Lexy walked  to her bedroom door and stepped out into the hallway. Lexy from there made her way down to the dining room to see Thokath eating breakfast but none of his siblings. Lexy raised a brow,

“Where are the others?”

Thokath looked to her,

“The others? Oh there at work. I'm just about to go but before I do.”

Thokath got out of his chair and one of the butlers brought him a medical kit,

“I think we have some scars that need to be tended to?”

Lexy looked to Thokath and sighed,

“There isn't really anything that can help. Mo-” 

Lexy stopped herself and resumed,

“Carmen and I tried a lot of different medicines. They never worked.”

Thokath pressed his lips into a thin line while his brows knitted together

“Well I have one that I was thinking of trying, it’s not an over the counter method but it should help with the itch at least.”. 

Lexy sighed and looked to Thokath,

“Ok, trying is better than nothing.”

Lexy walked over to Thokath and rolled her sleeves up revealing the chain scars. Thokath applied the medicine and put a thin layer of bandage wrap over it,

“Well, just do these two for now to see if it works. Ok?”

Lexy nodded,

“Ok, now uh, is it ok if I head out into the woods?”

Thokath nodded,

“yeah just don't stay out there after dark.”

Lexy smiled and pulled her sleeves back down,

“OK! Be back before dark, get it!”

Lexy then ran out to the back garden and rushed to where the garden met the woods. There she found Callum who already had a handful of dandelions. Lexy smiled,

“Is that all you need?”

Callum nodded,

“Yeah it is. Ready to go?”

Lexy smirked,

“yup!”

Callum sighed his expression going to one of worry,

“Ok, uh but I have to warn you it’s tax day for charter so the streets will be filled with white swords, Dark Apostles and Anawrath guards. So I'm just going to bring us straight to the house.”

Lexy’s smirk fell and she nodded,

“Got it, let’s go!”

Callum nodded and put his left hand on her shoulder. Lexy watched as they fell into the shadows and rose back up in the house. Niph who was cooking in the kitchen flinched,

“Oh my gosh Callum what have i told you!”

Niph paused and looked at Lexy. Lexy frowned when she saw dried tears on the girls face and a look of regret,

“Oh hi, Uh Callum, how about you take Lexy and go to the special place.”

Callum frowned and was about to protest when his mom came into the room with a wild look of fear,

“Niph what are you still doing here? You need to hide.”

Tears fell down Niphs face,

“NO! I'm going into the military so you and Callum can have the benefits. I'd rather it be me than Callum! It’s either that or our family loses ranking and is sent to the slums!”

Niph’s mother narrowed her eyes and tears ran down their cheek,

“I'd rather be sent to the slums and you, Callum, be safe than ever lose another child again.”

Niph was about to retort when a set of two guards barged open the door to the house,

“Which child will it be?”

Niph was again about to speak when this time Lexy interrupted,

“Me.”

The main guard, who was an elf, raised a brow. He looked at Lexy and then the rest of the family. He was going to retort when the other guard spoke up, who was a man with one and a half fennec fox ears. His left ear looked like someone ripped a chunk off it. While he had a matching tail.

“Very well, thank you for your cooperation. Follow me please.”

Lexy nodded and looked to Niph while she silently mouthed,

“I bought you time, go.”

Lexy then followed the man out of the house to see a large group of anawrath soldiers going door to door for other children. They led her to a carriage that was being hauled by a Peryton. Lexy sighed and her shadow darkened,

“Sorry mom but if you break your promise, I'm breaking mine.”