Whoo!
Falling to Rise
Chapter 15
"Doing nothing for others is the undoing of ourselves."
~~~~~
"How soon can we make it?" Seto asked, it was morning of the next day, the day of the trial.
"Eh... by noon, since we're leaving right now at sunrise." Adam said, the two of them stood out in the warm desert morning with Valen as he readied the carriage.
Ian, Jerome, and Mitch were staying behind, because once again the carriage only had enough room for two, and both Seto and Ian agreed that it would be best if Mitch and Jerome were never in the same place in public. The two of them just didn't get along so it could make their situation worse.
"That's good," Seto clambered into the carriage.
"Seto! Wait!" His uncle came running out carrying a small box.
"Uncle?" Seto poked his head out of the carriage, "Is something wrong."
"No, no, I just came to give you this, your mother had it stored away for you for 16 years now. I know you'll be coming back after your mission, but I felt like I should give this to you know, your mother would want you to have it," his uncle placed the small box in Seto's hands before bidding him goodbye.
Seto looked at the small wooden box curiously, but sat back down in the carriage as Adam sat down to. Seto noticed Jerome in the window of one of the second floor rooms, he gave a little wave but Jerome didn't return it.
"Take us to Emedo, waste no time, we'd like to get there as soon as possible."
Valen nodded before he clicked his tongue and the carriage was pulled by the horses. The sun was just barely rising, but that made the ride all the more peaceful.
"So...are you going to open the box?"
Seto looked down at the box, should he? "I...I don't know..."
"Go ahead! Open it! You must be interested to know what's inside!" He was right, he was curious. Something his mother had stored away for over 16 years. 16 years ago was when his Uncle relinquished his hold over Keuta and became just another aristocrat.
The small brown box was smooth on the outside, the top was engraved with a little creeper face. His family's symbol, he could imagine that whatever was inside was important. The box was held together with small silver hinges and a silver clasp. He hesitantly unclasped the clasp and opened the box.
Seto stared at the object in the box. His fingers touched smooth gold, and the rough edges of a gem, a purple gem.
"An amulet..." he breathed. An exact replica of Adam's, but no doubt authentic. Was it his? He pulled out the necklace and held it up to his face, he admired the beauty as it reflected in the sun.
"Look at that, it must've been yours when you were still a prince."
"Yea..." he smiled, "I thought my family gave them all to your father."
"Guess your mom couldn't give your's up. Are you going to put it on?"
"Huh?" Seto looked at Adam in shock, "O-oh no! I can't do that I'm not even a prince anymore." Seto turned around and moved his cape out of the way. He didn't have pockets so he would just tie the amulet to the bindings of his pants. It would be hidden by the cape and somewhere safe so it would not arouse suspicion. After the trial, he could ask his mother more about it and why she kept it.
"Well if you say so, but I think it is cool we have matching amulets!"
"Heh heh," he laughed with Adam, they still had a few hours till they reached Emedo. He had his father's journal hidden away too, he would read it now but he didn't feel comfortable doing so in front of Adam, plus it would be rude.
~~~~~
Jerome sluggish walked down the stairs after Seto left a few hours ago. It was getting close to noon so he imagined they were close to Emedo by now.
He was kind of getting used to sleeping in a bed already, he almost was sad he would have to leave it soon. He sighed. Seto and Adam would not be back all day, what was he supposed to do when the only person who actually liked him was away. Though he thinks Adam likes him to, but he's human, he didn't care.
He sighed again as he walked into the dining room and slumped down into a chair. He could feel Mitch's eyes glaring into his soul, but he didn't care. Jerome just continued to munch on his breakfast.
"What are you people still doing here?" Seto's cousin walked into the room.
"Does it matter?" Jerome grumbled. Cal rolled his eyes.
"Should you guys be with Seto and the Prince?"
"Adam wanted us to wait for him back here, and it is of no concern to you." Ian retorted back to the young boy.
Cal grumbled to himself before grabbing a glass of water and walking away. Cal stopped in the doorway and looked back at them, "Maybe you all are too dumb to realize it, or you had absolutely have no idea... but they'll kill him."
"What? Who?" Jerome said through a mouthful of food.
"Don't you have any manners!" Mitch hissed, Jerome glared at him.
"Seto of course."
