Yes, I know what you're all thinking..."Why Kristen, why are you starting another story when you've already got more three going on?" To answer that question, this story is one that I have been working on at school since I've been grounded for the past week with no access to my other stories. This is my first AU story so hopefully it isn't terrible. Frankly, I will be focusing more on my other stories unless this gets a lot of good feedback. I'll tell you something though; this story is going to get pretty interesting.
Chapter 1: The Veitras and the Amethysts
"Toris seriously! Think about what your doing." Alfred hissed, arms folded as he watched his best friend through wide eyes. Toris however wasn't listening as he threw what little belongings he owned into a small tan shoulder bag.
"I know what I'm doing Alfred" Toris responded, his back facing Alfred. "This is my choice."
"If anyone finds out then you'll be killed! People wont hesitate to turn you in!" Alfred pleaded once more. Both teens held their breath at a creaking sound that had come from towards the door, sighing in relief when it was just a mouse.
"We've talked about this. I don't believe in the Veitra ways. Feliks showed me the right way to handle magic. Oh Alfred...if only you could see the way that Amethysts live. Everything is so free!" Toris breathed, eyes lighting up as he remembered whatever the things that he had learned on his many forbidden outings. "And that is why I must leave."
For the past four months the blue eyed teen had stood by as Toris slowly fell for the other side. The enemy. Amethysts were nothing but vermin who got in the way as the Veitras progressed in their power. Ever since Alfred had learned to talk, he was taught about how evil the Amethysts were. Now because of them, Alfred was being forced to watch as his closest, most dearest friend ran away.
"Running away wont change things. You'll always be a Veitra. It's in your blood." Alfred said coldly.
The Amethysts had gotten to Toris, brainwashed him with their coy, malevolent magic. Their disgusting fairy magic. Now there was nothing he could do.
"Look Al, I know your not that happy with my decision but...please know that I'll miss you." Tories said softly, hoisting himself up onto the windowsill. "Goodbye Alfred."
With that, Tories ever so quietly slipped his thin frame out from the open window. Alfred's heart thumped with both fear and distress. He would never see Tories again, if he even made it out. If Toris were to be caught...
Alfred cursed to himself quietly, trying to peer out into the darkness in hopes of catching one last glimpse of Toris. How had he been so foolish, just standing there and allowing him to leave? If anything he should have turned Toris in. A true Veitra would have done so.
Eight years ago Alfred had met Toris, when they were both ten. Under Veitra law, all ten year olds were sent to the Magic Academy in hopes of becoming something useful, like a Warrior, Professor, or even a Healer. Alfred's mother had sent him and his twin Matthew there on the night of their Birthday.
Toris had already been at the Academy for a few weeks before Alfred and Matthew had arrived. He was the one who showed Alfred around the grounds. It was a beautiful place too, with silver doorways and Porcelain flooring. Children were treated well there, with fine meals and fun they grew older though, pupils were taught of things more serious than how to read, write, and translate basic letters. They were taught how to use and control Magic.
Magic was a very serious thing. Veitras used Magic for many things, but most of all for war. It helped them gain territory and spread their ways to uncivilized, wild cultures. Like the Amethysts for an example.
The Amethysts used fairy born Magic. Out of all the different cultures, they were the ones who fought against the Veitras the most. The claimed that the Veitras supposedly mistreated the magic. Alfred's teacher had taught them that this was the exact opposite though. The Veirtas had studied and changed the Magic to make it work properly.
Going back to the present, Alfred quickly left the room to go back to his dorm. If anyone saw him, they would know that Alfred had helped Toris run away. After all, everyone knew they were best friends.
It didn't take too long for him to jog two stories up to section D, where the oldest students of the Academy lived. In only two months he would graduate to become a Warrior because of his praising strength and powerful Magic. It was a shame that Toris had left. He would have become something along the lines of a Professor because of his wisdom.
The room was lit with one dim candle when Alfred opened his door. He shared the room with three other students, one of which was his brother Matthew. Matthew had always worried Alfred, because of his lack of strength and power. All the time he would loose the fighting practices, acting like he didn't care about fighting for the Veitra ways. Luckily Matthew had been chosen to be a Healer, and he was proving to be very useful.
"Brother?" Matthew asked with a yawn, hearing the squeak of the door as Alfred entered.
"I was just going to the bathroom. Go back to sleep brother." Alfred whispered quietly, finally letting down his tense posture when Matthew snuggled deeper into his covers. He crossed the room to his own bed by the window, laying down and gazing at the blue crystal moon in the sky.
"I really hope you don't die Toris" He whispered. "Even if you are the enemy now"
With that, Alfred closed his eyes and fell into a fretful sleep.
