The Wither Invasion

by Mark Cheverton

  Are they dead? Planter asked Sotaria. ARE THEY DEAD?

  No, my child, they have not been harmed. The monsters are just asleep.

  Watcher could see the stress instantly leave Planter’s body. She slowly lowered her shield as the other NPCs did the same, then turned and smiled with relief at the invisible Watcher atop the Wizard’s Tower.

  The NPCs cheered, many of them drawing swords and jumping off the wall, intent on destroying the sleeping monsters.

  “No!” Planter shouted, her magic still glowing bright across her body and amplifying her voice. “Leave them be. They aren’t a threat anymore and will not be harmed.”

  None dared challenge the wizard; they sheathed their weapons and climbed back atop the fortified wall, still cheering.

  Suddenly, an eerie chill spread across the landscape, causing tiny square goose bumps to form on the arms and necks of the defenders, Watcher included.

  The young wizard instantly recognized the sensation: “Krael,” he warned.

  Slowly rising from amidst the trees, the king of the withers floated into the sky, cackling with an evil, hateful laugh.

  “That was a nice trick, girl, but it won’t do you any good against me and my army.”

  The NPCs looked shocked and terrified to see the glowing wither king.

  “I’m sure that fool, Sotaria, didn’t tell you, but that trick with the shield takes time to recharge.” Krael’s three skulls grinned viciously.

  “The withers are here.” Cutter glared up at the floating monster, then turned back to the other NPCs. “Next part of the plan … now!”

  Immediately, fifty villagers dropped their shields and leapt off the wall, then ran to the gigantic sinkhole around the Wizard’s Tower and followed the rough steps leading down into the structure.

  “Ha ha ha.” Krael laughed. “Look, Kora, they’re running away.”

  Another wither rose out of the foliage and floated next to the wither king. “Yes, my husband, I see … they’re cowards, just as you predicted.”

  “I’m sorry they didn’t get to see my next surprise.” Krael rose higher into the air, grinning, as loud, vicious growls floated out of the forest; more monsters were coming. But these creatures sounded different. There was not just a thirst for violence in their voices, there was also a desire to cause suffering, and as much of it as possible.

  “I know that sound.” Planter glanced at Cutter, her emerald-green eyes filled with fear.

  Another wave of monsters crept slowly out of the darkness, like a deadly fog. There were nearly twice as many in this horde as there were monsters laying asleep in the thick grass. All the creatures were a mishmash of body parts: skeletons with spider heads, zombies with long enderman arms, slimes walking atop stubby creeper feet … every horrific combination imaginable advanced on the NPCs. The looks of vile hatred on their scarred and distorted faces were almost too painful to see. The monsters trampled shrubs and sleeping monsters alike as they moved into the cratered battlefield, stepping on their unconscious brothers and sisters with no regard for their safety.

  Krael’s evil laugh filled the dark sky. “Now, my brothers and sisters.”

  The wither army floated up from amidst the trees and branches, the moon bathing them in a mystical silver light. The glow from the three Crowns of Skulls painted the dark withers with an iridescent purple light.

  “Look at the pathetic NPCs trying to defend themselves.” Krael laughed. “Half of your comrades wisely ran away already. Only the foolish could hope to stand against my beautiful creatures.” The monsters on the ground spread out across the battlefield, growling and snarling. “I killed your foolish leader, Watcher, so no one is coming to your aid. My withers will hold their attack. I give the gift of destruction to those monsters on the ground.” Krael drifted closer to his infantry. “Monsters … attack!”

  Instantly, the monsters charged at the defenders, their strong, disjointed bodies crashing through trees and trampling those unconscious on the ground.

  “Archers … FIRE!” Cutter roared.

  The remaining NPCs, only a couple dozen, all fired their bows rapidly, but they all knew it wouldn’t stop these monsters.

  “Keep firing!” Blaster moved back and forth, encouraging the defenders, but he too knew they didn’t stand a chance as the horde rushed toward them.

  Suddenly, a bright sphere of light formed in front of the cobblestone wall. It grew bigger and bigger, pushing back the darkness, until it was impossible to gaze upon it. The monsters, unsure if it was some kind of trick, stopped in their tracks, their angry growls changed to nervous murmurs. Even Krael seemed confused.

