Gideon didn't fight back, a storm of punches knocking him onto the dark grass with a low crunch. Even downed, the young royal continued to strike the guard. Vin stepped forward to stop it, but Tristen appeared and grabbed his sleeve. The pink, messy-haired Ravenour was squeezing the book Vin entrusted to him tightly, biting his lip so hard blood dripped. He was disheartened, his soul painted with grays of grievance.

  "Don't interfere," he said, eyes tightening with remorse as though he might tear up.

  Vin hesitated, his voice dropping to something barely above a whisper. "Are you sure? He's your childhood friend."

  Tristen's gaze stayed locked ahead, watching the scene unfold through the gaps in the trees, "I know... And I understand why he doesn't treat others as allies."

  "Ravenours, our own kind, have made our lives miserable. They took away the woman who raised Gideon, killed my parents, and treated Maeve like waste."

  "Regardless... There are rules."

  Tristen let out a pained scoff. "He was the one obsessed with setting good examples for Maeve, always telling me not to embarrass her. And then he goes and does this."

  Vin shook his head in discontent with their statement. He wondered if he was the abnormal one for wanting to walk out there and force Maeve to stop. Earlier, he also wanted to slug Gideon for acting spinelessly, but a public beating was too far.

  Maeve continued until Casty and the other Sun Market victims decided the man had enough. The one-winged woman stood, her hands dripping with crimson and a menacing edge on her voice, "Gideon, you are henceforth relieved of your position."

  The smug voice of a despicable man rang out over the fuss, "Is that all?"

  Vin's blood heated, his expression intensifying as one of his murderers walked from the crowd. Kaelix spoke openly. "Several of my subordinates died because of your loyal guard, and this is all the justice you'll give them?"

  The people near the one-armed General wore the same red crest of the Scarlet Order. Everyone had united so well to escape the city that Vin forgot their town was always divided into two factions.

  That's right.

  Everything was fine until Kaelix showed up.

  Vin summoned a blade and advanced while Maeve tried to convince the General that Gideon didn't deserve to die. They both noticed him then, approaching with a limp, his violet eyes burning with murder.

  The villainous man sneered at him, practically delighted they'd met again. The previous king, Kane, stopped Vin, telling him, "Not like this."

  The towering man had a deep, threatening voice. He told the Human, "If you trust her, you'll let her resolve her own problems."

  "This isn't about her," Vin grimaced, peering into the man's eyes, which were a rich, ruby red like his daughter's. "I want MY revenge. I don't give a damn about your trials for Maeve."

  Vin knew Kane could have killed Kaelix himself and made his daughter the sole authority of the army. Yet, the man wanted to challenge her with obstacles. From the beginning, he planned to temper her inside the Archival Dimension until she became a flawless ruler.

  Kane was a sick individual and an even worse father for putting so many innocent lives at stake in his pursuit. Yet, everything had gone as he intended, and he wouldn't let an outsider ruin it. Kane drew his sword, which looked dated but was, in fact, very powerful because certain items inside the Archival Dimension were boosted. "I'm not asking you to forgive. Just taper your fury until the right moment."

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  Vin scoffed, feeling his wounds ache the more he stood. He didn't weigh his options for long. Dying wasn't an option because it would reveal his location to the rest of the undead and lead to a worse outcome. So, he shifted his gaze to the scoundrel, Kaelix, who wore an unphased smirk as if everything would be in his favor and told them, "Lucky. You get to live another day."

  "I made a bet," The brute stated, sizing him up, finding enjoyment in his injuries. "Me and my men wagered how many times I could kill you before you stopped coming back."

  Kaelix confidently raised two fingers, grinning, "You're the one that should be happy this fool stood between us."

  "Yea?" Vin mocked, raising his middle fingers to the large brute, "How about I start with your other arm next time, bitch."

  Kane reestablished his indomitable presence when it looked like the two would clash. Vin spat on the ground, heated. He looked over at Maeve, angrily asking. "So, what now."

  She didn't answer right away. Things weren't that simple.

  At the end of the day, she only wanted unity. Kaelix wanted the same thing but believed he was the only one capable of leading Ravenours to the might and glory their dragon-slaying ancestors once had.

  Maeve was quiet for a while, even while Kaelix slandered her name. Claiming that she was just as much of a coward as her guards. He heard that she was among the first to flee the battlefield while many warriors stayed behind to die. One of the men from the music store also told him that she never left her desk while others worked on her behalf. There were even rumors that the Eternal was the mind behind their city escape, and she just took credit for it.

  The population listened and drew their own conclusions, discussing with each other and determining who to follow.

  The Eternal, the most influential person, didn't speak up on her behalf. Kane, hated by just about everyone for sending them to that dimension, backed out of view to not sway any opinions.

  For a while, Vin just sat back, holding his broken arm in silence.

  However, he couldn't continue to watch her suffer. It had been minutes since she'd even spoken, only staring down at her bloodied friend, guilt stopping her from focusing on what mattered at the moment. So, Vin synced with her mind, remaining brief and concise with his message. Repeating the words she'd once said to him

  "Now it's time for you to conquer what's weighing on your spirit."

  Maeve's eyes widened at the sudden mental communication. She looked at Vin, her lips parted slightly and sorrow tugging at her brow. That person wasn't the mighty ruler he knew but the docile young woman who sometimes cried and needed comfort.

  That version of her lasted for some time, but moments later, the one-winged royal placed a tight fist over her heart and took several deep breaths as she digested his words.

  She shouted, and the chatter stopped.

  "You-" She began, though halting soon after. She inhaled and restarted, her voice much louder and assertive, "You are all my dear subjects. We are all starved and hurt, and I want nothing more than for us to leave this place and go home."

  "Regrettably, fate will constantly challenge us, and we may lose more on our journey..."

  "But, right now, more than ever, we need to work together and proceed thougtfully and with caution."

  "I know you are proud warriors who wish to test your strength and die with honor. But, I promise you, If Kaelix is allowed to lead, we will all die needlessly."

  The General with scarlet scales and a shaved head argued the opposite. He believed relying on Maeve and her plots and plans was not the Ravenour way and would lead to their demise.

  There was no reasoning or compromise. And, like always, the discussion devolved into violence. The many warriors spoke their minds, clashing heads about who would be the best leader. The brutal, renowned war General or the clever daughter of the previous King.

  Vin was disappointed that, in the end, Maeve, too, was a barbarian.

  Despite her ideas, she allowed strength to become law.

  Maeve tied her hair up and met Kaelix face to face. Her burning ruby eyes were savage, ready to kill. Even though her leg was broken, her opponent was missing an arm, so he couldn't tackle properly or strike as much.

  The fight was about to ensue, one that would decide how their army operated for their duration inside that dimension. However, there was a distant scream followed by a heavy thump so deep Vin felt it in the soles of his feet.

  Necks turned in unison toward the sound, and Vin sensed a life come to an end. He knew something had begun to hunt.