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I awoke from my slumber without being able to feel my arms or legs. I tried to move them but it didn’t work. I looked around to see the same room I had fallen asleep in. Well at least I hadn’t had any vision nightmares, but that still didn’t give me an answer for the trouble at hand.
“Sparrow.” I heard a grovely voice say in my head. It was a voice I had only heard once.
“Noooo! Get out of my head!!” I tried to yell but it only sounded in my head. It didn’t come out of my mouth.
The voice of the warden laughed. “Oh Sparrow. You dared to try and get into my head, so now I will repay you by doing the same. Although this time you won’t be able to control your own body like the things you get into the minds of.”
“Please!! I didn’t mean it!! I just wanted answers!!” I tried to move again to no avail.
“No little bird, you must learn who is really in charge here. You know what I have an idea that’ll really teach you something. Now to remember where that waystone of yours is.”
My body stood up out of the bed and nearly collapsed due to what I can only assume was the warden getting used to controlling something a 3rd its size. The warden walked a little weird for a few moments but got the hang of it after we made it to the large circular gate. The one I never opened due to my ability to just slide under it most of the time.
The warden walked over towards the lever that controlled the door. “Now to remember how on earth you humans use these things.I haven't seen one been used since those travelers came in here and set up all those contraptions.” For a moment I wondered what he meant. Had the redstone been set up by people after the city had been constructed?
My thoughts were cut off by the loud noise of the gate opening. “Ahh there we go.” The warden said satisfied.
I stared at it. The tall stone block with inscriptions of a forgotten language on it and a floating purple eye on the altar like top. That was the warden's only way out. I had to stop him before he got to it.
I pulled back my arms with all my strength and I felt myself take control for just a moment. Then just as soon as I got it back I lost it again.
“Careful there little bird, you might hurt yourself more then you already have, and besides I’m not going to kill you, just one of your little friends. I was going to try and kill that little rabbit again who got in here and had the guts to disrespect this beautiful city. My city, you already know that, after all you watched me kill him the first time, but unfortunately now he’s dead forever so I’ll have to pick someone else. Anyone else in mind?” He questioned with a grin on my own face.
I tried to clear my thoughts. If I didn’t think of anyone he couldn’t- “Too late little bird I’ve got my target now.” Damn it.
He walked over to the waystone and scanned his eyes over the book of magic words that sat on top. Each stone had its own word that if said by another stone would teleport you to the one you wanted to go to. “Ah ha! Found it.” Then in my voice out of my own mouth said the word “Viator.”
______
Scott’s house seemed to have grown with a few additions, including a light house that hurt my eyes even from a distance.
“Oh Scott!” I heard my own voice say. It still felt just as weird the second time. Hopefully I wouldn’t be in here long enough for me to get used to it.
I saw a dash of light come in front of me. “Hey Owen!” Scott’s voice arose from the light particles.
The warden spoke in my voice again. “Hey Scott I just came by to say hello and it looks like you’ve changed since the last time we talked.
“Yeah I’m a light guy now so I didn’t think I’d survive long enough under ground to come visit you but now you’re here so it doesn’t matter!” Scott sounded so happy, I wish I could control my body long enough to tell him to kill me, to keep everyone else safe. Everyone would be safer if I was dead.
The warden looked over to the small patch of skulk near Scott’s house, or at least where it used to be, it was gone now. “You got rid of the skulk.” The warden said.
Scott nodded. “Yeah, since I’m all about light now it didn’t fit my vibe, 1 blast of light was all it took. Here I’ll show you it on a pig.” He turned to leave.
Wait only 1? If that was that easy maybe Scott could get rid of my skulk.
“Scott, please hear me!! Hit me with one of those light beams! It’s taken over!”
Scott turned back around with a confused look. “Did you say something?” He asked.
“Yes!!!” I yelled, but the voice that came out of my mouth said “Not to you, just to the skulk voices. Sometimes they get a little loud.” The warden laughed. Laughed!!! It had the gall to laugh!! “But also I did want to say something about you getting rid of my gift. The one I so graciously provided you with.” He sounded pissed.
