I sit up breathing heavily and my head spinning. I look around to find the nearest place to throw up. I see that I am in a cart. I put my head over the side vomiting. I look up to see that I am traveling down a dusty road with almost no trees surrounding me. I slowly looking around see green plains stretching out for miles. Just behind the horizon, I see the tree line of the Green Belt. I look in the cart seeing Jake sleeping and Zona driving the cart. Knight is pulling it. I poke Jake’s leg and he opens his eyes. “Ashley. You’re awake.” Zona turns her head around slowly down the cart.

“Yea.. but I feel awful..” Jake places his only hand on my head feeling my temperature.

“I would think so. You’ve been out for an entire week.” I pause looking concerned.

“A week? What happened?” Zona speaks up as Jake hands me some food and drink.

“When you didn’t wake up after a day, I suggested of leaving that place. We got in an argument on where to go. We decided it’s best to head up north to a small town. We got there, got a cart, found Knight, got supplies, and now we are heading further north.” I slowly eat listening to her story. I move my foot feeling it hit something. I look down seeing the vial that Father gave me. I pause hiding it quickly in my pocket. Once I finish, I look at Jake and Zona.

“You might want to pull the cart over.” Zona pulls the cart over and climbs in back with us. I look at both of them trying to figure out a way to approach this. “Any questions before we start?” Zona nods.

“Yea. I thought we were trying to get the one of the Brothers down here?” I pause realizing that was the plan.

“Yea.. I tried to do that, but Father found me. Plus, I don’t think they can come down here anyway. They don’t seem as powerful anymore.” Zona huffs slightly annoyed at that. Jake looks at her.

“It makes sense. The Church of the Brothers is all but destroyed.” Zona frowns slightly as a little fire dances around in the air.

“Good. Anyway..” She looks backs to me. “Tells us what you found out.” I sigh preparing them for the worst.

“Alright. We can defeat Grant. He is.. this thing called a Feedling. It is a creature that feeds off strong emotion. The only way to defeat them is by calming the emotion.” Zona looks confused slightly.

“But Lupa..” I nod agreeing with her.

“Gods or godlike powers can kill them.” She thinks for a moment looking at Jake.

“Alright. What was Grant’s strongest emotion?” Jake thinks for a moment.

“Pride. He always that he was the best thing to grace the living.” Zona brainstorms thinking of a way to destroy his pride.

“Alright. So, calm his pride and we should be able defeat him.” I nod and Jake leans forward slightly.

“How about my powers?” Zona pauses getting a little excited.

“And Lupa?” I pause not ready to answer those questions yet.

“Um.. Lupa is still missing since they can’t see her. You’re powers.. He didn’t know. He told me that you needed to accept yourself or something.. It’s still a little hazy..” Jake looks angry and Zona disappointed. Zona climbs out and sits back in the driver’s seat spurring Knight forward. Jake leans back trying to relax. Zona looks back on last time before focusing on the road.

“What about James?” I frown shaking my head no.

“Nothing. I have to find Roasland.” Jake looks at me nodding.

“The last time I heard. Someone spotted him moving North. Maybe we will get lucky.” He sighs looking away from me. I sigh placing my hand on his hand.

“We will figure out a way together.” He pauses looking at me. A faintly see his cheeks come red as he nods at me. Some part of me once to hug him close and never let go. He isn’t the awful monster people make him out to me. If they would only give him a chance.

“Thank you, Ashley.” I slowly start smiling feeling warm inside.

“You’re welcome Jake.” Zona urges Knight further into the plains. We spend the next hour or so riding down the road. Apparently, the entire Green Belt isn’t covered in lush trees like I was led to believe. Every so often open area like these would popup and disappear every couple of years. No one knows why. As we continue to travel, a small town appears in the distance. We get to the edge of town noticing something of a small farming community. A few small farms are set up outside the town. An inn and a general are the only main attraction within the town. A few houses surround them. Zona pulls Knight up to the inn. We get out and Zona looks at us.

