Jordan's p.o.v.
Whispers and shushing woke me up from my dreams, and my eyes opened slowly and tiredly to see what was up.
"So he has them often? Every night?" I heard guard Tom whisper.
"No, not every night. Just sometimes." Another voice whispered back.
"Is he okay? He seems very uncomfortable."
"I don't know...he hasn't had one of those in awhile."
"I feel bad for the captain..."
"Don't, he probably wouldn't want you to. He gets embarrassed easily," I heard the other person laugh.
I wanted to get up and see who was talking, but god was I tired. My eyes were fighting with eachother to open, but they finally just stayed shut. I was uncomfortable. The floor was hard and cold. I groaned as I tried to position myself in a more comfy spot.
"Is he waking up?"
"Looks like it. I hope he isn't having another nightmare."
I wished they'd stop talking about me. I felt weird. What time was it anyway? Night or day?
I could feel myself starting to fall into sleep again. I didn't really want to sleep. I was afraid after that horrifying nightmare that I'd get another one.
"Mr. Syndicate, should we wake him? It is almost morning." Oh, so it was guard Tom and my Tom.
"Yeah I should go ahead and do that. Go tell Steve to get everything packed up and we'll be up in a minute or two."
I heard footsteps hitting the cave floor. A hand went on my backside and shook me gently, I groaned in response.
"Come on Sparklez, wake up. It's time to go."
I didn't want to get up. So I did the only reasonable thing to do.
"No."
Tom laughed at my response. "Did you just say no to me?"
"..."
"I think you did, and you know you shouldn't have." His voice was threatening.
I messed up.
I felt fingers jab into the sides of my stomach. My eyes shot open instantly as a tingly and giddy feeling filled my stomach and chest.
"St-haha! Stop!" I laughed and tried to push Toms heavy body off of me. It was useless, he was practically straddling my hips as he pressed his fingers into my ribs.
"Nah, I'd rather tickle you until you piss yourself. But good suggestion." He smiled evilly and began to go higher up where my armpits were.
"N-no! Get-haha! Get off!" I tried to sound angry, but my sentence was just a loud mess of laughter.
"Shh, just take it. Just let it happen," he teased as he dug his fingers deeper into my armpits. I was laughing so hard that tears were starting form in my eyes. I was actually starting to feel like I was going to pee myself.
"T-Tom! I'm gonna- hahaha! I'm gonna p-pee!" I wriggled from his grasp, but he kept a strict hold on me.
"Then pee, Sparkley pants! I wanna see ya pee!" He laughed and tickled me harder, and tears were flowing down my cheeks from the amount of giddiness in my stomach and ribs.
"T-Tom! P-please!" I laughed. I didn't want to pee my pants, that would be so humiliating.
"Alright, I'll let ya go this time. Next time you say no to me you're gonna be pissing all over yourself." He removed his fingers from my sides and stood up from my hips. I was finally able to breathe properly and my laughter died down.
"That...that was terrible." My sides ached slightly from his fingers jabbing into them.
"Sorry, just wanted to teach ya a lesson. How are you feeling?" He walked over to another part of the cave where our clothes laid. He slipped on his hoodie and picked up the one I was wearing off the floor.
"Sweaty and tired." I wiped the beads of sweat from my head.
"Not about the tickling, about your nightmare." He handed me the wrinkled hoodie.
"Oh...What about it?"
"What happened in it? You were screaming your lungs out...it scared the shit out of Steve and the others. It scared me."
"Just the usual. You getting killed. Sorry for scaring you guys." I slid the hoodie over my bare chest and relaxed in its softness.
"S'fine. You okay now?"
"Yeah. I'm okay. I'm starting to regret letting guard Tom come on this mission, though." My mind flashed back to the dream. Guard Toms blood spattered smile.
"Oh, it was about him? Don't worry. I told him if he tried anything suspicious I'd kill him. Come on, let's go see what Steve's planning for today." He pulled me up from my spot on the sleeping bag.
