Ryan shrugged Drake's explanation off as just the Prince trying to confuse him. “Well, I thought you might want to do something before I have to go...” Ryan answered. “My carriage gets here in two hours.”

 

“Sure, let’s go hunting. Run.” Drake grinned wickedly, “Why do you always wait for the carriage? You live… what? Two miles away?

 

“Six,” Ryan corrected, rolling his eyes. “And no, I was thinking that we could play pranks on that weapon smith as he sets up shop.”

The tall boy was very against being dragged out into the wilderness again, in fact, he'd had enough of nature for a few years.

 

“Six.” Drake shrugged, still not completely understanding. “And yes! You should take the stick back home with you again, that worked well!”

 

“Yeah, and it's nearly perfect for holding my bedroom window open...” Ryan informed the Prince. He had been a bit hesitant about stealing the stick the first time. Even though it was just a stick, stealing it was apparently classified as the same crime as stealing part of the royal treasure. As well as the same punishment… but when you had the prince as a best friend, very little could touch you!

 

“… Thanks for sharing that…” Drake shook his head as they walked across the archway. “You go get the stick; I’m going to go find food. If someone gives you hassle, just tell them there is a code blue in the parlor and they’ll leave you alone.”

 

“Code blue?” Ryan asked. He'd not heard it before, and wanted to make sure that it wasn't a trick.

 

“Yes,” Drake nodded with another smile. “They don’t know what it is, but they’re sure it’s something.”

 

Ryan bit his lip in concern. He didn't know the incompetence of the palace guards, “Maybe we should both go for breakfast instead.”

 

“Why does everyone assume I’m tricking them? The guards are decoration, Ryan, they’re here for show. A fight could start involving the royals and the guards would not even run away, because they are decoration and decoration isn’t supposed to move.” Drake laughed and turned, headed for the kitchen.

 

“Yeah, well, I haven’t eaten yet anyway.” Ryan commented. “Oh, and probably because you are always trying to trick them.”

 

“No I’m not. When I try to trick someone it works rather fast as I am not a patient person.” Drake snickered, speeding up a bit, as he smelt the food. “But fine, you can have food.”
He turned another corner and walked down a hall before finally opening the door to the kitchen.
The chef’s were very busy, which surprised Drake a bit. He grabbed whatever passed by.

“Chaucer and Marina must have company over…”

 

“Oh? I wonder who?” Ryan pondered as he inspected a tray of freshly cooked buns.

 

Drake grabbed a cinnamon roll, walked to the door leading to the dining room, and peeked in.

He instantly retreated over to where Ryan was standing. “King Talud and Queen Talula,” he gagged. “Best idea to run now, or be sucked into the most boring conversation of your life.” He stated, moving out the door to the hall.

 

“They are that bad?” Ryan asked, while also trying to get a look into the room.

 

“Pricilla adores them.” Drake stated as he looked back into the kitchen, and vanished once again right after.
He headed for the public library where his archrival 'stick' rested.

 

Ryan struggled to keep up, and eventually had to abandon his half-buttered bun. “They must be that bad, then.”

 

“I think so, but, to be honest, I also thought pushing you into the room and making you find that out on your own would be fun.” Drake admitted, and pulled the stick out of the wall. “Here you go!”

 

Ryan immediately used the stick to jab Drake in the ribs as way of paying him back for the evil idea, “Thanks.”

 

“Ow…” Drake glared. “You’re welcome, Ryan. Now get! Any minute now someone’s going to realize I’m awake and thus up to something... and you’re supposed to meet your math tutor.”

 

“Fine, see you later!” He chuckled, and headed out the door, bound for home. Apparently, he didn't fear his math tutor quite as much when he was holding a big wooden stick...

 

 

 

Drake spent the rest of the morning watching the weapon shop.

 

 

It was almost noon before the blasted shopkeeper got there, and it took him a full forty minutes to realize the lift was broken.
That’s when the screaming started. That was always when the screaming started.

And Drake watched with a sly smile and a wicked laugh.

 

Eclipse came into the room, spotted Drake laughing, and the poor weapon smith trying, and failing to even get to his own shop. He wasn't as mad at the prank, more because Drake should have been taking things more seriously with the plan as far along as it was.
He snuck up behind the prince so that he was pretty much towering over him.

 

Drake stopped laughing and looked up at the tall, shadowy figure looming there. He jumped, slightly, startled. “… You really have to stop doing that.”

 

“If you were more alert, you wouldn't be as easy to sneak up on,” Eclipse pointed out coldly. It wasn't the first time that he had pointed that out to Drake. Unfortunately, it probably wouldn't be the last, either…

 

“Or you could, you know, stop sneaking up on me.” Drake grumbled, moving away. “Queen Talula and King Talud are visiting.” He added, switching topics.

 

“Yes, I know.” Eclipse informed him, “I think that your parents just sent a guard out to come and find you...”

 

“…” Drake shuddered. “I’m going hunting, bye.” He stated, heading for the exit.

