Setting: Underland Manor
The sun began to peak over the snowy mountain horizon, signaling the break of dawn. In the industrious kingdom of Atlas, citizens began their lives fairly early to begin work while others had the luxury to take their time or sleep in. In the Underland household, Violet was one of the lucky few who could sleep this early in the day, however her cousins were up and about. In the foyer of the manor was Marigold, Bluebell, and Dahlia. The mad Underland put on his fedora and walked to the front door.
"See you guys later," Marigold told his cousins as he waved them goodbye.
"Where are you going? Off to hire more thugs to attack Alyssa?" Bluebell asked with his hookah in hand. No matter what time in the day, Bluebell was always using his hookah.
"Oh no. I only wish to go out and walk among the common people like I used to do," Marigold answered in a flamboyant display.
Dahlia rolled her eyes because she knew what he was going to do. Always dressed in ragged clothing, Marigold enjoyed going to the slums of the kingdom to pretend to be a homeless man trying to make a buck. He did this for fun but also to see if anyone was wearing his line of clothing as well as draw inspiration for his next creation. It was his favored pass time but he couldn't do it for long. Tarax ordered him to make another dress for Violet to where at the SDC Charity Concert tomorrow. Normally Marigold would scoff the elderly man, but he did enjoy making clothing so he gladly accepted his uncle's demand. Marigold left the manor to enjoy his day.
Bluebell wasn't going to the charity concert. He never went out to events like this because he felt they were stuffy. He planned to work on a new type of cannabis to sell on the black market later in the month. Dahlia was about to ask him a question until her semblance picked up something. She always had her semblance active in order to pick up anyone feeling or thinking poorly of her and Dahlia heard the thoughts one of Aster's personal maidens. She was praising Aster by comparing her to Dahlia and Dahlia never liked being compared to her sister.
Without warning, Dahlia ran out of the foyer, heading to where the maiden was to unleash her wrath. Bluebell was left behind in the foyer, not sure what spurred his cousin's erratic movement. He didn't stay for long as he left to his hall to continue with creating his newest concoction.
Setting: Aster's Hall
Aster's bedroom was really pristine and proper. Almost everything she owned was either two colors; white and silver. They were her favorite colors. Her bed was all white, fluffy, and inviting, like a massive pillow. Laying in this alluring cradle was Aster herself, still sleeping and dreaming. She was awakened by her maidens earlier when they arrived to wake her and told them she'd like to rest her head a bit while longer. Aster thanked and commended her maidens for their diligent work before returning to sleep and received praise because of her kindness though this be the catalyst of Dahlia's anger.
A few minutes later and Aster was abruptly awakened by her sister's battle cry and her maiden's terrified screams. Aster made the obvious guess of her maiden saying or thinking something objectionable about her sister. Despite the kind words she said to her maidens, Aster truly didn't care for them whatsoever. Even though Dahlia was loud and obnoxious, she was still Aster's sister and she didn't like anyone speaking ill of her. Aster felt her maiden deserved it and she would hire a new one as a replacement. The mysterious Underland may not be as kind and benevolent as her subjects think.
Aster laid her head back down on her pillow and tried to get another hour of sleep, but her desire would go unfulfilled. The moment she closed her eyes, Clairvoyance activated. She received another random glimpse into the future from her semblance and it was one that put a worried expression on her face for a fleeting moment before returning to her usual stoic look. One thing that vision made clear; she needed to speak with Marigold and the others.
Setting: Kingdom of Atlas
In the slum area of the kingdom was the trade area Bluebell used for his supply line of cannabis. It was a run-down building where Bluebell, under the alias of Dreamer, deployed his men to deliver his goods to other settlements without the authorities ever knowing. The men working for Dreamer were waiting for the last set of smugglers to return with the Lien from Brennen, but they were hours behind schedule. The men who went to Brennen were supposed to be back last night and the other smugglers in the building had no idea what to do. None of them wanted to inform Dreamer out of fear pf being reprimanded. They've been panicking for hours until they heard banging at the back door.
