Dawn of the Infinity - Vol. II
Darkscript
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Dawn of the Infinity - Vol. II
by Darkscript
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Chapter 7: Swamp Central
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"We've been flying for seven hours!" I groaned feeling extremely
fatigued and cranky. "We've nearly arrived son," my father replied. He
didn't seem to have been phased form all this flying one bit. The others
did not share his same fortitude. Like me
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they were growing tired. Holding onto a flying horse was not the hardest thing in the world to do, but doing it for seven hours straight made it a bit more difficult. The sun was beginning to set in the distance, the bright vibrant rays of orange,
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purple, yellow, and red light illuminated the distant clouds painting a rather spectacle image.
I would have appreciated the beautiful sunset more had I not been so aggravated by the fact that I thought we were getting close nearly seven
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hours ago when we first started seeing the swamp clouds.
Apparently Swamp Central was in the middle of the biome, so getting to it took a lot longer than just reaching the parameter of the Swamp Land Cities. "What does the compass say?"
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Turk asked flying up beside my father. My father looked at the compass tied to his wrist. "We're nearly there, but a minute longer and we will arrive." "We made excellent time," said Vlad. "I was unsure that we'd make it here before nightfall. It's
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fortunate that the weather held for us." "Indeed," replied my father. He sounded clam, but I detected a hint of dismay in his voice. "I can feel the cities presence very near to us," said Uraa. "It's amazing how many minds that I can sense down there...
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millions." "Swamp Central is one of the largest cities in the entire world. Nearly one fifteenth of the entire planet's population lives there," said Vlad. "I've never been to it before," I said. "Most have not. It is a difficult journey without
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Pegasus," replied my father. "And in a time such as this, there is no safety for anyone traveling the roads in small numbers. I had the feeling that my father knew a bit more about the current predicament with this mob invasion then he was openly
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admitting. Why would the King ask him to undertake this mission? He was special, but not the King's right hand man. Why did the King want him to be the one to go and retrieve this Nether book? For something so important one would have imagined
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that the King's royal army would undertake this mission. Why did the King send the five of us instead? Was this a tactical stealth mission or something?
For something as important as a book to end this war for good, one would imagine more
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effort would be taken to acquire it. The only thing that I could think of was that the Pigmen would not appreciate a large human militarized force entering the Nether. They would see that as a threat and it could end in a battle. Even so, how smart was
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it to rest the fate of the world on our shoulders? "The city, we've reached it," said my father as his Pegasus dropped swiftly from the sky heading down towards the ground. We followed his lead. Once we penetrated the cloud layer we could see the
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massive intricately decorated city.
"This city is massive!" I exclaimed seeing it for the first time in my life. "Indeed," my father replied as we continued to rapidly descend. "Wait..." Uraa uttered. "Something is wrong."
There was an amassing cloud of
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smoke rising from the center of the city, as well as several other smaller smoke clouds rising up all around the city. I had not noticed them before she had said something. Most of the smoke hung low under the buildings, but now that we were closer it
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was noticeable. "Something's happened to the city..." Uraa continued as if trying to concentrate on seeing something in her mind. "There was a battle that occurred here, just this morning..." "Impossible!" My father shouted.
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This city is by far one of the most heavily fortified cities in the entire world! No force could penetrate its outer walls! In over five hundred years, over countless wars, no force has ever breached the city walls!" "What did this Uraa?" I asked
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looking over at her as we circled over top of the city. "I... I can see something, vaguely... but seeing the past is harder than seeing the future for me Steven. There was a battle... I know that for certain." "All you have to do is look around to see
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that," said Turk. "Those monstrosities!" Vlad shouted angrily. "Another innocent capital city besieged! When does it end!?" "When the darkness overcomes the light," Turk replied. "They will not stop until every last one of us is dead," my
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father said with heavy words and a hung head. "I feared that we would not make it here in time." "You knew that the city was going to be attacked?" I asked. "That was the message from the king I received. That is why I told you that we needed to
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leave immediately. The king sent me a messenger that reported that scouts from the Swamp Land City had sighted a massive hostile force amassing near the Swamp borders." "Why did the king not do anything to stop this if he knew about it!" I
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exclaimed.
"There was no time. The monsters had intercepted what reinforcements the king had sent before they arrived and decimated them in a surprise attack on their camps just last night. It was thought that the King's force would make it to
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this city in time, but they did not. With no reinforcements I knew that it was only a matter of time before the city was overrun... but I did not wish to believe that truth. This city has not been overrun for over five hundred years, so the thought
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that a monster force could take it in a single day was unthinkable. Clearly, we were mistaken. Fortunately, nearly all of the civilians were evacuated in time..." "You knew about this the whole time?" I asked. "We need to find the Nether portal and
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reactivate it," he continued, ignoring me. "It may not yet be too late to reactivate it." "The monsters predicted this move," said Turk. "But to decimate an entire capital city, just to stop us, that seems a bit much!" "This city stands as a primary
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bulkhead, defending our territory in the Plains. This city is also the capital of the Swamp Land Cities. It makes the most sense to cripple the major fortification first, leaving the other cities weakened and separated. Now that I see that the Swamp
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Central has in fact fallen, it is only a matter of time before the entire swamp is overrun." "Their forces are advancing!" said Turk. "But what kind of unreal army could have laid waste to a city as well fortified as this one?" "I see something dark..."
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said Uraa, still continuing her vision. "Something was commanding the monster force that attacked this city this morning." "You don't think it could have been," I started to say. "Herobrine is locked in the end! There is no way it could have been
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him!" Turk rebutted immediately.
"I don't think that it was Herobrine..." said Uraa, "No, I'm sensing a much more powerful force." "More powerful then Herobrine!?" I exclaimed. "Impossible," said my father. "There's nothing that's
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more powerful than him," said Vlad. "Whatever this creature was, it was more powerful by far." "How much more so?" "I would say, indescribably more powerful..." "That cannot be," said my father. "What could be more capable then Herobrine?" "I... I
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can't tell... but whatever it was, it was capable of commanding countless hostile mob minds at once. Millions, to say the least." "Millions!" My father exclaimed. "Impossible! Not at once!" "That's just what I sense sir." "What could
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possibly have been powerful enough to do something like this if not Herobrine?" Turk asked, now convinced that it may have been Herobrine after all. "I don't know. Its power is far beyond that of my own," said Uraa, "I can't see past the veil of
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darkness it left behind." "Is it gone now?" I asked. "I am not sensing it nearby, I believe so," Uraa replied. "I don't believe this!" said Turk. "If what Uraa says true we have to make sure the king knows about this immediately!" said Vlad. "If there
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is something more capable of controlling the mobs then Herobrine in our world, and that entity is leading the mob army against us, the king needs to know!"
"We have a mission to carry out before we consider any other course of action. Those where the
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king's orders, while he knew about the situation here, he wanted us to complete this mission over any other priority," said my father. "But things have changed!" stated Vlad. If Uraa is correct in what she says..." "It changes nothing..." my father
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interrupted. "We have a mission to complete. That is the end of it!" "This information could prove extremely important!" "That is not my concern!" my father shouted at Vlad. "This mission was tasked to me, you are here under our king's orders same as I.
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If you want to make a difference, a real difference, than help us find this book! The king believes it alone can save us, which is reason enough to complete our mission first. This new monster will not be halted by us telling the king of its presence in
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our world. And if this book is so important, then the answers to this new 'super' monster may in fact also be within that book's pages. Our current mission holds priority over what has happened here, regardless of what did this." "I understand sir..."
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Vlad said giving in to my father's argument. My father was right though. No matter whether there was a new 'super' monster or not changed nothing. We needed to focus on getting the book that would aid us in ending this war. And the appearance of
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this new monster was only more reason to acquire that book. If the monsters would go to this effort, launch this large a scale of an assault, it confirmed that the book was as valuable as the king believed it was. We had to do everything in our power
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to get a hold of that book! Now the fate of our world really did appear to rest on that book's knowledge. I do hope it has something important to tell us. There is a good landing site over there," said my father brining his horse down
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towards a relatively in tack part of the city. "That building over there..." Uraa said pointing to an old worn down structure. "There is something, calling, to me from within that facility." "It looks like a church," said Turk, as we descended towards
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it. The building was defiantly a church. Smashed stained glass murals and depictions of Notch covered the building's interior windows and huge stone decorations lined the sides of the building. The structure itself, incredibly,
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remained mostly intact. "These monsters have no honor... to do something like this to a church of all things!" Turk said angrily. We set down beside the church and dismounted, tying off our horses and looking around. "There's no one
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here?" said Vlad. "Uraa, I thought you said you sensed millions of minds?" "I do..." she said sounding slightly frightened. "Those minds aren't human are they?" asked my father. She shook her head. "I don't think they are." "Then we need to move!"
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he said remounting his Pegasus. "No wait..." Uraa said stopping him. "We're looking for a Nether portal? I think that what I'm feeling is that portal... literally directly in front of us." "The church?" I asked. "Of course!" my father said shaking his
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head. "I was so foolish not to have realized! The portal frame will be inside that building. Where better a place to keep such a holly relic?"
