Shiny-Jr.

The Altar of Stone was silent as a tomb. Every night in Greater Lord Kingscholar’s home one could hear the crumbling of stone as he bestowed priceless lessons upon his beloved guards, and hear his warm hearty laughter accompanied by the giggling of his precious son and heir to the throne. Now, it lay almost entirely silent, except for two sounds. One sound was the quiet sobs of grieving worshippers who worked in these hallowed halls, whether they be humble servants, prideful guards, or the representatives of the tribes. The other sound was the occasional giggle of a hyena, not infiltrators, but Fisarun who had been granted entry by their God of Intellect.

(Y/n) and Grim had not been the ones to assassinate Falena Kingscholar, this Jack was certain of. The human and that little entity were strong but great deities in the past had fought tooth and nail to take down the God of Strength only to fail, and if other gods couldn’t do it then how could that pair have done it?

When Leona finally sent word to him after a decade of silence, Jack had been overjoyed. Days ago, the higher ranking lionesses had teased him about his wagging tail, but he didn’t care in that moment. The Geo Archon he admired, Leona Kingscholar, was back! And Jack had been the only guard issued this special instruction to join the scheduled patrol in Banagi Badlands. The wolf took great pride in being chosen, for he, unlike most of the citizens of Savanaclaw, revered both the God of Strength and God of Intellect. He had been called upon for a reason, he was sure, but now he couldn’t help but question if that reason was good or bad.

Had the God of Intellect knowingly sent him to be part of some nefarious plot? Jack didn’t want to believe it without evidence. The God of Intellect hardly ever gave direct answers, and Leona would detect his presence if he were on the ground. For this, the Guard of Haven would have to try and outsmart him.

Avoiding the earth, Jack leapt up and grabbed the sturdy branch above him. Carefully, as quiet as someone of his size could, he hauled himself up and balanced along the branches of the many great big trees around the grounds. Navigating his path, he found one branch almost reached the balcony of the God of Intellect’s chamber. It had been abandoned for the decade Leona had vanished, but the guard was certain that is where the deity would be located. Jack remembered that Leona loved his naps and would often hole himself up in his room just to avoid certain responsibilities.

“Leona!” An unfamiliar voice called, followed by the creaking of the door opening and closing. Who was friendly enough with the grouchy deity to have the privilege of referring to him by his name with no titles? Light footsteps proceeded, and Jack picked up the distinct scent of hyena but this one smelled awfully familiar. He couldn’t see, but his white furred ears detected the sound of motion, like a sarcastic bow. “Props to you, oh God of Intellect! I’ve brought you the report.”

There was a grumble and shifting of sheets. Jack knew instantly that it was Leona. He had been correct to assume that Leona was in his chambers after dealing all day with the panic and mayhem and grief of the citizens upon the abrupt passing of Sovereign Falena and the news that Prince Cheka was still missing. “Go on then.”

“(Y/n) and Grim are back in their room. I gave them a stack of books and food to keep both of them busy, but you know that won’t be enough to hold them off forever. I’d say we have until tomorrow before they’re asking questions again.” The hyena paused, and Jack held his breath, before eventually he continued more quietly, “Any search for the little heir will come up mostly empty-handed. We left some pieces scattered in corners of Ahadi’s Maws for them to find, so they’ll think the little Prince wandered where he wasn’t supposed to again. Only this time, he didn’t make it out.”

Jack stilled, eyes going wide as he processed this new information. The missing Prince Cheka? Leona played a role in that too? Ahadi’s Maws was the birthplace of powerful entities, but it was also a death trap. The deeper you went, the more likely you were to never get out, everyone knew this. Even strong entities avoided that place like the plague.

“Aren’t you diligent?” Leona mused, as if unbothered by the report of the whereabouts of his missing nephew. In fact, he almost sounded pleased at such news. “Always there when I need ya.”

The hyena grinned, speaking far too positively for someone who bore such a terrible report. “Of course, Leona. It’s not a problem if it helps you.”

“You sound downright jolly.” The God of Intellect pointed out. “It’s not a problem because you’re doing this for yourself.”

