6: A discovery

"What's my fatal weakness guys?" Ciara asked eagerly.

I screwed up nose in thought, "you're sly, cunning and borderline manipulative."

"Take that back Earl," Ciara gasped, "You're making me sound like a witch."

"Earl has a point Ciara, you're bit shady as well." Hades added, resting his arms behind his head.

"A little selfish when you want to be and controlling some of the times." Daniel added.

"You guys are awful, when have I ever did anything like that?"

"Your aunt for example, you've got the poor lady wrapped around your finger." I told her and she snorted admittedly.

"And you told Jamie to wait for you in the forest a few months ago, finally giving him the favour he had been asking for since upper tenth." Daniel smirked, "then Hades went to rob the stash of money he had stolen from me."

She shrugged, "can't say I feel bad at all."

"You should've seen his face the next day at school, he went ran the opposite direction every time he saw you." I giggled. "Remember when you were failing maths and suddenly you started getting the highest marks in the class?"

"I got a little help that's all." Ciara fiddled with her necklace before sighing gruffly. "Fine I did do a little favour for Mr Anderson after school."

"And you got mad at me for believing the rumours as well." I exclaimed.

"Sorry about that but I did managed to graduate didn't I?" She smirked with a smug laugh.

"But you didn't actually do it for him did you? You only ever promised him you would and he kept giving you high marks in hopes of it, till the end of the year came around and we graduated." I added, "you really did him dirty."

"I don't go through with the thing if I can help it," she chuckled evilly, "and they fall for it every time."

"I guess it only works if you're pretty." I mused, turning my head to look at Ciara.

I always thought she was the prettiest girl in town with her long auburn locks, the colour of hazelnuts and autumn leaves. Her eyes a sea green that turned azure in some lights and enticing emerald in others. She always had that sultry look about her and a witty tongue that drew men close.

"Show a little skin and they lose control, it's almost comical." She gave a quiet giggle and I grinned at her words.

"What about me?" I asked rather skeptical.

"That's easy, you're prideful, almost arrogant." Daniel replied

"Oh my god, take that back Daniel." I cried, sitting up in offence. "I'm not proud."

"You never admit your wrong," Ciara mused.

"That's because I'm never wrong." I snapped.

"Exactly my point." Ciara shot back.

"And your temper, get a hold of that thing before you kill someone." Hades added, "don't forget the fact you can't trust anyone."

"How is that a flaw?" I cried aghast with a roll of my eyes.

"If you hadn't managed to swallow it down you would never have became friends with any of us, especially me, I go rogue to often." He replied, "you're too judgy as well."

"I just ask questions, that isn't fatal." I told him.

"How many teachers had you kicked out because you kept questions their abilities to teach?" Daniel said.

"None of those fools could teach a damn monkey let alone students." I crossed my arms defiantly as the others laughed, "I'm serious, almost all our teachers were baboons."

"You sat out in the sun for five hours because you wouldn't admit to Mrs Sal that she had gotten the answer right in geography."

"She was wrong." I cried in frustration.

"So? I would've just told her she was right and gone about my day, who cares?" Hades shrugged.

"You got really bad sunburns too." Ciara winced as though I still did.

"Remember when you beat up Ali because he called Ciara a whore." Daniel said.

"I think we all beat him up," I replied.

"Well you charged at him first and then we also had to cut off his hair because you wouldn't let go of it." Hades added.

"It worked though, he didn't say it again afterwards," I smiled and the others laughed in agreement.

"This little experiment is really telling," I shook my head, "What about Daniel?"

We turned to look at him and he frowned under our calculating gazes.

"He's calm most of the time," Ciara suggested with a tilt of her head.

"That ain't a weakness Ciara," I snapped.

"Is Daniel perfect?" Hades asked, disgusted, with a curled upper lip.

"He can't be, there must be something that's a disadvantage for him."

"I can't think of any." Ciara shrugged and Daniel licked his lips, cracking his knuckles with playful grin.

