At the southern plains of Morpheus was the city of Mauve.

Over there, the sun was as bright as it could ever be in cloudless heavens. Ombré valleys of pink and purple carnations have spread to leave no land spared. The flowers have just recently bloomed. Shuffling like little pixies as breezes patrolled their fields, they had no intention of withering anytime soon.

"Such a wonderful day!" Cass did a little twirl.

"Waaaaah!"

A spark flashed in the lady's eyes. "It was, for two minutes."

Ronald has been bawling. Louder than a whale wailing in the ocean. Everyone has asked him many times. Every time, his cries just went louder.

"Stop ruining it for me, Ronald." Cass crossed her arms. "You've been acting like this ever since we left. I couldn't even hear what the quest was."

The man used the back of his palm to wipe his face. "That! That's the problem!"

Thomas glanced at the letter in his hands. "All we need to do is kill some sort of monster terrorizing these valleys. Should be easy enough."

Those words paralyzed Ronald's body. "E-E-Easy? We don't even know what kind of monster it is! It could be anything. A werewolf, a basilisk. Maybe even a kraken!"

Mycela scoffed. "Krakens live in the water, you idiot."

"What if it's a mutated one? That's even worse!" Ronald bawled again.

Cass palmed her face. "We're supposed to be the seniors here. You're embarrassing us."

"What worse quest could there have been?!"

Winston rubbed his chin. "Well, I heard Layla and Alder had to go to Phoben. It's the city of living fears."

"Whaaat?! What the hell are they doing there?! Are they trying to die?"

"Their letter was by Phoben's mayor. Apparently some gangs have been raiding villages. Weird thing about them is that they're using local Phobetlings to help. Odess actually decided to join."

Ronald's face sunk to a purple color.

Mycela sent an elbow at the wizard's ribs. "We're in a much better place here, you know. We only have to fight one beast. Plus! We'll be rewarded twenty malagmium coins for doing it."

"Ronald's got a point though." Thomas folded the letter. "Nowhere here do they describe what kind of monster we're supposed to be fighting. I hope it's an interesting one."

"Same here." Winston chuckled.

"Both of you are crazy." Ronald began gnawing on his nails.

"This is mine and Thomas's first adventure. It has got to be memorable."

"Hard to believe there's a monster here, don't you think?" Cass used her hand to put an awning over her eyes. "This place is just too pretty."

"Greetings, knights." A raspy old voice blew with the wind.

"Waaaaah!!!" Ronald jumped and hid behind Cass. "That's the beast! I swear that's the beast. Fight it, fight it! Go!"

Cass gritted her teeth and punched Ronald to the sky.

A gray-haired old man half the height of Winston bowed before them. "It gives me joy you've received my letter so quickly. I wish to invite all of you to my home. We'll talk about the quest over tea."

The knights all exchanged glances.

It didn't take much genius for them to realize that the old man was the sender.

They all nodded, even Ronald, and came to follow the elder into his abode.

*******

Within the old man's home were whiffs of cinnamon and carnation. At the center of a set of violet sofas, a tea table was propping up pristine pink porcelain cups, a steaming teapot, and plates of pastries. Shelves of books and many displays towered by the walls. On a sill, a blonde cat was purring as it licked the back of its little paw.

"That cat is weird," Cass commented.

Mycela lifted a cup and a slice of cinnamon. "So how long has this beast been rampaging around here?"

"What kind of beast is it? More importantly." A trickle of sweat slid along Ronald's face.

"Has it killed anyone?" Cass bit into a slice.

The old man stared intently at the tea table's surface. Had he tweaked his stare's intensity to be just a teenie bit higher, all the good tea would have most definitely evaporated. "Before I proceed to tell you anything, I'd like to disclose that I very much am aware false reports to the Knights of Dreams are prohibited."

Cass blinked twice. "Huh?"

"But we needed to think of a way to make sure you guys would come here."

Mycela dipped her cinnamon into her tea. "There's not really a beast, is there?"

