Deliverance

Deliverance

A dark hallway stretches out as the shuffle of feet and whispering linger in the somber atmosphere. Edger's shoulders tense tightly as the hands gripping his arms drag him across the strangely smooth stone floor. Edgars' eyes still do not adjust to the shift in the light; his eyes focus on the floor and study it. Symbols and patterns adorn the stone, barely etched, so the floor maintains this smooth texture. He cannot make out the symbols etched into the floor, although he knows they are magical. The whispering gets louder; some are hushed and giggling, while others sound concerned and confused.

After a moment, Edgar stops; he is no longer being dragged across the floor. He looks up to see violet flames dancing in front of him. Uneasiness fills his stomach as he strains his eyes to see a shadowy figure. The shadow was a large and imposing humanoid shape atop what looked like stairs; with each step, it got closer to Edgar. The shadow stepped down one step at a time, and a heel-clicking echoed through the room. Finally, the figure raised its hand, and the commonplace whispering before was silenced. A chill ran down Edgar's spine as the shadow stood before him. A hand grabbed his chin, and a pair of silver eyes stared at him as the acrylic nails on the hand ran down his neck. The figures' eyes meet Edgars.

A low feminine voice rings from the shadow, "Hello, my dear, I've been waiting for you." Edgar freezes in place as an ache pounds throughout his skull, his vision goes dark, and his mind swirls violently.

"Edgar? It is time to wake up…." A voice echoes faintly inside his head. He tries to focus on it, but the pain makes it hard. "Edgar, are you alright? You need to wake up, dear." The voice is becoming louder. A heat is building inside of him now. The heat burns and pain strikes his palms; he wishes he could scream but can't.

“Edgar, wake up!”

With a scream, Edgar jolts upwards. His eyes are greeted by the morning sun and his bedroom. A small room filled with various books across all his furniture, of which there is very little of the latter. Beads of cold sweat pour down his face as he feels a hand grab his. The hand is smaller than his and very soft. His eyes look up to see the familiar face of El; he acts as the caretaker for all of the enchanted within the castle. A kind and gentle man, which is very welcome in a place where the eyes of the common stare daggers into your heart.

"Those nightmares again, dear?" El's voice exuded a level of comfort Edgar welcomed at that moment. He nodded as he caressed his hand and smiled one of his good old-fashioned El smiles.

"Don't fret, dear; I am sure it is just nerves for the journey," El says, pausing momentarily, "everything is going to be fine; you both are competent young men." His smile exuded the warmth that he was known for. This level of reassurance was uncommon for people like Edgar, or El for that matter. Edgar had always wondered how El had stayed so kind and cheerful after everything that's happened. He must have had his share of abuse hurled at him as well.

"Thank you, El; I would be lost without you," Edgar says with a smile. El smiles back and squeezes his hand. El was as close as any of us had to a parent here. The moment we start to show signs of magic, the Knights Ardant tear us away from our parents so that we might use our magic in service of the nobility. We are taught that our lives are to serve the upper class as they have been gratuitous enough to allow us to live, despite our blight.

"You are a special one, Edgar; not many of us get to be in service to the crown prince; it is a great honor!" his voice roared excitedly. Edgar laughs; he swears that El is more excited than he is. Edgar stands up out of bed and stretches.

Edgar looks at El before speaking, "I suppose so, El; I just see this as another journey me and Pence get to have." El frowns at his choice of words, yet Edgar knows it is not one of disappointment but one more of pity. Perhaps there is some naivety to Edgar's words, he is well aware of this, yet still, he believes that even once Pence becomes king and Pence becomes Enchanted Vassal to the king, all will be well. He will fit into the place where he is meant to be, and always will be, by the king's side, as he was always told he had to be.

"I know you and our prince are close, Edgar…" El pauses momentarily, "Yet I still ask you to remember your duty comes before anything else." Edgar nods in response; he and El have spoken often about this topic and were not eager to revisit it. Edgar walks across the room to his trunk, opens it, and pulls out his clothes.

Edgar turns towards El and smiles, "Thank you, El, for waking me up; if you would excuse me, I need to finish packing and preparing for the journey." El smiles at Edgar and nods; as he turns towards the door, El stops before turning around and hugging him tightly.

