Tales of an 8-Bit Kitten

by Cube Kid

  Purrrrrrr.

  That was way easier than I thought.

  And Clyde was right. He would be way more useful here. “You’re sure?” I asked.

  “Definitely. I know we’ll meet again.”

  And the ghast actually smiled. I mean actually smiled. It was like seeing a flower growing in the Nether.

  I nodded.

  “We will.”

  And so it seemed I was finally ready

  to venture into the Overworld.

  With Rarg’s assistance, the mobs here will try recruiting mobs from the nether fortress and work on defeating EnderStar.

  I want to help with that, of course, but my destiny lies elsewhere. Still, Greyfellow suggested that it might be possible for the mobs here to join forces with villagers in the Overworld. Together, we could take out EnderStar first then deal with Herobrine later.

  “That really depends on whether anyone in the Overworld is willing to help,” Batwing said. “Seems unlikely. But then, those villagers I spoke to were different from normal villagers.”

  “In what way?” Greyfellow asked.

  “Seems like they’re training to be warriors. They know how to wield swords, at least. In fact, they appear to have helped fight off several large attacks.”

  “Coordinated attacks?”

  Batwing shrugged. “If your little crystal was accurate, then yes. The mobs were clearly working together.”

  “So, the Eyeless One has already begun to amass his army.”

  The endermage nodded. “This is no surprise. We already know that the Prophecy is true. The Great War will soon begin.”

  “Do you think it’s possible that one of those villagers is the one mentioned in that book?” Batwing asked.

  “Perhaps. Perhaps that is why you were able to speak with them.”

  “Why two, though? I thought there was only one Chosen Villager? Well, actually, no. Three. I spoke with a third villager once. What was his name, again? Pebble?”

  “I don’t have any answer for that,” the enderman said. “In fact, there is much I do not know. The tome I have regarding the Prophecy is incomplete. Many pages have been removed.”

  “One more thing,” Batwing said. “Does the Eyeless One know about tellstones?”

  “I’m not sure,” the endermage said. “Why do you ask?”

  “Because that one villager, Pebble, said the Eyeless One was speaking to him in his dreams. Told him that Runt was a spy. A traitor. He appeared in Pebble’s dreams at least ten times.”

  “Why would Herobr—the Eyeless One take such an interest in their village?”

  The wither skeleton shrugged. “Beats me. My only guess is he’s aware of the Prophecy as well and discovered the identity of the Chosen Villager.”

  “Yes, I suppose you are correct. Hmm.”

  A villager, two kittens, and a ghast remained silent before Batwing and Greyfellow, trying to understand these mysteries.

  Batwing seems to know a lot about what’s going on, I thought. And he’s always talking to Greyfellow. He must be really important?

  As I listened, a realization suddenly hit me. If Batwing is correct, then one of the villagers he spoke with is the same villager I’m supposed to meet.

  Breeze. Runt. Pebble. I’m writing these names down here so I don’t forget them. I should try to locate them in the Overworld as soon as possible. It’s my quest, after all.

  “I have a question,” I said.

  The endermage turned to me. “What is it, Eeebs?”

  “Well, you said that I should head to the capital city first. But I’m supposed to meet up with that villager, right? What if he’s not in the capital?”

  “Hmm. Batwing, do you recall seeing any buildings when using the tellstone?”

  “A few times,” the skeleton said. “Runt had a nightmare, once. His village had been overrun.”

  “So, he is in a village, then?”

  “I believe so.”

  “Did you see any buildings made of quartz or clay?”

  “None. Wood and cobblestone, mostly. There was a wall in the distance. Their village was surrounded by a huge cobblestone wall.”

  “Interesting.” The endermage closed his eyes for a moment. “That sounds more like a town, not a village. You’re sure they were villagers?”

  “Hey, I’m sure,” Batwing said. “Both Runt and Pebble had shaved heads and huge noses, while that girl had super long hair and a little nose. Sound like villagers to you, bud?”

  “Certainly. I’ve just never heard of a village with a wall before.”

  “Maybe they’re smarter than the average villagers?”

  “Maybe. Hmm.” The enderman closed his eyes again. “Warriors, you said. Training to be warriors. Why does that remind me of something?”

  “Same here,” Batwing said. “Wait a second. I thought there was a village in the east like that? Real serious folk. Kids start training for combat at the age of six.”

  “That almost sounds like Shadowbrook,” the enderman said. “A village of proud warriors. Hmm. Batwing, join me in my library. We have much research to do.”

  The enderman turned to me. “I’ll give you your answer soon, Eeebs. For now, rest. Spend time with your friends. After today, you won’t have much time for either.”

  After wandering around the streets, I finally found Rarg. He was in the center of the city, at the edge of the lava pool, staring off into space.

  “Hey, Rarg.”

  “Hi-lo. Me friend. Me again want say. Thank.”

  “No problem. Somehow I just knew you were a good guy. I’m glad you joined us.”

  “Me too. Boss man crazy. But boss man now-now no boss man me. Now-now boss man me tall gray blink man. Tall gray blink man no angry-say make me black flying squeaky thing.”

