“But don’t you think they deserve to know the truth?” Gameknight whispered.
“They deserve to know that which will help them the most,” a scratchy voice said from behind.
The User-that-is-not-a-user turned and found the Oracle standing right behind him.
“How’d you get behind me?” Gameknight asked.
“I can move pretty quietly when I want to,” the old woman replied with a smile.
“So you agree with Fencer?” Gameknight asked.
“You seek to unburden your soul, to free yourself of guilt?” the Oracle said.
Gameknight nodded.
“All of us are here for a reason,” she said. “Myself, I’m here to restore balance with my light-crafters. Carver over there,” she pointed to the stocky NPC with her crooked, wooden cane. “He is here to find himself and learn that he is a leader. Your friend Fencer is here to right the wrongs he perpetrated on you after first coming to his village.”
The NPC looked to the ground, ashamed.
“He rights these wrongs through the best way possible … through friendship with you.” The Oracle gave Fencer a smile that seemed to lighten his burdened soul. “Everyone here, at this moment in time, is here for a reason. That is the way Minecraft works; it draws people together so that they can appreciate their strengths and face their weaknesses, so that they can find the limits of their abilities and figure out how they can go a little further.”
She lowered her voice to the faintest whisper. “And for you, Gameknight999, this is especially true. You are here to protect your friends who exist in two different times: those that surround you here and those that exist a long time from now. I’m sure you know the lives of your friends in the future are dependent on what happens here, in this time. If we fail, then they may never exist, and you feel responsible for them.”
Gameknight nodded his boxy head.
“So Minecraft has brought you here, at this exact moment, for one reason,” the Oracle said as she took a step closer to him.
“What’s that?” Gameknight asked, an almost desperate tone to his voice.
“You are here because you can endure these hardships in silence,” the Oracle said. “You can do what is necessary without the need for fame or recognition. You can face these monsters, and perhaps even face Herobrine himself, with no thought for yourself, only for your friends. Your unwavering dedication to those around you is the wall that Herobrine cannot break, and that will tip the balance in this war. That is why you’re here.”
Gameknight reached up and wiped a tear from his eye as he stared at the old woman.
“You think I can do it?” he asked. “You think I can lead these people through this battle and keep them safe?”
“Not all of them,” the old woman replied. “War is dangerous business, and people get hurt … or worse. None of us can change that. But what I do believe is that you can lead these people and keep them trying when it appears all is lost. And in that darkest of moments, when it seems there is no hope, that is when your strength will shine through, and Herobrine will be the one to feel the fear of defeat.”
“You really think so?” Gameknight asked.
The old woman nodded her head, making her long, gray hair fall across her wrinkled face. She pulled the strands aside and smiled at him.
Suddenly, a voice called out from one of the towers.
“They’re here!”
“I guess it’s time we found out,” Fencer said, then slapped Gameknight on the back with a laugh.
He nodded, then glanced over at the light-crafters frantically working, their hands plunged into the ground.
I hope this works, Gameknight thought.
Have faith, child, a voice said in his head as beautiful melodic tones filled his mind. He turned and found the Oracle smiling at him, her gray eyes bright with hope.
Running up the sandstone stairs, he took his place at the center of the fortified wall. And as the sun slowly rose in the east, splashing bands of crimson and orange across the sky, Gameknight saw the massive body of monsters approaching. They were so close together, it was as if they were one giant beast, and he was staring right into its face.
Gameknight sighed, then drew his diamond sword with his right hand and his iron sword with his left.
“What do you all say we have a little monster party?” Gameknight shouted.
The villagers cheered, then banged their swords on their leather armor.
“CHANGE ARMOR!” he ordered.
Instantly, all the villages took off their leather tunics and leggings, and donned new, shining iron armor. They banged their swords on the metallic coating, creating a thunderous roar that made the approaching horde hesitate for just an instant before continuing forward.
