Tomorrow I will post the last and final chapter of Falling to Rise, the Epilogue! :D
Enjoy this, I'm not sure how good it is, I'm terrible with endings, but I still hope you like
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Falling to Rise
Chapter 31
"Although no one can go back and make a brand new start anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."
"Hey Seto," Seto turned around slowly to see Tyler speaking to him. Tyler walked up to Seto and sat next to him by the lagoon, "What're you doing out here all by yourself Set?"
Seto looked away, "Nothing really, just cleaning my staff..."
"Hm, you know I know you're lying," Seto stiffened and looked at Tyler, he smiled kindly at Seto. Seto stood up carrying his wet staff.
"I don't know what you're implying," Seto started to walk away, his wet staff dripping all over the ground and on his shoes and down his hands.
"Aw Seto, come back, I have to talk to you," Tyler got up and chased after Seto, "Hold up Seto!"
Seto tried his best to ignore Tyler, he didn't want anyone around him at the moment.
He would tell no one other than Wag, he was going to leave for Vragan. By himself, he didn't want to involve anyone else, this was his problem and his alone--
Tyler's arm reached out to Seto and halted him as he grabbed Seto's shoulder, "Seto will you wait and listen to me!"
Seto gasped a little, he wasn't paying attention to where he was going and walked straight into to the forests. There really was no place to run, because he could get lost in this forest. Seto stopped and sighed, he turned to look at Tyler.
"Look if you'll just hear me out, ok."
Seto sighed, "F-fine..."
"Alright, good. I overheard your conversation with Wag, so I know what you might be thinking. And I can see it in your eyes. You're desperate, you're thinking of leaving without telling anyone where you're going. You're thinking of going by yourself, even knowing you can't defend yourself--"
"And you're going to stop me!" Seto glared.
"N-No, no, that's not what I'm here about. I'm not going to stop, you, even though it would be easy to, if I wanted to, but the real reason, is that I can see why. I can see why you want to do this, you're doing it for other people, so I won't stop you."
"You...you won't?" Seto looked at Tyler.
"Nope! Instead, I want you to trust me."
"H-huh?" Seto tilted his head a little.
"I want you to trust me. Seto, I'm going to come with you--"
"No!" Seto interrupted, "That's a terrible idea, you shouldn't come with me. What about this group, isn't this what you've been doing for the past year, You...you can't just up and leave." Seto tried to argue.
"That's true, but Seto, you're my best friend, and always have been. It's been a year since we've really hung out. It'll be like when we were little--but more dangerous with people looking for you and entering an unfamiliar land...."
"Tyler..." Seto looked down, "I still think you should--"
"Whoa! Hold up, you don't have a choice," Tyler hugged Seto with one arm, practically squishing them into each other, "You don't have a choice Set, I'm coming with. I even have materials all packed!"
"Wh-What!" Seto glanced at Tyler, he was smiling cheekily, he looked like a little ten-year old playing a fun game.
"Yep! Everything is all set for Vragan, by the afternoon, I'll be waiting for you right by the log you were at with Wag. If we time it right, we can leave the moment everyone else boards the ship and sets sail."
With that Tyler gave Seto a thumbs up and waved, "See you then Seto!" Tyler left before Seto could even protest.
Seto sighed, of course now Tyler knew, what if he told everyone--
"Oh hey Seto!" Seto nearly jumped out of his skin as he screamed and stiffened. He looked behind him to see Jerome walking by carrying some of their things from Jason's home. Oh right, Seto forgot to mention that Jason's siblings were ok after the attack, in fact the fires and soldiers never reached them.
"O-O-oh J-Je-Jerome... H-Hi..." Seto stuttered.
"You ok Seto? You look like someone tried to kill you...never mind, someone did try earlier. What I mean is that you look upset."
"No! No... I'm fine, don't worry," Seto tried his best to calm down, "So what're you doing out here?"
Jerome made a lopsided frown before lightly whacking Seto on the head with a free paw, "Get your head in the game, we're leaving in a couple hours silly. I'm packing just like everyone else. And Mitch is right behind me, you don't need to head to Jason's home, we cleared it out of our belongings by the way."
"R-right!" Seto nervously laughed, "I knew that!"
"Ok, if you say so, see ya," Jerome waved and walked through the forests and back to the camp. Seto watched him go and instantly felt sad, he would be leaving his friends behind. And he would be doing it without another word, not even a goodbye.
"Seto, that you, I thought I heard Jerome talking to someone. Why are you just standing in the middle of a forest?" Mitch came up from behind Seto just like Jerome had said.
