Maeve let out a small sneeze, quickly wiping her nose. "Huh, I feel kinda angry all of a sudden."
She and Orpheus sat across from each other in the War Room. Aladdin had joined Greed in the medical wing with Azrael, Kohsin, and Autumn. Everything was happening too fast, and not fast enough. She couldn't help but continuously worry about Zero, as much as she didn't want to. Three months is a short amount of time to try and find your way back from the dead, but the more she contemplated the feat he was attempting, the more her worries grew.
"Tell me this again," Orpheus stated, his brow raised. "Your husband is a Dragon, but he was turned into a Human by the Highers, the Gods and Goddesses whom countless pray to and who shaped Arrithia into what it is today?"
"Rogue Highers, yes."
"One of which was your mother."
"Nix, Higher of the Void."
"Riiiight. And your Human-Dragon Husband threw himself and her into the Moon to destroy it and break the Vampire Gods' spell that was going to cover Arrithia in eternal darkness, where they and Nix would rule?"
"Correct."
"That was after Nix and..." Orpheus rotated his wrist, trying to recall the name of the other compatriot.
"Lord, an Old God."
"Who created the Highers?"
"Most of them, yes."
"Riiight." Orpheus let out a winded sigh. "And it was Nix and Lord who took Vol and traded it to..."
"Virgil."
"Who is a..."
"Nightmare."
"Which is a..."
"Oh, I don't know what he is specifically. Aladdin says Virgil is older than him. I call him a Nightmare because that's what he was. He beat the shit out of all of us."
"Your husband, do you think he will succeed?"
The silence that followed was long, long enough for Orpheus to begin regretting his words. However, Maeve looked up from the table with a smile and said, "Yes and no, he's kinda an idiot."
Orpheus looked at her with a blank expression for a moment, then his attention turned to the map in the center of the room. "Do you enjoy being King?" He swayed his attention back. "I never thought you'd be a King."
"What, should I be a Queen?" Maeve retorted.
"No, no, no. It's just, you put up a pretty big fuss about becoming a Warlord."
Maeve nodded and fluttered her eyes. "I didn't have a choice about being a King either. I have a debt to pay."
"To Sidra?"
"To my husband and the group we sent to Ayce." Maeve nodded to herself with closed eyes as she took in a deep breath. "I thought I was stronger than I actually was." She looked directly at Orpheus. "What about you, will you be departing soon?"
Orpheus hesitated for a moment, thinking on his words before he spoke. "No, actually, I think I will be staying. The Vampires will need a leader. Besides, it's not like a Warlord is needed anywhere more than their home island."
Maeve let out a breath of relief as she muttered under her breath. "Oh thank fuck."
"Uh..." Orpheus replied. "I beg your pardon?"
Maeve stood up. "Come with me." She made her way over to the map in the center of the room. "Take a look at this."
Orpheus pushed himself from the table and moved over to Maeve and the map. She pointed to the center of the island.
"The Vampire City of Tifton, what about it?" Orpheus asked.
"That’s where we are going to put Sidra’s new united Kingdom, and to do that, I’m going to need your help." Maeve turned her attention to the left, grabbing a piece of parchment from under the two maps on the table. "Can you read this?"
Orpheus took the parchment and assessed it intently. As his eyes graced the very first line of text, he lowered the page and looked intently at Maeve. "Where did you find this?"
"I didn’t. It’s my own writing, but it’s copied from a spell Luna wrote to teleport the castle here."
Orpheus shook his head. "Maeve. You’re sure this language is what Luna wrote in?"
Maeve reared her head back, nodding profusely. "I am, why?"
"You said you have MoonShadow Elves on the island?"
"Yes."
"Take me to them." Orpheus’s expression was grave, and his tone was fierce. "Take me to them now."
Maeve led Orpheus from the War Room to the outside camps. She took him south of the castle to where Sukki and her group of Adventurers were stationed. Their camp was probably the most modest, with a small fire and tents made out of fabric and gowns sewn together, propped up with their own weapons. When Maeve approached, they all began to stand, but Maeve raised her hand, gesturing toward Sukki.
