[CH.002] Honorary Day

Ocean Village, OverWorld

35 Years Ago

"I'm over on the pier," Ava called out, "hurry up. The wave is getting closer!"

 Daniel ran over to the pier where Ava was last heard from. Once he got to it, he saw why Ava was trapped. She was being held against her will by a Siren. He reached back into his inventory to take Petra's golden enchanted sword out. The Siren gasped, but sarcastically. 

"A life for a life," she said, "you kill our Queen, I'll kill the girl as repayment of your blood debt."

"What good will that do? Is that the only option you have? How will killing her justify your Queen's death?" Daniel asked, "She's just a child!"

"My Queen's life was taken by your blockheads! Killing her will justify the death of my Queen in every way," the Siren responded. 

 The rogue wave was getting closer and closer, bigger and taller too. The crest of the wave was beginning to form, meaning the wave was going to come crashing down on them any minute now. 

 There's no time to waste. He knew what the Siren was doing; she was stalling. Once the wave came crashing down atop of them, it would wash all of them away with it with brutal force. Everyone could drown, minus the Siren. Three birds, one stone. Her tactic was plausible to an extent, but Daniel wasn't going to let that happen. 

 When Ava opened her eyes, the memory of her rescue stopped. She was standing next to the sign on the ground, which read: 

Daniel's Peak

 Bridge

"Our friend, our hero, our savior"

 The sign had the rare glow squid, teal-colored ink as the text color. The glow ink made it easier to read the words, bright and bold. 

 Ava had her hand on the sign as she got down on one knee. She rested her arm on her leg and bowed her head. A brief moment of silence as she paid tribute to the late Daniel. 

"You're always on mind," Ava mumbled as she stood back up. She proceeded forward and began walking away from the sign. Looking back over her shoulder, she muttered: "always."

Aaaaavvvvvvaaaaa, the same voice from earlier howled and whispered.

 From a distance, the Phantom watched behind thick foliage, remaining out of sight. His face was obscured by his black hood, which covered the top of his face. In his left hand, he held his staff. At the top, a teal orb hovered over the top of the staff. 

 Stalking his prey, he quickly conjured a plan of attack. Ava was going to be his first victim. He was going to stop at nothing to get those closest to the fallen hero Daniel. His motive remains a mystery, just like his identity. Is it possible for a paranormal entity, like himself, be identified and stopped? 

 Two-hundred seventy years ago, the OverWorld was in danger by the notoriously cruel demon; Nightmare. For context, she masked her true form by pretending to look like a Queen. 

 Giving herself a name, Nora, she began her reign of terror by traveling to every Village she came across and destroying them, killing many adult and young child villagers. She quickly built up a reputation of being cruel, merciless, and evil. 

 Her very actions mirrored those of the late corrupt Miraz, now known as EnderBrine, actions when he was King. It only took three hundred eighty-four years before another bad guy wreaked havoc and spread fear around the OverWorld. 

 After Ava crossed Daniel's Peak Bridge, she was nearing the plains biome. There, she was hoping to find Annabelle to warn her of the lurking, dangerous Phantom haunting the OverWorld. 

"The Village," Ava muttered to herself as the Village Annabelle was said to be at, came into view at the top of a small hill. 

 Running up the hill, she was welcomed into the village by the farmers and cattlemen villagers. Business was as usual, everyone going about their day. Children ran around, parents sat outside, and the Blacksmith and Cartographers were hard at work in their sheds. 

 Something seemed off though. There were iron axes strewn about on the ground with other valuable loot. Confused, she approached a villager who was picking up the abandoned weapons. 

"Hey, hi," Ava said as she waved her hand. "I'm Ava."

"Ava, huh?" The villager questioned as she set the axes down on the ground next to her in a pile. "I'm Char. What brings you to our village, dear?"

"I'm looking for my sister," Ava answered. 

"Sister, you say? What's her name? What's she look like? Might be of help to you."

"Well, for starters, she's fat. Not too fat though. Like medium fat. Short and long, light brown hair. I was told she'd be here."

