Anyways, there are some things in this chapter that I'm not sure are proven wrong by members of the admin chickens, but oh well! Enjoy!
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Grayson's point of view-

I yawned and sat up in my sleeping bag, rubbing my eyes. My back kind of hurt from sleeping on the stone ground, but I was used to that kind of aching. I had a nightmare about my family, and the day that they were taken from me. It has been a long time since I had one of those. I looked over to bed, but Drake wasn't there. The covers were tossed about, and the pillow laid on the floor. I grabbed it, putting it back on the bed as I stood up. I looked over the bed, seeing my hybrid friend sitting in the far eastern corner. He faced away from me, and he was shaking. I didn't know if it was because he was cold, or because he was still ill. It bother me seeing him just sit there, for no reason.

  "Drake?" I called out. I hoped that Herobrine hadn't taken control of him again.

He turned to me, and answered. "Oh. Good morning, Grayson." I let out a sigh of relief, as I walked around the bed.

  "Um.. What are you doing over here?" I asked.

He just shrugged and looked away from me. "I had trouble sleeping again. The whole night I just had one continuous nightmare."

I sat down on the floor next to him, leaning my back on the cold, stone wall. "Care to tell me about it, you know, if you're alright with it?" I asked, concerned.

For a moment, he hesitated, looking away from me again. I was about to give up, as I began to push myself up, but he finally spoke.

  "It was...very detailed...with the cultist, just slaughtering you and Mia."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. That is very disturbing. I opened my mouth to tell him that it was just a dream, but he spoke up again.

  "Honestly, that wasn't even the worst part. They took me, and started to torture me. Cutting off limbs, burning patches of my skin, and just flat out beating me...but worst part was that... I felt every excruciating moment of it. I couldn't scream, because... I couldn't breathe."

I felt so sorry for him. He didn't deserve to have to see such things, even if they are just fake images of the mind. The word 'burning' echoed in my mind. I despise that word; too many bad memories. 

  "It's okay, Drake. I'm still here, see? They're just bad dreams."

He looked up at me, his white eye actually had a red tint to it on the sides. He still had bags under his eyes, showing his lack of good sleep.

  "I know but... It's just, feeling that pain. It's almost unbearable."

I hated thinking about what it must have felt like. Hopefully Mia didn't have a nightmare like we did. He didn't look too well. His human skin was flush pale, and he was still shaking. I knew that he still had a fever, and it was extremely worrying knowing that it hasn't gone down in the past few days. I wanted him to get better. I wanted to take care of him. Old fatherly instincts... I guess. For some reason, the day we reunited came to my mind. I remembered the joy that I had felt when I saw him again. Seeing someone that knew wouldn't stab me in the back. I remembered laughing, and truly smiling. I remembered on that day, that revenge wasn't everything that I should be fighting for. That I shouldn't let vengeance consume my life. He gave me another reason to live, not to kill, but to protect.

  "Everything will be alright." I assured him. "You'll be okay." I placed my hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

  "I know." He said, closing his eyes like he was falling asleep.

Suddenly, Mia opened the door that led to the other floor. She walked up to us, with one hand on her hip. Her hair was messy, and her face was pale. She rubbed her eyes and yawned.

  "Good morning! What's wrong with you, Drake?"

Drake opened his eyes, and turned to her, picking himself up off of the ground. "Nothing. I'm just tired. I didn't sleep too well last night."

  "Well, I guess I got okay sleep. I was up ready a ton of those books. Say, Drake, I read something I think you'll be interested in."

I stood up, going to get my backpack as they spoke. I picked it up, and opened it. I looked down at the shell of the egg inside of the back. Dragging my hand over the smooth, yet scaly surface. I can't let anything happen to it.

Mia told him about what she had read. "Apparently not everyone can use magic. Only people with a certain type of rare blood, or something like that, can use magic."

I put my backpack on, turning back to my friends. Drake tilted his head. "Really? I always wondered why there weren't many mages around these lands."

  "You guys have anything to eat for breakfast?" I asked, interrupting their conversation.

Drake took his backpack, and searched through the side pocket. He pulled out a few ripe raspberries.

  "I only have a few berries." He said, before he ate them all.

Mia nodded. "I only have an old half eaten apple."

I rolled my eyes and shrugged. "Well, we have to head into town anyways for more health potions. I guess we'll get some food while we're there."

Mia cheered. "Alright! Where is the town?"

I pointed to the northern-west direction. "It's just over there, but we don't know if they've heard about Drake yet, so you're going to have to hide your face with your hood or something."

Drake sighed. "Fine. It's going to be hard not looking at people." He said, pulling up his hood.

I walked up to the door, placing my hand on it. "So, are ready to leave?"

Mia and Drake exchanged glances to each other. "Yeah, sure!" Mia said, as Drake opened his mouth to say it.

He shrugged. I held back the chuckle in my throat, as I opened the door. I squinted at the light, even though the clouds blocked the sun. I took in a deep breath of fresh air, as Mia and Drake walked out of my home.

Drake began to speak. "Yeah. We definitely need to get something to eat over there. I don't remember eating much yesterday."

  "Yeah. You only had a couple berries. You need more than that."

Drake chuckled, as I took out my compass, even though I already know where it was. I guess it was just a force of habit from when I was looking for the magic library. I began to walk on the path, in the direction of the city.

  "This way. Follow me."

They followed behind me, making a conversation about about what Mia had learned in of books she read. Most of it was about magic, but some was about war history and other historical things. I listened to everything she said, even butting in on the conversations every once in awhile.

