Chapter 35 The bellbird

Snow reacquired her boot from the bear trap with Arthur’s help. After that, they exited the warehouse. Lussuria still couldn't walk, so Arthur carried her on his back. Crow was standing out front. The dark sky that had been weeping throughout the day broke, revealing a bright and sunny sky.

“I put a bird on him.” Crow joined alongside them as they left the area.

“That’s wise, It's best we do not split up anymore. We need to take shelter somewhere.” Arthur said.

“So to get to the King we need to enter from Jirminshawl’s estate in the west. If we quicken our pace, we can get there within the hour.” Snow declared. Her pace increased as the group trailed further and further behind her. Snow turned back around when the distance was noticeable. Arthur and Crow nearly came to a stop as they looked at each other. “Why are we slowing down? Let’s go.” Snow reiterated.

“Princess. I understand getting to the king is important, but you just had a battle. Lussuria is exhausted and Crow is nearly out of magic. Jirminshawl’s estate is on the other side of the district. Traveling there in our current state would put us at severe risk. We are in no position to-”

“Position to what? If the next word is surrender then you are right. We will not let Fredrick get away with this, Arthur.”

“Princess, please. We need to wait for backup and send a report on our situation. We can’t go blazing into the Regal district, let alone fight our way through the noble’s district.”

“I will not stand here and do nothing, Arthur.”

“Princess Lussuria clearly needs rest. Will you stop for her?“ He put the attention on Lussuria.

Snow looked at Lussuria. Lussuria’s messy hair was still partially draped over her face. The fact that the precipice of her image had been unadjusted since they rescued her could only mean one thing; Lussuria truly was in no shape to proceed. Snow frowned.

“Fine.”

The group found a small house nearby that was two streets away from the warehouse. The house appeared abandoned, mimicking the rest of the properties that were on this row. Arthur, Snow and Lussuria watched from around the corner as Crow kicked in the door and dashed inside. After a minute, they saw a hand stick out the doorway, signaling it was clear.

Snow and Lussuria were in a room upstairs. Lussuria was laying down on a bed. Lussuria soon gained enough energy to strike a Princess-like pose to cover for her weakened form. Arthur and Crow had gone downstairs to watch the perimeter and discuss their situation.

Snow knew this because she was watching them from the window.

“Snow…” Lussuria called to her from the bed.

Snow approached Lussuria.

“Hey Lussuria, you doing okay?” Snow could see, just under the strands of her hair, strips of ice. If it was anything like Gravis’ episode, then Lussuria must have had a massive headache right about now. Snow fixed some of the strands of Lussuria’s hair before gently padding her forehead. The icy blue veins around her neck were finally starting to fade away. Considering how Gravis struggled with the ice, Lussuria seemed to slowly have it under control. A feat, considering what she has been through, she was Lussuria after all.

“That actually feels kind of nice.” Lussuria whispered.

Snow sat on the side of the bed.

“You’ll be okay now. I’m sorry I got you involved in all this.”

Lussuria said nothing for a while, then took a deep breath.

“And to say I wanted to beat you at that life sized praefectus game.”

“Once this is done we can…”

“Honestly, I don’t know why you are so good at the game. I should have let Mom give you that praefectus board back during the Lotus Celebration. I’m sorry about that.” Lussuria apologized, a rare event.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” Snow accepted the apology before rising from the bed.

“Don’t go.” Lussuria grabbed her hand, keeping her at the bedside.

“I am not going anywhere. What do you mean?”

“I may be exhausted, but not stupid. You have been watching that window for an opening for some time now.”

Lussuria revealing Snow’s intent removed the need to continue the mirage.

“I didn’t come all this way to be scared off, you rest. I’ll solve this problem. Frederick will not taunt about doing whatever the hell he pleases in a country that we control.”

“Now you sound like her… Snow you’re going above and beyond for no reason, you saved me, is that not enough? Going out there right now will only result in you being killed.”

“It is not enough.”

Lussuria looked up as if she finally understood.

“Is that really what this is about? Mom will understand. Frederick attacked us, it's not your fault that-“

“-But it will be!” Snow yelled back. Lussuria flinched, letting go of her. Snow realized her aggression and turned towards the window. “If I don’t do this Lussuria, she... She won’t accept failure! I’m tired of being the useless one, I finally have a chance to contribute here, and if I don’t it would only further the fact that I am the black sheep, useless, not wanted. Especially after what they did to you.”

