The White-Eyed Demon

Chapter 10: Rescue Mission

Alex and Steve were growing frantic, their worry increasing with every second. Sirenia had been gone for five days straight with no word from her. Steve and Alex ate dinner in silence on the sixth night since Sirenia disappeared. Steve could not bring himself to touch his food. "It's my fault Alex." Alex raised an eyebrow, glaring at Steve. "No it's not your fault! Stop blaming yourself for it! Neither of us could have predicted in a million years this would happen!" 

Steve shook his head, thinking hard about what would have made Sirenia just up and leave in the middle of the night. Finally it clicked, and he looked at Alex, fear and guilt in his eyes. "Alex, I think she must have heard us arguing! We were unsure about what to do with her to keep her safe remember?!" "Oh I remember alright." Alex said flatly, not wanting to think back on it. 

Steve spoke rather tentatively "Do you think HE has her?" Alex had an exasperated look on her face, she had been entertaining the thought in her mind over the last two days. "Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe she got lost, maybe the mobs got her, maybe she wanted to start a new life. Regardless, there's no sense in sitting here doing nothing about it. If she is being held by him, well lets just hope he has kept her alive this whole time." Steve stood up, determination burning in his eyes. "Then we must rescue her!" "ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE?!! THAT'S TOTAL SUICIDE!! ASSURED DEATH!!" Steve was annoyed at Alex's pessimistic attitude. "WELL YOU CAN STAY HERE IF YOU WANT! I'M GOING TO GO FIND HER AND BRING HER BACK!!" 

"Steve, you're such an idiot sometimes. . .You know I'm not letting you go alone. However we have no clue where she could possibly be! For all we know she's in the Nether!" Steve shakes his head. "No. I don't think HE would take a mortal to the Nether. He probably has some sort of secret base here in the Overworld. That's the only real way to explain all the recent strings of alleged sightings." Alex placed her finger to her face, contemplating what Steve said. "You have a fair point. But where do you think he would be? A cave perhaps?" Steve shook his head at that suggestion. "To damp. He probably lives in the middle of nowhere, possibly in the jungle. Thick foliage so nobody could come across it by accident. You'd have to know where you are going to find it sort of place." Alex looks at Steve, a slight grin on her face. "So. . .A mansion?" "YEAH! There are rumors about a mansion deep in the nearby Dark Oak and Mushroom forest which spans for miles in every direction! The foliage is so thick in there that mobs can spawn in the middle of the day, so nobody goes in there. Add to that the possibility of a demonic entity calling it home and you have yourself a perfect base!" Alex smiles widely. "That must be where he is holding her then!" Steve smiles back. "Let's hope so. We should leave here tomorrow at dawn. It will take us three days to get to the forest alone." 

"But. . .Where will we know to look for this mansion? You said so yourself that the forest is huge. It will be like trying to find a needle in a giant haystack." Steves smile disappears. "Yeah. . .You're right. Hold on though, I think there is an Illager outpost just a couple of miles away from the forest." Alex's jaw drops. "AR-ARE YOU INSANE?!!" Steve places his hands on his hips and puffs his chest out. "The craziest people come up with some of the best ideas!" Alex facepalms, trying hard to hide the smile on her face. "I don't think making ourselves become human pincushions sounds like the best idea."

Steve smiles even wider. "They don't kill merchants or traders. We still have a lot of redstone dust and iron ingots from mining and smelting. We can trade those for a map." Alex removes her hand from her face. "Do you honestly think it will work?" "Positive! They may be barbarians but they are motivated by the same things everyone else is. Wealth." Alex shrugs her shoulders, figuring it could not hurt to try the method as Steve had a very fair point. "Fine. But you better be damn right about your assumptions or I will haunt you as a ghost!" Steve laughs. "I am as sure as can be!" 

Alex nods her head, wanting to save Sirenia as quick as possible. "Let's start packing then. We'll need all the armor and weapons we have for this mission." Steve nods his head and they start preparing for their quest to save Sirenia.