Hello, everyone! Welcome to Volume II of 'The Negative Multiverse'! If you're wondering why the hell the episode count below reads Episode 10, then I'm guessing you haven't read Volume I. I'd advise reading Volume I before starting Volume II, but hey, you don't have to. You'll just be very confused.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Episode:
10: The War Games, Part 1
Following the strenuous events of the previous episode, Star would like nothing more than to drown in her own depression and self-pity. Unfortunately, Moon still expects her to uphold her duties as the princess, and that involves attending the re-signing of the Mace Treaty between the Butterfly and Mace Families.
Oh, and Adam's along for the ride, but he'll soon regret meeting Prince Ignius...
Indeed, the signing of the Mace Treaty was delayed. It was difficult convincing the Mace Family to allow it, but eventually they agreed. Not without some snide remarks from the prince on the state of their security, however. Queen Moon largely ignored those in favour of looking at the fact that the endeavour was still, irrefutably, successful.
It was fortunate that Star had not been along for that particular negotiation. There was not a single doubt in the Queen's mind that Star would have taken immature offense to the prince's derisions and, more than likely, jeopardise the entire operation.
So, just over three weeks later, the Mace Treaty re-signing was due.
And here Star was, sat on her bed, entirely unprepared for the major event.
Her hair was messy and uncombed, ridden with specks of grime. Her clothes were dishevelled and dirty, not having been cleaned in well over a week. Even though she could send her laundry down to the Wash right now – or even simply cast a spell to clean her clothes – Star could not bring herself to.
She felt discordant vibrations along the covers of her bed, followed by an annoying ringtone. Sluggishly, the magical princess reached over and swiped her compact from the other side of the bed.
Flipping it open, she was greeted with a screen she did not appreciate.
The visage of Tom Lucitor appeared on the compact screen, ringing her. Star sighed in frustration and denied the call, setting the device back down.
Tom had been trying to call her every day since their breakup. Star felt she'd said all that she needed to say to him, so it wasn't her fault if the guy didn't get the message. At least her mom had the sense to ban Tom from entering the castle, closing off another avenue prematurely. What that did mean, however, was that Tom would invariably end up sending her phone calls up to several times a day.
She hadn't forgotten. Tom preferred a psychopath over her, and readily accepted Dark Star's wildly different personality. Meanwhile, the real Star, unaware of the heartbreak that had just taken place, was rotting away inside a stuffy stone coffin.
The ordeal with Dark Star still permeated her mind. At times, she found it hard not to have the memories occupying every aspect of her existence. Most of what she recalled was…blood. Blood and bones. And a light show of curses and hexes.
Star definitely felt humbled about her own magical ability after the brutal beating she had received from Dark Star. Had it not been for Adam (and Marco, of course), God knows how much worse it could have been.
If there was to be one positive out of all of this, it was her properly established friendship with Adam. She wasn't entirely certain what had caused the stubborn warlock to finally abandon his prejudices, but she was glad he did. While the Mewman remained socially awkward, he seemed to smile more with her – and he actually laughed at one of her jokes! Not a tiny snigger or an awkward chuckle either, it was a full-on belter.
Star was elated to know that Adam had finally made the distinction between her and Dark Star. Perhaps, seeing the two of them in immediate proximity had aided him in consciously realising the difference he already inherently knew.
There was also the newfound development of Adam's cheek marks that had formed after he dipped down. The Magic High Commission had been the most baffled by this, but they figured that, since Adam's magic classed as Butterfly, he could logically have cheek marks. Star was less surprised; she'd known that Marco also gained cheek marks when he used magic, albeit temporarily. It only made sense that it was a similar principle going on here.
Oddly enough, Star felt closer to Adam now that they shared those superficial markings. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Adam also felt the same way. It was almost like they were brother and sister, in a sense.
Meanwhile, Adam had been allowing himself to have some more fun for once in his life.
Last week, the three of them had a sleepover at Janna's house, with another girl Adam hadn't met before called Kelly. She was from Woolandia, apparently, and desperately needed to keep her mind off her break-up with some other Woolett named Tad. She seemed rather interesting, if not a little obsessed with professional wrestling. Adam didn't quite have the heart to tell her that professional wrestling was fake. Even though he didn't understand why it was fake. Kelly seemed slightly timid around him for a while, but Marco managed to break the ice between them when he mentioned that Adam was a skilled swordsman as well as sorcerer.
Adam had mentioned he'd never had a sleepover before, so wasn't familiar with the rules. He certainly appreciated the ice-cold water Janna dunked on him to wake him up. Surprisingly enough, he actually wasn't mad about the whole incident. Perhaps he just felt it was no longer worth the unrest.
It had taken Marco fifteen minutes to convince Star to come along to the sleepover. The princess had simply declined, multiple times in fact, and she had hoped Marco would give up. The reliable squire never did. While she could respect that on a technical level, it still frustrated her immensely. The only way she got him to shut up about it was to go along to the sleepover. As much as she hated to admit it, she was glad that she did, because she did enjoy herself.
Even with that moment of happiness, Star still could not escape the looming cloud of depression and lethargy over her. Two large, distinct grey bags sagged under her bloodshot eyes. Her muscles were nearly incapable of movement, not that she currently had the motivation to move. She felt so drained of energy that she couldn't even keep her eyes either open or closed. Instead, her eyelids hung tiredly over her vision, accompanied by her long blonde bangs.
Every time she closed her eyes, all she saw was blood and gore. And the insane grin of her most evil doppelganger. Even though she'd previously caught a glimpse of her, actually engaging in battle with her felt different. It was different.
It was a wonder how Adam survived in his world for so long. Or how he managed to separate Dark Star from her. He seemed relatively unfazed about the horrific violence and psychopathy demonstrated by Dark Star. He'd probably seen that kind of thing every day – after all, he seemed to recover faster from the shock of the other Janna's death than herself.
A sleepover and preparations for the Mace Treaty weren't the only things to have occurred since Dark Star's attack. Eclipsa had her trial for her "evil" deeds. The trial would have happened a lot sooner if it hadn't been for Arybailos and Adam being in stitches for a month. Star was called to be their key witness, but her depression had hit her so hard she simply couldn't get out of bed, so Adam volunteered to replace her. The Magic High Commission only allowed it because Adam had saved the kingdom and the heir to the throne, so proved himself trustworthy enough despite his connections to Eclipsa.
