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It was misty outside. It wasn't raining, not really, but the Sun wasn't seen and gray was projected in the sky.

That was the kind of weather Reynie liked. He felt that every time he woke up, the Sun would shine and the mist would clear, all in favor of him. But this morning was different.

It was misty outside. He didn't hear anything except the average bat sleeping at his windowsill, which he found very annoying because it wouldn't go away until he knocked on the window. Waking himself up a bit more by its shrieks.

"[i]Stupid bat[/i]." Reynie thought.

He dressed into his brown camp t-shirt and dark brown pants from his dark blue pajamas, that smelled oddly of his grandma's different perfumes. He stuffed some junk into his black satchel. A rusted compass, a map, a brown journal given to him by a friend, an apple, and a picture of his parents.

"I wish you were here to see me." he whispered, glancing a the photo once and folding it inside his book, which he placed at the bottom of the bag.

Reynie hit his head on the way out of his cabin room.

Again, and again, and again.

Combing his red-brown hair with his hands in annoyance. As he walked across a multitude of wooden hallways, low ceilings, blinking lights and an odd smell of old books and dust. To get to the door of Roger's room.

Roger and Reynie were best friends, they were both sent to camp every summer. Reynie was about the age of 20, and lived with his Grandparents. Roger was luckier. He was a year older than Reynie, which allowed him to order Reynie to do small things for him. His parents lived on a mansion beside a private beach. Though Roger hated most of his life, he was a perfect friend for Reynie.

They both loved meeting each other behind trees and bushes and trolling people when people were mining or crafting when they were younger.

But Reynie was older now, and he learned how to be the average player learning about measurements and materials and how to build something [i]good[/i] for a change. So did Roger. But they felt, like if they were just normal, they would lose themselves. So sometimes, they would meet up late at night and talk about mobs and money.

Reynie knocked on Roger's door. He knocked again,"Roger, Roger. It's me. It's Reynie. It's time for breakfast."

He heard the clink, of the door being unlocked. He saw his red haired friend come out wearing green penguin pajamas.

"Already?" Roger replied, yawning.

"Wait for me to dress, I'll follow you to the Breakfast Area."

The door was closed and he waited outside his door. He took out the picture of his parents, and stared at it for moments that went on forever. He tinkered it around his fingertips and read the text behind it:

[i]Our family.[/i]

The clink of the door was heard, and Roger was out. Wearing the camp uniform like Reynie was.

"What's that?" he asked, trying to peek over at it.

"Oh, oh. Um, it, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." Reynie said, stuffing it into my satchel and smiling uneasily.

"Okay?" he asked weirdly. He woke himself up by blinking a few times more, and said he was ready.

He sometimes wondered what people like Roger thought of him, he would ask if he had the courage. But he was Reynie, and he told himself that only girls do that. Plus, Roger might leave him if he said anything a girl would say. Unless it was a joke. Roger was just like that.

They walked into the Breakfast Room.

It was a wide, low roofed room. It had a white bar and 20 wooden tables with checkered red cloths on their tops. The chairs were made of wood too, so they were [i]very [/i]uncomfortable. The best they could do was to put little white cushions on them. Reynie and Roger walked to the lady at the counter and got themselves some bacon, eggs and fresh milk.

"Enjoy." she added as they turned to get to their table.

The smell was unbearably delicious and they couldn't take [i]not[/i] eating it.

They sat down at the table closest to the door and window. So they could hear conversations of people coming in. Most of the time, they heard people talk about coal, and iron, and diamonds. Sometimes, memories, if they were lucky to hear parts of them.

Reynie and Roger went to this camp when they were about 11. They knew everyone at camp since then. They both knew at least one story about everyone that if they told aloud, they'd get kicked out for crossing the 3rd mark.

They crossed the first 2 marks years ago, and the Camp Manager said if they threw fireworks inside someone else's cabin room again, they'd be out for sure.They kept to themselves and everyone forgot all about it after a few years.As they munched down their breakfast, they started talking about their other friends.

"I met someone yesterday." Roger started.

"Really? Who?" Reynie asked, gulping down some strips of bacon.

"A girl." he replied, turning his head away. Blushing bright with red.

Reynie suddenly became interested, Roger never talked about anything like that.

Ever before.

"Who?"

"Olivia, Olivia Jones. She keeps secrets, things I am not aware of..."

"What!" Reynie chocked on the bucket of milk he was drinking.

Olivia Jones was one of the so said prettiest girls in the camp. Olivia Jones was another story, she didn't stay at the camp. She appeared there sometimes. Though, he didn't care about getting into those. But Roger with a [i]girl[/i]? That would be something anyone would like to hear about!

"Was it steady?" I asked, in interest.

"Well -," he stopped.

A new guy came in through the doors of the Breakfast room and walked down to get some food.

They didn't recognize him.

Which surprised Reynie.The new guy combed back his white black hair, adjusted his glasses and unruffled his long blue shirt and pants.

Roger mistook it as a dress with leggings, which was a stupid guess. Roger did sometimes jump unknowingly to conclusions.

"I'll have a pancake and a bucket of milk to go with it."

The man turned around with his food and sat on the table across from Reynie and Roger, who eyed him as he sat down. Nobody, other than Reynie, cared to see that there was someone new sitting at the table. Who would care anyway?

"Who is that?" Reynie asked, curiously.

"Some guy. Although, he looks too old to be at this camp. I don't know what the age limits are, but I wouldn't really mind. He isn't any of our beeswax." Roger replied, gulping down the last of his milk.

Reynie directed his eyes back at his food and raised his shoulders for a while. Then lowered them back.

"Yeah," he replied. "Some guy."

But in Reynie's head, he knew that he wasn't just some guy.

He had a feeling in his gut, that there was something with that guy. He was going to find out what.

Reynie and Roger were walking out onto the Main Camp Grounds, raising their hands, shielding their eyes from the Sun.

The clouds were cool in the sky. The trees and grass swayed simply as children of all ages ran around the fields with a wooden sword in one hand and a crumpled paper in the other.

"I'm a pirate!" the kid cried, "I'll steal all ye'r treasure! Ha!" he ran and ran, a group of kids at his trail.

"I don't trust who he is." Reynie told Roger, watching the kids scream and shout.

"What?" Roger said enthusiastically.

"He's just an old guy. He won't do any harm."

"There is just, just, something isn't right with him." Reynie said.

They sat down on a wooden bench and watched the younger kids play ball on the field.

They both sighed. It was just another today. Like the others days, again and again.

"Is that you Reynie Ryder?" someone asked.

"Huh?" Reynie said, looking around.

"It's me, Brimble. Brimble Ravenwood!"

Reynie and Roger looked up to see a girl with blue streaks in her messy black hair. She wore a brown t-shirt with a Diamond Ore and Stone Pickaxe with black shorts.

Reynie recognized her instantly.

"Hey Brimble! How'd you get here? I haven't seen you since last year! What are you doing here?" Reynie exclaimed, hugging her.

Brimble smiled, "I've been writing stories for children at the Local Library in the city an hour from here. I thought, since I plan to write my first book for tweens, I might find inspiration here. You were such the troublemaker at grade school! May be interesting." she said, smiling wide and raising her arms up.

"You know this, girl?" Roger said, staring at Reynie and Brimble with a small tang of jealousy. You could see on his face that he thought Reynie and Brimble were steady.

Steady-steady.

Roger looked away afterwards.

"Yeah, we were schoolmates in grade school!" she exclaimed, jumping repeatedly.

"Ah, grade school." said Roger, sighing. "You know what, I'm gonna leave now.

It's too, too hot out here.

I think I'll go, uh, talk to David. See you guys later." He got up and left, scowling.

"What's his deal?" Brimble asked.

"He thinks we're going steady." Reynie replied, looking at Roger walk away.

"He thinks it was really easy for me to get a gir-, pretend I didn't say anything."

"Wha-?" said Brimble confused.

But she was pulled away by Reynie. Who was determined to get to the Camp Manager's office.

Now.

I think you could be able to help me with something." Reynie said, getting up from the bench and grabbing her by the arm.

"Okay..." she said, raising her eyebrows unsure of what she was saying "Okay" to.

