And now, the throne room. It really couldn't have gotten any worse than this. I strode into the throne room, bloody dagger in hand, tight grin on my face. There is something bothering me. It's not the part where I chased down the Cursecat. I got all the curses I wanted cast on me, turning them into blessings with my dagger's skill. It's not the part where my dagger upgrades were cryptic, yet hopeful. I daggered through the knights the way here just fine on my own. It's not the part where the Lbesslaum Guild was chased by hordes of cats, then forced to invade the castle just to survive. Running from waves of cats, that was difficult. I'd like to never have to run from a tsunami of cats again. But, all of those are in the past. Here, in Nyanyork, in Nyaan-Cat Kingdom's Castle Throne Room, there was something I couldn't believe.

Ravyn looked entirely competent. Like a real person. She's wearing epaulets. Her smart, tight uniform appears as neat as a soldier in formal wear. She stood straight, dutiful, right next to the thick eyebrowed king on his throne. The knights brandishing spears at me melted into the corner of my eyes.

"Ravyn! Is that you, Ravyn?!" I shouted at her. Raising my dagger painted red with fresh knight blood.

Ravyn cringed, putting a hand near her ear. The King sneered at her. Ravyn caught the King's gaze, then gulped. She swung a hand out, ordering in a grand, professional voice: "Kill the intruder!"

And now, the knight charged, only to face a suprise opponent. The throne room window burst to shards. Flying into the room, a small blue blur slammed down into the knights, slashes felling bodies. A topknot, two katana, an eyepatch. Muslimeshi. The eyepatch slime launched towards me. Knights fell apart like chunks of meat dropping off butcher's hooks.

Muslimeshi is dominant. Why here? Why now? It matters not. I charged forward. I upgraded my dagger to the final level. I have eight blessings from eight curses thanks to the Cursecat. Scott may not be here, but I'm not the same as before. I can do this!

And I died almost immediatedly. A lightning charged blade whipped through me, scalding my blood and sending my head flying. Okay. Now, you see, I've really overestimated my own ability.

Because my head is lying next to a knight's sabaton. My body fell, dagger in hand. I took it as a stroke of luck. I'll play dead. I'm still alive even while decapitated because of Blessing of Life, courtesy of the Cursecat's Curse of Death. So, I'll watch.

The knights curled in on Muslimshi, magic raining down as metal crowded the little blue blob. Muslimeshi dodged, weaving through the knights with slime speed, it cut at their joints leaving them laying in piles on the ground, moaning for death.

Muslimeshi won't finish them. The honorable slime stops when you've fallen.

It still hurt like a decapitation. I'm kind of used to it. Really, my head laying on the throne room carpet, I really wish I went with my first instinct and searched for Scott. When Lbesslaum Guild attacked the castle. It got dicey. I got separated. There were a lot of cat knights to dagger. I daggered a lot of cat knights. I was looking for a good hiding spot. I happened to find the throne room. I guess Blessing of Fate isn't as powerful as I thought.

My other Blessings from the curses I haven't had time to test. But, I do have Blessing of Solidity. I thought it meant, like armor skin, or whatever. Not good enough to repel Muslimeshi's blade. I have no specific idea what my blessings do, but, not being dead while decapitated is proof they are working.

Muslimeshi cut down the knights. Cat fur, shredded armor, and blood staining the carpet as Muslimshi bounced towards the King. The King rose drawing a mighty sword. Ravyn swished her hand in front of the King, placing her body between him and Muslimeshi. "I-I have this." No, no you don't.

But, she did. I watched as Muslimeshi slowed down to a crawl in front of her, both swords spread out for a strike. The slime near froze in slow motion, hovering before Ravyn. She walked over, slapping the slime like a spider that crawled into her room. Shaking, Ravyn bent over, pinching Muslimeshi between two fingers, she walked to the window, tossing it out.

Foul elf magic. She walked over to the king, lifting her skirt as she quailed over the knights corpses. The King addressed Ravyn. "I wish you used that sooner," he grumbled. "S-sorry. Preparation time. You know." The King scoffed at Ravyn's answer, sweeping off his throne. He made for a door in the back of the throne room, Ravyn trailing behind, as Flynn appeared out from the back door to greet the two of them.

