The Five [COMPLETED]

Part Twenty-Nine

I hobbled to the camp entrance.

After I'd killed Dragon Eye, I'd found a truck alike the one I'd been taken away in almost two months ago waiting to take me to the camp. I'd smiled. 

Matthew had had everything worked out for me.

After a long time, we arrived at the edge of the tribe's territory, where I then proceeded to walk to the camp, following the path Kai had led us on when we were traveling back to the Jade Valley.

That was so long ago. I stood outside the brambles, breathing in and out. My time for jubilation had finally come. 

I could hear anxious murmurs coming from the camp. As I began to push through the brambles, the murmurs stopped. It was almost as if they had been expecting me; but I knew they would be expecting two to return, not one.

As soon as I was upright, the tribe burst out into cheers of victory. I revelled in their praise, but the pain was still there from Matthew's death. I didn't think it would ever go away.

Despite this, the sight of Violet, Mark and Lawrence all hobbling across the camp to me made me grin, and I pulled them all into tight hugs.

"We're so glad you're back, Skylar!" Violet sounded better than she looked as she pulled back, hands on my face, almost as if she couldn't comprehend the fact that I was there.

"Life's been pretty dull without you," Mark agreed, smiling. I smiled back, feeling my cheeks beginning to hurt.

Lawrence gave me a warm smile as he bowed to me, showing the sign of fealty. Violet and Mark followed suit. "Thank you for saving us," Lawrence rumbled. His voice sounded deeper than it had when I'd last heard it.

I nodded to him, bowing in return. "I knew I had my duty to fulfill," I replied as we stood upright again. "And I knew I wasn't going to let you die in that hellhole."

Violet's eyes became soft. "Matthew didn't want you to die, either," she replied. "As soon as we woke up, and he realised you weren't with us, he wanted to go back for you. But Mira wouldn't let him." Affection for the tribe healer shone in her eyes. "You should have heard her!" She laughed, and then her expression became sombre again. "But then he left us in the dead of night. No one's seen him since." She leaned past Mark to cast a hopeful look at the camp entrance. "Is he there?"

Pain filled my chest again as visions of his brown eyes gazing into mine in his final moments swarmed my thoughts. Shaking the visions away, I explained softly, "He's dead."

Violet gasped. "No!" Lawrence and Mark looked equally gobsmacked. "How did he die?"

"He died saving my life," I whispered, feeling the tears streaming down my face again. "When Dragon Eye went to strike the death blow, he shot in front of me and took it upon himself."

"He always was selfless," Violet murmured. "Despite what he did, he was a good person."

"I knew he went after you," Lawrence murmured softly. A mixture of affection and pain filled his gaze as he smiled at me. "He loved you more than I ever did."

I went over to Lawrence and gave him a hug. Leaning up to whisper in his ear, I admitted softly, "I'm grateful for what we had. Even if it didn't work out."

"Me too," Lawrence agreed. We held on for a few moments longer before I pulled back and smiled at him. His face was streaked with tears as he smiled back at me.

Violet sighed sadly. "It isn't a fake death this time," she said sombrely, reminding us all of Matthew's betrayal.

"He did what he had to do," I reminded her. "He did what he thought was the right thing to do, even if we didn't see it then."

Violet nodded, pressing her lips together tightly. Mark gently put an arm around her and gave a little squeeze.

I looked up at the others, my breath still a bit shaky. "Life goes on, despite our losses." They nodded in agreement, the realisation of what we had to now do settling over us all.

"We have to perform the Six Pieces of Five Ritual."

"But who will be the sixth?" Mark asked. "There is no one here remotely near our level."

"No," I agreed. "But there is one who can learn." My gaze settled on one of the tribe members. His brown hair glistened in the sunlight, and his unusually golden eyes shone. My friends followed my gaze, and Mark said skeptically, "Him?"

"I think he's a wise choice," Violet said, her purple eyes glowing. "He's been with us for a while now, and we know we can trust him."

"But would he leave his tribe for us?" Lawrence queired.

"That may be an issue," I admitted. "But we will deal with it, as we have dealt with everything else that our lives have thrown at us." We grinned at each other then. I knew that no matter what happened, the bond between us would never be broken.

As I looked over to the Chosen, he turned and smiled at me, giving a little wave. I smiled and waved back. "I'll talk to him about it."

"And then what?" Mark asked.

I looked over to the horizon stretching out before us. "We go home."