The Mission

Chapter 9

-Chapter 9-

*Mitch's POV

After Jerome and I kissed, we finished out dinner while talking about ourselves. At first, our conversation was about our childhood, but we somehow started talking about our sisters.

"Sierra always loved to hunt. She hated the fact that she was supposed to take over the shop instead of joining the hunting group." Jerome told me.

"Rheanna likes to write. It was her favorite subject in the weekly school. She even figured out how to use plants to make colored ink." I told Jerome.

"Do you know how she does it? I've never seen colored ink before the note she gave me." Jerome asked.

I shook my head. "No one knows. She won't tell anyone. She won't even tell me."

Jerome thought for a minute. "Have you asked?" I nodded. "What did she tell you when she said she figured it out?"

"She told me that while she was in the forest, a Bacca walked up to her and started talking to her. They taught her how to make colored ink from the resources around you." I remembered that day almost like it was yesterday.

-Flashback-

It was nighttime and Rheanna had just came home. She had a weapon with her so I wasn't worried about it being night. "Where were you?! I was worried sick!!"

Rheanna looked down at something, a bottle, in her hands. "I figured out how to make colored ink."

I looked at the dark green liquid in the bottle. "How?"

"A Bacca taught me." She whispered.

"A Bacca?! Rheanna, you know that if you are caught with a Bacca, you will be shunned." I couldn't believe she hung out with a Bacca.

"I know." She whispered under her breath.

-End of Flashback-

"I wonder if she remembers what the Bacca looked like." Jerome thought out loud.

I shrugged. "I doubt it. That was a long time ago."

Jerome yawned. "Why am I tired? I've slept a long time these past few days."

"Maybe because it's nighttime." I laughed a little. "Everyone tends to get tired at night."

"Are you?" He asked.

I shook my head. "Not really. I actually want to stare at the stars. You want to join?" Jerome nodded and we walked outside after clearing the table. Jerome sat on the ground and patted the spot next to him. "What if there's monsters?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Jerome asked, laying down on the moist green grass.

"It's nighttime. What if monsters attack us?" I looked around to make sure nothing was sneaking up on us.

"I don't know. What do you want to do then? Climb a tree?" Jerome asked and I nodded. He stood up and walked to the nearest tree, climbing it in a few seconds. It took me a little longer to climb because I'm not a Bacca, but once I got to the top, Jerome and I laid down and stared up at the dark midnight sky. I heard hissing and grumbling somewhere in the forest from the monsters, but it didn't worry me. I was high off the ground with my Bacca.

"Mitch, do you hear that?" Jerome whispered.

I listened to the sounds coming from the forest around us: zombies growling, spiders hissing, and screaming. Wait, screaming?

The screams were getting closer and in a few minutes, two boys ran from the forest, 4 zombies following them. "Help!!" They screamed.

Jerome and I jumped down from the tree and killed the zombies. "Hey. Are you guys alright?" Jerome asked.

The two boys, both looking scared out of their minds, nodded slowly. Both boys looked about 15 or 16. One of them had messy brown hair, a grey and black shirt, grey pants, black glasses, and a golden amulet. The other boy had brown hair that covered one of his eyes, green and white shirt, worn out grey pants, and neon green and black headphones.

"I-I'm Adam, but please call me Sky." The boy with the amulet said. "This is Deadlox, but call him Ty." He motioned towards the headphones boy.

"I'm Mitch," I said. "And this is Jerome." I pointed to the fluffy Bacca standing next to me. "You want to go inside?" I asked and they nodded. We walked to the house, Jerome going to the kitchen to get the newcomers some food. I motioned for Sky and Ty to sit on one couch while I sat on the other. "Where'd you two come from?"

Ty started silently weeping and Sky put his arm around him. "We... We came from the Bacca village."

I looked between the two. "Th-the Bacca village?" I asked, shocked. "Why were you there?" Sky started trembling as did Ty.

Jerome walked into the room holding two plates of food, oblivious to what Sky just said. He handed each of the boys a plate and they looked up at him with fear. "What? It's not poisoned. It's food!! Eat up!!" Jerome smiled.

"A-are you a B-Bacca?" Ty stuttered and Jerome nodded. Ty's eyes widened and he hid behind Sky. "Please don't hurt me!! I'll do what you ask just please don't hurt me anymore!!" He started crying again.

Jerome stepped away from Ty. "I won't hurt you. Why would I?"

I touched Jerome's arm. "Just come sit down. I think something is happening at the Bacca village." I whispered into his ear. He nodded and sat next to me. "Why were you at the Bacca village?" I calmly asked Sky.

Sky, who was trying to calm Ty, stayed silent for a few minutes. "They took us. They enslaved us. They abused us. They are Baccas." He whispered. "We were taken from our houses and forced to work in fields or for the king. If we rebelled in anyway, we would be beaten with an enchanted stick. It hurt. Baccas hurt us."

"I-I'm so sorry my king did that. That's exactly why I ran away. He's crazy." Jerome said.

"Do you want to stay here?" I asked them.

Sky whispered something to Ty and he slightly nodded. "If we can." Sky answered.

"Of coarse you can!! In the morning, I'll make another room. For now, is it ok if you sleep on the couch?" I felt terrible for making them sleep on the couch, but there were no extra rooms until I added one.

"Ok. Thank you." Sky smiled. Ty was curled up in Sky's arms, most likely sleeping. I wonder if they're a couple. I'll have to ask someday.

"There's blankets in the chest next to the couch. Make yourselves at home. Jerome and I are going to bed. G'night." I yawned and stood up, Jerome following. We walked to my bedroom where we cuddled into my bed and fell into a peaceful sleep.