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BLUE MOON FESTIVAL!


In the grand kingdom of Cerebvaul, once every few moons, the people gather in jubilant celebration for the Great Moon Festival, a night dedicated to honoring their revered king from long ago. It is a time of splendor, where the air hums with music, laughter, and the scent of spiced delicacies.

The world beyond the kingdom, however, tells a different story. Humans reign supreme, ruling vast stretches of land, while mythical creatures, once believed to roam freely, have become little more than whispered legends. Those who are discovered rarely meet kind fates. Many are captured, displayed as curiosities, or worse, vanish into the shadows of human greed.

Tonight is no different.

The streets of Cerebvaul shimmer under the cold, silvery glow of the moon, the festival lanterns casting a golden warmth against the darkness. Vibrant flowers, their petals rich with color, drape over railings and doorways, giving the town an almost ethereal beauty, a fleeting magic in a place otherwise built by men.

Food vendors line the streets, their stalls brimming with roasted meats, sweet pastries, and bubbling spiced wines. Merchants call out to the crowds, eager to sell their wares, rare trinkets, handwoven fabrics, and glittering jewelry meant to catch the eyes of passing festival-goers. Travelers and townsfolk alike bustle through the lively thoroughfares, their excitement palpable.

Among the most anticipated visitors of the festival is the Blue Moon Circus, a troupe famed for showcasing the strange and the mythical. Their arrival is met with awe and unease alike, for they bring with them the rarest of sights, creatures thought lost to time, wonders trapped within gilded cages.

No ticket are required to witness the spectacle, the promise of the extraordinary is enough to draw in the curious and the bold. There is plenty to see, plenty to buy, and for some… perhaps plenty to fear.



Tents and nets align the forest edges by the town. Trinkets of unusual designs rest on tables. Some even hang from above. Some with price tags and others more rare just for show. Fires lit along the paths. While venders from the Circus go about their usual routs to prepare for tonight's display.

A few sit idly by playing songs on their lutes. Some even on harps. The music bringing in such an atmosphere of wonder and even hints of danger.

With how the night was playing out, everything was ready and set to go. People funneled in quite quickly from the town.
There was no short of eyes lurking on some of the smaller entertainments provided for tonight. A woman dancing before the crowed her hole body on fire, or was she the fire? Her overseer watched from afar as people looked in awe at her fluid movements. Her grace lighting the every bit of darkness.

At another side, a man sits above a lamp. His arms crossed and his skin a blueish hue. He seems grumpy but his voice boomingly expressive says otherwise. He talks with one guest at a time, he is a genie, and granting wishes is clearly what he's here to do.
But not at a free price, and it seems he only humors the rich.

Then there's a tiny girl and talks with animals. She doesn't seem mythical in the slightest. She seemly looks human, and might likely be human. She allows people to pick the animals in the various cages to speak with and ask them questions. Some guests even bring their own for her to speak to. She seems to have quite the viewing with customers that have returned to her allot to talk with their animals.

But closer to the large stage setup rests a heavy set of chains. They follow the ground and reach up to collars and shackles that hold still a large white Stag. Their horns curve heavily. Between them a sigil in blue lit magic rests hovering over the animals head.
Their overseer of this entertainment is carefully stood nearby as well, eyeing the very beast.



Standing before the crowd in awe, a massively large white furred Stag. Adorning their neck is a bone decorated necklace with blue gems, one such resembling a tree. The stag tries to steer himself away from the hands that outreach for him. His snout muzzled to keep the beast from nipping at fingers that lurk his way. The name displayed on the sign just beside them is Nocthirn.
It describes the large stag as being a forest guardian.

Nocthirn seems steady enough that he's not completely thrashing and trying to hurt the humans, but his movements and snorts from his nostrils tells that he is not happy to be shackles and displayed. His red eyes bore into the very souls around him. Of course none seem to understand or care much. Those that pay get the chance to come up and touch his fur!

The chains rattle as he moves, but always locks him in place if he goes to far.

Nocthirn jerked violently against the chains, his powerful form straining against the cruel metal that bound him. His breath came in heavy, labored exhales, nostrils flaring as his sharp eyes locked onto Jude. For a fleeting moment, the struggle ceased. He stilled beneath the weight of that gaze. There it was, an unspoken connection. He could feel Jude’s wonder, the silent tremor of concern that wove itself into their thoughts. And then, a voice.

