[quote=Fyair]“Lady, if magic brought you here and magic will allow you to leave… Isn’t a witch a better resource than a handful of colorful lamps?”[/quote]

He doubted her, Anise could tell that. She confidently responded. "No. Talan came here just like us. And these are no ordinary lamps, they are how we got here, and they are how we're leaving this place." She really didn't care what happened to this forest after she freed the eggs from the lamps, all she wanted to do was get back home.

The girl then used magic and threw the spear at Anise causing her dress to tear further as it sailed past and landed where Tyaelaem was standing. She cried out in surprise. She was a witch too!? Even with such a strong knight at her side this would prove to be an impossible fight. Then her knight committed the worst type of betrayal she could imagine: he took her sword and then shortly after her lantern. She had no time to react and even if she did there was little she could do.

[quote=Fyair]“Proper ladies shouldn’t be burden with great responsibility. It messes with their heads,” he spoke with a knowing tone, referring to the royal’s unlady-like behavior and psychotic haste to lash out against her enemies. “I’ll give you the sword back after you’ve had a moment to collect yourself,”[/quote]

He then faced the witches and spoke, but she didn't listen. Her eyes were on the green lantern dangling from his index finger. He had betrayed her meaning that whatever monster the witch had spoken about could have him. Anise didn't care if Rhea had said the truth or not. Right now Fyair held both of her lanterns and her sword. She would need to come up with a plan. There is no way brute force could succeed here as she could only operate on the element of surprise. She glowered at Rhea and Talan. Would she have to become the thing she hated?

She glanced around the forest. There was plenty of cover and places to hide. She would have to retreat. She could not stand around midst traitors and enemies. She felt the clock ticking to make a decision. If she tried to take a lantern back from Fyair and run she would give the witches a clear line of sight to attack her, and she didn't want to die. No, she would have to leave them behind for now. She'd know where they were, all she'd have to do is come back later.

Anise made her decision and dashed into the woods leaving behind all of her gear and entering it just like she came here: with nothing but the clothes on her back. She ducked and weaved through the brush and trees taking advantage of her small size and the darkness. Even if she couldn't see, the same was so for her opponents, and she knew where the blue lantern was. She kept the direction of where she saw the light in her mind and she took a roundabout route to the blue lantern.