Jordan sighed as they rested in a clearing, leaning back against a tree. They had been walking for hours... but no sign of anyone else near here...
Sqaishey had fallen asleep, exhausted.
Mitch and Jerome where both collapsed on the grass, Mitch using Jerome's stomach as a pillow. Tyler sat beside them, knees pulled up to his chest and staring off into space.
Jordan glanced over at Tyler, Sqaishey napping on his shoulder.
"You doing okay?" He asked softly.
Tyler shook his head. "Everything's starting to come back to me... he lied to me Jordan. He said that we were-but we weren't..."
He nodded. "Sqaishey went through some of that too..." he sighed. "It's definitely made her a bit more on the cautious side..."
"Yeah..." Tyler looked down. "I just... Why us? Why do we have to go through this?" Tears welled up in his eyes.
"I don't know man... But I assume this is kind of what Jason and Stampy went through too."
Tyler nodded. "Seeing how torn up they were... who knows what we're in for..."
Jordan sighed and nodded. "Hopefully we can get through it..."
"Yeah..."
Jordan leaned back against the tree and looked around at the surroundings but tensed and froze when he saw something in the trees. "Tyler..." His voice lowered and sounded cautious.
Tyler looked where Jordan was but could only make out a shadow. Besides them Jerome's ears twitched and he bolted up, causing Mitch to wake up. The bacca's fur was standing up on his neck.
Jordan woke Sqaishey. "Guys... There's something there..." he warned them, watching the dark shadow before feeling the sensation of it staring back making him shudder.
A small growl came from Jerome as his hand went to his axe. "It's coming towards us..."
Jordan stood up, letting Jerry turn into a sword as the figure approached.
"Well hello there... I haven't seen any of you around before." gleaming red eyes stared at them as the figure grinned, stepping out of the shadows.
The other's stood up, Jerome and Mitch brandishing their weapons. Tyler stayed a bit hidden behind them.
He chuckled. "My, my. I haven't done anything to you, yet you threaten me! What are you gonna do? Kill me like you did your other friend? Hmm, Jason, was it?" He grinned wider as Sparklez glared.
"He wasn't real."
"That's what you want to believe."
Tyler's eyes widened. He moved over so that he was behind Jordan, his hand gripping the bottom of the other's shirt.
Jordan stepped forward. "I know it wasn't. He wouldn't have hurt any of us or act like he did. You're gonna have to do better than that to try to trick us."
Kala grinned. "That could be arranged..."
"Jordan..." Tyler whispered, his grip tightening. "Don't make him angry..."
Mitch spoke up, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "What do you want?"
"Simple! I was surprised to find that not one, not two, but five of you escaped! Which is very, very unusual. So naturally I came to investigate." He bowed. "I am King Kalaraja. Lord of death." He introduced, still grinning.
"And I'm Mitchell Hughes, king of the idiots." Mitch responded with a small bow. "Though I guess I could also be the lord of death if you counted up all my hunger games kills." He smirked.
Kala stepped back and scowled. "Oh? You want to see if you are truly worthy of that title?"
"Heck yeah! Bring it o- Mph!" Mitch was silenced by Jerome placing his paw over his mouth. Jerome glanced over at the others, a slight look of help in his eyes.
"No, No, he wants a fight, let him fight me." Kala encouraged.
Jordan looked at Mitch. "He was just joking. Right, Mitch?"
Mitch glared at Jordan and rolled his eyes.
"He's joking! Totally joking!" Jerome chuckled nervously.
Kala simply smiled. "Of course." He nodded, understandingly, turning away from them. "You wouldn't want to end up like your friend, what was it... Kipper? No... Ah. yes. Quentin? Was it?" He hummed. "He went by another name too, I believe... some kind of dog... uh, Husky?" He chuckled. "Looked nothing like a dog though..."
Tyler looked at the others, his grip on Jordan shaking a bit. Jerome froze, his ears perking up. Mitch ripped Jerome's paw away from his face, his body tensing. "What do you mean?!"