The next day just as Alfred suspected, all student's were called to the Main Lobby at mid-day. The disappearance of Toris had been discovered. It was rare that all four sectors of students were called, all A, B, D, and C. It made the oval shaped room very crowded. The younger students looked nervous, as this was also the room where traitors were sentenced to death or life imprisonment.
"There's been a rumor" Matthew whispered, "That Toris has run away."
"Toris?" Antonio, another student questioned. "He doesn't seem like the type of person to run away. You were close to him right Alfred? Did he say anything to you about it?"
Alfred stiffened at being addressed, but put on his best clueless facade. "I have no idea. He didn't mention anything to me about it, but the last few days he was acting pretty strange."
Before another word could be uttered, there was a loud rapping sound from the high stand towards the front of the room. Everyone was silent. There stood Ludwig Beilschmidt, one of the highest ranks in the academy despite only being 21. Though Ludwig was normally a nice man, when it came to serious matters he could be quite cold.
"I'm afraid that I have some rather...unsettling news." Ludwig spoke slowly, his blue eyes surveying room full of shocked expressions. "A student by the name of Toris Laurinitis has run away. For those of you who do not know, Toris is eighteen years of age, meaning that he belongs in sector D. This morning Veitra guards searched around the grounds, and he seemed to have went East. Can anyone tell me what exactly is in the East?"
A young timid girl raised her hand. Ludwig nodded at her to speak so she cleared her voice and murmured something.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think anyone heard you. Could you please speak up?" Ludwig asked. The girl looked like she was about to start crying as she slowly spoke again.
"The East i-is where most Amethyst p-people live sir." She said.
"Exactly" Ludwig said sharply, causing most people to jump. "It seems that Toris went towards the Amethyst civilizations. The question I want to know is why?"
Nobody spoke up. The silence seemed to be eating away at Alfred's bones. What was going to happen? Would they suspect that he knew? What if they eventually found Toris?
"If your name is called from the following list I am about to read, you are to stay behind for a few questions." Ludwig said, before pulling a tiny piece of parchment from his tunic pocket. "Raivis Galante from sector B, Eduard Von Beck from sector C, and Alfred Jones from sector D."
Alfred felt his heart stir when his name was called, trying to clamp down on his panic. It was only natural that they would want to question him. After all, they were best friends right? That didn't mean that they suspected anything from him...right?
"Alright, now that the names have been called the rest of you are dismissed. Go back to your classes."
Everyone began whispering again as they all shuffled out of the room. Matthew smiled gently at his brother, laying a hand on Alfred's shoulder.
"Don't worry Al, it's sort of obvious that they would want to talk to you. Just keep a clear head and admit that you had nothing to do with it. You are innocent after all." He said encouragingly. Alfred nodded and gave his winning smile to his brother, but inside he was screaming. 'That's the thing. I'm not innocent!'
Eventually it was just Alfred and the other two students left in the room, along with Ludwig. Alfred recognized both of them. Raivis was a younger student at age thirteen, but a good friend of Toris's nonetheless. Eduard was also close to Toris, and was seventeen years of age. It wouldn't be long until he got moved to sector D.
Ludwig slowly stepped down from his stand and walked towards them, his footsteps echoing around the long walls. Raivis and Eduard were both shaking a little, but not nearly as much then when they were around Ivan Braginski.
Ivan Braginski was no student, nor was he a teacher or a soldier. He was the King of all Veitras, and he lived in the palace that was not far from the Academy. Raivis, Eduard, and Toris had all been assigned to Ivan as part-time personal servants. All three of them felt unsettled around the king.
King Ivan did his job well. It was very rare that they ever lost land. Ever since his becoming the King, Ivan had gained them more Amethyst territory than they had won in over ten years. He was worshiped by many despite his rather...slightly creepy demeanor. Alfred had only met him once, and to be honest he didn't exactly like him.
"So" Ludwig said, gazing at all three of them. "I'm sure you are all upset about the disappearance of your friend."
For a moment if was silent, before Eduard spoke. "Yes...I find it quite upsetting."
"Me too" Raivis said. Alfred nodded mutely alongside them, trying his best to look upset. Ludwig studied them all for a moment longer before clearing his throat.
"Do any of you have the slightest clue as of why he ran away?"
"No sir" All three of them said at once, shaking their heads.
"...So you don't have any idea at all?" Ludwig asked once again. When they didn't answer, the guard sighed, shaking his head.
"Very well, you two may leave." He said to Raivis and Eduard. Both of them all but ran from the room. Alfred calmly stood still as they waited for the others to leave. Finally Ludwig brought his gaze back to Alfred.
"You were the closest to Toris right? I find it very hard to believe that he wouldn't have told you anything."