Flynn waved cheerily at the King. The King raised his sword as Flynn advanced unarmed. Bartin, Slyva, possibly T.T., they all entered from behind him. Flynn looked over at me. I faked dead. It's easy while being decapitated.

"The Hero came to nothing after all that talk. A pity." Flynn winked. Curse your [Perception]! "It's a shame there's another one. I've seen to it that they are kept busy, now, Ravyn, let's get you out of here."

Ravyn wriggled. "No! I can't abandon the King like this..." But the King himself sheathed his sword. "Go, Ravyn. Take shelter among the demons. It will be no matter if my daughter takes the throne by force, then. My will as King will live on through you."

"But, come with us then! Just because I'm one of the Solace and the Kingdom's Demon Vicar, I'm not more special than everyone else..." She trailed off. I think she realized her own significance here. Plus one brownie point for Ravyn. 'Solace', huh? Maybe she's a high ranking elf?

"I must talk to my daughter." The King grunted. Hey. Hey. Death flag. Death flag! Are you stupid, old man? Run off with the worthless elf!

"No," Ravyn countered, brows furrowing. Her voice unexpectedly self-assured. "That child's games end here. No matter what type of thugs she has, it is nothing."

The King waved a hand against her. "She's got two Heroes and half of Lbesslaum Guild. What do we have, a mouse, two elves, and you. Get out of here." Flynn jumped in, "Actually, King Falstaff, one Heroes dead body is right over there. As I've said." Wink wink.

The King raised his eyebrows. "Oh?" "And," Flynn presented Bartin, who stood there as a prop, raising his sword as if he was handing out his business card. He looks cool. "This mouse demon is level 99, a mouse hero. And he's on our side." Slyva coughed. "We've got T.T., too."

The King gasped. "T.T. Shadow?" He looked around, as if trying to see the invisible. "Where?"

"Exactly," Flynn said. The King withdrew to his throne. "I suppose... my words were wasted. Then, it is like always, Ravyn. I rely on you, yet again."

Why is he making this Ravyn out to be dependable? How is it that she can slap Muslimeshi and throw it out the window like a dead bug? Was that dream all an elaborate act to deceive me? Isn't she useless?

Ravyn bowed. As she did, her boot slipped a little in some carpet soaked in blood, she waved her limbs in a desperate plea before regaining balance. No one said anything. Then, she put a white gloved fist in front of her mouth, made a small cough, and bowed again.

This elf. This elf. This elf right here.

The whole castle shook with a roar. At the entrance of the throne room, massive steel doors flew off their hinges, barreling towards the throne. Ravyn waved her hands out in front of her and the King accepted death and Bartin drew his sword while Flynn and Slyva stood solid.

The massive steel doors bent in midair, twisting unnaturally, then exploded into chunks. The chunks littered the air, falling like snowflakes. They thudded down, mixing around the Knights bodies.

"Ravyn, good job!" The King cheered. Ravyn turned to him. "It wasn't me..."

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So, T.T. then. No wonder Slyva and Flynn stood there all confident. The floor shook as Huguenot peeked through the clear doorway. He saw Flynn. Then, Huguenot peeked his head out.

"Vizar. Geradt." Rumbling gravel turned into coherent language. Vizar entered, Geradt behind him. Pixie dashed past both of them, Geradt catching her shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

"This is the time! Vizar!"

"Are you mad?" Vizar slapped her on the top of her head. I saw the King nod in agreement. "Flynn, as we all expected, has betrayed us. Were this a normal quest, we could thrash him and be done with it, but look who is on his side! Bartin, that mouse we could barely make headway against even with T.T. on our side!"

Slyva crossed her arms, stringing up her tiny bow. "T.T.'s over here, too." She launched the blunt arrow, Vizar dodged.

"See? I expected this, when fighting those knight there were none of the usual blood fountains the invisible dwarf is so fond of! And there's Slyva, as well, do you want to kill the friends of Lbesslaum Guild, and your own father as well, so badly?" Vizar upbraided her, taking a step forward. "Be quiet and stay back. You've drawn us into this mess. Now, it's our turn."

