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theavengerfairy · 10 months

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Tales of a Wildflower: A Wildflower in the Woods (Pt. 1)

"Remind me why we have to forage food again?" Scanlan griped as he stumbled over the umpteenth gnarled tree root in his path, arms waving wildly as he struggled to regain his balance before he could faceplant into the softish but still entirely unappealing dirt below.

Vax'ildan shot Pike an exasperated look, "Remind me again why we didn't just leave him back at the camp with Grog?"

"Because the last time those two were put in charge of the campsite, they managed to light everything on fire—including the nearby pond." Though she tried her best to mask her own annoyance, some of it still crept through in Pike's voice as she carefully surveyed their surroundings for anything that looked edible.

"Riiiight, I remember now." Vax muttered, his eyes briefly flitting up to the leafy canopy overhead as he silently cursed his sister for snagging Percy and Keyleth for her foraging party. "Still don't know how they managed that."

"Well as much as I would love to share the story, what happened that night stays in that night." A cheeky grin stretched across Scanlan's face, but a moment later, it had already disappeared as he resumed his rant, "Seriously though, I know we're broke and all, but why do we have to go scrounging through the forest for some grub? Can't Keyleth just use a berry-growing spell or something like that-"

Scanlan's words dissolved into an incomprehensible yelp as Vax lunged at him without warning, grasping the gnome by the ankle just as he was lowering his foot.

"Keyleth learning a berry-growing spell later doesn't help us now, so why don't you shut your trap and start paying a bit more attention to your surroundings?" As he spoke, the rogue glanced up briefly at the bard's face before shifting his attention back to the small bag that sat innocently on the ground in the shadowy cover of the gnome's still hovering foot and a nearby bush. His free hand already at his belt, Vax'ildan unsheathed one of his daggers and cautiously prodded the small drawstring pouch with the very tip of the blade, his tensed muscles already buzzing with building energy that would send him flying backwards faster than one of Percy's bullets if the need presented itself. However, as the point of the dagger probed the bag, it only emitted a soft, crisp clinking sound as its contents shifted about.

In that moment, Scanlan's entire face lit up brighter than the morning sun, and Pike could've sworn she saw a tear welling in the corner of his eye.

"I know that sound! Oh and what a sweet, beautiful sound it is!" the bard sang with pure elation, his hand already reaching for the coin purse. "Forget nuts and berries! Tonight, we eat like kings-"

Acting again with inhuman swiftness, Vax flipped his dagger around before slamming the hilt against the back of Scanlan's hand, prompting the gnome to yelp again as he sharply withdrew it after pulling his foot free from the rogue's grip.

"Use your head a little, Scanlan." he chided, shrugging off the glare the bard shot at him. "A bag of coin just sitting in the middle of the woods? This has 'trap' written all over it."

"And even if it's just a purse, it's not ours to take." Pike cut in pointedly, giving both of her party members a stern look. "Someone probably lost it while traveling through here; they might be looking for it right now."

"Oooor-" Scanlan cut in with a singsong tone, "-and just go with me on this, you both are overthinking things and not seeing this for what it actually is."

Vax'ildan raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Oh really? Perhaps you would care to enlighten us then?"

"Why, it's a blessing from the gods above, of course!" the bard trilled, gesturing showily to the sky as he lifted a beaming face of superficial adoration to the heavens above. "I mean, think about it. Anybody could've found this pouch out here, but who discovered it? Hungry, battered and bruised, down-on-our-luck us. I'd say we've earned a little charity, and whoever this pouch used to belong to has learned a valuable lesson today about keeping better track of their belongings."

Her arms folding over her armored chest, Pike continued to frown at the little bag while trying to ignore the dull aching in her stomach. "It still feels wrong to just take it without even trying to return it first."

Also still eying the pouch with an air of suspicion, Vax cautiously prodded it a few more times with the tip of his dagger, achieving the same results as before. "Our chances at finding the owner are very slim though, and if we don't take it, someone else surely will."

