A Simple Autumn Life

## *Chapter One*

A bell rang, altering Sybil that someone had arrived at her shop. Looking up, she found a familiar young lady walking indoors, her silky, royal blue hair tied up in a braided bun. Large, ostentatious peacock feathers were stuck in it, and as if that wasn't enough, a tremendous amount of makeup was applied to her face. Teal eyeshadow surrounded her eyes, and golden eyeliner outlined the intricate designs and patterns. Glittering jewelry hung from wherever it could.

Just as was expected, Lady Andrea Plumage arrived fashionably late to Sybil's dress shop for her dress fitting.

The elegant, beautiful, stuck up snob was one year her senior. Well, she will be a year older than Sybil in only a matter of days. The aristocrat's birthday was arriving in three days' time, and that's exactly why she came to the seamstress's shop.

"Sybil darling, have you got the dress ready?" As the lady walked, she swung her hips which caused for her large green and blue dress to sway dangerously close to some of the mannequins around the shop. Three maids scurried along behind her.

"Yes, of course. Go stand on the podium by the mirror and I'll fetch the dress."

Lady Andrea headed where she was directed while Sybil hurried into the back and struggled to carry the decorative dress.

Finally bringing the dress out into the open, Sybil found Lady Andrea inspecting herself in the three mirrors surrounding the small podium. She wasn't surprised to see the lady do this. After all, she was the most vain person Sybil knew about.

"I've got the dress, Lady Andrea," she said as she headed towards the aristocrat. "Head into the dressing room and change into this. I'll work on the final adjustments once you're out."

With her nose pointed up into the air, the lady glanced at the dress held carefully in Sybil's arms. With a slight nod, one of the maids relieved the dress from Sybil and followed Lady Andrea into the dressing room to help her change.

"*RED?!*" Lady Andrea shrieked as she pushed back the curtain and stepped back out into the open. "I *LOATHE* RED! THIS DRESS IS HORRIBLE!"

"Lady Andrea, please just step in front of the mirrors!" Sybil winced. It was never a rare thing to be yelled at with her job as a dress designer. Nevertheless, it was always frustrating to hear a displeased customer.

"No! I demand a new color! It completely clashes with my color scheme!"

Sybil pretended not to hurt. She picked up a handheld mirror on a table and held it so the peacock shapeshift could see herself. Almost as soon as she saw her reflection, she stopped screaming. The dressmaker felt a wave of utter relief.

"I figured the red would create a starcher difference between your dress and, well, you, thus highlighting your hair and eyes. Now, may we get on with the fitting?"

The arrogant aristocrat huffed but headed back to the podium. In the meantime, Sybil set the mirror down and picked up some pins, a needle, and a measuring tape.

As Sybil scurried around to pin areas that needed some adjustments, Lady Andrea blabbered her mouth off.

"The dress *will* arrive before my party, won't it? I want to impress everyone there!"

"Mhm," Sybil mumbled, nodding.

"I really hope to impress Lord Lumier Sutoraipu. I've heard no girl has ever been able to catch his heart yet because he dislikes women -- but I don't think that's true. Oh, and then there's Duke Orion Anubis! I know he's younger than me, but…" She sighed dreamily. Sybil bit back a laugh.

Some time later, Sybil stepped back. "Lady Andrea, would you mind doing a quick spin?"

The lady complied, ginning as she saw her own dazzling image in the mirror. The dressmaker nodded in pleasure.

"Does anything feel a little off to you? Or do you have any last requests?"

"It's fine, I suppose, but I want golden sequences added on."

Sybil bit her lip, trying to picture how and where to add her request. "I'll do my best. Your dress should be delivered later tomorrow afternoon."

With a satisfied nod, the shapeshift went to change back into the dress she had worn before. Sybil scribbled a note down on a piece of parchment.

When Lady Andrea came back out fussing over her hair, one of the maids handed back Sibyl the dress. Just as she was about to put it in the back to work on it later, Lady Andrea turned away from a mirror and glanced at Sybil for a moment.

"Sybil, I'll give you a one time offer."

Pausing, the mimik turned to look at Lady Andrea, who had turned back to fix up her hair. "Yes, miss?"

"I'll add you to the guest list of my party. You are welcome to come instead of being paid. I will not be making this offer again."

Sybil could hardly believe it. *Me? Getting invited to her party? I've never been to a ball before.* "Thank you, miss. I'll think about it."

Clucking her tongue, Lady Andrea finished with her hair. "I'll need to know now."

*Just go to it. It'll be fun,* a voice in her head told her. Though still seeming a little hesitant, Sybil nodded. "I'll be there."

"Good." And with that, she headed out the door, her three maids following closely behind. Moments later, the lady's blue and gold carriage flew into the air.

"Just wait until I tell Cressa about this!" she softly exclaimed, a smile wide on her face. Glancing down at the dress that was still in her hands, she shrugged and went to finish it off.

