The whole group of adventurers invited now all stood in the dining room. Garrett's stomach grumbled in the silence that took over.
"Garrett, when was the last time you ate?" Sparklez questioned.
"Yesterday. I'm fine, honestly." Garrett lied again. He was a great liar when it came to his wellbeing.
"If you say so." Cassie shook her head at him. Garrett nods.
"Anyways, let me introduce you all properly." Sparklez continued, the only one standing between Garrett, Jesse, Ivor, Petra, and Lukas and the other individuals in the room, either sitting or standing. "You've met Cassie Rose and LDShadowLady-"
"But my friends call me Lizzie."
"This is StacyPlays, Stampy Cat, and that's Dan 'The Diamond Minecart.'" Sparklez introduced everyone, as a guy with blue hair- wait, didn't he have brown hair before?
"Wait, when did your hair change color? Wasn't it-" Petra began, but she was quickly cut short. Not only was she stopped short, she stole Garrett's question.
"It's funny," Sparklez began, looking around at them all, beginning to pace in circles around them. "Before you showed up, we all knew each other here. Guys, meet the Order of the Stone- Jesse, Lukas, Petra, and Ivor. And there's Garrett. He's not a part of the Order, but he happens to be a blacksmith." Garrett's eyes went wide. These people were the Order of the Stone? Didn't they live in a different world? "Apparently, they're famous heroes from where they come from."
"You said there were news. Is it good? Good news?" the blue-haired man approached him. Garrett remembered a guy coming to his shop for a diamond minecart. Well, he couldn't recall who exactly, but he seemed like the person. Then again, anyone could have a diamond minecart. Dan, Garrett now remembered his name, gave Sparklez a grin, hoping it was real good news.
"Ah, yeah." Sparklez rubbed the back of his head nervously. "It's bad news, I'm afraid. TorqueDawg…." Sparklez took a deep breath, and Garrett pat his shoulder comfortingly. Sparklez gave him a small smile, before turning back to the rest. "TorqueDawg… is dead."
"Good heavens!" "Wait, what?" "Oh no!"
"But TorqueDawg was so tough. There was nothing that could stop him. What happened?" Stacy asks, hoping for an answer.
"Yeah, what on earth is going on here, Sparklez?" Dan agreed to Stacy's question, hoping for an answer.
"These…" Jesse stepped forward, pulling out the tipped arrow. "... are what got him."
"Tipped arrows?" Lizzie raised an eyebrow.
"Does this mean someone's set a trap for TorqueDawg? That's nasty." Stacy scrunched up her nose, crossing her arms.
"I can't believe TorqueDawg is gone! Just like that!" Dan took a seat at the huge table nearby.
"What happened to this stuff, though?" Stacy questions, looking around the others.
"Woah!" Cassie burst, "How can you just say that?"
"What? It's a valid question!" Stacy objected, her hands on her hips now.
"Woah." Lizzie whistled.
"Come on, everyone, don't be so greedy!" Stampy attempted to calm the atmosphere, but it did him no good.
"His stuff just disappeared. Went down this weird hole in the floor." Jesse stepped forward to answer.
"Are we just supposed to take your word for it?" Stampy questioned, while Garrett wiped some of the ash from his face, revealing a purpling bruise on his jaw from his fight with TorqueDawg.
"Woah, Garrett, what happened? How'd you hurt your jaw?" Dan grew worried for the blacksmith, who took a seat across from him.
"TorqueDawg happened, that's what." was all Garrett replied.
"What? Sparklez, what happened?"
"I don't know why, but it seems like TorqueDawg snapped. He thought that Garrett had a rare item, and just attacked. I tried getting him off of Garrett, but that didn't go so well. Then the lights went out and when they came back on, TorqueDawg was just lying there, dying on top of Garrett. And, to answer your question, Stampy, I was there. Jesse was just poking around before it got sucked into a hopper."
"So I'm looking at the situation…" Lukas stepped forward, looking across the whole group. "Is this all about TorqueDawg? Or was there a bigger picture?"
"Yeah. Why have our portraits?" Petra asks, and she looks to Jesse. Jesse must be the one to figure out the answers in their group. All was silent as Jesse paced in circles where Sparklez once was.
"I dunno, guys. Knowing TorqueDawg, this might just be all about him." Lizzie answered.
"Am I picking up some beef here?" Petra asks, crossing her arms as her eyes met Lizzie's.
