---

---

---

---

---

Myrus nodded slightly, liking Luna's suggestion that they all take shelter in the Queen's Room that evening. It was the safest location in the Palace, perhaps even within the entire Castle and extending beyond into the Small Wet Country. It wouldn't be appropriate for the guards to sleep in the Queen's Room with them, but Myrus was no stranger to sharing a bed with his siblings. He used to have sleepovers with Luna all the time growing up. "If you don't mind, I think us three should stay in the Queen's Room tonight," he asked the Queen.

Of course that wasn't the only thing Luna was right about - they also needed to increase the security for the evening. There were a lot of individuals who slept in the Palace, since it was their place of business. He bit his lip slightly, thinking on what they could do. "Ahote, could you go ask Titan to gather all of the servants into the barracks and have them sleep there for the night?" he requested. He would have let Valda do that, but she seemed so stressed and he really hoped she wouldn't mind him making a few decisions. "And then we should send a message rat to Rowland before we go to bed, let him know to expect us at first light..." Myrus doubted he would be able to sleep much beyond that anyways. They had a lot to discuss with the ExtraOrdinary.

---

---

The Palace Entrance Hall...

Antonije grinned slightly at his girlfriend, noticing something huge - her fangs weren't there anymore. The little witch child had really done it, she had accomplished the impossible and turned Sylvi human again. "Come on, Silvija, we can go crash at their place... Though knowing my sisters, they're probably off with the speedster..." he mused. There was a speedster on Asgard, so naturally his sisters were obsessed with the man, trying to learn to get faster from him. They were never satisfied with their speed.

Given how tired she looked and how happy he was, Antonije swept Sylvi off of her feet, carrying her bridal style. "This okay?" he asked her, giving her a slight kiss as he started to leave the Palace. It wasn't too far of a walk to get to Bruce and Myth's place, from what he could remember. And then if he couldn't find that house, there was Runa and Lance's home - and then the speedster's home - and worst case scenario, they could just find a tree or something to sleep underneath. "How are you feeling?"

The Rainbow Bridge...

Sága gave Arnora a bit of an exasperated look. She had always assumed that over the ages, demigods would gradually become more and more intelligent - but yet, they still asked her simple questions with simple answers. "If he isn't worthy, then he will die in the vacuum of space," Sága explained. "A mercy killing compared to the fate that awaits him if Ragnarok should come to pass... Let me show you, child," Sága said, before she reached forward and touched Arnora's forehead.

A horrible vision would then play out in front of her. The Nine Realms were on fire. Asgard was crumbling into dust. In the midst of it, a figure shrouded in purple was wielding Darke Magyk against Cuyler and while he fought valiantly, he was no match for the sorceress. He died honorably, his body falling to the already bloodied ground, surrounded by fallen gods.

The Well of Mimir...

As Cuyler fell from the Rainbow Bridge, the horrifying sensation of free-fall would only be matched by the joy of seeing the cosmos. The starlight and gaseous nebula were a tapestry of wonder, enough to enchant the mind and ensnare the senses of any who saw them. Falling from the bridge like this was a death sentence, a cruel fate of drifting off into the cosmos, freezing and turning to ice in the harsh vacuum of space.

During what felt like an eternity of drifting, reaching out for one of the roots of Yggdrasil, whispers like music floated and tickled his ears. "Kom min kjære, hjemme igjen, der alt går tapt og alt er funnet..." the voice sang, speaking the tongue of the Land of Long Nights. "Der nordvinden møter havet..." He would know the voice singing so softly - it was Arya's voice. And yet, before he would have a minute to contemplate this, Cuyler's feet would slam into solid ground... Well, not so much ground as a pool of water with a hazy orange sky.

"Cuyler, son of Eystein," a hooded figure greeted, water rippling around their feet.

---

---

---

She knew she struggled with her Magyk but she still felt something. She turned her head and saw Halley providing her own added skill to her bluff. Once Forseti took a look, she knew they had nailed the act. She expected Halley to give her answers as to why she had to be dragged into this and why she was so desperate to see Loki remain in prison. "Yes, he got the jump on me, or I would have handed him myself."

As much as she wanted to run to see her child, she also wanted to see this through to the end. "No, I'll go with you and see this through. Plus, I want to see him locked up. It will make me feel better." She smiled warmly at Forseti as she followed Halley As they walked, Myth whispered to Halley, in case Forseti could still hear, "Mind telling me why you were so anxious to keep him locked up you dragged me into this?"

---

---

---

She saw her blades sink into his wings, dragging him back on to the mortal world, but he was still a large dragon. Violet was putting up a brave fight, unleashing ice to battle his fire. And she heard the sound of a horn, his allies calling for back-up no doubt. They needed to end things soon. Either run or end him. And she sure as hell wasn't about to run. "You are doing a marvelous job Violet, keep it up, this will be over soon."

She summoned her Darke Magyk for what would be the last time, forming a dark, ebony-looking blade in her hands. Since he could not fly away, she knew he was stuck there and she knew that even dragons had organs. As Violet kept him busy, Fleur waited for her opening, charging once she saw it. She ran forward, feeling the heat on her skin as she rushed past, jumping as high as she could muster and sinking the blade into his flesh.

And she hit her mark.

She could feel the vibe of his heartbeat as her blade sunk and ended him. "It was nice knowing you father. Burn in hell." She pulled her blade out, letting it fall and fizzle away. She turned back to Violet as her father fell, dead. She called out to whoever would listen. "I am Fleur La Malleficum and I have vanquished your leader. If you wish to fight be, I implore you to reconsider. Come work for me on my side or never come into my land again. The choice is yours."

---

---

Luna looked towards her sister and brother she was glad that her brother atleast did think that sleeping in the Queen's Room was actually a good idea. They did need to get in contact with Rowland as well whenever they could in the morning to try and help Amarantha out if they could. And she was pretty sure that Titan would be able to take over being the leader of the guard while Amarantha was locked up, looking at Ahote and nodded towards him. But it was her sister's decision as well, and she could tell that her sister was getting very tired, it had been a very long day.

"I'll go to my room and do a quick change then, and meet you guys at the Queen's Room." Luna said, she was getting tired as well she continued to go down the Long Walk, until she found her room and opened the door looking around for a moment so far nothing bad happened as she started to get a change of clothes for herself.

---

---

---

---

Arnora looked at Saga for a moment as she started to speak to her while looking back down at the black abyss below the Rainbow Bridge, she hoped that Cuyler would be alright. Then Saga touched her forehead making her stumble backwards seeing the vision before her, as Cuyler fought some woman in purple with Darke Magyk. He ended up falling in battle as well with all of the other gods who had fought and died in the process.