  "So, anyways, the city is call the city of Arngeir. I heard that it was attacked by Herobrine.."

I stopped when I heard Drake yelp. I turned around, seeing him holding onto his head. He must have been getting another headache.

  "Do you need any water?" I asked.

He shook his head, letting out a deep breath and letting his hands fall back down to his sides. "No. I'm good. Anyways... What were you saying?"

His headaches were still worrying me. I noticed that every time I said Herobrine's name, he had a negative reaction, mainly headaches. Maybe I should stop saying his name.

  "Y-yeah. Anyways...He attacked the place a long time ago, now there are imperial ships at the docks, guarding the city. So we have to be careful, and stay away from the docks."

Mia spoke up. "But what if any of them are walking around and recognize you?"

I thought about it. "I guess I'll buy another hat."

Mia cheered. "Yes! I liked your other hat. It was so classy." We laughed.

I smiled. Having them around, talking to them and laughing, it was enough to give me the will to go through anything for their sake. No matter what sacrifices I have to make.

Luke's point of view-

I walked on the path, not too far from where Grayson and I had fought the other day. Why did I run? Why did I feel...scared? That stupid hybrid just had to butt in when I could have taken Grayson down! Twice now he's done that when I had the perfect opportunity. Still, I guess it's mostly my fault that I'm still out here, desperate to get that hybrid. I ran because I was scared. I was a coward because I don't know what power he possesses. The ability of an Enderman and him... It's a horrible combination. When I heard that ear piercing sound of an enraged Enderman, I was scared. Enderman are the most powerful monsters out there, and I know that you should never get one mad. I was ashamed of myself. I won't run next time. I touched the bridge of my nose, feeling the scab left behind from when Grayson cut into it. Great, another scar to accompany the one on my cheek.

  "Those f***ers!" I shouted.

I took in some deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. I just want to go home. I don't want to have to be in fear anymore because of the stupid emperor. I've lost respect for him after he threatened my life. Perhaps he'll give me a bigger reward if I show up with the hybrid and Grayson's head, somehow.

  "I can't believe I ran!" I yelled, putting my hand on my face.

I kicked a large rock on the ground. I growled in my frustration. Suddenly I heard laughing. I drew my sword, and turned around.

  "Who's out there?!" I demanded.

There was rustling in the trees. I turned to my left, where the sound was coming from, pulling my sword closer. I jumped, when a person hanging on a branch with his legs breached the leaves. He hung upside down, looking at me with a smug grin. He wore goggles over his eyes, with a black suit, and black mask around his neck. He had a green vest, and green and black knee and shoulder pads.

  "''Ello, Lucas!" He said.

I growled at him using my full name. "How do you know my name?!"

He pulled himself up, jumping off of the branch. He turned to me, still with a smile. "The name's Xavier. I'm an imperial spy. I've been keeping an eye on your progress, and I must say..."

He took a dagger out of his pocket, and twirled it in his fingers. "...I'm not impressed."

I rolled my eyes. "So what do you want?" I hissed out.

  "I got word last night that the emperor has sent out a messenger a few days ago to hire another to get him. A mercenary squad."

I put my hand on my hip. "Mercenaries? You gotta be kidding me."

Xavier shook his head. "Nope. The emperor figured that if his top assassin couldn't do it, then none of his other assassins could fit the task. I think you know the squad leader that he's planning to inform."

He peeked my interest. "Who?"

He put away his dagger. "Henry and his squad."

I gasped lightly. Why him? Out of everyone the emperor could have picked, it had to be Henry. "That guy? Really?!" I growled. "I'll get the hybrid. Don't worry."

He chuckled. "You better, Lucus, because Henry's squad might get him first, then you can kiss the money goodbye."

I hardly noticed that he was slowly backing up into the trees. He turned around, and vanished into the bushes.

  "Hey!" I yelled, running to where he once stood. "Get back here! Do you know where he is?" I got no reply.

I growled and sighed at the same time, making a weird noise. I cursed over and over, until I tried to calm down again.

  "It's alright, Luke. Try to stay ahead of them, and everything will work out." I said to myself.

I put my sword away, and continued down the path, with my heart racing. Why couldn't he approach me like a normal non-aggressive person. Sure, I did something like that to the hybrid the other day, but that's a different story! If only I could tell what time of day it was, but the clouds rendered me clueless. I'll just have to look for tracks, and keep going north. That's all I can do, right? ...I'm so sick of this...

Drake's point of view-

Going to a city that might have been filled with mercenaries made me very uncomfortable. Wouldn't they be able to recognize him as soon as they see him? Heck, what am I saying? I'm so much more recognizable with my Enderman half. We made it to the wooden walls of Arngeir sometime afternoon, I believe. We were able to just walk in, as they did not have a gate to stop anyone from entering. As we past some of the buildings, the docks with many ships around them came into view. There weren't as many as I had expected though. About four of them seemed to belong to the empire, but the other one I saw looked more like a pirate ship, but it didn't have a skull and crossbones like traditional pirate ships. The place seemed to have a lot of markets here and there, but there was too many that they overran the place. Grayson immediately walked up to a both with a brown hat in view, pulling out a few coins from his pocket. It was a Paganum, so Grayson asked for it by pointing to it, and simply holding out his hand that held the coins.

  "Uh.. Can I have hat, please?" He asked, knowing that he couldn't understand him.

The Paganum nodded, reaching up a grabbing the hat. Grayson nodded as he held it.

"Yeah! That one!" The Paganum handed him the hat, as Grayson handed him the change.

