#fantasymasksau

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Escape From Suilthair

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Thirty-Five

A JSE Fanfic

After so long of Chase and Jameson being stuck in this city, it's finally time for them to leave. Marvin, Jackie, Henrik, and the rest of the Phantoms reach out to the two of them, and they make a plan to get them out of the city. Chase wants to say goodbye to Amabel one last time, so they wait until morning. But... things quickly go awry. And yeah. It's a long chapter so I'm not going to spend too long on the author's note. Hope you guys enjoy!

Previous Part | | From the Start | More AU | Read on AO3: CrystalNinjaPhoenix

Taglist: @brokentimewatch

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Marvin woke everyone up before the sun rose, going around the boat and shaking everyone until they were roused from sleep. He merely said, “I found them. Help me get the others up.” It didn’t take long. Soon, everyone was gathered on the deck of the boat, listening to Marvin as he explained what he’d seen through Draco’s eyes. “A boathouse?” Jackie asked.

“Yes, I know what a boathouse looks like.” Marvin nodded as he paced back and forth. “I’ve seen them before, but this one was very run down. Didn’t look safe, to be honest, but it was hidden.”

“And they are both alright?” Henrik asked hopefully.

“As far as I could tell.” Marvin stopped moving. “Before we all speak with them, I should... Th-they said they discovered something very important about the King. And if it’s true... it could change everything.”

The rest of the group looked intrigued. Jackie leaned forward. “Well? Keep going!”

“I’m trying to figure out how to say it,” Marvin mumbled. “It’s quite... shocking.”

“Ah, just spit it out,” Vsevna said. Henrik nodded.

“They said that the King was being possessed,” Marvin blurted out.

Silence.

“...that...” Henrik clears his throat. “Did you just... say what I think you said? The King is being... possessed? As if... by some sort of spirit?”

“Yes,” Marvin confirmed. “Chase says that the person in his dreams is the real King, calling out for help. Which I suppose implies that this spirit is who we’ve really been fighting against this whole time.”

“But—but—but that’s a long time to be possessed!” Jackie stuttered. “We’ve been doing this for—for years now? If we assume that the spirit was behind all the King’s actions that have been worth fighting against.”

“I didn’t ask for details, I wanted everyone to be awake to hear it,” Marvin said. “So... are we ready to talk to them?”

The whole group gave various shouts of “aye” and “yes”.

“Let’s do it, then.” Marvin took the message rock out of his pocket. “Someone hold this.” Jackie hurried over and took it from  him, and Marvin sat down on the deck, leaning against the mask. “I’m just going to look through Draco’s eyes to be sure there’s no danger.” He closed his eyes... and after a few moments, nodded. “They’re ready.”

Jackie immediately raised the message rock to his mouth and started speaking at it. “Chase?! Jameson?! Are you there?!”

A second passed. Then— “—ackie, is that you?!” Chase’s voice said.

“Yes! Marvin told us everything you told him. Are you both unhurt?”

“We’re fine. We were injured a little after escaping—I said that Jameson was captured for some time, right? Anyway, we’re all healed up by now.”

“Oh thank the Elders,” Jackie breathed. “We’re coming to get you out of there.”

“Whoa whoa whoa.” Henrik stepped forward and grabbed the rock from Jackie. “I think we need some more informa—” He realized he wasn’t speaking into the stone and quickly fixed that. “I think we need some more information first. Where are you two? In relation to the rest of the city? Marvin mentioned you were on the edge, but which edge?”

“Yea, we’re on the very edge. There’s nothing but water to my left right now. I think we’re on the... northeast edge?”

“Great, that is as far as possible from where we are right now,” Henrik muttered.

“We could try to get closer to meet with you?” Chase suggested.

“That may work. Hang on a moment. Vsevna?” Henrik turned to face him, making sure that he was still speaking into the rock. “Do you think that the boat could sail around the edge of the Suilthair island and then approach at the edge where Chase and Jameson are.”

Vsevna frowned. “Perhaps, but... ah, can they hear me speak right now?”

“Oh! No, you need to be holding it. Here.” Henrik passed the message stone to him.

“Thank you.” Vsevna smiled at him, then turned serious again. “We could do as sova says and sail around to meet you. But the problem is that it will be very noticeable. Boats carrying goods to Suilthair can only dock at the South Dock. And that is only if they are carrying something very heavy or hard to transport. More usually, cargo is required to be unloaded on the shore, transferred to a ferry, and then taken to Suilthair. If the King’s people notice a boat sailing around the city, they will raise an alarm. If we are lucky, they will send out boats to board us. If we are unlucky, they will send wizard spells at us from the shore hoping to sink us.”

“That’s... a lot,” Chase said slowly. “So... no boats at all go around Suilthair? What about a boat sailing from the north to the south? Or from the south to the north? Not stopping in the city, but continuing past, down the Muinra Avon and through the Green Lake. Could you pretend to be one of those?”

“Those boats do exist, but we will have to get right up to the city for you to board,” Vsevna explained. “And that will be suspicious.”

“Oh! What if you we don’t get right up to the city?” Marvin suggested.

Vsevna walked over. “Hold on a moment, Marvin, explain that with the rock in hand.”

Marvin held out his hand for the rock—eyes still closed while he saw through Draco’s eyes—and started speaking into it. “We could find some rowboats or some such. Our boat could sail out around the city, not getting close to it, and then you could come out to meet us in a rowboat.”

“That’s a good idea, but... uh...” Chase hesitated. “I don’t think... there are any rowboats anywhere in Suilthair.”

The group of Phantoms muttered darkly. “Are you sure?” Marvin asked. “I didn’t see any while I was there, true, but one of Suilthair’s main trades is fish from the lake. There must be rowboats.”

A moment passed. Then Chase’s voice returned. “Jameson says that three years ago the King made it illegal for anyone to own boats of their own. All boats have to be rented from the ferry dock—the one on the shore, not the one in Suilthair.”

“What a crock of shit!” Marvin growled.

Jackie walked over and took the rock. “The King must want to control ways in and out of the city. He seems awful keen to control the waters in general, actually. We heard tell while on the move that he’s building up a navy—a real, proper navy.”

“That’s... worrying,” Chase said slowly. “Um... hang on, Jameson is suggesting something.” A few moments passed. Then he returned. “Jameson thinks that some of you should rent a rowboat from the ferry dock. You can sail it up to the edge where we’re waiting, and meanwhile, your main boat can sail around the lake. Once the rowboat picks us up, it rows out to meet the boat.”

Jackie raised an eyebrow. “That’s a good plan. Or at least, the bones of a good plan.” He looked around at the rest of the group. “Any better ideas?” No one spoke up. “Great. It should be a small group of us who go get the rowboat. Who wants to come?”

“I think I should,” Marvin said. “I can keep watch on them through Draco. Make sure that we’re in the right locations to meet each other.”

“I will stay on the ship, then,” Henrik announced. “We have already taken a big risk by taking all our leaders on this trip. We should not make the risk worse by putting all of us in a small boat.”

“That’s true...” Jackie said. “Marvin’s our lookout, then. We should take two more people. Good fighters. I can be one, if there’s just one other.”

One of Vsevna’s crew raised a hand. “You’re still two leaders in a small boat.”

Jackie laughed. “That’s true, too. But I’m a very good fighter. And this is an important mission. We need very good fighters.”

“In that case, take Mona with you,” Vsevna suggested, pointing out a woman with short black hair and a cat mask. “She’s handy with a blade.”

“You don’t want to go, Captain?” Mona asked.

Vsevna shook his head. “My skills are better suited on the ship, I think.” Not to mention Henrik was staying, too. Everyone noticed the way the two of them were leaning close to each other. Still so early into their official courtship, they don’t want to leave each other, and everyone knows.

For once, Jackie doesn’t send Henrik a teasing look. This was not the time. “That’s settled, then,” he said. “Chase, Jameson, I’m going to reach you with a rowboat, along with Marvin and one of Vsevna’s crew, Mona.”

“A wolf and two cats!” Someone commented, and Marvin rolled his eyes.

“Great,” Chase said. “When... when are you planning on doing this?”

“Well, I hear fishing happens early in the morning, so we’d have to act soon or wait until tomorrow if we want to blend in with the fishers renting boats.”

“Um... how early?” Chase asked. “Because, um... well... a-a little bit after sunrise, someone... m-my daughter shows up.”

Jackie inhaled sharply. “You found your family?!” he said excitedly. “Then we need to get them out of there!”

“I—I don’t think that’s... possible,” Chase said. “I-it’ll be dangerous. And... Stacia, my wife... she’s been... enchanted. I think everyone from my old city was. They want to stay here. They have whole new names and lives and everything. Sh-she wouldn’t... she wouldn’t listen to me, if I tried to get her out of here. And... if I took the children... she might... I-I don’t know what she would do, but it won’t be good for anyone.”

Silence. Jackie and Henrik looked at each other, aghast. Even Marvin opened his eyes to stare at the other two with wide-eyed disbelief. “Marvin, is there any way to break an enchantment?” Henrik asked. “Perhaps with wizardry?”

“I-it varies depending on who’s been enchanted,” Marvin stammered. “And how long they’ve been under the spell. In... in any case, I don’t... know any spells to do it. I’ve been trying to remember some ever since we learned the truth about the King, but I haven’t, a-and I couldn’t exactly research spells this past fortnight.”

“If you guys are talking about ways to break the enchantment... don’t,” Chase said quietly. “It’s fine. They’re safe here, at least. And I think they’ll continue to be. I guess I don’t know that for sure... but call it an instinct. Anyway, they’ll definitely be in more danger with us than here. So... I-I can’t.”

More silence. Then Jackie took a deep breath. “If you don’t want to try, we won’t,” he said into the message rock.

“But um... like I was saying, a little after sunrise, my daughter shows up,” Chase continued. “I want to say goodbye to her.”

“We can make sure you have time to do that,” Jackie said softly.

“Thank you,” Chase said, his voice just as quiet. “Um... is there anything else?”

“Specifics on our end, but you just need to know to watch out for our boat,” Jackie said. “We’ll probably put our masks on as we get close, so watch for that.”

“We will. Thank you.”

“Be careful,” Jackie said.

“You as well.”

And with that, Jackie lowered the message rock. He looked around at the others. “Well... sounds like we have to prepare.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chase paced across the floor, glancing through the crack in the ajar door whenever he got to the right angle to. No sign of anyone outside. No sign at all, even as the sun slowly rose and lit the wooden walkways with watery gray light. Jameson stood in the corner of the boathouse, going over some of the defense drills that Chase had been teaching him. Both of them were nervous. Chase couldn’t think about anything but the upcoming escape, mind filled with dread for what might happen.

Until, eventually, he saw Amabel walking up the path towards the boathouse. Chase immediately stopped walking and opened the door a crack. She normally waved and hurried up when she caught sight of him moving the door. But today she just smiled and continued forward normally. She squeezed into the door through the gap Chase had open. “Hi, Dad.”

“Hey, Amy.” Chase smiled at her, then became serious again. “Is everything good?”

“Hmm? Yea, why d’you ask?”

“You just seem a bit less excited than normal,” Chase said.

“Maybe I am.” Amabel shrugged—and then her eyes landed on Draco, curled up on the floor, and gasped. “Kitty!”

Chase laughed. “Yep! Kitty. He belongs to a friend of mine.”

“Can I pet him?”

“You can try.”

Amabel nodded, taking her new task seriously, and slowly approached Draco. She held her hand out. Draco sniffed it. And when he didn’t turn away she started petting him, making little “aww” noises as she did.

Chase let her do that for a moment, watching with a faint smile. Jameson stopped his drills and walked over to the boathouse’s door, peering out through the gap. “Um... Amabel,” Chase finally said. “He suddenly arrived here with news. It’s... it’s time for us to go.”

Amabel looked at him. “You’re leaving? When?”

“As soon as possible,” Chase said. “Now, maybe. But... I wanted to tell you. A-and you can tell Quentin when you get home.” He crouched down so their eyes were level. “And I want to remind you that it’s not because of you, or Quentin, or Mom. I don’t want to leave, but I have to. We’ll see each other again. I love you.”

Before Amabel could say anything in response, Jameson inhaled sharply and looked back at them. Chase? There are warriors outside.

Chase’s attention immediately sharpened. He straightened up and walked over, peering through the gap next to Jameson. There were indeed warriors outside. Right outside. Wearing the royal crest. And walking directly towards the boathouse at the end of the walkway. “Fuck,” he whispered. “Do they know we’re here?!”

I don’t know! But they’re blocking the way out!

“They are.” Chase nodded. “Alright. We’re going to have to swim for it. Through the hole in the floor, just like last time.”

Jameson nodded. He didn’t look happy about it, but he sat on the edge of the hole, his legs dangling in the water. What about your daughter and Draco?

Amabel scooped Draco into her arms, holding him so his back legs stuck out. “I’ll go distract them!” she said, and ran right out of the door and towards the warriors.

“Amy, no—!” Chase hissed.

But it was too late. She was running right up to the warrior in front, saying something. The warriors stopped, all of them looking down at her. One at the back pushed to the front. They were wearing a helmet that covered all of their features. Amabel tried to talk to them. The helmeted warrior looked down at her, completely expressionless—and then grabbed her by the arm. The other warriors ran up to the boathouse.

Fear surged through Chase’s chest. “No!” he shouted, and he burst out through the doorway, immediately grabbing the nearest warrior and throwing them to the ground. The other two nearest backed up, starting to draw their swords, so Chase bent over and grabbed the sword from the fallen warrior’s sheathe and quickly blocked their strikes. He put all his effort into pushing the swords back—

And then Jameson appeared, shoving one of the warriors off the side of the walkway and into the lake. Without the second sword pushing back against him Chase’s efforts sent his sword flying forward, knocking the warrior’s aside and digging into their arm. They didn’t flinch, though, and swung their sword back around. Chase quickly ducked and ran past. There were two other warriors still standing—three counting the helmeted one. These two each drew a bow and tried to nock an arrow on the string. But Chase was fast. He ran up to them and swung the sword wildly, forcing them to dodge out of the way. The younger warrior—probably the newest—dropped the bow and the single arrow he was holding. Chase quickly picked it up. 

While he was doing that, there was another splash, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Jameson had pushed a second warrior into the lake. The one who’d been knocked down to the walkway gets up again. “Hey!” Chase shouted. Jameson looked towards him, then followed his gaze, and barely managed to dodge the warrior trying to grab him.

A sword came swinging out of nowhere. Chase, distracted, wasn’t quite able to dodge. At least it was only the flat of the blade that smacked into his shoulder. But there was still a burst of pain. He stumbled, and swung the bow around, smacking the wood into the side of the warrior’s head and stunning them for a moment. Long enough for Jameson to rush over and tackle the other warrior, who was also trying to attack, no doubt aiming to reclaim the bow Chase took.

Chase took advantage of the warrior’s confusion to shove them off the side into the water. Then he aimed the bow and arrow at the helmeted warrior. “Let go of her!” he shouted.

“Would you shoot a child?” the helmeted warrior said calmly, holding Amabel close to them. “Would you shoot your daughter?”

Chase started. “How do you know—”

A yowl filled the air, and Draco wriggled out of Amabel’s grip, scrambling up her shoulder and jumping right at the warrior’s face. Even with the helmet, the warrior still needed to see, and they instinctively yelled and staggered to the side as they tried pulling Draco off. Amabel immediately ran out of arm’s length.

“Ja—hey!” Chase started to shout Jameson’s name before realizing that probably wouldn’t be a good idea. “Let’s go!”

Jameson scrambled to his feet and ran towards Chase. The two of them then ran off together, with Chase grabbing Amabel as they went past her. “After them!” one of the warriors shouted. 

The three of them ran down the wooden walkways, turning at every possible opportunity. Until, finally, the sound of footsteps behind them started to fade. Chase grabbed a side door in an empty-looking building and threw it open, pushing Jameson and Quentin inside before going in himself. He closed the door behind him, breathing slowly, listening. The footsteps faded completely. Chase let out a breath and looked around. This appeared to be a living area for a small cottage. Currently empty. And nobody was visible through the doorway to the attached bedroom. The person who lived here must have left the door unlocked. “Are you okay, Amabel?” Chase asked.

Amabel nodded, eyes wide, looking a bit overwhelmed.

“You’re not hurt?”

She shook her head.

What was that?! Jameson asked. It’s like they knew we were there!

“N-no, I d-don’t think so,” Amabel said. “There are... there’re lots of warriors around today. All over. Searching everywhere.”

“Oh no,” Chase breathed, going pale. “This is the worst time for them to do that! Not that there’d be a good time. But if they just waited a couple hours—”

What do we do?! Jameson asked.

“They—they expect us around the edges of the city. We have to stick in this area until we can’t. We’ll contact them with this magic rock.” Chase took the message rock out of his pocket. “Where’s Dra—”

There’s a slight meow, and Draco hopped through the curtain blocking the window and into the living room. He looked around in a surprisingly human way until he saw the group. Then he purred, and a voice came from the message rock. “Chase! Jameson! You’re alright?!” It’s Marvin, whisper-shouting.

“We’re okay,” Chase confirmed. “Were you watching through Draco?”

“Yes, I saw everything. We’re in the boat looking for you. You’ve run farther into the city, you need to get out and find us!”

“Can’t you row between the buildings towards us?” Chase asked.

“I—maybe?” A moment passed. “We can try to get closer. I’ll try to guide the two of us together. We’ll be there soon! Be careful!”

“We will.” Chase promised. He lowered the message rock and looked at Jameson—then at Amabel. “Amy. Y-you have to go home now.”

“Huh?!” Amabel’s eyes widened. “But—but wh-what if the warriors come?!”

“You’ll—you’ll be fine,” Chase said, trying not to let his doubt show. “They won’t hurt you or Mom and Quentin.”

“But—but they saw me with you! What if they ask me about you?!”

“Then you tell the truth, okay? You tell the truth. Don’t worry about me.” Chase was sure he hadn’t given her any important details. “You have to get out of here! Go home.”

Amabel hesitated... then nodded. “O-okay. Goodbye, then.” She walked over to the cottage’s door. After putting her hand on the doorknob, she looked back, as if waiting for Chase to ask her to stay.

“I love you,” he said.

“I... love you too, Dad,” she said. Then she opened the door and ran out into the city.

Chase watched her go, fear settling into a heavy ball of lead in his stomach. He didn’t know she would be safe. But he was sure she would be safer here than with him... right?

Jameson put a hand on his shoulder. Chase jumped a little, then looked over him and sighed. “I... want her to be okay,” he said quietly. “And the rest of my family.”

I’m sure she will be, Jameson said.

“Yea...” Chase took a deep breath. “Well, we need to get out of here.” He took his bag off his back. “Here, I think this is a good time to mask our faces. We’ll probably be jumped by warriors no matter what we do, so might as well declare ourselves.”

Jameson nodded. Maybe we’ll throw people off.

“Maybe.” Chase took out Jameson’s rabbit mask and handed it over, then put on his own deer mask. “Let’s go.” He looked down at Draco. “Are you there, Marvin? Help us find you.”

Draco stretched, then trotted out the doorway. Chase glanced at Jameson—now wearing his rabbit mask, his features hidden. Here. He held out a quiver of arrows.

“Where did you get this?” Chase asked, surprised, as he took it.

From one of the warriors. I might have torn the buckle loop when I tore it off.

“It’s fine, I’ll just wear it in the waist position instead of the back position.” Chase fastened it in place. “Oh. There’s a little knife sheath attached. Here, you take that.” He drew the knife and handed it over.

Thank you, Jameson signed, and took it.

“Ready?” Chase asked. Jameson nodded. “Then let’s go.” The two of them left the cottage and headed out after Draco, hoping to find the boat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jackie, Marvin, and the crewmate named Mona had found it easy enough to rent a rowboat. The man in charge of the rentals had raised his eyebrows slightly at the way Marvin kept his eyes closed, but Jackie explained it away as him being his blind brother who wanted to try and help despite his lack of sight. Marvin nodded along. It wasn’t the worst excuse.

They were out on the lake, skirting around the south part of Suilthair, when the warriors attacked Chase and Jameson. Marvin reported everything to the other two as he saw it through Draco’s eyes, including their relative position to the rest of the city. They were now in the east section instead of the northeast, still in the floating neighborhoods but no longer on the edge. “They’re going to make a dash for it,” he reported.

“So we better make a dash for it, too,” Jackie muttered. He and Mona were rowing, but they paused to put on their masks. “Marvin, do you need help with your mask?”

“No, I could put it on with my eyes closed,” Marvin said—and indeed he could.

“We’re going actually into the neighborhoods, then, sirs?” Mona asked.

“You don’t have to call us sirs, I told you,” Jackie said.

“Force of habit, you show respect on a ship. But my question?”

“Yes, we’re going into the neighborhoods,” Jackie confirmed. “Meaning we might also be spotted by warriors. Strange... why do you think they’re patrolling so much? Do they know?”

“I suppose there’s a chance Jair had a vision while he was captured...” Marvin said slowly. “But he would have told us that.”

“He definitely would’ve,” Jackie muttered in agreement. “It might be that the King just decided to throw all the swords at Chase and Jameson. Maybe... maybe because they figured out that... secret of his.”

“Do you believe it, sirs?” Mona asked. “That there’s a possession?”

“Do you?” Marvin rebutted.

“I don’t know much of your spirits here in Glasúil,” she said. “I’m from Viargul myself. But I think it’s possible. I just don’t know how likely.”

“Not... all that likely,” Marvin said slowly. “But again... not impossible.”

As they talked, the boat slowly rowed closer to the edge of the floating neighborhoods. “Where do we bring the boat?” Jackie asked Marvin.

“Hold on a moment, I’m trying to get oriented.” Marvin opened his eyes for a brief moment, then closed them again. “It’s hard to match stuff up normally while I’m looking through Draco’s eyes. And the layout of the city is different than it was last time I was here. It makes sense, of course, that was years ago, but...” He trailed off, concentrating. “I think... turn into an opening here.”

The building closed around them as they rowed in between the walkways. Jackie and Mona kept rowing until the walkways became too close, the ends of the oars knocking against the planks. “Where are they?” Jackie muttered, looking around. Chase and Jameson were nowhere in sight. In fact, no one was in sight. There weren’t many people out on the walkways. Surely a city as big as the capital should have more people going about their business.

“I’m telling Draco to guide them closer here,” Marvin muttered. “We might have to tie the boat here and go meet them halfway. There are warriors all around. They might need help.”

Mona immediately went about tying the boat to the walkway, using the rope that came with it to attach the boat to a pole with a lantern on it.

“I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this,” Jackie said. “But let’s go, then.”

The three of them climbed out of the boat and onto the walkway, running deeper into the city.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“There they are!”

Chase glanced over his shoulder and saw a squad of warriors pointing directly at him and Jameson. “Shit! Go!” He pushed Jameson around a corner and ran after him, just in time to avoid an arrow whizzing right past them.

Unfortunately, down the walkway is another squad of warriors, led by one of the helmeted warriors. Jameson skidded to a halt just as the second squad noticed them and ducked down a branching path to the side, Chase right behind him. This was not going well! They’d managed to be stealthy for a while, but there were just too many warriors out and about.

Draco ran out in front, speeding past the humans but occasionally looking back at them to be sure they were still there. He guided them through the twists and turns. Arrows flew past them, none hitting them but Chase felt a couple slice through his skin. A horde of footsteps pounded on the wooden walkways behind them—

And then suddenly, the walkway ahead of them broke apart, its planks lifting up into the air. Chase skidded to a halt, Jameson right beside them. There was now a gap in the path before them, too large to jump across. On the other side of it stood a woman with pale blonde hair and unnaturally blue eyes, wearing a black shirt and riding skirt. One hand was raised into the air, yellow light swirling around it, and the other clutched an emerald amulet around her neck. She looked across the gap at them and Draco hissed. Chase had only seen this woman twice, but he knew her. “Thalia Tinechroí,” he said.

“Lady Thalia Tinechroí,” Thalia corrected. “Though I’m glad to see my reputation precedes me.”

Chase quickly nocked an arrow in his bow.

“Now think this over!” Thalia said, seeing him do this. Her eyes flicked back to Jameson. “Especially you, Lord Jairsolas.” Jameson flinched. “If you surrender now, the King will be merciful. You will live. I cannot promise you will if you fight.”

Chase laughed. “He’s not going to be merciful. And do you know why, Lady? It’s because he’s scared.” He grinned at her, baring his teeth slightly. “The King you’re devoted to is scared. And whatever he’s promised you for helping him, he’s not going to give it to you. Because he’s not who you think he is. Not at all.”

Thalia blinked, surprised. For a moment, she hesitated.

And that was long enough for Chase to loose his arrow.

Thalia cried out as the arrow hit her arm right above the wrist. Her concentration broke and the wooden planks toppled to the ground, landing perfectly back in place to cover the gap. “Now!” Chase shouted, and he and Jameson ran across the walkway towards Thalia, the warriors behind them still pursuing. Jameson shoved Thalia to the side and she had to quickly right herself or risk falling off the walkway into the lake. As Chase and Jameson passed her, the warriors behind them hesitated, not wanting to just push past a noblewoman. “What are you all standing around for?!” Thalia shouted. “After them! Loose arrows!”

A wave of arrows soared through the air—but Chase and Jameson had ducked around a corner, so they all missed spectacularly. Chase dug the message rock out of his pocket. “Marvin?! Jackie?! Where are you?!”

“No names!” Marvin’s voice came immediately. “We’ve gotten into the city, we’re getting close, I promise! Damn it, all these streets look the same!”

“Mar—Th-there’s—Thalia Tinechroí is here!” Chase gasped out.

“Yes, I saw! We’ll be there soon!”

“Enid!” Thalia’s voice came from behind them. “Come to me!” There was a burst of light behind them, and then a howl. Chase glanced over his shoulder and saw a dog running forward, pulling ahead of all the humans at a quick pace, a dog with a deep red-brown coat that’s marred by a scar along its side. Draco hissed and stopped running, turning to face the dog.

“Draco!” Chase shouted, but the cat wouldn’t listen. As soon as the dog came close enough he leapt at it, and the two animals began fighting, bodies flailing.

“Don’t worry about him!” Marvin’s voice came from the message rock. “He’s buying you some time. He’ll meet up with us later. Turn right at the next chance!”

There was no time to hesitate. Chase and Jameson kept going. More arrows were loosed, and more of them scratched them—until, finally, one hit. Chase cried out as it was buried in his back, just under his waist. He staggered and Jameson grabbed him, pulling him onward. A blast of bright blue fire flew past them—Thalia was attacking. How foolish, to throw fire in a wooden town!

The next right branch was coming up. Jameson and Chase turned it quickly. There! At the end of the walkway, three figures with white masks covering their faces. One of them shouted out and drew his two swords. Another grabbed something around his neck and made an arcing gesture with his hand. An archway outlined in white glowing light appeared before Chase and Jameson—a shortcut. On the other side was Marvin, Jackie, and that other Phantom, Mona. Chase and Jameson barrelled through, and Marvin quickly shut off the magic doorway, leaving a good distance between their group and Thalia and the warriors. “Why can’t you just do that to get us to the boat?!” Chase cried out.

“Boats are hard! They don’t stay still!” Marvin said. “I tried it out a couple times on the journey over but—” Suddenly, Jameson threw his arms around him in a tight hug. Marvin stumbled back, surprised. But then he gave Jameson a quick hug back. “I’m—I’m glad that you two are alright,” he said softly.

“You’ve been shot!” Jackie gasped, looking at the arrow sticking out of Chase’s back.

“No time to stop!” Chase said. “Where’d you come from?!”

“Right! This way!” Jackie started running back the way they came, and the rest of the group followed after. “God damn, those arrows!” Jackie shouted as more of them flew through the air. One hit his back but just bounced off the chain mail shirt he wears. “Can you do anything about that, Magic Cat?”

“On it!” Marvin spun around, flinging a ball of light behind them. It expanded midair, growing to a circular shield. The arrows hit it and immediately fell to the ground—but then a blast of white fire hit the shield, cracking it. Marvin cursed under his breath and threw more light at the shield to reinforce it.

“We’re not too far away now!” Mona said. “But once we get there, we still have to cast off!”

“I can help with that,” Marvin said. “Just worry about getting there first!”

“Can’t you do your doorway thing for that?” Chase asked.

Marvin hesitated. “I’ll have to take the shield down so I can concentrate on that. Get somewhere safe!”

Jameson sprinted ahead suddenly, grabbing onto the door of the nearest building—some sort of tailor judging by the clothing in the windows. He pulled it open and gestured for everyone to go inside. They all piled through, and Chase slammed the door closed behind them. 

“Don’t mind us!” Jackie said cheerfully to the group of three people working in the shop, who were all staring at the Phantoms, stunned. “Just passing through! Might want to get out of the way of the windows!”

An arrow whizzed through the window at that very moment, tearing the sleeve of a shirt hanging there. One of the tailors shrieked and all three of them hid behind a table of fabric at the back of the shop.

Marvin clutched his focus and made that same arcing gesture as before, tracing a doorway in midair. Light followed his finger, and another doorway opened up, through which was a wooden walkway with a boat tied to a pole with a lantern. “Go!” Marvin shouted.

Jackie pushed Chase through first, then Jameson. Chase stumbled out onto the new wooden walkway, looking around to get his bearings—and saw something completely impossible. He stared.

“Dad!” Amabel ran down the walkway towards him. She was holding hands with Quentin, pulling him along behind her. “I knew I’d find you eventually! All the warriors were shouting about you being nearby! Something about re-in-force-mints?”

“Amabel,” Chase said quietly. “Quentin. What are you two doing here?”

“We’re gonna come with you!” Quentin shouted.

“No, no, you are not coming with us!” Chase said sternly. Behind him, Jackie, Mona, and Marvin all ran through the doorway, which disappeared as soon as Marvin walked through. “You are staying here! Where it’s safe!”

“But Dad! What if it’s not safe at home?” Amabel asked seriously. “The warriors were going all over, into people’s houses and stuff, they’d remember me and know I was with you! And that’d put Mom and Quen in danger!”

“I—I see where your reasoning is, but—but i-it won’t be safe where we’re going!” Chase said desperately.

“But—but we—we’re already here!” Amabel said defensively.

While this conversation was happening, Mona got into the boat and started untying it. Jackie and Marvin stared at the kids in shock. “What’s uh... what’s going on here?” Jackie said slowly.

“We’re coming with Dad!” Quentin announced.

“No, you are not,” Chase said. “Get home now! It’s going to be dangerous here soon—”

And just as he said that, another doorway formed, a bit down the walkway from where Marvin’s was. Warriors began pouring out. Jackie’s head snapped towards them and he ran forward, blocking their way. The warriors drew their swords, and a fight started, with Jackie holding them off as they came out of the narrow doorway. “Get in the boat!” he shouted at the others.

“Get in the boat!” Marvin repeated, shoving Chase and Jameson that way.

“Go home!” Chase ordered the kids. “Now!”

Amabel hesitated, looking back at the warriors a little nervously. But Quentin darted forward, diving into the boat. And Amabel followed not long after. “Ha! Now we hafta come with you!” Quentin said.

“No! That’s not how this works!” Chase rushed over to the side, getting down to grab Quentin. “Come on, you’re getting out of there.”

A warrior broke through Jackie’s defense, swinging a sword at Marvin, who was looking at the situation with the kids. Jameson darted in, sinking the knife Chase gave him into the warrior’s side. The warrior shouted out and spun on him, but Marvin pushed him away with magic before he could attack Jameson. More and more warriors were getting past Jackie, though, so Jameson and Marvin quickly had to defend themselves. “There’s no time!” Marvin shouted back at Chase. “They have to come!”

Chase hesitated. He didn’t want to do this. He didn’t want to drag them into this. But Marvin was right, there’s no time. He let go of Quentin and hopped into the boat. “I hope I don’t regret this,” he said under his breath, drawing his bow again and aiming a nocked arrow at the crowd of warriors.

Marvin and Jameson backed into the boat as well, with Marvin almost toppling over as he got in. But he recovered and sent out a blast of force magic at the warriors, pushing them back long enough for Jackie to break his fight and sprint over to the boat, jumping in with enough force to rock it. “Go!” he cried.

Marvin leaned over the side and put his hand in the water. Blue light spread out with the ripples—and all of a sudden the boat shot away from the walkway, not unlike an arrow fired from a bow, leaving a trail of blue behind it. Everyone else fell down, but recovered quickly. On the walkways, warriors were running along, trying to shoot them all. Chase pushed the kids behind him. He noticed Mona drawing a bow and shooting right back, so he did the same.

Soon they were out of the floating neighborhoods and out into the open water of the Green Lake. Marvin continued to concentrate, steering the boat with his magic. “How are you doing that?!” Amabel asked in amazement.

“Wizardry,” Marvin said simply. “The water is pushing us along.”

“Whoa.” Amabel whistled in awe. Quentin leaned over the side of the boat to look at the blue light in the water, but Chase quickly pulled him back. He looked at the two of them, the strangest mix of relief and fear bundled in a knot in his chest.

The boat flew across the lake, turning in a wide arc until the large river boat the Phantoms borrowed came into view. “That’s it!” Jackie said. “Can you make it go faster?!”

“No!” Marvin said. “But we’re almost there!”

As they approached the larger boat and the rowboat started slowing down, they could see people moving around on the deck. Someone threw a rope ladder over the side as Marvin slowly magically steered the rowboat up to the side of the larger one. The person above leaned over the edge—a blonde man wearing a mask in the shape of a dragon’s head, only one eyehole carved out of the plaster. “What has happened?!”

“Warriors caught up, captain!” Mona shouted. Ah right—the blonde man’s voice is the same one who told Chase through the message rock about Suilthair’s laws on boats. Vsevna. “We have to get underway as soon as possible!”

“Kovatch blein!” Vsevna withdrew from sight and started shouting.

“Get the kids up first,” Mona said, looking at Chase.

Chase nodded. “Amy, Quen, you need to climb up the ladder. I’ll be right behind you.”

The children both nodded seriously and started climbing up. Amabel first, and then Quentin. As soon as there was room for him, Chase started climbing behind them, watching carefully to make sure neither of them fell. Quentin was a little shaky and slow but they both made it alright.

“Chase!” Henrik ran on over—then immediately stopped, eyes wide behind his owl mask. “Wh—what?!”

“I know, but it just happened!” Chase said. “W-we can talk about it later!”

Henrik nodded. Behind Chase, Jackie, Mona, Jameson, and then Marvin climbed onto the deck. “Is anyone hurt?”

“Just Chase,” Jackie said. Chase winced. The arrow in his back was aching. He hadn’t noticed with all the running and fighting, but now the pain was returning.

“Here, Chase, let me see if I can do anything about that,” Henrik said, walking on over.

Chase stepped back. “N-not in front of the kids.”

“Well, there is not much space in here to hide from them,” Henrik said, smiling a bit.

Someone suddenly shouted. More soon joined. Sailors paused their business as the boat got underway to point out at the lake. Chase spun around. So did Jackie and Marvin. Something was flying across the water, trailing blue light—the same spell that Marvin had used. But this wasn’t a boat. It was a square of wood, like part of the wooden walkways had broken off. Standing on it was a single figure, fair hair flying in the wind.

Jameson’s eyes widened. Is that...?

“You have to be joking with me!” Marvin shouted, more annoyed than anything else.

“Vsevna! How close are we to casting off!” Henrik shouted.

“We are moving, but we are not yet to speed!” Vsevna shouted back from the helm.

The makeshift raft suddenly stopped—yes, that’s Thalia Tinechroí on it, along with her familiar, Enid. She grabbed her amulet and made that same arcing gesture Marvin made earlier. A doorway of light opened up on the boat deck. Slightly moving—no, staying in place while the boat moved. Thalia and Enid leaped through, and arrived on the boat. “You’re not getting away that easily!” she shouted.

Every single crew member drew weapons. “You damn fool, Thalia!” Marvin said, laughing a little. “Do you really think you can take out everyone on this boat?”

“Oh, I very much do, Marvin.” Thalia’s eyes glowed yellow. “You know I was always stronger.”

“You have more magic, but you are not strong,” Marvin bit out. He held out his hand to the side, and Draco appeared from nowhere, walking around the mast like he was hidden behind it the whole time. The cat trotted over to his side and hissed at Enid. “You only ever do what Mother wants you to, don’t you?!”

“It’s our duty to serve the family!”

“Good! I’m glad you’re serving your family! But I’ll stand by mine until I die!”

Thalia lunged forward, hands bursting into fire. Marvin conjured a shield and blocked her attack, then started wrapping it around her, forming a bubble. Thalia opened up another set of doorways and walked out. Enid jumped at Marvin but Draco intercepted her midair, knocking her to the side. But Draco was smaller, and tired from the fight earlier. Enid pinned him. Marvin’s head snapped to him and he threw out magic towards Draco, eyes glowing bright white. As the magic hit Draco’s body, his eyes glowed blue. And the colors of their eyes, wizard’s and familiar’s, shifted color until they were the same pale blue. Marvin gasped in surprise.

Thalia ran for Marvin again, throwing back the crew members with magic who tried to stop her. She threw out a hand and magic spun from it, forming a rope that wrapped around Marvin’s arms while he was distracted with saving Draco.

Suddenly, the light from Draco’s eyes spread across his body. He became—bigger. Growing in size until he was as big as a wolf, bigger than Enid. He threw her off easily now and pounced at Thalia. Her head whipped towards him and she tried to conjure a shield, but Draco broke through it, clawing at her. She turned and ran. While she was distracted, Jackie ran over to Marvin and cut through the magic ropes. As soon as he was free, Marvin grabbed light from his amulet. He watched as Draco drove Thalia back against the edge of the boat—and then he threw the light. It slammed against Thalia, pushing her overboard. A loud splash filled the air.

Henrik darted forward and grabbed Enid by the collar. He looked terrified just being near her but he ran over to the edge of the boat and threw her over after Thalia.

Everyone else stared in shock. Waiting, anticipating, Thalia reappearing. The whole thing happened so suddenly that it didn’t feel real. Marvin glanced around. “She can’t use magic in the water,” he said. He chuckled a little. “She’ll need all her concentration to swim.”

Chase let out a long breath. He sat down heavily on the deck of the boat. “Dad!” Amabel shouted, running over to him. Quentin wasn’t far behind. They both stopped nearby, unsure if they should hug him.

“I’m okay, Amy, Quen, don’t worry.” Chase gave them a smile. “It’s just that... this was a lot. I need to sit down.”

Quentin nodded. He sat down, too. “We’ll stay with you too.”

“Yea.” Amabel sat as well.

“Heh.” Chase shook his head fondly. “Alright.” And though he was still worried about them, and worried for their mother, as the boat sailed across the Green Lake and back towards the southward-leading river... he couldn’t help but be happy that they were here. That they were together again after so long.

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticegos #septic egos #septic egos au #jacksepticeye au #chase brody #jameson jackson #marvin the magnificent #jackieboy man #dr schneeplestein #brigid writes fanfiction #fantasymasksau

[crystalninjaphoenix]

The Morning is Sure to Come

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Thirty-Four

A JSE Fanfic

A lot of stuff happens in this one, and I'm not really sure how to describe it. Chase talks with his kids some more, and then falls asleep and has another dream with Jack, where he learns some more about the situation that was revealed last time. And meanwhile, Henrik, Jackie, and Marvin are getting close to Suilthair and scouting it out, looking for Chase and Jameson. Huh. Guess it wasn't as difficult as I thought. Anyway, with the summary done, I'll leave you to it. Enjoy! :D

Previous Part | | From the Start | More AU

Taglist: @brokentimewatch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two more days, and Chase and Jameson were still stuck hiding in the abandoned boathouse. They passed the time with Chase giving Jameson lessons on some combat maneuvers. It was strange without actual weapons, but Jameson appreciated it nonetheless. Surprisingly, he remembered a lot of these moves, either from his time at Wyvernlair or his youth when he was learning self-defense. But he was a bit rusty actually going through the motions.

“There has to be somewhere to get weapons in the city,” Chase muttered. “At this point, I think I can go out without too much suspicion. If I’m careful and come right back.”

Do you have any money? Jameson asked. I don’t, and I know weapons shops have high security.

“Damn. You’re right. It’s too risky to steal them. I could ask Amabel for money—no, I don’t want to do that.” Chase shook his head. “She’d probably take it from Stacia, a-and she might get in trouble, and I don’t want that.”

It’s fine, Jameson said. We’re doing well enough without them.

“For now,” Chase muttered. “Eventually we need to find a way off this island. And when we make our escape, we need to be prepared for a fight.”

Even though they couldn’t go out into town to get weapons, Chase started going around for other reasons. Gathering more information, mostly. Trying to find that way out of Suilthair. If there was one good thing about the week he wasted wandering around the city, it was that he developed a reputation. The common folk recognized him. They knew he was one of them and that the biggest danger he posed to anyone was asking for money. There was no reason to report someone like him to the royal warriors. He was pretty harmless in their eyes. Chase still had to worry about avoiding patrols, but at least he didn’t have to worry about everything.

Unfortunately, nobody he talked to knew of any way out of Suilthair besides the ferry. They were all quite insistent on that. Chase wondered if this was, perhaps, caused by the King’s enchantment influence. Maybe by making people want to stay in the city, he made them forget anything besides the official ferries? But surely there had to be smugglers or something. Who was he supposed to ask about that? Probably people who were more dangerous than the average cityfolk. Were they desperate enough to do that yet? No... maybe not. But in a couple more days, they might be.

Amabel continued to stop by every morning and evening. Chase was always happy to see her, even if he was getting more and more worried. If she kept doing this, someone would eventually notice where she was going. “Amy, are you sure this is safe?” he asked. 

“Mm-hmm.” Amabel nodded. “I’m sure.”

“Alright,” Chase said hesitantly. “But if it gets too dangerous, if people see you come here, I want you to stop.”

Amabel blinked. “Huh? No, I’m not gonna stop.”

“Amabel, I’m serious,” Chase said firmly. “What me and Jameson are doing is really dangerous, we don’t want you caught up in it.”

“You haven’t even told me what it’s all about!”

“Because you’re safer if you don’t know anything,” Chase said. He paused for a moment, trying to think about a way to explain that there was a chance the King could hear her thoughts if she got in too much trouble. “The people we’re up against have ways—magical ways—to find stuff out, even if you’re very, very careful. But if you really don’t know what they’re talking about, then they can’t do anything.”

Amabel stared at him. “Do you mean they’d hurt me?”

Chase was quiet for a moment. He didn’t want to tell his daughter that yes, the people out there would hurt her. “I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe.” When the King sent the warriors to their home, they didn’t kill the children. But he wasn’t sure if that was because the King—or, the spirit controlling the King, as he had to remind himself—really didn’t want to cross that line, or if it was simply because he was focusing on eliminating the adult man who would defeat him one day.

Amabel was also quiet upon hearing that. Then she nodded. “Okay. I promise I’ll stop coming to see you if I think people see me. I don’t want anything to happen to Quentin or Mom without me.”

Chase gives her a small, sad smile. “You know you don’t have to be responsible for them, right?”

“Yeah, but... I wanna be there,” Amabel said slowly. “To, uh... Because...” She trailed off, unable to put words to the feelings she had.

Because you care about them? Jameson asked.

“Yea! Thank you, uh, Mr. Jameson,” Amabel said. “Oh. Dad. Quentin wants to come by tomorrow morning. Remember, you said I could bring him?”

“O-of course I remember,” Chase said. “Be very careful, it’ll be worse if both of you get in trouble.”

“Don’t worry, I can do it,” Amabel promised.

“Okay. In that case, I’ll see both of you tomorrow.”

The rest of that day passed without much of note, and tomorrow morning, Jameson shook Chase awake a bit earlier than normal. Your children are coming, he said, pointing to the ajar boathouse door.

Chase got up quickly and opened the door fully. It was a cloudy day today, but not gloomy. Even with the weak early morning light he could clearly see Amabel walking down the wooden walkway towards the boathouse, holding her brother’s hand in hers. Quentin waved at Chase, smiling when he saw him, and almost shouted a greeting before Amabel leaned close and murmured something to him.

Your children are both so cute, Jameson said, smiling.

“Hah. Thanks. Quentin takes more after his mother, y’know. He has her hair exactly.”

The kids walked up to the boathouse door, and the moment they were inside Quentin shouted, “DAD!” and tackled Chase in a hug.

“Whoa!” Chase pretended to stumble back from the force of the hug, then laughed and leaned down to hug his son. “Hey, Quen. Wow, you’ve gotten so much bigger and stronger.”

“Really?!” Quentin beamed. He looked over at Jameson. “Hi! Bellie says your name is Jameson and you speak in hands. Is that true?!”

Jameson chuckled silently and nodded. Can you understand me?

“Uh... I think you asked if I know handspeak, and I mean, a little. Bellie is better at it.”

“That’s me.” Amabel raised her hand.

Thank you, young lady, I did think that’s what he meant.

“Heh.” Amabel grinned.

“I’m so happy to see you, Dad!” Quentin squeezed him tighter.

“I’m so happy to see you, too.” Chase wrapped his arms around Quentin and lifted him into the air, causing him to shriek with delight. He was a bit too big for this to be easy, but Chase didn’t care, if he could make it work he would. “Now, did Amabel tell you that I’m not staying forever?”

Quentin nodded. “She said you were really busy and that you couldn’t talk about it because it’s secret, even from Mom. Is that why Mom is mad at you? Because she doesn’t like secrets?”

“...hah.” Chase gave a sad little smile. “Your Mom doesn’t even know about the secret. She thinks that I left you guys because I wanted to. But I didn’t.” He blinked back tears. “I promise, I didn’t want to leave you guys. I’ve been trying to find you for a long time.”

“Why can’t we come with you?” Quentin asked, whining a little.

“Because this is grown-up stuff, Quentin. It’s no place for someone like you.”

“Because I’m too sick all the time?” Quentin grumbled.

“No, that’s not it at all.” Chase shook his head. “I’m not letting Amabel come, either. The problem is that you’re both too little. It’s not something shallow like you getting sick. I’ve told you, that doesn’t change what you can want to do.”

“Hmmm.” Quentin frowned, a thoughtful expression on his little face, then nodded. “Okaaaay... I get it. But I really miss you, Dad.”

“I know, I miss you so much, too.” Chase looked at Amabel. “Both of you.” Then he set Quentin down. “I have to leave soon, you know. It might be really sudden. I might not have the chance to say goodbye. Do you two know that?”

Amabel nodded slowly. Quentin looked at her and nodded as well. But maybe he was just copying what she did.

“If that happens, it’s not because I don’t love you two, or your mom,” Chase continued. “It’s not because I don’t want to be around you or because I don’t miss you or because I’d rather be doing something else. It’s just... really unlucky that I had to leave and couldn’t say bye. This thing I’m doing is important. Not more important than you, in my mind, but it’s very important to a lot of people. And it’ll help you guys, too, though you might not understand how.”

“Okay, Dad,” Amabel said, nodding again more firmly.

“So... Mom is wrong?” Quentin asked.

Chase hesitated. “Mom isn’t really wrong, she’s just... made a mistake. But that’s okay.”

“Oh.” Quentin nodded along with Amabel again.

Chase laughed a little. “You two look like little chickens with your heads bobbing like that,” he said teasingly.

“Wha—Da-ad!” Amabel put her hands on her hips, while Quentin giggled at the image. “Fine, Dad, I guess I’m not gonna give you this food.”

“Ah, I’m sorry, Amy. It was just a joke.”

Amabel sighed. “I know. Here. We can have breakfast together. Or, I guess it’ll be a snack for us, we already ate.”

The group sat on the wooden floor of the boathouse and ate together. Quentin asked Jameson a lot of questions, and Chase translated Jameson’s handspeak answers when the boy struggled with them. Then, after what felt like a too-short time, Amabel and Quentin got up, said their goodbyes, and Amabel promised to see them again that evening. Chase watched them go, waving, trying not to show his sadness. As soon as they were out of sight, he fully closed the door, sighing.

Everything alright, Chase? Jameson asked.

“It just... gets harder to see them,” Chase said quietly. “Knowing that eventually, I’ll have to say goodbye again. I get this pang of... of grief.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “Right here. And it gets stronger every time.”

Jameson looked at him sadly. You know... my father once told me not to borrow grief from the future. I don’t think I understood what he meant until now.

“What did he mean?” Chase asked, confused.

You’re not leaving them yet, Chase, Jameson said. You will, but you’re not leaving them right now. You’ll just hurt yourself thinking about it. And you won’t be able to treasure this time together if you’re hurt.

Chase blinked. Something about that went straight into his core, hitting a ball of something that he didn’t even realize was there. “That... that makes sense,” he whispered. “Thanks, Jameson.”

Jameson smiled. Happy to help in any way.

The rest of the day passed as normal. Chase briefly wandered around a bit, returning by the time Amabel visited in the evening. Then he and Jameson talked about more possibilities of escape. But they were running short on topics, having already talked about this for so long, that they ended up going to bed early. Chase took the first watch. And when it was his time to sleep, he fell asleep right away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the first day of boating up the river, the group of Phantoms had to switch boats. The flatbed boat they’d used for traveling the Moors would be no good on the Muinra Avon. It wouldn’t be able to handle the more intense waves and deeper waters. Instead, they used a boat that looked like a miniature ship, once again borrowing it from a small group of people. They weren’t Phantoms, but they must have been sympathetic to the cause. Or maybe they were paid really well and were smart enough to not ask questions.

Henrik was in a bit of a daze for the whole trip. Not because of his symptoms, for once. It was hard to believe that he and Vsevna were really officially courting. And yet it was true. Something that Vsevna reminded him of on the morning of the fourth day of the trip by sneaking up on him and kissing him on the cheek. “Morning, sova.”

“Ah!” Henrik’s face turned very red. “Morning, Vsevna.” He couldn’t help the smile spreading across his mouth. “I, ah, I-I hear that we will be arriving at Suilthair today.”

“In the evening, yes.” Vsevna nodded. “We will have to talk about what to do there some more. But for now, we can enjoy the journey.”

“Indeed.” Henrik hesitated, then reached out and took Vsevna’s hand. “Do you want to show me around the new boat?”

Vsevna’s eye lit up. “Of course.”

