Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 21

They were forced to take a longer route in order to avoid the fire. Arthur frequently checked the map to make sure that they weren't going towards possible danger, and that they were still staying on course. Lukas also checked the compass from time to time.

Vlad followed behind the two, often looking around in case there were dangers that the map didn't show. There weren't any animals around, most likely due to the fire. Whenever Vlad looked in that direction, he could see a cloud of smoke rising over the treetops.

Was it getting bigger?

"How long before we get there?" Vlad asked. "I'm worried about that smoke cloud."

Arthur and Lukas looked over towards the cloud. Arthur's face fell and he started to walk faster.

"We should be there in a few minutes," Arthur said. "We shouldn't have left the horses behind. Then again, they'd probably be spooked by the smoke and fire, and they would have fled anyway. Let's just hope that the fire stays away."

They continued on, and even though the smoke was still a distance away, breathing soon became difficult. It didn't help that they were pushing their bodies to rush to their destination. When they finally stopped, they were huffing and puffing.

They clung to each other, and Arthur was the first to lift his head. Vlad felt Arthur's fingers digging into his shoulder, and he looked up to follow Arthur's gaze.

"It's that tree," Vlad whispered, before he shuddered. "There's definitely something here."

Arthur looked around, before he focused on something in the air.

"There's magic here," Arthur said. "A shield or something. I think that might be why I've never seen or heard a hint of this before. I wonder…"

Arthur reached out, and Vlad could see a bit of green in front of them. The green then dispersed, and Arthur shrank back. The three of them exchanged looks, before they walked closer to the tree.

After a few steps, Arthur sucked in his breath, clapping his hands against his ears. Vlad frowned, understanding what was happening. Something similar happened to him. It was as though he could hear the jewel. But now, it was Arthur's turn.

"Bloody hell," Arthur hissed. "Can't you hear this?"

"I think it's just you," Vlad said. "I think the jewel is calling to you."

Arthur pursed his lips, before he started to walk closer. Vlad and Lukas were a pace behind Arthur, keeping an eye on him to make sure that he didn't get sick or something. Vlad noticed that Arthur had grown pale, and he wondered what other effects Arthur was suffering from.

When they managed to reach the tree itself, Arthur swayed on his feet. Lukas and Vlad caught him, and after about a minute, Arthur took a deep breath and nodded. He turned his attention to the tree and started to scan the trunk. His eyes focused on a hole higher up and he cursed.

"Stay below me," Arthur said. "Catch me if I fall."

"Alright," Lukas said. "Still, be careful."

Arthur nodded, and his eyes scanned the tree. He reached out for a nearby branch and placed his foot on the trunk. He hauled himself up, before looking for other handholds and footholds. Vlad kept his eyes on Arthur, making sure that Arthur was alright. Vlad took a step closer when he saw Arthur falter, slamming his hand against one ear and the other ear against his arm. Vlad remembered the harsh sound, and he knew that Arthur was suffering from the same experience.

Arthur stayed like that for a while, before he continued to climb. He pulled himself up onto a particularly large bough, before he started to climb again. He paused, before he lowered himself to the bough again.

"Is everything alright?" Lukas asked.

"There's a hole here," Arthur said. "I'm just going to…"

Vlad tensed as Arthur's hand disappeared into the hole in the tree. Vlad bit his lip. He was imagining something hiding in the tree, preparing to bite down Arthur's arm. The more seconds that passed, the more Vlad expected Arthur to scream. After a while, Arthur's arm retracted, and there was something in his hand. Vlad smiled when he saw the green light in Arthur's hand.

"The Forest Mind…" Arthur said. "I found it."

"Great," Lukas said. "Now, climb down, and be careful."

Vlad looked over towards Lukas and smiled. While Lukas's face remained blank, it was clear that he was worried about Arthur too. Vlad didn't know if Lukas actively tried to look indifferent, or if it was just something that happened. But it was hard for Lukas to hide his true emotions from him. It was the same with Arthur.

Vlad looked back towards Arthur and his smile fell. Arthur slipped, and Vlad took a step closer, his desire to help Arthur becoming more important. Arthur managed to catch himself, but now, Vlad and Lukas were both worried about what was happening.

"Are you okay?" Vlad asked.

"Just got a bit dizzy for a moment, that's all," Arthur said.

"Arthur, it's the jewel. It's affecting you the same way the other one affected me."

"Drop the jewel to one of us, and we'll take care of it," Lukas said. "Don't take any risks."

Arthur hesitated for a moment, before he held out the jewel. Vlad watched it fall, and he positioned himself to catch it. He smiled when his hands curled around the cold stone. It felt different from the other jewel, but there was no denying the power inside.

Arthur took a deep breath, before he continued to climb down. Vlad deposited the jewel in his pocket as he prepared himself to catch Arthur, should he need help. Eventually, Arthur's feet touched the ground again, and Vlad hugged him.

"That was scary!" Vlad exclaimed. "Especially when you slipped! I thought you were going to fall!"