"Just Sukki, please." Maeve took her hand as Sukki stood up, helping her to her feet. As she did, the three of them descended into the shadow their bodies had been making with the rising sun. Quickly traversing, the three of them found themselves in Maeve’s chambers, popping out of the shadow from behind her throne.
Sukki stumbled from Maeve’s grasp, taking a few steps until she found her footing and turned around. Her white yoroi was covered in soot and ash, with streaks of what looked like dried blood. The scroll on her head had long fallen during her retreat, and her sandals were barely holding together, the leather straps one wrong move away from snapping completely. Even though she was an Elf, with the moon gone, the benefits of its powers were gone, but also draining. She hadn’t ever felt this way. She still had the longevity of an Elf, but she was now nothing more than a Human when it came to her magic. Her skills with a rapier and sword were what were holding her together.
"What’s going on, Maeve?" Sukki asked, shaking her head in confusion. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No," Maeve replied. "Orpheus here wishes to speak to you."
Sukki looked at Orpheus, then her eyes moved to the parchment in his hand. "Do you need me to look at something for you?"
Orpheus presented the parchment to her, and before he could say anything, Sukki snapped out, "WHERE DID YOU GET THIS?"
Maeve and Orpheus shared a look, then Maeve stated, "It’s from the scroll one of the Vampire Gods used to teleport my castle into the center of Highbluff."
Sukki stared at Maeve for a moment, her face perplexed, her mouth slightly agape as she shook her head slightly. "I don’t understand. These are Moon Runes? Why would the Vampires be writing in Moon Runes? The Moon Elves went extinct countless years ago."
"That’s what we want to know," Orpheus stated. "I have known Elves who have been turned into Vampires, but you lose your connection to the source of Elven Magic."
"Moon Elves don’t channel their Magic from the source on Tzang. We both channeled it from the moon itself," Sukki replied.
Maeve let out a defeated sigh. "That would mean they were Moon Elves."
"What?" Sukki asked. "Who were?"
"The Vampire Gods. They were Moon Elves, that’s how they knew of a spell to tether the moon."
"I don’t even understand what you’re talking about. What’s going on? The Moon Elves are extinct."
"It doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is that you can read that." Maeve gestured toward the parchment. "We’re going to need it."
Orpheus tilted his head, thoughts racing through his head as he wondered what she was playing at. "What’s your plan, Maeve?"
Maeve turned all her attention on Orpheus. "I’m going to do the same thing Luna did to Highbluff, but I’m going to do it to Tifton."
Maeve’s face said it all. There was no need to question if she was serious; Orpheus knew right away that she had every intention of following through with her plan. He nodded at her with closed eyes and turned his attention to Sukki. "I believe you are dismissed, Madam."
"Not yet," Maeve exclaimed. "I want to get started on this right away. It will be you who will be leaving, Orpheus. You have a day to evacuate Tifton." Without another word, Maeve made her way over to Sukki and took the parchment from her grasp. "Come with me." She and Sukki began walking toward the chamber doors when they burst open. Aladdin and Greed stood there, blood covering their bodies. Greed held himself up with his sword, using it more like a cane than a weapon.
"Aladdin?! Greed?!" Maeve exclaimed.
Aladdin rushed over to her as Greed collapsed onto the ground.
"It’s the Lycans, Maeve. We were wrong about what would happen to them. They aren’t reverting; they’re—."
"They’re evolving!" Greed mustered up. He did his best to move himself back up on his sword, with Aladdin rushing back over to help hold him up. "They are evolving, Maeve. Evolving into Monsters with Dungeon Master sized strength, physical and magical." Greed spoke through labored breaths, and each of his words hung in the air. "Azral is killing everyone." He looked Maeve directly in the eyes. "He killed Autumn in a single blow. Cut his head clean off with one swipe of his tail." Greed’s eyes fluttered before he finally passed out from exhaustion, a small snore echoing through the chamber as Aladdin hoisted him upward, his sword falling onto the floor.
"I’ll take him to my chambers, but Maeve." Aladdin looked to Maeve, Orpheus, and Sukki. "Please try not to kill him."
