"Sloth."

Deep within the Greenhouse’s dungeons, the general had managed to put a name onto the emblem of a prisoner the group had encountered.

"How do you know? The emblem is simply a four-headed snake?" Observed Axel.

"It is not a four-headed snake. It is the four-headed snake of Sloth." Clarified Thomas.

"But Marlborough prison..." Maxwell had been quick to deny the thought.

"Marlborough is not our responsibility." The general said.

"Surely we would know of such a catastrophe." Maxwell's words had met a firm shake of the head from the general.

"We don't talk to other kingdoms about their matters. The King refuses it." He replied.

"Well, why would he care about the safety of the Marielle's? Bah! We must find Elsa and protect her." Maxwell said with uttermost passion running through his veins.

"The Marielle is no longer here. She has already run off to the sound of my master." The shackled prisoner smirked.

"Listen here you -!" Maxwell had quickly gone for the collars of the prisoner, but this time he had been halted by the firm grasp of Thomas.

"You say your people can see you through your eyes?" He pondered with intrigue. "Then, observe very clearly. Why have you abducted a young princess when you can easily have me?" Boldly, he asked.

"But who are you?" The prisoner had begun squinting for helpless knowledge.

"I am Thomas Titanius Junior. My uncle is none other than Claude Marielle. You ask who I am, and I shall say it. I am the rightful heir to the throne!" He thunderously said, a shimmer of light bolting within his pupils.

"Glory to Sloth! You shall be ours soon!" The prisoner chimed in a possessive manner.

"Come. I will be waiting." Wickedly said Thomas, his eyes poised for a fight.

"That should sort Elsa. They will come for you soon." Maxwell said with some relief. "Though, lying like that might cause a few problems." He whispered.

"Let them and the problems come. I should have killed Sloth and his army when I had the chance. No doubt though, he is only sending a fraction of his army for me." Said Thomas with determination.

"Our worry now is to find the others. We must deal with Envy first, no?" Calmly asked Axel.

"It seems you needn't say anymore. The general has his senses on Envy already." Maxwell laughed, as the three of them had sparsely begun following him.

Their hasty retreat had bundled them quickly in the shadows of where Victoria and Alsop had once been - outside the room of an ongoing monologue. It had greatly appeared, to a person of good reason, that the room was heavily occupied by the spirits of empathy and compassion. The dutiful minds behind the general could surely catch onto this conclusion, but Isaac himself could only see bitter temptation at the villainous man that had once held him captive.

"He's just sat there! We must get him right now!" The general muttered in scorn.

"No. He seems calm. There is no need to anger him...!" Maxwell's words fell entirely short, as soon, the general had burst into the room.

"What is this?" Calmly asked Envy.

"Come with us now, or else I will forcefully apprehend you." The general said, his temper roasting the room into a panic.

"I would like some time to think..." Envy quietly requested.

"No!" Exclaimed Isaac.

"No?" Questioned Envy.

"No. Think all you want. We will not bother you." Victoria charmingly voiced reassurance into the room.

"I think - I think you are not truthful. Something is wrong. You dislike me. You do not want to help me." Envy manically said, almost as if his senses had returned.

"Enough. He is clearly unwell." The general grumbled with a flame to his hands.

"My duty. My duty is to murder them all! You must die Lux Buchanan!" Yelled out Envy.

"NO!"

A wicked yell was enough to shatter the room into silence, as Alsop Dusseldorf had rightfully roared his dutiful honour to his father. Silence did wake the room, but its duration was only a minor few seconds. A harmonious clang had dispersed across the room, but more vividly, it had ringed into the ears of Alsop, who soon felt a concussive force press against his skull, again and again. A swing of his sword had passionately pounded into the immovable arm of his sworn enemy, and thus this quietened little Alsop into a silent sleep.

It was certain that the vibrating sound of metal on metal had blinded the next closest person, Victoria. Yet, she had stayed in her spot, ever so slightly proving that she had not been truly affected by the concussive wave, but still, she hesitated. She had stood there with deep reluctance, though she was fine, her gloved hands raised - ready to perform the art of magic, but seemingly not? Her disastrous fault soon allowed Envy to menacingly rise, whereby he began bruising the very body of Alsop's fallen state. His delivery of strategy was shocking at best for his victims, as the lone villain had grabbed Alsop and barrelled his body into the running attacks of Maxwell, Isaac and Thomas.

