No matter how hard I tried, my eyes wouldn’t look away from Rina’s. Something about them made me feel warm, trusted, protected. It was like seeing a rainbow for the first time. Although, I have never personally seen one up close. They were always so distant, so far, so unreachable. I always imagined them comforting my soul, no matter how little it might be. But now, looking into Rina’s eyes. perhaps this is what it felt like to reach the end of the rainbow.

“Laena,” I squatted down to face her. “These are good people, you can trust them.” I stuck out my pinkie, as I have read before that children like to believe that a pinky promise is the most unbreakable bond one can have. However, she looked at me as if I was a stranger offering her a bag of mystery candy.

I sighed, “This is called a pinky promise. When we lock our pinkies, no bond can ever be broken between us.”

She hesitated for a moment, smiled faintly, then hooked her pinky around mine. “Mister,” She whispered closely, “Why do you seem so unhappy?”

My knees extended, and before I could answer, I felt another tug on my clothes. This time, it was Rina. She sent a gorgeous look my way, then kneeled beside Laena. “Hi princess, what can I call you, m’lady?”

Laena giggled in a cute manner, “My name is Sl-... Laena! What’s your name, miss?”

As Rina and Laena began getting along, I strolled over to Sylvester, handing him the recorder and pressing it. “I killed all those kids and good-for-nothing weaklings in my lair! I burned towns and villages down to gather children for my army! I blamed it all on the Black Legion… and no one even dared to bat an eye at me! Blasted! It felt so good to rip those lives from their homes! In fact, I’d do it again a million times over if I could!”

“Is this enough for you?” I asked, annoyed by hearing the king’s voice again.

Sylvester grabbed the recorder so cautiously it’s as if he held god’s tears in his hands. “Enough?” His mustache curled ferociously. “This is more than enough. More than I could’ve ever hoped for! How did you manage to do it?”

“Deception,” I threw Tesla onto Bonnie, “I learned from the best.”

Sylvester chuckled at my remark, unsure of where to fix his gaze on; the girl I came out with, or his unconscious friend. So, I spared him the suspense. “That is Alastor’s daughter,” I gestured towards her with my chin, seeing her and Rina playing with each other. “Tesla got knocked by a warden named Hendrix. He was strong. Neither of us expected him.”

Sylvested focused his spectacle into my eyes, confirming the truth. “What are the other items you took?”

“Vials that helped me in the past. An old book named Tombs and Trinkets. Some horn. The Key of Hysteria, and the Dragon’s heart. There were others, but I had no space or time to carry them.”

“Hmm,” Sylvester thought for a moment, twirling his mustache with his forefinger. “Tombs and Trinkets. I’ve heard that before. And a strange horn? This might be interesting… Very well, a splendid job you did. I wasn’t certain who would come out of the castle.”

I took the book out of my waist, giving it to Sylvester, as I barely read anymore. It only wasted my time nowadays. However, reading was peaceful. It put me in a world that wasn’t my own, taught me about all the things I’ve never learned before, and it gave me insight on thoughts I never imagined I’d come by. I should read again, maybe even write.

“Are you aware of what the other items you carry behold?” Asked Sylvester, giving the book back to me, gesturing for me to keep it. “They’re powerful. Dangerous to be kept on you. And that book, give it a read. You won’t regret it.”

“I truly do not care. The more of these items I hold, the more trouble will come at me. I only—” A fierce shove against my spine nearly knocked me over, cutting me off mid sentence. Sylvester laughed, and as I turned around, Klyde nudged me again. He whinnied at me, licking my face with a slimy tongue.

Great, I thought. Another licker.

I stroked his neck with my scabbed hand, letting the wind-washed hairs comfort me. His matte-black hairs were magnificent under the sunlight, just like Rina’s abyssal-black eye.

“I plan to return these items back to Alastor,” I said, my stare beaming at Klyde. “Along with his daughter.”

Sylvester glanced at Laena for a moment, sending a multiple-finger wave towards her as they locked eyes for a split moment. “And I will not be stopping you. However, I do ask for you to continue with the plan. You and I both know that it’s not over.”

I tightened the stranded loose bandage around my arm, giving Rina and Laena one last look. “As long as she’s safe. Currently, the king is being swallowed by grief, thoughts pounding like hammers against his skull. As for Leonidas, I haven’t seen him.”

“He’s not inside the castle?” Sylvester backed up, clearly more surprised than he should be.