Not his own. Not Jude’s. But many. Soft, whispering, and pleading.
The voices of the spirits stirred seemingly all around, a gentle chorus of longing, each one desperate for Nocthirns freedom. Their cries echoed in Jude’s head alone, reaching out, seeking, yearning, yet no one else could hear them.

A visitor approached. A woman, drawn by the strange, untamed beauty of the beast before her. She reached out a tentative hand, eager to touch what should never have been held captive. Nocthirn recoiled. The sharp tug of his movement rattled the chains, but before he could pull away entirely, a metallic screech filled the air.

The overseer, ever watchful, cranked the shackles tighter. Cold iron bit deeper into his hide, forcing him still as the woman stepped closer. Her fingers brushed against his fur.

Then, in a sudden, violent surge, he ripped free!

The air cracked with the sound of breaking iron as one of the chains snapped clean off! A guttural cry tore from Nocthirn’s throat, a sound raw with desperation and defiance. His body twisted, hooves striking wildly, his horns catching the last of his bindings. With a fierce jerk of his head, the remaining chains coiled around his great antlers, and shattered.

The overseer paled.
Panic erupted like wildfire. He lunged, scrambling to seize the last remaining tether, but it was too late.

Standing now on his hind legs, Nocthirn lashed out, his front hooves slamming down to force the crowd back. Gasps and cries of alarm filled the tent as people stumbled over one another in their frantic attempt to flee. Yet despite the storm of movement, Nocthirn did not strike them. His rage was clear, his desperation undeniable, but his fury did not turn cruel.

His gaze flickered back to Jude.
And then, he took off. With a hefty leap right over the man!
The crowd erupted into pure panic. Spectators shoved past one another in their haste to escape, while staff, terrified and unprepared, scrambled to recapture their prized Guardian.

Nocthirn tore through the pathways, horns catching on banners and festival stalls, ripping them apart in his frenzied flight. Decorations collapsed, sending colorful fabric and wooden displays crashing into the dirt. Staff lunged with ropes and poles, but each attempt was met with swift defiance, his antlers swinging wildly, his hooves shattering whatever stood in his way.

Then a few men with special ropes ran towards Nocthirn.
One pushing Jude in their hurry to get to the wild beast.
Despite the attempt in the end, Nocthirn was unable to escape. The men that chased the white stag tossed out their ropes and swiftly they caught onto the stags horns, and a few on their legs. These magical ropes were able to pull the beast down.

Nocthirn was unable to run any further.
The crowed of frightened people watching in awe. While some mythical beings of the circus seemingly looked down in sadness, or some couldn't watch at all.

As the festival night stretched into its long, weary hours, the air gradually lightened once more, as if the chaos had been nothing more than a passing storm. Music resumed, laughter bubbled through the streets, and the scent of roasted meats and sweetened pastries drifted through the festival grounds. The townspeople chose to forget.

But behind the shimmering façade of celebration, in the shadowed depths beyond the bustling tents, Nocthirn was dragged away. No one seemed to care, at least those that it did not effect directly.

They did not parade the beast back into the public eye either, they did not dare remind the revelers of his fleeting defiance. Instead, they pulled him beyond the bright lantern glow, past the grand displays, and into the storage grounds. A place where the unseen remnants of the circus lay hidden.

Among them stood cages on wheels.
One, reinforced with thick iron bars and ancient, pulsing runes, had been prepared specifically for Nocthirn.

The moment the doors clanged shut, the magic bound him inside for good again.

Nocthirn exhaled, his great body slumping with the weight of his own futility. His massive antlers scraped against the bars, the rough texture grinding against cold steel as he tested the resistance. The answer was immediate, unyielding,. No surprise there. His strength alone would not shatter these bonds.

With a weary sigh, he folded his legs beneath him and lay down, his breath slow, his body still. Resting. Not in surrender, but in quiet defiance.

The overseer loomed beyond the bars, rage curling his lip. His voice cut through the dimness, a sharp, bitter thing, filled with venom and victory.

"You will never see freedom again, you hear! Never!."

But Nocthirn did not react. He did not flinch. The words washed over him, meaningless. They always said the same thing.

Whether he raged or remained silent, the outcome never changed. Nocthirn had long since abandoned the fantasy of freedom.


The night dragged on.

The echoes of revelry returned, filling the distance with careless joy. The festival carried on as if nothing had happened. Eventually, the laughter faded into hushed conversations, then into the soft quiet of a world winding down.

People went home. They shut their doors. They fell into sleep.

But Nocthirn did not rest.
He watched as man around him continued their festival preparations for tomorrow. Fellow beings of wonder and magic passing him with regards of sorrow or none at all. They all seemed like shadows of themselves too.

