Revenant Girl

Chapter VI—Detour

Throughout their journey, they were absolutely silent. The crunching of grass beneath their feet was loud, and the incessant high-pitched noises of crickets made their ears bleed. Reuben stirred from his sleep once in a while before slipping back into unconsciousness. Jesse's arms felt sore from carrying Reuben for a prolonged period of time, and Petra tsked while shaking her head, asking her if she had done any work in her life before carrying the piglet in her stead.

The full moon was etched high in the inky black sky, illuminating the Overworld in its gentle light. Millions of stars twinkled alongside the moon, but they were nothing compared to the radiant white orb. Nothing stood in the way of the moon, not even a ghostly wisp of cloud overlapped it.

Just by looking at the moon gave Jesse a strange sense of impending calamity. She shivered slightly as an icy blast of wind assaulted her. Even the thin cloak didn't provide her much warmth.

Petra noticed her shivering slightly and gave a sigh. "For Notch's sake, can't you even take a little bit of cold?"

Another chilling gust of wind blew, causing Jesse to shiver even more.

The redhead stopped in her tracks, took out a ragged scarf from her haversack and tossed it to Jesse. "I know it's not much, but that's all I have. You'll just have to bear with it till we reach our destination."

Jesse accepted the scarf and wrapped it around her small shoulders. It did not entirely cancel out the cold, but it gave her a little extra warmth and she was grateful for that.

As they continued walking, Jesse noticed that they had not encountered a single mob at all. Throughout their journey, she had not heard the groans of a zombie, the clattering of skeleton bones, the hiss of spiders or creepers entirely. It seemed like the mobs were… tame?

The meek glow from their torch was not enough to completely repel mobs, yet mobs did not approach them. Just what was it that was acting as a mob repellent?

"Tch, told you I was useful." The shrike boasted.

So the shrike was the mob repellant? How was it possible? How in the world could a little common bird drive away mobs? Did it have some sort of supernatural power or something?

"Curious, eh? I told you, I am a very special bird!"

"How, exactly?" Jesse enquired.

The shrike laughed. "Ohhohoho~ I ain't revealing my secret anytime soon~"

Jesse just shrugged and stared ahead.

After walking non-stop for an hour, Jesse finally agreed to make shelter. Earlier on she had pestered Petra to leave straight away. Petra naturally disagreed, warning her that the mobs would pose as a problem. Yet Jesse was annoyingly persistent, so the redhead went along with her insane idea. Surprisingly, there weren't any mobs in sight ever since they stepped foot outside, which was bizarre. Not that she was complaining; it saved her so much trouble.

They made a tiny dirt hut and lit a small campfire out of twigs. Petra used her haversack as a pillow while Jesse folded her scarf and cloak as a pillow as well.

Petra fished out two apples and tossed one to Jesse. She caught it eagerly and sank her teeth into the flesh of the fruit. Since she hadn't eaten for quite a long time, the apple was heavenly. The sweet juice travelled down her throat and quenched her thirst.

"Hungry, eh? How long has it been since you ate your last meal?" Petra asked before munching on her apple.

"Dunno. Quite a looooong time. I never knew apples were this tasty." Jesse replied as she took another large bite.

"That reminds me, you haven't told me your name yet. I don't feel like calling you 'wimp' or 'little girl' all the time."

"...Jane." (A wimp? Double ouch).

"Cool."

After they ate, they prepared to rest. Petra noticed how Jesse seemed to squirm and grimace as she gingerly laid her body on the grass. She curled herself in a position such that it required her to have minimal contact with the ground. Petra just shook her head and closed her eyes.

Above them, the strong splatter of rain smashing against the dirt roof was the last sound that they heard before drifting into the realm of slumber.

…

A brief flash of lightning illuminated the stone hallway for a brief moment before the deafening clap of thunder sounded. Jesse squealed as she cowered for the fifth time.

It was a stormy night. The thunderstorm was merciless to the trees and shrubbery outside. Leaves and twigs were strewn all over, and the rain pelted noisily on the windows.

In a horrendous night like this, any typical six year old would be scared and seek refuge in their parents' room. So that was what Jesse did. She mustered all of her courage and headed out of the confines of her chambers and into the creepy hallways, dragging an oversized pillow with her to her parent's chambers.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she reached the grand double doors. She shakily reached out and prepared to knock, when she heard her mother shriek, followed by a loud smacking sound of palm against skin.

"EEEEHHHHH! Stay back!"

A hiss of pain followed. "The hell was that for!?"

"What was that for!? That's what you get! That's what you deserve for committing such a sinful and inhumane act!"

"Seriously? What's wrong with you!?"

"You clearly know what! Don't you dare deny your wrongdoings!"

