It wasn't long until the mobs appeared. Jason drew his sword and stopped, but Quentin urged him to keep going.

Stampy glanced at Jason. "Just keep moving, we can't risk getting out numbered."

"Okay." Jason stayed close to Stampy, sword at the ready.

They kept moving quickly through the forest, making sure mobs didn't reach them.

Quentin put his arm out, stopping the others from advancing. A hoard of zombies, seeming to be almost glowing, lurked just up ahead.

Stampy's eyes widened. "They're glowing..."

"Kala designed it so these mobs are more powerful." Quentin explained. "Be ready."

Stampy nodded slightly.

Jason tried to walk back but stepped on a twig, echoing throughout the forest.

The zombies turned and began to advance.

Stampy took a step back, face paling. "Oh no..."

Quentin's eyes widened. "Run." He bolted off in the opposite direction of the zombies.

Stampy hesitated. "But the beacon!" He cried.

"We can't go around them!" Jason yelled, he took Stampy's arm and ran after Quentin.

Stampy stumbled after him looking back at the zombies. "Then we have to fight! If we can't get past them then we're stuck here!"

"There's too many of them!" Quentin called out. "We'll be dead in seconds!"

"There has to be something we can do!" Stampy replied, glancing back at the zombies again.

"Stampy please!" Jason cried.

Stampy hesitated before breaking free from Jason's grip and pulled on the health potion he had. He carefully poured a bit on his hands, covering them and then carefully coating some of the sword as well and stored the rest of it away and braced himself. He took and deep breath and thrust his blade through the nearest zombie, it cutting cleanly through the mob, killing it instantly.

He stared in surprise before getting a rush of determination and going for the next one.

Jason turned around and ran back to Stampy. Quentin slowed down to a halt. "What are you two doing?!"

Stampy had slain about four of them now without getting touched and was quick to evade their swings and return his own.

Jason ran besides Stampy and began to fend off the mobs. Quentin quickly followed, coming up behind the two and immediately drove his sword through a zombie's head.

Stampy glanced at them and continued to fight through the wave of zombies.

The wave of zombies decreased quickly, the three not getting any scratches on them.

Soon they had cleared them all and Stampy stopped and turned and grinned at the others. "See? I knew we could do it!"

Jason smiled back.

Quentin frowned. "We could've died." His voice was stern.

"Yet, we are uninjured." Stampy pointed out.

"Well you still could've gotten hurt."

"But we didn't!" Stampy replied, tail swishing behind him. "We can keep going!"

Quentin sighed. "It's not good to take risks."

"Guys let's just go." Jason began to walk

Stampy trailed after him.

Jason slowed so that he was walking alongside Stampy. "I know Quentin really well, he's usually not like this..." he whispered.

Stampy glanced at him. "It's okay, Jase. I think its cause he's been here so long." Stampy reassured him with a sad smile.

Jason sighed... "I'm worried though... I can't imagine what he's been through."

Stampy nodded. "I can't either."

Quentin was trailing behind, sword dragging the ground. He stayed silent.

Stampy kept his ears perked up in case he heard more mobs.

The sounds of mobs could be heard in the distance, none seeming too close for comfort.

Stampy seemed to relax as they moved through the forest, keeping his blade close. Hopefully they'd reach the beacon at this rate in the next couple of days.

The sound of an explosion was heard and Quentin yelled, being launched forward into Jason's back. Jason tripped and almost fell, grabbing onto Stampy's jacket for support. "Stampy!!"

Stampy yelped and stumbled at the sudden weight but caught himself and looked at them before spotting more creepers coming out of the bushes. "Uh, guys...?"

"Stampy we can't fight these guys..." Jason cried. "We have to run."

"But-!" He quickly leapt back as another got close and swung at it but any damage that it had done was healed by the potion on the sword. Stampy paled and stepped back.

"Come on!" Jason grabbed onto Stampy's arm before noticing that Quentin had fallen to the ground.

Stampy looked back and saw Quentin. He quickly moved forward, offering his hand to help him up. "Come on!"

Quentin grabbed onto Stampy's hand, standing up. Jason took his other hand and began to run through the trees, Quentin limping behind.

Stampy kept his grip on Quentin and followed Jason, trying to help Quentin keep up.

Explosions could be heard in the distance, and arrows began to whiz past the three's heads.

Stampy's eyes widened and he looked around for a place to take cover but couldn't see anything but knew they were back tracking. "Jason! We're backtracking! We can't go too far back! We need a place nearby!"

"We just need to find somewhere safe!" Quentin yelled. "We'll be able to come back in the morning!"

