She was supposed to share a room with Kait but followed Gabbro and Obsidian to theirs after dropping off her bag. Kait had given her a handful of sleeping aides when Opal explained where she was heading but she hoped they wouldn't need to use them yet. Everyone was expected at the dinner tonight and it wouldn't look good for Yue if two of his members were missing and there was no way Ob would be safe to be on his own.

"You could always say you were watching the two of us. Perhaps we were both in terrible moods." Gabbro pointed out as she sat on the ground with Obsidian and the single candle that was allowed in the room. Obsidian reached for it again and Opal grabbed his hands to put them back in his lap.

"I can't make shadows if you turn out the light, Ob," she reminded him before using her hands to create little shapes on the wall again, leaving the cursed demon to stare in awe.

"I certainly wouldn't mind a break." She admitted. "But we need to have Yue's back on this. The faster we impress them, the faster we are out of here with whatever paperwork he needs, right?"

"Correct." Gabbro's green eyes looked orange in the candlelight. "For a demon who was considering leaving the cohort for good, you are excellent at looking out for your candidate."

"I'm looking out for Obsidian."

"I appreciate that. Would you consider looking out for him while I clean up? I haven't had the opportunity while needing to watch him the last few nights."

"Of course." She continued making what she hoped looked like a bunny bounce across the flickering wall. Obsidian finally seemed to be catching on and was trying to get his own fingers to behave well enough to mimic hers. "Did you need- wow."

Gabbro cocked his head, holding his shirt in one hand. The shadows appeared to lick up his leanly muscled upper body. "Wow?" he repeated, a corner of his mouth quirking up.

Opal's face heated. "I mean..." but she didn't know what else she could have possibly meant. Even the question she'd had seemed to have fallen out of her head.

"No no," he was still smirking. "I quite like 'wow'. Thank you for watching him. Maybe next time he won't need it and I'll request your assistance in here."

Opal only took his meaning when Obsidian covered his mouth with both hands and began giggling uncontrollably. "Big brother!"

She coughed and looked to the wall, hearing the quiet laugh of his before the door to the shower room closed.

Obsidian touched a finger to her cheek and continued to giggle. "Big sister is overheating."

"Am not, Ob." She huffed. "And didn't we just discuss the importance of keeping your hands to yourself?"

"Yes." He responded, "look a dragon!" he'd entwined his thumbs in front of the candle light and spread the rest of his fingers wide.

"Dragons are real?"

Obsidian stared at her. "Demons are real, big sister. Of course dragons are." He rolled his bi-colored eyes. "I know plenty."

She was about to complain about being scolded when she realized what he had said. "You remember that, Ob? You remember that you know some dragons?"

"Oh yes."

"Do you know if I know any?"

He considered her. "Hmm... I know you know two at least."

"You do?" She sat up on her knees. "Can you remember anything else? Do you know where I met them? Do you know their names?" Obsidian narrowed his eyes and leaned away and she instantly regretted asking him so many things in succession. "Sorry."

"Viggor."

"What?"

"One of them. Her name is Viggor. Daughter of Viicera, first lieutenant to Shafaro for over sixteen years." His teeth were gritted. "Specialty, poisoned flames and... and..." his eyes closed and he jerked his head three times and opened his eyes once more. Obsidian looked around the room, blinking and then down at his own hands still holding the shape to the wall. He dropped them to his side. Opal froze. She knew how to handle one type of Obsidian but this side scared her. He seemed to notice her last. "How is it you escaped?"

"I left with the rest of them. Yue and Spark and-"

"No no." Obsidian rolled his eyes but there was no playfulness, just irritation. "From the rebels. You were supposed to be dead." With that he jumped to his feet and began digging through Gabbro's pack.

She remained on her hands and knees looking between him and the candle. She just needed to wait until the curse took over again, then she'd be safe but her curiosity got the better of her.

"Who are the rebels?"

Obsidian cackled. "If you don't know that, you don't know anything." He sighed. "And cannot help me."

"I don't. I crackled my skulls and barely survived. Tell me."

He rounded on her, bag still in his hand as he looked over head. "Where are we, Opal?"

"Cattenvarn."
"Ew. I hate that territory." He wrinkled his freckled nose and reminded her greatly of Kait with his look of disgust.

"Who is Viicera? Who is Shafaro?"

At that Obsidian laughed. "Nobody you want to know. Again."

"Again?"

"Enough questions." He grumbled, pulling Gabbro's talon weapon from the bag with a raised brow. "This? This is what he uses?"

