Thanks to kekasihchaewon for reviewing.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.
Chapter 2
Vlad was confused.
His master's friend, Raj, appeared to be content with just having Vlad in his sights, and in his room, but made no move to touch him. The only time when Vlad felt worried was whenever he thought that he could leave Raj's presence. The man didn't like it. The only time he reluctantly allowed Vlad out of his sight was when the need to relieve himself became too great.
And now they were in Raj's bedchamber. Vlad was combing Raj's hair, and he didn't need to look up to know that Raj was watching him through the looking glass.
"Tell me something," Raj said. "When was the last time you cast a spell?"
Vlad's hands froze. There was silence for a few seconds before Raj chuckled.
"I can sense it, you know," Raj said. "Just beneath the surface. You've done an excellent job keeping it under control, Vladimir Lupenescu. Is it because you were taken away before you could start your proper education?"
The comb fell out of Vlad's hands. He couldn't remember the last time he'd heard his full name. Either Sadiq had told Raj about him, or the other male somehow knew. And that boded ill for Vlad. He knew what happened to sorcerers in this place.
"I-I don't know w-what y-you're talking a-about," Vlad stuttered, taking a nervous step back. He took another step back when Raj turned to face him. There was still hunger in Raj's eyes, but it was a different hunger, combined with sadistic joy.
"Don't try to lie to me," Raj said, his voice slithering like a snake. "I know everything about you. You were the son of a noble family in Lubato, until the Aewern army attacked. The general behind the attack saw you and decided to keep you as his slave. You were only seven years old, and your little brother had just been born. You feel bad that you never got to know him. But that was ten years ago, and your family is dead. There is nothing for you to find there."
Vlad kept backing up until he reached the wall. His knees buckled and he slid to the ground, staring at Raj. He knew that this person was dangerous, and he knew that he could neither fight back nor call for help. His life was in Raj's hands, and he knew that the man could and would end it.
"W-why a-are y-you d-doing this?" Vlad asked.
"Because I can help you," Raj said. "I serve the god Nemthys. He's been asleep for a long time, but recently he awoke again. And he reached out to you. I can sense it. You've been feeling unwell the entire day, correct?"
Vlad slowly nodded.
"Your body is reacting to a surplus of magic," Raj said. "I'd recommend eating mint to soothe the symptoms." Raj smiled, and while it looked friendlier, it still unnerved Vlad. "I'll tell Sadiq that you're coming with me. And I can teach you everything you should have learned."
Vlad knew that Raj was lying. Though, the part about eating mint seemed to be truthful. And while he wanted to call out Raj for his lie, he knew that it wouldn't bode well for him. Raj knew too much about him, even the things that he couldn't have learned from Sadiq. Vlad knew, for the sake of his survival, he would have to agree to Raj's demands. Raj's smile turned into a proper smirk again when Vlad nodded his head.
"Excellent," Raj said. He went over towards one of his bags and pulled out a sachet, which he then threw towards Vlad. "Chew on that. It'll make you feel better."
Vlad opened the sachet and the scent of mint greeted him. He hesitated for a while longer before he grabbed a few leaves, popping them into his mouth and chewing them slowly.
"Now then, I want you to stay by my side," Raj said. "With the surplus of magic, there's a possibility that something might… slip. You wouldn't want to be with someone else when something like that happens."
Vlad shuddered. He could imagine that scenario, and it was something that he'd always feared. He nodded his understanding.
If Raj was sincere that he would get Vlad away from his master, then Vlad could perhaps see if he had the opportunity to escape. It's been three years since his last attempt, and he could try his luck again.
He also realised that Raj really wasn't lying about the mint. Already, he was feeling a lot better.
…
"And I think we should camp for the night," Alistair sighed, watching as Arthur vomited next to a nearby tree.
Arthur could only be glad that he'd managed to get off the horse without injuring himself in his haste to get off.
"Need some mint?" Dylan asked, reaching into his saddlebag.
"That would be appreciated," Arthur gasped. "I really hope that this is over soon."
While Arthur was chewing on the mint, the brothers set up their camp. Dylan, Alistair and Patrick were deciding on a schedule to keep watch, but immediately decided that Arthur wasn't going to participate.
"You're already unwell," Dylan said. "You need rest. Hopefully that would help you feel better."
Arthur was a bit surprised by how considerate his brothers were towards him, but he didn't argue. They had brought some food along, and after eating some of his portion (his stomach was protesting the food), Arthur lay down and closed his eyes. He already felt nauseous again, and he tried to push it down. He was still listening to his brothers' voices when he drifted off to sleep.
…
Vlad didn't know where he was. The walls and floor appeared to be made from a red stone. The room was bare, except for a pedestal in the centre of the room, upon which he could see something in a different shade of red. It looked like some sort of gemstone.