Adam had conspired with Moon and Eclipsa to reveal the truth that the latter two had discovered while he was busy with Arybailos: Eclipsa's daughter, Meteora, was replaced by Festivia, a peasant girl, shortly after Eclipsa abdicated the throne. The whole court proceeding had been framed around the Box of Truth, all in an effort to force the MHC to reveal what they did with Meteora. As it turned out, they actually didn't recall what happened to her, only that her rule was supplanted by another.
Of course, Adam didn't tell Star any of this. She was suffering from enough already; she didn't need to also learn that the MHC had been lying to the Butterfly Family for generations and that she wasn't technically a true royal.
Star had enough on her plate, and the Mace Treaty had caught up to her with rapid pace. Yet, she just couldn't find the will to get out of bed.
There was yet another ringing sound reverberating throughout the room. Star honestly hoped the ground would open up and swallow her soul. At this point, she didn't care who was calling, only that they would go away.
When the ringing sound failed to silence after a few seconds, Star groaned loudly and slid off the bed. She crawled like a worm across the floor, eliciting a squeaking sound from her dirty floor. She reached up and pulled the curtains apart to reveal her communication mirror.
Tom Lucitor was calling. Of course he was. Star groaned in frustration. The only way to get rid of him seemed to be to tell him herself.
Reluctantly, Star forced herself up onto her feet.
'Answer call,' she breathed.
Immediately, the pissed off image of her ex-boyfriend appeared on the compact screen.
'Finally, you pick up,' he growled, folding his arms in exasperation.
'Ughhhh, what do I have to do to get you to go away, Tom?!' She complained, letting out another annoyed sigh.
'Can we please talk about what happened?' The demon prince asked exasperatedly.
'What is there to talk about?!' Star exclaimed. 'You lied to me, Tom!'
'C'mon, what did you expect me to do?' He argued. 'When I found out it was an impostor, I was just…ashamed. I didn't want to admit I didn't realise! Could you really blame me?'
'That's not what I meant, Tom!' The princess shouted back at him. 'You listed every issue you've ever had with me! And yet, you've always told me I'm an amazing girlfriend and you've never had a problem! Why do you even care that we broke up? You don't even like me!'
'Star, I didn't mean those things! I just thought –'
'You thought I'd changed, so you decided to tell the truth for once,' Star completed, unimpressed. 'I'm sick of the lies, Tom. I'm sick of your jealousy. You know what, I'm sick of you!'
She threw her hand forward to decline the call. However, in her anger, she didn't calculate her own strength. Her fist smashed through the glass, causing it to shatter. The fragments rained down on her hand, shoes and dress, providing a dull sense of pain.
Star sighed as she patted off the shards of glass. Staring down at the sparkling fragments on the floor, she found herself mesmerised by their beauty. It was strange to consider, but the light glinting through the glass was almost naturally artistic. Even despite their damaging properties, you couldn't help but acknowledge how much they mimicked gemstones.
'Star?' A voice interrupted. She turned to look at the door, where the voice was coming from. It was Marco Diaz, her ever-faithful best friend.
'Oh, hey Marco,' she greeted brightly, retracting her hand away from her mirror. It was always good to see Marco.
His great big chocolate brown eyes looked down and widened in surprise.
'Oh my god, what did you do?'
Star glanced down at her bloody fist. The glass had left behind tiny cuts across her knuckles, which had quickly stained bright red. It probably wasn't smart to destroy her expensive compact mirror.
'Oh, sorry,' she apologised, nonchalantly grabbing a cloth to dab the blood away. 'It's just…Tom won't leave me alone. I got a bit…upset.'
'I'm really sorry about what happened with Tom,' Marco responded sincerely, coming over to wrap her in a warm, supportive hug. The princess greatly appreciated it. 'He should've appreciated you more…but now he's wasted his chance to be with the best girl in the world.'
'Awww, thanks Marco,' Star acknowledged cutely, holding him in a tighter hug.
'As nice as this is…' the squire mused, 'Moon asked me to come get you. She wants us all to meet in the main hall to get ready to leave for the Mace Kingdom.'
Star sighed and retracted from her close friend. She looked down at her dishevelled and unkempt form with dissatisfaction. There was no way she could see mom while looking like this. She'd absolutely flip.
'Radiant Shadow Transform,' the princess muttered glumly, lethargically waving her wand. Despite her tiredness, Star still managed to produce a brilliant bright light that probably nearly blinded Marco.
Star's appearance was almost entirely rejuvenated. Her hair was fuller, more professional, not with as much as a follicle out of place. Her dress was restored to near-peak cleanliness – though not as clean as it could have been if it went through the Wash, mind you – and her boots were now polished to the point of the reflectiveness.
Although her pale complexion and dark eye-bags could not be rectified, her magic found an easy work-around. Smooth layers of make-up adorned her face, covering up all evidence of any blemishes on her skin. In fact, her skin almost seemed to shimmer in the light.
'Woah,' Marco admired, speechless. 'You look…incredible.' Star let out a groan of exhaustion.
'I don't feel incredible,' she replied, slouching. 'Ugh…come on, Marco. This Mace Treaty is super important, and we wouldn't want to embarrass Mom by being late.'
Marco agreed, albeit reluctantly. There wasn't much he could do to counteract Star's recently self-destructive behaviour. Supporting her, and being present in her life, was perhaps all that she needed for now. However, it was still disturbing to see her wear down and run herself ragged.
Truthfully, Marco knew he couldn't blame Star for her recent depression. It was horrible to see, but it was naïve to think she could easily recover. Marco himself was not depressed like Star; instead he felt a controlled, vengeful rage towards the cause of her depression – the deplorable Tom Lucitor.
Not only had Tom broken her heart and lied to her, but also did not have the respect to leave her alone when asked. There was no excuse he could use, no sob story he could provide, that would change their minds about him. Star had been very pointed about the status of her relationship with Tom last time. The only person who seemed unable to see that was Tom himself.
Marco hoped he was helping her as much as she hoped. She didn't deserve to be treated like that by Tom. She deserved so much better than that. Star had placed her faith in him – in the belief that he could be redeemed. Despite everything Tom had done, she gave him a second chance.
And Tom threw it back in her face. Honestly, Marco didn't understand how he could mistreat her when he was so lucky to have her in the first place.
It made him angry just thinking about it.
Star and Marco made their way down to the royal throne room, where Moon had instructed them to meet. The conversation they had was mostly one-sided on Marco's side. It wasn't because Star was disinterested in her squire's words – she was always interested in his words – but she still found it hard to remain vigilant at the moment. She needed to stay focussed, too, lest she fumble during the treaty signing.
