You hear that?
It roused me a little. I was nowhere near awake, but I had risen above dreaming. That was preferable. I had been dreaming of the worst pits of warfare, though I was no longer sure which one. It might not even have been a real war. Mud and gunsmoke clothing me. Boiling blood and hurrahs carrying me. Thud of arrow. Squelch of boot. Snap of bone. Metal screams at metal. Like a leaf, I am buffeted and surrounded by sound.
As I said, it may not have been a real one, but it felt like a war. It felt right.
They are talking about leadership. It shall be a vote. You must awaken, quickly. It is our chance.
Our pact came back to me. I had agreed to pursue power with this Book, in return for access to its magic. And with them I had been powerful and bested the Ender. It was time to start fulfilling my end of the bargain.
Well?
I forgot that it couldn't hear the roar of the river of my consciousness. Defending that had become so natural since Herobrine. In my rare moments of lucidity I had experienced sudden surges of panic about whether my defences would hold and I would end up a pawn like Fristad. Evidently, my earlier confidence was well-founded.
"Sorry," I thought in response, inflecting it with the resonance of a half-chuckle. It was artificial, but it conveyed my meaning. "I forgot how good I am at this."
You're cocky.
"You'll learn to love it, really."
…Leadership election. I can wake you up early and keep you up. Time is of the essence.
"One moment, I'm constructing a plan of attack."
I was actually telling the truth. Fire was my obvious rival and I set about drawing up a list of likely allies. Astro was a given. Thanks to Glibby blowing up that portal, Astro had spent a full decade more time bonding with me than I had with him. Of course he'd back me. Tyron and Kir would perhaps too after our wee heart-to-hearts. Warnado would naturally want to support me. We'd been inseparable since arriving in Nexus...
Steve and Jen would probably back Fire because he'd always been nice to them, whereas I started out by punching Steve in the head. That wasn't a totally lost cause, though. Steve and I had shot the breeze a lot in the village. Destiny probably wasn't too impressed by my emotional display back in the village. Shadow was Fire's sister. Fristad was an unknown, so was Amanda, and then there were the four people who had accompanied Fire and anyone else who might have arrived in the meantime.
I took a moment to reconstruct my "leadership accent" and I had reached campaigning mode.
"Ready, wake me up."
My eyes shot open and I immediately started looking around. I lay in an infirmary bed, in a night-gown. Everything was well-lit by redstone lamps and annoyingly clean. Astro had a hand on the doorframe and a foot in the hallway and an enderman had just teleported away. I could see the particles in the air. I realised my heart was pounding. Every inch of me was tingling. I almost felt like I was waiting for the world to catch up with me. I immediately started throwing aside my covers and scrambling to my feet.
"Why am I so hyper?" I asked the Book.
Adrenaline boost. Trust me, you won't like it if I stop it. If you had've listened to me and not fought the Entity it wouldn't be necessary.
I felt my heart quicken yet further when I remembered the moment where the Entity's second manifestation had grabbed my wrist and hurled me into a sword. I felt my lungs tighten and my view of the present was suddenly supplanted by my inner view of memories. Now was not the time for a panic attack.
"Fine, you're right," I permitted for efficiency's sake, powering on through. "Rift to hallway, now."
I raised a clenched fist and a gash of grey flame tore itself open before me. I practically leapt through.
I arrived in the hallway just before Astro. His prematurely old eyes widened.
"Hey Astro!" I shouted jovially, throwing my arms wide before hugging him. "I hear it's election season, can I count on your vote?"
You certainly are… direct? I consoled the Book not to worry. This and sneaking were my elements.
He immediately broke down laughing, "Mods, you always did strike while the iron is hot!"
"Can I take that as a yes?"
Astro rolled his eyes. "Sure," he allowed, looking around a little.
"Knew I could count on you, buddy!" I clapped him hard on the back and he laughed again in surprise. "Now, where's Warnado at?"
"In the training room, just around the corner-"
I grabbed him by the arm and willed the Book to open another rift. Another doorway was visible just on our right and I marched right toward it.
"So," I craned my head around. "What have I missed. How are things around the… what are we calling it? Does it have a name?"
"Just the shelter."
"Shelter. Catchy. I like it," I grinned as Astro shook his head and exhaled happily through his nostrils, "But yeah, anything I should know-"
Just as I passed into view of the doorframe I saw a glint of energy in the shape of a knife hurtling at me at several-dozen miles per hour.
"OH THAT'S SUCH BULL!" shrieked Warnado.
"Defensive portal!" I shrieked aloud in my native brogue, assuming a one-legged pose of panic. War only prepares you for so much, and I was expecting a totally friendly environment. Don't mock me. I spared a glance at Astro, who was covering his mouth with a weathered hand adorned with magical rings. He had the aspect of a man with front row seats to a great and impressive cultural moment that he would mock for the next decade. If possible, he might communicate it to his young self, so they might work two decades out of it.
