Part Five: Allies, Enemies

Chapter 29: History and Mystery

"Hey there. What's a pretty gal like you doing, walking by yourself?"

Tara desperately wanted to push him into the lava.

It had been two days since the Usurpation forces left Tenebyss, escaping into the Nether and making for Incursia. Benedict was with them, as were a few of his associates, but the Ender Forge hadn't abandoned its presence in the mines. Quite a few members remained in hiding to hinder TOEC's excavation efforts at every turn. The grunts accompanying Red and Lime Squads would further negotiate their alliance with the Commandants, but until then the partnership wasn't the most stable one. For what it was worth, Usurpers and Enders alike largely kept to themselves during the trip.

That was, except for a bold Ender Forge member who'd decided crossing a netherrack bridge over a lava sea was just the best time to chat her up. She settled for shooting him a glare instead of testing whether anyone would believe he slipped and fell. "I'm not by myself. Lime Squad is right in front of us."

Ray and Esme were quietly talking to one another, but they both gave her and the grunt sideways glances at the address.

"Your two friends? But they're leaving you out of the conversation."

"I have nothing to add."

The grunt lifted his mask and shook his very long, very blond hair free of the hood. Between the hair, and his stupidly cheerful smile, he seemed too upbeat for the Nether- and he was definitely too upbeat for her. "So icy! Your chilly presence almost makes the sweltering heat of this place tolerable!"

"I was tolerating it just fine before you started talking. Is this some bad joke?"

He didn't back off, but he did drop his excessive theatrics. The grunt offered a half-apologetic smile to her. "Kind of, yeah. Sorry, I just wanted to break the ice a little."

Another cold pun. He had no idea.

"You know, since we'll be working together, I figured I should introduce myself to some of you. Your boss seems a little too high up for me to speak with…"

"You're the first Inlander to approach us this way," remarked Ray. "The others all see us as enemies, or monsters."

Their new acquaintance smirked. "To be fair, you are invading. But I hear it's to give the Far Landers better lives, yes? And if that entails flattening every Overworlder who gets in your way, I'm all in. My name's Shade, by the way- I'm a Forge Enchanter. If you need to enhance your weapons or armor with magic, I'm your guy."

"Charming," Tara muttered.

"Exactly! See, I knew you had a sense of humor."

They stepped off the bridge and back onto solid ground. There went her opportunity to shut him up. Further ahead was a soul sand valley, and no doubt more skeleton archers. At least Commandant Red was still willing to deal with them himself.

"The rest of your peers seem very… serious," Esme said. "What keeps you so upbeat?"

"Times are hard, and there's a lot at stake. But that's no reason not to smile, right? You've gotta keep up your spirits." Shade's conduct was exactly the kind of thing Tara had wanted to avoid with her stony façade. No professionalism whatsoever.

"What's your investment in this?" Ray asked.

"The Forge took me in as a kid, back when I was just a street silverfish in Sunset Ridge. They've given me a chance to make something of myself, serving the Mouth of the Banished King."

Tara frowned. "The what of who, now?"

Shade tapped a finger against his forehead. "The Mouth is our leader. I've never actually met the guy, but he was the first of us to receive a vision from the Banished King. It's said he was told in his dreams, he was destined for the conquest of the Overworld."

"And what's he told you? Does this 'Banished King' of yours know we're on a mission of our own?" Tara asked.

There was a pause. Shade looked a little disheartened. "I… haven't actually gotten my vision yet. It's a rare gift, but I'm sure I'll hear his voice once the time is right. As for you… well, the Mouth tried to fulfill his destiny 36 years ago, and failed. But maybe his vision meant something different. Maybe you're the ones who will overthrow this land, and our duty is to help you."

"I'm sure the Mouth will have to meet with our Commandants," said Esme. "Who is the Banished King? And why isn't he leading you directly?"

Shade perked up again, and Tara more begrudgingly paid attention to him. This time, it appeared he actually had something interesting to tell them.

"Well… this whole region used to be united. It was called the Lux Kingdom, and it was the biggest bastion of human civilization in the Overworld. So the story goes, a little over 300 years ago the Banished King was next in line to rule, but he was denied his rightful spot on the throne. He rallied whoever was loyal and tried to take power the hard way."

Snorts could be heard around them. A few of the pig-men had gathered to watch their march, but none dared get close even though most of the group didn't have any golden armor. It appeared word of the Commandant's prowess had spread quickly.

