Hans wondered where Elyse went. The satyr did not see him off, unlike the others. Given what Ritik said, the werewolf assumed that she was busy dealing with medical emergencies as she worked as a volunteer healer after the first attack on Dracokin. He became worried, knowing how vulnerable she was against the effect of the light and how distressed she was near one. With two light dragons attacking the city with one of them managing to destroy most of the structure.

Though he had seen how she handled herself in a fight, her caprine appearance also added to the werewolf’s worry. For him, goats and sheep were easy prey for prowling wolves, which was the main reasons why the villagers from Sidve refused his help in handling them. While they had no problem with Hans and his sister being werewolves, they would not trust a wolf herding sheep. It sounded wrong and posed a great risk, especially under a full moon where inexperienced werewolves could succumb to their bestial instincts.

Hans was sure that, as a pureblood werewolf, he could control his urges. But as he learned more about being a werewolf, he decided not to risk it and end up being chased out of the village. That was the reason why he was a better laborer and farmer than an animal herder.

That did not seem to happen towards Elyse, whose caprine appearance was very apparent. Maybe it was because of being kicked and thrown across the desert by one of her enhanced kicks that he did not see her as completely vulnerable. Still, her reactions against the pillar of light still made him worry.

Along with Adeline, he asked around the whole day. However, no one saw her after she healed a group of people and giving suggestions on the herbs that could treat infection. One healer, a lion woman who also happened to be responsible for the two and Keeshar’s recuperation, could only tell them that she visited the three regularly and also a hardworking volunteer using her druidic magic.

Thus, they went to the last person who saw Elyse last. Keeshar the Raptor was resting after helping to clean up some rubble when Hans and Adeline approached him. When asked, the Raptor said, “Well, she said she needs to go somewhere. She didn’t specify where.”

“When was this?”

“After she returned from being called by someone,” said Keeshar. “She seemed rather distraught and told me that she needed to go. I was still busy with cleanup, so I simply told her to be careful around the unstable buildings. I think it’s after we listened to Richie’s story.”

“Two hours ago….” Hans had a bad feeling about it. Elyse did not seem to be someone who would be distraught after being called by someone. The only other reason why she would be distraught was because someone other than them were in trouble. Or…something much closer to home distressed her.

Hans remembered what Elyse murmured when she talked out of her heart while the werewolf comforted her. It was something about the irony of a werewolf being so caring to her while her own people did not. From those words alone, Hans could assume that it might be satyr-related.

Just as he wanted to ask Keeshar about the details of their last conversation, a hand grabbed Hans’ shoulder, which caused him to turn. To his surprise, the person was also a satyr, but was bruised and bloodied. The others thought he was one of the injured from the recent light dragon attack, but Hans could clearly see that those injures were from a fight.

“Elyse…you gotta save her,” said the satyr weakly. “I didn’t think…they would…”

He fell to one knee; clearly hurt by the beatings he took. Hans and Keeshar quickly took a soft cushion the Raptor had been sitting and let the satyr rest while also giving him water. Adeline walked to a nearby healer’s tent to request for bandages and first aid kit while telling the nurse that someone was hurt.

As the nurse patched him up, he took a deep breath and said, “Just when you thought the light dragons are the more obvious threat, they just have to make things harder than it should….”

“They? Who’s they?”

“The kingdom’s enemy. Elyse’s enemy. My enemy. Different reasons, same faction. The kingdom of Val’seris.”

“Look, satyr, we don’t know anything about your politics or your government. You need to tell us where Elyse is so we can save her.”

“She is being forced to return as a prisoner,” he said. “They decided to act instead of leaving her alone. I know who they were…they were the royal guard, acting under the orders of prince Udvik. I should’ve known that bastard’s not someone who’s going to use his title to start a war with Bracken Woods.”

“By act you mean kidnap her?”

“I thought it’s obvious enough.”

“But why? Shouldn’t you kidnap someone more important?”

“She didn’t tell you? Oh, damn. The truth is…Elyse has importance in the conflict. She is Princess Elyse of the Bracken Woods.”

“What?!” said Hans with a gasp. “Princess? Really? She doesn’t act like one.”

