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Pearl was used to the call of blood and the ostracization she faced for it.
It slowly crept under her skin and heightened in the night, even before she went down to her last life. She would bide her time as much as she could, stifling the urge until she couldn’t take it anymore. When she finally dropped to her red life or the curse struck her, she finally got to unleash the beast that festered inside her bones.
But when the others had seen her and the primal rage that festered inside of her, they responded with anything but kindness. They mocked, ostracized, and demeaned her for her nature. Nothing about it was something she could help— but she could certainly indulge.
Every series since the beginning, something mad overtook Pearl when she became red. Those that mocked her got her blade or became the victim of a trap. Allies became scarce or betrayed her trust, but they all ended up in the same position by the end. This was the nature of the game. She found this affliction not to be an utter curse, as it helped her do what she needed to do to win the game.
It didn’t stop the loneliness from creeping in. Before she turned red, she sought out friendships. Some remained wary of her due to past lives, but few afforded her the kindness of companionship. Some got close enough that Pearl could almost say she liked them, but her heart never truly opened to any of her allies.
As the cycle continued, a new series began. One full of secrecy.
Pearl enjoyed devious acts, especially when the call of blood came to her. Seeing those she knew fall to traps, outsmarted by another? It certainly got a thrill out of her.
There was a new addition in this world, a woman with red hair and strikingly bright green eyes. Gem. There was something about her, a draw that Pearl couldn’t quite describe. A familiarity, perhaps? Pearl couldn’t put the pieces together, but she didn’t mind a little uncertainty.
The two weren’t always allies. Their alliances kept them apart, as did the nature of always having a secret task that often involved lying to, undermining, or even hurting the others around them. They found themselves at odds more than Pearl would have liked, but there was another thought that quickly made its way into her mind.
Gem was particularly skilled both in combat and as a strategist. Every time Gem struck another member down through the means of a trap or even just her blade, a small inkling of admiration grew inside of her. The call of blood always preferred it when she did its bidding, but the sight of someone else practicing the art with such finesse was not an unwelcome one.
With every ounce of damage she took, no matter if she gained hearts back, Pearl felt a piece of herself being lost. The call beckoned, and her body grew colder. It was undetectable as it began, slowly creeping up on her. Pearl dismissed the feeling, adamant to herself that she might not lose herself to the call again. She could survive this. She could make it out without needing to draw blood senselessly.
Her time in her green life was not without close calls or large swaths of hurt. Mistakes, traps, and other shortcomings came knocking at her door. Despite it all, she made it a long way before anything truly nefarious happened to her. But like all good things, it had to come to an end. Simply opening the door to Scar’s house brought her the ultimate misfortune, an explosion under her feet.
The pain was sudden and quick, no unnecessary suffering involved. Her eyes shut and opened again, respawned with all of her health points restored, but now among the ranks of those with two lives left. Pearl had to clench her jaw, as her status was not the only pressing concern— the cold, hollow feeling had worsened significantly. It had gone far past the point of keeping it out of sight. Something was missing inside of her, a warmth that might never be returned. A piece of her soul was claimed by the powerful gods that ran the system. The Watchers, she had learned.
It had happened by Gem’s hand, orchestrated as part of a plot to infect the entire server with the curse. The curse was one that Pearl was intimately familiar with, an obligation to hurt. While an initial feeling of dread washed over her, Pearl saw the apologetic and bloodthirsty look in Gem’s eyes when she informed her of what she had to do.
“Do you understand, Pearl? You’re with us, you’re cursed,” Gem explained, her tone still laced with remorse.
Some sense of humanity remained in her consciousness, and Pearl had to express anguish over the plot. She still had obligations to her allies, fighting against the part of herself that grew stronger the more life she lost to the game. But in the end, the slightest grin crept onto her face. She had to get involved, there was no other way around it.
When they brought up the topic of their next target, Scar, it was like a switch flipped in her head. It was the push she needed to begin. Not only did she have to kill, she wanted to. She smiled as she climbed onto horseback, leading the charge against their potential victims. The curse had to spread, yes, but there was something else to it.
Everything escalated in Pearl’s mind when Scar shot down one of her dogs. One of her allies would’ve been an unfortunate blow, but her dogs made things personal. Those wolves were some of the only things she cared about. The wolves would never betray her. They would fight by her side, loyal companions with a shared bloodlust.
Her next actions, then, were fully justified in her mind. She had proper cause. Her arrows struck true, driving into the heart of the man that hurt the ones she called her closest allies. Scar fell on the battlefield, turning from green to yellow. It was in the name of the curse, yes, but Pearl’s satisfaction did not end there. Releasing the arrows felt right. It was only a matter of time before she got to do it again.