The rogue lifted his gaze to meet the cleric's, carefully deciphering the mixture of emotions that swirled in her pale blue eyes until she turned her head from him. This hesitation and guilt went deeper than pocketing funds that weren't inherently their own, but judging by her demeanor, she was not yet comfortable with broaching this greater dilemma just yet. He could understand and respect that. Even so, they ultimately still had a choice to make, and he had a feeling that if they didn't decide soon as a group, Scanlan would make the decision for them.

"Pickle, this isn't going to do anyone any good just sitting out here in the dirt." the rogue crooned gently, tilting his head slightly to one side as he tried to catch Pike's eye once more, "We could put it to good use. There's still a dragon we promised to fight, and facing it with empty bellies and low spirits won't do us any favors."

Though she didn't want to admit it, Pike knew he was right, and after a lengthy pause, the quiet sigh that slipped from her lips as her arms dropped back to her sides told her companions that she had relented. Grinning from ear to pointed ear, Scanlan hastily snatched up the coin purse and gave it a little shake so the sweet singing of the clanking coins could grace his ears once more.

"Now, lets see what we're working with here-"

Hardly had Scanlan's fingers brushed along the leather cord sealing the little bag when a deafening crash like thunder pounded against the group's ears, the earth shuddering ever so slightly beneath their feet. Fear stealing through each of their hearts as their minds were flooded with fleeting images of muted blue scales and gleaming white fangs that could easily bite any of them in half, Vax'ildan instinctively grabbed hold of both gnomes and darted beneath a small overhang tucked against a slope not too far from them, seemingly a den long since abandoned by whatever had created it. Peeking his head out only as far as was necessary in order to get a clear view, the rogue carefully scoured the sky for even the faintest hint of a foreboding shadow, but not even a stray stormcloud flitted across his vision as the pockets of light blue winked at him through the leafy canopy overhead.

"I don't see anything-"

At that moment, another booming rumble, louder than the first, pulsed through the air accompanied by a stronger tremor that sent a little cloud of loose dirt raining down on the three adventurers from the little hollow's ceiling. Vax swiftly ducked his head back beneath the overhang as Pike tightly gripped her holy symbol, muttering a silent prayer under her breath.

"Okay, that was definitely closer this time! What do we do?!" Scanlan whispered while pressing his back as flat as he could against the dirt wall behind him.

Pike nervously massaged her holy symbol between her thumb and forefinger, yearning for a hint of warmth or some other sign that her goddess had heard her. "Maybe it's something other than the dragon?"

"With our luck? Yeah right." Scanlan grumbled.

"Both of you, pipe down!" Vax hissed, still lurking along the edge of the little hollow as he strained to listen. Though the dull ringing from the thunder created some interference, his ears eventually detected the rustling of leaves combined with the shallow, rapid panting of something moving quickly in their direction. From what he could tell, the source was hardly large enough to be a dragon. Could it be someone else was out there with whatever had made that noise? What if it was one of their friends? What if it was Vex?

As the snapping of disturbed underbrush rang out from just beyond the mouth of the overhang and a vaguely humanoid shape darted into view, Vax sprang forward and clamped down on their wrist without a second thought, urged forward by the dribbles of icy fear that had leaked into his veins. However, rather than familiar hazel eyes, he found himself gazing into wide, pale blue ones framed by thick, dark brown bangs and the embroidered edge of a dark gray hood. At first, fright danced across the woman's face as she was jerked back towards him, but after a split second, a small spark of fire managed to shine through. As she raised her free hand, faint wisps of pale bluish silver light curled and weaved around her fingers before coalescing into bolts of crackling turquoise energy in her palm, which she slammed into the rogue's chest before he could react. Grunting in surprise and pain as the pulse of lightning coursed through him, Vax's grip on the woman slackened, enabling her to wrench free as he fell back. Not even sparing a glance behind her, she whirled around on her heels ready to sprint off, but she had barely taken a few steps before Scanlan's dulcet voice pierced the air.

"Hey, where you think you're going, baby?" he belted, magical energy dancing around his own fingertips now. "Scanlan's Hand!"

