The next morning Lovell briefed everyone over his plans for the day. Fang and Zephyr nodded as Scarlet, Luna and Gale headed out; they followed not far behind as they made their way to the Winter district.
Zephyr walked in front as Fang watched for trouble. Zephyr stopped as she noticed a beggar. "Fang over there."
Fang looked over to see him. "Yeah, what of it?" Zephyr ran ahead before answering him. "Hey, Zephyr, wait!"
Zephyr looked at the man smiling, holding a gold coin; the man looked up. "We need info, and I know people like you see the shadows of the streets."
The man smiled at her. "What is it you want, miss?"
He reached for the coin, but She pulled it away. "We need dirt on the king's advisor."
The man's eyes gleamed. "I will tell you everything I know if you add a meal to that coin."
Zephyr stared deep into the man's eyes, "Very well, you not a spy for him and I can tell that by your eyes."
Fang looked at Zephyr, "How could you tell?"
Zephyr looked at him. "A spy has a clouded look in their soul. His has hatred towards the advisor is very prominent."
Fang stiffened as he tried to understand. "OK, then, we will get you something warm to eat, and you will tell us what we need then?" the man nodded, smiling. Fang looked at Zephyr as they began to find the man food Fang turned to the man. "Don't leave." The man acknowledged Fang's demand, as he caught up with Zephyr.
Zephyr looked over the local food stands for something decent for the beggar. Fang kept an eye out for anything suspicious. Zephyr ordered the food, as she paid Fang nudged her, she looked over to see some guards roughing up some others Zephyr nodded as she whispered the incantation for misty frost at them. The guards startled, looked around, searching for the culprits, yelling at everyone to step forward.
Fang walked up to them, smiling. "Well, it seems the last time I was here, the guards become the villains, not the protectors."
One of the guards shoved his face into Fangs, sneering at him. "What was that?"
Fang uses the Krisnik stare on them. "You do know I'm a Krisnik, right? The same one on that statue over there." Fang pointed at the statue of him and his father after they defeated the dragon.
The other guards went pale as they noticed the white glow in his eyes. "Th-there's no way? M-master F-Fang?"
The guard under Fang's gazes stared at him as he was released. "S-sorry master—"
Fang drew his sword at the men, the turned tail at the sight of his blade. Fang sighed as he sheathed his weapon. "Cowards, thinking they are better than the law." Everyone stared at Fang as they whispered about the legend of him and his fathers' feats form almost a thousand years ago. He sighed as he walked off. "Come on, we have things to tend to, Zephyr."
Zephyr nodded in agreement as she caught up. They found their way back the man waiting for them. She hands the man the food. "Much obliged miss Foxtail."
Zephyr paused at the man. "Wait, you know who I am?"
The man smiled, "of course, your father was a good friend, and we met when you and your brother were about a year old." The man took a bit of the food. "But you aren't here for that, are you Zephyr?"
Zephyr looked at Fang as she smiled softly, "Right, we're here because of the king's request for saving Ark's life and uprising the advisor's power over the populous."
The man nodded. "well, I can say this much; the man works for the Faremin forces as the insider. I lost my position as a royal guard because of the weasel." The man stuffed his face before continuing. "He was selected by the late Cole Vern, the last advisor." The man swallowed. "But something was fishy about it all, and the king sent me to investigate, but the damage was done."
Fang leaned against the wall. "What happened?"
The man lowered the food as his eye dragger to the ground. "He corrupted the commander with his honeyed words making it seem the king is incompetent of leading the country without him."
Zephyr clenched hands to her chest. "That's horrible."
The man turned to her. "But what he doesn't know is that those spells exist."
Fang stood up at him. "You mean the truth spell and the broadcasting spell?"
The man nodded. "On top everything he had a man steal the royal treasure to frame that poor man two weeks ago."
Fang and Zephyr looked at each other. "Ark!"
The man looked at them. "You know the man?"
Fang looked at him. "Not us personally, but our companion does."
"Do you know what happened to the man who was used for the frame is located at what became of the stolen item?" Zephyr asked him.
The man shook his head. "Sorry, but that's all I know, unfortunately."
Fang leaned back. "But, you have been more than a big help with all of this."
Zephyr stood up, whipping her skirt. "Well, we better find our friends and let them know then." She turned to the man, handing the gold coin. "I didn't forget our promise."
The man thanked her as he closed her hand. "Keep it Zephyr; you need it more than I will in the coming times." Fang walked away as Zephyr hugged the man goodbye, following Fang down the streets to Scarlets group.
As they approached them, Luna was waiting outside a shop with Gale. Luna turned to them, smiling sheepishly as yelling came out of the shop. Zephyr hid behind Fang as a man flew out, Scarlet walked out with a furious look about her. The man cringed as she walked towards him.
Fang sighed as he rubbed his head. "Scarlet?" He dragged her name; Scarlet stopped as Fang walked over. "This is not the time to lose yourself to this man."
Scarlet looked at the man, "Next time you treat anyone like that again I will—"
"Scarlet!" Fang barked at her; she growled as she joined them. "We are heading back now to wait for Lovell and the other two. So, behave on the way back, alright?"
Scarlet looked at him, "So, got some info then?"
Zephyr nodded as she followed Fang. "Yes, and there is more going on than even our commissioner knows."
Luna picked his pace up to Zephyr, "Like what?"
Fang stopped turning to them. "They are involved."
Gale grabbed Fang's shoulder, fear raving through his eyes. "Are you sure?"
Fang nodded as Zephyr looked at the castle. "Yes, and the people are being played like puppets to his tune." She turned to them. "We need a way to expose him and fast, or else we might not have time to save Ark."
Scarlet looked at the castle, as Gale began to think. "hopefully Lovell and the others can get some more on him, as well as finding the culprit to expose his ways."
Fang turned to the castle "The only way is Truthis Almarianis and a word illusion spell, and that's something that can't do."
Doubt filled the air around them as Luna sparked an idea. "Wait, Lovell!" they all turned to her, confused at the matter. "Lovell can use psychic magic, remember?" Their eyes filling will hope. "If Lovell learns how to cast both, we can expose him. Think about it, didn't he say that he teleported to Scarlet's place. This might mean he could possibly learn more in that category?"
Fang shook his head. "That spell is more of a life type magic than a psychic one, but we also don't know if Lovell can cast that kind of magic as well?"
Gale smiled. "Well then, let's head back and wait for their return, then we can ask. But I think I will head to the magic shops looking for a spellbook with that spell in it."
Fang grabbed Gale's shoulder. "No, let's find out first if he can before we do anything. That would be a better way of spending our resources than wasting it."
Gale nodded, "your right, sorry about that."
Scarlet and Luna smiled as they pushed the boys, Zephyr sheepishly smiled as she watched them be shoved. Fang and Gale are protesting that they could move on their own as they laughed as they made their way back to the inn, to wait for Lovell, Zero and Lance's return from the slums.