Lord of Shadows: Shadow of Skiamance - Vol. III
Immortus
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Lord of Shadows: Shadow of Skiamance - Vol. III
by Immortus
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Chapter 13: An Agent Doubled
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The night watchman let out a mighty yawn, leaning back in his chair and
rubbing the back of his neck. Shaking his head, he sat up straighter,
trying very hard not to nod off.
The small lantern in the watchman's hand cast a warm, comforting light in
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the tunnel walls, the shadows chasing each other in the dim light. The tunnel was silent except for the steady burning of the lamp. He glanced at his watch, the gold battered and scratched from years of rigorous use, and groaned. Three more hours
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of night shift. He hated his job, watching the nights for the Resistance, but if he didn't do it, then Max would kill him. Possibly with an hour long lecture about responsibility. But still, who in their right mind would attack in the middle of the
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night?
The watchman yawned again. Oh how much he would like to sleep... Surely if he took a quick nap nobody would notice? The tunnel was so warm and peaceful. His eyes began to droop. He tried to fight the sleepy daze, but with little
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effect. The arm holding the lantern went slack, knocking the light against the tunnel wall. The watchman leant his head back, falling into sleep, falling and falling...
Footsteps.
Running.
Heavy breathing.
It was getting
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closer and closer, bearing down on him, there was no escape...
The watchman jerked awake, dropping the lantern and cursing loudly. Similar curses echoed from the shadows of the tunnel, where his light didn't reach. Snatching the
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lantern, he carefully got to his feet, the chair scraping the floor.
Gulping nervously, the watchman took a cautious step in the direction of the sound. He had the distinct that something was stalking him in the darkness, that he
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was not alone...
"Who's there?" he commanded, a nervous edge creeping into his voice. "Show yourself!"
A drop of sweat trickled down the man's face and down his neck. The hand holding the light trembled lightly,
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the other reaching for his sword. There was no knowing what might be here. Even though this particular tunnel was in constant use by the Resistance and much safer than some of the... less hospitable channels, it was still dangerous. There
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have been cases of creatures wondering into the place, reports of giant spiders...
The dark shape backed away, and the watchman took another stride forward, throwing the shape into light. He gazed at the pale face, the eyes
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that had the distinct look of being cornered. Recognising the familiar face, the watchman huffed a sigh of relief, his face breaking into grin.
Stupid, he thought to himself, it was only some person off on another errand
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for Max. I'm getting too old for this.
"Whatcha doing sneaking round here eh?" He shook his head and chuckled at his own overreaction, turning back around and heading for his chair. "Gave us quite a scare you-"
His sentence was
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cut short as an elbow slammed into the back of his head. He didn't even have time to cry out. The watchman crumpled, the lantern in his hand smashing against the floor in a shower of glass, and plunging the tunnel into total darkness. A dark shape
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flitted through murk, swallowed instantly by the shadows.
* * *
"Success, my Lord."
Herobrine's deep voice cut through the vast hall, echoing impressively in the massive chamber. It sounded deep and commanding, but there was
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something else there... an undertone of menace that whispered of deceit and lies. Already, the Emperor was beginning to regret his decision to follow the words of the Forewarner in the raising of the Shadow Lord.
Skiamance did not
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stir in his throne. He merely continued to gaze into the distance thoughtfully, leaning on one elbow, his expression as cold as the polished, stone tiles. Eventually, he tore himself from his thoughts with difficulty and turned to address his
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servant, frowning.
"How so?" he asked.
"I have been in recent contact with our spy, and thought you should know that they finally worked it out. They have called a quest to find the spawner, and better yet, the boy is going with them. They will head
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for here and upon finding it's location, proceed to wherever Videntus tells them to go. We have managed to set up the check mate and draw out the dangerous queen in one simple move..."
Skiamance nodded in approval. His mind raced as he considered this
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new information, trying to formulate a plan of action. After a few minutes he spoke tensely, his mind still on other things,
"You will make the necessary arrangements once they arrive. We only need to find it's location, there is no need for them to
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leave and risk finding it before us."
Herobrine smile turned ice cold. "And I bear more good news, my Lord."
Skiamance sat up slightly straighter and gestured for him to carry on. Herobrine spoke with a hint of smugness in his voice,
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"Our spy will be going on this mission with them, and will keep us informed of their... progress. They are too foolish to realise for now, but no doubt they will in time. But it matters not. It only means they will play ever further into our
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hands,"
Skiamance's eyes were fixed on some point in the distance as he considered, his expression hard as stone. After what seemed like an age, he nodded.
"Good. My guess is that they will be here within the week, perhaps sooner.
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Prepare the ambush. Do what you need to... As well as the problem we discussed earlier. Seek out Raz'iel, he will help you."
Herobrine gave a wry smile.
"I do not need the assistance of mediocre minds, my Lord,"
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Skiamance tried his best to control his irritation. It wasn't easy. He closed his eyes, his jaw tightening, and the room temperature seemed to go up twenty degrees. Tiny flames danced on his palms, and he rubbed them together to extinguish the
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fire. A terrible fire of fury burned in his eyes, miniature flames flickering in the irises.
Eventually, he seemed to regain control and the fire died a little.
"Very well," he said in a hard voice. "Go,"
Skiamance dismissed Herobrine with a harsh
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wave of his hand.
The servant bowed and backed out of the room. Once out side of his master's view, he smirked, knowing how close he had brought Skiamance to losing his composure.
"Soon..." Herobrine promised to himself, barely speaking
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above a whisper. "Soon."
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Chapter 14: An Unexpected Friend
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We set off for Fortin the next morning. I could tell none of us slept
well that night- Ellen and Dawn both had dark circles under their eyes,
and Evan yawned continuously as we left, making us all feel even more
sleepy. I didn't tell anyone about the
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nightmare- the truth was that it scared me, and I really didn't need any more fear in my life.
Getting out of the city was certainly not as hard as getting in, as Ellen led us through a completely different tunnel to the one we used, and took an
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unfamiliar route through the city. No guards bothered us as we kept to the back alleyways and out of sight, moving to a less clustered area where the walls were much lower.
"I know Istenmire like the back of my hand," she said, before leaping over the
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wall and out of sight.
"Must have a big hand," I muttered, clambering over clumsily and dropping from the top, Dawn following right behind.
Evan was the last to vault over the wall, and dropped down beside me in a crouch before standing
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up and dusting off his jacket.
"We must go now," he said, checking his sword and equipment. "With a straight course for Fortin and at a steady pace, we should make it there in say... three days? If we're lucky."
"Great," I
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muttered, rolling up my sleeves and adjusting the pack slung over my shoulder. "More walking..."
Evan ignored me and dug a folded, tattered map out of his pocket. He flattened it out and examined it for a moment, before
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reaching into his pocket and bringing out a small knife, tracing a possible route with the blade.
"We can take the west road, follow it until we hit the forest line. Once we reach the woods, we can navigate through the trees and out of there. We can
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decide what to do once we're out of there."
"Hang on," I said, lifting my hands and signalling a stop. "Aren't we supposed to keep off the roads? You know, having our faces plastered everywhere and all,"
I expected Evan to
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roll his eyes and reply with some witty, sarcastic remark, but to my surprise he simply nodded.
"Usually I would say that too," he agreed grudgingly. "It is much safer, even with the risk of wild animals. But to travel through this wilderness would
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slow us down. From Eldolin to Istenmire is one thing. But to travel the many miles from Istenmire to the capital is another. Beyond the plains is rough country. Bogs, marshes... all they way until the forest line. Navigation is difficult and
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treacherous, to get lost could cost us precious time."
He shrugged. "The road would save us time. It was built for a reason- to allow safe passage through the wilds. As long as we do not stray too far and keep it within our sight, we should be fine.