"Uh, what? No! I don't know what you're talking about." Lizzie claimed, holding her hands out. Everyone's gaze bore into her, even Garrett's tired one. Jesse approached her intimidatingly, silent as her glare bore into the pink-haired woman. "Know what? Forget I said anything." Lizzie shook it off. Uneasy glances were sent around the room. "Well, someone brought us all here for some reason. Including TorqueDawg-"
"TorqueDawg didn't have an invitation. It wasn't in his inventory." Garrett pointed out and emptied his pockets, revealing some potions, wood, stone, and an enchanted diamond axe. No book of invitation. "And neither did I. When I arrived here, I landed in the basement of this place. Creeping around in the shadows til Mr. Panicky Pants over there stumbled into me." Garrett refilled his pockets with his stuff and motioned to Sparklez when he mentioned the nickname.
"There was another odd thing about it, though. The fires in the furnaces, they began to roar fairly loudly. Probably the reason why you never heard the punches flying, Lizzie." Garrett's eyes widened a little as he looked away. And it was going so well as a secret so far, Ivor. He thought. Accusations were being thrown around and Jesse met eyes with Garrett, who just shook his head and looked down at the table.
"Look, guys! If there's one thing I believe in, it's teamwork. If we all stick together and get through this as a team, then we'll be fine!" Jesse put her hands on her waist.
"Ha. Inspiring." Dan raised his eyebrows as he crossed his arms.
"There you go, guys! Teamwork makes the dream work!" Sparklez gave Jesse a thankful grin, to which she replied with a smile.
"Wow." Ivor muttered. He didn't hate positivity with all his heart, but he despised it in a small part of it.
"Ooh, all this 'danger' talk has my stomach all queasy." Stampy says, turning away from the group.
"Stampy, come over here, I need to talk to you about something." Stacy looks at him as she walks past him and around the table, over to the fireplace. Stampy followed.
"Lizzie. Pst, Lizzie!" Dan hissed, motioning for the girl to head over to take the seat next to him. Garrett just lies his head in his arms, wanting to go to sleep and awaken from this nightmare. Too many people thought it was him. There was a lot of evidence, he'll admit, and this Host is somehow framing him real well.
As he listened as the others go and do their own thing, Cassie with Sparklez and Winslow while Jesse and her group were behind him. Garrett couldn't find the strength to stand again, though. He had to get some food or water in him before he died of starvation.
"Hey, Garrett, I can give you some steak and a bottle of water if you give me some answers in return." a voice spoke behind him as a gentle hand was placed on his back.
"I don't need the food-"
"Garrett, you're starving yourself here. Eat." Jesse forced him, throwing the bottled water and steak in front of him. Garrett sighs, doing her bidding. It did feel good to get something in his stomach, but he wasn't fully satisfied. Maybe I'll snatch something from the kitchen if this Host doesn't mind…
"Garrett, it's just a few simple questions and a meal in return for honest answers."
"Go ahead." Garrett shrugged, chewing on the steak meat.
"Where were you before this?"
"Trying to get home. Like everyone else here, now."
"Did you know anyone before this?"
"Dan came to my shop once, I think. The memory's faint, but it's there, I promise you. And Sparklez, he's familiar, but I can't put my finger on where I remember him." Garrett paused, allowing her to soak the information. "And, you're a part of the Order of the Stone, right?"
"Not the original. A member of the original was Ivor. We're the New Order."
"I'm going to need your help after all this. I'm stuck here because I was meant to get a message to you guys. A call for help, actually." Garrett looked down and away.
"Sorry, but we couldn't help but to overhear." a voice spoke up from across the table. Dan and Lizzie still sat there. "What do you mean, a call for help?" Dan spoke again.
"Look, I'm not from this world. At all. I've basically been wandering endlessly in hopes to find an already-lit portal because I damn well lost the flint and steel my friend used before he was hurt and because he got hurt, they made me the messenger and now, there's no way for me to get home. I ran out of food a week ago, I haven't slept well for the past five days- the curse is upon me, I say! Before we know it, I'll be dead and not from this damn house or because of this Host, but because of this curse that is eating up the Elementals and taking their world with them-"
"Garrett, calm down!" Jesse exclaimed, standing up. The fire was roaring like a wolf's loud growling. Embers licked at the air, and it almost got Stampy and Stacy. The room's temperature got much, much hotter. Garrett held his head as a migraine took over from his lost control of powers. The fire calmed back down, into it's low lying embers and the room temperature went back to normal. Garrett sat back down, holding his head as he clenched his eyes shut. "I still have more questions, considering what you just informed me. I'll get back to you, alright?" He felt Jesse's hand on his back, rubbing it comfortingly before it disappear. Garrett sighs. It would be a while before he got to get out of this place and arrive home with the Order in tow. He found them, yes.
It was now only a matter of staying alive.
And that is it for Chapter Three! This was quite the chapter, and I finished it at around 10 PM. Holy crap. That took quite a while!
It also wasn't as long as I hoped it would be, so apologies if it's shorter than it seems!
Anyways, what do you think will happen next? (Prediction reviews and theories through PM are amazing things, don't be afraid to speak your mind!)
Til then, dear readers!