Chapter 16
HEADING HOME
“There’s no way you’re getting our treasure,” Julia screamed as she fearlessly leapt at Hallie.
Hallie splashed the potion as Julia shielded herself from the potent drops, but they weren’t aimed at her. Hallie poured the potion on herself and instantly wore a cloak of invisibility.
“Ouch!” Emma cried. “She struck me with her sword.”
Mia couldn’t fight back. Before she had a chance to grab her sword, Hallie slammed her sword into her and Mia disappeared.
Brad attempted to fight back, but every time he leapt at Hallie, it was just air. “I can’t find her.”
“But I found you!” Hallie hollered as she slayed Brad.
“Oh no,” Julia was worried because there were only three of them left. Julia leapt at what she believed to be Hallie, and she pierced Hallie’s body. Hallie was angered and used all of her energy to destroy Julia. The only thing Julia remembered from the battle was waking up in her bed in Minecrafters Academy.
Julia immediately sat up and looked through her inventory, and sighed with relief that all her items were still there.
“Julia,” Emma called out from her bed. “What happened?”
“Hallie,” Julia explained. “She destroyed us.”
“We can’t let her get away with this.” Emma got up from the bed. “We have to stop her.”
“It doesn’t matter. We still have our stuff in the inventories. Hopefully everyone will spawn soon and we can go to Lucy.”
As Julia spoke, Mia spawned in her bed. “What happened?”
“Hallie. That’s what happened,” Emma said.
“Check your inventory to see if you have everything,” Julia said.
Emma searched through her inventory, confirming, “Yes, I have everything. We should go find Brad and Cayla.”
The group didn’t have to travel very far because Brad and Cayla sprinted into their rooms, but they weren’t alone. Hallie stood behind them with her diamond sword pointed at their backs.
“What do you want from us?” hollered Julia, who raced toward Hallie with her sword and a potion of Weakness. She splashed the potion on Hallie, but Hallie dodged the liquid and it landed on Brad and Cayla.
Hallie laughed. “You harmed your friends. Good job.”
“That was a mistake,” Julia said as she struck Hallie with her sword. “But this isn’t.”
Hallie was irritated that Julia had depleted one of her hearts. “This is war.” Hallie lunged at Julia.
Emma and Cayla shot arrows at the Hallie, weakening her. The effect of the potion of Harming was diminishing and Brad and Cayla gathered enough energy to grab their swords and join in the battle. Everyone was surprised when Lucy sprinted down the hall with Aaron, Max, Steve, and Henry.
Lucy shouted, “Don’t destroy Hallie!”
The gang put their weapons down. Henry informed Hallie, “You’re going back to prison. We don’t need you terrorizing the campus anymore.”
“There’s no way you’re going to force me back to that bedrock prison,” Hallie shouted at the group.
“What do you want? Do you want to get out of prison?” Julia questioned her old roommate.
Hallie paused. “Yes, I want to get out of prison.”
“Maybe Lucy will let you.” Julia said.
“What are you talking about?” Hallie asked.
“I think the idea that you can never leave the bedrock prison is what is prompting you to escape all the time. If you knew you only had to stay there for a certain amount of time and then could prove that you were done terrorizing the Overworld, you might not dislike being in there so much,” Julia explained.
Lucy nodded her head. “That’s a smart idea, Julia.”
Julia was worried that comment would make her friends think that she was a teacher’s pet, but they didn’t. Instead her friends complimented her on the good idea.
Hallie paused with her diamond sword pointed in their direction. “How do I know you’re going to let me out?”
“If you stay there without incident, I promise to eventually let you back on campus, but we will keep a close eye on you,” Lucy said.
Hallie made a rare confession. “I’m supposed to be graduating with you guys.” She looked at Julia and her friends. “But instead I’m staying on campus.”
Julia wanted to blurt out that she was jealous. She wished she could stay on campus, but she knew it was time to leave. She had been there a long time and learned what she needed to, and now she must return to the Cold Biome and continue her life as a builder.
Hallie said, “I’ll go back to the bedrock prison, if I am given a time when I might be released.”
“I guarantee it,” Lucy said as she escorted Hallie back to her small bedrock room, where she would have a view of the graduation on the great lawn, but would not be able to participate with her fellow classmates.
Julia looked at her friends. “We did it. The battle with Hallie is over.”
“And so is our trip to End City,” Cayla said.
“But we never got the Elytra,” Brad remarked.
“Next time,” Julia said.
Henry said, “We have to meet with Lucy and count all of your loot.”
Lucy spawned in the center of the dorm room. “Did someone say my name?”
“Yes,” Henry said. “We have to count their loot.”
“About that.” Julia looked down as she spoke. She was afraid she’d get in trouble for changing the rules. “There’s no need to count it. We don’t have a winner.”
“What?” Lucy appeared confused.
Brad explained, “We all have the same amount of loot. We found it together and divided it amongst us.”
“Wow,” Max exclaimed. “What a fair way of going about this test.”
“Yes,” Lucy said. “It’s hard to work as a team and it’s even harder to give up recognition for your individual work, but you guys have proved that you can work together. I guess I’ll have to change the plan of having one class speaker.”