"How do we know the portal's in that one? There are thousands of churches," said Vlad. "It's this one," said
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Uraa. "I felt it ever since we started heading towards it. There is a supernatural power emanating from its interior sublevels of the structure." "So that means we have to go in there?" Vlad asked. "It's nearly night," Turk pointed out. "How could
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the mobs have besieged this fortress this morning?" I thought aloud. "It would have been daytime while they were attacking." "True, but there are many mobs that are not harmed by the solar energies of the sun Steven," said my father. "Such
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as?" "Take Silverfish for example," said Turk. "Those only exist now in ancient strongholds, and they're a myth at that," I replied, "No one's actually ever seen one either." "True, but there are others. What about ogres, dragons, creepers, or
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even skeletons. Any of them really! Zombies are the only ones that burn in the daylight anyway, and that's just because their deteriorated flesh lacks the sun blocking element melatonin causing them to burn in sunlight. The other mobs are out at
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night typically just because its better cover and they have much better sight at nighttime. Take spiders for example. They can't see two feet in front of them in the day, but at night they have extremely accurate vision and depth perception. "Fine,
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you're right, I admit. But that does support the likeliness that another stronger mob type was controlling the force that pillaged this city. For that many mobs to attack one location all at the same time, and in the daylight hours, that's not normal at
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all. I think that Uraa is defiantly right that there's some force larger than anything we've seen before at work here."
"You're only agreeing with her because you like her Steven!" said Turk. "That is not true!" I exclaimed looking over to Uraa to make
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sure she was not listening to us. She wasn't, she was talking to Vlad now. "So you think that the Nether gateway frame is in this church?" Vlad asked. "I do, I sense its mystical energies flowing from this facilities foundation. The church is
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likely just a cover up. The structure we are looking for is likely deep underground, that is, judging by the distortion of the feeling that I'm getting form it." "Steven, why did you stop talking all of a sudden?" Turk asked, and then
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looked over to Uraa and Vlad. "Oh, I get it... Right." "That's enough you two," My father said walking up behind us. I will not tolerate any separation of morals on this mission. You are both extremely vital to the success of our mission." "Dad, why did
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the king not send more men, if this mission is so important? Why us?" I asked finally getting the courage to ask him. Uraa and Vlad stopped talking and joined in to hear what my father had to say.
"I see I have no choice other than to inform you fully...
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I once served under the previous king. I was a high ranked general of his main military force. When the old king died he passed his liking for me onto the current king. The current king chose me for this mission, rather than another, because he
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understood that I've had a great deal of personal experience on the battlefield." "You never told us about any of this dad?" said Turk. "Is that why you were always gone when Steven and I were younger?" "Often times that is correct. After the last war
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ended though, there was no need for my skills, so I retired to become the head mine commissioner of the Southern Plains. Until I received the message from the king the other day, I believed my time in service had long since ended. I was at first
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reluctant to accept the king's request, but after the messenger told me of this book, I understood there was little choice that I possessed in the matter. This book may be our chance to save our world from obviation... I will not sit back and watch
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the future I once fought so valiantly, watched so many brave men give their lives to defend, vanish in vain. NO! By the Hammer of Thor, I will not let them overcome what we once fought for!" "Why did you never tell us any of this before now
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father?" I asked, amazed to learn that my father had once served the old king as a high ranked general. "It was never something that I wished for you all to know. There are terrible evils in this world, many I have fought against myself. I did not
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wish for my family to know of such evils. I wanted, a normal life, for a change. However, it seems this new war has forced a great deal of change on us all... so it is time that you understand what I really am. I am a loyal servant of the king, and this
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is why he has tasked me with this critically important mission... I do hope that you all can understand that." Hearing my father say these things, and then remembering how he dropped to his knees at the sight of Uraa, made me really wonder what he
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knew about her father. Clearly he understood something even she didn't, otherwise why would a high ranking general bow to even a mage like Uraa? He defiantly knew more about her then he was portraying. And the wand he had... from whom did he
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get it? "Father," Turk said kneeling. "No, do not kneel to me my son, you have earned your place to stand in my presence, you all have my respects. But I need your complete and utter cooperation during this most difficult time... can I count on all of
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you?" "Always," said Turk standing back up. "Good. Then, Uraa, if this is the place we are searching for, let us make haste. Night quickly approaches, and with so many hostiles throughout this city, we will need to get to the Nether portal as swiftly
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as possible."
"And what about armor?" asked Vlad. "More importantly, what about weapons?" asked Turk. "We will have to make do without them for now," replied my father. "We will not find those who expected our arrival now. They
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are long gone from this place. Let us hope that the Pigmen are feeling hospitable today."
"They typically are understanding of human activities in the Nether. I'm sure they will help us," I said. "I agree," said my father. Now, let us be moving,
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quickly. Are you certain this is the right place young one?" he asked turning to Uraa. She nodded. "I'm not sure how we so easily found it, perhaps fate, but this is defiantly where I am sensing the most powerful energies emanating from. I
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feel the most potent energy emanating form that entrance there," Uraa said pointing up a flight of stairs towards the church's entrance. "And can you see anything in our future?" "No, I can't, not yet. However, I am sensing something..." she said pausing
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and looking around... "There are numerous hostile life forms closing distance rapidly with us!" "Move inside the church!" My father shouted as he took the ropes from the Pegasus and set them free one by one. "How are we going to get home!?" asked
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Turk. "Another way... If we do not free them, they will be killed by the coming mobs. Now, quickly, into the church all of you!" "We had better hurry!" said Uraa looking over at the top of a nearby building. Several spiders were amassing on top
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of the building's shattered rooftop, they where stalking us and moving in quickly. Other mobs where gathering nearby, all spiders. They were now clearly aware of our presence. "Perhaps us dropping down into here was not the best idea!" said
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Turk, running for the church entrance. "Move, quickly!" my father shouted freeing the last Pegasus. The spiders were moving in all around us. It was now dark enough for them to track us effectively.
Uraa, Turk, and Vlad ran into the
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church, but I stayed behind with my father as he let free the last of the horses. "Steven, go!" he shouted looking around at the spiders now encircling the area. "Come on dad!" I said turning to run after the others. I looked back. My father
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was not running behind me. "Dad!" I shouted. "GO!" he screamed lifting a large stick from the ground beside his feet. "I will prolong their advance as long as I can!"
"I'm not leaving you behind! I said starting to run back towards him. "Steven! I
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heard Uraa call from inside the church. "Hurry!" There I was, between my father, and my friends. If I stayed with my father, we would possibly be able to fend off the spiders. But we would likely die trying. If I fled, I could help the others complete
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the mission, but my father stood no chance against this many spiders with only a tree branch as a weapon. I was going to have to make an impossible decision...
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Chapter 8:
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"Steven! GO!" My father screamed. I didn't want to abandon my father,
but I understood that I had to. He was willing to stay behind to give us
a chance, and I would only be dishonoring him if I didn't take that
chance and make the most of it... There
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was a tremendous emotional confliction raging in my mind. In those few seconds I felt so many feelings and thought so many thoughts... But then I stopped thinking, and I just acted. "Dad!" I shouted running towards him. "Steven get out of here!" he
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shouted as a spider leapt through the air towards him. He swiftly swung his tree branch around and bashed the spider to the face. It flew backwards and rolled over itself a few times, then took back to its feet and joined the others circling around my
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father. At this point my father was cut off from me, and other spiders were taking notice of me. The majority of the spiders were focused on him, since he was the one moving around so much. They were drawn to his movement, it stimulated them,
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and diverted their attention away from me. But a few spiders had seen me first and were still tracking onto me. "STEVEN RUN!" my father commanded bashing another spider to the head as it took a leap towards him.
