"Yeah, really. But there are rules." Yaga stood up, stretching. "We stop by unkingdomed towns from time to time. If anyone recognizes you, you run. Curfew's 9pm, but lights out is up to you. Don't cook unless you're making something for me. I tend to stay indoors while they roam, and my house likes to walk. So if you've got complaints, keep them to yourself. Deal?"
Mel blinked, processing the rapid-fire list of conditions. "Uh… deal."
Meanwhile, back at Arcanum, Dorian and Elowen trailed behind a furious Draven storming down the hallway at night. "What is wrong with you two?!" he barked, his voice echoing off the walls. "Sneaking into a teacher's classroom—are you out of your mind? I get it, you're angry about Melanthius' death, but that doesn't excuse reckless behavior like this! Absolutely unacceptable!" His tone was sharp, each word slicing through the tense air as he glanced back at them with blazing eyes.
"Death? He was murdered!" Elowen spat, her voice laced with anger. Draven sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's been two weeks, Elowen. You think I wanted to kill him? Do you? I had orders to subdue him. From what I know, he stole Excalibur, Dorian's dagger, and the Raven Talon tonfas. You two were the ones who agreed that he was the only person capable of wielding them. Excalibur and the tonfas were his burden."
An uncomfortable silence settled over them as they walked, the weight of Draven's words hanging heavy in the air. He wasn't wrong, and they knew it. Finally, Dorian broke the tension. "Draven, there's something strange about—"
"About what, exactly?" a cold voice interrupted, and they all turned to see Professor Estron stepping into their path. Draven instinctively moved in front of Elowen and Dorian, his expression tightening.
"Professor Estron," Draven greeted with a forced calm. "Isn't it past your curfew?"
Estron smirked. "I couldn't rest knowing these two sneaks might not get the punishment they deserve." His tone was icy as his gaze flicked toward Dorian and Elowen. Draven's eyes narrowed, catching sight of the red gloves on Estron's hands.
"What's with the gloves?" Draven asked, suspicion creeping into his voice. Estron slowly removed them with a flourish.
"It's called style. Or do dragon hybrids not care for fashion in Drachenwald?" he taunted, a sly grin curling his lips. Draven sneered, his eyes burning with the faintest hint of flame.
"It's such a shame about Melanthius," Estron said with mock sympathy, his voice dripping with insincerity. "I remember trying to fight him on the first day—now all I can do is mourn. Well, not much to mourn, considering he was a thief." He cleared his throat, his demeanor shifting back to his usual arrogant self. "Draven, make sure these two face the consequences, and I don't want to hear a word of complaint. I'm still your 9th-grade teacher, after all." With a smug chuckle, Estron walked past them, disappearing down the corridor.
Back at Yaga's House
Mel, Sera, and Lumi sprinted through the desert, but this desert was unlike any other. The sand was an eerie crimson, trees sprouted haphazardly from the dunes, and massive creatures roamed in the distance. Mel struggled to keep up with the two girls, who seemed to fly across the ground with effortless speed.
"Why… are… we… running?!" Mel gasped, struggling to catch his breath as he lagged behind them.
"We're heading to town so Yaga can get food!" Sera called out casually, not even breaking a sweat. As they ran, a massive camel lumbered across their path.
Lumi spat on the ground, freezing her saliva instantly, and slid effortlessly beneath the camel's legs. Sera, not to be outdone, ignited her foot with a burst of flame and propelled herself up and over the creature in a fiery leap.
"How was that?!" Sera and Lumi both turned back, hoping to impress the son of Merlin with their flashy moves. But to their surprise, Mel wasn't paying attention. Instead, he stood in front of the towering camel, wide-eyed in awe.
"Whoa, what is this?!" Mel exclaimed, reaching out to rub the camel's neck. The creature huffed contentedly, allowing him to stroke its thick fur.
"It's called a camel. Haven't you seen one before?" Sera asked, matter-of-factly.
"Don't act so high and mighty, You thought it was a horse until you were twelve."Lumi muttered, pressing ice to her forehead just as Sera swatted her with a fiery backhand.
