Chapter 6

Woods Full Of Strangers

"Guys, I think-"

It never ceased to amaze Lukas, that even during battle; certain sounds could be picked up almost immediately.

The splash alarmed him for the most part. Great a spawn is in the water, he thought grimly. If an archer had landed somehow behind them, trying to kill a bobbing pile of bones would be dangerous and difficult. He swiftly turned around, confident that Petra would cover his back while he took the river.

But then it occurred to him, this was a river. Moving currents, rushing water that sort of thing. Whatever landed in it would be bound for a ride in the rapids.

He saw Jesse's arm vanish into the black waters and his heart stopped. "Petra!"

The redhead swiftly looked back, "I'm busy!"

"Jesse!"

"What do you mean-" She stopped, realizing their third party member was gone. "Where is he?!" Her eyes widened as they shifted to the river.

Lukas looked at the ground, spotting a green tip arrow sticking out of the riverbank.

Poison.

Jesse must have been poisoned; he must have fallen in-

Ssssssss.

Out of pure instinct Lukas lunged forward, Petra not far behind as a creeper let off a deadly explosion; the pair spiraled forward into the mud. Lukas grunted as he landed face first into some rocks, scraping his face. Beside him Petra groaned, clearing her head with a shake.

"Did he pull himself out?" Petra yelled, having to raise her voice to be heard over the growing roar of the storm.

Lukas looked up the banks, hoping to spot the brunette climbing out somewhere.

But there was no one.

"I don't see him, Petra I think he was poisoned!"

Vvvvpppp!

Lukas froze, staring wide eyed at the blackened feet of an enderman, "Petra don't look up."

"You think I don't know that?" she replied. "Augh!"

Lukas heard a smack, and suddenly Petra crashed against him, "I told you don't look up!"

"I didn't! He just hit me!"

"Then what did you-"

The enderman shrieked and lunged at the two. The pair barely rolling away as its fists smashed into the ground.

"Run!" Petra yelled.

"We have to find Jesse!"

"Then run along the river! Just run dammit!"

Lukas scrambled up foot momentarily slipping into the icy river. It scared him - realizing how cold it was- Jesse would freeze to death if he stayed in the water too long. He rushed forward trying to keep up with Petra; looking back for the briefest of seconds at the clearing and the cabin. There were monsters, dozens. They poured out of the tree line like piranhas swarming in for a kill.

Oh my Notch.

An archer raised its bow, and Lukas realized his mistake in looking back. The arrow shot across the clearing in a matter of seconds. Lukas spotted a quick glimpse of the arrowhead glinting before it went into his shoulder.

"Lukas!" Petra yelled, hearing him cry in pain.

"I'm fine keep going!"

They raced into the forest, black shadows making vision very difficult. Petra yanked out a torch as they ran, lighting it as best she could under jerking movements. "Were you hit?"

Now able to see, Lukas looked at his shoulder, the shaft had broken in their escape from the clearing. The arrow tip itself however still remained in his flesh, a quick glance revealed no deathly green, just the dark red of his own blood, "It's not poisoned I'll be fine."

"We have to keep following the river," Petra said, leaping over a fallen branch, "Jesse has got to turn up- woah!"

A zombie's hand had shot out of the rotted log, grabbing hold of the female's ankle. She sprawled to the ground, dropping the torch as she went. The torch rolled, causing the darkness around them to swirl in freakish movements and haunting shadows.

"Petra!"

"Crap! Ow!" Petra kicked at the zombie clinging to her leg with amazing strength, "What the hell is wrong with these spawns!"

Lukas pulled out an arrow and stabbed it into the forehead of the monster. The creature jolted, before falling over, exploding in a puff of smoke.

"This is getting old!" the ginger snapped.

"Are you alright," Lukas asked, having to ask between gasps.

"My ankle is bruised," Petra hissed, "I won't be able to run as fast." She tried to get up, grunting in annoyance as her ankle clearly hindered her.

"Just sit down a sec, let me look at it," Lukas pulled her down, "I've got some wraps we can give your foot some support."

"But Jesse-"

"I know, I know."

Petra shifted nervously as Lukas wrapped her foot quickly as possible, keeping an eye on the dark forest around them, "That enderman came at me Lukas, he attack me first."

"These spawns...I've never seen anything like them," Lukas agreed, finishing the wrap. He pulled her up, "I hope Jesse's okay."

Petra put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "He's been through worse between you and me. Don't worry we'll find him."

Lukas nodded solemnly, looking around the woods, "Then we get the hell out of here." He wrapped a supporting arm underneath the female. Then the pair quickly headed after the river.

His mind was in a fog, there were thousands of different voices echoing around him. They were all trying to talk to him, but there were too many, too many at once. He couldn't understand.

