Don't Forget

#29 Questions and Answers

Mitch's camp is in utter chaos. It's been three days since the base fell, and nothing has settled down at all. It'd be impossible to manage if Lachlan hadn't chosen to stick around. He usually visits the other camps.
      New, hastily constructed barracks line one side of the camp. All the innocents from the base had to go somewhere. With things the way they are, they have supples for one, maybe two, months before things start going downhill. That base was the main supplier for the five camps. The location was irreplaceable.
Having a squid running around the camp was also a major irritation. Only a select few know about him. Vikk actually volunteered to watch the sorcerer as he went around the camp to heal smaller injuries.
Mitch doesn't trust Quinten, but he is a sorcerer. There's way too many questions that Seto left behind when he disappeared. That's why the Captain finds himself scouring the camp for Vikk and Quinten.
      In the search, he notices Jason excitedly babbling to Sub, who listens with a small smile. Quinten healed most of his injuries.
      It was a shock to learn that Jason knew another assassin as well. Mitch thinks that the mute almost collapsed on the spot when he saw his prince's cousin alive and well. Jason knows enough of his own language to understand how Sub was apologizing over and over. Who knew that Vikk spent years with a royal bodyguard?
Mitch finally tracks down Quinten at the forgery. No one should be repairing weapons right now, so it's strange to find the forge still lit.
"Now just stay still. This won't hurt a bit", Dan, one of Barney's supply drivers, is bent over Quinten's wrists in the forge. He had apparently arrived here right after the army left. And for whatever reason, he hasn't left yet. Mitch has a hard time getting a read on him.
     "A-Are you sure this is safe", Quinten uneasily shifts on his feet. Two sets of hand cuffs are latched onto him, but the keys are probably somewhere under a mountain of ash. Mitch almost snapped them shut even with that knowledge.
"Hey Mitch. Dan's pretty sure that he can get the cuffs off", Vikk nods to the Captain. He's still on babysitting dusty.
     Dan maneuvers his tools with an experienced ease. It's kinda scary how good he is with metal cutters. The supply driver cuts off the cuffs in a few chomps of the tool. Angry, red marks show where the cuffs had been rubbing against Quinten's skin. They'll fade completely in a few days.
"Thank you for getting those off", Quinten gingerly rubs his wrists, "I can't imagine h-how it'd feel to wear them longer". The squid is still trying to adjust to life outside the facility.
"Captain Mitch?", Dan pulls up his goggles to face the Captain.
"Yes, that's me. I was just coming to borrow Quinten", Mitch points. Vikk and Quinten both stare at him in surprise.
"I actually really need to speak with you. In private. It's pretty important", Dan speaks quickly, his tone all business. It never crosses his mind that Mitch is his superior.
"Maybe later, Dan", I'm really busy at the moment", Mitch tries to brush him off.
"And you think I'm not?", Dan chuckles, "You'll want to see this". He walks off to his caravan, not even looking to see if Mitch is following.
     Mitch considers walking right back out of the forge, but regretfully follows Dan. He sure has a lot of attitude when talking to a superior. If Dan was a soldier, he would be pulling double shifts tonight. This better be important.
      The caravan is parked next to the horse corral, just inside the camp entrance. Dan's small puppy excitedly jumps around inside at their approach. Dan digs around in the back and pulls out a bag before speaking.
"Captain Mitch, I know that you guys have got the army camps scattered about", he stars, "But there are a lot of regular people willing to fight. It's thanks to us 'low ranks' that we got this back". Dan steps close to Mitch and blocks the bag from sight.
The Captain does a double take. With the bag only slightly open, sunlight still catches on a golden chain. A bright amethyst jewel sits in a frame of gold on the necklace. Nearly anyone in the empire would recognize this necklace. Dan pulls the bag close and ties it back up.
"The royal family's crest?", Match asks in disbelief. His King was wearing it on that faithful day years ago. It's hundreds of years old.
"You have more allies then you realize, and not so many enemies. A servant girl in the castle convinced a squid soldier to get this for her", Dan looks around and shoves the bag at the Captain. It's dangerous for him to be carrying something like that. If squids had caught him while his cart was broke, he'd be hanged.
"Why would any squid do that? Don't that know what this jewel means to the people?", Mitch runs a hand through his hair, doubtful of the story. Dan gets a cold look.
"The people that the army has abandoned are mobilizing. Barney doesn't even know all this. I have more connections then you realize. Make a move, Mitch. Tell the General that it has to be soon".
Dan leaves the pendant with Mitch and walks away. The Captain awkwardly stands with the bag for a few minutes in shock. Dan has just revealed himself to be a bigger player on this chessboard. If Mitch has to guess, he's in some sort of leadership role.
The many towns had no choice to follow the squids, but there have always been protests and hangings. Do the people really think that they've been abandoned? Are they planning something? Is Dan lingering here for a bigger purpose? Mitch feels a headache coming. Nothing he can do but bring it up to Lachlan later.
The Captain wears the bag over his shoulder when returning to the forge. Vikk and Quinten are both waiting for him there.
     "What was that all about?", Vikks asks him.
     "I'll..... have to tell you later", Mitch glances at Quinten. The less people that know the location of the royal pendant, the better.
     "Did you want me for anything?", the squid curiously pipes up. Mitch has been avoiding him for the last couple days. Why does he suddenly want Quinten now?
     "Yes. Lachlan also wants you, Vikk. He's a bit overwhelmed with all the extra people", Mitch explains to them. He still has a hard time being around the squid.
Vikk nods, and heads deeper into the camp. He's come to trust Quinten, and Vikk is starting to pick up on Lachlan's negative mind set. Quinten awkwardly stares up at the Captain. Mitch speaks up first despite the tense atmosphere.
