on his clothing. Azriel looked at Lexy, “Are you ok?”

Lexy looked at him confused, “yeah but what the heck is going on?”

Azriel looked at the hooded figures with haunting orange eyes, “A fight. Now I need you to come with me.”

Lexy narrowed her eyes despite the haze on her mind from the pain. She could see this strange glimmer in Azriel’s eyes. Lexy took a few steps back, “No, I'm heading to Thokath.”

Azriel growled, “That wasn't a request.”

“AND NEITHER IS THIS!” Suddenly one of the gargoyles came swooping down in front of Lexy. Their large stone wings unfurled. Their glowing yellow eyes illuminated in the darkness. They bared their teeth at Azriel, “You WILL step away from the princess.” They looked at Lexy, “RUN!”

Lexy nodded and began to run to the mansion. Her breathing was labored while she ran until she tripped on a rock and fell on her face. Lexy pushed herself back up with her arms only to look up and see a dark apostle with a sword. She looked away.

This was it, she’s dead. All that for nothing or so she thought. Until she heard the slick sound of metal meeting flesh. She looked back up her eyes wide when she saw the shadowed figure of Callum Dustwalker wielding a sword of shadows that had pierced the dark apostle’s chest.

Callum in the figure looked like himself but he looked like someone covered him in whispering shadows. It was soft but the words were sweet when she heard him speak, “I told you, as long as you have a shadow.”

Lexy smiled through her blood-coated teeth, “I will always have a friend.” tears fell down her face and she continued to the mansion. She reached the doors and looked back to the podiums in front of the mansion to see they were all empty, “I knew it.”

Lexy entered the mansion despite using her hoodie to try and cover her many still bleeding wounds. She still looked roughed up. With the bruises on her face and the blood seeping through her clothes.

Fancy music played in the mansion but Lexy was more focused on trying to walk, her head beginning to hurt as the adrenaline rush was beginning to leave.

Thokath looked to Lexy “my do you need help little sis.” A knowing tone in his voice.

Lexy felt ice run through her and looked up to see Thokath in the blood kings’ attire. Along with Leslie dressed as the time mistress, Axle dressed as the storm prince, Varan as the ice prince, Varic the puppeteer, and the twins as the ones she just recently fought.

Lexy shook her head, she wants this out of everything that has happened to be fake, a bad nightmare that was just in her head “no this is fake you’re dead where is Thokath?”

Thokath shook his head and his expression changed to concern when he looked at her bruised bloody state. “Hey, calm down, those injuries look bad.”

Lexy could only stare at her oldest brother with no response. The adrenaline from the battle draining and the pain from the burns from the soul chains begins to sting. With her clothes tattered and multiple injuries littered around. She begins to feel her head go light.

She wanted to scream but only blood left her mouth as her vision went black as she passed out due to severe injuries.

Thokath quickly rushed over and caught his little sister. Frowning at the burns “Damn it. I knew it. Silkie, Demos rise.” Water in the room floated and his two kelpies appeared.

He looked to his siblings “I’m taking her to the royal infirmary. Have the maids and butlers abandon this place. I don’t need the rebels, or the churches coming after us.”

With that he holds the small girl tightly, her blue tattered hoodie falling off while one of the kelpies kneels for him to get on. “Head to the capital.”

The dark steed nodded and took off.

****

Varicin walked into the rebellion's base with a smile the rebellion won. Things will get better and those who fell will not have died in vain. He walked up to Magi currently in his wolven form “hey Cody.”

Magi looked at the wolf confused “hey where are Lexy and Miko?”

Varicin’s ears drooped “Miko fell in battle while Lexy went home to rest.”

Magi’s once confused expression fell to sadness, “ah I see.”

Varicin gave a smile, “Hey but you missed the battle of a lifetime! You-.” he was cut off by the feeling of his connection to Lexy going from a river to a thin barely flowing creek. Magi’s expression changed to worried “what’s wrong with you? You look like someone just cut off your arm?”

Varicin’s eyes widened and he shuddered, “no, no, NO! Cody, we need to go now!”

Magi looks at Varicin confused “Uh why?”

Varicin snaps out a snarl “I DON’T HAVE TIME!”

