Martha's POV

I woke up. Well, I thought I woke up...I could hear a dying fire and snoring. I couldn't see anything, still, though. I shifted slightly, and slowly took Ember's arms away from me.

Finally able to shift away from her, I probed my way around the fire and Ember until I thought I was a good distance away. I rose to my feet testing my ability to walk. It was still hard to adjust to being blind...

I stretched and listened. Other then light snoring, I heard the steady drip, drip, drip of liquid. I heard ominous roaring of cave spirits...and chatter of cave witches.

I had met a cave witch before, she had been wise and far stronger in her magic then I was. Perhaps she knew a spell to return eyesight to the blind? I'd not had my eyeball carved out or anything. It was only a powder of some sort...

When everyone woke up I could lead them there.

I frankly didn't even remember where we were going though...to some gem or portal..? I think? Aannnddd...we were lost because I had led us the wrong way...

Was that it?

I racked my brain to remember anything else, but couldn't.

So...Great! Gotta go to the cave witch, get eyesight back, and get back on track. Though...I was starting to feel guilty. So far this trip was just a bunch of heartache...for everyone...

Chase's POV

I started to wake up and mindlessly tried to shift my sitting position. Biiigggggg mistake. My shoulder, side and wrist all felt like flames had engulfed them. "God-" I muttered, breathing in through my teeth. "That hurts like hell..."

Light footsteps neared me. Oh shi-

"Chase? You over here?" Martha asked in a low volume. I tried to stay quiet and seriously wanted her to go--she was the last person I wanted to see right now. She was probably even worse then Thayne...

Unfortunately, it was too dark to see where she was and...she tripped over my foot. Her hands slowly moved up my leg, then up my chest til she found my face. I was too angry with her to think properly, and I could only imagine the small smile on her face as she whispered, "Found you."

I pushed her hands away, forgetting again about my broken wrist and hissed in pain.

Her hand grabbed mine--the one with the broken wrist--and she gently found my wrist. I fully expected her to squeeze it, or do something to hurt me badly, using the wrist, and my mouth felt dry. I was terrified to move or speak...terrified to be hurt again, especially because it seemed they would do enough to hurt like hell but no one wanted to actually kill me.

Martha started muttering..."Lets see...not used magic in awhile...hope I still can..."

Suddenly I felt a warmth enter my wrist and spread up my arm.

"Mn...A bone shattered...another fractured...mend the fractured first..." she said so quietly I had to strain to hear her. The urge to push her away intensified...I didn't need her help or pity...or whatever the hell this was...

A sharp pain like a needle entered under my skin, making me groan in pain and arch my back. Several more like that followed, before fading away like it'd never been there. "Fractured fixed...finding shattered pieces now..." I almost wondered if she was giving me updates, or if she was muttering that stuff to help herself know what she was doing.

There was more sharp pains throughout my lower arm and they all made their way to my wrist. There was a intense pain as I assumed the pieces found their way back to their proper places and she mended any muscle or nerves torn in the procedure, before I heard a sharp exhale and her hands fell away.

There were a few minutes of her breathing heavily and me testing my wrist--I had to admit it felt a lot better now--before she finally spoke. "Is it better?"

"Well, its not broken anymore." I replied, keeping my tone sharp.

"Oh I'm glad!" she sounded proud of herself.

A few more minutes of silence before she spoke again. "Do you remember how we met?"

I rolled my eyes. "Duh." Of course I remember!

Flashback-

"Listen to me, you will do what we planned...understand? And if you fail--"

"I know I know. I'm gonna pay dearly, yada yada yada." Wyatt hit me. "Don't interrupt me. Find the treasure room, meet us outside the town gate." his glare fixed me. "Don't let yourself be found out." I sighed and nodded.

He meant "don't let anyone realize you're a guy, not a girl" because I had to be in this ridiculous getup, wearing a simple dress that was somehow supposed to be seductive..? Whatever, like this was back then and all, but seriously, what was a turn on for guys back then? I think this was seriously a sign that they needed to get with the times. It was--Okay I'll stop talking about the dress. Even though it was weird. And ugly. And awful. And horribly embarrassing...

I was wearing awfully applied make-up and a wig. I thought I looked nothing like a girl, just a super ugly drag queen, IF that.

Anyway. I was supposed to lead the guards away with the hope of 'getting some' and then knock them out cold and teleport the gold out to Wyatt and the other two. The plan made me super uncomfortable...I mean, what if I couldn't knock out the guards and things took a turn for the worse?

But the rest of the STYX team voted for it, honestly probably just to make me suffer. And I wasn't even the most feminine of the group! Stanley looked like he could easily be a girl, and he was only four years older then me! But nooo, I had to be the 'girl' because I was younger or whatever. Like seriously.

I followed the map we'd stolen and followed it down, avoiding any guards or servants I saw. When I got closer to the treasury, I heard masculine voices. 'Must be the guards.'

They were taking about lewd things and I shuddered. Yep, the plan would DEFINITELY work...yay...

It surprisingly worked better then I hoped. I didn't even have to suggest anything, they just followed me...I guess they thought they didn't need consent. Ew, but good for me. 'Maybe if I killed them...I'd be doing Pompeii women a favor...' I thought, but I didn't. Instead I used mace that I'd hidden (yes I brought mace into the past, sue me) to blind them, and then knocked them unconscious with a unlit torch.

I stole the keys and worked on opening the treasury door.

After I was in, I teleported the gold out where the STYX were waiting on me, only to be met by them in handcuffs and guards surrounding us.

And this is where I first saw her. Martha.

Apparently, she'd followed us and learned our plan before telling her father's guards. She giggled as she tore off my wig and told us all what she did, as though expecting us to applaud and call her a little genius, then go willingly to the dungeon.

After hearing everything, I felt Wyatt's hard gaze on me. I knew he was blaming me...and I knew it was my fault. I was the reason we'd continue to not have money for our group to eat...

Then we teleported back to modern times. Back to dark city...

❥HtoL

And I took the beating...I'd taken every single beating from the STYX, and from Thayne, Martha, and Ember...and I knew I deserved them all.

"So what about when we met?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice hard.

"I...I'm sorry. I was...well...kinda self-righteous...heh...it was kinda a fright though when you all disappeared, to the other guards at least...everyone was talking about magic for days...it caused quite a stir..."

"Cool. Yeah, those other guys I was with blamed me for the whole thing."

I heard her hair swish back and forth, like she was shaking her head. "Oh, no...it wasn't you who I found suspicious, at first at least...it was the guy who talked the most...I got the idea he was the leader...he's the one I heard it from."

"You mean...Wyatt?" | "I don't know his name, so maybe..? If Wyatt was the leader..."

"Huh..." So Wyatt had been the one to give us away, and he blamed me..? "I still hate you, though..." I muttered, as my hate for Wyatt grew and hate for Martha went down, just slightly.

"I know...I hate me too..." was her sad response.

I knew I shouldn't feel bad for her, but I kinda did...

Just a little bit though.

❥HtoL

Written : 9 - 19 - 2021
Word Count : 1556

A/N : WAHHHH I HOPE THAT BACKSTORY IS OKAY FOR YOU TWO, ESHII AND FAWEZZZZZ TwT

I kinda came up with it and I'm crossing my fingers you two don't get mad at me for this chapter...

Q&A : Who is your favorite character?

Love you guys!! ❤