Free the End

53 [Oh, Shiny]

TW // blood, violence

George was in front, in his rightful place.

He saw the bastion first, but barely. Sapnap wolf-whistled when it came into sight. "George, you son of a bitch."

Bad 'language'd him but George smiled smugly.

They rode the striders right up to the base and stopped.
"So what's the plan?" Bad asked.

"I assume we aren't trying to steal the gold, because we already have over a stack each," George drawled.

"Yeah-" Sapnap was swapping his diamond boots for gold. "You guys suit up with gold, then we get in, round up some piglins, block off a space for trading, get pearls, get out and don't die."

"Great." Bad had his boots on, so he started mining into the wall of the structure to clear a space.

"Has anyone told you how inspiring you are, Sapnap?" George asked flatteringly.

He scoffed and placed blocks to hold the striders. "Keep it in your pants, George."

"Hey, muffinheads, there's a hoglin!! Oh crap oh my goodness-" Bad ran towards them and jumped back on his strider to retreat a safe distance into the lava.

The hoglin chased them to the edge.
George found his bow. "This seems like a good time to practice archery since I don't want to be yeeted into lava again."

"Oh good idea," Bad pulled out his wicked-looking sparkly crossbow with Punch II.

They opened fire on the hoglin, and it took a surprising number of arrows before finally dying and leaving behind a couple raw pork chops.
They cautiously entered the bastion again, but Sapnap stayed behind to corral the striders on a makeshift floor outside the wall.

George and Bad were leading nearby piglins back to Sapnap with a trail of gold when he spotted a chest. It was so tempting.

He resisted the urge to open it and pushed the distracted piglins as they dropped quartz and magma blocks.

They trapped them, and Sapnap stayed behind to drop some gold as Bad and George carefully looked around for more.
A brute spotted them, and George sucked in a breath. It was much taller and tougher than he was. Bad pulled him back and they ran as it charged with an upraised axe.

"What-" Sapnap gaped as Bad ducked and the angry brute rounded on George. George dodged but the golden axe slammed his calf, not quite enough to piece the armor but it would definitely leave a bruise because it hurt, a lot.

George cried out and limped backwards, lifting up his shield in the way as the piglin swung its axe down.

It never hit.
George looked up with a gasp.
The axe had stopped, golden handle crossed with Sapnap's diamond blade. George followed it to his face. "Nice," Sapnap smirked.

He heaved against the piglin, and it changed focus to attack him. Sapnap cut at its arm as it slammed the axe down; it caught his shield and Sapnap stabbed at its neck. Bad sliced it from behind, and Sapnap got a second hit in as the brute swang with tremendous force and opened a gash across Sapnap's diamond chestplate, which blood quickly soaked through.

"SAPNAP!" George dove in as Sapnap fell back, and George and Bad attacked the brute furiously, getting more cuts and scrapes but finally it collapsed and died with a screech.

"Sapnap!" George crouched next to him, but Sapnap waved at him in a don't-worry-I'm-fine kinda way. "Oh my god, Sapnap," George cried, tears pricked at his eyes at how terrible he looked. Bad crouched on his other side.