Tribal

28

Acacia looked to Ghost with confusion.

"How could Lily say hi? She is dead." Acacia looked sad at her own statement, but she was more curious about what had happened with Ghost.

"I visited them, at least I think I did. Ze'mer recognized me, and so did Lily. I asked them about the mixture, and I've uncovered where we need to go and what we need to do." Ghost was ecstatic; finally, he would be free from Shade and all his vile wretchedness. "Come, we need to prepare to get going," he said.

"Wait..." Acacia said.

"What is it, Acacia?" Ghost asked.

"I... Um, you know what? It's nothing," she said and stood. "Let's get moving!" She tried to sound chipper, but Ghost could tell something was wrong.

"Hey, talk to me. What's going on?" he asked. Acacia held her hands behind her back and looked down, mumbling. "I can't understand you if you don't speak up." She continued to mumble until finally she spoke up.

"Would you mind... If we slept here for a while? I feel really tired and I... Want you to be there." She was acting very cute in Ghost's eyes. He wanted to get to the Crystal Peaks as fast as possible, but he also wanted to care for Acacia. So, he decided that he would agree.

"Very well, Acacia. We can spend a few hours here. Get your rest, and I'll wake you up when we need to leave," he told her.

"Thank you!" She grabbed his hand, and they walked into the bedroom. Acacia laid down, and Ghost sat in bed next to her. She tugged on his hand, trying to get him to lay down too. He gave in and slid down on the bed until they were face to face. Acacia liked being next to Ghost, but she was very hot under the covers, so she decided to remove her cloak. Ghost took no notice of this. He probably would have removed his own cloak as well if he could feel hot or cold. He could not suffer heatstroke or hypothermia and could not feel a difference in temperature. Acacia nuzzled up into his chest and instinctually wrapped her arms and legs around him. Ghost had no idea what she was doing, but it made her comfortable, so he didn't mind. The two stayed like that for a few hours. Acacia would move every now and then, but Ghost stayed as still as a stone. Surprisingly, even to himself, he began to dream; he never did that.

In this dream, he was in the Abyss again, and in front of him was the massive true form of Shade. In Ghost's hands were his blade and the body of one of his siblings. They looked so frail and weak. He looked at them with such sadness and hatred for Shade; he would never forgive the tyrannical beast for his actions. He wanted to scream at the monster, but nothing came out. No words, no voice. He felt as though his mind was slipping from him, like he was returning to Shade's grasp. He hated this feeling. He tried to run, but his feet were planted in place. He could see Shade's massive hand reaching for him. He tried to swing his blade, but he had no blade in his hand. His siblings were gone too; he was floating in the air, waiting for Shade to finish him off. When Shade began to wrap his giant hand around Ghost, he awoke.

Acacia had woken up before he did and had his head up against her chest. She was caressing his head and enjoying having him so close. He awoke with a jolt and was screaming. It surprised her, but she held him close and tried to calm him down.

"Shh, it's okay. You're okay. It was just a nightmare; don't be afraid, I'm right here." She held his head tightly, and Ghost felt more vulnerable than he had ever felt before. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around Acacia and squeezed. Acacia liked the feeling of his arms constricting around her like that. Ghost was finally calming down after a short while of being where he was. Eventually, after being completely calm, he finally noticed where his hands and face were and tried to pull away. "Oh? No, I'm not letting you go that easy~" Acacia had a lustful tone to her voice but just continued to hold his face against her chest and caress his head with her hand. Ghost didn't want to admit it, but he actually liked this feeling. Eventually, though, he managed to escape Acacia's grasp.