Lord of Shadows: Shadow of Skiamance - Vol. II
Immortus
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Lord of Shadows: Shadow of Skiamance - Vol. II
by Immortus
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Chapter 8: I Take a Crash Course in Acting
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"And what exactly do we do?" I whispered furiously.
The guard came closer. In a few seconds he would catch us both. I had a
tiny, small idea, but it was either a stroke of genius or very stupid.
Still, I guessed that one of us getting caught was better
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than two of us. The Imperial guard came closer still. He was the stereotype. Large and burly, well built, with a rough face, which bore an even rougher expression. He wore armour made of cheap leather with an iron helmet.
"Come out come
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out, little fella. Who's down there?" The guard looked over his shoulder and yelled to someone. "Oi, I think I found one."
Desperately, I looked around, searching for a way out. I noticed a stack of wrecked wooden crates piled up
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against the wall, and the low roof overhanging slightly. Suddenly it all came together. There was no way we could climb up onto the roof; there was no time. But if we had time... A crazy idea started to form in my mind.
Quickly and
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quietly, I told the girl my plan.
"Climb up, onto the roof, then help me up. I'll distract them and buy us some time."
She looked outraged.
"Why should I do any-"
"Just do it!" I hissed angrily.
I had a vague plan
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in my head, but it was going to depend a lot on luck. The one thing I didn't have. But then it was too late to change my mind.
Morphing my face into what I hoped was a serious and dignified expression, I stepped stepped out of the darkness. It was
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time to act a lot more confident than I felt.
The guard looked at me, frowning.
"What you doin' in there eh?"
I lifted my head up, looking about elaborately as if I owned the place.
"Not your business lad. I live here, I think I ought to have
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the right to go where I wish."
My voice was so proud and mighty, so like Gareth, that I wanted to cringe. Eugh. But I had no choice.
"You look familiar, like I've seen you before...You famous mate?"
I felt a fleeting moment of panic
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before regaining control.
"Indeed, I...Er, perform in the theatre." I invented wildly, hoping that there actually was a theatre in Istenmire. To my surprise, he bought it.
The guard was either very blind or completely
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oblivious of what was going on in the city, because he frowned again, scratching his head under his helmet and pointing the sword at me. I wondered about the helmet. Probably standard issue for head protection, but I thought it was a waste because
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really... there didn't seem to be a lot of point protecting something that had so little in it.
"What were you doing in there then?" he demanded. "I 'eard voices."
"Practicing lines." I said in that elegant voice, striding past him and glancing
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about the street. Luckily there was no one out but I knew I had to act quickly. There was no knowing how long my temperamental luck would last. I turned to him, gesturing extravagantly.
"I am a master of the arts," I said, feigning anger, "A
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professional needs his space, man!"
He stared dumbfounded for a second. I could practically see his gears turning, trying to figure out if what I said was true. Eventually the shock faded off his face.
"Fine," He muttered, then sheathed
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sword. While part of me was delighted at my success and that I might actually get out of this alive, the other part of me was thinking: Oh Notch, what did they teach these people?
"Sorry sir, it's just, yeh see-" his voice dropped to a low whisper
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that I had to lean in to catch. "These Resistance members, they like them alleyways. I thought-you know, you migh' be one of them."
Out of the corner of my eye I could just about spot the girl clambering over the last crate and
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leaping gracefully onto the roof. The guard's attention flicked behind me for an instant but I snapped my fingers in front of his face.
"I, uh..." I tried to use my best grand voice. "I better be off now. Finish my theatre- Er- lines! Lines for the
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theatre I say. See you around old chap. Er, stay out of trouble. There's a good lad." I clapped him on the shoulder and strode self importantly back into the shadows, back to safety.
I was just 2 metres away... 1 metre... So close... Behind me I could
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hear low mutterings of another guard. They seemed to be having an argument.
"Stop!" The order was sharp and definite. This wasn't the guy I spoke to, this was obviously the one he was calling for.
I froze, not daring to glance around.
"Turn around
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and show yourself!" he commanded. Panic closed up my throat but I managed to say,
"I have practice! I told you lad, I need space!" It didn't work.
"Do it!" The guy's voice sounded unsure and nervous, but commanding all the same. I didn't want to turn
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around. But I could tell that if I didn't, things were going to get messy. Slowly, I turned on my heel, to face the two guards. I spread my arms.
"Happy?"
The guy I spoke to was grinning lazily.
"He performs in the theatre."
His friend looked
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at me, the shock registering in his eyes and his jaw dropping as he compared the picture on the side of a wall to the real thing. The sword slipped from his hand and landed on the pavement with a dzang as he started to stammer.
"But that's... you
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are...S-smith..." He turned to his companion. "WHAT-THEATRE YOU-" He hopped about on the spot, tearing at his hear, torn between berating his assistant or chasing a wanted criminal.
"That's- that's..." He was lost for
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words for a minute.
I backed up, calling upwards loudly,
"Hey you! Any time now would be good!"
The guards bellow echoed through the street,
"BACKUP! HERE NOW!"
For a terrifying second I thought the girl had abandoned me and left to
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save herself, but then her hand reached down beside me and I caught it gratefully. She hauled me onto the roof top and I stumbled briefly, almost pulling us both down. Once I steadied myself I said,
"Now what do we do?"
She looked at me,
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her blue eyes losing their angry, tough look for just a second.
"Now..." she swallowed nervously. "Now we run."
We dashed from roof top to roof top, the guards hot on our heels. There were more than a dozen, spread out in the
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streets and yelling orders.
"So much trouble for us?" I muttered, out of breath already.
The girl rolled her eyes, as much as you can when running for your life.
"Now that they've seen me, they are definitely not giving up easily."
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I decided to leave it at that. We kept running. Up ahead I could spot the ending of our roof, and I skidded to a halt. The girl kept going. She leaped gracefully over a gap in the roof tops, and stared at me from the other side.
"Well?" She said
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impatiently. This is insane, I thought to myself, looking down and feeling dizzy at the sight of the ground so far away. If I fell, it was going to hurt. Or maybe not. Because if I fell from here I would most likely be dead. I heard a yell somewhere
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behind me, and I raced forward. The edge came closer with every second. No time to think, just do it. I sprung over the empty space, landing neatly on the other side.
"Well, that went better than I expected," I said loftily. The girl tugged at my shirt
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roughly and yelled into my ear,
"Come on!"
We bolted over the timber roof, no thought except to escape. I glanced sideways and could spot people pointing and muttering to each other. I guessed you didn't get crazy criminal chases
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here everyday. We bolted over the timber rooftops, barely keeping our balance.
Suddenly, the roof dropped away threateningly and this time the gap ahead was too wide to jump over. I almost toppled into the street, hurtling
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towards the ground many metres below, but the girl clamped her hand on my shoulder and pulled me back.
"Thanks," I muttered breathlessly.
She brushed away a stray strand of hair from her face, and glanced back. The guards were
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advancing on the house slowly, knowing we were trapped. A few of them were holding something, some sort of wooden stick I couldn't make out because I was so far away, but I felt something was wrong. I tensed. Hearing the unmistakeable
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sound of a bow being drawn, I tackled the girl just as half a dozen arrows zipped past the space where we were a moment before.
"Thanks," she gasped.
"Why do they have bows!" I growled in frustration, as I scrambled to my
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feet.
Losing my balance, the world lurched sideways as I started to fall, and my flailing hands caught onto the only thing there was- the girl's arm.
"Arh!" We both screamed as we tumbled off the roof into the abyss. CRASH. The pair of
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us landed in a box full of vegetables. Carrots and potatoes spilled out onto the street, and this time, it wasn't empty.
Spitting out a carrot, I looked around wildly, into the staring faces of the Istenmire folk. The place was silent. A
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few metres away, a merchant dropped a pair of shears which clattered on the cobble street. I faintly hear the distant yells of the authorities.
I stood up, brushing my trousers off from dust and splinters.
"So er..." I started lightly. "How's
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life?"
Nobody answered. The faces in the crowd were masks of shock and fear. The silence stretched on, the distant footsteps of the guard coming closer.
