A couple years went by, and before long it felt to Craig as if he never had magic in the first place. Early on, his parents told him it was best to not mention it to Tricia. She was too young to clearly remember, so if it was never brought up again she simply wouldn't know. His parents eventually stopped mentioning it entirely, and his neighbors never brought it up to him in the first place. If it weren't for the glares from his two neighbors, it was as if it had been completely forgotten. He himself would have questioned whether or not it was all a false memory if it weren't for how he'd stick out his tongue when he went to the riverside and could see the reflection of his seal mark in the water.

Times did technically get tougher in the village. Shortly after his magic was sealed away, the knights announced that they were at war with the Dark Kingdom. It was a serious one, apparently, with most of the human kingdoms and even the elves joining up to try and stop them. It required the farmers of Sundorham to provide more supplies but crops had been plentiful so it wasn't too much of a loss. Despite supposedly being a huge, brutal war to Craig it was thousands of miles away. Life as he knew it didn't really change at all. It wasn't even that long before the knights announced that they had won. They were given a day off and allowed to feast with the knights, but ultimately for Craig it felt like an unearned celebration.

No, he couldn't remember war against the Dark Kingdom ever affecting him. What did change his life, however, was the announcement not long after the war that a new family was to settle in their little village of Sundorham. Of course, fellow serfs had no say in this sort of thing. They didn't own the land, they couldn't decide who came or went. Yet at the same time, they didn't have to like it.

"Why would a merchant family wish to move here?" he heard a lady gossip as they planted seeds in the fields, "Especially now that the war is over. Who would give up their freedom to move here?"

"I'm sure they have their reasons," he heard his mother reply as she leaned over to continue planting, "Afterall...I did, didn't I?"

"Yes, but Laura dear, that's quite different."

"Is it?" she asked standing straight up to stretch her lower back for a moment. "I came here for family reasons. That's not any different from what this Roger fellow is claiming."

"Sure, but-"

"I think we owe this family the benefit of a chance," she shrugged before going back to work. Craig continued planting his own seeds beside them, taking in their words.

When the new family finally arrived, it was clear that even if Craig had lived in a village large enough to nott know everyone, the family would have stood out like a sore thumb making it clear it was them. It wasn't a large family-only a father and son-and they were both far better dressed than anyone else and carrying more possessions on their cart than any serf family owned. It was pretty standard for serfs to only have brown sack cloth clothing, but the boy's shirt was bright red. Not a rich boy's shirt by any means, but to Craig at the time it looked very nice.

The boy's face was incredibly puffy as if he had been crying. Craig figured probably from the stress of moving. He didn't want a crybaby around, but at this point he couldn't really blame him. The boy grabbed his father's arm as one of the village elders showed them around and directed them to a new house. It had belonged to an older couple who hadn't survived the previous winter. It was already dusk, so Craig decided that he wouldn't try to speak to the new family until the following morning. Being the same age they were to be paired up, so to speak, and starting the next day he was expected to assist the boy in getting used to life in Sundorham.

"So you're from that new family, huh?" Craig introduced himself bright and early.

"Um, I guess so," the boy said. Up close, Craig he could see that he was young. Probably about Craig's own age but stockier and healthier compared to his own malnourished self. The boy's brown hair was messy, but it was shiny.

"You don't seem like the rest of us," he commented, "I don't get why someone like you join our village." The boy looked confused, scared even. Too much so to answer. "I mean if you don't want to talk and fit in that's your problem, new kid," Craig shrugged and turned back around to his own place.

"I'm Clyde," the boy suddenly called out, trying to stop Craig from leaving.

"I didn't ask who you were," Craig turned around, "I asked why you'rehere."

"Why are you here?" the boy questioned back.

"I was born here, obviously," Craig raised an eyebrow. "Most of us are born here and don't have a choice. Not that it's any of your business, but my mom's an exception. She came here because she liked my dad or whatever. She had a reason. What's yours?"

"Um," the boy thought, "I guess because my mom died. My dad wanted us to have a safe, steady life or something."

"That's dumb."

"How's it dumb?" Clyde scrunched his face offendedly, "Who are you to say I don't belong here?"

"Chill out," Craig rolled his eyes, "I didn't say you don't belong here."

"You said our reasons were dumb."

"That's different," Craig shrugged.

"You seem like you don't like me being here," Clyde frowned.

"Nah, it's a small village, hating you would just cause trouble," Craig explained, "And there aren't really other boys our age, so I should probably get to know you. You should learn to not be offended by everything I say when I'm just trying to ask you stuff."