Ronald gasped.

"We figured you guys would never have come for anything other than what could lead you to the doorsteps of death." The old man displayed a face of dismay. "Forgive us. Mauve is just too beautiful to be home to any monstrous creature."

Cass swallowed. "Hey, that's what I said."

"Waitch, sho..." Thomas crashed on his back, his face bloated by all the bread he stuffed in it. "There ish no beasht?"

"That's a bit disappointing." Winston took a sip from a cup he'd taken. "What actually did you need us here for though? I'm sure that'd make up for it. It's probably controversial. Knowing you couldn't just write it down."

The old man coughed. "Yes, yes."

Thomas gulped everything in and leaned forwards. "What is it?"

"We need your assistance in helping two young lovers elope."

Silence took over the house.

Even the cat stopped its purring.

Did the man just say "elope?" They heard that right, right?

"Whaaaaat?!"

"Help two young lovers elope."

Ronald pounded his chest to save himself after choking.

Cass had cupped her mouth. "Why would you need knights for that? Can't they run away on their own?"

"Why are they eloping in the first place?" Ronald asked with a horrified expression. "How old are these children?"

Mycela sipped tea.

"Old Man Reggie!"

The door swung open.

"I heard knights are here!" A man in his early twenties barged in panting. His forehead was glinting with oil and grime.

The old man sighed.

As they've introduced, the young guy apparently was named Cariope.

He had parked himself on the same sofa where Ronald was sinking. The man seemed to have no care for any of the refreshments, politely refusing anything Cass offered with her shaking hands, though was keeping his eyes determinedly fixed upon the table.

Old Man Reggie coughed another time. "This is the lad who requires your assistance for their elopement."

"Whaaat?" Ronald's eyeballs protruded. "This guy's not a child!"

"Neither of them are."

"How old is the woman?"

"Diana is twenty-one."

Ronald eyed the man as if examining a fugitive. "Both of you are of legal age. Why not just have a wedding and move out like normal people?"

Old Man Reggie shook his head.

"Why not?" Mycela asked.

"Cariope and Diana's families are the Carcos and Ythuses. You'd be able to see both's houses by looking out the window."

Two purple manors stood over the fields.

"Being immediate neighbors, they actually started out pretty close friends. Every Monday, the Carcos invited Ythuses to balls. On Thursdays, the Ythuses invited Carcos to horseraces. All their smiles and all their laughs still linger in my head even though it's been fifteen years since I've last seen them happy together."

Cariope's eyes closed. "Diana has captivated me the moment she set foot in our house."

"That captivation I've seen grow over the years. Even though circumstance has kept this man from seeing his beloved for nearly a decade. You see, as young as Diana and Cariope were, the families have agreed to arrange them in a marriage, seeing as their emotions were actually mutual. But plans immediately changed after some still unknown conflict between the houses. Something to do with Alice Ythus's death."

"They sent Diana to a boarding school to keep her away from me."

"For ten years, she was. The Ythuses hoped both children would forget about the marriage in time. But like their feud, which remained roaring all the while, the romance between them two remained alight, growing as they traded letters, gifts, and mementos."

Cariope's determined eyes reappeared.

"When Diana finally came back, the Ythuses were careful in keeping her return a secret. An attempt to keep Cariope from meeting her. In case she would remember him. But of course, they never forgot each other in the first place."

"Diana and I met and talked about getting married. But her father was still strongly against it."

"The Ythuses have summoned a barrier around their manor. Only people permitted are allowed to enter and exit. Diana hasn't been listed as one of those people. She's stuck inside. She's written several letters to both me and Cariope expressing her desire to finally run away. But all our attempts at getting her out have been futile."

The knights were all in thought, internally humming with their eyes closed. Especially Mycela whose forehead was the most crumpled.

Cariope clapped his hands over his head, edging almost off the sofa. "I beg you. Please. We need your help. We wish to be together. Diana and I. It's always been our dream. But her family's magic is much too powerful for us to get past."