  When the light faded, two warriors stood there, both clad in diamond armor. One of them, a girl with curly red hair spilling down her back, held an enchanted bow. The other, a boy, held two diamond swords and had a blood-red ring sparkling on his finger. A group of letters floated above his head, spelling out the name G A M E K N I G H T 9 9 9. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled reassuringly at Cutter and Blaster, then turned back to face the mob.

  The monsters just stood there, unsure what to do.

  “I’m Gameknight999, and this is my friend, Hunter,” the boy shouted at the monsters.

  “Friend? Is that what you said?” Hunter sounded annoyed.

  “Ah, let’s not do this now … there’s a battle to be fought.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I guess. Fine, continue with what you’re saying. I know how you love your idiotic speeches.”

  Gameknight gave her a scowl, then continued. “We’ve come to end the conflict.” He pointed at the monsters with his two swords. “You must stop this violence now. I will allow you to leave the battlefield without any punishment.”

  The monsters, at first stunned by the bold declaration, glanced around at each other, then all started to laugh.

  A zombie pointed a razor-sharp claw at Gameknight999. “You’re just two more villagers to destroy … all the better.” The monsters slowly advanced toward the NPCs.

  “Very well. If that’s the way you want it, so be it.” Gameknight smiled at Hunter, then turned back toward the approaching horde, swords ready. “Come on, monsters … let’s dance.” With a look of grim determination, he ran towards the charging creatures, the redhead behind him shooting her flaming arrows with pinpoint accuracy as she sprinted at the attackers.

  Cutter glanced at Watcher and smiled, then turned toward the advancing monsters. “Come on, everyone, IT’S TIME TO FIGHT!”

  The diamond-clad newcomer suddenly yelled, “FOR MINECRAFT!” and the other NPCs echoed his battle cry.

  “FOR MINECRAFT!”

  “FOR MINECRAFT!”

  “FOR MINECRAFT!”

  The monsters, startled by the small force of villagers charging at them, stopped in their tracks, unsure what to do. Before they could figure it out, the villagers smashed into them, the newcomers fighting with lethal skill. Cutter moved to Gameknight’s side, while Blaster and Fencer moved to Hunter’s. The sheer ferocity of their attack had the monsters confused and afraid. But when the mob realized that these few warriors were all the villagers could muster, the horde laughed and quickly surrounded them.

  “What is this trickery?” Krael screamed in fury. “Who are these newcomers? Are they wizards?” None of his withers said anything. The Crowns on the wither king’s heads grew brighter and brighter as his rage built. He glared down at the NPCs, then shouted with all his might. “WITHERS … ATTACK!”

  That was the signal. Watcher released his magical hold on Tharus’s Cape and suddenly appeared atop the Wizard’s Tower, his body glowing with an intense purple hue. Krael screamed in utter surprise, disbelief and rage etched into each of his three faces.

  The monster, hearing their king’s shout, stopped fighting and pulled back away from the small band of villagers. They all stared up at the boy with the flowing cape as his body grew brighter and brighter.

  “I’ve learned a thing or two while you foolishly thought I was d
ead.” Watcher smiled, then yelled, his amplified voice filling the Far Lands with cloudless thunder. “BEHOLD, THE MIGHT OF THE WIZARD’S TOWER!”

  Watcher raised his hands over his head, his body now brighter than the sun. The Tower itself glowed as if wreathed in purple flames, then started to shake. Suddenly, the forest around the protruding tower exploded, tearing a deep gash into the forest floor. Chunks of wood and leaves and dirt flew into the air, many of the cubes pelting the withers floating nearby. Slowly, the tower and the ancient structure underground rose from the now-enlarged hole like an ancient sea monster rising from the depths. The glittering structure floated upward until the entire building was above ground level. Blocks of dirt appeared beneath it, filling in the hole beneath it. Settling on the ground, the ornate building stretched for hundreds of blocks, dominating the landscape. Watcher smiled at the wither king, whose face was a visage of shock.

  Just then, fifty NPCs emerged from a staircase and stood atop the structure’s roof below Watcher. Each wore a pair of Elytra wings, like Watcher, a red-and-white striped tube in their hands. Mira moved onto the roof with them, her crooked wooden staff glowing with magical power. Just then, Kobael floated up from behind the ornate structure and hovered just above the roof.

