Chapter eight: Potion for thought
Jesse poked her head around the corner at the bottom of the staircase, the other guys poked their heads around the corner as well.
It was Ivor's little liberty basement, filled with potions and books shoved onto every shelf and available space except for the floor. "So... we are here. In this creepy place." Olivia whispered, looking around the room.
"Looks like the basement... only with a Alchemist setting," Jesse murmured, "I guess he must've gone out a different way or... something."
"I'll bet you anything my skull's down here," Petra said seriously, looking around the area for her lost item.
Axel walked by a few shelves, eyeing a few of Ivor's stuff. "And if we find anything else to steal along the way, so be it, right?" he asked, eyes practically glowing with interest.
Jesse rolled her eyes before shaking her head and smiled. Axel still liked stealing stuff. Petra scowled at him. "Axel- that's not what we're here to do."
"I did said we wanted payback..." Jesse mumbled. Petra narrowed her eyes before Axel took advantage of Jesse sentence. "And what better payback than thieving from a thief."
"I don't want to stoop to his level," argued Petra, Axel frowned and looked at her, "But isn't that the best way to get back at him?"
Jesse sighed at him before saying, "Let's just focus on getting the skull. Not stealing." Axel scowled. "No one ever lets me have any fun," he complained, jokingly.
"We let you hang out with us." Jesse was quick to reply. She smiled at him before walking down the stairs. "The faster we find that skull, the faster we can get the heck out of here."
Everyone split up, dispersing among the shelves. Even Reuben trotted off to go have a look. Jesse looked around the bookshelves and smiled sweetly at the potion brewing books.
"Ivor... you are such a sweetheart, and I love that you still have your hobbies. You are a great friend." Jesse muttered to no one in particular, as she looked at the books.
She then turned around to a corner, spotting Petra ramming through a chest. Petra took out something that Jesse couldn't see, since her back was blocking it. "Oh, what do we have here..." She suddenly pivoted and lashed out, making Jesse to back up away from the golden sword before it could hurt her.
Petra frowned slightly before giving the sword a cursory look. "Too heavy. And too soft."
"But super flashy.~" Jesse grinned at her.
Petra shrugged, looking at the blade. "Yeah, I don't think this guy does much fighting. Hey, you still have that one stone sword, right?"
Jesse nodded before explaining, "Yeah, I had to wave it at some jerk-wad butcher to save Reuben's life." Petra seemed surprised about that.
"Impressive." She then put the golden sword in her inventory before Jesse asked, "Your keeping it? I thought you said it was 'too soft, too heavy'." Jesse put a small deep guy accent on the last phrase.
"It might come in handy," Petra explained before adding in, "and it is super flashy."
Jesse walked up to Axel, who was thinking about stealing some of Ivor's things. She then saw the glowing violet potion with luminous glass, sitting on a quart block. "Axel." Jesse called out to him, "Look. It's the potion."
"I still SWEAR," Axel said walking up to her, looking at it. "I had a dream that involves this potion." he then looked down at his feet. Jesse saw this and asked, "What's wrong buddy?"
Axel then looked back at her before saying, "I... I don't think I should take the potion." Jesse's eyes widen in panic, knowing that the Witherstorm will be defeated by the potion if Ivor has it.
"But you... the potion needs to be stolen in order for us to be heroes." Jesse insisted. Axel looked back at her before chuckling sheepishly, "O-o-of course. Heh heh, I knew that. It's not like I felt guilty about that... heh, heh... heh."
Jesse looked at him confused before walking up to Olivia, "How's it going, Olivia? Found anything?"
"Well, no... But, Ivor is really no slouch when it comes to enchanting. This is still pretty advanced stuff." Olivia muttered under her breath, making sure that Petra and Lukas wouldn't hear.
Jesse nodded before smiling at her, "Ya, Ivor is pretty cool; And also very sweet and extremely funny." Olivia looked at her confusingly before saying, "What?"
"What?" Jesse quickly said to try and covered up what she said. Jesse quickly trotted to Lukas and asked, "H-hey Lukas. Did you found anything?"
"Umm, do you need an instruction manual on 'how to build a creepy villain lair' using everyday objects?" Lukas said sarcastically, looking at the items Ivor stored. Jesse nervously smiled before saying, "Just, checking up on you."
Jesse then saw the lever by the fake potion, she then pulled it and the bookshelf, that Olivia was looking at, lowered and revealed the soul sand and also the main cause of all of this, the Command Block.
"What is all this stuff?" Jesse asked, trying to act like she never knew what it was.
"Soul Sand," Petra replied immediately, "it was everywhere in the Nether."
"But what about that block in the middle?" Jesse pointed at the Command Block. Olivia then walked up to the block, reaching towards it barely touching it, "I bet if I just take a closer look... its almost... pulsing."
"This is so weird." Jesse breathed out walking towards Olivia. "Alright, remember what we're all here for- find that skull."
Olivia nodded before getting out of her way, Jesse then looked down at the chest in front of the Wither structure. She leaned down to open it.
Jesse lifted the lid, before her eyes widen in surprise and confusion. She froze for a bit, before speaking, in a strangely affected voice, "So... good news, weird news. I found the skull but.."
Petra's expression changed to scowl as she leaned forward over Jesse's shoulder. "What the hell?! Why'd I risk my neck for that skull if he's got two of them already?" She asked, sounding extremely annoyed. "And he was in such a hurry to get it too."
"This has to be connected somehow." Jesse thought about this, "The chest was hidden in the back with everything else. Something that we're just not seeing." Petra looked at her and asked, "Like, what?"
"I think I know what this means." Lukas said as he pointed at the items with fear surrounding in his voice, "Soul Sand; plus three Wither Skulls. That's the recipe for a Wither."
Started: 4/26/17 Finished: 4/29/17
(Sorry for the long delay, I got busy. But Back in Time is back and better then ever. But we'll see what happens next, bye.)