Lexy woke up with a yawn. She sat up to see sunlight filtering through her window curtains.

Lexy got up and walked over to her dresser and pulled out a white t-shirt, black pants, and her light blue hoodie.

Lexy slipped into the black pants and pulled over the white shirt. She grabbed her light blue hoodie, put it on, and zipped it up. Lexy grabbed her red goggles from her dresser and put them on.

Lexy flinched when she heard a knock at the door. Lexy went over to her bedroom door and opened it to see one of the maids. The maid looked to her,

“Thokath sends his apologies in that he won't be able to be here with you for today. There was a server malfunction that demanded his attention..”

Lexy nodded,

“Oh ok.”

The maid nodded and left.

Lexy looked back to her dresser and walked over to it. She pulled open the bottom drawer and pulled out her father's knife. Lexy put the blade in her hoodie pocket and grabbed her bow, arrows, and quiver from the top of the dresser.

With all her equipment Lexy left her bedroom and walked down to the main lobby of the mansion. From there she walked to the garden. There she saw Callum. Lexy walked up to the boy,

“Need more flowers?”

Callum nodded,

“Yeah, if you don't mind of course.”

Lexy smiled,

“Of course!”

Lexy then began looking for dandelions with Callum. The duo managed to gather another bundle of twenty dandelions. Once gathered Callum looked to Lexy and her bow and arrows,

“What’s all that for?”

Lexy shrugged,

“precaution you never know.”

Callum hummed,

“Makes sense. Ready to go?”

Lexy smiled,

“Yeah.”

Callum nodded and walked over to Lexy. He put his hand on Lexy’s shoulder and the two fell through shadows and rose back up in front of Callum’s home.

Callum and Lexy entered the house to see Niph in the kitchen. Niph looked to them and sighed,

“Alright let’s get this over with.”

Lexy nodded, with that she and Callum had begun cutting the dandelion tops off. Lexy looked to Niph,

“So while we do this I have a question.”

Niph raised a brow,

“Alright shoot.”

Lexy pulled another dandelion head off and put it in the stone bowl Callum had taken from the cupboard,

“Who is the blood king? Like I've heard people talk about him and it got me thinking is that his real name or is it just some title because he did something?”

Niph just stared at her for a moment like a girl had grown two heads,

“Do you genuinely know nothing about the Anawrath kingdom? You know the kingdom that we are standing on?”

Lexy blinked,

“Oh, that's what the name of this place is.”

Niph slapped her forehead,

“I wish you were lying but you aren't. Ok, so Anawrath is the kingdom wherein its ten constellations are strong. The kingdom’s neighbors are the star dwarfs, The Elves, and the kingdoms' closest neighbor the Trilleons. I'll tell you what each day you help Callum bring the flowers. I'll answer more of your questions. Deal?”

Lexy smiled,

“Sounds like a deal.”

Niph nodded and took the bowl of dandelion blooms. Niph began to speak while she pulled the water from the blooms,

“Alright first to answer your question, yes, the blood king’s title is just that, a title. Did he earn it? Yes, he did in the crowned trials. The Crown trials are where one of the royal family members duels against a pier to earn a title. All siblings will dual each other until one is left that isn't unconscious for the title of king. So to the question of him having a name other than the blood king? Yes, he does but only those under his explicit permission may know.”

Lexy blinked and watched Niph as she pulled a pan out and had begun the procedure to boil water for the tea. Niph looked to her,

“Do you know who Tethys or Orion is?”

Lexy hummed,

“You mentioned them yesterday, said how there are currently two major religions that believe in one or the other being the true gods?”

Niph nodded and grabbed a stone cup from the cupboard and poured the hot water from the pan into it. Niph then added the dried dandelions in and continued,

“They say it all started with a story. If it's all true that's for you to decide.”

Callum looked to Lexy with bright eyes,

“oh! Oh! I know this one! Lexy, I think you'll like it.”

Niph sighed,

“Alright let me see if I can remember this all right, it went something like this. I shall tell a tale long, long ago of one of great beauty and one of great woe. A tail that begins with the creatures known as mankind. For he was destruction, greed, and chaos all in one! For they were the children of Orien himself! They would take and take until the land was no more. Of which you shall see the earth is still scared.

