Chapter 10: Of Things Foretold
Lalia's POV:
"Break the portal," Ignatius commanded as he stepped out of the portal. He pulled out his pick and began to break the blocks.
"No! Nate, what are you doing?!" I exclaimed in horror.
"Endermen are outside the portal. If we don't destroy it, they will destroy us!" He replied without stopping. Rose and I both removed our picks and began to work. I noticed hers was made of stone and looked ready to fall apart any second. Even so, many hands made light work, and in under a minute the portal was destroyed.
"Now that we aren't about to be attacked, would you be able to elaborate on what you saw?" I asked Nate impatiently.
"All I saw was a tall black figure appear behind Clarabelle just as I was being teleported. I couldn't help her, so I just had to watch as it caught her from behind. I assumed there were probably more on the way, all with the goal of getting through the portal. Destroying the portal from our side was the only way to stop them."
"Could they not simply construct a portal for themselves?" Rose inquired.
"I don't think so, or at least not an Aether portal, as water is poisonous to them. They must have used the one in the hidden room in my Father's house. It spawns you around the same distance we were from Notch's palace, only in a different direction. They must have seen us flying back, and so some mobs were sent to investigate," Nate replied. He looked up the tunnel, "Even so, there's nothing stopping them from knocking on the front door any moment now. We need to leave Cubeolot."
"And leave my people unprotected! I don't think so," I argued. The poor testificates were more defenceless than a squid, and most of them weren't much more intelligent.
"We have a duty to this world Lia. If we don't leave, the whole of Minecraftia will be enslaved under the mobs rule. At least if we try to stop them, we have some hope of survival, for I do not doubt that the mobs will kill or enslave every last Minecraftian on the face of the Overworld."
"Ignatius has a point Eulalia. Notch said we are Minecraftia's only hope," Rose added softly.
"Then I suppose we had better pack."
Notch's POV:
"Where could she be?" I muttered to myself. It had been hours since Ignatius and his friends had left, and Clarabelle still hadn't returned. She should have been able to fly there and back over four times now.
"I shouldn't have let her take them to the portal, I made a promise. Not just to Nate, but to Hero too."
I had been a fool, now I was going to suffer the consequences. I must admit, I have quite the soft spot for Clara, and the palace didn't feel the same without her cheery aura, although that could have also been due to the general drop in life in the place anyway. Most of the Valkyries had safely left, heading off to the Safe Haven.
Suddenly, I heard the sound I had been waiting for.
"If it isn't the almighty Notch," He drawled, voice tearing through my consciousness.
"I can't say I wasn't expecting you, Lucius," I replied. "Tell me what you did with Clarabelle!"
"Why don't you see her yourself?" He said, holding out a piece of black stained glass. Purple swirls filled the surface for a moment, before clearing to reveal Clara. She was bound to a chair by enchanted leather and had a wool cloth tied around her head and gagging her mouth. On either side was a Wither Skeleton, one holding it's sword to her throat threateningly. Behind her, I saw the glow of three sets of white eyes.
"You think you can control us, but you shall rule no more! We shall take over, finally bringing true balance to Minecraftia, your precious Minecraftians as our slaves. No one, not even you, can save your world. For while you have something you care about, I have the power," Three voices boomed together, the sound echoing through my office.
"Surrender yourself," Lucius threatened, "Or the girl gets it." The wither skeleton brought his blade so close to her neck, that a trail of golden blood trickled down her neck.
She drew back, shaking the gag free, "Don't do it for me Notch, I'm just one Valkyrie, I'll respawn. If you surrender yourself, all of Minecraftia will be destroyed! Don't do anything stupid just for me."
"It's not just for you. I'm coming, Clara. And don't worry, I know exactly what I'm doing. After all, this has all been Foretold."
Lalia's POV:
"So," I said.
"So," Nate said.
"So," Rose said.
"So we're all packed, now what?" I asked.
"Perhaps Rose could tell us something?" Nate suggested.
"Yeah, Notch gave you a gift. Perhaps you could try it out?" I agreed.
"Alright, I suppose. Although I cannot promise anything, I've never used this power before, however I assume it must be fairly similar to my previous abilities, only stronger and more controllable," Rose replied. She closed her eyes, like she was concentrating deeply on something.
For a moment there was silence, a tense noiseless void that filled the room. Then, Rose's head snapped up and her eyes shot open, but they were pure, glowing gold in colour. She spoke with a voice which sounded completely different to her own, which filled the room with its colossal power,
"Through the desert and the swamp,
The brave trio must now romp,
Over hills, but watch the ice,
There the terrain is not nice.
Cross the desert and straight ahead,
For that is where the eyes of ender lead.
On the plain there is a town,
But the way to go is down,
For that is where the Foretelling lies,
To behold with your very eyes.
This which even I cannot tell,
Lies beneath book and spell.
But be wary of the dangers,
And don't put false trust in strangers,
However kind they seem to be,
Do not judge by what you see.
Now hurry, heroes, duty calls,
And you must leave before night falls."
