LU 190 - Shayde 3

Today, I decided I would finally go back to the base to at least tell Cashew and Soul what happened, and what I did. I knew Stella wouldn’t really want me leaving the bunker for too long, so I told her that I was just going upstairs to check something and that I’d be right back so she should just stay in the bunker. She did just that, tidying up a bit and attempting to close up the poop hole. I quickly yet quietly opened the door and sprinted in the direction that I remember the base being.

As I was walking up to the door, I noticed that our mailbox had been touched, as the layer of dust over the top of it had a print in it… the print looked almost like bones, which would come to make sense to me later. I opened the mailbox and found a letter from a person named “Emperor Hans” inside. I squinted and tilted my head, trying to see if I could remember that name from somewhere, but I did not, so I didn't bother reading it and mumbled to myself that I would just deal with it later. As I walked into the base, I heard what sounded like pacing coming from the storage room. I listened for a bit longer to hear Cashew chittering nervously something along the lines of,

*“Where the hell are they? Where could he possibly have gone??? What if he’s lost??? Or worse, dead????? Oh god, Shayde please come home…”*

I ran into the storage room, immediately calling out to them.

*“Cashew! Oh my god, CASHEW!!!”*

*“Wh- SHAYDE??? YOU’RE HERE??? WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN???”*

*“Cashew, we need to find Soul before I tell you everything, Soul should be here too. Do you know where she is ?”*

*“Uh- probably in her room, like normal?”*

*“We need her here too, let’s go look, c’mon.”*

Before I had even finished my sentence, I was darting out of the storage room and into Soul’s room, running so fast that I managed to completely miss Soul and thought she was gone until Cashew chittered at me. I turned and saw that I had run right past Soul in my mad dash to her room. That’s when I said,

*“Cashew, Soul, I need to talk to you guys. I know I’ve been gone for a few days-”*

*“Soul did not notice. Soul is homebody, Soul do not leave room often. Soul is sorry.”*

*“No, no, Soul, that’s okay, it’s no big deal to me, but I know Cashew definitely did notice. I came here today to tell you guys what happened. I don’t have a lot of time, so please just listen to me, and hear me out. Okay?”*

They nodded their heads in unison, willing me to go on.

*“Soul… Cashew…I-I murdered someone, and not just anyone, they just so happened to be a Police Officer…”*

I paused, watching as Cashew’s face fell and Soul stared at me intently.

*“You… WHAT????? SHAYDE???? YOU DID WH AT NOW?”*

*“... Soul food. If soul eat, they not know what happen, Shayde not wanted!”*

I heard a soft smack as Cashew facepalmed at the comment their beloved companion had just made.

*“Soul… I’m pretty sure Sculky already took care of that, and people can still come back from the dead, Soul… They come back, and they know exactly what happened to them, why they died, everything. They know it was me. I came back here to warn you guys, to tell you guys that no matter what, if someone asks if you know me, or if you have seen me recently, you tell them you have no idea. Do I make myself clear? Even Rox or Karu. They can’t know, I have no idea what forces they’ve been allied with or who they’re friends with.”*

Soul and Cashew looked at each other, sharing a look that said

*“Oh boy…”*

Cashew turned back to me and nodded, telling me to also be safe out there.

I told them that I missed them both dearly, and that if they ever needed me I was sure they could find Stella somehow, she always seems to appear just when you need her. I ran back out of the base, darting from shadow to shadow, not bothering to stop until I had returned to the bunker. Though, when I got there, Stella was nowhere to be seen. I freaked for a bit, knowing that I had been gone long enough that she would have noticed and set out to look for me. I stayed put in the bunker, pacing around and hoping she was just deeper into the bunker looking for something specific. I walked around for a good few more hours before suddenly, Stella was running toward me, down the stairs. I ran over to her and asked her where she had been, and what was happening.

*“Shayde, there appears to be a smelly skeleton man that showed up at our doorstep. He said some things about economy and netherite, whatever that means. I’m unsure if we should trust him, so I’m coming back to you.”*

Suddenly, I remembered the note I had retrieved from the Warden Wakers’ mailbox. I pulled it out of my pocket, started to skim over it, and said,

*“Stella, did his name happen to be… ‘Emperor Hans II’?”*

Stella nodded enthusiastically before replying with,

*“Ah yes, that was him, that was the smelly skelly man!! What do you say, Shayde, do we trust him?”*

I thought about it for a moment, really soaking in what this meant for us as a clan.