In a flash of brilliant purplish light, the phantasmal hand materialized directly in the woman's path, leading her to barrel right into its grasp. Large, translucent fingers curling snugly around her, the woman squirmed and writhed to no avail as she was raised aloft, her feet flailing helplessly a couple feet above the forest floor.

"...Well, this is a shocking new development." Scanlan chirped, earning himself a sharp jab in the ribs courtesy of Pike's elbow.

A long, pained groan slipped from Vax's lips as he slowly staggered back to his feet, his body and the air around him still buzzing with residual electricity. Shifting his attention to his attacker, he observed the ornate staff she had accidentally dropped upon being snatched up by Scanlan before trailing his gaze up her form, making note of the sheathed dagger strapped to her thigh and the medium-sized satchel hanging at her side. Upon reaching her face, he could practically picture the gears of her mind turning as he watched her eyes dart about, analyzing as much as she could while she tried to calculate some solution for her current situation. However, the minute he reached for her staff, her attention snapped in his direction, icy blue eyes now fixed unwaveringly on him and him alone.

"Before you try anything else-" Vax stated just as the woman's lips parted, tongue already poised to spin another spell, "-keep in mind that there's three of us and only one of you."

"Is that supposed to frighten me? I'm not scared of you." she hissed in reply, the slight quiver of her voice undermining her words somewhat. "I won't let you drag me back there!"

Pike's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say there's been some kind of misunderstanding." Scanlan remarked.

"You were waiting in the shadows and tried to grab me! What's there to misunderstand?" the woman fired back, still straining against the vice-like grip of the massive magical hand to no avail.

Scanlan shot a glance in Vax's direction. "...Okay, she kinda has a fair point."

Vax was about to reply, but the words on his lips vanished as the crackling of more disturbed underbrush somehow managed to overpower the faint ringing that still echoed in his ears. The slight shift in his expression was all the indication that the woman needed, and as those familiar silvery wisps of light danced across her fingers once more, Scanlan's spell combusted at the flicking of her wrist. The second her heels hit the soft earth after a brief freefall, she dove for her staff, but before the straining fingers of her outstretched hand could caress the cool metal of the shaft, a long, slender blur stole across her vision and a stinging pain shot through her palm. Yanking her hand back to tuck it protectively against her chest, she stared warily at the arrow that had just sliced a deep gash into the curve of her thumb and forefinger. Had its trajectory been even slightly off, it would've either pierced clean through the back of her hand or missed completely. The arrowhead just nicking her wasn't mere coincidence or luck; it was a warning.

Not a second later, two more blurs tore through the air, a pained yelp springing from Scanlan as one of the arrows struck his shoulder while the other slashed at the back of Vax's knee. All eyes snapped in the general direction from which the projectiles had come, and after carefully scouring the foliage, they spotted their assailant tucked up in a tree. The aarakocra archer already had another arrow nocked and trained on the woman, his golden eyes locked on her in an unblinking stare. Even more troubling, however, was the fact that he was not alone on the branch. On his left crouched a halfling while a kenku loomed on his right, both of which were also watching the group very closely.

Glimpsing some movement in his peripheral vision, Vax lowered his gaze to the space just beneath the tree and found multiple pairs of eyes staring back at him. He noticed the hulking minotaur first, followed by a half-orc, a human, and finally an elf. Seeming to gather than they had been spotted, the elf smirked and took a few steps forward with his comrades following not far behind, catching the attention of Pike, Scanlan, and the woman. At the sight of them, the girl's expression immediately hardened and her eyes darted briefly to her staff again, her mind racing.

"Hey guys, I think I know why Sparky here was running." Scanlan called out, wincing from the pain in his shoulder as he shifted his hand to hover over the strings of his lute again before adding, "Man, our luck really fricking sucks."

