Chapter 21

The sun had set as we approached the palace. Torches were lit and newly made mana-lights lit up the palace below us allowing us the view we needed to make a safe descent into the courtyard.

There were guards posted all along the outer walls and on either side of the gate. The courtyard was separated into two grass fields by a gravel road that led from the gate behind us to the inner gate leading to the palace in front of us. After landing on the soft grass making as little noise as birldy possible we got down from our birds. This time my legs didn't feel like rubber.

Each of the squad members took off on their birds while me and the squad leader kept on our stealth. The squad leader then took a piece of stealthed rope and tried to feel where I was at. I could see what he was doing so I just took the rope from his hand. It was so that we wouldn't get separated. After he affirmed that I was holding the rope he led the way towards the inner gate.

I followed and looked up to see the darkening skies and the Tamarin flying by.

Nobody was able to see us but they would be able to hear us so we stayed close and quiet while we walked through the inner gate.

The guards were having a conversation;

Guard A: 'But how can you survive an ambush like that?'

Guard B: 'I don't know. Maybe he got lucky.'

Guard A: 'You need more than luck to survive a barrage of Dragoon Riders. If that was all you needed the Dragoon Riders would've long been beaten.'

Guard C: 'If you are so interested why not ask Yoran yourself. He's here now isn't he?'

Guard A: 'You know that I can't.'

Guard D: 'Isabella must be glad to see her father again.'

Guard B: 'I just hope that they suddenly decide to send us with the army to take revenge on the Dragoon Riders.'

Guard A: 'Maybe if sir Yoran found a way to beat the Dragoon Riders we would but I doubt that they would do something so stupid as throwing away the small army that we have at a war we can't win while the nation of Jin is gathering their troops near our borders.'

Guard D: 'That is true.'

I had stood still wanting to hear what the guards were saying when I felt that the squad leader was tugging at the rope signaling me to follow along. Seeing as my dad was already here I wonder what we should do next. He was supposed to come with an army of Tamarin but we hadn't seen any of them yet. We kept walking straight ahead to the palace's main building. In the center was a very tall door made out of very dark wood. On either side were glass windows with similar proportions. Both were made out of tinted glass. With the tinted glass an image of a fairy holding up her hands in the air to release flower petals into the wind were made with a black-tinted background. We drew closer to the gate as I looked and awed at the two fairies guarding the gate. Then when we reached the gate we stopped. We didn't know who was on the other side of the door and couldn't just barge in without getting noticed even if we were stealthed.

The squad leader was already going to the side to look for another way in when I simply knocked on the door.

Immediately I could hear sounds of scraping feet and a wooden chair scraping on the floor. Shortly thereafter the doors opened with two guards standing as in salute but when the looked and didn't see anyone they closed the doors again. Luckily this was after we had already entered.

Guard 1:'Must've heard wrong.'

The guards went back to their chairs next to the doors where they were playing a game of cards. When the doors were opened the table and its contents were completely hidden from view. Quite a crafty bunch those guards. Then when I looked around I saw that we had arrived in the throne room. Besides the guards it was empty but when I looked up I could see the glass roof with the same tinted glass as the windows up front but this time it portrayed a starlit sky. Along the walls were openings through which I could see hall-ways several stories high. What really caught my eye though was that on one particular floor beyond the throne there were a group of stealthed Tamarin bunched together in front of a door. Whatever it is; that is where we ought to find it. I let go of the rope and headed to the door in the right-back corner of the room leaving behind the squad leader whom would've probably just gotten in the way if I took him with me. He couldn't see the stealthed individuals plus he would get suspicious of me if he knew I could see them and even more suspicious if he found out that I can't change into the appearance of the people here. The door hadn't been closed properly so I opened it a bit wider and squeezed through. Behind the door I could see stairs that led up to the left and the hall-way continued onwards with a stairway that went down at the end of the hall. These were probably the quarters for the servants. I went left and up the stairs. I had seen the Tamarin on the 3rd floor. These mana detector goggles are very handy. I reached the top of the stairs and when I looked to the right I saw 5 stealthed Tamarin due to them activating their invisibility-secretion I was able to make out their statures and that they were each holding a rope. So if I were to take them out I needed to take all of them out simultaneously.

Killing is not an option though. I have never killed before and my promise to father was not to make weapons of destruction indirectly implying not to kill innocent people. These Tamarin were just unlucky leading them to be easily deceived.

So instead of being all sneaky I decided to make a big ruckus. I didn't get -1 on the wisdom stat during the training by accident. I activated my bracelet and changed into a Dragoon Rider. I grew a lot but the invisibility secretion was still active. The mana shield was also able to expand with the size of my body. The ground however had a hard time bearing my new weight to the point where the tiles I was standing on cracked making a large noise.

