As the quiet dusk of midnight swept over the city and silenced the natural noise of the insects and people, Yoshi’s eyes snapped open with a startled panic from the low growl nearby that shook her nerves. She was previously napping in a tree branch out in the forest just outside the walls, since she assumed Fionn would be “hunted” by the heroes. She decided to distance herself in order to operate from the shadows as it was a way for her to be involved without being seen, especially because she had an idiot for a master. “What the hell?” she asked into the night, rubbing her left eye as she adjusted to the darkness surrounding her. When she was on guard, there was no longer a sound–at least, not one she could hear. She flipped downward from the tree, landing gracefully on her feet as she drew her katanas

  Yoshi carefully stalked through the grass like a seasoned predator. “What was that growling?” she asked herself, trying to decide what could logically make that sound.It was evident that it was no bear nor a wolf–the sound was far too low to even be an animal. She kept her eyes open while her senses were on edge

  “Why’d it sound so close?” she asked herself again. A much louder growl rippled through the air again, sounding as if it was just behind her. She spins on her heel, aiming her blades toward whoever had the nerve to sneak up on her, yet there was only air and grass glancing at her back. Her eyes narrowed in irritation. “I’m being mocked,” she hisses under her breath. She lets her guard down slightly, seemingly expecting nothing to announce itself. She turned back on her heel and marched through the woods again, tightening her grip on the handle of her blades. Was it because she’s tired? It might be, but who would know?

  “Yoshi…,” the wind whispers coldly, sending a shiver down Yoshi’s spine. It sounded as if the ghost of a mother trying to speak for the first time to her child

  She freezes like a statue by the sudden voice, darting her gaze at all angles to look for the culprit. The wind shouldn’t be able to speak! But it called her name like it was her friend. There wasn’t a breeze, so how did the wind talk? Questions raced through her brain like a constant river. “If you’re playing some kind of joke, get out and show yourself this instant!” she demanded, clutching the handles of her blades tightly again. The wind was seemingly taunting her, echoing distorted sounds of canned laughter through the trees

  “So… stupid…,” the wind taunted. Yoshi narrowed her eyes, putting her mask over her nose. “Weak…,”

  Annoyed by the wind’s teasing, she thrusts a sword forward into a tree to defy its words. The blade pierced the tree, not meeting with splitters, but wounding the clay bark of the “tree”. Yoshi’s eyes widened as she realized she wasn’t in the normal forest she had slept in. When did everything change? She kept her eyes open at all times. Not allowing herself to stay idle, Yoshi rips her blade free from the clay tree’s grasp and dashed forward, her feet gliding against the ground

  “You’re… wasting… time…,” the wind quipped, watching her try to escape. When she went back the way she had come, she realized that it wasn’t the same as before. But why? She was near a clearing before stepping forward, but that scenery wasn’t there anymore–replaced by dark trees that blended in with the rest. She ditched her earlier stealthy approach for speed, regardless of what was ahead. She couldn’t have gone that far by walking alone, right? The city should’ve been within her sight. Yoshi’s eyes opened a bit in confusion. “I… I was just sleeping here. Where the heck is the city?” she thought, looking up at the tree she formerly slept in. “Yeah, this is the tree.”

  She looks around before dashing west, assuming it was the correct way outside the forest. “Is this some kind of magic? Or a warping ability?” she thought to herself, sheathing her blades to jump up and latch onto a tree branch to fling herself forward like an acrobat. The wind’s chilling voice came back with a booming echo inside

  “Turn… around…,” the voice demanded, sounding annoyed by her mobility and defiance. Yoshi, sensing it would’ve led to a trap, refused the command and kept swinging west. She could tell Continuing with her mission to escape, Yoshi went northwest as a diversion. The wind didn’t like that, echoing a howl of pained frustration, piercing through her ears and shaking up her senses.

