Jedediah POV

Chapter 27: A brotherly conversation

I blinked with my eyes for a few times, but it was still dark. I knew I was back to live and I knew I was safe. But then something kicked my leg pretty hard.

"Au! Stupid Roman!" I reacted and kicked back.

"Au! What? Stupid Roman?" Agrippa replied surprised to me. I could hear Octavius laugh at my other side. Fortunately there came some light from above and Attila got us out of his pocket in turn. The entire day we spend frozen and hidden in the pocket of a waxwork. And now that it was evening again, it was time to go back home.

"It wasn't that bad," Jacob said when we stood on the ground again. "I was afraid it would've been tighter."

"Of course it was easy for you," Agrippa responded. "You haven't been kicked by your leader." Slowly there appeared a hug smile on Jacob's face. "Octavius also laughed at me. Please, don't follow him."

Jacob looked at Agrippa really surprised. "Octavius laughed about Jedediah, not about you," Jacob said and was probably right. "But you were right, I'm laughing at you."

I listened to their conversation and I didn't know what to think about it. They acted like they knew each other for years, while they met as enemies yesterday. I felt Octavius eyes watching me, so I had to suppress the tendency to walk away. To make it even worse Attila the Hun said something weird again.

"I still don't understand what you're saying," I said a little harsh. I didn't really mean to sound so angry. I was grateful for what the Huns did for us, but still...

"Come on, Jedediah. They are not that bad," Jacob said with a smile on his face. "And even the Romans seem pretty nice to me." But still I just wanted Jacob to be back home and safe.

"Jedediah, Jacob. Attila is willing to bring us home," Octavius said to us.

Because we didn't all fit on one giant hand we decided that Jacob and I would be carried by some other Hun. I stared to the distant before me as we slowly moved and was lost in my own thoughts.

"So you and Octavius are friends for a couple of years now?" Jacob asked suddenly. I got snapped out of my thoughts and looked at Jacob. I would deny it to everybody else, definitely to Octavius, but I wouldn't lie to Jacob.

"Yes," I replied. "We are friends I think."

"I hope this means the war will end fast," Jacob continued. I looked at Jacob again. Jacob's brown eyes were focussed at his own hands, but I still could see the sad look written in them.

"You never liked this war, did you?" And finally the boy looked back at me.

"We're fighting for nothing, Jedediah," he answered me. "You both want to expand your land, but the museum decides the boundaries for us now. The manifest destiny ended a long time ago, Jedediah. Hundreds years or maybe even longer. The Roman Empire fell more than a thousand years ago. What we are fighting for is long gone. Like I said, we're fighting for nothing."

I thought about his words and came to the conclusion that he was right again. Indeed we fought for nothing.

"Why can't we just be friends, without the difficulties and wars? Marcus and Octavius are both nicer than I ever expected them to be."

"Jacob, stop," I said quickly. I knew he was right and that was why I didn't want to hear it.

"You saved Octavius in a snowstorm, but now I finally understand why he wasn't allowed to know," Jacob still easily continued. "It's like you are both afraid to make peace."

"That's enough Jacob, I thought you would always stay at my side," I said a little annoyed.

"And I will, Jedediah," Jacob respond. "But that doesn't mean I agree with every decision you make."

I looked ahead of me again and got a little bit tired of this conversation. "The war is everything we have, Jacob," I said as calm as I was able to. "All the others boys would be against the peace. It isn't their fault you're just so different and weird then..." I was too late from stopping myself from saying it. I didn't want to insult Jacob, he had more than enough of that for the rest of his life. But instead of the sad look I expected, I saw a smile appear on his face.

"All those years I seriously thought you saw me as a burden, but yesterday night I finally saw how wrong I was," Jacob said with a sweet smile. "You protected me like I was your little brother or something."

"You always made me think of a long gone family member," I finally confessed after all those years. "You were always like a little brother to me. I never saw you as a burden. You better remember that henceforth."

"Haha, you're a great big brother, Jed," Jacob said laughing. "But seriously, thank you." His laugh and words made me smile too and for once I allowed myself to smile.

"You're welcome, Jacob," I said softly.

On that moment, during our brotherly conversation, we came in the hall of the miniatures and the Hun who carried us, brought us to the Wild West. Without any effort the Hun pushed the glass wall aside and carefully placed us on the ground of the Wild West. We thanked the Huns and got welcomed by everybody. But still Jacob wasn't relieved and looked back all the time. Of course we were both glad the four of us made it back safely, but I knew Jacob wanted to ask Agrippa what he thought about this war every bad.

Finally chapter 27 is here. I'm sorry for not uploading last week. I was free from school and I never write during my holidays, but I forgot to mention it last chapter, so I apologize.

Even though, I hope you like this chapter. It came out better than I expected it to be, so I'm pretty satisfied with it. ;)