The Broken Flame

“UNTIL THE VERY END!”

Celina’s shout echoed throughout the cave and rang out true as she slammed Brine’s swords down into the ground. A violent tremble knocked several of the mobs off their feet and the others struggled to stay standing. The queen shouted out as she ran, her movements fueled by her resolve. She surged forward and swung the blades out, sending bodies flying out from the sheer force of her swings. Zombie blood and bones flew out and splattered and crashed to the ground in one swoop.

Celina stood back up and could see more skeletons and some creepers now moving towards her, and she sliced through each and every one before they could make a move. She moved far too fast with the swords in her hands and she took down any mob that tried to move against her. Every skeleton was shattered, every creeper was turned to dust, every zombie sliced through as she turned over and over on her heels. Several of the mobs attempted to run but the queen chased after them and sliced them down.

When all of the attacking mobs had been cut down, Glistenia’s eyes twitched in frustration and rage. “You idiots! You can’t even--I--urgh!” The Ender screamed and walked over to Brine, pulling her blade from his body, completely ignoring the strangled cry he let out. She then braced herself, before running as fast as she could towards the queen.

Celina braced for the impact by crossing the swords in front of her, blocking the incoming blow and managing to push back against Glistenia. She held up her swords in a battle stance, ready for whatever the Ender would throw her way.

The Enderwoman screeched again and began to swing wildly at Celina, left, then right, then left again, then lower, then higher. But there was no opening or weakness in the human’s stance. She blocked every attack, stopped every blow, parried every swing. She wasn’t breaking through and her frustration was making her usually perfect battle skills appear sloppy.

Celina pushed back another blow from Glistenia, making her stumble back in shock. The queen could feel her heart pumping with great energy as the force of Brine’s blades flowed through her veins. She could win this! She could do this! She had to win!

Glistenia began to spin in a wild circle, her blade smacking into the ones the queen held with every spin. She screamed in frustration, teleporting away.

Celina managed to stay calm as the sound of something teleporting came from above her. She readied herself as a shadow came down at her, and when the Ender raised her blade up, she pointed the dual blades up to the sky.

Glistenia’s eyes went wide and Celina only smirked when the Ender realized her mistake. She came down right on the swords and out they went through her chest and her back. She sharply screeched out and soon found herself on the floor, being pinned down by the swords. She could feel her purple life fluid beginning to puddle around her from her wound and though she tried to get up, a small form stepping on her had her stopping to hiss as the human.

Celina had taken her diamond sword back into her hand and now pointed it as Glistenia. She looked much more tired now, panting lightly from the energy of the swords beginning to fade. The aches were beginning to come back and though the swords were powerful with healing energy, her wounds had only healed a bit. Though her body was sore and exhausted, she kept her anger on her face as she pointed the diamond blade at Glistenia.

“It’s over, Glistenia,” she spoke, loud and clear with her voice echoing down the cavern. “I know Enders cannot teleport if pinned in place, and I will keep you here, to pay for everything you’ve done. You have lost. You have let yourself falter and I will not show you mercy. You will suffer for hurting innocents, and for hurting Brine. And frankly? I could care less what happens to you after this. You messed with the wrong human queen, and I have emerged the victor.”

The Ender didn’t say a word, she simply hissed before her eyes rolled back, her head falling to the side. Celina could see her still breathing, but before she could make the killing strike, a soft cry of pain brought her back to a more urgent problem.

“Brine!” She put her sword back into her belt and ran to the Demi-God’s side. He was lying on his back, purple life fluid pooled around him as he coughed and gasped for breath. The queen fell to her knees next to him, finding herself pulling Brine into her lap. “Oh, Gods… Brine, can you hear me, buddy?”

Brine groaned softly, opening his watery eyes to see Celina above him, her eyes full of tears and her body lightly shaking. He weakly put a hand on her arm. “Ce… Celina? Is… is that--you?”

“Yes, yes, it’s me, Brine,” she responded. “I… I did it, Brine. I beat her. I stopped her. She’s on the ground now, and I… your blades. They helped me. I felt so strong while I held them, Brine! I felt like I could do anything! I couldn’t believe it!”

Brine smiled and chuckled weakly. “That’s… wonderful, Celina.” He managed to grin at her. “Celina… I’m so proud of you. You did so much… you saved my life. I can… rest easy now. Thank you, for everything, Celina.”

At his words, the queen smiled, but a moan of agony from him made her smile fall. “Brine… oh, Gods, Brine, hang on, please! I know it hurts, but I’m going to save you! I promise! Just hang on!”

The Demi-God shook his head. He was already so weak. He had lost so much blood. He knew he had caused his own death by not watching himself. But the queen had saved Minecraftia, from him and from Glistenia. And though he was so scared, he felt… at peace.

“It’s… it’s okay--Celina,” he whispered, his strength waning by the second.