“That’s because she hated her birthright,” said the satyr. “She exiled herself out here so her father can simply ignore her and choose a more appropriate successor. That rebellious attitude’s one reason why I liked her, but then she has this little brother complex….”

“Okay, let me get this straight,” said Hans. “She’s a princess, her kingdom’s at war with a rival kingdom, and they kidnapped her to force her father to surrender.”

“And then Bracken Woods will be annexed into Val’seris, and that’s one less satyr kingdom to worry about,” said the satyr. “Oh, and they’ll presumably be executed.”

“Why did you say that like it’s nothing?” commented Keeshar.

“Then we really need to save her,” said Hans. “But how do we know you’re not trying to lure us into a trap?”

“Why should I? You’re outsiders. You don’t even know our customs. Ellie certainly did not tell you for your own safety. Well, at least she told me to trust you, so I will. Never said that to me before, but eh. Clearly, her heart’s not for me.”

“And you didn’t just hurt yourself to look like you’re trying to save her?”

“Do I look like I fell from a flight of stairs? I know I am not the most trustworthy satyr out here but believe me. Elyse may not want to have anything to do with me anymore, but I still cared for her. I cared for my kingdom, and I will not let him be the king. Nothing can go right in a house of lies. Especially not with someone who won’t hesitate to kill an entire family.”

Hans sighed. He still had a hard time trusting the satyr. Yet, he felt this satyr was being honest when he was talking about Elyse. He clearly cared for her, even if the feeling wasn’t mutual.

Hans also cared for her, as did Adeline and Keeshar. He did not want to see Elyse be used in anything that she did not like, especially considering that she clearly did not want to be involved as a monarch. Adeline could understand why Elyse would not want to be one. The responsibility was too great and people all around her would be plotting something to either gain her favor or usurp her. Being a noblewoman herself, she knew the feeling, which was one of many reasons why she chose to stay in Main and be herself. It did not burden her much, considering that she wasn’t next in line.

Nevertheless, she also refused to let a friend go, so she said, “Hans, it doesn’t matter if he’s luring us into a trap. Elyse is in danger. You should just focus on that.”

“Can’t you at least think about the risks involved in trusting a random bloke?”

“What else can we try? We don’t even know if Elyse is still in Dracokin or not. The best lead we have is her being kidnapped. You agree with me, right, Keeshar?”

“I do,” said Keeshar as he stood up. “In fact, if he’s lying, there are more than just wolves and Raptors. We need a dragon to carry us to Bracken Woods, and the guardian will do just that.”

“Three meat eaters against a goat,” said Adeline. “He’ll think twice about doing that.”

Everyone turned to the satyr. He never thought he realized the implications of what they’d do to him. They were werewolves, and it would be natural for them to eat goats (though of course, they wouldn’t).

“O-okay, I got it,” he said, raising his hands, smiling awkwardly. “I value my life, too, alright?”

She smiled. “Good that we got an agreement.”

He sighed as he rested. The nurse just smiled, amused by the exchange.

After the nurse left, the satyr returned to the topic at hand. “You made your point, okay? You got a dragon…no, two dragons with you. If I am stupid enough to betray you, I’d just die without even doing anything!”

“That’s obvious enough. And no, only one dragon this time. Zenithia can’t go and decided to stay. With Dracokin almost destroyed and many of the soldiers are incapacitated or dead, she needs to stay on guard in case those light dragons come back and finish what they started. That being said…Hans, Keeshar, I realize something. I need to stay, too.”

“What? Why?” asked Hans.

“Zenithia can’t do anything without someone she trusts, and that someone happens to be me,” she said. “And besides, I need to learn on how we can work together in regards of the light sword. I may be a Lycan, but I am more comfortable with a weapon than with my claws and teeth.”

“But we are dealing with a political marriage here! You’re the negotiator among us.”

“Oh, I’m sure my diplomatic skills are not needed,” said Adeline. “I have a feeling talking is the last thing those satyrs need. Am I right?”

The satyr cracked a smile. “Heh. You’re right. If they’re desperate enough to kidnap Elyse this far from the Bracken Woods, talking won’t do much good. They are going to finish the deal with Elyse. Which means we have no time to sit around and talk. With a dragon, we can find Elyse much faster. It’s barely an hour since the altercation. We might catch up on the soon enough.”

