Chapter 13
Unlucky
"Why does he live so far away?"
"He's a hermit Jesse...I think." Petra answered.
Jesse, Lukas and Petra were currently on their way to Elder Brine's house. Jesse had yet to meet this Elder Brine. But from the combined pieces of information provided by Lukas and Petra; he knew the man was very old, mostly blind, and knew a lot about the portal's and the Immortal's Gate . But most importantly he wanted to help, which was just fine by Jesse.
Unfortunately, he lived very, very, deep into the forest, per directions given to Petra.
"It's not that far," Lukas said slowly.
Jesse swatted a branch away that moments before had greeted him with a slap to the face, "Far enough for us to be axe murdered."
"If he wanted to do it Jesse," Petra said, "He would have done it when we met." even though out loud she'd never admit that Brine did, give her some unease to be around. Maybe it was his mysterious old ways?
Steve and Alex were hitting a cache today that was particularly far away from town, and apparently dangerous.
Steve had taken one look at the point on the map and simply said 'Ah'.
"What?" Jesse had asked.
"Alex and I will hit this by ourselves we think."
"Why?"
"It's um, on very dangerous terrain."
"What kind of-"
"Lava fields, a constantly burning plain that occasionally shoot off geysers of hot steam and sometimes lava. It's hot enough to burn the skin off your bones."
"You can't go to that!" Jesse protested.
"I've crossed it before, but I'd hate to see you kids get hurt on it." Steve said, "No point in finding home if you get killed looking for it."
"We'll be fine, we promise." Alex assured.
"We have someone else here who is offering to help," Petra said, "He says he has a book for us, we can go to him?"
"Well, you go to him," Steve said, "And Alex and I will go to the temple and dig around. We'll meet back here about, say...seven?"
"Eight." Alex corrected.
Steve looked at the map, "Fine, eight work for everyone?"
Petra looked at the map Steve had given her earlier this morning. "We're almost there."
"Are you sure this is even a trail?" Jesse frowned. "I can barely see the path."
"Oh, quit whining!" Petra said.
"I'm not whining! I just want to make sure we're on the right path and..."
Petra rolled her eyes and tuned him out. She'd prove she was right her pretty soon and everyone would get a good laugh out of it - especially her. She lowered her map, "Jesse we'll be-"
Amethyst.
Petra froze. "Oh-"
A screech tore through the trees like a knife, shaking the leaves and freezing the two approaching males in their place.
Petra saw the body lifting, rising- over her-
"Jesse watch out- augh!"
The enderman flew out of the bushes like a screeching nightmare knocking Petra to the ground. Jesse himself was knocked onto the ground before he knew what had truly hit him. The breath was easily snatched from his lungs on impact.
The enderman was huge, for an enderman anyway. Over seven feet in height, with long limbs and strong muscles. It's aura glowed in the thick cloud of black a purple, saturating the air with a suffocating rage. The trademark screams of the creature rattling in their ears.
"Jesse!" Petra and Lukas cried.
The enderman raised its hands high, fists clenched, if only for the briefest of moments, before it came swinging down with the force of a wrecking ball.
"Nooo!"
Jesse flinched, and the fists came down, hitting either side of his head and leaving a crater in the dirt.
The monster retracted it's arms, screaming in rage, and swung down again. The spawn was heavy, and close, Jesse didn't have much advantage to move and much time to react a second attempt. Still the creature missed.
Lukas recovered from his blowback of the creature, and with the fastest of his reflexes drew back an arrow and fired.
The arrow embedded itself deep into the shoulder of the creature, and immediately the skin bubbled and smelled burnt as if touched by acid. The enderman roared in rage, swinging a stray arm at Lukas before launching clean off Jesse. He soared over the treetops above and mysteriously vanished.
It didn't return...There was a second of silence, perhaps two more. Then sound returned to the woods, birds chirped, frogs croaked, and all was well save for the three stunned youth.
"What the hell?!" Petra gaped, scrambling up.
Lukas was already kneeled down next to Jesse- who was still gasping - "Jesse are you alright?!"
"Y-yeah." the brunet managed to squeak out.
"Did you dodge the second time? Did he hit you?"
Jesse shook his head," No um, uh-" he swallowed a few times, "He missed."
Petra stabbed her sword into the ground and leaned into it for stability, her heart pounding, "Well consider yourself lucky, he was right on top of you, kinda hard to miss."
Jesse nodded, but he clearly looked bothered, "Yeah..."
Petra reached down and helped him up, "What I don't understand is why he went for you and not me, even though I'm the one who made eye contact."
