The Realm of Alagir

Knowledge Is Power

After a long and drawn out conflict, the Anomaly was subdued and the gods met to decide her fate. Since she was immortal, they could not kill her because her quintessence would be revivable. Ianite suggested they banish her to the Void, using it's parasitic properties to keep her power in check and using the Bedrock to keep her out of the realms. The gods agreed and the Anomaly was banished. The races that followed her during the war were sealed in a prison realm, and her son and closest advisor, Herobrine, was outlawed throughout all realms.
-Excerpt from the sixth chapter of 'The Origins'

(Braxton's POV)

"Back up!" Hazel shouted to me as I tried to drag Sylvia to safety.

"Hurry! Whatever it is, it's coming though NOW!" She warned me. The sky around me crackled with electricity, and a massive wave of energy exploded from the portal, sending us flying.....

(Case's POV)

I struggled back to my feet just in time to see Braxton and Sylvia slam into the tower. As I rushed to them, a gravelly voice stopped me dead in my traps.

"You are to be my opponents?" Followed by chuckling. "No wonder she didn't want to waste her time killing you!" I turned and saw a massive figure, clad in bone armor, wielding a massive two-handed axe. and standing nearly 15 feet tall.

"I am general Hul-Tao, head of Lady Thalia's army, and your executioner." He began slowly advancing.

"Yarrr! This landlubber thin's 'e can best us? Let's get 'im Skipper!" The Mianitee captain, Manic, shouted, drawing his cutlass. Both pirates charged the monstrosity. I rushed over to Braxton and Sylvia and checked them.
Sylvia had a nasty gash on her head from when the Anomaly had thrown her down, but she seemed fine. Braxton was unconscious, but fine.

"Yaaaagggh!" Manic shouted as Hul-Tao punched him and sent him flying. I looked over and saw the Skipper and Hazel distracting him. Hul-Tao's cocky demeanor had disappeared, replaced by anger. I drew my rapier and rushed toward the general, who was turned around, trying to hit Hazel. Adrenaline pumped through my veins and I leapt onto his back. With a roar, I thrust my rapier into his back several times before leaping away as he spun to face me. His axe fell toward me. Before it hit me, Hazel dashed between me and the blade and parried it. I stepped forward and slashed the knee closest to me. I clumsily rolled out of the way as he tried to stomp me with a roar.
Skipper danced around the beast's legs, stabbing and shouting insults.

"YE BE DONE FER, YA LANDLUBBING BRUTE!" He shouted. Hul-Tao roared and swung his weapon at Skipper Erik.

"Die already!" His deep voice boomed. I leapt back into the fray.
Stab. Stab. Run. Dodge. Slash. The pattern continued, us striking whenever he was distracted, dodging when he wasn't. But we would have undoubtedly perished if Hazel hadn't been there. Whenever the axe was coming a bit too close for comfort, she was there, parrying with a cry of defiance. Eventually, he stumbled back to the edge of the mountaintop, severely wounded.

"You may best me, but you can not best Lady Thalia. She will rise and destroy your precious 'gods'. You will all bow to he-" lightning arced across the sky, and something flew past the general's face, landing in a small crater several meters from us.

"What was that?" Braxton asked, stumbling over to me.
I shrugged. Then turned back to our enemy, surprised to see Hul-Tao's body and head fall forward, separately.
Jacob stood, his sword still in front of him from beheading the warrior. A portal opened and the general's body began to get sucked in.

"Braxton! Find Vextronite!" Jacob shouted, rushing toward the portal.

"W-wait!" Braxton groggily yelled. "Where are you g-going?"
Jacob paused for a second.

"To get revenge." Then leapt into the Void portal......

A couple days later, Braxton walked into the tower. His face had more color in it and the haunted look in his eyes had mostly disappeared. He held a leather-bound book and thrust it toward me.

"Check this out." He said. I glanced down at the passage he was referring to.

'Thalia Ventris, (The Anomaly) although banished and insane, is our greatest resource and insight into the Void.'

"So that person that attacked us is this Anomaly chick?" I asked. He nodded.

"I think so."

"Hazel did say something to that effect." I conceded.

"If it is the Anomaly, then we've got some serious issues. She's..." He trailed off, the haunted look returning to his eyes.

"Alright, I get it. What did Jacob mean by 'find Vextronite'?" I asked. Braxton snapped out of his memory and leafed through the book.

"Vextronite. It's an old legend about a fourth god. He's the god of shadows, which are neither good nor evil. Generally, he leans toward chaos and evil, or so the legend goes." Braxton explained.

"As much as we need to waste our time pursuing fairy tales, I really don't think we should. We have a slight Anomaly problem to deal with." I responded sarcastically.
"According to this book, Vextronite helped bring down the Anomaly the first time around, in fact it says the gods might have failed without him." Braxton pressed.

"I-" I began. "Hmmm."

"We need his help." Braxton prodded again.

"Fine. Where do we find this mythical god?" I asked. Braxton smiled.

"My home turf, sorta." I looked questioningly at him. He replied, "Outside the Nether's bedrock protection......"