The Wither Invasion

by Mark Cheverton

  “Wow, you’re a really sensitive guy.” Planter glared at Blaster.

  “That’s one of his best qualities,” Fencer said, stepping closer to Blaster.

  The boy just rolled his eyes as Watcher raised his head and grinned at Blaster’s discomfort.

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying this!” Blaster spun around and stormed away in a huff, Fencer on his heels.

  “Are we ready to move?” Planter asked. “We can be back to the Wizard’s Tower in an hour.”

  “Yeah, I’m almost ready.” Watcher turned to his sister. “Can you give me one of those rockets?” She handed one to him. It was a red-and-white striped cylinder with a large, dark-red nosecone on the top. Watcher flicked it in his right hand, lighting the fuse, and in a second, the rocket shot out of his hand and streaked up into the sky. “Hmmm …”

  “Watcher, what are you thinking?” Winger asked.

  He walked around his sister and gently held her Elytra wings between two hands. “This gives me an idea.” Watcher smiled.

  “Really?” Winger replied. “What are you thinkin’?”

  Watcher just nodded his head, lost in thought. “I haven’t quite figured out all the pieces yet. Hopefully I can tell you something more when we reach the Wizard’s Tower.” Watcher patted his sister on her shoulder, his smile growing bigger. “Maybe we aren’t as helpless as we think.”

  And for the first time in a long time, Watcher felt something he hadn’t felt for a long, long time: hope.

  They rode through the forest in complete silence, the golems doing their best to move quietly by avoiding breaking branches with their tall bodies. The wolves and their metallic riders formed a wide circle around the large company of NPCs, moving without making a sound. The only noise Watcher could hear was the gentle rustle of the leaves in the constant east-to-west breeze and the swish-swish of the tall grass.

  Turning his head constantly from left to right, Watcher scanned the area for threats; he knew Krael and his horde of distorted monsters were out there, somewhere, hunting them. All of the NPCs in his company knew it, too, and they all looked scared. Watcher could feel constant glances being directed toward him, each worried stare reminding him he had to figure out the final battle plan, so they wouldn’t all be destroyed.

  The thought of failure terrified him.

  There were little children, mothers, fathers, grandparents … every facet of the NPC community were here in his company, and they deserved the right to live out their lives.

  If I make the wrong decision, they’ll all be doomed, Watcher thought. I can’t stand having this responsibility.

  They have faith in you, a deep voice boomed within his head.

  Planter glanced at Watcher, hearing Baltheron’s words in her head, too.

  These villagers will do what you ask, Baltheron continued. They will follow you into battle, no matter how dire the odds may appear.

  That’s what I’m afraid of. A feeling of dread spread through the young wizard. I’m afraid they’ll stand and fight when they should just run away.

  No war has ever been won by running away, Taerian said, the Gauntlets of Life flashing briefly as he spoke. There was an accusatory tone to the ancient wizard’s voice. Running from a threat just makes the threat stronger.

  Watcher nodded; that was something he knew a lot about. Every time he ran from the bullies in their village, it had just seemed to make them bolder and more abusive, and with Watcher being so small and weak, he couldn’t stand up to them; he’d just get a beating. Instead, Watcher had found a better solution, and that was to be where they didn’t expect him and have a strategy they didn’t expect, like a secret escape route, or jumping across tree branches that couldn’t bear their heavier weight, or leaping from roof to roof to get away. The element of surprise had always confused the bullies.

  “Change the situation to one where the bullies are weak, rather than strong.” That had been his father’s advice, and it had helped a lot, and at times even—

  “Wait a minute.”

  Watcher stopped in his tracks. The rest of the company quickly formed a defensive formation, something Cutter had taught them. They drew bows and notched arrows, ready for an attack from any direction.

  “What’s wrong?” Mapper moved to the young wizard’s side. “Do you sense the withers coming?”

  Watcher shook his head. I know what we’ll do, he thought. We’re gonna change the situation to one where we’re strong and the withers are weak.