Once they arrived, Star breathed in deeply and tried to focus once more. The two of them reached forward and pushed open the double doors to the throne room.
Queen Moon and King River stood at their respective seats at the back of the room. One seat, beside Moon, was unsurprisingly vacant. Star rarely sat in her throne anyway. It was hard and uncomfortable, and for some reason the cushions she asked for were just as bad.
Adam was already present, standing to the side of the steps leading up to the thrones. His facial expression was placid, unchanging, but Star suspected he was hiding how he was actually feeling.
'Ah, Star,' Moon said with an annoyed tone. 'Nice of you to finally show up.' Star groaned.
'Sorry mom,' she apologised reluctantly.
'You okay?' Adam asked her sympathetically. Star smiled at him appreciatively, but her answer was much less optimistic.
'I dunno,' she replied lethargically. She breathed in sharply and blinked to reorganise her mind. 'Let's just get this treaty thing out of the way.'
'I'll need you all to behave patiently and responsibly,' Moon ordered sternly. 'This treaty is ineffably important. I will not start a war because of your immaturity.'
'I know how important this is, too, Mom,' Star insisted agitatedly.
'Do you?' She questioned sceptically.
'Yes, I do!' She retorted angrily.
'Don't take that tone with me, young lady,' the Queen chastised. 'I only question this because you brought Adam along – someone with absolutely no experience with politics.'
'I have to agree with Moon here,' Adam admitted. Star sighed exasperatedly. 'I don't see how I'm gonna be much help, Star.'
'You're our moral compass for this one,' she explained, prompting a puzzled frown from the Mewman.
'…Me?' He bleated in disbelief.
'Are you sure that is wise, Star?' Moon criticised.
'He's no more a moral compass than I am a gentle soul!' King River pitched in, before laughing heartily.
'Adam doesn't know about this whole Mace Family feud thing,' Star identified, folding her arms. 'He's much less biased about it than we are. We'll need someone like that, so we don't…tear each other's heads off.' She turned to look at him. 'Besides, you're good at thinking quickly. I need a friend who can think on the spot.'
'I don't know about this, Star,' Adam confessed reluctantly, scratching the back of his scalp.
'I just need you to do this, okay? You'll do fine,' she expressed impatiently, before turning to her mom.
Queen Moon groaned.
'There's no way I will be able to dissuade you of this, is there?' She recognised.
'Nope!' The princess answered ecstatically.
'Fine,' the Queen acquiesced, folding her arms.
'Yay! Thanks, Mom!' Star celebrated, enveloping Adam in a tight hug that he awkwardly reciprocated.
'I better not end up regretting this,' she stated flatly.
Not long after that, the Butterfly Family (plus Marco and Adam) was travelling in carriages to the Mace Kingdom in western Mewni.
Adam found his eyes mostly drawn out the window, watching the birds flicker by. Large swathes of darkness covered their paths, cast by purple trees and dark beige bushes. He spotted a faint flash of light through the forest, which he presumed was a glitterbug. He looked up at the pink sky up above. The teenager silently wondered whether the Mewman belief that pink was representative of wisdom was truthful.
'You alright, man?'
He looked away from the window to the source of the voice. Marco was staring at him, concern welling in his eyes.
'Politics aren't my thing,' he repeated, rubbing his temple soothingly. 'I don't get why Star wanted me to come along anyway. I'm hardly gonna be much help!'
'Star said –'
'I know what she said,' Adam cut off. 'I'm not a moral compass and I certainly shouldn't be counted on to be a mediator.'
'Well, you are quick-thinking,' Marco stated confidently. 'Look, Star just needs you to support her right now. She's going through a tough time as it is.'
'I'm not here to hold her hand!' He inexplicably exclaimed. Marco stared at him for a few seconds, prompting him to look away. Adam ultimately sighed in remorse. 'I get it. I do…but honestly, I could end up causing more harm than good here.'
'Since when did you have confidence issues?'
'Marco, I'm not a politician,' he said flatly. 'I'm an angry warlock with issues. Lots of issues.'
'Adam –'
'If I say the wrong thing, at the wrong time, I could very easily cause a war. That would affect the entire future history of Mewni!'
'You're worrying too much.'
'I think I'm worrying just the right amount, actually,' Adam disagreed childishly.
'Look, man, the more you worry about messing up, the more likely it is that you will mess up!' Marco exclaimed exasperatedly.
'I suppose you're right,' he admitted, looking away.
The rest of the carriage ride was silent after that. Adam didn't really have anything else to say, and he didn't think he should have to have anything else to say. As he seemingly never failed to remind people, politics was alien to him, and counting on him to be the moral compass was just daft.
Adam's thoughts drifted to back home, mainly out of curiosity. He wondered if his mind went that direction because his thoughts had nowhere else to go. In honesty, he wasn't sure why he still bothered to consider Negative Mewni his home, when he had since made his home elsewhere. Perhaps some part of him held onto the nostalgia of Salem, of running through fields and playing tag with Beru. Life had been simpler back then. Back then, he didn't understand the grievous threat that loomed over him every day; he didn't understand the impending doom that would swiftly be upon him.
That home was far away and long since gone. He wasn't sure why he continued to yearn for a life that had slipped through his fingers years ago. Maybe seeing Mewni outside the borders of the Butterfly Kingdom reminded him of how things used to be.
Were these good or bad memories? He wasn't sure.
There were definitely parts of his past that he missed, but most of the time when he tried to think about it, his thoughts were engulfed with memories of the horrible fate that ended it. It was mostly a lot of fire, bloodshed and screaming.
Lots of screaming. They were too loud, too overlapping, too overwhelming, to count.
Adam closed his eyes and breathed in pensively to compose himself. He zoned out all other factors and allowed himself to fall into his mind. He drowned out the cries of anguish – the begging for mercy – with the soothing noise of screeching silence.
By the time they arrived at the Mace Castle, Adam hadn't even noticed yet. Not until Marco tapped him on the shoulder and broke him out of his thoughts.
'Did you fall asleep?' He teased.
'No,' he stated curtly, flashing a brief glare at him. Marco nodded sarcastically, unconvinced.
The door beside Adam was inexplicably ripped open.
'C'mon guys!' yelled Star, slightly peeved. 'Get out. We're here!'
