Michele was pacing back and forth in a patch of forest not far from the newly discovered encampment when he heard a familiar screech. He looked up and saw the brown hawk diving down toward him. He quickly removed his hood and wrapped it around his forearm. He didn't have the same thick padded leather that Sara had for these specific purposes, so he had to do the best to protect his arm from the raptor's sharp claws. Once done, he held his arm up and whistled. The hawk circled him once before coming in and hovering a bit before landing.

"Hey there Ciocco bella! Good girl! I know I'm not Sara, you probably couldn't find her, huh?"

Michele scratched the top of the bird's head before removing the message from her leg. He unrolled the piece of paper and unlocked its enchantment. The message revealed itself immediately. Michele's eyes grew wide when he saw that it was from the King himself.

Dear Sara and Michele,

We will reach land in about one hour's time. We will drop anchor on the western side of the island, please meet us there. Be prompt.

Regards,

King V. Nikiforov

Michele cursed under his breath as he looked at the position of the sun in the sky. If he ran, he might just make it to the rendezvous point in time.

"Lead the way, Ciocco. Show me where they are."

He lifted his arm into the air, launching the hawk smoothly into the sky. It took off high above him, and he followed quickly from below.

…

He made it to the shore just as the ship was pulling in. Michele thanked his lucky stars that he'd made it in time, the king did not take well to being kept waiting. He used the extra time to catch his breath and watched as the ship dropped anchor and the King stepped up to the bow. He waited with barely contained excitement as he knew what was about to happen. The King did not like to flaunt his power and some other elemental magic users did. He had no need to. He was one of the two most powerful element users in the world from a family chosen by the Gods themselves. He preferred to use his power for practical purposes and to assist those in need. The King opened his arms and an invisible vortex of wind whipped up around him, ruffling his silver hair and causing his cape to flap about around him. His eyes became completely whited out and the air in the area became noticeably colder. Michele shuddered as he felt the immense power rolling off their leader in waves. It wasn't long before the water in the narrow inlet froze over, with only the area immediately in front of the boat being affected. Once the water had been frozen solid, a ladder was lowered onto the ice and the General stepped off first. Second to disembark was the king, followed closely behind by a a castle guard he knew all too well. Michele groaned as Emil Nekola smiled happily and waved enthusiastically when he spotted him on the shore. Nekola was an accomplished castle guard and all-around likable guy, but he had an unwelcome interest in his sister Sara, and so he was considered the enemy.

The General nodded curtly in his direction as he stepped onto the path the Terrae Magi had created for them in the sand. Rocks had risen from deep under the ground and created a solid road from which carting supplies would be much facilitated. Michele felt a pang of jealously as, much like his sister, he was born without any magic in him. To him, it was just another way in which life had been cruel to them. After they had been orphaned at just 4 years of age, they had been passed off onto some distant relatives who had been more interested in working them to the bone than taking proper care of them. When hard times hit and money and food was scarce, their 'family' hadn't thought twice before selling them off as slaves. The had suffered for years before they had finally escaped. They had arrived in Occidentis weak and starving, and on the brink of death. Sara had gone out foraging for food and had been caught stealing a loaf of bread. They finally hit some good luck that day, as the King had been on one of his undercover city tours and had insisted on taking Sara into his care and then him also the moment he discovered that she had a twin brother. He had a much better life than he thought he'd every have. But he was always quick to become bitter about the past.

"Michele Crispino, report!"

The young assassin was jolted back to reality and saw three sets of eyes looking at him with varied degrees of concern and confusion. He realized that the King was waiting for a reply.

"Forgive me Your Highness. It seems that I was lost in thought. It's been a rather eventful two days."

The King narrowed his eyes at him as he spoke.

"Where is Sara? She would not willingly disobey a direct order."

Michele's face darkened considerably as he tried to keep his raging emotions under control.

"Her whereabouts are currently unknown, Sire. We went tracking this morning, to see if we could locate any trace of Squire Plisetsky. She did not meet me at the designated time and place and so I went looking for her. I believe she is being held in a camp up north."

The King sighed heavily and rubbed at his temples as he realized that he now had two missing people instead of one.

"How is this happening? Is there someone out there suddenly collecting Ice Dragons? This is unprecedented."

"Your Majesty, I can lead you to the camp, it's only..."

"No Michele, you will lead the team of servants and porters to a suitable camp site. I will carry on with General Altin and Lancer Nekola."

"But Sire, I can lead you right to the camp. Sara is in there, I must go. I beg you."

The King stepped forward and stared menacingly down at the male assassin.

"Do you doubt my judgment as your king, Mister Crispino?"

Michele swallowed thickly as he took in the look in the King's eyes. It promised him things he did not want to think about. He knew that he was skirting very dangerous territory and should probably control his mouth before it ran off and got him convicted of treason.

"No, Sire. Of course not, Sire. I respect your decision and will find a suitable camp site."

The King nodded slowly as he smiled a deceptively happy smile.

"I knew you'd see things more logically once you stopped to think them through. I understand that you're worried about your sister, but you must put your duty and loyalties first."