"You excited to learn about your other dimension self?" I smiled as he began to roll up the sleeping bag and put it with the rest if our things.
"I guess so. I was more excited about learning where Steve started his male stripper career," he laughed.
"Wait, Steve was a stripper? What?!" My mind pictured Steve in a strippers outfit, and I cringed at the thought.
"Yup, the best one in Urulu. Where did you think he met Martha?"
"I didn't think they met at a strip club though...did he tell you this?"
"I asked about what he did before farming, and he said he worked at a place called the Banana Hole. It's a strip club apparently, for dudes. It's where he met Martha and they started hooking up. Not the love story I was expecting...but a pretty interesting one." He slung his bag over his shoulder and handed me mine.
We heard footsteps approaching and Champ appeared at the top of the cave steps.
"Hey guys, Steve said we should get going. There's a crew of guards about a mile from here and we need go before they get near us. You guys ready?"
We both nodded and Champ disappeared back up the steps.
"Time to run, like always." Tom trudged up the steps and I followed.
It was gonna be a long day.
~
Tuckers p.o.v.
"Sonj, I love you."
"Shut up. I thought I told you to get out of my house," I could hear her hiss through the door. I definitely messed up this time. I sighed and leaned my head on her bedroom door.
"You did, but I don't want to. Come on, I said sorry a million times. What else can I do?"
"You can leave. I don't what you here. Just go."
I've never seen or heard my girlfriend cry before. Never. Not even the time she had depression. She was the sassiest and strongest girl I'd ever met. And that's why I loved her. She wasn't a push over or a constant pain in the ass like very other girl I've ever dated. Hearing that one little crack in her voice made me feel like I'd just hit her with a car. She was crying and it was all my fault.
"Sonj...please don't cry. I'm not worth crying about."
I heard loud thuds of angry foot steps and the door being unlocked. She was coming out.
Thank god.
The door swung open, and so did the gates of hell when I saw how pissed she was.
She stabbed a finger into my chest, ready to unleash her demons out on me. "You're right, you aren't. I could have any guy I want. I could have one of the wizards kissing my feet right now! Phil asked me out and he's a freaking gentleman to me! And here I am crying over a selfish loser like you! And you wanna know why? Because I love you Tucker. I don't have a single clue why I left my family and my friends behind so I could be with you in Mianite, but I did. I gave up everything just so I could be with you. But you don't give a damn about that, do you? You always care about yourself. I can't even remember the last time you took me out on a decent date! You touch your bloody wrists more than you touch me, do you know how irritating that is?! That my boyfriend slits his wrists all day for points while I sit in my bed and eat cookies and cry about it?"
She paused her rant and wiped the tears from her cheeks.
I wanted to wipe them away, but I knew she probably wouldn't let me near her right now.
"Sonj-"
"Jordan and Tom haven't even been dating for three months and they can't live without eachother for five minutes. I never see Tom without Jordan, ever. And Toms a Dianite. Do you remember before they started dating? When Tom hated everyone and everything that tried to tie him down? Now he's getting married! Married, Tucker! They've been dating for three months and they're getting married! You don't even have the guts to say I love you when I'm not having an emotional break down! Two years...dating for two freaking years and you cringe every time I mention our future."
She turned to go back into her room but I grabbed her wrist before she could lock herself up again.
"Sonja, let me say something for a second. I'm sorry I don't pay attention to you like I should but you gotta think back to why I left our home village. I left so I could focus on things I wanted to do. I didn't want to hang with you because I suck at relationships and being a boyfriend. You know my mom and dad had the worst relationship ever, and I was just afraid I'd end up like my dad. He's a fifty year old grouch that doesn't move from his bed unless it's for eating or using the toilet. I left so I wouldn't hurt anyone like he did my mom. But...seeing you drive up in that boat on the island made me think that maybe we had a chance. That maybe I wouldn't hurt you. And now seeing you cry over me...I'm turning into my dad Sonj. I'm hurting you. If you wanna date that wizard dude then go ahead...I love you but I won't stop you from it. I don't want you to be hurt forever like my mom. You mean a lot to me. I'm sorry that I suck balls at loving you."