Maeve let out a small sneeze, quickly wiping her nose. "Huh, I feel kinda angry all of a sudden."
She and Orpheus sat across from each other in the War Room. Aladdin had joined Greed in the medical wing with Azrael, Kohsin, and Autumn. Everything was happening too fast, and not fast enough. She couldn't help but continuously worry about Zero, as much as she didn't want to. Three months is a short amount of time to try and find your way back from the dead, but the more she contemplated the feat he was attempting, the more her worries grew.
"Tell me this again," Orpheus stated, his brow raised. "Your husband is a Dragon, but he was turned into a Human by the Highers, the Gods and Goddesses whom countless pray to and who shaped Arrithia into what it is today?"
"Rogue Highers, yes."
"One of which was your mother."
"Nix, Higher of the Void."
"Riiiight. And your Human-Dragon Husband threw himself and her into the Moon to destroy it and break the Vampire Gods' spell that was going to cover Arrithia in eternal darkness, where they and Nix would rule?"
"Correct."
"That was after Nix and..." Orpheus rotated his wrist, trying to recall the name of the other compatriot.
"Lord, an Old God."
"Who created the Highers?"
"Most of them, yes."
"Riiight." Orpheus let out a winded sigh. "And it was Nix and Lord who took Vol and traded it to..."
"Virgil."
"Who is a..."
"Nightmare."
"Which is a..."
"Oh, I don't know what he is specifically. Aladdin says Virgil is older than him. I call him a Nightmare because that's what he was. He beat the shit out of all of us."
"Your husband, do you think he will succeed?"
The silence that followed was long, long enough for Orpheus to begin regretting his words. However, Maeve looked up from the table with a smile and said, "Yes and no, he's kinda an idiot."
Orpheus looked at her with a blank expression for a moment, then his attention turned to the map in the center of the room. "Do you enjoy being King?" He swayed his attention back. "I never thought you'd be a King."
"What, should I be a Queen?" Maeve retorted.
"No, no, no. It's just, you put up a pretty big fuss about becoming a Warlord."
Maeve nodded and fluttered her eyes. "I didn't have a choice about being a King either. I have a debt to pay."
"To Sidra?"
"To my husband and the group we sent to Ayce." Maeve nodded to herself with closed eyes as she took in a deep breath. "I thought I was stronger than I actually was." She looked directly at Orpheus. "What about you, will you be departing soon?"
Orpheus hesitated for a moment, thinking on his words before he spoke. "No, actually, I think I will be staying. The Vampires will need a leader. Besides, it's not like a Warlord is needed anywhere more than their home island."
Maeve let out a breath of relief as she muttered under her breath. "Oh thank fuck."
"Uh..." Orpheus replied. "I beg your pardon?"
Maeve stood up. "Come with me." She made her way over to the map in the center of the room. "Take a look at this."
Orpheus pushed himself from the table and moved over to Maeve and the map. She pointed to the center of the island.
"The Vampire City of Tifton, what about it?" Orpheus asked.
"That’s where we are going to put Sidra’s new united Kingdom, and to do that, I’m going to need your help." Maeve turned her attention to the left, grabbing a piece of parchment from under the two maps on the table. "Can you read this?"
Orpheus took the parchment and assessed it intently. As his eyes graced the very first line of text, he lowered the page and looked intently at Maeve. "Where did you find this?"
"I didn’t. It’s my own writing, but it’s copied from a spell Luna wrote to teleport the castle here."
Orpheus shook his head. "Maeve. You’re sure this language is what Luna wrote in?"
Maeve reared her head back, nodding profusely. "I am, why?"
"You said you have MoonShadow Elves on the island?"
"Yes."
"Take me to them." Orpheus’s expression was grave, and his tone was fierce. "Take me to them now."
Maeve led Orpheus from the War Room to the outside camps. She took him south of the castle to where Sukki and her group of Adventurers were stationed. Their camp was probably the most modest, with a small fire and tents made out of fabric and gowns sewn together, propped up with their own weapons. When Maeve approached, they all began to stand, but Maeve raised her hand, gesturing toward Sukki.
