I apologize for not updating last week. I unfortunately got grounded (and still grounded). So I am currently doing my best to write and draw and do school whild grounded. Thank you all for understanding! Enjoy this special chapter >:)

Grasping Fate

Chapter 19

"War does not determine who is right, only who is left"

Back in the new rebel camp, which was going well in terms of construction, Mitch had once again returned 3 days later.

Seto walked along the outskirts of a wall that would eventually be built around the camp as a form of protection. He felt bad for Mitch, not only did he have to rule an entire kingdom, every time he came to visit he would need to lie and make excuses, and he had to visit quite frequently.

On a completely unrelated note, Seto found it a lot easier to actually use magic. For the first time since finding out he had magic just four months ago this has been the only time he has been able to control it for more than 5 minutes. After his first attempt several days ago, Seto told Wag immediately. Now with Wag's help he's successfully building up his stamina for telekinesis. He hasn't yet dabbled in Elemental or Dreamwalking. And doesn't even know where to begin with his Seer magic.

Since Mitch returning, Seto has noticed some odd things.

Like just earlier today he went to talk to Adam and Adam ran away screaming. Ian was more calm and just told him that they was busy and then yelled after Adam. Seto just wanted to talk.

Seto still carried the staff Jerome made him, but Wag had no idea how to bind it to his magic, so he was stuck with his situation like this.

"Hey Seto!" Seto brightened up when he heard Tyler call out to him.

"Tyler, hey!"

"Good, I found you. I need your help, I'm looking for Captain Moro--Maron, it's kind of urgent. This stupid new layout of the camp is confusing and I'm a bit lazy right now--I mean, can you help?"

Seto suppressed a laugh, "Sure, I'll go find him and tell him you need to talk" Seto waved and started walking around. If Jordan wasn't in a visible place, then he must be inside a tent or building. And he was glad he had something to do, he was feeling a little bored while waiting for Wag to get out of a meeting--of course!

Jordan might be with Wag in that meeting. So he just needed to find Wag!

~~~~~

"Well why the hell not? If they want a fucking fight I say we go on right ahead and give them hell!"

Mitch sighed, Tom was a complete idiot. Or well, more like one always looking for a fight, he was stubborn and hot-headed, and wanted to go to war.

"We can't, we're trying to prevent an all out fight for as long as possible, preferably forever," he countered.

"Mitch is right, we are in no condition for a war, especially considering our smaller numbers, and the beating we took quite recently. We still have a few people recovering from injuries, Sub included." Mitch listened as Jordan backed him up, and watched Jason flinch at the mention of Sub's name. He probably felt that Sub should be here and not him, but that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Likely never.

"But just siting here is doing nothing, with all due respect to the King here, we hardly have any supplies to work with, and it's a miracle Jason was able to gather so much on his recent trip to Keuta. And we can't continuously visit, otherwise someone might get suspicious," Dan pointed out (NOT youtuber, just random character named Dan, I pray I don't get another 50 comments on the random characters named Dan and Travis)

"Which is exactly why we have to remain hidden, we don't have much to fight with," Another voice, Wag, spoke.

"For what, another 10 years? Come on Wag, by then the realm will have gone to shit."

"Tucker, I agree with you, but at the same time we'll be signing ourselves up for slaughter if we go in unprepared. Don't forget we don't have any of the plans Sub designed, they were all burned."

Jason flinched again.

"Well who's fault is that?"

"Guys--" Mitch tried to interrupt. Now an argument was growing, with Jordan, Wag, Sonja on one side, Tucker, Tom, Dan, and Travis on another. Jason was quiet Mitch noticed.

"Don't blame Jason, there was no way he could've known that Sub had...you know..." It was a touchy subject that was hardly ever spoken about in detail.

"Well now we're behind practically 10 years of work. Don't forget Wag, we didn't drop everything, our lives, and families to focus solely on this for nothing. If we don't do something that king will find us and then it will be too late. We have children, the elderly, the sick and injured, what will we do as Emedo grows in power? Sit on our asses and wait for everyone to be slaughtered."

"Of course not," Jordan interjected to counter Tom, "We'll have to grow stronger--"

"Dammit Jordan, we can all agree that we respect you and your authority, and all that and you've done great things for everyone, but that just isn't going to cut it, Mitch" Travis turned to Mitch, "You're the king, can't you do anything? Smuggle weapons, goods, information?"

Mitch sighed, he knew that eventually someone would expect this of him, "I'd like to, but it isn't that easy. Emedo has a strong friendship with Duhita, or that is what the people believe. It's already hard enough doing this many personal visits, there absolutely no way it'll be easy to find someone trustworthy enough for this. At least not yet."

"See this! How can we trust him, I still believe it is a bad idea, he's obviously still on Emedo's side."

Mitch glared, "If I was still on their side don't you think I would've taken the king's deal?"

"For all we know you're doing shit behind everyone's back right now!"

"I would never! Duhitians follow a strict honor code, it would disgrace the entire kingdom if I did such a thing!" Mitch was enraged the idea was even thrown into this mess, "And back to the subject at hand, it is absolutely idiotic to even consider picking a fi--"

The flap of the makeshift tent the meeting was held in opened up to reveal a certain sorcerer.

"O-Oh, am I interrupting? S-sorry I was just looking for Jordan." Everyone was still silent. They all knew what Mitch had told them. To keep quiet on the recent attack. As much as Seto had made recent strides in containing his magic, there was no way they were going to risk telling him. Not with what happened to Ivon, or Sub, or the things that only Mitch and the others know.

Seto cleared his throat, "S-sorry, Tyler told me he had something urgent to speak to Jordan about."

"Thank you Seto. Sorry we were just in well, a predicament, that's all."

"Anything I can help with?"

"No! I mean no," Mitch answered.

Seto looked at Mitch oddly, "Are you hiding...something?" Seto just had this odd feeling that something was going on that no one wanted him to know about, "I've been noticing that people are avoiding me, well, mainly Adam. Everytime I try to approach him he runs off screaming."

Mitch mentally face-palmed. Of course, expect Adam to be an idiot, if he didn't know better from personal experience and being one of Adam's longest friends, he would actually believe he was stupid. However it was quite the opposite, except when pressured..., then he was stupid.

"It's nothing."

"Oh come on Mitch, you can't expect me to believe that. I've been around Adam long enough to notice something is up."

"We're in the middle of a meeting, perhaps you can settle your personal dispute later."

"This doesn't concern you Dan," Seto turned and snapped. It grew silent, Seto never snapped, or at least not like that. Of course while with Seto investigating the nether incident, he was certainly more sassy, but this was different. Seto...really did feel a little different. What changed?

"Ok Seto, there's no reason so get angry, I'm sure what you're thinking is nothing, there's nothing going on that we wouldn't tell you."

"Fine," he looked at Jordan, "Tyler is by the shore," then he left.

Mitch sighed despondently, he hated having to keep the truth from Seto, but until they could resolve these issues it was too risky to tell Seto.

"Tell me, if Emedo's king is looking for Seto, then wouldn't it be easier to hand him over. It would give everyone time to strengthen, don't forget, your highness, that we were forced to leave after 10 years the moment that kid came to us."

"Dammit Travis, we've been over this before--"

"That's absurd!"

"But it makes sense."

"We can't hand him over, he's one of us now--"

Many voices were speaking at once in support or against the suggestion made by Travis. It was complete anarchy, they would never reach a consensus. This argument would continue to drag on, Mitch already had a headache. It would take something really bad for Mitch to every consider options like war or turning a friend over to his death. No matter what he couldn't give in to such things.