The other boy's face lit up, "Does that mean you wanna be friends?"

"I haven't decided yet. If you don't annoy me too much, maybe."

"Oh thank god!" the boy's face instantly became flooded with tears of joy, "I was afraid I was going to be all alone here."

He wondered what sort of life the boy had lived. Afterall, Craig had spent his entire life so far alone and without a single friend.

"I said maybe."

He introduced Clyde to basic farming tools and how to use them. He was incredibly reckless and useless, dropping them all over the place. Craig had to duck a few times from him swinging around the sharp blades. It was kind of annoying, even Tricia at her young age and lack of concern for farming was better than that. Hell, his mother grew up a noble didn't she? Yet she was just as competent of a farmer as everyone else.

Still, as he went to bed that night annoyed at the new kid's uselessness and airheadedness. Yet, as he laid there that night a single phrase played over and over in his head.

"Why are you here?"

He had instinctively answered that he was born here, and it was true. Yet at the same time, if he was to think harder upon it, why was he here? His magic was sealed away, but he was still technically magical. He should have been taken away when he was one years old. Why wasn't he? His family would never answer, which led him to stop asking.

He thought with his magic sealed he would feel like he had more of a place in this society. Yet he didn't. Well, in some respects he did. He no longer had to worry about hurting anyone or anything with magic. As long as he didn't stick his tongue out, he didn't have to worry about any officials finding out and taking him away. He could finally blend in without fear, be it from himself or to anyone else.

Yet it still felt so...fake.

"So, like...you guys just do this everyday?" Clyde asked a few days in.

"What do you mean?" Craig asked, leaning on his rake.

"Farming. All day, every day?"

"We have days off," he shrugged. The next one was coming up the day after tomorrow.

"Yeah, but you can't leave or anything, right? You're just hanging around your village."

"Sometimes we go to the river," Craig added.

"That's not that exciting."

Craig furrowed his brows, "Well sorry, but that's how we live."

"And...you're okay with that?"

"I've never known anything else," Craig frowned as he started raking the soil again.

"Don't you want to?" Clyde pressed on, "It's a big world out there. Are you telling me you're not curious?"

"Not really," he answered honestly without stopping or looking up from the soil. He never really thought about it. This was his life. His life he wanted so desperately to fit into perfectly. Why would he even think about leaving, especially when he knew by now that he wouldn't ever be permitted to anyway?

"Well, not me," Clyde announced, still not getting back to work, "This is just going to be a temporary thing for me."

"It doesn't work that way," Craig rolled his eyes with a huff, "Once you become a serf you can't just back out."

"We'll see about that."

Craig stopped and stood up straight. "Okay, say you do get out. What are you planning on doing? Who would take you?"

Clyde thought for a moment. "Well, to be fair my original life plans did kind of get shattered forever. But I don't know, I think I can make do. Maybe I'll go to the sea and become a pirate."

"A pirate," Craig blinked, instantly amazed at how stupid this boy was.

"I said maybe," Clyde pouted with a blush.

Craig couldn't remember exactly when Clyde went from a nuisance to a friend. It was gradual, but probably a lot quicker than he admitted to himself at the time. Clyde was still an incompetent farmer, but at least he'd sometimes put forth half hearted effort.

Still, even if he was annoying and barely actually helped, Craig felt a lot happier with him around. He hadn't even realized just how lonely he was until another peer came into his life. Someone his age to talk to, to vent to, to even joke around with. He overheard his parents mention how much happier he seemed to be ever since Clyde came to town, and Craig couldn't disagree. Perhaps for once he felt like a normal kid.

"Do you have any secrets?" Clyde asked. It was one of their days off. The two of them went out on their own far from everyone else and laid down on an open field to watch the clouds alone.

"What do you mean?" Craig asked, taking his eyes from the sky to look at him.

"You know, stuff you're not supposed to tell anyone," Clyde explained.

"I know what a secret is, idiot," Craig frowned, throwing a handful of dead grass at his friend.

"Hey!" Clyde protested, brushing the grass off. Craig bit the inside of his mouth to fight back a grin. Clyde rolled his eyes and laid back down. "Well," he finally continued, "Do you?"

"I guess kind of," Craig shrugged, looking back up at the sky, "I mean a lot of people know it. It's just that certain people can't know it and I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to bring it up again."

"Do I already know?" Clyde asked, looking over to his friend, his brown eyes sparkling with interest

"No," Craig replied.

Clyde frowned. "Am I one of the people who can't know?" he asked.

"Not exactly."

"Then tell me!" he demanded a little too ecstatically, a large grin growing on his face. Craig looked over to his friend for a moment, and then looked back up to the sky.