Mel continued absentmindedly stroking the animal's fur. "It's so soft," he murmured.
"How long before he figures it out?" Lumi asked with a smirk.
"Figures what out?" Mel paused, looking between them.
"You're petting Caius," Sera said casually.
Mel jerked his hand back as the "camel" transformed into Caius, who stood there, fully human once again.
"I thought you could only turn into a wolf!" Mel exclaimed.
Caius shook his head.
"Come on, we need to find a town," Sera said, taking charge. "Caius, sniff one out."
Without a word, Caius shifted into his wolf form and began sniffing the air, eventually pointing his nose toward the horizon where a small town lay in the distance.
"Alright, we'll start there. Just grab some food and bring it back to Klaus," Sera said, her focus sharp.
Mel tilted his head in confusion. "Who's Klaus?" he asked. "Hm?" Sera leaned in, mishearing him. "Who's Klaus?" Mel repeated, a bit louder.
"Hmm?" Sera asked again, still not catching on. "Who's Klaus?!" Mel yelled, exasperated.
"…hm…" Sera responded, oblivious to his frustration. Lumi sighed and gave Sera a gentle push. "Klaus is Yaga's house," she explained, rolling her eyes as Mel nodded, finally getting it.
Meanwhile, hidden in a distant part of the desert, the three knights of Slesan—Nicolas the Cute, Andrion the Devoted, and Hawkins the Swift—observed the scene.
"Looks like the Jester was right to tell us to check if he's dead or not," Andrion muttered, irritation evident in his voice.
"Why don't we just kill him now while we have the chance?" Hawkins suggested, spinning his blade with casual bravado.
Nicolas growled softly, "Patience. We'll get those brats too. But there's an immense amount of magical energy from somewhere. We should conceal ourselves."
In the town of Dallamali, vibrant life pulsed through the narrow streets. Colorful tents adorned with intricate patterns flapped in the hot wind, showcasing an array of wares—spices that filled the air with tantalizing scents, shimmering fabrics that sparkled under the sun, and exotic fruits piled high on wooden carts.
The townsfolk moved with purpose, laughter and chatter blending into a lively symphony. Children dashed between the stalls, their carefree joy a stark contrast to the tension brewing just outside.
As Mel, Sera, and Lumi strolled through the bustling market, they were captivated by the sights and sounds. Street performers juggled flaming torches, musicians strummed cheerful melodies, and the aroma of freshly baked bread wafted through the air, tempting their appetites.
"Look at all this!" Mel exclaimed, eyes wide with wonder. "It's incredible!"
Sera nodded, her attention caught by a vendor selling colorful trinkets. "We should definitely grab some food," she said, then fell on the ground with an "ow", due to her clumsiness.
"Just don't break anything," Lumi warned, her eyes scanning the crowd for any potential trouble.
"Hey there, kids! Want a shot at a fun guessing game? Just guess how many seeds are in this bowl!" a man called out, enthusiastically gesturing toward a large bowl filled to the brim with tiny seeds.
"1,058!" Mel declared confidently, arms folded across his chest.
"Uh, 29?" Lumi replied, casually spitting on the ground as she did.
"Isn't that rice?" Sera muttered, barely paying attention.
Caius, in his human form, merely huffed and nodded, unimpressed.
The man looked at them, baffled. Are these kids serious? There's at least 10,000 seeds in there… he thought, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Wait, we needed food, right?" Mel said, grabbing the bowl of seeds. The man's eyes widened in disbelief. "Huh?! You can't eat that!" he shouted.
"Oh, don't worry, sir! I'll just boil it with toilet water when we get home!" Mel reassured him with a grin.
"Why toilet water? We have a stove!" Sera chimed in, completely ignoring the man's protests.
"Oh right, we used to use toilet water in prison," Mel replied matter-of-factly.
"Wait a damn—" the man started to complain, but was cut off.
"I don't want rice tonight!" Lumi whined, her voice rising above the chaos.
"What does Yaga usually cook?" Mel asked, still oblivious to the man's frustration.
