Chapter 5: Lookouts

A/N: Happy birthday to our beloved Sofia! :)

After the coach arrived at the Conjuror's Board, James stepped out first before reaching into the opening, grasping Jaime's arms, carefully guiding him down the steps. "Come on, Jaime," he told him in a friendly, upbeat manner, trying to make conversation with his nontalkative counterpart. "Let's see what we're getting ourselves into."

"Malango's office is a few halls down once you enter the building," the coach driver told the duo, nodding toward James. "Best of luck to you both."

"Cool, thanks."

Malango the Magnanimous had an office that changed every few years to keep things fresh. Right now, it was rather spacious with bookcases lining most of the walls. Behind the centerpiece of a large oak desk and plush maroon chair was a giant set of glass cut into the wall, and several fish and unidentified alien-looking creatures were swimming in the enchanted water. An intricate (and to James, gaudy) chandelier swooped low from the ceiling, the candles flickering a bit as some crystal gems clinked together every now and then. There were, thankfully, two chairs in front of the large desk, so James helped Jaime sit in one before sitting in the other beside him.

Malango himself was in that plush maroon chair, his hands folded and elbows resting on the surface of the desk. He smiled almost wryly at the prince. "Prince James, glad you could make it. I've heard quite a bit about you."

"If Sofia said it, it was true," he joked. "If Amber said it… Depends on the mood she was in."

"She said you were a selfless and incredible person who helps others when they need it most."

"Aw," the blonde prince sighed, his bottom lip poking out as he placed a hand to his heart. "She does have a heart after all." He laughed, grinning at the older man. Truth be told, he was actually very surprised to hear such a kind epithet from his twin, but at the same time, it was a humbling reminder of just how much they meant to each other. Near death experiences did have a tendency to bring people closer together, after all… "Amber really is very kind to say that. I'm here to help Jaime, is all. I want things to go well for him."

"Ah, yes, Jaime. We've heard quite a lot about him." Malango's eyes trailed to the other blonde in the room. He knew the situation: Jaime was James's counterpart from a parallel universe but at a different point in time, hence why he looked about ten years younger. The zoned out expression on the young man's face was to be expected, considering his recent history. He'd heard about his selfless act of saving James by sacrificing his own life, which was why he was all right with this upcoming mission taking place. Additionally, removing Ember from the premises was just a bonus, in his eyes. "As you know by now, Prince James, the purpose of the journey to Limboris is to seek out the Arbovito. If Ember—it must be Ember—makes a successful wish to restore her brother, then he will be back to his normal self. Additionally, if things go well and she acts accordingly, she and Jaime will be safely relocated to a secret location while under surveillance from the Conjuror's Board—just at a much farther distance."

James nodded. "Yeah, question about that whole 'secret location.' Is it just Limboris then? Because from what I understand, getting there isn't exactly easy, which is why I just assumed they would remain there."

"To a degree, you're almost right, but the rest is classified information. I'm sure you understand."

He shrugged, smiling. "I get it. I'm happy for them though. I know the journey won't be easy, and there's no real guarantee that Jaime will be back to his fully normal self, but not trying isn't an option." He reached over, placing a hand carefully on Jaime's shoulder, his expression dimming ever so slightly. "Jaime… He's the reason I'm alive right now. I at least owe it to him to try…" He cleared his throat, removing his hand, and sitting up straighter in his chair as he turned his attention to the leader once more. "So, when do we get Ember and set out on this adventure?"

"Not so fast, Prince James," Malango tutted, shaking his head. "You can't go alone with them. It's too dangerous, and I'd rather not have an accountability case on my hands. I'm sending two of my sentries with you to monitor Ember and protect you if needed."

James almost argued that Ember wasn't dangerous, but then he remembered that she'd literally killed him with dark magic, so he kept silent as the Conjuror's Board leader beckoned over two people from the opposite side of the room. He blinked, not even realizing they'd been there the whole time.

"Prince James, I'd like to introduce you to two of my best sentries: Elias and Isolde."