"I shouldn't."

"What? Why not?!" Clyde pouted, "I'm your friend! Don't you trust me?"

"It's not that…"

"If you tell me your secret, I'll tell you one of mine!" Clyde pushed.

"I probably won't care about your secret," Craig rolled his eyes.

"I'm pretty sure any secret of mine is far worse than any of yours," Clyde told him confidently.

"I'm not so sure about that."

"Try me," he sat up, putting his hands on his hips.

"Since you're not going to let it go, then fine," Craig furrowed his brows and sat up. "I-"

He paused. He didn't know exactly what Clyde thought of magic. What if he hated magic and magic users? What if he thought he should be sent away? Would it ruin their entire relationship if he knew?

"C'mon, I promise I won't judge you," Clyde whined.

"I...I had magic."

Craig didn't even realize he instinctively squeezed his eyes shut until he heard Clyde make a strange noise. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked over to his friend. He was rolling over laughing.

"What's so funny?" Craig found himself turning red. Did he not believe him? He had the mark under his tongue to prove it. Did he think magic was a laughing matter? He could have been taken away as a small child if he had been discovered. Did he think it was funny that it was "taken away" as if he "lost" his magic like one loses a misplaced glove? Once again, he had the mark to show exactly how it happened intentionally.

"Me too!" Clyde continued laughing. Craig blinked.

"What do you mean 'me too'?"

"I mean I had magic too!" he calmed down, wiping away a few tears from his eyes.

"Really?" Craig asked skeptically.

"Yes, really!"

"You have a seal, too?" Craig asked, "Did they put it under your tongue like me?"

"Huh? No, mine wasn't sealed away," Clyde tilted his head, laughter completely gone, "It was completely wiped."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, if it's sealed away, it can be unsealed obviously," Clyde explained in the same condescending tone Craig usually gave him, "But if it's wiped, it's wiped. For good."

Craig pondered this for a moment. It was very possible Clyde was lying to him.

"So you're saying if I rip my seal…?"

"You'd get your magic back just as it was," Clyde shrugged, "Simple as that. I'm guessing they didn't tell you that because they don't want you to. Where is yours, anyway?"

"Under my tongue," Craig explained. He stuck out his tongue upwards to show him.

"Amazing," Clyde leaned in to look at his seal. He reached forward to grab his tongue, but Craig smacked his dirty hand away. Still, Clyde bent his head and looked at it carefully. "Sealing away magic is really rare, you know. One, a sharp cut through it will break it. Two, because it's so dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Craig asked, putting his tongue back in his mouth.

"Yeah, it requires a lot of dark magic," Clyde explained, "It can very easily backfire and instead of sealing away the magic, it can corrupt it and the user forever. People have done that on purpose to people to turn them into abominations, but it rarely ends well because they're not going to listen to the person who casts it or anything. The only option is to try and kill the newly corrupted person before they get away."

"Then why does anyone do it?" Craig found himself shocked.

"Well, skilled enough people are able to do it successfully. You obviously came out okay. But a lot of people aren't willing to risk it and anyway and even if it technically makes you undetectable to magic tests, it's not like Kupa accepts that as being suddenly non-magical when a flick of a blade can undo it...which is why it's under your tongue and not on your back or something. Though knowledge about it is pretty rare in human kingdoms, so I'm surprised your parents both knew about it and knew someone who could do it."

"Then why use it at all?"

"From what I've heard, it's usually used not to hide magic but to...hold magical people back."

"Hold them back?"

"Well yeah," he said, "Normal magic users can just...you know, not use their magic. But very rarely there are magic users who have too much of it that they can't. Or, I guess they could learn just like anyone else, but that's not the path they want to go down."

"I couldn't control my magic," Craig found himself saying. More to himself than to Clyde.

"Wow you must be really powerful then," Clyde practically glowed.

"I don't care about that. I couldn't be happier over the fact that it's sealed away and I'll never have to deal with it again."

"Man, that's so boring," Clyde frowned.

"And what about you?" Craig asked, changing the subject, "How your magic was just wiped away. Why isn't that just standard?"

"It can't be," he sighed, turning away to stare up at the sky, "If it was possible to be standard, I'm sure it would be. The Grand Wizard would cast it on everyone in Zaron if he had free reign to. I mean...he does have the method to, it's just the royalty keep him in check."

"But the royalty are okay with babies being taken from their families, aren't they? Why wouldn't they be okay with him or others casting that ritual?"

