Harold, Kail's father, tapped his finger on his desk out of frustration and anxiety. He sat in his office, the sun filling the room with light from the window behind him.
His mind tried to figure out places that Kail could be possibly hiding in within the city. He doubted the kid had escaped the city. As far as he knew, it was impossible. He bit his lip. He was worried that he had pushed Kail to become the monster everyone of the Darkness element became.
A part of him still greatly loved him and warred with his fear of the Darkness element. He was scared that Kail was hurt or had been kidnapped after running away yet he was glad he was gone. It made him feel nauseated. He regretted how he treated him yet didn't regret it.
He glanced at the two bookcases on either side of the room, wondering if they might have something that could help him figure out how to find his missing son. Sitting on one of two dark red and gold couches in the center of the large room was his other son, Storm, and his wife, Ezmerelda.
The two had a platter of sweets and small sandwiches between them on the smooth cherry wood table. A pot of tea and two steaming teacups accompanied the snacks. But no one touched any of it.
Ezmerelda was staring blankly at her cup, never lifting her hand to pick up the pastel pink cup. Storm was leaned back into the couch, his leg over his knee. He seemed way too relaxed for the situation. If one were to ask him about his feelings on his missing brother, he would have no problems telling them that he didn't care and that he knew he was safe.
Storm knew Kail was going to work on getting stronger now that he was free from their family. In fact, Kail running away was what Storm had aimed for. He knew Kail would figure out that something was up and that that would be what pushed him to flee.
Though Storm had no idea that Kail knew about the Bloodstone Amulet their father had obtained.
Ezmerelda suddenly started crying. Her own thoughts were full of worry and fear. She was scared of Kail's power but she was more concerned about his safety. She felt that her son wouldn't become the monster the others thought him to be. He never showed any signs of being one.
She could only sit there and wonder where he was, how he was doing, and if anyone was helping him. Was he still in the city? Surely he had to be. No one got in or out of Kladruber City without being scrutinized by the guards and the barrier's scanning system.
She wiped her eyes as a shiver went through her body. She looked to her left, feeling a hand on her shoulder but was confused when she saw that her husband was still sitting in his chair at his desk. No one was beside her.
Her blue-gray eyes stared at the empty space beside her as a voice that only she could hear resounded in the air.
"Do not react to my words. Listen closely and follow what I'm about to tell you. Pack up tonight. Make sure you have plenty of supplies and weapons to protect yourself with. There is a map under your pillow. Follow the marked out route to the Star Forest. There you will find Night Elves and with them, you'll find Kail. You must go to him and join him in his fight."
The voice that spoke to her was soothing and melodic. Ezmerelda was tempted to ask questions but she didn't. She gripped the skirt of her black dress. Her eyes locked with her husband's and she looked away.
She was beyond furious with him for his actions. She had learned about the amulet when he left it on his desk while ordering their knight captain to send out search parties. She had entered the office and saw it glittering in the magic light.
Ezmerelda knew what it was, having been able to study it while attending one of the many great academies throughout Cloud Kingdom. It triggered a heated argument between them and she started sleeping in one of the guest rooms after that.
She couldn't look at him without feeling like she wanted to slap him for betraying their son. If he wasn't going to be on Kail's side, then she would happily leave everything behind. She thought of her other children. They were all grown and would be fine without her. Perhaps one day she could even convince them to join her. Storm, on the other hand, could not be trusted.
He was the reason for everything happening.
Deciding to listen to the ghostly voice, she stood and walked out, still wiping away the tears that continued to stream down her cheeks. She took her time walking to the guest room she was staying in, pretending to still be upset over her son's disappearance.
As she walked, she tried to figure out how Kail had escaped the city without being noticed. If any of the guards or the barrier had caught him, the Phoenix family would be immediately alerted. Yet they hadn't been alerted which only meant that Kail had found a blind spot in the system
As soon as she reached her room, she grabbed the suitcase she had filled with her things from the master bedroom she once shared with her husband. She placed the suitcase on her bed, opened it up, and tossed everything out.
She quickly went through the contents and picked out a few that could be handy on her journey. She stuffed the rest into the wardrobe before stepping out of the room and sneaking her way to the master bedroom.
She picked out suitable clothes, toiletries, and a large traveling backpack and hurried back to the guest room. She looked out the glass balcony doors at the fading sunlight. It would be dark soon. She was glad for the oncoming darkness as she continued to pack.
She was ready to go after stealing some food from the kitchen. To her luck, the staff had been on break.
She changed into riding clothes and shouldered her backpack. She took a deep breath and peeked outside of her room. Seeing the coast was clear, she tiptoed quickly out of the room and down the hall.
She reached the end of the wall next to the top of the stairs that led down to the bottom floor. She peeked around the corner, saw no one, and made a sprint for the door. She took two steps at a time as she ran down the stairs.
Her heart pounding in her chest, she burst through the front door. Night had covered the land in a cold, dark blanket. The chilly air struck her like a slap and she shivered. She pulled her coat around her body tighter.
Ezmerelda stuck to the shadows around the light circles created by lawn lights. She went over to the stables. The stable staff would have gone home by now. She entered the stables and went straight to the tack room. She picked up the saddle blanket and heavy saddle before moving as quickly as she could to the stall where her mare waited.
Her hands moved quickly as she saddled her mare before putting on her halter and reins. Once her horse was ready, she ran into another building sitting next to the stables. It was a shed that stored tents, canoes, and other large equipment that anyone could possibly need when going on a long journey.
She grabbed a tent and sleeping bag. She froze just as she stepped out. She had heard someone laughing from behind the manor. Realizing it was just some maids on break, she relaxed a bit and returned to her mare.
She attached the rolled sleeping bag to the back of the saddle before tying the tent and a bag of horse feed to it as well. She would keep her backpack on. She opened the stall door wide and led her horse out of the stall and out of the stables.
Ezmerelda realized she was shaking as she mounted her mare. Gripping the reins tightly, she walked off the property as quietly as she could on a horse. As soon as she was past the gate to the driveway, she kicked the horse into a canter and began her way towards the northern gates.
She could hear her heart pounding in her ears as she eventually reached the gates. The guards on shift happened to be part of the Phoenix family.
"Lady Ezmerelda, where are you going so late at night?" one asked in bewilderment. "Without a set of guards, no less."
"I'll be fine. Promise me this: do not tell anyone you saw me," she said, practically pleading.
"So long as you're not trying to do anything dangerous."
"I'm not, I promise, but I will be gone for a very long time. So do not worry when I do not come back for some time." She glanced back, wondering if her husband or a servant had perhaps seen her slipping out and had followed her.
The guards looked at her closer, seeing the fear on her face. They quickly understood there was more to this strange situation that she wasn't willing to say. They let her pass through after promising to keep silent about her exit.
The barrier was lifted in a spot only large enough for her to pass through undetected. They watched with worried eyes as she galloped off into the night. They sent prayers after her, hoping that she would be okay.
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