forum The Raven ((closed - oxo))

Started July 17, 2020 by @ElderGod-Carrots

tune

(!!!the doc is brilliant yesyes. and subplot with dragons + jealousy sounds good. and,,,what if you wrote the dragon hunter/guard, and I write the princess cause yknow. hylas is jealous of the princess & cas is jealous of the dragon guy. and having hylas maybe riding a dragon??? and cas demanding him to stop cause its "too dangerous" ?? yes.

as for the kingdom placements, I'm making a map rn !yes. but I wrote a few times that they were heading south of eirus; cause the weather's getting hotter (not colder) as a result (doesn't snow in valthea); I thought of it as the farthest kingdom south, with eirus above it. and then to me, it made sense to have the 'marriage kingdom' (we need a name lol) a bit east/west, so they'd have to go a little south of valthea 'its faster'> find Hylas's old home on the way to the ^^ kingdom, right? and because white silver is rare in valthea if the kingdom was above Eirus and close to Kienheim, I don't think it would be rare. but if eirus is in the east? noted. it'll be better explained on the map in progress; and we (I, editing the map) can always change stuff if we like. again, idk if cas & the princess should be married right away, cause that would kinda seal things off for hylas & him. i was thinking that they could gather allies on their way to facing zaros in the north/west. I'm thinking of having the final battle in the north, yeah, but I feel like ice/snow would complicate things, so maybe no snow, just,,,rain? also unrelated: there needs to be a moment(s) where hylas points out constellations to cas, cause he knows all of them and,,yeah.
mhm. so need names for surrounding kingdom(s), & start thinking about princess/dragonguard characters. !!!)

(Okay that's good for the placements, that makes sense lol sounds gooood. And yeah that's cool with the seasons, rain and mud in the final battle but no snow, got it, will note that down in a second on the doc. once the map is down it'll make more sense lmao with the placements so we don't get confused.
I agree with the not having them get married right away. Maybe it's in discussion between Cas and his father + the king of the other kingdom. It could be that they agree to get married after the war is over so it's safe and the two can produce heirs blah blah, maybe they do get engaged? we can think about it closer to the time since it's still a while away.

so we have Valthea as the southernmost kingdom with Eirus just above that in the east. Kienheim in the north. We need a name for the kingdom between Eirus and Kienheim, something for the witch kingdom, too, when they show, and a name for another southern kingdom for when hylas and cas go south again for politic purposes before moving north. Oh! and a name for the dragon kingdom, too. Any other names we might need for the map? - the princess and dragon/guard characters we can think about after the map lol)

Cas caught the roll of string with one hand, giving Hylas a small salute with his other, "Yes boss." He watched as he moved off into the trees, noting the wince and making sure to remember that piece of information for later. The weight of this whole situation was taking a toll on both of them. Cas knew that that weight would be different for both. It was clear Hylas wasn't used to this level of interaction unlike him. Hopefully tonight the two of them would be able to gain at least a little sleep and be able to recharge for tomorrow's journey. Standing, the prince moved off towards the trees Hylas had pointed to, gazing off into the direction where the other had gone to prepare the rabbits. He was a strange man, Cas noted, but then again years of solitude and murder would do that to a person. Maybe not strange in a bad way, but strange in a way that Cas had not known a person to be. Quiet, strong, and maybe the slightest bit emotional if the way he acted back when he was deliberating taking Cas' life or not indicated anything. It's almost sad. Cas couldn't imagine living the life Hylas did, what they could do to a person after so long. To then be swept up in the throws of the greatest war this continent would ever know.. Cas couldn't help but feel sorry for him. The prince was quick to shake off those thoughts, gathering the branches Hylas had indicated to and heading back to camp. The thoughts of Hylas were quickly replaced with the memories of his brothers. The times when they would camp out in the gardens and then soon after in the woods. The times where their father would join them, or the Captain, and they'd learn the necessary skills to survive. A long time ago, a young Cas would have deemed it foolish, but now he couldn't help but feel grateful for those moments. He hadn't set up a spit in a long time, but as soon as he started assembling the branches, trying them together, it all came back to him. By now the last light of the sun was well and truly fading away into nothing, the moon beginning to rise in the opposite direction, bringing its own form of light to the woods. At least the fires bright.

