Jamie knelt before the glass case that displayed his father's crown and pressed his forehead against the glass as he closed his eyes. Hot tears pooled beneath his eyelids and clogged in his throat and he sniffled to keep them at bay. Jamie took a breath and swallowed against the lump in his throat. Grief was such an odd thing, he thought with a morbid sigh. Jamie had not one fond memory with his father from his entire life, in fact the only memories he had with the man were of pain and sadness and beatings, but Jamie still missed him. Still he mourned the man with all of his heart. What did that say about him?

Jamie sighed again at that and got off of his knees. He turned his back on the case and moved to the other side of the room to where his family's portrait hung. This was the only painting in existence that depicted his entire family. It was the last time his family had been whole; his mother had died shortly after it was painted, and not long after that his brothers had started killing each other for a chance at the throne.

In the picture his father was at the center, obviously, sitting regally on his throne. He was dressed in his finest for the picture, his crown and all his finest jewels polished for the occasion, a self-satisfied smile shadowing his face. The king was still relatively young when this was painted, making him look less menacing than he had at the end of his life. His black hair was only starting to show a hint of silver around the edges, his eyes were still clear of crow's feet, his skin was clear of all signs of age. Still, Jamie found himself looking away from the painting of his father quickly, feeling as if the man was staring at him from the frame and his skin tingling from an expected hit and his heart pounded in fear. Shaking his head at the stupidity of that feeling, Jamie focused back on the painting – although, his eyes still skimmed over his father.

Standing to one side of the king, cradling a sleep, infant Sophia, was Jamie's mother. The queen, Yvaine, was a princess from the north whose kingdom had married her off to his father as a peace treaty with Stormhold. She held the ethereal beauty unique to the northern kingdom; white gold hair and striking green eyes made her seem like she was glowing. She was so lovely, Jamie thought with tears pooling in his eyes. His eyes skimmed over where his nine-year-old self stood in front of his mother and shifted to the rest of the portrait.

On the other side of his father was his oldest sibling, Ana. She was so beautiful with her light and dark features and those striking violet eyes. And always so kind and strong no matter what happened at home: god, he missed her so much. Ana had become surrogate mother after Yvaine's death, and in a way she was the only mother he'd ever known. And now she was gone, just like his mother and father and his brothers—a hand on his shoulder broke the whirlwind of the loss and the tears that threated to spill over his cheeks. He turned to see his younger sister, looking up at the same painting he was.

"Were we ever really that happy?"

Jamie studied the painting, at the small smiles he and his family all wore. He looked at kind, skinny little Monty, with the crop of odd red hair, who was the first to die at only fourteen years old. Charles, who they'd all called Cupcake for his sweet nature under that tough exterior, had followed him at eighteen. Then there were the twins and finally Pippen, all in a v-pattern around their father. They all had happy smiles, and less than twelve years later and most of them had been murdered. Could that have really come from a happy life?

"I don't know," Jamie finally answered.

"I miss her so much," Sophia murmured as she gaze at the likeness of their sister. "We wouldn't be here if it weren't for her, you know?"

Jamie nodded and knew that she wasn't talking about the fact that Ana had raised them. Their father was….cruel, with a single minded desire for male heirs. The fact that first child from his new wife was a female must have infuriated him to no end and if it weren't for the fact that Ana was his spitting image, the king would have murdered the queen in an instant. Well sooner than he eventually had, anyway, because it was well known throughout the kingdom that Queen Yvaine's death was by the king's hand. The official record was that she'd died delivering another child, but Jamie remembered in complete clarity that his mother's stomach had been utterly flat in the months leading up to her death. There had been no child and no complications leading to death – his father had killed his mother because she'd had another girl.

And yet he still missed his monster of a father more than he did his loving, pure, sainted mother. What was wrong with him?

"It's not wrong to miss him, you know." Jamie turned and was met with those bright green eyes that were somehow so old on that young face. "He was wrong, and he was sick, but he still the only dad we had. It's only normal to miss him."

"Do you?"

Sophia glanced from Ana to the painted image of their father, "In a way. He was an awful king and a worse father….but life is different without him. I feel, like something in me is empty now. I guess that's the same thing.

"Jamie, why are you still here?"

The prince jolted and finally moved to face Sophia fully. "Where else would I be?"

"Out looking for the stone," she said in exasperation.

"Soph—"

"You have to find it before Caleb and Pippen. You have to prove, once and for all, that a king doesn't have to be bloodthirsty to gain the throne."