## *Chapter Two*

Sybil was absolutely exhausted the next day. She hadn't gotten a wink of sleep because she was too excited by the prospect of being able to attend Lady Andrea's ball. The dress was finally finished, and so the mimik headed with her Agell friend, Cressa, to deliver it.

"I can't believe you stayed up all night! You look exhausted!" Sybil's brunette friend studied her with blue-gray eyes as they walked. Sybil waved a hand dismissively.

"It-- It's fine," she yawned. "Had to get the golden sequence just right. And it's all done now anyway. Besides, now I'll--" Sybil yawned again. "Now I'll have time to make *my* dress."

"You're making your own dress too? Isn't this all a bit much?"

"I'll be fine," she insisted. "I don't plan on making my dress anything special anyway."

"But it's your first ball! You should totally wear something special!" Cressa argued. "And it'll be *your* dress, so you could totally watch it whenever!"

Sybil rolled her multi-colored eyes, choosing to let Cressa win the argument. "Alright, alright. I'll see what I can do."

The Agell grinned. "Great! I'm sure it'll be the most beautiful dress there!"

Sybil chuckled. "Oh I should hope not. Lady Andrea would be furious and never come back to my shop again."

"Who cares? She's a vain snob anyway."

"Shhh! We're getting close to her manor's gates! Don't let her hear you!"

Giggling, Cressa didn't say anything else. Moments later, the two girls stood just outside the gates of Plumage manor with only a wagon from which the glamorous dress hung. Of course, it was tucked away in a protective cover, and so it only appeared to be a white blob attached to a hanger.

Plumage manor came into sight minutes later. The large, three story house was kept white despite any weather. It was hard to see much from outside the protective walls, but they could catch glimpses of large pillars, bushes of flowers, and a fountain through the barred golden gate.

The two guards -- both of which were wearing bowler hats with peacock feathers glued to the side -- inspected them carefully.

"What are your names and what do you bring?" the one to the left gruffly asked.

"I'm Sybil Pyrite," the mimik began. She motioned over to the Agell next to her. "And this is my friend, Cressa. We're delivering a dress for the Lady Andrea Plumage."

The second guard nodded slightly and then pushed the gate back in unison with his partner. "Wait for one of the servants to guide you."

Cressa and Sybil stepped inside the gated courtyard. Cobblestone created a clear, circular pathway that surrounded a marble fountain spewing water from the mouth of a silver laced Polish chicken (this one was taller than the rest), a hummingbird (this was the second tallest), a Victoria crowned pigeon (the third tallest), and lastly a peacock (this one was the smallest).

The two Autumn peasants studied the fountain with awe when suddenly approaching footsteps could be heard behind them, and then a cough.

Startled, Cressa whirled around to see who was there, her wings flaring. Sybil blinked in shock before doing the same. Before them stood a girl with long blond hair, in which was another peacock feather.

"My name is Maple," she greeted, taking a slight curtsy. "How may I be of service?"

Sybil cleared her throat. "We're here to give Lady Andrea her dress for the upcoming party."

"Ah, right this way!" She headed off towards the door. Sybil and Cressa exchanged glances. With a nod from Sybil, Cressa went on ahead while the dressmaker picked up the dress and followed closely behind.

The three girls headed down a series of brightly colored hallways, each filled with many mirrors and portraits of the family that lived there.

In one such portrait, there was a tall man in a black and white suit. The roots and tips of his hair were black, but the rest of it was oddly white. Next to him was a lovely woman in a colorfully, feathery looking dress that complemented her wings. She was much shorter and smaller than the man, but beautiful nonetheless.

Standing in front of the two was a young boy with dazzling blue hair that seemed to stick up in places and form a sort of crown. Lastly, there was a toddler girl with short blue hair -- a much younger version of Lady Andrea. Sybil raised an eyebrow at the painting. *They all look just as vain then as Lady Andrea does now. Maybe it runs in the family.*

Before too long, they all stopped in front of a blue and gold door speckled with brilliant patterns. The maid knocked and then spoke.

"Lady Andrea, your dress has arrived."

"Bring it in," a muffled voice answered. The maid opened the door and then stepped back so Cressa and Sybil could step in first.

The room was large, very large, and smelled sweetly of hazelnuts. Near everything was in a shade of blue, green or gold, including the ceiling. Lady Andrea stood outside on a balcony, but turned around to see them when they walked in.

"Ah, perfect! It's early. I trust you added the golden sequence to it?" She arched an eyebrow that was made more prominent because of makeup.

Sybil nodded and set the dress down on a chair. Unbuttoning just a bit, she revealed the red fabric was gotten with tiny gold circles. Lady Andrea seemed quite pleased.

"It will do. Now run along, I have no business in speaking with either of you."

Cressa turned and strode out of the room, but Sybil remained a moment longer. "Er, Lady Andrea," she began, taking a small curtsy. "I...was wondering about my dress for the party. Do you have any suggestions, perhaps?"

"No red," she simply put, tilting her head up in an arrogant fashion. Sybil nodded and quickly exited. Maple closed the door behind her.

