Withering World [MCSM Fanfiction]

WEAKENING: Chapter 10

Jesse

Everyone followed me as soon as I fell deeper and deeper into the sadistic abyss, mourning the loss of the greatest intern that ever lived along with other loved ones who were unfortunate enough to receive the sickness after he did. The tunnels are filled with a sense of depressing emptiness, the only event in my life I could ever compare it to being confined inside that Witherstorm. Thousands of footsteps resound as Beacontown and Champion City march along, grief overtaking pride as the star of the show.

I know I have to remember my place as a leader, being the first to deal with Wither's conquered hosts and now up in front of the helpless pack to bring them a new life. But it sickens me. QZ was Radar's idea, not mine.

Lukas's weary strides help me pace myself as he travels beside me. Currently, it's only him and I up front, Petra, Jack, and Nurm straying at the rear of the horde to keep watch for any skeletons trying to stalk us. None of us can meet again until the end of our journey, though I sort of wished Petra was here to ease a bit of the pain. Beneath her toughness, there's a raging turmoil inside her she'd refuse to show anymore, in front of me too, her behavior strangely different from past times. She's the type that would hush if she got bitten by a skeleton, and I need that myself. Losing her again after her long odyssey - even if it's just for a little while - feels jarring.

Suddenly, my knees buckle, and toppling over is inevitable.

However, as I brace myself for the ground's impact, a pair of gentle hands steady me belonging to none other than Lukas.

"Watch your step," he says with a half-smile, letting me go, though when he does, I instinctively clutch a handful of his black leather jacket into my tight fist, which takes him by surprise. "Oh... ok."

Bold move, Jesse. Now you're promoting weakness, clinginess, a catalyst for doom over the two towns close behind you.

My friend doesn't seem to mind that I tug onto the hem of his sleeve like horse reins. It just shakes me at what example I'm setting for the rest since even Radar cannot be an exception. I refuse to let a loss of a friend be the freedom license to break down in front of my people.

Still, an unpredicted swell of tears streaks down my mess of a face. What's worse is that Lukas notices meaning the people around me will soon notice. "Jesse, you can opt for a break you know."

"We need to keep going for everyone else," I say. My command is flat, but it's still a command.

"No." He takes my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Maybe everyone else needs to rest, too. They'll thank you for giving them that, Jesse."

"Radar would want us to keep moving."

"He would want to make sure you're okay first, not that you'd need it. Usually, he was the one that wasn't okay... but that's not the point."

It doesn't matter how jocular Lukas tries to sound because it's crystal clear that he can't even say Radar's name. Out of sheer frustration, I press on, forgetting that Lukas's hand is still in mine, so when another of my tears falls, it disastrously lands there at the back of his palm.

Results are instant. My hand is almost crushed as he hauls me back. He feathers up my arms and finally rests his palms on my shoulders, firmly stating in silence that I cannot run away from him. When my eyes trail up to his, I see his scleras stained the color of netherrack. His lashes have been pulled into wet spikes and stains of sorrow have been poured down his cheeks.

"Jesse, listen to me," he says, as his shivers transfer to me. He speaks through chattering teeth, altering his speech to be scarily stern yet inferior. "I can't take this just as much as you can't. And I've been battering myself up about this every night before today. We've all seen what happened, and every person in Beacontown and Champion City has at least a single loved one that has passed. You have to rest, Jesse. Maybe you won't find peace, but you've been on the move since he... you know. You need rest. I need rest. Everyone else, they need rest too. Please."