The four legends of the Crimson Kingdom are at the Castle Gates of the Beastly Castle. Uan rings the Beastly Royal Doorbell. The Beastly Castle Intercom begins to static in a Beastly way.

“Children of the Legends. You have finally come. There needs to be discussion of the future of this land!” The 41 year old Great King of the Beastly Crimson Kingdom booms. His Beastly Beard is as Beastly as his Beastial Castle.

“What up, GK?” Lupo shouts

“This is no time for formalities” he says. “The kingdom is in holy shit is that the Thief?”

“Hey! I’m Renard!” he says. The Beastly Castle Gates open in a Beastly fashion.

“Come on in. We have much to talk about” They enter the Beastly Castle.

“Why have you decided to show up after all of these years?”

“Well, it’s not like I had a choice. It was my parents dying wish”

“Your parents were great people, Renard. I knew them personally”

“What?” Lupo interjects.

“Well, it was a Great Royal Secret between me and the Legends” he begins. “The Thief bloodline was a rather hidden line of legends, and that’s because they were banished!”

“Why in hell were they banished?”

“Because they totally weren’t thieves like the name suggests” the King said sarcastically. “My father decided to banish them. I kept it a secret from all of my family that I befriended your father, Renard, and when my time as a king came, I let him be a legend. But because his family was still banished, he wore a mask and saved hundreds of lives from behind the scenes”

“Now that the legends are dead, I can become the thief in publication, right?”

“Not exactly” he says apologetically. “See, a Great King’s Banish is unable to be broken”

“Why? What would happen if the word got out?”

“In short, the Beastly Castle will immediately become a mediocre castle without the capital letters”

“That has nothing to do with the protection of this land” Marc exclaims.

“Of course it does. Ever wonder what got the copper village that low?”

“You mean-” Uan starts.

“Yes. The copper village broke a Great King’s Banish”

“That’s a load of fuckery” Lupo says.

“You’re damned right” The king replies. “But a Great reputation is a reputation worth keeping”

“So when do I get my mask?”

“Right. This was your father’s original mask from when he was your age. He was known as the Blooded Fox” The king hands a Fox mask with a deep crimson hue.

“Woah. That’s tight as hell.” Lupo says in awe. “Do I get one?”

“Actually, yes. Each of you get one”

“Really?”

“No. You three haven’t been banished. But you do get cool armour for your Familiars. It’s in your rooms”

“We get rooms?”

“It’s only law. If the legends die and their heirs can’t pay rent, they are required to live in the castle”

“Required?” Uan asks

“Yes. It’s just the rules”

“Team meeting?” Marc suggests The four huddle up in a corner. They come up with their answer.

“King?”

“Yeah, Lupo?”

“Where are our rooms?”

“Upstairs on your left. They should be labeled”

“Nice” she says. “Everyone, unpack. I expect every bag to be empty by bedtime. And yes, there will be a bedtime”

“You ain’t my mom, Lupo” Marc replies.

“I’ll beat you like your mom if you don’t do what I tell you”

“That’s what she said” Uan shouts as she’s walking up the stairs. As the four walk up the stairs, the king calls out

“Lupo?”

“Yeah, GK?”

“I need to talk with you in private”

“Um, alright?” the two walk into another room.

“Can you do me a favor?”

“Yeah, sure”

“Can you teach Renard to summon his familiar?”

“You don’t mean-”

“Yes. He is unable to do so, for he was never taught. He grew up in the Golden Kingdom.”

“So he has an affinity for plants?”

“No. While his body was in the Golden kingdom, his father made sure to teach him the ways of the Crimson kingdom”

“So why can’t he summon anything?”

“My father killed Renard’s father’s familiar. The thing about the Thief line is that their familiar is passed down from generation to generation. However, the familiar reincarnates every time a new legend is chosen”

“Your father was mad messed up”

“He did what he had to do. Do you understand your responsibility as Renard’s new guardian and cultivist?”

“Yes, sir”

“Please. Call me Great King. I have not been knighted.”

“Alright, GK.”

“See you in the morning at seven for breakfast”