Way of the Sword (MCSM story)

1. The Offer

A week later...

"So, this amulet has been modified," said Ivor as he examined the circular artifact. "Its gems are now bound to you four and that blond guy, so it can track your proximity to it."

Ivor, the bizarre enchanter, was once a member of the previous Order of the Stone.  Despite having unleashed the Wither Storm on the world in a vain attempt to expose the lies of his former teammates, he helped Jesse and his friends destroy the Wither Storm by offering arms and armor for their fight.  Now, he stayed to further atone for his wrongs by helping the new Order by being their mentor and benefactor.

Ivor and the new Order (sans Lukas) were inside the newly-constructed quartz hall, within the town they helped build for the some of the survivors of Wither Storm's rampage. This building would become the Order Hall, the residence and headquarters of the new Order of the Stone. 

He turned to face Jesse, Petra, Axel, and Olivia, holding out the Order's Amulet to show them. Lukas had left earlier, with the intention of following the trail of destruction left by the Wither Storm and helping some of the people whose homes and towns were unfortunate enough to be in the the Wither's path.

The bearded potion master placed the Order's Amulet atop the central pedestal on the raised platform at the end of the hall. 

"As the new Order of the Stone, this amulet will be able to track your positions, so you always know where to find each other," said Ivor. "Let it be a reminder of the bond that you five share."

The red gem was now tied to Olivia, the green one connected with Axel, the turquoise one to Petra, and the lapis-blue gem in the center to Jesse. The white gem, bound to Lukas, wasn't as bright because Lukas was elsewhere.

The gems of the Order's Amulet, now in everyone's view, gleamed brightly in the proximity of the new heroes.  It wasn't enough to blind the occupants of the hall or even brighten the room, but one could still say it shone like the stars.

"Whoa," gasped Olivia. 

"That's so cool," said Axel.

"Thank you, Ivor," said Jesse.

Ivor hesitated. Jesse could tell that there was something else the enchanter wanted to share.

"Is there... something else?" asked Jesse.

"Yes," replied Ivor. "Not too long ago, Gabriel and I met someone who said he wanted to see you. He wore some unusual armor of a design unknown to me, but it seemed that he and Gabriel had known each other for a time."

Jesse frowned and looked back at his friends. "Maybe we should talk to him, see what's up."

Ivor shook his head. "No. He specifically requested to see you, Jesse.  And Petra."

Petra frowned, confused. "Me too?"

Ivor nodded. "Yes. Something about swordplay or whatnot.  He said that he can teach you the advanced ways of sword-fighting, even more advanced than Gabriel was capable of."

Jesse and Petra frowned at this, both seeming to think the same thing.  A random guy just offers to train us?

Ivor shrugged, seeming just as confused.  "All he said was for me to tell you to meet him down in the woods this afternoon, with your armor and weapons.  Now that the Wither Storm has been dealt with, we need to utilize this time to not just help and rebuild, but prepare ourselves for the future.  As the Order's best fighters, you two need to be combat-ready should something happen."

"Doesn't that sound fishy?" asked Jesse.

Petra shrugged.  "I don't know.  If we can bring our weapons, we'll be able to take care of him if something happens, right?"

"But if Gabriel knows and trusts him, I'm sure everything is legit," said Axel, adding uncertainly, "Right... Ivor?" 

"First thing's first, you will need your own armor, Petra," said Ivor, ignoring Axel's question and noting Petra's lack of armor.  "And if I'm not mistaken, Jesse saved one of my enchanted armor sets for you."

Petra looked at Jesse, perplexed.  Jesse presented to her a blue set of armor with gold linings.

"Forged and enchanted from my Far Lands armory," said Ivor proudly.  "Regal and sturdy."

"Whoa," said Petra, eyeing the armor set's details with awe.

A minute later, Petra was finally suited up in her armor, which also came with a blue helmet with a gold crown.  Set in her chestplate was a diamond gem.  To finish her look, she drew from her back a golden sword, one she began enchanting not too long ago.

"That looks awesome," said Jesse. "But why the gold sword?  Didn't you say it was 'too soft, too heavy.'"

"Yeah? I thought the gold sword I..." Petra hesitated, casting a quick glance at Ivor. "...gave you that one time lasted for a long while."

"Hey, I was just lucky... I used it so much, I thought it would break a lot sooner than it did when we trekked to the Far Lands," responded Jesse.

"And you did say gold swords were 'super flashy,'" added Petra.

Jesse shrugged. "Fair point there."

"And Jesse, take this," said Ivor, handing him a diamond sword. The special enchanted sword Jesse had used to destroy the Command Block was locked away for good measures. "You'll need your own weapon, since this accomplice of Gabriel's wants you to bring weapons."

"Thanks," replied Jesse. "Let's figure out what this guy is up to.  Are you coming, Ivor?"

"I wish I could, but I need to stay here and help Axel and Olivia expand this town," Ivor answered.  "They need as much help as possible.  Ellegaard's headed back to help her engineers restore Redstonia, and Soren is still missing."

"Hate to say it, but I think Ivor's right," said Olivia.  "The Wither Storm leveled entire towns while it followed us around.  More and more people will be coming here in search of a new home, and we need to be able to provide."

Jesse knew there was truth in Ivor's and Olivia's words.  Thousands of people who survived the rampage of the monstrous Wither Storm were left without homes or fertile land... this new town would be one of many permanent refuges for them.  Lukas had already gone elsewhere to help some towns rebuild, or guide people to a new place to live.  Axel, Olivia, and Ivor had to stay and prepare the Order's new town for more residents.

"I can, however, get Gabriel to accompany you part of the way and confirm both the requested meeting location and the legitimacy of his accomplice for you," Ivor continued.  "But there have been growing rumors of mercenaries and bandits who might surface to take advantage of our weakness in the wake of the chaos from the Wither Storm."

"And whose fault was that, Ivor?" Petra hissed, before Jesse could stop her.

"You don't need to remind me," Ivor responded in a rather dark tone, glaring right back at the former scavenger with crossed arms.  "While I'm sure this region is safe, we cannot take any chances, so Gabriel needs to return and help us keep this town protected.  You're on your own after that." 

"Okay," Jesse said with a nod, hoping to break the tension.  "What does this... unusual warrior look like again?"

"He doesn't reveal his face to anyone--not even Gabriel knows what he looks like," replied Ivor.  "But when Gabriel and I saw him, he wore some kind of pale blue-colored armor with a helmet that covered his face.  I have a feeling that he may remain in that appearance while waiting for you." 

"All right then.  Come on, Petra, let's head out," Jesse said to Petra, who responded with a nod, and the two proceeded toward the hall's exit. 

"Stay safe, you two," said Olivia.  She, along with Axel and Ivor, watched Jesse and Petra leave.

"How long will they be gone?" asked Axel.

"If we're lucky, months," replied Ivor. "Maybe a year, if this warrior Gabriel knew is who he claims to be."