Already crossing out a few ideas Sybil had in mind for her dress, she absentmindedly followed Maple back to the entrance. *No red...hmm… Black it is, then.*

Once outside, Sybil shook her head clear of her thoughts and took hold of the handle to the wagon she had been pulling before. "Cressa, are you hungry at all?"

Her friend nodded. "Starving's a better word!"

"Well come on then! Let's hurry up and get back!"

"Bet I could beat you back to the city first!" Spreading her wings, Cressa sped up and was ready to take flight.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Sybil argued. But it was too late. Making a playful mocking face, the Agell took to the skies in one graceful movement. Laughing, Sybil did her best to keep up.

Neither of them knew about the man watching them from behind a bush.

## *Chapter Three*

Sybil kept glancing out the window as she finished adding stitches to her black gown. The sun was low, but thankfully had not sunk behind the firey tree tops yet. If it had, she would've been late to Lady Andrea's party.

Cutting the small string, Sybil sighed. The dress was now complete, but she could only hope it would look alright. After putting it on, she went to check herself in the mirrors of her shop.

The purely black dress fell all the way to the wooden floor. Its comfortable fabric fit just right, and the short sleeves would help keep her cool when she would dance (assuming she would). The black color would hopefully keep too many people from noticing her. Despite all this, something still felt off.

*What could it be?* she wondered, frowning as she did a small spin. The dress flared out just slightly with her move. Sybil turned to look away, hoping she might find something that would work. At last, something in caught her eye.

Carefully, she picked it up. It was nothing other than a thick orange ribbon, but when she tied it around her waist, it seemed to complete the look. Sybil beamed. *Perfect! Now to get going.*

The black haired mimik made her way out the door, one hand picking up her dress so the hem wouldn't drag in mud. Following directions from Cressa about where she could borrow a horse, she soon came across a small tent, in front of which sat a tall, intense looking man with black hair whittling away at a piece of wood. Sybil hesitated. Was that really the man Cressa had been talking about? Still, she slowly approached him.

"Er, are you Mirage, by chance?" she asked, slowing down to a stop.

The man glanced up at her and then nodded. "Yes. You must be Cressa's friend."

"Yeah. Cressa said you'd be fine if I borrowed your horse for tonight?"

Pausing, he got to his feet and headed behind the tent. Moments later, he returned with a tall, black stallion. "This is Dusk. Bring him back as soon as you're done." His slitted eyes narrowed.

"Of course I will. And I'll take good care of him in the meantime."

Coldy, he handed her the reins. However, he didn't let go and stared her down. It was then Sybil decided she didn't like him. Ripping the reins away from his hands, she took a step back.

"I'll be going now," she declared, returning the glare as she strode away. Once he was out of sight, she found a stump and used it to climb onto the beast's back. With a quick flick of the reins and a gentle kick, the horse started for the Plumage Manor.

Just after the sun had sunk behind the horizon, Sybil arrived at the breathtaking manor. She felt a little stupid being the only one there who didn't arrive in a dazzling carriage. Thankfully, nobody seemed to pay her much attention. After asking one of the stable boys to find a place for the horse she was borrowing, she headed inside the manor.

Guards lined the hallways, which helped direct guests where to go. In front of a large pair of doors stood a long line of aristocrats or guards waiting for their names to be checked off the list and announced to the crowd. Flustered at the thought of being the only peasant to attend, she looked at the ground.

A small little cockroach scurried just by her feet.

Gasping, Sybil took a step back but tripped over her own dress. She sunk into the arms of the man behind her.

"Are you alright, miss?" he asked as he helped her back onto her feet.

"I'm fine. A cockroach startled me, that's all," she explained, awkwardly brushing off her dress. When she turned around to thank the man, she found his appearance startling, which caught her off guard.

His black hair fell over his eerie yellow eyes, and black scales crept up his neck, stopping right at his jawline. His light skin created a starch contrast to his back scales. The man wore a deep green vest with several pockets. Over his vest was a suit coat with even more pockets, which made Sybil wonder if he was hiding anything in them.

Clearing her throat, she continued, trying to ignore his strange appearance. "Er, thanks for catching me."

The man nodded, and after neither of them said anything else, she turned back around and advanced up the line. It was soon her turn to be announced to the crowd.

"Miss Sybil Pyrite, the dressmaker!" the man announced to the crowd. Sybil was all too aware of how hot her face felt as she stepped down a large staircase into the crowd of people below. Hardly anyone looked over at her, however, which was quite to her relief.

As more and more guests filled the ballroom, the musicians began to strike up festive songs. Servants rushed around carrying platters of food. Despite this, Sybil stood to the side and found herself searching the mass of people before her (none of which were wearing any spot of red), trying to find Lady Andrea. *I really hope people are complementing her dress. It'd mean a lot to see that.* But the lady remained to be seen.

The Mimik sighed and turned to watch people dancing as the music went on. A tall man with shoulder length black hair danced with an Angell with platinum blond hair. Another couple -- the man who had caught her earlier and a brown haired girl, waltzed with alarming grace and elegance.

