Kyth Takes out of the Last Nether Portal

[youtube:https://youtube.com/watch?v=nwZhQFybisI]Story Script:

I went quickly to work, breaking the Nether portal before running. Using just a small fraction of Thom’s redstone charge and a full gold rune I applied before setting out, I could move like lightning.

I heard the sounds of battle long before I saw it. Leaping over a small lava pond, I climbed up on a cliff. A full war was raging at the final portal. This was the main portal inside the pigmen’s capital city.

I ran through the rear of the army of men, searching for Prince Rydar. I finally found him, fighting alongside the half-elf, Gilda. He smiled when he saw me, I pulled him back, “we need to the council.”

The Prince, Gilda, and one commander from Port Breigh’s Army Sergeant Ward were the only remaining members of the council.

“What is happening here? This attack wasn’t scheduled for hours yet?” I asked ]Rydar.

“We were spotted, they sounded the alarm and forced our hand.”

“It doesn’t look as if we are making progress,” I said, scanning along the battle lines.

“We have maybe one hundred, one hundred twenty men left. No Drus, until you came along.” The gruff sergeant spit.

Rydar turned to me, “They have too many. Their lines aren’t moving.”

“I’m out of diamond enderium.” I turned to find a nearby boy, “Get my gear bag!” As the boy disappeared around the corner, I turned to what was left of the council. “I can do it.”

Rydar asked, “What do you need from us?”

“Are we reasonably certain this is the last portal?”

The council nodded, “As certain as we can be given…” the old sergeant gestured to the chaos before us.

“Send all the remaining troops to the front. Make it look like we are trying to breakthrough.” I looked hard at Sergeant Ward, “You must empty our ranks. Show them this is it, our final push. If they see we aren’t holding anything back, they won’t either.”

“Prepare the final push, but wait for my signal.”

The sergeant nodded and hurried out of the room, leaving Gilda, |Rydar, and myself. “Gilda, I need the bones of a zombie pigmen.”

Her face paled, shaking her head, “No, Kyth, it’s forbidden!”

“|Rydar, is there a chance we win this battle?”

The prince looked out over the battle still raging, “if we had attacked together, according to the plan, perhaps, but now….” He didn’t need to finish.

“Go, Gilda, I need a body now as it takes some time.” She left, her face set in grim determination.

“What is this plan, Kyth?” The prince was very knowledgeable in war, but my plan involved forbidden glyphs that have been buried in the Zygon Society for many years.

“We have many abilities, as you know. Some are more common than others. There is one, specifically, no one outside of the society knows of.”

The boy brought my pack in and I started mixing fresh enderium solutions. “A Dru with a bone affinity can take the form of another living being.”

The Prince was startled. “I was told you can only use metals to draw your runes.”

“Yes, that is what we allow the outside world to know of. Some, the Half-Elves, a few Rangers perhaps know of this ability.” I glanced up, seeing the realization dawn on my friend.

“How accurate is this form?”

“It’s completely accurate, Rydar. Down to the lines on your hands.”

“With this… ability, you could replace anyone in the world.”

“That’s why the Zygon Society outlawed it and have systematically purged mention of it. There have been a few times it was used, but not for hundreds of years.”

Gilda drug the body of a small pigman into our room. I nodded thanks, picked up an ax, and went to work.

——————

I walked across the battlefield, my pigmen gold armor covering my runes all over my body. It was perhaps the most glyphs ever worn, but the oddest of all was my bone glyphs.

Bone glyphs go on the back. We think this was designed by the gods to make sure no single person could do this forbidden magic alone. I had to instruct Gilda and Prince Rydar extremely carefully to make sure the runes were perfect.

The battle still raged in front of the pigmen castle, I walked to the gates. I looked back to the overlook, where my friends waited. Lifting my golden sword over my head, I gave the signal.

