Chapter Text
Adaine’s limbs fell loose against the new mattress, it’s warm sheets from the dryer against her bare arms. Having already taken both her anxiety and pain medication, the shooting pain in her ankles already muffled enough for her oncoming day.
Her hair already brushed through, ridding the tangled knots during her trance. Leftover mint resting in her taste buds from the toothpaste and mouthwash.
The walls lined with claw marks that were months old, long before Adaine came to inhabit the room, picture frames, a poster of the newly created band, “Fig and The Cig Figs” that she cherished with everything in the world.
Her nightstand decorated with a stack of graded papers, her notebook filled to the brim with completed missing work. Boggy’s makeshift terrarium taking up the most space on the wood. The small desk having more scattered papers, a mess of different notebooks from an array of classes.
The ceiling fan hummed above her, the wind fighting against the beginning of the summer heat that started gathering in the apartments.
Who would have thought? Months in jail, fighting the vice principal, saving the world, and Adaine still had to finish the homework assigned during her absence.
Twisting onto her side, Adaine is faced with Boggy. His eyes staring up at the ceiling, mesmerized by the fan. The sight temporarily snaps Adaine out of her train of thought, waiting for everyone else in the apartment to wake it sometimes lonely. Apparently, it is a bit of a habit now, a mix of trancing and sleeping. Something that she managed to gain from the new found ability of the hybrid shift.
And what better time then to trance the night before the last day of school?
Straining her ears, Adaine can hear the steady breathing of Jawbone, Tracker, and Kristen. It’s only a few minutes before they wake, she’s been up for hours on the other hand. The reasonable part would be to start the rest of her routine. Change into her school clothes, get Boggy ready with his collar, eat breakfast—ah, who cares?
Adaine had gained to love the havoc of a morning routine with people who cared for her. She does not want to miss it today of all days.
The silence is daunting, however. A part of it reminds her of the Abernant Manor, silence wrapping the family as if it were the norm. Adaine’s old bedroom, bare of any part of her personality, a lack of color, and of people.
How would the Adaine that went in on the first day of school, slightly terrified, still left with her unmediated anxiety, react towards Adaine now?
An Adaine that sleeps in a bed in the apartment of Jawbone. Tracker and Kristen’s own room to the left side, her frog familiar happily croaking without a care in the world.
Instead of the uncomfortable uniform of Hudol, the blonde hair that Arianwen always criticized for being too short. Instead of a silent dining table each and everyday, purposefully avoiding everyone by hiding away in her room.
Adaine wears a denim jacket, boots already scuffed not even a few weeks in having them. Blonde fur taking over her body with ears placed atop her head often as staying her regular humanoid form.
The dining table that has claw marks etched into the wood, filled with chatter, laughter more than silence ever has. Her bedroom door always open for the majority of the day, people passing by like Fig, Riz, Kristen, the other two werewolves, maybe more if the occasion comes.
Adaine’s face never in a permanent frown or sneer at Aelwyn. Replaced by smiles that make her face hurt whenever Kristen makes her laugh too much.
The sudden sounds of alarm clocks synchronizing in the apartment building snapped Adaine straight up in bed.
Boggy croaks as he hops over to his terrarium as Adaine gathers her clothing. The Jacket of Useful Things already hanging on her desk chair, the boots gifted from Jawbone from her prison escape at the feet of her bed. Boggy’s collar which has his name tag, Boggariel Froggariel, and Adaine’s crystal number on the back, resting in her nightstand.
By the time Adaine already has her jeans on, a shirt with Fig’s band name on it. The chaos of the morning is echoing through the halls, muffled voices of the other residents.
“Has anyone seen my World Religions Book?!” Kristen yells through the walls, the sounds of drawers being rustled open and slammed shut.
Adaine Mage Hands her bedroom door open, just enough for her voice to travel through more clearly. “Check the living room between the cushions! If not—”
Kristen’s yelp combined with a loud thud makes Adaine shut up with a small wince. “I’m okay! I think—is my ankle supposed to be twisted like that—”
“I’m coming!” Tracker yelled from another part of the home. A figure blurs past Adaine’s bedroom door, just as Jawbone walks past.
“Morning kiddo!” Jawbone came to skidding halt in his tracks, his canine smile aimed at her. In his usual cardigan with jean shorts, his fur still knotted in a few places. Not yet done with his morning routine. “Ask Riz and Fig if they want to carpool with us, leaving in forty.”
