Being Butch Green || ✓

Chapter 33 - A Side Quest

"Glad you could make it," Hailey said, elbowing me in the ribs playfully as I caught up. I brushed off the joke rising to the surface of my tongue, letting it go with the unapproving glance Constance threw my way.

"We don't even know who he is," I argued, trying to reason with Constance's need to find this weird man. "We're going off the main mission and we're following friggin' llamas!"

"Think of it as getting resources before the big quest!" Henry chirped in.

"Thanks. That makes me feel so much better!" I scoffed.

Hailey stopped in her tracks, allowing me to run into her.

"Watch it!"

"Sorry," I mumbled, squinting down the road.

To my surprise, the man from before had found his cart of mouldy cheese, but instead of running off with it, he was riding in the possessed cart – screaming. He flailed, trying to steer the cart out of harm's way as the pack of wild llamas galloped behind him, still humming.

His faint screams reached our ears as we all stood there, completely astonished by the development in our mouldy cheese cart quest.

"Should we do something?" I asked, waiting for the sight to get closer so I could stop squinting for no reason other than my brain's confusion.

"Run?" Henry suggested casually.

I nodded, turning around and raising a finger. "Back to the car!" I ordered, speed walking towards it in an unmanly fashion.

The four of us raced for the car, swinging our hips to make us go faster. I made it back to our getaway vehicle ushering them all inside before getting in myself.

"GO! GO! GO!" I yelled, eagerly wanting to be on our way. But we didn't move. I strained to look over at Constance, who sat idly, twiddling her thumbs at the steering wheel. "What? Don't tell me the engine's shot?"

Constance laughed. "Aren't you at least a bit curious as to why this guy's being chased by llamas?"

I stared at her, unimpressed. "No. That sounds like a terrible idea."

Hailey raised her hand from the back like a schoolgirl. "I'm curious."

"Gee. Thanks for the moral support, guys. Have all of you just forgotten what we're supposed to be doing right now?"

"Well, there's always time for a bit of a rescue mission," Hailey said, a little too innocently.

I huffed, sitting back in my seat as the dude in the cart got closer. "We're supposed to be rescuing our family from the clutches of Galgort, not some dude rolling down the road in a trolley!"

"Okay, when he comes, grab the cart!" Constance shouted, ignoring me. She reached out of her door in preparation. "On the count of three. Three, two, one!"

And just like that, they'd rescued a man from being run over by llamas.

"You – you want some cheese?" he laughed, still sitting in his cart as the llamas crowded around it, humming and snorting quietly. His flaming red hair got swept up into the mouth of one of the beasts as he snorted. His slanted eyes shone with vibrance whilst we stared in disbelief as he chuckled until his ribs hurt.

He was still giggling ten minutes later when he finally noticed us.

"Oh sorry, the name's Joe," he giggled, extenuating the 'o' in his name. "Farmer Joe if ya will."

He seemed excited as he thrust his hand out ready for it to be shaken.

I stuttered, still in shock. "Hi?"

He raised his eyebrows, waiting for more. "And?"

"And?"

"Your names people!"

"We don't do that," I said hastily. "Stranger danger and that."

"Ahhh, you're one of those people," he chuckled, withdrawing his hand. "Your loss."

Awkward silence embraced us all as we stared at Joe and his hair nibbling llamas.

"Well then," he said, breaking the silence as he clapped his hands together and grinned. "How can I help you fine people?"

"We just rescued you," Hailey said, pointing out the obvious to him.

"It appears you did. Free cheese for your supposedly kind services?" He reached beneath him, pulling out half a block of stale cheese, blue patches gnawing at its edges hungrily.

"We're good...thanks," I stated, disgusted at the thought of even eating it.

"Who are you?" Hailey retorted.

He scoffed, tossing the cheese back into the cart. "Joe. Joe the llama farmer. Duh. I just told y'all this."

"Sure," Constance reasoned, nodding in thought.

"What's with the cheese?" I asked, pointing to his predicament.

"Llamas?" he shrugged.

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I hope you're enjoying the story so far! Don't forget to vote and comment before moving on! ~H.W.