Chapter 16
Silver grinned as he led Lux and Stella through the Zaria silos, enjoying the chance to show off his humble home to the royal siblings. Though basic, the dormitories had a cozy, lively feel that Silver hoped would lift their spirits.
He couldn't help indulging in a bit of bragging, embellishing his tales for the wide-eyed artifact children who crowded around.
"Then I finished off the giant hollow in one blow with my spear!" Silver proclaimed. The kids oohed appreciatively, then dissolved into giggles as he scooped some up and spun them around.
Nearby, Lux and Stella observed the playful scene, smiling gently. But Silver noticed they both flushed self-consciously whenever the children cried "Your Highness!" and bowed clumsily before scurrying off again.
"Not used to the attention, huh?" Silver teased.
"It just feels odd," Stella admitted. "We're no different than any other artifacts here."
Lux nodded. "These children see us simply as new friends to play with. I prefer it that way."
Silver laughed good-naturedly. "You two really need to loosen up! Take it as a compliment." He struck a grand, exaggerated bow. "We are honored by your presence, Your Highnesses."
Lux and Stella both dissolved into giggles at his theatrical antics. Soon they were all laughing together, the joyful sound mingling with the kids' happy shouts.
Watching Lux and Stella join in playing simple clapping games with the children, Silver smiled to himself. Here in this humble place, far removed from political intrigues, his friends seemed to relax, reminded of the simple pleasures of belonging.
Whatever futures fate had in store, Silver hoped Lux and Stella would hold onto this feeling - of family that came not by status but through open hearts and laughter shared
Jade maintained a vigilant watch as he and Silver escorted Prince Santiago and Lux through the Zaria settlement. Though tasked as their sworn protectors, a torrent of conflicting emotions still roiled inside him.
The Sliezian forces had ruthlessly attacked and killed his parents when he was just a child. Ever since Jade had viewed the empire as his mortal enemy. Yet now fate had made him guardian to Sliez's own prince and heir.
Glancing at Santiago chatting lightly with Lux, Jade struggled to reconcile his ingrained distrust with the progressive reformer he had come to know in Zaria. By all accounts, Santiago seemed genuine in his desire to unite the factions against the Hollow threat.
And Lux, once the prince's despised slave, now looked on Santiago with open fondness. The gentle artifact had proven surprisingly wise regarding people's capacity to change.
Perhaps Lux's forgiveness could be an example, Jade mused. If Santiago truly wished to make amends for past evils, should Jade not set aside his resentment and allow for redemption?
Yet doubts still lingered. Santiago remained charismatic but cryptic, his true motivations difficult to discern. And his partnership with Lux had a strange intensity to it that gave Jade pause. Power dynamics from their past still seemed to linger in subtle ways.
Sensing his partner's discomfort, Silver moved closer and murmured, "The prince is not what he appears. Tread carefully around him."
Jade nodded almost imperceptibly. However Santiago presented himself now, he was still royalty from a line of oppressors. Jade would honor his oath to protect the prince, but he need not trust blindly. Caution was warranted.
Still, if Santiago proved a worthy guardian of Zaria's future, Jade hoped he could clearly see the man within the crown in time.
Jade gripped his staff tightly as he and the Praetorian Guards rode out beyond Zaria's walls. Prince Santiago ordered them to investigate the increased hollow attacks targeting those who ventured into the wilderness.
The knight forces were still recovering from the devastating battle against Košmaro's horde. So Santiago had tasked Jade, as one of his sworn Hunters, to lead this crucial mission alongside the elite Sliezian guards.
Jade struggled to contain his simmering resentment toward the Praetorians. Like all Sliezian military, they embodied the empire's brutality and oppression in his eyes. The artifacts under their "protection" were collared and clearly terrified of their harsh masters. It turned Jade's stomach to work alongside such cruelty.
Yet he knew Santiago was depending on him to separate his personal feelings from this vital duty. No matter how much the Praetorians' methods disturbed him, Jade would honor his oath.
Jade was stirred from his musings as the Praetorian captain suddenly raised a fist, signaling for them to halt. In the distance, through the trees, Jade glimpsed a flickering shadowy form - unmistakably a hollow.
As he and the guards moved stealthily nearer, more shapes took form. With a chill, Jade realized it was a whole pack of creatures lurking dangerously close to Zaria. This was far worse than random rogue attacks.
The Praetorian artifacts shifted into battle forms at their masters' command. Jade steeled himself and reached out to Silver through their bond. If they returned to Zaria, he and his partner would return better prepared. This day, their duty was information gathering, not confrontation.
Jade held up a hand, signaling the Praetorian Guard to halt as the pack of hollows shuffled eerily through the trees ahead. He estimated at least twenty of the shadowy creatures - far too many for their small scouting party to engage directly.
Beside him, the Praetorian artifacts shifted uneasily in their transformation forms, awaiting their masters' command. The human guards gripped their weapons tensely, and their eyes narrowed at the swirling dark mass. Jade could sense their desire to charge recklessly into battle.
"Steady, brave ones," Jade murmured. "We only observe for now."
The captain scowled but nodded curtly. Jade slowly retreated deeper into the brush, gesturing for the others to follow. They circled wide to gain a different vantage point closer to the hollow pack.
As they crept nearer, Jade's stomach dropped. More figures lurked within the trees - not just hollows, but pallid, sharp-eyed, fey folk. His heart hammered as he glimpsed the otherworldly creatures passing implements back and forth, clearly collaborating with the hollows.
This was deeply troubling news – more humans allying with their ancient enemies meant the Hollow King's power was still growing. Jade knew they had to return swiftly to warn Zaria.
Just then, the hollows ceased their eerie shuffling; red gazes turned toward Jade's hiding spot. Had they caught his scent? Jade held perfectly still, signaling the Praetorians to do the same.
After an agonizing moment, the hollows resumed their strange ritual. But now Jade sensed malicious eyes tracking them, probing. It was only a matter of time before the fey's uncanny perception pierced their flimsy cover.
Jade turned to the Praetorian captain, seesawing between fight-or-flight instincts. But the man's hand was already drifting toward his weapon hilt. There would be no bloodless retreat if left to the guards.
Making his choice, Jade murmured quick commands, laying out an escape route back toward Zaria through the thickest part of the woods. With grunts of assent, the party began slipping away silently, meters at a time.
They were nearing the tree line when an unearthly shriek split the air - the fey had detected their presence! Jade spun to see dark forms rushing through the trees, shadowy claws outstretched.
"Run!" Jade yelled, all stealth abandoned now. Sprinting for their lives, they crashed through branches and underbrush, hearing the howls of the fey and hollows close behind. Jade prayed that they could outpace the dark forces just long enough to return behind Zaria's sheltering walls.
Jade glimpsed the glow of the settlement's soul-barrier through the trees when he felt ready to collapse. With a final burst of desperation, they broke from the woods and onto the open plain. Focusing his last dregs of energy, Jade amplified the Praetorians' speed with a propulsion spell.
The guards practically flung their exhausted artifact partners through the shimmering city gates as the soul-barrier flickered to life, sealing off the dark forces' pursuit. Jade doubled over, gasping, watching through the haze as the hollow pack prowled just out of reach, furious at being denied their prey.
As the guards set off to inform Prince Santiago, Jade leaned heavily upon Silver, back in human form. Though they had escaped the shadows by the skin of their teeth, the threat lurking at Zaria's doorstep was now undeniable. Harrowing trials lay ahead if they hoped to keep the fragile dream alive.
