“Your Highness! I am not punching you in the face!” Gilsa cried in exasperation, his arms held out wide at his sides. “It - it - it is unthinkable. It is against my Oath! It would impune my honor! To strike you on in such a way is completely unprofessional. I can’t punch you at all! Let alone in the face.”

“I saw you training with the other members in Yellow Squadron yesterday. You made very clear strikes at their eyes.” Siegfried explained between his huffs of breath. He was sweating heavily through his shirt, making it stick to his chest, and his hair curled on his forehead. “Like you were doing it on purpose.”

“That is because - that’s -” Gilsa let out a sigh, “The newest cadets need to be prepared to keep fighting if they are struck in the cheeks or eyes. Many people recoil, or their eyes water, or they get stunned leaving more opportunity for a deadlier strike.”

“Then punch me in the face!” Siegfried shouted, catching his breath, “If I don’t train how I fight, then I’ll make sloppy mistakes like that.”

“I’ll punch you in the face, your Highness.” Reicket called from where he reclined at the edge of the gym.

“You can get punched once you can tell me the first rule of wilderness survival.” Gilsa blandly responded. “If you can tell me the second, then I’ll even break your jaw.”

“Oh, like you could.” Reicket responded. “Besides, if you’re always going to be with us then why do I need to read this anyway? There’s nothing interesting in it.”

“Because if it is required of a Royal Knight, it should be required of a Rainbow Knight.” Siegfried replied. “If we want to be prepared for any evil, for any land, or challange, we should start at the basics.” He turned back to Gilsa. “So punch me in the face Gilsa!”

“No, your Highness!” Gilsa repeated for the nth time. “Let’s just move on to the next lesson, and forget about being hit in the face. It’s a far better strategy to just dodge a fist so we’ll move on to that.”

“Master Gon-” Siegfried began, just catching himself as Gilsa leveled him with a flat look. This was the second day of their training together, and on day one Gilsa had told Siegfried in no uncertain terms he had been instructed in dueling which was not the same as fighting.

Gilsa has also shown Siegfried exactly how useless dueling was by grabbing him after each thrust and twisting his wrists painfully. Or, on one occasion flipping Siegfried down his back and slamming him into the ground. Siegfried wasn’t bad, however, by any measure. Gilsa had been sure to assure him of that. No, it was just that the combat of dueling left out many of the realistic counters and truly deadly strikes of swordsmanship. Siegfried knew many basics, but he needed to build on that, refine it, and Gilsa was making those corrections as quick as Siegfried could learn, and forget about who ever Master Gon was.

They’d made bounds of progress. Siegfried was nothing if a willing pupil, and more than that Gilsa could see that fighting was deep in his blood. Even though Siegfried kept getting bested, got turned around and spun and thrown, he stood back up on his feet strongly each time. Even though he was dripping sweat from being run ragged now, panting heavily, and skin blotchy red from exertion Siegfried was taking deep breaths and standing.

“Right. Dodging.” Siegfried corrected himself. “Go ahead.”

“What!” Reicket suddenly shrieked, jumping up from the ground, “There’s a list!” He threw the book on the ground, and then picked it up, holding it wide open. “There’s a list of rules in the back!”

Gilsa rolled his eyes. “Yes, there is. It is called an index-”

“I! Know! What an index is!” Reicket threw the book down again, “I didn’t read this entire wilderness survival handbook just to find an index in the back.” Reicket whined, and then glared at Gilsa. “You did this on purpose.”

“I read it too, Reicket.” Siegfried said, trying to be fair.

“You’re right. “ Gilsa conceded. “I did. And I also said that when you finished we’d switch off. Siegfried take a break to drink some water. I’ll explain how to dodge while Reicket practices strikes.”

“Finally!” Reicket shouted, moving into the middle of the gym. “I’ve been waiting to punch you in your face!” He smiled as he moved into the middle of the circle drawn on the floor.

Siegfried nodded, and allowed the switch with Reicket. He moved to the bench where he’d set down a few towels and pitchers, dunking the towel in a bucket of ice water Gilsa had brought and slapping around the back of his neck. He let out a pleased sigh as he stretched back against the wall and cooled down. Gilsa had him training for three hours straight right now. He hadn’t trained like this in years, and for every bit it felt essential and exerting, it was incredibly painful and stressed his muscles. He didn’t want to show how truly pressing the regime was, and having Reicket step up to be put through his paces was relieving in many different ways.

“You’re incredibly welcome to try.” Gilsa told Reicket, “As long as you also listen to what I’m telling you. Siegfried, try to pay attention as well.”

“I might not be too skilled with a sword, but I grew up with twelve siblings. Hand-to-hand is one thing I’m amazing at.” Reicket declared stepping up across from Gilsa proudly.

“I’m sure. Then, you come and try to hit me, and I’ll demonstrate dodging. One of the first basics is to always be light on your feet. You need to constantly be moving in order to make it hard for your opponent to land a blow, and make it easier for yourself to avoid a blow.” Gilsa lifted his hands and gestured for Reicket to come forward.

Reicket practically leapt at the taller man. He ran at Gilsa with both fists raised, covering his face, and swung around with a powerful hook. When Gilsa stepped back and aside Reicket punched forward twice on the same side, then brought his other hand forward slightly before bringing it back and jabbing forward again. Gilsa ducked to the side, just moving his upper body.

“What Reicket is doing is good. If you keep your hands before your face it makes it hard for your opponent to notice your eye movement, and also lets you catch any strikes on the meat of your arm.” Gilsa stepped back out of Reicket's reach forcing him to follow. “It’s a hard defense to break. There are three ways.”

Gilsa moved toward Reicket at the same time Reicket moved toward him. It clearly surprised Reicket, and he responded with a fast blow aimed toward Gilsa’s head. Gilsa slipped forward, getting closer still, and pushed Reicket back with two hands on his stomach, making him stumble.

“One is to upset your opponent with blows to the stomach.” Gilsa moved back as he spoke. “To avoid it, it is best to watch when your opponent drops their arms, reacting by moving aside instead of backward.”

Reicket huffed in frustration, setting his feet strongly on the ground. He moved quickly forward closing the distance, and keeping up his guard. He came at Gilsa again with a series of fast blows, straight ones, curling ones, another small feint which lead into a shot that nearly grazed Gilsa.

“A second way is to break the guard. Grab wrists, and pull them apart.” Gilsa slipped his hand on the inside of Reicket’s wrist and began pushing it outward.

Reicket took that opportunity to use his other hand to try and punch Gilsa, making him twist his head to avoid getting hit and stop pushing aside Reicket’s hand. Reicket kept coming forward, throwing two more punching, and Gilsa smiled as he reached out with both hands on the inside of Reicket’s wrist and slapped them open at the same time, making it so he couldn’t attack.

Gilsa nodded and stepped back from Reicket. He turned to look at Siegfried, “The third way is just-”

Reicket’s fist slammed into Gilsa’s head, his neck cracking to the side with a dull fleshy sound. Gilsa reacted immediately, taking a quick step back and bringing his hand up to cover his eye. Reicket jumped back after he hit him, his face going pale while he dropped his hand.

“Shit!” Gilsa shouted, pressing his hands over his left eye, then taking them away for a moment, before pressing them back. “That hurt!” As he pressed his hands back a blotch of wet blood slipped out from under his palm.

“Reicket!” Siegfried gasped, “Reicket, what’s wrong with you!” He jumped up and started running toward Gilsa. “Are you okay? You’re bleeding!”

“I - I’m sorry.” Reicket hurried to say, his voice quiet and small, “I - I didn’t mean…”

“I’m fine, your Highness.” Gilsa took one hand off his eyes, pressing the other over it tightly, though a second drop of blood squeezed through. He opened his other eye, and started walking toward the bench. “Can you wrap some of the ice in my towel for me?”

“Yes, yes, are you sure you’re okay?” Siegfried ran back over to the bench and hurriedly grabbed everything, glancing at Gilsa worriedly. Gilsa was walking, and seemed completely unhurried as he came over to the bench. Siegfried handed over the towel with the ice in it and stood aside so Gilsa could sit.

“Yes, this happens.” Gilsa took the towel of ice, refolded it, curled it into a ball with one hand and then pressed it into his bloody eye. “Thank you, your Highness.”

Reicket moved closer, though he was still far away. His eyes caught the one drop of blood that fell on the floor between the bench and the circle in the gym. “I’m sorry, I thought… that you would dodge it.”

“No, it’s my fault. I should have been farther away.” Gilsa brushed it aside, “The third is to be out of range.” Gilsa explained. “You’re taller than what I expected.” He looked up at Reciket. “The taller a person is, the longer their arms, the longer their range. I’m used to fighting people more Siegfried’s height than yours. I should have stepped back farther.”

Reicket pressed his mouth into a line. He didn’t want to respond. He regretted hitting the moment he had, he knew that Gilsa was talking to Siegfried, but Gilsa had practically run circles around him. He’d used him as an example. He’d completely discounted him as a fighter, and Reicket thought it would feel so good to finally get him to shut up - except that wasn’t true at all.

“How’s your wrist?”

Reicket lifted his, “Oh…” he shook it out, “It’s fine. Your eye seems more important.”

“Your punches are good, but your foot work and discipline can use work.” Gilsa leaned his head back. “I think that’ll be enough training for today. It’s less than what I wanted to finish, however.”

Siegfried let out a sigh, “That’s a good idea. I’m glad you’re okay. That really looks like it hurts.”

“Not my first black eye.” Gilsa lightly said. “You should try hitting someone in the face, you’re more likely to break your hand the first time then actually do damage.”

“I broke my finger.” Reicket hurriedly confessed, making both of them turn to look at him. His next words got caught in his throat, and he scratched the buzzing hair on the back of his neck. “The first time I hit my older brother. My dad pushed it back into place.”

“I didn’t.” Gilsa mocked, “I practiced enough that I’ve never bent my wrist or fingers out of place.”

“Didn’t stop you from getting punched in the face.”

“Your Highness!” Gilsa gasped, turned to look at him in shock.

Reicket choked out a laugh, not sure if it was appropriate.

“Well,” Siegfried stepped back, then forward, rocking on his heels, “I mean to say-”

“No.” Gilsa interrupted. “You are not getting punched in the face.”