They finally arrived down the Gravel pathway, lined by great, green Oak trees offering shade. The air became thick, only now had Reynie noticed that the mist was gone.

"What are we going to do, Reynie?" she asked again for the fourth time.

"Just follow me." he replied for the fifth time.

They rounded the corners of the pathway, occasionally bumping into people camping here for the summer. They passed lakes with bridges, tents being set up by the overnight tourists and the Grass Sculptures. After a while of dodging the crowd, they got up to the Camp Manager's cabin. It was beside the front entrance of the camp.

So it took them awhile to get to his front door. He knocked on the door a couple times and finally heard a voice coming from within,"Come in, it's not locked." it said.

Brimble swung open the door and saw a man wearing a brown hat, shirt, pants and boots. All with the Camp name and logo on them.

"Good Morning, sir." Reynie said, letting himself and Brimble in.

"To you to, Reynie.

"Who is this?" he gestured at Brimble.

"This is my friend, Brimble. She works in the city."

"Okay, then." he said, sitting down at his desk.

"What's the problem, did Billy Parker fall in the pit again?" he straightened his uniform as the two sat themselves on wooden chairs.

"No sir. Not yet he hasn't," Reynie said, watching Brimble gaze around the small room.

The room was filled with papers and award certificates of the Great Camp. Two golden trophies stood on a bookshelf with different books on camping.

"Then what is your purpose in my cabin?" he asked, eying them steadily.

"Oh, I was wondering if anyone new, checked into the camp. Like, someone with white black hair, glasses... He looks like this," he took a picture from his pocket and put it on the Manager's desk.

"I see," he replied picking up the photo. "Well, yes. John Williams the 4th." he replied. "He is the grandfather of one of the Cabin Staff, he is just checking up on the camp. He stays in Cabin 19 and, where did you get this picture?"

"Okay." Reynie said. "Internet? Anyway, thank you, sir."

He got up, took Brimble by the arm, walked out the door and shut it almost as quickly.

"What does that mean?" the Camp Manager asked. They were already out the door.

"You want to know about a grandfather? I came here to explore! Reynie, to have fun and stick my head out of books for awhile and be with... A friend." Brimble said, her arms drooping down her sides.

"No, no, no. It isn't right, he isn't what he seems!" he said walking in circles and ignoring her completely.

"I know, let's pay a visit to John right now!" Brimble already knew what Reynie was up to.

"Reynie, I am not going to stalk the elderly again or -" and was interrupted by a strong tug on her arm from Reynie.

They rounded the corner, only to see John locking his door and walking down the corridor, whistling way out of tune.

"Lets, er, [i]follow [/i]him." Reynie said smiling.

Brimble was shaking her head, but followed him anyway. They followed him to the park, with Brimble who scowled the whole way.

They followed him to the field, where Brimble tripped on several rocks and almost fell into several mud puddles.

"Ugh! There aren't this many mud puddles in the city!" Brimble cried out.

They followed him into a fine dining restaurant serving their [i]special steak. [/i]They couldn't resist not eating the steak, but they got through it. The scent went through the open windows and surrounded the outside.

Finally, to Brimble's satisfaction, got back into his room and locked the door.

"Nothing suspicious about this guy. Yet." Reynie said, unsatisfied as Brimble was satisfied.

"Just ask him who he is, Reynie! Stop. Stalking. Or! We can leave! We can go to the movies! It isn't far!" Brimble exclaimed.

"I have to trust my gut, Brimble!" he protested.

"Just, just, just -" and Brimble knocked on the door of Cabin 19.

"Happy?" she asked.

Reynie scowled.

"Not yet, I'm not."

"Yes?" John Williams opened the door and smiled.

"Oh, finally, I've been waiting for you. Come in, come in!" they walked in and Brimble raised her chin up, looked at Reynie and smirked at him.

The room looked exactly like Reynie's. Though, there were papers scattered on the floor. Paintings were slanted. His bed sheets were turned inside out and the brown tint of the floor was peach.

"Sit down on the bed." John told them.

They saw two other people on the bed.
One they both recognized, and one they didn't.

"Hi," a muscular guy wearing a green t-shirt and leather pants stood up.

"I'm Golem." he said, shaking both of their hands.

"I don't think we have met. You already know Aura. My sister."

"Hi." she replied, shyly. She wore a bright yellow raincoat and a brown tinted sun hat.

"Aura has a brother?" Brimble asked.

"I know right! But I guess it was fair. I haven't told anyone I had a sister." Golem replied, grinning.

Aura turned away from her brother, "Whatever." she said.

"Hi John? Is it?" Reynie asked aloud, "I'm -"

"Reynie. Reynie Ryder. I know." John continued.

"How do you know my name?"

John ignored Reynie's question and smiled back.

"I know a lot, about all of you. I know you are the one......you are going to help me complete my, my mission."

You guys, are my mission." John said sitting down on a rocking chair.

"Wha-?" said Brimble confused.

"What in gravy does that mean?" she asked.

"Well, you are the Soon to be heroes and heroines, I've been looking for!" he said, raising his arms in a frenzy.

"You are the Prophecy! And, you are going to help me unite the two Fallen Kingdoms!"

A blue aura surrounded the whole room. A click, from the door was heard as it was locked. Another click, this time as the window was shut and the curtains closed.

"You, will defeat the Masked Man from destroying the Kingdoms!"

He went over to Reynie, his shoes click-clacking against the floor.

"Reynie, you are the one. You will lead armies. You will defeat him. You are the descendant of the Player and He. The Originals, you are the closest to him."

John said, smiling ear to ear.

"You are the Player and Creator himself!"

"What in blazes does that mean?" Reynie exclaimed, raising his arms up and down.

"Oh, Reynie. No need for that language!" John said as Reynie eyed him carefully.

"Well, you must be talking, weird. Like, when the elderly get, elderly, they start to talk about things that aren't real and whatnot." Reynie said smiling, but not really. He knew he was right about the guy.

If only Roger was here, he would have smirked at him.

So he smirked at Brimble instead.

Brimble smirked back, in a more sarcastic way.

"No, he really [i]is [/i]telling the truth!" Aura exclaimed.

"Well, you must be his granddaughter then, right?" Reynie said, quite weirded out.

"No! She is speaking nothing but truth. I will demonstrate, with the power I have left. Here," John closed his eyes tight and clasped his hands together.

A small red bouncy ball was produced from his hands.

"I knew you weren't normal, John is it? You are some kind of stupid magician." he told himself.

"Yes, it is John. How can I say this to you..." he pondered on the matter for awhile.

He looked at Reynie, quite offended, and continued thinking and drawing lines in the air. Brimble couldn't take the silence and blurted out quickly,

"Are you some kind of Wizard?" and everyone, except Aura, thought she was crazy.

In their head.

"You're just as weird as Aura.

Except she says that in her sleep and wakes me up every night." Golem said softly.

"I do not!" Aura protested, hands on her hips.

"Do so," Golem replied, nodding his head.

"Not!"

"Do so!"

"Meanie."

"No I'm not."

"Meanie!"

"No I'm not!"

"Stop! I need your help! Please!" John cried out.

"Fine, this is all I can do, this is my last hour."

"No! You'll lose all your power! And die!" Brimble added.

She was too late.

A strong gust of wind swept the four off the bed and onto the floor.

"Duck your heads!" Aura shouted, unsure if anyone heard her.

A high pitched screech was heard across the room. Almost suddenly, when they thought they would all become deaf, the wind disappeared. It grew softer, and softer and the wind stopped. The sound was gone, but a soft echo bounced across the walls. The room was a mess. Paintings and pictures on the floor, pillows stuffings floating in the air, a slightly cracked window and a man with white black hair collapsed on the floor.

"John!" Golem shouted, attending to him quickly.

"I'm fine." he said.

"Tell the blue one, she is right. I am a Wizard, the 4th one. The Wizard of Rest, I come here to show you something." He produced a glowing blue cube from his hands.

A story was reflected on it, and Brimble spoke the story she saw.

