I will be your reaper...

What an inticate plan.

Latla's POV

I knew how excited my beloved egg had been to meet these children. She was captivated by them. My husband and I perhaps thought it was because she wanted a sibling, so we asked. Her reply was "Huh? I have siblings. Aradia and Erebus will be my younger siblings. I'm going to protect them really well as their big sister. But...If you want another child, I suppose it wouldn't hurt for Ere and Dia to have a little playmate." My husband puffed his cheeks to stifle laughter as Noros ran to her room and I sighed, pressing my face into my palm "Dear Creators...She's obsessed with you and doesn't even know it." My husband cackled out loud. "Honey~ Noros really loves them. Maybe it's a good thing, those twins are lovely children. They seem kind and gentle. They'll really love Noros for herself, not her money or status." I nodded at his words. He was right. Those kids weren't materialistic. Lily was telling me on the phone just an hour ago how they'd been spoiled and were now well on their way to catching up with us in wealth and yet chose to save it and invest it in not only their own futures but the futures of those who loved them. Truly, what bright children. After hearing that, my husband and I decided that we'd give them a company each and already signed a contract between our company and theirs in advance. I called four people I trusted to look after the companies while the kids grew up and planned to give the documents to them when they entered the jet but, they were sleeping like little angels. The other Royals and Lords had gifts prepared for the children and I was excited to know what they had prepped.

I was sitting reading a magazine just feet from the kids while my husband slept in our cabin and Lily and Quinn slept in their cabin. I occasionally glanced over and smiled, watching Noros care for the little girl while she had a nightmare. Such a good girl, she really views them as her younger siblings. It warmed my heart. However, when I glanced back and saw the Horror in Noros' eyes, I rushed over and helped Dia to her feet. Her back was covered in what looked like fresh whip marks. As if they had been done just seconds ago. I quickly carried her to the bed, deep in thought when Lily came in. I ushered her outside and sighed, escorting her to a chair. I took a seat across from her. "Lily...Have the children ever been whipped, do you know?" Lily stiffened. "Yes. Felix mentioned that they were often starved, whipped, kicked, hit...All sorts. Why are you asking this? Are they what the marks on her back are?" I nodded. "She looks like she'd just this second suffered heavy lashings. Which we all know is impossible." Lily agreed, looking at me with eyes filled with trust. I was grateful "Noros is applying medicine to Dia as we speak. When we land, we'll get her straight to Diagda. He'll be able to shed light on the situation because I have no idea what the h3ll is happening. She was having a bad dream and then suddenly, she woke up with marks on her back."

I saw Lily stiffen once again, hesitating to open her mouth. I raised my eyebrow at her, urging her to speak up "Celeste was telling us once about black magic. Do you think...It could be that?" I'll be honest, it hadn't even crossed my mind. There have always been a lot of limitations and barriers for dark sorcerers and black magic itself. "I won't lie and tell you there's no way. It's always possible. But let's say for a second it's a spell that literally does as it looks - Causes dream inflictions to become a reality - then the witch or warlock would have had to be physically in contact with Dia." Lily's shoulders slumped as I spoke, seeming disheartened. But then she pulled out her phone and dialled her father, putting it on loudspeaker. "Dad. I have a very important question for you and I need you and Mum to answer honestly..." Conrad agreed and I intertwined my fingers together under my chin. "Did the twins have contact with any strange or random people while shopping?" Louise scoffed "Of course they did, Lily. It's a human city, they were all in awe at the beauty of the kids and a lot of cashiers and staff in shops spoke to them!" I sighed in disappointment while the silence lingered "But now that you mention it...When we took the kids to that new bakery, the man behind the display case came around and chatted with them a lot. We thought it was a bit strange at first and Elias was on edge for a while in that bakery but couldn't explain why. We looked away for a second when Ere said he wanted a few cakes so we asked a young woman behind the till to pack them for us. When we turned back, the man was patting Dia's head with an eerie smile. We quickly called her over, she picked up her cake and we left. Why, what's going on?"

