Book 1: The Mob Invasion
Chapter 1: Compass

Days Since the Mob Invasion: 741

Weightlessness.

Rinoa had traveled through a Nether portal dozens of times by now, but the feeling of stepping through one never grew old to her. The feeling that you might be falling, and yet also the feeling that you're floating perfectly still. Like you're there, but you aren't. The more she tried to think about it, the more her head hurt. Some things are just better left unknown she supposed. She never understood the link between the Netherworld and the Overworld, even when she was forced to take all those classes on the Nether when she was enrolled in the Capitol's university. One things for certain, though, she much preferred the Overworld. Eventually she started to feel the feelings return to her hands. Then in just a matter of a seconds her entire body could feel again. The blinding purple started to fade as Rinoa's vision returned.

A field. The nether portal had opened up in the middle of a grassy prairie. She stepped out of the portal and looked around. Miles and miles of flat, open field. This would be the perfect place to build a farm, she thought. She could see mountains in the distance, and right before that there was a forest, but it would be quite the walk before she'd reach them.

Hearing the whirring of the Nether portal behind her, she took a few steps forward to allow room for her traveling companion to also come through. After a few seconds, she saw Hunter emerge from the portal, a little disorientated, but still fine. He brushed himself off and took a long look around.

"Looks like we're a ways away," Hunter said, surveying the area with his skilled eyes. Hunter had the best eyesight of anyone that he knew, and he wasn't vain for thinking so. This eyesight made him a great surveyor, tracker, and humorously enough with his name, an excellent hunter as well.

"We have to be on the other side of Minecraftia," Rinoa spoke up. "Those mountains over there are probably the Red Mountains. This is good. That means we shouldn't run into many mobs." Rinoa smiled. She couldn't remember the last time she could look onto a horizon and not see any zombies or skeletons or, even worse, creepers ruining the view. Most of the mobs had congregated to the southern part of Minecraftia by now. If they truly are in the north like she suspected, then with a little bit of luck they shouldn't run into many mobs while they scavenged for resources. She took a few steps forward. "C'mon. We still have some sunlight left. If we're lucky, we can find an abandoned farmhouse. Maybe we could poke in and see if we can find something useful. Camp out for the night."

Rinoa took a few more steps forward before stopping. Hunter's footsteps weren't following her. She turned around to see what the problem was.

"Drop your bag on the ground, Rin." Hunter had his bow and arrow out, and he was aiming it right at her. Rinoa looked at him confused. "Don't make me ask again. All I need is the compass. You can keep any food and materials you have, but I can't let you keep the compass." Rinoa just stared at him for a few more seconds, dumbfounded. Then it finally sank in. She laughed softly.

"Ahaha... Hunter, is this what I think it is?" She asked, puzzled. Hunter didn't respond. "I take it this isn't a scavenger run like you told me it would be? Well, that certainly explains why you've been so quiet these past few days. So, let me guess... Lana couldn't keep her mouth shut?" She laughed again.

"For all that is holy, Rin, you killed William! What did you expect was going to happen?" Hunter didn't back down. He kept his arrow aimed right at Rinoa. All it would take is for him to let it fly and Rinoa would get an arrow right in the middle of her chest. He prayed to a god he didn't even believe in that it wouldn't come to that. Rinoa's once friendly demeanor slowly faded. Her eyes became dark and her face stern. She took a step closer.

"So, it seems that blood doesn't matter anymore, huh? Lana sold me out to Frederick? My big sister sold me out? Me?! After everything I've done for her? For Sofie?! And Frederick ordered you to kill me?" Rinoa took another step closer to Hunter but stopped when she saw his fingers on the bowstring start to flinch. Hunter may be a drunk, but that never interfered with his marksmanship. If anything, she found that the drunker he was, the more accurate his bow.

"You're right." Hunter relented. He at least owed her the truth. "Frederick wanted me to kill you, but luckily for you I'm not, even though I should. William was our friend, Rin! Think about what Sofie-"

"He killed Sofie!" Rinoa interjected, yelling. "That bastard snapped her neck and fed her to the zombies, Hunter! I know you think I'm crazy, so did Lana. But I'm telling you, he killed Sofie. He killed my sister!"