“But-” Siegfried smiled as he spoke, “-but even as good as you are you make mistakes and can get hurt. If I’m not prepared, then I could make a bigger mistake, that isn’t during practice. When Reicket hit you, you didn’t cry, or fall, or get angry or pass out - you moved away. I don’t know how I’ll react unless I get hit.”

Gilsa sighed. Then he stood up, and took the towel from his bloody eye. It was bright shining purple and red, swollen shut and bloated with layers. “I’ll think about it, your Highness. But, today we’ll end training for now.”

Siegfried flinched in sympathy at the painful black eye.

“Sorry,” Reicket said again, rubbing the back of his neck, “It’s my fault.”

“It is, but it happens.” Gilsa told him. “This is also a good place to stop because I’m not sure what to move on to next. Something which doesn’t involve getting hit in the face. Or,” Gilsa tilted his head toward Reicket, “involving books.”

“What about something that involves punching books?” Reicket tried joking, the idea landly so poorly flat that it actually made Gilsa let out a disappointed sigh and Siegfried chuckle.

“Just pick up the ice bucket, stablehand.” Gilsa responded, shaking his head and standing. He pressed the bloody towel back over his eye. “And everything else-”

The doors to the gym slammed open, two guards and an advisor rushing in quickly. The advisor was out of breath, and half-dressed, wearing only slippers as he ran to crouch before Siegfried. He fell to his knees bowing and scraping, hitting the floor like a mad man, and lifting his head to look up without permission.

“Your Highness! Your Highness! News from Yallechia!” The advisor panted, catching his breath in huge swallowing breaths.

“Yallechia?” Reicket whispered in wonder.

“A mining town to the north.” Gilsa explained, stepping up behind Siegfried.

“Upon a spire, a skull made of stone! Men are disappearing!” The advisor panted, rising slowly to his feet. “A dark wizard has appeared in Yallechia!” He screamed, voice full of panic as he said it and eyes wide with horror.

“A dark wizard?” Siegfried gasped, covering his mouth.

“A dark wizard!” Reicket repeated, voice shooting up in excitement.

Gilsa put a hand on Siegfried’s shoulder, drawing his attention. He didn’t have to say anything else. Siegfried understood what it meant; Gilsa was there to support him.

Siegfried swallowed, and recovered his calm. “When did you hear of this?”

“Just now.” The advisor explained, “From the two - from the town. Two wives came, and brought the news.”

“I’ll go talk to them now.” Siegfried decided, then felt Gilsa’s hand tighten on his shoulder. Gilsa dipped his head, drawing attention to the stinky and sweat-stained shirt. “Right. Take a full written report from the women. Have gear prepared for us, and horses. We’ll ride after donning armor. Give the two women all they want as well. I’m sure they’ve been through a lot, it is the least we can do. Get it done as soon as possible.”

Siegfried's clear and decisive instructions visibly calmed down the advisor. His body relaxed in relief, and he remembered his place, kneeling again. “Yes, your Highness. It will be done.” Then the advisor stood and ran from the room with the same rush of urgency as how he entered.

“A dark wizard! Oh man, this is amazing!” Reicket yelled, “We’re gonna save a village and fight a dark wizard!” He hopped up with excitement. “Being a Rainbow Knight is awesome!”

“I’m going to get cleaned, retrieve my Sword, and offer a prayer to my Goddess.” Siegfried said, turning to look at Gilsa. “We’ll meet at the gate.”

“I will tell the Royal Guard to prepare to move.” Gilsa told him, “They will take more time to mobilize, so we may arrive in Yallechia before them.”

“I’ll go get the horses!” Reicket began to run out of the room, but Gilsa grabbed him. Making Reicket stop immediately and get a cold sweat, worry and guilt overcoming his excitement at the touch.

“And I’ll get the stablehand a blade and some light armor.” Gilsa told Siegfried. “We’ll see you at the gate.”

“Alright. Take care, and be as quick as you can!” Siegfried began running from the room in a sprint, trusting them to be ready like he asked.

Gilsa let go of Reicket and looked him up and down. “You wouldn’t happen to know what your sizes are, would you?”

Reicket shook his head, smiling slowly. “You’re gonna get me armor and a sword.”

Gilsa rolled his one good eye. “Yes. Now hurry up, you’re going to have to try on a lot of leather.” He began sprinting out of the room after Siegfried.

Reicket pumped his fist in the air, jumping with excitement as he followed Gilsa into the hall.

The moment Seigfried burst from the castle, fully dressed in chain, and with the White Sword locked to his belt, the trio set off. Siegfried knew the way to Yallechia from maps, and from the few tours he took around the kingdom. He took the lead naturally, his horse a head in front of the others. Gilsa rode stoically atop the other brown and white stallion on Siegfried’s right, dressed in proper leather, and equipped with a sword as well. Reicket had helped Gilsa place saddle bags full of supplies enough for a fortnight each on their mounts. Yallechia was only a two day ride, and they could resupply there, but Gilsa insisted and Reicket didn’t want to offend him by arguing. Not that he even thought of arguing, dressed similarly in real armor and a real sword.

Unlike their impromptu journey, this one ran smoothly. With Gilsa’s guidance and their new understanding camp was made quickly, and packed even quicker, allowing them to set off early in the morning and ride later into the night. Reicket let them push the horses harder on the straight road since there were no obstacles like those in the forest. They had no trouble as before, no griping or arguments, and made quicker time than they expected as they arrived at Yallechia. It was in the middle of the night, after a hard day of riding and a mid-day rest for the horses, when they thundered into the completely shut-up town.

Without lights it was hard to see more than the buildings, and hear the constant bubbling of the fountain. Most of the homes were stone. Squat and short, stacked two or three massive stone cubes high. Almost all windows were closed, or boarded up, and the entire town was silent in the middle of the night.

Siegfried turned his horse to a stop as they came into the mining town proper. A huge center square which had a massive flag pole rising up in the center. Behind it was the fountain, and the mansion that was the Elder’s house. Food stalls were folded up. The sky curtains were pulled in. Gates to alleyways closed.

“This is so creepy.” Reicket whispered, his voice awed with fear. “I keep expecting a zombie to grab me.”

“More likely a thief would stab you.” Gilsa told him, his voice echoing across the deserted square.

“Better a thief than a zombie.” Reicket shuffled his horse closer to Siegfried. “There’s no thieves in Crystalandia, is there?”

“There should be someone?” Siegfried responded, bringing his horse around the flagpole, moving closer to the mansion. “Normally, there’s at least a night-watchman?”

Gilsa nodded, his face turning grave. “Yes. Keep alert.”

“Keep-?” Reicket started to scoff, but just then all of them heard clicking.

A clicking, like wood running over bumps. Then it came again, in a lower pitch, and then they sounded together, with more of the rapid clicking coming faster and closer, and rattling suddenly. All around them the noises began to come from the shadows. Rattling, clicking, wood rolling loudly and coming from everywhere as it filled the square with noise.

“What in the world in that?” Reicket gasped, looking to Gilsa who shook his head, and then both turning to look at Siegfried.

Siegfried looked across the square, first to the closed alley ways, then the open ones, and finally the road that continued toward the mines. “That’ll be our quest. Come on! We have to discover where it is coming from.”

He began pushing his horse down the road to where they could all hear the strange wooden clicking rattles getting louder and louder. Gilsa followed without thought, though Reicket checked his behind before he moved after. Siegfried kept his eyes up and about, looking for anything to help pinpoint the all consuming noise. They moved forward down the mining road for only a few minutes before they spotted the source of the noise.

Gilsa noticed them first, stopping his horse obviously in the road. He twisted his head to draw their attention silently and all turned to look at the jittering movements of a small wooden statue. It was only for a moment, but all of them saw the small thing pass between two of the buildings and began making its way up toward the mountain, disappearing from view again.

“Let’s go.” Siegfried said, turning his horse to begin moving down between the two houses.

“That’s definitely dark wizard magic.” Reicket gasped, caught between excitement and fear.

Gilsa didn’t respond, following Siegfried, both coming out to an open road that was completely overrun with an endless amount of the clicking wooden figures. Even though it was night, their sheer numbers turned the roads black and made the noise vibrate the air itself. Siegfried had to quickly pull his horse ahead of the swarm of figures as they continued an endless unthinking march.

“They’re carrying people!” Siegfried gasped, his horse still moving forward and dancing around the ones which were out before the massive crowd.

Gilsa made his horse jump to rush next to Siegfried, and Reicket’s white one nervously trotted over the fast moving things. Reicket was shocked as he looked down at the entire picture. Many of the wooden things looked like statues of people, carved crudely by hand and their legs and arms jittered and clicked with every movement, making them pop up and down. No two were exactly alike, but all were clearly made by the same people. They had faces which scowled and eyes that glowed an evil red. And, impossibly, they were carrying four men who were bound hand and foot, the four sleeping as they were carried by the moving current of the teetering things.

“Mystery solved!” Reicket happily shouted, “Let’s break these toys and save the men.”

“No, let’s pull the men aside and follow these things. Otherwise, like the women said, they'll come back tomorrow.” Siegfried pulled the reins on his horse, stopping it and then looking at the continuing tide of clicking wooden sculptures.

None of them even came close to the horses’ knees, so he wouldn’t be able to reach them even if he leaned all the way out of his saddle. The problem was, as they got closer, his horse began throwing its head and backing away. They started moving their horses forward, calming them down, and staying ahead of the swarm of loud strange objects.

“I can lead the horses forward, if you want to grab the guys.” Reicket offered, pulling his white horse out in front of the others.

“Okay.” Siegfried nodded, “I’ll grab the first two, Gilsa, can you push aside the other two?”

“Easily.”

Siegfred came up to Reicket and passed the reins of his horse over. “Pull aside if you can, but don’t lose sight of the - toys?”

“Got it.” Reicket took the reins and pulled both horses ahead and then looked back to Gilsa.

“Be careful.” Gilsa stressed to him, “We’re still not sure what these are, or what they’re capable of.” As he spoke one of them bumped into his long legs, wobbled furiously with lots of louds squeaks, and then rattled as it turned to move around him. Gilsa narrowed his eyes at the next one that bumped into him, and then proceeded to move around again.

Siegfried watched as well, and then he jumped down to the ground the same as Gilsa, finding a clear spot so he didn’t trip on one of the wooden carvings.

Reicket snickered. “The horror.” He clapped his hands loudly and all the horses’ ears flicked up, trotting into an orderly line after him.

