The Followers Of The Prophecy

Storming the Capital

We'd been gathered at the market, trying to look as relaxed as possible, and as nonchalant as we could. Standing around, looking at moldy fruit and expired foods for fifteen minutes. I looked at Everlasting Clock, unable to hide my desperation. Upon returning my gaze from the clock, there stood a child in front of me. A little onocentaur with dark hair. He looked at me with large eyes. Twyla, who was nearby, rolled over to the kid. She accosted him, asking him rudely why he was staring. His eyes, wide and deep, peered into my soul. He asked about his mother. Where was his mother? He didn't take his eyes off me, and I felt a separate message. I turned to Cocerus for confirmation, and he simply nodded his head. Without making it too obvious, we headed out, following the young onocentaur.

He led us down the market's main path, and out into a small city, an equivalent of a village. Crowded, we made our way through the streets, and the onocentaur made way into a crevice in between two houses. We followed him up a ladder, and into a house through a broken window. Inside, a lowly box of an apartment. Dusty, dark, and trashy. In the box, stood a kheprian being, dressed in regular clothes. His bright golden glowing eyes were menacing. His muscles, way stronger than mine, threatened us without a word. Clearly, he was unhappy.

"You understand the risk I am taking?" he asked, a deep voice that caught us all by surprise.

"We thank you," I answered.

He approached a broken window on the other side of the box, and continued, "I thought you were ten. I brought ten uniforms."

I didn't think he knew an important detail, I remained quiet, and looked at Sebaiwhyn, who stepped forth to handle the situation. He was the one who arranged the deal, after all.

"Unfortunately, two of them are no longer with us," he said, almost tricking me into thinking that two of us had died.

The kheprian being threw the uniforms on the ground, and with a suspicious stare he warned us, "I am in love with Sarcanza. You fail your promise, you gain an enemy. I will do everything in my power to obliterate you if you fail my lands," he neared the window we came from, the onocentaur following behind, "Change. Make yourselves unrecognizable. I'll be out front on the main path."

Admittedly, most of us weren't able to make ourselves unrecognizable. We had to make hearts from guts. Icarus had to squeeze his metal arms and wings into the uniform. At first, the bottom of his uniform dripped with blood and oil. He swore he was fine, and said it'll go away. Before we left, he stopped bleeding. It was impossible to hide the other features with such little resources. Venus, a tree being. Sebaiwhyn, a demon with flashy horns, deep red skin, sharp fangs, and vibrant yellow eyes. Cocerus, a gashadokuro. Twyla, though wheelchair bound, pretended to be able to walk by holding on to us. Her wheelchair was hidden in between the extravagant threads of the uniforms. The rest of us simply covered up every inch of our body. We suffered from heat, but it was a small price to pay. I still wasn't ready to head out.

"Cocerus," I said, nearing him, "Where's Phaedra?"

Jereida turned to me, another death stare of jealousy, I thought. But when I looked back, all I saw was tender agony. A different face, a person that felt so far away. It pissed me off that she looked like she understood. Deep inside, I wanted her to fight me and complain. I wanted her to call me out on my mistakes. I wanted Jereida to be Morgan. Who is this impostor and why did she bring emotions I have never learned she had? My Morgan, where was she?

Cocerus looked down at me. Though he never used his sight to inform others, he saw through me like clean glass, "In the castle with Melannid. I don't want to say more."

Though questions remained, I settled with his answer. He gave it in an unsure voice, and immediately I became suspicious. Still, I trusted his word.