ꜱᴄᴀʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋᴇʏꜱ

Chapter 4: Rheton

Rheton began showing Clova his favorite spots of his forest.

"That's a pretty tree," she murmured as she pointed at the Great Scarbour Tree.

"Oh, that's the Great Scarbour Tree," he replied. "It's a little high for you to climb it though," The tree still had some of its leaves there, when the last one fell, it was the start of autumn. 

She pouted. "Sable always says you climb it! So why can't I?"

Rheton gave him a fake stern look. "Nope. I promised mom you wouldn't come back with any injuries."

"I can hide them!" she pleaded. "I have covered plenty injuries before,"

"No," he warned as she ran for the tree. "Clova!"

She was already climbing up for it by the time he got there. He grabbed her arm, accidentally pulling her too hard. She smacked the floor with a hard thud, knocking her out for a few seconds.

"Welp. So much for the warning,"

Rheton touched the mushy ground subconsciously. He watched in fear as green vines wrapped around him and his sister. Clova woke up with a sleepy groan.

A large green leaf fell from the tree and it landed directly on Rheton's right palm. He noticed writing on the leaf.

The leaf read:

From the earth he shall find the green vine, that shall be bound, for he to be profound, hidden by the gray cloud, only to be unspunned by the son of the proud.

Clova woke up with a start. "What happened?"

Rheton stared at her. "You hurt yourself, that's all."

The vines unraveled off of her and she let out a continent sigh.

"Why don't I feel anything?"

"I-I don't know,"

"And what do you have in your hand?" she reached for the leaf in his hand, but he jerked it away.

"I-It's nothing." he lied. "At least nothing that you should worry about," he grinned cheekily. "Are you ready to go home?"

"No! I wanna-." Rheton shushed her. Rheton felt bad about being firm with her slightly. 

"No debating, you're going home." he threw her over his shoulder. The vines started following him again.

He sat her down on the patio of his family's cottage. She grumbled angrily and folded her arms. 

"You don't get to go out anymore," he sneered. "You're lucky I was there to save you."

"It was definitely fun though," she smirked. The vines were now wrapping around the railing of the patio. They were dark green, and they had millions of dark thorns all over them. Clova raised an eyebrow. 

"What?" he asked. He turned his head and noticed the vines. "Get in the house," He picked at the vines. 

"I want to see what happens, because we all know these random vines can't take you down," she replied sarcastically. 

"Listen to me," he replied harshly. "I'll take care of this." He felt mean for being stern, but it really was his thing to take care of.

She pouted stubbornly but obeyed.

He touched the vines gingerly, and they wrapped around his wrists and threw him into the ground.

He started sinking. Rheton thrashed around momentarily before the vines plunged him deeper into the soiled ground of his home.