- Anserini -

Beyond the large gate of Viscaria was the gloomy land of Nightshade. Turning back around, you could see the black gates standing tall amongst the see through walls, dividing one land from another. Not many have ever entered Nightshade- especially after hearing all of the devastating rumours. Amongst mice, Nightshade was a place where creatures never returned.

Once in awhile, they would share stories that their parents had told them; one about a lonesome mouse that found himself in Nightshade and needed to protect its livelihood from the dangerous shadows, or one about the legend of the brave mouse, where he thought of himself as brave and killed every evil soul in Nightshade just to prove himself worthy.

They all thought those stories were lies, but Teasel, he believed in every tale and every noise he heard. These tales and the noises never made him feel small, rather they made him feel strong. Even as they strolled down the dark path, Teasel stood tall on Delphiniums shoulder.

As a small coat of dew coated the tips of the long dead grass, they stopped for a break along the narrow path. Delphinium slid off of the beast’s back, then took a couple of steps forward, observing his surroundings. Large, tall trees loomed over them, blocking the sunlight. Delphinium reached into his pocket and retrieved a small golden pocket watch.

The circular clock looked tiny in the palm of Delphinium's giant hand.  His lengthy fingers swiped over the glass as the clock ticked silently.

With a hum, he put it away and approached Gladiolus, taking out a bite sized treat, wrapped in a dried out leaf from the saddle bag. He broke it in half; giving one piece to Gladiolus, the other for himself and the crumbs in the palm of his hand for Teasel.

After the well-deserved snack, the small group continued on their journey; Delphinium kept his eyes on the path ahead taking a mental note of each sound and detail he'd seen. Gladiolus walked with his head held high as if trying to look up into the clouds, but was unable to with the trees bent over so far, creating a sort of roof.

As for Teasel, he couldn't take his gaze off of each creature he managed to spot, big or small. Although there was a clear lack of animal or even life in Nightshade. Compared to Viscaria, the land known for its vast population and diversity of Gloxinia’s wild life, Nightshade was like a desert. There was nothing to be found.

On the other hand, it was known for its hard labour. They would trade large gallons of oil for large sums of money, or parts for their foundries.

Even just a few miles away from Viscaria, the difference between the two were everywhere they looked.

It was a rare sight, seeing an animal in Nightshade. There it sat, perched high in the dead tree. Teasel easily found himself admiring the large birds’ luminescent feathers it wore along its body and the way its head seemed so minuscule compared to its stature. Albeit he was afraid that it would swoop down, but something about it made it seem as if it had no interest in them, if anything it had no interest to live either.

Teasel’s eyes trailed along it’s back to its black tail, covered in gold markings. These were most likely made by Oleander. All Teasel knew about him was that many centuries ago, when six equal Rulers reigned over Gloxinia, Oleander had asked his father for more power. His father, a wise Ruler from the East, declined his son’s wishes and intemperate behaviour, and banished him from the kingdom. Over the years, Oleander was never seen and was deemed dead, but unbeknownst to everyone, he had grown stronger and soon enough took over his father's throne along with his kingdom. Since then, each of the other Rulers had closed off their bridges and gates, keeping away from the darkness emitted from Oleander. After years of war, many Rulers had succumbed to his darkness and were never seen again.

Delphinium, being one of the only Rulers left, knew more about Oleander than anyone. Teasel forbid himself from asking about it, in fear that he would anger the man and would have to find another home. In the back of his mind, he knew Delphinium would never do such a thing; there was a reason why everyone was so drawn to him. He was a kind man who made others’ needs first, his own second. He was a man of small words but his actions were always tremendous.

A shriek of sort pulled Teasel out of his thoughts only to realize that they had come to a stop amongst the now dark path. From what he could see, the sun had started to set, or there were more trees clouding the sky. He could not spare a glance upwards, since there was something odd in front of them. His gaze stopped at the small cabin.

Delphinium kept his eyes on it, waiting to hear any sign of life. After a moment of silence, he got off Gladiolus, leaving Teasel behind.

He walked a few feet away from the others, his sandals gliding smoothly across the lush grass.

Standing only a couple of meters away, Delphinium raised his sickle and let out a shrill whistle that seemed to travel for miles. The sickle in his hand let out a hum in return and the writing imprinted in the slick metal blade glowed a light blue. Slowly, the building shook and the door creaked open ever so slightly. Delphinium took easy steps up the stairs and to the door.

The inside of the room was dimly lit and he had trouble seeing what was inside. From what he could see, there were few windows as well as furniture.

Once again, he raised the sickle and a bright light shone out. He took his time looking around carefully, making sure not to make any noise in case any of Oleander's men were patrolling the area.

He noticed the large amount of papers and tools scattered around the room; otherwise, the cabin was empty.

Just before walking out, he heard the slightest exhale, causing Delphinium to swiftly turn on his heel. The naked eye could see an empty room that had gone through some sort of fit of rage, but to Delphinium, there was something hidden inside the room. He raised his hand and ran it through the air, whispering a spell under his breath. When he reopened his eyes, two large crates appeared in the corner of the room. Delphinium realized that something, or someone, had clearly wanted to keep these hidden. Whatever they were, they were quite heavy.

Soon enough the crates were on the ground in front of his companions. The two wooden contraptions stood, the white one slightly smaller than the black one. Both were engraved with small designs n a shade of gold; another sign of Oleander.

With the tip of his sickle, Delphinium rather easily broke the locks on each crate.