Chapter 59: Rematch
The flying beast shrieked and angrily flailed its tendrils, locking eyes with Geres'anmislar. It floated high above the sandy valley, far out of his reach, but he was undaunted as it spat another fireball his way. He simply warped to the side, watching the sand where he'd been ignite with blue flames.
"This one is mine!" he shouted to his troops. Geres teleported forward three times and arrived at the top of a hill just behind the creature, leaping onto it before it could turn to see him. The beast thrashed and bucked, but he gripped the top of its body with one hand while delivering a crushing strike with the other. It feebly groaned, then sank to the ground and went limp.
"No challenge whatsoever," he scoffed as he stepped off its corpse.
He and his elite hunting party had set out to hunt the Land of Endless Blaze's white beasts in the valley north of Dalloreis, less due to Lurex'skonaslar's request and more because of how bored they'd grown. The city was still under control, with the Dwellers of the Ashen Fields having caused no trouble since their subjugation. Their leader and a few citizens may have been unaccounted for, but anyone strong enough to pose even a slight threat had been put in their place already.
Geres rolled over the dead creature to get a look at its leathery, wrinkled face. In its death throes, it had produced a single crystalline tear which he collected and stowed in a leather pouch on the back of his chestplate. He still had no idea what use it might have had.
"Sir!" shouted one of his soldiers who'd been keeping an eye on their surroundings. "Lurex'skonaslar approaches!"
Perhaps he could get an answer. When he made his way over to her, however, he quickly noticed the perturbed look on her face. She did her best to hide it, but he had sharper eyes than she gave him credit for.
"You seem troubled," he began, "has your work in the forest not gone as planned?"
She gave him a phony smile. "The forest is ideal, Geres'anmislar. It is what lies beyond the forest that has proved an irritant."
"Are the Walkers of the Endless Blaze too much for you to handle?" He scoffed. "Well, now I can see why Phoros'malmislar insisted you needed our help."
"I spotted some individuals you might be interested in," she said, her tone not quite cool enough to hide her anger at him. "A pair of Walkers of the Bright Sky and Blue Pain… and a one-armed Void Walker."
Geres' eyes narrowed. "Elaborate."
"They arrived at the black fortress with a young girl, possibly one of the escaped Ashen Dwellers. My undead soldiers failed to stop them, and I decided to pull out our forces." She growled, and went on, "I left Gralus'bormislar behind to handle them, if you were wondering."
He frowned. Gralus was a buffoon, entirely too dependent on the enchantments he'd received and possessing no tactical skill beyond smashing his enemies and the terrain apart. Lurex had almost certainly left him there to cover her own escape, and if she'd really believed he would be able to defeat them then she surely wouldn't have fled so quickly. Reluctant as he was to admit it, Geres wondered if the one-armed Groundskeeper and his two cohorts were more powerful than they let on: they'd gotten the better of him, and now they were capable of defeating possessed undead soldiers.
"But what would bring them here? Surely they're not after me, they would have no idea that I was deployed to Dalloreis. Unless… is Dalloreis itself their goal? In that case, they would be hoping to gain support from the Dwellers of the Ashen Fields… and more tribes will follow if they get their way."
That settled it: they needed to be dealt with before they could cause further trouble.
"Rally, forces!" he announced. The elite soldiers under his command, two dozen strong, warped into position. "Our new targets will be found to the east. There is a Keeper of the Hallowed Grounds in their ranks. He is to be captured alive… his cohorts may be disposed of at your leisure."
Lurex smiled. "I knew I could count on you. I will tend to Dalloreis in your absence."
"You will also inform Phoros'malmislar that I was correct to think the runaway needed to be followed, when we deliver our report," he added. "Another thing: I believe you asked for these?"
Geres handed her the crystal tears he'd collected. She took them, looked over their sleek white surfaces in fascination, then pocketed the gems in her robe. "Splendid. These will prove useful. Now, off you go."
She warped away, back toward Dalloreis. Geres collected his thoughts, preparing himself for the fight to come. Most of his brief meditation was spent imagining himself tearing the escapee's other arm off- he couldn't wait to make such a thought reality.
"Move out, hunters."
