Chapter 32
The Night's Cry
Petra and Aiden moved down the slope, the unconscious Jesse balanced between them. The mountain shook violently behind them, fire spewed and ash poured down from the sky.
Petra hissed in frustration, looking desperately back.
Aiden did too, growling a little, then, "Go back,"
She looked at him, "What?"
"You have to go back for that frickin idiot," the brunet grunted under Jesse's weight, "Assuming Lukas isn't a smear on the floor," Aiden mumbled. The statement was harsh, but Aiden's voice was saturated with fear and worry. "I'm sure he's not-"
Petra and Aiden both stumbled as the ground shook. But between the two of them, they managed to keep themselves and Jesse upright.
Petra looked back towards the volcano, "But what about you? What about Jesse?"
Aiden scooped an arm under Jesse's legs, taking the youth's full weight bridal style. "Go get Lukas, I'll take care of Jesse. We'll be fine."
Petra hesitated, the dilemma of leaving Jesse of helping Lukas tearing her apart.
"Petra. Go."
"O-okay," She pointed, "Stay on this trail. Do you see those lights in the distance? That's the village. They can help you with Jesse."
"He'll make it," Aiden assured, "Now help the idiot."
Petra took a longing look at Jesse, and nodded, taking off as Aiden finished the sentence. "Be safe Aiden!"
She was exhausted, emotional strain having drained her of almost everything she had. Save for one crucial adrenaline.
Nobody - nobody- hurts her friends.
That alone, kept Petra running.
An enderman appeared from the shadows of the tree line, enraged and corrupted by Herobrine's sickness. Petra drew her sword but did not stop running, "Get out of my way!" she roared.
The enderman advanced, screeching as it took on this game of chicken.
Petra growled, and as the spawn lunged she swung.
A loud noise went off like a bomb, and Aiden nearly stumbled. In his arms Jesse let out a gasp, and his eyes peeked open for just a second, flashing with a bright light. Then he was limp once more in Aiden's arms.
Confused, Aiden looked back, Lukas...
A spider screeched in front of him, and Aiden looked forward, to see a group of spawns advancing on him.
Aiden took a step back, he wasn't armed, and he wouldn't be able to get Jesse's sword in time without getting attacked. His heart was pounding hard. Head against Aiden's neck, Jesse let out a weak moan. Whatever had happened in the mountain just then made Jesse stronger. But he was still slipping away.
He needed to get help, Aiden had to make it, and he was running out of time.
Steeling his nerves, Aiden pulled Jesse closer, ducked the swinging arms of a zombie and started running.
There had been a story teller in the village the first night of the festival. Lukas didn't think much on the story till now. But the memory now came in with such perfect clarity.
"The Immortal's have always been powerful children. But when they are in their godly forms are they the most dangerous."
"Can they control it?" a child asked.
The story teller smiled, "When they choose this stated they are in control."
"Choose?"
"Sometimes, fear, anger, sorrow, it brings out a side of us that we never knew we had. This applies to the Immortals as well."
"So what if they're angry."
"A Deity State induced by rage is the worst there is. Notch help the soul that is the target of that rage."
Well...Lukas found out very quickly how dangerous that 'rage' truly was. Lukas thought that if he lived to tell his own tale of these events. He would have liked to say that he fought Herobrine bravely, and with dignity. Enraged demigod vs. Under equipped mortal? Sounds epic...
But that really wasn't how it was happening.
Lukas cried out in a mix of fear and pain as the wall exploded behind him. This was not fighting. This was just survival instincts. The only fight was the fight to stay alive.
Which Lukas figured there was dignity in that...right?
Herobrine was in a blind rage, the dark God mode was in full swing. Losing whatever power he had stolen from Jesse, added on with Lukas's insult had actually made the man snap. So great was his wraith and so focused he was on the target of his rage, he had completely forgotten about a weakened Steve and Alex. Instead had passed over the opportunity of an easy kill and focused solely on Lukas. This was a good thing, for Steve and Alex anyway.
Herobrine's body stayed mostly together in his new state, unlike the other two. But the patches of black across his skin, mixed with the void of nothing that was his eyes, still made him terrifying,
Lukas had fled the moment Alex had screamed for him to. He spotted the tunnel Steve had pointed our earlier and carefully avoided it, opting to take another random door. He didn't need to go down the tunnel and risk his friend's safety as well. Petra and Aiden were nowhere in sight, so he assumed they listened to him and took Jesse to safety.
At least he hoped.
