The general and Axel had rushed off to their destination at a quick pace, a sense of urgency was with their job compared to Alsop's. Axel had been moved from the warmth of the Royal Guard to the icy cold carriage of General Rose in a matter of seconds. This quick thrill of events had soon gotten to him, and Axel had become nervous. A sharp steer away from the excitement he once had. He soon began pondering just where exactly the two had made haste for, as their carriage soon passed the slums for a place further away from the precious Bournington.

Sat across him, his only answer for hope had been casually laid back against his seat with both eyes closed. Dressed similarly to Axel, the general did have some notable differences. His clothing had been well stitched to incorporate a small indication of red within each piece, a colour many would associate with his family. His blazer had been left across his shoulder, despite the cool weather.

"Tell me, are you usually this quiet?" Isaac had spoken aloud, startling Axel.

"Huh! No! I'm - I'm just thinking. That is all." Axel stuttered out.

"I see, a thinker. Well, that's good I guess." Said Isaac, going back into his silence.

"General." Axel gathered his mentor’s attention again instantly. "Where are we going?" He asked.

"It's Isaac. Call me Isaac." His mentor asked of him. "As for where we are going, where do you think?" Isaac asked.

"Me? How would I know? I am asking you, you idi-" Axel paused as he looked at the general smirk slightly.

"You what? What were you going to say?" He asked, whilst helping himself to a glass of whiskey, his eyes locked to Axel's mildly threatening posture.

"It's nothing, Isaac. May you answer my question?" Axel asked, he was becoming warier of their distance from the city.

"Hmph. Tell me, Axel, are you always this feisty?" Asked Isaac, as he gulped down a slither of his drink.

"Feisty - huh? What are you on about?" Asked Axel.

The general stared at him for some seconds, and then came to a quiet conclusion. The carriage went into a slight silence as he shuffled about his seat and reaffirmed himself to gain a closer glance at Axel. He continued with another sip of his drink and then followed by having his eyes gallop into Axel's field of view.

"Axel Astrix." Isaac read off the name from his memory. "You're quite the package." He added.

"What do you mean?" Axel asked.

"I'm looking for a second in command." Isaac said. "Don't get too excited though. The idea was suggested to me by the new king." He added quickly.

"Me, be your second in command? Why? Surely you know that all I have to offer is my magic." Said Axel in disbelief.

"You're not exactly selling yourself, are you?" Isaac laughed. "But it's your magic that interests me the most." He said.

"Does this have anything to do with where we're going right now?" Asked Axel, his eyes climaxed in excitement.

"No. There have been reports of a minotaur moving towards the city. I can't have anything like that near the festival." Said Isaac.

"That explains the number of carriages behind us." Said Axel.

"Ah yes, I've ordered quite a large number of knights over to sort this." Said Isaac.

"This many though?" Asked Axel with a raised eyebrow of disapproval.

"I wouldn't want to annoy the King now, would I?" Asked Isaac with a snarling smile to his partner.

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The carriage stopped suddenly. They had arrived at a large expanse of grass, where a setup of some wooden barricading was visible but it seemed weak and nimble. The minotaur, a big, brutal and beastly sight, had been on one end of the field. From afar, the groggy, pained breaths of the monster had been heavy and disorientated. A sword was wedged tightly into its thick, muscular back. It was in clear pain, but still, it traversed the field - something was delirious in its mind. A goal, a mission. Despite its injuries, the beast was still willing to fight with all it was able to give. The horns rigidly dug into its head were still intact and they still had a sharpness to them. It roared vigorously too, instantly showing off its unhinged set of teeth. They were rotten and aged, and they carried some hints to its past. Red and stained with dried up blood, they were large, fang-like things of disgusting appearance.

This had easily caught the eye of Axel, who had been in a paused motion as he refused to move. The general raised an eyebrow but thought nothing much of the sudden shock that Axel had become strained with.

"Axel! Come on, it's not too scary. It won't bite!" Laughed the general as he nudged his shoulder.

