Veil of Shadows

Chapter 54. Mute Button

Shadow slowed to a walk as he neared the entrance, then pressed the button that opened the hidden door in the wall. Stepping through, he stared straight ahead as the stone wall behind him shuddered, then slid shut.

At the opposite end of the walkway stood Notch, sword held at his side.

Shadow raised the tip of his own sword ever so slightly, ready for any attack the King of Minecraftia might make. Notch began to walk toward him, and Shadow did the same, not willing to let Notch get any closer than necessary to the hidden entrance of the room.

"I'm surprised your guards didn't put up more of a fight." Shadow said, not taking his eyes off the King before him.

"Shadow, I let you escape. If I had wanted you dead, you would have been dead days ago." Notch replied.

"I can't say I'm surprised."

In the middle of his sentence, Shadow made a swipe for Notch's throat. Notch evaded it easily with a deft stroke and a step to the side, then a returning thrust, which Shadow was barely able to stop from breaking a rib.

Despite his reputation as lazy and greedy, King Notch was fast - and a powerful fighter. Shadow knew that already.

They exchanged a flurry of quick strikes, each attack met by a counterattack in a never-ending clash of ringing steel and blades. It was almost like a dance - a deadly dance in which a single mistake could end in someone being skewered.

"If it weren't for you," Notch said as they traded blows, "the Hero Squad would still be my loyal soldiers."

"If you thought for one moment that Wolf was a loyal soldier of yours, then you're even more dim than I was told."

"I was trying to win her trust. Then you came along and ruined everything."

"Revealing an untold truth ruins nothing of value. If anything, it would serve to strengthen. If it does ruin something, then clearly it was nothing worth following in the first place."

Notch gave him a mocking smile. "I never thought of you as much of a philosopher."

Shadow suddenly felt blood running down his arm and realized that Notch had managed to land a strike. The pain of the wound was lost on him - instead, it was anger that he had allowed his guard to slip.

Raising his sword, Shadow managed to stop a deadly downstroke that probably would have split his head open. They stood there, swords locked together, in a contest of strength.

Notch heaved down on his sword, but Shadow held fast, determined to keep his opponent at bay. After a few seconds of struggle, with a sudden burst of movement, Shadow flipped his sword, pushing Notch's blade off to the side.

With Notch vulnerable, Shadow took advantage of his current lack of defense - his sword flashed out, catching the King of Minecraftia hard in the chest.

Stumbling slightly, Notch covered the wound with his free hand, grimacing at the pain. Then, his hand glowed bright gold, and when he removed it, there was nothing except a scar. Shadow was unmoved, having known long before the fight began that it was a futile effort.

"You think you can beat me, Ender Prince?" Notch said quietly. "I am a King. I am the creator of Minecraft - I am a god, both in body and in spirit. A god cannot die."

"But they can bleed." Shadow whispered.

~

"Why in the world are you under the table?" Blaze exclaimed.

Wolf stuck her head out the side, where it was visible. "Because I can." She replied.

"Makes sense."

"Uh, Wolf?" Toxic said, a hint of nervousness in her voice. "I think you should get out from under the table...soon. Like within the next five seconds."

Wolf huffed. "Why should I?"

"Because I can't hold onto this brick much longer-" Toxic cut off in a girly scream as she fell from the ceiling and crashed onto the table, breaking it in half.

"Toxic...get off...please..." Wolf wheezed, pushing one half of the table off her face.

Quickly, Toxic jumped off of Wolf and collapsed on the floor to the side of the broken table. "Sorry. I warned you." Wolf spit out a splinter of wood and glared at her.

"Interesting method of getting down, Toxic. Not only was it effective, but it was also humorous." Ranger called over.

"Is this normal behavior for the Hero Squad?" Midnight asked Blaze, who sighed dramatically.

"Sadly, yes. But at least it provides entertainment."

"Sure, all of you go ahead and chat about the humor factor while I check if I have any broken bones." Wolf muttered, standing up.

"You're fine. Walk it off." Blaze said bluntly.

Wolf's eyes flashed. "Oh, I'm fine? Is that so?"

"Alright, break it up. We don't need anybody getting killed over a sarcastic remark right now." Pro said sharply, exasperation clear in her tone.

"She broke my table!" Wolf hissed, pointing at Toxic. "That's a little more than a sarcastic remark."

"ALL OF YOU SHUT IT!" Ranger suddenly shouted, eyes flickering red for a split second.

Everybody immediately went dead quiet.

"Well, would you look at that. You people have a mute button." Midnight whispered.

~

"Rebels are at the gates. Are we going to do anything?"

The unknown figure shook his head. "No. For now, it's Notch's problem. We'll deal with them only if it becomes necessary."

Wraith gave a tense nod, then stared at him for a good minute. "I want to know who you are. Take off your mask."

With an amused look, the unknown figure crossed his arms. "Since when are you the one who gives orders? If I remember correctly, I am your employer, and therefore I get to give the orders."

"Not anymore. I don't take orders from a man too scared to show his face. I'll only say it one more time. Take. Off. The. Mask."

The unknown figure smirked. "I was wondering when you'd get fed up with not knowing. Seems you've reached the limit of your patience. I can respect that. Though, that's not to say I'll grant your request, but-"

Wraith cut him off, stepping forward until there was a mere few inches between them. "It is not a request. It is an order, and if you don't take off the mask, I swear I'll kill you here and now."

"How ruthless you are, Wraith. It's easy to forget, with all the witty banter and noble acts, that you're a professional assassin. I suppose I could do as you ask. My identity was kept secret for a reason - one you will come to know." In a single movement, the unknown figure slipped the mask off, revealing his face.

"You asked me who I was. This is who I am: the Ender Lord, ruler of the End Dimension."