Scott backed up a little. “Owen put the knife down.” He said terrified.
That's what made me notice the gold enchanted knife in my hand.
“Fine, I don’t need a knife to kill you anyways.”
I tried to take control again to stop him from what he was about to do, but I was too late as the warden pounced towards Scott. Scott let out a scream and dodged the attack. Then he must’ve stood in place because he disappeared from my vision.
The warden looked around in anger. Then I heard a person dash behind me. The warden turned just after Scott must've moved, which meant that the warden was unfortunately probably close to him. The warden stopped. I couldn’t tell what he was doing and for a second I hoped that he had given up, that he’d go back into the ground and we’d never see the surface again. Then everyone could be safe.
That hope was dashed when I heard a thumping sound. The sound of Scott’s heartbeat.
It sounded farther away then I thought Scott could’ve gotten. The warden looked around his base and then stared at where Scott’s heartbeat was coming from, his lighthouse. The warden went airborne and landed on the edge of the platform, squinting a little every time
The light made its way around to us. He started sniffing the air for any hint of Scott. After a few moments he seemed to lock onto something. He walked a few steps then tried to pounce into Scott’s mindscape.
“NOO!” I yelled extremely loud. Then I felt myself being able to control my body again but I was crouched on the floor and Scott was still half on his back and staring at me terrified. “Scott.” I said. God I sounded pitiful.
He immediately sat up and scooted closer to me. “Owen?” He questioned.
“I need you to kill me.” I said trying to get my heavy breath from so much strength of keeping the warden back under control.
“What?” He seemed confused and concerned.
“Listen the skulk,” A splitting pain entered my head and I let out a noise of pain, the voices were getting louder. “It took over and I can’t stop it. I tried to lock it in the vault but it didn’t work.”
“But how were you going to get out of there?”
I stared up at him now that his face was above mine. “I wasn’t going to. Now I need you to kill me by eradicating the skulk with your light. You need to do it soon cause I can’t hold him back long.”
Tears formed in his eyes as he placed his hand on my forehead. “Ok.” He seemed to accept what had to happen.
Then I felt the worst burning pain I was pretty sure anyone had ever felt.
__________
I woke up on a soft bed with the sun in my face.
Wait. I woke up? But I was dead.
No, that can’t be right. This had to be purgatory of some sort.
There was no way I was….
“You’re awake.” I heard Scott’s voice say from across the room. I looked up and winced from pain while trying to sit up. Scott rushed over and laid me back down. He crouched down to be just above eye level with me. “You’ll probably be bedridden for a while but for now you’re alive, which is more then I thought a few days ago.” I could hear the concern still in his voice.
_______
I let my hand go from Sparrow’s forehead. His head hit the ground with a thump. The pieces of skulk that once infested his skin chipped off in shriveled burned bits onto the wooden platform of the lighthouse. He looked dead, He wasn’t moving and I couldn’t see him breathing. I put my hand to his pulse and felt a faint heartbeat. I knew I’d never let out a sigh like that ever again. It felt like a mountain was lifted off my shoulders.
______________
“Wait, how long has it been?” I asked.
“About a week.” He said.
I nearly jumped up from the shock of that long of a time, but Scott had kept his arm on my chest keeping me down on the bed. “A week?!” I yelled.
Scott nodded. “Yeah I didn’t think you’d make it, I thought I had actually lost you forever like I would’ve if you had stayed and died in that vault. Which was a dumb plan by the way, and I’m still mad at you for that. You know at some point I would’ve come to check on you down there.”
“Why? I was mean to you before then, back when the skulk started to take over. I killed Sausage for goodness sake!” I said.
Scott let out a giggle. “You really don’t know do you?”
I shook my head confused. Scott responded to the motion by leaning in and placing a soft kiss on my forehead. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out eventually.” I went speechless from the surprise of the kiss. “Until then get some more rest."