The short silence was a little nerve wrecking, especially with Ludwig's cold gaze, his icy blue eyes boring into Alfred's sky blue ones. The teen shifted, trying desperately to think of something to say that would make him sound innocent. It was a little hard to do such a thing around anybody here, especially Ludwig. It was as if the man could read your thoughts.
"Honestly Sir, he didn't say a thing to me. That's why I'm so upset...my best friend didn't even tell me anything." Alfred said, smiling on the inside at his awesome lying skills. For another moment Ludwig was silent before finally nodding.
"Very well Alfred, you may go. However you must understand that you are going to be watched closely." He said.
"Understandable!" Alfred said in relief, turning around to leave. "Let me know if you guys find him."
After leaving the room, Alfred felt a major rush of relief swarm into his system. Thank god Toris had at least made it without being caught so far. Chances were that he'd already reached his beloved Amethysts. Just thinking of Toris living with them made Alfred see red. One of his closest friends had left his own people to live with the enemy. It just wasn't right.
'I should have stopped him...I should have stopped him...' Alfred couldn't help but keep thinking as he reached his quarters. When he arrived he saw that Matthew had been waiting up for him.
"I'm glad you made it alive out of Ludwig's interrogation." Matthew said with a chuckle from his seat at the end of Alfred's bed.
"Yeah" Alfred murmured, a little distracted from his own thoughts.
"Alfred...you didn't really know anything about Toris's departure, right?" Matthew asked timidly.
"Of course not!" Alfred snapped, instantly feeling bad when Matthew cringed. He also felt horrible for lying. Of course Matthew would never turn him in, but he really didn't want his brother getting involved in this. He would never forgive himself if something happened to Matthew. He had already allowed his best friend's mind to be tainted from horrible Amethyst magic...he couldn't bear to loose two people he cared about.
"I wonder why Toris would even consider going to the Amethysts...I mean, what would trigger him too?" Matthew wondered idly.
"No idea" Alfred responded. "It's not like there's anything special about the Amethysts. They just get in the way of our race advancing. Obviously something went wrong inside Tories. Listen Matt, whatever you do, stay out any trouble with the law. Now that someone of our sector has run away, we're going to be watched closely."
"I know, you don't have to worry Alfred" Matthew reassured him. "So long as you promise me that you wont cause any trouble either."
"I wont" Alfred promised. "Well...we should probably get to bed I suppose."
"Okay" Matthew smiled, leaving Alfred's bed to climb into his own. "Good night brother."
"Good night Mattie" Alfred said, getting under his covers. Though he tried to sleep, it was impossible. His mind was far too jittery. He wondered what Toris was doing at this very moment. Most likely sleeping...but still. Was he with the Amethysts right now, or was he perhaps all alone in the woods by himself? Honestly though, why on earth would he choose the Amethysts over the Veitras? Was there something that Alfred was missing here? No...no, he couldn't think things like that. The Amethysts were the bad ones, not the Veitras.
Still, what on earth could be so interesting about the Amethysts?
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Arthur Kirkland sat cross legged by his favorite stream just outside his village. He sighed, inhaling the sent of wildflowers and fresh air. Today was pleasantly nice out, as the sun shone high in the sky. There was a gentle breeze too, making the temperature perfect as it wasn't to hot, nor cold.
Just a few feet away from him were two rabbits who were cautiously sniffing their surroundings. Arthur smiled, gently taking a piece of bread from his leather pouch. He broke it into two pieces, slowly holding it out to the two small animals. The rabbits crept slowly over to Arthur's awaiting hand before leaning their heads down and nibbling at the yummy treat. Arthur smiled, tracing a finger along one rabbits soft ear.
This was how he spent most of his free time, down by this lovely stream with the beauty of nature. Most of the time he would do something to occupy himself while relaxing down here as well, such as needlework or reading. Luckily this village had a library with over 200 books. Of course that was nothing compared to the library from his homeland, Britannia. The Britannian Library had more than 50,000 books...or at least it used to. Until the Veitra soldiers burned it down.
Just thinking about those horrid Magic abusers made Arthur boil with anger. They had ruined everything! Because of them, his family was dead. Since Britannia was one of the most ancient Magic bearing places, that had been the Veitra's first and most main target despite it being occupied by mostly Amethysts. Now thousands of skilled Magic bearers were either imprisoned as slaves or dead.
Luckily Arthur had escaped somehow, ending up across the ocean, all the way to the New World. He was happy with his life now at least, but he still missed his once beautiful homeland. Now it was most likely dark and full of sickness, death, rubble, and Veitra people.