"It's not a ritual, and it's not about that," Clyde turned more grim, "No magic user, no matter how powerful can do a ritual like that. It contradicts the entire nature of magic. There's just one thing that allows magic users to break those rules."

"He broke the rules for you specifically?" Craig leaned away, "Geez dude, how powerful were you?"

"Not just me," Clyde insisted, "I actually didn't have that much. It was a bunch of people."

"Are you going to be cagey, or are you gonna tell me?" Craig asked, getting mildly annoyed.

Clyde lifted up a finger. "Not fair, I've told you more than one secret. You're going to have to do better than that to get more out of me."

At first, everything Clyde told him was a lot to take in. When he went to bed that night, he sat awake questioning if Clyde was playing a joke on him. Yet, he seemed to know quite a lot of specifics to the extent that made it very difficult to believe he made everything up.

Yet once he determined Clyde was telling the truth, everything sort of seemed to change. Clyde was the first peer he related to in general, but now they also had the shared experience of being former magic users in a kingdom that looked down upon them.

At the same time, the two's feelings towards magic couldn't have been any more different.

"Why don't you break your seal?" Clyde asked him.

"Why would I?" Craig asked him with a heavy groan.

"I was formally trained in magic, you know," he insisted, "I could help you control it."

"Even if I did trust your probably terrible teaching skills...No."

"Why not?" Clyde asked him dumbfoundedly.

"I don't need magic. I don't want it. If I could have it permanently taken from me like it was from you, I would. What use would it be to me here, anyway?"

"It would make life here less boring," Clyde offered.

"Not interested."

"Okay, what if you leave this place? What if you move to a place where it would be perfectly acceptable for you to be a magic user and you could get a teacher who you could trust more than me?"

"I'm not leaving Sundorham but even if I ever did...still not interested."

"What if it was a life or death situation?" he pressed further, "Where the only way to live would be to use your magic?"

"I guess I'd die then."

"We can't keep living like this, Craig."

"I know Clyde."

"You know, if you broke your seal and used your magic, you could get us a place to live. Or even if not that, you could at least make us goddamn food to eat."

"I'm sorry Clyde."

Life on the streets of Kupa City were difficult, far more difficult than Craig had ever expected. And he figured life here was going to be difficult to begin with.

"Why are you so stubborn about this?" Clyde sat up from the wet blanket he had been laying down on, "Do you have any idea how much of a gold mine you are sitting on? One little cut and you can free us from all of this. But no, you just have to be stubborn like always, even if it kills both of us."

"I'm not going to let you die, Clyde," Craig shook his head, "But using my magic isn't the answer. If anything, it just puts us in more danger."

"Bullshit," Clyde spat. It was then he started coughing heavily again. Craig instantly went down on his knees to the cold, wet alley corner they slept in and pulled the damp blanket over his sick friend. Clyde smacked his hand away. "Don't help me unless you're going to help for real!"

Craig sighed sadly as he stood back up.

He understood why Clyde felt as he did. He had magic once, magic he could control in a kingdom that didn't vilify him for it. He never accidentally hurt the ones he loved with it. Clyde would do anything for his magic back. Of course Craig would seem foolish for just giving it up, not using it even in dire circumstances.

But he was still wrong.

It was at that time he first began thieving. It was out of desperation and he knew it was incredibly dangerous. But in his mind, it was far less dangerous than him attempting to use magic as Clyde had wished him to. Plus, he had a natural talent for it unlike his inability to control his magic. He had been able to use it to get Clyde medicine to help him get well, to get them supplies, and would eventually help them get a roof over their head. Maybe it wasn't good. But it was definitely justified.

He especially never regretted becoming a thief over the alternative.

Clyde didn't disagree with him thieving. It did help them out quite a deal, so it would have been silly for him to object, afterall. This was the boy who talked about being a pirate, there was no reason morally for him to object as well.

Still, Clyde's desire for Craig to unleash his magic never went away.

"We could do it, y'know," Clyde would say.

"Do what?" Craig raised an eyebrow as he put their dinner on their shabby table. Dinner that he stole for them in their apartment they had only just moved into a few days prior. They were still young, children in the eyes of most of the city. Still, money was money so the man at the tanning shop had allowed them to move in.

"You know how I said my plans were ruined by losing my magic?" Clyde said as he tore off a chunk of bread from the loaf in front of him, "I think I take that back."

"I thought you said it wasn't possible to get your magic back," Craig leaned back in his chair.

"Well, yeah. I probably still can't do that," he said with his mouth full, "But I'm thinking I don't need my magic."

"Didn't you say you'd need magic to get your kingdom restored?" Craig rolled his eyes, "The kingdom you still won't ever name to me."

