Episode 16 ~ Shopping, Feasts, and Boulders

Ever since their little escapade in the sewers—and the awkward reunion with the Captain after being locked in his office—Calliope couldn’t stop thinking about the danger lurking beneath Zeenthala. The city’s sewers weren’t just unpleasant; they were alive with goblins ready to wreak havoc. Standing over that labyrinth of darkness, Calliope felt a mix of relief and exhaustion—at least now she could take a proper bath and stop smelling like filth.   All she wanted was to return to her room, maybe even work. Ever since Roy Wellington’s betrayal, she’d been stuck in a haze of obligations. Earlier, the Captain had mentioned a fancy dinner at the castle—a feast. No colors, they said. Neutral attire. Calliope wasn’t convinced she looked her best in muted tones.   Still, as she wandered through the shop, she felt something strange in her bones, a whisper of something ancient—a version of herself older than time, luminous and untouchable. She settled on a gown spun from grey starlight. Subtle, muted, yet strangely beautiful. Around her, others scouted their own “feast attire.” Outside, the city glittered, perched on the edge of the preserved nature reserve. Soon, they would enter a castle that seemed to have stepped straight out of Labyrinth, dreamlike and labyrinthine, a place where whimsy and danger intertwined.   The feast itself was a spectacle: groups in distinct colors, each symbolizing something—green for nature, red for warriors. Calliope found herself drawn to purple, the color of history. With the tortle by her side, she felt ancient, luminous. Her hair adorned with flowers, she was Lilyflower, a presence rooted in the timeless. Conversation drifted to the Puppeteer.   “He is perhaps not dead,” someone said. Calliope’s head spun. Lillywater whispered more, her words barely piercing the surrounding chaos. Friends mingled, drawn into the crowded, vibrant feast.   Then it happened. A sound like nothing she had ever known—steady, terrifying, like a scene ripped from Indiana Jones. A boulder crashed through the window, smashing the nature elves flat in grotesque, instant devastation. Calliope couldn’t look away. The violence was stark, visceral. It tore through the celebratory air, leaving a brutal, unforgettable mark.   Chaos erupted as the King was whisked away. Captain Tom John reemerged, and beyond the gaping hole in the wall, Zeenthala was in flames. War had broken out: goblins and orcs surged everywhere. The first and second walls had already fallen.   On the horizon, she saw him. In an instant, she knew him—real, not a figment of some dreamlike fever.   “Hello, darling,” he said. The words grazed her mind like a spark. It had been so long since they’d spoken; she had never seen him in person. He was beside others, though the one next to him unsettled her—something wasn’t right. And then there was the big guy she couldn’t quite make out.   The sounds of battle erupted all around. Arnos joined her, alongside Kuresh, Gideon, and the new friends they had picked up along the way. She wasn’t sure how the city was holding up under attack, or if Zeenthala would survive, and yet… her so-called boyfriend had simply said, hello, darling.   Why was her heart beating like that? Like some lovestruck girl.   Reality crashed in. They needed to act, and fast. The castle’s old ballista lined the walls, silent sentinels of a defense long past. The party had been told the shield generator was down—they had been right. They were properly screwed.   “Be safe, darling,” he said. Calliope didn’t know if it was caution, adoration, or both. It was almost too much to process. And worst of all… they had to fight their way back into the sewers.   Why—oh, why—did it always involve being underground? She hated this.