EMRYSA

Chapter Three (III)

"I have observed her growth; she's a fool. She doesn't stand a chance against me," Baltimore sneered, addressing the voice. In a dangerous tone, he added, "Just as he didn't."

Meanwhile, at the Askian castle, Sage decided to visit her father's chambers. As she approached, she heard voices emanating from within Baltimore's quarters. Intrigued, she pushed the door open and entered. "Father, who were you talking to?" Sage asked curiously, scanning the room. "I was talking to no one," Baltimore replied sternly. "Tell me, daughter, what brings you here unannounced?"

"I lost my magi-slate. It flew off my carriage. I need a new one," Sage explained, avoiding eye contact with her father. Gaius knocked on the door and entered the chamber. "Forgive the interruption, Your Majesty, but the contestants are waiting for you," Gaius informed Baltimore. "Get a new one then. I don't care for those things," Baltimore dismissed Sage's request and left the room, with Gaius following behind him.

"I see most of you are eager to learn the results of the second round. Proceed, Gaius," Baltimore addressed the crowd, taking his seat beside King Johnwick. King Johnwick's gaze was fixed on his sons, who stood among the contestants. "Out of the seven teams, only five returned with the heads of chimeras. Team Eliza and Team Austred are out of the contest," Gaius announced, rolling up the scroll he had been reading from.

"The competition will become tougher, with each round more difficult than the last. The third round will take place in the Sea of Abalor," Baltimore declared. The crowd murmured anxiously among themselves.

"I heard it's full of man-eating creatures."

"No one has ventured there in over a century."

"Even experienced knights wouldn't dare go near the sea."

"Each team will receive a vial to fill with water from the Sea of Abalor. Four horses will be provided for each team. The hourglass will be turned in thirty minutes. Only three teams will progress to the next round," Baltimore ordered, then exited the scene.

Team Ciara prepared to depart, except for Arc and Warwick. Ciara convinced Sage to have their belongings returned since they wouldn't be using carriages this time. While that was happening, Ciara entered the castle to find Arc. She came across Fizzwick, who directed her to Arc's room. Along the way, she passed a hallway adorned with portraits of the late kings and their families. Finally, at the end of the hallway, she found the large portrait that Micky and Ricky had told her about and examined it closely.

The frame depicted an aging dark-skinned man seated on the throne, his hairless head adorned with a crown. By his side, a fair and lovely woman with flowing hair sat on the arm of the throne, while two young men with brown skin, bearing a resemblance to the woman, stood behind them. Inscribed at the bottom of the frame were the words: "King Richard and Queen Amelia and their children Princes Nicholas and Baltimore."

Warwick's voice suddenly broke Ciara out of her reverie. "Ciara," he called, jolting her back to reality. "I apologize, I did not mean to startle you," he said. Shaking off her momentary distraction, Ciara quickly responded. "It's nothing. I was actually looking for Arc and you. The others are outside, ready to go," she informed him.

Warwick acknowledged her and mentioned that Arc was still in his room before leaving. Following Fizzwick's directions, Ciara found the room she had been directed to. She knocked on the door three times, but there was no response. Deciding to explore the room before leaving, she cautiously entered, only to find it empty.

Just as she was about to leave, a familiar voice called out her name. Ciara turned and saw Arc, his damp hair falling to the floor, clad only in a towel. It was evident that he had just come out of the bathroom. "Ciara, what are you doing here? In my room?" Arc asked, drying his hair with another towel.

Embarrassed and flustered, Ciara hastily turned her back to him, her brown cheeks turning a shade of red. "Ahem!" she cleared her throat. "We have to go," she blurted out before quickly exiting the room to avoid further embarrassment.

Outside, the arrangements for horse-riding were already made. Ciara tried to avoid Arc by requesting to ride with Mordecai. However, Mordecai responded that he was riding with the princess. Ciara then turned to Morgana, asking if she could ride with her.

"I'm with Buttercup," Morgana replied, indicating that she already had a riding partner.

Desperate to ride with someone other than Arc, Ciara put on a cute act and turned to Prudy. "I'm riding with Prudence, you are with Arc," Warwick interjected, seizing the opportunity to get closer to Prudy. Through eye-contact, Ciara communicated with Prudy, a silent conversation unfolding between them.

'Prudence?'

'He and I are not on Prudy terms.'

'You didn't tell me about this.'

'I'll tell you later, I promise.'

'You better.'

Baffled by the exchange between Ciara and Prudy, Morgana questioned them, seeking clarification.

Taking the lead, Arc helped Ciara onto her horse. She took hold of the reins, determined to take charge. "You are injured, hold tight," she instructed Arc. With caution, he wrapped his hand around her waist, and together they set off on their horses.

As they embarked on their journey, they encountered several paths that led to the Sea of Abalor. In order to maintain fairness, the teams were required to draw sticks with different pathways on them. Team Ciara ended up with Bandit Hills.

Bandit Hills was a foreboding and silent place, as it harbored several groups of bandits stationed throughout the hills, ready to ambush unsuspecting travelers and merchant wagons.

Mordecai sensed that something was amiss and abruptly halted, signaling the others to proceed quietly. However, Sage's magi-slate suddenly began singing loudly, breaking their stealth.

Bandits emerged howling from various directions, swiftly surrounding the group. Preparing for the attack, Mordecai signaled his team to let the bandits make the first move. Misinterpreting the signal, Sage had an outburst, taunting the bandits with insults. "What do you want, you ugly ducklings? Ugh, you all smell horrible. Ever heard of something called a bath?"

That was the final straw. The bandit leader commanded his group to attack, and a fierce battle ensued. Despite displaying their impressive fighting skills, the group found themselves outnumbered.

Morgana took charge, shouting, "Let's go! This way!" They were forced to abandon their horses and salvage what they could, as Morgana led them down a path while the bandits pursued them. Finally, finding a momentary respite, they hid behind large boulders, evading their pursuers. Morgana cautiously checked if the coast was clear. "We are safe, guys," she assured them.

"Are we? Are we really safe? Because I seem to recall this being The Valley of the Fallen Kings," Mordecai retorted, a tinge of sarcasm in his voice. "Oh, yes, sorry, my bad. We should have just stayed and waited for the bandits to kill us or turn us into slaves," Morgana replied in her typical sarcastic tone.

"Let's not forget who got us into this mess," Ciara shot Sage a disapproving look. Turning her attention to Buttercup, she asked sweetly, "Buttercup, do you still have your magi-slate?"

Buttercup retrieved her magi-slate, but before she could react, Ciara snatched it from her hand and flung it over a boulder. "You—" Buttercup began to complain. "Shut it," Prudy interjected, cutting her off. "Thanks to your friend, we have lost our horses, most of our food, and it will soon be dark." Prudy and Ciara bumped their fists together, united in their frustration.

Mordecai suggested they stay put for the night, stating, "We would probably die anyway in this valley. Let's just stay here tonight, and tomorrow we'll think of what to do."

They followed Mordecai's instructions, spreading two large tarps on the ground a safe distance away from a cave opening. But as they settled down, Ciara noticed there wasn't enough space for everyone. "Buttercup, Sage, I need you two to scooch over a little so we can also get some space to sleep," Ciara requested. Sage and Buttercup pretended to comply, Sage sneered, "Is this enough space for you, Ci-a-ra?"

Fed up with Sage's attitude, Ciara decided to take matters into her own hands. She lay down on the tarp, deliberately using her body to force Sage to move. "Prudy, join us," she said with delight, inviting Prudy to join her on the blanket.