There was no denying it, so the hyena didn’t even attempt to craft some sort of excuse. “That makes at least two of us happy then, huh? It’s for all of us. We’ll all be happier.” There was a pause, and Jack made sure to keep incredibly still and silent each time the quiet settled. The wolf could practically hear the smile in the hyena’s tone as he spoke, “The band, the temple, the entire Fisarun Tribe… We all want to bring change as much as you do. Now that’s possible. I promised Granny when I took over the Baasho Band that I would see everything done.”

“Hmph, did you now?” Leona muttered. To anyone else it would sound like he wasn’t listening, like he didn’t care. However, there were those who knew better. The God of Intellect was always listening, especially to the hyenas he favored. “Goddess of Laughter, your brat saw it through… If you’re really as dedicated as her, then I won’t have to worry about any loose ends.”

Hyena-like laughter ensued, “No loose ends here! We made sure to not leave a single scrap behind.” Light footsteps waltzed around the deity’s chambers, the hyena casually moseyed around the space until he added abruptly. “I know another reason you’re happy. That human and their little entity friend, you like ‘em too, don’t you?”

“… I have no idea what you’re yappin’ about, Ruggie.”

“Yeah, right! I saw the way you looked at that human. You wouldn’t have just let them live for no reason.”

Jack’s ears perked up at the words Ruggie used to tease Leona. The wolf's claws steadily dug into the bark of the branch he was situated on. They were talking about (Y/n) and Grim.

“They’re a loose end I can’t take away from you.” Ruggie… wasn’t that the name of a hyena in the Baasho Band? He was the Kingpin of the dangerous pack of Fisarun constantly committing crimes?

Leona Kingscholar did not continue to deny the accusation. Instead, he shifted the topic of the conversation elsewhere. “Don’t you have more to do with your band? Need another task to keep you busy?” Sighing, he paused and added, “I know someone you can go after. A certain wolf who sticks his nose into where it doesn’t belong, like eavesdropping on private conversations.”

Jack Howl froze, not even daring to blink. The Guard of Haven knew there was the possibility he would be caught, but he hadn’t even touched the ground! Was it the lion’s visions that gave him away? For now, he didn’t move an inch from his spot just outside, out of view from the balcony.

“I know you’re there, Howl.” Ruggie hadn’t noticed him, but Leona definitely had. “It’s not very polite to listen in with those big ears you have.”

There was no use hiding anymore. Jack slowly jumped from the branch, grabbing onto the railing of the balcony to haul himself up. Once he was on his feet, he could see both of them: Leona Kingscholar and Ruggie Bucchi, the true culprits responsible for the assassination of the sovereign and disappearance of the prince. It had been a decade since he last saw the God of Intellect, and this was his first time properly meeting the elusive Kingpin of Baasho.

No one spoke immediately, until Leona broke the silence, “You haven’t changed one bit, Jack. I don’t suppose you’re here to offer me condolences?”

“Aw, you need a tissue, wolf?” Ruggie grinned, recognizing the Guard of Haven that had been tracking him as of late. At least, attempting to track him as he went between the Dwelling of the Wise and Pridehaven. The bultungin was aware that the Captain of the Fifth Division had paused his endeavor as he chose to escort a certain troublemaking duo to the Altar of Stone. It’s like the hyena entity knew that Jack realized who he was, and was smugly grinning about it.

Right now though, the identity of the Kingpin of Baasho was the least of concerns. There were bigger problems to face. Jack Howl ignored the verbal jabs, and looked upon the God of Intellect. “You were responsible for what happened to Falena and Cheka… why?!”

“Why? Is that your question for me?” The Geo Archon was unfazed by Howl’s snarl. He expected as much, afterall, Jack Howl was the righteous type against killing. Jack was the kind of Guard of Haven who actively avoided harming those who couldn’t defend themselves. It was why Leona never revealed the plan to him, and used him as a pawn without his knowledge. “I can toss you a bone, just this once. Lesser Lord Kingscholar, the despised loathsome second Geo Archon, creator of the hapless Fisarun… It’s one thing for a god to be treated as second-rate, but an entire tribe?”