“Then, let’s not delay,” said Keeshar. “You ready, Hans?”

“You?”

“Never walk around without my trusty macuahuitl. I’m always ready.”

Hans chuckled. He had not known Keeshar that long and had not had the chance to fight with him, but the Raptor’s already a better warrior than him. Still, the obsidian saw sword he had unnerved the black-furred werewolf, considering how dangerous it was. The way Keeshar used it, and the way the victims would end up, were far more gruesome than being cut by a sword.

No one wanted to get sawed in half, after all. Especially not by a tribal weapon.

***

After explaining everything to Azureath, the dragon agreed to carry the three to find Elyse. She knew she would be flying much faster than the kidnappers, and she was right. The speed of her flight made it possible to catch on the kidnappers a couple distance away from Dracokin’s walls. Once there, however, they found that they were there to finish the job.

The kidnappers had mostly been dispatched by Elyse, who, despite of having her hands bound behind her back, was still able to fight with her signature kicks. One of the satyrs were thrown quite a considerable distance after being kicked by her glowing hooves. The other satyrs were surrounding her when Azureath swooped down and grabbed Elyse before taking flight. The satyrs, surprised by this, made chase, but their hooves could not keep up. Before long, they disappeared into the horizon.

“Calm yourself, little one,” said Azureath as she felt Elyse moving around in her claws. “Don’t struggle too much. I know my claws can be very intimidating. Let me land so we can—"

“No, wait, don’t!” she said. To everyone’s surprise, Elyse said, “I need you to get me to Bracken Woods and help clear this mess. We must not delay!”

“Well, we’re already planning to,” said the satyr. “The war’s already begun.”

“No thanks to you, Fritz, or whatever your real name is! I overheard what those soldiers said about you and goddamn it, why the hell didn’t you just tell me outright?!”

“What is she talking about?” asked Hans, confused by her agitated state.

“Are we really going to argue here? The dragon’s right, you know. You do not want to struggle while you’re among those sharp—”

“And we almost got together! Legitimately!” She scoffed. “To think that my ex happened to be the deposed prince of Val’seris! You’re playing with my emotions too much and look where it puts our two kingdoms!”

“Okay, I admit. I may have been a little to anarchic for you. But my point still stands. Royal families are a pain in the ass, which is why—”

“Can’t you two please explain to us outsiders what the bloody hell is going on? Are you telling me he is the same prince Udvik of Val’seris?” said Hans, annoyed and frustrated by the two satyrs bickering. “And he’s betrothed to you?”

“Well, I was planning to tell you once we got to the Woods and let them know the usurper’s time is up. I mean, you do have an intimidating dragon. That bastard won’t just be stupid enough to fight a dragon, right?” said Fritz with a shrug.

“And you spoke in third person,” said Keeshar. “How vain.”

“Vain? He took my face, for ancestor’s sake! The identity of Udvik of Val’seris was robbed from me! Basically, I am not that prince. At least for now.”

“You have a lot more explaining to do after this is done, Fritz,” said Elyse, incensed. “I can’t believe I wasted two years of my life being this close of uniting two kingdoms!”

“To be fair, we’re not going to like it, so you can thank me for that.”

The flight was filled by the two satyrs arguing about their responsibilities and their own hypocrisies. Fritz, or Udvik, did not want the responsibilities of a king and took his Fritz identity, citing the risks involved. He also made the point of undermining a king’s rule due to this bitterness. Elyse, on the other hand, while she was reluctant in becoming the heiress apparent due to the political marriage to the impostor Udvik, clearly cared on her family and the kingdom.

But the two bickering and arguing on who’s at fault only made Azureath annoyed, to the point she stopped to hover, raised Elyse to face her, and said, “I have the means to drop you off here, in this meadow, and let you walk all the way to the Woods. I don’t care about your war and your politics, little ones, so I suggest you stop your arguments and be silent!”

Elyse gulped when she saw Azureath’s thumb claw pointed right at her. She nodded, afraid on what the sharp claw might do to her. The azure dragon also turned to the riders and said, “And you, prince. You will suffer the wrath of those two if you do not shut up. Adeline’s threat is not as hollow as you might think. They have a craving for you. As do I.”

