Toms POV:

I opened my eyes groggily to the feeling of a soft pillow under my head, and a warm blanket covering me, which was a nice change from the cold concrete and chains of the trial cage. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, glancing at my bedroom. It had been a while since I was here last...

I crashed after me and nade got home last night. I looked on my bedside table, to see an envelope with a red wax seal, addressed to me.

I carefully opened it and retrieved the letter inside.

Tom,

You crashed hard when we got home last night so I let myself out. The pirates want you at their skull base by 12 today. They want to start you on your work immediately. I'll see you later dude.

-Nade

Nade actually had pretty nice handwriting...I glanced at the black alarm clock on my timber table, and groaned as I realised it was quarter to ten.

I pulled back the covers of my bed, and swung my feet over. Feeling the cold metal cuff around my ankle, I was reminded of my limit to freedom when I wasn't doing community service. It was cold in my fortress, and frost layered the window panes. This was very confusing, seeing as it was summer...

I stood up, running my fingers through my hair, and walked over to the window closest to me. Placing my hands on the frosted glass, I shivered from the cold, and pressed against it. I struggled to open the window, as it was frozen shut. I stepped back, and put my right shoulder in front of me, then ran at full speed against the window. I felt it give way and open, and I smiled. My grin immediately dropped when I realised that my momentum wasn't stopped by the window, and the next thing I knew I was falling out of my fortress window, and the snow covered ground was approaching rapidly.

I screamed like a girl, and closed my eyes as I hit the snow with a loud thud. I was surprised I wasn't dead from the impact. The snow was thicker than I thought. I stood up in the little Tom sized hole in the snow, and it was so thick that it was up to my neck.

I placed my hands on either side of the hole, and pushed down, trying to lift myself out of the hole, but my arms went straight through the snow and sunk down. I started to dig my way out, and I finally had enough room to climb out onto my porch. I stood up, and shivered. It was really cold. My fingers were numb from digging in the snow, and my skin burnt from frostbite. I hugged myself and started walking to the pirates base, trying to avoid slipping on the ice.

It was 45 degrees yesterday for Dianites sake! What the fuck is with this weather?!

I finally reached the skull in the side of the mountain, and hurried inside. The mouth of the skull was the door, so the crisp cold air was rushing through with ease. I looked around, but saw no trace of the pirates.

"Skipper?" I called out, hearing my voice echo throughout the cave.

"We be down here Matey!" I heard him call back.

I followed the source of the voice, climbing down the ladders towards a small green square in the ground surrounded by quartz blocks. Skipper and Earl huddled there trying to keep warm, and I joined them.

"S-So? What do y-you want m-me to do?" I stuttered, puffs of my breath visible in the air.

"Matey, it be too cold for what we had planned for ye. Go home and take shelter in the warmth." He said shivering.

"O-Ok. Where's C-Capsize?" I asked.

"She be visiting sparklez in the medical wing. Ye should go check on him when ye get the chance!" He said.

That's actually not a bad idea... I haven't seen SparklyDick since when the pirates came to the island.

I waved goodbye to the pirates and stalked in the cold until I reached decs place. Snow lined the cobblestone paths, and the hedges lining them were an icy white, with frosted leaves. I went to decs door, and knocked against the hard oak wood, hearing the echo bounce off the cobblestone walls throughout his courtyard.

No one answered, and I went to knock again, but the door opened by itself with a long creak. I stepped inside, closing the door behind me, and shaking uncontrollably. I walked through his house, looking for the medical wing. My footsteps were the only things that were audible in the house, as if it was abandoned years ago. I saw the white doors of the medical bay, and walked the halls until I found an open door with light streaming through. I walked to the doorway, and peered inside, seeing a blue curtain separating the entrance and the rest of the room. I heard shuffling inside, and stepped in front of the curtain.

"Sparklez? It's Tom. Mind if I come in?" I called anxiously.

"Tom? Yeah come in! It's been a while!" He called back.

I sighed in relief and pulled back the curtain, walking in.

I didn't get the chance to look up, because something knocked me off my feet, and I fell onto the hard wood floor with a thud.

I opened my eyes to see small purple eyes staring back at me, and I screamed. A small baby ender dragon was on top of me, glancing at me with curiosity.

"Wilson! Let him get through the door would ya?" Sparklez called to the dragon.

Wait. Wilson? As in the dolphin?!

I sat up, as the dragon got off of me, and ran back to the hospital bed in the centre of the room against the back wall. I stood up and looked at the bed.

Jordan was sitting there smiling at me, petting the dragon. He was covered in bandages, and there was a huge scar on his neck. He had bruises all over him, and aside from the huge grin on his face, you would've thought he was near dead.

"Hey...How you doing? You look pretty bent out of shape. I leave for three days! And you almost die on me!" I joked.

"Sorry! Not my fault a wizard wants me to fight a dragon!" He laughed.

I smiled and grabbed a stool, bringing it over to his bedside, and sitting down. I clasped my hands together and looked down.

"Did you hear about what happened?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah... Tell me honestly, did you lie in the trial? I won't tell, I just want to know."

"Yeah I lied.... you probably think I'm a huge jerk who likes torturing people don't you... I don't blame you... I just don't want to get in trouble with Dianite again... After I resisted him once, he threatened to kill everyone I loved if I did it again....To be honest, I'm scared shitless of him...." I said, my eyes not leaving the ground.

"Tom, look at me."

I took a deep breath, and looked at Jordan.

"I don't hate you, or think less of you. I would do anything for my god. You just chose the evil one. By the time you realised that, you had already sold your soul away to the devil. It's not your fault." He said, his eyes empathetic and kind.

Normally someone would have been appreciative of that answer, but not me. Something deep inside of me snapped. I lost it.

"Why do you have to be so nice?! I'm a MURDERER!!! Why don't you hate me?! I killed Wilson! I tortured tucker! Why do you forgive so easily?!" I yelled without thinking, closing my eyes.

"Because I know you Tom. You aren't evil. You just don't think sometimes. We all have moments like that. Yours are just more frequent." He said calmly.

"AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHH! THERE YOU GO AGAIN! WHY ARENT YOU OFFENDED?! I JUST YELLED AT YOU!!! WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU SO CALM ABOUT THIS?!!!" I yelled angrily.

"Because. That's just who I am." He said.

"I know that... You are always calm and collected. The complete opposite of me..." i sighed.

"Opposites attract Tom. That's why you are one of my best friends. You always make situations funnier, and you are so carefree. Unlike me. I stress about everything 24/7. You just shrug it off. I wish I had that..."

"You're perfect the way you are sparklez...." I said.

"So are you." He replied.

I sighed.

"Uhhhh. Am I interrupting something?" Said dec from the doorway, making me jump.

"No, go on." I said, not wanting to stop Jordan from getting help.

"I have good news Jordan! Capsizes bone marrow is compatible with yours! I can start the surgery!"

"Awesome! Thanks dec!" He said happily.

"No problemo" he said.

"That's my cue to go then! Get better soon Jordan!" I said standing up.

"Thanks! I'll hopefully see you soon when I'm not crippled!" He laughed.

I smiled, and headed out, back into the freezing cold.

I'm glad he's doing ok. I think we all need him back. I know I do....