The large back doors that lead to the roads the smugglers used was being knocked on, harshly. One of the smugglers walked to the button control pad on one of the walls, ready to welcome then scold his colleagues for taking so long. Before he could press the button that opened that specific door, a blade punched right through it. The smugglers inside halted whatever they were doing when this happened. They stared at the blade poking through their door in confusion. The blade began to cut through the large metal doors diagonally then across and a third time straight down the middle. After that, there was silence.
"Uh… what's going-" one of the smugglers asked, but was interrupted by the doors being blown away by a massive force of green wind, knocking them to the other side of the massive room.
The smugglers didn't know what was going on as they looked at the destroyed doors then to the ones responsible. Standing at the doorway were a group of people. Five very fatigued people covered in snow and ice. The members of Team VRSZ stood before the perplexed smugglers with tired looks.
Zelts was barely standing, using his sole wingblade like a cane. He had snow in his hair and frost on his beard. Silver was hunched down with his hands on his knees. His jacket was ripped beyond repair and his hair was tipped with ice. Remus was trying to stand straight but he was having a hard time staying on his feet and he was doing his best to keep his empty socket closed. His legs looked like they could give out at any minute. Lily was leaning on her Flying Eagle with snow entangled in her hair and stuffed in her coat. Azura was the only one not standing. She was down on one knee with her elemental staff her hand. She activated the fire dust in her hand, cloaking it and her staff in flames to keep herself and the others warm. Azura was the only one without a trace of snow on her body.
They made it out of the avalanche but barely. Zelts last ditch effort to protect everyone from being buried in snow or falling off the mountainside, but they had to walk the rest of the way to the kingdom and they did so without rest. All five of them looked at the large group of smugglers before them with tired faces while smugglers didn't know what to think. One of them thought it was best to report this to Dreamer, grabbing his scroll to dial his number, and the team noticed immediately. They could not allow anyone to know they sneaked their way into the kingdom of Atlas. Zelts lifted his Heart of Gold, prepared to swing a gust of wind at the smugglers. Silver grabbed Fenrir out of their holsters and Azura wielded her burning staff. Remus tried to fight with Romulus but was too tired to even lift them. He was too tired to continue the fight because of their tussle with the Wendigo so Lily chose to stay by his side as the fight began.
The team's intention was to knock out the smugglers and escape without anyone knowing they snuck into the kingdom. Luckily for them none of the smugglers were fighters. Their main objective was to make sure none of them ran out during the fight. It one-sided scuffle ended in VRSZ's favor. All the smugglers were knocked and the team walked out of the building more fatigued than before.
Zelts, Remus, and Azura leaned against the side of the building to stay on their feet, Lily slumped down to sit on the cold concrete, leaving Silver the only one still standing. He looked at his surroundings awestruck while a little sad. It was slowly sinking into his mind that he was back to where he grew up; the slums of the kingdom. He was back to his old stomping grounds and he wasn't surprised to see the place hadn't changed. The higher-ups of Atlas never cared for the less fortunate.
Finally catching her breath, Lily asked, "So… now that we're here do we find a hotel or something?"
"We have enough of Clair's Lien to find somewhere accommodating, though our funds are getting pretty low," Zelts said as he checked on the Lien Clair gave them for this endeavor.
"We won't find a hotel, not in this part of the kingdom. Not a lot of people want to stay here for the sights and sounds," Silver answered as he helped Lily to her feet.
"Then what do we do?" Azura asked. "We're too tired to keep going. Well, I know I am."
"This part of Atlas has a lot of empty buildings. We can hole ourselves up in one of them until we recover."
"Then we'll go after Violet?" Remus asked Silver.
"Yeah. Once we feel better, we go to the upper parts of the kingdom and look for her."
"We've reached the kingdom. This is the endgame. The minute we get Violet, we're out of here," Zelts told everyone and they acknowledged.
