In the Capital of the Varish, Henry and Thomas were walking from the training grounds, after they poured some water on their heads from nearby well
"So, what do we do now?" said Thomas to Henry
Henry looked at him and moved his shoulders showing he does not have an idea
"Should we go and harass John" said Thomas with a sinister smile, ripping his face from ear to ear
it was obvious Henry had no intentions of doing so from the look on his face, he just said
"Let's search for Isabel and William before they burn the castle down"
Thomas with a look full of disappointment said "Man your boring, only Isabel could understand my artistic sense of humour"
"Why don't we ask her then" said Henry pointing to the front
Their William and Isabel were walking, staring at the book he held while he looked angry with her being confused. William saw them and waved at them to come
"Let's go then," said Thomas
When they reached them, they saw William holding the book closed by his side. Noticing the weird leather covering it Thomas spoke
"I never saw this one with you"
"Of course you wouldn't have, he stole it from the library," said Isabel
Thomas surprised and happy about it hit William in the shoulder and spoke
"You are finally leaving your shell you book worm", William was still annoyed
Thomas stared at Isabel and said "What is wrong with him, new language for him or something"
William sighed annoyed an opened the book showing it to them. It was the first page, and it was empty
"Wow… and I thought I was the idiot" said Thomas taking the book and putting his hand on the paper", there is something you can do with a book my guy and it is to flip the paper—"
The next one was empty, he continued to flip, he flipped a dozen at a time, went to the middle, the end, all papers were empty
"What the, that is one useless book you stole" said Thomas as he handed it back
William took it angerly and said "Can't you see!!" showing the cover
Thomas stared at it confused, his eyes going back and forth between the book and William's face, just to act surprised and speak
"Wow, it is indeed such a… interesting cover, the eyes, and uhm... fingers are just so" he saw the disgust on William's face and sighed admitting he doesn't understand anything
"So, tell us, ser, what does they mean?" said Thomas with his hand flat open pointing at the symbols
"This book is about the plague, isn't it?" Said Henry
"Tada!!" said Isabel "You ser are a…" putting her hand inside the bad she held "A winner!!!" while handing him a piece of bread
He took it and tasted a bit while Thomas stared confused, "Mumm, tasty," said Henry
Isabel made an X with her index fingers and said "Wrong answer!!!"
"Can we please focus on the more important stuff" yelled William
"Why ser" said Isabel putting her hand in the bag once more "Is my bread not important enough for you Mr book worm" moving the piece of bread beside his face like a ghost and saying "WoOoOOOo~"
"Don't you guys know how hard it is to keep hand on these books; it is near impossible even for nobles," said William
"All I see Is empty papers, let me burn it" Isabe said with a smile
He looked as her in shock an moved the book behind him saying "I will not let you burn my book"
"Come one, it is empty anyway, you can keep the cover, let me burn the empty insides," said Isabel
"I will not let you use the papers of my book, to cook some bread—" said William before she hit him in the leg with her left leg just to fall down, and for, her to act all innocent
"Wait what?" said Thomas "You went to the library to cook bread?"
"Nope—" said Isabel before William who was standing up slowly said in a hurt voice
"Of course she did—", she hit him in the stomach this time with her elbow
"This bread is a snack we bought, and it seems to be poisonous" she said looking at Henry who was munching on his with her hand wide open
She looked up and down at him and her hand, her eyes scary, asking for the piece back, without any words Henry put it in her hand as she put it in the bag. Henry reached with his hand to the inside of his mouth as she said
"You can keep that" she rolled the bad tight and said "We need to throw this in the trash" looking to her sides
"Just give it to the—" said William looking up at her slowly, scared from that look he said
"Yes. We need to throw it in the trash"
She smiled looking at them and said "Lets go and search for the rest" Thomas smiled hideously at her
She looked at him with a suspected look, he glanced back at her as he led the group. Both William and Henry noticed the cold war between the two, but none dared to middle in
In the museum where Sara and John were walking in, the crown of the past king placed in a glass jar, beside it guards stood silent, just far enough to show an invisible ling in wish none is allowed to cross
It looked almost fully ate, gems are placed beside him, gold turned into rusty steel
"This thing really is old," said John
"Well, it is more than 15 years old" replied Sara
"Yeh, I know but, why isn't it fully eaten already," said John
"I don't know, maybe magic" replied Sara
"Magic? Hmmm," said John staring at the gems bellow it
"What's with that look—" said Sara smiling before she was cut
"What are you guys doing here!!" said Thomas with both hands in the sky
They were both startled as they looked back, seeing all 4 coming their way
"Wow guys, what brought you here? Did anything urgent happen," said John
"I thought it was time for breakfast already, or is it dinner? Anyway, shouldn't we like, eat together or something, all 6 of us," said Thomas
"We are not hungry sadly, you can eat we will follow after you later," said Sara
"Oh no, but food is a one big dish that can't be separated into parts, we do need to eat together," said Thomas
"We can just ask the maids and servants to give us our food later," said Sara
"Oh, would you? but I heard that they said we are only allowed to eat as a pack," said Thomas
"Oh, did they?" replied Sara
"Mhm" said Thomas approving of the fact he made up
"Mhmm??" said Sara
Energy started to grow between the two of them, John interrupted saying
"It is almost night time anyway, shouldn't we go outside, we couldn't see the capital in its nighttime status, I bet it would look great"
Sara not really liking the idea agreed anyway, Thomas just wanting to break the mood moved went with it
In the kings room above, the huge disabled ruler sat on his bed, beside him the butler, the king's crown was in his hand, as he stared at his reflection
He started saying loudly to himself
"The masked man asked for me to send a team of guards beyond the market of high halls, I think he attempts to search the forest of weeping trees, "as he pulled a letter that was sent to him by the masked man,
He sighed and continued "I don't understand what he is searching for, all these years I never did, I sometimes think, that the chance will never come"
He looked to his side; the king was staring at him from the side of his eye
He sighed again and stood up to put the crown on the king's head, but the king looked up in disgust at him
"Ok, ok, I will go bring a corn for you buddy" as he tapped the king's shoulder
Going behind the painting once more, the painting having the king above his horse, strong, fearsome, huge, although only the last one remained to him now, only a big mindless body
As he went inside, the lights did not turn on, the torches were either in the ground or broken
He felt as if a giant snake was in the room, wherever he moved the light he heard the sound of many legs move, from this side to the other, no glimpse of what happened
From behind him a cold breath tickled his neck, he hit it fast, catching it on fire, a giant centipede, with many hard human hands, her body goes all around the room, from the floor to the rooftop
He pulled a knife with determination to kill as the creature struck his face with his human hands putting off the fire, as the light slowly faded
Those eyes of white light stared at him from the dark, before going through the same path the butler used to come on,
"I don't know what or who you are, but good luck" as he put the blade back in place
As the creature rushed throw the sound of his body being reshaped was heard, the crack of bones and the tearing of skin
When he finally reached the light, the king's room, he looked completely different
A crow's head, tall skinny hands, no legs just feet attached to his belly, a skinny small chest
He noticed the king who did not move his head or his body, but his gaze was fixated on him, they traded looks before the creature broke the window leaving the room towards the moon
In the sky he turned into an ill shaped bird, with parts of each type, a small and a big wing, a crow's head, he continued to flap, although he wasn't so good at flying, he went towards the moonlight
The butler was staring from the broken window, carving the crown with a knife, before he went inside