The scenery passed surprisingly quickly, even though they were heading the opposite direction of the current. One of the sailors, Talinir, mentioned something about having a favorable wind. Jackie and Marvin spent most of their time on the deck, with Jackie continuing the training he was doing on the ship. Marvin just sat around, watching the sailors. Jackie tried to tease him for a moment about how he was watching one of the sailors, Mona, quite a lot, but Marvin just muttered something about how he had a cat mask first and how it just looked strange when two people whose names started with the M sound had the same kind of mask. “We look like we’re a pair, but I’ve never seen her before.” So Jackie shrugged that off, a bit sad that he couldn’t tease both his friends for having sweethearts.

Around late afternoon, the boat stopped for a moment, lowering its anchor. The Phantoms gathered in the center of the deck to discuss a plan. “I mentioned this a couple days ago,” Marvin said, “but I have the ability to see through my familiar’s eyes.” He pointed to Draco, lying in a patch of sunlight on the deck. “I think we need to use this somehow.”

“A way to scout the city?” one of the sailors, Jiro, suggested. The others murmured in agreement.

“Great idea, but how are we going to get Draco into Suilthair?” Jackie asked. “Can he just... find his way?”

“It is easy for small animals like cats and rats to get on ships without knowing,” Vsevna said. “I’m sure Draco could get onto the ferry easily enough.”

“Once he is in there, what are we going to look for?” Henrik asked. “Obviously we must find Chase and Jameson. But it is a big city, how will we know where to look? I do not think a cat could cover all of its ground in a single day.”

Marvin nodded slowly. “It doesn’t cost too much of my magic to look through his eyes. But if I keep it up consistently, that constant drain could stack up. But if you’re worried about leaving Draco alone in the city, I’m sure he’ll be fine. Familiars aren’t normal animals. I’m sure the only danger to him would be other familiars.”

“Even so... we cannot have you focusing on that all the time,” Henrik said. “You must rest sometimes.”

“What if we send Draco on one of the morning ferries, have him look around all day, and then come back on an evening ferry?” a sailor named Anya suggested. “That way Marvin could get some rest at night.”

Marvin nodded again. “I’m capable of that. But say that Draco finds Chase or Jameson. What then?”

“We have to have some way of communicating with them,” Jackie muttered. “Attach a note to his collar?”

“We don’t want any of the warriors reading it, though,” a sailor named Catherine points out. “D’you think we could write it in code?”

“I do not think that would work,” Henrik muttered. “Chase struggles with reading even now, and Jameson does not know any of our codes. They could both make mistakes.”

“Is there some magic that could work?” Jackie looked at Marvin specifically as he asked that.

“Wizards have ways of talking with each other over long distances, but it requires that all parties are wizards,” Marvin said. “I’m sure there’s some witchcraft that could work, though. I think I remember hearing about people in Drakild, that kingdom across the sea, using... stones, or something?”

“Message rocks,” Vsevna said. “I have also heard of them. I think I remember some of the runes you need for them.”

“Huh. Alright, Vsevna, you and me talk about this, maybe we can figure out the runes between us,” Marvin said. “And Henrik, you too. You’re familiar with witchcraft, you should be able to tell us if something makes sense or not.”

“That could work,” Henrik muttered. “We attach a message rock to Draco’s collar, and if he finds Chase and Jameson, they can use it. But... what if he does not find them? What if something has happened? Such as... I-I do not want to say it, but such as the King getting to them—”

“Shut up.”

Henrik flinched, avoiding the urge to look over his shoulder at the voice. He knew no one was standing behind him. He knew that. But... what if... what if there was someone on the shore? Someone listening in on their conversation?

Jackie put a hand on Henrik’s shoulder, steadying him. “Deep breaths,” he whispered. Henrik nodded. “You good?” Another nod. “Okay.” Jackie turned to face the group at large. “If the King’s got Chase and Jameson, we’ll have to make a plan to get them out. And that plan will depend a lot on whatever information we can gather. Such as where they’re being kept and what the defenses of that place is. Right now, we’re just in the initial planning and scouting phase. If it turns out they’re in hiding, we then have to plan on a way to get them out of the city, ideally without confrontation.”

The group all muttered in agreement. “We should get started as soon as possible,” Vsevna said. “Hopefully we can get these message rocks done in time to get Draco onto the evening ferry.”

They did, though just barely in time. By combining Vsevna and Marvin’s knowledge they’d heard about these message rocks with Henrik’s practical knowledge about witchcraft, they were able to create two talismans out of smooth, white pebbles with runes on them. Some of the sailors fashioned a small leather pouch for one of the rocks and attached it to Draco’s collar. He didn’t seem too happy about it at first, but he tolerated it.

Then the boat docked on the shore of the Green Lake. Marvin dropped Draco off on the land, giving him magical instructions to get onto the ferry and into the city, then activated the spell to see through his eyes, sitting down on the deck while he did so.

As Vsevna had said, it was easy enough for Draco to get onto the evening ferry. He hopped aboard at the last moment, and none of the crew or passengers had the heart to kick him off into the lake. And so, he got a free ride into Suilthair.

Marvin tried to think about where Chase and Jameson would be, if they were indeed in hiding and not captured. They wouldn’t be foolish enough to get an inn. And they probably wouldn’t want to be too close to the castle. “The neighborhoods, Draco,” he muttered, clutching his focus in his hand. Though his eyes and ears were seeing and hearing what his cat was, he could still feel his body sitting on the deck where he left it, and he could feel his amulet warming with magic. “Focus on checking out the neighborhoods.”

He knew he could keep up this spell all night. But he did hope that he wouldn’t have to keep it up for multiple nights in a row.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For once, when Chase woke up in the draísling, he wasn't in the garden he’s used to. It really threw him off for a second, and he wondered if this is a normal dream. But just thinking that question proved his point. He wasn’t this aware in normal dreams. So he looked around the location, trying to assess things. This was a hallway. A regal-looking hallway. It must have been one in the castle, but it looks different. Newer, somehow, the stone brighter and the tapestries fewer, but less worn. He tried getting a good look at them, but their images seemed to shift. The hallway ended in a pair of grand wooden doors, looking too heavy for a single person to open. It’s lucky that they were already open, then. And in front of them stood the deer.

Chase tried to ask what happened, why things had changed. But his voice wouldn’t work. Even so, the deer dipped its head, like it knew what he was asking. It turned around, facing the open doors, lowering its head and pointing forward with those golden antlers. Chase understood. He walked forward, past the deer, and into the room beyond.

He’d never seen this room before, but he knew what it was the moment he walked in. The castle’s throne room. Tall stone pillars lined the way down the long room, and a green carpet guided people towards the dais at the end of the room. Candles in sconces dotted every surface, making up for the lack of windows. The throne room didn’t have windows? That made sense, you wouldn’t want an assassin to shoot an arrow through a window, but still, even with all the candles lighting things up, the room looked... smaller than he expected. Windows would have helped.

At the end of the room was a dais shaped like a half-circle, with two steps leading up to it, covered in that green carpet. On the dais was a throne. It wasn’t gilt in gold or silver like thrones in stories. It was made of wood. But that didn’t mean it was any less grand. The whole thing somehow seemed to swirl, the wood carved into a willowy shape. Green velvet cushioned the seats, arms, and back. At the very top of the throne were three embedded jewels—two green with a blue one in between them—teardrop shaped with the points at the bottom, forming an overall shape like a budding flower.

A man was sitting on the throne. Jack. Chase recognized him, and tried not to shudder upon seeing the King’s face. Jack looked the same as he had for that brief moment in the last dream when Chase had seen him. Fine clothes that were now torn and bloodstained, chains wrapping around him. A manacle around each wrist connected to the throne’s armrests, and a thin metal collar around his neck connected him to the back of the throne. He was sitting slumped in the throne, but as Chase got closer, he raised his head. His blue eyes widened, shocked. “Y-you... came back...?” he whispered.

Chase walked up, stopping at the bottom of the dais. “Y-yea, of course I did,” he said. “I don’t really control the dreams.”

“You didn’t have to come into the room, though. You could’ve waited outside.”

“...I wouldn’t do that,” Chase said. He looked around the room again. “So... this is different.”

Jack laughed. “Yes. The nightmares change every so often. Just when I start getting used to it. I’m guessing it was deliberate this time, though. After all, you broke me out. I couldn’t be allowed to stay out.”

“...the spirit does this, doesn’t it?” Chase asked.

Jack blinked, surprised. “You... figured it out?”

“I did.” Chase nodded. “We found proof that the King’s eyes were blue as a child, but they’re green now. That’s not normal. Something has to cause that. And you’ve said you were imprisoned by the King. Well... I can’t think of a worse prison than being trapped in your own body.”

Jack slumped again, looking almost relieved. “I thought... you wouldn’t believe me if I told you...” he breathed.

“Maybe not,” Chase said. “But then... what would be the point of me having these dreams? I’m pretty sure that—Oh, I shouldn’t say too much, should I?” He glanced around.

“Probably not,” Jack said. “The spirit hears everything.”

“Well... I’ll say that I’m pretty sure something is giving me these dreams,” Chase said. “And if this was... a trap of some sort, and you were actually lying to me this whole time, what would be the point of that? Do you understand?”

Jack nodded. “I do.” He took a deep breath and adjusted his hands in his lap, the motion accompanied by the sound of clinking metal. “So. Y-you know the truth now. I’m... My name is Aodhán Jack Willeim mak Lough, King of Glasúil. I-it’s a mouthful, honestly, I know. I prefer to just go by Jack. My friends called me that.”

Chase walked up the steps onto the dais. He wanted to be level with Jack... but found that impossible. While on the floor, he was too far down, and while on the dais, he was too far up, and Jack couldn’t stand so they could look each other in the eyes. This fact made him distinctly uncomfortable. So he knelt down on the dais. He was still a bit shorter when that happened, but it was the closest their eyes could be. “How did this... Y-you weren’t always possessed,” Chase said. “When did the spirit show up? Did you... somehow attract its attention?”

Jack sighed, looking up at the ceiling. “I don’t think so. I think, perhaps, it was just looking for the right person. And I was perfect.”

“How long has this been going on?” Chase asked.

“...Seven years or so,” Jack said quietly.

“That long?!” Chase cried.

“I only had one year as King before it fully took over,” Jack said. “You know, I always thought it was suspicious. Both of my parents getting sick with some mystery illness, and no one else in the castle being infected no matter how close in contact they were with the King and Queen? I thought someone had killed them. Poisoned them, maybe, with something that worked quickly but not too quickly. And I knew I would be the first suspect. That people who didn’t know me would think I...” He swallowed a lump in his throat.

“I don’t... remember any suspicion about your parents’ deaths,” Chase said slowly. “Or your rise to the throne.”

“It was there. Either it was only the nobles who thought it, or the spirit used my power to make everyone forget about that once it took over.”—

“So... the spirit killed the old King and Queen,” Chase whispered.

Jack nodded.

“I didn’t know possessive spirits could do that.”

Jack laughed darkly. “I don’t think this is just any old spiolash that wanders the countryside. He’s... very powerful.”

“Seems so,” Chase muttered. “What... what happened after their deaths? If you’re okay with talking about that?”

“It’s fine, I’ve had enough time to think about it,” Jack said. “Things went... I won’t say things went well, but they were... normal. Being the King was difficult, especially when some of my advisors thought I’d poisoned my parents, but things proceeded how you’d expect them to. Until... I started seeing things.”

“...Things?” Chase asked hesitantly.

“In the dark, usually,” Jack said in a hushed voice. “When I was trying to sleep. A figure in the shadows. I thought it was just sleep freezing—have you heard of that? When you wake up and can’t move and sometimes see fucking terrifying things? I thought it was that. Until I started seeing these shadowy figures during the day, too.”

“Did you think it was a false world curse?” Chase asked.

“I considered it. I got desperate enough to consult with a doctor about it—which did not help my reputation when people found out. But they said I didn’t have any of the other symptoms, so it might’ve been something else.” Jack shook his head. “I couldn’t sleep. When I did, I sometimes woke up in strange places. My nose started to bleed, rarely at first, then as often as once every week. My eyes bled occasionally, too. I tried talking to wizards about it. Maybe this was some sort of curse. But... when I tried to ask, my voice froze up. I couldn’t even imply it subtly. A-and eventually, I wasn’t able to even walk towards a wizard to talk with them. My legs wouldn’t work.”

“That was the spirit stopping you.” Chase meant it as a question, but it didn’t come out as one. Probably because he knew the answer.

“Yes,” Jack whispered. “I-it got worse and worse. I started having nightmares. I started walking in different directions than I meant and it’d be a chore to correct myself. Said... unkind things to people. Couldn’t apologize. Started using my powers in ways I never wanted to. I-I promised I’d never control people. Th-there was an incident when I was little where I would make all the kids around me happy... it creeped me out. And afterwards, when the kids remembered, they wouldn’t talk to me. So, ever since then, I-I promised I wouldn’t do it, even if I thought it’d be good. But... I was... against my will, I was... making people think things. And making them forget things.” He shuddered. “One night, I had a terrible dream. A man with green eyes was chasing me through a dead forest, and he caught me, and pushed me into this little opening at the base of an oak tree and shoveled dirt in front, trapping me. Then, when I woke up, I couldn’t move. My body was doing things without me. I couldn’t... do anything. And ever since then... this has been my life.”—

Chase was quiet. He didn’t know what to say to that. What could ever be good enough for that? Words didn’t seem enough. So he leaned forward and wrapped Jack in a tight hug. He felt him tense for a moment before he absolutely melted into it. “We’re going to get you out of here,” he said. “I swear it, we will find a way to banish this spirit. You will be free again.”

Jack’s breath hitched. “That’d be nice,” he said, his voice thick as he tried not to cry.

“I swear it,” Chase repeated. “I swear it thrice.”

“O-oh. You’re... that serious about it?”

“Of course I am. I can’t leave you to suffer like this.” Chase leaned back. “Not to mention, it’ll really help the kingdom if it wasn’t being headed by an evil spirit.”

Jack laughed. “It would. I was so worried about being a good King once I was coronated, but now that I’ve seen fucking this, I know I won’t be the worst one out there.”

“Not by a stone’s throw.” Chase shook his head. “Maybe I’ll see you in these dreams again. I hope I do.”

“I hope I see you again, too,” Jack whispered. “I hope that the next time you see me, you’re able to see... me. And not that spirit.”

Chase nodded. “I’ll do everything I can.”

“Thank you.” Tears welled in Jack’s eyes. “Thank you so much.”

And then the draísling faded away and Chase woke up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jameson was finding more and more that he hated keeping watch at night. It was boring. So, so, so, so boring. He didn’t have anything to read—not that there was enough light to read even if he did—and no one was awake to play games with or talk to. And since they were trying not to attract attention, he couldn’t very well get up and wander around. So he was left just sitting there. In the dark. His mind tended to drift off, getting lost in his own thoughts.

But he forced himself back to the present. He had to check regularly if there was anyone nearby. He inched over to the door and eased it open, peering out. No, nobody in sight. It was getting close to early morning now, and people would already be getting up and going to work elsewhere in the city, but not here.

And then he saw it. Something moving. Small, and pale against the darkness of the city. He stiffened, leaning forward. Oh. That was a stray cat. But... there were no stray animals in Suilthair. At least not out in the floating neighborhoods. They were liable to fall off the wooden walkways. And yet...

Jameson glanced back at Chase, still sleeping. Then he got up and slowly, anxiously, walked out the door. He crept closer to the cat, glancing around nervously as he did so. It heard him eventually, and stopped, turning to look at him. He stared at it, not wanting to scare it away.

But he didn’t have to worry about that. The cat turned and pranced straight towards him. And suddenly, he recognized it. Jameson gasped and hurried forward. Yes! Yes! It’s Draco! Relieved, he crouched down to the ground and held his hand out for Draco to sniff. Draco did. And once it was clear he wasn’t going anywhere, Jameson hurriedly scooped him up and went back to the boathouse.

Draco wriggled out of his arms soon after he walked back in, landing on the wooden planks with a solid thump. Jameson went over to Chase and shook him until he woke.

Chase opened his eyes, momentarily confused, then looked back at Jameson. He took in the darkness of the boathouse—barely enough to see by—and sat up straight. “Did they find us?!” he whispered.

Jameson shook his head. He pointed back towards Draco.

Chase blinked. “...elders,” he breathed. Then he laughed. “Oh, thank the Elders. H-he found us! Marvin has to be nearby, right?” He crawled a bit closer, petting Draco’s head. “Huh. Did you notice this?” He pointed out a small leather pouch attached to Draco’s collar.

Jameson shook his head. Open it, maybe there’s something inside. A message, even.

“Okay. Hold still, kitty.” Chase reached forward and carefully took out what was in the pouch. “It’s a stone. With... runes on it.”

A talisman? Jameson asked.

“Must be.”

And then, suddenly, a voice came from the rock. “Chase? Jair? Is that really you?!”

“Whoa!” Chase fumbled with the rock and almost dropped it before recovering his grip. “Marvin?”

“It’s me!” Marvin’s voice said, and laughed. “I-it’s so good to see you! I’m watching you through Draco’s eyes right now.”

The rock? Jameson asked.

“Some witchcraft Vsevna suggested. You have to hold it in your hand and speak directly into it. It’s so good to see you two. It really is. I-I didn’t mean to leave, but—well it’s a bit complicated. I can tell you all about it later. Right now, I have to let you know that a whole squad of us have come here to find you.”

“A whole squad?” Chase gasped. “Who?”

“Me, Jackie, Schneep, and Vsevna and some of his crew. Oh, I realize neither of you have met Vsevna and his crew. But they’re very reliable.”

“O-okay,” Chase nodded. “What about Wyvernlair? Did they get our warning?”

“They did,” Marvin confirmed. “But there was still a bit of a scuffle. I’m not sure... I’m not sure how many people were lost. B-but most of them are fine. There’s a new camp. I-I don’t think I should tell you about it, just in case.”

That’s reasonable, Jameson said.

“Are you guys coming to get us out?” Chase asked. “We’re—we’ve been stuck in here. Jameson was caught by the King, I-I got him out of there, but—but we’ve been hiding, and there are no ways out of the city that we can find—”

“It’ll be alright, Chase, I promise,” Marvin interrupted. “Jair? Did you... really get...?”

Jameson nodded.

“I-I’m so sorry,” Marvin said quietly. “L-look, I should probably go, get everyone else awake so we can talk about things together. Keep a hold of the rock. And Draco, though I’m sure he can look after himself.” Draco curled up on the floor as he said that, looking about ready to go to sleep.

“That’s fine,” Chase said. “Um, how long will that take? To gather everyone up?”

“I don’t know, probably not that long. There’s not that many of us. I’m going now.”

“No, wait, one thing we need to tell you!” Chase hurried to add. “Before anything else. W-we learned something big about the King.”

Jameson looked at Chase. Are you sure it’s a good idea to share this? What if this is a trick?

“The King already knows we know this, so he won’t be gaining anything if it’s a trick,” Chase said.

“What is it?” Marvin asked.

“The King isn’t really the King,” Chase said. “He’s being possessed. That voice, that person in my dreams, that’s the real King. His body is being controlled by a spirit.”

Silence. “...if that’s true...” Marvin whispered. “Holy flame, I... I’m not sure how to... W-we’ll be back soon, alright?”

Chase nodded. “Alright. We’ll be waiting.”

“Thank you.”

And though Chase and Jameson stayed quiet, no more words came from the rock. Chase looked at Jameson. “Do you really think it’s a trick?” he asked.

I hope not, Jameson said.

“Yea. I hope not, too.”

For the first time in days, they had a direction. And Chase, after the draísling he just had, felt that he had a purpose, as well. Or a more solid purpose than he did before. He was going to help his family, and the whole kingdom, and Jack. It was a tall order, but he would do it. He could do it.

For the first time in a long time, he felt hopeful about the future.

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticegos #septic egos #septic egos au #jacksepticeye au #chase brody #jameson jackson #marvin the magnificent #jackieboy man #dr schneeplestein #c!jack #brigid writes fanfiction #fantasymasksau

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Down the River

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Thirty-Six

A JSE Fanfic

I took a break from writing for a week, but now I return! And that break was really good for me because I flew through writing this chapter. After escaping from Suilthair, the guys travel down the river on a boat. Marvin has something to tell Chase and Jameson, and the guys make a plan from there. Meanwhile, the kids adjust to their new surroundings after following their dad, and Henrik has a moment. Enjoy reading! I won't delay you any longer :D

Previous Part | | From the Start | More AU | Read on AO3: CrystalNinjaPhoenix

Taglist: @brokentimewatch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun beat down from the sky. The boat coasted down the river, Suilthair having disappeared from sight by now. Sailors on the deck ran around, checking the mast in the center. Chase hadn’t expected a river boat to be so big. But then again, the Muinra Avon was a large, deep river. Maybe it needed to be big to stand a chance against the current. Or... the waves? Did rivers have waves? Chase hadn’t spent much time around them in his life.

And neither had the kids. Amabel and Quentin stood at the side of the boat, leaning over and looking down at the water. Chase wanted them to get away, but... they knew how to be careful. He had to trust that. He settled for calling out a “Be careful you two!”

“We will!” Amabel shouted back, while Quentin leaned forward and started kicking his legs.

“I’m serious! Neither of you know how to swim that well.”

Quentin slowly lowered himself back down to the deck.

Jackie walked over to where Chase was, sitting pushed up against the wall of the cabin. He crouched down so the two of them were level. “How’s the injury?” he asked.

“It’s alright,” Chase said. “Henrik really bound it up tightly, though. It’s almost hard to breathe with the bandage.” He twisted his torso around, wincing a bit as the movement aggravates both his arrow wound and the bandage around it.

“Careful,” Jackie warned.

“I’m being careful.” Chase sighed. “How’s Jameson?” He had gone below deck as soon as his cuts and bruises were checked out and Suilthair was out of sight.

“He’s resting,” Jackie said. “They have a couple hammocks down there. Not enough for all of us, to be honest, we mostly stop for the night and camp on the riverbank. But still. Enough to take a nap in.”

“Good to hear he’s okay,” Chase said. “What about everyone else? Marvin and Henrik?”

“Marvin’s also taking a nap,” Jackie said. “Recovering from all the magic. Henrik is... inside the cabin, I think.” He gestured back to the nearby door. “Um... once everyone is well-rested, Marvin has something he needs to tell you.”

Anxiety immediately filled Chase’s heart. “About what? Is it bad?”

“Uh... I don’t think so?” Jackie said slowly. “It could be good. If you look at it a certain way? ...This isn’t making it sound not bad.”

“It really isn’t.”

“Look, it’s all okay,” Jackie said. “Marvin should explain, but essentially... it’s something we need to do.”

Chase nodded slowly. “Okay... I see. I hope it’s not something... too dangerous.” He glanced over to the kids.

Jackie followed his gaze. “They’ll be safe,” he said quietly. “We can leave them at camp. They’ll be well-protected there.”

“Yea...” Chase whispered. “I... yea.” He wasn’t sure what to say beyond that.

“Hey.” Jackie put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. “Every single Phantom here will take care of them. They’re in good hands. And they seem like pretty capable kids. I mean, they managed to find us while we were running around trying to get out of the city.”

“You’re right,” Chase said, more trying to convince himself than agreeing with him. “I just hope they won’t miss their mom too much.”

“It will be okay,” Jackie said quietly. “I promise. We’ll all watch over them. And clearly, they really want to be here with you. They love you. Trust you.”

“Is that trust worth it?” Chase breathed.

“Of course it is!” Jackie said firmly. “It would have been really easy for them to stay in the city. They’d only need to stay home and not go looking for you. And I know you’re probably going to say something about worrying that they’ll regret this. They won’t. I promise. If they love you enough to come running after you like that, they won’t regret anything as long as you’re close by.”

Chase felt a lump form in his throat. His eyes welled with tears but he quickly blinked them away. “Thanks, Jackie. I-I feel a bit better now. And I’m not going to lie... I’m really happy to have them back. Even if their mom is still enchanted. Even though I miss her, and I’m worried about her, at least they’re here. And safe.”

Jackie nodded, smiling. “We’ll get Stacia back, too. It might be a bit more difficult, but we’ll get her back. And you’ll all be okay.”

Chase laughed. “I’ll do anything I can to help her out. And in the meantime, I’ll make sure the kids are okay.” He looked over to them. “Seems like they really like the river. Quen! I said be careful!”

Quentin was lying on the wall again, and he quickly lowered his feet down to the deck again.

“Well, looks like you’re doing good so far.” Jackie started to clap him on the back, then stopped. “Ah, probably shouldn’t do that while you’re injured.” He settled for a gentler pat.

“Thanks, Jackie.” Chase grinned. “You’re really good at reassuring people.”

“I’ve had a lot of practice. You think running an organization is easy?” Jackie laughed. “Back in the early days, when it was Schneep and Marv and me gathering a following, and we were more familiar with a lot of individual Phantoms, if anyone had troubles we had to soothe them over.”

“Huh. I never thought of that.”

Jackie patted his shoulder again. “I do it for you because you’re my friend, though. Not just to smooth things over. And because it’s true. The kids love you, and you can really take care of them.”

Chase gave him a softer smile. “Thanks.” He chuckled. “That’s all I’m saying in this conversation, is thanks.”

“Well, it’s not a problem at all,” Jackie said. “Now. Are you alright sitting here on the deck or do you want to go below or something?”

“I’ll stay here. Keep an eye on the kids.”

Jackie nodded. “Of course. I’ll just sit here with you, then, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course I don’t mind.”

“Great.” Jackie sat down, crossing his legs and leaning back against the wall of the cabin.

Chase smiled at him one more time, then turned to watch the kids. They seemed to be having fun. And it was good to see.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as he was sure Chase and Jameson were okay, Henrik went into the cabin. He felt a little bad about not spending more time with them, but he couldn’t focus. There’d been a buzzing noise behind his ears ever since Jackie and Marvin left to go rescue them. An annoying buzzing. He thought it was a bug at first, but the fact that it was always there, no matter where he turned his head, meant that it was another symptom. And over time, the buzzing had turned into sounds. Like whispery voices speaking nonsense words, muffled and out of earshot. He couldn’t focus. He couldn’t focus. Not when part of his mind would be constantly disrupted by the sounds, instinctively trying to figure out what they were saying.

The cabin of the boat was pretty small, certainly smaller than the captain’s cabin on The Serpent’s Wake, but not quite as small as the guest cabins on that same ship. There was enough room for a bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and a table with chairs, but not much room beyond that. The back of the cabin had a window looking out. It even had glass. Fancy. It was on the back of the ship, so though Henrik could see out, nobody on the ship could see in.

And he was very glad for that. He kept pacing across the floor, back and forth, back and forth, wearing a pattern in the wooden planks in between the desk and the wardrobe. He wasn’t feeling restless. The mind soother tonic had helped with those feelings. But he had to do something to distract himself from the sounds. “What do you want?” he whispered in Alterdan. “What do you want?” They didn’t respond, of course. He knew the question would do him no good, but he asked it anyway, repeating it over and over again.

Maybe he should try to sleep. Maybe he should take a nap. That would be good, wouldn’t it? To drift off and not hear these annoying sounds. But then he’d have to tune out the sounds for long enough to fall asleep. And that would be difficult. Did they have sleeping tonics on board? If he drank an entire bottle would it just knock him out? No, no, that might not be safe. But he wanted it to work right away. What if—Was there a sleeping potion? Maybe he had ingredients for that? Maybe he should go look?

Henrik turned back around and started walking towards the door—but he only took a few steps before he stopped.

There was someone in front of the door.

He knew immediately that this wasn’t a normal person. They seemed to be cloaked in shadow even as light from the window fell directly onto their body. “...nein,” he whispered. “Nein nein nein. Th-this is not really happening.”

The shadowy person just stood there. Staring at him.

He closed his eyes, but then fear immediately shot through him and he opened them up again. What could this shadow do when he wasn’t looking? What if it attacked him?! No, wait, that’s impossible. This is clearly another symptom. But what if—what if it wasn’t? What if this was some sort of spirit? What if it was a spy?!

“Nicht echt,” he whispered. “Nicht echt. Nicht echt.” It’s not real it’s not real it’s not real—

The shadow moved.

Henrik shrieked, staggering backwards until he hit the edge of the bed and collapsed back onto it. The shadow hadn’t moved towards him, just a strange shuffling, but even so, Henrik felt his heart pounding out of his chest with fear that this thing would get closer to him. “Get back!” he shouted. “Get back!”

The door suddenly opened up, passing right through the shadowy person, and someone rushed in. “Henrik, what’s wrong?!” Vsevna asked, eye wide as it scanned the cabin. He held a weapon in one hand—his usual choice, something called a boarding axe. It had a long handle and a head that had an axe blade on the left and a spike on the right.

“A-ah...” Henrik paused, unsure what to say. The shadowy person was still there, right behind Vsevna, though they were a bit faded now, more like an actual shadow. “I-I am... fine. Nothing is wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong?! You do not shout out ‘get back’ when nothing is wrong!”

“Well, ah, nobody is here, as you c-can see,” Henrik stammered.

Vsevna scanned the room again. He relaxed slightly, leaning the axe against the wall of the cabin. “I suppose there is no space to hide in this room. Everything is too small. But... still. You do not shout like that when nothing is wrong.”

“I... I was trying to take a nap...” Henrik said slowly. “A-and as I was drifting off, I... must have had a nightmare. I-I thought someone was... coming to get me. But I-I am fine. See?” He smiled weakly.

“You look... shaken,” Vsevna said slowly.

Henrik nodded slowly. “W-well I am.” The shadow was still behind him. “It feels... so real.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Vsevna asked.

“No, it is fine,” Henrik insisted. “I would hate to keep you from important ship business.”

Vsevna tilted his head. “I would not be able to focus on the boat if I knew you were upset in here.” He walked over to the bed, sitting down on the edge next to him. “So, is there anything I can do, sova?”

Henrik was quiet for a while. He stared at the shadow in front of the door. “I... am not sure,” he said quietly.

Vsevna hesitated. “Well... I am not sure, either. But I can stay here, if you would like. You said you were taking a nap?”

Henrik nodded slowly.

“What if... what if we lied down together?”

Henrik felt his face getting hot.

“Still nervous, Henrik?” Vsevna asked, grinning a bit.

“Oh, shut up.” Henrik reached out and shoved him a little. As the captain of the voyage, Vsevna had the claim on the cabin in the boat, but he said that Henrik could stay with him. Henrik had agreed, but he felt that sharing the bed was a bit much, so he volunteered to sleep on the floor. 

“Alright, alright, we do not have to do that,” Vsevna said. “But anything else I could do... hm...” He frowned and shook his head. “I am sorry. All I can think of is to stay.”

“That is enough,” Henrik said quietly. “Maybe... maybe we could... try.”

“Are you sure?”

“It is just a nap.” And the shadow was still there. Staring at him. He knew it wouldn’t do anything, given how Vsevna had walked through it easily enough, but... he couldn’t help the fear. It told him that if either of them got close again, something bad would happen. So... he wanted him to stay close.

“Well, if you are going to sleep, it would probably be best to close the curtains,” Vsevna pointed out, standing up and reaching out for them.

“N-no!” Henrik snapped. “I—I do not want—” The shadow would blend in. It would disappear, it could go anywhere.

Vsevna jerked his hand back and looked down at Henrik with concern. “Henrik? Is... something else wrong?”

“No, it... is just... the nightmare has still unnerved me,” Henrik said haltingly.

Vsevna nodded slowly. “Alright. I suppose that makes sense.” He sat down on the bed again. “So... please try to relax, then?” He laughed, glancing around a bit. He must have been just as nervous as Henrik was. After all, he had been fine with Henrik sleeping on the floor.

Henrik nodded.

The two of them laid down next to each other. It was a bit awkward. They were both unconsciously staying as far as possible from each other. Henrik kept his head tilted to the side, looking at the shadow. But then his position started to get uncomfortable. He shifted slightly, and his hand landed on Vsevna’s. After a moment of hesitation, he grabbed onto it, squeezing it gently. Vsevna squeezed back. And almost as if that gave them permission, they both relaxed. Henrik couldn’t help but move a bit closer. And Vsevna put an arm over him. And eventually Henrik felt his eyes finally slip closed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun was starting to dip towards the horizon when Marvin and Jameson climbed out from below deck. Chase and Jackie had stayed in pretty much the same place all day, though Jackie had gotten up to help around the ship. Chase merely watched, trying to figure out what the sailors were doing. Amabel and Quentin ran around a little, asking the Phantoms questions. Or, well, Quentin asked questions. Amabel just stuck by his side and listened. But by now, the kids had both been tired out. Now they sat next to Chase, one on either side.

“How are you two doing?” Chase asked. “It was a busy morning, wasn’t it?”

“Mm-hmm,” Quentin said. “So much...”

Amabel nodded.

“How are you, Amy?” Chase asked softly. “Are you feeling overwhelmed? You’ve talked to a lot of people and it’s sort of noisy.”

She nodded again.

“Do you want to go down below decks? It’s probably darker and quieter down there.”

After a moment, a third nod.

“Alright, let’s go.” Chase stood up. “Quentin, you want to come, too?”

“Mm-hmm. It’ll be boring without Bellie.”

Chase helped the two kids to their feet and walked over to the grate in the center of the deck that led down into the space below. It was open, and the three of them walked down the stairs into the small area. This was mostly filled with supplies for the Phantoms. Crates of food and barrels of water and all sorts of miscellaneous supplies. Apparently they had weapons on board, too, but those were mostly kept in hidden compartments up on deck, beneath grates and trapdoors. So they could be easily accessed in case of a sudden fight. Hanging between these stacks of supplies were hammocks.

“Oh, Chase.” Marvin was down here, holding Draco in his arms. “Here you are. I wanted to go see you, actually.” Jameson peeked around from behind Marvin and waved.

“Hi Marvin, Hi Jameson.” Chase waved. “Yea, Jackie told me. Something we... have to do?”

Marvin nodded.

“Alright, just let me get these two into some hammocks to rest,” Chase said.

Amabel was already trying to climb into one herself, but it was hanging a bit high for her small ten-year-old build. She gave up and looked over at Marvin and Jameson, waving at them. Then she gasped. Nudging Quentin, she pointed at Draco. He gasped as well. “Kiiiitty,” he said.

Marvin blinked, then gave an awkward little smile. “This is Draco,” he said. “You both saw him earlier.”

“Can we pet him?” Quentin asked. Amabel raised her hand, ready to pet but waiting for permission.

“Gently, alright? Only along his back.” Marvin bent over so the kids could have better access. They carefully started running his hands along Draco’s back. Draco’s eyes squinted in response and he started to purr. “Aw, he likes you guys!”

“I liked when he got big!” Quentin said excitedly. “How did you do that? With magic?”

“Uh… yyyyep.” Marvin nodded slowly.

“I didn’t know you could do that, by the way,” Chase said. “When did you figure that out?”

“I was talking to Jameson about that earlier,” Marvin said, and Jameson nodded in confirmation. “I... didn’t really figure out how to do that. I remember reading theories about spells that would do that, a long time ago when I first summoned Draco, but apparently the exact ways of using those spells had been lost. But back then, I just... reacted instinctively. I reached out to Draco with my magic, and... we started... sharing magic? I think? I fed him some of mine, and it made him bigger.”

Amabel’s eyes widened. She whistled and balled her hands into fists, shaking them around.

“That means she’s really interested in this,” Chase explained, smiling a little.

“R-really?” Marvin’s eyes widened in turn, and he laughed. “It is interesting, isn’t it? When I was little, I did that fist-shaking thing too. I, uh... stopped, though. My parents said it was disruptive.”

Amabel looked up at Chase, a bit concerned.

“Well, it’s not,” Chase said firmly. “As long as you were careful and didn’t hurt anyone or break anything.”

Marvin shook his head. “I didn’t.”

Amabel smiled. She turned back to the hammock and started trying to get in again. “Here, let me help you, Amy,” Chase said, giving her a little boost.

“Help me, too, Dad!” Quentin said, grabbing the edge of the neighboring hammock.

“Alright, alright.” Chase grabbed him by the waist and lifted him up into the hammock. “If you guys need help getting down, shout for it, okay? Someone will come running. Or they’ll get me if you’re not comfortable.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Quentin smiled. And Amabel did, too.

“Okay.” Chase took a deep breath, and looked at Marvin and Jameson. “Let’s go upstairs to talk about this.”

Marvin nodded. As the three of them walked up the steps, he said, “Apparently on a boat you say you’re going ‘topside.’ Different terms.”

“Really? Strange.”

As the three of them reached the deck, they saw Jackie talking to Henrik, who looked... a bit shaken. His eyes darted side to side, and Chase briefly wondered if he was okay. “Hey!” Marvin raised a hand for attention—or tried to, at least, since he was still holding Draco.

How do you manage to hold him for so long? Jameson asked, looking at the cat. Cats are smaller than dogs but they’re still fairly heavy.

“Practice,” Marvin said.

Jackie gestured for the other three to come over and join him and Henrik by the side of the boat. They did, and Draco finally had enough of being held and wiggled out of Marvin’s grasp, trotting across the deck over to the mast, which he immediately started scratching. Marvin gave a little “heh” of a laugh then turned to the others. “Alright. I’m going to tell the two of them about what happened.”

“O-of course,” Henrik said.

“What happened?” Chase repeated.

He told me that something very unusual happened to him after we were separated, Jameson said. But he didn’t explain beyond that.

Marvin nodded. “It was... surprising. And... a lot. I’ve already explained to these two.” He gestured at Henrik and Jackie. “But I think it’s more important that you know. Especially you, Chase.”

“Um... okay.” Chase couldn’t keep the nervous edge out of his voice. “What is it?”

“I-I didn’t leave you guys in Suilthair intentionally,” Marvin said. “I-I really didn’t! I wouldn’t have!”

We know, Marvin, Jameson assured him.

“So... why did you leave?” Chase asked.

“Because of Draco.” Marvin pointed to the side, where Draco was still scratching the mast. “This is going to sound unbelievable. But it’s all true.” He took a deep breath, and started telling his story. About appearing in the Wyldwood, trekking through it, reaching that blasted heath, and having a conversation with the ghost of the first King of Glasúil.

“He... S-Samuel—K-King Samuel—” Chase stammered. “He—wants me... to see something in the Wyldwood? A-and he’s—the Elders, they’re—they also want that? Wh-what?”

I had no idea my vision would attract so much attention, JJ said, a look of awe on his face. I knew it was important, but... the Elders? A spirit? They’re getting involved?

“I-I can’t believe—” Chase shook his head. “Th-this can’t be—”

“Sam was very clear,” Marvin said. “Jameson’s vision has to come to pass.”

“Why?” Chase whispered. “I know that defeating the King is important for the kingdom, but... the Elders only get involved if something is serious. Have you heard that old story? From back before the kingdom was united, about the clan chief who... did terrible things to the people he was supposed to protect.”

“Terrible how?” Henrik asked, morbid curiosity on his face.

Chase shook his head. “Along the lines of torture. I-I don’t want to get any more specific than that. I heard that story when I was ten and it scarred my mind for life. But the point is, the Elder In The River ended up getting involved. They waited until the chief was crossing a river, and then made the water rise up around him, grabbing him and drowning him.”

“Holy flames,” Jackie said. “No, I’ve never heard that story.”

“Look, my point is that the Elders only get involved when something is very wrong,” Chase said. “When there’s a great affront to the world. The King is a tyrant, but why is it important enough for the Elders to guide me all the way across the island?”

Jameson’s eyes widened. He looked over at Chase. It’s not about the King.

“Huh?”

It’s about the spirit possessing him, Jameson said. After all, that’s the one being the tyrant. That Jack you know is the true King, and he’s trapped. Didn’t we agree that the spirit was unusually powerful?

Chase inhaled sharply. “Yes... we did...”

“The Elders are stepping in to stop this possessive spirit?” Henrik asked. “Ah, what is the word for one of those? There is a name for them, yes?”

“Spiolash,” Chase said. “But we don’t usually use their name. It might draw their attention. Possessive spirit is fine.” He paused. “Those possess people sometimes, but... they don’t usually give them magical abilities. W-we saw the King control lightning. That’s not something a spirit can do. This one... is unusually powerful.”

“Unnaturally powerful,” Marvin agreed. “You’re sure about this, right? The possession?”

“I am absolutely sure,” Chase confirmed. “It’s the only explanation.”

“I suppose it would explain why the King suddenly changed...” Henrik mused. “It seemed like one day, not too long after his coronation, he started enacting harsher policies quite suddenly. If he truly was possessed... it would...” He trailed off, eyes wandering over to the side, like he was following the path of a bird through the air.

“Schneep?” Jackie prompted.

Henrik snapped to attention and shook his head. “It would make sense, that is all I am saying.”

Chase glanced at Henrik, concerned, but decided to brush it off for now. He probably just saw something in the sky. Back to the current business. “So... I-I have to... go into the Wyldwood... journey for a week... a-and eventually learn something to help defeat the King?” he asked, his head spinning just hearing this.

“And I have to take you there,” Marvin confirmed. “I know the way. It’s burned into my mind. The rest of you—”

“What, you think we’re just going to let you go into the Wyldwood by yourselves?” Jackie asked. “Just the two of you? What if something happened?”

Chase tried to remember everything he’d learned about the Wyldwood from stories. It was a place where the magic of the world rose up, like water forming a well. The Fair Folk and other magical creatures were said to reside there. He vaguely remembered a theme of trickery in the stories about the place. Things not being what they seemed, but in an ordered sort of way. An organized chaos. “Y-yeah... that... that seems like a bad idea, to just go there alone.”

Marvin frowned. “Sam said to keep the group small. That it would be easier to pass through that way. To keep from... attracting attention.”

Then only a handful of people will come with us, Jameson said.

“Jair? You want to come too?” Marvin asked, surprised.

Jameson nodded. This is about my vision. I want to know what’s so important in that blasted heath. What could possibly help Chase make that vision a reality.

Chase laughed, staggering backwards. “I—I can’t believe this. I-I just can’t believe this. I—I—” He shook his head. “The dreams—The Horned Elder One really is guiding me. Guiding me to... to defeat this spirit inside the King. I...” He could only laugh again. “Why... me? I-I’m nothing special.”

“There must be a reason,” Henrik said. “There must be something about you that the Elders saw promise in. Some reason you will be the one to defeat him.”

“I... I guess.” Chase sighed. “But I... can’t see it.”

“You’re a good man, Chase,” Jackie said gently. “Maybe that’s all that’s needed.”

“Maybe...” Chase said, not bothering to hide the uncertainty in his voice. “Well... in any case. What are we doing now?”

“We’re going back to the new main camp,” Jackie says. “It’s on the Cliffs of Feall.”

“Really?!” Chase raised his eyebrows. “You forgot to mention that. Isn’t that place bad luck?”

“I... never heard anything like that,” Jackie said slowly.

“Me neither,” Marvin added.

I vaguely remember hearing something along those lines... Jameson said, brow furrowing in thought.

“It must be a legend local to the mountainous areas,” Henrik said. “The Jairsolas family had their claim at the base of the Northavens, yes?” Jameson nodded in response.

“If I’d known the place was bad luck, I wouldn’t have told everyone to camp there,” Jackie muttered.

“Vsevna said that the word ‘feall’ is a word that once meant betrayal,” Henrik said.

“Well it’s too late to move now,” Jackie said. “Everyone is settled. Anyway. We are going there. It’ll take about four days... or technically three and a half, since we’ve already been sailing for a while. Once we get there, we will set off for the Wyldwood. A small party of us, I can imagine we wouldn’t want more than seven or eight. Definitely less than ten. Marvin will lead the way.”

“We might need to prepare for that,” Henrik said.

“Whoa, hey, we can’t have all of you head into the Wyldwood!” Chase protested. “You three are the leaders! You can’t all go on a dangerous mission!”

Henrik, Jackie, and Marvin exchanged glances. “Well... we’ve already done that, coming here to rescue you two,” Jackie said. “What’s a bit longer? I’m sure the Phantoms are functioning fine without us.”

Chase shook his head. “We’ll talk about it more on the way. Sounds like we have a bit of a journey. But really, only four days? It’d take a week or more across land.”

“That is the power of the waterways, I suppose,” Henrik said, shrugging.

“I guess.” Chase stood there, looking out at the passing bank. “Uh... now... what?”

“I, uh... don’t know,” Marvin said slowly. “We talked about the quest we have to go on. That’s... all I wanted to say.”

“The quest.” Chase laughed. “That makes it sound so... official.”

“I don’t know a better word for it,” Marvin said, shrugging.

“We just go about our business until dinner, I guess,” Jackie said. “We’re still pretty close to Suilthair so I don’t think we should stop to camp for the night on the bank. So we’ll sleep on the boat. But there aren’t enough hammocks below, so some of us will have to sleep up on the deck in our bedrolls...”

As Jackie continued, Chase’s mind slowly drifted away, thoughts returning to what he just heard. The legendary King Samuel, the Green-Eyed King, the one who first united the island and founded Glasúil... still existed as a spirit. And wanted to speak to Chase. And the Elders... they’d been guiding him towards this the whole time, hadn’t they?

...Why?

He wasn’t anything important. He wasn’t a hero. He was just an average man. Anyone else on this ship would probably be better for this quest than him.

But here he was. Stuck in the middle of all this. It felt like so much. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chase managed to claim a spot in the hammocks below deck by virtue of his kids not wanting to move from the hammocks they’d gotten into earlier. The others all stayed up on the deck. Well, Henrik got to stay in the cabin with Vsevna, which caused Chase to raise his eyebrows. He wanted to say something like “oooo, what’s that about?” but Henrik looked... bothered by something. So he thought it was better to leave it alone. He went below deck and chose a hammock by the ones Amabel and Quentin had claimed earlier, and slowly drifted off.

When he next opened his eyes, he was having another draísling.

It seemed the garden was a thing of the past. He was back in that regal-looking hallway that he’d been to last time. The one that looked like it belonged in the castle when it was normal. And at the end was that pair of heavy-looking grand wooden doors, open and waiting for him. The deer with the golden antlers stood in the doorway. It looked at Chase, tilting its head. And then it turned and pointed into the room with its antlers.

Chase nodded back and walked forward. He knew what to expect.

The throne room was the same as the last dream. Tall stone pillars and a green carpet that ended at the dais at the far end of the long room. On the dais was the carved wooden throne with green cushions and three gems at the top. And in the throne, Jack. Slumped over, chained to the chair. He looked up as Chase approached, blue eyes brightening with some emotion. “Chase. I-it’s... it’s good to see you again. You got out of the city, didn’t you?”

“Y-yea.” Chase walked up the dais, kneeling next to the throne like he did last time. “How did you know that?”

“Thalia told the King,” Jack said. “And... I saw.”

“Wait... y-you saw?” Chase’s eyes widened. “Do you mean—you still see everything that the King does? Everything that your body goes through?”

“I experience it all,” Jack confirmed. “I just don’t have any control over it. I’m like... a passenger in a carriage.” His eyes glazed over slightly. “I can look out the window, but someone else has the reins of the horses.”

“Elders,” Chase whispered. “I... I didn’t realize... i-it didn’t... really sink in until now. That’s... truly horrifying.”

Jack smiled darkly. “You get used to it. But... it is.”

Chase shook his head. “I-I swear, Jack, I’ll help you. I’ll find some way to get rid of that spirit. I-in fact—”

“Don’t say anything,” Jack snapped. “He can hear everything in here, remember?”

“Right.” Chase had reached that realization at the same time. “I’ll just say... we’re working on it.”

“Thank you.” Jack hesitated. “Chase, you have to know something,” he said hurriedly.

“Huh? What?”

“He’s coming after you,” Jack said. “He’s coming after you personally.”

A sudden burst of wind pushed Chase backwards. He cried out and grabbed onto the armrest of the throne.

Jack grabbed his hand, squeezing it tight, eyes wide. “He’s coming after you now, Chase! He’s following you! He’s going to—”

And then the wind kicked up again and Chase fell back, his hand slipping out of Jack’s hand as he fell off the dais—

And then he was awake again, gasping for breath in the middle of the night. Jack’s warning echoed in his head. Jack knew everything the King did. He knew what he was planning.

Chase scrambled out of the hammock, falling to the ground with a yelp. He got up as quickly as possible and ran for the stairs leading up onto the deck. It was still dark. He had difficulty finding the others, but eventually spotted them, three bedrolls in a cluster by the cabin door. “Guys!” he shouted, bolting over, nearly tripping over others on the deck. He knelt next to Jackie’s and started shaking him awake, and then Marvin and Jameson.

“Hmmwha?” Jackie blinked.

“What’s going on?” Marvin mumbled.

Chase? Jameson signed sleepily.

“I know it’s the middle of the night, but this is important!” Chase said. “The King is coming after us.”

“Of course he is,” Jackie said, confused.

Chase shook his head. “No, he’s doing it himself. Right now.” He could see the others’ eyes widen in the hint of light on the boat. “He’s going to personally make sure we don’t get far.”

Jackie sat up straight. “Well... we’d better move fast, then.”

Chase nodded. They had to get to the Wyldwood before the King could catch up. Before the King could stop them from learning whatever it would take to defeat him.

The race was on.

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticegos #septic egos #septic egos au #jacksepticeye au #chase brody #jackieboy man #dr schneeplestein #marvin the magnificent #jameson jackson #c!jacksepticeye #brigid writes fanfiction #fantasymasksau

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Fear and Joy

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Thirty-Three

A JSE Fanfic

Merry Christmas Eve, to those who celebrate, here's the gift of another chapter fhjdklahdj Because of the holidays I've been busy so I haven't been able to write much, so this is pretty short by my standards. And honestly? Not much plot happens fhdjsak Henrik, Jackie, and Marvin travel via ship and boat, getting slowly closer to Suilthair. And while they do that, Henrik finally finishes that talk he started with Vsevna. That's right, it's the romance chapter! XD Enjoy!

Previous Part | | From the Start | More AU

Taglist: @brokentimewatch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It only took two days for the Serpent’s Wake to sail from the base of the Cliffs to the Southern Moors. Just as Vsevna had said it would. Henrik, Marvin, and Jackie all spent those two days in different ways. It turned out that Marvin didn’t do well with the rocky movement of a ship. It made him sick if there was too much rocking. So he spent most of the time in his guest cabin. Jackie tried to convince him that he’d feel less sick if he went out on deck, but Marvin refused. As for Jackie himself, he spent a lot of time talking with the crew. Mostly getting them to teach him how to fight on a boat. Apparently that required expert balance.

