Chapter Two

                                    

                                          

"I can't stand it anymore, I'm going to go look for him. I'm not coming back till I find him"


                          
     A short man sits at a wooden table. The buzz of conversation and people around him is a reminder of where he is; a roadside inn with an attached restaurant. Lots of people travel the road during this time of year, so many that he was barely able to get a room. A smiling waitress brings him the special of the night, rabbit stew, along with a cup of tea he had ordered. The man says nothing except a mumbled 'thank you' to the women. 
                          
     With a black one instead of his famous purple sorcerer's cloak, the small brunet is hardly recognizable for who he used to be know for. He always makes sure to keep his face covered, and magic hidden. Seto Sorcerer, the last member to join the revered Team Crafted, has seen better days. His hair is messy and tangled, purple bags under his eyes, and hands shaking ever so slightly because of his exhaustion. With everyone believing Adam to be dead, he has nothing to do now. Nowhere to be. Nothing left to lose. So why should he keep caring about how others see him? Everyone thinks the famous Seto had followed Adam in his disappearing act, so why not let them believe that?
                          
     
     I let my head fall into my hands. I let my eyes flutter shut, kinda hopping that they would never open again. But unfortunately, they do. I sit back up just in time to watch the last of the steam leave my soup. I don't even like rabbit. I still absentmindedly stir it, taking a bland bite or two. My brain tells me to eat all of it to restore the magic I had just used earlier in the day. But I don't. Maybe I deserve to feel weak after what I did. I'm losing control. Every day I can feel myself slipping. My magic is corrupting itself with how my mindset had been. The higher you are, the harder the fall, as they say. I slipped earlier today, and almost destroyed and entire forest. The more magic I used to help people, the more powerful I got. Now there's nowhere for all that power to go. I'm basically a ticking time bomb. 
                          
     I could probably start trying to save myself by doing small spells every hour, but I'm past the point of caring. All my magic would also show as dark by now. Let's see just how much of a show it is to see my magic go completely dark. Dark magic is like an addiction. Once your magic starts to corrupt, most mages never want it to stop. There's a type of freedom and power in it. Dark magic doesn't follow the rules. It doesn't even follow the mage who uses it. It's only a matter of time until I'm just as dark as my magic is. With my mindset as it is, I can't even try to cast light magic. No, light magic is for helping others. 
                          
     "Excuse me sir? There's a package here that someone asked me to give you", a waitress says from beside me. I didn't even hear her come up. "Just set it down", I mumble, making no move to take it from her. I can feel her concern for me, but I know she's too nervous to say anything. I hear the box land on the table, and the waitress walk away. The hum of conversation makes me feel somehow lonely. 
                          
     My eyes drift back to the box. Well, no one said that I was ever particularly curious. Even still, I can't help but wonder what is in it. I huff out a sigh before ripping the tape and opening it. It's mostly empty except for something small wrapped in cloth. I eventually stop staring at it and move it onto the table. Then clumsily unwrap it, holding it in my hands. I almost burst out laghing at the irony of the situation. Here I sit, my magic going darker by the minute, and what am I holding? A doll made to look like the person who kept my magic light since I met him. I remember that day only too well. All of my family had been killed while people were trying to get to me. The 'rare purple mage' that was oh so powerful. I couldn't even save them. All I did was run away. My magic may have corrupted itself right then and there.
                          
     But then Adam came. Him and his group of peace keepers. Never had I met anyone more sincere then them. They didn't walk away from me when I needed help. And they didn't run away in fear when my magic came out dark. Instead, they actually stayed and helped me. Ty, Jason, Ian, Mitch and Jerome, Quinten, and Adam. Just being around them healed my broken heart, my magic finding purpose in protecting the weak, staying light and pure of evil intentions. 

                          
     The little doll even has Adma's little goofy smile. Everything was so much better when he was still here. But....... Adam may be gone......... but the others have to still be out there. I left them all behind to find Adam. And I didn't go looking for them when I heard that they were having a funeral. Was it wrong of me to leave them for so long? People have told me that they all split apart years ago. What would Adam say if he could see me like this? If he could see the entire team slit up?
                          
     I drop the doll on the table. Just as I'm about to get up and go to my room for the night, someone barges into the restaurant and barrels towards the counter. "He's back! He's back! Messengers on horseback from the city over aid that they saw him! And he's looking for the others!", the man screams on his way in. He almost crashes into the bar with his momentum. "Who's back?", another person asks. My curiosity keeps me rooted to the spot, interested in who would send people running and screaming about their return. 
                          
     "It was TrueMu! The forth member of Team Crafted! He's back!", he yells with joy overflowing from his voice. Everyone bursts into shouts and cheer, some happy, some disbelieving. But I stand up. I stand up so fast that my chair goes flying and falls onto the ground with a BANG. I storm over to the person who walked in, stopping a few inches away. Everyone has fallen silent to see what the 'mysterious stranger' is about to do.
                          
     "A-Are you telling the truth?, Is J-Jason looking f-for me?", I say, my voice cracking and surprising everyone. "He was there, I promise. My friend even saw him face to face", they hesitantly reply. I can't take it anymore. I cry. But I'm not sad, they're tears of joy. My magic automatically surges with my feelings, undoing one of the spells that I had set in place. The black of my cloak seems to almost fall off, revealing the stunning purple and gold outlining beneath. My hood falls down, showing my face with tears going down my cheeks. 
                          
     "Thank you for caring about us", I sob, hugging the stranger. Everyone is dead shocked with finding the missing Seto just under their noses. I could dance around with how happy I am. "I have to go let him know that I'm here! Goodbye everyone! Thank you for the wonderful soup!", I sputter out before turing on my heal and racing out of the restaurant. I haven't felt this happy in a long time. Light purple magic swirls around my feet, letting me run faster and faster. Look out monsters, I'm back, and ready to find my team.