"Steven you idiot, come on!" I heard
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Turk yell from the church. I backed away slowly towards the church, only to realize that I had spent too long out in the open. Additional spiders had come up behind me and had boxed me in. A sudden shiver of fear ran through my body. My father was busy
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dealing with the spiders around him, and I had no weapon in which to use for defense. One of the larger spiders of the group closing in on me started to hiss at the others. They backed away and allowed the largest one to move in on me uncontested. This
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spider challenging me was huge, much larger than the others. It was at least eight feet wide, and stood nearly four feet off the ground with its powerful eight legs fully extended. Its eight eyes, glistening red, hyper focused in on me as it crept
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closer. I couldn't run. The other spiders had surrounded me. If I ran for it they would take me down. Spiders were much faster than humans. I would never make it to the church a hundred yards away in time. My only remaining option was to fight. But I
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had no weapon. My father was so busy dealing with the other spiders that he didn't even notice that I was still standing there, now cornered by spiders myself. "Steven!" I heard Turk yell. I turned back to see him running towards me, in his hand a large
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rock. One of the spiders surrounding me broke from formation and challenged him. Turk was an extremely experienced fighter and he was extremely strong for his size. He had no fear, and had no consent for the word mercy when it came to hostile
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mobs such as spiders. Seeing me in danger, it triggered something in him, something frightening to even watch in action. He screamed with a terrifying rage unlike I've ever seen from him. Seeing me in danger had sent him into berserker mode. The spider
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reached him half way to me. It lunged out at him with its massive fangs ready to penetrate. Turk, enraged and furious, beat the spider to the face with his rock. It fell to the ground. He jumped onto its back and beat it repeatedly in the
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head until its exoskeleton ruptured and his rock crushed the spider's head. Turk dropped his rock and ripped the two front fangs off the dead spider with his bare hands and continued coming towards me. I continued avoiding the strikes of the
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massive spider in front of me. Turk reached me and several of the other spiders guarding me broke off and attacked him. He used the fangs of the spider he had killed as knives, slashing away at the other spiders, cutting legs, heads, whatever
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he could, off of their bodies. He killed all the ones that stood in his way and managed to reach me. The massive spider I had been avoiding now took a greater interest in him seeing as he was moving around so vigorously. Spiders are not intelligent
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mobs, so they attack whatever moves around the most. Turk knew this as he charged past me, still yelling at the top of his lungs like some kind of enraged monster. The huge spider lurched upwards showing its massive fangs. It tried to hit Turk to
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the ground with its front two legs, but Turk caught them under his armpits and with the spider fangs sliced them off at the ends. The spider screeched with a terrible noise and bashed its severed front legs against the ground in anger.
My father
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turned around to see what was going on. "What are you idiots doing!? RUN!" but he didn't have any more time than that to yell, he had to turn back to bash another spider across the head as it came at him. Turk, still screaming in anger, some kind of
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delusional rage almost, ran at the giant spider and leapt onto its back. He jabbed it repeatedly with the fang daggers. The spider didn't go down though. It reached up with one long arm and knocked Turk off its back. Turk rolled to the ground and
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another smaller spider jumped at him. Before he or I had time to react a beam of bright purple light flew past us and impaled the spider. "You're both going to get us all killed!" Uraa said running out from behind me, her wand drawn. The lager spider
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continued to go after Turk, while the smaller ones not dealing with our father came after Uraa and I. "Take the axe from my magic pouch Steven!" Uraa shouted throwing me her pouch. A spider lunged at her. She turned back to it and blasted it with a
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high intensity-electrifying spell that killed it on contact. "But I can't lift it!" I shouted back reaching into her pouch and pulling the battleaxe out as far as I could. As soon as the axe fell out of the pouch it seemed so heavy all of a sudden. I
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dropped it to the ground, unable to continue lifting it. "I can't lift it!" I said again. "Then give it to Turk!" she shouted blasting another spider away from me. Turk!" I shouted, hoping he would hear me through his range.
"What!?" he yelled
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back, leaping at the giant spider again. The spider slapped him out of the air and he landed on the ground in front of me. "Turk look!" I said point down at the axe. Turk smiled, "That's more like it!" he said lifting the battleaxe with one hand and
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swinging it around as if it weighed nothing at all. His strength in comparison to mine was incredible. "This turning to axe out in me beast!" is more like it!" he said face the spider, holding the front of himself. "Come at he shouted.
The spider
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didn't understand what he was saying, but it did come after him. Turk ran to meet it half way. Like a mythically strong god he swung the axe through one of the spider's long legs, cutting it right off its body. The leg fell to the ground and the spider
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squealed in pain, but did not give up. With another leg it swatted Turk away forcing him to drop the axe. The spider leapt into the air and came down on top of Turk. He rolled out of the way avoiding its fangs but was unable to reach the axe, which was
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now lying under the spider. Uraa was dealing with the smaller spiders and I still had no weapon. But then I remembered... the musket in Uraa's pouch. I quickly pulled the gun and a few rounds out of the pouch. "Finally, a weapon I can
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actually lift!" I thought pulling the sack of gunpowder from my pants pocket, being careful not to pull my father's mysterious wand out with it. I set the powder pouch on the ground and scooped a bit of it into the musket, and then picked up one of
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the musket rounds.
I looked up to see another spider bearing down over top of me, about to strike. But my gun wasn't loaded yet! Suddenly the spider was jerked backwards by something. Vlad had grabbed it by its hind legs a pulled it
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away from me. "Deal with the big one kid!" he shouted, wrestling with the spider. I loaded the musket round into the firing chamber and drew back the hammer. "Turk, move out of the way!" I shouted. "Steven wait!" Uraa shouted as she saw what was in my
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hands. It was too late though I had already lined up the giant spider and pulled the trigger. A huge burst of smoke came off the end of the gun and I was thrown backwards with incredible force. A loud bang rang out across the evening sky. I was thrown
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to my back. I swiftly looked up to see what had happened. The force from that gun was incredible. Something told me this was not just a normal gun either. Nothing Uraa had was normal. I looked up to see the spider frozen in its tracks. Its entire body
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was consumed by ice. Turk rushed over to it and smashed away at the spider's body with his fists until it fell to pieces. He stomped on the ruins and grunted loudly. "Good riddance!" he said taking up his battleaxe. "Vlad!" yelled Uraa, blasting the
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spider Vlad had pulled off me away. Vlad took to his feet and we all circled up forming a defensive against the growing sea of spiders.
"Got anything to get us out of this one Uraa?" I asked looking over my shoulder at her. "I told you not to
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shoot you moron! That gun was my father's gun! It's not an ordinary gun! The rounds are heavily infused magical pellets. Each does different things depending on the symbols carved into each round. My Master enchanted them himself. You
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should be grateful that you didn't accidently load one that did something insanely crazy!" "I wasn't really thinking about that Uraa, I was trying to kill that thing!" "And we've still got all these to deal with!" said Vlad. "Say Uraa, anything in that
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pouch that I can use?" Vlad asked picking Uraa's pouch up from the ground bellow us and handing it back to her. "No, sorry, I don't have any more weapons in here." "Oh, ok then, in that case I guess I'll just punch them to death..." My father ran towards
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us and joined into our circle. He had managed to break free of the mob pit surrounding him and make it to us. But now we were all trapped between an ocean of spiders that just kept coming. "There are too many to prevail!" shouted my father beating a
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spider with his branch, which had surprisingly not broken yet. "We need to get inside the church!" said Turk, smashing another spider with the axe. "Any ideas?" asked Vlad. "I have one..." Uraa said pulling out a small purple bottle from her pouch.
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"Potions?" "Invisibility, all of you, drink some! It won't be much, it will only last a minute at best since there are so many of us drinking from it," she said handing the bottle to Vlad first.
He drank from it and vanished. His weapon still showed
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up, but spiders where far too stupid to follow moving weapons around. No, they liked flesh and blood, if they couldn't see the person they didn't care as much to pursue. Vlad handed the bottle to Turk, who drank, vanished, and handed it to
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my father who did the same. Only our weapons and cloths remained visible, but the spiders would never be capable of tracking just that alone. "Here!" my father said handing the remainder of the potion to me. I took it from his invisible hand and drank
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the rest, remembering Uraa didn't need potions to cloak. "Come on!" I heard Turk say, as I watched his axe mow through the spider ocean heading towards the church. I picked up the gunpowder pouch from the ground and put it back into my
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pocket, then slung the musket over my shoulder latching the strap to my back. Trying to do that while following after the others was not the easiest of tasks. We all followed through the path Truk had cleared until we were all inside the church. The
#pgx129
spiders followed us somewhat, but really had no way to see us, so they eventually dissipated around the building's outside, searching for where we had gone to. "I think we're safe," Turk said looking out one of the intact glass murals. They're all just
#pgx130
wondering around out there clueless now." "That was reckless!" Uraa said punching me in the shoulder. I had expected that, but not from her. My father just looked at me. He seemed sort of proud of me, but still a slight bit of aggravation
#pgx131
loomed in his eyes, since I had not followed his orders and fled as he had commanded. "You saved my life, all of you," my father finally said. "I see we are capable of counting on each other after."
"Dad..." I started to say. HE was
#pgx132
bleeding from his arm and leg. "We need to keep moving. Those spiders will find us eventually," he said cutting me off. I assume he was aware of his injuries and was simply ignoring them. They must have only been minor. "Eventually is a shortcoming
#pgx133
sir," said Uraa. "They're already coming in through holes in the ceiling!" "They found us that fast!?" exclaimed Vlad. "The potion wore off, they're not that stupid," said Turk looking at his bleeding shoulder. "Spider nicked me with its spiny leg!"
#pgx134
"You alright?" I asked. "I'll be fine." "Where to next Uraa?" my father asked. "I'm looking," she said closing her eyes. "There's a hatch. It should be under one of the benches. Find it! It leads down into a lower part of the building's
#pgx135
infrastructure." We all started to tear the benches out of the ground and throw them to the side. "Does this seem wrong to you?" I asked, "We're desecrating a church." "It's already desecrated!" Turk replied ripping a
#pgx136
bench straight out of the floor and tossing it. Clearly his shoulder was not bothering him that much. "I found the entranceway!" exclaimed Vlad. "Of course he would be the one to find it," I thought to myself. We all ran over to him as the spiders
#pgx137
began to pour down the walls.