  "Thank you, good sir." He said, putting the hat on.

He walked back to us, adjusting the hat onto his head, so that it covered his face, but still allowed him to see properly.

  "How do I look?" He asked us.

Mia answered. "Awesome!"

I opened my mouth to tell him that he looked alright with it, but I suddenly felt a wave of anxiety wash of me. My eyes kept darting around, looking for any mercenaries that might have been around. I was starting to sweat with worry, and silently hyperventilating.

Grayson spoke up again. "Alright. Now let's get some health potions. Some bandages would be nice too, since we're almost out."

We agreed, and Grayson went to another booth, with a Paganum in a pink robe. He looked around on the ground behind the booth. He pointed to the ground, finding something, and took out a sovereign from his pocket. Without any words being said, the Paganum grabbed a bottle of glittering pink liquid, and a roll of white cloth. Grayson nodded, handing them the coins and taking the material.

  "Thank you."

He turned back to us, as he took off one strap of his backpack so he could put the things in there.

  "I'm keeping these with me." He said, closing his bag as he adjusted it back on.

  "Y-yeah. Sure. Say, can we just...go eat somewhere around here? Those imperial ships are making me uncomfortable." I said the half truth. It wasn't just the ships, it was just me.

Grayson looked at the docks, then back at me. "Alright. I know a place over here that we can go."

We started to walk, but he stopped and turned back to us. "The only problem is, it's a bar, but they have good food there!"

  "Well, just don't order any beer or whatever." I said.

Grayson continued on. "Don't worry. I haven't had alcohol in...a long time."

We turned another corner past a building. There were a lot of people walking around on the street. Grayson walked up to a place that looked like a saloon, and opened the door for us to walk in. As I followed him, my eyes directed to a dark alley way. It made me even more uncomfortable seeing a person in that alley twirling a dagger in one hand, and a bottle of booze in the other. I hope they don't cause problems for us. Anyone here could cause problems for us. I shook my head, following Mia into the building, with Grayson closing the door behind us. I gagged at the smell of alcohol. I always hated it. There was a chandelier lighting the room, and a few tables connected to the wall. There weren't many people around, but the people that were around didn't look very friendly.My body was starting to shake.

Mia looked at me, placing her hand on my shoulder. "You alright, Drake?"

I pulled my hood down more, trying my best to cover my eyes, and my Enderman side. I pulled my cape around me, hiding the black on my chest.

  "Yeah. Let's go sit down and wait for them to take our order."

We walked over to the tables, with the chairs covered in leather and cushion. We sat down, with myself sitting in the middle. A waiter came around with a notepad in his hand. I looked down, trying not to look him in the eyes.

  "What would you like this afternoon?" He asked, ready to write down our order.

Grayson answered first. "I'll take a stick of mutton. What about you guys?"

Mia then spoke. "I'll take a small salad."

I could barely see as I covered myself, but I could tell that they were now looking at me. I was nervous, worried that he would recognize me. I kept looking around with my eyes, looking for a wanted poster for my capture.

  "Uh... I'll just take some mutton too, and a glass of water, please."

I could hear the waiter writing it down, he then thanked up. I heard the floorboards creaking, then Grayson tapped me on the shoulder.

  "It's alright, bud. You can look up now."

I looked, letting go of my hood. My neck popped, as I moved my head around to get rid of the aching. I didn't even notice that I kept tapping my fingers on the table.

  "You're really nervous, aren't you?" Mia asked.

I didn't answer. I just had the sudden urge to yell, feeling irritable. I wasn't going to yell my friends anymore. My leg kept moving like a nervous twitch. It made the floor boards keep creaking, and I could see the large men at the table next to us looking over their shoulders in annoyance.

  "Drake, calm down. Everything is going to be alright." Grayson tried to assure me. I put on a fake smile. Even so, my nervous shaking didn't stop.

Mia responded. "Yeah. Usually you're really calm."

  "I.."

The waiter came back to our table, with our orders on a wooden tray. He handed me a glass of water, and mutton I had ordered. He then gave Mia her food, then Grayson. We all thanked him, before he walked away.

  "Alright, let's eat!" Grayson said, grabbing his mutton, then taking a large bite out of it.

Mia ate her's, bite after bite, rather quickly. I looked down at my food, feeling very hungry, yet also at a loss of appetite. I felt like if I took a bite, then I would throw it back up. I took in a deep breath, then bit into the mutton. I chewed and swallowed it down, then sat there waiting for my body to react. To my relief, it settled nicely. I took a drink, then another bite, eating slower than my two friends.

  "Say, "buddy", could you stop with the shaking already. And take those off from you heads, there are regulations around here, bub."

I looked up to see one of the guys at the table to my right had stood up. He didn't look pleased at all. Grayson looked at me, as I brought my hand up to my hood, trying to debate with myself if I should take it off. I could hear Grayson growling, seeing my discomfort.

  "You know what..?" He pushed himself up, and stepped away from the table. "Why don't you make us? 'Cause I don't care if it has to end bloody."

The man growled, with anger seething within his glare. He stepped away from his own table, now facing Grayson. The man had tan skin, a big build, and was slightly taller than Grayson. He honestly looked like he could easily beat Grayson in a fight, but Grayson had military training, and he knew how to how to use his knowledge wisely.

  "So, I guess you're just begging for a fight, well, bring it on!" The man said, as Grayson slowly reached for his sword.

The people around us began cheering for the fight, screaming for blood. I covered my ears, as the volume seemed to get louder and louder, like it had when it was raining the other day. Even with my ears covered, they felt like they were bleeding. The noise was getting me even more irritable. I finally snapped.