Her expression went from wanting to slap the shit out of me, to wanting a hug.
"I don't want to date a wizard. I want to date you. It's just really hard to do that when you act like a jerk ninety percent of the time. Maybe if you'd just bang me every once in awhile...we haven't done it in weeks."
"Then let's do it right now. What's stopping us?"
"...fine. Get in here." She tugged me by the collar into her bedroom.
She was giving me a chance. I wasn't gonna blow it this time.
~
"That. Was...oh my gods I needed that." She sighed as I laid back down next to her. I brushed her messy dark brown hair from her emerald green eyes. She smiled at me from her side of the bed and scooted closer so we could spoon.
"This mean I'm forgiven?" I wrapped an arm around her bare torso and she chuckled.
"Nice try. You're gonna need to do a lot more than bang with me to make up for what you did."
"It's a start anyway. I love you Sonj." I kissed her lips and she smirked underneath them.
"I love you too, but I don't always like you."
~
Jordan's p.o.v.
"Welcome to Urulu, boys." Steve pushed back a low tree branch and it revealed the beautiful sight of a desert city. Large buildings and structures made of sandstone stretched towards the sky. Acres and acres of vegetables and fruit and other various crops stretched across the plains outside the large city. Large sandstone gates surrounded the entire city, protecting it from mobs and other unwanted intruders. It seemed like the perfect place to live, if it weren't for the scorching heat and sand that was already trying to get in my shoes.
"It's hot as hell." Tom wiped the beads of sweat already forming on his green skin.
"True, but it is a truly magnificent city. These sandstone structures are impressive, despite the fact that their materials lack strength and depth." Guard Tom smiled brightly at the city.
"First smart thing ye said all day. Congrats." Steve took off his straw hat and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He motioned us to follow him into the gates of the city, where two guards stood by the entrance.
"Varn and Chase, how ye doin boys?" Steve tipped his hat to the two, and they nodded with grins on their faces.
"Ay Steve, were doin fine. How's Martha?" The one on the right asked. They knew eachother.
Steve shook his head. "Wouldn't know. She ain't mine anymore."
"Sorry bout that buddy. Women, eh?" The left one chuckled.
"Ye got that right. Mind if I pay me old house a visit?"
"Not at all. See ya Steve." They both waved goodbye as we went through the gates to the city.
Urulu was a huge city.
There were people in every corner and crook, trading and carrying items to trade to different homes and businesses. Villagers and merchants rushed by us with baskets and hands full of crops and other trade items. I saw one or two kids run past us, giggling and screaming as the other chased them.
A little girl brushed past Tom and looked up to his face. She screamed in fright and ran away into the arms of a woman not too far away at a trading stand, who I assumed was her mother. The little girl pointed to the confused Tom and screamed to her mother.
"Monster mommy! Monster!" She hid her face in her mothers arms.
I saw the sadness on Toms face when she accused him of being a monster. People began to look up from their work and stare at Tom when they had heard the little girls screams.
I wanted to slap every one of them. He wasn't a monster. He was a person too.
"Ignore them. They don't understand." I held his hand tightly. He sighed sadly and looked down at the ground as we followed Steve.
"How can I be a dad if all I do is scare the shit out of kids?" He murmured. I heard Steve growl in front of us and he began walking towards an alleyway between a couple of buildings.
"This way, we'll take the less crowded route. These damned merchants wouldn't know manners if it hit 'em in the nuts." He lead us into the alley. After much walking and the occasional merchant walking by to stare at Tom, we finally stopped in front of a small house.
"This is that Mots house. He and that lil girl used to live in it." He opened the door that wasn't even locked and showed us inside. It looked like an average looking house. There was a couch and a few table and chairs here and there. Shelves lined the walls and they were filled with all sorts of items.