Henrik tried to brew some potions and medicine at first, but once again, the rocking of the boat made that difficult. So he gave up and put all that in storage. And with nothing else planned to do, he ended up sitting on the deck for most of the journey. Either watching the coast, or watching Jackie trying to fight with the crew while wobbling over the place. The second was usually more entertaining.

He didn’t want to think about Vsevna. But that was impossible, because this was his ship and his crew, and even though ships were very big they were not so big that you could easily avoid someone. Especially someone who seemed keen to seek you out.

Speaking of which—“There you are, sova.”

Henrik looked away from the coastline and back over his shoulder. Vsevna was walking up to him, pausing for a moment as if waiting for Henrik’s reaction. And despite not wanting to think about him, he couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, is it any surprise? I don’t think I have left this spot on the rail since we started.”

Vsevna laughed. He finished walking over, leaning onto the railing next to Henrik. “I did not realize it was so easy for you to get lost in the passing scenery. You may do well on a ship, actually.”

Henrik shook his head. “No. I still remember traveling across the sea to get here, it was not so pleasant when it was just open water. No changing land to watch.”

“Speaking of the changing land, do you see a difference?” Vsevna pointed out towards the distant coast.

“Yes.” Henrik nodded. “No more hills. And the trees have changed. Bigger, with those large roots and drooping branches. Those are common in the Moors. We are approaching our destination.”

“Exactly!” Vsevna’s eye lit up as he looked at him. “You are so clever, Henrik.”

“Hah.” Henrik looked away. This was not making the ‘not-thinking about Vsevna’ any easier. “I—Thank you.” He appreciated the compliment, but honestly, any good feelings were entangled with the obvious. They had to talk soon. And while Jackie would probably say something like ‘if he’s still complimenting you, he probably still likes you, maybe even more,’ Henrik was not so optimistic. 

“Such a fool.”

Henrik jumped. “What did you say?”

Vsevna blinked, confused. “I did not say anything yet.”

“...oh. Alright.” That wasn’t a real voice. Even if it sounded very real. Henrik gripped the ship’s wooden railing tight. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so hasty with telling Vsevna everything. Maybe he should have waited until after he had the proper medicine again. Even if that wait could last until autumn.

“Well, I will speak now, then. Heh.” Vsevna turned to the coast again. “We are getting very near the Muinra River. I believe it will come into sight in the next hour or so. Watch the edge of the coast, there.” He pointed to the eastern part of the land. “We will go out in the rowboats. Yuko has arranged for someone to meet us there with a larger flatbed boat that is often used in these marshy areas. We will transfer to that.”

“Is Yuko coming?” Henrik asked.

Vsevna shook his head. “No. You never leave a ship without its captain and first mate. One or the other.”

“Ah, of course. Who is coming, then?”

“Only a handful. Mona, Svante, Jiro, Talinir, Anya—”

Henrik laughed. “I cannot believe you remember all their names.”

“Well.” Vsevna glanced around. He leaned a bit closer. “Not all, to be honest,” he said in a conspiratorial whisper. Like he was letting Henrik in on a big secret.

“You know more than I would be able to remember,” Henrik said, grinning a bit.

“Nonsense. Your memory is quite good.”

His smile faded a bit. “Usually, yes.” When he is not being distracted by whispering sounds and words. When he is not having so much trouble staying tethered.

Vsevna saw Henrik’s smile drop, and he became serious in turn. “Henrik... when we get to land, while the others are transferring the packs and such to the smaller boat, I... I would like to talk. We do not have to, but... I would like to.”

Henrik glanced at him, quickly looking away. He nodded. “V-very well.” He put it off for long enough. He was lucky to have these couple days. If only he’d thought about what to say during those couple days. What a fool he was.

“Alright,” Vsevna said quietly. “I... I leave you now. If you wish.”

“I would, ah, like to talk with my friends before we arrive on land,” Henrik said, pushing away from the railing.

Vsevna nodded. “They are both below deck, I think. I will see you later, then.”

“Yes. Later.”

“Later.”

“Later.” Henrik paused, then laughed a bit. “Wh-what are we doing?”

Vsevna chuckled. “I am not sure. Just go before we get stuck in it.”

“Yes. Goodbye for now, then.” Henrik gave an awkward little wave and quickly left before this conversation could get stranger.

He wasn’t sure where Jackie was, but he knew where Marvin would be. Still in his guest cabin. He went down the steps below deck, navigated the narrow halls, and walked up to the door, knocking quickly. “Who is it?” Marvin called from the other side. The ship hit a slight wave at that moment, so the question was followed by a muffled groan.

“Henrik. I-I need to talk to you about something.”

“Come in, then.”

Henrik did so, closing the door behind him. The cabin was so small that there wasn’t much room to stand with it open. He looked at Marvin, who was lying on the bed with one arm over his eyes and all the rest of his limbs splayed out. Draco sat on his chest. Henrik could hear the purring from here. The cabin smelled... not the best, but it smelled worse on the first day. “So, ah, how are you feeling?”

“How do you think?” Marvin grumbled. “I haven’t thrown up today, so that’s a positive.”

“Vsevna says we will be arriving in another hour or so,” Henrik offered.

“Grand. Just... magnificent.”

“And I could try to make you a tonic for nausea.” Henrik had offered that yesterday too, but Marvin had refused, saying it was too short a journey.

“No, not if we’re only an hour away. I’ll be better on the river. Where the water doesn’t move like this.” Marvin lifted his arm so he could look at Henrik. “You didn’t come here just to tell me that, did you? Otherwise you wouldn’t actually step in the room.”

“No, you are right.” Henrik pursed his lips. “This... might be... upfront of me, to talk about myself while you are here suffering, but... I-I must ask you something. About... Vsevna.”

Marvin groaned again—and it was clear it wasn’t just from the rocking boat. “You two have had two whole days to talk about this! Did you really avoid it this whole time?”

“I—! Alright, yes, I avoided it the whole time.”

“And do you feel good about doing that?”

“No,” Henrik admitted. Things weren’t normal with this talk hanging above their heads. And he just wanted things to be normal. To be... alright. “But, ah, he wants to continue where we left off once we get to the shore. Before sailing on the river. And I am not sure... what to say.”

Marvin waved his hand. “Sounds like you already said what you wanted to at the Cliffs base. Just let him tell you what he wants.”

“But—but then how do I respond after that?”

“Why are you asking me about this? I don’t know anything about romance. I prefer no one.”

“You’ve courted a couple people.”

“‘A couple’ meaning ‘two exactly.’” Marvin rolled his eyes. “And one of those was just because our parents wanted us to. I have less experience than you do. I have less experience than most sixteen-year-olds. Go ask Jackie. He’s courted more people than both of us combined.”

“Well, perhaps your lack of experience can help,” Henrik said. “And besides. You are my friend. I want to hear from you.”

Marvin stared at him for a moment. Then sighed and put his arm back over his eyes. “What do you think he’ll say?”

“I-I don’t know.”

“Alright, then look at the possibilities. Given your man’s personality, I don’t think he’ll laugh in your face or insult you if that’s what you’re worried about. And if he does, then he’s a bastard and you should feel free to insult him back. But I don’t think he’ll do that. So, he’ll one, let you down gently, two, say he only likes you as a friend, or three, reciprocate. And I think three is the most likely, if you ask me.”

“But—”

“I know, I know,” Marvin interrupted. “Just in case, we’ll include the others. So, out of those three, what do you want to happen the most?”

Henrik paused. “I... would like for him to... feel the same. B-but, at the same time, I am afraid of just that.”

“Being known is scary,” Marvin agreed.

“I-it’s not—well... is it?” Henrik mused. “Maybe it is being known that scares me. Because I think... if he knows me, truly knows me, then maybe... he will change his mind.” He whispered the last few words.

Marvin stared at Henrik some more. He started to say something else, but then there was another knock on the door. “Marvin?” Jackie’s voice came from the other side. “How are you feeling?”

Groaning, Marvin called back, “I want this thrice-damned ship to sink to the bottom of the sea!”

“‘Oh, don’t say that. This ship belongs to Henrik’s sweetheart, he’d be very upset to hear that.”

Without a word, Henrik reached over and opened the door.

Jackie blinked. “Oh. I, uh... oh. Hiiiiii, Schneep.”

“Would you like to join us?” Henrik said drily.

“I, uh, was just going, actually—”

“No, stay,” Marvin said. “Give Henrik advice on his ‘sweetheart’.” He snickered.

“I swear to the Sun, Marvin—” Henrik said threateningly.

“No, really.” Marvin became serious again. “I think you’d be more helpful in this matter than I am, Jackie. We’ve been talking for a while. Henrik and Vsevna are going to keep on with their conversation once we get to land. And Henrik’s scared.”

Jackie stopped backing away. “Scared? Of what? I can tell you right now there’s no way he’ll reject you, Henrik.”

“I...” Henrik sighed. “If... we really start seeing each other... I don’t want... him to get to know me... only to change his mind once he knows. Only to... decide that... the person I am is not really what he wants.”

Jackie took a step closer. “Because of your false world curse?” he asked in a quiet voice.

“Not only that. But... that is a big thing, yes.”

“Henrik.” Jackie gripped his arm. “If Vsevna decides to reject that part of you, then he doesn’t really care. And I say that as someone who would never reject you for that.”

Marvin nodded. “Exactly.”

“I-I know, is just that...” Henrik trailed off. “It will hurt.”

“Well... you can’t really avoid that,” Jackie said. “But if it hurts, it won’t hurt forever. Even if it feels like it will.”

“And if he hurts you, I can hex him,” Marvin offered.

Henrik laughed. “No, please don’t.”

“I think what Marvin’s trying to say is that... there are others in your life who will support you if something bad happens,” Jackie said carefully.

“And there are people in your life who will hex the person who caused the bad thing,” Marvin said. “Like, for example.” And he pointed at himself.

Henrik laughed again as Jackie glared at Marvin. “I understand what you’re saying,” he said. “Both of you. And... a-and I think it does help a bit. I am still full of nerves. But... it helps a bit.”

“We can stay nearby, if you want,” Jackie said. “Out of earshot, of course. But close enough to see.”

Henrik thought about it. “If you are definitely out of earshot. And if you wait until I walk up to you to say anything. If you remember those two things, then... alright.”

“Understood,” Marvin said. The boat rocked some more and he went pale. Draco stretched out on his chest, putting his head in the crook of Marvin’s neck. “Yes, thank you, fluffy boy,” Marvin mumbled, putting a hand on Draco’s back. “But know I might have to throw you off if there’s a sudden burst of nausea.”

“I’m sure it won’t be long now,” Jackie said sympathetically.

“It won’t,” Henrik confirmed. “Vsevna said that we will be there within the hour.”

“Oh!” Jackie’s eyes widened. “Well, we had better pack our stuff.”

“You guys go do that, I’m sorted here,” Marvin said. He hadn’t even unpacked his bag.

“Hold on, Marvin,” Jackie said. “I-I’ll come get you when it’s time to leave the ship.” And he turned and headed away.

“Are you sure about that tonic, Marvin?” Henrik asked.

“Just go.”

“Alright, alright.” Henrik nodded. “I will see you on board deck, then.”

“Mm-hmm.” Marvin closed his eyes.

And with that, Henrik reluctantly headed off to pack his own bag. They would arrive soon. And then... then he would see.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Muinra Avon didn’t really have a proper mouth like most rivers did. Its waters spread out wide, blending into the still water that was the Southern Moors. But there was a spot where the ground below the water curved into a deeper channel. Everyone agreed that was the closest thing to a river mouth available.

They took all three of the rowboats to the shore. Or the closest thing to a shore there was. The land of the Moors faded into the ocean instead of being cut off at a beach. Lumps of land poked up between streams, trees rooted in both earth and water. The group arrived on one of these bits of land and were met by three strangers wearing wide-brimmed hats. “People wear those a lot in the marshes,” Marvin explained to Jackie and Henrik. “Water drips from trees and that protects them.” Next to them was a large flatbed boat, wider than it was deep.

Yuko—who had come with them but would be returning with the boats—started talking with the strangers. The other crew members who were coming started transferring things from the rowboats to the new boat. And Vsevna approached Henrik again. “Ah... sova, may I...?”

Henrik glanced at Jackie and Marvin. Jackie nodded encouragingly. Marvin was busy fussing with Draco, who seemed to dislike the muddy ground and was trying to climb Marvin like a tree. But Henrik knew Marvin was with him in spirit. He turned back to Vsevna and nodded. “Alright. Let’s, ah... go over here.” He started walking away from the group, weaving through trees, heading to land that was simply damp instead of muddy. Vsevna followed.

The two of them were soon out of earshot, though Henrik could still see Jackie and Marvin between the trees. “I... suppose I will get straight to the heart, then,” Vsevna said. “Henrik. Last we spoke alone, before Marvin appeared out of nowhere, you said that you... cared for me. A-a great deal. And that... though we are friends, you... wished to be more. Is that correct? Am I... remembering correct?”

Henrik already felt his heart trying to beat out of his chest. He couldn’t speak, so he just nodded.

“I...” He’d never seen Vsevna look so uncertain before. “I... would... wish the same.” He reached out and grasped Henrik’s hand. It seemed to reassure him when Henrik didn’t pull away. “If... you have not... changed your mind since that time.”

“N—No, o-of course I haven’t,” Henrik said, surprised. “You—I thought—thought that you might have—Even if I did not know your response at the time, I feared i-it still might have—have changed.”

“Khiym? Nye, o-of course not. I have been trying to—” Vsevna laughed. Again, tinged with a strange nervousness. “Since I  have met you, I have been trying to—I-I have been looking for your interest. At first it was simply because you are, ah, quite handsome—” Henrik blushes. “—but as I grew to knew you I knew it was more than just your looks. It was your passion. For your work, for this kingdom you adopted, for everything. And the way you care so fiercely as well. And your mind. I have met many people, and you are possibly the smartest person I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. And the way you speak in a conversation, truly listening and saying things with thought. It’s even clear through our letters. All of this is. And it is why... why I care for you as well, despite the distance often between us.”

“...S-so, ah, so...” Henrik stammered, trying to put his thoughts into words. Hard to do with the way his heart was dancing joyfully in his ribs. “So... since... th-the beginning... Since you have known me... you have... felt the same? Wh-why have you never... said it, then?”

“It is... hard... to have someone you love on land while you are at sea,” Vsevna said carefully. “I did not want to force it on you if you did not want it. But I tried to make my feelings clear. To... hint at things. I-I was afraid I was being too much a couple times, if to be honest. But... you never said to stop. You never responded at all, really. I-I was always very unsure.”

Henrik laughed. “Really? Everyone tells me that my feelings were obvious when around you.”

“...well I suppose,” Vsevna said, tilting his head. “But a reaction is not the same as a response. I told myself it was better to wait for something more clear.”

“I-I suppose you got that eventually.” Henrik nodded. “And... so... y-you are... you want to...?”

“Court you? Do you want me to?” Vsevna asked. “We will not see each other often. I have a responsibility to my crew. I cannot abandon them.”

“I would not ask you to,” Henrik breathed. “I... yes, I would like to start... that. I do not mind if you are far. I know you will return again.” He hesitated. “But... Vsevna, what if...” He swallowed a lump in his throat. “What if I am not... What if I-I cannot be how you expect?”

Vsevna smiled. “I expect you to be you. I will not be disappointed.”

Henrik opened and closed his mouth a couple times. “—ah.” That was—Sisters, get a hold of yourself! This is important. “I-I mean—we do not—not know what it is like to court each other. What if—what if there is... trouble? What if I am... What if you cannot... handle... something?”

Vsevna laughed. “Henrik.” He pulled him closer. “I have sailed through the most terrible storms, even the Wyldseas a few times. And I have sometimes done it while stuck with the most horrible, insufferable people. If I can handle that, I can handle anything.”

“Anything?” Henrik repeated doubtfully.

Vsevna squeezed his hand. “And I would, gladly, for you. The same way you would wait for me on shore.”

Henrik stared up into his face. His vision blurred as tears filled his eyes. “I-I—” He choked up. Probably for the best, as he wasn’t sure what to say. How could he describe the feeling of immense relief in his heart, the way the fear lingered but had been pushed back, like shadows being repelled by a bright, warm light? How could he ever tell him of the love he felt in that moment, pushing against his chest and throat, filling every space? He couldn’t. So he simply leaned against him, wilting, legs going almost fully limp.

“Oyh!” Vsevna made a small noise of surprise. Clearly not expecting this. “H-hold on, sova, do not fall.” He wrapped his arms around him, holding him up.

“I won’t fall,” Henrik murmured.

“Does that mean you want me to let go?”

“No.”

A smile traced Vsevna’s mouth. “I see.”

Henrik took a deep breath. He wrapped his arms around him in turn, completing the embrace.

They lingered for a while. But they had to draw apart. There were still things to do. Both of them seemed to remember these things at the same time and broke the embrace in unison. “We should... go help them load the boat,” Vsevna said.

“Yes. Yes, of course.” Henrik nodded. “Let’s go.”

They walked back to rejoin the others. Henrik saw Jackie and Marvin staring at him and diverted course to the two of them. “Sooooo?” Jackie said.

“We... w-we... reached... an agreement,” Henrik said awkwardly.

Marvin rolled his eyes. “What a way to say you’ve started a relationship.”

“Hey guess what?” Jackie grinned. “We’ll have to transfer to a different boat once we get out of the Moors. One with a cabin. So if you two ever want some privacy—”

“Schwestern, can you two shut up?” Henrik groaned. “Nothing is going to change, is it? You will just tease in a slightly different way now. And I did not even say what the agreement was.”

“Well, you two were holding hands when you came back,” Marvin said.

“...I did not think you would notice that.”

“Pretty sure everyone noticed,” Jackie said, gesturing at the whole group. “Even these people we got the boat from. Hey, do you think you’ll give him a nickname now? It’s a bit one-sided if you’re ‘sova’ and he’s just his name.”

“What does that mean, again?” Marvin asked.

“It is just the Lodkan word for ‘owl,’” Schneep said. “Nothing fancy.”

“Aww!” Marvin gasped. “That’s sweet that it’s personal. Maybe you can call him the Alterdan word for his mask, then.”

“‘Mirschlang’ does not sound as... ‘sweet,’ though,” Henrik said.

“It’s a matter of perspective!” Jackie said cheerfully. 

“We have more important matters at hand right now,” Henrik announced, changing the discussion. “Everyone will be upset if we do not help load the boat.”

“Alright, we’ll go load the boat, then.” Jackie was still grinning, but he turned and started heading in that direction. Henrik and Marvin followed him.

“And we need to discuss what to do once we reach the Green Lake,” Henrik continued. “We know that Chase and Jameson are still in Suilthair, but we do not know what to expect once we get there. They may be captured. And if they are not, anything else could have happened.”

“I have an idea, actually.” Marvin held up Draco, who he was holding in his arms. “I can see through Draco’s eyes. If I can get him to the city, we can do some scouting.”

“How are we going to get him to the city, though?” Jackie asked. “It’s on an island.”

“Apparently Draco has his ways,” Marvin muttered. “But if worse comes, he can hide on the ferry to Suilthair easily enough.”

“And then what?” Henrik pressed. 

“We’ll have to wait until we find them to make plans, I think,” Marvin said. “But I know you’re going to say that it’s always good to be prepared for anything.”

“We can talk about this when we’re on the boat,” Jackie said. “It’ll take two days to sail upriver. Plenty of time to make plans for every scenario. Besides. Not much else to do in such a small space. Might as well talk.” He glanced at Henrik. “Though I know you’ll probably want to spend most of that talking time with V—”

Henrik shoved him, interrupting the comment he was going to make. Jackie laughed. “Oh look, a pile of crates,” Henrik said. “They need someone to move them. Let’s do that.”

“What’s in these crates anyway?” Marvin asked. “We didn’t bring crates from the camp.”

“It’s food and water from the Serpent’s supplies,” Henrik said. “Now help me move them.”

They didn’t have to do much, as the loading was mostly done by the time they joined in. Soon they had all said goodbye to Yuko and the other crew members returning to the Serpent’s Wake, then piled into the boat. It pushed away from the land and started drifting upstream. Suilthair was almost directly due north of here. The river was a straight line to the friends they’d left behind.

Henrik leaned against the wall of the boat, watching as the trees of the Moors slowly grew closer, the water forming a proper river. He glanced back at the others on the boat and saw Vsevna talking to the crew member currently steering. After a few seconds, Vsevna glanced his way and the two of them made eye contact. He smiled. Henrik smiled back, then turned around again.

He was still nervous about all this. But... maybe it would be alright. Maybe it would be alright.

“Nothing will be alright.”

He buried his instinctively flinch as the whisper echoed in his ear. It wasn’t a real one. No one was nearby to whisper to him. And the hissing voices, words unclear, were not real either. He had to remember that. Even if the knowledge didn’t make them any less disturbing, he had to remember it.

Between the trunks of the trees he saw something moving. Walking. And then it stopped, standing directly in the middle of his vision. It looked like a person... but the person had no face.

Henrik squeaked with alarm and quickly backed up—only stopping once he ran into someone. “A-ah, my apologies,” he said, turning around to look at them.

“Aye,” said the person—one of Vsevna’s crew, he wasn’t sure of her name. She looked at him, confused, then continued on her business. “No worry.”

“Y-yes.” Henrik nodded. Then he turned back around, staring at the shore again. The faceless person is still there. Right in the center of his vision, where his eyes naturally fall.

...No, that didn’t make sense. The boat was moving, they shouldn’t still be in the center of his vision. They should be a few trees back. They must have moved fast. But—but no! There were no ‘faceless people’ in Glasúil. There were no legends about that.

Henrik squeezed his eyes closed and opened them again. There was still a person there. But now their head was one giant eye.

He shrieked instinctively and spun around, not wanting to look at it. That couldn’t be really there. That had—that had to be just in his mind. But—seeing things, not just hearing them? Even with his temporary mind soothing medicine, the symptoms were getting stronger.

He scanned the boat for anything strange, but saw nothing. For now. And as he looked around, his eyes landed on Vsevna, staring at him with concern. He tried to smile at him. Vsevna took a step closer to him. Henrik waved him away. Vsevna tilted his head, uncertain. Henrik waved more insistently. And so Vsevna reluctantly returned to his conversation, occasionally glancing back at Henrik as he talked.

Letting out a breath, Henrik sank down and sat on the deck of the boat, leaning his head back against the wall. It was concern. Just concern. No judgment. No suspicion. Nothing like that at all. 

After a moment, he closed his eyes. Maybe it would still be alright. And even if it wasn’t, there was no way to undo the past. Though he didn’t think he would want to even if there was. Now that there was this between them, an official courtship, he couldn’t go back to the normal of before. He had to hold onto this for as long as he could. For as long as it would last.

Things would be alright. They would be.

And besides, there were serious matters to think about, as well. They would be at Suilthair in just a couple days. Who knew what they would find there? They had to have a plan. Maybe a couple just in case.

So Henrik tried to think of one. Even if he found his thoughts still distracted, joy and fear dancing in his heart.

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticegos #septic egos #septic egos au #jacksepticeye au #dr schneeplestein #marvin the magnificent #jackieboy man #fantasymasksau #brigid writes fanfiction

[crystalninjaphoenix]

The Burned Truth

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Thirty-One

A JSE Fanfic

Posted a day early because there's something else going up tomorrow. Another part of the Choose Your Own Adventure. This is not that. This is Fantasy Masks. What happens this month in the story? Well, flashback to Marvin telling Jackie, Henrik, and the rest of the Phantoms about his crazy journey, and them all agreeing they need to go get Chase and Jameson. Meanwhile, Chase and Jameson continue hiding and take a look at something that Jameson found. And yeah. Hope you enjoy :)

Previous Part | | From the Start | More AU

Taglist: @brokentimewatch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You... do realize how unbelievable this all sounds, right?”

“Of course I do!” Marvin paced back and forth across the floor of the tent. This was the main meeting area for the Phantoms’ new camp, a round tent large enough to fit several people inside with room to spare. Marvin’s eyes darted around, landing on each of the people watching him in turn. They all looked skeptical. He stopped watching and looked at Jackie. “I know, it sounds impossible, but I promise you, everything I said is true.”

Jackie nodded slowly. “I’m not... I do believe you, it just... sounds unbelievable. Forgive me if it takes some time to understand.”

Marvin bit his lip, stopping a snappy remark from escaping. He should be patient. It will take everyone a moment or more to understand everything he just dumped on them. From Jameson’s vision about Chase, to Marvin’s own time in the Wyldwood, to the blasted heath and the spirit there.

“So... shall I get this straight?” Henrik cleared his throat. “According to Jameson’s oracle vision, Chase is going to one day defeat the King. And... because of that, he needs to see something in the Wyldwood. And because of that, Draco worked with a spirit and one of your Elders to take you there. So you can take Chase there in the future.”

“Yes.” Marvin nodded sharply. “But right now, he’s still in Suilthair with Jameson, and who knows what they’ve gone through there? They could be captured or worse!”

Jackie looked around the room. “Has anyone heard news of rebels being captured in Suilthair?”

“No, there’s been no news of that,” Anna reported. “But we are almost as far from the capital as possible. It could just be slow.”

“Even if they have not been captured, they are still at risk,” Henrik said. 

“Regardless of what Marvin experienced, we have to get them out,” Lukas added. “We can send a squad, but it’ll take a week to get there. We need to move now.”

“It may not take a week.”

Henrik jumped a little as Vsevna, standing next to him, spoke. “Wh-what do you mean?” he asked, turning to him. “Even with magic, we cannot... cannot take that much time off the trip.”

“If we go across land, that is true.” Vsevna folded his arms, grinning. “But my ship can reach the Moors in just two days, and from there, it will only be two days more to sail up the Muinra River to the Green Lake.”

“Of course!” Jackie gasped. “We would save so much time! But is that safe? We’ve heard rumors that the King is trying to form a navy.”

“He is,” Vsevna confirmed. “But his efforts are early so far. There is not much chance we will run into a ship loyal to him.”

“So that settles it.” Jackie put his hands on his hips, scanning the crowd in the tent. “We will take the Serpent’s Wake to the Moors and sail up the river until we reach Suilthair. From there, we will find Chase and Jameson. We will get them out of there. Then... I guess Marvin and Chase depart for the Wyldwood.”

“Us two and whoever else wants to come,” Marvin added. “The Wyldwood is a dangerous place. We might need more protection.”

“Who is going, then?” Vseva asked. “There will not be much room for passengers with the crew. We must keep it small.”

“I-I will go,” Henrik said quietly.

“And me, of course,” Marvin said.

“I will too,” Jackie said.

“Uh, excuse me.” Tripp coughed for attention. “Is it a good idea for all our leaders to leave at once?”

“Especially since camp is still disorganized,” Lukas added. “No, it’s better for at least one of you to stay. I will take your place.”

Jackie was already shaking his head. “It has to be the three of us,” he said. “Marvin was just in the city, he knows the layout better than any of us. Even those of us who’ve been there have stayed away since joining the Phantoms. Henrik is our best doctor, if Chase and Jameson are injured, he has to be there to treat them quickly so we can leave as soon as possible. And I may still have contacts in the royal warriors, who are sure to be patrolling the city. At the very least, I know their protocols best. It has to be us.”

Lukas looked like he wanted to argue, but he couldn’t find any flaws in that logic. He nodded once and backed down.

“When will we leave?” Henrik asked, glancing at Vsevna. “You were... just going out to the ship now... yes?”

“That was for the night,” Vsevna said. “We need to take rowboats in so they won’t drift off. If we are leaving, we will wait until the tide lowers again. So that the rowboats can be docked at the cliff base again.”

“Can’t we just—go out now when you ‘take the rowboats in’?” Marvin asked.

Vsevna smiled. “It is possible, but I do not think that is a good idea. You have been through much, Marvin. Take one night to rest.”

Marvin fidgeted with his sleeves. He didn’t want to rest. He wanted to leave now. But he knew the ship would be faster, and he couldn’t sail it by himself. Even with a night’s delay, it would be easier. So he sighed. “Alright. Sure.”

“Is there anyone else who would want to come to Suilthair?” Vsevna asked the tent at large. “There is room for perhaps one or two persons.”

No one said anything.

“Alright.” Jackie nodded. “We’ll call it here, then. The three of us will leave with Vsevna and the Wake’s crew early tomorrow morning. Are there any other matters to discuss?” Once again, silence. “We’ll disperse, then.”

And the crowd did just that, slowly leaving the tent through its single entrance. Until only four people were left. Jackie, Marvin, Henrik, and Vsevna. And Draco, of course, but he was just a cat and didn’t really count, magical or not.

Jackie approached Marvin, who had started to pace across the floor again. “Hey.” He reached out and stopped him from walking. “All of this... it’s true?”

“I thought you said you believed me,” Marvin muttered.

“I do. I do.” Jackie nodded slowly. “But... it’s... true?”

“What do you mean?”

“Is Chase... really supposed to defeat the King?” Jackie asked quietly.

Marvin softened slightly. “Jameson’s visions aren’t always guaranteed,” he says, equally quiet. “But it’s a possible future. One we want to come to pass.”

Jackie sighed. “How did Chase react?”

“He didn’t believe it at first. But once it settled in, I bet it seemed... impossible.” Marvin laughed darkly. “I don’t think Chase thinks he can do it.”

“Well, I think he can. But if he doesn’t believe, I don’t think that future will...” Jackie trailed off. “And... you really spoke with a spirit? The spirit of King Samuel the Green-Eyed?” His eyes were wide.

“Yes.”

Jackie gave a little laugh. “That’s—that’s just—I-I don’t—he’s a legend. What was it like?”

“Funny you say that, cause I remember he said legends get warped by time.” Marvin went quiet for a moment. “He seemed rather... normal, once I got over the shock. Wise, but not... stuffy. He teased me a couple times.”

“He did?”

“It was very strange, yes.”

Jackie laughed. “Now I feel like I have to meet him.”

Marvin smiled a bit. “You would get alone, I think.” The smile faded. His eyes drifted over to where Henrik and Vsevna were talking. “Hey. This is a strange question, but... is Henrik... Did something happen to him? He seems... quieter.” Marvin couldn’t quite grasp the difference, but he knew it was there. 

Jackie sighed. “He ran out of medicine.”

“...oh.” Marvin blinked. “He can’t make more?”

“No, apparently a crucial ingredient is out of season. We’ve been making do with a mind soother medicine, but it won’t stop some of the symptoms.” Jackie went quiet, also watching Henrik and Vsevna. “He’s been... so worried about talking to him for that reason. Afraid he won’t understand, or won’t want anything to do with him once he knows the truth. I think it’s for nothing. But, well, I think he was about to go through with something anyway before you showed up.”

“Oh.” Marvin’s eyes widened. So that’s why Henrik was on the beach with Vsevna. “Well... let’s give them some time. I should probably get cleaned up. Do we have a bath area in this camp?”

Jackie smiled. “Come on, I’ll show you and Draco the way. I hope you don’t mind the sea water.”

As the two of them were talking, Henrik and Vsevna were having their own conversation. “So... you are going back down to the ship, then?” Henrik asked.

“Yes, we still must take in the boats,” Vsevna confirmed.

“Oh.” Henrik looked down. He tugged on his scarf. “That is—”

You can’t do this.

What a weakling.

“Shut up,” Henrik hissed.

“Ah?” Vsevna blinked, surprised.

“No, n-not you!” Henrik hurried to say. “I was speaking to—There was—” He swallowed a lump in his throat. This was a terrible time for the whispers to return. But he could hear them. He could feel them, like little bugs landing on his skin. He struggled to ignore the feeling. “Never mind. We were... speaking on the beach. You said... A-after Marvin arrived, you said we could continue later...”

“At a less stressful time, yes.” Vsevna nodded. His features were soft as he looked at Henrik. “I think this is not such a time yet. I think we both have things to do. The boats still must be moved, and I am thinking you want to talk more with Marvin. He said some very strange things, did he not?”

“Yes, yes he did. It sounds as though he went very deep into the Wyldwood, no one has done that in memory!” Henrik grinned. “It must be very strange. I wonder what it was like. He mentioned magic was strange there, I must know how.”

Vsevna laughed. “Yes, see? Always wanting to know. That is just like you, sova. It is a great trait of yours.”

“O-oh, it is?”

“It is, very much.” Vsevna put a hand on his shoulder. “We will talk more later. But for now, I will say...” He paused, mulling over his words. “I will say you are a good man.”

“Ah?” Henrik felt his face getting very red.

Vsevna chuckled. “Yes. And that has not changed after we talked. Understand?”

Henrik nodded slowly.

“Good. I will see you in the morning. Find me once the ship is well underway. I will likely be in the cabin. We can continue there. If that is good with you.”

“Yes, it is good,” Henrik said. His voice was a bit breathy. It was embarrassing. He hoped Vsevna didn’t notice.

Vsevna flashed a smile. “I will see you then.” And he turned and left the tent.

Henrik stood there for a moment. Silent. His heart pounding in his chest. Was it excitement or fear that was causing it to beat so hard?

“Schneep.” Suddenly, Jackie appeared by his side. “Are you okay?”

“Ah!” Henrik jumped. “Y-yes, I—I think—There are many... big feelings—but never mind. Hello, Marvin.”

“Hi.” Marvin nodded. “Jackie’s showing me where the bath area is. Want to walk there with us?”

“The—ah, yes, you do look a mess.” Henrik chuckled as Marvin bristled. “I tease, I tease, don’t worry about it, Marvin. Yes, I will come with you. We can talk more on the way.”

Tonight, they would rest and prepare. Tomorrow, they would leave for Suilthair.

None of them knew what they would find. If their two friends were in danger. They had to be ready for anything that might come along the way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chase woke up to the faint gray sunlight of early morning. He rolled over—then was immediately stopped when someone grabbed him. He opened his eyes and looked up into Jameson’s eyes. “G’morning,” he muttered.

Good morning, Jameson said. How did you sleep?

“Well enough, I guess.” Chase sat up. The two of them were still in the old boathouse, which looked even more run-down in daylight than it did in the evening. No wonder Jameson stopped him from rolling; Chase could’ve gone right into the hole in the middle of the floor. “Hey, we were supposed to take shifts. You didn’t wake me up.”

Jameson smiled wryly. You needed the rest.

“And you didn’t? You look terrible.”

Well thank you very much.

“Seriously, you’ve had the worst week of your life, you should’ve slept,” Chase insisted.

I’ve had worse weeks, Jameson mused, but this one did rank high up there. It’s fine. I wasn’t that tired anyway.

Chase was pretty sure he was lying, but he decided to drop the subject anyway. “Alright. Fine.” He stretched. First his arms, then his legs. His knees still hurt. Possibly even more than they did yesterday. He winced and tried not to cry out. “So. What are our next steps? They’ll still be looking for us. There are only two ways off the island: either get onto the ferry, or find some other boat. I guess we could try to swim, too, but... probably not the best idea.”

Jameson shook his head. I’m not a strong swimmer.

“Me neither. Or at least, I’m not prepared for water this deep.” Chase looked through the hole at the lake water and shivered. “I think we should stay hidden for a while more. No leaving the boathouse.”

What about food? Jameson asked. I can’t speak for you, but I haven’t eaten yesterday morning.

“Really?” Chase frowned in disapproval. “Well, I think I had food later than that, but not too much later. Amabel said she wanted to come visit us in the morning. Maybe she’ll bring something.” He laughed. “At least we won’t have to worry about water.”

Jameson frowned. But there are fish in the lake water.

“And there’s dirt in the well water. Unless you want to wait for rain, you can’t be too fussy.”

Jameson sighed. I suppose if we’re going to be stuck in this shack for a while, we might as well entertain ourselves. He reached into his vest and pulled out the burned book.

“Right, that.” Chase nodded. “Hang on, we’ll need more light.” He crawled across the floor over to the boathouse door. Then he reached up, undid the deadbolt, and pulled it open. Not a lot. Just a crack. Even so, the hinges squealed in protest. Well, at least they were rusted enough that the door didn’t close on its own. “Come over here.”

Right. Jameson crawled over next to him and set the book down in the beam of light coming from the ajar door. Strange, isn’t it?

“Yea, very.” Chase stared at the book. It was hard to tell what it had been once. The cover was blackened, cracked leather, and the parchment within was warped where it hadn’t been eaten away by flame. “I’ve never seen a book this small.” The whole thing wasn’t much bigger than his hand with fingers spread wide. He didn’t really want to touch it in case it fell apart.

Jameson was also hesitant, but after a moment he reached out and gently opened the cover, using just his pointer finger and thumb. The first page has been burned near to the spine. The next couple pages didn’t fare much better. This must have belonged to someone with money to spare, Jameson said. Look at the binding. It’s very well done.

“I haven’t seen many books, but that is the best binding I’ve ever seen,” Chase agreed. “Very... tight? These pages won’t fall out.”

That didn’t stop the fire, of course. Jameson gently ran a finger along the edge of the pages. I’m not sure how many there were originally, but it seems there’s about... thirty left intact? He carefully flipped past the burned pages to the mostly-intact middle.

“Hmm.” Chase leaned closer to the book. “Nice fancy handwriting. It’s sort of like yours, Jameson.”

You think my handwriting is nice? Jameson pressed a hand to his chest, touched.

“Much better than mine, that’s for sure,” Chase laughed.

Jameson looked back down at the handwriting. Then he frowned. If this was a book for reading, the handwriting wouldn’t look like this. The writing in published books are all generally similar, for ease of reading.

“I’ll take your word for it, but if that’s the case, why is this one different?”

It must be for personal use. A journal of some kind.

Chase frowned. “Whose journal?”

It was hidden under a floorboard in the old royal servant’s room, Jameson recalled. Maybe theirs?

“That’s not impossible, but...” Chase trailed off. He didn’t think that a servant would have such nice handwriting. Perhaps that was unfair to think. But he couldn’t help but think about how he hadn’t learned much reading or writing until only a couple seasons ago. A servant, even a royal one, would probably be in the same position as him, right? Or at least, closer to his position than Jameson’s. “Let’s just read it. Maybe there will be clues then.”

Jameson nodded in agreement. Can you read it out loud? I think that’ll be easier.

“Huh? Oh, um. Yea. But be patient, okay?” Chase shifted position, now laying on his stomach on the wooden planks of the boathouse. He started slowly reading the words in a quiet voice. “‘...always loud. I wouldn’t be surprised if he grew up to be like my father. This energy must run in the family. But perhaps it skips a...’ I-I don’t know that one, um... gen... generation? ‘But perhaps it skips a generation because I’m sure I was never like that as a child. Or perhaps only the boys inherit it.’”

So this journal writer is a parent, Jameson said. Likely a mother. At the very least, not a father.

“That’s what I was thinking.” Chase reached out and gently turned the page. “Oh, this is definitely a journal, look, there’s a date at the top of this page. Summer, twenty years ago.”

Jameson looked intrigued. This must have been a very well-taken-care-of journal to not get lost in twenty years. But then it was burned?

“Strange,” Chase muttered, and continued reading out loud. “‘It is a cloudy morning. Perfect for...’ um... t-tutor... ‘Perfect for tutoring. I hope that the lack of sunshine will mean Lord Byreihe can keep Aodhán inside for once. The boy does not enjoy his studies.’ Byreihe is a noble house, isn’t it?”

Jameson nodded slowly. His expression was troubled.

“What’s wrong?”

Keep going for now, Jameson insisted.

“Um... alright.” Chase cleared his throat. “These journal entries are very short. Here’s the next one. Only a few days later. ‘I realize I haven’t been talking about much in this writing except for Aodhán. I promise there is much more in my life. But the troubles of raising a young’—” Chase stopped, rereading. Making sure he was interpreting this correctly. He was. “‘The troubles of raising a young prince take up a good deal of it, and I have limited parchment.’”

Jameson folded his arms, his face now grim.

“Of... of course,” Chase breathed, looking up at Jameson. “Aodhán is the King’s first name. That means... this was written by the old King or Queen?”

The Queen, I believe, since the book mentioned the father as someone else, Jameson said.

“Wh-why was this in the servant’s room? And why is it burned? Did someone—” Chase felt a jolt in his chest. “Did someone try to get rid of it? Maybe... the King?”

I think that’s it, yes, Jameson agreed. Though I’m not sure why. Perhaps there’s information in here he doesn’t want anyone to know.

“Why the servant’s room, though?”

Jameson shrugged. It took a while for the King to do away with the practice of having servants in the royal chambers. Perhaps he threw the book in the fire. But a servant knew what the book was, that being the Queen’s journal, and decided it shouldn’t be destroyed. So they stole it and hid it. And then were possibly fired not long after. They must have been let go quickly, or else the King would have picked up on their secret.

Chase shook his head in disbelief. “Well, the book is damaged enough already. Maybe he succeeded in getting rid of whatever information was inside.”

We might as well keep looking, though, Jameson said. Just in case.

“I was planning to.” Chase bent his head, looking at the book again. “Now, where were we?”

They read through entry after entry. Not much stood out. The old Queen talked about her son, Aodhán, the current King, quite a lot. He was an energetic child, one who preferred being outside, running around and playing with other kids, than inside, learning what he needed to for his future status as ruler of Glasúil. Chase found himself sympathizing with the Queen. He was lucky that Amabel wasn’t a wild child, and unlucky that Quinten often couldn’t be one, but he knew how hard it was to raise children regardless. 

Two things stood out to the two of them. Once, the Queen mentioned how Aodhán’s favorite place was the West Edge garden—the one with the old well. Chase got shivers as he read that. So the King was fond of the same garden where Jack was imprisoned in nightmares. Had he made that the prison so he could enjoy it more? Or did he simply think it would be especially terrible to be trapped there?

That was just a passing mention, though. The Queen more often referenced Aodhán’s “gift.” Though she was vague in her wording, Jameson and Chase both knew what she meant. She knew her son was an enchanter. In fact, she often spoke about teaching him how to use it properly, and “without harming anyone.” The gift has not appeared in my family for so long that I had to look deep into the archives to find mention, she wrote. I hope I am doing well. Where had that gone wrong?

The gray sunlight of early day had turned the solid yellow of morning by the time Chase read out loud the last entry. “Alright, this one is a longer one. It says, ‘I missed out on an...’ um... ‘appointment with Lord Tinechroí this evening because Aodhán asked me to read him a story. I didn’t want to, but when he looks at me with those big bright eyes, just like his father’s, I know I can’t say no. And not because of his gift. I have learned better than that. I sent Amelia to...’ The rest is burned, but I assume to move the meeting time.” Chase leaned back from the book, folding his arms under his chest for support. “And... that’s it.” He sighs. “Maybe the King tried to destroy this because he didn’t want anyone to find out about his enchanting abilities. We already knew that. So... not much was gained, unfortunately.”

But Jameson was frowning, a look of confusion on his face. He turned the book around so he could look at the last clear entry. She truly does say his eyes are ‘just like his father’s,’ Jameson said slowly.

“Yea.”

Don’t you think that’s odd?

“Why?”

Well, if you remember the royal lineage—

Chase was paying attention to Jameson’s words. But not enough to tune out the rest of the world. He was a hunter; he knew better than to get absorbed in one task and forget about possible threats. Which is why he suddenly stiffened and held up a hand for quiet. “Did you hear that?” he whispered.

Jameson’s eyes widened. He shook his head, listening carefully.

Voices.

Chase got to his hands and knees, wincing slightly, and peered out through the gap in the doorway. At the end of the dock, where it joined with the rest of the floating neighborhood, were five royal warriors. He could see the crest on their tunics from here... and, more importantly, he could see the strange helmets they wore, and the small figure they were talking to. “Amabel?!” he gasps. “What is she doing here?!”

Jameson joined him, pressing his head against his. She did say she would be back in the morning.

“She did, but—why is she talking to them?!” Chase glanced at Jameson and saw how grim his expression was. “What? Do you think she’s betraying us? She wouldn’t do that!”

I thought it was a trick last night, he reminded Chase.

“Oh shut up!” Chase snapped. “We have to—we have to find somewhere to hide.”

But there was nowhere to go. There was no furniture in the boathouse, nor were there alcoves to hide in. It was also isolated from other buildings on the end of the dock; the nearest ones were past the squad of warriors. The only that that could possibly help them was...

Jameson followed Chase’s gaze to the hole in the floor. No, he said, shaking his head. Surely not.

“There’s nowhere else to go!” Chase crawled to the edge of the hole and looked over. The wooden floor of the boathouse wasn’t floating directly on the lake. There was some space between the rotten planks and the surface of the water. They’d be able to keep their heads above, but nothing else. At least there were also support beams, maybe they could hold onto those. He sat up straight again and looked back at Jameson. “Come on! We need to go now!”

Now?!

“There’s no way they won’t check the boathouse,” Chase said. “And we need to be sure there are no strange ripples in the water.” He swung his legs over the side into the water. It was cold, but not unbearably so. He looked back at Jameson expectantly.

Jameson hesitated. Then nodded. He pushed the door shut, then picked up the burned journal. He looked at it, then at the water.

“Put it away!” Chase hissed. That couldn’t be in sight when the warriors arrived.

After a second, Jameson put the book in his mouth, holding it by biting down onto the spine. He nodded at Chase.

Chase raised his eyebrows in surprise but didn’t say anything. “Okay, come on!” he whispered, and pushed himself off the floor and into the water.

It was a lot colder when his entire body was in the lake. Chase froze up for a moment, holding onto the edge of the hole, getting used to the sudden shift. Next to him, Jameson carefully lowered himself into the water, similarly freezing up.

The voices had stopped. That couldn’t be good. Chase jerked his head to the side, gesturing underneath the boathouse floor. Jameson nodded, and the two of them carefully moved beneath the wooden planks. Not swimming. Just grabbing onto the support beams and pulling themselves along. Jameson kept his head tilted slightly upwards to protect the book.

Silence fell. The only sound was their breathing and the water lapping, both magnified by the closeness of the space. They held to the support beams, both of them in an awkward position with how little room there was. Chase’s knees hurt more as he tried to gently tread water. For a minute, he wondered if he’d gone a bit far, and maybe the warriors would decide not to check the boathouse.

Then the door hinges squealed as the door was pushed open. Chase stopped kicking, relying on his grip on the support beam to keep his head above the water. Almost immediately his fingers, hands, and arms all began to feel the strain.

“See, I told you!” Amabel’s voice came from up above. “There’s nothing in here! That’s why I like doing stuff here!”

The rotten floorboards creaked. Chase heard Jameson inhale sharply as the footsteps passed right above them. A second passed. Two. Three.

“This place is dangerous,” said a stranger’s voice. “You shouldn’t play in old buildings.”

“There are no rules, right?” Amabel said.

“Be careful, lass,” another voice said. “Sir, there’s nothing here.”

“You’re right, Jannon,” said that first one. “We have better places to search. Move on. And young lass, you should be careful about approaching the royal warriors. We are not to be questioned.”

“You aren’t?” Amabel sounded confused. “Why?”

A third voice chuckled.

“Because we serve the King directly,” said the first voice. “And the King does not make mistakes.”

“Uh... okay,” Amabel was clearly still uncertain, but she didn’t want to get into it. Chase could imagine her unsure expression vividly.

“Move out,” said the first voice. The floorboards creaked some more as many footsteps headed out of the boathouse.

The silence returned as the steps faded away. Then: “Uh, Dad? They’re... gone now. Are you... still here?”

“Yes!” Chase whisper-shouted, immediately moving back towards the hole in the floor.

“Oh! You’re—under the floor?”

“Yea, one second.” Chase grabbed the edge of the hole and pulled himself partially out. Amabel stared at him, shocked and relieved. “Hey, Amy.”

Amabel grinned. “Hi, Dad.” She glanced back at the door and her smile fell. “Um, I can’t stay too long, cause I think that’ll be strange if anyone’s watching. Those warriors were searching around and I knew they’d check here so I tried to get them to leave and said there wasn’t anything here and I sometimes, um, hid out here, but I don’t think they believed me.”

“You did great, Amy, don’t worry,” Chase reassured her. “I’m sorry you had to do that.” Next to him, Jameson had also reached the edge of the hole and was clinging to it and floating, waiting for the two of them to finish talking.

“No, it’s alright.” Amabel nodded. “Um. In any case. Here.” She put a bundle of cloth down on the floor by the door. “I didn’t know if you had breakfast so I brought you some. I-I can try to be back tonight to see you more. Okay?”

“Okay.” Chase nodded. “Be careful, Amy.”

“I will.” Amabel smiled, then turned and hurried out the door, leaving it open behind her.

Chase sighed. He wished she could’ve stayed longer. But she was right. If the warriors were still around, they might wonder what was so interesting about the boathouse if they noticed her still here. Well. Nothing to do about it.

Jameson climbed out of the water, awkwardly pulling and rolling out onto the floor. There was a lot of splashing involved. He offered a hand to Chase, who took it and let Jameson help him out. Even with that help, though, it took more effort than it should have, with his injured knees still affecting him. But soon, Chase and Jameson sat on the floor, shivering in wet clothes.

“That... was close,” Chase breathed. “I-it’s a good thing Amabel showed up.” He glanced out the doorway. There was no sign of the warriors... or his daughter. He fought the urge to get up and go after her. It hurt his heart, but he fought it. He crawled over and slowly closed the door, mentally cutting off the option altogether.

Jameson took the book out of his mouth and set it gently on the floor—being sure to avoid the puddles. I never wanted to know what ash tastes like. It turns out to be very unpleasant.

“You didn’t have to hold it with your teeth,” Chase said. “You could’ve put it in your vest.”

No, Jameson said. It would’ve been soaked and ruined. This needs to stay safe.

“Why? Oh, because it’s proof that the King is an enchanter?”

That, and something else that’s a bit... odd. Jameson looked at Chase. Do you remember what we were talking about before? The Queen said that her son’s eyes are like his father’s.

Chase’s brows drew together in confusion. “Yea? So? Royal green eyes, makes sense that he got them from his parents.”

Jameson shook his head. Chase, the old King was not of royal blood. The Queen was.

Chase stared at him. At first, he didn’t understand. Then suddenly, it clicked. “If the prince’s eyes were like the old King’s, they wouldn’t be green.”

Precisely. Jameson nodded. In fact, I remember seeing portraits of the old King and Queen. They both had blue eyes.