After a few quiet moments of cleaning up, Hylas was finished with preparing the two hares. He glanced up at the bruise-coloured sky before heading back into the woods, surprised at how dark it had gotten. The cool evening air fell through the trees like a sightless fog, mixing the shadows into a long cloak of darkness. Hylas took a long breath, recalling his way back without much effort, and soon the gentle glow of fire was in sight and he was stepping into the clearing with a tired sigh. He wordlessly placed the skewered rabbits over the fire on the spit-roast, barely acknowledging Cas as he put away his knife and tools. Hylas figured his exhaustion was showing through, and with a few hard blinks, he tried overlooking his fatigue in an effort to stay alert for any surprises from Cas. It would be the perfect time, after all. Catch me when I'm slow to react. Paranoia was eating at him, and though he knew better than to suspect Cas now, the thought wasn't something he could ever switch off. Even when he was far from any danger, there would always be men ready to kill him at the first chance. "Hmm, the moon's full," Hylas remarked, taking a seat under the threshold of the cave and feeling a weary smile tug at his lips. Nestled between ash-coloured clouds, the moon hung in the sky like a bright silver coin; always out of reach. White pinpricks of stars were just beginning to flicker into view, and through his clouded thoughts, Hylas felt the familiar spread of excitement in him of whenever the night was clear enough to observe the constellations. A soft look fell over his features, and he smiled without the faintest hesitation. "If I were at the safehouse at this moment, I'd be out laying in the fields," He almost whispered, his heavy gaze anxiously predicting the faint patterns out of the early night, "Nights as clear as these only come around in the spring and summer. And it's always warm enough to fall asleep outdoors, so, that's what I end up doing."

"Sounds peaceful." Cas remarked, watching Hylas for a moment before he, too, glanced towards the sky. He'd never truly studied the stars, not like Hylas seemed to have done. As a child it had never interested him, and then when he did start to take a fascination, the first war came and then he was training to become king. There was never any time to enjoy or study the subjects that took his fancy, not anymore. Tearing his gaze away from the sky and towards the food, since Hylas seemed to have no intention of watching it so it didn't burn or become under-cooked, he stared into the dancing flames and watched the meat roast tenderly over them, "As much as I love the stars, I've never had a chance to properly lay under them and just admire them, not like you probably have done." Cas could tell that was something he did quite often, and with the way he spoke at the ball about astronomy, the prince couldn't help but wonder if maybe in another life, the assassin would have been an astronomer instead, "It all seems too complicated as well, I don't know if I'm smart enough for that." He let out a soft chuckle. Too lost in other worlds and stories to learn what needs to be learnt. As much as he loved his father, as a child Cas hated the way he forced him to read and learn what he deemed necessary. Taking away his books that he deemed 'distracting' to his studies. It wasn't until he was a young adult that he took more interest and put effort in. Those years were long behind him now, and there was no time to become lost in those books he had once done as a child. Once this war was over, ruling Eirus was his priority, there would be no time for him to explore the rest of the world, not with the papers and treaties and meetings and endless piles of work that had to be done. It gave him a headache just thinking about it.

Hylas glanced at Cas with a curious look. "Never admired the stars?" He asked, smiling as he shook his head, "No, that can't be right. You live in a palace— and what about that abandoned farmhouse you spoke of earlier? Even as a child, surely you must have spent an hour or two in the evening, just…" Hylas trailed off, dropping his gaze as he recalled the early stories in the night sky. And that one is Teryx, you see? The pointed wings, here. Yes, there. The great raven of the north, His father had told him, laying out in the ocean of tallgrass and staring up at the diamond-dotted sky, The First Men followed the bird down from what is now Kienheim. See: its beak always points to the south, to Valthea; to home. Hylas let out a quiet breath, his gaze flickering back to the prince as he fell out of his reverie, suddenly realizing the silence between them. Sorry, his hesitant smile told Cas. Gods, how hard is it to stay…present? And hold a conversation? Another thing to make him self-conscious around Cas. He averted his gaze, moving to tend to the roast in need of a turn. "In any way, you don't need a great deal of intelligence to appreciate the sky. At least in my case," He said with a faint shrug, feeling warmth spread over his features as he faced the fire, "Reading and writing isn't my strong suit. And books on astronomy are mostly illustrations. Charts, maps— written explanations, of course —diagrams and scrawled notes from those who had it before me." Of all his humble belongings, those books were the most prized. Each one came from a different kingdom; a different set of stars, a different set of aligned folk tales.