“Be careful.” Gilsa reminded, trying to emphasize his concern.

Reicket didn’t respond, letting the horses move ahead of the sarm of hundred moving clicking wooden little toys. Gilsa watched him with concern before turning to his own task. By now he was surrounded with the little things, all of them realizing he wasn’t moving and finally parted around his legs instead of walking into him.

Siegfried was trying his best to step over and around them, getting closer to Gilsa one step at a time. It seemed like the chittering pieces ignored them completely, marching with their endless clicks straight upward. He was watching the four unconscious people get carried closer as he moved, and then finally he stopped next to Gilsa who helped steady him.

“Let’s just grab them and try to pull them to the side, hopefully these things won’t fight back.” Siegfried said, glaring at the ones which bumped into his legs. “They don’t seem too smart.”

“Reicket doesn’t either, but he still packs a punch.” Gilsa responded. “When you can, try grabbing them under the arm.”

Siegfried nodded, and then scrambled to move as the toys around him parted, drawing one of the unconscious people farther away from him. He stepped over them again, quickly, having to lift his legs up high, and just reaching the person’s head as the toys began to march past. Siegfried reached down and grabbed the man’s arm like Gilsa said, and started to pull him closer so he could grab him with both hands and tug. It was difficult because the arms were tied together and the angle was awkward, but Siegfried managed to take on the person’s weight to the obvious distress of the toys.

Suddenly they all began shaking loudly. Jumping up and down they shook the grounds lightly. The strange behavior started with the ones Siegfried took the man from, and then it spread to the others quickly. Siegfried looked at Gilsa as he began to panic, but when he noticed Gilsa had pulled the other person onto his back and was pushing through the ocean of jumping wood to get to the alley. Siegfried ignored the objects panic and followed. Gilsa got to the edge of the road and let the man down as best he could, taking out a dagger and cutting free his bound wrists and feet. He moved aside and then helped Siegfried set the other man in the clear alley, then turned to cut the ropes.

Siegfried watched the jumping toy-like things. Their eyes seemed to flash more, their jumping getting higher, and he could see almost all of their bright eyes flashing even though they were all just looking forward.

“Gilsa…” Siegfried reached back and patted the air for him, “I think we made them angry.”

Gilsa stood and turned to see the same thing, his eyes narrowing as he tried to peer through them in the dark. “Let’s grab the other two, and then move.” To follow through on his words Gilsa pushed back into the crowd of hopping and angrily screaming wood pieces.

The only ones not leaping and screaming were the ones which still carried the other two men, moving passed the angered ones and continuing up the hill. Between this angry crowd, and the small clusters which kept going, there was a massive amount of space that showed a path into the mountain, and that was Reicket continued to lead the horses, a smaller amount of the things still at the horses’ heels.

Siegfried felt unsure about it, but took a breath and then hurried to help the other man. He saw Gilsa grab the person under the arms in a squat and then lifted him up on his shoulders, knocking aside many of the things as he moved again. Siegfried pushed a few out of his way and saw them struggle and roll and click on their backs on the floor when he began pulling the other person.

Gilsa set the person down and cut their bonds just like before. He stood and took the other person from Siegfried, slicing free their wrists, and as a massive clap of thunder right next to them. Siegfried jumped, dumping the person on to Gilsa who caught him, lowering him to the ground, and he gasped loudly as the thunder rang out again.

Siegfried saw as the wood toys jumped up in stacks, hopping higher and higher, then all of them slamming into each other with the noise, combining into a single massive devilish looking wooden statue. It towered over them, the second one rising just as tall, and as more began jumping together and slamming into one a third massive towering wooden statue in the shape of a villainous beast formed.

“Gilsa!” Siegfried shouted, “We have to catch up to Reicket!”

Gilsa was already on his feet, and ready, so Siegfried grabbed his wrist and began sprinting toward the tree giant wooden golems. Just as Siegfried began pulling them forward the first huge wooden devil slammed one of its arms at them, cracking the ground with a dull metallic noise. Gilsa pushed Siegfried ahead of him as the second toppled toward them with a giant foot, Siegfried stumbling just out from under it when the foot crashed into the stones, tilting the road upward with a broken clatter.

Siegfried just got his feet under him, and Gilsa just pulled away, when the third beastly one cracked down both arms in one massive blow. Siegfried bent his knees and was able to jump out of the way just as the wooden golem struck the stones, the impact making Siegfried crash into the ground. Gilsa lept around from the attack and slid to Siegfried’s side, lifting him quickly.

“You ran toward them?” Gilsa gasped in horror, his eyes staying on the three creaking huge golems which groaned and thudded as they began turning back toward them.

“We can’t let them hurt the others!” Siegfried began running up the hill. “Come on! We have to lead them away.” He sprinted faster, pumping his arms as he began to move up the incline which led into the mountain.

“Good idea.” Gilsa agreed, easily catching up to Siegfried and then nearly stumbling as he slowed down to stay between Siegfred and the dangerous golems.

A huge crack sounded behind them and a show of pebbles hit their back, the ground jumping under them for a moment. Immediately after a second blow sent a gust of air blow across their backs, making Siegfried shiver at the danger and his legs pump faster. He heard the dull sound of metal clicking a second before the air and rumble of another hit crashed behind them. Siegfried started to turn around to see, but then Gilsa placed a hand on his back and urged him forward.

“Wait, look, look.” Siegfried said, turning his head but not running. “They’re not following.”

Gilsa pushed him forward still, but also glanced behind him. As he said, the three giant golems weren’t as close behind them at all any more. The three of them were now shaking, their bright eyes glowing, and they teetered and shook, and Gilsa pressed his hand harder against Siegfried back.

“Eyes forward, try to find Reicket!” Gilsa took his hand from Siegfried back, and hurriedly took hold of his sword. Except that was a stupid idea, and he quickly focused indead on running.

An explosion of thunder sounded behind them, then two more in quick succession, and the sound of wood rattling to the floor went on for what seemed an eternity. With it, the clicking of the smaller wooden carvings started up again immediately echoing like drums in all directions. They had made it far enough into the night and up the path to finally spot a very obvious white blotch in the darkness. Enough to see Reicket’s horse, but when Siegfried called out for him his voice was lost in the chattering of the wooden things.

Gilsa tried shouting as well, but even his commanding tone was caught under the roaring tide of the angrily jumping and chittering creatures just on their heels. He quickly put his dagger between his teeth and bit down to keep it in place. Then he unclasped the small sheath from his belt loop and pulled his arm back, throwing the seathe end over end as hard as he could, still running forward and grabbing the knife from his teeth.

Siegfried flinched as the holset flew by his head, but then saw how it struck Reicket perfectly in the back and made him turn around. Reicket’s eyes got wide enough for their whites to be visible, and his obvious shock made all the horses stop. Between him and them was still a small cluster of the small wooden terrors. As Siegfried got closer the wooden ones turned to look toward him and began hopping up and down widely and nearly screaming again. Right as Siegfried got even with the first toy it kept at him, clasping its arm around his leg and making him trip from the extra weight.

Gilsa whipped out his sword and cut into the one holding onto Siegfried’s leg, whacking it with an audible noise, but his sword getting stuck deep in the wood. Siegfried hurriedly stood up and grabbed the thing in two hands then threw off into the forest. The moment he let go another of them jumped up at him, Siegfried kicking it to the side, and Gilsa cutting another one that tried to jump on him.

Reicket ran the horses toward them, charging through the short insane things bodly. The other two horses followed, thrashing and bucking as the wooden clicking toys jumped around them loudly.

Siegfried scrambled to jump back on the horse, actually mounting it cleanly in one motion, and pulling hard on the reins to try and get the horse to stop thrashing its head and slamming its hooves into the ground.

Gilsa kicked aside one of the ones which tried jumping on him, and then fumbled trying to get his sword away so he could get on top of the horse. Just as he was about to get his sword away to grab the saddle another of the wooden things jumped at him, knocking into his arm and forcing him to brush it off. Gilsa ducked another one, still unable to get his weapon away and on to the horse, when Reicket took out his own sword and stabbed straight down into the top of one of the clicking toys. It gave Gilsa just enough time to slide his sword back, and when he began jumping into the saddle Reicket swung the sword like a bat into another one, knocking it down and into more which toppled as well.

“I found that wizard! Follow me!” Reicket shouted, turning his horse skillfully with one hand. “It’s up on the mountain.”

Siegfried finally got his horse under control just as Reicket charged back out of the swarm, following him quickly. Gilsa moved beside Siegfried his eyes forward and urging his horse faster. Siegfried couldn’t help but look back and the hundred upon hundred of hopping wooden toys screaming in rattles and clicking, moving up and down like waves as they continued to chase after them with red glowing eyes. As the only visible thing in the darkness, Siegfried knew he felt a deep fear from his visiting being nothing but mindless driven enemies, except he was eerily calm, taking heart that the four people they’d seen were safe, and they were charging after the true villain who must be controlling such horrors.

“Where’s the wizard?!” Siegfried yelled, his horse getting even with Reicket’s.

“There!” Reicket turned to the right and potined. “That’s his lair! No doubt about it!”

All of them looked into the darkness and were astonished at what they saw. Across the quarry, on a seperate rising mountain, was an obvious lair. All of it was smooth, so unnatural it would be visible even lacking the clearly magical glow. A huge, bright white skull, a man-made temple in the shape of a horrified screaming cranium, carved into the stone. The eyes spilling out bright mist, and the open mouth lined with sharpened teeth groaning from the blowing wind.

“How do we get there?!” Gilsa yelled, breaking any spell of wonderment at seeing a temple of darkness rising from the cliffs.

“I have no idea!” Reicket yelled back.

“There’s a bridge!” Siegfried interrupted, “Down, below us.” He was leaning out of his saddle as he spoke, eyes drawn down the edge of the path they raced forward on. “It goes to the other side, and ends just under that skull.”

“How are we supposed to get down there?” Reicket asked, just as Siegfried stopped his horse and jumped from it to the road. “Are you nuts!”

“Follow me!” Siegfried yelled, taking off down the sheer edge of the road, slipping down the bank, and trying to walk or run as the ground slipped under him.

“What’s your plan?” Gilsa asked, quickly dismounting and landing hard.

“My horses!” Reicket cried, stopping them but his eyes on the mindless droning toys which chased them.

