Fated (Chapter Fifty-Seven)
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mindcrackloveChapter list: http://tanadin.dreamwidth.org/382.html
Map of the continent: http://tanadin.deviantart.com/art/F
Character status spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Sunspire, Minecraftia. November 3, year 573. Time instance 483Z.
It was about an hour before the sky would even begin to glow with the rays of the sun as Onai slipped through the trees. It wasn’t that what he was doing was wrong, or shady, but it was that if discovered by one certain person, his entire plan would fall to pieces.
He kept this in mind as he pulled himself through the window and gently tapped Trymdas’ shoulder, covering his mouth to stop the questions. He silently motioned for the younger brother to follow him, going back out through the window. He pulled Trymdas halfway across the rope bridge connecting two trees before stopping, feeling that if he pulled Trymdas any further away, Valkan would find out.
“I needed to talk to you without the prying ears of your brother.” Onai said, the only words of explanation that he offered.
Trymdas looked nervous. “Wh-what do you want?”
“I wanted to let you know that I know what your brother has done. What he’s done to you.” Onai hesitated. “And that you can contact me anytime it gets too bad. I can put him in his place, he wouldn’t dare use his powers against me where anyone could see.”
Trymdas looked frightened. “Wh-what? How…how do you know about that?”
“The shadows told me a lot, Trymdas. And they can tell me what you say to them. I know we’re in separate groups, but I want you to tell me everything that Valkan does that would be deemed…not okay by the others.”
Trymdas stared. “How would I do that? And…and why?”
“I want to try and change events.” Onai said softly. “I know your fate and I want to try and change it if I can. Just speak to the darkness. Tell it that you want it to transmit your words to me. It’s also a useful way to communicate between the two groups, although you won’t be able to share anything I say with your groupmates without making Valkan suspicious.”
“Why can’t you talk to anyone else?”
“The shadows only listen to everything you and Valkan say. You know why.”
Darkness burning in their hearts.
A shiver ran down Trymdas’ spine. He was disturbed that Onai knew so much, and yet…he silently hoped that he didn’t know everything, didn’t know what Valkan had done to him to make him the way he was.
As if reading his mind, Onai continued. “I’m…sorry, for what Valkan has done. He will pay, I can promise you that. Valkan will pay for the horrors he’s inflicted on you and everyone else.”
Trymdas started to shake his head, even as his entire body began to shake. “N-no. Don’t. Don’t get involved, it’ll only get worse, he’ll only make it worse…”
Onai grabbed Trymdas’s shoulders and looked him in the eyes.
“What Valkan has done is inexcusable. I’m sorry I can’t save you from him right now but I will do my best to stop him before he goes further. Then…we’ll find a way to purge the taint. I know we can. I’ve seen it done.”
Trymdas looked hopeful. “You…you could get rid of it?”
“Yes.” Onai paused. “For you. Valkan is too far gone.” He let go of Trymdas’ shoulders. “Talk to the shadows. Don’t let Valkan find out. Survive.”
Trymdas nodded. “Okay.” As Onai turned to leave, he called out for him to wait.
“Thank you.” He whispered.
Onai smiled slightly and nodded before descending back down the tree, ghosting along the jungle floor.
He was angling back to Mitven’s place, where Axid was still resting, but a tip from a shadow led him to turn right and keep his eyes peeled for a Sunspine.
It didn’t take long for Onai to find him, a Skullblade of about twenty looking a little lost. He walked with uncertainty, glancing at the trees he passed, as if looking for something.
He jumped and yanked his sword halfway out of his sheath as Onai seemed to materialize out of the darkness. He relaxed somewhat when he recognized Onai as one of the Caretaker’s friends, but he didn’t immediately sheathe his sword completely.
“Are you looking for someone?”
The Sunspine slowly nodded. “Yeah. I was looking for you, actually. Well, someone in your group.” He made a vague hand motion, shoving his sword back in its sheath. “My name is Battlebroken Panther.”
