Virus (A Minecraft Story)

Chapter 22

Tash's POV

"So how do you know about this Dark Soul group?" Lyta asked, interested. I rubbed my neck, embarrassed. "It's a long story." Ana leant forwards. "We have time." After she'd woken up, she seemed more alive, more relaxed. We'd quickly filled her in on our Realmer-mob companion and the psycho upstairs.

She took it surprisingly well - she only wanted to kill him once. Then she went back to eating her salad. Dax had gone up to keep an eye on Hercules, while Amber had gone out to collect some wood for the dying fire. I blew out my breath in one go. "Well, you see, I'm a nerd for myths and legends. I'm also really interested in history.

I was hiding in the library one day, and I came across a story about this cult called the Dark Soul. Read the whole thing in an hour. They are some seriously messed up people." They stared at me in silence. I fidgeted uncomfortably. "What?" Lyta shook her head in amazement. "I'm pretty sure we all expected ne or Ana to be the book nerd, not Tash the crazy fighter."

I pretended to look insulted. "Well, why not?" Lyta just shrugged. "So, Nerdette, where did they live?" Loca enquired with a smirk. I threw my fish at him, and it hit him in the face with a wet smack. "They live in a place called Fallen Mountain, on the very top. Or where the top used to be, more like it."

Loca wiped fish off his face with an ick sound. "And what does that mean?" "It means they levelled the top of the mountain completely. They blew it up so they could build their castle there." Loca shrugged. "So? They used some TNt to clear some land. Big deal."

I shook my head. "That's not what they do. They have many ways to sacrifice victims in honour of Sura - some very creative ways, too." Lyta looked apprehensive. "Like...?" I swallowed. "Umm... ripping their victims limb from limb. Flaying them alive. Soilling their blood until they were on the verge of death. Etcetera.

"But that's not the worst one. They created a super-powerful type of TNT - they harnessed the power of lightning during a massive thunderstorm, merged it with gunpowder and created Charged TNT." I hesitated. Ana leant forward, intrigued. "Go on." I sighed. "They use some kind of drug they created, using a mix of flowers and spider eye.

"It numbs the victim for a few hours, and they cut their stomach open and insert a small package in them, before sewing them up with toughened spider webs. Then they send them to a certain spot and pay homage to their 'god'." I looked down at the ground. "Sura was all about blood sacrifice, so this one must've pleased him the most. They would kick the person in the stomach, starting up the bomb, and run away."

I looked at their horrified expressions. "They resulting explosions were horrific. I think you know what would happen." Lyta and Ana looked like they were going to be sick. Then Loca was sick, all over the floor. Roran grimaced. "Yes, they are a savage race. And they have indeed moved back to Fallen Mountain, to raise their God's monster." I rubbed my arm.

"Which is why we need to go after them." They stared at me like I was insane. "Are you kidding me?" Lyta said eventually. "You want us to go after a cult of psychopathic fanatics, take them out and make sure they don't ressurect the Wither, the King of the Nether himself?" I shook my head. "He isn't the King. Or he wasn't, then the real King became King of Darkness."

Lyta gave an exasperated sigh. "Tash, He's just a myth. He isn't real." I was unmoved. "Then how come you believe in the Wither, but you've never seen him?" She made an impatient gesture.

"There are expeditions, stories and solid fact that has confirmed  that the Wither exists. All that has been said for Him are vague eye-witness accounts, a couple of hazy sketches and about a million rumours! He is a legend, admittedly a very entertaining one, but He is just that. A legend."