Kala chuckled, keeping his back to them. "What do you think I mean?"
Mitch and Jerome exchanged a silent glance.
Tyler looked up at Kala for the first time. "You... you're the reason he's dead..."
Kala turned to them with a sickening grin, bowing once again, this time more in a mocking manner. "The one and only."
"You little-!" Mitch tried to lunge at Kala but was stopped once again by Jerome, this time grabbing the neck of his shirt.
Kala just laughed. "My, my! The little kitten and Mr. Space ranger didn't react quite this way when they watched me kill him! But they have been pretty feisty before!" He teased, not even flinching away, unfearful of them. "I can tell this will be fun."
"Shut up! We aren't playing your games!" Mitch yelled, extending his arms out towards Kala. Tyler slowly moved out from behind Jordan.
Kala's grin faded. "You don't really have a choice in the matter, now do you."
Jordan glanced at Tyler, unsure of what he was doing.
"Mitch... calm down...." Tyler looked over at Kala. "What do you want from us? Why do you make us, and everyone else who's been here, suffer?"
Kala shrugged. "Why not? It gives me something to do and entertains me." He grinned again.
"You're sick." Jordan stated, keeping in front of Sqaishey who looked like she was trying to figure something out.
"You... You said Kitten and... and Space ranger?"
Kala turned to her and simply nodded. "Indeed little duckling."
She tensed, feeling sick at the nickname she had heard the feral Stampy hiss in her ear before he tried to kill her. Is he talking about my Stampy and the real Jason?
"Where are they?!" Tyler was beginning to show signs of anger. "What did you do with them?!" He took a step closer.
Kala looked at him. "Last I saw them was at the beacon just before they left and went back 'home'." He did air quotes and rolled his eyes slightly. "Why?" he asked, actually now confused.
"Last night... I saw Jason get sucked in by that portal! He went in before me! Plus, why would we all be here but not them? They're the ones who told us everything!"
Kala's eyes widened. "What." He stood there before snarling. "That sneaky, sly, lying little-" He tightened his fists and turned to them. "I'll tell you this much. If they are indeed back," He narrowed his eyes. "They will not be for much longer." He hissed before vanishing before any of them could even attempt to stop him.
Jordan stared at where he had been and then turned to the others, eyes wide.
"Hey...!" Tyler went to where Kala was, not expecting him to just vanish. Besides him Mitch broke free of Jerome's grasp. "C'mon man! Why'd you have to hold me back like that?"
"I'm not letting you get hurt, Benj." Jerome frowned.
Jordan nodded. "I have feeling he would have been thrilled to have put you down, Mitch."
Sqaishey sat down. "He... He said Stampy and Jason were there when he... he killed him...."
"And? I could've taken him on!" Mitch scoffed, Jerome shooting him a look. Mitch only rolled his eyes.
Tyler went over and sat by Sqaishey. "Jason did mention the three of them being together here..."
"So they watched him die?" She asked quietly.
"I guess so..." His voice drifted off.
"That's... that's terrible... Now he thinks they're back... He... he could kill them if he finds them."
Jordan sighed. "Then we find them first."
"Trust me... That guy doesn't know who he's dealing with." Mitch looked around at the others with a smirk on his face.
"I hope you're right, Mitch..." Jordan agreed softly.
Jerome shrugged. "I mean, Jason and Stampy were able to escape him. Now he's gotta deal with five more of us..."
Sqaishey nodded slightly. "But who knows what he's capable of..."
Tyler shuddered. "We've already seen some of what he can do..."
Jordan nodded a little. "All the more reason to find them first."
"Are you guys ready to go?" Mitch asked.
Sqaishey and Jordan nodded. "When you guys are."
Tyler stood up and head an arm out to Sqaishey. "I guess let's go then."
Mitch slung his bow onto his back and began to head off, Jerome shortly following.
The others quickly followed suit.