  “LISTEN…!” the wind roared, sounding more like a real voice than just the mysterious air

  Under her mask, a smirk plays at the ends of her lips. “Getting angry? Don’t be pathetic,” she taunted, jumping over a small river. While running, she could see a forest fire had happened previously–at least, what it seemed. There were a few broken tree logs and chips resting on top of charred black grass. The strong scent of scorched roses and burnt grass was carried into the air like a slightly pleasant mist. “What happened here?” she asked herself again, glancing down at the human-sized black stain in the grass. Was a body incinerated here? The wind was offended as it let out a glass shattering screech, angry at her denial for the final time. Yoshi smothered her ears with her palms, her senses rattling from the scream. “GAH!” she cried in pain. Her entire body started to rattle and lose its balance from the pain as she stumbles around, letting screams of agony and pain tear from her throat into the air

  Just when the screeching began to subside, heavy footsteps dominated the ground below her, making it rumble violently–something dangerous and vast was approaching. But what could it possibly be? A human storm? A challenger? No matter who or what it was, Yoshi wasn’t going to make it easy for them. With the focus she could muster and the adrenaline flowing through her senses, she directed her speed east, mistaking it for south

  “My head is killing me,” she thought, clutching her head to ease it. “Where the hell am I going?”

  Just as her breathing finally caught up to her, the adrenaline from her fears plummeted. Her chest tightens abruptly just when the coast seems to be clear. She trips over a branch, hitting the floor with a hard thud. “W-what the–” her thoughts halted when she looked at how she fell. The branch–or what appears to look like one–she had attempted to avoid was wrapped around her left ankle. She reached back to grab a katana to cut the branch, but only felt the air behind her back. Her eyes widened in shock, craning her head slowly to look around. “W-where did my swords go?” she asked, fear creeping its way back into her voice. She wasn’t one to be shaken so easily, but this situation was starting to wreck her nerves. “No! What am I getting scared of? I am a warrior, damn it!” she reminded herself, yanking her leg free from the branch. She stands up and takes a second to catch her breath again. “Think, Yoshi! You’re not a little girl,” she thought, cracking her knuckles. She puts a hand on her hip, looking at where she previously came from with disgust. When the ground rumbling footsteps came from behind her again, she turned around with a fierce face filled with determination. “You’re starting to annoy me!” she shouted into the darkness. Just when she thought nothing would respond back, the wind whispers to her again, letting a low, bloodcurling voice hit her ears like nails scraping against a chalkboard

  “Got… You…!”

  Something massive was standing just behind her, letting out a threatening, deep growl to make its presence known. Yoshi’s eyes opened with immense terror again, her heart falling through the grass and her spine going stiff like a plank. She knew something was amiss, but now it cornered her

  Behind her was a quiet formless monster that had jagged, sharp teeth the size of broken tree branches. It appeared transparent due to the shadows created by the trees, only seen with its cold white pupils that were hard to see even while staring directly at it. Yoshi’s face twisted in horror as she realization settles in–she was caught. No swords within her reach. No ally to aid her in the time of need. No Shakti or Fionn to bail her out. She refused to look behind her, but whether she looked or not, her fate was already written in blood–her blood

  The creature doesn’t give her the time to run away again as it lunges out chomps into her right arm. Yoshi lets out a sickening scream when it breaks through the muscle. She tries to rip her arm free to escape, tears raced down her cheeks, hoping she would be let go, but this monster only grins in the darkness. It disappears to let her wallow in pain, letting a low, nerve-shaking laugh after taking her arm away into the night. Yoshi falls to her knees, clutching her dismembered arm, crying from the sheer pain. “M-Master, please…,” she cried in agony, panic seeping its way into her fear. “M-Master, please… help–”

  The monster laughs louder, mocking her grief and pain. Yoshi stumbles to pick herself up, falling onto her stomach on her first attempt of getting up, then scrambles while dazed once she gets on her feet on her fourth attempt. She sprints again, going whichever direction she thought would be her best shot at survival. “Master… Fionn…,” she called out quietly, hoping for him to hear her. Her vision grew much darker, the trees fading away from her view. Was it from the blood loss? But the adrenaline was still strong. Was it from the creature? But where was it lurking and preying on her?

  Her thoughts were shaken as she collided face-first into a tree, disrupting her senses even more. “Ow, ow… ow,” she whined, clutching her face. She falls over again onto the grass, whining and moaning in pain. “F-Fionn… please, help me.” she called out one more time, now doubting she’ll be saved. She tried to pick herself up again, but couldn’t move from the pain. How long has it been since she’s been running? She does not know… not that it matters anymore. “I… I failed,” she thought, looking up at the sky shielded away by the trees’ leaves. “I… I’m going to die without seeing Shakti again… heh…” she thought, smiling weakly. She takes off her scarf, setting it down. “At least… I got the chance to meet someone as kind as her. If I weren’t so stupid… would she have joined me?” she asked aloud, coughing up patches of red onto the scarf