"Wait a darn minute! Nobody's taking the seeds!" the man yelled, clearly exasperated.
"I was gonna pay for it… but never mind, I can't use my black card here," Mel muttered, his excitement deflating.
Caius tapped Mel on the shoulder. "That's a dangerously high number," Mel muttered, and the man stared at him in bewilderment. "He's not even speaking!" he exclaimed, baffled.
"10,373!" Mel smacked the table, catching the man off guard. The man's eyes widened in disbelief. "B-but… here!" He thrust a bag of golden coins into Mel's hands.
"Can I get the rice?" Mel asked, pointing to the seeds.
"Get out of here, you damn kids!" the man shouted, his frustration peaking.
Without a second thought, they bolted from the stall.
"What kind of town doesn't let us keep what we guess?" Sera grumbled as her eyes landed on a nearby restaurant. "Are you guys hungry? We have gold." She said casually, glancing at Mel, who held the bag.
"Sure, why not," Mel replied with a shrug.
Moments later, they found themselves inside the restaurant. A cheerful waiter approached, holding a notepad. "What can I get ya, sugars?" she asked with a bright smile.
"I'll have the mythical flame roast," Mel said, and she quickly jotted it down.
"Fairy bread!" Sera shouted, causing the waitress to flinch slightly before scribbling it down.
"Starlight soup," Lumi added, crossing her arms and casually spitting on the floor. The waitress grimaced but dutifully wrote down the order.
"And for you?" she asked, turning to Caius, who simply stared at her in silence.
"Is he not hungry?" she wondered aloud.
"He wants the dragon fruit salad!" Lumi chimed in, grinning.
"Would you like any sauce with that?" the waitress asked, but Caius remained expressionless.
"So…?" she prodded.
"Can't you hear him? He said yes," Mel responded innocently, while the waitress wrote down the last order and hurried away.
"Five-star customer service, my ass," Sera huffed, rolling her eyes.
"So, does Auntie Yaga just let you guys do whatever you want? I'm actually having fun with you all," Mel said with a smile.
Lumi shrugged. "Pretty much. As long as we don't wander too far and stay out of trouble, she doesn't really mind."
"Yeah, but the downside of being the 'free-roaming kid' is you don't go to school or make any friends," Sera grumbled, crossing her arms. "Kinda sucks sometimes."
"My experiences in school haven't been the best: the dean hated me, I killed a spider, everyone thought I was a monster, and I somehow ended up becoming the king of Atlantis," Mel sighed, rubbing his temple.
"Huh?!" Sera leaned in, cupping her ear.
"I said my—"
"Huh?!" Sera yelled, still trying to catch his words.
"I SAID MY—" Mel raised his voice.
"WHAT?!" Sera moved even closer, practically in his face.
Mel sighed, defeated. "Nevermind."
"Anyway, after we eat, we've got training with Yaga. So make sure you eat up, or you'll be too lightheaded to keep up," Lumi said, just as their food and drinks arrived.
Mel picked up his cup, frowning. "Aw man, they didn't put any ice in mine."
Lumi rolled her eyes, snorting. "I got it." She spit into the cup a few times, freezing the liquid into ice cubes.
"Thanks!" Mel lifted the drink to his lips, but Caius swiftly grabbed it from him and dumped it out.
Mel chuckled nervously. "Yeah… probably not the best idea after all."
"So, you guys want to go to school? Maybe if I ever go back—which I probably won't—I could take you with me," Mel offered with a shrug.
Sera raised an eyebrow, smirking. "You really think Auntie Yaga would let us go? Pretty sure she'd set the place on fire if anyone tried to make us sit through a class."
Caius huffed, as if amused by the idea, and Sera leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "Deal!"
"So, I heard you guys are wizards too," Mel said casually, taking a bite of his roast.
"Yep!" Sera answered, mouth full, crumbs flying everywhere. "Lumi and I are sisters, but Caius is like our brother—just not by blood. You could be our cousin or something, since you call Yaga 'Auntie.'"
Mel grinned. "Cousins, huh? I guess that makes sense in this weird, magical family."