"What little girl? I didn't know someone lived with him." No one had told us anything about a girl living with him.
"That lil girl...can't remember her name. Alice or somethin?" Steve sat his bag down on the floor and stretched.
"It was Alyssa, and Mot loved her dearly." A voice entered the room and we jumped at it. Dianite was here.
"How do you know Mot? Did he follow you too?" Champ began to look around at all of the shelves filled with potions.
"Yes, he was my champion. He took care of Alyssa when her mother and the rest of her people were killed by an accidental fire. Her village burned to the ground and no one survived but her. She was only a child...Mot took her in as a favor to her mother Aimee. Aimee was a long term trade partner with Mot. He was devastated when he learned the village was gone. That little girl was only three, and she went into the arms of a diseased man and gave him her trust. Such a sad tale."
"Wow. That's really sad dude. So...they just up and left? Without a heads up? Seems a little weird." Tom went over to some chests that were hidden in the corner of the room. I don't think Mot had wanted anyone to see them, but I didn't stop Tom. I'm sure it wasn't anything too bad.
"My sister believes they...swapped places with you. They are in your dimension and you are in theirs. I hope that is true. I miss my champion. Er...he was excellent with trading and such."
"Hey, what's this?" Tom pulled out a book and blew the dust off the cover. It sure did look ten years old.
"Please don't destroy any of his things Syn. He wouldn't want anyone damaging his stuff."
Dianite was oddly protective of this guy. I wondered if Mot was the merchant he told us about that he had once felt feelings for. No, that's too coincidental. There's no way it was the same dude.
Tom opened the first page of the book and began to read it out loud.
"My lord, my one and only, I must confess. These feelings I can no longer hide within me. I must share them with something. Even if it is the lonely pages of this blank journal."
"Oh...so this is the merchant you were talking about?" I asked Dianite. But he didn't answer back.
"Woah woah, this dude was in love with his god? Hah! I bet that was embarrassing man. Your champion having a crush on you." Champ laughed. Dianite still didn't answer.
Tom continued. "Alyssa asks me why I cry after my meetings with you. She sits on my lap and wipes away my tears, while I sit there and leave her in wonder as to why I do this every night. I cannot keep lying to her. But she just wouldn't understand what I feel. I love you, Lord Dianite. Although I know you can never feel the same. This is why I weep after our meetings. Being anything to you other than yours is something that tears at my soul. Seeing your face reminds me that I will never be yours. I will never be anything more to you than a business partner. Even now as I sit here and write on these pages, I can feel my tears spilling down my cheeks and onto my words. I never knew it would be so frustrating and soul eating to be in love. I wish I'd never felt it. I'm growing tired of hiding my blush every time you speak to me. I grow tired of hiding these messy emotions from you. I grow tired of being a mere asset. I must go now. Alyssa is here. She is the only thing keeping me tethered to my sanity. Thank the gods for this angel they have gifted me. Alyssa."
We all stood in silence.
I know what love is, but Mot was clearly had undying love for Dianite. It must have been so painful to keep to himself.
"That...that was moving, dude." Champs voice was quiet.
"Maybe we should not have read that aloud...it sounded quite personal." Guard Tom nervously fiddled with his fingers.
"My bad. Didn't know it was that personal...sorry Dianite." Tom awkwardly closed the book and sat it down on the table.
I heard a deep sigh in the room. "It's fine. I suppose it doesn't matter anymore. The boys gone. I shouldn't be so protective of his things."
I glanced over to the shelf next to me and saw a few small frames with pictures inside of them. But I was shocked when I saw the man in the pictures. He was human, but half of his face was covered in creeper spores. He had dark green eyes and light green hair. His wore a black suit jacket and black slacks. A red scarf covered most of his neck. I guess he used it to cover up the spores on his face and neck. So this was Mot. I'd only ever seen one picture of him before, and it was of the side of his face that wasn't covered in spores. He seemed like a cool dude.
