Fall of Hermitcraft

6

Grian

I kicked the vent aside, gasping for breath as I clawed my way back out of the sewer. Nafia pulled herself out behind me, collapsing onto the shiny white tile floor. Sunlight faintly shone through windows up above us, a testament to the amount of time spent clawing our way to the surface. Never again, I promised myself.

"You good?" I asked. She just nodded, forehead shiny with sweat.

I scanned our surroundings. We seemed to be inside of some sort of train station, completely abandoned in the night. A freight train sat on the tracks, doors open.

Nafia suddenly shot up with a gasp.

"The news! Check the news!" she demanded, a note of panic in her voice.

I quickly pulled it up, letting Rosie create a holographic image for Nafia to see.

"—suspects have been announced for the attack on Three Rivers Palace last night. The primary suspect is the Lazarus Rebellion, who are still quiet on the situation. The secondary suspect is none other than the Scarlet Killer, the most wanted terrorist in the galaxy, who was believed to have mysteriously disappeared three years ago on the night of her scheduled public execution."

The mugshot of a woman in a black tank top, a red wooden mask, and a placard in her hand popped up, her light brown hair worn wild and head leaning to the side cockily. A little tattoo of a crescent moon with a wolf curled around it on the nape of her neck caught my eye. My heart skipped a beat.

Pearl had that exact same tattoo. What has she done to be the #1 criminal in this Empire?

"She should've stayed dead..." Nafia hissed. I turned in surprise. Pure hate twisted her features.

"What's the Lazarus Rebellion?" I asked, trying to turn the subject away from Pearl. She turned to me in surprise.

"Wait, how have you not heard about them?" she asked in confusion. I shrugged.

"I don't watch the news much." I lied. She shook her head in astonishment, the projection of Pearl momentarily forgotten.

"They're a system who are fighting to get independence from us. In a really poor way." She explained. I nodded.

"Why?" I asked. She was about to respond when a pair of voices echoed down the hall. Her face lit up.

"Guar-!" she started, but I clamped my palm over her mouth. She gave me a look of annoyance.

"Shh!" I hissed, pulling her with me a little deeper into the shadows. She glared at me, but didn't yell at all.

"I swear I heard them over here." one said as the pair stepped into sight.

They looked almost identical in their matching suits, completely garbed in black cloth and body armor. They wore black face masks with skull detailings, and had strange matte black weapons strapped around their backs. They had flags detailed onto their shoulders, a simple blue base with a red circle in the middle.

"You're full of shit. They wouldn't be here, of all places." the other complained. But as they said it, they slung their weapons into their hands.

Nafia started tugging me back this time. I risked a glance back, annoyed.

"Lazarus." she mouthed.

Her eyes went wind suddenly.

"Look out!" she screamed. I turned around just in time to see a black blur of cold metal slam into my face.

.  .  .

I squinted, my vision blurry against a bright yellow light right in my eyes. A splitting headache suddenly erupted, and I involuntarily groaned.