That put Magi into silence and the boy quickly hopped onto Varicin’s back and the wolf took off. Going as fast as Varicin could push himself, he ran through the rebellion's gate door and focused on trying to use what scraps of Lexy’s magic he had. Magi could only watch when the world changed to a forest. Magi could only frown at the state of the forest. There were claw scratches on the trees.

Burn marks into the grass to whole trees ripped out of the ground and looked to have landed somewhere else. Varicin continued to head somewhere. Magi isn't sure but as soon as a large building could be seen through the trees. They started to see dead bodies of dark apostles to gargoyles that had their skin turned dark black with weapons stuck in their chests.

Magi frowned, “I'm guessing this isn't what it’s supposed to look like. Is it?”

Varicin only glanced at Magi with a look that one could only describe as dread. Dread of what awaits them in the house that is grimly emitting emptiness.

Varicin frowned that all the lights were off, “It's only an hour past sunset the lights shouldn’t be off.”

Quickly Magi hopped off the wolf's back and opened the door to see a huge pool of blood. While there was water in the shape of hoof prints. But by the blood was an ever so familiar hoodie.

Varicin walked into the mansion and saw Magi’s horrified gaze then followed it to the blood and water hoof marks. But most of all the tattered bloodied and singed blue hoodie that lies by the pool of blood. Magi’s eyes narrowed, “Kelpies. That is what did this. There was only one person I know who would do this and have them.”

Varicin changed to his human form and picked up the hoodie and put it on. He looked at Magi “who?”

Magi frowned and was about to speak when something black and white swiftly ran out of one of the hallways. This black and white blur stopped once they perched themselves atop the railing that overlooked the room. “I can tell you exactly what happened. But you don't want to hear the details. Do you?”

Azriel let out a long sigh, “I regret to inform you that the child was slain by the dark apostles. Strangely someone came in on horseback. Saying he was going to try and save the girl.”

Magi frowned, “Why should we believe you?”

Azriel shrugged, “Look around if you like but you'll find it’s best to accept the truth then run from it.”

Varicin gritted his teeth. As blood trickled from his hands, he continued to clench his fists, “Mark my word there will be hell to pay. Come on Cody we have to go”

Magi nodded and the two began to head back to the base. While they walked through the forest Varicin looked to Magi, “We have prisoners to visit.”

Magi tilted his head, “Which ones? The rebellion has tons of prisoners.”

Varicin glanced at Magi, a dark look in his eyes, “You will see.” Varicin then leaned over and touched Magi’s shoulder while he closed his eyes and thought of the rebellion door. He opened his eyes to see they were both standing before the rebellion doorway.

The two-headed through the door and Varicin headed straight for the dungeons with Magi shortly behind. Varicin went down the hall of cells and stopped at one. This cell had a wispy black figure that held a human-like silhouette that was almost angelic. Its eyes were haunting blue and orange.

The creature looked at Varicin and its haunting orange eye glowed ever so softly. Its eyes then settled on Lexy's hoodie on Varicin, “What happened to the child?”

Varicin huffed, “She is.” He paused as he himself was unsure of Lexy’s exact whereabouts or state. “That’s not what I'm here to talk about. I want to know about the dark apostles.”

The creature tilted their head to the side, falling silent for a long moment, “The dark apostles.” They began to go over the words over and over until they just fell to silence.

Varicin frowned, “Ok well come back to them later.”

Magi raised a brow at the pondering wispy creature, his gaze lingered on it and then resumed to follow Varicin, “Who are we going to visit next?”

Varicin huffed and clenched his fists, “Albis.”

Varicin continued down the halls until he reached one cell. Where Albis was sitting on a white chair giggling with a large grin that pushed against his bones, “Oh my it looks like someone is missing from your group. Why did something happen?”

Varicin snarled while he clutched the hoodie, “I want answers. Where is she?”

Albis humed, his tail whipped back and forth in thought, “How would I know. I've been stuck here.It’s not my fault she had an incompitent protector.”

Varicin slammed his fist against the glass of the cell. Albis stared at Varicin with wide eyes for a moment before he bursted out into hysterical laughter. He suddenly stopped laughing and tisked, “Come back the day you have something worth my time. Till then gentleman.”

