Lord of Shadows: Shadow of Skiamance - Vol. I
Immortus
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Lord of Shadows: Shadow of Skiamance - Vol. I
by Immortus
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Prologue
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Skiamance lounged on his throne, his face an expressionless mask that
gave nothing away. The face could have been carved out of stone for all
the emotion it held, apart from the eyes, which glittered with a cold,
calculating yet cruel light. The eyes of
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a man who relished his power, who enjoyed the torment of others. The eyes of someone that was confident of his authority that was never questioned. The eyes of a ruler.
They glanced around the throne room now, taking in the polished stone bricks, the
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ornament paintings that cost more than a house, everything that was now his. His great empire, built over the years, uniting the places of the south.
Yet beyond the mask, something was there. Behind the veil of feigned control, known only to
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Skiamance himself there was a hurricane of questions, unknowns, disbelief and a tiny spark of what may have been fear. This in itself was extraordinary; the Emperor had nobody to fear.
And yet he was bothered. A
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dream, a terrible dream, warning him. At first he took no notice of it. What the Forewarner had told him had been ridiculous. For a mere boy to be his downfall... He laughed in disbelief to himself afterwards, waving it away. But only now was he
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dwelling on it once more, wondering if he had been foolish, because dreams like that were never just dreams. They were visions, omens, signs of what was to come. Skiamance allowed his composure to slip a fraction. Suppose the dream was right, suppose
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the boy indeed somehow managed to disrupt Skiamance's plans, to undo all that he had worked for, to stop his domination of the North, and, Notch forbid, even kill him. No, he thought, the Empire does not take to silly omens. He was great and powerful,
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and nothing could rival that power. Nothing. But it might be a good idea to deal with the boy anyway, just to be sure. If only he knew just where the boy was...
A sharp knock on the door told him he was not alone.
"Come in," He called, somewhat
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irritated. He had given orders specifically to be left alone, apart from important news. If they had disturbed him for no reason, he would make them pay.
With a lazy flick of Skiamance's hand, the doors flew open, revealing a figure in a cloak,
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clutching a crumpled scroll in his clenched fist. Glancing at the new arrival, instantly Skiamance's irritation vanished. There could only be one reason his head mage was here. They found it.
"My lord." The mage bowed before striding into the
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throne room. "We have located it, after so long searching, after months..."
Skiamance raised a hand, silencing the mage.
"You have done me a service Raz'iel. You have Lord Skiamance's favour." He rose out of the throne, and held
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out his hand, asking for the scroll. Raz'iel hesitated only slightly.
"May I ask what you intend to use it for?"
Skiamance froze, not used to being questioned in this way. Then he said coldly,
"My business is not yours also. Stand
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back and observe." He ran his eyes quickly over the scroll, reading it, feeling the power of the spell. It was written in an ancient tongue, the oldest of languages of Minecraftia. A language readable only by those who studied the magic
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arts. Satisfied, he tossed the scroll to Raz'iel who caught it easily, and went to stand in the centre of the throne room.
"My Lord," warned Raz'iel, "It is not wise to bring him back from the dead. He is chaotic, too powerful, too unpredictable."
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Skiamance waved him away.
"You should not fear power my friend. Power is made to be used. Besides, he will be a valuable asset."
Raz'iel still looked uneasy.
"My Lord," He said, phrasing his words carefully so as not to invoke his
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master's anger. "You have been known in the past to have certain... weaknesses involving power... would it not seem more prudent to-"
"Weaknesses?" Hissed Skiamance. "Lies. I am not weak. Are you reconsidering you allegiance to me already? Perhaps
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wish to join your old friend Stephan? Or maybe you doubt my abilities?" Raz'iel paled, taking a step back.
"No... my Lord."
"Good. Then proceed."
Raz'iel tossed something into the air, something that looked very much
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an eye. It hung there, suspended in midair by some unknown force.
"The eye of ender," said Skiamance in slight wonder. "Yes, it will make a fine life source to our newest ally."
Skiamance gazed at the eye of ender in front of him, then
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he began to chant, eyes fixed on the floor in front of him. Skiamance's voice echoed in the chamber, dry and rasping as he uttered in the tongue of darkness, energy collecting in the room. Shadows thickened and began to glimmer, drawn
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to the dark magic. Gradually, the shadows started to gather before Skiamance, a large sphere of dark matter slowly spreading across the stone tiles. It encased the eye, building something out of the shadows. Or someone. His
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voice grew louder and he raised his arms.
"Rise!" He called loudly, "Rise and serve me!"
The darkness fell away, revealing a hooded figure in a flowing cloak. The shadows fell on him so that only the lower part of his face
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was visible except for his eyes. They were closed.
Skiamance hung his head, breathing heavily. He felt exhausted. He had performed magic as advanced as this before, but this was the first time he had brought someone back from the
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dead, and the effort required was immense.
"Who do you serve?" He said hoarsely.
The hooded figure lifted his head, glancing at Skiamance with strange amusement, and a cold smile playing on his lips. His eyes flew open, a startling,
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blank white.
"Master Herobrine pledges his allegiance to you, my Lord."
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Chapter 1: Things Start Off Bad
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Maybe chopping wood on a day that would have been a day off, should
circumstances have been different, wasn't normally an idea of people's
fun, but for me it was certainly entertaining. Mostly because each time
I swung the axe, I
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pretended that I was destroying my problems.
CRACK. No money. CRACK. Stupid Skiamance with his stupid empire who brought this whole thing down on us. CRACK. Stupid, arrogant Gareth, with his taunts and sneers,
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constantly reminding me just how much more important he was. CRACK. Chopping wood every day just to be able to eat. CRACK. Constantly being the underdog to every imperial guard to ever have-
"Somebody's having a bad day."
I turned, and
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there stood Byjorn, chuckling in the doorway that looked out into the back yard, a little fenced off area from his forge. He wasn't really my father, more my carer, looking after me since I was a kid. Looking behind him into the forge, I could see
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the latest project he was working on. Some sort of double edged sword.
Still smiling, he continued playfully,
"When I told you to chop the wood, I didn't mean to brutally murder it with an axe."
"Right." I said roughly. Looking
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down at the mutilated log, I kicked it away angrily. Only good for burning now.
"Now Darien," Any sign of humour melted off his face and his expression turned serious. "I need to finish up in the forge, but you need to go and get some wood for proper.
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We need it." He lingered for a second more. "And give Hugo that sugar he needs will you?"
He went back inside. Even though he was essentially a blacksmith, working metal didn't earn nearly enough that we needed so I helped out, chopping
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wood, shearing sheep, doing odd jobs around the village.
I sighed and, still holding my axe, went through the forge into the street.
I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a glass pane, and stopped, staring at the guy opposite
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me. His piercing grey eyes were like a coming storm; dark, dangerous and mysterious, a force to be reckoned with. Set on his face was a deep frown, and dark messy hair framed his face. The guy was me.
I sighed. I was certainly a force everybody just
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needed to reckon with. I don't think I had any peace since the beginning of time.
I would need to walk through the whole village to get to the woods, and I made a mental note to visit Hugo's bakery. Maybe Dawn was in, if I was lucky. Which I
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wasn't.
Some people admit that I have bad luck. That's not true. I have the worst luck, definitely in Eldolin, probably in the whole of the south, and possibly in the whole world.
Anybody else that day would probably not run into their
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arch-enemy, tripped on the loose gravel, and made an absolute fool of themselves. Of course, these things only happened to me, and I got used to it over the years. Still, that didn't mean I had to like it.
I went flying head first into the ground,
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dropping my axe and scraping my hands on the gravel, the tiny shards of rock scratching my fingers. Getting unsteadily to my feet, I wiped the blood away, at the same time glancing in his direction.
Gareth was a couple of metres away,
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deep in conversation with an imperial mate of his. He was tall, and rather well built, with sharp, chiseled features and an evil, crooked smile that when you saw it, you knew you were in trouble.