Opal eyed it cautiously in his unpredictable hands. "You should probably put that back. It's dangerous."

"Dangerous? This?" Obsidian laughed. "Oh that's funny. You don't know the danger that surrounds you." He opened a hand. "A shifter," one finger curled. "An out of control fire beast, a beautiful northern prince, my brother and I, and of course your so-called healer."

"What do you mean? Kait is a healer."

"And I'm a gryphon egg." He scoffed. "Which reminds me, do you know what you are yet?"

"No. Do you?"

"Like that? No idea."

Opal was so confused her head was spinning. "Ob. Do you know who cursed you."

"Cursed?" He asked quietly, suddenly dropping back onto the bed. "Who curse- who cur-" he made a low noise as though in pain and covered his eyes.

"Obsidian!" She grabbed his arm.

"Yes big sister?" He cocked his head to one side. Opal's shoulders relaxed but she frowned as Obsidian's vague expression looked back up at her.

"Nothing. Nothing. Are you ok?"

He frowned. "My head hurts."

"As soon as your brother is done I'll get some medicine from Kait." Your so-called healer.

"Ok, thank you." His eyes went to the flame and he reached out to try and grab it, giving her only a second to grab him first.

Gabbro's hair was still dripping as she explained everything he had said. They'd given Obsidian something to help his headache which seemed to help him settle down and he sat making shapes for himself while his brother stared down at him with a frown.

"He's remembering names now."

"Do you think they are involved in cursing him?"

"Possibly."

"Do you know them too?"

"Viggor is less familiar but Viicera and Shafaro are well known for leading demons against the current Guardian system. They wanted to end the reign over the successors coming straight from the Demon King's direct lines- or at least that's how it started. At some point they went from recruiting and politically pressuring to burning entire territories and torturing anyone who refused to join them. Little brother what have you done..." He eyed her. "That's why I was against our brave candidate seeking out one of their defectors."

"Pyrope? She was seriously part of a group like that?"

"You see my concern."

"Why... why would he do that?"

"I'm sure she is an impressive educator." He shrugged. "And it has nothing to do with pissing off his father."

She recalled the sour look on Yue's face when he mentioned his father and the rest of the Demon Kings. Opal could see him being petty enough to seek her out if it was just him, but he and his brother had planned to go to her when Ren was still alive. He wouldn't have put him in danger.

"After the dinner, we need to- I need to see if I can remember anything new based off what he told me."

"Oh?"

"Yes." She said firmly, sure that with names she would be able to see more for longer. She needed to know why Obsidian thought she would be hanging out with the offspring of a murderous dragon. Gabbro hadn't even seemed shaken by this possibility and she wondered if that was just his nonchalant nature or if some of the demons that he associated with were just as bad. He was so hard to read and didn't seem interested in volunteering many of his thoughts. Mostly he just seemed concerned with Obsidian; exactly what he'd said, what he'd been doing when he said it, and how long his lucidity lasted. But then again he'd told her, Obsidian was his first concern. Until his brother was no longer under the effects of a curse, she could only expect so much from him.

"Then I'll be glad to help." His fingers came up to brush the hair from her face and his thumb and finger held her chin. Before she could register this he'd pressed his lips to hers quickly and just as fast let her go. She sat in a daze as he stood back up. "In fact I think I'll look forward to it."

"You seem distracted." Kait was holding up two options for clothing in the flickering light. Unlike at the previous locations they'd stayed the color and style were the same. The difference was the sound. One had a series of small stones that shivered like a brisk rainstorm when Kait twirled in the dress compared to a second with larger stones that clacked together. It was fascinating to listen and see the intricate ways the stones and beads were interlocked in order to create just the right sound. Opal, knowing nothing about Cattenvarn clothing had to assume this was very fine and expensive work.

"I like the first one." The delicate sound seemed to suit the petite demon better. Opal had chosen something that gave off a little smoother noise, like sand shifting over rock. She liked how unobtrusive but still obviously well made it was.

"Obsidian seemed to snap out of his calm about being underground is all." She didn't dare mention what her heart was really pounding about. She and Gabbro were going to see if she could uncover more of her memories. That included very close, but not unwelcome, contact with him. Contact she hadn't explored since before Ren's death. She felt guilty to feel excited at the thought. She blew out the candle and expected the darkness to continue when she walked out of the corridor but instead found Spark waiting next to their door with Proga just behind him. Spark had a small flame in his hand, forever rolling in a small circle from his finger tips to his palm. It flashed pale yellow and orange, the occasional white-blue sputtering near the center and Opal was in awe of his control of it. Especially given his condition. He looked to be breathing both too shallowly and too fast.