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theavengerfairy · 2 years

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One Step Closer - Chapter 7

Hello everyone. I'm sorry this chapter took so long and I thank you for your patience. The last year of my life has been hectic to say the least, and while this did take me much longer than I would've liked, finishing it now is a small victory in itself. During the past year, I have received questions about whether this story was discontinued, which is understandable, so I wanted to share a little general explanation here for all of you of what my standard practice when it comes to this matter as it is a bit different from what I've seen most people do. If I decide I will not be finishing one of my stories for any reason, I will delete or archive the story rather than leave it up as I do not want to mislead readers new and old into thinking there is still more to come when I have already moved on. I know for some this may seem like a waste of time and effort, but the way I see it, the love and attention while the story was active still makes the energy and time I put into it worthwhile. If an unfinished story is still up, even if considerable time has passed since the last update as happened with this one, that means that I still hope to continue the story. I hope this clears things up, and I thank you again for your patience.

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"Staring at it isn't going to make anything happen, ya know. You're just causing yourself to worry even more."

A jolt shot through every fiber of Callum's being as he finally noticed Rayla's reflection hovering beside his own in the lake's eerily still surface, her arms folded and her head slightly cocked to one side as she stared at him. As he silently observed her mirror image, he saw her lips purse and her brows pinch together in a crystal clear expression of annoyance when she received no response from him.

"She hasn't been down there that long; it just feels like it's been a while because we're all on edge." she prodded again, doing her best to keep her irritation from permeating her tone with moderate success. "All we can do right now is trust in her."

Callum's stomach dropped into some impossibly deep crevice within him while his tongue remained glued to the roof of his mouth. Tearing his gaze from Rayla's reflection, he searched for a distraction upon which he could fixate his attention to try and drown out the millions of thoughts swirling in his mind, all of them competing for his immediate attention. Eventually, his eyes settled on Madeleine and Zym, both of whom had taken refuge beneath a particularly large willow that loomed a short distance from the water's edge. Maddie had fished some random bits and baubles from the depths of her satchel and was now fiddling busily with them while an intrigued Zym looked on. However, more than once Callum observed the girl's gaze wander from the odds and ends in her hands to the lake as well, wearing the same look of helplessness he had seen plastered upon his own face as it stared back at him earlier. Each time, she peered unblinkingly at the water's surface for several long moments before snapping back to her senses, and after a sharp shake of her head, she returned her attention to the items in her lap, thus starting the futile cycle of resistance over once more. The desire to offer her some comfort tugged relentlessly at Callum's core, yet he could not will himself to move as any reassurance he offered would be but hollow words uttered by lips that did not themselves fully believe what they were saying. But it would get him away for a little bit longer, give him a little more time to try and sort through his feelings before he had to step into this moment he so dreaded.

"So are we going to talk about it or are you just going to keep ignoring me?"

Even with racing thoughts further muddling his already foggy mind as they all competed for his immediate attention, Rayla's voice was familiar enough to Callum now for his ear to detect the traces of dejection that dulled the bite of her words. Though some part of him pleaded that he keep his eyes averted, he swallowed a steadying breath before swiveling his gaze back to Rayla's reflection. His heart started a little when his stare found hers almost immediately within the water's surface, and yet he held fast, meeting the scrutiny of those amethystine eyes head on.

From amid the flurry in his mind rang his mother's voice, perfectly clear despite being no more than a gentle whisper. "Breathe, sweetie. Just breathe."

"I..." Shaking his head a bit, Callum gulped down some more of the cool evening air and tried again. "What if you don't like what I have to say? I don't want to hurt you, Rayla."

Rayla's ears drooped slightly. "You're already hurting me though. You can assume all you want, but how can you know for sure what I'm thinking and feeling if you won't let me speak for myself? I get needing space to process, but this feels like more than that. It feels like you don't trust me to try and work this out between us. That's not fair, Callum."

"That's not-" Callum's voice broke off, the young prince already recognizing his folly. "...You're right. You should get to speak for yourself instead of me just assuming things. I'm sorry for being a jerk. I'm just...I'm really struggling..."

The sand of the shore shifting slightly beneath her, Rayla eased herself down beside Callum. Reaching out her hand, she placed it gently atop one of his as it picked absently at the fingerless glove adorning his other hand.

