MCSM season 3: The beginning of the hunt

Chapter 12: The survival of the fittest

Warm rays tore through the deep blue sky. The yellow sphere of fire revealed itself slowly as it ascended in the sky. The mobs fled back into their shelter of darkness. The flowers opened their petals as the ray touched them, greeting the brand-new day. Animals happily roamed the vast green field, fearless of mobs killing them. But do you know who needed this new day the most? The two leaders, who were sheltering themselves from the night in a tree house.

"A new day," Jesse said as she got off the ladder, Jay following.
"A fresh start," Jay added as he stepped beside his sister. The breeze gently ruffled their hair. It gave them hope - hope of good things ahead of them. Jay turned towards Jesse and asked, "Got the map ready?"
"Yup," Jesse replied as she took out the map from her inventory, unfolding it. "We are heading east, towards the town of Tulips," she said, pointing at a patch of houses marked on the map. "It's the nearest one we have from here."

I took the map from Jesse, studying it myself. "It's 396 miles away. If we walk continuously during the day, it should take us approximately 5 and a half days to reach the town." I concluded.

"Well then, Let's get going." Jesse tied her hair in a high ponytail. Her eyes flashed with determination and excitement as those words left her mouth. She was an adventurer after all.

Jay's POV
Considering the current situation, I should have been more cautious. Yet, here I was, my laughs echoing through the forest, mixing with the sweet laughs and giggles of my sister - my long-lost friend, my family. The chatters and laughs were joyous to us, which I will deeply treasure throughout my life.
To some animals, it was alarming, a danger of unknown beings (to them) wandering in the woods. While to others, it was just irksome.
I was just glad that none of the animals attacked us on our journey.

" - Ivor barged in shouting - I got the cake! Olivia and I had to stop Lukas from literally attacking Ivor once again, while Petra finally fell off the couch because of her laughter." Jesse finished as I broke into a burst of hysterical laughter myself.
"Poor Ivor attacked because of bringing cake! He clearly didn't know what happened when he was away." I finally said, wiping a single tear from my eye.
"Believe it or not, he had nightmares the whole week about cake!" Jesse said, laughing loudly.
"No, way!" I had a big grin plastered on my face, even though my cheeks were hurting.

Jesse was having a laughing fit and as I stared at her, the background seem to fade away, now replaced by the scene from all those years ago.
Burning houses, raging fire and in the middle of all the chaos stood little Jesse. Her yellow bow slipping off her short hair. Her arms and blue tunic caked with dirt and blood. Her little body covered with wounds and burns.
"Help me," She sobbed. "Don't leave me here!" tears rolled down her tiny little face as those pleas escaped she lips. The scene made my heart ache. I could feel my eyes getting watery just by looking at her.

"Jay? Jay!" Jesse shook my shoulder vigorously, bringing me back to present. "Are you ok?"
"Ye-Yes."
"Why are you crying?"
"I-It's nothing. Don't worry about me." I replied in a low voice.

Jesse let go off my shoulder hesitantly.
"If you say so." She said, looking down at her feet. Silence took over, even the birds stopped chirping.

I wasn't distressed because of our current situation, but the calamity my family faced all those years ago still clouded my mind. Jesse on the other hand, she seemed so clueless, so naïve, so....lost. She didn't know why was she there. She didn't know her past either. I asked her about her past the night before and her reply was a simple and a small - I don't know. But it seemed as if it took all of her strength to say these three small words. She only knew her mother who was an adventurer - Alex. "Though I never saw her going on an adventure," I remember hearing Jesse say.
She didn't know anything about any other family member of hers. Once she asked her mother about it, all she was answered with were grief-stricken sobs. Jesse couldn't bear to see her mother in such a state thus she never asked about it again.