CHAPTER 3: "ARTHAM DON'T YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED?"

Leeli watched Kalmar run after the Fangs then Nia turned to Artham, "Artham, stay with Oskar and the girls I'll be back." Then Nia ran after Kalmar ignoring Artham who was calling her name several times but, he gave up. He sighed and then sat beneath a tree. Oskar, Sara, and Leeli did the same. "What do we do now?" Leeli asked.

"I don't know. Right now I feel too tired to think." Artham said rubbing his forehead.

"Are you alright?" Sara asked. "That looked like a pretty hard hit."

"It felt hard too," Artham said.

"We have to find Nia and Kalmar," Oskar said. "Then find Janner."

"But why would they take him to Castle Throg?" Leeli asked.

"That was kinda weird.", Artham said, leaning his head back against the tree. He sighed, "Oskar's right we have to go. Who knows what Nia and Kalmar are going to run into?"

"And if we find Momma, then we'll find Kalmar," Leeli said as she stood up, "And if we find Kalmar we'll find the Fangs who took Janner, right?"

"Well, I guess there is a chance of that. But I don't know if they'll keep up with the Fangs." Oskar said.

"Either way sitting around is not going to get them back here. And more creatures and Fangs could come back too." Artham said while getting back up. Soon everyone got up and walked in the direction Kalmar and Nia went. Everyone walked in silence ready for any chance something could go wrong. Soon everything started to feel colder which meant the sun was starting to set. They all stopped to take a break and Artham flew above the trees to see where the sun was. When he saw it, it looked like it the sun was about to touch the trees making the trees look black to a darker green than it was before. He turned around towards the direction they were going to find a mountain range with a dark structure on it, in the distance. Throg. The castle didn't look too big but it would be since they got there. Why are they taking Janner to Throg? Do they even know that they have a dead body? Artham thought. He soon went down to the ground," The sun is going down. We could probably walk for a little bit longer then we'll try to find a place to sleep."

"Are they really going to Throg?" Sara asked.

"I'm so. The direction we're heading in is straight toward Castle Throg."

"You saw it?" Leeli said sounding a bit hopeful that they would be there soon.

"I did.", Artham said.

"But you know how to get there, don't you?", Oskar said.

Artham hesitated a bit then said, "Yes." He didn't need someone to tell him what to do because he already knew what he needed to do. Artham turned around towards the East and started to stare at the dark shadows that hid in every corner it could find. Leeli went up and held his hand, which made him jump a little bit, and looked up at him and said, "Are you okay?" Artham never looked at her and said, "Let's go." Then they were walking again.

They stayed silent once more as everything around them got darker and darker. Artham stayed ahead of everybody else and he intended to stay ahead of them. He didn't want anyone to see the fear plain on his face and even though he couldn't see it yet, he could feel Castle Throg getting closer and closer. And with every step he took, he felt something that he hadn't felt in while. He could feel something rising inside and it was something he prayed he'll forget for the rest of his life. It was the mind of the man who would walk on his socked hands and fight street signs and jumble up his words that started to enter Artham's mind. The thought of Peet the Sock Man rising from within distracted Artham from noticing that he was tilting his head from side to side, his talons tapping together making a small clicking sound, and his wings twitching every few seconds. He didn't notice how his eyes were closed and that they all seemed to be getting higher as they got close to the mountains. Soon the Maker sent a strong wind to move the clouds away from the bright full moon to shed some light on the place where Artham was about to go.

"ARTHAM, LOOK OUT!" Leeli screamed. Sara ran and grabbed Artham's wings to get him to stop. But it only made him screech and fall to his knees in the dirt. All at once Artham got out of the strange daze and shook his head. "Wha...what happened? What are you doing? What's going on?! Are you guys okay?!", he said in a frightened voice. But the only response they got was a confused and shocked look from everyone.

"Where's everyone else?! Where's Kia and Nalmar-Nia and Kalmar? And Janner! Where's Janner? Is he okay? And Podo, what happened to Podo? AND ESBEN! Where's Esben?! What's going on on on ON?!"

"That's what we're trying to figure out Artham!" Oskar exclaimed while trying to hide his bald head with the few wisps of his hair. "We've been calling your name for quite some time now and you were lucky that Sara was able to grab you just in time because you were about to walk off that cliff over there." Artham looked behind him to see that a few feet away was indeed a cliff.

"Wait," Leeli said, "Artham, don't you remember what happened?"

"I...I don't know?" Artham looked down at his talons and tried to think about what had happened and was able to slowly remember what happened. Artham?", Leeli interrupted his thoughts, "Are you okay? You sounded like you didn't remember anything." Artham looked into Leeli's eyes that shone from the moonlight but then realized that they could probably see the fear that had a hold of him. "I...", was all could say.

He looked back down at his talons. He didn't know how to tell them that he was terrified at the thought of going to Castle Throg. But they had to get Janner back. It was for Janner that Artham used all of his strength to hide the fear and try to be brave but he couldn't go on like this anymore. Trying to hide it was just becoming a heavier burden and he wasn't sure if he could carry it another step. Leeli, Sara, and Oskar walked toward him and sat in front of him. Leeli reached out to put her hand on the side of his face but he only turned away. Then Leeli lifted his face so that his eyes would meet hers. "Artham, if there's something wrong you have to tell us so that we can help you," Leeli said, "The longer you keep the pain to yourself the harder it would be to let go. Soon you'll only be hurting yourself and we wouldn't know how to help you."

"And we'll do the best that we can to help you.", Sara said.

"The young ladies are right," Oskar said as he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his head, "That's how a family survives in a crazy world like this. It's the love that they have for each other that keeps a family strong. Even if there seems to be a division between the family at times they always end up fighting against evil side by side. Because that's the meaning of a family that the Maker wanted. If He didn't He would've created a different meaning for a family long before time began."

Artham looked back at Leeli and held her face in his hands. He couldn't hold them back any longer and he knew that they were right. Then tears started to fall to the ground. "I'm...afraid."

"Of what?" Sara asked.

"Of the memories and the voices that keep reminding me of what I've done. I can feel it all coming the closer we get to Throg. I'm afraid of going crazy again and never coming back."

"What did happen when you were here?" Leeli asked. Artham was silent for a little bit trying to find the right words to say. I've been keeping this to myself for nine years, Artham thought, I guess it's time I told them. Then a taunting voice came into his head.

No! They'll think you're weak. Just run away. That's what you're best at.

I have to. Artham thought.

NO! WEAKLING!

Artham sighed. "Well...it started when I ran into the burning of Castle Rysen to try to find..."

"...Esben..."