Adam flashed a glare of dissatisfaction at her as he climbed out of the carriage. Marco was quick behind him. Queen Moon, along with King River, stood a few feet away, waiting for them.
They were standing in the courtyard of the Mace Castle. A large stone building stood before them, a hair smaller than the Butterfly Castle. The stone bricks were stained ash grey, as if forged from a seething volcano. Great big stone walls encircled their surroundings, like a cage or pen keeping them inside. Fully armoured Mace knights stood equidistant between posts, like vultures from afar, waiting for the slightest chance to pounce. There was a tall, chained gate behind them, which the knights were in the process of dropping.
The entire Mace Castle was situated on a particularly large side of a cliff, slanted at a tiny angle. It oversaw the collected settlements, villages and towns that constituted the Mace Kingdom. The castle was flat, standing against the grain of the slant, like a nail against floorboards. It was impressive really; Adam wasn't sure how they managed to keep the whole structure stable, considering it was a rock-face that jutted out from the mainland.
Magic may or may not have been involved, although most likely not. The Mace Family were known to be studious of magic, but not practitioners of it. That was one thing that separated them from the Butterflies.
'Queen Moon!' A voice greeted. Moon turned around, smiling at the person who had spoken. 'A pleasure to meet your acquaintance. My father spoke very highly of you.'
It was a tall man in regal apparel, with a rich maroon and gold colour scheme. He had at least three layers of clothes, despite the warm climate, each suitably colour-matching and vaguely velvety. His coat, suit and waistcoat were embroidered with a golden silk vine design, like lashes of money clinging to his clothes. A shining gold crown rested upon his head, perfectly constructed and polished. It was encrusted with numerous gemstones.
'Ah, you must be King Pacem,' Moon replied brightly, shaking his hand. [26] 'Yes, your father was a good man. My condolences for your loss. It must be a trying time for you in wake of such a tragedy.'
'I appreciate the sympathies,' the king acknowledged. 'And yes – it is tough. But now I wish to continue my father's desire for a peaceful coalition between our families. Hence why I wish to sign the Treaty, just as he did before me.' Moon nodded respectfully. He gestured beside him. 'This is my wife, Queen Lucetia Mace.'
Queen Lucetia was dressed in similar wear as Pacem, albeit more streamlined. She seemed just as earnest and jovial as the man beside her. Her crown was smaller and more streamlined than the King's, but no doubt it was every bit as expensive.
'Pleasure to meet your acquaintance,' Lucetia said earnestly, shaking Moon's hand. 'I've heard about you and your kingdom from my husband; it's lovely to meet your family in person.'
Lucetia nudged the person beside her.
'This is my son, Prince Ignius Mace.'
The other member of the Mace Family, a teenage boy dressed in a purple and gold royal uniform, looked up at his mother. He erased his scowl and replaced it with a smile that did not reach his eyes. Reluctantly, the prince shook Queen Moon's hand.
'Hi.'
'Hello,' Moon replied. She gestured to her family and subjects. 'This is my husband, King River Butterfly.'
'Pleasure to meet you, good sport!' exclaimed River happily, shaking each of their hands.
'And my daughter, Princess Star Butterfly.'
Star stepped forward and brightly shook all their hands. Much like the prince, her smile did not reach her eyes either. Perhaps for different reasons, though.
'Nice to meetcha!' The princess excitedly.
'Shall we make our way towards the meeting hall?' King Pacem offered, earning a nod from Queen Moon. Pacem beckoned for them to follow, and the Mace and Butterfly Families made their way towards the castle.
'How come we didn't get a special introduction?' Marco whispered to Adam, frowning.
'We're not royalty,' he stated bluntly.
'So you're saying we're not important?' Marco replied, dissatisfied.
'I didn't say that,' said Adam. 'But we aren't part of the Butterfly Family or the Mace Family. This treaty is between them, not us.'
'I mean…Star always says I'm part of the family,' the squire argued pettily. 'In, like, an honorary sense.'
Adam rolled his eyes at his friend's persistence.
'Not biologically, though,' he dismissed. 'Look, if it bothers you so much, why don't you go introduce yourself?'
Marco fell silent after that. For all he knew, walking over to the Mace Royal Family and talking to them – like they weren't royalty – might be rude or otherwise unsightly. He knew how important this political alliance was to Moon, and he didn't want to mess it up. It was best he did as he was told.
Star, however, was less compliant with the concept of avoiding talking to royalty. Probably because she was royalty herself.
'Hey,' she greeted kindly, walking up next to him. Prince Ignius merely scowled at her. 'I couldn't help but notice…you don't really look like you want to be here.'
'No, I don't,' he growled. 'There you go. There's your answer. Now go away.'
'Yikes, you're not a happy one, are you?' Star said, gritting her teeth. 'What's your problem, dude?'
'My problem –' he cut himself off and looked over at his parents. Ignius lowered the volume of his voice into a whisper. 'My problem is that this whole treaty is a waste of time.'
'No it's not!' Star immediately objected furiously. 'Our families have been rivals for centuries, and now we're coming together. If it weren't for Mom making friends with your parents, we'd still be at each other's throats!'
'We should be,' grumbled Ignius. Star's eyes widened.
'What?' She gawped. 'You want to be at war?!'
'I know all about our history,' the prince replied bitterly. 'From what I've read, the Butterflies are a load of whining, squabbling brats gifted with far too much power. Honestly, a good war or two ought to put you all in your place.'
If Adam were in this conversation, Star reckoned he would have said something along the lines of "war is never good". Star, however, was not astute enough to come up with that response right now.
'We-we're not all like that!' The princess objected angrily. 'Yeah, I'll admit that some of my ancestors were…less than kind, but that doesn't mean we all are! You might know about them, but you don't know about us. About the people we are. I mean…c'mon. Do you really think that we'd be brokering peace if we're just angry and tyrannical?'
'A leopard doesn't change its spots,' he spat.
All of a sudden, Star felt a major wave of déjà vu. Then she remembered what she saw. She reckoned he and Adam would've got along very nicely. Maybe Adam from when they first met.
'But a caterpillar can turn over a new leaf,' she argued, folding her arms confidently. She had devised that counterargument shortly after Adam had said that same thing to her. She wanted to say that, but the time had originally passed, so Star was glad she got a second chance.
'Whatever,' Prince Ignius ignored. 'Why should I think you've changed? The only people you had to learn from are your ancestors. People who passed down the same beliefs and the same foolish principles…the wheel just keeps turning.'