  Somehow, Watcher could feel the minds within his possessed enchanted weapons smile. Turning, he glanced at Planter and Mira, the two wizards standing next to each other, the glow from their magical power casting a wide circle of iridescent light. They both nodded and smiled, agreeing with his decision.

  “We can really do this,” Watcher said softly. “We can defeat Krael and his mob of bullies.” He glanced at his sister, her Elytra sparkling with the mending enchantment woven into the wings. Pulling out the Wand of Cloning, Watcher smiled. “We can do this!” he shouted triumphantly.

  Many of the NPCs glanced at Watcher, confused, but also relieved.

  “Shhh … what are you doing?” Cutter glared at the young wizard. “Are you insane? You need to keep your voice down. Monsters might hear you.”

  “Let ’em hear me.” Watcher glanced at the sun. It was getting closer to the western horizon; they had only a few hours before nightfall.

  “Who goes there?” a voice shouted suddenly from the shadows.

  “Is that Builder I hear?” Watcher asked.

  Horses’ hooves stomped the ground as four mounted soldiers came out from behind a thick copse of birch trees.

  “Watcher … is that you?” one soldier asked.

  The young wizard nodded. “Yep.”

  “I’m glad you’re back.” Builder took off his iron helmet and wiped his brow. “There have been lots of monsters around, and they’re getting aggressive, but that’s not the worst part.”

  “Why is there always a ‘worst part?’” Blaster smiled at the soldier.

  “Blaster, be quiet,” Planter snapped. “The serious villagers are talking now.”

  Fencer laughed and grinned at the embarrassed boy.

  “What’s the worst part?” Mapper asked.

  “The zombies and skeletons don’t catch fire in the sunlight anymore.” Builder put his helmet back on. “They’re walking around in broad daylight as if they own the place. How can they do that?”

  “Hm. I felt some kind of magic ripple through the fabric of Minecraft.” Mira tapped her staff on the side of a tree, and instantly, the ground rumbled as the golems approached. “I bet Krael did something to make them impervious to the rays of the sun. That can’t be good.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I’m sure Krael is gonna attack tonight … I can just feel it.” Watcher glanced up at the soldiers on horseback. “I need you to stay with the children and elderly. Help the golems and make sure they all get back to the Wizard’s Tower.”

  “Got it.” Builder nodded.

  “The rest of us, we’re running to the Wizard’s Tower. We have a little surprise to prepare for Krael and his friends.” Watcher stood tall, brimming with confidence. “We can do this if we work together and work fast … but there isn’t a lot of time. Stealth is no longer important. Speed is what we need.”

  “Then what are we waiting for?” Mapper took off, sprinting for the Wizard’s Tower hidden within the forest. “Let’s see if any of you can keep up with me!” the old man called out, but then he caught his foot on a tree root and tumbled to the ground. He climbed to his feet and glanced back at the company, turning red with embarrassment. “Oops.”

  Then he turned and sprinted again. Behind him, the NPCs laughed and followed the old man.

  Cutter slapped Watcher on the back as he passed. “I hope your plan is a good one, or this will be the shortest Great War in history.”

  “That’s my hope.” Watcher started to run, moving to Cutter’s side. �
��One way or another, the Great War ends for good tonight.”

  Ripples of fear spread through Watcher’s mind at the thought, trying to drown his courage, but he refused to let the fear in. Tonight, Minecraft didn’t need a scrawny, scared boy who was afraid to fail his companions. Tonight, Minecraft needed Watcher: the boy who refused to give up, no matter what.

  He glanced at Cutter. “It’s time we showed Krael who he’s really messing with.”

  “Absolutely.” The hulking warrior slapped the wizard on the back confidently. “It’s time for war.”

  As Watcher ran through the forest, thoughts of the upcoming battle raced through his mind. His half-formed plan played through scenario after scenario as he fought mock battles in his imagination. Each time, he imagined Krael doing something to defeat them eventually. He wanted to shout in frustration, but the young wizard knew it would only make the rest of the NPCs more nervous.

  Ahead, he spotted Mapper. Sprinting, Watcher reached the old man’s side, then put a hand on his shoulder and slowed to a stop. The old NPC gladly stopped to rest and leaned against a tall oak tree; clearly all this running was taking a toll on him.

