Tribal

30

Ghost and Acacia were walking side by side when Ghost saw Acacia fidgeting.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh yes, I'm fine. Just thinking about what's happening," she responded.

"Tell me what you're thinking," he said.

"Well, I don't know if they believed us. I mean, seriously, an evil sorcerer made me do it? It's such an outlandish claim, it's almost funny," she said.

"It was the truth. Shade may be a higher being, but they still use magic. Technically making them a sorcerer. And I for one would say that they are evil," Ghost kept his eyes in front of him.

"It's not their nature I wonder if they question, it's the claim that a sorcerer would do anything like that in the first place," Acacia worried about her standing with Clover more than anything.

"Well, I'm sure that even if they don't believe you, they harbor no ill will to you," he reassured her.

"And what about what's happening with Ash? Has he really gone so far off the deep end? Is Shade manipulating him like they did me?" Acacia wondered.

"I doubt he would switch so harshly. I didn't know him well. But I do know that he was very calm and level headed. He had a lot of patience. I believe that Shade is behind it. That or something awful happened to him and made him like that," Ghost didn't know if Shade truly was behind it, but he felt that somehow they were.

"It doesn't help that the entire kingdom is at our throats," she looked down as she spoke.

"Yes, it surely isn't beneficial to have the entire kingdom demanding our heads. But only a select few we will need to worry about. Hollow and Mother are surely among the forces chasing us. Hornet and Quirrell are likely with them as well. Those four are our greatest obstacle," Ghost wasn't worried about whatever army his siblings had brought. Their leaders were the real threat.

"Can the two of us take them all on? Do you really believe that? We ran from just Hollow and Root, now Hornet and Quirrell are with them with who knows how many soldiers," Acacia's breathing began to quicken, she was panicking.

Ghost noticed this and stopped to pull her into a tight embrace.

"Shh, it's ok. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise," he spoke gently and she was comforted.

"Thank you, Ghost. You have no idea how helpful you are. I..." she was trying to say something but it was stuck in her throat.

"No need to thank me, Acacia. It's the least I can do," he said.

Taking her hand, they slowly walked forward until they reached an opening in the cave. Taking Acacia in his arms, he flew out of the hole above them, and they had arrived at Hallownest's Crown.

"Here we are, the highest peak in all the land of Hallownest. The only place you can obtain moon water," Ghost let Acacia down and walked to the edge of the cliff.

"What are you doing?" Acacia asked with worry.

"To obtain moon water, you need to place a container of water on the edge of the cliff and sing with the moonlight shining on the container," Ghost said.

"I've never heard you sing before," Acacia said interested.

"I won't be. You'll have to do it," he said.

"Why me?" she asked.

"My singing voice is not good enough for what we need. For good moon water, we need a voice that could make the moon cry," he answered.

"I-I-I don't know if I c-can," she was a stuttering mess.

"Would you like me to stand back? I can keep watch over the entrance if you'd like," he said.