++ BELLEROPHON ++
"Thank you, you are the best! I appreciate you holding this again!"he thanked happily, carefully grabbing his flower with a smile.
He twirled the golden flower in his hand as he hummed, listening to Kyuberos' suggestion simultaneously. "Father may want to be alone with mother, but I also wanted to ask if we could display the head of the traitor in front of the public. I am unsure if they have been informed of this news, but they deserve to know that there is one less traitor among us! They will sleep more soundly at night, I'm sure."he reasoned, a gentle smile still on his lips. "And because they also deserve to know what will happen to those who dare attack my mother. Fairness is all the rage these days, I hear? It is only fair for people to know what I will do to them if they cross me, right, Kyuberos?"
Bellerophon stopped twirling the plant and raised his chin, staring up at the stealing and admiring the beautiful architecture of his home. "I could ask father that later though, do you think that would be a better course of action, Kyuberos? Surely, he would rather speak to mother right now than me..."he wondered.
++ BELIAL ++
Belial smiled as he walked along the dirt path, speaking to his best friend. Nobody else could see her but all that mattered was that he could see and talk to her; her being a ghost would not stop their friendship.
"Belial!"he heard a familiar voice shout interrupt him, and he stopped in his tracks and glanced over his shoulder.
He saw his protector running towards him and when he finally caught up, Louelle had to catch his breath.
"Thank goodness you are safe! Please stop venturing out on your own like this, prince."he paused, obviously exhausted trying to find him and Belial felt oddly amused by this. He had never seen Louelle appear so tired. "Greetings, my protector. I am never alone, Louelle."he correctly, turning his head to where the ghost was. Louelle looked at where the prince held his gaze and sighed.
"You know what I meant, Belial. And your mother was poisoned...please return with me to the castle. I want to keep you safe."
Belial did not want to leave the forest since he had just gotten there, but he was fond of Louelle, and his protector had requested him to go home. He didn't ask for any more information on his mother but he felt obliged to obey his protector. He rarely asked Belial to actually do anything, so the prince nodded silently and left the forest with him.
-
When they finally arrived back home, Louelle hesitantly left him momentarily to give a report or something that Belial paid little attention about. He felt instantly bored and began to walk around when he noticed Belisario and his boyfriend in the hallway.
"Brother, cousin. Greetings."he stated simply as he walked towards them. He cared little if he was interrupting them of a conversation, what he had to say was much more important. "It is fortunate that you two are not the victims of the blackness. Sweets can bring us pain, did you know?"
At that moment, Louelle had managed to find him again and Belial smiled fondly.
"Hm..so you are here...listen carefully. When the skies and the grounds were one, the legends, with their twelve forces, nurtured the tree of life. An eye of red force created the evil that coveted the heart of tree of life and the heart slowly grew dry. To tend and embrace the heart of tree of life, the legends hereby divide the tree in half and hide each side. Hence, time is over-turned and space turns a skew. The twelve forces divide into two and create two suns that look alike into two worlds that seem alike. The legends travel apart. The legends shall now see the same sky but shall stand on different grounds, shall stand on the same ground but shall see different skies. The day the grounds be kept a single file before one sky in two worlds that seem alike, the legends will greet each other. The day the red force is purified, the twelve forces will reunite into one perfect root, a new world shall open up."
The prince paused, letting anyone who was actually listening to register his word into their mind.
"To be careless...is dangerous. Shoot those who are anonymous and heartless."
++ VALERIK ++
"You pathetic dunderheads, must I beat the knowledge into your brains? Do you even have brains hidden underneath your thick skulls? You should be ashamed of yourselves. The amount of stupidity you have been displaying all semester is no doubt worse than commoners. Unless you wish to remain as unintelligent as those filthy street beggars, pay attention to my lesson. Perhaps one of you will finally be able to prove me wrong and show that you are not worthless with your magic."drawled Valerik as he slowly circled the classroom. "Many wizards utilize some sort of focus to enhance spells, for example, auditory concentration. Those who use audio, or for the ones who lack sufficient vocabulary, that means sound, can increase the power of the wizard's magic. My brother, for instance, uses rap music from some planet called earth in order to power his spells..."