  “There’s the traitor!” Krael screamed. “That puny wither dies first. Everyone, ATTACK!”

  All the withers fired a huge barrage of flaming skulls directly at Kobael.

  “No!” A profound sadness filled Watcher’s soul as the flaming skulls descended toward the harmless creature.

  The tiny wither was terrified, too scared to move; it just hovered there, unable to act.

  “Not again,” Mirthrandos hissed. “NO MORE KILLING!”

  Moving with lightning speed, the ancient wizard dashed across the structure and stood in front of the flaming skulls, using her body and her magic to protect the terrified monster.

  “Mira … no!” Watcher raised his arms and channeled his magic into the Gauntlets of Life. A shaft of light streaked out into the forest and hit a cluster of oaks, and instantly, the oaks turned to stone as the life was pulled out of them and sent back to Watcher. With every ounce of his magical power, he fired bolts of purple lighting toward the monsters, causing the withers to scatter and hide beneath the leafy foliage. Then, jumping off the Tower, Watcher leaned forward, opening his Elytra. The wings snapped open and caught the wind, letting him glide off the tower and to the roof below. He knew he’d never get there in time; someone was about to die.

  As the fireballs streaked toward them, Mirthrandos put her body right in front of Kobael’s. The ancient wizard’s iridescent glow was bright, at first, but it grew weaker as her magic absorbed the blasts from the flaming skulls. She cried out in pain as the projectiles crashed into her, but still she stood tall, refusing to sacrifice her friend. The wizard drew on every ounce of magic, making her bod grow brighter, but there were so many fireballs. With each impact, her magic was torn from her body. The enchanted glow grew weaker and weaker until finally, the purple shimmer flickered one last time, then went out.

  Mirthrandos was defenseless.

  More flaming skulls fell upon the ancient wizard, hammering her body and knocking her down. But she refused to give up. Mirthrandos tried to stand, but her HP was just too low. The last skull smashed into her body, making her fall back down just as Watcher reached her side.

  “Mira, are you okay?” Watcher knelt and cradled her head in his arms, then pulled out a potion of healing and held it to her lips. “Here, drink.”

  She shook her head. “No, I’ve lived long enough.”

  “Why did you do that?” Kobael floated to her side, the young wither choked-up with emotion. “You sacrificed yourself for me … again.”

  Mirthrandos glanced up at the wither. “I couldn’t let that monster destroy you, Kobael. You’re my oldest friend.” She turned toward Watcher. Extending a shaking, wrinkled hand, she put it against Watcher’s cheek. “Krael will destroy everything if he isn’t stopped. Use Tharus’s Answer—it’s the only way. You’ll never defeat his armies.”

  Watcher shook his head.

  “You must realize something Tharus never understood.” The ancient wizard coughed, her skin growing pale. “He thought he was the most powerful wizard in the world, which he was, but …” She coughed again, worse this time. “But he also forgot who he really was. You can’t make that mistake.”

  “Who he was? I don’t understand.”

  A string of coughs ravaged her body, weakening her even more. “He was Tharus, yes, but he’d lost himself to his magic. You must be yourself. Don’t make the same mista—”

  And then, Mirthrandos, the oldest wizard in Minecraft, vanished, leaving behind three balls of XP and her crooked wooden staff.

  A wave of grief enveloped Watcher’s soul. This isn’t happening; it can’t happen. She was a wizard, and—

  A vile, malicious laugh floated through the air. “Finally, that old hag is gone.” Krael laughed again, causing the withers to join in, all of them chuckling cruelly.

  Watcher’s grief turned to rage as his body grew brighter and brighter, his magic building again. He stood up with Mira’s wooden staff in his left hand, a firework rocket in his right. Any trace of fear or uncertainty was now replaced with a pure, unquenchable fury.

  “Krael, it’s time I taught you some respect … and school is now in session.” He glanced at the NPCs on the rooftop. “Fliers … ATTACK!”

  As one, he and the NPCs sprinted to the edge of the roof and jumped.

  And so began the first Great War in the Sky.