The Book obliged, hastily opening a rift in front of and behind me. The energy knife flew through the circuit and planted itself in the wall just to my left.
"Thanks," I muttered internally to the Book. That's two I owe you."
Only two? I suppose an election is a day for saying what we wish were true rather than what is.
The jest, while probably ominous, amused me. It helped me as I stepped into the room, desperately trying to reconstruct my mystique.
"Warnado!" I boomed merrily, the accent reassumed. "How have you been?"
"Kay, you're awake!" he called enthusiastically before running up to me.
I ruffled the tip of his hood, feeling hard lumps between what I assumed was hair. A quick glance revealed Amanda, who was sorting knives into buckets by a bullseye on my left. She smiled sardonically and waved. I nodded with philosophy in response.
From out of my field of view came the voice of a woman: "And who might you be, man who almost got yourself skewered?"
"I'm glad you asked!" I turned to her with my eyes closed importantly. "As commandant of the 10th Legion of the Herobrinian Army, I, Kay Mandy, entreat you to vote for me in this upcoming leadership election!"
I opened my eyes and saw a rather dangerous-looking woman with black hair and brown eyes. I looked at her clothes and found she was darkly dressed and had a habit of hiding weapons on her. She also had a knife in her hand that she aimed at a bullseye. The very image of an assassin. Her mouth formed a half-smile that betrayed a faint but fleeting amusement.
"And why would I do that?"
"A myriad of reasons," I began to saunter over to her, projecting my voice to the room and looking around. Amanda had sat back and stopped sorting. Astro and Warnado were watching me from the doorway, one with a begrudging awe and the other with childish enthusiasm. I'll let you decide which was which.
"I am a General, philosopher, aviator, adventurer, mercenary and man of faith! Herobrine blessed me with the gift of prophecy and I foretold his return. I then fought alongside him. I won him Arcadia! I won him Zine and then protected it from both Notch himself and Israphel!" I raised an arm emphatically.
"I was there as he ascended and Israphel cracked open the heart of the world! I have seen the depths of the Void, the fires of the Nether ,the light of the Aether and many of the sights worth seeing in the Sane Realm of mortals! I have defied corrupt administrators, twisted game-masters and the Entity itself! And all this I did with sword and with fist! Now, having tamed that Book which sought to warp the minds of men-"
Tamed, am I?
"Hush," I calmed it. "We'll work on accommodating your dignity later. For now, results."
Reasoned well. Do carry on.
"-I have obtained powers beyond my own wildest imaginings," at that I asked the Book to summon voidflame which turned from silver to purple in one hand and sparks of stark blue lightning in the other. "I am Kay Mandy, of Void and of Tempest. First time using this power I bested the Ender. Had the Entity not intervened, she would be here now, captain of a mostly dead and dispersed guard that would crumble in her absence, telling us the Entity's full plan. To conclude: I am a fighter of great experience and power, a strategist of great wisdom, and as this speech has hopefully proved, an orator of great ability. I hope I can count on your votes."
I bowed.
Astro offered a polite applause. Amanda smiled. Warnado whooped and called out "Kay 2020", a phrase which meant nothing to me and of which I doubt even he truly understood the significance.
Rose's reaction consisted of a single raised eyebrow, she said: "And I am Rose, became a cult enforcer for the money, ritual-stabbed a guy, ended up here and have no idea what most of the names you just said mean."
I'll be honest, I expected her to be more impressed. I tried to hide my disappointment.
"Well, Rose, it is a pleasure to be formally introduced. I get where you're coming from. I was a mercenary for a long while, and in my time serving Herobrine I was something of a cultist myself. Don't you want someone to represent your interests in the leader's seat?"
It was hard to read but I could have sworn her mouth curled into something resembling a smile for a split-second. Whether that was a sincere smile or a sign of mocking amusement was a whole other question.
"We'll see," she warned, eyes wry and discerning.
"We shall see indeed. Anyway," I swung around to Astro, "Where's Tyron?"
"Probably the command room with Fire and-"
"Okay, where's everyone else?"
"The atrium," responded Astro, cock-eyed, "I guess."
"Yeah," Warnado agreed. "Fristad and Jennifer were heading out hunting so they'll pass back through there. And of course Lucy will be around there. Destiny, too. It's just at the end of the hall."
"That's excellent, do you mind helping out with canvassing, pal? D'you have time or are you training?"
"Sure," he said easily, then with more tension added, "I've kind of hit a snag in the training for today. I'd better take a break and look at it with fresher eyes."
"Then to the atrium we go!"
I grabbed them by the scruffs of their necks and the Book summoned another rift. A split-second later I was looking at a desk covered in papers with Lucy working away at it. I nodded politely to her. A look in the other direction revealed a small cluster of people containing Fristad, Jennifer and an enderman, presumably the one who had visited Astro in the infirmary, entering the shelter through a large piston door. Down a hallway to the side Steve and a dwarfish man left a room, chatting away about mining and such.