 

“Oh no you're not. We have to talk about the plan. Come on.” Eclipse said, and started towards an arcane area of the library. The attic. Well, that was the name given to it, but since the library was somewhat underground, it was more like a top level that was dark, dusty, and filled with supports. It served mostly as a storage area, and a lot of old or damaged books were up there. Books that wouldn't last long in the damp lower levels, or rare, and needed to be specially requested. There were also a number of paintings, old pieces of furniture, and a large crate of Sticks.

 

Drake glared at Eclipse, then looked back toward the exit for a bit before he reluctantly followed.

It seemed pointless to go to the attic… but it had its advantages. Like, how he could blame the dust when he sneezed and the box of sticks blew up.
“… Oops,” he purred.

 

Eclipse waved a hand and the flames were snuffed out almost instantly, then a thin layer of frost formed on the sticks and the outside of the crate.
“Be serious,” Eclipse scolded, and handed an unlit oil lamp to Drake. “Why don't you put that talent to some proper use?”

 

“Because that isn’t fun.” Drake explained, but did then light the oil lamp.

 

Eclipse took the lamp back, and hung it from a hook that was on a low support beam. He ignored what Drake said, and went about pulling down a very old and outdated map. It was so old that it didn't even have Shivel on it.

 

Drake looked around at the books. A lot of old legends and things, probably some of the only books in the entire palace that he hadn't at least skimmed already.
He saw one that was somewhat interesting just from the cover. It was leather, dark, and had a dragon impressed onto it.
Drake picked it up and looked through it. It was hand written… very old.

 

Eclipse didn't recognize the book, but he wanted Drake's attention. “Will you put that down and listen?” He asked, though it was closer to an order. Then he turned back to the map. “Anyway, as you can see, this forest near the village will offer the perfect cover...” He started.

 

Nope… Drake looked up only until Eclipse turned around, then he went back to reading. “There are a lot of owls in the forest, they might make noise.” He said, if only to make it appear like he were listening.

The book was very interesting. It was about the dragon gods.

 

“I don't see what that has to do with anything...” Eclipse said, still facing the map. “Anyway, knowing those stupid genomes, they won’t do much at all when I attack, so...”

 

“Mm hm.” Drake turned the page, getting to a new story.
He used to hear his parents talking about the Water Dragon God; this one seemed to be about the Fire Dragon God.

 

“...But then there is always the worry that Zidane will get there too soon...” Eclipse continued.

 

“That would be… … bad.” Drake looked up when he heard Zidane’s name, but he was lost as to what was said. So he… guessed.

 

“Yes it would,” Eclipse agreed. “That's why I need to be sure that I get the 'girl' quickly, and you try to stall him as long as possible...”

 

Drake was already reading again, “Sure thing.”

 

“But don't make it obvious that you are trying to stall him; that would reveal our plan.” Eclipse lectured, while staring at the small castle that was drawn on the map to represent Alexandria. Even this old map showed the castle with the famous giant sword blade at its center.

 

“Make obvious...” Drake replied with a nod. “Stall plan...”

 

Eclipse spun around at this. “Are you listening?” He demanded. Drake was making no sense this time, and Eclipse had inevitably noticed.

 

Drake dropped the book and looked up. “Of course!”

 

“Okay, do you know where to find the key?” Eclipse asked. It was a trick question.

 

“In the mouth of the Leviathan statue in the main hall.” Drake stated, giving a small smile.

 

“Get out of my sight!” Eclipse hissed, not even slightly amused by Drake's answer. Why did he even bother to tell the boy about his plans when all he did was become a hindrance, and had a hard time following even simple instructions?

 

Sheez… “Yes, sir.” Drake picked up the book, and then walked down out of the attic.

 

Eclipse sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose with a thumb and forefinger. He should punish the boy for that annoyance, he decided. Therefore, he gave the guard looking for him the mental suggestion to check the library.

 

Drake wasn’t all too happy when he was dragged off to the little meeting with King Talud and Queen Talula… he hated that. Hated it. So much.
He’d rather chew glass. He debated that for a while after being given a wine glass, which, sadly, had nothing in it.
It would have made the meeting easier had it been full.

Queen Talula was apparently upset about the next World Leaders meeting being held in her palace. She said it was too small and that construction was not complete. They had always been a small country, and were not prepared to have so many regal visitors.

King Talud was worried about security—that the meeting would call unwanted attention to their tiny community.

It was a major problem, in their eyes.

They spent seven hours talking about it! Through dinner, they spoke about flower arrangements, which confused Drake tremendously, but directly after that the conversation returned to the meeting.

“Oh, for the love of—Why not just have the meeting here?!” Drake finally broke in.

“… My, that might work…” Queen Talula mused.

Drake’s eyes widened. … what did I just do?

“That might be fun,” Marina agreed. “The gods know we have enough room, and we do have the most contacts established.”

“Would keep it out of Alexandria… Sometimes I fear that Queen is trying to take over everything.” Chaucer stated, waving a finger.

Oh… la dracu! What did I do?!? Drake banged his head on the table. I’m going to get in trouble for this…

 

Damn right you are... Warned a faint whisper that seemed to come from all around, but was so quiet that it could have been imagined, but if the prince were to look up, he might see a tall shadow in one of the high windows.

 

Drake groaned and slid under the table then crawled to the door. He got up and ran to his room.