CROOK

Chapter 10

"I can't believe this." Fulton said angry as well as disappointed. "My daughter killed one of my best medics." His tone changed quickly after that. He now became sinister. "It wasn't my fault I swear I was trying to help them both get up but I tripped and..." Cedar interrupted trailing off as she looked at her father who was impatiently waiting for her to shut up. "Why didn't you say silence sir?" Said Arrow who was standing beside the empty Queen's throne. "I don't have to say silence for this she should know not to speak while I'm speaking." Fulton snapped.

Cedar went silent and did what she was told. She hated that she had to stay quiet but she hated everything in her life right now. "Now listen here are we going to be able to defend ourselves." Arlington blasted. "Yes but not now I'll need to figure out Annabeth first." Fulton said. "I see take your time oh great one." Arlington scorned. Cedar kicked her foot into his side and shushed him. Arlington gave her a "jeez" kind of look back. "Annabeth why didn't you tell us you had a tracker you know you could of killed us all." Fulton growled with whispers of agreement from the council around them.

"I didn't figure that it was a tracking device until a few minutes ago. I thought it was some unfinished thing the humans were doing on me." Annabeth said calmly. The beeping noise made Fulton scrunch up his nose. "Take it off that beeping is annoying." He ordered. "I wish I could but I cannot its implemented deep into my neck. I've tried my best to remove it but all it does is give me pain." She groaned. "Arrow can you take it off please?" Fulton commanded. Arrow nodded walking over to her. Annabeth scooted away to the door to make her escape. "Please don't." She gulped.

"It will only be a minute stand still." Arrow said pinning her on the ground. "That's kinky." Arlington chuckled. Again Cedar kicked Arlington. Arrow grabbed onto the device and tugged onto it. Annabeth yowled and tried to run away by kicking her back legs into Arrow. Unfortunately Arrow had a tight grip onto it. Blood started to trickle out. It was visible to see it on the floor from Cedar's view. The horrific shrieks coming from Annabeth unsettled Cedar a little making her shiver. The blood grew larger more started to flow more of a drizzle. Finally Arrow had removed the tracker licking the blood off his lips.

Annabeth limped up and held her neck which was stained with blood. There was a medium sized cut on the area and blood oozed from amongst it. Cedar hated blood more than anything it made her sick to her stomach. And I mean it literally she wants to puke. She tried to put her hand in front of her to block the view. "Excellent. Annabeth's punishment is going to be death penalty. She has only 4 days then we'll kill he on the final day." Fulton declared. "No! That's unfair she didn't know that." Arlington was interrupted by the king. "Silence not a word from any of you at all." Fulton exclaimed.

"Why? Why can't we talk like you have the right to push us around. Have you heard of freedom of speech I learned it in class seems like someone didn't listen." Arlington snapped. Cedar kicked his side once more not looking at him at all. "Stop! That's starting to hurt jeez." Arlington said. "I'll keep doing it until you shut up." Cedar whispered. "Don't talk back to your leader!" Arrow snarled. Fulton just raised an eyebrow to Arlington and ignored his statement. "Until then she will be staying in a jail cell." Annabeth nodded in reply. "Take her away so I can deal with these brats." Fulton continued. Rubbing his head as if it were in pain.

Oden and Arrow ran to Annabeth and shoved her out of the room. Cedar watched the trio of rat disappear into the door as it shut. She couldn't believe Annabeth was going to be killed. She was just a traitor right? So it was her fault getting caught. The mystery was over and the day is saved but her sister was still going on her adventure. And there was still her punishment to deal with. The whole room was silent everyone looked around waiting for their leader to speak. "Awkward Silence." Arlington whispered. "I just...I just don't know what to do with you 3 at this point." Fulton grumbled.

"Well you always could let us go." Arlington said. "We did do what was told by Ozias right Cedar?" "Shut up you weren't supposed to tell my father you imbecile!" Cedar hissed. "I wasn't...?" Arlington bewildered. "What? What did Ozias say?" Fulton asked seriously. Cedar gulped and looked around the room for Ozias to see if he could back her up. But he wasn't found here at all. "Well ...uh he said there was a traitor and I had to find out who it was. But don't worry we know it's Annabeth." Cedar astonished. Fulton was silent then slowly facepalmed in disappointment.

