The Shadow WIthin (Book 2)

Chapter 33: Family Ties

Fawn's POV

"So, where is this portal anyway?" I asked, clutching Angel's spines.

"Well, let's just say it's somewhere where the likes of you have never been." Magmar said, smirking.

"What do you mean?" Angel asked. "Anyone who's lived in the Nether probably's been around a couple times."

"Ever check under the lava lake?" Magmar said, chuckling as he saw the look on our faces. "What? I thought that all Nether beings could touch lava."

"Stop being sarcastic." I said, folding my arms over one another. " I know what you're trying to get at. There's nothing under that lava lake."

"There is." Magmar said, flicking a smudge of obsidian off  his claw. "It's just that you humans are too weak to survive the lava. Unlike me, of course."

"Why, you-" I started off, preparing to charge at Magmar, who regarded me calmly. Angel quickly stepped in front of me, blocking my path, and I had no choice but to step down.

"Hey Magmar, you might want to hurry up on this entrance." Angel said hastily. "Fawn can get a bit, impatient, and it's no fun whenever she's mad/annoyed."

"Hmph." Magmar snorted, and started to walk into the lava.

"Hey, wait, come back!" Fawn yelled, but Magmar already was submerged in the lava.

"Well, look at what you did." Angel said. "He really enjoys your presence."

"No need to rub it in my face." I muttered. "What are we going to do?"

"No need to worry." Magmar said, his voice somewhat muffled by the lava. 

A pathway was starting to open in the lava, and I walked down it cautiously. Angel followed me, looking around for anyone to watch the secret passageway to open. But there was no one. Magmar smirked as he watched the two of us warily walk down the steps, and he charged into the dark hallway the pathway led into.

Angel jumped as he heard the passageway closeup behind him, and we were plunged into complete darkness.

"I-I'm not scared of the dark." Angel stuttered. "It's just..worrisome."

As Angel was saying this, an ember flame lit up in the darkness, and then we noticed that the tip of Magmar's tail was lit up like a candle, only a lot fiercer. The flame was a bright orange, and we started to follow Magmar to wherever he was leading us.

"You sure this isn't an ambush?" Angel asked.

Now that I thought about, Magmar did seem a bit too nice. And perhaps this was a ploy in order to capture me again. Obviously, I didn't want to be captured again, as it was an already traumatizing experience inside Notch's lab. Plus, I was just about getting back to the way I was before Notch's....experiments.. I didn't want to lose my powers just when I was getting the hang of it.

"Hey Magmar, where are we heading?" I asked, my voice hardly above a whisper.

"Well, the Coven, of course." Magmar said, chuckling.

"Uh, you do know we have absolutely no idea who the Coven is, right?" Angel said.

"You'll see, you'll see." Magmar said, the tip of his tail flaming larger than before. "I'm surprised you haven't been to see the Coven before."

Angel's wings drooped in the slightest, and before Angel could say anything, I ran up to Magmar and told him the incident with his parents.

"You're parents were killed then." Magmar said thoughtfully. "Perhaps they were...no, I must be getting old."

"What?" Angel said, growling ever so slightly. "You think I'm a weakling, you think so?"

"Rest assured, that was not what I meant." Magmar said.  

"I'm willing to fight, here and now!" Angel said, his wings flaring up.  "You don't scare me."

"Ah, you're just like you're father." Magmar sighed. "I knew him as a lad."

"How do you know him?" Angel asked, his voice changing slightly.

"He was my brother." Magmar said, a flicker of a smile crossing his face.

"Ok, this is nice." I said, pushing between the two. "But are we ever going to reach this meeting place you were speaking of?"

"I know Fawn." Magmar said. Then his eyes narrowed. "How do I know it's you?"

"Huh?" I said, confused. "Of course I'm the real Fawn. Just ask Angel."

"That's not enough proof." Magmar said. "We have to do a stronger, more valid test."

"What do you have in mind?" Angel asked. 

"A blood test." Magmar said, lunging toward me.

I tried running, but any attempt I made was done in vain. When facing off a 30-foot long dragon, that could easily incinerate you with gusts of flame that are heated to up to 1,000 degrees, it's somewhat hard to run.

"Don't hurt her!" Angel said, his voice on the verge of shouting. "Herobrine will end us both!"

If Magmar was listening, he showed no signs of it. Inch by inch, his claws pried my hand out of it's fist. With a claw poised right above the palm of my hand, he cut my hand in an X, and let my hand go.

My hand felt like it was on fire. It felt like gasoline was running through my veins, and being ignited by this new fire that Magmar had just inserted.

"Well, would you look at that." Magmar said quietly, and I looked toward my palm.

The traces of blood that were on my hand before had vanished, and the X-like incision that Magmar had made was now glowing a bright gold, illuminating the corridor. 

I snorted. "What? I already knew I was Herobrine's daughter."

"No, the gold means something else." Magmar said quietly.

"The golden one would vanquish the false god." Angel whisper hoarsely. "It's the prophecy."

 Magmar smirked. "We'll see what the Council will think of this." he said.

"Now, how about heading into the secret gathering place you were speaking of?" I asked, challenging Magmar. "Or were you just kidding and trying to lure us here the whole time?"

"Heh, this wasn't ever a ploy." Magmar said, his claw clicking quietly on a button hidden on the wall. "It was to open your eyes, to the world  beyond."

~~~~

Thanks for being patient with me! Three more chapters max, and unto the third book we go.

Btw: The Third Book is going to be called, 'The Final Chapter'.

-alma115