EX stumbled into someone, hand covering his wound, health dropping quicker than he hoped. "EX? What ha-"

His vision went a bright crimson and his body turned to dust, spreading through the wind.

•

He was still alive? Didn't he just die? Wait, where even was he? "Grian."

"Yes?" EX saw Grian walk towards the king, what was this?

The room seemed to be too dark to make out many of the details of anything in it, all he could see was Grian and the king. "How is the plan going?"

"EX turned himself to a watcher, which means we know where he is when he goes anywhere." Grian sounded like he was reporting something to someone. Like a spy?

"Good. Keep an eye on him. Sam?"

"I'm helping him get out without being suspicious."

•

EX jerked awake, a ringing coming to his ears and the lights in the room giving him a headache and blocking any vision he would have with white. Someone gently pushed him back down onto the bed, "Hey, you just respawned, give yourself a second."

"Joe?" EX opened one of his eyes to look to the poet, who wore a patient smile on his face.

"Xisuma wanted me to help give you aid since he didn't know much about medicine stuff." Joe said, pointing to Xisuma, who nodded shyly. "There isn't much we can do except give you some medicine."

"Can I speak to Grian?" EX coughed, sitting up against his beds frame.

"Grian? I'll go get him if he's available." Joe stood up and rushed off, leaving Xisuma and EX. EX stared out the window, not knowing how to create a conversation topic to interest either of them.

"Hey EX?" Xisuma said after a few seconds, glancing at his brother.

"Yeah?" EX looked away from the window to Xisuma.

"Well-"

"You needed me, EX?" Grian opened the door, making Xisuma stop in his tracks.

Xisuma stood up and walked out, "I'll talk about it later."

Grian walked into the room, the door shutting behind him, "what was that all about?"

"No idea." EX shrugged, watching Grian sit on the other bed.

"Now, what was it you wanted to talk about?" Grian cut to the chase quickly, going from his normal happy tone to a more serious one.

"Do you still have connections to the king?"

"No, why would you think that?"

"Just making sure," EX said, not completely believing Grian's tone. "You can leave if you want to now."

Grian turned and left as soon as EX got that last word out of his mouth, obviously pretending to be offended. EX sighed as Joe entered the room once again, "he seemed jolly."

EX deadpanned at Joe, snorting at the obviously sarcastic remark, "like he won a lottery.. I can't believe his attitude."

"Yeah, maybe he's going through one of those emo phases?"

"Ew, he better not be," EX chuckled, finally sitting up and holding a hand over his stomach, "if he says 'you don't understand me' to my face I might just turn myself into the king."

"God forbid he dyes his hair black," Joe laughed, shaking his head, "need some medicine?"

"The strongest stuff you have," EX grinned at Joe, who shook his head at that remark. Joe quickly grabbed some pills and gave them to EX, then handed him a water.

"I have many problems with how that statement comes out of your mouth," Joe sighs,

EX choked on the water, quickly getting the pills down before he choked on those too, then let out a little giggle. "Which makes it more fun to say."

"Very funny," Joe rolled his eyes, "I'm going to leave now, you should sleep up to heal better."

"Before I do that, can you get Xisuma in here?"

Joe nodded and excused himself, then called Xisuma- "hello?"

"Hey, EX needs you in the room. Also, before we do anything with the castle, we should try to get Grian to talk about why he's so.... pissy- for a lack of a better word- with EX."

"I cam ask him later, yes. Tell EX I'll be there in ten."

"Will do," Joe peaked back into EX's room, "he's on his way."

EX nodded and layed himself back down, quickly remembering what he saw before he had awoken and going through it all in his head as he waited for Xisuma. The moment the admin had entered the room, EX waved him over.

"You needed me?" Xisuma asked, walking up to and sitting on the bed beside EX's.

"Yeah, um, I was just wondering if you knew a way to better watch Sam-" EX thought that back over and quickly stated "not that the one we do now is bad, no, it's just a bit inefficient, y'know?"

Xisuma furrowed his eyebrows, then nodded, "I cant think of one right now, but I can get back to you on that later?"

"Alright," EX said, satisfied, "you can leave if you want, I'm going to sleep then."

"Okay, night." Xisuma walked out if the room and into the next, away from EX.