A/N: Hey, Ender here. This story has over 1K views as of today, and I'm just so glad you guys have decided to stick with me this long. I really couldn't do this without you guys. Saying this, I would really appreciate some feedback this week, school just started and I have to balance this with homework. So thanks, and on with the chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Minecraft or Shadow of Israphel
Teloxen's POV
The sound of angry breathing approaching made me look up, wide eyes darting nervously around, searching for the source of the noise.
"Hello?" I whispered. The faint sound echoed through the quiet corridors, interrupted by the same breathing sound. Hoping that it was just my imagination, I looked back to the book on my lap, suddenly wishing I had chosen something other than horror mysteries to read.
"You really shouldn't let your guard down like that." said a voice from behind me. Whipping around, I saw a figure silhouetted in the doorway.
"Oh, you scared me Shadow." I said, laughing nervously as my heart raced. Something seemed very wrong with this situation, a broken balance I could not quite read. Carefully, I closed my book, setting it aside to where I hoped it would not be in the way. Looking back to where Shadow had been, I shrieked, hands flying to cover my mouth as I did so. Shadow stood only a step away from me, steely green eyes boring into my soul.
"Please don't do that again." I whispered. Wrapping my arms tightly around my chest, I could feel my heart pounding. Sure, I might like the occasional scary book now and then, but this seemed too real, like something more than accidental fear. It was almost like I was being hunted.
"Did you need something?" I whispered, my mouth strangely dry.
"I did actually." he said in an ominous voice, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. "Drink this." He held out a bottle of gray potion that I did not recognize.
"What is it?" I asked softly, reaching for it with trembling fingers.
"See, that's the thing." he said "You don't get to know what it is. After all, you didn't tell Notch what the potions you gave him were did you?" The casual tone he spoke in did nothing to soften the piercing glare he placed on me. By reflex, I flinched back, far too used to seeing a similar expression on Zeren's face.
"But, didn't they..." I trailed off as his glare intensified. Under his watchful glare, I took hold of the potion, struggling to remove the lid with my shaking hands. Managing to pry it off, I winced at the foul smell that came from it. Whatever potion this was, it was defiantly not helpful. Uncertainly I dipped a finger into the thick gray liquid, every instinct and potion-making skill screaming not to put it anywhere near my mouth. Placing the drop onto my tongue, I retched at the vile taste. My vision dimmed and shadowy shapes danced at the corners of it, taunting me with their dark dances. The clinging grasp of thousands of tiny creatures seemed to tear at my skin, but every time I turned to catch them, there was nothing to be seen.
After an agonizing minute, the world shifted back to its normal state, leaving me wide eyed and gasping. Dread filled me as I gazed down at the now sinister looking potion. If one drop of that foul concoction could do that, drinking the whole thing would probably kill me.
"I can't do this Shadow." I gasped, briefly wondering how I had ended up on the floor. I slid the potion towards him along the floor, just wanting to get the vile thing as far from me as possible.
"Pity." said Shadow, almost wistfully "It would have been so much easier to do this if you would cooperate. Ah well, looks like I'm going to have to get my hands dirty. But you know all about that don't you. The Valkyrie couldn't get all those Starlords on their own."
A knife of guilt slashed through me at his words. "How do you know about that?" I breathed, the words slipping out against my judgment. I pressed my wings against the ground as he approached, the ultimate sign of submission from a Chaos lord.
"I know many things now." he said, a dark glint in his eyes. "The darkness whispers secrets to me, keeping me informed."
*Oh, not you too!* said Illusion, a panicked sending I doubted I was supposed to hear *I already lost Zeren to this, I'm not loosing you too. Jeb, we need some help down here.*
*Sure. I do need your location though.*
*You know you could just follow the massive dark Enderlord presence.* snapped Illusion *I don't know this place very well, so I haven't got an idea where we are.*
"How did it get to you?" I asked quietly, eyes fixed on the ground "I thought my potion would fix this."
*This isn't your fault* sent Illusion.
"Then whose is it?" I shouted, tear filled eyes gazing up at Shadow.
"Yours." hissed Shadow "You messed with little brother."
*It's not your fault!* insisted Illusion *Void does this, takes emotions and turns them dark. If he wanted Shadow, he would have found a way to do this anyway.*
"But I caused it." I sighed, turning my eyes downwards once more "I didn't tell him what was going on before hand, and now it has corrupted his spirit. It let in the darkness that I had tried to keep away."
*Just hang in there.* sent Illusion *Help is coming.*
"It's too late for that." said Shadow "He must pay. Last chance, drink the potion or I must take matters into my own hands."
"Please." I whispered "Don't."
A razor shard of crystallized magic sliced past my head, embedding itself deep in the lower half of my wing. Gritting my teeth, I struggled not to cry out. The situation I was in was eerily similar to when I was cast out by Zeren, but this time there would be no escape to a friendlier realm. Only more pain. The second shard I was braced for never came, a splintering noise making me glance up to see the source of the sound. A translucent yellow barrier arced above me, blocking the incoming projectiles.
