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Wemmbu felt tears of relief start to build in his eyes as he ran up the stairs of the treehouse he had been away from for so long.
His wings ached and his chest heaved with every breath, but it was all worth it. Everything he'd done in the last year had lead to this very moment. The moment where Wemmbu could finally go home, finally see his brothers, finally apologize to them.
He slammed the front door open, "I'M HOME!!"
Silence greeted him.
That's fine, he'll just go find them, "Mane? Flame?"
He searched the entire first floor, his heart rate spiking at the layer of dust covering everything. Wemmbu opened the cabinets in the kitchen, tears of relief turning to tears of horror at the emptiness. Mane would never leave the house without food.
"MANE?!" his voice cracked, "FLAME?!"
Wemmbu's heels clicked as he rushed up the stairs to the second floor. He had to be wrong! There's no way his brothers just left their home! His claws scratched the handle of Flame's bedroom door as he pushed it open, not caring about it slamming back against the wall.
Tears started to fall as he looked around his middle brothers room, it was empty. Not just of Flame himself, but the things that Wemmbu knew Flame cared about. His weapons, photos, favorite clothes and blankets…
Wemmbu stared at the empty space as tears streamed down his face, his lips trembling as he tried to stop himself from sobbing. He turned and ran down the hallway, reaching the door to his oldest brothers den. He hesitated as his hand reached for the door, not sure if he could handle what he'd find.
He shook his head and gently opened the door, feeling his hopes crushed instantly. It was - similar to Flame's room - empty. Even the bedding of Mane's nest had been taken.
"No…" Wemmbu whispered as he staggered towards the bed, "no, no, please!"
He collapsed on to the bare mattress, his tears soaking the material as his wails were muffled. He sobbed in genuine heartbreak. He just wanted his brothers, was that really so much to ask?!
"M-mane…" Wemmbu whispered between sobs, "Flame…"
Was he not allowed to be happy? What had he done in life to deserve being treated like this? All he wanted was to go home, make up with his brothers and have a damn nap. Why?! He's so tired…
"Maybe if I wait a little bit…" he sobbed, "they'll come back."
He'd wait a few days - just a few - surely Mane and Flame were just out for a bit, they hadn't really left!
Wemmbu tried to ignore the little voice in his head that tried to remind him of the dust and empty house.
They'd come home soon.
~
He spent a whole day in Mane's bare nest, curled up in the cold room (it never used to be so cold in here) and staring at the wall. He had run out of tears at some point, dried streaks on his cheeks and his throat was scratchy and sore from his sobs.
But he was determined, he just had to wait a little longer.
~
The next day was spent on the floor of Flame's room, his wails resumed after he had downed a golden apple. Wemmbu sniffed into his crossed arms, burying his face into the side of the mattress.
But - again - he just had to be patient.
~
The next few days were spent sitting in random rooms of the house. Flipping between crying and silently staring off into space. The water in the house still worked, so he often took showers when he wasn't crying or dissociating.
He had to be clean for when Flame and Mane came home!
~
About ten days of following this depressing routine passed by before Wemmbu started to lose hope. He was starting to think about testing his orbitals on the treehouse just to get some of his emotions out.
He's pretty sure he'd started hallucinating things moving in his grief. Footsteps, movement on different floors, and things being moved. Surely Wemmbu was going crazy.
He decided to do one more round of the house before leaving, hoping to find something - anything - to hint where his brothers had gone. However, just like it had been for the last week and a half, nothing was to be found.
The last place to say goodbye to was his own room, a place he hadn't even visited once this entire time. He hadn't really thought much about it, surely nothing had changed. He hadn't been around to change anything. He didn't even want to go in, knowing it was another step towards crushing his hope completely.
But his curiosity won and he opened the door.
Things were different. A lot of his trinkets were gone, some of his clothes too. Even his blankets and pillows were gone. One thing stood out, though.
A letter.
Sitting where his pillow would usually be, the paper yellowed by time and covered in dust. For a moment, Wemmbu just stared at it like it would come alive and attack him. After a while, he slowly stepped towards the bed, his heels clicking softly against the wooden floor.
He reached out and held the paper gently, unfolding it with the utmost care - as if it was going to fall apart if he even stared at it wrong. He brought it closer, tearing up at the familiar handwriting of his middle brother.
Wemmbu,
You've been gone for nearly six months now and I don't think Mane is handling it well.
To be fair to him, neither am I.
Mane thinks you're dead, plain and simple. He thinks that there was no way you could have survived that shot. But I know that he's wrong. I know you, you're determined - stupidly determined - and you'd never let something like a TNT cannon take you out.
I know that you're still alive.
I don't know why you can't get messages, your communicator probably broke. I know not many people are good enough with redstone on this server to fix it. But that's okay, I know that you'll make your way back here eventually.
