"Is everything all right, dear?" Mable asked from behind the orphanage's front desk when Gwen entered the lobby, "Does Arthur need something?"15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15HsaX0ERX
"No. No." Gwen shook her head, "He's fine. I just need my sword and shield. He wants to do some training."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnouTTvKhV
"What?!" Mable quickly dropped her hands from her chin and stood up straight, "You're going to train that boy when he literally collapsed this morning?"15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNco3NShtgo
"I feel the same way, but don't take it up with me. Take it up with him. He's determined."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIoUveGWZ3
"All right. I will." When she said this, Mable stepped out from behind her desk. She tugged on Gwen's arm, preventing her from getting her sword and shield-like mirror, and pulled her right back into the orphanage's hallway.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFssehq85o
In his room, Arthur was sitting in his reading chair. He pulled on his boots and grabbed his cloak, setting it down over his shoulders.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2uYPoW6Fz
As he worked, he thought he heard a whispering voice, "Arthur." It came from behind his fireplace. At the sound of the voice, Artie stopped messing with his boots and glanced at it. "Arthur," the voice repeated.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ14C2mTZ0gr
"Who's there?" he asked through a few more coughs. Rising to his feet, the young man slowly approached the fireplace. He placed his palms on the wall over it and stared deeply into the roaring fire.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6I5Ma0dtXB
"Artie, what are you doing?" a voice suddenly asked behind him. Gwen. She and Mable just made it to his room.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3uB1ncTiji
Even though Artie recognized Gwen's voice, he refused to look at her. "A voice," he answered, "It's calling me."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9HFBPeGAx
"Voice? What voice? It's just me."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMu1rUXRIb
"No. Another voice." Finally, Artie removed his hands from the wall and turned to face Gwen and Mable. "Mistress Mable!" he gasped when he saw the caretaker, "What are you doing here?"15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUf4ba4M0kh
"I've come to stop you from training. You need to wait until you feel better."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAavXgJQyc0
"I feel fine, thank you very much. You heard the doc. It's just a common cold." Mable flinched when she heard the annoyance in his voice. Artie never talked back to her. In fact, he and she usually got along very well.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfp93hm7a1Z
She glanced at Gwen who whispered, "Told ya," and then asked Artie,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdTko0FHFK
"What's so important that you have to train right now?"15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd0NkC94DkT
"Gwen promised me. Tomorrow is the Knight Strike. I need to at least try to stop Percival from knocking me off my horse."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhxHb6EEWai
"You teenagers are impossible." Mable sighed, "Well, it looks like I'm not going to be able to stop you. Go ahead and do your stupid training, but please don't push yourself."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rrltgbMVj
"Will do. Thank you, Mistress Mable."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPOaHtXOtA
"Sure, sure. Whatever." Mable shook her head. Turning on her heel, she left the room, and Gwen followed her. She couldn't train without her sword and shield-like mirror.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmvv5GJVfp
Guinevere and Arthur went back to the art studio for the first lesson. It made no sense for them to find a place to train when there was literally a huge chamber just behind the fireplace in Artie's room. Gwen momentarily found herself lost amongst all the amazing artwork again, but she quickly became serious and reminded herself why she came here in the first place.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg779TqgXVa
She pulled the chair away from Artie's easel and dragged it to the heart of the room. In the meantime, the fifteen-year-old boy, who held a paintbrush in his hand, pretended it was a sword.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTc6FMusBD9
Gwen called to him, "All right, boy, are you ready? If you are, come here." Artie did, and it wasn't long until he and Gwen faced one another. She stood behind the chair and gripped its headrest.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYz68VgLcsZ
Artie acted out a thrust with his paintbrush and asked, "So, what are we learning first? Fencing? How to thrust? Stab? I'm ready for whatever you throw at me!" He threw back his hand but accidentally chucked the paintbrush in the process, "Oops." Artie turned red from his heels up. At the sight of him embarrassed, Gwen chuckled.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jcBUzXOVF
She patted the top of the chair and asked,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rR5MdR3TM
"Let's begin, shall we? Take a seat, my young apprentice." A question mark appeared above Artie's head, but he went ahead and obeyed.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyr35NE6unr
He sat down and placed his hands on his lap, asking, "Are we starting with how to sword fight sitting down?"15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDApnebh5PK