"Sophie, I can't. I don't have what it takes to be king."

"Why? Because you'll actually be a good king? Because you'll be benevolent? You'd be a better king then either of those idiots."

"That is a very interesting point of view. Don't you think so, Caleb?"

"Oh, definitely."

Jamie and Sophie stiffened, exchanged nervously glances and then turned to meet the gazes of the final members of their dwindling family. Pippen strolled in first, all confidence as usual, followed closely by Caleb, and both wore self-satisfied and cruel smirks. Jamie moved subtly in front of Sophie as he stared the older prince down. He was not going to let Pippen lay a hand on their sister, not as long as he could stand for her. Pippen just smiled wider as he noticed the battle stance, looking more than happy at the prospect of a fight with the youngest prince. The room stayed in tense silence for a moment, broken only by the entrance of the kingdom's bishop.

"Your majesties, Princess Sophia," he greeted, ignoring or not noticing the tension. "I'm glad to see you all here; I'd like to propose a toast."

The elder man lifted a platter of five silver goblets. Each of the four royals took one as the platter was passed around and the bishop took the final goblet. "To the new king," the man declared, "whichever of you fine men it may be."

The three princes muttered their agreement and all five brought the goblets to their lips. The bishop took a sip of the wine first, followed a split-second by Sophie. As she drank, the princess found her eyes drawn to Pippen, and she saw the cold glint in his eyes and the sharpened edge of his smile before his lips disappeared behind the glass. She lowered the glass slowly and followed his line of sight. Pippen was eagerly studying Jamie and Caleb as the two prepared to drink. The girl felt a sharp twist in her gut and darted forward rather than think on what caused it.

"NO!" She knocked the goblet from Jamie's hand before the liquid passed his lips. Jamie looked at her in shock, and Caleb jerked the glass away from his face. The other three men looked glanced over in confusion, Pippen's look tinted in mild annoyance.

"Soph, what are you," Jamie trailed off as the bishop began to gasp and choke from across the room.

The silver haired man wrapped his hands around his own throat and gurgled as he wheezed and his face turned purple. Then he collapsed and fell backward, sending wine splattering across the floor. The four stared at the body in shock silence until Caleb gave a frightened shout and flung his cup away. The sound snapped everyone out of their stunned states, and Pippen gave an angry groan. Then he flicked his angry gaze over to Sophie.

"You had to go and drink out of the wrong glass, didn't you, you stupid girl? You ruined everything," he growled and stalked forward, "and now he's dead because of you." He jerked a thumb toward the dead bishop.

Jamie stepped to once again block Sophie from his older brother's gaze. Pippen met his eyes and then looked away with snort.

"Still playing loyal guard, Jamie?" Pippen crossed his arms and smirked. "You know, you're right: you don't have what it takes for the throne. You know why, Jamie?" Jamie met his brother's stare with a steely one of his own, but there was hesitation behind that determination and Pippen saw it. He grinned as he went on, "Because you're the white knight and the kingdom needs a king."

He waited until Jamie's shoulder's sagged and went on with a satisfied smirk, "Just be smart and stay here. Leave the stone to me."

Pippen left the room in a twirl, sauntering out without another word. Caleb followed closely, once he'd determined he wasn't going to die from the poisoned wine. He spared a condescending glance to Jamie and Sophie as he left, but otherwise just left the two alone. The youngest two stood in heavy silence over the dead bishop. Sophie rung her hands nervously and threw anxious looks toward her brother while Jamie paced. Finally, when she couldn't take the silence any longer, she darted in front of Jamie.

"You have to go, Jamie."

"I can't, Soph. You heard him, and you know he's right."

"Since when do you listen to Pippen?

"Alright," She changed tactics quickly when Jamie's crestfallen expression didn't change, "if you won't do it because it best for the kingdom, and it is Jamie, then do it for our survival." Jamie only looked at her in confusion and she rolled her eyes in exasperation. Honestly, was she the only one with any brains in this family? "Do you really think for a second that Pippen will let us live when he gets the stone? Or that it'll be Caleb who will win the throne, even if he gets the stone first?" Jamie had to nod at that; Caleb wasn't exactly the sharpest of his siblings, and Pippen could easily take him out if he got to the stone.

"You'd be a potential threat to his crown," she went on, seeing that Jamie was coming around, "and he hates me, and women in general, but me in particular. He always has. We won't last a week, hell a day, with Pippen as king."