Setting: Slums
Silver was right about the lower part of Atlas having abandoned buildings because it didn't take them long to find one. A small two-story building that looked like it used to be an apartment building. There were enough rooms inside for everyone to have to themselves though there were no usable appliances and the beds were old and musty, but beggars couldn't be choosers this late in the game. No one on the team complained about their current dwelling.
Still very early in the day, everyone was given the chance to rest a little and it was needed. Thanks to the hour of reprieve and their aura healing their body's, Team VRSZ was strong enough to move around and like Silver told Remus, they planned on moving to the center of the kingdom, but first they needed information on how to get into the main body of them kingdom without being noticed by Atlas authorities. If anyone asked them for I.D. or any kind of verification of citizenship, game over.
Instead of moving as a large suspicious five-person group throughout the area, the team thought it was better to travel in two groups. Zelts, Azura, and Remus were going to the west side of their temporary headquarters while Silver and Lily took the east. Azura and Silver were the ones with the most street smarts in the group so having them on separate teams was a smart ploy by Zelts.
The people living in the slums of Atlas had three types of appearances; homeless, poor, and thugs. Fortunately, the team was able to blend in with the masses. Their journey has been very taxing on them and it showed in their demeanor. It meant they blended right in with the other weary souls in the backport of Atlas.
Silver was upset to see not much has changed since he was a kid living here. The higher-ups of Atlas still haven't graced the poorer areas with their presence which Silver knew but also wished would have changed since his absence. Even with all the members of Greyhound behind bars, there were traces of smaller gangs still lurking around. Silver guessed many of these new gangs thought they could take Greyhound's place and move up in the pecking order, and this made him feel rather guilty. Thanks to him getting rid of Greyhound, more gangs were coming out of the woodwork and causing trouble the people here.
Lily looked around with a saddened expression as well. Despite all the praise and illustrious reputation the kingdom of Atlas possessed, there were still people who had less than favorable living standards in a place that boasts about security. Seeing families and kids on the street like this made Lily think about the children she and Zelts found homes for in Vacuo and Vale. She wondered whether if they were doing better now than they were in Never-End.
Unfortunately, Silver and Lily received little to no help from the locals. They tried asking people where the aristocrats or specifically where they Underlands lived, but were met with silence, fear or ridicule for thinking they can reach them. What they did learn was that Atlas personnel were stationed around the perimeter of the slums to check people who come in and out, but Lily and Silver understood that they did it to keep the undesirables out of the main part of the kingdom so it looks presentable to others. It's true what they say; 'Bright lights cast dark shadows.'
Silver rubbed the back of his neck, feeling neither of them accomplished anything and said, "Maybe it's best if we go back. I don't think we're going to get anything else around here."
"That might be best. Hopefully everyone else found something," Lily answered before they began walking back to their temporary living quarters with very little progress.
Zelts's group was having the same result as Silver and Lily. No one living in the slums was willing to speak. Azura tried to use intimidation to get some of the people to talk, but Zelts stopped her and Remus asked her to as well which she agreed. Zelts didn't know why the people were keeping quiet, but thought it was best not to pry any further lest they gather suspicion and unwanted attention. He guessed the people wanted to keep themselves safe and stay out of trouble and VRSZ trying to get into the major part of Atlas did seem like trouble. Their efforts weren't bearing any fruit. With no real information gathered, the team decided to just sneak into the main part of the kingdom.
Setting: Kingdom of Atlas
In the hub of the kingdom where Team VRSZ wanted to enter, Marigold was sitting on the sidewalk, back against a building, and a coffee cup filled with Lien in his hand. He did as he told his family and posed as a homeless man. Whenever people walked by, he'd shake his cup, wondering how many people would give him money. With a kingdom similar to a metropolis, the population was massive. Droves of people were walking throughout the kingdom and hundreds passed by Marigold.
