### ** sinner **
** [scene: abandoned ruins - Soumdu] **
*(Heaven is a deep shade of Indigo, scattered by stars. The destroyed temple stands in the forest forgotten in the forest, its broken columns covered with ivy. A small fire cracking in the middle of the Clearing shadows. columns,*who look at the falling column,*who look at the falling column.
** Lucian: ** (Mumble) "We were supposed to move."
** serraphine: ** (ridicule) "Oh yes, let's just march*to the capital with half of the royal hunters on our heels. A brilliant plan."
** Lucian: ** (frown) "I'd rather risk that before staying*here*."
** seraphine: ** (grinned) "What, afraid of ghosts?"
** Lucian: ** (flat) "No. I don't like being imprisoned."
*(Ela is silent, lost in thoughts. The words of the shadow beast are still reflected in her mind. The key*sinner.*What did that mean?
** Elara: ** (quietly) "It knew me."
*(Lucian looks up, his expression darkens.)*
** Lucian: ** "What?"
** Elara: ** (staring at the fire) "Shadow animal. It recognized me."
** serraphine: ** (biased) "oh?
** Lucian: ** (warning) "Serraphine".
** serraphine: ** (grinning) "What? I'm*curious*."
*(Elara exhales, wipes his hands as a cold wind stabbed.)*
** Elara: ** "It called me the key*sinner*. I said I will soon understand."
** Lucian: ** (frozen) "And you don't know what that means?"
** Elara: ** (shook his head) "No. But ... I think it has something to do with my father."
*(Lucian stiffens. Seraphine's expression slightly sharpens, even though he hides him behind the usual grin.)*
** serraphine: ** (slow) "your father…*late*King Valen?"
*(Elara nods. The fire brown dances in her blue eyes so he's even more persecuted.)*
** Elara: ** "I always knew he had a secret. He hid things, whispered people in the dark. There was a rumor that he had negotiated with Shadowborn, but no one ever could."
** Lucian: ** (quietly) "And now you think rumors were true."
** Elara: ** "I don't know what to think." *(Stop.)*"But if I'm really the key to something ... Then I have to know*why*."
** serraphine: ** (tilts head) "Oh, so you want right, right?"
** Lucian: ** (cold) "What*Do you know*, serraphine?"
*(Seraphine taps on her fingers on the stone, her golden eyes shone in a fiery light.)*
** serraphine: ** (playful) "Maybe nothing. Maybe*everything*."
** Lucian: ** (rupture) "Enough with puzzles."
*(Seraphine exhales, stretches his hands over his head.)*
** serraphine: ** "Okay, okay. Because you asked so nicely*." *(Suspension, then reduces his voice.)*"Your father was not just an ordinary king, Ela. He was*sinner*."
*(Silence.)*
*(Elar's breath catches. Lucian's grip on his blade tightens.)*
** Elara: ** (shaken) "What…?"
** seraphine: ** (ridicule) "Oh, does not look so shocked.
** Lucian: ** (dangerous) "Explain.
** seraphine: ** (grinning) "likes". *(They leaned forward.)
** Elara: ** (Whispering) "And you say ... my father was one of them?"
** seraphine: ** (nodded) "Not only*one of them. He was all the most dangerous -*king ofrsken*."
*(Lucian curses under breath. Elara feels as if the air was eliminated from her lungs.)*
** Elara: ** (in disbelief) "No. This is impossible."
** serraphine: ** (eyebrow lifting) "Is that?"
** Elara: ** (shook his head) "He wasn't cursed. He died. I saw his body."
** serraphine: ** (ridicule) "Did you do? Or have you seen what*wanted you to see?"
** Lucian: ** (cold) "What do you say that?"
** serraphine: ** (leaned) "I say ... your dear father*never died*."
*(Elara suddenly stands, her pulse pounds in the ears.)*
** Elara: ** (furiously) "You are lying."
** seraphine: ** (grinned) "I'm?"
** Lucian: ** (Warning) "Seraphine -"
** serraphine: ** (grinning) "Oh, relax.*I help*."
*(Elara clenched his fists and tried to calm down.)*
** Elara: ** (quietly) "If he's alive ... where is he?"
*(Seraphine studies her for a moment, then shrugs.)*
** serraphine: ** "It, my dear is the real question."
** Lucian: ** (dirty your teeth) "And let me guess - just*do you know the answer?"
** serraphine: ** (laughs) "Oh, I wish. But even*I don't know where he is."
** Elara: ** (mumm is) "But you know*something*."
*(Seraphine follows her, then sighs dramatically.)*
** serraphine: ** "Okay, well. If you have to know ... there's someone to have answers."
** Lucian: ** (skeptical) "And who would it be?"
*(Seraphine grows, her golden eyes shine.)*
** serraphine: ** "Oracle of Shadows."
*(Lucian Zanáná.)*
** Lucian: ** "Oh,*Of course*."
** Elara: ** (confused) "Who is she?"
** Lucian: ** (grim) "Witch. Older than anyone can remember. He deals with prophecy and forbidden knowledge."
** seraphine: ** (ridicule) "A*so much fun at parties."
** Elara: ** (thought out) "Where can we find her?"
*(Seraphine's grin disappears slightly. For the first time in her eyes, something like hesitation flashes.)*
** seraphine: ** "destroyed by the towers."
*(Lucian curses again.)*
** Lucian: ** "You*You can't be serious."
** serraphine: ** (smile) "Oh, but I*I'm*."
** Elara: ** (determined) "Then let's go."
*(Lucian looks at her as if she lost her mind.)*
** Lucian: ** "Elara, you have a clue what do you say? Destroyed towers is*cursed*."
** Elara: ** (firm) "If there is even a chance that Oracle knows the truth, we must take it."
(Lucian hesitates. Then he nods unwillingly.)
Lucian: (sigh) "But if it goes wrong, I blame you both."
Seraphine: (grinning) "pretty righteous".
)
(And she was about to find out the truth - regardless of the cost.)
[Continue…]