“Wait a minute,” Trish said. She put her hands on her hips and glared down at him. “You have something, don’t you?”
His face turned a deep shade of red. “What are you talking about?”
“You have something that can get us out of here!” She was almost sure of it now. “That’s why you’re so calm.”
“You’re crazy!” His face was even redder than before.
“Why would you keep it a secret? Bring it out and let’s get out of here.”
He looked at her for a long moment, then sighed. “Fine. I do have something.”
“I knew it!” she shouted.
“Yeah, yeah, you were right. Look, I’ll show you, but you have to promise not to ask me where I got it.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Is it stolen?”
“No! It’s just…I don’t want to talk about it. Do you promise not to ask?”
She thought about it a moment, then nodded.
“Good.” He stood up and took out a small bottle filled with blue liquid. “It’s a potion of levitation.”
Her eyes widened. “Levitation? The master brewer in my village said levitation potions were just a myth.”
Aziz tapped his foot impatiently. “No questions, remember?” He looked at the tunnel. “We’ll have to levitate across.”
As he finished speaking, Trish grabbed the bottle and pulled out the stopper. “This is gonna be awesome.”
With that, she drank about one third of the bottle. She was surprised at how excellent the potion tasted. She then handed the bottle back to Aziz.
Aziz drank his third, then they turned to Sharp. They dripped a tiny bit of the liquid into his mouth. The wolf barked in delight, then happily lapped up the rest of the bottle.
Trish felt her body getting lighter, and her toes left the ground. Aziz began to float too. Sharp looked nervous as his paws left the stone, but Trish put a hand on his back and kept him close.
The ground dropped away, and they rose up. A laugh escaped Trish’s mouth. She was floating! It felt strange not being able to control her motion, but she also felt free.
A moment later, she bumped up against the ceiling. She glanced down and saw the lava river far below. She felt a bit dizzy and she quickly looked back up.
“The potion only lasts a few minutes,” Aziz said. “We better get going.”
She used her hands to walk along the ceiling, moving herself across the room and toward the tunnel. Since the ceiling was a dome, she was also moving upward. She kept Sharp close to her side. The frightened wolf didn’t move, so she pulled him along with her. When she reached the top, she risked another glance down, then quickly wished she hadn’t.
She began following the curve of the ceiling down toward the far wall. After a few moments, she was directly above the tunnel.
“What do we do now?” she asked Aziz.
“We just wait it out.”
She hung in the air for a few more minutes, then she started gently descending. The potion was wearing off. When she reached the tunnel, she simply stepped inside.
Sharp danced around on the stone, clearly excited to have his paws back on solid ground.
Aziz was the last to step into the tunnel.
Trish badly wanted to ask him where he’d gotten the levitation potion. Had he made it himself? Or bought it from someone? Or stolen it? A potion like that had to be worth a fortune. But she’d promised not to ask, so she kept quiet.
The group followed the mine cart tracks through the temple and then made their way outside. Soon they stood at the top of the temple steps near Trish’s note block.
“I guess this is it,” Trish said.
Aziz nodded. “I’m heading to a place called Bonefeather Temple. It’s south of here. If you change your mind, that’s where you’ll find me.”
Trish nodded even though she knew she wouldn’t change her mind. They said their goodbyes and Aziz trotted down the steps and toward another adventure.
When he was gone, Trish looked at Sharp. “Okay. Let’s go stop some bandits.”
Chapter 12: A Stranger with a Secret
Sharp let out a low growl.
“It’s okay, boy,” Trish said. “We’ll get him in a minute. We’ll get them all.”
It had been three days since they’d said goodbye to Aziz and left the temple. Three days of long, hard hikes through the mountainous countryside and three nights spent in dirt shelters. Today, they would reach Saltville, a village on the east sea. Tonight she would sleep under a real roof, and she wouldn’t have to worry about the possibility of monsters breaking in during the night.
That morning, she’d decided to get up a half hour before dawn so she could watch the zombies burst into flames when the sun rose. She and Sharp were lying on the top of a rock formation, looking down at the monsters roaming below. Now, with sunrise only a few minutes away, Trish decided she didn’t want to let the sun do all the work. She took out her bow.
She’d crafted the bow using the string from the first spider she’d killed. That felt like so long ago now. Had it really only been a few days? She felt like a different person from that scared, timid girl who never left her village. Now here she was about to shoot a monster for fun!
“Here goes nothing, Sharp,” she whispered.
She released the arrow, and it flew straight and true, hitting the zombie dead center. The zombie let out a moan and poofed out of existence. Trish couldn’t help but laugh out loud. This life of adventure was pretty awesome.
But she couldn’t play all day. As much fun as it was, she was on this adventure for a serious reason. She had to stop Carmine.
A few minutes later, the sun rose and Trish and Sharp began the final day of their journey. They were headed to Saltville, the closest port to the glowing spot Trish had seen on her map. The glowing spot was in the middle of the sea, so Carmine and his friends would need a boat. Saltville was the most sensible place to get one. At least, she hoped so.
After three hours, they reached Saltville. The village was much larger than Trish had expected. Ships lined the coast, and men and women were bustling about their business.