Vizar huffed in front of Flynn. Geradt, meanwhile, closed in behind him. "Is now good?" Geradt said.

Flynn held out a stop palm to Geradt. "Now is terrible." Vizar turned to Geradt. "What is the meaning of this?" Geradt nodded, crossing his arms. "Exactly as you think." Flynn palmed his face as Geradt continued. "At the Guild meeting before we went on this cursed adventure, why do you think I objected so harshly? Did you really believe that one stray princess with an interesting trick would be good enough to shift the balance of power against the elves?"

Vizar fell back, strolling away from everyone, his hands balled into fists. He tossed his thousand edged hat to the ground. He shouted. "Then, why this nonsense? I can understand Flynn working out a deal with his fellow elf and the mouse, but you? You let me carry the Guild through all of that, and for what?"

Geradt shook his head, sighing. "Isn't it obvious? The princess herself was never my issue. For me. For anyone." Geradt waved his arm over to my head, laying innocently looking very dead. "You've never been very good at my kind of magic, and I, am unskilled in yours." He walked over to my head. Uh-oh. He picked it up, raising it to the sky. Pixie gasped, falling to her knees. "Here, we have one of the Heroes. Those walking catastrophes. This one, do you really think this foul being is dead?" Pixie breathed a sigh of relief as Geradt continued. "I can detect no less than eight blessings on this Hero."

Vizar's face drained of color. "Eight? Eight of the legendary magic that is written to bring an end to this world?"

Hey. Hey! They are called 'Blessings', what kind of world has magic called 'Blessings' as a bad thing?! And didn't I tell you I had one already with [Carnation](Blessing)!

Geradt sighed. "And, look. Here is Flynn, looking all smug. He must have known, as well, with his [Perception]. This elf is a shame to all the good elves who support this world."

Vizar looked down. "I knew. I knew as well."

Geradt lowered my head down. "You knew? Vizar, you knew? All this time? Since when?"

Vizar sucked in air as if from a pipe, then burst it out like a bellows. "The dagger told me. The dagger-bastard went right out and said it. I knew Flynn would take the bait right away, I can trust this elf that far, to keep a sign of world-ending magic secret from everyone." Flynn's grin widened as I snuck a glance at him. Vizar held his head with both hands. "The knowledge is rare. If I let that dagger-bastard know, then the power to alter this world would have slipped out of my fingers."

Geradt shook his head. "The power of calamity? And, there is even another Hero. Who knows what tricks he has in store for us?" Geradt tossed my head up in the air, catching it. "This one is indisposed. If only I had the power to kill this Hero myself. But, there is the greater order to appreciate." He turned to, Ravyn?

He kneeled, placing my head down at his side.

"Ravyn. What should be done with this Hero?"

"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh~~~~~~~~~—"

Slyva tapped her shoulder. Ravyn shifted to Slyva. She leaned into Slyva's ear, whispering, sadly for her, not quiet enough.

"So, what's going on, here? Who's doing what?"

Slyva hugged Ravyn, stroking her hair. Then, pulling away, she explained. "Geradt went along with this quest to get rid of the Heroes. Apparently." She sneered down at Flynn, who laughed. "I didn't know either!" "Liar." "No, I'm really shocked! I thought Vizar and Geradt were thicker friends than this!" Flynn swung his arm out towards Vizar. "And look at him. He's just about done already, even though his plan is still intact."

Flynn walked towards Geradt, with a swift shuffle, he kicked my head like a soccerball, landing it straight on my body. Flynn laughed as my head reattached itself. I rose, running a hand over the crick in my neck. Pixie showered me with worrying glances. I feel loved.

"Um. Ahh~. Ahh~." I tested my voice. Mic test. Mic test. Good. "Erhrmm." I coughed. "Flynn."

"Dagger."

"What are your intentions? No, like, what is going on here, in full?" I stared at Ravyn. I get the gist of it. But, perhaps, he'd reveal something.

