Finding Space | AvA/AvM one shots

Purple and the King (potential story part)

About two weeks before AvM episode 29 was released, I wrote an outline for a backstory about how the king and Purple met and began working together. Someday, I'd like to turn this into a full multi-chapter story. For now, here is one of the middle parts. Consider this a pilot, I suppose?

There are no AvM episode 29 spoilers in this story.

Content: Fight and threats of violence.

Story background: the king aims to conquer/unite the piglin factions and rule the Nether (he has other objectives, of course, but he doesn't talk about them). He recruits Purple to perform combat missions and deal with the more mundane tasks of administering several factions of piglins.

***

To Purple, the Nether was always uncomfortably hot, but the heat of the lava flood plains was downright oppressive. 

The lava flood plains were the transition between the lower Nether and the lava sea. If Purple had to compare this place to an Overworld biome, he would call this place a swamp. The lava sea eventually yielded to swirling patterns of cooling magma. Numerous netherrack islands rose from the orange-black flats. Spikes of blackstone dotted the larger islands - perhaps the remains of old lava falls. How the Sharps piglin faction could live down here, Purple could not understand.

But down here they lived, and so down Purple and his piglin detachment went to conquer the Sharps. Their encampments fell one by one until the Sharps leader finally surrendered. Purple was glad the campaign was over. The Sharps were particularly stubborn and both sides had significant losses. Even the piglins' appreciation for glorious battles had been wearing thin.

Purple picked a squad of twelve piglins to accompany him and the Sharps leader back to the king and ordered the rest to guard the current encampment. He also told the leader to choose two others to accompany them to the king as prisoners. The leader had initially refused, but when Purple's hand inched towards his sword, the leader gave in and grunted at two others of his faction to join. One looked very similar to the leader - perhaps his son, Purple thought.

The Sharps faction had terraformed the thinner snakier islands to form pathways between their encampments. Purple's guard took these paths now. The squad spread out as they made their way across each bridge. Eventually, the twists of magma and lava around them gave way to solid netherrack.

Mutters and grunts from the middle of the squad became snarls of anger. Purple sighed. If it was those piglins again... He held his hand up and called a halt. The column came to a stop with disgruntled clattering. Purple made his way through the piglins. The Ridge piglins and the Bone piglins had their weapons out and were spitting insults at each other. Purple sighed again. Alliances don't automatically heal age-old faction rivalries, but life would be easier if they did.

"Stop this right now!" Purple snapped in pigspeak. The two groups froze in place, still glaring at each other. "Take it out at the next tournament. But if you do anything now, I will shred your ears!" The piglins glared at each other for a few more tense seconds, then turned and put their weapons away. Purple was certain both groups were still quietly muttering death threats, but the threat of humiliation seemed to prevent them from going any further.

He turned around without another word and marched back to the front of the column. He hoped the Ridge and Bone piglins could hold themselves together for the rest of the march. The king's plan was to recruit the Sharps into the Alliance. Bad behaviour in front of the Sharps now could influence how difficult that plan proved to be. It would affect his own standing with the king as well. Purple glanced at the Sharps leader. Interestingly enough, the Sharps leader was looking intently at Purple in a manner that might have been respect. This was hopefully a good sign.