“But... the King—King Aodhán, the current King—has green eyes.” Chase leaned back. “Was... the Queen mistaken? No. No.” He shook his head, laughing. “What parent doesn’t know their child’s eye color? Especially one who’s as attentive as she seemed.”

Either we are misunderstanding something, or the King’s eye color changed since his childhood, Jameson said. I hope it’s the former, honestly. Because I’m not sure what the latter means.

“Unfortunately, I think you’re right,” Chase mumbled. “The King’s eye color changed. Blue to royal green.” He paused. “...why? That’s... not natural.”

It must be magic of some kind, Jameson decided. A shadow fell over his eyes. Chase... Where is Marvin?

“Huh?”

Where is Marvin? Jameson repeated. You haven’t mentioned him once. He didn’t rescue me with you. Is he... He trailed off, unsure what he wanted to ask.

“I haven’t... heard from him,” Chase said quietly. “But from everything I’ve heard, he’s not been captured. He might not even be in the city.”

Jameson shook his head. He wouldn’t leave while we were in danger. Something... must have... happened.

Chase was silent for a moment. “I’m sure he’s alright,” he said. “Marvin is powerful. He’s alright. He’s out there somewhere. I’m guessing you brought him up because he knows a lot about magic, right? And he might know what could cause eyes to change color?” Jameson nodded. “Well... we’ll find him soon. And we can ask him.”

A moment passed. Then Jameson took a deep breath. You’re right. Of course you are.

“Yea, I know I am.” Chase gave him a small smile.

But if he’s still in the city, we can’t leave without him. We have to stay and find him.

The smile faded. “We do,” Chase whispered. He sighed. Just one more daunting task. “Alright. Today, we’ll stay here. And yes, that means all day. It’s too risky to go out while the warriors are still searching. While we’re stuck here, we’ll talk about ways we can find Marvin and get out of here. I’m sure we’ll have a plan by tomorrow.”

Jameson nodded in agreement. First, we eat.

Chase laughed. “Right. Of course.” He grabbed the bundle of cloth Amabel left by the door, unwrapping it to find four bread rolls and a meat pie. “Oh wow. Where did she get this? She better not have stolen it.”

She seems too nice to do that, Jameson said.

“Hmm. I guess we can’t really wonder that. If you question a gift, it may turn to wind, as they say.”

Jameson raised an eyebrow. I’ve never heard that before. Who says that?

Chase laughed. “Everyone in my village. Must be a mountain thing, maybe. Here.” He handed two of the rolls to Jameson. “We can split the pie. It’ll be messy, but we can work with it.”

We can jump in the lake again if we stain our clothes, Jameson said jokingly.

“I can tell that’s a jest, but we’ll probably have to do that.”

They ate in silence, then started discussing ways to get out of here. They couldn’t stay forever. After all, they’d just discovered some very strange things about the King. They had to tell the others. Maybe they would know what it was about.

Enchanters cannot use other types of magic. And yet the King was throwing lightning as they escaped. The green-eyed King, who may have had blue eyes as a child. Chase felt like he was on the very edge of figuring it all out. But there were still pieces missing.

Chase knew one thing for sure, though. The picture this puzzle formed would not be pretty.

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticegos #septic egos #septic egos au #jacksepticeye au #jackieboy man #marvin the magnificent #dr schneeplestein #chase brody #jameson jackson #brigid writes fanfiction #fantasymasksau

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Rescue and Reunion

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Twenty-Nine

A JSE Fanfic

This chapter continues the trend of long writing I’ve been recently doing, but I did manage to cut about 500 words from it so it’s a more reasonable length. You know, by my standards XD After Chase wakes up from another strange dream, he finally finds the motivation to try rescuing his friends. He’s not sure where Marvin is, but Jameson is in the palace, so it looks like he’ll have to sneak in and out without the King noticing him. Things, inevitably, don’t go well. Or do they? I guess you’ll have to read to find out! :D

Previous Part | More AU

Taglist: @brokentimewatch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chase jolted awake, gasping. Where—where was he? He’d fallen asleep and then—then he had another draísling about the garden, and in it he’d fallen into the well and talked with Jack, and—What? What was anything?

It took him a moment to remember where he was. He was still in the tavern. Of course. He’d fallen asleep there after a few drinks. It was disorienting to be back in the world after the strange dream-like experience of the draísling. The environment came to him in pieces. The tavern was still empty except for the barkeep and him, but there was now sunlight streaming through the windows. His neck and back hurt from sleeping bent over the table.

The barkeep glanced over at him. “You alright, ah... sir?”

“I-I’m fine.” Chase ran a hand through his hair, dislodging his hat. His mind was still reeling from everything he’d learned from Jack. The most urgent of which was the true scope of the King’s powers. Was Jack right? Was the King truly able to influence the entire city? If he was, then Chase had to get out of here. He stood up quickly, staggering in his urgency.

“Whoa, whoa!” The barkeep hurried over. “Take it careful, you’re probably still feeling the effects.”

“I’m fine,” Chase insisted. And as soon as he said that, he realized that he was fine. He wasn’t feeling any of the effects from a night spent drinking. Not even a slight headache. “I-I have to—I—”

“You must’ve had some dream,” the barkeep muttered.

“Did I... sleep here all night?” Chase asked.

The barkeep nodded. “Far as I’m aware. I had to go to sleep myself for a while.”

“...Right. Um... thank you,” Chase said awkwardly.

“Not a problem. You seem eager to head out, but is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Um...” Chase thought about it. “This might be a strange question. I haven’t really been keeping up with recent events, so... has there been any news? I remember hearing that some rebels had been captured a week ago.”

The barkeep laughed. “That is an odd question. Sure, friend. I know some news. I haven’t heard much more than rumors about those rebels, but the other day I heard from a man who works at the palace that the nobleman they kidnapped is back, living with the King.”

Chase frowned. “They kidnapped a nobleman?”

“Yes, almost two seasons ago. From some northern family. Have you heard of the Jairsolas line?”

Ah. Right. They were talking about Jameson. The King must have framed his disappearance as rebels kidnapping him—which, Chase supposed, made sense, given how he’d met Jameson by holding him at knifepoint. “Yes, I’ve heard of them,” Chase said. “Good that he’s... back, then.” It felt terrible to say that, since Chase knew Jameson would rather be anywhere than with the King. “But I’m not too familiar with nobles. Has there been anything else strange? Any other... disappearances?”

The barkeep shook his head. “I’m not too familiar with nobles, either. Sorry. And not much else has been happening in the city.” He laughed. “Not much does, to be honest, but I suppose that’s to be expected with the King here. He takes such care to maintain the peace.”

Chase forced himself to smile. “He does. I’m sorry to hear about the rebels.”

“It’s real unfortunate.” The barkeep nodded. “Is there anything else you need, sir? I can get you some water. No charge.”

“No, I’m... fine.” Chase turned away. “Thank you again.”

“Come back sometime!” The barkeep called after him as he left.

Chase stepped out into the sunlight, blinded for a moment by the brightness before hurrying down the wooden walkway. His mind went in circles, reviewing everything he’d learned.

Jack was trapped by the King. When he was asleep, he was stuck in nightmares, and when he was awake, he was imprisoned somewhere. He was important enough for the King to keep alive but too powerful to let loose. Jack also knew a lot about the King because of his circumstances. He knew the King was an enchanter, and knew that the King’s powers were unnaturally strong. The King was able to keep the whole city of Suilthair under his influence, preventing people from leaving.

“Shit!” Chase cursed softly. Was that why he’d been stuck wandering around Suilthair for a week? Even though he knew the warriors would be looking for him? Knew he should have rescued Marvin and Jameson and fled the city by now?

Well... it didn’t explain everything that happened in that week. But it would explain part of it.

And now that he knew about that, Chase was all too eager to leave before he fell back under the King’s influence. He needed to rescue Jameson and Marvin. Apparently Jameson was somewhere in the palace, but he had no idea where Marvin was. Once he figured that out, he could get them out of wherever they were being kept, and... go.

Was he ready to do that? Stacia and his children were still in the city. Even if Stacia had scorned him when he tried to talk to her, he now knew that was because of the King’s enchantment powers. He didn’t want his family to be stuck here under his influence. He’d come here for them.

But what could he do? If Stacia didn’t want to leave, he couldn’t force her. He hadn’t seen Quinten or Amabel. Were they similarly enchanted? Would they also want to stay? Even if they didn’t, Stacia would probably report them missing. And nothing attracted more attention than missing children.

Could he even rescue Marvin and Jameson in the first place? He was just one man. They were probably being protected by squads of warriors. 

Chase shook his head. No. He couldn’t let these doubts get to him again. He couldn’t waste another week paralyzed by how useless he was. How would he know he couldn’t do something if he didn’t try?

He stopped walking and knelt down by the side of the walkway, staring at his reflection in the lake water beside it. “Elders, I look terrible,” he muttered, and scooped up some of the water to splash on his face. That jolted him awake.

He had to try. He had to try. Besides, he couldn’t exactly make things worse. His friends were already captured. Sure, the King could read minds, but Chase didn’t know anything useful in the first place, so he wouldn’t get any information from him. It wouldn’t really be a loss if he was captured too.

How was he supposed to do this, though? 

He could try to infiltrate the palace. He didn’t know if the King knew his face, since he was wearing a mask in their last face-to-face encounter. Even if the King did know him, the other people at the palace—warriors, servants, visiting nobility—didn’t. Chase had been avoiding the palace this whole week, so none of them would recognize him. If he cleaned up a little bit and avoided the King, he might be able to slip past.

Chase stood up again. A plan was starting to form in his mind.

He wouldn’t be able to get his family out of Suilthair. He just... couldn’t see a way to do that, not when Stacia was so hostile to him. She wouldn’t listen to him, and she would be encouraging the children to avoid him as well. So, as much as he regretted it... he would have to leave them. Leave them just as Stacia had accused him of doing. The thought hurt him, an almost physical pain in his chest.

But at least he might be able to rescue his friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The plan was half-baked and likely to fail, but Chase couldn’t wait. He’d done enough waiting. It was time to act.

It took him half the day to get ready. He did his best to clean up, using the lake water and a bag of white powdered soap that he bought with his last three coins. The result was fine enough. He wouldn’t be winning any awards, but nobody was staring at him anymore. This did leave him sopping wet, though, so he had to wait for an hour to dry out, sitting in direct view of the sunlight.

He also asked around, searching for information about Marvin and Jameson. People in this city loved gossip, and answered his questions freely. Everyone knew Jameson was in the palace, even if most people didn’t actually know his name. Apparently there had always been rumors about the King’s strange companion, and those had sprung up again now that Jameson had “returned.”  It would be easier to get into the palace than the dungeons, but there was more risk of running into the King.

There was still no news about Marvin. Plenty of rumors, but no solid facts. The closest he got was a man who swore he had seen the warriors corner one of the rebels in an alleyway next to his house. Only for there to be a bright flash of light, and then everyone vanished, including the rebel. That was... somewhat believable. Did Chase dare to hope that... maybe Marvin... had escaped?

In any case, there was nothing new to be learned from outside the palace. It was time for the next part of the plan. Somehow getting inside the palace.

Chase’s heart pounded against his ribs as he approached the castle wall. He’d avoided this area for obvious reasons. But now he was walking right up like he totally belonged. The wall was three times his height, made of pale stone bricks as tall as his forearm was long. Warriors wearing the royal crest patrolled the top, armed with halberds, occasionally glancing down at the people below.

This wall formed an eight-sided shape in the center of Suilthair, closing off the castle from the rest of the city. The palace towers could be seen easily over the top, but Chase knew the royal barracks were also inside, along with a couple other buildings that he wasn’t sure of. Maybe there was a stable. Maybe there was a place for the servants to sleep. He’d never been inside a castle before. He never thought he would be. But the world clearly had different plans.

The main gate was heavily guarded. Several warriors stood next to it as well as on top of the wall above it. A heavy iron portcullis blocked the entrance. Chase quickly passed by. He’d have to find another way in.

He circled all the way to the other side of the wall before he found something. A small door tucked away beneath a stone arch, with a single warrior standing next to it. Chase hung back, glancing around for a spot to hide and keep watch. Luckily, there was a small garden nearby, barely big enough for a tree and some bushes. He hopped over the short wooden fence and ducked behind the tree just before the guarding warrior glanced his way.

This was a servant’s entrance. Of course! A perfectly discreet way in. He watched the servant’s entrance for an hour. Someone would go in or out about once every ten minutes. Interestingly, while some of them wore the servant uniform—a green tunic with yellow around the edges—some of them wore plain clothes. The warrior would stop those people before they went in. Chase couldn’t hear the questions she asked from here, but she always let them in eventually.

The longer he waited, the more likely it was that the warrior would notice him. He took a deep breath. The next time she glanced away, he hopped back over the fence and started casually walking up to the door as if he had done this a thousand times before.

The warrior noticed him approaching. Chase made sure to keep his face neutral, even when she held out her hand, barring him from the door. “Position?” she asked in a bored voice.

Chase swallowed a nervous lump in his throat. “I work—” What were the jobs servants did?! “—in the gardens.” Surely a castle this big had gardens.

“Which garden’s your focus?” the warrior asked.

His stomach leapt with nerves. What did that mean?! “I-I’m new, I don’t know much,” he lied.

“Fine, don’t need the name.” The warrior shrugged. “Describe it.”

Shit shit shit shit shit— “The one with... with the well,” Chase decided. “And all those trees, you know? Stone paths, wooden benches, bushes trimmed into circles.” He was just describing the garden from his draísling. This wouldn’t work. The warrior would chase him off. Tensing, he got prepared to run—

“Oh, the West Edge,” the warrior said. “Got it. New, huh?”

Chase didn’t dare relax. He just nodded.

“Do you remember the way to the laundry?”

He shook his head.

The warrior gestured at the wall behind her. “Straight shot, once you go around the guest cottage. Can’t miss it. Go on.” She took a step to the side.

“...Thanks.” Stunned, Chase stepped forward. He pulled open the wooden door and slipped through. There was no way that had worked. She had to be messing with him. He listened for anything strange, but... nothing.

He walked through a short corridor and emerged into the castle. After the crowded, winding streets of Suilthair, the open expanse of the castle was surprising. It was so much bigger than he expected. Easily the size of a small village. Buildings were evenly-spaced across the ground, some made of stone bricks, others made of wood and plaster, all connected by gravel paths winding through cut grass. Chase hurried forward, heading for the laundry.

There were a lot of people in the castle. Many of them were walking around in casual clothing, just like what Chase wore now. He wondered why that was. Maybe they were servants or warriors without their respective uniforms? In any case, he was grateful that none of them gave him a second look. But he still wanted a servant’s uniform. Just in case.

The laundry was a low stone building full of warm, humid air. There were piles and baskets of clothes in here, organized chaos all centered around the tubs of hot water found in every laundry building. The inside was a lot more crowded than Chase expected, with people running every which way, carrying soap and bundles of clothing. He must have come in right at laundry time. But everyone was too busy to really notice him.

He managed to navigate through the people, baskets, and tubs until he found a wall lined with hooks, almost all of which had a servant’s green tunic dangling on it. He felt around for a bit until he found one that would roughly fit him, then quickly slipped the tunic on over his clothes. Hopefully that didn’t look too strange.

Now. He needed more information from inside the palace. Chase glanced around until he saw someone approachable. A young person sorting out the piles of cleaned clothes to be folded. He sidled over to them and cleared his throat. “Excuse me?”

They jumped a bit and whirled around. “Oh, you startled me,” they breathed.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. It’s just that—that I’m new here and I wanted to get the lay of things.” Chase tried to disguise his mountain accent. He wasn’t sure it was working.

Luckily, the young servant didn’t seem to mind. “I haven’t been here that long myself,” they said. “But anything I can help you with? Having trouble finding your way around?”

“A little. I should be fine, though. Is there anywhere I should be careful to avoid?”

“Hmm.” They thought about it. “Well, no one wants to go to the dungeons. They’re terrible, all dirty and watery. Unfortunately you might have to eventually, they always stick the new people with the food deliveries. You can’t miss the black stone, though.”

“Oh yes, I’ve heard about the dungeons,” Chase said. “Weren’t there... new prisoners, or something?”

“Do you mean the rebels?” The servant laughed. “I don’t know where those rumors came from. There was only one man there, briefly. Have you heard of the King’s strange companion? The silent one? Has news of that spread beyond the walls?”

Chase blinks. “Vaguely. He’s not there anymore, though, right?”

“No. The King’s having him stay in his rooms.” Another chuckle. “He’s never done that before. I think we all know what that means.” They raised their eyebrows suggestively.

Chase tried to smile back. It came off a bit weak. “That is very strange.”

“I know. The King hasn’t been interested in that stuff in years, and the older staff members here say that his preference never swung that way. But I suppose that’s just more rumors.” The servant paused. “Oh yes. You’ll want to stay away from the King’s rooms, too. He doesn’t like us coming near there.”

“But... isn’t that the whole point of having servants? To clean up after you instead of doing it yourself? I’m sure his rooms get messy.”

“I’m sure too, but he’s a very private person. The only people up there are the special warriors that stand guard.”

“Special warriors?” Chase repeated, trying not to sound nervous.

“You’ll see them eventually,” the servant said. “They wear helmets and rarely speak. Gives everyone the shivers. Ugh. Might be best to avoid the entire fifth floor of the central tower. A couple days ago, I ran into them while they were changing guard shifts, and I felt like they were... like they knew what I was thinking.”

“That’s... creepy,” Chase said slowly. He cleared his throat. “Well, you look busy, so I’ll just go. Thank you for your help.”

“Not a problem. Name’s Avery, feel free to find me again for any other questions.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Chase smiled, then turned around and left the laundry.

So. Marvin definitely wasn’t here. He hadn’t been captured. Was he still in the city, then? How come he hadn’t come to find Chase? Maybe he’d fled?

In any case, it was a small consolation. Chase still had to get Jameson out of here. He knew where the King was keeping him, and he knew how to get there, but that didn’t make the task any easier.

Well. Might as well step into the palace.

The towers of the palace were easy to see, casting a deep shadow over the rest of the castle. Tall and narrow, made of the same pale stone as the outside wall. Banners with the royal crest flew from the roofs. Chase followed a pair of women in servant tunics to a side entrance and went inside.

The palace interior was... surprisingly, not as impressive as Chase thought it would be. Its greatest claim was its sheer size. Some of the corridors were as wide as roads. But there was a chill deep in the stone walls that wouldn’t go away. Probably a result of the lack of windows, which also caused the palace to be surprisingly dark, only lit by lanterns hanging from wall sconces. Great tapestries hung from every wall, but they were dulled with dust. The same for the thick carpets covering the stone floors. Everything was surprisingly barren. There were no trinkets or treasures lining the walls or tucked away into the corners of rooms. Furniture was sparse, barely enough to give the impression of a lived-in area.

Chills crept down Chase’s spine as he walked deeper into the palace. There were people in the palace. Warriors walking down the halls and servants performing various duties. But they didn’t talk much. Never above a whisper. Stories had always said the Suilthair palace was a place of light and laughter and art. Were they really that wrong? Or had something... happened?

The air grew colder and colder as Chase passed into the central tower and started climbing the wide stone stairs upwards. Was it really cold? Or was it just a trick of his mind? Anticipation of what was to come?

...something unspeakable...

Chase whirled around. He could have sworn he heard a voice behind him. But the staircase was empty. Maybe it was just a draft.

He took a deep breath and continued. Focus. He had to figure out how to get into the King’s rooms and get Jameson out. This was no time to hear whispers.

The fifth floor was even emptier than the rest of the palace. Chase didn’t see a single person as he wandered through the corridors. At least it was a bit brighter here, thanks to additional windows and brighter tapestries.

He didn’t know how close he was until he rounded a corner and saw, down the corridor, a large wooden door with two royal warriors standing on either side of it. Warriors wearing helmets that completely covered their heads.

Oh. This was it.

Chase took a deep breath. He had a vague plan. First, see if the King was in his rooms. If he was, leave and come back later. If he wasn’t, try and... convince the guards to let him in... somehow.

Shit, they noticed him.

Alright, time to act. Chase straightened and walked down the corridor. He couldn’t see the guards’ eyes through the slits in their helmets, but he could feel their gaze. The air was getting even colder.

He stopped right in front of the two warriors. “The... King... sent for me,” he said haltingly, trying not to stare at the swords hanging from either of their sides.

“Why?” The blunt question came from the guard on the left.

“I’m... I don’t know, I just received the orders and came here,” Chase said. “Is... he inside?”

“No.” Again from the left guard. A short, cold dismissal.

“Oh. A-alright, I... should just wait for him here, then,” Chase said.

“No.” The guard on the right pointed down the corridor, back the way Chase came. “Leave.”

“But... i-it would be so much easier,” Chase stammered. “And—and I think the King said to wait for him if he wasn’t here—”

“He did not,” said the guard on the left.

“Um... In all... politeness, how would you know?”

“We would have Heard him.”

Something about the way they said that sent shivers down Chase’s spine. He couldn’t help but take a step back. His mind was racing. These two clearly weren’t going to let him past willingly. They were armed and Chase wasn’t; there was no way he could fight his way through.

The two guards were staring at him. He still couldn’t see their eyes, but he felt their gaze. As his mind whirled, his whole body went still. He imagined he was back in the woods in the mountains. He had his eyes on a target, but two predators were also stalking that prey. What would he have to do? 

He would have to assess the threat. His eyes flicked down to the swords on the guards’ belts again—and he noticed something else. A single key on a ring dangling from the right one’s hip. Could it be the key to the royal chambers? And now that he was looking at those swords... they were quite large. Dangerous, but also heavy. He remembered Jackie talking about how the royal warriors often weren’t prepared for agility.

Threat assessed. And now... he would have to strike first.

Chase lunged forward, aiming for the door. The guards moved in unison, reaching out to grab his arms, but he ducked. The right guard had left his hip exposed when he reached out. Chase grabbed the key and yanked, simultaneously kicking the guard in the leg. The combined force pushed the guard over and broke the key ring free. 

The left guard wrapped an arm around Chase’s torso, almost pinning his arms to his sides. He took the key and jab it backwards into the guard’s stomach. The guard flinched, giving just enough room for Chase to wriggle around and grab the guard’s sword. He pulled it out of the sheath—with considerable effort—and swung it wildly.

The flat of the blade  knocked into the side of the guard’s helmet with a loud CLANG! The guard staggered backwards, stunned, and Chase jumped for the door, shoving the key in the lock and twisting. The right guard recovered from his fall and lunged for Chase, grabbing onto the edge of the servant’s tunic. Chase threw the door open—hitting the left guard again—and latched onto the doorframe, pulling himself through the opening. The servant’s tunic ripped, leaving the guard clutching a scrap of green fabric. Chase spun around and threw the sword he was still holding at the guard. He scrambled to dodge, giving Chase enough time to slam the door shut again and lock it.

Immediately the guards began pounding on the wood. The door handle rattled, but didn’t turn. Chase let out a small sigh. Temporary relief.

He turned around and looked at the rest of the room. It was a lot different than the rest of the palace. Everything was soft and plush, surfaces crowded with various items practical and decorative. He was taken aback for a moment. The King didn’t really live here, did he?

Forget about that! He had to find Jameson!

Chase ran through the rooms. The royal chambers were practically a small house with all the different rooms in here. Who needed this many rooms?! He threw the doors open, rushing through, until—

This door wouldn’t budge. Chase practically ran into it, expecting it to open when it didn’t. Maybe—? He pounded on the door, fist slamming on its wooden surface. “Jameson?! Jameson?!”

A creaking sound. Then footsteps running right up to the door.

“Jameson, it’s me, it’s Chase,” Chase said hurriedly. “I-I’m getting you out of here!” He tried to use the key from the guard on the door, not expecting it to work, already preparing to break the door down—but surprisingly, the key fit. It turned. “Oh thank the Elders,” he whispered, and pulled the door open.

Jameson was standing right there. He stared at Chase, wide-eyed. Disbelieving.

“Are you alright?” Chase asked. His eyes darted up and down, taking in Jameson’s appearance. “You... look terrible.” Jameson was wearing the same clothes as when Chase last saw him, but they were now covered in dirt and grime. The same went for his hair. His skin had noticeably paled, and his cheeks had hollowed out. All this in a week?

Jameson took a step backwards. His eyes narrowed a bit, giving Chase a wary look. Then he stepped forwards again and immediately began touching Chase. Not a hug or anything affectionate—No, instead he was poking and prodding and pulling at Chase’s clothes.

“What the—Jameson?!” Chase was too stunned to react to all this. “What are you—ow! That’s my beard! Stop!”

After a few seconds of this, Jameson stopped. He looked Chase over again. Stared at him. And then he threw his arms around Chase and melted into him.

“Whoa!” Chase stumbled a bit. He wrapped his arms around Jameson in turn, squeezing tight. “Hey. I-it’s good to see you too. I’m... sorry I wasn’t here sooner. It’s going to be okay now.” A pause. “We need to get out of here. Fast.”

Jameson let go of Chase and stepped back again. I’m so glad to see you, he said. You’re alright?

“More or less.”

Sorry about all that, Jameson added. I had to make sure this wasn’t some sort of mind trick. 

Chase frowned. “A mind trick?”

Jameson nodded. No time to explain. I need to find something out. And he turned around and walked back into the room.

“Wha—‘Find something out’? Jameson??” Chase leaned through the doorway, getting a better look at the room.

No wonder Jameson’s clothes were so dirty; this room was full of dust and grime. And Jameson was currently getting down onto the floor, the dustiest and grimiest part. He reached under the bed. His eyes were focused on something beneath it.

Chase walked over, ducking to look at what Jameson was doing. He was... prying up a floorboard. It soon came loose, revealing a small, dark space beneath it. Chase jerked back, thinking of spiders and bugs, but Jameson plunged his hands right in without fear. And he pulled something out. “What is that?” Chase asked.

Jameson sat up again, looking at the prize. It was a small, thin book, its cover blackened and warped, the pages within curled and stiff, black around the edges. Burned. Jameson tucked it into his vest. I don’t know, but it was important enough to hide, he said. Could be useful.

“I—okay,” Chase said. “But we really have to go! There are warriors outside trying to get in. I-I think we could outrun them, but more could show up at any moment!”

Jameson nodded. He stood up, stumbling for a second but quickly recovering. Lead the way, he said.

Chase nodded back. He took Jameson by the hand and ran, pulling him behind him through the royal chambers. They ran from room to room, heading for the entrance, Chase getting ready to unlock the door with the key—

But the door was already open.

Standing in the doorway was a man wearing a green cape and a golden circlet. Chase and Jameson froze in their tracks. The King smiled—not in the way one smiles when something is amusing, but in the way that one smiles when they wish to bare their teeth. “I couldn’t believe what I Heard,” he said. “But now I can see it, so I suppose I must.”

Behind him, Chase felt Jameson’s breath hitch. He squeezed his hand tighter, and Chase squeezed back, trying to reassure him.

The King’s emerald eyes briefly flicked over Chase, clearly intending to dismiss him and focus on Jameson. But then, almost imperceptibly, the King stiffened. And his eyes locked back onto Chase. “You.” His voice dripped with venom.

Chase tried not to shiver. “M... me?” Why was the King reacting that way? Was he remembering their past brief meeting? Or—did he know Chase was the one in Jameson’s vision of the future?

“You only think of those two things?” The King’s eyes narrowed.

“Wh—?!” The breath came out as more of a squeak. Chase felt Jameson squeeze his hand tighter.

“Jameson has told you about what I can do, hasn’t he? You shouldn’t be surprised.” The King chuckled briefly, but then his expression dropped again. “Do you even remember the garden? Or do you forget when you awaken?”

The garden? Did he mean the draísling? The well where he talked with Jack?

“Yes, I mean exactly that.” The King stared at Chase, studying his reaction. “So... you don’t even know. I suppose he wouldn’t be eager to tell you.”

What?

“No matter.” The King took a step forward. Chase took a step back, hiding Jameson behind him. “It will be over soon. Drop.”

Jameson collapsed, going limp like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Chase gasped and spun around, barely managing to catch him before he hit the floor. “Jameson?! Jair?!” No response. Jameson’s head lolled on its neck, not even able to look at Chase.

The King frowned. “I said, drop. To the floor.”

Chase looked back at him. “F-fuck you.”

Anger clouded the King’s face. “Why isn’t it working?” he growled.

Working? Wait. Was the King trying to get Chase to collapse like that? But... Chase felt fine.

The King stared at Chase, momentarily confused and uncertain. There would be no better chance than this.

Chase scooped up Jameson and bolted.

It would be too much of a risk to run past the King; there could be a whole squad of warriors in the hallway behind him. So he ran back into the royal chambers. “No!” The King screamed, but Chase didn’t look back. He spared only a moment to kick the door shut behind him.

He saw windows in some of these rooms! That was their only shot! Where—There! Chase ducked to the side and found himself in a bedroom. There was a desk and a chair and a four-poster bed, but his eyes glossed past the furniture and landed on the window. He kicked the bedroom door shut and darted over. Through the glass he saw the roof of the rest of the palace not too far below. Well—alright, it was fairly far, but this was a dead end! He had to try!

“Jameson.” Chase shook Jameson’s shoulder, trying to snap him out of this trance. It wasn’t working. “Okay. Okay. I-I’ll take care of it.”

The window didn’t open. Chase’s eyes darted around and landed on a fancy-looking shield hanging on the wall with the royal crest on it. He set Jameson down—perhaps a bit roughly—and grabbed the shield, hurling it at the window. The glass shattered instantly.

Footsteps. A lot of them—approaching.

“Shit!” Chase cursed. He grabbed Jameson again and awkwardly climbed up onto the window. The broken glass scraped his back and arms as he protected Jameson from the worst of it. He turned around—

The bedroom door burst open. “Stop!” the King commanded. Chase flinched, then steadied himself and jumped.

A loud CRAK! noise rang through the air. A flash of hot, bright light roared past Chase as he leapt—some sort of magical bolt shot from the bedroom doorway. He didn’t have time to think about it,  he was suddenly falling, and—

Chase yelped as he landed on the roof, tumbling across the dark shingles. His knees twisted painfully but he refused to let go of Jameson. For a few seconds, he just laid there. And then Jameson stirred, lifting his head. A cut across his forehead bled freely, dripping into his eye. “You... okay?” Chase asked.

Jameson nodded. He looked back up at the window and his eyes widened. Suddenly, he was scrambling to his feet, yanking Chase upright as well, pulling him along as he ran across the rooftop. The hairs on the back of Chase’s neck stood up—

CRAK! Another white hot bolt hit the spot where they had just been, sending roof shingles flying. Chase staggered in shock then picked up the pace, wincing as every step sent pain shooting through his legs.

The roof sloped steadily downwards until it was only a single story from the ground. The two of them stared off the edge and down into a small courtyard in the center of the palace. Chase glanced back the way they came. He could see movement in the window. “Alright! Guess we jump again!” he said, and did just that.

Luckily, this time the ground was much softer, and he was able to roll with the fall. Jameson was not so coordinated. He landed awkwardly and got up clutching his shoulder. “Are you—” Chase started to ask.

Run! Jameson said, and broke into a sprint. Chase followed him, gritting his teeth to push past the pain.

The two of them re-entered the palace halls. Chase glanced around. They were at a T-intersection. “Alright, I think I recognize this from the way in,” he said. “I think we go this way.” He pointed down the left corridor. Jameson nodded in agreement. The two of them rounded the corner and started running.

Then, in the middle of the corridor, a strange empty hole opened up. The two of them skidded to a halt. It was a magical doorway, glowing green around the edges. And the King stepped through. “Going somewhere?”

Jameson gasped. Chase stumbled backwards. Did the King make a wizard open the doorway for him? But how had he known where they were? Had he seen them?

“I didn’t need to see where you were going,” the King said. “As long as you are in this building, I will feel where your thoughts are.” He drew his seax from the sheath at his waist. “There is no escape. You might as well surrender now. I may spare you.”

Chase didn’t believe that. He grabbed Jameson by the arm and pulled him back. “Other way,” he whispered.

The King smiled. He looked... excited. “Fair enough.” And then the blade of the seax began to glow with a crackling light. Chase froze, staring at it. Magic? But—how?

Jameson pushed Chase to the side just as the King swung the blade down, sending a slice of light towards the spot they’d been standing moments before. Chase felt the heat of it as it passed, and he realized—lightning. That was lightning.

The King swung the blade again, and now Jameson was practically dragging Chase down the corridor as another slice of lightning barely missed them. The corridor turned left up ahead. When they ran around the corner another bolt of lightning hit the wall, shattering the stone.

“Do you know what that is?!” Chase asked. Jameson shook his head. “Do you know how to get out of here, then?!” Jameson gestured vaguely. “Fine, just run!”

The wide, barren palace corridors left them exposed. There was no hiding from anything. More lightning streaked past them. Chase cried out as a bolt brushed his arm, sending a shock of pain through his system and burning his clothes. He only kept running because of Jameson’s tight grip on his hand pulling him forward.

Another intersection. Jameson hesitated, confused on which of the three ways to go. The sound of many footsteps was clattering through the palace—no doubt warriors were on their way, but with the echo in the empty stone halls there was no way to tell where they were coming from.

Chase glanced at each of the halls. Wait. What was that? Down the rightmost hallway. It could have been a strange shadow, but for a split second, Chase could have sworn he saw a deer standing there. “This way,” he decided, and ran down the right hall, taking Jameson with him.

The echoing footsteps were getting louder and louder but the bolts of lightning had stopped. They kept running, running until their throats grew ragged with heavy breaths and Chase began to cry from the pain of sprinting on twisted knees. The corridor continued, turning right and then left again—and then ending in a set of wide, open doors.

They burst outside, and Chase stopped running out of sheer shock. He knew this place. This was a garden. A garden with tall trees, bushes trimmed into spheres, stone paths, wooden benches, rows of flowers... and an old well at the center. If it wasn’t for the dark clouds in the sky, he would have thought he stepped back into a draísling.

And standing by the well was the vague shape of a deer. Looking like it was made of dark mist. Chase couldn’t quite make it out, but he felt like it was looking at him. Then it turned, lowering its head to peer into the well. And it vanished.

As if in a trance, Chase walked over to the well, limping and wincing. He peered down into its depths and saw only darkness. And... the glint of golden antlers? 

Jameson ran after him. What are you doing?! he demanded.

“This... is going to sound very, very dumb,” Chase said slowly. “But I think we need to jump into this well.”

Jameson just stared at him, gaping. He glanced into the well. Have you lost your mind?! It’s too far and there’s no way out!

“I know! But—I think I’ve been... guided to do this,” Chase said. “By that deer.”

Deer? Jameson repeated, confused. What deer?

Chase glanced back at the open doors leading back into the palace. “I’m jumping in. You don’t have to follow.”

Jameson also looked back into the doors. He sighed. I’d rather jump than go back to him again, he said. You first.

Chase nodded. Before he could think about it, he got onto the wall of the well, spun his legs around, and pushed off.

Rushing darkness.

A sudden jolt.

As Chase landed at the bottom of the well his knees exploded in agony. He tried to scream but could only manage a small gasp.

Wind whooshed, and then—THUMP! Jameson landed beside him. Chase heard it rather than saw it, being in complete darkness at the bottom.

“Jame...?” Chase tried to call out, but the word devolved into a whimper.

Jameson scrambled over. He grabbed Chase’s hand, opening it up, and tracing a finger over his palm: spelling out words. Here. Not hurt. How?

“I... don’t kn-know,” Chase whispered. “M...magic? I... I-I’m... my legs still...”

You’re hurt? Jameson asked.

“Yes,” Chase breathed. “A... a lot.” He squeezed his eyes shut. A couple stray tears trickled out. “Nothing... new, but... j-jumping from that first window, I...”

Jameson said nothing for a while. Wait for better. Then find way out?

“Mm-hmm.” Chase nodded.

The two of them fell silent. Chase looked up at the entrance to the well, high above. This real well wasn’t nearly as deep as the one in the draísling, but the surface was still a long way away. They should be much more injured now.

Shadows passed above. The shapes of people looking down into the well. Voices drifted down, too far and quiet to hear the individual words. Chase held his breath. He felt Jameson stiffen, sitting beside him. But soon the shadows and voices disappeared. “I... don’t think... he can find us here?” Chase wondered.

He should, Jameson said.

“Be... a-a little optimistic.”

Our minds still in range. Should find us.

“We should have b-broken all our bones. I don’t... think this well is... normal.” 

Maybe. 

More time passed. Nothing happened. The dark and quiet in the well was complete.

“I... I’m going to close my eyes,” Chase mumbled. “I might... pass out.” Jameson tried to say something else, but Chase’s mind was already drifting off. He sank into a more complete darkness, not yet worrying about how they would get out of here now.

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticegos #septic egos #septic egos au #jacksepticeye au #chase brody #jameson jackson #brigid writes fanfiction #fantasymasksau

[crystalninjaphoenix]

When the Chain Breaks

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Thirty-Two

A JSE Fanfic

Almost forgot to queue this, which, after how much I STRUGGLED to get time to write this week, would've been such a shame. The holiday had me busy. But I still managed to get out a plot-heavy chapter. Jackie, Henrik, and Marvin head out to reach Chase and Jameson, who are still stuck in Suilthair. Meanwhile, Chase has some... developments with his magical dreams. And he finally sees the face of who he's been talking to. Heh. Enjoy!

Previous Part | | From the Start | More AU

Taglist: @brokentimewatch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jackie and Henrik were awake before the sun was—a rare occurrence for either of them, but they both wanted to leave as soon as possible. Vsevna said that the earliest they could take the rowboats out to the ship was just before dawn. So the two of them woke up while it was still dark. It didn’t take them long to pack their bags; they had to travel light. There wasn’t much storage on the Serpent’s Wake. And even if there was, heavy bags would just slow them down.

They met at the top of the path that led down to the rocky beach at the base of the Cliffs. “How are you doing, Schneep?” Jackie asked.

Henrik paused for a moment, thinking. “...Alright,” he finally said. “I did not get as much sleep as I would have wanted.”

“Symptoms?”

“Nerves.”

Jackie cracked a smile. “Oh, I see. This is the first time in a while you’ll be spending a long period of time with Vsevna.”

Henrik normally would’ve denied that, but not today. Today, he just stared out at the sea. There were a few dotted lights on the large shadow that was the ship. Lanterns. “I... spoke to him... about how I feel,” he said slowly. “A-and there has not been... time... to discuss it further. Marvin showed up, a-and everything happened so fast...”

Jackie put a hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be alright. You know me. I’m not good with, ah, deciphering the language of love.” Henrik rolled his eyes. That was an understatement: Jackie wouldn’t know someone was flirting with him even if they outright said ‘I want to court you.’ “But even I can tell he likes you. Which, I have to say, there must be some strong feelings between you two if you both still feel this way after so long apart. I could never handle that, if my partner wanted to spend so much time out at sea.”

“He is a sailor, I would not force him to stay on land for me,” Henrik said. 

Marvin walked over at that exact moment. “Is Henrik nervous about being so close with Vsevna for so long?”

“Yea.” Jackie nodded.

“Wh—I would point out that I am also worried for our friends!” Henrik said defensively.

“I know, Schneep. I am, too.” Marvin pushed the mask he wore off his face. It wasn’t his—apparently that had been lost in Suilthair. So he had to settle for borrowing a cat-shaped mask from storage. He had grumbled about that all last night. “But you know. Might take our minds off it for a while if we start moving.”

“Down the path, boys!” Jackie said. “Marvin, where’s Draco? We can’t have him trip us up while we’re walking down a steep hill.”

“I got him.” Marvin bent over and scooped Draco into his arms, much to Draco’s mild annoyance.

“You should be careful about having your hands full while walking downhill, you know,” Henrik said.

“Well, what’s worse, him tripping all three of us, or me having to throw him to the side if I start to fall?” Marvin shrugged. “The second one. He’s much more resilient than any of us. Now let’s go.”

They walked down to the beach and were immediately greeted by a familiar face—or rather, a familiar mask. “Are you all ready?” Yuko asked, staring at the three of them through the holes of her fox mask. “We will not be coming back. Do you have everything?”

“We’re ready,” Jackie said, climbing into the rowboat. Henrik and Marvin followed his lead. “Lead the way.”

Getting onto a ship from a rowboat was much more difficult than getting onto a ship from a dock. You had a gangplank for that. With a rowboat, you could only cling to the ladder on the side and hope that the rungs weren’t too slippery. Marvin didn’t even try, preferring to stay in the rowboat and wait for the crew to winch the boat onto the deck. But Henrik and Jackie managed. Perhaps they weren’t as graceful as Yuko and the two other sailors who’d rowed out to greet them, but they got on without any slips.

“Ah, Henrik, Jackie, so good to see you again!” Vsevna walked over to greet them as soon as they were on the deck. “Where is Marvin? Is he still coming?”

“He’s making you all pull him up with the boat,” Jackie said. “You know we saw you yesterday. You don’t have to say it’s good to see us like it’s been a year.”

“But it is always good to see you!” Vsevna grinned. His Phantom mask was hanging around his neck—a long, reptilian face: a sea serpent. It only had one eye socket carved into it. After all, a second one wasn’t necessary if you only had one eye. “Do not worry about Marvin, we will be sure to get him up.” He turned to look at the group of sailors waiting on the deck. “Aye?”

This was met with a chorus of “aye”s back. Some of them were said in a grumbling tone; apparently the crew was not looking forward to pulling up a boat with some extra weight. But nobody challenged Vsevna’s assertion.

“In any case, go and put your things that you’ll need with you in the lower cabins,” Vsevna continued, turning back to Jackie and Henrik. “Anything else, we will put in storage for the two days it will take to reach the Moors.”

“Right.” Jackie nodded once. He glanced over at Henrik. “I’ll go do that now. See you soon, Henrik. Tell Marvin where I went.” And he left, heading for the stairs that headed to the lower decks.

“Yes, of course.” Henrik nodded. Then he looked back at Vsevna. “I do not often see you with the mask out. Are you worried we’ll run into trouble?”

“A small bit,” Vsevna said. He pulled the mask off. The symbol on the forehead was the one for close combat, the circle with two dots inside. “The news of the King trying to recruit a navy has the crew worried. I have encouraged them to keep masks close. Not many are happy about that, they do limit vision, so I am setting a good example. You think it works?”

“It will work, they always listen to you,” Henrik agreed. He paused. “Ah... do you think... is this a... ‘less stressful moment’?”

Vsevna was silent for a moment. “Perhaps not. Stress can run high on a ship. It gets contained in the small space, like a... what is the word? An ‘eho kamyera.’”

“An echo chamber,” Henrik translated. “So... alright. A-after we reach the Moors, then?”

Vsevna chuckled. “Unless you cannot wait.” The smile fell from his face. “And I do mean that. If you cannot wait, I will make time. I know it may make you nervous to sit on continuing the conversation—”

“No! No, i-it is fine, really.” He was happy to avoid it, in all honesty. To pretend that everything is unchanged. “Ah, so, what do you think should go into the storage?”

“Well, any medicine or supplies you brought will probably not be needed right away,” Vsevna said, easily accepting Henrik’s change in conversation. “You have quite a heavy bag there, it looks like. What is in it?”

“Potions and potion supplies, mostly,” Henrik said. “The unmixed ones can be fragile, I did not trust anyone else to carry them.”

“Not-mixed potions?” Vsevna looked fascinated. “You will have to tell me more about that after we are underway. Ah, but for now, I see something poking out of the top there.” He leaned around Henrik—getting pretty close in the process, in a way that made Henrik’s breath hitch—and grabbed something, pulling it out. “This could fall out if not careful.” Vsevna leaned back, holding a square glass bottle. “Is this one of those... not-mixed potions?”

“No, that is something different, something I was working on last night,” Henrik said. “Look, the glass is very thick, I am not worried about it breaking.” He tapped the glass in question. Inside was an amber-colored liquid with some plant bits floating inside. Petals or leaves of some kind.

“Is this for you, then?”

“N-no, I-I keep... keep the things I need close by.” Henrik’s hand drifted to the flask hanging off his belt. A new one, since his old one was left at that small town in the foothills. “Marvin mentioned something about Chase needing to find something out. This is for him, if he will have it. It is not done yet, it must sit for a while, but once it is complete, I hope it will help him in... whatever he needs to do. It will only work once, though. So we must be careful not to waste it.”

“Fascinating.” Vsevna handed the bottle back to him. “Well, put that in the storage, as well. Sounds like we will not need it for a while. Do you remember the way to storage, sova? Should I show you the way?”

“That would... be appreciated,” Henrik said slowly. He glanced back to the edge of the ship. The crew had been hauling the rowboat up this whole time, and it was just now on the deck. Marvin stepped out, Draco in his arms. “Ah, one second. Marvin?! Do you need anything?!”

Marvin glanced back at Henrik and waved him off. “I’ll be alright! Go... do whatever.”

“O...kay,” Henrik said slowly. He laughed and looked back at Vsevna. “I suppose we are free to go, then.”

Vsevna flashed a smile. “Of course. Follow me.”

Marvin watched the two of them head below deck. Then he turned, staring out at the shore. Facing to the northeast. He imagined, for a moment, that he could see all the way to Suilthair, across the vast reach of the island kingdom.

“Hold on, Chase, Jameson,” he whispered. “We’re coming.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two days passed. Chase and Jameson continued to hide in the abandoned boat house. People rarely came all the way out here, so they barely saw anyone aside from Amabel, who showed up every morning and evening. Chase looked forward to her visits, but it made him nervous. “Are you sure nobody cares that you come here all the time?” he asked on the second evening.

“Mm-hmm.” Amabel nodded. “Nobody really pays that much attention to where I go. I mean, Mom does. But she believes me when I say I’m just walking around.”

“Okay...” Chase said slowly. “What about Quinten? How is he?”

“He wants to come see you,” Amabel said. She looks at Jameson. “I told him about you, too, and he really wants to meet someone who speaks in hands. But he got a fever yesterday.”

Chase’s heart jolted. “I-is it—serious?”

“No, not really.” Amabel shook her head. “He’ll get over it. But when he’s better, can he come see you?”

Chase hesitated. He glanced at Jameson, who made a go-ahead gesture, yielding the decision to him. That did not help. “Maybe...” Chase said slowly. “I’m not promising he can. But... if he gets better, and you’re sure that Mom won’t think it’s strange, a-and nobody will see you... maybe.”

Amabel brightened. “Yes!” She made fists and swung them through the air, punching nothing. Chase couldn’t help but grin. He’d almost forgotten how happy it made him to see her excited. “Okay. Okay. Here.” She handed him another bundle of cloth.

Chase took it, smiling. “Thank you, Amy.” This was how she’d been delivering food to them for the past two days. What she brought wasn’t usually enough to fully satiate Chase and Jameson, but it held off the hunger.

“I like living here but there are no plants around,” Amabel whined. “I mean, there are gardens with grass and flowers, but it’s not the same.”

Jameson blinked. Do you... like plants a lot? he asked slowly, trying to make some small talk.

Amabel didn’t know a lot of handspeak, but she recognized his question. Her face broke into a wide grin. “Yea yea yea! I love them! I love, um, how you can make them into magic, and medicine, and how you can eat a lot of them, and and how uh—Did you know that sunflowers actually move to follow the path of the sun throughout the day? And also, did you know that everyone says that plants have thorns, but really they can have thorns or spines or prickles? They’re all different things! Thorns are kind of like stems and spines are like leaves and prickles are just part of the normal, uh, plant skin. Oh, and Dad, listen to this, nobles use flowers to send secret messages. They all have different meanings to them!”

“Oh, wow, really?” Chase looked at Jameson. “Did you know that?”

I’ve heard of it, but I don’t remember most of the flower meanings, Jameson said.

“Oh!” Amabel grinned. “Well, if you give someone a pink camellia it means that you’re thinking about them, but if you give them a red one it means that you really like them, like, you’re burning with how much you like them. So you have to be careful. And there’s more, too! Like anemone flowers mean...”

Chase leaned back against the wall of the boathouse and listened to Amabel chatter until it got dark. He wished she could have stayed longer. He wished he could have stayed with her and Quinten. But the longer they stayed in Suilthair, the longer they were in danger. They had to figure out a way to leave.

By the morning of the third day, Chase’s injured knees had mostly healed. They still ached when he bent them too far, but he probably wouldn’t be in a lot of physical situations for a while. After Amabel left for the morning and Chase and Jameson had finished their meager breakfast, Jameson turned to Chase. Can I ask you something?

“Of course,” Chase said. He laughed. “We don’t have much to do here other than ask each other questions.” They’d spent most of the past few days swapping stories and memories. But by now, Chase was tired of talking.

Do you think you can go find our masks?

“Huh?” Chase blinked. “What do you mean? The King’s forces must have confiscated them. It’s much too risky to go back to the palace.”

Jameson shook his head. No, I hid them in our room in the inn. I was wondering if they’re still there. If they are, it might be a good idea to take them back.

“To hide our identities?” Chase laughed. “By this point, in this place, I think the masks will just make us stand out more. The King already knows both of our faces, anyway.”

True, but... Jameson hesitated. I’ve... never TRULY worn mine. It feels like... such a waste...

Chase stared at him. His heart melted a little. Jameson had been through so much, tormented by the King, but he never gave up. He joined the Masked Phantoms despite the danger he knew he would be in. His mask was a symbol of that determination. A symbol that he probably really needed after another week being stuck with the King. Not to mention the animal he’d chosen. A rabbit, to represent his family’s crest. “Okay,” Chase sighed. “I’ll see what I can do. Where did you hide them?”

It was... shockingly easy to sneak out of the boathouse, walk across the city, and get into the inn where they had stayed before everything went to shit. Feall’s Folly, it was called. Chase simply walked in, acting like he belonged, and went up to the second floor. Nobody stopped him. The room where they’d stayed previously was locked, but luckily Chase vaguely remembered the lockpicking lessons Marvin had tried to teach him back in Miryfern. Jameson had given him a couple hair pins in case of locks, and it was—once again, shockingly easy to jab them into the lock and get the door to open. That was... probably a security risk.

The masks were right where Jameson had said they were. Hidden beneath a loose floorboard. Chase hid them under his jacket and quickly left the inn before anyone could ask him what he was doing in this room. Or notice the strange, awkwardly-shaped lump beneath his arm.