"Run?" I asked the girl.
"What do you think?" she growled
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angrily, and leapt to her feet. I followed her example and we careened up the lane, taking random turns in the jumbled maze of roads and avenues. I could barely run; I had a stitch in my side so bad it felt like somebody was jamming a rusty
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knife between my ribs. Eventually the girl found what she was looking for, because she took a sharp left into yet another alley, shouting-
"In there!"
I dashed into the darkness, breathing heavily, my hand on my side. I could spot
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the faint outline of something, a trapdoor. The angry shouts behind us subsided. Now that I was in the dark, I felt something else; a presence. Something was here with us, something stirring in the darkness... something evil, and definitely not
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human. It felt eerie and familiar somehow. I felt this presence before... But before I could warn the girl to get back out into the light, there was a loud BANG and a flash of purple. I was thrown backwards, landing on my back.
In a violent shower
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of purple sparks, my two worst nightmares appeared- the Endermen, their eyes burning with hate and malevolence. Their shadowy skin blended so well with the gloom of the back street that I had trouble defining their shape in the shadows. But I could
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still see the eyes just fine.
Beside me, the girl gasped in horror.
"What are they?" she cried, scrambling backwards.
"Friends," I said in a small voice, trying to keep my voice from quivering. I got my feet. "So how's it been? Any good
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news since our previous meeting? You should consider going for a swim, it's very relaxing."
Apparently, my attempts at banter didn't work. The Endermen hissed in indignation.
"Do not play games with us, fool. Running from us, you have
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only delayed the inevitable. The Dark Lord only wishes to assist you, to guide you."
Time, I thought to myself. I need more time. I had to get past them, but since I didn't have any ideas I decided to keep them talking. I cleared my throat in a
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comical gesture.
"Assist me? Tempting offer, but I don't think I need any help in dying, thanks. I seem to be managing well enough already,"
"You can not run from fate, petty hero, but Lord Skiamance can free you from the burden, he can give you
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power. Reject the ridiculous destiny you have been given- it will only be your doom."
"And if I don't, there will be doom anyway," I said. "It's really not a win-win situation for is it? Still, I think I'll look to the future."
The Enders both hissed
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in synchronisation.
"And do you think the future holds anything but pain and sorrow ahead if you take this path?" the first one snarled. "All that future holds grief, regret, misfortune. You never be content, never be free. All you will ever know is
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agony and fear. Forever."
The words stung, mostly because they were true, or at least some of them. Fear? Definitely. And it wasn't just the fear of what was going to happen to me. There was so much I feared for all my life, like losing Dawn or
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Byjorn for instance. Always a constant fear. Regret? You could say that. If I never ran away with Evan I wouldn't be here right now, trapped between about 20 people who wanted to kill me. Misfortune? That thought made me laugh. My life was
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already so full of misfortune that it was unbearable to think it could get any worse.
Composing my face, I said,
"Right, so I'm supposed to believe that if you take me to Skiamance, I'll come out of it alive and in one piece?" I laughed nervously.
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"Sorry, but I'd rather take my chances with the doom."
The one on the right bared his teeth, seething. The white fangs looked odd, hanging seemingly in midair under those purple eyes.
"Then you are a fool," its friend snarled. The purple eyes
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burned more forcefully, miniature flames igniting in the irises.
"You leave us no choice, idiotic boy,"
Behind us, the distant shouts and clanking of metal armour of the guards echoed closer and closer. In a few seconds they would be here. The
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Enderman's sneer turned into something akin to a smile.
"There is no escape. Whether those fools catch you first, or you come with us, the end result will be the same."
At that point, I should have been terrified. I was trapped between a small army of
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lumbering idiots and two very smart creatures of the night intent on taking me to a crazy, oppressive Emperor, whom I have every single reason to hate. And they expected me to cooperate. But the truth was, I was angry. I ran from
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the Endermen, I ran from the guards, and I ran from Skiamance. I had enough. And I was done running away.
I snatched the sword form the girl and spun around, holding it out in front of me. Shaking my head, I growled.
"Think again mate,"
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I could hear footsteps now, loud and heavy. I had an idea. I had seen the speed with which these creature moved...There was no way I could hope to beat them with a sword. Water would be a viable solution, but there was none in sight. Maybe if I
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could get them out of the way and get to the trapdoor... I pulled the girl to her feet and murmured in a low voice.
"Get ready." She nodded. Then I turned to the Endermen and said haughtily,
"I'm warning you, get out of the way."
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they just smiled evilly. "You asked for it," I said, and stepped forward. I swung the iron sword in an overhead arch, putting some power behind it. As I expected, they teleported away, somewhere behind me, and my blade went through empty
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air.
"Now!" I yelled, and pushed her ahead, lifting the sword while she struggled to force the trapdoor open. I faced the mouth of the alley, watching the Endermen get over their surprise.
"Sometime this week would be great!" I
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yelled as the Endermen advanced, the smiles gone, replaced by enraged features and those terrible eyes burning more than ever. A troop of guards appeared at the mouth of the alley, bumping into each other, frozen and staring in shock
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at the two creatures of darkness stood before them.
"Got it!"
I backed up, dropping into the small hole that the girl had opened. The trapdoor snapped shut above me, shutting off the day light and replacing it with complete
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darkness as I fell deeper underground.
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Chapter 9: Tunnels
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It turned out the drop wasn't that far. Unfortunately, the dark and
uneven ground was not the best of places to land, and while the girl had
rolled away expertly, I foolishly tried to land on my feet.
My ankle twisted inwards as I hit
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the ground some 3 metres below, and I thought I heard a sickening snap. Pain shot through my foot. For a moment that was all I could feel- the pain. Pain so bad I couldn't hear anything and my vision went red. I lay there for a few minutes, gripping
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foot and trying not to scream.
Eventually, the ringing in my ears subsided, and my vision cleared, so that I could examine my surroundings as my eyes got used to the dark.
"Where are we?" I asked through gritted teeth, still
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on the ground.
"Underground," The girl said from behind me.
"Oh gee, you don't say," I growled, sitting up and wincing as the tiny movement jostled my foot. I carefully took my shoe off and examined it. My ankle was swollen and red, but none of the
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bones seemed to be broken, which I was thankful for. Still, I suspected I at least fractured it, because it hurt so much. The girl crouched beside me and inspected my ankle, prodding it with her fingers.
"Ow!" I said loudly, flinching.
"It's not
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broken," she said uncertainly after a minute. "But it's twisted badly. I would set it if I could, but I'm not an expert. I would just make it worse." For a second she sounded actually worried.
"So I guess setting is out of the question?" I asked.
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She didn't answer. I could just about spot her outline in the dark, and saw her shaking her head at me.
"You idiot," she said, returning to her irritable, surly manner. "You do realise you are lucky you didn't break your leg?"
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"I panicked. Something about getting chased by an army and a couple of creatures of darkness makes me edgy," I snapped through gritted teeth, then said sharply. "Help me up,"
She looked doubtful, but did as I asked and hauled me to my feet. Warily, I
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tried putting weight on my foot. Not a great idea- I cried out in agony and almost fell over again. The girl steadied me and snapped impatiently.
"Now because of you, it's going to take us about five times longer to get there,"
"What do you expect me
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to do?" I snarled. "Crawl?"
She rolled her eyes, muttering how stupid I was. Something about the gesture reminded me of Evan, and I wondered what he would say if he were here right now. I hoped not all the Resistance members were so
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unforgiving.
"Thanks," I said quietly.
"Don't take this the wrong way Smith," she warned in a low voice. "I still don't trust you."
Carefully, she threw my arm over her shoulder and helped me limp through the dark tunnels,
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barely able to make out anything. I found myself asking her questions to keep my mind off the pain.
"What is this place?"
"Tunnels, snaking their way under the city," she said in a hard voice. "They were dug here years ago. We are safe from the
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authorities here, they will not risk going down here. The Enders will not venture here also, for the ceiling is too low to permit their frame." There was something about her voice that I couldn't quite place, something not quite right. Nervousness?
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But I decided to let it go.
