News from Home...

"You seem to have some leads, I believe?" Violet asked.

"Can't say for sure. Do you remember that day when you all surprised me at the Florist's? Before you all entered the store I heard some noise- footsteps precisely -on the backdoor. At first I thought that it was you guys but when you all appeared on the front door it suddenly vanished. The sound was no more until I heard it twice more since then. It followed me at night the other day when I was late from the Diner, I could sense that it's intent is not good."

Violet dazed as she heard it all. She asked if I had told Orion about any of it and I told her that I could inform him only of the first incident. She offered to stay with me until the issue is solved and I couldn't have been more happy about the proposal had I not known that Violet her own affairs that needed constant attention.

"Thank You, Love. But you're already doing enough. Plus, we don't want to make Ivy suspicious of things between us. I'll reach out if needed, I promise." I assured her.

Violet belonged to the Kingdom of Effloresce herself and had been my close friend. She said that she could accompany me on the quest and had thus arrived here after me as a dependable ally. Just having her here had been a great help to me. But this fact had been hidden from Ivy, she does not know that a friendship had always existed between us so we act accordingly around her. I pretend like I do not know about Ivy's past and that I had hidden my identity from everyone including Violet and Neil. Ivy- at least that's what we thought- does not know about Neil's true identity as well but I doubt that now.

"Anyway, we need to be careful." Violet said as she got up to leave. She gave her goodbye and left Anemone on my book. She always does that. I love this about her. I had made countless bookmarks out of flowers she had left me with after every goodbye. 'So you'll remember that I'm there even when I'm not around,' she used to say when I asked her why she does that.

Orion came back the next day and offered to meet for a coffee so just before my afternoon shift we met at the Coffee House. Orion told me that he had collected some more information regarding what he mentioned in the letter. Also that somethings back home needed his attention, and apparently, mine. But details could not be talked here so we were fixed to meet at my abode tonight. I finished all my work by late evening and found him waiting on me in front of the Bakery. He carried bread loaf and some cakes.

"The Dinner's on you today, ain't it?" He grinned.

"Alright." I sighed. We reached home and divided the work. I arranged the dinning table while he made the fire. We sat down to eat.

"I've got some news and a message from your father. As for the latter, here is the letter that only you are supposed to see." He said as he placed the letter on the left side of my plate. "Well, first- my envoys had informed me that Zephyr is to be crowned King of The Glaze. If he becomes the king, it'll be very difficult for us to extract the crystal from his kingdom. His wits had taken him to great heights and many Kings had already acknowledged him even before his coronation. He would be a formidable opponent if he gains throne. His father would make an easier prey. Therefore I would like to get in before that time. A fortnight is too short a time to arrange anything but we need to run against time if that is to be achieved." Orion took a deep breath as he looked up to the roof. "At least that's what I thought. I really wanted to get the business done as soon as possible so we can get you back home. They miss you there, Nyx. Your people, your family, your friends, your beasts, and me too. If it was not for the stupid oath you had taken before the Family heads, I would have forced you to go back by now."

I knew, I knew this all too well. But I did not want to talk about this, at least not right now. This was no time to think of past and get overwhelmed. I tried to evade the topic and asked him what more he has got to tell me.

"Right, the present concern," Orion continued,"- three of your hellhounds have escaped the kingdom. We don't know when and why and not even the concierge could hold them even though they had been doing the job since forever. I, on my way, tried to trace them but no clues."

"Of Course you won't be able to trace them. Nobody can, not even me unless they want to be seen," I said, smugly "why do you think I take pride in them? I trained them all these years for nothing?!" I was worried but not because they escaped because I trusted them to not take any step that might risk their Kingdom or any of it's people. There had to something else, at a time like this when they were supposed to guard the Queen, why had they gone away. What was more important than that, this was the main concern. "I'll try to look for them. Tell me the last place they were seen. I cannot say why they did this but I'm sure they wouldn't do it unless it was really necessary."

Orion agreed and left the task on me. "Of course, only you can tame your beasts, Nyx. Be on a watch out."