"And William was Frederick's nephew!" Hunter could feel his anger starting to rise. "Lana told me you thought William killed Sofie. Think for a second, Rin, that doesn't make any sense. William had no reason to do that! You just couldn't accept the fact that you lost something like everybody else has, so you had to hurt somebody else just to make yourself feel better!" Hunter didn't believe Rin's accusation against William. William and Sofie were romantically involved, for William to just kill her one night for no reason? No, the mob got Sofie, and that's all there is to it. Looking at Rin, though, he could tell that she really did believe that William was to blame for her sister's death. He frowned.

For three days he had to pretend that things between him and Rinoa were fine as they ventured through the Nether. For three days he went over and over what he would say to her when they got to the point. He could feel himself starting to lose his cool.

"Look, Rinoa, I know how hard it was for you to lose Sofie... but killing William for it? It was an accident! William didn't kill Sofie, the mobs did, you know that. And I'm sorry, but we can't allow you back into Hunter's Watch. Not after what you did. Now, I'm begging you, please... don't make me kill you. Drop your compass on the ground, and step back. Now." Hunter ordered.

Rinoa looked at Hunter, her face was harder to read than any book written in the olden language. No signs of fear or nervousness, even with an arrow aimed directly at her. A calm rage was the only expression she allowed to show. A deep, burning anger inside of her couldn't help but bubble to the surface. He had seen it many times in the past few days, and he was beginning to wonder if he really was going to have to let his arrow fly. After a few seconds that felt like hours, he finally saw Rinoa close her eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"Sofie's neck was snapped, Hunter. What kind of mob does that?" Rinoa impatiently explained, trying to reason with Hunter. "And don't tell me that William wasn't a snake, because he was. And you know it. You saw how he acted after she died. Don't tell me he wasn't suspicious. Sofie knew something that she wasn't supposed to, so he killed her for it, I promise you that. I don't regret what I did, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. But very well. You win, but if you think for a second that banishing me and leaving me to die out here makes you any less of a murderer than killing me yourself, then you're wrong. It just makes you a coward." Rinoa glared into Hunter's eyes again before taking off her backpack off and throwing it to the ground. Keeping her eyes on Hunter, she backed up about five steps. "There you go, vulture. Take what you need." She crossed her arms and spat on the ground.

Cautiously, Hunter slowly put away his bow and arrow and brought out his sword. Even through the insults, Hunter was relieved that Rinoa was complying. He didn't want to kill her. He liked her, hell he even used to think that he might like like her, but murdering one of your own friends in cold blood like that and then claiming that the person you killed was responsible for your sister's death even though you had no evidence? Rinoa had lost it. Not that he blamed her entirely. Hell, he's been close to losing it himself a few times within the past two years. It was painful to have to see her this way, but he knew what he was doing was for the best for her as well as Hunter's Watch. He knelt down and picked up the bag.

"You know, they say that a day's journey in the Nether is about eight day's journey in the Overworld," Hunter remarked while rummaging through the bag looking for the compass. "That means we're about a month out, Rin. Give or take a couple days. This could, you know, be your chance at a new start or something. Find a different group. Build a house for yourself. This could be good for you to do... whatever it is you need to do." Hunter felt like he was talking more to himself than Rin. Maybe he was just trying to make himself feel better. Solo survivors barely survive that long against the mobs, he knew that. And heaven help her if she encountered a group of griefers. Hunter decided it was best not to think about it lest he change his mind and continued searching through her bag.

Sticks of TNT... Gunpowder... Unlit redstone torches... An iron hatchet... Ah, there it was. The compass. Hunter pulled it out. He watched as the little line of redstone within immediately pointed in the direction of their home in Hunter's Watch. It was a fine piece of redstone engineering, and he didn't know how Lana did it. Simple, yet also incredibly delicate. He'd have to ask Lana how she did it when he got back. As nice as it was, he couldn't allow Rinoa to keep it and have her attempt to do who knows what with it. He looked back up to Rinoa only to see her staring daggers into him. He looked away. He couldn't help but feel guilty for doing this to her, but at least this way she had a chance. It was better than what Frederick would have him to do to her. As far as Hunter was concerned, Rinoa was just as much a victim as William or Sofie were. She had just... lost it. He tossed the bag back her way.