"Who are the Endling and the short fellow?" I muttered to Astro.
"That's Voidblade," he pointed toward the piston door-end of the atrium. "He doesn't talk much. The short guy is Urist. He's an actual, honest-to-Mods, dwarf. Not the word we use to make fun of Stoneholmers."
"Really?" I was genuinely surprised. Folks called Aaron a dwarf back home and he was taller than me. Just because he lived in Stoneholm a wee while. Dimension-hopping really put inconsistencies like that in relief.
And with that I recomposed myself, noticed that everyone was starting to notice that I was awake and prepared to speak.
"Listen up!" Warnado called, beating me to the punch. "General Mandy has something to say!"
Pleasantly surprised, I watched people stand to attention and cleared my throat. Destiny, book in hand, stepped out of the library. I became very conscious I was wearing the white nightgown of a mental patient, but I hoped it just added to the quirkiness of it all and worked in my favour.
"Well, guess I'm not dead," I chuckled and stepped back to look at reactions. Jennifer and Steve both smiled predictably. Fristad seemed wary, understandably. (I made sure not to let the Book hear the last word, though telegraphed the rest of it to show it my powers of observation). Endling: impassive. Urist: grinning. Lucy: kind eyes, beaming and nodding. I couldn't read Destiny - I'd obviously shattered the morose scowl she had been wearing, but I wasn't sure what the remaining emotion was. Disgust, confusion, distrust and cerebral contusion all seemed just as likely. Regardless, everyone seemed just as disarmed, and this was as perfect a stage to seize as any. "Sorry about the dressing gown - not my choice."
I cleared my throat, but just as I began my speech, Tyron came in. Scratching his head with one hand and holding Kir up like a looking glass, he approached the desk. This was perfect. I still needed a few seconds to construct a speech. I'd kind of hoped to have a few lower-key schmoozings before Warnado took charge.
"Lucy," he asked, "do you have any ballot paper? I-" He looked up and saw me in the centre of the room. "Oh, Kay, you're up! Great to see you."
"Tyron, my friend," I greeted in my most grandiose, booming voice, positively overcome with joy at the sight of the big, green furball. Naturally, I was happy to see him, but I was putting it on a bit. "How are you?"
I ran up and bear-hugged him to the best of my ability.
"I love this man!" I called out performatively. "He has been there for me in some low moments since I arrived in Nexus, an excellent confidant. He and little Kir!" I pecked the sword on its flat. "I wouldn't be here without them. And of course not without Warnado, who introduced me with such enthusiasm. Another great friend, with whom I launched the escape from the Tower. Who helped me tame the Book - his was the plan that stopped its dream-weaving. And I wouldn't be here without Steve and Jennifer, who, with help from Shadow, conducted essential research that figured out a way to nullify the Book's powers - research which now allows Fristad his freedom! Not without Destiny and…" I swallowed defensively, on the verge of an immense blunder.
Yes, condescended the Book. Do not talk about the escape or the grief that came of it. Probably shouldn't have claimed credit for the escape attempt.
"... without Destiny, who alerted us all to the threat Fristad posed in his possessed state and didn't allow herself to be gaslit or manipulated into silence. Without even the now-tamed Book, which teleported me away when the Entity bested me and enabled my capture of the Ender, and the massacre of her forces.
"Most of all, I wouldn't be alive without Astro, our wizened wizard. A friend of mine these last four-to-ten years who advised me through some deal of war and strife, funded my dreams and somehow put up with me through all of it. As loyal a companion as I could ever ask for!
"And not without so many of you here would we have escaped the village!
"Even those who weren't there with us through any of the things I have recounted, who only joined when Fire sent out the call for the construction of this kindly shelter, have been essential to mine and our survival. Urist, Voidblade, Lucy, you gave us a place to flee to.
"In fact, if I recall correctly, for I was mostly catching up on some much-required beauty sleep at the time, the shelter crew ensured that we actually successfully reached this place. Had we proceeded on foot, I certainly would not have lasted long enough to be healed fully. Shadow had done her best, but I was still losing life. I felt myself slipping away day by day, growing ever weaker in spirit even if my bodily decline had been stymied. For these things and many other services and sacrifices of which I am probably as yet unaware, I thank you. We will ensure your efforts are not in vain.
"Moreover, I thank everyone in this bunker for what they have given to fight the Entity and assure our mutual survival. We now face a choice, and I would be honoured to be the one who leads you. I have seen the threat we face, and I have not missed the toll it has taken upon you and so many others. Mitigating current suffering and preventing future difficulty will be at the heart of any army headed by me. I entreat your support."
And with that, I turned toward the command room, and took the lead in marching on, buffeted onwards by the winds of polite applause and satisfied hmmmms.