"So, do you do this often?" I couldn't see very well in the dark, but I could just about make out her hard glare.
"If you mean rescuing certain awful actors with balance issues then no, I not do this often."
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"Right," I said, getting angry. "Remind me again, why do you hate me so much?"
She was quiet for a long minute before answering.
"You are a Southerner. That should be reason enough."
I frowned.
"You mean you're
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not?" I took her tense silence as a yes. "So why exactly do you hate me? Because I figure it's not my charming personality."
She sighed bitterly and heavily,
"If it weren't for your Empire, then the North wouldn't be fighting this war,"
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"Well firstly, there is no war."
"Not yet," she said darkly. "But there will be. Once Skiamance rallies his armies he will make for the North. And destroy all that stands in the way."
"Fine. Secondly, you make it sound like we asked for this,"
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She laughed harshly, her voice ringing out into the heavy air of the underground.
"Didn't you?" Her voice sounded brittle. I shook my head. "You don't get it do you? You give all the power to just one man, and then complain. Because monarchy never
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works. Kings, queens, emperors... They're all the same... they always fall to their own greed of power. The North is different, they don't just dump all the responsibility on one person's shoulders. There are votes, democracy, fairness. People
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choose what they want, and that's why it works. At least most of the time,"
I let that sink in for a bit. It sounded like an impossible dream. I tried to imagine it- a large house of my own, having a proper job that I enjoyed. Not having to work all
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day just to have enough to eat, but having time to spend on what I liked, maybe reading or painting. And when the day came, I would be able to to vote and choose just who would rule our world, rather than living in the constant fear that I won't. A tiny
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choice perhaps, of little significance, but it made all the difference. It gave people some control over their lives.
The North sounded like a better, healthier place for me than here ever had.
"What's it like up there?" I asked
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wistfully. She obviously caught the wishful tone in my voice, because her voice softened a tiny fraction of a degree.
"It's beautiful. Often cold, a lot of mountains. There are pine forests, and a lot of snow, especially in the
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winter."
I thought about it. I had never actually seen snow, only read about it in books and heard stories about the stuff. We limped along in silence for a while, the pain in my foot now dulled and numb. Eventually I asked,
"Are you ever
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going to tell me your name?"
She rolled her eyes.
"Save your breath Smith." I waited and she sighed again. "Ellen. Ellen Tennon. Now can we shut and go faster?"
We limped along in silence for a while. I could barely make out anything in the
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darkness, but Ellen seemed to know where she was going. While we made our way through the tunnel, something draped itself across my face, something silky and soft. Usually that would not be reason to panic, but I was exhausted and in pain. I was in a
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dark tunnel barely able to see my hand in front of my face, next to a girl who definitely looked murderous enough to kill me. And I was scared. Jumping back out of her grip, I gave a strangled yelp and tore the thing from my face.
"What is it?" Ellen
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said irritably, picking me up again. I shook my head, looking at the silky, sticky string in my hands.
"N-nothing," I managed, shaken up.
After a while, the tunnel started to slope downwards and I figured that we were going deeper underground. I
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kept limping along, absorbed in my own thoughts.
Suddenly, a short hiss echoed through the dark, so quiet I thought I must have imagined. Beside me, Ellen stopped dead. The hiss echoed again, louder, more agitated. And there were more sounds
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too, the sounds of snipping of pincers and the tapping of many feet on stone.
That was when I had a tiny inkling of what might be prowling these tunnels. It made sense- Ellen's frightened voice, the sticky string.
I tried to speak but my mouth was so
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dry that I couldn't make a sound. Gulping nervously, I whispered,
"What the heck was that?"
In the dark, I could just about make out her frightened expression, fear and uncertainty in her blue eyes, looking straight ahead. I
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looked where she was staring, and also felt the immediate urge to bolt.
A pair of glowing red eyes appeared in the darkness, glowering deep into my own.
* * *
A fireball exploded against the wall in a dazzling inferno, a tongue of harsh
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flame charring the gleaming, polished stone. Skiamance roared with rage and sent another ball of flame hurtling into the wall.
Herobrine stood in the centre of the room, smiling coldly as if his master's anger amused him.
Skiamance
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glowered at his servant, circling Herobrine, miniature flames flickering across his hands and murder burning in his eyes. The shadows in the corners seemed to escape their dark restraints, cowardly beasts inching along the polished stone floor towards
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their master. A feeling of cold settled in the chamber, making Herobrine's every breath turn to mist. A part of the Shadow Lord wondered how many more breaths he would see before his eyes.
"You mean to say," Skiamance snarled savagely. "That
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despite the efforts of your greatest servants, the boy has slipped through your fingers a second time?"
Herobrine's small smile slipped, his head bowing slightly.
"We did not consider the interference of Evandrus and the girl, my Lord. An
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inexcusable mistake on my part. And yet there was no way to foresee it- his decision was too abrupt, too sudden, as if something was influencing him."
"Monetia..." muttered Skiamance furiously.
Herobrine frowned in concern.
"My Lord?"
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He should have known. That fool of a spirit always meddled in his affairs, always against him, just like the first time... He paced furiously, the fire still burning in his hands.
Herobrine's face hardened.
"It is completely possible that
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Monetia was influencing Evandrus. Considering your history with that particularly individual-"
"Do not speak of it!" snapped Skiamance. He was clearly bothered by the thought.
Bowing stiffly, the
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servant said indifferently,
"As you wish my Lord,"
Skiamance breathed heavily, calming down from his brief fit of temper. He did not take rash decisions based on fury and anger. Those emotions were for lesser beings. Skiamance took
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another deep breath and the shadows receded, shrinking back to their dark corners.
"I will not take any more chances," he said in a heavy voice. "I want the boy dead."
Dead silence followed his words. Herobrine frowned uncertainly,
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gazing at his master as if trying to figure out his reasons.
"Are you sure my Lord? Monetus told us-"
Skiamance strode up to his servant, towering over him, and his eyes flared a dangerous red. He spoke threateningly, his voice
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emanating a cold fury.
"I am fully aware of what Monetus told me, petty servant," Skiamance snarled, emphasising the last word. "But the boy is still a danger. Do not question my motives, Herobrine, I am still your master, you will obey my
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bidding."
Herobrine's lip curled angrily, his eyes flaring a harsh white in his anger. He was not to be ordered about like boy. For a second he was very tempted to reply, to challenge the fool before him and rid the world of his stupidity. But at
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the last second Herobrine regained control, keeping his composure, knowing that to act rashly was unwise and would only result in more problems later.
"Of course. Forgive me my Lord, I forgot myself."
Skiamance calmed down completely,
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the fire playing on his fingertips fading to embers before extinguishing fully and the Shadow Walker returned to his secluded, cold manner. He strode around the throne room, thinking.
"You will kill the boy," Skiamance said in his usual cold tone,
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any trace of rage or anger gone. "And report to me,"
After a minute of tense silence Herobrine said,
"It will be difficult. I cannot harm the boy directly. Fate will not allow it yet,"
Skiamance waved this off.
"Then kill him
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indirectly. I am not concerned about how you do this, only that it must be done,"
"As you wish, my Lord," Herobrine said, bowing, and leaving the throne room.
Skiamance watched him go, and resumed his brooding. He felt reluctant to
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murder the boy, not only because of the fact that Monetus had promised him a powerful weapon. There was another reason, more close and personal... The Emperor also couldn't shake the feeling that in bringing back Herobrine, he had
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made a terrible mistake. Skiamance stopped his pacing, for the first time in his long life allowed himself to feel an array of emotions he thought he would never feel in a long while- uncertainty and fear.
* * *
I stared at the red
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eyes, and they stared right back. I could barely breath. Very slowly, Ellen let go of me and reached into her pocket. I couldn't see what she was doing because I was still holding the thing's eye contact.... whatever the thing was.
Beside me, Ellen
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took the thing out of her pocket, some sort of stick, and muttered something very softly. It didn't sound like English. In fact, it sounded like something much older, an ancient tongue, some sort of spell... Whatever it was, it made the stick burst into
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flames. A torch.
