The forsaken (Rainimator book4)

epilogue 1: the nether

The Civil War of the Nether was fully blown. The Nether horde vs. the Nether loyalists was ripping the Nether apart. Kyle had done what he could to protect his people, and the Loyalists were ruthless in their actions, killing everyone who wouldn't swear allegiance to them.

Kyle stood at the top of his battlement, looking out into the netherack plains around his fort. Turning to walk away, he walked down towards the dungeon. At the entrance, he was met by Hogsworth.

"My lord," Hogsworth said.

Kyle smiled dimly at the pigmen general. "this, senseless petty war is...do you have any good news for me?" Kyle asked. 

The pigman let out a long sigh, and his face dropped. "I'm afraid not my king, the prisoner is not talking,"

What little of Kyle's smile faded. "So Commander Brot won't say anything, he's the only person who knows the enemy stronghold," 

Hogsworth nodded, and the pair started to walk. "he's a loyalist alright, he thinks your way of ruling the nether is weak, and we should whip out everyone," 

Kyle blinked. "Everyone who stands in our way?" he asked. 

"no, just everyone," Hogsworth answered. 

"oh for fu....they just want to kill everyone, like what kind of plan is that?" Kyle's voice echoed with shock. "Come on I want to see him, get Infernius to scout out the northern soul lands," 

Hogsworth nodded, after a few minutes Kyle arrived at the cells walking in, and Brots was sitting on the floor staring up. "well would you look at that, the 'king' himself," the half-zombified pigman said spitting on the floor. 

"where is Zarkos?" Kyle asked. 

The commander laughed. "like I'd tell you," 

Kyle stared at him with a stony face. "listen to me, the nether will not go back to war with the overworld, and Zarkos will lose, his base won't stay hidden,"

"you think that will matter? when Lord Zarkos bring back the true king," 

Kyle froze at those words, he then moved forward and grabbed him roughly. "you listen to me, you will never see the outside again! You will never see anyone else ever again!"

Brots face turned in terror as Kyle slammed him into the war. "when you die, the nether will...." Kyle chucked him hard onto the floor, knocking him out. 

Across the nether within a hidden old fortress left over from aeons ago, the first war between the nether and the end, although records from that time are rare, it was recorded that the first nether empire and the end empire, it is unknown who won the war, but it is known that it lead to the collapse of the first nether empire and the disappearance of the end empire.

Now after years this old nether fort, half covered by a mountain with caves dug into it, was the main place where the Loyalists sourced their netherite, Lord Zarkos the Wither Necromancer and leader of the Loyalists sat in his office where it was dug into a cave and lined with obsidian, he stared at his goal.

Kaia, his remaining commander and leader of the air force walked into his office. "my lord, our air strength has granted us victory in the northern quartz zone," she reported. 

Zarkos nodded. "what of the lava sea?" he asked. 

Kaia thought for a moment. "our forces were....most of them did not return," 

"the fake king forces were waiting?" Zarkos asked. 

Kaia shook her head. "not exactly, there....there was a gaint lava snake that ummm 'destroyed' most of our troops in the area."

"maybe it is time we unveil our secret weapons," 

If Kaia still had eyebrows she'd raised one, Zarkos hadn't told her of any secret weapon. "what of the project?" she asked.

Zarkos held up the skull of the Naeus and studied it in his hand, it was chipped and a bit broken. "it has proven troublesome, whatever that Master did to the body, it is like he removed with the smallest trace of life,"

"How did you get the body?" Kaia asked. 

"that Master ship was not as protected against me as he would hope, the door lingered open a few seconds too long, and I was able to sneak aboard," Zarkos explained. 

"we will be able to defeat the false king without the true king?" Kaia asked. 

Zarkos flicked his hand and slammed Kaia into a wall without touching her. "once the people see that the False king's ideas of peace and cooperation will erode and destroy what the nether truly is, never doubt my rule again," 

he released Kaia and the aromancer fell to the floor, her bones feeling weak and brittle, she bowed. "I am sorry my lord," she muttered, before quickly retreating from the room, Zarkos returned to staring at the skull of the Naeus.

suddenly Kaia came rushing back in. "my lord!" she called back. "the patrol has come back with prisoners,"

Lord Zarkos tilted his head. "Prisoners?" he asked, he walked out from behind his desk. "show me," 

the two entered the old courtyard, the walls had held together well over the years, with a few cracks, but now hidden part by the mountain that subsumed it and by the blue wrap frost around them, the odd enderman would pop in but they would deal with them. 

Sitting in the centre of the courtyard, two enderkin were being held by two wither skeletons, if he still could Zarko would smile, the two enderkin would be quite the bag, Skylor and Sora, both looking worse for were, that would the odd reports of enderite wounds. 

"let them go," Zarko said. "we have a common enemy,"

"no we don't," Sora said. 

"oh, but we do, Kyle, Rain...Lance," Zarko added. "we could achieve great things,"