"Arthur! Where are you?" A highly accented French voice interrupted the teen from his thoughts. The rabbits startled, quickly bounding away into the bushes. Arthur cursed to himself. 'How the bloody hell does he always find the perfect time to interrupt me?'
"I'm busy frog, what do you need?" He asked, rising from his spot in the grass. Francis Bonnefoy, another Amethyst just like Arthur, emerged through the trees and smiled brightly upon seeing him.
"I'm afraid your daydreaming is going to have to be put on hold. Tino and Berwald are busy teaching the young ones, so that means you must help me with dinner." Francis said, laughing when Arthur sent him a disgruntled expression. "This time I'll supervise you with the roast so it wont come out looking like charcoal."
"You git!" Arthur yelled. "That was one time!"
Francis only laughed as they made their way back towards the small village. By calling it small, there was no over exaggeration. There were only a little more than 24 people living there. The Amethyst population was deteriorating drastically. Veitra soldiers made it their special goal to take out the young Amethyst children first, to 'Prevent them from breeding' An ancient Veitra King once said. Here, there were only about six young children who were healthy and alive. This village was well hidden within the thick forests of the New World, up in the East where it was safe..for the time being.
It was fairly a pleasant place to live, because everyone knew each other. The head one in charge of this village was Elizaveta, a fierce warrior who had actually fought against the Veitra first hand. Arthur envied her, for he would have been more than happy to kill as many Veitras as possible.
"Arthur, there you are!" A light voice said cheerfully. Arthur smiled when Tino came out of one of the tents. Tino, along with his husband Berwald had been much like parent figures for Arthur. When he had first arrived in the New World all by himself, Francis had found him and brought him back to the village where Tino had fed and taken care of him until his health was better.
"Hello Tino, how are the young ones doing?" Arthur asked.
"Very well!" Tino said, smiling brightly. "They're finally beginning to understand the concepts of water magic. Pretty soon we can move onto tree growing!"
Tino and Berwald both helped the children in the village learn to use their magic the right away, to help nature grow and happiness spread. It wasn't as easy as it sounded. Arthur himself was only just beginning to master fire spells, and he had been learning magic for a long time. Tino personally tutored him every night.
Arthur was a very powerful Amethyst, but he always learned things slower than others. Even when he lived in Britannia, he was always slower compared to the others in his class, though most others could feel great power within him. Tino said that the best Magic Bearers developed the slowest, but Arthur was beginning to doubt him.
"Well, I'd better go help the frog with dinner. Tell Berwald that I'll bring in the wood for the evening fire." Arthur said, waving goodbye before catching up to Francis.
Francis was something else. He came all the way from Gaul by his own choice. Gaul was not that far from Britannia, but it was still inhabited with many Amethysts. Francis had moved here only a few years before Arthur himself arrived. He had shoulder length wavy blonde hair and dark blue eyes. Francis also always wore a smug look, whether through a smirk or through his posture. He was also a very skilled magic bearer himself, though not as good as Tino or Berwald, or even Elizaveta.
Cooking was something that Arthur did enjoy, but cooking with Francis certainly aggravated him. According to everyone else, Arthur was a very bad cook while Francis was a wonderful one. The Frenchman certainly liked to tease him about that.
Arthur lived in a small hut with Francis, Tino, and Berwald. It was very beautiful, with flowers growing in the windowsills and paintings of the Moon and Constellations, which were very holy to Amethysts. Arthur slept up in the loft on a soft bed made of feathers and silk. He and Francis both shared the loft, though they slept on separate sides. Arthur's bed was near the window, so he could see the stars every night.
"Come now Arthur, at least try to cut tomatoes evenly." Francis said lightheartedly from beside the oven.
"Shut up frog, I'm doing it fine!" Arthur growled, chopping up the red fruit furiously.
They continued working on dinner for several more minutes. Arthur became lost in his thoughts. For some reason today he was remembering his family. Not his new family here, but his old family. It was a little hard to remember everything about them. There were his older brothers, and then his mum. His dad had been part of the resistance against the Veitras so he had barely ever been home. His mum though...she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Everything she did was elegant. The way she would sing to Arthur and his siblings, or cook delicious meals. The memory that pained him most was the one of his younger brother Peter. Peter had been five when the family got killed but somehow...somehow his little brother had went missing. Most likely he was a slave somewhere.
"What are you thinking about mon cher? You seem very lost in thought." Francis commented after awhile, stirring Arthur from his thoughts.
"I was thinking about my family." Arthur said nonchalantly, wiping his tomato juice infested hands on his tunic.
"Your family." Francis said, but it was not a question. "Arthur you don't have to think about that right now. You have a new family here. Tino, Berwald, and I love you very much. You are my brother mon cher."