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At least, until we reach the forest. Of course, the woods are not completely safe, but it will be easier to cross than the marshes."
I studied him with curiosity. Evan gave no sign of the words he said the day before, except than to act more
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politely than usual and address me with professional interest. But l knew he was still angry. I could read it in his eyes, and in the way he wouldn't meet mine even now, polishing the blade of his sword on his shirt. Glancing at the scar on his face,
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once again I found myself wondering what had happened.
"Has everyone got what they need?" Ellen said next to me, unslinging a bow off her back, and checking her quiver.
I inspected my own weapon, unsheathing the sword Max gave me the day
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before. The blade was long and elegant, the iron glinting in the sun. I recalled Max pulling me aside just as we left, and pushing the weapon urgently into my hands, scabbard and all. You should have this, he told me. It has a long history, but perhaps
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you will find it of use.
Ellen's voice jarred me back to the present.
"I guess we should get going," she said decisively, throwing the bow over her shoulder and starting to hike through the grass, away from the city walls. I shrugged
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and sheathed my sword, Evan and Dawn following suite.
We trekked parallel to the path, keeping it within our view but backing out of sight if any travellers or merchants came across. We were lucky- it wasn't really a busy day for trading, so we
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managed to cover a lot of ground without too many stops. After several agonising hours of travelling, I was exhausted though, and even Evan seemed tired enough to stop.
A lone tree stood about ten metres away and we headed for it, plopping
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down with all of our things under it's branches and breathing heavily, grateful for a moment of rest.
"I... don't suppose... we are almost there...?" I asked through gritted teeth, my hand on my side as I tried to regain my breath. Ellen shook her
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head.
"No," she said breathlessly. "We have a long way to go."
"Remind me again," I grumbled. "Why did we not bring anything to eat?"
It was only this morning that, upon discovering me cramming cookies
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into my pack, Ellen told me it wouldn't be necessary. I still took the biscuits though, just in case.
"Taking it would only weigh us down," Evan said irritably, glancing up momentarily from the map he was studying.
"Because we don't need to eat, it's
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just a habit some silly person invented a hundred years ago," I replied sarcastically in my best Evan voice. He scowled and went back to his map, but Dawn and Ellen exploded in laughter, spewing out the water they had been drinking.
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"There's always food in the wild if you know how to find it," he continued in a hard voice.
I raised an eyebrow.
"And do you?"
To this, Evan stood up and plucked an apple off one of the low-lying branches and tossed it to me. I caught it with
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fumbling fingers, staring at the fruit in disbelief.
"Is that it?"
"We've rested long enough," he announced, ignoring me. "Let's go,"
Groaning, we all got to our feet again.
It took us a few more hours of walking to reach the forest,
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and by this time streaks of pink were starting to appear in the sky. It was getting dark.
For some reason this made me feel uneasy, which was strange because I never feared the dark, or at least not when I was home. At home, with the
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protection of the village, fearing the dark was irrational. Here, I wasn't so sure.
I could spot the forest line a few metres away, the path hugging close to the trees and veering out of sight. The tall oak trees rose up like mountains, the
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dying sunlight barely able to trickle through the thicket of leaves and any shape instantly swallowed up by the gloom. It felt wrong- like something was sitting just out of sight and waiting for silly travellers to blunder into it's reach.
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I swallowed nervously.
"We aren't actually... going in there, right?"
"Afraid so," Evan clapped a hand on my shoulder hard, making me wince. "Unless you want to go all the way around, and that would take us a week. Come on, lets go."
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I glanced at Dawn. She shrugged, beginning to follow Evan into the forest, and I did the same. I tried my best to dispel the uneasiness I felt, but it with little effect. It was still there, hanging over me like a cloud of uncertainties and fears,
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refusing to let me go. And this feeling was only reinforced as we stepped into the trees, swallowed instantly by the darkness pressing down on us from all sides. Evan dug out a compass and began to lead the way.
I remembered how free I felt in the
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woods at home, but this forest wasn't like that. In the semi-darkness I felt like a shadow was hunting us, just out of sight, waiting for us to blunder into it's grasp. I found myself jumping at every twig snapping, my heart stopping at every cry of a
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bird, or rustle of leaves. This forest didn't just feel creepy; it felt dangerous.
We kept at it for a long while, the tension building up more and more, like pressure in a bottle.
"I don't like this place," Dawn whispered to me,
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echoing my own thoughts. I nodded. I could relate.
After what seemed like an eternity, I glimpsed a tiny light up ahead. Everyone quickened their pace, hoping to get out of the darkness. Faster and faster, and before I knew it, we were running,
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sprinting towards the light. The tiny circle grew larger and larger, a tiny break in the trees and we rocketed through the thicket and tumbled out of the darkness.
In front of me Evan lost his footing and fell forward with a yell. I was running too
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fast to stop, and tripped on his legs, sprawling onto the grass painfully. Dawn and Ellen both stumbled and toppled onto the pair of us, until we were all in a tangled heap on the forest floor.
"Ouch," I managed, pushing Ellen off me and getting to my
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feet slowly. I looked around. We seemed to be in a clearing, the trees forming a ring around the edges of a circular field. Something felt bad about this place, tragic even, like it was cursed.
"The field of Birindor," murmured Evan beside me.
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"We should keep moving."
"What's the field of Birindor?" I asked quietly, still gazing around. Dawn stepped beside me, as struck as I was.
"Long, very gory story," she muttered. "One of the battles of the Shadow Days took place
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here. I read about it. I... I can't remember the details, but there was a guy, Birindor who tried to stop Herobrine's armies here-"
"-and failed," said Evan. His face looked grim in the harsh light of the sun, which suddenly didn't seem so warming. "All
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his soldiers were killed by the armies of darkness. According to the legends, Herobrine finished Birindor off himself,"
I looked at the clearing again, which didn't strike me as a sanctuary from the darkness anymore. More like a graveyard.
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"Moving sounds pretty good," I agreed. Carefully, we tiptoed across the clearing. I didn't know why, but that feeling of unease was starting to grow to fully fledged fear, which was strange because we were in the light. Despite Evan's
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assurances that it was necessary, I wished we never had come here.
We were almost halfway, when if front of us the air warped and bent around a single point. A man materialised in front of us in an arc of darkness. He wore
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a flowing cloak with a hood, and was looking down at the grass at his feet.
I gasped and stumbled back from surprise, bumping into Evan. He looked astonished.
"Who...?"
Then the hooded man raised his face and I gasped again. His eyes were
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completely white, glowing harshly. On his face spread an murderous smile.
Ellen swore loudly.
"Speak of the devil-"
"-and the devil shall appear," Evan growled. "Lord Herobrine. Fall back!"
As one, we drew our weapons. Ellen unslung the bow
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off her shoulder and notched an arrow in one smooth movement, and the rest of us drew our swords. The four of us backed away until we were in a line. My sword felt heavy in my hands- I knew there was something wrong. And I didn't like our chances
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against the most powerful mage in existence.
"What do you want?" I said, trying to sound tough. I was afraid it didn't work.
"Why," replied Herobrine, that evil smile still on his face. "I just want to talk,"
"Unlikely," Evan growled, gripping
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his sword as if he was about to attack him. My mind was racing. Why would he find us? A more pressing question, how did he find us? Surely he didn't know where we were?
"Skiamance sent you," I guessed, holding the sword in both hands. "Though knowing
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why would be nice,"
Herobrine's lip curled angrily.
"Skiamance is an old fool," he hissed. "I disagree with my Master's motives, which is why I will give you a chance,"
I frowned.
"Explain,"
He shook his head.
"There is nothing
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to explain, not to you. My orders were to kill you, but I think you will be worth a lot more to us alive..." He seemed to be deciding something, his face a mask of concentration. You will be worth more to us alive... I didn't really like the sound of that.