“What?” Brad gasped. “No, you can pick one. Let’s just find another way.”
“No,” Lucy said, “you all deserve to speak at the graduation.”
“All of us?” Brad needed clarification.
“Yes,” Lucy said. “Is there something wrong?”
“No,” Brad said, “it’s fine.” His heart beat fast and sweat formed on his head.
Lucy suggested, “You should all write a speech together. Chose one word that describes your time at Minecrafters Academy and announce it at graduation instead of one speech.”
“We just have to say one word?” Brad asked.
“I think I’d like you to pick one word and then explain why you chose it,” Lucy said. “It can be any length.”
Brad let out a sigh of relief, as Julia’s heart began to beat rapidly. Her mind was blank. She couldn’t think of any good words and graduation was just a couple of days away.
Chapter 17
THE SPEECH
“Is this yours?” Mia asked. She held a copper sword as she packed up the dorm room.
“No, I think it’s Emma’s sword,” Julia replied as she paced the length of the room.
“Aren’t you going to pack?” Mia looked at Julia’s side of the room, which was filled with chests. She hadn’t placed anything in her inventory.
“I can’t pack. I’m still working on my speech,” Julia said.
“Are you having a hard time coming up with a word to describe your experience at Minecrafters Academy?” Mia asked.
“No, I’m not having a hard time coming up with a word. The problem is that I have too many words and I can’t narrow it down,” Julia explained.
“Maybe I can help you,” Mia stopped packing and stood at the edge of her bed and adjusted the wool blanket. “Why don’t you read your list of words and I can help you narrow it down to one?”
“I can’t read the list.”
“Why?”
>
“I have more than three hundred words.”
“Really? More than three hundred?”
“Yes.” Julia paused. “Maybe I can read the top choices.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“Engaging, productive, memorable, life-changing.” She stopped and questioned, “Do you think life-changing is one word or two?”
“It would count as one.”
Julia continued. “Incredible, monumental, friendship—”
Mia interrupted her. “A lot of these words mean the same thing. I think the best one so far is friendship. Obviously when someone comes to school they learn how to be productive or engage in a lesson, but one of the hardest things to learn is how to be a good friend. I know it sounds simple and basic, but it isn’t.”
“I know,” Julia recalled. “Remember what happened in the End? I tried to keep all of the treasures.”
“Yes, but you realized that it wasn’t the right thing to do and we worked out the problem.”
Julia reflected on their conversation. “You’re right. I should write about friendship.”
Mia walked toward the closet and continued packing, as Julia prepared to write the first draft of her speech. Her mind was racing. There were so many thoughts and she wasn’t sure how she’d be able to put them all on paper. She wanted to write a memorable speech. As she thought about what she’d say, she watched Mia pack.
She was going to miss being a student at Minecrafters Academy.
Cayla, Brad, and Emma walked into the room. Cayla announced, “I finally finished my speech. It’s about friendship.”
“Friendship?” Julia’s voice cracked.
“Yes,” Cayla said. “Do you want to hear it?”
Julia explained that she was also working on a speech about friendship. “But it’s okay because I haven’t started it yet.”
Julia left the room and took a walk around campus for inspiration. She passed the bedrock prison and saw Hallie staring out the window.
“Hey, Hallie.” Julia peeked inside the prison.
Hallie smiled. She pushed her blue hair from her face and asked, “Did you come to visit me?”
“Yes, I wanted to say goodbye. Tomorrow is graduation,” Julia said.
“You were chosen as class speaker, right?”
“A few of us were chosen.”
“I can’t wait to hear what you have to say.” Hallie smiled.
As Julia walked away, she thought about Hallie and how things had changed between them. In her wildest dreams she’d never thought she’d have a conversation with Hallie, yet she just did. As she walked along the lake that framed the campus, Julia thought about how Minecrafters Academy truly changed people. Yes, they left as as experts in their field, but there was another change that happened, one that was deeper than learning how to build or brew potions.
Julia knew what she was going to say at graduation and she was thrilled.
The next morning the campus was busy getting ready for the festivities. Brad looked up at the stage and began to panic. Julia walked over to him.
“Nobody is going to hear me because my heart will be beating so loudly that they won’t hear my words.” Brad’s voice quavered as he spoke.
“You’re going to do a great job,” Julia said. “I know it.”
“Maybe you should go first,” Cayla suggested, “so you can get it out of the way.”
Brad reluctantly agreed to go first, as Lucy called each of them up on the stage.
“These are the class speakers. They’ve also kindly donated the dragon head they retrieved from an End ship. It will sit at the doorway of the dorms,” Lucy said as she looked in the direction of the majestic dragon head that was mounted outside the dormitory entrance.
Brad was the first to read his speech. He took a deep breath. “Headmistress Lucy told us to each choose one word that describes our time at Minecrafters Academy. My word is encouragement. I will confess that I am deathly afraid of public speaking, which I’m sure you can tell right now. I didn’t want to stand up here, but the people I’ve met here encouraged me to do this and take chances. I’m glad I did. Whether it was public speaking or learning how to build something unfamiliar, like a house to grow mushrooms on the farm, I’ve learned a lot here and for that I will always be grateful. As I leave here, I’ll remember that when I’m afraid to do something, it’s often for the best that I try to do it. It’s the only way to grow. Thanks, everyone, for helping me.”