~~~~~
Adam and Seto arrived in Emedo with little trouble, he was feeling nervous all over. He'd never been to Emedo's capital, and though he always wanted to, these were not the circumstances he thought would ultimately forces him to come here for the first time. He always imagined after a year in the army he would come to Emedo as a teacher. Emedo had a shortage of teachers for young kids, so Seto always believed that would be what would bring him here.
The carriage rolled up the the large stone building of the courtroom, or what Adam told him was the courtroom. The building was surrounded by a wall of iron spiked fences, they rose high into the air and kind of terrified Seto.
Adam and Seto walked down the cobble path to the entrance. The moment they walked in two guards came up to Seto.
"Are you Seto Magi?"
"Uh, y-yes."
"Right this way then," The guards stood on either side of Seto and directed him forward, nudging him a little too.
"Huh! A-Adam?" Seto looked back at Adam as he lead away. Adam waved to him.
"Don't worry, we'll see each other soon!" he smiled and walked down a different hallway. Seto had no choice but to let these guards lead him away. The guards led him a small room entirely black. Before they shut the door though, Seto saw another door opposite from the door they entered in.
The door was closed and Seto stood in the dark room with the two guards. He paced uncomfortably around the small room. Everytime he neared that other door he could hear talking. It was distant, but it sounded like a lot of voices. Seto decided to stop walking and wait by the mystery door. He listened to the voices, he couldn't make out a single word anyone was saying.
He wondered what Adam was doing, or what the others were doing back in Keuta.
~~~~~
"Kill him!" Jerome spat out his food, "Why on earth would they do that!"
Cal sighed and fished a folded piece of paper from his pockets and handed it to Jerome.
Jerome looked at the paper and unfolded it. He looked at it and all the words written on it. Then he looked up at Cal, "What the nether is a piece of paper supposed to tell me?" Cal looked at JErome with confusement an irritation before Mitch snatched the paper.
"Oh give me that! It's a letter you imbecile! Don't you know how to read!"
Jerome glare at Mitch, "Do I look like a rich prince with a fancy education!"
Mitch rolled his eyes as he skimmed through it, his eyes widened, "Sh*t this is bad," Mitch bolted from his chair leaving the note behind.
"Hey! Don't leave what does it say!" Jerome yelled and chased as Mitch ran to the room he was sleeping in.
Ian grabbed the letter and read through it. He scowled at is before he crumpled it up and walked upstairs.
"Hey! I didn't give that to you to crumple it up!" Cal chased after him.
Mitch was looking for a weapon, a sword, a bow, but he didn't bring such a thing with him from his kingdom. He was kind of forced from his home without warning. Gah! Why was he worried, it didn't have anything to do with him!
"What the nether did that letter say!" Jerome huffed as he ran into Mitch's room.
"The king of Emedo called for the execution of the Magi family." He answered, Mitch started to look in the chests in the room hoping to find a weapon.
"Why the hell would they do that! Isn't Seto a royal or something?"
"Former royal, and it's because they believe Seto's father to be a sorcerer. Look you may not understand this but Emedo views sorcerers like a plague, Seto had to get his sorcerer blood from somewhere, that would probably be his father. Since it's highly unlikely that the Vesuvius family has sorcerer blood in their veins."
"Then what are we waiting for! We have to go save him!"
"Can't you see that is what I'm trying to do?" Mitch hissed.
"We are staying right here, Adam told us too." Ian interjected from the doorway.
"Like hell we are!" Jerome yelled, "Seto needs us. Don't you care?"
"He's a sorcerer, they're all the same. Adam may not see, but sooner or later he'll realizes it'll be better when he's dead."
"That's not for you to decide!" Jerome yelled and grabbed the nearest thing to him and threw it at Ian. Ian moved his head to one side and the object sailed through the gap and smashed into the wall.
"Hey! That was my mother's!" Cal yelled as he picked up the slightly damaged golden statue.
"What would Adam say if he found out you knew this would happen and did nothing." Mitch said as he stood up and walked over to Ian as he crossed his arms.
Ian said nothing but kept his eyes on Mitch as they had their stare down, Look, I'll be honest, Adam is an annoying idiot, we both know that," Ian snorted, "but he's a loyal, annoying idiot. I bet he's already promised Seto his life or his family's safety or something like that. It's what he does, and we both know how emotional Adam gets when he has to break a promise."