Being reminded that he was a goat among predators only made him gulp and as afraid as Elyse, who also heard what the azure dragon said. Hans and Keeshar, while having no intentions of actually harming Fritz, did bare their teeth to intimidate the satyr, causing him to cower in fear.

The travel was silent afterwards, which improved Azureath’s mood. Before long, they reached the Woods as Elyse directed her to. There did not seem to be any war or conflict going on, as per Elyse’s claim. But that would soon change the moment Azureath landed near a gate being guarded by several satyrs.

Given that Hans and Keeshar were Ternorians, they could not sense it, but the rest of the travel group immediately realized the scope of the problem even before a visible blast of raw magic spell hit one of the wooden walls and broke it from the inside. Several satyrs were thrown out of the gates, some severely mangled from the attack.

Realizing how detached they were to the situation at home, both Elyse and Fritz jumped off the azure dragon and ran towards the gates. The satyrs guarding the gates were distracted by the fight, but one noticed the two and said, “Halt! It is not safe to go into the Woods!”

“I am princess Elyse of Bracken Woods, heiress apparent for the House of Gathbergen!” exclaimed Elyse. “I have returned to settle the disputes, and I demand you open those gates!”

“Princess Elyse?!” One of the guards, cautious, then said, “How do we know you are not a fake claimant to the throne?”

Then Elyse pulled out a crest that Azureath and Hans had seen before. It was the same crest she used to purify the waters in the oasis she made into her home. The werewolf was even more surprised and quickly concluded that Elyse had an irresponsible part of her. Or maybe it was her way to stay out of royal business.

“Here is my proof! This crest reacts to my mana, so it is genuine. You will take me to the king this instant.”

The guards, unsure what to do, became distracted by the fighting. However, Azureath, realizing the urgency of the matter, rushed towards the gates, scaled the wall, and came face to face with the terrified guards.

“She made her claim,” said Azureath with a growl. “And I can vouch for her. You have the means to stop this meaningless war, so I suggest you take it.”

The guards, either terrified or got their senses back, proceeded to open the gates into the kingdom. As soon as they did so, the fight quickly spilled out into the meadows, becoming a threat to the party. Elyse and Fritz ran towards Azureath before they were caught by the fights, with the azure dragon letting out a loud, aggressive roar that abruptly stopped the conflict.

“Follow the main road and you’ll find the biggest tree in the kingdom,” directed Elyse, feeling a sense of urgency in Azureath’s actions. “Don’t worry about the satyrs. They won’t dare to touch you, anyway.”

Azureath nodded, understanding her role as an intimidation tactic on Elyse’s part. She could just walk and revel on the awe and fear the satyrs gave her, but the azure dragon knew this was not the time for that. Instead, she folded her wings and ran, with everyone holding onto her back ridges in fear of being thrown away.

There wasn’t any resistance up until they reached a different area of the forest, which looked more magical compared to the fortifications outside. Mushrooms grew as big as houses, and some of the trees looked twisted, but in a whimsical way that reminded Hans of storybook illustrations. The area would look very fantastical and magical if it wasn’t for the damage caused by the conflict and the satyrs that confronted the group once they reached the castle’s gates.

But then, Azureath sensed something dangerous, as did the satyrs. Unfortunately, both Hans and Keeshar did not sense it. The dragon tried to warn the two, but by then it was too late.

Tree trunks came to life and attacked Azureath. Her size made it impossible to dodge all of them, let alone defend those with no awareness to the sudden shift of mana in the air. Elyse and Fritz managed to react much quicker than Azureath due to their druidic magic and quickly jumped off Azureath to prepare for a fight.

But Hans and Keeshar’s reaction were a bit too late. The tree snatched both of them and dragged them deeper into the forest as Azureath and the others helplessly look on. Elyse could see Keeshar trying to cut the trees before they were blocked from view as trees surrounded them.

“Hans! Keeshar!” exclaimed Elyse as they disappeared into the forest. She quickly looked around, bewildered by the trees moving by itself. “How the hell did that happen?!”

“It’s his magic,” said Fritz. “And not a moment too soon.”

