Notes

2


The Emperor was trying to talk all the other coven leaders into his plan, but he started coughing, the Golden Guard grabbed his arm helping him stand, Kikimora went after them, I stopped her, "Stay here, they can handle it."

She frowned as the Golden Guard and Emperor Belos walked away, I made sure to keep control over the others as they watched the prize of completing this mission, I didn't even notice Kikimora slipping away.

After everyone left, Emperor Belos requested to talk to me.

I opened the door walking into the dark room, "Emperor?"

"Ah, Keen Knight, I have a mission for you." I looked around through the dark room, "What is the mission?"

"I need you to steal some palisman." Palisman? Why would the Emperor need palisman? Of course I wouldn't dare to ask, any mission that the Emperor gives me, I do it, no questions asked, "Oh, and you will be accompanied by someone."

"Why'd they have to put me with you of all people?!"

"Can you just shut up, if we get caught this will all be your fault." He flew the ship right over the paslisman's habitat, and lifted it up, "Seriously? How stupid are you, who's gonna be hanging around palisman at this time?"

Suddenly I heard something, I moved back and saw the same human put a leaf on the Golden Guard's back, skyrocketing him off the ship, I grabbed my staff and used it's magic to tie her up.

"Good to see you too human." I saw the Golden Guard already found his way back onto the ship, "Who's the stupid one now?"

"How was I supposed to know! Plus why else would she be here other than for the same reason we are?" The human was clearly confused, "Why are you stealing palisman?"

"You should be more worried about yourself, for the crime of- rocketing me off my own ship!" I started laughing, "Hey, it was not funny!"

"Dude, you got outsmarted by a human- she can't even do real magic, it's hilarious!" I stepped towards the human, "I'd lock you back up, but you're too good for that aren't you? How does torture and death sound?"

She smiled, "Say, how'd you get back on the ship so fast?" He almost answered but I stopped him, "That's none o your business, human."

She stepped on the ground and ice shot up at us and threw the Golden Guard's staff off the ship, before we could do anything, what seemed to be a dragon attacked our ship.

I woke up, and it didn't take long to realize my mask was missing, I looked around and saw someone I assumed was the Golden Guard, under Belos's commands, neither him nor I have ever revealed our names or faces.

I shook him, "Wake up!" He woke up, "What? Who are you?!" We really were unrecognizable without our masks, "The Keen Knight, now come one, we need to find those palisman!"

"How do I even know you're actually the Keen Knight?" Well how do I know he's the Golden Guard? Neither of us ever showed our faces without the masks, only Belos knew our names and physical appearances, it was weird, I worked with him all the time and still didn't even know his name or what he looked like.

I saw the human walk towards us, she had the Golden Guard's staff, and mine was missing, "Listen, Kikimora is trying to kill you both, and unfortunately, I am too nice to let that happen!"

"Why should we believe you?" I heard a loud growl, we left, leaving behind the Golden Guard's armor to hopefully distract that beast.

Golden Guard led us through the town, of people, the human kept bothering us, asking us question, even tried to ask our names, but we said nothing.

When we got there, some guards were, well, guarding, Golden Guard tried to talk to them, but we were powerless without out our staffs, the human took his staff, and mine was completely lost, so we couldn't do anything.

The human ran with the staff and we chased after her, until she used a glyph to climb to a roof, "C'mon, you guys are the Keen Knight and Golden Guard, don't you guys know levitation spells?"

The Golden Guard looked away, ashamed I suppose, "Are you guys, powerless, without these?" I looked up at the roof, I put an arm on his shoulder and nodded, we took a step back and ran towards it climbing up.

She pointed the staff towards us, "Back up or- or else!" I couldn't help it, I started laughing, "This is the funniest thing I've seen all day, what are you gonna do with this guy's staff? You don't even know how to use it, and as I recall, you're too nice to hurt us."

We saw some dragon-looking beast go over to Kikimora, "Seems like neither of us want her to win right now, so let's work together to win those palisman!"

"Alright fine, a truce until then!"

"Woah woah woah, are you crazy? She's a human! And YOU'RE supposed to be the 'Keen Knight'? You're too trusting."

"Listen here smart guy, she has your staff and that thing probably ate mine, we need those palisman, rather we side with her, or Kikimora gives the paslisman to Belos, becomes his favorite, the two of us become useless, and he disposes of us. So, what then?"

The human created these glyphs, and the Golden Guard came back with flowers, which were supposed to work with the magic, she explained it. "Other than Lilith I've never spoken with anyone inside the Emperor's coven... why did you two join?"

"You were right, human. About the staff, we're powerless without it, Belos took us both in, gave us those staffs, we didn't really choose to join, we kinda just... did."

"At least you have your future figured out."

