Pugnum and Jeremai stood in the main lobby of Lux Palace. The interior of it reflected its name. It had bright white walls accented with golden vines, as well as the Royal Seal scattered amongst them. The furniture was mostly made of gold to match the theme of light. A great number of the items displayed had red and purple upholstery; red represented King Lux and purple represented Queen Davìa.

Straight in front of them stood a grand staircase that glittered under the many twinkling lights from a large diamond chandelier. It hung in the centre of a beautiful ceiling that had a skilfully painted illustration of a forest.

Each quarter of the painting depicted what those trees looked like in each of the four seasons. On the left, behind the chandelier, the trees were adorned with light greens and pale pinks of Earron. Beside Earron was Samhtas, which was painted with many shades of green, vibrant reds, purples and yellows. In front of the chandelier, the trees had orange and golden brown leaves to show Foghna. Lastly, directly beneath Samhtas the trees were painted bare with light blues and bright whites to show the coldness of Geimheim. 

Deep anger grabbed at Pugnum's insides at the sight of such luxury given to such undeserving individuals.

What have the Royal Family ever done for me? All they have ever done is order my father's exile after they heard of the glimpse of darkness you displayed through him. Pugnum's thoughts communicated to the dark one in his mind. What makes you think that Queen Davìa will comply? 

I don't think that she will. Noir Astra replied nonchalantly.

The shrug that Pugnum could hear in that deep voice, caused him to roll his eyes in frustration. So what are we doing this for?

You'll see.

Jeremai looked at Pugnum's battling facial expressions and his eyebrows raised with confusion. "Is everything alright, My Lord?"

"Don't talk!" Pugnum commanded, making Jeremai start and sink back.

Having heard quiet footsteps approaching from various directions, Pugnum stopped and listened carefully to the air around him. Jeremai hid behind him as he saw palace workers and guards emerge from all corners of the large room that they stood in. 

"M-m-my Lord?" Jeremai squeaked in panic.

A low, haunting laugh suddenly bounced off the tall walls, and countless black vines rushed out in every direction. They struck the eyes of each member of the palace staff and they all halted where they stood. Everyone of them hypnotised, and under Noir-Astra's power. 

Pugnum looked at them. They all stood to attention. The black chasms in their eyes focused completely on him.

His mouth stretched into an evil grin and he clicked the fingers of his good hand, making them all fall onto their faces, in deep bows. He then made his way towards the staircase, stepping on the workers that lay in his way. Jeremai danced awkwardly between them as he followed.

Noir-Astra, remembering where he once defiled the Queen, directed Pugnum to her bed chamber. But before they got to her door, they came face to face with King Lux in the large, beautifully decorated corridor.

"Guards! Guards!" he desperately called out. He backed away from the menacing figure that was slowly approaching him. A threatening grin and blackened eye sockets stared into his soul.

"Help me! Anybody! Jameh Fiosolim!" 

"Go ahead, call my father! He can't stop this!" Jeremai sneered from behind Pugnum's shoulder.

"Who are you?" King Lux asked, looking blankly at the cowering Fiosolim.

This made Pugnum laugh. 

The sound of that mocking laugh caused a fire to flare within Jeremai. He stepped forward from his safe place, behind his master, and screamed at the King.

"Jeremai! Jeremai Fiosolim! Soon to be the true leader's right hand man!" His face turned red with anger. "And you'll wish that you took more notice of me!"

"No, you are a traitor and you'll face only your own destruction in the end!" the King responded, not at all shaken by Jeremai's words. 

"Well, Your Majesty, you'll never know," Pugnum muttered into the King's now trembling face. He then grabbed his throat and pinned him to the wall beside the Queen's chamber door.

Dark coils of black smoke left Pugnum's eyes and mouth, slithered painfully into the King's orifices and suffocated him. His body shook in panic before going completely limp. Pugnum then released him, watched him slide down the wall and land heavily on the floor at his feet.

With cold indifference, he turned to Queen Davìa's chamber door. A smirk crept across his face when a slight sound of movement, from the other side, reached his ear. He crashed the door open and looked around the seemingly empty room.

"I know you're in here, Queenie..." he taunted.