The tunnel he found himself in now was dark of foreboding, and Lukas forced himself to stay focused on the literal light at the other end. Herobrine's uncontrolled fury and lack of coordination was the only thing keeping him alive right now. Everytime he stumbled over some unknown object, his heart raced at the thought of that killer getting closer.
"I will catch you!" Herobrine's voice hissed, echoing through the dark tunnel, " I will make you welcome death!"
Lukas burst out of the tunnel, temporarily blinded by the lava light. He was in a circular room, with only once bridge cutting through the middle. All around him lavafalls dropped down and out of sight. The only other way out was at the far end of the bridge, splitting into three black tunnels.
Three options, three chances it might be a dead end. If so the chase would be over.
There was the option of going back, and risking facing Herobrine face on. That, or even jumping into the lava, and just ending it-
No.
Lukas dashed to the tunnel on the right. He was not going to kill himself, not while he had a chance. He intended to survive this.
Twenty feet in revealed a cave in, and Lukas skidded to a stop. "Damn!" he raced back. He still had time; Herobrine had been pretty far behind him. Lukas could pick another tunnel and still hope-
Herobrine stepped in front of the entrance, his blade already swinging.
Lukas screamed.
"I found you."
Aiden screamed and duck a leaping spider, the creature slamming into a nearby boulder. It broke one of its legs on impact, but it seemed unaffected by the injury. The spawn turned, screeching at Aiden. Herobrine's aura had poisoned the very heart of this world. Everything was spiraling into insanity.
Aiden just kept running, hearing the wounded creature drag itself after. The forest was a living nightmare, the farther he went down, the more spawns there seemed to be. More than once he got turned around in the dark maze of wood and rock, but then he'd manage to find the lights of the village, slowly getting closer each time.
Aiden tripped on uneven ground and one knee went down, Jesse moaning weakly as his head rolled against Aiden's shoulder. No, no, no ,no! Aiden struggled to get up, knowing it he went completely down, he wouldn't be able to get up and it would be over for Jesse. His arms ached and his strained lungs screamed for air. His strength was failing him, but he had to keep going. He had to.
He staggered up, hearing a zombie moan somewhere on his left. It could smell blood, it could smell Jesse. Aiden hurried down the slope, sliding, skidding, he could see houses peeking through the tree line.
He was almost-
The village was on fire, the outskirts a warzone. Spawns were everywhere and locals were in the fight of their lives.
And enderman slammed into Aiden's back and he went down, crashing hard on to his knees just beyond the wall of the town. Jesse jerked in his arms and his head thumped against him. The teen whimpered in a mixture of delirium and pain.
The enderman screamed in fury, foam and saliva pouring forth from its mouth. It lunged at the pair. Aiden tucked over Jesse, prepping himself for the inevitable hit. "No!"
A golem roared and Aiden flinched as the stone beast came from nowhere. The firsts of the manmade creation slammed into the skull of the leaping enderman. The spawn crumbled to the ground, purple black blood splattering everywhere.
Aiden smeared the sticky substances out of his face just as the golem turned, arms raising. "No wait! Don't!" he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to protect Jesse.
"HOLD!"
The golem froze and Aiden opened his eyes again. He looked up fearfully at the large burly man before him, holding a massive bloodstained battle hammer.
He kneeled down snarling, "What have you done to Jesse?"
"I-"
"Wait!" a familiar voice cut through the screams and the din of the chaotic town, "Aiden? Aiden! Bach hold up he is a friend!"
"Reggie?!"
The guard captain came into view, dropping to his knees and pulling both Aiden and Jesse in, "Thank Notch you're alive!"
"How did you get here?!"
"Isa, after we got her to safety said someone had taken you. Ivor and I came here for help. But as you can see-"
"Reg we don't have time, Jesse is hurt bad. Herobrine he-"
"Give him here," The big hulking man, now known as Bach said. He put his hammer away, lifting Jesse. "Anyone here a physician?!"
Someone from the gathering crowd raised their hand. A young meek man stepped into view, "I'm- I'm a apprentice?"
"That will do! Follow me-"
"M-Matthew,"
"Come on! The rest of you hold the gate!" Bach ordered before hurrying off with Jesse.
Reggie pulled Aiden up, "Are you alright?"
"No," Aiden said hoarsely, "I hope I was fast enough, I-" He started to move. "Lukas and Petra are still back there I have-"
"We treat you first," the older male said firmly stopping him, "And then we go get them."
"We don't have time!"
"You're no good to them dead Aiden!"