'You parents don't seem to think so.'
'My parents are dumb.'
'Your parents are the people you learned from,' the princess spun. 'Does that make you dumb?'
Ignius fell silent. He only glared away into the middle distance. Star was proud of herself for using his words against him like that, but less proud of herself for being unable to convince the prince he was wrong. Maybe there would be another opportunity during the treaty re-signing to alter his perception of them. Unsure, she returned to her spot beside her mother.
From what Star could tell, Ignius had little to no knowledge of the Butterflies before the announcement that the Treaty would be re-signed was broadcasted across both kingdoms. He only seemed to know of their past, and not their present, as though the past few decades were alien to him.
At times like this, Star wondered if, truly, ignorance was bliss. So far, the ignorance of herself and others had only ever been a weakness. Adam never ceased to scorn her for that.
The group of people traversed the halls of the castle until they found the two large doors to the main hall. Pacem's servants opened the door for them, revealing a grand hall. There was a long table in the centre of the room, with numerous grand wooden seats with red cushions lining each end.
'I hope you find our hospitality comfortable,' Queen Lucetia bid, as she took one of the seats at the end of the table.
'We will, thank you,' River replied, in a regal tone that Star hadn't heard him use much before.
'I fear as though an apology is required on our end as well, Moon,' stated King Pacem, as he sat down next to his wife.
'What makes you think that?' The Queen inquired in confusion, as she sat down next to River at the opposite end of the table.
'We stick to tradition and honour. After the death of my father, we did not preclude the customary few months before the re-signing ceremony.'
'You do not need to apologise for that, Pacem,' Moon dismissed kindly. 'Grief is not shameful. We could not force you into a political mind-set whilst your heart longs for the beloved that has passed.' She exhaled despondently. 'I know the pain of losing a parent. I lost my mother when I was but a child.'
'I am sorry to hear that,' replied Pacem.
'I think what she really means,' Star whispered to Adam next to her. 'Is: "we let you grieve as we didn't want to risk starting a war because you weren't in the right frame of mind".'
'It's not like you, to be so cynical,' The Mewman observed, frowning at her. Star merely frowned incredulously back at him.
'You're the most cynical guy I know.'
'Exactly,' he pointed out. 'And even I'm saying that you're being overly sceptical.' He glanced at Moon. 'I don't think it's fair to say Moon only cares about securing the Treaty. I mean…c'mon, she's not heartless. She lost her mother too. She can empathise.'
'What do you know?!' She snapped, barely managing to keep her voice out of the earshot of the others. 'I've known her my whole life. You've known her for…what? Six months, if that?'
'I don't need to know her for years to tell,' Adam argued, folding his arms disapprovingly. 'Look, Star, I get you're going through a lot, but taking it out on the rest of us is not fair.'
'What do you know about what I'm going through?' The princess said, resting back on her chair.
'Feelings of inadequacy and incompetency,' Adam began to list, 'intense trauma; desperate desire to prove yourself; persistent and looming feelings of depression, anxiety and despair; and a fiery sense of foul rage.'
Star blinked.
'What do you think I was like after I lost Janna?' He elaborated. 'When she died…I felt useless. I never asked her to sacrifice her life for me, but she did. And I was powerless to stop it. You saw it. That one moment tortured me for years…a part of it still does.' His voice quickly turned scornful. 'So don't tell me I don't know what you're going through.'
Star looked down guiltily. She wanted to say something, but she could not conjure the right words to speak. Adam seemed satisfied with that, at least, because he didn't say anything else.
'Star?' A voice called. She looked up to see that her mother was staring at her expectantly. The princess swallowed her pride and tried to be as respectful as possible.
'Pardon me, did you say something?' Star asked politely. The sickly-sweet intonation made her uncomfortable, even though it was her who said it.
'King Pacem asked you a question.'
Star looked at the King in query.
'What is your opinion on the ongoing hostilities between Mewmans and Monsters?' Pacem asked innocently. Star couldn't tell from his tone whether he stood for or against the Monsters' rebuke. From what the princess could determine, it was a relatively innocent question.
She noticed Moon side-eyeing her in her peripheral vision. She didn't care what her mother thought; she was going to be honest.
'I think that the Monsters have every right to be upset,' Star stated honestly.
'Star–!' Moon began.
'No, Moon,' silenced Pacem. 'Allow the girl to speak her mind. Honesty is far more respectable than appeasement.'
He nodded for her to continue.
'Over the past thousand years since magic was first discovered, the Monsters of Mewni have faced nothing but aggression and hatred from their Mewman brethren,' Star explained, breathing quietly. She'd rehearsed this speech so many times it had become second nature. 'Centuries of violence followed since the crowning of the first Queen of the Butterfly Kingdom, violence from both parties involved. In the present day, we are accustomed to the belief that Monsters began this conflict…that they were the ultimate aggressors and that we – the noble Mewmans – sought only peace, until they drove us to war. This belief is biased; neither was categorically correct, nor unequivocally in the wrong. We both fought one another. We both fought tooth and nail, shed blood and tears. We demonstrated anger unparalleled.
'This war waged on until the Mewmans inevitably won, with our superior mastery over a fundamental force, and now the Monsters that once lived and died peacefully find themselves without respite, without home, and without identity. Some Monsters today choose violence again; they decide to revolt against us again. While their aggression and violence against innocent Mewmans is unjustified, their rage is not.
'Yet we, so noble as we are, still choose to label all Monsters as insurgents – as hateful, evil creatures with no sense of truth and justice. This is ignoble and unjust. Monsters are no different from us. They may look different, they may seem imposing, but in the end…their minds and hearts align with our own. Yet we provide them with no quarter.
'The purge against the monsters ended centuries ago. Yes, there were rebellious factions and aggressive anti-Mewman terrorist cells, but the whole race cannot be defined by the actions of a few. Mewmans can be just as terrible and just as vicious…and you would not think it fair to label an entire species as evil because some of them are.
'These Monsters once lived peacefully. Before the dawn of society, they co-existed with us as equals. We drove out their homes, cut them down and crushed their resistance. We do worse than justify that; we think ourselves the hero for it. For unfairly destroying the lives of countless innocent people – not just Monsters, people. Why? Queen Solaria is still seen as the hero, for being the Monster Carver, when a wiser and nobler Queen would have sought peace, not war.
'The hostility between Monsters and Mewmans is justified. They hate us, and we deserve that hatred. However, this does not mean the end. Peace can still be achieved. My only concern is whether we, the leaders and rulers of this great world, truly understand what must be done to achieve that peace.