It was a short trip, but it was nerve-wracking. Chase had been anxious the whole time that this was a trap. There was no way it could be that easy. But it was. And afterwards, he wondered if the masks were worth all the worry that had worn down his thoughts on that trip. Hiding your identity seemed kind of useless if the enemy already knew who you were.

But that changed when he returned, handing the rabbit mask to Jameson. His eyes immediately lit up as he took it. For a moment, he just stared at it. Then he took a deep breath and slipped it on. How do I look? he asked Chase.

Chase gave him a supportive smile. “You look like a Phantom.”

 Jameson grinned. You know, the masks do make people look uncanny. I suppose that’s another advantage. If people are off-guard, it’ll be easy to... ‘get the fall on them.’

Chase stifled his laughter. “Do you... do you mean ‘get the drop on them’?”

That’s what I said, isn’t it?

“No, no it’s really not.” Chase coughed, hiding the laughs with that. “Hey. Weren’t you trying to learn how to fight back at Wyvernlair?”

Jameson pushed his mask up, revealing his face again. That’s a generous way of saying it. I think I only had about... one or two lessons. When I was younger my parents taught me self-defense, but I’m much out of practice with that. Due to... understandable reasons.

Chase nodded. “I thought you’d known more. If you’d told me and Marvin this earlier, we could’ve spent some of the travel time teaching you combat.”

I’m not too interested in fighting, Jameson said, shrugging. That’s why I asked that this mask have a different symbol on it. The symbol on his mask’s forehead was the five-pointed star the Phantoms used for their more... administrative members.

“I know, but... look, I’m getting really bored just sitting in here,” Chase said, lowering his voice as if he was sharing a secret. “We don’t have any weapons right now, but we can try to go over some of the maneuvers together. For defense, as you said. It’s better than just waiting and trying to plan some way out of here.” They weren’t having much luck with the latter. The best they could figure was to either sneak onto the ferry or try to find some smuggler’s boat to get them off the island.

Jameson nodded. I suppose that would pass the time. I’m sure you’d be a great teacher.

Chase laughed drily. “Oh, I’m not sure about that. I can teach you defense, but nothing fancy. Unless you want to listen to me talk about how to use a bow.”

That could be useful, too, Jameson said, looking curious.

“We can do both. We have a lot of time.” Chase glanced down at the hole in the boathouse floor. “Let’s just be careful.”

The rest of the day passed like that, with Chase trying to impart as much knowledge as he could to Jameson while they didn’t have weapons to work with. Then Amabel arrived in the evening and they talked some more before she had to go. And by then, it was too dark to safely continue, so they settled down to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The draísling was all too familiar by this point. The garden was unchanged, the trees and benches and flowers all the same—except, wait a moment. Where was the moon? The moon was no longer high in the sky, instead it was near the edge of the horizon. Chase stared at it. Such a small change, but it felt significant.

The deer was still here. It didn’t gesture to the well, just stared at him, as if to say, ‘You know what to do by now.’ He nodded at it, then walked forward. The strange force that always pushed him back felt weaker. Or was it that he was stronger? Or both at once? He now knew that the King could see into this dream... had it been him trying to push Chase out this whole time? That would make sense. And if that was the case, it was probably a good thing that Chase was so easily able to walk up to the edge of the well. “Hello?”

“H-hello?” Jack’s voice echoed up from the bottom of the well. “Chase?”

“Yes, it’s me!” Chase leaned forward—being sure to keep an eye on where his hands were. “I’m back! I-I have so much to tell you!” He laughed.

“I-I think I may know some of it already,” Jack said slowly. “You... went to the castle, didn’t you?”

“Yes! How do you know that? Did the King tell you? Did you know that he can see into this dream?”

“He’s always been able to.” Jack’s voice was quieter. “I don’t know if he enjoys seeing me suffer or if he just wants to keep an eye on me. But... yes, I-I know because of him.”

“I see.” Chase nodded. “Then I guess I don’t have to tell you that I’ve managed to rescue one of my friends. Still don’t know where the other is. And... I’m not sure I’d tell you if I did. Given who’s watching.” He glanced around the garden. There was no sign of the King; there had never been. But it didn’t mean he wasn’t here. “Hold on, I’m coming down.”

“You’re what?”

Chase didn’t answer: he was too busy swinging his legs over the wall of the well. Carefully, he lowered himself into the opening. His hands gripped the stone wall but the rest of him dangled above the darkness. He didn’t feel the strain he would have felt if he was in the real world in this position. But still. He couldn’t hang here forever. He took a deep breath, then let go.

Wind rushed against him, and he landed on his feet with a splash. It didn’t hurt. He didn’t even lose his balance. “Would you look at that?” Chase laughed. “Couldn’t have been more perfect!”

“All above, Chase!” Jack’s voice gasped. “Are you an idiot?! Do you want to die?!”

“I can’t die in this dream, I think. I told you, I don’t even feel pain.” Chase scanned the darkness at the bottom of the well. Of course, that got him nowhere. “Where are you?”

“Don’t move on after that! You don’t know that you can’t die here! You can’t do something that—that fucking stupid without being sure!”

“I didn’t die when I fell. Why would I die if I jumped?” Chase began walking towards Jack’s voice, keeping one hand on the stone wall of the well. His other hand reached out until he felt something soft. “Oh, there you are. Right?”

Jack sighed, clearly frustrated, but decided enough was enough. “Yes, that’s me.” Metallic clinking filled the small space as Chase felt a hand grab his. “Don’t... do that again, alright?”

“If this works, I won’t need to,” Chase said.

“If... what works?”

“Jack.” Chase clasped Jack’s hand in both of his. “I think I can get you out of here. Not out of this dream, but at least out of this well.”

Silence. Jack didn’t say anything, nor did he move. Chase just waited. “I... Chase, I’ve told you, I... I’m chained to the ground.” Jack’s voice, when it came, was weak. Tired. “Even if you think you’re strong enough to carry me out, I can’t move more than... an arm’s length above the ground, I think? So... Thank you. I-I appreciate it, but whatever you’re planning won’t work. I’m alright with you just talking to me for a while. That’s enough.”

Chase shook his head, even though he knew that Jack couldn’t see him. “Jack, I can’t leave you here. I don’t think I can get you out of the dream, but I can—maybe I can—”

Jack pulled his hand free. “Alright,” he said, resigned. “You can try, if you want. Whatever your plan is. You can try it. I’ve probably tried it before.”

“...okay.” This was not the best time to admit that he didn’t really have a plan. Not a solid one, at least. More of an... idea. “Okay.” Chase took a deep breath and walked back over to the well walls and started feeling around the stone bricks. “I-I found something out about this well recently. Not this one specifically, the one in reality. This dream is based on a garden in the castle.”

“You’ve seen the West Edge garden?” Jack said, sounding surprised.

“Yea, I—wait, how do you know this well is in the castle garden?”

“I don’t know for sure,” Jack explained. “For the longest time I didn’t even know this was a well. I thought it was just a small, round room. But when you told me it was a well, I wondered if it was the one in West Edge.” He laughed. “He’d like that irony.”

“How did you know I was referring to that garden specifically just now?” Chase asked. “There are a lot of gardens in the castle.”

“Yes, but there’s only one with a well.”

“How do you know that?”

“Chase, I told you I was noble born. I’ve been in the castle before.” Jack paused. “Spent a lot of time there, actually. I-I liked the West Edge when I was a child. It was... peaceful.”

“Oh.” That made sense, actually.

“I-in any case, what were you saying? You’ve been in the West Edge in the real world?”

“When me and my friend were running from the King, we ran into the garden,” Chase explained. “He was right behind us so we jumped into the well.” He heard Jack sigh. He sounded almost disappointed. “Don’t be like that! We were desperate! A-and I might have... There might’ve been an indication that it was... what we were supposed to do.” Chase shook his head, pushing away the memory of the Horned Elder One’s shadow directing him to the well, and continued searching the walls. “He didn’t find us in there. Which was a bit unusual, supposedly we were still in range for him to detect us.”

“Oh yes, his range for feeling others’ minds extends to the whole castle. Strange.”

“Very strange. It made me think there was something different about the well. And I was right, because when it came time to escape... we didn’t climb to the top.” Chase went quiet for a moment. Then he felt something. “Aha!” He grinned. “Jack, come over here.”

More clinking metal as Jack walked over to Chase, putting a hand on his shoulder. Chase moved that hand to the wall, showing Jack what he’d found. “What is this?” Jack asked.

“It’s a carving of some kind. The royal crest, maybe, or the image of an eye.”

“Wh-what is that—That wasn’t there—I-I’ve checked every inch of these walls!” Jack stammered. “It’s never been there before, I’m sure of it!” He gasped. “Chase, you’ve influenced the dream!”

“I have?” Chase said, confused. “I can do that?”

“Anyone can!” Jack said excitedly. “There’s something you can learn how to do called aware dreaming. It’s when you keep your mind while asleep and are aware that you’re having a dream. In this state, you can influence the dream. You can change it! I-I used to be able to do it, my mother taught me, she said it would strengthen my mind. But when I started having these nightmares, he somehow suppressed my ability to do that. But he can’t do that with you! You’re a—you’re a visitor. An outsider. You can change the dream as much as you think you can!”

“I can, huh?” Chase paused, thoughtful. “Alright. In that case, you said you were chained to the ground? By your leg, right?” He crouched down, feeling for a moment before he found Jack’s leg. Jack jumped a little, shifting his weight, but didn’t back away as Chase reached down and found the metal manacle around Jack’s ankle. There was a chain attached to it. That’s what he wanted. He grabbed the chain, pulling until it’s taunt. Then pulling some more. Come on, come on! He can change this dream! It may be Jack’s nightmare, but it’s his draísling! He braced himself against the ground and gave the chain one solid tug—

CLANG! The sound of snapping and breaking metal was unbearably loud, followed up by the clatter of loose links splashing into the water. “Ha!” Chase grinned triumphantly.

“Y-y-you... you did it?” Jack whispered. Then he laughed. “You actually did it! You madman! I can’t believe—”

The sound of wind filled the small space. Chase staggered backwards, pushed by an invisible force up against the wall. For a moment, the stone behind his back felt... distant. As did the sound of the wind. And then Jack grabbed him—wrapping his arms around him—and he snapped back. “Oh!” Chase gasped. “I-I think I almost woke up there.”

“No no no, you can’t do that now!” Jack said frantically. “He might be able to change things once you’re gone. We have to take this chance!”

“Right.” Chase nodded. He reached out and found the brick with the carving again. Just like in reality, there was a gap between it and its neighbor. He pulled, and the brick swiveled out. The wind was replaced by the sound of grinding stone. Chase reached forward and found empty air where there had been a wall. “We can get out now.”

“A secret passage,” Jack murmured. “I should’ve expected. Of course there’s a passage somewhere on the castle grounds. What better way to escape a siege? And where better to hide it than in a well, where there would normally be water?” This whole time as Chase moved, Jack had kept a hand on him, connecting him to this world. Chase now felt his grip tighten, squeezing his arm. “A-and speaking of water—it’s rising now.”

Jack was right. The water had previously been barely a puddle, but now Chase could feel it around his ankles, cold even through the thick leather of his boots. “Let’s go, then.” Chase grabbed Jack’s hand and ran into the passage.

This was different than it was in reality. The tunnel was still close, but its ground was more even, gently sloping upwards. And yet, even as the ground sloped, the water continued to rise in a regular manner. Chase’s running was slowed as it reached shin-height, then knee-height. Jack kept stumbling behind him—possibly tripping over the long chain still attached to his ankle. But Chase held his hand tight and kept going. This passage wasn’t that long! It wasn’t! And if it was, he would change that!

The water passed their knees, now mid-thigh-height. Then it reached their hips. Chase’s progress slowed to an awkward semi-fast walk, but he gritted his teen and kept going. He tried to mentally tell the water to stop, to drain, but it wouldn’t listen. Apparently Chase’s influence over this dream only went so far. Was that because of the King? Did he think that if the water covered them Chase would wake up and they’d lose this chance for Jack to escape? “Fuck you!” Chase shouted into the darkness.

The water was waist-height when suddenly—slam! Chase ran into a stone wall. He reached out, feeling around. The passage was blocked off.

“Chase?” Jack called, his voice shaking. “I-is this... Is it over?”

Chase paused. “Yes, our running is over,” he said. “Because this is the end of the passage.”

Jack reached past him. “How do we open the door, then?”

“We don’t. Because there isn’t one.” Chase raised his hand into the air and felt the ceiling. He pushed a little, and—yes! It shifted. “There’s something above us! Help me move it!”

“O-oh! Of course!” Jack reached up to help him. They pushed together, and the stone slab above them shifted. A line of light appeared. Then it widened as the two of them pushed the slab to the side. Soon, there was a square of sunlight above them. Weak, but there. A gentle orange sky awaited them. 

“I’ll help you out,” Chase said. The water was still rising. It was to the middle of his chest. “Hang on, I’ll give you a lift.” He took a deep breath and ducked underwater, wrapping his arms around Jack’s legs and lifting him. It wasn’t the safest method of helping someone up, but they were a bit short on time!

Jack climbed out of the opening in the ceiling, barely avoiding kicking Chase in the face in the process. A moment later, a hand reached down. Clad in a torn green sleeve, with a manacle and chain around the wrist. “I-I’ll pull you up!” Jack said.

“Got it!” Chase grabbed the offered hand and jumped. Water splashed everywhere. Jack pulled, Chase kicked wildly—and then he was out.

This was a bit different than the tunnel exit he and Jameson had found. The beach he and Jack were on now was still the same one, but things were... different. There were no floating neighborhoods on the lake—in fact, there was no indication this was a lake at all. Chase couldn’t see the distant shore. When he turned around, looking towards the center of the island, he noticed that the buildings of Suilthair were much farther away. They seemed... smaller, too. Less crowded. The palace could still be seen in the distance, but there were fewer towers.

Laughter. Pure, joyous laughter. Chase turned around and saw Jack for the first time, sitting beside him on the sandy beach. His clothes had been fine once, but now they were ripped and torn, the red-brown of dried bloodstains dotting the green fabric of his shirt. The manacle around his ankle led to a length of broken chain, but there were ones around his wrists too, chain connecting them to each other, and to a thin metal collar around his neck. Despite all this, he was smiling. And laughing. “It’s a sunrise,” he whispered. “I-I know it’s just a dream, but... it’s a sunrise.” He turned to face Chase fully. “Thank you.”

Chase stared at him. A pit opened up in his stomach. Jack’s face was familiar. A face he’d never forget. But... he didn’t understand. And when he opened his mouth to ask, all that came out was a weak breath.

Jack’s smile faded. He sighed. “I knew I couldn’t keep it from you forever,” he mumbled. “Chase, I’m sorry. I-I thought you would... Y-you didn’t need that... that stress, that confusion. And it was dark, so... it didn’t really matter.”

“Jack...” Chase’s voice, when he found it, was quiet and hoarse. “Why... Why do you look like the King?”

Jack stared up into the brightening sky. Sunlight caught on his eyes—his blue eyes, the only discrepancy. Other than them, his face was identical to the King’s. More than identical. It was the King��s face. “Maybe I was being selfish,” he said quietly. “I hoped that... th-that the first person I’d talked to, really talked to, as myself, for... fuck, it’s been years now. I hoped that... you would stay. And keep coming back. And... I knew that you wouldn’t want to keep coming back... if you knew who I was.”

“Jack,” Chase said. “J-Jack, I... I’m not going to lea—”

A gust of wind slammed into him, violent enough that the water around the beach rippled. Jack’s head snapped back towards him, and he reached out—

But it was too late.

Chase woke with a start, gasping. He sat up and looked around. Weak sunlight came into the boathouse through the windows. Jameson was already awake—the two of them had been sleeping in shifts—and he looked at him with concern. Is everything alright? he asked. It was barely bright enough for Chase to see his signing.

“Jameson.” Chase crawled over, kneeling in front of him. “Jameson. What’s the King’s full name?”

Jameson blinked, confused. You don’t know?

“Why in the damn world would I know that?! I’ve never needed to know that! I barely knew the King’s first name! But I know he has more. He has to, you nobles love names. Jameson, what is it?”

Did something happen? Jameson asked. You speak as though it’s urgent.

Chase grabbed him by the shoulders. “It might be! Just tell me!”

Alright, alright! Jameson pushed his hands away. I’ll spell it out for you. He paused for Chase to nod, and then signed out, letter by letter, a long name. A name which confirmed what Chase had started to suspect the moment he saw Jack’s face for the first time.

Aodhán Jack Willeim mak Lough di Glasúil.

Chase nodded slowly. Of course. Of course! It all made sense now.

What is so important about this? Jameson asked.

“Jameson, I... I just woke up from another draísling. There was... there was light for the first time. I saw Jack’s face.” Chase looked Jameson dead in the eyes. “He’s the king. The true King.”

Jameson’s eyes widened—in shock, and in confusion. What do you mean, the “true king”?

“How much do you know about possessive spirits?”

Only that you can supposedly repel them with pumpkins, and that’s why we put them out on the autumn equinox. Jameson paused. Then he gasped. You don’t mean to say—

“I do.” Chase nodded. “King Aodhán—Jack—has been possessed this whole time. I-it would explain so much!” He reached over and grabbed the burned journal from where they left it, pushed up against the wall with the masks. “The sudden change of eye color, for one. It’s said that there’s a physical sign when someone is possessed, and in this case, it was the eye color. The only reason no one commented on it was because of some enchantment.”

So then, the spirit is the one influencing people’s minds? Jameson looked thoughtful. Then he shook his head. But that would contradict what the Queen said, referring to the prince’s power.

“I think... I think maybe Jack is an enchanter,” Chase said slowly. “But the spirit has powers of its own. Think about it. When we were running from the King in the palace, it threw lightning at us, and used a magic doorway. An enchanter wouldn’t be able to do that. It was the spirit using its own power, instead of just Jack’s.”

Then what about the draísling? Jameson asked. What do you think its purpose is?

Chase went quiet for a moment. “I think... I think the Horned Elder One was trying to tell me this,” he said slowly. “That the king, Jack, was possessed. I-it would line up with things Jack has told me. He said that in reality he was imprisoned by the King because he was too important to be let free, while in his sleep he was tormented by nightmares.”

Possession would be a prison, wouldn’t it? Jameson mused. The worst sort of prison. Trapped in your own body.

Chase nodded. “And in stories, spirits need people to be mentally weak in order to possess them. Constant, realistic nightmares would weaken anyone with enough time.”

Jameson nodded. Then he laughed silently, a breathy sound without a voice. Well, I suppose this solves Marvin’s dilemma.

“What?”

He wants to kill the King, remember? He wants that because it’s a permanent solution. He fears that otherwise the King would return to take over again. But the people of Glasúil would riot if the royal bloodline ended. Therefore, the dilemma. It’s good that we won’t have to kill the King to stop all this. We simply need to banish the spirit.

Chase frowned. “‘Simply’ banish the spirit? I don’t think it’s going to be simple at all... In stories, possessive spirits are always very difficult to get rid of. And this one has magic, of some sort. I don’t think it’ll go without a fight.”

Yes... there’s that. Jameson nodded slowly. But there must be a way. Marvin once said that any magic that can be done can be undone, as well. 

“Yea, he’s probably right,” Chase agreed. “But... I’m worried. I don’t... want to hurt Jack. H-he’s been through enough already.”

Jameson scooted closer to Chase. He wrapped one arm around him, hugging him from the side. Chase let it happen, though he was confused what it was for. Then Jameson let go. I’m sure we can figure something out, he said. I realized something now, after you’ve told me all this. In my vision of you confronting the King, there was no sign of you hurting him. There was just the knowledge that you somehow defeated him in that conflict. I think... I think that vision must have been of you banishing the spirit. So... Jack will be alright. I’m sure he will.

The knot in Chase’s chest loosened a little bit. “Okay,” he whispered. “Okay. I-I can do that, then. If we figure out some way.” And indeed, his ‘destiny’ seemed a lot easier to accomplish now. He gave Jameson a small smile. “Saving one person is much easier than saving the whole kingdom.”

Sometimes it’s the same thing, Jameson said.

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticegos #septic egos #septic egos au #jacksepticeye au #chase brody #jameson jackson #dr schneeplestein #jackieboy man #marvin the magnificent #brigid writes fanfiction #fantasymasksau

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Feall and Wyld

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Twenty-Eight

A JSE Fanfic

I thought this chapter would be short because I was very busy this week. Turns out, it's actually almost 7000 words so whoops. It's also the first fic I'm publishing where I'm using the new Tumblr text editor (I've been using the Legacy Editor all this time) so forgive me if there are some formatting issues I miss, or if this goes up at the wrong time. Anyway. This chapter is a sandwich. At the beginning and the end we have some personal drama with Henrik, and in the middle we have Marvin learning a bunch of weird magic stuff and exposition. Enjoy XD

Previous Part | More AU

Taglist: @brokentimewatch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Cliffs of Feall were one of the southernmost points in the kingdom. The edge of the island suddenly dropped into sheer black rock faces, with a slight pebbly beach at the bottom that was only visible during low tide. The Dragon’s Greatwoods fell away, leaving an empty field right before the cliffs dropped into the sea.

The Phantoms had set up camp in the middle of this field. It was much smaller than the one they’d had in the mountains. Much more... thrown-together. It was still a solid camp, but after Wyvernlair—a camp that had been set up for years—anything would be worse in comparison. Many of the Phantoms missed the safety of being surrounded by a protective ring of dragon bones. Though not all of them had come from Wyvernlair. Some had joined up from other camps. Most notably, the crew of the Serpent’s Wake were here, their ship floating farther out at sea where there was no risk of running aground.

Jackie and Henrik had arrived the night before. This morning, the two of them had gathered all the Masked Phantoms to share important information. Everyone had to be on the same page if they were going to continue their resistance efforts. So, they told everyone. The King they were fighting against was an enchanter with the power to manipulate the mind.

The gathering had instantly devolved into chaos after that.

Now, Henrik sat near the cliff’s edge. Not close enough to be in danger of falling, but close enough to see the sea below. He watched the Serpent’s Wake, anchored in the water, for a while. It was mostly empty now. Most of the crew had come over to camp early in the morning. Though they would be going back to the ship to sleep. Henrik didn’t really understand that choice.

“Sitting here all by yourself, sova?”

Henrik jumped a little. He twisted around, and saw Vsevna standing nearby. “You startled me,” he breathed. “That is not a good thing to do at the edge of a cliff.”

“Deeply sorry.” Vsevna grinned, giving a little two-finger salute. “May I join you?”

“Y-yes. Of course.” Henrik turned back around and hoped his face wasn’t as red as he felt it was.

Vsevna sat down next to him, crossing his legs. The grass around them was fairly long, reaching shin-length when standing. “Thinking about something?” Vsevna asked.

“Actually, I was thinking about you—your ship, I mean,” Henrik hurried to add. “It has to be an inconvenience to spend the night there. You have to find a path down the cliff, find where you left the rowboats, and then paddle all the way back out there. Seems like too much trouble.”

“Not too much.” Vsevna shrugged. “Considering we do not have any tents on board, we can’t stay in camp in any case.”

“I’m sure others would let you share a tent with them.”

Vsevna grinned. “Are you offering?”

“I—” Henrik choked.

Vsevna laughed. “Ah, I would not put that much pressure on you, Henrik.” He put a hand on Henrik’s shoulder. “Never feel pressured, yes? I don’t wish to be that sort of person.”

“Y-yes. I understand.” Henrik nodded. He took a few deep breaths to regain his composure. “What are you doing here anyway?”

“I came to check on you,” Vsevna said. “Jackie wanted to, but he is busy calming things down back there.” He jerked his head back towards the camp. “Five different people have already turned in their masks.”

Henrik groaned and let his head fall into his hands. “Of course.” He didn’t blame people for wanting to leave the Phantoms after hearing that news. Fighting a king was difficult enough. Imagine fighting a king with magic.

“Most people are staying, but they are still concerned,” Vsevna continued. “People are asking about witchcraft charms to protect the mind.”

“Those do exist,” Henrik mumbled. “But the materials for them... I am not sure how easy it will be to find glass or clear crystals.”

“Some of them are, what is the word? Ah yes. Outraged.”

Henrik laughed at the casual way Vsevna said that. “There was a lot of shouting at the meeting.”

Vsevna inclined his head, not laughing. “They are not mad at you. At this King. I know there is a lot of faith in the royal bloodline in this kingdom, so it must feel like a betrayal. I heard a few siding with your friend Marvin’s ideas of just killing the King.”

“Things are that bad, then.” Henrik sighed. “I suppose it’s a good sign. I never liked this blind faith many in Glasúil had towards the royals. But it was mostly harmless. Until we needed to start a revolution.”

“Kings and queens are nonsense.” Vsevna rolled his eye. 

“Well, I wouldn’t go that far, but I am not surprised that you do.” Leylodka, Vsevna’s home nation, was ruled by a council, not a single monarch. It was very strange. “Do you think Jackie needs my help?”

“Do you think you can help?” Vsevna asked quietly.

Henrik bristled. “I am one of the people who started this.”

“No, that came out wrong. Of course you are capable. But, well... you must have left for a reason. It couldn’t have been just for the view.” Vsevna gestured at the open sea surrounding the cliffs.

Henrik had left for a reason. All that shouting, all that chaos, it was so much. He’d felt himself starting to untether. And this was not the time to slip out of reality and into his own mind. So, he had whispered that to Jackie, and Jackie had suggested he take a moment. Henrik had readily agreed. And now, here he was. But he wasn’t keen on telling Vsevna why he left. He was... still afraid.

The moment of quiet turned into a longer silence. The two of them sat near the edge and stared out at the open ocean. “Do you know what the name of this place means?” Vsevna asked.

“The Cliffs of Feall? No, I never thought about it. It is just the name.”

“‘Just’ a name. All names have meanings.” Vsevna stretched, raising his hands over his head and bending back. “I have been to many places, I always like hearing why they’re called what they are. Sometimes places are named after people. Sometimes they are named after the nature around them. Sometimes they are named after a myth.”

“Alright.” Henrik raised an eyebrow. “What are the Cliffs of Feall named after?”

“Well, that is the interesting part. See, ‘Feall’ used to be a word in Glassish. It meant... ah, what is it? When you... traitor someone.”

A small snrk sound escaped Henrik’s mouth. “Traitor someone?”

“Yes! Traitor someone, like when you stab them in the back and they scream out ‘Augh! Why are you traitoring me?!’”

Henrik burst into laughter. “It’s ‘betray.’ Traitor is a noun. A traitor will betray someone, and they will scream ‘Why are you betraying me?!’”

Vsevna rolled his eyes. “You knew what I meant.”

“I did, I did. And I agree, that is a stupid noun-verb pairing. They are too different. Glasish should be more consistent.” Henrik coughed, and resumed a more serious tone. “So, ‘feall’ used to mean ‘betrayal,’ then?”

“Yes. I think it was a specific sort of betrayal. It must not have been a common kind, if they stopped using the word.”

“Maybe. There are many reasons people could stop using a word.” Henrik nodded, looking thoughtful. “Do you think they are called the Cliffs of Feall because a betrayal happened here?”

“That is what everyone assumes. Perhaps someone pushed someone off the edge.” Vsevna leaned forward as if he was peering over the side of the cliff, even though they weren’t close enough for that.

“Not a very...Not a good omen, to have a camp here, then,” Henrik muttered. “Though, if I am being honest, I was a bit wary about this location for a while. It is not too far from the Wyldwoods on the west half of the kingdom. Perhaps some strange magic could drift over to us.”

“Bah. Even if that could happen, Wyldlands are nothing compared to the Wyldseas out there.” Vsevna grinned. “Don’t worry, Henrik, me and my crew have seen worse. We are very able to protect everyone.”

“Hah. Yes, I... I am not worried.” Henrik ran his hand through his hair, partially hiding his warm face again. “You... are very capable. And... very kind.”

“Thank you.” Vsevna stared at him for a moment longer, then turned back to the sea. “Do you want to be alone? I could leave.”

“No!” Henrik gasped, then cleared his throat. “No, you can stay. Please. I-I may not say much, after a while, but I would like your company.”

Vsevna smiled at him. “Company it is, then.”

The two of them sat there for some time. Long enough for the shadows to move. They said nothing. But occasionally, Henrik would open his mouth to speak. To tell Vsevna everything. All of the feelings Henrik had for ages now. But... the words never came. Those fearful thoughts were still there, stopping him. Telling him that there were so many ways this could go wrong, that what was happening now was fine and he shouldn’t risk things suddenly getting worse. Telling him that... that most likely... Vsevna wouldn’t want to bother once he knew about Henrik’s symptoms.

He didn’t like those thoughts. But he couldn’t push through them. Not now.

Until, eventually, Jackie arrived to tell the two of them that things had calmed down and the whole camp was now eating lunch. They all headed back, Henrik trailing silently behind with all those words he wanted to say still stuck in his throat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One week. Marvin had been walking through the Wyldwood for one week. And he still had no answers. In fact, he had even more questions.

Why were the trees alive? Or, more alive than plants normally were? Why did Draco—his familiar, who he should know everything about—have a connection to this place? Did the Wyldwood have a mind of its own? If it did, why did it want him here? It was herding him towards a location, but where?

He never seemed to get too hungry. At most, his hunger was a slight discomfort that could occasionally be sated with a few fruit and berries from the nearby plants. Not just any fruit or berries, though. Marvin had learned the hard way that some of them were dangerous. One time, he tried eating a fruit that looked like a dark green apple. Draco had meowed and tried pawing at him, but he’d quickly taken a bite before the cat could do anything about it. The moment he swallowed it, pain like sharp thorns had erupted in his throat. And then his stomach. That had kept him from moving at all for the rest of the day. Another time, Draco batted some bright red berries out of Marvin’s hand. The moment they hit the ground, they burst open, their juice sizzling and burning the grass.

He quickly learned to listen to Draco when it came to the food.

Thirst was similar. It was there, but rarely more than an inconvenience. And there were plenty of small streams and ponds around, many of which had unnaturally clear, clean water that instantly quenched his thirst.

But not all the water was safe. Marvin had walked towards an unusually wide river one day, only for the roots of the trees to rise from the ground and form a waist-high barrier. Curious, he’d watched the pond for a while. About ten minutes passed, and Marvin watched as a large reptilian head poked out of the water, green and slimy with yellow eyes the size of his hand. It soon disappeared again, and Marvin swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. He wasn’t sure what the Wyldwood wanted, but at least he now knew it didn’t want him dead.

And he knew he wasn’t alone in the woods.

Even though he never saw another living thing besides plants and Draco, he saw signs of other beings. Splashes in the streams just as he arrived. Movement in the corner of his vision. Strange symbols carved into the bark of trees. Tracks on the ground. One time he found a particularly long stretch of mud, embedded with a perfect set of footprints... that turned into a perfect set of hoofprints halfway through the mud.

His mind raced. He’d heard of all sorts of magical creatures in books, but he’d never seen any. The closest he got was occasionally hearing fierce wind in the distance that could have been hiding a clamor of voices—supposedly, that was a sign of the Wild Hunt passing by. But it could have just been wind, as well. Other than that, he had no experience with magical creatures. He half-believed they’d all died out like the dragons. But now he was starting to reconsider that...

One week. One week of walking, of following the path that the Wyldwood made and Draco led him through. One week of wondering what in the world was going on. One week of worrying about Jameson and Chase, who he’d been taken away from.

And then they arrived at their destination.

Marvin could tell something was happening because of the way Draco kept pausing. Muscles tensed, whiskers and ears twitching, clearly picking up on something that Marvin couldn’t sense. He grabbed his amulet—which had not stopped glowing since he’d ended up in the Wyldwood—and cautiously followed.

The thick trees became thin trees, letting in more sunlight through the canopy of branches. Those trees gradually fell away, revealing the edge of a cliff. Well, no. It was just a hill, but the drop was so steep and rocky that it might as well have been a cliff. Marvin stopped just before the sudden slope and looked down.

His first instinct was to call it a clearing, but that didn’t sound right. Forest clearings still had some sort of life in them. This was a circle of rocky ground, dead grays and blacks, an area sunken into the ground big enough for a small town to fit comfortably but almost entirely empty of anything but stone earth. In the very center was a... cabin of some kind. Maybe. It was far away. Definitely a building. It was surrounded by a circle of gray trees, leafless, their branches unnaturally twisted.

Marvin raised his hand. The cabin and its trees were far enough away that he could hide them completely from his vision with just his palm. And yet... looking at it, standing on the edge of this rocky circle... It made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He grabbed his amulet. And as he did, he noticed its glow was flickering. “Don’t tell me this is where you want me to go,” he muttered, looking down at Draco.

Draco stared back up at him. The fur on his back was on end, as was his tail. He didn’t like this place any more than Marvin did.

{You don’t have to walk into that blasted heath just yet.}

For a mad moment, Marvin thought that Draco had spoken. But then he looked around wildly and saw a man standing next to him, just out of arm’s reach. “You!” Marvin gasped. His grip on the amulet tightened and he tried to pull forth his magic. But, strangely, he was having trouble grasping it. The magic kept slipping out of reach.

The man was previously looking down into the circle of rocky ground, but now he turned to face Marvin and smiled gently. {I think you’re mistaking me for someone else.} Though the man’s mouth didn’t move, Marvin heard his voice clear as day.

That strange sight made Marvin pause. He gave the man a closer look. He had thought the man was the King at first glance, but no. There were differences. Though he had the King’s green eyes, golden circlet, and general features, his brown hair was longer, pulled back in a small bun, and his beard wasn’t quite as thick. He wore a green cloak, as the King was often seen doing, but it was a lighter shade than the King’s. There was a weapon by the man’s side, but it was not a seax knife. Instead, a simple short sword. Marvin didn’t recognize the specific design, but he’d spent enough time with Jackie to recognize it was a lightweight model meant for one-handed use.

Jackie had also said that royal warriors hadn’t used one-handed swords in hundreds of years, which is why they were always surprised when Jackie used his. The fighting style for that sort of sword—especially when using two—threw them off.

Hundreds of years... 

With a start, Marvin finally noticed the most obvious discrepancy: he could see through the man. The surrounding environment was vaguely visible through his body, as if it was made of fog. “Wh... what are you?” Marvin asked. “Who are you?”

{I am... merely a memory,} the man said. Marvin also realized then that the voice was coming not from the man, but from within his own head.

“You’re a spirit,” Marvin said slowly. “A spirit of an enchanter?”

{You’re deadly sharp, aren’t you?} The man grinned.

“But... your eyes.” Marvin stared at the man, confused. “Royal green.”

{Did you think your current ruler was the only Glasúil to be an enchanter?} The man shook his head. {It’s run in the family for ages. But it started to die out a few generations after me. Strong enchanters, like your current ruler, are rarer and rarer in the Glasúil bloodline.}

This must be a very old spirit. Only ancient texts referred to the royal family as the Glasúils. Nowadays people only used it to refer to the kingdom as a whole. “I... won’t lie, I’m a bit alarmed that the royals have been enchanters ‘for ages,’” Marvin says carefully.

{That’s good. That’s a natural response. If you weren’t alarmed, I would be worried.} The man chuckled.

Marvin paused. “Which King were you?” he asked. “Those eyes must mean royal blood, and if I wasn’t sure... that circlet you’re wearing, it’s the one the King or Queen always wears.”

{You’re right, I was a King of this land,} the man said. {My name was Samuel. Though I usually preferred just Sam.}

Marvin gaped at him, absolutely speechless. “S... Samuel the Green-Eyed?” he finally managed to whisper. “The... the first ruler? The one who united the kingdom?”

{The very same. But please. Just Sam is fine.} The man—Samuel—Sam tilted his head. {I understand I’m a bit of a legend these days.}

Marvin nodded wordlessly.

{I’m honored. Really. But... all legends tend to get warped by time.} Sam turned and stared back at the rocky clearing. The “blasted heath,” as he’d called it. {There are some things you’ve all forgotten. Though I don’t blame you. It’s hard to remember something when you can’t speak about it.}

A moment passed. When Marvin was sure the spirit wouldn’t say anything more, he also turned to look at the blasted heath. And the strange cabin and trees in the center. “What is this place?” he asked quietly. “Wh-why am I here? Why did the Wyldwood make me come here? Why did Draco?! How did Draco get me here?! He somehow transported me across the kingdom!”

Sam raised an eyebrow. {Oh, don’t you know? Your cat there is actually a cait sìth.}

“Wh—the magical fey cat that’s said to steal souls?” Marvin looked down at Draco with wide eyes. “Really?”

Sam burst into laughter. {No, I’m just having a laugh with you. Cait sìths are much bigger, and they’re almost entirely black.}

“...oh.” Marvin couldn’t believe he was really talking with the ghost of a legendary ruler. And he couldn’t believe that said ruler was a bit of a prankster. “I’m not very good with jokes of that kind,” he grumbled.

{Ah. I’m sorry.} Sam stopped laughing. {But for the real answer... Do you know what familiars are?}

Marvin nodded slowly. “They’re animals summoned by a wizard who are able to do magical things. But if you’re asking where they come from, no one is really sure.” He glanced around at the forest. “Some say they come from the Wyldlands. Like this Wyldwood.”

{Well. That’s partially correct, I suppose,} Sam said thoughtfully. {Familiars are magic itself. They are a bit of the magical energy that resides all around us, taking the shape of an animal that suits the wizard that called them.} He made a grand, sweeping gesture. {And all of the Wyldlands in the world are places where that magical energy gathers. Where it wells up and pools. And since familiars are part of magic, they all have a connection with the Wyld places, like this Wood.}

“Hm.” Marvin nodded slowly. “I... think I understand. Even though Draco is his own being, he’s... related to the Wyldwood. Like a parent and child.”

{That’s a good way of comparing it, yes. And as for why you are here, it is because the Wyldwood asked Draco to bring you here. I suspect it gave him a little bit of the magic gathered here in order to teleport you.}

“How did it do that when we were in Suilthair and the Wyldwood is on the other side of the kingdom?”

Sam waved that question away. {Magic energy is everywhere. The more magic you have, the less distance matters. And things like familiars and Wyldlands, which are magic itself? Everything is within reach.}

“Fascinating.” Though Marvin was in awe at these revelations, and though he longed to know more, he couldn’t let himself be distracted. “But... what is that?” He pointed to the cabin and trees in the center of the blasted heath.

Sam’s expression darkened. {It is a place where something unspeakable happened.}

Marvin waited for more. But nothing came. “Alright... but what happened?”

{Didn’t I tell you? It’s unspeakable.}

“Wait, you mean that literally?”

Sam nodded. {There is strong magic preventing me—or any other living or dead being—from speaking of what happened, or speaking of who did it. The only way to know is to piece it together yourself. And going down into that blasted heath to see for yourself is a key part of that.}

“...alright.” Marvin took a deep breath. He scanned the steep, rocky hillside, looking for the best way down. Then he took a step forward.

{Wait!}

The mental shout was so loud that Marvin physically flinched. “What?” he asked, spinning to look at Sam.

Sam was closer now, reaching out as if he was about to grab Marvin to stop him from going into the heath. {You can’t go just yet,} he said.

“Why not?”

{You need to bring someone else here.}

Marvin’s brows furrowed. “Who?”

{Your friend Chase. He needs to know what happened here.}

That was the last person Marvin expected to hear. But as he thought about it, it made sense. “Wait, does... does this have to do with Jameson’s vision?” he asked. “The one where he saw Chase defeat the King.”

Sam nodded. {We must be sure the future that Jameson Jairsolas saw will come to pass. The knowledge Chase gains here will be invaluable to that.}

Marvin took a step backwards. He let out a long sigh. “Well, I was just with Chase a week ago,” he said, a bit snappishly. “We were in the same city when magic itself decided to whisk me over here. You couldn’t have waited until the next time Chase and I were together and transported us both? It would have saved you at least two weeks’ time. Maybe more! Because I don’t know where Chase is right now! He might’ve been captured, for Elders’ sake!” The trees seemed to rustle as he mentioned the Elders.

{I’m not entirely sure of the situation you were in,} Sam said slowly. {But it seemed like you were about to be captured yourself.}

“You don’t know that. No one knows that! I wasn’t able to try and fight my way out before I was—what was that word you used? ‘Teleport’? Before I was ‘teleported’ here! And why did I have to walk for a week? If you could transport me anywhere because distance doesn’t matter, why not transport me here immediately? Can you put me back? Or, can the Wyldwood put me back? Or—actually, who is behind this? Who’s making sure Jair’s vision comes true? It can’t be just you, you’re a spirit—”

{Are you done yet?} Sam interrupted. He looked unimpressed. {Can I explain?}

“...yes.”

Sam sighed. {You’re right, I’m not behind this. I cannot leave this area, due to unspeakable reasons. As for why Draco couldn’t teleport you and Chase, it’s harder to do with more humans, especially if they’re not particularly magical. Chase happens to have not a drop of magic in his blood. That makes things difficult. So, the plan was to teleport you into the Wyldwood and show you the way here so you could guide Chase—and whoever else you might want to bring—later. It was essential that it was just you. Not only because of the teleportation limits, but because the Wyldwood is a very dangerous place. With Draco’s help, it was able to shield you from the dangers, but it will not be able to do so with more than one person. It is a very powerful magical place. But it is not all-powerful. Nothing is. Not even the unspeakable one.}

Marvin stared at him. “So... I’m supposed to leave this place. Then come back with Chase and maybe more people. And guide them through a very dangerous magical forest. So that Chase can learn something that will help him defeat the King.”

{Yes, exactly.} Sam grinned.

“You never answered one of my questions. Who is doing this? Who is asking that I risk my friends’ lives?!”

Sam paused. {Who is giving Chase his draíslings?}

“He... says that in the dreams, he sees...” Marvin’s eyes went wide as the realization dawned on him. “...he sees the Horned Elder One. God of wild places.”

Sam tilted his head. {I knew you were deadly sharp.} A slight breeze blew through the air, and Sam’s form dissolved into mist and disappeared.

Marvin stood there for a moment. Then he turned around, staggered over to the nearest tree, and sat down at its base. Draco followed him and leapt into his lap, staring up at him with big blue eyes.

This... was a lot.

For a long time, Marvin just sat there, staring up at the sky and processing everything that just happened. Defeating the King was more than saving a kingdom. It was now a mission from the very beings who watched over the world.

Draco rested his head on Marvin’s chest and began to purr. Marvin slowly reached up and started petting him. The motion was comforting. And the weight of a cat—magical or not—was grounding.

Marvin took a deep breath. “Well. I suppose we’ll have a long way to go to get back to Suilthair.” He looked down at Draco. “Unless you can do that ‘teleport’ thing again.”

Draco stopped purring. His eyes began to glow bright blue.

“Of fucking course,” Marvin muttered.

A flash of blue light lit up the Wyldwood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“—really, it could have been worse,” Jackie was saying. “Everyone’s calmed down now. Some people have turned in their masks, but I guess that was inevitable. It’s big news. Anna sent out messenger birds delivering the news to other camps, I really hope nothing will happen to them. I can’t even imagine what would happen if the King knew we’re aware he’s an enchanter.”

Henrik nodded absentmindedly. The two of them were sitting on the ground in the tent they shared. It was small, barely big enough for their two bedrolls and packs of possessions, but anything was better than sleeping out in the open. 

“Henrik? Schneep, are you with me?” Jackie leaned forward, half-reaching out.

“Ah, yes, sorry.” Henrik shook his head.

“Good.” Jackie dropped his hand. “Sometimes when you go quiet I get worried.” He laughed, but there was a bit of tension in the sound that showed he was more serious than that. “Were you thinking about something?”

“Yes. I-I was thinking about Vsevna again.”

Jackie raised an eyebrow. “In what way?”

Henrik rolled his eyes. “In the way that I want to tell him how I feel, but I am nervous.”

“Hmm.” Jackie paused. “What if I was there? Would that help?”

“What? As in, standing beside me while I tell him I lo—I-I have feelings for him?” Henrik stammered over the word, still not fully able to say ‘love’ out loud.

“Yes. Would that help?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Henrik fidgeted, playing with the edge of his scarf. “I would just feel... self-concerned if anyone other than the two of us were there.”

“Hmm. So, don’t do it on the deck of his ship, then,” Jackie said. “Even at night when it’s anchored, someone’s always awake.” He leaned to the side and drew back the tent flap, looking at the sky outside. “How soon do you want to do this, by the way?”

“Ah... I am not sure. Is difficult to plan for.” Henrik paused. “Why?”

“Well, if you want to do it today, you’re running short on time. I think Vsevna and the rest of the Wake’s crew are heading back to the ship for the night soon.”

“What?!” Henrik cried. “But it is nowhere near night!”

“That’s true, but Yuko said something about the tides.” Jackie shrugged. “I think it’s because they put their rowboats on that small beach at the base of the cliffs. If the tide rises to cover it, the boats will... I’m not sure what will happen, but my guess is they’ll either sink or drift into the ocean. Not good.”

“But—they will be back tomorrow, yes?” Henrik insisted.

“Probably.”

“Probably?!” 

“The crew practically lives on that ship, there’s no guarantee that all of them will come to camp every day, especially if we’re not going to break camp for a while. It might be easier to just stay on there?” Jackie shrugged. “Personally, I can’t imagine staying on the sea for so long when there’s perfectly good land within rowing distance, but sailors can be—are you going somewhere?”

Halfway through Jackie’s words, Henrik had scrambled to his feet and lunged for the tent door. His heart was beating out of his chest. “I-I think I’m going down to the beach,” he said.

“Hmm?” Jackie pretended to not care, but Henrik could tell he was invested in this. The jittering leg gave it away. “Well, be careful on the path down the cliffs, it’s still very rocky. Have fun. Good luck.”

“Thank you.” Henrik nodded, and then left the tent, running across camp and towards the narrow path that led to the beach at the cliffs’ base.

He wasn’t entirely sure why he felt spurred to action now. Perhaps it was because he’d seen Vsevna in person for the first time in ages. And now he might not even come off the ship to visit camp? Henrik couldn’t go back to writing letters when he knew that Vsevna was right there. Sure, he might be back tomorrow, but Jackie had sown seeds of doubt in there. Maybe he’d done that intentionally, actually. To urge Henrik to do this sooner rather than later. But it was working!

The steep path to the beach forced Henrik to slow down. And as he did, he started to feel a bit foolish. It wasn’t like Vsevna was leaving. The Serpent’s Wake would be anchored near the Cliffs for a while. Henrik could see him some other time. This didn’t need to happen now. It wasn’t as urgent as it felt.

And then he got down to the beach, boots crunching on the gray pebbles, and saw Vsevna and the other crew members who’d visited camps all loading into the boats. One was already starting to push off the beach and into the water. That sight made it urgent again. “W-wait!” Henrik shouted, running towards the boats.

Vsevna noticed immediately. He turned, surprised, and held up a hand. The rest of the crew noticed as well, then, and paused what they were doing. “Henrik?” Vsevna shouted.

Henrik waved his hands. He came to a skidding halt right at the edge of the surf. “I... I need... to talk to you,” he said, struggling to catch his breath.

“Oh! Yes, of course!” Vsevna nodded. “Is this important?”

“Not... not too important... I suppose.” Henrik pressed a hand to his chest. His heart was beating rapidly, and he wasn’t sure if that was caused by his nerves or the dead sprint. “I... Can we talk... somewhere less... in earshot?”

Vsevna raised an eyebrow. He glanced at Yuko nearby, who also raised an eyebrow and made a sweeping ‘by your leave’ gesture. He looked back at Henrik and grinned. “Of course. Here, we walk this way.”

The two of them walked up the beach, closer to the rocky base of the cliffs. Henrik still wasn’t entirely comfortable knowing that the crew could still see them, but that was the price he paid for a spur-of-the-moment thing like this. “I... This is not... Phantom business,” Henrik said in Alterdan.

“I didn’t think it was,” Vsevna replied in the same language, chuckling a bit. “What is it, sova?”

Henrik opened his mouth. Fear fluttered in his stomach, and the words wouldn’t come. He took a few deep breaths. Vsevna waited patiently, his grin gradually fading into a softer expression. Henrik kept playing with the edge of his scarf. His eyes darted everywhere, landing on anything—the ground, the crew in the distance, the decorative cloth Vsevna had wrapped around his arm as an armband—except Vsevna’s face. After a solid ten seconds of nothing, he finally blurted out, “You mean quite a lot to me.”

Vsevna was silent for a moment. “You mean quite a lot to me, too.”

“No, I—” He had to convey this better. “I—We met a couple years ago now, wh-when I was in Bherreih for doctoring, and you—You are quite... stunning—” Oh Sisters no don’t open with that “—I mean, striking! I-I mean—you have a—a presence that I find—that I’m sure many people find—i-it is hard to not pay attention to you. A-and then, when you found out I was involved with the Phantoms and you—you told me right away that you had figured it out and you wanted in—” He could still picture that in his mind. They’d been in an alleyway between two buildings, so small their faces had to be a hand’s span from each other, it was dark, but Vsevna’s smile was lighting everything up...  Wait no stay focused! “—I-I was immediately—I was instantly... struck.”

“...By lightning?” Vsevna said, another smile on his face now. Not like the one Henrik was remembering, which was a wide, excited grin. This one was smaller. Light-hearted, but warm.

“No! I mean, I-I might as well have been, I—” Henrik laughed nervously, looking down at his hands. “You are... I-I admire you greatly. You are... You dive into everything right away. You do not hesitate, it is straight into action.”

“And that is good? Well, I suppose you do spend time with Jackie. You would like those types of people.”

“No, i-it’s different with you,” Henrik insisted, looking up again. “Jackie is my friend, almost my family, I-I know how he does things. It is different. He charges into a fight because it is what he’s good at, and what he knows needs to be done. You will go into that same fight with—with a smile, a-and a laugh, and this—this air of—of confidence, of... being assured. Jackie enjoys a fight, but to you, it is fun. It is an adventure. A-and you are that way with... with a lot of things. I-it is why you sail. And it is... what I admire. It is... one of the things I like about you. But there is more. There is your smile. There is the way you remember people. There is the way you switched to Alterdan right away when you realized where I was from, a-and...”

Vsevna said nothing as Henrik trailed off. It was hard to read his expression, but it didn’t look... un-favorable.