~~~~~

Seto was a little upset. He could tell something was up, it annoyed him that this is what his friends did. He was just as much as an adult as anyone else here, why was it he was always treated like a child.

Seto spotted Alesa by the forest. She looked a little lonely, maybe she needed someone to talk too.

"Hey Alesa," Seto called out to her. She looked up from where she sat hugging her knees by the trees. It looked like she was doodling in the dirt and stacking pebbles.

"Oh hey...Seto, how are you?"

"Fine, what about you? You seem a little lonely."

"No...it's fine. I know it's going to take some time for people here to warm up to me, but I just feel so helpless not being able to do anything while my kingdom is stuck under a tyrannical rule. And no offense to anyone here but no one will even let me help, not even with anything as simple as cooking, or carrying boxes." She sighed.

Seto could understand that. Seto took a seat next to her. She just felt a little useless, like himself. No one seemed to want to trust him with whatever it was everyone was hiding from him...Did Alesa know?

"I can relate, maybe it's my size, but I feel like everyone looks down on me or babys me. I feel as though I could help more if someone trusted me more, I know I'm no good with magic, but I'm getting better."

Alease nodded in agreement.

"Hey...Alesa," he started, "Do you know why everyone seems to be hiding something from me?"

"Hiding? What do you mean?"

"I think they're hiding something from me, something they don't want me to know. If you know anything, would you tell me?"

"Of course! Of course I would tell you, what the nether is too dangerous or whatnot to not tell you, this is absurd. You know what! I'm going to go ask." Alesa stood up with a determined look. Seto jumped up after her.

"W-Wait! No, you don't need to, it's fine." Seto reached out to stop Aleas from running off.

"Fine? Hardly, if everyone else knows something, so should you, plus I needed something to do anyways!"

"B-But!" Something caught his eye. It was away from the rebel camp, Alesa was already marching off when she turned around to see Seto was not following her. She would've shrugged it off but the particular way he stood and looked told her something had caught his attention, something that was very surprising to him.

"Seto? What is it?" She backtracked her way to him and looked out towards the direction he was looking, they were facing north, the direction her only enemy currently was. Emedo.

And here was a figure covered in scratches, cuts, and bruises. Their eyes shown with grief, and they moved in a way that radiated with hopelessness. They dragged their feet along the ground, a long and black tail could be seen trailing behind them. A relative of Alista?

Seto took half a step forward. He couldn't believe his eyes.

It couldn't be. There's no way.

"T-Ty!" And Seto started running.

~~~~~

*cough*

Sooooo, Grasping Fate is getting super close to being done :D And then we the Fate series will end, and the last and final book will begin, (when I plan it of course).

I'm super excited, some major plot twists will take place near the very, very end, and those who read the Destiny series (which is only one book long but I call it a series anyways) may have a question answered. The possible identity of a certain person in the nether.

*cough*