***Sorry about that false update, here's the real one :D***

Thank you! I can't believe we already hit 2k! Guys, I'm gonna cry, or would if I wasn't exhausted.

But here is the next chapter of Falling to Rise! I hope you enjoy, now must get working on LOST, we are so close to finishing! :D

Here is a link to the drawing in DA: http://pre04.deviantart.net/26d6/th/pre/i/2015/291/9/3/jerome_ref__falling_to_rise__by_catthedrawer-d9dl3uo.png

Falling to Rise

Chapter 9

"When injustice becomes law, rebellion becomes our duty."

Seto was sure he had long since lost whomever he was chasing, but he couldn't turn back now. His curiosity was still perked and he felt like traveling in this direction would lead him somewhere.

Just as he thought, he heard voices up ahead, he stalked quietly and listened in on the conversation.

"Loot? How much did we get?" One gruff voice said.

"Enough to get us supplies for at least a month."

"Hmph, not as good as last month's raid." There was a pause, "How about kills?"

"A good 10 humans." another voice said, he could tell there were at least 3 voices.

"Women and children?"

"None."

"Good." Who were these people! Kills? What are they talking about! Seto mistepped on a tree root. He shouted in alarm and stumbled forward, crashing into bushes and landing sprawled in the clearing the voices came from. He groaned.

"A human!"

"Eavesdropper!"

"Kill him!" Seto's head pounded as many voices met his ears. He blinked and looked up, he gaped and pushed himself away, scrambling madly. Their fur-covered faces glared at him, they all brandished weapons.

Morvics! They tightened their grip on their weapons, some had swords, others axes, one even had large knives curved at their tip. Before any move could be made, one morvic held out his hand--paw and stopped the other four.

"Head back to camp, I'll take care of this." He was obviously the leader.

"But--"

"Shut up and go!" He whipped his head around and growled menacingly. The other four glared at me, then scampered up the trees and left.

I turned my attention to my aggressor, he held an old rusted iron axe by the hilt against his shoulder. Cold brown eyes stared into my brown eyes, he had on only a set of long black pants and a red scarf, otherwise everything else was just fur.

"You!" He snapped Seto out of his thoughts and he flinched at the harsh hiss.

"Y-yes?!" Seto had to think fast, how was he going to get out of this. He knew Morvics were lower-class 'people' but he also knew only small logistics about them besides that. Morvics originated in Duhita, much like the sorcerer's originated in Vragan. They lived pretty much anywhere, but more popularly resided in the forests from Duhita. Since they were expelled from the villages and cities of Duhita.

"How old are you!" he demanded.

"What?" Seto asked.

"Just answer the question!" He hissed and stepped forward.

Seto scooted back and shouted, "19! I'm 19!"

What was he going to do, why was he asking these questions. The morvic stood there for a second, as if thinking about his answer. What was going on?

He snorted, "Guess today's not your day. If you'd been just two years younger I would've let you lived, because you technically wouldn't be an adult." He sighed, "You're a little short for 19, but if that's how old you are, shame. Not that I like humans." He spat out his last sentence.

Seto's eyes widened. The Morvic grinned, "I'm feeling nice though, I'll make it quick, just a few chops here and there, won't even feel a thing!" He swung his axe around and lunged towards Seto.

Seto only had a narrow window of opportunity, and he took it. As fast as he could he pushed himself away and sloppily stood up, his right shoulder crashed into a tree. He cried out and using his left arm pushed away from the tree and stumbled deeper into the woods. He couldn't remember which direction he came from and so he ran madly with no sense of direction. Oh how he wished he hadn't just followed his stupid instinct! He was going to die!

He looked back behind him to see no one chasing him, this caused him to foolishly stop running. He panicked when he realized one thing, the others had climbed trees with expertise! So realistically so could his attacker!

Seto looked up just in time to see the fur covered male falling from the branches, axe out and aiming for his head. Seto ducked and ran away.

"Quit running! You're only going to make this worse for yourself!"

Seto panted, he knew he was horrible at running, his time at the army camp made that apparent, but right now his life depended on it. He pumped his legs faster and ran with all his might.

Seto felt the speed of an object fly by him, narrowly missing his head and into a tree. He screamed and skidded to a stop. He whipped around only to be tackled by the Morvic. His arms pinned as he stared into the cold eyes of what would be his killer.

"Why are humans so stupid, Morvics are physically faster than your tiny legs." He huffed, "I mean what idiot of a human would be traveling in this part of the forest anyway!"

"W-wait! You have it all wrong, I was just curious, m-my instinct, I was following my instinct."

"He snorted, "Instinct? A human with instinct! What a laugh, we all know the only thing humans are good for are oppressing those who are different, and being the greedy bast**** they are. Then passing it on to their snot-nosed children!" He taunted, with one arm he held him down then reached up and yanked his axe out. The jolt from doing so knocked the breath out of Seto.

