The Ender knights followed the Eye to a cave in the cliff. Allstar took out a torch and held it to Thunderdome's mouth. The dragon breathed on it and Allistar shone the fire inward. Nothing except darkness. The Eye hovered right inside the mouth, beckoning to enter.
"What sort of person lives in a place like this?" Trevor asked, feeling the cave walls. He looked at his fingers, rubbing the soot between them.
"Yeah I don't think anyone lives here, Trevor." Saxon said.
"Looks like our dragons are sitting this one out." Allistar said, "Wait here Thunderdome." The dragon sat down on his hind legs with a thunk.
"I'll be fine, Luna." Abbigail rubbed her dragon's snout. She sat down beside Thunderdome. The larger dragon covered his wing over the other, consoling her.
The group walked inside, through the winding maze of passageways. The Eye floated in front, Allistar held the torch high, and the others followed in a close huddle behind him.
"What is the difference between stalactites and stalagmites?" Trevor asked, feeling a drip stone as they passed a huge cavern.
"Beats me." Saxon replied. "I guess stalagmites have an 'm' in it?"
"The ones pointing downward from the top are stalactites." Allistar said without looking back. "The ones pointing upwards from the ground are stalagmites. Perhaps you should come to the Diamond Heights Library someday. It's very close to my mansion. Inside it, actually." Abbigail could feel the anger seething from Denny's body.
The group eventually reached a stone brick archway. The grey structure seemed to be tunneled from the mountain itself. It stood in stark contrast with the surrounding white diorite.
"I know what this place is. it's an Ender stronghold." Allistar turned to face the group, his face wavering under the torch light. "A few of them were built around the world thousands of years ago, before the land was even known as Ardonia." The Eye seemed to nod.
"So… any idea why we are here?" Denny asked.
"Galleous told me we would be going to the End, a different dimension." Abbigail said.
"Indeed." Allistar nodded his approval. Abbigail felt herself blush a bit, even after what happened last night. "There should be a portal here, which is activated by the Eye. Come on." He led the group inward.
They came to a small room at the end of a long hallway. Stairs led to a green circle with void-looking holes set into it every meter. There was lava beneath it, wanting someone to jump in.
The Eye hovered above the lava pool, and suddenly, split into nine smaller replicas of itself. Each piece laid into one of the void holes. A dark membrane appeared above the lava, right in the middle of the circle.
"Exactly as the books described." Allistar said in awe. He set the torch on the wall. "This is where we travel to the End dimension by jumping in." They mounted the stairs and stood around the center.
"So," Saxon looked around the group, "Which one of us is going to enter ze creepy portal first?"
"It won't be you, that's for certain." Trevor answered.
"Oh yeah? Well I bet it's not gonna be you, either." Saxon retorted.
Denny rolled his eyes. "Are you two gonna keep bickering?" He leapt forward and disappeared.
"Did Denny just…" Abbigail exclaimed.
"Oh well, second isn't bad." Trevor stepped into the membrane and disappeared.
"I'll see you on the other side then." Saxon stepped forward and vanished as well.
"You know, Abbi," Allistar said. Only he and Abbigail were left now, standing next to each other. "There's never been a female Enderknight before. Perhaps there was a reason for that." He held out his hand. "Together?"
"I think I'll pass." Abbigail waved his invitation aside, and walked in.
When she emerged on the other side, Abbigail was astounded by the view. Tall black pillars reached the endless dark sky. The ground was a light yellow, forming a continent in midair. Tall purple creatures, like the ones she saw in her dream, paced around the landscape. A huge tower, like one in those books Mr. Finch brought her on her 10th birthday, loomed over the surrounding grounds.
"Here it is." Allistar materialized behind her. Abbigail jumped, jostling the others on the platform over the void. Trevor was pushed against the railing with an "oof."
"The legendary realm of the Enderknights." Allistar finished. "Our destiny awaits in that tower." He marched forward. Abbigail followed him, along with the rest of the group.
She looked up. She had to crane her neck so far back to see the top at the foot of the tower. Whoever, or whatever, built this must either be very strong or very powerful. Nothing, as far as she knew, could lift the heavy marble and stone that high, let alone transport all that material, seemingly not present in this world, across the portals.
"What do you think is inside?" Trevor asked as they approached the giant wooden gate.
"Whatever it is, it belongs to us now." Allistar said. He examined the lock. "I think this needs the palm of the Enderking. This is your cue, Abbi."
She nodded, frowning slightly at the over-intimate name, and walked to the front. Taking a deep breath, she placed her right hand on the flat surface. It felt freezing.
Something entered her, a purple vine of light slid up her arm and to her chest. It spread all over her body and vanished under her skin. The heavy gates swung outward, revealing a long hallway. The group progressed down it, peeking into the side rooms branching off.
"Hey! In here!" Denny shouted, "I think I found something!" The group rushed to his voice and looked inside. Black suits of armor stood in the middle of the room, as if waiting for someone.
"Obsidian armor." Allistar gasped as he stepped forward. The group parted for him as he approached the sets. "They are too heavy for normal people to wear, but they are imbued with an ancient enchantment that recognizes Enderknights and allows them to be worn only by those who were chosen by the Eye." He picked up the helmet from the center set. It came to life, flashing purple. He placed it on his head. "Everybody take a set, there's just enough for every one of us. However," he looked at Abbigail, "There's no female armor."