Lumi smirked. "As long as you can handle the chaos that comes with it."
Caius simply nodded, a small, amused smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Meanwhile, with the three knights…
"They're just sitting there eating! Let's finish him off now!" Hawkins growled, barely containing his frustration.
"Patience," Andrion replied calmly. "But let's see how fast he's gotten since our last fight." He grabbed Hawkins's knife, then pulled back and hurled it with blinding speed toward the restaurant.
Back at the restaurant…
"Whoo, I'm stuffed." Lumi stretched, her energy drained, while Sera was already snoring at the table. Caius's eyes suddenly widened, and without a word, he stood up and walked out.
"Where ya going, Caius?" Mel called after him, confused, but Caius just glanced back, remaining silent as usual.
Mel turned to Lumi. "Why doesn't Caius speak, anyway?"
Lumi, unfazed, answered nonchalantly, "He's been through a lot. As a kid, he transformed into a wolf and… well, he ate his parents from not being able to control it, he was labeled a monster and was gonna be killed if it wasn't for Yaga."
Mel blinked in shock. "Wait… what?"
Lumi shrugged. "Yeah, we've all been through some crazy stuff."
Suddenly, a dagger burst through the window, flying straight toward Mel's face. Without flinching, he caught it mid-air, his hand enveloped in a soft cloud to avoid injury. He examined the blade, raising an eyebrow. "A dagger?" he muttered, turning it over in his hands. His eyes narrowed as he noticed the engraving on the hilt: "The Swift."
Caius was quietly walking through the town when Mel suddenly appeared, grabbing him by the shirt and slamming him against a wall. "You knew that dagger was coming, didn't you?! Tell me!" Mel growled, his voice laced with anger.
Caius's eyes narrowed, and without a word, his arms transformed into massive, muscular gorilla limbs. Effortlessly, he lifted Mel and hurled him back against the wall.
Mel staggered to his feet, his eyes blazing with fury. "What do you mean, 'you don't know what I'm talking about'? You left right before the knife almost took my head off!" He clenched his fists, cloud energy swirling around him. In a swift motion, Mel grabbed Caius's arm and flipped him over with a judo-like throw, trailing a mist of clouds. "Cloud Martial Arts: Cloud Throw!"
Caius hit the ground hard, but his leg morphed into that of an elephant's, sweeping Mel off his feet with brutal force. Mel flipped upside down, barely catching his balance as Caius glared at him.
"Of course it matters if you tell us!" Mel shouted, his voice cutting through the tension. "Do you even know who Hawkins the Swift is?! Are the three knights here right now?! Do you want your sisters in danger?!"
With a surge of cloud energy, Mel's foot connected with Caius's face, the impact echoing with a sharp crack. Caius's head snapped back, but he stayed grounded, locking eyes with Mel in a silent challenge. Despite the blow, Caius spoke with a calmness that chilled the air.
"I don't have a family," Caius finally muttered, his voice rough but steady. Mel froze, his eyes widening.
"Of course you have a family—"
"I ate my parents," Caius interrupted, his tone flat, empty. "I don't deserve to live. I should've warned you about the knights. But I was going to confront them, let them kill me… put me out of my misery."
Mel looked down, his fists loosening. "So, you were planning to just run away from your problems?" he asked, his voice sharp with frustration. "That's not what a real man does."
Caius growled, his eyes flashing. "You're lecturing me about running away? Isn't that exactly what you're doing by staying here?" Caius stepped closer, his words hitting like a hammer. "You're hiding from your problems at school, aren't you?"
Mel's breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening. Caius had struck a nerve, and they both knew it.
"You're right, I am hiding," Mel admitted, a bittersweet smile spreading across his face despite the trickle of blood from Caius's earlier blow. "I thought I didn't have a family, but I was wrong." He looked up, his gaze steady. "The Atlanteans, Lance, Elowen, Dorian, King and Queen Aldara, and Rue—they're my family now. And as far as I'm concerned, you're all part of that too." A single tear slipped down Mel's cheek, a testament to the bond he had found.
