We get to Pelrata faster than had we kept our previous speed.
Three days and three nights without a break.
We ride towards the castle as the people in the street watch after us knowing exactly who Ilvtan is.
Some of the crimsons follow us taking any kind of weapon they can find and I suspect Ilvtan is putting them under her control.
The people chant angrily as we pass by closing in on the castle.
It's the last day of the summer sun so it's the most crowded day of the year which also make it useful to make the city turn against Arox.
"Eye contact and what you want them to do and remember to tell to die fighting or if natural causes when if they survive" Ilvtan says and I try,
I get eye contact with a blacksmith who's making an axe,
'join us against Arox and die fighting but try to survive as long as you can in the fight and after' I think and he takes a stronger grip on his hammer before joining the crowd that's chanting "The king must leave! The king must part!"
Our crowd grows in numbers and could easily outnumber Aroxs army that he has in the city and not in the war.
"The king must pay! The king must fall!" They chant as we reach the gate.
"What the bloody hell is this?" One of the knights asks but Ilvtan gets him under her control and he opens the gate for us.
"What's the matter with you mate?" The other knight tries to yell but our crowd is louder.
We go inside Aroxs army ready and one of the people yells "for the gods!" And the rest yells as well and the army charges at us and we charge back.
I get knocked off my horse and take out the daggers while Ilvtan doesn't let go of Ealoxk.
I can see Tolx fighting on the ground and Rivy trying his best to not die.
"Niztal get inside!" Tolx yells and I start to make my way towards the entrance to the castle.
I get inside and know exactly where he is it's almost like I can smell him.
I get to the throne room but all I see is an empty dining table with so much food it could feed the whole city.
"Arox!" I yell and his son and the heir to the throne peaks from behind a chair.
"Oh it's just a girl" the heir says and I fight the temptation to show him what I can do but I know I have to save my strength for Arox.
"Where is my family?" I ask angrily,
"You're the Cloud girl aren't you?" The heir asks and I punch him unconscious.
"AROX!" I yell and hear a faint whimper in the walls.
I walk towards the wall and try to find a hidden something and find a handle that I pull.
The wall moves to the side revealing stairs down, 'better down than up' I think.
I notice that I'm leaving burning footprints on the floor but I don't care all I want is to find my family and kill Arox.
"Niztal!" Someone yells behind me but I don't stop,
"Niztal they're safe you don't have to kill him" they say but I don't care if I don't have to I need to to stop the war.
I get to the bottom which is a room with herbs, potions, books and other magical objects.
"It's not ready sire" a old male voice says.
"Who are you?" I ask pointing my dagger at the mans back.
"Hemmerl Fernaty" The man says stirring a in a cauldron
"What are you making for Arox?" I ask
"A potion to dampen the effect on clouds magic" he says and I take some flowers and throw them in,
"What now?" I ask
"Tisk tisk tisk. Now it will melt wood" he says turning around and his face is half burnt off and his upper lip is gone. He has an eye patch over his eye on the burnt side and his smile is terrifying.
"Lady Ilverna" he bows before I'm knocked out.

I wake up in completely unfamiliar surroundings until I hear the sound of chaos outside when I remember where I am.

