Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 9

Lukas finally managed to find Arthur and the kitchen, and he noticed that the other blond was already hard at work chopping vegetables. Arthur glanced over towards Lukas before returning his attention to the task at hand.

"How's Vlad?" Arthur asked.

"He's still too hot," Lukas said, searching the cupboards for a rag. "I'm going to get him a cold compress."

"That's kind of you. Perhaps you should also take him some water. He'd probably be thirsty by now."

Lukas paused for a moment, before he nodded. It wasn't a bad idea.

"So, no sign of the innkeeper?" Lukas asked.

"I couldn't even find the stableboy," Arthur sighed. "I hope something isn't happening right now."

"Technically, something is always happening. Someone is drinking water, someone is eating food, someone is kissing their lover…"

"You know what I mean!" Arthur snapped, a light dusting of pink on his cheeks. "I'm worried that Nemthys or his followers might be plotting something. I mean, look at how easy it had been for Raj to get to Vlad. And Tino just happened to work himself into your life."

Lukas flinched. Now that Arthur raised the point, he realised that there was a danger that Nemthys or his followers could be nearby, ready to attack them again. Lukas felt worried about Vlad, since he was alone in the room. He was vulnerable.

Lukas managed to find a clean rag. He muttered a spell, and the rag became wet. He looked towards Arthur and saw the other watching him, eyebrow raised.

"I'm going to take this to Vlad," Lukas explained. "Help him get his fever down. You should come as soon as possible too."

Arthur nodded. Lukas knew that he understood. Lukas was worried about Nemthys coming after them, and he didn't want them to be alone if they could help it. There was strength in numbers, and in their case, it was especially true. They were also still in territory that considered sorcerers to be undesirable, and it wouldn't be wise to push their luck.

…

Vlad stared at the man in front of him, blinking in confusion.

"What do you mean, you were in my position?" Vlad asked.

Gilbert closed his eyes. Vlad was almost under the impression that he was in pain or something.

"The jewels are not what you think they are," Gilbert said. "Their power crops up every few centuries, and there's only a small window of opportunity to seal Nemthys with them."

It took Vlad a moment to understand what Gilbert was saying.

"When the power cropped up, you were chosen to stop Nemthys, weren't you?" Vlad asked.

Gilbert's mouth twitched, and he looked up at the sky.

"Nemthys and his followers can be ruthless," Gilbert said. "And they're very good at pretending to be someone they're not. They're also good at getting new members." Gilbert lowered his head, clenching his eyes closed. "He managed to get my little brother to join his ranks. He had no problem taking me to his new master. He didn't even care about me being in pain."

"He wasn't a very good brother then, was he?" Vlad asked.

Vlad thought of Arthur and his brothers, and how protective they were of him. He also thought of Lukas and his brother. Vlad wondered, if he'd been able to see his own brother grow up, would they have had the same type of relationship?

"It's not entirely his fault," Gilbert said. "Nemthys offers his followers power and immortality, and they become drunk with that power. The one thing they fear is disappointing him enough that they would lose that power and immortality." Gilbert sighed. "I don't blame my brother for betraying me."

"You should," Vlad said.

Gilbert only shrugged, before he looked at the sky and frowned.

"We don't have too much time," he said. "You need to go to Mount Alasbu quickly. You need to seal Nemthys before his followers get you."

"Are they close?" Vlad asked.

Gilbert nodded his head.

…

Vlad opened his eyes, though his eyelids felt incredibly heavy. He felt hot and his throat was dry. For a moment, he felt a wave of panic. This was something he always felt when he was sick, for no one helped him, and he was always isolated so as not to infect the other slaves. It took a moment to remember that he was no longer a slave.

He lay there for a while longer, his head too heavy to even think of getting up. Slowly, he became aware of a sensation that most likely was the cause of his premature awakening. And the moment he realised what that sensation was, he felt a fresh wave of panic. There was someone in the room with him. Someone that was not Lukas or Arthur.

The moment he realised that, the person shifted in the room. Vlad was still too weak to move, so he could do nothing as the figure drew near. His eyes widened when he recognised him.

"L-Ludwig?" he gasped.

"I see you managed to find the Desert Heart," Ludwig said. "Of course, you would be the one most affected by this particular gem. You're the successor, after all."

Vlad let out a cry when Ludwig pulled the sheets away, only for Ludwig to muffle him.

"We don't want the others to hear you just yet," Ludwig said. "Not until I find that gem."

Vlad froze while Ludwig searched through his pockets. He knew not to move, not to make a sound. He'd learned the hard way that that was what had to happen. His breathing increased as he felt Ludwig's hand roaming his body, and he tried to convince himself that it wasn't like the past; he was just searching for something. But his mind was still processing the fact that he was no longer with his master, and that this wasn't normal anymore.

