Me: Sorry for the long wait! I've been preoccupied with school and my Quotev stories

Reina: Excuses excuses

Me: Shut up

Reina =P

One week later

-Ethan Lambert-

Nim, Jade and I are following every lead we get. So far, we have visited Headquarters, where Guggenheim is just as puzzled by how many titans I've bonded with as Jade was. He offered to take Nim in, we didn't accept. She was apparently vital, as I am discovering she is very keen with her powers. Jade says she's just like our mother. I'm like my dad. Right now, we're making way into a deep forest somewhere in Italy, which is where our parents' friends, Dante and Zhalia, went off Huntik Foundation radar.

"Get your head out of the clouds and move, Ethan," Jade scowls.

I sigh as I climb over a fallen tree, "Yes Ma'am," I add an eye roll into the equation, which just pisses Jade off even more.

"Ethan, how much farther?" Nim asks.

I smile, lifting her small body onto my back, "Not much, we'll be camping soon enough," I look to the patches of sun seeping through the trees, watching as day turns to dusk.

"Guys wait!" Jade stops so abruptly that I almost run into her.

"What, is something wrong?" I ask.

Jade glares at me, "Shh!"

I immediately shut up. She seems to be listening for something. But what?

We stand in the same spot, dead silent, for about five minutes. All I can hear is the trees rustling in the breeze.

"Okay," Jade says carefully, "Let's set up camp here, Ethan, go gather us some kindling."

I set Nim down and nod, "Okay," and walk off in the woods.

Beginning to pick up twigs, I stop and listen. A certain rustling. Not the wind. An animal?

"Hm," I mumble to myself before continuing to collect dry kindling. However, gathering did not distract me from the nearby movement, as I kept feeling like I was being watched.

I move further into the forest to gather the wood, using my pocket knife to make marks in the trees on my path so I wouldn't get lost. The forest itself is eerie, so it doesn't help that I have the sneaking suspicion somebody is watching me.

"Is someone there?" I call out, "Jade? Nim? Anybody?"

Nobody replies. No surprise there. I'm probably paranoid.

Turning back, I have to look close at the trees and make an additional mark pointing my direction so I don't go in circles.

I finish gathering kindling and head back to camp, where Nim and Jade have already finished setting up an impromptu campsite.

"Might I ask why we needed Nim anyways?" I ask Jade as I build the fire.

Jade looks at Nim - who's rustling around in the tent - then back to me, "You don't realize how important your family is, do you?"

I shake my head. My family? Important? I get that we're rich, but we still have LeBlanc and other people protecting us.

"You guys are the children of the head of the Casterwill family, the direct ancestors, in fact, of the first Seeker, Lord Casterwill. Your parents are also prized members of the Huntik Foundation, making them prime enemy targets."

"That doesn't answer my question Jade," I say sternly.

Jade sighs, "Nim is at the prime age of being captured or used, she needs to begin learning or at least stay with someone who can protect her and care for her. That's you and me. LeBlanc is capable, however, we may have need to Nim on this mission. She has strong potential for a beginner, you are proof of that, Ethan."

"Me? How am I proof?" I ask in confusion. I just joined the world by accident.

Jade pulls open her bag and pulls out the box from earlier, "These Amulets," she hands the box to me, "now belong to you. I have never once seen so many titans, weak and strong, bond to a Seeker so spontaneously. Your father, Lok, was the same in a way with spells. He bonded with very strong and fickle titans, but it was how fast he tamed them that was impressive."

I stare at the box while my mind tries to compute everything. Amulets. Titans. Spells. Bonding. Seekers. Huntik. Damn this is hurting my head.

"Can we really find my parents with all of this?" I finally ask.

Jade nods, "Yes, it is possible, after all, despite his location, your father found his father while he was still in his early years, however his lead was a journal, we're going off of data and instinct."

My dad in the position Grandpa was in? Oh great...

All of a sudden, Jade sticks her arm in front of me, shushing me when I try to speak. It's that rustling again. She slowly got up and grabbed a decent sized rock, throwing it into the trees where the most noise is sourced.

"Ow!" Someone cries and falls face first on the ground.

A guy, probably my age, with long reddish brown hair and a yellow trench coat.

Without any pause, Jade walks up and pulls the man by his collar, "Who are you? Why have you been following us?"

He looks at her then at Nim, and finally at me. We stare at each other for the longest time before Jade brings his attention back to her.

"Whoa, calm down. My name is Cal."

Jade simply walks up and grabs him by the collar, "Who are you? What are you doing here? Are you an enemy or ally?"

"Jade!" I shout, "Put him down!"

Jade looks at me like I'm crazy, "Look Ethan, I respect that you think you know what you're doing, but if we're going to find your parents we can't afford to have spies."

"Jade," I say again, with an underlying growl.

She sighs and drops him, like literally drops him.

"Owwwww," the guy - Cal - groans.

I take pity on him, reaching out my hand, "You okay?"

He takes my hand and I pull him up, "I've been through worse."

The three of us return to the campfire, where Nim has been sitting and watching, probably too confused to do anything.

A dead silence ensues for what seems like ages until Cal finally speaks up.

"You said you were looking for your parents, right?"

Nim and I nod.

Cal looks at me with a serious look and a small, sad smile, "I'm looking for mine as well. Are you from the Huntik Foundation?"

"Depends," Jade answers, to my question no less, "Are you?"

Cal nods, "I joined the Foundation about three years ago when I was sixteen, following in my parents footsteps in hopes of finding them. Being by myself, the trail went cold very fast so I've just waited and tried to figure out whatever I can."

"Wait, when did your parents disappear?" Jade asks with sudden intrigue, the look on her face indicating that something was clicking.

Cal looks up at the trees in thought, "About five years ago."

Five years? But that's when...

Piecing things together quickly, I speak before Jade, "Your last name is Vale, isn't it?

Me: Once again! Sorry it took so long! Read, Review, LIGHT Criticism if any

Comments are GOLD! Until next time, Adieu'