"I should go and find the others. Hope everything doesn't come to pass." Arnora said looking at Saga before she turned around and started to continue to make her way down the rainbow bridge towards where Halley was in the prison area where they had taken Loki. She looked up at the night sky in Asgard which was pretty peaceful as well.

---

---

---

---

The contrast of emotions of sheer terror and wonder at the cosmos around Cuyler’s falling form was emotionally draining. He thought he was hallucinating when he started to hear singing whispers around him. What a peaceful way to die, he thought as Cuyler shut his eyes and let the words flow over him. He recognized them clearly as the language was in his native tongue from the Land of Lost Nights and that voice, it was so soothing. Cuyler’s eyes snapped open and he tried looking around, trying to find the source of that voice but then everything seemed to shift into focus and he dropped onto solid ground. It was a bit jarring and the splash of water onto his pants shocked him but he quickly understood that he was alive and that voice may have just been a hallucination after all.
A different voice greeted him in the traditional sense and Cuyler looked forward at the hooded figure. He shifted, taking a half step back and reached one hand for his sword while the other hovered over the water around him. Cuyler called out to the water, feeling the strength and comfort of it being so close should he need it. Over the months in Asgard, Cuyler had turned more into the soldier rather than the timid, passive boy of before. Sure, he still angered easily but now he had more of a warrior head on his shoulders. Yet he still possessed curiosity and this hooded figure and strange land with two great lights, with a sky full of stars and water that reflected the sky perfectly, had him on the edge of his metaphorical seat.
”Are these the water of Mimir?” He shifted his feet, causing a ripple in the pristine surface of the water. If these were the waters of Mimir, it didn’t seem right that he should be standing in them.

---

---

---

---

Ahote nodded when Mryus gave him his task. He looked at each of the royal siblings, looking at Valda last before he shifted and left the siblings to their own devices. Ahote would most likely sleep in the barracks tonight as well, he was terribly exhausted. As he walked he wondered how Titan would take the news. Him and Amarantha had been just as close. Thick as thieves as it were. Amarantha trained Titan, from the very beginning. If he was tasked to take over in Amarantha’s position, would he even be able to?
Ahote made it to the barracks without much of a hitch and was able to locate Titan as well. Titan turned when Ahote called for him and he eyed the man. They were close to the same height but didn’t quite match in muscle or colour but Titan could hold his own against Ahote if it was desired. Ahote told Titan of Myrus’s order and the man frowned. “Why are you telling me this? Where is Amarantha?” Ahote shifted awkwardly but sighed and told Titan of what had transpired to his fearless leader. Titan turned away from Ahote and stared at the ground. Vampires had destroyed and taken so much from him. Their ranks were drastically depleted and to have their commandeered made into one of them was the final cut. “I suppose that puts me in charge than,” Titan stated.
“Temporarily. It isn’t final. The royal family will be deciding tomorrow,” Ahote, informed Titan. It was rather awkward for Ahote to be the one telling Titan this, he definitely wasn’t above the man. Titan turned around and glared at Ahote. “It is my right,” he stated.
Ahote didn’t back down from Titan but he didn’t push either. “I am certain they will take everything into consideration and won’t take this lightly. I’ll help inform the servants of their new accommodations for the night,” Ahote said quickly before hurrying off.

---

---

---

---

Valda nodded her head slightly as her brother suggested that they all see about sleeping in the Queen's Room. It would make her feel better to know that her siblings were alright and safe, as long as nothing else happens or nothing else insane happens that night, maybe, just maybe they'd be able to get some sleep. "Alright, that sounds like a good idea to me Myrus," she said giving him a slight smile, not sure what else to really say on the subject.

She was a little bit surprised, and somewhat glad, that Myrus had decided to take charge and started giving orders to people. That was one thing she didn't want to deal with tonight, and that was the truth. Valda didn't even really want to think too much about what might even happen, and she knew that they needed to talk to Rowland about everything. "I'll see about sending off a message rat to Rowland, I'll meet you in the Queen's Room," she said, giving her brother a smile as she started walking away.

---

---

---

Bruce said nothing, more or less watching the pair head off on their own, well, technically it was Tate carrying Sylvi, but that didn't really matter too much. He had a different thing to be concerned about at the moment, that being that Nova had collapsed, and likely needed some help in some form. He just watched Sylvi and Tate leave, before he made his way to where Nova's room was, carrying her along as he headed that way. He sort of hoped that he wouldn't run into any of his siblings, as he was pretty sure one of them would blame him for what happened to Nova.

Eventually, he found his way to Nova's room, and walked inside, setting her down on the bed and tucking her into the blankets, setting down Mr. Bunny next to her. He would have set Mjolnir down on the ground nearby if he had actually been able to lift the hammer, but he couldn't. Walking from the room, he glanced back at his sister for a moment, before leaving. Now was the time to go try and catch up with Myth and see how things were going with the whole Loki situation.

"Sounds like fun for them anyway," she muttered, not really sure what else to really say about that. His siblings were more then a little bit of a handful, and now they were sort of stuck on Asgard for a little while anyway. Not to mention she didn't really want to go back to their room in the Ramblings considering it was now being haunted by a ghost that she constantly was able to see. It was not some place she'd want to go, especially considering the fact that they had effectively murdered the guy.

Sylvi giggled slightly, giving Tate a bit of a smile as he picked her up. "I'm perfectly fine with this," she said as she nestled in closer in his arms. Hearing his other question about how she was feeling, that one was a bit more complicated as she tried to think of the best way to phrase that. "...I'm feeling a little bit better... Just mainly tired, and more then a little freaked out by everything that has happened more or less..."

---

---

---

---

---

Nothing terrible happened in Luna's room - it seemed the excitement must have died down for the night. The shadows were long and it was far past the time when any Crown Princess should have retired to bed. And with the majority of the staff sleeping in the barracks, it certainly wasn't safe for her to be wandering off on her lonesome. Similarly, Ahote would not have any difficulty with his task - the servants were too scared and frightened to protest, their eyes only held wide open at this late hour from adrenaline.