"At least you can figure out your own." A little palisman landed in front of us, the Golden Guard tried to get away from it, I laughed, "Aw, it's so cute,"

"Cute?! Those things are made from wild magic, it's dangerous!" I pet the little palisman, "No he's not, look at him," I scooped him up in my hands and brought it closer to the Golden Guard.

"Hey- stop!" We heard another growl, we put on our masks and got ready, the human handed the Golden Guard his staff, I would be fine without it, unlike the Golden Guard, I had to train with physical combat just in case, he was completely powerless without the staff, I wasn't.

The smoke made Kikimora and the creature go down, landing, not a good landing, the human went to put the palisman back, and the Golden Guard pointed the staff at her.

"So you're really gonna do this?" She went on ranting about how she thought we were friends, I grabbed the staff, "Hey!"

"Name's Alexia, now go." Suddenly the Golden Guard was hit with magic, "I can't tell who's there, but I know I got you!" We dodged her spells and I managed to get close enough to her to kick her, the whistle around her neck landing in front of the human.

She took the whistle and left, looking back one last time, Kikimora was knocked out by now.

We now stood in front of the Emperor, he scolded us for failing, but encouraged us as well, "I know you can both do better, Alexia, Hunter." We walked out seeing Kikimora on the way.

"Golden Guard? Keen Knight? Y-you're alive? I mean- I heard about the crash."

"Luckily some travelers picked us up on the way here."

I laughed, "Looks like you had a rough night though."

He went back to his room, and I followed, "What do you want?"

"About yesterday..." we both sat on the bed, "Shouldn't we tell Belos? About Kikimora attacking us, I mean, she is the reason we weren't able to capture the palisman..."

He sighed, "No. If only Belos would tell me, I know I can help,"

"Belos hasn't told anyone, you're not the only one he's disappointed."

"Belos? Disappoint? WE disappointed HIM, by letting a human escape with the palisman, by being overpowered by Kikimora."

"That human saved our lives, Hunter that stupid- I don't even know what to call it, a dragon? The point it, it could've killed us, or even worse, Belos disposes of us when Kikimora hands him over the palisman."

"The stupid one here is you, why would you tell her your name?"

"Well we know her's, plus why is it such a big deal? I want people to know me for who I am, I can't be the 'Keen Knight' my whole life, for once in our lives someone called us their friends.."

The little bird from before, which was a palisman, came through the open window, "Palisman?" Hunter picked it up, and it turned into a staff in his hands, "Well- I was- not expecting that..."

"If Belos finds out, you're dead meat."

"Why, are you gonna tell him?" I sighed, "No, I have no reason to."

"And I'm supposed to just believe that?"

"Listen, we both hate Kikimora, and we need Belos to think we really are useful, let's just have a truce, fine?" I held out my hand, "Fine," we shook hands, we stood there for about 3 seconds before I pulled my hand away, "A-Anyways-"

"Can I call you Alexia?"

"What?"

"It seems kinda stupid to call you the 'Keen Knight', especially since we've known each other for years now, just call me Hunter."

"Alright then," I looked at the little palisman, "Are you giving that to Belos, or keeping it?"

He looked down at the little palisman in his hands, "I think I'll keep it for now. Hey, did Belos give you a new staff?"

"I didn't tell him I lost mine, he'd probably be furious, with everything that went down last night..." He handed me his staff, "What's this for?"

"I have a palisman, I won't need this, if we're working together, then you need to be able to use some magic at least." I took the staff, "So, works just like mine right?"

"Yeah..." I looked down at the staff, "You know, I heard something from Belos... he wanted to send us out on a specific mission.. well, before we- you know, lost all the palisman..."

I sighed, "I was closer to Belos than you were, since I had some magic, he wasted his days training me, trying to get my magic to evolve into something better, even though I could barely even light up a room with it."

"So what, you're bragging now?"

"No, it's just, if he still trusts me, even just a little, he might send me out on that mission, if not then let's hope you get the part, if we're able to succeed, we might go back to being as important as we were, there's no reason to stay inferior to Kikimora."

"What if he sends her instead of us?"

"We ruin the mission for her, it might end up delaying the portal a little longer... but even so, Kikimora would be out of the picture, then you and I can prove ourselves, by helping Belos, more than she could ever."

"So what exactly is the mission?"

"I'm not too sure.. it has to do with the portal, right now let's just focus on getting our armor back, and hiding that," I pointed at the palisman, "As long as Belos has no idea that it's here, you'll be fine, and I'm not planning on telling him."

"Thanks.."

"For what?"

"For helping I guess."

"To be fair, I'm helping myself too, aren't I?"

There was a knock at the door, "Golden Guard, Emperor Belos requests your presence."