"Yes, I know, and I thank you for that" Arthur said. "I just cant help but remember. And I don't understand how I just so suddenly appeared all the way in The New World. I didn't even try using magic."
"Be thankful that you ended up here." Francis told him, voice growing a little sterner. "If not then you would have died."
"I know that!" Arthur snapped, green eyes blazing. "I still cant help but wonder how I ended up here though!"
"Because your special" Francis told him gently. "Tino says so, and I believe him. Anyone can sense the magic radiating off of you from miles away Arthur."
"Pfft, as if" Arthur rolled his eyes. "I can't even properly make a bonfire Francis! If I cant do that, then how on earth was I able to teleport myself to a whole different country?"
Just as Francis opened his mouth to respond, shouting could be heard fro outside. Each of the two Amethysts looked at each other before quickly running out of the hut. To Arthur's great surprise, he saw a small crowd of the villagers had gathered around something. Upon moving closer, Arthur could hear Feliks' voice coming from somewhere in the middle of the crowd. Feliks was the best sewer in the village, often being the one who made most of the clothes for people. He was also great with decorating.
"It's like, completely okay everybody! This is the guy I told you about...this is Toris!" Feliks was saying.
Finally when Arthur saw what everyone was looking at, his eyes just about popped out of his head. Standing next to Feliks was another person. However, there was something extremely wrong with the other person. He was wearing a Veitra uniform! Arthur gave a low hiss, fists curling up. His palms felt hot, as if he was just on the verge of shooting a deadly curse as the Veitra.
"Calm down Arthur" Francis murmured, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Let's see what this is all about."
Arthur released his breath, but didn't move from his wary pose. Instead he studied the Veitra further. He had light brown hair that went down to the tips of his shoulders. Despite looking as old as Feliks, the Veitra looked a lot scrawnier. What did Feliks say his name was again...Toris? Yes, Toris was wearing a light red shirt with the Veitra symbol on it.
"Okay everyone, be calm please!" Tino called out order, immediately bringing a silence to the worried murmuring that came from the unsettled villagers. The small but powerful Amethyst then stepped over to stand directly in front of Toris, Berwald staying behind him.
"Hello Toris, I am Tino." He said pleasantly, reaching out to shake Toris' hand. "I welcome you to our village, for Feliks has told me much about you."
Arthur spluttered in disbelief. Tino knew that Feliks was friends with a Veitra? What the hell? Before he could say anything though, Tino had turned around to face all of them.
"You have nothing to fear. Toris understands the wrongdoings of the Veitras. He wants to study our magic now, and learn the right way to control it. From here on out he will be staying in Feliks' hut with him. I expect you all to be kind to him, is that understood?" Tino asked them all lightly, but you could hear the seriousness hidden in his tone. Everyone nodded mutely.
"I-I'm sorry for startling all of you" Toris spoke for the first time. Arthur was shocked to hear that his voice was so...so soft. In his mind he had imagined all Veitras to have cold and hearless voices and expressions. Toris though, sounded as if he were nothing of a threat.
"You have nothing to be sorry for." Feliks told him. All was silent for a moment, for nobody was sure of what to do next. Tino was the first one to act, gripping onto Berwald's hand before turning to face Francis and Arthur.
"It's getting quite late isn't it? How is dinner fairing along you two?" He asked.
"Er...it's just about done" Francis answered him, blinking.
"Excellent!" Tino said brightly. "Come along then, let's go."
As Tino and Berwald went back to the hut, for a moment everyone just stood there dumbly. Finally Feliks and Toris went to their own hut, so Arthur followed Francis back to theirs. When they got back inside, Tino and Berwald were waiting patiently, dinner already on the table. Nobody spoke for awhile, until finally Arthur slammed his cup of milk down abruptly, glaring at Tino.
"What the bloody hell just happened out there?" He shouted. "Why would you allow a Veitra into our village?"
"Arthur" Berwald started warningly, but was stopped by Tino.
"Toris is no Veitra, Arthur" He said simply. "We welcome anyone into our village so long as they aren't a threat. I do not see Toris as a threat. He and Feliks are very close...perhaps closer then you understand."
"They're in love?" Francis blurted out in question.
"Yes, yes they are." Tino answered.
"Ha, as if that matters!" Arthur spat. "He still grew up in a Veitra environment! An enemy is what he is...a bloody enemy who should be banned from this village and left to die in the streets. The Veitras showed no remorse for killing us even when we claimed not to want war, so why should we be kind to them?"
"Arthur, I want you to finish your meal and then go outside." Tino said softly, but his voice was firm. "We shall skip your magic lessons for tonight, but I want you to walk around and think. Remember this though; if we killed every Veitra we saw, then we would be no better then them."
