Cycle of Vengeance//A Camp Minecraft AU

Chapter Ten: The Messengers' Last Call

AN: Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! In light of the holiday season I give you a chapter filled with an unnecessary amount of blood

TW: Blood, Gore, Death, Body Horror, Burns

     "Nico! Did you get the scrap metal?" Gold called from across the river.

     Nico heaved a large bag over his head in response. The contents of the bag clunked against each other. "Yeah. Right here."

     "Great! Thanks!"

     "You're welcome," he said, dropping the sack into a boat. He grabbed oars, pushed off the dock, and began to row across the river.

     The current proved strong and he had to fight his way through the water. Instead of a gentle glide, it felt as if he were wrestling the fiercest ocean waves. What fun.

     When he reached the other side, he grabbed the sack, carried it over to Gold, and let it fall at his feet.

     Nico watched him shove a disproportionate amount into a furnace. Charcoal covered his hands and was smeared across his face, proof of a long morning of smelting.

     "Hey Gold?"

     Gold turned to look at him. "Yeah?"

     "I think you've got a little something on your face." Nico couldn't resist a smile.

     Gold laughed and chucked a handful of sand at him. "Shut up. It's Karan's fault anyway. He came by and threw it at my face."

     Karan poked his head out from under a large, sturdy machine that would be used as the body of the time machine. "You can't prove that!"

     "Oh, yes I can!" Gold pointed over to where Kate and Zud were hammering out some iron. "They're my witnesses!"

     The duo exchanged a mischievous glance.

     "I didn't see anything," Kate replied, unable to hide her laughter.

     "Me neither." Zud smiled. He was obviously enjoying this.

     Gold threw his arms up in mock annoyance. "Why are you two even here if I can't use you as witnesses against that one?" He jerked his thumb at Karan.

     "Uh, free food, obviously," Zud replied.

     Kate nodded her agreement.

     Nico chuckled and left the four of them to bicker. He walked along the sandy beach of the river, enjoying the warmth of the sun against his back. The chill of the wind warred against the sunlight before retreating back into the shadows. For a moment, at least until winter snared the land with icy claws, the sun prevailed.

     A little ways off, the final member of the ragtag group was calibrating the newly-finished control panel. Alxton scribbled down a few notes on a sheet of paper before looking up at Nico. "Hello!"

     "Hey! How's everything going?"

     Alxton rolled his eyes. "Annoying. Everything's so technical. And it's annoying that the only reason half the people 'joined' was to attack each other."

     Nico glanced at the notes Alxton wrote. Several large numbers dotted the parchment. Coordinates.

     "Yeah, have fun with that."

     "Oh, gee, thanks," Alxton muttered, giving him a good-natured shove.

     "You're very welcome." He paused for a moment. "So uh, why aren't you with the others?"