Against all odds (The Pack)

Chapter 4

Warnings: Slight blood, mentions of death.

     ~Rob's P.O.V.~

"Preston..." I hiss quietly, "What if he hurts you?!"

Preston waves my statement off dismissively, walking towards the sobbing fluffy creature sitting at the waters edge. I think Preston called him 'Jerome'. His fur is matted with blood and soot, and the diamond armour that lay by his side is dented and warped. A deep puncture wound is in his side, still leaking blood onto the grass, staining it.

     "I-I do-ont want to do-o this a-anymore..." 'Jerome' whimpers, shaking ever so slightly.

Preston slowly walks forwards, hesitating, but then resting a hand on the baccas shoulder. He tenses under the touch, but doesn't move.

"Jerome... I've never seen you cry..." Preston mumbles, as I warily creep forwards. "What happened to you?"

Jerome doesn't answer. Instead he stays as still as a statue... Save the occasional shiver of his body. And then in a flash, he whirls around and springs at Preston.

My hands flies to my sword, and I prepare to strike Jerome... When I catch Preston's eye. Jerome isn't attacking Preston... He's hugging him. I lower my sword, but don't sheath it just in case. Preston returns the embrace, rubbing Jerome's back in an attempt to calm him.

"They're d-dead Preston..." He whimpers, pulling away from Preston and wiping away his tears with the cuff of his sleeve.
"Who's dead?"
"Ch-Choco... A-and Brandon..." Jerome sighs, sniffling.

Preston's eyes widen, before dropping sadly. I assume 'Choco' and 'Brandon' must have been their friends. Jerome raises his head, just now seeming to realize Preston is standing in front of him. His brow furrows in confusion.

"S-speaking of which...aren't you supposed to be dead...?"
"Cmon Jerome, you really think I'd let some rouges kill me?" Preston chuckles, yet speaking the name 'rouges' with disgust.
"But..." Jerome continues, finally having stopped crying. "How did you get out?"
"He helped me." Preston states, turning and pointing in my direction.

Jerome turns and follows Preston's finger, his eyes locking onto me. I smile nervously, slightly afraid of the creature. With what Preston's told me about him, his gleaming sharp teeth, razor sharp claws, and his blood covered fur... It's no wonder he's really intimidating.

"Uh... Hi." I greet, forcing a small smile onto my face.
"His name is Rob." Preston introduces, smiling at me. "He's from the Spell kingdom."
"Spell kingdom?!" Jerome exclaims, wrinkling his nose. A diamond axe appears in his hand. "What are you doing with a spell troop?"

Jerome takes a menacing step forward, and I take a step back, raising my sword in front of me. Preston's eyes widen, and he jumps in front of Jerome, before he can attack.

"Woah, woah ,woah. Woah. He's not going to hurt us, Jerome." Preston assures him, briefly glancing at me over his shoulder. "Rob saved me from his own people. He helped me get out of the Rouge kingdom."

Jerome snorts, glaring daggers at me over Preston's shoulder. I shoot him a nasty glare right back.

"He's probably just using you and is going to kill you in your sleep." Jerome growls accusingly.
"Jerome seriously." Preston cautions firmly. "Lay off him. He can heal that stab wound on your side."

     Jerome glances between Preston, me, and the still bleeding wound on his side. I offer an uncertain smile, pulling out a splash potion of healing and waving it in the air.

     "Fine..." He mutters, putting away his axe.
     "Thank you." Preston states, nodding approvingly. He turns back to me. "Go ahead Rob."

     I stride forward, trying to mask the overwhelming sense of danger with a grin. But thankfully, I pop open the cap and pour the hot pink liquid on his side without having to defend myself. He winces in pain as the bleeding instantly stops, and the wound slowly but surely heals up. He twists his body slightly, presumably testing to see how it feels. Judging by the fact he doesn't flinch or scrunch up his nose in pain, I conclude the potion worked like it was meant to.

     "Thanks..." Jerome mumbles truthfully, finally seeming to warm up to me. "So..." He continues, more so directing his speech to Preston, "Why are you guys here anyway? It's not like you just happen to stumble across me here. You were obviously looking for me."
     Preston grins widely, excitement shining in his black eyes. "I thought you'd never ask."

Preston then delivers his big speech on how we need to get someone from each kingdom, take over the rulers, and make peaches between the six kingdoms so there won't be anymore fighting. I pitch in a few small details here and there, all the while Jerome listens with a blank, unreadable expression. To be honest, we haven't even asked him if he wants to stop fighting or anything... But from what we heard when we first saw him, we assumed he didn't want to.

"...and then boom, wars over." Preston finishes dramatically, making jazz hands.

Jerome holds our stare for a good, I don't know... Seven seconds before breaking out into a grin, and laughing.

"Haha right, as if that's going to actually work." He laughs heartily, Preston and I exchanging glances and frowning. "Now really, why'd you actually come here?"
"We're serious..." I urge, shuffling my feet.
Jerome's smile drops. "Really?"
"You think I made that up off the top of my head?" Preston questions, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms.
"Well uh... I guess not... Now that I think about it." Jerome mumbles, scratching his neck. "But you're actually going to do this?"
"Yep."
"Mmhm."

     Jerome stares directly at us, as if trying to determine whether or not we're telling the truth, even though we told him we are. His eyes bore into my skull, trying to see my thoughts, and I shiver anxiously under his stare. A few minutes of complete silence pass, none of us making a sound or moving in the slightest bit. And then, after what seems like an eternity, Jerome's eyes soften, and he smiles.

     "Count me in."

~~~

Question of the chapter:

Who are they gonna go find next? And how will they convince him to join them in their quest?

My answer: If you've read some of my other books... Then maybe you've noticed a pattern in the order I introduce each member of the pack. If not, I'll give a few hints.

Memories:

Vikk
Lachlan
Preston
Rob
Mitch
Jerome

Six Stone Souls:

Vikk
Lachlan
Jerome
Mitch
Preston
Rob