  “Mapper, I need you to continue to the Tower.” Watcher handed the old man a flask of water, which he gladly drank. “We need lots of healing potions, as many as you can make.”

  Mapper turned to his friend. “Why more healing potions? I think they already brewed enough for each person to have plenty. Why do we need more?”

  “They aren’t for NPCs.” Watcher gave his friend a mischievous grin. “They’re for something special that I think you’ll like … a lot.”

  Mapper nodded suspiciously. “You seem pretty pleased with yourself.”

  The young wizard just shrugged. “Come on, let’s get to the Wizard’s Tower. There is still much more to do.”

  Without waiting for a response, Watcher turned and continued toward their home, Mapper a step or two behind. Ahead of them, the ground shook under the thunderous footsteps of the golems as the metal giants charged through the forest, the sounds of breaking branches and crushed leaves filling the landscape. Every now and then, Watcher caught a glimpse of a silver wolf’s metallic fur reflecting the light of the sinking sun, making them appear to shimmer and sparkle.

  As they neared the Tower, they encountered cobblestone walls with archer towers built high into the air. The walls stretched around the Tower, the entire barricade scores of blocks in length; he doubted they had enough warriors left to man the entire thing.

  My dad better get here in time. Watcher shook his head, worried.

  There are many solutions to any problem, Taerian said. We’ve waited a long time to finally see the real end of the—

  Taerian, that’s enough! Baltheron’s words felt spikey and angry in Watcher’s mind; it was as if the Gauntlets of Life were about to say something they shouldn’t. He wanted to ask, but he knew there wasn’t time for any distractions.

  As he ran, a strange tickling sensation nibbled at the back of his head. It slowly spread down his spine, as if a thousand tiny spiders were running along his spine. He glanced over his shoulder at Mirthrandos.

  “You can finally feel it, right?” Mirthrandos asked.

  Watcher nodded.

  The ancient wizard glanced at Planter. “I bet you can also sense it as well.”

  The girl nodded, her long blond hair looking like a golden waterfall as the locks spilled down her back under the late afternoon sun. A concerned expression spread across her face. “What is it?”

  “It’s Tharus’s Tower.” Mira pointed at the structure as they slowed to a stop, then stepped into the clearing.

  A gaping hole scarred the grass-covered ground. It was at least fifty blocks across, its edges rough, as if carved by countless blocks of TNT. Protruding up through the hole was an elaborate structure made of quartz and stained glass, with shining beacons dotting its exterior; it was the Wizard’s Tower, their home.

  “Why can we feel something from the Wizard’s Tower?” Watcher grabbed Mira’s arm and pulled her to a stop, with Planter settling at the old woman’s other side. The rest of the villagers moved past them, quickly following the rocky trail leading into the ancient building. “We never felt anything before.”

  “You’re both stronger now; the more you use your magic, the greater your power becomes.” The ancient wizard put a comforting hand on Planter’s arm. “Your power will grow, whether you use it or not; it just grows faster this way.”

  “It feels like there’s something inside the tower, something hiding in the—”

  Planter cut Watcher off. “You’re wrong. It’s not something hiding inside the tower … it is the tower. The power we’re feeling is the tower itself.”

  “You’re wise for such a young wizard.” Mira smiled at her. “Planter is correct. The Wizard’s Tower, as you call it, was built by Tharus himself. The entire structure is a weapon … it’s the weapon.”

  “You mean… it’s …” Watcher’s voice trembled a bit.

  Mira nodded. “The Tower is part of Tharus’s Answer to the monster problem. Tharus planned on using it against all the monsters in Minecraft. The warlocks knew this and tried to stop him.”

  “They tried to destroy the tower?” Planter asked.

  The old woman shook her head, her long gray hair swishing back and forth across her back. “No, the Tower cannot be destroyed, but the warlocks knew the Tower had to be above any obstacles so it could send out its destructive wave. So, to stop Tharus, they—”

  “They dug underneath it and caused the Tower to fall into a massive sinkhole.” Watcher stared into Mira’s eyes in understanding. “The monster warlocks did it to defend themselves.”