Jamie sighed and deflated, "What'll you have me do? Kill them both before they can hurt us, just like father taught me?"

"You just have to get to the stone first. Once you're king you can do whatever you want to deal with them. Banish them, lock them in the dungeons. But we're both dead if you don't do something." Jamie was still silent, looking so fore lone. But he knew his younger sister was right.

"Jamie please," she begged with those green eyes wet in frantic tears, "please do this. For the good of the kingdom, for me, for you, whatever gets you moving. Just please!"

Jamie sighed again and gave Sophie a coy grin. "When'd you go and get all wise on me?"

"Someone in the family had to be." She gave an answering grin and Jamie laughed.

"I'll go, Soph. I'll try, and if something goes wrong….if I fail, I want you to get out of here. Go, make a life for yourself, a real life."

Sophie nodded and the tears were back. She gave a delicate sniff and threw herself at Jamie, and buried her face in his broad chest as she tried not to cry. Jamie rubbed her back soothingly and held her tight as he realized this may be the last time he ever saw his beloved baby sister.

"Don't let anything go wrong, Jamie. I don't want to lose you; you're the only real family I have."

Jamie nodded a placed a sweet kiss in her hair. Then he pushed Sophie back and kissed her brow.

"Be safe," she whispered. The older nodded and turned on his heels to make for the stables. His brothers had a substantial head start, he needed to catch up.

He left Sophie staring at the portrait with her hands clasped over her chest. Now would be a good time to start praying, she thought to herself as her gaze flicked from the painted figure of her mother, brother and older sister, and back.

Too bad the bishop was dead.

-Line Break – Line Break – Line Break-

Aster sighed in misery as he forced one foot in front of the other. He'd carried the new star over his shoulder for a total of five miles so far, and it was by far the longest walk of his life. And, to add suffering to misery, the kid hadn't stopped screaming his lungs out the entire way until he'd finally, blessedly, fallen asleep. Thank the heavens that stars sleep during the day, Aster thought with a grateful upward glance. Then he winced as he remembered that there were still nearly a hundred miles between them and the workshop.

Aster sighed and shifted the sleeping boy off of his shoulder to lean him up against a tree trunk. Rolling the stiffness out of his shoulder – the kid didn't weigh all that much, but Aster had been carrying his dead weight for several hours – the giant rabbit tried to think of his next move. He needed to contact the others, that much was clear. They were sure to be getting worried now that Aster had been gone several hours on errand that should have taken a few minutes at most. That in mind, Aster made his way to the nearby river, following the sound of rushing water as he went. He muttered an enchantment over the water and waited for the ripples to clear and his friends' faces to appear.

He would need to make this quick. The river was just inside of the trees, but the boy was out of his sight and that was a dangerous thing given the situation. North's worried face filled the calmed portion of the river and Aster put his thought on hold.

"Bunny!" The big man shouted, his voice garbled in transmission. "This is not as fast as you promised."

"Yeah, yeah, Ah know. Ran into a slight snag."

"Snag, what snag?"

"Tell ya in a sec. Nightlight and Sandy there?" In reply, the two stars shoved their ways into the frame. "Right. So Ah found yer 'brother', and he just so happens ta be specialized in Winter elemental magic."

The three guardians gave sympathetic winces. "Should one of us come in your stead?" North suggested.

It was an appealing idea, Aster had known the kid for just a few hours and he was sick of the boy. But he shook his head. "Nah. Ah don't think it's the fact that Ah'm affiliated with Spring that's the problem. Winter's a volatile season; it's bound ta react this way this way with any magic. Sendin' anyone else out here is just gonna leave more of us stranded out here."

"And we do not want that," North said for agreement. Aster nodded and made to end the conversation when Nightlight forced his way back into Aster's line of sight.

"Our brother, how is he?"

Aster snorted and shook his head fondly. "Looks like 'e hurt his leg in the landing, but 'e's in tip -top shape otherwise. Sure has got a healthy set of lungs on him, Ah'll tell ya that. Kid's gonna make up fer all the years of silence we got from Sandy and Night," Aster declared with a frown. "Ah'm surprised my ears aren't bleeding. Kid's name's Jack, by the way." The giant rabbit had managed to get that out of the star in between the bouts of high-pitched screaming.

"Perhaps boy is displeased with his guide?" North suggested with an evil glint in his eyes.

"Ah'm a fine guide, Nicki," Aster jabbed back and then he sobered. "The kid's young, in every sense. And 'e's got it in his head that 'e can go home."