“Smithy, aren’t you going to put on iron armor?” one of the villagers asked in a loud voice, holding out a set for him to use.
Gameknight noticed all the villagers watching him. He smiled.
“No, I don’t want that armor,” the User-that-is-not-a-user shouted. “I want Herobrine to see me clearly, so that he will know it is Smithy of the Two-Swords that stands before him when he is defeated!”
“Smithy be crazy!” someone shouted, causing the NPCs to laugh aloud as if they didn’t care about the approaching mob.
“Let’s do this,” Gameknight growled as he gripped his swords firmly and waited for the beast to attack.
CHAPTER 33
OVERWHELMED
The massive army of monsters stopped far out of bowshot and glared at the defenders. A nervous stillness had settled across the desert, and neither side made a sound. The constant east-to-west breeze made the few dried shrubs rustle in the breeze, causing the leaves to shake like the tail of a rattlesnake just before it strikes.
And then the monsters advanced. The first wave was composed of zombies. The decaying creatures’ sorrowful moans and angry growls filled the air as they marched, their shuffling feet kicking up small clouds of dust.
“Archers, take your positions,” Gameknight shouted.
The cobblestone towers that sat on either side of the fortified wall filled with warriors. Pointy arrowheads could be seen sticking out from holes in the side of the tower and all along the top. More villagers mounted the walls, standing on catwalks and climbing atop raised platforms behind the wall, and pointed arrows toward their foe.
And then the warriors waited. The monsters seemed to be approaching in slow motion. Fear had a way of doing that, making the terrifying moments in your life feel drawn out and exaggerated. Gameknight had to do something to break the tension.
“Hey, Fencer,” Gameknight shouted.
“What?” the NPC replied, confused.
“That one zombie out there … he looks kinda like you.”
Fencer smiled. Some of the villagers laughed. He understood what the User-that-is-not-a-user was doing.
“Which one?” Fencer replied.
“The decaying one with the ugly scar, the droopy eye, and bald head,” Gameknight shouted.
More laughter.
“Bald head?” Fencer shouted, then removed his helmet to show his own head. The sides were ringed with black and gray hair and the top was completely bald. “Who you calling bald? Look at all my hair.”
The villagers burst into laughter, the tension easing.
“You know, I feel bad for you, Fencer … don’t all of you?” Gameknight called out to all the villagers. “All those zombies have the same hairstyle as him … you know … bald.” More laughter. “Everyone, find a bald zombie out there and shoot it with your arrows when it gets near, so our friend here won’t feel so bad about his hair style.”
“But Smithy,” Fencer added with a smile, “they’re all completely bald.”
“Oh, well in that case …” Gameknight replied with a grin. “OPEN FIRE!”
The archers released their arrows. Pointed shafts leapt into the air, streaking through the sky in a beautiful arc, then falling upon the green mons
ters. Sorrowful moans changed to shouts of pain as the arrows found flesh, but the approaching army did not slow. Some of the monsters fell into the many holes placed out in the desert, their heads barely poking up out of the tiny prison. Those behind them just walked over their trapped fellow soldiers, ignoring their plights.
The archers fired again and again, arrows finding their marks, but with so many monsters approaching, the effect was too small to measure. The wave of moaning claws continued forward, unwavering in their desire to reach the NPCs and destroy them.
The growls and moans became louder as they monstrous horde drew closer.
“Swordsmen to the walls!” Gameknight shouted.
Warriors ran to the top of the barricade and waited for the monsters to approach. Their iron swords and new iron armor shone in the light of the morning sun.
“Get ready, they’re almost here,” Fencer said. “Don’t let any get onto the wall!”
As the monsters drew near the wall, the archers were unable to effectively fire at them. Instead, they aimed their projectiles at the monsters farther away from the snarling front line.