“Fig probably isn't awake yet, Riz probably has been awake longer than anyone. But I’m sure they’ll say yes!” Adaine slid her foot through the leather boot, Boggy happily croaking inside the habitat.
“Also, Arthur asked you kids to go to his office before school starts, so text Fabian and Gorgug,” Jawbone added, to which Adaine’s own eyes widened.
Boggy gave a different stare, his “I’m-not-so-sure-about-this” look glanced at Adaine. Clearing her throat, Adaine spoke up. “Can I asked why?”
Jawbone shrugged, his ears slightly drooping. “Wish I knew kid, but he just kept saying something about your guys summer break and next years spring break project.”
Adaine stopped midway of grabbing her jacket, hand paused in the air. “Spring break project? What’s that?”
Jawbone tilted his head, before perking up. “Right! You guys were in jail and everything during it. Every party, every grade, gets assigned a project over spring break, whether it’s to travel to places like the Mountains of Chaos, or just doing simple tasks not too far from of Solace.”
“Is that why our grades were tanked when we came back to school?” Adaine huffed, vividly remembering the sheer horror of her updated grades. All D’s plus an F in her Thursday morning, History of Glyphs class. Took so many missing assignments, and extra credit works to bump them back up. “Because we didn’t do our spring break project?”
“Yep, had to talk down Arthur to let you guys be excused with Gilear’s help—”
“I still can’t believe Professor Aguefort still hired Gilear, of all people, as the vice principal,” Adaine mumbled, finally grabbing her jacket, sliding her arms through the sleeves.
“I’ve known the guy for like, two weeks, he can be bit of a wild card,” Jawbone said.
“If the wildcard could also explode things and could cast more powerful spells than anyone in the school can.”
Jawbone continues his walk, before his eyes widened and walked backwards to Adaine’s door once more. “New mail for you as well!”
“Is it from some divination academy again?” Adaine holds in a scoff, retrieving Boggy’s collar from the nightstand drawer.
“Yep,” Jawbone already senses the incoming answer, beating Adaine to the punch. “I’ll burn the letter or just shred it.”
Adaine was very impatiently waiting in Jawbone’s car for Kristen and Fig. Seated in the middle with Kristen’s designated seat to her right. Riz is scooted next to the left, his briefcase wide open in his lap with papers in his hand.
Jawbone tapping the steering wheel with a hum in his voice. The car already running with a soft rumbling from the old engine. Adaine glances back to her crystal, her heart pacing faster than normal. Maybe it’s stress, they are supposed to meet Professor Arthur before school started and they will be officially running late in exactly two minutes.
Boggy, perched on her shoulder, croaks with a familiar nuzzle to her cheek. The stress is still enough for her nails to grow into claws, her pointed ears straining trying to change into furred ones atop her head.
Adaine can’t help it, the change is normal as the blood in her body. Before she knows it, her skin palms turn into padded paws, suddenly much warmer with the added fur growing onto her skin, the tail softly thudding against the backseat. Boggy ribbits in support, his name tag jingling softly as he adjusts himself to Adaine’s shoulder.
Everything grows, her sense of smell, hearing, as well as her own body. The jacket had been adjusted to properly fit both of her changes so the seems no longer strain under her new growth.
The hybrid state of humanoid and werewolf is by far, the most comfortable between the two states. An equal balance between two parts of her mind and body, not just a beast that growls or an elven wizard, just, both.
“Do you know if I find the rouge teacher I can get all A’s for the rest of the year?” Riz’s voice temporarily snaps Adaine into the Material Plane. “I’m just thinking of whether I should find them during our sophomore year, junior, or senior.”
“All A’s sounds nice, maybe senior? That way you kind of have a free year before college?” Adaine tilted her head, trying to peek at the scattered papers.
“I’ve tried to look at old records but everything is out of my reach. But! Since I have my official P.I license I could try again.” Riz groaned while he took a glance at his wristwatch. “We’re so late if Kristen and Fig aren’t here in like a minute—”
“I don’t think we need to wait anymore kiddos,” Jawbone spoke up from the front. Twisting the manual crack for the window to poke his head, to which Adaine saw the reason for his words.
The two girls running through the parking lot only made Adaine sigh. Kristen was barely keeping her balance as she ran, her staff causing her to trip more than once. While her backpack was wide open with papers barely staying inside, World Religions Book clutched to her chest. Just ahead, Fig astride her skateboard, weaving through each parked car with practiced ease.