"That's the thing, Isaac. The minotaur has a set of teeth that look worn out. Simply put, they've eaten a lot of people before." Said Axel, his eyes had moved onto the red bulging eyes of the beast.

"Hmm, very well. This way though, I have someone for you to meet." Said Isaac with disinterest.

"Really? Who?" Axel replied, but it was a weak reply. He had cast his entire gaze to the minotaur.

"I'm sure you are aware of the three captains, you will be meeting Captain Magnolia Margrave now." Said Isaac.

The general and Axel had reached the field entirely where the true sight of terror was fully revealed to them. Their eyes had glistened with a shade of red that was smudged across the grass - the painter of this repulsive masterpiece being several miles away from them. In-between the two opposing parties, Captain Magnolia had been standing amongst the bloody mess, watching the minotaur quietly.

Her hair was a silky black, which flushed her face with a much-needed dose of colour against the smoky field, though her face still seemed unfavourably bland - with it receiving little to no nurture, clearly visible by her blemished spots. Her eyes, like that of a vicious green snake, carried toxicity within them that poisoned fear into anyone who opposed her. They carried a tension of emotions beneath them, but they added a welcome level of colour to her aforementioned face. Her lips were small, but even still, they had seen an effort to be stylish with a pink hue of gloss on them. Her clothing had been another variation of Axel's typical knight uniform, with her captain’s iteration bearing a navy descent within her stitching and buttons. Like a set of angelic wings, a navy cape had covered her back extensively, with it connecting to her neck with a row of white fur.

Isaac stepped forward confidently and rose to speak with the lone captain.

"Magnolia! What's happened here? Why are so many of my soldiers injured?" He asked.

"Tsk!" Magnolia turned to view the general with a calamitous stare. "You know the answer to your question. Why have you brought so many knights to fight one enemy?" She asked with spite.

"Well, the one enemy is still standing!" Isaac retorted.

"Yes. Your strategy is lacking." Magnolia had gazed pitifully at her fallen companions, their bodies aching perilously. "You will need magic that surpasses mine, or a strong blow to take it down." She added.

"Haha! It's good then, that my magic surpasses yours. I shall deal a big blow to the beast." Isaac said as he rolled his sleeves up.

"What about the injured?" Asked Axel.

"Ah. Magnolia, help me call her in." Said Isaac.

With the rain of the morning having simmered down, the skies were clear with a light grey overcast, providing Isaac with a key opportunity. He lifted his hands to the open air, in which he fired a display of magic into the sky. Being excelled at fire magic, he made sure he had attracted a certain eye with a set of fireworks to rivet the lands. With Magnolia also supplying her magical talent of wind to excel the sound and size of the message, it was sure to have met its intended destination. Once done, she had made way to Axel, who had been of interest to her.

"I never got your name." She said bluntly.

"Axel, Axel Astrix." Said Axel, his gaze lowered slightly in discomfort.

"Then, you are the one Isaac seeks to be his vice." Magnolia had left out her hand to him.

"Yes, I suppose so." Said Axel, his hand reluctantly shaking hers.

"Your magic. Do you plan to use it here then?" Asked Magnolia, her eyes a glistening green of curiosity.

"I'm - I'm not very sure. Wouldn't it disturb Isaac's plans to fight the beast himself?" Axel nervously chuckled.

"Nonsense." Isaac had returned to the two. "You can build some better fortifications to protect the injured, and who I have called in." He added.

With a sigh of unnerving defeat, Axel ran across the field with a set of quick feet as he slid his warmly lit hands across the wet grass. Within seconds, the grass had changed into a solid brick wall at the touch of the ground, but the toll of such an action had instantly been felt through Axel's now exhausted body. He had fallen to the ground with the shadows of his humongous creation towering above his eyes. His job was successfully done though, as the injured were sealed away from the rampage of the minotaur, and the aid Isaac had called in was free to move in safely.

Who exactly had been the ever-mysterious aid Isaac and Magnolia had called in though?