Jess takes the cup from Aly, who poured a drink for her friend. They clink their chalices together in celebration of arriving early at Bukala Trading Town, staying at an inn on the outskirts of the town. Drunken customers jumping around, galloping in every direction and linking arms in cherished dances. The town was livelier at night, and spectacular in that regard
Aly looks at Jess as she drinks the beverage, then glances at hers and takes a sip. She felt regret for doing what Steven requested, but if she were to get the nether star it was worth it in every aspect. She had grown fond of her new friend, but she would lose her soon enough. The end is near, she tells herself, you can leave everything and keep the star. Jess calls Aly's attention passing her hand, Aly is reluctant to take it, but does so any way and the pair begin to dance amongst the drunkards in the inn
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Franni and Michael walk into the tower holding the portal to the Tero Joklip. Mr J was nowhere to be seen. They make it to the portal seeing Aly place the eyes into their respective positions, Jess in the corner sharpening her axe. Aly's hair was curled a bit, her clothes still intact but Jess' hair was tied in a bun and revealed stitches. The four of them nod but Michael in particular does it slowly so that Aly catches his thoughts. Franni removes his hood, takes out the eyes holding them out on his hand, hovering, then pushes them into position.
A few minutes pass and Ash, Hina and Jaden finally arrive with their eyes, their clothes a bit destroyed and torn from their journey. Hina goes to Franni but he doesn't respond
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hina had taken the liberty to explain to Min why they needed the eye but she was hesitant to give up. She took them down to the eye through a passage, Min didn't need to hold out a torch to light the pathway, the luminosity from the redstone and amethyst guided them. Ash was fascinated by the beauty of the gems, never in her life had she seen an array of raw materials. They passed by a rock that had an iron ore, Jaden spots a dwarf going to mine but marks it instead
"Why did the dwarf leave that ore?", he ponders running up to Min
"We have an abundance of iron ore, there's no need to mine unnecessary resources"
They walk a few meters until Min stops, "this is it"
And the trio look from the outpost catching the eye in the centre of the pillar
"I can't call off the beast, you'll have to take it on"
"That's alright", Hina hugs Min, "thank you for this"
"I hope you know what you're doing"
"Don't worry, love"
"Who made you do this?"
Hina hesitates, "a friend", and Min sighs then leaves them
Ash leaps into the middle followed by Jaden and Hina who took out their swords and bows. She takes the eye, placing it in her bag, then the floor begins shaking and cracking apart. The trio fall over themselves onto the floor, a Jiok Tasko erupts from the ground, sliding it's body across the floor.
"What the fuck!", Ash groans, throwing a potion of harming onto the beast
It wails at the attack flinging its body around, crashing into the pillars supporting the construct. Hina lunges out of the way, crashing onto a boulder and hiding behind it. Jaden fires an arrow at the creature causing it to screech then dig itself back into the ground. Ash runs over passing him a potion of levitation, and they consume it preparing for another earthquake. The creature emerges once again, the rings of teeth inside its mouth covered in dirt. It looked like a slug with sharpened teeth to munch on anything
Hina lights TNT behind the rock, and throws overhead at the creature. It explodes on impact and the Jiok Tasko repels and wails once again. Hina squints her eyes and sees the damage inflicted, a hole, she thinks but it begins to repair itself.
"Keep it busy!", she shouts to the other two, and the begin bombarding it with potions and arrows
Hina takes out rope from her hip, fastens it onto a ledge above her and begins scaling the wall. Ash and Jaden drink another potion of levitation to maintain their distance, and Steven's owl makes it to the battle situating itself behind a pillar. Holding onto the rope with her left, she uses her right to light the TNT, whistles to the creature and waits for it to come over. She grabs it's attention to her position, and it comes charging after Hina and when it opens it's mouth revealing the teeth she throws the TNT inside the creature, jumping before it swallows her. Hina holds onto the rope tightly, watching the creature implode and it's innards erupt everywhere.
She drops down followed by Jaden and Ash who rejoin her at the centre. The trio catch their breath before leaving the place and heading towards Tero Joklip
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Hina observes Franni from a distance who was busy staring ominously at the portal, while she stayed close to Ash who was carefully placing all the eyes inside their pockets. Jaden went to Jess and Aly and shared his journey with them, and introduced himself to Michael who hadn't met him before. Hina's gaze was still fixated onto her friend, where's Mr J?, she ponders
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They were silent for most of the journey, Michael leading the pair into Briyaki Tal, while Franni was behind floating cross-legged, his eyes closed and hands entrapped. Mr J wagged his tail beside Michael as he grew a profound interest in the new person, and to be fair, it spoke lengths if Mr J wagged his tail beside anyone for that matter.
The pair hadn't travelled that far but it was still strenuous to journey nonetheless. They alternated who rested and who led to the last eye, protecting each other from monsters and actually stopping to consume some food and water. The pair didn't really say much to each other apart from regular check ups, and if Michael would take care of Mr J for Franni. He had watched Michael play with Mr J, laughing at this prospect that he was skeptical of his behaviour. And for a time Michael, too, enjoyed this peaceful lifestyle but it had caused him to doubt whether to kill Franni or not. It was too much for him, and when the time comes will he do it to Franni?