It went something like this:

[i]Millions of years ago, there were 2 Kingdoms. They were called by Wish and Hope. They were neighboring kingdoms and supported each other as their population grew. They both had the Greatest of Kings and Queens and the Greatest of Princesses and Princes. They were loved by all. But a saying came from the Local Pubs of both Kingdoms. [/i]

[i]"I found the castle of the Dream Lord." said the Masked Man. People gasped and laughed at him. "Yes, t'is true!" he went on talking about riches and memories and how he could turn back time. The Kings became aware of this and told him he was nothing but a liar looking for easy money. They asked for proof, and the masked man gave them both a cube. [/i][i] [/i]

[i]The Kings received a Blue glowing cube. It was unlike any other. It showed the story of their lives, the hardships, the friendships... They both asked him where they could find the Dreamlord. He said he would tell one kingdom and if the other told the neighboring kingdom, he would take away their memories. They thought this false, so the King of Hope took the secret from him and spread it to the King of Wish. [/i]

The Masked Man was so enraged, he sent the most feared monsters upon the land in groups of millions the day after. [i]Most of the population died of these monsters. The others who survived the fleets were driven mad and forced death upon themselves. The ruins of the Kingdoms are hidden by lies and were never seen again...[/i][/i]

"Did this really happen?" Golem asked John.

"Yes, I was there." he replied.

"You couldn't have been! You'd have to be a million years old to have been alive!" Brimble protested.

"Yes, I am. I'm a million and one to be exact." he replied.

"Listen, this is your destiny. You must find the four artifacts.

From this world and the three dimensions.

The Overworld, The Nether, The End and the Aether.

You will find him. He will bring you there. You will change back time. You must." he started coughing.
"I used up the last of my energy, take this..." he produced an old brown leather book from his hands.

"You are The Four in the Prophecy of the Kingdoms before the War." he coughed again, and again, and again.

"Sorry, I cannot assist you...

Start your journey where the book speaks.

I will see you again soon, if you succeed.

But not in this body. Trust me, I know you.

Reynie Ryder, Brimble Ravenwood. Aura and Golem Harper. You will have help. He will tell you, you have Knowledge on your side.

This is your journey now.

Everything is in The Book.

Follow the Sun's path.

It will bring you to the first Crown.

Good Luck.

I believe you can do it... You are you."

He coughed and breathed in heavily.

He started gasping for breath, and suddenly his eyes closed, the blue cube disappeared, and he breathed once more.

And he lay down on the ground.

Finished.

"He isn't dead." Brimble said, on the edge of tears.

"I don't know him, but he is only sleeping...

Only sleeping."

They all opened their eyes and they appeared in a forest. The book on the ground. Whatever happened, they all knew that backing out wasn't an option, the cops would think them crazy and put them in Mental Hospitals.

"This is gonna be one Nexus of a journey." Golem said, they all nodded in agreement.

Reynie looked behind him.

A transparent orange cube floated there. It showed the camp. His home. He knew he wouldn't see Roger again. Maybe not even his grandparents. He took out the journal from his bag. He took out a feather quill, white with black smudges on the sides.

This is what he wrote:

[i]Dear family,[/i][i] [/i]

[i]I have left on a journey. Sorry that I wasn't able to tell you. I had to leave quickly. [/i]

[i]If I come back alive, it may not be in my own body. I hope you can forgive me. [/i]

[i]Keep any money that I have left, or anything you want. Roger, keep everything you find in my room. To Grandma and Pa, anything. Thanks for watching me and feeding me and keeping a roof over my head. For loving me.[/i]

[i]To Roger, thanks for being at my back every summer and telling me who I was, I could be myself around you. You were there for me. [/i]

[i]Thanks, for everything else that I ceased to mention in this note. [/i][i] [/i]

[i]With millions of diamonds, though I have none, [/i][i]Reynie Ryder[/i]

He tore out the page and folded it in half.

He looked behind him once more, into the transparent orange cube displaying a glistening image of the camp.

He let go of the note, as the wind carried it away into the Main Camp Grounds.He looked ahead to see that the Sun was setting low beyond the Horizon, as they were to follow it.

"Follow the Sun's Path." he remembered.

"Knowledge is on your side."

He didn't know the man. But his voice was still around him.

Echoing, echoing.

Reynie picked up the book from the floor and dropped it carefully into his satchel.

As the group set out after last glances, they set out into the forest.

Leading them to the beginning at his end...

The group had walked a few hours after they left. They encountered no monsters, surprisingly. As if the monsters were getting ready for something, ready to strike.

Reynie flicked the idea out of his mind. Out of sight.

The Sun was almost up and glaring, so they decided to create a camp-site for the day.

They brought out some wool and wooden planks they had with them, and created 4 wooly tents complete with a Crafting Table, Furnace (Golem always has Ores with him), a Chest and a bed.

They still kept a torch with them just in case they needed one.

They created a small campfire in the center of their camp-site. They lined it with a fence and sat around it.

"I'm [i]so [/i]tired, Reynie!" Brimble complained once they were done.

Everyone but Reynie, was yawning and blinking their eyes open every once and a while.

The Sun was now directly above them.

"Yeah," Reynie replied,

"If you guys wanna take a nap, you can. We will stay until tomorrow. Leave at Dawn."

He splashed a cold bucket of water in his face to prevent him from becoming any sleepier that he might pass out like his friends.

If you could call them [i]friends.[/i]

He barely knew Aura and Golem. He just met them the night before, but Golem did tell Reynie about how he got there...

[i]"My folks told me that I should visit Aura at Camp. They said that we didn't see each other much and it was about time we get along." [/i]

[i]Golem and Reynie were walking up the hill.[/i]

[i]"You're lucky you don't have a sibling. I mean, the only reason I agreed to go here, was that I didn't want to stay at the house with my parents and another sister on the way. I mean, it's worse already having Aura. Sad thing is, she is the only thing I've got." Golem frowned, Reynie noticed him and Golem snapped out of it.[/i]

[i]"Well, why don't you get along?" Reynie asked, now munching on an apple.[/i]

"[i]If you've heard the expression 'Opposites attract', it's a lie. Probably the guy who first said that didn't have any siblings. I mean, I've seen movies in where the younger sibling gets along and does small things for the older sibling. Like, a little servant. But Aura is nothing like that."[/i]

[i]Golem went ahead of Reynie, still talking about meeting John.[/i]

[i]"Noticed that John guy, Aura and I [/i][i]were on our way to the Dining Area.[/i]

[i]He was at the table across us. I think he even winked at me. When he was done, he swung by our table. [/i]

[i]He leaned close to me and Aura and said, [/i]

[i]"Come to Cabin 19. I need your, help." and he left..."[/i]

Reynie and Golem were a bit closer, a not so perfect substitute for Roger. But it would do.

[i]"How could I be thinking that?" [/i]Reynie thought, guiltily.

He couldn't just have Brimble.

She was terribly chatty about her books in 4th Grade.

The day passed quickly and it was soon night.

The group gathered at the center of the camp-site. With a yawning Reynie and the three others. Who were wide awake from a good nap.

"Lets have a peek at that book, Reynie." Brimble poked him repeatedly.

"Okay," he yawned with eyes shut tight. He reached into his black satchel and took out the book John gave them.

He tossed it to Aura catching it with surprising speed.

"Open it up!" Golem exclaimed.

"I was [i]getting [/i]to that..." Aura said, annoyed, as she flipped the brown leather cover of the book.

Aura opened up the book, the smell of old metal trinkets and dust surrounded them and after a moment, was lost in the wind. Aura turned through the first few pages.

Her eyes and face filled with concern. She took off her hat, scratching her blonde brown hair.

"What is it?" Brimble asked. "Is something wrong?"Aura turned her face to Brimble,

"This is just a couple of randomly placed words in here! Nothing else!" she cried.

"What?" the group exclaimed in surprise. They all seated themselves beside Aura to see it.

"What kind of sick joke is this?" Golem asked, raising his arms wildly.

They all examined the page, it was filled with words written randomly about the paper and skipped most of the message. So the group tried to decipher it.

"Okay, what do you think of this?" Aura asked and showed them a couple of words which she had written on the opposite page:

[i]One, Spirit, Know, Dream, Warn, Night, Lord.[/i]

"What is that supposed to mean?" Brimble asked.