Vlad took a step closer. Something compelled him to approach the stone. He only managed a few steps before something stopped him. It felt as though something was restraining his legs, and when he looked down, he saw a large snake coiled around his legs. He yelped at the sight, but then he froze when he heard a cold chuckle.
"You're not going anywhere," a familiar voice hissed. It sounded like Raj.
The scenery shifted, with the red walls and floor replaced by black. The pedestal was replaced by a throne, and the man sitting on the throne was leering at Vlad. There was a crown on his head, and for some strange reason, the crown filled him with more fear than anything else.
Vlad awoke with a start. It took him a while to realise that the floor that he was sleeping on was not the floor on which he usually slept. He looked around, and close to the fireplace he could see Raj, simply sitting there. For a moment, Vlad was worried that Raj had been watching him as he slept, but he realised that the other appeared to be meditating. It was still dark, so he couldn't be sure.
His eyes flitted towards the door, before going towards the window. He could try to escape. He could attempt to get out of Raj's presence. But he knew that the punishment wouldn't be worth it. If he wanted to escape, then he would have to wait until he and Raj were gone. Hopefully, he would be able to gain some distance before Raj and his entourage gave chase. And hopefully, they wouldn't be able to find him.
He needed to get away. He wasn't safe with Raj. He hadn't been safe for a long time, but now he knew that there was something far worse. Raj said that he served a god, but even though Vlad knew nothing about this god, he had a feeling that it wasn't a benevolent one.
…
Lukas glared at Mathias as the other joked around the campfire. He was tired, and the taste of mint was making him irritable. He really wanted to sleep.
Berwald grabbed Mathias and told him to keep quiet. Lukas sighed in relief, hoping that it would be enough to keep the other silent for now. He turned around and jumped when he saw Tino, simply staring at him. The other smiled, but Lukas was still a bit unnerved. Then again, Tino would be the first to be on watch duty, so Lukas would have to get used to him being awake when he was trying to sleep.
"Mathias really is something, isn't he?" Tino asked.
"He's something, yeah," Lukas grumbled. "I'm tired. Wake me when it's my turn to keep watch."
"Are you sure? Because you look a little pale. Are you feeling alright?"
Lukas gritted his teeth. He hated that Tino noticed. Then again, Tino had always been far more perceptive than Lukas was comfortable with. But perhaps it would be good to have someone to look out for him when he was feeling like this.
Still, he was feeling uneasy. There was something wrong, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. He closed his eyes, nodding his head to Tino's earlier question.
"It was a long trip," Lukas said. "And we've still got a long journey ahead."
Despite the feeling of unease, he started to drift off, his exhaustion too strong.
…
Arthur had never seen this place before. And yet, it seemed familiar somehow.
He was standing in a bedroom. There was a child reading at a table. Arthur took a step closer and the child looked up.
Arthur's breath hitched when he saw the child's red eyes. They held power, and he realised that the child was a sorcerer. The child smiled, revealing a small fang. Despite the odd features, the child was pure and innocent.
The scene shifted. He was no longer in the bedroom. It looked more like he was in a dungeon. And the child was at his feet, sniffling in pain. On his back was a brand that Arthur had only seen in books, but he knew what it was.
The child had been branded as a slave.
Arthur felt sad at the revelation. He didn't know what had happened in the child's life, but when he thought of that innocence being burned away by someone else's cruelty and greed, he wanted to find a way to save the child.
But the moment Arthur took a step closer, the scene shifted again. He was no longer staring at a child, but a young man. But the red eyes were almost the same. They still held power, but they were no longer innocent. They were afraid, and the owner was trembling.
Arthur took another step closer, and something shot out of the ground, wrapping around the young man. Arthur's eyes widened when he saw the serpents. A cold voice chuckled, and the young man shuddered.
"My master is waiting," a cold voice hissed.
Arthur awoke with a start, his body cold. He was trembling, his mind flashing through the dream again. This wasn't an ordinary dream. It was a vision.
"Arthur, are you okay?" Patrick asked, rushing towards him.
Patrick helped Arthur to sit up, and he could hear the other two moving as well. Dylan was rubbing his back, and Arthur found himself relaxing.
"What happened?" Patrick asked.
"I… I had a vision," Arthur said. "I-I think… The one Lady Auryana said was in the Aewern Desert… I-I think… He's a slave."
"Damn," Alistair whispered. "It's not going to be easy to get him away."
"He was branded when he was so young."
"Do you know what he looks like?" Dylan asked.
Arthur nodded.
"We need to get to him," Arthur said. "I can feel… He's scared, and in danger."
