Saviors of the Forest

Chapter 22: Feather's End

Feather and Thorn landed on a jutted edge of Mount Juliet and started climbing to where the village they were staying in was. Feather hoped their friends were still there and that they were safe.

After about fifteen minutes of climbing and conversation, they reached the abandoned village, having circled around it from the back.

Thorn peaked around the corner of the hut they dug up, hearing a familiar voice.

"We have to stick together, it'll only make it worse if we're separated."

Feather couldn't repress her smile when she heard Moss agree with Equity.

Both she and Thorn sauntered into view with a casual, "Hey, guys!"

Moss screamed.

"Thorn! Feather!"

He barrelled into them with a tight hug that Thorn and Feather returned. The other Jickeys joined in, celebrating and yelling and asking questions.

Moss shoved Feather's shoulder affectionately.

"Don't you do that ever again. I don't know what I'd do without you, Jerkface," he said.

Feather smirked.

"Scaredycat."

Moss frowned.

"Nevermind, if you wanna go off and do something super risky and die, I'm all for it," he said with an eyeroll.

"Y'know you love me," Feather retorted, bumping Moss's shoulder with a playful wink.

Feather laughed and flapped her wings, fixing her attention on the group as a whole.

"Did you guys know about all the water just beyond the Forest?!"

Equity tilted her head at Feather, confused.

"Huh?" she asked with all the dignity of a wild pig.

"Yeah, there's like... So much water, you wouldn't even believe it! And it's strong," Feather explained stupidly.

Thorn nodded.

"There's so much water... It's incredible."

Equity giggled uncontrollably, hopping excitedly from paw to paw.

"That's so cool! Let's go see it, c'mon, pleeease?" she asked, tail wagging ferociously, smacking Acorn each time around.

"Mphndjsblegggahh!" Acorn said with protest, trying to bat Equity's tail away.

Feather shook her head, pulling the Orb of Preservation from her satchel.

"We have to figure out what this does and how to work it, then we have to kill Pirate. Or vice versa, whatever happens. We can see the water after the Forest is safe!" she said with a firm, 'no budging' nod.

Thorn nodded and the Saviors flapped their way to the ground, some more reluctant than others, engulfed by the darkness, though they didn't really mind anymore.

They flew through the Forest together, though Thorn got tangled in vines more than once. Feather thought he would've gotten better at flying after everything he's been through.

After the third entangle with vines, Thorn sighed.

"Maybe we should travel by treetop instead," he said, defeated, just hanging there, wiggling impatiently.

Feather and Equity quickly untangled him, Acorn rubbing her temples.

The Jickeys scampered through the treetops without any troubles, which Feather felt was odd. Her fur bristled and her skin tickled, waiting for an attack.

She felt lightheaded and nauseous, but she dismissed it as hunger.

I'll find something to eat soon, she told herself, trying to ignore the fact that she had eaten only hours before. Jickeys were warriors and didn't need much food to last. It was definitely weird how her stomach felt empty, but not hungry.

"Where are the Coyotes?" she whispered, her eyes darting around wildly.

Acorn, for one, found the lack of attack comforting. She'd rather not be fighting for her life every second of their quest, which she still found odd.

Thorn growled quietly, not even sure why. He watched Feather and the area around her intently. If anything was going to go wrong, he would protect her. Them, all of his friends.

Feather pressed her paw to her head, trying to stim her headache. It wasn't working, it seemed as though it was only getting worse.

The others didn't really notice, thinking she was just trying to Navigate again, but Equity did. Though she was the last in their line, behind Moss, she could tell something was off. Something was wrong. Her brow furrowed.

Feather stumbled and she growled. Why couldn't she walk right?!

She pressed her paw to her head, trying to coax herself better.

Thorn looked at Feather, worried. "You guys, stop, stop," he whispered.

They gave him a mutual perplexed expression and Feather groaned indignantly, her headache getting worse and worse. Her bones felt hollow and her insides felt like they were bubbling. Her mind went fuzzy and her eyes refused to focus on anything.

This isn't hunger, she realized in a muddled panic.

Thorn spun Feather around to face him. She was so pale, he almost mistaked her for Sage. Her eyes were glassy and she could hardly stand up without support. She looked awful.

Thorn's grip tightened on the tree branch. "We have to get down, something's wrong with Feather."

Acorn pushed forward and examined Feather.

"This is bad," she said, her voice bunched. "This is very, very, very bad."

Moss's eyes widened. That was the first time Acorn hadn't remained calm. It must've been absolutely horrifying. He didn't even want to look.

Thorn and Equity grabbed Feather's forearms and carried her shakily to the ground. Acorn frantically flipping through her book.

"I'll use Magic to Heal her," Moss said in a panic.

Acorn firmly shook her head. "It won't work. We don't know what's wrong, you won't know the right spell to cast. We need help."

Equity straightened her shoulders and Thorn held Feather's head, like he had seen Sage done.

Don't die, Feath, please don't die, he pleaded, not daring to let his tears fall.

"Stay bold," he whispered to her, his voice cracking, giving her the best smile he could.

"I know where we can find help," Equity said in a firm, determined voice.

"Where?" Acorn demanded.

"There's a Fountain of Healing in this Forest, it was said that my mother made it and it'll Heal anyone who deserves to live," Equity explained.

Thorn snapped, snarling. He spun around towards Equity.

"WE'RE NOT RISKING FEATHER'S LIFE FOR A STUPID MYTH ABOUT A WELL THAT MIGHT NOT EVEN BE TRUE!" he shouted.

Feather tried to shout at them to stop arguing, but she was having some trouble breathing correctly.

Normally, she was quite a good breather, could even make the travel breathing team. Not now, it seemed. She didn't have the slightest clue what was going on or why everyone was fading away.

Moss frowned at him.

"Thorn, listen to yourself! I'm a myth, you're a myth. The Saviors were a myth that is true! Coaxoch was a myth, but she's real, too! We've been risking our lives for myths this entire time. This one might actually help us, we need to at least try," he pleaded gently.

A dark brown Jickey covered in all shades of chestnut splotches emerged from a cluster of nearby trees. He had a similar medallion to Equity and a black X painted on his right cheek.

"I can help you," the Jickey said, his voice cracking. He was sweating and his lips were quivering. "My name is Kaede, and I guard the Fountain of Healing."