"Did you take the wrong medicine or something?"

"NO!"

"Then just shut up!"

"You just touched my boobs!"

"I'm your notchdamned husband for TNT's sake! It's not as if I've never touched them before!"

"URGHHH! Men are such bullies! You guys think that because you've got muscles and shit it gives you the privilege to abuse women!"

"I swear you didn't take your meds, since you were so preoccupied with your redstone shenanigans that you forgot."

"That's IT! It's off with your head the first thing in the morning! After that I'll feast on your head for breakfast accompanied with red wine!"

After hearing it, Jesse gasped in shock. Was her mother really going to cut off her father's head and have it for breakfast? She couldn't imagine seeing her next morning with his head on the plate, the pure white surface of the plate being stained with crimson blood and other miscellaneous body fluids…

"Daw, that's so cute~ I don't think you'll have what it takes to catch me and strap me to the scaffold, though. But then again, seeing how cuckoo you have been recently, I don't wanna risk it."

"Watch what you say, dumbass! Why not I execute you right this instant!"

Jesse let out a horrified whimper. She could imagine her mother wielding an enormous axe while looking down at her father as she swung the weapon down, aiming straight for his neck…

"Heheheheh… we'll see about that~"

After that, there were sounds of struggle along with pillows being thrown and the loud creaking of the bed. Up to this point, Jesse was beyond terrified and she didn't wish to witness the horrors that were currently happening in her parents' chambers. Immediately she made a tactful retreat; her chambers being less horrifying than her parents'.

The rain and the howling wind came barraging at full force, the lightning and thunder occurred more frequently than before. The flames from the torches etched on the walls swayed ominously. The stone floor felt so cold under her feet, even with her furry slippers equipped.

…

(So cold…

So very cold…

Cold.

Cold.

Cold.)

…?

"...ke u…"

"Wak… pp."

"Wake…"

"Wake up…"

"WAKE UP NOTCHDAMMIT!"

With a gasp, Jesse's eyes shot open. She was immediately greeted by rainwater to her face.

Jesse jerked upright, and she saw that their shelter was in bad shape. Rain was seeping through the walls and the ceiling. It looked like a section of the roof would collapse. The ground was puddled with rainwater, gaining a brown hue after mixing with dirt. Their belongings and their clothes were soaked, which made Jesse grimace.

Petra was squatting beside her, a worried expression on her usually calm face. "We've gotta get outta here. The thunderstorm's real bad and it's tearing our shelter apart. We'll try to find a cave or something. Now come on!"

Jesse didn't need to be told twice. She grabbed Reuben who was looking rather frightened and ran after the redhead.

True to her word, the thunderstorm was terrible. It was just like the exact same thunderstorm in her dream, only worse, because she was caught in it.

The duo tried their hardest to fight against the strong winds that relentlessly tried to knock them off their feet, and the pouring rain felt like miniature sledgehammers slamming down onto her body. Far off into the distance, a bolt of lightning struck a tree, setting it into flames.

For some reason, the shrike managed to remain perched onto Jesse's shoulder without trouble. She was surprised that she hadn't been carried away by the wind yet.

"Sorry, I can't do anything about the weather. Notch's power is beyond my control."

"I didn't… Hngghh… expect anything more… gahh… from you anyway…"

It could have been minutes, hours or even an entire day that they have been caught out in the thunderstorm. It seemed like the road ahead of them was endless, until Jesse heard Petra shout triumphantly. "I see something up ahead!"

Hearing this instantaneously lifted Jesse's previously sour mood. Pure adrenaline coursed through her veins as a wide smile tugged at her lips. Finally, it was about time! She couldn't wait to seek shelter from this dreaded storm and change into some dry clothes!

Just up ahead, Jesse could make out a massive mountain. There was a small cave above just big enough to fit a few people inside. They carefully climbed the slippery surface of the mountain to reach the cave.

There were audible sighs of relief after they were inside. Petra and Jesse wringed their hair dry while Reuben shook his body wildly. All were trying to get rid of rainwater on their bodies except for the shrike who was surprisingly dry as parched earth during a drought. She stood a distance away from the drenched beings as she preened her feathers without a care in the world.

Reuben noticed the bird and oinked in surprise.

"Don't mind her, Reuben. She's just… weird." Jesse reassured as she petted him.

After Jesse said those words, Petra turned to face her while raising an eyebrow. "I hope you aren't talking about me."

"Oh no! I'm not talking about you, I-I was just… the bird…"

Petra chuckled and waved her hand as a form of dismissal. "Relax, I know you're talking about your bird. After all, you don't seem to be the ungrateful type of kid."

