Four figures road as fast as they could across the barren land. Once known as the Enchanted Forest was now nothing more than a land of war. Trees by the thousands were cut down for miles. Villages that covered the land burned to the ground. Those that survived made way to Regina's castle in hopes to find refuge.
People and creatures from across the realms were facing the same fate as the once beloved forest. Some already fallen to the hands of Morgana and her dark army, while others struggled just survive from past attacks.
These four riders were sent by their own king to help fight at the front lines along side with the one king known to hold his own against the dark magic user. Their blue coats trailed in the wind, embroidered with a white cross showing their allegiance to King Louis the 8th.
As they drew closer to Regina's castle they could easily pick out peasants and other enchanted creatures making do with what little they had. Building small homes to help shelter themselves from nature while others created weapons and armor for battle. Children of young ages had no time to play as they tried to help grow and gather food or even practice fighting with sticks or wooden weapons.
It was a sight of sadness to see the young learning to fight instead of having a childhood. But that was war. And war came with a price just like the dangerous magic their king and enemy used.
The four neared the gates, leaving their horses at the stables before making their way into the main hall of the castle. It broke their hearts to see an even deeper cut of war nestled in the walls of Regina's old castle.
Some of the wings were destroyed from bast battles, while other wings were used to help shelter more of the Enchanted Forest's people.
One of the riders stepped forward from the group. His deep brown eyes looked over the crushed souls before turning to his fellow riders. He brushed a hand through his wavy shaggy brown locks. "Looks like there will be plenty to do here." He continued to look about.
He narrowed his eyes as he watched a young girl walk into the main hall. Her hair long and black and her eyes golden brown. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail while her clothing was more light armor decorated in a dark fashion. In hand was a black steal pole with a thin black steal blade at each end.
The man tilted his head as she neared. She could not be more than fifteen or so, but she held a great confidence in her strides.
She walked right up to them and stopped three feet away from the group. She looked them over and smirked when the first rider bowed. "Princess Edith?" he asked.
Edith smiled. "And you four must be the warrior's King Louis sent." She gave a good solid nod back.
"Athos, at your service. Athos stood from his bow.
He motioned to a larger taller man who had little hair on his head and a beard to compensate. "Porthos." Athos introduced.
"Aramis" Athos continued to a slightly younger man with dashing good looks. Black hair that waved in his favor and young yet sturdy features.
"And our newest addition, D'artangnan." D'artangnan bowed to Edith. He could not be more than eighteen or nineteen, his features were young, even for his age, his eyes green and his light brown hair reached his shoulders.
"Together we are the four Musketeers." Athos stood tall as did the other three.
Edith was indeed happy to finally meet them. Even in this time of war, all the help they could get was never taken for granted.
"My brother King Coal is in the war room." She motioned for them to follow. They eyed one another before following the young princess towards the back hallways leading past the grand hall.
As they made their way towards the war room they noticed that the guards were slim. They saw more out and about among the peasant folk than those placed where the King would be. They were a bit taken back when they came to a set of double doors and found no guards. Edith opened the doors and let them walk into the room.
Coal stood with his back to the door as he looked over a large table that mapped out the Enchanted Forest and then some.
Coal was deep in thought as Edith and the others furthered into the room. His eyes trailed over Morgan's fortress and her army of dark creatures. She could easily take them out when ever she pleased, but for some reason never made such a great move. Something about that bothered Coal greatly to where it prevented him from sleeping from time to time.
She was toying with them and dragging it out... But for what? What were her motives and why did she attack them? She came from with a great force from no where. Quick to establish her ground and quick to attack. After their parents were out of the picture some hundred years ago, Morgana's attacks weren't so great. It was like she wanted them out of the way for something else.
"Brother?" Edith stepped forward. She walked next to Coal and looked to the table to see what he saw. She slowly looked back to Coal, "The four warriors sent by King Louis have arrived." she watched as Coal came back from his thoughts. She pointed to the four Musketeers. Coal looked over his shoulders at them. "I was told there were three." Coal turned around and looked the four over.
Porthos chuckled, "Call it a bonus." He laughed and smacked D'artangnan on the shoulder, making the younger Musketeer take half a step forward.
"He is young but he fights with a lion's heart." Athos assured Coal.
Coal pondered for a moment on the fourth addition. He glanced to Edith, "See to it that they are settled in. We have much work come morning." Coal turned back to the table as Edith looked to the four Musketeers. "This way." She started to make her way out of the war room.
Edith lead the group down the winding dark halls of the castle till she came to a decent sized room. "Sorry we don't have anything glamours to offer for the time being." She told them as she showed them to where they would be staying. "But I'm sure you will find well enough to do the job."
Aramis gave a slight bow to Edith, "I'm sure it shall be fine Princess." He stated before the four stepped into their quarters.
"Please let me know if there is anything we can do to make your stay welcome." She told them before taking her leave.
The four looked about before claiming a bed for their own.
"Did anyone find it strange?" Athos asked after a few minutes of silence
"That the King did not have his personal guards by his side?" Athos asked looking up from the bag he placed on his bed.
"Aye." Aramis agreed.
Porthos chuckled and shook his head, "He is young." Porthos dropped his large bag at the foot of his bed. "He probably has yet to understand that he needs protection in such a time."
