***I'd like to address a few things quickly. One, yes, I am doing chapter names now. Two, yes, I know this is very similar to a chapter name in WLTDO, but I thought it would be a funny parallel. And three, this chapter is dedicated to Digo (aka Indigo) because they are a great friend of mine and helped me a bit with this chapter :)***

***

~Sausage~

Why did bad things always happen when I was in the Crystal Cliffs?

Well, things weren't bad yet but I felt the bad vibes...if that makes sense. Me and Gem had called a meeting in her empire to discuss some things including Mythland's involvement with the Crystal Cliffs Academy for Magic. So, there I was, sitting in the meeting room within the mountain while I waited for her to arrive.

I glanced down at the non-existent watch on my wrist as the wizard walked in, clicking my tongue. "Well, you're a bit tardy Gem that's unlike you— did ya have to battle some winds with that massive hat of yours?" I asked, biting back a snicker as I watched her reaction form at the mention of her GINORMOUS hat.

Gem glared at me, her green eyes narrowing as she pushed the brim of her hat out of her face. "I'll have you know a...situation has arisen in the dragon hatchery, so I'm very sorry I was two minutes late Mr. Entitlement." She replied rather sharply, her hand tightening the slightest on her staff before she leaned it against her chair and sat down.

"What kind of situation?" I questioned curiously, now intrigued with things other than what we had come to talk about.

Gem sighed, resting her elbows against the table. It was then I realized how exhausted she looked. "We...we think the dragon egg is hatching." She said in a slightly low voice, taking off the wizard hat and placing it on the table beside her.

"ExcUse me?" I asked, my lips parting in shock. "Like— right now??"

"Not sure. It's been warmer though, much warmer. We've heard tapping as well. It could be a few days, or weeks, or maybe it's not hatching at all. Ender dragons take centuries to hatch depending on the conditions, we have no idea how old it was when we took it from the End." She answered, tugging her sleeves back over her wrists as she spoke.

"That's...not ideal." I said, pursing my lips.

"Yes, but it's beside the point, we're here to talk about the academy." Gem said, suddenly regaining her composure and sitting up straighter. "You had questions?"

"Ah, yes, questions—" I replied, my mind running back on track with what I had originally come for. "The requirements for my people to apply and get accepted into your school, what were they again?"

Gem gave me an exasperated look. "Seriously?" she asked. "There's a small pamphlet test that they have to fill out and pass after application, but in order to apply they need to have a high school diploma and relatively above average grades—"

"But I don't have a high school diploma-?" I started.

"Because you're Sausage. And you were tutored, and you're royalty. And you didn't even attend the school." Gem cut off, giving me an 'are you serious' look. Classic Gem, I hardly see her without that expression now that I think about it—

"But still—"

"Sausage, this is practically a prestigious college, and I won't have unqualified teenagers waltzing the halls and causing possibly dangerous problems. Those are only the basics requirements; clean records are also needed and—"

"Okay, okay I know." I said, holding my hands up in defense. "Just trying to make it easier for my people, you know?"

"And I'm trying to make it safer for mine. I know what you Mythlanders tend to turn up as." Gem said, her eyes narrowed but this time in an almost playful way.

"You know it." I smirked, leaning back in the chair and kicking up my boots onto Gem's desk.

Gem glared at me, raising her staff, before, with a short purple blast, she had knocked both my legs off the desk and me off my chair. "HEY—" I said as I hit the ground, instantly scrambling to my feet.

"Hm?" Gem asked, glancing up from a stack of folders she had just begun to go through as if nothing had happened. The corners of her mouth twitched, and I knew she was trying to hide a smirk.

"Jerk..." I mumbled, sitting back down in my seat, and brushing off my robes.

"What was that?" The ginger asked, raising a threatening eyebrow.

"Nothing! I said absolutely nothing whatsoever! You should get your ears checked; they might be as blind as your eyes!"

Gem blinked at me, a look of confusion on her face. "Wha—" she started, looking at me as if I were crazy. "You know what, never mind...I don't want to know."

"No you do not." I agreed, grinning at her, to which she rolled her eyes.

"Moving on, do you have any other questions?" She asked, stacking the folders into a neat pile to her left.

"Yes! I did actually- considering the fact my people will now be allowed to attend the academy, we will of course have a representative on the Azurite school board, correct?" I asked.

Gem pursed her lips. "Well... none of the other kingdoms have that privilege...not even the Grimlands."

"Ah well, it was worth a shot." I shrugged, leaning back again in the seat. A feeling of...almost dread had been growing in the pit of my stomach during the past few days. Almost, a warning, or an expression of foreboding. "Besides the egg...anything else...strange happening?" I asked slowly.

Gem blinked before narrowing her eyes. "What did you do?" she demanded.

"Nothing I swear!"

"That's what you said about Xornoth!" She snapped, her expression incredibly suspicious.

"I promise, I didn't do anything!" I said again, holding my hands up in defense as she held her staff to my neck. "I was just wondering- I've had a weird feeling all week and I was curious!"

