Blade of Fire

Part 4

Techno had been training.

It was something he loved, from the rush of adrenalin at the start when the opponent locked eyes with him, to the near-misses where axe or fist would swish past his tusks, or the way he flowed through the movements with effortless ease, his body moving to his command like it was made of water.

There was one thing that was Techno's flaw. Failure.

He knew he was better than the rest, but he had to prove himself. He had to push himself to the limit to feel worthy, to feel that he was doing what he was truly meant to do.

Many Piglins didn't travel far from home so no one would suspect what Techno was doing, creeping out of the Bastion and down a hidden path carved into the rock face, when the Brutes had all gone to bed and the guards were asleep.

Out of sight, round a hairpin bend, was the secret side-entrance to the Fortress, one of the the sacred lands of the Nether.  Here the holy guards could be found; the Wither Skeletons, once warriors of high power, they had sacrificed themselves to serve the God, and in that ritual all the flesh from their bones withered away. Only once the ritual was complete, they were gifted a sacred weapon to wield, a blade so keen it could cut through life. Although the Wither Skeletons were revered throughout the land, they were robbed of the ability to sleep, so eternally patrolled every corner of the Fortress to keep it safe.

It is rumoured, an old pig's tale, that when the Wither Skeletons took the ritual, their bones became one with the God. It is said that if you take three skulls of three Wither Skeleton - divine objects in the Nether - and place them with the earth from which the souls of the world do speak, you can summon a God.

This myth Techno loved, as he enjoyed listening to stories of brave warriors from back in the day.

The truth was, the Wither Skeletons guarded the homes of the Blaze, a creature that was the true heart of the Nether. With it's fire-spreading breath, it could be powered to make mystical potions, that could bestow invisibility, speed or even regeneration.

The Blaze were creatures that Techno had to be wary of, they didn't trust anyone.

However much Piglins didn't trust Wither Skeletons, Techno had struck a deal with them.  A trade of crying obsidion - true, immortal, purple tears trapped in a piece of End Glass - for access to the Fortress and combat training. They taught him how to use a sword, how to hold it in his hand and swing and stab and slice. How to parry and attack, how the blade could be smooth and streamlined and deadly. 

Techno learned this quickly, and every night would travel to the Fortress to train, to become a master at the art of the blade.