Arthur could only see red as he stood from the table angrily, storming out from the hut. It just wasn't fair! The Veitras were bad people! Toris could be a spy...he could be evil and reveal their village's secret location to his superiors and get them all killed! These thoughts echoed in his mind as he walked through the forest until coming to his favorite spot by the small stream. The moonlight lit up the area, causing a beautiful silvery glow upon the earth.
He plopped down against the soft grass, resting his arms behind his head.
Suddenly he began to feel a pang of sadness seep into his heart. He wondered if Peter was okay. What if he was dead already like the rest of his family? Or was he a slave and being mercilessly beat and spat upon everyday? None of this was right. Why couldn't all different magic bearers just get along peacefully? Arthur felt tears well up into his eyes. Crying was something that he didn't do often, but sometimes when he was alone...
The normally colorful flowers around Arthur turned into a shade of light glowing blue, wilting slightly.
'Tino is right' Arthur finally concluded silently through his muffled sobs. 'Wanting to kill the Veitras makes me no better then them'
For awhile he cried quietly, face buried into the grass. When he felt a hand land lightly on his shoulder, he jerked and turned around, only to come face to face with Francis.
"W-what do you want Frog?" He asked, hurriedly wiping at his face to get rid of any evidence of tears.
"It's late out. Tino and Berwald have already gone to bed...I was worried about you." Francis said gently. "Please come back inside Arthur."
The teen then came to a conclusion. Yes, he had lost his family. However, he had gained a new one in return, a family who he equally cared about. Francis meant as much to him as his real brothers had, and possibly even more than that. Tino and Berwald made excellent mentors as well. He had a good life here, with people who cared for and understood him. He had only arrived a few years back, but it still seemed as if he belonged here...
Flashback: 5 years ago
Arthur's head was spinning as he tried to stand. It was impossible though, for his limbs were too heavy. His while body ached fiercely, and he had no idea where he was. Just moments ago he had been surrounded by screaming people, and buildings in flames. Now all was dark and silent, and it scared the boy terribly. The last thing before this he had remembered was his beloved home being attacked. His mother...his brothers...they were gone. Vetira soldiers had killed them right in front of Arthur. His mother had screamed for him to run, and that was exactly what Arthur had did. He had taken Peter's hand and ran quickly through the mob of screaming families.
Then the crowd had gotten too thick...he had lost grip of Peter's hand. When he had found his five year old brother it was too late. He was in the grasps of the Veitras, which had given Arthur no choice but to run widely though the streets and hope not to be caught. Then he had felt a bright blue flame engulf from his heart, and he had performed some sort of spell. Now he was...here. Where 'here' was though, Arthur hadn't a clue.
Suddenly Arthur heard footsteps. Someone was nearby! Who was it? A Veitra? No! Arthur weakly moaned, trying to crawl away even though it was pretty much impossible. He heard a gasp, and then whispering. Then strong hands lifted him up and he was cradled against someone's chest. He had weakly cried out, not able to see much from his blurred vision. The figure gently mumbled something, pressing his fingertips to Arthur's heart. A small purple glow flowed from the fingers and directly to his heart. He suddenly felt very warm and sleepy, immediately letting darkness take over.
That had been when Tino and Berwald rescued Arthur. Apparently they had found him like this not far from the village. They took him home, where he lay weak and feverish for several days before finally becoming fully aware of his surroundings. The whole time he was in this state, he had kept calling out for his mother, and for his older brothers, but most of all for Peter.
Finally when he was better physically Tino had introduced himself along with Francis and Berwald, who had also helped care for him. When Arthur found out that he was no longer in Britannia but instead in the New World, it had come as a great shock for the 13 year old. They had helped him though...and not long after that, Arthur began to consider them as his family.
End of Flashback
Arthur suddenly smiled, nodding at Francis. "Alright, let's go home."
Francis grinned back, and grasped Arthur's hand, pulling him up from the ground. Just as they were about to begin walking back towards the village, things began to darken. The hair on the back of Arthur's neck prickled, and he and Francis both turned around. They came face to face with none other then three Veitra soldiers, all holding spheres which had been enchanted to be lit on fire as well.
"Don't either of you move" The closest Veitra said. "Or you will regret it deeply."
Arthur cast a sideways glance to Francis, silently asking him if they should fight back. Francis tilted his head a fraction to the side, an indication that meant no. The two other Veitras came behind them, tying their hands tightly behind their backs with rope. Many things were swarming through Arthur's mind. What were Veitras doing around here? Most likely looking for Toris or something...would they find the village? It wasn't too sat from here. Oh god, they couldn't find the village!
