Hardcore Survival (A Minecraft Story)

The Finale

[Aria's POV]

My gaze never leaves the Wither King. His stance is lowered, in pain. I stand slightly taller. I could feel the leather in my grip, and it was very comforting. I had many questions on what exactly was going on, but that would have to wait for later. This is my second chance...

I would not let it go to waste.

I feel Reginald return, but he is quiet. I stay focused on the task at hand. The Wither King straightens and speaks. "I will admit, this was not what I was expecting." I growl but refuse to reply. Instead, I step back and prepare for the fight. I slightly lift my sword and release a screech. The Wither King roars and we both charge. I sidestep as he slices down, then slice to the side. He ducks and rolls to the side. I swiftly teleport behind him to dodge this attack and land a blow to his back. He grunts and spins quickly. I feel slight pain in my leg, but I ignore it and continue to fight. I can feel the cool liquid starting to seep from my wound, but it doesn't pain me as much as it should.

'Thank goodness I have a high pain tolerance.'

'I, as well.'

I slightly smirk at Reginald's comment, but I keep my focus on the Wither King. I could tell he was tiring, but so was I. It wasn't easy coming back to life, and then completely changing. He lunges towards me, and I teleport to the side, aiming a low kick to his gut. However, he quickly slashes out to the side. His blade rips across my hip and down part of my extended leg. I let out a scream, and twist to slash my blade against his ribs. He clacks in pain and stumbles back. 

Both of us were holding our wounds, but I could see the black ooze starting to run from his mouth area. The hit to his rips was slightly smoking, and the dark blood was beginning to run from the cut. He glances up at me, and I simply growl, baring my teeth at him. They were sharp, the canines slightly larger than the rest, and I was fine with that. 'Looks more intimidating...'

The Wither King steps forward and readies his sword. I knew he wouldn't go down easy, but this was completely different. Even in this state, I had my doubts that I could beat him. If he brings out his little 'special attack' again, I may not have a chance. 

As if hearing my thoughts, I see the skull attacks appear over each shoulder. They launch themselves at me, and I bend my knees. With a painful grunt, I leap over them, twirling in the air to land a blow on the King. He raises his sword to meet mine, but just before they meet, I give him and wink and vanish. With his energy drained, the King doesn't have time to react and I appear behind him. My sword continues on its journey and slams into his side. 

His armor cracks.

He slams into the side of a stalagmite. I wait for a moment for the dust to clear. The wheeze of the skulls echoes around, and I barely have time to move as one launches out from the smoke. It grazes my shoulder, and I hiss in pain. Another one comes, and I slam it away with my sword. It explodes against the wall nearby, and I feel the ground shake from it. As one more makes its way towards me, I release a growl and slice it clean in two. The pieces clatter to the ground behind me and explode. 

The dust starts to clear, and I finally see him standing there, more skulls surrounding him. I narrow my eyes with a snarl on my face. He slightly laughs. "You were much stronger than anyone else before... but I cannot risk the world for the sake of your lives." As he finishes speaking, the skulls all start to fly straight at me. I reach around and grip the sword with both hands. I feel the power from it start to increase, and I see the glow shine brighter. The King spots this as well, and I see his whole demeanor change. I feel my body slightly begin to shrink, but the power remains. My limbs become bigger, and I feel muscles tighten in preparation for what was about to happen. I feel a smirk fall on my lips as the skulls grow closer.

With a single shout, I swing the sword out and a wave of light blue energy erupts from it. It slams through each skull, turning them completely into dust. It continues on, straight towards the King. He barely has time to jump to the side before the blast collides with the stalagmite behind him, obliterating it to nothing. The top of it crashes to the ground, and smoke rises from the debris.

I can see the silhouette of where the King was. He was on his knees, one hand holding him up and the other over his chest again. I narrow my gaze and teleport behind him. The tip of my sword rests against his back, and I see him visibly stiffen. His skull turns to slightly face me, and I keep a neutral look on my face. We stay like that for a moment. His sword was too far for him to reach, and the dust was just now starting to settle. I could hear his army clacking in distress for their king, and my friends were silently watching.

My mind raced, but Reginald says nothing to ease it. It's as if he has nearly left my mind once more, but I know he's there. I want to strike... I want to make him suffer the same way he made me suffer...

Instead, I lower my sword. The King, confused, flips over and faces me. His eye sockets eye me warily, and I sigh. I knew what I had to do. I raise my sword...

And slide it into its sheath on my back.

I extend a hand to him, my body back to its normal size. My right hand, however, was still completely black with the ender-particles popping up around it. The King looks from my hand to me. I say nothing, and he huffs before reaching up to take it. I carefully help him stand, and he grunts in reply. "Easy there, bone boy," I say, and he lets out a soft laugh while putting an arm over my shoulders to steady himself. "I should say the same to you. Your hip, despite your change, is still bleeding." I gaze down, having forgotten that wound. I simply shrug and help walk him back to the others. "I've had worse... You should know that."

Halfway there, he stops, and I have to do the same to not faceplant. I feel him looking towards me, and I meet his gaze. "I am sorry you had to go through that... but-" I hush him, and he looks bewildered. "I knew the risks, and I knew the stakes on the line." My gaze turns to my friends and the wither skeletons, who were running towards us from the castle stairs. 'When did we get this far?' I shake off the thought and continue with what I was saying. "I would have done the same in your position..." I turn to him, and understanding is in his gaze. As my friends near, and the skeletons approach, I lower the King's arms from my shoulder and release him to his people.

The moment I let him go, I am ambushed and knocked to the ground by a crying penguin. She was laughing as well, but I could feel her tears falling and stinging my ender-half. I ignore the pain for a bit until a hiss escapes me. Alexa pushes herself up and glares at me suddenly. I hold up my arms as she starts hitting me. "I swear, if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I'll be the one to kill you, bring you back to life, then beat you again! You hear me!?" I give her a nervous smile, and she breaks and smiles at me. A laugh escapes her as she wipes away her tears.

Anthony and Mobius come into view, and I just wave at them. As Alexa rises off me, they help me up, and I finally feel the pain start to settle in as the adrenaline lowers. I hiss and stumble as my hip flares, but Anthony is quick to catch me. I look up, one eye shut with pain. "Thanks, man..." I see Mobius walk over, and he smiles. I return the smile and sigh. He walks over and gives me a pat on the back. "You really gave us a scare there, Aria." I shake my head with a soft chuckle. "You and me both."

"Aria..."

I turn to face the Wither King, and he was watching us carefully. I stand as straight as I can, and he continues speaking. "A deal... is a deal. Rest again, and I will help you leave this place." I smile, and he lowers his head. I do the same respectfully, and he turns to leave. I shift my vocals.

"Thank you... Andrew."

The King stops mid-stride and turns to face me. I see it in his eyes. "It's... been a while since I have heard that name." He then turns and continues on back to his castle. I turn to the others, smiles on all of their faces. I return it and grab them all into a large hug. Laughs echo around, and I let out a sigh of relief. It soon turns to pain, and everyone quickly lets go. "Alright... Let's get back to the room. You need to rest." Alexa says, and I nod. However, I definitely notice all the cuts, bruises, and burns on my friends as well. "Looks like I'm not the only one." I glare at Anthony, and he looks away sheepishly. 

Nothing matters, though, except that we made it out alive...

And mostly in one piece.