Last Stand on the Ocean Shore

by Mark Cheverton

  “No, not at night,” he replied. “We’ll rest up here for the night then go in the morning.”

  “A wise plan,” Crafter added.

  Everyone moved back into the temple; Gameknight stayed out until he was sure that everyone was accounted for. As he headed for the doorway, he found Herder on his knees, looking at the spot where his cattle had been. Gameknight could see tiny square tears flowing down the lanky youth’s cheeks. Putting a reassuring hand on the boy’s shoulder, Gameknight knelt next to him.

  “Why would they do this?” Herder asked as he turned to look at Gameknight999. “They were just innocent animals. They had nothing to do with this insane war.”

  “I don’t know, Herder,” Gameknight answered. “But rest assured, we’re going to find out. Now, come on; we have to get into the temple and get some sleep.”

  As they stood, Herder looked at his idol, then wiped his cheeks with a dirty sleeve. With eyes cast to the ground, he walked back into the temple, Gameknight999 following right behind. After closing in the doorway with blocks of dirt, Gameknight moved to one of the archer holes and looked one last time at the sand dune where he’d seen that lone zombie.

  I’m sure I saw something yellow on its shirt, but why would it be yellow, unless …

  A maelstrom of possibilities spun through his head as he contemplated what he’d seen. He wanted to think about every one of these possibilities, but he was too tired. Yawning, he found a bed that someone had put out and sat down. On the other side of the temple he could see Digger and motioned the big NPC to come near.

  “What does the User-that-is-not-a-user need?” Digger asked.

  “There is a chamber beneath this floor,” Gameknight explained. “If you make another of your spiral staircases, you can get down to it. There is a pressure plate that is wired to blocks of TNT. If you break the redstone circuit, you can take the plate and all the TNT.”

  “We will take care of it,” Digger said as he pulled out his mighty pickaxe.

  “There’s more,” Gameknight said as he put a hand on Digger’s muscular arm. “There are four chests with treasure. Be careful and look for traps, but we should be able to get some diamonds from there. You should have a diamond pick … and use the enchantments for Crafter’s sword.”

  “I’ll get it done,” Digger said, then rushed off to give orders.

  Gameknight laid his head back on the pillow as he listened to the sounds of digging, his eyes becoming heavy.

  I wish we were back home and not stuck in here, he thought. If only Dad were home. He’d know how to help us and get us out of here without letting Herobrine escape. If only he were home … if only he were home.

  Then, finally, Gameknight999 lost his battle with fatigue and fell asleep.

  CHAPTER 6

  WINGED SPIES

  Herobrine materialized in a large underground chamber. His glowing eyes lit his surroundings with an eerie illumination, casting strange shadows on the rocky walls. He could see that this was not the cavern he sought. The evil shadow-crafter transported to another large cave. Instantly, he could tell that this was the right place.

  All around him, Herobrine could hear the squeaks and splashes of bats. Allowing his eyes to flare bright, he lit the cave with his evil glare. The cavern was not as big as a zombie-town, nor a spider lair, but it was still a sizeable enclosure. With a span of about fifty blocks across, despite its immense width, it felt like a cramped space. The ceiling was only a dozen blocks high, and compared to the extent of the cavern, the stony roof felt low, making Herobrine want to stoop.

  A stream of water poured out of a hole in the wall and fell to the cave floor, forming a pool that stretched across half the cavern. All around the pool flew bats, maybe a hundred of them. They flitted about throughout the cave, then periodically plunged into the water, checking on their precious treasure lying at the bottom of the shallow pond.

  Teleporting to the edge of the pool, Herobrine peered into the cool waters. He could see the bottom lined with brown eggs, each spattered with tiny black spots. There were probably a thousand of them, some bigger than others, the largest ready to hatch. This cave was one of the main hatcheries for the bats on this server. As the tiny creatures emerged from their oval cocoons, they fluttered through the tunnels and underground passages until they spread out all across the digital landscape. With the lifespan of bats naturally being short, it was important for the species to have this collection of eggs. These speckled seeds would generate a consistent trickle of bats throughout the server, maintaining a balance of creatures for the species.

  But Herobrine didn’t need balance … he needed numbers.