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I levelled my sword, pointing it at Herobrine although I figured it wouldn't do much good and trying to keep my hands from trembling.
"Yes..." he said eventually, snapping his fingers. "I will give you a chance. But know this hero, even if you survive
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today, your future is bleak. We will meet again, Darien, one way or another, and under less pleasant circumstances,"
He snapped his fingers again, and the air seemed to bend, the wind quickening. He raised his arms, and began to chant an incantation.
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His voice sounded dry and heavy, not the usual deep tone, but somehow even more threatening and ancient.
"Serviante mi folius tutores, serviante mi folus tutares,"
Somehow I understood what he was saying, and I lowered my sword
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from surprise.
"Serve me, leaf guardians...?"
Beside me, Evan cursed, stamping his foot and his face turning anguished.
"A summoning... leaf guardians. In the common tongue, you call them Creepers."
Herobrine smiled again, his gaze
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fixed on me.
"Enjoy the company of my servants, and remember what was said today,"
He waved his hand horizontally and disappeared in a wall of darkness, leaving us standing befuddled in the field of Birindor. None of us moved- we
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were all frozen with fear.
A sinister wind blew through the clearing, and suddenly the leaves began to move, drawn together as if magnetic. The leaves began to pile up on each other, more and more, building a figure of some
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sort. There were more leaf piles, a total of four, more leaves swirling together in a miniature tornado of greenery. Eventually the wind died and the swirling blanket of leave ripped apart, revealing the most terrifying creatures I have ever
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seen.
They were a strange, fluctuating shade of green, similar to the foliage, and had four short legs that extended out like claws. But that wasn't the terrifying part. Their faces were twisted in masks of agony, and their black, beady eyes
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struck so much fear into my heart that I took an involuntary step backwards. One of them hissed, a sound similar to pouring water into a fire, and started to advance slowly. After a few steps it gave another hiss, this one short and commanding, and
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they all started to creep forward, silent despite the multitude of leaves covering the forest floor.
We were all still paralysed with terror, except for Evan who backed away and yelled in frustration,
"Don't let them
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near you, dammit. Scatter!"
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Chapter 15: Explosive Resolutions
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Evan's shout shook me out of my stupor and I backed up, holding the
sword out in front of me. Beside me Ellen muttered an incantation under
her breath and the point of her arrow burst into flames.
"Ideas?" I shouted, eyeing the Creepers as they edged
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closer.
"Divide and conquer!" Evan yelled.
I understood him immediately. There were four Creepers, and four of us- therefore if we each took on a leaf guardian then it would even up the tables. Unfortunately, my Creeper seemed
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to be the scariest of the lot. It was huge, taller than me, its face twisted and horrified.
To my right I glimpsed Ellen's burning arrow fly, but I didn't check to see if it hit. I couldn't afford to get distracted.
The Creeper advanced,
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spluttering and hissing like a kettle coming to a boil. Weighing my sword, I stepped in and swung in a horizontal arc, hoping maybe to slash it apart, but all I managed was a small cut. Instead of blood, some strange, black powder oozed from the wound.
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I jumped back, stepping away. I had a feeling I only made it angrier.
The Creeper hissed and carried on advancing, creeping closer. This time I stabbed, my sword going right through it's torso and going out the other side. More dark powder
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oozed out. I attacked it more viciously, landing more stabs and slashes and jumping back each time, but the Creeper didn't seem to care- I could have been stabbing a pillow for all the good it did.
"How do you kill these things?" I yelled desperately.
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No answer apart from more sounds of battle.
I tried again, stabbing the Creeper with my blade, but then it twisted away, wrenching my weapon out of my hands. Great. Now I had no sword. I glanced to my left in time to see a flaming arrow
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thud into the chest of Ellen's Creeper, and the thing burst into flames. It dissolved in the wind, leaving behind a smoking pile of leaves and the scent of burning greenery.
Ellen blew a strand of hair out of her face.
"Well that
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worked,"
"Brilliant! Now do it for all of them!" I yelled, my eyes flying back to my enemy which seemed to be momentarily stunned. It seemed only logical- leaves were flammable, therefore leaf guardians should be flammable also.
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More arrows, more flames.
Soft hissing.
I was so distracted that I didn't notice the Creeper until we were almost face to face. I was too startled and horror struck even move back, and our faces were mirroring masks of horror. The hissing got
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louder, more urgent. Was it just me or was it expanding...?
I could just about hear Evan's yell over the hissing,
"Hit the deck!"
The tiny part of me that wasn't completely enveloped in terror responded. Leaping backwards and
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landing on my shoulder painfully, I rolled away, trying to put some distance between the thing. A moment of dead silence.
Then a deafening explosion ripped through the clearing, making the ground shudder. Chunks of earth
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and grass sailed in every direction. I kept rolling until I hit the tree trunk, hands covering my ears and my eyes screwed shut, just waiting for it to be over.
Eventually the ground seemed to stop shaking. I peeked out of one eye. The earth
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seemed to stop it's flying as well. Groaning, I got to my feet, my vision swimming and my ears ringing. I saw the others standing far away, calling my name. A couple of metres from me a crater left a brutal scar in the grass, still smoking from
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the explosion. I shook my head and then immediately winced. The ringing my ears subsided a little, letting back a little of my hearing. I tried to follow my friend's voices, but I felt off balance- after staggering a few steps I collided painfully with
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a tree.
Lying on my back, I stared at the sky until Evan's scarred and concerned face appeared above me. He grimaced and reached down to help me up. Getting me to my feet and looking at me critically he asked, concerned,
"You're alive?"
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I nodded.
"Good," he said. Then suddenly, without warning his palm smacked the back of my head. "You idiot. I told you not to go near them. You are lucky to be alive, you know that right?"
I winced and nodded, surveying the scene.
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The Creepers were all gone except for smouldering ashes and the scent of burning greenery. When I could walk again, I reclaimed my sword from the ash, cleaning on the grass to get the grime off. The others seemed fine, apart from the odd burn. I
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examined myself. My shirt looked a little singed and muddy from all the rolling, but it seemed in one piece. I didn't have any burns. All in all, I thought I got off pretty well from my close encounter.
I gazed at the field. The grass was littered with
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ash and dark powder, the vivid green coated with black and grey. Crouching, I examined some of the strange powder on my fingers, and frowned. I faintly recognised it from home- Byjorn kept a jar of the stuff in the kitchen cupboard in case the fire
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didn't light. It almost seemed like...
"Gunpowder," I decided, brushing it off my hands. "Those things are explosive,"
"Exactly," said Evan from behind me. He glanced at me, his face unreadable. "You were lucky. You could have killed
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us all."
"Well I didn't, so let's go," I snapped, getting up and picking my pack up again. I gestured vaguely in the direction of the woods before turning to Evan. "Lead on mate,"
* * *
We set off again. The sky was really
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starting to darken now, the evening chill beginning to set in. I could barely see where I was going, which didn't really help my clumsiness. Tripping over every outstretched root and branch and cursing so badly even Evan gave me a disapproving
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glance, I swore to myself there and then to never, ever try to navigate forests at night again.
Eventually, the trees started to thin, which I took as a good sign.
After what seemed like an age, we stumbled upon an abandoned campsite. Several
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logs were placed around a fire pit, which was ringed with stones and rocks. The place looked like it had been used- the pit was coated with grey ash and charred twigs, the logs covered in soot.
We slowly stuttered to a stop. I felt exhausted; my
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legs were screaming for rest, my shoulder stiff and my feet numb, and I was sure I wasn't the only one. I glanced at Evan, asking to silent question- Stop here?
To my relief he sighed and said,
"This is an old nomad camp. We rest here for the
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night,"
Everybody immediately huffed in relief.
