My pants just ripped in the middle of the school day. I'm not having a good time. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.

Super unedited.

~

While they were flying through the sky, Sophie was doing soul practices her father thought her years ago in order to make her pancras form more reliable. Her hair had gone white, and eyes gold, but her teeth had not extended not her nails. Kynareth was still fighting her on this. Sophie leaned forward on Ricin, clenching the reins as he dove through the thick blanket of white. The world was quiet as the Mentore dove with her companion, not even the birds flying among them chirped or cawed. She stared up at the sky, as if she could see Kynareth glaring down upon her as she did her bidding.

(By Shar-i on Tumblr)

The night blended the two killers perfectly as they landed in a small clearing of the forest. The final thing on her list was the most daunting. She didn't even know if the king knew where Egil's daughter was hiding in his kingdom, but he needed to know why his son was in the Neverseen. And the threat that was hiding among his people. Parlaying was important for guild and country leaders to know, and Sophie knew it pretty well- if threatening and bullshitting counted as pretty well.

If she walked away with Egil's daughter without making an enemy of the Dunmer kingdom, they would be one massive step closer to killing Mephala.

Sophie slid off her saddle, pulling her hood up. With a small hand signal, she and Ricin were crouching the brush, running through the twigs and crunching leaves. The stress of the situation was like twine wrapped around her neck, pulling tighter and tighter with each step Sophie took. She took a left while the dragon slithered to the right. Soon, the thick brush and canopies of the forest cleared, revealing the small pasture where weak land awaited. You never would've guessed the ground beneath you could open and reveal a sprawling kingdom built into the caverns beneath. Sophie knew that the Dunmer kingdom was beneath her, but she still didn't fully know how to open the ground to get in. According to Ruy, Leto managed it. But how?

She didn't worry, as it crumbled open before she needed to barge her way through. Two figures shot out, landing in the overgrown grass.

They were cloaked heavily, but she recognized the power radiating off of the smaller one. It still didn't fully click who was standing in front of her until she heard their whispers.

"We need to get you out of the kingdom. Now." The larger cloaked woman breathed, stretching her wings as she pulled out her map.

"I'm the key to getting the prince back." The smaller one gently reminded.

There she was. Egil's daughter. Their key to stopping Mephala.

"And the King cannot know that." The second replied, "We get you out of the kingdom, ergo, we don't have you and can't trade for you. The Neverseen will give us back the Prince since we don't have you-"

"The Neverseen will kill him, not return him." Sophie froze, clutching the tree truck she was watching from behind. She came to the Dunmer kingdom to parlay about Egil's daughter. But if Ruy's life is one the line because she isn't able to be traded? Was Sophie willing to risk that?

No. Egil's daughter is a variable that needs to be controlled. Sophie could cut out the middle man now, get Egil's daughter before going back and dragging her boyfriend out of the shithole he dug himself into. He said he would handle it, but she was worried.

Ricin's eyes widened when Sophie strayed from the plan and emerged from the brush.

"Egil's daughter?" The two women whipped around to Sophie. The larger one shoved the smaller behind her.

"You have one minute to walk away." The larger one threatened. But the smaller cloaked one step around her protector. She placed a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder as she said, "Yes, I'm Egil's daughter. But my father gave me a name you know. Eira, if you please."

Sophie straightened, her voice deep as she commanded, "I'm gonna need you to come with me."

Egil's daughter cocked her head, almost amused, "I'm afraid I don't quite trust you."

"This isn't about trust. This is about stopping Mephala."

"You think I don't have my own plans."

"I have plans as well."

"And who do you think you are to handle the threat of Mephala? Do you think yourself a god? A hero sent to save the day?"

She was taking the wrong approach with this. Sophie held her hand out, ice forming on her fingertips. Clouds formed in the palms of her hand, lightning crackling within it.

They both faltered, their eyes not tearing from her hand when she said, "You aren't the only one that has been touched by something immortal."