     "I used to have a friend. He was a sorcerer like you. Could you take a look at something he left behind?", he asks hesitantly.
"Ah, s-sure", Quinten stutters, "What is it?".
"A door", Mitch smiles a bit at the strange memory of Seto's door.
Quinten's heard from his teacher about a few enchanted objects, but he can only think of one thing that has anything to do with a door. It's not suppose to exist. He follows Mitch deeper into the camp, into an area that he hasn't even been too. A small shack sits in ruin at the edge of camp.
"So I'm guessing that your friend hasn't been back here in a while?", Quinten comments on the look of abandonment.
"Seven years. Seto has been gone for seven years now", Mitch answers. He shoulder opens the door with a rough shove to get it open. The inside is even more depressing. A fine layer of dust coats everything. "Can you check out the door on the left? Tell me what you can see".
Quinten opens up the door first, disappointed to see the small closet on the other side. He looks around a bit before closing it again.
"What exactly am I looking for?", he asks Mitch.
"I think the door was a portal at some point. Could you activate it again?", Mitch replies.
The squid looks back at the front of the door, squinting his eyes. The orange in his eyes suddenly flare up in a warm glow with the blue speckles fading out. He looks all over the door again with his eyes landing at different spots.
"I don't think anyone ever wanted me to learn how to read runes, but this door is covered with them. A really old version, too", Quinten says giddily. He draws a small bit of magic into his palm to the point where it glows a soft orange. Under the light, deep purple enchantment runes seem to hover above the wood.
"That's Seto's color........", Mitch trails off in awe. He might finally know what happened to Seto, and what his riddle meant.
"I think you're right about the teleporting part", Quinten moves his hand around slowly over the door, "But something like this would have taken incredible power to maintain. This Seto guy must haven been incredible".
"Must have? Seto's probably still out there somewhere. I bet I can find him if you get this door open", Mitch subtly presses. Quinten stiffens.
"Mitch, this enchantment is fading. It probably won't be visible in a year or less. I doubt that...... I don't think Seto is alive", he doesn't look at Mitch when he speaks, "Enchantments don't fade like this until the spell caster is dead".
The Captain takes a moment for his mind to register the information. He and Seto were never close, but knowing that he's dead, has been for years, strikes a deep cord that leaves a mental sting. It's like loosing an old childhood friend. It brings back dark thoughts from when he lost Jerome.
"Are you sure?", he quietly asks.
"I'm sorry. He must have meant a lot to you. I can check if any of these runes still do anything if you want?", Quinten hasn't ever seen Mitch's soft side before.
"Yes. Please do", the Captain tries to regain his composure. The squid keeps scanning the door, but pauses when he comes across a group of eight runes towards the bottom of the door. They glow much brighter then the other faded ones.
"These ones....... these ones are names!", Quinten lays his hand on them, "How do you spell your name?". Mitch spells his name, and Quinten stares at the door until taping a rune. "I think this one starts with 'M'. That's you", he moves on to a different one, "This one right next to you starts with a 'J'. These are all the people that could walk through this door without getting killed. And..... m-my name is here".
     "But Seto never met Jerome, and definitely never you", Mitch stares at the eight coded names in disbelief. Did Seto know more then he let on?
     "If you give me some time, I might be able to figure out the others", Quinten is kinda exited to decode the more powerful Sorcerer's runes.
     "Alright. Thank you..... Quinten. I need to go talk to Lachlan. I'll leave you to the door and keeping Sky in bed", Mitch uses the squids name.
      Quinten looks up at him with wide eyes. The cold-hearted Captain just thanked the enemy. Quinten finally feels like he's gotten out of the facility's grasp. He has a part in all of this now. And according to Seto's door, he's right where he's meant to be.
     Mitch leaves the small house. First Dan and his hostile warning, a royal family heirloom, and Seto' door with Jerome's name on it. Plus all the innocent people sheltering in the camp. Most of it is all Mitch's problem to deal with. Alone.
      A hand latches on to the General's shoulder. Mitch jumps and whips around, grasping for his sword with the sudden shock.
It takes a moment for him to recognize the stranger. He's taller then Mitch by at least three inches, some sort of hat pulled low down onto the sides of his head. His deep brown eyes are a few shades darker as well with amber highlights. What really sets off the Captain is his large nose and the axe handle peeking over his shoulder.
      Mitch starts to laugh.
     "Y-You shaved your f-fur off", Mitch cackles, the craziness of the situation finally cracking him.
      "Well hello to you, too Mitch. Do you know how many times I week I had to cut all of it off?", Jerome chuckles, pulling off his hat to show the patch of fur with the hybrid's ears.
     Mitch is still laughing, but it starts to morph into crying. Jerome pulls him into a hug. The two brothers don't care that people are starting stare. Jerome never new any other family besides Mitch and his dad. Mitch's dad died when the castle fell, and Jerome is all he has left of his family. The Captain jerks back out of the hug.
     "I'm s-sorry. I'm so sorry. I ne-never should have yelled at you, and th-then we would have been together a-and gotten out-", Mitch starts to sob even more, but Jerome cuts him off.
     "I was only mad because you accused me of leaving. Even if I would have gone to Liblicen, you would have been at my side, little brother", Jerome squeezes Mitch's arm. Both of their eyes are wet now.
     "Please don't disappear again, big brother. A lot has changed with out you here", Mitch is able to slowly dry his tears.
      "I'm not going anywhere. And I have so much to tell you. You have a lot to explain, too. Lachlan's a General now? And Vikk and assassin? Feels like I've been sleeping under a rock".
     Both of them smile at the other.