And then the army reached the walls. Sharp claws scratched at the stone, hoping to carve through the obstacle. The warriors standing on the barricade knelt and swiped at the monsters with their swords, their blades making zombies flash red with damage. But still they advanced. The creatures in front were forced to the ground, and the ones behind stood on their comrades’ fallen bodies. The swordsmen swung their blades, hitting them with all their strength. Monsters flashed red, growling in rage, finally disappearing when their HP went to zero. Fortunately, the swordsmen were able to keep them from creating a living zombie stairway that would have let them reach the top of the wall … for now.
Clouds of purple mist formed on the fortified structure; Endermen were teleporting amid the defenders. The dark monsters expected to be attacked, but the User-that-is-not-a-user had trained the villagers well. All of the NPCs glanced away from the Endermen and kept their weapons far from the lanky creatures.
Gameknight smiled. But then he saw one of the soldiers swinging at a zombie head poking up over the wall. A nearby Endermen disappeared in a cloud of lavender, then materialized directly into the path of the blade. The sword dug into the monster’s leg, causing it to flash red with damage. With a loud, high-pitched scream, the monster yelled out in pain. The wail caused the other Endermen to screech and become enraged. They began to shake as their mouths fell open, revealing rows of black teeth. Then, as their eyes glowed white with anger, the Endermen attacked.
Soldiers were pummeled in a flurry of dark fists. Their iron armor clanked and groaned under the attack, but was not sufficient to protect the soldiers. NPCs fell under the Endermen attack, taking the pressure off the zombies.
“Fight back-to-back!” Gameknight shouted.
Gripping his swords firmly, he charged to the top of the wall and attacked the nearest Enderman. The creature took damage before it knew he was there. Then Carver was at his side, axe swinging wildly. Gameknight pressed his back to Carver’s as they fought. Endermen that appeared before Gameknight tried to strike him and then teleport to the other side, only to face Carver’s axe. Together, they drove the Endermen back, giving the other soldiers time to advance on the zombies.
Arrows were raining down upon them. Glancing out into the desert, Gameknight could see a wave of skeletons approaching, their bony white bodies difficult to see against the pale sand. Most of their arrows were aimed at the NPC archers in the towers, causing the villagers to duck their heads to avoid being hit. This lifted the attack on the zombies, who staggered forward. With the number of zombies reaching the walls getting bigger, the decaying green monsters were close to reaching the top of the wall.
Gameknight stepped back and surveyed the situation.
More zombies were making it to the walls, trampling the monsters ahead of them to reach the top of the cobblestone structure. The skeletons had completely silenced the villager archers, and Endermen were still appearing amid the defenders. Things were not going well.
Suddenly, Gameknight saw a flash of motion amid the monsters. A group of small boys were running through the monster formations, each of them dropping a red-and-white-striped cube behind them. They were weaving between zombies and skeletons, littering the battlefield with them. Fortunately, the monsters were so intent on reaching the defenders on the fortified wall that none of them paid any attention to the small NPCs sprinting around them.
Gameknight breathed a sigh of relief; it looked as if Weaver and the other kids were not in danger … for now.
A loud clicking sound filled the air. A large group of spiders had emerged from behind a large sand dune, mandibles clicking together excitedly as they surged forward, intent on destruction. They flowed through the skeleton formation like a shadowy tide, their black bodies easy to see against the pale monsters. As they neared the zombies, the fuzzy monsters veered to the left and approached the cobblestone tower that sat atop a steep sand dune.
Gameknight knew neither the zombies nor the skeletons would try to assault this tower; the sides of the sand dune on which it sat were not easily climbable. However, the giant arachnids could climb sheer walls as easily as one could walk along a stone path.
The spiders charged toward the tower, trying to get around it and gain access to the army’s rear. If they were successful, then Gameknight and all the NPCs would be trapped between two forces. That would be bad.
Jumping off the wall, he ran to the Oracle.
“Oracle, we’ll need help over there soon,” Gameknight said.