"Then let me help you. That's part of being friends, isn't it? Being there for each other during hard times?" she pleaded, every word emphasized by the earnesty in her eyes as she gazed at Callum. "Just weeks ago, I don't think either of us could've imagined we'd be sitting here like this, not just as allies but as friends. We've already overcome so many things that once seemed impossible, Callum. We can work through this too—together."

Rotating his hand so his palm pressed against Rayla's, Callum interlaced his fingers with hers before squeezing her hand lightly. It was a small gesture, and yet there was something reassuring about feeling her hand clasped in his, especially when she returned the squeeze almost immediately.

"So how much did you overhear?"

"Of your conversation with Anora? Just the tail end of it really." Rayla shrugged. "I kinda had an idea already of what was bothering you. Now I know I was right on the mark."

While he yearned to curl in further on himself and hide his face, Callum instead forced his head to tilt upward towards the night sky, where he found himself studying the stars as if the answers to his plight might be hidden somewhere between them. "I don't know what to do, Rayla. Part of me wants to stay angry at him, and why shouldn't I? Even after seeing with his own eyes that the Dragon Prince's egg hadn't been destroyed after all, he still murdered my stepdad and tried to kill Ezran. I'm supposed to just forgive that and let it go?"

It wasn't until something warm and salty touched the corner of his lips that Callum realized hot tears had begun to spill down his cheeks. Using his free hand, he started to brush them away but eventually gave up after a few moments of futile wiping that left his face stinging.

"You're right," Rayla mumbled, her ears drooping again, "That is a lot to ask of you..."

Gazing down at her now, Callum gave Rayla's hand another squeeze, "But that kind of thinking is why we're on the brink of war now, isn't it? Staying bitter and holding onto grudges, it's all part of the cycle, and the longer we stay stuck in this loop, the worse things are going to get. Keeping Runaan in that coin won't change anything. It won't bring my stepdad back; it won't even make me feel better because I know leaving him in there will hurt you. I know all of this, so why can't I just..."

Feeling Rayla's arms wrap around him, Callum did not resist as she pulled him into a tight hug, guiding his head down onto her shoulder. His whole body shook as he snaked his arms around her middle and up her back, clinging onto her as though his life depended on it.

"I know I need to choose, but I'm scared of what might happen if I make the wrong choice." he sniffled. "The only thing I feel like I know for certain right now is that I need to protect Ez, and so far, I've been given no reason to think Runaan won't try to attack again once he's free."

Rayla's expression hardened. "If he did, we would stop him. I stood up to him for you and Ez once already, and I would do it again."

"Would we really stand a chance against him though? I mean, he's an experienced assassin, Rayla. It just seems like too risky of a gamble. I'm not saying he should stay in there forever, but maybe right now isn't the best time to bring him back out. I don't want to decide anything without talking to Ez first either; he deserves to have a say in all this too."

For a moment, silence once again fell over them save for the racing of Callum's heart and the gurgling of his somewhat nauseous stomach. Pulling back in the embrace so he could look Rayla in the eye again, he studied her face for a moment before continuing.

"So...do you hate me now?"

A heavy sigh puffed from Rayla's lips, the weight of the coin in her pocket increasing tenfold from what it had been just moments earlier. "No, I don't hate you, ya dummy. All of this just isn't easy to hear, especially because I understand your thinking. I would never want to put Ez in danger either, and I feel awful for what Runaan has put you both through. I just...I know there's good in him. He may be stubborn and strict and biased against humans, but there is more to him than that. He's devoted to his people and protective of his loved ones, and though he hides it well, the things his job requires of him do weigh on him at times. I know he made his choice, but the idea of him spending the rest of his life locked up, even if logically he doesn't deserve a second chance..."

Now it was Rayla who felt the sting of tears pricking her eyes and tried to rub them away with the heel of her hand. Removing his scarf, Callum offered it to her but she shied away, eying the piece of cloth with mild revulsion.

