EMPIRES SMP Fanfic - The Heavy Crown [Lost Empire]

[Twelve] What the Future Holds

CHAPTER TWELVE

What the Future Holds

Point-Of-View: Tiger Blood Prince

THE TOWERING STATUE built out of orange-hued sandstone, gold blocks, and dark red trimmings stood tall and mighty in front of the Fire Temple of the Lost Empire, forming the body of Clay, the dearest Golem of the kingdom.

His stone-carved feet were half-buried in the waters, axolotls lapping at his heels. Grass and moss blanketed his shoulders, also overgrown in his stomach and left feet. He was facing away from the Temple and jungle fences were stacked behind him. On its summit were the waving banners of the Lost Empire - with its striking red, yellow and orange fires emblazoned in the wool, being tugged by the heavy winds.

Gathered below the honorary statue of the Golem were the Rulers of the Twelve Empires, holding crossbows loaded with fireworks. Standing solemnly underneath Clay's body was the Ruler of the Lost Empire himself. All around the little villager huts were the villager cheetahs and tigers and the Brotherhood of Golems peering up at their lost brother with sad looks in their faces. The Tiger Blood Prince stood next to Lord Scott, the sheathed antler sword swinging on his sword belt.

"We have suffered a tremendous loss in this battle," Ruler Joey started, face strung with melancholia. "And I will forever regret being a part of what caused it, wholeheartedly. Today, we honor the selfless sacrifice of Clay the Golem, the Sworn Sword and Shield of the Tiger Blood Prince... an innocent friend of the Lost Empire that owed his entire life dedicated to the cause of freeing his Ruler from... from Xornoth. He saved the life of the Tiger Blood Prince, and without him, this mission would reach only failure. Without him, I would still be held in the clutches of a manipulative demon that is corrupting this server. Without him, I wouldn't have acknowledged the real love that blossomed between him and the Prince. He will stay forever in my heart, and the Lost Empire will remember him till the end."

Tiger Blood Prince led the eruption of fireworks. He raised his crossbow to the sky, whispered "For you, my good Golem. I love you," and let go.

Everyone else followed. The bright blue sky was strewn with the colours of the Lost Empire, sparkling in shapes of the Golem, crackling in the memory of Clay.

Tiger Blood Prince lowered his crossbow and tossed it to the ground. Tears fell flawlessly from his cheeks to the dirt, his whiskers wet.

...

"I'm glad you've admitted to your mistakes..." the Prince said. He was situated next to the Lost Empire throne, talking to a forlorn, mourning Joey.

"Yes." Ruler Joey said. "I've confessed how... moronic and out of control I was while being naive in the hands of that... that man I loved..."

There was silence for a moment...

"I'm sorry for that threat... me threatening to skewer your little head with a tiki torch." Joey said. They both shared similar sadness in their stare. "And for many other Rudy-McRuderston stuff I've said."

"I forgive you, Your Eminence." Tiger Blood Prince bobbed his head. "You were... corrupted. And now, you're free at last. But... do you truly swear to never mingle with the likes of him ever again?"

"Scott... kind of threatened me," Joey's eyes were drooping slightly. "He made me make a holy vow in the eyes of Aeor to never succumb to Exor and Xornoth's vile. I did." Joey smiled softly at the Prince. "I swore to fight for the light, and not yield into the malevolent tendencies of Xornoth again."

"There is another way you could seal that vow, you know?"

"Yes?" Joey asked. Tiger Blood Prince was incredibly relieved and astonished at how the animosity and ferociousness in Joey's voice when talking to the Prince was smothered out. The serenity would be hard to adjust to, yet it was for the best.

"Your chamber underneath that first temple you've built..."

"Oh. I've forgotten about that. What do you reckon we should do with it?"

"You want to call on fWhip?"

The smile that unravelled from Joey's face confirmed it all. "Head down there, I'll call him to blow it all up."

...

Tiger Blood Prince stood in front of the Golem's statue, shone by the pale moonlight above them. He stared at the golem's handsome face, and felt like crying again. The hurt in the Tiger's heart was so terrible that when he felt his chest with his paws, he could hear blood dripping. Yet only it was in his head, and the weight of it... like he wore Xornoth's Crown.

He reminisced the whispered condolences of the Rulers a while ago. He listened and nodded his head but the words never sunk into his mind. He didn't think he would ever accept the end to his friend's life. The journey was hell and would be hell, and the promise of heaven at the end was nowhere to be touched nor seen.

He knelt, and whispered seemingly to the air, but he was speaking to the Golem, wherever he was. "Thank you..." He didn't know what to hurl out. He was speechless for a few more seconds, and finally said, "Nothing hurts more than a strong love formed before death comes in and swoops in. Nothing hurts more than... not having enough time to spend with you..."

Tears trickled down his cheeks. He continued with a sob, "Just... Thank you for saving my life. I swear not a day will not pass by that I won't not think of you, Clay." Saying his name felt like his heart was amidst the clashing of the two brothers back there in the End dimension. "I promise you that..."

...

The alchemist fWhip stood next to him, dusting his hands off. The three of them were blocks away from the first Temple ever built in this Empire. "I've stashed in the TnTs. You sure you won't mind your Enchanting area getting exploded?"

"Oh, I've axed them out and moved them somewhere." Joey explained, excitement plain on his face.

Tiger Blood Prince handed Ruler Joey a longbow and a flaming arrow. "You do the deed."

"Ah, I'd be honored!" Joey took it graciously, and clumsily did a curtsy, which spread his parrot wings. Joey nocked the flaming arrow to his bowstring - the flame burning bright in their dark surroundings - drew the string close to his ear, and before it was let loose, he declared out some profane obscenities for the man who used and abused him.

"-you will regret ever using me, you f-"

TIger Blood Prince could only snicker while he patiently watched for the arrow to fly.

It flew, and at the ominous, loud hiss of the TNT stashed around the vicinity, the three of them took more steps back.

The explosions rumbled the lands of the Lost Empire. The land quivered and trembled and cursed Xornoth, releasing him from the land's soul despite of its irremovable corruption. Tiger Blood Prince watched as the sight of the underground chamber and shrine built for that damned demon got consumed by the explosions, its deepslate bricks disappearing into thin air, the vines and carpets and anvils and Nether bricks... all obliterated. Running water spilled out everywhere in its vicinity.

Whatever the future held, he hoped it would be as relieving as this.