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Clearing his throat
“How’s dinner?” Naberius bellow when nobody notices him sitting on Dramescula’s throne. All volkins and Dramescula herself are wide eyed. Growling and hissing erupting from the audience, with a glare from the dark mother that he openly smirks, receiving with open arms, “I wanted to have him first but alas, the chicken ran into carnivorous bats.”
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“Such skill you have for deceiving us.” Dramescula says, taking a tissue to wipe the blood off her lip. “I barely noticed.”
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“If you’d had put off your meal just a minute longer for me…” Naberius shapeshifts into the volkin that reported his own disappearance, “I would have joined you.”
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“I would not have you eat my children.”
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“Haha, I won’t bother” Naberius says, “Your kind tastes disgusting like someone’s ashes in a wet urn. “I just simply want to wave hello to princess Sol.”
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Dramescula grunts, not saying anymore that needs to be said. Dimly suffocated trees and the gargoyles flying overhead watch as the prince stands from the throne. Moonlight brightens his body but leaves his face in the dark with crisp yellow eyes that slowly make himself disappear into thin air.
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If only she had noticed, if only he did not disturb their feast. Dramescula would have enjoyed this boy’s meat. But she leaves it, sated only for the blood. Clapping her hands twice and the oversized bats flies down. Their drooling mouths diving straight for the spasming flesh. Before she returns to her throne, watching her volkins and gargloyles alike tear apart the cows, pigs, and Hemreans on their wooden table.
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“What should we do Mother?” One of the volkins ask
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“As what we should do.” Dramescula replies in annoyance, “Sol is growing impatient and we don’t need to give our princess more trouble than she already is facing right?”
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“yes” the volkins hiss and those who have sated themselves see that their bellies sway as they run for Fogsight fort. Nothing is left on the table with the gargoyles finishing up the rest of the bones scattered wastefully on the ground.
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She takes out a matchstick and sparks a flame, throwing it and burning the table. Naberius still lingers in her thoughts. Her eyes blazing with annoyance at the same time, in disbelief. “Your sisters are a bit crazy, aren’t they Sol? I mean the daemon” asking herself while watching the flames gluttons on the wooden table. “Too crazy?” she chuckles, “Yeah, I can agree. I didn’t think there’d be worse than witches here in Hemrea, well, I certainly did not expect to get involved with this but I am now, this coming festival of yours, will be an interesting one.”
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Meanwhile at the nightbirds perching and chirping on the city’s inn, Tywinn and his five mates all have themselves their own rooms. Dori takes excitement on the soft wool made beds. With a blanket color that delights her eyes. “It’s pink! Sir Tywin it’s pink!”
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“Yes, they are” Tywin proceeds to the other rooms, unlocking and giving the individual keys to “Hubert, Zera, Sam, and Gordon.” Before proceeding to his own which is a room that get boo’es from his mates simply because it does not look different or that it does not fit Tywin to have the same bedroom style as Hubert. “It’s fine everyone, I like it”
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“But we don’t!” Zera protests, asking Sam and Gordon to join with her to the reception and ask for a bigger room.
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And Tywin cannot do anything to stop them. Oh, the embarrassment of the inn owner walking up to him while he is changing clothes. The eye candy moment, totally got his new room for free. Though it is still embarrassing for him to get his keys taken in replacement for a bigger room.
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“It’s called privilege sire!” Zera says, “Now this is right!”
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A room with a bed twice as large as usual. With a personal cabinet, comfort room and a view of the eastern side of the flat plateau. Hubert and Dori cannot contain their excitement as they cannonball themselves onto the feather made bed, totally different from theirs that they start jumping and hitting each other with pillows. While Hubert takes a chair and brings it next to the window before posing like a royalty and saying “Ah~ this is life~”, with sparkling eyes and the moonlight seemingly giving him a spotlight,
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“Keep it down mates,” Tywin commands, “We’re not the only one sleeping in this tavern.”
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“Then let’s all cuddle around together!” Zera pulls Tywin for her cow jiggling chest, his face on her cleavage as she twirls with him, laughing merrily and gets tripped onto the bed because of Hubert suddenly kneeling and acting like he is proposing to Dori. But Dori slaps him and Gordon flies himself towards Hubert, smacking their heads together before all hell broke loose on the bed. Zera keeping their pack leader to her cleavage and pampering him, Hubert and Gordon pinching each other’s cheeks while Dori looks for Sam who made herself comfortable inside the cabinet. The White Blood Knights all enjoy themselves until fainting themselves to sleep on one bed and finding comfort in their sleep murmurs, snorts, farts and snores.
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But one young man back at the castle cannot close his eyes, insomnia? Sleep deprivation? Sleep paralysis? What is happening to the Adviser as he considers all possibilities why he cannot sleep. He thinks that it is the urine he had to smell for three days. So, he got up from his chamber and went out towards the central courtyard. Kinguin air and the smell of roses refreshes his nose, face, and shoulders to relax. The beautiful sky barely showing any stars compared to when he was in the cage. Maybe because he kept staring at the stars that he is not able to sleep anymore. “Strange, how strange of you, Horney. Why can’t you sleep, you stargazing handsome devil…”
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“I-Is someone there?” A hoarse and dry dying like voice call out,
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But Horney is too busy with the starts and himself that there is no one else he hears except himself, and the clouds above. “WHY OHH WHYYYY!”
