Thanks to apurehetalian, kekasihchaewon and Azurix for reviewing.
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.
Chapter 1
Arthur groaned when he woke up. He opened his eyes, before immediately flinching and shutting them again. His head hurt like hell. Had he been drinking again? He couldn't remember going out to the tavern the previous night, and he didn't keep anything in his house. So, what could it mean?
He vaguely remembered a flash of green in his vision, and frowned. Could it have been a dream?
He heard frantic knocking at his front door, and he whimpered, curling up in pain.
"Arthur, open up!"
Bugger. Out of all the people, it had to be his elder brother Alistair at the door. Why couldn't he just leave him alone?
When there was another frantic pounding on the door, Arthur forced himself out of the bed and stormed to the door. He threw the door open and glared.
"What the bloody hell do you want?" he snapped.
He noticed that it wasn't just Alistair standing there, but Dylan and Patrick as well, his other brothers.
"We were supposed to start the ritual at dawn," Alistair said, crossing his arms. "And looks like you decided to get drunk last night."
Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose. He and his brothers were followers of the forest goddess, Auryana. They had her to thank for their magic. And they were supposed to perform a ritual in thanks to her.
Arthur was just opening his mouth when he felt a wave of nausea hit him. He tried to hold back the bile, but some of it escaped.
"Oh gods…" Dylan said, moving closer.
He led Arthur inside, and thankfully his stomach settled. Patrick and Alistair were also staring at Arthur with wide eyes.
"Open your eyes," Dylan instructed.
Arthur did so, seeing his brother's green eyes staring into his own. Dylan then leaned closer and sniffed him.
"He doesn't smell like alcohol," Dylan muttered.
"What the bloody hell is going on?" Alistair demanded. "He was vomiting blood."
That caught Arthur's attention, and he looked up at Dylan.
"What?" he rasped.
"Arthur, do you remember what you were doing last night?" Dylan asked.
Arthur frowned.
"I… I can't," he said. "I remember preparing for the ritual, but… Afterwards, it's a blank. I… I don't even remember going to bed, but I woke up there…"
"When did you wake up?" Dylan asked.
"I… A few seconds before you came."
The others exchanged looks.
"It's not just your absence at the ritual that made us come," Dylan said. "We sensed something. Something terrible happened. We came to check on you, and when we stepped foot on the property we felt something again."
"Something is definitely wrong," Alistair said. "I think we need to go to the altar immediately. Hopefully the goddess could give us answers."
"Just give me a few minutes to get ready," Arthur said, already turning back towards his room.
"I'm coming with you," Dylan said. "Just in case something happens again."
"I would like to get dressed!"
"And we used to bathe together. There's nothing new, so stop being stubborn."
He and Dylan continued to glare at each other for a few seconds before Arthur felt a stab of pain in his head. He whimpered, grabbing his skull, and Dylan firmly took hold of his shoulders.
"Come on," Dylan said. "Hopefully you're just sick, but if it's a curse, then we need to make sure too, before things get out of hand."
Dylan was already ushering Arthur to his room when he realised what his brother had said.
"Why… do you assume it's… a curse?" Arthur said. "It's… too soon to come… to that conclusion."
"Because you're not acting the way you usually do when you're sick," Dylan said. "And how often do you see someone vomiting blood?"
Arthur looked down at his hand. Some of the bile from earlier had slipped through his fingers, staining his hand. He grimaced at the sight, before his stomach rolled. He had to fight hard to hold back the bile.
Dylan helped him get dressed and get cleaned up to the best of his ability. When there was no more that could be done, the four brothers walked to the forest, ignoring the people already beginning with their morning routines at this early hour.
They went deep into the forest, and Arthur loathed every second of the trip. He was starting to feel his temperature rising, and breathing was difficult. It was important to note that his brothers, despite all of their bickering, were constantly looking towards him and even offered their hands when it would seem that Arthur was having difficulty keeping up with them.
Finally, they reached the altar in the heart of the forest. Arthur could see that all the preparations for their intended ritual was in place, and he felt guilty for not being there on time.
They took their positions around the centre of the altar: Arthur in the eastern position, Alistair north, Patrick west and Dylan south. Alistair glanced towards Arthur before he held out his hands, the others copying him. They all closed their eyes.
"Oh Lady Auryana, we, your humble servants, beseech your help," Alistair chanted. "Our brother and your devoted follower, Arthur, is suffering from an affliction. Please, bring us clarity as to the nature of this affliction, and give him your blessing. We beseech you to help him heal."
For a while, nothing happened. Arthur opened his eyes and gasped when he saw a light growing in front of them. Something like that had never happened before. His brothers also noticed this and took a step back, staring at the light in trepidation.
The light continued to grow until it took a human shape, and gradually faded to reveal a woman. Arthur's eyes widened. He'd seen statues of her, and he immediately fell to his knees, his brothers not far behind. The goddess Auryana was standing in front of them.