  Plunging his hands into the cool water, Herobrine gathered his crafting powers. As his hand started to glow a pale, sickly yellow, the water in the pool became peppered with magical yellow bubbles. In the depths, he could see the eggs begin to hatch. The bats in the cave squeaked with agitation as tiny newborn creatures struggled to get out of the water and fly into the air. Those that were too weak from the premature hatching simply sank to the bottom, their bodies flashing red. Many of the adult bats plunged into the pool, trying to help the weaker ones get to the surface, but only those that were strong enough to take to the air survived.

  Many of the tiny creatures died, but Herobrine did not care. He needed these creatures now, and refused to wait. As the last of the eggs hatched, Herobrine stood and looked at the massive collection of bats. It was as if the cave had suddenly filled with a black, fluttering fog of beady eyes and flailing wings. There was barely room enough for all of them to be airborne at the same time. Some settled on the walls and ceiling, giving the impression that the entire cavern was carpeted with living, breathing creatures, but even with all the crowding, none would go near Herobrine. They all feared him, which made the shadow-crafter smile.

  “Come, my children … to the surface,” Herobrine said, his voice filling the chamber with echoes, eyes glowing bright.

  Herobrine teleported to the tunnel entrance that led to the deep underground hatchery and stood near the opening. As he waited, his eyes glowed brighter and brighter, thoughts about his enemy, Gameknight999, flowing through his head.

  Soon, the bats started to emerge. Their tiny red eyes watched Herobrine warily as they flew out of the opening, staying in a tight fluttering sphere. They formed a giant undulating ball of tiny wings and beady eyes that grew in size as the rest of the colony shot up into the night sky.

  “You will be my eyes and ears on this server,” Herobrine shouted to the bats. “I command you to find my enemy and his friends. You will continue to seek them out and not stop while you can still draw breath.” His eyes then glowed bright. “If you fail me, all the creatures of the dark will be at risk.”

  The bats gave off agitated squeaks as they flew even faster, their tiny eyes glowing red with anger.

  “Gameknight999 did this to you … he is your enemy, as he is mine,” Herobrine lied. “He seeks to destroy all the creatures of the shadows and save Minecraft only for the NPCs. You can help me defend our lives against this threat. If you fail, the User-that-is-not-a-user will destroy you all. Your children and your children’s children will be destroyed if you do not succeed. Spare nothing, not even your lives in this mission. NOW GO!”

  Bats squeaked loudly, then flew off in all directions. To Herobrine, it looked like a massive dark cloud flowing across the landscape. The cloud thinned as tiny wings beat furiously, the bats spreading out in all directions. Herobrine could see their bright hateful red eyes inspecting every crevasse and shadowy knoll, looking for his enemy … good!

  Herobrine held up his hands and cackled a maniacal, evil laugh as the bats disappeared into the distance.

  “This is just one hatchery,” he said aloud to no one. “When I’ve gone to all of them, I will have bats everywhere looking for you, my friend. There is nowhere you can hide from me, User-that-is-not-a-user.”

  He then laughed again as he teleported to the next bat hatch
ery, his evil, glowing eyes slowly fading away in the darkness.

  CHAPTER 7

  DREAMS

  Gameknight suddenly sat up in his bed. He thought he’d heard something, but he could see that he was alone. Around him swirled a silvery mist, its embrace cool and damp. Instantly he knew where he was … the Land of Dreams. Peering deep into the billowing fog, he could see his friends around him, asleep on beds. They were all curled up under red blankets, their boxy heads lying on crisp white pillows.

  Standing, Gameknight faced the wall of the desert temple. He could see that it was nearly transparent. Moving up to the sandstone blocks, the User-that-is-not-a-user extended his hand. It passed through the block as if it were not there. Stepping forward, he passed through the side of the temple and was out on the open desert … but something in the silvery mist was different. He could see tiny blue bubbles floating through the gray fog.

  What’s this? he thought. Bubbles … something is wrong!

  Before he could make any sense of the bubbles, a voice percolated through the silvery mist, as if it were riding on these bubbles.

  “You can accomplish only what you can imagine,” an aged, scratchy voice said.

  “Oracle … you’re here!” Gameknight said.

  “Yes, User-that-is-not-a-user, I am here … I have always been here.”

