"No room?" Hero echoed, voice incredulous. "How?"
"For the same reason you're here, I reckon." The innkeeper responded gruffly. "You're not the only ones fleeing a burning city."
"Are there other inns in this area?"
"Not that I can tell."
"You would leave a young woman to sleep out in the cold, then?"
"I hardly have a choice, do I?" The innkeeper snapped back. "I can hardly kick out those who have paid for lodging. I'm afraid you won't have much luck here."
"Fine." Olivia's hand was grabbed, and Hero turned away with a huff. "Come on." She followed along, not willing to protest. She was busy dreading the thought of having to sleep out on the streets, out with the less-scrupulous people who surely frequented the city at night.
The pair had made it to Kvett not long before nightfall, and had fought their way through thinning crowds to the only inn they could find. Unfortunately, every room was already taken, apparently by those who had lost their homes in Orion's most recent attack. Olivia was feeling the exhaustion from their journey setting in, and had a sinking feeling it would get worse before the night was out.
Hero was muttering something, and she tried to tune into it to get an idea of what their next move was.
"Certainly not with a stranger." He was saying. "It's possible a library may allow us to stay the night."
"That sounds good." Olivia offered tiredly. Hero made an affirmative sound, and tugged her onwards.
Unfortunately, though, that idea bottomed out in failure as well. Any libraries Hero could find were locked up tight, and no one was inside, or, at least, there was no response no matter how hard Hero knocked and shouted. The only reaction to that was some cursing and insults hurled their way by a few homeless who were bundled up on the ground nearby. Olivia was just pondering whether it not it would be worth it to find a dry place to sleep when Hero tugged on her hand, changing their course.
"The temple of Notch appears to be open to the public." He murmured. "Perhaps we can spend the night there."
"Okay."
About twenty minutes later, the pair had found a corner of the temple to curl up in, Olivia using her pack as a pillow as she tried to get to sleep. While her body was exhausted, it seemed her mind wasn't ready to shut down just yet.
She hesitated, then whispered, "Hero?" but there was no response. Hero's back was pressed against hers in the little alcove, and he must already have fallen asleep. So Olivia rested her head and thought.
She thought about her mother, back in Orion's clutches. He had obviously moved to attack the Phoenix Kingdom, had he taken his prisoners with him? Would he have let them free? Or left some of his armies behind to keep them under control? She didn't want to consider the other option… or options.
She thought about Isaac, whom Orion had claimed was alive. Should she believe him? Did he have reason to lie? Why was he so obsessed with her, anyway? She hadn't noticed him harassing any other disabled people, although it was completely possible he did it when she wasn't around. Did he just hate blind people, like he alluded to when they first met?
She thought about Notch, too. Back in Ikaisal, when she and Hero had studied in the library, he had found a passage about some ancient rival who was Orion's sworn enemy. Maybe that was Notch? How ancient was he? When she thought about it, Olivia realized she really didn't know much about him - just that he was incredibly powerful, and apparently kind and just. Some sort of demigod?
They were in his temple right now, weren't they? Maybe he could hear her.
"Notch?" She mumbled. Hero didn't flinch, still asleep. "Um, if you're there… we could really use your help.
"Um… I don't know if you know about Orion, but he's… really not a good person. He's burning cities and killing people left and right, and he doesn't show any signs of stopping, and… we can't beat him on our own. We could use your help." Crap, she already said that. "...thanks."
She fell asleep a few minutes later, never even stirring when a warm blanket was draped over her sleeping form.
Olivia's eyes flew open, startled awake by a sudden change in her environment.
She sat frozen for a moment, eyes open under her blindfold, before she let them close again and shifted her hand. Something soft was on top of her. A blanket?
"Hello, my dear." A voice murmured, and her heart jumped into her throat. Orion? No, that wasn't his voice, nor was it Hero's, who apparently was still asleep against her back. No, it was… another presence.
Back when she first met Hero, she had been able to tell whenever he was near from the sort of aura he had, but by now she knew it well enough that it was far more subtle. Orion, too, had a sort of chill that followed him. This was new.
She shifted, pointing her face towards the voice in an attempt to communicate that she was listening. "Hello?"
"Good morning." The voice was male, rich and deep. It seemed to be at about her level, he was sitting on the floor.
"Who are you?" She was considering pinching Hero awake, but something about the man seemed… relaxing. Comforting? She didn't feel she was in any danger from him.
"My name's Notch Persson, I believe you came here to meet me." She paused to absorb this, then sat straight up.
"Oh! Um, yes!" She reached out blindly, grabbing her guide's arm. "Hero!" A short growl was her response as Herobrine fidgeted, then shifted, presumably to glare up at her (which she was assured of moments later as she felt the prickle of eyes on her). "Get up, it's Notch!"
"Oh, please don't hurry on my account!" Notch's plea was genuine, and she heard two footsteps approach before he sat. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Oh." Her heart still beat violently from her initial startle, along with her excitement. It was Notch- the Notch! The only one that could help them…
"So it is." Hero's voice held a note of awe she had never heard from her stoic companion. "Good… hello, sir?"
"You may call me by my given name." Notch brushed him off. Behind her, Hero shifted, sitting upright, and Olivia followed suit. She was reminded of the blanket as it slipped into her lap, and she looked towards their visitor.
"Um, was this…"
"Yes," Notch answered the bitten-off question. "You seemed chilled."
"Oh." The young woman hugged the fabric to her chest. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now, please, tell me why you have come seeking my aid?" Notch clapped his hands together lightly. "I will help you to the best of my ability, you need but ask."
