Chapter 5: Adlegatio

As Mick disappeared with Jacko into the building, Avariella and Lexa began to follow. Then they stopped.

"Lossius, gather the SPG," Avariella demanded, "We need all of the support we can get." Lossius nodded.

"They should be coming soon anyway," Lossius affirmed. Then, Mick appeared at the entrance of the Mike Shop.

"Lossius!" He walked down the stairs and walked to him, "Mike wishes to see you and the SPG." Lossius turned to him, then nodded. It was almost like they arrived on cue. From around the corner came a running Magpie, French, and Halo.

"What the hell was that?" Magpie yelled out, as they reached Lossius and the others at the hole. Halo peered over the hole.

"What could have done this?" Halo asked, French peering over as well.

"We saw a jet of light shoot into the sky and then a crazy earthquake happened," French explained, gripping onto the blade that he now had in his sash on his back. "So we rushed over here as fast as we could." The sky began to grow darker as the sun appeared to be strangled by the dark, red clouds that formed in the atmosphere.

"The Amethyst was destroyed," Lossius then stated, looking into the hole with a face that had already lost hope.

"What?" Magpie asked, the three SPG members turning to Lossius, "What did you say?" Relinquo then took the stage.

"Mike went down there to do his routine check-up. Then he was assaulted by a member of Solis Ruberis."

"So it came true?" Halo asked, "it actually happened?" Relinquo nodded.

"Mike wishes to see you four," Avariella said, turning to walk to Mike Shop, "and it is best that you hurry." The four nodded then walked with her and Lexa to the stairs into Mike Shop. When they walked into the building, glowstone lined the ceiling. Another tremor occured, causing the group to lean against the wall to keep their balance. As they walked forward, the walls began to change colour. They ended up at a stone wall. A dead end.

"Umm...?" Lossius expressed his confusion. His voice echoed a strange echo through the hall, almost as if they were in a bigger room. Avariella then placed her palm onto the wall.

"Aperite portas pacis et prosperitatis," She chanted, focusing on the stone wall. Then Lexa placed her palm on the wall, "Per virtutem duo possumus dabitur obvius." Their palms then sank into the wall, which began to produce ripple effects like water. It began to glow a light blue. Lexa walked in, her footsteps being heard from the other side.

"My palms acts as the key," Avariella explained, "Go through." The four of them walked onward, Avariella behind them. They all flinched as they walked through what USED to be solid. On the other end was another hall. But at the end was a circular, white room. They ran to it. In the middle of the room lay Mike. He lay on a blue platform that was ominously glowing. Jacko was there, along with Mick.

"Didn't expect this area to exist, did you," Jacko said the obvious. Magpie, French, and Halo were all shocked when they saw Mike. His limbs were slightly limp, and his face still had some blood on it due to a few cuts. "It appears he has been cursed by the Darkness that was used against him."

"Cursed?" French asked.

"As in," Mick explained, "the Darkness is merging itself with his DNA as we speak." His arms were crossed as he spoke. This caused alarm.

"Well, aren't you going to do something about it?" Halo asked, unable to look at Mike for a little longer. Mick nodded.

"It's possible. However, it's a lengthy process," he explained, "It requires a lot of time. As long as we're able to extract it from his DNA before it takes over the cells within his major organs, he should be fine."

"So it's like a cancer spreading like wildfire?" Magpie confirmed.

"Precisely."

"Lossius..." A raspy came out from behind Mick. Mike had gained consciousness and turned to them slightly. Mick turned to look at him and moved out of the way. Lossius immediately went up to the platform and kneeled.

"Yes, my King," Lossius said, his right hand on his heart. Mike managed to grin and laugh lightly, although it was obviously creating pain for him. "You know the way I am with formality, Lossius. You don't need to kneel, nor address me as King." Lossius then looked at him, standing up slowly.

"The Amethyst, as you may know it," Mike began, "is gone. An old friend of mine... now a member of Solis Ruberis... sacrificed his life to overload it, causing it to explode." He coughed a few times, this causing pain to the ears of everyone in the room. "I spent a long time thinking in here of what I should do next."

"If you don't mind me interfering," Magpie interrupted, "But you said a long time? You called us up here in two minutes." Avariella nodded slowly, smiling.

"That's the best part about this room," Avariella explained, "it slows down time." The four of them turned to her.

"What?" They exclaimed in unison. Lexa laughed lightly.

"Well, that explains how you think you can extract every bit of DNA out of his body in time," Lossius said, "so I guess our biological functions slow down with time as well?"

"This room... was enchanted so all vital functions would run normally. However, magic and time would not work as fast." Mick explained, "If we let Mike outside, the Darkness in his body will spread insanely, killing who he is in less than ten minutes. But in here, we have time equivalent to months. This magic is something only Mike could conjure." Warmth appeared in all of their guts. There was still hope; a lot of it.

"As I thought, I realized that all citizens that can build must stay," Mike stated, "Lossius, we wish to use the Cave of Los for our underground city." Lossius nodded. "Your tower could be used for watch. The Lords and Ladies must stay in order to promote enforcement. And the Overlords have to stay here with me..." He then stuttered a bit, trying to stay conscious, "Lossius... you and the rest of the SPG... must go to the Far Lands." The four of them gasped.

"Hey, wait!" Magpie said, "I thought we were going to fight?"

"You will fight, all right," Mike said, "I guarantee it... Oh, how I wish I could use my power to show you what you need to do..." He coughed again. The Darkness was jamming his magic entirely. It seems like that was the Darkness' first priority. Mike should be able to use magic within his own chamber. "You need to look... for three objects. An Amethystic Orb... an Ender Pearl... and an Essence of Distortion." Confusion was raised among the three. "Amethystic Orbs are green and look like eggs... you will find them deep underground in the Far Lands. Ender Pearls... belong to Endermen. They exist in their chests."

"What is an endermen?" Halo asked.

"Endermen are strange creatures... they live in the Far Lands."

"I though nothing could live there. The very strangeness of the distortion should stop all life forms." Lossius said, confused.

"No... you'll see how. The Far Lands... is more than just distortion." Mike explained, "And to obtain the Essence of..." He then began to have trouble breathing. Mick and Jacko immediately jumped into action.

"What's happening?" Lexa asked, worried. Mick and Jacko pulled his body upwards, opening his trachea.

"Go... go to the Far Lands." He then looked at Lossius, right into his eyes, "I trust you all." Lossius had a few tears dwelling within his eyes. He then wiped them and nodded, turning around.

"Let's go." Lossius said, beginning to walk. "We're going to the Far Lands."