  "Everyone just shut the h**l up!"

The door suddenly swung open, hitting the wall, and making the pictures and antiques on the walls rattle. A dagger flew through the air, going past the two men about to brawl. The dagger hit dead center on a wanted poster at the end of the room, that read for the capture of the infamous "Red queen".

  "So what's with all of the ruckus in here?" A female voice said, sounding like she wasn't speaking in her native tongue.

We jumped to look at the door, to see who the stranger was. I recognized her as the girl who was twirling the dagger her hand outside. Why did she seem more similar to me than just that reason? I looked at the wanted poster and back, instantly seeing the similarities of the picture on the poster, and the woman standing before us. She had short greasy brown hair, and skin that was almost gray. She wore long brown boots going up to her knees, with a long white gown underneath her long red coat, and long brown leather gloves that went up to her elbows. The coat had golden designs on the bottom, and golden tassels on the shoulders. She a large hat with a big white feather in it, and a red eye, with her other eye being covered by an eyepatch. The Red queen.

Mia started mumbling. "M-ma..." She couldn't get the words out.

The Red queen pulled out another dagger from her belt, with a buckle that had a familiar symbol on it. She walked up to a man on a stool, holding her dagger up to the man's neck. She swiped up his bottle of beer, and took a drink from it.

  "Thanks for the drink!" She said , tipping her hat.

She gaze moved back to Grayson and the man. "Now sit down, you two! I don't want the authority comin' here."

Grayson and the man went back to their seats. Grayson's expression looked irritated, yet intrigued. The Red queen turned around, taking another drink from the bottle, as she walked out of the building. I looked Mia, whose mouth was dropped. I looked at Grayson, then at the door.

  "Was that the Red queen?" I asked, looking for assurance that it really was her.

I didn't get an answer. Instead, Mia jumped up from her seat, and ran out of the door.
  "Mia! What are you doing?" Grayson and I both called out for her.

We got up, leaving our meals behind, and chased after her. We ran out of the building, and looked around. It didn't take long at all to locate her. She was ahead on the path to our right, with her back to us, and the Red queen facing her, looking at her with a shocked expression. We ran to her, stopping by her side. She didn't look up at us. Her full attention tested on the criminal standing before us.

  "Mairyn?" Mia gasped.

  "Mayadriel?" The Red queen said, just as shocked.

I looked at Mia, then back at her. "Mayadriel?" I repeated. Who was that?

Mia answered, her voice cracking. "That's my birth name."

The Red queen continued to speak. "It's been awhile, huh lass?"

I could see tears forming in Mia's eyes. "Yeah.120 years."

At first I had no idea what she meant, then I remembered that elves can live thousands of years, and that Mia was only 127 years old. Slowly, they walked closer to each other, until finally, they ran into each other for an embrace. Mia began to cry.

  "I thought you were dead!"

  "I almost did lose my life, but your sis is strong. I've been looking for ya for all these years. I'll tell ya this lass, you've grown up to be a beautiful woman."

They released each other, but the Red queen pulled her back in, making her face us, and putting one arm around her. Mia sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes.

  "How have ya been?"

Mia held out her hand gesturing to Grayson and I. "Well, first off, these are my friends! Drake and Grayson."

The black haired elf looked at us. "They're cute. Which one's your boyfriend? The tall one? Tell me!"

A blush came on her face. "N-neither!" I kind of blushed myself.

The Red queen laughed. "I'm just kiddin' with ya. It's nice to meet you boys! I'm Mayadriel's sister. We've been separated for years now."

  "I can see that." I said. "You're the Red queen. One of the most infamous criminals in the badlands! What are you doing in a city filled with mercenaries?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it's just because there's good money here. I haven't stolen any today, yet. We're in the process."

Her uncovered eye looked up at me, and her head tilted slightly. "Say, lad. Are that hybrid I've been hearing about?"

I stepped back. I didn't want to say anything. What if someone unwelcomed was listening? They could turn us in, and we'd be in a h**l off trouble.

  "Ya are!" She released Mia, and walked behind Grayson and I. Suddenly, her arms were on our shoulders, pulling us closer together.

  "And this must be the notorious dragon egg thief." She whispered.

Her voice suddenly rose in volume. "It's an honor to meet ya!" She rubbed both of our heads, trying to give us nuggies.

We both bent down, and got away from her. "Don't do that, please. I'm not a fan of that." I said.

I began to wonder. "Say, how did you know about him?"

She walked a bit closer to me. "Yer wanted for treason for helping the dragon egg thief, and...."

For a second she stopped, her glare on me getting more harsh. I was getting uncomfortable. She closed her eye, then opened it and leaned in towards me. She lifted up her hand, grabbing her eyepatch.

  "Ya wanna see my glass eye? It's blue."

I backed up even more, until my back hit a wall. "Uh.. N-no thanks! I'm good."

I wanted to ask what else she was going to say. What else was I wanted for? Before I could ask, she walked ahead of Mia, turning to face all of us.

  "All criminals and freaks are welcomed aboard me ship! If you want to go, that is?"
Wait. Criminals and freaks? Was she calling me a freak?

I looked over at Grayson, his face lighting up. "Say, could you help us get further north? Past the empire?"

  "Wait. Didn't you say to stay away from the docks?" I asked.

  "Yeah, but think about it. We might not have to go through all of the trouble of stealing an airship if we get easy access to a boat!"

  "Well, I guess you're right." I said.

He turned back to Mia's sister. "So, what do you say?"

