No Longer A Game - Sidemen FF

Chapter 18

Vikkstar123
I stuff the letters in an intersect between two large branches before I head off.

I go to my house first to find everyone waiting for me. I ride to spawn side by side with Lachlan.

"You know what I find strange?" I say to Lachlan. "Out of all the places to meet, Gudjon picked spawn. Before our deal, that would've been the easiest place on the server to scope out and set up snipers."

Lachlan nods, a hint of a smile on his face. "You're right. Maybe he's just stupid or cocky."

I shake my head. "He's waited too long for this to make a stupid move like that. We're missing something."

Lachlan tenses. "Do you think it's a trick?"

"No," I reply fairly certainly. "I don't think it'll affect this, but we missed something."

Lachlan nods, letting out a laugh. "This is one of the things I love about you. You're always fricking analyzing the situation like this."

...I love about you. Not hate. Love.

We slow down as we enter spawn and I unsheathe my sword, holding it at the ready. When we reach the centre of spawn, there is no Gudjon, or Simon, or JJ.

Instead there is a nether portal.

"Of course," I murmur. That genius.

I dismount Blackjack and tie him down. I run my fingers through his mane, knowing it will probably be the last time I see him.

"Bye Blackjack," I whisper as the horse nuzzles my shoulder.

I leave him and move over to the portal. "I'll go first," I say distantly.

"Good idea," Lachlan says, appearing next to me. "I'll go with you."

I sigh but a small, weak part of me feels relieved that I won't have to face Gudjondaniel alone. When Lachlan glances at me, I know he knows how I feel.

"Thank you," I murmur as we step into the portal together.

We stand for a second before my vision warps and tunnels. When I blink, I'm in the nether and I step out of the portal, sword in hand.

"You came."

I spin, gripping my sword to see a large circle, defined by its border of a lava moat. At the far end stands Gudjondaniel, his sword sheathed comfortably at his side and a gagged and bound Simon and JJ on their knees beside him.

Behind me I hear the others quietly file out of the nether portal.

"That was the deal," I say, sheathing my sword, and I'm surprised by how strong my voice sounds. Maybe I can pull this act off until I lose. "Release them."

Gudjondaniel nods and gestures me forward. I move forward calmly and confidently, though on the inside I'm anything but the two, and hold out a hand to stop Lachlan from following me.

I'm sure Gudjondaniel can behead me in one swift move as I kneel beside Simon and JJ, but he makes no move to attack. Keeping his end of the bargain. He instead backs up a few paces.

I'm relieved to see there are no bruises or injuries on either Simon or JJ. I pull out a knife and spin it in my hand before carefully cutting away Simon's gag, ignoring his flinch.

"You didn't trade yourself for us, did you?" Simon asks immediately.

I shake my head, deciding that there's no point in lying to him as by the time he can tell the others, the fight will be started. "May as well have. I'm fighting Gudjon."