“Well, we’re here,” Trish said to Sharp. “What now?”
They walked the streets for a while. Trish said hello to every villager they passed, looking for someone friendly to strike up a conversation with. But all the villagers seemed to be in a hurry, and they all gave her the same unenthusiastic hello before hurrying past. Finally, Trish noticed a villager standing next to a cart filled with resources. If he was selling things, he practically had to talk to her.
“Hello!” he said, a broad smile on his face as Trish and Sharp approached. “Might I interest you in some resources today? We have a lovely supply of iron blocks.”
“No thank you,” Trish said.
The man’s smile quickly disappeared. “Then what can I do for you?”
“We’re looking for some people. Four strangers who came to town, probably yesterday or today. Three men and a woman. One of the men has a limp. Have you seen them?”
The man crossed his arms. “Hmmm. No, I haven’t seen them.”
She was about to thank him and walk away when he continued.
“But if they’re staying in town, there’s a good chance you’ll find them at the Only Sleep At Night Inn. It’s three streets over. Can’t miss it.”
Trish almost let out a whoop of joy. Instead, she thanked the man four times. She thought five times was probably too much and started to walk away. Then she changed her mind and went back to thank him again. She was considering going for six, but the man was starting to look annoyed so she decided against it.
The Inn was empty except for the man behind the counter and a woman eating a pork chop at a table near the door. The man gave Sharp a worried look when they walked in, but he didn’t say anything.
Trish’s encounter with the resource seller had given her new confidence. She marched right to the counter and asked the man whether the strangers were staying ther
e.
“I haven’t seen anyone like that,” he said. “They’re certainly not staying here. Anything else you can tell me about them so I can keep an eye out?”
“Well, their names are Carmine, Roger, Mac, and Chiece.”
The man’s eyes widened.
“I know, right?” Trish said. “Weird names.”
“It’s not that. It’s just…” He bit his lip as if he were trying to decide something. “I think you’d better follow me.”
He led them through a hallway toward the back of the Inn. As they walked, he said, “There’s a woman who’s been staying here for a few weeks. When she checked in, she asked me to be on the lookout for someone named Carmine. She made me promise to tell her if I saw him. So maybe you two have something to talk about.”
He stopped at one of the doors and knocked.
“Come in,” said a woman in the room.
The man turned to Trish. “Let me go in and explain.” He ducked into the room, shutting the door behind him. For a few awkward moments, Trish and Sharp waited in the silent hallway. Then the man came back out. “She wants to see you.”
Trish thanked the man, then went into the room. A woman with short blond hair sat on the bed. Her green eyes sparkled with the hint of a smile.
“You’re looking for Carmine,” she said. “Which means you’re looking for the Blade of the Sea. Come in and sit down. I’ve been expecting you.”
Chapter 13: The Stirred Pot
“My name is Veera,” the woman said after Trish sat down across from her.
“I’m Trish. You know something about Carmine?”
Veera nodded. “Too much, I’m afraid. I worked with him for years. We were pirates.”
Trish’s eyes widened. It was scary enough thinking Carmine was just a bandit. But a pirate?
“We searched for treasure,” Veera continued. “We fought monsters. We captured ships. I was in it for the adventure, but Carmine always wanted more money and more power.”
“Is that why you left?”
“No. I was willing to overlook that because he was such a good partner. But then he found out about the Blade of the Sea, and he became obsessed.”
Trish leaned forward. “What is the Blade of the Sea? I heard Carmine say it would bring the world to its knees.”
Veera shook her head. “I don’t know. Not exactly. But pirate legend says the Blade of the Sea can unlock another world. A place with limitless resources, where a person can build and experiment without fear of monsters.”
“Could a place like that even be real?”
“I didn’t think so. Not at first. But I’ve spent the last few years researching it, and I’ve seen things that couldn’t come from this world. Powerful objects that are beyond anything we can build or craft.”
“Like a potion of levitation?” Trish asked.
Now Veera’s eyes grew wide. “Have you seen such a thing?”
Trish paused, trying to decide whether to be honest. She didn’t know this woman or what she truly wanted. “It’s just something I heard about. It was probably only a rumor.”
“Maybe,” Veera said. “But if the Blade of the Sea does exist, we have to stop Carmine from getting his hands on it. If he had access to the kind of technology that comes from the land of creativity, there’s no telling what he’d do. His hunger for power will never be satisfied.”
She took something out of her pocket and held it up. It was a location device, just like the one they’d found in the temple!
“When we found this location device, I knew I had to hide it from Carmine. So, I took it and ran. I haven’t seen him since."
“He found another one,” Trish said. “Actually, I found it, and he stole it from me.”
Veera’s face grew pale. “No. He has to be stopped!”
“So why don’t you do something about it?” Trish asked. She was suddenly angry at this woman. If this was such a big deal, why not go after Carmine?
Veera looked away. “I can’t.” She took out a map and pressed the location device to it. A spot in the middle of the sea glowed a bright yellow. “The Blade of the Sea is on an island. That’s where Carmine will be heading. I can’t follow him there. A powerful pirate organization wants me dead. If I set one foot in pirate territory, I’ll be killed. Even being in this village is dangerous. Carmine and the pirates will both kill me on sight.”