She scratched her cheek. "Sure. Why not? More time I get to spend with me sis'!"

I looked at them as she put her arm on Mia's shoulder again. That symbol on her belt with the three golden triangles... It was the same symbol that was on Mia's chest.

  "Is that symbol you guys are wearing some family symbol?" I asked.

They looked down to see them, then back up at me. "Yeah. It's been in our family for generations!" Mia answered.

The Red turned around and began to make her way to the docks. We followed her. The sound of waves grew and the salty ocean eroma grew stronger.

  "I'm surprised you remember that. It's been so long. I thought you'd forget everything."

Mia looked up at her. "How could I forget?"

  "Well, there are some things,Mayadriel, that I wish you would forget."

I looked at them, wondering what exactly she had meant. I looked at Grayson, who just shrugged.

Mia laughed. "You're hair used to be a lot longer, and frizzy!"

Her sister laughed as well. "Yeah, lass! Another thing that I'm surprised that you remember!"

  "Say, what happened to your hand and your head, lad?" The Red queen said, pointing back at my injuries.

I looked at my wrapped up hand, not remembering what happened to it. "Well, we were captured by cultists the other day. You know about them, right?"

She nodded. "Everyone knows of the cultists. It's a miracle you all made it out alive. How did ya manage to escape?"

I looked at Grayson, who turned away from me. He was making a strange, but easy to recognize expression on his face. Uneasiness. I was having trouble remembering, which got me agitated. I remembered yesterday, so why can't I remember now?

  "I guess I used a lot of magic. I'm having memory problems again."

We came up to a ship, that was different from the rest around us. The sails were bigger, and the wood looked older, with barnacles all over the bottom. Some men came from on deck, and lifted down a large piece of wood so could come aboard. We walked up, steadily, trying not to fall into the cold water below. Finally on board of the large ship, we could see the crew members. Some just walked around, and leaned on the railing of the ship. Mia's sister turned to us, with a large grin on her face.

  "Welcome aboard me ship! You are now a temporary members of the crew!"

Grayson and Mia cheered, while I smiled and took in the scenery. Seeing the other ships that were so close, and I wondered how the infamous criminal hadn't been caught in this area yet.

  "How have the mercenaries around here not have seen your ship yet?" I asked.

She answered. "We got here not too long ago to steal from underneath the brewery for some barrels filled to the brim with alcohol. I'm sure you've noticed my liking of it." She spun around, turning to see a girl that was on the upper deck.

  "Aundria! Has the loot been boarded yet?"

The girl answered. "Yes captain. Really to set sail!"

  "Take the wheel! I have to tend to our guest here." She gestured to us.

The Red queen began to walk to the door of the captain's quarters. She opened the door, letting us go in first.

  "Ya know, lads." We turned to face her. "I may be a criminal...a thief...a murderer...but I'm not all that bad of a person. A lot of the money I steal, I like to donate to orphans. Children are our future, after all."

  "Awww. That's sweet!" Mia said.

  "Thanks sis, alas, but I do have to keep some of the loot from myself."

She closed the door, walking in. I turned around, looking at the decor of the interior. The place had lamps with candle flames to light the room. There was a table in the center of the room, with a desk behind it. In the far corners of the rooms, were chest and bags of what I could only assume was money, gold, and other priceless artifacts that she had stolen. I stood there, my anxiety still lingering. What if the mercenary ships start to go after us? What if the ship crashes and sinks? A ton of thoughts kept running through my head all at once.

  "Oi! Uh...Drake is it?"

Mia's sister called out to me. I looked up, feeling the wobbling of the ship as it moved on the sea, or were my legs just shaking again? Grayson and Mia sat down on the table, then she did. She put her feet up, and looked at me.

  "Uh, yeah. What's up?"

Her glare on my darkened, filled with what looked like suspicion. "Let me ask ya something. What's with that white eye of yours?"

I became very uncomfortable. Even the way she said it; it felt almost threatening. I covered my left eye, remembering the day I got it.

  "I...uh... It's a long story."

She lifted up her hand, gesturing for me to sit. "Tell your tale, lad. We have all day."

I uncovered my eye, and pulled out a chair. I sat down across from the Red queen, while Mia and Grayson sat on the sides across from each other.

  "Well, do you know about...Herobrine?"

She put her feet down, and leaned in. "Yeah, of course. I know that white eyed demon more than ya think."

My head ached at the mention of Herobrine's name. I swallowed the lump in my throat. Why do I feel nervous? I've told this story before, but why am I hesitating?

  "Well, Grayson and I have dealt with him on a few occasions."

Flashbacks coursed through my mind. Armen jumping into the lava to save us, and me destroying that sacred diamond, with his body vanishing in the light, and his life force slipping away. For a second, I thought I was there reliving the moment. That same sense of dread was starting to consume me.
All your fault...

  "You alright, Drake? You look like you're starting to get sick again." Mia's voice snapped me out of the memories.

I shook my head. "Maybe a little." I answered, trying to push my negative feelings back.

Grayson reached into his backpack, grabbing the fresh bottle of healing potion. He reached his arm out to me. "Don't drink it all. I wasn't able to buy too much. I forgot to bring enough money with me."

I nodded, opening it and taking a drink. I handed it back to him, closing it. He took it and put it away. I turned back to the Red queen.

  "Anyway..." She said. "Care to tell your story to me lad?"

I sighed, the feeling of irritation and guilt coming upon me. Maybe I don't want to tell it anymore? Maybe I'm sick of being forced to relive to pain. I looked at her, seeing the curiosity in her eyes. I don't want to be mean.