" I am so proud of you, Edgar…." El's voice cracks as she speaks, "Oh, one more thing, I prepared some extra bandages for you; I left them in your bag." Edgar smiles at him and nods. El is one of the few people to know of Edgar's transition. He transitioned at a young age and assumed stealth ever since, mostly for safety as the kingdom is…very precarious in their 'kindness' extended towards the enchanted. However, any other deviance from their perfect land could threaten more than Edgars' position. 

Edgar quickly thanks El as he watches him slip out of the room. He looks at the bindings, and a smile creeps across his face. El had gone to work dyeing these particular ones brown so they would blend in with his skin. He replaces his bindings and throws some components into his satchel and trunk. Edgar grabs a leather-bound book Pence had gotten him. It was high quality, the cover was soft to the touch, and it had inscribed the runes of The Flow, the foundation of all magic. Crown Prince Pence had always taken an interest in Edgar's magic and, more so, making sure Edgar felt supported and comfortable in the kingdom.

Edgar remembers their first meeting was how they would sneak off into the deeper parts of the castle gardens to play together as a child; they did this for months until some nobleman caught them and brought Edgar to the guard. Edgar had no idea that his best friend was indeed the crown prince. The noble demanded that he be punished for trying to dirty the prince with his presence, but Pence stood up for him, something he had never experienced before. Furthermore, pence demanded that his mother make Edgar his Vassal in training; his mother was always eager to give in to him, so she permitted me to live and keep contact with Pence.

Grabbing the rest of his things, he walks out of his room in the enchanted quarter, the castle's wing made for the magical who serve the kingdom. Inside the halls, he sees various people coming and going along with the Knights Ardent stationed at different places. Watching them all ensured none were to act out of line or do anything that wasn't shilling their life away to the kingdom. The Knights only interact with the Enchanted if necessary; at least, that's what the general populace is told. Instead, the abuse they experience at the hands of the knights comes in waves. May it be through enacting secret relationships filled with power dynamics, or may it be through one of them looking at the knights wrong and experiencing a beating. 

Edgar tries not to look at them anymore. The knights leave him alone for the most part; after all, they see him as the pet of the future king. While the Knights Ardent serves The Voice, they still are under Kingdom rule. The Voice uses his holy connections to better ensure the blight never occurs again; mortal man's sins must be kept in check to ensure we never again see the horrors of the blight. These ideas have been beaten into Edgar's head since he was first brought here.

Edgar quickly enters the courtyard and walks briskly past the knights; he looks around to see a few servants loading up the horses with items. He approaches them and sees Queen Celine and King Joren speaking with Pence. Edgar approaches them and bends the knee before them. Pence's face lights up at seeing Edgar.

"Good morning, your majesties; it is an honor to be in your presence." Edgar says with a serious tone, his voice stiff and tight. Pence places his hand on Edgar's arm, lifts him up, and smiles directly at him. Edgar always thought that the heavens' light shone through Pences' smile. Queen Celine nods with a slight smile as King Joren stares at the two.

“I assume I do not need to explain the importance of this mission?” King Joren says with a stern tone.

"No sir, I understand my role is to protect and aid the prince in finding the princess of the winter kingdom and breaking the curse that she is under." Edgar says, switching his posture to be more upright and formal. El was always adamant about teaching Edgar how to address the royal line properly.

Queen Celine begins to speak, “I want both of you boys to be careful—” before she is quickly cut off by King Joren.

"Silence, woman, they are no longer boys," King Joren says in a pointed and cold tone, "they are men and will not benefit from being coddled in your bosom any longer." He finishes speaking, and Queen Celine takes a step back, nodding and sitting silently. Her face becomes completely expressionless. Edgar imagines she must have been practicing this poker face for many years. Part of him wonders if he would be in the same spot as Queen Celine if the others knew of his gender at birth. He noticed that all of the knights, despite their armor concealing most of their appearance, were all clearly men.

"Father, I am well aware of what I must do; trust me and Edgar to bring back my wife-to-be and know that you and mother will soon be able to retire in peace," Pence spoke in his almost always confident voice. A voice that under normal circumstances put Edgar at ease, but here it made his shoulders tense and his stomach churn ever so slightly. Edgar had prepared himself for this mission but had yet to do much prepping for how things were soon about to change.

As the two prepare to depart, The Voice approaches Pence. His smile, unlike Pences, always felt uneasy and sinister to Edgar. The black and white robes the man adorns always felt like a warning signal. He was the subject of many of Edgar's nightmares here; the Voice represented the Holy Decree, which took power after the blight entirely. Part of this decree was that magic was meant to serve mortal man and never be used against the shepherds of the highest. Nevertheless, the aftereffects of the culling still plague every Enchanted's mind, and The Voice and his followers use that to enforce obedience.