He continued to define different types of focuses for wizards to enhance magic, and thankfully, few students bothered to ask questions. "And by the way, this will be on your test next week. As with all previous exams, I will only test what I have explained. If you were idiotic enough to not pay attention, I will gladly fail you for inadequate understanding. And then I will laugh. And then your peers will laugh, because grades will be posted in the front of the room for everyone to view."he confirmed, not even bothering to hide his glee at the expression of his student's faces. Valerik loved tests so much. He loved making his students stressed out over his exams and he made damn sure that only those who were worthy would pass. Imbeciles and slackers who did not study seriously had no chance of passing and he enjoyed failing pathetic students.
++ LUCIFER ++
The human souls waited in a row seated in chairs placed before the Demon Lord.
Said demon lord let silence fill the courtroom, observing the souls awaiting him to pass judgment and decide their fates. Lucifer, sitting in his throne beside his wife, had listened to their stories earlier. He preferred to hear the stories directly from the soul; he could tell if they were lying to him and, of course, could see what type of human they had been by the way they spoke. The most sinful of souls earned the worst types of punishment. He did not particularly care if the humans murdered each other, it was survive of the fittest after all and that was only fair, but a sinful soul was harder to cleanse. The most efficient way to have it be cleansed and ready for reincarnation back on earth was to go through hell, which made his job incredibly interesting. He got to imagine new ways of cleaning souls all the time and hearing each story helped him decide each soul's fate. Lucifer was in a terrible mood lately due to his son's disappearance which made his job seem ten times as entertaining because he could take out his anger on the human souls.
"Soul 29823ER, you will be sentenced to circle 3 where you will..."
"*******"
The king paused suddenly, frowning as he felt his magic swell around him and hearing his name echoed in his mind. He quickly turned to his wife and, not letting his nervousness show, whispered, "Persephone, please judge these souls in my place. I am being summoned..."
The demon queen gave him a look that Lucifer knew meant that she would demand an explanation later before nodding. He briefly informed the demons and souls that he had urgent matters to deal with before he hurried out of the courtroom. Lucifer briskly walked through the halls of the citadel, heading towards the darkest part of the castle. As he ventured further the black corridor lit up through enchanted lights alongside the wall and it was not long before Lucifer located large double doors that he had not opened in years.
He entered the room and inside was a large circular symbol drawn with blood in the middle of the chamber. He stepped into the center and closed his eyes, his magic flaring around him before he used his power to send an astral projection of himself to the summoner who dared to call the king of hell.
++ SERAPHION ++
Ah, how he loved Sugar Rush's products. Not for the taste, but because the King also loved the products. It was perhaps the only thing they would ever have mutual love for, and even then their reasons for adoring Deeandra's food were different. Belzeneff genuinely liked the food while Seraphion loved that with each purchase the King made, it was more money for the rebellion. The King was essentially funding his own demise. At that thought, Seraphion laughed to himself as he stabbed his fork into slice of cake, a smile on his lips as he tasted the chocolate in his mouth. After a few more bites, the wizard felt magic in the air swirling around him and he pushed his food aside, staring at the spot where the magic was concentrated.
Seraphion's sly smile greeted the King of Hell when he noticed the astral projection finally appearing before him. "Greetings, Demon King."he welcomed, but he could tell by that sneer on Lucifer's face that the demon was not happy to be summoned.
"Why have you, wizard, dared summon me after that wizard scum cursed the prince?"he heard the lord threaten, but Seraphion did not feel even an ounce of worry. It was the benefit of having the good fortune of knowing the demon king's true name.
"Ah, yes, I do believe that Mancini is wizard scum like you say Your Majesty,"he commented respectfully, "But the wizard king has actually done something useful for once and has sent someone after the wizard who wronged your family. Though to my knowledge nobody has been sent to search for the Demon Prince...the search party is just for his benefit, like always."
