Rythian stretched his arms, he was sure he was about to find a rhythm to the screams around him. Nope, lost it. There was an enderman behind him, it was just standing there.
Rythian didn't turn "Don't you have places to be? Guards to be killing?" It just stood there. Rythian sighed, realising who it was, he turned around, "Well? What is it?"
She just stood there, looking at him, as if in shock. Rythian lowered his arms "Seriously, what is it? You can speak you know…I think." She opened her mouth, a single word: "Murderer".
Rythian chuckled "You don't say, dearie". Despite how casual he seemed about it, it was just a little unsettling to hear that from one of his own endermen. He brought her back because she could handle herself in a fight better than the weaker endermen could, not to reprimand him.
She just stood there, staring at him. He rolled his eyes "If you're really going to ask the question, yes, I will be killing Lalna the first chance I get. No I won't make you do it, are you even listening to me?"
She continued to stubbornly refuse to answer. "What are you looking for? Regret? Sorry, if I could still feel regret, I would have stopped before I snapped. Your neck."
He heard a gunshot, he tilted his head, Nanosounds looked like she was smiling. He turned around, Xephos was standing there, he was holding a revolver, and he was pointing it at him.
Rythian quietly laughed, he reached behind him, pulling a bullet from between his shoulder blades, the shot would have killed him, if his skin wasn't covered in scales.
"Xephos…come on now, did you really think it would all be over with something as easy as a gunshot? Sorry to disappoint" He started walking towards him. Xephos thumbed the hammer back down, cold resolve refusing to leave his face, one shot, two, three, four, five.
Rythian looked down, before looking back up with a smug look in his eyes. Bullet holes covered his chest, but no blood spilled from them. "6 shots, wonder if I'm patient enough to let you reload?"
He dropped the gun, drawing his sword, diamond. Rythian wished Xephos could see the grin on his face, he really should have brought something more effective.
"Well, if that's how you want to do it" Rythian drew his sword, almost casually. Xephos ran forward, Rythian just stood there.
At the last moment, he ducked under Xephos' arm, taking a step back, looking at Nanosounds. She hadn't moved an inch. "I always wondered what an enderman you would make, but honestly, people of your will-power don't seem to turn out as obedient as I would have liked. You just get to die, lucky you"
Xephos swung again, Rythian ducked again, before kicking him in the stomach, sending him stumbling back into a stack of crates. Xephos tried to stab him, Rythian caught the blade, and the glove was cut away, showing the hardened scales that had grown over his hand.
Rythian wrenched the sword from his hand, he put his other hand round his neck before Xephos could react. He lifted him off the ground, choking the life out of him. Xephos clawed at his hands, he was still holding onto hope that Sips and Sjin would arrive, just in the nick of time. "The nick of time" was right about then.
They didn't speak, Zoey didn't know what to say, Lalna didn't want to talk at all. The screams led them to Rythian "Follow the anguish" Lalna thought to himself, how fitting.
After a few minutes, the found him, Lalna recognized Nano, he chose to ignore her, he had other things to worry about. He watched Xephos try to shoot him, didn't work, obviously. Teep pulled an arrow from his quiver.
Zoey leaned round "What are we waiting for? He's going to kill him" Lalna held up a hand "It's under control, just wait a second" Lalna checked his mining laser, it hummed gently.
Zoey pushed the barrel down "No, we're not doing this." Lalna rolled his eyes "Wake up and smell the blood Zoey, we don't have a choice". She let go of the laser, leaning back against the crates "Fine, but what are we going to do with it? You saw how effective bullets were."
Lalna smirked "We're not going to shoot him, Sips, get ready" Sips shook his head "I don't know about this Lalna, I mean, we've gone to some lengths before but I can't see this ending well."
Lalna shot him a look "Just shut up and do what I say, alright?" Sips sighed "Fine, but I'm holding you accountable if this goes wrong." Zoey looked between them "So, what is it? What's the plan?" Lalna gave her a grave look "This" he pressed the mining laser against her forehead.
Rythian squeezed harder, Xephos was about to lose consciousness. "Drop him, Rythian" Rythian looked round, an amused look in his eyes. He lost the look fast. Lalna stood there, holding Zoey around the neck, a mining laser pressed against the side of her head.
Rythian dropped Xephos, he lay there on the ground, gasping for air. Lalna smiled "Now, the sword." Rythian might as well have not heard him "You did it again, you can't beat me, so you used her…why do I still care? Got me right where you want me, under your damn thumb, isn't that right, Zoey?"
She shook her head, she could almost see herself losing him, permanently "Please…I didn't…" Lalna pressed the barrel against her head "Shut it, the sword Rythian, now. We don't even need to kill her first."
Teep walked out from behind the crates, a doubtful looking Sips pointing a mining laser at the back of his head. Teep had his hands on the back of his head, he shrugged at him, as if to say "Sorry".
The world darkened, the group in front of him became a background image. There she was, the Queen, with her pale hood. "You can't allow them to use this against you, she's one of them, she's planned this right alongside them. Kill them, they are a weakness, your only weakness."
He shook his head "I can't…you need to help me". She shook her head "You know I can't". He looked at her "Yes, you can, I've seen it, do it for me, just this one thing, please."
"NO! I can't! It's not possible, just kill them, get it over with!" she sounded panicked, as if denying him this request meant life or death. Rythian persisted "Why not? I've brought your children through, you can make it in just as easily" Even as he said it, she started emanating darkness, she was approaching.
"NO! NO I CANNOT! You must understand me! Kill them! Kill them now, before it's too late!" Her voice was starting to distort, her eyes were glowing bright red, and he was starting to see her face, pale as snow.
She disappeared from view, and the world lit up again. She didn't want to, but she must have come around. They couldn't see the darkness welling up behind him. Rythian dropped his sword, he wasn't going to need it.
Before Lalna could say anything, there were hands around Rythian's ribs, she was pulling him out, he wasn't to be caught in the carnage about to ensue.
He realised, too late, that it was not his queen leering over him, but Nanosounds. She dug into his ribs, tearing through the scales, burrowing through his raw flesh. He screamed, the pain was extraordinary, but he would be healed, the darkness was starting to cover them, he was safe.
Zoey pulled at Lalna's arm, trying to get to him, but he held her back. He wasn't pressing the laser against her anymore, he held it limply by his side, mesmerised by the sight in front of him.
Nanosounds dropped him, a pool of black blood congealed around him, but he was still breathing. He heard the screech, her wings beating as she flew overhead. "She's here" Rythian whispered between coughs.
They all turned, Rythian could only envision the terror on their faces. But then Lalna turned back to him "Rythian…there's no-one there"
The dream shattered, the darkness dissipated in an instant, there was no ender dragon, he was beaten after all. But worse than that, the voices were gone, she was gone. He looked up, there as an extra figure, he wore a suit, he was wearing a pale skin hood, and his eyes glowed bright red.
Xephos looked straight at him "You…" and in an instant, the figure was gone. Rythian let his head drop, the memories that had been denied came flooding back, and not just the recent ones. He remembered his last day in the End, before he, along with all the others, were sent to wonder forever.
He remembered a nameless warrior in shining armour slaying the dragon, he remembered the exodus of the End. The Queen had never spoken to him, his Queen was long dead.
Rythian lay there, the scales slowly receding from his broken body. "Was it all a lie? Has it all been truly for nothing? Was I just a mad fool all this time?" he looked up at them, no pity in their eyes, only hate, except for one. "Zoey…I'm sorry" and then, in an instant, he vanished.