Our Secret (MCD Vylad X Reader)

Her Power

After hearing Aphmau worriedly explain her plan to Dante and me last night, it's satisfying that today's meeting had unanimous agreeance on the idea of the Phoenix Alliance being brought back. Of course, Cadenza not fully agreeing to join until her guards and the council of her village also approved made perfect sense, but it didn't do much to simmer down my general joy of the development.

Cadenza and Aphmau decided they'd head to New Metelli in the morning, meaning I would have to wake up early to prepare to travel Ru'aun for the first time in 15 years. There was no telling how much the region had changed over the course of that time, but it had to be quite a bit if there was the 'new' settlement of New Metelli. Then again, I've seen firsthand how quickly the region can change and how villages that were once bright and lively could very quickly become a shadow of it's former glory, like O'Khasis after Zane became High Priest. Like many, many villages after they were touched with the darkness that followed High Priest Zane Ro'Meave...

After Aphmau's excellent speech with the proposal of remaking the Phoenix Alliance, everyone was practically jumping out of their clothes in excitement over the idea still. They were practically having their own side conversations about it and I was off on my own to the side, trying to calm my own excitement for the hellish morning I would be having in some hours. That plan, however, was fizzled when I felt Aphmau grab my hand and drag me towards Cadenza and Laurance.

Cadenza more than happily begins talking about her hopes for the journey back, mentioning how her royal council will more than likely agree to the idea and her doggy, Crumbs. Her talking, doesn't last for long before Aphmau politely excuses us and snatches Laurance away, a somewhat bewildered and confused look in his eyes as we're both lead to a private area away from the others. That private area was just in front of the ladder leading up to the guard tower, which was luckily empty due to the recent meeting we all sat through to discuss Aphmau's Phoenix Alliance idea.

She's muttering to herself as she does lead us there and it's almost enough to worry me that maybe Aph's finally gone off the rails and would be taking our lives in cold blooded murder, but then she stops and turns to us with a bit of a nervous look in her eyes, "There's an idea I wanted to talk to you both about"

"Go for it" I respond, even if it may mean dying in the worst place to go out. Like, who wants to haunt the Phoenix Drop guard tower in the afterlife?

"So I've been thinking... And I brought you here mostly because Emmalyn's up there and she told me not to use my powers, but..." She hesitates with her words, taking a deep breath before she spouts the rest to us in a singular, nervous breath, "I was thinking of going back to the portal and trying to see if maybe... Maybe we could get Garroth out of there"

"Aphmau..."

"I-I mean, I know I don't remember exactly where the path to the portal is, but... I mean, I don't know... I just... I just thought it was an idea that maybe we could try a-and... And we would go right now" By the end of her suggestion, her confidence is a combination of that of a deflated balloon and a soaring eagle. There's a hopeful twinkle in her auburn eyes that could also be just as easily be said to be the glistening of tears in her eyes, "What do you guys think?"

Laurance and I give one another a glance and there's a look in his eyes that I know all too well. It's a glossy glint that only appears when he's about to cave to his simpery and go through with whatever Aphmau wanted, dragging me into the mix by outnumbering me. This wouldn't be a problem if it were anything non-magicks related, because I'm an agent of chaos dammit, but a portal to the Irene Dimension was really pushing it.
I send him enough of a hard stare for him to pick up on me saying no, but-

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Are you confident in yourself to open the portal?" Laurance asks after a beat of silent conversation, prodding just a little before he inevitably caves to her wants. Like a Simp-