"Hm, there was a girl here that kinda matches your description. She was fighting Pillagers as they attacked our Village earlier this morning. She was using magic and sorcery to fight the Pillagers Axmen."

"That explains all the axes," Ava said, "she was once the apprentice to Merlin and Leona. She's a witch."

"A fat, short, long light brown haired witch."

"YES! That's her. Have you seen her?"

"Yeah she left right after the pillagers retreated," Char said. 

"Did you happen to see which direction she flew off in?" Ava asked. 

"Northward. Towards the Memorial in the Mountains biome," Char answered. 

"Thank you," Ava said as she thanked Char for helping her, and took off. She took off so fast that she didn't hear what Char had said after that. 

"She's not alone. She's being followed—," Char said before giving up on finishing what she was trying to say.

 Char leaned over to pick up the axes off the ground. When she leaned back up straight, she was confronted by the Phantom standing inches from her face. His cold breath could be felt as he exhaled. He didn't say anything to her, but she felt threatened by his presence. 

"I did what you asked," Char said, "she'll be right where you want her. Now leave me alone, you undead fool!"

 Char turned her back towards the Phantom. She took just one step away from him when he slammed his staff down hard on the ground. A gust of wind emitted from the staff as mirrored copies of himself rose out of the ground, encircling and surrounding her. 

"Disrespect?" The Phantom said in his deep, sinister-sounding voice.

GASP!

 When Char turned around, she had a nervous smile. Her entire body shook. 

"I meant no disrespect, sir," Char said as she dropped the axes.

"Kneel!" The Phantom shouted. 

"Yes, of course. Anything for our savior," Char said in a shaky voice as she slowly got down onto her knees and bowed before the Phantom. 

 He seems to be acting in the same sense as his late predecessors Miraz and Daniel. Both of them were King's at one point. But only Miraz was the bad one. Now, why would the Phantom force villagers to bow before him as if he were their King? Maybe, at one point in time, he was a King himself? Makes you wonder who the Phantom really is, doesn't it?

 And so, as Ava got closer to the Mountain biome, she came across a familiar sight. It was the house she, Annabelle, and their adoptive mom Petra lived in. It's been years since she last laid eyes on it. 

 The house, empty and abandoned, is being consumed by overgrown grass, vines growing up all four sides of the house, and the cobblestone roof beginning to cave in and crumble. The windows were shattered and cracked. The house showed its upkeep was being neglected. 

 Ava dramatically rolled her eyes and shook her head, scoffing as she exhaled a sigh. Walking over to the house, the door remained open oddly enough. The whispering ethereal-sounding voice called it her name again. 

Aaaaavvvvvvaaaaa, the voice whispered.

 It's the same voice from earlier this morning. She paid little attention and disregarded its whispers to her. Unbeknownst to her, she was being lured into a trap set by the phantom. However, she had no idea what it looked like inside. 

 But never mind that. Instead she walked over to an oak wood sign. Sticking up out of the ground behind two cobblestone slabs. The slabs were covering up the hole in which her adoptive-mother, Petra, is buried. On the sign, it read: 

Petra

"An adventurer, A Hero, A Savior To Us All. 

May She Rest."

 The grass around the grave was starting to grow over the slabs. The over growing grass looked similar to vines growing on jungle trees. 

 Reaching back into her inventory, she grabbed a flower and took it out. It was a black Wither Rose. A rare flower that can only be obtained by killing a Wither in the NetherWorld. The rose was a favorite of Petra's. 

 Throughout her entire life, she never managed to see one much less obtain one. Ava, on the other hand, managed to do just that. Wasn't easy, but she succeeded somehow.

"Hey mom," she mumbled as she set her hand down on the cobblestone slab. "I got a little something you might like… a Wither Rose."

 In her other hand, she gently placed the flower down. She faintly smiled as she stood up. Looking down at her mothers grave. 

