Random Book of Jaric Fluff & Stuff

Scene #13

I've decided to let the previous four scenes play out in a couple more because I can't leave Jaric dangling in shards as broken as that window, nor can I do that to you. Dramatic points to Japeth.

Japeth sunk down to rest his back against a tree in the Blue Forest. Props to him for being such a thoughtless screw-up that he was once again alone. A small part of him wanted to go back, fix the window, and beg Aric's apology. That would only prove him a jerk, and he needed space and time.

His scims wriggled comfortingly against his skin, but he couldn't feel them. In fact, he could hardly feel anything anymore. Something about losing his brother and best friend in less than three months carved out a small portion of his being. Screw that, most of his being had been removed by an overly aggressive crog. 

Aric was a part of his being, and he had just lost it. Rhian, yes, Rhian had been a small part of him as well, as he was gone, too. Now all he needed was for his scims to disappear, and for both of his parents to lock him up in a cage or something, then give him daily torture, mental and physical.

A groan escaped his mouth at the horrid possibility, and he leaned back to smack the back of his head against the tree trunk. He was on the verge of giving up, and wandering off in the Endless Woods to the first big monster he could find, as far away from the School as possible-too many monsters there.

Screw his father, he wanted to run away. Screw Aric, he was gone. Screw himself, he would be dead.

Japeth sighed and hit his head again, wondering if he could have all of his problems solved if he went to sleep and woke up to a perfect sunrise or something. Probably not likely, but who knew? Weird occurrences were common near the School.

He scraped to his feet at last and stretched for a minute before looking around. What did he do? Leave? Go back? Leaving would be best, he decided. He would have a better time away from an army of toxic people.

With a sigh, Japeth turned and began walking with his back to the School, each step reminding him of his time there. Step. Aric. Step. Dolion. Step. Rafal. Step. 

Thankfully Evelyn was dead, or they would have a proper family reunion. He snorted with the possibility, then picked up the pace. If he wanted to avoid notice, he would have to leave fast.

A few hours later, Japeth dragged himself into a tavern in the middle of nowhere, scratched and grassified. He had lost a fight with his sense of direction, and ended up tripping and plowing directly through some underbrush. Thorny underbrush. His scims had taken most of the damage, but he hadn't escaped unscathed.

"What can I get ye, young lad?" The pirate-looking bartender inquired when he plunked himself down in a stool, looking defeated. Japeth took dry note of his unusually deep voice, wondering if it was supposed to be intimidating or something. He didn't want to think about deep voices and intimidation at the moment, because that train of thought would only end in a wreck.

"Whatever," Japeth groaned. He would've been surprised at the raspiness in his voice if he hadn't been so drained. The bartender gave him one look before dumping something in a glass and sliding it over. The copper-haired boy didn't touch it, barely keeping himself awake.

"Ye runnin' from somethin'?" The bartender was back. 

"No," he lied, "other than my life."

"Shame. I know-" Japeth never got to know what he knew, for the doors slammed open and a gang of people stood in the doorway, black masks covering their faces.

"What d'ye want?" The bartender asked in surprise. "I thought I told the lot of ye to never come here again."

"Shut it, Wesley," growled the one in the lead, a strapping boy with markings around his eyes that looked like tattoos. "We have a job, and yer interferin'."

Wesley sighed, strange voice rising an octave to his normal tone. "No thanks, Thiago?"

"None. Grab him," the pirate turned to his men, and Japeth was surrounded in seconds. "Now, we know about yer tricky little friends, so don't try anythin'," he warned Japeth in a cutting-edge tone.

"I'll come easily if you answer my questions," he bargained.

Thiago laughed deeply. "We're still gettin' ye back, quiet or not."

Japeth shrugged, and his scims flew off his calves down and elbows down to attack the pirates. Within seconds, they were on the floor, and Japeth had pounced on Thiago. "Now," he snarled, "who sent you?"

"The Captain," Thiago answered. "He an' the School Master have been hunting ye down since yesterday. Dunno why they care so much about a li'l Woods snake."

"Aric's been looking for me?" Japeth blurted without thinking.

"Dunno anyone else named Aric Lesso," Thiago spat with heavy sarcasm. "Get on, scram to the castle. We've had order from the School Master himself to take ye back."

Japeth snorted. "I don't care who you have orders from: Rafal or even Rhian's ghost himself. I'm going back on my own without any of you heathens escorting me."

"Fine by me," Thiago grunted. "As long as we get our money, ye can get back to the School however ye like."

Japeth got up from him and strode away.

"Hey!" The pirate shouted indignantly before the door slammed shut behind the boy. "When're ye gonna move yer snaky friends?"

"When I'm somewhere you'll never be able to find me. Never trust a pirate, I believe the phrase is?" Japeth answered with a smirk as the door closed, leaving the pirates trapped.

He strode back into the underbrush before calling his scims back and ordering them to carry him quickly through the forest. He left the shouts of the freed pirates behind him, proving what fools they really were.

Japeth marched through the Endless Woods back towards the School. Once his scims had alerted him that he was within sight of the School Master's Tower, the highest point of the school, he ordered them to reform his suit. He wanted to walk the rest of the way in silent contemplation without animals appearing out of nowhere and jumping on him like he was the Flowerground.

So, Aric was Woods-wide famous, then. Or at least, School-wide well-known, just based off of the fact that Thiago knew his last name. Who knew, maybe Aric went around announcing his parentage to everyone. Maybe Thiago had overheard or seen something.

Cursing his decision-making skills, Japeth rolled his eyes. He knew that Aric knew exactly what he was doing. Aric knew Japeth well enough to trick him into coming back by sending persistent and irritating but weaker hunters to find him and take him back to the School. Aric knew how much Japeth appreciated his freedom, and used that against him to get the copper-haired boy back at the School. Truly, his mind was twisted.

The next few minutes passed in Japeth debating his entrance, and before he knew it, large gates rose out of the vegetation in front of him. He always wondered if Rafal had granted Evelyn her dearest request and took Japeth into his school. He probably wouldn't have met Aric until much later, if at all. Well, given Aric's track record of violence, he would've killed Rhian sooner or later and gotten expelled and came to the School for Good and Evil.

Japeth walked through the gates that opened for him of their own accord, as if recognizing him and letting him in. He had decided on a quietly dramatic entrance to the dungeons or wherever Aric hung out when he wasn't playing lapdog to Rafal.

With a sigh, Japeth entered the school, striding along without a sound. He was going down the stairs to the dungeons and had just reached the floor at the bottom when his scims rustled slight on high alert. They had sensed another presence.