Marigold had his head down and fedora tipped. He collected the rings on his fingers and placed them in his pockets to hide the idea he was wealthy when he held his cup out, feeling and hearing the coins and Lien fall into it as people walked by. He knew why they did it too. It wasn't out of kindness, but pity, self-gratitude, feeling superior by helping those in need even though Marigold was just as wealthy as the rest of them. He enjoyed looking at the considerable Lien he earned by just sitting there as well as observing the kind cruelty of the Atlesian populace. The mad Underland loved feeding off their negativity and this moment was a perfect example. In a way, Marigold was like a human Grimm.
He continued with his hobby until he heard his scroll ring. He pulled it out of his device to see who was calling him. Marigold half expected someone working at his clothing line to calling, asking for his input on a semi-important decision, but he was surprised to see the person calling him was Aster. His favorite cousin rarely called him or anyone for anything, so Marigold answered wondering what she wanted.
"This a surprise," Marigold said theatrically as he answered the phone, "What can I do for you, Aster?"
"Something occurred this morning that has me concerned," Aster answered.
"Did Dahlia attack another one of your servants again? I gotta say Asty, I think she has an anger problem," Marigold joked because he knew Dahlia's semblance didn't reach outside the house.
"No. It's about something I saw with Clairvoyance."
"A vision has you upset? Must've been a something if it worries you. What did you see?" Marigold asked curiously.
"The manor being invaded and attacked by assailants," Aster answered.
Marigold's face changed to serious for only a second before returning to his usual whimsical demeanor. If there was one thing he learned about Aster's semblance it was the fact that it was deadly accurate. "Do you know who's attacking?"
"No. The vision didn't show their faces or exact numbers, All I could see was Linnaea and Linnaeus standing on the roof of the manor and fighting the intruders as they try to invade," Aster answered.
"Oh. So, the twins defend the manor in this vision? I see… Very well. Now that we know some guest will be arriving at our doorstep, we can prepare some lovely entertainment for them. I'll be returning home sooner than expected. It'll give me enough time to make Alyssa's dress and inform the others, but let's keep this a secret from the old man. Maybe the scare will give him a heart attack. That alright with you?"
"Yes, that's fine. Even though the vision will come true, we can make still preparations for what comes after. Speaking of preparations, should we contact Zinnia so she can join the fight?"
"Hmmm… Don't. I'd like to see how it all unfolds before calling our deus ex machina," Marigold answered with confidence.
"If you say so. I'll see you when you get back," Aster said then hung up her scroll.
Marigold placed his scroll back in his pocket. He tipped his fedora up so he could look up and see the sky. He smiled at the prospect of the future battle. Marigold himself had little to no combat skills like the others, but his cunning, manipulative, and strategic mind made him a massive threat. The mad Underland had much to scheme, but for now, he wanted to enjoy his day a little more. Marigold got up from his spot and walked through the city to find his next beggar location.
Setting: Violet's Hall
The early morning passed, shifting to early afternoon, and the Violent Flower finally woke from her slumber. Violet rose from her bed at her own pace. She stretched her arms out and let out a loud, long unmannerly yawn before rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Now that she was awake, Violet got out of her bad and grabbed the clothing of her usual outfit from her dresser before leaving her bedroom for her bathroom.
Violet did her usual morning routine in her bathroom. She stood in front of the sink and the mirror to check her appearance. She looked the same in her opinion though she noticed the length of her hair. It was growing. Her buzz-cut style almost transitioned to a very short pixie-cut. Violet ran her fingers through her hair. She was surprised she hadn't noticed until now, probably because everything else in her life was taking up most of her attention. Her blonde hair was definitely longer than when her father first had it shaved, showing how Violet has been with her family for quite some time. Despite her hair getting longer, she doubted her father would allow her to go to the SDC Charity Concert. Tarax would probably have another wig for her to wear just like at dinner.
"How long has it been? About a month? Maybe more…" Violet thought before reaching for her scroll resting on the sink.
She checked to see if Remus's delta signal went off only to see there was no response. Though Violet was glad that he was alright, she also felt some guilt in hoping he would be injured enough for his symbol to start flashing again just to give her an update on his location. It's been more than a week since the delta signal went off on her scroll. Seeing that symbol on her scroll gave Violet hope, but with the passing days along with no other sign that her team was in Atlas, she was starting to wonder if what happened to her scroll was some kind of glitch.
