Redmond felt the need to keep an eye on Harlan, their last conversation gave him an ominous feeling.

They first checked the menagerie, unlike the one the royals had this one was enclosed, and Harlan had to run a personal cooling spell to deal with the heat. The plants inside were either black or red, Harlan saw many species of lizards and a few birds but nothing with fur. After a few minutes they found Ava with the 3rd son, Piceous. He was just a year older than Harlan, with a scrawny build and the deep black hair like the rest of his family.

Harlan crept beside the boy. Ava saw what he was doing and alerted the boy to his presence.

“Hello, Sir Fomoria. Sir Fomoria’s uncle. I was showing your sister some of the animals we have. I heard you also have an interest in ecology?“

“I do. My interest lies in the wide variety of unique abilities of animals and magical beasts.”

“I am sorry to say we have no magical beasts here, our collection is of animals found living in or near volcanoes. And any magical beasts from such locations are simply too much trouble to keep around. Did you know there is a species of snails which live in the deep volcanic lakes just off the eastern coast? They live on a diet of giant salamanders which also inhabit the area.”

“I didn’t know that. But that is interesting. Do people capture them? For eating or research?”

“Unfortunately little is really known about them, and no subjects have been captured before, anything that lives in lava will freeze to death even on a blistering day.”

“That is a shame.”

“Yes, it really is.”

Ava placed her hand on Harlan’s shoulder.

“Please take me away from here. I am being polite but he just wants to talk about animals and plants.”

“Anything for you.”

“Don’t be too mean to him, he is annoying but he seems nice.”

“I would never.”

“Piceous, how about you show me around while Ava leaves to freshen up for the party?”

“I think I should go with her, just in case I can help with preparations.” Redmond had no desire to stand around a sweltering room and hear about animals and plants that weren’t relevant to his own work. Harlan’s ominous statement wasn’t so ominous that he would stay with him in there.

“Oh, of course.”

After Ava and Redmond walked away Piceous clapped his hands loudly.

“To get to show two people around in one day. I haven’t had this chance in some time, I have been working on my knowledge of everything we have here. I have a route planned out for the most efficient gaining of knowledge, some of these things are best explained in relation to others.”

they only got part way through the tour before a servant fetched the both of them.

In that time they spoke of the fish which lived in simmering water with their bright flowing fins that attracted other fish, the lizards which weren’t technically considered as magical beasts but had a body temperature hot enough to cook on, and the birds, tall things with every part of them thin and covered by charcoal colored feathers. Like someone stretched a chicken until it was as big as he was. Though they only lived near a volcano and didn’t really have any special traits.

Harlan kinda liked him, though he found it a little annoying that he seemed to put on a facade of a learned researcher, but it wasn’t much different then his facade of a proper noble.

“So, what are your thoughts on my sister?”

There was a slight hitch in his step, like he froze for a split second.

“She listened to all of my explanations, she didn’t even make an excuse to run away until the end. So I think she is nice.”

“You knew?”

“Yeah. Sable always says I should find another hobby that isn’t boring. But this isn’t boring, I am sure I can find a good use for this stuff. I heard there is a man who can eat magical creatures and get powers from them.”

For the rest of their walk to wherever the servant was leading them Harlan spoke of Ky and what he knew about his powers, it wasn’t much but it filled dead air.

They reached what Harlan assumed was Piceous’s room and then a guard told Harlan to follow him, leading Harlan elsewhere in the mansion. The guard didn’t try to start any smalltalk so Harlan focused on the decorations of the place.

They seemed to really like their paintings of battle, their black and white contrast on nearly everything, and their swords, many of which had decorative blackstone pommels or simply had them embedded into the crossguard.

The strangest thing he came across was a cape with hundreds of slivers of blackstone, almost like fur.

It looked like it was more dangerous to its wearer than anyone else, likely why it was in a closed glass case.

He was led into what he assumed was the ballroom, the redwall mansion had gathering rooms, but nothing like this. With its high vaulted ceiling and massive chandeliers that lit up the whole place.

He could fit his entire home in just this room.

A woman started walking to him with Zella chasing after her, he found the way the light reflected off of her long raven hair to be dazzling.

She said something that he missed and then snapped her fingers.

“Hello? You are Harlan, correct?”

“Huh? Right. I am Harlan Fomoria.”

“Good, I am Ebon. Yes, my name is also related to the color black. Unlike Onyx I don’t mind the joke. Now, there is nothing which you are needed for, but the party will be starting soon enough and it is best that you simply remain here in this room. And don’t eat or drink anything yet, it would be poor manners.”

She spat out her words at a rapid pace and then she was gone to manage the servants setting up the party.

Harlan found a nice chair in the back of the room nearly out of sight but still letting him see exits and entrances to sit down. He then realized he was being paranoid and moved to a chair in clearer view that still let him see every door in the room.