I squinted as the sudden light filled my vision, burning my eyes. Raising a hand to shield my face from the glare of the flames, I wait as my eyes adjusted.
Fortunately, I was no longer blind, and I could actually see my surroundings
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properly for the first time. The walls were roughly made of earth, coarse, wooden beams holding the tunnel in place. The light illuminated Ellen's pale face beside me, and a small, steady stream of gravel streamed from a break in earthen
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ceiling.
Unfortunately, I could still see the red eyes, as well as the rest of it. In a way, I wished that Ellen hadn't flood the place with light, because what I could see now clearly was definitely a lot more terrifying than if it just was the
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eyes.
A gigantic arachnid stood in the tiny tunnel, having barely enough space to turn around. The thing was huge- a large body with barbed, spindly legs, and a cluster of red eyes staring out just above a pair of pincers. It snapped it's pincers
#pgx123
menacingly, and I tried to back up. I hit the dirt, scrambling backwards. Ellen backed up with me, holding the sword with trembling hands. The spider started stalking forwards slowly, as if unsure what we were.
"Nice spider," I muttered in my
#pgx124
most soothing voice as I got to my feet painfully, using the wall for support. "Nice spidy-spider... you aren't going to attack us right? Just back off. Be nice. Come on..." I stared into the thing's eyes, almost pleading. It hissed furiously as it started
#pgx125
to advance more aggressively.
"Well that worked," Ellen muttered, her hands shaking worse than ever, the vibrating torch casting flickering shadows on the tunnel walls.
The spider snapped up at the sound of her voice, and
#pgx126
without a moment's hesitation, lunged. Taken by surprise, Ellen would probably have been torn apart by those pincers had I not kicked it away with my good foot, howling as I almost lost my balance and toppled to the floor. I managed to
#pgx127
steady myself on the wall as the spider hissed and spluttered, backing away.
I snatched the sword from Ellen's hands. It wasn't like she was going to use it.
It got over it's surprise pretty quick, and started to advance on me,
#pgx128
those huge, hairy spider legs rapping the floor menacingly. It lunged again and I aimed a slash at it's body. It darted out of the way, smashing into the tunnel and making the walls shake. I slashed again, aiming for a leg.
Unfortunately, I didn't
#pgx129
kill it. It jumped onto my chest, much faster and higher than a creature of that size should have been able to move and I fell to the ground. It pinned me to the floor, those pincers snapping just above my face. I yelled loudly, trying to push it off me
#pgx130
but it was too heavy.
"Oi! Do something!" I shouted again, and to my surprise, the immense weight on my front disappeared. The spider rolled off to the side. Standing over me was Ellen with the blade, pale and shaking, looking terrified.
I lay on the
#pgx131
ground, breathing heavily.
"Thanks for the help," I muttered grouchily as I stood up and rubbed my chest, brushing any dust off. I looked at her, realizing something for the first time.
"You knew what was down here." I said accusingly. She
#pgx132
nodded slightly. "And yet you still led us down here anyway?" I went on.
Now that the threat of giant spiders was gone, she looked her usual angry self.
"It was necessary, it was either here or up there with the Enders."
I guess I couldn't
#pgx133
argue with that logic.
"You're scared of spiders," I said accusingly as we started to limp in the direction of where the spider came from.
"Don't be stupid," she said irritably. "I'm not scared of anything."
"Yeah you're scared," I said
#pgx134
jokingly. But I was shaken up from the encounter, and could barely stand up. Ellen didn't look much better. Some chance meeting.
It took us a few more nerve-racking hours, but eventually we stumbled across the door.
It was rusted and
#pgx135
old, the steel corroded and grimy, the edges encrusted with dirt and mud. A few vines snaked their way across its surface. It looked like it hadn't been opened in years, just like the trap door.
"You sure this is the one?" I asked uncertainly,
#pgx136
holding on to the wall for support while she grabbed hold of the handle, attempting to open it.
"Of course I'm sure," she snapped, now planting a foot on the wall and pulling with all her strength. "It's just we don't use this side all that often.
#pgx137
Almost... got...it!" The door gave way with a loud creak, and Ellen, surprised, fell back onto the floor.
"You sure do know what you are doing," I remarked as I helped her up. She ignored the remark and helped me limp through the door, into the room on
#pgx138
the other side.
"Welcome," she said. "To the Resistance."
#pgx139
Chapter 10: They Call it a "Problem"
#pgx140
The room was large but cosy. The walls were made of rough stone,
reinforced with wooden beams, and a large log fire burned in an alcove
in the wall. Wooden frames with random mementos hung on the walls, all
labeled with neat, scripted handwriting. A
#pgx141
single, dusty lamp hung on the ceiling, dimly illuminating the hazy room and the people in it.
Around a dozen unfamiliar faces looked up at us. They were all busy- some playing cards at the various tables scattered about, a few leaning
#pgx142
against the wall and talking in hushed voices. A shady character was leaning against the wall glaring at me, flipping and catching a sharp-looking knife in his hand. The air was full of laughter and chatter and general hustle and bustle.
#pgx143
But they all froze when they caught sight of the new arrivals, the room descending into a tense silence as I struggled to think of what to say. After a second of quiet, a familiar voice sneered out of a dark corner,
"Well, well, well, if it
#pgx144
isn't my good ol' buddy, cranky Darien the fool." Evan's scarred face broke into a grin as he stepped towards me, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You got here all right? You are here alive, so I can only assume you're Resistance material,"
#pgx145
For a moment I was so surprised that I just stood shocked, trying to understand what he was trying to say.
"It was a test?" I asked, perplexed. He nodded.
Then it dawned on me what he meant and rage drowned me like a flood. I was so angry that I
#pgx146
could barely do anything apart from splutter and try to find a word bad enough to call him.
"You... little... You..." I stuttered angrily, but before I could do anything more than curse in a string of Minecraftian swear words even Gareth would have been
#pgx147
proud of, something leapt out of the haze and tackled me in a vice-tight hug.
"You're alive!"
"Ow!" I yelled, as Dawn stepped on my foot, and she took a step back. Her face was instantly lined with concern.
"What happened?"
"Long, long story,
#pgx148
involving creepy tunnels, giant Arachnids, and broken feet," I muttered, still leaning on Ellen heavily. Dawn's eyes widened and she was about to speak when beside me, Evan tossed me something- a bottle. It was a tiny vial, barely bigger
#pgx149
than my finger. I caught it clumsily, my fumbling fingers just about closing around it in time before it plummeted to the floor.
"Drink it, it'll make your footsie feel better. Be grateful, it's my last and those things are a pain to brew." Evan
#pgx150
remarked in a mocking voice, smirking. Glaring at him, I downed the tiny bottle in one gulp, and suddenly, instantly, my foot began to heal. The swelling disappeared, as did the pain, and in a few minutes my foot felt as good as new. Gingerly, I tested
#pgx151
it, holding onto Ellen in case I was going to fall. Surprisingly, the pain in my foot faded.
"Thanks," I said grudgingly to Evan. Than I turned to Dawn.
"How did you get here?"
At this, Ellen shoved me impatiently.
"Come on, save the
#pgx152
emotional meeting for later," She growled, and started to drag me towards a door. I had no choice but to follow.
"I tell you later!" I called over my shoulder, before Ellen bundled me through the door and slammed it behind me.
I looked around. I
#pgx153
was in an elegant office, or at least as elegant as you can get when you're living in the underground. The walls were smoother and more polished, painted a dirty beige. Several torches were embedded in brackets around the room, casting warm,
#pgx154
flickering light and making shadows dance on the walls. A neat oak desk stood up against one wall, piled high with paper work, stationary and several weapons, leaving barely any room for any actual work. A short iron sword was balanced precariously on
#pgx155
the edge, threatening to fall and clatter to the floor. A man sat behind the desk, scribbling furiously and frowning in concentration, muttering nonsense to himself. For a second he reminded me of Hugo, and I felt a painful pang of longing as my
#pgx156
thoughts drifted to home.