  Tears clouded her eyes again. “I’m s-so sorry…,” she sobbed, letting out quiet hics and sniffles. Was the apology to herself? To Fionn? To Shakti? No matter what she thought, Yoshi knew she wouldn’t escape alive anymore. The creature appeared just behind her again, stretching its face into an abnormally wide grin. It simmers down to the shape of a human male with messy black hair, black sclera, crimson red irises, and resembles a corrupted version of Fionn’s handsome face–rather, it was imitating Fionn as a whole. It was now wearing a thin black trench coat with the word “DEATH” written in bold blood red letters across the back, white pants, and black boots with blood covered flat soles

  It finally spoke with a low pitched imitation of Fionn’s natural voice. “Master, master!” it mocked, letting out a distorted echo of Fionn’s happy laugh. Yoshi’s breath hitched yet again. She takes one more look at the scarf, memories of her life leading up to this point: training with Fionn in the forest, Ann yelling at her, camping with Division 2 and Division 5, sparring with Shakti, and being comforted by her

  “I’m… sorry,” she said quietly to herself. Despite being a capable fighter, she couldn’t tell what she was fighting. Her swords had disappeared off to somewhere; regardless, Fionn never granted her the ability to cut through matter, only standard training skills: advanced stamina, advanced agility, flexibility, and precise sight. A black tendril skewered through her chest, piercing through the innocent bark behind her. She screams in agony again, tears falling down her cheek like a waterfall. She begs and begs the creature to stop, but it only laughs with Fionn’s voice. It rips the tentacle out of her body and snatched her by the ankles with it. It lets out a wet growl as the creature mercilessly throws her into a broken tree

  Her head crashes against the bark, wood chips pinching and poking into her skin. Blood drips from her mouth and head, coloring the grass below her. The last image she sees is the monster, appearing like Fionn, approaching her with a demonic smile as everything fades to black

  As the horrors of the night were happening elsewhere, Shakti was sleeping soundly in the inn’s bed. After the stress of dealing with Fionn’s situation, she deserved it the most compared to Julius–at least, she thought she did. She woke up abruptly from the faint sound of barking, groaning in the bed like an angry old woman. “Who’s stupid dog is that? Ugh…,” she groaned, pulling a pillow over her face.

  The noise only intensified, poking at her short patience. Shakti squeezed the pillow against her face like she was trying to suffocate herself before she decided that she had enough. She reluctantly stepped out of bed, looking over to see that her armor was tossed over the floor, so she decided to just wear her uniform. She wasn’t dumb enough to just wander unarmed at night, so she strapped her cyber sword underneath her jacket

  Shakti spoke to herself with a face twisted with annoyance. “If Chrona has taught me anything other than trauma, it’s that sleeping is a pain in the ass to do now,” she grumbles, adjusting her hood. Even as the leader, duty sucks–but she’ll never hesitate. She follows to where she heard the barking, assuming it was just another untrained watchdog spotting a squirrel. “I swear, if this is some stupid, dumb–”

  She hesitates to take another step as she sees the dog barking at what appears to be its owner in a small park. But why? Shakti noticed the owner wasn’t doing anything to calm it down. “Why is he just… standing there?” she thought, keeping a low profile by crouching behind a tree

  The old man had no hair, fragile skin, and looked as if he’ll forgive you if you ever wronged him. Wearing a simple yellow tunic over white trousers stained with dirt around the knees, muddy brown boots, and holding a rake for a walking stick, no one would suspect this seemingly kind man to be anything but a good person; however, the dog’s barking only grew more aggressive, throwing in a few warning growls as a sign that it’ll attack soon

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “Applebottom?” the old man said, raising an eyebrow in confusion as he looked down at the dog. “Why are you growling, boy? It’s me.”

  Shakti was even more confused. She has seen this man in the past: his dog, Onion, was as friendly as he is helpful. “Applebottom?” she thought, raising an eyebrow at the random name. “Why would he rename his dog? He got the name Onion because that’s his most sold vegetable.”