"You'll need to put that out." Kait murmured, offering him a small candy of some kind likely to calm his nerves.

He swallowed it without looking at it, eyes so firmly locked on her that Kait ended up staring down at her own feet until the light went out. Opal could hear them whispering something in the dark and joined Proga instead, deciding it may not be a conversation to overhear.

"He seems to be getting worse."

"Yes." Proga had leaned down to listen. She could smell soap similar to what Gabbro had used. "I think the light actually made him realize just where he was. I'd have offered him a book to read to get his mind off it, but, well, you know."

"I didn't realize you carried books."

"You didn't?" She could hear his smile in his words. "We'll have to read one sometime. They aren't the intellectual ones Yue carts around. I prefer more fun stories. Humans like to write about princesses a lot."

"Human books? About princesses?" Opal grinned in the dark. Why was she not surprised by this news.

"I-"

"Obsidian, will you hold Opal's hand for a moment?"

Proga had gone silent when the brothers' door opened.

"Yes big brother." He promised. His fingers were surprisingly nonsticky. He was wearing the loudest of the outfits so far. Proga was wearing something that barely made any noise so that she didn't quite notice when he had backed away from her. She was about to tell him to come back when she heard Yue's voice.

"Is everyone ready? Our guide is meeting us out front."

They all agreed and made the silent, eerie trip back through the hall along the checkboard textured walkway. Opal almost wished she hadn't used the candle. She'd been getting used to the dark and now felt as though she needed to start all over again.

The walk was luckily a short one since her stomach was starting to grumble and Opal entered what felt to be a very large room, perhaps a dome in shape since the air and the sound seemed to go on forever. A second group appeared to join them. And then a third. Opal swiveled in the dark as though that would do anything. She finally decided to approach Yue about it.

"Opal. I thought perhaps you'd be joining me."

She narrowed her eyes as though it mattered. "Well me and-"

"Prince, does this mean I can sit next to you?" Opal could hear the click as Obsidian rolled candy in his mouth.

For some reason Yue sounded flustered. "Ah, Obsidian. I...I suppose it does. You'll need to have excellent manners though."

"Of course, my Prince." Obsidian giggled. "Anything for you."

"There is more than just us here." Opal returned to her original reason for approaching him.

"Yes. The other candidates. The other cohorts. We can't expect to be the only ones here. Although..." his voice dropped lower. "I can't imagine they will be much competition."

"Hold on, hold on. Competition?"

"We went over this, Opal. You can't expect them to let just anyone train to be a guardian."

"B-but we were already tested." Suddenly she could picture terrible demons looming in front of her, ready to burn her alive or tear her apart with their teeth. She pictured the horrible multi-eyed drooling demon who had been sleeping on a roof in Lster. She pulled her hand from Obsidian's to wipe it on her dress.

"The test continues. As I said, it won't be much of a competition. Even though-" his voice raised minutely, "-as a shadow shifter you'd have expected Proga to have visited here before."

Opal opened her mouth to respond, only to realize he hadn't been speaking to her. Whispers had started all around them. Startled ones. Yue dropped his voice and Opal swore she heard a touch of amusement. "Without light around Proga might as well be a god. Any clever candidates will forfeit post haste and we can enjoy some dinner. I'm absolutely starving er- hello Obsidian."

To Opal surprise Obsidian's voice sounded clear again.

"That's too bad, Prince, I'd like to see what your shifter is truly capable of. Maybe even I'd have a chance to show off for you. Would you like that?"

Opal was stunned. Ob had never had such periods of lucidity one after the other. Maybe the curse was truly beginning to crack. Now Yue really did sound nervous. "Once you are well I'd be honored to witness your powers however now might not be the best time."

Obsidian's laugh was a slightly lighter version of his brother's throaty one but still just as quiet. "But prince, I'd love to impress you in the dark."

Before Yue could respond Opal felt someone tugging Obsidian away. "Ob." Gabbro's voice was dangerously quiet. "Control yourself. That's your candidate you're speaking to."

"I am well aware, brother. He's quite-" but there was a pause and a moment later a giggle followed by smacking. "Big brother this candy is sour."

"Whatz happenin' ow-" Spark had knocked into someone. Likely Proga. His voice had a distinct slur to it but at least it wasn't shaking. "We're totally surrounded ya know. Are we fightin' our way to dinner?"

"Don't be silly." Kait's voice now.

"Correct." Whatever concern Yue had was hidden from his voice. "And they should be announcing how soon enough."

