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D3rlord3 looked at Avery, who was determined to stay with him, coming up with plan to save him. He couldn’t fight him. His skin might be a knight, but the slime was much better at PVP than him.
“We’re doing this together.” Echoed Avery’s voice though the whole dark space. All the floating eyes staring at the person who has just talked, yet the slime didn’t even glance at the eyes, his eyes locked on D3rlord3, waiting for his reaction.
Maybe he thought that his words have finally reached D3rlord3’s head, nope.
“You need to get out here.” The knight said firmly, his eyes not leaving Avery’s. Both were standing so close and yet so far from each other, but none of them made a move, until.
“Avery, what’s in your inventory?” D3rlord3’s voice cracked slightly. “What?” The slime said in a confused voice, not understanding what could possibly help them in this situation. But he was the genius here, maybe he did come up with something.
And so, he opened his inventory, but quickly closed it, when he saw D3rlord3 approaching closer, with his bare fist ready. “What are you doing?” He asked, maybe he was not smart, but he had good eyes and reaction. He saw the moment D3rlord3 walked closer to him. He wouldn’t die from the punch, but from falling, he was close enough to the edge.
“Getting you out of here.” Straight to the point. There was not time to sugarcoat it. They both knew, one more than the other, in how much danger they were. But Avery didn’t know that he was the target, not D3rlord3.
“Did you hear none of the things that just said to you? About being together in this and stuff?” The slime took a steep away from the edge, making sure that even a punch wouldn’t kill him. “I’m not leaving.”
“You must. There is no point in staying here too.” D3rlord3 insisted, his voice firm. His mind was already made up. He was doomed the moment he stepped foot into this cave, and more when he looked at The King. There was no way out for him, but there was for Avery.
“We can do it! We can get rid of,” he waved his hands around them, mostly pointing at the floating ees around them, “that. We can get out of here.” There was no way he was going to leave him, not when he finally found him, for the second time. They were going to get of here whether he liked it or not.
The knight just stood there, taking a glance at the eyes, all still watching this argument, as if HE was entertained by this. He probably was, just as he probably enjoyed watching them solve the puzzles, what a twisted being.
D3rlord3 knew it was over for him; he had already realized that he was dead, or somehow really close to being dead. Even if he didn’t really feel anything change, even when still felt like he was siting at his laptop. Maybe he was? This was something this curse didn’t teel him. He didn’t even want to know. But Avery still could be saved.
“I’m already dead, Avery.” His voice soft, softer than the smile has ever heard. “I can’t get out of here.”
“Wha- What do you mean?” He asked, his eyes watering. “You’re standing right before me.” Avery reasoned, not getting it. How could he be dead? He is literally talking to him right now.
The knight approached Avery again. “I died when I looked behind the gate. That’s why I can’t look away from the screen.” He tried to explain it to him the kindest way he could. But can you really say something like that kindly? That their friend, who they were trying to save all this time, was already beyond saving? “I don’t know why I still feel the way I feel, alive, but I’m already dead. Or at least dying.”
I shall finally act. Enough time has been wasted.
Deep, horrifying voice echoed. One giant eye was now close to the platform. They didn’t even notice.
The King has run out of patience, it was pleasing looking at the humans, arguing who will and won’t die, not knowing bot of them will die here tonight, just in different ways.
Thank you for leading the vessel here, but your job is done.
“Avery?” D3rlord3 looked at the slime for a moment. The younger man was standing still, as if in a daze. His eyes not really looking anywhere. But D3rlord3 knew that he was hearing the conversation this time.
“What are you doing to him?” The knight glared at the giant eye before him.
Nothing you need to concern yourself with, knight.
HIS voice sounded sure, as if he had already won, like had already gotten control over Avery.
“Leave him alone.” D3rlord3 glared at the eye before him, planning in his head a plan that was already in a motion.
You’ve done your job. There is no need for you now. Sleep. There is nothing you can do now. You are in my domain; you have already lost.
