Chapter 35
Brotherhood

Arriving at the Dark Kingdom, it wasn't as welcoming as Varian imagined.
Cassandra had to remind him that it was called the "Dark" Kingdom for a reason.
Once getting off the boat, Varian and Cassandra (and all the animals) walked to the entrance.
It was made of these strange, black rocks; just like the ones that Cassandra had summoned.

"What are these black rocks?" Varian looked at them closely without touching them.

"You summoned them during the whole airship thing, with that opal." Varian added.

"Yeah, I know. It's weird, isn't it? I haven't been able to do it since, trust me, I've tried." Cassandra grabbed the opal out of her bag and looked at it. However, it faintly glowed...

"Hm?" She stared at it, it seemed to react to the black rocks and the overall Dark Kingdom.

"It seems to be...reacting to the rocks?" Varian leaned in. "Or the Dark Kingdom one. Did it do this back at Threthorn afterwards?" Varian looked up at Cassandra. "No. Just started doing it now, I haven't even done anything different than any other time either." Cassandra frowned.

"Strange." Varian pouted.
Cassandra put away the opal back into her bag and carried on past the entrance.

Crows fluttered and cawed overhead, some louder than others, some quicker than others. It definitely sounded as dark as the Kingdom was called. "I can see why Madame Canardist said that alchemists' were allowed here, but I'm starting to question if she didn't think alchemists were witches too." Cassandra crossed her arms. "Me too." He stayed close to her.

Ruddiger, Banana and Owl followed close as well.

"There are visitors, my liege..." There was a nasally and tough, male voice that called to the man, most likely a King, sitting on the throne. One crow from outside flew through the window and landed on the shoulder of the King that was sitting in the shadows and cawed at him.

"Head out there, see who it is, but be very alert... Bring your sister with you, would you?" The King said to him, petting his crow with one hand, the other one seeming to not be able to move.

"Yes, my liege, I shall..." The voice walked away... "Sister! We have visitors!" The voice called, his yellow eyes being seen in the dimly lit hallway. "Do we? Haven't had any in a long time, let's see what their all about then, huh?" Another voice, a female one this time, from across the hallway.

Footsteps were heard down the hallways and soon there was silence, with only the King and his crow in the throne room, the crow occasionally cawing and nuzzling the King with his feathers...

"No one...seems to live here?" Cassandra pointed out. "All the houses look like they haven't been touched for years, Cassie..." Varian whimpered. "Stay close." Cassandra wrapped her arm around Varian, making sure he stayed by her side and would stay safe.

"There's a lot of crows here though, I know that." Varian said quietly. "Mhm..." Cassandra walked with him down the streets. "Do you think something bad happened here?" He asked.

"I don't know for sure, but it definitely seems like something happened, bad or not, it was definitely a something." Cassandra slanted her eyes into a glare of suspicion.

"Visitors, state your business here or else." The voice from the castle called out to them slightly overhead. Cassandra pulled out her dagger quickly and aimed it at the voice. The voice jumped down and it was a young man with yellow eyes and black-hair, Varian could have sworn he had seen the man before, but he couldn't get a good look because Cassandra had forced him to hide behind her for safety. "Com'on Hector, stop being so full of angst, really, it's not a good look for our new visitors." The female voice spoke, a lady with silver-hair and a grey coat on, jumped down beside the man, who, according to the lady, was named Hector.

"State your business." Hector said even more intimidating.

Varian peeked from behind Cassandra's back and looked at the people that was confronting Cassandra, but the people had a surprised, but calm, reaction to seeing Varian.

Hector and the lady stared for a moment at the boy...
"No, it can't be..." Hector said. "Can it?" The lady raised a brow.

Cassandra lowered the dagger, but not much, because she still wasn't sure about these people.

The lady walked up to Varian slowly, making Cassandra grab him and hold him close.

She knelt down and looked into Varian's eyes.

"Son of Quirin?"