The Complete Elementia Chronicles: Quest for Justice; The New Order; The Dusk of Hope; Herobrine’s Message. Sean Wolfe Fay

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СКАЧАТЬ reveal two black sashes across his chest, each with various bottles of coloured liquid attached to them. He yanked a green one from one of the sashes and threw it at Stan before Stan even realized what had happened. The bottle shattered on Stan’s chestplate, and a foul-smelling green gas seeped from the jade liquid that splattered all over him. The stench overpowered Stan, and he blacked out, falling right beside the old player.

      When Stan came to, he was in a grey cobblestone room. Torches lined the walls, and Stan became aware that there were twelve machines surrounding him, six on each side. Each was one block in size and had a hole on the front of it.

      “Don’t move,” said a voice, and Stan realized that the old player was standing next to the wall, away from the machines. His hand was on a button. “Cooperate with me and you won’t get hurt. Try to run away, kill me, or even move, and I press this button and you get shot to death with arrows by my machine. Why were you destroying those plants?”

      “I don’t know” was the first response that came out of Stan’s mouth, and he had a feeling in retrospect that it was the wrong one.

      The old player sneered. “I’ve been away from Element City for a whole year now,” he replied in his ancient yet powerful voice. “They banished me, so I was just looking for a little peace out here. I don’t need juvenile delinquents like you destroying my beautiful sugarcane farm like that.”

      Stan was confused for a moment, and then he understood. “Oh, those were your plants?” he asked as he pulled the sugarcane from his inventory. “I’m sorry, sir, I didn’t know. Here, take them back.” He tossed the sugarcane stalks back to the old player, and they landed at his feet. He bent over and picked them up, never taking his eyes off Stan.

      “How do I know that you aren’t just one of King Kev’s spies?” asked the old player, stashing the cane in his inventory. “I’ve kept my agreement. I’ve stayed out of the city, and I have had absolutely nothing to do with any potion-related activities going on in Element City.”

      “Wait, you’re a fugitive from the King?” asked Stan.

      “What, you don’t know who I am?” asked the old player incredulously. “Anyone who’s been on this server for more than a few weeks or so knows who I am!”

      “Sir, I’m only level nine,” said Stan as he realized at the same time that he had, to his horror, been stripped of his armour and weapon. Good thing Charlie had the clock and compass, he thought. “I’ve only been playing Minecraft for a little over a week now.”

      “What? Really? But you’re so good with that axe, I’d have thought that you’d seen a good few fights,” replied the old player, who seemed genuinely impressed.

      “Wait, are you saying that you don’t know who I am?” asked Stan. He’d have thought that the King would have put his face on wanted posters all over the kingdom by now.

      “Should I?” the old player asked.

      The words “I’m the one who tried to assassinate the King!” fell out of Stan’s mouth, but an instant later he regretted it. What if the old player was actually in cahoots with the King? He might have just earned himself a slow death by arrows! But instead of pressing the button, the old player looked at Stan, his eyes widening in awe.

      “You? You’re the one who tried to kill the King? At level nine? Good lord, son, you’re either very brave, very stupid, or a liar. OK, you can come out of there for now, but don’t expect your axe back until I’m one hundred per cent sure that you’re not one of King Kev’s cronies.”

      Stan stepped apprehensively out of range of the machines, and, at the old player’s gesture, followed him out of the cobblestone room. He noticed his axe hanging at the old player’s side, right next to an iron sword and a bow. He gulped, not sure what he was going to find in the next room.

      What he did find was unlike anything he had ever seen before. There were rows of wooden plank tables, all of which were covered by stands that held bottles, which themselves held bubbling liquids of various colours. Chests lined the wall. In one corner of the room was a black table covered in a red velvet tablecloth embedded with diamonds, a book levitating over it. Around this table were shelves that held books of all sizes and colours. In another corner was a bed, next to which sat a furnace, a crafting table and two chairs. The old player sat in one of these, and he gestured for Stan to take the other. A quick look out of the glass pane windows revealed that it was late afternoon and that they were still in the jungle.

      “I’m sorry that I had to knock you out earlier. You see, ever since King Kev banished me from Element City a year ago, I’ve had to be very wary about who enters and who leaves this jungle. He’s sent his men in on me multiple times, whether they be hired Griefers to give me a hard time or spies to try and figure out what I am up to. But I am sure that none of them would even joke about trying to assassinate their master.

      “So, I will introduce myself. My name is Apothecary1.” He extended his hand, which Stan shook.

      “My name is Stan2012, but you can call me Stan. I have a quick question, though. Are King Kev and the King of Elementia the same player?”

      The Apothecary laughed. “Ho, ho, I had forgotten how little you know! Yes, they are the same. The same ruthless, tyrannical fiend. You do agree with me, don’t you?” he asked quickly.

      “Are you kidding?” said Stan angrily. “He killed three friends of mine for no good reason, and I’ve tried to kill him! I don’t think he and I are going to be friends anytime soon.”

      “Ah yes, you claimed to have made an attempt on the King’s life. I’m not positive that I believe that story, but I do want to believe it. He’s killed a good number of my friends, too, and banished a few more.”

      It was at that point that Stan suddenly remembered. “My friends! They’ll be expecting me back!”

      “What?” the Apothecary asked.

      “My friends, Charlie and Kat. It’s almost night-time. They’ll be expecting me back soon. We’re making a base back by that lake you found me at.”

      Instantly the Apothecary became suspicious. “What do you mean? You brought others with you? How many?”

      “Just the two,” replied Stan. “I have to go back to them.”

      “And how do I know that you’re not part of the King’s army since there are more of you, Stan? If that’s even your real name? How do I know they aren’t watching this house right now?” The Apothecary was on his feet, his hand going to the iron sword at his side.

      Stan decided to take a huge gamble. If it failed, he would be killed. If it succeeded, he would convince the old player that they were on the same side. “Because we’re planning to overthrow King Kev.”

      The old player stared at him. Stan knew, based on what he had said, that even speaking about overthrowing the King was highly treacherous. The Apothecary had a different look growing in his eyes. It was respect.

      “Are you serious, my young friend?” asked the Apothecary.

      “One hundred per cent,” replied Stan. “If you’d like, I’ll explain to you everything that’s happened to me so far in this game, and how we plan to go about overthrowing him. My only condition is that I go and find my friends.”

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