~Preston's POV~
"So, how is this going to work out?" I asked as we walked along the dirt trail towards Austrana. It was a few hours into the journey, and we were about halfway there. But there was a small problem that me and the rest of the group forgot to talk about. Me and water don't mix. Lava mobs aren't meant for water. That's why we bathe in lava.
"I don't know Preston. Maybe you could just stay on the boat while me, Lachlan, and Ross go in and get the Prismarine shard." Barney said from the front of the group. Ross walked silently beside him, most likely thinking of a solution.
"Maybe since you're just half lava mob, you could probably be able to go into the water." Lachlan said from beside me. That was actually a good idea. Maybe I should test that theory.
"When we get to the pier, I will try dipping my feet into the water. If my legs start to burn and turn to obsidian, I'm blaming you Lachlan." I said, shooting a playful glare at the taller male. He chuckled and smirked at me.
"Maybe we can stop and see a friend of mine. She might be able to make it so you can touch water." Ross said out of nowhere. Barney looked at him with a confused glance.
"What friend are you talking about?" He asked.
"I'm talking about Jess, Barney! She can use her magic to conjure a spell of some sort." Ross answered, looking over at Barney. Barney only nodded before turning his eye towards the path ahead of us.
"But first, I wanna touch the water." I said in a childish voice, causing the other three to chuckle. I laughed along with them. Then the rest of the trip was spent in silence.
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~Two Hours Later~
"We're here!" Lachlan exclaims, raising his hands in the air. I look up from the road and smiled in delight. The small town reminded me of the village I was born in. Small wooden cabins laced a large dirt road. People gathered at the center in some sort of market, talking, trading, and selling their goods. It was very nice.
"It's pretty for such a small town." I said, looking at Lachlan. He turned to me and smiled. If you think the town is pretty, you should see the ocean. It's absolutely beautiful!" Lachlan said with a big smile on his face.
"Well, let's go and see it then!" Ross said, gesturing for Lachlan to lead the way. I followed behind him with Ross and Barney trailing behind me. Lachlan led us into town and showed us around while we walked towards the pier. When we entered the beach, I gasped at the sight. The ocean was exactly what Lachlan said it would be. The ocean was a bright blue mixed with green. Villagers sat along the beach either talking to each other or fishing in the brilliant blue waters. I walked over to the ocean and took my shoes off. Slowly, I stepped into the water. Nothing happened. All I could feel was the cold water hitting against my legs. I smiled and laughed.
"Yes! The lava mob can swim!" Lachlan yelled as he took off his shoes and entered the waters with me. Ross and Barney stood at the edge of the waves, watching people walk past. After a while of playing in the water, we got out and walked to the docks. But before we could move any closer a voice yelled for Lachlan.
"HEY LITTLE LACHY!" A voice yelled. Lachlan froze in the spot, causing me to stop and turn. I searched for whoever called Lachlan's name. I found a boy our age, wearing jeans, a blue shirt, a black leather jacket, and goggles on his head. He had blue hair and dark brown eyes. He was followed by two girls. One I recognized as Stacy. I knew Stacy from a while back. She had on a blue and white striped shirt and jeans and a brown shoes. She had dark green hair and brown hair. The other girl had a blue and white skirt and black shoes. She had long pink hair and ocean blue eyes. They seemed like trouble if they made Lachlan so tense and frozen.
"Who the fudge are you?" I asked in a threatening voice. They seemed to finally notice me and grin.
"We should be asking that question to you." The boy said.
"I asked first. Now tell me who you are or do you wanna have a bad time?" My voice was deeper than usual. I could tell my eyes and hair were going to change any second now.
"Fine. The names Dan. The girl with the pink hair is Lizzie and the girl with the brown hair is....." I cut him off.
"Stacy." I said in a bland tone.
"Preston." She said in the same tone.
"You know this runt?" Dan asked Stacy with a confused look.