"Maybe years ago as a child, but back then I never truly admired them as I might do now." Some nights when he'd been at his little hideaway, Cas had gone out just to look at them, but he'd never learned about them. Hadn't picked up a book to understand what each constellation meant, how they could help him in a time of need. As a child he thought it was pointless. Why go out into the night and look at the stars when he could be reading and immersing himself in worlds far beyond his own, "I've admired them, yes, but not in the way you have. It's… different, when you're a prince. You don't get the freedom to truly study and learn the things that start to interest you the most. And anyway, as a child I didn't take an interest. It wasn't until recent years I started to understand how fantastic they are." Cas looked up at Hylas, "When you're preparing to become king there isn't much time to learn about the things you admire the most." He sighed softly. You mustn't lose focus, Caspian. When you're king there will be no time for day dreaming and wasting away your days in books. Your focus is on your kingdom. There wasn't much he could do to change the past now, and his future seemed to be set in stone if they won the war. The stars would have to remain a mystery to him, whether he liked it or not. It felt like Hylas seemed to have more freedom than he did. To have the time to study what he wished when he wasn't off killing someone. When he had downtime it was for him, if he ever got any. The ways of an assassin was strange to him. Cas couldn't even fathom the idea of killing for money, he hated the thought but he supposed you have to do what you've got to to survive.

(oOoh "when you're preparing to become king there isn't much time to learn about the things you admire the most" cas. sir. you're going to learn plenty about hylas hhahaha)

Hylas wore a gentle frown as he considered the prince's words, wondering how such a wealthy and powerful man was made to abstain from the knowledge of something as common as the sky above. It was so strange and wonderful to learn of his simple desires, and though didn't know— and would never consciously admit it, Hylas wanted so badly to understand Cas' experience of the world and how it compared to his. Perhaps it would be beautiful, and his pained envy towards the prince would nestle itself a home in his heart. Perhaps his story was cold and colourless, and even with the vibrant hues of luxury, the joy of simple pleasures were foreign to him. And perhaps, Hylas thought, feeling his heart jump, Perhaps his place in the world is just as unforgiving as mine. He held Cas' gaze with thoughtful consideration, trying to understand the greenness of his eyes while forgetting that he was expected to reply. What was Cas saying? About wanting to pursue things outside of royal duties? "—Well, maybe that's something you should change, once you're king;" Hylas foolishly suggested, feeling a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth, "Mandatory leisure time. Allotted for you, to do what you like. So you don't go mad and compromise trade routes over a game of chess." Simply, he wanted to laugh; he wanted to make Cas laugh, and forget, for a moment, that they were so different from one another. The day had been long and tiresome, and with every shared moment, he was easing his guard. But it was only because Cas was a person speaking to him in the moment. Not because of any feeling, or outstanding curiosity Hylas had as to how he got that scar through his eyebrow, or what his family was like, or what he loved about Eirus. Not at all.

(ehe he'll definitely be learning about something he admires then)

Cas held the others stare, almost feeling his cheeks heat as the silence dragged on before he spoke again. At the suggestion, he huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head as he turned the meat over the fire, "That's not quite how it works, Hylas." He said gently, "That's one of the downsides to being king, you can't have downtime. Maybe on the off chance you get an hour to yourself but to rule an entire kingdom, to monitor trade routes, organize alliances, maintain them? Work with the people on things that need to be improved, helping the poorer parts, and that's not even the half of it.You can't take time off." He shrugged. A foolish thing to suggest, but then again, Hylas didn't know what his life was like, just as Cas didn't understand his. Stop talking about yourself, change the subject. "Foods nearly done." He said, moving the conversation away from him and his troubles. They couldn't even compare to what Hylas had most likely gone through. He could only presume it was nothing good. The thought made his heart sink a little. Besides, why would he want to hear Cas talk about all his duties, anyway? It bored him most of the time, and even so, they might not make it out of this war alive. Mavadora might be left without a prince and his assassin in the end. For now they could only eat, rest, and hope. Cas could see the wariness and tiredness that had fallen over Hylas since he came back from skinning the meat. How with every passing moment he seemed to ease off ever so slightly compared to when they first met. Strange to see the assassin in such a light.