I dusted myself off and carried on, hoping he wouldn't
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notice me. No such luck.
He waved at me, and I suppressed a groan as he came over with a cruel smile.
"So how is my favourite buddy eh?"
I did my best to stay calm. It was pretty hard, but I managed to stay silent. I hated the guy. More than
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that, I wanted to kill him on a daily basis. Every time he spoke to me, his voice seemed to say: I am more important than you, I have more money than you, and I can say and do whatever I like, because if you do anything about it, I will kill you and
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everyone you know. So deal with it.
I didn't know all that much about him, but from what I've heard, he signed up to the Empire army, and got put into guard duty. Eldolin was a small village, and not many guards got any action; the most violent thing
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that could happen was a drunk starting a brawl. So to keep boredom at bay, Gareth spends his time antagonising us fellow villagers, since we can't do anything about it. Step one toe out of the line and the consequences are disastrous.
"So, keeping well
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I see," he examined me, eyeing the axe in my hand with amusement. "Working? Shame. A nice day as well."
"Not that you would know about work. Lazy guy like you." I growled, weighing the iron axe in my hand. It was very tempting to hit him with
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it.
Gareth tutted with disapproval, circling around me and stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"You should watch your tongue. Nasty temper you've got, not nice at all."
Gee,I thought, I wonder why.
"Anyway, I came to
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ask you a favour." The way he emphasised the last word, I knew that 'favour' was a nice way of saying 'order'. So I didn't really get a lot of choice.
"Favour?" I asked carefully, narrowing my eyes "You need help from me?"
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"Yes, actually. You see, I'm in a bit of debt with a mate of mine, made a bet. And frankly, I don't have quite enough to pay him off..."
Dread coursed through me. I could see where this was going,
"...So I was wondering, could I borrow a
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little money?" He looked at me questioningly, his evil smirk that I hated so much creeping onto his face.
Through gritted teeth, I said, " How much?" He shrugged, suppressing a smile.
"Really, a tiny sum. Nothing you can't handle." I hefted
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my axe, and growled again, " How much?" He gazed at me as if in thought.
"Well, 50 Ems should cover it. And I need to cash in the bet in three days, so, give it to me the morning after the next? Like I said, nothing you couldn't handle."
50 Emeralds
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in two days? Was he serious? I doubted our house would fetch as much, apart from the fact there was nobody to buy it.
"Suppose I... Couldn't pay?" I said through gritted teeth. Gareth smirked.
"Well I sincerely hope you do. Who's that girl you spend
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so much time with? Something beginning with a 'D'-"
"Dawn." I snarled.
"Dawn, right. Fine girl. Shame if something were to happen to her, perhaps involving some sort of crime... I'd hate to arrest your girlfriend-"
"She's not my
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girlfriend." I interrupted. He carried on, ignoring me.
.
"-or, maybe even the baker. So we should try our best to pay this off eh?"
Blackmail, plain and simple. And the worst part was, that he could do it, just
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because he was an imperial guardsman, throwing his weight around. It wasn't even that rare; just last week a friend of Byjorn's got caught in almost the same situation. The difference was that, unlike me and Byjorn, he actually had the money to
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pay.
I took a deep breath, trying to keep calm and resisting the temptation to throw my axe into his stupid, grinning face.
"You're blackmailing me." I said, my voice shaking. Gareth rolled his eyes.
"You Eldolins, always have to be so
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straightforward and to the point." He sighed and leaned back, shaking his head in mock disapproval. "Learn to take a hint mate. Yes, I am blackmailing you. Yes, you have to pay me 50 emeralds in two days because if you don't, I will have your girlfriend
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and, depending on my mood, her lumbering fool of a father framed and killed. That simple enough for you? Anyway, I'll be off. Working, you know? Doing a proper job, unlike some I know."
He patted my shoulder and sauntered off, leaving me to
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stand like an idiot, hands trembling with anger..
By the time I got to Hugo's Bakery, I was not in the best of moods. I threw my axe into the ground, it's iron head sinking into the soft earth, and stalked inside. I slammed the door when I came in,
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making the wooden walls quiver, and the battered sign outside swing sadly.
Hugo was leaning on the counter, sorting some sort of paperwork when he glanced up from his writing and chuckled. He was huge and tall, with the burly frame of a miner, and
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looked intimidating, but I knew he was kind and gentle at heart.
"Rough morning?" he asked, smiling wearily.
"You could say that," I muttered.
"Don't worry mate. It will all work out." Hugo said, crossing out a sentence, then sighing and
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putting his writing away.
Right, I thought. Have you ever been told that you have to pay a sum that is near impossible to get in just two short days, and if you don't, your best friend and her dad are going to get framed for something bad enough to
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get killed for? If it works out, I fail to see how.
I put the sugar on the counter and leaned against the wall, watching him work at the stove. After a few minutes I asked casually,
"Is Dawn in?"
Hugo shook his head, piling more coal
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into the stove.
"No, she left for the woods few minutes before you came in. I was under the impression she was waiting for you."
"Right." I said, shifting my feet uncomfortably. I hoped he didn't notice me blush. "I better get going." Hugo
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nodded.
"See you later Darien. You take care, stay outa trouble."
The way he said the last part... It seemed as if he knew what me and Gareth had been discussing.
I picked my axe up on the way out, and started towards
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the woods. Sure enough, Gareth was true to his word. It was a great day, the sun shining through the leaves of the trees, a cool breeze whispering through the forest.
I loved being here, away from the constant pressure of money and
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doing what everyone expected you to do, worried you were going to do something wrong. In the woods I felt free. What wouldn't I give to leave this place, I thought bitterly.
I headed over to my favourite spot, axe swung over my shoulder. It was in
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a clearing, on the edge of a cliff overlooking a massive valley, and I stood at the ridge, gazing into the distance. Distant mountains stood strong, towering over the land, and the valley cut through the plains like a knife. Small waterfalls
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here and there crashed into the valley floor, and the dazzling sun made the water sparkle silver and gold. It was a truly inspirational sight.
Tearing my eyes from the beautiful scene, I shuffled to the nearest tree, and, eyeing the trunk. I
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swung the axe in an arc, when something gripped my shoulder and a voice whispered in my ear,
"Gotcha."
I almost killed Dawn there and then, yelling out in surprise and swinging my axe sideways, forcing her to leap out of the
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way. I lost my balance and fell to the ground, hands flailing wildly.
"Easy tiger," she laughed, helping me up.
"What's with you today?" She brushed a stray strand of blonde hair out of her face, and smiled.
As usual, I forgot
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how to breathe for a second, which seriously annoyed me. I mean, we were best friends from when we were kids, nothing more, nothing less. But sometimes my heart didn't agree. Suppose we were something more... No, I thought, I refuse to think like that.
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Not in a world like this.
"Nothing," I said, brushing dirt off my shirt. "Just working, the usual." I said bitterly.
Dawn looked concerned, but didn't argue.
I started chopping. It wasn't that bad, mostly because Dawn was there, so we
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could talk and laugh. Towards the evening, when the sun started to set, I even started to enjoy myself a little. Dawn comes after the darkest hour. Literally.
When I finished, satisfied with the amount, I hauled the planks onto my
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shoulder, and walked Dawn back to the village into the sunset, the dying sun glaring into our eyes.
"What were you talking about to Gareth earlier?" she asked unexpectedly.
I paused, considering how to answer.
"You heard us
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talking?" I asked curiously. She frowned uncertainly.
"Saw mostly. It sounded like he was threatening you."
"How much did you hear?" I said tensely.
She looked at me a little strangely, trying to figure
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out my reaction.
"Just something about money. That was about it," Dawn frowned suspiciously as I relaxed.
I sighed bitterly, not noticing a root sticking up through the earth until I tripped on it. Regaining my balance, I said,
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"Just business. He wanted to borrow money, the creep." I shook my head in disgust.
Dawn still looked concerned.
"You shouldn't get on his bad side Darien. He can make life difficult for you."