  What was really going on? Onion looked as if he was terrified of Mr. Bensworth. She took a careful step away from her tree, thinking back to Julius’s serious warning from a few days ago, “Don’t engage. Don’t interact. Don’t talk.” she reminded herself, retracting her advance. She made the decision to turn around, shrugging it off as she thought the dog wasn’t familiar with the man’s new scent–which seemed nearly impossible through normal logic. Just as she was walking away, Shakti froze up in place like a statue when she heard the man’s voice again, but it was nothing like the innocent old man that she chatted with before. What came out was the sound of someone in agony, seeking a ray of help from anyone

  “Get… away… Onion…,” the man managed to mutter, his voice sounding as if he was being strangled from within. It was clear to Shakti that this man was being possessed by something dangerous. Instinct take over as she spins back around and sprints to prevent whatever may happen to the dog

  Her voice shoots through the air with desperation. “GET AWAY!” Shakti screamed, the sound ripping from her throat. The old man, who would’ve flinched if he was anything normal, only twitched in place and craned his neck towards her. It puts on the familiar warm smile of the old man, but it didn’t keep the comforting vibe it had. “Ms. Shakti?” the “old man” said, going back to faking the innocent voice

  She snatched her blade from her hip, aiming the tip of the blade at the man’s chest. “Step away from the dog!” she demanded, staring cold daggers into the man’s eyes. “You aren’t Mr. Bensworth! He wouldn’t be out here at night like some lunatic.”

  The old man’s face shifted into a cruel glare after she saw through its obvious facade. His eyes looked unnatural, like a painting trying to mimic a human’s frown. His eyes were too flat to even look anything remotely close to a person. “What you talk about?” the “old man” said, noticing its own English was off. Shakti narrowed her eyes into slithers. “Another Trick Anomaly? No, that can’t be it,” she thought to herself. With the given time, she studies how the man was postured

  He looked more lazy than the hardworking elderly man she had met earlier. A Shadow Anomaly? Doppleganger? But this creature had no bloodstains on its clothes. It’d take hours to get blood off of cloth without the proper cleaning supplies. A Mimic? It did look like the old man, but couldn’t replicate his posture. It has to be one!

  “Answer me this one question,” Shakti pressed, staring into the eyes of whoever this may be. “What was the nickname you gave Julius because of his blindness?”

  The “old man” paused for a few seconds thinking of what the answer would be

  “Uh…,” the “old man” mutters, looking down at her eyes while searching for the answer

  That was enough justification for Shakti to take action. She thrusts her blade forward, sending yet another warning towards the faker just to stop a hair’s length away from the skin. “Back away!” she snapped, protecting the dog now. The old man stepped back in fear, then flashes an evil, abnormally wide grin

  “You are smart… for a human.” he complimented ominously

  “No, you just suck at acting,” she quipped. “I’m dead tired and still spotted you. Really, did you even try?”

  He narrows his eyes at her, turning around and disappearing into the night. Shakti looks back at the dog who was still barking at the faker. She sheathed her blade after nothing seemed to happen for the moment. “Easy, boy,” she said, crouching down to pet Onion calmly. It whimpers under her hand, sad that his owner wasn’t himself anymore. “I know, I know…,” she mutters, looking to the space where the man previously was. A Trick Anomaly? Faker? Echo Anomaly? She had to identify which one to report back to Julius

  She wasn’t dumb enough to follow the man, especially when it didn’t confront her when it could’ve. “If I engage and follow, I’ll only be setting myself up to get slaughtered,” she thought to herself, standing up now. She puts her hands on her hips, looking at the village. “I don’t think the inn will accept animals inside… maybe they’ll make an exception after Fionn saved the owner’s daughter.”

  She motions for the dog to follow her. Once he does, they slowly walk towards a secluded area near the entrance of the city. The small area was next to a shack that had supplies for ground work. “I don’t mind sleeping here for the rest of the night,” she thought to herself, taking another glance at the streets, then to the dog around her legs. “No casualties, but one good boy joined my party.” she said, the corner of her lips stretching into a small smile. Inside the shack, the dog lies down, his tail wagging slowly while looking up at Shakti. She sits down, kicking back and putting her hands behind her head as the dog lets her use him as a pillow. “Where the hell is Yoshi?” she thought to herself, her face twisting into a scowl. “She better show up, or I’m going to kick her ass again.”