"You are now in the custody of the Veitra army of King Ivan." The soldier spoke again, but his voice quivered slightly as he eyed Arthur of all people. He must have been sensing Arthur's magic...it did surprise a lot of people at first.
"And just what have we done?" Francis asked angrily. "This is too far east to be considered Veitra territory. You have no right to capture us!"
"All Veitra soldiers have been ordered to take in any Amethysts near here. One of our own had run away towards this direction. You will both be brought back for questioning and imprisonment." The main soldier said, still eying Arthur warily. "If you try anything we wont hesitate to slaughter you like the disgusting magic dwellers you are."
Yep, so it was Toris that had triggered this. The soldiers were looking for him, and now thanks to that idiot Arthur and Francis were captured. Obviously they would have to escape somehow, but every time Arthur looked at Francis for a signal the Frenchman would just shake his head slightly. They were herded to where they had horses waiting, and Arthur and Francis were each lifted up and set on the backs of them before the soldiers took off, luckily in the opposite direction of the village.
By now Arthur was so angry that he considered just trying to escape with or without Francis' help. His rage began to worsen, and Arthur felt his palms heat up. Suddenly much to his surprise, the ropes on his hands began to burn off. His green eyes widened, and Arthur knew that he would be in trouble for accidentally burning his ropes. Then again...perhaps he could use this to an advantage. From behind him Francis saw what had happened, and was shaking his head desperately.
'Not now Arthur...we'll escape later. It's too close to the village to risk anything. Just wait until we arrive to their city' Francis mouthed. Arthur's eyes widened slightly. Of course, how idiotic of him! If he escaped right now then the soldiers would be able to track where they went, and they would discover the village! Yes, they would have to escape later, though it would be more of a challenge.
Oh well, Arthur liked a challenge.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
The whole city was in an uproar of excitement. Apparently the previous night two young Amethysts had been captured and brought into custody, where they would be questioned by none other than King Ivan himself about the disappearance of Toris. The trial was not long from now, and the best thing of all was that it was being held publicly!
Alfred had never seen Amethysts before, so it would certainly be interesting. This still caused him to worry a bit too, because what if these two Amethysts knew Toris? Then they would give away his location and Toris would be killed! Alfred really didn't want this to happen, to he shook with both excitement and worry.
The main room of Ivan's castle was crowded, but luckily Alfred had caught site of Matthew, who had somehow obtained a front seat, and was patting the empty one next to him in a gesture of Alfred to sit.
"Wow Matt, how did you get such good seats?" He asked in wonder.
"I finished all my work and was able to make it here early." Matthew responded, smiling slightly at his brother.
"This trial is going to be interesting...I've never seen an Amethyst before! What d'you suppose they look like?" Alfred asked.
"They probably look the same as us...but I think I've heard somewhere before that Amethyst's have flawless pale skin and bright eyes. Once I was reading this book that described them as beautiful but evil creatures. Personally though, I doubt there's much of a difference. I mean, we're both humans and stuff, we just use different magic which alters our appearance slightly." Matthew rambled nervously until Alfred stopped him.
"Calm down Mattie, why the hell are you so tense? Is it the trial?" Alfred asked.
"Well...sort of" Matthew whispered weakly. "I just don't entirely agree with the whole concept. These Amethysts haven't done anything, they were just caught out in the woods. I-I just don't think it's fair. For all we know, they might not have any information about Toris at all. It's not humane." Matthew whispered. Alfred blinked in shock.
"But they're Amethysts!" He protested.
"I don't care! How would you feel if you were just taking a walk and Amethysts came along and-"
"SILENCE! THE TRAIL SHALL NOW BEGAN!" A booming voice interrupted the chatter filled room, bringing everyone to silence. "We now give you, KING IVAN!"
The whole room burst into applause, and the King himself emerged from a curtain. He was dressed in a dark red robe, purple eyes shining as he waved to everyone. He then opened his mouth and announced four words.
"Bring in the prisoners!"
A back door of the castle was opened, and that was when he saw them. Alfred's mouth hung open as he took in the scene before him. Five guards emerged, and three of them were holding onto an Amethyst that immediately caught Alfred's attention. He was short and slim, but looked strong at the same time. His eyes were a blazing green. Since Alfred sat in the front seat, he was so close that he could almost reach out and touch him of the guards weren't in the way.
Next to the green eyes Amethyst was a taller one who had ocean blue eyes and wavy blonde hair that looked even silkier than Matthew's. He was only being held by one guard, and then the last guard was the one who was leading them towards two chairs across from King Ivan. As they passed, the green eyes one suddenly turned towards Alfred, making direct eye contact with him. Alfred gasped. It was only less than a second long, but the look still shocked Alfred. He was intrigued, but also felt a bit threatened. He could sense a hell lot of magic from within the Amethyst's bones.
