MCSM oneshots (Discontinued)

Never free, chapter 2

Written by Pteragon

The shadows creeped closer and closer. They grew from the corners of the Order's Treasure hall and bite by bite swallowed it whole. The last remnants of sunlight disappeared, as the third day since Jesse's leaving came to its end.

The redstone lanterns on the floor gave off a weak warm glow, only enough to illuminate the artifacts above them and sprinkle glitter on the vast window in the far end of the room.

Lukas tripped on one of the treasure stands and the trophy on it fell on the ground with a loud click.

Cursing under his breath, he picked it up and placed it back.

He'd been pacing around this room for hours, unable to get this off his head.

Jesse had left Beacontown three days prior. Not an unusual occurrence. He often did it. But never before had he not returned for so long.

Three days. Any normal task would have taken Jesse no more than one, two at most. Anything bigger, and he would call Lukas and Petra for help.

Now he hadn't.

Something simply stank fishy here. Something was way off from how things should be. He could feel it.

His thoughts were interrupted by rushed footsteps from outside. The Hall's gate lifted open and Petra stormed inside. Her eyes quickly scanned the room and fixed on Lukas.

Her glare hardened as she approached him with wide strides.

- What the heck are you doing here? - she demanded.

He returned the glare, not about to back off.

- Don't know, trying to summon Jesse.

She arched an eyebrow, eyes crossed.

- Not the time for sarcasm.

- Oh, isn't it? What is it time-

- Jesse has been gone-

- Jesse's been gone for three days, eleven hours and fifteen minutes. I counted every blasted second! - Lukas's voice raised to a yell - Do you think I'm not worried? Do you?!

- Stop.

- Do you?! Do you really think I don't care?! Do you-

- STOP!

Lukas let out an inarticulate scream and ran for the door.

- Lukas! - Petra shouted and followed him. He was crazy!

He reached the gate a blink before her and frantically reached for the button to open it. His hand trembled as if made of slime and missed it. He tried again, but his knees gave in and he collapsed next to the wall, gasping for breath.

She grabbed him under the shoulders and lifted him to his feet.

- Lukas, what's going on?

No response. His eyes were wide and vacant, the pupils shrunk to almost nothing. All blood had drained from his face, all muscles were tense like cables.

Terrified, Petra let go of him and he collapsed back on the floor, dwindled like a burned piece of cloth.

- Lukas! - she yelled, panic slipping into her voice.

The only response she got were his frantic and shallow hissing breaths.

She picked him up again and rocked him violently.

- Lukas, do you hear me? Lukas!

He groaned and barely lifted a hand.

- Stop...

She stopped shaking him, but didn't let go.

He sighed and swallowed heavily.

- Just... Give me... Give me a second - the words barely got out, his voice worn out and hoarse.

-...Sure about that?

He tried to smile.

- I'll live.

She put him down and took a step back.

He lay there, nearly motionless, only occasionally shuddering a limb.

They remained like this for several minutes, nothing breaking the dead silence.

- Wanna go to your bed? - she asked in a few minutes.

It was a while before he hummed a negative response.

- You can't keep lying on the floor like that. Come on.

She grabbed him again and got him up. His legs barely moved so she almost carried him to the stairs near the window, where she sat him down.

At least he did as much as to keep balance. His eyes were a little more focused, his pupils were no longer miniature dots. The mask of primal terror had nearly faded from his face.

Minute by minute, his expression returned to normal.

- What was... That? - Petra asked.

- The trembling on the floor?

She turned to look at the gate, as if he was still lying there.

- That one, yes.

- Happens from time to time... when I'm too nervous...

She turned to face him again.

- Nervous?

- Uh... More like worried.

- Oh... You better now at least?

He nodded.

- Yeah... I'm gonna need some water.

He rose to his feet, but his legs were still too weak and he fell right back.

She rested a hand on his shoulder.

- Stay here. I'll be back in a sec - she said and left the room.

She returned a few moments later, holding a glass of water.

Lukas took it and gulped it all at once. He let out a sigh of relief and handed her the empty glass.

- Thanks.

- Do you want more?

- Nah, I'm good.

Petra nodded and sat next to him.

- Good, cause if you wanted more, I'd make you get it yourself - she giggled, then her face turned serious again for a moment - Don't try and get up.

- I won't, don't worry.

They sat silent for another minute, each deep into their own thoughts.

- Are you really that worried? - Petra said.

- You have no idea.

She narrowed her eyes.

- I do... And I have some good news.

Lukas turned to look at her, puzzled.

- Good news?

- While you were stomping around the hall and kicked trophies off their stands-

- I didn't.

- -I did some snooping. Or, as you, bookworm, would say, investigation. And I found something, which you'd wanna check out.

- What? - Lukas said, barely containing himself.

Petra drew her sword and glared at the blade. The enchantments flared on the metal and gave her reflection a deathly look.

- Tracks.