Delta 6 (The Pack)

Chapter 48

For those who were wondering what Vikk turned into last chapter, he turned into a Shulker which can shoot levitation bullets 👌🏻

Warnings: None

~Mitch's P.O.V~

       Gasping for breath, the stars above pulsing and swimming, I clutch at my chest with one hand and wipe my tears away with the other.

      "Oh, Notch..." I stammer, my entire body shaking with each ragged breath that fills my lungs.

       Shakily, I roll over into my hands and knees and rise unsteadily to my feet. I take one wobbly step towards Jerome and my knees instantly buckle, sending me flopping ungracefully to the ground.

      "Mitch, don't push it." Lachlan rasps, shuffling over.

       I bow my head in exhaustion, leaning heavily on my arms as Lachlan shambles over to where Vikk and Jerome lay eerily limp on the edge of the island. My heart had slowed after making it up, but now it picks right back up twice as fast as Lachlan stiffly bends over, pressing his finger lightly under the jaw of Vikk and then Jerome. Was it enough?

       With a frown Lachlan laces his finger together and presses down forcefully on Jerome's chest. Despite my exhaustion I leap to my feet, wings flaring as a protest rises in my throat. And then Jerome is gasping in a sharp ragged breath, lurching up and nearly bashing Lachlan with his skull.

      "W-wha..."
       "Welcome back, bud." Lachlan greets easily, patting him in the shoulder. "I honestly didn't think you'd make it there for a second. Next time you decide to go flying into the Void give us a bit of warning, yeah?"

      Jerome blinks uncomprehending, turning and looking dumbfounded back at the edge of the island.

      "But... but I was falling. And th-there was the light..." Jerome trails off, scratching his head.
      "That light was Mitch." Rob pants, shuffling over with the final key dangling from his hand. "The idiot risked his life and dove down after you." He grins, knocking me teasingly on the shoulder.
        "It takes a very special kind of idiot to pull off what you just did." Lachlan agrees, hiding a smirk as I shoot him a brief dirty look.

       Jerome's eyes shift over to me at that, shock written on every inch of his sullen face. Our eyes lock and I nod slightly, confirming this statement. Tears prick Jerome's eyes and he nods fractionally in return, a look of gratitude lighting up his deep brown eyes. And then they widen suddenly and he jumps to his feet, his paws patting at his pockets urgently. He sighs in relief as he reaches into one and pulls out Preston's gem.

      "Safe and sound..." he breathes, gently putting it back.

       Just then Vikk groans and Rob hurries over, the rest of us crowding around and Rob takes him into one arm, using one hand to support his head while the other rests on top. He mumbles some sort of spell under his breath, soft light cascading out of his fingertips and over Vikk's body.

       Jerome cranes his neck to look over Lachlan's shoulder, his brow furrowing. "What happened to Vikk?"
        Lachlan's steps aside so Jerome can see better, his eyes glued to the pair on the ground as Rob tends to Vikk. "When Mitch dove down to save you, his wings started to disappear. I couldn't stretch far enough to reach you, and Rob was too low on energy to try and use magic to help you two. You both starting falling again so I lowered Vikk down and he strained his body both physically and mentally by morphing into a shulker. He was only able to hold the transformation for a couple seconds, but it was enough to hit Jerome with a levitation bullet." Lachlan explains, taking off his helmet and combing his fingers slowly thorough his sweat-drenched hair.
      "Is he okay?" I ask worriedly, mentally facepalming as clearly Vikk is very much not okay.
       "He's not responding to the painful stimuli..." Jerome mutters, poking Vikk in the foot with his claw.
        "Cut that out!" Rob snaps, batting Jerome's paw away. "Stabbing someone in the foot over and over again doesn't make you a doctor." 
          "Stop being an issue, Jerome." Lachlan says habitually, dragging the bacca away, "Or I might just throw you back over the edge myself."

          Jerome's mouth snaps shut and the three of us back away to let Rob do his thing.

~~~

     ~Seto's P.O.V~

       "Hurry, get inside!" I urge, pulling the father and his young daughter inside the forcefield.

        The girl screams shrilly, tears streaming down her face as a ravager rams its horns into the forcefield behind her, sparks of magic flying as the beast is knocked back onto its side. The impact sends waves of nausea rushing through my head and I groan as I herd the newest arrival of refugees safely away from the border. 

        As I point them in the right direction Brice comes running up, face splattered with dry blood and gashes and dents littering his diamond armour. His normally vibrant blue eyes are dull and dark bags hang under them. He's been running around nonstop every day, scouting around the area and smuggling survivors from nearby cities into my stronghold.

        "Seto, I really think you should put this place on lockdown." Brice repeats for the millionth time this week. "You aren't looking too good."
         "I could say the same for you, Brice." I reply, leaning heavily on an oak tree.
        
       Brice frowns, his eyes drifting to where armies of mobs throw themselves relentlessly at my forcefield. I've set it up specifically so that it blocks anything and everything that is hostile. However, it allows humans and hybrids that seek refuge to pass through, and the extra effort needed to maintain that is draining my energy faster than I can replenish it. But they're counting on me. They have nowhere else to go.

        "You can't protect everyone, you know." Brice says after a moment, turning back to me.
         I turn my head up towards him, defiance shining in my eyes. "I have to try."

         An evoker sends an army of vex's charging at the forcefield, and with every hit I can feel my energy being sucked away. At the same time, a scared teen couple come stumbling through the shield, covered in scrapes and bruises and just managing to duck under the blast of a creeper. I can't give up now.

       "Anyways... I came to tell you I received a message from Chimney." Brice continues, holding out a rolled up scroll with a glittery purple seal on it, bearing a witch's hat and glasses.
   
         He hands it to me and I break open the seal, unrolling the message hastily.

       Seto,

        Rob contacted me. About and hour ago, they defeated Void, the ender-dragon hybrid. They are now in possession of all four keys. However, Preston has been slain recently and has not yet respawned. Additionally, Vikk is seriously injured and Rob has estimated it will take them about three days to fully heal and rest and prepare themselves. They are staying the End and in three days time, wether or not Preston has respawned, Rob will create a portal and transport them to the Captial.

~Chim

       "Brice." I say, summoning a scroll and pen and beginning to scrawl put a response to Chimeny.
       "I'm here."
      "Start crafting and giving weapons and armour to anyone willing to fight. Have any mages capable enchant everything with the best enchantments possible, and have any who do not wish to fish start putting together kits of food and potions."

        I finish the message, seal it, and send it to Chimney with a snap of my fingers. At the same time, the forcefield surrounding my islands shimmers and darkens into a nearly opaque purple, mobs outside wailing as it incinerates them.

        "We're going to war."

~~~

Question of the chapter:

Are you ready? Because...

It's finale time.