There was no way that they didn't notice it so I charged them and pushed them all away. I tore at the rope breaking it. They could see where I was standing due to the tiles breaking where ever I stood but due to them not knowing what I was what they did end up knowing was that I was big heavy and not their friend. Obviously they made a run for it while bumping into one another further increasing their hysteria. They did do a good job of concealing their voices though. I then changed back to Druid, a smaller body-frame would help me slip away if they were expecting something big. I opened the door and entered the room. I was immediately met by several pairs of eyes in this brightly lit room. My bracelet made a small ping sound. I moved away from the door along the wall. The people were still looking towards the door which was still half-open. Seeing that they didn't know. I turned my back towards them and activated my bracelet. This way my invisibility would also cover the bracelets holographic screen from their prying eyes.

'Discovered a Huin Seseum; Huin Seseum has been added to database. Do you wish to change into a Huin Seseum?'

I then pressed the information button which was in the form of a round button with a question mark in the middle.

'You have been in close proximity of a Huin Seseum whom your device has scanned, analyzed and cataloged.'

I then selected yes and changed into a Huin Seseum. I regained some height compared to my Druid form allowing me to see face to face to the people in the room who had turned back to one another. At one end of the long table was Isabella. It was obvious that she had cried. Then in the chair closest to me was a head with a familiar hair-style. I slowly and quietly walked along the wall to see who it was.

It was my father. I deactivated my mana-shield but remained out of his field of vision. Isabella however immediately saw me in my Huin Seseum form and let out a yell.

'AH!'

'what?' asked Yoran looking around after which he was quick to notice me standing in the shadows.

I just stood there staring at Yoran. To prove who I was I used mana to form letters above my head spelling out 'Frank Kirkwall.'

Isabella's eyes just widened after reading it; she had seen the letter. I am sure that she understands it. Yoran however just looked very confused.

Besides us there was nobody in the room. According to my mana-sensors.

Yoran asked: 'Where did you come from?'

'ah.' I was lost for words; how was I going to prove who I was?

'I am Frank.' is all I could say.

Father looked at me inquisitively; 'I am here to take over for Jin.'

'Why?' I asked

'Because Sir Bo Xi of Jin has willed it.' he replied.

Sir Bo Xi is the ruler of Jin behind the scenes. Not many besides the inner circle know of it. My father was part of the inner circle and he also had noted that Jin the king was completely witless when it comes to wielding his political power leading to him relaying his absolute political power to Sir Bo Xi in secret.

'If he is behind this then that would mean that you want to join Jin and Joren together?' I said it half-questioning and half as a statement.

Isabella quickly rubbed out her eyes to get rid of any lingering tears as it had become apparent to her that it was not a joyous return of her father.

'Well since you know about Sir Bo Xi you are definitely not of the people of the forest. It seems you really truly are Frank.' Yoran said with a small smile.

'Guards!' Yoran yelled. Immediately guards came from hidden doors in all 4 corners of the room.

'Take these two to the tower and guard them; do not be afraid of the person of the forest. By some sick twist of fate the Tamarin have changed Frank Kirkwall to look like one of them.'

The guards then looked at me surprised, some looked more relieved than surprised seeing as I was much bigger than most of them. My claws and teeth must've also been quite the deterrent. Neither of us said a word as we followed the guards out the room. The guards kept a close eye on me and had their hands on their weapons at all times.

It was pretty strange since I came here to help my country but since I am in this form I guess they can't help it. But now at least we know a few more things. Father is alive.

If it was him then it was surely possible to rule Joren effectively. But what would happen if the true king and the rest of the royal family returned? Also why did my bracelet register a Huin Seseum? Was it maybe one of the Tamarin that I pushed away who were actually Huin Seseum?

'Are you really Frank?' Isabella asked. My thoughts about father and the Huin Seseum stopped as I looked at Isabella.

'Will you be asking me about my newest inventions if I was?' I said; playfully hinting to her since just blatantly saying that I was had already been done twice she needed to hear more circumstantial evidence.

'So you are Frank. What happened to you?' Isabella asked with a gleeful smile.

'I somehow got changed into the people of the forest by the Ancients and after doing something for them in the Tamarin Jungle I headed here as fast as possible.'

We then reached the tower. There were more guards posted at the gate to the tower which was opened as we were guided inside. 'I am sorry' said one of the guards as he closed and locked the gate behind us.

Isabella looked surprised and somewhat anxious but my presence seemed to have brought her back from her worrying train of thought.

'I guess we both messed up then.' Isabella said.

'What do you mean?'

'I declared war on Jin in retaliation for fathers death and disappearance. But now that he's back he turns out to be working for Jin. I became an enemy of father which is why he locked us away in the tower.' Isabella then looked down at her feet visibly distressed.

Outside unbeknownst to us was a battle going on. An invisible battle. Not of wits or political powers but of Tamarin trying to gain the upper hand. But the Tamarin I brought were outnumbered and soon taken and imprisoned by the large number of Tamarin that Yoran had brought with him.

I however still had hoped that they would have seen me be captured and come to free us.

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Authors note:

This is the final chapter for this month I will continue to write and probably post a new chapter every 15th of the month.

Let me know what you think of that. I could also post every week or every other week but I think it'd be more fun for you readers if I posted a bunch of chapters in bulk every month instead.