“My Liege, a moment of your time perhaps?” The Voice says to Pence, not acknowledging Edgar at all. Edgars watches the two closely.

"Of course, Holy One, How may I help you?" Pence asks, tilting his head ever so slightly as he does. His auburn hair catches the sun just right to make it almost glow a beautiful red.

"I wanted to give you this for the journey," The Voice says, handing a small device to Pence, "While I am sure your… protector can keep you safe, I feel you may run into the heretics while you are out on your journey." His voice strains a mask of concern while hiding the disgust and venom his words are laced with. The device The Voice hands him is antimagic. Using it allows common folk to use Knight Ardent's abilities to block magical interference.

"Thank you, Holy One; Edgar and I will use this well in our journey," Pence says with a smile, bowing graciously.

"Let us hope for your sake you will not have need of it, sire…." The Voice says, trailing off as he locks eyes with Edgar. Edgar is well aware that if given a chance, The Voice would have him killed on the spot for even being in the vicinity of the prince. Edgar always took a bit of pleasure in this, knowing that his ties to the prince gave him certain immunities. Although this pleasure was always short-lived, as he would remember, people like El or his old bunkmates would never be given such privilege.

The Voice bows to Pence and takes his leave. Pence looks over at Edgar before gesturing to The Voice with his eyes and then rolling his eyes with a smile. He gestures to Edgar onto the horse as Pence mounts his own horse. Edgar quickly gets on his horse; he has had only basic training with horses but enough to know how to ride one at the very least. The horse stands tall and proud, almost as if it knows it's at the top of the hierarchy. The guard opens the gates slowly, and Pence looks over at Edgar.

"Are you ready for this, my friend?" Pence asks, Edgar reassures him with a nod, and Pence smiles warmly, "good, there is no one else I would rather have at my side." The two ride off towards the northern citadel with haste.

The plains are beautiful as the two ride on horseback. The autumn kingdom is covered in color, reds, yellows, and oranges as far as the eye can see. It was rare that either of the two ever got to go out together and see the lands outside the castle walls, much less so for Edgar.

"Alright, alright, I think we are far enough out of earshot now, Edgar." Pence says with a smile on his face, slowing down his stead gradually.

"Is something the matter, my lord?" Edgar asked as he looked over to Pence. Pence's face formed into a scowl at the words.

"I told you not to call me that when we are by ourselves, Ed," Pence said with a hint of frustration in his voice, "I have to listen to that from everyone else; I will not listen to it from you as well." Edgar nodded and let out a slight laugh.

"I'm sorry, Pence, a force of habit, I suppose," Edgar says as Pence nods before grimacing slightly.

"No, I'm sorry, that wasn't a command or anything; I just want this journey to be us as equals instead of what we deal with at the castle daily," Pence says, his voice giving way to a bit of regret. Edgar knows what he means, but "we" has always bothered him. While Edgar adores him, Pence's us against the world attitude can get a bit grating, especially considering that the world is not and never was against Pence. Edgar nods back and responds with a smile.

"Good; I actually wanted to take this time to discuss some things with you anyways," Pence says, looking straight ahead at the long road.

Edgar looks back at him with a hint of confusion in his voice, "What's on your mind, Pence?"

"Many things, my friend," Pence says before chuckling, "but let us start with the most pressing one. To reach the northern citadel, we must pass through the summer kingdom…." Pence's voice trails off at the mention, almost as if someone took the rest of his voice mid-sentence. Edgar knows what Pence is about to ask, though.

Edgar speaks plainly, "I will be fine if we go that way." Edgar watches Pence's face, which portrays a sense of discomfort.

"I just don't want it to stir up any painful memories," Pence says, looking over at Edgar, "I will never forgive The Holy Decree for what they did there, what they did to the Enchanted—" Pence is cut off by a long sigh let out from Edgar.

"I promised you that I would help you on this journey; ghosts of the past won't change that," Edgar says. Truthfully these ghosts aren't so much in the past; even without the culling of the summer kingdom being a present-day event, more and more of Edgar's people are killed daily. Demons and Shades, the holy ones would yell as the Knight's ardent blades bore down on The Enchanted, also known as the Silians, the people of the summer kingdom. Edgar would often look at himself, the runes that adorn his brown skin, and weep. He repeatedly questioned if the tears were that of fear or anger over the crimes committed against him and his home. Or if it was survivors' guilt, not understanding why he was spared when so many others died.