The curse beckoned to her. New targets were chosen. The longer the curse lasted, the more people began to pick up on it and the more chaos began to unfold. In the time of the boogeyman curse alone, Gem had direct involvement in five deaths herself, and was present for more. Pearl couldn’t deny she had grown to admire Gem’s handiwork.
Despite having two lives, just momentarily, Pearl felt the red beginning to set in. The nature of their task had it building underneath her skin, yearning to escape the longer the series continued. Every life she took quieted it for a moment before the call came back stronger.
When the curse finally passed, Pearl found a moment of normalcy. She still remained cold, a piece of her emotional senses taken away. The call still remained, although quieter and more subdued than when the curse ran through her blood. This wasn’t without attempts made on her life and typical drama between members, but there was an obvious difference in her demeanor.
Gem herself had been struck down by Scar and moved into her final life. Pearl had seen her briefly in passing, noticing the ruby red colors that adorned her, one eye matching her designation. Seeing her caused a fleeting smile to pass across her face, but she had more important matters to attend to at that moment.
One of her allies, Bdubs, seemed to have a loyalty problem. He was a part of her alliance from the start and had proven himself useful in the past. While Pearl might not have lost sleep over losing Bdubs, she knew she needed people to have around her as the server turned increasingly barbaric and bloody. She would try to keep him around in order to be seen as having a strong band of allies, if nothing else.
The thought dawned on her that day that despite feeling the need to keep up appearances, she didn’t much care to have all of those people around her. They had proven in the past to be backstabbing moles that, no matter how long it took, would inevitably flip against her. Someone had to get a sword in the back, and Pearl was determined to ensure that wouldn’t be her.
Things got interesting again when a well-timed arrow slammed into Pearl’s side. She fell a considerable height off of the pillar she constructed, hitting the ground with remarkable force. The pain that followed ached in her legs as a bout of anger flared up in her chest.
“That’s— that’s not how I wanted to leave the conversation, Gem!” Pearl called out as she hurried to her feet and scampered away.
Gem’s face lit up with excitement as she followed behind Pearl. “Did it hurt? How bad? How much?”
Pearl shot a frustrated glare behind her, which seemed to deter Gem. “I’m not tellin’ you!” She gritted her teeth as she collected her bearings, head still spinning slightly from the fall. The damage wasn’t too extensive. None of her injuries would slow her down for long.
They reconvened near the Secret Keeper, the large stone statue that produced their daily tasks and rewarded them for success. Gem had started to collect rewards from the ground, her eyes meeting Pearl’s as she approached.
It took Pearl a moment to process before the pieces clicked together in her mind. “Was you doing that to me part of your task?”
Gem nodded, scooping up the last reward into her pack. “Yeah,” She stepped out from the Secret Keeper, “I wasn’t sure how much damage it did, but I assumed it was enough.”
“I’m sure you did, that hurt, Gem,” Pearl remembered the pain and scowled.
Gem shuffled through her things before pulling out a familiar item, “Do you want a camel?”
“I’d love a camel,” Pearl reached out and Gem placed the delicate, large egg into her hands. Spawn eggs like these were a common reward from the Keeper.
“Sorry for damaging you.”
“That’s alright,” Pearl smiled and glanced at Gem’s attire, “You’re a kind red, you know that?”
The moment hung in the air for a moment, Gem sheepishly shrugging. Pearl felt a tug in her chest as she studied Gem’s features. She hadn’t gotten a good chance to. Her ginger curls fell and framed her face that might suggest innocence, but Pearl knew that much to be a facade. Such a thing only added to Pearl’s growing admiration for Gem. She knew how to use her disposition to her advantage.
Pearl found herself distracted taking in Gem’s appearance, not noticing her eyes drifting to something she could not see. Gem paused and hesitated for a moment before she unsheathed her sword and took a swing.
“I’m sorry, I have to show Martyn that–” Gem’s voice was heavy with remorse as she swung again and again, Pearl scrambling to run away and out of her range.
“You don’t have to!” Pearl pleaded, quickly nocking an arrow into her bow, turning her gaze over her shoulder just long enough to see the red of Gem’s eyes. She let it fly, hearing the impact that caused Gem to cry out in response.
“You’re right, I don’t have to kill you, Pearl!” Gem responded as the chase continued, the two of them in a mad dash towards Pearl’s base.
Pearl’s mind raced, confused and uncertain. What does she mean, doesn’t have to? She’s clearly trying to! Another well-timed hit knocked into Pearl’s back, sending her reeling forward. Before she found her balance again, one final strike cut into her side, sending everything to black.
Red.