Meanwhile, in the Arcanum library, Elowen and Dorian were immersed in their studies. Elowen flipped through the pages of a book detailing a kingdom rife with slavery, her eyes widening at the illustrations. "Hey, Dorian," she nudged him, rousing him from a light sleep.
"What is it?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
"Remember what Mel told us about the jester? He said Estron mentioned that Headmaster Thaddeus trained him. Look!" She pointed at a portrait of a man in the book—Thaddeus himself. "How did Estron know Thaddeus was connected to the jester? Mel also said he tried to warn Thaddeus about the jester, but Thaddeus just brushed him off."
Elowen began flipping through the pages frantically, her curiosity growing. She paused on an image depicting Thaddeus alongside a woman and a young child, a revelation brewing in her mind. "There's got to be more to this," she muttered, her heart racing as she pieced together the puzzle.
Elowen's fingers stopped on a gruesome page showing a woman's beheading, her expression darkening as she read the passage aloud. "'The woman conceived a child with an unknown man. She paid the price. Along with her family of low-class jesters, she was executed that day. The child has never been found.'" Behind the woman, clowns were depicted being executed as well.
Her eyes widened as the weight of the words settled in. "Dorian… look at this," she whispered.
Dorian leaned in, reading the text before standing abruptly, his face drained of color. "Professor Estron is… the child," he muttered, piecing it together. Their eyes met, realization hitting them both at the same time.
Without another word, they bolted from the library.
"Move!" Elowen shouted as they shoved past students, their feet pounding against the marble floors. Panic fueled their sprint as they raced toward Headmaster Thaddeus's office.
They reached the door, which was slightly ajar, dread pooling in their stomachs.
"Headmaster—!" Elowen's voice faltered as they pushed the door open.
There, slumped over his desk, was Thaddeus. A tarot card was lodged deep into his neck, its edges stained red. The card read The Fool. Thaddeus was dead.
"My, my, what a gruesome show, huh?" Professor Estron leaned casually against the doorway, a twisted grin on his face. He raised his hand, and the tarot card dislodged itself from Thaddeus's neck, flying back to Estron's grasp before he slipped it into his pocket.
"You! It's you!" Dorian roared, lunging at Estron with fury in his eyes.
"Dorian, no!" Elowen shouted, but it was too late. Dorian's hand slashed at Estron's neck, but instead of making contact, his fingers shattered on impact.
"GAH!" Dorian gasped in pain as Estron effortlessly gripped him by the throat, slamming him to the floor with a bone-crushing thud. Without a moment's hesitation, Estron hurled Dorian through the wall, sending him crashing outside. Half of the school collapsed in the wake of the blast, debris raining down around them.
Elowen's heart pounded in her chest as her eyes widened in shock. "It was you!" she screamed, charging forward and landing a solid punch that forced Estron back a step. The ground beneath them trembled as the entire school erupted into chaos, screams echoing in the background.
"You stole the weapons! You manipulated Thaddeus into imprisoning Mel, didn't you?! And because of you, he's dead!" Elowen's voice trembled with fury, her face flushed with rage.
Estron calmly dusted off his shirt, barely fazed by her attack. His eyes narrowed coldly before delivering a vicious kick to her stomach. The force of the blow sent her hurtling out of the building, crashing into Dorian with enough force to leave them both sprawled in the rubble.
Estron leapt down, driving his knees into both Dorian and Elowen with bone-shattering force. They coughed up blood as the impact knocked the air from their lungs. "It was all too easy," Estron sneered. "Using one of my cards, I had control over Melanthius after knocking him out for three weeks. I simply made him sneak into your rooms, into the museum, and hide the weapons. You fools never questioned it. I just tucked them under Melanthius's bed, and you all thought he was the thief."
Suddenly, the upper-class black cards arrived. Draven drew his sword, his expression filled with fury. "I thought I killed you that day, Jester."
"Careful, Draven," Laurel warned, rubbing her temples as she felt the dark energy radiating from Estron. "He's much stronger than before."
Amara conjured an ice sword, taking a poised fighting stance. "He's got us all buttered up, hasn't he?" she laughed, though her eyes were sharp and focused.