The boy stiffened, taking one look at the smoldering mountain, "You're ... right," he said, and reluctantly followed Reggie into the village.
Hang in there guys. I'm coming back.
"I found you."
Screaming, Lukas slid to his knees, and by some Notch given grace, managed to slide under the oncoming weapon.
He was through and then onto his feet in an instant. No time to decided his next tunnel, Lukas just ran for the closest, the middle one. Lukas leapt over the gap between the gaps of the two paths, the lava boiling and spewing below. Behind him, Herobrine roared and threw a chunk of wall
Lukas stumbled in the raining debris, his hand slapping against the wall as he almost went down. But he managed to keep running. He prayed. Prayed hard to Notch- as he ran into the middle tunnel - that this passage kept going.
He was answered with a set of stairs.
The first step nearly broke his ankle and he cried out as he went down. Lukas rolled and tumbled, trying desperately to right himself. But he was only able to do so when he hit the wall- a corner in the staircase. Dazed and hurting he shakily stood, taking in his surroundings. Around the corner were more stairs, swallowed by the infinite blackness that ruled this fortress.
Roughly fifty steps above the little lighting left was blocked by Herobrine's form. The maniac laughing into the hallowed halls.
"How long do you intend to keep running boy? I will catch you."
Lukas took a shaky breath and hurried down the stairs. The feat was difficult in the dark. Some of the steps were chipped or broken, threatening to trip him and send him crashing down again. Every few hundred feet or so, he would slam into a wall, another corner, turn and keep going. He wasn't sure how far down he had gone but he was now roughly estimating forty to fifty steps per turn.
More than once did he catch a glimpse of a door, the hallways holding a secret in the inky blackness. Lukas may not be able to see his own hand, but he could see the eyes of the monsters in the dark. He didn't dare take a door, and just kept going down the stairs.
He was soaked in sweat, his shirt wetly sticking to his skin. Judging by the thick coppery smell, Lukas was sure the front part of his top was soaked in his own blood.
His throat throbbed, and so did his jaw. But he didn't have time or the means to treat them. Herobrine was still behind him somewhere, he spit out a creepy phrase every few seconds or so, just to unnerve him. His voice made Lukas's heart race.
"Don't you ever laugh as the hearse goes by...For you may be the next one to die..."
Lukas finally staggered into flat ground and he paused. It was dark still, but not as dark as the stairs. There was the occasional still working glowstone, and even a few luminescent mushrooms scattered around. Tunnels spanned out in every direction, rails and rails cars filled them as far as they eye can see.
He was in the diamond mines.
Lukas stiffened, knowing full well spawns made their homes in mines such as these. But then again there was a bigger issue coming down the stairs.
"Ready or not..."
Lukas's breath hitched, and he didn't even take the time to analyze a good route. He picked the nearest tunnel and fled into the dark.
"Here... I... Come!"
Petra's iron sword shattered after the zombie went down. She curse and continued her running. She still had her knife, she'd use that if she had too.
The ginger burst back into the destroyed and ancient market square, the air hot and nearly intolerable in the fury of the volcano. Steve and Alex were nowhere to be seen. There were only pools of blood where Steve used to be.
Did...Did they die?
No!
She saw Steve picking a limp Alex up, face contorting in pain. He still was coughing up blood.
"Steve! Petra called.
Steve looked sharply over. "Petra what are you doing here?!"
She ran over, "I came back for Lukas!"
"It's not safe here-"
A scream tore from one of the tunnels and Petra snapped her head in that direction. "Lukas!" she looked desperately back at Steve, "I have to help him!"
Steve pointed at one of the paths, "Herobrine followed him down that tunnel. Just left of the one you came through. But Petra-"
"I'm going after! Can you get out of here? Will you be alright?"
Steve grimly nodded, "As soon as we're clear of the enchantments, we'll heal."
"Good!" Petra was running again.
"I'll find you as soon as I get Alex out!" Steve called after.
Petra was already down the tunnel, she had no time to acknowledge so she waved an arm. She leapt over boulders and debris. Only her breathing and the lava's roar was her source of sound. At one point she grabbed an old torch from the wall, scrapping it against the stone wall as she ran.. It sparked, and sizzled, finally coming to life and lighting her way. But the torch did little to guide her alone. The darkness in the tunnels was almost stifling, as if any light was something to be snuffed out.
How would Steve find her here in this black nightmare? She figured she had his ways.
Could she hold off Herobrine till he arrived though?
