Almost immediately after he thought this, a figure appeared on the wood plank–block platform in front of the lined-up players with a loud crack. This player was skinned identically to Stan, but although Leonidas could only see him from the back, he knew better. He was a little bit surprised that Lord Tenebris was revealing himself to his people. From what he understood, nobody, besides him, had ever seen Lord Tenebris’s face and lived. Then again, this was a special occasion.
All at once, the taunts and boos emanating from the rowdy crowd of Noctem Soldiers ceased. For the first time ever, they were beholding the face of their leader. Leonidas watched as the entire crowd stood transfixed and speechless for a moment before turning away uncomfortably, as they found it impossible to hold Lord Tenebris’s gaze for more than a second.
“Greetings, my loyal subjects,” Lord Tenebris said, his voice deep and booming, carrying across the silent plaza of the Avery Memorial Courthouse without effort. “Today is a historic day in Elementia. Not only is this the day that I first reveal my face to you, but it is also the day that we celebrate our victory over the forces of Stan2012’s Republic of Elementia! Viva la Noctem!”
“VIVA LA NOCTEM!” the crowd rang out. It was the most passionate chant that Leonidas had ever heard the people of the Noctem Alliance let out.
“Standing here before you, totally at my mercy, are the leaders of the Republic of Elementia,” Lord Tenebris said, turning around to face them and gesturing with his hand. As the crowd proceeded to continue their booing and heckling, Leonidas heard several of his friends pinned to the wall give gasps of horror as they viewed Lord Tenebris’s face for the first time and found themselves unable to look into his eyes.
“These players marched into our city yesterday at high noon,” Lord Tenebris continued, his followers instantly going silent as he turned to look over the crowd yet again, “with the intention of taking it away from us. They believe that Element City should welcome all players with open arms, regardless of whether or not they’ve earned their place here. In fact, a good percentage of their invasion force was composed of lower-level players. That’s right. Such is the arrogance of these players standing before you that they believed that, after a single week of training, their lower-level friends were equal in skill to you, the Noctem Freedom Fighters, who have lived in Elementia for years.”
Shouts of outrage erupted from the crowd, followed by a fresh round of heckling. Lord Tenebris did nothing to stop this, and Leonidas could almost picture the sadistic grin on his face.
“I would like to thank you, my citizens,” Lord Tenebris continued, quelling the ruckus yet again. “I would like to thank you for tolerating the feeble attempts of the republic to fight back for so long now. For months, the Noctem Alliance has gained strength, preparing for the day that we would take back what is rightfully ours. And yet, wherever we went, the forces of the Republic of Elementia were there to make our jobs ever so slightly more annoying, like a fly buzzing around our heads that was nearly impossible to swat.
“But today,” Lord Tenebris continued, “today, the fly has finally been squashed. On this day, I claim the Minecraft server Elementia in the name of the Noctem Alliance! Viva la Noctem!”
“VIVA LA NOCTEM!” the crowd echoed back to him.
“And now, we shall all witness the death of the republic, and we shall witness it the same way that we started—together. May I draw your attention to the remaining fighting forces of the Republic of Elementia.”
Leonidas’s head snapped upright, and he followed the gaze of the hundreds of players around him in the center of the crowd, where there was a large, fenced-off area devoid of players that Leonidas hadn’t noticed before. There, with a great roaring of redstone mechanisms, the ground rose until it was several blocks off the ground. Standing on top of this massive elevated platform were close to a hundred and fifty players, all the survivors of the attack. They had been stripped of their diamond armor, and they were huddled together like cattle, looking absolutely petrified.
“I suggest that you step back from the platform,” Lord Tenebris said over the insults and verbal abuse being thrown at the players. “The platform is rigged with TNT blocks, and it will be detonated immediately if any of them try anything funny.”
The mass of three hundred soldiers in black leather armor expanded away from the platform, but the foul language and name calling didn’t slow down until Lord Tenebris spoke again.
