AN: Sorry for the long wait! Been busy with a challenge to write a 20000 word novel by the end of November. Enjoy!
Chapter 16: Hunt for the Crimson Alter
It was the break of dawn. The warm light of the sun poured through the window and flooded my room, splashing across every surface. I yawned and rolled over in my bed. I hadn't felt so tired in a long time, and I felt like falling back to sleep. But I had a duty to fulfill, and I could not abandon it for a little extra sleep. I grudgingly stepped out of bed and slipped on my armor, which felt heavier than normal. I picked up my sword and went outside, feeling every inch weaker than the day before. I trudged to the center of the village, where a bedraggled looking guide stood, looking as if he was struggling to stand up. Logrolf stood next to him, slouching a bit. Even Nurse looked sick and tired.
"Vald, you look awful. What's going on?" Guide inquired.
"Obviously you need a mirror. Something's wrong here guys," I said, my voice cracking a bit. I looked up. The sky had a red haze about it, though it was barely noticable.
"I can't explain this. I think it has something to do with our mission. There's no doubt that Xyvaren knows we're setting out for the last crimson alter today, so I conclude that this is some sort of poison. Let us go see if Wizard knows anything about this," Logrolf said.
When we arrived at the wizard's house, he appeared to be affected by the posion as well.
"Do you have any light to shed on this, Wizard?" I asked.
"Xyvaren has released the crimson at its most powerful. Within a week, this whole village will be swallowed up by crimson. We have to destroy the last alter!" The wizard said, coughing a bit.
"So... should we set off now?" Logrolf asked.
"No, I'd thought we would sit around and have a nice tea party! Of course we're setting off! Pack some supplies and get moving. Wizard, you gonna come?" I asked.
"Yes, I believe I shall. Let me gather my scrolls and magical items," the wizard said.
We set off around noon- Guide, Wizard, Nurse and Logrolf would be accompanying me.
"Now, everyone, swords drawn, eyes sharp. We're going into the single most dangerous place on Terraria. We might not all be coming home in one piece. Remember: Eyes on the prey, not the horizon," I said, walking with one hand behind my back and with my sword hangning loosely in my hand. And so we were off, walking through towards the red area of the world. We walked without break until the sun began to set, at which point I built a large wooden house and layed out the bedrolls I had brought. The wizard helped us set up a fire, and we all sat around it, wary of our surroundings.
"So... remember when we first met? When I was being kind of a jerk and making you flip out over torches?" Guide asked, staring into the fire.
"Yeah... that seems like so long ago. Those were the good days- back when we didn't have to worry about saving the world or anything. Back when you could best me in a sword duel. Back before all this... Man, I miss those days," I responded wistfully, gently prodding the fire with the tip of my sword."Yes, I do too. Too much has happened between then and now for me to really make sense of it all," Guide muttered.
"Well... I suppose we should get some sleep. We should be ready for whatever trouble rears its ugly head tommorow," I concluded. Guide agreed. We put out the fire, and attempted to get comfortable. It wasn't easy though. I had too much on my mind to sleep much. And when I woke up in the morning, after a couple hours of uneasy sleep, I felt guilty that I hadn't been doing anything during that time. I woke up the party and we set off again, and soon we entered the dreaded crimson.
It was almost just as I remembered it. Plants that resembled gory remains of strange creatures dotted the landscape, occasionaly letting out a gush of blood. The red leaves of the trees writhed and waved as if blown by the wind, though there was none. And to top it all off, the entrance to the main cave was guarded by countless beasts of the crimson, many of which I had never seen before. There were writhing massess of tentacles creeping along the ground, and some deformed looking zombies with a single eyeball which looked as if it had been shoved in through a jagged hole.
"Alright team- no use trying to sneak in. On the count of three, charge!" I whispered. "One." Everyone raised their weapons. "Two." The team stared intensely at the entrance. "Three!"