"What kind of 'weird feeling'?" Gem questioned, her expression remaining.

"Just that- something bad is about to happen! I can't explain it!" I said, nearly falling out of my seat again as I tried to move away from her staff.

"But why do you feel like something bad is about to happen?"

"I just said I don't know! I promise, I'm not lying!" I insisted. "But..."

"But what?" She asked, frowning now as she withdrew her staff and sat back in her seat.

"I want to be prepared," I said, speaking quickly and hoping she wasn't paying enough attention to deny what I was about to request. "So, I was wondering if maybe I could possibly have my staff back—"

"No." Gem immediately replied, her tone sharp, before I could even finish.

"But—"

"No buts. You are not, and I repeat not, getting that death weapon back." She said sternly.

"Yeah but—"

"What did I just say?"

"Fine, fine..." I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. I still couldn't shake the feeling though, that I would need it...

"Moving on," Gem continued, her voice dangerously low as she picked up the top folder of her pile, placing it in front of her. "The railway. We need to begin construction. I know we planned this years ago, but with all the drama with Xornoth, the corruption, and the Three-Day War, we never got to it."

I nodded, trying to move the subject away, beginning to plan with my friend the construction of the route, while in the back of my head a plan was brewing...

~

Waving goodbye to Gem, I started on the path winding down Mount Sapphirus towards the main city of Azurite.

My eyes locked on the Crystal Cliffs Academy several hundred feet below...surely, if not in the tower, that's where dear old Gemini was holding the Great Staff of Mythland, right?

I began my trek downwards over the rocky and difficult path, thankful that at least some steep edges sported stairways.

Hey, I need to get cardio in some way, right? And what better way than to jog down an incredibly tall mountain towards something that will either fix all my problems or make them a hundred times worse?

The chilly September wind whipped my face, so much so that I had to draw my hood up to shield my face from the breeze that left my cheeks raw, and my lips chapped and tasting of metal. Why did Gem have to live on literally the second highest mountain in the world? Of course, she had to be this extra. Of course. Honestly though, looking at my own home and kingdom, I couldn't talk. But still. I was so glad that the pathway was enchanted, otherwise I would have been unconscious from lack of oxygen hours ago.

It took me ages to reach the ground, though it felt like an eternity because of the cold. My feet ached, and I still had to take the incredibly long ride on horseback all the way to Black Dawn City...we desperately needed that railway.

But, instead of heading straight for the city's gates, I made a detour towards the school, one of the largest buildings in the city. It stood incredibly tall, its walls made from white stones and wooden supports, giving it a sharp and clean look. The large windows were arched, and the roof was slanted, shingled with sheets of pure amethyst that glinted in the mountain sunlight, reflecting millions of different colors like all the other rooves in the area.

Unfortunately, I couldn't stand and gawk at the incredibly colorful architecture. I had a mission. It was the middle of a school day at the academy. I could easily slip inside, steal my staff back, and be on my way.

Or so I thought.

I jogged up the front steps, made from a sleek, shiny grey stone that I nearly slipped and cracked my skull on. That would have been...an experience. I approached the two, huge front doors, made from a deep-colored wood and polished to perfection, with dark metal hinges that shined nearly as bright as the roof despite its color.

Stepping forward, I was about to reach out to grab one of the incredibly large doorknobs, before I realized how suspicious it would be if these opened while everyone was in the middle of class, and how many people it would alert...I needed to find a side door.

So, I turned around, ran back down the stairs, and towards the sides of the building. I crept close to the walls, the base taller than I was made from the same stone as the stairs, layered in rows and rows of perfectly placed bricks.

I made the careful effort to tiptoe in the long grass, pausing every time I heard it swish, or heard a tree in the area creak. You never know.

Just under my breath, I began humming a tune as I neared even closer to a doorway. "Dun duuun, dun dun dun dun dunnnnnn." I murmured, peering through the open door. It seemed to lead to a kitchen of sorts, several islands with marble countertops and stainless-steel sinks clean as can be.

I snuck in, careful not to drag any dirt with me onto the tiled floors. It seemed to be relatively empty, but I heard a shuffling to the left behind a door that most likely led to a pantry. I had to be quick.

I made a dramatic sprint across the room, sweeping myself out of the kitchens and into a large dining hall. Several long tables lined the room, benches accompanying them for students to sit at. Chandeliers were hung on the ceiling made from the same black metal that braced the doors and made up the hinges outside, lit with everlasting fire to light the space. I made another run down this room, and finally out into the hallways.

They were very neat, the floor made from a white, smooth stone marbled with black and greys. The walls were painted a deep and soothing purple, dark wooden baseboards lining them where there weren't dozens of lockers set up along the passages. Numbered doors led off into different classrooms, voices coming from each one, from professors lecturing or students answering questions. I looked both ways, before running down these halls as well, searching for a staircase up to Gem's office which I was sure would be on the top floor.

I continued muttering the little tune under my breath, getting faster and louder with each step. "Dun dun dun dUn, dun, dum duh dun duhhhhh, dun dun dun DUN—"

"Sir? Do you need any help?"

