The Frozen Empire - An Empires SMP AU

21 - Compass

Joel was enthralled, he had been building for but 3 days, and yet he was so invested in it.

His master requested a logging empire consisting of large obelisk like structures with Stag statues on them. Joel had begun a small milling empire with fields of pumpkins at the foot of the mountain, his plans where to make a castle on the top of the hills. His primary resources were Spruce, Dark oak, and the various stone types. His master chose a purple detail colour with subtler hints of red in the crimson used as accents.

The Best part? Joel didn't need to worry about resources, Sausage got all the resources for him. Every morning, Joel would go to his house on the lake where a double chest of the morning resources - plus schematics for the next buildings - would be awaiting him. 

Scott visited often, so often, he had a house higher up the hill than Joel. And Joel, who built the house, laced it with TNT - just in case Scott needed to be taken down a peg.

And his Master, he lived with Joel. Joel still didn't understand him, but he was beginning to make out a few words. He could understand build, and empire, and Joel, and other common conjunctives. But Joel still had the sneaking suspicion he was missing crucial information... about his masters goals.

One evening, Joel was planting trees, then scattering crumples of bone meal onto the saplings. Joel would then sit safely away from them and wait... then boom! A tree appeared from the earth, it spun and weaved like a strand of DNA, the leaves frizzed like hair, Joel applauded graciously, a broad grin on his face.

"Wow," Scott said, appearing from up the hill. "That was cool... I suppose." The earth under Joel's feet turned to ice. Joel's head ached from all this magic Mumbo Jumbo.... hey, maybe he'd know what was with all this.

"Very funny, smelly boy..." Joel retorted, a sense of pride in his meek retaliation. "Why are you here, don't you have cod to date?" Scott grew flustered, his face reddened.

"My affairs are none of your business..." Scott hissed. "And besides, you're mine after you've finished building this..." Joel didn't show it, but the promise of working for Scott rattled him to the core - anyone but Scott. 

The earth thawed and Joel continued planting his trees. 

"Hey, wait?" Scott eyed the trees. Joel turned to face Scott with pursed lips and eyes that looked fed up. "Don't you normally build your trees?" 

"Well normally, I'm get the required earthy materials to make trees like that..." Joel said, returning to his work. "So if you really want custom trees, you'd best talk it up with my master." Scott chuckled.

"Master..." He exhaled through choked laughs. "You're hilarious..." Joel ignored him. 

He started his way up the path, with his step back, he looked for any imperfections in the small alcove area. Spotting nothing, he began to make his way down the mountain. Scott marked his passing with a snide remark, but Joel was out of ears reach.

His lakeside home dangled precariously off the cliff, metal shafts keeping it's position still. He entered the house to see his master dressed in a flowing gown.

"A̸h̵,̸ ̵g̴o̴o̸d̴ ̶t̸o̸ ̵s̴e̸e̸ ̷y̵o̴u̵ ̷b̴a̶c̷k̶ ̵s̷o̷ ̶s̷o̸o̵n̵.̸.̴.̷" He smiled, his whole body seemed more human.

This revealed a crimson haired man with pale pointed ears. He still had two large horns, but his tail was almost gone.

"Well, the work day is over," Joel said, his voice shy. "So?..."

"O̶h̴ ̸i̵t̴'̸s̸ ̴f̵i̴n̴e̸,̴" He laughed, coming over to pat Joel on the back. "I̸ ̴j̷u̵s̵t̵ ̸h̵a̸v̷e̵ ̵o̷n̷e̶ ̵q̸u̶i̷c̶k̸ ̷J̴o̵b̴ ̸f̶o̵r̶ ̷y̶o̴u̵.̴.̵.̵" Joel blinked, he had to strongly resist the urge to tell his Master to leave him alone.

"Yes sir?" Joel said, too unwillingly. "What can I do for you?"

"C̷a̴n̸ ̶y̷o̵u̵ ̷p̴l̶e̴a̷s̵e̵ ̴r̸e̸a̴d̴ ̵t̸h̶i̷s̸ ̷w̸h̵o̸l̵e̶ ̶p̸a̶g̵e̶ ̸f̵o̶r̴ ̶m̴e̸?̷" He asked, Joel shuddered, his master had never said please before, and Joel hated how it sounded.

"Sure..." Joel grabbed a small page, there was a weird message on it. "Only a Mezalean can bring the golden age, but only... I think it's missing some..." Joel said. 

"Y̵o̴u̵ ̵w̶o̷u̶l̷d̶n̶'̷t̴ ̷h̶a̶p̷p̵e̴n̶ ̷t̶o̷ ̷k̷n̵o̷w̵ ̴t̸h̸e̸ ̶r̵e̶s̷t̷?̶.̵.̴.̵ ̵" Joel shook his head. 

His master cursed, his body reverted back into the snake-like-demon Joel had grown a custom to. "D̸a̸m̶m̶i̸t̵.̸.̸.̸" He grumbled. Leaving the cabin with haste. 

Joel reread the page, it was familiar, like a memory at the back of his head. He scrunched up his eyes, the words were on the tip of his tongue.

sacrifice can undo the damage... Joel wrote in the end of the phrase. He stared blankly at the page, it seemed like both a complete bluff, and the exact thing to fit into that situation.

The paper begun to shine, it became a sheet of pure gold, then an arrow made in black ink pointed to the horizon. 

Joel glanced out of his ajar door, his master tip toed up the mountain, where Scott stared daggers into Sausage. Joel realised the arrow hadn't moved, it still pointed North-west. 

"A compass..." Joel breathed to himself, he had to follow it... right? His master would be furious if he left, so would it be worth it...

Joel was chunks away from his project, he followed the arrow, rarely looking up from the paper. He entered the jungled, following the paths to spawn. From there, he stopped, looking around aimlessly, determining which path was more of a direct route.

Joel crouched instinctively, like a cat pouncing, Scott dove out from the shrubbery, his flailing body missing Joel's by the skin of his teeth. Joel had been followed, he had heard rustling from leaves at one point, but he just assumed it to be a zombie. Scott got to his feet, in his hands, he held a large blade with weird markings on it.

"You're rather far from the house." He spat. "Why is that?" Joel scrunched up his paper, he inserted it into his mouth and swallowed.

"None of your business." Joel regretted what he did, not only did he no longer have his guide, he also had the dry taste of inked paper in his mouth. Scott advanced on Joel, running around him then jabbing in on him. 

Joel caught the blade, he redirected it into the earth and then punched Scott on the lip. Scott sprung back, wiped his mouth, then rammed into Joel. The pair were caught in a web of limbs, constantly scratching and clawing at each other. Joel winded Scott, who stomped on Joel's legs, who scratched Scott's arm. Joel lost track, if he wasn't mistaken, he once punched himself.

Then Joel's head hurt, blue light flickered on, and soon, Scott and Joel were being separated by a long hilt.

"Hey! Hey!" He said. "Wrap it up!" Joel fell on the floor, Scott in tow.

"Who do you think you are?" Scott yelped. "You can't just - Jimmy?!" Joel looked over, Jimmy stood over them with his trident in hand.

He looked different, the last time Joel saw him, he was lying in a fountain, lounging in his own filth. Now, Jimmy had wore a fresh blue polo and denim jeans. He looked reassembled, his eyes were no where near as baggy, his voiced bounced like a slime, and his hair puffed unlike his lifeless clump of straw that he bore last time.

Joel frowned. "Hey, but didn't you-"

"What the heck is going on?!?" Jimmy gasped.