Whoo! Last chapter of the PART not BOOK! So don't take this out of your library yet.
This is somewhat long in comparison to other chapters, but not too long. I still hope you like this, and stayed tuned. I'm working to plan Part 3 so I can TRY to do a Week Long Marathon over Spring Break next week. A bit more info at the bottom.
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Falling to Rise
Chapter 27
"If you don't take a chance, you don't stand a chance "
~~~~~
Mitch was running while carrying Jerome in his arms. He kept running in the shadows and behind buildings with Seto behind him, that way, they could avoid any soldiers. It only took a few moments of running to get over to Wag. Mitch was out of breath by the time Wag noticed them.
"Seto! What happened!"
"I-I don't know! S-Sub did something, he..he betrayed everyone. He hurt Jerome!" Seto was shaking and his hands trembled.
"Set him down over here, beside the building," Wag took off his cloak and laid it on the ground next to the small building where everyone was evacuating to. Mitch carefully laid Jerome down.
"Seto, I have to go back and join the fight, stay with Jerome, and don't leave his side." Mitch then left, pulling out his bow in defense.
"You said it was Sub who did this right?" Wag said as he was crouched by Jerome trying to stop the bleeding.
"Mmhmm..." Seto answered. He still shook from head to toe. He noticed a few people standing protectively around the building with swords and other weapons.
"Come here, slowly pour this down his throat. It's a healing potion, it will heal Jerome to the extent he won't die, but he'll still have the injuries to recover from."
Without looking up Wag held out a bottle filled with pink-reddish liquid. Seto took it and sat by Jerome's face. He carefully lifted his head before slowly pouring the contents of the bottle down Jerome's throat. Jerome's pained expression softened a little, and after a few moments his bleeding stopped.
Seto sighed a little, "Wh-what did Sub do?"
"He probably used one of the projects he was working on, a small machine operated by gun powder, and shoot small metal pellets of sorts." Wag sat back and let out a long sigh, Seto looked up and Wag met his eyes.
Suddenly Wag panicked, "Seto! Seto what did you do!" Wag leaned over Jerome's body and Seto had to lean back as Wag got close to his face.
"W-what! What do you mean!"
Wag's hand pulled at Seto's cheek before he grabbed the empty bottle from Seto's hand, "Lift this! Use magic, lift this bottle! Seto, do it!"
Seto didn't understand why Wag was so panicked, "Come on! Do it!"
"Wag, wh-what is going on! What is the matter!" Wag held the bottle out to Seto, he didn't understand why Wag was getting all worked up. For a split moment however, Seto saw his reflection in the glass. Purple eyes, and purple marks down his cheek and extending along his neck until it was no longer visible under his clothes. Seto tentatively touched a finger to his cheek, "W-what are these, Wag what is going on!"
"Did you lose control again...Did you let your emotions consume you?" Wag set the bottle down. Seto's eyes widened, he did, he'd blanked out after Jerome collapsed, he'd--no, don't tell him. Did he lose too much control, did he... did he lose his magic?
Seto should be relieved right, this is what he wanted. He didn't want his magical powers, he wanted to be normal, right? So why wasn't he relieved. Had he gotten to used to having magic around? Why did Seto only feel like something terrible had happened. He'd lost his magic, so why wasn't it a good thing?
"Seto..." Wag trailed off into silence and stood up without a word before heading back into the building, leaving Seto to watch over Jerome with the sword Mitch had given him.
So he was without magic now, huh? That just makes him even more useless, doesn't it? At least before, he managed to do a few things with magic that had helped all of them, even if it was only because he'd lost control. He guessed he'd lost control too many times that now it had come to bite him in the a*s.
"Seto!" Seto looked up to see Tyler running in with a sword, "Mitch told me to check up--" Tyler stared at his face for a moment.
"I'm not going to ask, probably some magic thing, but I heard you were attacked, are you ok?" Tyler stopped in front of Seto, his breathing only slightly labored and a sword in hand.
"I-I'm fine..."
"There's a traitor here, be careful," Tyler said.
"I know... I've already met them, but I don't understand why...why they betrayed everyone."
"What! Who was it! Tell me so I can kill them!" Tyler demanded.
