Lights Out (Book 2 of the "Living Nightmare" series)

Chapter 9

Lance stared at Gwendolyn in disbelief. "No. Oh no, you must be mistaken. Ceris would never--" he stopped as Gwen shook her head. Dispair filled his veins and he sunk to the ground. "Why? Why is it that, no matter what I do, it always backfires on me? My entire life I've tried just to fail. Maybe my brother was right."

Gwen knelt next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You know that's not true, Lance. We can still save her, I promise. But we must find cover in case that airship comes by again."

He took in a shaky breath. "I saw a building half-way up the mountain. Would that work?"

She nodded and pulled him to his feet. With a wary look to the sky, they began to climb.

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Hellknight rummaged through the charred rubble of the cave. The Enderstone Crusaders and their little force had fled just over an hour before and he was still angry that Hogsworth had been fighting with them.

With an angry growl, he dropped a charred log. "I don't understand. How could they--" and then it hit him.

He stormed up to the force's general. "Get your force moving now! The Ender Watchers weren't here. The fight was just a distraction!"

The Piglin nodded and ran out, and Hellknight pullled the dagger from his cloak. "You might be a crafty one, Ceris, but I have special plans for you and your crew. Each of you will enjoy a unique punishment," he ran his finger along the dagger's edge, smiling slightly at the thin trail of black blood blossoming on his skin. "You will wish you had died during the Nether's invasion."

He crouched next to the burned and broken body of the man-dragon. "And Lance? You will break. And I know just how to make that happen."

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Roxas peered through a spyglass. "Huh. So the stories are true."

Echo looked up. "What are you talking about?"

"You know that temple at the top of the Epic Mountain? Legend said the temple's twin is on a cliff halfway up Mt. Amethyst. It seems to be true."

Blossom held up her hand. "I wanna see."

Roxas handed the spyglass to her and Echo joined them. "I've been to the first temple before. If Lance is at Mt. Amethyst, is there a chance he saw the temple?"

Spinner shrugged. "Entirely possible."

Blossom, who hadn't been listening to them, let out a laugh. "Hey, I see a little person with a long stick outside the temple!"

Echo held her hand out. "Mind if I see?"

Blossom gladly handed over the spyglass and Echo quickly lifted it to her eye. She found the temple and zoomed in as far as she could. "It's Gwendolyn." 

Blossom clapped her hands together. "Ooh, really?"

Echo nodded, collapsing the spyglass. "Yes. We need to go quickly."

Waver groaned. "Echo, we're tired."

She turned to them, a determined look in her eyes. "Then stay here. I can go the rest of the way myself."

"Echo--"

"No arguing with me! I was on my own for two years. I'll be fine."

Alexis smiled. "Go get 'em tiger."

Echo nodded thankfully to her before teleporting away.

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Hilda wrapped a scrap of cloth around Hogsworth's arm, glancing at the trees around them. When they had to flee the Nether army, the pig and her had gotten separated from everyone else. She knotted the makeshift bandage. "There. That will do for now."