"We grew up together. I spent most my days bullying him and his best friend." She replied, not taking her eyes off me. I glared at her as she glared at me. I smirked a little. She glared harder.
"Well, what do you say on beating him up after we beat up Little Lachy over there?" Lizzie asked with an insane looking smile. I looked back at Lachlan to see him shaking. Ross and Barney were at his sides, trying to comfort him. Seeing Lachlan like this caused something inside me to snap. I turned my attention back to the trio, who stood there smiling at Lachlan's fear.
"So." I began to say, gaining their attention, "How about we play a little game?" My voice was deep. I looked at them as my lava mob half took over. Their eyes widened as my hair and eyes turned to the color of lava and fireballs formed in my clenched fists.
"You wanna beat him up? Well, you gotta go through the Lava Mob first." I said, any kindness in my voice gone.
They began to shake. Instead of the fight I wanted, they ran away like dogs chasing a ball. Disappointed, I turned to the crowd that had formed as soon as I changed form. Some looked at me with frightened expressions, some with curious expressions, and some with happy expressions.
"ALRIGHT LISTEN UP! IF ANY OF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH LACHLAN OR WANT TO DO ANY FORM OF HARM TO LACHLAN, YOU WILL HAVE TO ANSWER TO ME. GOT IT?" I yelled at the gathered crowd. All of them nodded.
"GOOD. NOW LEAVE!" They all ran off to do their thing. I calmed myself down before turning to Lachlan. He was smiling at me. Confused, I walked over to him.
"Why are you smiling at me like that?" I asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. Which was very high up.
"Because only one person in my life has ever stood up for me like that. Thank you." He answered. He then hugged me. It was kinda awkward considering the height difference. But I still hugged back. It was friendly hug. After a few seconds, we finally pulled away.
"Alright. Let's not waste anymore time shall we?" Lachlan said, walking towards the docks.
~Time Skip to the Docks~
"Are you friends of the Wizards?" A girl in pirate clothing with long brown hair and dark brown eyes. Behind her stood a man in pirate getup as clothes but had red hair and an eye patch covering one of his dark brown eyes.
"Yes we are. So you must be Captain Capsize?" Ross asked politely.
"Aye. That is me. And this is my brother Skipper RedBeard. Now, let's get this mission on the move. Captain Sparklez wants you four to be back at the castle before sunset in two days." Capsize motioned for us to climb up onto the ship. We climbed up and noticed that there was only one other pirate on board. He wore a skull mask and an eye much like RedBeard's on as well.
"Oh. And this is Rupert the Grey. Say hello Rupert." Capsize says from behind us.
"Ahoy mateys!" Rupert says waving at us. We wave back.
"Alright. Let me show you to your cabins. You will need to rest from tomorrow morning." RedBeard says, ushering us towards a set of stairs. He led us down the stairs and through the bottom of the ship. He opened a door near the end of the boat and ushered us in.
"Here is where you will be sleeping. Rupert will bring you some food in a bit. For now, get some rest. By tomorrow morning, we will need you all well rested for the Underwater Temple. Now. Get rest." And with that, RedBeard left the room, closing the door behind him.
"Well, let's listen to RedBeard and get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day." Ross said, setting his bag down before hopping onto one of the four beds laying along the edges of the wall. Barney and me followed suit. Lachlan stood there for a moment, before joining us as well.
"Good night guys!" Ross said aloud.
"Don't let the baccas bite!" I replied, getting chuckles from the guys. After the laughter subsided, my eyes began to feel heavy. I welcomed the darkness as it pulled me into a dreamless sleep.
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~Time Skip to Morning(Geez, there are so many time skips in this chapter!)~
~Lachlan's POV~
"Alright mateys! Time to get up! We're here."