The monsters would ravage the land until one fateful day a set of great wizards sent by the holy goddess said, “No more!” The wizards gathered the races of magic and banded together to fight the monsters.

Only to find the dark god Orien had blessed his cursed children to never die! So how did our heroes defeat something that never dies? They were aided by the goddess of light! Yes, Tethys herself came down with all her might to create a trap for the humans.

For this trip, she called the veil and she created a powerful creature to guard it. Known as the Warden. The monsters fell into the trap and the world was finally at ease. But not is all as it shall seem.

Beware children I say beware for there are those who wish the world harm and wish to set the humans free. Beware of those with no magic and are of human traits for they could be children of the cursed.”

Niph sighed,

“Still can't do it the way Carlose told it. Sorry, Callum.”

Callum smiled,

“It’s ok! I know Carlose would have been proud!”

Niph nodded and looked back to the tea,

“ It's finished.”

Niph was about to speak again only for there to be distant howling. Her eyes widened and she looked to Lexy,

“You need to go in the afternoon because the winds are early this time.”

Lexy nodded and looked to Calum,

“Could you take me home?”

Calmun nodded,

“Sure thing! Do you want to see the winds before we go this time?”

Lexy tilted her head,

“see them? uh sure.”

Calum smiled and led Lexy outside. Lexy watched Callum point to the horizon where there was an immense moving sand storm heading straight towards them. Lexy looked to Calum with wide eyes,

“Yeah, let's go.”

Calum nodded and placed his hand on her shoulder. Lexy yet again watched in amazement when they sunk into the shadows and rose back in the back garden of the mansion.

Lexy looked to Callum,

“Same time tomorrow?”

Callum nodded,

“Of course.”

*****

Lexy woke up with a yawn and slipped out of her bed. She walked over to her dresser and got into her usual attire that consisted of her blue hoodie, white t-shirt, black shorts, and red goggles. Lexy then grabbed her bow, arrows, quiver, and her father’s knife.

Lexy then walked out of her room and headed downstairs. Lexy made her way to the dining room to see Leslie, Carin, Mina, and Misa. Leslie looked to her,

“Hi Lexy, I'd like to inform you that you do need breakfast. I have been informed by the staff that you haven't been eating that much.”

Lexy sighed and nodded,

“Alright, I'll grab an orange and go practice archery.”

Leslie nodded and with that Lexy walked over to one of the baskets of apples and oranges on the table and grabbed an orange. Lexy then walked over to a trash can and used her nails to softly cut into the skin of the fruit and peeled it. Lexy then threw the peel away and walked out of the dining room. Lexy made her way to the garden and saw Callum in the forest.

Callum looked up from what he was doing and waved to her. Lexy walked up to him and smiled,

“So you need more flowers?”

Callum nodded,

“Yeah the flowers have been helping mom, she actually talked today.”

Lexy nodded and looked to Callum with slight fear,

“That's good, hey, the question once your mom is healed does that mean you're not going to come here anymore?”

Calum’s eyes widened,

“What? No, of course, I'll come back. We're friends! Friends don't abandon friends. Think of it this way, I can hop through shadows so long as you have a shadow. I can always come to help you. I'm like...I'm like a friendly boogie man!”

Lexy smiled,

“That’s good, I was worried there for a bit. Now let’s get some dandelions for your mom.”

Calum nodded,

“Right!”

Calum and Lexy then began to gather dandelions. The two had managed to gather another bundle of twenty. Lexy looked to Callum,

“So I was wondering, you're dead, I haven't met him. What is he like?”

Calum looked to her and smiled,

“My dad is nice, sometimes he's strict but as of right now. He left town to represent Charter and so he can get a flower for mom from the capital.”

Lexy hummed her eyes narrowed a bit,

“So your dad is still around and your mom is. Is your mom nice?”

Callum nodded,

“Oh, she's the best! Before she got sick she would help the servants take care of the peryton and the manor. She would even read stories to me and my sister. Then after reading she would hug us and tickle us. She’s the best. What are your parents like? I don't think I've seen either of your parents around here. Just maids and butlers occasionally.”

Lexy looked away and shifted her weight from one leg to another while she scratched her arm,

“Well, I've never met my dad and my mom… I don't know what to think. Do parents normally abandon children at the airport? On top of that is it normal to just abandon a child in a house for months and months... It gets lonely.”