"...Alright, if you're sure," Myrus informed Valda, as she said she would go off to send a message rat to Rowland. He was nervous at the idea of both of his sisters walking off all alone, but Luna and Valda were stronger than they appeared... and Valda already appeared rather strong. Biting his lip slightly, Myrus walked to the corridor that Hid the Queen's Room and he walked through the wall, emerging on the other side. The events of that day... they were unbelievable. Beyond the vampiric massacre, he had traveled to the future. His siblings had returned thanks to a half dragon, half boat. And Mavis... His heart wept for her more than it did for Amarantha.

---

---

Violet's heart was hammering in her chest like mad as warriors seemed to melt out of the shadows. Some of them were Magyk, their darkened emerald eyes staring at the two women assembled. Others were skilled in the blade, scars littering their body and telling the many fights they had survived to see finished. A hushed silence came over the Hellfire Circle, before the legion bent the knee to Fleur, bowing their heads.

"Hail Fleur! Hail the Demon's Head!" the legion chanted in unison. She had another army backing her, another force to add to her numbers. With all of her amassed power, what could the Castle do to stop her? Would Queen Valda be able to withstand such an assault? Perhaps if Fleur knew the horrific events that had transpired that Bonfire Night, she might have been inclined to strike now in this weakened state.

Violet was quiet, observing the scene. She trusted Fleur, but she did not trust these men. They had served a corrupt leader - were they not guilty of the same crimes the Lord Hellfire had been? The man had died a dragon, his gigantic carcass draped across the circle. "The Way - we should return through it. The Castle may need us," Violet confided in her friend. She hoped that just as they had accidentally walked through it to come here, they might be able to find some sort of way back through if they wandered around the woods long enough.

---

---

The Palace Entrance Hall...

Coming up from the dungeons, Halley and Myth entered the entrance hall of the Palace. The throne room was not too far from here and Halley did not doubt that her aunt would be there, awaiting the news of their journey to Midgard and the mission to recover the Tesseract from the thief. Loki had yet to produce the precious stone, but Halley was certain that it had to be him. There was nothing he coveted more in the world than that gem. "He's Loki," Halley explained to Myth. "In my life, I've found that securing him tends to be a good approach to any dilemma... especially when it involves an infinity stone."

Glancing down the hallway, she saw Bruce alone emerging from Nova's room. "How did it go, brother?" she asked, curious - and a bit concerned for her little sister. Nova was a bit annoying at times, as she was perpetually a child, but she was family nonetheless. Arnora came into view a moment later and Halley gave her a curt nod, unsurprised to see she had returned - but a bit confused that Cuyler had not returned with her.

Bruce and Myth's Home...

Antonije nodded slightly, opening the door to Myth and Bruce's home with his foot and kicking it open. No one on Asgard seemed to be too concerned with locks, he noticed. It was almost sickening at times how much these gods and goddesses trusted each other - though he supposed that explained why Loki was able to trick them all time and time again. Heading inside, he found the spare room that had been allocated for him and he tucked Sylvi into bed, smirking a little bit at her.

"Would Sleeping Beauty like a bedtime story?" he teased.

The Well of Mimir...

"Kan du møte det elva vet..." Arya's voice whispered into Cuyler's ear. Was it actually her or just some manifestation of Mimir's power taking on her memory and intonation? Rowland had implied some very dark things about her... was this what remained of the Arya he knew, just a whisper in the back of his mind, singing tales in his native tongue? Or was it a Magyk all of its own, perhaps a desperate cry for help from the ex-ExtraOrdinary Wizard?

"Is that truly the answer you have come to seek?" the hooded figure asked. The figure didn't move towards Cuyler, not moving at all but somehow the water continued to ripple around them. This water would feel strange and foreign to Cuyler - as if there was something Magykal about it, begging him to dive in deeply and inhale, to drown... "What have you sacrificed for knowledge?" the hooded figure asked - did they mean his eye, as Sága had said earlier?

---

---

Luna looked around her room for a moment it was eerily quiet which she did like at the moment, the whole day was really crazy and she nearly did die today as well. She leaned herself up against the door to her room for a few seconds as she enjoyed the quiet, before getting up and made her way towards her wardrobe and picked out a change of clothes for the night and tomorrow morning as well. Once she had her things Luna turned and started to leave her room, the hallways were pretty empty now as well she was pretty sure everyone had gone off to sleep in the barracks. Luna also thought about sneaking down into the dungeons to check in on her friend Amarantha, as well as to see what she could do to help her maybe.

Luna found the way to the Queen's Room and walked into the wall that led into her sister's room, and spotted her brother there and smiled towards him. Luna gave him a loving hug, it felt like it was forever that it was just the three of them in the room as well, she looked at the cupboard for a moment that had taken them to the marshes she didn't want to go through that one again really.

---

---

---

---

It didn't take to long for Arnora to find the others, she gave Halley a friendly smile and nodded towards her, she wasn't sure what else would happen to Cuyler right now. "We were on our way back when we bumped into Saga, he's with Cuyler now to see the Waters of Mimir right now, to find a way to prevent Ragnarok. Oh and she also took his eye as well to." Arnora said, as she started to think about the vision that Saga had given her not to long ago either, as she looked at everyone who was there.

She looked and noticed that Loki wasn't with them at the moment, and she assumed that he was now in the dungeons as well. "Also Saga said, to be wary - your foe is not what she appears, whatever that means." Arnora said shrugging slightly, she stared at Bruce for a moment before looking away, she was still more than pissed off from him punching her in the face earlier in the evening as well.

---

---

---

---

The sound of Arya’s voice in Cuyler’s ear was pristine and perfect. If he shut his eyes he imagined he would picture her, draped in the candle light from his ship, singing to him as he would often ask her to right before they fell asleep. His heart ached for her and he fought the urge to turn into a waiting embrace that was not there. That weakness seeped into his muscles and although the hooded figure asked him a question, Cuyler did not hear. The waters were calling to him, rippling underneath their un-moving feet in lazy patterns. Cuyler peered into the water, his arms relaxing as the waters themselves seemed to call to him. He only managed to pull away when he felt the sensation of the waters calling him to dive in, to drown. Drowning had always been a fear of Cuyler’s. He would not walk into it willingly.
The hooded figure asked yet another question to which Cuyler heard clearly and paid attention. He stood straight and looked the figure in what he assumed to be the face and spoke. ”I seek to drink from the waters of Mimir. I offer my eye as sacrifice.” Cuyler gestured to the arrow that still stuck out from his eye. He became nervous that he would now have to pluck his own eye out but he supposed that would be part of the deal. How would one even pluck their own eye out? It didn’t seem pleasant at all. Then again, getting an arrow shot in his eye wasn’t pleasant either. On the upside, Cuyler was getting used to only be able to see from one eye.