I groan as Capsize yells at us through the door. I sit up in my bed and rub the sleep from my eyes. As soon as I was able to keep my eyes open without the sunlight blinding me, I looked over to see only Preston was asleep still. I got up from my bed and walked over to his sleeping form. Instead of being a nice person and just shaking him awake, I decided to flop over on him. He let out a small yelp as my body landed on his. I chuckled and got up off of him. He let out a groan and sat up. Muttering words like 'prickly cactus' and 'little shrimp'.
"You guys have your potions?" Ross asked, putting his small, black katana in it's sheath. Barney nodded as he slipped his two purple daggers into his pockets. He then proceeded to show his bag full of water breathing potions.
"FireFoxx made sure we got plenty."Barney answered, zipping his bag up and throwing it over his shoulder.
I began to pack a water proof bag with food and healing potions. We wanted to be prepared for whatever was in the underwater temple. I've heard stories about a beast called the Guardian. It is the Prismarine shard's protector. But nobody has seen it, or if they have, have never lived to tell the tale. Thankfully, Capsize was kind enough to give us some diamond armor and strength potions. She says she believes the tale of the guardian. She also said that was how Rupert's head became a skeleton.
"We'll be there in five minutes mateys! Come up to the deck once you're ready!" RedBeard called through the door.
"Alright. Thanks RedBeard!" Ross called back.
Me and Preston were quiet the entire time. We both had on our enchanted diamond armor and were currently packing small bags. We planned to be out of the temple before noon, so we packed light. My pack held food while Preston's held potions of strength and healing. Hanging from my sides were my two short swords. Preston's orange scythe sat on his back, almost hitting me in the face when Preston turned.
"OI YOU LITTLE JAG! WATCH WHERE YA WAVE THAT THING!" I said, just barely ducking under the sharp, sunset colored blade.
"Sorry Lachlan! Come on! Ross and Barney are ready so we need to go!" Preston said walking over to the door with Ross and Barney. I followed them out of our room and up to the deck of the ship. Capsize, RedBeard, and Rupert all stood near the railing, looking into the water.
"So how far down is the temple Capsize?" Barney asks as we approach.
"About 100 feet down. One potion should be able to get you down there. From there, I don't know. How long did FireFoxx say the potion lasts?" Capsize asks turning to us.
"She said about ten minutes. 100 feet should only take half the potion. But we will need to refresh as soon as we get inside." Barney answered as he fished out three water breathing potions. He handed one to me and one to Preston before drinking the one he kept for him self. Me and Preston followed suit. The potion tasted like vanilla mixed with water. It was kinda calming.
"Alright. Now's the time for action. Jump on in!" Ross said jumping over the railing and into the water. I followed him and was instantly engulfed by the cold, crystal clear water. I saw a mini narwhal swim up to me and instantly knew it was Ross. While we were training, Ross had shown us his narwhal form and his squirrel form. They were both adorable! I smiled at Ross and he swished his tail. A second later, Preston and Barney came splashing into the water. I gave them a thumbs up and swam after Ross, who was swimming towards a box-like structure.
As we approached the entrance to the structure, I began to find it difficult to breath. I motioned to Barney who understood and threw me a bottle. I drank it and immediately could breath again. I mouthed thanks to Barney and swam up to Preston. He looked at me and gave me a questioning look. I mouthed 'im fine' and gave him a small smile which he returned.
"Guys, can you hear me?" Ross asked telepathically.
"Yes Ross." Me, Preston, and Barney said in unison in our heads.
"Okay good. If I'm correct, as soon as we enter, we'll be attacked by the Guardian and his minions. So have your weapons ready. While you guys are fighting the Guardian, I will swim through the Temple and look for the shard. Once I have it, I will swim out. Once I am out, I'll tell you guys telepathically to get out. When you guys get out, we will swim back to Capsize's ship. We'll go to there. Got it?" Ross told us. We all nodded in response. Barney swam up to the entrance with his sword pulled out. Preston and I pulled out our own weapons and swam up to Barney. We entered the Temple and waited for the Guardian to look for us.