Hylas felt his heart jump at the sound of his name being said. Hearing it after years of anonymity came as a quiet shock, and he thought, perhaps, he liked it. The prince's frustration was bleeding through his words, and though he shifted the focus of the conversation away, Hylas had opened his mouth to speak— only to close it in the sudden hesitation and reminder that he was speaking to a prince. Of course that wasn't how it worked. How could he have suggested such a thoughtless thing? Even if he had only meant to ease the serious nature of the conversation, Cas was a prince, and Hylas was a wanted man; a commoner without the faintest understanding of royal responsibilities. Forgot my place. He figured the subject was bothersome for cas to think about, and perhaps it was best to leave it for the time being. Hylas nodded to himself, letting the silence settle around them before turning away to fetch a knife from his rucksack. He stood, moving to cut two wide leaves nearby and setting them down as their plates. Without thoughts to fill his mind, he was suddenly reminded of his hunger; the tightness in the pit of his stomach that had been ignored for the better part of the day. The woods around them had grown silent and full of shadows, and as Hylas made his way back to fetch the roasted meat, he felt the weary comfort of night in the forest. No crowds of voices to tease worry out of him, no guards pacing the pebbled market roads; nothing that could prompt fear. And a moment without fear was always a blessing. After taking the hares off the spit, he handed Cas his skewered supper and sat down in the cave with his own, keeping an eye on the fire as it crackled away. "Well," He said with a sigh, wordlessly handing Cas a knife to help with cutting away the meat, "If we leave at dawn we'll arrive at the safehouse in early noon. I found wild berries while I was out hunting. That might be our breakfast."

Cas gladly took the knife, a little surprised at first however he didn't make a comment or fuss about it. At least Hylas wasn't too worried about him stabbing him during dinner, he supposed, but it seemed they were both too hungry to really care. The prince nodded when Hylas began to speak again, carefully carving away at the hare to form a bite-sized piece, "Having the berries would be the wisest choice," He replied, taking the piece of meat he had cut off and placing it in his mouth. Once he had finished his mouthful, he continued to speak, "That way we don't have to spend time making another fire or catching any more meat. We can eat on the go." Arriving by earlier noon was good, Cas supposed. They weren't going to get there any faster and they still had to get supplies. That gave him at least another hour or so to think before writing. It was the best they were going to get without leaving any earlier, anyway, "We'll have to stop off and get parchment and such, too, remember?" And hopefully a weapon. Maybe by that point Hylas would have a little more trust - something that Cas knew he needed, however little it would be - in him. If they had to go straight to the fight from here then he needed a weapon in case they encountered anything else along the way. It's not that important right now. No, it wasn't that important. The letter was the most important part, which meant the parchment and ink came before another else. He didn't know how much money Hylas had. If he didn't have that much, he could go without a weapon for now. He'd find one eventually.

Hylas nodded, having nothing to say, but wanting to fill the silence. "Mm, I remember," He said, blowing on a steaming cut of meat before hurriedly chewing it. It was bland, a little tough, but at that moment it hardly mattered. Hylas hadn't had a warm meal in weeks, and though he had grown used to hunger, by the crackling fire his body eclipsed weariness with heavy relief.
"But what is it that you plan to say to the king?" Hylas asked, swallowing a bite of meat, "In the letters, I mean. If you keep your word and say nothing of who I really am, it would be wise to start thinking up a believable story."
The night was warm and forgiving, easing the worry of a frigid sleep. Hylas didn't want to think about what might happen if his secret was found out, but the man before him served as a ceaseless reminder of the path he'd chosen. His safety; his future; his entire life depended on the prince's promise to leave his identity out of the picture, and he wasn't taking any chances. The 'useful skills' that the Cas saw in him didn't tell him much about his plans for Hylas' involvement, but he prayed to be kept on the sidelines and out of sight. He leaned back on the rough wall of the cave, meeting Cas' green gaze with a look of quiet consideration.
"To be honest, I don't wholly understand what you plan to do with me," Hylas said, voicing his thoughts with a quiet sigh, "But I don't think you should reveal through the letters where it is we're going— where we'll be. If, by chance, knowledge of our— your location ends up in the wrong hands, we'd be leading this Zaros straight to us."
He raised his shoulders in a faint shrug, sighing as he chewed another bite. They had to be careful now, even the slightest mistake could cost them their lives— or the war.
"I'm supposed to have killed you by now, with this following week to take care of things; arrange a place for him to see the body, and settle the payment. It would seem that to stay 'missing' for as long as you can would be the best option, though we have to be out of Valthea before word gets out that you're still alive."

