Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 10

Lukas led the way out of the mine. He could sense Arthur and Vlad behind him, and he hoped that they would continue to be by his side as they made their way back to the inn.

They'd decided that it would be safer to go outside their room and use magic to retrieve their supplies. They couldn't afford to go inside. Fortunately, their room didn't overlook the street, and there was less of a risk that they would be seen.

Lukas would be the one that used the magic on their supplies, while Arthur would use his magic to find Ludwig. They needed to know where he was. Vlad, in the meantime, would get the horses, and so they would be able to get an easy escape when they needed it.

It was a decent plan, but Lukas understood that many things could go wrong with it.

Night had fallen more than an hour ago, and there was no one on the street. There wasn't even a single lamp lit, which Lukas attributed to the general lack of prosperity of the town. They either couldn't afford to light the street lamps, or they didn't see what the point was.

The three made it to the inn with little problem, but that was where the hard part began. Vlad bit his lip before he placed his hands on Arthur and Lukas's arms.

"Good luck," he whispered.

"You as well," Arthur whispered back, smiling softly.

Lukas watched as Vlad darted off to the stable. He turned his attention to Arthur, who'd already closed his eyes to start the spell. Lukas knew that he couldn't interrupt him.

Lukas wandered over to where their room was. He used his magic to open the window. He was just glad that it was on the ground floor. He peered into the room, pleased to see that Ludwig wasn't there. He could see their bags, and he whispered a simple levitation charm on the nearest one.

Only for the spell to be interrupted by a hand on his mouth.

Lukas cried out in alarm, though the sound was muffled. He glanced towards Arthur, who had his back towards him and was just out of earshot. The spell must not have been completed, because these hands definitely didn't belong to Raivis or Vlad.

"Did you honestly think that I wouldn't have a sentry spell in place?" Ludwig whispered. "I've been in this town for a long time. Now then, why don't you go to sleep while I deal with the other two?"

Lukas could feel the effects of a spell, and he struggled against the pull, but he found his world growing darker.

"Lukas!"

The hold Ludwig had on him disappeared, and Lukas's knees buckled. Before he could hit the ground, he realised that a pair of arms was wrapped around him. He took a deep breath, and Arthur's scent filled his nostrils.

"I'm sorry," Arthur muttered. "If I was faster with the spell… Are you alright?"

"Sleeping… spell…" Lukas gasped. It was difficult to keep his eyes open.

Arthur's hold on him briefly tightened, and Lukas wondered if Arthur had always been this warm. He just wanted to lean back and close his eyes.

"Do you know a counter spell?" Arthur asked.

Lukas didn't immediately respond. It took him a few seconds to understand the question, but when he did, he nodded his head.

"Just… keep him busy," Lukas said. "This… It's powerful."

Lukas felt a surge of magic from Arthur. Lukas started to whisper the counter spell, and Arthur helped him properly stand before letting go. And it was about time, because Ludwig pushed himself to his feet. Lukas could sense the magic pulsing in the air around the taller man, and he tried to whisper the counter spell a little faster.

"That was a decent spell," Ludwig said. "Looks like I'm going to have to deal with you first. The sailor isn't going to be much of a danger right now, and then I'll deal with the slave."

Lukas didn't like that Ludwig seemed to know so much about them, but he liked the way he spoke about Vlad even less. There was bitterness and anger, which Lukas didn't entirely understand, but he felt as though it was completely unwarranted.

Vlad had told them about the dream he had. He explained that the person in the dream had something to do with the jewels, and that the jewels were not what they thought they were. He also realised that this person had been Ludwig's brother, whom he'd betrayed to Nemthys.

Clearly, there was still some baggage on Ludwig's end. Perhaps there was some way for them to use it to their advantage.

Ludwig threw a spell that resembled a lightning bolt wrapping itself around Arthur. Arthur cried out in pain, and Lukas moved towards him, only to be wrapped in a lightning bolt himself.

"It's a shame that my master wants you unharmed," Ludwig said. "I would have loved repaying you for all the grief you caused."

Arthur chose that moment to scream. Lukas turned to him in alarm, and Ludwig raised his eyebrow.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" Ludwig asked.

"You don't want any of the townspeople to see you using magic," Arthur said. "The moment they come…"

Lukas grew alarmed when Ludwig laughed.

"You think I didn't make any plans?" Ludwig asked. "Didn't you notice how quiet it was on your way here? I put everyone in town to sleep. I wanted no one to interfere when I capture the three of you."

Lukas felt himself pale. He thought that Arthur's plan was good. They were in an area that wasn't tolerant of sorcerers, and having the people seeing Ludwig for what he was would have allowed them a chance to use the situation to their advantage. But if Ludwig wasn't lying about there being a sleeping spell over the town, then they were in even greater trouble.

"N-no!" Arthur exclaimed, before he struggled. Lukas struggled too. "Something like that… You can't be that powerful."

