The Blade's Prodigy

Part 1

Warm light cut through the cold haze of snow to fall upon the bright, sodden red of the warrior's coat, lashed as it was by sleet and wind. The silhouette paused, still too far off to offer detail but close enough to be dangerous to anyone deemed its foe. But the lamp-bearer did not falter; whether he was confident in trust or skill one cannot be sure but he approached, cloak drawn tightly around his body, broken wings tucked closely at his back.

The lantern is raised higher, cozy yellow fighting back the cool blue of the moon on the carpet of snow. "Who goes there?"

"It's me, Phil. It's Protesilaus." The voice was low and unusually weary, as the lantern-bearer had often known it of late. "I meant to be back earlier but time got away from me."

The lantern lowered. "That's alright, old friend. I'm afraid we have more pressing matters to deal with. Michael is missing."

Silence fell as he waited on Techno's confusion to give way to anger but neither came. "No, he isn't. He's with me."

Phil's shoulders relaxed and he put the lantern down altogether. "Thank heavens, I was worried sick that Sam had somehow - or Ponk or - Anyway, I don't know what I would've done with myself if something had happened to him. After all, that's been done to... to..." In the moonlight, he saw his friend's expression tighten beneath the cold, cruel skull masking the upper half of his face. A wince from fresh wounds, no doubt. Wounds he could do nothing to bandage. "Let's see him then."

Scooping up his light, he moved forward through the snow to the horse, Carl's, side, giving the steed a friendly pat on the neck in passing. The weary anarchist shifted his coat to reveal the pink and bone white face of the little zombie piglin tucked into the saddle in front of him, exposed cheek reddened with cold but nevertheless fast asleep.

"I thought I'd take him to see the meeting room. Show him where his father used to sit. The place where he did good work," spoke the anarchist.

Phil shook his head. "Techno, it's nearly five in the morning!"

Techno looked beyond Phil, to the lights of his house in the field just over the hill, the brightest, most alive thing in cold wastelands, save the sun starting to rise on the horizon. "You and I both know, Phil, some things wait for no man."

Phil sighed and took Carl's halter. "Come on, let's get you two back inside, it's freezing out here. I'm fairly certain pigs weren't made for this kind of cold."

This brings a faint smile to Techno's face. "I don't think this kind of cold is suited to anyone, to be honest. Part of the reason I moved here. But here we are, you showed up anyway."

"It'll take a lot more than a stiff breeze to keep me from following you, Techno, no matter how crazy you are sometimes."

"Hey, I'd like to think I'm the sane one around this server. I just tend to team up with some... less than sane accomplices."

"You mean madmen. Now, come on, you know how Boo will get if he comes around to visit and Michael isn't there."

As they reached the front door of Techno's cottage, he swung down from the saddle and hoisted Michael down with him. The little one yawned, slumping against Phil the moment his hooves touched the ground.

"This one needs to be off to bed a bit longer," Phil said, laughing and leaning over to pick him up. "Come on, buddy, up you get."

He caught Techno's eyes as the warrior lowered his mask. A brief flash of pain had crossed them again, like someone was twisting a knife in his gut. "I'll get Carl some food and water. Then I'm going to get some shut-eye as well."