The sun stepped down from its perch in the sky and was soon swallowed by the figures of the westward hills. There were no stars to take its place. The only source of light was the blue glow of the street lamps and the soft light of the town’s clocktower, from behind that pane of glass that made up each face of the clock. One by one, people returned to their homes, tired and ready to sleep. But in their place, came the pickpockets, the cloaks and daggers, the people of the night. As sure as there are two sides to every coin, Syllina was a duality. Baker and beggar, soldier and killer, businessman and penny-pincher. If you did not belong in one world, there was surely a place for you in the other.

The night was no place for the three who walked down the stone roads, in search of danger. Charlie had taken the lead, as he could see far better in the dark than either of his companions. Throughout their bones, they felt a twinge of excitement and a pinch of fear. None knew whether they would find an ally or the end of a gun. Henrietta was beginning to feel the creeping notion that their lives would be fraught with danger over the next few days. If they even had that long.

“Say, Theo,” she managed to squeak out, for fear of drawing unwelcome attention from the shadows. “Supposing we are touched by the Blight. How long would we have to procure ourselves a cure?”

“That’s hard to say,” He said, running a hand through the curls of his hair. “Historically, the Blight took days to kill its victims. Whole nations were wiped out. But I suppose before that, we would go mad.”

“And when would that happen?” She asked, glancing toward the sky in hopes to catch of a glimpse of any stars at all. It was hard to tell if clouds were simply obscuring her sight, or the sky had turned on Syllina.

“That would depend on how we caught the disease.” Theodore looked to the sky as well. He was in search of the familiar shadow of Poppy, flying freely overhead. “It would be likeliest that we inhaled its spores when the electric carriage arrived at the castle. It would have to travel through our bloodstream to our brains. The faster our hearts beat...the quicker we die.”

Henrietta took a sharp breath of air. It was a funny feeling, realizing the dire situation they were in. What was once a daring adventure to save the kingdom, now was beginning to seem like a march to their graves. But her spirit was not so easily beaten. Having let go of her breath, she walked tall once more.

“Well,” she said. “At the very least, I suppose Charlie will live through the ordeal.”

“Yes, but what life is worth living, if not serving in your house?” Charlie replied with a small bow, although Henrietta was several feet behind him. Still, she giggled at his display of loyalty.

“Thank you, dear Charlie,” Henrietta said with a grin. “You are truly a friend to the kingdom.”

Charlie stopped abruptly, having nearly crashed into a man stumbling from a nearby doorway. The beam of light that reached through the entrance, brought with it the sound of music, laughter, and dancing. But the man had only brought the smell of liquor and the jarring sight of his bright red garb that didn’t fit quite right. It was anyone’s guess if the clothes belonged to him. The man drunkenly raised a finger toward Charlie’s chin, and gave his breath effort to speak through his delirium.

“Wahee doencha ged off the road, ya hunka medul!” He yelled, slowly moving away from the group, whether he knew it or not. “Almos maed me soyal muhsulf.”

“My most profound apologies,” Charlie quickly said, as the man stumbled further and further away, before eventually losing his focus of the metal man altogether. “I will strive to be more careful in the future, sir.”

The group didn’t have long to think about the man, as Charlie was soon captivated by the building from which he came. He turned towards the princess and gestured a hand to the door with all the grace of a grand marshal.

“My Lady Hen--” Charlie began before pausing to try his sentence again. “Henry. I believe I have located a suitable venue to find a couple of willing participants in our quest.”

“Then we should very well get started,” Henrietta said with a renewed sense of excitement. “And remember, Charlie, this is a secret matter. We mustn’t create a panic.”

“I should think any one of these men would welcome a brush with death,” Theodore said, extending his arm into the air. Poppy swooped down like a living shadow and took her place by his side. “Our top priority is the safety of ‘Henry’. We must be willing to protect her, if all goes sour.”

“Understood, Mr. Gallagher,” Charlie nodded his head and snapped towards the door. He took a large step forward and disappeared through the doorway. Henrietta turned back to Theodore and calmed her nerves with a breath and a smile before following Charlie in. Theodore placed Poppy upon his shoulder and glanced around the street. Not a soul in sight, save for the drunken man in the distance, still struggling to maintain his footing. With nothing else to keep him from going inside, he left the street.