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"So you want us to break the barrier is what you want us to do?" Cass tapped her chin.

Ronald turned to his companions. "What do you guys think? Honestly, this is way better than needing to hunt down a ferocious monster."

"Are we even allowed to?" Thomas asked.

Mycela nodded in response. "We're doing this. Although the quest itself was a lie, the rewards you indicated are completely true, right?"

Old Man Reggie and Cariope both affirmed.

"Anything for my darling Diana," said the lad.

Mycela nodded again. "Besides, if she's a lady of legal age being kept in that thing against her will, then she's technically hostaged. As people with authority, it's just our duty to help."

She's right. If looked at it that way, Ms. Diana did seem to need rescuing.

"Well then." Winston got to his feet. "We'll first be speaking to the Ythus family and ask for the lady's freedom. If they say anything other than a yes, then we'll break down the Ythus barrier and free your Diana ourselves."

Cariope's eyes glinted, and then a surge of tears streamed along his cheeks. "Thank you! Thank you! I will forever remember what you're about to do. I'll be paying with all of my inheritance."

"You'll be paying what your letter promised," Mycela said sternly, then put her attention to her fellow knights. "So? Are you up for it?"

Cass stood up. "Yup! In, in!"

Ronald followed. "I'm up for anything not involving monsters!"

"Hah." Thomas chuckled. "Well, the man did say it was their dream to be together. We're Knights of Dreams, aren't we?"

"So we gotta fight for them." Winston laughed with Thomas.

"Then that settles it!" Mycela wrapped a strap around her body to carry her quiver. "For the lovers' dream!"

"For the lovers' dream!" they all shouted.

Even the goddess Khione seemed to shout along as Winston's power stone gleamed a quick glow.

*******

The knights wasted no more time.

To the Ythus Manor, they marched, under the command of a high noon sun. Had Mauve not been such a breezy place, all their armor would have probably melted.

As they gradually approached, the magic barrier their clients have talked about began to reveal itself.

A ginormous pink dome made purely of magic.

The barrier itself seemed rather thin, just like air, which was easy to see through. But the spell that kept the thing up was by no means an ordinary mage's doing. It would probably take several subsequent attacks before it'd shatter. But it would.

Mycela raised her chin, concentrating energy into her slender neck. "Meld! Voice and air. Amplified Speech!"

The other knights stood on guard.

"Attention! Ythus family. In your presence are five Royal Knights from the Great Castle of Morpheus. We have received reports about a lady named Diana Ythus being kept against her will in your abode. As people of authority, we hereby ask that you bring the lady out and grant her the freedom she rightfully deserves. If not, we'll be compelled to use other means, anything necessary, to break your magic barrier and get her out ourselves. We'll be giving you five minutes. If in that time, we don't see her, then we shall resort to force."

The manor remained unmoved.

Cracking his knuckles, Ronald prepared his fingers to cast his magic spells. "Of course they won't be making this easy."

Cass pulled out her sword from a sheath by her hip.

"Time is ticking!" Mycela reached for her bow.

Winston and Thomas both drew out their weapons, charging up their power stones as they practiced swings.

"A minute has passed."

The manor remained unmoved.

"Another minute."

Still unmoved.

"Another."

The manor still remained unmoved.

"That's it. Time's up." Mycela released an arrow. "Wind Shot!"

It seared with a glowing tail and left a dent on the barrier.

"Phantom's Edge!" Thomas's slashes came flying.

As Winston attacked, jagged-edged ice daggers created cracks.

"Claws of the Lion Queen!" Cass's sword flashed. "Lioness Scratch!"

The move left ten slits upon the magic wall.

Ronald focused his energy to a swishing orb in his hands. "Soda Magic! Lemon Pump!"

A rapid blast of fizzy yellow liquid burst forth.

All moves being performed, the Ythus barrier proved to have little chance of holding up. Just a bit more and it was already going to collapse. But the knights were brought to a halt as the manor's entrance swung open.