"Good timing!" said my father ripping the wooden trapdoor straight off its hinges and tossing it aside. "All of you in!" "No, we're not going through this again, you first dad!" I said. My father grabbed me and pushed me
#pgx138
in. "I'll be in after the lot of you!" I dropped down a few feet onto stone brick ground and looked up watching as the others descended the later behind me. "They shouldn't be able to fit through so narrow an entranceway," said Turk as he
#pgx139
dropped off the later and landed beside me. "You're probably right." Uraa and Vlad came down next, followed by my father. Just as Turk had said, the spider's bodies where much too large to fit down the narrow passageway to peruse us. They
#pgx140
clambered over each other trying to get in, but none were able to make it through the narrow gap.
"That's a relief..." I sigh. "Follow those lanterns..." said my father pointing down the mossy stone passageway... "This place looks old," said Turk. "Very
#pgx141
old," said my father. "And you're sure the Nether portal is in here somewhere?" I asked. "Of course I'm sure, every step we take I can feel its energies growing more potent! It's very near indeed," replied Uraa. "Which way?" my father asked as we came
#pgx142
to a two way split. "To the right," said Uraa. "Now where?" my father asked as we came to several sets of iron doors. "I'm sensing something immensely powerful emanating from behind the third door on the left side." "That must be it then," Turk said
#pgx143
rushing to open the door. He pulled the lever beside the door and it swung open. "Careful..." my father warned. "So, is it in there?" I asked. "What is it?" my father asked noticing the look on Turk's face. Turk looked back at us, a bewildered look on his
#pgx144
face. "...You guys are definitely going to want to take a look at this..."
#pgx145
Section 3
#pgx146
Chapter 9: Inter Dimensional Doorway
#pgx147
"What!? What do you see?" I asked rushing up behind him. I gasp, as I
looked into a room far larger than the outside of the door seemed to
suggest was possible. "This must be it..." said Turk stepping through the
doorway into the cathedral
#pgx148
chamber. I followed him in, followed by the others. "Would you look at this place..." muttered Vlad. "It's amazing! The detail, the architecture... this must have taken thousands of years to carve!" "Impressive," Uraa said walking into the room behind us.
#pgx149
She and Vlad walked to the ledge of the platform that we had walked onto and looked out across the massive room.
My father entered the room last, closing the door behind us. We all walked out onto a ledge that overlooked the massive room and
#pgx150
stood looking over Uraa and Vlad's shoulders. "That has got to be it!" Turk said pointing to the center of the room." "What is that?" I asked in awe. "It must be the Nether portal construction ring," said Turk.
"But, the portal, it's not active," said
#pgx151
Vlad. "Clearly we will need to reactivate it," said my father. "Considering the damages that we saw around the city above ground, I am surprised to see that this room even remains intact. It does not appear that the mobs have found this chamber yet,
#pgx152
else they would have most certainly destroyed this gateway." "So... how do we activate it?" I asked. "That thing is so massive!" Turk exclaimed once more.
"I was briefly educated in my time under the last king on the workings of the Nether Portals.
#pgx153
They are most challenging to activate, so I will require your full attention," my father said beckoning our attention towards him. "The Nether gateway operates by using raw electromagnetic energy that is run through a
#pgx154
dimensional reconfiguration conduit and channeled through the focal beams of those stone pillars to form the Nether portal lens creation." "Could you please repeat that in terms that apply to this time period?" said Turk scratching
#pgx155
his chin. "Do we even have anything like what you're talking about?" I asked. "What are all those things?" "That does not matter, it is beyond our world. There is no time to explain the details of the interworking of these technologies. You must
#pgx156
believe in what I tell you, and execute my orders, understood?" We all nodded. "The gateway appears to be untouched, so this should be rather easy for us. In order to power the gateway we will need to redirect the flow of energy from the
#pgx157
power nodes that store the electromagnetic energy back into the obsidian pylons within each of the stone pillars. Uraa, the energy you were detecting was the electromagnetic force used to power the obsidian pylons. Power must be
#pgx158
directed from each generator to its corresponding pylon. Uraa you being capable of sensing the electromagnetic energies within the generators means that they are still full of untapped power, and ready for immediate activation, we must simply
#pgx159
open the power links between the generators and their corresponding pylons. Once that task has been completed the Nether lens will form across the water's surface and allow us passage." "And you know all this, how?" Turk asked. "Do
#pgx160
not question me son! There are always three pylons that power any Nether gateway. They must all be activated, and the power within them allowed to flow freely into the pylons adjacent to them."
"So all we need to do is flip all those levers on,
#pgx161
right?" asked Vlad. "It is a bit more complicated than that I am afraid," continued my father. "All three power link connections must be activated within the same minute, else the power will not be sufficient and the lens will not form properly.
#pgx162
Destabilization of the Nether lens would cause a cataclysmic energy discharge that would vaporize this entire city instantly." "I can see why they don't turn it on very often..." I mumbled. "Pay attention boy," said my father pushing me softly. "We will
#pgx163
need to break into three groups. Vlad and Uraa, you shall go together to the nearest generator there." "Of course he would put them together," I thought to myself. "Turk, you and your brother shall head to activate the furthest generator over
#pgx164
there." "Looks like you're with me, little brother." "And I shall activate the third, there. We must coordinate our activation within the same minute of the first generator activation." "How are we going to do that?" asked Turk. "I can put a spell on
#pgx165
each of us that will allow us all to speak telekinetically, for a short time," said Uraa. "Very well, make it so," said my father. "There, it's done," said Uraa. "What, you didn't even do anything..." I stated. "Can you hear me?" I heard Uraa say in my
#pgx166
mind. "Wow, that's creepy..." said Turk in awe. "How did you..." I started to ask.
"Most beneficial, young one," interrupted my father. "We will use this ability to communicate and coordinate our activation of the generators."
#pgx167
"Understood, Steven, with me," said Turk starting to move out. "Make certain to keep that the mobs will be held find their way to us here, with us all in it," warned your eyes peeled. I do not believe at bay forever. They will eventually and attempt to
#pgx168
destroy this place my father.
"Understood," I said following after Turk down a flight of stone stairs, heading for the other side of the room. "Be safe Steven..." I heard Uraa speak in my mind. I looked back across the way at her, Vlad, and my
#pgx169
father. "Yeah... you to Uraa," I thought back.
"Steven, you do realize we can all hear your thoughts," Turk said aloud as we ran down the next flight of stone stairs. I blushed a bit and kept after him.
"It is imperative that we activate the
#pgx170
generators power flow at once," our father reminded, his voice ringing in our heads. "Do try not to mess this up Turk and Steven." "Always with the assurances father," Turk thought back. "Come on Steven, keep up," he said aloud running across the
#pgx171
decorative stone subflooring that represented the base level of the room. "Dad said we were headed to the furthest generator, so let's hurry and get there so we can time our activation with the others!" he said running faster. "Right behind
#pgx172
you!" I said trying to keep up with his pace. It didn't take as long as I would have thought for us to cross the room. Only a few moments later it seemed we were rounding the corner and there was the generator we were looking for. "That's got to be
#pgx173
it!" Turk exclaimed aloud. "Father, we're at the second generator now!" he said telekinetically. "Yes, I am nearing the third," he replied telekinetically. "Vlad and I are nearing our target as well," replied Uraa. Turk and I ran up to the
#pgx174
generator.
"So, how do we do this... this, science, thing father?" Turk asked mentally. "It is quite simple actually. Though the devise itself was created by far more advanced beings then ourselves, the activation process and generator
#pgx175
redirection activation sequences are quite simple. Even you could figure them out son." "Just tell me what to do father." "You will see a lever, it must be lifted upwards." "Wait... that's it?" I asked telekinetically. "Of course not," my father replied.
#pgx176
Push the lever upwards first! I have reached my target and am doing the same now!" "Yes, as have Vlad and I," replied Uraa. "We are pushing the lever into place now!" "Good, Turk and Steven, do the same and continue my instructions, exactly as I say
#pgx177
them!" "Understood," Turk replied pushing up the lever. A loud humming noise started to emanate from the generator before us. Before we knew it heat was beginning to radiate outwards from the machine. "Now what?" Turk asked. "There should be a series
#pgx178
of redstone wiring across the dashboard of the machine." "I see the redstone." "You need to essentially make all the redstone face upwards." "Alright, I'm doing it now! What next?" "Complete that task first! I must understand something before
#pgx179
we proceed." "Alright I did it!"