Eira looked at Sophie, trying to see her face beneath the hood.

"Who are you?"

"A Cyevan Assassin. That is all you need to know." Sophie took another step forward, "I promise you, Eira. I am here to help you. To protect you."

Eira stared at her hand, her hooded cloak rustling in the wind. Eira turned to her friend, who seemed to allow Eira the lead.

"I am thousands of years old." Eira started.

Sophie nodded, "I've been told."

"And I didn't survive that long trusting strangers. Godly strangers or not." Ricin launched from the brush as Eira pulled a ticking bomb from her cloak, throwing it to Sophie's feet.

"Eira! NO!" Ricin wrapped himself around Sophie as the world shook, smoke and shrapnel launching from the shell. Sophie held onto Ricin, holding onto his massive neck as his wings surrounded her. The smoke began to sneak past his wings, clogging out Sophie's eyes and nose.

"R-Ricin. Get us-us out of here!" Sophie coughed. Ricin growled, scooping Sophie with his claw and launching into the sky. He threw Sophie up, allowing her to free fall before catching her on his back. Sophie coughed and cried, the gas getting everywhere.

When she opened her teary red eyes, Eira and her bodyguard were nowhere to be seen, and the entrance to the Dunmer kingdom was closed.

Sophie had a feeling getting Eira into her hands will take more than just trying parlay with the king.

Ruy held out his hand as Seamus's cat ran up to him, wrapping her tail around his wrist before weaving between Hathem and Dom's legs.

"Took you long enough." Dom scoffed.

"What's all this?" Seamus asked.

Ruy shook his head, focusing on the cat instead of answering the question. Luckily, Hathem answered for him.

"I'm going to be traded for something my father has. I'm a bargaining token. "

Seamus's eyes widened, "I-Is that the real reason you are here, Ruy?"

Ruy shook his head. "I'm an idiot. Of course they didn't believe that mind control lie. It was a thin veiled excuse for them to use me. All while I thought I was using them."

Dom nudged Ruy's shoulder with her boot, all of them standing while he was slumped against a wall, moping on the floor.

"Head up, Ignis. Now we know, and now we can plan."

Ruy's head darted up, "Why are you helping me?"

Dom rolled her eyes, "Excuse me?"

Ruy jumped to his feet, "I mean, why are you helping me? You are a part of the Neverseen. You are my enemy. And I am yours. The last time we talked with one another we were snarling at each other's throats."

Dom pursed her lips, staring at Ruy with vicious attention that reminded him a lot of Sophie when they first met.

"You of all people should know the world is a lot more then black and white."

The coldness in her eyes only dampened when she looked at Hathem, "What is our plan?"

"We need to get Ruy out before they plan to trade him. Do we have any idea when that is happening?" Hathem started.

"No, but the Neverseen is changing. It's less of a secret terrorist organization and more of a dangerous superpower. They are acting in different ways that are hard to predict. It would be better to get him out as fast as possible."

"No. I have spies in the Neverseen that are listening to my orders. If I leave, I'm leaving my men." Ruy objected.

"Ruy, if you don't leave, you will leave not only the Dunmer Kingdom vulnerable but the Assassins. I'm sure if we take the right precautions, they can handle themselves."

Ruy shook his head, beginning to pace. "I don't want to leave you."

Dom laughed, "Aw, actually begining to enjoy our presence?"

"Don't get cocky. I was talking about Seamus. You can get mauled by a jaguar for all I care."

"Aw. Thank you." Seamus smiled. Dom just shot him a vicious look.

"Okay, I agree with you guys. I need to start thinking about a exit strategy. But I have to stay until tonight in order to tie up some loose ends."

"Such as?"

"I believe my mother has the location of Maria Morretti hidden in her files. I just need enough time to crack it. I also have a, uh, personal event planned."

"Personal event?"

"You'll know it when it happens. But by tomorow I'll be gone." Ruy's chest tightened, but he asked the question that had been building since they started this conversation, "Do any of you want to come with me?"