"Thanks," she remarked sarcastically as she picked her bag back up.

Though Hunter probably couldn't tell by looking at her, a dozen different scenarios were all playing simultaneously in her head. She had to think fast. Hunter had a compass and now he has hers. If he goes back through that portal with her compass, she'd be completely lost. It didn't matter if she knew which way was north or south, without knowing the precise location to walk in to get back to Hunter's View, she'd be completely and utterly lost. Minecraftia was a big place and their community was well-hidden within a forest. It'd be highly unlikely for her to just stumble across it again one day, even if she were looking for it. She had to get the compass back and fast. Hunter took a few steps backwards toward the Nether portal still humming behind him. He felt like he should say something, but what?

"I, uh, guess this is it, Rin. Stay safe out there. Just so you know, I really kind of hoped things might work out differently between you and I. You were always sort of... I always thought you... uh, well, you know... Goodbye, Rin..." Hunter awkwardly stumbled over his words, not at all leaving on as eloquent a note as he wanted to. He never was very polished in his speech. Ever watchful of Rinoa's next move, he started to turn his back away from her towards the Nether portal. Rinoa wasn't that good in hand-to-hand combat and everyone knew it, especially Rinoa. However she didn't exactly have anything to lose, and he did fear what her desperation would make her do. As he was almost about to cross into the Nether portal, though, he heard her speak up behind him.

"Wait," she asked. It didn't sound like a command, more like she was begging. Pleading. He turned around to see her, Rinoa, fallen to her knees and was just sitting there on the ground. Tears were streaming from her eyes. "Just, please, kill me. I can't do it anymore. Just kill me." Rinoa watched through her blurred vision as Hunter's caution melted away into sympathy. He was expecting a fight, but this? He wasn't expecting this, not from her. Hunter sheathed his sword and walked over to her.

"Oh, Rin, honey... Look, don't say that. You don't really want me to-"

THAK!

Hunter was cut off by a swinging hatchet making contact with his right shoulder. Time seemed to stand still for a split second.

Behind her back, he thought. She hid it behind her back when I turned away.

He saw as the blood squirted out of the wound in his shoulder, almost in slow motion. He saw the look of pure anger in Rinoa's eyes, dramatically different from the feigned look of hopelessness she was acting out just a few seconds earlier. I should have known, Hunter thought. As cautious as he was, she still managed to catch him off guard. She was a cornered animal at this point, there was nothing he could do to help her. And then, just like that, time seemed to start back up again.

Hunter took a step back and yelled in pain as the hatchet unlodged from his shoulder. Rinoa wasted no time in making a grab for the sack on Hunter's back that held the compasses. Just as soon as she felt her fingertips brush against it though, she was dealt a hard punch to the face by Hunter's good arm. She fell to the ground, the pain in the right side of her face already starting to swell in her cheeks and bruise, but that couldn't stop her, not anymore. She grabbed Hunter's leg and yanked it as hard as she could. Hunter quickly lost his balance as he fell on his back with a loud thud. His shoulder was starting to bleed fairly heavily, but the adrenaline was flowing freely into his bloodstream at this point keeping him going. This wasn't sparring with wooden swords like back at camp, Rinoa was sincerely trying to murder him.

With both combatants now on the ground, Rinoa quickly climbed on top of her former friend and raised her hatchet above her head, ready to deal the killing blow. Hunter saw this and quickly grabbed her arm and jerked it to the side as they both fell over sideways. They were now fighting over who could get hold of the hatchet. As they struggled and rolled on the ground, the contents of Rinoa's inventory were falling out and becoming strewn all across the ground and so was Hunter's. Despite his injury, Hunter gained the upper hand as he pinned Rinoa to the ground. Not wanting to give her another chance to take his life, he delivered a series of serious punches to her head and mouth, busting her lip and upper brow open until she finally relented and let go of the hatchet. Hunter quickly grabbed it and stood up over his defeated opponent, gasping for breath and now covered in blood. Rinoa held her face as the tears involuntarily welled up in her eyes from the pain.