Riz scooted closer to the door, cranking his own window down. “We’re gonna be late!” Riz shouted through the window, his hands moving quickly to pack the rest of his papers.
“Come on! I needed to help Kristen find the World Religions book!” Fig yelled, passing by Dayne’s old truck. Still kept by them, though Jawbone held the keys since none of the teens had their drivers license.
Fig rode past the car, onto the right side. Kicking up her skateboard before opening the passenger door. Jumping into the seat right as Kristen catches up, clumsily opening the door to Adaine’s right. Nearly stumbling into the seat before slamming the door close.
“Everyone have everything?” Jawbone adjusted the rear-view mirror, glancing back to the three in the back. A collective noise of hums and yes’s was all the werewolf needed to push the accelerator. Just as the squeal of the tires rung from beneath them, the car starting the trip, a small synchronized buzz came from four crystals.
Adaine didn’t need to take out her crystal, merely leaning her head to Riz’s side.
SAVED THE FUCKING WORLD AND GOT AWAY WITH MURDER (AGAIN)
Fabian: where is everyone
really where are you guys I look like a loser at our table being lonely
Gorgug: my bio parents are still driving
Riz: Kristen plus Fig were late so we’re all running late
Jawbone just pulled out of the parking lot
Fabian: if no ones here in ten im meeting arthur by myself
Riz: Fabian no
This might be about our grades and missing our spring break project
We need to be there as a collective
Fig: we all got excused from that by Jawbone tho?
Riz: Yeah but you guys never know what Professor Aguefort might pull on us
The countless artifacts that lined the shelves of Arthur’s office was astounding. Scrolls, pieces of history that should really belong in a museum. Adaine’s gaze lands a familiar shelf, the night of prom flooding back as the sight of—
Arthur clasped his hands together, slightly startling the already silent six teens. Rolling around to face them in his chair. Adaine shifted on her feet, standing behind Fig who took the seat in front of her, Kristen to her left, with Gorgug on the right. Riz’s feet dangling off of the edge of the second chair, Fabian leaning on the back.
Boggy croaked softly, perched on her shoulder trying not to disturb the new peace.
“Last day of school! You’ve stopped the world from ending from your vice principal, aka Kalvaxus the old Emperor of The Red Waste, and you’ve all managed to get your grades back up!” Arthur exclaimed, raising his hands up in the air with a grin.
Riz finally spoke up, clearly nervous about the sudden call to the office. “Uh, why exactly are we here Professor? I mean, just like you said our grades are good, yes?”
“Is this about us missing whole spring break thing?” Fig spoke up, putting her feet on the desk at the clear horror on Riz’s face.
“Well, those really can’t happen anymore with war still going on between Fallinel and Solace since the borders are closed—to which by my recount by Gilear, the new vice principal. Said was partially due to you six as well?” Arthur glanced between them, staying on Adaine just for a second longer.
“To be fair Adaine’s mom attack us first—”
“Kristen!” Adaine whipped her head towards the cleric.
“How it started, who won in the end—all in the past!” Arthur stood from his chair, the wheels scraping against the wood. “I have but one simple question to you all!”
In a combined movement, all of them leaned forward. Riz looked like he was about to burst if he didn’t know the question within the next second. Adaine felt her throat tighten, expecting the worse even though she had no clue for what it was.
“How are you all spending your summer break, and potentially your next spring break?”
A collective pause stunned them, Adaine scanned her mind thoroughly. What else was there to be done? They had stopped Kalvaxus, the Seven Maidens returned to their families, Penelope, Dayne killed by their hands.
There was nothing but to spend their summer in relief and taking a break from hunting down trail after trail of clues. In all honesty, Adaine wanted a break, spend time just with her best friends and her new—
“They were working with someone else!” Riz shot up from his seat, a sudden fire lighting in his eyes. Standing on the chairs cushion, his tail momentarily flickering behind him. “Spy’s Tongue Curse! Zayn said that someone asked for it and that he and Aelwyn worked on it together!”
“We never found out who asked for it?” Fabian perked up, his eyebrow raising. “I thought that was one of the Harvestmen or something?”
“Kalvaxus always did have many ties, before his imprisonment, maybe after?” Arthur added, shrugging his shoulders. Before pulling his chair back up and seating himself once more.
Adaine exhaled a sigh, the same facts that Riz held causing another realization. “Zayn didn’t know anything else about who asked for the curse. The only one who did know and worked on it with him was—ugh, Aelwyn.”
