The sky was shimmering with an array of beautiful colors; sunset orange, sea foam green, pale lavender, electric blue, and highlighter yellow.

A palace reached up towards the sky, complete with balconies, courtyards, pavilions, towers, and other appliances. The palace had been carved straight from a mountain, maintaining it's perfect form at the creation thanks to some of the royal family's power. An oval shaped arena was located by the palace, with tall rock spires overlooking it with magic restraining wires and chains for the prisoners. One section of the palace was set off for a hospital, and another section was set aside for a research facility. Other rooms included the individual throne rooms, the family throne room, council room, individual treasuries, family treasury, military bases, museums, libraries, observatories, a private school, gardens, the great hall, the bed chambers, bathrooms, lavatories, garderobes, kitchens, pantries, larders, butteries, gatehouses, guardrooms, chapels, oratories, cabinets, boudoirs, storerooms, cellars, dovecotes, and apartments.

Inside of the family throne room, there was a party taking place. The room itself stretched a long length, with two thrones carved from solid stone towering over the polished marble flooring. Tapestries hung in spaces between the arched glass windows, depicting the Divine Warriors, treasures, myths and legends, and beautiful arrays of colors. Decorating the polished and glazed pillars, reaching from the floor to the ceiling, and the walls were precious stones and treasures. These included amber, gold, onyx, ruby, tourmaline, carnelian, garnet, jasper, aquamarine, pearl, emerald, sapphire, quartz, opal, crystal, silver, diamond, amethyst, jade, lapis lazuli, and other stones.

"Mother." A young prince greeted with a welcoming and handsome smile, shifting his wings into a bowing position.

His hair was a bleach blonde color, with highlights and shades of stunning gold. His eyes were fierce, thin slits of intense green mixed in with cerulean blue, with the faint glimmer in the pupil of something below the surface. His skin was untouched and tanned, not even a single scar marking him. A set of darkly colored golden horns were atop his head, wings that were the same shade sprouting from his back with a tail. He wore a golden crown that had jewels such as rubies, emeralds, and a main jewel of blue moon diamond. Thin chains of gold were wrapped around his horns, small rubies attached to the ends. Her wore golden armbands studded with shimmering and glistening black onyx jewels, and one golden hoop earring that had a single diamond hanging from it. There was one spot on his mouth that was a deep red, but it was highly unnoticeable.

"Alduin." The queen greeted with the same welcoming smile, yet she displayed a regal beauty that had a motherly approach to it.

"Mama! GarGar!" A new, squeakier and stuffier voice cut in.

The two turned around, just in time to see another member of their family approaching. He had jet black hair, rising a bit at the ends as if it had static electricity. One eye was a beautiful sky blue, and the other iris was a bright purple with a pentagram symbol. His skin, unlike his older brother's, was paler than snow. Above his head was a polished and clean golden Angel halo, with silvery white wings resembling those of a Demon, yet they were whole with small pulses of light that would reflect his own emotions. He, like his brother, had a tail that resembled a Demon, yet his was the same silvery white as his wings. He had fluffy dark grey ears that resembled a wolf, that would twitch every now and then. Around his neck was a solid black choker with a silvery cross charm, and a string of misshaped pearls. Going across his torso was a messenger bag woven from a strong and stretchy material that was immune to fire and water, seeming to be bottomless.

"Líkúorianō." Alduin greeted with a strong resistance in his voice, gritting his pointed teeth as his eyes narrowed just a bit.

"For the last time, Garroth, you can call me Zane." Líkúorianō dismissed his birth name with a flick of his tail, his eyes lingering on the deep red mark for a moment too long.

"You are to strictly call me Alduin." He hissed lowly, closing his eyes for a moment in frustration, furrowing his brows. "Especially in front of guests."

This caused Zane to glance around the room, a light pink of embarrassment finding a way onto his face. He managed to force a childish smile, the corners of his mouth turning upwards slightly.

"Ah... my apologies." Zane sighed with that forced smile, waiting, and slightly hoping, that Garroth would open his eyes.

And he did just that, opening them slowly. They bore into his fragile soul, intense and sharp Wyvern detailed eyes meeting the innocent sky blue of an Occult Demon. There was something new in those fierce eyes, though. Something that made Zane feel terror in every bone in his body.

He had been expecting for Garroth to throw him across the room or lecture him on the title of a Ro'Meave and rules of the family, but instead he extended one of his wings and wrapped it around Zane, tugging him closer. He leaned in slightly, making Zane hunch his shoulders.

"You are to meet me in my bed chambers after the party." Garroth whispered to him a dark, cold voice. "Do you understand me?"

"What if I don't want to?" Zane asked in a joking way, grinning in an idiotic way. That grin soon turned to a solid frown as the grip got tighter.

"That wasn't a request, baby brother." He hissed lowly, narrowing his eyes as small embers of electric blue flickered from his mouth. "That was an order. Now, I will repeat myself... do you understand me?"

"C-Crystal clear..." He gulped in a shaky voice, nodding slightly as he tried to pull away.

"Good." He smiled, letting go of him and turning away towards a golden throne decorated with details of a Wyvern and other symbols. "I'm glad that we had this talk. Now, be a good prince, and sit in your throne." He said this as he flicked his tail towards Zane's throne, which was a space from Garroth's throne and made of black stone.

Zane felt a chill run down his spine, yet he headed to his throne anyway. Sitting down on it, he leaned back and flopped out his arms. The mere flick of a tail from Garroth made him straighten up, folding his hands on his lap.

An idea dawned on his mind, causing him to smile brightly and reach into his messenger bag. He pulled out a strange object, a combination of a telescope and an hourglass. He also pulled out a twisty silver snake earring with dark ruby eyes-- the perfect gift for Garroth, Zane thought.

"Líkúorianō, what do you have?" Garroth asked, sounding unimpressed, yet he was curious as to what his baby brother held in his hands.

"I'm... not sure what this is." Zane admitted, presenting the odd telescope and hourglass combination, before setting it aside. He held up the silver snake earring, a small smile on his face. "Here!"

".... What are you doing?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow, batting his wings.

"You don't like it?" He asked in confusion, his smile dropping.

"Not at all." He hissed, before snatching the earring from his grip.

He stared intently at the piece of jewelry, narrowing his eyes as he glared at the dark ruby eyes. "Where did you even find this?"

"I... don't remember." Zane lied, flicking his tail as he kept a close eye on the earring. "I pick up anything I find, remember?"

"Yes..." Garroth answered after a moment, giving him a sideways glance. "By the way.... where do you go during these little trips?"

"Uh oh." Zane thought with dread, fear rising in his heart and placing a heavy weight on his shoulders.

What was he supposed to tell Garroth this time? Every other time, Zane had lied and said he had been to the outskirts of the rainforests and deepest abysses of the oceans. That was when Garroth didn't have any scouts going into those territories, but now he did, and Zane couldn't lie about it anymore. If he told Garroth he had been in different Realms... it would all be over.

He opened his mouth to speak, but snapped it closed as a scream was heard. Swivelling his head around, he found a dead noble on the floor, crimson blood spilling out into a large pool.

Someone in the throne room was a killer.