His crimson eyes gleamed in the dimness, unblinking, piercing through the dark. His ears flicked, attuned to the faintest sound, the shifting of distant footsteps, the murmurs of the night, the rustling of unseen things once everyone had calmed down from the nights events.

Then, somewhere else, the voices they were reach out once more.
Finding Jude, of course when the man would rest, when they would least expect their call.
The whispers returning.

They started soft, as if stirring at the edges of a dream. A presence at the back of the mind, gentle fingers brushing against consciousness. But soon, the murmurings grew, pressing, pleading.

"Free the Stag."

"Free the spirit."

"Free us!"

The voices layered over each other, growing urgent, desperate, no longer a request, but a demand. They clawed at Jude’s thoughts, pulling, pulling until in a burst of vision, the stag would flash in their mind.

A towering, spectral shape, bathed in the pale glow of the moon, wild and untamed.

The stag would step closer to Jude, red eyes boring into them from above.
In a moments blink, that stag stood over Jude as a man, or what looked like a man. But with antlers, and red eyes to match.

Nocthirn’s hand rose slowly, deliberately.
His movements carried no hostility, no trace of aggression, only a steady, silent intention. A single finger extended, pointing directly at Jude.
The moment his fingertip pressed gently against Jude’s forehead,

The world shifted.
Jude’s vision erupted in light, and suddenly, he was no longer in his own body. No longer in his room. Instead, images surged through his mind, vivid and undeniable.
He'd see himself. Standing before the great cage that the white stag was trapped in. Reaching out with quick hands, the vision of Jude would open the cage! Freeing the large beast.

The message was clear, more than words could ever convey. Free the Stag. Then, nothing.
The vision dissolved as suddenly as it had come, vanishing like mist at sunrise. The dream or vision, whatever it was, it was over now. Gone like that. The man too, he was gone. Instead around Jude now was Felix's room. Same as before.

The voices still clung to his thoughts, insistent and unrelenting. Whispering. Begging.
"Free the Stag." "Free the spirit." "Free us!" The weight of their plea settled deep.
The question now was, would Jude go to free the stag, would they fulfill these beckoning requests and dreams.

---

---

Far away, locked within the iron bars of his prison, Nocthirn waited.
He knew he could not escape alone. The runes etched into the cage were old, powerful. They burned against his presence, denying him access to the natural forces he had once commanded. His magic was shackled. His strength meant nothing.

So, he waited.
Waited for the whispers to find their way into the young man’s heart. Waited for the spirits of the forest to push him toward the path of freeing him.
Oh, how he missed it, his home.

The trees, with their mighty limbs reaching toward the sky. The scent of damp earth, of wildflowers swaying in the breeze. The quiet ripple of streams, the rustle of leaves, the soft padding of creatures moving through the undergrowth. His duty had been to protect them all, to watch over the land that had existed long before mankind had claimed dominion over it.

But now… what had become of it? Without his care, what mess had the forest fallen into? The thought weighed upon him, heavier than the chains that bound him. Nocthirn let out a slow breath, his red eyes half-lidded, gazing at nothing. Would the young man come? Would he listen? Would he set him free? There was nothing left for Nocthirn to do but wait, and hope.

This would be the first time he'd ever reach out to a mortal, to ask them for help. His resentment of them made it hard to do so in the first place.

Nocthirn lay motionless in his cage, his body still, but his mind restless. He waited. He Hoped. Would the human boy come?
His red eyes flickered toward the slivers of sky visible through a break in the trees. High above, the stars stretched endlessly, untouched by the filth of iron bars and human cruelty.


He knew these stars. Had seen them from his own forest, countless times before. The sight brought a dull ache to his chest. A reminder of everything that had been stolen from him. With a slow, measured breath, Nocthirn lowered his head, his great antlers casting crisscrossed shadows over his pale face. The moonlight, though soft, caught the white of his fur, giving him an ethereal glow even in captivity.

And still, he waited.

---

---

Elsewhere, the festival grounds had nearly emptied. The once-bustling streets, thick with laughter and cheer, had grown quiet. Vendors packed away their wares, securing goods and taking stock of what remained before the caravan moved on. They never stayed long. A night or two at most. By morning, the festival would be gone, leaving only trampled grass and echoes of its revelry.