I whipped around towards the voice, startled, composing myself as I turned to face them. There was a student behind me, wearing a purple button up that nearly matched the shades of the wall, a grey, wool vest layered overtop with a tie tucked in. They pushed their glasses up on their freckled nose, looking incredibly confused. "Oh- um—" I spluttered, trying to come up with a believable excuse to mask whatever the hell I was doing here. "I was just- heading towards the library!" That sounded about right, I knew the library within the academy was open to the public...I think.

"Oh." The student, who looked no older than twenty, said, blinking. "Would you like directions?"

"Nope! I know the way, but thanks!" I replied, giving them a wave before I went to hurry down the hall. Instead, I walked straight into a doorframe.

"Oh my god- Sir, are you alright?" The student asked, flinching forward as if they wanted to help.

I stumbled backwards slightly; vision blurred from the impact. I felt a small trickle of something hot and sticky flow slowly towards my upper lip, and I wiped it, smearing the side of my hand in crimson. "Perfectly fine! Have a nice day!" I said quickly, before this time actually walking down the hall, and jogging around a corner, out of their sight. "Phew, that was close..."

I wandered around for a good half an hour, luckily not coming across anyone else, and going up every single staircase I could find (which was a LOT I might add. A LOT of stairs). That was, until, I finally came across a spiral one wrapping tightly around a circular room which looked to be the inside of the main tower that made up the center of the building. Gem's office had to be at the top of the clocktower, right? She'd be doing a disservice to herself if she hadn't chosen the most epic spot in the school as her office.

So, without a second thought, I began to make my way up...and up...and up... WHY WERE THERE SO MANY STAIRS??

Panting, I arrived at the top. And at the top, was a door. It was rather simple, wood burned with designs of vines traveling along the edges, and a crystal doorknob. "Finally..." I muttered breathlessly to myself, reaching out to open the door. To my surprise, it swung inwards instead of being locked as I had expected, leading me into the office.

It was another large, circular room, lined with a purple velvet carpet which stretched to all the baseboards. Curved bookshelves carved to fit in the strangely shaped room were nestled snuggly against the walls, filled to the absolute breaking point with all sorts of books. Thin books, thick books, worn books, and new books, colorful books, and dull books.

In the spaces not taken up by bookshelves, ordinary shelves lined the walls, filled with several normal and several strange objects, all varying in color, shape, and size. I saw a pair of boots resting on one, frost spreading over the shelf within the perimeter of what it touched, a delicate silver chain diadem embedded with miniature diamonds and pieces of purple crystal resting on a mannequin head, and several black, shriveled roses in a glass vase.

Along the top of the walls, near the ceiling, the entire room was lined with windows, letting light pour in from all sides to fill up the entire area in it's natural glow. Directly across from me were two glass sliding doors, leading out to a balcony, and in front of that, in the middle of the room, was a desk.

Several papers like the ones that had been in Gem's other office, back in the Sapphire Spire, were stacked on it, a quill resting in a bottle of ink. I don't know why my friend still bothered with this method; pens are so much easier nowadays.

I immediately started searching the room for my staff, digging through multiple filing cabinets, and random stacks of miscellaneous objects. I had to be quick, I had no idea when Gem would return to the school.

My search was becoming desperate, the incredibly loud ticking of the ginormous clockface just outside only increasing my panic and my speed. Gem would have my head if she knew I was going through her stuff.

As if by the hugest stroke of luck I had ever stumbled across, I had been looking between shelves when I saw an extra-large chink between two...a few clear centimeters more space between them than the others. Frowning, I fitting my fingers between, pushing one away from the other...and guess what...it moved.

My eyes widened the slightest. Clearly, I wasn't supposed to have found this. But my obvious genius saved the day as always. I peered into the small space behind the bookshelf. It wasn't a secret passageway, or a secret room, let alone a secret closet. It simply led to a small alcove and displayed in it, held up by metal supports...was my staff.

It had been two years since I had seen it in all of its glory, the sleek ivory handle carved into web-like designs interwoven with dulled silvers and veins of shimmering purple. I reached out, feeling my hand instantly gravitating towards its handle.

I felt a surge of power as soon as my palm curled around the grip, and I tugged it out of its hold with only the slightest feeling of resistance. I smirked in accomplishment as I gazed down at the bejeweled staff...

Gem had to be aware by now, I would do anything to protect my kingdom. Anything.

***

Sorry it took me so long to get this out! Some of you may not know, but I am currently in the process of rewriting WLTDO (Who Let the Demon Out?)! I will be finishing Cold Fury, before finishing the rewrite and then getting to work on Rebuild and Reunite (book three)

Also, I'd like to shout out my friend Indigo again! I've been sharing ideas with him these past few weeks and he also has an amazing ESMP story called 'Convergence of Thrones' that y'all should definitely check out! (Unfortunately, his strict parents have recently found him out, so there won't be any updates for a long time I'm afraid, but still I'm sure he'd appreciate it if you went and supported his works!)

Have a great day y'all! As always, comments and votes are appreciated :)