Kyth Enters the Nether

[youtube:https://youtube.com/watch?v=Tn0rixQE\_po]Story Script:

"Paw, that is the most ridiculous story I have ever heard. We all know of Prince Rydar’s Nether Invasion. It’s only the singular most important event in human history. But it was almost 400 years ago.”Jom’s face fell from amused to angry. “We’ve been walking this whole time and you’ve just been feeding me a line of zombie rotten flesh?”

Kyth raised an eyebrow, “There may be things in this world that Jom, in all of his 8 years doesn’t yet know of!”

The gentle ribbing seemed to have the desired effect of dampening Jom’s anger. “Well, how could you have been part of Prince Rydar’s Gambit, are you 400 years old?”

“425.”

“Explain!” demanded Jom.

“Yes, Master Jom.” Jom rolled his eyes but continued walking down the path.

Prince Rydar broke us up into many teams. One Zygon Dru would lead each team of soldiers. Our mission was simple in concept, though as it turned out, not so easily done. We formed near the Crater of Talatol. People, in those days, had started calling the area White Sands, from the decimation after the battle.

The prince formed a council to help him split the army into dozens and dozens of teams. Each would head off once we entered the Nether and establish a foothold. Our mission was to break all the Obsidian portals, destroying all the Obsidian in lava, effectively stranding the pigmen in hell.

After breaking each portal, each team would continue to the next portal site. Every block of Obsidian must be destroyed. If we left even 10 single blocks of Obsidian in the whole of the nether, they would be able to form a new portal and invade. We knew of 52 different portals before going in, but there could be dozens, unknown hundreds. Scouting parties would be sent in all directions, searching the red landscape for any sign there might be a portal.

The council was made up of 3 half-elves from Anduir's Rest, several of Port Breigh’s most highly decorated generals, and 7 of us from the Zygon Society. The prince took notice of me early on, I’m still not sure to this day if he was aware of me being heir to House Comely or not, as he never treated me differently in front of the others. Often, he would ask me to stay after the many, many meetings to discuss strategy.

It was in one of those meetings we decided on the failsafe. If we left a portal open for a return trip, the pigmen could one day find it. All the portals would have to be closed, and this would have to be a one-way trip. It was decided, once we crossed into the Nether, the first portal would be destroyed and we would break apart into teams.

We moved to the next phase, keeping this plan secret, known only to the Prince and myself as we moved to a small hamlet to the west as the final staging area. The men were training most of the day, using the rest of the day to gather supplies. We knew little of the Nether in those days, but what reports had come out of the hell dimension reported baron wasteland made up of netherrack. We would need to take all the wood, Iron, food, and supplies we would ever need.

Finally, after weeks of planning, training, and gathering supplies, it was time. Prince Rydar addressed the army.

“I’ll be frank with you all. We are going to lose. Many have suspected it, some believe it, but I, as well as leadership from Port Breigh, Castle Caraway, Anduir’s Rest, and the rest of our allies, know it to be fact. In a short number of years, if the war continues as it is, humanity will become extinct.”

The enormous crowd grew restless. I could see people glancing at each other. The prince had just confirmed the feeling in the pits of our stomachs.

“I believe this is our last best chance at victory.” Prince Rydar laid out our plan for the army. So much had been kept secret. If someone with detailed knowledge of the plan were to be taken captive, it would fall apart in a matter of minutes. The surprise was our only advantage. Now, with our departure imminent, he deemed it was time to make out plan known.

“I want to be completely honest with you all now. This will be a one-way trip. If we are successful, there will be no portal to return through and we will likely be hunted and killed by the stranded pigmen. If we fail, we, along with all we love in this world, will follow us into the afterlife.”

The prince looked out at the thousands of men under his command. “I will not order you to follow me into hellif you want to return to your families, now is that time. No one will look down upon you. If you stay, we will march into the nether and the stories of legend. Today is the day we will win.”

No sound but the wind, gently blowing across the plains of grass followed the Prince’s speech. There was no cheering, no stomping, nothing but the breeze. Those things are done in stories. These men, my friends, knew they were going to die.

The prince paused, waiting for anyone to break ranks, not one man did. He glanced at me, and with a small smile nodded for his men to light the nether portal. We began to move.

The prince was the first through, I followed him along with most of the war council. A few, including my friend Gibby, remained to make sure everyone made it through the portal.

This was one of the most perilous parts of the plan. If there was a pigmen outpost or patrol nearby, we could be discovered before even starting. Fortune smiled on us that day.

Immediately, the Brutes activated our iron glyphs and started digging. We would leave no trace of our nether entrance and operate from deep under the netherrack. Crate after crate of Iron, Diamond, food, Lapis , wood, and more came through the portal. It was an operation, unlike anything I had seen.

Unfortunately, cobblestone generators will not work in the end, so we had to begin smelting netherrack into brick immediately and start building. Our biggest fear was an assault by the pigmen before we split up and began the portal attacks.

With hundreds of builders working around the clock, our underground base grew quickly. We had sleeping quarters, dining halls, enormous gardens for food supplies, war chambers with training barracks, and much more in just a few weeks. It was an astounding work of craftsmanship.

We had one final meal together before it began.

————-

The Prince and I sat together, as we usually did, along with Gibby, Thom and a half-elf who had grown close to us named Gilda. She smiled at the Prince Rydar, “you know, my great-great-uncle is partially responsible for this mess?”

The prince raised an eyebrow.

Gilda laughed, “my great grandfather’s brother was Gamir.”

The Prince’s smile faded. Gamir had been the one survivor of theBattle of Talatol. He escaped and took the word of Man’s Betrayal to the Wood Elves. If that news had never escaped, the Elves and Dwarves likely would not have abandoned the world.

“You blame my uncle?” Gilda’s smile remained but eyes were watching the Prince's reaction closely.

“It was his duty.” Prince Rydar paused, “perhaps what we do tomorrow will set right an offense made many years ago.”

“Perhaps,” she said, taking a sip of wine.

The group watched the dining hall for a time before Gilda once again turned to the prince, “I follow you, and I believe in you, but I will be watching you as well.”

I interjected, “Prince Rydar has done nothing to cast doubt on his honor.”

“It’s in my blood, Kyth” the prince turned to look at me, kindness and, perhaps a touch of sadness on his face. “It was almost 200 years ago, before the House Donao and House Finnik marriage.”

“Prince Castion lead the Grand Army Of Man and failed to attack.”

“Everyone knows of Coward Castion at Talatol, Rydar,” I said, waving my hand.

“200 years is a long time. Time enough for people to forget. Time enough for a few iron ingots to change hands in the Order Of Man and…. Copyists could neglect to mention certain facts in their history books. You may be surprised at how few men control what history says by simply copying books.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Castion was his first name. He was placed in command by his father, King Finnik.”

“To Fathers and Sons and their sons after that.” Gilda raised her cup. We three took a sip of some of the Pink Wool Wine we brought through the portal. It was more bitter than it had been a few moments before.

I could only think of my unborn child. Either way, this mission went, I would never see my baby’s eyes.

Gilda fully turned to stare at Prince Rydar and me, “Place me on Ryder's team. I will see this mission done.”

With a small nod, it was done. All was said, we would leave in the morning.

People In the Story:

* Kytholique Comely

* Jom Comely

* Rydar Bahrkin Donao

* Gibby

* Thom Thawkins

* Gilda

Locations are shown in Cinematics:

* Thumbnail Helheim

* The Great Fir Forest

* Cordaria

* Harrison's Garrison

* Helheim

* Lacris

* Jo's Sheep Farm

* Kelael