The staff, exhausted from the night’s festivities, had begun to retire to their tents and wooden wagons, their watchful eyes finally growing heavy with fatigue. Some lingered near the fires, voices hushed, enjoying the last embers of the evening before sleep took them. They were unaware of the plan unfolding in their midst.
Though… some, perhaps, if they knew, would not stand in its way.

Some might even secretly root for it.

Jude was lucky. Most of the night’s watch had gone to sleep. Most. But not all. The boy would have to tread carefully if he was to do what the voices demanded, what his own heart now wavered over. Would he go through with it in the end? There was still time to turn back. Would he set the stag free? Or chicken out? The night was deep, the stars watching. Even as Jude would move into the night, the voices seemingly guided him.

They would whisper, "go here" or sometimes, "go there." Some would warn him, not to do things, like walk into the light, or accidentally bump against an item. They would warn him of dogs too! Which there were plenty in the night. Many used to guard the tents, others used to scare the mythical beings into behaving. But, most were asleep. Which is why the voice spoke up in Jude's mind to ensure the boy would make it safely to the guardian!

Even when shadows flickered across tents and stone. Those that were still awake at this hour of the night might as well have been drunk too! With a rich voice calling out in joy. "What a night, hell and everything went so well. I love this place .... damn shame. That stupid giant deer though. Always causing trouble." A hiccup escaped the man. "Ah, tah hell with it though. That beast ... that ... thing .... why couldn't they catch another unicorn, or ... I don't know ... anything that's less." He would hiccup again. "Mmm, less troublesome." The man finished. Their friend just humored them.

The voices spoke again to Jude. Telling them to head to their left. "Go now, deeper ... hurry human, ... hurry." They whispered. As if calling to him just ahead. "Free the Stag, free them." As tents thinned and voices dulled down. More and more cages were about the grounds. With many creatures inside, all sorts of ones. Even the fire woman from earlier, she was huddled in the corner. Head on her knees. Her flames dwindled some, clearly not as bright and lively as it had been when she was dancing.

She gave Jude a passing glance before lowering her head again.

While the cage that held Nocthirn lay head. Just out of site from the others. Inside lay the white Stag. Red eyes already locking onto Jude!

Nocthirn spotted the boy the moment they rounded the corner. His red eyes locked onto Jude, watching, waiting. He did not move, did not stir, simply observed.

However when he saw Jude become distracted. For a moment, their gaze lingered on something else, someone else.
The fire dancer. That poor woman, taken from her kind. He did not know here story fully. She had always been to quiet, so she never share it.

Nocthirn could feel Judes sorrow though. it was a quiet despair in the human’s heart as they looked upon the woman. Another caged soul, forced to perform really. He wished that human could help her to, but alas that was not his goal, and he would let the human decide that afterwards.

Even as Jude hesitantly approached his own cage, he could see their steps careful, uncertain. Even as they knelt before the cage, fingers reaching toward the lock. Overserving it. Nocthirn’s head remained motionless on the cold, solid floor of the cage. His breathing was slow, steady. A beast waiting for the moment to strike.

And then, the voices came again. Soft as wind through leaves. Urgent as a heartbeat. Beckoning.
"The lock, undo the lock. It is special, it is a riddle, it can be solved. Think mortal." The chimed and faded away. There was no keyhole. No visible mechanism to pry open.


Only a circular device, its shape familiar, a compass. It honestly was a compass. The dial at its center could turn. And on the back, an inscription. The riddle.

Spin me twice in the direction most opposite of the sun’s rise, once where the sun sets, and back again.

Seemed simple enough, if you knew were the sun raised and set in these lands.

Now the question was ... could they solve it and free the Stag. There was no key to get luckily. So snooping around would not be needed. But, the riddle had to be solved! It couldn't be that hard right?

Nocthirn’s crimson gaze never wavered, watching, waiting.
The moment of truth was near. Even some of the other mythic watched. Yet none of them dared to speak.
But the, voices arose. Staff, they were coming this way!

There were places to hide, barrels, boxes, under the cages and maybe in a bush! But anywhere not in the open.

These voices got louder. "I thought I heard something over here." The one man rounded the corner. Seeing the fire lady at first. He then looked over at Nocthirns cage. "Maybe you're just hearing things." The other man walked out, he gently ran his hand along a barrel full of wine.

The two men idled by, chatting.
"Dang it you fool, draggin me out here for nothing." The one man spoke crossing his arms.

"Hey I thought I heard something okay? Better to check right?" The other shoved the man back for complaining. And, after a moment of looking around but not really finding anything the two walked over. The grass and dried leaves under their boots crunching with every step.