"Oh creators be with us...It's got to be him. But how did no one notice?" I grimaced. Only ten minutes until touchdown and we could make our way to Diagda. "Lily? What's wrong? Did something happen?" Lily looked at me for a second but shook her head "I'll...Call you guys when we have something concrete. Keep your phones on loud, okay?" Lily's parents agreed and the call ended, the woman sinking into her chair with a sigh. I took her hand in mine with a smile "I'll go and wake Cal. You get ready with Quinn, we'll need to drive a bit and then walk the rest of the way" Lily gave me a half smile and got up, making her way to the cabin Quinn was sleeping in. I remained in the seat for a minute, deep in thought. There was no way that their trip to the city was announced and even if it was, the trip to that bakery sounded spontaneous. So how did it happen? Were they lured? Or...Is there a traitor? I shook my head and stood, making my way to my cabin. My husband was sprawled like a starfish across the bed, sleeping peacefully. I shook him, one of his eyes opening. "We're landing, let's go. Also..." I began to explain the situation to him and he jolted awake with a horrified frown. He got dressed and gathered his belongings, quickly giving the staff that came to meet us all of our bags to put in the car. I watched as he entered the room that Dia was in and followed behind. Quinn was stood holding a now awake but sleepy Erebus who was still dozing in and out. Lily had her arms across her chest in frustration and Noros was stroking the sleeping Dia's head tenderly. Cal placed a hand on Quinn's shoulder and smiled at the parents "Do you mind if I carry Dia until we get to Diagda?" Lily and Quinn nodded with a smile and Cal scooped the child up, holding her so that he would arch his back inward to ensure she was lying flat on her belly against his chest and shoulder. The couple was thankful, especially given it looked uncomfortable for Cal, but he was more than okay. Being a water Dragon, his body naturally radiated a cooler temperature that was good for Dia. He gently placed his hand on her back, careful not to apply pressure but enough so that her wounds would cool under his touch.

He's such a good man. I couldn't have picked a better one even if I wanted to. We all stepped out of the jet, Noros stuck to her father's side. She looked like a lost and concerned puppy. We piled into the limousine and I placed a set of co-ordinates into the GPS for the driver. Thankfully, it wasn't a long drive. We were only in the car for about twenty minutes. It was long enough for Ere to wake up completely and crawl over to Cal to be with Dia. When we got out, Cal now had two lost little puppies glued to his side, Noros tall enough to hold onto the belt hooks of his jeans while Erebus was much too small and had to hold onto the punk-rock chain dangling from the belt hooks on the opposite side. I couldn't help but get my phone out and take a picture, they all looked so cute. Lily nudged me and asked me to send it to her so I chuckled and nodded. Quinn asked where we were and grabbed our luggage from the car. In front of us was a broken gate that looked overgrown with plant life and abandoned for many years.

I looked around for a second, hoping to find the 'oddly shaped rock on the left' as Diagda explained. It took me a second because most were oddly shaped. But I assumed he meant the one that ever-so-slightly looked like a miniature golem that wasn't finished. I raised my hand and knocked on the chest area in a sequence; 4, 7, 3, 2, 5, 1. A brief pause...I furrowed my brow thinking I'd made a mistake. All of a sudden, the gate became brand-new as a hole in the barrier appeared. The gate was now a beautiful black, tenderly wrapped in plant life that was well taken care of. Erebus' eyes sparkled at the scene, of course they would. What child doesn't love magic? I opened the gate for them all to step through before I entered myself, closing the gate behind me and making sure the barrier fixed itself. We walked along a dirt path, literally guided by the violets that gently bent their heads in our direction. I'd never been here before, but it was beautiful. My bones vibrated in glee, being in a place that was so filled with untouched nature. It was obvious the Druids took fantastic care of this place. As we were walking through the trees, vines that fell from them strangely reacted to Dia. Cal freaked out slightly and almost wafted them away, but I grabbed his hand "They're not trying to hurt her. They're concerned for her. Look..." I pointed to the vines and how they dimmed with colour as if washed with grief at the sight of Dia's situation. A few of the vines acted almost human as we stood watching. They gently stroked her head and tenderly trailed her wounds. Two of the large trees on our right had withdrawn their vines, but when the others moved, those two trees quickly came back to place a crown of flowers upon her head. Lily was teary at the sight and Quinn placed his arm around her "Don't cry, my love. Do you see how much they love her? They're welcoming her home." Lily nodded happily, looking so proud of her children. I watched Noros cautiously approach the first tree in front of us and wait, like asking permission. The tree seemed to have analyzed her for a second before welcoming her forward. We watched as Noros wrapped her arms around the thick tree as much as she could with a smile "Thank you for welcoming little button" The trees seemed to shake with happiness as the vines carried Noros' head. Erebus approached and shifted his feet nervously "C-Can you teach me how to make those crowns too? I want to make one for Dia sometime".

