Against all odds (The Pack)

Chapter 20

Warnings: Blood

~Jerome's P.O.V.~ (This was supposed to be Mitch's P.O.V. But I wrote the entire chapter and published it with to realizing it was in Jerome's P.O.V. Still. So it'll be In Jerome's twice in a row. Sorry XD)

     "That's... Not good." I mutter wearily, the four of stopping our slow paddle across the swamp.

     At least the water is a bit shallower here, so we can touch.

     "Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. NOPE. This is not how I want to-"

     Preston's sentence is cut off by an arrow, streaking through the air and almost nailing him in the face. He manages to duck under it though with a yelp, and the arrow splashes harmlessly into the water behind him.

     "Get to the birch trees! We need to make boats and get out of here!" I shout, heaving out Betty and cutting down a zombie that had lumbered into the water.

Rob swims up beside Vikk and the two of them begin kicking furiously, pushing Preston as fast as they can towards the shore. Lashing out with my legs, I propel myself to float beside Mitch, and pull out my diamond sword. An arrow splashes into the water beside Mitch, so he pulls out his own now, and shoots down the opposing skeleton with ease.

     "Let's go!" I shout, diving under the water and gliding froward, before popping up again.

     Mitch takes one last shot and fells a creeper staying a bit too close, and then follows me as quickly as he can.

     We swim after the boat, ducking under the water to avoid arrows and swerving around mobs that manage to wade out to us. The water spills with red as, sometimes, we're forced to kill mobs in our way. Up ahead, Vikk and Rob have already managed to get Preston ashore and are shopping down trees, crafting new boats. I grunt as a spider knocks into me, attempting to sink it's fangs into my shoulder, but I split its skull with my axe instead. I'm just about to shoot forward once again, when suddenly, a shriek cuts through the air. I whirl around to see Mitch floating on his back, and arrow protruding from his calf. Blood streaks into the water, creating a cloud or red around him. It doesn't help the water is way deeper here.

"Mitch-"
"KEEP GOING!" He interrupts, yanking out the arrow and releasing a new gush of blood. "I'll be fine!"
"You won't make it!" I retort, gliding outwards him.

And then, to make matters all the worse, I see the figure of a creeper swiftly approach Mitch. Mitch doesn't notice it because he's too busy trying to tend to his leg, and swim at the same time. Alarm bells ring loud and clear in my head.

"MITCH BEHIND YO-"
BOOM
"MITCH!!!"

     My stomach flips as I watch Mitch's body sail out of the water, fly a few blocks, and land back in the water with a huge splash. I watch for a second, and when Mitch doesn't surface, my mind becomes a frenzy. Streaking forward, I swim as quickly as physically possible to the area where Mitch went under. Behind me, I can hear my friends calling my name  in alarm. But I ignore them, sucking in a huge breath, and diving under the water. My eyes adjust easily to the darkness, and they scan the area for any sign of Mitch.

     There.

     A pillar of red water is rising up a little to my right, and down near the bottom of the swamp, I can seen the glint of Mitch's dog tags glimmering in the moonlight. I react instantly, diving further down, to where Mitch's limp unconscious form is resting on the squishy dirt. Already feeling my lungs straining with the lack of oxygen, I hook my arms under Mitch, and push off the ground with all my might. I shoot up to the surface with Mitch in my arms, gasping for breath as my head breaks through to water, and swimming Mitch's head up soon after.

To my horror, there are a handful of mobs surrounding us, but thankfully they don't last long. On the shore, Vikk and Preston are impaling any mob within their range in a shower of arrows. Rob, meanwhile, is putting together boats and placing them in the water on the opposite side of the birch trees. So knowing that they'd run out of arrows at some point, I pull Mitch along with a grunt, my waterlogged fur doing nothing to speed our trek up. But eventually, I finally manage to reach touchable ground, and I drag Mitch through the water and onto the sand.

Preston burns a few zombies lumbering towards us, and Vikk heaves a drenched unconscious Mitch out of the water while I crawl onto the sand, panting in exhaustion.

     "Come on Jerome, it's not over yet!" Vikk ushers, pulling me to my feet.

    I stagger for a moment, and then I push all exhaustion aside, bending down and scooping up Mitch. I toss him over my shoulders, jumping back as suddenly a spider lunges from the top of a tree. Vikk scowls and pulls out a single throwing star, hurling it masterfully and brining the spider down instantly.

     "The boats are ready!" Rob calls, "Come on!"

     Vikk slays a couple creepers, and then quickly dashes towards a boat, hopping nimbly into it. Rob helps Preston in, and then lowers himself into the front of the boat, taking ahold of the oars. While I begin to set Mitch into the back of the boat, Preston twists around and covers me with his bow, shooting down and nearby mobs. Vikk takes off in his boat, floating out at a safe distance from the shore and helping Preston from afar, throwing his stars.

     I shout in pain as an arrow, shot by a skeleton taking refuge behind a tree, plunges into my lower back. And mere seconds before Preston kills it, it manages to get a lucky shot in and sink another arrow in the back of my arm. I snarl in pain, blinking back tears and leaping into the boat. Despite the searing pain in my back and arm, and the blood flowing freely down, I grab a hold of the oars and heave back, propelling myself into the water and away from danger.

     And so, despite my injures, I sail off into the moonlight, following after my friends boats gradually shrinking over the horizon.

~~~
Question of the chapter:

I BET YOU THOUGHT PRESTON WAS GONNA BE HURT AND A PART OF HIM TURNED TO STONE, DIDNT YOU?! NOPE.

...

Cough

Itotallywasntactusllygoingtodothatbuthenreadthecommentsinthelastchapteranddecidedagainstitsoitseemediwasdoingsomethingnewbecausepeoplewereguessingiddothat

Cough

Cough

Andimtotallynotgettingprestonhurtintheicebiomesinstead

Cough