"Franni?", he turns to face his friend, "we're here, Briyaki Tal"
Franni's eyes open and he unfolds his legs, standing upright. He goes through the portal first followed by Michael who picked up Mr J, and held him in his arms
It was a literal hellscape in every direction, yet enchanting in certain aspects. As they went through the portal Franni lunged onto basalt, avoiding an unexpected blast from a ghast, Michael and Mr J were flung to the side from the explosion. He gets up, circulating his hand, projects it onto the ghast, freezing it, then he slams it into the ground. Michael picks up Mr J. Franni brings his hands close to form a broken rock, then drops into the ground, it explodes and repels the magma cubes coming towards them
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, thanks", Michael gets up, "Let's go, we have to go through the Yahmi Forest and it should be there in Garlsokda"
"Wait", Franni says putting his hand on Michael's chest
His eyes flare up with emerald flames and a symbol forms on his hand, he pushes it onto his friend and the glow echoes through his body.
"Fire enchantment", and Michael led the way to Yahmi Forest
A significant amount of time passed as the pair travelled through Briyaki Tal, They continuously had to defend themselves from mobs charging at them. In certain situations Franni would clap his hands together, rub them and blow them onto Mr J, transforming him into a different creature. Michael would demonstrate his abilities by single-handedly impaling his sword into the hoglin and throw his knives at skeletons. They wore golden-helmets throughout their journey, and on the off-chance they would interact with piglin, Michael would make a trade for rare items.
They had passed a blackstone citadel a few kilometers away from Yahmi Forest, where Michael made his trade and in the meantime Franni robbed them blindly. He was against the idea but Michael, with his persuasive nature, managed to convince him to participate in this robbery. He would gather the attention of the creatures while Franni, invisible to them, would collect the items from chests. Once they left and the facade dropped the pair would cackle maniacally and continue with their quest.
But the problem was that Michael was enjoying Franni's company. His jokes and shenanigans. At one point he couldn't stop smiling as they walked through the soul sand, flames lit blue and the bone structure of creatures left from decay. However, his true mission to kill Franni was still in the air, and at some point will he be able to carry it out? It was never meant to get this far, he would think to himself, but the problem is that it did. And if he killed Franni would he live with himself through the guilt?
Franni was oblivious to this fact, wandering in awe at the enchanting scenery all around him. When he saw a plant he would pick it up, smile childly and show Michael. He in turn would laugh at this child who's power rivals that of the greatest mage in the Tower of Doe Cap. He picked up a few plants, and other things, then placed it in his ender chest. Franni loved the lush, velvety texture of the grass growing on the netherrack, taking the liberty to sit down and indulge himself in watching lava slowly stream down a ledge.
"We're here", Michael said
Franni inhales deeply, looks at Michael for reassurance and walks past the open gates. Garlsokda was built with blackstone though some sections contained corrupt-obsidian. It was relatively bright for a grim palace. There was a blackstone wall separating itself from the surroundings of Briyaki Tal, a tower in the middle of the castle with lava spewing gracefully down in four sections, making up the lava moat inside the palace grounds. Franni pulled Michael close and he created a platform for them to use, lifting them up over the moat. Inside the grounds it didn't have a lot of nature, only two warped-fungus trees on opposite sides. Franni stops in front of them before proceeding, and tilts his head in confusion
"What's wrong?"
He doesn't say anything
"Franni?"
"Nothing", and he holds a sigil in his hand
Franni drops it onto the floor he stands, then spreads out the symbol. The circle emits an emerald glow and the energies flow into him. He pulls his hands away from each other forming a ball of energy, then channels it onto the castle with a beam. The ground shakes, the gust of wind making everything fly, and the castle's exterior begins to crumble. Michael holds onto Franni as he fires the beam, protecting Mr J from flying away. Pieces of the castle fall down revealing broken sections of the interior. It was dimly lit with soul lanterns, the turquoise-tinge reaching the crevices of the inside.
"Together?", Franni asks
"Together"
Michael places Mr J on the floor then takes out his sword, while Franni prepares an energy beam in one, and a protective-sigil on the other. They step over the rubble and enter through
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The pearls were placed in their respective positions, but one was missing from the twelve pearls. They looked at each other asking if they had missed one, but they all argued that the pearls from each section were discovered. The door opens behind them revealing a man standing in the doorway, his darkened silhouette covering the portal
"That's not all of them", the voice calls out, "I have the last one"
And Steven steps into the light with a smile, holding the pearl in his left hand. He goes to place it down, everyone is watching in anticipation, and the portal activates. The eyes release purple energy then the middle begins to swirl. A flash of light overcomes the warriors, revealing an abyss with specks of light
"Is this everyone?", Steven asks
They nod
"Franni, take it away", and he turns to Hina lifting his hand, a sigil forms, and his eyes flare green