At that Opal scooted closer to Gabbro as a moment later a demon called to them from what she imagined was the center of the room, asking for all candidates to join her.

"Will you really fight someone?" she whispered to Proga upon easily finding his considerable frame.

"No. Absolutely not. It's not safe in the dark. We'll have Spark do it if need be."

"Meee?"

"Kait- what did you give him? He sounds drunk."

"He was only supposed to have one out of the bag." She protested.

"If we need a stand in for our, ah, safety, I could be of use." Gabbro whispered.

"But you forgot your bag in the room."

Ob giggled in the dark. "Big brother doesn't need a bag..."

It turned out to be a good thing Gabbro volunteered because Yue came back in a huff. "One candidate heard our cohort list and still wishes to undergo combat for a seat at the table. The rest backed off quickly. Gabbro, please make it quick. I'm famished."

"He gets angry when he is hungry." Proga supplied from behind Opal.

"I do not." Yue snapped.

"See what I mean?" he whispered making Opal have to bite her cheek to keep from laughing.

"As you request." Gabbro whispered, leaving the group to stand in the dark once again. Opal honestly didn't know what to expect without his talons or magical seals to back him up. Out of all the scenarios one of the last she expected was to hear an ear splitting screech and some poor demon begging for it to stop. Opal whipped her head around in the crushing darkness, listening to the screams echoing from the walls making it seem as though they were surrounded by the cries. Before the last even died away Gabbro was back.

"He forfeits his seat, Prince. Time for food."

Opal was once more at a lavishly spread table. Although she had no idea what she was eating she finished almost everything the servant had placed in front of her, tapping her shoulder to tell her to stay very still while they placed all the things she could not see. The food here wasn't highly seasoned like in the swamp or as decadent as in the air but it all tasted remarkably fresh, most if it being served chilled including what seemed to be a mushroom and fish soup that she had to lean all the way over to eat and hope she wasn't spilling on herself. And the textures were sublime. As though to make up for the inability to provide visual presentation everything had multilayers of textures, all of which she found very pleasing on her tongue. The soup was silken with crispy mushrooms and perfectly cubed pieces of fish. Obsidian was not allowed to sit right next to Yue this time, leaving the position open for her. This was the first time she'd been privy to all the chatter Yue was expected to engage in and to be honest she found it... dull. She would have much preferred to sit next to Spark or Proga but remembered the night in Corax's garden where Yue admitted just how much he hated this too and so did her best to support him by agreeing now and then even though she wasn't able to add much to the conversation.

"-Pyrope is the educator for Congoe. I would have expected that an ice prince would be staying further north?"

"Well she is the one with the soonest need." Yue explained. "The Kings send us where we are needed most. If the Earth goddess feels she is in need of a replacement, she's in need of a replacement."

"Goddess?" Opal blurted before she could stop herself. She felt Yue stiffen beside her and she winced. She was supposed to be in the know. Luckily whoever he was speaking to didn't seem to think that was an odd question at all.

"I know, I know. It does seem like a short lifespan for a goddess but I believe she got a late start protecting those territories. Personally I think it's a good thing she will be giving it up. Even it out more. After all it wasn't so long ago that only gods and goddesses were allowed to be Guardians. Looking back on it, I can't imagine only having them represented while the majority of their subjects are demons. Not that your father doesn't like to pretend he's a god himself, eh?" This seemed to be particularly funny to the demon and he brayed with laughter, easily the loudest noise at the table. Yue chuckled but Opal sensed a dark tone in it.

"He'd prefer not to pretend at this point, I think."

"With all the killing of rebels he did, I imagine that won't be an option for awhile. Which reminds me, he can't be excited about you picking Pyrope over her other two educators. Didn't they battle directly at one point?"

"Hmmm I believe you are right. If I recall she may have even won and decided to show mercy." Despite his respectable tone Opal believed she noted a hint of glee in his voice. His purpose had been to piss off his family. She sighed into her soup. She'd once again underestimated the level of petty her candidate could be, Ren be damned.

----------------

I did well on my test yay! I'm happier with this chapter than the last. I think the level of stress during writing really shows. I'm enjoying being able to write Obsidian even more now that we get to a see a little more of his normal, if not very grumpy side. I think pestering Yue is the only thing that keeps him from being even more ticked off.

Interesting thought of the day comes from researching for my other book- I didn't know other animals like dogs and cats can literally see faster than us. I was having a hard time understanding that but apparently watching tv for them isn't fluid- its like watching a series of images sort of flashing because they can see too fast. Mind blown.

Thanks for reading!

-Andi