---

---

---

---

Valda wandered away from where she had been with her siblings in order to get a message rat in order to let Rowland know that they were going to show up first thing in the morning to speak with him. Being the Queen did have some perks, as she didn't have any trouble getting a message rat to be able to send a message out. "Speak rattus rattus," she said when the rat showed up. "Alright, this message is for the Extraordinary Wizard Rowland and needs to be delivered quickly. Tell him that the royal family is going to stop by first thing in the morning, as there is something that needs to be discussed urgently." With that said, she watched as the rat went away, and she headed off.

Now that that was out of the way, she wanted to see about getting some sleep. It had been an incredibly long day, and she was fairly tired at this point. Now she walked through the wall to the Queen's Room, figuring that her siblings might already be there. Sure enough, when she entered the room, she saw that her siblings were there, and she gave both of them a small smile. "I sent a message rat off to let Rowland know that we are going to stop by in the morning... Let's see about getting some sleep now..."

---

---

---

Bruce glanced over as he saw Halley and Myth show up once he had exited Nova's room and nodded slightly towards them. "It went well overall... Nova was able to cure the vampirism, however, well... Nova collapsed afterwards, so she's resting now... Hopefully she didn't overexert her power, otherwise she might be out cold for more then a little while," he said softly, shaking his head at that last thing. He hoped that Nova was just tired and would be fine in the morning.

He noticed however that the girl who effectively was their uncle was not with them any longer. "So, how did things go with that uncle of ours? And by that I mean either one of them, Loki or Forseti, your pick as to which one you think I'm referring to... So, where the pair of you heading off to?" he asked, looking at the two, unsure of what else to really say about the issue. Things were starting to wind down a little bit now.

Sylvi giggled slightly as Tate carried her towards Myth and Bruce's home. She was perfectly capable of walking, but it seemed like he had other ideas, and she was perfectly fine with him carrying her the entire time. It made it easier for her, considering how tired she was, and at least this way she didn't have to worry too much about getting separated from him for some strange reason and getting lost somewhere in Asgard, since knowing her luck that probably would happen.

When they entered the house and Tate led her to the spare room, she smiled slightly at him as she got underneath the covers of the bed. "Nope, no bedtime story for me... But I will say, how about you lay here with me, even if it's just for a little while," she said with a smile. She was really tired, but she didn't really want to be alone too much at the moment all things considering, she wanted him to stay with her no matter how tired she was.

---

---

---

Myth couldn't much argue with the sentiment, even though she didn't know Loki. If Halley was this hell-bent on ensuring the trickster remained locked up, then he must really deserve it. At least in Halley's eyes. "Fair enough, but next time, don't drag me into it without my say so. It was hard enough coming up with a lie on the fly. If it wasn't for your magyk I doubt I would have gotten anywhere with him."

Soon, they came face to face with Bruce. Since Tate and Sylvi were not with him, she assumed he handled whatever was going on. "Haven't seen Loki yet, but we just left Forseti. I had to lie to him to make sure Loki stayed locked up. Ask your sister as to why. Shall we go?" She continued on her way, following Halley with Bruce in tow. "How are Tate and Sylvi by the way? Is being in Asgard better for them?" She was concerned still with Sylvi's transformation as well as their safety. She wouldn't admit it, but she was worried about both of them now more than ever.

---

---

---

Fleur stood by the corpse of her father in dragon form, hearing her name chanted. Demon Head. She had to admit, it sounded appealing. Another jewel in her crown. And she had another force to aid her in her fight. It was time. She felt it. "Yes, let us return back. Once there, I will need to get ready. I have a large enough army to take the castle easily. They won't expect it so soon."

She turned to face her new force. "Get ready for battle quickly. The time comes soon we will lay waste to our enemies." Facing Violet again, she didn't know if the girl intended to continue aiding her. She had to admit, she had grown quite fond of her. "Tell me, Violet, what is your next step? Do you still wish to help me? would accept your aid if offered, but I will not force you to fight alongside me if that is not what you want." She began to make her way back to the portal to get back home, letting Violet follow if she wished.

---

---

---

---

---

Myrus returned Luna's embrace, taking a moment to just breathe and be thankful that his family was alright. They were orphans, yes, but they were siblings. They shared strong bonds that he was certain could meet any challenge, any test. Even though Valda had grown up in the Forest, he still felt that he knew his eldest sister his entire life. "It'll be fine, Luna," he promised his older sister softly, despite the heaviness of his heart. Valda came through the room a moment later, explaining that she had sent a message to Rowland and that he would be expecting them in the morning.

"Alright, we'll meet with him and see what we can do... about everything," Myrus said. His worries of Fleur coming to kill his siblings were minimized at the moment, thanks to the chaos of the vampires and the mysterious chains and the looming threat of Ragnarok. He would do anything to keep his family safe - and to keep his kingdom safe. But if he had to choose between them? Myrus didn't know what choice he would make. Family or duty? He wasn't the Castle's king, but he was a member of its Royal Family, obligated to serve and protect.

He pushed those sad thoughts out of his mind and took off his cloak, stripping down to his undergarments (a cotton white shirt and pants of a similar texture), before he went and lied down on the far left portion of the gigantic bed. There would be plenty of room for the three siblings to sleep.

---

---

Violet's path had always been clear for her - the next step was always just a question of how, rarely one of whether. She followed Fleur back into the woods towards where they had emerged, contemplating the question. "I have work that is worth doing - to purify the Castle from those who survive by corruption and greed, who rape and pillage without any consequences," Violet said calmly. "I have to burn the rot in order to preserve the good... After that, I do not know. Perhaps then I will return to where I was born." She didn't mean a simple town or hamlet, no nothing as mundane as that. Violet had awoken in the Darke, trapped and alone. It had taken her time to learn to escape from it, to emerge from Limbo and enter the physical world.

"What of you? Once you have toppled their armies and restored peace to these lands, what will you do?" Violet asked the Witch Messiah, the Head of the Demon. It wasn't too long until they reached the strange metallic structure and Violet peered at it, attempting to figure out if there was some clue as to how to take the Way back to where they had come from. The Magyk reminded her of Limbo in some respects, yet was entirely different in others.

---

---

The Palace Entrance Hall...

"Sága?!" Halley exclaimed, a bit surprised. She had never seen the ancient goddess in her life. Many on Asgard believed her to be dead or lost in distant realms, never to return to Asgard for fear of Odin's wrath. ".... She?" Halley then emphasized. For a split second, she considered whether or not Loki was innocent, but currently Loki was presenting as female - so Halley felt that the she pronoun could just be confirmation that Loki was their foe, responsible for bringing Ragnarok. "Forseti was being stubborn and pigheaded as usual," Halley explained to her brother.