The man at the desk looked up. His bright eyes widened in surprise, and his hand slowly stopped it's fast paced writing. At first, he didn't strike me like a leader. He looked normal, almost like a younger, less
#pgx157
dark Evan, with his fair hair and a bright expression.
"Hello," he said pleasantly, nodding at Ellen and looking at me curiously. "Apparently we have a guest." He raised an eyebrow at me and held out a hand. "Maximus Tenibrus is the name, nice to
#pgx158
meet you. I suppose you have good reason to disturb me?" This time he addressed Ellen, who nodded. He frowned, then looked at me again, a spark of recognition flickering in his eyes.
"Who is this? You look familiar. I wonder if..." He started
#pgx159
shuffling through the immense amount of paper work on his table, evidently looking for something. Then he pulled a sheet out and examined it with interest, his face gradually growing more and more surprised until the paper was just
#pgx160
inches from his nose. I recognised it as one of my posters.
When Maximus spoke, it was with a new tone of urgency I hadn't heard a moment before. He turned his attention to Ellen.
"Tell me everything, from the top," he said urgently, throwing a
#pgx161
strange glance at me. "I want the full report of how this one," he nodded in my direction. "Got here."
Ellen started from her end, about how she had been patrolling the streets before stumbling upon a wanted guy looking for the
#pgx162
resistance. Then she went on about the chase, and told him about the Endermen, ending with the events in the tunnels. After she finished, Maximus frowned.
"You let him live? The usual protocol would be to kill them,"
"Wow, I feel so
#pgx163
welcome," I said sarcastically.
He scowled.
"It's better that way. It ensures that people don't dig around, keep quiet and let us do our business. So exactly why is Mr. Smith here in one piece?"
Ellen gave me a dirty look.
#pgx164
"He said Evan sent him,"
The room descended into grim silence at these words. Maximus instantly turned his attention to me.
"You, tell me everything. How you got to Istenmire, how Evan found you... I need to hear everything."
#pgx165
"Hang on," I said, frowning. "He didn't tell you I was coming?"
The guy shook his head grimly.
"We are all as lost as each other in this business. Now tell me all that has happened,"
Now it was my turn to take over the
#pgx166
story. I told him all about my old life, about how Evan appeared randomly and saved me from the Endermen, about our most recent travels. I didn't talk about the dream though- I decided to keep it to myself until I had time to figure things out.
#pgx167
"Hmm," Maximus said, stroking his chin, clearly deep in thought. "I must speak to Evandrus personally about this. I suppose he always does things his own way, but for him to seek out a wanted man whom he barely knows... that is most unlike him."
#pgx168
"He said I was in grave danger," I remembered. "At the time I thought he meant the Endermen, but now I'm not so sure. He sounded like he already had suspicions it was to do with Skiamance even before they outright told us."
Now that I wasn't
#pgx169
running for my life and had time to think about it, an interesting thought entered my head. I had the sneaking suspicion I was not the only one to be visited by the spirit of warning, and that Evan had his fair share of dream visits from Monetia. It
#pgx170
would make sense, especially because the Evan that I knew was unlikely to come and find me out of the goodness of his heart.
Maximus waved this away impatiently.
"It doesn't matter. The important thing is that you are here now, and we must
#pgx171
decide what to do with you,"
"What do you mean, what to do with me?" He ignored me, and turned his attention to Ellen.
"Ah... Miss. Tennon, bring Evandrus here for a... chat will you? And show Mr. Smith the ropes- I'd hate to kill him any time soon.
#pgx172
After all, he does seem like a pleasant, productive, young chap. Off you go now," he dismissed us with a vague gesture of his hand, and returned to his writing.
I got out of the chair and went out of the neat, elegant office, slightly nervous
#pgx173
and wondering what the heck I got myself. As soon we came out, Evan and Dawn approached us, Dawn utterly perplexed, Evan confident and grinning. Ellen frowned, and said slowly,
"Max wants to see you Evan,"
"Oh really," Evan
#pgx174
grinned crookedly, his hands casually in his pockets. "In trouble am I? Is he going to cut my weekly allowance?" The mischievous glint in his eyes was still there, and with his dark character and his scar he looked unsettling, almost creepy, in the
#pgx175
flickering light of the fire.
Ellen rolled her eyes.
"I don't even know why he bothers telling you off. You never take any notice of his ranting anyway." Evan chuckled darkly, but didn't say anything.
"Seriously? You
#pgx176
call him Max?" I said, chuckling. I expected Ellen to tell me off, but she gave me a strange look, her expression looking almost as if she was scared and fear sparking in her eyes for just a second.
"Did you hear his second name?" She asked
#pgx177
quietly.
I frowned, recalling the memory of him telling me.
"Tenibrus, wasn't it?"
Ellen nodded.
"And you know what that means in Minecraftian, don't you?"
A shiver ran through me. It literally meant the dark. I
#pgx178
nodded, already setting a mental note to never laugh at the guy's name again. Ellen shook her head, her voice dropping to a low whisper.
"They call him Maximus the Dark One for a reason. He's not bad, nor is he the traitor sort... But let's
#pgx179
just say I wouldn't get on his bad side,"
"Hang on, can somebody explain what in the name of Notch is going on?" Dawn's voice cut through the conversation like a storm through calm. She signalled a stop with her hands, looking from
#pgx180
Ellen, to me, to Evan, then back to Ellen again.
"Who're you, blonde?" Ellen asked beside me, irritated.
"Look who's talking, Miss I'm-all-so-dark-and-mighty? You better tell me who you are," Dawn replied furiously. Evan
#pgx181
smirked again, and started making his way to the office.
"Much as I like to watch this vicious battle to the death, duty calls," he said sarcastically, nodded towards the door and then turned to me. "Make sure they don't kill each other before get
#pgx182
back." Then he leant in close to me and added under his breath. "Because I want to watch."
Chuckling, he disappeared behind the door, still grinning.
Dawn and Ellen glared at each other a second longer, before turning
#pgx183
away from each other at the same time- a gesture I would have found funny if I wasn't so tired and shaken up.
"So er... What do we do now?" I asked casually, trying for conversation. Dawn glared at me while Ellen rolled her eyes.
#pgx184
"What...?" I asked, completely confused.
"Cmon, I'll show you the bunks," Ellen said eventually, sand then steered us through the main room. The laughter and chatter had returned, and I could barely hear myself think through the racket.
#pgx185
Eventually we reached a corridor, torches lining the rough stone walls, and I looked up, noticing about a dozen doors which I guessed led to the rooms. Ellen went through one of the doors, and motioned for us to follow. I shrugged, but
#pgx186
Dawn looked dubious.
We went inside. A single, dusty redstone lamp hung on the ceiling, throwing the room into smudged light. Inside, two bunks were pushed to each side of the walls, leaving barely any room in the middle to walk through. A
#pgx187
small, wooden chest was somehow crammed between them on the far wall. On one of higher beds, a man was laying down, leaning on his elbow and reading something.
"Aw, hey Ellen. Where ya been?"
Ellen rolled her eyes.
#pgx188
"Sorting out these idiots." Beside me Dawn bristled furiously,
"Hey, we aren't-"
Ellen cut across her, addressing me. She gestured to the bunk on the far side, the red sheets neatly folded.
"That'll be your one. No one uses it
#pgx189
anyway," Dawn opened her mouth for a scathing retort, but I didn't care. I just collapsed into the bed, the warm sheets feeling like heaven after spending a night on a cold, wooden floor. I fell asleep almost instantly, embracing the darkness with
#pgx190
my last thought being: Please, no more nightmares.
* * *
It was safe to say that I wasn't liking the Resistance all that much. A few days passed since we arrived, and since nobody trusted us enough to let us out on missions and
#pgx191
jobs, or even outside, we were truly stuck in the place. I hated it- stuck inside with nothing to do all day being useless. At least at home I got to go to the woods. Dawn had it easy as she liked to read, but I was reduced to pacing the corridors
#pgx192
angrily all day and trying to not kill Evan for sticking me into this mess.
