Foxtails and Fairytales: Facades and Fables of the Phantom Prince

[Arc 10] Ch. 5 Loose Ends

Sebas

Julie slowly stopped giggling. She grabbed both of my hands and laced her fingers with mine. I couldn't help but notice how small and dainty her hands were compared to mine.

She admired the ring on her left hand and looked at me. "So, did you get Nerinin and Minerva a ring like this?"

"Well..." I looked away.

"You're not going to leave them out, are you? Nerinin will be PISSED." Julie nodded like she was confirming that I was a dead man.

"I may have gotten Nerinin something, but I was going to wait- "

"Don't!" Julie squeezed my hands in panic for a second and let up for a second. "She's been through a lot, Nyah. She doesn't talk about it, but whatever happened at Marsanth left a deep scar on her. She feels like she failed you." Julie's ears flopped downward sadly. "Tell me that you'll at least visit her like this and ask her to wait. I think she needs it as much I did."

I nodded. "I will. I'll pick my moment before this vacation break is over."

"Okay, I can live with that." Julie closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. "Then my last condition is that you'll tell me all about your travels." She looked back at Brad and Linda who were still sitting at the table. "All these people, and places." She turned back to me and gazed at her ring. "All the others we'll be a family with." She turned her hand at me to point the ring at me. "Then whatever happened with the Nightclaw, what is going to happen with them, we will handle as a family. Nyah."

"Okay, Deal." I nodded and then noticed Julie's demeanor change. Into one of satisfaction and relief.

*

Brad approached me before we left and handed me a small filigree box.

"Give this to my sister. I know it doesn't erase how crappy her life has been, but tell her again, that she always has a home here." Brad said scratching his cheek and trying not to look at me. He nodded at me showing his consent for me to look inside it.

Inside of the box. There are four small corked vials with feathers of different sizes in each and in the center of the box was a moonstone set in a lace choker.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed that Linda had one around her neck that was strikingly similar. Brad cleared his throat. "It's no fallen star or rare gem. But it was my grandmother's. I found it in storage after you left." He still wouldn't look at me. "I uh, demonkin use so much fire magic, we found that rings would get in the way or melt, So we give these during proposal's, if Lily accepts yours then I guess you'll be family too. But-" he cleared his throat. Then turned to me with a threat. "But if you hurt her, you can say goodbye to your office!"

"Good job, dear. Now sit down." Linda pushed Brad out of the way and clasped Julie's hands. "This one is trouble." She tilted her head at me, so I rolled my eyes. "He is also prone to running away so if he tries anything in the future just step on his tail."

I flinched in reflex, remembering all the times someone had stepped on my tails. They weren't fun experiences. Right up there with someone stomping on your hand with cleats.

"I'll remember that," Julie glared at me out of the corner of her eye. I saw her eye scan the ground behind my feet as if looking for my tails which I had hidden away.

"Well, we have taken up all the time that we can." I rushed them as I pulled my mask up over my face. I stuck the box into my inventory and pulled out a teleportation scroll. "One more thing." I snapped my finger. And a blue flame engulfed Julie turning her clothes into their original battle-damaged state. "This illusion will last until you consciously attempt to change your clothes."

I wrapped my arm around her waist and gently pulled her away from Linda. "time to go!"

I snapped the scroll and we teleported away.

*

We appeared in an alley a block away from the headquarters of the magic knights. I mentally linked up with the offshoot inside the headquarters. It seems that Shannon was adamant that he stayed behind with her. Which was good since he had picked up a lot of information.

Sable had managed a successful exodus and there hadn't been any casualties outside of a few guards and magic knights that had given their lives to defend the civilians. There was no sign of the conscripts outside of the ones that had been slain. Viscount Winterhall's body had been found. And even though there was no evidence that the conscripts had made it into the vault someone had, and they had taken a shard of a particular dungeon core and left some kind of calling card.

"Okay it looks like we are in the clear, Victor has already come and gone. We can take you back to wherever you are staying, where should I drop you off?" I asked.

*

I dropped Julie off by some inn she had directed me towards and I vanished with wind magic. Completely untraceable. I visited a safehouse and picked up a potion that would change my blood's scent. It would still be a couple hours before the red herring offshoot came back. If I concentrate, then I can contact him but if something happens to him, he can just return to me automatically by dispelling his physical form.

I decided to stop by and check on the twins.

I wind shifted and appeared in front of a certain shop. The Checkered Hammer.

I'm sure Victoria and Victor are fine, I'm more worried about T'erk if I'm being honest. I walked in the front door and into the shop. It was a two-story building with a living space made above the shop. The shop itself was full of contraptions and odd inventions. The light was still on in the building, so I figured everything was fine but...

Crash!

The ceiling exploded and somebody landed at me feet.

"Busy night, Daylen?" I asked.

He hopped up like nothing had happened. "Morning, boss guy." He brushed himself off. "Just an interrogation tactic." Daylen was dwarf and wolf hybrid. He was tall for a dwarf, but he hadn't reached my height. He brushed debris out of his dirty auburn hair that seemed to collect ash like a magnet. He had a wolfish grin and was ever the optimist. I had met him back in the mines when I picked up the twins. He's an honorary member of the Banshee's Hounds and I'd even used my connections to help bring him to school.

"I've never heard of falling through the floor as an interrogation tactic." I said looking up through the hole in the ceiling to see Victor, Victoria, and T'erk peeking down at us. All of them equally inquisitive.

"Who is this?" T'erk asked.

I buried my hand in my face. "Why isn't the prisoner restrained?"

"Prisoner? I'm a dethroned king. I'm waiting for my old master to bargain for my release, or my new master to contract me. Fingers crossed that the fox boy shows up soon." T'erk crossed his arms.

"He's been very cooperative; he's answered all my questions. We even know the name of his master." Victoria answered.

"Whoa, hold on. Who is this guy, where is the Fox Warlock?" T'erk looked disturbed.

I wind shifted to the second story. I stood on the opposite side of the hole from the boar king. I activated my demon eye and began dissecting the boar king's magic. I reached my hand up and seized it.

"I know that demon EYAAGGH!" the boar king pressed his hand to his head and stumbled backward.

"Your magic... it is gross." I said, and as I squeezed the air in front of me T'erk's screams of pain grew louder, and in the meantime, I locked him behind soundproof barriers.

We wouldn't be disturbed.