She frowned slightly. So many events were occurring all at once. "It's late. Perhaps we should retire and meet with the All-Mother come dawn... I am certain your babe misses you." Halley was scared - yet she also knew that they couldn't take any action now. Most of Asgard was asleep, as were their foes. The other scouts would return with information and they could discuss it all soon enough anyways.

Bruce and Myth's Home...

Antonije smirked slightly. "Oh, you want me to lay next to you? Whatever will your parents think, a boy like me with a girl like you?" he teased, before lying down next to Sylvi and pulling her into his arms. He kissed her forehead gently before closing his eyes himself, listening to the steady beating of her heart with the attention one would normally give a master symphony. "I love you..." he then whispered into her ear.

The Well of Mimir...

"Very well," the hooded figure replied, reaching out and pulling Cuyler's eye clean out of its socket. Strangely, the wound instantly healed and scarred, leaving little pain behind. The figure stared at the eye for a moment, before nodding at Cuyler. "Drink," he beckoned, producing a chalice from nowhere seemingly and extending it to the demigod.

---

---

Luna gave her brother a loving smile and nodded, she was just glad that he was safe and alright as well as her sister to, when she came into the room. The day had been really long for all of them, and she was certainly more than ready to put the day behind her now at this point as well. "I'm ready to call it a day." Luna said as Valda came into the room and nodded towards her, she was pretty sure he would be willing to help them in some way as well.

Luna went and climbed into bed as well, and rolled over onto her side looking out the nearby window as well letting out a yawn, she wasn't sure what the day will be bringing either as well. But she hoped that tomorrow wont be really crazy like the night had been either, she was still on edge as well. Eyeing the cupboard she and Valda had used earlier in the evening to escape the room, she was pretty sure that the hut they came into wasn't safe either. "Good night Myrus, and Valda." Luna said to her brother and sister.

---

---

---

---

Arnora looked at Halley and nodded towards her. "Yeah, I think she's with Cuyler or something now still as well." Arnora said towards her, while looking between Myth and Bruce for a moment, before looking over at Halley the evening had been pretty long as well and she was more than ready to call it a day as well. "Sounds like a plan to me then." Arnora said, as she started to think more about the vision that Saga had given her just a few moments ago.

"Another thing though Saga gave me another vision, it was here on Asgard during Ragnarok to I think, with Cuyler fighting someone wearing purple robes, and loosing to her to." Arnora said she wasn't sure how they could postpone it since it was coming up pretty soon as well, but they would have to talk about it in the morning.

---

---

---

---

Oddly, Cuyler let out a sigh of relief when the mysterious hooded figure plucked his eye out. There was an initial shock and pain but it was quickly covered by the quick healing of his skin, covering the terrifying extra hole in his head. He ran a hand over where his eye used to sit and felt the tender new flesh there. It was going to take some getting used to, maybe he would get a patch like Thor. What would Thor think, having someone else with a missing eye in the family. Odin, Thor and now Cuyler. He couldn’t help but smile a little from the thought.

Cuyler focused back when a chalice appeared and he was instructed to drink. The chalice was of no impressive make, clearly not from the iron smiths on Asgard and it could use a bit of a shine. Cuyler shook out his hands, letting out a shaky breath before he took the cup. ”May the odds be ever in my favour,” he said before he brought the solid cup to his lips and tipped it back to drink from the water of Mimir. His only eye rolled back in his head as he was overtaken with a vision. It was Ragnarok and although hearing stories and tales of what it would be like, there was nothing that could have prepared him for seeing this. It was as if he were actually there, amongst the fire and clanging of metal and the cries of people as death claimed them. It reminded Cuyler of the gulls that cried on the sea, following him into port. Cuyler started walking, following a pull as the vision pulled him along. People dropped around him but no one touched him, not even the blood as limbs were severed. Nor did he stumble as the world seemingly shook and opened up around him. As he neared the epicenter, the pull felt stronger and his steps quickened. This person, whoever he was, he was the start of this devastation. Cuyler narrowed his eyes as the target came into view. Their back was turned, a black cloak billowing out around them in a most unnatural way. He began moving with purpose, his long strides covering the distance quickly. Reaching out, Cuyler grabbed the cloaked person and turned them around. His eyes widened and he stepped back from the person. It was no male, it wasn’t Fenrir or any of the suspects. It was Arya.

Cuyler came back after the reveal of the bringing of Ragnarok and Cuyler dropped to a knee, both from the shock and from the sudden change again. He stared at the water at his feet, feeling a strange sense of hollowness along with utter grief. Rowland said that Cuyler was going to have to stop Arya, to end her Darkeness but this... He hadn’t expected her to be the end of worlds. Cuyler looked up at the hooded figure. ”What does this mean?” Cuyler felt like he was lost at sea, much like he had on the day his village had been destroyed and he had no compass to guide him where he needed to be.

---

---

---

---

"Yup, no point in worrying about it all too much now... We can't do anything about it now, and we all need some sleep, no matter what. So how about we see about going to bed now and trying to forget everything that had happened and get those thoughts from our heads, alright?" she said to her brother, giving him a bit of a smile. She hoped that he'd be able to relax somewhat, but given everything that had happened, she figured that falling asleep might be a lot easier said then done. She wasn't too sure she'd be able to fall asleep given everything that was going on herself.

Valda herself didn't really care about what she wore when it came to going to bed, she had grown up in the forest for the most part, meaning that she was used to wearing whatever clothes she more or less had on already, so she crawled into the bed with her siblings, lying down at one end of the bed. "Good night you two," she said softly to them, before closing her eyes somewhat, before she tried to see about hopefully falling asleep or something.

---

---

---

"...Wait did you just say Saga?" Bruce said, looking at his sister and Arnora a bit. That was definitely not someone he had expected to hear had appeared on Asgard. Things probably were getting dire if she decided to make an appearance, that was for sure. Nothing was going to surprise him anymore at this rate though, considering that he had been to the future earlier that day and had learned that Ragnarok might be happening sometime in the near future, nothing was really making any actual sense now.

"...Of course Forseti was being his usual self, that's not surprising at all," Bruce said with a bit of a chuckle, before wondering why Myth was asking him a question that he had already given her somewhat of an answer to. "Alright, sounds like a plan to me Halley... We definitely need to tell her about everything that has happened... Now Myth, how about we see about heading home? We all could probably use some sleep at this point."

