The Shadow WIthin (Book 2)

Chapter 26: Found

Fawn's POV

I decided to name my horse Chesnut. Honestly, he just looked like a chestnut to me. With a white streak down to his nose, and some white socks, his coat shone with a brilliant chestnut sheen.

While Steve and I got onto our horses within a couple seconds, David seemed to be having a bit more trouble getting onto his feisty mare. Every Time David managed to climb onto the horse, he had to cling onto the saddle in order to stay on the bucking horse.

"H-h-h-h-h-e-e-e-e-e--l-l-l-l-l-p-p-p!" David stuttered, his jaws colliding with each other more than once.

"Easy girl, calm down." Steve said, wrestling David off the rambunctious filly. "You can take Fawn's horse, right?"

"Sure." I mumbled, saddling off the horse and hobbling toward the filly.

As I walked over to the horse, I saw that the horse wasn't acting up for no apparent reason. In fact, it seemed to be flicking it's ear agitatedly. It didn't seem to be happy at all, not a bit. I hesitantly moved my hand toward her ear, but she snapped at it, and I jerked it back quickly.

"Hey Steve, can you come over here?" I said. "I don't think something is right here."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked, walking toward us.

I pointed at the ear. "Has she always been like this?" I asked.

Steve scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Actually, she started to act like this a couple weeks ago, but I just thought it might be fleas or something. Last night, she was shrieking, but I don't know, do horses get nightmares or something?"

"Can you try and calm her while I just take a look?" I said. "I'm just hoping this isn't confirming my fears."

Steve nodded and brought an apple up to the horse's nose. She immediately nickered, and started to bite the apple, bit by bit. Meanwhile, I edged closer toward the ear, and that's when I started to hear a buzzing.

This wasn't your average mosquito buzzing though, it sounded more.......mechanical. That's also when I started to see that the ear was also a bit more illuminated, though it was hard to see in the bright sunshine.

I looked inside, and immediately saw what was irritating the filly. A small tag was imprinted inside her ear, and even though the common eye couldn't see, I could see the words 'Notch', written in bold on top.

"We got to get moving. " I said stiffly. "Now."

"What do you mean?" Steve asked, tossing the remaining core of the apple to the horse.

"For Notch's sake, didn't you notice the tracker thing inside the horse's ear.." I muttered.

"Amber." Steve said softly.

"Huh, " I asked, my voice flaring. "Are you teasing me?"

"No, no, just chillax.." Steve said, gesturing to the horse. "Her name is Amber."

"Ok then.." I replied. "Can you just take a look at this?"

"Sure." Steve said and he peered into Amber's ear. His eyes narrowed. "That's a tracker if I've ever seen one."

"We gotta go." David replied, unsaddling from his horse and walking into the stable. "Notch's riders are coming; I saw them."

"Well, you could've said that before!" I shouted, and I ran head on toward Chesnut. "Come on already; we got to go!"

"On it!" David said, and he leaped onto Chestnut. Steve waved at us from his horse, and I flicked the reins and the horses started to gallop.

~~~~

"We got company!" Steve yelled as we were nearing the portal. I ducked an arrow shot by a rider.

There were three of them, each holding enchanted weapons. They all wore dark cloaks and I could tell, that although they were more powerful than us, they were a bit hesitant to approach us. After all, two creeper hybrids, and the world's greatest adventurer wasn't going down without a fight.

"You scared?" I shouted into the wind, and was answered by flaming arrows. Serphentise flew from my side and blocked the arrows easily, and then retreated under my hoodie.

"What do we do now?" Serphentise asked.

"If we can just get through the portal, we should be good." I whispered under my breath. "Can you cover for us?"

"Sure." the sword mumbled, and it darted toward the approaching enemy.

As we got closer and closer to the portal, Chestnut randomly bucked and we were thrown into the ground. Steve jumped heroically toward the ground and started to rush toward the enemy. I brushed the dust off my hoodie and started to sashay toward the crowd.

"Well, well, well, what. do. we. have. HERE." I said, smirking. Twirling a strand of loose hair around my finger, Serphentise landing in my hand with a purple aura around her. "You think that you could fight me?"

"Uh-h-h-h..." one rider started to stutter, then started to run. "I'm outta here!"

"Same here!" another shouted, throwing down his sword.

"Cowards, come back!" the remaining one said. He stared daggers at me, and I could tell that if he had the numbers, he would fight me head on. He was smart, and I swear, I thought  I'd seen him before. His face looked skeletal, and he seemed to be glowing................ blue?

"Who are you?" I said quietly, approaching him cautiously. 

"You're going have a bad time." he muttered quietly before anyone else could hear him. Before I could say anything, he disappeared in a puff a smoke, and in his wake was a note, attached to a bone.

Just because you think you can fight the king, doesn't mean that you'll be making it out alive. I'm always watching you, don't forget that. The skeleton is coming, and he's not happy.

-a friend.

I watch as the note started to turn brighter and brighter, until it exploded into flaming sparks. I watched silently as they fell to the ground, making small pyres. As each one fizzled out, I felt a little nervous. More like a lot. That guy didn't seem to be one I knew, but it's just like he reminded me like someone. Like the myths of Herobrine, his characteristics.

"What was that about?" David asked, watching the last of the fires burn out. "He didn't seem to like you."

"I-I really don't know." I said, groaning in frustration. "I swear, I've seen him before, just don't know where!"

"He seemed.....otherworldly." Steve agreed, sheathing his sword. "Though, I think it'll be best if we get through the portal; don't want to see him again, at least, not until you've got your powers back. He really packs a punch. His hands are like, bone."

"Well, I'm going with Steve." I replied. "Honestly, it'd be nice to have my powers back, and actually be able to abandon a fight every once in a while. I'm sure Serphentise gets tired, right?"

"Well, sure." Serphentise huffed. "It seems more like you're the one getting tired, a lot more."

"Ok guys, let's just get through the portal, and be done with it." David said uneasily. "I mean, sure Notch isn't gonna be too happy that his goons didn't catch you."

"Well, I'm going in!" Steve proclaimed, heading into the portal headstrong. After Steve went in, David shot a glance at me, a worried one, and stepped cautiously into the portal. 

"Well, guess we'll be going in." I said. "Sure going to miss this place though."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll be back soon. " Serphentise said. "We're not here to get sentimental. Now come on, let's just go in already."

"FIne, fine, don't need to get so annoyed." I muttered. "In we go!"

Note: That skeleton dude, may be a spoiler to a future series. Not going to say anything more, but also, thanks for all the support on my first book! Gonna shout out some people who impacted this book in the next chapter.

See ya later Creepers!

-TheCreeperQueen