Shaking with adrenaline, Hunter screamed out.

"Damn you, Rin! I hope the mob tears your apart for what you've done!" Hunter was able to furiously yell out in between gasps. Rinoa was no fighter, but if that hatchet swing had been just a few more inches up the blow would have been a very lethal neck injury that would have likely killed him by now. Tossing the hatchet far away from either one of them, he pulled out his sword, pointing it at her. "I should kill you!" he threatened. At this point, Hunter even thought that he'd be able to. The anger and the adrenaline was fueling him by this point. She already killed William. Now she's going to kill him? After he went out of his way to try and spare her? He was angry enough to run her through right there.

Rinoa, holding her lip, didn't say anything. She laid there looking at the contents of her inventory strewn across the ground from the fight. A stick of TNT... an old book... a small water jug... some redstone torches...

Wait... redstone torches?

Rinoa peered over at them, blinking through the blood as it trickled into her eyes. She had forgotten that Lana had given her some a few weeks ago. She always kept them in her inventory, though, just in case she'd ever need them... Well, well, well... Rinoa thought as she formulated a plan. It looked like her sister's gift was going to help her out after all. She slowly started crawling towards the torches as Hunter yelled at her.

What is he saying? Rinoa asked herself. It didn't matter. Not anymore at least. Why, she was so excited about her plan that she began to laugh. She laughed and she laughed and she laughed. Hunter watched on, still angry but now slightly confused as Rinoa made her way to some redstone torches that had fallen on the ground, laughing maniacally along the way. Hunter sighed and shook his head.

"You know what? There's no point in killing you. You're already broken. Good riddance, Rin." Sword in hand, Hunter turned and walked away from Rinoa and towards the Nether portal, eager to end this chapter of his life. Before he could make it quite towards the entrance though, he thought he heard something hiss. He turned around to see Rinoa standing up, a twisted smile on her face.

"Catch," Rinoa whispered softly as she threw something in front of Hunter. He watched as it plopped on the ground as the hissing continued. His eyes quickly widened with horror when he realized.

"OH SHIT!"

BOOM!

Hunter's body rolled several feet as the TNT explosion propelled him backwards before finally hitting a small boulder that stopped him in his tracks. His ears were ringing and his chest felt like it had been hit a dozen times with a hammer. He gasped for air that simply wasn't coming. Blood began running down from his forehead and into his left eye causing him to squint, but he still managed to look over beside him. Rinoa had been knocked back by the blast too, but she seemed to be fairing far better than him. No visible wounds from the blast, and she was already struggling to her feet.

"Dammit..." Hunter muttered to himself. He fought against every fiber of muscle in his body as he tried to get himself up and to his knees. His breath came back to him, and he was shakily able to bring himself to his feet. Alright, change of plans: He needed to put as much distance between him and Rinoa as humanly possible.

He saw from the corner of his eye as Rinoa rose to her feet and dusted off her leather cuirass. She then turned and started walking. The hatchet. She was going for the hatchet. She was intending to finish the job. She wasn't the strongest, but Hunter was badly wounded now. All it would take is one good swing to end it. To end him. Rinoa crouched down and picked up her hatchet, noticing her reflection behind the blood specks on the polished iron. Looking into her reflection, she felt... wrong.

It wasn't supposed to be this way, she thought. But it didn't matter anymore. It was almost over.

Hunter limped slowly to the Nether portal. He had to get away, he couldn't win this fight right now. He had to make it to the Nether and break the portal so that she couldn't follow him. It was the only way.

But Rinoa had different ideas.

Any form of composure or restraint that she had was melting away. Ever since Sofie died, she had to maintain this face of tranquility. She had to be strong for herself and Lana. She had to act as if everything was fine, even after she killed William. She had to maintain the charade for several days so that nobody would expect what she did. But now? She was tired of hiding behind a mask. She can let it all out now. Clutching the hatchet as hard as she could, she started walking toward the limping Hunter. She can let it all out.