"C-calm down!" Seto panicked, "P-plus... I think he might be dead anyways...." Seto shuddered and looked at the ground uncomfortably.
"Who was it?"
"S-Sub..."
Tyler stood there shocked for a moment, his mouth hanging open. He didn't know what to say. He wanted to say Seto was lying, but Seto wouldn't lie, not to mention if he tried, it would be too obvious he was lying.
"I...I can't believe it--" Tyler was cut off by a voice in the distance.
"Tyler! Find Jason! Tell him we're going to need him and Sub to finish that machine."
"R-right away Captain!" Tyler responded, he turned back to Seto, "Stay safe, I'll be back before you can say Tyler is the best!"
Before Seto could speak, Tyler was gone. Running into the battle once more, looking for Jason in this mess.
~~~~~
Tyler was running as fast as he could. Running so he could feel the cool night air in his hair. Running past the fighting, past the smoke and rubble, running all the way to where he was sure Jason was.
He swung open the door and saw Jason burning papers, the smoke filtering out of a window, "Jason, Jordan wants you to finish that thing you were working on!"
Jason looked up, "I-I can't. Not until you find Sub, I already burned all the papers for that, Sub's the only one who'll rem--"
"You'll have to do it without him, just hurry, it's not looking very good out there," Tyler interrupted Jason from the doorway.
"What? What happened, is he ok?"
"Jason, we don't have time for this, people's lives are dependent on this, please, I'll tell you later."
"But, I...I don't have the plans, I can't do this! Not without those plans, or Sub!" Jason began to panic and the small flame began to die out without anyone to care for them, "I mean, what do you want me to do! I--"
"Jason calm down, breathe, breathe, ok?" Tyler ran over and sheathed his sword, he let the door close behind him and placed a reassuring hand on Jason's back, "Sub may have taught you many things, but you and Sub are the same in a way. You both have a natural talent in this."
"But Sub invented and built the Spaw Regulators when he was 13! Even if no one believes him for it, I've seen his skill, he could do something like that with ease. Me, I can't do that...I'm just going to mess up."
Tyler gripped Jason's shoulders firmly, "Quit that!" Tyler shook Jason a little, "Have a little more confidence in yourself. Look, just take a look at it, I bet you can figure it out, you're smart enough. Just try."
Jason sighed and Tyler let go of him. Jason walked past the ash all over the floor and to one of the chests. He stood for a few moments before he lifted the lid of a chest and pulled out a small box shaped object. It was made of a thick metal the color of peaches and divided in a diamond shaped grid. At the very center of all the sides was a quartz square plate, each with a small artificial gem, all but one side.
Jason set the box down and dug through the chest again pulling out some redstone wire (dust). His hands shook before he hurriedly connected the box to a lever and flicked it. The wires lit up and slowly a soft glow emitted from the gems before they flickered and died. The wires sparked and their light died out to.
Jason panicked and crouched by the machine. He pulled out a pair of blue gloves from his sweater and put them on. Tyler moved closer to the door with his sword out as Jason hurriedly messed with the machine.
"I know the problem..."
"What, what is it?"
"Well... there a a few misplaced gears inside, I can fix that easily, but the other thing, is we're missing a gem. We got the shipment for them a few weeks back, but after that whole magical incident, one of them broke. So we only had five to work with for now. If we had any gem, real or fake I could get this working. But there is no way we can find one in time--"
"I got this Jason! You just work on what you can, I'll find us a gem, somewhere... Don't worry!"
Tyler left the building in a flash. He didn't know where he was going to find a gem, or even something like it.
"Come at me you Emedo b@stards!" Tyler glanced as he saw Mitch fighting five soldiers with a bow and no arrows. He looked ragged and tired, His clothes were torn, and the hoodie he wore was tossed aside on the ground. This revealed a golden amulet around his neck with a red jewel in the center. Tyler's eyes widened, a gem! Just what he needed!
He ran and pulled out his sword and swung it at an unsuspecting soldier, the other four turned to face him as Tyler's victim fell to the ground. Tyler blocked an oncoming blow and matching Tyler's speed perfectly, Mitch moved in smacked a soldier with his bow and gave a kick to his shin.