  Whether it was a threat because she cared about her friend, or something to tell herself to push down the fear of something happening to Yoshi, Shakti sighs and tries to relax. She fell asleep faster than she realized, sinking her weight against Onion. He lets out a low gruff, falling asleep after her

  Through the night, nothing was amiss… except the cruel fate Yoshi had suffered without anyone knowing

  As the morning rays of gold color the sky, shooting down its light to brighten up the city, Elara woke up to the sound of knocking at her door. “Lady Elara? I regret to disturb your morning rest, but there was a report that requires your immediate attention,” a feminine voice said from behind the door

  Elara lets out a low, tired yawn, sitting up as she calls out to the maid. “You may enter. I was supposed to be awake anyway,” she said, letting the blanket fall off of her shoulders. The maid opens the door slowly, bowing towards the queen. “Please forgive my interruption, my lady,” the maid apologizes, clasping her hands together over her chest, “but there has been an urgent report of a Shadow Anomaly killing an innocent lady through the night just yesterday outside the gates.”

  Elara’s face twists in confusion as she hears the topic. “Oh, Heavens,” she said, jumping out of bed, dressed in a long sleeved pink night gown and white socks, Elara took the report from the maid. “I thank you for your diligence, Hinami.”

  Hinami nods, bowing again. “It was a tragedy to read about. The rangers in the city were horrified at the sight,” Hinami added, her body shuddering as she recalled the details. “They said she died from something that could use tendrils or tentacles. Based on the autopsy, the victim suffered a huge hole in her chest with other injuries inflicted upon her as well–head included.”

  Once she finished the report, Elara’s mood soured immediately. “I pray she’s in a better place,” she murmurs, setting the report down on her nightstand. She takes a small breather before taking a more serious voice. “Round up all the heroes and tell them to patrol the forest of where the accident occurred,” Elara commanded, fishing for an outfit in her wardrobe to wear. “I want there to be no more accidents. Shifts will be day and night and dictated by rank. B-tier and above will rotate between shifts–no laziness is tolerated.”

  “Yes, mi’lady,” Hinami said, turning to leave. She stops at the door when she realizes something important. “Oh! Where are my manners,” she said under her breath

  Elara tilts her head slightly by what Hinami means

  She turns around to give a warm smile to her queen. “Good morning, mi’lady.” she said calmly

  Elara lets a small chuckle sneak its way from her lips, fanning the air. “You’re the most diligent maid, Hinami. Always ensuring I’m up-to-date about reports before anyone gets the chance to,” Elara complimented, a smile creeping onto her face too. “Good morning to you too.”

  “Patricia had made breakfast with the help of Julian to aid her. I’m sure you’ll love it!” Hinami smiled, finally leaving her room. Elara eventually walked out of her room dressed in a bright red tunic dress tied by a brown girdle around her waist, a cute diamond necklace hanging around her neck resting against her chest, and decided to tie her brown hair into a low bun with curtain bangs, having a crimson red ribbon keep the bun in place. As she walked down the hallway, she decided to go check on Fionn, believing he would take care of the situation if things got out of hand

  She carefully knocks against his door, testing to see if he was awake. “I do hope my guards greeted him properly,” she thought to herself. “I hate that p-word he’s referred to.” Instead of being met by an Irishman, she was greeted by a maid that was tidying up his room while he was absent. “Oh, mi’lady! You have startled me!” the maid exclaimed

  “Bridgette? Where’s Sir Fionn?” Elara asked

  “He left abruptly this morning,” Bridgette answered, dusting off a corner. “He received news about the incident that happened recently and dashed out of the ziggurat in a blur, wearing the face of a man who lost his child. Not even Cat could see him move.”

  Elara’s eyes widened slightly, impressed by his speed, but confused by why he hurried. “Did he know the victim?” she thought to herself. “I see. I thank you for informing me.”

  She leaves his stationed room, continuing her walk to the main room. “That must be so heartbreaking to be the first thing you hear,” she mutters to herself, looking down towards the ground. “To hear of something so unfortunate while you were asleep.” She shakes her head, attempting to focus. Once in the main room, her animal knights were already stationed at their table, chatting amongst each other

  She heard the bull knight’s voice first, sounding as if he was in joy of Fionn’s speed. “Did you see how fast he sprinted?” the bull knight said aloud, leaning forward with an arm on the table

  “My, it was a blur–I nearly caught whiplash,” the snake knight joked, leaning back in his seat

  “That damn Pseudo!” the wolf knight spoke up aggressively, snarling behind his helmet. “He almost ran into me! Could he have seen where he was going?! ”

  The cat knight sighs, intertwining his fingers together as he puts his elbows on the table. “Calm yourself, Wolf,” the cat knight said simply. “Fionn was in for something unexpected–we cannot fault him for this occurence.”