"Yeah, but I've been thinking-"

"You? Thinking? Sounds dangerous."

Clyde frowned. "I've been thinking...Magic is needed and all, but it doesn't have to be me specifically."

"Well, I hope you find someone willing to help you because it's definitely not going to be me," Craig replied bluntly as he ate some of his own food.

"C'mon man," Clyde sulked, "Just imagine it."

"Imagine what?"

"You and me. Running an entire kingdom. I'll be the king, and you'll be my loyal mage and right hand man right at my side."

"Still not interested."

"Why not?" Clyde pushed, "We would be free from this nonsense. Able to break away from this shitty kingdom once and for all. No more hiding, no more having to pretend to be something we're not. You could be you again. No more Feldspar but instead just...Craig. Craig, a guy born with magic who doesn't have anything to be ashamed of."

"I don't want to be defined by my magic," Craig scowled.

"But do you want to have to keep living in fear, knowing that so many people here would kill you for it without a second thought?"

"Well, no, of course not-"

"In my kingdom, it wouldn't matter if you had magic. In fact, you'd be celebrated for it. I know you're afraid because of how much pressure it puts on you, how you hurt your sister, but just think about what would have happened if you grew up in a world that didn't outcast you for it."

"I don't want to think about it," Craig replied as he balled his hands into fists.

"Well fine," Clyde frowned, "Then don't think about it like that. Think about it in terms of...everything else. How even if we weren't born as a magic users how much we would still have to hide in this kingdom. Think about how you were born into a village that you were the property of. How you couldn't leave, how none of us could leave. How that obsessive bitch wants them to hunt us down to make us her property again. How so many in other villages still are forced to live in those terrible conditions. How we're forced to live here."

"What's your point?" Craig looked up at him skeptically, loosening his fists slightly.

"Well, if I'm a king and you're my right hand man, we wouldn't have to live like that anymore. Obviously."

"So what? We'd be just as bad as Kupa then?" Craig let out a laugh of disbelief, "You want me to become what I hate?"

"Well, if we controlled everything, obviously we…" Clyde thought long and hard, "We wouldn't have to have the kingdom set up like that!" he raised a finger.

"Go on," Craig's eyes narrowed.

"Well, if I'm King then obviously I make the rules, right?" Clyde offered as it was clear he finally got Craig's attention, "I could make things more uh...equaltarian."

"It's egalitarian."

"Right, that," Clyde nodded, "I'd make the rules so there's no serfs or whatever. None of that."

Craig glanced at him long and hard for a moment before looking away.

"It's not going to happen, anyway," he sighed as he took a bite of food, "You can't just storm in and reform a kingdom."

After that, Clyde only briefly pushed the issue again. Craig knew he hadn't given it up, but that he was more than likely not wanting to sour him on the idea anymore. Craig wasn't stupid, Clyde knew that he was open to listening once he said the right words. Perhaps he was waiting to try and think of a "realistic" way to play out his plans to then share them to Craig again.

Craig thought it was ridiculous. How could the two of them just be expected to reclaim some destroyed kingdom? Craig using his magic to do so? He barely knew how to do anything with his abilities when he had them. Sure he had raw potential, but what did that even mean?

Plus, he didn't want to use magic. He wanted it sealed away forever. If Clyde took back his kingdom...then good for him! But he wasn't willing to just become some shitty mage for him. Not to mention, they were still in the eyes of most just kids. Too inexperienced for that sort of responsibility.

Craig sat under the statue he had at that point recently come to enjoy sitting under as he ate lunch many days.

He loved Clyde, but he wasn't always the smartest person he knew. He meant well, but he always had unrealistic delusions of grandeur. He wasn't sure which kingdom his mother was from, but part of him highly doubted that she was actually royalty like he claimed. He was probably just some low level noblewoman, but Clyde just wanted to build her up to be even greater in his head.

He also realized that he actually still knew very little about Clyde, despite all they had been through.

He leaned back against the statue. It was a sunny day, but it provided a nice amount of shade. He could take a nap for a few moments.

That was, until he was interrupted.

"Craig…?" a voice called out.

Craig shot up instantly. It wasn't normal to hear his real name from anyone who wasn't Clyde, and that female voice most definitely wasn't him.

Instead, it was that green haired woman. Lady McDaniels, the woman who owned Sundorham.

Clyde and him had seen her several times around, and he knew exactly who she was upon first sight. She didn't take the destruction of the village well at all, demanding that Kupa City rebuild and bring back her workers to her. Workers she had insisted escaped. There was worry that she may recognize Clyde as he had met her before they moved to the village, but Craig never had any reason to suspect that he could be recognized. He hadn't even recalled seeing this woman before he came to the city.