"It's a Monday." A dark-eyed man in his forties, with a rugged air upon him, stepped out to face his visitors. "I wish to be able to focus on my job."

Mycela's forehead creased. "Quickly give us Ms. Diana and you can get back to working."

"For goodness' sake." The man pressed his forehead. "The Carcos sent you, didn't they? It doesn't matter. Just leave. Diana is perfectly safe in my home so she'll be staying inside of it."

"Cariope!" A lady came running out, but an older woman caught her and dragged her back inside.

Mycela's frown worsened. "She doesn't sound so happy to me."

"Happiness and safety are not the same." The man snapped. "Just go home, whoever you are. I don't care what you want."

"Dude!" Ronald barked. "You're talking to the Royal Circle."

"What do I care about circles? Leave my premises or I'll have knights escort you out."

"We are knights, you idiot!"

Mycela shot an arrow. "Mr. Ythus, we are not leaving unless Ms. Diana is able to step out with us."

The arrowhead stuck in the barrier.

Mr. Ythus glared at the archer. "As I said, Diana will be staying inside my house. Leave now or I'll escort you out myself. I don't care who you are."

"You're in no position to disrespect us." Mycela drew out another arrow. "Meld! Air and arrow! Whirlwind Shot!"

"We'll keep firing until it breaks." Thomas sent a Phantom Edge. "Once it does, everyone hurry through and get the girl out."

"Right!"

"Fools." Mr. Ythus gritted his teeth and raised his arms. "Withered Magic! Wall of Thorns!"

Dead stalks sprouted amongst carnations. They grew to enfold the magic dome, and completely concealed the entire manor after merely seconds.

"No fortification can hold us back forever." Mycela prepared a shot.

Winston's grip around his weapon tightened. "What a lucky man. Most of our magic won't be effective against that. Are any of you able to cast fire spells?"

Cass leaped and sent Lioness Scratches to trim some of the stalks. "Mycela can."

"Yes, but I'd need a source of ignition."

Thomas glanced at his blade. "Here. My sword is made of steel. Your arrowheads are flint, right?"

"Perfect." Mycela borrowed Thomas's sword and struck an arrow against it. "Meld! Heat, air, and arrow. Flaming Shot!"

A splash of flames engulfed the thorns, opening a face of the magic barrier that was free to destroy.

"Quick!" Mycela returned Thomas's weapon.

"Lemon Pump!"

"Lioness Scratch!"

"Frozen Spikes!"

"Phantom Edge!"

"Wind Shot!"

"Crck!" was the sound that rang as the magic dome shattered.

All the withered thorns withered even more and became a shower of ash.

The knights were about to rush forwards, when, suddenly, vines wrapped around their wrists and their ankles, keeping them in place.

Mr. Ythus has moved to a balcony jutting out of their second floor, leaning against railings as he watched the baronets struggle. "If I can't keep you out, I'll just keep you in. In a temporary dungeon until knights arrive to collect you. Withered Magic! Dead Tree Cage!"

"Dude, this guy is a psychopath." Ronald squirmed as he tried to take his arms back from the plant.

"Carnation Magic! Petal Blade!"

Several streaks of pink light freed the knights from entanglement and severed the cage spell before it even had the chance to grow.

On a horse was a man who resembled Cariope, but was at least about twenty or so years older. "Daiden, how has your insanity grown to such extents over the years? These are knights from the Royal Circle. It's blasphemy against our god what you just did to them."

A stallion carrying Cariope neighed as it approached. "Father. They've successfully broken the barrier."

"Well. Head on inside! Take the love of your life."

Cariope jumped off and jogged towards the manor.

"Not so fast, Carcos." Mr. Ythus raised his hands again. "Entangling Thorns."

A dead vine prevented Cariope from moving any further.

"My love!" Came out that lady from earlier, reaching out, running as fast as she could before vines entangled her too.