Hunter was almost at the Nether portal now. Gripping his sword, he looked over his shoulder to see Rinoa quickly approaching him. He began limping faster. Leaning up against the Nether portal, he could see that he wouldn't make it through in time. Rinoa was right behind him and he could hear her footsteps quickening, like an ocelot about to pounce her prey.

Let's hope this works, he thought.

Taking his sword, he spun around lobbed it as hard as he could at Rinoa. Nothing left to lose, right? His rival screamed as the sword hit its mark, the blade hitting her square in her chest and knocking her on the ground. Hunter couldn't believe that it actually worked! Hands still shaking, he pulled out his diamond pickaxe from his inventory in his backpack and began to cross through the portal. As he was about halfway through, he took one last look at Rinoa. She was curled up in a ball, holding her chest and screaming.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, regretful for how things transpired. Raising his pickaxe above his head, he smashed the obsidian block on the side of the portal. Once. Twice. Three times until, finally, it shattered and the portal began to close. The last thing he saw was Rinoa laying there on the ground, motionless. And, just like that, Hunter was gone and an entire dimension separated him and his friend turned rival.

Rinoa laid there for several minutes with her eyes closed as she held her chest and concentrated on the pain. The leather armor had prevented the blade from cutting too deep into her, however it did very little to cushion the blow of the sword as it hit her directly in her ribs. She definitely broke one, or at the very least bruised a few. After a few more minutes, she slowly started to rise to her feet, carefully to avoid anymore pain than necessary. Holding her ribs, she looked up and saw the Nether portal broken. A sizable chunk had been taken out in the side by Hunter's pickaxe. Hunter was gone. She was alone.

She let out a curse under her breath, defeated. If her ribs weren't in so much pain, she'd probably scream. She looked up at the sky and saw it was slowly but surely starting to darken. The sun was setting and she was out here by herself. She cursed again. Her ribs were killing her, and it hurt just to stand. Looking around for her backpack, she finally spotted it near the portal. Reaching into her backpack's inventory, she pulled out a potion of regeneration. She always had a potion of regeneration and several potions of healing on her at all time, just in case. After all, she never knew when one of her friends was going to betray her and leave her for dead stranded in the middle of nowhere. Better safe than sorry.

Popping the cork off the flask, she gulped the magical concoction down in two swigs. She let out a sigh of relief as she felt the potion already starting to do its work. Within an hour's time her ribs should be completely healed. She raised her eyes to the heavens and raised the flask in a toast.

"Thanks, Sis. I owe you one." Even after she died, Sofie was still saving her big sister's life with her brews. "I'm going to make them pay for what they did to you, Sofie. I swear." Rinoa's voice trembled. Although she had just been in a fight for her life, whenever she though of her sister she instantly felt better. Peaceful. Like Sofie herself was right next to her, letting her know she was going to be okay.

Still, she couldn't stand there all day. She inspected the Nether portal from where she was standing. Tossing the empty flask back into her inventory, she took note of the chunk in the side.

"Shit," she mumbled to herself. She was no mason, she couldn't repair stone, much less pure obsidian. Even George had problems building the Nether portal they used back at Hunter's Watch, and he was a master of his craft with years experience at the Capitol University under his belt from before the invasion. Still... maybe it looks worse than what it is? She walked toward the portal to see the damages up close. Walking was still putting a strain on her ribs, but it was noticeably less painful. Unfortunately, that was the only potion of regeneration that she had, so she'd just have to make due with the few potions of healing that she had left. Unless she were to run across another alchemist who could-

Clink!

Something metallic dinged under her boot as she took her last step.

"Eh?" she let out, confused. Lifting her boot, she could see something shiny sticking in the ground, a little buried under the dirt. Her eyes wideneds. "Is that..." Rinoa couldn't even finish. Wincing, she bent down to pick up the rounded object. Holding it up, she cleaned off some of the dirt. "There's no way," Rinoa exclaimed. "No fucking way..." It must have fallen out in the fight. Her disbelief boiled into anger as she clenched it tightly in her hand. So tight she thought it was going to cut through the leather in her gloves. She held the key to her revenge. The key to justice for Sofie. And she damn well intended to use it.

Hunter's compass.

Next Chapter: Out of the Frying Pan...