The two sentries looked similar in appearance, though there were also signs that they weren't related. Elias had long black hair that flowed freely down to his shoulders, his bangs curving around his ears and just below his brow. He looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties, but it was hard to be sure, although he had a youthful glow about him. His eyes were grayish green, filled with both intelligence and mirth whenever he smiled. He wore sturdy black leather boots, polished with a shine that reflected the flickering flames from the chandelier above him. His trousers were straight-legged and high-waisted, made of durable dark wool. A tailored black leather coat was buttoned into place in a low-high manner, where the fastenings came together at his waist while the tail of the coat fell long to his ankles. The coat was trimmed in gold piping, and a tall collar protected his neck from all sides. On his hands were some black leather gloves, which protected his hands from the elements and other harsh conditions. Finally, a black leather hat with a gold emblem in the center rested on his head.

Isolde had a similar appearance (both in physical looks and clothing style) to her partner, except her hair was much longer and ended around her thighs, and her hat was fastened with a sapphire gem instead of a gold emblem. In addition, her eyes were a stormy blue, and even though they took on the appearance of a naïve girl, she was anything but. Moreover, her coat was long on all sides, but the split in the mid-center as well as the sides gave her more mobility when she walked.

Malango nodded toward his sentries. "You know your roles. You are to escort Prince James as well as the former Exchancian twins to Limboris, and see to it that they are protected and able to carry out this mission. Additionally, if all is successful, get Prince James back here safely while some of our other sentries will guide Ember and James to their permanent location. If the journey is unsuccessful, contact me immediately via your emblems…" He gestured to the hats they wore. "And I will take over matters then. Any questions?"

"Yes," Isolde responded almost instantly, folding her arms. "No offense, Malango, but I don't understand why you're giving Ember the opportunity to magically fix her life when she's destroyed so many others'. I would never permit this trip to happen if I were you."

"Isolde," Elias attempted to interrupt, but she just nudged him in the side with her gloved hand and kept talking.

"She doesn't deserve this after all the chaos she's caused."

James frowned as he spoke up, "It's not fair to Jaime to cancel the trip just because Ember made some bad choices, though."

Stormy blue eyes shifted to the prince, who gulped when he noticed her harsh stare. "Prince James, Jaime has killed on his sister's behalf. There is no telling how many people have been his victims. Do you mean to tell me that you believe, despite his current state, that he deserves a second chance?"

"Yes, because he gave me one—"

"Enough," Malango ordered, standing from his desk. "Isolde, I understand your concerns, but this trip is going to happen according to plan. Opportunity aside, keeping the twins in isolation within my secret location is safer not only for them but for us as well. Neither has dark magic anymore, so they're not a powerful threat in that regard. However, Ember is both physically and verbally dangerous to the other inmates and even to us."

"Verbally dangerous?" James wondered, tilting his head.

Malango inhaled slowly before sighing. "When she first arrived, she was so angry and disturbed that she began whispering horrible things to the neighboring prisoners. We found one man rocking himself and crying while another one had tried—thankfully unsuccessfully—to hang himself. Allegedly, she'd whispered that they were 'nothing' and 'scum of the earth' and that everyone would be better off if they ceased to exist. We eventually had to isolate her from the others, because she not only constantly made threats toward them, but the other prisoners were beginning to retaliate. It was a bad situation all around, and with Ember gone, the Conjuror's Board might finally regain some peace. She also has loud nightmares quite often, and she's a tyrant whenever I come around…" He shook his head. "We would all be better off if she were away from this place, to be frank."

Isolde sighed, though she was clearly unhappy with this decision. She folded her arms, frowning. "Fine. But I have a bad feeling about this, Malango. Mark my words: we're going to be faced with some dangerous things on this trip, and I know most of it stems from that girl."

"Use your powers to protect you, Isolde," the leader reminded her. "If she becomes a serious problem before you're at your destination, don't hesitate to reach out to me."

Elias smiled, apparently trying to ease the tension in the room. "Well, this whole thing has me intrigued, honestly. I've heard a lot of the case with Queen Ember—er, former Queen Ember—and Jaime. Hello." He awkwardly waved at Jaime, who clearly made no motion to do the same. "Uh, anyway… I'm anxious to see how this all plays out."

"That's the spirit, Elias," Malango acknowledged, smiling at his sentry. "See, Isolde. Have a little sense of adventure and optimism like your partner here, and you should be just fine."

Isolde rolled her eyes as Elias grinned at her. "With Elias, that's not optimism. It's pure foolishness." She ignored the drop of her partner's upbeat demeanor before sighing. "But we'll handle things like we always do, Malango."

"Good to hear. Now, take Prince James and Jaime to retrieve Ember. Once you have her and everything secured, you have my permission for the journey to begin."

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Jagged Pieces