(oooo i am making a Pinterest page + playlist; ill put it on the doc ;;;)

(i love the pinterst board omg, i'll have to listen to the playlist when i'm not about to fall asleep :))

Cas drank in Hylas's words, considering them with thoughtfully. He intended to stay true to his promise about keeping Hylas' identity a secret. He might have been an assassin, a ruthless one at that who, in some people's eyes, deserved to be ratted out, but Cas was a man who stayed true to his word, no matter who it was. A part of him rationalized that it was because Hylas had kept him alive and still hadn't killed him. He could end me now and be out of this war. Make it out safely… But the prince knew there was another, much larger part, that wanted him to stick around for other reasons. Ones even he couldn't bring himself to think about for too long. He didn't know if he even wanted to.
"It's difficult to fit everything that needs to be said into one small letter," He said, placing down his food to pick up a nearby stick, "You have to fit in the fact that I'm safe and alive, Zaros and how we know about him, you, and what we need to do next." He drew a square on the ground, almost emulating the letter itself, "The first half has to go on, about me being alive and the threat, that's the most important part, therefore it takes up the most space," He crossed out the first half. By now he was really talking to himself, speaking his thoughts that had been taking up his mind for the past day, "Then we get to you." Cas looked to Hylas, pointing at him with the stick, "I'm assuming in your line of work that you;d know this continent like you know your little toe. The best 'persona' we could give you that encompasses that and the fact that you can fight, would be something about how you fought in the last war, you're a traveler, you helped be escape the Raven and so on. That way you can stick around with no suspicion."
Cas looked back down to the ground, crossing out more of the space, "That will take up more room than necessary. I suppose I can reduce it but…" He shrugged, "We'll figure it out. Then in the last part there has to be something about potential plans and allies, what we can do next. Nothing too detailed but enough so my father knows what I'm thinking." He crossed out the last little space, "In case it gets intercepted I can just use one of my brothers names instead of my own." He placed the stick down, once again picking up the food, "My father will know it's from me, hopefully others won't. Easy." It wasn't easy, but Cas knew he had to sound a little more hopefully than he was.

(!! ;)

Hylas nodded as the prince spoke, chewing his meal thoughtfully as he considered his plan. It all made sense; the vague backstory explaining his abilities. "That's smart," Hylas quietly told him, averting his gaze. Here was a look into the plans forming in the prince's mind. War, allies, compromise, and strategy; Eirus would be creating battlefields out of farmland for the second time around. Hylas sighed, recalling the rotting aftermath of the last war; how hard it was to go a day without seeing the blood-soaked earth or heaps of corpses being cleared away. But I was lucky. I am lucky. "You could always write another letter," He cooly suggested, looking into the dark silhouettes of the trees as he thought of his messenger raven. Clever thing. It knew how to recognize house sigils from all the years of travelling alongside him. "We'll likely be waiting days for your father to collect you. I could draw a map for them to meet us someplace," He said, wearing a faint smile as he looked down at Cas's scrawled drawing in the ground and raising his shoulders in a faint shrug, "Write that I'm a cartographer from Crowen. I found you tied in the woods. And yes— that I fought in the war." He had just about the skills of one, though he had only drawn maps for himself and for the hidden caches of supplies scattered across the continents. But his directional memory was unusually clear in his mind, and one might think his affinity for orientating himself was all but uncanny. He nodded to himself, running a tired hand through his dark hair as he thought of all that was waiting for him in the days that followed. Death was something he couldn't even consider as his a possibility to him; he'd made it this long on his own, and he'd be damned if some witch or common knight bested him on the battlefield. But blood; it would flow freely. And perhaps he'd come to regret his decision of choosing the fight, but at that moment, as he stared at the lines etched into the earth, he felt a peculiar spark of willingness to do all that was needed from him: whatever Cas asked for.