"Wish I could stay," Ava said as she glanced back over her shoulder briefly. "There's so much I want to tell you…. There's always next time, right? I'll stop by on my way back to the ship tomorrow. Love you mom."

Aaaaavvvvvvaaaaa, the voice whispered.

 She ignored the voice as she got back up onto her feet. Before going on her way, she had one last long look at the house. As neglected as it was, the memories made in it will forever remain…even long after the house is gone. 

 As she continued peering into the house, a bat rushed out through the front door; which was all the way open. 

SCREACH!

 Squinting her eyes and looking up into the sky to see where the Sun was at. It was approaching midday. 

 As Ava said her goodbyes to Petra and went on her way, from the Heavens above, Petra watched her adopted adult daughter walk and get further away from the house. 

"Petra?" Stanley said as he walked up behind her. 

 She had her back facing him. 

"Thirty-two years have passed. It's been thirty-two years since any God or Goddess has stepped foot down on the Lands below. I want to see them, I want to hear how they've lived their lives, what adventures they've taken…"

 She turns around to face Stanley. Heartbroken, she looks to change the rules Wynter established months after Daniel died. The risks and dangers of letting Gods and Goddesses go down to the OverWorld over-realized by Wynter. 

 She is Leader of the Gods and Goddesses and one of many creators of the OverWorld. The OverWorld that exists today is…, is because of the first generation Gods and Goddesses; Wynter being one of them. 

 Bound for the Honorary Day Celebration, Ava will soon be reunited with her sister. 

 A ways away, in the Mountains Biome, Annabelle was still busy setting things up. Tables and chairs swirled around in the air as Annabelle was using her magic to get things in order faster. 

 Blockheads were beginning to arrive from all around the OverWorld. From the Minelantians to the Northern Kingdom's villagers and blockheads. This year's celebration is bound to be bigger than the last. Every year, the list of attendees only grew. 

 A falcon was spotted swooshing in over Ava's head. She was nearing the celebration location. The falcon landed and hopped three times on its feet. 

 Thomas and Aurora watched Mileena fly overhead. Mileena is in her falcon form. When she lands close to Annabelle, a shroud of smoke engulfs her. 

"Ava?" A familiar older-sounding male blockhead voice was, "Is that (cough) you?"

 Ava looked back over her, her eyes fixed at the blockhead. She smiled and walked back to him. It's Ceres.

 Handy a walking stick. Gray beard hangs down to his knees, and almost touches the ground. Slouching forward, Ava noticed something wasn't him. But whatever that "something" is, she wouldn't know. 

 His blue hat he always wears wasn't in great condition. Same can also be said for his coat too; which matched the color of the hat. 

"Do not worry about me," he told Ava as the two of them began slowly walking again. Their destination was up ahead. 

"What? I didn't say anything," Ava told him. 

"But you were thinking it," Ceres responded. 

"I do worry about you," Ava tells Ceres as she hears I'm off sailing the oceans, you know. But you're the only one that's always on my mind."

"I may be old, but I don't have any plans of dying anytime soon," Ceres said.

"But you will…," Ava said as she grabbed his left hand, gripping it gently. "I want to be here with you when that time comes. I don't want to be away on some quest or some long voyage."

"I wouldn't go without saying goodbye," Ceres said as he looked up at Ava with a smile. 

"You're the last living blockhead from my childhood and my past. Merlin, Leona, my mother, and Daniel. They're all gone," Ava told Ceres. 

"What about Mileena? She's over 700 years old, older than me. She's still here…"

"That's because she drinks that elixir—"

"It's a potion,," Ceres corrected her, "not an elixir."

 Ava side glances over at him. She smirks and chuckies. One memory, of many she holds dear, was how Ceres was always the one to correct someone when and if they were wrong about something.

 As her and Ceres made their way over to where Annabelle is, Thomas happened to look over. He saw them and raised his hand to his head. As he waved them down, shouting 'Ceres' and 'Ava' semi-loudly.

 Annabelle looked up. She notices Ava and state approach her. Annabelle walked away while Mileena was mid-sentence.