Yet there she was, calling him by his real name.

"Sorry, my name is Feldspar," Craig tried to answer as naturally as possible, ignoring the pounding in his chest.

"No that can't be," she shook her head, slowly and cautiously approaching him, "You're Craig."

"Lady, I'm sorry but you must be confusing me for someone else," he slowly started to stand up. There were walls and thick shrubbery three of the four sides around him. He wasn't sure how he could run away from this one. But unless he could convince her, he would have to. Fast.

"Don't lie to me," her surprised expression grew angry, "I know exactly who and what you are."

"And what might that be?" he tried to answer with forced irritation in his voice. He tried to stay calm. Afterall, it was possible that she knew another Craig.

"You are Craig, son of Thomas and Laura," she declared, "From Sundorham. My Sundorham."

"You're crazy, lady," Craig did his best to keep his composure, but he could hear the tone in his voice slipping into fear. He couldn't get caught here and now. He wasn't just going to let this lady ruin the life him and Clyde were just starting to get stabilized.

"Craig, I know you must be frightened by this and wonder how I know what I do," she told him, "But believe me when I say I do."

"Enough!" he practically yelled, "Just lay off my back already. My name is Feldspar."

"I'm sorry, Craig, but I'm going to have to ask you to come with me," she came ever closer, reaching out an arm to him.

"The hell I will!"

"That wasn't a request. Now come with-"

Mid sentence she froze, her eyes growing large with shock. A slight amount of blood pooled out of her mouth. Craig didn't understand what happened.

A moment later she fell face down to the ground. It was then he could see that a knife had stabbed her from behind. Craig froze with fear, staring at the gaping wound on her. Trembling, he looked up to see if there were any signs of the attacker.

Instead he saw Clyde.

"I guess I came just in time," Clyde said with a smirk.

"Did you just-Did you just kill her?"

"If I didn't, she would have just taken you away," Clyde shrugged like it was nothing, "I basically just saved your life. You're welcome."

"But you could have just-"

"If you ran away, she would have still searched for you," Clyde told him as he took his blade out from out of her body, "You told her your name and all, so it wouldn't have taken her very long to find you."

"Still, I just-You just-" Craig shook his head, unable to comprehend what had just happened, "You just murdered her."

"I guess so, yeah," Clyde agreed without looking back up. He wiped the blood off the blade onto his shirt. The red of his shirt caused it to blend in, making it impossible to tell that it was covered in blood.

"How are you so...calm about this?"

Clyde gave a deep sigh as he returned his cleaned blade to his belt.

"I think it's time I tell you where I'm really from."

"Now I know you're bullshitting me," Craig crossed his arms. They were back in their small apartment sitting on Craig's makeshift bed. They hadn't gotten either of them any form of mattress yet.

"It's true."

"You're not from the fucking Dark Kingdom, Clyde."

"I am," he insisted.

"No you're not," Craig insisted back.

"I'm actually surprised you didn't figure it out earlier."

"Fuck off," Craig frowned, getting genuinely irritated.

"C'mon think about it," Clyde groaned, "I came just after the war ended. I told you my mom's kingdom was destroyed."

"You told me your family was targeted because it was a Kupa-foreign family."

"And that's true, because any time that happens it is illegal. But...I did mislead you for my dad's and my safety."

"Okay well...The Queen of the Dark Kingdom had a daughter, not a son. Explain that."

"Yeah, my sister," Clyde frowned sadly, "She was killed. You knew that."

"Then why-"

"She was the heir to the throne" he explained, "For that reason, I was able to be kept under wraps."

"But your dad-"

"During the war, they were going to kill me," Clyde looked down at his feet, his eyebrows furrowed with anger, "Because of course people who mattered found out."

"But you got away?"

"They said they felt pity for me," he looked back up at Craig, "That I was just a child." His gaze grew more intense. "Well, they're going to regret that decision one day. They took everything from me. My family, my kingdom, my magic, my throne...They even allowed my new home to get destroyed!"

"But wasn't the Dark Kingdom...bad?" Craig brought himself to ask. He knew it wasn't the most tactful question, but he had to have that cleared up.

"Are you going to tell me that the Kingdom of Kupa Keep isn't?" Clyde scoffed, "Or the High Elf Kingdom, a kingdom that prides themselves on being so advanced and civil but burned villagers alive for the sake of some pointless war? Or what about the barbarians, who skin and eat people alive for merely trying to cross their land? Are you really going to say any of them are good?"

