Far from the rich allure of Bournington, the menacing Envy and Isaac Rose had found themselves a home. A cave, not so far from the small town of Astrea. A home grants freedom, a sanctuary. This was not true for Isaac. There was a clear injustice done on him, his wrists being laced with marks of his torture. His posture a portrait of pure punishment. His eyes the topic of a traveller’s fatigue. Isaac had been shackled up so harshly, his blood was running thin. This had all been at the cost of Envy being unable to keep an eye on him at all times.

For instance, his back had been turned in one encounter when he was occupied with a fearful figure. A figure which the general had no recollection of seeing enter the cave. It had come from almost nothing, as it levitated with its ghastly appearance. There was almost nothing human to this fanatical phantom, besides a black robe that covered its unearthly appearance. Even stranger, was Envy kneeled to the floor - his eyes pressing the figure with hope and desperation.

"Scribe, Scribe, Scribe! Oh, you came! Give me what I desire..." Said Envy submissively.

"What you desire...?" The general had muttered in fear, his eyes imprinted with Alsop's father in mind.

"Yes. What I desire. You fail to give me the name of the woman with the metal hand - my desire." Envy said with a hint of bitterness.

"Argh! You and that stupid hand! It's not real, a woman with a hand of polished metal? Are you right in the head? Tsk! I don't even need to ask that." The general had replied with a hint of bitterness too.

"You think you are right in the head? Is anybody?" Scorned Envy. "Pff, enough. How much do you ask?" He turned to the gleaming Scribe ahead of him, an angel in his eyes.

"For your desire...10 years of your life shall suffice." The ominous figure replied with the voice of a cold corpse.

"Take it. I just need a name and place." Concluded Envy.

"10 years? He's giving up that much, to find her name?" Thought Isaac.

Within seconds, the face of Envy drew drastically grey with colour, as an eternal force sucked a small surplus of his lifespan from him. All at the cost of knowledge. Knowledge which was deep within the roots of his mind. The Scribe had spiralled through twists and turns within such a mess of a mind until it reached the treasured memory. The contest had introduced him to this woman, but the body of Caspian had already all too well known this woman Envy sought so desirably.

"Her name...it is Victoria Magika. Her place...it is in some Magician's Manor in Astrea. My pity for you, Sin of Envy, warns you with further information...she has close company...the type that could assimilate you." The Scribe said with an echo, its presence simply fading into nothingness.

"It's her? Nonsense! And Astrea? Why would she go back home? She said she'd come for me!" Shouted Isaac.

"A Scribe never lies. They are truly beneficial, you must make use of one someday." Said Envy.

"At such a high cost? Only a fool would commit to such a thing!" Replied Isaac in scorn.

"We leave immediately, Rose." Bluntly said Envy, ignoring his prisoner's words.

Their path to Astrea was no easy feat, especially with Envy's single hand having to carry the general - who somewhat refused to fight back to his captor. The task drew challenging, at the arrival of Astrea's luscious hillside, a remote beauty from conflict with a large landscape. A landscape that flourished with the riches of fine flowers and gorgeous gorges of green. All at the hands of an honoured lady of the area, who had a taste of serenity to fit her picturesque view of the land.

A woman of such delicate taste was none other than the greatly sought-after Victoria Magika, and she had been staring out at the beauties of her green forest through the windows of her grand home, the Magician's Manor. Her eyes were outside, but her mind was stuck with thought on the subject of her visitor, Thomas Titanius Junior. He had been laying down on a sofa, with his body in aching pain.

"Well, are you willing to talk today?" Victoria asked him bluntly.

"What do you want me to say? Argh!" Yelled out Thomas, his body in a horrific strain.

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"All Envy did was vomit on you, yet you feel so much pain?" Replied Victoria with curiosity.

"You probably don't care, right? Nobody seems to bloody care!" Thomas cried out in agony.

"No!" Victoria burst out. "You're incredibly wrong. I care. I care so very much. You will break free from this, I promise. I'm just a little uncertain what it is that's wrong with you." She said as she kneeled beside him with a graceful aura about her.