Magi looked at Varicin with a sad expression, “Varicin let’s go. We can come back later.”

Varicin glared at Magi and then let out a sigh, “Yeah.”

The two head back to the cafeteria both hang their heads low when Jackson comes up to Varicin with a smile until they see the tattered blue hoodie in their arms.

Silence fell over the dragon blooded, he stared with wide eyes like someone had done the impossible. He held this expression until he said “Is she?” He didn't want to finish the sentence.

Magi merely nodded while he scratched his arm, “yeah she is.”

Jackson sighed, “Alright Varicin, I'll start teaching you how to fight without a partner tomorrow.”

Varicin merely nodded and looked away until he saw Alcore in the background. Rage signed through his blood Lexy never would have been attacked there if it wasn’t for Alcore. Angrily he swiftly darts for the head commander. Giving Alcore a hard punch in the face before the commander could react.

The crunch echoed around the cafeteria and everyone fell silent. Alcore staggered back a bit and glared at the Varicin “what the hell was that for?”

Varicin glared daggers at the man, “She never would have died if she had never been a part of that battle”

Alcore looked at him confused while blood fell from his healing face,

“what? Lexy, she didn’t take you to the mansion?”

Varicin only glared back.

Alcore huffed and whipped away the blood, “Why it's not my fault you didn’t earn enough of her trust and most of all it's not my fault you weren't strong enough to protect her.”

Varicin let out a deep snarl and went to lunge at Alcore only for Jackson to hold him back “ head to your assigned dorm.”

Varicin looked at Jackson and angry tears fell from his face, “ that’s an order. Varicin”

Varicin grit his teeth “Yes sir.”

*******

Thokath held Lexy tightly while he got off his Kelpie at the front gates of the castle and rushed to the medical wing quickly handing the girl to one of the doctors.

Come thirty minutes later the lead doctor walks up to him Dr. Levins “Sir the patient you brought in is stable but they will need healing from a highly skilled herbalist. None of the doctors here including myself have the skill needed to finish the treatment that she needs. The level of exhaustion her body is in. It sent her into a harsh build up of magic. For this she needs an herbalist.”

The blood king gives a dangerous glare “Then where is a herbalist that can treat her.”

The doctor humed ,“well I know of one who could do this but there with the rebellion. You would have a disguise and sir why in the world would you want to heal the rebellion's ace. Don’t think I don’t hear descriptions from the soldiers.”

The doctor huffed, “Wouldn’t it be better to kill her?”

A dangerous glare came from the king, his eyes glowing red “And wouldn’t it be better to kill the doctor who can't do as I tell them?”

Dr. Levins shook in fear and began to cower as he felt his heart rate increase, “Please have mercy your highness!”

Thokath glared, “ I don’t have time to waste. Tell me where I can find them.”

The doctor shivered under the cold gaze of the king. “Well, I heard rumors they moved to Charter.”

The king let out a huff of air “Alright I'll return shortly for the child.”

Sure enough, Thokath returned after twenty minutes, his hair dyed black and his eyes silver with no black background. His clothes have been changed out for peasantry clothing. If not for the king's glare the doctor would have surely thought this was someone else.

Quickly the doctor walks over to Lexy and then the king carefully picks the child up. Levins stared in confusion. For how the king held this child. It was like he was holding something so precious that a single mistake could turn her to dust.

The blood king turned to the doctor, his eyes glowing red. The doctor clutched his chest and his colleagues gazed with wide eyes as dr. Levins let out a strangled breath and died. The blood king looked to the other doctors, “Take care of the body and one of you will tell the stable hand to ready two tiger horses.”

Thokath then walked out of the castle gates with two tiger horses hauling Lexy whose hair he dyed black and had the maids change her outfit out for a tattered present dress. The girl was set up in a cart filled with clean straw that was hauled by the two steeds.

Thokath snapped the rains and the steeds began to pull the cart. Thokath kept looking around for any apostles or white swords.

He let out a breath once he had gotten out of the capital's gates, “Let's hope for an easy trip.”

****

Tarvos huffed with frustration and he looked to Elvira as she entered his house, “So mother, what great plan does the church have for us now?” sarcasm dripped from his voice.