"Daiden!" Mr. Carco barked. "What you have against me shouldn't be affecting our children. Can't you see?! They're in love. Just like you and I were with Alice and Theresa."

A black sheet of wind veiled Mr. Ythus's face. "Don't you dare say her name! Withered Magic. Withering Hour."

A circle of black runes appeared in front of the manor.

"Be careful! Everyone!" Mr. Carco warned.

Humongous wooden spikes shot from the spell, aiming at all except the caster's daughter.

Winston and Thomas took to the front. Thomas to counter as many of the projectiles as he phased to avoid them. Winston to create frozen walls to shield the rest of them. Behind, Ronald and Cass dealt with leftovers that slipped by the men, and Mycela came to aid Cariope, tugging to unroot the vines that kept the man immobile.

"Father! Stop!" Streaks of tears painted Diana's face.

"Because of you..." The dark air around Mr. Ythus grew even dimmer. "Because of your selfishness, Alice died! If you've given her the magic carnation, she would have lived! Withered Magic! Withering Days! No Carco will be responsible for an Ythus's death ever again!"

The magic circle vanished, only to reappear much larger than it was.

"Crap." Thomas winced as his blade barely chipped through a spike. "We're gonna have to stop that. Somebody needs to knock him out."

Winston laughed nervously as a spike pierced through his ice wall. "Right. Wanna take him on together?"

"I'll do it," said Mr. Carco as he nonchalantly walked to the front. "Carnation Magic. Days of Flourish."

A pink magic circle spawned over the fields. As it glistened, a shower of petals rained upon the valley, erasing the spikes as the Flourished and Withered Spells came into contact.

"Daiden, I did give you the carnation."

"Liar! If you have, then why is Alice dead?"

"I don't know. I don't know why it wouldn't have worked!"

"I've kept myself silent for ten years. Holding on to the last trickle of compassion I had left for you. But now that you dare endanger my daughter too, I have no more of that compassion to keep. I'll take your life. You'll pay for the loss of my wife."

"Father, stop!" Ms. Diana shrieked. "He's not lying!"

"Withered Magic. Withered Corpse."

The magic circle vanished a second time. This time, it didn't reappear. Instead, a pulse of dark energy zigzagged in the air, streaking for Mr. Carco.

Mycela's face paled.

"No!" Cariope pulled his feet so hard that the vines finally snapped. He rushed in front of his father, spread his arms, and collected energy to cast: "Carnation Magic! Death Siphon!"

The dark pulse trembled before breaking apart and redirecting to surrounding carnations.

All the flowers that have received the spell instantly wilted and died.

Diana also broke free. As if she nearly have lost her own life, she sprinted, and embraced Cariope the moment she was close enough. On her face were tears enough to flood the valley. "Stupid! Why would you do that?!"

Mycela blinked twice. It wasn't clear from her expression if she realized, but a streak of tear was also flowing from one of her eyes.

"No. No." Cariope cupped Diana's face and used his thumbs to clean her cheeks. "I would never abandon you. Now that you're in my arms, I'll never let go of you again. I love you."

Diana buried her face into the man's chest, hammering his abdomen with her balled fists. "Stupid, stupid! I love you too."

Cass's eyes twinkled. "Awe! I wish someone would insult and tell me they love me too!"

After a minute, Diana pulled away and finally turned to face her father. "Mr. Carco isn't lying, father. I know. I saw him give mother the healing carnations."

"What?" Mr. Ythus's eyes grew.

"I saw her. I saw her. I saw her throw them into the fireplace too."

"What did you say?"

"She didn't want to use magic."

"Why--"

"She was happy to have her life end the way it did. I know it's hard to imagine why. Over the years, I also thought she was being selfish. But I always kept in mind the last thing she said."

Mr. Ythus's legs wobbled.