The Morvic glanced at him and raised the axe above his head, "Hmph, well so long." He swung the axe.

"Wait! I'm--I'm just like you!" Seto squeezed his eyes shut, he heard the sound as the axe embedded itself into the ground next to him. He blinked in surprise as he wasn't dead yet, but immediately regretted it when he looked into the Morvics eyes.

The Morvics face was a look of pure rage, "Like me!" He grabbed Seto by the fabric of his cloak and lifted him up and slammed him into a nearby tree, "Like me! Don't make me laugh! There is nothing I have in common with a disgusting, greedy, whiny human like you." Seto couldn't breathe, he felt his throat as pressure was increased.

"No human will ever understand what it is like! Your people mercilessly hunt and kill mine, it's only right we take a stand and do the same, what would you know!" He screamed at me, his sharp teeth bared, his face so close to Seto he could smell the strong odor of fish.

Seto opened his mouth, but no words could come out, he felt himself losing consciousness at the lack of air. Suddenly the grip on his neck was loosened and he was thrown to the ground.

"Screw being nice! Like I'll let a baseless comment like that by!" Seto coughed and tried to push himself up, but the Morvic just shoved him back down with his foot. The axe was raised above his head, just as he was about to swing he heard the Morvic scream and drop his axe just a few inches from Seto's feet. The Morvic stumbled off of Seto and clutched his fur covered hand. He looked around madly as his hand continued to bleed. Seto sat up moments before witnessing three dagger fly through the trees. Two lodged themselves in the Morvic's stomach and side and the third in his leg.

The Morvic hissed and glared at the direction they came from. He whirled to face that direction but fell to the ground, as if he lost the movement in his limbs.

"A poison made to immobilize its target." Ian came out from the shadows of the dense tree, "I hope you enjoy that," he spat, "It's your own kingdoms poison."

The Morvic growled and tried weakly to move his arms but to no avail.

"Enough of this," Ian spat, he pulled out his own sword and raised it to the Morvics neck, " I suppose last words are in order, but whoever heard of giving that to the likes of you?"

Seto beat Ian to it, before he could swing the sword he jumped in front of it. Seto could neither understand why, considering this guy tried to kill him, but like all the nagging feelings he felt this one told him to save the Morvic.

"What the hell are you doing! Get out of the way!"

"Wait, you shouldn't kill him!" Seto pleaded.

"I don't want you pity human!" Seto felt the Morvic bite into his ankle, he winced but didn't stand down. He couldn't stand down, no matter the pain he felt.

"We're the same, both of us are alike because people hate us, fear us even..." Seto didn't know how to go on, he was at a loss of words. Was it just a stupid feeling that told him he should stick up for the crazed, axe-wielding Morvic that tried to kill him. Looking back on it, Seto could see just how crazy of an action it was, yet he couldn't help but feel like he had to for some reason.

"I knew it, Adam saved another idiot..." Ian mumbled under his breath. Ian sheathed his sword and walked back to the bushes. Seto looked back at the Morvic, then at Ian as he pulled a small bag from behind the trees. There's no way that worked, Seto thought to himself completely stunned. The Morvic had let go of his ankle looked up at Seto with mistrusting eyes, but Seto saw a hit of relief too.

Ian walked over with a bit of rope and them to the Morvic's feet. Seto watched as Ian grumbled under his breath and tie the ropes roughly causing the Morvic to growl. "Don't you think you could be a bit more gentle?"

"Do you want the rope to be loose so he can kill us all," when Seto didn't answer Ian sneered, "I didn't think so Sorcerer."

Now that ticked Seto off as Ian carried on tying the rope to the Morvic's feet and hands. Seto took a step back, frowning at Ian, "My name it Seto. Stop calling me a sorcerer!" Seto instantly felt the guilt at having yelled at another person but he shoved it down. It felt good getting angry, for once.

"Does it look like I care, " Ian snorted, he didn't even glance up as he tied the rope, "You're only alive because Adam let you live, if it were up to me, you'd be dead in a heartbeat, and your demon friend would be hunted down and killed."

Ian began to mutter, but Seto heard it all, "Instead, here I am risking my a*s for a good for nothing, and helping out with a wild goose chase of a mission that will get us all killed!"

Seto gritted his teeth, he clenched his teeth and held back tears, it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all!

Just as Seto looked up to speak a few choice words of his own, he was startled to see Ian shove the rope and a vial into his hand, forcing Seto to unclench his hands and catch the items. Ian walked by, but not before getting close to Seto's ear and whispering, "I'd watch myself if I were you, your eyes just turned purple, and if I find you to be a threat to Adam, you'll find yourself without a head."

With that Ian left him and Seto instantly put a hand to his eye, making one-side of his vision go black, all except a faint purple glow reflecting onto his hand. He flinched at the sight and immediately took his hand away glancing back at Ian staring up into the treetops.