As long as I can, she decided.
The tunnel ended over a bridge, three separate paths branching out before her.
No!
Panic and despair cut through her adrenaline. This was it, she'd never find Lukas! Aiden wouldn't be able to save Jesse, she'd lose everyone and-
Blood!
Sticky, dark, blood.
It was a handprint, smeared on the wall of the central path. Petra felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of it. Lukas!
She ran, following the trail of blood droplets along the ground. It led her down the hall, to a set of stairs. Diamond arrows were scattered along the stone steop, the valuable ore glinting brightly in the torchlight.
Lukas had gone this way...
Petra took a deep breath and hurried into the consuming void, "Hang on Lukas I'm coming!"
"And Lukas and Petra are still up there?" Reggie asked, swiftly wrapping bandages around Aiden's abused hands.
"I think Lukas did something to Herobrine, I think Jesse got the power he took from him back," Aiden flinched, "Which means he can hurt them- Reggie this is enough I have to go!"
"You're still hurt, what about your leg?!"
"I'll be fine Reg, I have to-"
"I need more drugs in here!" Matthew cried from where he treated Jesse. He was in one of the side rooms of the blacksmith shop.
Ivor hurried by, pale and arms full of bandages, "We don't have much left!"
"We have to get him something! I'm losing him!"
Bach's wife, Mariah, was sweaty and shaking in the corner, "Oh Notch, please bring the Healer back to us,"
Aiden's breath caught and he quickly pulled his hands free of Reginald, "Alex, we have to get Alex!"
"Who?!"
"She's the second Immortal Reg, she can help Jesse! I have to-"
Suddenly Bach was back in the shop, almost white, "We've lost the wall!"
Mariah covered her mouth, a sharp pained gasp escaping her lips.
"What do you mean?!"Reggie gasped.
"A charged creeper brought part of our defenses down. There are hundreds of spawns coming towards us. We are moving everyone to the town hall, amphitheater, and library. They're the only buildings that might hold out till sunrise. Everyone has to fall back now!"
"We move him anymore and we are going to lose this boy!" Matthew yelled from the next room.
"We can't leave him here!" Bach argued.
"He's lost too much blood, he moves anymore he's gone!"
"Then we hold the house," Reggie said, "We move everyone else back."
"That's suicide," Bach started to say.
"B-Bach, we are not leaving this house," Mariah said shakily.
The blacksmith sighed, "Mariah luv, we can't afford to be sentimental about this house. We'll find a way to get Jesse to safety and-"
"N-no Bach," the female was on a slow collapse to the floor, ""I- I can't-"
Bach gasped and caught his wife in his arms, "Mariah!"
Aiden looked down, spotting the puddle on the floor, his face twisting in horror, "Oh Notch! She's gone into labor!"
"She can't now she's not due! We need Alex! It's too high a -"
"Bach, the baby is coming whether you want him or not!" Mariah gasped.
Matthew cursed, running bloody fingers through matching bloody red hair."I can't take care of them both!"
Ivor got up, "Then I'll take care of her! You keep treating Jesse!"
Bach looked sick, "Can you deliver a baby?"
Ivor helped him carry her into the next guest bedroom, "I have more experience then not doing anything at all."
Reggie got up, "Looks like we're holding the house."
Aiden nodded, "Looks like it,"
"Bach! You stay inside; make sure no monsters get in here." Reg headed for the door, "Aiden and I will hold the front."
Bach nodded as he closed Mariah's door, he looked at Aiden, who was scoping the room for weapons, "Are you well enough to fight?"
"The spawns don't care if I am or not, so I'm just gonna have to be." Aiden said, he pointed at two diamond swords on display on the wall, "Are those for show?"
"Who puts a weapon up simply for show?" the man answered gruffly.
"Good," He yanked them off the wall.
"Can you fight with two weapons boy?"
Isa taught me...Aiden thinks, but he nods.
"This was not how I wanted my child to come into the world... "The large man sighed.
"I promise I will do my best to keep every spawn I can away from this house."
"And I'll do all I can for Jesse."
Aiden nodded, and stepped out of the shop closing the door behind him. Outside everywhere people were running, fleeing in panic. They retreated deeper into the heart of the town, crying out for their deity and their Immortals to save them. He turned his head to the mountain, torn that he couldn't help Lukas and Petra, but knowing full well that Jesse and now Mariah needed him here.
The mountain roared, and the night answered with the cry of hundreds- perhaps thousands of spawns as they marched on the failing village.
.
.
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