“The players on the platform will be spared, provided that they cooperate with me,” Lord Tenebris continued. Leonidas’s eyebrows shot up, as did many in the crowd.
“These players have had their minds poisoned by their leaders, standing on the platform before you. They will serve time in Brimstone Prison for their crimes. As soon as they are transferred to the prison, the remainder of the citizens of this city, who are presently locked in the prison, will be released. These terms are in accordance with an agreement that I made with President Stan.”
The crowd had been waiting since the speech began to hear the name of the most wanted player in the Noctem Alliance, and now they were so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. Lord Tenebris paused for a moment and glanced at the square sun, which had now risen in full above the horizon.
“President Stan was supposed to be here by now. The agreement was that if he had not come here to duel me by sunrise, I would begin to execute his friends. Tell me, does anybody here see President Stan2012 around?”
Several shouts of “NO!” erupted from the crowd as the Noctem soldiers laughed. Leonidas just looked at the ground bitterly. He knew that Lord Tenebris couldn’t possibly be telling the truth. Stan definitely would have turned up if he had agreed to it. More likely, Lord Tenebris had killed or crippled Stan, and was just trying to make Stan look bad for entertainment. Leonidas shook his head. He didn’t even care anymore. He was just ready for it all to be over.
“However, before the show begins,” Lord Tenebris said as the laughter died down, “I must ask if any players who are about to die would wish to say any final words.”
There was a pause as Leonidas tried to think of something to say. However, he couldn’t think of anything. And even if he could, he really didn’t want to say it. The Noctem Alliance had won.
Lord Tenebris looked back at them and gave a snide little smirk. “Well then, if that’s the case . . .” But then, Lord Tenebris’s remark was cut off by a lone pair of footsteps. Leonidas glanced up and saw the Mechanist, not looking beaten but rather determined, as he made his way to the edge of the platform.
“Well, well, well,” Lord Tenebris chortled as the Mechanist walked up beside him. “If it isn’t the great Mecha11, redstone architect of most of this city and the inventor of the TNT cannon. I must admit, it’s a shame to kill such a brilliant player . . . almost. Come now, share one last bit of wisdom with us from that radiant mind of yours.”
Despite the mean laughs erupting from the crowd, the Mechanist looked unfazed. Rather, he took a deep breath and began to speak.
“I have a few things that I would like to say both to my fellow commanders and also to the brave warriors standing out on the platform in the crowd. First of all, I . . .”
Leonidas was surprised to hear that the Mechanist’s voice sounded rather shaky, almost as if he were on the verge of tears. The redstone genius then took a deep breath, composed himself, and continued.
“First of all, I want to apologize to all of you. During my time as your leader, I did not serve my country well. I let the pressures of leading go to my head, and I tried to escape it in ways that”—the Mechanist halted with a catch in his throat before he continued on—“that resulted in the loss of a friend. I then let my grief and guilt overtake me, and I ignored the needs of my people because of it. I take full responsibility for all the misery that you had to go through while you were down in the mine.
“But none of that matters now.”
Leonidas, who had been cringing as he anticipated a long, self-deprecatin
g speech about how everything that had gone wrong was the Mechanist’s fault, raised his head, his ears perked up.
“I’ll tell you what does matter . . . you.” He pointed out at the players who were standing on the platform and staring at him, intently absorbing every word he said.
“My friends and I are going to die today. There is nothing that we can do to stop that. But you are all going to live on to see another day. It will be difficult for you during your imprisonment in Brimstone, but you’ll all survive. And even though we weren’t able to overcome those who put us where we are now, I implore you to never forget what it felt like to be a citizen of the Republic of Elementia.
“Remember your freedom. Remember how it felt to walk down the streets and feel safe. Remember how it felt to know that your families and your friends were just a monorail ride away. There may be nothing more that I, or any of my friends, can do to help you. But if you cling tightly to those memories, then one day, I guarantee that you’ll be able to help yourselves, and turn Elementia back into the place that you remember so fondly—a place of justice and equality for all.”