“So that’s it? You won’t help because you’re scared?”
Veera scowled. “I will tell you this. Carmine has a ship called the Stirred Pot. It’s docked here in Saltville. That’s how he’ll get to the Blade of the Sea.”
Trish thought about trying to convince Veera to come with, to help her. But time was short. If Trish wanted to stop Carmine, she had to do it now.
“Thanks for the information.”
Veera nodded. “There is one more thing I can tell you. Carmine has a weakness. If you promise not to let Carmine know you saw me, I’ll tell you about it.”
Trish quickly agreed. After she’d heard the secret, she said goodbye and left the room, Sharp at her heels.
She found the Stirred Pot docked near the south side of the village. It was the biggest, ugliest ship in sight. Carmine, Mac, Roger, and Chiece stood in front of it, huddled together in conversation. Trish snuck close enough to hear them and crouched down behind a block. Carmine was talking.
“We want to be gone in twenty minutes. Mac, check our resources to make sure we’re stocked. Chiece, study the maps to find the best route through these currents. Roger, we need to make sure we’re ready for battle. Craft Mac and Chiece some arrows.”
Roger frowned. “Just because I know how to use a crafting table, I get stuck with all the grunt work. It’s always craft Mac and Chiece this and craft Mac and Chiece that.”
Carmine leaned over the shorter man. “Are you questioning my orders?”
“No, sir,” Roger said.
“Good. Now get to work.”
The crew scattered, and Trish considered her options. She had to figure out how to stop them from leaving port. If they couldn’t leave, they couldn’t go after the Blade of the Sea, right? Carmine said they had twenty minutes before they were ready to go. That meant she had twenty minutes to come up with a plan and put it into action.
She made sure the coast was clear, then snuck onto the ship.
Trish was below deck, still trying to decide if she should put a hole in the ship or if she’d be better off setting it on fire, when she felt the ship lurch. She heard Carmine’s deep voice coming down through the boards over her head.
“Excellent job, crew! The work I thought would take you twenty minutes only took you seven! Impressive.”
Trish’s stomach flip-flopped with worry. Sharp let out a nervous growl.
“We are underway!” Carmine yelled triumphantly. “The next time we see this village, we’ll have the Blade of the Sea.”
The ship rolled gently on the waves.
Trish put a hand on Sharp’s head. “Well boy, so much for stopping them from setting sail.”
Sharp growled again. She didn’t blame him.
They were trapped on a ship with four armed enemies, and they were headed out to sea.
Chapter 14: In the Cove
Trish and Sharp waited below deck through the long, dark night. It was cold, and by the time dawn broke they were both hungry and exhausted. As the faint sunlight slipped through the gaps between boards above their heads, Trish squinted at Sharp. His fur was matted, and he was dirtier than she’d ever seen him. She hoped she looked better than he did.
The crew above deck had been strangely silent through most of the long night, but now voices started up. Trish crept forward, searching for a spot to better hear.
“Who do you think named it Creeper's Cove?” Chiece said from above. “I mean, even if it is filled with creepers, they could have at least tried to make it sound appealing.”
“I doubt appealing was what they were going for,” Mac said.
&nbs
p; The smart thing for Trish to do would have been to stay below deck, but she had to see. She’d spotted a large stack of wood blocks on deck. Perfect for hiding behind.
She crept up through the hatch and onto the main deck. Sharp followed, padding along silently. She made sure the way was clear, then darted across the deck and dove behind the blocks.
“High alert,” Carmine said. “If the Blade of the Sea is at Creeper’s Cove, we best believe there’s someone here guarding it.”
As they approached the island, Trish peeked out and saw jagged cliffs thrusting high into the sky. There was a small gap, in the rocks, almost like a cave. The ship slipped into the gap, and a chill ran through Trish. Whether it was from the shadows of the rocks that fell on her or because she was afraid, she did not know.
They were inside the island, sailing through a dark tunnel. The ship moved along almost silently. The only sound was the soft slap of the water against the wooden hull.
“This is Creeper's Cove, right?” Mac asked.
“Yes indeed,” Carmine said.
“So where are the creepers?”
Carmine didn’t answer.
As the ship turned, there was just enough light for Trish to see they were approaching a rocky shore. Mac was right. The beach was darkened by the shadow of the rocks that crept out to cover the cove, but there were no creepers. The ground was littered with arrows.
“There was a battle here,” Carmine growled.
Carmine pulled the ship parallel to the shore, and he, Mac, and Chiece climbed out and swam to land. Roger would have to stay with the ship, and he was none too happy about it.
Trish waited until they reached the shore, then she and Sharp dropped off the side of the ship, careful not to let Roger see them.
She followed Carmine, Mac, and Chiece toward the back of the cavern and into a tunnel. What was she doing? She paused and shook her head. Following bandits into a dark tunnel probably wasn’t the smartest idea she’d ever had. This was exactly how her adventure had started, and now it was likely going to end the same way.
Blade of the Sea: A Children's Survival Unofficial Minecraft Book Page 5