Valor stepped out of the river, shaking off his foot and setting it on the bank.

"Why didn't you just teleport across?" Null asked, passing by and shaking out his robes. "Like your enderman friend?"

"I'm not an enderman." Valor responded as he followed him up. "And I don't mind the water. Besides, it's hot today."

"You're telling me," Wraith complained as he hopped up on shore, tugging at the small, ragged cloak that he wore. "It could be worse. I could be in black." He cast a glance at Null, who raised a brow.

"Lucky for me that I feel nothing but cold."

"Oh." Wraith frowned. "I feel rather sorry for you."

"I've grown used to it."

" Come on," Qorin urged them, and Valor went to join him as the enderman continued to walk. Qorin had been a bit agitated since they left the boat, and Valor couldn't argue considering their circumstances. But he couldn't help feeling peaceful on such a nice day.

It had been three days since they had docked, and the group had been following Null's direction ever since. Valor was greatly cheered by the newly regained function of his leg, strengthening his resolve to track down the thieves and get his father's pickaxe back. Null claimed they were gaining on them, which made sense since those they pursued did not know they were being hunted.

There has been no sign of Skorr's endermen, either. Valor wondered if he had given up.

"Valor, we've been traveling together for nearly a week," Wraith announced as he fell into step beside him. "But I know next to nothing about you." Valor arched a brow in his direction.

"I could say the same about you."

"Well, you know enough." Wraith said. "I'm a treasure hunter and mercenary, and I'm your ally. How about yourself?"

"You know enough about me as well." Valor matched him. "I'm a vigilante, like my father before me."

"Surprised 'ol Herobrine settled down with a wife and kid."

"That isn't exactly the case."

"Oh?" Wraith looked at him expectantly, and Valor stared at him until it was clear he wouldn't give up.

"I was adopted." He finally caved. "I was the son of a friend, my parents perished to illness, so Herobrine took me in."

"Oh? Then how did you end up with the…" Wraith gestured to his own eyes. "...and all?"

"It's a long story."

"Well, we have nothing but time."

"A long story, and a personal one." As much as he trusted this man not to knife him in his sleep, Valor still wasn't keen on opening up about his past and his weaknesses to him.

"Does it have to do with the amulet you seek?" Wraith guessed. "The one your life is allegedly bound to?" Valor pursed his lips. Curse Null's loose tongue.

"...yes." He admitted at last. "I am technically undead, kept alive by the magic of the amulet."

"Fascinating." Wraith laced his fingers together behind his back. "I take it Herobrine was the same way?"

"Yes." Valor reached down to pat the pickaxe that hung from his belt. "He's- was connected to this pickaxe."

"A shame it didn't save him." Wraith said. Valor only nodded.

The party walked in silence for a little while, the only sounds being their footsteps crunching in the grass and the birdsong around them.

"What about you?" Valor asked at last. "What's your story?"

"Oh, there isn't much to tell." Wraith shrugged, hooking his thumbs into his belt. "I was a poor orphan child raised by a band of thieves and murderers. It really is impressive that I'm still alive." Valor side-eyed him, trying to gauge whether or not he was telling the truth.

"I see." He said at last. So this man was raised by the very people that Val and his father had devoted their lives to stamping out. That wasn't particularly encouraging.

"I hate to interrupt your heart-to-heart, but…" Null lifted a hand to point to the forest that rose up before them. "We're getting close."

Valor leaned out from behind the shelter of the trees, scrutinizing the camp before them in the dim evening light.

"So the amulet is with them," He said.

"Correct." Null confirmed. "I'm certain of it."

"Do you have any idea which one has it?" There were several figures moving around the camp, Valor counted six in all.

"Not unless we get closer."

"Well, that shouldn't be an issue." Wraith remarked. "Six of them, four of us, and with us we have an enderman, a dark wizard, and Herobrine's son. I'm confident that we can take them."

"We're not going to kill them." Valor shut him down before he could go any further. "We have no guarantee that these are the thieves- for all we know, they purchased the amulet honestly. We search their camp after they go to sleep."

"Well, that could take a while." Wraith folded his arms, leaning back against a tree trunk. "Wizard, I don't suppose you have anything in your bag of tricks to speed that up?"

"I'm afraid not," Null said. "But I can muffle our footsteps to keep them from waking when we come near."