“They’re after us, not the horses!” Siegfried shouted, rocks sliding loosely under his feet. “Come on, Reicket!” Siegfried turned back down, moving to the side where the embankment grew steeper, dirt falling quickly down to the quarry as he shuffled to the side.

Reicket let out a dying groan and then dismounted slipping as he did. Reicket slipped again, tumbling harshly on the steep end of the path, but Gilsa grabbed him and picked him up. Gilsa turned to Siegfried as he continued to move down. Siegfried was laying back now from the angle, his feet carefully pushing down stones and his hands holding him up.

“What’s the plan, Siegfried?” Gilsa asked again, carefully picking a path toward him.

Siegfried smield up at them. Then he pulled out a coiled length of rope. “Catch.” He threw one end toward Gilsa and Reicket, both who caught it in a moment of confusion.

“Ohhhhh.” Reicket realized, a smile spreading across his face. He coiled the rope around his hand, eyes shining as he turned to look up the bank filled with loudly clicking monsters. “Good plan.”

Siegfried nodded, and pulled on the rope tightly, wrapping it around his hands as well.

Gilsa sat down next to Reicket, balancing on the incline carefully. “Not a bad plan.”

Reicket cackled, “Shut up this is going to be gold.”

He smiled across to Siegfried, and both of them pulled back on the rope to make it taught as the first wooden hopping horror turned to come down the steep incline. Behind it came the next, and then more, all of them rising and falling in a massive cloud of tumbling clicking things that crashed into the ground. One after the other they turned to follow them and immediately fell onto the uneven and steep cliff with their stiff feet and bodies, sliding down in large clumps of broken heaps. They caught against the rope, but were already tripped, all of them skipping down to their doom and being incapable of standing in time. The ones which landed right were immediately knocked down by the ones behind. Siegfried and Reicket dropped the rope as they watched the waves of the vibrating hopping wood crash against the rocky bank and tumble down with frantic clicking and cracking, splintering to the ravine below.

Gilsa shook his head as he watched, sitting back and letting them tumble down like a cloud of dust on the wind. “Good plan, your Highness.” He smiled, looking across the last falling wooden bodies which brok against the stones. “Very efficient.”

“That was a horrible plan!” Reicket laughed, “You’re just lucky!” He gasped then and began scrambling back up. “My horses!”

Siegfried smiled. “Thank you, I thought of it just now.” He pulled the rope closer and threw it over to Gilsa. “Tie this to that tree. It’ll help us get down to the bridge.”

Gilsa caught the rope and slid down to the tree under him and then looped it around the trunk. “I’ll say this before Reicket comes back: but we should wait for the Royal Guard.” Gilsa turned to Siegfried with a grave face. “But I have the suspicion you’ve an objection.”

“I said it earlier - if we wait, then those things will come back the next night. And - and I am worried that the wizard knows we’re here. He must, since those things followed up, and who knows what he’ll do to the others he captured. We need to act now.”

“Horses are safe!” Reicket screamed skipping back down the bank with a smile. “A bit shaken, but they’re good and calm now.”

Gilsa looked up at Reicket, then took hold of the rope and began walking to Siegfried. “I understand, your Highness.”

Siegfried relaxed, his eyes turning to the skull lair. “Then let’s move quickly. I don’t want the chance that someone will get hurt because we wasted time.”

“Yes, your Highness.” Gilsa couldn’t help the glow of pride in his chest, or the smile which spread across his face. He held out his hand for Siegfried to take, and then helped him take a hold of the rope.

“You taking the lead?” Reicket asked coming to the tree and then grabbing the rope like the others.

Gilsa looked down at the bridge below. He threaded his hand around the rope then gave Reicket the most unimpressed look he could muster. “You think you can handle it?”

Reicket opened his mouth to immediately bite that he could, but then paused. His eyes sticking to the blood-swollen bruise that completely covered Gilsa’s eye, making it so he couldn’t see out of it. Reicket remembered the way Gilsa had recovered, how professionally he handled it, and how he’d not said anything rude to him still.

“I can.” Reicket told him.

Gilsa’s good eye opened slightly wider.

“I’ll even do as you ask and be careful.” Reicket said, moving around Gilsa and then Siegfried. He grabbed the rope in both hands and then offered them a smile. “Promise.”

Siegfried nodded and then began walking down the mountain after Reicket. They made quick work, jumping down and sliding as they pulled on the rope. Reicket moved fastests of them all, Siegfried keeping up as best he could. He clearly was unused to traveling in such rough terrain. Gilsa made sure to keep the rope straight and even, watching both Siegfried and Reicket for any sign of struggle. Of all the small challenges they faced Gilsa felt this was by far the most innocent, and like every moment before he expected something completely unexpected to crash into them with the threat of death.

When they reached the landing of the bridge below Gilsa let out a sigh of relief. For a moment, before he saw what they would be crossing. A single suspension bridge, held up with hopes and prayers, rotten wood, and old twine.

“See? Told you I could lead.” Reicket bragged, jumping to the gravelly floor of the bridge.

“Good work.” Siegfried said, facing the bridge too.

“Are you going to say anything about how unsafe it is?” Reicket taunted, grinning at Gilsa.

Gilsa tied the rope to a nearby branch. “Yes.” He turned back to Reicket. “Are you going to lead us across it?”

“Yes!” Reicket eagerly agreed. He turned to the bridge and took in a deep breath. “I love the smell of danger in the middle of the night.”

Siegfried chuckled. “Alright, but first, we need a plan. We shouldn’t walk in the front door. And I - I’ve never faced a wizard before.” He looked at Gilsa. “So we should focus, firstly, on finding and saving the missing men. We can wait to defeat the wizard for when the rest of the guards arrive. We figured out how the men were being taken, where they are taken too, and if none are captured then there’s no reason to provoke the wizard unwarranted. I want to make the people safe, not fight.”

“Then first, we gotta figure out a secret way inside.” Reicket pumped his fist in the air. “Yes, secret rescue mission. We’re gonna sneak in, save the people. Fight the wizard and save this entire town. Not even break a sweat.”

“Not fight the wizard. Not if we don’t have to.” Gilsa reminded him. “I’ve never had the misfortune of running into one, and Siegfried is right - if we can avoid it, we should.” He turned to give Reicket the most impressing stare that he could. “A fight is the last thing we need.”

Reicket’s gaze was drawn to Gilsa’s swollen eye. He swallowed. “Right. So, where should we look for a secret entrance?”

The massive skull-shape carved into the mountainside loomed across the quarry. The mouth was opened wide, a groaning wind making it echo eerily. The mist that poured from the two empty eyes fell across the land and layered in a thick mist. All of it was a clear warning of danger ahead, and seemed completely impenetrable, except for the huge cavernous mouth, lined with teeth and untold horrors.

“If it is a skull…” Siegfried began thinking, “does it have ear holes?”

Gilsa thought, mind running. “I… think so?”

“Well let’s go find out.” Reicket took his first step onto the bridge. “I think we can probably make our way up the right side. There’s trees and stuff we can grab on to.” The bridge shook under his feet, shaking for a violent moment, and then it settled as Reicket continued onward.

Siegfried looked up to the path Reicket suggested, and then began following Reicket. Gilsa watched them both continue forward and then began approaching the bridge. He glanced at the rocking wooden planks which rose far above the maw of the gorge. Gilsa moved forward, reaching out to take hold of the thinning rope with a firm hand. Gilsa started taking a few very careful steps forward on to the first, then second, wobbly wooden step teetering over the edge of the oblivion.

Gilsa was able to get onto the third wooden plank before he started to feel his stomach sink into his feet. He looked up to see that Reicket and Siegfried were having absolutely no anxiety over continuing forward over this deathtrap. Gilsa felt his knees go light as he tried to take the next step. His eyes moved down to his feet as he couldn’t step forward, his chest tight with a feeling of buzzing tightness he’d never experienced before. Gilsa very suddenly wanted to move backward and was possessed by a tight grip to stay exactly where he was.

“Are you okay?” Siegfried asked, turning around as he got to the middle of the bridge. “Gilsa?”

“Yeah…” He croaked out around the tightness in his troat. His eyes were on where his feet were still on the very narrow and old and rotting wood that hung so high above the ground it was completely black. There was nothing under him at all, just black empty open air, and death.

“You’re scared of heights! Of everything, heights!” Reicket yelled.

“Shut up!” Gilsa snapped, grabbing the rope with two hands to try and pull himself up since he had at some point sank to his knees. He pulled down, and as he did it made the bridge dip and shake, and he immediately stopped as he sucked in a hissing breath. “I’ve never been dangling over a cliff before!”

“Here, just stay there and I’ll help you over.” Siegfried said, walking back over the bridge to come before Gilsa.

“You had no problem running from a mob of sentient toys, but a bridge!” Reicket started to chuckle, but then stopped himself.

“Not helping, Reicket.” Siegfried said, reaching down and taking Gilsa’s hands. “Come on, stand up. The bridge isn’t that long.”

“Okay. Okay.” Gilsa squeezed Siegfried’s hands tightly and tried standing, his legs visibly shaking, and his eyes watching the black endless drop of death under him. He got about half way up before his knees collapsed under him again. “I don’t think I can.”

“Try closing your eyes!” Reicket yelled at them, having finished crossing the bridge.

“How would I walk then!” Gilsa hissed at him, for a second his anger overcoming the consuming fear and letting him stand for a second.

“I can help you across.” Siegfried grabbed at both of Gilsa’s arms. “Just close your eyes and follow me. You trust me, right?”

“This is a horrible idea. I am against this idea, I hate this idea.” Gilsa chanted, bringing one hand to cover his eyes and letting Siegfried begin to pull him forward. “This is the stupidest thing I’ve let you talk me in to.”

“It’s okay Gilsa, you’re fine. Just keep moving.” Siegfried told him, his voice comforting.

“You’re halfway there!” Reicket cheered on.

“Shut up stable hand!” Gilsa yelled back in frustration.

“I’m just trying to help.” Reicket shouted at him.

“You aren’t helping at all, Siegfried is!”

“Yes, with my idea. And he’s doing an amazing job at it!”

“He is!” Gilsa yelled, and then took a breath. “Thank you, your Highness.”

“You’re welcome.” Siegfried said. “Here, this is the last step.”

Gilsa opened his eyes as he stepped back onto firm ground. He let out a long relaxing breath as he looked at the grass under his boots.

“Good work team.” Reicket congratulated, his smile caught somewhere between teasing and actually happy.

