Arcanus

[14]

 Morning came, and Katrina almost jumped out of her bed of leaves. Today was the day they killed Kakine. Today was the day she avenged all those deaths, the day she pleased her Masters. The day she could finally reclaim her throne as a true Gröve.

Yes, I'm a Gröve. Katrina thought. All those readers, thinking I'm a Firenze. Hmph. I'm a better liar than I thought I was.

Hali was still snoring across the room, and Bat was sitting up on her bed.

"I'm avenging Kylie today." She said softly. "I know you didn't kill her on purpose. You killed her because of Daniel, who worked for Kakine."

Hali saved Katrina from answering by waking up.

"I'm going to go get Lis and Tanya." She yawned. "Then we can go attack Kakine." Hali noticed their expressions. "Of course I knew Tanya was a person. What kind of magician would I be if I didn't know?"

"What about the plan?" Katina asked.

"I'll tell you on the way to the fortress." Hali said dismissively.

"What about Seraphina?" Katrina knew that the Enchantress had been reluctant about the plan, but Seraphina had started to feel like family. They couldn't leave her behind.

"We can't risk having someone who isn't committed to the cause." Hali said. "It won't end well."

Hali left the shelter, her yellow-white skirt swishing and leaving a stream of dust in her wake.

But you were mostly using Seraphina, her thoughts whispered to her. And Hali is much more useful than her, and more powerful. She knew about the path when Seraphina didn't.

She had to admit to herself it was true...

Hali returned, a couple minutes later, with the disgruntled Tanya in the form of a kitten, and Lis in an oversized robe with a hood, with blue lights swirling around her, looking as mysterious as the Arcanus Forest itself.

"Let's do this." Lis spoke with more confidence than Katrina had ever heard the mage speak with. It made her wonder what vendetta Lis had against the villain.

Lis reached into her dark blue robe, and brought out four more robes.

"I think it's best if we're hidden." She said ominously. "In case Kakine's minions recognize us and hold a grudge against us after we kill their boss.

Katrina took her golden robes and slipped it on, the heavy cotton weighing her head down. It seemed strangely vulnerable to be hiding, instead of hunting. It also made Seraphina and Lis seem much less mysterious, being under the same heavy hoods.

"Here." Lis waved her hand in a complicated pattern, and the robe immediately lightened. It was like wearing air.

Hali reached out and grabbed the air like Katrina did to summon her katanas, but instead, a wooden staff with a ball of pure white appeared between the prongs

"H-how!?" Katrina stuttered in surprise. "I can't summon my katanas, but you can summon a magic staff that's way deadlier than my swords!?"

Hali sighed. "Of course you can't. The Forest is a magical place of peace that doesn't allow weapons. It's hard to teach people how to bypass the rule, but I'll cast a temporary spell allowing you to do it, and I'll teach you fully after we defeat K-Kakine." Hali's voice trembled a bit, heavy with sorrow.

They left the small hut in silence, with only the faint sound of their footsteps.

"So the plan is, we ambush him in his base, the most heavily guarded fortress inside his compound. But I know a secret way into there, and we can assassinate him."