“Onai.” The darkness elementalist nodded slightly in greeting. “What was it you needed?”
“Well…” He hesitated. “This may seem like an odd thing, but… my ex-boyfriend and I tamed a Sunspire panther awhile back, and when we split, she went with him. A couple of days ago, she appeared out of seemingly nowhere, seeming really distressed, and is almost always by my side. I’m really worried, as she wouldn’t leave him unless…unless…” He gulped a little. “And since you’re from outside the jungle, I thought maybe you might have seen him? None of the Sunspines have.”
Having an idea of where this was going, Onai tilted his head. “What did he look like? What was his name?”
“Carl.” Oh boy. “He had light brown eyes and usually dyed his hair a weird color- teal last time I checked. Do you know anyone like that?”
“…Yeah. I did.” Onai sighed. “He was part of our group. Part of the prophecy. But, well…”
The Sunspine shut his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “How did he die?”
“One of the Hostiles got him. Altair. I won’t describe it. It was...bad.”
Battlebroken Panther shivered. “I appreciate that. At least….at least Vynx found her way back.” He looked like he wanted to cry. “Did you bury him, at least?”
Onai nodded. “Yes. I did.” I buried Velloh too, but no one knows about that. Not that it matters if they know or not.
Only one remained unburied.
Panther nodded. “Thank you.” He looked away. “I…I need to go home. I need to get back to Vynx.”
Onai nodded as well, understanding. “I’m sorry to bring you that news. He was a good person.”
“He was.” Panther stalked off back into the jungle, silently wishing that he could do it all over, that he could have stayed with Carl despite the other not being a Skullblade. Maybe…maybe that would have saved him…
Onai tried to pull himself away from the worries of the Sunspine and continued his walk back to Axid, feeling troubled.
~~~
Nak shifted in his saddle as he watched the two groups say goodbye to one another as they prepared to leave.
Splitting up bothered him, but only because it weakened their forces. He was still able to protect Nia, and that was his primary concern.
The dragon made him nervous, though. Mokdal surveyed them all and Nak tightened his grip on his sword hilt when the dragon’s gaze passed over Nia, pausing briefly. Nak didn’t know much about dragons, but he knew enough to know that they were powerful and almost unstoppable when angered.
Once goodbyes were said, Iirkolav barked for attention. “Once our various missions are done, meet back where Skera marked for you to originally meet on the maps, alright? All of you know where that is and I have a vague idea. Let’s get moving!”
With that, Mokdal took to the skies and flew overhead as one group made their way south, and the other north. Marcus grumbled to himself as he pulled the tarp further over him, not being a huge fan of flying on the dragon’s back. He had been assured that they would soon transition back to traveling at night, both for his sake and because the desert was unbearably hot during the day.
Nak twisted in his saddle to watch the other group depart, feeling a shiver run down his spine.
This won’t end well.
-~-
Sevadus tapped his fingers thoughtfully as he peered into his orb. He was still wondering what the hell the conversation between Trymdas and Onai earlier had meant. What, exactly, had Valkan done? Onai spoke as if it had been something magical in nature, and something about a taint…
His thoughts were interrupted as he heard Blame’s voice.
“Vechs.” The Skullblade spoke quietly, but as the room was silent, his words were still relatively clear to Sevadus. “Next time you go down and retrieve an orb…toss this to Iirkolav, will you?”
Sevadus looked up but missed the exchange of whatever the item was. He saw Vechs nod.
“Yeah. I can do that.” He smiled slightly. “Just wanting to let him know you’re watching?”
Blame nodded silently and went back to studying his orb. He was upset that Shred and Iirkolav were in separate groups, but he silently consoled himself by remembering that Vechs had allowed him to peer into his orb whenever he wanted.
Sevadus frowned as both Blame and Vechs shivered and looked around, as if a ghost had passed through them. They exchanged glances and left the room together.
Sevadus, against his better judgment, followed.