“I am going to ask people around here if they heard anything strange going on. Maybe we can get some information on where Roasland or Grant is.” I look at Zona as Jake goes to Knight.

“Alright. I figured we could stay in the inn tonight so we can finally get a good night's rest.” She heads inside the inn. I look up at the sky noticing that the sun has started to make its descent. Jake looks over to the general store then to me.

“We need new clothing.” I pause slightly looking down at my clothes. I had to borrow a pair of James’s clothes. I frown remembering James slightly. Jake watches me for a second and grabs my hand. I pause shocked at him. “Will you come with me?” I feel something rise in my chest.

“Um.. sure..” I feel light and weird. Whenever I am around Jake, he has this effect on me. We walk over to the general store going in. A young woman in her late teens stands behind the counter. She takes notice of us walking in and smiles.

“If you need anything, let me know. We just got fully stocked.” Jake walks over to the clothing and for a small town; they have a wide variation of clothing. I pause slightly confused at this. I look over to her as she walks to us.

“Um.. why do you guys have so many clothes?” She pauses getting annoyed slightly.

“That’s because of my brother. He is an… inspiring clothing designer. Being the only town for miles, people put up with it. He’s good but some people are super critical of his work.” Jake pulls out an outfit. The outfit itself looks amazing. The shirt is black with light gray pants. I feel the shirt feeling how flimsy it is. I pause confused.

“Not much protection is it?” Jake makes me hold it and he pulls out a dagger. He tries to cut the material, and nothing happens. I paused shocked. Jake puts the dagger away looking at the woman.

“He does everything himself?” The woman sighs slightly.

“Yes. He has different materials sent from everywhere.” Jake nods looking at my confusion.

“This is made from cloth and metal. It takes a lot of skill to do this.” This is so cool. Jake hands the clothing to the woman. “I will take this and anything else she is getting.” I look through the clothing trying to find the best thing for me. I look over at Jake waving him over to me.

“Come help me pick something out.” Jake pauses slowly walking over to me. He scans through the clothing picking out a plan light green dress. I pause looking it over. Its plan design seems to add to the mysterious beauty of it. I look at him. “You like it?” He shrugs looking a little out of his element. I laugh slightly taking the dress.

“Perfect.” I take it over to the woman with Jake. Jake pays for the clothing a few other things we need for the adventure. We walk out the store after changing into the clothing. The clothing fits excellent. Jake looks different to say the least. His clothing shows off more of his muscles and his toned body. I feel my cheeks get red as I stare up and down his body. I shake my head trying to snap out of it. I realize that Zona will need a different set of clothing. I look through the clothing real quick picking out a similar style of clothing she already has. This time the robe is white with the undershirt being bright orange.

“Let’s go see how Zona is doing with the information gathering.” We get to the inn and we hear someone shout from inside.

“Let’s go then!”

We burst inside to see a bunch of workers surrounded a man and Zona sitting at a table. Each seems to be in the middle of a drinking game. Zona slams her cup down and a cheer goes up through the inn. A few men near her pat her on the back and the man across her scowls getting up leaving the area. Zona looks seeing us. She waves us over as another man sits down looking ready to battle her. “I found out something, but I need to teach these men a listen.” People start to laugh with her as Jake gives her a look.

“Zona.. we need..” I cut him off smiling happily at her.

“Alright. We will talk in the morning Zona. Enjoy yourself.” Jake looks confused as I grab his hand pulling him over to a table away from the action. I sit down as he stares at me.

“We need to know the information.” I roll my eyes patting the table.

“Come on a enjoy a day off. When is the last time you actually enjoy yourself?” Jake makes a face slowly sitting down.

“I enjoy the work I do.” I roll my eyes giving him a look. A waitress walks over asking us for our orders.

“What do you guys have?” The waitress lists the drinks and foods they offer. “Alright. We will take some ale and roasted pork.” She writes it down leaving. I look at Jake laughing slightly.