"Edgar, when I become king, I plan to denounce The Holy Decree." Pence says quickly, interrupting Edgars' train of thought as he whips his head over to his riding companion.

"You plan to do what?" Edgar says, exasperated. Pence nods, his face looking more severe than Edgar can ever recall.

"Yes, I am going to denounce The Holy Decree, and more so, I am going to ask that you stand with me while I do so." Pence says while Edgar looks at him in shock.

"Why would you possibly do that," Edgar questions and continues before receiving a response, "your kingdom is one of the most loyal kingdoms to the decree; doing so would throw you into war with them!"

Pence nods and begins to answer, "I am well aware of that, It is why I plan to wait until after my marriage with Princess Omarossi, and I have the winter kingdoms army at my disposal."

Edgar scans Pence's face and sees he's serious. He pauses for a moment before responding, his mind racing as his best friend essentially just asked him to go to war with him against one of the biggest neutral parties in the entire continent.

Edgar looks over at Pence and asks, "May I ask you why you wish to do this?" his hands sweat as he stares at his friend's rosy cheeks. May the slight flush be due to the heat or the sudden anxiety his question posed.

"I will answer you with a question of my own, how many of the Sillians in my walls are beaten and terrorized by the decree every day under my nose." His face turns to Edgar, his gaze intense but pained. Edgar scans his face and can tell this question is less rhetorical and more of Pence trying to get Edgar to testify to the abuse.

"All of us," Edgar says bluntly. Pence looks away, clearly grinding his teeth together in anger.

"That is why, If they have decided to make enemies with not only my best friend but also my people, they have signed the declaration of war themselves." Pence spits on the ground, his hands holding his horse reigns tremble slightly. In his anger, Edgar laughs, and Pence looks back with his eyebrow raised.

"You ask silly questions, my friend; I will always stand with you, you know that." Edgar smiles warmly and looks into his friend's eyes. Edgar thinks to himself how beautiful his eyes are. His eyes are a beautiful orange, shared by all royal family members, yet on Pence, they stand out ever so lovely.

Pence smiles deviously for a moment and says, "I do have one more question, actually," Edgar tilts his head, gesturing for Pence to continue, "well, Edgar, have you ever licked a lamppost in winter?"

Edgar looks at him, confused, "Have I ever what?" Pence laughs and makes a perverted gesture with his hands, prompting Edgar to gasp, embarrassment painting his face, and he shakes his head. Pence continues laughing at his friend's expense.

"Well, how about you, Have you ever licked a lamppost in winter?" Edgar says with a huff. Pence grins and waves his hand flippantly.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Both boys laugh as they continue traveling.

After a few days, the two are midway through the remains of the summer kingdom. The two passed by some ruins of old settlements. Dilapidated stone buildings are now covered in grass and flora. The woodlands are thick on this side of the country, and further outward is the coastal border. The two decide to stop as the sun begins to set and place themselves near one of the many lakes along the northern side of the summer kingdom. The two tie their horses up before they start to set up camp. Pence begins setting up the tents as Edgar places down logs and kindling in preparation to start a fire.

Edgar begins focusing on his finger as the ruins that adorn his skin emit the soft light. He carefully traces a symbol that resembles a triangle with a line piercing through it. He mutters an incantation under his breath as a wisp of flame admits from his fingertip. Edgar carefully brings his finger down to the kindling, lit relatively quickly. In Edgar's other hand, he moves his hand to guide a breeze to the small flame, to help oxygenate the flame.

With the preparations of camp complete, Edgar begins digging through the ration bag on his horse; he is promptly cut off by Pence calling his name. He begins to turn around to see a sight he did not expect. Pence stood there in his small clothes walking towards the lake, encouraging Edgar to come along. He follows somewhat reluctantly to the water as Pence quickly jumps in and lets out a sigh of relief as the water touches his body.

"Come on, strip down and join me. The water is amazing!" Pence calls out to this friend. Edgar stares at the water uncomfortably. Pence has no idea that Edgar is binding, let alone underwent gender transition. While he trusted Pence with his life, the topic never seemed like something to bring up, nor did Edgar want to discuss it. So much of his life, he has had to forsake any sense of privacy that this is one that he was able to hold onto was essential to him. 

"Someone has to make our food here, besides I have no idea how to swim." Edgar says, quickly trying to brush off the topic.

