Bellamy had been reading the new story of Pinocchio before he spoke up, "Maybe it's to tell something we need to know about this curse."

"And what would that be?" Emma began, looking from Bellamy to Henry in slight confusion.

"I don't know. The story isn't finished." Bellamy lightly shrugged.

"Why would someone go to so much trouble to add a new story and then not bother finishing it?" The blonde questioned them again.

"That's what's weird. The story's about Pinocchio." Henry spoke up, "Everyone knows how that ends."

"Well, maybe that's why it was left out." Emma suggested.

"Or maybe there's more to it," Henry also suggested, flipping the page to show a picture of a boat caught in a bad storm.

"All right, Kid, you are gonna be late for school," Bellamy spoke up, "Let's go."

"Here, I'll take him," Emma replied towards the man, stopping him, "I got this, Bell."

Bellamy looked down at Henry and back at Emma, saying, "All right. Be good, Kid."

Henry smiled and hugged him before the said boy followed after Emma out of the diner.

Bellamy ran a hand across his face, tired. He hadn't slept in about a week due to his heart giving him major pain.

Eighteen year old Dean ran a hand across his face in annoyance as he heard the familiar horse hooves of a cavalry of masked bandits.

Dean pulled his hood up and opened the hatch underneath the Master Protector's table. He swiftly grabbed his weapons and slid his quiver of arrows and bow over eight.

He was an apprentice to the Master Protector of the Realm, training to be one of the Protectors, ever since he was nine.

And Protectors and their apprentices were tasked with keeping valuable items safe from harm and looking out for the realm.

Right as Dean shut the trap door above him, he heard the front door break in.

He quickly ran down the tunnel his master and himself had built towards the hatch he had, that led to a hidden place in the forest.

Dean walked down the tunnel at a fast pace, but as soon as he made it to the end and had opened the top, he heard, "HEY, THERE'S A TUNNEL HERE!"

He instantly grabbed a hold of the ladder and climbed up it. But it was shut completely.

Unknown to him, there was a horse standing over the hatch, and he couldn't get out.

He sighed and climbed down the ladder, turning around and was met with four armed bandits in solid black.

Dean's jaw flexed as one spoke up, "Where's your master, boy? You're no match for us."

Dean simply scoffed, saying, "I highly doubt you'd be much match for a three year old."

The bandit glared at him and ran towards the eighteen year old, but soon fell at Dean's feet with his eyes wide as he looked down at his stomach which had a sword being pulled from it.

Faith✖️OUATWhere stories live. Discover now