Elvira looked at Tarvos with a smirk, “My plan currently.” She pulled out from a satchel a jar with a blue butterfly.

Tarvos’s eyes widened, “How did you get access to an interstellar market?”

Elvira shrugged, “Had to pull a few strings but it'll be worth it.”

Tarvos sighed, “Very well. After this will I have permission to visit my two daughters?”

Elvira hummed, “Maybe if you succeed otherwise you don't have much ground to stand on before Iris. You know how he gets about failure.”

Tarvos traced a hand over his mask, “I know.”

Elvira looked at him and handed him a box from her bag. It was black and simple. Tarvos skeptically eyed the item. If he didn't know better he would have thought it was a gift. He took it and peered inside to see a gold-colored bracelet with glowing black engravings.

He recognized this. It was a calamity bracelet. He wanted to scream, he felt his insides churn. He looked to his mother with a pleading look, “You wouldn't.”

Elvira looked at her son with a cruel smile, “if you're worried about it doing what it did to your wife. Don't worry Proteus sent the modifications to fix it. Besides, we best have some kind of advantage otherwise the beast the others sent after the child might just succeed. Now put the bracelet on”

Tarvos nodded and hesitantly put the bracelet on. He let out a shrill scream as he felt fire erupt from his skin. Elvira’s eyes glowed a haunting orange, “Let the hunt continue.”

****

The two Tiger horses that haul Thokath’s cart snort out puffs of hot air while they approach a city. The green forest that surrounds the capital even reached here. While he approached the city he slowed the pace of the Tiger Horses as he heard the gentle noises of the weather worms. He looked up to the blue sky to see them. He felt the ground rumble like it was shaking from large footsteps.

He looked to a hill to his left and saw two forest giants with bags on their backs filled with mined ores. Thokath smiled, “At least they have a place to live.”

He snapped the reins and the two Tiger Horses continued. They entered the city to see people going about their day getting food, tending to the cactus they had by their houses, and the livestock.

Thokath halt’s the two steeds by a water trough “Wow.”

He glanced back to Lexy who looked like she had seen better days. With the bruising near her neck and her bloodied clothing. Thokath sighed, “Let’s get some water and some food.”

Thokath then got off the stagecoach seat and walked into the bar that was set up in front of the water trough. While he walked in the smell of alcohol and food filled his nose. Many of the people in the bar stopped what they were doing and eyed him.

Thokath sat down at a bar seat and looked to the bartender, “One bottle of whisky, a glass of water, and a warm meal.” He pulled out a bronze shilling and put it on the counter.

The bartender was a clothed giant rat with one missing left eye. The bartender eyed Thokath before he took the coin and began to get what Thokath ordered. While he did that the man to the left of Thokath looked at him, “So what are you doing out here stranger? You're just hauling hay?”

Thokath looked at the man, “I'm getting my sister to an herbalist.”

The man tilted his head to the side while the bartender placed Thokath’s order on the bar. “Oh really is she pretty or is she needing an herbalist because she had too many one-night flings?”

The man began to laugh at his own joke only for it to be cut short when Thokath grabbed the man by the arm and sent him crashing into a table, “Talk about me all you want but I don't want to hear a filthy word from you about my little sister.”

The other people in the bar stared at him only for a brief moment before they charged at him or began to fight with someone else. Thokath smirked, “oh this is going to be fun.”

One charged at him with a sword. Thokath stepped to the side to dodge it, grabbed a bottle that was thrown at him, and smashed the bottle against the man's head. The man stumbled back as he dropped his sword. Thokath took what he ordered off the counter in time for the items to not be destroyed by someone sent sliding down the bar table. Thokath lowered himself down as he began to walk to the exit to dodge a knife that hit someone else.

He reached the exit of the tavern and stepped out like he hadn't just started a bar fight that would last for who knows how long. Calmly he walked over to the two tiger horses and got up in the stagecoach seat. He steered the two steeds for the north path out of town and snapped the reins.

The tiger horses huffed and began to haul the cart forward. Thokath looked back in the wagon to see Lexy still asleep. He sighed, “Please make it.”

******

Lexy sat in the white void, again. “uno” She said. Well, it wasn't completely empty. There also was Discord.

Discord huffed, his wings fluffed out, “Surely we can play something else?”

