Darkness Beyond Darkness [A MCSM Fanfiction]

Chapter 8

   That was... Fast.
  
    - Oh, there it is!
   Olivia pushed a few branches aside and forced her eyes to focus on the spot where Axel was pointing.
   Indeed, there was a small village about a hundred yards away. The only light came from a blacksmith in the center, all the other inhabitants were already asleep.
   Axel leaned towards Olivia and whispered happily:
   - See? Told ya there is a village!
   - Told ya there WAS, Axel! You do need to read some books!
   He shrugged.
   - Never seen a book about TNT.
   She sighed in false desperation, but a wide grin revealed her snow white teeth.
   - Probably because someone blew them up, don't you think?
   Axel made some weird gurgling noises in an attempt to suppress his laughter.
   - Sounds about right - said he as soon as he could take a breath - But anyways, won the bet, didn't I?
   Olivia rolled her eyes. She had suggested that they spent the night in the Old Order's Temple, since there were no hostile mobs and one could easily set a camp there. Axel, on the other hand, had refused and had insisted that they went a bit further north instead. He had heard that there was a village there.
   - And why in the world would you want to go to a village? - she had asked.
   - Because there I can have some free cake! - was the response she had gotten.
   She was been pretty skeptical when she agreed to try and find the village, but now had to admit: Axel had been right. Or... Won the bet.
   - Let's go! I don't want a zombie to find us!
   She feared zombies more than she would ever admit... Even to herself. When Axel, Lukas, Jesse, and especially Petra were around, she had no problem with disemboweling a number of them with her contraptions. But when it came to fighting them alone, or even with Axel by her side, she felt helpless.
   He shickered and patted her shoulder.
   - C'mon, Liv. We'll be there in no time.

***

   After a few minutes of sneaking through the plain and fighting a zombie, the duo finally reached the village.
   The streets were empty, except for a stray wolf that immediately ran towards them and started fawning at Axel's feet.
   He gave it a bone and it squeaked cheerfully, then proceeded to bite it.
   Soon, they were standing at the door of the blacksmith. Axel knocked lightly.
   Immediately the door swung open and a villager stepped out of the house, humming something. He glanced at them and hummed something, that could be taken as a question.
   Knowing villagers understood human language, Olivia asked:
   - Is there a place where we can sleep for the night? We're horribly tired.
   The villager nodded and motioned them to follow him.
   He led them to the back of the house, where there was a smaller building with two beds inside. Its walls and flat roof were made out of planks. There was a window on each wall, but no doors. The only way in was through a trapdoor in the ground, that led to another one on the floor inside. For security purposes, maybe.
   Not a palace, but it sure was cosy.
   Axel pulled out an emerald from his inventory and gave it to the villager, grinning from ear to ear.
   Overjoyed, the villager started bouncing up and down.
   Olivia enjoyed the heartwarming view, until...
   - LOOK OUT! - both she and Axel called out in unison.
   Too late. A slim black hand with long claws gripped the villager's throat.
   His eyes filled up with horror and moved to the duo, begging for salvation, or at least some help.
   They tried to get to him, but invisible weight had pinned them to where they were standing. They could not move.
   The desperate cries of the villager tore their hearts, but there was nothing they could do. He was lost.
   Whatever had grabbed the villager dragged him out of the illuminated area and filled the air with the agonizing shrieks of its victim and the sound of clothing and flesh being torn off from the body.
   The monster finished its feast and glared at Axel and Olivia with its crimson glowing eyes.
   It didn't attack. It just stood there in the darkness, its eyes seemingly floating in the air. A few seconds passed like a whole eternity. An eternity of waiting and tense uncertainty.
   As soon as she could feel her muscles being able to move, Olivia threw a torch at the monster. Not to hurt it, but to get a better view of what they were facing.
   To her surprise, the torch went out almost immediately. The little light it gave off, only revealed a vague shape. A ghostly figure that looked like none of the monsters that roamed the world.
   It seemed to be whiteish in color, except for the face and the hands.
   Unknowingly why, its frame hinted towards a human... Unless it really was one.
   Olivia couldn't count on that. She aimed her bow at its face and shot.
   There was no sound of the arrow piercing skin and flesh, nor painful screams. Nothing. The eyes just kept glaring, as if nothing had happened.
   Olivia winced. She had either missed or that thing actually was a ghost. She didn't like the second idea...
   The arrow landed at her feet, as if the creature had thrown it back to her.
   Had it... Caught the arrow mid-flight?
   A growling, raspy voice, that could only belong to the red eyed creature, muttered:
   - Pathetic.
   They were both stunned. It could talk? Obviously. Hopefully, it could negotiate as well.
   - Come out!
   - No.
   They exchanged a look, full of desperation and horror. Then turned back to the eyes.
   - Who are you?
   A sinister laughter made them shiver.
   - If I wanted you two to know who I am, I would have not refused not to stay in the shadows.
   - Are you going to kill us?
   - No.
   Phew, at least that was good news.
   - Then why did you murder that villager?
   There was no response for a few seconds, then the voice replied:
   - Give me a definition of a hero.
   - Wait, what...
   - You heard me well.
   - But...
   - Give me a definition of a hero - the voice demanded curtly.
   Olivia sighed.
   - A hero is someone who does not care about himself, but sacrifices, sometimes everything, even his own life, for the greater good. Why...
   - Would a hero care about his emotions?
   - Um... No?
   What did this stranger mean?
   - How about the people's feelings? Should he care about them?
   - Well, yeah...
   - Wrong.
   Olivia was totally puzzled.
   - Why?
   - Give me a definition of The Greater Good.
   - The Greater Good is.... What is best for the people... The... Thing that everyone will benefit from.
   - Does this involve feelings?
   - Um... I don't...
   - What one needs and what one wishes for... Are two completely different aspects of life, sometimes even the very opposite, do you not agree?
   - Well, I agree, but... What do you mean with this? I don't get it... Like... At all.
   - What I mean is that a true Hero will not give the world what it wants. A true Hero is not the one who saves the world. The true Hero has realized that the world does not need salvation. For all people share one need... Of utter devastation.

   The eyes disappeared. Leaving them terrified... And the village burning.
   Axel put himself together first. He grabbed Olivia's hand and yelled:
   - C'mon, Liv! We gotta get out of here!
   They wasted no more time and set off to Beacontown.

   I promised no fluff and I'm keeping my promise... Right?
   I'll have to work on the way I write speeches... Because they suck, obviously.
   If anyone wants to have an OC featured in this story, I think I will be able to do it.
  
   Word Count: 1300
  
   Cheers ;)