Apparition II dnf

Chapter 17

Dream groans in pain, and slowly opens his eyes.

He is tied up in a kneeling position in some kind of stone cell.

His hands are cuffed behind his back, and his head is pounding.

"Oh god..." Dream groans in pain, black spots dancing across his vision as he tried to lift up his head and look around. "Where am I?"

Years and years of training tells Dream that he needs to get out of this cell. He doesn't know how long he has been there. 

He tries to stand and realizes that the cuffs are preventing him from doing anything.

He will just have to wait for the person who put him in there, but who...?

~

Wilbur turns and runs out of the lab, Geroge at his heels, meeting up with Techno, who already has the horses ready.

"What happened?" Wilbur yells through the earpiece as they are mounting up. 

"I don't know. He didn't give me any details. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone, much less bring anyone with me..." Techno shouts back, leading the way towards an area that George hadn't gone yet. "We are going to have to figure how how to sneak you guys in."

"Guys, WHO are you talking about? What is happening?" George yells, very confused. 

"So umm George basically when the election happened, and Tubbo was declared President, there were a few members that were... not happy to say the least. Apparition is only a sub-section of a larger dictatorship, much like L'Manburg was of the Dream SMP," Techno explains. 

"Wait... but I thought you two ran the whole thing?" George yells over the wind.

"No. Someone very... bad took it over. He lives in the Royal district, Inferno, with some other very bad people. They've created these things we call Autotrons to do their bidding. The Autotrons haven't given us that many issues, but every once in a while we have to send out an executive team to take them down when they come too close to our borders. We haven't had that happen since our lead assassin left. When he did, it upset the balance between Apparition and Inferno. He chose Techno as the one to rule over Apparition, so Techno can choose a team." Wilbur says.

"Though we are technically the same place, Apparition has been pulling away from Inferno for a while now. We are basically our own area, and Inferno is it's own. We have the actual villagers, and all Inferno has is its dictator, knights, and a boatload of Autotrons." Techno says. "As you most likely know by now, Wilbur is my co-leader. He doesn't really know that, though..."

"Ok ok ok wait wait wait..." George stops them. "WHO is this he? You still haven't told me!"

"George. Inferno is run by Schlatt." Wilbur says. "After he was banned from the SMP, he found his way down here and built an empire. He tricked Lazar and Vik into being his knights when they joined the server. They don't know any better, unfortunately."

"Wait so you are telling me Schlatt isn't DEAD? Oh my gosh," George exclaims. "So do you have any knights, Techno? I mean I feel like you are going to need one to help you take Schlatt down" George asks.

George sees Techno sit up straighter on his horse. "I used to. One of the best. But we got into a disagreement... I haven't seen him in a while now. Anyone can come from the SMP into Apparition, and vice versa, but there is an Autotron posted at every entrance to monitor who is coming and going. It is really hard to find one of those entrances by accident too. We have lots of safety precautions so the wrong people don't wander in here," Techno says. "And we aren't fighting Schlatt any time soon. It took ages for him to trust me, and I think it's pretty obvious that I'm betraying him. I had to attack you that one time because Schlatt was questioning my loyalty. It was the only way."

George believed him. Techno had been a big help so far, so he saw no reason to hold it against him.

They had been galloping for a while now, and George could see the walls marking the barriers of what must have been the edge of Apparition.

As they approach, soldiers open the large gates for them, and they gallop through.

"I'm surprised you didn't question Niki earlier, George. But yeah, that's how she gets into the SMP too. Anyone can just come and go if they know how to get in. That's why it's so... surprising to us that an Autotron didn't get to you before we did. You're very lucky we found you when we did," Wilbur says.

As they were riding, the sun begins to set, and the land has less and less life evident.

Here, obliterated structures and scorched dirt are as far as the eye can see.

"Here we are..." Techno says, halting the horses with the boys outside the massive black iron gate, complete with banners, dark as the night, underneath braisers lit with fire. The polished stone of the wall makes the shadows of the fire leap and dance onto the terrain around them, and George can see where the district got its name.

"Inferno."