Jack’s ears flattened as he caught Ruggie’s gaze. The hyena was now oddly serious and silent, even as the wolf attempted to come up with something, “That’s…”

“Wrong? You would be exactly right, but my brother refused to change. He opted to avoid risks, keep his Lyonis safe and content at all costs. Afterall, change brings uncertainty. When his time ended, my nephew would have just enforced the same order he did.” The God of Intellect watched every twitch and slightest movement from the wolf. The lowering of his big white ears, the snarl on his lips, the tightening of his fist, Leona saw it all without even having to open his eyes. It felt like he could even hear the cogs in Jack’s head turning. “Falena had always shown too much restraint when it came to change. His failings undoubtedly presage the need for a different dream that even encompasses you. Tell me, Jack, how is it being a wolf here in Savanaclaw? You’re no Fisarun, so you received better treatment, but nowhere near the respect you deserve since you’re not of the other tribes and not a Lyonis.”

Jack bit his tongue, recalling how he was turned away at most establishments when he first arrived in Savanaclaw. As a wolf belonging to no tribe, and someone who was unlike the highly esteemed lion-folk, he was not regarded too kindly until he acquired acknowledgement from the God of Strength and an esteemed position in the Guards of Haven. “What you did is still wrong!! It’s cold-blooded murder you pinned on innocent people!” Howl snapped, his fangs glistened like blades.

“Oh, Jack.” The Geo Archon shook his head, unflinching in the face of the Captain of the Fifth Division. “I did it for your sake, and the sake of everyone else who has been wronged. The God of Strength had all the time in the world to bring about reform, but he never did. For over four-thousand years, the Fisarun and other outcasts have suffered. How many lives have been lost in the face of prejudice? Hundreds? Thousands? Millions? Now they have a chance to be equal, and you want to ruin all that because of some moral superiority complex? You’re telling me, you’re willing to damn the innocent back to the old outdated ways where they’re shunned and scorned just because of the way they were born? Here and now, there's a chance for action.”

Again, Jack caught Ruggie’s gaze. The hyena entity looked just like the Fisarun, small and scrawny, most hyena folk were like that. It wasn’t exactly a secret that the hyena-folk often received the short end of the stick. It was why Pridehaven was often seen as a city split in two: Mfalme Terrace as the upper-class district where the Lyonis thrived among other tribes, and Baasho Rock as the lower-class district where the Fisarun and others without a tribe were forced to dwell. It was why many young Fisarun turned to the Baasho pack run by a Kingpin, because the Guards of Haven wouldn’t usually help them and the Sovereign had never once smiled upon them.

“I…” At a loss for words, Jack quit his snarling and averted his gaze downwards. “You could’ve talked to him! Falena would have heard you out! So many people trust your decisions, I know he would’ve—!”

“Enough with your fancy little speeches, Howl!!” Leona snapped, causing Ruggie to go completely still and Jack to reel back. Lowering his voice, he did not raise it again, but that didn’t stop his words from sounding harsh with his bitter tone. “I could’ve talked to him? Don’t be stupid. I took such good care of you, and during your time with me I taught you better than that. You're acting like how you were the day we met: a sniveling little pup. You know nothin’ about how I tried, only for it to never change a damn thing… And I’m not the kind of useless king who’d let his pack starve. Get lost.”

The God of Intellect would not tell him again, this Jack knew. It wasn’t a request from his teacher, it was a command from his god. So slowly, begrudgingly, with his tail lowered, the Captain of the Fifth Division took his leave.

Ruggie watched the guard exit with his head down, and he sniffed the air. Once a few moments had passed, and he was sure they were alone once again, he remarked, “That guy’s a loose end. Want me to get rid of ‘im?”

“No. Not yet.” Sitting back down on the edge of his bed where old notices and aged scrolls were strewn around, the Geo Archon waved a hand dismissively. “He doesn’t have a shred of proof, and he’ll be thinking of the Fisarun now. Even if he doesn’t like the way I went about things, he knows I got a point. Innocents are involved, he’s soft on people like that, so he won’t do anything reckless immediately. Just make sure you keep an eye on him, Ruggie.”