*I should be glad no one asked me to dance,* Sybil realized, eyes going wide. *I'd never be able to keep up with him.*

The musicians came to an abrupt halt. Baffled, Sybil glanced over at them. They all seemed to be looking at the staircase, where the sound of trumpets were now playing. Turning her head, Sybil beamed when she saw Lady Andrea Plumage in her very own work.

Just as she had hoped, the sleeveless red dress made Lady Andrea's blue hair seem more vibrant. Since the dress was shorter in the front than it was in the back, her stunning silver heels were made quite visible. The theme for makeup and jewelry seemed to be orange, red and silver. The only traces of gold were on her dress and in her hair. Many people began whispering to each other as the fanfair continued.

"Lady Andrea Plumage!" the stout man announced as soon as the trumpets had stopped. "Hostess and birthday girl!"

Everybody cheered as she descended the flight of stairs. Sybil could tell by the look on Lady Andrea's face that she didn't want the attention to stop.

The music started up again after Andrea had reached the bottom of the staircase. Sybil figured it would be best not to speak with the Lady until later, seeing as so many of the guests had rushed over to speak with her.

Quite to her shock, somebody cleared his throat behind her to catch Sybil's attention. When she turned around, she found once more the man who had caught her offering a hand. "Would you dance with me?"

Hesitantly, Sybil reached out and took his hand. "I can't dance very well, but I don't see why not."

With a small smile, he led her to the dance floor. "I'll go slow," he assured. As they started off into an easy dance, he took the time to introduce himself. "My name is Lord Orion Anubis. And yours?"

"Um, Sybil Pyrite the seamstress," she explained, hoping he wouldn't think it was strange of her to be at the party. "It's nice to meet you."

"And you," he agreed, fangs becoming clear to see as he spoke. Just as he was about to continue on, the echoing sound of doors being slammed open caught his attention. His head snapped over to look at the platform just on top of the stairs. Sybil did the same, stepping out of his arms and wondering what was going on.

A tall man wearing dragonhide for a vest glared across the room. His skin seemed to be an unhealthy golden brown. A very smug and yet calm expression was written clearly across his face as he strode forward another few feet. "I heard it's someone's birthday. Where is she?"

## *Chapter Four*

The crowd separated almost instantly, leaving the shaking Lady Andrea standing all by herself. Whispers erupted around the room as the man went to meet the aristocrat.

"...Lord Hallow!..."

"...break a deal….?"

Sybil frowned as she caught snippets of conversations. Who was Lord Hallow? And what did they mean, "break a deal?"

People began to inch toward the doors as the strange newcomer to his last few steps down the stairs, whispers growing lower. When he took the final step, everyone fell silent and stopped moving. The "Hallow" man looked eerily confident.

"I'm disappointed. You didn't think to invite me of all people to your party?" He clicked his tongue. "It was the least you could do after not paying." He raised his head and looked down at her.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" she clearly lied. Since most of the guests had backed up towards the door, it was easy for Sybil to see that Lady Andrea was shaking so bad that Sybil thought she might fall over.

"Shall I remind you all about it, then? I'm sure your guests would *love* to hear all about it."

It was clear that Lady Andrea paled. "N-no! No, no I'll go pay up soon! I just need more time--"

"I don't *give* people more time. You had long enough. Since you haven't given me what I've wanted, you'll pay *extra*."

Sybil felt someone tug at her sleeve. She looked over to see it was Orion, urging her to leave with him.

"Who's Lord Hallow?" she hissed, taking a few hesitant steps with him towards the door.

"A man not to be reckoned with unless you're willing to take a risk that you'll know you'll be able to pay up with," he explained, panic etched clearly on his face.

"What's so bad about him? I don't get it. What's he going to do to Lady Andrea?"

"He'll probably do something to take away what he had given her and humiliate her in the process."

"Why did she even go to him?"

"We don't know. She had to have been desperate for something."

*But what more could she possibly want?* Sybil wondered. She took one last glance at Lady Andrea before ducking out of the ballroom doors.

Nobody could stop talking. The hallways exploded with voices even though the doors to the ballroom were still open, and people were clustered together in tight groups. They seemed too scared to go back and help their friend, but also too nervous to leave.

There was no denying how sick Sybil felt. Though she may not have liked Lady Andrea, she didn't think she deserved to be punished. She was simply rude. She hated the fact that everyone was too scared to help too.

Without another word, the Mimik seamstress pushed through the crowd to get to the stables where she knew her borrowed horse would be.

After returning the horse to the strange man named Mirage, Sybil returned back to her small shop, the upper floor of which served as her home. The wooden structure was comfortably familiar, but what wasn't was the large crowd of people standing outside.

It wasn't long before people noticed she was there. Many of them walked over, revealing somber faces as they offered their condolences. Two guards dressed in the familiar Autumn uniform stood by her door, refusing to move.

"I'm so sorry, Sybil," a canary shapeshift with soft pink hair apologized. He, like several others had, left the crowd to speak with her.