Both Tyler and Mitch managed to work as a good pair, driving their attackers away with ease, "Thanks dude, you came just in the nick of time," Mitch breathed out heavily, "Whew, if I had a sword with me and more arrows this would've been too easy, but hey, I'm always up for a challenge!" He laughed a little before clutching his side. There was a small gash with only a little bit of blood seeping out.
"No problem, hey, I couldn't um.. Help but notice," Tyler pointed at Mitch's chest where the ruby gem rested comfortably. Mitch glanced at it and quickly tried to stuff it in his pocket.
"Whoa, calm down! I don't care where you got it, but I need it--correction, Jason needs it. He needs one gem to finish an important--"
"I-I can't give this to you, I just can't" Mitch butted in.
"Please," Tyler begged, "If we don't more people will, die, we aren't winning here. There is no way we could've predicted this attack, and now we've lost so much we'll lose if this keeps up. Please Mitch, everyone's lives depend on it, I need your gem, do it for your friends."
Mitch clutched the amulet close and didn't look Tyler in the eyes. He couldn't give this up! It's not... It's not that he values it for it's monetary value, but it serves as a symbol. A symbol that he is strong.
Never once in all his life had his father approved of him as his son. He always told him to work harder, train more, to quit slacking. Even when he was younger, his father forced him to meet the young prince of Emedo, 8 years old at the time, and he was 6. Adam was obnoxious and annoying, Mitch refused to associate with anyone like that.
And it was that decision Mitch learned the most important lesson of his life. To be a strong king, you must be able to be a good actor. If you can fool your friends, you can fool your enemy, and therefore remain always one step ahead.
As much as he hated his father for never acknowledging his strengths, if it weren't for that, he'd never would've become "friends" with Adam. Even if his father only cared about making a strong kingdom by being a strong king, Mitch just wanted to make a stronger kingdom to be better than his father. He always wanted to be better than everyone else. He wanted to be the greatest.
He just wanted to be recognized by his father.
That's why... That's why... That's why, everything he's worked for has been to prove he would be a better and stronger king, he would make a better and stronger kingdom, he would prove that he deserved the title of Prince of Duhita. If he threw this gem away he'd lose the one thing his father had given him as recognition to his skills. Duhitian royalty only receive their amulets when the king deems them worthy.
So he can't just throw it away! It was his, and he was selfish! He'd always been selfi-- "Mitch! Please snap out of it! Please I need it! People will die!" Tyler yelled to him.
"Let them!" Mitch screamed without warning, his hands clenched the amulet firmly in his hand. Why should he care! These were just Efliden people, not his people, he didn't need to care. They would serve no use in his one and only goal--
You said my name.
Mitch blinked as that phrase came to mind.
Well hello to you to, Mitch!
His heard his name called.
You going you make me, Mitch?
What was going on. Why was he--
Why did he save Jerome? He'd run over to save Seto, because Seto was important. Seto was a sorcerer, he could use magic. He was useful. Everything Mitch did was for his kingdom, for his goal! He was friends with Adam for an alliance, he was on this journey to pay a debt but to gain Seto's trust. He was friendly to people to make people believe he was a good prince, that they could trust him
So what use was there in saving Jerome, he was useless every way he looked at it.
"Mitch! You have friends counting on you!"
He had friends? He's never had a friend, at least he's never called anyone a friend from the bottom of his heart, has he?
I'm Adam! I'm a prince like you, let's be friend! A cheeky grin and a hand held out, that's the stupid, cliche thing Adam did 16 years ago. And it still made him cringe, but now, he felt a little smile tickle at the back of his throat, like a laugh ready to erupt. Did he really have friends, did he really have people who trusted and depended on him?
Did he save someone like Jerome because there was something to be gained that he didn't notice, or did he do it because he wanted to?
Mitch glanced down at his amulet again, his hand trembled and his grip grew tighter. His eyes stung, he could almost feel the tears, but he held them back. He was a Duhitian prince, a warrior in the middle of battle, but who was he fighting for?
Mitch's grip loosed a little, he felt a few drops of tears splash on his hand and immediately he went to wipe them, without looking he held his hand out to Tyler, "F-Fine! Just take the d*mn thing! I don't want it anymore! I don't need it! Just take it."
Tyler rejoiced, "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Mitch was still rubbing away tears with his free hand as he nodded in response to Tyler. He loosened his hold and let the amulet drop.
