Mitchell stared dumbfounded up the tree, looking past it's lush jade green leaves, to see a... thing...that was...glowing orange.

It was a mutation.

It was clothed in a dark orange cloak, with bright red, yellow, and black dotting it randomly, looking like chips of flame. His clothes were as black as the sky on a moonless night, his eyes were coal, and his head was covered in a hood.

Mitchell opened his mouth to speak, or say something, but the mutation hushed him urgently, running a quick eye over his currently weak and frail state, before whispering, his eyes darting through the leaves, looking at the obsidian prison beyond.

"Quick, we don't have much time left before they come. Come on!" He urged impatiently, reaching out a glowing hand towards his bony one.

Mitchell retreated his hand warily, looking at him, trying to figure whether he was friend or foe.

"Look. We can talk later, kay? Main problem is for you to get the nether out of here." He said, and reached his hand again.

Mitchell took it, and was hauled into the tree. Starting to sweat, he heaved himself higher and higher, until he was at the very top. Panting like a dog, he wiped sweat from his forehead, exhausted from the physical actions he just did.

I'm severely out of shape...

Searching for the familiar orange glow, he spotted the hybrid a few branches below, and scooched down beside him.

"Now what?"

With a grim smile, he answered tightly, his hands digging into the bark of the wood,

"We escape."

He pushed himself off the tree, and landed outside the prison perfectly on two feet, his head twisted up, charcoal black eyes staring piercingly at him.

Mitchell gulped, and glanced back at the prison as voices were slowly getting louder and louder.

"Here goes nothing..." He muttered to himself, and threw himself off the tree.

Unlike the mutation, he did not land as elegantly, but managed to escape unharmed.

"What...now?" He panted, slowly pushing himself to his knees.

He responded with a dangerous grin, similar to the one he had when he was Bajancanadian.

"We run for our lives."

He took off sprinting towards the herd of dappled grey horses near the prison. In a fluid, easy motion, he leapt on top of an unwary horse, causing it to rear up in fright. Wasting no time, he quickly fed it some apples, taming it and started riding towards the wilderness beyond, not waiting to see if Mitchell was following.

Cursing fluently under his breath, he tamed a dark brown horse with grey socks, and followed the hybrid.

"Where...are...going?" He asked between puffs of breath.

"We're going to Hyoke (pronounced as hi-yoke) to pick him up."

"Who?"

"Lachlan! Don't you remember Mitch?! There's no time for banter now, this is serious!" The mutation looks back at the weak assassin, incredulous.

"Wha-? I'm not Mitch...I'm Mitchell... Who's Lachlan? No, better question. Who even, or what are you?" He stuttered, hearing thundering hooves and the rough voices of the prison guards behind them. He glanced behind, and saw clouds of dust being kicked up, about two dozen guards chasing after them on pure black horses in iron armor.

"Crap..." The mutation hissed, infuriated as he saw the guards chasing after them. He dug his boots into his mounts side, effectively making it sprint faster. Mitchell followed suit.

"Don't you remember?!"

"Remember what?"

He sighed, worried, pain flashing in those black eyes.

"I'll explain later...my name's Preston... we're heading towards the boarders of Hyoke, so we can pick a friend up. No questions. I'll explain later."

And that was that.

Mitchell snorted disbelievingly, and spat,

"I don't know you, why should I even follow you? I'm just getting away from the guards, so I can return to Aragrave."

Preston growled, and replied,

"Can I explain later?! We're running for our lives here!"

"You can explain along the way." Mitchell grit his teeth, his temper on a leash.

"Fine." Preston snapped, and (finally) started speaking,

"I don't know why you forgot about us, I don't know why you're acting like this, but the prophecy just restarted and time is of the essence. We need to hurry to pick Lachlan, so you can claim back Mariclaff ."

Question marks exploded like fireworks in his mind and he asked, keeping the tremor off his voice,

"What? Mariclaff? Isn't that Notch's kingdom? Why would I take it? Who is this Lachlan? What prophecy?"

Preston swore fervently, answering,

"That's too many questions. I can't answer all of them. But, what are you? I mean, what do you remember?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that."

"Why can't you?!"

"I barely know you!"

With a loud snort of frustration, he looked behind him.

The guards were still chasing them.

"Mitch. You have two options. You follow willingly, or I force you." Preston threatened somewhat reluctantly.

"My name's Mitchell." The assassin grunted, unconvinced and continued, a hint of smugness in his voice,

"How can you force me? I'm an assassin, don't you know?"

Preston shot a troubled look at Mitchell, and muttered, "that complicates things up..." Raising his voice slightly, he reminded the cocky brunette,

"I'm a sorcerer remember? I rescued you from the nether-hole."

Scowling, Mitchell reluctantly agreed that, for his safety and well-being, to follow Preston.

"Fine. But don't try anything funny. I don't trust you..."

"That's okay." He replied simply, a tinge of pain showing in his tone, and continued riding.

The guards proved persistent, and refused to let the escapee away, always on their tails.

"Preston, can't you just kill them or something?"

"I can't just kill a whole hoard of them! They use a lot of energy! Plus, we're nearing the boarders...a few more minutes of riding then we'll be free of them."

The boarders to Hyoke. Thanks to unwritten rules, guards and such are only allowed to roam within the areas of their kingdom, but normal villagers and townsfolk have to pass through guards, stating their business.

"Wait... Preston...how are we going to make it through the boarders with my face on every wanted poster there is? "

His eyes burning with deadly determination, he answered brutally,

"We aren't. We have to cross through nightmare forest."

_writers note_

Ohhhh they have to go there now :33 What do you think they're gonna find? And are they going to find Lachlan?