Chapter 6

The following day, Emmet took a wonderful bath, put on some new clothes and got ready for the day. The hoodie he was now wearing was dark blue with a thick white line across the hood. And his pants were darker blue still, and he was wearing fine new shoes.

"Hope you like it. Custom made those myself." said Tiny as he entered the tent.

"Where's Joshua?" asked Emmet.

"Oh, he's barking orders at the cleanup crew. Last night's party was a total disaster." said Tiny.

"How can you stand that jerk?" asked Emmet.

"I don't know kid. We've been friends since we were kids. I guess that's why I have patience with the dude." said Tiny.

"Tiny, where's my coffee? I told you to make it three times already!" said the voice of Joshua from the outside the tent.

Tiny rolled his eyes and forced a smile. "Coming." he said grinning.

Emmet went outside and saw the cleanup crew hard at work. And Joshua was speaking to the head janitor, who happened to be a large racoon.

"Your demands are outrageous! We can't have this place cleaned up in an hour. It will take us more than that." said the large raccoon.

"And I have a party to host tonight. A big one!" said Joshua.

The raccoon rolled his eyes. "Let me guess? Another one of your disgusting sex romps?" he said.

"Gracious no! The last time I hosted one of those…. Forget about it. Tonight is a night to dethrone the queen in our darkest and deepest fantasies." said Joshua.

"You're not funny. You think you're funny, but you're not. You are a disgusting shame to our forest. You were once a decent young man who fought for Rood Bridge Park without hesitation! But today, you are an unhappy individual who is wasting away your life here in this sick and depraved place. There will be no further business with you." said the raccoon. The other raccoon janitors listened in and agreed.

"Fine. I was thinking of hosting an all exclusive raccoon romp. You know. Girls. Boys. A lot of alcohol." said Joshua.

"Dude, just shut up." said the raccoon.

As they turned to leave, Joshua simply stared at them and made a popping sound with his lips.

"There goes my favorite cleanup crew. A backstabbing cleanup crew. And insulted by raccoons no less." said Joshua.

"That's because you are unlikable!" said Emmet.

"Oh, the little goblin from last night." said Joshua.

"Goblin!?" cried Emmet.

"You have a home to get to. And consider yourself lucky I ain't writing a letter to your parents saying I caught you here in this den of sin, which I rule." said Joshua.

"I don't have parents." said Emmet.

Joshua closed his mouth, then he stretched his arms.

"Okay. Then I'll alert an orphanage back in your village to take you in." said Joshua.

"You don't understand. I can't go home. I have to find the red flower." said Emmet.

"Red flower? You mean fire?" asked Joshua.

"No. The red flower. It's an actual flower with medical properties. You see, there's an outbreak back in Rood Bridge Park. And Moss is in on it. He unleashed a disease back home and kids are getting sick and they are close to dying." said Emmet.

Tiny gasped and Joshua's eyes widened. "But why are you here?" asked Joshua.

"What? Why am I here? To find the flower!" cried Emmet.

"Sorry, I think the better question was… who sent you here?" said Joshua.

"Queen Imani sent me. She said-" Emmet was starting to say until Joshua cut him in.

"She sent YOU?! A little boy? Out in the wild? Is she insane?!" cried Joshua.

"The mothmen told her to send me. None of her men would even dare go out to find the flower." said Emmet.

"What?! You mean my men?! The fools I trained to fight?! What a bunch of LOSERS! I TRAINED THEM TO BE WARRIORS! NOT WUSSIES! WHAT THE ACTUAL HECK?! AND THEY SEND A KID?!" Joshua was screaming at the top of his lungs and started to kick the ground angrily.

"I WASTED SO MUCH TIME TRAINING THOSE GOOD FOR NOTHING IDIOTS AND THEY ARE AFRAID OF A LITTLE CAMPING?!" he continued screaming.

Emmet didn't know either to laugh or be afraid of this maniac. Tiny on the other hand walked up to him. "Joshua. Remember what your doctor told you. You have to find your zen. Your happy place." said Tiny.

Joshua was starting to pant and closed his eyes. "Sweet lord Jesus Christ. This cannot be happening." he said.

Emmet walked up to him and Joshua let out a huge sigh.

"How long have you been out into the wild?" he asked calmly.

"It's been two days. I saw dangerous wild animals out there and I was almost eaten." said Emmet.

"I can't believe it. You have no sword, no magic, and yet you braved the forest with nothing. If a kid can do it, surely those idiot wussies back in the village could go get the flower. But what was Imani thinking of sending you out here?!" said Joshua.

"It was her choice, not mine." said Emmet.

"But still…. You can't go alone! It's too dangerous for you out there! That's it! I'm coming with you!" said Joshua.

"What the what?" asked Emmet.

Even Tiny was surprised. "You what?" he even said.

"You two heard me. I'm going with the boy to find the damn flower, hand it over to Imani, then I'm going to unleash hell on my men!" said Joshua.

"You mean… you'd help me?" asked Emmet, hope rising in his chest.

"Well duh! Of course I'm going to help you! I'm going to prove to those losers that their ex-captain still has what it takes!" he said out loud.

Joshua went into his tent and within moments he came out looking like a totally different man.

He sported a tye dye bandana and shirt. He also wore a blue coat with red shoulder cuffs, like those of a general and he stood upright. He looked nothing at all like a captain, but he did have the demeanor of one as he marched towards Emmet and Tiny.

"Okay, first things first. Tiny, you stay and host a new party! Make it into a disco night or something." said Joshua.

"Okay! I've been wanting to do something like that for a while now!" said Tiny with a smile.

"And you, Emmet, was it? You and I have an important job to do! You told me Rood Bridge Park is in danger! Okay, then let's go and save it! You will find your precious flower, hand it over to the Queen what her face, and I will meet with my men and give them the worst time of their lives! Any objections!" said Joshua.

"No sir!" said Tiny.

"No objections." said Emmet softly, yet smiling.

"Alright! Company, dismissed! Off to find the flower!" said Joshua.

Tiny quickly ran after the raccoon janitors and Joshua walked side by side with Emmet.

"I gotta hand it to you kid, you've got a stomach." he said.

"A stomach?" asked Emmet.

"It's my way of saying you got guts. You fought and survived the forest with no weapons and no armor. My men wouldn't even dare go out like that. You did. And for that, you deserve a huge pat on the back." said Joshua.

Emmet felt like he was glowing and nodded. "Thanks."