Abbigail looked down at her modest breasts. Perhaps she could squeeze into one, but that would be very uncomfortable. Her hands fell to her hips. Somehow, she always felt they were wider than men's. That would be hard to work around. She watched in dismay as Denny, Saxon, Trevor each downed their armor and took a sword leaning against the wall.
"There should be a throne room with an Ender crown." Alistar said. "Let us find it." He headed out of the room.
"I'm definitely not cookin' for him anymore." Denny said as the others followed Allistar out of earshot. "He has absolutely no respect."
"He's right though," Abbigail felt tears brimming. "There isn't any female armor. Maybe I was a mistake?"
"You're no mistake Abbigail." Denny took her hand in his. Even through the gloves, supposedly also made of obsidian, she could feel his warmth. "When you arrived at my farm, you tol' me I was someone special. You gathered everyone, all the Enderknights, and look where we arr. We're at the End." Abbigail looked up at his face. The obsidian helmet had a front facial piece that covered everything. She missed Denny's freckled face already. It had no holes or slits for eyes. Instead, the helmet had eyes that shone purple with a dark pupil in the middle, like the Endermen. By the way they were shifted to her side, Abbigail could tell that Denny was looking at her.
"Thank you, Denny." She said. "We should rejoin the others." They let go of each other's hand and walked out of the armory.
The end of the hallway opened up to a bridge. Abbigail instantly recognized it from her dream. She was back on the farm then, before she set out to find Luna's egg. Instinctively, she glanced back, but there was no one coming, and there were no skeletons on the ground.
"There it is." Allistar whispered as he walked up to the stone throne and picked up a glowing crown. "The legendary crown of the End."
"Give the crown to me." Abbigail demanded.
Allistar turned around. "Why should the crown be yours? Why should there be a queen, when we can have a king?" He placed the crown over his helmet and sat down on the throne. The light faded out of the crown and it became a lifeless black ring.
"I will rule Ardonia as the ancient Enderkings once did." He announced. "Crown Peak will again be my throne, and the kingdoms will submit to my leadership or be destroyed. And you, my Enderknights, will carry out my EVERY order."
Denny drew his sword and readied his stance. Trevor and Saxon hesitated and did likewise. All three faced Allistar. "You'll have to go through us first, Allistar." Denny said. The helmet seemed to solidify his voice, and it resounded in the large hall. "It was Abbigail who brought us together, and it's her we follow. A crown isn't enough to make you king. And," He raised his sword at Allistar's head, "The crown's light faded. Maybe that means you are not meant to be the Enderking. But you can't see it, can you?"
Alistar picked up a dark purple sword beside the throne and marched down the steps. "You should have stayed on the farm Denny, it's the only thing you've been good at."
Abbigail drew her sword, the diamond one Galleous gave her, and walked in front. "Allistar, we won't let you do this. A war is coming, and we need to fight alongside Ardonia, not against it."
Allistar snickered. "What was the universe thinking, when they chose a naïve young farmer girl as an Enderknight?" He bore down on her. "This world has no place for you. You may have brought us together, but you will make no fit queen. You are too dim for that." He sliced her sword in half and it clanged on the ground. "The people of Ardonia will never fight together unless we make them, and KILL those who refuse!"
Allistar thrust the sword through Abbigail's stomach. The blade tore through the flesh and came out on the other side. She stared into his eyes, or rather, the purple glints in his helmet. "I thought we…" She choked.
"You should not have left your farm." Allistar said coldly. He pushed Abbigail over the edge.
"Now, the rest of you." Allistar said. "You will either follow my orders, or face the same fate." Trevor and Saxon grudgingly put away their swords.
"Yes, sir." Saxon bowed.
Denny hesitated. "Fine." He put away his sword as well. "Now if you want that throne, we should head back."
"You are right." Allistar sheathed his new blade. "Let us begin." He marched towards the portal.
"Allistar that bastard." Trevor complained. "He rode off to Crown Peak alone while we have to walk there." He crossed over a rock in the road.
"Yeah," agreed Saxon, "Ever since what he said last night, I wanted to slip him a potion of poison." He sighed. "As long as he has zat sword, we can't beat him. So for ze time being, we have to put up with him."
"I think I read something about that sword." Trevor said. They were now coming onto the main road. "As well as the crown, in fact. The book, an old one, I might add, said that at the beginning of time, one crown and one sword, for each of the Nether and Ender kings, were crafted. They were made of obsidian extracted from the heart of the Nether and the deepest caves in the End, able to cut through any overworld weapon. The artefacts would light up and release their true power when they are used by the True kings."
"So," Saxon put two and two together, "that crown's light faded and ze sword didn't glow because Allistar is not ze true Enderking?"
"Yes, and until we can get rid of him, don't tell him I said that." Trevor replied. "For now, we must appear loyal to him. No king should rule like that, but we'd better get to Crown Peak fast unless we want a scolding."
"Oh, about that," Saxon grinned as he took out two bottles, "would you like some more netherwart sugar water?"
"Alright, race you." Trevor grabbed a potion and drank it in one gulp. Then, he shot off into the distance like an arrow.
"Hey, that's not fair." Saxon called. He finished his drink and chased after the other.