Gerald got up from his place. He held his unsipped wine glass high. The bards stopped. With a sharp voice he spoke:
"Before the desserts, I'd like to introduce all of you to the heroes of our kingdom!"
"Ariel Sun, Amy Regulus and Peter. Get on top of the platform." He pointed at where bards stood.
Peter froze in his place.
What is he trying to do?
Hesitantly, he walked up to the platform. Shortly after, Amy and Ariel arrived. Amy had her backpack in hand. The guests whispered among themselves. Peter's palms sweated, and his eyes darted from place to place.
"This courageous group went to the Crimson Forest to investigate the cult gossip. Give them a clap."
The guests did as they were told.
"Now they will perform to the best of their abilities. For they can be recruited for your deeds."
Vixel clicked her tongue.
A subtle yet malicious smirk appeared on Gerald's lips.
"For Ariel, he'll show his strength. For Peter, he'll show his memory. For Amy, she'll show her intellect."
He's stalling! Peter ground his teeth. Ariel rubbed his forehead. His body trembled from the poison.
Amy's face was stone cold. She stared directly at Gerald.
The poison is getting to me too. Amy placed her hand on her forehead. It wasn't hot, yet she felt like she was burning. Her vision blurred.
I should have forced the antidote instead of trying to be secret about it.
Her eyes drifted to where her family crest used to be.
I do not have anything to do with this island anymore.
Ariel gritted his teeth, and tried to stand still.
Amy exhaled through her nose. If Ariel falls due to poison, I will burn the palace down. She nodded to herself.
Peter whispered. "Did you translate the document?"
Amy whispered back. "Yes, it is enough to crumble this island down."
"Wha-"
"Let's start with Peter, the houseless chronicler and a lover of stories! Show us your incredible memory." Gerald put the wine glass to his lips. Then he put it back without taking a sip.
"U... Um, how?" Peter asked.
Gerald rubbed his beard. "My servants will show you the lineage of the Imperial house. You shall recite them in reverse order, starting with me."
Peter closed his eyes. I have to get out of here.
A soft wind swooshed his hair forward. Peter turned around. An open window stood before him.
He moved his fist to his mouth and coughed exactly three times.
An awkward second passed.
"Uhh..." Peter's eyes looked for Jane.
Suddenly, ceramic bowls on top of the trays showered the ground. Guests' eyes snapped towards it.
"I'm so sorry... Uhhh." The maid's eyes teared up, the same maid that had brought the trio the winternuts.
A duchess with long, purple hair and a red dress rushed towards the fallen maid.
"A-Are you fine!?" She said.
Jane held her hand towards the maid. "She's fine. She just tripped." A subtle smirk appeared on her face.
"So it was notin'. Ma heart sank; I thought it was another attack." The duchess, who had talked to Peter before, sighed. A loud boom arose from where Peter should've stood. She turned her eyes to the platform.
The dust lingered on the platform. Then it slowly dissipated. A pile of ash remained where Peter was supposed to be.
The guests shot up from where they were sitting and rushed to the exits between screams. The knights covered the king, except Vixel, she had her legs on the table and stared at the platform, uninterested.
"No need to scream." Amy said, her voice sharp.
"I turned him to dust since he disrespected the King of Varsians with his ignorant silence." She bowed down slightly.
Gerald chuckled slightly. "Look, my loyal servants and royalty. All of you should be like this!" He turned to one of the knights and whispered something.
The guests walked back to their place. Some relocated closer to exits, covered by their knights.
"Let us continue the performance." Gerald said.
Can't Peter plan for anything? I had to burn the cloak I got from the Mushroom Forest. Amy sighed.
***
A gentle yet cold wind caressed Peter's body. His hands held the end of the window. The ground was at least four meters away.
He scanned around. A large section of the building was carved out to make an alcove, which was a meter beneath him, where several statues had been placed.
The statues consisted of a woman holding a silver mirror to the sky, a man in armor who looked in distress, and a tired man who had his index and ring fingers cut. These statues alternated poses to fill up the alcove.
Letting go of the edge of the window, Peter felt weightless for a second. The ground rushed to him. He managed to hold onto the statue of the tired man looking down.
His fingers stretched and, his ligaments loosened. The pain shot up from his fingers to his brain. He clenched his teeth. His grunt echoed in the darkness.
There's nothing else to hold on to. Peter closed his eyes and braced himself. Then, he let go of the statue. His ankles cracked. Peter lay on the ground. While gritting his teeth, he rehearsed:
I've had worse! I've had worse!
After a second, Peter pushed himself up. No one was around. He limped away from the Great Hall. Only his immediate area and a few buildings were visible in the pitch black sky. He sat on the black fountain where he couldn't see the Great Hall.
Turning to the palace, he asked himself:
Where is the Greenhouse? Where would I put it if I was the king? He rubbed his forehead.
Why the fuck would you even hide a greenhouse!? Isn't the whole reason for one to look pretty?
He slammed his hand on the fountain. The pain shot up from his knuckles. He shook his hand to ease the pain.
Peter covered his face. Let's just map the palace as much as I can see. Maybe there's a pattern or something.
Thousands of stars blinked and a few nebulas wandered around as he stared at the sky.
It's so dark even with all those stars. He got up from his place. He then pulled a small notebook and a piece of charcoal from his pocket. He opened the notebook.
Before he could write anything down, the distant chatters reached his ears. Peter looked around.
A few dots of light appeared at the gates of the Hallow Palace. He narrowed his eyes. They were a few knights in light armor, holding lanterns.
The pain cut through his thought process as Peter pushed off to run. He gritted his teeth. The knights stopped talking.
Peter knelt down. If I don't move, they might think I'm a boulder. He rolled his eyes at the cliché of the situation.
At least nine Ursian stories had the same events.
He leaned over the fountain and scribbled the layout of the palace as he remembered.
Peter looked between the stars and the drawing he just made.
It aligns? He frowned in confusion.
He rested his forehead on his palms.
The layout looks like the Ariel constellation, but one of the stars is missing.
The dots of light had split apart.
Peter lifted himself off the ground and limped towards the missing star. It was somewhere in the west, near the Royal Treasury.
After fifteen minutes, he arrived at the location. It was a garden with stone-paved paths. The moon's heart was nowhere to be seen.
He sighed. Of course, why make it easy?
Then, he walked on the stone. His boot clicked, clicked, then clanked. Peter stopped and knelt down. He knocked on the stone. It made a metallic sound again.
He ran his mana through the stone. It lifted from its place, revealing a staircase. Peter climbed downstairs. A large room made out of stone and soil greeted him. It was illuminated with torches that hung from the roof. All kinds of flowers and plants lay before him.
The moon's heart flower stood just a few steps away from him. He moved closer and reached for it.
"So this is what you were lookin' for?" A female voice said.
Peter's breathing had stopped.