The mischievous smile dropped off North's face. The big man looked off to where Nightlight and Sandy were and then back to Aster with a sigh.

"Is a difficult realization for the boy."

"Yeah, and Ah'm hopin' Sandy and Night will explain it better when we get to the workshop. Ah don't think 'e'll believe me.

"Ah gotta go; don' wanna leave the kid alone fer too long. We'll be at the workshop in a few days. Ah'll be in contact." Aster broke the connection as North nodded and sighed. Then he climbed to his feet and made his way back to the sleeping star.

The whit haired boy looked utterly peaceful as he lounged against the trunk of the tree. He looked young and sweet and not at all like the little hellion he'd proven himself to be. Jack was a lot better company when he was asleep, that was for sure. Aster snorted at that thought and settled down next to the boy. A little shut eye wouldn't hurt anything and they both needed it, Aster told himself as he dropped off into sleep.

-Line Break – Line Break—Line Break-

Pitch looked down at the little black rectangular stones in his hand and smiled at the little symbols all facing up at him. He was making good time, and according to the runes in his hand, he was closing in on the star. He closed his fingers around the runes and made his way back to his steed. Ah, it really is so nice to have magic again, he thought to himself as he stroked the dark horse's sand-like mane. It was a creature darker than the night, of his own creation. A Nightmare in more than just name. It had been so long since he'd been able to summon his creations, and it felt so good to have one by his side again.

With less than half a hard day's ride astride the powerful steed, Pitch came across a camp site. The man hunched over the roaring fire – cooking some kind of meat on a spittle from the looks of it – was almost ape like in his appearance. He had a stub nose with a mouth that was in a perpetual sour frown and a perpetually sagging jaw. The only hair on his head was a puff of red-orange fuzz on the peak of his skull. Pitch knew him well. Not in an overly friendly way, as men like him didn't have many friends, but still, they knew each other.

The dark wizard dismounted and made his way over. The other man's head snapped up, and he jumped to his first defense: sniveling.

"Who are you? What do you want from me? I'm just—"

"No need to cower, Raju. I mean you no harm. Not this day, anyway." The other man blinked up at him in confusion and Pitch sneered. Then Raju's eyes lit in recognition and a smile split over his face.

"Pitch? Pitch Black?" He crowed like he'd found a long lost, beloved sibling. "My, my, look at you. Shaved off a few of those nasty years, didn't ya?"

"And you've seemed to have picked them up."

"Yeah, well," Raju rubbed at the numerous age lines and jowls of his face, "not all of can be as fortunate in the years as you. What can I do you for?"

"I'd like some of your meal."

"I'll pull you up a seat," Raju said in agreement. He glanced over his shoulder at his little broken down wagon and snapped his fingers.

A swirl of blue-green smoke circled around a small hummingbird of the same color that was perched on a peg mounted on the side of the pitiful wagon Raju called home. When the smoke cleared, there was a dainty women with dark hair and violet eyes in its place. Pitch raised a brow and studied the girl as she pulled a crate over for him to sit. She was dressed in little more than rags of that bluish color, with a thin silver chain wrapped around her delicate ankle. If the sour frown on her dark yet angelic face was anything to go by, she was not happy about her current state. She placed the crate down, angrily, next to Pitch and then turned to face Raju.

"Anything else?" She snapped with an angry glare. When Raju just smiled, serenely with a predatory edge, the girl sighed in resignation. "Is there any other way I can serve you, Master?" She asked again, with a more pleasant tone.

"No," Raju said simply, and with another snap of his fingers the girl was back to a chained little hummingbird. Pitch gave an impressed look at the bird and then sent the look over to Raju. "Nice, isn't she?" Raju boasted with a glowing smile. "A princess. A stupid princess, looking to get away from her terrible father, just for a little while. And so I say to her 'I'll take you away, show you things you could never even imagine'." Raju laughed in cold cruelty. "The stupid girl was so desperate she agreed with no conditions. Now I have a pretty, pretty slave to help around here."

"Congratulations, Raju," Pitch said in mild interest. But Raju just let out a hearty laugh as if Pitch had just given him the most sparkling of compliments as he stripped the meat of his spittle. Rabbit, from the looks of it. Pitch hummed happily and his stomach growled demandingly as he sat down.

"What'll be, Nightmare King? Heads, or tails?"

Pitch had to smile at the use of his famous name. "Heads," he decided.