Matthew felt numb by the time they made it back outside. The stress and adrenaline had worn off, and the revelation that they'd survived a battle- not just a skirmish with mobs- was setting in. He might have been elated at their success if it weren't for Salsh, who hadn't said a word during the whole walk back and shuffled along at the rear, still clutching the pearl he'd taken. It became horrifyingly clear to Matthew why he'd seemed so uncomfortable at the thought of finding more pearls: the sound of Salsh claiming it from the sentinel's body wouldn't leave his mind any time soon.
Beyond the front entrance, the dead and undead alike had all been piled into a tall mound and set ablaze by the Piglins. They'd suffered fewer losses than they might have if the sentinel hadn't been led away, but Matthew suspected that was a small comfort to them. Piglins grieved everywhere he looked; some old, some young, but all injured or shaken.
"It's all so… so horrible…"
Alice took his hand, leaning her head on his shoulder. He pulled her into a soft embrace, unable to think of anything to say. In the corner of his eye, he saw Dunera signing out another conversation with a group of Piglin soldiers. Salsh shuffled his way over to join the discussion, speaking only in Endish.
"Nothing like making history, right?" Alice asked, choking out a bitter laugh. "Matt… I'm so sorry. I got us into this…"
"Alice…"
"Salsh warned us we would be in danger if we stuck with him," she went on. Her voice was hollow. "But I just couldn't let it go. I had to pitch in, to get involved with the End's affairs… I couldn't see how in over my head I was, and now…"
"Alice," he repeated.
"Was this what it was like for the Legendary Heroes? If they were even real to begin with, did they have to be so scared and frustrated and-"
"Alice!" He put his hands on her shoulders, pushing her back so he could look her in the eye. "Look, I… I haven't enjoyed the fighting. At all. I've been terrified every time we had to fight mobs, let alone Endermen like Geres or that sentinel. But I would never blame you for any of it!"
Her eyes were watering. Matthew pulled her close again and gently rubbed her back. She gripped him in a tight, shaky hug.
"You've never dragged me into anything," he said, "I've always followed you on my own. I'm scared to fight, but… I can be brave too, if it means we can be together."
She hiccuped out a laugh. "I d-don't go out looking for fights, Matt."
"No, but you do take the risks you need to whenever your mind is set on something. You inspired me to leave home and see the world, you know. I might've still been cooped up there if we hadn't met."
"And you're… okay with all this…?"
"I didn't expect to wind up fighting in an Ender war, but I won't back out now. Besides, it's like you said: we can make a little history, not just learn it. And whatever happens, we'll face it like we always have: as a team. I love you more than I fear any mobs."
He looked into her eyes again. She was shakily smiling now, and wiped a tear away with a nod. Matthew leaned in to lightly kiss her, which she returned.
"Thanks," she whispered, "I needed to hear that. I love you too…"
When he pulled away again, however, he noticed she'd barely raised her left arm to hug him. In fact, he thought she was wincing every time she tried to move it, and traces of blood still seemed to be soaking through her clothing. Her wound from the wither skeleton hadn't been that deep, had it still not healed?
She noticed him staring. "It's bad, I know. Whatever that skeleton did to me, I think it was more than just a scratch."
His eyes widened. "Alice, you can't fight like this. Promise me you won't fight until you've fully recovered."
She looked like she wanted to protest, but just sighed and nodded.
"I apologize for interrupting, but I believe we are ready to head back." They let go of each other when Salsh approached. His voice was still lower than usual- what they'd done was clearly still setting in- but he at least sounded vaguely composed. "Our actions here have convinced the Piglins to fight with us."
Matthew scratched his head, feeling for the gold in his inventory. "Really, no payment needed?"
"Dunera believes that will come later." Salsh cast a quick look back at her and the gathering Piglin soldiers, a few dozen in number. "But for now, they want the Acolytes out of Dalloreis as much as we do. The time has come to strike at the city."
They regrouped with Dunera, who'd been speaking with an older Piglin wearing ramshackle chainmail and a patch over their left eye. The rest of the bastion's forces had assembled outside: foot soldiers, archers, and even a herd of hoglins, Piglins' giant beasts of burden.