~~~~~
Mitch let go of the amulet and let it drop. Tyler moved his hands to catch it, but as fate would have it...
An arrow whizzed by, it shot through the strings and the amulet went flying through the air as it was caught against the arrow's trajectory. The arrow lodged itself several blocks away into a wall with the amulet dangling from it.
Tyler blinked, "Holy Notch! What kind of crazy, whacked up coincidence is this sh*t! There is no way that happened!"
Mitch looked up in surprise as he didn't see what happened, "Wh--"
"Thanks again Mitch! Got to go, Jason is going to need that fu*king gem!" Tyler ran off leaving Mitch to face more soldiers heading his way. Not to mention the soldier that had fired the arrow, not knowing of the shockingly amazing, yet infuriating feat he'd just done.
"Shi*! Hold up, you can't leave me here with all these d*mn soldiers!"
Tyler was almost to the wall, almost to the arrow, almost to the amulet-- "Whoa!"
Tyler barely managed to skid to a stop as an axe was swung right into to stop he'd almost run into, "Heh, nowhere to run Glasses."
"My name is not Glasses!" Tyler pointed a glaring finger at the soldier, "And I don't have time for your sh*t!"
Tyler screamed as he had to jump out of the way of another swing. Tyler had no choice but to pull out his sword again to fight back, but what about the--
Tyler looked to see someone nearing the wall.
~~~~~
"Adam!" Tyler had called out to the running figure, even from here the guy looked exhausted.
Adam turned his head to see Tyler fighting a soldier, defending himself to the attacks. Adam started to run over but Tyler shouted, "No! Get that amulet! Jason needs that gem!" Tyler tried to jerk his head in the direction of the gem, when Adam saw it he nodded and made a run for it.
Adam ran for that gem, he could feel his chestplate getting weaker. It would probably break soon, but he got a few useful years out of it.
Adam yanked the amulet off the arrow only to turn around and hold up his arms in defense as he saw an oncoming sword attack. He gritted his teeth as the sword slashed through his arms and he stumbled back against the wall for support.
Sh*t! He thought. His sword had broke already, and his chestplate can't take this much abuse any longer. He clenched his free hand into a fist and lunged at the soldier, he wouldn't go down without a fight. If Jason needs Mitch's amulet, then fine! He's going to do every d*mn thing to get it to him-- The soldier fell dead as a sword was pulled out from behind him. A somewhat tall but short man with black hair and familiar red sunglasses stood in front of him.
Adam's eyes met his savior, sunglasses to sunglasses and it's like he forgot the entire world. There was no way he could be here, it had to be some look alike. He couldn't be alive! Adam trembled in sadness and his hands began to shake, he crumpled to his knees.
~~~~~
"Hey!" Jordan crouched down to this man who'd suddenly collapsed, he tried to separate his hands from his face and it took a few moments before he did, "What's wrong, come on, get up, this is a battle!" Jordan comforted him.
Jordan had to keep fighting, but he felt like he couldn't leave this guy alone, especially with no weapon. He turned to the battle at hand, his friends fighting soldiers, soldiers from a kingdom he was once familiar with. He didn't know how they found them or why they suddenly attacked, it couldn't be the king discovered his existence here. No way he knows he's still alive.
Jordan turned back to the guy he'd saved, it seemed he'd calm down. He smiled at Jordan and stood up, though his hands were bleeding from the blow he'd seen him receive from the attack, he brushed himself off and cleared his throat, "Sorry, I was just caught off guard."
"No worries, we should get you to a--"
"No can do, I need to get this to Jason, where is he?" He held out Mitch's amulet, though it was a little covered in blood.
"That building there, in the distance," Jordan pointed to where Jason was.
"Thank--" Jordan leaped forward with his sword and blocked an attack. They were losing this battle terribly, and now they were surrounded. This guy without a weapon and many rebels unable to fight. Adam clenched his teeth, he scanned the background for a way out, but there was none, "D*mn!"
His eyes lit up as he saw Seto, "Seto! Seto, catch! Take this to Jason! Hurry, the building by itself to the north!"
