Star In The Shadows - A Zanemau Story (ON HOLD)

Eleven - Endermen

Aphmau wasn't sure what to do next. Zane was burning up, and she had managed to set up camp all by her lonesome, but she didn't know the way to Phoenix Drop.

Zane was delirious, mumbling some jibber-jabber every now and then, as he drifted from barely conscious to frenzied nightmare to lightly sleeping and back. It was too much for Aphmau to take.

As she slowly stirred the soup she was cooking, her mind drifted over to recent events.

Aphmau was walking-no, trudging through the underbrush behind Zane. He was pointing out different plants and birds and describing them to her.

"What's that one?" Aphmau asked as she pointed to a black-bellied, purple-crested bird with a silver beak and white tinged wingtips.

"A very good omen." Zane said laughing. "It's called Irene's Messenger, and legend says it appears in the shaky calm after the worst of the storm. Some even say it brings happiness and good times with it, that it comes to chase away the storm instead of following it."

"Oh. So what's that one?" Aphmau said, pointing towards a dark-colored, red-bellied bird with a golden-colored beak and orange plumage.

"That's a bird known as Shad's Apprentice. It often appears in the calm before the storm, just before bad times, and people believe it brings evil, but I think that it's a warning of the danger to come. Irene's Messenger and Shad's Apprentice are both extremely rare and elusive, so to see both in the same day is amazing." Zane explained.

As Aphmau and Zane watched, the Irene bird flew over to the Shad bird and hopped closer to it. At first the Shad bird shied away, but eventually it gave in and hopped over to the Irene bird. After a moment, the Irene bird nuzzled the Shad one.

"Awww... That's ADORABLE!" Aphmau said, almost fangirling.

As Aphmau and Zane stumbled on, Aphmau saw a funny looking plant. It was an unusual shade of green, almost a yellow-brown. It appeared to be shriveled up, but the symmetry of the folds was too precise.

"That one," Zane said as he followed Aphmau's gaze, "is an herb known for calming fever. Supposedly it's good for people who are burning up, and the berries concealed beneath the leaves have narcotic properties, which can help calm a person who's delirious or delusional."

Of course, that was the solution.

Aphmau remembered where she had seen the herb, and quickly set off.

As she was gathering some of the herb, it was eerily quiet. Not a zombie groan, a rattling bone, a creeper's hiss or a spider's mandible clicks could be heard.

Vwoop.

Aphmau hardly noticed the sound. After grabbing the herb, she began to make her way to the camp.

Vwoop.

"W-Who's there?" Aphmau asked the darkness.

VWOOP!

Suddenly, Aphmau was face-to-face with an enderman. She was staring straight into it's milky white eyes, admiring the glowing purple pupils with an interlude of violet indigo fusion woven into it. Aphmau braced herself for the attack she knew was coming.

Vwoop.

Vwoop.

Vwoop.

More endermen were appearing, all staring at Aphmau.

This is it. This is where I die.

Vwoooooooop.

+=+=+=+=+

Aphmau awoke back at camp. She glanced around and saw Zane. His fever had calmed, and he appeared to be in a deep slumber. Aphmau noticed that the herbs were gone. She also noticed the Irene's Messenger sitting in a tree staring at her. It's expression clearly said, Now why do you look so down? Cheer up!

Aphmau also noticed the Shad's Apprentice sitting next to the Irene bird, one wing over the purple bird like an arm around her shoulder.
Without warning, Irene's Messenger fluttered over to Aphmau and sat on her shoulder. Her eyes clearly said, It'll be okay, no need to worry.

Aphmau stared at the bird on her shoulder for a moment before realizing that the Shad's Apprentice was happily perched on Zane's chest, enjoying a light snooze on the slow rise and fall of Zane's chest. Aphmau giggled. It was just to cute. "Do you have a name?" She asked.

In reply, the black one flew to a patch of sunlight and gestured towards his shadow, as if to say, I have a name and it's Shadow. The lilac one chirped a sweet chirp and pecked Aphmau's earlobe like a small kiss, then lifted her crest and plume as if to say, I'm Perki!

"Perki and Shadow. Cute." Aphmau said.
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I'm not sure why I added Perki and Shadow as characters, or why I decided to ship them. Either way, Shadki is going to happen. I hope. Also, what do you think happened while Aphmau was unconscious? Why didn't the endermen kill Aphmau? Comment on your theories!

Baiiii!