---

---

---

Sylvi gave Tate a bit of a smile, "Well I personally don't care what they would think at this point, so I am perfectly fine with you laying here with me. Rules and propriety are annoying and more then a little bit controlling if you ask me anyway," she said to him, giggling slightly. Earlier in the night she had told him that she still imagined that her parents were wondering where she was, and that they actually cared about her, but right now, that all seemed to leave her mind, not really mattering.

When he laid down next to her, she sort of snuggled up to him, closing her eyes slightly and breathing deeply, she smiled slightly when he had said that he loved her. "I love you too Tate," she said softly, before she started trying to fall asleep entirely. Her mind was still wandering over everything that had happened that night. Including the fact that technically she had died and was brought back almost. It was weird to think about, but at least now things hopefully would calm down somewhat.

---

---

---

The Royals had met with Rowland in the Pyramid Library of Wizard Tower the morning of November 6th. Rowland succeeded in placing a protective Charm around the Castle, preventing further members of the undead from coming within the walls. As far as he and the other wizards could tell, Amarantha was the only remaining vampire in the Castle. The ghost of the great alchemist, Marcellus Pye, along with the ghost of an old ExtraOrdinary Wizard, Septimus Heap, managed to devise a temporary cure of sorts for Amarantha. It was a potion that she would need to drink once each month, suppressing the blood lust that ravaged her body - yet it did not get rid of her vampirism. Raw meat and animal blood seems to be sufficient for giving her energy thankfully.

The Saecular Games are due to begin at 11:00 AM on November 10th. Wooden stands have been erected on the Palace Grounds, forming a semi-circle. Foreign leaders and their champions have come to the Castle from across the globe, all vying to bring home a victory in these games. This includes the leaders of the Eastern SnowPlains and the Land of Long Nights, despite the war that continues to rage on. Of course, those aren't the only ones in attendance.

On Asgard, the search for the Space Stone was ultimately futile - they couldn't find it and Loki was being less than cooperative. The All-Mother, Runa, and Heimdall sensed the presence of one of the Infinity Stones at the Castle on the morning of November 10th, so they dispatched a team to go and retrieve it. Most likely, the stone is the Tesseract... and even if it isn't, the visions of Ragnarok indicate that the Castle will be the sight of a significant battle. While the team is on Midgard, those on Asgard are gathering an army from across the Nine Realms in preparation to stop the end of days.

In the Forest, Fleur's army is ready and waiting for her orders. Violet had left Fleur's flock to attend to her own mission, promising that she would return to Fleur once the time was right. More of the Castle's criminal element has turned up dead in various manners, increasingly violent compared to the benevolent initial strikes that amounted to nothing more than natural causes on cursory inspection.

No matter what happens, today will be a day to remember - a day in which our heroes and villains become legends.

---

---

---

The Throne Room - the Palace...

In the Throne Room, the Royals and their friends were gathered... as well as some enemies. Empress Astris of the Eastern SnowPlains was present, a frown marring her otherwise beautiful complexion. Next to her stood her chosen champion, Anna Rasputina. She was a noted sword fighter, but given the secret gifts of those from the Eastern SnowPlains, there was likely more lurking beneath the surface.

Emperor Taj of the Big Wild Land Over the Ocean was there with his champion and sister, Asha the Magykal. They had traveled through the Ancient Ways, emerging seemingly out of nowhere in the Palace earlier that day. Next to them stood the Royals' cousin, King Nicholas of the Lagoon. Should anything happen to Valda, Luna, and Myrus, the throne would pass to him. His champion, Kai Ricci, stood silently by his side.

Lastly, sending a chilly gaze from across the room at those from the Eastern SnowPlains, King Alvis of the Land of Long Nights was accompanied by his champion, Freyr Askelson. Some countries had declined to attend, fearing that it simply wasn't safe to be at the Castle, especially with the Eastern SnowPlains and Land of Long Nights in attendance.

Rowland and Myrus were next to Valda at the moment, with the ExtraOrdinary Wizard looking around those assembled for a moment. "I have my wizards dispersed throughout the crowd should anything occur, my Queen," he reassured Valda.

"Erm, Valda... One question... Who are you picking to be your champion for the games? I'd like to volunteer," Myrus then explained.

The Saecular Games - the Palace Grounds...

Behind the stands, the Asgardians appeared in a beam of light, an intricate sigil burned into the grass signaling their arrival. Nova had made a full recovery but had been asked to accompany Astrid and others on Asgard in assembling a force to match whatever might await them on Midgard. Astrid and Nova even had brought the twins, Marya and Medea, with them on the intergalactic quest - something that Antonije was less than thrilled about. "Alright, there are a lot of civilians in this area so we need to be careful. Loki stashed the stone somewhere nearby - Arnora, any idea where it is exactly?" Halley asked, trusting Arnora to be the best tracker of the lot.

Antonije glanced around, seeing the colorful flags rippling from the tops of the stands. Exotic animals were in cages, most likely involved somehow in the sports. However, something then caught his attention - one of the flags belonged to the Land of Long Nights. Sylvi's father must have been here in attendance. "I'm not hearing anyone thinking about the stone beyond us," Antonije then reported, having used his telepathy to do a quick scan.

However, he frowned and noticed something else. "Baldur and Hodr are here... They're watching the games."

The Forest...

Violet had spent the early morning meditating in Limbo, breathing the swirling energy around her in and allowing it to fill her up. It wasn't Darke or Lyte - it just existed like any other natural force. Labeling it as something completely evil or good was redundant, a belief that had driven Nera down her own path of self discovery. The strongest of Magyk could only be obtained by breaking all of the rules.

Opening her eyes, Violet Appeared in the midst of Fleur's encampment, materializing out of Limbo. "What is your plan?" she asked Fleur, skipping the traditional greetings and going right to the point. Fleur's flock was there, as well as the witches of the Witch Country, and the forces of the Hellfire Circle. She had as many mages on her side as there were traditional soldiers in the Small Wet Country's army.

---

---

Luna stood next to her brother and sister, she looked at those in the room mainly at both The Eastern Snowplains and The Land of Long Nights and their champions. She was a little bit uneasy seeing them in the same room, with the war between the two countries they could be dragged into it at any time if they decided to attack each other. Luna shifted slightly as she looked at her brother for a moment when he asked Valda who they had in mind for their champion. She certainly didn't like that her brother volunteered to be one their champion, sure he did have his powers but he didn't have enough training in her mind.