They all stared, silence falling over the small hallway.

"Like, join the Assassins? With you?" Hathem clarified.

"If you want. Or you can go free. We all know there is a better life than this."

"Ruy, that's desertion. Not all of us are capable of running away like you and Alvar were."

"Then I'm giving you the chance right now." Seamus's kitten weaved around his ankles, looking up at Ruy. Ruy sighed, apprehensively picking her up.

"No matter what I think, you all have helped me during my time here. And It wouldn't sit right with me if I left you here. Or gods forbid the Neverseen figure out you were the ones to help me." Ruy waited for a response for the three to say anything. Hathem was staring at his shoes, Dom looking at the wall, and Seamus was pale as a sheet.

"I want to go with you."

"Really?!" While Ruy's tone was excited, Dom and Hathem's was outraged.

"Seamus, don't be an idiot! Don't let Ruy drag you down with him!" Dom barked at him.

"Ruy has been nice to me. Nicer then anyone has ever been!" Seamus argued back. Hathem, forever the peacekeeper, stepped between them.

"Seamus, this is a risk you can't take. You don't have the training Ruy does, and for fuck sake, he doesn't even have an escape plan."

Ruy paused from his cooeing over the meowing kitten in his arms to hiss, "I'll figure one out."

Seamus crossed his arms, taking a stand for himself for once, "I want to go home, Hathem. I joined the Neverseen becuase I thought there was nothing left for me in my village. But now that I'm gone, I miss it more than everything. And I like the Assassins! Allesandro Morretti helped my village years ago, and his daughter is just as good."

"So, let me get this right, you are going to put everything on your line becuase you want to go back to milking your cows?!"

"Because I deserve to have my life back!" Everyone was taken aback by his outburst, especially his cat, who sunk into Ruy's arms. Seamus himself was surprised, quickly gathering his composure.

"I want to go with you Ruy. Whatever it may take for me to go home and watch the sunrise with my siblings again."

With a sudden weight on his shoulders, Ruy vowed to figure out an escape plan by midnight that night. Dom shook her head, silently stalking out the room. Hathem looked ready to follow her, but he sighed, "I'll talk to her."

Hathem looked over his shoulder, "Goodbye Ruy."

That left Seamus and Ruy. Ruy handed Seamus his kitten back, "Are you sure you can do this for me, Ruy? Can you really get me back to my family?"

Ruy crossed his arms, staring at the dark hallway Dom and Hathem stalked down.

"I promise. As long as you help me too."

Seamus nodded, lifting up his cat, "Me and Bean will do everything we can to help."

Ruy laughed, "Bean? You named a cat Bean?"

Seamus shrugged, scritching Bean behind her orange ears, "She just looks like a bean. I don't know what to tell you."

Ruy smiled, but his eyes were faded. His mind was crunching numbers and already formulating a plan.

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm going to expedite a personal project I've been working on with our dear Captain Trix. And I'm going to call someone who doesn't like me." Ruy straightened, "Be nearby. Our exit isn't going to be subtle."

Ruy slid up against his seat, trying to remain as nonchalant as he could manage. He could barely get the message out to his, uh, ally before the meeting was called. His plan wasn't nearly ready. He wanted to make a few more documents and plan his escape more. In his original plan, his escape wasn't part of the plan at all; he was instead going to cement himself in the Neverseen hierarchy. But under Sophie's urgency and common sense, he needed to get out of the Castello before he is traded off like a baseball card.

Egil's daughter is in the Dunmer kingdom. Ruy still couldn't truly believe it. Part of him wondered if he had met her, but Egil's daughter was smarter than that. She had to be if she survived this many years. It was quite daunting to think of quite how old she was.

He peeked over the seas of the Neverseen men and women, clutching his seat when he noticed Seamus finally get into place.

