Sinatus

✨Chapter Twenty-Six✨

After two days, as they were walking, Lily looked up from the ground and grinned. "We should be there in about four hours, if we walk quickly."

"Finally." Dalton groaned, speeding up. 

"Do we know how we're gonna convince your brother to come with us?" Ivy asked. 

"I think he'll come, if he knows what's at stake." Lily said. At least, she hoped he would. 

"Yeah, but are your parents just going to let him go? Are you just going to barge in and say 'Hi mom, hi dad, I need Ben to pick the locks on a high-security prison door so I'm taking him with me.'?"

"Good point." Lily told Ivy. "We'll just...take him...and leave a note." 

Yeah, she knew that wasn't gonna happen. 

Ivy looked doubtful. "I dunno... Maybe you should talk to them."

Lily frowned, hopping over a tree root. "I will. I do miss them."

"Three hours and a lot of minutes 'til we get there!" Kaia grinned. 

〰️〰️〰️

"Is this where you live?" Kaia asked as they stood on the outskirts of the village. Lily grinned happily. The familiarity of the smells and sounds and sights of her village enveloped her and her made her feel comfortable and at home. 

"Yep!" she replied. "Come on, let's go to my house." 

"Wait!" Ivy said, holding out her hand as Lily was about to stride forward. "Maybe we should leave our cloaks here."

"Definitely." Dalton agreed. 

Once cloak-less, the four of them headed through the village, Lily in the lead. They wound through houses and shops on the way to Lily's house, but Lily stopped suddenly when she realized there was a familiar figure standing in front of her, holding a living, squawking chicken.

"Lily!" she squealed, dropping the chicken, which gave and indignant squawk, and tackling Lily in a hug.

"Sammy!" Lily patted her back. "Your chicken?!"

Sammy let go of her and groaned. "It's Ophelia. She escaped, and I caught her...And now she's gone again. But--What are you doing here? Are you already done with the Testamenti? How'd it go? Who are they?" she motioned over Lily's shoulder. "Wizards? Why didn't you say you were coming back?"

"Um...no, I'm not done with the Testamenti." Lily said awkwardly. "I need Ben...for, uh, one of the challenges. And these are my friends. And yes, they're wizards."

"Hi!" Sammy waved at them. "I'm Sammy. I'm Lily's friend."

Ivy waved at her silently. Dalton nodded.

"Isn't Sammy the stuffed chicken?" Kaia asked.

"Um, yeah," Lily grinned. "She gave it to me."

"Yeah." Sammy nodded. She frowned. "I guess you have to go, don't you?"

"Yeah." Lily said. "Sorry."

Sammy smiled. "I understand. You better write to me, though."

"I will." Lily promised. She hugged Sammy before continuing to head towards her house. When they reached it, Lily knocked on the door excitedly. It opened a few seconds later and Lily stepped forward, plowing into something tall and muddy. "Eww, you're disgusting."

"Um, offensive--Wait, Lily?" Ben said in disbelief. Lily nodded, taking a few steps back.

"It is I!" she announced, wiping mud from her clothes. "What are you doing?"

"I was on duty for cleaning the pig enclosure." Ben grumbled. "As punishment. Who are your friends?"

"Oh, that's Ivy, Kaia, and Dalton." Lily explained. "We kind of really really need your help."

"Hello," Ben said to the others. "What's going on?"

Lily sighed. "Where are mom and dad? I'd rather just explain it once."

"They're out." Ben said.

"What do you mean, out?"

"They got eaten by a giant purple walking squid." Ben said. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Okay, where are they actually?"

"In a neighboring village doing grown up trade stuff."

"Oh." Lily frowned. "Well, you need to come with us."

"Why?"

"You can pick locks."

"Huh?"

Lily sighed. "We kinda sorta need you to break into a cell and get someone out?"

Ben whistled. "Nice. I'm totally in. Just, uh, let me get something non-muddy."

"Please," Lily told him. Ben turned and vanished into the house.

"Well, that was easy." Ivy muttered.

"He's still going to want an explanation." Lily said.

"We have tons of time." Kaia replied.

"Indeed we do. We're going to have to hurry, though." Lily said, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet anxiously.

When Ben came back in clean clothes, Lily asked, "Do you have your lock picks?" 

"Yeah," Ben patted his pockets. "But I want you to explain what the--"

"I will," Lily interrupted. "Just get a sleeping bag and food and meet us at the beginning of the trail up the mountain. Okay?"

Ben narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. "You're still very annoying. But okay." 

Lily stuck her tongue out at him before turning and grinning at her friends. "C'mon, let's go."

"If only the way up the mountain weren't so far." Dalton sighed as they walked. 

"If only Archie hadn't been framed!" Lily said.

Ivy looked up at the sky. "If only life was fair."

Kaia glanced at them. "If only...I had some chocolate pudding?"

"Oh, Lily? You're back!" came a voice as a familiar blonde-haired girl walked out of the house they were walking by. Elisa. 

"Hi," Lily stopped, smiling. Oh, great. "But, um, also kind of bye? I need to go... Testamenti business..." she lied. "It was nice seeing you again, though."

Elisa arched an eyebrow. "Um... 'Kay. See you."

"Byee!" Lily forced another smile and hurried on. "If people keep stopping me we're going to have a problem."

"Yeah, so let's maybe get out of here?" Dalton asked, speeding up. Lily sighed, glancing around herself, but quickened her pace as well. 

Once Ben reached them at the edge of the forest, Lily turned to him, lacing her fingers together tightly. 

"Okay, we basically got into a bit of a mess. And, uh... Here's what happened."