Henrik swallowed a lump in his throat. “I care for you a great deal. And... I... know we are friends, but... there... can be more for me. But if you do not see that option, I... I will be fine with that, as well. Because I know it will be happier for you. But... if it is possible... it would make me very happy if we... were more.”

A moment passed in silence. Henrik couldn’t breathe. It was out there. No taking it back. All he could do was wait. Vsevna took a step forward, putting a hand on Henrik’s arm. “Henrik, I—”

Suddenly, the beach was lit up by a flash of blue light. Henrik and Vsevna drew back in surprise, and the others by the boats raised their hands to shield their eyes from the blinding light. Then the light disappeared. There was a thump! and the crunch of pebbles, a voice said “oof!” and an animal yelped. No, not just any animal—that was a cat, yowling in surprise.

“Wait a moment.” Henrik blinked, clearing the afterimage of the light from his vision. Someone was sitting on the beach who wasn’t there before. He took a few steps towards them. “Marvin?”

Marvin looked at him. Then at his surroundings, taking in the cliffs, the boats, and the group of people. His hair was longer, chin-length and tangled, and his clothes were terribly dirty, as if he’d been wearing them for days straight. “This isn’t where we’re supposed to be,” he muttered. He looked down at his lap, where Draco was sitting. “Did you do this on purpose? I thought distance wasn’t supposed to matter! Just take me directly back there!”

Henrik blinked, confused. “Ah, Marvin?”

Marvin glared at Draco. “Fine, I’ll work with it!” he said snappishly. Then he stood up, forcibly dislodging Draco from his lap. The cat immediately started walking away. “Don’t expect an apology this time! I’m not in the mood!” Marvin shouted after him, then turned to Henrik. “Schneep, where am I?”

“Ah... we are at the base of the Cliffs of Feall,” Henrik said slowly.

“Okay. That’s still about a week’s journey away from Suilthair. Damn it!” Marvin kicked at the ground, sending a spray of pebbles into the air. “There has to be a better way of doing this!” He shouted at the sky. “Couldn’t Sam have explained that too?!”

“Who is Sam?” Henrik asked. “And... how did you get here?”

“That’s a long story. Where’s Jackie? Have you two heard from Chase or Jair?”

“Jackie... should be on the top of the cliffs.” Henrik pointed. “We made a camp there.”

“Camp? Right, because Wyvernlair was found. Of course. And Chase and Jameson?”

“We have not heard from any of you in over a week. Though, that could be because we were on the run, traveling down here to the Cliffs.”

“Fuck. Fuck! Of course.” Marvin rubbed his eyes. “Alright. Alright. I can work with this.”

“What is happening?” Vsevna asked slowly, glancing from Marvin to Henrik and back again.

“Who are—right, Vsevna. No one else is that blonde and has an eye-patch.” Marvin laughed, the sound tinged with a manic sort of stress. “Sorry, I’m really thrown off right now. I just learned a whole cartful of overwhelming information. A spirit told me Draco’s made of magic and I have to take Chase to a blasted heath to help kill the King.”

Henrik blinked. “I’m... sorry?”

“It’s a lot,” Marvin said. “Just—just—How do I get up these cliffs? I need to tell you and Jackie and anyone else who you think should hear this!”

“There is a... path that way...” Henrik pointed. “It looks like Draco is already going there.”

“Yea sure he is!” Another manic laugh burst out of Marvin’s throat. “Sure! Alright, I’m going to follow him, I guess!” He walked in that direction, stumbling a bit on the pebbly beach.

Henrik stared after him. Then he looked at Vsevna. “I... should hear what... is going on with him...”

Vsevna nodded. “You know, I am quite curious, too.” He laughed. “I suppose we are not going back to the Wake after all. We will have to find a spot to tie down the rowboats. You go on, Henrik, I will catch up. Tell Marvin to not say anything until I am there.”

“Right.” Henrik nodded. He turned around.

Before Henrik could leave, Vsevna leaned closer to him. “We can talk about what you said at a less stressful time,” he said quietly.

Henrik’s stomach twisted into knots. It was strange that hearing that made him more nervous than whatever was happening with Marvin’s sudden appearance.

Though, of course, that was confusing as well. Had he mentioned something about a spirit? Chase killing the King? What was that all about?

Henrik took a deep breath, and started walking after Marvin. 

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticegos #septic egos #septic egos au #jacksepticeye au #dr schneeplestein #marvin the magnificent #jackieboy man #fantasymasksau #brigid writes fanfiction

[crystalninjaphoenix]

In The Shadows

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Thirty

A JSE Fanfic

A bit of a shorter chapter this week, because I spent a lot of last week at a con with my family! :D So it's pretty much one long scene, even though I wanted another one I just had no time ;-; Chase and Jameson find their way out of the castle, but still need to escape Suilthair. While looking for a place to lay low, Chase runs into a familiar face. And yeah. Short chapter, short author's note. Hope you enjoy!

Previous Part | More AU

Taglist: @brokentimewatch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Someone was shaking Chase’s shoulder. He tried to ignore it, wanting to stay in the darkness of near-sleep for a while longer, but the shaking just grew in intensity. As he paid more attention to it, the rest of sensation trickled in. Mainly the pain. Chase groaned and opened his eyes. His surroundings were dark except for a circle of light high above. The well. That’s right.

The shaking calmed down a bit. Someone grabbed his hand and started tracing letters, spelling out a word. Awake?

“Y-yea...” Right, that was Jameson. They jumped in the well together to try and hide from the King and his warriors. It was all coming back in pieces. “I’m... awake now.” Chase shifted position slightly, wincing as his whole body ached from being stuck in one place. “H-how long was I... asleep?”

Jameson paused. Twenty minutes? he guessed.

“Twenty minutes. And no one’s been... well, no one’s found us?”

No.

“Good.”

He heard Jameson scoff, though he couldn’t see it in the darkness. How? We are trapped.

“I-I’m sure we can get out...” Doubt clouded Chase’s voice. “Hold on, I’m going to try and stand up.” He grabbed the stone brick wall of the well and tried pulling himself up. But as soon as he tried putting any weight on his legs, pain shot through his knees. He cried out.

Jameson grabbed him, taking most of the weight. After a second’s hesitation, he stood up, helping Chase to his feet as well.

“Th-thanks.” It was bearable now that he was standing. Though that might be because Jameson was supporting him. “I... should’ve been more careful jumping out that window.” He laughed dryly.

You can’t walk yourself, Jameson said. How do we leave?

“There’s a way, there has to be.” It wouldn’t make sense otherwise. Chase had definitely seen the deer directing them towards the well, the deer that he knew was the Horned Elder One. Why would they do that, if it would just end with the two of them stuck down here?

Jameson was still for a moment. Water? he asked.

“You’re thirsty?”

A silent laugh. No. Well water.

“Oh. Right. Uh... it feels pretty dry down here.” Chase patted the walls to confirm that. Dry as bone. “So they haven’t used it for water for a long time. Why? Were you thinking we could swim out?”

Maybe, Jameson said. Water won’t come back?

“No, when wells go dry they rarely get water again. And even when they’re full of water, it’s rare that it’ll be high enough for someone to climb out. That’s why parents tell children to be cautious when playing around wells.”

Didn’t know that, Jameson said. Do you have other idea to get out?

“Uh... let’s just look around a little bit.” Even though Chase couldn’t see Jameson in the darkness, he could sense the doubtful look on his face. But he wasn’t sure what else to do. “You’ll have to help me, are you okay with that?”

Of course.

They went around the perimeter of the well in an awkward, shuffling walk, both of them feeling around the walls for anything that could help. Chase had no idea what that would be. Maybe there would be a wet spot, where if they pulled out one of the bricks water would flood into the well. But he wasn’t sure if that would be better or worse.

Jameson inhaled sharply. “What?” Chase asked.

In response, Jameson grabbed Chase’s wrist and directed his hand to a certain spot on the wall, about shoulder-height. Chase felt around. There was something carved into one of the bricks. It was hard to tell what it was, but it felt vaguely circular. Jameson traced words on the back of Chase’s hand, saying, The royal crest?

“The royal crest?” Chase felt the carving some more. “Hmm. I don’t think that’s quite it. It gets narrow at either side. Maybe it’s... an eye?”

But why?

“Why is it down here? I don’t know. This certainly isn’t an ordinary well. The King should have sensed us down here, and yet...” Chase trailed off. He began using both hands to feel around the edges of the brick with the carving. “I think... I think it’s a bit loose.” There was enough room on one side to fit his fingers into the gap between this brick and its neighbor. Chase wormed his way in, then pulled.

The brick didn’t come out. Instead, it turned, swiveling outwards. The sound of grinding stone filled the small space at the bottom of the well. Jameson grabbed Chase and pulled him away from the brick, pressing their backs against the other side of the well. The grinding sound got louder and louder, dirt falling through the air, the ground shaking—and then it stopped.

Chase and Jameson stood there, tense, both waiting for the well to collapse on top of them. When it didn’t, Chase slowly took a step forward. Jameson followed, still supporting him. They walked towards the opposite wall again. The air was... cooler. And... moving. A breeze. Chase reached forward. Where his hand should have hit the wall, it instead found open air. “Elders...” Chase breathed. “I think... I think we found a passage.”

Jameson reached forward as well. Together, the two of them found the edges of a newly-open doorway. It was barely big enough for both of them to stand side by side. Do we follow it? Jameson asked.

“Uh... well...” Chase hesitated. “Do you want to?”

We don’t have a choice.

“There’s always a choice. It’s just... they’re not always good ones.”

Jameson paused. A moment passed, the breeze running past them. Staying in a well is worse, he decided.

Chase laughed. “I agree. At least this way we’re doing something.” He took a deep breath. “Let’s go, then.” And in unison, the two of them stepped forward.

The passageway was pitch black. As they walked forward, the light from the top of the well disappeared, until there was no difference between open eyes and shut ones. Progress was slow since they had to feel their way around.

At first, the walls were stone brick, the same as the walls of the well. They were rough-hewn but clearly man-made. The floor remained the dirt it had been. But then, as they went farther, the bricks began jutting out of the wall, pushed outwards. And then they disappeared altogether. There was just dirt. And even that dirt degraded over time, going from packed earth to softer, airier stuff, with the roots of plants dangling from the ceiling.

“I-it’s going to be okay,” Chase kept saying. “It’s going to be fine, there has to be an end.” He wasn’t sure if that was for his benefit or Jameson’s.

Loose rocks began popping up from the ground, tripping them and forcing them to slow down farther. They were also walking close enough together to risk tripping over each other’s feet. Chase could constantly hear Jameson’s breathing only a few inches away from him. The dirt walls became even less structured, no longer a tunnel made by human hands but more resembling an accidental cave. Strangely enough, Chase also noticed the walls becoming... less dry. Not wet, exactly, but there was definitely more moisture in the soil.

And then Chase realized another reason their progress was slowing. The tunnel was gradually gaining a slope, and that slope was increasing. “We’re heading towards the surface again!” he gasped. His heart soared.

Not long after that realization, the ground inclined sharply upwards. They stumbled up the new hill, feeling around with their hands—yes! This was the end! Above them, Chase felt smooth stone. He searched for some sort of mechanism, like the brick from the well. But... “I-I can’t find anything,” he said. “This—this is the end, right?”

Jameson wrapped an arm around him and squeezed: a comforting hug. He reached up and pushed. Dirt fell into the passage—no, not dirt. Sand. Chase coughed, covering his mouth and nose with his shirt. Then he reached up and helped Jameson push against the smooth stone. Something was moving. More sand was falling into the passage, but there was also light leaking into the area. They were moving a single slab of stone together. Chase knew he should be concerned about what was behind this slab, but he was too excited about the light to be bothered.

With one final heave, the two of them pushed aside the stone blocking the entrance. Chase grabbed the edge of the newly-formed hole and pulled, arms trembling. Jameson helped steady him, pushing him upwards as well.

Chase recognized this area. This was one of the few clear beaches on the edge of the island. Most of them had been built over by the edge of the floating neighborhoods, but this one had been preserved as a sort of scenic area. A place you could go for a stroll. The stone slab they pushed away was one of several stepping stones that served as decoration. He glanced around. No one was in sight. Probably because the sun was getting close to setting. “Alright, everything’s clear,” he whispered to Jameson. “Help me get out then I’ll pull you out, too.”

A few minutes of awkward, difficult, sand-covered climbing later, and the two of them were sitting on the sand of the beach, breathing heavily. Chase stared up at the sky. Then looked around their surroundings again. The beach would have been more beautiful if the water wasn’t taken up by more of the floating neighborhoods. But he didn’t care. He only cared who was watching. He could see a few people strolling along the neighborhoods’ wooden walkways, but no one was looking at the beach. They were all too busy.

Jameson rested his head on Chase’s shoulder. I can’t believe we got out, he said, now free to speak in hands since they were in the light again.

“It’s not over yet,” Chase said. He swallowed; his throat was dry. “We have to get off this island without being seen. Or, at least identified. Jameson, what happened to our things back at the inn?”

The warriors took most of it, Jameson said. I hid our masks but they could have found them.

“Damn it.” Chase sighed. “I guess I should’ve expected that.” He paused. “Come on, help me move the stone back to cover the tunnel. We don’t want them to know how we got out; a secret passage into the castle could be useful.”

Together, they put the stepping stone back into place over the hole. It didn’t fit as well as it had before. No doubt ages of not being used had given the stone time to settle into the ground. Jameson brushed some sand over the stone to help hide it. What’s our next move, then? he asked. The ferry out of Suilthair will be running soon. We could try to sneak aboard. Or we could try to hide somewhere in the city and regroup.

“I don’t think we’ll be able to sneak onto the ferry,” Chase muttered. “The King will be expecting us to flee. He’ll have warriors guarding the boats. We need some other way off.”

Jameson shook his head. There is no other way off beside the ferries.

“Normally I would disagree, but you might be right.” Chase hesitated. “Jameson. I... learned something recently. The King’s enchanter influence... it covers the whole city. He’s making people want to stay here. So he can have power over them.”

Jameson’s eyes widened slightly. Are you sure? How do you know?

“It’s a long story, but essentially, through the draíslings. The point being, if he’s making people not want to leave, they probably won’t consider that there might be other ways to get off besides the ferries.”

You could be right, Jameson said thoughtfully. I overheard a lot of the King’s troubles with the city in the years I was trapped with him. None of them involved, say, people smuggling things through using their own boats. He stood up, then offered a hand to Chase.

“Thanks,” Chase muttered, taking the hand. He bit back a whimper of pain as Jameson pulled him to his feet, putting pressure on his legs again. “W-we might need... might need to hide for a while. Even just one night. Ideally, somewhere on the edge of the floating neighborhoods. Those are as far from the palace as possible. As far from the King’s reach as possible.”

Jameson nodded. We should clean up, too, he added. We look like we just rolled around in dirt.

Chase looked down at his clothes, which were, as Jameson said, absolutely covered in dirt and sand. He laughed. “Going to be hard to do that without getting attention. We might as well just walk into the lake. Being all wet might be less suspicious than being dirty.”

We can probably do a little ourselves, Jameson said. I’m not too eager to go swimming in cold lake water. Here. He reached out and began patting and pulling at Chase’s clothes, sending clouds of dust and dirt into the air.

“Whoa, hey!” Chase coughed. “Give me some warning. Fine, we’ll try it this way.”

They didn’t manage to get all the dirt out, but they got it back down to... explainable levels. Chase also ditched the servant’s tunic by throwing it into the lake. Then the two of them cleaned up their faces and hair with said lake water, Jameson deeming that acceptable enough. Finally, they left the beach and cautiously walked back into the city proper, with Jameson still letting Chase lean on him for support.

There weren’t many people out on the streets. Strange, because Chase knew the city was still fairly busy just before sunset. He couldn’t help but suspect the King had done something.

As he suggested, the two of them went out into the floating neighborhoods as soon as possible. Their footsteps echoed on the wooden walkways. And theirs weren’t the only ones.

Chase heard the sound first, and immediately pushed Jameson into an alley between two buildings. What are you doing?! Jameson protested. Chase just pushed him further into the alley, until he was reasonably sure they were hidden beneath the shadow of the overcropping roof. Then he stared out at the entrance of the alley.

A squad of five warriors passed by. They looked more bored than anything, which was probably a good thing, because Chase was sure more attentive warriors would have investigated the alleyway. As soon as he heard their footsteps fade, Chase and Jameson crept back out onto the main walkway. “That was close,” Chase whispered. “We were lucky. Not all buildings have these little alleys between them. For a lot, it’s just water.”

They’re looking for us, aren’t they? Jameson said.

“Yea.” Chase nodded. “And I feel like sooner or later, those warriors in helmets will start looking, as well. I don’t think we’ll be able to hide from them in alleyways.”

Jameson paled. We have to find a hiding spot quickly, then.

“Let’s move fast, then. Or, as fast as possible.”

They continued deeper into the floating neighborhoods, slowly approaching the edge of Suilthair. The buildings were smaller out here. Mostly houses. Chase didn’t spend a lot of time out here. Not since...

He stopped walking. “Th-this is... It’s close to where I saw Stacia.”

Jameson looks at him, surprised. You found her? When Chase nodded, his eyes brightened. Do you think we could hide with her? I know it would be dangerous, so I’m not—

“No. No, Jameson. I...” Chase took a shaky breath. “She didn’t want anything to do with me. Told me to leave.”

She did? Jameson was stunned.

“Yes. I... I think she might be... enchanted. The same way everyone in this city apparently is. Or... I hope that’s it, at least.” He couldn’t be sure. Despite what Jack said about the King’s influence, the more Chase thought about it, the more he wondered if Stacia truly wanted nothing to do with him.

Jameson wasn’t sure what to say in response to that. He looked away, thinking. Then he asked, Should we leave then? If she doesn’t want to see you, will she report to the warriors that you were bothering her?

“I-I don’t think she’ll do that. It’s... probably fine.” Chase straightened. “Let’s just keep going.”

They did. Walking was getting harder, especially as the wooden walkways tended to bounce more on the water as they got farther from the island. Chase was having trouble staying steady. He was so glad that Jameson was willing to help. No doubt Jameson had injuries of his own from their escape.

Night was falling. There were lanterns on the edge of the city, but not all of them were lit. Some were supposed to be lit by city-employed lamplighters, and those clearly hadn’t gotten out this far yet. The lanterns that were lit clearly belonged to families or individuals, hanging by the doorways of houses. It was getting really hard to see.

But it was still easy to hear. As the two of them paused at an intersection of walkways, Chase stiffened as he heard footsteps. Not as many as earlier, maybe it wasn’t a squad of warriors, but they couldn’t be seen by anyone! He looked at Jameson. There was still enough light to make out his face. Jameson looked back at Chase, and his expression said that he also heard the footsteps. They glanced at their surroundings. None of the houses here had convenient alleyways; there was just water separating them. In a rush, Chase pushed Jameson towards one of the houses, where they pressed up against the wooden wall. “Try to look casual,” he whispered. Jameson nodded.

The footsteps got closer. Chase stared towards the sound, until Jameson said, We should try to hide our faces. Then he looked away. The two of them waited. Chase knew he should probably do something like hold a pretend conversation, but his throat was dry, his heart was pounding in his chest—

The steps turned the corner... and then stopped. A voice gasped. “I knew it!” The footsteps ran at them, and Chase turned around—just in time to almost get knocked into the water by a tiny person ramming into him. “Dad! You are here!”

“What the—?!” Chase recognized the voice instantly, but he was still confused. “A-Amabel?”

“I’ve been looking for you for a week!” Amabel squeezed him in a tight hug. Her red hair was shorter than the last he saw her. Had it been cut recently? “Mom let it slip that she saw you but she told me and Quin not to worry and to just forget it but I couldn’t just forget about you when we haven’t seen you in two whole seasons so I’ve been out looking for you and I was just about to go home but I had a feeling so I—”

“A-Amabel, please, slow down,” Chase said, overwhelmed. She was... looking for him?

“I knew we’d see you again, I knew Mom was wrong!” Amabel pulled away, looking up at Chase with a big grin on her face. “Come on, I’ll show you the way home!”

“No no no, Amy, wait a moment,” Chase said hurriedly. He glanced at Jameson, who was clearly very lost in the conversation. “We can’t—I-I can’t—Your mom—”

“Did you and Mom have a fight?” Amabel asked. “Is that why she said you’re not coming back?”

“She said that?!” Chase felt a wisp of hot anger curl around his heart. He never usually got angry with Stacia, but telling the children that he wouldn’t be coming back was—was terrible. 

“Yea, but I didn’t believe it. I, uh... I dunno if Quinten does. Maybe.” Amabel went quiet for a moment, but then grabbed Chase’s hand. “Come on, I have to show him you!”

“Amabel, wait!” Chase steadied his feet, not letting her pull him away. “Amy, I... I can’t go home with you.”

She looked back at him with wide eyes. “Why?”

“Because... because... I-it’s complicated, Amy. But it’s not because of you or Quinten or your mother. It’s... entirely about me. I have... things I need to do.”

“With him?” Amabel pointed at Jameson.

“Ah... partly,” Chase said. “It’s really with a lot of different people. Amabel, trust me, if it was possible I would go home with you and never leave again. But... it’s not, right now.”

Amabel was quiet. “When will you be back, then?”

“I-I don’t know...” Chase’s voice was weak. His heart was crying out as he stared at Amabel, who clearly didn’t understand why her dad couldn’t come home. “I... hope it will be soon.”

“Okay,” Amabel said softly. She took a deep breath, and repeated it in a firmer voice. “Okay. Okay.”

“I need... to leave Suilthair,” Chase explained. “But for tonight, me and my friend need a place to stay.”

“Not with us, though.”

“I’m sorry.” It was all he could say.

“It’s alright,” Amabel said, though she looked a bit sad. “Um. You can’t find an inn?”

“No.”

“Well, why don’t you just use one of the empty buildings around? There’s an old boathouse over that way.” Amabel pointed into the distance. “I can show you.”

Chase let out a breath. “That would be great, Amy. But you can’t... This is going to sound strange, but you can’t tell anyone where I am. Or my friend here. Not even your mom. You can tell Quinten, but only if he doesn’t tell anyone either.”

“I promise I won’t say anything.” Amabel pressed her left hand to her heart and then raised it into the air. It was a gesture that Chase had seen around, mostly used by the especially religious who wished to make a vow to the Elders. It looked a bit strange seeing his daughter do it, since she’d never really had much interest in that sort of stuff. “I swear it.”

“...Alright.” Chase nodded. “You can take us there, then.”

Amabel smiled. She spun around and started walking. Chase started following, tugging on Jameson’s arm to get him to follow.

Jameson stood there for a moment before recovering, resuming his support of Chase. This is strange, isn’t it? he said. That of all the people we run into, it’s your daughter?

“You think it’s some sort of mind trick?” Chase muttered. “It’s not.”

How can you be sure? Isn’t it odd that a child is out wandering by herself?

“She’s eleven years old and grew up on the edge of the woods. She’s able to take care of herself. In fact, she used to wander around all the time back in our village.” Chase smiled as he remembered. Then shook his head and became serious again. “I understand your caution, especially considering where you’ve been for the past week. But I know my daughter.”

Jameson was still wary, but he nodded slowly. I suppose I’ll trust you, then.

They kept walking. Amabel glanced over her shoulder at the two men every few seconds, as if making sure they didn’t disappear. Besides that, she stayed silent. Neither Chase nor Jameson had enough energy to start a conversation. They just kept following. The floating buildings became sparse, the wooden walkways more like docks—returning to their original purpose from when Suilthair was first built, before it began expanding onto the lake.

“Here.” Amabel pointed. The walkway stopped up ahead, ending at a small floating building. It was no more than four walls and a peaked roof, the most basic appearance of a building. “Come on.” She hurried up ahead, carefully pushing open a door that creaked loudly.

Chase and Jameson hurried over. Jameson hesitated for a moment before entering the building, but Chase walked in on his own. It was extremely dark in here. The only light came from a couple small, rectangular windows at the very top of the wall where it met the roof. Luckily, there was enough light to notice that most of the floor inside was missing. “Whoa!” Chase gasped. If he laid down on the floor there would be barely enough room to stretch his arms to either side. The wood at the edges of the floor was rotted and jagged.

I can see why this is the “old” boathouse, Jameson said.

“Yea. Amabel, what is this place?”

“People used to store boats here,” she said. “Or maybe just one. I dunno. But people don’t really use boats anymore so no one comes here.”

“Other than the ferry,” Chase muttered. This was confirming his suspicions that there would be no way out of Suilthair than the ferries. 

“So...” Amabel hovered in the doorway. “Can I, um, come back to see you this morning?”

“Only if you’re very careful about it,” Chase said. “Make sure no one sees you.”

“Why?”

“Because...” Chase sighed. “Amy.” He started to lean down so he could be more level with her. But with a start, he realized he didn’t have to lean at all. Her head came up to his shoulders. When did that happen? “The things I have to do... are very dangerous. Even more dangerous than hunting. And if people knew that... that you knew I was doing these things... you would be in as much danger as me. And so would Quinten. And so would your mother. I would hate it if...” His voice broke. “...if something happened to you all because of me.”

Amabel stared at him. She nodded. “Alright. I’ll keep Quinten and Mom safe, then.”

Chase smiled. “I know you will. You’re very strong.”

“But you still have to teach me how to shoot a bow, remember?”

He laughed. “Of course. I’m sorry I couldn’t do it on Hunt’s Day like I promise. As soon as I’m done with this business, I swear I’ll teach you.”

Amabel grinned. “Thank you. Alright, I’ll go home, then. I’ll tell Quinten everything.”

“Be careful.” Chase hesitated, then reached out. “I-I know you don’t enjoy hugs that much, but can I... just this once?” Amabel nodded, and he wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. “I love you,” he murmured. “Tell your brother, too.”

“I will. And I love you too.”

Chase took a deep breath, sealing this moment in his memory. Then he drew back. “Alright. Be careful.”

“You already said that,” Amabel pointed out.

“Well it’s worth saying again.”

Amabel nodded. “I’ll see you in the morning.” Then she turned and left. Chase watched her walk away until she rounded a corner and disappeared behind a floating building.

Jameson had been watching the whole exchange silently. Now, he stepped forward. He put a hand on Chase’s shoulder.

Chase let out a shuddering breath. “I-I really hope...” He trailed off. He wasn’t sure how to finish that. He just... hoped.

She’ll be alright, Jameson said. So will the rest of your family. He paused. Is it... unusual that your wife would tell your children that you aren’t coming back?

“Very unusual,” Chase confirmed. “Something is going on.” He sighed. “But I don’t know what it can be, other than enchantment. I’m too tired to come up with anything else.”

Jameson nodded. We should rest.

“We should.” Chase reached out and grabbed the old door. It was hard to move, the hinges rusted over, but he got it there eventually. He felt around for a bit, noticed a deadbolt lock on the door, then slid it closed. “Actually, we should probably sleep in shifts. Not only are there warriors looking for us, but there’s a massive hole in the floor we could roll into in our sleep.”

He heard the exhales of Jameson’s silent laughter. Then Jameson grabbed his hand and started writing out a response, just like in the well. You sleep first.

“Me? Really? You must have been under much more stress than me recently.”

Maybe. But you’re hurt more than me. Sleep.

Chase was too tired to argue further. “Alright.” He slowly lowered himself to the ground. Beside him, Jameson did the same. For the first time, he noticed the odd crinkling sound that happened when Jameson moved. “What’s that sound?”

Book I found, Jameson explained.

“Oh yes, the burnt one. What is that?”

No idea. Look at it later. Too dark.

“True. But it will only get darker.” Chase laid down on the wooden floor, pressing his back against the wall of the boathouse. “If you’re going to be awake anyway, maybe you can look at it.”

Maybe, Jameson traced. Good night.

“Mm. Goodnight.” Chase closed his eyes, wondering if he would dream of the same well and garden he always did. He wondered why Jack’s nightmare prison was that of a royal garden. But before those wonderings could go anywhere, he slipped into sleep.

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticegos #septic egos #septic egos au #jacksepticeye au #chase brody #jameson jackson #brigid writes fanfiction #fantasymasksau

[crystalninjaphoenix]

It‘s Always Darkest Before the Dawn

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Twenty-Seven

A JSE Fanfic

A lot happens in this one, so get ready. We return to Suilthair to check on Chase. He hasn’t been doing well ever since Stacia turned him away. But then he has another dream that might change everything. We also get a glimpse of what Jameson is doing and where Marvin has been this whole time. And yeah. Like I said, a LOT happens. So be prepared for that. Hope you enjoy!

Previous Part | More AU

Taglist: @brokentimewatch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chase opened his eyes to a pounding headache. Wincing, he immediately shut them again and rolled over, covering his ears as he tried to block out the world. It was especially difficult to do since he was lying outside. Specifically, on a small patch of grass next to a city street. On the cobbled street nearby, people walked past. Occasionally someone glanced at him but then looked away.

“Hey! You!” Someone shouted. Chase felt a foot nudge his side. “What’re you doing here?” He cracked open an eye and peered through the blinding morning light. A stern-looking older woman was glaring down at him. “This is my garden. No place to nap.”

“...sorry,” Chase muttered, sitting up. That motion just made his head pound harder, swimming. “Didn’t mean t’fall asleep.”

The woman rolled her eyes. “Just get out of here.”

“Sorry,” Chase said again, slowly getting to his feet. He kept one hand pressed against the left side of his head where the headache was strongest. With the woman—the gardener—watching him, he stumbled out into the street.

One week ago, Chase had found Stacia again. He’d spoken to her for the first time in almost half a year, and she had coldly rejected him. She hadn’t even let him see the children.

After that, he’d tried heading back to the inn where he was staying with Marvin and Jameson. But it had been surrounded by the King’s warriors. So he decided it was best to stay away and find out what was happening. It didn’t take much asking around before he found out that the warriors had arrested some rebels who were plotting treason against the King. No one knew the details, but it wasn’t hard for Chase to figure it out. Somehow, the King had found them. He’d captured Marvin and Jameson while Chase was out searching for his family... a family who didn’t even want him.

It wasn’t a good idea to linger around the inn. There was a chance the warriors would realize he was also one of those dangerous rebels. So he’d spent most of the day wandering around Suilthair until he eventually made his way into a tavern. Once there, he ordered the strongest ale they had and sat there drinking until the barkeep kicked him out.

The rest of the week had been much of the same.

Chase tried to remember where he was in Suilthair. He’d woken up in a garden, and those were only found on the island part of the city—there was no earth to grow plants on in the floating neighborhoods. The last thing he remembered from the night before... he’d been in a tavern, and one of the other customers had been shouting at him. Did he get in a fight? No, he didn’t have any injuries. Not even any bruises. More likely, he’d left the tavern and spent the rest of the night walking through the streets until he eventually got tired and decided to go to sleep... in a garden. Well, it was better than lying in the middle of the road.

He didn’t know where to go. He hadn’t known where to go for a while. His friends were gone, his family wanted nothing to do with him... maybe he could have left the city and tried to find Jackie and Henrik. That was what he should be doing. They should know that Marvin and Jameson had been captured.

But... he couldn’t.

He just... couldn’t.

The sun was really bright today. It wasn’t helping his headache. Chase slunk into the alley between two houses and sat on the ground, leaning back against the wall. The piercing pain in his head didn’t fade. His left eye was watering from how much it hurt. But at least the shade in this small alleyway helped a bit.

Why couldn’t he move on?

He asked himself the question, but he already knew the answer. It was because he didn’t want to face Jackie and Henrik. Not like this. Not when he’d failed at everything he was supposed to do in Suilthair. He may have found his family, but he’d failed to be there for them. And he’d failed to be there for Marvin and Jameson, as well. Maybe if he had been at the inn when the royal warriors showed up, the two of them wouldn’t have been captured. Maybe it would have been him instead. And that was a far better outcome.

“Sorry, Jameson,” he muttered to himself. “I’m not the man in your vision.”

Chase wasn’t the man who would supposedly defeat the King one day. How could someone who couldn’t support his friends and family somehow defeat the most powerful man in Glasúil?

Besides, a key detail of the man in Jameson’s vision was that he was wearing a deer mask. And Chase had no doubt his mask had been confiscated by the warriors when they raided the inn.

Chase sat in the shade of the alleyway for most of the morning. He tried to fall asleep but the headache made it difficult. And he had no one to blame for the headache but himself. He was the one who’d spent every night for the past week drinking until he blacked out and woke up with his head pounding. That was his fault like everything else was.

The headache finally faded around midday, so Chase got up and stumbled through the streets. A lot of people were out and about. Many were going about their various business, but others were simply enjoying the nice day. Almost all of them stared blatantly at Chase as he walked past. He wasn’t surprised. He knew he looked terrible. By now, he’d been wearing the same clothes for a week straight. They were rumpled and dirty, and his hair and beard weren’t much different. He should probably clean up soon. But... that would take so much effort...

He didn’t have the energy to do much this past week. When he wasn’t wandering the streets, he was sitting there doing nothing. He knew that was terrible. While he was lazing about, his friends were missing and captured. They probably needed his help. Why didn’t he try and help them? Why was he such a horrible friend?

Maybe he wasn’t a horrible friend. Maybe he was just horrible in general. That was why Stacia had turned him away, wasn’t it? Because he was too horrible to do anything for the people he cared about?

Oh. The sun was already dipping below the tops of Suilthair’s buildings. Chase had no idea how it had gotten so late so quickly. He was getting tired of walking in circles. Time to find somewhere to sit down.

He was still on the island part of Suilthair, so he hurried towards the floating neighborhoods as quickly as possible. It wasn’t a good idea to linger in the island taverns. They were more likely to call the royal warriors on a troublesome customer, since the barracks were closer and more convenient to reach. And he definitely didn’t want any warriors to notice him.

Soon, the ground beneath his feet gave way to wooden walkways floating on water. Chase was somewhat familiar with Suilthair’s layout by now, and headed towards the nearest tavern. He couldn’t remember the name of it, but he recognized the hanging sign outside with a drawing of a dragon. Sighing, he opened the front door and walked inside.

The barkeep looked up as he came in. They scowled. “No.”

Chase blinked, confused. What was the problem? It wasn’t like the place was too full for him; it was nearly empty.

“No,” the barkeep repeated. They snapped their fingers and pointed back at the door. “Out. You’re banned.”

Oh right. Chase had forgotten about that. The night before last, he’d drank more ale than he could pay for. The owner had responded by throwing him out and forbidding him from coming back.

“Out!” The barkeep barked. “Don’t make me call the warriors!”

Quickly, Chase turned and left, hurrying down the street.

Somewhere else, then.

Some wandering later, the sun was half-below the horizon. The surrounding buildings cast deep shadows and people were starting to light lanterns to see. Chase found another tavern, almost identical to the last one but with a unicorn on its sign instead of a dragon. He walked in. This place was just as empty as the last one, too. But the barkeep didn’t throw him out the moment he saw him, so Chase walked over to the bar. “How many drinks can I get for this?” he asked, digging into his pocket and pulling out a handful of copper coins.

The barkeep raised his eyebrow as he glanced at the offered coins. “I can get you two of the mid-shelf ales or five of the low-shelf ones.”

“Gimme the five,” Chase said, slapping the coins down on the counter. He had about a handful of copper left after this. Then he’d start having to worry about getting more money.

“Alright, if you’re sure. All at once?”

“No. One after the other.”

Again, the barkeep raised his eyebrow. But he said nothing. “I’ll get that first one for you.”

“Thanks,” Chase mumbled, then turned around. He walked to a table in the corner and slumped into the seat. A minute later, the barkeep sat a glass down in front of him and left without another word. Chase nodded at him, then picked up the glass and took a drink. The ale was watered-down, but that was fine. He didn’t really care about the quality.

Why was he so useless? He could have been doing anything else, but he was just sitting here, wasting his money on cheap ale. Then again, if he tried doing anything else, it would probably go wrong. At least this way he could forget about all that for a while.

His head started to spin three drinks in, but he kept going. By the time he was done his vision was wavering and his stomach was roiling. He started to stand and immediately fell back against the table. His legs were weak. Or maybe the floor was swaying. After taking a moment to breathe, he managed to stand up straight and started to stumble towards the door.

“Oh no you don’t.” The barkeep suddenly appeared, grabbing Chase’s arm and dragging him back towards the table. “You’re likely to fall into the lake in this state, and that’d be a shame. Just sit down.”

“Wha...?” Chase blinked. “But... your...” What was the word? “Your other people... in th’ place, here, buyin’ things.... need tables?”

“Other customers? It’s dead in here, anyway,” the barkeep said. “Always is. Rather not have someone drown on my watch.” He pushed Chase down into the chair. “Just stay here. All night if you have to, I don’t care. Don’t cause trouble and we’ll be gold.” And then he walked back towards the bar.

Chase wasn’t about to think too hard about that. He couldn’t have even if he wanted to. He just leaned over and rested his head on the table. Everything was swimming. He closed his eyes to make it feel better. Now it was dark. The dark was nice... Slowly, he drifted off...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Chase next opened his eyes, he found himself in a familiar place. The moonlit garden. He was having another draísling. Looking to the side, he saw the deer with golden antlers standing just out of arm’s reach. Much closer than it had been the last time he had this dream.

Hot anger poured into Chase’s throat and stomach. He tried to shout at the deer. Tried to scream that he didn’t want any of this magic stuff to happen to him, he never wanted any of it! He just wanted a life with his family but it was clear that wasn’t going to happen! Leave him alone! Whatever the deer wanted from him, he clearly couldn’t do it!

But no sound came from his mouth. He couldn’t even make his lips move. Even so, the deer inclined its head slightly, as if it could hear what he wanted to say anyway. Then it looked towards the well in the center, as it had so often before.

Chase was tempted to stay in place until he woke up, just to spite this deer—this Elder who kept putting him in this dream and not explaining. But then, as he stared at the well, he thought about the man trapped inside. Jack. How long had it been since they’d last spoken? Was Jack alright? Was he worried about Chase not appearing in this shared dream? Chase could at least check on him. Even if he couldn’t help his family, he could try to help someone else.

He sighed, and walked towards the well. It was easy. The mysterious force that tried to push him back had greatly lessened. Or maybe he was just used to shouldering his way through it. Either way, he soon found himself grabbing the stone edge of the well. “Jack?” he called, voice now able to work.

A moment passed. Then... “Chase? Are you there?”

“Yea. It’s me.” Chase tightened his grip on the stone well. “I-I’m sorry I haven’t been here in a while, I can’t really control it.”

“You’ve mentioned that before. I remember. I-it’s fine, don’t worry. I’m used to this.” Jack’s voice was shaking slightly, but he continued on anyway. “How have things... been for you?”

Despite the dreamy nature of the draísling, Chase distinctly felt the tears welling in his eyes. “It’s...” He intended to lie. Not because he didn’t trust Jack—though perhaps he shouldn’t trust a voice in a well—but mostly because Jack didn’t need to know about all the troubles going on in Chase’s life. And yet... the words came out anyway. “It’s all gone to shit out there.”

“...oh.” Jack paused. “I’m... I’m sorry. What happened?”

“My—my wife, she—” Chase choked on a lump in his throat. “She a-and my children have been—I thought they were missing, so I-I’ve been looking for them for nearly two seasons now, and I—I finally found her in Suilthair, but sh-she doesn’t—she said—sh-she said I left them, a-and I should have been there sooner, and they’ve moved on without me, a-and they don’t want to see me, and they’re—Stacia was right, I should have found them sooner, I should have—”

“Chase, Chase, calm down.” Jack’s voice echoed up from the darkness below.

He couldn’t calm down. His vision was blurred with tears and his legs felt weak. He leaned on the side of the well for support, taking gasping breaths. Why did crying feel so real when this dream world felt so different?

“Chase, I’m sure you did everything you could for your family,” Jack said gently. “If she doesn’t understand how much you’ve done for them, then it’s on her, not you.”

“I sh-should have... should have started the search right away,” Chase sobbed. “I-I wasted so much time, I—I could have just left and tried to find them by myself, but I—I got d-distracted and—”

“Glasúil is a big kingdom,” Jack said. “You’re just one man. No matter how much you searched, it was going to be hard to find them.”

“I left them,” Chase whispered.

“What was that?”

“I left them!” Chase shouted. “I left them and now they hate me! And they should!” He bent over the well as a new round of cries shook his body. “It’s what I deserve.”

“Stop that!” Jack suddenly snapped, and Chase stopped crying out of shock. “I know we haven’t spoken that much, but I can tell you don’t deserve to be hated.”

“...How?” Chase asked cautiously.

“Because...” Jack said softly, “...when we first spoke... before you did anything else... you asked if I needed help.” He laughed. “I-I’ve met plenty of people who wouldn’t bother. Even if they thought it was a dream. They would have left. Because... what if the voice in the well is a trick? What if their recurring dream is a trap or some kind of spell? They would have been too afraid. But... the very first thing you did was ask if you could help. You tried to. And... someone who acts like that... doesn’t deserve to be hated.” A pause. “That’s how I know you tried everything you could to get to your family. We don’t know each other that well, but I know that’s the kind of person you are.”

Chase was stunned. He’d started crying again halfway through Jack’s speech, but not out of sadness this time. Even though Jack was a near-stranger, his words had touched his heart. Or perhaps it was because Jack was a near-stranger. He had no reason to be nice to Chase. This could have been a chance to butter Chase up so he would help rescue Jack, but they both knew from previous dreams that there was nothing Chase could do, so flattery wouldn’t have a point. No, this was the truth as Jack saw it. And Chase never would have thought another person would see him that way.

“Are you... still there?” Jack said tentatively.

“Y-yes, I’m still here.” Chase wiped at his eyes. “Thank you. I... I really needed to hear that.”

“Not a problem.” Jack went quiet for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was hesitant. “Chase. Did you... say your family lives in Suilthair now?”

“...Maybe,” Chase said. “Why?”

“It... It sounds like your wife was... unusually harsh with you,” Jack said slowly. “I don’t really know, since I don’t know her or how she spoke to you, but... am I right?”

Chase nodded. Then he remembered Jack couldn’t see him and said, “Yes, you’re right. She was... I-I wasn’t expecting her to be so... cold.”

“There might...” Jack said, “...be a reason for that.”

Chase went cold. If he could have felt his heart in this dream-like state, he knew he would have felt it stop. “What do you mean?”

“Suilthair is where... where the King resides,” Jack said carefully. “And the King is... not... what people think.”

“Do you mean his enchanter magic?” Chase leaned further over the stone wall, peering into the well.

“You know about that?! How?!”

“Ah... that’s  not important right now,” Chase said. “Back to this. Are you saying that—” An idea struck him like a flash of lightning. “Are you saying that the King has enchanted my family?! But—why? I know he’s cruel, but he has no reason to target them!”

“I... it’s not...” Jack coughed. “S-sorry, I... I need a moment.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Yes, it’s just... I thought the water was rising again. But it’s not. It’s... been delayed in rising lately. Which is strange.” Jack paused. “But back to the King. He... wouldn’t be targeting your family. But they are in Suilthair. And everyone in that city is... under his influence.”

“What do you mean?” Chase asked, his voice hushed.

“The King is... unnaturally powerful,” Jack said carefully. “He has the ability to influence people around him. All enchanters can learn how to do that, but his range is... I don’t want to use the same word again, but... it’s unnatural. He can hold an entire city in his grasp.”

“He’s controlling the whole city?!” Chase gasped, leaning farther forward.

“No, it’s not control, it’s influence,” Jack explained. “It makes the people within range feel a certain way. In this case, they are convinced the King is a fair and just ruler. And in Suilthair, specifically, he makes them... not want to leave. It’s his seat of power. Where he spends most of his time. He wants as many people there, under his influence, as possible. Most of the cityfolk are so deep in his influence that their feelings persist even when he’s not there. So... wh-what I’m thinking is, if your wife has been there for a while, then she wouldn’t want to see you because you’re a reminder of her life outside the city.”

Chase’s thoughts whirled. Was this true? Could Stacia be under an enchantment? Along with everyone else in Suilthair? It made him feel better to think that way, but he couldn’t help but feel there was more he was missing. “Are you sure?” Chase asked, leaning even farther into the well. “How do you even know this in the first place?”

“It’s hard to—”

 But before Jack could answer, Chase’s hand—which he was using to brace himself against the stone well—slipped. He yelped as its support suddenly vanished. And that yelp turned into a scream as the lack of support led to him falling forward. He jerked back, trying to regain control, but the movement only made it worse. And he fell down into the well.

Darkness rushed past him. His body hit the sides of the narrow well. Strangely, he felt no pain from the impacts, but they disoriented him. A few seconds of wind rushing and slamming against the stone bricks passed. And then—SPLASH! He landed face-down in a puddle of water.

“Holy Elders!” Jack gasped. “Chase! You—”

Chase lifted his head. “I-I’m okay.” And he was. There had been no pain from the landing. A benefit of the draísling’s dream-like state. But he was shaken. He got to his hands and knees and looked around. The bottom of the well was completely dark. The only bit of light was the distant circle of night sky far above, small enough to be covered with a single raised hand. Its faint light didn’t illuminate anything at the bottom.

“Are you sure?” Chase heard some splashing sounds, accompanied by a metallic clinking. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. “Oh, there you are. Can you move?”

“I’m okay,” Chase said again, more insistently, and stood. “It didn’t hurt.”

“It... didn’t?” Jack repeated. “It sounded terrible. A-and I’ve... been hurt in these nightmares... before.”

Chase felt a pang of sympathy in his chest. “I’m sorry that’s happened to you,” he said quietly. “But I really am alright. This... this is a dream we both share, but it clearly doesn’t affect us the same way.”

“Clearly.”

A moment of silence passed as they both took in this new situation. Chase thought he’d be awake by now. No other draísling had lasted this long. “Well,” he finally said. “Before I fell down here like an idiot, I asked you how you knew about the King’s, uh... influence. And actually, how do you know that the King is an enchanter in the first place? No one else seems to know.” Chase and the rest of the Phantoms only knew because Jameson had told them.

Jack was silent for a moment. Chase heard more of those metallic clinks. “I know a lot about the King,” Jack said quietly. “He’s the reason I’ve had these nightmares for years now.”

Chase’s heart dropped. “You mean... you’re under some sort of nightmare enchantment?”

Jack laughed dryly. “Yes. I don’t know why. Maybe he just decided to fucking punish me. As if I wasn’t being punished enough.”

“What do you mean?” Chase asked, confused.

“I mean that... out there, in the real world, when I’m awake, I’m also trapped,” Jack said. “That’s... also because of the King.”

“Why would he do that?”

Jack sighed. “Because... I-I’m not sure how much I should tell you, Chase. If you knew, you might... be in danger.” Chase tried not to laugh. As if he wasn’t already an enemy of the King. “I’ll keep it vague. I told you I’m a noble. That’s true. I have... a powerful position. A-and if I was free, it would be bad for the King. But... he also needs me. So he can’t just kill me.”

“So instead he imprisoned you,” Chase summarized. “So he could control you.”

“Yes, exactly!” Jack was relieved that Chase understood. “Maybe that’s why he’s also imprisoned me when I sleep. Maybe these nightmares make me easier to control.” Chase heard fabric rustle, along with more clinks. “Damn bastard. Fucking monster.”

“For a noble, you sure curse a lot,” Chase muttered.

Jack laughed. “Some people really don’t like to hear it, but I think I’ve earned the right to curse as much as I damn well please.”

“I think you have, too,” Chase agreed. Then he cleared his throat. “Look, Jack. Do you think if... if I could somehow find you out there, in the real world, I could—”

Suddenly, the sound of wind filled the small space at the bottom of the well. Chase felt himself pushed backwards. He yelped and tried to struggle against it.

“Chase!” Jack gasped. 

Chase reached forward. For a split second, he grabbed onto something—something that felt like a human wrist with a thick metal band around it—

And then he bolted upright, gasping, awake once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jameson had been locked in this room for four days. Combined with the three days of being locked in the dungeon, that meant it had been one week since the King found him again.

In some ways, it was the same as the five years he’d spent with the King before all this. Most of his time back then had been spent stuck in various rooms as well. But in other ways, this was different. The most significant one being that the door was locked. Before, the King hadn’t actually bothered with that. He knew where Jameson was at all times, and would immediately tell if he left his room without permission. And if Jameson did that... if he left... Well, Jameson didn’t like to think about those memories. But the fear of the King knowing, and the King retaliating, had kept him stuck inside those rooms even if the doors were unlocked.

It was different now. Jameson couldn’t give up on escape. There were people outside waiting for him. Marvin, Chase, Jackie, Henrik... No matter what the King did, Jameson had to try to get back to them. And the King knew that. So he locked the door. He couldn’t risk losing Jameson so soon after getting him back.

Jameson doubted the King would take him anywhere. He used to do that sometimes. Whenever the King left the city, he brought Jameson with him. And sometimes he brought Jameson to meetings with his advisors, or other... special occasions. Jameson still remembered how the King had dragged him to Marvin’s intended execution. And because the King had done that, Chase had managed to step in and get Jameson out of there. 

He wondered if Chase and Marvin had left Suilthair. Or if they’d also been imprisoned, despite his best efforts.

There wasn’t much to do while locked in this small room. Jameson had looked around. There were no books or games or anything. It was completely barren. So, to pass the time, Jameson decided to try cleaning it up. After all, the room had clearly been abandoned for a while, full of dust and cobwebs. He didn’t have any tools for cleaning, but there was nothing else to do, so he tried.

It also kept his mind distracted. Something that was very important to do, with the King nearby. Possibly listening in on his thoughts.

Twice a day, the King unlocked the door to the room and stepped in to talk with Jameson. He smiled, and said, “How are you adjusting?” The first time this happened, some very angry thoughts crossed Jameson’s mind, and immediately—Smack! His head whipped to the side with the force of the King’s blow. “That’s not very nice,” the King had said in a dangerously cold voice. The next couple times the King appeared, Jameson forced himself to not think of responses like that.

The King wasn’t visiting just to ask Jameson ‘how he was adjusting.’ No, there were two other reasons for his visits. One was to take care of Jameson’s basic needs. Bring him food and water, take him to the bathroom, give him a new set of clothes since Jameson kept getting his clothes dirty while trying to clean the room. The other reason... The King wanted more information about the Masked Phantoms.

