"Good thinking, still not enough! How do I get the demon seed on the tip? Shouldn't demons know that stuff?"
"W-We can keep trying!" Ronpi added, beaming.
"Do you have an actual answer?" Sandy asked.
"Nope. But that's part of the fun, isn't it?" Katha smiled. "To keep trying something different until you have a solution."
"We're running out of time, though!" Sandy stood up. "Quick thinking, quick..." he tapped his chin. "What about adding even more leaves?"
***
Treading through the upper halls of the castle, a long stretch of darkness revealed itself leaving from where the main, golden corridor could be seen. Gone were the lamps illuminating the path, and that eventually moved towards the few windows casting a thin gleam onto the dark grey bricks, building arches and moving towards the other grim passages.
Such were characteristics of practically every single squeeze and whatnot of the hidden corridors. One tap of the hand in the right spot revealed yet another maze, and if someone wasn't using it to shorten their path, it was quiet and unkempt.
A perfect place to hide, judging by the dust settled on the few wooden boxes or the empty bottles of wine.
Lisbeth stood still, looking at her hands. The yellow from the windows came from a dirty exterior, yet, if she squinted, she could make out the shapes of the Royals moving around the main square.
Although, that's not what she focused on.
Leiru wasn't there to tell her what to do, and the Wakon were, presumably, further away from the castle. Blood kept moving in and out of her palm, either appearing out of thin air or pushing through non-existent wounds.
"Leiru said I'm allowed to make mistakes." she thought. "Am I impressing you with my power, or did I fail again? I destroyed what I wanted to be. I too, danced for a second there, yet no one came to my performance. Who did I act for?"
She looked up.
"Answer me, Shi Hon," she muttered. "I'll keep fighting, thrashing my fists, creating even more daunting apparitions if need be. I'll incite the scariest of curses, bless myself with a thorn or bite my tongue when speaking. I'll gather even more lives. I'll sacrifice my own."
No one answered.
She pushed her bloodied hand against the window. The yellow tint didn't fade away, and her palm didn't stain the pane. "Will you be proud of me this time, just like Leiru promised?"
She stepped away, turning around.
"Will you be watching, Yanma?"
***
Jyuzou stood on the other side of the main floor, behind a few bookcases where armour stood on trims, next to notes left behind. The Morian noticed them only after putting the heavy pantlegs on.
Curiously, he picked it up.
It was comprised of, mainly, a few sketches detailing each bit and how it works in protecting vital muscles. There were certain words written down near arrows, which he assumed to have been corrected by Judy, with a red pencil and a frowning face next to them.
One thing that stood out the most was the heart illustration. It had a few red arrows pointing towards the middle of the body, which suggested that there was at least one chest plate out of the many left by the group, as well as ones already present, that had some kind of flaw revealing that specific weakness. Either way, the armour he wore had light chainmail in the place where the biggest protection would normally be.
YOU ARE READING
Reaper's Crown
Fantasy[Atlas Grandeur - Book Three] "Take the Morians to Galliath," announced Bancho. Heading after traces and footsteps, the Klakunhoi finally make their way out of the grim caves and into the land of Lignoria, vowing to chase after the simplest of clues...
