Virus (A Minecraft Story)

Chapter 40

Loca's POV

We were all huddled in the barn, packing food supplies into bags, in case something went wrong and we were left stranded in the middle of nowhere for days on end. The four Mages had gone into the only empty stall and come out with extra bags and food, Everybody was checking their weapons as well; Lyta was also keeping an eye on her array of potions and the miniature Wither pieces hidden at the very bottom of her bag.

To one side, the non-Mages were sorting through their own supplies, and checking over their weapons; the Sheep Mage was sharpening her katanas, the Wolf Mage toying with his dagger, and the Ocelot Mage absent-mindedly curling her whip around her wrist, then flicking it out again with a sudden snap and crack that made everybody jump.

On our side, we were also inspecting our weapons; I was testing my own pickaxes against a bale of hay, satisfied at how a single stroke could demolish one; Ana was twirling her double-bladed staff in a blur of deadly green, all while inspecting her leaf tattoo; and Tash was sparring back and forth with an invisible enemy, each strike so vicious I feared for my own safety.

There was a strange look in Tash's eyes as she fought, the blade whistling through the air like an arrow; she seemed angry but nervous - terrified, even, like she was in some kind of horrible danger.
And, as she ducked and parried and thrust, her eyes kept drifting back to her right arm, where her arm guard and chestplate met. Probably worried that the gap wasn't small enough.

Ana sauntered over, the blades snapping back into her staff as she stopped next to me, staring vaguely in Lyta's direction, her eyes unfocused.
"Do you think we can pull this off?" She murmured to me, a trace of worry in her voice. Her hand went to her back, where I now knew her Sorcerer tattoos were. "It just seems so completely impossible."

I gave her a re-assuring hair-ruffle that made her duck away and scowl. "I think we will. We've survived the End - "
"We almost got executed via talking enderman," she muttered.

"- We made it through the Nether and rescued two people along way," I continued.
"Tash almost died, and we just about killed ourselves making a fortress explode," she countered.

"- And we got back to the Overworld just fine." I finished reassuringly.
"Where we blew up another building, the village was attacked four times, and then discovered that this whole thing was a wild goose chase." Ana said, not so reassuringly.

I shrugged. "But we've survived, come out on top, each and every time. Besides, we have kick-ass powers now, and you have your mind-power thing."

"Telekinesis," she corrected me, and to demonstrate she turned to a bale of hay and raised her hand to it, concentrating.

The air shimmered slightly, and suddenly the bale was rising into the air, with no obvious support to name. It hovered slightly, indecisive, before it hurtled through the air like Ana's earth-trick, straight towards the other Mages.

The Pig Mage spotted it first. "Incoming!" He yelled, and dove aside. The others dropped as one, hands covering their heads as the hay shot by, just a yellowy blur.

But the Cow Mage, who had been preoccupied with packing his bag, was too slow. He turned around, confused, in time to get hit in the face by a tasty bale of hay that exploded on impact.

Everybody rolled around on the floor in hysterics, howling with laughter at the look on the Cow Mage's face.
"Sorry!" Ana called out to him, flushing in embarrassment. "I'm a little rusty!"

The Cow Mage spat hay from his mouth, looked disgruntled, then shrugged it off and went back to packing.
Tash, wiping her eyes and smiling, came over to join in the conversation. Lyta smartly sheathed her sword and walked over as well. Dax, Amber and Hercules, who'd been play-fighting with each other, came over to join the huddle at Lyta's insistent wave.