The Obelisk

-Chapter 49-

Forest blinked several times fast. He’d thought he’d lost the rune, when he’d dropped the sack during the chaos of the Beyla attack. Afterwards, when they spotted the Shadowmane group—he’d left it.

“The rune?” Forest echoed. “You have it?”

“A rune? What?” Confusion was plastered on Nyx’s face. “When—“

“My soldiers retrieved it shortly after the battle with the Beylas,” the Emperor explained. “We smelled you juveniles all over it. Now answer my questions. Why—”

“We had just found it,” Forest quickly blurted. “Us and a friend. We weren’t going to use it to hurt anyone, I swear.”

“That’s why we’re we following the Shadowmanes in the first place,” Spark said. “We hoped they could help us found out what the the Rune was capable of. We had only heard rumors. We weren’t going to sue to for anything bad.”

The emperor let out a breath, closing his eyes. “I believe you,” he rasped. The Fives faces brightened, but he said, “but it doesn’t mean you’re innocent yet. The council must help decide whether or not you deserve imprisonment.” He hesitated. “I also have a… friend who would probably like to take part in the decision as well.”

Friend—Forests head snapped up. Did he mean his ally? Was he talking about the mysterious someone the prisoner Quartz had mentioned?

“But I will try my best to make sure you get freed,” the Emperor continued on. “But, when you are—i f you are—you will leave my land and not interfere with the Terror birds again.”

“Thank you,” Spark said. Forest smiled at the old Terror bird.

“Don’t thank me yet,” he croaked. “Guards! Bring these five back to the cell. This investigation is over. For now.”

The terror birds reentered, one by one surrounding the Five again. “Make sure they get plenty of food,” the Emperor ordered. “Whatever food they prefer, let them have it.”

“Yes, sir,” said one Terror bird.

“Good luck,” said the Emperor, nodding to Forest and the others.

“You too,” Forest said softly, watching the Emperor cough into his wing weakly.

The Terror birds lead them out of the throne room.

The Five stayed silent the whole way. And as they were lead quietly back into their cell, they did not speak for the rest of the night.

They all had the same thing on their mind.

Would the council decide they be freed from these bars… or was a life in prison their new destiny?