Niles and Winston stepped outside Winston’s parents' house, the door creaking shut behind them. Winston had bid his heartfelt farewells, and Niles had miraculously left with his dignity intact—thanks largely to the kindness and graciousness of Winston’s parents.

As they strolled into the fresh air, Niles opened his mouth to speak but was promptly interrupted by a familiar flutter. Squeaky landed squarely on his head, chirping urgently. The little bird’s posture and restless movements signaled that something was amiss.

Niles let out a weary sigh, already suspecting the worst. “Of course, they wouldn’t make it easy for two banished men to linger longer than ordered,” he muttered, casting a resigned glance at Winston. His voice dropped to a whisper. “We are being followed.”

Squeaky chirped in acknowledgement.

“Just one person?” Niles asked, raising an eyebrow.

The bird shook its feathers.

“Two?” he pressed.

This time, Squeaky chirped in confirmation.

Niles’s brow furrowed as he worked through the possibilities. “Is it the Xargian guards, Wolf and Elephant?”

A sharp chirp from Squeaky affirmed his suspicion.

Niles sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. Winston, who had been listening closely, finally spoke up. “What now, Sir Niles? We’ve still got much to do.” His tone was measured, but the underlying urgency was clear. They needed to rendezvous with Polly from the adventurers’ guild and devise a plan to save Vulcan.

Niles considered their predicament for a moment before a sly grin crept across his face. Leaning closer to Winston, he spoke in a low voice. “We might be able to use this to our advantage.”

**********

From across the street, tucked in the shadows of a narrow alley, the two Xargian guards—adorned in their fearsome snarling helmets, one shaped like a wolf and the other like an elephant—kept a watchful eye on their targets.

Wolf shifted uncomfortably, his irritation evident in his voice. “I can’t believe we’re stuck on babysitting duty. Watching these two simpletons is a waste of time.” He scowled beneath his helmet. “They’re not dumb enough to try anything. It’s not like they’d risk staying here longer than they’re allowed.”

Elephant leaned against the wall, his massive frame exuding patience. “Orders are orders. This came straight from the commander, who serves—”

“—directly under the king. Yeah, yeah, I know,” Wolf interrupted with a dismissive wave. Then his posture stiffened. “Wait a second—they’re up to something.”

Elephant straightened, following his companion’s gaze. Across the street, Niles and Winston stood back-to-back, their stances tense, like duelists preparing for a standoff.

Without warning, Niles bolted back inside Winston’s parents’ house, while Winston took off in the opposite direction, darting into the bustling streets of the city.

“They’re making a move!” Wolf barked.

Elephant wasted no time. “I’ll follow the court assistant. You stay on Sir Niles!”

With that, the chase was on.

**********

Niles rushed back into Winston’s house, startling his parents, who had barely begun to settle after their goodbyes. “Quick, touch the bird!” he called out urgently, thrusting Squeaky forward. The little bird stretched out a wing, waiting expectantly.

Winston’s father crossed his arms, giving Niles a skeptical look. “If this is some kind of bird joke, it just flew right over my head.”

Niles blinked, processing the remark. “Did… did you just make a pun?”

The older man’s lips curled into a slow grin. “No, that would be ill eagle.”

Winston’s mother burst into laughter, unable to hold it in, and soon her husband joined her. Niles, caught in their infectious humor, laughed too. “I thought you didn’t like jokes!” he managed between chuckles.

The old man wiped his eyes. “It took all my strength not to crack during your sheep puns. That was glorious!” Even Squeaky joined in, emitting a series of chirps that sounded suspiciously like laughter.

Eventually, the laughter subsided, and Winston’s father greeted Squeaky with a gentle tap on the wing. His wife stepped forward to offer the bird a few affectionate scratches on its head. “You’re such a beautiful little thing,” she cooed, and Squeaky puffed up with pride at the compliment.

Niles straightened, his tone growing serious. “I suspect Winston and I are being followed by Xargian guards. Most likely, they’re just ensuring we don’t overstay our welcome.” He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. “But I have some concerns.”

Stolen story; please report.

Winston’s father raised an eyebrow. “Concerns?”

Niles met his gaze. “It’s possible the guards might come here to ask about our visit. That’s fine—be honest with them. But…” He lingered on the last word.

“But what?” Winston’s father pressed.

“Please, stay home during the public execution at the square today.”

The older man frowned. “What’s so special about this one? Public stunts like this are rare, sure, but hardly a reason to stay indoors.”

Niles’s gaze drifted. “I haven’t told Winston this, but I suspect there’s a traitor within the Xargian Guard.”

The statement made Winston’s father stiffen. “A traitor? That’s ridiculous.”

“I know it sounds preposterous,” Niles admitted. “But consider this: after the attack on the ball, the perpetrators escaped with a hostage. The investigations only targeted the ordinary guards, and no one has accounted for how the attackers infiltrated the castle so easily. It’s entirely possible they’re still in the city—waiting.”

“Waiting for what?” Winston’s father asked, his voice cautious.

“A chance to finish the job.” Niles’s tone turned grim. “The execution will draw heavy guard presence to the square, leaving other areas less protected. If I were the enemy, I’d use this event as a distraction to strike again.”

Winston’s father weighed each word carefully. “And you’re telling us this because…?”

