.The Shadow Knight.

-37-

"So we had it all wrong...."

That was the phrase that broke the heavy silence, I never heard such cold anger come from anyone and even I worried.

I am unaware of Elise's capacities, for now it has always been one of us to do something to fight her enemies and protect her from danger but from the day she threw my own throwing star back with much more strength than I was able to throw it with showed me there was something hidden deep inside she didn't let many see, her secret weapon.

"Yes." I dared to say, voice neutral as how I had been taught to keep it when speaking to superiors. "They were actually one step ahead instead of it being us." I said as she played with the modified bracelet her sister had worn until not long ago.

"But now we are back ahead aren't we?"

"Not exactly, for now the princess has been unable to recall anything that could be used in our favor, the mind struggling in catching up with missing out on around a decade of true consciousness and currently resting as stress would hurt her more then what hurt has already been done to her."

"Your maid, the failed assassin, Wynna was it?"

"Yes."

"Please ask her to help my little sister, I do not trust her alone just yet and not because of her allegiance to my parents until this morning."

"Right away Elise." I did worry too, that was a long time to have your mind lost in a haze, she might not be able to function normally anymore or even able to live with the change from the last time she was truly conscious to now.

"How many days do we have before we need to head over to the festival." She was once cheekily smiling at the idea of waltzing into the empire of Lorik to mess up her parents happiness by simply being present but now she spoke with a cold hate to the idea.

"From what I know there is three days remaining before the move Elise."

"Then you have three days to do whatever you need with Owen to bring the people that made these monstrosities to my feet, am I understood?"

"Yes Elise, it will be done."

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"I heard what you were asked of." I faced Kia, stopping me from entering the stone court by blocking my way. "Elise is asking quite the impossible." She said.

"As her shadow I should be able to find out what she wants, three days is enough."

"Enough to sneak into the other empire and find one of many potential people that did this?" She did have a point.

"She asked me to so I will not disappoint."

"Thank this with you." She held up her arm and a reddish transparent rabbit that was the size of a big rat faded into existence, sitting calmly in her palm. "This is Friz, a spirit I became good friends with in the decade following the choice my sister made to keep the gate open, like how you were given your magic by a spirit Friz here gave me something too, he is my ears and nose when I need or want to know something."

"Quite useful." The owl spirit did something I never thought possible when I met it so it isn't a surprise this rabbit spirit, Friz, can do things too.

"I know you might not hear his voice but he can be your nose, cutting out the need to search around, he can track and lead you there straight away." I held out my hand and the rabbit hopped from hers to my palm, wiggling his nose and looking back the Kia who smiled. "He likes how you look." Even him talking was no surprise as the gatekeeper didn't hide her own ability to speak with a wingless dragon looking spirit when mother took me there.

"Thanks, we'll be back soon with Owen."

"Be careful." She said, letting me past.

"I always am." I reassured her.

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She was right, Friz the spirit was of great use, with the second bracelet I still had on me he could just sniff it and go.

We were basically just running after the rabbit that was running through the air, following his lead since poison like that on this continent? It leaves a trail of hints.

Owen was the one running right behind the rabbit and I was following him, both of us silent, back in the shadow knight mentality, going off what we were taught and what we knew.

We had a mission and we would not stop until we were done with it.