"This is… I believe the best way to pronounce it is Jurum," said Dunera, as she gestured to the one-eyed Piglin warrior. "They are the leader of the armed forces here."
Jurum was staring at Alice, specifically at her injured shoulder. They signed something to Dunera, then pulled out a small bucket of milk and offered it to Alice with a short grunt.
"They say you need to drink this to cure the withering," Dunera translated.
Alice took the bucket and downed its contents with a shudder. "W-where did they get this if there are no cows here?"
Dunera looked like she was trying not to giggle. "Their hog-beasts, I believe. Do you feel any better?"
Despite her reaction to the taste- and Matthew could only imagine what hoglin milk tasted like- Alice stopped wincing and gently massaged her shoulder. "Yeah, actually. I think the infection is gone."
Jurum took back the empty bucket and let out a loud, deep call. The Piglins finished gathering their equipment, then began to march after them.
"Dalloreis' liberation is close," Dunera remarked, "thank you for your help."
"It won't be over until the Violet Gaze is gone," said Matthew. "I just hope they leave without much of a fight."
They followed the Piglins back up the cliff and through the forest. It was a relatively silent walk other than their tromping footsteps: most of the bastion's forces were focused solely on avenging their zombified friends, and Matthew didn't hear any chatter or snorts between the soldiers. Dunera was with Jurum and other high-ranking ones, signing back and forth in what he assumed was a briefing on Dalloreis' terrain and layout. Or it could have been negotiations for trade, he had no idea. Whatever the case, he was just glad to have the Piglins on their side.
A loud snort from the front made everyone come to a halt. Golden swords and axes were drawn all around, and crossbows were loaded as well. Matthew held his own ready, scanning the teal fungal treeline for a target. The sounds of teleportation were echoing from nearby, but he couldn't see any other Endermen yet.
Whether fortunately or unfortunately, he didn't have to wait long. With a series of emerald flashes, over a dozen Acolyte soldiers appeared in a half-circle around the Piglins. The Endermen were significantly outnumbered, but that didn't seem to discourage them at all. Another person appeared, one whom Matthew found distressingly familiar.
Clad in the same purpur armor, Geres'anmislar immediately locked his gaze onto him, Alice, and then Salsh. A beat passed, then he let out an enraged screech loud enough to rustle the surrounding fungal vines.
The Piglins charged, and so began a new battle.
Salsh knew there was no avoiding a rematch. Geres' attention was solely on him as the fighting broke out, and he only paused in his approach to swat aside a Piglin who got in his way.
"Consider yourself lucky, I will not kill you quite yet," Geres declared. "You'll stand trial, and be made an example for the Infinite Void."
Salsh punched at him, only to find himself striking at thin air when Geres disappeared on the spot. A sharp pain in his back followed, as his foe raked him with his claws.
"I will be taking another limb from you," he continued as Salsh spun to face him. "Make no mistake, you'll suffer greatly for- urgh!"
Alice had taken advantage of his fixation and smashed her spiked weapon into his back from behind. Just one impact was enough to destroy his chestplate, which collapsed around his feet in pieces. Geres teleported a short distance away, staring her and Matthew down as they regrouped with Salsh.
"Whatever he was saying, he was talking too much," Alice said.
"It was nothing significant," Salsh replied in Overworldish. "Thank you for the help."
Geres locked eyes with Alice and growled. Salsh teleported just as he did, warping directly behind her and swinging his fist in a wide arc. He timed it perfectly and caught Geres with a punch to the jaw which sent him reeling. Attacking from the rear with quick warps was a staple of his- it had led to Salsh losing his arm in their first encounter- but the surprise was running thin.
Composing himself, Geres tore a netherrack block from the ground and hurled it toward Matthew. Alice leaped to his defense and smashed the stone with her spiked mace, but Geres warped right to them before they could recover and counterattack. Salsh couldn't go to their aid, as he was intercepted by a pair of Violet Gaze soldiers who suddenly appeared beside him. One caught him in a tight grip, pinning his arm, while the other began to strike him in the face and chest. His legs buckled with each hit, and he screamed when he felt part of his exoskeleton crack from the stress. Teleporting out of there didn't do him any good, as they pursued and caught him again mere moments later, this time joined by a third Acolyte to help restrain him.