The fog merely covered darkness; there was nothing beyond the mists. Jesse sat in the middle of this fog, dazed and confused. "What- what happened?"

He saw Aiden walk by, a tired look on his face. He opened a door that Jesse couldn't see, and sat down on something that wasn't there. "It's been too long Ivor, he's not coming back."

The older man sat across from Aiden, "It has been a year..." he said quietly, "I suppose even Jesse can't survive everything."

"Wait - guys, I'm right here," Jesse started, "I'm right-"

Aiden and Ivor vanished, leaving behind Axel and Olivia. Jesse's eyes widened at the sight of them, "G-guys?"

Axel looked at him first, "Dude, what is taking you so long?"

"What do you-?"

"You left and didn't say anything," Olivia said, "And you haven't come back. Did you think we wouldn't notice?"

"I'm trying I-"

"Well, it's been like forever." Axel frowned. "We're not immortal you know?"

They started to fade, Jesse struggle to stand and get to them, but his legs wouldn't work ,"Wait! Olivia! Axel!"

"Why did you leave Jesse?" Olivia asked.

Then they were gone.

"Guys!" Jesse stood briefly only to crash to the ground, "I'm trying!"

He lay there breathing hard, when suddenly a boot set down by his face; the thousands of voices silenced with a heavy thud of the shoe. He looked weakly up, staring at a darkened figure above him.

"You've been traveling a long time." he said.

Jesse stared nothing, just stared wearily on.

"This won't be easy, but it's time." the wizened voice continued. "You need to be here."

"I need to get home," Jesse whispered.

"You will." The figure said, before he began to walk away.

"Wait! Hold on..." Jesse felt his throat go dry, "Where..." he couldn't form words anymore. He slumped to the cold ground.

Another figured appeared, kneeling down before him. A gentle hand caressed his cheek, the warmth a stark contrast to the freezing air around him, "Can you hear me? Are you alright?"

Jesse said nothing as the fog disbanded, his eyes shifting close as everything went blinding white.

"Can you hear me?"

"Jesse! Jesse where are you!?"

Petra shifted her torch around, looking nervously into the dark void that was the forest, "Lukas, it's too dark now, we have to find shelter."

Lukas adjusted his own torch, but didn't move from his spot, "We have to find Jesse."

"You think I don't know that?" Petra snapped, stiffening slightly at the sound of a distant zombie," We won't find him if we're dead. My ankle is twisted Lukas, and you still have an arrowhead in your shoulder. We're not going to find Jesse in the dark, and especially not like this. We need to get to cover."

"A wise opinion if you ask me,"

Lukas let out an unmanly squeak and quickly dropped the torch; he pulled out his bow just as the flaming stick hit the grass. Almost simultaneously the wind died down and streaks of moonlight peaked through the trees, covering the forest in a eerie night light.

Petra yanked out her sword, "Who's there!" she demanded.

"Easy child, I mean no harm." A man limped into the torchlight, holding up one hand in surrender, the other clutching a staff. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

Petra wasn't fooled, easily spotting the sword strapped to the man's side, "Then what is with the weapon."

"This?" the man asked in surprise, his hand patting the hilt, "A precautionary measure against those who attack me."

Petra looked the stranger up and down. He wore simple village clothes; she could recognize the style from the more primitive worlds she and the others had visited. He had a cloak tightly strapped around his shoulders, the hood pulled low over his forehead, making seeing anything above the nose difficult.

"How can you see where you're going," Lukas asked. Petra could tell he had been observing the hood.

The other chuckled, "I know these woods well enough that my weary eyes no longer need to see as well as they used to." he rested his hands together on his staff. "Now may I ask a question, seeing as you have pelted me with many?"

Lukas and Petra exchanged glances before Petra reluctantly turned to look at the intruder, "Yes,"

"What are two kids like you doing in the middle of the woods? Especially in the middle of a night during a storm like this?"

"We're looking for our friend," Lukas explained, "We've lost him and he's probably hurt."

"Lukas-" Petra warned.

The older male looked surprised, "Lost? In these woods that can be a very bad thing. There are many dangers in these forests." he said, cutting her off.

"We can handle the spawns, don't worry," Petra said.

The other frowned in disapproval, "There are worse things than Creepers and Zombies child."

Lukas looked uneasily at Petra, "Like what, Enderman?"

"Even worse than those..." he replied, "These trees are old son, they've been here since the very beginning. Ancient things house powerful secrets. Foolish people shouldn't wander about so carelessly, don't you agree?"

It sounded almost like a teacher lecturing a child.

Lukas's' eyes shifted between Petra and the stranger, silently begging Petra for assistance, "Uhhh..."

Petra crossed her arms, "Look, not to be frank. But who the heck are you? And what do you want?"

