MALEVOLENT CASH, RESCUE PARTY Where are we going?
PRINCE STOIC, OF ANIMA The Spire. You were so convinced that Princess Ruby was being held at the Spire that you convinced me to come to Coeur.
MALEVOLENT CASH Don’t put that on me. I didn’t even want to come.
PRINCE STOIC You’re the one who asked where we’re going. As if you didn’t know.
MALEVOLENT CASH No, I mean right now. Where are we going?
PRINCE STOIC This was as far as your lead took us. The glow wood from the Daughter’s pack. The forests of Coeur. Now we need to look for the Spire, right?
MALEVOLENT CASH Is our plan to just wander around the forests hoping to find the Daughters’ secret base? It’s in the forest for a reason.
GODSPEED NANO, HEAD LIBRARIAN I admit the plan isn’t as fully fleshed out as I’d like. But I checked the records when we were back in Spinal. There’s no maps that say exactly where the Spire is. Just that it’s west of Coeur City proper. North of the main road, deep in the woods.
MALEVOLENT CASH I do think Princess Ruby is at the Spire. But aimlessly wandering the woods looking for it is a shit plan.
PRINCE STOIC It’s your shit plan.
GODSPEED NANO Just like old times. The two of you bickering instead of working together. Even though we all want the same thing, you can’t stop bitching at each other.
PRINCE STOIC He started it.
MALEVOLENT CASH There’s towns in the forest too, aren’t there? Encampments? You hear about bandits and thieves that stalk the forest, that prey on caravans on the main road. Maybe one of them would know where the Spire is.
GODSPEED NANO They’re not on the map either. Survey didn’t chart the forests. They’re massive and the reward isn’t worth the risk.
PRINCE STOIC So we’re back to “aimless wandering.” Got it.
MALEVOLENT CASH I got us this far. Maybe it’s time you both started pulling your weight.
PRINCE STOIC Maybe if you hadn’t killed the Daughter, she could have told us where the Spire is.
MALEVOLENT CASH Now we’re back to this again. I was coming to rescue you, you ungrateful fuck.
PRINCE STOIC Of course we’re back to this! You killed the person rescuing us! How could I let it go?
MALEVOLENT CASH It was a trap. The Daughters are trying to kill you. I saved you. You should be thanking me.
PRINCE STOIC That’s just a theory. A theory you came up with. Where, coincidentally, you’re the hero.
MALEVOLENT CASH It’s the only theory we have right now. And don’t forget, I was the one who got us over the Split.
PRINCE STOIC By taking an innocent girl hostage—
GODSPEED NANO This is untenable. We can’t continue like this. I can’t spend all my time mediating between the two of you. You need to stop bickering like children if we’re ever going to find the Spire.
PRINCE STOIC You’re right. This is untenable.
MALEVOLENT CASH I should never have come. I should have stayed back in Spinal.
PRINCE STOIC Drinking yourself to death. Real productive.
GODSPEED NANO You were instrumental in getting us this far, Mal. You were right about that.
PRINCE STOIC I would’ve figured it out. Eventually.
GODSPEED NANO No, you wouldn’t have.
MALEVOLENT CASH I can’t do this anymore. We should split up. We can cover more ground that way.
GODSPEED NANO That’s a terrible idea. Splitting up is a terrible idea.
PRINCE STOIC What will you do if you find the Spire? Luck your way into saving the Princess the way you lucked into killing the Daughter?
MALEVOLENT CASH I have her sword, I could take them on—
GODSPEED NANO Stoic’s right. We don’t know how many people are guarding Ruby and we can’t take them on by ourselves. We need to work together. Find allies to help us.
PRINCE STOIC Where do you suggest we do that?
MALEVOLENT CASH Shut up. Stop talking.
PRINCE STOIC Don’t tell me to shut up—
MALEVOLENT CASH I’m serious. Did you hear that?
GODSPEED NANO I didn’t hear anything.
PRINCE STOIC I hear it too. Where’s it coming from?
GODSPEED NANO What are you two talking about?
MALEVOLENT CASH Screaming. Someone’s screaming. Let’s go. This way.
PRINCE STOIC Draw your sword, Mal. This could go sideways.
CURIOUS HYSTERIA, AIDE TO QUEEN COMPLEX The king and queen have been missing for days. Cervello is leaderless and the city at large has not been informed. It would be disastrous to do so. The city is already on the verge of full-scale panic after Molotov stormed the Choir and all of our efforts are focused on calming the public. Not only that, but if Molotov knew of the king and queen’s absence there would be nothing to stop her from taking over the castle as well. No one else can know that the king and queen are missing except for those who already do.
August Eye, leader of the A Capella, is under lock and key at the Cervello City castle. After barely escaping the Choir with his life, he has no urge to leave and expose himself to the dangers of the city. There are many. Molotov certainly wants him dead. She’s the only one who knows the truth of what happened the day of the riot besides August Eye and the kingsmen. The people fully believe that the A Capella kidnapped Princess Ruby. Molotov has convinced them of that. Who knows who else wants him dead? These are troubling times. Everything is on fire and everything is falling apart.
August has been staying in the royal chambers. Unprecedented as it is, it’s the safest place for him right now. I walked into the royal chambers this morning to find them in shambles. Bookshelves overturned with their books strewn about the floor. The bed on the opposite side of the room from where it had been for as long as I’ve worked here. Drawers taken out of dressers, the rug moved and bunched up in the corner, the curtains ripped from the windows. August sat on the king and queen’s bed with his head in his hands, muttering to himself.
“What’s going on here?” I said to August. “What’s the meaning of this?”
“I keep going over and over it in my head,” August said. “They were in their chambers. And then they weren’t. It must be here, somewhere. Hidden.”
“What are you talking about?” I said. I walked farther into the room, sidestepping the debris on the floor and trying not to trip. “What are you looking for?”
“An entrance to the tunnels,” he said. “They must have been taken through the tunnels.”
“You came through the tunnels,” I said. “The entrance is in the pantry. We would have seen them had they left that way.” Still only halfway to the bed, the floor so littered with the king’s and queen’s possessions that I couldn’t make my way to August.
“The Spinal tunnels have many entrances and exits,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “There must be another entrance here somewhere. The pantry wouldn’t be the only one.”
“So, what?” I said. “You think Molotov took the king and queen? Came through a hidden entrance in the royal chambers and took them by force to the Choir?” I tripped over an inkwell I hadn’t seen and nearly fell to the ground. I steadied myself and looked at the floor, mapping my approach.
“No,” August said. “Not Molotov. I left the Choir the second Molotov reached the bunker. They didn’t know about the tunnels then. When I reached the castle, the king and queen were already gone.”