The redhead went to dig her haversack and retrieved some dry clothes. She tossed two pieces of clothing towards Jesse. "Sorry if the clothes are shabby and oversized. As I said before, this is all I have. I don't usually have a little kid tagging along with me, so cut me some slack."

"Oh no, it's quite alright! Beggars can't be choosers after all." (How ironic), Jesse thought to herself.

Jesse felt a little uncomfortable changing in front of another person, but Petra just shrugged her off and told her that they were both girls, so there was nothing to be ashamed off. Despite that, Jesse felt her cheeks grow hot throughout the changing session. After they were done, they immediately went to catch up on some needed rest.

When dawn came, Jesse woke up to be greeted by soreness assaulting her entire body. It wasn't surprising, seeing as she was accustomed to sleeping on luxury mattresses. Petra on the other hand was (probably) accustomed to harsh conditions, so sleeping on rocky ground was no big deal to her.

They ate their breakfast of canned potatoes. It tasted like sandpaper, but neither of them complained.

After Jesse forced herself to finish her portion, she left the comfort of the cave for some fresh air. The storm had calmed to a light drizzle. There were trees that had collapsed or were burned due to lightning strikes, and the ground was littered with pile after pile of debris consisting of leaves, twigs and branches.

Jesse was still surveying the mess that last night's storm created, when she heard the shrike greeting her.

"Hey~" Her tone was awfully playful.

As usual, Jesse didn't reply, but the shrike carried on speaking anyway.

"Wanna hear a story? It has something to do with this very mountain that we are taking shelter in right now. In fact, it took place a couple of years ago, so it's still very recent.

"Anyway, this story is about a young boy. He was with his family on a hike. The boy tripped over a loose rock, took a nasty tumble… and broke his neck. His family never found his body. So I was hoping that we go on a little hike ourselves and perhaps stumble across his corpse! Doesn't that sound exciting?"

Jesse cried out in surprise. "The heck!?"

The shrike just laughed. "I was being sarcastic. What I actually want to share with you is that there is a fortress located in this mountain. Let me tell you, your daddy will never find you in there. It's much, much safer than Redstonia. Don't you agree?"

A fortress deep in the mountains in the middle of nowhere? Of course! It was none other than godfather's fortress! Surely nobody would even think that a little girl would seek shelter in the mountains.

But… there was a flaw in the plan. Wouldn't her godfather question her arrival? What if she told him the truth, and he didn't believe her? Worse, he might even send her back!

"Oh, don't worry. Trust me, that fortress is the best hiding place in the world. I can guarantee that nobody would ever find you, even if they wanted to."

Despite the shrike's reassurance, Jesse still felt wary of the suggestion. How could she trust a magical talking bird?

Just then, Petra emerged carrying her haversack while resting her pickaxe that she was clutching on her right shoulder. She looked refreshed and ready to face the day ahead. "Ready to head off?"

"Uhm…"

Jesse turned to face the bird with uncertainty clouding her green eyes. She just tilted her head, as if waiting for a response.

"Is something wrong?" Petra asked, noticing the girl's discomfort.

"I'm confident that your godfather would understand." The shrike said reassuringly.

"Uhhh… well… I just thought… that we could...y'know, climb up the mountain instead? I heard that there was an abandoned fortress built there and I'm kinda curious…"

Hearing this, Petra raised an eyebrow. "But I thought you wanted to—"

"It's okay! That can wait! Can I visit the fortress, please?"

"How do you know that this fortress you speak of is located at this mountain?"

"I'm sure of it! Trust me!" Jesse clasped both her hands into a prayer, giving Petra her best puppy dog eyes.

"... Fine. But after we check it out, it's back on track to Redstonia."

...

It didn't take long before the duo were standing in front of a pair of large fancy doors made out of blue clay blocks with gold blocks as its border.

Wasting no time, Jesse walked up the quartz stairs and raised her arm to knock, when she heard the shuffling of pistons and the door shifted out of the way.

"Well that was easy." Petra shrugged as the group hurriedly stepped inside.

They walked further down to come across a massive pit with raised platforms scattered all around. A person had to parkour across the platforms in order to get across; it was the only way.

Petra leaped and landed on the nearest platform with little effort. She looked back at Jesse who was still rooted to the ground. "Come on! It's perfectly fine!"

Jesse shook her head profusely. "Nu-uh! It's scary! What if I slip!?"

"You'll be fine, just as long as you believe in yourself and don't look down!"

Jesse looked around nervously. This whole parkour business was completely unnecessary—she knew an alternative route—because she had been in this fortress multiple times before. Those platforms were just obstacles to keep intruders out.

"I-I think I'll look for an alternative route. You go ahead and I'll catch up!"