Trying to stave off his panic, Vlad tried focusing on Ludwig's face. He could usually tell the intentions through looking at a person's eyes. Ludwig appeared focused on finding the gem and appeared to pay little attention to Vlad. However, there was something about Ludwig's eyes that seemed familiar to Vlad. The only thing different was the colour…

Vlad could feel Ludwig's hand in the same pocket as the jewel, but at that moment, the door opened. Vlad's eyes swivelled to the door as Ludwig turned his own gaze there. Lukas was standing there with a cloth in his hand, and it took him only a few seconds before he seemed to understand what he was seeing.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lukas demanded, taking a step closer.

Ludwig cursed, before he hauled Vlad out of the bed. Vlad sucked in a breath while his hand went towards his pocket.

"Lukas, run!" Vlad shouted. "He works for Nemthys!"

Vlad yanked the jewel out of his pocket while screaming that, letting it drop to the floor while Ludwig focused on maintaining his grip on Vlad. Lukas's eyes widened, and his hand started to glow blue.

"Not so fast," Ludwig snapped. "You don't want to hurt your little slave, do you?"

"Don't you ever call him that again!" Lukas snarled.

Ludwig sneered, and Vlad looked down towards the jewel, hoping that Lukas would notice his eyes.

"He's nothing more than a slave," Ludwig said. "The lowest in society. He's not worthy to even look at my master. How he managed to be chosen, I have no idea."

"Don't you dare…" Lukas snarled.

"Lukas!" Arthur's voice called out. "What's…?"

Arthur came into view, and his eyes widened when he saw the situation.

"He's working for Nemthys," Lukas said, eyes never leaving Ludwig.

Ludwig clicked his tongue, his hold on Vlad tightening.

"Is it because I'm a poor replacement for Gilbert?" Vlad asked.

He felt Ludwig stiffen, before his grip tightened even further. Vlad was starting to have difficulty breathing.

"How do you know that name?" Ludwig hissed.

When Vlad was younger, he'd encountered a cobra. One of the other slaves was bitten, and Vlad had to tend to him until he finally died. There was far more venom in Ludwig's voice than a cobra could ever produce.

"He's your brother, wasn't he?" Vlad asked. "And you betrayed him to Nemthys."

"Shut up!" Ludwig snapped. "You don't know anything about…"

"White hair, red eyes? I saw him. And you know what he told me? He said that he doesn't blame you."

Ludwig was shaking now, and his grip had loosened marginally. It wasn't enough for Vlad to even think of attempting escape, but it at least allowed him to breathe a little more easily. Arthur and Lukas appeared confused, though they were both tensed as though waiting for an opportunity to strike.

"I didn't know what would happen," Ludwig whispered. "I didn't know…"

"He said that the jewels aren't what we think," Vlad said. "What are they, then? How do they work?"

"…No," Ludwig growled, his grip tightening again. "You're trying to trick me. Gilbert is dead. He's been dead for three hundred years. All that's left of him is…"

"Was it really worth it? You got immortality, while your brother died. Was it worth it? Were you able to do whatever it is you'd wanted to do with all that time?"

"Shut up! You… If you don't stop talking, I'm going to cut out your tongue and feed it to you!"

Ludwig's hand then went back to the pocket where the jewel had been. Arthur and Lukas cried out in alarm. Vlad didn't know if they realised it was the pocket of the jewel, but the jewel was no longer there. Ludwig realised it too, and he growled in frustration.

"What did you do with it?" Ludwig snarled.

Vlad shook his head, looking towards Arthur and Lukas. The two of them were angry, and Vlad could see their magic sparking around their fingers, but they didn't attack. Vlad realised that they were afraid of hitting him as well.

"…My master wants you alive, and preferably unharmed," Ludwig said. "If not for that, you would suffer for your insolence."

Vlad's eyes were still on Arthur and Lukas, but he saw Lukas moving his hand behind him. Lukas nodded, and Vlad remembered what happened with Raj. If Vlad could attack Ludwig the same way, then he could get free. And so he moved one of his hands to behind his back. He understood that Ludwig would be suspicious if Vlad didn't have at least one hand on his arm, trying to at least loosen his grip.

"Why does your master want us?" Vlad asked. "I thought you just wanted the jewels?"

"You are the only ones capable of finding the jewels," Ludwig spat. "If not for the fact that you're useful, I would kill you right now."

Vlad channelled magic in his hand, and he let it go in one burst. Ludwig cried out in surprise as he released his grip. Vlad ducked down and retrieved the jewel before he scrambled over the bed. His ears told him that Ludwig had crashed against the opposite wall, and they had a few seconds to get out of there.

"Let's go!" Vlad said, pushing Arthur and Lukas out of the room.

"But, our supplies!" Arthur exclaimed.

"Getting away is more important right now!" Lukas snapped, taking Vlad's hand and pulling him along.

Vlad reached out for Arthur, grabbing his wrist, and together, they ran out of the inn, only slowing down when they reached the road. Already, the people in the streets were staring, and it didn't help that the three of them were strangers to this area. They would be regarded with suspicion, even before the people realised that they were sorcerers.