The peace and quiet Violet was given to think about her situation brought with it a new question; when was the last time she had peace and quiet in this house? She was kind of astounded no one came to bother her. Not her father, her cousins, or even their assassins came to intrude on her morning. Any ordinary person would think this was nothing, but Violet knew better than that. If none of them were here with her, then they're probably scheming something to use against her.
"Hmm… Marigold and the others are probably doing that. Fath- I mean Tarax is getting ready for the SDC Charity Concert. It's tomorrow night and he want to show me off to his so-called friends, so he wouldn't do anything to hinder himself… Though…" Violet placed her hand on her disruption collar, thinking about the new shock installment on the device. "This thing is just meant to keep me in line,"
Violet decided it was best not to dwell on her family too much since she just woke up. Since she's been given this time to herself, she planned to use it. Violet decided to go to the dining hall and have breakfast for lunch while refusing to call it brunch. She hated the idea of brunch no matter how many times Clair took her out for brunch. Violet dubbed today her day of reprieve, however she wasn't aware that today wasn't a reprieve at all. It was the calm before the storm.
Setting: Slums
Morning turned to afternoon and Team VRSZ was getting nowhere with their usual gathering of info before making their next move. With no other options and being so close to their goal, they all decided to just enter the central part of the kingdom regardless of the consequences. This suggestion was felt necessary by everyone, but it was insisted most by Silver and Remus. Zelts was hoping his teammates would act so rash even though he understood their desire. Being within the same kingdom as Violet meant the were almost at the end of their journey, though being this close to the end meant reckless actions and decisions were more likely to arise.
The border between the slums the central hub of the kingdom was actually patrolled by guards. They were there to the unwashed masses of the slums from entering the aristocrat territory. It was a clear division of social classes, but none of it was the team's concern. They weren't here to make any great changes just find Violet and leave this place with her. The plan was to enter without being seen.
After all the rough spots they've been in just to get here, no one on the team made it out unscathed. Their winter clothing was in tatters, so they couldn't pull off posing as aristocrats and it was best to avoid fighting of any kind while in the kingdom. A heavily fortified militaristic kingdom was the very last placed they wanted to start trouble. Everyone on the team fully understood they couldn't take on an entire nation, especially one as powerful as Atlas. In this last stage of their mission there was to be no fighting unless they wanted the entire force of Atlas brought down upon them.
With their objective clear, everyone left the run-down building they were staying in and left for the border between the slums and the main part of the kingdom. They walked on the sidewalk together, planning to disperse once the border was in sight then cross it individually and discretely.
The walk was uneventful and long. They were quite a way from their destination. Silver told everyone to act nonchalant, be calm and collected so they wouldn't gather unwanted attention. This tactic worked as they passed by gang members shaking down poor shopkeepers, families struggling to make ends meet, even people in the distance shouting for help. Silver stuck to his plan as well as Azura who had no real concern for them and Remus cared more for Violet than the common people. The only ones having difficulty were Zelts and Lily. Deep down, they were good people and ignoring the people's plight was taking a toll on them because they knew it had to be done.
It didn't take as long as they thought to reach the border. Zelts was leading the group and he saw the border area with a few guards patrolling the obvious divided sections. The difference between the main part of the kingdom and the slums were outrageously obvious. Almost like a line keeping them separate, the last, run-down building in the slums had a large, extravagant building next to it. The difference was offensive, but it was such a common sight for the denizens that they thought nothing of it. Zelts and the others stayed behind the corner of a building so they could inspect the situation.
"How does it look?" Lily asked out of curiosity.
"Um… doable," Silver answered as he peeked around the corner with Azura. "There's only five of them."
"We can avoid them easily. Or… we could beat them before anyone has anything to say," Azura suggested.
"Fighting is the last thing we want to do. Remember that?" Zelts reaffirmed to Azura and anyone else who had the same thought in mind, namely Remus.