"These things always creeped me out," Shade said, holding a golden sword close. "If they try anything funny when we stop to make camp again, I think I'm going to lose it."

"What happened next?"

Tara put a hand over her mouth; had she just said that aloud? Ray, Esme, and Shade all gave her astonished looks. The one time she showed even passing interest in his story, of course everyone's attention was on her.

"Well, well, looks like I've got a more invested audience than I thought. Like I was saying, the Banished King got his forces together and marched on his enemies. They ultimately failed to take back the throne, but in their efforts they managed to kill the treacherous royal family. The Kingdom wound up collapsing in the aftermath, with the five lesser noble houses going their separate ways."

Shade looked deep in thought.

"They each did their own thing for generations, but the Banished King's work wasn't done yet. It wouldn't be done until his spirit contacted the person who would become the Mouth. That man formed the Ender Forge and continued where the King left off- he set about trying to take down the noble families."

Something tugged at the back of Tara's mind. She didn't have to speculate for long, before he confirmed her suspicion.

"The Mouth and the original Ender Forge almost succeeded. There's only one family left… Lumis. And with your help, I think we'll be able to scratch that one off as well."

Celia was proud to say their campsites were getting better.

The group had been traveling east for three days, thankfully encountering no enemies apart from the occasional wild mob. When night fell, the four of them were able to set up a sizeable shelter and get a fire going in very little time. Their cobblestone cube wasn't the most elegant, but it was practical, and much roomier than the dirt huts they'd been making after leaving Luxmouth.

On the third night, she found herself sitting with the shulker box to take inventory. They were a few chunks away from the edge of the Dark Acres, and would be entering the forest in the morning. Celia had never been that far east of home, but she'd heard plenty of stories of how dangerous the area was: mobs were said to roam in droves, and sightings of an Illager stronghold had reached her ears in the past. She wanted to make sure they had enough items to prepare for the worst.

"Whoever these Teras people are, they must be resourceful to live there…"

"Can I help with anything?"

Melissa took a seat next to her. Celia couldn't help but smile. "No, I'm just looking over our inventory for tomorrow. I can manage it myself."

She got no response for a second, but she could hear Melissa trying to stifle a laugh as she stared at the open shulker box. "Are… are you sure? Because it's kind of a mess in there, Cece."

Celia jolted, looking around with wide eyes. Felix was still outside keeping watch, but Blake was in the shelter with them. He'd looked up when Melissa started talking, and a grin was tugging at the corner of his mouth. She felt the color drain from her face. "You. Heard. Nothing."

Blake put his hands up with a chuckle. "Whatever you say, Countess."

He exited in a hurry. Celia slapped her forehead. "Melissa, do you have to call me that? It's embarrassing."

"That's exactly why I still use the nickname. Besides, you know you like it."

She had an infuriatingly satisfied smile. The worst part was she wasn't lying, and Celia hated that.

"B-but," she protested, never one to admit defeat, "we need to keep up appearances on official business, don't we? We're not just sneaking out together to explore the mines like we used to, this is important."

"I promise not to call you that when we're in Teras. And what's this 'together' about? I seem to remember you being the one to drag me out to explore the restricted areas. My parents gave me quite the lecture when we got caught that one time."

Celia looked away. "Er… that was reckless of me, I know. But how else could we spend time just with each other, when we were always surrounded by guards?"

She was ashamed, but Melissa didn't sound annoyed at all. In fact, she giggled a bit. "I guess it's on me for not trying to talk you out of it… and for what it's worth, I did enjoy the walks. Here, let me handle this."

Celia scooted aside to let her access the shulker box. Melissa began to sort through it, rearranging the items so it wasn't a jumbled mess. As she worked, she would occasionally point out how certain tools or materials should be kept near each other for swifter access, but Celia found she wasn't paying attention.

"Is your face starting to hurt yet? You've been grinning almost nonstop for days."

She tore her eyes away from Melissa, clearing her throat. "I'm sorry. I hope it's not insensitive of me, given the troubles your family is dealing with. But I'm just so happy you're here, traveling with us."

"I've missed you too, Cece. When we lost contact with the rest of the region, I hoped you were staying out of harm's way."

