Everyone. You will find out what happens to Seth this chapter. I promise you all, you will know if Seth is dead or not Chapter 10 of Coming Back. I've held you guys in suspense, and now I'll finally let you know... On with the show~
I don't own anything from Fablehaven.
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"Seth?" Bracken asked, but was ignored as Vanessa questioned Clyvandir.
Vanessa looked puzzled. "Your home?" she asked, "Where exactly are we?"
Clyvandir took a deep breath. "You are in the Star of Zarijen."
"Wait, we're on a star?" Warren asked.
"No." Anette replied. "Not a star. More like a land in a separate place from Earth."
"Like the Fairy Queen's realm?" Kendra asked, finally standing.
"Yes," Clyvandir replied. "Like the Fairy Queen's realm."
"This is our home..." Kyrei mumbled. She closed her eyes and breathed. Then, her eyes flicked open. Her face turned from peaceful to worried. She took a shaky breath. "S-Seth..."
Anette looked at Kyrei. "Can you sense where he is?"
Kyrei looked into the forest of golden trees surrounding the clearing. "He's inside the forest."
"How did Seth get here?" Kendra exclaimed.
"Why don't we ask Seth when we find him?" Anette replied.
"Come on." Kyrei morphed into wolf form and padded into the forest., Kyrei barely dodged trees as she walked, trying to walk in a straight line.
Kendra followed, tramping after Kyrei. Bracken walked behind Kendra. Warren followed the others.
Vanessa was about to step into the forest, when she heard meowing. The portal opened, casting a blueish-green glow on the ground, and out fell Kira and Rice. The pair fell on top of each other, in cat form. When the portal closed, they got up and began padding after Warren, as if nothing happened.
Vanessa laughed silently and hurried to catch up to the others. Clyvandir shrugged and followed.
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"Oh no..." Kyrei sniffed the air. She hurried forward, running and stumbling. She jumped of something on the ground, then turned to face it. The wolf then lifted her nose to the sky and howled a mourning howl.
Anette ran forward, realizing what Kyrei had found. She ran forward and dropped to her knees in front of the thing. "Oh no...Seth.." She cried.
Kyrei morphed into a human and knelt beside Anette. Kendra and the others rushed forward.
Kendra fell to her knees next to Seth's body. "W-what happened..." She stammered before bursting into tears. Bracken approached and placed his hand on Kendra's shoulder, trying to comfort her as he held back his own tears.
Warren stood, shocked at the sight before him. "How? How is this possible?" He asked the air around him.
Vanessa leaned on Warren, seeming to be unable to support herself. "Oh...Seth..." Tears leaked down her cheeks.
Clyvandir stood a few feet away, letting the grief-filled group bear their pain without his help.
Tears rolled down Kyrei and Anette's cheeks. At the same time, the two girls curled into a ball and whispered, "I never should have left you..."
A few more minutes passed before Clyvandir decided it was time to move. The Zien could track them just as easily in Zarijen as on Earth. He coughed. "I think we should move to Nerae."
Kyrei and Anette glared at him. "Clyvandir, How can you say we have to move so soon?" Kyrei accused.
Anette lowered her gaze and stood, slowly. "We should move to the Castle of Nerae. We will be safer there."
"How?" Kyrei asked angrily. "We'll be no safer there! You know how Kyrnsta died!"
"Don't threaten me with the Queen's death!" Anette snapped. "I was there when it happened! I was there when the Zien overtook her!"
"Then you should know how easily they attack, no matter where we are!" Kyrei countered.
"Girls, please." Clyvandir said, putting his hands up. "The Castle Nerae is safer than where we are. There might be shelter."
"Might." Kyrei snapped. Then, her voice softened. "What about Seth?"
"We take his body with us. You never know..." Clyvandir mumbled. He approached Seth's body. "Do you mind if I carry him?" He asked the others.
Warren nodded, feeling numb. Kendra gave no response as she stood next to Bracken and leaned on him. Bracken nodded slowly.
Vanessa was the only one to talk. "Be careful." Though whether she was warning Clyvandir of what would happen if he tried something or whether she was telling him to be careful with the body, no one could tell.
Clyvandir picked up Seth's body, cradling it. He nodded and walked past the others, toward the castle. The others followed slowly.
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"It's in ruins..." Anette mumbled, looking over the remains of the castle as they walked the last 100 yards or so.
"The throne room looks intact." Kyrei mumbled.
"True... But it might be unstable." Anette replied.
Kyrei glared at Anette. "If it has stood this long, I think it will stand another night."
The group walked along in silence for the rest of the way. As they approached the throne room, the only room with four walls and a roof, the group had to evade fallen columns of stone and rocks that were littered on the ground.
Anette and Kyrei walked into the throne room first, side by side. They examined the cracked walls and dull, white columns leading to the throne. The walked forward together until Kyrei rushed forward, ran up the steps leading to the golden chair, and plopped herself onto the throne. By now, the rest of the group had entered the room and were looking around.
The throne itself wasn't a great sight. The beautiful golden patterns that were engraved in the metal chair had worn away, and could hardly be seen. The soft fabric and stuffing that had once lined the seat and back of the throne had disappeared. Only the tattered remains of the fabric that held the stuffing in place remained.
Kyrei looked straight ahead, eyes sparkling slightly, as she places her hands on the golden armrests. Even being much to small compared to the chair, she looked regal.
Anette looked at her for a second then said, "You'll never fit into it."
The others gather and either sat or stood on the steps near the throne. Kendra sat next to Bracken and looked away. Bracken put his arm around her and she leaned on his side. Warren and Vanessa sat nearby. Clyvandir laid Seth's body on the ground in front of the steps and stood near the throne.
Kyrei glared at Anette and said, "Well, My dear elder sister. I will have this throne when you prove you don't deserve it."
Anette winced as Kyrei called her 'dear elder sister'. "Don't call me that." She hissed.
Bracken, Vanessa, and Warren looked from one girl to the other. Kendra was still too shocked to react, though she was clearly listening. Eventually, Kendra looked up at Anette. "Sister?" Kendra asked.
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Well. I know... This is a real fail. And I'll probably say something about it again at the end of the storyline, but this is supposed to take place after the last book. And in the last book, Newel and Doren get a Generator and Flat-screen TV... So why would they need batteries? ...Yup. Fail on my part. Well, I don't want to rewrite the story right now, so just go with it~