Celina quickly looked in her inventory to see if she had any of the mixture of her potion and his blood left, but all the bottles in her inventory were empty. She let out a part sob--part cough. “No! Brine, please, just--just hang on! I’m going to save you! Please… don’t leave me, Brine.”

“I’m sorry…”

Celina howled out, before a soft glow caught her eye. She could see something glowing from Brine’s shoulder, but it wasn’t like the glow from when he healed. She could see a soft sparkle, and as morbid curiosity would have it, she touched his shoulder.

An inventory popped up in front of her, but the queen knew it wasn’t hers. It was filled with redstone torches, fireballs, mobs spawn eggs, and various other trinkets and oddities. The thing that struck her… was the diamond on a necklace.

She was seeing into Brine’s inventory.

“What in the Nether?” She wanted to question why she could suddenly see into his inventory, but the soft white glow of a potion in it had her throwing that logic out the window. It was what was left of the last mixture of her potion and Brine’s blood. 

Celina plucked it from its place and popped the cork. Brine’s breathing was practically gasping at this point and his watery eyes were threatening to close as he struggled to stay awake. The queen looked at the stab wound as she readied to pour the potion into it. “Brine, I’m going to give you what’s left of that mixture we made. I know this will hurt, I know it will, but I promise, it’ll save you, okay?”

Brine weakly nodded, and the queen poured the potion. 

Brine screamed out at the very top of his lungs. “EEERRRRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” He began to wildly writhe around in Celina’s arms, kicking his legs around and flailing his arms. His whole body began to burn and pulse as if he was getting shocked by lightning and he couldn’t stay still. Tears fell from the corner of his tightly glued eyes as he took rapid breaths. 

Celina watched her friend scream and flail around, seeming unable to control his movements. She frowned and held her friend close as he screamed again. “I’m sorry, Brine,” she whispered.

Brine shrieked in pain again as he managed to look up at Celina, his vision blurring in and out with the pain growing worse. He was about to try and speak, but a sharp gasp escaped his lips and he passed out in Celina’s lap.

Celina’s eyes went wide when Brine’s eyes closed. “Brine?” She waited a few moments, watching his chest rise and fall without fail. She sighed in relief when she realized he was still alive. He was alive and breathing, but his wounds didn’t seem to be healing on their own as they usually did. That wasn’t good, but the mixture they made should keep him alive long enough to get him back home.

Celina stood and looked around, seeing a few mobs peeking from their hiding places. She shot them all sharp glares before losing her angered look as the pain from her wounds began to kick in. Her adrenaline flow was just about up and she knew she’d be hurting worse when she got home.

But she could worry about herself later. She had to go get Steve from the small obsidian safe place and get him and Brine home.

She looked down at Brine, kneeling to his level and whispering, “Don’t worry, buddy. I’m gonna get us home.”

*****

The gates to Creatoria opened almost five days later as a figure came from over the hills of the eastern birch forest, a small figure seeming to be carrying two bodies. One was in her arms, the other over one shoulder.

The guards watched the figure, before opening it as their queen approached, Brine in her arms and Steve over her shoulder. The gates shut behind the queen as she slowly made her way up the gravel streets.

Citizens of the kingdom watched their queen, who had been gone for almost four weeks. They were almost sure she wouldn’t come home, they were almost sure she had been dead. But here she was, albeit battered and bruised with her friends being carried. 

A few citizens asked what had happened, and she gave them a long story short explanation as she continued.

Irona watched her queen walk into the castle, and she could only look at her fellow knights as the doors shut.

*****

Celina sighed as she sat down, dressed in her usual attire with the exception of her bandages. She looked at the two beds that sat next to each other, a cyan blanket covering Steve and an orange blanket draped over Brine. They were both in their underpants with bandages covering the severe wounds on their bodies, practically clothed in the wool bindings.

The queen pressed a hand to her forehead. After getting into the castle, she had taken care of Steve and Brine’s wounds and wrapped and cleaned them up. There was so much damage to their bodies that, if they still hadn’t been breathing, she would have been sure they were dead. She made sure they were both still alive before tending to herself, and she had just about as many wool wrappings as the brothers.

A small whimper came from Brine and Celina walked to his bed to see if he would wake up. Though they both were out of it, and over the few days it took to get back home, the queen had heard how many times Brine had cried out in his unconscious state. He was in so much pain from what she could tell, even if he was mostly out of it.

Celina watched her friend, before whispering, “Oh, Brine… I’m so sorry. I didn’t want you and Steve to get hurt so badly.” She took one of Brine’s hands in hers, running her thumbs over his wrapped up knuckles. “But I promise you, I will stay by your side until you’re healed. I will watch over you and protect you, and I will never let you get hurt by anyone ever again.” She kissed his hand tenderly. “I love you, Brine. I will never let you get hurt like that again.”

Celina didn’t even notice the creak at the doors, nor the sounds of two sets of footsteps in the castle. It was a voice, however, that drew her attention.

“Celina?”