“Let’s press on.” Siegfried said, letting go of Gilsa’s hand and smiling at him, “We’ll make our way up the side of the skull… base, and sneak in and free the men. And try not to fight the wizard.”

“Try not to fight the wizard.” Gilsa repeated.

“Get in, save the guys, and then group up with the guards to fight the wizard. After.” Reicket amended.

Siegfried shook his head and started making his way up the side of the skull carved into the mountain granite. Reicket and Gilsa followed behind him, all three making progress quickly up the rocks. They pulled themselves up and lept onto the hard stones that made an easy path along the side. As they climbed up there wasn’t a single weed between the stones. Siegfried moved close along the side of the smoothly carved skull, pulling himself up with both arms as he moved to find a secret way inside the hideout. Gilsa slowed down as they moved, making note of the path they took going upward.

It was about half way up that they all saw a break in the rocks. There was massive pile up of bushes along the side of the skull. Siegfried kept sticking to the side of the skull as he moved up the path, and he almost moved passed the bushes. He glanced at it in passing, just long enough to see that there weren’t shadows on the rock, just a black hole.

“There’s something behind those.” Reicket said, jumping up to follow Siegfried. “Plants don’t grow like that - there’s rocks not dirt.”

Siegfried moved over to the bushes and grabbed at them, trying to push it aside and ending up knocking them over completely. “I think you’re right.” He pushed aside another and there was a hole perfectly carved out on the side of the mountain, leading into the darkness of the skull. “This seems like our secret way in.”

“Yes! Sneaking into a villain lair!” Reicket jumped slightly, unable to contain his excitement. “This is going to be-”

“Dangerous, and handled delicately.” Gilsa interrupted, coming up behind him. “At this point if we’re caught more lives than just ours are at risk. We get in, free any of the captured men-”

“And get out.” Reicket nodded, serious.

“With stealth.” Siegfried put in. “Let’s keep quiet going forward. No talking unless necessary. I’ll lead us in, Reicket follow me, and Gilsa watch our backs. If you see or hear anything grab my attention.”

“Got -” Reicket covered his mouth, and then gave a slow grin as he whispered, “got you.”

Siegfried held a finger before his lips. “Let’s move.”

Siegfried dove into the dark tunnel without another word, keeping silent as he said. He moved with one hand staying along the side of the wall so he could move without seeing, Reicket stayed exactly one step behind him, not bothering to keep a hand along the wall. He heard Siegfried moving before him and that was enough. Gilsa looked behind them after everyone moved ahead, then followed.

Even though they were moving in the dark, they moved with speed. The corridor seemed straight, and sounded straight too, so Siegfried was nearly running. While they moved the loudest noise was their footsteps echoing down the corridor, all of them rhythmic in sounding one right after the other. A loud shout interrupted their own noise, making them freeze suddenly.

It sounded as if it came from their left, so slowly Siegfried began inching to the left side of the corridor, and for a moment he thought it was endless. Then he reached his hands out on both sides and realized that he was entering a perpendicular hall. He glanced back in the dark at Reicket and Gilsa, and felt they were still there behind him. The shout interrupted any thoughts they might have had, sounding distinctly human this time, and definitely coming from this new hall.

He turned down to make way his way there. Siegfried must have taken two steps before the ground disappeared from underneath him and he let out a shout, scrambling at the walls to catch himself as he fell, and then Reicket shot forward to grab at his shoulders and pull him back.

“Stairs.” Gilsa whispered, his voice tight and horrified and breathless.

Siegfried let out a breath and tapped down carefully with his foot. Like Gilsa said, there were stairs. He began walking down them carefully. Both of his hands were at the side of the wall, and it began to turn as he followed them down. Reicket and Gilsa followed carefully, their constant echoing steps a comfort.

A dim light appeared around the curl of the wall, farther down, and finally illuminating the outline of the stairs. Flickering, and almost dancing, it looked like there was a small fire below. Siegfried moved following the light now, and as he began to come to the bottom of the stairs took his hands from the walls.

There wasn’t a door at the bottom of the stairs, only an arch that opened into the massive room lit with a row of sconce. Siegfried tried to lean around the curving wall to see what was ahead, but it was impossible to stay hidden at the bottom of a spiral staircase. And, from the first glance he knew that there wasn’t anyone dangerous in here. This was the dungeon.

Siegfried hurried forward and held up a finger in front of his lips for quiet as he came into the room proper. There were three huge cages in the room, and two iron doors. One beside the cages, the other at the far end of the room. A table with shackles on it, and several hooks on the wall with keys, more shackles, and balls and chains. Between the hooks were the sconces. There were eleven men locked in only one of the cages, all of them openly relieved with hope shining in their eyes.

Reicket came out after him and his loud gasp resounded across the room, but he held in his breath instead of shouting for excitement. Gilsa came last, and he took in the room quickly before he turned to watch the stairs at their back.

“Reicket,” Siegfried whispered, drawing him closer by the arm, “go and see if you can’t find the keys. I’ll talk to them.”

Reicket nodded, grinning widely and moved to the hooks on the wall.

Siegfried quietly approached the cage full of the missing men and crouched down at the edges of the bars, watching them all gather around him. They looked up at him with such clear hope and relief in their eyes, knowing full well his purpose here, that Siegfried couldn’t help but smile at them, conveying back at them his pure intentions.

“Keep quiet, please. I am King Siegfried. My knights and I are here to get you out, so listen to what we say, and we’ll get you all home safely.”

“Your Highness,” one of the men approached the bars even closer, “your Highness, please, the wizard has taken my son, not too long ago. Please, you must go and rescue him as well.”

Reicket came over then, holding triumphantly a large heavy key. He slid it into the large lock and twisted it with a metallic thud, the door swinging open widely on creaking hinges. Reicket seemed embarrassed by the noise, but there was nothing he could do about it so stepped to the side so that the men could come out.

“Okay.” Siegfried immediately decided. “We’ll go.”

“Your Highness,” Siegfried turned to look at Gilsa gesturing him over, “Your Highness,” Gilsa repeated, making a pained face, “reconsider that for a moment. If we do continue after only one man, we could be killed by this wizard. And, there will be no escort for these men back to safety.”

“I won’t reconsider this Gilsa, I can’t even believe you asked me to.” Siegfried frowned at him. “If someone is in danger I must save them. That is my duty. We’ll tell them how to get out - if the wizard is here fighting us then he won’t chase them. Don’t ask me something so - so -”

“I understand, your Highness.” Gilsa nodded, “I only wanted to make sure that you understood, as well.”

Siegfried nodded, and then hurried back to the crowd of people who had come out of the cage. “Which way did the wizard leave?”

As one they all pointed to the metal door at the end of the room.

“Alright. Go up the stairs carefully, and then make a left. You will find yourself outside by the quarry. We will go and save- save -”

“My son’s name is Rowan.”

“And we’ll save Rowan.” Siegfried watched as Reicket began checking the keys against the lock of the heavy metal door. “So make sure that you do as I say: stay quiet. Go up the stairs. Go left. Go back home. Now go, quickly and quietly.” He pointed up toward where Gilsa was.

All of them bowed to Siegfried as they obeyed, hastily moving up the stairs as silently as they could. Some of them bowed deeper than the others. Within a moment all of them were gone into the darkness. Gilsa watched them go nervously only, and Siegfried watched Reicket finally guess the right key for the metal door. Gilsa grabbed one of the sconces and lifted it from the metal ring. His eyes stayed on where the men’s footsteps still echoed down to them.

The metal door clicked, and swung open silently. Pitch black, just like where they came from.

Gilsa passed the sconce to his left hand. “If we’re going forward… with the intention of finding and facing this wizard-” he pulled out his sword to grip tightly in his right hand, “-then best to be prepared.”

Reicket turned around, looking at the sharp edged blade. Gilsa had a short sword, and so did he. He was nervous, he felt his stomach tightening as he looked at the sharp pointed tip. But, Gilsa was right, grave and determined in his tone, and that is what helped Reicket take out his own weapon. He had little time to practice with it, but some time was better than none, and a weapon is better fists. Reicket had come along, he’d forced himself to come along again, and even after punching Gilsa in a low-blow… he would resolve himself to do the same as Gisla. He’d come this far, he wanted adventure, he would face it head on.

Siegfried looked back at them, his hands skillfully taking out from his belt the polished White Sword. It was a broadsword. Beautiful, wholly colorless in its color, and the length massive, yet weightless for Siegfried to carry forward with caution.

Creeping forward back into the darkness, now with a small amount of light following them, Siegfried led them down the route the wizard had taken. He didn’t speak as he moved down the hall. There were no scratches. No cobwebs. No decorations. Nothing was in the hall at all, and the hall itself was completely carved from stone, the floor was flat but the ceiling was curved and all the walls were smooth. What was truly unnerving, other than the blandness, was the silence and darkness.

Siegfried felt the silence around him like an encroaching danger. The only comfort was the constant sound of his friends following him. The darkness made the entire area seem completely deserted. Yet Siegfried knew that the wizard was here somewhere, and every step he took which continued forward into the empty silence made his heart beat quicker.

Gilsa looked behind them as the light from the dungeon faded away as they turned a corner. For a moment he thought he saw a shadow flicker, but he heard nothing so he continued following Siegfried as they came to another staircase that began leading upward. He watched Reicket’s shoulder tighten in anticipation as they kept moving.

Siegfried stopped when he came to a door. He took a breath as he placed his hand on it, and twisted it silently.

“When you open it, rush in.” Gilsa whispered. “As fast as you can. Run to the other side of the room, something to hide behind. Be quiet. Understand?”

“Yes.”

“Got it.”

Siegfried tightened his hand on the door handle, and then looked back at the two of them. Reicket nodded, both hands tightening on his sword. Gilsa met his gaze, and nodded slowly. Siegfried turned to face the door, took a deep breath, and then slammed the door open, rushing through the doorway with as much speed as he could, pumping his legs powerfully as he burst into a room nearly the size of his throne room. He didn’t see anything else, other than that he could see this room completely, and ran as fast as he could across the room toward the large massive stone pedestal which rose in the center.

A pedestal which had someone strapped down to it, and another man, cloaked in a dark dress standing beside it looking incredibly furious at them as they charged in. Both of his hands were raised above his head, glowing with a circle above his head, and Siegfried came to an instant decision.