"Thank Notch," Dawn muttered beside me. "He's not completely crazy,"
"I wouldn't count on that", I said, taking a seat on one of the logs. It felt so indescribably
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good to sit down after a day of non-stop walking.
"Right," Evan said, rubbing his hands together. "Let's get a fire going. Then I can treat you to my world class cooking,"
I decided not to comment on that. After collecting firewood, Ellen
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got a fire started fairly easily, and in no time we were sitting around a roaring camp-fire. Evan left not long after to go hunting. What the man hoped to catch in complete darkness remained a mystery to me.
Munching on the cookies I had the
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lucky foresight to bring, I gazed at the flickering flames, trying not to feel depressed. All I could think of was home.
Funny that, really. A few days ago all I wanted was to leave. Now I would give anything to go back. But why? It wasn't like I
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loved that place. I hated it in fact. But maybe it was because a few days ago the world was a simpler place- no danger, no adventure, no near encounter with death at every corner.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even notice when Evan
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returned empty handed.
"It's fine," he said grimly, taking a seat on the log opposite me. "We can wait till tomorrow. Maybe if we come across civilisation, we may... ah... borrow some supplies,"
I frowned. "You mean steal?"
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Evan snorted.
"You got a problem with that?"
I didn't answer. He shrugged and turned back to the fire, muttering under his breath.
Eventually, we were all getting tired. Evan yawned and stretched his arms, saying,
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"Let's go to sleep. Big day tomorrow, rest up. Somebody watch and then switch, I don't care who. Just don't wake me,"
He settled down right there on the grass, using his jacket as a pillow, and was snoring in no time. The rest of us took a little
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more time. Ellen followed in Evan's footsteps and eventually only me and Dawn were left.
"I'll take first watch," she said, sitting down next to me. "You go to sleep,"
"I won't be able to," I sighed, exasperated. "Something about
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almost getting blown to bits makes it hard to nod off like Evan,"
I didn't mean to, but an edge of bitterness crept into my voice. And it was obvious.
"He cares about you, you know," Dawn said quietly.
When wild pigs fly, I thought to myself. I
#pgx126
didn't say anything, I just shook my head and sighed, trying to find a less infuriating topic.
"Look at it from his point of view," she reasoned. "He was doing his business until some ancient spirit tells him to drop everything and get you, and then he
#pgx127
gets caught up in this whole mess concerning the Endermen and Herobrine. Then it turns out that you have to go with him on some super dangerous mission, something he's been working hard for, for ages and you get in without trying.
#pgx128
He's just annoyed- it's his problem and he'll snap out of it. Just give him some time,"
I mulled that over. To be honest, I never really tried to understand Evan. And to be even more honest, I didn't really want to try. It was so much easier to
#pgx129
just continue being bitter. And who can blame me? I thought to myself. It's not like my life is easy as it is.
"You never told me what happened in Istenmire," I said eventually, still staring at the dying embers of the fire.
Dawn shrugged.
"There
#pgx130
isn't much to tell. I just got lucky. I ran into Evan and he led me to the place. We met a couple of guards on the way, but we er... dealt with them."
I frowned. Something didn't quite ring true.
"He said he had to do a job, that's why he left. How come
#pgx131
you ran into him?" I said, still frowning.
"I guess he didn't tell us the truth. It was a test- Evan told you himself. Not like it matters anymore. What about you? How did you run into... Ellen?" she said.
Something about the tone of her voice made me
#pgx132
turn around. I studied Dawn's face curiously, completely befuddled by the emotion I saw- jealousy. Seriously?
I sighed. I started recounting my own adventures of what really happened in the city, from the street chase to the tunnels. When I
#pgx133
got to the part of the Enders and their parting words, I shuddered involuntarily.
"It's strange. They didn't want to kill me... at least not straight away. Then just now Herobrine said, 'You will be worth more to us alive' or something of the other.
#pgx134
It's like they need me for something." I said, gazing at the glowing embers. "And I've been having these dreams... Nightmares, almost,"
The words spilled out of me before I could stop them. I inwardly cursed. Hadn't I been trying to keep the dreams to
#pgx135
myself? I watched Dawn's expression shift from astounded to worried, her eyes reflecting the fear that I felt.
"About what?"
I glanced at her and hesitated, wondering whether or not to go on. But this was Dawn. If I couldn't trust her, I couldn't
#pgx136
trust anybody. Reluctantly, I told her in a low voice, afraid to rouse the others.
"Monetia came to me in my dreams, to warn me, back when we were at Evan's place. It.. it wasn't so much as a dream, more a vision."
"And what exactly did Monetia warn
#pgx137
you about?" she asked quietly.
"Something about war, the coming darkness, and a lot about fate. She said her brother was trying to shroud the world in darkness by stirring the winds of change, or something."
I didn't share the
#pgx138
part about not trusting the girl. I was still trying to figure that out. Sighing, I got to the part that bothered me most of all.
"She said I have a lot of power. That I have the power to either save the world or to...to..."
I couldn't finish,
#pgx139
but I thought Dawn knew what came next. It didn't make sense to me. How could one person have that kind of power? I sighed bitterly, and went on.
"Apparently I have some sort of choice soon, and it might decide what happens."
I felt so insecure.
#pgx140
It wasn't fair! I wanted to scream at the world. How did I know what choice to make? What if I chose wrong? I didn't want to be responsible for the world. Heck, I couldn't even be responsible for my own life. How could anyone expect me to do
#pgx141
this?
Dawn was quiet for almost a minute before she answered.
"Are you sure that the dream wasn't just that? A dream?" she said finally.
I shook my head. It felt too real and lucid, and besides, I didn't have an
#pgx142
imagination. I would never be able to dream up something that crazy.
Beside me, Dawn yawned.
"Get some sleep," I said firmly. "I'll take first watch. I don't want to mess with your sleep as well,"
She didn't argue. She stepped a few
#pgx143
steps away and lay down on the grass, passing out almost instantly.
Sitting there alone by the dying fire, somehow I drifted off to sleep.
#pgx144
Chapter 16: Nightmare to Reality
#pgx145
I had strange dreams that night... dreams that, unsurprisingly, turned
into nightmares.
I dreamt of pacing corridors and locked doors. I remembered feeling
trapped in a claustrophobic maze of stone-walled tunnels, running in
random directions
#pgx146
and taking twisting turns. Getting more and more desperate each time I encountered a locked door or a dead end. Feeling like I was buried alive.
And the searching. Constantly searching. At first I wasn't sure quite what exactly I was
#pgx147
searching for because my mind felt so muddled, but eventually it became clear. I was searching for a way out. An escape. As time passed I became more frantic, pounding at the stone walls, yelling in frustration. After many useless
#pgx148
attempts, I kicked the wall hard, seething.
Then I froze.
Behind me, I heard a menacing, canine growl. The very sound sent chills up my spine. I didn't dare turn around. Heavy, plodding footsteps echoed through the tunnel. Feet? Or were they
#pgx149
paws...?
I tore down the corridor, not glancing behind me, my only thought to get away. I sprinted down the tunnel, which was suddenly no longer full of twists and turns but straight as the shaft of an arrow. I kept running. The
#pgx150
beast pursued behind me, slowly gaining on me. I increased my speed, but no matter how fast I ran, the monster behind me ran faster. It got closer and closer. I could feel the thing's breath on the back of my neck.
All I could hear
#pgx151
was a jumbled mess of growls and snarls, of feet hitting stone, and my own cries of terror. The violent music assaulting my ears.
Suddenly, something about the tunnel changed. The neat, grey stone morphed into a rough, veined rock the colour
#pgx152
of blood. In front of me, a crossroads offered two choices- left or right. Making a split-second decision, I barrelled to the right, hearing the satisfying crunch as the beast behind me collided with the wall. I bought myself some time.
