Aphmau's Pov

I took a deep breath, and looked at Jeffory and Katelyn. I pulled off my helmet and sat on a chair. "I can't take this- listening to Zane any longer. I'm going to leave."

"You can't." Jeffory said. "The Jury isn't something you can quit from. Once you're in it, you're stuck."

Katelyn seemed to understand what I was hinting at, though. "Aph, you're not going to kill yourself?"

"No." I shook my head. "Irene forbid." Then I sighed. "I won't die, but Jessica Lorde will." I was referring to the fake name I used in the Jury, along with a full-head helmet to protect my true identity.

"What will you use to pull that off?" Jeffory asked.

"Illusion potion." I said simply. "It'll look like I fell from my balcony, hit the ground, and my 'body' fell into the ocean. Irretrievable."

Katelyn nodded. "Alright. You're going to do this tonight?" I nodded. "Fine then."

Jeffory chuckled. "You know, it's funny, because you'll still have your Juror form. But they'll think you're dead, so they won't take it."

Katelyn and I laughed a bit as well, just realizing that. "It's a great idea." Katelyn said after a few moments of silence.

"I'm going by my real name as soon as I leave." I said. "I'll see you two whenever I do, I guess."

The other two smiled- something all three of us rarely did outside the safety of our rooms- before leaving.

I waited until evening, then splashed the illusion potion on the ground, thinking about what I wanted to happen. A copy of me in my armour and Juror form appeared, and walked go the balcony, leaning out for a moment. The real me put a black cloak on and left in the shadow of darkness, my dog and longtime companion, Thorgi (existence unknown to the Jury except for Jeffory and Katelyn), following me.

I didn't stop running until I was a good ways away from O'khasis, where I slowed down and took off my cloak, stuffing it into my backpack. I stopped a couple days later in a forest, a long ways North from the place I had left behind.

I and Thorgi had been living off the food I had packed in my bag, and now looked like a good time to stop and find somewhere to live.

It just so happened, I stopped near a small village. I walked up to the Guards with a smile. "My name is Aphmau."

"I'm Garroth, this is Zenix." One of them introduced. The other seemed a little scared of every little thing. I shook both their hands and walked off into the village. The Juror part of me wanted to stay and talk fighting techniques with them- but I silenced that part.