"We're having an issue with the redstone sir, one of the pieces is not moving upwards like the others when pushed," said Uraa. "Then it is as I imagined. Darn, I would have preferred that I have been the
#pgx180
one to have gotten your generator Uraa and Vlad." "Why, what's wrong?" I asked. "One of the three generators always has a single redstone piece that will not budge. Not until it is paid its homage." "I don't understand," Turk said. "He means
#pgx181
one of us is going to have to sacrifice blood to make it work. Magic... this device is magical," stated Uraa. "That is correct. All Nether gateways are as such. It is to prevent mobs from activating them on their own. Only willing human blood can unbind
#pgx182
the spell." "Of course," I thought to myself, "Mobs don't bleed human blood." "Let me do it Uraa," offered Vlad. "No, it should be me," Uraa rebutted. "No Uraa, Vlad's right, let him do it," I thought to her. "No I should be the one who does it," she
#pgx183
argued. "Look I don't care which one of you does it," stated Turk, "Someone just cut someone else's hand a bit and drip some blood on the redstone already!" "Turk is correct, we have no time for this, make a choice." "I'll do it," Vlad said... "There, I
#pgx184
slit my hand and smeared the blood across the redstone." "Move it upwards like the rest," said my father. "It worked this time."
"Good. Now then, there are two more steps that must be completed. Now that generators are
#pgx185
online, the redstone is active, and the blood paid, the next step is connecting the power link conduits to the generator itself. There should be a large cable of sorts lying near each generator. I have already connected mine. I will await
#pgx186
your confirmations that you have done the same before I proceed." As father had said there was some kind of cord lying near the generator. I ran over and picked it up, lugging it across the stone ground and plugging it into the only slot that it
#pgx187
could have fit into. "There it's done father," I said. "Ours is in as well," said Vlad. "Good, then for the final step. There are three buttons on the generator control panel above the redstone board. Press the central button on my command." "What
#pgx188
do the other two do?" I asked. "That is not relevant! Just press the central one on my command!" "Ready," said Turk. "Ready, said Uraa. "When the button is pressed, get as far from the generator as you can, make your way to the top of the chamber, to
#pgx189
the level where the portal will form in the center of the chamber. I will meet you all there. Do not delay! The generators have a seventeen second delay before they send their energy pulses into the pylons. If you are on the sublevel which
#pgx190
we are all standing on currently when that generator pulses, it will kill you instantly!" "Good to know," Turk said placing his hand over the central button. "On my mark," said my father. "Mark!"
Turk slammed his hand down onto the button and it
#pgx191
lowered into the machine making a clicking noise. The generator began emitting a thick cloud of purple energy and making a high pitched sound as if it were ready to explode. "Steven, let's move!" Turk shouted grabbing my arm and dragging me. I
#pgx192
broke free of his grip and followed after him. Turk and I were nearly to the stairs leading to the central platform when I realized that the poking agitating my side pocket had stopped. I felt my pocket where father's wand had been. It was not
#pgx193
there! I looked back, it had fallen out when Turk had grabbed me and jolted me and now lay on the ground in front of the generator. I immediately turned around and ran back to grab the wand. "Steven!" Turk shouted. I reached the wand and dove
#pgx194
to grab it, then hastily got back to my feet and ran back towards Turk, who was now standing on the stairs yelling at me to move faster. I could literally feel the radiation from the generator building behind me as I ran towards the stairs. "Steven!"
#pgx195
Turk shouted reaching out his hand. I leapt and grabbed onto his arm and he hoisted me up onto the stairs, just as a wave of purple energy shot out from the generator and consumed the entire sublevel floor. The energy rushed into the pylons and
#pgx196
began powering them. "That was reckless! What were you thinking!" "I couldn't lose this..." I said showing Turk the wand. "What is this?" he asked looking it over. "It was in father's personal chest."
"And you took it!? Why would you do
#pgx197
something that stupid, and then almost get yourself killed because of it!" "I just wanted to know what it was, so I brought it along because I figured Uraa might know." "I'm telling father about this," Turk said marching up the stairs towards
#pgx198
the top level. "Turk wait! I said running after him, shoving the wand back into my pocket. "Please, don't say anything to dad!" "You stole something from his chest Steven! It nearly got you killed just then! He needs to know about this!" "Wait look,
#pgx199
just hear me out! I took it because I want to know what it is and I knew father would never tell me. Uraa will know what it is." "What makes you so sure?" "Because, I think that this is a mage wand." Turk stopped running up the stairs and turned back to
#pgx200
look at me. Then he turned and started running again. I followed him all the way to the top, where the others had already met near the center of the platform. "Turk, wait," I said catching up to him as he marched over towards father. "The
#pgx201
others can hear our thoughts, but not our spoken words. They don't know anything about what just happened yet. Please, don't tell father about it!" I begged, practically grabbing onto his sleeve. "You're acting like a child Steven," he said
#pgx202
pulling his arm away. "Just, let me ask Uraa about it first, then you can tell him whatever you need to." Turk gave me a look. "Fine... but as soon as she tells you, I tell him. He needs to know. What you did was reckless, on both accounts." "I
#pgx203
understand... I just couldn't leave it behind is all."
"You shouldn't have even taken it in the first place!" "What's this shouting about? My father asked walking over to us. "Nothing..." Turk replied straight faced. My father grunted. "Take a
#pgx204
look at that fellows," he said pointing to the water that surrounded the Nether gateway. It vanished, vaporized into thin air, and became the purple Nether portal energy.
"So why is it that the Nether energy doesn't kill us
#pgx205
when it's like that, but would have if we got caught in it when it was being expelled from the machine?" I asked marveling at the sight of this massive Nether portal. "The energy is now much less concentrated. It's now extremely expanded across
#pgx206
the void lens of the time-space fabric that allowed for the portal creation. It is simply less potent." "Right..." I said. Nothing he was saying made any sense at all to me. I'm not even sure how he understood what he was saying.
"Let us move
#pgx207
swiftly," said my father. "The portal is on a timer, it will remain open only for another few minutes."
"And this is safe?" Turk said walking up to the outer film of the Nether portal. "It is," replied my father walking halfway into the field of
#pgx208
drizzling purple energy. His body vanished from the other side. Even though the purple portal was translucent, the part of him that had passed through the lens film was simply not there anymore. "All of you, through the portal,"
#pgx209
commanded my father. Uraa walked beside Vlad, holding onto his cut hand, as if nursing him. It made me sick to watch her comfort him like that... or was I just being jealous? They walked through the portal after my father gave them one more reassuring
#pgx210
stare. Turk followed after them, looking back at me. I knew what he was thinking about... the wand incident. But he was a man of his word, and would not tell father until I had completed my end of the deal and asked Uraa about the wand.
"Come on Steven,"
#pgx211
my father said nodding his head towards the portal, half his body still submerged in it. "So what happens if you pull your body back out?" I asked walking up the portal lens. My father stepped out of the portal. "Nothing, I simply don't go through.
#pgx212
The entire body must pass through in order to be transported." "I see," I said sticking my hand into the portal. I was honestly a bit nervous to go in, even having watched the others just do it before me. "Steven..." my father grumbled. I gulped
#pgx213
and moved through the portal. As my face moved through the portal lens film I immediately saw the other side of the Nether. It was like looking through a wormhole of sorts. As I passed from one world into the next, I became whole again. It felt like
#pgx214
falling through a warm bowl of jelly but emerging completely clean on the other side. "Do not move human!" I heard a harsh voice command from behind me. I turned to see several Pigmen soldiers holding the others to the ground face down with
#pgx215
their swords to the back of their heads. "On your knees human!" a particularly frightening looking Pigman with a powerful deep voice commanded. "NOW!" he said stepping forward and punching me in the gut. I fell to the
#pgx216
ground in pain and Turk lunged forward at the Pigman who had hit me, but the soldiers held him back. My father came through the portal a moment later and was immediately apprehended and forced to his knees. "More humans!?" said the Pigman who
#pgx217
had struck me. "What is the meaning of your being here humans!?" he asked looking over the lot of us. "Your kind are not welcome here!"
"I guess they aren't feeling hospitable today," I heard Vlad say to all of us in our minds. "Well... we certainly
#pgx218
picked a great time to enter the portal didn't we," Turk replied telekinetically. A Pigman swiftly grabbed me from behind and hoisted me over its shoulders. The other Pigmen soldiers did the same with my friends and father, carrying
#pgx219
us along on their backs, following after this leading Pigman. "Guard the portal! Capture any that come through!" commanded the leading Pigman. The remaining Pigman soldiers grunted and stayed behind. "Should we simply kill the humans now
#pgx220
sir?" one of the soldiers asked the leading Pigman. "No... we will take them to the Stronghold... and let High Templar Flyar determine their fate!"