"Remember the one by the cabin?" Lukas pointed out, "He attacked you even though you didn't look at him, maybe they don't go by eye contact here."
"Maybe..." Petra shook her head, "Notch he was huge. Not as big as the one that Jesse was nearly sacrificed to, but damn he was big. Did he look bigger to you guys?"
Jesse scoffed, "You should have seen from under him. Talk about perspective-" He looked at Lukas, "Why kind of enchantment was on your arrows?"
Lukas was inspecting said diamond arrowheads at the moment, "You know, Alex wasn't actually specific on what they did."
"Well we have to thank her, because it scared him off."
Petra looked around the forest, now in a great wave of unease, knowing there was a very large, very angry, enderman out there. "Come on let's go, I don't want to be standing around when he comes back - if he decides to."
The boys didn't argue.
They walked for about another hour, eventually coming to a steep incline.
"I hate hills," Lukas huffed.
"You hate all environments," Jesse laughed, even though he was puffing a little too.
"Brine said he lived on a ridge," Petra recalled. "We're close now."
"You...ugh...said...that...a...hour ago!"
Petra didn't quite her who said that, so she just looked over her shoulder and gave them both a look. "Wimps."
Suddenly they broke free of the forest, coming out on a steep hill, which cut down into a cliff on the far side. It was tall grass and rolling meadows beyond that. Behind them the forests and to the west the volcano, and east the mountain villiage. At the top of a path, resting not too far from the cliff and tucked in amongst the meadow grass, was a small hut.
"There."
"Wow,"Jesse hummed, "He really does live far from town."
"Guess he likes his privacy," Lukas observed.
Jesse swung open the fence gate, built between two trees, "Perfect for murders." he teased.
"Shut up." Lukas shot back with a smirk.
She almost didn't hear it, but Petra had practiced most her life listening for the little things. There was click, then the whirr of gears, followed by the faint smell of redstone burning. Petra's eyes went wide.
Oh no. Not again.
An arrow shot out of a innocent looking box stacked up against the house-
An arrow dispenser!
It was a trap gate!
"Jesse!"
"You're an idiot," Ivor scolded.
"Hey! I lived, didn't I?"
"Barely!"
Aiden sat at his kitchen table, vigorously rubbing his hair with a towel, his clothes damp and shoes soaked.
Ivor sat across from him, sporting the look of death.
So effective was the look, a lesser person - or perhaps a smarter person- would have backed down by this point. But if looks could kill, Aiden would be on his twentieth consecutive death by this point.
The journal Isa had told him about had engrossed Aiden a little too well. It had become dark before he knew it, time had flown by as he read. But he didn't realize the sun had gone down until an enderman had warped into the room by accident.
Needless to say both parties had been thoroughly surprised, neither expecting to see each other. Aiden had thrown his torch out of poor judgment and unexpected shock it had been so startling.
The result- was an enderman freaking out, a screaming Aiden, and half the carpet on fire all while the pair ran circles around each other.
The good and obvious news was that Aiden got out of the room in one piece.
The better news, Fifty Shades of Grey burned in the mayhem.
But he'd tell Isa that later...
Aiden had rushed outside to see the sun long gone adn Sky city over infested by spawns under the night sky. Aiden's route down to solid ground therefore had been cut off.
So...he jumped.
It seemed like the last logical thing to do. And though definitely not a favored method he did it anyway. And by some miracle managed to land in the lake even though it was dark, all while still keeping the journal in hand.
Ivor had not been - and still wasn't - pleased. "You're an idiot." he repeated.
Wordlessly, Aiden threw the journal onto the table.
Ivor picked it up, "What is this?"
"It's a journal from Isa's hidden library."
"She had a hidden library?"
"Yes, it is a collection of writing's about Notch. I thought you might be interested."
Ivor flipped though the first few pages, then eyed Aiden mischievously.
Aiden stopped rubbing his hair and frowned at his temporary housemate, "What?"
"For a skeptic, this is a rather sully thing to be almost killed for."
Aiden rolled his eyes and pulled the towel off of his head, refusing to give Ivor even the slightest bit of satisfaction.
"How far along did you read?"
"Pretty far. I think the first few chapters are newer, written by someone who speaks the same language we do. Just before the enderman showed up, the journal's language changed. I don't know it, so I assume it's old..."
"Well you're not bilingual, obviously."
"But you know a few."
Ivor found the pages that were in a different language as Aiden had described, the book was indeed older here. As if the first chapters was an extensive intro into what the reader possessed. "It's in the old tongue."
"Can you read it?"
Ivor was smiling again, "Curious are we?"
"Can you read it or not?" Aiden asked again, slightly irritated. Because one, it was frustrating being teased, and two, yes, he was a little curious.