Seraphion withheld himself from smirking at the sight of the demon king's clear anger after his words and continued his point. "It is a tough subject to speak of, I know I would be furious if I had a son and that happened to him...and I understand the need for justice."
The wizard gave the demon a charming, comforting smile. "So I do not blame you for wishing to declare war on my people."
"Hurry and inform me of the reason of why you have summoned me before I kill you, wizard."interrupted Lucifer, but Seraphion merely laughed to his face, dropping his friendly demeanor.
"You and I both know that you cannot kill the one who has summoned you. Now, Demon King, keep in mind that I can easily make your true name common knowledge; I have quite a following, you know. So, remember this while you listen and consider my request..."
Seraphion spoke to Lucifer for almost half an hour, detailing his plan to the King of Hell as he sat in the hidden meeting room in Candiland. But Seraphion was forced to cut his meeting short when one of the rebels sent him a message about two suspicious figures they captured. The wizard glanced back towards his guest.
"It seems we will have to finish this discussion later, Demon King...I will summon you again later. But for now, farewell."he informed, watching with amusement as the demon scowled before fading away. Seraphion quickly stood from his seat and hurried upstairs.
++ BARAYAS & BELLONA ++
"Hun, I am perfectly certain your darling lil Belshazzar is fine-"
"But I haven't seen my baby at all and he hasn't answered his cell phone! I'm having the same feeling I had when he got those scars on his face. Where is my Belshazzar?"she asked weakly, her condition not inhibiting her from her usual hysterical protectiveness over her obvious favorite child. She was worried that one of her kids could have been targets for poison like she was. Bellerophon had already visited so she was not worried about him and she had been informed that the others had all been confirmed fine, with the exception of Belshazzar because he apparently isolated himself again. "What if he was poisoned as well and is dying on the floor, you know how he locks himself up with his experiments! Something has happened, mother's intuition is not wrong!"
"My Queen, you are strong and fierce. That strength and fierceness has passed down onto Belshazzar, ain't nothing will bring that boy down so don't you worry your majesty! Why, he has gotten himself injured in his experiments in the past, but has survived them all. A petty traitor cannot harm him. He is skilled at avoiding harm from others and the only real injuries he has ever gotten are from his own power! The only one who can beat him is him."the council member reassured, giving the queen a dazzling smile.
"But-"
"No buts! You must worry about your own health. I have to leave in a moment, but I will contact Pemberly for you. You know how little Belshazzar always leaves his phone around! He can make hundreds of them but try and get him to keep track of his is like asking me to stop being so fabulous!"he laughed as he continued to soothe his friend, whipping out his phone and dialing Pemberly's number. "Well, I'll see you later your majesty!"he bid farewell as he exited the room with his phone pressed to his ear.
"Thank you, Barry."said Bellona with a faint smile, as Barayas left the room. He was right, of course, it's not like Belshazzar was somewhere dangerous like The Under.
++ BELSHAZZAR & VALEXANDER ++
No, Belshazzar was not in The Under, but he was currently wondering how in the world he ended up in Candiland with Valexander. Both of them were in disguise with dark skin and brown hair, and Belshazzar felt relieved that nobody would recognize him in this embarrassing situation. Just being in the building made him blush, so thank goodness they were in a more secluded area.
"Valexander, I insist that we leave the premises. I cannot fathom as to why you-"
"It's Levander, you moron, we're supposed to be in disguise remember!"the younger wizard hissed, clasping his hand over his cousin's mouth before he did anything else to reveal their identities. "Leviros, I brought you here because you haven't left your room in days! Always holed up with your science and math and insane experiments, you need to have fun."he whispered.