The rest shrugged, and Reynie yawned.

The Sun started to fall, the clouds embraced in orange light.

The dark white sky on the opposite pole of their World rose and the wind froze.

Reynie announced they eat in their tents and reminded them that they would all be awake to leave at Dawn.

They all nodded in agreement.

The tired Reynie walked to his white and wooly tent. His eyelids drooping lower and lower. He took an apple from his pocket, which he got it from the forest nearby.

He started chewing it, enjoying the juice within. He would have preferred a bucket of milk instead, but there were no cows nearby.

It was sweet and ripe and got him ready for slumber after the daylight had finally disappeared.

Reynie tucked himself in and blew out the candle.

Darkness washed over him and he was unable to sleep.

He sighed in heavily, and placed his items in his chest. He fell into deep slumber after a few minutes.

The stars twinkling around him, giving a sense of "Farewell," as he slept.

[i]***[/i]

[i]He woke up in a blank space. There was nothing around him, but darkness. He was lost, he ran through this way and that. He panted and spoke, but no words were projected out of his mouth.[/i]

[i]A faint light, white with sparks, appeared in the center of his thoughts and into the dark space.[/i]

[i]It gave him light, but light he did not want to use. [/i]

[i]Light that was a lie, light that was just color. [/i]

[i]A bright color disguising an inside. [/i]

[i]"An inside of what?" Reynie thought.[/i]

[i]The light began to form, into the form of a player. Blue sparks surrounded it as it flew.[/i]

[i]"Reynie," it whispered, "Reynie."[/i]

[i]It didn't have eyes, nor nose or a mouth. [/i][i]It only had a face attached to a body.[/i]

[i]It flew around the blankness, Reynie trailing behind it slowly.[/i]

[i]"Reynie, Reynie Ryder... The One."[/i]

[i]"How do you know my name?" Reynie asked, my voice finally coming from my mouth.[/i]

[i]"I am the Spirit of Knowledge, heed my warning."[/i]

[i]"The One, what? What does that mean? What warning?"[/i]

[i]A chill went through his bones, and the wind was surrounding his. [/i][i]Wrapping him in white.[/i]

[i]"He is coming. He will try to stop you."[/i]

[i]"Who is coming? Who?" his voice was softer, but it was still heard.[/i]

[i]It landed on the ground. The ground was filled with colored mist. Showing shapes of unknown things...[/i]

[i]It got closer to Reynie, the light seeping through his skin and into my blood.[/i]

[i]"Here." it said. Before I could reply, it ran straight for me and passed right through him.[/i]

[i]Reynie shut his eyes closed and wind took me away.[/i]

[i]He opened my eyes and he was in a dark room. [/i]

[i]He was a shadow. [/i][i]He was nothingness. He was nowhere.[/i]

[i]The only light source was the burning fire in the hearth. It was fire. But it caused no warmth in the room.[/i]

[i]"My plan is complete." he heard someone say. Only now had he noticed the darkest of shadow in the center of the room.[/i]

[i]"I have defeated those traitor, good-for-nothing Kings. Nothing will be able to stop me." the voice continued. "Igor! Igor! Come in, I must call upon the Spirit of Know. Now."[/i]

[i]Reynie took a step forward and stopped. A Masked Man was looking over his seat.[/i]

[i]Directly at Reynie.[/i]

[i]Reynie froze.[/i]

[i]He stared at him, but stopped. As if he wanted to know nothing was there. The Masked Man turned back around, shaking his head.[/i]

[i]A small figure entered the room through shadow and spoke to the Masked Man. After a few seconds, he bowed low to the floor and exited. [/i]

[i]He wasn't able to see his face. The shadows overcame him. [/i][i]The room became cold, wisps were created around the room. The white light appeared, blank face and all.[/i]

[i]"It's him!" I thought. [/i][i]He heard them talk, about slaughter, kingdoms, visions... [/i][i]But Reynie couldn't steady himself at the words of the Spirit,[/i]

[i]"Reynie. My lord, Reynie Ryder is his name."[/i]

[i]He stood there, he ran into the shadow and appeared back into the blankness where he began.[/i]

[i]The Spirit of Know standing there, floating without a word.[/i]

[i]"What does it mean? Who am I, really?" he whispered. [/i]

[i]***[/i]

Reynie woke up in a start.

Sweat was beaded on his forehead, dripping onto his bed.

He saw orange light coming from outside and heard the rustling of bags being packed.

"Reynie!" he heard Brimble calling him. "Reynie!"

It was Dawn and he knew it was time to leave.

"So that was what it meant..." he said to himself, remembering the random words. "Knowledge is on my side. But what does it mean? Who am I? " Reynie thought.

"Reynie! Wake up, come on!" he heard Brimble say again.

"Coming! Let me get ready!" he replied.

He tucked in the bedsheets and dumped everything in his satchel.

As the group broke down their camp, and walked the way the compass lead them, the Spirit watched them as they walked away.

He nodded, the Spirit, and he became the mist in the morning.
[i]

"Phew, is it misty today. How are we going to navigate ourselves through tho mist?" Aura asked as they set out into a dark forest.

"Well, I have an electric fan. It is really small, but it might help." Brimble suggested.

"I hope these batteries still have some juice in them..."

They all stopped in their tracks as she reached into her pockets and took out two batteries. She reached into her backpack, which Reynie only noticed now, and took out a pink electric fan. She placed the two batteries in, comparing from the plus sign to the minus sign on the batteries.

"This should do the trick." she said, as she flicked the switch labeled "ON". The little plastic blades, started spinning and spinning, and it was impossible to keep track of them with your eyes.

"The fan is clearing a path!" Golem cried out.

The mist parted itself into two, and the compass pointed North. The group drove past the mist and reached an open clearing with a pond of fresh water.

"Water!" Reynie cried, he ran to it and knelt down. Bringing out a glass bottle and proceeded to fill it with water.

"Boys... So desperate for survival." said Brimble to Aura, as they watched the two boys drink their water as it dripped down their chins and shirts.

"I know!" Aura agreed smiling. As they collected resources in the clearing, the Sun edged its way to the top of the skies.

"We better leave," Reynie said, his mind moving back to last night.

[i][i]"Reynie. My lord, Reynie Ryder is his name." the Spirit told him.[/i][/i]

He made sure not to mention anything to his friends. Not until the time was, right.

Who was that guy? What, was he? He shook himself out of his daze and continued,

"The Sun is above us..." Reynie told them, shielding his eyes from the Sun.

"Yeah," Golem agreed.

"We better get going before the Moon rises."

Reynie took out the compass and looked at it. He expected the hand of the compass to move North. But it stayed still.

"Something is wrong." Reynie murmured, "Guys, I think the compass is broken!" he said aloud.

They all stared at him, "What?" Aura said walking to him, raising her eyebrows and smiling silly.

"Nah, it can't be! I mean, John gave it us! It is a magical version of an average compass. It has a magical energy core can't run out just yet! It takes ten-million years for that to happen!"

Reynie stared at her, quite impressed by her knowledge, but she frowned and looked down.

"I think I may know what happened."
She reached into her bag and took out a book lined with golden-blue print.

"Magical Tools," Aura said.

"This will help up, I have been studying magic since I was 4 years old. Learning about it anyway..."

She flipped open the book and turned a few pages and stopped at the page labeled,

"Power and Energy Cores."

She started reading from the book, Golem sat beside her, but she shooed him away. Brimble tried to sneak a peek, but Aura turned around in time to catch her and continue reading.

"Wow, she is really fast," Reynie whispered into Brimble's ear.

"Yeah, no one, since I was 2 years old, has ever caught me trying to sneak a peek. Not even you!" they all eyed Aura for a few minutes.

Suddenly, she stood up and closed the book."What does it say, sis?" Golem asked almost immediately.