Raju smiled almost giddily and divvied out the appropriate portions, each with a sprinkle of scented grass for seasoning. The two men ate in silence for a time, with only the crackle of fire between them. Once the food was consumed, Pitch found that he felt light and almost pleased to be in Raju's company. Odd, considering he'd just barely been able to tolerate Raju's existence just a few moments before.

"So, tell me, what brings you out this way, Nightmare King?" Raju asked pleasantly. It had the hairs on the back of Pitch's neck standing on end, but the dark man found himself responding like he was in a chipper mood.

"I seek a Fallen star. He Fell not too far from here, just a sweet little lad. And when I find him I'll cut him to ribbons and carve out his heart as he begs and pleads for life," Pitch sighed happily and blissfully closed his eyes at the thought. "The glory of my youth will be fully restored, forever more."

Pitch opened his eyes slowly and frowned in confusion. He glanced down at the empty platter and gave a delicate sniff. And his face darkened in fury as he recognized the scent still upon the plate's surface. How dare he…

"A Fallen star? Really? Now there's a piece of news, isn't it? I could stand to lose of few of these years myself," he patted his face again for emphasis. "Now, tell me, where exactly did you say—"

"How dare you?" Pitch snapped tossing the platter to the side and Raju jumped when it shattered on the ground. "How dare you steal truth from me? Did you honestly think I wouldn't notice, Raju?"

"Now hold on. Just wait a minute, Pitch," Raju began as he tried to scramble away. The dark spirit just knocked the retreating man off his feet and pinned him to the ground with a blast of shadow magic. Raju withered under the crushing weight and looked pleadingly up at its wielder.

"I meant no disrespect. I won't seek the star, I promise."

Pitch growled in anger and insult, but he slowly lightened the shadow's power. He couldn't kill Raju, as pleasing as that would be. It would take too much magic, and using too much power would counteract the effects of the star's heart. Raju wasn't worth deteriorating into a decrepit lump of flesh again. However, he couldn't have the meddlesome man going after his star either, and for that he could spare some magic.

"You can seek all you wish," Pitch said calmly, twirling another handful of magic. He shot it toward Raju before the other man could scramble away. "But you will not find him. You will not see the star, touch it, smell it, or hear it. Even should he stand before you, he will be little more than a ghost to your presence." With the spell cast, Pitch allowed the magic to lift. Raju blinked in confusion as he slumped on the ground and Pitch stumbled against the sudden shift in his magic. The dark man snarled and skewered the man on the ground with a glare.

"You best pray that you don't meet me again, Raju. Next time, I won't be so forgiving."

Pitch turned on his heels and stalked over to his Nightmare, leaving Raju blinking in confusion on the ground and the little princess-trapped-as-a-bird flittering on her perch.

-Line Break – Line Break – Line Break-

Pippen frowned in annoyance as he looked down at the stupid little stones in his palm. No matter how many times he demanded they tell him the way to go, the runes gave him gibberish answers. How could anyone read these, they were useless!

"Tell me where my stone is!" He screeched as he tossed the runes into the air once again. And once again, the stones landed in his hand with no clear answer. Half of the symbols of the wood like surface were facing up, and the other half faced down. Pippen scowled. He was supposed to have servants to deal with things like this. As king, future king though that may have been, Pippen was supposed to have legions of worthless servants to worry over these details. In fact, he had one, a soothsayer, who was meant to handle the runes. But that stupid soothsayer had made Pippen kill him. Pippen had found that the stupid old man was working for Caleb, and then he'd had to kill the only person able read these stupid little stones!

"Your majesty." Pippen aborted his attempt to toss the offending stones away and turned toward the man who had spoken. He didn't know his name – kings didn't bother themselves with learning the names of their servants – the man was just one of the group Pippen had brought along on his quest. Because no king traveled alone, either.

"What?!"

"If I may offer my humble wisdom?" He honestly wouldn't have paid the man any mind if he any other time, but Pippen was so frustrated that he waved for the man to continue. "You must ask the runes a direct question, and question them for a yes or no answer. If the symbols are facing up, it will mean yes," the man explained patiently, managing to do so without sounding like he was telling the prince anything he didn't already know. It was the only way to survive around the temperamental royal.

Pippen glanced down at the stones once more. "Do we move north to find my stone?" He asked and tossed the runes up once more. This time, they landed with the symbols all facing up at him. Pippen grinned and whirled around to his horse.

"We ride north," he announced.