"But-!" Another arrow cut him off barely missing him. He quickly shut up and nodded.

Jason continued running, jumping and dodging the arrows. "Stella...? Is it possible for you to scan for any safe places?" He yelled.

"Yes, Captain! Scanning now!" A moment of silence from her before speaking. "About 50 feet ahead and slightly to your left is a cave."

"T-thanks!" Jason huffed, picking up speed.

"Of course, Captain!"

A hill approached, a small cave inside. "Over here!"

Stampy had fallen behind to help Quentin and they hurried inside, Stampy only stopping briefly before entering.

Jason quickly out a torch on the ground, covering up the entrance with wood planks. He left one block empty for a window.

Stampy helped Quentin to the floor then also sat down, his heart pounding and looked over at Jason, tensing as he covered the entrance but said nothing.

Jason sat by Stampy "It's ok..." He patted him on the back.

Quentin was sat on the opposite side of the cave, his jacket covering up his mouth.

Stampy gave him a small smile. "Th-Thanks... Just... A bit claustrophobic..."

Jason sighed, knowing that that wasn;t the reason, but chose to not press any further.

"Is everyone alright, Captain?" Stella asked

"I think so..." Jason trailed off before seeing a bit of blood on Quentin's leg.

"It appears Quentin is injured, Captain."

"I'm fine." Quentin said.

"I have scanned you for injures. You have a broken leg and have several lacerations from arrows grazing you along with the explosion. You are also bleeding in all the mentioned places."

Jason moved closer to Quentin. "Oh no... We gotta."

"It's fine." He snapped. "I'm fine."

Stampy watched frowning.

"But you are clearly injured," Stella tried to argue. "If untreated your wounds could-"

"SHUT UP!" Quentin yelled. "I TOLD YOU, I'M FINE."

Stella would have flinched back if she had a body and fell silent.

Stampy flinched at the loud voice, covering his sensitive ears. "Hey, I know you're stressed out but there's no need to take it out on Stella. She's just trying to help-" Stampy carefully spoke up.

"We wouldn't be in this scenario if it wasn't for you!"

Stampy flinched back, ears lying back before narrowing his eyes. "Well, I'm sorry for trying to push onward to get to my family back home instead of turning tail and calling it quits like a coward!"

"I'm not a coward! I'm just trying to live!"

"Who cares if we live?! Kala will kill us here eventually so we might as well fight and try to push onward! If I die here I want to die fighting to my last breath!"

"I care if we live! I've been here for three years! You think I wanna survive this long just to die by some arrow to the knee?!"

"Then why didn't you just let Stella try to help you?!"

"You really think I'm gonna trust something that Kala made?"

"She has done nothing but help us!"

"So far!" Quentin's voice shook. "Who knows when she'll turn on us!"

Stampy growled, fur bristling. "She's saved us! A couple of times now actually!"

Stella listened to them argue before speaking again. "I... I never meant to upset anyone... Or make anyone angry at each other... I just... I just wanted to help... I-I..." Her voice sounded brokenhearted and then it became depressed. "I-I'm sorry, Captain." And before Jason could say anything, she went silent and the constant but quiet hum of his choker became more or less non existent and the small vibrations grew still.

"EVERYONE SHUT UP!" Jason stood up and screamed.

Stampy's ears laid back again as he flinched in pain and covered them, slowly looking up at Jason.

"We're never gonna get out of here if you guys keep acting like this!" Jason's voice shook as tears began to fall down his face.

Stampy looked down, tail wrapping around him with a small sigh and nod.

Quentin fell silent.

Jason looked down at his choker. It wasn't glowing anymore. "Stella? Stella?!"

There was no response. The humming and vibrating stayed silent and still.

Stampy watched Jason, realizing something had happened but dared not say anything.

Jason panicked and broke and entrance out of the cave. He stormed out and took off the choker, starting down at it.

It's light no longer glowed and looked lifeless.

"Stella no..." Jason's breaths became quick and heavy. "Please...."

The noises of the forest were all that replied to him.

Jason fell to his knees, still clutching the choker.

Stampy had stood from his spot in the cave and slowly approached the entrance and watched him, ears and tail drooping.

"Give him some space..."Quentin whispered, staring into the fire.

Stampy sighed softly and came over, keeping his distance from Quentin.

Quentin fell silent, moving his legs up to his chest. He continued to stare off.

Stampy kept glancing over at Jason, unsure of what to do to help... if anything.

Jason sat in silence, tears rolling down his face and onto the little orange star.