That confirms Grant's suspicion but need a bit more confirmation. Grant felt the tendrils around his palms are loosened but he didn't try yet if he was able to burn off with the beam yet.
"Grant, listen to me first," Josh said, still trembling.
"No," Grant said before blowing the tendrils off his palm and quickly hopping to the top of the rock.
"Grant, NO!!!" Josh screams before Grant touches the Peridot with his right hand and the memory comes in as the root embedding the gem into his arm.
Gaege is walking to the backyard of the cabin where Josh is waiting for him. "Hey, Josh. You called me?" Gaege asked.
"Yeah. Sorry for disturbing you doing whatever you're doing," Josh replied, his voice tinged with an odd sense of urgency. "So, where's the others?"
Gaege paused for a moment, thinking. "Grant's out gathering some more herbs, I think. I just saw William by our lake, doing nothing with Milky beside him, and Eddie's cooking for lunch now."
Josh's discomfort was palpable at the mention of Eddie. "Wanna hug?" Josh asked suddenly, his tone strange and hesitant.
Gaege, taken aback but smiling gently, nodded. "Sure, Josh. Why not?" Gaege leaned to embrace Josh in his arms but he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. Slowly, Gaege stepped back to see his stomach bleeding and Josh was holding a bloody dagger.
"Josh?"
"I'm doing this for your own good. I'm sorry."
The memory stopped with Gaege dropped to the floor while life slowly slipped away. The Peridot was already in Grant's arm. He opened his eye and looked down at Josh, who was still on his knees, tears streaming down his face. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on Grant, and he could feel the anger and sadness welling up inside him.
Josh, seeing Grant's reaction, continued to sob uncontrollably. "I didn't want to hurt Gaege! I have no choice. I—" Josh was interrupted when Grant's voice, laced with both anger and pain, cut through the heavy air.
"You had a choice, Josh! It must be! You could have fought against whatever was controlling you. You didn't have to follow their orders. Whoever orders was this!!! And now, Gaege is dead. Eddie is dead... you killed William and Milky too, didn't you?"
"You too! I'm surprised you are still alive. I— Grant, please listen." Josh's sobs grew more intense, his shoulders shaking with the weight of his remorse.
"No, I had enough," Grant said as he hopped off and charged towards Josh with his greatsword.
Josh's eyes widened in fear as Grant charged toward him, the weight of his own guilt and the threat of Grant's sword bearing down on him. He scrambled backwards, his hands raised defensively, tears streaming down his face.
"Grant, please! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry for everything!" Josh's desperate pleas were drowned out by Grant's unrelenting fury. He was ready to strike, the rage he felt towards Josh and the situation threatening to overwhelm him completely.
But before Grant could land a blow, Ree intervened, rushing to block Grant's path. "Grant, stop!" Ree shouted, his voice firm and urgent. "This isn't going to help anything. We need to think this through."
"No! We promised, Josh. Five of us! WE PROMISED!!! Five of us and five of the promises we made for each other! We promised to always protect each other, to stand together no matter what, to trust in our bond, to fight for our future, and to never betray one another. And you broke every one of them!"
YOU ARE READING
Rescue Pursuit
Fanfiction5 brothers.... 4 gems.... 3 enemies.... 2 nations.... and 1 soul in need of resting.... Grant set off on a journey with his dear gigantic lizard that he raised as his own to save his friends whom he looked up to as his brothers. Now, after an enemy...