Running,
#pgx153
running, sprinting...
Suddenly my next step was into thin air. I glanced down and realised I ran right off a cliff edge. Time seemed to slow down, and I had plenty of time to stare in horror at the magma lake, glittering hundreds of metres below me.
#pgx154
Wind whistled in my ears as I began to fall.
I screamed as I fell into oblivion, the hungry howl of the beast piercing my ears.
* * *
I jerked awake, still feeling like I was falling. The smell of earth and grass
#pgx155
filled my nose, making me cough from surprise. It felt like somebody was stuffing dirt into my face.
I had a second of disorientated terror and confusion before I realised I was on the floor. I must have fallen off my log. Groaning, I
#pgx156
sat up, rubbing my neck and wincing. It felt so stiff.
And cold. I realised I was shivering, either from the freezing ground or the fear. My sleeping problem was definitely getting a lot worse. Not that I was supposed to be sleeping anyway- falling
#pgx157
asleep on watch was a bad habit to get into.
I looked around, taking in the peaceful, sleeping forms of the others. It was early morning- dawn was just bout breaking over the horizon, lines of pink and red painting the otherwise dark sky. I wondered
#pgx158
about my dream, especially the beast. It made me feel uneasy, like I was missing something that was staring me in the face...
I sighed. I worry too much, I thought to myself bitterly. Yawning, I was about to relax, until I heard it again, the thing
#pgx159
that woke me in the first place, and I froze in horror.
A single howl ripped through the forest.
And then another. And another. Before long the air was filled with cries of the wild, a chorus of terror and fear echoing all around us.
* * *
#pgx160
"You have failed me yet again, Herobrine,"
Skiamance's smooth voice echoed in the vast chamber. The voice a coming tidal wave in the ocean- beyond the seemingly calm waters there was a terrible fury just waiting to be unleashed.
#pgx161
It took all of the Emperor's self control to keep his anger in check, because it would not do to lose his temper in front of his irksome servant. Not again.
Herobrine bowed his head, but said nothing.
"You were supposed to be my key,"
#pgx162
Skiamance continued coldly, his gaze fixed intently on some point in the distance. "Your power of the shadows and the darkness and the shadows is feared in all of Minecraftia. And yet you have made few contributions to my plans. A relatively simple
#pgx163
task failed twice,"
He paused letting the words sink in.
"But then again, you are not much of a Shadow Lord, are you?" said Skiamance, the taunt clear in his tone.
"It will not happen again my Lo-" Herobrine began, but Skiamance cut him
#pgx164
off.
"Save the excuses!" he snarled, unable to keep his composure completely. "I have heard them enough from you,"
Skiamance took a deep breath, closing his now burning red eyes and trying to concentrate. Eventually, when
#pgx165
he felt he was back in control, he continued in a hard, emotionless voice.
"Fail a third time servant, and Lord Skiamance's fury will be terrible to behold. Your life will not be spared- that I can assure you. Is that clear, Lord of Shadows?"
#pgx166
Lord of Shadows...
Herobrine bowed deeply.
"Of course, my Lord."
He left the room, almost gliding across the polished stone tiles, and leaving the Emperor deep in thought.
Perhaps it was not such a bad idea to keep the boy
#pgx167
alive. Besides, if he survived his journey to Fortin, it would only further reinforce the feeling of his potential. He was resourceful. And resources were not to be wasted.
How could he force cooperation? There may be no reason to force it at all. If
#pgx168
the boy was not a fool he would see what is right. He would join them.
Satisfied, Skiamance leant back in his throne, making a mental not to not berate Herobrine further. Perhaps his servant's failures would mean further victories.
#pgx169
For the first time in twenty years, the Emperor of the South allowed himself a smile.
* * *
Ellen and Dawn jumped up, blinking in surprise. Evandrus still slept peacefully, seemingly unaffected by the noise.
#pgx170
"Evan!" I growled. "Wake up!"
He sat up groggily, looking confused.
"Why'd you wake me?"
The chorus of howling was almost unbearably loud now. Ellen cursed loudly, and started gather her things in a frantic rush.
It got through to
#pgx171
him, clarity replacing the cloudiness in Evan's eyes as the situation sunk in. Our eyes met, and he knew, even before I told him.
"Wolves," I whispered. A pause.
"Oh dear," he said in a small voice. He gulped nervously. "They sound close,"
#pgx172
"They are close," muttered Ellen. "What do we do?"
Evan scrambled to his feet, grabbing his belongings in one swift movement. He scratched his head for a second, thinking. His voice sounded thick with sleep.
"We could try...
#pgx173
running?"
The howls subsided, turning into distance barks and snarls.
"Go!" I yelled, snatching my pack from the ground then turning to sprint in a random direction, hoping the others were following.
Yet I knew running would do no good.
#pgx174
I may have had terrible Minecraftian history, and even worse geography, but of wolves I had extensive knowledge. Most of it came from Byjorn's tales of the creatures, but some also from Dawn, who had encountered them several times
#pgx175
when she travelled long ago.
What I did know was that we were being pursued by clever, experienced hunters, who excelled at working in a team, and could communicate over miles with howls. They could spread out and surround us.
#pgx176
They could chase us onto a cliff edge, and pick us off. The strategic possibilities for catching their prey, especially in a place like this, were almost limitless.
But I knew what we needed. We needed time.
I quickened my pace, the others racing
#pgx177
behind me. Shoving branches out of my way, I tried my best to not trip on any roots or rocks. If I fell now then I would have not chance.
Suddenly I heard a distinctive growl, menacing and alarmingly close. Not near us yet, still far enough for the
#pgx178
plan, any plan, to work, but it didn't matter. They were closing in.
I kept running, the air filled with reassuring footsteps and ragged breathing behind me.
And suddenly, there it was! A towering oak, easily standing out in the mass of
#pgx179
trees, it's limbs spaced evenly and perfect for quick climbing. Just what we needed.
"There!" I yelled, hoping the others would have enough sense to follow.
I adjusted my course slightly, heading for the oak. As I approached the
#pgx180
trunk I sprung high into the air, my hands closing around the lowest branch. At first I thought I was going to fall- my palms started to slip from the rough bark, and I repositioned them frantically, trying to grip the branch.
Breathing heavily,
#pgx181
I hauled myself onto it, before turning around to look at the others. They were all sprinting for my tree, faces split between terror and exhaustion.
Carefully, I hauled Dawn up next to me, then Ellen. Evan was the last to appear, and hot on his
#pgx182
heels were the beasts themselves. The wolves came into view, around a dozen, all barking and snarling, bearing down on their prey.
Evan ran as fast as he could. He was a fast runner.
But not fast enough.
A wolf gained behind him, one more agile
#pgx183
than the rest. I found myself fascinated by its almost graceful movement, running smoothly like well-oiled machine. It strange really, how often the deadliest things were the most beautiful.
It was so close, almost close enough to take him down.
#pgx184
The thing tensed, ready to spring. I lowered myself as far as I dared, and with a colossal shout Evan threw himself forward and into my reach. I grasped his hand and shoulder and hauled him to the safety of the branches, Dawn and Ellen holding my
#pgx185
feet in place.
Beneath us, the pouncing wolf collided with the trunk with a painful crunch. Yelping, he limped away to stand behind the group.
Beside me, Evan struggled for breath.
"Thank... you..." he said in between gasps,
#pgx186
trying to recover. I nodded, breathing heavily myself. To be honest, I wasn't really sure I did him a favour, because now we were stranded. Trapped. Stuck.
And with a pack of hungry wolves below our feet.