I wouldn't forget or abandon that part of me, ever, just I couldn't speak about it and so talking about and debating weapons with guards wasn't something I could do anymore.

~~~Time skip because I'm too lazy to write the entire series. Episode 74~~~

I sat in the tavern of Pikoro Village with a sigh, needing to find Lord Burt.

Someone walked over. "Long time no see, Aph." A familiar voice chuckled.

I turned around and smiled. "Hey."

"Wanna sit and have a meal together? For old times sake?" Jeffory asked.

"Sure." I agreed. We sat at a table in the corner. "How's little Abby?"

"She's doing great." Jeffory chuckled, showing me a picture of Abby.

"Oh, she's so big." I cooed. I'm perfectly allowed to- it had been about 3 years since I last saw Abby. "She's nine now, right?"

Jeffory nodded. "Yeah. She turns ten in about a month."

"Aww, tell her I said happy birthday." I said.

"I will." Jeffory grinned. "She's been wanting to see you for a while."

"Oh you must bring her to my village." I smiled. "I'm the new Lord of Phoenix Drop."

"Wait, you're the Lord Aphmau Zane wants to marry?" Jeffory asked.

"Unfortunately." I growled, good mood disappearing.

"Dang. That's not fun." Jeffory shook his head. "I can't see that you'll let that happen."

"I won't. Even if I have to go into my other form and hurt him to stop him I will." I shook my head. "Whatever. Jeffory, I need your help."

Jeffory leaned in, recognizing my serious tone. "What is it?"

I took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. "Do you know where Lord Burt of Bright Port and possibly the missing Lord of Pikoro are?"

Jeffory nodded. "Yes, I do. I'm in charge of guarding them. They are to be turned into Shadow Knights."

I sucked in a sharp breath. "Can you help me save them?"

"I'll be killed." Jeffory said.

"Illusion potion." I reminded him, chuckling.

Jeffory shook his head with a smile. "Fine. Meet me by the well tonight."

I nodded with a smile. "I'll be there. It's not a date, though." I said, laughing.

Jeffory chuckled as well, reminded of that time he attempted to flirt with me a few days after we first met. "Wouldn't dream of that, sis." I smile and leave the tavern, because Jeffory had become like an honorary brother to me in the years we've known each other, like Katelyn was my honorary sister.

Back in my room, the communication amulet glowed. "Find anything, Lady Aphmau?" Garroth's voice asked.

"Yeah. An old friend of mine is helping to guard where the two Lords are being held captive and is going to help me." I replied.

"Should we come to?" Garroth asked.

I bit my lip. "...sure. It'll be good, just in case he can't help us for some reason, or one of us gets caught."

"'He'?" Garroth asked. "Who's 'he'?"

"My old friend." I chuckled. "Don't worry, he'll help us. Come to the well tonight."

That night, Aphmau saw Garroth, Laurence, and Dante before Jeffory.

"It's a trap, Lady Aphmau. That's Jeffory the Golden Heart from the Jury of Nine! Your friend set us up!" Laurence said.

"Calm down." I rolled my eyes. "Jeffory is the friend I was talking about."

Jeffory looked over and smiled. "You're losing your edge, Aph. I could hear you from here."

I rolled my eyes as I walked over. "No. I'm as good as I ever was, you just got better."

Jeffory laughed. "Either way, it's all the same. Who are they?"

"My guards, Garroth, the head guard of Phoenix Drop, and then Laurence and Dante." I introduced.

"Aren't you guys the top three on the list for the Jury? If a Juror passes then you're the top three to be the newest Juror?" Jeffory asked.

"Yes, we are." Garroth nodded.

"You're a lucky Lord, Aph. It's rare for a village to have even one guard on that list, let alone three." Jeffory shook his head with a smile. "That's unheard of."

"What can I say? I do the impossible and enjoy the shocked expressions of everyone else as I do it." I shrugged. "Plus it's not just three possible members of the Jury. I'm still here."

"What does that mean?" Dante asked.

I smirked at him and transformed into my Jury of Nine form, and back. "That's what that means. I used to be a member, but I faked my death so I didn't have to deal with Zane."

"How did he not recognize you?" Garroth asked.

"He never saw my face and knew me as Jessica Lorde." I grinned.

"Enough chatter." Jeffory said. "Let's go." He hit a button on the ceiling of the well and the water drained out. The five of us jumped down, and Jeffory led us to a room filled with obsidian and netherrack.

I took the Lords in my golden lassos and we left through the escape route, after Jeffory threw down an illusion potion that caused another of himself to stand there.

"Haha, copying me now?" I asked.

"Yeah." Jeffory nodded.

"What's happening?" Laurence asked.

"He's faking his own death. It'll look like he was slaughtered here, yet he isn't. It's like what I did to leave the Jury. I used an illusion potion to make it look like I fell from my balcony, hit the ground, died, then my 'body' rolled into the ocean." I rolled my eyes. "Horribly dumb way for me to die, yet effective."

The other three were silent as Jeffory and I walked. "I think you shocked 'em." He chuckled. "Hey Aph, can I live in your village?"

"Sure. You better bring Abby though." I said.

He laughed. "I fully intended to."

"Good. I haven't seen her in forever." I complained dramatically as we climbed out of the hidden escape hatch.

"Who's Abby?" Dante asked.

"My daughter." Jeffory smiled.

"My honorary niece." I laughed.

"So, you two are close?" Garroth asked.

"Extremely." Jeffory nodded. "Right, sister?" He threw an arm around my shoulders.

"Shut up, brother." I rolled my eyes. "We aren't actually related, but we're honorary siblings."

"Hm." Laurence said.

"I'm going to make a detour to get Abby." Jeffory said. "Phoenix Drop is in the same place it used to be, right?"

"Yeah." I nodded. "See you there. Might not want to go into the village until you see me there, though."

At Lucinda's, when I got back from finding that Shadow Knight with Laurence, I took her aside. "Can you make three way communication amulets? One being a ring and the other two necklaces?"

Lucinda nodded. "Easy. You want the gems to be a specific color?"

"A swirl of light powdery blue, lilac purple, and dark forest green." I told her.

Lucinda had them done within an hour.

I put on one necklace, and put the ring in my pocket to give to Jeffory. Raven had come over to talk to Garroth with a letter when we were building the boat at the werewolf village so we could all go home and I gave him the other necklace and a letter, to give to Katelyn.

Katelyn's POV (finally someone else)

I sat in my room and frowned. I had gotten news of Jeffory's death, but they couldn't find the body later. It was like Aphmau's 'death'.

A wyvern flew into my room and I tensed, ready to fight if it attacked. But it didn't. It dropped off a package and a letter and flew out.

I opened the letter first.

Katelyn,
Don't worry. Jeffory is alive. He did the same as I did. Faked it with an illusion potion. Within the package is a necklace, it's a three way communication amulet. Put it on, and just concentrate on sending a message to the other two. It's done mentally, so no eavesdropping can be done. If you concentrate on wanting to send a message, but not being able to, you can put it on 'speaker mode' where everything that happens around you can be heard by us. I asked for a swirl of our favorite colors, and I also have a necklace. Jeffory will have a ring. Felt if it was, at least partly, your favorite color no one would question it should they see it.
Your sister,
Aphmau

I opened the package and pulled out the amulet. The blue was the exact shade of blue I liked, and I put it around my neck and thought about the other two amulets. 'Aphmau, Jeffory?' I asked.

'It's only me right now.' Aphmau replied. 'I'm going to give Jeffory's to him when I see him next- tomorrow.'

'Where are you now?'

'Phoenix Drop. Jeffory's going to live here as well.'

'I'll come. I can't fake my death right now, too obvious if I do it now. But I'll come to 'enquire' about it.'

'Okay. Don't do anything rash.' Aphmau warned.

'You know me.' I replied.

'That's what I'm worried about.' Aphmau said dryly. I laughed mentally and closed the connection. It was good to talk to my honorary sister again.