That's why I'm writing this letter. You'll freak out when you find this place empty. Mane says that he found us a job, something to do while we work through our grief (his grief, I know you're still coming home). I don't know what it is or where it will be and he won't tell me, so I'll leave a trail.
Right now, we're on our way to Lomedy's farm, so that I can hang out with him before we leave. I'll leave another letter with him.
Find us, Lilac.
Flame.
Tears dripped silently onto the paper. Wemmbu had to pull it away so he didn't ruin it. Wemmbu sniffed and for the first time in ten days, he smiled.
"Flame…" he whispered, hugging the paper, "thank you…"
Wemmbu grinned and stood up, determined once again to find his brothers. He now had a clue, a path to follow. And he wasn't going to waste anymore time!
All thoughts of the Zam Empire left his mind as he took to the sky once again, flying in the direction of Lomedy's farm.
~
Massive wheat fields spread out as far as the eye could see. Sometimes Wemmbu would encounter a scarecrow, other times it would be a windmill. A repeating pattern that soon became boring, just as it did over a year ago. It's actually kind of nostalgic.
Finally, something other than wheat appeared. A farmhouse amid a sea of yellow, shining like a safe haven. Wemmbu had never been so glad to see the house. Even while flying, the trip seemed to take longer than normal. Just how far had Lomedy spread his farm?
"Loooomedy~!" Wemmbu sung as he walked into the house unannounced.
A familiar silence greeted him.
Wemmbu's heart rate picked up once again, "Lomedy?"
He walked into the kitchen, already starting to panic. Had Lomedy left as well?!
Two pieces of paper sat on the kitchen table. Both had his name, the bottom one was yellowed with time and had Flame's hand writing all over it. The one on top had looping cursive. He picked that one up.
Hi Wemmbu!
I didn't know when you'd stop by, so I'm leaving this note.
Flame asked me to give you this letter whenever you came by next. Unfortunately, one of my friends bases got destroyed and I'm helping him rebuild, so I won't be able to give it to you in person if you do end up coming when I'm away!
See you next time!
Lomedy
Well, it's good to know that the place hadn't been abandoned. He'll have to come back and visit Lomedy one of these days. But first, his attention needs to be on finding his brothers. So he turned his attention back to the other piece of paper.
Wemmbu,
Mane's not doing too well.
When I left the other letter in your room, I found that he had stripped your bedding and taken some of your clothes. I think he's going to use them in his nest when we settle down. Although, he does hug your pillow every night…
Please come back to us soon, I don't know if Mane can take much more.
Anyway, Mane said that after we finish at Lomedy's we were going to the old village to stock up before heading out. Maybe I'll visit the old library as well, since you made your first (and only lol) friend there.
I'll see you soon,
Flame
Wemmbu let a soft smile cross his face and slipped the letter into a bundle with the other one. Then he flipped over the letter from Lomedy, searching the kitchen drawers for a pen. Finally, he wrote his own letter.
Hi Lomedy!!!
Thanks for leaving the letter! My communicator's broken, but after I get it fixed I'll call!!!!
Thanks again,
Wemmbu
Short and sweet, like what Mane called Wemmbu when he was trying to get Flame in trouble for being mean.
It would have been better if Lomedy was here, then he could message Flame for him and cut his journey short. Oh well.
Off to the village!
~
If Wemmbu remembered correctly, he passed over the village on his way to the tree house and it seemed really quiet. He hoped everything was alright, his brothers had always acted like the protectors of the nearby villages and with them gone, it left the village open to attacks.
Finally, he landed where Egg's cottage used to be. It was - as expected - completely destroyed. It did make Wemmbu sad, this was a place that he could have called a second home, but he didn't have time to reminisce.
He was down the path to the village, shivering at the dead silence. Empty, not even a mob in sight. No livestock and no Iron Golem - and more importantly - no villagers. One of the main villages he'd grown up with was completely abandoned.
He walked down the silent streets, not even the old stalls were left. Strangely, it didn't seem like they had left in a rush, this looked calculated. Like they took their time, but didn't stay long. He didn't even see any signs of a fight.
Wemmbu was almost at a loss, not knowing what to do in an empty village before remembering the letter. He had to check the library!
When he finally entered the building, he was hit with a bit of nostalgia. Back then, this was where he first met Egg, his best friend. The shelves were still stocked with most of the books, a layer of dust surrounding everything. It made Wemmbu want to sneeze.
For the sack of what once was, Wemmbu walked a path he had once before. Up the stairs and into the back corner - the ancient history section. He sat in the chair and although he hadn't grown much in the year he had been gone, it somehow felt much smaller than it once did.
Wemmbu sighed and leaned back in the chair, staring at the ceiling and wondering his next move when he saw another dusty yellow paper sticking out from a book on the top shelf. He smiled sadly and reached up, pulling the letter down to his level. He unfold it and read.