"Well, no, of course not," Craig agreed, "But it's just...As bad as all those things are, it seemed like common knowledge that the Dark Kingdom was...well, worse. Like of all the disagreements in Zaron between kingdoms of all races, that seemed to be one thing universally agreed on."

"Okay, maybe we were," Clyde finally allowed, "In our own way. I guess."

"In your own way?"

"Well first of all, we didn't fear dark magic, we embraced it," Clyde explained, "We didn't fear the darkness in general. But on the other hand, I don't think any kingdom really does. They all parade about talking about how moral, civilized, and honorable they are...but are they really? The Dark Kingdom just...was what it was. They didn't try to hide behind some fake sense of morality. They're not like Kupa, how they argue that ripping babies was for the greater good when in reality it is and always has been for the Wizard's ego."

"But does that make them...better?"

"If you want transparency and no bullshit, then I'd argue yes."

"Still," Craig tried to take this all in, "Even if they're transparent about bad things, they're still...bad. They shouldn't just be excused, should they?"

"Maybe not," Clyde shrugged, "But you're forgetting the part where I'm the heir to the throne."

"No, I'm not," Craig frowned.

"Okay, fine, whatever," Clyde rolled his eyes, "You're forgetting the implications of me being the heir to the throne."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, like we talked about earlier. If I'm king and you're my mag-right hand man, together we can make new rules, can't we?"

"I mean I guess but-"

"What do you mean you guess?" Clyde crossed his arms, "Of course we can. We can reform the Dark Kingdom into whatever we want. All that stuff you complain about Kupa, you can reform the Dark Kingdom to be everything that Kupa's not. I mean, maybe we can even expand the kingdom, taking over all of Zaron to be some uh...whatever you want it to be."

"The Dark Kingdom was completely destroyed once," Craig reminded him, "Who is to say they don't do it again?"

Clyde smiled. "I have an idea."

"Tell me then," Craig pushed.

"Nope, not yet!" he laughed.

Still, despite his better judgements and lack of a concrete plan Craig agreed. Maybe, that is. Potentially.

Despite Clyde said, unrevealed plan, over the following years he only occasionally would mention their intended goal. He claimed that he had to wait for the right moment, even if it took years and years of waiting. Craig was annoyed that Clyde didn't ever tell him any more than that, but he accepted it. It was especially easy when he told himself he didn't fully commit to the idea anyway.

"There won't be any serfdoms in the Dark Kingdom, right?" Craig brought up in passing once a few days after Clyde first told him.

"Of course not," Clyde would laugh, "I know you wouldn't agree to this otherwise."

"I know but-" Craig paused, thinking of what to say, "I dunno, I don't really trust power much."

"Really Craig?" Clyde looked incredibly offended, "Not even me? You think I'm that untrustworthy with power?"

"I mean I don't trust you to make our dinner," Craig teased.

"I'm serious, Craig," his eyes remained narrowed at him.

"C'mon, what do you think?" Craig rolled his eyes.

"Say you trust me," Clyde continued to eye him.

"What?"

"Say it."

"No."

"Say it."

"Fine," Craig scowled, "I trust you."

"Good," Clyde's glare turned into a smile.

He did trust him. In fact, he was the only person he could really trust. And Clyde liked to remind him of that frequently over the years.

It's just that his whole life he had trouble accepting power. Though perhaps Clyde was right. He knew him, he trusted him. He shouldn't be thinking like that.

"You don't exactly have the best street smarts," Craig said offhandedly once.

"If it weren't for me, you'd have wandered in saying your identity," Clyde scoffed, "You'd be slaving away in the 'workforce'. I mean even if not then, it woulda happened when you allowed yourself to get noticed by Lady McDaniels."

"Yeah, but if it weren't for me you'd have died sick on the streets," Craig crossed his arms annoyedly. Clyde was never going to let him live that down, would he?

"Okay, fine you helped," Clyde allowed, "But unlike you I'm able to actually socialize with people here. You can't get along with anyone but me. Even back in Sundorham, you've never been able to get along with anyone but me because you're kind of a huge asshole."

"I'm not a people person. Some people just aren't. I'd say it's helped me survive."

"Just admit that you need me," Clyde crossed his arms.

"Fuck off."

"Hey, stop being a dick," Clyde frowned, "You're my best friend. I don't mean that in a bad way."