He raised his sword and charged forward with a roar at the man, a piece inside him slotting into place as he swung the White Sword down toward the wizard’s chest. He felt a bright fire blossom in his chest that let him raise his sword again after the first swing met impossibly hard resistance against the wizard’s chest. The wizard brought both hands, and the circle radiating from them, down to block Siegfried’s slash, colliding with the White Sword in a shower of magical sparks and an explosion which shoved him backward off his feet.

Reicket put the breaks on immediately, his feet skidding on the ground as he tried to slow down from charing into the fight, Gilsa slid around Reicket quickly, coming to Siegfried’s side just as he lost his footing, and Gilsa went forward still to slam his weapon into the wizard again, making the wizard stumble back and the air itself vibrate from his powerful blow. Gilsa landed on his feet strongly and went to move forward with another attack but the wizard finally got his bearings and the massive circle began glowing a bright light as he gave an evil grin. Gilsa twisted on his feet, and rolled down to the floor and to the side - taking care to dive away from Siegfried, Reicket, and the man strapped to the podium. Not a moment too late because just as he did a massive spike of ice formed in the air and shot out hard enough to crack into the ground, sourcing out a deep hole.

“Reicket!” Siegfried cried, jumping to his feet, “Get Rowan out of here!”

“R-Right!” Reicket responded, jumping forward again to come over to the massive stone podium that had an unconscious person strapped down to it with blocky steel cuffs. “Please be the same keys.” He prayed, dropping his sword so he could more easily handle the key ring.

The wizard raised both of his hands up, both now glowing and cracking loudly as small balls of fire formed at his fingertips. His hair began to float in the air, and he grinned widely from under a short full-faced beard. “Who dares interup-”

Gilsa ran forward at the wizard again, trying to get close enough to strike. The wizard huffed angrily with a grunt and threw down his hands, two fiery missiles shooting at Gilsa quick enough that he had to jump and sprint to the side again. He immediately turned to move in again, and that was when Siegfried felt bold enough to join. The wizard let out an aggravated shout and whirled his hands in a circle, then threw them both out like he held balls, one bright missile shooting toward Gilsa and the other at Siegfried. Gilsa was unable to dodge and quickly raised his sword before him as the missile exploded before him. Siegfried gasped at it, trying to get out of the way, but his feet got tied and he fell backward just as the missile whizzed over his head in a massive explosion of ice, and he quickly scrambled to the side as he regained his footing.

Gilsa whacked his sword against the floor, the ice that had formed along its blade shattering to pieces, and he brought his blade before him again, eyes locked onto the wizard still.

“Surrender now villain!” Siegfried roared, “Your evil plot is over!”

“You think you children can stop me from discovering immortality!” The wizard scoffed, raising his hands above his head again, “None can stop-”

Gilsa kicked one of the shards of ice from his sword at the wizard, and then ran at him with his sword out in a thrust, stabbing at the wizard once, missing, and then again, hitting the air and making it shiver. He slashed against the wizard again, and the wizard let out a wordless shout in frustration, ripping a hand down in a slash of bright fire that drove Gilsa away, but let Siegfried come around from the side to attack him with the White Sword. Siegfried came around with ferocious strikes, putting more and more power behind each stike as it missed the wizard, hitting the air around him with enough force to drive him back, and finally enough to wound him. The wizard gasped and ran backward as Siegfried pressed him, the wizard barley able to bring up a hand in time to blast a massive gust of air out at Siegfried and Gilsa, pushing them back with the massive wind. Gilsa crouched down, letting it blow him but keeping his legs ready to move, and Siegfried stumbled backward, both of them coming to a stop next to the pedestal.

“I got it!” Reicket shouted, pulling Rowan down and ducking behind the pedestal. He grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him violently, “Come on man! Wake up! Wake up!” Reicket slapped him lightly on the cheek. His eyes began twitching, and Reicket jostled him again. “Come on, wake up!”

Rowan’s eyes opened, and he blinked dreariness away, lifting his head and looking around. “What - what’s going on?”

“He’s up! Let’s get out of here!” Reicket shouted, rising to a crouch just in time to see Gilsa dive one way and Siegfried the other as the wizard shot a ray of flame at them that blew over the pedestal, forcing Reicket to duck back down.

“I thought you wanted to fight the wizard!” Gilsa growled, charging forward at him with Siegfried again. “Show him the way out! We’ll cover you!”

“Right, right, got it. I got it.” Reicket breathed, his hands fumbling to pick up the sword he set aside. He grabbed Rowan’s arm, who still seemed confused and quickly frightened by the situation. “Okay, Rowan, you see that set of stairs? You’re going to run through there, as fast as you can, go into the dungeons and up the stairs, then make and left and out. Got it?”

Roward looked back at Reicket bewildered and frightened, though he nodded quickly.

“Alright.” Reicketed panted, his heart starting to pound as he slowly got to his feet, heart a pop in the air as the wizard cast another spell. As he continued to fight Siegfried and Gilsa. “Alright. Down the stairs. Up the stairs. Make a left. Got it?”

“Y-Yes.” Rowan nodded again, his head bobbing up and down.

“On three.” Reicket swallowed down his fear. “One, two, three!” Reicket placed his hand on the pedestal and lept over, surprising the wizard who was watching Siegfried, and he managed to try and attack him, the wizard quickly stepping back.

Except Gilsa was there, and he managed to slice a fine line down the wizard’s arm, cutting through his sleeve in a smooth movement. That seemed to enrage the wizard more and he let out an angry scream as he brought his arm around in a massive circle.

“Enough!” He cried, the ground under his feet rising in a wave that folded and shook the cavern, knowing all three of them off their feet and tossing them to the ground. His eyes turned angrily to the staircase where the man was escaping and he clenched fist, rocks shooting up in huge stalagmites to crisscross and cut off any escape from the staircase. “You puny children might have let my experiment escape, but you will do fine as substitutes.”

Gilsa got to his feet first, his hand never letting go of his sword, and he tried to attack the wizard again with furious blows. He knew that in this fight, any fight, they couldn’t let their opponent finish an attack. Not when at every opportunity the wizard had managed to launch fire and ice at them. But he was knocked back too far, and after he stood the wizard brought a hand around launching a massive cone of ice at him that he tried jumping aside from. The range was wider than the attacks before, and it caught his legs as he turned, freezing them immediately and sticking him fast to the ground.

“Gilsa!” Reicketed shouted, getting to his feet in the next instant, followed by Siegfried. Reicket had to hurry to pick up his sword, his hand reaching down and just grabbing the hilt as the wizard fired another blast of ice freezing his hand to the sword, and the sword to the ground

“Siegfried run!” Gilsa shouted, flipping his sword and in his hands and slamming the sharp tip into the ice at his feet, cracking it, but not enough, not fast enough, still held fast to the ground.

Siegfried shook his head, and his hands tightened on his sword. His eyes focused on the wizard. He felt oddly calm, despite knowing his friends were in danger. Despite him being in danger. Siegfried didn’t feel terrified of that fact that he was facing the wizard alone. Or that unknown fate which would awat him if he lost this fight. No, Siegfried felt that continus drive in him. That feeling of being exactly where he was supposed to be. He wasn’t going to run. He wasn’t going to do anything except face this foe before him. There wasn’t another option. Not for him. It wasn’t even a consideration.

The wizard grinned widely. “Aren’t you going to run, child?”

“Rainbow Knights don’t run.” Siegfried responded, his heart resounding with his words, and he felt compelled then, guided by the same feeling that forced him to face his enemy head on, to raise the White Sword above his head. It felt hot in his hands, weightless and full of glory as he raised it above his head, and in a swift downward slice he cut through the air with the tip of the Sword, a bright shining crescent slicing from the White Sword to shoot at the wizard at an impossible speed, slamming into his chest and knocking him backward into the ground powerfully.

Siegfried gasped as the power left the Sword, feeling it move from him to the blade and then back, like the White Sword was an extension of his arm, like the white crescent that flew from it was an extension of his sword, and he knew that it was one of the many magical powers that filled a Rainbow Knight’s sword.

The wizard gasped, raising his head painfully from the ground to glare at Siegfried. “You… you are not a mage.” He hissed angrily, bringing a hand to cover the gash which cut his chest.

“No,” Siegfried declared, recovering from his awe and raising his sword high above his head for another blow, “I am Siegfried, the White Knight.”

He brought his arms down in a strong swing, his fingers tightening and muscles building as he put all of his power into it, and then he jerked hard as the White Sword refused to move, getting caught and then tugging back with strength. Siegfried tried again, confused and pulling his arms down, before turning his head to look at what his sword had caught in behind him.

A man grinned with thin lips, the fingers of his hand wrapped tightly around the sharp blade of the White Sword, his eyes crunched up in happiness at their narrow edges. He had a small beard on his chin, sharpened to a point, like his hairline and even his ears were long and sharp, even his teeth were sharp and gleaming white. “You look as cowardly as always.”

Siegfried pulled on the White Sword frantically again, watching as the blade slid against this person’s hand, yet didn’t move at all in his grip, didn't slice his palm.

“Who are you?” Siegfried shouted at him, refusing to give up his grip on the White Sword, ripping it back again and again, tugging on it frantically and using his legs to put in all of his strength. He had completely forgotten the wizard now, facing this grinning man completely.

“Why little coward, don’t you recognize me?” The man gasped, his voice melodramatically wounded, drawing both hands to rest over his breast. His shirt was plumed, noble with buttons, and yet obviously worn. “Oh, but - but do not be so cruel. My little coward, I can’t believe you could forget me, after all you’ve done to me.”

“Siegfried!” Reicket shouted, “The wizard!” He screamed, pointed frantically with his free hand.

The wizard had drawn something on the floor stealthily, and he placed his hands on it, making it glow with huge streaks of light that reached up to the ceiling in illuminated beams. He began laughing as small tremors began to shake the ground and ceiling, small cracks quickly appearing in the ground.

The man hollard indignantly, "You turn from me!”

Siegfried glanced between the new man, dressed in a long worn coat and a top hat, and not having any weapon, and the wizard who continued to cackle as he did something and quickly began charging forward at the wizard. He held the White Sword, filled with confidence again, and was preparing to attack the wizard when he held a hand up and the ground began crumbling down an endless drop. The hole began to open up at the feet of the wizard, spreading along the cracks as everything began to shake more violently, the walls and ceiling shaking with a deep rumbling noise.

