Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 34

"Sorry for that delay," Arthur said.

"It's fine," Lukas said. "It wasn't your fault, so you can stop apologising. As long as you're feeling better, then it was worth it."

They had spent the entire previous day in the inn, giving Arthur the chance to recover. He started feeling better after a few hours, and when Lukas checked him again at around midday, he concluded that the curse was gone. Arthur was still tired – they all were, due to the amount of time they spent travelling – and they continued to rest.

"The innkeeper was pretty nice," Vlad said.

The innkeeper had only charged for one night, and had often come to check in on them, refilling the water and bringing them regular meals. For a while, they were suspicious of this kindness, but eventually they accepted that the kindness was genuine. Still, it didn't stop them from leaving at first light.

They still had enough rations from the last time they stopped in a town two days ago, and so they didn't have to go to the market, but the innkeeper had still given them some food for the road. After everything they had gone through, it was nice to see genuine kindness, and each of them was contemplating if it would be possible to repay that kindness in some way.

"How long before we leave the forest?" Lukas asked.

Arthur pulled out the map and examined it. He could see their current location, along with the edge of the forest.

"We should be out of the forest tomorrow," Arthur said. "As long as we don't have any more delays, I'd say it's possible that we will leave before noon. And then we just need to find a port further north."

"A port?" Lukas asked. He stopped and turned to Arthur. "Please don't tell me that the gem is in the middle of the ocean."

"…Come look."

Lukas and Vlad moved closer, and they could see the blue dot meant to symbolise the Ocean Soul in the water. Lukas examined the settlements close to the coast before his eyes landed on one in particular.

"We can go to my hometown," Lukas said. "It will be the easiest option. We're going to have a hard time convincing most crews to help us to find a magical gem. And I'm sure that Berwald and Emil will be willing to help. Our boat is small, but it can do its job."

"This isn't just an opportunity to check on them, is it?" Arthur asked.

"Would you deny me that chance?"

Arthur shook his head. He was silent for a moment before he sighed and nodded.

"I see your point," he said. "Trying to convince any other crew would be difficult. We'll be leaving the forest, so the people won't be as fond of sorcerers. Lukas, you would understand better than I do: How bad is the situation there?"

"It would be a good idea not to reveal ourselves," Lukas said. "But it's not as bad as the desert."

"I hope not," Vlad said. "I never want to be in a place like that again."

"Don't worry," Lukas said. "We'll make sure that never happens."

…

The rest of the journey for the day was uneventful, and they only stopped to eat lunch. They had gotten better regarding the long distances that they had to walk, and the day of rest was also to their benefit. When the sun began to set, Arthur announced that they would continue for one more hour.

"We don't want to travel this part of the forest at night," Arthur explained. "We're where people from the north start coming in. Bandits prefer this part of the forest. And I highly doubt that any of them would be in the debt of my family, like last time."

"That was pretty lucky," Vlad said. "How much of our luck do you think Lucania used for that one?"

"I'm guessing quite a bit. And unless the goddess can contact you again, we shouldn't try to rely on luck too much, or at all. I'd say it's safe to say that we wouldn't be able to contact any of the gods, so we should wait for them to come to us."

"If they'll come at all," Lukas said.

"Yes, that's also a matter of concern. With any luck, we won't need their help."

"You know, I'm pretty tired," Vlad said. "We've been walking all day. I don't think I'm going to stay awake for very long tonight."

"Oh?" Lukas asked. "You're usually the one that's full of energy. Where did it go?"

"Like I said, we've been walking all day."

"Vlad, you're not getting sick, are you?" Arthur asked.

"No, I don't think it's anything like that. I just… All this walking is really getting to me, and I think we covered more ground than usual."

"You may have a point," Lukas said. "I also feel as though we've been walking more than usual today. It could also be because of the last few days. We were… A bit distracted, and we didn't get as far as we hoped."

"Very true," Arthur said. "At least we managed to leave the rain behind us. But there is another concern. We haven't run into any of Nemthys's followers since we found the Forest Mind. That's a bit suspicious, to be honest."

"Do you think it's because we're avoiding the roads?" Vlad asked.

"I would like to think so. But we've been in two different towns, and nothing's happened, other than me being cursed and Vlad sensing Nemthys's anger."

"…And both of them happened in the same place," Lukas said. "Vlad first felt that anger, and then we couldn't get to the shrine, and then Arthur got sick because of the curse. What if the three incidents are immediately connected. What if… What if we did have an encounter?"

"But, who? I mean, the only one we really met was that infuriating toad…"

"But, we don't know all of Nemthys's followers, do we?" Vlad asked. "How do we know that there wasn't someone in the crowd, who just didn't approach us. Or… Maybe it was Francis. It would certainly explain the odd feeling I had around him and the others."