“You’re not useless. That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Maybe so, but when push comes to shove all that matters is the result. Rest up here and then tell Arthur and Crow to take you to the mage guild. I am going to the king. I am already short on time.” Snow started to open the window wider, putting one foot on the window sill.

Lussuria responded by sitting up and slowly rising out of bed.

“What are you doing? Stay in bed.” Snow demanded.

“Well, I’m not going to let you go by yourself.” Lussuria dusted herself off.

"You haven’t uttered a single complaint since we left that warehouse. I know that ice is killing you, and you are hiding it. Even Gravis was groaning in pain after her overuse of the frostblood. You won’t be able to help in that condition.”

“Excuse me? I, in fact can be very helpful in any reduced state. You don’t have a choice. Attempt to leave and I will scream for our ever-vanishing guardsmen.”

“Are you really going to do this, Lussuria?”

“Yup. You need my infinite wisdom. Together, I… I mean “we,” can make a plan.”

Crow and Arthur were waiting in front of the house that was serving as the group’s temporary hideout. Little Crow flew up to Crow and settled on his shoulder. The shadowy guide bird turned its head sideways and made eye contact with Crow. An exchange of information was made before the bird flew away, settling on an overwatching roof.

“The tracker is on route to the Regal district.” Crow reported.

Arthur put his hand to his chin. His eyes were calculating.

“What are you thinking?” Crow asked.

“It seems Frederick’s men aren't the only party at play here. The daiga mage guild is definitely involved. My guess is that they told Frederick about the ring.”

“So it's confirmed now, they are still in operation.”

“I wonder what their endgame is? Frederick’s goal is to use the ring on the king, that much is clear. However, I still do not see that as being worth it for the daiga mage guild. They must be benefiting in some way from Frederick's actions.”

“We can’t rely on speculation right now.”

“You are right. Looking at the current situation, it's clear why Frederick didn’t want the labor guild; not because of some moral economic standpoint, he just didn’t want the excavation to be exposed.”

“But then, Ares exposed it.” Crow said with his head down.

“We caught Frederick off guard, he wasn’t ready. That must be why his attempts at capturing the princesses were so sloppy. He hired the tracker as a last resort to kidnap both of them, buying himself time. Now that he has a weapon capable of mental alteration, he theoretically can parade around and do whatever he wants. Worse, he can get the king to enact his will.”

“If that ring is capable of altering memories or controlling minds then there would be nothing to stop him once he reaches the king. The only person who could stop such a magic is Warden Isabella. The royal guard has no mages, let alone anyone capable of disabling that magic.”

“We can’t wait for the warden to return. We need to warn the mountaineer king.” Arthur concluded. “Ares would have been perfect to send ahead but-”

Both Lotus agents shared a grieving look.

Arthur rotated his shoulders as he stepped forward. “I’ll go… You should be able to lay low until things blow over right?”

The door of the house suddenly opened as Snow and Lussuria were trotting out.

“I guess we’ll need to get moving then.” Snow said. They had eavesdropped on the whole conversation.

“There’s no way I am allowing you two to be put in danger again.” Arthur stepped in their way.

“Who killed Ares?” Lussuria stirred the conversation with her inquiry.

Arthur grew silent at that question.

“It was that mercenary guy, ’The tracker’.” Snow answered. “The tracker was injured when I fought him. The rips in his armor were caused by Ares. Am I right?”

“Yes.” Crow answered for Arthur.

“I thought so.”

“Ares was loud but... that’s what I liked about him...” Lussuria sniffed, wiping away a tear.

They all shared a long moment of silence before Snow was the first one to say something.

“If we don’t do this, then who will? We can't waste Ares’ sacrifice.”

“The two of you are more important than a lotus agent. That’s why.” Arthur was not having it.

“More than just our lives would be at risk if Frederick enacts his plans, Arthur. Frederick wishes to declare Vulcas a free state, igniting an automatic war between us and Vulcas. He has already called his emergency meeting earlier today. We have little time to beat him to the King.”

“And what is your plan? Frederick has a ring that can bend people to his will. If we go there, we likely must force an audience which will only further give them justification to view us as hostile. What do you propose we do about that?”

“Me and Snow can resist the brainwashing magic.” Lussuria explained.

That caught Arthur and Crow off guard.

“How is that?”

“When those mages were using that pitiable magic in their attempt to sway me, I found that If I activated my Frostblood I would be able to shield myself from their magic. The ring should use the same technique, because they claimed it to use the same method.

“Princess Snow can’t activate her Frostblood abilities.”

She doesn’t need to, since the magic they use is a specific element.