Celia snorted. She and the others had caught Melissa up on the journey after they left Tenebyss, beginning of course with her plan to sneak out of Luxmouth with Felix.

"Forgive me for disappointing you, then. But I wasn't just going to stay home and wait for the war to end, not when I could've done something to help. Though… I don't think I'd expected quite as much danger as I found."

"Well. I'm sure between Felix, Blake, and myself we can keep you in line from now on."

She wanted to resent the remark, but found she just couldn't bring herself to be annoyed with Melissa. They didn't say anything else for a bit, until the shulker box was finished being sorted. Celia whistled at her handiwork. "You were right. This does look easier to manage, thank you."

"It was my pleasure. Please let me know if I can help any other way; I'm going to see just how many ores we're offering Teras."

Melissa got up. Celia's heartbeat quickened as she tried to piece together what she wanted to say.

"…wait. I have one question." She stood as well, but didn't move or even look up from the floor. It was hard to even speak. "There's never been an opportunity… um, what I mean to say is we haven't…

"Celia?"

Her throat felt tight. "We have never had… had a chance together. Do you think, when this is all over, we could?"

She didn't know why she bothered asking; the answer was obvious. There would be work to be done, repairing the havoc wrought by the Usurpation Army and resettling the people whose homes were destroyed. Her father would have to lead Luxmouth through a post-war crisis yet again, and she'd be helping him every step of the way. Depending on the Ender Forge's involvement, TOEC could wind up with even larger relief efforts to coordinate. There would be no time for the two of them.

Melissa placed a hand on her shoulder, and Celia looked up. Her friend was giving her a gentle, reassuring smile. "I don't know what the end of the war's going to look like. I'm not sure what we'll be like either, when we come out on the other side. But here and now, at least… I'm here for you, Celia."

Her eyes stung. She didn't resist when Melissa pulled her into an embrace.

"…thank you…"

Blake found Felix on the perimeter of their camp, finishing up a dirt wall surrounding the shelter. It was three blocks tall with an overhang facing outward at the top, so not even spiders could climb over. The simple base design had kept them safe from mobs overnight since they first started using it, and the materials used were easy to pack up in the morning.

"How are things out here?" he asked, as Felix placed a final dirt block at the top then hopped down.

"The area looks mob-free for now. I think as night sets in we'll see more activity nearby, but nothing should be able to get inside. I'll keep watch first, if you're going to turn in."

Blake shook his head. "I can do it. You've gone first for the last two days, go get some rest."

"If you say so. Just make sure I take my turn before Lady Celia does, otherwise she'll try to stay up the whole night."

A memory of the morning after Blake had met them resurfaced. He'd learned his lesson by then. "Got it. Do you think Melissa should also keep watch? I'd feel a little awkward asking her."

Felix shrugged. "I don't think she would mind, but technically, only the two of us should be doing it. She and Lady Celia shouldn't be putting themselves at risk if they don't have to."

The 'we are the expendable ones' was left unsaid. It was an unfortunate truth of their journey, one Blake had been realizing more and more as they went. While he didn't think for a moment Celia saw him or Felix that way, the reality was they weren't nobility like her.

"For what it's worth, she hasn't slept much these last few days anyway," Blake said. "She's practically been walking on clouds ever since Melissa joined us. How long have you two known her?"

"I only met Miss Beryl when we got to Tenebyss the other day. Our business traded with TOEC all the time before the war began, but Emily and I never got to speak with their higher-ups directly. As for Lady Celia, I don't know when the two of them first met, but I'm sure she'd be willing to tell you."

He almost didn't want to interrupt them to ask. Watching the two catch up gave him, on some vicarious level, the same happiness he might have felt meeting one of his own old friends, wherever they were. Blake never thought he would say it, but by that point he hoped he wouldn't meet any of them overseas, not if it meant they were caught up in the war as well.

"Did you know she had a girlfriend?" Blake asked. Celia had done a poor keeping how she felt under wraps back in Tenebyss, and was even less subtle about it now that they weren't surrounded by people.

"No. We hadn't actually seen each other much for years before she asked me to help her sneak out of the city. But it's not my place to pry, anyway. We just have to roll with whatever she chooses."

Felix's tone had gone duller, for lack of a better word. He handed Blake the last of the dirt blocks, then began to make his way toward the shelter. His gait was suddenly stiffer, like an unpleasant memory had returned. Before he could get too far, Blake spoke again. "...hey. There are plenty of fish in the sea; you'll find the right person."