Nodding in understanding, the hyena entity hummed, “On it.” And walked right out as well, leaving the God of Intellect alone with his thoughts.

__________

You did not dream of Hornton.

That night your dreams were empty, allowing you to fully rest after doing some reading and practicing geo magic. Technically, you and Grim were supposed to be Leona Kingscholar’s prisoners charged with the assassination of the God of Strength. It became clear that Leona did not intend to inflict further punishment, and so long as you and Grim kept silent about the truth then the safer it was for both of you. Just like in the Heartslabyul, your prison was a palace. The Altar of Stone became your jail. None of the servants or guards dared speak to you, as they still believed you and your companion were the killers of Falena Kingscholar.

There were only four people in the entire Altar of Stone who would speak to you. The first was Grim, who remained by your side and appeared even more hesitant to even linger too far because of everything that had transpired. The second was Leona Kingscholar who you were determined to meet first thing this morning to get more of your questions answered. The third was Ruggie Bucchi who, strangely enough, had access to most parts of the Altar of Stone with other hyenas who weren’t there previously and often visited you to deliver books you asked for. The fourth, who you had yet to see since being accused, was Jack Howl.

“Come on, Grim.” Stopping by the bed, you readjusted your shoes and held out your arm so Grim could climb on. “We have to find Leona first thing today, that way he doesn’t even think of worming his way out of answering.”

Using your elbow, Grim hopped on, climbing from your shoulder to your head. Once he was resting his paws above your noggin, only then did he ask, “Did you figure out exactly what you wanted to ask him today? Did ya think of a lot?”

“I thought about it all night!” As you readjusted your guide so he wouldn’t fall while you walked, you listed, “First, I’ll ask him what exactly he meant by a mirror last night and where it is. Then, I also plan to ask him what he knows about this emblem. If any more questions come up about either the mirror or the emblem, then I’ll ask that too.” You already knew who was the source of your emblem, Hornton had revealed it in your previous dream, but you still could not say or write or reveal the name Dire Crowley in any manner. If the God of Intellect was as wise as they claimed, then he would likely know why you weren’t allowed to speak the name. Perhaps he even recognized the emblem, but said nothing of it.

“Onward then, disciple!” Grim commanded, leaning over to point a claw forward. That exclamation of instruction from him quickly morphed into a screech of terror as you both were greeted by a towering figure as soon as you opened the door. The fear from your companion faded as his big blue eyes recognized that hair as white as snow and eyes like gold. “Jack!”

You yourself had been just as taken aback as Grim, and had nearly broken off a chunk of the wall with magic to wield it against who you assumed was a threat. However, when you recognized the Guard of Haven, you sighed, both relieved and troubled. “Jack, what are you––”

Cold hands gripped your arms tight, his hands. Only now did you realize how his hands were definitely large enough to cover your entire face. Just as you were about to question him if he understood the concept of personal space, since he was way too close and he had the two of you cornered, he spoke gravely, “I know you two didn’t do it.” At your surprised silence, he added hastily, “And it wasn’t you or Grim who knocked me out in the colosseum. I’m sure of it.”

“Duh! Obviously we didn’t do those things!” Grim retorted sharply, “My loyal follower and I definitely could have knocked you out if we wanted to, and maybe even the other scary guards if we really really wanted to, don’t get me wrong! But why would we want to knock you unconscious?”

Upon opening your mouth, nothing came out but a yelp as you were picked up with Grim and rushed across halls of the Altar of Stone. Jack was strategic, stopping when his large ears detected voices or when his nose picked up on the scent of anyone nearby. Wordlessly he escorted the two of you towards a corridor by a training platform on a spacious balcony devoid of servants or guards or anyone else. “Jack!! Put me down, you oversized––” You were about to tear into him when his next words stopped you.

“The missing prince is dead.”