  “Calm yourselves,” Elara interjected, catching the attention of the other knights. Their conversation silenced immediately under her word

  “Good morning, Your Majesty,” the knights said in unison. The wolf knight pulls her chair out for her and pushes her in. “Why thank you,” Elara said with a smile. She clears her voice as she speaks to everyone. “I know we had quite the horrific morning, but please, try not to lose your composure over such matters.” A butler was walking up the stairs in the back, holding a tray covered by a plate of waffles, eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, french toast, and pancakes, a glass of milk, a glass of orange juice, and sliced fruits. He gently lets his presence be known by correcting his voice to speak. “Your breakfast, mi’lady,” the butler said calmly, setting the tray down closely. “Patricia and Julian had made waffles and pancakes with chocolate chips melted inside, served with strawberry and blueberry syrup, your choice of milk or orange juice, and a special add-on of sliced apples, sliced bananas, cubed pineapples, and cubed watermelon.”

  “Mmm,” Elara hummed happily, her mouth watering at the delicious foods presented to her. “Was Patricia in a good mood today? I do hope she and Mr. Lockhart had a good date yesterday.”

  “She was twirling and humming the happy tune she used to sing to you,” the butler said, setting down her silverware and adjusting a napkin around her neck. “I’d say they had a splendid afternoon.”

  “Marvelous,” Elara smiled, picking up her fork to dig into her food. She glances upwards at her knights. “Please, continue on with your previous conversation. I apologize for my earlier demand.”

  “Nonsense,” the bear knight insisted. “You were right–we’re a bit of a mess after that report this morning.”

  The wolf knights spoke up again, crossing his arms. “But does that Pseudo know the victim?” the wolf knight asked, glancing over his comrades. The cat knight speaks up again, more level-headed than before. “It did appear like he does,” the cat knight answered, shaking his head. “It’s still so unfortunate that this happened while his guard was down. What kind of coward attacks in the middle of the night?”

  “Now, now,” the porcupine knight said, speaking up. Surprisingly, the knight’s voice was feminine, but not high tuned naturally. “This world still holds that dangerous group that tried to kidnap Lady Elara. Maybe this is an act of fearmongering to get her to be alone through the fear of the people.”

  The knights process her thoughts on the matter. It wouldn’t be inaccurate, especially when Elara slipped through their fingers before. “Hmm,” the lizard knight mutters. “In fairness, this would be something they attempt. The last time they tried to pull a horrid act, we were played for fools so easily.”

  “Precisely,” the porcupine knight agreed

  The knights came to an understanding of the situation–except the bull knight

  “No,” he said bluntly. “I don’t believe that.”

  “You what?” the snake knight asked, confused by whatever the bull knight might be thinking. “Yes, this is an act too far, but why would you disagree with Porcupine’s thought?”

  “It doesn’t sound… true,” he replied simply, leaning back in his chair slightly. “The face on Sir Fionn was true anger. If he had known it was them, then he wouldn’t have played so easily into their hands. This had to be something different.”

  The bird knight tilted his head in confusion. “You’re suggesting that it was something else entirely?” the bird knight asked, almost like he was asking if the bull knight had gone mad. “What alternative could be the case?”

  The bull knight shrugs, standing up from his seat and pushing it in. “Please, forgive me for my divergent thoughts. I’m merely seeing a different perspective,” he said, bowing slightly to his team. “If you need me, I’ll be in the training room downstairs.”

  As Elara was finishing her breakfast, she sets her silverware down and wipes her face with the napkin. She clears her voice with a cough to interject properly. “My, you all bicker like family–I am glad,” she said, smiling sweetly at her knights. “Although, I see both points.”

  “You do, mi’lady?” the bear knight asked, adjusting to sit straight

  “Yes, I do,” she replied simply. “The report mentions the victim was clearly killed by something unnatural. While I do not know what my former captors are capable of, I cannot fully commit to either side of this discussion; however, I will say that this improper stunt does seem to be something they would pull to redirect my attention.”

  “I see,” the porcupine knight said, putting her hands in her lap. “Please, ignore my previous claim.”

  “No need,” Elara said, clasping her hands together. “It is an excellent theory based on earlier events that transpired.”

  Elara sits back in her seat, allowing her knights to continue their discussion. “I wonder…,” she thinks to herself. “Was it ‘Mr. Shadow’ again?”