  Um … What’s he talking about?

  Oh. He’s saying EnderStar is no longer his boss. He now takes orders from the endermage. He doesn’t mind, because Greyfellow doesn’t threaten to turn him into a bat.

  I’m guessing “angry-say” means yell? And “blink” must mean teleport.…

  What’s “now-now,” though? Why is it repeated?! Why do zombie pigmen talk so strangely?!

  “Yes,” I said. “Tall gray blink man no angry-say you. But angry-say me, me no know breathe fire. But. Tall gray blink man happy man. Most time.”

  “He smart also.”

  “Yes.”

  “You. Name. Eee … bu?”

  “Eeebs,” I said.

  “Eee … buzz.”

  “Close enough.”

  “Eeebuzz? Me want know.”

  He wants to ask me a question? Hmm, I’m getting better at this.

  “You what want know?” I asked.

  “You go? You go where-where?”

  “I go big light.” I pointed at the cavernous ceiling far above. “Big blue. Yellow square. You know?”

  “Me know. Me no like big blue. Big blue scare me. And me eyes hurt me look big yellow square thing. Eeebuzz? Me also want know.”

  “Yeah?”

  “You. No feel real?”

  “What you say me no feel real?”

  “No know. No know. Me no know how say.”

  “What you say you no know how say? Me no know.”

  “Me think some time me no real. No know how say. But me no-no feel real. You?”

  He’s saying he doesn’t feel real? What does he mean by that? Actually, sometimes, I kind of get that feeling.… I just assumed it’s from all the stress lately?

  “Some time,” I said. “Yes. Me also no-no feel real.”

  “Why you me no-no feel real?”

  “Me no know.”

  “Me also no know.”

  Rarg held up a fish. I’d never seen that kind of
fish before. It was dark red in color.

  “Me use wood string thing,” he said. “Me know how use wood string thing. Wood string thing get red swim-swim. You want eat?”

  “Me no want eat. Me eat, you no eat.”

  “No. Me many red swim-swim.”

  “Okay.”

  He handed me the red fish, and I bit into it. It was the best fish I’d ever tasted.

  He then pulled another red fish from his inventory and ate it in seconds. He grinned. “Hee hee! You like?”

  “It’s delicious,” I said, taking another bite.

  “Delishi … ?”

  A blank look, until I clarified: “Me think red swim-swim yum-yum.”

  Wait a second. Where exactly did he get a fish like that?! There’s no water in the Nether!

  “Rarg. Where you get red swim-swim huh?”

  He pointed to the lava pool. “There-there. Orange fire water.”

  Seriously? He caught a fish in the lava?! There’s such a thing as lava fish?!

  “How you get? Can show me wood string thing now-now huh?”

  “Okay.”

  He pulled a strange-looking item from his inventory. It appeared to be a stick with some spider string attached. At the end of the string was something I didn’t recognize.

  “You want try? I try now-now. You see me try. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  For the next hour or so, Rarg showed me how to fish. As a cat, we usually just dived into the water, but this wood string thing made things way easier.

  Still, using that tool was difficult for me at first, as I had to stand up on my hind legs. Standing was something I still needed to practice.

  And Rarg wasn’t lying. I eventually caught a lava fish of my own, to my complete surprise.

  I’d originally wanted to find Rarg to see whether maybe Batwing had been right about him being a spy. But as we sat down at the edge of the pool, eating lava fish in silence, I knew that he was just as innocent as me—another little piece in what at times felt like some kind of weird game.

  I curled up next to my friends on the pink carpeting of the endermage’s house.

  Still, I couldn’t sleep. I just kept thinking and thinking and thinking. About the upcoming war. About my abilities. About my quest. Plus I could hear Greyfellow and Batwing chatting, although I couldn’t make out what they were saying.

  They were in the secret chamber, I guess.

  At last, I crept over to Greyfellow's huge bookshelf and glanced at a few books on the very bottom. This section was labeled “junk.” When I grabbed several of the books, I quickly understood why.

  I’m not sure why, but I decided to check out Diary of a Minecraft Grass Block. There was an introduction, and it read:

  There was once a Minecraft grass block named Minecraft Grass Block. Minecraft Grass Block liked doing the things most Minecraft grass block children did. Minecraft Grass Block wanted to learn how to be a better Minecraft grass block, but how would Minecraft Grass Block become a better Minecraft grass block than the other Minecraft grass blocks who hoped to become better Minecraft grass blocks, or at least better Minecraft grass blocks than Minecraft Grass Block was at being a Minecraft grass block and hopefully even the best Minecraft grass blocks a Minecraft grass block could possibly become?

  Just turn the page, and follow the adventures of Minecraft Grass Block in this Minecraft Grass Block Diary of a twelve-year-old Minecraft grass block named Minecraft Grass Block, a Minecraft grass block boy who hopes to become a true Minecraft grass block or at least a better Minecraft grass block than the other Minecraft grass blocks.