All of our remaining troops poured out, onto the battlefield. They went directly to the spot I had pointed out to Sergeant Ward. It only took the Blazes moments to order all of their remaining troops to reinforce their lines. This was it, all or nothing. I turned and walked into the castle of the pigmen.

————

Walking quickly, I needed to move with intent, so I wouldn’t be questioned. While the bone glyphs gave me the appearance of the dead pigmen, I knew none of their languages. I had to find my way to the portal room quickly. Our troops wouldn’t hold for long.

I moved past dozens of pigmen rushing out of the gate initially, but after that, the huge halls were very nearly empty. I began drawing on my lapis runes. Lapis is probably the hardest rune to explain.

It is the ore of luck. I drew deeply on the rune, it would only last a few seconds, by far, it is the fastest rune to dissipate. I needed it, there were hundreds of rooms and stairs in every direction. This castle was like a funhouse mirror version of a castle. Nothing was organized in a traditional, logical way.

I could feel something almost pulling me to the left.

I quickly walked up a flight of stairs, then another, then another, skipping dozens of doors. Finally, I turned to the left again and opened a door. Inside stood the unguarded Nether portal.

I went to work immediately, pulling my pick off my back and drawing hard on my iron glyphs, it wouldn’t take long.

Just a few minutes later, the portal was broken and the Obsidian dropped into the lava. I stood on a small balcony and signaled again, for the sergeant to pull our troops back. I turned to walk out of the castle. Some of my lapis runes remained, and I didn’t feel like risking any confrontations on my exit, so I pulled on it.

Something was calling me from behind. Stopping in my tracks, I felt for it. It was like a nudging to go back and look for something. Did I miss a second portal? I had to go look!

Turning, I walked back into the castle, feeling for that sensation. There it was, coming from below me. I searched for a few moments for a way down, then simply pulled out my pick again. Its durability was almost finished, but enough for a block or two.

The nether brick broke and fell into a room. It was large and dark. I lowered myself in and dropped to the floor, iron rune strengthening my legs. The room was lit only by lava rivers running along with the floors, so it took my eyes a few seconds to adjust.

I will never forget what I saw. There were rows and rows of cells, suspended from the ceiling, each holding people. So many people. There had to be more than 100 women and children.

I was stunned. They looked at me with fear, my zombie pigmen skin still holding strong, I gestured out, “don’t worry, we’re here.”

I think they didn’t know what to make of me. Pigmen who could speak in their common tongue? “We have a human army outside the walls. We will save you.” I turned to run out of the room, I need to tell Prince Rydar of these people.

—————-

What was left of the council sat in our spawn camp? After the army retreated, the pigmen gave chase for just a bit before returning to their castle.

“How many people were there?” Gibby asked.

“At least 100. We need to find out what their plans are.” I answered turning to my old friend. “Take some Emerald and go talk to a pigman prisoner, then another after that. Keep going until one of them will tell you what is going on.”

Gibby stood and left. He had studied a bit of pigmen language at the Zygon School and could Con them into talking if they knew anything at least.

The room was somber, especially considering we had succeeded, against all odds. All the @[Nether](location:7301cd19-1755-4712-9e9a-6ec2fafdf894) portals had been closed and destroyed. The zombie pigmen, blazes, and their minions would be trapped in the Nether forever!

I looked around the room, the prince was leaning on me for guidance, but I could feel my bone glyph running out. My pigman skin was still on, but I knew, when it faded, I would collapse from the sheer exhaustion of holding it for so long. “I will need to recover for a time.” I said to the room, “I’m sorry, try to wake me when you are ready to move.”

One of Rydar’s aids helped me to my room and I passed the skin off me and fell into a deep Glipper’s Sleep.

People In the Story:

* Kytholique Comely

* Rydar Bahrkin Donao

* Gilda

* Sergeant Ward

Locations are shown in Cinematics:

* Thumbnail: Port Breigh Market

* Oak Grove

* South Sea Ocean Research Institute

* Crazy Joe´s Fishing shack

* Port Breigh

* Princeton

* Elmyra's Covert