The caves rested near the base of the mountains between Sheol and Alaria. The sky was dark, and the air was muggy, a thick mist covering the grass. When Elysium reached the Prophet's cove, she hopped off of Vail and gripped her quiver strap tightly. The cave mouth was dark and cold. Without another moment's hesitation, she slipped inside, her boots echoing through the rocks.
She squinted through the dark to find her way until she saw a soft blue glow from overhead. She followed the flame until she reached the other side of the cave, which spat her out into a wide chamber. Hanging from the ceiling were bouquets of herbs and flowers, and the thick scent of incense made Elysium crinkle her nose.
Elysium jolted when she heard a voice call out to her from the dimly lit room.
"Elysium Seraphiel," the prophet, Larkin Hansen, stepped out into the light, his eyes a milky white. His snow-colored hair curled down the nape of his neck as he reached his hand through his violet cloak to help Elysium inside.
"I'm assuming you know why I've come," she said, settling into the room.
Larkin dipped his head down. "I do," he replied.
"How can I stop him?" Her voice trembled.
Larkin took a beat and paced for a moment, trying to form his words. He seemed to dissociate for a moment, his face a vacant expression. When he finally came back, he turned to Elysium, face solemn.
"The Crimson Scythe is the most powerful weapon in the realm," Larkin said, tracing his steps around the room. "However, it is said that to possess it, two rivals must retrieve it together".
Elysium's face fell. There was only one rival she had.
"So to stop Lupus, I need—"
"The Dark Prince".
Fuming, Elysium stamped her foot. "Why would he help me?" she croaked.
"His kingdom is in just as much danger as yours," Larkin replied, as he gathered herbs into small jars nearby.
"Larkin, surely there's another way—"
"There's not." He cut her off abruptly.
Elysium clenched her fists at her sides and rolled her eyes. "Then what?" She cocked her head to the side. "Where is it?"
Larkin shook his head. "I need both of you here to give you the instructions".
Elysium groaned. She pressed her back against the stone wall and stared up at the ceiling; she had hit a wall. In an act of desperation, she stormed out of the caves and out onto the moist grass. Her boot heels dug into the ground from her angry stamps as she hoisted herself onto Vail and trailed off downward, towards Sheol.
She could hear the clashing of swords ahead of her, and she drew her bow, eyes scanning the territory line. The entrance gate had been knocked down, hanging off its hinges by a thread. Elysium pushed past the debris and deeper into the city. She tried her best to hide herself behind towers and rocks, careful not to let Lupus's guards catch her.
Before she could even reach the palace, her eyes caught Alastor standing in the city streets, sword in hand. He loomed over a body, slumped over itself, blood dribbling between the cracks of the stone road. Alastor turned when he sensed Elysium. His shirt clung to his chest and back, his forehead drenched in sweat. He wiped his face as he approached her.
"You need to come with me," she said.
Alastor didn't even have time to curate a wise-ass answer. He only nodded and climbed up behind Elysium. She took him to the palace to change into a fresh set of clothing and to fetch his horse.
Alastor reappeared upon his shadow-colored horse. He wore a heavy, high-collared tunic of coarsely woven dark wool, its surface shimmering. Over this draped a mantle of thick, midnight-black leather, reinforced at the shoulders with scrolled, embossed plating. His dark cloak's hood fell over his dark, fluffy hair. Alastor's baldric held his sword, and he kicked forward to meet alongside Elysium.
He took her a more concealed route back to the caves. Elysium could tell he was growing anxious the further he got from Sheol. Her head turned to him, eyes softening.
"You were right," she said quietly.
Alastor smirked, his face back to its ornery expression. "I typically am," he replied flatly.
Elysium scoffed and pulled forward, racing into a gallop. The two traveled back to the cave together, where Larkin had waited patiently for their arrival. After he explained everything to Alastor, there was only one thing the prince could say.
"We have to do what?" Alastor held a sour look on his face.
Larkin nodded.
"Absolutely not. I'd rather burn with my kingdom than travel miles with a walking liability".
Elysium shot him an annoyed look. "What makes you think I can't take care of myself?" she snarled.
"Your lack of judgement, for starters," Alastor snapped back.
The two broke out into a roar of insults and bickering before Larkin had heard enough. He slammed a rolled map on the table abruptly, interrupting them. The pair fell quiet and turned to face him.
"If you want to save your kingdoms," he barked, "then you'll need to listen to me".
The two bit their tongues as Larkin spread the map across the table. "You need to cross these borders," he pointed past Sheol, towards uncharted land.
"Nobody's ever gone that far," Elysium said worriedly.
"Follow these trails, and it will take you to Lunaris," he pointed to a small array of mountains and ravines.
"That's so far," Alastor breathed, shaking his head.
"We don't have another choice," Elysium replied.
Larkin strolled over to a small closet and pulled the door open. Inside sat rows of different weapons, each glowing with vivid colors.
"You'll need weapons that possess magic," he said, pulling a quiver of arrows and a blade from the shelves. He returned and placed the arrows in Elysium's hands and the sword in Alastor's. "You cannot access the Scythe without the combination of your light and dark magic".
Larkin rolled up the map and handed it to Elysium. She shoved it inside her quiver and stared into Larkin's egg-white eyes. "Thank you," she said, bowing her head.
The two trailed out of the cave and back onto the grassy clearing.
"We need to go south," Elysium pulled the map onto her lap after she mounted Vail.