Three days after we first arrived, there seemed to be more commotion than usual. The headquarters were pretty hectic as it was with members carrying
#pgx193
messages, sharpening weapons and being busy, but that day everyone was milling about and talking in hushed voices, as if something very terrible had happened. Everyone seemed to be going to the main room, the one I came into when I
#pgx194
first got here. As I tried to figure out what was going on, Ellen brushed past me and whirled around as I caught her arm.
"What's going on?" I asked nervously. Ellen's sharp, blue eyes seemed to echo my own uncertainty, and she lingered
#pgx195
by the door, letting the people pass by.
"Max called a meeting," she said grimly. "And I think it's to do with Lord Skiamance," she turned and melted into the crowd, disappearing from sight. There weren't even that many members- around
#pgx196
two dozen- but because the space was so confined it felt like a lot more.
I stood still for a second, shocked, before going with the crowd and trying to get to the main room.
It took a while, but eventually I emerged from the corridor into the open
#pgx197
space filled with chairs, with everyone scrambling for the best seats. At the front stood Max, his face grim and determined, yelling instructions and trying to achieve order in the complete chaos. I glimpsed Dawn taking a seat to my right and
#pgx198
swept into the chair next to her. She had to talk loudly to make herself heard over the din.
"Any idea what's going on?"
I just shrugged and turned my attention to the front. Meanwhile, all around us there was a total riot- people
#pgx199
standing up in their seats and shouting incoherent words and queries. After a minute of failed attempts to calm the crowd, Max roared loudly,
"QUIET!"
Dead silence. The people slowly sank back into their seats, all attention on
#pgx200
Maximus.
"Good," he said gruffly, walking up to the front again and glancing at everybody, doing a head count. "Most of you are here. Good. Now that you've stopped screaming and panicking like a bunch of little girls, shut up and
#pgx201
listen. We have some very important matters to discuss."
He took a shuddering breath, and his face darkened. For the first time I understood what Ellen meant when she said Maximus the Dark One. Because if I thought he looked like a less shady Evan
#pgx202
before, I definitely didn't think he looked any less dark and dangerous than Evan now.
Max paced the length of the room, hands clasped behind his back, keeping his eyes on his audience.
"As you all know, in the recent week,
#pgx203
several problems have arisen for the Resistance. We have also had some very unsettling reports from our assets concerning these problems, which must be felt with as soon as possible," he started slowly, and several hushed whispers broke
#pgx204
the silence. He glared in the general direction of the murmurs and ploughed on. "The first and foremost one concerning our most bitter enemy, Skiamance."
A sharp voice yelled out from the back row,
"The Spawner!"
#pgx205
Max nodded grimly.
"Indeed," he said firmly. "That is the problem that requires our most immediate attention. Our spies have reported he is bent on it's retrieval, that he will not stop at anything until the Spawner is in his hands." Max gazed
#pgx206
around the room, frowning. "I take it everybody is aware of the magic of the Spawner?"
I wasn't, but I decided not to point that out. I looked at Dawn and mouthed- Can you tell me later? She nodded at me and fixed her attention back to Maximus
#pgx207
again.
"Good. In that case, I know that you all understand why I can't stress enough that the spawner must not come into his grasp. It would mean the end of all we are fighting for. The end of the world as we know it." The room descended into
#pgx208
tense silence, until somebody else- a lad somewhere in the middle- called out loudly,
"So what's the second problem?"
Max paused, considering how to answer. After a minute of quiet, he gazed about the cramped space,
#pgx209
scanning the audience.
"Yes. As some of you may know already," he nodded at Evan and Ellen, sitting a few metres to my left. "We have had some new arrivals. One of them goes by the name of Darien Smith," he finally found my face in the crowd and
#pgx210
held my gaze. I swallowed nervously, unsure where he was leading with this. "It is clear Skiamance will stop at nothing to find the young man, and this causes us a problem," he continued, stopping his pacing. "Just as no prison is
#pgx211
completely secure and unable to be breached, no place is truly safe and unable to be found. Skiamance has his suspicions, but having our friend Mr. Smith here will only make the situation our more risky. We have a rat in the camp, and this may be the
#pgx212
news Lord Skiamance is waiting for. And now," his eyes flicked to my face again. "We must decide how we will solve these problems."
I shivered. Because from his expression I started wondering: Was I was going to get out of this meeting alive?
#pgx213
Chapter 11: Truth is Difficult to Come By
#pgx214
"So," Max said with forced cheerfulness. "Let's sort out Skiamance
first, then worry about the rest. Now about the matter of Skiamance..."
His face darkened, the dim light throwing his features into shadow and
making him look creepier
#pgx215
than ever. "Now, does anyone here not know the history of our very own southern ruler?"
A few tentative hands went up, and encouraged, I lifted my own. I knew very little about Skiamance- only that he rose to power many, many years
#pgx216
ago, gradually relying less and less on the old democratic system and ignoring his advisers. Before long, he had complete control of the South, conquering lands and building his army, oppressing the people with his crazy dreams of ruling a strong,
#pgx217
united world and seizing the North Lands. It was safe to say that my world history had plenty of gaps, and I was curious about what Max had to say.
At the front, Maximus sighed, and shook his head.
"Very well. It seems a number of you do
#pgx218
not know our enemy as well as you should. So I will tell you." Clearing his throat, he started his tale in a heavy voice, the words flowing with a rhythm as if he had memorised his story and told it many times before.
"Skiamance," Max started slowly,
#pgx219
rolling the name on his tongue like interesting wine- not really sure what to make of it, but not exactly hating it either. "We know very little of his past. What little we do know, however, is that after a fairly uneventful childhood in the small
#pgx220
village of Ruiten he grew up in, Skiamance left for the College of Magorum, a university of the magic arts. He left for the mountains, leaving his home behind, promising to come back."
Max paused for a second in his narrative,
#pgx221
surveying our faces warily. "Even as a boy, he had a gift. He was always very talented in the arts of magic, always a budding pupil, always eager to learn, and it is these traits that make the best mages. He trained in Magorum for two years, honing his
#pgx222
powers in strength and his dreams growing in ambition. He met a friend there, Stephan Lux, his most closest and trusted companion and the one he confided in all his secrets and hopes and fears. After a few years, the pair decided to move on, and left
#pgx223
Magorum, believing their futures were destined to be else where. They had many adventures in this time, ones we need not go into, but it was around this time that the first stirrings of the darkness in Minecraftia began. Herobrine was gaining power, and
#pgx224
thus the world was starting to be plunged into darkness. The first Dark Days had begun. The people fought back, North and South, side by side, but there was a stalemate- light and darkness struggling but neither making progress. And it
#pgx225
was in these terrible times that Skiamance was given his mission,"
The room drew in a collective breath. I could tell that what was coming next was the important part... The reasoning behind Skiamance's motives.
"Skiamance was making quite a name for
#pgx226
himself. His magic was heard of in all of Minecraftia, and some even said that his power rivalled Herobrine himself..." Max shrugged. "It matters not if it did. But what did matter was what came next. Now, in the Dark Days, Herobrine was looking for
#pgx227
something, anything, to strengthen his power... In particular, he was searching for Nethrius. With his power, Herobrine would crush Minecraftia underfoot."
Beside me Dawn paled and gasped.
"Who's he?" I
#pgx228
asked, a little louder than I meant to, and a lot of faces turned to glare at me. I could feel myself going red. "I mean, we can't all be top-notch scholars," I said defensively. Max sighed and cleared his throat, and they all returned their attention
#pgx229
to the front.
"Nethrius was... and still is an ancient spirit of Minecraftia, a malicious, corrupt force of pure evil, bent on destruction and carnage. He is spirit of the Nether. If he were free, our lands would be ravaged by his scorching
#pgx230
flames, his hate burning our fields and our forests, reducing Minecraftia to the desolate, smouldering wasteland the Nether has become. But alas he is trapped in his prison, trapped for eternity in the fiery hell of the place. He cannot leave- he
#pgx231
is forbidden by the ancient laws. But that does not mean one cannot go to him and unleash his power." Max's face turned grim and bleak.