"But I am," Ludwig said. "And it's all thanks to my master. You know, I wasn't even a sorcerer before I met him. He gave me power that I hadn't even thought I could possibly have."

"But was it really worth it to betray your brother?" Lukas asked.

"You know nothing of this."

"But we do," Arthur insisted. "Why was it even necessary to betray him in the first place? And how did you betray him? Did you kill him?"

"No! I did not take Gilbert's life!"

"But were you responsible for his death?" Lukas asked.

Ludwig's face twisted. Lukas and Arthur screamed when the lightning bolts increased in intensity. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to anger the person that had them in such a precarious situation.

"Enough of this!" Ludwig snarled. "I'm going to take you to my master, and I'm going to enjoy what he does to you. I'll come back for the slave later. It's not as though he's an actual…"

Ludwig's words were interrupted when three metal prongs burst through his chest. He cried out in pain, releasing the spell that bound Lukas and Arthur. He spun around and snarled.

"You filthy trash!" Ludwig snapped. "I'm going to…"

Arthur hurled his own spell at Ludwig, hitting him in the back of the head. Ludwig stumbled, and Vlad darted away before Arthur sent another spell. Ludwig fell to the ground, the pitchfork falling beside him.

"Are you alright?" Arthur asked.

Vlad nodded, before moving closer. Lukas was having difficulty staying on his feet. Arthur and Vlad managed to catch him before he fell.

"Are you alright?" Arthur asked.

"The spell's pretty strong," Lukas said. "I'm trying to… stay awake."

"I-I'll go and get the stuff," Vlad stammered. "A-Arthur… c-could you try to help him?"

Arthur nodded, and Vlad disappeared around the corner. Arthur helped Lukas to sit down. Lukas rested his head on Arthur's shoulder.

"You feel nice," Lukas mumbled.

"That's the spell talking," Arthur said. "Do you think you can continue the counter spell?"

Lukas was silent for a moment before he nodded.

"I'll need to start from the beginning," he said, "but I can do it."

Arthur nodded, and he wrapped his arm around Lukas. Lukas faltered, before he started reciting the counter spell again. He finished just as Vlad returned, carrying their luggage.

"Are you better now?" Vlad asked.

"Yeah," Lukas said. "Let's get out of here, before…"

Ludwig groaned, silencing the three. Vlad helped Arthur and Lukas to their feet, and they rushed over to the stables. Lukas saw Raivis sleeping on a pile of hay, and he couldn't help but smile. He thought about his little brother, and a cold feeling of dread settled in his stomach. Could Emil betray him, like Ludwig betrayed Gilbert? Were the things that Nemthys offered stronger than familial love?

The three of them mounted their horses and set off, and just in time. Lukas heard a furious scream behind them, and he urged his horse faster. He didn't dare look back, and it wasn't until they reached an oasis that they pulled the horses to a stop.

"I don't think he followed us," Arthur said. "So… should we spend the night here, and perhaps set out again tomorrow evening?"

"That sounds like a plan," Lukas said. "And we'll avoid travelling through the desert heat."

"Great," Vlad said, before he curled up on the ground. "Then I guess it's goodnight."

Lukas smiled when he saw Vlad curling up. They were at least on soft grass, so it was more comfortable than hard ground. Still, it saddened Lukas that Vlad could settle so quickly.

He hoped that, with enough time, all traces of Vlad's former life would be erased.

"He certainly has the right idea," Arthur said. "Come on. Let's rest. I think we deserve it."

Lukas felt the gem in his pocket. Yes, they certainly deserved to rest. It had been a long day, but they managed to retrieve the first jewel. Now, two more remained. He hoped that they wouldn't have to deal with the same kind of trouble the other two times.

…

Vlad didn't know where he was, only that it was dark and he was terrified. He was tied to some sort of chair, and across from him, he could see two shadowy figures in the same state.

Movement to his right caused him to look in that direction. A face, handsome and horrifying, was leering at him. And then came pain. Horrible pain that made him feel as though he was on fire…

Vlad's eyes snapped open as he sucked in a harsh breath. It had faded, but the pain was still too vivid. That dream felt more real than any of the others.

He searched around. He couldn't quite figure out where he was. It wasn't until he saw Lukas and Arthur that he realised he was safe.

Vlad whimpered, before he went closer to Arthur, who was the closest. Vlad curled up next to Arthur and closed his eyes. He still felt afraid, and it took him a few seconds to realise why that was. He had seen Nemthys, the demon god that wanted to capture them, and possibly torture them. He shivered and moved closer to Arthur. The night was warm, but he felt cold.

He relaxed when he pressed against Arthur. Arthur's warmth and scent consoled him, and he closed his eyes and slipped back to sleep.

…

Lukas awoke some time before dawn. He looked around and saw Vlad and Arthur lying next to each other. Seeing them, Lukas felt a pang in his chest.