You stilled, the rebuke caught in your throat. When he carefully placed you down on your own two feet, you could only stare at him in utter shock as he carefully picked up Grim who had nearly fallen off your shoulders. Awkwardly he placed him in your arms, which you accepted.

Keeping his golden gaze on you, his cold hand lingered over your arm like an anchor. Looking this way and that way to be certain there were no onlookers, he confided, “You’re the only one I can trust with this. Some hope he’s alive but with no sign of him and with what happened, they’re considering he met the same fate as Falena. But… I know he’s gone.”

“The Prince Cheka?” Grim must have been in shock too, because he didn’t bother scratching Jack for trying to move him. Your feline companion must have had the same thought as you, because as his forked tail curled around your wrist to secure himself to you, he peered up at you, “You don’t think this has something to do with Ruggie, do ya…?”

This gave you a bad feeling. Then you recalled the article of Prince Cheka being attacked by members of the Baasho Band in the same time frame when Ruggie was missing from the Dwelling of the Wise. It was all too convenient. If Prince Cheka was truly dead now, that could have meant that the earlier attack on the Sovereign’s heir was a foiled plot.

“Ruggie and Leona.” You nodded, certain of this. If Ruggie and some of the Fisarun were responsible for the attack, it made sense why you had seen them injured upon their return to the Dwelling of the Wise. Even an entity like Ruggie couldn’t withstand attacks from the God of Strength without receiving his own injuries. That’s why Ruggie wouldn’t give you an honest answer back then.

Jack’s ears perked up, and he practically demanded, “You know something?”

“Hardly.” It was the truth. About Prince Cheka, you could only make assumptions while you pieced together the other events. “Ruggie and some of his gang went missing for a few days while we were in the Dwelling of the Wise. When they came back, they were all injured but wouldn’t say a word about what happened. So they must’ve been plotting not just Falena’s death, but also Cheka’s."

The wolf frowned and Grim seemed pretty glum too. This just turned into one great big mess. All you had wanted were answers, and look where that got you. It had to be said, you hated to admit it, but Leona was right. Entities, especially gods, don’t answer prayers without cost.

Grim pointed a claw in the wolf's face, suddenly demanding, “Wait a minute, what happened to you when everything went down? One moment you and those scary guard ladies were tailin' us, and the next moment we find you knocked out cold after the murder. It smells fishy to me!"

“Are you tryin' to say I was a part of the plot?!" Jack snarled in offense, baring his deadly teeth.

“No, we aren't saying that." You replied firmly, lowering Grim's claw so it wouldn't seem like the small entity were accusing him of something. “But what we are trying to do is put the pieces together."

Relaxing, he quit growling but his frown remained. It shifted to a look of shame as he avoided your eyes, before begrudgingly admitting, “I don't know what exactly happened…" Wanting to end it there but realizing it wasn't enough, he forced the words out between grumbles, “All I remember is the Captain of the First Division getting hit first, I think— it was all so fast. It went down the order: next was the Captain of the Second Division, then the Captain of the Third, the Fourth, and me. Everything happened within a second. Whoever it was has enough power to take out the top guards in an instant and escape undetected, and they were smart enough to take out the strongest first…" Slowly, he met your gaze. “When I woke up, the first thing I saw was you."

That narrowed down the list, but you weren't all that knowledgeable of other magic users. The Captain of the Fifth Division's story still left the most important question unanswered: Who in this world was capable of not only taking out five of the strongest guards but also wielded a spell of fire that rivaled the Pyro Archon's own strength?

Interrupting you from your thoughts, Jack Howl inhaled deeply and placed his other hand on your arm. His grip was firm, not painful, but like iron. “You guys are innocent in all this. It’s my fault, I brought you here. If I hadn't listened to the order I was given, none of this would have happened and you wouldn't be in this mess, so… I’ll make up for it by protecting you with my life.”

You raised an eyebrow, not eager to accept his help in all this. How was Jack, a Captain of the Guard of Haven, supposed to help you? Grim swatted one of cryo wielder's hands away by smacking his knuckles repeatedly until he let go of you. “Paws off, Jack! I’m the one doing the protecting!”