The trees were gleeful with acceptance as they urged Erebus forward to continue on his path. We followed, the vines kindly patting our hands in thanks as we walked by them. At the end of the trees, we saw Diagda with a welcoming committee of other Druids and the Royals. As we got closer, we heard Diagda and the other druids chuckle happily "We see that Dia has been welcomed home. Nature has been abuzz with pure joy since we explained she would be coming. Even in another life, they recognise their creator." I smiled. The druids behind him were desperate to approach Dia, only love filling their eyes. I stepped in front of the group with a furrowed brow "It's nice to see you all, and meet the rest of you. Unfortunately...We've developed a situation that needs immediate attention". Diagda nodded, saying the trees had informed him and Queen Onelya pointed to Dia's back "I can smell the black magic from here". Queen Claudia nodded, pity on her face as she mentioned just how much blood was crawling up her nose. "Indeed. My daughter put some medicine on her back, but the wounds won't even scab. It's been so long, I'm worried."

Diagda approached, his arms out as if asking for Dia to be handed over. Noros' eyes flashed, flames dancing within them. Her body was tensed and her jaw was ready to open at any second to engulf the man in flames. Diagda smiled at her "Thank you, kind child, for protecting our beloved. But you need not see me as a threat. Trust me when I tell you that not a single person here could harm Dia. Nature may be gentle and loving, but the moment you even think about having hostility to the one that loves most, they will become ruthless savages...Besides, you and Erebus are welcome to follow me while the others settle in and put their bags down. I'm just going to see what I can do about the black magic." Noros warily backed down and offered her hand to Erebus so he could follow. They stayed tightly to Diagda's side as Cal gave Dia to him and they walked away, disappearing behind a wall of bush that parted for them and then closed behind them.

Islara clapped her hands together with a large smile. "Well then! Let's all go get settled and have a casual chat while we wait, shall we?" I nodded, the rest of the Druids smiling and escorting us to the places we would be staying. A young girl, a Druid, looked at us all with sparkling green eyes "We don't get visitors. All of you are so different and beautiful! I really hope you like it here!" We all smiled at her, bar Kavasin and his son of course. Claudia gently stroked the girl's head "What a cute and polite child. Thank you very much, I'm sure I speak for us all when I say your home is a beautiful one, we'll enjoy our stay very much" Claudia withdrew her hand and the girl giddily ran over to her mother who was beyond happy with the interaction and kindness her daughter received. I'm sure the Druids were nervous to know we'd be here, in their home. It's rare for Druids to leave their home, so they don't have contact with other creatures. They led us to a beautiful living area, swarmed with Druids living happily. Their homes were large wooden huts, beautifully decorated. Children and teens approached us, handing us all fruit and flowers before running away happily. I bit into the apple I was given and sighed happily. It was easily the best apple I'd ever tasted in my life, juicy, fresh, new. It was divine. I saw others' faces light up the same way. A few people giggled at the sight, smiling at us. Each of us was assigned a hut and each of us went into them, setting our belongings down and sorting through our clothes to place them in the wardrobe.

When we were done, Cal and I stepped out and joined the others at the tables that sat in the open. People brought food and drink over to us and we thanked them happily. All of the kids except Relfyrsin went to introduce themselves and play with the Druid children. It was a lovely sight to see bonds be formed before our eyes.

"So...What happened?" Thelvara was the one to speak up. Of course, she was, she had just seen Dia, once her grandmother, unconscious, covered in wounds and black magic. Her eyes were swirling with happiness, sadness, and rage.