'Peace does not come easily. Peace takes time; it takes consideration, effort and understanding. War requires none of these things. It is the easy way out, the ferocious and arrogant method. War does not aid us. It does not prevent rebellion; it merely delays it.
'It will not be easy to broker peace between the Monsters and the Mewmans, but it will be worth it. Far more than war ever could be or will be. A wise and patient ruler knows this. I do not wish to imply that you lack these qualities, but instead I implore you to act on them.'
She looked between the four rulers sitting at the table.
'End this savagery,' she instructed confidently. 'Treat the Monsters with kindness and equality, because they are no different from you. Peace is wise; war is blind.'
After this, she fell silent. There was silence among the subjects in the room, before Star heard clapping. She looked up and saw that King Pacem and Queen Lucetia were clapping happily.
'That was truly an enlightening speech!' Lucetia praised. Star breathed a sigh of relief.
'Yes, that was incredibly wise,' Pacem concurred, turning to look at Moon. 'Moon, it seems your daughter will make quite the ruler, someday. You should be very proud of her.'
'I am very proud,' Moon admitted, smiling at her daughter.
'How long did it take you to rehearse that?' Prince Ignius asked belligerently.
'Ignius!' Lucetia scorned. 'Show some respect. You could learn something from Princess Star.'
Ignius merely rolled his eyes.
'Not bad,' Adam whispered to her.
'"Not bad"? That's all you can say?' Star joked back.
'I can't think of anything else to say,' he confessed, smiling. 'Your speech was perfect. Couldn't have said it better myself.'
'Thanks,' she accepted.
'Yeah, well done, Star,' Marco praised next to her. She blushed.
'I have to say, I agree, Princess,' Pacem voiced. 'I have been trying myself to broker peace between Mewmans and Monsters. As did my father.'
Star looked up in surprise.
'Really?' She asked hopefully.
'Absolutely,' he replied. 'The Monsters have suffered a great deal. It is our responsibility, as the instigators, to aid in their reintroduction to society.'
'Thank you, King Pacem,' Star acknowledged. 'It's nice to have someone on my side for once. Someone in power, no less.'
'It's a shame that few seem to share our opinion,' Lucetia added, her eyes flickering over to Moon.
'Now that the introductory session has concluded,' Pacem announced. 'Let us dine. After that, I will sign the Mace Treaty.'
Pacem snapped his fingers, and numerous servants came in with endless amounts of dishes. They placed them neatly on the table, plate after plate, silverware and masonry, each polished to perfection. Food and drink were soon revealed to the group, much to their delight.
'Just what I was waiting for!' King River exclaimed excitedly, as he passionately dove into his food.
'Thank you,' Adam acknowledged politely, as a server laid a plate at his side of the table.
'You're very welcome,' she responded happily, as she arranged his cutlery. 'So…what's your name?'
'Adam,' he answered. 'And yours?'
'I'm Caela,' the young woman said gently. 'You know, I didn't think the Butterfly Kingdom had such handsome people living there.'
Star and Marco both almost choked on their food.
'I didn't either; I haven't been proven wrong yet,' the Mewman replied nonchalantly. Caela sniggered.
'I mean you, silly,' she clarified.
'Oh, uh…thank you,' Adam stumbled awkwardly. Caela giggled flirtatiously.
'Ever been around the Mace Kingdom before?' She asked. 'It's a lovely place.'
'Um, no, this is my first time visiting,' he answered.
'Then maybe I can show you around later,' Caela suggested playfully, a cheeky smile on her face.
Adam blinked.
'I mean…I probably won't be staying for long,' he informed her honestly, earning a pout from Caela that he missed. 'I'm not sure why I'd need to take a look around this place. I haven't seen much, but it doesn't seem that pretty, actually. Just some random castle –'
'What he means by that,' Star interjected desperately. 'Is that he'd love to hang out with you later. He's just a bit nervous.'
Caela looked at her, then back at Adam, and laughed slightly.
'Alright then,' she agreed, smiling at the warlock beside her. 'See you around, cutie.'
Caela then walked away. Adam shook his head and went back to eating his food.
'Dude!' Marco scorned, leaning over the table to look at him. 'You have, like, zero game!'
Adam frowned.
'What do you mean "game"?' He questioned, shrugging.
'Adam, that girl was clearly flirting with you,' Star deadpanned, folding her arms.
'She was?' The warlock enquired, surprised. 'Huh.'
'Yeah, she asked you out!' Marco explained, barely containing his surprise at his ignorance.
'Why?' Adam asked flatly.
'Because she thought you were attractive,' Star answered matter-of-factly. He didn't quite like how obvious she made it sound.
'She doesn't even know me.'
'Well, she has to start somewhere,' the princess pointed out.
'Usually "somewhere" doesn't mean straight to flirting,' Adam argued, as though he had any clue how relationships worked. 'Why does it have to be my appearance? Who cares about the superficial details? Isn't who I am is more important than what I look like?'
'Did you find her attractive?' Marco queried curiously. Unfortunately, he was disappointed when the Mewman simply shrugged his shoulders.
'I dunno.'
'What do you mean you don't know?' Star gawked. 'She was really pretty and super nice!'
'I'm sure lots of people are,' Adam replied noncommittally.
'No but, when you think someone's attractive, you feel it,' Marco explained to him.
'Was I supposed to feel anything?' The Mewman asked him.
'You didn't feel anything?' Star parroted, shocked. 'Nothing at all?'
'Nothing?' Marco said. 'Did it…occur to you that she was pretty? That she looked nice?'
'No, not really.'
'How about when she called you handsome?' Star suggested. 'Did that make you feel good about yourself? Did you feel…I dunno, warm and fuzzy inside?'
Adam frowned at her like she was speaking absolute nonsense.
'No,' he repeated. 'What does "warm and fuzzy" even mean?'
Star put her head in her hands. At first, she thought that the problem was that Adam didn't swing that way – that he didn't like girls. However, he seemed to have no concept of attraction at all! He didn't even know what it meant to like someone!
'Why are you two looking at me like that?' Adam demanded, glaring at them in irritation.
'We're just…trying to understand,' Marco claimed. 'Have you ever looked at someone you know and thought they were pretty? Have you ever felt a yearning to see them, to get to know them? Have you ever felt their absence, like you wanted to see them again?'
Adam thought for a moment.
'Yes,' he answered.