The two walked down the stone corridors of the base, weapons drawn and senses on high alert. They seemed tense as they walked through almost the entirety of Spawntown. Eventually Vechs sighed and looked back at Blame, speaking with his voice low.
“Do you think he’s gone?”
“Only one way to find out.” Blame growled, turning and leading the way back to his room. Sevadus followed at a distance, peering in the open doorframe as Vechs and Blame pulled a cracked orb out of a drawer and began to flip through various images.
It took a couple of seconds for Sevadus to recognize the item and he spoke without thinking. “Hey! Didn’t you both agree that thing was bad news?”
Both Blame and Vechs almost jumped out of their skins, whirling around with weapons ready. Sevadus yelped and held his hands up in a ‘peace’ gesture. “Woah! It’s just me!”
“Don’t fucking sneak up on us like that!” Blame snarled, glaring at him and chilling the other Mindcracker to the bone. Vechs looked more relieved than anything, but definitely spooked.
“I just wanted to make sure you were okay!” Sevadus protested. “And we decided that orb was bad news! Why are you looking into it again?”
Blame and Vechs exchanged glances.
“Don’t tell me you think that Altair is here.”
“We heard him!” Vechs protested. “Didn’t you?”
“No! You’re imagining it!”
“Two people can’t hallucinate the same thing, Sevadus!” Blame growled. “He’s here. I don’t know why or how, but he’s here.”
Sevadus shook his head. “He’s not here.” He strolled forward and plucked the orb from Vechs’ grip. “I’m going to have someone more responsible look after this.”
Both immediately began to protest but Sevadus had already set off in a run, going around the corner before the other two had managed to shoulder each other out of the way long enough to get out the door.
He shouted “Catch!” at Etho and threw the cracked orb to him. Etho seemed to understand and quickly pocketed it before walking on as if nothing happened. He watched in amusement as Vechs and Blame continued to chase Sevadus, knowing that they would eventually catch up.
Shame that he didn’t have what they were looking for.
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Date: Monday, November 23rd, 2015 11:51 pm (UTC)G.C. (::)(::)(::)(::)(::)(::)
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Date: Tuesday, November 24th, 2015 12:24 am (UTC)-darkangel4182
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Date: Tuesday, November 24th, 2015 01:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, November 26th, 2015 04:50 pm (UTC)How is he an asshole for not wanting his friends to hallucinate themselves to death staring into an orb that they KNOW is dangerous?
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Date: Friday, November 27th, 2015 06:47 am (UTC)-the lurkiest lurker
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Date: Saturday, November 28th, 2015 09:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Tuesday, November 24th, 2015 06:03 am (UTC)-Anon Cami
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Date: Tuesday, November 24th, 2015 07:18 am (UTC)-the lurkiest lurker
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Date: Tuesday, November 24th, 2015 10:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Wednesday, November 25th, 2015 05:41 am (UTC)-Anon Cami
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Date: Wednesday, November 25th, 2015 11:02 am (UTC)(I guess maybe it's Tanadin's fault that they're reasonable. Maybe I'm upset at the wrong person. xD)
-the lurkiest lurker
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Date: Wednesday, November 25th, 2015 11:13 am (UTC)(Haha, I do the random theorising thing a bit cynically, I guess ^-^)
-Anon Cami
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Date: Thursday, November 26th, 2015 08:11 am (UTC)- The elusive (official) unofficial editor
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Date: Thursday, November 26th, 2015 09:13 am (UTC)(Oh crud . . .)
-Anon Cami
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Date: Thursday, November 26th, 2015 04:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, November 26th, 2015 04:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Tuesday, November 24th, 2015 10:40 am (UTC)(I have no idea what I'm saying)
-darkangel4182
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Date: Tuesday, November 24th, 2015 07:17 am (UTC)(::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::)
-the lurkiest lurker
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Date: Thursday, November 26th, 2015 04:52 pm (UTC)