The others exchanged a look. Alistair sighed and nodded.
"We could try to ride for another hour," he said. "See if we can shave off some time."
"It's going to be dangerous," Dylan said. "In the dark, we're more inclined to attract the attention of wolves or bandits."
"Then we use our magic to get rid of them. You heard what Lady Auryana said is at stake."
"Just one hour," Arthur said. "We need to get to him. We need to save him. But we're still so far away…"
"Do you know his name?" Patrick asked. Arthur shook his head. "Damn. I would have suggested a protection spell. But you say you know what he looks like?"
"I won't be able to forget those eyes."
"I think I can work with that. Just close your eyes and keep his face in your mind. Give me your hands."
Arthur did as told. He ignored Patrick's words as he focused on the young man's face. When he imagined the fear-filled red eyes, he felt his heart clench again. He didn't know him, but he wanted to save him. He wanted to see what he would look like if he smiled. And as he thought it, the expression of the child as he smiled seemed to overlap with the older face. Arthur felt himself warm at the sight.
The trance was broken once he could no longer feel Patrick's hands on his. He opened his eyes to see Patrick looking at him oddly. Arthur blushed, thinking about his reaction to the image of the young man smiling.
"Is it done?" Arthur asked.
"Yeah," Patrick said. "It's just… While I was performing the spell, I sensed a strange energy coming from you. I've never sensed anything like it. It was… I don't know how to describe it."
"As long as it isn't dangerous, it's not important," Alistair interrupted. "Come on. The horses are ready."
Arthur realised that Dylan and Alistair had been busy packing everything up while Arthur and Patrick were busy. He nodded his head, grateful that his brothers were taking things seriously.
"Remember, just an hour," Dylan said. "We still need our rest."
"I understand," Arthur said. "Thank you for understanding."
"Of course," Alistair said. "We all know that when magic is involved, you should take things seriously. And if gods are involved, then we especially need to take things seriously."
…
Lukas looked to his left and then to his right. This place was unfamiliar to him, but it felt significant. But not so much as the people by his side.
He couldn't see their faces, since there was a bright light surrounding each of them. The one on his left was wrapped in red light while the one on his right was wrapped in green light. When he looked down at himself, he realised that he was glowing blue.
They were positioned around a pedestal. Lukas couldn't see what was on the pedestal. It was glowing white. He held out both hands, and the other two did the same. He could feel power surging through his hands.
There was a flash of lightning, and the white light became black. He felt a hand close around his wrist and he was pulled back. A hand closed around his throat from behind.
"You belong to me."
Lukas's eyes snapped open and he gasped. It took a while for his breathing to settle and for him to become aware of his surroundings. He jumped when he heard a harsh sound, and only when he heard it the second time did he realise that it was Mathias's snoring. He looked around and saw that everyone was asleep, asides from Tino, who was still keeping watch.
Lukas leaned back and stared at the sky, trying to make sense of his dream. He felt that it was more than a dream. And the other two figures… They were the ones that he would have to seek out. The ones that were also chosen for this task.
What concerned him was the one that grabbed him at the end. He had a feeling he knew who that was, and that didn't bode well. He knew that the dream was more than just a dream, but he didn't know what it could mean. Perhaps… It had something to do with their task?
There was a looming sense of danger, and he knew that he needed to unite with the other two as soon as possible. He also somehow needed to find a way to rush the others along without sharing too much about it. He'd never told any of them that he was a sorcerer, and only Emil knew. While his life wasn't in danger in his hometown, there was still suspicion regarding sorcerers. And he didn't want his childhood friends to become disgusted with him.
He felt eyes watching him and turned to look at Tino.
"Are you alright?" Tino whispered. "Did you have a nightmare?"
"Mathias's snoring woke me up," Lukas lied. "Do you want me to take over for you?"
Tino didn't immediately answer, but he looked around. He shrugged, before he went over towards his own things. Lukas went over to Tino's former spot.
"Wake Mathias when you get tired," Tino said. "Goodnight."
Lukas didn't respond. There was still a feeling of unease, but he couldn't pinpoint the reason. And then he realised something: he couldn't hear anything. There were no insects or other nocturnal creatures. Lukas shuddered, and he started to gather energy. If there was a magical threat, then he would be ready to react.
…
In a dark room, Nemthys was staring at a young body through an orb. The boy was sleeping again, though his sleep was far from restful. He wondered when the last time was that he'd slept peacefully.
He knew that the other two were on their way to this boy. The boy was clearly the weakest of the three, but he served as the perfect bait. He already had one of his servants there, and another was on his way. He would send a few more. The sooner he got the three of them, the sooner he would return to his full power. They were the keys, and he needed them before they could lead to his destruction.