It was about an hour and a half before all the forms in the camp fell still, during which Valor pointed out a quadrant of the camp for each of them to search. He also quietly instructed Qorin to keep an eye on Wraith. He had his suspicions that this self-proclaimed treasure hunter would run off the amulet if he did happen upon it.

Finally, all was quiet, and Null cast the muffling spell before leading the way into the camp.

The campfire had burned down to embers, but with his enhanced night vision Valor had no issue searching his section of the camp. His feet made no sound where they touched the ground, a fact he was immensely thankful for as he eased a bag away from a sleeping body and quietly rummaged through it. Nothing.

Spying movement out of the corner of his eye, Val looked up, and found Null picking his way through the camp towards him.

"I can feel the presence of the amulet, but it isn't clear enough for me to track it down in a small space." The sorcerer muttered as he drew new. Valor nodded, glancing around at the sleeping men. Could one of them be wearing it?

"Valor!" A hissed shout caught his attention, and his head snapped up, seeking out the source so he could tell them to be quiet. When his gaze fell on Wraith, though, the man's face was grim. "Your friends are here." He pointed, and Valor followed his directions to several pairs of purple eyes in the darkness.

Valor cursed quietly. Were they after Qorin, the pickaxe, or the amulet? The first time he had seen them was at the auction. Hastily, he beckoned Qorin close, and the enderman hurried to join him by the campfire.

"We should get out of the camp." He whispered as Null and Wraith followed him over. "So we don't have to contend with two groups of enemies. Qorin, make sure you're-" and he was cut off by an enderman appearing and swinging his claws at his head.

Valor ducked and Wraith hurled a handaxe, the enderman disappearing into purple sparks before the weapon could hit him. Qorin promptly vanished, and Valor felt a rush of relief a moment before the endermen surrounded them.

Valor ripped his pickaxe free from his belt and lunged at one of the endermen, hoping to take out as many as possible before they retreated again. Null hurled a charge of light at another, causing it to teleport away with a loud cry that woke the inhabitants of the camp that they were trying to rob. Valor paid them no heed as he swiped at an enderman that remained just out of reach.

Wraith seemed to be faring well against their opponents, slashing at them with his remaining handaxe as they hissed and snarled at him. Null was firing off spell after spell to keep them off of him, and Valor found himself taking on two, one of which was clearly attempting to snatch his pickaxe. Were they after that, the amulet, or Qorin? Their leader, Skorr, was nowhere to be found - Qorin had said he was weakened, so perhaps he only showed himself when absolutely necessary.

Speaking of Qorin, Valor still didn't see him, so he lunged at an enderman to force it back before scanning the battlefield. He spied a pair of purple eyes further into the woods - maybe Qorin, maybe not, but it would have to be good enough. He turned around again just as one of the endermen appeared right in front of him and seized him by the throat.

Valor choked, striking instinctively at the hand holding him, but the enderman barely seemed to feel it. Valor teleported instead, appearing on the enderman's other side and bringing down his pick, but his opponent vanished before him. Valor spun around again with a growl. They were definitely losing the amulet.

"Valor, duck!" The shout had him obeying instantly, and an axe whizzed above his head to bury itself in the enderman's ribs. It made an awful, choked cry an instant before dissolving into dust, leaving its pearl to drop to the ground. Valor lunged for it, catching up the orb just before another enderman got to it.

Having lost another member, the endermen made their retreat, popping into purple sparks one by one. Valor got to his feet, dusting off his knees as he looked around.

"Qorin?" He called. His companion appeared beside him with a bow. "Here." Valor offered him the pearl, and Qorin took it with a nod before teleporting away.

"They're gone." Null said quietly. "And your necklace with them." Valor glanced at the remains of the camp. Sure enough, their quarry had taken anything they could hold and fled, leaving their battle behind.

"It's alright." Valor said, unable to keep his frustration from bleeding into his voice. "We'll find them again."

"And if your endermen friends show up as well?" Wraith asked. Valor pressed his lips into a thin line.

"Then we'll deal with them as well." He said. "If we kill one every time, eventually there will be no more left."

"And then we'll have to deal with the big one." Null pointed out.

"There are four of us- I'm sure we can at least do something." Valor cast another glance at the remains of the camp, forcing back the bitter anger that he could feel threatening. They had been so close.

"Well, then, what now?" Wraith asked as he collected his handaxes.

"Now, we wait for Qorin to come back." Valor sat down heavily on the trampled grass. "Then, we rest."

these guys are literally just a d&d party

~FFF