The voice hung in the air as Rose's eyes slowly faded back to hazel. She shook her head, and collapsed to the floor.
"Are you okay?" I knelt down next to Rose and put an arm around her.
"I am fine, thank you Eulalia. Just a tad tired, but I am sure I shall recover swiftly," she said, trying to stand up but stumbling like a newborn foal.
"I hope so, because we need to leave ASAP. It may be early dawn now, but the sooner we set out the better," Nate stated.
"Well, the desert surrounding the town is quite large, so I don't really know which direction to go. What did you say about an eye of ender?" I asked Rose.
"'That is where the eye of ender lead,' I believe. From what I have read, it would seem they are required for the location and activation of End portals, which are the third variety of portal known to Minecraftians and there are only four in the whole of Minecraftia," Rose replied. "Do you know anything about their composition Nate?"
"I think I might. All I know about them came from eavesdropping…" Nate replied, flashing back to a memory from when he was young.
Nate's POV:
He stood peeping through the crack of the office door, which loomed tall and dark above him. It was open just enough for one of his small eyes to see through the crack to his Father and Uncle. In his four-year-old mind, he thought he had a right to know what was going on. So he found himself outside the door to his Father's office, trying to hear what was happening within.
"It's dangerous, we should destroy all of the End portals!" Herobrine argued with his brother.
"But they will need it, the Foretelling says that much!" His good brother rebutted.
"Well, they can f****** make one!" Nate covered his child-sized ears at his father's foul language.
"Now, now brother, there is no need for such rude language. If any little ears were to hear this, they would be shocked," Notch chided, a twinkle in his eye as he glanced towards the door with a wink, having picked up the tiny gasp.
Ignatius' little heart beat loud and fast, and he desperately hoped his father and uncle wouldn't find him because his father would… he didn't even want to think of what his father might do. That was a definite downside to being the son of a god.
"But they would have to come here to activate it! Those eyes of ender require not just ender pearls, but also blaze rods, and you know where you find blaze rods? THE NETHER, THAT'S WHERE! I don't want some stupid Minecraftians on an even stupider quest coming to MY home and wrecking EVERYTHING!" Hero's face was practically red now.
"Oh look, you're learning to express yourself without damaging property or swearing," Notch praised his brother in a teasing tone.
"GrrrrRRARGH! F*** YOU!" Herobrine screamed, slamming his fist into the table so hard it broke in two with an audible snap. Nate took this chance to slip away back to his room, but he couldn't help but overhear his uncle's exasperated reply, "So much for learning to control your anger. Really I'm just glad it wasn't my table. Lately it would seem the whole world is plotting to destroy my house…"
Lalia's POV:
"Nate? Nate? Yoo hoo, Ignatius!" I waved my hand to and fro in front his face, trying to bring him out of this strange trance. Suddenly he blinked and groaned, just like he does when I wake him in the morning, "Oh look, Prince Charming is finally awake, and I didn't even have to use true love's kiss!"
"Maybe I should have stayed in a trance for longer, I'll remember that for next time. Unlike you two, I managed to remember something of importance. Ender pearls and blaze rods are the two ingredients used in making eyes of ender. However, it would be far too dangerous to go to the Nether to get the blaze rods, and we can't wait until night to find the ender pearls, so that's where you girls come in," He said.
"Well, there might be a blaze rod or two in the lab, but no ender pearls I'm afraid," I supplied.
"I have a few ender pearls on my person from home, but I'm afraid I didn't have time to get any blaze rods. I know most large towns would have somewhere you could a few from, and two should last long enough, theoretically. Also, they tend to travel in straight lines, so once you have the direction, the eye is used more to locate where to halt than which direction to travel in. It is seems we have a way to travel before anything significant comes along," Rose contributed.
"The hardest part won't be getting there though," Nate said grimly, "The hardest part will be getting out of the End alive."
With a shudder, I realised that all of us, even Nate, were now in grave danger. This wasn't a fairy tale anymore, this was something far more dangerous. Something in which any one of us could die.
This was war.
Nate's POV:
"So you're sure you have everything you need?" Lalia asked me, raking her fingers through her long, dark brown hair which was currently half-up, half-down with braids circling her head. On her back was her brown leather bag, which was filled with a large array of items.
"Yes," I answered snappily, peeved since this was the fifth time she had asked me this morning. She had insisted we repack after learning just how far we were going to go.
"I think we have established that everyone has sufficient supplies Eulalia. I'm sure there will be food and materials sources along the way," Rose reassured in an annoyed tone from where she sat at a crafting table, perfecting the eyes of ender.
"I just don't want us to run out of supplies, that's all," she justified, adjusting her backpack's straps for the third time in the past five minutes.
Rose stood up and dusted off her hands before revealing four turquoise green orbs in her hands. They seemed to glow with power, the same strange purple particles that surround endermen emitting from the globes.
"Good job Rose," Lia congratulated, but I could tell she was frazzled. "The sun's rising higher by the minute, we need to get a move on. To the stables!"
