"You do realize that this is stupid right?"
"Sure. Let's call getting the Ambroise-gem-thing-that-is-really-expensive-and-could-save-our-kingdom-from-financial-ruin, stupid. It was your idea after all, so really you are calling yourself stupid." He smugly offered as he hacked at the vines and branches in their path.
His face pinched at his brother's words, "Of course you blame me for the idea. As if you weren't the one that demanded we go without any guards or letting our father know, mind you. We are so dead when we go back." He slapped away the lingering branches that his brother missed, taking cautious steps in the rooted forest terrain.
"Not if we die while looking for the Amber-rose-whatever-thing!" He grinned as he chopped a branch that had stretched across the path, hitting his chest. He continued forward.
He glared at the back of his brother's head, "It's called the Ambromae Astrocrystal, idiot."
"Thank you for that enlightening history lesson, brother. But right now, it is not the time to share myths." He had stopped as they reached the edge of a clearing. There was a camp of civilians.
His brother, not picking up on his sudden abrupt stop, slammed right into him, "What on Yona's green life, Amilius!?"
"Sh-sh! Shh! Shut up!" Amilius whispered, "Travelers." Amis followed his slow gesture forward towards the clearing.
In an almost comfortable relief, Amis felt the weight of exhaustion and hunger reveal itself. "Perfect. At least they would know how to capture a Rombit for dinner."
"Amis..." the warning tone was not appreciated, in Amis’ tired opinion.
"Shut. Up."
"Yes! See, you get it." Amilius, ever the oblivious brother. Amis refrained from smacking him upside the head.
"No! Look! These aren't just travelers or civilians. Well, a small group is by that little outcasted circle. But the ones that have the wagon with the big trunks, are smugglers."
"How would you know? They could be moving with everything they own."
"No, they wouldn't if they were moving, they would have a lot less. Besides they are leaving our kingdom, and with the taxes we have recently they should've ended up trying to use what they had to pay them off. I mean the whole lower ring is in debt, Amil."
"Pity. Are you reading that Roland Loxley fable again?"
Amis seethed at his brother's blindness to others' and what they go through every day. He gets it from his parents sadly. Their father rules by his own jurisdiction, not for the people’s needs. Their mother is oblivious to what goes on in the secret halls.
"No. Are you?"
"Of course not!" Amis knew they were both lying. "So, if these smugglers leave our kingdom, we need to stop them!"
"You are an idiot. No, we will make friends." Amis replied and moved around him, stepping into the clearing to meet with this random group of people.
"Amis! What is wrong with you?! Amis!" Amilius cried at the back of his brother. "Yona help me." And he followed his brother to the depths of deception.
"We've been looking for the Ambromae Astrocrystal for years. Met other adventurers like yourselves too." The lead smuggler smirked.
"Oh, well then you wouldn't mind us tagging along on your caravan now, would you?" Amis replied, "Since you know what kind of people we are and all."
The smuggler glared.
"Hey, Sir Smuggler-Leader! Your little wagon has a broken axle!"
The smuggler groaned, "Well then fix it, Feliksas. We move at dawn."
"Who are these humans?" Feliksas walks up to the group and ignores the smuggler.
"These boys are looking for the crystal."
Feliksas exasperatedly threw his hands up, "What is up with people and that stupid crystal!?"
"We're still looking for it too, Feliksas." Feliksas stopped and looked at the smuggler.
After a long moment, "Oh. Right. Still? I thought we were done with that?! We crossed paths with people who died trying to find that stupid, valuable thing."
"Huh?" Amilius asked, stumped at how one would meet someone who died trying.
"Wonderful. Where will you guys be heading at dawn?" Amis grinned; hands clapped together.
"OH, well wait a moment, Amis. We were heading west," Amilius began.
"Correct, we were, dear brother!" Amis painfully smiled while roughly hooking his arm around his brother's shoulders as if attempting to silently tell him to stop talking and go with it.
"Right..." Amilius caught the sign, "to the star crystal we go!" Amilius cheered.
"At dawn," the smuggler interrupted the fake celebration.
"We won't be the sick oxen on this caravan, you won't even know we are in your company!" Amis assured.
It has been days since the brothers stuck with the smugglers’ caravan. They listened to interesting stories from smugglers and civilians alike. Some were myths, some were truths. Amis kept track of all the abnormalities the group of people they were with had. Feliksas would disappear at random times for various periods of time. The lead smuggler would converse with him after his return. The healer of the civilian group showed great interest in talking with Feliksas and the healer from the smuggler group, but she always had an eye on Amis. Amilius enjoyed garnering the attention of the children with his own adventure stories that sometimes showcase all of Amis’ shortcomings.
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Creative Writing Shorts
Short StorySo, I have a best friend who is basically my sister. She now has Wattpad and has DEMANDED that I put my Creative Writing Prompts/Shorts/To Be Continued stories on here. She thinks that there needs to be full out books growing from these in the futur...