The man bowed, "I am Elder Brine, and I've come to see if you needed assistance. From what I've learned it seems you do."

"Thank... You?" Petra said slowly.

"And you are?"

"I'm..." she paused, looking at her partner. He nodded, in encouragement, "I'm Petra and this is Lukas. Our missing friend is Jesse."

"Jesse?"

"Yes," Lukas confirmed, "We lost him by that old cabin-"

"By the river?" Brine cut in.

"Yes. He fell in the river."

"I see..." Brine said, he pointed a certain direction through the trees, "Well then let me assist you in locating him. I can keep looking along the river path in case he washed up somewhere near here, I know these woods. But if your friend did fall in the river rapids; your best chance is he will come out in theriver basin on the other side of those hills. There is a lake there, not far from a village."

Petra squinted, hardly able to see said rolling hills, "Those things are huge! It will take forever to get up there with these trees."

"Not necessarily, most take the far path, which goes the long way around till the hills and forest subside. But if you stay close to the river, and I mean close; the river cuts right through those hills. The trees grow right up to the banks, and it is difficult to traverse, but much faster than the main road."

Petra grabbed the torch and started to move, "Lukas let's go!"

Lukas turned to Brine, "Thank you so much for this- we owe you big time."

"If you find your Jesse let me know," Brine replied.

"What if you find him?"

Brine smiled, turning away from the torch and entering the dark woods, "I'll find you," he said, vanishing into the shadows.

"That's a little creepy." Lukas said to Petra.

"I know, it might be too good to be true," Petra frowned, "But it's our best bet. You keep your bow out, I'll hold the torch."

"What about your earlier plan? What about the storm?"

"Look it's already clearing!" Petra pointed, "We have a chance, now let's go!"

Together they raced off down the river.

Jesse awoke with a start. His entire body felt like on fire but at the same time he was pretty sure he was freezing to death,"Guys!"

His sudden movement sent him spiraling out of a bed; he crashed to the floor with a heavy thud. Agony shot through his body and he cried out.

He was in a strange bed, in a strange house, in a strange world. His whole body was in a world of pain, and he couldn't think straight. In his book that was never a good thing.

There was crash outside the bedroom, the sound of glass shattering. Someone was here.

The bedroom door opened and an older woman rushed in, she looked at him alarmed, "Hold on a sec! Calm down!"

There was a knife in her hand. That was not helping.

Jesse was in a panic, he scrambled back struggling to get purchase on the hardwood floor. His hand crashed against a desk, fingers scrambling for support. They wrapped around something cool and metallic. He yanked it off the desk, barely pausing to look at the letter opener. He brandished it like a knife, "Get away from me!"

The woman calmly moved towards him,"I'm trying to help you, you need to relax. You'll tear your stitches open if you aren't careful."

"Put your weapon down first!"

"Weapon?! What-" She looked at the knife, "Oh-" she laughed a bit, "I'm not going to hurt you-"

"Put. It. Down." Jesse repeated, stating each word slowly and commanding like a human to a dog. "I will not be eaten."

She looked at him funny, confused probably at the sound of a much younger person telling her what to do. But she relented; setting the knife down on the ground, kicking it out of the bedroom and out of reach. She lifted her hands up, eyebrows tilted slightly, "There. Happy?"

Jesse said nothing, just sat there breathing heavily. He struggled to stay focused, he needed to find Petra and Lukas, and get the hell out of here. Find Petra and Lukas and get the hell out-Crap, he's repeating himself. He cringed as a particular breath send needles through his body. His whole body twitched and jerked with spasms, wanting badly to curl up in pain.

"Can I help you please?"

He lifted the letter opener back up, "No you may not, I need to figure out...Figure out..." He trailed off.

"You're not thinking straight."

"Yes I am."

"You just told me you didn't want to be eaten." she frowned.

Jesse squinted. Had he really said that? He didn't remember..."Look I'm just trying to -"

"Figure things out," she finished, "Don't worry I get it." she slowly extended her hand, "Can you give me the letter opener?"

Jesse didn't.

She sighed, a loose strand of carrot red hair falling from her bun and into her face. She blew it away with a puff. "Can I at least stitch you up?"

"If I can't have the letter opener, you can't have a needle."

"Fine," She crossed her arms, sitting back on her heels; eyes glinting with humor, "I'll just wait here till you pass out from blood loss."

" Blood-" Jesse briefly glanced down, the bandages around his ribs were quickly staining red. "Loss? Crap..."

"Tell you what. I'll let you keep the letter opener, if you let me put you back on the bed, so I can stitch you up." She bargained, "And if I try anything funny, you can stab me with that paper cutter of yours."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"I'm a doctor, does that help?"