Gilsa stayed focused, his sword point slamming down into the ice again, and coupled with the shaking finally managed to crack it enough for him to pull his feet free. He tried to take a step toward the wizard, but the ground started to crumble all around him, making a moat of black cavernous holes completely surround him. One that slowly began to spread farther.

“Siegfried!” Gilsa yelled, grabbing his attention.

“I’ll help Reicket! Find the way out!” Siegfried responded immediately, turning to run and help his friend.

The man grabbed his arm roughly, his nails digging through his shirt and into his skin immediately, ripping his skin and making Siegfried cry out, stopping him from moving. “Where do you think you're going? You have something that is mine, coward!” The man roared, his face twisting into a monsterous glower, eyes flashing with dark rage and barely restrained hate.

Siegfried took hold of the White Sword in one hand, getting ready to swing it at this person, but then he felt the ground beginning to shake more violently under his feet, cracks splitting under his boots. The ground crumbled to nothing under the other person, his attention so solely on Siegfried that he didn’t even realize the dirt under him was falling into an abyss. He began falling before he ever took his eyes off Siegfried and even then he only glanced down in the very moment he started to fall, his hand still ripping into Siegfried’s arm and pulling down it the entire time he began to fall.

“No, you little coward!” The man screeched, his eyes still looking up at Siegfried as he fell, swallowed by the darkness, never screaming in fear, and Siegfried didn’t try to hear it.

Siegfried moved hastily away from the growing abyss, scrambling to Reicket’s side and slamming the pommel of his sword into the ice, breaking his hand free and pulling Reicket to his feet.

“This way!” Gilsa shouted, making them turn to the area directly across from the wizard. Toward the suspiciously teeth shaped rocks next to a massive black wall. “Hurry!” He slammed his foot against the wall, making a door bend in its frame, but not fall down. Gilsa raised his boot again, and kicked higher, bending the hidden door again, but it still didn’t give.

Siegfried grabbed Reicket and the both started running as fast as they could. They could feel and hear the ground crumbling into nothingness behind them, but they wouldn’t look, they had to move. Reicket ran faster, pumping his arms and dropping his sword carelessly behind him as he moved in front of Siegfried.

“Move! Move!” Reicket yelled gesturing frantically with his arms to get Gilsa’s attention.

Gilsa stepped aside just in time for Reicket to charge forward, tacking the door with his shoulder and making the bolts pop out of the frame launching the door outward into the wilderness and free from the wizard’s lair. Gilsa stayed to the side as Siegfried dove after Ricket, then Gilsa watched as the wizard sent them an evil glare before rushing out the door after his companions. They couldn’t stop moving, not now, because the earth continued to jump andrumbled under their feet, quaking so hard it made the entire mountain rumble.

“The bridge!”Siegfried yelled, glancing widely side to side, “It’s the closest way.!”

“No!” Reicket interrupted, “there’s not enough time!”

“We need to move!” Gilsa hissed, pushing both of them.

“Grab the door, grab the door and follow me!” Reicket said, crouching down and lifting the top of the wood.

Siegfried obeyed immediately, and with him listening Gilsa followed suit quickly. They started following Reicket, who was having them jog along the side of the skull-base as quick as they could, coming to the side of the carved out head where massive piles of stones, rocks, pebbles, and waves of dirt fell down the side.

“Throw it down and jump on!” Reicket said, beginning to swing his arms back and fourth. “On three.”

“You’re going to get us killed!” Gilsa gasped.

“One.”

“You’re mad! I’d rather go over the bridge."

“Two!”

“You’re joking!”

“Three!”

On Reicket’s count the three of them threw the thick wooden door on top of the landslide, threw it a pitiful distance upward before jumping on it, Reicket landing first at the top, Siegfried landing hard on the middle and pulling Gilsa desperately after him. All three teetered to the side, rocking widely and nearly over turning the door as pieces of boulders rolled along the side, but Reicket acted quickly and slammed his arms down on the opposite side, Siegfried catching on and brushing off the rocks that started to catch against the door as it rocketed down the mountainside.

Gilsa gasped and tucked himself close to Siegfried, trying to make himself smaller as they jumped over the ground violently, the pieces of the door cutting and scraping against the ground with constant vibrating shakes.

Reicket inched forward on the door trying to give them more room and watched their course carefully, he could see the ground before them rolling down like a wave, breaking everything into a massive puddled that frothed and kicked up stones and ripped free bushes, a piece shooting up from the ground and slamming into his eye. Rieckte leaned forward regardless, trying to see down the landslide that continued to propel them down, trying to see the ground which began to approach at an astounding speed. He saw it, he could see the bottom and he refused to take his eyes off it.

“Get ready!” Reicketed screamed, his hands holding on to nothing and balling into useless fists.

Gilsa rose to his knees grabbing Reicket by the collar and pulling his head down next to Siegfried, holding all three of them in a tight huddle as the door began crashing to the ground below, bouncing and jumping over the racing earth, skidding along and starting to spin as the door began to level out, turning wildly and dipping hard to the left side, then the right, and then finally slamming hard into the ground and knocking all of them forward, Gilsa pulling them back at the same time so they came to shaking and disoriented rest.

Siegfried lifted his head first, immediately taking in his surroundings. “Are - we stopped.”

Around them the quarry was completely silent. Filled back up with a massive hill of fresh dirt that had tumbled down from high up on the mountain. Broken pieces of trees and dead ripped plants covered every possible spot of the land slide they had ridden down. No one else was around. Not a trace of the skull lair was on the mountain, so completely had it been destroyed.

“We stopped.” Siegfried sighed, clutching the White Sword to his chest. “We saved everyone.”

“And we defeated the wizard!” Reicket shouted, jumping into the air and punching the air. “We fought a wizard and we won!”

Gilsa stood slowly, his hand carefully unclenching from Siegfried’s collar. He stumbled for a moment, his feet shaky, and took an uneven step onto the pile of rubble. The ground slid under his feet, but then Gilsa stepped around Reicket to stand on the firm earth of the quarry.

He took a deep breath, and then bent over to start puking in heaves on to the ground.

“Gilsa!” Siegfried gasped, getting unsteadily to his feet and carefully moving down from the destroyed mountain.

“Are you okay?” Reicket cautiously approached, reaching a hand out toward him but not touching.

Gilsa sucked in a breath, his chest heaving, and he stayed bent while he spit out a chunk of puke. He raised his one eye to glare with pure evil malice at Reicket, his eyes dark and hole in burning anger. “Next time you try to kill me… do me a favor and stab me.” He started to take a breath again, but his stomach flew to his throat and he bowed his head to lose more of his dinner.

Siegfried came over and started to pull Gilsa’s long back hair behind his ears. “Just take shallow breaths.”

“I hate you too, your Highness.” Gilsa interrupted brushing a hand across his lips to try and hold in his rolling guts. “And you’re bleeding from the eye, stablehand.”

Reicket bought a hand up to his eye, and felt the wet blood cling to his palm. He tried blinking, but didn’t even realize that his face was quickly swelling. He grabbed the bottom of his shirt to press it into his eye and soak up the blood.

Gilsa took another deep breath in, letting the breath out slowly. “I’m sorry, your Highness, I didn’t mean that. Let us… never do this again, however.”

Siegfried let out a nervous chuckle. “Agreed. Are you okay?”

Gilsa brought his hand up to brush his hair back himself. “Better.” He took a breath and stood up straight. “Better. Thank you.”

Siegfried stepped away from Gilsa, looking at Reicket who kept pressing and then taking away his shirt from his eye. He put the White Sword back on his belt. “We should head back to the village. Make sure that everyone arrived safely.”

“And get my horses!” Reicket declared, “We can’t forget them!”

“I don’t think we’ll need to get them.” Siegfried happily said. “Look!”

Siegfried pointed down at where the quarry started, the sun rising up from over the hill which led down to where they had crash landed. The entire crowd of men they rescued were running toward them with arms waving, three familiar horses with them, and behind them an entire village. All of Yallechia has risen with the sun, following the trail of blazing adventure that they had carved across the night. And they had followed it happily, with joyous tears and cheers, gathering to celebrate the heroes who had come to liberate them from the evil wizard.

“Let’s go home and celebrate.” Siegfried told them, giving them both a tired smile.

Siegfried was running. Around him the world was white. Endless, without a seam on the horizon. White, white sky, white snow, he wasn’t freezing as he trudged forward in sprint, to get to - to - to the White Sword. To his father - to something horrible that made his throat burn with disgust and fear, something that he was running from an unending blackness that he could feel scratching at his back. Clawed fingers. Massive claws of black, evil sharpened nails that grabbed his arm, dragging him back, pulling him as he ran from the black end, Siegfried gasping and crying out as he forced himself to run forward, legs getting caught in the white-white snow. Snow that built up, drifting high into his legs with no sign of coming, knocking into Siegfried’s knees as he tried to reach the endless white ahead, tried to run from the huge nails which ripped into his arm, dragging him down and back, taking hold of his throat and filling it with brambles suffocating him as he cried out for his father, for the White Sword. Except it was no use, nothing was there, he was being pulled down - ripped apart from the claws on his arms, drowning from the blackness in his throat that spread like fungus, he was dying! He was dying! His heart, it had his heart! Siegfried reached out his hand desperately, widely into the vanishing white as he was being pulled down, dying, drowing, his heart impaled - darkness, darkness drawing him, everywhere, black, - endless black -

“Hello, my little coward -”

Siegfried gasped, ripping his sheet off as he thrashed in bed, desperately kicking off the pillows which fell on him. He grabbed at his nightgown, tossing aside the comforter that covered his chest in his panic and nearly falling off his bed. He was covered in sweat, his chest tight and throat closed, making him gasp loudly again, and he couldn’t sit in this sinking bed, so he jumped to his feet, still shaking as he took deep breaths as the dream and impending fear faded with each second.

Except there was darkness around him, it was in the shadows, in the way the curtains shifted, reached out toward him with long claws.

Siegfried ran to the lantern by the door and quickly lit it, taking a calming breath as he stood next to the flickering light. Even with the small lantern emitting light, there was still black-black shadows that crept forward toward him. There wasn’t enough light here, and his room felt suffocating, surrounding him, pulling him toward it still.

