The third chapter by Shadowshinigamiwolf :)


Rythian grunted as he hit the ground. The teleportation was successful, however it wasn't perfect, causing him to appear a few feet above the gravel path. Getting to his feet, he readjusted his mask.

"What the shit just happened?" Xephos asked, coming over to him. Sjin trailed behind him, glancing anywhere but in Rythian's direction.

"That… That was the Queen's first trial. I'm sure you remember when I challenged her. Well, that's going to happen until we arrive to wherever the path leads." As he spoke, the mage already saw the faint purple hue forming again.

"She called you a prince, care to explain?" Sjin crossed his arms, the tips of his mustache twitching as he spoke.

Rythian began to follow the path as he continued to explain. "I am the prince of the End… The Queen's law states that when any child with the blood of an Enderman, also known as an Enderborn, is born, they are taken away from their parents."

Xephos blinked in slight shock. "That's horrible! Why do your people still listen to her then?"

"Because Enderborns are the best to lead, and they're rare nowadays… She wants all of them as her own, to teach them how to rule the End, how to become the Enderdragon, etc…" Rythian sighed when the path began to fade away.

"I always knew you were one of them…" Sjin muttered, but it didn't go unnoticed by Rythian.

"I am NOT one of them!" He reeled on the architect. "Why do you think I'm here?! I was BANISHED!"

Sjin backed up nervously, putting his hands up in a defensive gesture. "Okay. Okay. Care to explain?"

Rythian glanced at where the misty path should have been, when Xephos caught his stare he got a confused look. "What do you keep staring at?"

"It's a path… It links me to the nearest End portal, but She has control of whenever I see it. Only Enderblooded creatures can see it. It's faded away now, I'm probably about to go back." As if on cue, he was gone, leaving behind only a few glowing, purple, ember-like flecks.

"So much for my question…" Sjin sighed, turning to the Axonian man. "So do we just wait, or…"

"I guess…"

-SSW-

"So, Enderborn…" The Queen hissed as Rythian ran through the End Stone labyrinth. "Not that I'm concerned for your safety, I would love to watch you wither in pain, but are you really sure you want to do this?"

Meet with a dead end, the purple-eyed mage felt a splitting pain in his head. Almost falling to the floor in the process, he turned around and ran the other way, determined to find a way out. The pain faded as soon as he turned the corner.

"All you need to do is find the key and then the exit…" The Queen spoke in a cheerful, sing-song voice. "Take your time… Just remember to keep track of that time. Wouldn't want you to go through all this for nothing now would we?"

"Shut up!" He growled before he could stop himself. The pain returned, feeling as if his brain had been stabbed by a thousand flaming knives. Doubling over, his speed drove him forward, making him hit the ground with his face.

"Don't speak to your mother that way!" She hissed from somewhere above him, almost like some type of puppet master.

"You… are… not… my… mother…" He panted, trying to regain his lost breath. He'd been running for Notch knows how long, and it had long since taken its toll on Rythian.

The Queen growled. "Just remember, use all the time you want, but the clock is still ticking."

That had been roughly a couple months ago, by now the mage had found the key. All that was left was the exit to this seemingly endless maze. Everything looked the same, it was hard to tell if he'd been here before or if it was someplace new.

With a groan he rested against a wall, sinking down to the floor in order to get off of his feet. It'll be worth it. He had repeated to himself over and over again. It was something he told himself, enabling him to go further, to keep trying.

As Rythian stared off into space, his gaze rested on his exposed wrist. The fabric of his shirt had risen slightly, revealing the edge of something black. The Enderborn knew what it was, it's what defined him, made him… Rythian. Lifting his sleeve the rest of the way up, he saw the full mark.

It was a rune in the language of Ender, basically stating his name and link to the End. All in a deep ebony on the front side of his wrist. It was nothing too elaborate, like some, it merely had a long vertical line with three short ticks across it. At the top it had a half of a crescent moon shape, reminding him of a scythe. Underneath this symbol, was a square within a rectangle, representing Ender.

I wonder what theirs would be like… He mused, getting to his feet. Maybe it'll be blocky… Maybe it'll be round…

"That's only saying if I can win this…" He said to himself, starting up a steady jog down the tunnel.

Minutes flied by, along with the hours, the days, the weeks… It took him a whole other month just to find the exit. And when he did, the Queen was there waiting for him.

"Congratulations… my prince." She grinned, walking closer to him. "That was merely your second trial. They slowly get harder and harder until… well you already know the final trial."

How could he not? It would be a fight to the death with the said being in front of him. Before Rythian could get lost in his thoughts, She continued on.

"The first one was so easy… Testing reflexes and quick focus. This one was about endurance and willpower. The next will… well… that'll be a surprise, now won't it? Then one more… and we can finally have our little battle." The entire time she was explaining all that he already knew, she was pacing in front of him, talking in a sweet voice that the mage knew was fake.

Once the Queen was done, she stepped aside, revealing a door. Never keeping his eyes off of her, in case she tried something, he exited through the door. As soon as he set foot on the other side, the green forest greeted him. Chirping birds from somewhere above, along with the feel of the wind on his face, carrying the smells and other sounds from all around.

"Notch, it took you long enough! Rythian, what the Nether happened?!" Sjin was instantly in his face, poking him in the chest.

"It took longer then I expected, okay? You didn't have to wait, either." Despite all his muscles aching in protest, he continued to follow the purple, misty trail.

"They'll only get longer you know…" He sighed once they stopped for the night. "The trials I mean. And you won't be able to come with me to fight the Queen. Once we get to the End portal that's it, you're gone."

"Yeah, yeah…" Sjin dismissed him with the wave of a hand, settling in a patch of grass. Soon after he fell asleep. The mage wouldn't be able to fall asleep that easily, knowing that his enemies could easily change their word and turn on him.

Leaning against the base of a tree, Rythian turned to Xephos. "I can take the first watch if you want." He offered, only to receive a negative shake of the head. The man from the stars apparently had the same caution as he did. "Okay then… Wake me halfway through the night." He spoke, his hand resting over his Enderbane in case of possible attack. Ignoring the burn, he tried to get some sleep.