"Oh yes, because life is real easy at the
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moment." I said sarcastically. We laughed, and I realised we had reached home. The paths broke off into a fork. I needed to go right, she needed to go left. In opposite directions. Always.
"How much did he ask for?" she asked, still frowning.
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I said wearily,"50 ems. The guy's crazy, if he thinks I can give him that much." I shook my head in disbelief, still wondering his motives. Surely he knew how hopelessly poor we were? If so, then why ask for money at all? Dawn looked deep in thought
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for a while.
"I'll see you later,"she said, still troubled.
"See you later." I said, raising a hand in goodbye.
"Bye." she said with a smile, walking off.
I watched her go, then hoisted the logs onto my shoulder and went home. There was no way
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tomorrow will be as bad and unlucky as today. Right...?
...Wrong. I had no idea at the time, but I was to realise that my luck was going to get a lot, lot worse.
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Chapter 2: The Two Dark Lords
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"Lord, describe this dream to me." Herobrine paced the throne room,
clearly agitated, his dark cloak billowing behind him. Skiamance sat in
his throne, leaning on his elbow, and looking down upon his servant.
"I still don't see why it means anything,"
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He grumbled. Herobrine stopped pacing and glanced at his master. His white eyes glowed brightly.
"It means everything my lord. What you heard, what the spirit told you, it was a prophecy, a warning. It would be unwise to ignore such a
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warning."
Frowning, Skiamance recalled the dream, lost, momentarily in the memory...
* * *
Skiamance walked in the darkness, striding deeper into its grasp. Nothing existed, nothing apart from him. This was the void.
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Suddenly a voice rang out from the depths, cold, harsh and ancient, dripping with malice.
"Welcome to my domain, Shadow Walker."
Skiamance whipped around, unable to place the sound. Nobody had called him that since... Since
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Stephan. He reeled back and looked around wildly, disorientated in the complete darkness.
"Where are you?" he hissed, agitated. Cruel laughter echoed all around him.
"I am neither here nor there. I am Monetus, the spirit of
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warning, existing on the distant plains of existence. I see the present, I remember the past, I glimpse the future. And the future I have seen is very dark indeed."
The spirit chuckled again, sending shivers down his spine. Skiamance waited, listening
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intently.
"A war is brewing Shadow walker, a war incited by you. You have chosen a path shrouded in darkness, and this path will lead to what you seek, what you require. We are alike, you and I, Shadow walker. We both seek a greater good, a
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greater power."
Skiamance clenched his fist.
"All I ever wanted," he growled, "was to unite my people. Yet the North defies me with its democracies and votes. Fools, why can't they see? Why can't they see what I see?"
He was angry now,
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bellowing in his rage. Never before had emotion spilled out so strongly, overwhelming him.
"They are destroying Minecraftia," he snarled, "giving power to the people! People can't be trusted with power, only leaders, true leaders! The only
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way forward is to have someone to look up to, to guide them! The only way, only way forward is through a conquering. They do not see it yet, they accuse me of being cruel. But it means only the strongest survive, a more united people,
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strong people! Why can't they see it?"
Monetus waited patiently, like observing a child throwing a tantrum.
"It is true others do not see our ways," the spirit mused. "But war is imminent. Yet you cannot make the assault on Northern territory alone.
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Do not try what you are planning, it is destined to fail."
Skiamance stared at the empty space around him.
"Then what must I do to succeed?" he whispered.
"There is one, who is a student of the dark arts, he goes by the name of
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Herobrine."
Skiamance's eyes grew unfocused... Herobrine...Stephan... No, he told himself, Stephan made his choice. Stephan was weak, and he was strong. No need to bring up the painful subject.
"Bring him back, he will be the key to your
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success. Without him, your plans will fail. Herobrine will be your key to victory."
Skiamance frowned,
"Him? No after what happened, after Stephan... I can't."
Monetus spoke quickly,
"But the dead have no memory. He will not remember the
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events that took place. You have nothing to fear."
Skiamance bowed his head with gratitude.
"Thank you," he said. "Thank you for helping me."
"There is one other thing." The spirits voice had changed. Instead of the persuasive purr
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it had been, it turned to something akin to anger.
"There is boy, a boy that could be your downfall. He is of your blood, your lawful ward. You know of whom I speak."
Skiamance paled.
"I do."
The voice had turned back into a
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seductive purr.
"The boy has power, so much power. He does not realise, he does not know of it yet. But I foresaw that his power could be your downfall. His future is clouded and hidden from me, that means it can be changed. His destiny is yet to
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unfold, and I fear fate will play it's hand. But this boy holds truly the key to your failure or your success. Find him, mould him into a weapon. He is the same you, you know, has the same certain... Trait. You know his weaknesses even if he does
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not. With great temptation, even he cannot save him from himself."
Skiamance shook his head, as if to clear it. He could feel himself waking, his conciseness returning.
"Tell me what to do," he said, fading from the dream.
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"Find Herobrine," snarled the voice, "Find the boy. Do not kill him, not yet. Only then can you achieve what you and I truly seek."
Skiamance was almost awake.
"One last thing," he said, "How will any of this help you?"
The last thing he
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remembered was the spirit's laughter.
"All in good time my friend."
Monetus chuckled, and Skiamance's eyes opened, staring at the ceiling of his bedroom and trying to plans the weeks ahead.
* * *
Herobrine gazed
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at his master, deep in thought. Skiamance had, of course, withheld some parts of the dream, especially the places concerning Herobrine. He had no intention of revealing the details to his servant. Herobrine started pacing again, muttering to
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himself.
"...We must find... The boy... Spawner... Undead army-" He froze, and clicked his fingers.
"I understand, my Lord!" he cried excitedly. Skiamance raised his eyebrow, secretly impressed anyone could make any sense of the
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events that occurred.
Herobrine approached the Emperor, his blank eyes glowing brightly.
"I understand my Lord. The warning... It was also a blessing! Monetus told you not to try a direct assault with our
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current forces, and he is right-"
Skiamance shifted in his throne uncomfortably. He did not like his forces questioned that way.
Herobrine had noticed, and a cold smile crept onto his face.
"I am not questioning your power my
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Lord, nor am I implying that your forces are weak. But it is not enough. If you go against the North at present time, you may win, but, alas, you may also lose. I do not think it is wise to take such a risky gamble."
Skiamance glared at him.
"Then
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what do you propose?" His voice rang out loudly, echoing in the chamber.
"It is true our forces are not strong enough. Yet. If we can strengthen our power, build an army... We would be unstoppable. Here is what I propose my
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Lord. Do you know of reanimation?"
Skiamance frowned.
"Bringing the dead back to life?" Herobrine shook his head patiently.
"Not quite back to life, but essentially that is the concept. Reanimation uses dark magic to give temporary life to
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the dead, allowing the corpse to do our bidding. It is raising the dead."
Skiamance's expression hardened and his frown deepened.
"A zombie?" He asked, clearly bothered. Herobrine nodded.
"Yes my Lord. I know the spell, I can
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use it. I can build us an army. Except..." he started, but his voice trailed off.
Skiamance, who had been warming to the plan, snapped.
"What?"
Herobrine shifted his feet nervously.
"There is a problem my Lord. It is hard to perform this
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spell, it takes up much energy. Even you, my Lord, understand the immense effort required-"
The Emperor nodded- this he understood.
"-but there is a way around it. What do you know of the Spawner?"
Skiamance frowned again, lounging in
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his throne. He knew it was an ancient artefact, lost long ago. But apart from that, he knew little else.
"Not much," he said shortly. He hated the feeling others knew more than he did.
Herobrine started his pacing again.
"It is an ancient
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relic, lost long ago. It is a very special relic, for it was forged in the forge of Notch's Peak. Some say it was made by Notch himself." Herobrine shrugged. "I know not of the ancient legends, but what makes this relic most special is its
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magic. It has the ability to perform the very task we need it for."