"Being a musketeer is not just about kicking someone else's butt, Artie." Gwen explained with a shake of her head, "In order to be a good musketeer, you have to learn to control your emotions."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTNix3LwS3
"Okay. So, are you going to show me what an angry thrust looks like vs. a sad one?" Again, Gwen chuckled.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOWC2I1GMp
This boy was totally clueless about what was going on. "No," she answered, "We're not going to start sword fighting until you build up your confidence."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqo3jw0dBz5
"Are you kidding me? What kind of teacher are you?" Artie was mad. He did not expect this. He jumped up from his chair and angrily told Gwen, "The Knight Strike is tomorrow! If I don't know how to sword fight by morning, Percival is going to kick my butt!"15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCVE9zOyiJw
"I think you do know how to sword fight, kid." Gwen admitted with a smile, "You just don't have the confidence to prove it. That's why you need to learn how to control your emotions. If you can handle a paintbrush, you can handle a sword."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NTTBybAQE
"But, But." Artie coughed, "I want to be just like you." He coughed again and swayed a little bit from where he stood. Gwen lost her smile when she saw this.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaphn7ev5oP
She clutched Artie's arm and said in a low voice, "You need to sit down. I decided to start with this lesson because you are a bit under the weather today. Trust me, boy. If you weren't, then you'd be doing one-hundred sit-ups and pushups. You're lucky that I'm taking it easy on you. If you don't listen to me, then we're going to go back to your room." The second she said that, Artie quickly sat down in the chair again. He'd much rather be here than listening to Gwen read him stories about star struck lovers having sex.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnk9dG4IEt
"That's more like it," she said, "All right, Artie. Take a deep breath and close your eyes." Nodding, Artie listened to her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Relax your hands." Gwen continued, "You are very tense right now. I know what it's got to be. Nerves, eh?" At her command, Artie unclenched his fists and relaxed his shoulders. Gwen stood in front of him and said, "Now look beyond the walls of your cursed self and think of memories that will give you confidence."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFWEbl9R1c
"Memories that will give me confidence? How am I supposed to do that?"15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4Pt4odoSA
"Think of all the times it came in handy being a wolf and all the times it came in handy being a human. For example, if a fire breathing dragon chased you, was it easier to get away on two legs or four? The goal of this lesson is for you to find these memories. Now, go on."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWRwaW3NOd
Artie tried to look beyond the walls of his cursed self like Gwen suggested, but it was difficult. He could not think of a time it was more useful to be a wolf than a human.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7W8IdaEeGy
Part of this had to do with the fact that he felt like a woman giving birth every night, and the pain scarred him. "How are you doing?" Gwen wanted to know.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xma3wJ2ev
"It's not working, Gwen. I can't think of anything."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDg7XXEpn2
"You're giving in to your doubts. You need to be confident. Why do you think I was able to fend off Mr. Balint when he made fun of my dream?"15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4smGPY3rAN
"I can't do this, Gwen." Artie said with a shake of his head.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDx9cSIPJyj
"Yes you can. How are you supposed to be a musketeer when you fear the world around you? Failure is just a word. It is not the end of the world."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2qVs54EHX
"But that's just it." Here, Artie opened his eyes. A few tears flickered in them, and he admitted, "I'm a failure. I am the only person in the whole kingdom of Irodia who turns into a beast at night."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElnEcZfhLE
"And what's so bad about that? To be a wolf is a part of you. You need to roll with the punches."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLC3Io16nIf
"How?"15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLlk5EEJ2S
"Surely, you can think of a time when being a wolf came in handy. Think hard, Artie, and let me know what you come up with."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3zGOoOY1M
"I can't, Gwen. I can't." The stress was causing Artie to feel sick again.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwCukvjeTc
"Stop giving in to your doubts. I know you can do this. The key to defeating Percival tomorrow is confidence."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaCq01h31s
"I can't."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNl8HVn5HK
"Artie, stop. You're sweating. Do you want me to get you a cup of water? Will that help you calm down?"15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYK8weBGA4Z
"Please."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡttvwJiVwLv
"Okay. Stay here. I'll be right back. While I'm gone, I want you to keep practicing."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRU6a3pPevv
"Practicing? I'm failing."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBUmlYtdRB9
"Well, stop failing. When I get back, I expect an answer from you." Gwen flicked Artie's forehead to show she was serious and slipped out of the studio.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjkN1ISKM5