“Exactly. We don’t need your protection, we can handle ourselves just fine. Besides, even if you hadn't brought us here, I think we would've ended up in Pridehaven anyways if the plan really was to use Grim and I as the scapegoat. Either way, Leona isn’t exactly out to kill us because he would’ve done so already. He knows how dangerous we are because Grim and I have the truth, but he’s keeping us around for some reason. And I intend to find out why and get my questions answered once and for all.” If the situation wasn’t so serious, you would’ve found his flattened ears and slight frown from rejection to be almost endearing on the big guy. “If I can hit Leona twice, I can do it again.”

Jack stiffened, some of his white fur standing on end. One hand was still on you, which he used to rattle you back and forth, his face nearly against yours. “You?! You managed to hit him? How?!”

Your companion growled and grumbled in complaint, and you stuck a hand out to push against the wolf’s face not just to create some distance but to get him to stop. “Quit shaking me and I’ll tell you!”

“Ah…!” Immediately he released his hold on you as if your flesh was made of hot coals, and he stepped back. Embarrassment crept onto his features, causing his tail to hang low in shame as he retracted his sharpened claws. “Sorry… It’s just that none of the guards were ever able to hit him when sparring. Not even me… The only ones I know of that were capable of landing a hit on him were the God of Strength, the Goddess of Justice, the Goddess of Laughter, the God of Steel, and a small list of other deities. No mortal has hit him before.”

“Well we did! We’re just that good!” Grim stuck his nose haughtily in the air, either oblivious or entirely ignoring Jack’s slight irritation. “Keep training one day, and maybe you’ll be as good as us!”

Placing a hand on Grim’s head, you reminded him of the facts which he wasn’t very appreciative of when he was trying to show off. “I was the one that hit Leona that first time. But, I’ll admit, I wouldn’t have landed it without Grim distracting him.” At the acknowledgement he sought, Grim stopped his grumbling and purred under your touch. Those paws of his wrapped around your hand, as if wanting to avoid any sort of parting especially with the news Jack had brought forth. “The second time, he let me get a free hit." You were not about to mention the attempted murder, but there was something though, a minor detail you couldn’t shake off. “Leona said something when we met for the first time. What was it…? Something along the lines of, I can’t see you, I think? But he was staring right at us.”

“I can’t see you…?” Jack mumbled, thinking it over for a long moment. When a possible answer came to him, his eyes widened and his ears went upright. Immediately he turned to you, demanding an answer, “When you hit him that first time, were you on the ground?”

That was an odd question, one you initially weren’t sure there was a point to. It must’ve had a point if Jack was asking. This particular Guard of Haven didn’t strike you as the type to ask useless questions just to pass the time, especially right now. “Was I on the ground…? Uh…”

Sticking a paw up, the small entity shook his head and answered, “Nah, you weren’t. I remember! That old lion hit you with sand, and just before you hit the ground is when you struck back like pow! It was really something, Jack. Even you would’ve been impressed!”

Slowly the wolf nodded along to the explanation, placing a hand to his head as he pieced together everything he knew. “I can’t see you…” Then the realization came to him, hitting him abruptly, even making his tail wag slightly. “He can’t see you!”

Taken aback by his sudden burst of enthusiasm, you and Grim exchanged perplexed glances. The entity in your arms even shrugged, and you responded a bit snidely, “Uh, yeah, that’s what he said. I don’t get where you’re going with this.”

“No, no, I mean—!” Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Jack peered down at the duo and explained carefully. All the while he spoke, his ears remained perked, shifting like radars scanning for noise that would detect any eavesdroppers. “The God of Intellect has three types of seeing. The first is physically through his eyes. The second is with his geo magic, he developed a skill that detects vibrations through the earth. So if you’re touching the ground within a certain distance, he’ll know you’re there. The third is a special spell he has as an older entity, and that’s the ability of visions. His visions are not well known because he doesn’t talk about them. Those three types of seeing with his knowledge on spells and combat make him almost unbeatable. The only way to beat Leona is to overpower him, but there’s only a small handful of people in the world that can overpower the Geo Archon.”