Skiamance sat up straighter, more alert.
"You mean it can raise zombies?"
Herobrine's eyes glowed brighter with excitement.
"Precisely my
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Lord. With the spawner we can create an army; a huge, unstoppable force. We will crush the North- they will stand no chance."
There was a long silence. Skiamance stroked his chin thoughtfully, considering all aspects of the
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proposition. After several long, tense minutes he answered.
"It is good," he admitted after a minute or so, and Herobrine visibly relaxed, "very good in fact. However, there is a problem. You say it is long lost?"
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Herobrine smiled cruelly.
"Do not worry of this, my Lord. We will not have to look for it. It is possible to manipulate the chess board in such a way, that the pawns will do the task for us. Trust me, this you should not worry about. Our
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informant at the Resistance will come through. They will take the bait."
"And what of the boy?"
"My servants will take care of it. I assure you my Lord... If he is Minecraftia, then he will be found."
Herobrine smiled again, then clicked
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his fingers. The air warped strangely, and purple particles sparked, and two creatures appeared at the sides of their master. They were impossibly tall, towering over the two dark lords, their purple eyes alive with menace. They were made of shadows,
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as dark as the void, their limbs long and stretched. Endermen; some of the most ancient creatures known, stirring in the dark since the forming of Minecraftia.
Skiamance still looked sceptical.
"I do not doubt your assets, little
#pgx123
servant... But they are... too obvious."
"Leave it to me my Lord," Herobrine said again. "Trust me." And with that, he swept out of the throne room, and gave the order to the Enders.
"Bring me the boy. He goes by the name of Darien. And if anyone
#pgx124
stands in your way-" A small smile crossed his face, "Then kill."
#pgx125
Chapter 3: Strange Encounter
#pgx126
I groaned as I woke up, screwing my eyes against the harsh sunlight
streaming through the windows and rolled out of bed onto the floor.
Dusting myself off, I staggered off to the kitchen sleepily, pausing
only at Byjorn's door to wake him.
#pgx127
"Wake up," I muttered, before yawning loudly and lumbering off to the kitchen. Usually he would be up in a pinch, but this time I was met with only silence. Shaking my head in annoyance, I went back and peeked my head into the doorway.
"Oi," I said
#pgx128
loudly. "Wake up."
He groaned and rolled over, saying,
"I don't feel too good today. I'll take a day off."
I stared. In the whole time that I knew him (a very long time) he had never, ever missed a day of work in his life. He must feel pretty bad if
#pgx129
he's willing to break his record of going to work.
"Okay, fine," I said, somewhat disgruntled. After breakfast, I picked up my axe and headed for the door. I paused for a minute on the front porch.
I had bad feeling about today, the
#pgx130
feeling of change. Something would happen today that would change my life forever.
Then I shook my head. Don't be crazy, I told myself, today's just like any other day in your sorry, miserable life. Oh, and then I had Gareth's debt to worry
#pgx131
about.
I headed for the woods again, but decided to stop at Hugo's bakery to say good morning. I opened the door just to bump into Dawn, and both of us leapt back.
I, being me, tripped backwards on the stairs and fell
#pgx132
back, landing on the floor painfully.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She cried as she helped me up.
"It's okay, really," I said. Dawn pulled me up by the arm and we stood together. We started speaking at the same time.
"So what are you-"
"Where is-"
#pgx133
We both broke off and laughed. Eventually I said, smiling,
"You first."
Dawn frowned.
"I was going to say, where is Byjorn this morning? I didn't see him at the forge."
"He's a little ill," I said. "Needs a day off."
Dawn raised an eyebrow, and I
#pgx134
could tell she knew I had been downplaying it. A little ill didn't cover it if Byjorn was taking a day off. The guy would crawl to the place if he could.
"I should look after him," She mused to herself, "he'll be all by himself in that house."
"What
#pgx135
about me?" I asked, slightly hurt.
Dawn rolled her eyes.
"You'll live. If you were ill, I would look after you."
"I'll remember that next time I have a cold," I grumbled, then waved goodbye, and trudged off to the woods.
#pgx136
I was almost at the edge of the forest line when something caught my eye. Two people I never saw before were walking into the village square. They were the typical guard build- tall and burly, walking slowly. They even wore imperial armour. This
#pgx137
wasn't reason to worry; people here, especially the guards, came and went all the time, but something was slightly off about the new arrivals, something I couldn't put my finger on. Maybe it was the way they swaggered aggressively, with
#pgx138
purpose, like mercenaries coming in for the kill. Or maybe it was just the way the shadows seemed to cling to them as they walked, gathering around their feet like tamed wolves.
One of them turned around, staring at me coldly and I
#pgx139
stumbled back and gasped. His eyes were completely purple, miniature flames flickering in the irises.
The pair unfroze and carried on walking. I shook my head, wondering if it was a hallucination. Maybe I had too much to drink last week.
#pgx140
Whatever the reason, I was unnerved.
I tried to shake off the weird feeling, but it wasn't easy. Thinking of Dawn, and how much I would've liked her to be here, I marched up to my usual spot; the one that overlooked the valley, and
#pgx141
started chopping.
I just swung the axe, when suddenly a guy appeared right next to me. And I mean appeared, because I swear there was nobody there a moment before. He just materialised in the air, leaving a splash of purple sparks in his
#pgx142
wake. I jumped about a foot in the air, smashing my head into a low branch, and yelled-
"Ow!"
I stumbled back, a wild look in my eyes.
"Who-who are you?" I cried.
I looked at him, taking in tough features, the sympathetic smile.
#pgx143
He was lean but agile, his brown hair cropped short and his beard trimmed. A scar that started at this temple ran the entire length of his face, curving around his jawline and continuing down his neck and out of site. Off topically, I wondered what
#pgx144
you would have to do to receive an injury like that.
"My name is not important. Not yet." His voice sounded low and urgent.
I stood up and backed away.
"It's plenty important to me," I said.
He shook his head furiously, and
#pgx145
held out a hand.
"If you want to live, come with me," he growled. "You are in grave danger."
I kept backing away slowly, shaking my head in denial.
"No. I don't believe you. Who are you? What are you doing here?"
My voice rose in a
#pgx146
panic. The guy looked suspicious, like a bandit. I heard of those before, ambushing helpless travellers on the roads and taking all of their belongings.
He said, "Then let me show you."
I debated for a second, biting my lip. Part of me wanted
#pgx147
to run home, and stay in the safety of my abode, looking after Byjorn. But a smaller part of me wanted to hear what he had to say.
He sighed, holding out his hand again. "My name is Evandrus. You can call me Evan."
After several
#pgx148
agonising moments, my feet shuffling, unsure which way to go, I made my decision.
Against my better judgement, I followed him back to the village. In hindsight, if I had chosen option 1 then I would have saved myself a whole lot of trouble. But
#pgx149
then again, if I had chosen the first option, by now I might have been dead.
What danger? I thought to myself, creeping behind the guy, carefully and quietly.
And then it clicked. The two strangers. The way they walked with so much
#pgx150
purpose, as if they were looking for someone. The purple eyes.
If they were looking for me, I thought, perplexed, then they must not know me by face. One if them stared straight at me and did nothing.
Suddenly Evan stopped, and I was
#pgx151
so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I ploughed into him, knocking us both to the ground. I struggled up and was about to apologise, when he held up a finger to his lips. I got the message. Quiet.
We had arrived at a set of low trees,
#pgx152
the branches reaching down to the ground and a thick canopy of leaves blocking us from view. We could observe, unobserved.
He motioned towards the two strangers, who were now in deep conversation with Gareth.
#pgx153
"I think you have a problem."
#pgx154
Chapter 4: We Take a Leap of Faith
#pgx155
I watched from a distance as Gareth's expression slipped from polite
puzzlement to utter confusion. He seemed to be explaining something. One
of the strangers asked something, and Gareth shook his head. The other
asked him another
#pgx156
question, and Gareth gestured in a vague direction.
