Hour of Mercy || Hermitcraft AU

~• Five •~

Impulse was beginning to question whether the sky even existed anymore. There was almost never a break in the leaves above him, and the trees felt like they were weighing down on him, their branches curling around him so tight, he couldn't breath. He couldn't remember how many days had passed, but according to Zedaph, it'd been nearly a week. They'd been able to find little things for food, but not much.

"I've never missed the wind so much in my life." Impulse said more genuinely than he ever though possible.

Zedaph suppressed a laugh, "I agree full-heartedly. I'd even be content with a draft, but it's so," He looked around, digesting the next sequence of trees which in reality was a mirror of the last, "still."

They walked in silence for a bit. Zedaph's eyes weren't focused on anything in particular, and Impulse wondered if he was imagining the moment they finally found their way out of the forest. Impulse sure was. The green grass, birds, a vibrant sky, with the sun peeking out behind soft white clouds. Trees which were spread far, far apart. He squeezed his way between two tight trucks. Impulse peered up at the leaves, and a new thought entered his mind, "These leaves are fully grown?"

Zedaph followed his gaze and nodded. "Down here it doesn't get very cold during winter, so not all trees lose their leaves. Especially not dark oaks." That made sense. It got pretty cold at the Reserve, and some nights he'd have to sit by the fire in the main chalet with the rest of his friends, when it wasn't warm enough in their smaller ones.

The Reserve.

Panic began to boil within Impulse. He'd told Xisuma he'd return in twenty-five days, max. How many days had it been? With nearly seven wasted, they would never make it back in time. Not with the nine day journey down here, and they'd lost his wagon when the vexes first attacked. They'd broken a wheel and let his horse go. Impulse and Zedaph were forced to run on foot.

How long would it take to get back, now? Definitely not in the time Xisuma was expecting him. He would lead a search party the moment they didn't arrive. And, while he admired Xisuma's unwillingness to abandon anyone, he would be putting himself and any other hybrid who accompanied him, through unsafe territories. Knowing them, everyone would want to come, and that was the last thing he wanted.

The forest creaks around them and Impulse is brought back to reality. Zedaph is looking at him, eyebrows crease in a question. And he opened his mouth to speak but before he could, his leg gave out from under him and he tumbled downward.

"Zedaph?" He exclaimed, hurrying to crouch down beside him, "What's wrong?"

Zedaph was hugging his knee, the same one that'd gotten hurt when he fell from the tree.

"Walking for so long everyday has only worsened it." He hissed through his teeth, trying to straighten his leg, wincing hard. More dread corroded Impulse's mind as that too was added to the equation. They already had to make the long journey by foot, but if Zedaph couldn't even walk, summer would be ending by the time they finally made it home.

He was so stupid to think he could pull this off. His all too confident determination once again had led him to believe it was literally impossible to fail... And now what? Were they going to die in this terrible forest? Had Zedaph been saved from one misery just to be handed over to another? Were they struggling for nothing but to delay an ultimate, inescapable end?

He helped Zedaph to lean against a pile of boulders, which oddly had a young dark oak growing from the top of it, before taking in the scene around them. Trees, trees, more trees.

He growls inwardly before deciding, "I'm going to scout ahead." Not sparing a glance toward Zedaph as he started off, fists clenched.

"Wait, Impulse! We should stay together, you'll get lost!" Zedaph tried to reason, but it didn't sway Impulse.