"I don't get it. What's going on?" She kept stealing glances at her house and the people around her. "Did something happen?"

"Cressa came over to check if you were back yet after hearing some strange noises in your shop. When she saw someone was robbing your store. She tried to fight them off but…"

Sybil paled, panic rising quicker than it had when Lord Hallow had interrupted the party. "Is Cressa ok? Who robbed my house? How much did they take?"

"The medic is taking care of her as we speak, but this next day will be critical. As for who you were robbed by...we don't know."

"This *cannot* be happening!" Sybil exclaimed. Her hands wouldn't stop shaking.

"The medic offered for you to stay in his house tonight, along with Cressa. He says it wouldn't be bad to give you something for your shock."

The Mimik was faintly aware of herself nodding and then being led away. *Is this all just a nightmare? I hope it is.* She pinched herself. Deflated when she found she was definitely awake, she shook her head and threw the thought aside. *None of this would've happened if I hadn't gone to Lady Andrea's party.*

The healer offered her the same room in which Cressa was in. He went into a long explanation about what had happened to her, but Sybil only caught that she had a deep stab wound in her side. Finally, she was directed to a cot pushed up against the wall on the other side of the room, given something to help her fall asleep, and quickly passed out on the bed.

## *Chapter Five*

Still refusing to believe last night's events, Lady Andrea Plumage lay awake in bed well past dawn, her eyes glued to the painted blue ceiling and body wrapped in countless bandages. She left empty and miserable. Last night had been nothing short of a living nightmare.

Lady Andrea's nineteenth birthday was supposed to be the most fabulous party of the entire year. Her parents had expressed hopes of finding a future husband for her there. Without a doubt, her red dress was the best at the festivity, the crowd held promising suitors, and the party would have been gossip for a long while. But now, it would unfortunately be a hot topic for a while to come.

The blue haired girl winced as she recalled Lord Hallow's dramatic entrance and his demand for payment. Now everybody knew she had struck a deal with him and couldn't pay up. Perhaps things would not have been so bad if it weren't for yet *another* travesty: The Equinox.

The letter 'E' with a crescent moon had been made in the middle of a hallway with leaves from outside, and left white the mess for the servants to clear up. In addition, Many of the Plumage's favored decorations had gone missing during the night. Jewelry was stolen from Lady Andrea and her mother, books were taken from the library, and the expensive vases used to decorate the hallways of the manor were snatched (if it was any consolation, they had left the water and flowers behind). To top it all off, a barrel of apples had gone missing from the kitchens, which meant no apple treats tonight.

Tears pooled up in Andrea's green eyes. Who would dare do something so low as to steal from a girl who not only was utterly embarrassed, but had also had a few potions tested out on her as punishment? But most importantly, how could they have gotten in?

Were the members of the Equinox working with Lord Hallow? It would make sense; how else would they be able to get away so smoothly each time? The mysterious lord also knew many secrets. It wouldn't come as a surprise if he knew where they hid, or even if he was pulling the strings behind the whole organization. From what she had heard, sometimes he asked for strange requests, requests that maybe needed a group of men to search an entire manor for!

That was it! Hallow *had* to be the one behind the Equinox. His manor was large enough to hide a few men, and it would explain a few of the traps she had heard from a Lord Spruce about. Now it was only a matter of convincing people she was right, and somehow get the Autumn Kingdom to rise against him.

But first, it wouldn't hurt to heal.

Timor Rattus sighed as he relaxed on a pile of gold. Hidden away in the cliffs near the sea shore, he was sure nobody but his crew members knew where their hideout lay. The cave was packed with men and women, but especially gold.

"We took in quite the 'aul last night, didn't we boys?" The man had a strange accent, but not a friendly one. His voice reflected his looks. With unevenly cut brown hair, claws for fingernails and a rat tail, he looked exactly like the kind of man people wanted to stay away from. This only worked in his advantage.

With a crew of thieves filled with other rat or mouse shifters, few people would dare mess with Timor. His crowd of now rich followers cheered in agreement, and some lifted their cups of cheap ale.

"Perfect timing fer us," he continued. "Lady Andrea invites *all* o' her friends for a little party, and we strike 'em all on the same night." The rat shapeshift cackled as he scooped up a few coins from his throne of them and tossed them into the crowd. "And look at us! Now we're rich!"

*And now I'm free to carry out my plans,* Timor finsihed to himself. He took a long swig of ale and then chucked the wooden cup aside. More cheers followed. *I hope it feels this good once I'm king.*

## *Chapter Six*

Everything in Sybil's house was an absolute mess.

Tables were overturned, windows smashed, fabric torn and scattered all over the floor. However, there was no Equinox sign anywhere, which meant it had to have been someone else.

