Ashes of the crown

POV: Team Chaos (Mostly Ariya + Jax) 🍯🎭💥

Jax flung open the map scroll dramatically. "Behold… the heist of the century."

Ariya raised an eyebrow. "You mean the one where we steal enchanted cheese from a high-security pantry because the Council requested it for a feast?"

Kael, already pinching the bridge of his nose, sighed. "Please stop calling it a heist."

"Oh, it's a heist," Jax declared. "And I shall be its unhinged mastermind."

Lyra peeked over her scroll. "You're stealing goat cheese, not toppling empires."

"Every empire starts with dairy," Jax whispered dramatically.

The village of Honeyhold was quaint, peaceful… and currently obsessed with their upcoming Founding Day Festival, where the "Magical Cheese of Unity" would be unveiled.

That was their target.

"We get in, swap the cheese for a fake, and get out before they notice," Ariya said. "Quick. Quiet."

"Two words no one has ever used to describe us," Lyra muttered.

Phase One: Disguises

Jax wore a fake mustache.Lyra pretended to be a food critic.Kael… somehow ended up in a bard costume. (He was not happy.)

Ariya?

She was the "tasting assistant" — complete with apron and ridiculous floppy chef's hat.

"If we get caught, I'm burning this outfit," she warned.

"You look adorable," Kael said under his breath.

She smacked him with a ladle.

Phase Two: The Swap

They located the cheese chamber — guarded by two sleepy magic wards and a grumpy old cook named Mrs. Brax.

"Leave this to me," Jax said confidently. "I can charm anything."

Ten seconds later, he was being chased out by Mrs. Brax holding a frying pan.

Kael and Lyra distracted the guards with a song (Kael was mortified), while Ariya used Veilstep to sneak past and lift the actual enchanted cheese.

"This is so stupid," she whispered, holding the glowing wedge.

"And yet… we win," Jax declared, cradling the fake decoy like a baby.

Phase Three: Escape

Everything was perfect — until Lyra accidentally triggered the celebratory firework charm.

BOOM. Fireworks exploded inside the bakery.

Panic. Screaming. A goat started flying.

Ariya grabbed Kael's hand and ran.

"Never again," he panted, covered in frosting.

"You say that every time," she laughed.

"Because I mean it every time!"

Jax popped up beside them with the decoy cheese and a trail of sparkles behind him.

"I'd say that went well."

"You were almost turned into a frog."

"A glamorous frog."

Back at camp, the team collapsed into laughter around the fire, the real cheese safely delivered to the council messenger.

Kael, still in his bard costume, growled at Jax.

"Burn this. Immediately."

Ariya chuckled. "Actually… I think it suits you."

Kael groaned. "I liked it better when you were shy."

She winked. "I'm evolving."