As he said that, soldiers surrounded the three, all of which were satyrs wearing a different color on their armors. One of them, wearing a red robe over his bronze-colored armor, walked towards the three.

“I never thought the princess has the courage to convince a dragon to be her guardian,” said the satyr wearing a robe, who slowly walked towards the group. “But there is always a rebel in the family. Isn’t that right, princess Elyse?”

“Do I know you?” asked Elyse. She genuinely did not know who the brown and white furred satyrs that calmly walked towards Azureath, unfazed by the dragon’s growling.

“No. However, I do know the heiress apparent of Bracken Woods. After all, you are the final obstacle for the prince to finally get the throne.”

“If you think this is my entourage, you’re dead wrong,” said Elyse. “I will not marry a prince, especially a fake one.”

The satyr chuckled. “I see. So, you have discovered it. Does it really matter? The real prince’s a coward who chose to flee Val’seris. There is nothing he can do to regain that honor. The face doesn’t matter, only the action.”

Then Fritz walked up the satyr and said, “Except being a coward’s something that I consider you to be, commander Elgort. Maybe that greedy heart of yours twisted the story so you come out as a hero.”

This caused Elgort’s smug expression to turn into a serious one, before gradually turned to anger. Clearly, Fritz said something that was too close to home.

“Heh. That face tells me everything. You were the one who threw me out, Elgort, naked, humiliated, and with nothing to indicate that I’m prince Udvik. Maybe if you slash my throat and left me a mute, this might turn out differently.”

“This is why I hate royals,” he whispered, anger apparent in his face. “I hate that smug, entitled face of yours, Udvik. I am the one wearing an armor, not you. You should just hide your face like a coward that you are.”

“Oh. Scary. Talking about yourself? Oh, I won’t gonna egg on you if you did not just poison the previous commander. You see, that armor’s too big for that scrawny body of yours, Elgort. Is that padding in there.”

Elgort scoffed. “Enough! When you die here, no one is even going to know who you are! You are just an outsider now, and nothing can prove you are—”

Fritz did not even wait for Elgort to finish his sentence. He pulled out a dagger, and quickly attacked Elgort, who pulled out his sword and stopped the attack. However, Fritz was not done yet. He made gestures on his free hand towards a nearby tree. Elgort realized what he was doing just as the tree branches came to life and attacked the armored commander, to which he managed to barely dodge it.

Elgort’s anger intensified as Fritz’s smug caprine expression made it clear he did not need to prove anything, especially when he noticed that some of the soldiers gasped upon seeing what Fritz did. The trees all around the group became animated, just like the trees that attacked the group earlier.

“Let me deal with him, Elle,” said Fritz. “You get to your dad and make things right on your end. He and I has unfinished business.”

“Just make sure to thank the trees,” said Elyse, which confused Azureath.

“You tell them. I command them, not talk to them.”

Elyse smiled, sure that Fritz knew what he was doing. With Azureath, she ran through the forest, hoping that Keeshar and Hans were alright

Fritz looked at Elgort’s angered caprine face and smugly smiled. He knew this was proof enough.

“Only those of royal blood can command the trees. Did he leave that detail out of you, or you just dismiss it after throwing me out?”

“Why do you have to make my life miserable, you spoiled brat?!” he exclaimed angrily. Nature’s aura started enveloping his body. “Why do you always have everything?!”

“Got nothin’ but these clothes, Elgort,” said Fritz mockingly. As he saw Elgort becoming more and more incensed, he then said, “Oh, come on, Elgy. Got riled up by this spoiled brat? Try and make me cry, asshole.”

Finally intimidated by the combination of Fritz’s mockery, and the show of Fritz’s command of plants, which was the irrefutable proof of Fritz’s identity, Elgort charged forward. Fritz waited for this moment. He knew Elgort knew how to fight despite his dubious nature. But even so, he knew the satyr ‘commander’ feared Fritz’s ability, undoubtedly due to the fake prince’s show of cruelty.

He had to make it quick if he wanted to keep up. Elgort was a pushover, but the real problem was the satyr who took his identity.

If a fake could command a whole forest, then Elyse and Azureath would not stand a chance.