MCSM Stories

Aetherman (5)

My heart was pounding. I swerved past trees and jumped logs. I needed to get as far away as possible. They were definitely going to follow me. They were eventually going to find out anyways. I just didn't know it was going to be so soon.

I heard footsteps. I took a quick glance behind me to see that it was the Burning Silence member that I had just disarmed. I panicked. There was no way I was going to outrun him.

And I was right. I heard the shatter of a splash potion behind me and I felt something being thrown onto my body, tackling me to the ground. I landed face-first, and I felt something, most likely a rock, cut my face. I winced in pain.

The Dead Silence member turned me over. There was a glint of spite in his eyes, and he had his iron sword in hand. He put a foot on me, preventing me from attempting to get up, and put the sword at my neck.

"You have some nerve, kid." He told me, his voice low but loud. "Nobody, especially you, should get away with throwing my sword across the field and just running."

He dug his boot deeper into my chest, making me yelp in pain.

"Give me one reason I shouldn't kill you right now." the bandit growled.

I didn't have an answer. I knew I was going to die, and he was only stalling it. I stayed silent. Suddenly, I let out a yell as I felt the changes taking place. Adrenaline rushing through my veins, I threw him off. He let out a yelp, obviously surprised at the sudden strength. I stood up and tried to run again, but I was brought down by the horrendous burning pain. I let out a scream.

"WHAT THE NETHER!?" I heard the bandit yell.

My head was pounding. I felt something burning hit my side, and I let out an inhuman screech. I could tell it was a flaming arrow. After a moment, the changes were complete. They were happening faster every time, but with more pain. I collapsed to the ground momentarily. I could feel the burning of the fire as it engulfed my feathers. I looked up, my vision still blurred slightly. The Burning Silence member had an enchanted bow in his hand, and he was aiming another arrow at me. I could tell it was a potion-enhanced arrow.

He fired. I moved just enough that it grazed my bad shoulder, and I let out a screech of pain. I charged at him, and he did something smart for the first time, and he ran. My mind was running on pure instinct as I chased him on all fours. I felt sick as I ran. The arrow had been tinted with a Potion of Nausea. I leaped at him. He looked incredibly small compared to me as I caught him, and I heard something crack as I put my weight on him.

I let out a menacing growl as he tried to get up. In the back of my mind I knew I was hurting a helpless person, no matter if it was a criminal. But, my instincts said something else: that it was prey and I was finishing it off. He tried to take out his sword. I batted it away, and it hit a nearby tree. He let out a terrified whimper.

"D-don't kill me..." he pleaded.

I didn't listen. I put more weight onto his body, and he let out a scream as something else cracked.

He despawned, his inventory spilling onto the ground, including the blue crystal. I broke his spine.

My rational side took over as I let out a small inhuman gasp, quickly backing up. I felt dizzy from the nausea, and what just happened didn't help it. I killed someone. It didn't matter if it was a bandit who killed another person. I killed someone when they couldn't fight back.

I heard footsteps behind me.

"Lukas...?"

It was Jesse's voice. My eyes widened. He couldn't know what happened. I turned and tried to run, but I collapsed from the nausea and pain from the second fire arrow. My secret was finally going to be let out. What would they say? They were probably going to hate me now. I'll be alone again. Just like how I felt when Aiden, Gill and Maya abandoned me.

I heard a sharp gasp behind me. I turned around to see the blurred figure of Jesse him-freaking-self. Through the nausea I could see that the fabric on his left arm was burned off completely, showing severely burned skin underneath. His eyes were widened, and I yelped, backing up at the sound of him pulling out his sword.

His bright green eyes moved momentarily to the pile of inventory and then back to me. After observing me from another moment he stiffened up, but he stepped forward.

"...Lukas!?" he started.

I let out a hiss out of instinct. Something told me that he was an enemy, and needed to be destroyed. But I couldn't do that. He's my friend.

He slowly started towards me, face obviously showing that he was in shock. I'll be honest, this gave me serious deja vu.

The pain combined with the annoying nausea made me too miserable to retaliate. All I could do was just let it happen.

"Jees, why the Nether were you hiding this from us?" I heard him mutter under his breath.

I was on my knees, but I felt myself fall. I found myself, well at least the uppermost part of my body, in Jesse's arm (his other was unusable). He got into a kneeling position, probably from the weight of my body.

"Lukas!?" he asked in a state of concern.

I could feel my consciousness slipping away.

"Lukas!"

I fought to keep my eyes open, but it was no use. The nausea and pain was too much. Everything slowly faded to black.