Author's Notes
This is the twenty-fourth chapter in the series. That means I have written two dozen chapters! Don't know about you, but I'm kinda proud of that...
Anywho, I could start writing about myself on here or I could get on with the story...
On with the story!
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Sarah's POV
The rain had only lasted for a couple hours, but by then everybody had gotten restless. Except for Thomas, but he was asleep, so... Simon ventured out first, walking with ease over the mud and gunk. Iza gingerly followed suit, careful not to slip and fall. Eba warped , and everyone else just filed out. I stayed back with Thomas, not wanting him to wake up alone in the house.
He was twitching a little in his sleep, and I didn't know if it was because of a bad dream or a good dream. Maybe it's about me. About us. The thought made my cheeks run hot. What a time to fantasize, huh? I sat there for almost another hour before he woke up. Just bolted upright, a horrified look in his eyes.
"Tom? Hey, hey, calm down. It's alright." He looked around frenetically before his gaze landed on my and my hand on his shoulder. He stared at me with wide frightened eyes and breathing heavily. Then, after a few minutes, he closed his eyes and breathed in. I waited for him to calm down before speaking.
"It's okay Tom. It was just a dream." He opened his eyes back up. "I know. I don't even remember what it was about. Just the feeling of dread when I woke up." I nodded and inched closer to him. "You alright now?" He hesitated for a moment. "I... think so. Where is everyone?"
I smiled. Of course that was his first question. "They got restless and pretty much ran out the second it stopped raining. Maybe an hour ago." He nodded and sat closer still, close enough for our skin to touch. "Right. Do you... want to go outside with them?" I thought about it for a second. "Do you?"
He shook his head. "I don't feel well enough." I smiled. "Then I'll stay. Thanks for your honesty, Tom." He nodded, a faint smile blossoming on his face. We sat there, our arms touching, for a few hours just chatting. Simon walked in distractedly and almost hurt himself on a bedpost.
Thomas smiled and I giggled. He turned, apparently just noticing us. "Oh. Hey, guys. There was something I needed to discuss with you, Thomas, but I can't exactly remember what..." We waited for him to continue, but he just stood there with his hand on his chin.
"Ah! I remember now! The rest of the gang wanted to know if we were going to have individual rooms." Thomas blinked. "What?" Simon smirked. "You really are out of it, huh? The top floor is finished. There is enough room for... rooms. So, everyone was wondering if we would each get our own room."
He thought about it for a second. "Sure. If we have enough room. There is... 8? Of us?" Simon counted off in his head. "9. But it couldn't hurt to have ten rooms. We could fit five upstairs and five down here, unless you want a third floor?" He spoke the last few words hopefully, as if implying that he wanted a third floor.
Thomas smiled. "We can get an extra floor if you want, Simon. We could use this bottom floor as a common area." Simon nodded and ran back out. Because of the empty doorway carved into the wall, we could hear everyone's excitement over individual rooms.
We laughed at this. It felt so natural now, to laugh along with Thomas. I rested my head against his shoulder, a blush spawning on my face. He tensed only a little, and immediately relaxed afterwards. He turned to face me and placed a hand on my shoulders. My blush deepened, and I saw his own tainting his cheeks.
We smiled at each other, enjoying our proximity. I could feel his strong, lean muscles under his shirt. The sound of his breathing soothed me. He turned his head away to look out the window. I took this opportunity to get closer still, almost sitting on his lap. My face was probably as red as a ripe tomato.
My boldness caught him off guard, and he turned to face me in surprise. He shifted his hand from my shoulder down to my waist and held me. My head now rested on his strong chest, and I could hear his heartbeat. I smiled. His heart was racing, beating faster than it should've been.
I turned my face up to look at him. We were so close now, and if I craned my neck just a little, our lips would brush. The thought made me feel even more flustered. Thomas noticed and smiled. I looked away in embarrassment. Why could I never keep a straight face with him? A few weeks ago I would have killed Thomas without a second thought, but now... the thought of any harm coming to him frightened me.
"Hey. Don't look away, Sarah. I want to see those beautiful eyes of yours." He placed his other hand on my chin and gently turned my head. Only for him would I let this happen. In my clan, such willingness is... not allowed. It shames not only you, but your family. But this is Thomas.