After another few minutes everyone else started to come in, he noticed that the middle son, whose name he didn’t know yet was subtly brushing his hand against Amber’s, she seemed to also notice this and tried to move just a short distance away before he got closer once again.

He got up and went to break them up by striking up a conversation with him.

“Evening, I haven’t had the chance to know you yet.” As soon as he moved beside her Amber stepped beside him, placing Harlan between the man who he was having dark thoughts about and his middle sister.

“My name is Jet, as in the stone. You must be Fomoria?” It didn’t escape Harlan’s notice that he both didn’t call him by his first name, but then also knocked the title off of his last name.

“Yes. Sir Harlan Fomoria.”

Harlan grabbed Amber’s hand to speak with her.

“How is he?”

“He is exhausting, I am sure that every girl he brought here was wooed by his cheap words and flower pickings. I couldn’t help but notice a few guards who were following us the entire time and him trying to slip away from them.”

“Apologies. I forgot your title. How much land do you govern?”

“Oh I don’t get involved with all that. I am more of a creator instead of a watcher.”

“Really? And here I heard you were just a childrens toy maker. I am glad such rumors are false.” There were awkward pauses as Harlan considered his words, most of them had to be tossed away to avoid too many problems. Balor could do it better was what he thought.

“Not every creation needs to end lives. Though I have been involved indirectly in many lives lost, are you a fighter of any kind?”

“My pursuits are political and academic in nature. The kingdom can always use diplomats.”

“I can see why, you are quite the talker. I am sure you will fit in quite well.”

“Thank you, I believe I am quite gifted with my words.”

Harlan avoided veiled threats and instead went with subtle jabs at him only being a talker, this went on for another minute before he was saved.

“Jet, stop bothering the guests.”

Like a whirlwind Ebon came and went, giving Harlan the chance to get to the rest of the group and join the conversation and avoid looking like he was fleeing.

Harlan let go of Amber’s hand as soon as he got her away, he was stewing in his anger now. And he didn’t want to send any signals to her.

But she grabbed him again.

He wasn’t fast enough to clear his mind and she got a look at his mind, the memory of the fake bandit with his chest on fire with Jet’s face overlaid.

She didn’t like what she was seeing and tried to get him to calm down.

“It’s fine, I would’ve forced myself away if he pushed any farther. I was never in any danger.”

“But if anything did happen…”

“Then you would take it up with Blackstone and if not her then you know two of the princesses. You don’t need to worry about throwing him on a bonfire yourself.”

“Oh I am sure she would side with the child who she barely knows over her son, and I am sure the royals would love to punish the son of a countess for hurting a noble’s titleless sister.”

“You might not believe it but yes. I believe they would, I am not your titleless sister, I am a woman ready to join the army after she is finished with her classes at the academy. He is the middle son whose only talent is talking women into his bed. I am in advanced classes while he is in a whorehouse.”

Harlan felt like an idiot. He tucked that feeling safely away next to his paranoia, hoping he could remember that not everything revolved around what he did or didn’t do. He didn’t need to be the one who punished people he didn’t like. But he very much wanted to be that person.

“I’m sorry, and I mean it this time. You are my big sister and you’ve been a mage longer than me.”

“Good. Maybe next time you won’t have to get into a petty double speaking contest with the next guy who tries to be overly aggressive.”

“I’ve seen you castrate sheep once, I should’ve remembered that.”

She felt through the connection that it was actually a lighthearted joke instead of a threat and she laughed.

The rest of the group, Redmond and Ava saw the shimmer in their eyes and knew that there was something going on, Piceous and Onyx were confused by her sudden outburst.

“Are you alright? He didn’t give you any drinks did he?” Onyx had already heard back from his men, nothing should’ve happened. But he had been trying to wrangle his brother for a long time, but there were a few failures in the past.

“Yes. I am fine, nothing happened between us.”

“Good.” Onyx almost couldn’t believe that his mother had let Jet anywhere near her, he thought the idea was to bring him closer, not set him against them.

“Piceous, have you heard about my research?”

“No. I don’t keep up with most of what others are doing.”

The others talked about more mundane topics while Harlan and Piceous talked about animals and theoretical combinations that might be interesting.

It felt… refreshingly normal to Harlan, like this is what a child was supposed to be doing instead of thinking about killing his new friend’s brother.

Their conversation was interrupted when the wards around the home slightly flickered, but instead of simply regenerating to full health as normal the small drain kept active. Piceous and Ava didn’t even notice. But the others did, they looked at the direction it came from and both Onyx and Harlan knew which room was over that way.

As he started to move, Onyx simply shook his head. And Harlan returned to speaking with Piceous.

It wasn’t his home, it wasn’t his sister, it wasn’t his responsibility to deal with whatever happened.

Onyx excused himself from the conversation and went to see the damages.