It took her about two hours to finish brewing all four of the potions. By the time she had all of them in her inventory she was exhausted. She broke the potion stand and put that in her chest to. Then she gratefully went to sleep. The next morning she woke to find that the sun was already almost halfway up the sky.
Crap, I have to move. She thought, springing to her feet. She quickly got dressed, ate and ran outside, her chest tucked under one arm.
"Where are you going?" Asked a familiar voice.
Elijah.
"I have to go!" Said Nikita as she ran passed him.
"Hey! Wait!" He said, running after her.
She made it ti the stables a minute before he did.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" He asked.
"I promised that I would be there by nightfall." She answered, making the lie up on the fly.
"Cole!" Called Nikita.
At the other end of the stables a figure came running out of a nearby building. He ran up to her and said breathlessly "Ma'am, what do you need?"
"Blaze's tack." She said.
Cole nodded and ran off again.
"I can't believe that I overslept." Muttered Nikita, internally cursing herself.
"It will be alright." Said Elijah.
Just then Cole came back with Blaze's tack and put it on, struggling with the heavy armor only a little. By now a crowd had gathered to see what the commotion was about. Nikita quickly put on her armor and mounted Blaze. She turned to Elijah.
"Thank you." She said.
"For what?" He asked.
"Letting me stay in the village."
Then Nikita dug her heels into Blaze's sides and they galloped down the cobblestones, past the onlooking villagers and into the forest. Nikita didn't slow their headlong pace into the forest until the village was well out of sight. She looked at the sun through the trees.
Midday.
She got out the map and looked at it. They needed to head north. She angled Blaze north and they headed towards the Redstone Isle at a slow walk so Blaze could regain his strength.
She reached into her satchel and drew out an apple.
"Here." She said, giving it to Blaze.
He happily ate it and the one that she gave him afterwards. Suddenly she heard snapping branches. She drew her sword and put away the map. Suddenly a horse came galloping out of the woods towards her. It was steel grey with white flecks, and the rider upon its back wore... iron armor.
It was Elijah!
"Why are you here?" Alaya asked, her voice cold.
"Something felt... wrong." Said Elijah.
"Your sudden disappearance didn't seem... right." He said.
"How did you find me?" She hissed.
"Your hoof prints and the trampled dirt told me everything. I would have found you anyway, I am a hunter after all." He said.
"Tell me what your real mission is."
Nikita's heart leapt.
"I..." she said.
Elijah looked at her expectantly.
"I'm going to Redstone Isle to get information on The Cave." She said finally.
Elijah's eyes grew wide.
"Why would you want to go there?" He asked, his voice colored with horror.
"Because... I'm a Servant." She looked up at him, her expression stone cold.
"I am the one who can tame the Dragon."
Elijah looked at her in disbelief, and... fear?
"Go back to where you came from. Don't tell anyone." Said Nikita.
"I want to help you." He said.
Now it was Nikita's turn to be shocked.
"I've been waiting for a Servant, and I knew deep inside that you were one." He said.
"My parents were killed by the guards at Redstone Isle for no reason. I want to see it fall." He said, his voice all of a sudden bitter and angry.
"Choose wisely, Nikita." Said a raspy voice.
A Servant stood underneath a tree, watching the exchange.
"He may or may not be trustworthy." It said.
"What is that?" Asked Elijah, staring at the Servant.
"A Servant." Answered Nikita.
She then became serious.
"If you come with me, you may die along the way." She said.
"I understand." Said Elijah.
"I know the risks."
All of a sudden the Servant behind Elijah hissed, making him jump.
"I do not like him." It said.
However, it is your choice, but chose wisely."
Then it was gone.
"Coming?" Asked Nikita.
"Yes." Answered Elijah, looking warily behind him.
"They aren't going to hurt you." Said Nikita, knowing that he was looking for the Servant.
"Now come on. We don't have any time to waste." She said, turning Blaze around and heading northward once again, Elijah following close behind. Just as the sun was going down the emerged onto a beach. Out in the middle of the water loomed an island with a sprawling city spanning it.
"The Redstone Isle." Said Nikita, gazing out across the water.
"How are we supposed to get there?" Asked Elijah.
"I'll take you." Said someone.
They turned to see a women standing on the beach. She had on a hoodie and jeans on with black high tops.
"I can lead you through the underwater traps." She said.
"But you will have to leave your horses here in the stables." She said, beckoning them to follow her. Nikita dismounted and Elijah did the same, leading their horses to the stables.
"Careful, there are traps."
The women jumped over a gap and them continued into the stable. We did the same, careful to lead our horses over it.
"Here. You can have this stall here." She said, pointing to a large stall with hay in a feeding trough and water in a cauldron. Nikita led Blaze inside. She then looked inside her chest and put the map back, grabbing all her diamond tools, the turtle shell and the Ender Eye.
Nikita felt much better if those things were with her.
Elijah's horse was put in the stall next to hers.
"Follow me." Said the women, walking back out onto the beach.
"What's your name?" Asked Elijah as they walked out onto the beach.
"Samantha." Said the girl.
Samantha then walked to the edge of the beach and dug through the sand to reveal a chest. She opened it and got out a few things that she piled next to her feet. Then she closed the chest and buried back underneath the sand.
"Here, put these suits on. They will keep your clothes dry when we swim to the island." Said Samantha, handing Nikita and Elijah a pair of black pants, swimming flippers and a black shirt. They struggled into the suits and then Nikita put on the turtle shell.
"I see that you already have a turtle shell." Said Samantha.
"But you don't." She commented, handing Elijah a turtle shell.
"Thanks." He said, swapping his iron helmet for the turtle shell.
Samantha then put on her own wetsuit and turtle shell before walking to the water's edge.
"Ready?" She asked.
"Ready." Said both Nikita and Elijah.
"Go!" Said Samantha.
At the signal the adventurers jumped into the warm ocean water, ready to embark upon the journey to the island.