"We sneak in and figure it out from there," Lily whispered. "And you guys need to keep it down. What if someone hears us?"
"I concur. What would you do then?" a new mysterious voice added.
No one knew where it came from until Azura and Silver looked down. On the other side of the corner was a not a homeless person, but a man pretending to be one for his own pleasure. The person eavesdropping on Team VRSZ's plan was the mad Underland, Marigold Vantablack. He smiled at Team VRSZ and Silver looked down at the man.
"Oh shit," Silver thought.
"Hello? Hellooooo?" Marigold addressed Team VRSZ, specifically Silver and Azura, but they were too stunned to respond.
The team was just discussing how to infiltrate the kingdom and Marigold heard all of it. To the team, their plan was just heard by a random homeless person, and to Marigold, he saw a group of riffraff trying to break into the wealthy part of the kingdom and he found it amusing.
Marigold read the information files Ebony brought to Tarax when the old man wasn't looking. He was fully aware of Team VRSZ's history, background, and names, but the files didn't contain any pictures of the team. Marigold, Tarax, and the other Underlands had no idea what the other members of VRSZ look like. The same could be said for VRSZ and Underlands. Violet never told her teammates about her family because she didn't know anything about them before being taken hostage.
Team VRSZ and the Underlands; neither side knew they were currently looking at the enemy.
"If I heard right, you lot wish to pass the security and enter the central nerve of the kingdom, correct?" Marigold asked with a sly smile.
"You didn't hear anything," Azura threatened.
She walked around the corner to stand in front of Marigold to seem intimidating. Lily thought this was a bad move because it just looks like a young woman harassing a homeless person and this could attract unwanted attention.
"Stop. We're not looking for a fight," Zelts told Azura as she looked down at Marigold. Lily agreed with him, Silver just observed to see how this would play out, and Remus had a curious eye on Marigold.
"Your friend is right. There's no need for hostility," Marigold said exaggeratedly. He put his cup down then raised his hands as a sign of surrender. This gesture combined with his tone only proved to irritate Azura.
She was close to pulling out her staff from beneath her winter clothing but stopped when Remus got between them.
"Hm? Can I help you?" Marigold asked Remus.
Remus didn't say anything as he pulled out his wallet. Everyone was surprised by this, including Marigold who was at a loss of words for the first time in a while. Remus didn't hold the Lien Clair gave the team for their journey, but he still had a little bit of cash in his personal wallet. It wasn't enough to buy anything important, but its was enough to help a homeless person.
"Here. It's not a lot, but it's all I have," Remus said as he placed all the Lien in his wallet into Marigold's cup.
"What're you doing?" Silver asked. He didn't like the idea of throwing away money.
Marigold looked at the money in his cup then glanced at Remus. There was no malice in his eye, face, or tone. He was nothing like the regular citizens of Atlas who give him Lien for a feeling of superiority or just ignore him. Remus was different and his character intrigued Marigold immensely.
"Now this is a rare find," he thought.
Marigold chuckled to himself but it caught everyone's attention. He rose to his feet then looked at them with a satisfied smirk.
"This is quite generous. Thank you. And as a sign of good gesture, I'll shall do something for you in return. Tell me, what do you wish?" Marigold asked.
"How can a homeless weirdo help us with anything?" Silver and Lily had the same thought in mind.
"Hm… If you could get us pass those guards, that would help us a lot," Remus said to Marigold.
"Remus, I think you might be asking for a bit much," Lily told him.
The mad Underland considered his request and a smirked formed on his face. He didn't know who they were or why this group of people wanted to get to the wealthy side of the kingdom, but they did fascinate him including the kind of trouble they could possibly get into on the other side.
"Consider it done. Follow me," Marigold said as he began walking to the guards watching the border.
No one on the team followed him. They just watched him leave in bewilderment. Remus was about to follow him, but Lily placed a hand on his shoulder to prevent him from going any further.
"He can't be serious?" Silver said as he watched Marigold walk to the guards.
