(Eraklyon)

Sky had been busy pacing the halls of the remaining portion of Eraklyon's palace, for hours now… In desperate hope that the ruts he had created in the floor would fix the problems; so he wouldn't have to. Unfortunately, all the ruts did for him, was get too deep, and thus make him move to another place and hope that the new rut in the floor would work.

"What in all the realms could have done this!" The king shouted, backing poor captain Dosian into a corner. His eyes obviously relaying death to the man, if he were to give the wrong answer.

"I don't know sir..." The captain replied, stuttering on each word. And; himself praying that his king would find enough comfort in the floor-ruts, to spare his life.

Apparently Sky didn't notice the incompetent answer, for his attention was still fully on the non-existent tiles. "What imbecile would even think of doing this now?(!)" Sky's eyes flashed a spine-chilling navy blue. "We've destroyed half the planets and they still do this? WHO!(?)"

"I don't know Your Highness, honestly!" Dosian told him clumsily.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Sky burst, "You're the highest ranking captain in my army! You should have had people here protecting Eraklyon from this exact thing!" He finally stopped pacing for a second so he could stare at the captain contemptuously. "You know, Dosian, I do so believe that the hangman's noose has been feeling a bit lonely lately… Hmm, or maybe the guillotine's blade needs a companion?"

Dosian's face became insipid as he realized what the metaphor meant exactly… He then screamed; "I did sir, I swear it! There were…" Sky cut him off.

"Then how did this person get past your guards in the first place?" The King stared ominously at the captain.

"Well..." Dosian started.

"Well what?" Sky said like a half crazed stalker.

"Um, we did have guards here but..." He trailed off again. His fear had gotten the better of him again as he realized how stupid the answer was.

"But what, Dosian?" Sky said and took a step towards the man. Yet the king remained unanswered.

He finally became impatient and decided the best way to get his answer was to threaten the poor man, deciding that his material would have to consist of the only thing the captain had. "Tell me now or I shall strip you of your rank!"

Dosian finally gave in and continued the sentence from where he had left off "But..." He paused, fear tingling through every hair on his body. "They were not fully trained sir..."

"WHAT! You had a bunch of low-lifers guarding this place? The most important planet in the galaxies?" That's an overstatement if I've ever heard one, the real Sky thought to himself from somewhere deep inside his seemingly emotionless body.

Dosian let his head hang down like a freshly rebuked puppy, then fell to his knees as if to worship his King.

The King sighed abstractedly and went on. "No matter... It's definitely not the worst mistake you've ever made." Sky's voice rang a little differently after the first two words….

The captain didn't notice though, being that he was overly happy with the fact that he wasn't going to die today… With that the captain kissed the toe of the king's shoe and backed up in retreat.

As Dosian backed off down the road Sky snapped his head round to look over his shoulder to make sure that he was not leaving a trail or being pursued, then shot off in a dead run towards; and into the woods.

His short hair whipped around his forehead and shoulders behind him as he entered the forest and hid behind the first tree that was large enough to conceal his broad shoulders...

Finally feeling safe, he gasped for breath as he let his body sink towards the dirt so he could sit and lean his back against the tree.

"What in all shit? How did I get out of that spell?" The thought took a long time in coming but it eventually did, and when it did, he did not find it pretty.

I'm not free... My blast-it Mother just let it slip with-out knowing... I'll not be safe much longer, that is, if I'm even safe now...

It all came back to him in one rushing instant after he figured that out... All of it came back… All that he had seen and heard behind the impenetrable filmy layer of the unyielding spell.

Musa's face as she died from the draught of gaseous harmoine, the way it had looked as though she had felt actual sympathy for him… And he then remembered what she had said to him; If she knew you were under this spell… She would do anything and everything to save you!

That reminded him about Bloom in her bird-form, sitting silently and cocking her head at him as he pet her.

"Dear god!" Sky yelled. "I must get to Bloom and tell her the truth!" Then he let his mind wander for a second.

What if she won't listen to me?

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Know 'twas short, but makes all the better for a good cliffie!

-(If it changed like it's supposed to) Rose-Petal