"I don't think that's a good idea though Myrus." Luna said softly back to her brother, she didn't trust the Eastern Snowplains queen or her champion to fight fairly. Rowland could do it or someone he could suggest, or someone else they did have more experience, she rubbed the back of her neck slightly. She was glad though that Amarantha did have some kind of treatment to help her vampirism, as Luna looked around the room once more.

---

---

---

---

Arnora took a moment and looked around at the crowd that had formed, they were preparing to watch the games she adjusted the strap to her sword. Still the looming of Ragnarok so close didn't sit well with her at all either, when Halley got her attention she turned to look over at her friend when she asked her if she could locate the tesseract. Arnora closed her eyes as she started to use her ability to track, she didn't really have experience tracking objects mostly people and animals. However she was able to get a general feel for where it was now.

"It's definitely somewhere on the grounds." Arnora said opening her eyes again, as she looked around the crowd no one really stuck out to her. When Antonije mentioned Baldur being here was also troubling as well, hearing about the war with her home country as well as the Eastern Snowplains wasn't good to her. "With him here it's sure as hell going to make our jobs harder." Arnora said looking at Halley and the others.

---

---

---

Myth had spent the night tending to her newborn son, realizing how much motherhood had grown on her. She could not imagine a world without him in it and she would soon die than let any harm come to him. She cared for her newfound family in that regard too, seeing the lengths they went for each other. She fell fast asleep with pleasant thoughts in her mind.

Soon, the Saecular Games were happening on the palace grounds. She had heard of these a while back and had intended to join. She left Halden to the care back in Asgard, considering the crowd of people that would surely be in attendance at the games. She was proven right seeing the numbers from all over. It filled her with a sense of awe, wondering if she should join the games or not. She was prepared in her mind, but not so much in her heart.

Still, it was sure to be a glorious day.

---

---

---

Fleur had begun preparations as soon as she had awoken for the day. With all her forces gathered, she had strategized, thought over methods of attack, defense, where people would be placed, who would fall back, who would distract. She was still going through it when Violet returned after leaving for her own mission. "We have a large army at our disposal, but each force has its own strengths and weaknesses. I want defensive wards placed on the frontline fighters, with a larger group dealing large amounts of Magykal damage. The Hellfire Circle can get inside easily and begin causing chaos, but I don't want them to attack right away."

"I don't expect them to think we are coming today, but it is best to be on our toes regardless. They have allies on their side with power too. If we cut off the head though, the rest of the body falls. So the royals are the main target. I want to be the one that goes inside too. I know you have a stake in this so you may join me if you wish. I'd feel better knowing you were along."

---

---

---

---

Cuyler stood in the shadows, hearing the roar of people and the smell of various foods, both domestic and forign to this land. He had his axe out, flipping it this way and that, ready to use it should his companions want more of a lead. Of course Arnora used her gift to track it to this specific area, but they might be able to narrow it more and find this stone quickly before anyone became curious as to what the Asgardians were doing here, again. ”You should have brought Halden. He would have liked all of this,” Cuyler remarked to Myth. Of course they were on a quest and it was no place for a baby but Cuyler had found an odd comfort in the small child and it would have been nice to focus on his reactions to the goings on around them.
With the increase in activity since Cuyler’s vision of Ragnarok and the presence of Infinity Stones, Cuyler hadn’t much time to breath or process. He stole precious minutes with his tiny cousin when he could and it seemed all the world fell away when he was holding the small thing. But as it would, life moved on and Cuyler wasn’t permitted to take a moment and process. Things were happening on Asgard in preparation for Ragnarok and Cuyler was sent to Midgard to go find some stone. He was having a hard time justifying this work over being on Asgard, preparing and training. He had felt more and more on edge every day since his vision and being sent here was bothering him. Cuyler ran a hand over his new eye patch and down his braided hair, a new habit he had developed since the loss of his eye.

---

---

---

---

As soon as Amarantha stepped through the door, moving away from the sunlight to the dull lighting of the Palace, she slipped off her hood and mask, before continuing down the hall to the Throne Room. As before, servants and other Palace staff slipped out of her way but now she was followed by hurried whispers and hushed words. Her eyes glanced over each of them and she grinned at a particular nickname that seemed to be following her these days. Yes, she quite liked that one.
The secular games were upon them and Amarantha had been planning this for months. She was eternally grateful to a former ExtraOridinary Wizard ghost and the ghost of famous Alchemist Marcellus Pye who managed to have a serum crafted for her. She had to take the thing once a month to suppress the basic urges of being a vampire but the Commander of the Guard was back, even if she had a particular fondness for raw meat and bunny blood.
Amarantha entered the Throne Room and bowed before walking up to the Queen and her siblings. She clasped a hand over her heart and bowed her head before speaking. Yes, Amarantha was groveling for her former behaviour to Valda. In her defense she had been diminished down to her animalistic self and had no filter of any kind. ”The Guard is in place as well and Titan is stationed within the Royal box, awaiting your arrival,” Amarantha informed the Queen. As for Amaratha, she would be slipping back into the shadows for the duration of the games. Not only because of the sunlight having a nasty way of burning her instantly, although it didn’t outright kill her, but also to keep on eye on everyone foreign. They had allowed a lot of enemies, people they were warring with currently and potential threats into the Castle and Amarantha wanted to keep a close eye on them all. Amarantha looked over at Luna and shared a private smile with her before looking back at Valda.

---

---

---

---

Ahote stood a few paces behind Myrus in the throne room. Even though they were inside, the room was abuzz with the various royals from distant countries, all of them sizing each other up and trying to think ahead of what the other would do. Ahote’s eyes wandered to all of them, trying to get a feel for them all but with so many auras in one place, it would be hard to get an accurate reading so Ahote didn’t even try. He looked back when Myrus volunteered to be Valda’s champion. Something pulled inside Ahote’s chest and he smiled at the floor. Ahote was quite proud of Mryus and the progress he had made with his learning as well as the growing he had done in these last few days.
Ahote stepped forward after Mryus made his offer and bowed his head to Valda. She knew she didn’t care for the dramatics of bowing completely but this was a formal event with her enemies looking on and judging every move, he didn’t want her to be seen as weak because she was far from it. ”I too, would like to volunteer as tribute,” Ahote declared. He respected Mryus’s desire to represent his home and his country but he wanted to give Valda the option. True, Ahote was not from these lands by birth but he had been prepared to protect them ever since being drafted by Amarantha for his current position. Ahote glanced over at Amarantha and smiled, glad she was back. She may be different now but her heart was still for this country, even though it no longer beat as his or Valda’s did.

