The four girls ended up walking out into the forest where Akeno knelt down as she looked around for something.
A black fox came out of the brush and knelt before her. She pet the top of its head with a smile then motioned for Kai to come forward. Chysolite helped the Seeress forward and Akeno guided her hand to the top of the fox's head.
"My daughter Kai is blind, do you think you can be her eyes and help her around for me?" Akeno asked.
"I'd be happy to help mistress. It would be my pleasure to assist her." Kai heard from the small creature. "My name is Juan."
"Thank you Juan." Akeno smiled.
Kai gently pet the fox as a soft smile crossed her face. "Take good care of me please."
"I'll do my best." Juan answered. He nuzzled his face into her hand.
"Is he an elemental?" Mikky questioned.
"He is." Akeno answered. "When push comes to shove he can grow with the darkness."
"He's a shadow fox?" Chysolite asked.
"Indeed." Akeno nodded. "Though he will mostly stay small and be your eyes, if necessary, he can protect you."
Chysolite smiled. "She doesn't need protecting."
"You can fight?" Mikky questioned.
Kai nodded. "Blindness isn't a crutch for me to lean on. My nose and ears are much more sensitive, and sound is a vibration that I can use to 'see'."
"Like a bat?" Akeno asked.
"I think so." Kai nodded.
"You should get Juan a bell so you can hear him." Chysolite suggested.
"It's a good idea." Mikky added.
"Would you mind?" Kai asked. "I don't want to force you to do anything."
"I don't mind ma'am."
"Just call me Kai."
"Of course."
"When she's with Chysolite she'll be fine, but having you around would be nice." Akeno offered. "Just a bit of comfort, you know."
"Of course." He jumped onto Kai's shoulder before moving so his head and front paws were resting on the top of her head between her ears. Kai smiled and pet him softly.
"Thank you for this." Kai said.
"Come on." Chysolite smiled. "Let's get him a bell. He can pick it out."
"Can you understand him?" Kai asked.
"I can't really. I hear whispers but I'm not as powerful as I'd like yet." She answered.
"Akeno and I will alert the local Hunter's Guild. The more help the better." Mikky explained.
"Indeed. We'll meet you in the center of town in an hour." Akeno nodded.
"Okay." Chysolite gave a thumbs up.
The group split and Chysolite and Kai went to the local store where Chysolite grabbed a bunch of ribbons and bells where she set them on the floor. "Pick your color and Kai, pick your sound."
Juan went over to the ribbons, and one at a time Chysolite shook the bells for Kai. "The high one." Kai said. "It's not deafening but it's noticeable."
Chysolite looked down finding Juan had picked out a blue ribbon. Chysolite paid for both then tied the bell around his neck. "All set." She smiled as she put everything else back. "Let's go see how well you can follow Juan. Lead her out of the store."
Juan ran to the doorway, making sure his bell made noise. Kai's ears stood up and followed the sound. She walked forward following it, her hand touching the shelf beside her.
"How'd she know the shelf is there?" The shop owner asked, curiously.
"The sound from the bell is bouncing off the shelves and stuff the back to her. So she knows it's there."
"It's fuzzy." Kai answered. "I just 'see' shapes. I can't really tell what it is."
Chysolite followed them out and Juan walked a bit in front of them, allowing Kai to walk beside Chysolite without holding onto her. Kai smiled happily realizing she now had more independence.
This was short lived however when she tripped over a stone, though luckily Chysolite caught her.
Juan ran back. "I'm so sorry Kai, I should have warned you of the rock."
"Don't worry about it Juan. I'm fine. It's only practice at the moment." Kai answered. "And Chys is still here when I need her."
"As I'll always be." Chysolite smiled. "Can Fox bark?"
Juan yipped a bit.
"Do that when there's a rock or something small in the way so she knows to watch her step." Chysolite smiled.
Juan nodded his head so Chysolite could see before continuing onward. Kai followed the sound with Chysolite right beside her.
Chysolite pointed to the right and Juan stopped at the corner, allowing Kai to catch up before turning right and heading down the street with Kai following behind.
"I'm impressed. Usually it takes ages to teach a fox or even a dog how to do that. Lucky your mom found a smart one." Chysolite smiled. "What does he like for treats? I'll be sure to get him some."
"Meat is good."
"Anything with meat in it." Kai answered.
"Easy." Chysolite smiled. "To the town center to wait for your parents."
Kai nodded, though she still wasn't used to the idea that they were her parents. But they've been nothing but kind since she met them, so she guessed it wasn't the worst thing that could have happened.
They went to the town center and Juan guided them to a bench where he hopped up before moving to the side, allowing the sound of his bell to alert Kai that the bench was in front of her. When she sat, Chysolite sat beside her and Juan laid between them, his head on Kai's lap.
"How are you holding up?" Chysolite questioned.
"Fine."
"This many visions so close together can't be good for your brain."
"You get used to it." Kai shrugged. "It's been necessary, I'm just tired is all."
"Well, take a short nap then. You know I won't leave. Juan and I'll keep watch." Chysolite smiled.
Kai returned the soft smile and leaned her head on Chysolite's shoulder before closing her eyes. "Thank you."