"I can read old tongue," Ivor said, "It's supposed to be the base for almost all human languages. It might take me awhile though, I'm rusty. What parts did you read in our language."
"Just the beginning, " the youth said, "It talked about the creation for a bit, and then the First-"
"Like a recap?"
"Sorta, but then it brought up the other Immortal."
"The healer?" Ivor asked.
Suddenly Aiden felt a little uncomfortable a strange sudden sensation of uneasiness, "No, the um, other one. The one you thought came between..."
"The Lost Immortal?" Ivor breathed out.
"Yeah, I guess."
"Aiden do you realize how important this is?!" Ivor waved the book in front of him. "There had never been official documentation of the true second Immortal and this could be it!"
"They are just stories though."
Ivor smiled at him, "Do you really believe that?"
Aiden looked at the book, "I...I don't know." He looked away, "It doesn't matter what I think, what does the book say in the old tongue?"
Ivor grinned and turned to the first page off the old manuscripts, he cleared his throat. "I have been gifted with life, created by a God, and given a language to speak and words to write. It is strange, knowing that before me and the others, there are none. We are the first mortals in this world, from us, all the nations will grow, and yet...we have so much to learn. Perhaps that is why Notch sent down his Hand..."
Jesse let his eyes glance to the side, and the arrow wobbling back and forth on the bark of the pine. He slowly looked back at his friends, not yet inside the gate line.
Lukas was pale, "Jesse?"
"I'm fine...that's just...the second time I've almost died today. Feeling kinda unlucky at the moment."
"Don't move."Petra said.
"Not gonna," he answered, had still gripped the gate open wide, he was afraid to move it. He looked back at the tree, seeing the green dripping off the point of the arrowhead.
Poison.
He almost took another poison arrow, this time to the face.
Whoever was his lucky guardian must be demanding retirement by now.
"What do we do?" Lukas said.
"Oh I am so sorry!" a voice cut through the tension. Jesse looked to the house just in time to see a bent over old man pull the lever by the arrow dispenser. "If I had known you children would have been this early, I would have turned my fence off, I'm sorry!"
"Brine," Petra breathed out, "You didn't tell me your house was rigged."
Brine looked up and Jesse immediately felt uncomfortable by the toothy smile and the lack of ability to see the other eyes, "I usually use the side gate Petra, I haven't had guests in a long time and simply forgot about the traps. You can come in now, it's off."
Jesse held the gate open and Petra and Lukas entered the property.
Brine stepped off the porch to greet them, "I'm glad you could make it."
"Thank you for helping us," Lukas said, "Um, you haven't met Jesse." he gestured.
"Jesse the unlucky one with the arrow, glad to see you live," Brine extended his hand.
"Thanks for helping my friends find me," he answered, taking the elder's hand. It was shockingly cold sending a wave of goose bumps up his arm and making his hair stand on end.
Brine immediately released his grip, "You have very warm hands."
Jessed rubbed his own hand, "And yours are cold."
"Well," Brine clapped his hands together, almost giddy like a gleeful child, "But we're not here for chit chat, the Immortal's Gate is why we're here."
Brine led them into his house, a simple small cabin with very little furnishings, but crammed to the brim with hundreds of books.
"Brine we need to talk about the gate, Petra didn't get to bring up a few days ago," Lukas said, stepping inside and carefully not to knock any book piles over, "Alex - someone we're staying with - says only the Immortal can activate the gate."
"That is true."
"Then we can't use it," Jesse sighed, "We appreciate your help, but last I checked none of us are Immortal."
"Do you know why the Immortal is the only one today who can use it."
"Why?" Jesse frowned.
"Because he uses it by harnessing old magic. No one alive today knows how. That's why."
Jesse raised an eyebrow, "And you can?"
"I'm old enough," Brine stated simply, grinning at his small joke, "But I've found a book. As previously mentioned," He picked up a book from his desk, "If we can find the door, what I'm telling you is this, I can open it for you."
There was silence.
"Did you tell me the door was sacred?" Lukas said softly. "It be rude to-"
"The door is sacred yes," Brine sighed, letting his cane tap a few times on the floor, "Which is why no one is looking for. But there is no law saying can't be used. We First worlders simply respect the Immortal and his things, but I'm sure if the Immortal were here, he wouldn't mind you using it. It's not for a bad cause after all.
Petra leaned against a chair, "So, if we find the gate we can use old magic, - the same magic that made the portals- to get home?"