I stared deep into his loving hazel eyes, and he stared into mine. I saw that odd glint of gold at the edges of his irises, something so small that it could be easily missed. He pulled me closer, and I closed my eyes. I felt his soft lips on my own, gently pressing against me.
Out of curiosity, I opened my mouth a little, just a crack. It seemed to have surprised him, and he started to pull away. I swiftly threw my arms around his neck and brought him back. My own neediness surprised me. I never thought I would act like this. After a few precious moments we pulled apart, gasping for breath.
We were both blushing furiously. He looked just as surprised as I felt. "Did... did I do that?" I smiled at him. "I think you did, Tom." He turned away, a sheepish grin lighting up his features. The sight warmed my heart. "Sorry. I couldn't... couldn't resist." My smile widened. "Don't be sorry, Tom."
I turned away, embarrassed as well. "... I probably would have done the same." He turned back to me, eyebrows raised in surprise. We sat there, contemplating our actions. The heat from our kiss came back to me every time I turned to face him. I was glad when Eba walked in.
She looked at us with curiosity and a little concern, and I edged away from Thomas. "Hey, Eba. How are you doing?" She blushed lightly and smiled a little. "I'm good. Th-Thanks for asking. Uh... Thomas? Are we... going to start? With the rooms?" She looked so cute trying to hide her excitement.
Thomas smiled. "Sure. Uh, right away. Where's Simon? And Jack?" Simon poked his head in from the doorway. "Jack's away helping Lila hunt. Adrian and I were talking, and he offered to help chop down more trees. Valory's helping him drag them around." Thomas nodded and stood up. He turned to me and blushed just a little.
"Are you... what are you going to do?" I turned away. I still felt a little flustered. "I don't know. Cool off, maybe. In the woods." I felt him nod and then the three of them walked up the stairs. I got up and gathered my things. I reluctantly stored my bow away under my pillow, and always kept my gear under my bed.
I put on my helmet and thigh-pack and walked out of the house. Adrian and Valory were indeed cutting trees. I wandered in the opposite direction. Every now and then, my thoughts wandered back to Thomas, and the kiss we had shared. I really need to cool off...
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Jack's POV
"So, uhh... how are things?" Lila and i were in the woods hunting for animals. Our little stock of meat had begun dwindling as of late, which was weird since the only people who accessed it were Sarah and Valory. So, Lila offered herself to go hunting and i offered to go with her.
Whenever Thomas I busy with something (*ahem, Sarah, *ahem*) Simon effectively became the 'leader'. Everyone listens to those two for some reason. Lila and I had been wandering in silence for the whole trip, and I decided to break the ice.
Numerous times.
"Fine, I guess." As curt as ever. Her beautiful dark-blue hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, and she had three knifes at the ready in each hand. "Why do you have that red stripe on your hair?" "Because I like the way it looks." I sighed. I don't know why she's being so difficult. She talks to Adrian all the time.
We eventually found a small herd of cattle, five to be exact. Lila as about to throw her knives, but I stopped her. "Nuh, uh. No poison, please. If you kill them with a tipped knife, then whoever eats the meat will get sick." She opened her mouth to argue but promptly closed it after some hesitatation.
"Fine. I can trap them with some webbing if you can lead them here." I nodded and went around the cows, as quiet as possible to not scare them. Once I was on the other side, I stood up straight to look for Lila. She had managed to make a massive spiderweb on the other side of the clearing.
She gave me a thumbs up and hid behind a tree. I nodded to myself and drew my bow. I nocked two arrows into their respective notches. A friend of mine had made me the bow, and it has worked wonderfully for years. I wonder how he is now. I pulled back on the bow and held my breath.
I released it and the string at the same time. The arrows flew and hit two cows on their heads. The other three were spooked by the sudden attack and ran in the direction of Lila's trap. I stood up and chased them, preparing my bow to fire again. The first cow that reached the web barreled into it, getting caught in the string.
The other two began to turn back, but I shot them before they could escape. The one in the net kept struggling, and it made me feel bad for it. "Uh... what if we let it go? The poor thing really wants to live." Lila stared at me and considered my request. "Sure. Four cows is plenty, anyway."
