A manhole cover moved out of its slot near the stables within Largandra\u2019s castle. The person who moved it, Arsha, poked her head out and looked around. A horse mare, Sun Walker, goggled at seeing her usual rider. She was about to whinny in happiness, but Arsha put a finger to her lips. Sun Walker then looked around, then she shoved her muzzle into the side of the mare next to her, knocking the other mare, Moon Swimmer, into a wall. Moon Swimmer was startled and squealed at her attacker in warning. Sun Walker didn\u2019t listen and ran her into the wall again. That prompted a fight between the two mares. The Stable Master woke up from the noise. He then got a pair of stable hands, both men, and they managed to separate the two mares. \u201cA damn shame,\u201d muttered one of the hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, Arsha being in the Over-realm,\u201d replied the other, \u201creally took a hit on Sun Walker\u2019s mood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan you blame her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot really, my husband\u2019s been stuck in the Under-realm. I\u2019m going just as crazy from the separation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, and I was supposed to be traveling the Realms as a new Forsorna man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll right, I know the separation of the Realms has delivered a hard blow to morale,\u201d remarked the Stable Master, \u201cbut we still have a job to do. We must continue as if our real King is here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the distraction went on, Arsha and her team made it to the maze. \u201cGood girl, Sun Walker!\u201d Arsha thought to herself. She then led her team through the maze and eventually arrived at the maze junction. She then made the deliberate wrong turn and found the secret passage. \u201cPerfect!\u201d she whispered. She opened the trapdoor, and the team went in. The passage was very narrow and short, so Gorfanth had to bend over as the team followed Arsha in single file. After an hour, they arrived at another door. Arsha put her ear to the door and hear a conversation going on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is no concern of ours whether or not your family has\u2026what was it again?\u201d said a man in an oily voice, the nemesis of the Royanas, Skain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cErm, food, Your Grace,\u201d replied a woman. The man scoffed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou really should have thought about that before the wall came up!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSir, the wall has cut us all off from the lower fields! It\u2019s endangering us!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow dare you!\u201d Arsha then heard a slap and the woman yelped a millisecond after that. \u201cI had that wall erected for YOUR safety and you dare tell me you can protect yourself better than I can?! That\u2019s treason! Take her to the dungeon!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSir! You can\u2019t-!\u201d protested the woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe correct form of address is Your Majesty! Take her away! \u2026And get the cleaning staff in here! It smells like a sewer! \u2026Or maybe you guys DO need a shower.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not us, Si\u2026Your Majesty, I can personally assure you of that,\u201d remarked a guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, it ain\u2019t Skain-\u201d Arsha decided that that was the signal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSKAIN!\u201d she shouted. The passage opened and the strike team swarmed the throne room. The guards briefly leveled their crossbows at the team only to see the Royanas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour Majesties! Your Highness!\u201d cheered one of the Guards. Everyone knelt to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s all the ruckus?!\u201d barked a voice. \u201cI\u2019m trying to-!\u201d Irmalii rounded a corner and clapped eyes on the Royanas. \u201c\u2026I must be sleep-deprived!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince you\u2019re not throwing these pieces of trash in the dungeon, yes!\u201d snarled Skain. Irmalii then slammed her fist into his chest for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou will address the Royanas with respect, you throne-swiping, thin-blooded, purity-obsessed freak!\u201d growled Irmalii. She then turned to Arsha and ran to give her a hug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHold it!\u201d called Arsha. \u201cMy team and I just went through the sewers, and I don\u2019t want to spread its stink onto everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cErm, hello?! Rightful King here!\u201d called Skain. \u201cWe\u2019ve got intruders and-!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThrandoshius Skain!\u201d boomed Elgrad. \u201cFor usurping the throne during my absence, for reintroducing slavery into the Mid-realm, for other crimes too numerous and horrible to mention, I hereby declare you too dangerous to be kept alive!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI won\u2019t bow to you anymore! The Mid-realm throne is MINE!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, it\u2019s mine! Guards, has that poor woman made it to the dungeon yet?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, Your Majesty,\u201d replied a guard. \u201cBut there ARE good people who did nothing wrong that are trapped there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGet them out and put Skain in there! After that, seize his lands, confiscate his possessions, liquidate everything he has! Only when I get word of his financial assets being reduced to zero will he die!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYOU UNGRATEFUL-!\u201d Irmalii clubbed the back of his head and knocked him out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWelcome back, Your Majesty,\u201d she greeted as two guards hurried off to obey Elgrad\u2019s orders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood to BE back,\u201d sighed Elgrad. He then took a whiff of his pits, then his face contorted in disgust. \u201cI need a shower!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, no offense, Your Majesty, but you and your team reek!\u201d Irmalii covered her nose, as did the rest of the guards. \u201cWe\u2019ll have the serving staff draw you all a shower.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you, Irmalii,\u201d sighed Arsha. She then realized something. \u201cWhere\u2019s Kartambo in all this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe seditionist?\u201d growled Irmalii. Elgrad then gave Irmalii his full attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy use that word with our trusted advisor?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith all due respect, Your Majesty, I\u2019m afraid it\u2019s you who are using the wrong words concerning him. Kartambo did nothing as Skain took the throne. He actually announced his support.\u201d Elgrad\u2019s eyes went wide in fury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOnce I\u2019m done cleaning the sewer stench off me, I want EVERY scrap of information on him!\u201d he growled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt once, My Lord.\u201d The strike team were then led to the baths as Irmalii headed off to obey her rightful sovereign\u2019s commands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over in Frigandor, a Revenant Elf woman was sobbing hysterically. Yulduk and Tormo looked on in pity. \u201cPoor Lontrel,\u201d mumbled Yulduk. \u201cShe had really high hopes for the Markulak line of robots. Then Model 7 had to go and betray us and kill his successor!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou know, I think she\u2019s lost her marbles because of it,\u201d replied Tormo. \u201cYesterday, she thought she was a chicken.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe better get her a Shrink then!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, we can\u2019t do that!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Why not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe need the eggs!\u201d Tormo laughed while Yulduk frowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s that in your hand?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust a hammer.\u201d Yulduk then took the hammer from Tormo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cReal classy to joke about someone grieving!\u201d He then bonked Tormo on the head with the hammer. \u201cCome on and help me console her!\u201d He grabbed Tormo\u2019s ear and dragged him over to the woman.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A manhole cover moved out of its slot near the stables within Largandra\u2019s castle. The person who moved it, Arsha, poked her head out and looked around. A horse mare, Sun Walker, goggled at seeing her usual rider. She was about to whinny in happiness, but Arsha put a finger to her lips. Sun Walker […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,238],"tags":[482],"class_list":["post-5251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-three-realms","category-the-three-realms-book-5-the-final-fight","tag-fantasy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5251","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5251"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5251\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5252,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5251\/revisions\/5252"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}