HermitCraft Oneshots and Hidden Powers

The Great Duel (Part Eight)

Phoenix versus Wither. A battle of the strongest powers to be found in the Nether. Grian could have never imagined what a duel to the power of the throne could look like. It was magnificent and horrifying all the same.

Tango had fully transformed into a flaming phoenix, his colors molding together in the blaze of fire. Flaming swords lay grasped in his talons as his wings held him aloft. The king had turned into a Wither, floating from some unseen force. He was a covered in black robes and had a silver mask covering his face. The black light was still in his cupped hands.

Both of them landed on the ground and a stare off ensued. No one could tell what the king was thinking, his face was covered. Tango shifted ever so slightly, making his wing feathers flutter a little.

"Attack!" One of the guards broke the tense silence and charged Grian. The other guards followed his lead and proceeded to fight the two intruders. 

However, the Netherite potion, and possibly their blood, made them stronger than ever. Grian was a raging dragon, still human, but with his wings and a sword as his weapon. Mumbo surprisingly had a bow and took to the air. Some of the guards followed suit and tried to follow him. Mumbo's arrows flew true and soon the guards decided not to rush him.

After twelve guards lay unmoving at Grian and Mumbo's feet, the Netherite guards decided to leave them alone.

While the guards attacked the intruders, Tango and the King had started their duel. Dark magic flew from the King's hands, while fire blazed from Tango's sword. Wither King shot a blast of lava poison at Tango, making him screech out in pain.

The sword was thrust into the old king, instantly killing him. The king was no more, but Tango was dying. Mortally wounded, he was going to leave the mission in jeopardy.

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The searing pain, the agony, the poison. The lava poison. Only pain filled Tango's mind as he fell to the floor after delivering the final blow. His transformation crumbled away, leaving his weak body. His wings were no longer flaming, and they drooped at his sides, making his condition even more evident.

Mumbo knelt by his side, his red eyes observing where the poison hit. A direct blow to the heart, it looked grim for Tango. He knew that he wouldn't be able to survive this, as he saw the bright red-orange of the poison making its way across the veins and arteries of his body.

"Oh no...." Grian whispered as Tango felt himself slipping away.

"The stone," He rasped, surprised at how quickly his voice had deteriorated. Rasing his hand took more effort than he had, so he settled for simply opening it and letting the stone float out. Even that motion almost made him black out, but he would hang on as long as possible. "Take it."

"I can't." Mumbo shook his head, Tango was not going to die on his watch. He put his palm on Tango's heart and closed his eyes.

"What..." Tango tried to speak, but he was slipping away.

"Shh." Mumbo kept his eyes closed and put his finger to his lips. From the spotted vision Tango had left, he saw a green glow appear around his heart. His brain started to throb less, and it took him a second to realize that the lava poison was no longer spreading. In fact, it was starting to retreat, even the old poison stuck in his system from before.

As it all got sucked away, Mumbo's eyebrows drew closer and closer together. In one final blast, the poison got sucked out of his body and into the air. It floated in a evil orb, encircled by green light before vanishing in a poof.

Mumbo fell backwards, his tail and wings crumpled beneath him.

"Mumbo!" Tango's energy came back to him as the pain faded and sat down beside Mumbo. "How did you do that?"