Canceled Version

Zephyr walked in front as Fang watched for trouble. Zephyr stopped as she noticed a beggar. "Fang over there."

Fang looked over to see him. "Yeah, what of it?" Zephyr ran ahead before answering him. "Hey, Zephyr, wait!"

Zephyr looked at the man smiling holding a gold coin; the man looked up. "We need info, and I know people like you see the shadows of the streets."

The man smiled at her. "What is it you want, miss?"

He reached for the coin, but She pulled it away. "We need dirt on the king"s advisor."

The man eyes gleamed. "I will tell you everything I know if you add a meal to that coin."

Zephyr stared deep into the man"s eyes, "Very well, you not a spy for him and I can tell that by your eyes."

Fang looked at Zephyr, "How could you tell?"

Zephyr looked at him. "A spy has a clouded look in their soul. His has hatred towards the advisor is very prominent."

Fang stiffened as he tried to understand. "OK, then, we will get you something warm to eat, and you will tell us what we need then?" the man nodded smiling. Fang looked at Zephyr as they began to find the man food Fang turned to the man. "Don"t leave." The man acknowledged Fang"s demand, as he caught up with Zephyr.

Zephyr looked over the local food stands for something decent for the beggar. Fang kept an eye out for anything suspicious. Zephyr ordered the food, as she paid Fang nudged her, she looked over to see some guards roughing up some others Zephyr nodded as she whispered the incantation for misty frost at them. The guards startled looked around searching for the culprits, yelling at everyone to step forwards.

Fang walked up to them, smiling. "Well, it seems the last time I was here the guards become the villains, not the protectors."

One of the guards shoved his face into Fangs, sneering at him. "What was that?"

Fang uses the Krisnik stare on them. "You do know I"m a Krisnik right? The same one on that statue over there." Fang pointed at the statue of him and his father after they defeated the dragon.

The other guards went pale as they noticed the white glow in his eyes. "Th-there"s no way? M-master F-Fang?"

The guard under Fangs gazes stared at him as he was released. "S-sorry master—"

Fang drew his sword at the men, the turned tail at the sight of his blade. Fang sighed as he sheathed his weapon. "Cowards, thinking they are better than the law." Everyone stared at Fang as they whispered about the legend of him and his fathers" feats form almost a thousand years ago. He sighed as he walked off. "Come on we have things to tend to Zephyr."

Zephyr nodded as she caught up. They found their way back the man waiting for them. She hands the man the food. "Much obliged miss Foxtail."

Zephyr paused at the man. "Wait you know who I am?"

The man smiled, "of course, your father was a good friend, and we met when you and your brother were about a year old." The man took a bit of the food. "But you aren"t here for that are you Zephyr?"

Zephyr looked at Fang as she smiled softly, "Right we"re here because of the king"s request for saving Ark"s life and uprising the advisors power over the populous."

The man nodded. "well I can say this much; the man works for the Faremin forces as the insider. I lost my position as a royal guard because of the weasel." The man stuffed his face before continuing. "He was selected by the late Cole Vern, the last advisor." The man swallowed. "But something was fishy about it all, and the king sent me to investigate, but the damage was done."

Fang leaned against the wall. "What happened?"

The man lowered the food as his eye dragger to the ground. "He corrupted the commander with his honeyed words making it seem the king is incompetent of leading the country without him."

Zephyr clenched hands to her chest. "That"s horrible."

The man turned to her. "But what he doesn"t know is that those spells exist."

Fang stood up at him. "You mean the truth spell and the broadcasting spell?"

The man nodded. "On top everything he had a man steal the royal treasure to frame that poor man two weeks ago."

Fang and Zephyr looked at each other. "Ark!"

The man looked at them. "You know the man?"

Fang looked at him. "Not us personally but our companion does."

"Do you know what happened to the man who was used for the frame is located at of what became of the stolen item?" Zephyr asked him.

The man shook his head. "Sorry, but that"s all I know, unfortunately."

Fang leaned back. "But you have been more than a big help with all of this."

Zephyr stood up, whipping her skirt. "Well, we better find our friends and let them know then." She turned to the man, handing the gold coin. "I didn"t forget our promise."

The man thanked her as he closed her hand. "Keep it Zephyr; you need it more than I will in the coming times." Fang walked away as Zephyr hugged the man goodbye, following Fang down the streets to Scarlets group.

As they approached them, Luna was waiting outside a shop with Gale. Luna turned to them smiling sheepishly as yelling came out of the shop. Zephyr hid behind Fang as a man flew out, Scarlet walked out with a furious look about her. The man cringed as she walked towards him.