The old woman nodded her head, then pointed to the green light-crafter with prickly hair and a tall light-crafter with brown rough skin. They nodded, then closed their eyes and concentrated until their hands began to glow a deep green. At the same time, the two light-crafters plunged their hands into the ground just as another light-crafter, this one with long, stringy green hair, started to help.
Gameknight moved to the left tower and climbed to the top. With his bow out, he began to shoot at the spiders, but he frequently had to duck behind blocks as the skeletons fired up at him. His arrows did not seem to be slowing the fuzzy monsters’ advance.
Suddenly, cactuses began popping up out of the ground right in front of the spiders. At the same time, mighty junglewood trees burst into life. Thick, leafy branches extended from the trees, casting dark shadows on the ground. Vines from Vinebrin began to extend down from the branches Treebrin had created. The long, stringy vines began snaking their way across the branches and down the trunks of the trees. When they reached the desert floor, they slithered across the sand like a million green snakes. The vines became entangled in the legs of the spiders, ensnaring them in their verdant mesh, pulling them into the wall of cactus.
Spiders hissed in pain as their bodies flashed red. Some of the monsters were able to cut their way free of the vines and charge forward, only to encounter more prickly cactuses. They moved along the green barrier, looking for a way forward, but Cactusbrin had formed a maze out of the resilient plants. In minutes, the spiders were hopelessly lost, their only option to climb over the walls. When they touched the spines of the cactus, the monsters flashed red again as they took more damage.
Gameknight turned and looked down at the Oracle and smiled. Turning back to the battlefield, the User-that-is-not-a-user peered out from behind a stone block to survey the battle. The villagers on the walls were just barely holding back the monsters. Carver stood at the center of the wall, cleaving through groups of monsters with his axe; none survived who came close to the mighty warrior.
Out in the desert, Gameknight could see Weaver and the others finishing their task. They had placed TNT nearly all throughout the battlefield … good.
Suddenly, a loud growl filled the air. Glancing to the large, distant sand dunes, Gameknight watched in shock as another huge group of zombies emerged from hiding. They shuffled across the desert, ignoring the striped bl
ocks and NPC children, their hateful eyes focused on the defenders on the stone tall.
“There must be five hundred in that group,” Gameknight mumbled to himself. “How are we going to stop that many?”
He glanced down at the villagers on the walls. They were just barely hanging on as it was—when the new wave of monsters hit the defenses, they would be overwhelmed. There was no way they could hold them back.
Many of the NPCs had now seen the new group of monsters and were shouting alarms, but there was nothing anyone could do. If those zombies reached the walls before they were ready, then they were all doomed.
CHAPTER 34
CURTAIN OF FLAMES
Gameknight jumped off the tower, landing in a pool of water that cushioned his fall. He then sprinted to the top of the wall and began slashing at the monsters trying to climb over the top. Endermen were still trying to stir up trouble, but with the villagers still fighting back-to-back, the dark creatures were not very effective.
Carver stood tall at the center of the wall. He dared the monsters to approach and frequently stepped back to let them reach the top before cutting them down. The wall all around him was littered with zombie flesh, Ender pearls, and hundreds of glowing balls of XP. He was, singlehandedly, holding the center of their fortifications from the monster advance.
“Gamekn … Ahh, I mean Smithy, look,” Fencer shouted.
At first, Gameknight thought he was pointing at the new wave of monsters, but then he realized he was really looking at the small NPC on a distant sand dune out in the desert. It was Weaver, and he was standing atop a large hill, waving his iron sword high over his head.
“Grrr …” A zombie growled, then attacked Gameknight.
Spinning, he slashed at the monster with his diamond sword. The monster blocked the attack, but it was not ready for the iron blade that came down upon his arm. The monster flashed red with damage. Fear began to fill its cold, dead eyes, but Gameknight999 did not relent. He drove the attack forward, hitting the monster over and over until it disappeared with a pop. Glancing up, he could see the rest of the kids gathering around Weaver; their task was complete.
Attack of the Shadow-Crafters Page 17