#pgx221
Chapter 10: Welcome to the Nether
#pgx222
The Pigmen carried us on their backs for some time, taking us to a
Nether Stronghold. We reached a lake of lava surrounding the massive
complex and were ferried across to an outlying path surrounding the
stronghold. This place was a fortress made of
#pgx223
netherbrick and stone. Tall, impassible walls surrounded the entire complex. There looked to be no entrance into the complex other then the path that the Pigmen were carrying us down. It led into a large gate chamber that protected the stronghold's main
#pgx224
entrance. Tall guard towers surrounded the entire complex. They were manned by more Pigmen soldiers with bows. I couldn't see much of the complex from the path that the Pigmen had brought us through, but it appeared that the entire base was
#pgx225
surrounded by a deep lava moat, meant to prevent any intruders from even being capable of reaching the stronghold's walls. The path that they were bringing us through seemed to be the only way into or out of the stronghold. And
#pgx226
then you'd have to take a boat just to get back to land. The head Pigman nodded at guards atop the high netherbrick pillars guarding the gate entrance as we passed into the gate chamber. We stopped before the massive netherfence gate and waited for it
#pgx227
to open. The gate began to open and we moved through into the city.
Several Pigmen soldiers surrounded the ones carrying us and joined the escort party, while others sealed off the gate. I looked around. It seemed that this was a
#pgx228
militarized base. I saw no civilian Pigmen or women, or children. These men were all soldiers, most armed with golden swords, some with bows, and others with strange weapons that I'd never seen before. "Where are you taking us?" asked my father.
#pgx229
"Silence human!" the head Pigman commanded. We continued to be carried through the interworking of the base. The deeper inside the complex we got the more heavily fortified it seemed to become. Stone and quartz blocks supported the
#pgx230
interior of these sections of the base. It must have been the central region of the compound. It was far more heavily guarded then even the parameter of the stronghold's outer walls. There had to be some five hundred Pigmen soldiers about down here,
#pgx231
and those were just the ones we were seeing walking around in the open. They all stopped what they were doing as we were carried past them. They turned and watched us being carried away, wondering no doubt what humans were doing here.
#pgx232
Normally the Pigmen were rather hospitable to humans from the Over-World. But this bunch did not seem to have much interest in our presence here. They seemed threatened by it almost. "Set them down!" commanded the head Pigman. The
#pgx233
soldiers dropped us to our feet and secured us by grabbing our hands and pinning them behind our backs. "Move them into the chamber!" the head Pigman commanded. The soldiers shoved us into the next room. The room they had pushed us
#pgx234
into did not look suited to be in a place like this. It looked appropriately decorated and sophisticated almost.
"High Templar Flyar, I have captured these humans! They suck entrance into our world through one of the churche's main Nether portals!"
#pgx235
the head Pigman stated. There did not seem to be anyone in the room at first, but then a chair spun around to face us, and there sat a young Pigman boy, not but fifteen or so, eyeing us with a marvelous pondering smile.
"Ah! Yes, a most
#pgx236
timely arrival indeed friends," the boy said with excitement, jumping up from his chair and walking over to greet us. "Did I miss something?" I heard Turk speak in my mind. "Who are you?" my father asked as the boy approached. "Do not speak human!" the
#pgx237
head Pigman shouted raising his hand to strike my father. "Stop!" the boy commanded. "That is all, you may leave us now commander. You have done well." "But, High Templar, these humans may be..." "I do not believe that they have come here seeking
#pgx238
harm. I do not detect that in their nature," said the boy.
"Wait, this kid is High Templar Flyar!?" I heard Vlad speak in my mind. "It would appear so," my father replied. "Look at them commander," continued the boy. "That one is just a boy, the other
#pgx239
two appear to be knights of the king, judging by their mannerisms and physical appearances. That one is but an elderly man, and the last a young woman... What harm could they offer?" "But she is mage, sir!" "Yes, she is. May I see your
#pgx240
wand mage?" the boy asked walking up to Uraa, extending his hand. She did as he asked taking out her wand and handing it to him. He looked it up and down and then a great smile came to his face. "She is the apprentice of the mage lord called Traith,"
#pgx241
he said handing Uraa back her wand. "Traith?" asked the Pigman commander. "Indeed... it is an honor, great one," the child said kneeling briefly, then returning to standing. "And an honor it is that I posess in meeting you, Templar
#pgx242
Flyar?" said Uraa nodding her head in respect. "Ah then I see you have deduced that I am in fact Flyar, High Templar of this region and commanding officer of this base and its force in this province of the Nether." "With all do respects,
#pgx243
you seem a bit young," stated Vlad. Flyar smiled. "I am but fourteen in relations to your human life spans. However, I am more than capable of fulfilling my duties... please, do have a seat," Flyar said pointing to a grouping of chairs in the corner of
#pgx244
the room. "Commander, that will be all, thank you." "Understood," the Pigman commander said bowing and leaving the room with the rest of the soldiers.
"I do apologize for my commander's behavior. I do hope he was not too
#pgx245
rough in bringing you to me," Flyar said sitting down in his chair and turning to look at the rest of us. None of us sat down, we all just remained standing. "Please, tell me of your names?" "My name is Uraa." "I am Turk." "I'm Steven." "You can just
#pgx246
call me Vlad." "All you need know is that I serve the king of the OverWorld," said my father, for some reason unwilling to tell Flyar his name. "And by what name should I address you?" "If you must, you may refer to me as Orvin." "Very well then... It is
#pgx247
a pleasure to meet all of you. As you already know, my name is Flyar." "What is it that you want from us?" my father asked immediately getting down to business." "Yes, about that. I may seem little more than a young child to you, however, I assure
#pgx248
you that my physical age has little to do with my actual time in this world. I have a rare syndrome that develops from time to time in Pigmen called 'Vile Growth'. It prevents my body from aging past as you see me now. My true age would place me to be
#pgx249
near seventy five years of age, still young for a normal Pigman's life span. I will forever be imprisoned in this child's form. But I am used to it at this point." "That does explain a lot," I replied.
"Indeed... Now, as for the matter of why
#pgx250
you were brought to me. There has been a terrible war raging in this world for as long as any who live can remember. You know of our war." "We do, but few know of the technicalities," replied my father. "Then allow me to educate... It began many hundreds
#pgx251
of years ago. Only the oldest among our race can even recall the true events that trespassed. This world was not so desecrated once. It once rivaled the Over-World in its pristine beauty. But that was long ago." "What exactly happened to
#pgx252
change the Nether into what it is today?" I asked. "It was, our fault... We... altered... the course of fate. And, it did cost us something eternal... Our world's purity. It was taken from us, because we forgot how to live as one. Our greed and our strive for
#pgx253
power consumed us, and blinded us from reason. We did this to our own world... we took it from ourselves." "A war?" asked Turk. "A war to end all wars. A war that was the reason the Nether was separated from the Over-world." "Wait, are you telling us
#pgx254
that the Nether was once part of the Over-World?" asked Uraa. "That is correct. Once our world was pure and a part of the Over-World, but we wanted more. And we became overconfident. We made war on ourselves... and
#pgx255
sadly, we lost the war, and those who survived where banished to this place. But not only the men who had been defeated, but our entire part of the world, sealed away in this place as our eternal punishment for rebelling." "So, what became the
#pgx256
Nether was really a part of the Over-World once," said Vlad. "And because of your ancestors losing the war, they sealed away this part of the world in this dimension and called it the Nether. But then that would mean that Pigmen once existed in
#pgx257
the Over-World." "No. We were not always Pigmen. We were once humans as well. But over generations we have changed, adapted to this world, become something entirely new all together. The Pigmen were once the fallen humans, banished to this
#pgx258
world for all of time. Now we are as you know us, Pigmen. The name derived not from our appearances, but from the belief that our people were traitors, filth, scum, nothing more than pigs." "But, your war ended," said Uraa. "Why are you all
#pgx259
still imprisoned here?" "We are not imprisoned," Flyar chuckled. "Our ancestors were, but we are free to leave anytime we choose. But we do not. Our world is here now, our culture, our history, our very way of life, now resides in this world. We could
#pgx260
leave if we so choose to, but we do not wish it. We have adapted to this place, and we now call the Nether our true home. Besides, the humans would not accept us for what we are, not now. We are too far apart from them for them to understand... we are not
#pgx261
the ones that they imprisoned. And though the humans would allow us to leave if we so choose, they know we will not ever make that choice. For the Nether is now our true home." "A home in peril," said my father. "The forces of darkness
#pgx262
reach this world just as they are capable of reaching the Over-World. You must understand Flyar, as old as you are, that your war and ours are now the same. We cannot achieve victory alone. "Yes, I am aware. This is the nature of why I had instructed
#pgx263
my soldiers to bring anyone entering the Nether to me. I am aware that times are changing, and that the dark mobs of the void are now powerful enough to reach into all worlds... soon even the Aether will not be beyond their reach." "Impossible," said
#pgx264
Vlad.