Fang sighed, as he rubbed his head. "Scarlet?" He dragged her name; Scarlet stopped as Fang walked over. "This is not the time to lose yourself to this man."

Scarlet looked at the man, "Next time you treat anyone like that again I will—"

"Scarlet!" Fang barked at her; she growled as she joined them. "We are heading back now to wait for Lovell and the other two. So, behave on the way back alright?"

Scarlet looked at him, "So, got some info then?"

Zephyr nodded, as she followed Fang. "Yes, and there is more going on than even our commissioner knows."

Luna picked his pace up to Zephyr, "Like what?"

Fang stopped turning to them. "They are involved."

Gale grabbed Fang"s shoulder, fear raving through his eyes. "Are you sure?"

Fang nodded as Zephyr looked at the castle. "Yes, and the people are being played like puppets to his tune." She turned to them. "We need a way to expose him and fast, or else we might not have time to save Ark."

Scarlet looked at the castle, as Gale began to think. "hopefully Lovell and the others can get some more on him, as well as finding the culprit to expose his ways."

Fang turned to the castle "The only way is Truthis Almarianis and a word illusion spell, and that"s something that can"t do."

Doubt filled the air around them as Luna sparked an idea. "Wait, Lovell!" they all turned to her confused at the matter. "Lovell can use psychic magic remember?" Their eyes filling will hope. "If Lovell learns how to cast both we can expose him. Think about it, didn"t he say that he teleported to Scarlet"s place. This might mean he could, possibly learn more in that category?"

Fang shook his head. "That spell is more of a life type magic than a psychic one, but we also don"t know if Lovell can cast that kind of magic as well?"

Gale smiled. "Well then let"s head back and wait for their return, then we can ask. But I think I will head to the magic shops looking for a spell book with that spell in it."

Fang grabbed Gales shoulder. "No, let"s find out first if he can before we do anything. That would be a better way of spending our resources than wasting it."

Gale nodded, "your right, sorry about that."

Scarlet and Luna smiled as they pushed the boys, Zephyr sheepishly smiled as she watched them be shoved. Fang and Gale are protesting that they could move in their own as they laughed, as they made their way back to the inn, to wait for Lovell, Zero and Lance"s return from the slums.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lovell watched Zero as he ran ahead scouting out the terrain of the area. Lovell looked at Lances as he wasted time looking at all the different textiles hanging from lines stretched across the streets. Lovell felt calm seeing Lance his usual hyper self. Turning his gaze down the dark alleyways, Lovell noticed children huddling together, shaking in fear of their presence. Lovell stopped and sighed as he walked over to them. The children flinched closing their eyes afraid of what he was going to do. Lovell put his hand on one of the children holding out a small bag of coins. The child looked at Lovell, seeing his warm smile.

"Here; take it," Lovell spoke softly at the child.

The child hesitated as he looked up at Lovell. "What is in it for me if I do?"

Lovell realized what he was doing stared at the child. "I want nothing, but for you live, you and I are strangers, yes, but I want you to live and grow strong to protect the other little ones. My reward is that I have saved you from death"s door for a week or two." Lovell placed the bag on the ground. "It"s your choice, live or die; the coin is yours to use how you see fit, kid."

Lovell caught up with the Lance and Zero as the child looked in to see silver and gold coins, with a note saying live no matter what goes your way and fight for your place in these dark times. The child walked out of the alleyway yelling at Lovell to thank him. Lovell waved at the child as he turned his gaze slightly at him, smiling as the child"s tears overflowed them.

Zero looked at Lovell, "You are way to nice for your own good?"

Lovell smiled. "It may be cruel to give them that, but at least they will live to see another day. That kind of thing is rare to see where I had no other motives other than giving them a chance on living with a full belly."

Lance stared at Lovell. "How much did you give them?" his voice course as he stopped Lovell with his question.

Lovell sighed, "Twenty-three gold and one hundred and sixty silver."

Zero punched Lovell in the face., Lovell fell to the ground rubbing his cheek. "You are way to nice for your own good that"s for sure. Fang is going to have a fit when he finds out or even Scarlet will." Zero turned and began walking again. "It"s not my funeral when they find out."

Lovell stood up to tell him off when the ground gave way below them. Zero was able to get out of the way as Lovell and Lances plummeted down. As the dust settles a piece of debris landed on Lance"s head, he called out in pain.

Zero sighed in relief. "Are you ok down there?"

Lovell rubbed his head as Lance looked up at Zero, giving him a goofy smile. "Yeah, we are ok, for now anyway." Lance stood up brushing off the dust before looking back at Zero. "Go on ahead we"ll meet you either along the way or back at the inn."