"I washed it, I promise." he reassured her, waiting for a bit longer until she finally took the scarf and began to dab at her eyes with it. "I can't make any promises about what will happen, Rayla, but I want us to figure it out together, alright? What you have to say about all of this is important too, and...and I'm starting to see now that maybe the best way for us to solve this is to work together as a team instead of me trying to figure it all out myself."

A coy "I could've told you that" danced on the edge of Rayla's tongue, but instead she handed Callum's slightly damp scarf back to him and gently grabbed his wrist before he had pulled it out of reach. "You know that means you're going to actually have to talk to me like this, right? No more shutting me out even if you're scared of what I might have to say."

"Right. Understood." Callum replied with a sheepish nod, warmth blooming in his cheeks as he intertwined his fingers with Rayla's once more.

"Together then? Just like we've been doing things so far?"

"Yeah...I think that's best...Thank you, Rayla."

As some of the weight rolled off of their shoulders, the faintest traces of smiles appeared on both Callum and Rayla's faces ever so briefly. However, in the blink of an eye, their grins had disappeared as the splash of something piercing through the water's surface caught their ears and drew their eyes back to the lake where Anora was swimming swiftly towards the shore, which was still several yards away.

"Anora!" As he jumped to his feet, Callum's eyes shifted from Anora's face to the damp, dark brown mane that he could just make out over he shoulder. His heart leaping into his throat as his little brother lifted his head, the prince sprinted down the shore. "Ez!"

"STAY BACK! GET AWAY FROM THE WATER!" Anora screeched, trying to frantically wave one arm while still dragging herself along with the little boy and the glow toad on her back towards the shore.

Callum skidded to a halt at the water's edge, his face contorting in confusion until he shifted his attention to a section of the lake not far behind Anora just as the mirror-like surface exploded into a shower of crystalline droplets.

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She was being watched. She had yet to spot a single fish lurking in this section of the lake's flora, and yet Anora could feel eyes upon, observing her every move with an almost predatory interest. As she brushed aside more plants with a wide sweep of her arm, she half expected a hand or face to suddenly appear, but only more lakebed and vegetation stretched out before her. Still, her gut told her she had to be close given how deserted the area was, and after swimming a bit farther forward, a dark patch of stone amid the greenery and earth eventually caught her eye. Paddling her way over, she felt the humming of Callum's cube growing stronger until the vibration permeated her entire arm as she came to hover above the opening. This was it; this was the place.

After eying the darkness apprehensively for a moment, Anora glanced briefly overhead at the distant surface of the water before diving down into the hole, the cube tucked protectively against her chest. The shadows swallowed her eagerly, almost unnaturally so as though they had a mind of their own, and as her eyes adjusted, she resumed actively inspecting every nook and crevice around her for any sign of life. As she wove her way down the long, winding passage, she felt almost as if she was traveling down the throat of a monstrous sea beast with a grisly fate awaiting her at the end of her journey. Gradually, the tunnel began to widen into a larger cavern, and just as she crossed the threshold, a flash of movement caught Anora's eye. Starting, she whipped around while drawing in as great of a breath as her lungs could hold only for several perfect copies of her own panicked face to greet her. Arranged in a row that followed the curvature of the stone wall behind them, the mirrors were all about the same size but boasted their own unique qualities, be it their shapes or the ornamental variety of the frames that somehow showed no sign of tarnish or elemental damage. Though her heart was still thundering in her chest, Anora couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the display that showcased its owner's vanity almost as clearly as her reflection.

Her attention drifting from the mirrors to analyze the rest of the room, gold, jewels, and other items of finery that should have been destroyed by the nature of their watery home long ago crossed her vision, practically spilling off of the shelves naturally eroded into the cave wall upon which they sat. She drank it all in, the knot in her stomach tightening as her mind momentarily wandered down the twisting side path of speculating just where all these riches had come from. However, her eyes continued to roam as she pondered and she was jolted back to reality as they settled upon a more sparsely decorated section of the wall, a curious inconsistency amid the rest of the gaudy display. Here a faint, pulsing glow reflected off of the slick stone, the light gleaming brightest just around the mouth of an alcove embedded in the rock. It beckoned her to come closer, yet she drifted but a few inches nearer before sharply drawing to a halt. Ignoring the bountiful riches, the cave was eerily empty with not so much as one wandering fish swimming about. The back of her neck still prickled in that foreboding way, but as she scanned the cave once more, only the many treasures stared back at her. Her heart rang deafeningly in her ears as she darted over to the wall, pressing herself flat on her stomach against a section of the stone just below the glowing crevice, and as she poked her head over the edge, she found herself staring up into a collage of bright yellow and turquoise which framed a pair of large blue eyes which glared back down at her.

