Tales Of The Underlands (jjba part 5 Wonderland AU)

What Is Best

As the first rays of the sun hit your face, you could see the outline of houses. You were tired, cold, hungry and felt dizzy from the blood loss you had endured.

The others didn't look much better.

Pesci couldn't talk, but according to Prosciutto the wounds weren't severe and would heal. It would just take some time and during that he would have to be careful while eating and had to avoid talking as much as possible.

The others were just exhausted and it was totally understandable, they didn't get much sleep either. There were some dark rings under Ghiaccios eyes, Melone looked like he was half asleep. Prosciutto appeared fairly normal, aside from the blood on his hands and part of his coat.

Illuso and Formaggios steps were heavy. Risotto seemed fine.

You just wanted to rest, so seeing a town so close felt like relief, truly a sight for sore eyes. Maybe they even had a bathtub that you could use to get rid of the dirt and grime from the past days.

You were practically rushing to get to that town, your steps getting faster with the hope for a roof over your head. But before you could do that Risotto pulled you back by your wrist.

His face still had that stone cold expression and his voice still sounded deep and calculating. All these days didn't leave their strain on him.

"You don't know how many of the kings men are already in there. They are going to expect us to come here. Bucciaratis man might be here too, but the risk to be ambushed is too high to consider staying here."

"What about restocking the supplies?" you asked hoping that even if it was dangerous you could convince him to let you all rest here for a day.

"We still have enough for a few days. According to Ghiaccio there are still villages ahead."

With that you were forced to keep walking and left the small town behind.

To you it didn't make sense. Everyone was tired and there would be enough people in that town to blend in. Not everyone was as tough as Risotto, you thought.

Pesci and you were hurt, the others tired, for God's sake you all were tired and cold and you feared that one of you would die from hypothermia soon. He should have taken that risk.

When you all took a short rest the sun was already high up in the sky. The light that reflected on the snow was blinding, but you had never seen such a beautiful view. The faint blue shimmer of the mountains added onto this mystic beauty, that you wouldn't dare to describe, because you felt like you would never be able to do it justice.

It looked like it had rained billions of tiny diamonds and sapphires who were now competing on who could shine the brightest, and everything around you was covered in them. The mountains looked like they continued endlessly.

It made you forget all about the cold and for a few minutes you just stood there and stared.

Then someone nudged your shoulder and you turned around expecting Melone, Formaggio or even Prosciutto, but you certainly didn't expect Risotto to stand there and hand you some food.

Mumbling a quiet 'thank you' you took it out of his hand and began to walk towards were the others had sat down, Risotto was just a step behind you.

But before you reached them, he put his hand on your shoulder again.

"I know you are tired and you lost some blood, but you must understand that I did that for everyone's safety, especially yours. The kings men would've recognized you immediately."

You nodded in silent understanding. Even if you had been angry at his choice, you had to remind yourself that he had to make decisions based on what was best for his Team.

You sat down next to him, eating your food and listening to the conversation that Prosciutto had with Illuso, though it sounded more like Illuso was trying to get a rise out of the blond, and honestly, it looked like it was working.

You chuckled as Prosciutto threatened to poison his food if he didn't shut up about making a business out of teaching Prosciuttos Mantis companion, Grateful Dead, some tricks and making her pickpocket people while doing so.

You wondered how big Grateful Dead would be, considering you saw the outline of Baby Face earlier that night, and he had been huge.

While you finished your short rest, Ghiaccios moth White Album had shown up and was patrolling the sky above the group, just to be sure that there weren't any 'surprises' waiting. When you first saw the moth, and the fluff she had, you had felt the desire to pet her. She probably had felt soft and warm, like a bed. You craved the feeling of laying in a bed and sleeping more than a few hours.

But there was no bed and no opportunity to sleep. The only hope was that the next village would be near.

Stomping forward through the snow, you almost bursted into tears of relief when you saw the house. In the meantime the sun had begun to sank and the snow was now glowing a golden color. You never wanted to commit a picture to memory so badly.

The smoke, rising from the little cabin a few hundred meters away, had taken the same pink purple color as the clouds in the sky and you just couldn't do anything else than standing and staring in awe.

You had liked hiking since you were little, that was the reason why you were in the forest in the first place, before you got lost. Being outside in nature had always felt like an escape. Doesn't matter if it was from school, work, family or friends, if you were outside, away from civilization, you felt free.

Sometimes when you were smaller you got lost, but you had always found a way home, somehow. You would also find your way home this time, doesn't matter how, you knew that you would.

The others were now walking in front of you and you hurried to catch up with them.

A shadow fell over your face, you thought it was a cloud, but as you looked up you saw an orange dragonfly circling in the air above the cabin.

Did this mean that Bucciaratis man was here?

A person that could help you?

The others had seen it too, in front of the wooden door they stopped. As you caught up to them they were whispering among each other, Risotto and Formaggio eying the Dragonfly wearily.

You looked at Risotto:"Do you think we can go in?"

A look of surprise crossed his features, he hadn't expected you to understand, but the fact that you had listened to what he told you earlier made him give you a small, almost unnoticeable, smile.

"It didn't attack us yet, we should still be careful." was all he said before he slowly pushed the door open.

In the middle of the room, at a wooden table, sat a short boy wearing a winter coat that was too big for him and an orange bandana in his black hair.