#pgx187
Chapter 17: Too Close for Comfort
#pgx188
The wolves beneath us were going insane- snarling, growling, trying to
jump up to where we were, resting on the thick branch. However hard they
tried, we were just out of reach. A few smarter ones attempted to
clamber up the rough bark
#pgx189
with the help of their claws, but the angles was too steep, and they kept slipping down.
Beside me, Evan swore softly.
"They've got us tree's. We are not going anywhere for a while,"
"We have time to figure out a plan," I
#pgx190
agreed.
"You better think good kid," Evan muttered under his breath. "I ain't getting torn apart by dogs."
"They're not dogs, they are wolves," I snapped. "And don't call me kid. You're not that much older than me."
This wasn't true.
#pgx191
Evan looked a lot older than me. But for some reason his comment got under my skin, making me snap back.
Evan laughed nervously.
"You? How old are you? Seventeen? Eighteen? No more than that, surely!"
I paused.
#pgx192
"I can't remember,"
Sad, but true. In my world it didn't mean much- just a number, meaningless, pointless. Age didn't put food on the table, it didn't get us money to pay our debts, and it wasn't like we could celebrate it. So after my only major age
#pgx193
milestone, my sixteenth, I kind of lost count. Luckily, Dawn came to my defence.
"You were sixteen four summers ago. It was your birthday last week. You're twenty."
How about that. Even I couldn't remember how old I was, and
#pgx194
my best friend even memorised the day. Evan's expression softened a fraction of a degree, but my suddenly thinking was interrupted by a loud cough.
"Sorry to interrupt the moment, but I think we have a problem," said Ellen, annoyance clear in her
#pgx195
voice.
"Right," I muttered, turning my attention back to the wolves. "The problem."
They had calmed down now slightly, milling around in an agitated manner and growling conspiratorially. I swiftly scanned the pack and spotted the alpha, who was a
#pgx196
sitting on his haunches and making no attempt to clamber up the tree. Smart one, I thought. He knows he's not getting up so he's not wasting energy. The leader was a truly magnificent creature; a huge, silvery beast almost up to my
#pgx197
shoulder, with canines the size of my fingers and vibrant green eyes that seemed to glow. And those eyes were staring right into my own. There was something about those eyes though- they glittered with a feral aggression of most wild animals,
#pgx198
but there was something else... a sort of intelligence. Understanding. Almost like the brute wanted me to come down and negotiate.
"They're beautiful," I muttered.
Evan stared at me. Then he cleared his throat.
"I'll remind you of
#pgx199
those words when they tear you apart. I'm sure you will have great cause to remember them,"
A few more plans were thrown out, none of them good. I wasn't listening too closely. I was still studying the wolf curiously, staring into those mesmerising
#pgx200
green eyes. Suddenly he stood up, pacing a small distance away from the tree and barking an order, before turning around to face me. His lackeys backed off, and the leader gave a short derisive bark in my direction. A clear invitation.
"-perhaps Ellen
#pgx201
could shoot them?" Evan concluded. Dawn shrugged indifferently and Ellen made to draw her bow, but I caught her wrist.
"No," I said firmly.
Evan looked aghast.
"What do you mean, 'no' ?"
"It's wrong. It's not their fault.
#pgx202
They're wolves. They just had the bad luck to chase us up the tree," I reasoned. Evan grumbled under his breath.
"Damned things are illegal to kill in the North anyway. Downright nuisance is you ask me." Evan glanced at me. "I suppose you have
#pgx203
a plan? Because we could clear up this mess so easily right now,"
I nodded, and returned my gaze to the pack below. The alpha was sitting patiently, waiting for me to come down. The rest of his pack had backed away to watch whatever
#pgx204
happened next. In a low voice, I told the others my idea.
"No way," Evan protested after I finished. "I strongly suggest you don't go down there. Damn it, I ask you not to go down there. There, I said it. First and last time."
"Only fools take
#pgx205
advice from fools," I said smugly.
"Exactly. Therefore I if I take advice from you I would be a complete idiot," he countered, "but if you take my advice you would be a clever scholar."
Dawn sighed.
"Evan is right Darien. You shouldn't do
#pgx206
this. You told us our theory but the truth is, they are savage, feral beasts. If you go down there they will kill you."
I told them about the strange green-eyed wolf, and how he seemed to be wanting to negotiate. The others seemed sceptical though.
#pgx207
I cut straight to the point.
"Do you trust me?" I looked into Dawn's eyes. After a second she sighed again.
"Yes."
I turned to Evan.
"No."
His answer was short and sharp, no hesitation. Finally I fixed my gaze
#pgx208
deep into Ellen's bright, blue eyes. She seemed to be struggling silently over a decision.
"... Yes," she said finally after a moment. "For the tunnels,"
Evan groaned, exasperated.
"Fine. Just tell me what flowers you
#pgx209
want on your grave when your plan fails. I'd hate to disappoint."
"I don't mind," I replied coolly. "I'm not picky, seeing as that hopefully won't be for a long time."
They all looked at me nervously.
"Just trust me on this," I said.
#pgx210
"Please."
Without waiting for an answer, I swung off the tree in one smooth movement. To this day I still cannot say what motivated me to do that, but it felt right. Who was I to refuse such an invite?
I waited for the wolves to bear
#pgx211
down on me, but surprisingly they held their ground. The alpha was right in front of me now, about 10 metres away. He stood up and growled, his hackles raising.
Briefly, I tried to call upon any wolf knowledge I possessed. They
#pgx212
hunted in packs. They covered almost 20 km day in search of food. They avoided hunting in the fringes of their territory to avoid possibly fatal encounters with other packs. Upon encountering a threat the pack showed an open display of
#pgx213
aggression, which would go on until the threat flees, the pack flees, or it turns into a fight. I was hoping for the former. Since they were not killing me now, it meant they perceived me as a threat rather than prey. That was good. It gave us a
#pgx214
chance.
The big wolf pulled back his teeth and snarled, his ears flattening and his shoulders tensing. Perhaps I didn't speak wolf, but I got the message- What are you doing here?
"I er... We er... wondered in here by mistake. Didn't
#pgx215
meant cause any inconvenience,"
I felt pretty stupid talking to animals, but surprisingly my words had an effect. The aggressive snarl was replaced by a quizzical growl. I realised my hands were trembling. I clenched them into fists. Wolves could
#pgx216
sense fear, I told myself. Don't give it away.
"Really, it's no trouble," I went on, forcing lightheartedness into my voice. "You can just go off now and do whatever you need to do, and we'll just carry on with our job. How does
#pgx217
that sound?"
The wolf shook his head and growled again, taking a few steps back. I sighed in relief, as he backed off. That was when he charged. I stood rooted to the spot as the huge beast barrelled towards me, roaring. I was about to run, when
#pgx218
I heard a shout from the tree,
"Stand your ground!"
Right. Running wouldn't work. That would be a display of submission and then I would become prey rather than a predator. So instead of turning around and bolting I possibly did the stupidest
#pgx219
thing in my life, which is saying a lot. I ran at him too. We both raced at each other, and I was yelling at the top of my voice.
"Aaarh!"
It was almost like a game. Who turned away first would lose. The distance between us got shorter and
#pgx220
shorter, the air filled with roaring and bellows. I briefly wondered what would happen if we collided, but I put the thought out of my mind.
We both skidded to a stop at almost the same time. We were just half a metre, close enough for me to make out
#pgx221
every fur on his snout, bellowing in each other's faces. He took a step back, his intelligent green eyes hostile and baleful. I was breathing heavily and my throat felt like it was coated in sand, but I managed to say,
"Yeah, that's right! I'm a wolf
#pgx222
too. A savage one. So don't you mess with me,"
The alpha looked at me quizzically, trying to figure me out, those curious green eyes seeming to see right through me. He cocked his head to the side, a low growl escaping his huge chest. It wasn't
#pgx223
threatening. Instead it was more... asking.