Grunting, Bait began to glow brighter than before, his scowl still trained on Anora. Scooting back a bit, the Oceancry elf threw her hands up in front of her face and turned her head a bit to shield her eyes.

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold on a minute! I'm not here to hurt you, I promise!"

"Who's there?"

Lowering her hands a bit, Anora risked a glance back at the crevice, and though Bait's radiance stung her eyes a bit, she could just make out the somewhat smaller humanoid shape of Ezran crouched behind the glow toad, tucked further back within the recess. Lips curling back into a threatening snarl, Bait inched closer to the edge of the alcove, trying to hide the prince from Anora's view as best he could.

"Ezran? My name's Anora. Corvus and your brother sent me to come get you."

Ezran's gaze glanced from Anora's face to the Key of Aaravos, which was still clutched tightly in one of her raised hands, and though Anora couldn't tell from her viewpoint, his face paled a little. "Why do you have that?"

Realizing what he was referring to, Anora shot a glimpse at the cube as well before bringing it back to her chest. "Callum gave it to me to use as a bargaining chip to get you back."

"But that's something our dad wanted us to have! It's one of the last things he gave to us! We can't just hand it over!"

"...We might not have to." Gliding up to the edge of the recess once more, Anora began tracing out in the water the same rune which glowed on her own throat, which Ezran recognized as the rune that Castel had also used on Corvus days earlier. "I'm not keen on trying to strike a deal with that merman. We might be able to slip away before he gets back from wherever he is, but we need to hurry-"

In that moment, Anora's blood instantly went cold as she felt the water stir behind her, and Ezran's eyes went wide as a familiar face suddenly appeared over her shoulder from out of nowhere, as if conjured into being by the water and shadows of the cave themselves.

"Look out!"

The warning was futile, of course. Anora didn't even have time to turn her head before Castel's tail smacked forcefully between her shoulder blades, sending her slamming against the cave floor so hard it caused Ezran to yelp. Propelling herself back up with her arms, Anora whipped around, her lungs swelling with air, but in the blink of an eye, Castel's hand had snatched her by the neck and hurled her into the wall behind her, black spots dancing in front of her eyes as the back of her head collided with the stone. Whimpering, Ezran yanked Bait away from the hollow's entrance and tucked him securely under one arm before crawling further back into the depths of the hollow again, all the while craning his head to try and catch a glimpse of Anora.

"My my, this is a surprise, Annie. I can't say I ever expected to find you lurking about in my home uninvited. And plotting to cross me no less? I'm shocked you had it in you." Castel sneered, eyes glinting with the somewhat sadistic delight of a predator that had just ensnared its unsuspecting prey. As Anora's mouth gaped, he clenched his hand that was still clutching her throat, his fingernails digging into her skin as she instinctively squirmed. "Ah ah ah, don't be even more stupid now. You try one of your little screams and I'll end you, the boy, and the toad, understand? Although, I did warn the human not to bring along extra help-"

"It isn't his fault!" Anora blurted out quickly, refusing to avert her gaze from Castel's despite feeling as though those golden eyes were burrowing their way into the depths of her soul. "Corvus was badly hurt during an attack and in no condition to make it back here himself."

"So you came in his place, did you?" In a single dramatic, flowy motion, Castel swiveled his head to scan the entire cave. "I don't see my mirror though."

"We don't have it."

"Then you've squandered your life for nothing. I would've thought you smarter than this, Annie, but you continue to disappoint me today."

"I never said I came empty-handed."