Belshazzar pushed Valexander's hand away and huffed, crossing his arms as he shook his head. "You manipulated me into deceiving Pemberly and construct these disguises and sneak away with you into this building of debauchery because you think I require fun? Science is fun. My experiments were perfectly entertaining and stimulating for my mind and I felt no boredom! A courtesan is not necessary for-"
Belshazzar's tirade was interrupted as Valexander smacked him lightly over the head. "Oh, shut up. Come on, Leviros, the Cupcakes are great-"
"And how would you come to this conclusion? Surely, you have not been a client in the past-"
Belshazzar's interruption was interrupted by Valexander once again. "Uh, o-of course not! "he whispered quickly, but both boys were silenced when a nearby man spoke about a subject that caught their attention.
"Yeah, the queen was poisoned..."
Belshazzar, though his disguise made his skin appear darker than normal, immediately had paler skin than even his usual fair color. "P-poisoned?!"he exclaimed, shooting up from his seat. "Valexander, I am returning home immediately."
"Wait!"he shouted after him, but Belshazzar shouted "I must see mother!" and left swiftly. Valexander sighed, grumbling about how in the world was it even possible for him to be so fast when he never exercised, and went to go pay for the drinks they had bought and yet to pay for. He had planned on going after Belshazzar because, while he too was concerned for his great aunt, the idiot ran off despite not knowing the safe path home or how to teleport like Bellerophon.
Unfortunately, Valexander felt an abrupt intense pain in the back of his head and instantly passed out.
Thankfully, Belshazzar realized his mistake and returned to Candiland to retrieve Valexander, but when he was back inside he did not see him anywhere. Confused, the wizard frowned at the absence of his cousin. He had only been gone for a few minutes, so where could he-
Belshazzar blacked out suddenly, feeling the same pain in his head that Valexander had experienced.
++ JAYCEE ++
"Charlotte!"he called out, approaching his friend without an ounce of subtlety despite his urgent news. "Something has happened..."
"Is it bad news?"he heard her ask quietly, but Jaycee was not as cautious as Charlotte. "Yeah, the queen was poisoned and..."
"P-poisoned?!"
Jaycee immediately froze, fear crawling into his skin. It had been five seconds and he had already been overheard! Would Seraphion be angry...? He had already been lectured over discretion and secrecy and all that stealthy stuff, but Jaycee could just never get the hang of it. No no no, the public was not informed yet and he only knew because of a message from a spy, what if his slip up got the rebels caught, what if-
"Valexander, I am returning home immediately."
And then, Jaycee's paranoia shot up.
He recognized the name. Valente the traitor was of the Mancini family, so Seraphion advised them to learn the names of the rest of them. Jaycee had wanted to do good for the cause so he had tried to memorize the list that their spy Rosey gave them. He wanted to be useful! Jaycee did not want to let their leader down. Valexander, he recalled, was the son of Valora and Valentiano Mancini but also the closest person to Prince Belshazzar.
His quick thinking, or rather lack of thinking, made him act rashly. Jaycee wanted to contribute something great to the cause and, although the people in question did not look like Prince Belshazzar and Valexander Mancini, the taller one had called the other Valexander before running off to go home after he overheard his news about the queen. He could have sworn the guy had shouted something about a mother as well! But more importantly, who he presumed to be Valexander currently had his back turned. He quickly cast a spell on his arm and hit the boy in the head, knocking him out.
"What are you doing?!"he heard Charlotte whisper furiously.
"We should bring him to Seraphion! He overheard me, and I think he's a Mancini-"
"Do you even think? What if someone had noticed you attack him? What is they are not who you think they are?!"he heard her lecture, but he quickly stopped listening, for Jaycee saw the other boy return. He ignored Charlotte and knocked him out quickly as well.
"You didn't even listen to me! Ugh you-"
"Tell the boss we caught Prince Belshazzar!"he exclaimed with excitement, nearly forgetting to keep his voice down. Charlotte mumbled under her breath at how reckless he was as she went to inform either Peppa Jack or Seraphion, whoever she found first.
Jaycee felt proud of his accomplishment, surely, this was a great plan!