"You okay?" shouted Jeb from where he had appeared in the room, a few paces from any of the corridor entryways. Ender and Flare ran in from one of these corridors, skidding to a stop as they took in the scene. Shadow turned and glared at them in irritation.
"Back off." he spat, flicking his hand upwards and erecting a deep purple barrier in front of the others. Looking back to where I lay, he stepped forwards and drove a foot through the barrier, sending yellow shards scattering across the smooth floor. Across the room, I heard Jeb gasp, Ender managing to grab him before he fell to the ground from the sudden drain on his magic.
"Now where were we?" asked Shadow, tracing the tip of his tail across my damaged wings. Clicking his fingers together, he summoned a spear of dark energy, running the point over my wings and back. It didn't break the skin, but every touch sent tendrils of dark power leaching into me, seeking out my power and subduing it. The world seemed to fade, each object and surface replaced by a shadowy and ethereal version of itself.
Ah, so you are mine now. A powerful voice said You were not so easy to sway as I would have guessed. You must take more after your mother.
"Who are you?" I asked fearfully, looking for the source of the voice. As I looked at where Shadow had been standing, I saw only a cloud of purple, roughly shaped like an Enderlord. Dark tendrils of mist wrapped around it, and as I watched several of these detached themselves and flowed towards me.
That is not for you to know. Looking down, I saw that I was only a mass of mist as well, pale gray shot through with flashes of purple and black. One of the black tendrils touched me and I felt a lightning flash of pain arc through me, disrupting the gentle flow of mist.
A bright flash of light in front of me made me wince, eyes instinctively snapping closed to protect me from the source of the glare. When I managed to pry them open, another misty shape had materialized between me and Shadow. This one was dove gray, an almost white hue with a silvery sheen around it.
*Back off Void, this one's mine.* he said, sending a string of mist slicing through the dark string.
Make me. He hissed. A thin trail of the light mist flowed towards me, the dark flashes retreating at its presence. As it touched me, I felt a shiver of magic run through me. The dark flashed dimmed and faded as it did so, cleansing the darkness from me. Another trail snaked out towards Shadow, twinging around him and purging Void's power from him.
*Be safe Teloxen.* The silvery lord sent *You have magic vision, that is how you can see this. Be careful or else you may be lost in it.* With that, the strange lord touched my magic once more and shifted my vision back to its normal state, which showed no sign of whatever strange lord had stopped Void. Shadow sat huddled on the floor, wings draped over his shivering frame. Jeb and the others still watched from behind the purple barrier. It had lost much of its color in the moments since its construction, the power Shadow had channeled to construct it now absent. Hesitantly I stood, pausing when a sharp pain ran through my right arm from the movement. Looking down, I saw a silvery rune depicting a balanced set of scales. Ignoring it for the moment, I walked cautiously towards Shadow. The Enderlord sat there, head bowed towards the ground and eyes fixed unwaveringly on a single point. I crouched down next to him, wondering why I suddenly felt such compassion for someone who had for all intents and purposes tried to kill me.
"Why?" he asked at last, voice raspy. As he spoke, the barrier crumbled, the last of its energy spent.
"Because I told him to." said Jeb, striding closer "He was destroying the realm with his constantly shifting emotions, this was the only way to contain that."
"You could have told me." sobbed Shadow, the events of the last few minutes catching up with him at last. "I'm supposed to protect him. What else was I supposed to do when I found out something like that?"
*Not go crazy evil and try to kill the one person you knew was involved?* sent Illusion.
"Could we have told you though?" asked Jeb "Wouldn't you have opposed it just as much then? You would have said anything to protect him, even at the cost of this realm." As he spoke, he walked over and picked up the discarded potion, wincing at the smell. "I hate these things." he murmured, covering the top and stowing it in some hidden pocket to deal with later.
"Why?" asked Ender "What is it even? It sure doesn't look like any potion I've ever used."
"Potion of living nightmares." he said "Nasty stuff. And unfortunately that's from personal experience."
*What happened?* asked Illusion, interest and glee leaking from his sending.
"Valkyrie make bad classmates." he sighed "That's all I'm going to say."
"Would it really have been so bad?" murmured Shadow, wiping away tears.
"Would what have?" asked Jeb distractedly.
"Giving anything to protect Notch. At least I wouldn't have failed one brother then. And I wouldn't be alone again."
*Y'know Jeb, if you had told me what you were doing you could have avoided this.* said Illusion.
"Yeah, well I'm not some little kid who has to report his every action to you." They continued to bicker, and I tuned it out, instead turning my attention to the still distraught Shadow.
"I know how you feel." I sighed, shifting closer to his seated form. "Never being able to help I mean, always feeling one step behind."
"I've let them all down though." he whispered, squeezing his eyes tightly closed.
"No you haven't." I said, placing a wing gently over him "You've just hit a low point. You've only let them down if you stop trying." He flinched back at my touch initially before relaxing, allowing my feathers to freely brush against his.
A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed. As always please consider leaving a review or questions for the characters. I hope you have a great day and I shall see you all next chapter. Bye! :D