Craig knew he was right. He never got along with anyone, being an outcast in his village with no one his own age until Clyde came along. He was an impersonal thief who worked based on contract, not making relationships knowing that he would betray them if someone gave him a higher offer. Hell, he even made it on the bad side of the law enforcement in this city, as they knew without proof he was a thief and suspected him of murder. Even if he was involved with the murder of Lady McDaniels, he didn't actually do it, Clyde did. Yet, he couldn't be the least bit mad that he was the suspect.

Clyde murdered someone to protect him. Clyde understood what it was like to be a secret magic user. Clyde knew what it was like to be a serf. After all these years, Clyde was the only one who understood him, who could tolerate him.

Clyde also promised that he would take them out of this world, didn't he? That they could live a better life, giving Craig everything that he could ever reasonably want. In turn, what did Craig even do? Snark back at him? Belittle his intelligence? Get overly jealous when he brought his girlfriend home? Refuse to use his magic even when Clyde would layout how much it would help them?

"Alright," Craig responded with an annoyed sigh, "You win. You're right. I do need you."

"Thank you," Clyde gave a playfully serious nod.

"And you know, I've been thinking," Craig instinctively fiddled with his necklace, "About what you've always said."

"I've said a lot."

"About...magic," he let out, "You know, I still don't like the idea of ever using magic and...don't think I'm going to break the seal anytime soon. But...Once we're about to take over the Dark Kingdom...and only then...I think I'll break it."

Clyde's eyes lit up, "That's great!"

"I'm serious," Craig threw his hands up, "Not a moment before, okay?"

"You are going to be the fiercest and most powerful Dark Mage Zaron has ever seen."

"I know you might not like this, but hear me out," Clyde pressed a few years later.

"If you know I won't like it, why should I?"

Clyde ignored him. "I know you think we should take our time setting up our own kingdom before expanding to the rest of Zaron."

"Yes, that's the reasonable thing to do," Craig raised an eyebrow.

"But you see," Clyde continued to ignore him, "The thing is...my secret uh, method, to getting our power is a lot more convenient than you think."

"And you're still not going to tell me what it is?"

"Don't worry, you'll find out on your own, I promise," Clyde raised his hands up defensively, "But if I told you now you wouldn't even believe me."

"Well, go on with what you want to now then," Craig groaned.

"I've been vague, but what will give us power...it's the same thing that took mine away."

"Alright."

"So what I'm saying is, I've been hesitant to tell you, but it really will be...that simple. You can just undo everything"

"Then why don't we do it now?" Craig asked skeptically.

"Obviously, if I could, I would," Clyde sounded annoyed, "But I don't have it yet...and you're going to have to do it with your magic by the way. But don't worry, it'll be incredibly easy."

"Alright," Craig repeated, "But what was that you were saying about expanding?"

"Oh right!" Clyde clapped his hands together, "About that. It really will be that simple so…"

"So?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Why not just have our revenge right from the beginning?" he offered, "I think having a big entrance on the global stage, so to speak, would set a big president."

"You're making it sound like we're the bad guys," Craig leaned back with mild disgust.

"Aren't we?" Clyde asked with a genuine expression, "I mean we're already scam artists. You're a professional thief. We've murdered someone. You're kind of a heartless asshole, aren't you?"

"I'm an asshole, but I never thought of myself as a bad person."

"I hate to break it to you, but you kind of are," Clyde laughed, "I mean c'mon, I told you when I first explained the Dark Kingdom that our motto is to be upfront with that sorta thing. None of this feigning morality where there is none. You steal prized possessions from people and double cross them. There isn't a single person you're genuinely kind to, including me."

"Yeah, but-"

"Just accept it, dude," Clyde laughed even harder, "You're a terrible person."

"I-" Craig found himself unable to find a response to Clyde.

Was he wrong? He wanted to say he was, but was he? Everything he had just said about him was true. He did steal for a living, not really caring about the feelings of those he stole from. He wasn't a kind person. He did plan on reviving a kingdom that had done unspeakably horrible things.

Sure, he would make the kingdom better than that, he told himself. Him and Clyde wouldn't be as low as the nobility and royalty of Kupa or the High Elf Kingdom.

He stole from nobles, not caring about their feelings because he felt they deserved it. They had their riches, and he merely took from them what they shouldn't have had in the first place. When so many had nothing because of them, why should he care about their sorrows over losing one of many of their possessions.

Did that extend to him as a co-ruler of the Dark Kingdom? These other kingdoms, their nobles destroyed the Dark Kingdom, they destroyed poor serf villages. Why did they get to continue life as usual without any fear of repercussions? Wasn't it the same line of reasoning as him stealing?

Maybe it did make him a bad person. Yet at the same time, it was justified. Wasn't it?

"I guess you're right," Craig replied.