"No way! You'll get lost in a huge foreign place like this! Come with me!" Petra said, stretching out her arm and flashing a reassuring smile. However, Jesse ignored it and ran towards another direction with her two animal companions trailing behind. Petra just sighed and continued on her own.

Meanwhile, Jesse headed to the corner and pushed open a door concealed by the shadows. She walked through a seemingly endless hallway, when she exited to a large hall with a glass roof allowing soft sunlight to stream in. A large model of the amulet was displayed proudly on the wall, along with statues decorated with different coloured blocks to represent each member of the Order.

Jesse could hear the splashing sound of water as Petra swam towards dry ground. She groaned in annoyance as she wringed her soaked red hair. However, when she took a glance at the exquisite architecture, her annoyance was replaced with awe.

"My, my. This is certainly… enchanting. This place is certainly not abandoned. And is that… the amulet of the Order Of The Stone?" Petra gasped as she rushed towards one of the statues and read the words engraved on a plaque: Gabriel the Warrior. "So all these statues represent each member of the Order. This must be one of the fortresses built by Soren the Architect; it has to be. This high level of architectural skill can only be done by the hands of the world's best architect."

(Thanks for pointing out the obvious.) Jesse thought.

Jesse tugged at Petra's sleeve. "Come on, let's go explore! Maybe we might bump into Soren along the way."

At this, Petra's face dawned with realisation. "Oh crap, we're trespassing into his property, aren't we?"

Jesse shook her head. "Nah, I'm pretty sure he's cool."

"Cool? Jane, I'm certain that Soren had his reasons for isolating himself from the rest of the world. While it's kinda awesome to locate his fortress after he went missing for years, I still think that it's best to leave him alone."

"Don't be a party pooper! Come ooooooon." Jesse whined.

Petra remained firm. "Where's your sense of respect? We have no good purpose to be here, and what are we going to tell Soren if we ever bump into him? We can't be telling him 'oh, I'm just here sightseeing.' He'll kick us out anyway. Let's just focus on our task and leave."

However, Jesse was unwilling to give up without a fight. There was no way she was going to give up her golden opportunity that was waving right in front of her face. Her godfather was a nice man; surely he would understand her predicament and welcome her with open arms.

Should she tell the truth to Petra? Jesse was tempted to, but on the other hand, what if she didn't believe her? What if Petra thought that she was just using it as an excuse to roam into Soren's home uninvited? There were so many possibilities, yet so many possibilities of crossing the line. After all, she had already lied to her once, and she didn't want to lose her as an ally.

"It's perfectly fine! Stop doubting yourself! Tell you what, I'll tell you everything once we meet Soren." Jesse grabbed Petra's hand and stared into her eyes. "Trust me, please!"

For a few nerve-racking moments, the redhead stared back, as if in deep consideration. She was terribly confused, not knowing whether to trust Jesse's words. After careful thinking, she shook her head. "I'm sorry Jane. All this… stuff you've been telling me, you expect me to take your word for it? Weren't you supposed to be meeting your relative at Redstonia? You then lead me to a supposedly abandoned fortress, which in reality, is clearly occupied. Now you want me to meet a member of the Order who went missing for years and explain everything to me? I just… don't know anymore. I have no idea what your business is with Soren, and I don't want to be a part of it. I want to keep things simple—it's either listening to me and returning back on task, or we part ways."

Jesse let out a horrified gasp. She gripped Petra's hand tighter, up to the point where her knuckles turned white. "Part ways!? No! You can't! You saved me back in Boom Town, remember?"

"As I said, I don't want to be involved in other people's business too much; I already have enough problems on my plate. I did save you back there, because it was the right thing to do. But sticking my nose into your personal drama? No thanks. I was planning on parting ways after we reach Redstonia anyway."

With a jerk, Petra released her hands from Jesse's grip and stepped back into the water. Jesse yelled at her to come back, but she didn't pay any heed to the little girl's screeches and swam ahead.

When Petra was out of sight, Jesse let out a defeated cry and collapsed on her knees. She couldn't believe it—she had just lost a new ally, and a potential new friend. She bowed her head and sighed heavily, her long hair covering her face. She remained in that position for a while, wallowing in self-pity until she stood up and sucked in a deep breath.

She was not at her wits end yet. There was still hope that her godfather would shelter her in his home. If he agreed, then all her problems would be settled-she wouldn't need to worry about getting assassinated, suffer emotional abuse from her useless father, nor she needed to rely on Petra.

Reuben, who had been watching the entire argument nudged Jesse's skirt and beckoned her towards one of the hallways lined with redstone blocks. She did not hesitate and bravely walked into the hallway, bottling up her nervousness.

Guys, don't panic. Petra won't be excluded from the story, she will play an important role in the story later on.