"You must be the Keeper of the Hallowed Grounds," the one who'd been beating him said. "Geres'anmislar wants you alive, but I think you can survive losing a few more limbs."
"Let him go!"
Dunera stood nearby, awkwardly holding a golden sword in her claws. She must have picked it up from a fallen Piglin, of which Salsh could see several in the corner of his eye as the battle raged around them.
"A child comes to your rescue," remarked the Acolyte, with a guttural laugh. "Pathetic beyond words."
Suddenly, the soldiers restraining Salsh let him go, and he heard both of them screech in pain. He warped to Dunera's side and saw what had happened: she'd held their attention while Jurum approached from behind. They had slashed deep into both enemies' exoskeletons with a pair of short golden blades, leaving the two to stagger out of their reach while their wounds spewed green, misty blood. The third, who'd seemed so confident moments prior, growled and lunged for Salsh. He prepared to defend himself, but Dunera teleported in front of him with the sword outstretched. The tip jabbed into the Acolyte's torso, and he recoiled with a howl. Salsh wondered if his distress was more from a damaged ego; the wound didn't look very deep, yet he clutched it and roared in anger.
A number of Piglins had followed Jurum, and the two Endermen who had been restraining Salsh were trying to fend off multiple attackers from all sides. The horde was relentless, chasing them down every time they tried to teleport and surrounding them again. Jurum himself charged the soldier Dunera had stabbed, beckoning for the two of them to get away while they engaged one another.
"...wait!"
Salsh remembered what he'd been trying to do before, and desperately looked around for Matthew and Alice. The last he'd seen of them, they were being set upon by Geres, and he feared the worst. He looked over the battle, desperately trying to pick out his allies amidst the chaos. Piglins were everywhere, some still pursuing the Acolytes (many of whom sported cuts and slashes already), others on the ground in varying states of injury. The fight was a brutal, unorganized one, and he couldn't see Geres or his friends within it.
"...friends… my friends…!"
"There!" Dunera cried, pointing to their right.
They'd fled from the clearing and into the forest, with Geres right behind them. Relief swept over Salsh when he saw they were still on their feet, and they were using their foe's height against him, ducking under the lower branches so he had less room to maneuver. Even so, his persistence was a problem. Unable to strike at Geres for fear of putting themselves in his reach, the couple retreated deeper into the forest as Geres hacked away at the branches with his claws.
Dunera's nervousness appeared to spike. "There's a cliff beyond the treeline! He'll corner them!"
Salsh gave chase, leaving behind the Piglins, Dunera, and the battle. An Acolyte appeared in his path, but he didn't let himself be stopped. He warped right in front of the soldier and slammed him against the closest tree, then pulled a netherrack block out of the floor while his enemy was dazed. Growling, Salsh bashed it against the soldier's head and knocked him out cold. He didn't have time to restrain his defeated foe, so he just kept running.
"Matthew… Alice…"
When he caught up, he found them on the other end of the forest, backed against an edge like Dunera had warned. Geres was approaching them, apparently not having realized he was followed. Salsh could hear the bubbling of lava below, and knew he had to act immediately. He grabbed another block of stone and teleported to Geres, slamming it into his exposed back. His exoskeleton held up against the blow, but the impact made him stagger right into a swing from Alice's mace. She struck his chest, sending him toppling to the side.
"I'm sorry I took so long," he said, barely finding the breath to speak. His entire body was shaking from his injuries and his fried nerves, to say nothing of the violence he'd been thrust into- and had thrust himself into.
"We're okay!" Alice replied, sounding equally shaky. "W-whoa, I… hit him pretty hard…"
Geres was on one knee, clutching at his side. His exoskeleton was practically crushed inward from the force of her swing, and he was raspily wheezing as he tried to steady himself. Yet when Salsh met his gaze, there was no sign of fear or regret- he just seemed angrier.
"This is nothing," Geres snarled. "You will suffer tenfold when I get my hands on your partners. I will rend the flesh from their bones and make you watch."
"What's he saying?" asked Matthew, taking aim with his crossbow.
Salsh growled. "Nothing you would want to hear."