Adam launched the amulet through the air, Seto looked up from the side of the building, his eyes widened as the amulet flew through the air. It soared over through the air and rolled to a stop several feet away from Wag's building in front of Seto.
"Whoops! Sorry!" Adam apologized before being dragged back into the fight.
~~~~~
Seto stared at the amulet from where he huddled in the shadows, he looked up to see Adam fighting with no sword. Tyler was just in the distance and so was Mitch. Ian was also extremely far, and Jerome was unconscious. Adam had thrown him this amulet, told him to grab it and run to Jason who was located in the north side of the camp. But he was to scared.
He wished he could use his magic to grab it or something, but he knew it would be pointless. Because he was an idiot, an idiot who lost his magic... And he killed someone! There's no way he survived, and the guilt hurt Seto. He killed someone, and Adam was depending on him to jump out and grab this amulet?
But he had to. If not him, who, who was still around to do anything? Everyone was fighting, everyone but him, he was small and it seemed everyone had overlooked him as he huddled in the shadows. He could dart out and grab that amulet before making a run for Jason. But if he did, who would watch Jerome.
But if he didn't act fast someone would die, this time it could be a friend. It could be Tyler, or Adam, or even Ian. So he had to do this! Seto crawled across the ground as fast as he could, hoping to stay low and out of sight. But of course fate had other plans.
It seemed a soldier had made its way to the safe area, and he was making his way straight to Seto. Seto saw him and froze in fear. Of course he'd leave his sword by Jerome. The soldier yelled as he swung to attack Seto.
Jerome jumped in front of Seto and blocked the blow by catching the blade of the sword with his paws, blood began to drip down his fur around his paws as he winced in pain, "J-Jerome! What are you doing, yo-you're supposed to be resting!"
Jerome grinned weakly back at Seto, "Aw come on Seto, I would've thought you'd figure it out by now. We outcasts gotta stick together... That's how the world works, because if we don't stick up for each other, then who will?"
Seto couldn't speak as Jerome stood grunting as the strength of the other soldier was getting to him, Jerome was still weak, his injuries only partially healed. He shouldn't be doing something like this, he's just going to make his condition worse.
"What're you waiting for?" Jerome grinned back to Seto, "You have to grab that gem, we're counting on you."
Seto blinked, it was now or never. Not having magic was a truly horrible thing, he realized that now. Magic was--IS a part of him, he is a sorcerer, just like his father. And he'll do anything to hold onto the last grains of his family, but right now his friends need him. And Seto needs himself.
He has to know.
Is he useless as a regular person? Or can he live even if he can never regain his powers, can he help his friends without magic, can he save them? Can he be brave for once in his pathetic life?
He had to make a choice now!
~ End of P A R T 2~
LOTS of REALLY Important stuff vvvvvvvvvv
Guys we did it. Part 2 is done! Falling to Rise is so close to being complete, after Part 3 this book will be done. And Part 3 isn't going to be super long, I'm estimating it could be 6 or less chapters, but that is only an estimation. Part 1 was supposed to be 6 but obviously it is not.
But don't expect it to be as long as Part 1 or even 2, it will be short, but I cannot give an exact number.
After that I will release another book hopefully soon, a MithzanMax story called Destiny Calls, unless I change the name. If you all like Falling to Rise, than that story when it is released I recommend as a must read, not because well it's a new story and I want it to gain reads, but... and here comes the surprise:
Destiny Calls takes place in the Realm of Ethereal, which is the same place that Falling to Rise takes place, it happens at the same time Falling to Rise does, but with different characters and a different story. Destiny Calls will relate to F2R a lot, but still be a stand alone book/series. I'm only suggesting you guys read it because the two stories are similar.
Next is well Book 2 of Falling to Rise, it will be released after Destiny Calls. ATM it has no name and no written plot, but I have the general idea down. It shouldn't take too long I believe to plan, since most of the things are planned for me, like the world, the history, and other things. I planned all that when I planned F2R. Which F2R took a while to plan. I remember revealing the story in like April, but I don't think I posted a chapter until like beginning of summer.
Which reminds me! The one year anniversary of Falling to Rise is coming up! While I don't remember when I started planning, or what day in April I released the first sneak peeks, I approximated the date to APRIL 20TH! So yay! Happy almost Birthday F2R!
~WrittenDarkness