Zero watched at Lance helped Lovell up, seeing that they were fine. "Ok then, just be careful."

Zero watched as Lance waved him goodbye. He looked down the road seeing the crumbling buildings, as rats scurried down them. Zero shuddered at the sight of them, as he made his way deep into the old section of the Winter district.

While he walked an old man caught his attention, seeing that the old man was fishing in the polluted river. Zero ignored the old man making his way to the slums black market area. He entered the shop, seeing animilian slaves chained on the far side and beasts cowering in iron bars. Zero felt a cold sweat trickle down his spine. The shop keeper walked out from the shadows as Zero jumped upon seeing them.

The shop keeper stared at him, as Zero stood back from him. "Well, well what do we have here?" Zero found the courage to stand his ground before the man. "A half-animilian waltzing into my shop. Now you don"t see that every day?" The man moved behind Zero as he blinked. "A fox type no less, but alas you are not here to become a slave but to find something that interests you?"

Zero shifted away from the man, "I"m here know that people like you know things from the shadows."

The man sneered at Zero, "Name your price, and I might help?"

Zero stood tall at the man. "You want the Rat Kings claw I guess or would rather a theyans tear?"

The man"s face stiffened. "The in for is free then knowing you might know Fang Krisnik."

Zero nodded, "and his half-brother, prince Lovell Krisnik of the Faremin kingdom."

The shopkeeper stared at Zero in fear for his life, Zero hoping that having Lovell as a threat might keep the shopkeeper"s mouth shut waited for him to talk. "What is it? You are looking for precisely?"

Zero smiled knowing that he caught him. "A pendant that might have been sold to you or you might have seen around, and you wanted but know need them to come to you to have."

The shopkeeper thought on it for a moment but shrugged at him. "Sorry, I know nothing other than that you are looking for the stolen pendant from all the commotion. I would help, but this time you are out of luck." Zero sighed as he headed to the door. "But I know of a man that might help—"

Zero turned to him. "He"s a slaver in the Spring district, right?" the shopkeeper froze at Zero"s knowledge. "Not interested, but I will report you for slavery to the King."

Zero smiled as the shopkeeper fell to his knees knowing that he was doomed. As he exited, zero saw the old man from earlier sitting on the river"s edge closer to him. Zero brushed him off as he walked away.

"That was quite a bold thing you did young man." Zero turn the old man as he smiled at Zero. A small red jewel shined around his neck. "What you seem surprised that I was watching you?"

Zero stepped back trying to leave as the old man hooked him with his fishing rod. Zero was yanked back falling flat as the old man laughed. Zero got up, ripping the hook out his collar. "What"s the big idea, old man!"

The old-time laughed into a grin. "well aren"t you a big one I caught them." He got up as Zero growled at him. "well you are looking for the culprit are you not?"

Zero calmed down raising his guard toward the man. "Yeah, how did you know that?"

The man smiled at him. "The way you hold yourself and the fact that no sensible non-human would enter that shop without cause." Pointing his fishing rod at Zero, Zero felt fear start to settle in." You need to find your courage young man. You are supposed to embody it are you not?"

Zero blinks at the old man. "You are you senile old man; I don"t need to find anything but that—"

The old man chopped Zero"s head with his rod. "Seems you did hear me the first time then Ren-Ky Warrior?" Zero rubbed his head when he realized what the man said. Turning slowly Zero stared at the old man"s grinning face. "Now that I have your full attention, we can talk but first help an old man out will you and catch me a big one for my poor wife to cook?" Handing Zero his fishing rod.

Zero stared at the old man, his eyes migrated to the rod. He sighed, knowing that old folk can be tricky to get anything out of them as he wonders how he knew that he was a Ran-Ky warrior? Zero walked over to the river seeing that it was clean and bright as large shadows dotted the bottom of the river. Zero was sure that the river was polluted and was filled with sludge from the factories south of the winter district. Tossed the lure into the water, the old man watched as Zero hooked one fish after the other, but the line snapped each time. Zero became impatient as he tried one last time, his mind cleared feeling like nothing would hook, then the largest one caught, Zero reeled it in as it flew into the air landing beside him.

The old man laughed as Zero"s sight returned to reality with a pile of garbage lay beside him as the fish, he hooked flopped on the ground. The shock settled in as Zero fell into the river"s sh.o.r.es. The old man bellowed out as he saw Zero"s reaction.

Zero stood up at him. "That wasn"t funny old man!"

The man calmed himself as he turned to meet Zero"s face. "Well, you earned my help after that, now take that fish and return it to the water then follow me. I"ll help you find your man." Zero did as the old man said and caught up with him.