Geres' expression turned to one of shock and fury. "So, you've learned to communicate with them! A Keeper of the Hallowed Grounds, fighting his own kind and consorting with the enemy… you are a traitor through and through."
"ENOUGH!" Salsh took a stomp closer, hard enough to make Alice and Matthew flinch. He paid them no mind, however, for his ire was solely on Geres. His voice rose louder than he'd ever been, becoming a roar of Endish which could have rivaled the dragon's. "Do you think I wanted to become this? I killed your sentinel, and I hated every moment of it! I fought your soldiers, came here, and helped to wound you, and I HATED EVERY MOMENT OF IT! I HATE HAVING TO FIGHT! I HATE YOU FOR MAKING ME HAVE TO!"
Geres was almost smiling. "Is that right? You realize your mistake now? If you had just surrendered-"
"NO! NO! IF YOU AND THE VIOLET GAZE HAD NEVER STARTED THIS CONFLICT, SO MANY MORE OF US WOULD BE ALIVE! WE COULD HAVE HAD PEACE WITH THE LAND OF BRIGHT SKY!"
He had never been so utterly distraught, so saturated with grief and anger. Geres' half-smile disappeared, replaced by an expression of sheer indignation. "If… if we had never started this…?"
Salsh heard the tromping of footsteps by the forest's edge. He glanced over to see Jurum and Dunera emerging from the treeline, both looking battered and tired. Briefly, he wondered how the rest of the fight was going, but his moment of distraction was all Geres needed. There was a green flash, then Salsh jolted as he felt a set of claws plunge into his stomach, boring through his exoskeleton. He didn't even have time to process the pain before he was lifted off the ground and slammed back onto it.
As he grabbed at his wound, he heard Geres teleport again to dodge an arrow from Matthew. Alice and Jurum rushed in, neither managing to land another strike on him and both being knocked sprawling.
"HOW DARE YOU?!" Geres howled, pinning Jurum to the ground with one foot. "YOU DARE BLAME US, GROUNDSKEEPER?! THE OPPRESSOR, THE WICKED TWO, THE DEATH! ALL OF IT WAS YOUR TRIBE'S FAULT!"
Dunera, still wielding her golden blade, made a run for him, but Geres merely kicked her in the chest to knock her away. Jurum stabbed at his leg with their dagger, causing him to roar in anger. He reached down to grab them by the throat. Salsh, ignoring the agony of his wound, teleported over and threw himself at Geres, tackling him off of the downed Piglin. He knew better than to remain at such close distance, and another quick warp brought him back to his allies' sides.
"I should have known you would join forces with outsiders," Geres hissed, his eyes darting between the five of them. "The Walkers of the Infinite Void could have all learned from your mistakes, and grown to be something greater. Your wretched tribe would never have joined us, you'd be wiped out as punishment for starting our troubles, but even your great folly would have opened a new opportunity for us."
"What is he ranting about?" asked Dunera, the only other person present who could understand him.
"Oh?! You are not aware of their history? Of their tests?" Geres laughed, resting on his uninjured knee. "Well, Groundskeeper, enlighten the child! Enlighten all of your friends!"
"QUIET!"
Salsh ripped up a third netherrack brick and threw it at him. Geres teleported to the right, but when he tried to stand, the pain of Jurum's stab to his leg caused him to buckle. Matthew took advantage of the situation and fired off one last shot, finally managing to hit his mark. More than that, the arrow embedded in Geres' chest, just below his neck. His arms went limp and he coughed feebly, staring at the wooden shaft in disbelief.
"I… I cannot…"
Geres teleported about in a stupor, almost collapsing each time. When he came to a stop at the edge of the cliff, teetering perilously, he slowly turned to give the group one last spiteful look.
"…traitors… all…"
Salsh swore he saw the final traces of life leave his face before he swayed and toppled over the edge, plummeting into the lava below.
"Anger and revenge were the only things that guided me on our journey. I must have rubbed off on Steve, because by the time we found the stronghold he'd become something truly horrifying. He would fling himself into battles without hesitation, often without armor too, because he thought it was fun. He challenged himself to kill mobs with his bare hands, and he would just laugh whenever he died before paying it back tenfold. Steve didn't care about learning who he was anymore; my need for revenge had turned him into something very different."