Lukas and Arthur were quiet for a moment, as though they were contemplating the possibility.

"But, if they had us in their grasps," Lukas said, "then why didn't they take us? They could have knocked us out while we were on that… cart of theirs, and they could have taken us to their master. So… If they were Nemthys's followers, why didn't they?"

"But that's only if they were," Arthur said. "All that they did was have Francis make us angry."

"And you got mad pretty easily with him," Vlad said. "Almost as though he knew exactly what would make you angry. And if they were Nemthys's followers… Then, when they brought up my former master, it wasn't a coincidence."

Arthur's eyes widened.

"They made Lukas and I angry," Arthur said, "but they made you afraid. But… Why? If it was all just some way for them to mess with us…" Arthur came to a sudden stop, his eyes widening. "Or… No…"

"Arthur?" Lukas asked.

"I just remembered something. Usually, a sorcerer can sense when a spell is being cast on them, unless they're distracted by a strong emotion, such as…"

"Anger or fear," Lukas finished. "They must have been casting spells on us since we first met them."

"And the first meeting," Vlad said, "that's around the same time I started to feel all your emotions, and not just your fear when you're in trouble."

"They must have been hoping to overwhelm you," Arthur said. "This is bad. What if… What if one of the spells they cast on us is a tracking spell?"

Lukas shuddered.

"That does not bode well," he said. "But… why didn't we have any other 'visitors' since then?"

"I don't know," Arthur said. "And I don't want to find out. We need to get to the last jewel as quickly as possible and hope that we don't run into any of them again." He looked upwards and clicked his tongue. "Damn. If not for the late hour…"

It was getting dark, and Arthur's warning echoed through all of their minds. They were getting too close to bandit territory, if they weren't there already. None of them wanted to take the risk, but they needed to cover more ground.

They walked until it became difficult to see in front of them. It was a new moon, which meant they couldn't rely on moonlight to provide illumination. Their legs burned, since they had walked at a much faster pace in order to cover more ground. Once they stopped, they immediately moved to set up their wards.

The three huddled against each other once they were finished. They were tired, and with the possibility of Nemthys's followers toying with them, they clung to the only source of security they had. None of them dared to say anything.

One by one, resting against each other, they fell asleep.

…

Arthur was tied to a pillar. At least, he hoped that it was a pillar, and not a stake. He tried to struggle, but the more he struggled, the tighter his bonds seemed to grow.

"Your friends abandoned you," a familiar voice hissed. "When it comes to matters of life and death, your friends would much rather save themselves."

A crowd appeared in front of him, screaming at him, eager to spill his blood. He narrowed his eyes.

"None of this is real," Arthur said. "Get out of my mind!"

Invisible fingers stroked his cheek. Arthur flinched at the sensation.

"Are you sure of that?" Nemthys whispered.

"Yes," Arthur said. "Vlad and Lukas wouldn't abandon me. Now, get out of my head!"

Arthur gasped as his eyes snapped open. He took several deep breaths before looking to his right. Vlad was nestled in the middle between him and Lukas. Both of them were asleep, and Arthur smiled. He was right. It was just a dream. A horrible dream. They were still with him.

He'd been having a lot of dreams with Lukas and Vlad abandoning him being a theme. He was starting to think that Nemthys was desperate to get them to distrust each other. However, everything that happened in the waking world only revealed the dreams for what they truly were: blatant lies.

A pressure around Arthur's hands caused him to look down. He stared at his hands, not understanding what was happening. Somehow, his right hand had taken a hold of Vlad's left hand while his left hand had taken hold of Lukas's right hand. And Lukas's left hand was holding Vlad's right hand.

Arthur stared at their intertwined hands, not understanding when, why or how it had happened. He tried to pull his right hand free, but Vlad's hand tightened around it as Vlad whimpered. Perhaps he was plagued by a nightmare as well, and he was subconsciously reaching out for comfort.

That was fine. But why was Arthur holding Lukas's hand?

Not that he really minded. Both of their hands felt soft and warm. He looked up towards the sky. It was still deep into the night, and it was impossible to tell how long it would be before dawn. The only thing that Arthur could really do at this point was to try to go back to sleep.

Arthur took a deep breath, Lukas's and Vlad's scents washing over him. He smiled, knowing his two friends were with him, and he closed his eyes. He hoped that the next time he dreamed would be a lot more pleasant.

…

Vlad gasped, the figure above him glaring down at him as his hand wrapped around his neck. Vlad tried to move, but his wrists were tied above his head, and the figure was straddling his hips. The figure leaned down, smirking at him.