"Adam! Get your a*s down from that tree!"

"Nu! I don't wanna!" Seto ignored the conversation behind him as the Morvic spoke up, still laying on the ground.

"So.... are you going to just stand there, or give me that bottle." Seto glanced at the bottle and rope in his hands. He twisted the bottle around to see the label, 'antidote'

Neither Seto nor the Morvic spoke to each other as Seto gave him the antidote, which Seto assumed would free him from whatever poison paralyzed him.

Few minutes after the Morvic drank the potion the Morvic was able to stand, though he was bound to the ropes Seto carried he stood up with no trouble. Now they just had to wait for Adam to get down from the tree.

~~~~~

Adam resumed lead with Ian right behind, carrying a very large but not very heavy looking bag. That left Seto and the Morvic walking side by side. Seto trudged slowly behind; the Morvic, well, he wasn't at all happy about his situation.

"Can't believe I got captured by humans, of all creatures!" He hissed under his breath, "I'd rather die to bunny rabbit than a fate like this!"

He glanced over at Seto still moping and dragging your feet.

"What're you so upset about sorcerer?"

"Seto," he sniffed, "my name is Seto."

"Hm? Oh, right you don't like being called a sorcerer..." the Morvic glanced away, "Jerome."

Seto looked up at the Morvic "What?"

"That's my name."

"Jerome?" The Morvic nodded, "I see..." Seto was not at all good with conversations.

Both Seto and Jerome stopped walking abruptly when up ahead Adam and Ian stopped.

"Alright, so before we head over," Adam rummaged through the giant knapsack Ian was carrying and pulled out a dark grey cloak and hood with a black button down shirt, "you should put this on....." Adam trailed off as he could put name to words.

Seto spoke up to aid him, "His name is Jerome."

"Right! Jerome! Nice to meet you! We originally got this for Mitch, but we have another disguise in here." Adam held out his hand while in the other arm holding the clothes. Seto didn't know who Mitch was, but he could figure it was the person they were looking for.

Jerome glanced at it warily and made no move to shake Adam's hand, "No thanks. I'm not wearing those confining human clothes, pants are enough for me."

"Put it on, we aren't asking, we're telling!" Ian said, he snatched the clothed from Adam and shoved it towards Jerome.

Jerome growled and bared his teeth, "Like h*ll I'll listen to a human!"

"Ha! You have little choice mutt, we're heading the the heart of the kingdom, it'll be better if you cover up."

Jerome growled, grumbled then turned away, "Fine, but, I can't wear anything with my arm's tied up like this."

"Seto," Ian said dismissively, "help the Morvic but on his clothes."

"Huh?" Seto asked both shocked and confused.

~~~~~

After what felt like hours to Seto, he finally managed to get the shirt on Jerome and retie the binds. The cloak hung around Jerome's neck and the hood drawn over his face, it covered him in shadow and made him look, more terrifying. Seto wasn't sure how this would draw attention away from him since Jerome's appearance scared even Seto more than he had when he was trying to kill him.

Then again the sun was setting and it was getting dark.

"We'll need to make camp for tonight, and since we have this troublesome Morvic, we can't stay in a capital, which is only a literal 200 blocks away from here..."

What Ian said was true, even as the sun set, and the forest grew darker, Seto could see the faint, very faint glimmer of lights in the direction they were heading. Thinking about it made Seto wish he could lie on a bed again, even the poor excuse for a bed back at camp. Not to say he didn't enjoy the outdoors, he loved to read good book out in the afternoons of his desert home. But this was no desert, and it was certainly not his home.

Seto sighed and helped the others set up blankets on the soft grass. Ian lit a fire, while Jerome sat around, considering he couldn't use his arms, and could barely use his legs, it couldn't be helped.

Seto sat by the fire, shivering, Adam sat beside him and gazed up at the stars.

"How're you holding up?"

"What? Oh... I'm fine I guess. What do you think Ty is doing?"

Adam shrugged, "Let's hope nothing bad, but we can only hope. For now, all we can do for him is hope we can gain help."

"What exactly are we trying to gain from here?"

"Military support, Ty injured quite a bit of people, and though Emedo's army still remains the largest, this is no simple task, we'll be fighting a creat--a foe we've never encountered. The likes of Ty have never been seen before, so getting all the help we can get would be great." Adam explained to Seto, he laid back and stared up more at the stars, "I think I'll head to bed early. Ian is making dinner so make sure you and Jerome eat, ok?"

Seto nodded, Adam smiled and rolled over. He found it amazing how Adam could remain kind to everyone. Even though he didn't have to, even though laws say people like Seto should be killed immediately, and people like Jerome should be treated like servants. Adam always treated everyone the same, he wished he could be as fearless and as kind as Adam.

Oooooo, Jerome has entered the playing field.

Now what'll happen? Things are about to go down.

~WrittenDarkness