Wemmbu,
The villagers are packing up and leaving.
They don't feel safe here anymore, they had never really recovered from the attack. Despite Egg's best efforts that day, the Iron Golem that fought with us had died. And with us no longer making regular trips, they just couldn't handle it anymore. It's sad, it kind of feels like we're leaving behind our whole life.
Mane seems to be just going through the motions, buying supplies and saying goodbyes to the stall owners. When we sit down to rest, he always reaches for three lots of rations before freezing and tearing up. He's trying so hard to stay strong, but I wonder how long it will be before he breaks.
We're heading out into newer territory now, places that we haven't really explored before. There's apparently a potion shop in Capital City with the best quality potions in the whole mainland server. I'll leave the next letter there.
Stay safe, little Lilac,
Flame
Wemmbu hummed, he'd passed by Capital City on the way here, but didn't stop for a look. If this place had the best potions, then Wemmbu really had to have a look!
Placing the letter in its bundle, Wemmbu spread his wings and took flight, hoping to make it to the city by nightfall.
~
Wemmbu wasn't as fast as he thought, the sun set much quicker than he was hoping so he decided to set up camp for the night. As he lay in his sleeping bag and stared up at the roof of his tent, he sighed.
Ever since he left the End, it had been quiet. Unbearably quiet. He'd had no one to talk to. His regular entertainment was Egg, but he was trapped in the end. This left Wemmbu completely alone.
He was lonely.
Wemmbu was very people orientated, he thrived off of attention. Right now, he felt completely isolated.
He wants Mane and Flame.
Wemmbu sighed and closed his eyes, the sooner he fell asleep the sooner it would be day and then he could continue his journey.
~
Capital City was a welcome change from the loneliness. It was full of people, there were the guards, the store owners, the customers, outside visitors, they even had a large Nether portal! This place was stacked with goodies, but there was one place he really needed to go.
"Wemmbu!" a familiar voice rang out, it sounded like an old lady.
Wemmbu turned towards one of the stall owners, squinting in her direction before lighting up in recognition. He bounced over cheerfully, his heels clicking on the pavement. This was a stall owner that was from the old village!
"Hello, ma'am!" he greeted the lady, "It's been so long!"
"Too long!" she huffed, "Your brothers have been going stir crazy without you!"
Wemmbu laughed nervously, "I know, but my communicators broken so I can't message either of them. Flame left some letters and I was actually on my way to find the next one, think you could help me?"
The old woman passed a basket of fruit over to him, "What do you need, boy?"
"Apparently," Wemmbu took the fruit basket and put it in his inventory after receiving a freezing glare, "there's a potion shop that sells the best quality in the mainlands. That's where Flame left another letter."
"You'll be looking for Parrot's potion shop," the old woman pointed down the road, "straight down there, a two story building with a large sigh on the front."
"Thank you ma'am!" Wemmbu cheered, his tail swinging softly.
The woman waved him off, "Whatever, get back to those two as fast as you can, then bring them here for a visit. I'm not getting any younger! I want to see the three of you together before I die!"
Wemmbu waved and shouted a goodbye, running down the road to the shop he was looking for. Finally finding it, he stepped inside.
An avian hybrid stood behind the counter, cradling a spyglass in his hands like it was the most precious thin in the world. The little trinket seemed to have a crack in the glass and a purple ribbon tied around the handle.
The avian looked up, "Hello, how can I help you?"
"Ahh…" Wemmbu grinned, "this might sound weird, but I think my brother left a letter here?"
The avian perked up, "Oh! You're Flame's little brother?"
"Yes!' Wemmbu nodded, relieved he found the right place.
"You're brother did leave you a letter! Here!" the avian - Wemmbu was pretty sure his name was Parrot - held out the letter, it was less aged but still yellow.
Wemmbu took it and prepared to read it, "Can I also get a shulker of your best PVP potions?"
Parrot grinned, "Sure thing, THEO!!!"
Wemmbu left the birds to talk and turned back to the letter in his hands.
Lilac,
All Mane does at night is cry when he thinks I'm asleep. I beg you to find us soon. I know I've said it before in one of these letters, but once again I don't think he can last like this.
Even killing some bandits won't cheer him up like it used too.
He finally told me where we're going so this will probably be the last letter. Apparently, Mane got us a job as guards in the Zam Empire.
Wemmbu blinked in disbelief.
Not only just guards - personal guards of the Emperor himself!
You're shitting me?!
We'll probably stay there for a while, Mane wants us to have stability and to get our minds off of your 'death'. Again, I know you're not dead, but Mane won't hear any of it.
So yeah, the Zam Empire is where we'll be.
See you soon, Lilac,
Flame
THEY'RE IN THE PLACE WHERE HE WAS GOING TO GO IN THE FIRST PLACE?!