Star and Marco exchanged hopeful glances.
'Who was it?' Star wondered.
'Janna,' he answered easily, as if it was obvious. 'I mean…she's pretty, I guess.'
'You "guess"?!' Marco bleated.
'I guess,' Adam said back. 'After the Janna from my world died, I really wanted to see her again. I missed her. I definitely felt her absence. When I saw your Janna, I was really happy. I wanted nothing more than to get to know her. Seeing her again was important to me, but I knew I had to let her come to me first. I'm glad she did.'
'Okay but…' Star drawled. 'Would you ever wanna, like, kiss her? Or for her to kiss you? Would you want her to be intimate with you?'
'What? No!' Adam replied humorously, letting out a gasp of air. It seemed like a completely ridiculous idea to him. 'Janna's my best friend. I've never needed anything more than that.'
Star and Marco slumped in their seats.
'I didn't mean in a friendly way,' Marco told him, defeated.
'So…what? Should I still go to see that girl?' Adam wondered, curious. 'What was her name?'
'Caela,' Star answered, now feeling even more defeated. 'If you want to, I guess. If you feel like making friends.'
Adam frowned. He didn't get why they were suddenly so concerned about his love life. He never felt the need for it. Relationships were neither his area nor his interest. What was the big deal?
He looked up and saw Prince Ignius was eyeing him. More than that, in fact, Ignius was full-on glaring at him. Adam frowned, glaring back at him. Ignius rose from his seat silently and beckoned for the Mewman to follow.
Whatever it was that Prince Ignius was glaring at him for, Adam doubted it was because he wanted to ask him out, too. Then again, given what Star and Marco had said, it seemed he was clueless to any indication of flirting anyway. Something about the angry gait that the prince possessed told him that it probably wasn't that.
Adam followed the prince through the corridors. He eventually found the prince's destination. It was a stone balcony at the top of some steps, overlooking part of the castle gardens. Flowers and leaves adorned the sides of the stone structures, hanging from the archway above. A flickering orange lamp hung from both sides of the top of the roof.
The prince was leaning against the bannister of the balcony, looking far out onto the horizon.
'Er…Prince Ignius, right?' Adam recalled, as he cautiously walked up next to him.
'Who are you?' Ignius demanded, ignoring the question. Adam blinked at the instant question.
'What do you –?'
'I saw you around,' he cut off. 'I can tell that you're a part of the Butterfly Family. Those cheek marks kind of give it away.' Adam's hands instinctively went to the permanent purple hexagons on his cheeks. 'You're not a knight, that's for sure. You don't even look like a squire. So what are you? What do you do for the Butterflies?'
'Why are you asking me?' Adam wondered, folding his arms. 'I mean, it's not obvious what Marco does, either.'
'He's a knight and the personal squire for Star Butterfly,' Ignius replied matter-of-factly. 'This was made clear to us months ago. They never mentioned you.'
'Well…I'm Adam,' he answered awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.
'Adam Butterfly?'
'Uh…sort of.'
Ignius turned around and glared at him.
'What do you mean "sort of"?' He interrogated angrily.
'I'm not related to the family,' Adam outlined. 'That's not why I have the cheek marks.'
The prince frowned. Adam could tell that Ignius was entirely out of his element here. Clearly, he had no idea the reason behind the cheek marks. They were magical, not genetic.
'So how did you get them?' Ignius asked hardly, folding his arms. 'Is there some kind of…initiation?'
'No,' Adam replied, sniggering slightly. 'They're magical. I don't fully understand how it works, but it's something to do with that.'
'So you're not family, and you're not a squire or a manservant,' the prince summarised. 'So what do you do? How come you live in the walls of the Butterfly Castle?'
'Um…' he stuttered, blinking. 'Well, I sort of…ended up here. By accident. Can't get home. So Queen Moon is letting me stay in the castle while I figure out a way back home.'
'She granted you official refuge?' Ignius inquired, earning a wary nod from the warlock. He wasn't sure if it was official, but that was basically what it was. 'So how do you serve the crown?'
'What do you mean?'
'The terms of refuge state that the asylum-seeking individual must partake in duties to the crown,' Prince Ignius explained to him. 'For example, cooking royal foods, fulfilling chores, serving as a knight, serving as a squire, becoming an official manservant, or other work experience. All these duties must be signed off by the Queen herself.'
Adam merely blinked.
'So what duties did you serve to the crown?' Ignius reiterated, frowning at him. Adam averted eye contact, awkwardly trying to dodge the question.
'Er…well, I don't do anything like that –'
'So what do you do?' He demanded agitatedly. 'Do you think that your cheek marks just mean you can get away with doing nothing?'
'What? No!' He disputed pointedly. 'Look, I may not do anything like that, but I assist Star with her magic and –'
'I doubt Princess Star needs any help,' Ignius dismissed critically. 'She has Moon to help her. You are not her magical guide!' He glared at him. 'Your refuge is illegal, and you are a freeloader! Queen Moon should not be sullying her castle with the presence of common peasants like you. My father must hear about this!'
Ignius stormed off.
'Wait, Ignius!' He called out in vain. The prince's thunderous steps echoed through the walls of the castle. Adam sighed and chased after him. 'Ignius! Come back!'
It was feeble to even attempt to stop the prince in his path. Ignius stormed back to the main hall of the castle, where the two families were still eating. The doors to the hall burst open immediately, revealing the prince's angry visage, with Adam in tow.
King Pacem immediately stood up.
'Prince Ignius!' He roared. 'What is the meaning of this?!'
'No, what is the meaning of this?!' He yelled back, pointing at Adam. 'This individual possesses no role in the Butterfly Family! No purpose! He does not serve the crown! He is but an illegal freeloader; a commoner whom Queen Moon allows to live within her castle walls! This is outrageous!'
'Moon?' Pacem asked, turning to face her. 'Is this true?'
'A half-truth,' Queen Moon claimed, her eyes flickering between Adam and Ignius. 'I have been providing refuge to Adam over the past six months in my castle, but it is perfectly legal, I assure you. I will not have your son besmirch me or my kingdom with his accusations! Adam serves a very important purpose in my kingdom. He has done much for the crown.'
'What has he done, then?' The King asked curiously.
Moon paused for a moment. She couldn't exactly tell them that Adam had saved the kingdom from Dark Star, considering how difficult that would be to explain. She also couldn't really point out how Adam located the security breach, when she did not. That would merely undermine her rule.