"What's he doing?" I muttered, trying to understand. Evandrus looked at me.
"Telling them where you live."
"But... Why? Who are they? What are they? Because I know
#pgx157
they are not human," I whispered furiously.
"They are Endermen, fulfilling a dark lord's bidding. As for what they are doing here... " He grimaced. "They were sent here to find you, so my best guess is that someone is looking for you."
#pgx158
I didn't want to say what was on my mind, I was too afraid of the answer. But I asked it anyway.
"Who?"
Evan's dark eyes looked troubled.
"There is only one dark lord I know of, or at least one of sizeable power. Lord Skiamance. And
#pgx159
once an enderman looks for you there is no escape. They will find you, and kill anybody who stands in the way of achieving their goal."
I wanted to question him further but there was no time. The Endermen were almost near our house. I relaxed
#pgx160
slightly. Byjorn was at the forge, working, safely out of the way, and nobody else cared enough for me to visit. I would have enough time to warn him, and to pack some essentials if I was to run away.
Then I remembered. I froze with horror. Because
#pgx161
Byjorn was not working today, he was lying at home, unable to move, and looking after him was...
"Dawn!" I yelled, and leapt to my feet. I was about to sprint home before Evan tackled me, driving us both to the dirt. I struggled, and he whispered
#pgx162
quickly and loudly,
"Fool! There is nothing you can do! Save yourself, idiot!"
I managed to get him off me for a second before he dived and pinned me to the ground by my shoulders, shaking them.
"Don't you understand?!
#pgx163
There is nothing you can do for her! Don't condemn yourself as well!"
"No! I don't care. Get. Off. Me!" We struggled silently for a few more precious seconds when a branch snapped overhead and Evan's eyes flicked towards the sound. It was
#pgx164
all the distraction I needed.
With a triumphant yell, I succeeded in rolling from under him, and, leaping to my feet, sprinted in the direction of home. I crashed through the bushes and caught my foot on a log, losing my balance. I swore as I
#pgx165
stumbled, but luckily managed not to fall and kept going, running to that house.
Our house had two entrances, the front door, and a back door, the latter leading to a small fenced off area in which we liked to grow a couple of melons
#pgx166
and carrots.
I vaulted over the fence now, silently thanking that at the time I had put it up, I had been too lazy to make any higher. A sharp knock came from the door just as I came crashing in and Dawn stared at me as I breathed heavily, catching
#pgx167
my breath.
She had started to move to open the door, but I shook my head furiously. I motioned to the door, to myself and then mouthed-
"Endermen."
Instantly, the colour drained from her face. She obviously knew what they
#pgx168
were, unlike me.
There was another series of knocking, louder this time. Cautiously, I stood on my tiptoes and peered through a small crack in the wood between the roof and the wall. Sure enough, they were there. They seemed to be
#pgx169
arguing, speaking in hushed voices.
They knocked again, this time even louder and more desperately.
Silently, I crept to Byjorn's room and made my way to the far wall. And there it was, in the frame and hanging on the wall- Byjorn's iron
#pgx170
sword, polished and gleaming.
Carefully, I took it out of its frame, feeling its weight. I crept back to Dawn, who mouthed,
"What do we do?"
I motioned towards the door behind, the one going into the backyard. The plan was simple. We
#pgx171
could exit through the back way and either run or attack from behind.
Unfortunately, my perfect plan was ruined when the door crashed flat onto the floor, splintered and torn out of the hinges, revealing two very angry men with purple fire in
#pgx172
their eyes.
Me and Dawn back up, and I held the sword up.
"Get back," I warned. "Unless you want to get a taste of this."
The one on the left laughed, and it was nothing like I expected. It was cold and rasping, like an iron blade
#pgx173
scraped across stone. When he... When it spoke, it's voice sounded dark and old. No... Not old. Ancient, and powerful. And scary.
"Submit now," It hissed, "And you will suffer less pain. You cannot run from destiny, little hero."
They both
#pgx174
laughed, and advanced slowly. Their forms seemed to be flickering, sometimes man, sometimes the tall, dark creature out of nightmares.
"One thing, before you try to kill me," I said, trying to sound tough. I didn't know if it worked. "Who
#pgx175
wants me?"
This time one on the right spoke, it's voice deeper than it's counterpart's.
"You are not to be killed, no. You are needed very much alive. As for who wants you... You know what happens to the enemies of Lord Skiamance."
#pgx176
I cringed, almost dropping the sword. Oh I knew all right. And I didn't want to go into details of stories and rumours that I heard around the village, because really... It wasn't great.
"What does he want with me?" I said, trying to keep my hand
#pgx177
from shaking.
"That is not our business to know," The first one hissed.
"Our orders were to bring you to him."
They both tensed, and I lunged with the sword, a strike that should have skewered the left one straight through. Instead it passed
#pgx178
through empty air as he teleported away, reappearing behind me in a shower of purple sparks. I slashed at the other one, knocking a painting off the wall, and he warped to the side and pushed me. They obviously possessed superhuman
#pgx179
strength because I flew into the wall, smashing the table and crumpling to the floor.
I got unsteadily to my feet in a daze. The sword was gone. I though we were goners, but suddenly Evan was next to me gripping my arm and dragging me
#pgx180
towards him. I had not idea of what he was doing until he grabbed the bucket of water that always stood in the corner and drenched the pair of endermen.
I figured it would only make them angrier, but they seemed to have an extreme allergic reaction
#pgx181
to water, because they both started shrieking, running wildly. They had abandoned the human form completely by now.
I was still dazed when Evan grabbed me and Dawn and bellowed, "RUN!"
We sprinted out of the door, Evan
#pgx182
throwing us ahead of him, and the three of us barrelled straight through the fence, not even bothering to jump over. We kept running, leaving the pained screams of the endermen behind us.
Finally we reached the forest line. I
#pgx183
slid to a stop.
"Dawn," I gasped, out of breath. "Go... go home." She stared.
"I'm coming with you!" she said, breathing heavily. I shook my head.
"Too... Too dangerous," I gasped, recovering a little.
"I want to go with
#pgx184
you! You can't just run off!" She said angrily.
"You have a life here!" I said loudly.
"You call this a life?" She shouted.
"Hugo!" I yelled.
She shook her head and shoved me.
"He would understand!"
Evan appeared
#pgx185
next to us shouting,
"No time! We need to go NOW!"
Sure enough, the endermen were staring to recover. They glared at me with those purple eyes, and I knew it was time to go.
"You are impossible," I growled as we sped off into the
#pgx186
forest, racing after Evan.
We dashed through the trees, following a path I recognised, the path to my clearing. The branches scratched at my face and clothes, intent on stopping our progress. Behind us we could hear the
#pgx187
sounds of pursuit as the endermen teleported between the trees, trying to find a clear path through the maze of branches and leaves.
Finally we burst out into the clearing, my clearing, and I tried to stop. But Evan kept dragging me
#pgx188
along, to the edge of the cliff and the waterfall. I laughed, there was no way he was going to do what I thought he was going to,
"Hey, we aren't actually going to..." I faltered as I realised he had no intention of stopping. "No! That's insane!
#pgx189
No-stop! STOP!" I bellowed, but he kept going. I tried to wriggle out of his grip, but with a colossal effort he heaved us over the edge, and the three of use tumbled into the abyss...
#pgx190
Chapter 5: Valley of Cabins
#pgx191
We fell through the waterfall, screaming, before landing with a loud
splash. Spluttering, choking and blind, I waded out of the pool and
collapsed onto the bank, Dawn and Evan following suit.
The three of us crawled to dry land, and lay there for
#pgx192
a minute, breathing heavily. I tried to sit up, but my head started to swim and everything went blurry. I shivered as a breeze whispered through the tall grass, chilling me to the bone.
"What I don't understand," I muttered, after my
#pgx193
head cleared and eyes went back into focus, "Is why they can't just teleport down here. Not that I'm complaining,"
Evan sneered, getting to his feet,
"Apparently you are more of an idiot than you look."