X

Caleb urged the horses pulling his carriage – all heirlooms from his father – to a quicker pace. His runes said that the stone was very close now, just a little further to the north. The sun was setting; if he pushed the horses just a little bit more, he could reach the next town and stop for the night. It's not like there was that much of a rush, he thought with a grin. His soothsayer would keep Pippen on a wild goose chase for a good long while yet. He had time and he was in the lead.

X

Just to the east, Jamie pushed his steed as hard as he dared. He'd long left the palace behind him, but he'd still yet to see his brothers and his runes said that the stone was still a good hundred miles to the north. Jamie's heart twisted at the thought; if he didn't get to the stone first…..

He forcibly shook that thought away, and he once again snapped his horse's bridle. The sun was setting, and he needed to get as much ground covered as possible before dark if he ever hoped to catch up.

-Line Break – Line Break – Line Break-

It was twilight by the time Pitch stopped again, leaving Raju long forgotten behind him. He was close now, so close, he could feel it. The star was almost in his grasp. It only figured that this was when things decided to become difficult.

He tossed the runes again, and was disappointed to see the same nonsense answer. He threw them again, but it was no use: he was either too close to the star, or their paths were on a collision course. Pitch would need more than his runes to be sure which. He hadn't wanted to resort to this as it was such a strain on his magic, but it seemed he had little choice. Pitch sighed, and closed his eyes to concentrate on the presence of his lair. It was quite the distance by now, which required all the more magic to summon what he needed. Pitch grunted in effort, and in a swirl of shadows a small ferret was deposited from his lair to his feet. He cut the little thing open before it could so much as squeak.

Pitch shifted through the bloody intestines almost distracted and then grinned at what he saw. So, the little star was little more than a mile away, and with the right nudging, the boy would come right to him. Pitch straightened, and examined the clearing in which he found himself. It was as good a place for a trap as any, he decided. A trap, he mused. Yes, because the Fear was always better when it came from a glowing heart, and the boy needed to be completely at peace for that. With that thought, the dark spirit turned back to his Nightmare, who totted gleefully to its master.

"Bring me the boy," Pitch ordered softly. "I'm sure the dear thing must be so frightened, and looking for assistance." The horse nickered in amusement and dashed off to do Pitch's bidding.

Nodding in approval, Pitch turned back to the clearing. Now, in what form was the trap best set?

-Line Break – Line Break – Line Break-

Jack woke slowly and stretched his aching, stiff limbs. He had a brief moment of bliss in which the events of the last day didn't touch his mind. And then it all came crashing back.

Jack groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. Right, he'd Fallen, and that thought brought just as much pain as it had earlier. Then he'd been kidnapped by a giant rabbit that said he couldn't go home. Who, Jack noted with a hint of relief as he scanned the dark trees, didn't seem to be around. With that in mind, Jack forced himself to his feet.

Ok, ow, Jack thought with a wince. His leg was still hurting something terrible, in fact it seemed to be worse than the other day. Jack shook his head a prepped himself for pain as he moved. Because if he was going to get home, and just as importantly get away before that rabbit came back, he needed to move fast. If that meant sucking up a bit – or a lot, a whole lot – of pain, then Jack would do it. Easier said than done, but it was the effort that matter.

The boy had made it all of two, agonizing steps when the rustling of leaves in front of him halted his progress. Jack tensed, fearing that the rabbit, Aster if he remembered correctly, was back. Instead, a beautiful black horse emerged from the bushed and tossed its flowing mane. The creature slowly made its way to stand before Jack and the boy stared in awe. It was gorgeous! It was like a slab of ebony brought to life, with two eyes of bright gold. Jack had never seen anything quite like it.

Jack reached forward slowly until his fingertips were a breath away from the horse's snout. The creature snorted and bowed forward to close the distance, and Jack smiled gleefully.

The horse's skin was warm and smooth beneath his hand. He petted the inky creature contently for a time until it snorted again and knelt before him. Jack blinked and then smiled once more. He mounted, awkwardly and with much pain in his leg, and sat uncomfortably astride the steed. Something was off, a deep part of his mind screamed it in warning. But Jack had no chance to dwell on the feeling, as the horse started forward in a trot as soon as Jack was settled on its back. After that, Jack forgot about the feeling, enthralled in the new experience of horseback riding as the horse carried him off into the trees.

Behind them, hidden in shadows and twitching in a nightmare ridden slumber, Aster lay against the tree, unaware that his charge was being delivered straight to the lions' den.