  "Yeah. Grayson, can you help me? I don't want to have too..." He nodded in understanding, knowing that it hurt me to remember Armen's death.

So, we told her everything. I told her about how I was just another being latched onto an Enderman, and about the Collin and Herobrine, and Armen. I guessed that I might as well start from the very beginning, even if it hurt to tell it. That didn't matter, because no matter the subject in this conversation, it hurt anyways. I told her about our experience in the house, and meeting Grayson. He told the part about Iron mere, and Armen's sacrifice.

  "I wanted to save him from that horrible fate. Knowing that he was still alive, but being forced to kill...I couldn't stand the thought. So, I cast a spell to trap him, trying to give myself enough time to perform the spell. It was a very complicated one. I managed to cast the spell, but it went wrong and merged a part Herobrine to myself."

I looked down, gritting my teeth from the pain in my head. I shouldn't have said his name.

Grayson finished the story. "Yeah, but... We managed to get rid of him by destroying one of the diamonds. Unfortunately, Armen died in the process."

The Red queen looked at us, seeming to be thinking hard. She turned to Mia, and nodded, as if asking for assurance that it was all true. Mia defended us.

  "It's all true! I've seen some things with these boys that you could only dream!"

The Red queen smiled at her, with a chuckle. Her head faced back to me, but her eye was closed. "Well, if Mayadriel says it's true, then I believe every word."

It was quite, with the exception of the sound of the boat rocking on the waves. The silence was bothering me. I could hear the voices in my head coming back, slowly rising in tone. I couldn't understand anything they were saying, like they were speaking in a different language. They faded, and I felt relief when Mia finally spoke.

  "So you know English now? Last I knew, you could only speak elvish."

The Red queen shrugged. "Yeah. I figured I might as well learn the common language of the humans in this land. It's difficult to find crew members when they don't understand a word your sayin'."

There was another silence, but it didn't last as long, as Mia spoke again.

  "I thought you were dead... I saw the ship explode!"

She sniffed, her eyes tearing up. The two looked at each other, a look of grief in both of their expressions. They had been separated for so long... I couldn't help to feel sorry for their lost time together. Still, I wondered if we might have ever met Mia if the Red queen was still around for her.

  "Explode?" Grayson said, tilting his head. "How did that happen."

She sat up straight and sighed. "Like I said before, I've had my fair share with the white eyed demon you spoke of. He's the reason behind it all..."

One hundred and twenty years ago:

The Red queen's point of view-

It was another dark night, sailing the seas. I pulled down the shirt of my nightgown getting ready to call it a day, and take a load off. I sat down in my red leather chair, not having a proper bed in my quarters. I laid my head back, closing my eyes in hopes of getting a good night's sleep. A day's hard work of stealing and running from the law can be tiring. I heard the door creak open, and small footsteps walking into the room. I growled, and looked up.

  "What do you wa..." I stopped, seeing my little sister standing there.

She looked up at me, with wide lime green eyes. Her pink nightgown almost touched the floor.

  "Oh, Mayadriel, it's you! Come over here." I ushered her to come over.

She made her way over to me. I gently grabbed her by her sides, and lifted her up onto my lap. I looked down at her and smiled.

  "What's the matter, las? Having nightmares?"

She nodded, resting her head between my cleavage. "Yeah. There was a scary man and chased me. He wanted to kill me."

It really did hurt me, hearing a child saying such things. The mind of a child isn't always so innocent, even if they think no wrong. I wrapped my arms around her, trying to comfort her as she trembled.

  "It's alright, sis. Your sister here isn't going to let some big, bad man get ya. Alright?"

She pushed herself up, and looked up at me. She laughed and smiled. "Yeah! No one can beat you!"

I laughed. It was great seeing her happy again. I just hoped that she didn't get anymore nightmares to ruin her sleep. Her smile faded.

  "Mairyn, can I sleep with you?"

I pulled her in close, relaxing with her in my arms. "Sue thing, lass."

She closed her eyes, getting comfortable. It didn't take long for me to hear the light snoring that came from her sleeping body. I smiled, placing my lips on her forehead, and kissing her.

  "Good night, Mayadriel."

I rested my head back, and waited to drift into unconsciousness. I was able to do so, but my restful sleep did not last for long. My eyes shot open, when there was a loud crash, and the ship felt as if it had almost tipped into the sea. I held Mayadriel tight, as things began to fall towards us. With another loud crash from the waves, the ship became upright once again. I felt my heart racing, and the racing heartbeat of the girl in my arms. I loosened my grip on her, setting her down on the floor.

  "Sis, what's going on?" She cried. I wanted to wipe the tears from her face, but I had to get out there.

I grabbed my sword that was now laying on the ground next to me, when it used to be on a shelf on the other side of the room. Without saying a word, I ran outside, slamming the door on my sister. I didn't do it to be rude. I just wanted her to stay put and remain safe. My crew and I ran up onto the deck, seeing wood set ablaze. Smoke rose into the air, as the fire spread. My crew ran and screamed about, trying to spot our attacker. I looked around at the waters,but spotted no enemy ships. Suddenly, there was another loud crash at the front of the ship. The screaming grew louder as the attack rained down upon us. I turned around, seeing a man standing there, with his diamond sword penetrating the chest of one of my crew. Those white eyes are something you never forget. Even from far away, they struck fear into me. A feeling that I hadn't felt in a long time. He pulled out the sword, and swung it at another one of my crew members. The blade sliced into his chest, and his body fell onto the deck, now lifeless. He turned, with a wide smile on his face, that rattled me to my core. I knew exactly who it was. I had always thought he was just a myth. A fairytale. But it was hard believing it all to be mere stories, when that story was right in front of you in the flesh. Living, and killing. No one can win against the king of death; against Him.

