So... Yeah. This is pretty late. Um, I really don't have an excuse. It's been like, what, three months already? Wow. Erm, sorry for the delay I guess. Annnnd for how short this is, not to mention how Deadlox doesn't even make an appearance. Patience. Deadlox's chapter will be next. Maybe. I dunno, we'll see.

"You're absolutely incorrigible," Jerome bemoaned, hiding his face in his hands, feeling a headache pounding behind his eyes. Across the fire that Jerome had made just an hour before sat Sky, hands in cuffs behind his back and ankles tied together with thick rope. Sky glared in response, a few droplets of blood still running down his face from his previous injury at the hands of Jerome. He had been gagged, a piece of cloth stopping him from screaming as he had the minute he'd woken up. Even now, he still made muffled sounds Jerome recognized as curses.

"We still have a day or two until we reach fucking Squid's place," Jerome rolled his eyes, watching Sky only begin to struggle more, shaking his head wildly. Jerome raise a brow. "Y'know, you could be a bit grateful, cub. I mean, I risked my neck out there to save your sorry ass from the King. I hope you know I could be killed for this." Not that Jerome minded all that much, this was all to save Mitch after all, assuming the Squid did not back out of his promise. Even then, Jerome had a back up plan via the king distracting Squid long enough to get Mitch out of that blasted place. If nothing else, Jerome hoped that at the very least he would be able to get Mitch out.

The cub only seemed to get angrier, turning red from indignity. Jerome ignored him, choosing instead to retrieve a few pieces of pork from the small travel pack around his waist. He looked up, realizing Sky had quieted down. A grin formed on his face as he realized the cub was staring at the raw pork in his clawed hand. "Want some?" Jerome questioned though Sky only went back to glaring at him. Jerome shrugged, he had no obligation to feed the cub. He was well fed, two or three days without food wouldn't kill him. Perhaps it would even make it easier to drag the human to the Squid.

He brought the pork to his mouth, taking a bite, easily tearing off a large chunk with his sharp teeth. He licked up a few stray drops of blood off his lips, feeling a sick sense of satisfaction as Sky sent him a disgusted look. Honestly, Jerome didn't understand why humans were so grossed out by raw food, it didn't make sense to waist extra time and energy cooking it. Plus, cooked food tasted flavorless and unhealthy. Or maybe it was just him.

He quickly scarfed down a few more slices of pork before feeling satisfied. It was silent aside from the sound of slurping and chewing coming from him. He licked his fingers once he had finished his meal, careful of his claws against his tongue. "You sure you don't want some? I could even cook it if you want," Jerome offers once more, looking straight at Sky. The human seemed torn, brows furrowed and just as he opened his mouth, presumably to decline, his stomach let out a loud gurgle. The bacca blinked, the small bear like tail at the base of his spine giving a twitch in surprise. After a moment of silence, spent with Jerome staring in bewilderment at the human and the cub blushing in embarrassment, he let out a roar of laughter, shoulders shaking as he tried to suppress the admittedly loud noise. As much as he wanted the king to follow the trail to Squid, he was not about to make it any easier.

Biting his lip to keep from laughing, though the grin on his face didn't stray, he grabbed a stick he deemed pointy enough. Glancing at Sky, who was still flushed in embarrassment, he pierced the meat and held it above the fire. "It'll take a while to cook. Would'a been faster to eat raw, too bad you humans are all picky eaters."

It was silent once more. Jerome was busy with his task of making sure the meat did not burn and Sky was far too embarrassed by his stomach's grumbled -not to mention still being gagged- to speak.

Once he had decided the pork had long since been thoroughly cooked (one side was too burned and the other was slightly on the uncooked side but the human would have to deal with it, Jerome wasn't used to cooking food), Jerome reached over, using a claw to tear away the cloth from Sky's mouth. He contemplated untying the boy's hands but decided against it and instead waited for the meat to cool down as Sky stubbornly kept silent. Jerome rolled his eyes, blowing on the meat to hurry up the cooling process.

"You didn't save me."

Surprised, Jerome fumbled with the pierced pork in his hand, almost dropping the badly cooked food. "Excuse me?"

Sky glared, teeth gritted as he repeated his words. "You. Didn't. Save. Me." When Jerome still looked slightly confused, Sky huffed and explained. "Earlier you said you saved me, you didn't. I was perfectly fine where I was, thank you very much."

Jerome huffed, pointed the stick holding Sky's meal at his face. "Now see here, cub, you may be lucky enough not to look all that hurt now, but if I hadn't saved ya who knows how long it would'a taken for that demented demon to snap," he narrowed his eyes as Sky opened his mouth to protest, "and to snap off your neck as well."

Feeling as if he had let the meat cool down enough for a species as delicate as the humans, Jerome shoved the meat into Sky's mouth, cutting off what the boy had been about to say. The task of chewing and taking out bites of the meat without using his hands took up Sky's concentration and Jerome returned to his thoughts.

The cub had preferred to be with the king? But the king was obviously demented, why in the name of the Nether would anyone wish to be stuck in the king's presence longer than they had to? The cub should have been thanking him and sobbing with relief, anyone who had been in the king's company long enough would have. Why was it different with this kid? Could it be that maybe... Maybe the king had changed? No. No, that was just ridiculous. The king had been this way for decades, a small human (no matter how tiny and fragile he looked) would not suddenly change everything.

The sound of smacking made his ear twitch and he looked up to find Sky looking very pleased with himself. The kid had apparently managed to finish eating the piece of pork without the use of his hands and seemed to be pleasantly pleased with himself about the small achievement.

Jerome rolled his eyes before clucking his tongue. "Alright, cub, time to sleep. We're setting out early in the morning, better get some rest," he said stretching and raising an eyebrow when Sky looked at him expectantly. "What?"

"I can't sleep like this!" Sky explained, kicking out his tied feet and twisting his hands behind him to exaggerate his point. "Look, you could tie me to a tree or something if it makes you feel better, just untie my hands. They fell asleep ages ago."

Jerome rolled his eyes before getting up to do just that.

Later that night, with the fire out out and Sky safely resting tied up to a tree, Jerome let himself wonder once more if it was at all possible for this human to change the malevolent king.

He looked up at the stars with a frown on his face. He found himself hoping the king would show up and take Sky. Once they had reached the castle and he had managed to get Mitch out safely of course.