Warlock Apprentice

Since the toy owl could communicate with him… could he ask the owl how to close the passage?

Obviously, this would not be easy. At least the toy owl did not show hostility to him. Angor believed that it was only because he was the “bridge” for the monsters to travel between realms.

Just maybe… he could use this to his advantage.

Angor rolled his eyes. “Nice! Musicians! We want the Queen to have a grand entrance after all.”

“Yes! Yes!” The toy owl nodded.

“But music isn’t perfect without dancers.”

“Of course there are dancers! Just wait! Yes! Chief Yellio will soon bring her ballet here and brighten the nightwatch for her highness! Yes!” The owl seemed proud.

Auri considered a little. “Enlarge the entrance? Isn’t that your responsibility? Or did you not remember it, no?”

“It is?” Angor was puzzled now. When he saw the toy owl giving him a doubtful look, he quickly tried to amend his words. “It-it slipped from Shava’s mind!”

“Really now? Weird. But you’re her most…” Auri frowned using its “silk eyebrows”.

Angor felt something terrible climbing on his heart. Sunders said something about how the owl was as powerful as a wizard, which meant the creature could easily take his life like how Twilight almost did.

Angor felt something shifting on his head. He released his spirit feelers and saw Auri cleaning its string-weaved feathers.

He did see “dust” coming off the feathers.

And it quickly gave him an idea.

Angor’s eyes glimmered. He pretended a sad look. “Mister Auri, don’t you know?”

“Know what?”

Angor wiped his non-existent tears. “Shava has always been preparing the territory for Her Highness out here. But this place’s so tainted! I feel… so tired. A lot of things are lost from my memory. I only know that I need to open the way and welcome the queen, so… the queen can come and purify my body! Yes, I want to meet the queen sooner.”

Angor clearly knew that his display was awful. If anyone who knew him was here, they would question his sanity.

He was always a bad liar, and now here he was, putting up a bitter drama which he used to hate.

Well, maybe this was necessary for life. He would do anything to survive now.

Green tears showed up around the eyes of the owl again. “Yeah! I should have known! The air here is so polluted with filth, you’re already doing your best service by remembering your job! Damn me, I shouldn’t doubt you!”

Angor was somewhat relieved to hear that. It seemed he gained the owl’s trust.

“The interlayer is already so dirty, I can imagine what it’s like out on the other side. I understand if it affected your memory.”

Interlayer? Did it mean the Nightmare Domain? Angor wondered.

“So, can I do something to enlarge the exit?” Angor stopped his bitter play and asked with a serious expression.

…

“The park, croak, is our home.”

“The queen, croak, is our beloved Lord!”

“Croak! My dear Queen is the brightest star!”

“Music” which sounded like nails scratching on chalkboard and “aria” full of croakings invaded everyone’s eardrums.

“Gods, I can’t stand it! My heart hurt when listening to that abomination.”

“What trick is it this time? I’m fed up with music. I’m waiting to watch the Phantom of Festivity!”

“Ha! And do something dirty while at it, I assume?”

After the commotion, people all laughed out when they saw the fox harper and frog singer coming from the mist.

“Hey, look! Such a funny duo!”

Singer Froggy widened his eyes and croaked louder, “How dare you to mock at my voice when Shava gave us the best praise!”

Crooooak!

Green ripples came from Froggy.

Under the influence, everyone except for a number of wizards froze up in place.

“Such distasteful peasants!” Harper Fox plucked her strings, and her harp released red ripples into the hall.

Those who were just frozen all began to lose their composure.

Some of them trembled nonstop, some began to remove their clothes, some cried loudly. There were even people who acted awkwardly around their “private parts” while in full view of everyone.