The Sky Army's Defeat

Ch.8: His Return

Sky's footsteps echoed through the hallway as he paced back and forth in his cell. He was worried about his new friend's recruits, his new friend, but more importantly, his own recruits.

Their screams still rang in his ears from his first night in the prison, screams of anguish and agony.

They made the general feel an unbearable weight of guilt on his shoulders. Their pain was his fault. He shouldn't have failed them.

Adam knew the squids were doing this on purpose, just to watch with sick pleasure as he slowly deteriorated inside until he fought no more.

The general cursed the squids for being so ruthless.

He wanted them to suffer. They had caused so much anguish to innocent lives.

Their actions should not go without a price.

Anger drove Adam to quicken his pace pace faster, his footsteps gaining in volume as well.

He was pissed. Pissed at the squids for taking away his recruits freedom. Pissed at his defeat. Pissed at every Notch damned thing in existence.

"You squids think you can tear me down?" Sky muttered to the ground. "Break me? Ha. You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

He heard a creak at the end of the hallway and turned to look, his pacing stoping as well as his angry muttering.

A squid was dragging a limp body into the cell, another squid behind it ready to keep the general back. As if he would be stupid enough to try and fight back. He'd caused enough pain to his recruits already. There was no reason to try again.

The squid with the body threw it inside, then the two walked away without a word. The General walked over to the limp body on the floor, all anger melting away into curiosity.

The thing was wearing the same suit Jerome had wearing before he was taken, the blood still stained deeply in the white undershirt, although the new stains didn't go unnoticed.

When the General looked at his face, he nearly fell on his back as he stumbled away, gasping out of shock. The thing was Jerome, just a hairy, bear like being.

A low growl emitted from his mouth as he slowly sat up, his muscular arms shaking. The General stared in horror as the creature turned to look at him, unsure of what the squids had done to him.

"Sky?" He muttered, his grey eyes narrowed in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"J-Jerome?" Adam asked slowly to ensure that the animal before him was still his new friend.

He nodded slowly, then repeated what he had asked before.

Sky motioned to Jerome's furry body and Jerome looked down for the first time since being dragged away.

"What the hell?!" The animal exclaimed, jumping to his feet as if to get away from some man eating monster.

He looked at his paws, the claws extending off his fingertips, then looked at himself and all of the fur that covered his body. "I-I'm a monster," Jerome trailed off as he realized what he had become, "I'm a filthy, stinking... Bacca..."

"A what?" Sky asked in utter confusion, never having heard of such a creature.

"A Bacca. These things are myths..."
Jerome muttered distantly. "They're the most violent, bloodthirsty animals known to man. At least that's what the legends said when I was younger."

Sky cringed and Jerome slid down the wall, grasping his head in a weak attempt at holding onto sanity. "I don't understand... Why a bacca?"

Sky shook his head before offering a suggestion. "Maybe it's your aggressive personality, or the name or your army members?"

"I do NOT have an aggressive personality." Jerome growled angrily, the low, animalistic rumbling in his chest making Sky shrink back in fear.

His eyes widened in realization and he looked over at Sky apologetically. "Oh... I'm sorry Sky. I didn't mean to actually growl at you. I didn't know I could."

Sky shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I know you don't mean it. What did they do while you were there?"

Jerome shuddered at the memories that resurfaced of his last few hours. "Lots of needles and knives, that's all I'm gunna say."

Sky grimaced in sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Jerome balled his paws into fists. "If they do this to my recruits I swear to Notch I'll rip their throats out. Especially since they've given me the abilities to do so."

Sky chuckled. "There's a line bud. Hop on in."