"Stupid, can't believe you" one mumbled in the distance.
Their voices faded away.

The stag in the cage gently rubbed his horns against the bars. And all was quiet again. Many of the mythic beings now watched in anticipation for the mortal being to set Nocthirn free. If they even could? Nocthirn himself didn't speak. but the voices and hushed whispers would again reach out to Jude .

"Gone, their gone! Hurry! The lock."
They were ever persistent. "Undo the lock, soooolve the riddle."

Nocthirn watched with red eyes glinting. Locked onto Jude when they would come out of hiding.

Now was the time, now or never. Luckily it seemed the rest of the folks that ran this place were asleep or away.

Nocthirn watched the boy. His red eyes, sharp and unblinking, followed every movement as Jude reached for the lock. It was subtle at first, the way the air seemed to shift, how the faint glow pulsed from the intricate mechanism as the boy carefully turned the dial.

One spin. A second. On the third, the glow flickered… then fizzled out. The lock remained shut.
A failure after the forth spin.

Nocthirn’s expression didn’t change, but his body tensed. His long, deer-like antlers cast jagged shadows against the walls of the cage as he lifted his head.

Then came the warning. A slow, steady pulse of red light. The lock flashed, once, twice. Rhythmic, like the heartbeat of a beast stirred from slumber.

Nocthirn rose to his hooves. He shifted. His body, previously still and waiting, took on a restless energy. Something was wrong. Even the ever-present whispers, the voices that murmured in Jude’s mind had gone silent.

Then, a new voice. Not the voices. A real one, someone was speaking to Jude.
"The lock, it's going to go off." There, in the dim firelight, stood the dancer, still in her cage.
The woman who had performed earlier, draped in fire and sorrow. She lingered just out of reach, her presence quiet yet intense. A flame flickering against the dark. She had been watching. Spying.
"Turn it three times to the North," she instructed, her voice hushed but firm. "That will reset it. Shut off the alarm."

"Hurry, before everyone's alerted." The dancer’s ember eyes, full of unspoken warnings, bore into his. She cared enough not to let him get caught.

Nocthirn, from within his cage, remained motionless. Waiting. Watching.

The sound of the lock clicked gently with every turn again. This time, the glow remained. It shimmered all across the lock, and finally it unlatched with a soft click noise.

The fire maiden stared from her cage. Her eyes locking into that latch. Seeing the boy grant Nocthirn freedom. It actually seemed like all the creatures within range watched with captivated eyes at the site of the lock opening up. Giving way to Nocthirn's freedom. Even the mythical being itself within the cage stood and stared with fixed red eyes.

Once the lock was off the latch holding the door. Nocthirn wasted no time. He used his horns. Rubbing against the cage door and pushing it open with ease. Of course he was careful of Jude. Not wanting to hurt the boy. He despised humans, but not enough to hurt them aimlessly. So now that the cage door was open and his massive form strode out with steady legs. The feeling was welcoming.

Nocthirn could only think how he might blow this chance to escape. So he had to do all he could to get away this time. But, he had one thing he wished to do first. Wish was to reward the boy for freeing him. He could not do this without their aid. He was sure the human was already tired of the voices. Given he could sense their unease whenever they reached out.

Firstly, Nocthirn stopped just before Jude. Despite his deer form. The glowing sigil between his antlers shined bright. Nocthirn bestowed a blessing upon Jude. As a gift for his freedom.

The feeling of a slight chill surrounded Jude. There was also a faintly hue of silver and blue-ish light emitting from Jude's own body.
Nothing seemed different at first. At least until Jude would walk. Only then would the young man notice a difference. Nocthirn could not give back the leg which Jude was missing. However. Instead, in its place was something different. It was a leg of wood, but instead of an attachment, it was now a solid piece. And it moved and flex just like any leg could. It didn't even hurt.

Nocthirn hurried off, leaving no time for talk. He jumped away! Hurrying into the night, his white form like a ghost among the forest trees and brush. None of the drunken men suppose to be watching them even heard his escape. That left the few entertainments to sit and watch as one of their own gained their freedom.

The lady of fire, the dancer. She sat, a small smile on her face despite her despair. She whispered to Jude. "Hurry, you should go. Before you are caught." Encouraging Jude to escape from this place as well!

The maiden eyes widened. What on earth was the young man doing?! She could not think of how they came to this idea, to help her instead of escape! She believed the young man was truly testing their luck now! She tried to usher him away. Waving her hands in a hurried motion.