Estron ripped his suit open, revealing the motley garb of a jester underneath. He placed a bell-adorned hat on his head, his grin widening. "Do I still look ridiculous to you all? Father sure didn't laugh," he said with a chuckle as the nine black cards closed in on him.
"Don't count us out!" a voice rang out. Everyone turned to see the Atlanteans, led by Goda, flanked by their sea warriors. "Our king may be dead, but his legacy lives on through us!" Gosen declared as the fishfolk began chanting, "Mel!"
Meanwhile, back in town…
Caius and Mel stood in tense silence when a loud crash and the sound of screaming erupted nearby. They took off running toward the restaurant, only to find Sera and Lumi facing off against Andrion and Hawkins.
"Who are you?!" Sera shouted, pointing with an indignant scowl.
"We are—" Andrion began, attempting to introduce himself.
"Who are you?!" Sera interrupted again, louder this time, still not hearing him.
"We're—" Andrion raised his voice, trying again, only to be cut off once more. "Who are you?!"
"WE ARE—" Andrion shouted, his frustration boiling over, but Lumi snorted in amusement, then casually spat ice onto the ground, her grin widening.
Andrion swung a powerful punch at Lumi, and Mel's heart sank. "No! They're not like Elowen and Dorian! They're too weak!" he growled through clenched teeth, bracing for the worst.
But as the dust settled, his eyes widened in disbelief. Lumi stood her ground, the punch having connected—only it didn't do any damage. A layer of ice had formed over her forehead, stopping the attack cold. Sera, meanwhile, had grabbed Andrion's arm mid-strike, lessening the force.
Lumi glanced over, unfazed. "Who are Elowen and Dorian?"
In perfect sync, Lumi and Sera kicked Andrion with surprising force, sending him stumbling backward.
Mel blinked, his mind racing. "Wait… Was I wrong? It makes sense now—they were trained by Baba Yaga herself. These three… they were born for this. They might even be stronger than Elowen and Dorian!"
His epiphany was cut short by a blur of movement. Hawkins darted toward Mel, fist raised. Mel's eyes widened in horror. "No! I let my guard down!"
Before Hawkins could land the blow, Caius appeared in a flash, intercepting the punch. His body shifted into a towering gorilla, absorbing the impact with ease.
"Don't lay a hand on my family!" Caius growled, towering over Hawkins in his massive gorilla form. Hawkins, unfazed, spun with a wild kick aimed at Caius's head, but Caius shifted again—his head transforming into that of a rhino. Hawkins' foot collided with the thick hide, and the sharp pain shot up his leg.
"Damn it!" Hawkins snarled, grimacing as he recoiled, delivering a follow-up punch that sent Caius stumbling back.
Mel, already anticipating the next attack, turned just in time to see Nicolas lunging at him with a sword. The blade came down, but Mel quickly summoned a shield of cloud, blocking the strike.
"I was pulled away last time when you had the weapon, but now…" Nicolas sneered, eyes gleaming with malice, "it's an even match!" With a sinister laugh, he drove his fist into Mel's side, a sickening crack echoing as Mel was sent crashing to the ground.
Nicolas stood over him, wiping the blood from his knuckles. "The Jester's plan should be complete by now. All of Auroria will be dead." His lips curled into a smirk. "Though you know him as something else, don't you? Estron or something?"
Mel's mind raced, the realization hitting him like a bolt of lightning. "Professor… E-Estron?! It makes sense now! He was the only one who mentioned Thaddeus and the Jester were connected… I passed out after seeing him… He was playing me all along!"
His heart sank further as Nicolas' words echoed in his ears. "Auroria is in trouble… My people… they're in danger." Mel's vision blurred as he looked over to see Caius, Sera, and Lumi struggling against their attackers, being forced back step by step.
"My family… they're in trouble." His breath grew shallow, his strength ebbing. His eyes fluttered as the weight of everything crashed down on him. His consciousness started to slip away, but the thought of losing everyone he cared about kept flickering like a distant flame, refusing to go out.