She cleared her throat and recited the text from memory:

[i]Magical Tools have very strong energy cores to keep the enchantment on them for at least ten-million years. Although, strong forces can disable the power from reaching every area of the item temporarily. This is usually caused when you are near the Base of a Main Mob. [/i]

[i]This happens because the force of wickedness and evil is added to the atmosphere majorly. Causing the aura of the Magical Tool to weaken or stop. [/i]

[i]This can be fixed by going farther from the Base of the Main Mob, but the Tool will work after 10 days. A faster, yet harder way, can be steal the relic of the Main Mob. The relic is causing the bad aura of the area, once taken from it's base, it will cease to work. [/i]

[i]The mobs there will be weaker in strength. Then the Magical Tool will start to work instantly[/i][i].[/i]

She finished and curtsied.

"I'm, I'm impressed!" Reynie said, smiling with surprise. "You memorized it all in a matter of seconds!"

"Wait!" Brimble said, recalling everything Aura had recited. "Yes, that was quite impressive. But did you just say that we have to [i]steal[/i] the relic from the mobs?"Aura replied,

"Well, we can just go away, it will work soon! But -"

"We'll have to wait 10 days!" Golem continued."We don't have that much time. I mean we do, but I feel it. We can't take too long with this." Reynie said, remembering the menacing conversation of the Lord and the Spirit.

"We have to steal it. It is our only choice." Brimble continued.

"Well, I could use the work-out..." Golem said, looking at his muscles.

Aura looked away and sighed.

"I was hoping for no mobs during this trip, and I'd be fine... Though, I already knew from the beginning. It is just too good to be true."

The Sun was half-way to Moon Rise. The mobs would be out. They regathered materials and recreated an almost exact replica of the earlier camp. They made sure to surround the camp with fences lined with torches for extra protection. Reynie announced their instructions as the Moon rose."We'll have the same routine as yesterday! Eat in your tent, wake up at Dawn. We've got some business to take care of..."

***

"Reynie awoke from dreamless sleep the next morning.

The usual mist brushed against the wool tent and seeped inside of his tent and stroked his face gently.
He thought he heard a whisper, but he assumed it to be the wind.

He always did.

He opened the tent and noticed he was the last to wake up.

As usual.

The girls were eating some bread while reading more on Aura's book on Magical Items and Tools.
Golem was on the opposite side.

He was lying on the ground with some dirt blocks and was lifting them like weights.

"98, 99, 100!" he panted and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was the first to notice Reynie.

"Hey Rey." he said, he placed the Dirt Blocks back where he had taken them and walked towards Reynie.

"Don't call me that." Reynie replied as he sat on a log and layer his back against the bark.

"Okay, [i]Rey.[/i] What would you like for breakfast, [i]R[/i]ey? How 'bout some butter on toast, [i]Rey?[/i]" he teased. Reynie smiled and ignored him.

"That would he great, Gol." Reynie replied smirking. "I think I could come up with a better name."

"Definitely." Golem agreed.

Roger used to tease him the same way when they were younger. How he missed Roger.

Reynie then looked around the camp and noticed something odd. The murmuring of the girls were gone and the soft laughter with them.

"Golem, where are the girls?"

They both searched around the whole camp shouting, "Brimble! Aura!", but no black blue streaked or brown and blonde haired girl ran to their call.
They ran out of the camp in frantic action, they shouted louder and louder.

They were already outside the camp, a few feet away. Suddenly, they heard giggling.

[i]Girls [/i]giggling.

"Aura? Brimble?" they both called.

They rounded a corner and saw the two girls reading and laughing.
Though a blonde haired guy wearing a leather black shirt, jeans and boots, was chatting with them and pointing out lines and pictures in the book.

"Who are you?" Golem interrupted.

The girls and the blonde haired boy looked up to see him.

He stood up tall and leveled himself to Golem's face.

"Hello, are these yours?" he asked, gesturing to Aura and Brimble.

"They are none of your business!" Golem shouted and grabbed the collar of his shirt.

"Golem! Stop it! He is a friend!" Aura shouted,

"Stop!" Reynie shouted alongside her. Golem let go of his collar and he fell to the ground.

"You are lucky I didn't punch the lights outta you..." Golem said through closed teeth.

"Aww! You do care." Aura teased.

The blonde haired boy got himself up and brushed the dirt off his leather clothes.
"Well, before you grabbed me by the collar and threw me to the ground..."
He extended his hands toward Reynie and Golem.

"Good 'morrow sirs. My name is Trevor, Trevor Tillings. Nice to meet you. "

"Who is this?" Golem asked, facing Aura closely.

"He is a friend!" Aura replied. "Don't you remember back in Kindergarten, Trevor was my best friend?"

Golem shook his head. "I thought your best friend was Katrina!"

"And Trevor!" Aura replied, gesturing to Trevor. She faced Trevor, "I'm sorry. My brother can be an idiot sometimes." she smiled sweetly at him and turned around to glare at Golem.

Golem shrugged and walked back to the camp.

"Anyway," Trevor started awkwardly, "Aura was telling me about your mission."

"What?" Reynie exclaimed, "Aura!"

"No, no, no! Wait, he can help us!" Aura said. "He is a Mob [i]Expert [/i]now! Who else would we need on a trip to a Zombie's Base?" she said, whispering that last line.

Reynie thought about this for a moment. He already knew, they couldn't turn away without him now.

"Fine."

"Thank you, so much. You won't regret this." Trevor shook his hand wildly as his smile became larger.

Reynie looked back at Golem. "First things first, we need Golem here. I'm guessing you've got a plan, Trevor?" Reynie looked back at him.

"Me?" Trevor asked. "You don't know what I'm capable of..." his smile growing bigger, and he ran quickly before Golem could enter the camp-site.

Reynie saw as he put his arm around Golem's shoulder and talked to him. After a few minutes, they both walked back to Reynie, Brimble and Aura.

"Let's do this." Golem said, "Okay, here is the plan:

He got a stick from the ground and started drawing on the dirt.

"Okay, this is the Zombie's base." He drew a large circle in the ground. "This is the entrance and us." He drew a semi-circle and five dots close to it. "What we have to do first is, use potions. We need to drink Invisibility potions and Night Vision. Luckily, Aura has 5 of each in her bag..." he looked at Aura.

"Fine." she said. She unzipped her bag and took out 5 Invisibility Potions and 5 Night Vision Potions and handed one to each person.

"And we will also need some swords." he looked at Trevor this time, and he took out four Iron Swords and one Stone Sword. He gave the Iron Swords to the group and kept for himself the Stone Sword.

"Okay, we drink the potion and we hide our swords. So, we can sneak past the guards and get into the Base or [i]city[/i]." He draw a line connected to the five dots through the semi-circle and into the whole circle.

"Then, we must go in separate ways to get to the center tower." he drew a square in the center of the circle and the five separate ways to get to it. We can't take too long, the potion lasts for 8 minutes."

"We have to go through the door without being seen by the secondary guards around the Base. So we have to go through the secret way. In the Local Pubs, there are three, secret passageways to the ground floor of the tower." he drew three other squares and lines leading to the tower.

"How do you know all this?" Reynie interrupted. "Trevor and me worked it out awhile ago." he replied.

"Anyway, Reynie and Brimble go together. Aura and me together," he shuddered. "And Trevor will go alone. We meet up in the tower, we will have about three more minutes to find the relic before time runs out. Ready?"

"No, let's do this!" the group replied enthusiastically.

***

It was 12:00 PM.

They prepped their things and hid their camp in leaves and trees. They each drank the two potions and hid their swords as they walked into the bright cave. They saw the two guards walking in circles around the cave entrance. They were talking about a plan, but the group didn't hear much as they sneaked past them with ease.

The group snickered as they past them and looked back as the guards looked around their stations.

A gate of Moss Stone and Fences was in front of them, slightly open. Enough space for them to squeeze through.

"Oh and guys. Last thing," Golem took out 5 Zombie masks and zombie leather clothing, which he handed to everyone. "In case your potion runs out, I hope you're good at acting. Good Luck."

Golem grabbed Aura by the arm as they squeezed through the gate and were gone. Reynie and Brimble went after them, in the other direction. Trevor did the same, smiling as he saw his first sights around the Zombie City.

***Reynie and Brimble***

The city was a giant cave of Moss Stone and Stone Houses, the smell of rotting flesh and trash surrounded them, pinching their noses in disgust. They walked around the leading paths, following the map Golem had drawn in the dirt moments ago.