Pence shakes his head and calls, "Well then, let me teach you!" He says, laughing and splashing. As Edgar looks at him rather annoyed, Pence rolls his eyes and waves his hand dismissively as he dunks his head under the water. Edgar shakes his head in disbelief, thinking our future king was so eager to find a chance to goof off. But then, Edgar catches his reflection in the water, taking him aback. He looks so… tired.

His eyes fix on his different features, his dark black messy hair that generally would be styled only due to El's insistence. Bags affixed under his eyes and his skin noticeably darker than before he left, he must have gotten a tan from all the sun. Edgar notes how he looks older; no, more mature is the word he's looking for. Has this journey changed him? He stares, lost in thought for a few moments.

"You have always looked rather dashing, Edgar." Pence's voice enters Edgar's ear through his left side, his eyes refocusing on the water to see his companion beside him. Pence's short auburn hair is drenched while the water's surface shows every little detail of Pence's body. Edgar notes the rosy cheeks on his pale skin to each freckle on his body. Pence lobs his wet arm over Edgar's shoulders and pulls him closer to him, so they touch shoulder to shoulder.

"God, we are handsome, aren't we?" Pence states with a grin on his face. Edgars' stomach flutters at Pence's words. Truth be told, Edgar has always had a crush on Pence, although nothing could ever come of it. Edgar knew he had everything stopping him from pursuing these feelings. Not only his heritage but also his gender. The Holy Decree declares that a union between men is forbidden, even though that said the decree would never recognize him as a man, to begin with. Besides this, Pence has only ever spoken about Omarossi, the woman they are going to go save.

The night continues; the two eat together and return to their tent. Edgar lies awake, his mind racing as an arm drapes across him. His companion smiles at him for a moment.

“Do you remember the naps we would take in the garden together?” Pence asks, somewhat half asleep. Edgar nods as pence leans in closer.

"This sort of affection always made me more at ease when I was stressed about my father or my duties," He says as he grabs ahold of Edgars' hand, "you would grab and hold my hand as we lay under the trees." Edgar smiles; they are fond memories he had as well. He always thought Pence would pull away, and he did as he got older.

"Father always said I needed to be a man, strong and immovable, that any sign of being gentle was a sign our enemies would exploit," Pence pauses in his speech, squeezing Edgar's hand, "he is full of shit though, I had never felt stronger than when I had sought comfort in you Edgar." As those words leave the prince's mouth, Edgar feels his emotions start to well up, and tears run down his face.

"Promise me, Pence, that we will always stay together, even after you become king and marry the princess." Edgar choked out the words; these were words he had been hoping to ask his friend for a long time. The pause Pence took felt like it was eons. Edgars' hand started to tremble slightly before he felt a gentle squeeze.

"I promise Edgar, nothing will ever tear us apart, I would gladly lay down my life before I let that happen," Pence said softly, his voice drifting off as the exhaustion of the journey was clearly setting in. Pence's face fell slowly against Edgar's upper arm, the two half-cuddling together. Edgar grinned before closing his eyes.

"Thank you, Pence."

After several more days, the two finally arrive at the northern citadel. The wind is cold and bites at their skin. The two stares at the tall building and the gate extending outwards to greet them. This citadel was initially created as a defense station and refuge for the winter kingdom during the first crusade. However, after their thirdborn fell ill with a curse placed upon her by a heretic, she was placed in this citadel for safekeeping. Edgar has read that this curse was designed so that only a person of noble heart and pure intentions could break the curse. Edgar always found the story of how the princess was cursed strange; why now is it also being broken? Shouldn't the winter king be more concerned for their daughter's well-being and try to heal her in some way? 

Edgar marched on with his companion up to the front of the gates. Usually, these gates are enchanted to ensure that anyone who tries to enter that does not break the seal is obliterated. The only way to break the seal is by offering a sign of proof that the one entering is of the four kingdoms. Pence exchanges a glance with Edgar before taking a dagger, making a small cut on his hand, and rubbing his hand across the seal on the door. The blood smeared over it. A vibrant orange glow lights up as the seal interacts with the blood. A loud noise is heard as the doors open slowly.

"This feels too easy," Edgar says, his tone laced with a sense of unease. Pence nods in agreeance and the two walk forward together. In the room they see stone pews adorning the hall. Ending in an altar that behind it has what looks to be a veiled bed with a floating orb of light over it. The two slowly walk through together, their steps echoing throughout the hall. They grow closer and closer to the princess's resting place. As they move the veil they see a woman laying on the bed, her eyes closed and an orb of magic.