"No," the elder said, "I harness the magic, and you go home." He tapped his fingers on the book, "This is a very old journal, and it has methods of harnessing the magic. It's in old tongue obviously none of you can read it. But I can. I'm also older than you and more in tune with my natural world, it will be easier for me to use the magic than you. I know you feel uncomfortable, knowing that the gate is important. But I just wanted to present you with another option."
Lukas and Petra looked at Jesse.
Jesse stared at the book, "And all we would need to do is find the door?"
"The location is written in one of the ancestors books buried here." Brine said, "I'll find it eventually."
"We could help-"
"No, no, keep doing what you're doing." the other said, "That way you have a higher chance of getting home..." he raised an eyebrow, "Assuming you are okay with the method I have provided."
Jesse sighed and looked at Petra and Lukas, who both looked back at him for a decision, " I guess...another way couldn't hurt." he wasn't sure what made him so uncomfortable searching for this other portal, but he pushed the feeling away. He returned his gaze to Brine. "We appreciate you doing this."
Brine was already settling into his chair, "I will study, while you keep searching. I'll come find you once you have an update. May Notch bless our quest hmmm?"
Thunder rumbled in the distance. Almost like a response.
Steve and Alex were already there, by the time the trio got home.
"Any luck?" Steve asked, he had ash in his hair.
"We might have a lead," Jesse slid into the table, "He's looking into it."
"Great! The more the merrier!"
"How'd it go with you?"
"Well," Steve looked at Alex who snickered mischievously at the kitchen counter, "I'm not going to be wearing green and blue for awhile."
Jesse smiled. "Arrows?"
"No, Lava. Lost my shirt."
Jesse laughed.
"We found some more journals that labeled some doors," Alex explained.
"That's great!" Lukas said smiling.
"So what do we do next though?" Petra asked.
"Well, I want to go hit the temple in the sunflower fields," Alex said, "Be nice to go somewhere decent for a change."
"You had fun out there and you know it," Steve said.
"More than I have had in a long time," the female admitted.
"I'll go with you," Lukas said, "Sunflowers sound nice."
" I don't think you should go through Jesse, it's pretty far, a day or two away, and," Alex said turning her gaze to Jesse, "You look a little pale, your wound isn't going bad is it?"
"No," Jesse said, unaware of the weariness that seeped into him, "Just tired. Lot of stuff to do still."
"We'll get there," the female encouraged.
"I know."
She smiled, then excited the kitchen, "Lukas ! Petra! Can you help me get some stuff from the pantry? I don't know about you, but I am starving!"
Steve leaned over Jesse pressing hands onto his shoulders as the rest left the room, "Hey,"
"Hey,"
"Would you like to come with me to the Hallway tomorrow, I need to mark off doors. The ones we know are bad. If you feel up for it?"
"Yeah, I think I can handle that," Jesse smiled softly.
"Good," Steve slid into the chair next to him, "Because I want to show you something,"
Jesse's curiosity was lit up in a instant, "What?"
Steve smiled, "You'll see."
'You'll see' was one of Jesse's least favorite phrases. But for once he was okay with it. If not for just this once...
Next Time on MCSM Immortal's Child:
Steve gently grabbed his hand, bring a finger up to make a silent shush, "Follow me a stay low."
"Where are we?" Jesse whispered.
"I know this isn't your world, but this is something I thought you might like to see, and of course not stumble in by accident."
Jesse almost asked why, but Steve shushed him gently again and led him around the corner towards the dark black cliffs edge. "Come see,"
Jesse looked, and felt his breath taken away, "Steve...is this...the End?"
Author's Section
And cliff hanger haha.
*Cackles* I have been wanting to post the section with Aiden for almost a half a year now. Fun fact, it was one of the first short pieces I wrote out when planning Immortal's Child!
Response Section
At Wavesfly:
Hi dear! Thank you so much for the touching compliment in your review. Talk about making me blush big time! My coworkers thought I was catching a fever! haha. I got your request too, and I will do it, but be sure for future requests to post them on my fic called, "The Stories that Define Us." Okay? I love having you hear, thank you so much for joining this crazy train! Hope to see you soon!
At LemonadeSmash:
Forgot to respond in the last chap, you can input a character name here, it is not tumblr exclusive!
Loving everyone's thoughts on the Immortal's and Steve and Alex and Brine. They truly make my day reading all of your guesses and theories. Some of you are pretty close! Keep it up, I will of course, reveal nothing, until it is time, but I love all the guesses. Fingers crossed for the right guess yeah?!
Thanks so much for the reviews guys, IC has gotten over fifty reviews now, and over 3,000 visits. That might not sound like a lot, but that is seriously a lot for me! Thank you so so much for the support everyone. You are all the reason I do this!
See you soon!