Ian stayed silent.
"Imagine how betrayed he would feel if he had to break his promise and found out later you could've helped. You may not care about anyone but yourself and Adam, but if you really care, then you'll get us to Emedo with the speeds of the gods themselves."
It was silent as Ian and Mitch continued to have a staredown, then Ian finally replied, "Fine."
"Yes!" Jerome cheered.
"Now we need weapons--" Mitch started to say
"Axe please!" Jerome interrupted Mitch.
"Why in Notch would I give you a weapon?" Ian said incredulously.
"I'd rather not fight without one."
"You're staying here, you are not coming." Ian said.
"No, that's not good, you have to take him with you." Cal said.
"Why on Ethereal would we listen to you?" Ian said.
"Because you can't come back here to pick him up, and you are not leaving him here, he smells. As soon as you rescue Seto you have to leave, you can't stay in Emedo, or Keuta, and you can't go to Duhita either.
"Hey! What's wrong with Duhita!"
Cal rolled his eyes, "Nothing, but your kingdom has close ties to Emedo and Duhita is as close to Emedo as Keuta is as close to Emedo, that makes it too obvious."
"You better not mean you want us to go to Vragan just because he's a sorcerer." Ian said.
Cal looked at him incredulously, "First off I didn't even know Seto was a sorcerer, and second, why on Ethereal would you go to Vragan! Are you an idiot, that place is crawling with sorcerers and all of them would probably kill you first ask questions later just because you came from Emedo."
"Then where do you suggest you go, no place it safe then! We can't go to Duhita, because they're too close to Emedo, Keuta because both kingdoms are joined by the hip, Vragan because they'll kill us, Neim because that place has been taken over by Emedo, Eflido also has close ties to Emedo. Do you want us to go to the f*cking Nether?!"
"... Look, there is only one place you can go to. In the southeastern part of Eflido, there is a small lagoon completely surrounded by trees," he sighed, "I'm only telling you this to protect my cousin, ok?"
"I thought you hated him." Jerome bluntly said.
"I do, but I love Aunt and Uncle, so this is for them too. Located at the lagoon is a hidden camp. Rebels that know of Emedo's corrupt royal family, they'll take you in."
"You say corrupt, but weren't you just fawning over Adam just a few days ago?" Mitch said.
"What can I say," he grinned smugly, "I'm a good actor, those damn Emedian royals took everything from my family you know, and this is my family we're talking about."
"So does that mean you were acting when you said I wasn't cool?"
He frowned, "No that was true."
Mitch choked again.
"Back to the subject, continue with what you were saying," Ian interjected before Mitch could say anything more.
"Right, I've been secretly working with them for a good couple months before Seto left home three months ago, they'll let you in if you say I sent you. Now hurry before you're too late."
"We still need weapons." Mitch said.
Cal ran off and came back ten minutes later with a diamond axe and a bow with a quiver of arrows. "Take these," he handed the Jerome the bow and Mitch the axe, "Now leave before my Uncle gets home, or he'll ask questions."
The three hurried down the stairs and out the door. Their horses they came in on where tied up in a stable near the market. They would have to go there to get them.
"I'll trade this bow for that axe." Jerome said as he ran.
Mitch glanced at the axe, "Fine, I'm better with a bow anyways," Jerome tossed him the quiver and Mitch caught it then slung it around his body with one hand. Then Mitch tossed Jerome the axe and Jerome tossed the bow, they both caught their new weapons with ease.
Jerome whooped, "Man this is an upgrade from my old axe!" He admired it as the three ran down the streets dodging the people, "I'll call her.... Betty!" He smiled, clearly happy with himself.
"Do you always name your weapons or something?" Mitch looked at him confused.
"Of course! I had an iron axe before this, until that jerk up there," he glared at Ian's neck, "took him from me. His name was Fredrick."
Mitch blinked, "Ok..." For once Mitch had no words for the odd morvic, not even an insult. Instead he shrugged it off and carried on running. They had to hurry, or else Seto would die.
One more chapter till the end of Part 1! Which comes out in 10 minutes or so! :D Ohh things are getting intesne
~WrittenDarkness