"No, it is a certainty. They will soon have the power to reach the Aether. And if they are allowed to do that, all other dimensions shall fall." "How can we stop them?" I asked. "The Over-World... It is the key. The link between all dimensions
#pgx265
exists as the Over-World. Even the dimension that the dark mobs originate from, the void, is linked directly to your dimension in the Over-World. From the Over-World one can reach all exterior dimensional plains of our reality, it is alone the place
#pgx266
from which the dark mobs can reach the Aether." "What do they seek in the Aether that is so important that they would decimate all other dimensions just to acquire it?" asked Turk. "They are evil, they are chaos. They do not care what
#pgx267
becomes of our dimensions. They are fallen evil men, returned to torment the living. They care nothing for the balance of creation. There is something in the Aether that if they are allowed to control, will prevent good from ever overcoming the
#pgx268
darkness. "What is it that they're after?" asked Turk. "They seek something that is only referenced in the Bible of Notch." "That's the book we were sent by the king to find!" Turk exclaimed. "Yes, I imagined someone would come looking for it
#pgx269
eventually. This is another reason I had my soldiers bring any newcomers to me. You see, I too seek that book, for it possesses countless answers to our worlds. One of such secrets I will inform you of... but I need your help in retrieving the
#pgx270
book." "Wait you mean you guys don't have it?" asked Vlad. "No... it was, taken from us by our enemies the Ghast and their allies the Wither Skeletons. We have not possessed that book for nearly a millennia."
"That is going to complicate
#pgx271
things," said Turk. "Indeed. Which is why I was most hoping that you would be willing to aid us in requiring the book? If you help us get it then we will allow you to view all that it beholds, to take whatever knowledge you desire from it." My father
#pgx272
nodded his head. "It is a deal then," he said reaching his hand out to shake Flyar's. "It seems that our goals are the same then... preventing the dark mobs from reaching the Aether." "You knew about this father?" asked Turk. He nodded. It made me
#pgx273
wonder what other secrets my father had not told us. Just today alone we had learned so much about him that we never knew before. What else was there he was hiding? "Agreed," Flyar said meeting my father's hand half way and shaking it firmly.
#pgx274
"I will prepare armor and weapons for you and your friends, but first you should get some rest. You all seem rather tired." He was right, this had been a long day, rest sounded like a great idea about now. "Tell us more about this secret first, the
#pgx275
Aether," said Uraa. "What is it that the dark mobs are after that resides in the Aether?" "This is a discussion best heard when you are more prepared and better rested," Flyar said standing from his chair, preparing to exit. "No, I want to know!" she
#pgx276
said with a strangely curious interest. "Yes... I see... it does pertain to you directly mage," Flyar said sitting back down in his chair and folding his hands over his lap. "Your Master Traith was one of them, you know this don't you?" "Yes... I know," she
#pgx277
replied softly, sorrowfully.
"It is only natural for you to be curious then. You all should get rest, but I will grant you this request young mage. Traith was part of a group that was sworn to protect the Aether from the darkness... Long ago, when
#pgx278
the first war began, it seemed that there was no way to stop Herobrine from consuming the world. But a select group of chosen heroes rose and fought back the darkness. Traith was one who did battle with Herobrine, and nearly defeated him. But it was
#pgx279
only the entirety of the group all as one, who held the power that finally bested Herobrine, and sealed him away in the End for all of time." "How do you know all this?" I asked. "My father had read from the Bible of Notch, and told me stories. What I
#pgx280
am telling you is from the book's readings and from recorded history." "Who was it that finally sealed away Herobrine?" Turk asked. "Not one... but many. Sworn to stand against the darkness, to uphold the eternal light of freedom and life... A legendary
#pgx281
force that was known as 'The Infinity'." "The Infinity? That's what the dark mobs are after?" I asked, "To destroy the Infinity?" "Those who served in its ranks are all dead, but their spirits live on in the Aether. We don't know anything more than
#pgx282
that. The rest of that knowledge is within the pages of the Bible of Notch." "So, let's go and get it then!" exclaimed Turk. "That task is for another day warrior," said Flyar. "Rest is what you need now." "He's right Turk," said my father. "We can
#pgx283
begin first thing tomorrow." "Agreed," said Flyar. "I will arrange a meal and sleeping courters for you all, and I will meet with you tomorrow morning to discuss this matter further... I am putting my faith in you, please give me no reason that would
#pgx284
undermine that trust, humans," Flyar said standing from his chair once more. "Then first thing tomorrow, we discuss how to get this book back," said Turk. "I agree," said Vlad. "It will be a most difficult task I'm afraid. The Skeletons and Ghast will
#pgx285
not surrender it without a fight." "We're ready for that," I said confidently. "I do hope you are. The Ghast are more terrible then you could ever imagine... Commander!" The commanding Pigman reentered the room. "Sir!?" "Please
#pgx286
escort our guests to their quarters. They are not to be harmed or harassed in any way. They are to be fed well, and treated with the upmost respects. Is this in any way unclear?" "No sir!" "Then please see to it immediately." "As you command!"
#pgx287
"Templar!" another Pigman shouted rushing into the room, nearly toppling over. "Templar! There is a Ghast approaching our stronghold!" Flyar's face grew serious. "Sound the alarms! Prepare the men for combat! I want all stations on
#pgx288
guard, full force on the main frontal wall! Ready the harpoon guns and brace the Blaze sonic echolocation scrabbling device for immediate firing!" he shouted. "It seems as if I spoke too soon my friends. The Ghast must have detected your presence
#pgx289
when the portal opened from your world! They must be aware that you are here... How many are there?" "One sir!"
"We can handle just one Ghast!" said Turk. "Just give us some weapons and we can help take care of it!" Flyar looked at Turk, "No my
#pgx290
friend, even a single Ghast could prove the end of us. The Ghast have changed since the last time humans were here a few years back. Something has, altered them. A single Ghast is a battle for survival. It will take every man at this base just to bring
#pgx291
down one!" "Sir, we need to get you to safety!" said another soldier. ... "Looks like that meal is going to be prolonged after all," Turk mumbled. "This is no joke Turk," said Uraa. "She is correct," said my father. "If the Ghast have been altered then we
#pgx292
may be facing quite the advocacy." "All of you come with me," said Flyar, "We need to get you to safety!" "Do as he says," ordered my father. "After you." "Yes, this way! We will need to get to the underground structures of this stronghold. There
#pgx293
we will find tunnel systems leading to a safe location," Flyar said as we all fled the room behind him. "We will need to pass through the upper level of the base in order to reach the tunnel leading into the lower areas of the base." "We'll be right
#pgx294
behind you," said my father. Loud sirens sounded all throughout the stronghold. The echo reverberated off the walls making the noise almost unbearably loud. I covered my ears just to keep from going deaf. We followed Flyar
#pgx295
through passageways throughout the base, until we reached the upper level where we could see the surface again. "Come this way!" Flyar shouted over the sirens. Soldiers were rushing this way and that preparing
#pgx296
for battle. I can't help but feel like Turk was ready to join them, but he wouldn't, that would be reckless.
"There is our passage!" Flyar shouted pointing to the entrance of a cave like structure across the open courtyard.
#pgx297
"Sweet mother of God," I heard Turk think. "The thing's already here!" he said aloud pointing off into the distance. Like a huge white cloud of jellyfish shape ectoplasm the Ghast was moving into our sight. It was massive! This was not anything like
#pgx298
the Ghasts that I had read about. This thing was as Flyar has said... Altered.
#pgx299
Chapter 11: Under Siege
#pgx300
"On my mark we run for the tunnel entrance!" said Fylar. "Sir, we are
not going to make it to that tunnel before the Ghast descends," warned
the Pigman commander.
"We must try." "Look out!" someone shouted. A moment later a huge
#pgx301
shockwave rippled through the ground and nearly toppled us. "What was that?" Turk asked peering around the corner into the courtyard. "Guys I believe the Ghast has arrived," Turk said looking back at us. "One of its tentacles just broke through the
#pgx302
frontal wall!" "Well... there's no point in us running now, it's already upon us," Fylar groaned.
"What makes these altered Ghast so much more differcult to kill then the original ones?" Vlad asked also peering around the corner to get a look at what
#pgx303
was going on. "What!? Fylar asked, speak louder, the sirens are making it difficult to here you!" "I said, what makes theses Ghast so strong!?" "For one thing, these new Ghast are extremely evolved. They possess new tentacles that are thicker, longer,
#pgx304
stronger, and much more capable of deep penetrating through solidified netherbrick walls. They have also adapted the ability to consume lava and hold it within their plasma membranes, dispensing it from their giant mouths in the form of
#pgx305
fireballs. On top of that, they are larger, and their carapace is now even harder to penetrate do to their jelly like nature of the cellular fabric of their tissues. Not to mention that they've adapted a way to physically carry Wither skeletons
#pgx306
inside their bodies and drop them off at targeted locations... Our only defense against the new Ghast so far has been the Blaze EMP that I designed." "Blaze EMP?" Uraa asked. "It is a device that harnesses the sonic emissions that the Blaze rods
#pgx307
naturally generate. These new Ghast don't have eyes, so they refer to a type of modified sonar echolocation to detect their pray. When a Blaze rod is utilized by the machine I invented it emits a high powered EMP burst that essentially blinds
#pgx308
the Ghast for a brief time, long enough to force it to retreat." "Genius," I said. "Yes well, as that may be, it is unfortunately a onetime use device. The Blaze rod is consumed when the device fires. A new rod must be used for each use, and the Blaze
#pgx309
do not offer their rods to us willingly. The only way to get a rod is to kill one, since the rods are bound to the life force of each blaze. We get most of our rods from recently dead Blaze, but sometimes we are forced to attempt to kill one in order to
#pgx310
take their rods. It is a most unfortunate and troublesome matter. You can only imagine the diplomatic issues with killing a Blaze. There people are not pleased, to say the least."