“If he is, I haven’t crossed paths withem. I have yet to sense his presence.” I sighed, “He’s like a phoenix in a fire, blended in and dangerous.” I paused for a moment, unpacking my pockets into the numerous amounts of travel sacks holstered onto Klyde. I kept the horn and the book by my side, hidden from sight. “How are things in the courtyard? Tesla and I caught a glimpse of the explosions.”

“Rina and Kalvin did a fine job of causing attention and keeping themselves alive. I had a gut feeling Rina was strong,” Sylvester lowered his voice, as to not let her hear him. “But I had no idea how strong she truly was,” He sank his voice, taking off his spectacle and putting it into his tailored pocket. “It’s very lucky she was on our side. For if she never escaped, we might not be here.”

I tried to keep my eyes from looking at her, but as Laena called out to me, “Mister!” I couldn’t turn her down.

Rina and Laena were getting along fabulously, like two sisters in a good mood. I walked over with a light stroll, squatting down beside them. “You seem to be enjoying Miss Rina’s company.”

“Miss Rina? Or really now?” Rina giggled, nearly biting her luscious lips.

Laena plopped down on the ground, puffing her cheeks excitingly. “Very much! Are you and Miss Rina the very best of friends?”

I kept my silence. Rina noticed it too. This wasn’t a question I could answer, so I stood up and headed back towards Bonnie and Klyde. “Miss Rina can answer that question for you, Laena.”

Although I was fair distance away from Rina, and the gentle winds interfered with my eavesdropping abilities, I managed to overhear a few concluding words from Rina’s tongue. In fact, I was positive she specifically emphasized it loud enough for me to hear, “Mister Cairo isn’t very good with words, he keeps to himself most of the time.” She wiped her eyes, smiling sadly. “But to answer your question. Yes, me and him are the very best of friends—maybe more—even if he doesn’t like to admit it.”

So I was a friend to her, I thought. A best friend in the matter. I remember when I had friendships, even those I created inside my first months of the Gulag. Friends were those I could share my most inner thoughts with. Those I could trust. But after all that time, those friends were tools that were used to destroy me.

Those feelings I used to have, the emotions that guided my path, they all shattered my soul like a brick of glass thrown off a rooftop. If I let Rina be a friend to me, I would do anything to save her. I would risk my very life to see her smile again. I would tread the most dangerous paths, and the harshest lands to see her. And if anything ever happened to her, my soul wouldn’t handle the sorrow. It’s had far too much in one lifetime, and doing everything I can to withhold those feelings were daunting enough.

I am truly sorry Rina. But I don’t believe I can make another friend...

“Cairo!” Sylvester shouted, his hands in a circle-like chamber around his mouth. “We should get going. Kalvin and Mooks are alone in the courtyard.”

I nodded, but as I turned around, two others appeared from the large stone staircase leading to the castle interior. My vision squinted, and I recognized the two immediately. Paris one the left, Jackals’ blade by her side. Oscar on the right, exhausted and hungry. They were both in an argument I couldn’t hear, nor did I care for. They marched all the way down to our level before even realizing the hole in the gates, and everyone around it.

With Laena close by her side, Rina wiped her smile away, aiming her attention at the two arguers coming closer. “Are you two alright? You seem, different.” Her words broke their attention on each other, and they quickly became accustomed to their surroundings.

Paris—without saying a word—slowly wrapped her arms around Rina, hugging her until the warmth of their skin became too hot to handle. “That’s for all the coffee’s you’ve made, and the next ones to come.” Paris smirked, awkwardly and forcefully, not used to showing such gratitude.

Paris’s aura was strong, but it didn’t stop Laena from being honorably humbled by it. “Hello Miss!” She galloped beside her, her voice being high-pitched and young.

“Why hello there little pumpkin!” Exulted Paris, beaming her excitement with yet another hug. Even the remnants of dry blood on Laena’s frail hands didn’t faze her, bonding with her like mother and daughter.

Oscar on the other hand, yawned and gave me an awkward pat on the shoulder, “Glad you’re okay bud.” His legs hopped him atop of Bonnie, and he dozed off to sleep next to Tesla.

Paris didn’t notice me or Sylvester for a solid amount of time. She was far too focused on the innocent child below her, as was Rina and my endless gaze. “Interesting to see them getting along well.” I turned back towards the mustached man beside me, carefully plotting my words.