"She's awake sire" the old mans voice says and I feel my wrists cuffed to chains as well as my feet.
"Hello Niztal" Arox says cupping my face in one hand and squeezing it.
"You know your father will be so happy to see you in the palace" he says letting go of my face and rolls up his sleeves but I keep my mouth shut as I'm kneeling on the stone floor.
"Not much of a talker are you?" He asks crouching in front of me and still I say nothing trying to concentrate but nothing happens, my hand doesn't twitch or anything.
"I see, here let me help you find your voice" he says before swinging his fist at my face and hitting it with almost enough strength to hit a tooth out but he doesn't only splitting my lip.
"Still don't have anything to say?" He asks but I just close my eyes and lick the blood from my lip.
I draw a breath, see what I need the earth to do. Hold, feel the ground shake a bit. Release, nothing happens. 'I'm too high up' I realize
"Where's my family?" I ask as calmly as I can.
"They escaped because of your filthy brother and his bloody hunting skills" Arox says
"It is ready Sire" the old mans voice says handing Arox a bottle with a violet glowing liquid inside.
Arox grips my face and opens my mouth with force as the old mans hands hold my head backwards and pinching my nose.
Arox pours the liquid into my mouth and I struggle not to swallow it but he closes my mouth so swallowing is the only way to be able to breath.
I fight to get free but Arox is way stronger than me so I swallow in the end and he lets go of me stepping back as the liquid runs down my throat burning it and I cough as I gasp for air but Arox just looks down at me taking pleasure from my pain.
"Now your witch tricks won't work" he says pleased with himself as I stop feeling my hands and feet.
I plead to the gods to help me as Arox kicks me in the stomach sending me curling up in pain.
"You do not know how long I've waited for you to see this" Arox says but I have a feeling that he isn't talking to me.
He grabs my hair smashing my head to the stone floor and I can't hold down a scream as the pain is too much.
"STOP IT!" A woman's voice pleads,
"Then tell me where you hid her" Arox snarls
"I can't" she says and Arox pulls me up by my hair as tears run from my eyes.
I can't fight because my hands and feet are too weak to land any sort of blow and he has a hold on my head making it impossible for me to smash my head into him.
"STOP! PLEASE AROX YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS!" The woman pleads and I get a glimpse of her. My mother. My real mother sits on the stone floor pleading Arox to stop as her hands and feet look too weak as well.
"TELL ME WHERE THE HEIR IS!" Arox yells and for some reason I find it a bit funny as a smile appears on my face.
"What's wrong with you?" He asks angry
"You don't know" I say and think about Ilvtan as much as I can because the heir of the Rising Sun could find me so why not Ilvtan?
"Don't know what?" He asks getting more angry.
"The secrets" I whisper and he lets go of my hair sending me falling down to the ground again my head smashing on the stone and my vision blurs but I can see the door burst open and someone storm in.

The scent of flowers consumes me as I turn in my bed only to remember what had happened and shoot up slamming my head into someone else's head.
"Ow" I murmur and realize I had just head bumped my sister.
"Son of a bitch" Nat says her smooth hand on her head.
I jump up and hug her tears of happiness flowing down my cheeks.
"I'm so sorry I should never have left the room I never should have gone to Foxinir I should've stayed with you I'm sorry" I say hugging her and to her this must mean I am infected with some disease because I never and I mean never hug her but she hugs me back hesitant at first but gets over it.
"Niz I'm sorry I shouldn't have been such a scaredy-cat" she says sobbing as well.
"Niztal" My mom says behind Nat and I let Nat go before running towards my mom and hugging her tightly.
"Nat doesn't know does she?" I whisper hoping she doesn't
"No" my mom sighs and I'm relieved because if she knew it would destroy her more than me because she can connect with the rising sun people instantly where me and my small talk scare people away but seem to attract Crimsons, Ivy and mountain people.
"Good don't tell her" I say as convincingly as I can
"Not until her 17th year" she says
"17th?" I ask because I'm on my 16th and my mom was planning on telling me.
"Niztal you're 17 not 16 we had to change your age because you were seen and descriptions were passed around and the queens charm wears off at 17 so Natasha will be able to do magic and she's way more powerful than you and Ilvtan combined which makes her dangerous" my mom says and I look at her
"She can't be dangerous she's the most innocent thing I've seen" I say not believing her,
"I'm sorry but it's true if she were to get angry she could break the charm within seconds where you could get as angry as you could get and the charm would still stand"
"Where is the queen?" I ask because I need her to confirm this and I know she's alive it's something about the air but I don't know what.
"She's sick and Rivy doubts she'll make it" she says
"He's alive?" I ask surprised that he would live through the fight.
"Yes but Niztal I need you to understand that we did everything we could to help" she says but stops
"Mom What is it?" I ask and I have a really bad feeling.
"It's Tolx" she says and shock overcomes me he's dead.
"No...please gods" I plead and rush past my mom and see Tolxs emotionless body on a table.
I take his hand and it's cold and lifeless.
"Tolx. Don't be dead" I cry but nothing, I sink to my knees as tears run down my cheeks.
"I'm sorry" Rivy says behind me but I ignore him and his stupid worthless words.