The whole group traveled through complete biomes in immense silence before Liam made his horse pick up the pace and rode over next to Ivor.
"Hey, Ivor, uh, I think this is yours." Liam told him, taking out the small amulet that Ivor had given him in the Nether.
"Used it wisely, I presume?"
"I did, actually. Got separated and used that to find my way back. Thanks, by the way."
"You're welcome." Ivor nods, looking ahead. Liam was still very curious. He had a small idea of what was going on between Ivor and his father.
"Ivor, uh, you mentioned giving my father a Forgetting Potion."
"I've done that for him, as well as countless other things, and not once has he paid me back." Ivor hissed. Well, he's a bit touchy on that topic. Liam thought.
"What else has he done?"
"He and this guy, Nathan or Neil or something like that, show up at Endercon and they want something from me."
"Woah, what? My dad was at Endercon? With Noah?"
"Yeah, he was there with Noah. They said they saw you with Lukas, trying to get his memory back, but as I can clearly see now, they never got the chance to really take you down. Which meant that selling that sword was useless this whole time."
"Sword? What sword?" Ivor let out a sigh of exasperation.
"You just don't stop asking questions, do you?" Liam couldn't help but to let out a small chuckle as he shrugged. "He wanted a sword so he could kill you for good."
"Ha. No surprise there."
"I agree, actually. Your dad, Noah, and I, we were all childhood friends before the Order was formed. Noah went crazy because he thought he was supposed to be married to Kelly, your mother, but instead, your dad took her from him. I was never a part of that rivalry, but it was the first thing that would tear our friendship apart."
"My mom… Do you know if she's alive?"
"She is, actually. They never told me where they had her. I wanted to go save her not for myself, but for the fact that she was like a younger sister to me. I know she's alive right now, Liam. We'll find her soon."
"But what about Noah and my dad?" Liam asks. Ivor hesitated.
"I think they've done enough damage to others." Ivor spoke at last, looking at Liam. Liam took a moment to let it sink in. He would have to kill his own father. Holy… crap. Liam's horse whinnied a bit before they entered a winter biome.
Ivor rested peacefully through halfway of the biome and Liam decided to leave him alone and went up next to Jessie.
"Hey, Liam, you weren't joking when you said that you wanted to protect me for Lukas?"
"Nope. And there's no way I'm not letting you wiggle your way out of that one." Jessie playfully groaned, which made Liam laugh.
"Now I know why Lukas likes you so much." he blurted. Jessie looked at him, concerned, before he realized what he had said. "Uh… whoops."
"Lukas likes me?" Jessie asks in a hesitant voice. Reuben's happy oinks could be heard behind her.
"Yeah, but please don't hate him for it. I-I honestly didn't mean to say that!" Liam met her chocolate brown eyes that Lukas often called beautiful.
"He has cute hair." she said suddenly. Liam's eyebrows raised, and he looked at Jessie.
"You like him." Liam muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Holy crap."
"I've actually liked him since we first met at the first Endercon Building Competition."
"Really?" Liam asks, looking at her.
"Really. His friends were always jerks. I'm surprised he's stuck by them all these years."
"Huh. Well, I mean, Maya's jealous of you and Olivia, actually."
"How do you know that?"
"Lukas assumed it first, not me. He said that something happened with some childhood friends of hers, and she's basically taking it out on you. Gil's just there. Aiden's probably protecting Lukas from you being jerks back. That was how the Ocelots formed, actually."
"Four broken people to make a squad that pratically overpowers others? I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad one."
"Three, actually. Gil's just there, remember. I honestly don't know either. I know Lukas wants to tell them to stop, but letting him go save his friends' lives is enough to let them know that you care. Wait, you care, right?"
"Yeah, I care. I care about everyone being safe and everything and-" Jessie heaved a sigh, "It's so exhausting, trying to save the world."
"Hey, it's gonna pay off after we do save the world." Liam pat Jessie's shoulder, and just like that, the conversation ended. Jessie's gaze fell over on Ivor, as did Liam's, and Soren saw them.
"What?" he asks, then he noticed what they really were looking at. Soren sighs, nudging Ivor to wake him up. The robed man behind the Architect, once peacefully resting, awoke with a start and glared at Ivor. Jessie and Liam laugh.
"My rear end is profoundly sore." Gabriel muttered as they entered the swamplands.
"I can't disagree with that." Liam stretched a little. His own rear end was sore.
"I am telling you, we cannot go to the Far Lands!" Soren scolded loudly to Ivor. All attention was aimed right at the two as Soren continued. "They're not just the edge of our world, but they're also the limits of our comprehension."
"Oh, please. The Far Lands are a happy accident. Nature's way of keeping life interesting." Ivor shot back.
"The Far Lands? I've gone halfway through the north wall before I knew where I was. I thought I was hallucinating, and Jack, being the older brother to me he is, forbade me to go there. Said he was there himself once, didn't go well." Liam shook his head, chuckling a little at the memory. Some memories may sound dangerous and very bad, but they're always hilarious to look back on.
"No, no, no!" Soren shook his head one way with each one of his protests. "That place is perilous and unpredictable; we are not going."
"Soren, have you been there yourself?" Liam asks, raising an eyebrow at him.
"No. I've only read about it." Soren answered hesitantly.
"Then you don't know the marvels of the place. You gotta see it. Unpredictable, yeah, but it's not perilous as you think it may be."
"I think I've heard of the Far Lands before." Jessie sounded amazed, definitely ready to see the place.
"I'd be surprised if you haven't." Ivor chuckles, and Soren sighed. I have to explain it to everyone, huh? was the only thought running through his head.
"The Far Lands lie at the very edge of the world, where logic gives away to chaos. They're a dangerous place to visit, and a ridiculous place to construct a laboratory." Soren insisted.
"Just wait until you see it." Ivor smirked at Soren.
"I think having a place in the Far Lands is pretty cool. Secretive." Liam put his opinion out there. Hey, everyone was doing it, why not him?
"Thank you! See, Liam knows what I'm talking about!" Ivor actually laughed. He looked like a kid who was trying to prove his parents wrong, the way he had his hand out towards Liam. Liam gave Ivor a smile.
"Do those two never stop arguing?" Olivia asks, directing her question to the only other Order member present. She must've forgotten he had amnesia for a second, because he replied with,
"I don't know. I'm too hungry to care."
"I'm starving too. Maybe we should turn back?" Olivia asks, already knowing Jessie was going to say 'No.' Ivor beat her to it.
"Not right now. Swamps are too dangerous." Ivor shook his head.
"We can take a break." Liam suggested, looking to Jessie. What? She makes the calls right now. Suddenly, a loud sound came, like the sound of a squid dying.
"What was that?" Gabriel asks, alarmed.
"My stomach." Soren told them all. Liam couldn't help but to chuckle. Jessie only sighed.
"Guys, we can't turn back now. Not after coming so far." she shook her head. "Liam's got the idea I was thinking. Let's take a break." She agreed. Liam dismounted his horse a little ways from the others and suddenly was met with an enchanted diamond sword to his throat.
"Stay quiet or I'll slit your throat right here." a familiar voice spoke in his ear. All Liam could do was widen his eyes.