They went right at a corner and saw millions of zombies. They groaned and they walked, door to door, on every street and every house and building. A chill went down Reynie's spine as he hung on to Brimble's hand. Squeezing it tight as they navigated themselves through crowds of walking dead.

They found themselves finally at the door of a Stone House, horribly built with uneven windows and a low ceiling. A sign posted at the doorway in scratched writing:

[i]Pub 1: Eat flesh, drink blood and be merry! [/i]

The windows were lit with Redstone Torches.

"You okay?" Reynie asked quietly, "Somewhat." Brimble whispered back.

They gulped down with a "Here goes nothing..." sense as they opened the Pub Door.

The room had quite an uneven flooring and ceiling and a cobblestone bar stayed on the left side of the room and the tables on the right. The tables were none other than ores and the seats were of stone. Filled up with drunk zombies.

The bartender looked different. He had a large nose and bushy eyebrows slightly covering bright red eyes. He seemed less frightening. As if it were by accident, he was a zombie. You could tell by the gleam in his red eyes.

They were not the color of blood. They were different.

Reynie clung onto Brimble's hand tighter as she returned the gesture. They leaned themselves against the walls and inched their way closer and closer to the Bar.

There were signs on the Bar with the food they had, it consisted only of flesh, blood, and other internal player parts that disgusted Reynie and Brimble. The bartender was handing a glass of red liquid to a zombie as he walked, dizzily, back to his table. They watched the pub's activity.

There were zombies singing, dancing, laughing and clashing their cups together in a failing attempt of a cheer. They gobbled up flesh with their bare hands and dribbled blood all over their shirts and chin.

Reynie could not take the sight, but he kept watching. That he didn't notice the pair of eyes as his Invisibility wore off. Square by Square, until he was again, Reynie Ryder.

"Player! A Player! Two Players!" a zombie shouted. Millions of eyes rest on Reynie as he looked around, frantically looking for his Zombie mask as Brimble froze in her spot.

A zombie or two took the two players by the arm and cuffed them and threw them on the floor in a matter of seconds. Brimble screamed for help as a crowd gathered around them.

Two Zombie Pigmen ran into the room and moved through the crowd.

"Out of the way! Let me see 'em!" they looked down at the two players and drew their Golden Swords at Reynie and Brimble's neck. They hesitated to kill them on the spot and instead smiled hungrily. They pulled back their swords and brought the two up.

"No use killin' you two now, the King would see that you two are slaughtered," he thought of a word and continued. "Properly..." the two Zombie Pigmen dragged the two by their collars. The players hit and struggled. As the Zombie Pigmen dragged them down the streets and roads into the Dungeon.

When they thought things couldn't get worse, their world went dark and the cave was lit with little red torches. They shone light only at the faces of the Zombies.

***Golem and Aura***

They moved swiftly through the crowd without a sound. Not taking any glances to look around the city, knowing they'd risk the other's life. They passed many zombies, not taking a glance back at them. Then again, they were invisible.

After a minute or two and five more minutes of invisibility, they reached a shackled house of Oak wood and Cobblestone. It slanted to one side and was dimly lit with Redstone Torches.

They spent no time reading anything or looking at anything. Before Aura could open the door, Golem pulled her aside and they both hid beside the Pub.

"What is it?" Aura asked, "Here, where this." Golem replied. He threw to her a Leather cyan shirt, blue pants and dark gray boots.

"Put it on! We start the acting now."

He started putting on the Leather clothing and slipped on his Zombie mask as Aura did the same.

"How will they know I'm a girl?" Aura asked looking at herself with a pocket mirror.

"They won't." Golem replied, he turned around to make sure no one was there. "Quick, what is the deepest voice you can do?"

Aura cleared her throat and spoke as low as she could.

"Convincing enough... We're ready." they walked as casually as a zombie would walk and got back to the Pub door and entered the Pub. They wasted no time observing, although Aura took note of Zombie activity in her head. They seated themselves at the bar and waited for the bartender.

"What would you two like?" the bartender asked. "I recommend blood wine and some flesh. Not very heavy, but good for a snack." he sniffed the air.

"Something smells funny." he sniffed some more. "Smells, un-zombie like."

"Uh, where did, did, did it come from?" Aura asked in her lowest voice.

"Why, human player o' course! They taste the best, we rip 'em up and kill 'em, dinner for three!" the bartender smiled, thinking of a freshly killed human player.

Golem quietly shuddered and looked at Aura, wondering is she was going to answer.

Golem answered instead, "Uh, anything else you've got? I want to, uh, taste something new."

The bartender raised his bushy eyebrows in confusion. "Really? Most like almost anything ol' bartender recommends... No harm done if I get you something else. Wait here, I'll get you [i]the best thing we've got on the menu.[/i]" he smiled went through the kitchen door and disappeared.

"Now is our chance," Golem whispered. "We have to sneak into the trapdoor behind the bar."

Golem and Aura leaned against the wall and sneaked over the bar, everyone else was too busy laughing and singing. They fell with a small thud over the bar, but again no one noticed. They felt the floorboards in disgust, seeing all the dropped food rotting away.

"Aha!" Aura felt the trapdoor and opened it up, taking one more glance to make sure no one was there. Golem looked at her and quickly pushed her in, then he went in after her. They closed the trapdoor and they appeared in a sewer.

It was foul smelling and had zombie skulls for the floor, ceiling and walls. Sewer water dripping from the ceiling. They drank another bottle of blue shining liquid and proceeded ahead with clear sight.

The bartender got back with a plate filled to the brim with animal and human meat, flesh, and many more disgusting foods, if you could call them that, on a rusty silver platter. He noticed his two guests were gone, he frowned.

"What is wrong with me?" he asked himself, and started to eat the food. Gulping it down with great enthusiasm.

***Trevor***

Trevor walked carefully around the streets, noticing the city of Moss Stone, which was just a cave. The biggest cave he has ever seen. He smiled at himself for finally holding a somewhat expedition into an active Zombie Base.

He knew and memorized the map he and Golem had discussed, his photographic memory helped him re-trace a route from the entrance to the 3rd Pub.

Straight, left, right, left and right. He reached a dirt and ore hut, redstone torches placed beside a sign hung on a fence beside the pub on the roof. Trevor couldn't read it, it was too high up.

He slipped on his Leather Clothing and Zombie mask. Golem forgot to distribute the leather clothing. But Trevor was always prepared.

He entered the doorway, it was missing the door but he assumed that the Zombie inhabitants already broke it down. According to his research and the opinions of his fellow workers, they can be incredibly [i]stupid[/i] at times.

He got in and noticed how the Zombies were slightly drunk, caused by all the blood they had drank. Who knew how murky and clean blood was? They ripped flesh from a bone and gulped it down laughing and mocking humans.

Trevor glanced at them and wondered how life was for them. Players never did think how killing a Zombie hurt a Zombie. They just kill to stay alive.

Trevor remembered where he was and got back to his job. He hoped Golem and the others were okay. He knew they were a strong group, he felt it in him.

He seated himself at a table next to a group of Zombies. He had hoped they wouldn't notice him, but one of the Zombies seated himself at Trevor's table with a plate filled with pig parts.

"Ah, the life." the Zombie said, relieved. He had cuts and bruises all over his arms and face. His shirt was ripped and revealed green flesh. His pants were halfway torn and his left eye was black.

"What happened to you?" Trevor asked him, regretting he had said anything, the Zombie looked at him and answered back.

"Stupid players. Slicin' me up with 'em Iron Swords and such. I got away. I was 'em lucky ones." he sipped red liquid from a cup and it stained his whole shirt red.

"Well, uh, gotta go. Get some," Trevor tried to put his words into slang like the Zombie close to him was.

"Some brain food? Uh..." Trevor was unsure of what he said, he didn't know much about Mob Language.

"Sure pal, gotta get 'em before they run out." the Zombie said. "Get me one cup o' blood, brother? the Zombie asked.

Trevor looked around. "Sure," he replied. He went to the counter and asked for a cup of blood for the Zombie at his table, now was his chance. He was about to sneak over the counter as the bartender went to the kitchen, when his Zombie friend caught him.