Sybil sighed. After she picked up a chair thrown onto the floor, she took a seat by the table she had placed it by and buried her face into her hands. Word had gotten around that she hadn't been the only one robbed; in fact, most of the people from Lady Andrea's party had gone back home to find it ransacked. Still, nobody had found the Equinox symbol. Peeking her eyes open, Sybil dropped one hand and picked up a piece of orange ribbon. While twirling the strand around her fingers, the Mimik's thoughts shifted to her friend, Cressa.

Cressa was still out cold. The medic claimed it was all for the best. Part of the remedy he had given her was supposed to keep her asleep for a while. Rest was the best way for her to heal at the moment, especially with the stab wound she had gotten in her side. She had lost a lot of blood from it. Thankfully, there were no signs of infection. There was only one downside to her peaceful recovery: Cressa was currently unable to identify the culprit.

Sybil scowled at the thought of him running around and robbing more people. What was stopping him from stealing copious amounts of money from Cressa? What was keeping him from robbing Sybil again? What--

Someone began tapping away at the door. "Hello? Miss Sybil?"

The seamstress straightened up and looked over at the door. "Who's there?" There was a slight familiarity to the voice, but she couldn't remember who it belonged to.

"It's, um, Cerin. I met you last night and told you about what happened to Cressa. Can… I come in?"

Sybil debated it for a moment, and then stood. As she pulled open the door, she put on a small smile, trying to hide her worries behind it.

Standing just outside the doorway was the same, pink haired boy as last night. He held a loaf of bread in his hands. "Come in," Sybil told him, pulling the door open wider so he could step inside. "It's nice to meet you, Cerin. I'm Sybil."

"I'm really sorry about what happened," he replied, shoving the bread into her hands. "I made something for you."

"Oh, uh, thank you." She set the bread down on the table, which was conveniently right next to the door. "Did you want to come sit down?"

"It'd be nice," he agreed. To that, Sybil pulled over a second chair for him to use, and minutes later, they were sitting across from each other at the table.

"I'm sorry about what happened," he mumbled, looking down at the table. "But at least you weren't the only one targeted."

Sybil nodded slowly. "Yeah, this definitely seems to be part of something bigger."

"Nobody has heard anything from Plumage Manor," Cerin continued, deciding to change topics. "Do you think Lady Andrea is... dead?"

For a solid moment, Sybil sat there and thought about the possibility. Despite not liking her very much, it still hurt to think about, especially since Lady Andrea was a regular customer. "I...hope not. But I guess it is possible."

Cerin nodded respectfully, but then the two lapsed into silence that lasted several minutes. Sybil continued to play with the ribbon, and Cerin still stared down at the table. Then, thankfully, the latter cleared his throat and spoke up. "Would you like any help cleaning your shop up?"

"That would be awesome." Smiling, Sybil stood up, and grabbed a broom. She offered it to Cerin who gratefully took it, and before long, the two were cleaning up the place.

Timor sat behind a table in his lair late at night. A single lantern illuminated the map of Autumn stretched out before him, etched with remarkable detail. Several places were scratched out with an 'x.' The rat shapeshift scolwed as he studied one part of the map labeled "Autumn Palace."

*I'll need something easy that can get us in an out. I don't want to do this, but…* Timor pulled out a piece of parchment, a quill and a pack of ink. After dipping the writing utensil in the ink, he began to address a letter to a man few people dared to work with.

*Lord Hallow,*

*I need to come visit you to arrange a deal. I'll be arriving in three days at your manor. More details to follow.*

The man didn't bother to sign. Once the paper was folded and a seal was applied, Timor raised his voice just enough so the man outside his makeshift room -- it was made of curtains and a few crates -- could hear. "Oi! Bring tha' mouse girl 'ere. I 'ave a job fer her."

Minutes later, a small mouse girl with silvery hair entered the room. She wore nothing but a tattered brown dress, and her ears twitched nervously. Timor handed her the paper. "Bring this to the Lord 'Allow. Got tha'?"

She nodded in a quick, almost jerky movement, and then dashed off. Satisfied with his work for the night, Timor sat back down at the desk and kicked his feet up, quietly humming to himself until he drifted off.

## *Chapter Seven*

At the crack of dawn, Lord Lumier Sutoraipu found himself wandering aimlessly around the Spring Kingdom, hopelessly lost.

The prior night, he had gotten into a fight with his family. *Again.* In the end, Lumier had decided to storm out of the manor and cool down. Of course, he didn't quite expect to be mugged.

The good news was that Lumier hadn't been seriously injured. A group of people in masks had managed to corner him and beat him up, but no weapons were involved other than feet and fists. Bruises flecked his arms and side, and he was plenty sore. But, he was alive and would live to see the next day.

However, the bad news was that the group had knocked him unconscious and robbed him in his sleep. They had apparently moved him too, because now he had no idea where he was.

Lumier had found himself waking up in a dip of ground by a small steam. His torn pants and dirtied socks were damp, but at least his top half remained fairly dry. Still, he was shivering.

*I really hope I find someone soon,* he thought, coughing. *I'm starting to get really hungry.*

As if on cue, Lumier stepped into a clearing and found a manor constructed primarily out of wood. "That was convenient," he muttered to himself, heading to knock on the door.

