Like Yesterday (Book 3 of the "Living Nightmare" Series)

Chapter 2

Naeus spun his weapon, looking the duo up and down. "What luck is this? Two of the Enderstone Crusaders walking right into my camp. Obviously the minor two, but its a start."

Kane and Ciara looked at each other. 

"Did you know," Naeus studied the tip of his spear. "That I have almost all the Ender Watchers?"

"Oh hell no!" Coara tried to get up, but was roughly kicked in the gut. Kane semt Naeus a death glare, which was ignored.

"Even eithout the End Crystals, my absolute reign is inevitable. You and the other Enderstone Crusaders won't make it back to use them. Even if you did, you couldn't use them anyway without Lance's knowledge. And he'll be dead by tomorrow."

Anger flashed in Ciara's eyes. "That's impossible. You can't kill Lance. He never dies!"

"Silence!" Naeus pointed his spear at her. "Another word from you and I will cut out your tongue!"

She snapped her mouth shut.

"You've been awfully quiet, bartender," the Nether king turned to Kane. "Any thoughts?"

Fearing a trick, Kane weighed his words carefully. "I must say I agree with Ciara. Lance will escape death. He has before."

"Hmph," Naeus shook his head. "And it appears hope has turned you both to fools," he nodded his head to a guard. "Blacktooth will take good care of you until I return." And the skeleton sweapt out of the tent.

The large Piglin guard sat down on a stool, his axe in hand, and he gave them a smile full of blackened teeth. "Looks like we'll be getting to know each other in the time that ya'll be here. At least, until his Kingship decides to disintegrate ye!"

The Piglin laughed amd Kane sent Ciara a worried look.

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Kralos stared. People lay on the floor unmoving and a silver bubble surrounded Echo, her half-closed eyes glowing an unnatural color. He went over to Zeganirn's still body. Now would be the perfect time to kill the Ender Watchers.

Someone rammed into his back, causing him to stumble forward. Hands grabbed his neck, pulling him back and slamming him into a wall. A staff was pressed against his neck and he was face-to-face with Gwendolyn.

"There is two ways this could go," she tightened her grip on the staff. "You can surrender and become my prisoner. Or this can end violently."

Between gasps for air, he stuttered out, "I will never surrender to the likes of you. The glory of the Nether Empire is eternal!"

"You've made your choice." looking him dead in the eye, Gwen pushed on her staff until Kralos' neck snapped.

She pulled her staff back and he fell limply to the ground. In an instant, she was searching his pockets for the keys to the everyone's bindings. Within moments, she had Ceris, Zeg, and Lance's chains off. 

Then Gwendolyn positioned herself against the wall, ready to fight anyone who came in.

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Alexis threw her hans into the air. "Roxas wouldn't just disappear into thin air! Guys, he obviously left in the middle of the night."

"And he took out supplies," Waver added. "We shouldn't have been so quick to trust him."

"Indeed you shouldn't.."

"Lady Myra!"

"Hello, Waver," the enchantress adjusted her hat. "But keeping him with you for as long as you did kept Echo alive."