The Amulet Of Nicmir (The Scripts Of Neptune, Book 1)

Chapter 2

Everything was a blur to Chad. His grief and anger drowned out every other emotion, leaving him empty inside. His legs moved on their own as he ran beside the girl, Lillian.

They were deep in the woods now, far enough into the pines that the underbrush was scarce if not nonexistent, smothered by the shade of the huge trees and the thick layer of needles on the forest floor. It was dark in the woods, like twilight, and the temperature had dropped several degrees.

Lillian slowed her pace, coming to a stop. Turning in a slow circle, she looked around the trees.

"We should be safe here," she said, turning to him. "I'm sorry about your parents. What's your name, kid?"

"Chad," he replied. Lillian opened her mouth to speak again, but a voice cut her off.

"Lil!" The man sprinted up to them, his sandy hair stuck to his forehead with sweat. Now that Chad got a good look at him, he saw that he couldn't have been older than eighteen. He was lanky and a few inches taller than Chad, with a mischievous look permanently plastered on his handsome face. His clothing was nearly identical to Lillian's: a green tunic with a brown vest that acted as light armor, a pair of leather trousers, and boots that reached mid-calf. A sword hung at his hip, and Chad was instantly wary.

"What happened to the plan, Sam?" Lillian demanded, punching him in the shoulder. "We agreed that we'd find Philip, and then we'd leave."

Sam rubbed his shoulder, and his expression darkened, and something akin to grief flashed across his face. "I found Philip," he said, glancing away before pinning her with his gaze again. "Lil, it's not good."

Lillian stared at him, waiting for him to continue. "Sam, what are saying?" Her voice was choked.

"He's dead, Lil."

She looked like someone had slapped her. "No," she whispered. "No, no, no. He can't be. He—" Her voice failed her. She turned away, tangling her fingers in her hair. Chad was momentarily distracted from his own grief by curiosity about hers. Who was Philip?

"Who are you?"

It took him a second to realize Sam's question was directed at him.

"Who are you? Both of you?" Chad echoed. "Why are you here? Who is Philip, and who were they? Why did they kill my family?" The questions flooded out of him, questions he'd been asking himself since the first arrow.

It was Lillian who replied. "That was the Serpentine. We're part of the Nemaru resistance. Philip was my brother." Her words were rushed.

"And it wasn't just your family," Sam added. He glanced at Lillian. "They burned the village. I stopped a few soldiers, but their numbers were too great. I barely escaped with my life."

Lillian let out a strangled groan. "This is such a mess," she muttered, kicking a pinecone. "We need to get back to the camp. My father needs to know that we lost the Amulet. Philip didn't have it, did he?"

Sam shook his head. "I didn't have much time to search his body before I had to run, but I checked. It wasn't there," he said.

Lillian bit her lip. "Where is he? How did he die?" she asked softly.

"He was by the road. His horse had crushed him, and his back was broken," Sam replied. He put his hands on Lillian's shoulders. "Lillian, he was a good man, and we'll all miss him, but he died doing what he believed in and fought for."

She nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I know," she said, a sad smile on her lips.

Chad hardly heard her. His mind was reeling.