"Do you know what this orb is, Edgar?" Pence asks as Edgar studies it, trying to make out any runes that may give way to the meaning of it. He also looks over at the princess and sees that carved on her hand is a symbol that matches the flow word 'SUSTAIN.' So this orb is likely meant to sustain the princess's life force while she sleeps. Pence stands awkwardly, looking for a sign of how to perform a noble gesture.

"Here, I have an idea, perhaps?" Edgar says as he takes his hand and writes a symbol into Pence's palm. The runic symbol glows faintly as Edgar looks up at Pence.

"Try calling out to her to awaken, this magic should hopefully help interact with the curse as well." Edgar says as he guides his companion's hand above the princess.

"Princess Omarossi, awaken from your slumber and walk with me towards a new era of peace!" Pence calls out, and as soon as the words leave his mouth, a bright flash of light erupts throughout the hall. The two are quickly blinded and disoriented.

"Hello?" A woman's voice breaks through their haze as the pair's eyes adjust. Omarossi sits up from her bed, clearly disoriented as if she had just woken up from a long nap. Her eyes stare at the men before her, and a sense of discomfort adorns her face. Pence kneels before her and offers his hand to help her off the bed as Edgar takes a few steps back.

"My lady, I am glad you have returned to us. My name is Pence Autumnal, Crown Prince of the Autumn Kingdom." Pence says as she stares at him bewildered

"Where am I?" She asks, her eyes focusing on Edgar. Edgar looks away quickly, taking in the surrounding area. Pence explains where they are and begins to converse with the princess. Edgar feels a sense of unease; he cannot decide if it is because he is face-to-face with the princess or if there is something else. No, it is absolutely something else. This felt too easy, much too easy.

"Who is he?" Princess Omarossi speaks as she points to Edgar. Pence smiles and gestures gleefully to his companion. Edgar turns around to meet her gaze, but Pence does so for him before he can answer.

"This is my companion, Edgar. You also have him to thank for helping break the spell you were under. His power as one of the enchanted knows no bounds—" Pence is quickly cut off by the sudden jolt of the princess jumping from the bed.

She interrupts the prince, and her voice is panicked. "Enchanted? We must go now!" Edgar's face contorts into a look of annoyance as Pence stands up and shakes his head.

"No, my lady, The Enchanted are not to be feared—" Pence again cut off as the princess grabbed Pence's arm, and Edgars attempted to pull them towards the exit.

"No, you do not understand! This place was made to punish the enchanted; the defenses will have detected the magic used within!" Omarossi says, the panic within her voice alarming both men before her. As she states that the building begins to shake violently, the hisses and snarls from behind the bed start to rage aggressively. The three begin to sprint towards the doors that are now quickly closing. Edgar looks behind him as he sees beasts with the wings of bats and faceless muzzles filled with teeth charging at the trio. 

The three-run full force, but the doors slam shut as soon as they are within reach. Edgar pulls out his tome and quickly draws a runic symbol in the air, creating a firewall in front of the beasts. Pence pulls his spears from his sheath and commands the princess to stay behind him. Instead, Omarossi grabs a small dagger hidden within her stocking; Edgar acknowledges that he has misjudged Omarossi.

One of the beasts jumps from the flames at the trio as Pence raises his spear to stab the creature. Black ooze drips out onto the spear as the creature screams in agony and Edgar fires an icicle at its skull, effectively killing it.

"We won't be able to fight them all; we must find a way out," Omarossi states as the two look over the scenery. The room is dark, barely lit by Edgar's wall of fire. However, more of the beasts seem to be coming as the growls and snarls are getting louder and more plentiful, turning into a harmony of their assured destruction if they stay here. Edgar scans for a way out and, unable to see anything, begins firing shards of the earth at the creatures in hopes that he may thin the herd.

Several more creatures burst into the flame. All of them charging aggressively, Edgar attempts to quickly sign something to help them, but before he can, he sees the creatures jump up in the air and freezes in place about to be pounced on. He hears the screams of his companions as the earth shakes and he sees his life flash before his eyes. A bright light envelops his vision and then goes dark…

Edgar opens his eyes, confused and disoriented. He feels two hands on each of his shoulders. He feels his legs dragging across the ground; the ground feels smooth, almost polished. He hears whispers echo in the space he is in, is this hell? He wonders to himself as he can finally make out a bit of the chatter around him. The whispers sound concerned but also confused. He looks to his side to see Pence being dragged by two more people; on the other side is Omarossi also being dragged. He looked up to see flames in a multitude of colors dancing playfully.