D'artangnan took the last bed at the far back of the room and felt the urge to speak up. "I heard he is far older than what he looks." D'artangnan could recall many rumors about the Old King Coal and the forever ongoing war with Morgana.
"How old is he then?" asked Aramis. "Can't be older then anyone in the room." He added.
D'artangnan shrugged as he took off his cloak and placed it onto his bag. "The rumors on the streets say that he is over 200 years old." D'artangnan looked to the others and saw the silence in their voices.
Porthos was the first to break the small silence with a large deep laugh. "Tis a good joke." He turned to his things and he too took off his cloak.
Aramis and Athos glanced to one another. It could be just a rumor, or it could be true. They too had heard strange things about the young King, but they also heard that he was the reason for this war.
"Still does not explain why the lack of guards." Athos sat on the edge of his bed.
"Maybe there is more to this war then what was told." Aramis stated calmly.
The four felt the chill in the room as their thoughts wandered over this new land and what would become of the future here. There were still many questions that they only had rumors to answer with. Rumors served no help as the day fell to night and soon the kingdom and it's people would turn in for the night...
Edith sat on one of the boxes in Regina's vault as she watched Coal wander about in search for the item they were in need of. Her eyes would drift to the main entrance every now and again. "Do you think she knows that we left?" Edith asked.
Coal opened up a cabinet and ruffled through some of the bottles, "Not sure." He uttered. He closed the door and continued his search to one of the trunks on the floor by the far back wall.
"What if it's not here?" She watched as Coal dug through the stuff in the trunk.
"Then we continue searching until we find it." He added in a dull tone.
Edith let out a sigh as Coal left the trunk and headed across the room. They had been there for a good twenty minutes or so already and yet no luck. Edith was starting to wonder if the item was here or maybe somewhere else. Maybe it was already destroyed?
Coal came to a stop when his eyes locked onto a dark corner in a cabinet. He reached out slowly and grasped Cora's spell book.
"I found it." He whispered.
Edith perked up hearing his soft words.
Coal spun around and showed the book to Edith. A smile on his face clear as the full moon in the night sky.
Edith got up from where she was sitting and rushed over. "Grandma's spell book?" she took the book in her hands.
Coal nodded, "We finally have a fighting chance." Coal breathed.
Edith looked up to Coal and was quick to wrap her arms around him, "We did it!" she exclaimed. "We finally found it!" she jumped.
Coal laughed a little as he pulled from the hug and looked to the book. Edith held it out back to Coal, "Go on." She bit her bottom lip. "Open it." She hopped on her toes.
Coal took the book and a deep breath. He opened the book and started to slowly flip through the pages. His eyes eating up the words and pictures as his mind was quick to memorize what he could before turning to the next page.
Edith was never good with magic, nor did she have any. She had seen Coal preform magic thousands of times and had trailed over his spells and potions. But this type of magic seemed ancient compared to what they knew.
She glanced to Coal catching a child like look in his eyes at that very moment. She softly smiled knowing that it had been a long time since Coal had that look in his eyes. Ever since Morgana showed up Coal had lost something about him. The fun.
He became very serious very quickly and both Coal and Edith had to grow up rather quickly at such a young age. So to see her brother like this after hundreds of year brought a light of hope to their dark lives.
But the smile disappeared rather fast when her eyes caught something by the doors. Edith tapped Coal's shoulder rather rapidly.
"I know, it's all here." He uttered.
Edith cleared her throat and tapped again.
"With a little bit of practice..."
Edith placed both her hands on Coal's shoulders and spun him around to face Regina. Upon seeing Regina, Coal shut the book tightly. Letting the snap of the pages coming together break out into the room.
Regina stood in the archway with her eyes narrowed and her arms folded.
"Surprised?" Regina stated in a calm voice.
Both Edith and Coal felt their world freeze at this very moment. They had the book in hand and yet it could be taken away in seconds. Their future depended on this book. Coal gulped as he held onto the book tightly.
"A little." Coal kept his eyes on Regina. As Regina did the same to Coal.
Regina's eyes shifted to her mother's spell book and then back to Coal. What ever these two were after, it was in her mother's spell book. Regina took a step forward and unfolded her arms. Both Coal and Edith took a step back as Edith shadowed behind Coal and Coal grasped the book that much tighter.
Regina was not in the mood for games. She welcomed them into her home and now here they were sneaking off to her vault trying to steal something of hers. Her children or not her children, no one stole from her. She flipped her hand in an upward motion and a purple mist covered the book. The mist was there and gone in a second as the mist appeared around Regina's hand only to clear with her holding the spell book.
She saw anger strike Coal's eyes as he gritted his teeth and frowned his brow.
"You need this don't you?" she asked.
Coal didn't answer.
"Look, I'll make a deal with you." Regina started. "I'll give you this book, if, and only if... You answer my questions."
Coal thought about the offer and shifted his eyes back to Edith. Edith gave Coal a blank look as she felt that she didn't have the best of answers.
Coal turned back to Regina.
Regina smirked as she knew she had the two in the palm of her hand. They needed something from that book and she wouldn't just hand it over to them without getting something in return.
"You do know that all magic comes with a price." She stated in a cocky manner.