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With young man engaging himself in a monologue and self-play. An old man watches him from the balconies because he too cannot sleep. His left hand holds a book with a cover and title about sprites and spirits of Kinguin. He tried to read into the condition, with all the available records, books, scrolls and papers that he hoards from the library. Most of them concern about runes rather than his deduction on why he and Horney cannot sleep, “A plain spirit...”
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The next morning, hearty citizens all walk out of their bread steaming and smelling houses, carrying baskets of flowers and throwing them all around the streets. Horses are let loose to graze on the plains and one armored soldier in all plateau blow out through a horn that resounds for the royal cathedral and all other church bells to toll. “It’s the May Spring!” The enthusiastic citizens yell and dance with flower wreaths on their heads.
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Tywin is awoken by all the noise outside and groggily sit up, carefully pushing Zera to the side and Hubert and Gordon and Dory who were all over him. He stands up, stretching before noticing Sam who is looking down out of the window. “Did you sleep well?”
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Sam simply nods and watch as the streets below are filled with flowers and the people are all dancing in floral clothes, or vegetable and fruit costumes.
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“Yesterday was the last day for the 30th Sun of April. So today…” expectantly waiting for Sam’s voice of the day,
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“Today’s 1st May Spring”
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And Tywin smiles wide that he looks like a father teaching his daughter. “That’s right Sam.”
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“Mmm”
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One by one, the mates got up from the bed, and not wasting any time for their daily morning routine. Gordon and Hubert both help stretch each other as well as have a rock-paper-scissor match with Sam. Sam always wins. Dori and Zera both share their own beauty products and, not an hour later, the white blood knights step out of the inn fully clad in their leather armor and silver pauldrons. They crossbows hang by the side of their backpacks and their single strand of silver hair are all marveled by the people they pass. They greet their poor ostriches who were not given the stable shelter yesterday because of the overflowing number of horses from tourists and travelers. Riding them for the Third plateau then to Kinguin castle.
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General Ravius along with his squadron salute and greet Tywin who are being troubled by a noble who was scolding them for having white strands of hairs. Almost all except Sam looked as if they wanted to kill that noble.
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“General Ravius” Tywin greets him back properly after Ravius apologizes on that noble’s behalf. “Where is princess Thean?”
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“The princess is getting ready.” Ravius looks like he has been caught again, “S-she’s coming.”
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“TYWIN!” Thean rush with her dress raised and leap, expecting for his bulky muscles to catch him but instead it is his peacock’s neck and feathery chest that takes the opportunity. “GAAH---BIRD!”
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“Haha, you seem as enthusiastic as ever Princess.”
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“Of course! After all, we will be working again until Mægfæge finishes and that is,” she counts with her fingers, “Three weeks!”
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“Yes, we will” Tywin says before asking, “Will the lord magister and Adviser Horney join us?”
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“Nope~” Thean says, whistling for her horse to come, “Adviser Horney is up with Giza, getting scolded and everything because he lost half of his loot to the barbarians and half to the Djahatians who escorted him. So, his mission was fruitless except for being able to successfully own an island under his name.
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Then Ober—” She grunts herself up her horse first before continuing, “Ober has finished his preparations for the festival when he heard that lord Jenskin fill in the role for inns and taverns. Though, you might have noticed that he is not much because the stables are overflowing and there are complaints that his inn are too boring and small compared to who Ober would have invited. Ah, but alas, I can understand his failure because he fought a man whose heart only knows greed.”
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The group—White Blood Knights, Ravius’s squad and Thean all gallop their way down for the outskirts of Kinguin. Tywin’s mates talk to each other about the kind of Dramescula monsters they would be facing, saying that it would be great to see a blood dragon which Ravius’s soldiers don’t find the idea appealing. Not at all, when Sam suddenly said that she can feel the fear from Ravius’s entire squad. Which led the general to do an impromptu motivational speech.
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“The lord magister is staying in the castle for now?” Tywin asks,
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“Not for today and for the entire week, I guess. He asked permission from me that he would go out and hunt a plain spirit that null his and Horney’s sleep. But I did not get why he had to ask permission from me huhu, it made me feel just as important as Giza~”
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“That’s why you’re in a happy mood.”
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“I-I guess?” Thean blushes, hiding her face behind her hand fan. “L-look at you, actually trying to be observant now? When last time you were like nothing other than meat.”
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“I’ve heard that the gatekeeper is the fourth princess and representative for House Sanguiris.”
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“YES! I’m so proud of her because she is actually the only one who can go against that stone Giza. Her name is Sol Sanguiris and she is a gatekeeper at the fort. She recently made a request to transfer everyone from her mansion to fort Fogsight temporarily so that they don’t have to waste so much time going back and forth.”
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“I see, that’s sweet of her.”
