Legacy

The Hunt

Black Mountains

The group continues down, having gained a new member, the Enderkin Captain Arabella. They prove a good team, facing down several perilous situations that nearly cost them their lives. As night settles, they prepare camp in a small cave, on a ledge of one of the mountains. This time, it is Arabella and the Princess who stand guard while Ratnik sleeps.

"So what are you?", the Princess would ask, intrigued at the Captain's unique appearance and distinct clothing. Arabella would sigh, the question bringing back the memories of her downfall as a feared and scoundrelous pirate of the End. "Nobody", she would respond, looking away in a feeling similar to shame.

The Princess, sensing Arabella's somewhat shame and guilt at whatever happened, would inquire no further. "I can keep watch, if you like", Arabella would offer, looking up at Princess Crysteffor again. "Thanks. I'll take you up on that", Abigail would respond, grateful. She would stand up and climb into a tent, falling asleep rather quickly.

The Captain would go deep into thought. She had built up an empire, and forged an Army from angered commoners. She could have held all the riches in the End, and brought the Ender King to his knees, as she did his daughter. But her ambition and cockiness got the best of her, and for it she lost everything: Her crew, her name, her fleet. Salvation was no longer possible, but maybe - just maybe - redemption was.

Her awakening had only been recent. She had arisen from a caved-in pocket of End Stone, likely the remnants of Lord Krauszer's castle. But nothing was the same when she crawled out. The castle looked abandoned, and poorly maintained, something no Ender Lord would ever allow. Bodies of Endermen and private militants alike littered the floor. 

She had been bruised, covered in blood. For the first time, she felt weak. Not just physically, but emotionally. She had fled the End in a rush, and spent most of her time in taverns and restaurants, drinking all of her sorrows and regrets away. But when she heard of a hunt for Lance, a powerful former leader of the new Ender Watch from what she heard, she had to join. This could be her ticket to her former glory, restoring her necromancy abilities that had once helped her win countless victory.

As her mind drifted off, she herself drifted to sleep. Unwise as she was supposed to be guarding the entrance to warn of intruders, tonight was different. Tonight, as she slept, Arabella had no nightmares; no recallings of the event, no pain and agony relived in her mind. The night drew on, and eventually a gust of wind blew out a sleeping Arabella's torch.

Ratnik, being the first to awake, would almost fly into a fit of rage upon seeing Arabella having fallen asleep. However, he would choose to have patience with her, using some of the water they had collected from the lake to wake her up, after mixing it with a couple of ice cubes of course. Alarmed, she would fall over the ledge, fortunately being caught by a tree before she went plummeting down.

"What the hell's the matter with you?", she would ask Ratnik angrily, who would only shake his head and walk away, leaving her to pull herself up alone. He would begin making eggs once more, and they would all eat and pack up their supplies before continuing down.

"I doubt your name is actually Ratnik", Ciara would say, walking faster to catch up to him. "What's your real name?", she would ask. "Jan. Jan Radovic", he would respond. She would snort. What an unusual name. "Where do you get a name like that?", she would ask, trying to restrain a laugh.

"Montanegro. The Black Mountain Kingdom", he would respond. "So is this your home or something?", she would ask. He would nod his head, signifying that this strange biome was indeed his birthplace. Ciara would see something run from between a pair of trees, and she would draw her katanas, preparing for a fight. Something was not right.