"I-t's a-a-a p-pretty necklace, Brook! Wh-why c-can't I k-keep it?"

"Some really evil people want it." Brook's eyes soften as she speaks to Clap.

"Don't worry! I-I can k-keep it a-a-away f-from them!" Clap straightens on her paws, eyes glimmering with excitement. Does she know what she's agreed to?

"I'm sure you ca-."

"Brook, it's the only way. I know Clap can outrun anything anyone will try to do to get it. Luke will be going with her because he knows the Guard and Soldiers better than anyone else here. The pendant will keep any would-be fatal injuries from harming Clap as well." Wolf's expression is sympathetic, but there's an edge to her voice.

"What happens if Bryant gets the pendant?"

"I-." I cut Wolf off.

"The Amethyst Throne will become nearly unbeatable. Its power now is only a portion of what it would be with the pewter pendant. It would be similar to how Wolf's Lupus constellation acts, amplifying the power of her constellations." As soon as I realize I'd interrupted Wolf, I brace myself. Don't cut off those who are more powerful than you.

"How did you know that?"

"I think I heard Bryant mention it?"

"I go with Clap or she doesn't go at all. I promised Freedom I'd protect Clap with my life, and I'm not going to break my promise." Wolf hesitates, but Brook stares her down. "I will not take any chances with the safety of Clap. I will not leave her side."

"Does it matter if Brook goes with Clap and Luke? Icarus and I can take plenty of these guys, and you've got your constellations," Seneca asks.

"I suppose. Just... You... You cannot let Bryant get the pendant." Wolf looks Brook and I each in the eye before crouching down to by eye level with Clap. "Remember to keep this necklace away from the bad guys, alright? If Brook or Luke tells you to, or if a bad guy comes up to you, I need you to run away as fast as you can, ok? It's a game of keep-away."

"Y-yeah! I'm s-s-super fast!" Clap bounces on her paws. Is Wolf really betting the safety of her pendant on this little cat?

"Indeed you are." Wolf stands up.

"Where should we head?" I can feel the snake starting to stir, but I keep it trapped in the back of my mind.

"I'd say Ragdon Volcano. Just keep moving. We'll catch up when it's safe. You 3 keep the pendant safe, and we'll keep Phoenix from reaching Bryant's castle. I'll take back Scorpius, Luke. Do you think you can control the snake?"

"Y-yeah. I won't let it get the pendant." I keep my voice steady. I can't let the snake take over and seize control. I can't.

"Very well." Wolf holds out her left arm and Scorpius begins to shimmer on her forearm. I see the scorpion remove itself from my arm and return to its place as 1 of the 13 constellations Wolf wields. It feels like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. The snake rears up, opening its mouth and baring its fangs.

"Brook, Luke, Clap, keep the pendant safe. Don't stop moving. Head for Ragdon Volcano. We'll find you when it's over." Wolf looks at each of us before we split up. Seneca throws her head up as she races forward, Icarus trailing a few paces behind her.

"Let's do this! See ya later!" Seneca shouts over her shoulder.

Tension rises in the air as Brook stares me down. "I don't care if you're the Dust Devil or not. You even look at Clap wrong, I won't hesitate to kill you."

"O-ok."

"Let's get moving. Clap, come on! Stick close, please."

"C-c-come on, L-luke!"

"I'll be right behind you." I wish I had some of her cheer. With the snake I just feel numb.

xxxx

It isn't long before the White Tent Sea is disappearing toward the horizon. The terrain becomes uneven and my ankle complains with every step, but I block it out. Clap runs circles around me and Brook, pausing to look at flowers or whatever had captured her interest for the moment, but she never strayed far, staying within a few paces of Brook. And Brook's attention never wavered from Clap. Her eye is always scanning the surroundings and ears always swiveling for suspicious sounds.

I pause for a moment to look back. The White Tent Sea is little more than a speck in the distance. Flashes of light explode from somewhere in the Sea, though none are bursts of fire. Please reach Phoenix in time.

"Come on, Luke." Brook's voice is low. I turn around and she's staring at me in a thinly veiled glare.

"Ok."

"B-Brook! Look a-a-at th-this flower! It's s-s-so pretty!" Brook's expression melts into excitement when Clap shows her a flower growing between a few rocks.

"That's a pretty 1! But come along, we need to keep moving." Clap nods and springs into motion.

I trail behind the 2, and I wish I felt even a fraction of the glee Clap always seems to have. She doesn't seem to have a care in the world. I wish I could still be like that.

