Fateful Meeting (Fractured Realms)

**Fateful Meeting** takes place slightly before **Abigail's and Ceris' Revivals**.

## An Old Enemy

Meraldius I, King of Villagerkind and undisputed master of nearly the entire Overworld, was scratching his head in amazement.

It was astonishing how much resistance the humans were able to put up. It almost made him respect them... It didn't matter now. They'd retreated to the Nether, the one realm that had managed to completely deflect the attacks from the Villager Kingdom thus far.

He was sitting at a table, his daughter, Princess Emera, heir presumptive to the Villager throne, sitting right beside him. The other seat was vacant - it used to be Diam's...

Sitting opposite him was the second-in-command of the Villager Kingdom, and the de-facto controller of the Villager Nobles: General Mondus.

Meraldius: "I do not see the Alliance as a major threat. Our current armies stationed there will easily take them out."

Mondus: "What nonsense! We must destroy all player factions until they become a threat! Who knows what may happen should the humans return while we're busy fighting a war against their Creator-blessed counterparts?"

Emera: "I agree with father. We already have a significant army engaging the Alliance. We shouldn't have to worry about losing that battle."

Meraldius: "The score I recommend settling is one that started a long time ago, shortly after the collapse of the Purple Banana Tribe."

Mondus: "The Resistance? They've done nothing to threaten us currently! We need to focus on the Alliance."

Meraldius: "Enough! I shall send our entire upgraded army to completely overwhelm the Resistance. The pieces are already in place..."

Meanwhile...

In the ruins of what was once the Great Desert Fortress, the Resistance was rebuilding. Just as Grave had said, they were rising from their ashes like the phoenix of legend.

The general Tommy walked up to Grave.

Tommy: "You know, Grave... I already knew a small amount about Greg's betrayal. I spotted him talking in a strange voice, back when we were at our old base."

Grave: "Then why didn't you tell us?"

Tommy: "I don't really know. I guess I was waiting for the opportunity - we were caught up in so much, searching for the White-Eyed Demon, you facing off against Steve, our engagement with the Alliance, building the new camp... I just never had the chance to tell you before now."

Grave: "Sometimes I wonder whether I could've prevented this... I should've been able to!"

Tommy: "Even I didn't know that Greg's true allegiance was with the White-Eyed Demon, or as we know him now... Herobrine."

Grave: "One day, one day I shall avenge Burrito and bring that demon to justice!"

Out of sight, in an underground chamber, a Villager Scout pulled out a banana-redstone phone.

Villager Scout: "My king, the Resistance has settled permanently in a desert. I know not where this desert is, but I know that they were recently attacked by forces from both the outside and inside."

The scout quickly turned off the phone and leapt out of his minecart prison, pulling out an enchanted diamond sword.

Villager Scout: "YOU WILL NEVER WIN!"

The scout quickly ran straight at Grave, only to be swiftly stabbed in the gut.

Villager Scout: "My sacrifice... is not..."

Before the scout could finish his sentence, he collapsed, dead. Grave quickly sheathed his sword.

Tommy: "'My sacrifice is not...' in vain? Does this villager mean to say that the Villager Kingdom may be coming for us?"

Grave: "We'll know soon enough."

## The March

Two armies. Two paths.

The Conqueror Osbren was sent to observe the assault on the Alliance base.

The Airship Commander Timothy was sent to support the assault on the Resistance base.

It was time. Time for vengeance.

Along the way, a single rogue player saw the march of the upgraded army.

Almost immediately, the message was broadcast in public chat.

<Jutpa> guys the villagers have big army and they're marching in a direction

<X\_Grave\_X> JUPTA RUNAWY NOW

<Jutpa> they haven't seen me tho

<X\_Grave\_X> UM DONT GO TO RESISTANCE BASE FOR A WHILE

<Jutpa> understandable have a nice day

<X\_Grave\_X> ALSO THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP

<Jutpa> not like i wanted to go there anyways lol

<Jutpa> your welcome

Back in the Great Desert Fortress, Grave immediately sounded the alarm. Many of their best fighters had deserted, assuming they could survive on their own. Now, the Resistance was woefully unprepared for war.

Grave: "All fighters to the inner camps immediately!"

Grave: "As you may have noticed in public chat, the Villager Kingdom has engaged an enormous and highly advanced military. We must prepare for war with a nation that is now far more advanced than we are."

All across the Resistance, players were being armed with diamond equipment and everyone was beginning training.

<Jutpa> okay i think the villagers learnt how to do powered flight

<Jutpa> so i was watching the villagers to see what they were doing

<Jutpa> and then i saw a giant freaking airship with tnt cannons and villagers with elytras

<Jutpa> so...

Thanks to Jutpa's continued guidance, the Resistance was able to prepare in advance for the inevitable conflict, and everything they would soon experience.

## Battle for the Desert

Timothy watched in pure joy as the Resistance camp came within site. A true fortress, with many villagers undoubtedly imprisoned inside.

Now, it was time to free them.

Timothy: "Glory... to the Villager Kingdom!"

Villagers wearing elytra, Timothy included, leapt off the airships armed with flaming crossbows, while the villagers remaining on the airships armed the TNT cannons.

As if on cue, the Resistance unleashed their own TNT cannons, launching TNT directly at the airships, almost as if they'd been ready the whole time.

TNT rained down on the upgraded knights and golems, unintentionally setting off a chain reaction as the TNT embedded within the golems exploded.

However, the elytra villagers were still around, raining fire on the players.

Tommy activated an orange firework, before jumping onto it and riding, sword unsheathed. As if on cue, several other skilled players did the same, flying up to meet the elytra villagers.

Most of these players were able to easily deflect the arrows with their swords, and Tommy met Timothy in a fierce duel. Tommy barely dodged several strikes from Timothy's own sword, before stabbing Timothy through the throat, killing the commander instantly.

After the short battle, a single Villager Knight was sent off deliberately by Grave to tell the Villager King that the Resistance was not going to fall so easily.

## Aftermath

A single Villager Knight ran into the castle, breathing heavily in a sheer panic that even weeks of travel could not quench.

Villager Knight: "The Resistance... they were ready for us the whole time... they destroyed our forces and killed our commander! We must destroy them at all costs!"