"Well this situation isn't going as I planned in the shower..." Lucas swallowed as the footsteps grew closer. "I didn't want to have to do this so soon, but..."

Two guards in full armour turned the corner, one a warlock like me with bright orange hair, a metalloid, and the other a dryad, her skin the colour of autumn leaves and ash-like hair.

"... nothing. False alarm." the warlock sighed, putting down his hands which could have spelt my doom.

"Careful, Thomas. Make sure there's no trickery." the dryad glared at my direction. I held my breathe, staying perfectly still.

The metalloid, Thomas, edged around the room. I couldn't move from my spot lest I make noise. Then if I didn't have a large spike of steel in my chest, I would have a whole nest of vines in it. So I stayed put, at the side of the corridor.

Eventually, Thomas grew satisfied of his search. At first, I found it extremely comical, my ability. If I wasn't so keen on no noise, I could have waved my arms, made silly faces, even a few rude gestures at the guards. But now, I can't afford to be noticed.

After they left, I decided to keep my light up, just in case. I thought I could have snuck it, but that was too much for me. I am no assassin.

"Once you're inside, head through the hall of runes. Then at the end of the exhibit, what you're after sits there."

"Where is the hall of runes?"

"It's on the fourth floor, which is full of stuff found in Mirrur. It's on the right."

As soon as I entered the elevator and pressed the button, the iron gates closed and I was brought upwards. I had to scooch into the corner as a guard joined me, a harpy who looked like she was going to pass out with exhaustion.

As I entered the fourth floor, I disabled the cameras with a quick rune. They're made to withstand many kinds of magic, but I've practised advanced crafts of which is my own invention. Yes, I can craft spells. Normally that's the skills of a rare black warlock, and not to mention, a very powerful one, who's blood goes to Satan himself. But I'm not too far off, even though I am a violet. My heritage was never spoken of. But after some research, I learned my ties. And that brings me here.

The hall of runes is literally a hall of runes. Not just angelic, but demonic, witchen, oceanic... any kind you can imagine. I can read most of them, but I am a little lacking in Iron. On pedestals are artifacts- or what are supposed to be.

"Wow. These are incredibly fake. Did they even go on expeditions?" I sigh at a supposed Dustian goblet that could give anyone the strength of angels. As if.

"Who's down there?" a voice calls. Drat. I keep quiet.

The people who appear aren't guards. One is a banshee, his pale hair glowing in the lights. One is a dragon, an Azure Iron at that. Accompanying them is... a parasite? Odd. His large black eyes fix on me, gossamer wings fluttering slightly.

"Anthony, Mae..." the parasite tapped the dragon.

I whipped out my knife. He can see me.

The banshee turned to me. "The wings of Lucifer. They're not what we need. Saphira said we need the sword." he pulled his company away, the parasite still fixed on me.

I sigh in relief and put away my knife. Nothing had to get messy.

I stared at the pair of wings in front of me. Large, black as ebony and feathered. Inside a glass case, my father's artifact rested, calling out to me. A quick spell, and it was out of his hands. I pulled a wand, one I found in an abandoned witch village, out of my suit pocket.

"Grab him."

Then it was black.
___

"Lucas. Lucas, wak' up."

I opened my eyes stiffly. I was tied up to a chair.

"Hey buddy. It's gonn' be OK." the banshee from earlier was in front of me.

I struggled at the chair. "Who are you?!"

"Easy there, violet." another warlock stepped into the room. She was a pink. A summoner. Her eyes were a brilliant green.

"... daughter of Leviathan, one of the Seven." I nodded at her.

"Son of Lucifer. Can tell by the purple eyes." she grinned. "My name is Cassandra."

Her and the banshee had something in common. They were both wearing grey jackets, over black trousers, and black laced boots. The shirt Cassandra had under her jacket was green, however, and the banshee's was red.

"How did you know who I was." I asked warily.

"Cass is pretty skilled in divination." the banshee had a Cogla accent. "She could tell who and where you were. Blaise was the only one who could see through yer charade. You're a violet, meaning you can bend light and shadow. Therefore, you can cast tricks 'nd make yerself unseen. Yer also aware of what's goin' on in this world. What happened in Ergois, the dragon island. My name is Anthony."

"Alright, Anthony, what do you want with me then?" I scowled.

"Our group consists of me, Blaise, Anthony and two dragon siblings named Ellie and Alfie. We want to know more about what's going on here. About what kind of disaster killed so many on Ergois. And someone like you could be very helpful. And you can't do much on your own, lets face it." Cassandra strolled over behind me. I heard her open something. "But the fact you were going to steal Lucifer's wings, the wings of your father, tells a lot about your devotion."

"You actually took the bloody things?! Only children of Lucifer, Pride himself, can hold those..." I spat.

"Calm down, Lucas, I'm pretty powerful. I used a spell to copy your hands."

"You what now."

"I've broken boundaries of realms. I can easily get through a loophole."

"But that's a seal of..."

"Pride is so prideful and sure in his defense that he didn't bother to think of the possibility someone could find a way around it."

"... I like you." I grinned.

"I have a boyfriend." Cassandra laughed. Anthony shifted a bit.

"Maybe so, but still, colour me impressed." I chuckled.

"So to get to the point... we want you to help us out. Some of us are branded criminals for things we didn't commit. But with the help of someone, in fact, a royal of Aliud-"

"I want no association with Queen Mara."

"She's not who you think she is. Her brother, Prince Seth, has a lot of shady secrets. It wasn't hard for him to create an image of his sister that people didn't like." Anthony looked irked at even the mention of Seth.

"So what's in it for me if I help you lot? Because so far, you're not swaying my interest." I tried to get my hands unbound, but Cassandra must have personally seen to it's tying herself, because it was resisting even my finest fire magic.

"Basically, we'll give you Lucifer's wings, but also, you'll have a helping hand from us in your advancements. The person you've been getting tips from... I don't think they're a very savoury person..." Cassandra fiddled with the zips on her jacket.

"... what do you mean?" I raised an eyebrow. My tips have never steered me wrong before.

"Yer a pawn in a royal game, Lucas. Prince Seth will do anything to keep Queen Mara in the mud. Including framing her and claiming her to be associating with demons, namely the Seven higher demons." Anthony pulled out a notebook from his jacket pocket. "In here, we have all my old notes on the presence that I've named the Frost. It kills all, consumes all, and yet preserves all. The exact presence you met that fateful day when Islode Pale died." the notebook was small and leather. On it was scrawled Private.

Islode Pale. A name that was buried with the last part of my childhood. Nobody missed her, nobody even knew she was gone. Because there was no one left to know, except for me.

And I wanted revenge ever since.

"Sure thing, Anthony, I accept."
___