A man with yellow-blonde hair opened the door. His eyes lit up at the sight of someone. "Ah, a guest! Awesome! Welcome to Anubis Manor, home of Lord Thanatos Orion Anubis, son of the now deceased Lord Alistair Anubis! I'm Sir Bumble Buzz! I'll go tell Lord Thanatos Orion Anubis of your arrival!" The man spoke quickly, an almost buzzing undertone to his voice. He turned to head down the hallway, but stopped and turned back to face the newcomer before he could get ahead of himself. Then, he opened his mouth and continued to speak before Lumier could say 'Busy beehive.'

"What did you say your name was? I guess I didn't even ask for your name at all did I?" He spoke in a singular breath, his small bee wings buzzing under his cape.

"I'm Lumier Sutoraipu," the lemur shapeshift finally managed to say. "This might sound like a weird question, but I'm still in Spring, right?"

The other nodded quickly several times. "Oh yes yes yes! Where else could you be able to grow so many beautiful flowers? No where is the answer, by the way. Oh! And I grow flowers! Did you know that? Well, you probably did. You saw them all when you walked up here!" He motioned to all the bushes just outside filled with numerous flowers.

Slowly, Lumier nodded, but ended up sneezing too. "They are very nice. Now, could I possibly come inside?"

"Bless you! Ah yes, right! Let me tell Lord Thanatos of your arrival first!" Suddenly, he dashed off in a blur of yellow and black.

*Interesting man,* Lumier thought to himself.

Minutes later, the bee shapeshift arrived back at the doorway. "You can come in! Come, come! He's decided he'd like to offer you some tea and speak with you." He got all dreamy eyed for a moment. "The cooks here made such wonderful tea. You'll love it!"

"Er, thank you, Bumble." Lumier stepped inside and followed the excited man down the hallway and into an empty parlor. The guard motioned for him to take a seat.

"Lord Thanatos will arrive shortly, I'm sure!" he assured after a few minutes, stepping out of a maid's way with a "Sorry Elowen!" so she could set a tray of tea on the table. "He just gets a bit fussy about how he looks sometimes. He's big on making first impressions!"

With a nod of understanding, Lumier found himself waiting a painfully long time for the host to arrive.

Three day's time had passed and Timor found himself with a few other men approaching Lord Hallow's manor. One of the men (the dark skinned dwarf) hefted around a chest full of diamonds, gold, and a few other trinkets Timor hoped Hallow would find interesting enough to buy.

The rat shapeshifter nodded for an Agell with only one wing to knock the door. She did so, but instead of someone answering, the door swung in by itself. Nervously, she stepped back. At that point, Timor took the lead.

He had no trouble finding the parlor; it was easy to see from the entrance. However, there had yet to arrive Lord Hallow. Timor frowned as his workers filed in behind him.

Just then, the silhouette of a man could be seen in the dim light of a grand staircase. "I was wondering when you'd come!" he crowed.

"Lord 'Allow," Timor began with a deep bow. "Glad ya got my letter."

As he stepped into the light, a crooked grin crossed his face. "Yes, I did get that letter. Now then, what was it you needed?"

"Somethin' that'll get us in 'n' out o' a 'eavily guarded place without bein' detected. Specifically, somethin' to get us into the Autumn palace."

"I should have just the thing," he mused, walking down the final few steps of the staircase. "But, praytell, what will I get in return?"

"Well." Timor looked back at the dwarf, who took the cue to set the trunk on the ground and opened it up. Its enchanting content sparkled in the dim light, and nearly the entire chest was full. "Fer starters, this chest o' precious metals and gems. Once we return from the palace, you can take whatever you want from the royal inventory tha' we manage to take from it."

Slowly, Lord Hallow nodded. "Alright. It will take me some time to brew the potion, so come back in two days. Leave the chest here, and when you return, I will have further instructions for you about what exactly I want taken from the royal treasury."

Timor nodded, surprised but nonetheless pleased that a deal had been reached so easily. "I'll need enough fer three men."

"Bring another two chests when you come back," Hallow ordered.

*I do have gold ter spare.* "Two more trunk's worth o' gold will be yers on two days."

Hallow waved a hand dismissively. "Off you go then. I have more customers I'm expecting today."

Turning around, Timor headed back out the door, his rat tail flicking back and forth. *It's only a matter o' time now.*

## *Chapter Eight*

Lady Kiarra Miyagell walked in step with Lord Thanatos to meet the newcomer Sir Bumble Buzz had told him about.

In truth, it got on her nerves that somebody else had arrived while she was doing business with the Spring aristocrat, who usually would've told the visitor to wait a while or tell them to come back later. However, Lord Thanatos's trusted guard had insisted the visitor was important, and so he delayed the visitation as long as he could. Unfortunately, the delay did not give Kiarra and Thanatos enough time to come to a conclusion about buying or selling land, and so Kiarra opted to stay a little longer and meet with the visitor as well. After all, there wasn't much else for her to be doing anyway.