Lexy hummed and scrunched her face a bit, “Oh we could play chess!”

Discord tilted his head to the side, “What is chess little one?”

Lexy stared at Discord for a bit before she chuckled, “you're the god of chaos, death, and destruction. Yet you don't know what chest is? For that matter, you didn't know what Uno was either.”

Discord’s wings drooped, “It’s not exactly easy for me to keep up to date with the mortal ways, little one.”

Lexy tilted her head, “how did you gain info?”

Discord shrugged, “When a god or deity gains followers they get a whole group of special spirits dedicated to informing their deity. But since I only have about ten true believers I no longer have such a leisure.”

Lexy scrunched her face, “Do I count as a believer?”

To this Discord shook his head, “No, you don't.”

Lexy raised a brow, “Why not?”

Discord chuckled, “Because you aren't a mortal little one. You are intangible so long as I desire. My magic courses through your very fabric of existence.”

Lexy looked at Discord only more confused. The deity gestured to his wings and plucked a feather. He leaned down and let Lexy look at the feather.

It shimmered with magical energy and the longer Lexy gazed at it the more it looked like there was a snake engraved into it. Discord continued, “You see I pluck my feathers and I make monsters from them. When the monsters are defeated they come back here to rest.”

Lexy frowned, “If you made me.” She paused as if to take a moment and grasp on to her next words, “Then why am I not stored into a feather when I'm here?”

Discord smirked, “I didn't use a feather to make you.”

*****

Thokath while looking around the trail whistled softly with the night wind. When the carriage reached the top of a hill he saw an outpost ahead. He could see the soft lantern light from the wooden structure.

Upon approaching it he felt his blood go cold. The only light was the broken lantern by the front entrance to the out post. but that's not what made him worried. What made him worried was the huge claw marks and the ashes littered around. He picked up the broken lantern, careful not to make much noise with the broken glass on the ground.

He felt his nerves on end, if he went by himself through a demon's territory it would be different. But he’s not alone, he has Lexy. Lexy who is sick and unconscious would currently be a prime target for such a monster. Even the Tiger horses have better chances.

Thokath held tightly onto the lantern while he got onto the stagecoach seat. He glanced around and then harshly snapped the rains. The two Tiger horses huffed and took off into a gallop. The rhythm of the wagon wheels rolling over rocks echoed around the forest.

That’s when he heard the sound of growling. He felt the tiger horses give it they're all. Thokath looked behind the cart to see a demon. The beast has an extra jaw that separates like an ant’s mandibles. It looked like a crocodile the size of a school bus. Its body is pitch black and at times Thokath swears he sees extra legs or eyes on this thing. Its haunting orange eyes set on Thokath, “Give me the child little star! Let me give the young a swift death just as I did to your precious Evalin and Eris!”

Thokath’s eyes widened with recognition and burned with rage. He stood upon the stagecoach seet, “NO! I refuse to let you take someone important away from me EVER again!”

His veins and hands turned black while heat began to roll off him and his hair changed to black and red. The demon laughed as it continued to chase the carriage. But before it could speak again Thokath summoned a portal and fired it at the demon.

The beast dodged it and only gave a demented laugh in return. Thokath huffed, “Go back to the circles of hell.” He summoned more of the deep red portals. until there was a wall worth.

The demon’s eyes widened as he was hit by the powerful blasts. he let out a deep screech of pain.

Thokath huffed and sat back down on the stagecoach seat. He glanced back to see Lexy was fine and smiled, “I won't let them take you I promise.”

*****

Varicin hummed as he went through the prison halls. The tune echoed softly until he heard someone talking. He continued down the hall until he saw Proteus talk to the wispy figure in the cell.

Varicin felt himself freeze when he clearly heard Proteus speak, “I hope you're doing well today sister.”

The figure stared back at Proteus before she responded, “I- I am.” She paused, “Brother? Where did the guardian go? I don't feel her spirit here anymore.”

Proteus sighed, “Well then that just means that she could be dead and our master will soon be free, Karasu.”

Karasu hummed her whole being flickered with the noise, “Who is our master again?”

Proteus smiled, “Why Orien of course.”

Varicin’s eyes widened and quickly turned into his ferret form and slipped away.