"My name's Darien," I said. Then without thinking, I asked, "What's your name?"
Yeah, I know I was in idiot thinking wolves could speak. But I was nervous, and besides, I had no doubt they could understand.
#pgx224
Those glowing green eyes just seemed too intelligent to belong to a normal beast. The alpha shook his silver fur and stood up tall, before barking out something that sounded like a name.
"Glane?" I said nervously. Glane the wolf shook his fur again and
#pgx225
puffed out his chest proudly. Carefully, without any sudden movements, I crouched down and held out my hand. This was risky- I could lose my fingers. But I had to try. After all, I did this often enough with the wild dogs back at home, and I still had
#pgx226
all my limbs attached.
Glane stepped forward suspiciously, torn between curiosity and hostility. But after a while he gave in to the more adventurous part of his nature, and came up to me, sniffing my fingers. Carefully and slowly I
#pgx227
brought my other hand and stroked his fur. He shuddered, and made to pull away, but then I scratched behind his ears and his eyes almost went cross eyed with pleasure.
"There there, boy," I said, scratching the gigantic wolf behind the ears. "I bet
#pgx228
they don't stroke you out here eh?"
Glane was almost purring with pleasure at this point. A huge vicious killer reduced to little more than a cute dog by a tiny act of kindness.
"He is going to lose his fingers one day,"
I heard Dawn grumbling from
#pgx229
the tree and chuckled dismissively. I manoeuvred my hand so that I was stroking under Glane's chin, and he rolled over onto his back like a playful puppy. I laughed and waved my friends over.
"Come on guys!" I shouted at the tree, smiling. "It's
#pgx230
safe!"
None of them moved at first. Then Evan warily leaned from his branch to get out. Immediately the Glane tensed and growled in Evan's direction, and the rest of the pack - which I had all but forgotten about - started to move in the direction of
#pgx231
the towering oak.
"Glane, call 'em off," I said suddenly. He stopped mid-growl, and looked at me curiously with those strange, heart-melting green eyes.
"My friends," I explained. "My pack as it were. I would really appreciate
#pgx232
if you didn't kill them,"
Warily, Glane barked an order and the rest of the pack backed off towards their leader. I stood up tiredly and brushed dirt off my trousers, flexing my shoulders. Glane got to his paws and plodded up to me and pushed his
#pgx233
snout into my chest.
"I have to go Glane," I said, putting a hand on his snout. He pushed his head against my hand and let out a small whine.
"Maybe," I said, answering the unheard question. "We might meet again. See you around Glane. Take... Take
#pgx234
care," My voice cracked on the last word, and I took a step back. Glane gave me one last nudge, licked my face then took off to the shadows of the trees, his pack following suit. Eventually the distant barks faded to silence except
#pgx235
for the whispering wind and the faint rustle of leave.
I gazed into gloom for a second longer, before turning on my heel and striding towards the oak, to my friends. It was time to go.
#pgx236
Chapter 18: Eaves Shall be Dropped
#pgx237
"Again,"
Evan's voice sounded like I felt- irritated, tired, frustrated. Just
longing to sit down and rest.
"What am I doing wrong now?" I groaned.
"More strength behind the blow. More quickness with your feet. And your
weight is all wrong.
#pgx238
Everything basically. Now... Again. Repeat the exercise."
"Forget it," I snapped, throwing my sword onto the ground. "I give up."
After we finally made it out of the woods, light was starting to fade, and we decided it might be more prudent to tackle
#pgx239
Fortin in the morning, at least for a scouting mission. I could just about spot the tall spires in the distance, towering majestically over the land. We were so close. Soon I would see the legendary metropolis that I had only dreamed of, the
#pgx240
brilliant jewel of the South. Fortin, where dreams were forged.
For almost two hours I had been training. Evan thought it would be a good idea, so that I could hold my own in a sword fight should the situation come to it, but it became clear pretty
#pgx241
quickly that there was plenty of room for improvement. Evan's style of teaching involved me getting more bruised and battered with each round, and after two hours I had enough.
Evan sighed and repeated.
"Again,"
"You heard me," I
#pgx242
growled, turning my back on him. I heard Evan groan in frustration, and when he spoke his voice dripped with venom.
"You don't like me. You've made that clear enough. To be perfectly honest, I ain't your biggest fan either. But I feel obligated to
#pgx243
make sure you can hold your own in a fight, as much as my benefit as it is for yours, seeing as I won't have to babysit you your every waking moment. I hate this as well. Believe me, I get no pleasure from teaching an idiot like you. But if you please,
#pgx244
go again!"
"Shove off," I called back, gesturing vaguely and beginning to walk away.
"Stop moaning and pick up the damned sword!" he snarled. "Get back here, and repeat the damn exercise!"
"Like I said, shove
#pgx245
off."
My intention was to sit down on the ground by the campfire where the girls were, but it didn't quite work out like that. I didn't see the sword until it was almost to late. Glimpsing a flash of steel, I instinctively threw myself to the right,
#pgx246
Evan's blade whirling past my shoulder. I rolled and leapt to my feet, snatching my sword in a smooth motion.
"Are you crazy?" I yelled. He didn't reply. He came at me, a whirling, spinning hurricane of steel. I could barely defend myself, backing up
#pgx247
and clumsily deflecting his blows. Then I realised something. I could defend myself. I knew what to do. Apparently Evan's seemingly useless exercises paid off, because I found myself instinctively deflecting his slashes and
#pgx248
stabs, somehow, barely, keeping him off my back. I tried to catch my breath, my arms already tired from the strenuous work.
Evan's face was a mask of concentration, brows furrowed and eyes focused, locked onto mine. I was feeling
#pgx249
pretty pleased with myself, keeping him at bay this long, until I made my mistake. Evan feinted, but I didn't notice and slashed at his left side. He struck inside my guard with the flat part of his blade, the bevelled metal catching the inside of my
#pgx250
wrist. Immediately my fingers unclenched of their own accord, my weapon falling uselessly to the grass and my wrist flaring in pain, my hand losing it's feeling. While I clutched my wrist, Evan shoved me, hard.
While it wasn't hard
#pgx251
enough to topple me, what I didn't nice was that he put his foot behind me. I fell backwards, my hands flailing wildly and my eyes widening in alarm. I thought I saw Evan smirk. Landing on the earth with a painful thud, I sat up on my elbows and tried
#pgx252
to get up. In an instant the sharp tip of Evan's blade appeared inches from my chest. I lay back down slowly, looking at the sword cross eyed as it drifted near my face.
"If that were a real fight, you would be dead," Evan said in
#pgx253
a flat tone. The blade lingered a moment longer before whipping away, replaced by a helping hand. "Can't blame you though," said Evan, grinning as he helped me to my feet. "I've been fighting a long time,"
I took a shuddering breath, wincing as
#pgx254
I moved my hand. Even though my fingers regained their feeling, the numbness was replaced by a dull ache that spread through my whole hand. Evan noticed.
"Ah. Pressure points. You don't survive as long as me without picking up a few tricks. Don't
#pgx255
worry, it will wear off." He winked and started to walk away towards the campfire.
"Did I... do better this time?" I asked cautiously, flexing my fingers. This was the first time we had trained with live steel, but still. I preferred this to
#pgx256
all the dull drills Evan had been teaching me.
He paused, stopping mid stride. When he turned back, I realised he was smiling.
"Actually, you had it perfect about an hour ago. I just wanted to see if you could do it under
#pgx257
pressure."
Evandrus looked over me approvingly, nodding to himself. "You're a natural. I was surprised how quickly you picked things up."
With that he spun on his heel and laughed as he turned his back on my seething face.