"Oh..."Some small part of his brain that contained what little ration he had left told him this was bad idea. She could easily knock his defense weapon away if she tried. But Jesse at the moment was not rational by majority, "Alright fine."

The female smiled, and slowly moved forward. She was careful not to give him any reason for alarm. She gently lifted him up, and set him on the bed. "I'm gonna need scissors to cut-"

Jesse with one swift swipe cut the bandages with his letter opener - a feat he realized was pretty cool, considering he could barely stand.

The woman stared, before getting up from the bed, "Of course." she said, shuffling through a dresser against the wall.

As she rummaged, Jesse cautiously looked around the bedroom, taking in the rustic but beautiful look of the place. Solid oak wood, quartz lights, large sturdy furniture, a set of sharp swords on the wall-

Wait.

The bed dipped and Jesse jerked forward once more, brandishing his deadly weapon.

"Would you stop lurching around like that!" the woman said, throwing her hands in the air exasperated. The blade rested on the tip of her nose, "You're going to kill yourself!"

Jesse eyed the thread and needle, and slowly pulled the letter opener away.

"Thank you," she reached down, dipping her fingers in a jar resting on her lap. Her hand came up, fingers coated in a white substance that smelled putrid, "Hold still-"

Jesse stopped her, "What is that?"

She stared at him with a blank expression, "Pain killer. Unless you want me to do the stitching without it?"

Jesse quickly removed his hand.

"By Notch," she mumbled, "You're as bad as my husband was."

"What happened to your husband?"

"I ate him."

"What!"

She grabbed his shoulder before he could pulled away, "Hold still, I was only kidding! I won't joke anymore, you clearly can't take a breath. Notch Almighty, you are wound up tighter than a dispenser coil."

"That won't be going away anytime soon."

"Clearly." She ran her fingers slathering the pain salve along his arrow wound, pulling out the broken stitch string as she went, making him hiss in pain.

"I thought this was a pain killer?" he asked.

"Give it a sec."

She ran her fingers over a second time, adding a second layer. Much to Jesse's surprise, he felt little. "Feel it that time?"

"...No."

"Good," then faster than he could blink, the stranger pushed the needle through his skin, sewing like she had done it a thousand times before.

"Huh, you just might be a doctor."

"Told you."

She finished sewing, grabbed the letter opener, cut the stray string and had the blade back in his fingers before he could react.

"Hey!"

She got off the bed ignoring his irritation, "Just don't move around too much."

"No promises," he said, leaning against the head board, eyeing the open bedroom door.

She glanced at the door then back at him, "You can try, but honey, you won't be able to walk far."

"How do you know?"

She pointed at him legs, and Jesse looked down. From ankle to knee he was bandaged up. "What did you do?"

"I found you half dead young man." she argued. "I cleaned you up, all the damage done was by what you did, not me." She rubbed her fingers between her brow, "Look, I really am just trying to help you I really am. I get it, you are scared, you're confused. The drugs in your system are probably not helping."

"You drugged me?"

"To ease the pain."

Jesse went silent. With the pain In his ribs numbed down, suddenly it wasn't so hard to think anymore.

She sat down on a recliner chair, "So how about we start over? I really am helping you sweetheart. I don't know how I can show you, but I guess you are going to have to trust me."

Jesse stared hard at the stranger before him, carefully thinking his next words, "Alright, I accept you don't want to kill me. You probably don't want to eat me either." he placed the letter opener down on the nightstand, hands shaking. " I was just startled. I never really act like this..."

She nodded in understanding, "I understand, I would have been scared too."

Jesse twisted the sheet between his fingers, "So starting over?"

"How about we start with names?"

"I'm..." he paused, "I'm Jesse."

Her smile was beautiful as she lit up to his response, "What a lovely name. Jesse...It suits you." she extended her hand and Jesse took it, her hand soft and warm, "Pleased to meet you Jesse."

"Thank you...Can I get yours?"

"Of course, thanks for asking."

"And it is?"

It was then Jesse noticed her eyes sparkled, almost like diamonds in torch light. She smiled at him, and Jesse couldn't help but think, she was beautiful.

"My name is Alex."

Next Time On Minecraft Story Mode Immortal's Child...

Lukas cursed as he tumbled from the ledge, landing hard on a bundle of webs and broken branches.

"Lukas! Lukas what happened?!" Petra called from somewhere in the thick fog. "Lukas answer me!"

He was trying, struggling violently in the thick sticky mess. It was everywhere, in his mouth, in his eyes. Above him a branch cracked, sending pieces of bark and twig spiraling down on top of him. He looked sharply up. The only thing he could see was dripping fangs, and eight beady red eyes.

The monster hissed, venom dripping down and landing on his cheek.

"PETRA!"