"And so the Council thought that Skiamance would be the right man to guard this ancient force, to prevent
#pgx232
Nethrius' power being used. It is always guarded, by the best mages of the realm. But only the best. And so guard it he did. The portal to the Nether on Notch's Peak was unbreathable, completely secure. Herobrine's direct assaults failed. He simply
#pgx233
could not take on this young mage, full of intelligence and cunning, much more cleverer than himself. But Herobrine is not know as a Shadow Lord for nothing, because that was when he had his great idea,"
I shivered. I somehow knew that I wasn't
#pgx234
going to hear the happy ending to the story, that everybody lived happily ever after. Max's face darkened, and he seemed to age ten years in that single instant.
"Herobrine's army began to march, leaving a bloody
#pgx235
trail of destruction and havoc behind them. At first they did not know his plans, but the Dark Lord made his intentions clear. They marched for Ruiten, Damon's hometown, in a hope of luring him from his stronghold. But Skiamance would not sway from his
#pgx236
duty, not until it was too late. He changed his mind at the last second, abandoning his post at the portal and rushing home. But he didn't make it in time," Max sighed.
"The place was razed to the ground, every occupant dead. Standing in the burning
#pgx237
ashes of his town, blinded by hatred and a longing for vengeance, Damon made a decision that would affect Minecraftia for many years to come. He went back to the portal, back to the place he guarded at the cost of his family and everyone he
#pgx238
knew, and went to Nethrius. Stephan tried to stop him, but he failed, and Skiamance gave himself over to the very cursed power he swore to protect. He betrayed his best friend and his actions cast the world into gloom. Oh he defeated Herobrine... But
#pgx239
the price, such a terrible price." He sighed again and continued in a less heavy tone.
"We all know what happened next. Nethrius's evil magic corrupted his soul and twisted his mind, turning him into a Lord of Shadows, a dark, evil,
#pgx240
power-hungry leader, his identity draining away... He rose to power, banished Stephan to the underground never to see daylight again, and murdered his wife. Thousands of Minecraftian's have suffered because of his oppressive rule.
#pgx241
All because of a single bad choice."
Max concluded his tale and gazed around the room, which had lapsed into a tense silence as everyone mulled over what they heard. The silence lasted for a couple of minutes until Ellen stood up quietly
#pgx242
and went to the front.
"So," she started, breaking the silence. "Now we know what we're up against we need to sort out these problems, starting with the spawner. We don't know where it is. We don't know how to get it. All we know is
#pgx243
that Skiamance is hell-bent on finding it and using it, and that we have to get it before him,"
"How about we kill Skiamance?" The suggestion came from somewhere at the back. A man stood up, tall and well built, with a heavy northern dialect. Hearing
#pgx244
this proposition, several people shook their heads and murmured under their breath. Undeterred, the guy continued. "It would be easy, one arrow," he mimed drawing a bow and letting go of the string. "And that's it. Problem solved."
Max cleared his
#pgx245
throat uncomfortably.
"It is not that easy. For one thing, Skiamance cannot be killed by normal means..." For some reason, he glanced uneasily at Evan. "And for another, it'll be too hard. He's got Herobrine watching his back, he's not
#pgx246
going to make any mistakes that will allow us to do that,"
The man sat back down, crossing his arms as if to say- as if you have any better ideas.
"Hang on," I said, sitting up straighter. "Skiamance raised Herobrine from the dead?" That must
#pgx247
have been what Monetia meant by asset. I figured that it would be some sort of long dead mage, at worst some powerful, dark lord of shadows. I didn't expect it would be an ancient evil responsible for the death and destruction of the
#pgx248
Dark Days, that even I heard about. I received a grim nod from the others.
And yet... it didn't add up. If Herobrine killed his family, why would Skiamance raise Herobrine back? I had the very district feeling that I was missing something, that perhaps
#pgx249
Max didn't tell me the whole truth.
"So killing is not in the cards," Max said bitterly, gazing around the room. "What else you got?"
A few other weak suggestions were offered, most of them getting worse and worse. I just sat there, thinking
#pgx250
hard. I felt like the answer was right there, inches from my nose and staring me in the face, but I was too blind to see it.
Ellen suggested her idea from the front.
"Maybe we can wait until Skiamance finds the spawner first?"
She got a lot of
#pgx251
strange looks, but ploughed on regardless. "I mean, he has a lot more resources than us, so has more chances of finding it," she said, slightly defensively. "We can wait until he finds it then ambush him and take the spawner. The Empire can do all
#pgx252
the hard work for us, and save us the trouble of finding the damned thing ourselves."
A few people nodded and murmured in agreement, but Max shook his head solemnly.
"No. While a good idea, it is impractical. Firstly, so much
#pgx253
would depend on this ambush. Suppose we fail, or Skiamance decides to raise his army there and then. What will we do then? Also, we have not the numbers to withstand the might of his Imperial army; they would crush us like mice. No, we need something
#pgx254
else..."
At this point I decided to stand up impatiently, saying what I thought should have been obvious.
"How about we find out where it is for a start?"
#pgx255
Chapter 12: Fire and Ice
#pgx256
All the background whispers and chatter ceased into silence, except for
Evan who started clapping slowly.
"Of course," he said sarcastically. "A large team of highly specialised,
trained warriors couldn't come up with that simple fact until
#pgx257
the clever lad came along. Huzzah, we are all saved by the mighty thoughtfulness of your deep comment. What do you think we are trying to find out, idiot?"
Max raised his hand, and looked at me intently. He understood what
#pgx258
I was trying to say.
"Peace Evan. Darien has a point." He nodded in my direction and started pacing again, hands clasped behind his back as he spoke in an urgent tone. "Perhaps we have been considering this from the wrong angle. Perhaps we
#pgx259
have been so focused on where it might be, or how we will get it before the Empire, that we have missed the most obvious truth. Let us rephrase the question at hand... How will we find out where it is? I suppose you have some ideas Mr. Smith?"
#pgx260
I didn't. I stood stammering for a few seconds, trying to find something to say, but luckily Dawn came to my defence.
"Well since none of us know it's location, the most logical course of action would be to ask someone who does," she suggested.
#pgx261
"Perhaps a seer, or somebody with a good memory,"
Ellen rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath, but Max nodded slowly in approval.
"Hmm," he stroked his beard, eyes fixed on some point in the distance. "That
#pgx262
could just about work. Now the only problem with that would be finding a seer-"
"There's one who resides in Fortin," Ellen piped up. "A seer by the name of Videntus. He... he sees things others don't... and he's a lot older than most would
#pgx263
think. If anyone knows where the spawner is, I'll bet my last coin it's him."
Evan scoffed, before also getting to his feet. He shook his head in disbelief.
"That is, if you can get in and out of the Capital of the south unscathed," he said, shaking
#pgx264
his head. "Impossible. Not with Skiamance's castle being based there, his goons running about. You would have to slip under the nose of the greatest and most terrible Dark Lord to have lived,"
I frowned.
"I thought that was Herobrine?"
#pgx265
Evan rolled his eyes and muttered disdainfully.
"Who cares if it's Skiamance or Herobrine? The point is that it's not going to be easy, considering everyone here is a criminal who can't walk two feet without being arrested."
Max glanced at
#pgx266
Evan, his face hard as steel.
"Perhaps the idea has flaws," he said firmly, "but it is still the strongest plan we have thus far. Now we must consider our second problem, the problem of extending our hospitality to Mr. Smith. Does anyone have any idea
#pgx267
on how we can-"
"I do," I called out, going to the front. The answer came to me in a swift, brilliant stroke of inspiration. I could see the answer now, staring me in the face, what should have been obvious all along. "Let me go and find it."
#pgx268
Uneasy murmuring rippled through the room while Evan muttered,
"Oh, this is getting better and better."
"Look at it this way," I reasoned, "it will get me out of the way, and I'll be on the move so he won't find me, plus I'll also get this spawner.
#pgx269
Killing two birds with one very clever stone."