  “Yes, and to defend all the monsters on every plane of existence, as well.” The ancient wizard tapped her crooked staff on the ground, then held it in the air and moved it in a circle. Instantly, the wolves and golems spread out around the gigantic sinkhole, setting up a defensive perimeter around the Tower.

  Watcher glanced nervously at the sun. It was getting closer to the horizon; they likely didn’t have much time. He stared down at the sunken tower. “With the Wizard’s Tower sunken into the ground, how can we use Tharus’s Answer to defeat the monsters?”

  “You’d have to wait until they’re right at the edge of the hole, then activate it.” Mirthrandos stepped to the edge of the hole and peered down, then turned back to the two young wizards.

  “No … there must be another way.” The iridescent glow around Planter’s body intensified as her rage grew. “We could fall back to a better location and fight from a position of strength. Or we could—”

  “Krael’s withers will find us soon enough. He’ll have endermen appear first, to make sure you’re here, then he’ll surround the place and send his ground forces into the Tower. They’ll crush these fortifications in minutes.” Mira pointed to the hastily constructed cobblestone walls running along one side of the sinkhole. “After they break through the walls, they’ll enter the Tower, trapping everyone inside; that’s when the slaughter will begin. Anyone who tries to flee will be destroyed by the withers. This is going to be a massacre. There aren’t enough villagers here to make a stand against Krael and his army; Tharus’s Answer is the only way.”

  Watcher looked at Planter. The glow around her body was receding as an expression of profound sadness spread across her face. “I hate magic and everything associated with it.” Planter glared at Watcher and Mira furiously.

  “You must be ready to use the Tower if necessary,” Mira said. “Tharus didn’t trust any of the wizards during his time. All of us were blocked from accessing the Tower’s magical enchantments, but you can use it.” She moved a step closer and peered down at the young boy. “You must be ready and not hesitate if the time comes. There’s only going to be one chance; if you fail, we’ll all die.”

  Watcher sighed, leaning against an oak tree. The weight of this task was overwhelming. Now, instead of just being responsible
for the lives of the NPCs following him, he was responsible for all villagers, everywhere. He was so afraid to fail, he just wanted to curl up in a hole somewhere and hide.

  Suddenly, a chill spread across Watcher’s skin. It was an eerie feeling, not caused by the wind or weather, but by something he feared: a wither. Spinning around, Watcher drew Needle in one hand, the Flail of Regrets in the other, ready to strike.

  “I know you’re there,” he yelled. “Come out and you won’t be harmed. But if you fire your flaming skulls, you will be destroyed.”

  “Watcher … what are you talking about?” Mira was confused.

  “There’s a wither in that oak tree, spying on us.” Watcher pointed with Needle at the thick branches.

  Mira narrowed her eyes and held her staff at the ready, its end glowing bright. Planter glared at Watcher, then drew her shield, the edges sparkling with power.

  Slowly, the smallest wither Watcher had ever seen emerged from the foliage. It seemed so tiny that it likely couldn’t hurt a soul, but still, Watcher was ready to destroy it.

  “Kobael!” Mira dropped her staff and ran to the monster.

  “What are you doing?!” Watcher shouted. “Get back!”

  But the ancient wizard just wrapped her arms around the monster, hugging it tight. “You’re alive. I hoped you had survived the Cave of Slumber. My wish has come true. Where have you been?”

  Kobael’s center head smiled at Mira while the left and right skulls stared at the other two wizards in fear. “I don’t like the look of those weapons.”

  The tiny wither started floating up into the air, clearly afraid of Watcher and Planter.

  Watcher glanced at Mira. “Is this the one you saved during the Great War?”

  Mira nodded.

  “Are we safe?”

  She nodded again.

  Watcher lowered his weapons and put Needle back into his inventory, but kept the Flail of Regrets in his hand, just in case. He glanced at Planter and nodded. She lowered her shield, then stuffed it back into her inventory.

  Planter stepped forward and looked up at the wither. “It’s alright. If you’re a friend of Mira’s, then you’re a friend of ours as well.”