"What is that supposed to
#pgx194
mean?" I said defensively. I also got up, staggering a little before regaining my balance.
Dawn got between us.
"Boys," she said, and I could tell she was trying hard not to smile. "If you haven't noticed, we still have a problem."
#pgx195
She motioned to the top of the cliff, where the pair of silhouettes stood out on the rocky outcrop against the slowly setting sun. I glimpsed a glint of purple and shuddered.
"And I also don't know why they can't just teleport down here," Dawn
#pgx196
continued. "So it would be nice to know."
Evandrus huffed unhappily, then sighed.
"You saw their reactions to water back there, it causes them extreme pain. They can't cross running barriers of water. Their teleporting isn't
#pgx197
that accurate either. They might get themselves stuck in one of these water falls-" He gestured around the valley, "-and it would probably kill them."
"Why can't they cross water?" I asked curiously.
Evan sighed again.
"Because
#pgx198
endermen are so full of dark magic, their souls so corrupted and evil, that they couldn't possibly cross something as pure and clean as water."
"What makes you think this water's clean?" I muttered, but he ignored me.
"I suppose it's too
#pgx199
much to hope that they'll be reckless enough to try?" Dawn said half-hopefully.
Evan shook his head.
"They wouldn't take the risk."
Glaring at me, he started trekking deeper into the valley.
"Come on!" he said, waving at use to
#pgx200
hurry up. "Keep up!"
I had no idea where we were going, but Dawn just shrugged and I did the same, jogging after Evan.
* * *
Hours later, we were still going. I was exhausted, barely able to stand, but Evan seemed determined that
#pgx201
we kept hiking. My feet felt so numb and stiff I wondered if I would ever get feeling in my toes again.
"Those Endermen are still behind us," he reminded us every time me and Dawn sat down for a second's rest. "The further we get away the safer we
#pgx202
will be."
I'd rather get killed by endermen than walk another mile, I thought to myself bitterly, as I hauled myself to my feet for the tenth time. Still, despite everything, it was a beautiful place. The steep valley edges rose up into the sky like
#pgx203
giants, towering over the land. The exposed rock face was laced with multi-coloured minerals, the sheets of stone built layer upon layer, forming strange patterns. Majestic waterfalls cascaded down it's slopes, roaring monsters of swirling white and
#pgx204
blue. The scale of the place seemed almost impossible to comprehend.
It turned out we didn't have all that long to go. I spotted a small log cabin in the distance, and it seemed to be the destination Evan was determined to reach.
Evan paused for a
#pgx205
second, so that I almost ploughed into him again, but Dawn pulled me away.
"Thanks," I said, but Evan put a finger to his lips and closed his eyes as if concentrating. The air seemed to charge with energy for a second, so overwhelming that
#pgx206
I flinched, and Evan frowned, eyes still shut.
He opened his eyes.
"They're gone," he said, with a tone of finality.
I frowned uncertainly.
"How can you be sure?" Evan rolled his eyes, and returned to his
#pgx207
irritable manner.
"Because I checked, idiot. Ever heard of magic?"
I ignored the jibe, thinking. That explained the energy, but why could I feel it? I was pretty sure Dawn didn't react the same way I did.
I looked back over
#pgx208
my shoulder. I could just about spot my clearing, the little ridge over the waterfall, and thought wistfully of home.
If it had been a normal day, by now Byjorn would be clocking in at the forge, finishing up for the day. Hugo
#pgx209
would be baking his last loaf, and I would most likely be spending time with Dawn or drinking at the tavern, trying to forget my troubles. I might have gotten home late, only to wake up early the next day to chop wood. Again. Again, and again. If only
#pgx210
it had been a normal day.
Fate is a funny thing. A single, tiny choice can make you do things you thought you would never do, turn you into somebody you swore to yourself you never would become. And then it leaves you hanging,
#pgx211
wondering, if only I had chosen differently, if only I turned left at the crossroads. A small, seemingly insignificant action can make your world spiral out of control. Our life is determined by those little decisions, those tiny points that
#pgx212
choose which way the universe turns. And sometimes those choices make you regret what you did.
Anyway, for some reason I was thinking that as I gazed into the sunset, overwhelmed momentarily by loneliness. I was almost glad when
#pgx213
Dawn put her hand on my shoulder and said softly,
"Let's go."
Finally we reached the small cabin. Evan forced open the wooden door, and the three of us staggered inside.
It looked like somebody had been home recently; a
#pgx214
log fire burned in the corner, the coals still glowing with a warm light, a bowl of half eaten stew lay on the oak table. A single bed stood in the corner of the shack, piled with thick, red, woollen covers.
"What is this place?" Dawn said, awed.
"My
#pgx215
home," Evan replied gruffly. When he caught our awestruck looks, he said sharply, "It's a long story."
Leaning against the wall and trying to stay upright, I shrugged, then stared longingly at the bed. What wouldn't I give to lay down
#pgx216
for just a few hours, to rest my legs, which were stiff and numb.
"Who get's the bed?" I said wistfully.
"The lady gets the bed," Evan said from behind me, smirking. "Make yourself comfortable."
I tried to find the most softest bit of
#pgx217
floor, and lay down, passing out almost instantly, and hoping I wouldn't have nightmares.
I couldn't have been more wrong. I should ban myself from hoping, because really, with my luck everything I hope for just goes wrong.
#pgx218
Chapter 6: The Warning
#pgx219
I dreamt of the void. Every way I turned, there was the same uniform
darkness, endless and absolute. Tiny grey particles of dust swirled
around my feet, blown along by a sinister wind. There was nobody there,
nothing existed apart from me.
#pgx220
And yet...I had the distinct feeling that I was not alone. Something else was sharing this nothingness with me. Something... perhaps not even human.
"Am I dead?" I wondered aloud.
"You are not dead, hero," answered the darkness behind
#pgx221
me. "It is not your time."
The voice was female, beautiful, like a gentle breeze whispering through a forest. I turned around and squinted into the murk but there was no one there.
"You have a hard path ahead of you," The woman murmured.
#pgx222
"I am sorry, but I only glimpse the future- I cannot change it. There is no escaping your fate."
I swayed on the spot slightly, mesmerised by the beautiful voice.
"Who-who are you?" I managed, shaking my head to clear it.
"Monetia, Sh-"
#pgx223
"-she who warns." I finished.
I took a step back, snapping out of the trance. I knew exactly who this was. According to legends, the two spirits of warning, Monetus and Monetia, appeared before great changes, usually for the
#pgx224
worst. And I didn't need any more bad news.
"So what exactly are you going to warn me about?" I asked cautiously.
"The winds of change are blowing, stirred by my brother's love of chaos and darkness. War is coming like a
#pgx225
storm; Skiamance's full wrath is still to be felt. The darkness is stirring in Minecraftia. Monsters not seen for aeons are starting to wake from their slumber, ready to avenge their years of restraint and imprisonment."
I shook my head
#pgx226
and frowned.
"Wait a second, war?"
"Minecraftia is on the brink of collapsing into civil war, a war of Skiamance's doing," she whispered. "The Southern Empire pitted against the Northern Republic. Skiamance has played his final hand, and soon he will
#pgx227
be ready to conquer the North lands. War is coming Darien, more terrible and bloody than every before."
I let that sink in. Surely war couldn't be that bad, not if it meant for a chance to overthrow the oppressive Empire? But Monetia's voice made me
#pgx228
hesitate.
I said carefully,
"How is that a bad thing?"
She hissed.
"Think, Darien. Skiamance cannot be overthrown by normal means, for he is tied to his own magic. The North will crumble before his assault, now that
#pgx229
he has his asset, and Emperor cannot be allowed to take the North, or Minecraftia will be plunged into darkness. It is not the time to be contemplating a rebellion. The time is not right to fight for freedom, not yet."