Michele bowed his head low.

"Yes, Sire. I understand. Forgive me for my earlier insolence."

Two horses were brought forth. The King mounted his stunning Akhal Teke stallion, arguably the most beautiful horse in all of Occidentis and the envy of other leaders in far-flung kingdoms. The horse was sturdy with a symmetrical triangular head and beautifully powerful limbs. Its most impressive feature was its silver buckskin coat. It glistened in the sunlight, giving the horse the appearance of being made of spun silver. The King's Horse The General's horse was also beautiful, but its most notable features were its size and strength. The General looked quite the sight, towering above the King and his mount on his black Shire horse with white socks and cropped tail. The General's Horse The lancer was not given a horse, as he would be expected to follow along on foot and be responsible for tracking. The two groups branched off and went their separate ways. The King's group kept an eye on Ciocco up above. She would certainly lead them right to Sara and also warn them if she spotted any danger up ahead. They set a brisk pace, speedy enough to cover a lot of ground quickly, but not to tire out the lancer too early. The King focused on the foreign land around him and absentmindedly stroked his horse's neck as he tried to mentally prepare himself for all the possibilities. I have no idea what we're going to find, I just hope that it's not bad news.

…

Mila sat up abruptly, the sheet that had been covering her slumbering form sliding off her body in the process. She looked around at the strange room she was in, momentarily having forgotten where she was. A steady rocking motion suddenly reminded her that she was on a boat. Oh, no! I must have fallen asleep! I have to get back up there. We don't have any time to lose! The elven princess stood up and immediately noticed the strange clothes on her body. She was wearing a very long-sleeved white shirt that seemed to wrap around her upper body. It was tucked into a pair wide-legged pants that reached down to the ground. Her feet were encased in a strange pair of shoes that looked more like socks than shoes. Her big toe was wrapped separately from the rest of her toes, and although it was a bit of a strange sensation, it was incredibly comfortable. She stretched her arms over her head and went over a few more exercises before nodding her head in appreciation. Whatever these clothes were, they were the most amazingly cozy garments she'd ever worn. The next thing she noticed was that she smelled good. Really good. She brought her wrist up to her nose and sniffed. A delicate floral scent filled her senses and she closed her eyes as she reveled in the fragrance. She smelled clean. They had also bathed her and washed her hair apparently. Wow, these people are so hospitable! How kind of them to think about my comfort. Although, I can imagine how unpleasant I smelled earlier, of alcohol and sweat. They were probably doing themselves a favor! Mila giggled as the thought crossed her mind.

"Princess Sama, are you awake?"

"Yes, Fujimoto. I am."

The curtain at the door of the room was pulled open and Fujimoto bowed deeply toward her.

"I hope that you have gotten enough rest, Princess Sama. You were rather exhausted and fell asleep on your feet."

"Ah, sorry for putting you through all that trouble! You probably had to carry me down here. Thank for the wonderful clothes! They give me so much mobility and are incredibly comfortable! And thanks also for thinking to have me bathed. I really appreciate all your care and generosity."

"It was no trouble at all, Princess Sama. You are rather light and no trouble to carry. I'm glad you like the clothes, I chose them specifically for you. You are helping us a lot, the least we could do was make you as comfortable as possible."

"How long was I asleep for?"

"You were asleep for two hours."

Mila was shocked.

"Two hours! That's much too long! We've missed out on covering so much ground! I must get back up on deck, right now!"

As Mila stepped forward, Fujimoto blocked her path.

"Worry not, Princess Sama. Our four Lignum Magi have been working diligently in your absence. They have been giving it their all so that you could rest and regain your strength."

Mila breathed a sigh of relief at the bit of news.

"That's great to hear, Fujimoto. But your mages must also be getting tired and will need rest themselves. I really must return to my post."

"I understand, Princesss Sama. Before you return to your post, please have some food first."

At the mention of food, Mila's stomach suddenly growled very loudly, causing Mila's face to turn the same color as her hair. Fujimoto chuckled and shook her his head.

"The decision has been made then. Come Princess Sama, let's get you something to eat."

…

Feeling as rested as she could feasibly allow herself to be at the moment and with a stomach full of delicious food, Mila felt recharged. She had discussed the next step with Fujimoto over breakfast. They were to head to the northern part of the island and would be able to pull into a dock that had been constructed for their ships quite some time ago. It would significantly cut down on the head start the King's delegation had on them, as they did not have knowledge pertaining to the location of the Emperor's camp. They would likely come ashore on the western side, as that's the nearest shoreline. They would have to make their way through the forest first. The dock on the northern shore was just a short distance from the camp. If they got lucky, they would be arriving at the camp just around the same time. So Mila flared her magic out once more and roped in two more eager helpers. She hoped that Fujimoto was right and that they would make it on time.

…

Michele Crispino seethed in silent anger as he led his group to a suitable campsite. He was severely displeased that he had been forced to stay with this group instead of going with the King. His fancy assassin title, position, and clout meant nothing if he didn't have Sara with him. Sometimes family was more important than the threat of treason.