"What're you doin'?" he asked, looking as Trevor was crawling towards the trapdoor.

"Uh, I, uh, dropped something. In this." he gestured to the trapdoor.

"Okay, I still am waitin' for me ol' cup o' blood." the Zombie went back to his table. Trevor opened the trapdoor and dropped himself in, right before the bartender came back.

"Finally, somewhat safe." Trevor said, looking at the sewer tunnel ahead of him.

***

Golem and Aura followed scratched signs and ran along the tunnels that seemed to go one forever. At last, the tunnel ended and a ladder was seen.

"Finally. About time we got here." Aura said, panting. They were running there and when they got to a ladder, a Zombie ran into them.

"Wait! Stop!" It shouted.

"Golem! Zombie!" Aura shouted, clinging to his shirt.

The Zombie took of it's head and Trevor appeared.

"Oh, it is just you." Aura said gladly. "Where is Reynie and Brimble?" she asked him.

"I don't know. They probably got there before us." he replied.

Golem climbed up the ladder and peeked out through the trapdoor and signaled with his hands that the coast was clear. They all climbed up the ladder and settled themselves. They were on the Ground Floor of a wide tower. It reached high. It must have been built in a hollow mountain.

The tower was the tallest they had ever seen. If they started building it on the ground in the Overworld, it would reach the skies. It was made of Moss Stone, Cobblestone and Stone. The only light source were some Redstone Torches. The tower had only two floors, but the ceiling was high when measured from the floor.

The staircase was fit for the feet of an army of Zombies and the rooms could fit about 200-500 Zombies.

"Why would One Zombie need a tower this tall? I mean, he is a King, but really?" Aura asked Trevor. Trevor shrugged, "I don't know much about royal classes. I know most about the common mobs."

"Reynie? Brimble? Are you there?" they peeked behind everything they could. They whispered quite loud and climbed up the impossibly tall furniture items, but they were seen nowhere.

When they though they lost hope, things became worse.

"Guys, come here." Trevor said, "What is it now?" Golem asked. They faced a stained parchment on the wall. It said:


A picture of the two players for the Torturing Event shown: Reynie Ryder and Brimble Ravenwood.

***Reynie and Brimble***

The floor was ice cold. As the two players were dragged along the uneven stone floors of the Old Dungeon. Screams and moans echoed and bounced of the walls and bars of the prison cells.

The prisoners lied there, watched and shouted, "Help me! Please!" one said. "Save me! Save me! Save me!" another exclaimed, tears trickling down his face.

The two had lost their strength kicking and shaking themselves out of the cuffs that held their wrists together and the tight rope that held their ankles. Their eyes were weary and heavy with dark bags and they did nothing.

The Zombie Pigmen dragged them to the cell at the end of the hall. The first Zombie Pigman produced an two Iron Keys from his pockets and slipped it into the rusty lock of the two cells, which opened with ease.

The other threw the two into their cells and locked the door tight. The light was faint, and the two could see almost nothing.

They spoke hatred of the human players. Words to strong to be listened to or written.

The human players laid there in a pile of rotting flesh and rubble. They knew there was no hope for them yet. They overheard the Zombie Pigmen talking about an Arena. About posters, about slaughter, about them.

They did not know where the others were. They hoped them best of luck.

The two of them, huddled together in the small cell, wrapped themselves in the deceiving shadows and fell into dreamless sleep. Knowing, they would most probably never wake up again.

***Golem, Aura and Trevor***

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no." Aura shook her head and covered her ears. "This can't be happening."

Golem stood, awestruck, by the pictures of his two friends. They wore a stripped uniform, it looked like pajamas, and matching hat. They looked glum, dark eye bags, scrunched up faces... What had become of his friends. He hoped it wasn't too late.

"Trevor," Golem turned immediately to look at Trevor.

"What is it?" he asked.

"What time is it? You have got to have a clock with you..."

He took a pocket watch from his tunic pocket "It is still 12:30 PM. We have time."

It seemed as if Trevor had read his mind. No time, to think about it now. Golem had a plan.

"Trevor, Aura. I've got a plan. It may be risky, it will be I mean, but if we are going to do this. It might be our only hope." Trevor and Aura gathered beside him and made a circle. "We'll need costumes and swords."

Trevor and Aura took the items out of their bags and laid it out in front. Golem did the same.

"Good," he said. "I'm guessing you already know the plan."

They looked at each other and nodded, Aura with a hint of regret. Aura knew she was going to regret this, but it was for her friends. Her [i]new [/i]friends.

"I'm ready." she said. "Me too." Trevor said.

"Well them, follow me." Golem replied as he slipped on his costume.

"Here we go again." Aura said, as she and Trevor did the same.

***

The three zombies made their way out of the tower and through the town. In their costumes, no one really went by to say "Hi!" or anything like that.

They followed the signs and each other. Zombie townsfolk shouting and yelling every nook and cranny they went.

"Meat, meat! Fresh human meat here!"

"Blood Wine! Blood Wine! We've got human, chicken, cow, sheep, you name it! We've got it!"

The group shivered as they ran, slightly casual. Trying to make their way to any place where they might be guards bringing in the two prisoners.

After an hour or two, the group was exhausted. It was 2:30 PM, and they were starving. They couldn't eat, they knew. There was nowhere to hide, if they were seen eating an apple... The Zombies would know something is up.

They knew they were getting closer. At least a bit, but the city was too bloody long.

They rounded a corner and the scene changed. From where they were, a long line of stores selling food and trinkets and books, they were on a street lined with Pigmen in Diamond Armor.

There were stone huts and camps. Much smaller camps. At the end of the street, a giant cobblestone building rose almost as high as a mountain.

They walked slower now, if they were seen running across a street littered with Pigmen, who knew the consequences. Eyes followed them slowly as they made their way to the Cobblestone Building. They were the only 'Zombies' on the main road.

They tried not to look at the Pigmen, but they glared at the three until they were out of their range of sight.

At last, they reached the gate surrounding the building and two Pigmen came out to face them. A sign was hung on a sharp nail sticking out of the gate. It read:

[i]Black Matter Prison[/i]

"Halt!" one exclaimed. "Stop right there!" the other shouted.

They went to their rightful potions in front of the gate.

"Speak your business!" the Pigman exclaimed. "Now!"

"Uh," Golem started. "We, uh..." he pondered for a second.

He cleared his throat and spoke in his deepest voice.

"We are here to tend to, the, the, new prisoners." he said, he raised his chin up a bit. Avoiding the gaze of the two Pigmen.

"The new prisoners," Trevor repeated.

"Prisoners 511 and 512?" the Pigmen asked.

"Yes. Prisoners 511 and 512." Trevor replied, in a sturdier voice.

The Pigmen talked with each other.

"The Boss said the three Zombies would come for P511 and P512." one whispered. "Well, then. Why are there three?" the other asked. "One for extra help." the first one said.

They looked at each other and then the three. "You have been given clearance." the Pigman said.

They opened the gates and let the three zombies pass through and enter the Cobblestone Building Prison.

The prison consisted of stone bricks and bars creating eighty cells per floor. There were ten floors in the building and eight hundred cells in all. Only five hundred and twelve were filled up. In the center, a long staircase went up all the way to the tenth floor.

Once they entered, two more guards escorted them up five flights of staircases to the fifth floor. They passed many moaning, screaming, dying prisoners. Most of them were of Zombie Kind. Some were players. About ten cells were filled with sheep or cows.

"I'm sorry for betraying you! I'm sorry!" one Zombie cried out as they passed.

"Please, please! Help me!"

"I'm dying! I have a wife and two kids! Please! P-please!"

They got to the end of the dark hall. The Pigmen took out a Redstone Torch and placed in the window of Cells 511 and 512. A small cell with a wall in between. To separate the two players, they huddled together through the large gap in the wall although. Asleep, dreamless sleep.

"Here we go," said one of the Pigmen. He produced a silver ring with more keys than you could count. He took out two keys. Keys 511 and 512, keys stained with a thick red liquid, which Golem knew wasn't rust.