"Let's get the horses," Lukas said.

"We can't leave yet," Arthur said. "We need to get our supplies. Our money, the map…"

Lukas bit his lip. Vlad whimpered.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Because of me, you had to…"

"Don't you dare blame yourself," Lukas and Arthur snapped.

"This is not your fault," Arthur said. "You weren't feeling well, and so it couldn't be helped."

"But…" Vlad said. "I'm weak…"

"No, you're just not strong yet," Lukas said. "And you seem to be reacting to that gem. Maybe you should give it to one of us. Give yourself a chance to get better."

Vlad hesitated, before he gave the jewel to Lukas. Lukas stared at the ruby for a moment before it disappeared into one of his pockets. He sighed, looking back towards the inn. Ludwig hadn't followed them yet, and they didn't know if that was good or bad.

"Arthur has a point," Lukas said. "We'll need to get our stuff. We won't be able to survive without money. The other things we'd be able to get back without a problem."

"Should we wait until it's safe to go?" Vlad asked.

"We'll have to. We can probably hide in the mines. I get the feeling that people aren't likely to investigate there."

"Alright," Arthur said. "Lead the way."

…

"Ludwig…" Nemthys hissed. "What are you doing?"

"Forgive me," Ludwig said. "He caught me by surprise. It won't happen again."

Nemthys smiled as he watched his servant through the orb. It wasn't often that Ludwig would fail him. Even considering his brother's involvement three hundred years ago, Ludwig was loyal.

"Don't let your emotions cloud your judgement," Nemthys hissed. "I want those three. You know how important they are."

"I think I know where to find them," Ludwig said. "And I know that they left without their supplies or their horses. They would need to come back for those things."

"Then do not let them catch you unaware. I will not accept another failure."

…

Arthur checked outside. The sun was setting, and Ludwig still hadn't found them. For now, they were safe. They could return to the inn after nightfall, and they would need to be quick to get all of their supplies.

There was something about this situation that bothered him. Ludwig claimed that the three of them were the only ones that could find the jewels, but Ludwig was already there, waiting for them. And how long would it take him to establish an inn in a place like this?

Something about this didn't feel right, but Arthur didn't know how to go about figuring out what it was. For now, they would need to focus on getting out safely.

Arthur made his way back to the others. They didn't go far, just far enough to not immediately be seen from outside. Lukas and Vlad looked up when they heard his approach. Even in the darkness, Arthur could see that Vlad looked pale. Lukas didn't seem to be suffering from any ill effects, so Arthur wondered if Vlad was just sensitive to the jewels in general, or that jewel in particular. If it was the latter, then did it mean that Arthur and Lukas would suffer in the same way with the other two jewels? And then, of course, there was the possibility that it had nothing to do with the jewels at all.

"The sun is setting," Arthur announced, "and there's no sign of Ludwig so far."

"He's probably waiting for us back at the inn," Lukas said. "He probably realised that we need our things."

"If not for the money, water and food rations, I would have said that we can leave it. But we wouldn't be able to survive without any of it."

"I'm sorry," Vlad said. "If I wasn't so weak…"

"You have nothing to apologise for," Arthur interrupted. "You might be reacting to the jewel in a negative way. You were able to find it, so you're obviously sensitive to it."

"For all we know, the other gems would make Arthur and I sick as well," Lukas said. "And then you get to be the strong one. But if not for you, we wouldn't have been able to get away."

Vlad's mouth twitched. He leaned back and closed his eyes.

"I'm still too weak," Vlad said.

"Then that could only mean you can get stronger," Arthur said. "You grew up in a situation that didn't allow you to properly grow. But now that you're away from that, you can only improve." Arthur placed his hand on Vlad's head. He felt too warm. "Give it time, and we'll be here to support you all the way."

"But what happens when we're done with all of this?" Vlad asked. "What's going to happen to me then?"

"We won't abandon you, if that's what you're thinking," Lukas said. "But we can worry about it when we're finished. For now, let's just focus on the task at hand."

Arthur sat down next to Vlad, who leaned his head on his shoulder. Vlad's breathing was fast and shallow. He still didn't feel well, so Arthur allowed Vlad to rest on his shoulder.

"I think we should wait for nightfall," Arthur said. "We can move with the cover of night. I want to get there and leave as quickly as possible."

"Are we going to have to deal with this every time?" Vlad asked.

"…I'm afraid so," Lukas said. "As long as Nemthys is free, and as long as we can stop him, they will come after us. But we can't just leave this. I mean… You've seen what they're willing to do. What would they do to the world?"

"…What have they done in the past?" Arthur asked. "I understand that this is important, but we don't know what happened before, and how bad things could be. We need to see if we can find records."

"What records? Who's going to keep record of what a demon god did in the past?"

"Certain libraries or temples. I think, when we're finished here and we can leave this desert, we should seek out any records that can tell us what the world was like the last time Nemthys was active. At the very least, it could give us the resolve to continue with this quest."