*“Stella.. I think we trust him. I know I have no idea who this man is, I have no idea what he looks like, or what he even sounds like. I know. Call it intuition, but I think this person is safe.”*

Stella nodded, turning to leave.

*“I will relay your message. Thank you, small one, I will see you soon!”*

And with that, I watched as Stella got about 100 yards away, then I silently slipped out of the bunker, following closely behind the glowing, sentient universe. I managed to follow swiftly and silently behind, never once drawing Stella’s attention to myself. Once she arrived back at the base, I climbed up into a tree, watching the rest of the events transpire and listening to what everyone was saying. Hans spoke, the first time I had heard his voice.

*“Yes, yes, are you sure I can’t speak with your Leader, Shayde? I’m sure my explanation could help clarify some things for hi-”*

*“Sorry, that’s not possible!”* chimed Stella, *“Shayde is uh… out getting milk right now. He won’t be back for a while, we will simply relay your message to him for you!”*

That's when I jumped down from the tree, landing on a small twig and quickly bringing everyone’s attention to me.

*“Wait! I’m here. I’m willing to talk to you, uh, Hans, was it? But first thing’s first, can we do it somewhere a bit more private? Y’know, for personal reasons! Yeah!”*

Stella’s eyes found mine and I could tell from her look that she still wasn't too sure that I should stay and speak to this man that they had just met.

*“Stella, it’s okay, I can handle it! Everything will be okay!”*

I rushed inside, opening the door for everyone and swiftly slamming it shut behind them.

*“Hans, if you could follow me to my bedr- I-I mean a spare bedroom! Yeah!”*

I stood in front of the sign that very clearly said “Shayde’s Room” and opened the door for him. He looked at me and stared for a moment before going inside.

*“All the rest of you guys, stay out here. I mean it.”*

I walked in, shutting and locking the door behind me.

*“My sincerest apologies, my colleagues just really care about me, y’know.”*

Suddenly, I heard Daz whisper about being part of the police, and saw Hans’s face drop.

*“Perhaps, my ask for allegiance was ill-advised-”*

I cut him off again, the panic evident in my voice.

*“NO! N-No, it wasn’t, we are actually in… uh… well… before I continue, you yourself aren’t of any relation to the kings or the police, right?”*

Hans looked a bit hurt for a moment before responding,

*“Oh, no no, you misunderstand me, I am an emperor myself, I do not wish to be ruled over by a bunch of Tyrants that keep people suffering. I was an evil person, a truly horrible person that wanted to watch the world burn and die at my feet, but now? I want to help people. Now, I have one question for you, why are you and all your clan mates up there lying to me? I just want to help.”*

I stuttered over my words for a moment and looked down and fidgeted with the handle of my knife that was in a sheath at my side.

*“I-I…I apologize, it’s just, we are not in the best standings with the police, I murdered one of the officers and now I fear that they may come for my home… my happy place. I just want my home safe, I’ve already lost everything once upon a time, my home was selfishly stolen from me, I watched it burn to the ground at my feet. There was nothing but ash and the skeleton of the forest that I had once called home. I… don’t want that to happen again.”*

Hans took a deep breath before placing his hand on my shoulder and said,

*“Listen. Shayde, you have immense power-”*

*“Actually… I’m not that strong. I could only kill that person because I knocked them out, rendering them unable to fight back…”*

*“Shayde, strength is not as simple as what is physically there. You can control the Wardens, the horrible beasts of the dark! Anyone who knows of this power should tremble in fear before you.”*

*“Hans, can I call you that? People don’t fear me. Nobody ever has. They don’t have a reason to.”*

*“Shayde, let me tell you this. With my help, we can keep your home safe, and even help others who are struggling under the tyranny of the Police Force and these cruel rulers. Don’t you want that Shayde? Don’t You?”*

I slowly nodded, looking up into this regal man’s face.

*“I-I do… Okay. I accept your offer.”*

*“Ahhh, excellent!! All I ask is for one thing, access to your enchanting room.”*

I nodded, standing up from where I was sitting on the log.

*“Of course, yeah, no problem. It’s maxed out, and normally gives fairly decent enchants.”*

Hans smiled, as much as a skeleton can smile I suppose, and bid us adieu, leaving us a piece of paper with the coordinates to his base on it.