The Assassin's Curse

Chapter Five

JESSE

I woke to the smell of baking bread. As I rubbed my eyes, Petra  tossed me a warm loaf of bread from a crafting table by the "apple tree." I looked over and saw a bucket of milk next to me.

"Eat up sleepyhead!" She called. "It's about time you woke up- I almost tossed you in the river!"

I laughed and drank my milk. "Good morning to you too!" This feels nice and familiar.

"How's the leg feeling?" Petra asked, producing a second loaf of bread for herself.

Oh yeah. That's new.

"Numb, I guess," I said. "It doesn't feel like much of anything, but it can still move." Then, eager to change the subject, "Where did you get all this food? All I see is wool."

"I raided Soren's old house," Petra said. "You wouldn't believe all the stuff he's got!"

"But wasn't it all flooded last time we came here?" I asked.

"Sponges, Jesse," Petra said dryly, tossing several wet sponges into the river. "They're a thing."

Laughing, I ate my bread. It was warm and tasty, but I indulged in a moment to think of who had brought the wheat to make it to the End. Soren will never be able to taste bread like this again. What were his final moments like?

I clenched the bread tightly and stared at the wall, my stomach turning. Soren's DEAD because of the curse! I don't want to die like he did!

"Hey," Petra looked over at my shaking body. "Are you okay? Has it spread?"

"Not yet," I mumbled. "I'm just thinking."

"Of what?"

"It's nothing..."

"You know you can talk to me- if it's not the curse then what's wrong?"

"Petra, I'm really fine..."

"I'm your best friend Jesse, I can tell when something's up with you. Just tell me what's affecting you so badly and then I can help."

"You can't help, it's Soren!" I burst out. "He's dead because of armor like this! I don't want to die like he did! Turning into a statue of diorite, that's scary stuff! Cold, alone..."

"Hey, look at me." I raised my head and looked over at Petra. "Soren wasn't alone. He had Gabriel and Ivor. You aren't alone either. You have me. You'll always have me."

I smiled sadly. "Glad I have you during my dying days."

"Don't talk like that!" Petra barked at me from the crafting table. "We have something he didn't! The potion!"

"Crap, you're right," I said. "We still have to get a fresh ender pearl."

"Unnecessary." Petra fanned out 3 pearls. "Did you already forget where we are? I had to fight like a hundred of them last night to get through to Soren's kitchen." Before I could react, Petra had thrown a pearl in my face and appeared on my lap, nose to nose, and... oh.

Petra has gorgeous eyes.