Hurriedly, we packed up our stuff, shoving it into spacial rings.

My maids also decided that they were coming along, as we had essentially adopted them into the family, and they were not to be unincluded in family drama.

We had to leave in the dead of night, when everyone was asleep.

It was kind of weird, escaping from our own home, but I guess that's what happens when you get framed for literal murder.

It was sad, seeing our house get smaller and smaller as we got further and further away from it, likely never to be seen again.

Ithril fell asleep, so Papa took him on his horse, and had Ithril’s horse trail behind him.

We galloped for a long time, before reaching our first pit stop -the horses were exhausted from riding all night and day, and as were we- and we pitched camp for the night, and made a small fire.

I cooked dinner for us, a hearty pasta dish, and we all sat around the fire, eating quietly.

I didn't really feel all that hungry, after eating snacks all day, so I was basically just pushing the food around in a sad attempt at making it look like I'd cooked for myself as well.

I sighed and spoke up quietly, “Mama,”

Mama looked up from her pasta, “Hm?”

I put down my fork and looked at her straight-on, “How did they frame you for assassination?”

Mama and Papa looked at eachother, and Mama spoke, “Well… About four days ago, the King was targeted by hired assassins, who were caught in the act. The assassins were questioned about their clients, and said that it was us who hired them. Your… Your Aunt Cermania backed their statement by stating that she had overheard us discussing assassination of the King, and provided evidence with a recorded conversation from a magical ring which records sounds,”

I frowned, but stayed silent for a while, before speaking up, “That...That evidence is really very flimsy,”

Mama and Papa nodded at my statement, and I stood up, cleaning up everyone's plates before scooping a sleepy Ithril into my arms, nodding at Mama and Papa, “Goodnight. Don't forget to kill the fire when you both go to bed,”

Mama and Papa nodded their heads and smiled at my retreating form, going back to their hushed conversation.

I climbed into Ithril and I’s tent, and helped him into his PJ’s, then into his sleeping bag

I snuggled into my sleeping bag with Sir Antonio Clawde Wolfe in my arms. Wisp was curled up in his tiny form, into Ithril’s body, purring quietly.

Just as I was about to nod off to sleep, Ithril’s tiny voice sleepily croaked out, “Nano… Are we ever going back home?”

A solemn expression crossed my face. Ithril was already homesick, and it had only been two days!

I sighed, and smiled reassuringly at his tiny face, “Maybe, Ithril. But we might find a new home, too. Don't worry, okay? We have Mama and Papa and the four musketeers to look after us. It will definitely be okay, okay?”

Ithril hummed almost silently, and his eyes drooped shut, quiet snores filling the tent.

I watched Ithril curl into Wispeous in his sleep, and Wisp made himself a little bigger, to avoid getting squashed from Ithril’s active sleeping.

I smiled, then gave Wisp the order to ‘Protect Ithril. If it comes to a situation where Ithril and I get separated, follow him, not me. I can defend myself just fine, okay?’

Wisp purred quietly, and through the mind link, hummed, ‘Okay. I will protect your brother. He gives me treats, when you don't, anyway, so I'd probably follow him even if you didn't tell me to,’

I rolled my eyes at his remark, and closed them, ignoring his, ‘Ithril’s nicer than you, you know? He gets me. He knows that treats are the best, you know?’ And falling into a deep sleep, that would soon be disturbed loudly and rudely.

~

I awoke to a large form crushing the tent that Ithril and I were in.

My eyes snapped open.

Ithril’s cries of agony rang out loudly, and I sat up almost robotically in response, face flatlining it's emotion.

The shredded fabric of the tent was drenched in blood and was pushed away from my form as I pushed through the heap of rocks, the huge amount of rubble falling away from my untarnished form.

Chaos.

Utter chaos.

It seemed that a group of mercenaries had been hired to catch us, harmed or unharmed, and had sicked their Infernal Garoneets on us.

Garoneets were giant, apeish, bearlike, pig-snouted things that were muscular and vicious. Their huge claws were like swords, and their noses were strong and accurate, so they were perfect scouting hounds.

Infernal Garoneets were even more vicious, and five times larger. They liked to rip their prey apart limb-from-limb.

Currently, there were four Infernal Garoneets, another two dead on the ground and one heavily injured, battling with Lisette and Papa.

Mama was trying to hold off the other four from Ithril, whose cries were loud and piercing, with the rest of the maids, and Wisp was attempting to heal Ithril’s arm, which I could now see had become fully disconnected from his torso.

The mercenaries were now arriving.

Everyone was wounded, and by the low sun in the sky, I could tell that it was because the Garoneets had surprise attacked us in the middle of the night.

I could see Ithril’s face rapidly losing color as he screamed in pain, and the blood flowing unceasingly from his wound.

Rage filled my core.

It bubbled up like hot magma, making me want to hurl it out violently.

So I did.

I stepped up from the rubble, my obliterated clothing practically falling from my form, and stared in pure fury at the disgusting creatures that dared to harm my family.

A power exploded from my form, seemingly vibrating as a stillness came over the forest that was unnatural and unnerving.

Boom.

I stepped forward.

Boom.

My lips curled into an unfeeling smile.

Boom.

I raised my hand and-

E R R O R

INSUFFICIENT CONTROL EXECUTED IN USAGE OF 'DIVINE RETRIBUTION'

...

RESETTING CUSTOM SETTINGS

...