When Pearl’s eyes opened again, things seemed so different. The color in her vision seemed to drain, everything duller and grey. Her skin was freezing cold to the touch, but still pink and flush with the flow of blood in her body. She reached up and could feel the scar that came down under her right eye, knowing what it meant. A quick view of her clothes confirmed exactly what she thought: she was red. She was on her last life.
As she returned to the Secret Keeper, she saw Gem standing there once again. The feeling of deja vu was not lost on her as she approached.
“Gem.” Pearl’s voice was noticeably lower than before, “Why did you do that?”
“It was for a task, okay? All you needed to do to stop it was to just put up your shield and stop me, Pearl,” Gem hurriedly explained through small bouts of laughter. Pearl couldn’t tell if she was nervous, elated, or both.
Pearl couldn’t stop the smile that splayed across her face. “Oh,” She snickered, “That was silly of me, wasn’t it?”
“It’s okay, though, because you’re red now!”
Pearl nodded. “I'm red now.”
“I brought out red Pearl, look at you,” Gem grinned as she approached Pearl, gesturing to her crimson clothing as she took in the new appearance. "You look so pretty like that."
Pearl was caught off guard by Gem’s compliment, having not been used to hearing such praise for her look. Despite the cold that ran through her veins, Pearl continued to smile. Her heart stirred with every word Gem spoke.
The breeze came in and ran across Pearl’s skin. As she looked out onto the fields in front of her, dotted with the homes of the members of the server, she realized just how hollow she felt. Every time her mind flitted to the idea of her allies, her friends, no feelings sparked in her mind. The color had drained from the world as much as it had her soul, and all that was left was red.
She contemplated how she might go about the coming days. She took in the landscape as the wind blew through the grass. With it brought the scent of those a mile away and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. From the hollow feeling grew one of bloodlust and a strong sense of companionship for the woman standing next to her.
“You know, I think I’m ready,” Pearl’s smile had fallen. “I’m ready.”
A brief pause hung in the air. “Then who’s up first?”
“Cleo.” Pearl did not miss a beat.
“Okay. I’ll help you.”
Pearl turned, surprised. Gem had shuffled closer, but the same, eager smile remained on her face.
“You will?” Pearl’s voice wavered.
"Yeah," Gem said with a single, vigorous nod, and that was all Pearl needed to hear. “Alright. Let’s go kill Cleo.”
Pearl laughed incredulously. “You’re sure?”
“I am,” Gem responded in kind, “I just got a taste for blood and I want more.”
A chord struck inside Pearl’s chest. Gem’s utter enthusiasm to go alongside her into what could be certain death without question had taken her aback. She had never met anyone that would go alongside her not only unquestionably, but also shared her call to blood.
Everything about Gem seemed to light up Pearl’s brain. She was eager and enthusiastic while being calculated and cunning. An outwardly bright and infectious person with a wicked smart mind. Her beauty and brains had ensnared Pearl, and she wasn’t all that certain if she wished to escape Gem’s clutches.
Pearl’s hands reached into the satchel on her side. “Well,” She grinned as she pulled out a familiar gift given to her not long beforehand, tossing it to the ground. Its large, ovular shape shifted and multiplied in size. “How would you like to ride the camel of death with me?”
The large animal stood docile in front of them. Neither Pearl nor Gem could stifle their laughter as they eagerly climbed aboard.
“The camel of death!” Gem snickered, “Alright, sure.”
Pearl saddled herself in the front, taking the reins as Gem got up behind her. “We’re so brilliant,” Her laughter rang out into the quiet night. Gem situated herself and wrapped her arms securely around Pearl’s waist, a usual safety precaution that managed to stir something deep within her. As she commanded the animal forward, her voice softened. “I love this so much. You’re wonderful.”
“You are, too.” Gem paused, “ I can’t believe you want to be friends with me after all that.”
The thought had crossed Pearl’s mind briefly before. Despite her better judgment, Gem had drawn her in. “I can’t believe it either, but here we are.” Some words were better left unsaid, and yet Pearl felt the need to say more. “You just seem so fun. I couldn’t really help myself.”
“I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with you, but I’m glad I decided to get to know you, Pearl.”
The camel took them towards Mounders base in order for Pearl to pick up her wolves— or what remained of them after Cleo burned some of them. They were extremely useful in a fight. Herding them together took time, but Pearl had gotten accustomed to handling wolves in past events.
Before long, they were out traveling under the cover of night. The only thing that kept their paths illuminated was the moonlight that shined down from above as the two kept a concerted effort to pass around torches. Detection was to be avoided at all costs, hoping to have the element of surprise when they found their prey.
The journey didn’t take long, despite having collected a few strays that followed along behind them. They were trailed by Scar, Scott, and Bdubs, all out on a hunt. Pearl liked to operate alone or in small groups, but she couldn’t complain if it meant she got to exact her revenge on Cleo. Nobody came between a woman and her wolves.