Niles’s gaze hardened, his voice resolute. “Because I trust your loyalty to Xandria and the royal crown. If a Xargian guard steps foot in this house, it’ll confirm my suspicions.” He stood, his movements brisk. “Thank you both for the food, once again, it was delicious. Now, if you’ll excuse me –”

Niles made his way to the door, peeking his head out cautiously to survey the street like a mischievous child sneaking out past curfew. Satisfied the coast was clear, he slipped outside, resuming a casual pace toward the city center.

Across the street, hidden in shadow, Wolf observed every move. The Xargian guard’s eyes narrowed as he noted Niles’s suspicious body language.

“He’s up to something,” Wolf muttered. Once Niles was out of sight, Wolf strode purposefully toward the house Niles had just left.

This time, there was no knocking. Wolf pulled the door open without hesitation.

“Quickly, tell me everything that happened here,” Wolf demanded, his snarling helmet gleaming like polished silver, leaving no need for further introductions.

“Would you like some tea?” Winston’s mother asked with surprising calmness, as though having strangers barge into her home was an everyday occurrence.

Wolf clenched his fists. “No—just tell me everything that man said or did while he was here.”

Winston’s father regarded the Xargian guard with a measured look. “Very well. But we’re old, so it might take a while to remember everything.”

Wolf groaned in frustration, his patience wearing thin. “I demand you tell me the most important thing that was said or done here. Now.”

Winston’s mother shrugged lightly. “Sir Niles came back to compliment the food we made. Before that, he and our son were here to say goodbye. They told us they were leaving because they’d been banished.”

Winston’s father nodded in agreement, adding a simple, “Yup.”

Wolf stiffened. He had expected intrigue or subterfuge, not such a mundane explanation. “I see,” he muttered, clearly disarmed by the simplicity of their answer. He hesitated for a moment, then straightened up. “Well then, I’m leaving.”

As he turned to go, Winston’s father called out cheerfully, “Thank you for pawsing by!”

Winston’s mother burst into a fit of giggles. “Oh, that’s a good one, darling.” She wrapped her arms around her husband in a warm embrace.

“You make my heart howl with joy,” he replied, smiling down at her as they shared a tender moment.

Wolf strode out of the house with far less dignity than when he had entered, gritting his teeth as the couple’s laughter rang behind him. He picked up his pace, determined to track down Niles and continue his surveillance, muttering under his breath about wasting time.

**********

Winston sprinted through the bustling city streets, weaving through the crowd toward the harbor. Behind him, keeping a cautious but noticeable distance, the Xargian guard known as Elephant followed, his heavy footsteps on the paved ground made his presence not particular subtle. As Winston neared the docks, his eyes locked on the quirky vessel known as The Flying Turnip.

"Why is he heading back here?" Elephant muttered to himself, confusion creasing his brow beneath the snarling elephant helmet.

Winston reached the ship and called out at the top of his lungs, “Captain! Captain Veggieplank!”

From the cabin emerged the grizzled figure of Captain Veggieplank, his wiry white beard catching the salty breeze. “What is it now?” he barked, his voice as rough as the sea spray on the hull.

Winston, cheeks flushed with embarrassment but committed to the plan, shouted loudly enough for the whole dock to hear, “I NEED TO USE THE TOILET! IT’S AN EMERGENCY!”

Elephant froze mid-step. Even from his distance, the words hit him like a cannonball, and he inwardly cringed under his helmet. He thanked the stars no one could see his expression because secondhand embarrassment was radiating through every fiber of his being. Meanwhile, Winston’s face had turned a shade of red that rivaled the morning sun. This was not the sort of behavior expected from a former royal court assistant, and he silently cursed Niles for convincing him to go along with such a ridiculous plan.

Captain Veggieplank scratched his chin, clearly unfazed by Winston’s outburst. “There’s some fine public shitters over yonder,” he drawled, pointing toward a row of red wooden shacks near the harbor.

“Thank you!” Winston shouted back before dashing toward the shacks with all the urgency his voice had promised.

Elephant stopped dead in his tracks, his massive form standing out among the dockworkers and passersby. A few children pointed and giggled at the sight of the imposing guard seemingly paralyzed with awkwardness.

Then, a cheerful voice broke through the tension. “Hello, Elephant! Thanks for your help earlier!”

Elephant turned to see Niles standing beside him, a mischievous grin on his face. “Have you seen Winston?”

Still processing the bizarre situation, Elephant responded almost automatically, “Yeah, he ran toward those bathrooms over there,” he said, pointing toward the red shacks Captain Veggieplank had indicated moments before.

“Great, thanks!” Niles said with a smile, trotting off in that direction.

Moments later, Wolf appeared at Elephant’s side, his expression unreadable beneath his snarling wolf helmet. “Anything to report?” he asked tersely.

Elephant exhaled deeply, shaking his head. “No. You?”

Wolf gave a dismissive shrug. “Nothing.”

Elephant glanced toward the harbor, then back at Wolf. “Want to grab a drink and agree to never speak of this again?”

Wolf paused, pretending to consider it before nodding. “Yes. Absolutely.”

“They’ll have to pass us eventually if they’re heading back to the city,” Elephant remarked, his tone matter-of-fact. Wolf gave a curt nod of agreement. Neither of them noticed the sharp eyes of Squeaky, circling high above like a vigilant sentinel, silently observing their every move.