“Who would say that a king could be so dumb.” D3rlord3 smiled, pulling out the text he had copied in the last door, something the apparently didn’t know.
“I stand and give my eyes to you,
one by one,
shadowed shore far undone,
so you I pour corroded sun,
wake me,
as one.”
Nothing happens for a moment until all the eyes around him just vanish, expect the biggest one.
What have you done? Take it back!
The King sounds panicked, one could even say scared.
D3rlord3 just stares at him, waiting, for anything. He looks at Avery, making sure he is alright. Even if he can’t see if he is alright, nothing has changed. He’ll take that for now.
The all knowing being before pleads. Aware of its coming end.
You are destroying your mind too. Take it back!
“Don’t act like you haven’t destroyed my mind already.” D3rlord3 says, voice cold. He is prepared to lose him self to merge with this cruel king. He knows his end is coming. The scary thing is that he doesn’t know when. Will he be able to say goodbye to Avery?
Suddenly the eye stars to disappear, piece by piece fading in to the darkness, until there is nothing just a distant voice.
Take. It. Back.
Over and over again, saying the same thing, like a mantra, somewhere deep in his brain.
Is this all? Is this how it feels to merge with a god?
D3rlord3 quickly turn all his attention to Avery, who is still looking in one place, now just into darkness.
“Avery! Avery!” He keeps trying to get his attention. Nearly shouting at Averys, standing in his line of view.
Suddenly, like has been slapped, Avery’s head jolts, his eyes focusing on the person before him but before D3rlord3 can say anything, the slime asks: “What have you done?” His voice disbelief, cracking.
“I’m sorry.” The knight answers, his hands still on Avery who is just standing.
He heard everything. It was like he was there but wasn’t. Like there was something, or someone, trying to numb his senses, make him do something he did not want to do.
“Derek…” There were now tears in his eyes, threatening to spill out. He wasn’t dumb. He figured out what it meant, why was the god so afraid the moment Derek said those words. “Are you alright?” That was all he could come up with.
“Feel good for a dead mean.” The knight laughed bitterly. It was probably too soon to joke about this. But what else should he do, right?
Avery stiffened a little, bitter reminder of the state of his friend. “Is he still here?” He looked around them. “I mean… There are no scary eyes looking at us.” He tried to light up the mood, or he would literally break down right here and right now, and who would want to spend their last moment calming down a stranger, right?
Derek nodded, the King’s voice still in his head, saying the same thing. “I don’t know for how long…” He replied sadly. “You need to go, Avery.”
The slime was quick to reply. “No, I won’t leave you now. No way.” He shakes his head, his eyes staring at the knight before him.
Derek is aware that he won’t be able to change his mind. Not because he had knowledge of the whole world, but because he knows Avery.
The man didn’t give up for a moment. He desperately tried to find him, even when some puzzles were nearly impossible to solve.
“Let- let me at least be here with you for a while… please.” Avery pleaded when Derek took too long to respond. He wanted to be here with Derek. He won’t leave him alone, even when there may be nothing to do now, this man saved Avery so many times now and this was something he could do, right?
The thought of Derek being already dead scared him. The fact that there was nothing they could but wait for his friend’s end made him miserable. Both have done so much just for a knight, to do something to knight-like and sacrifice himself.
Derek nodded, his head was starting to hurt. Not like when he looked at The King, it was more like a starting migraine, that didn’t want to go away. He could only guess that the pain was going to get worse. The King’s voice still echoing in his head, it was starting to get annoying.
“It’s ironic, right? That a god lost a knight.” Avery broke the silence.
“A King.” Derek said.
“What?” The slime did know who the god was, all he knew was that he was weirdly obsessed with yellow and puzzles.
“He’s called The King, for some reason. A king lost to a lord.” He chuckled. “It is ironic and funny.”
Avery laughed. “A king, that makes it even funnier.” He looked at the darkness, happy there were no more creepy eyes. There was a moment of silence. “Weird he chose Minecraft of all things.” Avery stated.