Lady Kiarra strode down the corridor, holding back a sigh. She tugged at the collar to her gray shirt; the thick material was beginning to grow much too warm for Spring temperatures. *I need to dress lighter when I next visit Spring or Summer,* she thought with a scowl.

Lord Thanatos came to a stop outside a door and sighed, checking over his appearance in a nearby mirror and smoothing a few invisible wrinkles. Kiarra couldn't help but glance at him out of the corner of her eye and judge him for it. A second later, however, the Spring Lord pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Sitting on one of the parlor's sofas was a slender man with pepper hair poking up at strange angles. His clothing and fair complexion was speckled with dirt, and there was something about his expression that made him seem confused and lost.

"Lord Thanatos, at your service," the young Lord said with a bow. "What are you doing here, Luminer?"

"I'm...lost," he answered, his golden orange eyes darting to look between Kiarra and Thanatos. "Last night I was robbed and dumped in a ditch. I don't know where I am anymore."

Frowning, Thanatos nodded. "Well, you're at my manor, to begin with. That's near the borders of Summer and Winter, and just outside Doe City."

"I know where Doe City is," the dirty man mused. "I'm quite some ways away from home."

"I can arrange a carriage to bring you ba--"

"No, I'm perfectly fine staying away from home," the other interrupted, his eyes narrowed.

Kiarra cleared her throat when Thanatos opened his mouth to speak. "Weren't we supposed to be having tea?"

"Oh-- yes." Lord Thanatos nodded and took a seat. Picking up the teapot, he began pouring a serving for them all. It wasn't long before everyone had a full cup suited to what they desired.

Lady Kiarra took a long sip of her sugarless tea as she carefully studied Luminer. "So," she slowly began. "You've been robbed and now you're lost, but you refuse an offer from Lord Thanatos to bring you back to your home. Care to elaborate as to why you'd rather not return?"

Luminer straightened himself, carefully setting the cup back on the table in the center of the parlor, and his ring-tail lemur tail twitched anxiously back and forth. "Family issues."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Lord Thanatos spoke up. "I hope whatever happened is resolved soon."

Luminer scoffed. "I doubt the issue will ever be fixed, but thank you for the concern."

Kiarra noticed how Thanatos studied Luminer uncertainly. He nodded, but just slightly so, and then turned back to his tea. A long stretch of silence followed, until Lady Kiarra cleared her throat and spoke.

"Have either of you heard anything about the Equinox lately?" she began, setting her delicate white teacup on the table. "I got wind of a series of attacks that occured recently in Autumn. They targeted someone named Lady Andrea and most of the guests at her party. It's tragic, really. Though I suppose it's fortunate nobody was killed."

Luminer's eyebrows shot up, and Thanatos softly gasped.

"Is this true?" the latter asked. "The Equinox hasn't ever done something of this magnitude before."

"As far as I'm aware, this is true. But like I've said, these are all rumors." Kiarra shrugged and set her hands on her lap.

"True or not, this is concerning news and we need to be more vigilant," Thanatos began. "If these tales are true, then what's stopping the Equinox from robbing people from Spring? Or Winter?" Standing up, he began to pace. "We'll need to do something to protect other wealthy people. We could...make a group to help put a stop to them?"

"I doubt we could get much done without first getting permission from the royals," Luminer pointed out. "They've been at the head for stopping the Equinox so far."

Kiarra laughed at that. "And how far are the royals getting? Besides, this would just be a defense system, by the sound of it. There's nothing wrong with being defended and prepared for an Equinox attack."

Thanatos nodded in agreement. "Exactly. We wouldn't be tracking them down. Just protecting ourselves and others from more attacks. I'm sure many people would appreciate it."

Luminer reluctantly agreed. "Alright. So where do we start?"

"With a name, preferably," Thanatos observed, a light, joking tone to his voice. "A name for this... operation. Any suggestions?"

"The Equinoctial?" Luminer suggested with a scratch of his head.

"No, that makes it sound like we're with the Equinox. It would be... different," Kiarra sighed.

"The Standstill?" Thanatos began listing off more name ideas. "The Solstice?"

"The Solstice!" the lemur shapeshift cheered in agreement.

Kiarra smiled faintly at their enthusiasm. "Alright, the Solstice it is. Gather some aristocrats or anyone else who may be worrying about the Equinox attacking and bring them to the land between Winter and Spring in two weeks's time." The Winter lady climbed to her feet and looked at Thanatos. "Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Thanatos. We'll conclude the arrangement later. I'll send you a letter about when I'll be available next."

Lord Thanatos began leading her to the door. "It was a pleasure to host you, Lady Kiarra. Please, visit anytime."

Lady Kiarra inclined her head in a slight nod and stepped into her carriage. "I'll see you in two weeks."

Taking a step back, he took a quick bow. "Two weeks. I'm trusting you know what we'll be doing?"

A confident smirk curled across her lips. "Of course." And with that, the coachman flicked the reins and the carriage rolled away.