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“Yes, she is! Oh, and if you are thinking about their house name, yes, they are the real Sanguiris, yes, they are technically linked to Dramescula but they are like those lie detector owls! They are good dramsculans... if that is how you call them”
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As the monster clearing group gallop faster for Fogsight Fort, Dramescula meditates and prepares her mind for switching to Sol. Then father comes out of the fort, asking for Sol which Dramescula tells him not to disturb her. Then, the first influx of slaves and criminals arrive and Dramescula shifts to Sol for her gatekeeper duties. Which Dramescula asked if Sol gets tired asking the same question over and over again of “what did you sin?”
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And Sol responds in her head that she does not. In fact, she enjoys hearing their reasons no matter how terrible it is that other people cannot look at them the same anymore, at least with Sol, she enjoys giving that false hope to people, that everyone, monster or not, is allowed to live into the fort and start a new life by working at the pipes. ‘But I am here dear Sol.’ Dramescula says which is another fact that she cannot free herself, ‘They’re here.’ She adds, ‘I’ve heard from the guards that they are expecting more hunters. Honestly, why are they even making this foggy place for a festival venue! It’s so gloomy.’ She sighs, seeing the new faces coming for them ‘At least it is not that daemon anymore.’
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“Sol!” Thean slides off her horse and run up to hug a fellow princess. “How’ve you been? Have you eaten the many fruits I’ve sent with love?”
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“Thean,” Sol hugs her back, tightly in a warming embrace before releasing, nodding at General Ravius which she still recognizes and then walking up to the new faces on ostriches. “Of course I did,” Lying sweetly, and quietly breathing onto Thean’s neck, “They were delicious”
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“Let me introduce you to my friends!” Thean starts, holding Sol’s hand dearly as she gestures towards the individuals with silver strands of silver hair, “This is Tywin and his mates. They are the legendary White Blood Knights that hunts down Dramescula! I didn’t know that they were here in Hemrea at first but when I did, I made sure to invite them over for the festival as well! And for this week’s monster clearing operations.”
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“Hi…” Sol extends out her arm to Sam…which, the little girl awkwardly receives Sol’s handshake.
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“Oh nonononono,” Thean guides Sol to Tywin, “Handshake this hunk of a man.”
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“Oh, well…that was embarrassing.” Sol shakes Tywin’s hand firmly before shyly letting go, “Great to meet you…uhm…”
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“Tywin Silvermoon, but call me sire if you’d like”
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“Sire…” Sol continues to being shy before asking to Thean, “when will you start?”
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“Immediately! So uhhh,” Thean orders Ravius to give her a map that she had given him yesterday. She opens it and there are red marks all around King’s Road. “This is from Yesterday’s efforts, though I’d like to call it a massacre when I heard that Rumen sent a daemon and poor souls to their death. The only region that we have to clear is around Fogsight Fort and the marsh then all will be well!”
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Sol nods, agreeing that with how today’s hunting will go about. “Okay, make sure to bring your mounts in. And, if you haven’t had breakfast yet, my father will entertain you for that”
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“Oh please~ no need to call on your father. He’s a tad bit 1,000 years old right?”
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As Thean and Sol converses everyone else calmly walks inside the fort except for Sam who catches her own breath. Tywin and the rest of her mates immediately notice as if every bit of action Sam made is as important as either having or losing a life. Ravius and his men all walk inside the fort along. With Thean enjoying in joining Sol asking the same boring question of having this line of rags enter the fort or not. Tywin, who is still on his mount, ask permission from Thean if they can start hunting with the surroundings of the marsh.
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“Sure!” Thean happily allows them, “But don’t go in the marsh! It is magical and it traps anyone who goes in there!”
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Tywin and his mates gallop away from the fort, raising a hand that he understands Thean on not to go into the marsh. But, asking the only little girl in the mate is more important than troubling themselves with a magical fog curtain, “Report” Tywin growls, and the rest of the mates are just as tense and serious as their leader’s expression.
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Sam closes her eyes and begins briefly, “Volkins, and Shadowlings are hiding in the corner shadows of the fort, many of them are huddled in the underground sewages. Gargoyles are situated around an underground chapel…twenty of them…”
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“And they’re all in the fort?” Zera asks,
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Which Sam nods, “And…Hubert, can I hold your hand for a bit?”
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“W-what, don’t tell me that you li—”
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“Give your hand over Hubert, “Tywin commands,
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“Sire!” He reigns his ostrich closer to Sam for her to hold his hand, “Why?”
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“Can you switch?”
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“E-eh????? Like now?”
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Sam nods, and Hubert is a bit hesitant but he still does as told, closing his eyes and uttering a name in a silent whisper, “…El’Spada…” Hubert’s hand flip with a darker entity and the boy’s entire form turn into an adult man wearing a broken helmet with a large crack at its face, his heavy armor clinking with a greatsword materializing on his back, grunting himself awake with a voice much raspier and different than Hubert, “At your service”
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And Sam opens her eyes in a flash, “It’s the same feeling…” She says, bewildering everyone before all their eyes grow wide as well at her few words, “Dramescula is in Sol”
ns 15.158.61.8da2
