The Frozen Empire - An Empires SMP AU

1 - Run Away

He fled into the ice spikes biome, Gem watched as her friend flew off as she attempted to pry herself out of the ice, his cold wings leaving a trail of ice fragments that led over the mountain. Gem was frustrated - in herself - she let Scott get away; had she only used her fire staff to thaw the ice, she could've followed him. But now it was too late; she hadn't a clue where he fled. She would get the other empires on it too.

Gem sat by the Staircase of her magic academy, meandering over her fire staff. Her ice-glazed elytra had been slung over a small wash rack by the trees near the cod sanctuary. She had called FWhip over to hunt for Scott whilst she cleaned up the ice he left behind, but every time she thawed it, it froze over with greater size.

She was worried, Scott was new to magic, he was out of control, and soon so too will be his powers.

Seeing FWhip soaring over the Crystal Cliffs, Gem walked to meet him. The Grimlands Emperor shook his head wistfully. He pried his goggled from his face, readjusting his red scarf and cradling his hand in his pockets. "No luck," He sighed, his body quivering. "I was flying through a desert when a snowstorm kicked up, it was as if nature itself was trying to stop me."

"Well..." Gem stared vacantly at her Wizard tower, the dragons perched like birds on the cliffside, holding one and other with their large wings. "Thanks anyway..." FWhip frowned, springing into the air and gliding past the dragons, who snapped gently as he drifted.

Gem trekked up the crystal cliffs, coming to a halt at the top, she entered the Wizards tower and retrieved a book from the many bookcase lining the brick walls.

Many hours were spent sitting by the slowly freezing cod sanctuary, watching its process with eagle eyes. Gem too would glance over at her stagnant elytra, that slowly regained limpness with every hour. The sun had long set, a warm lantern guided her studies as she scribbled down her thoughts and inspections. Katherine came to check on her through the night, placing a small sheep plush by her side.

Everything was still, her work had been fruitless. The crickets chirped in the tall grass, frogs sprung from lily-pads, landing with muted plonks in the murky cod-water. Gem eventually put down her journal and sat kicking her feet aimlessly. Had she really wasted all this time just to watch ice for a day? She felt disappointed in herself, and sad that she was no closer to helping her friend.

Soon, she noticed the ice dissipating, and the snow melting into the earth. She scribbled it down, a sudden rush of energy in her stride. But her ink well was empty, and her feather quills tip was frayed.

Writing started appearing in her notebook, even though she held no quill to it.

Hello Gem, How are you, nice weather we're having, save me, save me, save me, SAVE ME

Slamming over the book, Gem was exasperated, her hand now trembled as she place the book by her side. She got up and started to go retrieve her elytra, if it hadn't dried by now, she'd need to rest it by FWhips furnace. Hopefully he wouldn't remind returning it to her in the morning.

Then she paused, she felt the back of her head being burnt; as if someone was poking her in the nape of her neck. The crickets stopped chirping and the frogs scattered like a swarm of bees. Gem was being watched.

Turning around, she stared over at the lake, from the center, a black tip protruded like the fin of a shark. She crept over with uneasy footing, every step a laborious effort. Gem stared herself in the lake, there was silence...

Suddenly, from the dark tip, grew a bony finger, which grew to a hand. Gem yelped, running from the lake and slinging on her elytra. She turned back around to check on the lake, and saw the hand was gone...

In replace was a towering skeletal figure with dark bones and a pair of red eyes. They had large spiking horns the pierced the clouds like knives. Gem wanted to run, to scream, but she couldn't move, the figure grabbed her around the waist and dragged her across the field.

Save me... Save me...

These words played in gems head as she was sunk in the lake, a darkness surrounded her and soon-

"Gem!" FWhips concerned voice awoke the wizard, Gem hyperventilated, the world reforming around her.

It was morning, a murder of crows flew over the Cod Sanctuary. The orange sun refracted over the crystal roofs, casting rainbow shadows over the plains. The three dragons lay dormant with snow layering on top of them.

"Look!" FWhip gestured at the lake, where the ice was. Instead of the usual patch, it had spread, growing up the shore and almost to the very bench that Gem perched on.

"It's... Growing?" Gem gaped, eying the slowly spreading frost. FWhip shook his head.

"If it like this here, I can't imagine what's it's like at Rivendell..." FWhip trailed off, the pair glances nervously at each other.

"Rivendell..." Gem and FWhip gaped, Gem unslung her elytra from the now threadbare clothes line, her nether-star-like was damp, but not unusable. They flew upward, swooping in the direction of Scott's empire mountains. The wind was cold, Gem had to stop to land and warm herself by a lava bool 7 chunks away from Rivendell. She couldn't go any further, it was too cold to go any further, she just wanted to stay here forever.

She saw in the corner of her eye a ruined portal, in the chest were the essential pieces of obsidian to craft a Nether Portal, and a scrappy flint and steel. Could she really do it? Could she really leave to the nether and tell no one? A day in the overworld was three in the Nether, she wouldn't technically be away for long... 

She scratched the small chip of flint against the scratched iron bar, the sparks kindled a swirling purple portal that, through the glassy surface, showed images of a hell like landscape. Gem glanced up, was she really about the leave?...

Gem sprung through the portal with such enthusiasm that she almost toppled off a cliff, staring the glowing orange lava in the face. The nether burnt around her, a parade of Zombie Piglins lurked in a soul sand valley. A crimson forest with the red wart leaves spanned out in a small alcove tucked down by lava level, piglins hobbled around the undergrowth, wielding golden tools and wearing glistening armour. This inferno was daunting, yet it felt like home, and best of all, it was warm, not cold like Gem always was in the overworld, she released a long relieving sigh and went to start up a house.