  Wow.

  I had no trouble

  sleeping afterward.

  This morning, I said my goodbyes. To Tufty and Meowz. To Clyde, Greyfellow, and Batwing.

  Greyfellow gave me more Disguise potions and an item called a “compass.”

  “Remember, you’ll want to keep heading east.”

  Batwing gave me a tellstone. “Maybe you’ll be able to reach them at some point. Who knows?”

  Clyde was crying, Meowz was about to join him, and Tufty was trying his hardest to be brave: “Gonna miss you, man. Stay safe, all right?”

  “You know me.”

  “Goodbye, Eeebs,” Clyde said. “Thanks for finding me.”

  “Thanks for saving my life.”

  “Come back soon, all right?”

  “I will.”

  And that was it. The endermage took me to the edge of the city, where he’d built a nether portal.

  “I will be traveling to the Overworld as well,” he said. “Yet, I won’t be joining you. I’ll be traveling to the capital, Aetheria City. If you should journey there, ask around for the Library. I’ll be conducting my research there.”

  I nodded.

  “Now, do you remember what you must do?” he asked.

  “After I arrive in the Overworld,” I said, “I must head east and find the village of Shadowbrook. It lies on the east coast of the main continent. If instead I reach the ocean, I should head north until I find it.”

  “Good. What will you do if you find this village?”

  “I’ll ask to see a girl named Breeze,” I said.

  “Who else?”

  “Runt. Pebble.”

  “Good. And what will you do if you cannot locate them?”

  “I’ll head west, to Aetheria City, and find you.”

  “And if you do come across them?”

  “I will tell them they need to abandon their village,” I said, “and seek refuge in the capital.”

  “Why?”

  I crept forward, trying to recall what he’d told me earlier. “Because according to the Prophecy, a dragon is going to burn it to the ground.”

  “Excellent. It seems your Higher Intelligence ability really does work.”

  “…”

  I remembered the first time I’d stepped into a nether portal. The uncertainty I’d felt, then. The fear. The hesitation.

  Now, it was much like that, only ten times worse. I was afraid of what I’d see and what I might have to face. At last, I stepped in.

  My vision wavered.

  All grew dark.

  As soon as I arrived in the Overworld, I began sprinting.

  At first, everything looked normal. Trees. Tall grass. Hills and mountains, rivers and valleys.

  Within hours,

  I found a village—

  or what looked like one to me.…

  I sniffed around every building.

  Not picking up any villager scent, I thought. Whatever happened here must have happened days or even weeks ago.

  Yet, within minutes, I caught two new scents. One was human, the other villager. I soon heard them approaching so I hid in some tall grass nearby.

  (My Creep ability must have turned me mostly invisible, as they didn’t seem to notice me.)

  The human had spiked yellow hair and brown armor, and he carried a sword on his back. The villager had a huge nose and carried two swords on his back, one sword slightly smaller than the other.

  “I can’t believe this,” the villager said. “It’s just like the last one I saw.”

  “Get used to it,” the human said. “Every place I’ve come across has been like this. Or worse.”

  The villager suddenly seemed so angry. His rage quickly subsided, however, and he gazed at the ruins in sorrow.

  “C’mon,” the human said. “Let’s look around and see if there’s anything we can salvage. And stay alert. You wouldn’t believe the stuff that’s out here.”

  “I’d believe. I’ve fought a few myself.”

  “Really? Hey. Why are you out here, anyway?”

  “I was exiled.”

  “What’d you do?”

 
; “I made a wrong decision.… It’s a long story.”

  “They at least gave you a weapon or something, right? Some tools?”

  “None. I’d dropped all my stuff earlier. That first night, I was jumped by ten husks while trying to dig an emergency shelter.”

  “Ouch. Did you even have a sword at that point?”

  “No. Just a wooden shovel.”

  “You fought ten husks with a wooden shovel? How’d you manage that?”

  “I just managed.” The villager paused. “Why are you out here?”

  “Because of this.” The human withdrew a piece of paper from his inventory. “Found it in some ruins a few days ago. In a library. It leads to a cave filled with adamant.”

  “What’s adamant?”

  The human sighed. “I think you’ve been holed up in that village of yours for way too long. Maybe getting exiled wasn’t such a bad thing, huh? Anyway, I’ll show you the ropes. Just stick with me.” He drew his sword.

  “C’mon. That cave isn’t too far from here. We’ll search this place first then hit the cave afterward.”

  “All right,” the villager said. “By the way, you never told me your name.”

  “Just call me S,” the human said.

  “S? That’s it?”

  “Well, I know my name starts with an S. I can’t seem to remember the rest, though. Anyway, let’s go.”

  They took off.

  Of course, I wanted to reveal myself and speak with them, but they looked a little dangerous.

  Once they were far enough away, I took out my compass and left the ruins, heading east again. For the rest of the day, the only thing I found of interest was fire. A forest fire.

  In my dreams, I heard voices.

  The voices of two girls.

  “Dude. Scouting is totally lame. Nothing has happened for days!”