A pause. Felix turned and gave him a very strange look. "What are you talking about?"

Another pause. Blake looked anywhere but at Felix, realizing he might have grossly misjudged the situation. "Oh. Uh… well, seeing them together, and how I'm pretty sure they're a thing… I figured you'd be a little bothered by that. You've always been so focused on doing what she wants, so I… I kind of thought…"

"…you thought I had feelings for Lady Celia?"

The silence was painful. He only wanted to cheer up his friend a bit; had he just made the entire group's dynamic awkward?

Felix cracked a smile which only lasted for a second. "That's not it. Part of me wishes it was, though. It'd be a lot less complicated that way."

So there were no hard feelings for the misunderstanding, but Blake was still left with a question. "Then… why tag along? I know you haven't gone everywhere with her for the thrill of the adventure, or anything grand like that."

Felix sighed. "You asked me something like this back in the village on the island. The answer hasn't changed: nobility stuff. I'm not a soldier, Blake. I'm also not a hero. What I am is a citizen of Luxmouth. She's the Countess, and I have to do whatever I can for her and the Duke."

He didn't wait to hear a reply. Blake stood there and watched him walk away, not for a moment believing his logic made any kind of sense. If he wasn't a soldier, why did he willingly volunteer to come with her on such a dangerous journey?

But Blake also felt hypocritical for thinking it was a bad idea. After all, he was no more a soldier than Felix, and he'd joined them back at the start largely just to be around people again. Celia and Felix were his friends, so of course he wanted to help them, but how much of his presence in the group was based on anything more than a selfish desire to have friends again? It was one of many things he didn't know what to make of lately.

Things such as the conversation from a few days prior.

"What do you mean, he killed you? You don't look dead to me," Blake said.

Felix explained what had happened in one very long sentence, all the while looking and sounding like he was moments from breaking down. He wasn't the type to exaggerate, but the already unbelievable story wasn't made any more plausible by his disjointed retelling. As much as Blake trusted him, it just seemed too incredible.

"I know I sound crazy right now… but I don't have any other explanation! People don't just wake up in bed after getting stabbed- and it definitely wasn't a dream. How could it be?"

"But how did you return to Tenebyss?" asked Melissa. "Do you remember anything between your attack and when you woke up?"

Felix clutched his forehead, pacing. "No… but if I made it back before any of you did, then it must have been almost instant.

Blake tried to figure something out based on the story. "If you say the Usurpation wanted to fight Steve, or whoever that was… then maybe he was trying to get you to safety? I have no idea what he did to make you reappear in the suite, but it could've been a way to save you from them."

"That almost sounds like something a hero would do," Felix remarked, "but he didn't seem very heroic to me. More like… I don't even know what to call him."

Celia frowned. "The Legendary Heroes were said to be paragons of virtue and kindness. Surely if they were still alive, they wouldn't behave in such a way. What kind of hero attacks somebody to keep them safe? It must not have been Steve after all."

Blake agreed with her logic, but it still left them with precisely zero answers and even MORE questions.

"You said you still have a Genesis Core. Could that have had something to do with it?" asked Melissa.

"We've seen what happens to someone who dies with one bound," Blake told her. "They don't come back to life, or go anywhere else."

She and Celia shared a concerned look. Melissa retrieved something from her inventory: another purple Core.

"While we were underground, we encountered an elderly man who attacked us with lightning from his hands," Celia explained. "He didn't seem to be with the Usurpation or the Ender Forge, but he wouldn't leave us be. I had no choice but to…"

Blake's breath caught in his throat. She sighed, skipping over the obvious part. "A-afterwards, he left behind this Genesis Core. But his body disappeared, leaving behind a number of items. He may still be alive like you are… perhaps the Cores give you a chance to return to life?"

"Why'd I keep mine, then, if he lost his?" Felix asked, his shoulders slumping. "I don't understand any of this."

Nobody spoke, each of them trying to wrap their heads around the mystery. It was Celia who broke the silence, but not with an answer. "We should be going. If we linger, we risk our enemies seeing us leave."

There were no arguments. Certainly not from Blake, for whom- between his brief truce with Ray and his friends' unnerving stories- the day had thrown him one too many surprises already.

He just hoped whatever awaited them in Teras would be less perplexing.