"I can imagine," said my father. "It may prove necessary to fire this
#pgx311
stronghold's EMP though. If we cannot defeat this beast by other means we will have no other option." "Templar! There is no safe passage to the entrance! If we run, we will be seen by the Ghast!" "Yes I see that." "Let us help you take it out!"
#pgx312
said Turk. "I would be up to that!" said Vlad. "Count me in as well," I added. Fylar scratched his chin. "It would be most dangerous. I could not guaranty your safety." "Well we aren't going anywhere while that thing is looming overhead now are
#pgx313
we!?" said Turk. "I suppose you are accurate. Hum, very well then, I suppose I can use all the soldiers I can get... "Commander! Equip them for battle!" "As you desire Templar... "You all, fetch me five pairs of armor!" the commander shouted to some nearby
#pgx314
soldiers. "Immediately commander!" they said giving their version of a human salute and rushing off. "Tell me what are your specialties as far as weapon preferences!?" the commander asked looking to us. "Uraa, could I have that battle axe back?"
#pgx315
Turk asked. "Oh, right," Uraa said opening her magic pouch and letting him reach in to retrieve the axe. "Excellent!" Turk said pulling the axe out. "I can use this," he replied to the commander. "I have my wand," Uraa said raising her wand.
#pgx316
"It would be wise for you not to fight mage, women are not permitted to fight in our culture," the commander scolded. "She is capable if she chooses commander," Fylar interjected. "The humans do not believe as we do." The commander
#pgx317
grunted. "And what of you old man?" "I could use a sword," replied my father. "And you boy?" he asked looking at Vlad. "Do you happen to have bow on hand?" "And you?" he asked looking to me. "Well I have this..." I said pulling the musket off my back and
#pgx318
showing it to the commander. "What is this device?" he asked astonished looking the gun over from top to bottom. "It was my father's musket," said Uraa. "It's a gunpowder powered projectile weapon that fires bullets at tremendous
#pgx319
velocity." "Most impressive human..." the commander said handing me back the musket. "I would like to study this weapon later if that is acceptable?" asked Fylar. "Of course," Uraa replied. "But Steven will require another weapon for close ranged
#pgx320
combat." "What preference have you boy?" asked the commander. I had not used a weapon in my life. I never had reason to until now. I had no idea what I might or might not be good at wielding. I knew one thing, that I was not strong enough to handle
#pgx321
that battleaxe. What weapon would suit a person like me? "Do you have something small?" I asked. "A knife," the commander said handing me a diamond bladed knife.
"This is made of diamond!" I said taking it from him. "Diamond is rather useless in our
#pgx322
world. Gold is the real prize. I would give you a golden knife, f I only had one to give... Soldiers, fetch me a sword and a bow with arrows!" "Immediately commander!" "They should return very shortly." Another huge bang ruptured the ground and shook us
#pgx323
where we stood. "The Ghast brought down another tentacle!" said Turk. This thing is
massive!" "Why is it dropping tentacles?" Uraa asked. "It is the Ghast's way of letting the Wither skeletons it carries into the stronghold." "So the Ghast is like a
#pgx324
carrier for the skeletons?" Turk asked. "That is correct." The soldiers that had gone to fetch armor where just now returning. "Sir, there were but three pairs of iron armor. We brought them all, but there will not be enough for you
#pgx325
all. "I don't need armor," said Uraa, "Hello, mage, we have self projected shielding." "Then that still leaves one of us without armor," I stated. "I will go without," my father offered. "It is more need for you younger ones then for I."
#pgx326
"Wait, Uraa. What about your father's armor in your pouch?" I asked remembering she had that still. "Right! Here, use this," Uraa said dumping out the armor from her pouch. "It should be about the right size for you, since it was once my father's
#pgx327
armor." "My father picked up the iron helmet and put it on his head. "Yes this will do nicely," he said bending down to pick up the rest of the armor. Vlad, Turk, and I put on the other three sets of iron armor. The armor was heavy, but not as heavy as
#pgx328
I had expected it to be. To my surprise I was actually able to move pretty well with it on.
"How does it fit," the commander asked. "Fine," replied Turk. "A little light around the pecks, but, other than that good to go!" "Incoming Wither!" a soldier
#pgx329
from outside shouted over the sirens. "Uraa, Steven, aid them in repelling the breaching force," ordered my father, "We will join you as soon as we have our weapons!" "Understood father!" "Come with me!" said the commander
#pgx330
rounding the corner into the quart yard. Uraa and I followed him. "Be brave my son," I heard my father speak in my mind.
As I came around the corner I could see how truly massive this creature was. It had to have been five hundred yards
#pgx331
across at least. It's massive tentacle like arms hung a hundred meters down from the initial body of the creature. It was simply massive. The two tentacles that had breached the walls of the stronghold lay across the shattered quart
#pgx332
yard. They were each as thick as a man's body and hundreds of meters long, stretching all the way back up to the massive jellyfish looking Ghast. How are we expected to kill something like that!?" I asked looking over at Uraa. "It's really too bad
#pgx333
that I can't affect it with a spell, but nothing I could do would be enough to harm something this massive." "There is no use attempting to affect the Ghast!" said the commander. It is far too large and far too difficult to harm for our weapons to
#pgx334
kill. We need only repel the incoming skeletons until the Blaze EMP is charged and ready to fire!" "Just tell us where you need us commander!" I said. "Help those soldiers defend this fortress from the incoming skeletons! Can I entrust you two
#pgx335
with that?" "We'll do the best we can!" I shouted back. "Incoming drop teams!" a soldier shouted from the wall. Dozens of Wither skeletons where sliding down the breaching tentacles, using it like rope to make their way across the lava
#pgx336
moat and directly into the stronghold quart yard. "Repel the invaders!" the commander shouted raising his golden sword in the air and letting out a battle cry. The skeletons came swiftly sliding down the tentacles towards the quart yard. "All harpoon
#pgx337
gunners, redirect and consetrate fire on the incoming skeletons!" shouted the commander.
"Why not try and take out the tentacles themselves?" I asked. "Pointless! Those tentacles are the most durable part of the Ghast's body. Are
#pgx338
harpoons can't penetrate them! All we can do is defend this fortress until the EMP is charged!" Harpoons started to fly at the breaching tentacles, hitting several skeletons at once and knocking them from the tentacles. The harpoons simply
#pgx339
bounced of the tentacle itself thought. A platoon of Pigmen soldiers formed at the end of the two tentacles and formed up in ranks, prepare for the battle. The commanding Pigman stood in front of them all, very unusual for a commanding
#pgx340
officer to stand in front of his men in battle.
Uraa and I took up positions on the force's flanks and braced ourselves, watching the hundreds of skeletons pour down the tentacles towards us. The commander
#pgx341
turned to the men. "This line will not fall! These skeletons will taste death but once more by the furry of our blades! They seek our lives, and they may take them from us, but this line does not fall! They will not penetrate! Stand against the
#pgx342
darkness!" he screamed turning back to the coming skeletons. The soldiers shouted raising their swords above their heads, beating their feet on the ground, and grunting in a rhythmic chant. The first of the Wither skeletons reached the
#pgx343
ground and leapt from the tentacle. "FOR FREEDOM!" the commander screamed rushing the skeletons, his sword drawn, ready to swing. The Pigmen rushed in behind him as they confronted the enemy. The soldiers met in a clash with the
#pgx344
force of skeletons. Swords met in violent clashes of metal on stone. Shouting and clanking swords overpowered the sirens. The commander impaled a skeleton with his golden coated steel blade, twisting the blade inside the skeleton's ribs,
#pgx345
ripping pieces of its chest away as he kicked it backwards and moved to engage the next skeleton. Soldiers were being killed, and skeletons decapitated. There was so much shouting, so much hatred. Uraa was blasting away skeletons that
#pgx346
were trying to dismount from the Ghast tentacle before they could reach the ground. I was just trying to makes sense of what was going on all around me. This was the first time that I had ever seen war, death, combat. It was more terrible then
#pgx347
I had ever imagined. Seeing these brave men charge into battle only to die by the sword of these skeletons... blood, and death, and pain... it was a terrible thing to see for one's self. War seemed so enticing as a child, but to actually see it for real
#pgx348
made you understand that it was horrible and cruel. Pigman soldiers would sometimes fall, and the skeletons would show them no mercy, ramming their stone blades through their chest as they scrambled to get back up or move out of the way. And the
#pgx349
dyeing men's screams of agony... there is nothing more painful in this world I think then to watch a man die in agony. It was a horror like I had never known. "Steven, look out!" Uraa shouted. I turned to see a skeleton charging me, its stone blade