Cas was quiet for a little while, finishing off the last of his food before he replied again, "The chances of my father coming to collect me are low," He said, picking his stick back up to make circles in the sand, "He wouldn't risk leaving Eirus when there's a war at hand." No, he'd want to be in the city, in the palace, until they moved off to their first fight or their first camp. Cas didn't blame him. He'd do the same if the roles were reversed. No, if his father wanted him back they'd have to travel to him, not the other way around, "But anyway, I'll make sure to add that to the letter, about you being a cartographer." He sighed softly, "I can tell you and your bird have a strong bond, and knowing your background he's probably very well trained but we can't risk being found out. The more letters we send, the higher the chance someone will find out that I'm alive." Zaros most likely had spies everywhere all over the continent, and if Zaros had hired Hylas in the first place… the chances of him trying to find anything that could lead him to his location was even greater. Especially since after this week Hylas should have been going to collect his reward for his death. Not showing up would put him under greater suspicion, "And you, too, Zaros will probably look for you somewhere to give you your reward as well. The chances of him having some sort of special group out to look for you is great." Cas knew in the back of his mind his father would only write one letter back briefly explaining what his plan was going to be. He, too, knew the risk of being found out in war. He'd send a letter when he wanted Cas back but other then that, one letter would suffice.

Hylas nodded slowly and without a spoken reply, swallowing the last morsel of meat with a sigh of satisfaction. Now he could rest a little easier, knowing food was no longer an issue for the night. The prince's plan was giving him away; uncertainty bleeding through his gaze fixed on the drawings in the dirt. But Hylas reckoned he was used to being so thorough. "Would it not be…a bigger risk to try making our way back through the woods, on foot to Eirus? If by wild chance word gets out before you're protected in the palace, I would wager that they'd flock to the woods and, well, catch us." He turned for his water flask, shrugging as he took a much-needed drink. The cool water burned away the drought in his throat, and sweet relief made itself known. "If the court arranges, say, 'an important matter' with a Valthean general or some sort, it would allow you an empty carriage to meets us someplace close to the safehouse. You might be brought back sooner, and hidden for a while longer. Zaros'…bandits wouldn't try anything with royal guards; it would only complicate things and raise the king's suspicion." With another shrug, he passed the flask to Cas, "But if you feel as if risking a two-day journey back to the palace is our best plan, I suppose that's what we might do." Truthfully, the idea didn't sit well with him. They would be too vulnerable; running the risk of more encounters on the road, not to mention those in the border town that had since heard of his disappearance. Again at the circling thought of Cas, Hylas moved his gaze away, "Our priority right now is getting you safely to the palace; without letting anyone know you're alive."

Cas took the flask gently, taking a swig before handing it back to Hylas. He had a point, but Cas knew his father as well as he knew himself, “Father wouldn’t risk his own life for mine,” He said, “If he knows what’s going on he can take control of the fight with or without me, it makes more sense for us to go to him, not the other way around.” As much as he valued the love his father gave him, Cas knew that when it came down to it, he wouldn’t risk his life for his, “Even so, the more kingdom’s who know about the war in the present moment the more at risk we are to losing,” He continued, resting his head against the wall behind him, “If Zaros has spies all over the continent and he finds out multiple kingdoms are readying for war, he will know that I’m alive and you didn’t kill me, we’re at higher risk if that happens.” One letter sent to his father wouldn’t rise suspicion. Planning for war would take time, at least long enough for him to get back home by then before they alert other kingdoms. Zaros wouldn’t move so early, not without the witches at his side. He’d convince them, then move north, by that point, they would be ready and it wouldn’t matter if he found out the two of them were alive, “If word gets out the king of Eirus is setting up a meeting then well… we might as well forfeit.” He’d been in war long enough to know these things, and his father knew them even more then he did. For Cas, this was the only logical way, even though he felt a little queasy about the situation, that was how it must be.