"She said that she knew her death was always going to come. But she didn't really hate that. In fact she loved it. Because knowing her time with us, you and me, father, was always running out...made her cherish every single hour, every single day that she spent with us." Diana hid her face in her palms. "She always loved us, father. Don't hate her. Please. I didn't tell you sooner because I was afraid you would hate her. Like I did. But you ended up hating everybody else. I don't want you to hate anybody anymore. Our lives are running out too. There's nothing much we can do except cherish every single moment we have with each other. Please. Please, father."

Mr. Ythus's legs finally gave out, letting him fall onto his knees as he sobbed into the railings. "Alice. My sweet, sweet Alice."

Winston's power stone gleamed for a second, and then gradually lost its color.

*******

At the end of that commotion, the Ythus's valley looked more like an abstract painting than it did a beautiful field. Blocks of ice stood melting and began mixing into puddles of soda. Many flowers have become gray and brown, ruining the ombré that there was once.

But, all of that was worth it, seeing Cariope and Diana kissing in the midst of all of it.

"Thank you. For all your help." Old Man Reggie raised up his hands, offering a pile of glistering malagmium coins. "It's been too long since I've last seen a Carco and an Ythus this happy together."

"Yasss! We did it!" Cass twirled.

Ronald shyly collected the coins from the old man's hands. "I feel kinda bad taking these. All we really did was break that wall and that was it. Kinda makes me wish we hunted a monster down instead."

"Will you make up your mind?" Mycela slid her bow into her quiver.

"Just kidding. No monsters for me! That Ythus man kinda was, though, wasn't he?"

Mr. Carco gazed at the Ythus Manor.

Old Man Reggie's hand went up to pat the man's back. "Knowing Daiden, it's gonna take a while before his thoughts calm down. But he'll be better soon."

Mr. Carco nodded. "I wish to express my empathy and forgiveness, but he isn't letting anyone in right now."

"Well! We're off." Thomas bowed. "Back to Morpheus Castle. Thank you for that meal earlier! The cinnamon was very good!"

"Thanks for the rewards too!" Ronald snickered.

"Thank you as well, dear knights." Old Man Reggie lowered his head, and so did Mr. Carco. "Have a safe journey."

The knights waved good bye.

"Ugh. We're gonna have to walk all the way back to the cycosphere." Ronald spread out the coins in his palm.

"Quit your whining." Cass snapped. 'Where do you think could we have parked it here?"

"Hmph!"

"So!" Winston walked by Mycela. "Out of all of us, you seemed the most passionate for this quest. There's a story there, right?"

The lady looked back, to see Cariope and Diana one more time. "My parents were involved in a familia war. I fell for an enemy. They sent me to an alchemy academy to keep me away from him."

"What happened to the guy?"

"Married. Several weeks before I came back."

"So you wanted to make sure they wouldn't end up with the same story as you?"

Mycela looked down at stones. "If only my magic could also unite people."

Cariope used his fingers to brush Diana's hair.

"Even if it can't..." Winston laughed lightly and raised a thumb. "You're clearly still capable of reuniting lovers. Well done."

"Hey! Wait!" Old Man Reggie called.

"Huh?"

"Aren't you guys gonna take your cat with you?"

"What cat?"

The blonde cat. From earlier. The one that was sitting on the sill. It was currently puppy eyeing at Old Man Reggie.

"Is this not yours?" The old man scratched his head. "He was following you guys when we met."

Ronald pouted. "Why would knights be travelling around with a cat?"

"I honestly thought it was yours." Thomas gave Ronald an awkward smile. "I kinda assumed you brought one around just to calm yourself when you needed to."

"You mean that thing really has been with us this whole time?"

"Yeah!"

Really? Winston hadn't noticed either.

"Aha! I knew something was off about you." Cass ran back and lifted the animal. Carrying it in a convenient position, she fiddled her fingers to tickle the cat's tummy. "Coochie coochie coo!"

"Ah! Stop! Hahaha!" The cat giggled so much that it poofed into a cloud.

"Wait."

King Lux pressed his stomach, as he struggled to capture air while his laughter was still spilling. "Don't do that to people. Jeez."

"Wait. Whaaat?!"