Fig twisted in her seat, titling her head up towards Adaine. “Really? Aelwyn of all people? Also, isn’t she in Fallinel or whatever that place is?”
“Fallinel’s custody last time I checked?” Adaine fought the urge to check her crystal, any hope for Aelwyn, that horrible girl died the moment the fight in the Abernant Manor started. At least, Adaine told herself. “But, even if we find a way to get to her, she still might not talk to us.”
“So,” Arthur interrupted. “It seems like you still have work to do!”
“Wait no—”
“Motherfucker—”
“I wanna sleep please—”
“No complaining children! To be heroes is to know no silence or breaks!” Arthur bellowed out, his words again silencing the party. “You have a mystery to follow and laws to break again!”
“Can we do this later or something?” Fabian complained, the dread of having to stay up late nights for mystery already dawning on him.
“Nope! No choice!” Arthur cleared his throat again. “Also, on prom night, who broke down my door?”
Adaine felt her face burn as five heads turned towards her. Feeling the ears atop her head pin down as Boggy ribbits, trying to calm the growing panic rising in her chest. “Me,” Adaine croaked out, her voice quieter.
“Ah, just wondering who broke down my door into splinters. Thankfully, nothing was stolen!” Arthur sighed, his head turning to the same shelf Adaine was staring at before the conversation started.
A crown, pitch black in it’s metal material. The front having a diamond shape point with an almost horn shape coming out. With two similar but smaller in size points on the sides. An almost instinctive act made Adaine step backward, even the smell of the item made her head feel light. A part of her wanted to reach out, to grab the pointed crown and banish it to the deepest layers of hell.
“Ah, the Nightmare King’s Crown, always a bit of an eyesore to look at even with—”
“That’s the Nightmare King’s Crown?! You just have it in your office on a shelf?!” Riz again yelled out, pure confusion and distraught on his face. Pointing at the artifact as Adaine’s entire lycan body twitched bite on the artifact and shred it to pieces with pure force. While her more rational part begged to cast Banishment on the crown.
“Well what else am I supposed to do? Stuff it in a vault? No! That’s boring—”
“It’s supposed to be safe so no one can steal it?” Adaine remarked. The pit of unease starting to make sense.
“Well, where the Nightmare King’s Crown is on my shelf or not is deemed by me,” Arthur said. “You children get on then! You all still have classes to attend!” Before a collective groan could be heard, Arthur quickly ushered all six out.
“Do we even know where your sister and mom is?” Riz pointed his words towards them, however stuck his glance on Adaine just for a second longer.
“That old article said something about Fallinel custody if I remember,” Adaine admitted. A growl rumbling in her throat just at the mere thought of the two. “But, its been months. They’re probably enjoying their time back there. I just don’t know where my dad is, thought, I’m pretty sure he got fired after they got arrested.”
“So, he’s just gone?” Kristen questioned. “And they’ve said nothing to you?”
Adaine shrugged. “It’s not like I’m begging for them to come back in my life. Plus, I think it’s better for them to leave me alone.”
The orb twisted, dropping her as Aelwyn failed once more to slow down her crawling pace. Her knees ached with echoing pain. The perfect smooth hands from the years of spell casting, starting grow callouses from the orb surface. The walls blurred beyond the crystal surrounding her, the ground itself looks unstable. Though, it might have just due to Aelwyn’s current predicament.
Where was she again?
Right, some type of tower—no prison that was a tower—right? Fallinel! She was in a tower in Fallinel! There was a vault on the first floor, if she could get there, Aelwyn was home—well, home was a long forgotten thought, Aelwyn would be free.
Just one problem, Aelwyn needed to keep her mind sharp. Remember—Adaine’s werewolf form, the sister beast covered in blood, lunging at their mother—That ginger, Helio? cleric within her grasp, almost being the final maiden they needed for Kalvaxus’s plan—The cops—then the chains in the prison cell—then here—then—
No. What happens after that?
She was broken out of the Elmville police station then—No, why can’t she remember?
Pain flares in her knees, the muscles inside her joints starting to tear from the days—no weeks—no—whatever amount of time Aelwyn has been in this cursed orb.
She’s exhausted, it runs deep. Into the fibers of her body, into the insides of her bones.
Aelwyn can’t remember. Neither can she think straight, a constant flow of thoughts, rolling in her head in an uncontrollable manner. Just like the orb surrounding her.
Has she tried to escape?
A small memory floods back, for once clearly, and painfully.