An ear-piercing shreek hit my ears, causing me to cringe at the sound. A fish like creature emerged from one of the three doorways that sat in the hall. The fish looked like a puffer fish but only it had grey skin with dull light blue spikes. It had one eye that glowed a dark red. It shot a blue laser beam at us and we dodged. We swam at the creature and began our attack.
~Ross's POV~
As soon as the guys started fighting the Guardian, I swam off in search of the shard. According to the legends, the Prismarine Shard sat in the middle of this maze like building. Around every corner a minion of the Guardian sat waiting for a chance to attack. But since I was in my narwhal form, they couldn't sense my human side. So I could swim past them without getting attacked.
I swam fast through the building, because the Guardian was powerful. And I couldn't waste any time while my friends were fighting that monster. I almost swam into a minion which wouldn't have been good for me or the others.
Another twenty rights and thirty-two left turns later, I came into a large room which I recognized as the middle of the maze. To confirm my belief, there in the center of the room on a pedestal sat the Prismarine Shard.
Finally! I thought in my head.
"Did you find it Ross?" Lachlan asked telepathically.
"I sure did. Now get your butts out of here! Since I'm in my narwhal form I can get past the Guardian without drawing attention to myself. Once you get out of the doorway, the Guardian should stop attacking you. I'm not 100% certain it will work, but I don't know. If he is able to get through, then swim as fast as you can to the ship. Capsize and RedBeard should be able to help fight it or scare it off."
"Alright. But be careful Ross. And also, Barney! I need another potion, STAT!" Preston yelled.
I swam up to the shard and grabbed it with my mouth. Once I had it, I began to swim back to the entrance. I was grateful I memorized the way I went otherwise I would forever be lost in the Underwater Temple. When I got to the entrance, I saw that the Guardian was no where to be found. I guess he got out. I swam out the entrance and saw that the Guardian had indeed, was able to exit the temple. My friends had successfully made it on the ship and were currently shooting cannonballs and arrows at the small army. The Guardian got hit a few more times before it decided to retreat. I took this opportunity to swim to the ship. When the Guardian was out of sight, I changed into my human form and broke the surface. Capsize threw my down a ladder in which I climbed.
I smiled as I reached the railing and saw my three friends sopping wet. Me on the other hand, was perfectly dry. I held up the Prismarine Shard and smiled bigger.
"WE DID IT!" I yelled, raising the shard high in the air. Everyone laughed and smiled.
"Great job mateys! It's almost noon. We should be able to reach port by sundown. You should go dry off and rest. When we get back to Austrana, you guys can find a place to rest for the night. Waglington wants you to be back by noon tomorrow. You did good today." Capsize tells us, pushing us towards the stairs.
Once we all got to our room, we all collapsed on our beds. The guys were tired from their fight with the Guardian and I was tired from switching forms. Being in one of my other forms for a large amount of time just drains me.
"Good night guys!" Preston says from out of no where.
"But it's only noon Preston!" Barney exclaims. I laugh along with Lachlan.
"I don't care. It's my nap time. I say goodnight when I want to." Preston retaliates.
"A nap sounds so good right now. I think that's what I'm going to do now." I said after I was done laughing.
Lachlan yawned, causing Preston and Barney to yawn as well.
"Me too. In the words of Preston Frags, good night!" Lachlan said.
"Oh shut up Little Lachy!" Preston yelled.
"You know you love me Pressy!" Lachlan said sweetly.
"GO TO SLEEP!" I yelled. "STOP ACTING LIKE BICKERING CHILDREN!"
They instantly shut up and went to sleep. Soon after Barney fell asleep, I began to feel drowsy. A few minutes passed before sleep to over, me still clutching the newly acquired Prismarine Shard in my hands.
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Finally! :3
I finished the chapter! Next chapter will be about Mitch and Rob's mission.
I have nothing else to say.
Have a nice rest of your day and stay hot my Flames!
~FirePhoenix