"Woah! The hell is this?!" I heard Tom exclaim from across the room. He pulled out a large hammer from one of the chests. It was about the size of my arm in length, and that was just the head of the thing. It was covered in steel and other darkish grey metals. It looked pretty dangerous. I guess that was Mots weapon.
"Maybe you shouldn't touch that, Tom." I didn't want to mess with anything else that belonged to Mot. I was afraid Dianite would grow angry.
"Shush Mom, I'm just looking at it. This thing is huge!" He ignored my warning and continued to examine the hammer.
"Hey look, flower crowns." Champ pulled out a wreath of lilies from another chest.
"That lil girl always wore them things. She'd make that Mot kid wear em' all the time. Hell, I'd even see the god himself wearin them a few times. She loved them things to death." Steve smiled as he looked to the flower crown in Champs hand.
"I suppose this is the child's as well?" Guard Tom pulled out a suit of pink leather armor from a chest.
"Alright, I'm trying that on." Tom took the leather clothes from guard Tom.
"Tom you shouldn't-"
"Sparklez stop bein a wet blanket. You're such a sausage." He pulled the leather chest plate over him and took the flower wreath from Champ and placed it on his blue hair. He looked like an idiot.
"Really? You're calling me out when you're wearing a princess costume made for a three year old?" I laughed.
"Shut your tits, I look fab." He twirled around in a circle and everyone laughed at his weird behavior.
"I think I know who the girl is in your relationship." Champ rolled his eyes.
~
"Steve, is that a strip club?!" Tom pointed at the glowing tavern that wasn't too far in front of us. It was already dark out and we could hear mobs spawning outside of the city walls.
Steve said we should stay here and find an inn to rest at. It wasn't really a problem. We had enough diamonds to buy a house if we wanted one. We walked by the noisy tavern. The tavern had music and lights emitting from it, indicating that it was some sort of bar or club.
"It is Syndy. They got all kinds of them bars here. Merchants like their drinks strong, that's fer sure."
"Can we go inside?! I haven't had a drink in weeks!"
"Not sure that be a good idea. I'm sure Sparkley boy don't want ye staring at a bunch of floozies."
Tom turned to me with a pleading face. "Sparklez-"
"No. I'm not gonna let you go into a club and check girls out all night."
"I wasn't gonna! I just want a beer. Pleaseeee? I've been good..." He begged me like a child.
"I really want to sleep Tom..." My head was starting to hurt from exhaustion. I didn't want to go into a club and watch Tom all night.
"I'll watch the boy if ye want some sleep. The inns half a mile away, ye can find it. He won't do anything stupid. I'll be keeping an eye on em' all night."
I sighed. I guess if Steve was watching him it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Steve was a pretty responsible guy.
I turned to Tom, who was still wearing his puppy dog eyes.
"Fine. But if Steve tells me you even glanced at a girl in there, I will slap you. Got it?"
"Yay! Thank you Sparklez!" He kissed me on the cheek, and followed Steve into the bar.
As we stepped into the inn, I began to doubt my decisions.
"I hope I made the right choice back there..." I handed three diamonds to the worker and he handed me three room keys. We began to head upstairs to our room when Champ gave me a pat on the back.
"He'll be fine. Steve's a tough dude. He won't let Tom get out of control. Let's just get some sleep for now. My feet are killing me."
I handed guard Tom and Champ their room keys and we parted our ways into the rooms.
Mine was nice I guess. It had a double bed and a TV, something we didn't have back at Toms tree or my tower. It had a bathroom and a balcony and a small closet. I didn't really set up anything or change out of my clothes. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light.
I should've stayed awake.
~~~~~
Quick question, would you guys like me to post twice today?? I have another chapter ready and I kinda did leave you all on a cliffhanger xD
Tell me what you think in the comments! Hope you enjoyed the story, leave a like if you did! Thanks!
- Lee