“It’s good for little Laena to get accustomed to friendly faces and sunlight.” He gave me a deceiving glare, “You can learn a thing or two.”

“I’d rather not.” I said, and jumped atop of Klyde, who seemed like a pot of soup about to burst with an unstoppable eagerness to ride with the wind. I strolled him over to Rina, Laena and Paris, barely able to fit all of them behind me. Luckily, this was just the challenge Klyde was destined to accept.

Sylvester made one last call out, and we were off, back to the courtyard.

…

Inside the massive cobblestone courtyard, people from all over Nirvana seemed to huddle around the craters and remnants of the previous explosions. Kalvin and Mooks were innocently backing up as all citizens demanded answers to their prodigious questions regarding today’s acts against the kingdom.

Most of the men grabbed any sort of weaponry they could find, but luckily, we arrived before any further damage could be done.

Sylvester quickly bounced off of Bonnie, and rushed to the center. “People, Please! We are not your enemy! We are only bringing justice against the lies that your king has been hiding!”

“What lies!?” A man shouted from the crowds.

“Justice against what?!” shouted another.

“We want answers! Where is the great King Richard II!”

Sylvester did the best he could to settle everyone, all while Mooks burst with excitement the moment he laid his eyes upon me. “Cairo! Rina! Bitch!”

Paris sighed, knowing that was for her.

“How are you, Mooks?” I asked him, letting him slobber his tongue all over my droopy face. Klyde seemed jealous, but Mooks’ growls backed him off, somehow.

“Everyone please settle down!” Sylvester yelled through the chatters and whispers shuffling and bumping around the crowd. “I come with proof of such acts, and my only request is that you listen! Please, be patient and hear—”

“Blasphemy!” A man from the frontlines cut Sylvester off, shoving a pitchfork in his face. “Our loyal king would never betray his loyal people!”

“YEAH!” Rioted the crowd.

“Our King is a man of honor! Freedom! Hope!-”

Sylvester burst a vein on his forehead. “Your King is responsible for slavery against children ripped from their homes!” The smight of his voice was nearly as loud as the explosions, shutting everyone up. He then stuck his hand out as a gesture, and Kalvin tossed him a black frog with a bright blue glow in its mouth.

Sylvester held up the black frog for everyone to see, raising it as if he’s reaching for the clouds. “This is an invention I created for the sole purpose of providing lawful proof for guilty crimes of criminals and vile men. It is called a speaker. And it plays back whatever one inputs inside of it!” He paused for a moment, gathering enough air for the next shouts of power. Weirdly, the citizens were keeping quiet, letting Sylvester do as he pleased.

“I have done the favor of placing numerous numbers of these speakers around not only Nirvana, but other towns and villages as well. The people of Harvoria deserve to hear the truth. And thy truth shall be told by none other than King Richard II himself!” Lowering the black frog back down to his chest, Sylvester pulled out the recorder I gave him, placed it inside the frog’s mouth, and pressed the small black button on the side.

In the King’s perfectly synchronized rusty old voice, a message played through the speakers, all throughout the vast lands of Harvoria, through every alley of every bar, atop the slanted rooftops, and even between the cracks and crannies of broken roads: “I killed all those kids and good-for-nothing weaklings in my lair! I burned towns and villages down to gather children for my army! I blamed it all on the Black Legion… and no one even dared to bat an eye at me! Blasted! It felt so good to rip those lives from their homes! In fact, I’d do it again a million times over if I could!”

A muffled static noise cut off the transmission, and silence fell over the land like a blanket of snow. No footsteps ruffled the ground. No whispers dared to escape one’s mind. No breaths were louder than the beating hearts of deluded townsfolk.

A sudden sting of rusted metal against stone broke the silence; A pitchfork fell onto the ground, followed by another, and then another.

“This… cannot be true…” The man whispered, rewinding the voice of his precious king in his head. “Twelve years ago… That was all a lie…”

Sylvester placed the black frog on the ground, dimming his expression. “I would refuse to believe it myself. But it is the honest and wholehearted truth. I swear it on my life and the next.”

Whispers and chatters filled the crowd again, followed by angered slurs and curses. All these people needed a final closure, from the king himself. Pitchforks kept their place on the ground, but timid fists and clenched teeth tightened to a much greater degree. And with no guards to block them, all these misled people began marching towards the gates, furious and burning with rage.