"S-s-so w-we're heading t-to the other s-side of Ragdon Volcano?"

"Yes."

"H-h-how long is it g-gonna t-t-take?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but we're almost to the base of the volcano." Clap weaves between Brook's legs and the unicorn adjusts her gait to accommodate.

Once we reach Ragdon Volcano, progress slows as the ground becomes steeper. Rocks litter the mountainside and some give way beneath my feet. Curse you, ankle. The sun beats down on us from overhead as we work our way up the mountainside. We make our way around the side. I'd overheard some Guard talking and they said it was quicker to get to the other side of Ragdon. To keep the pewter pendant out of the hands of Bryant, any amount of time we could take off would be taken. "Are you sure?" Brook had asked, and I'd nodded. She had stared at me for a few moments before throwing her head up slightly and changing directions.

The volcanic rock is rough. It carves shallow scratches in my armor when I trip and slices thin abrasions on my palms. I hiss, shaking my hand before looking at it and picking a few clumps of dirt from the wounds. My ankle pulses with pain and fireworks erupt across it. I exhale through my teeth to break through the haze of pain. "L-Luke! A-a-are you a-alright?" Clap bounds over to me, eyes wide.

"Yeah." I brace an arm on my thigh before pushing myself up to my feet. "I'm fine."

"You're bleeding! B-Brook! Luke's bleeding! L-look a-at his h-hands!"

"I'm fine. It's nothing." I drop my gaze to the ground and continue walking, breathing through the pain until it's diminished enough that I can ignore it.

"You're alright, Luke?" I curl my lip slightly since my back is toward Brook.

"I'm fine."

We settle into a comfortable silence. The afternoon sun slowly inches toward the horizon, and night is falling by the time we're halfway to the other side of Ragdon Volcano. Clap drags her paws as she walks, but when a rock breaks free from the cliffside and begins to tumble downhill, she yelps. Her hind legs brace on the ground and she bolts. A clap rolls across the terrain as she dashes away. After a few paces, though, she slows down and lopes back, ears drooping. "S-s-sorry, Brook. I-I got scared."

"It's alright, Clap. Are you alright?" Brook nuzzles Clap's head.

"Y-yeah."

xxxx

"Let's stop here for the night," Brook says. We've left behind the open, rocky terrain of Ragdon Volcano's mountainside for small forest that's the furthest away from Bryant's castle and the White Tent Sea. Stars twinkle overhead, and the moon casts sharp shadows through the trees. Squinting a bit, I can make out a few constellations like Draco and Cygnus.

Brook opens her mouth to speak, but Clap beats her to it, saying, "Brook! Mouse!" Her blue eyes glitter, never leaving the mouse, and the tip of her tail flicks back and forth.

"You can catch it. Stay close though." Clap nods before leaping towards her prey.

"Find something to eat, but stay close."

"Alright."

"You can speak more if you'd like."

"Ok." The corner of my mouth twitches.

Soon, we're settling down for the night. Brook is standing guard over Clap. "Sleep, Luke. I'll keep watch. We'll need to get up early."

"Ok. Wake me up if anything happens."

"I will." I lean back against the trunk of a tree. Its branches stretch out overhead, and I slouch against one of its monstrous roots, using my arm as a pillow. I close my eyes and will myself to relax, knowing that the Guard and Soldiers would be hunting us like dogs the instant they figure out that our group had split and the pewter pendant was with us, not Wolf. I'll need all the energy I can get.

But instead of slipping off into Dreamland, I remain here, where I'm laying underneath a tree on Ragdon, body stubbornly refusing to drift off. Come on. My mind won't slow enough to the point where I'm able to cross the border between awake and asleep. I try giving my mind free rein to wander where it pleases and then focusing on my breath and refusing to let it go elsewhere. But it doesn't work, and I remain just slightly out of it.

At some point, I manage to fall into a light sleep. I don't dream, some small mercy.

"Luke!"

"Yeah?" I jolt up.

"There's someone here. Clap, stay right next to me." Clap is pressed up against Brook's foreleg.

Another chapter! Thanks a million for reading The King's Remorse :)    If you enjoyed this chapter, please comment and consider a vote!

Who's there?

Is Wolf's plan going to work?

Will they be able to evade the Guard and Soldiers and keep themselves and the pewter pendant safe?

The King's Remorse is wrapping up! Any guesses as to how the rest of the story will go down?

I hope you're having a wonderful day!

-Werewolf14- :)