Falling to Rise [Book 1 of Fate]

Chapter Nineteen

Seto could feel himself slowly dozing off.

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"You stole my arrow!" Mitch whispered to Jerome as Jerome sat with his back to Mitch, "Give it back!"

"Calm your horses, I'll give it back when I'm done," Jerome answered, he was using the tip as a blade to carve into this fallen branch he had found. It was a small hobby he'd picked up watching humans carve things out of wood as he grew up in Duhita. He'd use a knife since it was what he was more accustomed to, but that would involve taking one from Ian, Mr. Grumps over there.

"What in the world are you doing anyways!"

"I'm making something, are you daft?"

"Of course not, but what reason do you have to carve lines into a stick." Jerome felt Mitch's presence behind him, he could tell the human was watching, to say he could feel chills run down his spine was an understatement. He was absolutely appalled, he didn't like having to travel with so many humans, but he didn't have a choice. He was far from home and his only ally being Seto.

"It's for Seto, he's having a hard time walking and such, I'd thought I'd make him this staff to help him."

"You know it's just because he's exhausted and sore, he'll be fine in another day or two, what reason will he have for the stick then?" Mitch pointed out.

"I-I know!" Jerome already knew that, he knew it was pointless now to make something that would likely be discarded when it no longer served any use. But he felt embarrassed saying it was because he was worried for a friend but didn't know how to help. At least with this, it was something he could do, something he knew he could do.

"Ok... If you--" Mitch stopped speaking, and instantly Jerome knew why. The two of them stopped conversing. It seemed they were to only ones to notice, more or so likely because of their adept abilities in battle were they able to sense another presence. Adam asleep, check, Ian guarding, check, Seto dozing, check, and the two of them right here. Mitch checked left, Jerome right, he spotted it.

"A flame!" Jerome hissed and whispered to Mitch, on instinct he leapt, dropping what he was doing and attempted to stomp out the fire.

Mitch followed suit, "What are you two doing--" Ian noticed the flame in the difference and shook Adam awake. Seto woke on his own, being he was only half asleep, plagued by nightmares no doubt.

"Hello~" The group heard a voice call out and stopped moving, all but Seto.

"Wh-what's going on?" He mumbled before peering through the trees where everyone was looking. He squinted, still bleary eyed from what little sleep he managed to get.

"Is that--" he started.

"Shh!" Jerome shushed him as the figure kept getting closer. It was obvious who ever it was, was alone. Mitch reached for his bow and arrow, ready to shoot if the person turned out to be aggressive.

"Hello? Is someone out here? If there is, you shouldn't be, this area is not protected." They waved their torch around.

"What should we do?" Adam whispered, "They're getting closer, but they don't seem dangerous."

"Seem. Key word, we can't trust just by instinct, we wait it out and stay low." Ian slowly crouched to the ground, Jerome and Mitch doing the same. Mitch still kept his bow trained in the general direction. The fire disappeared followed by shouts of alarm, then an explosion.

"Holy Notch! What was that!" Jerome whipped out his axe, still staring in the direction that the mysterious figure was in. Then a person burst through the trees and stumbled and fell forward knocking he and Jerome down. Jerome let out a strangled cry.