Grim’s nose twitched, and he stared up at the wolf as he considered what was just said. “So… when Leona said he can’t see, he didn’t mean it literally? Hmph! Well, he had to have been talking about the magnificent me! I’m so amazing that my mere presence must’ve thrown off this weird vision thingy!”

You paused, reflecting over your past interactions with the God of Intellect. When you met him and interacted with him afterwards, he clearly met and held your gaze. Then during the interrogation, his flawless dodging and deflections even without looking at his targets could be explained by his sense that involved his geo magic. “Maybe it’s you, Grim, or maybe it’s me, but clearly one of us is throwing him off.” Wasn’t that even more reason to be rid of the two of you? It didn’t make sense that he would keep the two of you here alive. Even in the case that no one believed either of you when proclaiming the truth of your innocence, the fact that either you or Grim might have been immune to his visions made both of you an unknown factor which Leona should have been eager to do away with. “Do you think, just maybe, he keeps us around because he can’t tell what we’ll do…?”

“It’s possible… but Ruggie did mention something about Leona possibly likin’ you two.” Jack considered the prospect. As someone who knew the God of Intellect far longer than you, he would likely be able to guess more accurately than either you or Grim ever could. “Not much interested him a decade ago. After the death of the Goddess of Justice and birth of Prince Cheka, that’s when he disappeared… I can’t remember the last time I saw him smile like he did this morning when he was predicting what you would ask him today.”

ACE TRAPPOLA.

There's not really a scene that immediately comes to mind when I try to think of difficult ones for Ace. He didn't really give me much of a hard time at all, actually. I don't think any of the scenes he has the spotlight in, gave me any trouble? And hardly any of his parts faced major editing. I think the most difficult scenes for him would have probably been his dialogue when showing MC magic in the Furnace or when defending MC from Riddle. And even then, it wasn't a lot of difficulty. It wasn't a question of what he would say, it was a question of how much. So, like I said, Ace was fairly kind to me in general.

One part I thought would stump me, but it didn't, was the squabbling between Ace and Deuce. Especially when you see them first encounter directly after Deuce saves MC and Grim. I thought it would be a challenge, especially with Grim and MC in the mix, and given that Ace and Deuce already have history and beef. But that brief argument scene about stealing purses and stuff? I came up with that part and wrote it in probably less than an hour, so not nearly as hard as I had assumed it would have been.

DEUCE SPADE.

It was supposed to have been easy, but because of so much editing and the actual importance of the scene, the part in which Deuce is escorting MC and Grim to the Furnace while explaining important functions of this world with magic served as an unexpected challenge. ESPECIALLY since it faced heavy editing. I mean, I've mentioned this once before, but in the early drafts, I completely overhauled chunks of chapter four and pretty much all of chapter five. After it was all done, I think it turned out pretty good.

The easiest scene for Deuce was probably when he first saved MC and Grim, and I thought it would be like the one above where because it was so different in initial drafts, it would have been so annoying to write. Let me explain. Initially, after Deuce saved MC and Grim, he hid with them under a bridge instead of on a roof. And the Furnace wasn't a pocket of space but rather, underground, and they never encountered Ace on the streets right before running to the Furnace. So I completed changed it, from the setting of the Furnace, to adding an Ace appearance, to changing the method in which Deuce saved MC and Grim, then how Deuce escorted them to the Furnace. But the easiest change to write was when they were on the roof, during his introductions, even though I thought it would be a pain to write. That part wasn't that bad.

CATER DIAMOND.

Honestly, I thought most of Cater's scenes would have been difficult, but almost all of them were fairly easy to write? From his introduction, to the Teapot, to the fight scene. Oh my god, I did not want to write the fight scene because I thought I would do so badly but I didn't struggle at all with it?

You would think that giving Cater spotlight would be easy because of his personality, but I had difficulty coming up with ideas for him during the later half of the act. I didn't want him to just disappear or hardly play a role, which is why I made that scene in which he and Trey check on MC and Grim once they wake up longer. Initially, the scene was fairly brief, but I decided to stretch it out and give those two more time to shine. Caring Trey and flirty Cater make quite the combination.