"Well I guess I'm just-,"

"Emotional," I cut in, "sometimes he doesn't use his brain and- just follows his heart."

The was a moment of silence and then Hades began to nod.

"Earls right, he does get really emotional sometimes and it really messes up with his head."

"I barley ever cry," Daniel frowned.

"You cried the week before midsummer." Ciara stated and he glared at her.

"You forgive to easily as well." I paused waiting for him to object. "Some people don't deserve to be forgiven."

"Like Astra for example, that thing is an vile animal and she literally framed you for assault." Ciara hissed, her voice seething at the memory of the injustice but Danny only shrugged and stared at the candle silently.

"She almost ruined your life." I added begrudgingly.

"And he worries too much, you're too wined up Daniel, you can just relax sometimes and have fun sometimes you know," Hades said, trying to chase away the heavy feeling anger that began to fall upon us.

"That's because you three are crazy, someone has to keep you guys in line." Daniel shook his head with a smile, "I saved you guys from so much trouble now that I think of it."

"Well," Hades stated, "that was fun wasn't it? We all made each other feel terrible."

"There's good things about us too," I said.

"Talking about the bad things are much more interesting." Ciara laughed.

"And there's plenty to talk about when it comes to you," Hades added.

Ciara lunged for him and Hades rolled out the way with a laugh.

"Ow!" He yelled suddenly.

"I barley touched you, stop whining," Ciara rolled her eyes.

"No, something poked me from the ground." He ran his fingers over the grass, the green stalks poking between his fingers.

I leaned over and reached for the candle, bringing it over to him and I held it over the patch of grass that he was patting furiously.

"I think it was this." I pointed to a silver glint that was protruding out the ground and Ciara pulled out a hairpin, passing it to Hades who began to dig around the object till Daniel could pull it out.

"What is it?" Ciara asked as we peered over at Daniel palm eagerly.

A silver chain sat on his hand unremarkably and a little rusted.

"Who does it belong to?" Daniel  murmured.

"I think it's been here for years, the rain managed to erode the surface of the soil so the top bit poked out and hit Hades." I said and Daniel held it closer to the orange candlelight.

"Look what it says on it." He said pointing to the metal circle that hung from the chain, adorn with what looked like diamonds.

"It might be a relic, I wonder how much we can sell it for?" Hades mused.

"And if that's a real diamond, it could be worth even more." Ciara whispered.

"Look at the writing," Daniel repeated calmly, "what does that say?"

"The house of Maine." I read slowly with a frown, "Didn't that place get knocked down ages ago?"

"The house of Maine? I thought that was just a fairytale," Ciara asked with raised eyebrows.

"It actually existed, it's in the Imperial district where the grandmother of king Elio lived."

"King Elio? The one that was murdered by the Tiano dynasty before they took the throne?" Hades asked.

"Him exactly, just before he was murdered he fled with his grandmother to the house of Maine where they hid for a few days, the Tianos found him eventually but King Elio refused to tell them what he had been doing whilst hiding since he was covered in dirt and grime when he was discovered, the house was knocked down soon after."

"And his grandmother?" Daniel asked.

"She was gone, they never found her." I looked up for the necklace to see the intrigued faces of my friends.

"We learnt about this in history- remember? The tale of Maine?"

Hades, Ciara and Daniel stared at me blankly and I sighed at their confused faces.

"We don't have you spectacular memory Earl," Ciara said and I smiled at her sarcastically.

We looked down at the necklace once more, a piece of jewellery that was infused with a turbulent past, mystery, death, spilled blood and maybe even magic.

"But what is it doing here?" Daniel wondered out loud.

I shrugged and Hades held up a hand abruptly, his eyes widening and he scrambled to his feet.

"What going on now?" Ciara muttered, standing up as well.

Hades shushed her and indicated for us to listen, a few silent seconds passed till I began to hear the sounds of dozens of footsteps making their way up the hill.