---

---

---

---

Valda more or less was not too thrilled to essentially have to sit still and do nothing, well, nothing exciting anyway. As far as she could tell, you could cut the tension in the room with a knife. Her eyes flickered over to Empress Astris, knowing perfectly well that she had been the one responsible for the death of her sister. That had been an accident, and something she did not like to dwell on, considering the fact that the Empress' sister had tried to kill her first. Still, she didn't care much to dwell on it. Her mind soon became distracted, as several people had begun speaking to her.

"Thank you Rowland..." she said, giving the old wizard a bit of a smile as she stood up off of her throne, and looked at the assembled leaders. "Hello everyone, and welcome to the Castle, I hope that you enjoy your time here as much as you are able while the Games are going on..." Now, she turned towards her brother, shaking her head. "I am sorry Myrus, but I agree with Luna... So therefore my champion will be Ahote Proudstar." she was more or less ignoring Amarantha's existence, still not wanting to talk to her at all especially considering what she had said a week or so ago.

---

---

---

To say that Sylvi was not too thrilled at being in the Palace Grounds at the moment was definitely a bit of an understatement. Her eyes darted towards the flags belonging to the Land of Long Nights, and she knew that it meant that at the very least her father was here. A week ago, she had been somewhat wanting, almost wishing, that her parents wondered where she was or went looking for her one way or another. Though now, the idea that she was in the same place as her father somewhat scared her.

"...Can we make sure to avoid my father? He's here somewhere, I doubt that he would decide to stay home... Especially considering the war that is going on right now..." she whispered softly to Tate, figuring he probably would want to avoid him too. Since the Land of Long Nights and the Eastern Snowplains were at war, she doubted that her father would be too thrilled at the idea of her being together with someone from the Eastern Snowplains, plus the fact that she wanted to avoid any sort of drama like that entirely.

"I thought it was obvious that there were a lot of civilians Halley," Bruce said with a slight eye roll, annoyed that she had decided to point out the obvious. Obviously there were a lot of civilians, it was the Castle of course there were going to be a lot of people. It did not make things better, knowing that their grandfather Baldur was in the crowd, it made things a lot more difficult as Arnora pointed out, given how many things could go wrong here.

"We should keep an eye out for them, if we see them, we might want to recommend them not being here right now... Also makes me wonder if grandfather actually pays attention to anything else that goes on on Asgard... It will make it harder with him here... As for Halden, Cuyler you know perfectly well why we shouldn't bring him here... You know how many different ways this could go wrong right? Seriously, everything could go wrong if we aren't careful..."

---

---

---

---

---

The Throne Room - the Palace...

Myrus' face fell slightly at Luna's words, having hoped that she would support him in this. Yes, he didn't have much training but he had these powers and abilities. He knew in his heart that he may not win the Games, but he would at the very least survive them. And on top of that, it would afford him a chance to prove himself. The young prince was slightly on edge in Amarantha's presence. While she was practically back to normal, he still couldn't shake some of the memories. And in some ways, he was angry that Amarantha had survived while Mavis had not.

He sighed as Valda named Ahote as her champion instead of him. "It's alright," he told her, more or less informing his sister that he wasn't going to hold a grudge over this. Of course, there wasn't really time for grudges. Rowland was remaining dutifully by the Queen's side, most likely for the best as Empress Astris walked over to Valda, Anna at her heels.

"Queen Valda - how delightful it is to finally see you in person," Empress Astris said emotionally, her voice like ice. "If you have a moment, I should like to speak to you privately before the Saecular Games begin... Somewhere away from the filth," she then added, nodding over towards King Alvis. The King of the Land of Long Nights was currently conversing with King Nicholas, having a crude conversation that was more or less derogatory towards women with loud, boisterous laughs.

"Now, boy, if that comes to pass as you say... I think there's a promising alliance for the both of us," King Alvis agreed, chuckling as he clapped a hand on King Nicholas' back. Nicholas flashed a poison smile over towards Queen Valda, his dear cousin, before he went with King Nicholas over to the small buffet table set up along the far wall.

The Saecular Games - the Palace Grounds...

"Great, the last person on Asgard who should be anywhere near Loki's machinations is here," Halley muttered, incredibly frustrated with her grandfather and great-uncle. She doubted they'd be successful in convincing Baldur to leave as well - maybe they wouldn't be able to avoid Ragnarok. Maybe the force of fate was too strong and too powerful to even delay the horrific events? She shook her head slightly. Until they knew for sure that it was all too late, they had to at the very least try. That was what heroes do.

"Yeah, of course we can avoid him," Antonije promised Sylvi telepathically. He didn't look forward to meeting Sylvi's father at any rate. "Silvija and I can go look through the staging area - maybe Loki stashed it there," Antonije offered, receiving a curt nod from Halley.

"Brother, Cuyler, Myth, Arnora... If you four can search the stands for the Tesseract, I can go try to persuade Grandfather to return to Asgard."

Antonije then took Sylvi's hand and pulled her away while the others were talking. It wasn't too long before he reached the small staging area behind the stands, where the animals were kept in their cages. Mobile trailers were set up, filled with various props and whatnot. "Okay, where would you hide a dangerous Magyk stone back here?" Antonije whispered telepathically to Sylvi, eyeing the most grand and luxurious of all the trailers. It contained a wide variety of weapons - perhaps Loki placed it in there?

The Forest...

Violet listened to Fleur's plan, feeling the weight of it fully now. It had all been in the abstract before, but Fleur's plan for her forces was smart and clever. She didn't fret for the Royals and those who defended them, but her mind wandered to the civilians. There would be some of them there in the stands, watching the Games - would they lose their lives to this conflict? "What of the spectators - the innocents?" Violet asked, wanting Fleur's word that they would not be harmed but she knew that could not be guaranteed.

Building a better world took bloodshed and sacrifice. She took a breath, before tilting her head to the right, Sensing something familiar nearby. A phantom pain shot through her eye and she gasped slightly, closing it tightly. The odd sensation vanished, the uncomfortable Feeling that there was something nearby she needed to see going away. "If we attack before the Games begin, it'll minimize the civilian casualties," Violet offered. She and Fleur could hardly Transport an entire army there, but they were so close to the Castle from this point in the Forest that all they would need to do would be to cross the Moat and then breach the Castle Walls.

The battle could conceivably start in ten minutes or less.