The guards looked around the cell in bewilderment before turning around to go and report the escape.

Malum and Asima were just finishing their meal when the alert sounded, Malum jumped to his feet and placed a hand on his dagger immediately, "no way. She couldn't have-I secured that cell myself!"

"Then we better go see." Asima stated, biting her lip. Set wouldn't have, right? He was back to normal... Without waiting for Malum, Asima began running towards the cell, wanting to see with her own eyes.

Hemset was already there by the time Asima and Malum arrived. He glanced back at the pair and shook his head, "she'll be long gone."

Asima hugged herself and frowned. "Should we go after her?" Her chocolate eyes glanced to Malum. "If she keeps on bringing people back from the dead..." Her eyes shifted to Set. He had beaten them here...had he been here the whole time? Had he helped her escape? "It can get very bad for so many people..."

Set thought a moment before shaking his head, "let her go for now. If she becomes a problem again, then I will deal with it personally." he offered Asima a smile, "once I've got everything back in order, it'll be fine." he turned to leave, "I'd better tell Nemiah what happened."

Malum eyed Set a moment before looking back at Asima uncertainly, clearly wondering the same things that she was about the mage.

Asima waited until Set was gone, before stepping over to his brother's cell. "I don't see Melhet..." She stated softly, then tugged the door open. It was unlocked. There was a bit of broken glass, and some sand, but nothing else. She glanced to Malum, worried. "H-he wouldn't, right?"

Malum scratched the back of his head in thought, "I'm not sure Asima. I mean... he did seem to recover fairly quick after that episode in the temple... and he's planning on leaving shortly as well-which means he's not going to be tied down here. We'll have no way of keeping tabs on him. For all we know, he's only pretending not to have any magic. It's really impossible to tell. All the paranoia in me doesn't want to believe that everything's okay."
he wavered, swaying back and forth, "but at the same time, it's Set-well, Hemset, right? He might hate me but he loves you. I don't think he would actually hurt you."

"Maybe he made her give her words, or cursed her, or something..." Asima stated softly. "I'll ask the guards how long he was here before..." She turned away, searching for one of the men.

(Night night!)

Malum frowned returning to examine the cell further. He couldn't find anything wrong with his spells though.

"Yes princess" the guard bowed, "he wasn't here very long, but he was the last to visit her. We passed by him coming out as we came to bring her before the Pharaoh's judgement."

Asima bit her lip, returning to Malum. "He was here...but they said he wasn't for long..." She gave him a weird glance. "What's wrong?"

"There's nothing wrong with my spells" Malum replied, "They haven't been damaged or tampered with. The only way out is if the door was unlocked for her."

"Could she have broken through the spells? Or could you...have made a mistake?" Asima fiddeled with her fingers, glancing away. "Everyone make mistakes sometimes..."

Malum shrugged, "it's possible I made a mistake, but I can't think of any other way she could have gotten out. The spells weren't broken however, I would be able to tell that much. I don't know how but She definitely walked out that unlocked door."

Asima lowered her head, and bite her lip. "Should we go after her?" She finally questioned softly.

Malum hesitated, looking around the cell again, hoping he'd missed something, "... I'll tell Solum to send out a few scouts. We should at least know where she's hiding."

Asima nodded again, glancing toward's the area Set had gone off to. "Should I ask him?" She questioned the white haired male softly.

"I don't know" Malum shook his head, "I can't say for sure if he actually helped her or not."

Asima groaned, and shook her head. "At least things are never boring." She stated, then bit her thumb gently. "So we can't do anything right now?"

"Like I said, I'll tell Solum to send out a few feelers, but yeah." Malum nodded, "actually, I should get right on that. See you later" he gave her a brief kiss before taking off.

Asima watched the man go with a frown, then turned back to the palace, trudging through the halls. This...was frusterating.

((Hmm... shall we skip? Perhaps to Set's departure?))

(That sounds fine.)

Two weeks passed as Hemset prepared for his departure, teaching his replacement as much as possible in the meantime. Finally the day came when he felt confident he had recovered and it was time to go. The mage gathered his belongings, taking a few of Lakar's old books and things with him. Most of what he had gotten since coming to the palace had once been Lakar's at this point, there wasn't much he really felt like he owned himself so he didn't actually have a lot to take away.

Hemset stood at the gate to leave the palace, taking only one horse with a small carriage. He gazed back at the place that had been his home for years now.


Nemiah had come to say goodbye and embraced the mage brokenheartedly, "Farewell Hemset, feel free to come back anytime. Your words of wisdom are always welcome to my ears."

"I may take you up on that offer some day" Set smiled at him, "although I never thought I would see the day when I outgrew my pharaoh." he chuckled, ruffling's Nemiah's hair. Indeed though, he was now about half a head taller than the pharaoh.

"Hey now" Nemiah grinned, pulling his head back to avoid getting his hair too messed up, "Just you remember who it was that helped you reach the top shelf when you were half this height."

"Yes, you were suddenly very helpful to me when you were hiding from Lakar" Hemset smirked.

The princess awoke with a start, her maids gathered around her bed and gently prodding her to get up. Paperwork of Lakar's was gathered around her. Regardless of all that happened, perhaps Asima could find a way to give Set his brother, without the nasty side effects. After all, she had done the same for Malum. As such, she had been up late. She had ordered her servants to wake her, but knowing their mistress wasn't a nice morning person, they hadn't been enthusastic. "Is he gone?" She glared around the room as the women helped her dress and fix her hair. A chorus of nos answered her, so once dressed, Asima ran out of the room and through the halls. She arrived as Set was speaking to her brother and panted a few moments, before tossing her arms around the other boy. It seemed like Set had become her brother in such a short time.

"Take care..." She finally stated, and released her death grip from the male. "Write me, okay? Even if you don't come by..."

Set hugged Asima tightly and let go with a smile, "I'll keep in touch. I'm missing you already" he sighed, "but it's time for me to go. Don't go getting yourself into trouble now." he gave them each another hug before climbing upon the carriage.