Axel had only just shielded the sole goal for Envy, Lux Buchanan, by concealing him with a wall of boulder rocks. But whether he had meant it or not, Envy had satisfyingly tumbled this wall down with the weight of the others and their tripping at the flying arrival of Alsop's unconscious body. A gentle switch had then taken place. A sharp nod to Victoria by Axel had parted them to switch places. Her elegant touch aiding the others, and his attempting shields of protection at the front lines. Truly though, Axel's thoughts had clearly been on a more underlying topic between the two of them.

The only way Axel had learned to fight in more recent months, under the dictation of General Rose, was to protect and shield for a partner. An aggressive approach necessary to the fight ahead of him was therefore not his forte. Despite this, his sense of strategy was at least a match to the intellect of Envy. Head on with Envy, Axel had formed up a cluster of enlarged seeds which he had rolled across the ground quickly, and soon he began chasing each of them with his tiny blade out. Throughout his elegance, he made no sight with Envy. By the time his seeds had reached the villain, they had flourished into a size like that of a smooth boulder. And this had been where his blade tricked the cunning eyes of his enemy. A punch too early had come from Envy, as he did indeed hit his attacker, but not before Axel had cracked the boulders with a single, crushing slash to them all. With this, a punishing cloud of fierce dust had tarnished Envy's sight.

A perfect piece of aid, for the mighty trio that had now found footing again. Maxwell. Isaac. Thomas.

Their eyes were joined onto the puffs of smoke that had rendered their enemy harmless, as he himself had pursued a ceasefire to the relentless clouds. Maxwell was cool-eyed and Isaac had a fiery warmth to his brown eyes, but the punishing gaze of Thomas was what sparked thunder in the skies outside the Greenhouse. He released his sword and plummeted a single blow of shocking static into the way of the helpless Envy. A tingle of light had come running off his brilliant blade, and soon the electric hounds stormed their way towards the metal fist that Envy carried. A sound of sizzle had pressed from the smoke, and thereafter came the cries of pain, agony, despair, wicked betrayal?

Adding to this smart play, the general had begun his descent into hot-headed anguish. A single flame roared from the tips of his fingers, and soon, the bathing heat from the mouth of a dragon had channelled deep into the smoke that settled Envy to one spot. Further beyond this, Maxwell had rightfully made use of his divine essence as a guardian, where he clapped his hands as if the air between the two were like that of a cushion, and soon he had shunned Envy into a confinement of dry, unsafe air. Though his divine talents as a guardian were not to be mistaken for a divine power. No. That was to be used on a more valuable treasure.

A slight smirk had been painted across his face, and a fitting lift of the lips came from the general too, even if it was of the tiniest movement. He had seemed like a furnace of resources, as he had fiery warmth to his eyes. And then there was Thomas. What was he to feel? In truth, the return of Envy had actually led him to the revival of his life, his precious, deeply endured, love.

So, what could he really feel?

The answer soon spread across the room as their faces all glazed with a gloss of pure failure. The gusts of wind that Maxwell had surrounded Envy with, soon managed to gather the sandy smoke that clouded his face. The fireballs that had seemingly hit the Sin of Envy, had actually blasted off some of the strings of metal that Envy had on his arm as he shielded much of the damage. This quickly coalesced, and in time a cube was all there was. A cube of sand, stone, mud? The trio could all but look to Axel for an answer.

"My only guess can be that your elements of power have combined, or he has a spirit capable of mixing your attacks..."

"He is actually invincible!"

The final element had stumped the impatient heart of the general, who had begun laughing maniacally. An utter silence tilted the room, as a small, charged light of thunder had started to cackle within the cube. And then came a thump. And another. Another. Another. The fifth thump was enough. Enough to no longer endure the restraints, as Envy had punched his way to freedom. A final 'thump' was going to make its way, ready to hit his blinded face, but Envy had quickly captured the hand with a punishing aura about him. Simply, the Guardian of Wind had been flung to the ceiling, Axel only just missing the chance to keep him safe, by failing to cushion his landing.

Two remained.