"I'm sorry to worry you," Arthur said. "I'll admit, I was worried too. I just felt so weak all of a sudden."

"Vlad got sick with the other jewel," Lukas said. "It's just strange how quickly it affects you. Makes me worried when my time comes."

"And we'll take care of you too," Arthur said, before he swayed. Vlad's hold tightened around him, and Arthur's hold tightened as well. "Sorry. I just feel very dizzy right now."

"Don't worry about it. We could try to rest a bit. We've been moving all morning, and…" Lukas's stomach growled and his cheeks darkened. "It might be a good time to get something to eat."

Vlad grinned and nodded. He looked over towards Arthur, who was looking very pale. At the very least, the food could make him feel better. However, his grin faded when he heard a crunching sound reminiscent of a footstep. He turned in that direction and saw three familiar figures emerge from the surrounding trees.

"Well now, fancy seeing you here," Miguel said, his smile a bit too wide. "We were just in the neighbourhood when we sensed you three. It's a small world, isn't it?"

"No," Lukas whispered, taking a step back. "What are you doing here?"

"…You're responsible for that fire, aren't you?" Arthur asked. "I thought it was suspicious."

"To be fair, we started the fire long before we realised you were in the vicinity," Miguel said. "And now, we have a chance for redemption."

"Run!" Lukas shouted.

Vlad didn't need to be told twice. They wasted no time and started running in the opposite direction. Vlad's arms around Arthur had moved, settling for holding Arthur's hand as he pulled the other along. Lukas was faster than them, and Vlad tried to catch up. He screamed in pain when he was pulled downwards, and when he looked over towards Arthur, he saw that he was unconscious. Running while being affected by the jewel was too much for Arthur.

"Lukas!" Vlad shouted, before he looked up towards their pursuers.

Miguel, Antonio and Raj jogged up to them. They knew there was no need to rush. Vlad then looked back towards Arthur. He couldn't carry him, and he couldn't abandon him. However, soon it didn't matter. Something constricted him, squeezing his arms to his sides, and when he looked, the eyes of a snake looked back at him.

"I wouldn't move too much, if I were you," Raj said. "While the laondu serpent's bite isn't lethal, it would inject you with a painful venom that will leave you screaming for at least the next four days."

Vlad shuddered, and the snake moved, forcing him to be very still. The three pursuers caught up to them, and Raj immediately wrapped his hand around Vlad's throat, hauling him to his feet. Vlad squirmed as the snake hissed in his ear.

"While we're here, I'd like to repay you for what you did to me last time we met," Raj hissed. "Do you have any idea how much trouble I was in because of you?"

"You can't… kill us," Vlad gasped.

"Oh, I know I can't. Doesn't mean I can't torture you. And don't worry. I won't damage you too much before I hand you over to our master."

"What are you going to do now, Lukas?" Miguel shouted. "Are you going to abandon your friends, or are you going to try and save them?"

Vlad's stomach dropped. Was Lukas still nearby? Did he double back or something? Unfortunately, he couldn't turn around to look. Raj's hand was still wrapped around his throat.

"Lukas, run!" Vlad shouted as best he could. "Don't worry about… Aaah!"

The snake struck, biting his cheek. Raj smirked, not hiding his amusement at all.

"You should really be more mindful of your situation," Raj said. "And now, I get to see you squirm."

"Get rid of the snake," Antonio said. "The damage is done, and he's not going anywhere."

Raj sighed, before he snapped his fingers. Vlad's body was still constricted, but there was no longer the cold body. Instead, Vlad seemed to be tied with rope, and Raj dropped him to the ground.

Vlad gasped as his airway was freed, and he turned himself around as much as he could. Someone kicked Vlad onto his stomach before placing his foot on his back, preventing escape. But that wasn't what Vlad was worried about. He looked in the direction that they had been running, and he saw Lukas looking towards them a fair distance away, a pained expression on his face.

"Lukas, run!" Vlad shouted. "Before they get you too!"

Vlad grunted as the foot stomped on his back. He barely registered that pain, as from his cheek, spreading out towards the rest of his body, a fiery ache seemed to settle. He remembered what Raj said about the snake's venom and whimpered in realisation.

"What's it going to be, Lukas?" Miguel called out. "You can abandon them, go and find the last of the jewels. But you're still going to need them to complete your mission, isn't that right? Do you think you can challenge the three of us and win? We have centuries of experience, you know."

Vlad's breathing started to speed up. He was used to torture, and so he had a decent pain tolerance. However, what the snake did to him was starting to really hurt.

"Oh, and looks like Vlad is starting to feel the effects of the venom!" Raj called out, making sure that Lukas could hear. "For the next four days, he's going to suffer from intense pain that's akin to being burned alive. And trust me, I've been able to compare the two. Then, there's also the nausea, fever, vomiting, sensory attacks and rash he'll be dealing with. Nasty stuff. I wonder, do you think he's going to have his senses weaken to the point where he becomes blind or deaf, or will they become sensitive, causing him to lose his mind from all the things he wasn't supposed to see or hear?"