The Mechanist finished talking. He took a deep breath, let it out, and began to walk backward. As he did, the crowd of Noctem soldiers let out sniggers and snide remarks. Leonidas, on the other hand, stared at the Mechanist in amazement as he reached the wall and put his hands back up over the levers that held them up.
Leonidas looked from the Mechanist to the soldiers elevated on a platform above the crowds. All of them wore a nearly identical expression: pensive and determined. Leonidas knew that the Mechanist’s speech had connected with them. They would never forget it—and the Mechanist was right. One day, however far in the future it may be, those players would return to Elementia. And maybe they’d be able to turn it back into the place that Stan and his friends had worked so hard to create and defend.
Leonidas’s heart leaped as he realized that the Mechanist had redeemed himself. He very well may have just inspired the future of Elementia for the better.
“That was very touching, Mecha11,” Lord Tenebris replied nonchalantly. He turned to look down the line. “Would anybody else like to say something?”
“I have something to say.”
Leonidas’s ears perked up. He recognized that voice. His head turned to the right, along with all the other heads in the congregation, to where the voice had come from. There, entering the plaza from the side street, his clothes tattered and worn, was Stan2012, his hands empty and his face knit into a leer as he stared down Lord Tenebris.
Immediately, the crowd erupted. The Noctem soldiers let loose their loudest, harshest round of jeers yet, which just barely drowned out the cheers and applause that burst out from Stan’s allies spread across the two elevated platforms. As Stan made his way up the stairs of the firing-squad platform, standing directly opposite Lord Tenebris, the noise had gotten so loud that Leonidas could barely hear himself think.
“SILENCE!” Lord Tenebris boomed. Leonidas recognized the awful sensation of Lord Tenebris seemingly yelling from directly within his head, making his ears ache. Immediately, all noise stopped.
Slowly but surely, all players from both sides looked up to see Stan2012 and Lord Tenebris staring each other down from both ends of the platform. The two rulers held each other’s gaze in the dim sunlight that shone from under the gray veil of the Withers. Leonidas stared at Stan in amazement. How was he holding Lord Tenebris’s gaze for so long without breaking it?
“You’re late,” Lord Tenebris said.
“I apologize,” Stan said with a smirk. “I met an old friend, and we had some catching up to do.”
Lord Tenebris returned the smirk. “Well, I sure hope that your meeting was worth it. I was seconds away from executing your friends, you know.”
“Trust me,” Stan said. “It was well worth my time.”
Suddenly, Leonidas felt something strange wash over him. It was a sensation that he hadn’t felt before. It lasted for only a few seconds.
“I assume that you remember the terms of our deal,” Stan said evenly.
“Indeed I do,” Lord Tenebris replied. “The winner of this duel is the rightful ruler of Elementia.”
As the crowd of Noctem soldiers snickered, Leonidas suddenly became aware that his inventory was no longer empty. He checked the contents as inconspicuously as he could and found, to his utter bafflement, that his inventory now contained an unenhanced bow and two stacks of arrows.
Leonidas heard a soft gasp beside him, and as he looked down the line, he saw that all his friends were wearing equal expressions of amazement. Was it possible that all of them had mysteriously gotten weapons?
“Well then,” Stan said after the sarcastic laughter died down. “How about we stop wasting time and begin?”
“With pleasure,” Lord Tenebris replied. He took a deep breath, and a diamond sword materialized in his left hand, glimmering with various enchantments.
Stan didn’t move. He merely stood there unarmed, as he smiled at Lord Tenebris. “Go ahead,” he taunted. “Make the first move.”
Leonidas stared at Stan with confusion. Why didn’t he have a weapon drawn? What was he playing at?
Lord Tenebris stretched out his empty right hand at Stan, took a deep breath, and then grunted. As he did, an arrow materialized from his fingertips, flying directly at Stan. Stan stood totally still, not even bothering to defend himself. Leonidas’s eyes widened, and he flinched right as the arrow was about to enter Stan’s chest. . . .