'He saved the kingdom from a grave threat,' she answered vaguely.
'A grave threat?' Queen Lucetia repeated. 'What do you mean? If your kingdom were in crisis, we would have heard about it.'
'It wasn't a crisis, but Adam has served the crown and proven himself to us. He is invaluable to the kingdom.'
'You aren't convincing me, Moon,' Pacem admitted, rubbing his chin contemplatively.
'She is disrespecting not only us, but the history of the Butterfly Kingdom!' Prince Ignius cut off. 'She brings shame by bringing this filthy commoner to this important meeting!'
'Hey, Adam is not filthy!' Star yelled furiously.
'Ignius, be quiet!' Pacem commanded. 'You may be correct that Queen Moon is harbouring a commoner with questionable purpose, but, ultimately, we are not the police. If Moon claims it is legal and right, then I trust her.'
'Besides,' Queen Lucetia added. 'Being a commoner does not negate his rights. He is no less a Mewman than we are.'
'Thank you,' Adam accepted, his eyes flashing darkly at the prince.
'But–!' Ignius began.
'No,' Pacem cut off. 'You will not shame us any longer.'
'I refuse to accept this!' The prince announced furiously. He turned to Adam. 'By the Ancient Rites of Combat, I hereby challenge you to a trial of vigilance: the War Games!'
'Sorry, what?' Adam gawked. 'The War Games?'
'Prince Ignius, you cannot be serious,' Moon said.
'This is not the right way to solve your problems,' King Pacem disagreed. 'Free this young man from your terms!'
'I shall not!' Ignius ignored. 'You do not control the Rites!'
'A wise ruler does not seek war,' Lucetia mentioned. 'Do you not recall Princess Star's speech from earlier? If you wish to succeed your father, you should listen to us!'
'Can someone explain to me what the hell the War Games are?' Adam enquired pointedly.
'A series of trials of war,' King Pacem explained. 'It's an ancient Mace tradition. Two or more individuals must face a series of deadly challenges until a victor emerges. In olden times, the victor would be determined once the other competitor dies, but we don't do that anymore. Now, we decide from a score-based system.'
Adam didn't really feel like counting his lucky stars that the death part had been changed. There would still be "deadly" challenges.
'Can't I just say no?' He wondered. Ignius laughed.
'No,' Lucetia answered regrettably. 'The Ancient Rites of Combat state that when the War Games are issued, you cannot refuse.'
'Call the War Games off, Pacem,' Moon advised. 'I will not have Adam placed in such deadly danger!'
'I cannot do that, Moon,' the King confessed. 'The Ancient Rites and the War Games are an integral part of our tradition. To ask me to abandon my tradition is to ask you to give up magic. We cannot do that dishonour.'
'So you would rather risk the life of an innocent young man, than contravene your tradition?' Moon clarified disapprovingly, folding her arms. Pacem sighed.
'I am sorry Moon,' he apologised sincerely.
'We wish there were another way,' Lucetia added.
'The terms of the War Games also state a wager should be placed on the trials,' Ignius informed them. 'If I win, we will not sign the Mace Treaty, and the Butterfly Family will be banished from our great kingdom. Permanently!'
'And if I win,' Adam declared, walking over to the side of the table. 'Not only will you sign the Treaty, but I want you to provide me full access to your library of magic, forbidden knowledge included. Everything you have.'
There wasn't really much else he wanted. Just something that could help him figure out how the intermultiversal portals worked, so he could prevent the Dark Butterflies from invading. And possibly attack them.
'I agree to these terms,' Ignius settled reluctantly, reaching an arm out to Adam. 'We must shake hands to seal the challenge.'
Adam swallowed his pride and shook his hand. He looked worriedly at Star, who returned it wholeheartedly.
This was really not how he expected today to turn out.
[26] It's pronounced "Patch-M".
Thanks for reading the latest chapter! I hope it wasn't too boring, considering this whole two-parter involves politics, but my intention is not to shove ideologies down peoples' throats. I know I would hate it too, and I'm not that interested in politics anyway. However, by and large, this plot occurs due to political tensions. To be honest, you kinda have to address it when you have multiple kingdoms in one area.
Tons of things happened in this chapter that I don't even know where to start. 9.4k words.
For starters, Star's depressed. No other way of putting it...I mean, you had to expect this whole experience was going to affect her for a while. This two-parter is going to tackle her depression and resolve some of it, so that she can move on from it. I don't want Star moping all the time, but nevertheless, in this chapter, she's quite unlikeable at times. She lashes out at people and she's highly demotivated. That was by intention.
Got a quick mention of Kelly in there for good measure. Can't believe it took me this long to even bring her up, but she'll be making sparse appearances here and there. I like Kelly, but I'm trying to avoid establishing too many characters. I also got in the reference to the SVTFOE episode Butterfly Trap, however in this continuity, Adam replaced Star. Star was too depressed to go, and I also didn't think adding the discovery of her lineage being a sham would be fair to do to her. She's suffering enough.
It's nice to FINALLY get around to writing the story about the Mace Treaty. The Mace Treaty was first mentioned in Chapter Four of Volume I, and I always intended it to seem like something in the background, until it takes centre stage. Kinda like Chekov's Gun.
I hope you all enjoyed the little character moments as much as I enjoyed writing them. Star and Adam's interactions are particularly enjoyable to write. The scene at the banquet where Star and Marco are trying to explain romance to a clueless Adam was a joy to write. Dude's such an asexual plank of wood lol.
And with this chapter, I introduced the Mace Family. Ignius is the main member of the family I'm gonna focus on, which is why he has conversations at length with both main characters of this story - Adam and Star. He's the catalyst for this episode, besides Adam himself. I never addressed the fact that Adam essentially just lives in the Butterfly Castle rent free. He doesn't have any duties like Marco and Star. Going in, my intentions with this two-parter was to change that, and also to be the reason behind Ignius challenging him to the War Games.
Heads up, there are going to be a lot of character moments in these two episodes. The War Games arc is intended to further the characters' arcs. That's not to say it will be all dialogue. As the War Games described, there are going to be three deadly trials for Adam and Ignius to undertake, so plenty of action. I guess the only downside is that Adam will be casting little to no magic in these next few chapters, but I wanted to establish clearly that Adam is not 100% dependent on his magic, and he can survive without if he had to.
I know this chapter is largely set-up, but I still hope y'all enjoyed it! Thanks for reading! Leave a review if you're inclined.
See you all next time!