Delta 6 (The Pack)

Chapter 32

Warnings: None

     ~Mitch's P.O.V.~

If I ever had any doubt in my flying abilities, they're nowhere to be seen now. My shimmering white wings beat faster than a bat on a speed potion, scorching dry air speeding past my face as I drip around stalagmites and lava streams, the ground passing by as a messy red blur. Behind me, Lachlan is struggling to keep up, his legs extended and stretched to widen his stride. He's yelling something, but all I can think about is Jerome. My best friend, my Jerome, could be dead if we don't hurry.

"Mitch!"

Jerome. My heart thuds louder.

"MITCH!"

Jerome. My wings beat faster.

"MITCHELL HUGHES!"

Jer-

A long bendy arm extends, fingers grasping firmly around my ankle, and pulling me forcefully to the ground. My wings miss a beat and I falter, barely managing to stop myself from face planting into the gravel below. Lachlan let's go and I whirl around, eyes wide.

"Lachlan, what are you doing? We don't have time for this!" I exclaim, beating my wings to lift myself back into the air.

Two arms reach out, attempting to pin my wings to my side. Since they're made of light, this fails miserably, so instead Lachlan grabs me around the waist, dragging me back down. I try to wriggle free but his grasp is surprisingly tight.

"You, sir, need to calm the Nether down! You're at a fifteen and I need you at like, a seven."
I glare at Lachlan, tearing his hands off me. "Lachlan we need to go."
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what the frick is going on." He demands, crossing his arms stubbornly.
I huff in exasperation, fluttering my wings anxiously. "Jerome is walking into a death trap. Lachlan, that fortress has always been dangerous. It's the largest one on record. Which is why I went to scout it. There are hundreds of mobs there. Hundreds. I'm talking zombies, spiders, skeletons, creepers, illagers, drowned, silverfish, slimes, ghasts, endermans, everything. The place is infested with the things! And it looks like they're being... mind controlled. They're all locked up and then the ones that have red eyes are all marching through these weird... portal things. There's four of them, but one of them is destroyed."
"That must be where all the mobs have gone then! They're being captured and mind controlled here... oh it all makes sense now! The the four portals must lead to wherever the four key holders are! The mobs are being drafted to Herobrine's army. And since we killed that enderman hybrid, that portal is broken!"
I nod slowly. "Close. I agree with your conclusion that the portals are leading to the mob armies Seto mentioned but... I think one leads somewhere else. Where, I don't know. But it doesn't lead to the fourth key holder."
Lachlan's brow furrows. "What do you mean? Where would the other key holder be then?"
Dear Notch you're dumb. "Lachlan, think about it. Herobrine wouldn't leave this big an operation unsupervised. And when I went there... I saw this... monstrosity. Like a mix between a human and Wither. He, she, it... didn't have a gem."
"You don't mean..."
"The other key holder is here, in the Nether. And Jerome is walking straight to him. Alone."

~~~

~Plague's P.O.V.~

The Evoker raises its palms to the sky, and a black mist spills from its fingers, swirling in a slow vortex, casting shadows of pure darkness over the torchlight walls. The vortex takes shape of a human, featureless aside from the two piercing white eyes that send a shiver of fear down my spine as they focus on me.

"Plague..." Says a voice, deep and calm, yet laden with a hidden malice.
I kneel, bowing deeply. "Master."
"Report..."
I stay kneeling, not daring to even raise my eyes. "The surviving mobs from Enid's army have been rallied and are being kind controlled once more and drafted equally between your, Riptide's, Void's and my own armies." Despite being paralyzed with terror, I manage to keep my voice steady and collected. "There are believed to be around seventy mobs who remain in hiding, and only two have escaped thus far. An enderman, although he was fatally wounded by a wither skeleton and will not survive long, and a spider. He was tracked down and killed."
     "And the mobs responsible for delivering these two rogues to the fortress...?"
     I shiver. "Dead. Their failure was not tolerated. Their execution set an example of the consequences of failure to their peers."
      "Good. Oh, yes... I have some information for you, Plague."
     "I'm listening."
     "A little birdie told me that Lachlan, Jerome, and Mitch have entered the Nether. Find them. Kill them."
     "Understood."
      "You are far superior in skill to Endi. Do not fail me like he did."

       And with that the Evoker lowers its hands, and the projection of Herobrine disappears. I rise, sighing in relief. The Evoker smirks at me.

      "You'd better play your cards right, minion. If they get that key from you, your dead meat. Whether that be as a result from them killing you, or the Master himself. For your sake, I hope they kill you." He taunts.
       I glower at him. "If you weren't Herobrine's little messenger boy I'd kill you on the spot. You are nothing but a pawn, I am a rook. You are easily disposable; useless, in fact. You will never live to be my equal. You will never gain Herobrine's praise, unlike me. Now run along... you do not belong here."
        "You speak so now... but just you wait. Herobrine has not felt the need to mind control me. So I'll show you... I'll show you all. I can be useful... and I will cause more harm to the chosen six than you could ever dream. Just watch me... if you can live that long."

       As the Evoker turns on his heel and strides pridefully down the corridor, I fight every temptation in my bones to send a black bone shooting through his skull. As his caped figure vanishes into the shadows, a blaze comes speeding down the hall, fire blazing and smoke puffing from its twirling rods.

      "Milord... I have urgent news." It rasps.

       From down the corridor, the echoes of screams and growls and hisses begin to rise. Above it all, a distinctly human like roar. My eyes narrow, hands clenching.

      "What is it." I demand sharply.
       The blaze trembles, and I notice just now it is missing several rods and is oozing a bright orange fluid from a gash on its head. "There is a single white gem at the front gates. He is wreaking havoc on our men."
        "Is that so...?" I say, a sly smile creeping it's way onto my face. "Well then... let's see who will be causing harm now."

~~~
Question of the chapter:

Predict the outcome and consequences of the fight, go! Will Poofless +1 get there in time? How are they going to get there in the first place? So many questions so little time ;)