Jameson had never been happier that he hadn’t gotten involved with the Phantoms’ daily dealings. He didn’t know how their resistance was organized, how many of them there were, or where they could be hiding. He knew about Wyvernlair, but the King had apparently already found out about that, so his information was useless. And that made the King very unhappy. But... at least he didn’t take out that unhappiness on Jameson.

On the fourth day—sometime in the evening, judging by the sunlight coming from the window—Jameson had sat down on the floor and was trying to clean up the floorboards. Just like his previous attempts, it was difficult. He’d taken off his vest and was using the cloth to try and wipe away the grime—something that would have been easier with water, but he wasn’t about to waste water on that. And then he noticed something. One of the wooden floorboards under the bed was a bit loose. Not too unusual. But there was something about it... If he tried, he could get his fingers into the gap between the planks—

Clunk. That was the sound of a lock opening.

Jameson jumped, scrambling to his feet. Just in time for the door to swing open. The King was there, and he looked—he looked—Jameson actually couldn’t place the expression on his face. The King stared at him and said, “Do you know any enchanters?”

What? Jameson blinked in confusion. Other than the King? He didn’t know anyone—

“Are there any enchanters in that Phantom group?” The King asked urgently.

There probably were, but Jameson didn’t know any of them.

“Of course you don’t know them,” the King growled. “Damn it!”

Jameson jumped. He waited for the King to ask something more, but he didn’t. He just ran a hand through his hair. Strange... the King wasn’t wearing the golden circlet he usually did. And his hair and clothes were tousled. Why?

The King glared at him, and Jameson stiffened. And then—without another word—he closed the door. A moment passed before the King opened it again and threw a bundle inside. “That’s yours,” he said bluntly, and then left. The lock clunked back into place.

Jameson stood there, confused and still on edge. Slowly, he walked over and picked up the bundle. More clothes, wrapped around a simple meal of bread, cheese, and water in a corked bottle. The same thing he’d been getting every day.

What was that about? Why was the King so... tense? Had something happened? Something to... scare him?

Yes, that was it! The expression on the King’s face. It was fear.

But what could scare the King?

Jameson shook his head, more confused than ever. He’d never seen the King scared before. And while he was on the topic of confusing things, what was up with that floorboa—

No. Stop thinking about that. The King could still be listening. Not that it was important enough for him to take note. Definitely not important. Definitely not.

Jameson sat down on the bed and ate his small meal, watching the light from the window slowly fade. Another day had passed. Another day, and he was alright. He would count that as a victory.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One week ago, a bright blue light flashed in the middle of a forest. When it disappeared, there was someone standing there. A man with brown hair and bright blue eyes, holding a cat in one arm. He hadn’t been there a moment before.

Marvin looked around. “...what?” he breathed.

Trees surrounded him on all sides, as far as he could see. Massive things, their tops hidden by branches, so wide it would take three men holding hands to encircle their trunks. Mushrooms and moss covered most of them, but beneath that was bark in various shades. Dark brown, black, reddish, sandy yellow, white with spots, and more. Their roots twisted across the ground, weaving with each other. Tall flowers rose from the earth in between the roots. Marvin thought they were lavender at first, but they were much too tall, coming up to his waist, and the shade of purple was wrong—almost pink.

The leaves of the trees blocked out the sky overhead. It should have been dark as night in the forest, but it wasn’t. There were many other sources of light. Mushrooms on the trees glowed in shades of orange, yellow, and red. And those strange lavender-like flowers glowed softly from their petals as well. Odd yellow bulbs dangled on vines from the branches, each the size of a lantern and providing the same amount of light. And there were small blue sparks floating through the air. One passed by Marvin’s head. It was some sort of butterfly, its blue wings letting out a bright glow.

“Wh-where am I?” Marvin whispered.

Draco wriggled, and Marvin bent down. His familiar leapt out of his arm and landed on the ground, where he immediately began pawing and kneading the moss-covered ground.

“Draco, what did you do?” Marvin asked. “Did you... transport me somewhere?” He laughed. “All above, that’s probably ridiculous to say.” But he didn’t know what else could have happened. One moment, he was trapped in a dead-end alleyway, prepared to fight royal warriors and sorcerers, ready to go down slinging spells. The next, Draco’s eyes glowed bright blue, and there was a flash of light, and now... he was here. Wherever ‘here’ was.

A wizard’s familiar was not a normal animal. Everyone knew that. They were summoned through a spell, and could do incredible things. But they couldn’t use any of their incredible magic without a wizard’s command. And even if they could, Marvin had never heard of a familiar somehow transporting a wizard to somewhere else.

“W-well...” Marvin looked around. “I... suppose we have to leave.” He wasn’t about to abandon his friends. Chase and Jameson were still in danger somewhere in Suilthair. But—where was Suilthair?! How did he get there from this strange forest?!

Also what the fuck was this forest?! Why was everything glowing? It had to be magical, but where in the world was there a place like this, so steeped in magic?

Unless...

“Is this...” Marvin whispered to himself, “...the Wyldwood?”

Draco stopped kneading the ground and looked up at him. His tail flicked, and he rubbed his head against Marvin’s leg. Almost as if he was answering Marvin’s question.

Glasúil was a kingdom built on an island, and that island was divided in half. The Dragon’s Teeth mountains ran from north to south down the center. To the east was the land Glasúil was founded on. It was where all the people were, where all the farms and towns and cities were built. To the west of the mountains was the Wyldwood. A massive forest where, much like other Wyldlands across the world, magic welled up and saturated the land. Few people had ever ventured deep into the Wyldwood. It was a confusing place... and possibly dangerous. But Marvin had read a few accounts from people who had journeyed inside. And the area around him matched up with some of those accounts. Namely, the massive trees and unnatural light.

No one ever went deep into the Wyldwood. They said the farther you went into the woods, the stranger things became. The very heart of the forest had never been seen. Or at least, not by anyone in written history.

Marvin’s eyes darted around, nervously searching for any sign of life. He couldn’t see anything. Couldn’t hear anything, either. And that made him uneasy. Forests were filled with animals and insects. There should be all sorts of noise. But this place was quiet. Slowly, Marvin reached up and grasped his amulet. Then he gasped. The amulet—his magic focus—was warm. It was emitting faint heat. When he held it up, he noticed a faint white glow coming from the dragon bone.

Wyldwood or not, this place was making him uneasy. “Draco, we have to go,” he said, turning to the side and walking as quickly as he could. He had no idea where he was going, but if he picked a direction, he had to get out of here eventually.

Behind him, Draco mewed pleadingly. Marvin turned back to look at him. “Come on,” he said. In defiance of his command, Draco sat down and started licking his front leg. Marvin rolled his eyes. “I said come on. You’re a familiar, you’re supposed to listen to me!” Draco just kept sitting there.

“Well fine, you can catch up later,” Marvin said, and turned back around, continuing to walk. Could he make a magical doorway here? That would be faster than going on foot, but he wasn’t sure if it was worth the energy it would take to cast the spell repeatedly.

The leaves of the trees rustled. Marvin stopped walking, suddenly uneasy. Something was wrong with that. What was it?

A groan echoed through the forest. Coming from the trees. The sound of ancient, sturdy things moving and shifting. But that was bound to happen with any strong wind. Same with the leaves. It was just wind. That was it. That was causing the sound. It was just wind.

...Then why weren’t his clothes moving? Why wasn’t his hair being blown into his face?

The leaves rustled again. The trees groaned. Marvin’s heart leapt into his throat and he burst into a run.

But only a few seconds later, he tripped, landing hard on the moss-covered earth. “Shit!” he cursed, scrambling to his feet again. He only took a couple steps before he tripped again—though he managed to catch himself this time. What had he bumped into? He looked down at the ground... and stared.

The tree roots were moving.

The ground rumbled. Several loud CRACK!s echoed through the air. Marvin’s head shot back up and he gasped. The tree roots were breaking through the earth, rising from the ground with dirt and moss trailing from them. He took a step backwards, but was too in shock to do much more than watch as the roots wove together, slowly forming a bramble that blocked his way forward.

Marvin spun around. In most other directions, the roots were doing the same. Rising up to block his path. “No!” he shouted. He grabbed his focus. Its white glow intensified. He pulled that white light from the amulet and threw it forward. The light shifted color to orange as it flew through the air—becoming a fireball. Fire to burn his way through!

But when the fire crashed against the trees, it did nothing. The flames spilled along the roots but did not burn. As if they were an illusion. His heart dropped.

And then he heard a meow.

Marvin turned around. Draco was in the same spot behind him, now standing again. And in that direction... in that direction the tree roots had not woven together into a bramble, but instead a series of archways. A clear path leading through the forest. Draco stared at Marvin for a moment. Then turned and walked down the arch-lined path.

For a moment, Marvin just watched. His feet felt frozen to the ground. What was going on? He considered that maybe he’d fallen asleep and this was a dream. He pinched his arm just to be sure, and winced as it hurt as much as he suspected. So... not a dream. That didn’t mean any of this made sense. Draco seemed to know what was happening. Why?

There was a theory that wizard familiars were summoned from the Wyldlands... Perhaps that theory was correct?

In any case, Marvin felt like he didn’t have much of a choice. There was something bigger than him happening right now. He could only swallow his confusion and follow Draco... heading deeper into the Wyldwood.

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticegos #septic egos #septic egos au #jacksepticeye au #chase brody #jameson jackson #marvin the magnificent #brigid writes fanfiction #fantasymasksau

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Running and Returning

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Twenty-Six

A JSE Fanfic

Not really sure on the title for this one. Might change it later? Anyway, that’s not important. This is the summary section. We have two completely different sides of the story in this chapter. In one, Jackie and Henrik are leaving the town they’re in with the help of an old friend. In the other, Jameson... well, he’s not having a good time. In fact, he’s in the last place he wants to be, with the person he hoped he’d never see again. Hope you’re ready for tonal whiplash: the chapter! fsjklhfjdlka :)

Previous Part | More AU

Taglist: @brokentimewatch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jackie and Henrik stayed in the town of Raefon for three days. Though Jackie was a bit nervous about missing the meeting with the rest of the Phantoms at the Cliffs of Feall, he knew that rest was important. They had things to take care of before the last leg of the journey.

Not too much, thankfully. Tripp, Lukas, and Anna had been in town for a few days, already preparing for a journey. They’d stocked up on extra food and water, just in case the Phantoms decided to move somewhere else after they’d all regrouped at the Cliffs, so Jackie and Henrik didn’t have to do anything on that front. Most of the three days were spent searching for medicinal ingredients. Raefon had two apothecaries and three town doctors. All of them got to know Jackie and Henrik well—but not too well. They were still trying to keep a low profile, after all.

Henrik wasn’t surprised to hear that none of them had ghíneol root in stock. But he was disappointed. One of the apothecaries had ghíneol leaves, and they bought that anyway, just in case, but the root was what helped alleviate the worst of his symptoms. Still... there was more they could do.

“Are you sure this will help you?” Jackie asked. The two of them had paid the apothecary a silver coin to let them use one of the cauldrons in the back of her shop, the smallest one. Now they stood around the pot, hanging over a lit fire, waiting for the water inside to heat up.

“It will, a bit,” Henrik confirmed. “There is nothing we can do about the false senses without the root, but we can... we can calm my thoughts a-and help me stay tethered.” He twitched a little bit. Right now, it sounded like someone was speaking Alterdan right next to him. It was hard to ignore it long enough to concentrate. Hence, why Jackie was here to help with the medicine-making process. “If you were worried, wh-why didn’t you... say something earlier?”

“I did,” Jackie said. “I just want to be sure that you’re sure.” He wiped his brow. “I think it’s hot enough.”

“Check for bubbles. They should be just starting to form.” The two of them leaned forward and confirmed that small bubbles were barely appearing along the edges of the cauldron.

“Yep.” Jackie nodded. “Thank the elders. If it got any hotter in this room, I would’ve melted.”

Henrik smiled faintly. “You know we have to stay in here for a couple hours, yes?”

Jackie groaned. “I’ve already taken off my cloak and mail. By the time this is over, my whole shirt is going to be off. How can you stand this?”

“You develop a... tolerance,” Henrik said. “Now... we should start.”

It took two hours and a lot of complaining from Jackie, but they did it. They blended some of the ingredients they’d bought into a medicine. This particular concoction was commonly known as a “mind soother,” though doctors sometimes called it “sochríos medicine.” Henrik didn’t particularly care what it was called at the moment. The hours of concentration had worn him out and his tether slipped. He didn’t remember the walk back to the inn.

Later that night, Lukas asked them why they had to make the medicine themselves and couldn’t have bought it from one of the doctors in town. “I think renting that back room attracted just as much attention as simply buying it,” he’d pointed out.

“I don’t think this is the time to discuss it,” Henrik had said, then quickly changed the subject. But the truth was, he didn’t want anyone to know what medicine he needed. Once upon a time, he might not have minded buying it from a doctor, but that was before he became an enemy of the King. Any information about himself was valuable. Especially now that they knew the King was an enchanter. A man who could manipulate the mind had no business knowing what was going on in Henrik’s.

They’d brewed the mind soother the morning of the second day, and by the same time tomorrow, Henrik felt a little better. It would take more time for the medicine to fully sink in, but he was a little more settled.

But still not entirely.

The five of them ate breakfast in the tavern downstairs, choosing a time when it would be nearly empty so no one could overhear their discussion. Anna had news. She’d received a message from one of the messenger birds she’d sent out and was relaying it to the others. Henrik missed most of this. He only snapped back to reality when Jackie leaned over and pushed his shoulder with his, a wide grin on his face.

“The ship will be here shortly after the sun’s completely set,” Anna was saying. “Once it’s docked, we’ll hop on board under the cover of darkness.”

“Are we sure this is worth the time it’ll save?” Tripp asked. “The Cliffs are only a day’s walk away.”

“And they’re only a couple hours away by ship,” Jackie insisted. “We’re short on time. By now, everyone already at the Cliffs will be worrying about what happened to us.”

Ah. Henrik caught on quickly. They were sneaking aboard a ship tonight and taking it to the Cliffs of Feall. Once he understood that, he nodded. “I agree with Jackie. We are all eager to see our friends.”

“And you’re a little more eager than the rest of us, hmm?” Anna said under her breath. Lukas frowned and reached over to nudge her. “We were all thinking it!” she added defensively.

Henrik frowned. He was missing something. He would have asked, but got distracted when he heard someone behind him shout wordlessly. Starting, he spun around, only to see the tavern empty, the barkeep looking completely untroubled. “Schiesse,” he growled, cursing his own mind. 

“Are you alright, Schneep?” Jackie whispered to him.

“Alright.” Henrik rubbed his head. “Simply... the symptoms.”

How long would it be like this? He sent a silent plea to the Celestial Sisters that there would be something to do when they got to the Cliffs. Maybe some of the other Phantoms had packed ghíneol root among their medical supplies when fleeing Wyvernlair. 

Though he knew he could probably deal with the symptoms of the false world curse on his own, it would be a struggle. A distraction. And in the midst of a rebellion, there was no time to be distracted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The day passed without much of note happening. Jackie suggested they all try to take a nap before sunset so they would be well-rested, but nobody could sleep, not even himself. So that was a failure. So they all just waited, taking turns staring out the windows of their inn rooms and waiting until the sun was fully beneath the horizon.

The moment it was, Anna knocked on the door to the room Jackie and Henrik shared with Lukas (Tripp had moved to share with Anna, since it would be crowded otherwise) and said, “It’s time to go.”

Raefon was a busy town. Even after sunset, people were still walking out and about—though the crowds had greatly lessened. Henrik couldn’t help but glance around nervously as they traveled through the streets towards the harbor. He couldn’t help but feel like they were being watched. But none of the others looked concerned, and so he tried to convince himself that if they really were being watched, they would notice. They were all just as alert as he was, if not more so.

The feeling still wouldn’t go away. Not even when they made it to the piers without incident.

Now that it was dark out, many boats had docked, preferring not to risk the ocean at night. Most of them were smaller vessels. Probably used for local fishing or traveling upriver. But there was one big ship docked, looming above all others, its open sails blocking out the stars in the sky. A vessel meant for ocean sailing. This was definitely the boat they were aiming to get aboard.

“Wait, one second.” Jackie stopped walking when they were right next to the pier where the ship was docked. He began searching through the pack hanging from his shoulder. “We don’t want it to be dark while we board a ship. We could fall off or trip over anything.”

“I don’t think it’ll be that much of a problem,” Anna said.

“How bad do ye think we walk?” Tripp added. “Last I checked, none of us had ale with dinner.”

“Just in case,” Jackie said, finally finding what he was looking for. A small lantern and a lighter made of flint and steel. He quickly lit the lantern and hurried ahead of everyone else. “Stay close!”

Henrik frowned. If they were sneaking aboard this ship, why light a lantern? Why walk right up to the boat? They must not have been sneaking about. That must have been what he missed in their conversation that morning. They were expected. Alright, that made sense. They had some arrangement with the ship’s crew. He quickened his pace to stay within the circle of light Jackie’s lantern provided. 

And then that circle of light fell on the side of the boat, and illuminated the name written there. And Henrik stopped walking.

Nope. He’d missed something much, much more important in that discussion.

Jackie turned back around. “Henrik? Are you alright?”

“I...” Henrik swallowed the lump in his throat. His heart beat faster as he read the ship’s name again: written in two different alphabets, letters painted in bright gold against the dark wood. “I was a bit untethered this morning, a-and I did not hear that the ship we were boarding was the  Serpent’s Wake.”

Jackie blinked. Then his face broke into a wide grin. “I thought you were a bit too calm.”

“Shut up,” Henrik said.

“Yeah, I would have figured his face’d be more red,” Tripp added teasingly.

“Or he’d be fidgeting with his coat,” Anna said, smiling.

“Shut up,” Henrik hissed. “Let’s just—just go. Now.” He walked quickly past Jackie, forcing him to hurry and catch up to keep everyone within the lantern light. They passed a few sailors loitering nearby, taking this brief moment of rest to get onto shore again, and then reached the lowered gangplank. That’s where Henrik stopped again. Okay. It was fine. He was completely blindsided by this, but as long as he focused on taking deep breaths, it would be fine.

Jackie patted his back as he walked past. “You’re acting like you’ve never seen him before,” he said.

“It has been a while,” Henrik said, following him up the wooden gangplank. “Writing letters is not the same thing.”

“True,” Jackie nodded. “Well, just let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank you.”

The deck of the ship was lit by lanterns dangling from the masts. Even though it was so dark out, the deck was full of sailors. Some were double-checking the rigging and other such things, while others were lingering, talking with each other. There was a group of three that were talking to a man with a fiddle, either persuading him to play or to not play. All sailors glanced at the group as they walked on board, but their gazes didn’t linger for long. A few called out friendly greetings. There was no need to be subtle about their familiarity. After all, a few of them had white plaster masks dangling around their necks.

A woman walked over to the group. “Ah, Jackie, it’s been a while,” she said, holding out her hand and smiling. 

Jackie smiled back and took the offered hand, letting the woman pull him close and shake it firmly. “It has, Yuko,” he said. “Good to see you’re alright. I heard there’s been trouble around the coast.”

“Indeed, many of the ships now fly the royal crest,” Yuko said. She turned her attention to the rest of the group. “Anna, it has also been a while. But you three—” She nodded at Henrik, Tripp, and Lukas. “—last I saw you, you were leaving me to sail down the Moors to the sea. You got Marvin back to Wyvernlair well enough, then?”

“Y-yes, we had no trouble on the rest of the journey,” Henrik confirmed.

“And that other man? The strange one your friend Chase brought?”

“Jameson. He’s safe—decided to stay with us, become a Phantom. And... he told us many important things.” Henrik paused. “Both him and Marvin went with Chase on his own mission, actually. We hope they’re alright.” It had been a while since they heard from that group.

Yuko nodded. “It can be worrying. But I must ask you what important things you mean.”

“We were planning on telling everyone once we all regroup at the Cliffs of Feall,” Jackie explained. “So we should get moving soon, probably.”

“Do you think it is so easy to move a ship? Our wind sorcerers need rest before conjuring a strong breeze. Take some time. Talk with everyone.” Yuko jerked her head to the side, indicating the rest of the sailors on deck. Some of them were walking on over as she spoke.

“Yea, we should talk with everyone,” Jackie said, giving Henrik a meaningful look.

Before Henrik could react in any way, a voice called out, “There you are! Always on time!” A man strode over, outpacing the rest of the sailors. He flashed a bright smile—and once again Henrik’s reaction time failed him as the man suddenly tackled him with a squeezing hug. “I’ll always know when to see you!”

Henrik squeaked—actually squeaked—in surprise. “Y-yes, hello to you too, Vsevna.”

“Hello!” Vsevna drew back. He was a hand’s span taller than Henrik, which made him very tall indeed. His pale blonde hair was messy, no doubt tousled by the wind, and his left eye was dark brown, almost black. His right eye was covered by a black patch, so Henrik had no idea if the flicker of his left eyelid was a wink or simply a blink. “It has been too long.”

“It really has.” Henrik adjusted his coat, straightening it out. “I did not know you were in the area.”

“It was not planned, if I am being honest.” Vsevna switched languages, now speaking Alterdan. It was not his native language—that was Lodkan—but he said it came more naturally to him than Glasish. “We were doing well avoiding these new royal ships on the edge of the Moors, but then Yuko received a message from Anna that everyone was to meet at the Cliffs and I thought, well we should join that meeting!” His expression shifted to one more serious. “It is true, then? Wyvernlair was found?”

Henrik nodded, and replied in Alterdan. “It was bad luck. There was a dog, suspicious enough in the deep of the woods, but then it turned out it was not just a dog but a wizard’s familiar. That wizard and squads of warriors attacked us. I-it was so much sooner than we thought, there was chaos, but we escaped, though I-I do not know if others were so lucky—”

“Henrik.” Vsevna grabbed his upper arms, gripping them tight. “You are shaking.”

“I am?” Henrik looked down at his hands. Indeed, they were trembling slightly. “I-I did not realize.”

“Is everything alright, sova?” Vsevna asked gently.

“It is... fine.” Henrik looked around, and noticed that Jackie and the rest of the group had moved on, talking with Yuko and the other sailors of the Serpent’s Wake. “This past week, or more, has been... very stressful.”

“Breathe deeply,” Vsevna advised. “It tells you that the trouble is over, and the fear will reduce. If you need to sit down, you can use my cabin.” He paused. “I suppose that goes for the rest of your group, too.”

“No no, I am fine, there’s no need,” Henrik insisted. He really hoped his face wasn’t as red as it felt.

“If you are insisting.” Vsevna nodded, and let go of Henrik’s arms. “But tell me if there is anything I can do. As always, my ship is yours, and all that is on it.”

“Thank you,” Henrik said softly. “I think... I am just going to sit down for a while.”

“Not many places to sit on deck,” Vsevna pointed out. “If you will not use the cabin—well, I assume you remember how to get below, or should I show you again?”

Henrik paused. “I... may need a reminder.”

He didn’t.

Vsevna grinned. “This way, my friend.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About ten minutes later, Henrik felt the ship move as they cast off, heading back into the water. He was glad he was sitting down at the time; he’d never had the best sea legs. But even so, he lurched forward with the motion and nearly toppled off the narrow bed in the lower cabin that Vsevna said he could use. “Gah!” he shouted.

Footsteps creaked on the wood outside, and Jackie opened the door. The lower cabins were so small that merely pushing the door open meant Henrik had to pull his legs off the floor to give it room to swing. “You okay in here?”

“I am fine, just didn’t expect the movement,” Henrik said.

“Ah.” Jackie jerked his head back into the hallway. “I’m guessing you don’t want to go up on the top, then.”

“I don’t even want to walk down the corridor to get to the other cabins or the crew quarters.”

Jackie chuckled. “Alright. Fair enough.” He leaned back against the door frame. Though the movement was fairly casual, Henrik knew that Jackie was trying to disguise his own lack of sea legs on the swaying deck. “So how’d it goooo?”

Henrik rubbed his eyes. “Sometimes I would prefer if you all stopped teasing me for my feelings.”

Jackie’s small smile faded. “Sorry. I-I do want to know, but if you’re not comfortable...”

“It went fine.” Henrik looked down at his hands. “We talked a little. Not much.”

“Did you want to talk more?”

“Yes... and no.” He paused. “I like Vsevna, but... w-while I’m in this state, I... do not want him to see me.”

Jackie’s eyes glanced up and down, examining Henrik. “You don’t look bad. A little tired. Maybe you seem distracted.”

“You know what I mean.”

“And you know it’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Jackie said, and Henrik looked up, surprised, at the ferocity in his voice. “It’s not your fault. It doesn’t make you weak or incapable or whatever else you’re thinking. Vsevna won’t care about it. And if he does, then he wasn’t worth your time anyway. But he won’t. No one in the Phantoms would, despite how worried you are about it.”

“I’m not—”

“Yes, you are. Otherwise more people would know.”

Henrik stared at Jackie. Then he laughed. “You know me more than I know myself, sometimes.” He leaned back against the wooden cabin wall. “Truly, I do not care about most people knowing. I would answer if anyone asked directly. Rare that people in this damn kingdom do ask directly, but some do, and I am always honest. It is... different with Vsevna. I am... more worried about what he thinks.”

“That’s how these feelings tend to work, yes,” Jackie said quietly. “Henrik, is this why you’ve never said anything to him? Because you’re scared of what he’d think of your false world?”

“I am... generally nervous about certain feelings not being... returned,” Henrik said carefully.

Jackie laughed. “Have you not noticed how he acts around you?”

“I have! But perhaps that is simply a—a cultural difference! Perhaps they act like that in Leylodka.”

“There are many Lodkans on this ship and none of them call you by a cute nickname except Vsevna. I think you’re just trying to convince yourself that’s the case so you don’t have to talk to him about it.”

“Jackie, please.” Henrik feels his face warming up again. “I am trying to be honest about my nerves, here.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Jackie immediately stopped laughing.

“I just...” Henrik sighs. “A... partnership like that... requires... a give and take from the people involved. And I worry that... with my symptoms, I... may...” His throat closed up.

Jackie took a step forward, still bracing himself against the wall with one hand. “All relationships require a give and take. I’ve never had any problems in our friendship giving you what you need. And neither has Marvin. We’ve never felt like your symptoms were too much, and we’ve always been ready to help however we can. I’m willing to bet everyone else who knows would be the same. And so would Vsevna.”

Henrik nodded absentmindedly. He did feel a little bit better hearing that, but...

“You don’t have to tell him,” Jackie said gently. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. But... you do have to be clear what your intentions are eventually. Otherwise this is just going to fizzle out.”

“I know,” Henrik muttered.

A voice whispered from the wall behind him. “You are nothing.” He flinched.

“Do you need anything?” Jackie asked. “The trip’s only going to be a couple hours.”

“I am going to try and take a nap again,” Henrik said.

“Alright.” Jackie nodded. “I’ll come get you when we arrive at the Cliffs. Uh, we’ll be camped there for a while. And the Serpent’s Wake will also probably be docked there for a while. So... things to keep in mind.”

“I will,” Henrik said quietly.

“Alright.” Jackie grabbed the doorknob and stepped back, easing the door closed. “I’ll see you soon, then.”

“See you soon.”

The door closed all the way. Henrik lied down and stared at the wooden ceiling. The lantern hanging off the wall swayed with the motion of the ship, casting his face in light and shadow, over and over again. He watched the light shift in this pattern until everything became unreal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three days.

Jameson had been here for three days.

He hadn’t been sure what to expect, but this hadn’t been high on his list.

The warriors came into the room the same way they had in his vision, though perhaps a bit less aggressive when he didn’t fight back. He could have sworn some of them were disappointed that he wasn’t resisting arrest. Disgusting. The three sorcerers—who seemed to be in charge of this operation—had debated whether or not there were other rebels beside him. He denied everything, but the warriors had decided to keep the inn on lockdown “just in case.” He wasn’t sure what happened after that. They’d dragged him away, not bothering to hide what was happening from onlookers as they pulled him through the streets towards the castle.

Jameson had only been in the castle dungeons once before, but the memory had been so vivid that the location was burned into his mind. Three levels of cells, going deeper and deeper into the earth. Water from the Green Lake leaked into the third and lowest level, creating a thin layer of liquid on the stone floor that made everything feel slippery and unclean. Luckily, they didn’t put him down there. They kept him on the second level. But the dungeons were similar enough that there was no real difference. The stone walls of the cell were just as solid, the iron bars making up the door just as thick. And the light down here always seemed to be tinted ever-so-slightly green, with lanterns that popped and snapped in a way that flame didn’t move.

He spent the first day trying to keep his composure, running through mental exercises he’d asked Marvin to teach him. Ways to shield the mind from mental magic. Marvin had spent most of the journey to Suilthair getting Jameson and Chase to practice, but without any enchanters to test the exercises against, there was no real way to tell if they worked.

By the time night fell—or so he guessed, there was no outside light to tell time in the dungeons—Jameson’s will had begun to waver. He was sure that the King would want to see the rebels his warriors had captured as soon as possible. But maybe he was waiting until tomorrow? Maybe he should try and get some sleep to make sure he was well-rested for the next day.

He didn’t sleep well.

By what must have been the next evening, Jameson was starting to panic. Maybe the King was planning to just leave the captured rebels in here. Maybe the King wasn’t even aware that Jameson had been among them. Or maybe he was aware. Maybe this was a deliberate move. Would he be stuck here forever? Stuck in this—this place, this place where—

There was nothing he could do about it. This was his own fault, in the end. He tried to console himself by saying that they didn’t find Marvin or Chase, but... how could he be sure of that? He hadn’t seen any guards bring new prisoners in, but what if they were on the level above? What if it had been for nothing?

This was a stupid decision. He could have done something else. He could have come up with a better plan. Why didn’t he tell Marvin what he really saw in that vision? Was he that convinced that he, alone, could direct the future? Or was he simply too afraid to try and involve others? After all, Marvin might not have understood the threat. The warriors would have killed everyone in that inn if they hadn’t found what they were looking for. Could Jameson have conveyed the severity of that? Probably not. He couldn’t do much, after all. He couldn’t even control his own powers.

By what was probably the third day, Jameson was convinced that the King did this on purpose. He knew how the mind worked; he would know how Jameson would react to being here again. These past days, Jameson had been dwelling on what happened last time, replaying the memory over and over in his head. Not just the things he saw, but also—and more importantly—the things he’d felt.

“We’re going on a little trip,” he had said.

“We are, then?” he had replied. “And I suppose there’s nothing I can do about it?”

“Awfully snippy, given the situation. Do you not care? Or do you not understand that your bloodline ends with you now? From what I understand, you weren’t too keen on continuing the family.”

And he flinched. Of course he had. It was only a few days ago that the Jairsolas line had been wiped out... except for him. He could still see their faces.

He didn’t remember the journey from the north down to Suilthair. Even now, he wasn’t sure if that was because of some forced magical repression, or if he hadn’t been awake for the journey at all. With the resources the royal family had access to, it would be easy enough to create some potion or drug to knock a man out for a week straight. All he knew was that his memory of Suilthair started in these dungeons. In the lowest level. With that pair of piercing green eyes staring at him through the bars of the cell door.

“I’m going to tell you what’s about to happen,” the man with those eyes said. “Because I need you to understand that I am a man who does what needs to be done. I am not lying or tricking you. This is what’s going to happen. I promise it will. And I keep my promises.”

He hadn’t believed him at first. It was so... so unnecessary. So pointlessly cruel. It didn’t need to be done at all. But those eyes... the way they stared at him...

“Come with me,” the man said, and opened the cell door.

He wanted to run. He tried to, but he’d barely taken a step in the opposite direction when his muscles seized up.

“I told you to come with me.”

And he’d turned and followed the man with green eyes down the dungeon corridors. All the way to a room hidden in the corner, a small room almost empty except for a bed and shelves on the walls.

“Lie down.”

And he did. He watched the man with green eyes take something off the shelf. A small knife.

“Go to sleep.”

And though his mind was screaming that he didn’t want to, he did.

The first thing he felt when waking up was the pain in his throat.

Metal squealed. Jameson jumped, pushing away that memory in response to the sound. He wasn’t then. He was now. And right now, the cell door was opening. A warrior walked in. They wore the usual black tunic with the royal crest, but they also wore a helmet, encasing their head in metal and hiding all their features. Only the merest glint of eyes in the shadows indicated that they were human. “Out,” they barked.

Jameson quickly stood up and headed for the now-open door. The warrior stepped to the side, keeping a hand on the sword hanging from their belt. Jameson walked out into the dungeon corridor and immediately froze. Not because of the two helmeted warriors who waited out there. But because of the man standing in between them.

The King smiled. “Jameson Jairsolas. It has been a while.”

He couldn’t feel his heart beating. He couldn’t feel much of anything. Only a sudden cold. It made it hard to breathe. He had to breathe. Why wasn’t he breathing?! No, he was. It was just too shallow. Not enough air deep below ground. Not enough air with him there.

“So sorry about the temporary accommodations,” the King continued casually. “I had to prepare some things.” He was wearing that green cape of his, but the hood was pulled down, that golden circlet on full display. The lack of shadows meant Jameson could easily see those green eyes he remembered so vividly. And the small smile curving his mouth.

He’d thought he would be ready to see him again. But he had been so wrong. It had been so easy to think that on the road, when Suilthair was still out of sight. Being in the city was more difficult, but he thought he could handle it. He couldn’t handle it. He was an idiot.

“Stop panicking,” the King said. “It’s a useless feeling, anyway.” He spun around and started walking down the corridor. One of the warriors followed, keeping pace, but the other two lingered with Jameson. “Don’t get too far behind!” he called, and gestured for Jameson to follow.

Which he did. There wasn’t much of a choice.

They walked up the staircase to the first level in silence. The warriors might as well have been moving statues for how alive they seemed. It was quite unnatural... and unnerving. The warriors who’d raided the inn hadn’t acted like this. Nor had any other royal warriors Jameson had ever met.

It was as they were walking up the stairs that the King spoke again. “How many of your friends are in the city? Ah, two, I see.”

Damn it! Jameson hadn’t meant to think the answer to that question. The thought just popped into his mind instinctively. He couldn’t give anything else away. Don’t think of their names. Don’t think of their names. Start thinking about other names. Random names. He tried mentally listing every person he’d ever met. He used to go to a lot of parties, he knew a lot of the nobility, maybe if he tried that—

The King glanced back over his shoulder at Jameson. “You can’t keep that up forever.”

He was right. Eventually, he was going to slip up and think of someone else, like Marvin—damn it!

“Marvin? Marvin Tinechroí?” The King chuckled. “I should have expected that.You were starting to get close to him before his arrest.”

Because Marvin was the only person he’d talked to regularly in years, you obsessive tyrannical bastard—

“That’s not very nice, is it?” the King said. “I thought you’d progressed beyond childish anger like that.”

Jameson stumbled on the stairs. Right. The King was still listening. He needed something else. Something like—like a song. Immediately, he thought of the catchiest song he’d ever heard and started trying to recall the words and melody.

The King frowned, and faced forward again. “You can’t keep that up forever,” he said once again. This time his voice was low... and threatening.

Jameson knew he couldn’t, but he was able to keep his mind on songs and not much else for the rest of their walk. They headed deeper into the castle and started climbing up one of the narrow palace towers. The central tower, to be exact. Jameson was very familiar with the layout of the palace, having been stuck within its walls in some form for years, so he knew exactly where they were. And the choice confused him. In the past, the King had given him rooms in the southeast corner tower. Why the change?

And then he realized what, exactly, was in the central tower of the palace.

An idea began to sprout in his mind. No. Surely not.

But the group stopped outside a large wooden door, and confirmed his suspicions. These were the royal chambers. The rooms where the King lived. 

“You’re dismissed,” the King said to the warriors. They all nodded in unison and took positions on either side of the wooden door, standing at attention as the King unlocked it and pulled it open. “You are not,” he said to Jameson. “Inside. Now.”

...

There wasn’t anything he could do.

He stepped inside.

In the five years Jameson had been kept in the palace, he’d never gone into the royal chambers. They weren’t too different from most nobility’s chambers. Just bigger. As was standard in most noble suites, there was a parlor, an office, and a bedroom, but the royal chambers also had a sitting room, an attached bathroom, and a room for live-in servants. For some reason, Jameson couldn’t help but feel like the chambers... didn’t fit the King. The decorations were a bit too plush and cluttered for the sharp and ruthless green-eyed man. Surely he would have preferred to have rooms that were more similar to warriors’ quarters. Perhaps he just hadn’t bothered to redecorate after he’d inherited it from his parents.

The King grabbed his wrist and pulled him through the rooms too quickly for Jameson to take in details. He took him to the one at the very edge, the one where a servant would usually live, on-call for all the ruler’s needs. Jameson remembered it being a bit of a scandal when the King had first taken the crown and refused to have a servant live with him. That was just how things had been done forever, why break tradition now, most of the nobility had thought. But from the dusty state of the room, the King had kept the tradition broken for years now.

“You’ll be staying here,” the King said. “Where I can keep an eye on you.” He stared at Jameson silently, who tried not to flinch in response. Then, without another word, he turned and left, closing the door firmly behind him. Jameson heard the clunk of a lock. That probably hadn’t been part of the original design of the room.

Jameson looked around. It wasn’t... the worst place he’d ever been. The furniture—a bed, a nightstand, a dresser, and a small armchair—were plain and undecorated, but at least it wasn’t a cot in the dungeons. The main problem was the dust and disuse. He was leaving distinct footprints on the wooden planks. And the glass in the small window was caked in grime.

He walked over to that window. Stared for a moment. Then slowly raised his arm and tried to wipe the grime away with his sleeve. He didn’t get everything, but he could see through the glass now. The view was terrible. Just the palace roof below, and the other towers in the distance. Even so, he stared out through the window for a while before drifting over to the bed and sitting down. Dust flew up from the mattress.

He tried to convince himself that his eyes were just watering up in response to that dust.

He tried not to cry.

He failed.

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticegos #septic egos #septic egos au #jacksepticeye au #dr schneeplestein #jackieboy man #jameson jackson #antisepticeye #brigid writes fanfiction #fantasymasksau

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Hey Crystal! How ya doing? I hope good ^_^ I just catched up on 3 chapters of FM normally I would Bomb you with tons of questions xD but right now I actually only have one because My brain went "Im curious about that".

How Tall is Jack? Because as Chase and Jack escaped from the Well I kinda imagined Chase and Jack being the same height or jack being a few cm/inches Taller.

Time Flys by fast doesn't it? The year is nearly over and a new chapter for everyone's life will begin soon. I remember finding Fantasy Mask 2 Years ago and since then have been following it. Can you believe that this story is already 2 years old? I was 16 when I started reading it I'm 18 now. The Story brought me Laugher, Joy, it made me emotional and I always was scared for each and everyone in there. You really have me hooked in that story I know that I will cry when it will end because that Fic means alot for me.

I wanna say Thankyou for making me alot of emotions 💙 and thankyou for posting your amazing works they really have helped me in Bad times. I hope you have a Awsome start into the new year and Merry Christmas.

Ps: Remember to drink and eat

Ps 2: Totally didn't start crying while writing this- okay I did cry while writing this 😅

- Hunter

Hey Hunter! Merry Christmas, good to see you! I know, I can’t believe how long the story has been going on, either. So much has happened and our boys have gone through so much 🥹. I can’t give a long answer right now cause I’m at a family gathering, but as for your question, you’re pretty right on, Jack is a couple inches taller than Chase, haha. Thank you so much for reading and enjoying, Hunter! I’m glad I could write something you and other people like so much ^w^

#asks answered #fantasymasksau #brokentimewatch

[crystalninjaphoenix]

*rolls in*

Haiiii How are ya? :3

I finally had energy and motivation to read so I caught up on the last 2 chapters of FM 34 and 35. I don't have questions right now but what I can tell you the last chapter was DAMN filled with action, I think I gotta re-read it because my brain wasn't able to get all of the action, it was so fast that my brain did read it to fast xD.

I kinda have a Gut feeling that something bad will happen to Jameson because after reading chapter 34 my head just went "I don't have a good feeling about this.. something will happen in the following chapters"

Also Poor Chase- hope His wound heals soon probably hurts alot having a arrow in the back Ow-

That's all I have to say for today ::3 Bai Bai!

Ps: it's currently 2:00am for me. The best time to read fanfiction UwU

Oh jeez—hope you go to bed soon! Then again, I'm one to talk, I didn't go to bed for a long time last night, haha.

I'm so glad you liked the last two chapters! Honestly I was really struggling with the action for the last chapter. Such a bad case of writer's block, the worst I've had in a long time. But I think it came out good eventually!

Everyone will be alright in the next chapter, I can promise you that. But beyond that—well, even I'm not entirely sure. After all, I didn't plan the kids to tag along, but the two of them were just like "no we're coming" as I wrote them fhdjaklh

Bye! Have a good day/night!

#asks answered #brokentimewatch #fantasymasksau

[crystalninjaphoenix]

I think I am genuinely sick about Your Fantasy Masks au.

i've read great fics before (hell, pnpt and Septic heros are some of my top fics ever) but i am so not normal about FM.

Unfortanetly It's not possible for me to convey how much I love a 200k word fic (and still going!!!) by discussing each chapter, but GOD. This fic rocks.

The dynamics you build between the characters and the interactions they have are just fantasitc. I like how (in all your fics but especially FM) you give time for bonding scenes and let the reader see how the characters bond together.

Marvin, Jackie and Henrik are awesome. I adore their backstory and just the 3 of them together are so fun to read. Jackie and Marvin teasing Henrik over Vsevna is wonderful (!!!!They're courting!! <- is that the right word?)

Side note: One of my favourite scenes (or scene that has stuck with me) Is Jackie and Marvin apologising to each other. He did a shit job at it but I'm glad that they forgave each other

Jameson!! I like how he joined the main cast by being yoinked by Chase. I feel bad for him -being trapped by the king could not of been a fun experience. But! I like how you've developed his character. In the beginning he was very scared (rightfully so) and doubted he could do anything. Now in latter chapters, he's learning how to be his own person again after being stuck with the king + starting to be brave (my mind immediately goes to hiding the masks under the floor and trying to shield his mind from The king).

And Chase!! He's such a good character I love him. First: Him and his family <333 We don't see much of them but I love them (also Stacia!! She very cool. Can't wait to see Chase (hopefully) reunite with them after they've stopped being enchanted the the enchanter. And Amy and Quinten!! Can't wait to see more of them). I also like how Chase just knows a lot of stories (that end up being relevant to figuring stuff out). I just think it's really cool.

And the king/Jack??? Oh no he's locked in a well. So the king is being possesed?? thats so cool. I can't wait to see how the plot progresses and if Jameson's oracle about Chase will come true.

On a final note, I just really love the masks. Your world building for this Au is insane but I just really like the masks. I like how everyone gets to choose an animal and the symbols that represent the roles.

Okay that's only the main(ish) characters but I need to finish this ask off otherwise I might just start screaming and stop making any sense.

I've been constantly rotating this fic my head these past 3 days as I've read it, so thank you for writing it. It's fantastic and I love it a lot :D Not sure which fic of yours I'll read next, probably Horror Septics or Switch Au.

Yayyy I’m so glad you’re liking it! :D You do have an uncanny ability to send me asks when I’m busy XD but I’ll try to address everything you said. I’m so happy that you’re liking the characters! The scene with Jackie and Marvin making up was one of my favorites to write. It’s not often that you see something like “person messes up an apology at first” in writing so I wanted to include that. And yes, the others teasing Henrik for courting Vsevna is one of my favorite running jokes. I also love Jameson’s slow character development and Chase’s love for others. And yep, Jack is the true King but he’s being possessed—the spirit has been the villain of the story the whole time! Anyway, I’m happy you’re enjoying my stuff ^-^ If you’re gonna read more I’d be delighted :D

#asks answered #di-diwata #fantasymasksau

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Restless Night

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Twenty-Three

A JSE Fanfic

Forgot to queue this last night so I’m writing this description early in the morning before work, haha. So I’m not going to beat around the bush and get right to the summary. Chase tells Marvin and Jameson about having a new dream. Meanwhile, Jackie and Henrik find a small town to get supplies in, but something’s not quite right there. Things go wrong. As they tend to. XD

Previous Part | More AU in Chronological Order

Taglist: @brokentimewatch  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chase waited until they were back on the road to tell Marvin and Jameson about his dream. He didn’t want to risk the couple who ran the wayhouse overhearing them. Luckily, it was a nice day for walking—cool, but not chilly—and the other two were eager to get on the road and take advantage of the weather. As soon as they wayhouse was out of sight, Chase started a conversation by saying, bluntly, “I had another draísling last night.”

Marvin almost stopped walking out of shock. “What?”

“The same one,” Chase continued. “I thought I’d never have it again after leaving Wyvernlair, but I guess that’s not the case. Though... it was a bit different. Sort of. Something new happened.”

Go on, Jameson prompted. He and Marvin had their eyes glued on Chase.

There was a bit of pressure with them staring, but Chase explained the newest draísling without one stutter. It felt strange, laying it out in the bright morning sunlight. Different from after he’d woken up from it in the middle of the night. Less... otherworldly. Though maybe that effect was just on him, because Marvin and Jameson both looked stunned. “So... any interpretations?” Chase asked. “Any insight you and your magical ways might have?”

Jameson looked at Marvin. Would it be possible for that voice Chase heard to really be another person? Someone in the world who was asleep and having the same dream as him?

“Yes, of course,” Marvin said. “It never came up for me in my readings about draíslings, but I wouldn’t be surprised. It’s possible.”

Alright. How LIKELY is it, then? Jameson asked.

“I don’t know. I just said it never came up for me. So perhaps not that likely. But when we’re talking about dreams and magic, we can’t rule it out.”

“I think they were real,” Chase said, a bit defensively. “You two didn’t hear them. They talked like a person. And why would they mention how they were dreaming if they were just some... some dream concept themself?”

Marvin shrugged. “Dreams are strange.”

“They are, but this is a draísling. A magic dream, sent by an Elder.”

“I know, I know. I just wanted to say it’s not out of the realm of possibility.”

If you feel that strongly about them, then we believe you, Jameson said. Who do you think they were?

Chase shook his head. “I have no idea. I couldn’t tell anything about them.”

“Surely you heard their voice,” Marvin said. “Did they have an accent? Or sound especially old or young?”

“No, that’s the thing. I...I know I heard their words. And their tone and emotion and all that. But...I couldn’t place their voice,” Chase says slowly. “It was... was... I’m not sure how to describe it. I think it was that way because of the dreamlike state. Everything about the draíslings has always been not quite real.”

As dreams tend to be. Jameson nods in agreement. So... you know nothing about this person in the well.

“Other than the fact that they’re in a well somehow,” Marvin added.

“They called it a nightmare,” Chase recalled. “And the way they said it... I think it’s been a common dream of theirs. To be trapped every night in a small, dark room that eventually fills with water.”

Marvin shuddered. “That would be my worst nightmare.”

“I think I have to help them,” Chase said slowly. “I have to somehow get them out of there. I don’t know what will happen when they get out, but... they sounded so... hopeless.” He paused, remembering the resignation in the person’s voice. “I can’t leave them to that.”

Jameson patted Chase’s shoulder. If that’s what you feel you should do, then do it. Though it sounds like it will be difficult.

Chase nodded absentmindedly, still thinking about the voice in the well.

“Do you think...” Marvin coughed. “Perhaps... this has something to do with your destiny?”

Chase’s shoulders raised instinctively, defensively. “My what?”

“How Jameson saw you defeating the King,” Marvin said, gesturing at Jameson.

“I figured that was what you meant. But why call it my destiny? That... that makes it sound so... grand and... inevitable.” Chase still didn’t truly believe it would happen. Perhaps it wouldn’t. Not all oracle visions came to pass. “And important.” He couldn’t do something like that. Even if he tried, he’d probably find some way to ruin it along the way. To fail.

Like he’d failed his family.

Chase shook that thought away. He wasn’t failing them. He was going to save them. That was the whole reason he was going to Suilthair.

And that was all he wanted. His family back. He didn’t want to fight the King. He didn’t even really want to join the Masked Phantoms in the first place, he just thought they could help him find Stacia, and Amabel, and Quinten.

Well, defeating the King IS rather important, Jameson points out. But I understand what you mean. We don’t have to frame it that way.

“Alright, but do you think the draíslings are related to this?” Marvin insisted.

Jameson looked at him. Perhaps. Perhaps not. Time is strange. Magic is strange. Everything follows rules, but even so, you can never predict what will happen.

Chase laughed dryly. “I’ve never heard anything more true.” He adjusted the straps on his pack to be more secure. “We’ve slowed down. Let’s pick up the pace. We need to find some place where we can get horses, so we can go faster.”

“I’ve slowed down because Draco keeps walking around my feet,” Marvin grumbled. “Get out of the way, fluffy boy! I don’t want to step on you!”

The other two laughed—Chase loudly, Jameson silently, both truly amused.

It was still a long way to Suilthair.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It only took about a day of walking for Jackie and Henrik to find a town in the foothills of the mountains. A small one, barely too big to be labeled a village, but still a town. The buildings were nestled close to each other, all stone and dark wood with thatch on top. There were no paved streets, but the dirt roads were well-trodden and hard packed. Pine trees surrounded the town, getting as close to the buildings as possible, as if unwilling to give up the forest’s land.

The two of them cleaned up—as much as they were able to—and headed down into town. “We’ll say we’re hunters,” Jackie muttered. “Do you mind if I do most of the talking? Your voice is pretty distinct.”

“No, of course not,” Henrik assured him. “We will be buying things, then, yes?”

“Yes.” Jackie nodded. “We need food and a change of clothes, and your ghíneol root. If we have enough money, and they have an inn, we can stay there. Are there coins in your bag, by the way?”

“Mm-hmm. I have a pursefull. Gold and silver, and some jasper just in case.”

Jackie laughed. “You packed that yourself?”

“It helps to be prepared,” Henrik said, a bit smugly.

As they walked into town, they got a few looks from the townsfolk. Most likely because of their clothes, caked in dirt as they were. Or maybe this town didn’t get many outsiders. It was a bit isolated.

The town shops were gathered around the square in the center, giving them a convenient location to look for all their supplies. And with the purse that Henrik had thought to prepare before fleeing Wyvernlair, they were able to purchase whatever they needed. Food for traveling, an outfit each—Henrik even bought a seax knife from a blacksmith, which would be far more effective in a fight than the small dagger he’d been using. They also bought some waterskins and filled them up at the well in the middle of the square.