“Really? You’re telling me that all that stuff you did, you actually enjoyed it?” He pauses for a second thinking. A part of me frowns as he answers hoping it isn’t true.

“Honestly? No. But I am a soldier. I do what I must to win the war.” I let out a sigh of relief.

“And what war is that?” He makes a face of confusion.

“Life itself is war.” I shake my head at him annoyed slightly.

“Life sucks sometimes but you have to look at the bright side of things. Like look..” He looks over to Zona as she smiles looking the happiest she’s ever been. “She has been through an awful life. She should be bitter, angry, an awful person. However, she is happy again.” Jake turns back to me giving me a look.

“Because of a lie.” I pause feeling guilty.

“How do you-” He cuts me off as the waitress sets down the drinks.

“Back when I had... Anyway. I could feel her disappear. Thinking through it logically, the only that truly matters to Zona Everlast is the White Wolf. So, you somehow convinced her that she was alive.” I frown more looking more guilty. He pauses looking slightly bad for what he did. “I won’t say anything. She needs hope. Everyone does.” He sips from his drink. I realize something. Whenever I use to touch him, I would be thrown into a version. Now. I got get that feeling anymore. I look confused as he sits his drink down. “What’s wrong?”

“Hmm.. Oh, just thinking of something weird. I don’t get as many versions from you recently.” I try to figure out why that I won’t. He plays with his drink.

“You can try if you want.” He lets go of the drinking offering his hand. I slowly accept it and try to pull out a version. For a second, I get nothing. However, I slowly start to go in.

I wake up in Jake’s house. I pause confused. “This isn’t right?” I see Jake walking inside the door. He closes the door walking over to the window. I follow him looking outside the window. I see myself outside working on my notebook. It looks like it was the end of the first month inside the house. “Jake. You supposed to be thinking about your sister.”

“You know that you will never have her right?” I hear Zona’s voice from behind me. I turn around seeing Zona looking pale and sickly. Jake doesn’t turn around.

“I know.” I pause slowly realizing they are talking about me.

“Then why try.”

“.. Because I don’t feel the need to be me when I am around her.” Zona grabs an apple leaving the kitchen. I look back to him coming around to face him

“Jake.. what does this mean?” A small smile comes from him. The vision fades I hear a small child’s voice.

“I am close Jake.” The version fades as I come back to the table sitting across from Jake. He looks at me waiting for an answer.

“Well what happened?” I blink at him trying to piece together everything.

“Um.. I.. um.. Don’t un.. I think…” I try to piece it together. He stops as the food gets brought out. He lets go of my hand as I dish out the food. We make small talk drinking and eating the night away. Every so often I would check in on Zona. She would still be drinking and having a great time. For such a small girl, she knows how to put it away. By the time last round is called, almost all of us is wasted. I try to stand up feeling tipsy. I giggle slightly as Jake stops me from falling.

“Thanks Jake..” He looks over to see Zona passed out on the table. I laugh slightly as he stands up helping me over to her. He sits me down on a chair and picks up Zona throwing her over his shoulder. He looks at me.

“You need to hold onto me so we can get you two to bed.” I slowly cling to him as we slowly make our way to the bedrooms. I look up to him feeling a strange urge to rest my head against him.

“.. Why aren’t you drunk?” We get to our rooms and he opens the door.

“Because I know how to pace myself.” I huff slightly as I hear Zona grumble something.

“Too much ale.” Jake shakes his head tossing her on the first bed. He leads me over to the second bed and sets me down. I look up at him feeling weirder.

“.. Thanks for a perfect night..” He pauses looking down at me. He moves down kissing me on the forehead. I get goosebumps and I sharply take in a breath of air. He pulls away slightly smiling at me.

“You’re welcome Ashley.” I feel myself get hot as he leaves the room. He closes the door and I fall back onto the bed having a wide range of emotions run through me. The moon shines in from a window near my bed. I slowly start to fall asleep feeling happy. Just before falling asleep a hear Zona start snoring.