Another thing shocked him. He didn't have any restraints, unlike the other blue eyes Amethyst. Why on earth was that?
The two magical beings were sat down roughly in chairs across from King Ivan. The King must have been a little curious about the green eyes one as well, for his gaze lingered on him a bit longer.
"It has been quite a long time since I've had Amethysts in mt castle." The King finally spoke. "Would you mind stating your names?"
There was a silence, and the guards nudged the prisoners harshly. Finally the taller one spoke up.
"Francis" He said curtly. Ivan beamed.
"Hello Francis. It is a pleasure to meet you" He said a bit mockingly. Then his gaze switched to the other one. "And what might your name be? You certainly seem interesting."
"...Arthur" The Amethyst said so quietly that Alfred had trouble hearing him.
"What a lovely name. Now guards, would you mind telling me why Arthur has three guards holding onto him, as well as nothing to secure him?" Ivan asked pleasantly.
There was a short pause until one of the guards spoke up.
"Your Majesty, we tried ropes but he kept somehow burning them...then we switched to chains but he melted them!"
Many people in the crowd gasped softly, obviously fearing Arthur. Alfred however, felt something different. A part of him wanted to grab Arthur and bring him out of here, before Ivan could sentence him imprisonment or death...why was he feeling this? He should have no remorse for an Amethyst!
"How strange. It makes sense though. I can sense a lot of magic in you, my little Amethyst. Who are your relatives?" Ivan asked.
"If you don't mind me saying, I thought that we were here to discuss something about a disappearance? My magic is private thank you, and I dislike talking about it with all due respect sir." Arthur said, almost sharply. The audience stifled from any movement.
...
"Of course" Ivan finally responded. "Let's get to business then. Francis and Arthur, a student has run away from the Veitra Academy. He was alo one of my personal assistants. Do you perhaps know someone by the name of Toris Laurinaitis?" He asked. Arthur tilted his head a bit, as if trying to remember.
"Hmmm...Toris, Toris, Toris...what an odd name. I don't recall ever hearing it until now. What about you Francis, does it ring a bell?" Arthur asked, obviously not taking it seriously. This also had Alfred intrigued. Arthur was talking disrespectfully to the Veitra King of all people!
"Toris?" Francis asked, smiling a little at Arthur. "Non, I do not remember ever knowing someone with such an odd name."
"Enough!" One of the guards near Arthur snarled, thwacking Arthur's head. Ivan sat with his hands folded.
"Judging by the sound of your accents, I believe that Arthur is a Britannia. This is very odd, because I know for a fact that Britannia is under full control of the Veitras. Francis however, sounds form Gaul, which is in the process of being invaded. Hmm, how odd."
"I demand to know why you think it's civil to just bloody capture us and then expect us to comply with answering your questions!" Arthur shouted. "I refuse to be treated like this when I haven't done anything. I don't know your stupid Toris, and I don't give a shite about your so called Veitra government! All you do is destroy and hurt people, and frankly I don't like it!"
Excitement filled the court room. Arthur was smacked very hard in the face by a guard, and Alfred could see that Francis was fuming because of it.
"I agree with mon cher Arthur!" He said proudly. "You Veitras are just dirty scum who deserve to be brought to justice!"
That earned Francis a smack too, and you could clearly see that the King was not happy.
"Lock them up!" He roared. "Starve them! Beat them! Whip them! Make those two Amethysts regret speaking this way to a King!" Ivan snarled. "But keep that one alive" He pointed to Arthur. "He is very powerful, and could be of great use to us."
"Nobody will lock us up" Arthur said sternly. "We are Amethysts, and you will regret ever taking us here in the first place!"
Arthur's fists were shaking, he seemed to be on the verge of exploding. When one of the guards tried touching Arthur's shoulder, it happened. Arthur snapped, screaming at the lop of his lungs as a bright yellow glow of light burst from his palms. Everyone screamed at the curtains caught fire, and the windows shattered. Glass was flying everywhere, and many people had to duck down.
Ivan had retreated behind his chair, cowering from the glass and fire. Alfred quickly grabbed onto Matthew and ducked them both under the seats. The whole room was out of order. People screamed, running out and about. Guards were yelling frantically to each other, younger children cried, and woman were shrieking.
Then all at once, everything stopped. The windows were perfect again, the curtains were repaired, and no trace of ash or smoke was in the room. Everyone stopped screaming at once.
Everything was normal...
But Arthur and Francis were missing.
a/n: Pretty weird huh? I don't even know where I came up with this...
Do you like it? Hate it? Want me to add a few more chapters?
Tell me what you think please...and don't worry, I will work on my other stories immediately.
:)