One of Castel's brows arched upward skeptically, but the other rose up alongside it as soon as Anora pulled the cube out from behind her back, having instinctively hid when she was first pinned to the wall. Some of the wickedness drained from his smile, leaving it softer and only slightly less menacing, and his head cocked to one side as he stared at the item with genuine intrigue.

"What is it?"

"Another magical artifact belonging to the royal family of Katolis. If it is near something that contains magic from one of the Primal Sources, the respective rune will glow." Sneaking a glance down at the item as well, she noticed for the first time that all sides of the cube save for the Stars rune were glowing now with the Ocean rune shining the brightest. As the light radiated from the cube pulsed with energy, a tickle arose in the back of Anora's brain, a tickle that transformed into an idea.

Reaching out a hand, Castel chuckled as Anora's grip on the cube tightened before hovering his palm about an inch above each rune. Delight warmed his entire face as each rune gleamed a little bit brighter in turn until his hand reached the lone dark rune, which didn't even flicker in response to his presence. His smile souring to a bitter snarl, he tried to brush his fingers against the side of the cube but Anora sharply jerked it back out of reach.

"Is that all it does?" the merman drawled while his attention shifted back to Anora's face, entirely missing her free hand that had subtly inched its way to the edge of Ezran's hollow and was now slowly tracing out different shapes in the hole's watery barrier. "It's an intriguing little trinket, but mere curiousness doesn't make it valuable to me."

"It's supposed to be a key of some kind. I'm not sure to what, but it must be something significant to require such an unusual key," Anora crooned, silently pleading that she appeared calmer than she felt and that Castel wouldn't happen to glance down at any moment to notice as her fingers strained to reach as far as they could into the hollow from the somewhat awkward angle at which her arm was bent.

"Perhaps...However, there is no guarantee this supposed treasure's worth to me will equal that of my original prize. Normally, I would find such a gamble tantalizing, but this time-"

Anora's heart dropped as the jeering smirk vanished from Castel's face, an ominous frigidity creeping up to take its place.

"-this time, I want only what I asked for. If you can't bring it to me, then someone else will."

In that moment, Anora finally felt Ezran's smaller hand tightly grasp hers, the signal she had been waiting for; it seemed that the boy had miraculously understood the message of her rather chaotic gesturing. Adrenaline flooding into her veins, she twisted her other arm around and rammed her elbow up into the side of Castel's, catching him by surprise. His grip on her throat slackened only slightly, but it was enough for her to wrench herself free, his nails carving a few superficial gashes along the sides of her neck as she tore loose. With a grunt, she raised her knees to her chest and then thrust them outward, ramming her heels into the merman's chest and forcing him back a bit as his brain scrambled to catch up to what was happening. Tightening her grip on Ezran, she hauled him out into the water, the runes she had drawn glimmering against his and Bait's throats as they drew in their first breaths, and as she pulled the two to her, she and Ezran both squeezed their eyes shut in the nick of time. Bait's brilliant flash was accompanied by a howl of pain and frustration from Castel, and when Ezran and Anora opened their eyes, they saw the merman rubbing at his own with a pained grimace.

"Hold on tight!" Anora demanded, draping Ezran's arm around her neck as Bait snuggled himself deeper into the prince's other arm. Pressing her heels against the wall behind her, she propelled herself towards the cave's exit, narrowly avoiding Castel's hand that swiped at her legs as she darted past. The mirrors twinkled up at her as she hurried by, and on instinct, she grasped the one closest to the passageway and dragged it down behind her, partially obscuring the opening. It probably wouldn't do much, but hopefully it could buy them at least a couple extra seconds.

The tunnel somehow seemed even longer than it had earlier as Anora raced along, refusing to glance behind them. As soon as they jettisoned themselves back out into the open water with the greenery of the lake floor swaying back and forth with a deceiving calmness, she and Ezran both fixed their gazes on the surface of the water above. Their hearts hammered harder and harder against their chests as they climbed closer and closer, but just before their heads broke the surface, Anora's eyes caught a glimpse of something behind them, something approaching with incredible speed and tangible fury.

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