Guardians of Terraria II: The World of Calamity

Episode 20.1 - Blood Coagulant

William and Sid clambered their way back up to the surface of the Lavender biome.

After taking down Crabulon they'd done some exploring of the nearby underground caverns, looting more chests for accessories and mining ore, though most of what they could make from the ore they found was obsolete compared to William's Victide gear and Sid's Wulfrum suit.

Both with Hermes' Boots on their feet, William and Sid began to sprint across the purple plain. The sun had just risen, giving them an entire day to explore before darkness would make that difficult.

"What do you think we're even supposed to be looking for?" William asked.

"It's hard to say," Sid said. "Maybe the solution will present itself. If not, we can find a place to hole up and call home until one does."

William looked to his ally. Despite all that had happened, Sid seemed very outwardly calm, but he felt sure the summoner was holding in his rawer emotions.

As for William himself, the events that had led to them being stranded in this strange new world still felt like a massive punch in the gut. They had no way home. The citizens were being held hostage, or possibly dead. And Robyn...

Where could she be?

***

Where could William be?

Robyn felt tears as she and Meg worked on digging their tunnel, staircasing up to the surface. William had been there for her at the beginning. The stress of trying to survive in such an unforgiving world had been... it had been so much, but with William, even though he'd often felt the same, it had been easier to bear because of him. He'd shown her care and understanding, and had never given up against any foe. She'd come to like him because of that.

For all that he was to her.

But now, William was nowhere to be found.

There was Meg, but she'd truthfully always rubbed Robyn the wrong way. She was confident. Robyn was not. She was sociable. Robyn was, again, not. And she was smart, always seeming to know what to do.

Robyn wished she could say the same.

She felt lucky to have survived the ninja-assassin coming after her and Amidias. She'd been so freaked that whole time, but Amidias at least had had the quick thinking and intuition to ensure their survival.

Then there was right after the sinking of the Red Pearl, when she'd been alone in the dark underground. By the time she'd come across Meg, she'd already found materials to gear up while Robyn had just been blundering about in the dark. Not to mention the other times Robyn had almost gotten them killed. The laser turrets and the Giant Clam.

She felt inadequate. Meg was just so much cooler than her. She'd once been worried that Meg would attract William's attention instead of her, but she supposed the fact that William was more similar to Robyn than to Meg was why she'd never had anything to worry about on that front. But still... Meg was just...

"Damn," Meg muttered.

"What?"

"We just hit some unbreakable stone."

Robyn saw just as the dirt block she was digging came loose from her pickaxe.

Red, bloody stone.

They were underneath the Crimson biome.

Or, a Crimson biome, if they really were in another world.

***

"What is that thing?" William asked.