He then slowly made his way to the purple and gold, four poster bed pushed against the wall. He reached underneath and grabbed the Queen, who was hiding in the only place she could think of in a panic. He dragged her out by her long, perfectly waved, ebony hair. Her screams echoed around them, but nobody came to save her.

Four teepees were raised in the closest clearing near Petra-Marbh. One tent for each family group. The waterproof materials covering the tall cone shaped structures were coloured according to the families' trades. Biabus-Lus had a yellow tent, Draoicis-Lus blue, Sprèintis orange and Slànacus green. 

Astrid, True and Amber had joined the Biabus-Lus tent. Amber could not face sleeping another night in the catacombs; the thought of sleeping amongst dead people's bones made a shiver go down her spine. True's mother, Ferrae, overheard Amber's pleas to Astrid and insisted that the three of them joined her in her family's tent.

James and Naomi were inseparable ever since they reunited, so he now stayed in the Slànacus tent. Luchinda decided to just stay in Petra-Marbh; she saw no need in changing her living situation, seeing as she stayed there quite happily for the past decade.

It was the next morning that True and his team were going to leave to recruit members of the Emerald Army. To prepare for the journey and the task, the four of them joined together around the Trabem Pool in Petra-Marbh to discuss their plan. 

Whilst True, Òrum, Fratair and Malek were absent from the camp, the rest of the light defenders gathered around a crackling campfire in the centre of the four teepees. They spoke across the dancing flames and laughed together as they caught up and introduced themselves to Amber. 

It didn't take long for Amber to feel at home within that forest in Natanstrelle. She managed to connect with more people in those few hours than she had done within all of the years she spent in the non-magical realm.

There was a moment when conversation naturally died down. The calming sounds of the fire burning up the twigs and dry leaves took over the still air. The warmth it radiated brought a great comfort to Amber.
A wide smile stretched her lips and she cosily hugged into Astrid's side. 

Coagha cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "I wanted to tell you all something, but I just cannot wait any longer," she announced, making everybody turn to look at her. She was smiling, yet, that smile did not reach her dewy eyes.

"Are you sure, Sister?" Ferrae stopped her gently. "Shouldn't you wait for True?" 

"I can't wait one more second!" Coagha answered without hesitation. Her sister then nodded timidly.

"What is it, Aunt?" Astrid asked, curiously.

"Well, you are all aware that I, very recently, got joined with Copar Sprèintis?" She looked across to Airgid Sprèintis whose eyes suddenly matched the sadness in her own. "And he has been taken by Noir-Astra."

"I have heard this, I am so sorry, Coagha," Josella apologised shyly, from her isolated place by the fire.

She made sure to sit at a fair distance from the rest of the group, as she was not sure how the others would be towards her. She couldn't help but put the blame on herself for her son going off to willingly work for the darkness. She assumed others would blame her also, and prepared herself to be treated as an outcast.

Luchinda got up from her place beside James, sat beside Josella and put an arm around her shoulders. "Josella, you mustn't do this to yourself. You are a light defender. You are one of us, we all trust you and want you here."

Luchinda then looked around the fire, daring for somebody to contradict her. Nobody did, not even Airgid, who probably would have objected if she had her older brother to spur her on. But he was busy plotting with True and the others.

"Thank you for being here, Josella, you are a brave woman indeed. Probably the bravest out of us all!" Astrid said with a reassuring smile that made tears flood Josella's eyes. 

"T-thank you," she managed to stutter through sobs.

Embarrassed, she wiped her face with her sleeve and coughed to clear her throat. "Sorry, Coagha, you were telling us all something..." 

"Yes, I was trying to tell you all that I'm pregnant," Coagha said quickly, scared that she may lose her chance to finally get the news out.

"What?" Airgid looked up, her eyes pulled wide with excitement.

"Yes, Airgid, you're going to be an aunt again!" 

Now it was Airgid's turn to cry.

"Does Copar know?" Celeste tactlessly asked, earning a jab in the ribs from her eldest sister.

"He does... err did... He was taken the night he found out."

"Don't worry, Aunt. We'll get him back! We must believe that! We'll bring our loved ones back!" Astrid announced boldly.

"Astrid's right," Luchinda piped in. "You all must trust in the light!"

"But, what about the..." Celeste began, but was quickly silenced by Naomi, who whispered something in her ear.