"So what has that got to do with
#pgx230
me?" I asked, still keeping the careful tone.
"There is only one who can stop this. Only one who has a chance to prevent the bloodshed."
Somehow I knew I wasn't going to like what I was going to hear next. I didn't want to know the
#pgx231
answer. Almost reluctantly I whispered,
"Who?"
"You."
My head was spinning. Me? A poor, hopeless runaway who spent a life chopping wood, and dreaming of a non-existent freedom? No, that couldn't be right.
#pgx232
What could one person do to prevent the whole world tearing itself apart? I stumbled back, tripping on my own feet and falling onto my side. I scurried away from the direction of the voice, and jumped when she answered right behind me.
#pgx233
"There is no running from your fate hero," she whispered almost sadly. "You are the one Skiamance fears. You are Minecraftia's only hope."
I scrambled to my feet, backing away.
"Wait, wha-what's s all this about... about my fate? What is it with
#pgx234
my fate that everyone is scared of?" I demanded angrily, my voice quivering. "The Enders said there was no running from destiny, you say the same thing. Is my future really that bad?"
"Your destiny is yet unclear,
#pgx235
shrouded in darkness. A choice approaches you faster than you suspect. And the wrong choice may just destroy us all."
I shook my head in frustration, trying to clear my thoughts. Then I said wearily,
"What choice? I don't get it. Explain it to
#pgx236
me, help me understand!"
"No hero..." She murmured, "The time is not yet right." Somehow I knew it would do no good to argue. She who warned had her own reasons for doing things.
"One thing. Why me?" I said.
#pgx237
"Because you have power, Darien. So much power that, untamed, could be our downfall. You have the power to be Minecraftia's destruction or it's saving grace. You have ancient roots Darien, a unique linage. Skiamance has his own power, and
#pgx238
the Dark Lord even more. Yet you are more unique than either of them. Your blood is almost as old as Minecraftia itself."
I tried to wrap my head around that, but it wasn't easy. Nothing made sense. Everything seemed to jumbled and confusing.
#pgx239
"You said Skiamance feared me," I remembered. "Why? How does he even know me?"
"My brother warned him of your coming, he glimpsed that your fates are intertwined. My brother thrives on chaos and despair, and this is his
#pgx240
attempt to shroud our world in darkness."
Suddenly something clicked. That was the reason the Endermen were sent to find me. For the first (and probably the last) time since I met Evan, I felt a wave of gratitude towards the man. But
#pgx241
everything else was still impossible for me to understand. It was like I was trying to build a giant jigsaw, but I didn't have all the pieces, and without those pieces I will never see the true picture.
"I-I don't understand," I muttered,
#pgx242
confused.
Monetia chuckled, the sound filling me with warmth, like a river running through the plains on a summer's day.
"Perhaps not yet," she said, "But you will. Everything will become clear soon. Your difficult journey will one
#pgx243
day make sense, and you will understand."
Difficult journey? That didn't sound so good. I tried to make sense of everything that has happened, shaking my head in disbelief, but it was all too much, too fast.
"Why is this... happening? Why do things
#pgx244
have to be so complicated," I growled, more to myself than the spirit. It didn't seem fair somehow. My bad luck never let me go.
"Balance is being tipped, hero," Monetia answered. "There must always be a balance. Of shadow and light, of cold
#pgx245
and warmth. Balance is important, more important than power or strength."
I had to stop myself from snorting. After everything I heard, this was the answer I got?
"Even evil? Even darkness? Even pain?" I snapped.
"Especially the
#pgx246
darkness Darien. The shadows are as important as the light." Monetia chided. "Shadows define the light, and without them we would be blind. Evil lets us appreciate good acts. The bad is as important as the good Darien, the terrible makes the great
#pgx247
worth achieving. Balance. You must understand this if you are to succeed."
I didn't answer. I tried to bring my anger under control.
"What do I do?" I said eventually.
Any trace of Monetia's dark humour vanished.
"Seek out the
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Resistance, Evandrus will lead you to them. You will know why to do. And remember, do not trust the girl."
I frowned. Who was she talking about?
"You mean Dawn?" I found myself getting angry, defensive. "I think I know who I can and cannot trust,
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thanks."
Like certain people called 'Evan' for instance, I thought to myself bitterly.
"You will know," she whispered again. "Farewell hero. For now."
Suddenly, the dark ground disappeared from beneath my feet and I was falling,
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further and further into the endless void, condemned to this eternal darkness forever...
* * *
I woke up with a start, sure I was still falling.
I sat up and winced, rubbing my shoulders. Perhaps a night on a wooden
#pgx251
floor wasn't my best idea. Glancing out of the window, I realised it was still dark outside, but tiny streaks of pink were starting to creep from behind the horizon. The crack of dawn.
Dawn. Thinking of what Monetia had said jarred me back to
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reality, cold and harsh. I scooted up against the wall and leant back, thinking over everything Monetia had said; about me, about Skiamance, about the war. About balance. I tried to sort my thoughts into logical lines, to convert them into something I
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could understand.
Skiamance was planning a war, to take over the North. Check. He had an asset, some sort of ally that could help him achieve that. Check. And I was the only one who could stop him, though I didn't know where to start. I sighed.
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Check. How could anyone expect me to do this?
First thing first, I told myself, I need to find the Resistance. Apparently I will know what to do once I meet them.
Evan and Dawn found me there in the morning, sitting against that wall. I
#pgx255
hadn't realised I had fallen asleep, but I was surprised I could sleep after everything I'd been told. We sat on the table, and after a cold breakfast of apples and melons, Evan turned to me and said,
"So where do you go now?"
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I took a bite out of my apple, considering how to answer.
"The Resistance," I said, phrasing my words carefully and wincing at his surprised expression. I decided not to share my dream. It scared me too much to share, and I wanted to
#pgx257
figure things out for myself. I prepared myself for his questions, but surprisingly, they didn't come.
He just nodded grimly and said,
"Okay. It will take us a while to get there. They are situated in Istenmire, a long hike through this
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valley. But we'll make it."
Judging by his strange look and lack of sarcastic comments, I thought that he knew about my dream, or at least suspected it.
"Hang on, what's the resistance?" Dawn said impatiently.
"Well," I said, trying
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to sound braver than I felt. "We're about to find out."
#pgx260
Chapter 7: The Resistance
#pgx261
It took us almost half a day to reach Istenmire. We trekked through the
valley, climbing out of the other side, and continued west, keeping off
the roads and sticking to the wilderness. The landscape was beautiful,
untouched by human hands,
#pgx262
the grass a brilliant green under the sun shining in the sky. Small flowers dotted the hill sides, brights specks of yellow and red among the otherwise green scenery. I felt great, breathing in the fresh air, feeling the gentle breeze on my face, sun
#pgx263
warming my back.
A few hours later, however, the good mood began to fade. Evan's pace was increasingly harder to match, and we only got a few minutes rest each time we sat down.
"What idiot invented long distances," I grumbled to
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myself as Evan jumped to his feet and started clapping and shouting for the fifth or sixth time ,
'Let's go! Let's go!'
"Probably someone stupider than you," He suggested as I got to my feet, and chuckled. "We aren't that far anyway. Istenmire is
#pgx265
just over that hill."
Eventually we arrived arrived, standing on the hill, the city spread out impressively before us. My first thought was that Istenmire was huge. It's stone walls and guard towers loomed out of the horizon, and behind those walls
#pgx266
was a flurry of activity and movement; people going about their busy lives. I could spot merchant's stalls in what seemed to be a square, their brightly coloured flags and banners fighting each other for attention. Mansions and
#pgx267
houses stood in a chaotic maze of streets, rooftops glistening in the sun. The place was massive. And the fact that the most impressive thing I had ever seen was the small church in the village only reinforced this feeling.
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"Wow..." Dawn muttered beside me, mesmerised as I was, "It's huge."
Evan grinned smugly, the scar rippling on his face.