The Pigman stuck the two keys in the two locks at the same time and jiggled them both. The cell doors opened with surprising ease.
"Prisoner 511 and 512!" the Pigman shouted, as the two players woke up and fell on the ground.

"Get ready, you have a big, uh, I think, nine to ten hours in front of you." two Pigmen pulled the two from the prison cell and laid them on the floor.

"Seems like they're already dead. Just before they get mauled and everybody pays money. We gotta feed 'em. Then, let 'em suffer," one Pigman said, looking at the wrinkles on their faces and the dark bags below their eyes.

Golem, Aura and Trevor felt horrible. To see their friend rotting in this prison cell without food. They hadn't eaten food for almost the whole day and Brimble had told Aura this morning that she was slightly claustrophobic. She can go until ten minutes, after that...

"We can bring them out now." Golem said, in his deep voice. He couldn't bear seeing his [i]friends [/i]like that. Friends or not, he couldn't bear seeing anyone like that. Yet he passed 510 prisoners his way up.

The Pigman looked at him and nodded. "Sure. Do you know your orders?"

"Uh..." Golem muttered under his breath.

"Your orders from the Boss are: bring the prisoners down to the mining area, they will be mining for the next seven to eight hours. They will get food there with all the Zombie [i]Vegans." [/i]he shuddered.

"They will be served vegetables, rotting bread, whatever. I don't care about them. You are to stay in Cabin 9. For eight hours. We will provide a cart for you to get to the ZVZ Gladiator Arena. Once there, tie them up in the center. Once everyone is there, untie 'em and watch 'em get mauled. Got it?"

"Yes sir." Trevor replied.

"Good, follow me. You too you rotten prisoners. Sons and daughters of Notch. Ha!" the Pigman laughed at them, cackling loud. Bouncing off the walls of the prison.

Reynie woke up a bit more.

"What was that?" he thought. He heard the cackling of the Pigman bouncing in his ears.
"Why does that sound so familiar?" he looked up to see his three friends. He reached his hand out at them. "Help me." he muttered before he collapsed on the floor.

"Can we bring them already?" Aura asked. The Pigman looked at her weirdly and nodded.

The two Pigmen guards grabbed the two prisoners by their collars and carried them like a sack on their filthy backs.

"Oh," Brimble groaned.

After the long flights of stairs and a multitude of groaning, they reached the Mining Area and Cabins.

"Here we are now." the two Pigmen opened the door of the mining area and dropped the two in.

"Get to it, now!" they shouted. Reynie and Brimble woke up and ran to the Ores, grabbing the fallen pickaxes and running behind everyone. They were secretly sleeping.

"At least they are partially safe." Aura whispered to Golem and he winked at her.

The Pigmen escorted them to Cabin 9. A low roofed, redstone torch lit, wooden shack complete with tables, chests and books. Maps, blueprints and pictures of their General hung on the wall in wooden frames.

"You are to stay here. We will alert you when it's time to go." they slammed the door shut and left the three players in the room by themselves. They seated themselves at the table in the center and looked around to make sure the coast was clear.

It was.

"So," Aura began, "How are we going to save Reynie and Brimble? Did you see them in the cell, they are rotting!" her face showed worry and she raised her eyebrows slightly.

"First, we have to make a hypothesis and a procedure and list our variables and everything." Trevor noted. "Have you guys, ever been in a Science Fair Convention?" he asked.

They both shook their heads.

"Oh." he said.

"Well, what do we have so far?" he asked instead.

"We have our costumes, some few extra potions, we will have that cart soon..." Golem listed down. "Yes, we will have our wits? I mean, without it, we wouldn't have gotten here. We all had to act to get where we are now. I'm guessing Reynie and Brimble didn't [i]act. [/i]Well, maybe not exactly."

"I don't see, right now, how we are going to make a procedure. Wait, wait." Aura took out a small notebook, a quill and some ink and started writing:

[i]Question: How are we going to get Reynie and Brimble out without any of us being getting mauled?[/i]

[i]What we have:[/i]

[i]1. Wit and Acting Skill[/i]
[i]2. Zombie Costumes[/i]
[i]3. Extra Potions[/i]
[i]4. Swords[/i]
[i]5. Cart (soon)[/i]

"This is what we got so far," she showed what she wrote to Trevor and Golem.

"Okay, so first we wear our costumes. Duh." Golem told Aura, writing it down rapidly.

"Then, we take potions. If you still have Night Vision, any more potions that might help us you know." Trevor suggested, peeking at her quill writing squiggles, words, on the page even faster.

"We take the cart there with a cuffed Reynie and Brimble. Maybe we can sneak in bread to give them during the ride!" Golem exclaimed. No one outside the shack heard them, but Golem shushed himself up.

"Yeah, yeah." Aura wrote it down in agreement.

"During the time we tie them up, no one will be there! We can sneak their Zombie costumes on and ditch this place!" Trevor said smiling. "We win!"

"Wait!" Golem interrupted. "What about what we came here for? The Relic?"

Aura and Trevor groaned. They forgot all about that stupid Relic which stopped their tools from working in the first place.

"Uh, in that case..." Trevor began. "Wait here. I gotta ask them something." Trevor stood up and went out the door. After a few minutes, he came back and sat himself.

"They said the King will be there!" Trevor said.

"Great. How will that help our situation?" Aura asked, raising her arms in a frenzy.

"Well, I hear the King [i]always [/i]carries any precious items, the ones he doesn't want stolen, in his pockets. In this case, our case, the Relic..." he smiled slightly evilly. Trevor was up to something.

"How are we going to reach into the pockets of a Zombie?" Golem asked.

"Did I say he was a Zombie?" Trevor asked, his smile disappeared and was replaced with a frown. The King isn't a Zombie. I thought you already knew. Why did you think his Tower was so, so, gigantic?"

"The King is a Giant."

"What? Well, that changes a lot!" Aura said, pounding her fists on the table in an attempt to sound strong and enraged.

"Well, if he is a Giant, it might be easier. I mean, we can crawl on him, er. Reach into his pockets for the Relic. We won't have to stick our hands into his pockets." Trevor suggested.

"Well, that came out wrong."

There was a silence in the room and they had to check on Reynie and Brimble. They would discuss more later on.

Trevor's pocket watch showed them it was already 3:30 PM and that the Pigmen should be serving them their food. They seemed to be late, so the small group went out on to the mining area. They were given clearance by some other Pigmen and walked through many a crowd to find Reynie and Brimble.

They found Reynie and Brimble behind a large amount of coal ores, eating the non-rotting parts of the bead they were given.

"Hey guys," Aura whispered.

They both turned around and saw Golem, Aura, and Trevor.

"Guys! We've been through so much! Are you okay?" Brimble asked.

"Yes, we are fine, Brimble." Aura replied. "Are you?"

"Slightly. I am starving. My apple was in my satchel. In the locker room." Reynie said, frowning.

"We can get it later, Reynie. Don't worry." Trevor told him. "Right now, we have some serious biz to do."
He lowered his voice into a somewhat whisper and continued. Trevor told Reynie and Brimble about the dungeon, the tower. About what they had and knew. Reynie told him about how they ended up there in return.

Finally, they both caught up to what Trevor was saying.

"Okay, then. We will still need to be a distraction, if the King is there, he will watch us get [i]mauled [/i]right?"
Reynie started, "while the King is watching us get [i]mauled, [/i]two of you, maybe Golem and Trevor, will get the Relic. Aura will be the killer. Who is supposed to [i]kill [/i]us. Brimble and I will have to act."

"Sounds like it might work. At least 50 percent." Aura added.

"That's good enough. Only chance we have got."

"Reynie, I'll wear your satchel. I'll come back here to give you a slice of your apple." Golem said.

"A slice? Golem, I'm not a baby! I'm starving!"

"Want the guards to find you eating one whole apple? You won't be able to finish the apple in time to hide it. A slice is easier and smaller."

"Good point."

It was already 4:30 PM and they had to get themselves ready for their master plan, they went to their stations and waited. Waited and waited and waited.

"Ding," the town center bell rang, echoing across the walls of the great cave. Signaling the group, it was time.