"I should have done this when I had the chance," Raj said. "After all, your master gave you to me for entertainment. And he was going to give you to me to keep. Which means…" Raj's smirk widened as he leaned closer and whispered, "…You're my slave now, to do with whatever I wish."

Vlad's eyes widened at the implications, and he was perfectly aware of the position he was in. He tugged at the ropes binding his wrists, to no avail. Raj removed his hand from around Vlad's neck and started to undo his shirt.

"No," Vlad whimpered. "Arthur, Lukas… Please, help me!"

Raj chuckled, before he stroked Vlad's cheek. Vlad flinched at the contact.

"Your friends will want nothing more to do with you," Raj said. "You are tainted. You always have been, and always will be. You can try to remove the brand, but it will still remain with you. You will never escape it."

Raj placed his hand on Vlad's chest, and he screamed at the familiar pain of something burning his skin. After a long moment, Raj pulled his hand away, and Vlad looked down at his chest.

He sobbed when he saw the slave brand on his chest.

Vlad's eyes snapped open. He panted before he curled in on himself, whimpering all the while. When he tried to wrap his arms around himself, he realised that his hands were both occupied. He looked over towards Arthur and Lukas, who were both fast asleep and both holding his hands.

This reminded him of the other night, when they were in that cottage, and also of that time near the beginning of their journey. Somehow, he always seemed to end up in the middle between them. At the moment, being in the middle made him feel safe. He burst into tears, raising his hands which still held his companions' and pressing it tightly against his chest. The contact reminded him of his dream, and he reluctantly released their hands and pulled his shirt away. It was too dark to see, but he whispered a spell that summoned a small ball of light that allowed him to see his chest, which was devoid of a slave brand. He sobbed, this time in pure relief.

"Vlad?" Lukas slurred. A moment later, he gasped. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Vlad sniffed and shook his head. He flinched when he felt someone stroking his hair, and he turned to see that Arthur was awake as well. Arthur pulled his hand away, his hurt clear to Vlad.

Both of them were concerned, and Vlad felt guilty about making them feel like that.

"Vlad, please," Lukas said. "Tell us what's wrong."

"S-sorry," Vlad stuttered. "N-nightmare. I-I just need to…"

He gasped when Lukas wrapped his arms around him and pulled him closer. He was tense for a moment, his mind flashing to the 'intimate' scene with Raj, before Lukas's familiar scent washed over him and he sobbed into Lukas's chest.

"You can share your pain with us," Arthur said. "You are privy to our emotions. It's only fair if you allow us to share your burden too."

"I… I can't," Vlad sobbed. "It's too…"

"Vlad, no matter what, Arthur and I are on your side," Lukas said. "So, don't keep it locked away."

Vlad sobbed harder as he pushed himself even closer to Lukas's chest. He could feel one of them stroking his back, but he couldn't exactly tell who it was. He only cared about the warm sensation he had at that moment.

"Vlad…" Arthur whispered. "What brought on so much pain?"

…

Nemthys watched the three. Perhaps he should be grateful to Tino for having the foresight to do something like this. He knew where they were at all times, and knew exactly when his followers failed.

Francis, Roderich and Dimitri were still not in trouble, since they were playing a longer game. The three of them were better with long-term plans, but this time, there was a problem. It would seem as though the three were suspicious of his followers. They needed another plan.

Roderich had done him a favour by making them more receptive to nightmares that Nemthys sent, and so Nemthys had a greater idea on their individual fears. Abandonment was a common theme among all three, but there was so much more. Vlad's fear of his past and of Raj, for example.

Nemthys looked back at the image of the three of them together. He'd noticed something. Whenever the three of them were bundled together, Vlad tended to end up in the middle. Perhaps it was a subconscious desire of the other two to protect him. He was the youngest of them, and the heart of the group. It would make sense that they would desire to shelter him. But that meant that he was the weak link.

Nemthys summoned three of his followers. Tino, Raj and Henri came in. Raj had dark circles under his eyes. He had failed twice, and so had been punished more than the other two. Still, the apprehension that all three had when in his presence made Nemthys smirk.

"I have a task for the three of you," Nemthys said, before he indicated the orb in which he was watching the three targets. "Tino, you betrayed Lukas's trust. Henri, you killed Arthur's brother. And Raj…" Nemthys's grin widened. "Vlad is truly afraid of you. He knows the role you played in his enslavement, and that you would have become his new master. You don't have to worry about retrieving them this time. Let their luck run out first."

"W-what do you wish for us to do?" Henri asked.

"I want you to break them. Especially Vlad. He is the most vulnerable of the three. I want you to shatter their minds."

Slowly, the three of them grinned, understanding that this was a task that the three of them were particularly suited for.

"We understand, Master," Tino said with a bow.