“Which is?”

“Lightning. In small frequencies. That’s what I’ve determined the mind manipulation magic is composed of.”

“I still don’t agree. I will not allow you two to be put in harm's way.”

Snow walked right up to Arthur, looking up at him.

“What?” Arthur looked down at her.

“The head councilor of the Vulcas intends to brainwash their king, in an attempt to initiate a war between the Lotus and Mountaineers. May I remind you that the mountaineer kingdom is the largest kingdom under our control. This plot threatens to shatter the very peace my mother has built over the course of the last war. What do you think she would say in this situation?”

Arthur's silence was more than enough for Snow to continued on.

“Our lives are no more important than Ares. A war with Vulcas would destroy countless families on both sides. This is not a risk that we have the option of weighing, it is our duty to respond to this immediate threat. A threat that we are best prepared to face together.”

Crow stepped onto the street. Arthur looked at him with an aggressive gaze.

“Crow, do you really agree with this, you can’t be serious?!”

“Yes. Arthur, you and I know this is the best course of action. Princess Snow is correct, if Frederick gets away with this, there will be many more unnecessary deaths. Not to mention the blatant undermining of Lotus authority. Frederick is like a forest fire, if we don't put him out now then he will embolden the other territories under Lotus control to rebel.” Crow threw his hand into the air. “Permission to use the bellbird, captain?”

Arthur squeezed his fist. He looked at both Snow and Lussuria.

“If this threat was not paramount for Regalia, I would not allow such recklessness.” Arthur turned to Crow. “Permission granted. Use the bellbird.” Arthur stormed up to the house and leaned against the wall crossing his arms.

Crow began casting a spell. Black swirls of magic started flowing around Crow’s arm in an upward spiral. The swirls of magic started expanding and morphing into an inklike ball. The amalgamation of magic that was bubbling above Crow’s hand appeared volatile. The ball of ink expanded and shrunk several times before a small chubby bird plopped out onto his hand. The bird was small and had long strands of whiskers.

“What is that?” Lussuria questioned, looking at the new bird.

“My bellbird. You might want to step back and cover your ears.” Crow suggested as he let the bird fly straight up into the air. The bird flew higher and higher. With each flap it bloated fatter and fatter. Snow and Lussuria backed up and covered their ears. When the bird reached its highest point, it popped, releasing a massive pulse of air in all directions. Snow and Lussuria prepared for something to happen but nothing other than silence was heard. Was that it? Their question was answered when the pulse of air hit them. For the single second that the air touched them, a high pitched scream exploded in their ears. Their clothing flapped from the intensity of the sound wave. It was just for one moment, but it was deafening.

Crow dramatically opened his arms holding a pose of crucifiction. Nothing happened at first, until one shadowy bird flew into his shadow, then another, and another. The sky grew black as a horde of birds started pouring in from every direction, all piling into his shadow.

“He had all those birds out?!” Snow said in shock. This amount of birds easily spanned into the hundreds, maybe thousands.

“Yeah, that’s why he was out of mana.” Arthur answered.

After the flock of birds returned to their master, Crow dropped his arms and stared intently at the space in front of him. He started reciting some of the visions he saw: “The mage councilor and two common councilors were arrested. The jails are filled to the brink with real sentries. Weapons and mercenaries are bolstering in the garrisons just outside the city. The city council bank is empty. Groups of knights and mercenaries are approaching our location.”

“Can you lead us to Jirminshawl’s estate?” Snow asked.

“Jirminshawl’s estate is swarming with guards. I see you... you were going to run into them, but you went east instead.

“That guy!”

“I see Frederick. He was walking through the nobles’ district while you were fighting the tracker. We might be able to beat him there, if we hurry.”

“Is the regal district compromised?” Arthur asked.

“No, not as far as I can tell, however there is a group of mercenaries bolstering in front of the regal gate. That is the only obstacle we must pass through.”

“Okay, If we are going to do this. We are going to do it with a plan. The fastest route there is going to the noble’s center and then straight up the main road to the regal district. We should try to keep the casualties to a minimum. When we are at the regal gate, Crow will summon a swarm with the last bit of his magic. That will give us an opening. After we enter the regal district, I'll construct a barrier to stop our pursuers. Princess Snow and Princess Lussuria, Stay in between us and you two will be safe up until the Regal District. If Frederick beats us to the King we will most likely have to engage him. At that point, you two will have to get the ring off of him. After the ring is taken care of, Crow and I can come in to secure him. Princess Lussuria, you have magic that can disable him right?