Behind, he kept on trying to find a memory, and he still failed. The stress. It was driving him mad. He hated his wolf self. He did not see it as a gift. He saw it as a threat.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81hkjqO4iC
His mind returned to the legend of Illusion - the part where it said,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgj6hAEvTx0
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfv1KtFSfmh
"Surrounded by darkness between king and kingdom,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEgszUolcd
He will become a demon and watch it fall.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYXLTsQfIbm
Forever cursed, he shall find himself lost in his own failure.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcx0py7R3lG
With no hope of escaping so he can clutch for freedom."15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFEfZEjNlX
15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJb48JXGzeb
"AHH!!" Artie suddenly screamed. He slapped his hands to his chest and bent over in pain. His heart. He felt like it was breaking again. The boy shook his head, and sweat flew off his hair. He tried calling for Gwen, but he could not form the words.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BzmgwdP0x
He heard the voice from his room, "Arthur," and yelled when his body once again flickered like shattering glass.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rcxA28Z2B
Arabella, who witnessed the whole scene from the studio's ceiling, couldn't bear to watch this. She turned away and hid behind her hands. Artie was suffering, and it was all because of Gwen's selfishness.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmMITdW4EP
She reached Artie's room and headed over to his desk where Nora left the leftover loaf of bread as well as a pitcher of water. Next to the pitcher was a rag as well as a few glass cups. Gwen picked up one cup. She checked to make sure it was clean and then poured some water in it from the pitcher. As she stood there, she thought about how on Earth she was going to succeed with training Artie. She picked up on her musketeer skills really fast, but he was a piece of work. However, it was a fair game because Guinevere herself was a piece of work for Arabella.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMigjaYHgP
On her way back through the tunnel to the art studio, she took wild guesses at what Artie was going to tell her when she asked him if he found a useful memory. Some of the things she thought of caused her to laugh. Others made her mad and few even sad.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFT72EyIpLp
On top of the possible responses she was going to get, she also tried to think of how she should react to them, and she practiced this as she ducked under the main mass of cobwebs that Artie loved: "'Good try, Artie, but it's not enough,' 'That's ridiculous. We both know that I have a better shot at being a musketeer anyway.' 'What did you say the memory was again? How am I supposed to understand you when you're mumbling like that?' 'All right, here's your water. Now let's get back to work.'"15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVX3h5AFcr
When Gwen eventually reached the end of the corridor, she just finished her thirty-second possible response to give Artie. All right, she was ready. Pulling the curtain aside, she stepped into the art studio.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxVT96J9p1
Right off the bat, Gwen noticed something unusual. Blank painting canvases trashed the chamber. Strange. They weren't like this when she went to get the cup of water. Not only that, but some of the canvases had blood stains on them. It looked like an animal attacked the chamber those twenty minutes she was away. It was nowhere near sunset though. Yet, Artie no longer sat in the chair Gwen pulled away from his easel.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbQfH0ppohB
A nervous feeling washed over her body, but she started to explore the chamber. "Artie?" Gwen called, but there was no answer.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVI4u39aeZC
That was when she noticed something quite unsettling in the corner of the chamber and in front of one of the chests where Artie stored his paintings. A bundle, which was crowded by a multiple paintings.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KMbmNwOUB
At the sight of it, Gwen broke down in sweat, "Artie? Artie!" The cup dropped from her hand, and it shattered when it hit the ground. The water spilled all over the place.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvUYF7bgNI
Gwen rushed over to the crippled Artie and pulled the paintings away from him. She fell to her knees next to him.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHShA5DskGV
The second she did, he sat up and yelled, "Leave me alone! Just let me die! I am nothing but a beast!"15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BePdMM7AC
"Oh, Artie!" Artie's clothes were soaking wet. Gwen also noticed that there was some blood on his hand and collar. He pushed her away from him and let out a round of harsh coughing. If things couldn't get any worse, he spat up blood when he did, and it soiled a few of his paintings. "I knew we shouldn't have done this!" Gwen frightfully shouted as she lugged herself to her brother again. She burst into tears and rubbed some of the blood from his lips.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTGvWHLBLt
He continued to cough, and between coughs, yelled, "Something is shattering inside me! My heart! My heart! Save me, for it is breaking! My illusion is no more, for I am done!" And just like that, the fifteen-year-old boy fell unconscious.
and then Add to home screen.