“Do you think I could wash my cape here?” Jackie asked.

“Probably, but do you really think you should be wearing it?” Henrik asked in turn. “It’s a very distinct, bright red. There were plenty of warriors in the mountains who could have seen you and remembered it.”

“I’m not getting rid of it,” Jackie said stubbornly. “This has been with me for years now. Do you know how much effort it’s taken to keep it in such good quality?”

“I do. I’ve sat next to you while you darned holes in it.” Henrik rolled his eyes. “I’m not telling you to get rid of it, just to not wear it. Put it in a bag, perhaps?”

“Perhaps.” Jackie paused. “Well, we should look for some place to stay the night. Or at least somewhere to change clothes. I’ll keep wearing it until then.” Then he flung his cape over his shoulders in a much more dramatic movement than necessary. “Before we find that place to stay, though, we need your ghíneol root.”

Henrik winced. “Yes. We do.”

“I saw an apothecary on the edge of the square,” Jackie said, gesturing vaguely to his right. “That’s as good a place to start as any.”

The two of them headed towards a low stone shop. A wooden sign hung from a post above the doors, decorated with a carving of three oval leaves dangling from a curving stem, hanging over a cauldron. Definitely an apothecary. Jackie entered the shop first, with Henrik trailing behind. The interior was filled with shelves lined with bottles and boxes. Dried herbs were tied together and strung from the beams over the ceiling. At the back was a small alcove—a fireplace, though currently unlit. It held an iron cauldron and logs of unburned firewood.

“Hello, there.” The greeting came from a woman standing by the fireplace. She was older, with streaks of gray in her brown hair and wrinkles lining her face. Her hands, though gnarled, were steady as she ground something up in a mortar and pestle. “You’re from out of town.”

“What gave it away?” Jackie asked.

“I know everyone in town.” The woman put the mortar and pestle down on a nearby table. She looked at them with pale green eyes.  “I’m Derwa, the apothecary. What can I do for you?”

Jackie shot Henrik a look of ‘I was right’—even though that was never in dispute—then turned to Derwa. “Do you have ghíneol?”

“Certainly.” Derwa lifted her head up, scanning the dangling herbs, then walked over to a cluster of long, dried leaves and untied it. “Ghíneol tea is good for headaches. Promotes clear, alert thought. How much are you looking for?”

“Oh. We need the root, actually, not the leaves,” Jackie corrected. “Sorry.”

Derwa raised an eyebrow. “The root?”

“Why do you sound so doubtful?” Jackie folded his arms.

“Well... the roots have a very specific effect,” Derwa said carefully. She was scanning both of them closely. Henrik fought the urge to rest his hand on his flask to try and hide it. That would just draw her attention.

“But they aren’t dangerous,” Jackie persisted.

“No. It’s just unlikely that anyone would come along trying to find ghíneol root. Unless they thought they were going to come across something they’d need it for, if you understand my meaning.”

A wave of defensive anger rose sharply in Henrik’s chest. “We are not about to eat amfeltina flower, if that is your meaning,” he snapped. Jackie gave him a sharp look, reminding him that they’d agreed Jackie was going to do the talking.

Derwa glanced at him, puzzled. Then glanced away and raised her hands in surrender. “I’m not saying you’re the type of folk to do such a thing, but you can never be sure. Especially since I don’t know you.”

“It’s understandable,” Jackie said hurriedly, making sure he spoke before Henrik said anything else. “But we have good reason.”

“I’ll believe you. Unluckily for you, though, I don’t keep ghíneol roots,” Derwa said.

“You don’t?”

“No. Do you know how many people ask for the roots? I’ve been an apothecary for thirty years now, and if I had to guess, only one in a hundred people I’ve met have ever needed ghíneol root. And there are only five hundred people in town, none of whom need it now. It’s not worth it.”

Jackie paused. “Do you know anywhere we can get some?”

“At this time of year?” Derwa looked upward, thinking. “Which way are you heading?”

“South.”

“Perhaps Raefon. Biggest town in that direction, though it is all the way near the coast. A long journey, but if the need is urgent, you can make it in a week.”

Jackie looked at Henrik. And Henrik simply sighed and nodded. It was about what he was expecting. “Alright,” Jackie said, looking back at Derwa. “Thank you. We may change our plans for travel, though. Anywhere else nearby?”

Derwa gave them a couple other towns, but none of them were on their path. Neither of them told her that, though. Their inquiries were merely to throw off anyone wondering where they were going. In this line of work, rebelling against the King, you could never be too careful. Jackie thanked Derwa and asked her if there was anywhere in town they could stay. She said they had an inn and pointed them towards it. More thanks, and then Jackie turned to leave, with Henrik following.

As they left the shop, Henrik felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He glanced over his shoulder and noticed Derwa staring at him quite intently. She looked away when she noticed his glance, but the damage was done. Henrik closed the door to the shop behind him, an odd feeling of wrongness forming in his stomach.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The inn had only five rooms, but all of them were available. They booked one to share, even though the innkeeper insisted it would be better to get one each because each room only had one bed. They held firm on it, though. Mostly because of the price. It was clear the innkeeper wanted to overcharge them. Two silver coins per room for a single night was a bit too much.

Their room was at the end of a long hallway, the last in the line of five available rooms. It was small, with only a single window that had closed shutters, but no glass. There wasn’t even a wardrobe, just a single table with a pitcher and bowl for water. “I guess we’ll have to make trips to the well with buckets to wash our clothes,” Jackie said. “I can do that. And you can take the bed tonight, since you’re still injured. How have you handled walking all around, by the way?”

Henrik winced. “Strange to ask that after we are done, and not while we were walking.”

“Sorry.”

“It is fine. Hurts. I will try to mix some pain relief once you get the water.” He hesitated. “Jackie... I have an uneasy feeling.”

Jackie straightened slightly. “About what?”

“That apothecary. She was looking at me oddly. Perhaps she just doesn’t like foreigners, but... I am uneasy,” Henrik repeated. “That something may happen.”

“Huh.” Jackie paused for a moment, standing with his hands on his hips, thinking. Then he looked at the window. He walked over and tried to push open the shutters, but found they wouldn’t open. There was a sliding lock, but it wasn’t latched shut. “Stuck. Meaning there’s only one entrance to the room. Not good.”

“You think someone will come in and we’ll need an escape route.” It wasn’t a question, merely a statement. Henrik was also worried about that.

“Better to lock the doors than be swept away by the storm,” Jackie said, idly repeating an old saying about the need for caution.

“The other rooms are all empty,” Henrik recalled.

“Stay here, I’ll go check them out.” Jackie walked back towards the door and disappeared through.

A few minutes passed, which Henrik spent sitting on the bed and double-checking all their supplies. Then Jackie returned and he looked up. “Well?”

“None of the rooms were locked, and none of them had stuck shutters,” Jackie reported. “The key the innkeeper gave us doesn’t work on their locks, of course, but the doors open inwards. I suggest we stay in the next room over. We can barricade it with the bed and table, so if someone tries to get in they have to force their way past. Meanwhile, we’ll sleep in shifts.”

“I am guessing we’ll have to sleep on the floor in this plan,” Henrik muttered.

Jackie shrugged. “At least the wooden floors are cleaner than the ground outside. And we can take the blankets from the bed.”

Henrik sighed. “The price to pay for safety. I suppose it’s nothing we are not used to.” He hesitated. “Jackie... this is a lot, going off a strange feeling I had. What if it is just... paranoia?”

“What if it isn’t?” Jackie repeated. “We can’t afford to be hurt, not when the King’s warriors are probably still hunting us.”

“...yes, you are right.” Henrik nodded. Slowly at first, then faster. “You are right.” He stood, flinching a bit when he put his weight on his injured leg. “Let’s move all our stuff to the other room. Then we can clean our clothes, have dinner, and go to sleep. Hopefully, we won’t be woken in the night.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Henrik didn’t leave the room again, but Jackie had to make multiple trips to the well for water to clean their clothes and themselves. Once those trips were over, he justified Henrik’s strange feeling by saying he felt like he was being watched. “Not openly,” he explained. “But every so often I’d turn my head and someone would quickly turn away. Like they didn’t want to be caught staring. I think we’re making the right move here.”

They washed their clothes as best as they could, leaving them hanging off some hooks in the wall to dry, and put on their new outfits—which, thankfully, fit perfectly. Then they had a fairly big dinner of bread, dried fruit, and lamb stew. They needed a lot of energy if they were going to sleep in shifts. Henrik volunteered to go first, so Jackie took the blankets from the bed and made a sort of nest on the floor. He fell asleep immediately. Meanwhile, Henrik stayed up and continued looking through their supplies. It took him a couple hours to sort them and write down everything on a spare piece of vellum.

He woke Jackie up as soon as he was done and they traded places. But Henrik found it much harder to fall asleep than Jackie did. He kept staring at the shuttered window, waiting for it to suddenly burst open and render their plan useless.

After what felt like forever, his mind finally calmed enough to drift off...

...and then he woke to Jackie shaking him and whispering something urgently. “Hmm?” Henrik groaned, lifting his head.

“Shhh.” The room was completely dark except for some lantern light coming from around the door. It was barely enough light to reflect off Jackie’s wide, alert eyes. “Listen,” he said in a barely-audible voice.

Henrik sat up slowly, straining his ears.

There were footsteps in the hall outside. Footsteps, and muttered voices.

“This is the room I put them in,” said a voice belonging to the innkeeper. “They were giving me strange feelings from the moment I saw them, so I gave them the one with the broken window.”

“Good idea,” said an unfamiliar male voice. “There’s no way out.”

“And nowhere to run,” added an unfamiliar female voice.

“They’re probably asleep right now,” said a voice that wasn’t unfamiliar. “Don’t give them a chance to wake up.” It was Derwa, the apothecary.

Henrik grabbed Jackie’s arm. He faintly saw Jackie nod, then stand up. Carefully, Jackie started to gather their bags—which Henrik had been careful to pack all of their supplies into once he was done sorting them. Henrik then stood, wincing at the creaking of the floorboards and the wound in his leg putting strain on his muscle, and felt his way to their clothes, hanging on the hooks, and took them down. He picked up the bag that he had placed nearby earlier and started stuffing the clothes inside.

Out in the hall, a loud BANG! rang out as a door slammed open. The footsteps rushed into the room that Henrik and Jackie were supposed to be staying in. So many of them, easily six or seven pairs. Then they stopped. “Where are they?!” Someone shouted.

Jackie was at the window now, sliding the lock open. He carefully eased open the shutters.

“Did they go out the window?!” demanded someone else.

“They couldn’t have!” the innkeeper protested. “The window shutters won’t open!”

“They must be in another room,” Derwa said. “Go back! Check the others!”

The footsteps hurried back out into the hall. And then the handle of their room’s door shook.

Jackie jumped headfirst out the now-open window. In an impressive feat, he managed to roll once he hit the ground and immediately stood up again. Henrik saw him gesture for him to follow, and he hurriedly closed the bag with their clothing and headed over.

“This door is blocked!” Came a voice from the hall.

“That must be them!” Came another.

The footsteps gathered, and Henrik saw the door start to open before hitting the bed that they’d pushed up against it. He quickly climbed out the window, stumbling to find his footing on the other side. Jackie helped him right himself, then pointed.

The inn was fairly central, but the town was small. It wouldn’t be too long before they were out. Henrik nodded, and the two of them hurried off.

It was the middle of the night, so dark that most objects could only be distinguished by slightly different shades of black. But in this darkness, there were spots of orange light. The two of them stopped at the corner of the inn’s building and peered around it to see what those spots of light were.

Torches and lanterns. Townsfolk were gathered in a group at the front of the inn, muttering, waiting.

“They’ve all come for us,” Henrik hissed.

“I know,” Jackie muttered. “But why?”

No time to figure it out. The two of them heard the inn’s doors slam open. “They’ve escaped!” Derwa shouted. “The traitors have escaped!” The crowd burst into loud clamoring, but Derwa’s voice rose above the rest. “Find them! Find them for the King!”

“The King?!” Jackie repeated.

“Do they know who we are?” Henrik wondered.

Jackie grabbed him by the arm and immediately broke into a run. Henrik stumbled, but caught himself and began running as well.

The townsfolk were spreading out, sprinting through the streets, waving their lights and shouting things like “For the King!” and “Down with traitors!” Jackie and Henrik only managed to get past a few buildings before they were spotted. Someone screamed out, “There! There they are! They’re heading past Everett’s house!” Any townsfolk nearby immediately turned and headed in that direction.

“Shit!” Jackie glanced over his shoulder. “Faster!”

“Faster!” Henrik repeated, and the two of them put on more speed, weaving around the corners of houses.

The distant pine trees grew closer, towering over everything. The forest was in sight. Once they were out of town, they could lose their pursuers in the wilderness. Jackie squeezed Henrik’s arm tight and pulled him, forcing him to go even faster—

And then the orange light of torches and lanterns blocked their way.

Jackie skidded to a halt, and Henrik was forced to stop as well as he ran into him. Their way was blocked by another group of townsfolk. Derwa stood at the front. “I knew you’d come this way,” she said.

Henrik glanced over his shoulder. The townsfolk behind them were spreading out, covering every possible gap.

“A wizard woman came this way, accompanied by warriors,” Derwa continued. “She warned us that enemies of the King may be in the area, and mentioned one with a foreign accent. I remember how she described it exactly.” Her eyes rested on Henrik. “The root was for you, wasn’t it?”

Neither Henrik nor Jackie said anything. Henrik merely tightened the straps of his bags, trying to find his way into the one with his unmixed potions. And Jackie’s hand drifted to his hip, where one of his swords rested.

“Then you won’t like this. Neither of you will, but especially you.” Derwa gestured to her side, where a young woman with brown hair and pale green eyes stood close by. “My daughter Teagan was born with a very special gift.”

The young woman nodded, and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they were glowing white. “Look,” she said. The single word was beautiful, a choir echoing behind her voice.

Jackie gasped. His grip on Henrik’s arm tightened. “Don’t—!”

But it was too late. Henrik had looked into her eyes the moment she told him to. And now he couldn’t look away. The white glow was shimmering, morphing. And the area around it morphed as well. The air shivered like ripples in water. Henrik finally managed to tear his gaze away, but the effect didn’t stop.

The townsfolk were changing. Shifting. They looked taller, limbs deforming. The orange light cast their faces in stark shadow, their visible features just orange shapes that twisted into cruel masks. He heard voices—so many more of them than there should be—chanting words, all overlapping and hard to make out except for the tone of anger, punctuated by sadistic laughter.

Henrik gasped and staggered backwards. This couldn’t be real. He knew it wasn’t. There was no magic that could do this, it was just his mind. But knowing that didn’t make it any less realistic. Or any less terrifying.

“Henrik!” Jackie’s voice hissed into his ear, and Henrik realized he’d fallen back against him. He looked up at Jackie’s face, but shuddered as it also seemed to twist, growing slits that worked as mouths or eyes. “Stay with me! Can you hold onto my hand?”

“I-Ich...” Henrik couldn’t figure out how to form words anymore. His mouth was a foreign thing, removed from his intentions. The shadow creatures with glowing orange faces grew closer. Their chanting was making his head pound, becoming louder and louder.

“Okay. That’s alright. I can work with that.” Jackie’s twisted face turned its attention away from him, and he breathed a sigh of relief. “Can you take your scarf off?”

Henrik could do that. And he did. But he wasn’t sure why. He could see metal claws sprouting from the shadows, glinting in the orange light of their faces. The chanting rose to frantic levels.

“Thanks.” Jackie took the scarf. Then Henrik felt something wrap around his wrist. He looked down to see a thick blue snake squeezing his arm, and shrieked. “It’s just the scarf! I’m making sure I don’t lose you!” Jackie’s voice hurriedly said. “When I say ‘now,’ you run. Okay?” Henrik nodded, latching onto the clear instructions. “Alright. And...now!”

He broke into a run. A good thing he did, too, because the snake around his wrist yanked his arm forward. Beside him, Jackie was running, screaming a fierce battle cry, a beam of metallic orange light clutched in his hand.

They were heading straight for the shadows. Henrik tripped a bit as he instinctively recoiled, but Jackie said to run, so he kept running. Jackie swung the light he held wildly, beating back the shadow creatures and their metal claws. Henrik felt something scratch his arm, then his side, then his upper leg. The shadows were trying to maul him. They were furious that their meals were escaping.

But escape they did. Jackie pierced through the darkness, which shouted in pain, and they ran from the hostile shadows into a more solid black of night. Henrik still heard the shadows screaming and laughing and chanting behind them, but he didn’t want to look back at their glowing faces.

The trees loomed overhead. Hands reached down from their branches and grabbed at his clothes, trying to pull him back. But he kept running. Jackie said to run. The ground beneath his feet was swirling and heaving. All around him were the sounds of voices, shouting insults at him and laughing as he stumbled. Silver eyes rippled like water, appearing and disappearing, always staring at him.

The snake was squeezing his wrist. Was it trying to dislocate his arm? He tried to shake it off but it just squeezed tighter. It was pulling him deeper into the forest. And there wasn’t much he could do but run, or risk getting dragged along. What little he could see in the darkness started to blur and waver as tears filled his eyes. Where was Jackie? He said to run, where was he now? Henrik tried to listen for his voice, but it was getting lost in the echoes of other voices. And the snake was still squeezing his arm.

It was too much. It was all too much. The moment the pull lessened—the second the snake’s grip started to loosen—Henrik collapsed. He didn’t land on the ground. Something caught him, but he couldn’t tell what it was, or what its intentions were. That sent a new surge of panic through his heart, and he briefly struggled against its hold before exhaustion and overwhelming fear set in, overpowering the panic and sending him into a deep faint.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first thing Henrik registered upon waking was the sound of birds chirping. That was followed by the cold ground beneath him. Then he opened his eyes to faint gray light filtering through the branches of the trees above.

“Oh good, you’re awake. I was starting to get worried.”

Henrik shifted his eyes a bit and saw Jackie sitting nearby, leaning back against a tree trunk with a sword in one hand. He looked absolutely exhausted, but he smiled at Henrik when he realized he was looking at him. “What... what happened?” Henrik asked, slowly sitting up.

“What do you remember?” Jackie asked.

“There... there were shadows. A-and their faces were orange, and glowing. And they were chanting at us—they wanted to hurt us. And then there was a snake that dragged me into the forest...” Henrik slowly trailed off. “That all sounds ridiculous.”

“No, I can see how you got there,” Jackie said. He rubbed his eyes. “There was a woman there: the apothecary’s daughter. She was an enchanter. I think she cast some spell to twist our vision and hearing. Make us see things that weren’t really there.”

“And...were you affected?” Henrik asked slowly.

Jackie shook his head. “We had to look into her eyes and hear her voice. Luckily, I realized what was happening as soon as she tried.”

Henrik slumped. He hated that he had instantly fallen under the spell, but he knew it would’ve been much harder to get out of that town if both of them were seeing things. “Thank the Sisters,” he muttered.

“Thank Chase, actually.” Jackie chuckled. “He told me a story about an enchanter who did something similar. As soon as her eyes started glowing I looked away.”

“So...what was really happening?” Henrik asked. “There were no shadow creatures, so what was it?”

“The townsfolk started closing in on us,” Jackie said, his tone dull, as if this was completely uninteresting. “The apothecary was giving some speech about how the King would love that they served him, and they were all cheering. I think they thought we were both under the spell, because they weren’t too worried. You were... you clearly weren’t all there. So I took your scarf and tied our wrists together so I wouldn’t lose you in the crowd. Then I drew my sword and charged. The townsfolk weren’t expecting that, and I... I got us through.” He paused, then quickly moved on. “We kept running through the forest until I was sure we’d lost them. Then you fainted. I caught you and carried you here, and then sat down and waited for you to wake up.”

Henrik gave him another look. “You did not sleep, then.”

Jackie barked out a laugh. “How could I have slept? We’re still not too far from the town, and you were completely out of the fight. They might have begun searching the forest. I had to defend you.”

“And...thank you for that.” Henrik leaned over and gently squeezed Jackie’s wrist—the one for his sword hand. “But I am awake now. If we are still nervous, we should stand up and start walking. Then you can sleep.”

“It’ll be day soon.”

“And? Better to sleep in the day than not at all.”

Jackie sighed. “You’re right.” He stood up slowly. Their bags were on the ground around them, surrounding the two of them in a vague sort of barrier. “Pick up some of the packs.”

Henrik nodded and stood as well. It was then, as he was shifting position, that he noticed the absence of a familiar weight hanging from his hip. He froze. And reached down to find he wasn’t wearing his belt.

“Jackie,” he said slowly. “Is my belt in the pack with our clothes?”

Jackie looked at him. Confused at first, then his eyes widened as he realized the same thing Henrik had. “I don’t know.”

Henrik’s eyes darted around, looking until he saw the bag he’d put their clothes in while they were escaping. He lunged for it, grabbed it, and practically tore it open as he searched for his belt.

The search was in vain. His belt wasn’t in there.

And neither was the flask of medicine that had been attached to it.

Henrik burst into a spew of Alterdan curses. It wasn’t enough that he had no ingredients to make more. The world had decided he should lose what little medicine he had left, as well?!

“It...it’s only a week’s journey to Raefon,” Jackie said weakly. “The apothecary said there might be more ghíneol root there.”

“Might,” Henrik spat bitterly. “And if there is, it will probably be too much for us to buy.”

“Well, then we’ll have to resort to desperate measures.” Jackie rested a hand on Henrik’s arm. The small weight was comforting. Calming. “It will be alright.”

Henrik looked Jackie straight in the eyes. “A week is just the amount of time for symptoms to start appearing again. In the time until we get there, I will begin to relapse. You have to be prepared for that, Jackie.”

“I will be. I swear.” Jackie nodded. “If I’m not prepared for this part of you after knowing you for so many years, then we are not truly friends.”

That did assuage many of Henrik’s fears. But not all of them. “There is a chance the enchanter’s spell would have made it worse,” he warned.

Jackie nodded again. “I’m not going to leave you in the midst of the wilderness, if that’s what you’re wondering. You know I’d never do that.”

“I do. But... it is nice to hear it.” Henrik paused, then tried for a small smile. “We should start walking, then.”

“We should.” Jackie reached down and picked up a bag, swinging it onto his shoulder. “Let’s go.”

They gathered their supplies and began walking southward. 

#jacksepticeye #jacksepticeye fanfiction #jacksepticegos #septic egos #septic egos au #jacksepticeye au #jackieboy man #dr schneeplestein #chase brody #marvin the magnificent #jameson jackson #brigid writes fanfiction #fantasymasksau

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Fall

Fantasy Masks AU: Chapter Twenty-Five

A JSE Fanfic

Finally, after all this time, Chase, Marvin, and Jameson have made it to the capital city of Suilthair. This is where Chase’s family are. Now they just need to find them somewhere on this island. Sounds simple, right? Well, things won’t be that easy. They are in the King’s center of power, after all. I’m real excited to see how you guys react to this one >:) Have fun!

Previous Part | More AU

Taglist: @brokentimewatch

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chase had heard stories about Suilthair, but he always wondered if they were exaggerated. Now, as he approached the Green Lake with Marvin and Jameson, he knew that at least the rumors of the lake’s beauty were not. As the sun set behind them its light glinted on the water, lighting it up like a sheet of emerald.

“Wow. You’re completely awestruck,” Marvin said, riding next to him.

“It’s beautiful,” Chase whispered. He could see the dark buildings in the center of the lake that made up Suilthair itself. They were the tallest buildings he’d ever seen. The towers of the palace were easily visible.

Marvin stared at Chase a moment more, then turned to look at the lake. “I suppose it is,” he admitted. “Jameson? What do you think?”

Jameson nodded. He’d been quiet all day. But neither Chase nor Marvin blamed him. They were approaching the home of the King. It was enough to make anyone nervous, and with Jameson’s history... Well, they didn’t press him.

“See that cluster of buildings on the shore?” Marvin said, pointing. “That’s where the ferry docks. The ferries run back and forth constantly during the day, but not as much during the night. We better hurry so we don’t have to wait.”

“Will they let animals on?” Chase asked.

“If you’re talking about the horses, no. No horses in the city, they’ll just crowd up the place. We’ll have to leave them in the stable. Maybe we can get them out once we leave, depending on how well this all goes. If you’re talking about Draco...” The cat, sitting in Marvin’s lap, looked up. “...Yes, that’s fine. People bring pets too and from the city all the time. As long as they aren’t too big.”

Even with it becoming dark out, the ferry landing was crowded. The three of them double-checked that their disguise charms were secure before heading down there. They dropped off the horses, as Marvin said they would have to, then sat on the wall separating the landing from the water and waited. Other travelers also waited, standing and sitting. People in green tunics wove around them, carrying long sticks.

“Maintaining the lanterns,” Marvin explained, gesturing at one of the green-clad people touched the stick to a hanging iron lamp. “The flames are powered by witchcraft, but they need touching up so they won’t fade. See, there’s a rune on the end of those sticks, they’re called fire wands, and...” He went on for a while about how the lamps worked. By the time he finished, the ferry was pulling up.

There was barely enough room for all the travelers to stand on the wide, flat ferry. The three of them ended up pushed to the edge. That was fine. Chase had a good view of Suilthair from here, if he leaned out over the railing. Its lights glimmered across the slight waves.

Suilthair was sometimes called the Floating City, a nickname which was only partially true. The city had started on the small island in the middle of the Green Lake, but had outgrown its boundaries and started building houses and business out on the water, sections connected to each other by bridges. It was so solid that if Chase didn’t know any better, he would assume the city was built on a large island with a lot of rivers.

Jameson tugged him back by his collar. Don’t lean too far, he said. You might fall and the disguise charm could be lost.

“Right.” Chase nodded. But he kept craning his neck to watch their approach.

The ferry docked at another landing, and everyone filed out onto the wooden planks that made up the ground. Chase tensed a little. He could feel the ground swaying with all those people moving. But once they started to break up, it became steady again. “So. Where do we start?”

Marvin glanced up at the rapidly darkening purple sky. “We find an inn.”

“Another inn?” Chase sighed.

“Would you rather sleep on the streets?” Marvin drawled.

“No, it’s just...” Chase tried to figure out how to phrase this. “I’m here now. In the same place as my family, for the first time in nearly three seasons. I don’t want to delay. I need to find them.”

Jameson rested a hand on his shoulder. It’s a big city, he said. We might not find them before the night ends. If we find a place to stay, we can spend all day tomorrow looking for them.

“I know, but...” Chase trailed off.

“We can do a little looking around,” Marvin said. “After we find some place to sleep and put our things. Is that alright?”

Chase nodded. “Yeah. Of course.” He adjusted the strap of his pack. “Let’s hurry, then.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They found an inn that was just like every other inn Chase had stayed in on their weeks-long journey to Suilthair. He only cared to remember the name—Feall’s Folly—in case he got lost and had to ask for directions. There was nothing special about this place. The room was small, with two thin beds and a wardrobe and a single window with glass that slid open and closed. Marvin made some comment about how “at least we’re only on the second floor if we need to run for it” and for a moment Chase hated that his life was in a place where they had to consider jumping out a window to escape pursuers.

He wasted no time in reminding the others that they said they could search around a little. Marvin and Jameson barely had time to drop off their stuff before Chase was dragging them off.

There were many sections of Suilthair, but they fit into two mostly-evenly-sized locations. The island, and the floating neighborhoods surrounding it. Their inn was on the island, though it wasn’t too far from a bridge to the neighborhoods. They decided that it would be easier to search the island area at night. Although the streets there were narrower, and the buildings taller, they were ordered in a grid pattern that would make searching easier. All they had to do was avoid going too close to the center, where the royal palace sat, surrounded by high castle walls.

As they walked through darkening streets, Marvin and Jameson took turns explaining the city layout. They weren’t too accurate. Marvin hadn’t been in Suilthair since he was a teenager, and Jameson had spent most of his time in Suilthair imprisoned in the castle. But they got the gist. Here on the island were the houses where the nobility stayed when visiting court. Here were many of the restaurants where you could have food prepared for you. And here was the curving line of luxury good stores.

Chase doubted that he would find his family in any of these places. They were from a mountain village, where they had farmed and hunted for a living. Unless something had suddenly changed, they wouldn’t be found among these high-class areas. But still, he asked anyone he saw if they knew his family. Stacia, daughter of Bree, with dark hair usually worn in a braid and deep brown eyes. Her children, Amabel (ten years old, red hair, brown eyes) and Quinten (eight, nearly nine years old, dark curls, brown eyes.) Have you seen them? Do you know where they might be? They would have arrived here over two seasons ago. No? They would have come with a large group. Do you know anything about new arrivals around that time? No? Well thank you anyway.

“Chase,” Marvin said softly. “We’ve been looking for so long. The moon is nearly at its height. It’s too dark to recognize your family if you walked past them. We need to go back. Get some rest.”

Jameson nodded. We can wake up early tomorrow. It can get dangerous when you’re out late. Criminals come out from hiding.

He said nothing at first. His hands shook slightly as he folded his arms. They were so close. They were so close. But... they were right. The shops were closing, so there would be no workers to ask. People still walked the streets, going out for a night on the town, but it was hard to see any details. He could barely see his two companions, he would never be able to identify Stacia, and the children probably wouldn’t be out this late. “Okay,” he said quietly. “Let’s go back.”

They made their way back to the inn. Marvin and Jameson let him have one of the beds, telling him he needed a good night’s sleep. But he couldn’t sleep. He knew they were out there, sharing the same city.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chase left early the next morning, barely staying long enough to eat, but Marvin and Jameson stayed in the inn a little while longer. Marvin said he wanted to find out if the inn provided baths, but after Chase was gone, he told Jameson he wasn’t sure they would be any help on this search.

“Neither of us know what Chase’s family looks like,” he said. “We only know what Chase has told us. I’m not sure about you, but I’m really bad with faces, even for people I’ve seen before. It’ll be so much worse when I’ve never met who I’m looking for.”

We don’t have to just look for them, Jameson said. We can ask around for anyone answering to their names.

“That’s true, but what if they go by different names now?”

Why would they go by different names?

“I don’t know, why would most of the village be happy to abandon their homes and come to a city they’ve never been to?” Marvin pointed out. “Especially after the King’s people burned it down. I mean, true, the King’s people might have convinced the villagers that they saved them from the fire, but... wouldn’t they have seen them lighting it? This whole thing is strange. I wouldn’t be surprised if the villagers were hiding among the Suilthair townsfolk.”

Jameson frowned. Marvin... have you ever wondered why most of Glasúil still loves the King? He doesn’t do much to hide how he grows the army at the expense of all other kingdom needs.

Marvin nodded slowly.

I think that’s his doing, Jameson confided. He’s enchanted them.

“The whole kingdom? Or, most of the kingdom?” Marvin raised an eyebrow, doubtful. “That would take a lot of power.”

He wouldn’t need to enchant most of the kingdom. Just the ones who keep things under control.

“That would still be too many people.” Marvin paused. “Where are you going with this?”

Let’s say he has enough power to enchant a large number of people, Jameson speculated. What if he also enchanted the survivors from Chase’s village? If he did that, maybe you’re right, and finding Chase’s family won’t be easy. They... might not want to come.

Marvin was quiet for a moment. “There are still some holes in that theory, but I think it’s getting somewhere. The main problem is how much magic that would take. And also, the King wasn’t there the day the village burned down. He couldn’t be, it’s too far. But I think you’re onto something.” He sighed. Then he walked over to the window and peered outside. “Cloudy, today. Maybe it’ll rain. Searching in the rain will be miserable. Maybe we shouldn’t go out at all. Even with the disguise charms, there’s more risk to us being recognized than Chase.”

Jameson paused. He could feel something... His head and chest were tight. It felt like something pressing against the inside of his skull and ribs. His muscles tensed. He was standing right by the bed, so he had enough time to sit down before—

“Jair? Are you alright?” Marvin hurried over to him.

The moment passed. Jameson nodded. I’m fine.

“Are you sure?”

I’m sure. We were talking about if we should go help Chase search. If I’m being honest, I don’t think we should. You’re right, there’s too much risk. Not everyone speaks in hands, anyway, so I won’t be able to speak to everyone.

Marvin still looked a bit worried about Jameson, but he nodded slowly. “Alright. If you’re sure.”

My one complaint is that we probably should have told Chase about all these worries before we left, Jameson said wryly.

Marvin chuckled. “Probably. But better to ask forgiveness than permission.”

Jameson shook his head. Not in my experience. He felt a phantom hand grab his arm, almost heard whispered words of anger...

“...well. When it comes to friends,” Marvin said awkwardly. “A-anyway. I’m going to ask the innkeeper about the bath.”

The inn did not provide baths, but the innkeeper gave directions to a bathhouse. Marvin and Jameson considered it, but after a bit of discussion they agreed it was still too risky to go out. And actually, a bathhouse would be even riskier, because they couldn’t keep the disguise charms on them.

There wasn’t much to do in the small inn room. Marvin had packed some cards and dice, so the two of them spent most of the time playing various games and trying to keep Draco from ruining their setup. Out the window, the clouds grew grayer.

Not that much time had passed when Jameson heard footsteps outside. Not uncommon in an inn, there had been several footsteps passing by their room since Chase had left. But there were a lot of them. And they sounded heavy. He put down his cards and asked, Marvin, should we be worried about those sounds outside?

Marvin paused. His eyes widened, and he stood up straight.

But he wasn’t fast enough.

The door burst open and water flooded into the room. Waves of water splashing in with such force that Marvin fell to his feet. Jameson grabbed him, pulling him upright, and looked around. The window! They had to get out through the window! He ran that way. Marvin was disoriented, coughing and spluttering water, so he pulled him with him.

He threw open the window, but froze. On the street outside were crowds of King’s warriors, wearing that identifiable black tunic with the royal crest. And many of them were looking straight at the window.

More warriors began charging into the room through the open door. Three of them strolled in, casually, unworried. The water, which came up to everyone’s knees, parted around them. Sorcerers. Of course. It was rare for sorcerers to become warriors, but not unheard of.

Marvin regained his senses. He immediately grabbed his amulet, and as his eyes started to glow, Draco leapt at the nearest warrior.

One of the sorcerers gestured, and the water around Marvin’s legs rushed upwards. It covered his head in seconds. Marvin lost concentration and flailed wildly, clawing at the water, struggling to breathe. Draco managed to cause some chaos for a minute before a warrior grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and threw him out the open window with a yowl.

Another sorcerer stepped forward and looked at Jameson. “Your friend is going to run out of air and pass out,” she said. “But if you don’t resist, we won’t do the same to you.”

All he could do was slowly raise his hands in surrender.

A pair of warriors stepped forward, one pulling his arms behind his back while the other searched him for weapons. He found nothing. Jameson had thought it would be safe to leave his small knife in their packs.

“Good,” said the third sorcerer. “Had you not been here, we would have flooded the whole building.” They laughed cruelly. “Or maybe set it on fire. That would’ve called you running back. Now, let’s go.”

Jameson could only hope that the warriors didn’t stay long, and that Chase didn’t come back to the inn—

“Jair?! Jair!”

Jameson snapped back to reality. Marvin was kneeling in front of him, eyes fixed on his face, staring with worry. Marvin. Jameson looked around, reorienting himself. The room was not flooded. There were no warriors. Draco was sitting on the other bed licking his fur. Everything was alright.

“Are you alright?” Marvin asked. “Did you have a vision?”

Yes, he did. A very, very vivid one. He’d felt it coming on, with that strange pressure in his head and chest, but even so he nearly forgot that the vision wasn’t real... or at least, it wasn’t real yet.

The window outside showed a cloudy gray sky. Not quite as gray as it had been in his vision. But nearly.

They didn’t have much time.

Marvin. Jameson’s hands moved slowly. I think we should go search the city with Chase.

Marvin nodded. “This is because of your vision?”

It’s better if we go, Jameson said vaguely. Someone here realizes who we are. I think we should leave one at a time, too.

“Shit. Alright.” Marvin stood. “Do you need anything? You were shaking really badly for that vision.”

I’m fine. Jameson gave him a small, tired smile. I’ll just rest up a little. You should go now, though.

“Really?”

Really. I’ll be fine. You go on ahead.

“...alright,” Marvin said reluctantly. “I’ll go. Be careful.” He headed towards the door. Draco jumped off the bed and followed him. Before he left, Marvin turned to look back at Jameson one last time.

Thank you, Jameson said. He smiled again, warmer. And I mean that. You’re a great friend, Marvin. Chase, too. And Jackie and Henrik, even though they aren’t here. I think you all are the best friends I’ve ever had.

“Aw.” Marvin didn’t know how to respond, so he only laughed. “Uh, thank you. I’ll see you later, alright? We’ll meet up here for dinnertime.”

Jameson nodded. Good luck with your search.

“Goodbye.” And with that, Marvin left, closing the door behind him.

Jameson didn’t move. He wasn’t going to go out searching. The warriors would be coming soon, and they would expect someone to be in this room—maybe even the three of them specifically. If the room was empty, they would do something terrible to the whole inn. He couldn’t let that happen. But at least he could be sure that Marvin and Chase weren’t here. The one other thing he did was take their masks out of the pack. He pried open a loose floorboard and hid them underneath. It left a sour taste in his mouth to think of the King’s warriors holding them. Then, he sat back on the bed.

The sky turned a darker gray.

Not long now.

When the door burst open, Jameson didn’t flinch.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why were there warriors outside the inn?

Marvin stood, hidden in the alleyway in between two buildings, and stared at the crowd of black-tunic’ed warriors gathered around the inn where they were staying. Some were standing, some were walking, some were speaking to each other. It was obvious that they were all guarding the area.

He hadn’t been gone that long. Only a couple hours. When had they shown up?

One of them idly glanced towards the alley where Marvin was standing. Her eyes briefly slid over the spot, then darted back—and down. Landing on Draco, who stood by his feet. “Hey!”

Marvin turned and ran.

“That’s one of them!” he heard the warrior shout. “That way!”

Water splashed against the wall next to his head, some of it flying into his face. He spluttered, and glanced behind him. One of the warriors was levitating a head-sized sphere of water above their hand. Sorcerer?! They hurled the sphere towards Marvin, and he kept running. Water splashed behind him, getting his hair wet. Draco yowled as he ran beside Marvin.

They recognized his cat?! That meant they were looking for him. Not just anyone suspicious, but him. And probably Jameson and Chase, too. Were they okay?! Had the warriors already found them?!

More water pooled around his ankles. Draco hissed. Marvin looked down at him. “Go!” he commanded, eyes glowing slightly. But for once, he seemed to have no control over his familiar. “Damn it,” he cursed, and grabbed his amulet. It started to glow. He peeled the light off and threw it over his shoulder. The sound of breaking wood echoed after him and someone shouted.

The water was slowing him down, filling the street. He swore again and hurled more magic down at the ground. The impact sent the water splashing away but it quickly filled the space in again. So much water! So much control! Were there multiple sorcerers? Marvin glanced over his shoulder and saw a whole group of warriors following him. There could be more than one sorcerer in there.

He had to get away! There was water everywhere! They were on an island surrounded by the stuff, but more importantly, there were many sewers full of water underneath the city. The sorcerers were likely pulling the water from there right now (a fact which would have grossed Marvin out if he didn’t know water-controlling sorcery only controlled the water itself and nothing within it.) Three sorcerers with this much water to manipulate? That would be a close fight. And they had backup warriors, too.

So he ran and ran, occasionally flinging bolts of magic over his shoulder in the hopes they stop his pursuers. But they never did. He heard the warriors getting closer and closer. The sorcerers threw their own magic at him, controlling water in bursts and splashes. The streets were beginning to flood. It was up to his knees now.

He needed somewhere he could open a doorway! Somewhere he could be alone for long enough to cast the spell. Please, let this next turn delay them. Please, let his wall hide him. Please, please, please—

And then he turned a corner and ran straight into a stone wall twice as tall as himself. A dead end. He skidded to a halt, water splashing, and glanced over his shoulder. The warriors were closing in on him. There would be no time to make a doorway. Even if he could finish the spell before they got to him, they would just follow him right through.

There was no choice. He had to fight.

Marvin turned around, grabbing his focus and pulling all the magic he could from it. He felt something brush his leg, and looked down to see Draco, head barely above the rising water. He spared a moment to reach down and scoop him up in one arm. “As soon as you’re able to, you run,” he muttered to the cat. “Just like before.” He wasn’t looking forward to spending more time in a dungeon. Maybe the one in Suilthair would be better.

Draco stared at him with bright blue eyes. Very... bright blue eyes. Wait, were they glowing?

The warriors were only a few feet away, taking their time as they closed in. The sorcerers gathered the water around them in hovering spheres and ropes, while the non-magical ones drew their weapons. Marvin stared at them, then once again glanced down at Draco. His eyes were definitely glowing. In all his years of having him, Marvin had never seen them do that unprompted. What was happening?

A flash of blue light burst through the area. The warriors staggered back, dropping their weapons, blinded. When their vision cleared, Marvin and Draco were nowhere in sight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unlike the part of Suilthair built on the island, the floating neighborhoods were a difficult-to-navigate mess. They’d grown gradually over time, pieces added onto others with bridges joining to whatever spot was convenient. But at least the ground was more solid than Chase expected. He could almost believe he was walking on land instead of floating wooden walkways.

He tried to remember where he was going as he went around asking if anyone had seen his family, but gave up quickly. As long as he made it back to the inn by dark, it would all be fine.

The floating neighborhoods were more familiar to him than the island. This was where the common folk like him lived. It had marketplaces, not shops or restaurants, and the homes were small but full of people. He let himself relax a bit. This was somewhere he could blend in.

It was almost evening. Or at least, he assumed so. The dark gray clouds overhead made it hard to tell. His stomach grumbled, and he realized he hadn’t eaten anything yet. Maybe he should go back to the inn. They had food back in their room. No, not yet. He’d start heading in that direction, but he wanted to ask more people before he gave up.

And it was a good thing he’d decided to keep asking.

“Long dark hair, you said?” The woman he’d stopped on the street scrunched her face in thought. “Is this Stacia about this tall?” She raised her hand a bit over her own head.

“Yes, about.” Chase nodded. “Do you know her?”

“I think we work together,” the woman said. “She prefers to go by Bree, but you said that was her mother’s name? So that would make sense.”

“You work together?” Chase gave the woman a once-over. She was wearing a gray dress with a starched white bonnet and apron. “Where?”

“We do laundry for the people in Island Row,” the woman said. “Ah, I mean Terriar Street and its surroundings.”

Laundry? He never pictured Stacia doing that for a living. When the family needed their clothes washed, he was almost always the one to do it. Easier to stay home from a day of hunting than miss work at the farm where Stacia was employed. And Terriar Street? That was one of the locations Marvin had identified as being home to visiting nobility. Stacia had never interacted with nobility before; she had no experience in how to act with them. But perhaps job opportunities were limited in Suilthair. “Does she have two children?” he asked. “A girl and a young boy?”

The woman thought about it. “I think she mentioned them before. But she’s always been rather quiet about her personal life, so I can’t be sure.”

It was the best lead Chase had. “Can you tell me where to find her?”

The clouds grew darker overhead as he hurried through the neighborhoods, trying to find the right bridges and walkways that would lead him to the area the woman mentioned: Dúlaga Square. It was fairly close to the island proper. People began lighting lanterns as the shadows deepened. Less and less of them appeared out in the streets, and the ones still out looked to the cloudy sky and hurried onward, seeking shelter from possible rain. Chase stared at each of them as they passed, hoping he would see a familiar face—

And he saw a woman with a long, dark braid, walking quickly home. She took long steps and kept her back straight. Even though he could only see her back, that stride was familiar. “S...Stacia?” he called uncertainly.

The woman turned at the sound of his voice. She was wearing the same outfit as the woman from before, and the white bonnet hid her face.

“Stacia!” he repeated, louder, and walked quicker. He pulled the disguise charm out of his pocket so it wouldn’t affect him anymore. “Stacy!”

She kept looking around for the source of the voice. Until finally, she saw him. Her face was fully visible now. It was Staica.

“Stacy!” Chase shouted, breaking into a run. He saw her eyes widen. She was holding a bag in her arms, but she dropped it in shock. Chase skidded to a halt in front of her. “Stacia,” he said again. “I-I... it’s...” He laughed. “I-I don’t know what to say! I can’t believe it’s you.”

“...Chase,” Stacia said slowly. “What do you want?”

“What do I...? Stacia, a-are you okay? Are Amabel and Quinten okay? I—when I saw the fire, I-I was so—I thought—”

“They’re fine,” Stacia interrupted. “I’m alright, too.”

“Oh that’s great.” Chase’s shoulders slumped with relief. “I-I’ve been trying to find you for so long. And now you’re here, and—I’ll admit, I never thought you would be in Suilthair, but—”

“Chase, what do you want?” Stacia asked again.

Chase blinked, surprised at her tone. It was blunt. Unwelcoming. “I... wanted to find you,” he said slowly. “Though, I admit, I-I wasn’t sure how to proceed from here, I... was just so focused on making sure you were okay—”

“We’re great, Chase.” Stacia bent over and picked up the bag she’d dropped. Inside were bundles of cloth. Laundry, perhaps? “We’re getting along. You can go back to wherever you were hiding now.”

“Hiding?” Chase said, stunned. “Stacia, I wasn’t hiding, I—” Well, he was. Wyvernlair was a hidden base.

“Then where were you?” Stacia asked, staring at him with a piercing gaze.

“I was... in the forest,” Chase said slowly.

“The forest? In the mountains? Where those rebels had their secret meeting spot?”

“Secret meeting...? Stacy, what... Why are you...” Chase trailed off. In all their years together, Stacia had never looked at him the way she was now. It was more than suspicion. It was open distrust.

“Tell me you weren’t one of the rebels in Hilltown, Chase,” Stacia said.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” It wasn’t a lie. He was so confused. “What rebels in Hilltown?”

“There were enemies of the King in our very own village,” Stacia explained. “They set the buildings on fire. We all would’ve been killed if there hadn’t been royal warriors there. They were already on their way to apprehend the rebels, and the rebels must have known, deciding to take us all with them.”

Chase shook his head slowly. None of that was true. The Masked Phantoms hadn’t had any members in the mountain villages. And he knew the warriors had been the ones to set the fire. But of course, they wouldn’t tell the villagers that. “I’m not sure that’s—”

“Were you one of them, Chase?” Stacia leaned close.

“No!” Chase shook his head again, vigorously. “I’d never heard of there being rebellion against the King until you mentioned rumors that one night!”

Stacia stared at him. Then she leaned back. “Well. That’s a bit better, I suppose. You’re just a deserter, not a traitor.”

“A deserter?!” Chase gasped. “Stacy, what are you talking about?!”

“Where were you, Chase?!” Stacia demanded. “You said you were in the forest. Doing what? If you’ve been trying to find us, why did it take you so long?”

“I-it’s a big kingdom,” Chase said weakly.

“Our travel through the mountains should have been obvious. There were many of us, almost the whole village, minus those who’d been killed by fire or rebels. And there’s the fact that you went out into the woods the day of the fire and left the kids and I behind.”

“I went out into the woods every day,” Chase pointed out. “I was hunting.”

“You always came back before sunset every other day,” Stacia said darkly. “So did you just forget to return on time that day?”

“I...” Chase paused. “It was an accident. There... there was this deer—”

“A deer.” Stacia didn’t look impressed.

“A deer with golden antlers! You know what that means, Stacia, the Horned Elder One—”

“The Horned Elder One hasn’t been seen in a century,” Stacia said. “So you just happened to see them that day, for the first time in a hundred years?”

Chase was scrambling, his thoughts running in circles. “I know it sounds unbelievable but it’s true. And where did you hear that about the Horned Elder One? I’ve never heard that before.”

“The kids learned it in school.”

Chase blinked. “...school?”

Stacia nodded. “Yes, school. Something Hilltown didn’t have. As much as I hated to see our home burn, I have made the best of the situation by coming here. And it has provided new opportunities. Do you know I have a real job now, Chase? I get paid in coins, not in potatoes. I can buy anything the kids would want or need, including admission to the local school.” She adjusted her hold on the bag. “We’ve done very well without you, Chase. So you can just go back to the mountains, or wherever you decided was more important to be than with us.”

He took a step backwards. His chest ached as if Stacia’s very words had punched him in the ribs. “Stacy,” he said gently.

“Don’t call me that, Chase.”

He flinched. “Stacia, I—e-everything I’ve been doing for the past two seasons, it’s... it’s all been to find you. To get back to you and the kids.”

“If it truly was, you would have been here sooner.” Stacia’s voice was cold. She turned around. “Go home, Chase. Don’t follow me.”

“Wait!” He grabbed her shoulder. “Can I at least talk to Amabel and Quinten? I have to see them!”

She shook him off. “They need to be in bed soon. School starts early.” She looked back at him one last time. “Goodbye, Chase.” And then she strode off, never once pausing, and disappeared around a corner.

Chase stood rooted to the spot as he watched her go. Overhead, the clouds were beginning to let their rain loose, drops splattering on the wooden ground. He was getting wet. But he still didn’t move.

Something shattered inside him. All this... all this time, all this effort... and they didn’t need him. They didn’t want him. Stacia thought he abandoned them, and was she wrong? He spent a whole season at Wyvernlair, waiting around. Doing nothing to find them. Hoping that others would do his job for him. He should have left right away. He should have begun the search as soon as possible and not gotten involved in the Phantoms.

The rain was falling harder now. How long had he been standing in one spot? Long enough for his clothes to cling to his skin with water.

Slowly, he turned. Something fell out of his loose fingers, and he looked down to see the disguise charm lying on the ground. He stared at it. Then turned and walked away. It didn’t really matter if anyone saw him. Nobody knew who he was.

He didn’t know where he was going. He just... walked. The neighborhoods were even harder to navigate in the pouring rain, so he didn’t try. He went wherever the impulse took him. Nobody else was out. The area might as well have been a ghost town.

After who knew how long, he slipped. His foot landed in a puddle on the worn wooden planks and he lost his balance, falling backwards hard. It was only luck that he didn’t hit his head too hard. He could have gotten up again... but he didn’t. He stared at the falling rain through squinted eyes until it was too much to bear and he closed them.

An empty hole opened up inside him, and he let himself fall.

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