"My pleasure." Chysolite answered.
After a half hour, Akeno and Mikky came over where the two of them smiled softly. "Whenever you two are ready."
Chysolite gently shook Kai awake where she yawned. "I'm awake."
"We're here." Mikky smiled. "Let's get moving."
"We'll camp early since Mikky shouldn't exert herself too much." Akeno offered.
"Please." Kai nodded as she stood up. Juan jumped onto her back and climbed up so he was sitting with his head and front paws on her head again. Her ears wiggled a bit before Chysolite took her arm gently and the four of them left the town, heading back towards the castle.
"The Hunters will meet us there." Mikky explained. "We'll be there in a few hours."
"Alright."Chysolite nodded. "Kai should be able to stay awake long enough to get there."
"I don't doubt it. She seems like a tough kid." Mikky smirked. "You have to be to be a seer."
"Headaches." Kai agreed. "Not to mention every time I link to your past you drink and I get a hangover." Kai glared towards Mikky's voice.
The cat scoffed. "I do not drink that much!"
"You actually do." Akeno narrowed her eyes.
"I do not!"
"Well its fine, Kai likes her whiskey and mead." Chysolite laughed.
"Whiskey?" Mikky questioned.
"I only had one glass, and I didn't get drunk." Kai retorted. "Don't pretend like I'm terrible."
"I wasn't pretending." Chysolite laughed.
"Hey!"
Akeno and Mikky laughed and they continued onward.
Just as Mikky said it took a few hours to reach the castle.
Or...
Where the castle was.
The castle had vanished, leaving a large empty gap in the forest around them. Hunters were walking around looking at certain things that seemed to stand out.
Mikky jogged forward, her mouth hung open in shock. "How is this possible?!" She asked.
"Krivalar must have taken the castle, knowing we could return with reinforcements. How he managed to do that however..." Akeno noted.
"That's insane!" Mikky noted. "Rose isn't even able to do something like this!"
"I don't believe Rose has ever tried." Akeno added.
"Can you find me something that actually belonged to someone from the castle?" Kai asked. "Footprints or rubble."
"Over here." A hunter called. The girls went over to him and Chysolite guided Kai's hand into the footprint of a dragon's paw.
Kai closed her eyes and did her best to focus.
---
"You let her escape!?" Krivalar roared as he smacked his servant away, throwing him across the ground. The man rolled across the stone before coming to a stop in front of a blood dragon who looked down at him in hunger.
The man screamed as the dragon leaned down to open it's maw.
"Enough!" Krivalar roared, making the dragon pause and raise its head to look at his master. "As much as I hate failure, with them gone I'll need all the help I can get. We cannot afford to underestimate them again."
The man picked himself up and bowed respectively, visibly shaking from fear. "Thank you my lord! I will not waste your second chance."
"You best not!" Krivalar snarled before turning to a mage standing beside his throne. "What should we do?"
"Move." The seer answered. "They will bring the Guild and possibly the Nightshades to stop you. Or worse, just summon Ragnarok himself to deal with us. It's best we retreat for now and hope another chance comes up for us."
"Very well." Krivalar sighed before growling. "We were so close!" He snarled as he slammed his fist against the armrest of his throne. "Imbeciles!" He roared towards the man cowering before the blood dragon. "It should have been so simple! Just don't take your eyes off her!"
"Forgive me master!" The man begged.
"Leave me!" He snarled. The man ran from the throne room as the blood dragon walked up to the throne. Krivalar stood up, his tail sliding across the ground before he reached up and scratched the chin of the deadly dragon like it was a simple pet. "Good help is so hard to find these days." He grumbled, his claws making scraping sounds against the hard scales of the black dragon.
Krivalar's scales were a blood red, his horns and claws a jet black. He honestly looked just as deadly as the Blood Dragon before him. He smiled and continued to scratch under it's chin like it was a simple pet cat. Like it wasn't one of the instruments of destruction for the entire world.
"Well then..." Krivalar once again turned to the man beside his throne. "Prepare the Keep for the Rift. I don't want them hitching a ride."
"Where would you like to go?" The Seer questioned.
"Juno's Volcano sounds promising. Perhaps we can steal a few weapons." Krivalar smiled devilishly.
---
Kai stood up and blinked.
"So? Do you know anything?" Chysolite asked.
"I'm not sure what magic he used, but he transported the castle to Juno's Volcano." Kai explained.
"That's almost a week away!" Mikky said. "We're not dragons, and we can't fly."
"We can run?" Akeno suggested.
"Chysolite can carry me a descent distance before tiring." Kai offered.
"Only a few miles." Chysolite answered.
"That's decent." Kai shrugged.
"Juno's Volcano is Hundreds of miles away. How big do you think Exodious is?" Mikky raised an eyebrow.
"Well I can't exactly look at a map." Kai retorted.
"I-I didn't mean it like that."
"I know. I was just stating a fact." Kai shrugged.
"Oh... um..."
"She's a little... emotionally detached. Don't take it personally." Chysolite offered.
"That is true." Kai agreed.
"Um.. Well I guess we should get moving." Mikky sighed.
"Yes." Akeno nodded. "Let's try to cover as much ground as possible."