"Nothing," Seto smiled.
"Ok, hey! Since we're heading to Duhita, my offer still stands ya know, you can always come work for me," Mitch nudged Seto and grinned. Seto couldn't help but laugh at Mitch's sometimes one-tracked mind and his silly nature.
"See you around Seto!" Mitch ran off after and Seto was once again left in the forest. Seto was still laughing from what Mitch had said, but the more he laughed the more he felt sad.
And the more he felt sad the more he hated what he was going to do. Seto headed back to the camp, he noticed Adam and Ian speaking with Jordan. Seto didn't want to see his friends, because if he kept talking to them Seto wasn't sure if he'd be able to go through with his plan. So he turned around and walked away in another direction from those three.
As he walked he saw the looming figure of the Emedian ship in the lagoon. By noon today it would be sailing to Duhita, a trip Mitch had said would take at least a few weeks.
Seto spotted Jason and Jason stopped in front of him. Jason's eyes didn't make eye contact, "O-Oh, h-hey Jason..." Seto stuttered.
"Seto." he simply said, Seto shivered at his tone of voice.
"Y-you were just at the i-infirmary r-right, how's S-Sub?"
"Fine," Jason walked past Seto without another word, Seto watched as he did so. He sighed, it would take a while for Jason to like him again. But it wasn't his fault Sub tried to kill him, but Seto supposed Jason didn't want to believe that Sub was at fault, and so he'd rather blame someone. That someone being him.
He spent the final hours here wandering around before noon. And as noon approached Seto noticed that more people were going on the boat and staying there. Seto also noticed that many people were crowding the docking area.
"Good luck!"
"We'll do our best to help from here!"
"Send a message if ya'll ever need anything."
So many goodbyes from the people that would be staying behind. Seto saw Jordan and walked a little closer to hear the conversation.
"I'm sure you'd rather travel with us, but I need you to deliver a message to the king, and to stay here until Sonja, Tucker, and Tom return. Someone needs to tell them what has happened and where to go. When all that is through, come join us in Duhita," Jordan advised the burly man.
"Roger that Cap'" He saluted.
A young girl, somewhat older than him said, "Good luck Dad, me and Mom will wait for you in Duhita," Seto remembered her. Or at least Jerome had mentioned her and he'd seen her quite often around the camp. She was half morvic and half human, Jay was her name if he remembered correctly.
"Of course pumpkin, be good for your mother." He waved and the girl waved before dashing to the boat. Seto had to hurry and leave before someone dragged him to the boat.
Seto turned around and was met by Adam, Seto yelped and surprised.
"Seto, what're you doing, we have to get going, unless you'd like to get left behind," he laughed.
"N-No! But I forgot something, let me go grab it!"
"I'll come--"
"N-No! I can handle this myself, just meet me on the boat or something!"
"Okay...?" Seto dashed off towards the woods, back to where Tyler had said to go. He breathed heavily with his staff in his hand and saw Tyler casually waiting with two bags.
"Glad you could make it, thought I was going to have to travel for no reason by myself," Tyler made a cheeky grin, "Have any trouble getting here?"
"Only a little," Seto huffed.
"Cool. So Wag gave me a map and said he would do his best to make sure the boat sailed without us, and I have these bags of supplies I salvaged. Should only take five days at most to reach the Vragan border. Hopefully we'll be able to get to Duhita with ease if we cut through Keuta and stay off the roads."
"Yea," Seto agreed. Tyler tossed him a bag and Seto dropped his staff to catch it, he then swung it over his shoulder and picked up his staff.
He supposed it was better to travel with one experienced person, because he couldn't fight, and likely couldn't survive by himself. And in a way he was glad it was Tyler.
"You ready!" He grinned.
Seto returned the smile, "Yep!"
Seto took one last look at the boat, it seemed Wag had done his part, the boat was about to set sail. Everything and everyone that was going would be on that boat. It would be a while before Seto would see them, but he would come back different for them.
Together he and Tyler started to trek through the woods toward the Eflido border. Just the two of them once more, just like their childhood.
It was always just them.
OOOoooo Besides the epilogue this book is pretty much done. The epilogue will clue you in on some things for the next book, and so yay!
I want to thank you all for this wonderful journey we've been through, and I can't wait to start writing book 2. I still have to think of a title, and I'm already working on the cover. The only other things would be plot and such.
Please tell me of your thoughts about the book. How was it? Was I able to live up to your expectations? What do you think will happen in the future for Seto? And are you excited for Falling to Rise's join story Destiny Calls? And stay tuned for the Epilogue tomorrow!
~WrittenDarkness