The Secrets was out, Yor was trending and so was Lilac. Lilac went to her grandmother's room to find out how they were going to solve their newfound issue.
She walked in on her packing a bag.
"Where are you going?"
"Something big is coming and we are going to need help."
"What about my identity, everyone now knows I am the Avower."
"You have always wanted to let the world know, now they do. Take care of it."
Ase took the bag and walked out of the room. Lilac followed her out to see Page in her uniform.
"You are seriously going to school, you could not move just a few hours ago."
"This is why I put Page in charge."
Ase said as she walked away. As Lilac and Page got to school people started to mumble. This had been happening before they got to the school.
Meanwhile, Ase was climbing a steep mountain with nothing but her bare hands. At the top was a cave in front was Shoto.
"What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you."
"Leave"
Shoot said and turned around.
"The Kingmaker lives."
Shoot immediately stopped and turned around, then waved Ase over.
"Why are you not surprised?"
Ase asked immediately they sat down.
"I am also being haunted by a ghost. This is his MO, sending Kings after us. If we have ghosts I am sure the others do as well."
A young boy walked into the room and sat on Shoto's lap.
"Yours?"
Ase asked but Shoto ignored her.
"Thanks for the heads up, but I think you should leave now."
Ase said nothing in return, she just got up and left.
Twenty years after the burn, Shoto, Lawhey, Kemi, Helton, Gina and Ren when to visit Pencil. She had been sleeping for a little over a decade and were expecting her to wake.
After staying there over a month she woke up.
"Who did this?"
She said immediately she got out of her room. Helton and Kemi who were the only ones present stared in silence.
"Oh, congratulations. I didn't know you were pregnant."
Gina said immediately she walked into the room.
"Neither did I."
Pencil repeated her question, this time pointing at her baby bump.
"Don't look at me, I can't do it."
Gina said and walked away.
"We have only been here a month, that looks like it's about to pop."
Kemi said to Pencil, who did not like that answer.
Shoto walked in munching on something, he turn around immediately he felt the tension in the room. Pencil put out her hand and froze his legs in place, before he could leave.
Ren and Gina walked in and everyone gazed.
"Oh, no no, no you are not pinning that on him."
Gina said pushing Ren behind her.
"Who is he?"
"This is Ren Tar my boyfriend."
Pencil looked at Shoto.
"What is it with you guys, I'm fine!"
Shoto said forcefully removing his legs from the ice.
"He clearly is not fine."
Pencil said and Helton and Kemi shook their heads.
That night there were talking and noticed they had someone in common.
"Pencil, seriously it's not mine. I'm married now and she is not the kind of woman who can tell when you are joking."
Lawhey said when he caught Pencil staring at him.
"So if none of you came here to put this in me, what are you guys doing here?"
"It's been twenty years, even though you look twenty you will be turning 42 in a few weeks."
"Yes, we have not seen you in twenty years."
Lawhey said agreeing with Gina.
They all disseminated details of their lives they were comfortable with. After telling their story the rest noticed Lawhey and Shoto had gaps in their stories.
After constant persuasion, they admitted to getting help from someone called the kingmaker.
"The kingmaker, really haven't you heard the rumors?"
Helton said to them but Gina and Kemi continued the conversation like nothing had changed.
After awhile no one said a word.
"So who is this kingmaker who changed your lives?"
Pencil said all of a sudden. Helton shook his head looking at Pencil.
"You rather we sit here like the death?"
"Okay, so I've heard the rumors. I went to him anyway, I gave it time but my reputation was still hurting me. Samantha left me and Lilium wanted nothing to do with me. The wouldn't even let me see my kids. I saw hurting, I didn't care about the risks."
After hearing from Shoto they looked at him with pity.
"I went to him to help make something of myself."
Lawhey said and they all stared waiting for him to clarify.
"Make something of yourself, you are master swordsman trained by master mint."
Helton tried praising him but this made Lawhey angry.
"Master Swordsman, who use to teach rookie adventurers. Pencil is a practical a Queen in her town with her own coven. Gina is part of the vampire court. Helton is a high smith in the castle and Kemi is an alpha.
I would have given anything for Shoto's reputation. No one even knew me."
Lawhey lamented and they all listened.
"You have a school, I heard you in the running of getting a rainbow blade."
Ren said and Gina immediately shushed him.
"Yes, and it all thanks to the kingmaker."
"Like I said who is he, can he be trusted, how much for all his help?"
"Nothing, he deals in favour. Most people who helped me are kings like me."
"Kings?"
"Yeah, that's what he calls those he help."
"Yeah, same for me. He didn't take anything from me. I don't even know what he looks like or what his actual name is. What I know is he breath smelt lik..e…"
Shoto fell holding his neck.Pencil immediately cast a spell that made him catatonic.
"What the hell is this, there are weaves all over his body."
After Pencil examined Shoto for a while she asked Lawhey to stand. She stared at him for awhile and asked him to sit back down.
She undid her spell and Shoto woke up his usual self.
"What just happened?"
Gina asked.
"It seems the so called Kingmaker is not an ordinary power broker. The have binding weaves all over them. That's what tried to kill Shoto."
Pencil explained.
"Can you undo it?"
"No, only the weaver can do. I don't believe he will even if we ask nicely."
"Is there any other way?"
Lawhey asked.
"Yes, you kill the one who cast the spell."
Pencil said, Shoto and Lawhey looked at each other.