Siegfried took another breath and shook his head, pulling open his bedroom door. He was being silly. He had nightmares all the time, he was fine, it was just a dream. He knew what would calm him down. Siegfried closed his bedroom door behind him quietly, knowing that his mother’s room was on the opposite side of the wall and she was a light sleeper.

“Your Highness?”

Siegfried turned around in shock, his back banging loudly into the door and making a resounding echo.

Gilsa was illuminated by a small circle of light, stepping closer with a collected, yet concerned look, “Did you need something?”

“No.” Siegfried hasilty bit out, taking a calming breath as his heart pounded, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m on fire-watch. I’ve been promoted from the dorms to the castle, considering your orders.” Gilsa came closer still, the lantern he was carrying now incredibly obvious in his hand. “You don’t look well.”

“I’m fine.” Seigfried replied in a high-pitched voice, not conveying his message at all.

“Siegfried,” Gilsa softly began, emphasising his name over his title, “you don’t look well. Are you alright? I thought that since we returned to the castle today you would sleep like the dead.”

Siegfried thought about trying to lie to him again, his heart no longer pounding in his chest, the last hooks of his dream letting go… instead he sighed and shook his head half-heartedly.

Without speaking Gilsa set a comforting hand on his arm. Siegfried caught his eye and saw nothing there except sympathy. It was more profound than he could have imagined, so when Gilsa started walking the hall again without taking his hand away Siegfried followed. He wanted to act as if the edges of shadows moving in the night still didn’t unnerve him because of the last vestiges of his dream, but Siegfried figued Gilsa understood because of how close he walked beside him. There were a few natural noises in the castle, outside sounds of birds singing, leaves tapping against the windows, the crackle of settling stones. Just walking helped him calm down immensely.

Siegfried stayed beside Gilsa as they continued. As he calmed down Siegfried began to recognize where they were. Gilsa had taken them far away from the bedrooms completely. They were walking toward the garden. One that sat in the very back of the castle, surrounded by beautiful water features and trees. It wasn’t somewhere he would have gone by himself. Gilsa opened the glass door with a flick to the latch. The doors swung open silently though they brushed loudly against the bushes which lined the walls.

Gilsa continued forward a few steps to light the lantern at the start of the garden path. “How are you now, Siegfried?”

Siegfried crossed his arms across his chest, still feeling the sting of the scratches on his arm, the fuzz in his throat, the stinging in his chest, but in a far-off remembered way. “Thank you. I’m much better. It was only a dream.”

“What of?” Gilsa asked him directly, free of judgement or scorn.

“It’s a reoccurring dream I have.” Siegfried confessed, “Just darkness. Except-” Siegfried thought for a moment. “-this time I think I heard that strange man’s voice.”

“The wizard?” Gilsa questioned, listening attentively.

“No, that man.”

“The one who grabbed the sword..” Gilsa nodded, understanding, and completely trusting in Siegfried’s words. “Would you like to sit?”

Siegfried looked up and saw that Gilsa had lit the lamp post above a stone bench. He walked over and sat down heavily. He felt tired now. He’d fallen asleep the moment he’d gotten into bed when they arrived yesterday - and he had definitely gotten sleep - except he was incredibly exhausted.

Gilsa sat down next to him. “How long have you had this dream?”

“Ever since-” Sigfried caught himself before he could finish. He wasn’t sure how to talk about it. He never had to. People didn’t ask him these questions, and he could never mention it around those who knew. That would remind them to pity him, and it reminded him of...

“Your Highness, I haven’t been completely honest with you.”

Siegfried turned to Gilsa, his thoughts interrupted. Gilsa seemed caught between emotions, his face twisted unhappily at how he felt. His eyes were narrowed deep in thought, almost pained, his fingers fidgeting over his knee. Yet he was vulnerable, every ounce of him readiating sympathy despite his inner conflict.

“I think… now would be a good time to speak to you about it.” Gilsa breathed out, the words visibly difficult, “But I don’t want you to feel like - I am trying to discount your feelings. By bringing this up.”

“Gilsa?” Siegfried prompted, trying to catch his gaze.

“You deserve to know, more than because you are my King, and my friend, but also because… of what will be apparent.” Gilsa swallowed before he could face Siegfried. “I didn’t follow you, originally, that night out of a singular sense of duty. I followed you because I - Gilsa Ducere - am the son of the former Blue Knight, grandson of the Orange Knight Meda. And I wanted to desperately find the Swords, and I too want to avenge my father’s murder.”

He had no idea.

“I… had no idea.” Siegfried gasped.

Gilsa let out a long thin breath he’d been holding. “I know. I should have told you-”

Siegfried reached out quickly and covered Gilsa’s mouth. Then blushed at what he just did and drew his hands back. “No I meant - I didn’t know the other Knights had children. I don’t feel like you were lying to me Gilsa. I’m sorry. That I didn’t know.” He should have, as the prince. As the King. As the new White Knight. As his friend.

“Your Highness, Siegfried -” Gilsa quickly corrected, “It’s nothing you could have known. My father, the Blue Knight, he was… ashamed of me, to put it lightly, and didn’t even want to acknowledge my existence.”

“Ashamed of you!” Siegfried exclaimed, but then blushed deeply at how rude that was.

Gilsa chuckled sadly, “Yes. I wanted you to know. That I… haven’t been as completely selfless and noble as you might think.”

“Gilsa… did you really think I’d - I’d - I don’t know, dislike you because of that?”

“A part of me.” Gilsa sincerely said. “But, more than that, more than anything I wanted you to know, Siegfried, that I understand. I don’t have nightmares of it, but I am here. My father is gone too. My mother…” Gilsa shook his head slightly, “there’s no one left for me, no one left except for me, and I need to be the one who continues my family. I need to preserve the honor and tradition of my father, and if possible, finally give his spirit rest.”

Gilsa looked directly at Siegfried. “Siegfried, you might also be my King, who I am sworn to serve, but you’re also my friend, and I want you to know that in all these things you must do - I will be there to support you.”

Siegfried couldn’t respond. He heard Gilsa's words, but he couldn’t comprehend them, not all at once. He felt guilty for never knowing the Blue Knight - his father’s closest advisor - had a son. That was… that was completely impossible because Siegfried would have known, he should have known because he was supposed to be dedicated to the Rainbow Knights. He was the King, he'd been the Prince for years, but as the King he should have known that the son of the Blue Knight was in the Royal Guard.

Siegfried couldn’t respond because there was just too much he wanted to say. That he could have said; that he felt the same weight Gilsa must have. That he dreaded having to live up to his father’s legacy as much as he shook with the anticipation of it. How he felt so relieved that someone else knew the loss he had, the inability to begin to grieve because of the constant pressure to avenge his father, the constant irrational fear that the unknown attacker would return for him. Siegfried wanted to convey how Gilsa’s words affected him, how they reminded him horribly of every very last exception which weighed down on him from his advisors, his people, his mother, his father -

His father who died disappointed in Siegfried too.

“I’m sorry,” Gilsa scooted forward as he reached a hand out to tug Siegfried closer, “I knew it would upset you.”

Siegfried shook his head, trying to explain to Gilsa how he never knew there was someone so close who had gone through - who had the shadow of their family over them. Who also lost a loved one, who had to move forward to try and make things better. He shook his head again and Gilsa pulled an arm around his shoulder, and Siegfried try to explain how much this meant to him, in the good ways, not in the way it reminded him of the daunting task ahead, but he could only suck in a shaky breath, his throat hot with emotion. Siegfried wrapped his arm around Gilsa’s shoulder, shaking his head violently as he tried to calm down, but failing from the overwhelming waves of relief and comfort and companionship that crashed through him as he realized again and again he wasn’t alone. He wasn’t the only successor of the Rainbow Knights. He wasn’t the only one driven to lay flowers at his father grave. He wasn’t alone in trying to fulfill the worst and best expectations left to him from a family of great heroes.

“I’m sorry, I should have told you sooner.” Gilsa repeated. “Before this, all this, I had thought… that if everything about my father - our fathers - was gone, then speaking to you about it would cause unnecessary pain. If neither of us could do anything about it.”

For a moment Siegfried felt a stab at hatred from that reminder. From the fact that Gilsa had been here this entire time and he’d never approached Siegfried before. He hadn’t told this - this - this revelation to him in ten years.

“It’s - it’s okay.” Siegfried whispered through his cries. “I - I’m just happy to know now.” He closed his eyes, feeling the heavy weight of tears be shuttered off. “I’m happy you’re here.”

“Me too, Siegfried.” Gilsa softly responded, pulling him closer. “I’m sorry -”

“Don’t be sorry.” Siegfried interrupted. “Don’t be. You’re - you’ve been so nice to me Gilsa. Not just tonight, but when we met you still came. You still helped make sure that we could succeed, that you helped me follow my Goddess’ words, you made sure that I didn’t get hurt. You’re still doing it - you didn’t need to listen to me and come fight that wizard, you didn’t need to help me learn better fighting, you didn’t have to humor me in learning the same things as a Royal Guard - Gilsa even if you had a selfish reason, you were still helping me selflessly.”

Gilsa sucked in breath at the end of Siegfried’s words, his eyes getting glossly for a moment. Then he smiled, his black hair falling across his eyes and nose and he tilted his head joyfully. “Thank you, Siegfried, you don’t know how much that means to me. Especially coming from you.”

Siegfried took his arm from around Gilsa’s shoulder and tightly grabbed his hand. “I’m saying that as your friend, you know? You do, right?”

Gilsa nodded. “Yes, your Highness.” He smirked, eyes glittering with amusement instead of tears. “I do.” He squeezed Siegfried’s hand back, then began standing. “Let me take you back to your room. I think you could use more sleep. Before I wake you again for training in a few hours.”

Siegfried smiled at the words. “You’d really be that cruel?” He jokingly asked, composing himself, digesting all that Gilsa had told him tonight. Remembering what he had done for him in a new light. Barley recalling the nightmare which had chased him from his bed in the first place.

“I might be your friend, Siegfried, but I am also your knight.” Gilsa explained. “I won’t let you have exceptions because of that.”

“Reicket better be getting the same treatment.” Siegfried put in, turning off the lamp post as Gilsa collected his things.

“Oh, Reicket is getting the same treatment.” Gilsa darkly responded, smiling as he opened the glass doors again. “Come on, your Highness, let’s get you back to bed.”

“Of course.” Siegfried said, walking through the doors into the dark hall again. The shadows seemed less devilish. The darkness farther away. Everything a little more bearable.