Chapter 16
Ametha, laughing with sheer joy, flung herself into Topaz's outstretched arms in a purple blur. He picked her up and swung her around in a circle before setting her down.
"Boy, do I have stories to tell you! I found a cave, and I got chased by face monsters, and I also killed a mimic and got this really cool dagger that returns when I throw it! Do you think I should show it to Embrea when she lets me back into the guild?" Ametha asked eagerly. She was met by silence. Topaz, Emi, and Saffa exchanged a few uneasy glances.
Finally, Emi drew in a deep breath. "Um… about that, Ametha. I have some bad news. I'm afraid… Embrea passed on." Ametha closed her eyes and bowed her head.
"I didn't know this would happen," she sniffled, violet tears forming in her eyes. "I just thought she would live forever."
"We all did," Topaz said gently, rubbing her back. "She… she fought Cthulhu outside the guild and he negated her immortality. She was really old, Ametha, and she died a few days later."
Ametha raised her head, narrowing her eyes. "Cthulhu, that old git? I thought he was dead."
"Not dead, exiled," Emi corrected. "And he's returned."
Ametha wiped the purple tears from her face, stared hard at all of them in turn, and ordered, "Stay here. I'll be right back." And with that she took off through the brush. She returned a few minutes later with a can of red paint.
"Courtesy of my friend Raphael," she announced smugly as she lifted the lid off the paint can. Ametha dipped two fingers in the paint and smeared it on her cheek, where it clashed horribly with her purple hair. "War paint. Only ten copper coins per can."
"I like it," Emi marveled. "It's red. Embrea's signature color."
"That's why," Ametha agreed. "We fight this battle for ourselves, we fight this battle for Terraria, and WE FIGHT THIS BATTLE FOR EMBREA HOLT!"
"Well, we're not fighting yet, but we'll keep the paint," Saffa said. "Right now we're looking for our friends Calythé, Ramisse, and Monavelle. We can't seem to find them."
"The Book, the Blade, and the Bow?! NO WAY!" Ametha said incredulously. "What happened?"
"Thunder left awhile ago, and Calythé tried to find him, and Ramisse tried to find her, et cetera," Emi replied. "Long story short, all three of them are gone."
"You know, I passed through the crimson on my way to get the paint from the village," Ametha mused, "and I saw some crawlers and face monsters, but they weren't coming after me. They were going into this dark cave, and I heard laughter coming from it. Maybe that's where they are."
"Great idea, Ametha," Topaz replied. "Let's go crimson-diving."