"There's…" Hero began uncertainly. "There's a… man, or a creature, something inhuman, who has spent the past months rampaging and pillaging over this land."
"Orion." Notch finished softly. So he knew.
"Yes. We were… we're unable to defeat him on our own, you're more powerful than us." Hero seemed almost as nervous as she felt. "We've tried to find any sort of weakness, but we've come up with nearly nothing. Can you help us?"
"Well…" The man called Notch shifted. "Let me preface this by saying that I am not the hero I think you are." There was a pause. Assuming she was meant to speak, Olivia did so.
"What do you mean?"
"Many seek out this place looking for a godlike man, a deity if you will. I am neither of those things, I'm afraid." Another startled pause.
"But they built a temple for you." Olivia hated how defeated her voice sounded.
"My reputation greatly preceded me…" Notch chuckled sadly. "Let me tell you a bit about myself. But please do not despair, as I said already, I will help you, and you are correct in that I am no mere man.
"I am somewhat like Orion, I should think, born with extraordinary strength and skill, and beyond the age of thirty I have not aged a day. I have yet to test my immortality, but it's looking good so far." Olivia forced a smile at his attempt at a joke. "I would like to think I handled my powers much better than he did, and set out when I was a young man to, well, help people. And I succeeded, possibly too well.
"Men are superstitious folk, and rumors began to spread about me. First I was an enforcer, sent to this world to punish the evil and reward the valiant for their respective deeds. Then I was an angel sent to protect the innocent. Some believed I was some sort of good-luck charm, who could pop into existence upon calling my name.
"Before I knew it, people were praying to me, and then… this appeared." He shifted, and Olivia assumed he gestured to the building. "I still venture about the country, performing good deeds when I can, but like to stay here, around this temple, as well. It is where I often find people who desperately need help." Olivia felt his gaze on her once again, and she raised her chin a bit.
"We do. Not just us, but, everyone. You told us you can help."
"I can." Notch's assured her. "Perhaps I could even defeat Orion, if I could take him on one on one. But given the size of his armies, I cannot simply walk in and fight him."
"You could offer a challenge?" Hero spoke up. "He is proud, perhaps he would accept."
"Just to get a message to him would be quite the feat." Notch disagreed. "And I find it unlikely he would not assume it to be a trap."
"He's almost invincible anyway." Olivia chimed in. "Hero and I read that his skin is nearly invulnerable. He apparently has a weak spot, but no one knows where it is." There was the soft rasp of Notch rubbing his beard.
"That is good to know. Thank you."
"So, for you to fight him alone, the armies would need to be subdued." Hero mused. "Or, at the very least, occupied."
"Indeed."
"Perhaps we could appeal for the help of the kings of the kingdoms that Orion has ravaged?" The young man suggested. "I can't imagine they would be reluctant to help take down the man who has been rampaging through their lands."
"They may be reluctant to work with me." Notch stated sadly. "Though through no fault of my own, many of the kings and lords of this land dislike me. They often dismiss me as a petty sorcerer due to the many widespread rumors surrounding me."
"Surely they wouldn't refuse your help, though?" Hero protested.
"It is worth a shot, I suppose." Notch didn't sound convinced. "In the meantime, though, we should have an alternate plan."
"A couple times…" Olivia spoke up hesitantly. "He's gone after me."
"We're not using you as bait." Hero's tone was final.
"I'm not saying that." She protested quickly. "At least, not exactly. Just make it clear where I am, and wait for him to show up. Then maybe Notch can get a shot at him."
"It's possible." Hero's voice was reluctant. "But then we might as well just have Notch follow you around."
"I mean, I'm okay with that."
"I have no other plans." Notch agreed.
"That does seem to be the safest option." Hero seemed a bit more at peace with it now. "Especially since Orion seems to be able to find her pretty easily, whether or not we tell him." Olivia nodded, rubbing her arm with a grimace.
"Then it's settled." Notch clapped his hands together. "Where are you- oh, I suppose you're staying here, aren't you?"
"Yeah." Olivia grumbled. "Inns were full." At that moment, her stomach grumbled loudly.
"Of course." Notch's voice held a tinge of amusement. "Won't you two go and get something to eat? I will settle a few affairs, and we can meet back later."
"Okay." Olivia agreed thankfully, getting to her feet. The blanket was still bunched in her arms, and she relaxed her grip on it. "Here…"
"Oh, you may keep it." Notch brushed her off. "I have plenty, to give to anyone who shelters here." She flushed a bit, and smiled.
"Thank you."
"Of course." Herobrine took her hand and guided it to his arm, and the pair exited the temple, leaving their newest ally behind.
"Have any preference towards breakfast?" Hero asked as they stepped out into the sunlight. "Or… lunch?"
"None. I'm hungry." Her stomach echoed its' agreement. "The cheapest you can find is…" She trailed off, a strange scent catching her attention.
"What?" Hero prompted. "You alright?"
"I smell something odd." She wrinkled up her nose. "Let's just get something to eat."
"Alright. Ah-" Hero stopped abruptly, and Olivia was yanked to a halt. "What do you want?" The smell grew stronger, and Olivia sniffed once more before she recognized the rancid smell of rotting flesh.
"Hero!" She yelped, and then was immediately struck in the head with a blunt object. The first blow didn't knock her out, but it sent her sprawling, followed by a roar from Hero as her head rang. An instant later, a second strike followed, and she was out.
The bustling crowd barely noticed as the cloaked figures picked up the young pair and carried them away, disappearing into the chaos of the city.