To the Sky (The Pack ff)

Chapter 8: 'This is your family now'

"Who even are you? You have no right to do that! You just ruined our only chance of being able to go home." Mitch shouts, ignoring the stares from villagers as they walk through the lower quarter of the kingdom and towards the gates.

They had spent mere minutes collecting supplies in the market and Lachlan had been complaining that they wouldn't let him see his family but they needed to get out before the king sent guards after them and stopping in the market was nothing but a luxury anyway.

"I'd love to see your face if your home got burnt to the ground." Vikk hisses, pulling his mask down to let air get to his face underneath the burning sun in the midday sky. He hears a few gasps at the state of his face but he doesn't really care.

It may have been inhumane and cruel to scar him like this but it represented who he was and he was proud of that person.

"Shut up, you can't expect us to listen to your sob story as an excuse every time you do something wrong."

"I have no idea if my home was burnt to the ground. I was just making a point, you should stop being so scrupulous, Mitchell. It comes off as arrogant." Vikk replies, giving in and yanking down his hood to reveal shaggy black hair that curls slightly over his ears and looks, to Lachlan at least, too long and incredibly fluffy and warm in this weather. Still, he refuses to take his jacket off when Jerome is walking around with his shirt tied round his head, claiming his mother used to do that for him when he got too hot working high up in the trees. It was so he could still carry his shirt and work at the same time. He didn't understand why he couldn't leave it at home but he would never argue with his mother. Mother knows best after all.

"He's a Prince, he's supposed to be arrogant." Lachlan chimes, testing the waters with a joke that could possibly cost him his life. He feels as if Mitch will never work with them unless they open up and joke around.

Vikk ends up being the only one laughing but Lachlan can see the way Rob wants to laugh but is being too chivalrous to let loose.

Vikk, however, is almost keeled over, probably over reacting a little just to get on Mitch's nerves but, any how, his laugh is adorable and Lachlan finds himself also laughing at his own joke, something he never does.

"You're a Prince too." Mitch growls, scarily like Jerome does but I suppose that's what you get when you spend so many years living vicariously through another person, which Mitch has. He had used Jerome as a way to have fun for many years and though it kind of made him a bad friend, he would still do anything for him.

"Prince of what? Like you said, who even am I?" Vikk smirks, using Mitch's own argument against him

Honestly, Vikk has no quarrels with Mitch. It's just fun to have human interaction and to be able to mess with people. He doesn't get to often and to be frank, he's a little jealous. Mitch is everything he was supposed to be before his whole life was torn to pieces.

Mitch grumbles a little before crossing his arms and going into a sulk that he probably would be in for the rest of the day.

And he is.

He sits on the floor of the clearing they have dubbed as their temporary home with a pout on his face and annoyance in his eyes.

When he refuses to go get soup, Vikk is in his right mind to yell at him because they've made him some and it would go to waste. They couldn't afford that.

He decides against it though, opting to just talk to him, maybe work something out.

"You know we don't have many supplies, you should eat while you can." He starts, sitting cross legged next to the Prince, who doesn't even bother to look up.

"When I was littl-" Vikk starts but is interrupted.

"Why do you start most of your sentences with 'when I was little'?" Mitch asks, his tone is more curious than hostile but it's still a little on the judging side.

"Because I haven't had a life since I was little. I've spent the last ten years of my life either trying to escape the camps or surviving on my own. Unless you want me to tell you about the time I got attacked by a chupacabra, I suggest you listen to my 'when I was little'." That silences Mitch.

He can't imagine any of the stuff he's been through.

"When I was little," Vikk starts again, with pursed lips, "I had this friend. His name was Althalos and he taught me many things but one thing he said was that I should always put good people before the ones with evil in their hearts. Even if that meant abandoning family. He would say that family is the people who are always there for you; the ones that would risk their lives for you and whether or not you like me, I know you have a connection with all of them because you risked your life for them. You saved them, so let them save you. I may not be experienced with anything but I do know a good person when I see one. Your father is not a good person, you need to let go of him. This is your family now."

Mitch hadn't even realised that he was scared to leave his father, he had absolutely no idea how Vikk knew.

His father had raised him. He had been there when he first scraped his knee and when he asked to keep Jerome. His father had a soft spot somewhere and Mitch wouldn't ever give up on that but Vikk had a point.

These people in front of him were his family now. He'd have a hard time shaking them off.

"Okay." He mumbles, playing with the leather bracelet he bought a couple of days ago in the market.

"We're heading to Aeronthorpe tomorrow as well. I need to see what's left of it." Vikk mumbles, watching as Mitch plays with his bracelet.

"Could you do me a favour?" Mitch asks, eyes lighting up with an idea as he unties his leather band from round his neck.

"Can you like use magic or something to engrave this? With an air symbol? And my bracelet with a lightning bolt?"

Vikk smiles, taking the two bands from him. His eyes begin to glow gold as indentations start to form on the leather.

"Maius ventas." He murmurs, a gust of wind blowing through the clearing as an air symbol appears on the band, glowing white.

"Maius navitas." He says, thunder rolling through the clear sky as a lightning bolt appears on the bracelet, glowing yellow.

"Thank you!" Mitch says, taking the bands and rushing over to the campfire.

He passes the bands to Lachlan and Rob, which smile and thank him.

Vikk watches from afar, hoping and praying that he could stick with these guys longer. He liked them, that was unusual.

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It feel like ages since I've updated!!! Sooooorrrrrryyy!

Preston is going to be here soon!

Chapter sneak peek:

We are nether ever ever getting back together.

Baiiiii!!!!