"Second only to the Imperial Capital. You should see this place at night." He shook his head absentmindedly and said,
#pgx269
"Shall we?"
I shrugged. I just began to stroll down the hill towards the gates when Evan grabbed my arm, dragged me back and snarled,
"You. Are. Insane."
"What have I done now?" I growled angrily. Behind us, Dawn stifled a
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cry, and pointed at the wall.
That was when I noticed the posters. Struck as I was by the beauty of Istenmire, I completely missed the pieces of paper plastered everywhere, on corners, on the walls, on the gates. I squinted, unable
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to read them from so far away, but I could make out the bold headline. Something like-
'HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN?'
An uneasy thought started to form in my mind.
"That..." I swallowed nervously. "That isn't me? Is it?"
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Evan nodded grimly.
"Afraid so. I never seen so many in one place, so Skiamance must be pretty darn desperate to get to you mate. Let's go see what it says."
We crept closer, slinking to the wall and keeping in the shadows. I ripped off the nearest
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one and began to read.
'HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN?'
Wanted: Darien Smith
Below the headline was a hastily drawn sketch of me, as well as a written description.
Tall, lean. Dark hair, grey eyes. Serious expression.
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Believed to be travelling with two others, (as reported by witnesses) a man and women, both young. The man is believed to be the highly evasive criminal Evandrus.
When I read the price on my head, I let out a low whistle.
"Eh?" Evan poked
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his head over my shoulder and snatched the poster out of my hands. Reading it, his expression soured.
"How come you're worth more than me, and all you've done is run away?"
I didn't feel in the mood for humour. Great, I thought, I
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was officially a fugitive. What else is new? Suddenly I realised something, and frowned.
"Since when were you a wanted criminal?"
He gave me an impish grin.
"All Resistance members are wanted. And a few have been caught, I can tell
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you. We have a little competition going, who is worth more, until you came along and ruined my high score!"
"You are in the Resistance? How come you never told us?" I said angrily.
Evan shrugged.
"It never came up."
I wanted to
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question him further, but he held up his hand as if to say- Later.
"I'm afraid I must leave your pleasant company, I have to do a job."
"You're just going to leave us here?" Dawn demanded.
Evan shrugged again.
#pgx279
"My job was to get you as far as here. The rest you can handle yourself. Anyway, farewell, master of idiocy ," He nodded at me. "And madam Dawn," He bowed politely. "See you in a bit."
I watched as he disappeared into the shadows and felt an
#pgx280
overwhelming urge to kick the wall. Now what?
"I guess we should get in." Dawn said after a minute of quiet.
"Great idea," I agreed.
We wandered the length of the wall for a bit, sticking close to the stone to stay
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out of sight of the guards, not really looking for anything.
Eventually, we stumbled upon a trapdoor. It looked like it hadn't been used for a while. The wood was coarse and old, the hinges streaked with rust and looking as if they hadn't been
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opened in years. Looking through a hole in the splintered wood, I could just about make out the street. I tried to force it open, but it wouldn't budge, and the metal groaned in protest with my useless efforts.
Undeterred, I kicked it hard as few
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times, hoping to loosen the hinges, and finally managed to force it open. The wood creaked loudly as I pulled it back and motioned in the direction of the hole flamboyantly.
"Ladies first," I said, grinning.
Dawn rolled her eyes and clambered
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through the hole in the wall, me following soon after. We emerged on the street, and seconds later I pulled Dawn into an alleyway, just as a guard decided to stroll past. This was getting dangerous already, and we hadn't even started.
"Okay, here's
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the plan," I whispered. "We need to split up." She nodded. I could tell she didn't like it, and neither did I, but Istenmire was huge. There was no way we could cover it all if we went together.
"Stay out of sight, try to find the Resistance. Look
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for buildings, people, anything." I said, keeping my voice low. "Good luck. And be careful."
"You too Darien." She whispered. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed me on the cheek, and ran off into the shadows.
I stood stunned for a second. Then I
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shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I had a job to do- I couldn't afford to get distracted.
I crept silently in the opposite direction, down a particularly dark alley, trying to swallow down my fear. The blind darkness pressed on me from all
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sides, making me feel claustrophobic, and I could barely see sunlight behind the looming walls of a mason.
I didn't get very far- I hit a dead end after about twenty metres.
I sighed in frustration. Turning back around, I began to walk in the
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opposite direction, hoping to maybe find another alleyway to look in, perhaps find some clues of the Resistance's whereabouts. The sooner I found them the better.
Suddenly I noticed a silhouette of a person standing against the light
#pgx290
of the street, blocking my way. I took a cautious step forward.
"Hello?" I asked carefully. The person didn't answer. She stepped out of the light, a young women about my age, and locked her blue, piercing eyes on me.
#pgx291
"I was wondering if you could help me," I continued. I was tense, ready to spring; as if I could feel a fight coming. Why? I thought to myself. Why did I feel like there is going to be a fight?
"Were you?" The women's voice was careful and
#pgx292
measured, like mine, but also threatening somehow. Her stance was aggressive, almost as if she was preparing to attack me.
"I'm looking for the Resistance." A second of silence. Then, fast as thought she stalked forward, grabbed the
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collar of my shirt and pushed me against the wall, the blade of her sword against my neck.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" She growled, glowering at me with those sharp, blue eyes.
"A warm welcome," I noted, "If that's
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how you greet every stranger then I don't want to ask how you say hello to your mates."
She shoved me against the wall harder.
"Listen joker boy-" She snarled.
"Who said I was joking?" I said.
"We don't play
#pgx295
games here," She said threateningly, "and I'm not exactly the trusting type. So you better answer my questions, or you certainly won't be the one laughing." I was quiet for a second, considering how to answer.
"I'm Darien. Darien Smith." The girl
#pgx296
raised her eyebrow.
"If you don't believe me then check the posters." I snapped, getting angry myself. Who did she think she was, thinking I was lying? She asked sceptically,
"Posters?"
Despite my situation, I managed to grin. Tricky that, with a
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sword under your chin. But somehow I pulled it off.
"Apparently I beat your high score. Want to check?"
She didn't smile.
"Why are you looking for the Resistance?"
"It's a long story," I said warily, trying to wriggle out of her grip.
#pgx298
"And I have very little time," Said the girl. "So you'd better get started."
"I was attacked in my village. Me and my friend ran away, making our way here, thinking it's our only chance."
Her expression softened a tiny degree of a
#pgx299
fraction.
"So what are you doing here, if you're running from the law?" Oh boy, I wanted to say, it's not the law I'm running from. Just a crazy emperor who wants to cause a huge war, and a couple of the darkest creature of the night. Give me a
#pgx300
couple of city guards any day.
"I was sent to find you." I said slowly.
Ouch. Wrong thing to say.
"Sent?" She said, frowning. Her expression hardened and she pressed the sword harder against my throat. "Who sent
#pgx301
you? You don't look like an imperial spy, but anything is possible..."
"I'm not a spy!" I said loudly.
"You'd better not be. I take it you don't know what we do to spies round here?"
I had enough. I tried to push her off me but she kept the
#pgx302
sword at my neck, making it impossible to do anything. Unless I wanted to lose my head, which I didn't.
"Listen," I said desperately, "Monetia sent me!"
She frowned.
"Yeah right, and I'm Notch. Now tell me, who sent you?"
I could barely
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breath now. Dark spots danced in front of my eyes.
"Evandrus!" I gasped, and to my surprise, the blade disappeared and the restraining hands threw me to the floor.
"You know Evandrus?" She asked, levelling
#pgx304
her sword while I coughed uncontrollably. It took me a few more seconds of breathing before I had enough strength to get to my feet. Still, it felt like the inside of my throat was coated with sand paper.
"Yeah," I managed to choke out, my
#pgx305
throat still recovering. "Yeah, he said he was-"
I glanced up and froze. Carefully, me and the girl melted back into the shadows at the same time, out of sight of the imperial guard that had just decided to investigate all the noise.