Lexy’s voice went into a whisper at the end.

Callum’s eyes widened,

“Hey, don't cry. Crying doesn't help anyone, actions do. I'll tell you this again and don't forget it.”

Callum pointed to Lexy’s shadow and Lexy looked at it.

“See that?”

Lexy nodded and Callum smiled,

“as long as you have that. You are never lonely.”

Lexy looked at him with wide eyes and smiled,

“Promise?”

Callum nodded,

“I promise.”

Lexy smiled,

“Great, now let's go.”

Callum smiled and put his hand on her shoulder. Lexy watched as they sunk into the shadows and rose back upright by Callum’s house.

Lexy and Callum walked into the house to find Niph cleaning up. Niph was about to greet the two when the sound of coughing was heard from the kitchen. Niph sighed and went into the kitchen while Lexy and Callum glanced at each other and went inside to see Niph helping a woman who had eyes and hair that matched Callum’s.

The woman looked to Callum and then looked to Lexy her eyes widened and the woman leaned down to look at her,

“. Callum, is this the friend I've heard you talk about?”

Callum nodded and smiled,

“Yeah! we're best of friends!”

Callum’s mother smiled and she looked to the dandelions,

“how about me and Niph make the medicine and you go play with your new friend.”

Callum smiled,

“thanks, mom! You're the best.”

Lexy started at Callum’s mother for a long moment and blinked,

“You're not like my mom, I like that.”

Callum huffed,

“Lexy come on! We don't get all day!”

Lexy looked to Callum and smiled,

“Ok, I'm coming!”

Lexy then followed Callum after handing the dandelions to Callum‘s mother. Callum looked to her and smiled,

“Oh, I want to show you the great rock cave!”

Lexy smiled back softly and followed Callum as he guided her through the streets taking a left a right and then another left until they had begun to approach a massive boulder-like mountain that was slanted skywards. Callum smiled and pointed to the mountain, “we have to walk the way because I'm saving energy for getting you back home.”

Lexy nodded and the two eventually reached the bottom of the mountain. Lexy continued to follow Callum as he led her off the trail on the mountain and after going past tall dead twisted trees. Lexy looked to Callum,

“What happened here?”

Callum looked to Lexy,

“It's the remnants of a forest. They say that we are lucky we get to even see this. It’s nothing compared to the real thing though.”

Lexy nodded and continued to follow Callum, as she did she saw Charter was right next to a huge river. It was also then that Lexy saw the huge dunes that were on the horizon.

Lexy resumed following Callum until he stopped in front of a cave entrance. Callum reached into his shadow and pulled out a lantern with a candle inside and some matches. Taking a match out he lit it by striking it against the box and lit the candle. Callum resumed his course into the cave that eventually opened to a large cavern that had a desk and a huge amount of bookshelves filled with books.

Callum turned to her,

“Since you've helped my mom so much and my mom is invaluable to me. I only know one way to repay you. These books are free for you to read at any time. Many were made by my older brother. It’s only fair.”

Lexy smiled,

“Hey, I hate to ruin the moment but isn't it right about now when one of those storms will come in?”

Callum’s eyes widened,

“Oh my gosh, you're right! Suppose it took us a while to get here.”

Callum rushed out of the cave to look outside, only to see the storm coming at the border of the town. Callum quickly ran over to Lexy and put his hand on her shoulder. Lexy watched as they slipped through the shadows and rose back up where the garden met the woods.

Lexy heard the back door of the mansion open and looked to Callum only to see he was gone already. Lexy looked back to see who had come through the back door to see Thokath. Thokath let out a sigh of relief and ran up to Lexy.

Lexy felt him wrap his arms around her and hug her,

“Thank goodness you're safe!”

Thokath set her down and his expression went to stern scowl,

“Don't ever scare me like that! I panicked when Leslie told me she went to check on you before she was going to leave for work. She told me you said you were going to go do some archery only for her to find you were gone! Where were you?”

Lexy lowered her head and she scratched at her neck. Thokath looked at her neck and stopped at what he was going to say. There at the base of Lexy’s neck was a chain scar just like the ones on her wrists. Thokath’s eyes widened,

“How many of those do you have?”

Lexy blinked,

“Oh, the scars? I have them across my chest, on my wrists, and my ankles.”

