Virus (A Minecraft Story)

Chapter 26

Dax's POV

I looked up at the ceiling, wondering what was going on. Andre had gone upstairs, to get his sword back from Lyta, and a loud, angry argument had followed. Then Andre had come back down again, sword strapped to his hip.

He wouldn't tell me what had been going on, but when he had walked past me, I thought I'd detected a small triumphant smile on his face. Now I was sitting on the table, legs swinging, waiting for them to come back.

There was the sound of several people descending a ladder, then Ana appeared at the top of the stairs, exasperation and worry in her eyes. "What's up?" I asked, getting to my feet. "Tash ran away." She said distractedly, hurrying past me and to the other side of the room and bending down to retrieve her armour.

"What?" I said, surprised. Lyta came down the stairs and gave me a troubled look. "She forced us to choose between her and Andre, telling us that Andre was evil."

"And?" I asked apprehensively. Lyta looked at me, regret and some defiance in her glare. "We chose Andre." Suddenly, my blood boiled, and all I could think of was me and Tash, sitting together and talking by the fire.

She barely knew me, but she'd already accepted me like I was an old friend. Yet her actual friends turned away from her. "You had no right." I growled, hands curling into fists. She put her hands on her hips, staring me down. "Excuse me?"

"You're her friends!" I shouted, hands bursting into flame. "You should've stood by her instead of giving her the cold shoulder." Lyta shrugged. "She was being paranoid about Andre. She kept telling us Andre was evil."

"Well, she has her rights, and maybe her reasons as well. You knew her for years, you should've trusted her." Lyta sighed, anger disappearing as fast as it had flared up. "Tash can be paranoid, Dax. We know, because we actually know her."

Ana straightened up, staff in one hand and a bag in the other as Amber came cautiously down the stairs, seeing if the fighting was over. "Which is why we're going after her. She'll be heading to Fallen Mountain, so we're going there as well, which we were already going to do."

She looked at me pointedly, and I lowered my head. "Sorry. But just look after her o.k? She saved my butt, so I'd like to return the favour." Lyta's cold expression softened, and she patted me on the shoulder. "We're close, Dax. We'll look out for her, and when she's stopped being an idiot, she'll look out for us."

She checked to see if her sword was there, then went looking for her new set of armour. Hercules walked in, Andre by his side. "Any of you seen Loca?" Ana asked hopefully. Andre shook his head. "Said he was going to go get some food while we wait it out here."

I shrugged. "Alright then. You guys ready?" Ana waved the bag at me. "Just got to pack some supplies." She ran outside, and Hercules turned to the other two. "There are horses waiting outside for you."

Lyta nodded. "Thanks. We'll be gone for maybe a week or two, if things go well." She'd already slipped on most of her armour, her helmet in her hand. She beckoned to me, and I stepped forwards cautiously. She slipped a round green-blue sphere into my hand.

I looked at her questioningly. "For communication." She said quietly, and showed me a sphere identical to mine. "When you say my name, I will be able to see and talk to you." Then she put her helmet on and stepped away. "Be safe." She told us, then strode out of the room.

Amber glanced at us, hands on her axes. "I don't really know any of you, so... yeah. Catch you later." She exited. I turned away from the other two. "I'll be on the top floor. Call out if you need me."

I jogged up the stairs, scaled the ladder and leant over the rail. I saw Ana tying a bag to a white-grey horse, before jumping on. An armoured figure that I guessed to be Lyta jumped on her horse, and Amber leapt gracefully onto her horse.