Hylas took back the flask with a sigh, setting it down beside him and turning back to Cas, nodding slowly. "Then we'll stick with your plan," he finally agreed, letting out a breathy laugh as he shook his head, wearing the faintest of his unknowing smiles. The prince had all the answers, it seemed, and though Hylas would never admit it; he was almost in awe of how quickly he pointed out flaws and vulnerabilities in what was proposed. But he could never tell him he was right. No. That would certainly give him away. "Though, still, the thought of taking another trip through the forest and that town at the edge of Eirus worries me," he told him, quietly remembering to fill the silence he left between them. With a journey that long, Cas would have to carry a weapon. Though Hylas was warming up to the idea, he still hesitated at the image of Cas seizing that moment of diverted attention. The quietest reminder made him sick. The light of the moon catching that long, flat steel as Cas' strong hands sank the blade into him; a hoarse gasp leaving Hylas' lips as blood spilled from the wound of trust. Not even a prince could abstain from the seductive draws of revenge, and he knew it was only a matter of time before Cas would turn on him. At least I'll be useful before then. He'd never felt useful; only made things worse for the people of the world. A consolable thought once told him it was a good thing; the killing, no one had ever— or could ever do what he had done with the crooked men across the continents. But the guilt was too loud; growing so deafening as Hylas carried out the ceaseless bloodshed. He shook the blurry thought aside, thinking back to the plan. "And we ought to find a way in without anyone seeing us. Perhaps the servants' entrance?"

Cas studied Hylas' face as he spoke, taking in the barest hint of a smile, scanning those dark eyes that held so much mystery behind them. For a fleeting moment, Cas thought he might get lost in those eyes given the chance, figure out the secrets that Hylas held so close. It was quickly replaced by the reminder that they wouldn't just be able to walk through the front doors of the castle like nothing had gone wrong and there wasn't a plot to overthrow the kingdoms of his beloved continent, "There is a back entrance," He said, picking him his stick once more to draw a very quick - and very bad - drawing of the outskirts of the castle, "If we head up the western side of the castle, skirt our way around the town, we'll be able to make it to the servant quarters." He said, drawing a line for the path he spoke of, "They've got a small garden we can go through, too, lots of cover from trees so hopefully we won't be seen by any prying eyes. If we make it back by dusk there shouldn't be many people around, anyway so we can get in without others being altered of our presence before we see my father." It was an entrance he'd used a thousand times to sneak in and out of the castle undetected, and luckily lost of the servants liked him, so there was no fear on that part. Most of the outskirts of the castle were covered by forest and large gardens. If Zaros did have any spies, they would have to be very well trained. Even so, Cas suspected they'd be watching the main entrance like hawks, possibly maybe even the back entrance, too. The servant entrance was hidden enough that Cas had little fear of them getting caught.

Hylas nodded, tilting his head to the side as he peered down at Cas' rough scrawl. Western side. Dusk, he silently told himself, almost wincing as he thought back to the previous night. He had gone for the stables, knowing there would only be a few guards to take care of before he 'borrowed' a horse. That side of the palace had been fairly quiet as he made his leave, and he reckoned— or rather; prayed, that the guard rotation wouldn't change. "That shouldn't be a problem," he sighed, rubbing his tired eyes as he watched the flickering light of the fire, "Palace guards are incompetent, anyway. And any of Zaros' spies stupid enough to come near the capitol in a time like this will be sure to regret it." Hylas huffed a breathy laugh, shaking his head as he acknowledged his current exhaustion. His body ached desperately for sleep; with burning calves, stiff shoulders, his whole figure nearly trembling with fatigue. And as much as he craved the black waters of sleep, his stomach held the cold, dreaded promise of twisted dreams. How could he bear to let the prince witness such a thing? The future king of Eirus in the company of the former adversary of the continent, seeing the pathetic weakness that gripped him in guardless sleep. The was nothing to be done about the shameful jolts of terror that pulled his from rest, and all he could do was pray that he might be quiet enough not to wake Cas. "When you write to the king," Hylas said, feeling his voice drop into a weary rasp. He took another drink from the flask, swallowing roughly. "Tell him to call off any guards keeping watch for the servant's entrance that night. No one can know you're alive but him. That is, until you devise a plan to move forward."