I Draw, it Lives: Ficeblaze

Chapter Eight - Stinging Rivalry

In Naria, the night is as cold and dark as the back of the mind. There were less stars that befrilled the skies like always—mostly, an empty, despondent abyss of blackness. No clouds cluttered the sky in their ghostly, grayish veils, but this made the skies painfully motionless and monotonous. Not even the weak light of the moon turned the lifelessness of this night to a bright one—all was in a dark, muddy headscape.

The Castle of Nebekenesa was inflated of the groups of Maskanons marching back into the castle. Hachiro, who was captaining the groups in, had his face shrouded in the murky shadows inside. The torches have been out, and all was painfully silent in the middle of the night.

The shadows of him and the Maskanons on the walls looked like growing monsters. The vaulted walls were a void of darkness—the high walls, shrouded in mystery, and the large windows gossiping the weakness of the moon's light. Even so, darkness of this night could take domination.

Hachiro leads the Maskanons into the throne room. Entering, he eyeballed Nebekenesa looking up at the moon from a broadened window.

He waved a hand, allowing the Maksanons to line in rows like trees and remain stately still. Hearing Nebekenesa shift to face him, he shuddered, bowing.

"My lord. I and the Maskanons come back with news from Windshire."

Hachiro stilled in his bow, gazing dully to the dark floor.

Nebekenesa scoffs. Hachiro shakes and looks back up, mending a brave-looking expression.

"Don't just stand there—you're annoying me with those fearful emotions, you have. Tell me."

Hachiro nodded. "Yes, forgivnance," Respectfully, he put a hand to his chest. "We now know where Birch Hana is. She has fled to Windshire to continue her search for the next artifact of The Eight Riches. A new step forward to save emotions."

The last words come out with disdain—Nebekenesa's eyes change through the darkness. He seemed quite surprised.

"The Maskanons have found out that The Ficeblaze Siblings will be helping her," Hachiro continues, taking a fair nod in appreciation to the Maskanons. "They will help her find the artifact. And, in fact, the Glacius Magic creator and god—Glaciusnette—is having a fight against her at the arena."

Nebekenesa's eyebrows raise in curiosity. "Oh?"

"Located in Windshire Kingdom, my lord," Hachiro resumed. "The location of the battle that comes tomorrow, and where Birch is at currently."

Slowly, he lowers his hand. The look Nebekenesa gives him makes him shiver—clean with uncertainty and a sense of wickedness. He politely stepped back as he walked forward, curious of the things he has spread.

"Birch...in Windshire?" He shook his head. "A fine place. Yes, yes...the place where I tried taking over Doom's Mass."

Remembrance of Windshire's tales and folios made Hachiro nod in agreement. "Indeed. It's unfortunate that you could not get it."

Nebekenesa makes no reaction, but continues on like Hachiro was misheard. "I may have spread agonizing emotions, but...I must spread it for everyone in Hestia. Every single mortal that holds the gift of emotions—they must be crushed."

He turned back to Hachiro, a sheen of mysteriousness in his eyes.

"Hachiro! Maskanons! I have a plan—and it shall be said." As he thrust his hand in commandment, the room turns more cold and tall mystery. Disconcerted of the plan, Hachiro and the Maskanons salute, as he continued...

"Prepare the emotions of depression you shall help me spread!

"For we invade the next dawn."

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