"There are these voices...I have voices in my head..." Thomas muttered quietly, feeling reassured.

"Voices? What kind? Talk to me and I will help." Replied Victoria, with a stare at his dry lips.

"There are so many. Too many. Princess Maria de Marielle, Baxter Astrix, Alister Sinclair. I could name so many more!" Exclaimed Thomas.

"This is a start, but I need more from you." Said Victoria, as she caught a glimpse at his eyes - a set of dark stretches of skin beneath them.

"You're looking at my eyes, with such sadness, Ms." Thomas caught her and felt no guilt in pushing her.

"I feel terrible that I can't help you. But I do have one lead now. It would require Alsop Dusseldorf though, a friend I made." Cheerfully said Victoria to herself.

"Dusseldorf? How could he help me?" Asked Thomas.

"It is just a thought. I will look into it soon. For now, I'd like to find a way to cure you temporarily." Said Victoria.

"It's unnatural, I've never felt this amount of pain before." Thomas said with his position upright, and his hands gently soothing his head.

"You must have felt a greater pain before." Replied Victoria, as she walked off to the window once more.

"No, no, no. This is definitely my worst pain. I've had my fair share of fights, but this is horrible!" The reply had gently left Victoria with a breeze of silence.

She had not replied, but Thomas thought nothing of it as his mind continued on in pain.

"What's made you so quiet now?" Asked Thomas.

"Your fights. You're no longer a Beast Hunter, are you?" Asked Victoria.

"How will this help my pains?" Frustratedly asked Thomas.

"It will help my own pains." Said Victoria with a slight smile.

"I'm that much of a problem for you, then?" Muttered Thomas guiltily.

"Not at all. You seem to have made this place less dull." Said Victoria.

"Well, I hate to disappoint you. I'm no longer a Beast Hunter. Something happened." Said Thomas, his face downcast.

"Something happened?" Pondered Victoria.

"I forgot. That's weird, right?" Scoffed Thomas.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry you seem to have forgotten." Replied Victoria.

"Do you remember or something?" Asked Thomas, his eyes cautiously watching the woman by the window.

"What? What do you mean?" Victoria turned to see him, a decidedly confused expression upon her.

"Never mind." Thomas bit his lip. "You have absolutely no magic to help me out?" He asked her.

"It's like I said yesterday, no." Replied Victoria.

"Perhaps I should have gone to see Annette Summers instead." Suggested Thomas.

"No. The girl is exhausted, she wouldn't be able to handle what you're feeling." Said Victoria sternly.

"She really isn't exhausted, is she?" Asked Thomas. "You want me here for something. But what may that be?" He added.

"Observant as ever. Though, I didn't lie about her not being able to handle your pains." Said Victoria.

"Observant as ever?" Thought Thomas with a questioning smirk.

With Thomas in a pathway between his thoughts and the voices channelling through him, Victoria watched on at the mountainous terrain surrounding Astrea. Menacingly walking through these outskirts, Envy had brought himself and the general to a sudden stop. He investigated a map of Astrea but found no sign of a Magician's Manor and this frustrated both him and his companion. For the general, going to the kingdom's best magician was a disastrous idea for Envy to pursue, as it would surely lead to his demise, or at the very least, Isaac's own personal safety.

"I still cannot believe you. She does not have a metal hand." Said Isaac, as the two paused on a rocky path.

"It doesn't matter. I'm not looking to convince you, I just need a hand. It's slowing me down not having both." Replied Envy.

"Right, you need a hand. And what will you do when you get it?" Asked Isaac.

"Hah! Why would I tell you, the general of an army, my plan?" Asked Envy, as he began to make his way through Astrea once again.

"Well, I already know the end goal of your plan." Muttered Isaac in quick defeat.

"Hmm? That's right. Thomas and Grove and Lux. I'll kill them all." Spat out Envy with wretched pain.

"You really do hate the legendary knights." Said Isaac, astounded. "You must have your reasons?" He pondered.

"Witch..." Envy mumbled.

"Which is...?" Asked Isaac.

Envy stopped. Isaac had also stopped his pestering nature. They had both stopped.