  "Abandon ship! Everyone abandon ship, now!" I demanded. I didn't want anyone else getting killed.

As the demon flew up, disappearing in the smoke from the flames. I jumped down to the bottom deck, next to the door of the room that my sister was in. The door opened, and my sisters head peaked out, tears stained on her face. She choked and sniffed, before she ran to me and hugged my legs tightly. She knew what was going on. She knew that no one could stay on the Star Emerald and survive at this post. I pried her hands off of me, and bent down to her eye level. 

  "Mayadriel, you're...probably not going to see me again." I had to look away. I couldn't bare seeing the pain in her eyes.

  "I'm sorry, but...remember this..." I forced myself to look up at her. I closed my eyes, and forced a smile.

  "The captain always goes down with the ship."

I placed a kiss on her forehead, then stood up. I looked around at the boat, seeing that there was one preserve boat left. It was an extra boat on the side of the ship, just incase we ever had to abandon the ship. That day had finally come. As the boat was being filled, I called out to a loyal ship mate.

  "Adrian, take Mayadriel! Get her out of here!"

He came running up, and scooped Mayadriel in his arms. He looked at me, with fear writing all over his face. "But captain, what about you?"

I looked up at the sky, searching for him. "Don't worry about me. Just go!"

So, he took her, and placed her into the boat. Mayadriel screamed, not wanting to leave me behind. I felt tears going down my face. If I go down, I'm not going without a fight. As the boat fell into the water, disappearing, I looked back at the wood of the floor, vanishing in the orange flames. I ran to an area that had not been touched by the fire just yet. I waited, with my sword in my hand, for the white eyed conquer of the lands. Suddenly, his form appeared before me out nowhere. His blue clothing drenched in blood. He licked his lips, getting some of the blood that completely covered his right cheek. I took a step back, filled with fear, but I pushed back that fear, holding up my sword. He laughed uncontrollably, making my blood run cold. It was a laughter that was almost sickening. He held up his own sword, bending his elbow, readying to strike. In the blur of an instant, there was an agonizing pain in my chest. He stood in front of me, still laughing. I looked down, seeing his blade inside of my chest, drawing my blood. He pulled it out, letting me fall to my knees. I gasped, covering the wound that I knew was fatal. He stopped laughing. I glared up at him, as he grabbed my hair and pulled my head back. His arm lifted up, getting closer to my left eye. I felt the pressure around it, as his fingers dug into my socket, taking my eye, and ripping it out of my head. I screamed in anguish as the blood squirted out of my eye socket. I covered my eyes, and looked up at him with the blurred vision of my other eye. He held the eyeball I his hand playing with it, before crushing it in his grip.
So...tell me...
The deep, echoey voice said. I pushed myself back, and grabbed onto the wood railing. I pulled myself up, moving my hand from my bleeding eye socket, to the stab wound.
...Red queen...
I looked at him, my body trembling. Those white eyes stared into my soul. That grin priced into my memory.
  ...What do your elf eyes see?
Before I knew it, his first was on my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. The wood behind me snapped, letting my body fall into the freezing water. The black and dark blue that I saw, was almost instantly replaced with red. I could the flames on the Star Emerald rising, until the ship finally exploded. My eyes closed, as I expected death...

Present day:

Drake's point of view-

  "...But death never came." The Red queen finished.

I couldn't believe that she had actually survived all of that. To me, it seemed like more than a miracle.

  "I washed up on shore, and was taken in by imperial forces. I was sentenced to be hanged. I remember the rope constricting around my neck, depriving my lungs of oxygen. I passed out, but then opened my eyes, finding that I was not dead. I was laying in a bin, filled with bodies of people with nooses around their necks. I lifted up my hand, finding the noose still tied around my neck. Once again, I escaped death."

  Before any of us could say anything, there was a loud crash, as the ship tipped slightly. Grayson even fell from his chair. As the ship fell back to its normal position, it swayed, until the waves underneath it settled.

  "What the h**l?!" Grayson yelled, as he stood back up.

I grabbed onto the table, trying to keep my footing. "What was that?" I asked, knowing that no one had the answer.

Suddenly, the door swung open. A man stood there, hyperventilating. "Captain! Imperial ships are attacking."

We all gasped. Great, the empire even plagues us at sea. The man left, then we all ran out of the room, almost cramming each other in the doorway as we all tried to leave at once. I was the first one to make it out, looking around in shock. The canons of the ship kept firing, as the imperial ships tried to return fire. The light from the burning boats hurt my eyes in the dark. I was surprised that we had been in there for that long. When one of the enemy ships finally got close enough, they began swinging on ropes, boarding our ship. I pulled out my sword.

  "They're boarding the ship!" I called out, running to a mercenary that had touched his feet onto the ships floorboards.

I ran into him as I stabbed him, knocking him back and over the railing. I looked over, seeing the water become crimson. I stepped away, as more of their men began to board.

  "Drake!" I heard Grayson call out.

I spun around, seeing a mercenary standing there. As I held up my sword, I noticed that a blade was already sticking out of his chest. His body fell, revealing Grayson to be his killer. We didn't say anything to each other; we didn't have the time too. More and more of them swung on ropes and got onto the ship. Over and over, we charged at them, swinging our swords and stabbing them. The boat kept rocking violently as cannon balls hit the waves, and gridded against the ship. Finally, there was another loud crash, and wood flew into the air. I looked over the ledge, seeing the water rising, and a large hole in the lower deck.