"Well," Flynn gestured at Geradt who rose to his feet with a snarl on his face. "Geradt seems to think that this journey was a great opportunity to rid the world of some troublesome heroes. Vizar is a known Hero-lover who wants to knock the elves off their perch. Me and my merry company have our own goals," he looked towards Bartin. "In the end, this is a surrender agreement. Team Dagger wins," he pointed towards Pixie. "Team Pixie loses. Or," he grinned at me, spreading his arms wide. "At least this round."

Geradt huffed. "One of the thugs outright bashed the Princess on her head with a shield. He even admitted it. Then, the other one shows a Blessing."

Flynn shook his head. "Of course, of course, understandable, Geradt. But now, everyone knows, dagger-bastard, that you are Blessed. Indeed, I wanted to keep this a secret, but, I knew Geradt would show his hand sooner or later." Flynn turned to Geradt. "Terrible timing. What, did you expect Ravyn to execute a Hero on the spot, or something?"

Geradt threw up his hands, storming out out of the throne room, giving me a fearsome look. Vizar came to my side. "Well then." He coughed. "Cat's out of the bag, shall we say." He patted my back. "So. I won't ask you now, but keep in mind, with the blessings, you are a calamity to this world—"

"No." Ravyn's voice echoed out from the throne. She stepped forward, past Pixie, who watched Ravyn as she came towards me. "It's a lie. The elves have been writing and propagating fairy tales like 'the one with a blessing will bring calamity to the world' as part of their efforts to manage this world's stability. Long ago, one of my teachers wrote that false prophecy and spread it to the rest of the world, hoping to discover more abnormalities to the level system. It's not enough to tell people the truth to uncover secrets, people must hear lies as well. Strange magics are one of the elves greatest fears." Ravyn shook her head. "What defies our ability to understand allows for changes to the world. What we can't see, we cannot control. As Demon Vicar, I split off from the elves to administrate a greater peace in this Kingdom, where there was so much turmoil and bloodshed." Ravyn offered me her gloved hand.

"I apologize for my poor appearance when we met last. I've always been frail minded. I have my moments, here and there, which is why I was able to accomplish as much as I have. You, Hero, are as welcome as anyone to this world." A regal bearing.

That's a nice change of pace. I guess. Expectations are made to be broken. But, something bothered me. "Didn't you say, in that dream, that you were going to die?"

"I'm fine." She closed her eyes. "My friends, I thought my friends betrayed me. There was no way I could fight against Slyva and, especially," she looked over at a corner of the throne room. "T.T."

And so everything makes sense now. Completely. Her fear, her behavior, I nodded my head, yep, completely justified. "Well, that's great to hear." I win. Look, Pixie, look! I shook her hand, matching her frail grip strength. "I was never sold on this Demon Vicar killing quest, anyways. Hey, Pixie, look, peace and happiness!" I pointed at me and the Demon Vicar shaking hands, all smiles.

Pixie stared at the throne room floor. Dead and dying knights lay around her. She picked up her mace. Then, she walked up to a dying knight. Her mace tinged pink. Bash. Bash bash. Bash bash klunk.

"Stop her! Stop her at once!" The King roared.

I dashed forward, pulling her back from the knight's corpse. I raised my hand. "I got her. No problem. She's fine. Now, if you'll just excuse us..."

Pixie turned her head towards me, I snuck in close to her ear. "Not now." I pulled her off, out of the room. We charged past Huguenot and D'Arc. Pixie ran full speed alongside me as I tugged her hand, her voice full of bafflement.

"What are you doing?"

"I told you." We looped around a corner, dodging cat maids. "I'd stop you from killing the Demon Vicar. I did it. I have won!"

"You didn't do anything but not die!" Pixie bounded down half a flight of stairs to keep pace.

"That counts as a win in my book! Where's Scott?"

She huffed. "Why are we running?"

"Where's Scott?!" I repeated.

"He's right here." Standing tall in an open stone window, a shadow blocking the light.

"Oh, Great Scott! Where were you?"

Scott flourished his shield, leaping down from the windowsill, he revealed himself in the light. A smile played in the shadows cast across his face. "Lost."

Curse you, Scott! "We need to get out here!" Pixie attached herself to me. "Why? It's all over! The Guild won't side with me now! There's nothing I can do!"

I grinned. "No, Princess, please, this is just the beginning."