Dashing through the halls, a speed that she no longer has.
Her lungs stinging from the old, and cold air that filled the tower before spring started.
Shouts that echoed through the walls. Enchantment spells flung over her head meant to make her stop, constant Counterspells that soared through the air. Having to constantly resist the Dominant Person, Hold Person, and Command spells that struck her true.
Dimension Door sending her outside. Finally, meeting the bright sun after days in that rolling orb. A courtyard that was a beautiful sight away from the prison tower. Aelwyn didn’t have enough spell slots for Teleport, ah, no matter. She just needed to—the Command spell hit harder than anything
Countless elven wizards surrounded her, with their added summoned structures.
Defeat was only a matter of time, in the end it seemed.
As quickly as the memory came rushing in as a river, as painful as the rushing river crashed inside her mind. Sending throbbing waves of pain that reverberated in her skull.
Aelwyn needed to get out. Keep her mind fresh before the insane rhythm of it all caused her sanity to crack.
The vault was on the second floor, her spell book kept alongside with the other countless artifacts. She’s in a prison tower while in a constant moving orb.
Aelwyn repeated the mantra of her facts.
Over.
And over.
And over.
And, over.
And, over.
And…over.
And—
…
How long has it been?
Arianwen stomped through the elven grounds once more. The clear sky and burning sun above her heating her pale skin. Mentally cursing at any passing person, gods, the only thing she hoped for was not to pass by Kir. The traditional garb loose on the sleeves, yet somehow choking her with the collar tightened around her neck.
Her shoes clacked against the stone floors, the sound echoing off of the walls. The shadows, seemingly gathering all in the corners. Lights powered by arcane energy banishing any darkness that came too close.
Damn the Court of Stars, damn Kir, damn Adaine! While she was not given the sentence like Aelwyn has with the orb prison. Arianwen was still confined to the barriers of the towers. Since last year, she has been stuck in the constant routine of being trapped in this dammed prison. The plan then being forced off the rails, all because of Adaine and her friends, of all people.
Her research was in the vault on the first floor, and by a turn of events, so was her spell book. Which meant she still needed to pull more strings to extract her old items. After months, she still hasn’t seen an end in sight by the endless tower.
Thankfully, she still knew one person who could give her exactly what she needed. On the downside, Angwyn refused to speak to her. With his connections, Arianwen could easily slip out of the Fallinel. Or at least get her mission back on the rails.
Yet, by the gods, that man never listened to her.
Years of marriage, having two daughters,. and he was still as incompetent and arrogant as ever. Called Prestidigitation, a simple cantrip even Adaine learned as a child, a spell. Angwyn was, lacking in the arcane prowess area but he still had his upsides.
“You can give him the disease. I can threaten him to work for us, just like I did for Aelwyn you know? It worked on her, though, it was mostly cause she scared for her life and didn’t want to die in the end.” Kalina’s voice rang in her ear. The Shadow Cat forming herself right next to Arianwen as she stopped dead in her tracks.
Arianwen wanted to scoff, but the sound died in her throat. “That won’t be necessary, I can still convince him to turn to us instead of trying keeping his eye on Adaine. Elven Oracle or not, she won’t be needed.”
Kalina moved effortlessly, her footsteps light as she stepped in front of Arianwen. The green eyes with pupils, dark as the shadows that surrounded her and the night. “We missed our shot because of that kid and her party, if you hadn’t been arrested alongside Aelwyn we could have the crown by now.” Her octave never raised, keeping the steadiness, but her voice was dripping with venom. “I did you two a favor and even warned you both that they were breaking into the house for clues, and yet you still failed. How can I even trust you too—”
“I won’t fail the Nightmare King again!” Arianwen snapped back. Any other person would have thought she finally broke, gone insane since technically speaking. She was the only one to see Kalina in front of her.
Kalina smiled, the canines from the feline heritage on display. “Then prove it. Find a way to get back to Solace, get the crown back. And get this plan back on track as if Adaine and her friends never intervened.”
“And you?” Arianwen asked. “What’s your part in this Kalina?”
“I have other business to attend. Another contact in Elmville that can keep a close eye on The Bad Kids while I have to wait for you. Plus, he has plan that I for one, am quite intrigued in.” Kalina’s ears flickered, before she turned on her heel, back facing Arianwen. “Don’t fail us again, Arianwen.”
Arianwen glared holes into the tabaxi’s head. “I have no intent on doing so again.”