"What is going on?" Edgar says weakly, his voice amounting to what is essentially a whisper. A voice reassures him that he is safe now and is among family. Is he back at the palace? Why is it so dark? He feels lowered to the ground as he pushes himself onto all fours. He looks up above and sees a figure. As his eyes adjust, he can make out a few features; the person has a feminine frame and dark skin with runic symbols adorning their body. They are wearing what looks to be robes of some sort as they lean down and kiss Edgar's forehead. His eyes lock with theirs for a moment as his vision starts to fade. He hears their voice in his ears before he drifts off into unconsciousness.

"Welcome home, brother."

Edgar awakens in a brightly lit room; beside him is Omarossi watching him. He tilts around the room to see Pence pushing his face into his hands. Omarossi smiles at Edgar.

"I'm glad you are awake; Pence and I were worried," Omarossi says as she helps Edgar sit in bed. He looks around, trying to make sense of where he is at.

"Blanca will be here soon; she will explain everything to you like she did Pence and me." Omarossi states as he sits with her while waiting for this mystery person to appear. Omarossi explains that they are safe now, but she isn't sure where they are. She explains that Blanca and her group had tunneled into the Citadel after Pence broke the seal and in doing so set and wait in case something went wrong. The light Edgar had seen was Blanca's magic she used against the beasts; unfortunately, the trio had also been hit with it but to a lesser extent.

The doors to the room they are in open as the person from before enters. Their hand holds the side of the door as they lean against it. Their smile was soft, kindness exuding from it.

"I am sorry you all had to find out this way; I truly am." Blanca states as they look over the trio, their smile fading as they look at Pence.

“What is going on?” Edgar exclaims.

Blanca sighs before locking with Edgar, "You three are meant to be dead right now; the Holy Decree set this trial up as an assassination attempt on both the prince's and princess's life." As she finished her sentence, the room went silent. All that could be heard was muffled sobs from Pence.

"Luckily, my people and I were able to get wind of it, and we followed you; when the trap was sprung, we could subdue the beasts and get all of you out of there." Blanca says, each of her words cutting Edgar like a knife.

"We believe Pence's plan to denounce The Holy Decree and liberate The Enchanted caused them to set this trap; from what I understand, the Decree pushed our kingdoms to even consider the marriage in the first place." Omarossi says solemnly. 

"I can't believe this…." Edgar mutters under his breath, bewildered as his hands tremble.

"I'm sorry, if it is any solace, my people are attempting to figure out what is happening topside right now; they should know something soon," Blanca states.

Edgar looks over at Pence, who is shaking; his best friend had his entire world thrown upside down. Everything has ever known has been ripped away from him. His dreams of liberation, home, and life have all been crushed. Edgar's mind wanders back to El and the others within the castle. His life is also forever changed.

"I am going to let you all process this; if you would like, we have clean clothes and food outside here ready for you," Blanca states, and she turns away and begins to walk out, stopping at the door, "for what it is worth, you aren't alone, we will help you, however, we can friends." With that, she walks out. Omarossi places her hand on Edgar's lap and tries to give him a reassuring smile before she also follows Blanca. Leaving only Edgar and Pence in the room. Edgar gets up and sits next to Pence.

"How could I let this happen," Pence says through stifled sobs. Edgar moves Pence's head to his lap, holding him in his arms, providing comfort.

"I am such a fool, Edgar, I thought I could create change, and all I did was get us all almost killed." Pence continues, resting his head on Edgar. His sobs break now into a full cascade of tears.

"This isn't your fault; it isn't over, Pence. We are still alive and we are still together." Edgar says while rubbing Pence's back.

"Let it all out, feel everything you are feeling right now," Edgar says; Pence turns his head up to look at his friend, "But afterward, let's figure this out; this isn't over, Pence; we have a chance."

Pence looks down silently, his head resting on his friend, seeking comfort that he has been told all his life was below his station. This moment allows him to fully embrace it. Edgars looks down at his friend. He has never felt closer to him than at this moment. Edgar looks at him and says,

"Remember, Pence, Nothing will ever tear us apart."

Photo by Cederic Vandenberghe on Unsplash