Life Hearts [A Third Life Fanfiction, previously called Three Hearts]

A Trap

I risked a brief visit to the Sandlands the next morning, hoping Scar wasn't home.

He was.

Grian and Scar were having a not-so-secret meeting near Pizza's box. I snuck behind the box and listened in on their conversation.

"I wanna steal BigB's cookie."

"Scar, look at your sleeve. That life heart isn't green, isn't yellow, it's red. Your job as a red name is not to steal cookies, your job is to take other people's lives!"

"No, I really want the cookie."

Grian did a facepalm. "How about we go to Renchanting, kill Ren and Martyn, and then steal BigB's cookie. Win-win."

Scar eagerly agreed.

Grian was reminding Scar of his role to kill people. Maybe he was a traitor.

I shifted into a more comfortable position, sucking in my breath when my pickaxe clinked against the cobblestone.

Scar stopped talking. "I heard something..."

Grian perked up as well.

I stayed still and silent, but reached my hand into my pocket, where I had stored a speed potion. I drank it quietly, but Scar had the ears of a hawk now that he was listening for me.

He turned in my direction and whispered something to Grian. They walked toward my hiding place.

Grian got there first, thankfully. He blinked, then yelled, "Blue's here!"

I ran.

Scar and Grian ran after me, yelling and waving their swords. The speed potion allowed me to get away, but it wore off quickly. I had made it myself, and I wasn't super good at brewing.

I stopped when I thought I was safe, panting. That had scared me more than I cared to admit. I walked the rest of the way back to the Crastle.

Impulse, who had been kicked from the wool fortress because of his relationship with the Crastle, immediately noticed that something was wrong. I told him what had happened in the desert. I left him to tell the others and went to Renchanting to notify Martyn and Ren about what they were planning.

I had never met BigB, but his house was within view of the enchantment store. As I looked at it, I realized what Scar meant by stealing his cookie. There was literally a giant wooden cookie hanging on BigB's house.

It wasn't long before the Sand People turned up.

They barged in while we were in the middle of bargaining with Skiz.

Scar walked straight up to Ren. "I know I have greatly wronged you in the past, but please may I use the enchanter?" He hung his head.

To which Ren responded, "NO! Get out!"

Scar started stalling, talking about random things like dogs and cats that were fused together. Ren seemed to be letting his guard down, but I knew that he was alert and had his axe hidden but ready if he needed to fight.

Grian got bored and started wandering around. Martyn followed him suspiciously.

Scar continued to talk. I looked for Grian, but he was nowhere to be found. Martyn came back to the group.

I went outside through the gate. And there was Grian, setting a trap.

"Uhh... nothing to see here," he said when he saw me.

I crossed my arms. "Nice try."

He copied me. "Okay, look, if you want to live, get out of here. This thing's going to blow when they pick up what I'm leaving for them. You can survive if you leave now."