Actually, he realised that his chest was really in pain. He stood up and tried to breathe easily. It felt like a vice was squeezing his heart. His breathing was difficult, and he stumbled away so as not to disturb Vlad or Arthur. He settled near the water pool as he tried to focus on his breathing.

As he looked into the pool, he saw something. A handsome yet monstrous face, twisted in anger. Lukas reared back, and he heard a whispered voice.

I will find you.

Lukas's chest suddenly eased, and he took in a deep breath. He shuddered when he realised that he'd seen a vision of Nemthys, and he was angry. He probably knew that Ludwig had failed in capturing them.

"Are you alright?"

Lukas jumped and spun around. It took him a few seconds to understand that he was looking at Arthur, and he relaxed as Arthur sat down next to him.

"What's wrong?" Arthur asked.

"I… I couldn't breathe…" Lukas explained. "And when I looked into the water… I think I saw Nemthys. And he said… He'll find us."

Arthur frowned before he wrapped his arm around Lukas's shoulders. It was only at that moment that Lukas realised he was trembling.

"I also had a dream," Arthur said. "Nemthys, surrounded by his followers. I could only see a few of their faces, but there were many of them. I don't know if we can trust anyone."

"We can trust each other," Lukas said. "I know that much."

Arthur's hold on him tightened. Lukas could smell Arthur's scent, and he just wanted to bury his face in Arthur's neck and breathe in…

Lukas blinked. Where did that come from? He felt his face heat up and he gently pulled away from Arthur.

"I saw Vlad was curled up next to you," Lukas said. "It kind of looked cute."

"I think he might have had a nightmare too," Arthur said. "Even if it's not related to Nemthys, I think he has a lot of bad memories. You saw those scars. We might have healed the physical ones, but I think the emotional ones would take a long time."

Lukas slowly nodded. In many ways, Vlad was like a child, but that was because he didn't have a good childhood. Lukas could only imagine the fear that Vlad had experienced growing up. Now that he didn't have to suffer from that fear, he could be himself. But while Arthur and Lukas could try their best to ease his mind when they were awake, there was nothing that they could do when they were asleep.

"We should probably get back to sleep," Lukas said. "We can worry about everything later."

"We'll need to find a library or a temple," Arthur said. "But I don't think we should go anywhere in this desert. It's too dangerous for us here. The longer we're here, the greater our chances of being discovered as sorcerers, and I don't know about you, but I would rather not be executed."

"I agree. We can see if we can find a place on our way to the next jewel. We'll need to meet up with our brothers at Alocmao anyway. They said a month, but I think we need to get there sooner."

Arthur nodded.

"Let's just hope that we won't have to deal with one of Nemthys's followers again," Arthur said. "How did they even know where to find us this time?"

"I think Ludwig was already there," Lukas said. "I mean, how long would it take to establish an inn? And you heard it… His brother died hundreds of years ago, which means Ludwig is hundreds of years old. And Nemthys was asleep for a long time."

"So in other words, his followers had hundreds of years to do whatever they wanted. But… why set up an inn all the way out here? Unless… he knew the jewel was here?"

"You saw the mine. Looking for something in a place like that… We were lucky that Vlad was able to sense the jewel's location."

"I still don't understand how that happened."

"I think I might." Lukas removed the ruby. "Vlad had a negative reaction to the jewel, but it isn't affecting me. At least, I don't think it is. I think, if we encounter the other two jewels, the two of us will be affected. My dreams often have a blue gem. I'm guessing you have a green gem?"

"Yes." Arthur frowned. "That must be why they're so intent on capturing us. We can sense the gems' exact locations. Even if they can surmise the general location, they wouldn't know where to go specifically."

"And they want our cooperation. That's why Tino and the others tried to get us to agree to go with them. They know we're not going to help them otherwise."

Arthur took Lukas's hand. The blue-eyed blond snapped his head to his companion, a confused look on his face.

"I know he was your friend, and you trusted him," Arthur said. "I can only imagine how painful it must have been when he threatened you."

"It's not the fact that he threatened me that bothers me," Lukas said. "It's the fact that he threatened Emil, Mathias and Berwald. I mean… we spent years together. We went out sailing. You can't sail if you don't trust your crew. And now… How much of that was a lie?"

"I don't think all of it. He said that he didn't realise you were chosen until right before you left." Arthur sighed. "I don't think he would give you an honest answer if you were ever to ask him."

"You're right. Which is why I hope never to see him again."

Arthur's hand tightened around Lukas's. It was nice. Arthur's hand was comfortably warm.

"Let's go back to sleep," Arthur said. "We can figure all of this out in the morning."

Lukas nodded. Arthur was right. It was late, and they'd had an eventful day. Any plans or rationalisations could wait for the morning.

…

Nemthys glared at the orb. They were in some sort of oasis, but they were out of his reach. If he weren't still recovering from his long sleep, then he would have gone to retrieve them himself.

These three were more difficult than any previous incarnations. Never before had his followers failed to this degree. But still, if they were so lucky, then there was an advantage to be had.