“Weird for my last moments to be spend in Minecraft.” Derek stated. It was not the right thing to say. Avery quickly remembered what was going to happen any moment. Derek noticed the change in atmosphere and with the headache getting worse, he chose this moment to say his goodbye.
“Please don’t think you have failed me, Avery.” He comforted him, turning to the slime, his voice soft.
“But I went here to find you…”
“And you didn’t, but there was nothing you could do to help me. I was already dying when you found me.” They weren’t the best words to say to someone, but it was something Avery needed to hear or he would blame him self for this mess.
Avery started to cry. “But I didn’t even do that. You were the one who mined the block, without it I would never find you! You were the one who solved the puzzles!” Avery denied. He did nothing. He was useless. What had he done to help? Nothing. He was a liability.
“Don’t think that. You are special. You found me, without you I would be lost.” He comforted the slime.
“But you made it here without me!” Avery disagreed, still crying.
“You don’t get. I would be lost without you. You were the one who gave me reason and strength to continue. You made me continue.” These words had finally made it though to Avery, who’s crying stopped for a moment and continued with less tears.
“I’m sorry.” Avery whispered, He was sorry for Derek, for no way to save him, for him to end up in this mess, for him to suffer this much, for everything.
“Don’t be. Thank you.” Derek smiled, even if Avery couldn’t see it.
“For what?”
“To being there with me. To you for looking for someone you don’t know on New Year’s Eve. To you for spending my last moments with me.’ The headache was much worse than a minute before. It was starting to feel like his head was going to split in two, he hoped that was not how he was going to die. The King’s voice was louder and more frequent. Derek didn’t think HE wanted to say that it wasn’t like he could take it back, it was probably just a desperate attempt from something immortal, to stay alive. Some last wish or something.
“What is going to happen to you?” Avery asked, afraid that it won’t be something pleasant to hear, but he needed t know, that Derek wouldn’t suffer more.
The knight shrugged. “I’ll probably stop existing.” He was talking slowly now. The pain exhausting. He was starting to feel the way he felt when he quarried the knowledge of the world, his mind becoming a mix a thousand of million information, scrambled around his brain, all wanting to get out.
“Does- Does that mean I’ll forget you?” Avery asked, terrified. Will he forget his friend? Someone who has saved him?
Derek nodded, even that was painful now. Before Avery could say anything, the platform started to disappear from the edges, block by block.
“This is it…” Derek stated, sad. He really hoped he would have more time with Avery. Even if he already knew so much about him, he would love to spend more time with him. He didn’t get to do that in the library and now they were interrupted again.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I promise to remember you.” Avery yelled, promising it more to himself, than Derek.
Half of the platform was now gone. Avery stood as close to Derek as he could.
“I know you will, because you are special.” Derek smiled, even if his head was literally killing him.
Avery sobbed, trying to thing of a way to save Derek, however there was no time, nothing he could do. If D3rlord3 didn’t know what to do, how could he?
Most of the platform was gone now, few seconds before it disappeared completely. Right before everything disappeared Derek said: “Whatever you do at the crossroads. Keep going forward.” And the last block of the platform disappeared under them, only one started to fall.
“Nonoo!” Avery shouted, before fell deep into the dark void.
“Goodbye my friend.”
TheMostMayo fell out of the world.
TheMostMayo left the game.
He was probably kicked out of the game; the world was pretty much destroyed already.
As the pain was getting unbearable, as his mind was getting more scrambled, he thought about Avery. He did one last thing before it all went completely black, before he died.
With all his mind he wrote a final letter to Avery. He didn’t say so many things Avery needed to hear. Avery probably didn’t hear most of it, to caught up in thinking about any solution. He didn’t blame him; he would done the same.
With all his might he wrote one last letter. Something that would help Avery to remember him.
And then all it was pain. It was hard to breath, he felt his eyes falling shut, his head getting heavier, he felt losing his grip on his mind.
He felt-