Prince Justus and the Rogue

Justus POV

So, Mr Payne agreed that it would be a good idea to visit the white witches and of course through my father I'm rather well connected so I figure it's best to go straight to the top and see the White Queen Witch Fiona. She's been the queen for hundreds of years in fact I'm not even sure how old she really is. But when you see her she doesn't look a day past twenty! She lives at the Blue Palace in the Land of Hyrule. It was more than a day's journey so we better get started. "So, have you guys had time to think about naming our pack?" Mack spoke up as we started walking along our bumpy journey.

"Our pack? When did this happen?" Gracia asks, slightly surprised.

"The other day while we were coming to meet you. Mack suggested we name our group of vagabonds. We technically can't be a pack by definition because we move around and aren't staying in one place but Mack thought it would be fun to pick a name anyway. So, we thought we would let you choose. Either Rebel Moon Pack or Maverick Moon Pack" Emil explained.

"Oh, well I like the Maverick Moon Pack." I answer after a slight deliberation.

We would also have to pass through the swampland outside of Lake Lerna in Argolid where the legendary Lernaean Hydra lived. Lake Lerna is supposedly an entrance to the underworld and the Hydra guards the entrance. The Hydra is a serpentine water monster that has poisonous breath and blood so virulent that even its scent is deadly. The Hydra possesses many heads and if one is chopped off two more will regrow in its place. We will need to face the Hydra if we are to cross Lake Lerna.

We have made it to the swamps and purchased two canoes to cross the swamps and later the lake in. We cover our faces with masks so that we don't inhale the poisonous fumes from the Hydra. Waiting for it to make its appearance is the hardest part of the journey. Gracia has a lighted torch and her job will be to burn the necks of the Hydra so that it can not form new heads while me and the guys work to cut off the heads.

Suddenly, out of the water the Hydra appears roaring and screaming for our blood. The guys and I use scythes that we had bought when we purchased the canoes to hack off the heads of the Hydra. As fast as possible Gracia begins burning the necks but she quickly falls behind and the guys and I find ourselves having to hack off additional heads which means that additional necks have to be burned.

"Mack give me your arrows. I'll dip them in the Hydra's blood and then we can light them on fire and use them to burn the necks. You can do that sitting in the canoe." I instruct Mack. He hands me about fifteen arrows and I douse them all in the Hydra's blood and then I hand them back. Mack starts shooting the arrows as Emil, Jackin, and I continue chopping off heads and Gracia continues to set fire to necks. Between all of us we finally take down the Hydra. We clap our hands and start congratulating each other.

"Guys, don't rock the boat. Remember, gates to the underworld!" Cecily comments. I had practically forgotten about her in the canoes. But, she's sitting down in between two seats like she's hanging on for dear life, poor child. Gracia picks her up and gives her a big kiss. We all settle down and start rowing again to finish crossing the lake.

It takes another day's journey but we eventually make it to the land of Hyrule. Nobody really bothers us much as we march along our journey. We come across a couple of villages and we decide to stop and eat then we start moving again. Eventually we decide we would be better off if we switch to our wolf forms. Cecily can ride on Gracia's back and the guys can carry the majority of our supplies while I watch out for danger. Traveling in wolf form is much faster and we make it to the Blue Palace in no time. Of course we all have to step behind trees to get dressed again. You don't want to visit the queen witch naked.

Two guards are posted out front of golden gates that surround the castle and it is definitely blue. I'm not sure what kind of stone was used, turquoise would be too expensive, but the castle was made entirely out of blue stones. Maybe aqua blue obsidian?

"State your business at the castle." The guard gruffly says.

"I am Prince Justus of the Werewolves, these are my companions, and I am here to see the White Witch Queen Fiona." I state with my head held high.

"I'll take you inside and see if she'll see you." The guard gives a loud sigh to let me know that we are quite a bother. Once we get inside the castle I look around and everything is painted in different shades of blue with gold accents. We stop outside of what I assume to be the throne room. "What is your business with the queen?" The guard asks, letting out another large sigh.

"We need to inform her that the gatekeepers have been murdered and that we are in possession of the key to the Gates of Guinee." I state with a look that clearly asks him to try me. The guard slips inside the room to ask for permission if the queen will grant us access. Gracia comes alongside me and holds my hand. I look down at her and I kiss her on top of her head.

The guard comes back and swings the door wide open. "You may enter the throne room."

When I approach the throne the guys and I all bow and Gracia and Cecily curtsy. The queen has blue hair with silver accents that hangs down all the way to her ankles. Her dress hugs her natural curves and is a pale blue adorned with tiny diamonds. She does not wear any shoes on her feet. The queen steps down from her throne and directs us to a table in the back of the room where we can all sit.

"So, how do you know that the gatekeepers are dead?" She asks with a cold tone to her voice.

"The gatekeepers, Mr and Mrs Takers, were caretakers for a family property. They were caring for this little one, Cecily." I patted Cecily on the head. "When the house was ransacked and both the Takers were murdered. Cecily survived by hiding in a closet. She did leave us a clue as to who was behind it by letting us know the men wore black pants, black shirts, with rad masks that covered the bottom half of their face." I finished explaining.

"Hmmmm. Sounds like the Blood Moon Coven. Isn't that coven run by your brother Achard? Isn't he the Grand Elder of the coven?" The Queen asks. I hear Gracia audibly gasp.

I look over at Gracia and I take her hand in mine to give it a light squeeze. "Yes, he is and I believe he is after the key. One hypothesis is that he wants to raise from the dead two black witches but we really have no idea what he plans on doing with it." I let out a sigh.

"And you have it in your possession now?" The queen asks me.

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"Yes, would you like to see it?" I start to pull it out of it's bag.

"No, no no no. But, I can put a spell on the bag so that nobody but you can open it. Would that help?" She offers.

It kind of weirds me out that she doesn't want to even see the key but I'll accept the spell. "Yeah I think that would be great." She places her hands over the velvet bag mumbles an incantation in a foreign language that I don't recognize. "Why hasn't anyone just destroyed the key?" Cecily asks. Out of the mouths of babes!

"Well you are welcome to try but the journey won't be an easy one." She smiles down at Cecily.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

"What do we have to do?" I ask, my mind wondering. This would be a much better way than having to constantly be looking over my back for my brother and his psychotic minions.

"Go to the Isle of Demons and from there you'll need to go to the River of Phlegethon and toss the key into it. But be careful because the River of Phlegethon leads straight to Hades and if you're not careful you'll get swept away to the dark underworld." She explains.

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