5) Chapter 5: A Woman’s scream

"AAAH!!", Castile shrieked, shaking his hand and falling backward. The thing that leapt out the sack after him was his worst fear.

A frog.

"WHY THE FUCK IS THERE A FROG IN THERE," the boy shouted while wiping his hand on his clothes. He felt like throwing up.

There wasn't a specific reason he hated these animals, but just the fact that they were slimy was enough. Not to mention the huge eyes and the webbed feet. A shiver went down his spine.

He looked back at the horrid creature and saw that it was still staring at him. It was then he noticed something hanging out it's mouth, something glittery.

Don't tell me it's stealing my stuff now, Castille groaned. Unless it was something valuable he'd rather let the frog take it then touch the thing to get it back.

He peered at the frog again and recognized the object as a relic. Relics were devices created or found around the world, albeit rare. Some of them could improve your stats such as strength, stamina, health, or provide mana boosts. Who knew such a treasure would be found in there?

Castille made up his mind before lunging at the frog, trying to grab the dangling bracelet out it's mouth. He shuddered when his fingers brushed against it. How could he kill a whole family but not even touch a frog?

The creature bounded towards the exit of the ally. Lifting himself off the ground, the boy ran after it, the wound still throbbing in his leg.

At this point, the disguise had already worn off and his clothes had reverted to their original state. He was now a noble covered in dirt and blood chasing after a frog.

God he hoped no one saw him in this state.

As he ran out the ally after the frog he felt something bump heavily into his side, throwing him back.

Are you fucking kidding me?, Castille gritted his teeth, What idiot bumped into me?

He was now lying on the ground under someone who didn't seem to he getting off.

"Do you plan on getting off?" he grumbled. It was obvious he was going to be in a bad mood after losing a relic to a frog.

"Castille?" A familiar voice replied as the weight on his back was lifted. Castille froze, flipping around and staring at the person.

No way.

In front of him now was Landon Herring, the owner of his alias. Castille was in disbelief, he hadn't seen the person in almost a decade. What was he doing here?

The reason for their seperation was that Landon was a commoner. They were often looked down upon from the nobles, so Castille's family didn't allow him to visit. Not only that, but this kid practically lived on the other side of the kingdom. They'd only become friends during a trip to meet the duke of that area. To be honest, Landon might have been the only true friend he'd made.

"Landon..!!" Castille gaped, staring at the boy in disbelief. He'd grown so much taller, beating Castille by at least a few inches. He could've sworn Landon was shorter than him just a few years back.

"What are you doing here?!" He added, looking the boy up and down. Not only had his height changed but his features too. They seemed more chiseled and handsome. His dark, wavy hair and dimples looked almost mesmerizing against the evening rays.

"Wow, I didn't expect to see you here." Landon chuckled, snapping him out of it. "I actually came to check this place out cause I heard a woman scream. Sounded pretty bad."

Castille instantly turned red and coughed, "Yeah I heard that too."

"Since she's probably gone by now, what are you doing here?" Landon asked.

"I actually live around here. The last time we met I was just on a trip with my family. I guess I forgot to mention that." Castille answered. How could he forget something so important?

Silence showered the two after his reponse. It was kind of awkward knowing that they'd been seperated just because of their class, but it couldn't have been helped. Maybe Landon still held that memory in his mind.

"Hey, about my family.." Castille started, but was cut off by the other boy.

"Did you hurt yourself?" Landon said with a cold look on his face.

What was with that face? It wasn't like Castille was going to rub it in. If anything he wanted to apologize.

A thought them occured in his mind that made him frown. Did Landon not want to see him?

"Yeah my leg caught on something sharp." Castille mummered. "Don't worry about it. I was just about to go."

The other person stayed silent as the noble stood up and grabbed his stuff. Before leaving, Castille turned back and nodded to the boy.

"It was nice seeing you."

Landon was left in shock. He could have sworn that Castille was happy to see him just moments ago. What was with the sudden change?

Was it the look he'd given him when he realized the injury? He was going to ask to treat it, but didn't expect such an awkward atmosphere. He didn't understand. He turned around to look at the back of the person walking away. He did feel a bit sad.

He missed his friend, but it seemed he didn't have the same feelings as him. He sighed and left the place as well, feeling as if a weight was suddenly placed in heart.