~ Rhys ~Dropping the cypher on the latest note, Rhys looked at the parchment he had been writing out the letters he decoded and turned into words. With a sigh, he tapped his finger on the desk whilst reading the notes. Many were now outdated and of past notes that would have helped him but not anymore.The last of what he discovered was interesting, though with the conversation one-sided, he couldn’t quite grasp the meaning. But the last few notes he knew to be a trail between the same people due to their cursive writing were beginning to make sense. He sighed upon reading the words and digesting the news. Rhys didn’t have all the details, but it had something to do with the mission in Willowbrook- Amira’s plan. The one he had no idea about. After exposing his ‘amnesia’ to Zayyan, he was sure Amira’s cousin would tell him the rest. But half of the contents were on this paper.Elixora, the apothecary responsible for crafting the Blight's remedy, harboured an operative within its rank

~ Rhys ~The group arrived at Crimson Hills, where the scenery was breathtaking, but the village itself presented a stark contrast. The strong wind howled ominously, creating eerie sounds as it rattled the makeshift wooden structures crafted by the residents. These homes were hardly deserving of the name, resembling little more than rickety shacks struggling to withstand the relentless, frigid gusts.Some of these shacks had crumbled to the ground, left unrepaired and untouched. They stood as poignant symbols of the hopelessness and despair that seemed to envelop the arriving group like a dark raincloud. Rhys furrowed his brow, his gaze scanning the desolate surroundings as he picked up one of the two sacks of provisions they had brought. He had already inspected their contents, finding cold broth in tins easily opened with clawed hands alongside bread and cooked meat.Rhys followed Zayyan and Oclan, whose sleeves had a slight claw mark after the kafuffle with the other rogues, the ba

~ Rhys ~Rhys remained quiet for the entire carriage ride, even as the hills and forests slowly drifted away to the open expanse of the ocean. He had been deep in thought about his rule and the issues regarding the damned elders and his wolf. Without a mate, he couldn’t rule efficiently. He couldn’t help his people. All of his people.Rhys gazed at the sun, which painted the sky in hues of orange and gold, its rays stretching across the calm sea. The breeze felt much milder than the winds of the Crimson Hills, carrying the scent of salt through the air while the clamour of seagulls and the bustling Shanties town harbour grew more pronounced as they approached.“One day, Amira.”Rhys’ head turned to look at Zayyan. He, too, was looking outside the window, deep in thought. “We will help them. It all takes time,” Zayyan added. “They are mostly safe there; that’s what counts for now.”Rhys nodded, shocked that Zayyan was the one to read his mood so well. He looked at his reflection of Am

~ Rhys ~Captain Hart’s eyebrows rose as his gaze flicked back to Rhys. His first mate, however, seemed to scan Rhys from head to toe and not from any lust but in suspicion. Rhys sighed, glaring at Amira’s cousin, who widened his eyes at him and gave him a look as though it was his fault.Maybe it was his fault; kneeing this man in the balls might have been a bit excessive. But Rhys couldn't deny the satisfaction he felt from it."You can't be telling the truth," Captain Hart remarked sceptically, though his gradually changing expression hinted at some degree of acceptance.Rhys couldn't help but acknowledge that this captain possessed a keener sense of observation than he had initially presumed. Perhaps there were valid reasons why Amira and Zayyan chose to negotiate with him. Beyond his proficiency in trade, it appeared that the captain possessed a considerable level of intelligence, Rhys begrudgingly admitted.“It is true,” Rhys admitted after Zayyan glared at him to speak up. With

Amira’s mouth gaped at the Goddess’ words and looked to Rhys, feeling a little lost. “Are you saying… You switched our bodies because you’re having a tantrum about us rejecting each other-”“It is not a tantrum!” Artemis shouted, and the sky erupted into a loud thunder, echoing as her eyes glowed in fury. “You are mates, and you will learn why.”“Are you forgetting the part where we tried to kill each other?” Amira snapped, seeming to not care about her life or that she was brazenly speaking to the Moon Goddess.Rhys arched an eyebrow at her, admiring her audaciousness. Perhaps he didn’t mind this bit about the she-wolf, but Amira was correct. “Mates are allowed to reject each other.. Otherwise, why would there be a clause allowing us to do so?” Rhys asked, his tone neutral as he spoke to the Moon Goddess like one of his subjects he had to be respectful to. Which were not many.“It is there for other means. But you two…” Artemis threw her hands up and sighed in exasperation. “You are