"If he is, then he's mad," Azura spoke with her arms folded over her chest. She didn't believe he could pull it off.
"He might be. He was really confident he could and said he was willing to help," Remus debated.
"Sorry Remus. Confidence and willingness isn't really enough to accomplish something like-" Zelts was saying but stopped when Marigold shouted at the guards.
Hello! It's me! Would you be so kind as to let my friends and I pass?" he asked the guards in front of him.
The guards responded by stepping aside so Marigold could walk by them. Silver, Azura, and Zelts were flabbergasted. Lily wasn't as shocked as them but still astounded. Remus was the only one who wasn't surprised. He nodded to himself, believing he met the right person to help on their journey.
"Are you guys coming or not?" Marigold asked since none of them moved forward.
"Uh.. yeah," Zelts answered for the shocked team.
Setting: Kingdom of Atlas
They walked by the guards with caution. Silver kept his eyes on them as he got close, but they did nothing. This was one of the few times, if not the only time, that he has encountered Atlesian authority with no trouble at all. Lily had her gaze on Marigold as they approached him. She had no idea what kind of power this person had. She knew there was more to this person than meets the eye and everyone else knew it except Remus who thought Marigold was a kind person.
"Is he really a homeless bum?" Azura thought to herself.
"Thanks for your help. You really made this easy for us," Remus thanked Marigold with his hand out.
Marigold smiled at him and shook his hand before saying, "One good turn deserves another. This is more than enough to pay for your kindness."
"Thanks…" Zelts said though he was weary of Marigold.
"Who are you?" Silver questioned. "There's no way a bum on the streets could just do what you just did."
"Smooth and subtle, dumbass," Azura thought sarcastically.
"I never said I was a 'bum on the streets' and to answer your question you could say I am a man with more influence than most citizens."
"That much is true," Silver thought to himself.
His interest piqued by Team VRSZ, Marigold was about to ask for their names and why they wanted to reach this part of Atlas, but his scroll went off in his pocket. He pulled it out while the others watched. Marigold received a text from Tarax. The elderly Underland demanded Marigold return to present Violet with her dress for the SDC Charity Concert.
Marigold sighed before saying, "I'm afraid duty calls. Have fun on your trip through the kingdom!" And with those parting words, Marigold walked away, vanishing into the large crowd of people.
No one really had anything to say about the odd yet fortunate turn of events. Marigold appeared from thin air and solved their problem with such ease.
"He was bizarre," Lily commented.
"He really was a peculiar person," Zelts added.
"I liked him," Remus said with a small smile on his face.
"Let's not focus on that weirdo right now and think about what to do next," Azura offered so they didn't get off topic any further.
"You're right Azura. The best thing we can do right now is find a place to stay," Zelts told the others.
"I might know a place if it's still there," Silver responded. "Follow me."
Team VRSZ walked through the massive crowd of people to find a place to stay. It wasn't easy getting through without bumping into people. Silver managed to make do since he was used to this kind of thing in Atlas though the others tried their best just to keep up with him. Azura was making it a little easier for them by aggressively pushing and shoving people out of her way. It wasn't polite but it got results.
Silver was very familiar the kingdom of Atlas and was disenchanted by it because of his past life here. The kingdom was just a cluster of people who think they're better than the rest of Remnant, but it wasn't the same for the others. Azura was too focused on moving people out of the way to take a look at her surroundings, but Zelts, Lily, and Remus were looking up at the large city landscape. This was the first time any of them had been in a setting like this, but they had to keep focus and not lose sight of Silver. They finally made it into the kingdom. Team VRSZ was in the same area Violet was.
It took sixteen chapters but the team is finally in the kingdom of Atlas and the first Underland they encounter is Marigold. No bad omens there (sarcasm).
Team VRSZ, Ebony Vantablack, and the Underlands. All the major players of this volume are in the kingdom.
Despite the people who live in Atlas, Blood actually likes the terrain more than Vacuo. The cold was annoying at times but he preferred it over the merciless heat of the desert.