She let the way out the door down the path to the stables, which was a very simple, yet cosy looking building. On the way there, we discussed how travel with the horses would work, and agreed on taking them as far as possible and returning with them, breeding as necessary. However, one horse could probably carry two people, provided they weren't terribly heavy.
The moment Lalia entered the stable, she dashed over to the white horse in the very first pen. The horse seemed happy to see her, almost returning the hug she gave it.
"Let me know when you find a horse you think you would like to ride," Lia instructed.
Rose and I walked around the room, looking at each horse. Suddenly Rose stopped in front of a pen containing a horse with a coat as dark as midnight. The only distinguishable features of its face were the whites of its eyes, giving it a fearsome look. Rose closed her eyes, focusing on something like she had done before. However, this time she only took a few seconds before opening her eyes.
"Greetings, Death," She said, bowing before the steed. He returned her gesture. Lia and I stared, neither knowing quite what to say.
"Death certainly is a good horse. Quite fast, and powerful, and he has a heart of gold, even if he might look a bit intimidating," Lalia said. She obviously knew each of these horses well, having looked after them since she was young. The motioned to a chest in one corner, "Grab a saddle, a few leads and some armour from in there."
I slowly continued walking around the room until I came across a grey horse with white patches. It stared at me, and I stared back.
"Could I ride this one?" I asked, without taking my eyes off it.
"Oh, Storm hey? Well, I guess you had better ask him about that. Hold out your hand, if he nuzzles it, you can ride him," Lia called over her shoulder from where she stood saddling her horse.
I held out my hand, as instructed, and waited. After a few moments of thought, he started to approach, slowly at first, but then gaining speed. I felt his nose under my hand and pet him gently. He neighed softly.
"I think he likes you," Lalia giggled.
"And what is your horses name, for those of us without magical abilities," I asked, referring to the horse Eulalia had saddled up for herself.
"This girl?" She motioned to the white horse she was patting, "Her name is Alyssia."
"Alyssia," I replied thoughtfully, "That's a nice name. Did you name her?" I walked over to the supply chest and took out the items I would need.
"Yeah, she was my parent's last birthday present to me before the war. She was the best birthday present I ever got. I still remember that day, my parents bringing me down to the stables and showing me a little white foal." Lia smiled at the memory, but it soon turned to a sad smile, before she shook off the memory like a dog shakes off water after a swim.
"We had best take our leave soon," Rose said from the top of Death. The dark horse made her slightly more intimidating, but in the same way her mismatched clothes softened the look of the horse. They worked together in harmony to create a ying-yang affect.
"Good thinking Rose," Lia confirmed, hoisting herself onto Alyssia's back. I attempted to mount Storm with the same level of grace Eulalia had managed, but I looked quite the opposite as I almost fell off. Lia laughed, and I swear I saw Rose giggle softly under her breath.
"Not funny," I told the two as I seated myself properly. Storm was impatient to get a move on.
"You have to admit it was kind of funny."
"No I don't."
"You would have laughed if it was me."
"True, but that doesn't make it right."
"Yes, but it makes it fair. If I do that, you have my full permission to laugh at me."
"Fine. Now let's go, I don't think Storm will stand still much longer," I gave in.
Lia laughed again lightly, and cheerfully told us to follow her as she led us out of the stable and through the town. At the gate, she stopped, looking back longingly at her home.
"Come on Eulalia," Rose said from outside the gates.
"I'm just so worried. They can't fend for themselves. I know they have two iron golems to protect them, but I just can't help but think something terrible will happen if I leave," She looked so sad at leaving her hometown. I remembered when I had left Lia on the beach only a few days ago and how hard that was for me. She needed encouragement.
"If you don't leave, something even more terrible will happen, and not just to one town, but to every town in the whole of Minecraftia. I know this is difficult, but we need to. It's our duty to protect Minecraftia, or at least mine, and I'm not about to leave you behind again. Are you with me?" At that question, I offered my hand out to where she was behind me.
A few moments of silence, and then she slowly rode up to my side, holding my hand with a tear in the corner of her eye,
"I'm in. Now, how do we work this eye of ender?"
A/N:
Hello faithful and patient readers!
I am ever so sorry, but the last two weeks have been crazy busy, and I only just got back from a few days on church camp with no internet, so it has taken a while to complete this chapter. For your patience, I shall give you each a cookie *showers readers with cookies*. However, it is a bit longer than usual, so there's a bonus for you.
I still need more O/C's from you lovely guys and girls, so if you have any please don't be shy and send them in. I would love for you to be able to contribute to the story. Just know I may need to change them a bit in order to implement them, but I will ask you before I make any major changes.
Is it really chapter 10 already? I can hardly believe it! Thank you for staying with me on this journey so far, I can promise that it's only going to get better! Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed or reviewed, seeing people are enjoying my story really brightens my day!
Anyway, I am super pumped for the next chapter, which I will hopefully be able to get up in a week. Until then, please favourite, follow and review!
See you in the next chapter,
~Lark~