Life Hearts [A Third Life Fanfiction, previously called Three Hearts]

The Red Army

He raised his axe and yelled, "RED WINTER IS COMING, ME LADDIES! THE RED KING HAS RISEN!!"

I cautiously approached him. "Ren, calm down-"

He pointed his axe at me. "I'm fine! And that's 'Your Majesty' to you!"

Martyn stumbled backward a few steps. "What have I done..."

I stared. Not once had Ren spoken to me like that, not even after he made himself king. He was always respectful to his allies, or he used to be. Now that he was red, something else had taken over. His impulses were even stronger than mine. He was no longer Ren.

I could be allies with Ren, but not the Red King. I ran.

I ran to the Crastle and banged on the door. Cleo answered and let me in without saying anything. She hadn't seen me since before I was red, and probably knew that I knew what had happened.

Bdubs ran downstairs. Impulse was probably at the Village Hall. I collapsed against the wall and sat there, shivering. All I could think about was the Watcher's warning about the Red King. Obviously he had stopped badgering me and gone for Ren - and Ren didn't resist.

I barely remember what happened after that. I think they helped me get to my bed, because later I woke up there. When I did, they didn't ask me anything, just gave me some food and told me to go back to sleep. I'm pretty sure that the water they gave me had a little bit of sleeping potion in it, because I did without argument.

When I woke up for the second time, I was feeling a lot better. There was nobody in the Crastle, they were probably off stealing llamas or defending against Etho. I went downstairs to find something to eat.

Instead, I found Grian.

"What are you doing?"

"Uhh... please don't kill me?"

It was the second time I had caught him setting a trap. But this time, it was with a bubblevator that had obsidian at the top and would probably have lava when Grian was done with it.

I looked for my sword but couldn't find it anywhere. My allies must have taken it off when I came home.

"I can't kill you right now, I don't have my sword. What do you have against the Crastle? What did we ever do to you?"

I glanced out the small window and saw Cleo, Bdubs, and Scar outside. Scar was showcasing something on the ground. He was probably a distraction while Grian set the trap.

"You stole Pizza," Grian accused, turning my attention back to my former ally.

"And you bought him back. I tried to make them give him back, but they wouldn't listen."

"Which is why I'm telling you not to use the bubblevator."

I finally spotted my sword in the corner, leaning against the wall.

"Go away, Grian. I don't know what came over me in the woods, but it won't be much longer before it takes over again. Leave before I kill you." I had tears in my eyes.

"I may have had the idea to trap Renchanting, but this was Scar's idea. I can't not do it. I have to do what he says."

"Then you leave me no choice." I lunged for the weapon.

After that, chaos unleashed.

Grian wasn't prepared for an attack while he was making a trap, so he had to put on his shield and pull out his sword, which glinted Netherite black. But by then, I was already on him.

Bdubs came in randomly and then yelled, "GRIAN'S HERE, I THINK HE'S SETTING A TRAP!" and then joined the fight. It was two versus one, and Grian was caught by surprise.