The crowd cheered.
Emma stood on the stage and read, “Mine is similar to Brad’s, because the word I chose was courage. Also due to the encouragement from the faculty and my fellow students, I learned how to be brave and have the courage to take chances. I’ve always been a warrior and am prepared to battle. However, there was a period when I was afraid to battle. Everyone here taught me to have the courage to battle again. It wasn’t easy and there were times when I froze in battle, but they wouldn’t let me fall. If it weren’t for you guys, I wouldn’t be on this stage. Thanks.”
The crowd clapped their hands as Cayla walked onto the stage. “I chose friendship. My friendships here are more valuable than any skill I learned here. There were times when our friendships were in jeopardy and we began to compete against everyone, but in the end, friendship overcame adversity. Thanks.”
The students cheered, and they quieted down as Mia began to read. “I want to thank everyone for being chosen to speak. My word is teamwork. It was here that I learned how to be on a team, and what it really means to work together. Before I attended this school, I was working alone as an alchemist, selling my potions to travelers. But here, I learned to work with others in competitions and classes. I actually thought I knew everything I had to before I started here, I really wondered what I could learn and what the people here could teach me. Once I met the faculty and saw Aaron’s incredible brewing skills, I quickly understood there was a lot to learn. I also picked up other interests. Now, I am not only an alchemist but I’m a farmer. I never thought I’d be a farmer. Thanks for the experiences.”
Julia was the final speaker. She took a deep breath as she waited for the students to stop cheering. “I had a hard time narrowing down the word I had to pick. In fact, I had more than three hundred words on my list. It wasn’t easy to come up with one. This one might seem odd, but I picked growth. For the past few months, I couldn’t stop focusing on the fact that school is ending. I love it here. I love it here so much that I really never want to leave. However, I realized while attending the school that the most important skill I learned was how to grow. My friendships transformed, my skills grew, and, most importantly, we all grew as people. I know leaving is going to be hard, but like everything, it’s a part of growing. I’m glad I was able to attend this school. I’ll miss everyone.”
The cheers were deafening. Everyone was ready to celebrate at the graduation party.
Julia still wanted to stay at the school, but she knew there would be new adventures in the Overworld.
Chapter 18
THE GRADUATION
Jamie called Julia’s name and said, “You did a great job with the speech. I think we’re all having a hard time moving on. We’re going to miss the school.”
Cayla sprinted over to Julia. “Good news!”
“What?” Julia needed good news. Although this was a celebration, it was bittersweet.
“Emma and Mia had the best idea.” Cayla smiled.
Emma and Mia raced over. Emma said, “Did she tell you?”
“Not yet.” Julia couldn’t wait to hear the good news.
Mia said, “We’re planning a post-graduation trip. We’re going on a treasure hunt in the jungle. You have to come.”
“Really?” Julia was excited. She was going to miss her friends, but now she was able to spend extra time with them and go on an adventure.
“Can I join?” Jamie asked.
“Yes. The more, the merrier,” Mia replied.
“We have to invite Brad,” Ju
lia said.
“Invite me where?” Brad walked over. He held a plate filled with cookies and offered them some.
“We’re going on a treasure hunt in the jungle,” Julia explained. “It is going to be a post-graduation trip.”
“How long will it take?” Brad asked. “I actually have a job I must start.”
“I do, too.” Mia told them about the various farms she was hired to construct around the Overworld.
Emma said, “This isn’t a very long adventure, but it will be fun.”
“I’m in.” Brad smiled and took a bite of his cookie.
Lucy walked over to the group. “I’m sad to see you leave, but I’m glad that you were able to attend the school. I’ll always remember you guys.”
“We’ll always remember our time here,” Julia said.
Aaron, Max, and Henry joined them. “I have your final grades,” Henry announced.
“I hope we didn’t fail. Then we’d have to stay here for another year,” Julia joked.
“Everyone passed. I was impressed with your skills battling the Ender Dragon,” Henry commended them. “I bet those skills came in handy when you were in the End.”
“Yes, they did,” Julia said, “but Cayla was the one who ultimately destroyed the Ender Dragon.”
Cayla blushed. “I couldn’t have done it if you hadn’t destroyed the Ender crystals.”
Lucy said, “I also want to congratulate you on completing your final exams. As you know, your trip to the End substituted for the remainder of your finals, and I’m happy to announce you all have earned an A.”
Julia smiled at her friends as Lucy handed them their diplomas. She placed her own diploma in her inventory. After their post-graduation treasure hunt, when Julia was finally back at her igloo in the Cold Biome, she would put the diploma on her wall and think about her time at Minecrafters Academy and all the amazing adventures she’d had while attending the school. As she looked out at the great lawn filled with students celebrating at the graduation campus feast, she knew these years at Minecrafters Academy would be lifelong memories.
The End
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Encounters in End City Page 6