My Last Hope (Truth Series 4)

32: Messages of Doom

 A/N: This was supposed to go up on Sunday... I didn't actually finish writing it until Tuesday. I think I may have to start only posting 1 chapter every weekend, I am falling behind in working on this because of school work. However, my last day of school is June 13th and I'll be graduating on June 18th. So once that is over I may be able to go back to two chapters every weekend.

Third Person POV

Notch paces back and forth across his thrown room. He is lost in thoughts, anticipating what Brine will do next. Because Notch knows Brine won't let his prisoners go without some form of retaliation. Whether that be an attack on those involved with the girls' rescue or an all out war, the Aetherian god does not know.

The large doors at the center of the front creeks open. Fearing the worst the god freezes in his tracks. His intense gaze and troubling thoughts both captured by the eerie sound. Two men stumble through the threshold clinging to each other for support. They collapse in a heap just inside the room.

"Gunnar!" Notch calls for his faithful servant and friend. His voices rings throughout his castle. The god scurries his way over to the two unconscious men. Upon seeing them clearly realization strikes the unsuspecting god. Chimney and Double lay at his feet. Chimney's back has a large slash through it. Blood soaks into the beaten man's already water soaked clothing. Double is covered in cuts and bruises. A wound on his shoulder bleeds profusely turning the white floors dark red. A were-lion arrives at Notch's side mere minutes after the god's shouting.

"Notch, what is going on?" The were-lion demands.

"Help me take them to the medical wing." The god and the were-lion carefully pick up one of the unconscious men each and carry them to another part of the castle. They arrive at a large room. Beds line the room on each of their sides. The beds are separated by a sheet hanging from the ceiling between them. All the beds appear to be empty. At the very end of the room is a red haired woman in a white doctor's coat rummaging through various chests. "Cana," Notch calls to her. The girl stands and spins to face them. Her expression is blank until she spots the injured men. Her lips form a tight line and her eyebrows furrowing, worry surfacing in her hazel eyes.

"Set them on any bed," she instructs the two mitch matched friends. Notch and Gunnar do as their told trusting that Cana knows what she is doing. "Thank you. Now if you wouldn't mind leaving so I can get to work."

"Of course," Notch follows her request exiting the room. Gunnar trails behind him.

"Also," Cana calls after them. "If you see Nori anywhere could you send him my way?"

"Of course."

Two days pass. Chimney Swift woke up yesterday. Notch questioned him on what happened but he either doesn't remember, doesn't know, or doesn't want to say.

Notch and Gunnar are currently discussing the matter. They stand in the front court yard of the castle. A light breeze brushes past them.

"What are we going to do about them?" Gunnar asks the god.

"What do ever do you mean?" The god's eyes hold a spritely spark. A slight smirk betrays his confused voice.

"Chimney Swift and Ryan Double."

"For now, we do nothing."

"Why? They show up at the door half dead! Chimney finally wakes up but he won't provide an adequate explanation! I don't like it!" Gunnar growls.

"We'll wait until the other one wakes up. Then we can get the full story."

"Fine." Gunnar agrees begrudgingly.

"Notch!" A familiar voice calls from the main gate. The two men turn to face the newcomers. They know two of them to be Ryan and Seto. The rest they are unsure about but they appear to be friends of the batman and the sorcerer.

"This is a surprise." The god smiles brightly with his eyes closed. "What brings you here, Seto?"

"I have reason to believe that Brine was behind a recent attack."

The god's eyes open exposing their dark and foreboding emotion. His once bright smile is replaced by a slight frown.

"Lord Notch!" A young boy with black hair and black furred cat ears pokes his head out from behind the door of the castle. His bright yellow eyes scan the group outside nervously.

"Yes, Nori." Notch turns to him patiently.

"Lady Cana asked me to tell you that the other man is awake."

"Thank you Nori." The boy nods curtly before darting back inside. "Follow me." Notch orders the rest of them. "We'll discuss this inside." Notch leads the group through the castle and to the medical wing. In the semi large room there are already four people. The young neko, Nori, traverses the room acquiring various things Cana requests. Chimney Swift sits on an empty bed so he is out of the way. Meanwhile Cana attends to Double who is now awake and sitting up in a hospital bed. "Cana." The god makes the newcomers presence at the entrance known.

"Lord Notch! Please come in." The female doctor greets. She steps away from Double and gives him a quick glance from head to toe. "You should be fine now." She tells him. "If anything else starts bothering you let me know."

"I will. Thank you." Double replies.

"Nori, come with me. We must get some more supplies." Nori nods and follows Cana out of the room.

Once the two are out of earshot the god speaks. "I believe you all have some explaining to do." No one speaks. Chimney and Double both stare at the floor. Notch sighs. Far too much has happened lately. He turns to the group he came into the room with, most of which have scattered around sitting on beds or the floor. "Seto, why don't you go first."

"I was attacked by a group of witches," the sorcerer starts. "They different than normal. They were stronger, more lethal. They knew hand-to-hand combat and two of them even had weapons. Given the unusual power of the witches and what Ryan has told me about some things that happened, I have reason to believe that Brine may have been behind the attack."

"Makes sense." Notch agrees. "Brine is likely upset about what happened. Although you weren't involved it makes sense that he would go after you. Especially because of your connection to Soro." The god turns to the two men that showed up on his doorstep three days ago. "And what about the two of you?"

"We were on a parkour map," Chimney speaks. "We were attacked. I didn't see who it was. They knocked me off the platform and into the water. By the time I got back up it was already over."

"They were skeletons." Double explains. "White skeletons with swords. I saw them attack Bodil and Sly. I tried to help them but one of the skeletons jumped me from behind. I don't know what happened to them. Chim." Double looks to said man. "Do you know where they are?" Chimney stares at the floor teeth chewing roughly on his lip. "Chim? Are they okay?" Still no reply. "I mean they have to be, right?" Double's voice shakes and his eyes are wild. "That's how parkour maps work, right?"

Chimney's teeth gnaw at his lips until the skin breaks. He lifts a hand to his face and wipes away the blood. He lowers his hand, eyes still glued to the floor, and finally, he speaks. "They're dead." There's a collective gasp and a few choked 'no's. "They didn't respawn. I don't know why. They didn't respawn." He repeats in wavering voice. "I don't know why. They just didn't respawn. When I got to them they were just lying there. I checked their pulse. They were dead but they weren't respawning. They should have respawned!" Chimney's voice breaks as he shouts his frustrations. "Why didn't they respawn!?"

"It's Herobrine," Double whispers.

"What?" Chimney croaks.

"They would have killed me too but, they left me barely alive instead. They left me with a message from Brine. He said," Double's voice cracks and he clears his throat roughly. "He said, 'Let's recreate the past. Only this time with a much better ending ending. This time I will win.'"