Chapter three

In the council conference room....

"What do you mean there is a crack in the ancients wall?"

Hanging my head down, I lift my head. The council room starts to shift as I stare at my father.

Repeating myself through clenched teeth,

"There is a crack in the ancients wall."

My father looks at me and starts laughing.

"Lilac? Really? That's the best you could do? Is this payback for grounding you Trying to tell me death and war is coming?"

The council members start to laugh-uncertainly- with my dad. Now and again, you can hear a snarky statement directed to my naivety in this matter.

"Go check for yourselves! It is true." My father stops laughing abruptly, and the council member's laughter fades away.

"I will not check because it is not true. GUARDS! Take Princess Lilac back to her room." Eluding away from the guards, I try to get to my father; Getting held back by one of the guards that got to me.

"Father! Listen to me. Please. There is a crack in the ancient wall!" He dismisses me and gives the signal for the guards to leave.

Getting dragged away, I try to yell one last time but the giant gold and wood doors that lead to the council room slam close.

At Iris creek....

Digging around in the dirt for any clue who the pendant belongs too, I fail, Miserably. I found the pendant weeks ago. Any traces of who it belonged to are long gone. I did find Lilacs bag though.

Groaning at my ignorance of not thinking to find clues before, I walk over to the creek and sit down.

Glancing down at the water, a crack forms. The water flows around the crack shape like it isn't even there. Cracks and fractures have been forming where ever I go. No matter what I do, it doesn't stop. I even tried using the pendant; The pendant didn't work for me so, I am guessing it has a keep-sake charm on it.

{A Keep-Sake charm- A charm for only one person. When cast on an object, the object can only be used by the person that casts it.}

Having no luck with finding out who the pendant belongs too, I head over to my deer. Lifting myself onto my deer, there is a snap from behind me.

Back in Lilacs room....

I bang at the door as hard as I can. The guards locked it from the outside so, I am stuck. Glancing over to the tapestry that is hiding the secret tunnel, I figure I can go through there and out the sewers.

Looking over to the door, I make my way to the tapestry and pull it back.

Smiling, I make my way into the stone tunnel that leads to the ancients wall.

The stone tunnel smells like metal and rocks. Metal beams rise around me, making the tunnel a square shape. Different types of metals and crystals line the side of the floor; Sparkling and giving off light.

Going down the steep stairs carefully, I jump down onto the floor and stare at the crack in the ancients wall. Shivering, I move away from it and head down to the sewerage pipes that lead to the Virsons of Humlan lakes.

Back in the forest....

Swinging around, I grab the small saxe knife that is in my deer's saddle.

"Who's there?" Laughing sounds from all around me, I can't pinpoint where the voice is coming from. The voice is cackling and deep, like a man's voice.

Then, the voice stops laughing and says in a soft voice, "Where's the pendant?" Turning to where I think the voice is, I frown.

"The pendant?" My face turning hard, I start to walk forward. "What is it?" The voice laughs and then rustling sounds from behind me and there is a cold feeling at my neck.

"Who is your mother?" My breath catches in my throat I croak out, "Hamangdale. Who are you?" The voice whispers in my ear, "No one you know."

There's a strong wind, and then nothing. No voice, no knife at my throat, there's nothing.

My deer left when the voice-first sounded. Unfortunately, my deer has all of my supplies, including the pendant.

I have to find it soon.

In the king's chambers...

Wiping off the desk, a voice sounds from behind me.

"Cadence Shilou.

Age eighteen, fourth generation. Your mother is Daysa and your little sister is Garthi." Without turning around, I reply.

"What do you want? If you're here about the pendant, I'll get it."

"Is that any way to speak to your uncle? All I do is love you." Putting my cloth towel down, I turn around.

In front of me is an almost transparent outline of a person. Ugly scares are crisscrossing his face and there is a hole in his stomach. His neck is red and has burn marks.

"You don't love me. Now get out of the castle." The figure comes closer to me, reaching out and touching my face. "Get me the pendant, Cadence. You owe it to your father. Now, don't you?"

In the stinking sewers....

Sludging through the greywater, I make sure the bag I have over my shoulder doesn't get wet. I figured I should've grabbed a bag. So, I made my way back to my room before getting into the sewers and grabbed a bag.

Holding my nose, my nostrils burn from the awful smell of the water. It may not have toilet water but, my gods it stinks.

Seeing the afternoon sun lanterns ahead of me, I walk faster, water coming up into the boots I am in. The lanterns being our "sun" we have the same UV rays as the people-with-round-ears have.

Thinking about the mysterious people that have round-ears in the ancients drawings, I don't realize there is a hole in front of me. Stepping into it, I fall into the greywater. It goes into my mouth, and I quickly spit it out.

Even though I spit it out, the taste still ended up in my mouth. Groaning, I stand up and walk out of the sewers, wiping m bag off.

lost in the forest....

I am utterly lost. Not having any idea of where I am, I walked to where I thought the castle was.

After the voice came, I lost all sense of direction and it was freaky. I have no clue where I am and I have no supplies. My deer is missing-with the pendant- and I am standing in the middle a bog.

Making my way out of the bog, I get to solid ground before I could sink into the bog and be lost forever.

Sighing at how stupid this is, I collapse on a fallen tree and try to think. Birds are singing around me and the wind is making me cold. The mud on my clothes is starting to dry and is making me crusty.

This week has just been terrible.

Thinking about how much trouble I am going to be in when I get back to the castle, my sense of direction randomly comes backs. Almost falling off the tree from the surprise of it, I jump up. Slipping, I fall into the bog.

"The gods just hate me." Sitting up, I make my way NorthEast, getting to the central region.

At the castle....

"Yes sir, your work desk is clean." The king nods and waves me off before calling me back.

"Where's the scribe? I have yet to dismiss him but he isn't here." Frowning, I bow. "I don't know sir. Shall I look for him?" The king nods.

"Yes, please. And Cadence, Sorry for dismissing you late last night." Standing up I nod and turn around.

The king calls after mee.

"Have the servants send up another sundrop pill, will ya?" Sighing annoyingly, I nod.

"Yes, your majesty." Finding a servant, I tell them the King's request before dashing off to Zion's room.

Once I enter the room, no one is there except for my uncle who is sitting on Zion's bed.

"Why was the pendant here, Cadence?"

In the village....

The forms I found are shocking. I had no idea what my Dynasty was planning until now. All I know is that I can't help them do it.

Heading over to the mail office, I start to write out my letter to the Dynasty. Frowning at what I wrote, I sigh and crumple up the piece of paper and walk out of the mail office.

If I tell them I can't do the mission, I don't know what will happen to my little sister. She is the only REAL family I have.

Heading back to the Inn, I see guards at the front entrance. Turning off to the side as they start to leave, I go around the back of the Inn. Coming out from behind them, I run into the inn and up to my room before they have a chance to see me.