Max considered for a second, and a lot of people around the room exchanged nods. But before Maximus do anything more than open his mouth to speak, Evan furiously made his way to the front,
#pgx270
looking at me with barely disguised contempt. He addressed Max, his voice full of rage,
"No way. I disagree. You really think he," he pointed to me, not even bothering to turn around, "will be able to bring back an ancient relic lost for hundreds of
#pgx271
years? Much less find it? That's insane. I think we should send a team of our people, including me, experienced warriors who can handle dangerous situations, who can fight-"
"What makes you think I can't handle danger?" I
#pgx272
interrupted, anger coming to my defence.
Evan laughed and sneered,
"You handled the Endermen plenty well, genius,"
Max's voice cut through the argument before it could get out of hand.
#pgx273
"Enough," he said sternly. "We have no choice Evandrus. Keeping him here will only endanger us all. But you have given me an idea... Perhaps Darien will not go alone. Since you feel so strongly about this, perhaps you should accompany him with a
#pgx274
team."
Evan shook his head.
"He would only slow us down, become a burden. Believe me, Maximus, when I saved him I didn't expect him to skip along with us at the first opportunity."
He turned around and spoke to everyone in a loud voice.
#pgx275
"He doesn't belong here with us. And he never will. The only reason he is here now is because I was told to bring him here-"
"-by Monetia," I finished for him. He glared at me, but I didn't care. Turned out my suspicions were correct.
#pgx276
"Evandrus," Max warned in a hard voice, "you are still under my authority, which means if I say something, it will be done. I agree, you are experienced, which means that you will lead the mission to Fortin. But Darien must accompany you. Greater
#pgx277
forces are at work here, and for reasons even you cannot understand yet, he must go, as well as any others who are willing."
"Fine," spat Evan. "But if that idiot dies along the way, don't blame me." He stepped to the side, glaring daggers at me. I
#pgx278
loved the way they were discussing me as if I wasn't standing right there.
"So," Max said, with a stab at airiness. "Who will accompany these two on the er... mission, so to speak."
A lot of people started to speak, but Ellen beat them to it.
"I'll
#pgx279
go," she said, coming to stand next to me. "I can keep an eye on both of them, and I know a bit of magic."
Evan rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath,
"Yes, I'm sure setting a stick on fire will help us defeat the armies of darkness,"
She
#pgx280
narrowed her eyes.
"Be careful, or I might just set you on fire,"
Max got between them before it could turn into a fight, and glared at Evan, frowning as if trying to figure him out.
"You would do better to patronise less, and think more, lad. Now, I
#pgx281
think four members will be plenty, so who will be the final companion?"
To my surprise, Dawn stood up, and looked at me with half a smile.
"You didn't think you would go without me, did you?"
I grinned back.
"Not for a second,"
Evan looked
#pgx282
uncomfortable, and his tone turned more caring and concerned.
"Are you sure? It will be dangerous, very dangerous. It is unlikely we will all come back alive. I do not think it is a good idea, especially for you, to come on this... quest. Still, unlike
#pgx283
some," he glowered at me, "you can actually use a weapon. But I don't think you should go."
I raised an eyebrow, like- Since when did you get to show off to Evan? She stuck her tongue out at me.
"I think I'll risk it," she said, and skipped up to the
#pgx284
front to stand next to me. I resisted the urge to laugh at Evan's bemused expression because if there was one thing I learned about Dawn over the years, it was that if you wanted to argue then you would have more luck having a debate with a brick wall.
#pgx285
It would be a lot easier than trying to argue with Dawn.
Max nodded grimly.
"So it shall be. You four will head to Fortin and seek out this.. seer. I suppose you know him?" This question was addressed to Ellen, who nodded.
"Not personally,
#pgx286
but it doesn't matter. He will help us,"
Max clapped his hands together, and smiled wearily.
"Good, now that we have sorted this out mess for now, you are all dismissed." He pointed at the four of us at the front in turn, and his voice took on a
#pgx287
serious tone. "You lot will leave tomorrow. And remember, the fate of Minecraftia may rest on your success or failure. Good luck, and happy hunting,"
I shrugged, and left for bed. I would need my rest for tomorrow. I lay in bed, closing my
#pgx288
eyes and falling into the darkness of sleep...
* * *
I opened my eyes. I was in a huge cavern made of some rough, maroon rock the colour of blood, the ceiling pressing down high above me, making me feel claustrophobic
#pgx289
despite it's height. Miniature tornados of searing wind whirled in the cavern, stinging my face with heat like a furnace. Fires were scattered randomly, burning for all eternity. A river of molten rock snaked it's way around the rim, meandering in
#pgx290
different directions and illuminating the cavern with a fiery glow, and in the centre of the cavern was a chasm, many meters across, the darkness radiating evil and despair. I stood on the very edge of the pit, looking down into the seemingly endless
#pgx291
darkness. Somehow, I knew the chasm went down forever, down into the abyss of the void. And yet I got the feeling that there was something in the hole.. an ancient being... struggling to get out.
Then I noticed the person standing next to me. His
#pgx292
white shirt rippled in the hot, Nether wind. He had messy, black hair, the colour of the abyss, and his eyes were a stormy grey, similar to mine. His gaze was fixed hungrily on the thing in the pit, and he took a deep breath, as if trying to summon
#pgx293
courage. Suddenly, a voice behind him yelled,
"Damon!"
The guy turned. About ten metres away stood another man, shielding his face against sweltering blast of wind. He wore a blue shirt, the fabric whipping around
#pgx294
him as he tried to maintain his balance against the wind. The man's brown hair was trimmed short, and his arms were covered in burns and scratches. Somewhere far away, a scream of a creature shook the cavern and caused small rocks to
#pgx295
crash from the ceiling. The man staggered, and held out his hand to regain his balance.
"Damon!" he bellowed again, shouting to make himself heard over the noise. "Do not do this!"
Damon's face concerted with rage.
"I will destroy him,"
#pgx296
he howled. "Do not try to stop me Stephan! Do not make me destroy you as well!" Damon raised his hands in front of him, and the wind began to swirl faster.
Stephan shook his head, staggering closer.
"You have no idea what you are
#pgx297
unleashing," he roared over the chaos. "Please Damon! You must see sense. You cannot use his power, not without a price,"
"A payment I am willing to pay," Damon bellowed, his voice quivering with fury. His eyes looked faraway and
#pgx298
insane.
Stephan lowered his arms, glaring at his friend, trying to see past this terrible mask and find the Damon he knew and loved behind it. Trying to find the Damon that was his best friend.
"Please!" he pleaded, trying to reason with him. "Turn
#pgx299
back now, leave while you can. We can wait, we can get more power until we are ready to defeat him. Do not condemn yourself to the same darkness he seeks!"
Damon laughed harshly, throwing his head back and a fire igniting in his hands. He smiled
#pgx300
cruelly, fire playing on his palms.
"It is the only way Stephan," he called. "Nothing can stand to the might of Herobrine. Not without extraordinary power. I must do this,"
"Then I must stop you," Stephan growled. "Let
#pgx301
Notch witness I tried."
Stephan raised his arms, mirroring Damon. A ball of energy appeared in his palms, and he threw it, aiming for his friend. Damon reacted instantly, putting his hands together, forming a fireball which he
#pgx302
lobbed in Stephan's direction. The fire and the energy met, exploding in a shower of sparks and making both mages flinch.
"Admit it!" Damon taunted, as they exchanged more throws. "You will never be a match for me!"
Stephan didn't
#pgx303
bother wasting energy replying. His eyes were full of determination as he muttered an incantation under his breath, circling his opponent.
The battle raged on. The mages circled each other, sweat dripping off their faces in the
#pgx304
Nether heat, Stephan's eyes determined and Damon's full of hate and madness. But it was soon clear that Damon had the upper hand. Stephan looked exhausted, feet shuffling tiredly as he tried to remain upright in the howling wind. He narrowly
#pgx305
dodged a fireball, and danced out of the way of the next one, both crashing into the cavern walls and exploding in a shower of sparks.
* * *
I awoke with a start, sitting up quickly and smashing my head into the bunk above me. Wincing and
#pgx306
rubbing my head, I dropped back onto the pillow, thinking about the dream and knowing I probably wouldn't sleep for a long while.