"Just Sukki, please." Maeve took her hand as Sukki stood up, helping her to her feet. As she did, the three of them descended into the shadow their bodies had been making with the rising sun. Quickly traversing, the three of them found themselves in Maeve’s chambers, popping out of the shadow from behind her throne.
Sukki stumbled from Maeve’s grasp, taking a few steps until she found her footing and turned around. Her white yoroi was covered in soot and ash, with streaks of what looked like dried blood. The scroll on her head had long fallen during her retreat, and her sandals were barely holding together, the leather straps one wrong move away from snapping completely. Even though she was an Elf, with the moon gone, the benefits of its powers were gone, but also draining. She hadn’t ever felt this way. She still had the longevity of an Elf, but she was now nothing more than a Human when it came to her magic. Her skills with a rapier and sword were what were holding her together.
"What’s going on, Maeve?" Sukki asked, shaking her head in confusion. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No," Maeve replied. "Orpheus here wishes to speak to you."
Sukki looked at Orpheus, then her eyes moved to the parchment in his hand. "Do you need me to look at something for you?"
Orpheus presented the parchment to her, and before he could say anything, Sukki snapped out, "WHERE DID YOU GET THIS?"
Maeve and Orpheus shared a look, then Maeve stated, "It’s from the scroll one of the Vampire Gods used to teleport my castle into the center of Highbluff."
Sukki stared at Maeve for a moment, her face perplexed, her mouth slightly agape as she shook her head slightly. "I don’t understand. These are Moon Runes? Why would the Vampires be writing in Moon Runes? The Moon Elves went extinct countless years ago."
"That’s what we want to know," Orpheus stated. "I have known Elves who have been turned into Vampires, but you lose your connection to the source of Elven Magic."
"Moon Elves don’t channel their Magic from the source on Tzang. We both channeled it from the moon itself," Sukki replied.
Maeve let out a defeated sigh. "That would mean they were Moon Elves."
"What?" Sukki asked. "Who were?"
"The Vampire Gods. They were Moon Elves, that’s how they knew of a spell to tether the moon."
"I don’t even understand what you’re talking about. What’s going on? The Moon Elves are extinct."
"It doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is that you can read that." Maeve gestured toward the parchment. "We’re going to need it."
Orpheus tilted his head, thoughts racing through his head as he wondered what she was playing at. "What’s your plan, Maeve?"
Maeve turned all her attention on Orpheus. "I’m going to do the same thing Luna did to Highbluff, but I’m going to do it to Tifton."
Maeve’s face said it all. There was no need to question if she was serious; Orpheus knew right away that she had every intention of following through with her plan. He nodded at her with closed eyes and turned his attention to Sukki. "I believe you are dismissed, Madam."
"Not yet," Maeve exclaimed. "I want to get started on this right away. It will be you who will be leaving, Orpheus. You have a day to evacuate Tifton." Without another word, Maeve made her way over to Sukki and took the parchment from her grasp. "Come with me." She and Sukki began walking toward the chamber doors when they burst open. Aladdin and Greed stood there, blood covering their bodies. Greed held himself up with his sword, using it more like a cane than a weapon.
"Aladdin?! Greed?!" Maeve exclaimed.
Aladdin rushed over to her as Greed collapsed onto the ground.
"It’s the Lycans, Maeve. We were wrong about what would happen to them. They aren’t reverting; they’re—."
"They’re evolving!" Greed mustered up. He did his best to move himself back up on his sword, with Aladdin rushing back over to help hold him up. "They are evolving, Maeve. Evolving into Monsters with Dungeon Master sized strength, physical and magical." Greed spoke through labored breaths, and each of his words hung in the air. "Azral is killing everyone." He looked Maeve directly in the eyes. "He killed Autumn in a single blow. Cut his head clean off with one swipe of his tail." Greed’s eyes fluttered before he finally passed out from exhaustion, a small snore echoing through the chamber as Aladdin hoisted him upward, his sword falling onto the floor.
"I’ll take him to my chambers, but Maeve." Aladdin looked to Maeve, Orpheus, and Sukki. "Please try not to kill him."