The group of hunters spotted Cleo, Grian, and Etho not far off of the Mounders base and set off at full speed towards them. Pearl kept her bow drawn and at the ready, anticipating a bloodbath.
Tensions were high and bordered on outright hostility as the group circled their quarry.
“Who’s looking to die?” Pearl taunted, nocking the first arrow into her bow.
Grian spoke first, nervous as he looked around. “We’re looking pretty evenly matched here.” He laughed, but it all sounded hollow. They were swarmed. Their wolves began to close the distance between the hunters and their prey, and Grian swung first.
“Did you just—” Pearl’s ears rang as she immediately drew back the arrow in her bow. It took less than a second for her to find her target and send the arrow flying towards him. Blood pounded like a roaring tide in her ears as she watched it sink into an unsuspecting Grian, who slumped to the ground. With the low rumble of thunder in the distance, Pearl knew she had finished him off.
Shock hit her first, not anticipating Grian to be so wounded. Her bow was powerful, but not enough to kill someone outright like that. If the same event might have occurred one or two lives ago, Pearl might have felt a flood of guilt in the moment. Instead, she was met with a sense of relief. Grian would be one less obstacle in her way of getting everyone down to their last lives, and Cleo would be temporarily left without someone to defend them.
After the first arrow claimed its target, everything broke into chaos. Cleo and Etho scattered in a mad dash away from the group that had found them. The moment of surprise allowed them a few precious seconds of distance put between them, but their attackers had the advantage. The camel was faster than running on foot, and they charged ahead.
Gem leaned around Pearl’s side and began to fire off arrows. Pearl heard Gem take steady breaths before each shot, followed by a cheer when one hit its target. “I hit Cleo,” Her voice dropped to a steady command.
Pearl followed Gem’s example as their mount followed behind Cleo steadily. Each draw of the bow had her heart beating faster than before. The dull grey of the landscape filled with red, a strong scent trail towards her prey. Pearl’s senses honed in on the hunt, the blood that trailed in the grass almost illuminated in her vision. One arrow found purchase, then another. The more blood was spilled, the more she felt ravenous for it.
In a moment, Cleo dove into the water of a nearby stream, Pearl too focused on their trail to see them toss an ender pearl. Even as they vanished from sight, Pearl’s nose twitched. The group's immediate panic only lasted a moment as Pearl urged the camel forward, the blood an unmistakable scent.
“There!” Pearl called out to her allies, but it was her arrow that struck first. She heard a sharp cry of pain before silence. The telltale call of thunder in the distance rumbled, and Pearl knew she had done it.
All that Pearl could do was laugh. Each kill rejuvenated her, emboldened her strength. She felt unstoppable. She had delivered in the call for blood and had been rewarded with life.
As they rode away from the group that had amassed, two arms returned around her waist and squeezed tightly. “You did it, Pearl, you did it!” Gem giggled and placed her chin comfortably on Pearl’s shoulder.
“You might have unleashed something in me, Gem,” Pearl said breathlessly, the scent of blood in the air intoxicating.
“I’m so proud of you,” Gem leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek and another on her clothed shoulder. “Good job, Pearl.”
Everything in Pearl— her heart, her thoughts, her movements— seemed to stutter for a moment before suddenly feeling so full. The skin of her face flushed strongly and her heart beat rampantly in her chest. When she turned her head over her shoulder and saw Gem looking at her, beholding her as if she might be the only person in the world, Pearl was certain she was under a spell.
Every time she met Gem’s adoring gaze or heard her voice, Pearl was struck with a feeling she had never felt before. A sudden fullness in the hollow hole in her chest, something that she could not put into words.
As Pearl turned and took in the woman in front of her and the reddish flush of her skin, a hand cupped her cheek. Realization hit Pearl with time enough to react, but she resigned herself. Gem closed the distance between them, a tender connection as their lips pressed together. They paused for a moment when they broke apart before Gem pressed a second, chaste kiss to the tip of Pearl’s nose, a playful smile adorning her face.
“You’re cute when you get all bloodthirsty like that,” Gem said.
Pearl took in Gem fully for a moment, the dark black clothes highlighted with streaks of crimson red. Not part of the clothing itself, but the mark of her accomplishments over days past. As the moonlight framed her face, Pearl was certain she had never seen such beauty given form.
“You’re beautiful when you’re covered in blood,” Pearl responded.
“You have such a way with words.”
Pearl’s hand came down and met Gem’s, her passenger’s skin far warmer to the touch than her own. Without a thought, their fingers laced together as they set off for a night’s shelter. There was no telling what the next day would hold, or if the red moon might rise again.