TREY CLOVER.

Again, I'm so sorry, Trey and all five Trey stans. I absolutely dread when Trey has the spotlight, because I am so bad at writing him. You think he would be easy to write, but he isn't. Everyone writes him as the tame and caring one that bakes, and yeah he has those qualities, but he's a lot more and I just fail to capture that. The dude is still a mystery to me. Like his appearance in act two? I edited his part several times, made plenty of changes, and still thought it could have been better but I thought it was decent enough to post.

Thankful for Cater and Riddle. When they're present, I can use them as something to work when writing Trey scenes. Especially him and Cater, I love writing those two, they work so well together. As I mentioned above, in the scene in which MC and Grim wake up and are greeted by Trey and Cater, I enjoyed stretching out that scene because I like writing that duo. So even though Trey is generally difficult for me to write, I had it easy because Cater was present.

RIDDLE ROSEHEARTS.

Crashout in the Furnace was easy to write, shocking, I know. It went through a lot of extra little parts or lines added or slightly modified, but even then, that was easy. I would get carried away with one little line I wanted to add, and one line would turn into a whole paragraph. This was one of those scenes in the chapter that I said I feared writing because it was such an integral part, and practically like the ending of act one, but it wasn't as bad as I had initially feared.

The hardest Riddle scene was probably the one in which he encountered MC late at night and showed a glimpse of his true form. I didn't know exactly how I wanted to show some sort of fondness Riddle had for MC, but I knew I wanted him to reveal his divine form momentarily. I will say, the whole beginning of the encounter is not my favorite and I much prefer the latter half where he's escorting them to their room. I just knew the scene was integral because after readers seeing how he treats others and is quick to punish them, they needed to see that softer side. I wanted it to be jarring in a way, and somewhat unsettling to know that it's the same person. The same god. And now that god is commanding you to stay while making it sound like an innocent request.

Bonus: CHENYA.

Bonus: The hardest part about Chenya was his vocabulary and way of speaking. I will admit though, it was fun to use words like "kerfuffle" and "hullabaloo." The easiest part? His movements. I imagine he was constantly disappearing or lounging or spinning or something of the like which gave me something to describe when writing.

JACK HOWL.

You would think that brief dialogue and exposition with Jack would be easy, but I really struggled when starting chapter twenty-five right after all the appearances in the previous chapter. I knew all I needed to explain was that MC and Grim had been with Jack for several days at this point, just arriving at Pridehaven. But that intro was difficult to write for no real reason.

The easiest part for Jack that I thought would be difficult hasn't occurred yet, but they're interactions in chapter thirty-one, thirty-two, and thirty-four.

RUGGIE BUCCHI.

I'm still shocked by the amount of people that like what was basically the Ruggie chapter, chapter twenty-two. I thought it was cute but mid overall. Y'all thought differently, apparently. Actually, in general I'm surprised at the amount of people that enjoy any Ruggie scene, since sometimes I don't know if it's the best and overall other characters may be more popular, but he gets a surprising amount of attention. When writing that chapter specifically, it wasn't difficult even though I didn't really have any of it planned. I just came up with it as I wrote.

The scene that should have been easy but wasn't has not occurred yet. I'm actually still not completely satisfied with it, so I may go back and add to it but it's in chapter thirty-three.

LEONA KINGSCHOLAR.

Oh lord... where to start with this guy? I was so nervous about writing basically every Leona scene, I almost always second guessed myself once I wrote a new scene that involved him in any way. However, shockingly, I didn't really struggle with a lot of his scenes. For the most part, I knew what I wanted. Leona is a very difficult character, but he did not give me a lot of difficulties. The hardest Leona scene, by far, has not been shared. I thought it would have been easy because I knew exactly how it was supposed to go, but it was not easy in the slightest. It's a scene I had to rewrite once, and edit majorly so it looks very different from the original draft. There are still some parts I'm unhappy with, but I'll likely improve it later on. This scene takes place in chapter thirty-six.