An awkward silence then fell over the camp.

"Wow, tonight has turned out to be an emotional night, hasn't it?" Amber declared out of the blue, which made Ferrae giggle nervously. Her giggle soon evolved into a very contagious laugh, which swept around the campfire. Soon everybody except Amber was laughing. Once her mother playfully nudged her in the side she too joined in.

"What's so funny?" True interrupted the joyful moment; nobody seemed to have noticed the four emerge from their meeting.

"I'll tell you later," Astrid said, whilst composing herself. "Do you four have a plan sorted?"

"We do," True answered confidently.

"We are leaving at dawn. So I suggest we all get some sleep now," Òrum Sprèintis announced with his authoritative voice, one of which only the head of a family could own. 

Nobody argued. They all retired to their teepees. Luchinda extinguished the fire and headed inside Petra-Marbh. It took minutes until a still silence took over Night Forest.

Jeremai shook in fear, pressing himself into a corner of the room in the central tower of the palace. His eyes did not leave the Queen who was now slumped over the side of the Palace's Trabem Pool. Her face submerged into the water and her hair spread out in all directions. Her crimson blood spilled out from a deep cut across her throat.

Jeremai tried his hardest to look away, but he couldn't. The redness in the water clawed at his eyes. He wanted to cry, but he didn't dare distract the dark one from learning the secrets that Davìa's blood held.

Noir-Astra had taken over Pugnum's mind. He had to force himself into the driving seat, for Pugnum hesitated to carry out what had to be done.

He watched the ripples in the water go eerily still. Then moving pictures appeared under the glassy water's surface. Once the various colours within the blood-tainted water began to fade, Noir-Astra looked up from the Trabem Pool. He then slowly turned towards his pet Fiosolim, who still cowered in the corner of the room. 

"Well isn't that interesting?" 

"W-what? What did you find out?" Jeremai stuttered after tearing his focus away from the dead Queen.

"I found out that Astrid is not to fight for us after all. She'll bring about the end of light when executed," Noir-Astra made Pugnum's voice say. An evil smirk etched across the porcelain mask that had now returned to its usual place. Billowing layers of dark robes formed around his shoulders again also.

"Executed?" Jeremai echoed nervously.

"Indeed. She must be burned. Only fire can extinguish her violet power." 

"B-but I thought her violet eyes were the manifestation of the darkness inside of her?" Jeremai queried, as he fought with himself on whether he should look into Noir-Astra's black eye sockets or not.

"It seems your grandfather lied. What else have your family lied about?"

Jeremai shivered as he detected the threatening tone within his master's voice.

"P-please they lied to me too! I know nothing. They've never trusted me! I see that now!" he pleaded defensively.

"You're right. They didn't trust you. So why should I trust you?" 

"M-my Lord?"

"Can I trust you, Jeremai?"

Jeremai fell to his knees, fearing for his life. "You can! I promise, My Lord! I'll do anything. What must I do to prove myself to you?"

"We need a royal family," Noir-Astra answered plainly, "I saw it in the water, the royal family has her executed."

Jeremai then made an uncomfortable choking sound at the back of this throat. "I-I don't understand, they're dead, you k-killed them," he stammered.

Noir-Astra smirked, then waved his hand. Dark smoke then enveloped Jeremai's quaking form.

Long ebony hair grew from the top of his head and his body painfully changed shape. Heavy purple and gold, velvet robes then covered his new body.

"Stand up, Jeremai," said a voice, which Jeremai never thought he'd hear again. 

He slowly got to his feet and started when he saw King Lux standing in front of him. A grey beard decorated the King's strong jaw, he had lines at the corners of his brown eyes and the expensive red and gold robe he wore fit his frame perfectly. 

"M-master?" Jeremai heard Davìa's voice melodiously ring from his mouth. The sound shocked him and his new feminine hands flew to his scarlet red lips.

"Yes, Queenie?" Noir-Astra said mockingly to his Fiosolim slave, whom he had now changed to look like Astrid's biological mother. "Now that I am King at long last. I want to talk to my Emerald Army," he stated with a grin. He then lifted his hand, clicked his fingers and summoned a dark cloud to surround them both.

In a blink of an eye they disappeared.