Thokath frowned and his brows furrowed,

“Oh. Uh back onto the subject earlier. Could you please tell me or one of the maids or butlers where you go?”

Lexy nodded and scratched at her neck again. Thokath eyed this,

“Are the scars itchy?”

Lexy looked away,

“Sometimes, other times they burn. It's not that bad, I'll be fine.”

Thokath sighed, his frown not quite leaving,

“Alright, do you want dinner?”

Lexy shook her head,

“No, I think I'm going to go to bed.”

Thokath nodded and Lexy went inside to go to bed.

****

Lexy woke up with a yawn and got out of bed. She walked over to her dresser and got into her usual white t-shirt, blue hoodie, and black shorts. Lexy then grabbed her goggles, put them on, and grabbed her bow and arrows along with her father’s knife.

Lexy walked to her bedroom door and stepped out into the hallway. Lexy from there made her way down to the dining room to see Thokath eating breakfast but none of his siblings. Lexy raised a brow,

“Where are the others?”

Thokath looked to her,

“The others? Oh there at work. I'm just about to go but before I do.”

Thokath got out of his chair and one of the butlers brought him a medical kit,

“I think we have some scars that need to be tended to?”

Lexy looked to Thokath and sighed,

“There isn't really anything that can help. Mo-”

Lexy stopped herself and resumed,

“Carmen and I tried a lot of different medicines. They never worked.”

Thokath pressed his lips into a thin line while his brows knitted together

“Well I have one that I was thinking of trying, it’s not an over-the-counter method but it should help with the itch at least.”.

Lexy sighed and looked to Thokath,

“Ok, trying is better than nothing.”

Lexy walked over to Thokath and rolled her sleeves up revealing the chain scars. Thokath applied for the medicine and put a thin layer of bandage wrap over it,

“Well, just do these two, for now, to see if it works. Ok?”

Lexy nodded,

“Ok, now uh, is it ok if I head out into the woods?”

Thokath nodded,

“yeah just don't stay out there after dark.”

Lexy smiled and pulled her sleeves back down,

“OK! Be back before dark, get it!”

Lexy then ran out to the back garden and rushed to where the garden met the woods. There she found Callum who already had a handful of dandelions. Lexy smiled,

“Is that all you need?”

Callum nodded,

“Yeah, it is. Ready to go?”

Lexy smirked,

“yup!”

Callum sighed his expression going to one of worry,

“Ok, uh but I have to warn you it’s tax day for charter so the streets will be filled with white swords, Dark Apostles, and Anawrath guards. So I'm just going to bring us straight to the house.”

Lexy’s smirk fell and she nodded,

“Got it, let’s go!”

Callum nodded and put his left hand on her shoulder. Lexy watched as they fell into the shadows and rose back up in the house. Niph who was cooking in the kitchen flinched,

“Oh my gosh, Callum what have I told you!”

Niph paused and looked at Lexy. Lexy frowned when she saw dried tears on the girls face and a look of regret,

“Oh hi, Uh Callum, how about you take Lexy and go to the special place.”

Callum frowned and was about to protest when his mom came into the room with a wild look of fear,

“Niph what are you still doing here? You need to hide.”

Tears fell down Niphs face,

“NO! I'm going into the military so you and Callum can have the benefits. I'd rather it be me than Callum! It’s either that or our family loses ranking and is sent to the slums!”

Niph’s mother narrowed her eyes and tears ran down their cheek,

“I'd rather be sent to the slums and you, Callum, be safe than ever lose another child again.”

Niph was about to retort when a set of two guards barged open the door to the house,

“Which child will it be?”

Niph was again about to speak when this time Lexy interrupted,

“Me.”

The main guard, who was an elf, raised a brow. He looked at Lexy and then the rest of the family. He was going to retort when the other guard spoke up, who was a man with one and a half fennec fox ears. His left ear looked like someone ripped a chunk off it. While he had a matching tail.

“Very well, thank you for your cooperation. Follow me please.”

Lexy nodded and looked to Niph while she silently mouthed,

“I bought you time, go.”

Lexy then followed the man out of the house to see a large group of anawrath soldiers going door to door for other children. They led her to a carriage that was being hauled by a Peryton. Lexy sighed and her shadow darkened