"L-Lady Auryana," Alistair stammered.
Arthur felt a cold, but tender touch under his chin and he slowly lifted his head. The goddess watched him with sadness in her eyes, and Arthur felt his heart sink. There was something wrong.
"My poor child," the goddess said. "This is no mere affliction. You have been chosen."
"Ch-chosen?" Arthur stammered. "For… for what?"
The goddess looked pained, and for a moment Arthur feared that he hadn't been respectful enough. Finally, she spoke.
"During the night, the Demon God, Nemthys, awoke," she said. "Soon, his followers will help their master envelop the land in darkness. I fear that they might have already begun. There is only one way to stop them: the Forest Mind, the Ocean Soul and the Desert Heart. They are Nemthys's crown jewels. Arthur, you have been chosen to seek out the three jewels."
"W-wait," Alistair said. "Why was he chosen, and alone?"
The goddess shot Alistair an annoyed look, and he immediately lowered his head again. She looked over the group before settling on Arthur again.
"Fate is the one that chose you," she said. "But you will not have to do this alone. There are two others that will aid you. One comes from the Paqlea Sea, and the other is from Aewern Desert. Before you do anything else, you must unite with them, for only together can you defeat Nemthys."
Arthur knew that the Paqlea Sea was to the northwest, while the Aewern Desert was to the northeast. Both of them would take roughly two weeks to reach on horseback, and he didn't know how much time they would have. If he had to seek both of them…
"Forgive me, my lady," Arthur said. "But… to travel to both of them… It would be a long voyage, and it sounds to me as though time is of the utmost importance."
"You are correct," Auryana said. She paused. "Dosalri, the patron god of the one at Paqlea Sea, is explaining the exact same thing I'm explaining to you. He is urging his charge to go to Aewern Desert. The one there is not in a position where he can easily leave. He is also at more risk than you. If anyone learns that he is a sorcerer, then his life is in great peril. And if Nemthys's followers sniff him out, then death will become a blessing to him. Nemthys not only seeks the jewels, but he also seeks you. You must not allow him to get his hands on either."
"Pardon me, Lady Auryana," Dylan said. "If Arthur is in danger, then wouldn't it be best if we accompany him? We can protect him."
"That would be wise. You may accompany him, but only until he is united with the other two. The rest of their journey is one they must undertake alone." She turned back to Arthur. "Once you have found the jewels, take them to Mount Alasbu. You will find a temple, in which you will find the Black Crown. Unite the crown with the jewels, and you will rid the land of Nemthys."
"We understand," Patrick said.
"Lady Auryana," Arthur said, "where in Aewern Desert should I go?"
"Go to the capital," Auryana said. "One last thing." She handed something to Arthur. It looked like a piece of parchment. "Once the three of you are united, this will lead you to clues to the jewels' whereabouts."
"Why only clues?"
"For your safety. Nemthys's followers are searching for you and the jewels. We can't make it too easy for them. And even we don't know the locations of the jewels. We can only help you with clues." She smiled. "Good luck, my child. And to help you with your condition, try chewing on mint."
She did not wait for any other questions. She disappeared in a bright light, and for a long moment, the brothers simply stared. Alistair sighed, before he clapped his hand on Arthur's shoulder. The younger's eyes bulged as he felt his stomach churn.
"Looks like you're in for a long, hard trip," Alistair sighed.
…
Lukas was checking the saddlebags, the taste of mint sharp in his mouth. He was surprised when his patron god came to his room. And he was even more surprised when the god told him that he was chosen for an important task.
Dosalri had given him what appeared to be a compass, which the god said would help them in their mission. He also told him about the other two that would be joining him, and that one of them needed his help.
He wondered what the other two would be like, and whether or not they would be able to get along. And he also wondered about these followers that Dosalri spoke about. Would they be able to recognise Lukas and the others? Would Lukas be able to recognise them?
"Lukas!"
He whipped his head around, seeing his brother and their three friends. The one that had called out was Mathias, who was definitely the only one that Lukas could say was annoying. Lukas, Mathias and Berwald had been friends for a long time, with Emil tagging along at first before officially being included. Tino was the last to join them, as he'd only moved there about two years ago.
"Where are you going?" Mathias asked, looking at the horse.
"I have urgent business in the Aewern Desert," Lukas said. "And I need to go as soon as possible."
"Alone?" Tino asked. "What about bandits?"
"Tino's right," Mathias said. "So we're going too."
Lukas hesitated. He didn't think that this was a good idea. Dosalri told him that his companions would be the other two, and that it would be best to not include anyone else. Berwald seemed to pick up on his hesitation.
"If it's something that you don't want to talk about, you don't have to," Berwald said. "But it's a good idea for us to go with you."
Lukas bit his lip before nodding.
"Pack quickly," Lukas said. "We're already wasting too much time."