"You must not. Go, before someone finds you." She said quietly. Through the crackles of and faint simmers of her flames. However, she could see it in his eyes. That desire to aid. She pushed no further. Instead, she watched as the young man grabbed her lock.

It to was specially made. But, not like Nocthirns. There was no compass, no letter needing the way pointed.

Instead her lock was heavier. Black like obsidian. Where a keyhole would be there was a gem. It was a deep red with hints of blackish look tinges. Its shape was rough, and almost rigid. Not perfectly cut like a diamonds either.

On the back read. What am I? Presumable the question was likely asking what gem is in the lock. The correct answer would likely free the fire maiden.

She stared at the young man, her glowing like the sun. Her glow flickered all around with anticipation. She could only stare in wonder if they'd really do this for her. She kept her distance, in fear her heat might harm the young man.

With those works spoken, the lock did not open. It instead brimmed red with a flashing color! It was going to go off again, another alarm. The poor maiden inside stared in fright. "Oh no, you must leave now. I don't want you to get hurt, or worse. Please. Human, you must leave!" She gripped the bars tightly as the singed a red color!

The alarm hadn't gone off yet. The Maiden in the cage didn't seem to know the answer either. She looked around for aid from any of the others mythical beings. Yet none seemed to speak up, and others were asleep! The Maiden felt so bad for the human if they did not leave.

Then the sounds of footsteps came closer! It would seem some of the staff were on their way!
The Fire Dancer did not explain her next actions, but quickly grabbed the lock and began heating it up! "Hurry, hide." She said! She still held the lock tight in her hand. Even as it flashed, it was hard to tell as the metal turned red, but did not break or melt.

With the voices growing now, footsteps just around the corner. The staff was here! What what Jude do now, or where would they go?!

The maiden watched Jude leave to hide in a barrel. Just in time too! She looked over, spotting the two patrol guards. They were alerted to the lock going off. And they were covered in robes with wands on their hips. One had a sword to their belt.

When the guards stopped by the maidens cage. They saw that the lock was hot. A bright glinting red color, yet not melted or broken.

The one guard without the sword looked around. He stared over the various items. Boxes, barrels, other cages.

While the guard with the sword sneered. His voice rough and dark. "At it again dancer. Quit trying. If we have to come out here again, I'll make sure to bring a bucket of water with us. Maybe then you'll learn to stop your fooling about. You know the lock wont melt or break.

And I'm tired of dealing with you." He crossed his arms. Voice tired from her attempts to escape. Clearly this hasn't been the first time either.

While the guard with the wand spotted a dark cage, and what looked like nothing inside it! He tilted his head, his hood shifting slightly. He began walking towards the cage. The door looked ajar! Suddenly he reached over to their companion. "The Stag, he is gone!"

With a swift turn, the other guard let out a shocked gasp! He then face the fire dancer! "Where is the Stag Maiden?!"

However she did not say. She glared back. "Far from here, you'll never catch him now."

This only made the guard more angry! "Damned, you'll pay for those words, but later." With a strong hand he grabbed the other guard, "gather the others, that Stag couldn't have gone far. We'll catch him yet!" And the two hurried off to alert the others of the Pale Stags escape!

Now that it was quiet for a moment. The Maiden looked to the barrel. She feared that things would get tightly guarded now. She waited a bit more before calling out to the lad. "Hey, you have to go. This place will be crawling with guards and mages. You must leave!"

The guards were now up and about. Hurrying with swords and wands. Many rushed on horses and headed for the forest to go after Nocthirn! While a few scouted around. Aware that something was up!

Now that grounds was covered in a few guards holding torches and checking cage locks, along with any other escaped entertainments. The night became slightly more dangerous. However there was also plenty of items to hide behind, and inside or under to escape such a situation. But these guards were listening and looking carefully.

The fire maiden looked at the lock now. Seeing the red glow fade away and the lock was not in an alarm state anymore. She sighed staring at the glinting red stone.

Jude had a few options now. They could escape, but the grounds were dangerous now. They could try the lock again, but guards would likely come quicker this time, and may even see them attempting to open it. A few of the caged entities were up too. Aware of the chaos. One such Entity was bird like being, covered in dark feathers with a chain leading from the inside of their hooded form.

Another was a man of stone. He sat against the back of his cage which was much bigger and the bars were thicker.

The last entity nearby seemed like a snail type. Having a massive shell, but more human like quality, with legs, arms and even a mustache. They were sitting calmly. Watching the chaos unfold now that they were awake.

Anyone of them could be questioned for the lock, or the best way out. The options were endless.