If Sophie knew about this plan, he would get a scolding worse than even maria could give him, but it is the only one he could think of in such a short amount of time. But he had so many plans that he didn't want to leave, but there was one he could complete.

"I'm sure you are all surprised about the meeting. It is quite important." Vespera started, walking along the stage. By the looks in the rest of the crowd and at the captains on the stage behind Vespera, no one really did know what was going on.

Trix side-eyed Seamus, Dom, and Hathem, noticing that they were sitting away from Ruy. Which was somewhat unusual for the four of them.

"It has come to our attention that we have traitors in our ranks." Vespera announced stone-faced as if this were an everyday occurrence. Gasps rippled across the crowds.

"Documents have been found by some of our recruits. They paint quite a clear picture. As you all know, Gisela has been improsined after the Attack of Foxfire. I them assumed Gethen as my second in command, he seemed more competant at the job then her anyway. Or so we thought. Gethen was recently captured at Egypitnat, and with his leadership gone, a few things have come to light."

Vespera bit her cheek, restraining her anger as she ground out, "Gethen decided he wanted to overthrow me as the Neverseen's leader."

The captains shuffled nervously, throwing each other glances.

"And a few of your collegues have been helping him." Vespera nodded to the dark hallway, where a raggedy robed figure stumbled onto the stage. He pulled down his hood, revealing his face.

"This is Belac Russo. A former Cyevan Assassin- sorry, banished Cyevan Assassin. He is the one hired to assassinate me! Your leader!" Vespera added with a viperous snap.

"He is the one that came to us with information. And he is the one who is going to reveal to you all your traitors." Vespera shoved the papers in Belac's hands, who swallowed as he began to read them aloud. It was an onslaught of names.

Tarathiel, Kymil, Tanathil, Feno, and the names went on and on.

Kymil stood from his seat on the stage, a captain sitting next to Trix. He opened his mouth as if he were to say something, but instead sprinted away from the gathering guards.

"NO! NO!" Kymil cried as the other rebellious Neverseen members were apprehended as well as him, kicking and screaming.

Pandemonium began, mocking and items thrown as the traitors were brought forward.

"LOOK AT THEM!" Vespera roared over the jeering crowds, "The traitors of the Neverseen! The traitors of me!"

Belac had slowed his reading of the list, meeting Ruy's eyes. Ruy and Sophie threw him out of the guild at the beginning of all of this, but he was the only person who could do this.

"Trix Ventus! Trix is the one who hired me to kill Vespera!" Belac announced over the crowds.

Quiet hushed, everyone turning to him.

But Trix? Trix was focused on Ruy, burning rage in his eyes. Black held up the fake documents, "This is my proof."

Ruy was quite proud of the fake documents he made for Belac. After many hours of practice, he finally got Trix's handwriting down. Down to the dots above his i's.

Vespera strode to Trix, her eyes something ferocious. Trix gulped, standing in his chair to face her, "My lady, I'm telling you, this isn't true! I would never hire an Assassin to kill you-" Vespera pulled Trix toward her by his cheeks, her nails digging into his flesh.

"I don't like traitors, Trix."

"Ma'am, Ignis is behind this- I WOULD NEVER BETRAY YOU!"

"And finally- Ruy Ignis." Belac announced.

The crowds went silent, everyone turning to him. Ruy looked his mother in his eyes as she let go of Trix, the captain slumping at her feet.

Ruy didn't break eye contact with Vespera even when he was ripped from his seat by the guards and dragged to the dungeons behind all of the others. Trix looked to Vespera, then to Ruy. He just fully realized what is happening. His scapegoat was Ruy. Ruy was the person to blame for all of this. Ruy is a traitor.

But how could Ruy be the sole traitor if he was involved in the same scandal as Trix?

His mother and Trix stared right back at him. Vespera's eyes, the eyes he shared, merely widened as he smiled at her. Everyone saw the smile, realized Ruy wasn't who he said he was.

Vespera Folend is about to learn what type of monster she created in her son.