Mathias cheered before running off. The others followed at a more subdued pace. Tino was the last to leave, and he looked thoughtful. He shook his head after a moment before he walked away. For some strange reason, Lukas felt a bit uncomfortable. It must have been the knowledge that he was bringing his friends into danger, or it could be the lingering feeling of sickness. He needed more mint.
…
Vlad took deep breaths, trying to stave off the nausea. It was a horrible surprise when he vomited earlier, and it looked like blood. He cleaned it before anyone could see it. The last thing he needed was someone to think that he was cursed or possessed.
When he was confident that he wouldn't get sick, he ducked out of the alcove he was hiding in and resumed his work. He knew that there would be a guest coming, and he needed to make sure that his work was done before his master had him punished.
He was scrubbing the floor when he heard footsteps approaching. He tried not to freeze, even as fear gripped him. The footfalls were heavy, and he knew that they belonged to his master. If he kept his head low and scrubbed, then perhaps he could avoid punishment.
The footsteps stopped next to him, and he had to try his best to not stop scrubbing. His blood started to feel cold as his master stood there, and Vlad was worried about what the man was going to do to him.
"Look at me," his master said.
Vlad's hands froze, and he slowly looked up. His master was staring at him, his face in an unfamiliar mask. Vlad had never seen his master looking at him like that, and he didn't know what it would mean for him.
"Stand up," his master ordered.
Vlad slowly pushed himself to his feet. He was a bit stiff, but he couldn't allow his master to see his discomfort. If he was lucky, his master would ignore it. If not, then his master would exploit his discomfort. He winced when his master grabbed his chin, scrutinising him.
"My friend will be coming soon," he said. "I want to make sure that his stay is pleasant. Are you going to help me?"
"H-how?" Vlad asked.
"He likes a pretty face. And out of all the slaves, your face is definitely the prettiest. Must have something to do with your parents." His eyes roved over Vlad. "We just need to get you better clothes."
Vlad's stomach dropped. He knew what his master meant. The older male smirked, before his hand closed around Vlad's upper arm. Vlad was guided to another room, and he had to make a conscious effort to move his feet, lest he be dragged and anger his master.
"Stay here," his master instructed. "I'll send some of the other slaves to make you presentable."
Vlad flinched when the door slammed shut, and he looked around the room. It was mostly bare, and he knew that this room was mostly used by the slaves when they needed to do something urgently that they couldn't do in the open or in one of the main rooms. Making another slave presentable as a sort of 'gift' to a visitor would definitely fall into that category.
He didn't know how long he waited, but eventually the door opened again. Four of his fellow slaves came in, two of them carrying a tub filled with water. Vlad already knew what to do, and the moment the door closed again he started to strip.
He'd helped a few slaves in his position before. Many of them were taken away by their master's guests, while others needed to be tended to afterwards. There was one girl, he remembered, that had her eyes gauged out because the person she was 'entertaining' loved her eyes and wanted to keep them, but that was the only part of her that he wanted. Vlad had tried to comfort her, and tried to tend to her wounds, but she still killed herself. And if she hadn't, she would have been sold because their master didn't see a use for her anymore.
None of them spoke as the others scrubbed Vlad, trying to get him clean. They all knew that this wasn't a privilege, and this wasn't something to be envious of. They were afraid for Vlad, but not as afraid as Vlad was. Hopefully, the guest was someone that just liked to admire his appearance. He'd had one or two people like that. And he hoped that this wasn't someone that enjoyed inflicting pain.
When they were finished cleaning him, they combed his hair and helped him get dressed. The clothes were nothing extraordinary, and were actually pretty simple. They were better than the clothes the slaves wore. He was given a white tunic shirt and loose black trousers. It was also strange to wear shoes. There was a looking glass in the room and he looked into it. He was shocked to see how pale he was, which made his red eyes stand out more.
The five slaves turned towards the door when it opened. Another slave stood there, and he was looking at Vlad with wide eyes.
"M-Master is c-calling for y-you," he stuttered. "H-his g-guest is h-here."
Vlad's stomach dropped. He nodded his head, following after the other slave. Before he exited the room, one of the others grabbed his wrist.
"Good luck," she whispered.
Vlad tried to muster a small smile, but he couldn't linger for long. He followed after the other slave to where his master was. The older male was waiting impatiently at the entrance hall, but appeared to be satisfied when he saw Vlad.
The other slave made himself scarce. None of the others were allowed to be seen by the guest or his entourage. Vlad was alone.
And soon, the guest arrived. Vlad stared at the man, knowing that his fate was in his hands.
"Raj!" his master greeted, throwing his arms wide. "Glad you could come!"
"Sadiq, thank you for having me," Raj said, before his eyes shifted towards Vlad. His eyes narrowed as his smirk widened. "And who is this?"
"He volunteered to make your stay as pleasurable as possible."
Vlad bowed his head, already feeling uncomfortable under the hungry look.
Arthur and his brothers live separately from each other because that's the more peaceful option. Some family members can't stay in each other's presence for too long.