Alastor rolled his eyes and snatched the map from her. "No, we need to go west," he said stubbornly.
"The map says south." Elysium shoved her finger to the trails that wound to Lunaris.
Elysium had only heard of Lunaris from fairytails as a little girl. Her nanny would tell her about a land that had never been stepped on, riddled with danger and violence. The sun never rose, leaving it coated in darkness day and night, with ruins of old castles scattered across rocky grounds. It was a death sentence, but there wasn't another option.
The two galloped into the distance, their kingdoms burning behind them. Elysium felt her chest tighten when she looked at the smoke billowing between the cliffs behind her. Time was running out, and it would take days or weeks to travel to Lunaris, if it was even real. She had always thought it was a myth, an old wives' tale.
She followed closely behind Alastor, his dark hair peeking beneath his hood. He kept a grip on his sword, ready for attack. Elysium could hear the padding of Alastor's hellhounds hidden in the trees; she'd forgotten they had their canine guardians. Amarok's crystal eyes could be spotted from the shadows, carefully scanning the area.
The first few hours of the ride were silent until they reached a hill that looked out over a village, torchlight shining miles beyond them. They stopped at the top of the hill, and Alastor dismounted his horse, leading him by the reins to a cluster of trees.
"What are you doing?" Elysium tilted her head.
"We need to camp here for the night," he said, setting his sword down.
"Why can't we just go into the village?" Elysium frowned.
"We're doomed," Alastor muttered, shooting her a disapproving look. "We don't know anything about that village. We're royalty; they could rob us for all that we know". His eyes turned serious. "You need to stop being so naive. That's what got us into this situation in the first place".
Hurt, Elysium fell quiet, but then looked back up at him. "I got us into this? You're the one who has caused conflict with Alaria," she said coldly.
"Then I suppose," Alastor said as he gathered firewood, "we can just agree to disagree".
Elysium rolled her eyes and pressed her back against a tree trunk. "You're insufferable," she mumbled.
"And you're irritating," Alastor shot back.
They sat on opposite sides of the bonfire Alastor had lit, neither looking at the other. Alastor folded his arms over his chest and leaned against a trunk to rest. Elysium, on the other hand, was riddled with insomnia. All she could think about was her kingdom, engulfed in flames. She looked up at the starry sky, letting out a long sigh.
Frustrated at her failed attempt to sleep, she got up and trailed off into the forest. She reached a small pond, the water holding a mysterious glow. She crouched down and traced her fingers along the surface until she heard a small crack behind her. A pair of eyes moved closer from the darkness, and Elysium slowly rose, reaching for her bow. She froze when she realized she'd left it at the camp, and their canine protectors were off patrolling the borders.
She swallowed, backing up near the water. She remembered something that shook her; she couldn't swim. A man emerged from the darkness, sword in hand, peering at her with amusement.
"Princess Elysium Seraphiel," he snickered. "How much do you think they'd pay for you?"
Elysium's heart sank as her heels inched against the water. When the man got closer, Alastor's face emerged from the woods, an angry look on his face.
"It's a shame you'll never get to know," Alastor said, leaning comfortably against a tree.
The man stumbled back in fear. "Prince Alastor," he gasped, "I apologize".
Elysium had forgotten that most people feared Alastor, the mad prince who killed first and asked questions later. She'd heard rumors that he murdered his own father, or that he was a dictator who murdered anyone in his way. This frightened her, and she jumped when she saw Alastor remove his sword from his belt.
The man yelled in agony as Alastor sent the sword straight through him. The man curled against his stomach, groaning, before Alastor raised the blade and swiped down with such speed that it cut through the man's neck. The head rolled near Elysium's feet. She screamed in fear before losing her balance and colliding with the cold water.
Her body sank into the deep water. She tried to scream, but water filled her lungs. Just as her vision faded, a hand grabbed her and pulled her from the surface. Alastor held her wet body in his arms, carrying her to the shore. She doubled over, coughing, her lungs burning. Alastor rubbed his temples and walked in the other direction, disappearing in the dark.
Elysium weakly dragged herself up and followed him back to the camp. Freezing, she hunched over the fire.
"That's what you get for being an idiot," Alastor muttered from the other side of the flames.
"The way you killed him..." her voice trailed off. "You didn't even think twice".
"I've learned it's easier that way," he said, his voice dense.
Elysium stared into the flames, her eyes watering.
"You still have yet to thank me," Alastor said dryly.
Elysium crinkled her face and rolled her eyes. "Thank you for brutally murdering a stranger, Dark Prince," she said with sarcasm.
Alastor got up and retired back beneath a tree, drifting off into a deep sleep while Elysium was left alone with her thoughts. She loathed his existence, but she needed him to save her kingdom and defeat Lupus. She wondered what Lupus was doing right now.
Alaria:
In Alaria, ash coated the grounds of the kingdom. Villagers trailed through the streets in chains, led by Lupus's guards into iron cages and cells. A man collapsed from exhaustion and was struck by a guard.
Lupus watched overhead from the palace tower, his maroon cloak camouflaging the blood splattered across his clothes. He smiled at the chaos, his general standing behind him. The wooden door creaked open, and Celeste slipped inside in tattered rags, her eyes sad and tired.
"You're not going to get away with this," she said, gritting her teeth.
Lupus tossed his head back and laughed obnoxiously before turning to her. "And what makes you so certain?"
"You underestimate Elysium," she said grimly.