“If your definition of disable means blast him without outright killing him. Sure, I can do that.” Lussuria appeared amused at the thought.

“I guess that works.”

Little Crow flew down and landed in front of them, getting their attention.

“I think Little Crow is trying to get our attention.” Snow motioned to the bird.

“Little Crow will guide us past the patrols until we reach the center of the noble’s district.” Crow said, the small bird giving Crow the same look it gave Snow and Lussuria when receiving the name. “Hey, don’t look at me like that, I like that name.” He spoke back against the bird’s attitude.

Little Crow looked towards Snow with a judgmental gaze and cawed before flying away.

Snow couldn't help but chuckle.

“Let’s go.”

The warehouse district was oriented like a grid. The wide open streets made every street crossing difficult to do without getting spotted. As they were running Crow’s hair levitated in a ghostly manner. Snow didn’t say it aloud but it looked cool.

“Left.” Crow relayed, Arthur, Snow and Lussuria followed. The sound of the marching patrols began to echo throughout the district. Hopefully they wouldn't be caught.

“Right.” Crow continued leading them. Snow looked up into the sky and could see Little Crow gliding above them. Little Crow spun and flew out of view.

“Stop.” Crow demanded as they came to a halt. “Hold here.” They waited while leaned up against a building. The group could hear the shuffling armor and puddles being stopped on just around the corners of the street they were on. There was little cover, yet Crow was confident in standing here.

Arthur had his fingers pressed together in preparation for combat. The rest of the group stood by. The marching soldiers came into view from both perpendicular streets. The group stood extra silent as the knights continued down their prospective roads, neither looking at the connecting street they were on. After the knights disappeared out of view, they were in the clear.

“Let's go.”

Crow continued leading them through the warehouse section of the noble’s district. They swiftly avoided multiple patrols, totally invisible, thanks to Little Crow guiding them. With this pace, they may have a shot of beating Frederick.

“Crow, your magician magic is amazing.” Snow complimented him as the noble’s center came into view.

“Thank you, your majesty.” Crow gave his thanks. Little Crow descended and landed on Crow’s shoulder. The shadowy guide bird cawed before jumping to Lussuria’s shoulder and rubbing against her neck.

“Uh, why is the bird fondling me?” Lussuria said with concern.

Crow almost blurted into laughter.

“Little Crow is upset Princess Snow didn't thank him first. ‘I like this one better now,’ he says.”

“What? Don't be like that Little Crow! I appreciate all the help you've given us!” Snow smiled.

The bird cawed and looked away.

“I’ll win you back one day, I promise!”

“We are here.” Arthur interrupted them, signaling their arrival at the noble district’s center.

The group arrived at the center of the noble’s district. The gargoyle fountain was still emitting excess water from the storm. The center itself was empty of people, most likely because of the bad weather earlier. There was a problem though.

“Crow…” Arthur saw it first.

They all looked in the direction Arthur was looking; north, up the main road that led to the regal district.

“My birds saw none of this?! How?” Crow said in shock.

“They waited until you recalled them.” Arthur shook his head.

The main road of the noble’s district had about five checkpoints with big barriers set up on every converging street. Barriers made of pikes and fallen wagons. The road to the regal district was borderline impossible now.

“Look, Frederick is right there!” Crow pointed forward.

They all saw Frederick casually strolling up the road. Frederick had just passed the second barrier checkpoint. His destination was clearly the Regal district.

“By the time we get through all that It will be far too late. They will have the royal army formed in the regal district waiting for us.” Arthur cursed.

“We don’t have time to fight through all that.” Lussuria added.

Once again, Snow’s goal was in reach but revealed to be an illusion.

“Kingdom of Rocks is a fitting name, always something in the damn way!” Snow banged fist at the base of the fountain.

Lussuria walked up to her.

“Snow, I’m Sorry.” Lussuria tried to comfort her.

“There must be some way. The sewers, the rooftops, anything.” Snow was looking at the grates just under the fountain.

“More than likely, but all our options now would not let us beat Frederick. Looks like we need to let him go.” Arthur said.

Snow tried to form a rebuttal but instead, she sat on the edge of the fountain with a defeated look.

“Wait, maybe we can still catch him!” Lussuria pointed upwards. Towards the source of the water just under the statue’s feet.

“What? The water?” Snow questioned.

“No, the statue! Maybe we don’t have to go magic blazing into the district!” Lussuria nearly shouted. She was pointing at the gargoyle statue that was the top piece of the fountain. “That thing, it’s a construct!”