Spirit Animals: Saving The Evertree

Friendships (Extra Chapter!!)

Rollan limped slightly as he wandered across the deck. It'd been 3 days and his healing was improving. His leg seemed to be almost like before except for the slight sting of his wound every time he walked.

"Ready?" Conor asked, slinging a peach-colored pack over his shoulder, cloak hanging around his neck. Rollan nodded wordlessly. Today they were setting off to find their friends. To find Meilin.

Ever since Meilin disappeared down there, the tree had been getting worse. Well it's remnants anyway. The soil turned dryer there and more corrupt. The grass was either a withered yellow or covered in dark black goo. The hole they had dug seemed to be closing in on itself, forcing Redcloaks to go re-dig it daily. Today, Rollan and Connor would disappear down there as well. For the better or the worse, they would find something and hopefully stop the Wrym once and for all.

It was wishful thinking. They might not even be able to find their friends again...no, they would. They had to. The thought of never seeing Meilin again, or any of their friends again...Abeke, Tanya, Takoda, even Kovo and Shane. There had been no news of them yet. Hopefully they were all faring well.

"Rollan!" Conor called, waving from the ramp leading down to land.

Rollan was glad to be getting back to solid ground. As much as he appreciated the doctors and nurses on the boat, he was getting tired of the ship's constant rocking back and forth. He wasn't typically a seasick kind of person, but a floor that didn't sway every time a wave hit was seeming pretty nice right now.

Rollan waved back, grabbing his own pack from the ground beside him. He raced to the ramp, his boots making loud stomping sounds on the wood. Essix squawked from above, circling him as he ran down the ramp behind Conor, feet finally touching the sandy soil.
Rollan turned back to the ship one last time. Redcloaks waved in farewell, like this was the last time they'd see each other. And maybe it was.

Rollan and Conor waved back, smiling as if they weren't about to go on a dangerous journey.

Finally, the two boys decided they had to go. They yelled a good-bye to the crew and turned towards the patch of blackness.

"Yay, now we get to go jump down a dark hole! Now that's my idea of fun." Rollan said eyeing the goop as it stuck to his boots.

"Shut up, Rollan." Conor muttered softly, seeming more focused on where he was going than anything else. It was then that Rollan realized how pale his friend was. Way more pale then usual. He was scared.

"Abeke's strong, she's okay." Rollan said suddenly, having nothing else to say. He wasn't real big on comforting people. He was more of the 'let's bring the mood up with a fabulous joke' kind of guy.

The corner of Conor's lips twitched. "I'm sure Meilin's doing just as fine."

Rollan felt his cheeks heat up. Meilin hadn't really been a subject of conversation lately, mostly because no one knew what to say about her. Was she okay? Did she defeat the Wrym? Did she get defeated be the Wrym? Or worse, infected? Was she even alive?

Rollan's mind had been spinning ever since he found out Meilin had ditched him—them—to go search for a manipulative monster. Now, he was doing the same and those very questions came racing back. What were they going find? Where were they looking?

Conor suddenly paused at the edge of the gaping hole, causing Rollan to halt abruptly, nearly slipping from the wet blackness underneath them. "Hey!" He cried out, regaining his balance. "You nearly made me the same color as my hair!"

Conor, who usually would have smiled tentatively at his jokes, scowled. "Stop worrying about yourself and stay on task." He said sharply. "No one cares about you!"

Rollan shut up, staring in shock at the face he didn't know anymore. His blue eyes were ice-cold, his lips curled into a cruel scowl. Rollan took a half step back, watching as Conor's eyes flashed and his face went slack. The warmth seemed to return to his eyes and an expression of shock replaced the one of cruelty.

"Wha—what happened?" He asked dazed. His eyes focused of Rollan's wide brown ones. "Are you okay?"

Rollan didn't know what to say. Was he okay? His best friend just snarled at him like a wild animal and didn't seem to process what he just did, oh yeah, normal everyday stuff.

"Are you sure you don't want to just stay aboard?" Rollan's asked finally.

A flicker of hurt passed through Conor's serene blue eyes. Rollan almost felt guilty enough to say sorry. But he didn't. He didn't want to travel underground, in the dark, with someone who could snap at any moment. Usually, Rollan would love to have a companion like Conor when traveling into the unknown, but ever since the Wrym's parasite had infected him, partially, Conor had been having trouble with control over his own body.

"I..." Conor shifted his gaze to the ground, embarrassed and shamed. "I'm sorry. It's hard."

Rollan stared at his friend for a long time. Finally he said, "We need to find Meilin. Jhi can help."

Conor smiled gratefully, before smirking. "Are you sure you're not just anxious to see Meilin again?"

Rollan blushed. "Whatever. Maybe."

Conor smiled in that shy way he always did. "Okay. Let's go."

"One,"

"Two,"

"Three!"

And they jumped into the darkness, Rollan determined to find the others and save his friend. They were a team, maybe fake Conor had been right about one thing. He had to stop worrying about himself and start thinking about others.

Despite Conor's loosing fight with the parasite, Rollan had to take him along. For his sake and for Conor's, that's what friends are for.

A/N
Sorry if it was a bit cheesy. And I know I said that last chapter was the last chapter, but here we are...Surprise?
Anyway, I decided I might post some extra chapters now and then, but don't be expecting them! Any chapter could be the last!
Thanks for reading!!!

~ Flamingomo :)