  "We've been hit! The ship's sinking!" I said, running up to Mia and her sister.

A look of shock was on both of their faces. The Red queen's shocked look shifted to one of anger.

  "I knew I should have retired!" She said, as she ran to the top deck.

I fell to my knees as the ship continued to rock and fall apart as it was repeatedly hit by cannon fire. I hear the sound of wood snapping, and the waves crashing against what remained of the vessel.

  "It's falling apart beneath us! Move to better ground!" I yelled to warn everyone in that area.

I ran to the front of the ship, as the loud echoing sound of the boat snapping in half hit my ears. I grabbed onto the railing, pulling myself up so I wouldn't fall into the water. I could hear the screams as the crew fell into the waves, and the other half of the ship sunk into the ocean water. I looked down, seeing nothing but broken wood floating on the waves that crashed against the other half of the boat that I clung to. It sunk into the water quickly. My attention was drawn away from the destruction, when I heard one last cannon blast. I looked ahead, seeing the flaming cannonball hurtling towards me. It collided with the wood, exploding on impact. My body went flying, feeling the flames lick at it and burning wood smack into me. My body burned from the fire. I hit the water, feeling the burning become replaced with numbing cold. My entire body was in pain, and my chest ached from the feeling of drowning. I could see the water turning crimson in front of me, as the rest of the air in my lungs rose up into the sea in small bubbles. I closed my eyes, only to look at myself in the darkness, with my own eyes glowing white.

Mia's point of view-

As I held onto the floating wood, I saw Drake still holding onto the half of the ship that had yet to sink. My eyes widened, and I screamed as I saw an explosion go off where he was, and I saw him disappear in the orange light. As the waves hit my face, I tried desperately to keep my head above the water. I spit out the salty water, as I looked around, trying to find Drake in the vast sea. I gasped, seeing the water turning red in a small area within the waves. I took in a deep breath and dived down. I couldn't see anything. I was too dark, but I could feel myself hit something that I knew wasn't debris. I grabbed onto it tightly, and swam back to the plank of wood that I once clung onto to stay afloat. I emerged with Drake in my arms. He coughed up water and gasped for air. His nose was bleeding, and the bandages that I had put on him were falling apart from becoming too moist. I coughed as well, trying to regain my breath.

  "Thank you." He whispered, not being able to talk very loud.

I looked up, seeing Grayson swimming over to us. He had a few more bruises to accompany the ones that the cultists left on his cheek. He kept his right eye closed, like it was hurt.

  "Are you guys alright?" He asked, grabbing onto another piece of floating wood.

I answered. "Y-yeah, but...where's Mairyn?!" I was worried about my sister. I didn't want to lose her again.

Grayson looked around, and shook his head. "I don't know. I don't even see any of her crew, but...we have to get to shore! We're all going to get sick or catch hyperthermia if we stay out here! The ships might even come in and see us here."

I nodded. "Yeah. I see land over there!" I pointed to a dark silhouette of land in the night.

The waves began to hit us with force as the imperial ships began to get closer. Drake began to move forward as he paddled his legs towards the mass of land. I paddled my own legs, trying not to fall off of the board. The waves hitting us made it a bit easier to get there quickly, but constantly having to spit out salt water was a big annoyance. Our feet finally touched the ground after swimming for what felt like hours. Once we walked on to dry ground, I collapsed, my body feeling exhausted. I coughed and hacked,trying to get the water out of my lungs again. I looked up, seeing the boys do the same. I got up, looking at them with concern inside of me. Grayson rolled onto his back, breathing heavily to regain breath.

  "I'm sorry... It's my fault. It was my decision to go."

  "Grayson...none of this is your fault. I got to be with my sister again! I got to remember what happened that night, and even if I lost my sister that night, I'm glad I remembered it!"

My attention was turned to Drake. He started to vomit on the sand, but I could at least tell that it wasn't blood by looking at the color.

  "Grayson...it wasn't your fault. No could have expected that to happen." He said.

Grayson stood up. "Well, we should have! They were everywhere, and we should have known! I should have known. It's my job to protect you..."

The moonlight reflected in the tears that formed in his eye. Drake stood up, and walked over to us. He wiped his lips clean, his body shaking more violently than it had back at town.

  "Everything is fine... Think of it this way, were closer to our destination then before.
We made it a lot further than we would have on foot." He said.

Grayson wiped his eyes. "I-I guess. Still, what about Mia's sister?"

They turned to me, concerned about my feelings. I looked down, remembering that I hadn't seen what had happened to her. I hoped that she made it out alive. She made it out before, so she can do it again.

  "I know that she's okay. A few ships and a wreck aren't enough to bring her down. I know that for sure." I put a smile on my face.

Drake started coughing and sniffling. Grayson put his hand on his wet forehead.

  "You're getting a fever again. Come on, we have to set up a camp a get a fire going before we freeze out here." Grayson began to walk off into the trees and bushes.

  "Alright." Drake said. "Come on, Mia. We need rest. It's been a rough day, and..."

He looked down. "I'm sorry that you don't know her fate right now, but keep that hope up. I'm sure she and her crew are just fine."

I smiled again. We walked in the direction Grayson had gone. I looked back, seeing the remainder of the flames dying out on the floating wood. The imperial ships surrounded the wreckage, searching everything. What if my sister was in there? I forced myself to look away. I guess it's only natural. After all...the captain always goes down with the ship.