"That's enough!" Lukas said. "If I agree to come with you, will you give him the cure?"

"No!" Vlad shouted. "Forget about me! I've suffered worse! Please, just get away!"

"Quiet," Antonio hissed, before he stomped on Vlad's back again.

"Oh, and I forgot about the possible muteness," Raj said. "Temporary, of course, but would be really good right now."

Vlad gritted his teeth. The fire burning in his body was starting to grow hotter, and he knew that it was only a matter of time before he could no longer handle the pain. He looked up towards Lukas with watery eyes. He just wanted his friend to get away. He didn't care about the fate of the world. He just wanted to make sure that Lukas was safe. It was a bit too late for Arthur.

There was heat growing in another part of Vlad's body. It took him a while to realise that it wasn't his body that was heating up, but something pressed against his body. The jewel! Something was happening with it. And, with that thought in mind, he could see a faint red glow coming from one of Lukas's pockets. That jewel was also reacting.

Vlad wondered if it was possible to use the jewels to escape, just as Arthur let out a groan.

…

Arthur looked around. He was used to being in the forest, but the trees around him were different. Sunlight streamed through the trees as he walked until he reached a glade. There, he found a pool with someone sitting next to it.

The person looked up, and Arthur immediately noticed the green eyes. The person smiled, setting Arthur's mind at ease.

"Hello, Arthur," the other said. "I've been waiting to see you. How's Gilbert?"

"You're Toris," Arthur said, stepping closer. "I've heard of you."

Toris beamed, before he looked into the pool.

"Before we died, Gilbert and I managed to get close," Toris said. "You'll be surprised how close you can get to someone when you're sharing the same hell." Toris's face darkened. "We weren't as close to you are with Lukas and Vlad, though. We didn't have enough time together."

"What exactly happened?" Arthur asked, stopping when he reached the pool.

"They took me pretty fast," Toris said. "They threatened my childhood friend. They used their magic to torture him in front of me. I only recently discovered my magic, so I couldn't help him. They only stopped after I agreed to go with them. And then… they killed him, since he was no longer useful to them. But by then, it was too late."

"…I'm sorry to hear that. I recently lost my brother too."

"I know. I know about all your recent memories, ever since you learned about your fate. But you don't know the full story."

"Can you tell me?"

Toris opened his mouth, before he closed it again and shook his head.

"I'm sorry," Toris said. "I can't tell you what I want to tell you. Nemthys made sure of it."

"I understand," Arthur said. "Gilbert said something along the same lines."

"But, there is something I can tell you. The jewels you have. Even if they're not the ones you… have a connection with, you can use the jewels you've already gathered as a way to augment your magic."

"But, isn't it dangerous? I mean… What they're supposed to do…"

"It's not dangerous for the three of you. Trust me on this. And I'm telling you now because you're going to need their power. Nemthys's followers have already captured you and Vlad, and they're trying to get Lukas to come to them, in the name of saving you."

Memories of what Arthur had been doing before he arrived in that forest crashed into him, and he took a step back.

"No," Arthur whispered. "What's happening?"

"Vlad needs help," Toris said. "You need to return to your world. I think the jewels are reacting to the new danger. I'll try to help as much as possible. But as long as you are close, then I should be able to help."

"Thank you. How do I leave?"

Toris smiled. The scenery flickered for a moment.

"You already are," he said.

…

Lukas kept looking between the different people in front of him. From Arthur, who was still unconscious, to Raj, who stood over Arthur, to Vlad, whose face was twisted in pain, to Antonio, who had his foot planted on Vlad's back, to Miguel, who was acting as the enemies' mouthpiece. Lukas wanted to help his comrades, but he understood Vlad's reasoning for urging him to run away.

Still, he couldn't just abandon them.

And to make matters worse, the stone in his pocket was starting to grow hotter. He didn't want to take it out with their enemies around, but he didn't think that he would be able to handle the growing heat. And when he looked over towards Vlad, he was sure that he could see a green light from Vlad, and he wondered if there was a red light coming from him as well. He didn't know what was happening with the jewel, but if it was about to cause trouble, then he hoped that it could wait until they managed to get away safely.

"If you come with us, then we'll give Vlad the antidote," Miguel said. "You have my word."

"No!" Vlad shouted. "Lukas, if they get you, we lose! Just…"

He cried out as Antonio stomped on his back. Lukas glared at Antonio. If he could, then he would make Antonio pay for the pain he was inflicting on Vlad.

The next time he looked over towards Arthur, he saw that he had started to stir. He was glad that Arthur was waking up so soon, but he was worried that things would grow complicated. This made the decision even more difficult. What would happen if Arthur realised what was going on?

He didn't have a lot of time to think about it anymore. He screamed in pain as the jewel became incredibly hot, and Vlad screamed as well. Just before he closed his eyes, a bright light enveloped the area.