* * *
#pgx258
Despite the mess with Evan, the evening passed fairly quickly. Before long, the light faded from the sky and we all settled down to sleep. My night was peaceful. It was a pleasant and refreshing break from my recent restless nights,
#pgx259
and a huge relief to be free from the nightmares for a little while. A dreamless sleep was better than no sleep at all.
I was woken by hushed voices. Unable to make them out, I tried thinking through the groggy fog in my head, drunk on my own restful
#pgx260
sleep. At first I felt irritated- my first peaceful night and here I was being woken up again! But then I realised that the two people talking were Evan and Ellen, in the conspiratorial manner of people who didn't want to be overheard.
I rolled over to
#pgx261
my other side, trying my best to block out the voices best I could. I wasn't interested in other peoples business.
"- about Darien?"
I froze. Perhaps I wasn't an eavesdropper, but I would dare anybody not to listen if someone was
#pgx262
talking about them behind their back.
I heard Evan sigh softly.
"What about him? He's a good guy. Idiot sometimes, but not bad."
I could imagine Evan shrugging.
"What worries me more is how Herobrine found us in the
#pgx263
field of Birindor. He couldn't have known we would travel through the woods. So how did he find us?"
"We have a traitor in the Resistance," Ellen muttered softly. "Max told us,"
Evan snorted quietly.
"We never discussed how we were going
#pgx264
there. All we discussed was the plan itself. Which is awful anyway. The way I see it, we're walking right into a trap."
The pair lapsed into silence for a moment. A cold breeze swept through the camp, making me shiver.
"It feels like we're
#pgx265
being followed," Evan murmured, a brittle edge of worry creeping into his voice. "Like someone's stalking us. Or something. I've been feeling it since we left Istenmire. Like we're not alone,"
"I doubt it," said Ellen softly. "I haven't felt anything.
#pgx266
I think I would have noticed."
"Your senses are too dull," Evan replied in an offhand voice. "I know what I'm on about. It's really subtle... Clumsy, almost. A snap of a twig. A rustle of greenery, just a tad too loud. An oddly placed foot that
#pgx267
stirs up the leaves a fraction. Tiny things that make the hairs on your neck stand on end. Things naught but the sharpest can notice." Evan paused uncertainly. "Something's on our trail. I can feel it. Something is following us... Something that - in
#pgx268
my guess - is reporting our whereabouts to the enemy."
More silence while the pair considered that happy thought. I started to drift off to sleep again when Ellen spoke.
"Do you remember how we first met?"
Evan chuckled
#pgx269
softly, the sound carried away in the quiet of the night.
"Outside that tavern wasn't it? The Creeper's Head or something. You were drunk and you tried to kill me."
"I wasn't drunk," Ellen said dismissively. "I accidentally broke into the wine
#pgx270
cellar and decided to hold a tasting session. The owner wasn't happy."
"Must have been a funny accident for you to get through 3 locked doors and a padlock chaining the gate together with nothing but a hairpin, and sneak past all of Raynard's hounds
#pgx271
undetected. Not to mention accomplishing all that in under 10 minutes."
I could hear the smile in Evan's voice.
"Then Raynard chucked me out. He was going to hold charges. I think we were arguing about it outside in the snow." Ellen said
#pgx272
quietly.
"That's right," Evan continued. "Then I came along and talked him out of it."
"I remember." Ellen paused for a second, her voice laced with curiosity. "Why did you do it anyway? I've been wondering about that for a long time."
#pgx273
"I think Max was recruiting for the Resistance at the time, and he wanted fresh recruits before he went south. He asked me to scout, and you looked like a very productive addition to our company."
"And Raynard agreed to not press
#pgx274
charges? Just like that?" Ellen asked quietly.
Evan paused for a second, and I imagined he was frowning, trying to remember.
"I think I gave him a very large sum of money. Tavern keepers never could turn down gold.
#pgx275
And then came the attack..." Evan chuckled.
"I didn't attack you," Ellen countered. "It was more of a... passionate expression of drunk feelings."
"Right," Evan laughed softly. "You charged at me, screaming: "Leave me be you
#pgx276
son of a Ghast! I don't need your help!", slipped on the ice and bonked your head, then staggered up and punched me in the nose. Very passionate self-expression," he remarked.
"I'm sorry about that. I may have held my wine-tasting a tad
#pgx277
too long," Ellen admitted.
They sat quiet for a minute, relaxed and comfortable in each others company, unaware that listening to them was another third, curious pair of ears. Eventually Evan started speaking again.
#pgx278
"Max gave Darien the sword you know. Stormsteel."
I froze again at the mention of my name, my muscles tensing.
"Good, I guess. Did Max tell him?"
Evan sighed, and I glimpsed him running a hand through his brown hair. The light, joking mood had
#pgx279
vanished. It was like a cover had been lifted; a mask torn away revealing a heavy, strained darkness that pressed down upon me from all sides.
"Max is no fool. The knowledge could hurt Darien terribly, considering what he has done. Darien's
#pgx280
father made Max swear not to tell him, not until the time was right. His last act before he left was to track down Max and force him to take the oath." Evan's voice sounded strained.
I realised I wasn't breathing. I grasped at the information, holding
#pgx281
onto Evan's words like a lifeline.
"How did you find out?" Ellen whispered, the sound barely audible.
A fraction of dark humour traced in Evan's voice. He chuckled grimly.
"Forget what I said about Max not being a fool. He talks so
#pgx282
much when he get's nervous. In the end he had to tell somebody, and luckily chose me, his most trusted friend, just to get it off his chest. And then I told you."
"What if Darien finds out himself?"
I sneaked a look at Evan's face; he
#pgx283
was grimacing, deep in thought.
"Let us pray that he doesn't. I thought I was unlucky with my family. Poor kid has it even worse. I wonder how would take it. What he would do."
"He would be angry. He would probably try to kill Skiamance I expect. Or
#pgx284
his father. Or both. I know I might." Ellen mused.
Evan sighed softly.
"You never did tell me what happened in Istenmire, how you stumbled on the idiot."
"It was strange. All I saw at first was this guy poking around, asking for the Resistance. I got
#pgx285
suspicious. Then he said his name was Darien Smith. I didn't make the connection at first... It was so long since me and you talked about it. I thought he was another one of Skiamance's goons. He has that Southern look. Anyway, he told me he was with
#pgx286
you, then we got chased across town and I led him back."
Evan nodded and gazed at the dying embers of the fire. His tone sounded almost bitter.
"I didn't make the association at first either. It was all very sudden- Monetia visited me in my
#pgx287
dreams and told me to pick up southern boy, giving me a description and the location. I didn't think for a second it would be the Darien. The one Max told me about so long ago. I don't think I asked him his name. I mean, to me it was just a job.
#pgx288
Nothing more, nothing less. I didn't know until we reached Istenmire and I saw the posters. After that I left them to their own devices while I contacted Max. I ran into the girl... Dawn, I think, and took her back. Apparently they split up.
#pgx289
Idiots."
Evan sighed.
"You get some sleep. I'll wake you when it's your turn to take watch."
Ellen didn't complain. She let out a loud yawn before disappearing from view, probably to sleep. Evan sat on the ground, gazing at
#pgx290
the embers with a somber expression, that scar running down his face almost white in the firelight.
All I knew was that I wouldn't get to sleep again. There were too many questions, too many unknowns. A mystery within a mystery. And then I realised
#pgx291
that Byjorn had lied. He always told me my father was dead. Why? And he wasn't the only one. I briefly remembered the flicker of recognition in Max's eyes as he gazed at that poster. I thought it was because I was a wanted criminal at the time... but
#pgx292
now I knew better. Max knew my father. I was sure of it. So why had he not told me?
Something personal. Something I would hate my father for. Something I would loathe Skiamance for. Something Max kept from me. Something that the two northerners
#pgx293
were keeping from me now.
So much for my peaceful night.