"Hey Ivor! W-Wait up!" I called, my feet already running in the direction Ivor took off to.
We had left the hub, already heading after him.
"Do you think he's going to do anything bad?" Asked Olivia, keeping her pace behind me.
"If so, we've beat him once..." growled Petra, taking her sword out of its sheath. "We can beat him again."
I... don't think Ivor would do anything bad. He's stuck with us for two years, helping our cause when things got tough.
"Guys, come ON!" Asserted Lukas, matching my speed. "We're gonna loose him!"
"For the love of notch, Lukas..." huffed Axel, barely managing to keep up. "You guys... are going... too... too fast for me..."
I managed to sprint in front of Lukas for a second, pulling back a curtain of vines.
Immediately, I saw Ivor.
"IVOR!" I screamed, running over to him. "Ivor, what are you DOING HERE?!"
He turned his head, a smirk spreading across his face.
"Oh! Jessica! What a wonderful surprise to see you here!" He gasped, my friends joining me in the small forest clearing.
"Ivor, what are you doing?" Asked Petra, anger charging her words.
"You nearly gave us all a heart attack!" Hissed Lukas.
Ivor hung his head, looking guilty.
"I-I thought... that... maybe...." Ivor sighed, pausing his sentence for a moment. "Maybe you guys were following me, and that we could go on another adventure in this world."
He looked so sad, making me feel guilty for shouting at him.
After all, he's no longer that creepy old man we met at Endercon. He seems.... kinder.
"Oh, Ivor..." I soothed, walking closer to him. "You've done nothing wrong."
"Yeah..." sighed Olivia, scuffing the dirt with her feet. "You... didn't cause any harm."
Ivor sniffed, probably trying to keep from crying.
"Why are you upset, Ivor?" Asked Lukas, keeping his place next to the vines.
Ivor didn't answer, twirling the flint and steel in his hands.
"Ivor... let me see that." I sighed, taking the flint and steel.
"Okay.... looks like the flint and steel are.." I stopped my words, my eyes widening.
It... it was as if everything was blowing away.
Like... everything but me was made of little bits of paper.. and that the environment was disappearing before my very eyes.
There was only white void, the colorful grass beneath me beginning to disappear.
"Oh no- oh god no!" I muttered, trying my best to move away from the disappearing ground.
"NO!" I screamed, seeing my legs begin to blow away- just like my friends.
I tried to run, but I couldn't move.
"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" I screamed, my torso starting to blow away, too.
My heart was racing, witch is saying something, considering that I... I was almost gone.
WHAT IS HAPPENING?! WHY CAN'T I
MOVE?!
Suddenly, my vision went white, partially blinding me.
Then, all at once, my world flooded with color.
I looked down, seeing that my body was completely intact.
Wait a second.... where was I?
"Would you rather fight a hundred chicken-sized zombies... or ten zombie-sized chickens?" Came a voice, scaring me.
I looked around the room, seeing that I was in my treehouse.
B-but.... my treehouse... was demolished in the witherstorm attack...
I saw Endercon posters from two years ago...
Reuben was oinking happily, running around on his stubby piggy legs.
"O-Olivia?" I asked, turning to the sound of the voice.
I turned my head, seeing Axel.
"What?" He asked, sounding puzzled. "Olivia went out to get fireworks! Don't you remember?"
Oh my notch.... Axel.. He's messing with REDSTONE. I-I thought.... that... he HATED redstone...
"Okay.... forget my silly joke..." he sighed, bringing a tray of tinkering toys to the window.
"I've attached a daylight sensor on the roof... and when it turns night, it should keep the house full of light."
He turned to me, smiling.
"I didn't want to leave the little girl with nothing while we were gone..." he petted Reuben on the head, still smiling.
Remember what happened last time? When you took Reuben with you guys to Endercon?
"Um.... yeah!" I exclaimed, seeing a bright pink bow tied around his neck. "It... sounds best if we keep him here." I sighed, taking the ribbon in my fingers.
It read: Rita. If lost, please call: (Jessica's number)
I released the ribbon, not believing what was going on.
Wait.
I looked to the clock across the room, seeing that it was 3:18 pm.
I-if I leave now.... I could just quite stop Petra from... from leaving to the nether...
Which would mean...
....no witherstorm.
I shot up from the floor like a rocket, Axel's eyes widening in surprise.
"W-where are you-?"
"BOOOO!" Screamed Olivia, smashing through the trapdoor with a creeper head on.
Axel and Rita screamed, leaving me to be the only one who was expecting it.
I grabbed my wooden sword from the chest in a hurry, angry that Olivia was slowing down my progress.
I... could prevent so many people from loosing their lives. If I could... if I could just-
"What are you doing, Jess?" Asked Olivia, taking off her creeper head. "Endercon doesn't start for hours!"
Axel crossed his arms, glaring at Olivia.
"What's the point?" He growled. "Every year, we loose to Petra and the Ocelots. They're too good for us to beat, and I don't even know why we try."
"P-Petra... and the Ocelots?" I asked, confused.
Olivia looked at me like I had grown a second head.
"What are you talking about?" She asked. "We've been competing against them for nine years!"
....then..... where's Lukas??
???'s POV:
I walked down the dark alley, which was almost pitch black- although it was still midday.
I leaned against the wall, not believing that he was late.
Well... most of your clients are. Just quit whining about it.
I saw a shadowy figure walk toward me, and I didn't bother to take out my sword.
Anyone with a right sense of mind knows not to mess with me.
"Hello...." purred a voice, sending chills up my spine. "Are you... Lukas Hulting?"
"....don't say my last name." I growled, seeing a glint of flaming orange curls.
"Then you are Lukas.... correct?" Asked the man, walking into view.
He had bright orange curly hair, with a matching colored beard.
He was wearing beaten up golden armor, and looked...
Creepy.
That's the only word I could think of.
"Yes." I replied, my tone cold. "But you said you have a deal to propose to me. What is it?"
The man smirked, taking out a stack of diamonds and holding them exactly in my line of vision.
"I will give you an entire stack of these beautiful darlings....." he put them away, pausing his sentence. "But only if you run to the nether, and get me a wither skull."
No. no Lukas. Those..... ARE really nice diamonds....... but no! Just because some creepy man wants you to go get an ancient artifact for good pay, doesn't mean that you should do it.
I ignored the voice in my head, stretching out my hand.
"Deal." I spat, waiting for him to take my hand.
He stood there for a second, as if he were thinking.
"Well come on, now!" I hissed. "Close the deal before I change my mind!"
He took my hand, skating it with a firm grip.
"Deal." He purred, a smirk spreading across his face.