Sacrifice: A Lukesse Story

Sacrifice Chapter 1

The gang leaves Crown Mesa and reappears back to the Portal Network.
"Lukas? Can you set me down now?" Jesse asked sounding tired.
"Oh sure" Lukas replies crouching down and letting her off.
"Are you sure you're ok?" Petra asks a little worried.

"I'll be fine Petra, we'll be home soon, then I can rest."
"Now when we built this place..." Harper begins "We made something that sorta acts like a compass-slash-map-slash-navigator..."
Everyone looked to her, ready to hear more.

"We called it "The Atlas" It helps chart routes between the worlds."
"And...you have this Atlas, right?" Petra asks what everyone was thinking.
"Uhhh...No. No, I don't. But! But I know who does!"
Everyone practically glared at her, except for Jesse, who was too tired to care, she didn't say anything while the others groaned.

"Huh, guess I should've seen that coming." Lukas commented grumpily.
"I know...I know, but I promise. Just this one more thing, and then you'll be home. Don't you worry! We'll just go right in, ask for the Atlas, and then you'll be home. No muss, no fuss...Easy."
"Funny. Whenever someone says that my instincts start screaming "danger." Petra says.

"In order to find the Atlas...we need to track down the rest of the 'Old Builders'... Still don't like that name."
"How do we find them? Which portal do we go through..?" Jesse asks sounding like she's ready to pass out.

"Oh. You don't have to go through another portal." Sighs of relief fill the hallway.
"What you're looking for has been right here the whole time." Then she punches part of the wall like it was nothing.
"And there you go. All it's waiting for it the key."

Jesse and Lukas just look at each other in confusion.
"That's the heart."
Jesse takes the heart out of her inventory and places it in the space.
The portal to their right starts descending into the ground, revealing many, many stairs. The Order look up at them in shock and exhaustion.
Then Ivor says "Adventure?"

"Wow. That is...that is a lot of stairs." Lukas says in awe writing it down in his journal.
"And all revealed by the Redstone Heart...amazing." Ivor says, also in awe.
"Yeah! Not bad right?" Harper chimes in with a proud tone.
Jesse walks back over to the Heart and takes it out of it's slot and places it back in her inventory.

"After you." Harper says arm stretched out.
"Okay guys, not sure what's up there...But whatever it is we all need to stick together, got it?"
"Yeah, we got your back Jesse." Petra says.

Jesse starts walking up the stairs, having tons of trouble. Lukas notices and picks her up in his arms.
"L-Lukas?! What are you doing?" Jesse asks surprised by the sudden pickup.
"You need some rest, I'll climb the stairs for you." Lukas replies with no hesitation in his voice. Jesse looks up at him, blushing madly, but she gives in.
"Alright...thanks Lukas" she says feeling content.

They start walking up as Jesse subconsciously lays her head on Lukas' chest as he climbs making him extremely embarrassed, but also happy.
After a few minutes of climbing, Jesse start nodding off, but tires not to as their journey isn't over yet.

Lukas sees her falling asleep, he has a question to ask her, he doesn't want to bother her, but it's important.
"Hey Jesse?" Lukas begins.
"Hm?"
"Are you sure we can Trust Harper?" Lukas asks.
Jesse ponders the question for a moment.

"Look at all of our interactions with her so far. They haven't exactly been great remember?"
He had a good point, however Jesse had a different perspective of the whole thing.

"Yeah, I do. She helped me save your life, without her, I wouldn't have been able to find you, or get chipped myself for that matter. But I will admit, she seems to be hiding something from us, I just wish she would tell us, but don't worry, we'll get that Atlas and get home." Jesse replies.
"I appreciate the vote of confidence, Jesse." Lukas and Jesse look up at Harper.