  Watcher and the other NPCs streaked upward, the tiny fireworks rockets giving each of them a speed boost and allowing them to climb high into the sky. The scattered withers, surprised to see all the airborne villagers, just stared at them, stunned.

  “Bows!” Watcher shouted. “Use healing arrows.”

  The NPCs notched the sparkling healing arrows to their bows, then fired, and fifty arrows streaked through the night sky and fell upon their targets. The undead withers screamed out in pain as the potions imbedded within the arrowheads splashed across their dark bodies; the healing potions acted like poison to the withers and any undead monsters.

  “Evasive action!” Watcher banked to the left, the other NPCs flying erratically around him.

  The withers, enraged, fired flaming skulls at the NPCs, and though most of the deadly projectiles just flew up into the open sky, some found their targets. Villagers screamed out in pain, some tumbling from the sky as the withers’ attacks smashed wings and hammered bodies.

  Watcher angled downward and sped toward a pair of withers, firing another string of healing arrows. Four shafts struck the first wither, destroying the monster. More arrows leapt from his bowstring, hitting the second monster, causing it to flash red, but his last arrow missed; that wither survived, for now. Putting away his bow, Watcher pulled out a handful of rockets and launched one at the surviving withers, using the speed boost to ascend into the night sky. Then, launching rocket after rocket, he continued to pick up speed, easily dodging the flaming skulls pursuing him.

  Watcher glanced down at his friends on the ground. The monsters were moving closer to them, their angry growls easily audible even at this altitude as their shock faded. The villagers were completely outnumbered, and, at an achingly slow place, the monsters moved closer, letting the fear within the NPCs grow with every step.

  “I have to get down there and help.” Watcher glanced over his shoulder. His air force, led by his sister, was buzzing around the withers, using their speed to avoid the deadly flaming skulls. They fired the healing arrows, making the withers flash red as they took damage, their glowing balls of XP looking like a colorful rain.

  Leaning forward, Watcher dove toward the attackers on the ground. He pulled out the Flail of Regrets with his right hand and a handful of rockets in his left. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to make it in time.

  The monsters were getting close
r, but the two newcomers, Gameknight999 and Hunter, didn’t wait for their attack; they charged at the nearest creatures. Gameknight’s two diamond swords became a whirlwind of destruction, cleaving through HP and destroying one monster after another, and the redhead’s arrows pierced the creatures with pinpoint accuracy, adding to the carnage. Cutter, Blaster, and Fencer fought with them, their blades wreaking havoc. The rest of the villagers fought along the left and right sides, with a few watching the rear, but it was hopeless; it was just a question of time before the monsters overran them. They were doomed.

  Suddenly, a green figure streaked out of the base of the Wizard’s Tower; it was Er-Lan. The zombie ran through the monsters’ formation, the warped and distorted creatures ignoring him, assuming he was on their side.

  As Er-Lan moved, a huge spidery creature with the head of a zombie and the arms of an enderman attacked Cutter. Its dark fists smashed into the big NPC’s iron armor, causing him to flash red. He turned to face the monster, but another creature dove at him, slashing at Cutter with long, sharp claws. But then Er-Lan dove into the battle. The zombie smashed into the monsters, using his body as a battering ram. The young zombie knocked the monsters away, then turned and faced Cutter, smiling.

  “You came to finish me off yourself?” the big warrior boomed angrily.

  Er-Lan just turned away from Cutter and faced the attacking monsters, arms outstretched. Suddenly, the young zombie gave off a bright iridescent flash. Bands of purple light wrapped around his body, then flowed to his arms and legs; like a giant glowing snake, it wrapped around his body. A fierce, amplified growl boomed from Er-Lan, echoing across the landscape and making the monsters pause for just an instant.

  Kneeling, Er-Lan plunged his clawed fingers into the ground, then screamed as loud as he could. A wave of purple energy spread out from the zombie, making the blades of grass under the monsters’ feet sparkle and dance as if electrified. The strands then stretched upward, wrapping around the legs of the attackers. The warped creatures stared down at the long grass, confused at first, then realized they were becoming entangled. Slashing at the grass, they tried to cut through the strands, but the grass just grew faster. Many of the monsters tried to flee, but with their legs captured, all they could do was fall down.