But it didn’t. Right as the arrow was upon Stan, it changed trajectory, curving left and flying past Stan’s left arm.
A collective gasp rose from the crowd on both sides as Lord Tenebris raised an eyebrow. He lifted his hand again, and sent three more arrows flying directly at Stan. All three times, the same thing happened—right as the arrows were about to hit Stan, they suddenly changed course, flying in three different directions.
The crowd was now totally silent, and Leonidas’s jaw was dropped. What was he watching?
Lord Tenebris’s mouth opened slightly, and his eyes grew wider as he tried to comprehend what was going on. He raised his right hand again, throwing a punch that produced a fireball. The fireball flew just as fast as the arrows had, directly at Stan.
Without even batting an eye, Stan raised his right hand. As the fireball made contact with his hand, he caught it, stopping it dead in its tracks. Lord Tenebris watched in bewilderment as Stan held the fireball up, then proceeded to clench his fist, crushing it. When he opened his hand again, nothing was left but a few light gray wisps of smoke, which were quickly carried away by the wind.
Lord Tenebris didn’t look confused anymore—he looked angry. He drew back his fist, took a deep breath, and launched it as hard as he could at Stan. It appeared that nothing had left Lord Tenebris’s hand, but Stan knew better, as he sensed the pulse of explosive energy heading toward him. Stan reached out his right hand and caught the pulse of energy, using the force to spin around and release it, sending it flying right back at Lord Tenebris.
The Noctem leader let out a faint shout of surprise as he sensed the blast coming, and he crossed his arms over his face as the blast hit. The explosion knocked Lord Tenebris backward toward the edge of the platform. He lowered his arms, still smoking from the explosion, and stared at Stan, who was standing perfectly still. Disbelief was etched on every pixel of the Noctem ruler’s face.
“What did you . . . how did you . . . ,” Lord Tenebris managed to get out. “What are you doing?”
Stan stared at him for a moment, total confidence on his face, and taking in every moment of Lord Tenebris’s shock before responding.
“Taking back my country,” he said with a determined grin, before shouting, “Armies of Elementia! Charge!”
Immediately, Leonidas raced forward and attacked the Noctem soldiers on the ground. He allowed his instincts to carry him forward, rushing past Stan, off the platform and into the crowd, drawing his bow as he di
d so. He looked at the other commanders of Stan’s army in amazement. On one side of him Jayden was pulling out a diamond axe, while on the other side Bob drew out a bow and charged on Ivanhoe over the side of the platform and into the crowd of stupefied Noctem soldiers.
Lord Tenebris looked around wildly, trying to figure out what was happening. His eyes landed on the platform where the imprisoned republic fighters were stationed. To his utter surprise and dismay, these players, too, were pouring over the sides of the platforms, diamond weapons drawn. How is this possible? he thought to himself. Their inventories were empty! Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter . . . they’re all about to die anyway!
“DETONATE THE PLATFORM!” Lord Tenebris cried out, desperately hoping that his soldier manning the lever that detonated the platform would pull it. And yet the soldiers still continued to pour over the edges, into the crowd of baffled troops.
Lord Tenebris repeated his shout two more times, but to no avail. The platform remained solid and intact. By now, nearly half the players on the platform had jumped off and were engaging the Noctem Forces, who were totally caught off guard, in battle. Lord Tenebris was beside himself with fury. Why isn’t anyone pulling that lever?
“Looking for this?”
Slowly, Lord Tenebris turned around to face Stan. He was still standing calmly at the far end of the platform, and in his outstretched hand was a lever, the redstone dust falling to the ground indicating that it had been freshly yanked off a circuit. Stan released the lever, and it dropped to the ground with a clang.
For a moment, Lord Tenebris just stared at Stan. He was totally unable to process what had happened. How had Stan suddenly gained these miraculous abilities? Stan didn’t let him ponder it for long, though. He jumped into the air and began to float just above the ground as a glowing diamond axe materialized in his hand. Lord Tenebris’s mouth opened slightly, but then he closed it as a savage sneer crossed his face.
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