"You all like keeping secrets from me don't you?" Fulton said with a lower voice then his normal tone. "They do it because all you do is think it will be dangerous." A bluish grey unidentifiable rat with a gold earring from the council seats spoke up walking close to Cedar and her group. "Can't you see I'm doing this for your safety." Fulton irked raising his hackles. "I mean ...that guy over there I have no idea what their name is is right." Arlington shrugged. "Keanu." The rat exclaimed. "Sorry sir but I've been a rat of your council for years and I cannot tolerate this overprotective behavior." Keanu continued.

"But remember the incident! After that I needed to protect you more. Now that there's a new prophecy about us in danger I must protect you all with my life." Fulton said with sadness in his tone. "That is true I understand now." Keanu spoke gruffly. "But did you think to listen to what the other side had to say about Annabeth? I think we should vote for our changes instead of making them go whatever your way-." Keanu flinched to the sudden interruption of the king himself. "Get out now!" Fulton exclaimed. The whispers from the council went down to silence. "Who? Me?" Keanu pointed at himself. "Get out...now! Or I'll kill you for running against me!" Fulton barked. Then the council voices rose up again including gasps as well. "What did I do? I was suggesting something that actually help us your just killing a helpless lab rat." Keanu protested.

"Guards get him out of here and send him to jail I don't want to hear a word out of him any longer until I feel like it." Fulton said once again face palming. "You bastard!" Arlington shouted. Cedar quickly put a paw to his mouth. Guards came out from the stand and went onto the main floor where Keanu and the others stood. They circled every rat there just to get to him. "Take that other rat with the hat too he's just as annoying." Fulton declared. "No! Father you can't!" Cedar cried. "Why not? I thought you were the obedient daughter of mine." Fulton said puzzled.

"I can't keep this to myself any longer all your doing is being selfish and getting your way it's just unfair. Hear me out if you can." Cedar said watching the guards push Arlington and Keanu away. "Anyone who goes against me is a traitor. If you'd like to not be one I suggest you quiet down." Fulton snarled. Cedar frowned and looked down at her paws. "Cedar! Help us! Say something please!" Arlington whined.

But Cedar hesitated in fear. Then an undeveloped plan came to her mind. She looked up at her father and shook her head no. "Very well take them away." Fulton growled. Arling was crying out for them to let him go and their Spears hurt as they pushed them out of the room. "Sorry for the sudden outburst dad." Cedar apologized. "You are fine I knew I can trust my only daughter." Fulton gave a crooked smile. That made him realize about Mae. "I need someone to go check on Mae and I think I can trust you going up in the surface going with Oden and Arrow." Fulton said.

"Yes sir, I'll be back as soon as we see her okay." Cedar replied saluting her father. Oden and Arrow ran beside her nearly crushing her. "And we'll be sure to keep her safe." Arrow said also saluting. Fulton nodded and sent them away into the halls. This was finally the time to see what used to be her old home. But one thing is humans destroyed their old home and driven them down into the sewers. This thought made her have a plan. "Hey uh Arrow I have an idea." Cedar said as they walked across the hall and down the stairs to the front doors.

"You better not say we are splitting up I don't work well alone." Arrow growled." Plus I'll get my head chopped off by your dad." "For a tough looking guy you are a baby." Oden sniggered. Arrow began protesting but was interrupted by Cedar No that's not what I was going to say." Arrow narrowed his eyes over to her and waited for her reply. "After we find out our sister is alive maybe we could find ourselves a new home the sewers are no place for a rat." Cedar said. "Eh? But that would mean we would need to remake our whole home we took years on there." Oden scratches his head in puzzlement Arrow shook his head no. "Yeah but ... you might get an award too." Cedar cooed. Arrow and Oden looked at Cedar and their eyes glistened with plead.