She cut the bovine loose and it immediately dashed away and into the forest. We walked back one in silence, Lila carrying the leather while I carried the meat. "That was nice of you. To let the cow go." I smiled. "Thanks. That's the most you've spoken to me so far." She smiled a little, and it made me feel proud.
We arrived back home to find the third floor started. The guys can be very efficient when they want to. We dumped off the resources and walked inside. Lila immediately sat down in her bed next to Adrian, who was taking his armor off. Simon and Thomas were discussing the layout of all the rooms.
"... by three meters wide. Not exceptionally big, but large enough for our purposes." Thomas nodded. "So, everyone gets their bed plus a little night table. I don't think we have enough room for much else." Simon shook his head. "The house is too small for bigger rooms. If we expand it by, say, five meters, we could make the rooms larger."
I broke into the conversation. "I can help with that." Thomas turned to me. "Uh, sure. You and Eba will help me expand the house while Simon works on the rooms upstairs." I nodded. Simon was already off muttering to himself. "Simon? Where re you going?" He turned back to look at Thomas, eyebrows raised.
"To work on the rooms." Thomas smiled. "At night? I don't think so, dude." Simon stared it the window. It was night, had been dark for a few minutes, actually. "Huh. I didn't realize it was already dark." Thomas put a hand on his shoulder. "We Can work in the morning. Lights out, everybody!"
Sarah and Iza put out the few torches that lined the walls and everyone went to their respective beds. I followed suit, sitting and then laying down on my bed. Tomorrow was going to be a very busy day.
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Unknown POV
I wandered the hideously bright hallways of the glowstone fortress. From the outside, it resembled a wasp's nest, but inside, it looked more like a maze. But i didn't need a guide to find the throne room. I arrived at the door, two warriors dressed in white floor-length cloaks standing guard.
They were wielding large weapons that resembled crossbows without the arms and with a large barrel. I smirked at them as I got closer. "Afternoon, gentlemen. What can I do you for?" They drew their weapons. "You have no business being here, stranger. Leave immediately."
I laughed at his words. "No business, huh? Well, you should be pleased to know that i do have business. With your queen." They stiffened at my words. "Leave immediately." I summoned to black fireballs. "I think not." They shot their weapons, fire charges flying at me with incredible speed.
But I was faster. I threw my fireballs and had enough time to avoid getting blown up. The guards were desintegrated at once. I pushed the door open, revealing the queen at her throne. She was alone, which surprised me greatly. The ghast Queen was always surrounded by her royal guard. She was up to something.
"Good afternoon. Darkness, I presume?" I smiled. "News spread like wildfire, huh?" She stood up and walked a few steps towards me, her white gown trailing behind her. "Yes, especially when it's news that two of the nether realm's kings have been slain." I bowed. "They were worthy opponents, I assure you."
Her eyes were ablaze with anger. "Darkness, I hereby declare you the nether realm's most wanted criminal, and are under arrest." I smiled. "I am flattered, your highness. But I'm afraid that your laws no longer apply to me." She drew her weapons, realizing my intentions.
I dashed towards her, sword in hand. She fired, the charges screaming past me. I dodged them with ease, slicing them both in half as I did. I was upon her before she could fire again, and drove my sword into her chest, right through the heart. A choked gasp escaped her, and I felt her life slowly ebbing away.
I pulled my sword out and watched wer crumple to the ground. Smiling, I crushed the tough netherbrick throne with by fists. There is one last target I need to slay before summoning my army with the soul sand of this realm. But first...
I looked up to find the pillars supporting the fortress. I brought out my weapon and shattered it. The entire thing trembled. Then, something snapped, and the whole thing came crashing down. I swiftly jumped from the rubble and landed safely on the netherrack as the fortress hit the gravel floor.
The glowstone and gravel sunk into the lava, quickly melting and disappearing from view. I smirked. Nothing makes me happy like destroying an ancient structure. I continued wandering the realm, searching for the nether fortress. Home of the Blaze king, and key to the largest supply of soul sand imaginable.
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Author's Notes
Yay! I finished another chapter!
For some reason, whenever I finish typing a chapter, I'm left exhausted. Even though I didn't really do anything.
Anywho, thank you all for your time and support, and have a great day!
~ LeMafiaKreb
P.S, I never ask for this, but please, remember to follow and review! It makes me feel giddy and pushes me to continue writing.