  The music of Minecraft then sounded through the Land of Dreams, filling the misty scene with beautiful tones that eased Gameknight’s fears. And in that moment, Gameknight999 realized that the Oracle was always present in the back of his mind. She was the music of Minecraft. With all his experience in the game, he knew that you didn’t always hear the music; it came and went. Now he realized that the Oracle had always been there in the background somehow … watching.

  “That is correct, User-that-is-not-a-user,” the Oracle said, her voice coming to Gameknight from all directions. “I check on all the users while they play the game, making sure that Herobrine does not infect any of them. In the past, when you heard my music, it meant that Herobrine was near. I was designed to keep him in the game and not allow his escape, but also to protect those he could harm.”

  Moving forward, Gameknight walked through the desert. He could see that it was empty. The only inhabitants being lonely green cacti; the spiny plants kept vigil over the barren wasteland. Trying to find the Oracle, Gameknight999 moved at the speed of thought through the Land of Dreams. In an instant he was in a grasslands biome, then a birch forest, then an ice plains biome, then wading through a dense swamp with a witch’s hut visible in the distance. Everywhere he traveled, he could hear the music of Minecraft enveloping him … it was everywhere, yet the Oracle was nowhere.

  “Where are you now?” Gameknight asked as he moved to an orange and brown mesa biome.

  Looking around, the User-that-is-not-a-user marveled at the pillars of banded dirt that stood tall and silent throughout this beautiful mesa biome. The stripes of sun-burnt brown and soft tan and rich orange tones gave the landscape a particularly calming appearance, as if these muted hues could somehow stop the violence that was surging across Minecraft.

  “Are you alright?” Gameknight asked the Oracle. “What happened when Herobrine returned?”

  “The spoiled child finally figured out how to break into my temple. He destroyed my beloved home … flattened it to the ground and left a smoking crater where it once stood.”

  “That happened to me once; I know how hard that can be. I’m sorry, but at least you escaped.”

  “I did not escape,” the oracle said in a calm, scratchy voice. “I stood before Herobrine once again, and he used his diamond sword on me.”

  “You mean he killed you?”

  “No, child, he does not understand what I am. He thinks that the body that stood before him was the Oracle, but that was just an extension of my being. I am the antivirus program that was designed to keep him within the game and slowly destroy him. I am much larger than he realizes.”

  “Why not just destroy him all at once?” Gameknight asked.

  “He is too well entrenched in the game to be directly attacked,” the Oracle explained. “That would have risked destroying all of Minecraft. No, my purpose was to slow his spread and watch over the users and NPCs. The Oracle was just the smallest piece of my being. I am the music that you hear during the game. That is my true self … the computer code that watches over the workings of Minecraft. That spoiled child, Herobrine, thinks he destroyed me, but he understands little … other than violence and destruction.”

  “But how am I supposed to stop him?” Gameknight asked as he moved from the dream-like mesa to a mysterious roofed forest biome.

  Looking up at the overhead canopy, he teleported to the top of the trees. All around him, the leafy treetops stretched out in all directions, the occasional giant red mushroom peeking its crimson face through the flowing green carpet. Reaching into his inventory, he pulled out the pink egg and held it in his hands.

  “I still don’t know how to use this weapon … please tell me what to do,” Gameknight pleaded. “Everyone’s lives are depending on me to do the right thing. You have to help me!”

  “Gameknight, you must figure this out on your own so that you can make the correct decision at the correct time. If I tell too much, I will alter what might be. It has taken a hundred years to get the right sequence of events in line so that Herobrine can finally be stopped. If I say too much, I will change everything, and there is too much at stake for that. All I can do is help you find the courage and wisdom you will need to do what is necessary.”

  “Courage,” Gameknight scoffed as he moved from the roofed forest to a jungle biome. He could see ocelots around him and felt at ease; there were no creepers nearby. “I don’t remember the last time I felt brave. I fight because I have no choice, not because I’m brave. In fact, I’m afraid all the time.”

  “Do not confuse fear with weakness,” the Oracle said. “Only a fool is not afraid in battle. It is how we deal with that fear that is important. A coward allows himself to be consumed by his fear and let others suffer because of it. A hero faces his fear, acknowledges it, then does what he must to protect those around him.”

  “That’s great, but tell me how to find the strength and wisdom that I’ll need to face Herobrine again.”

  “Find the ancient Book of Wisdom,” the Oracle explained. “At one time, it was within my temple, but Herobrine was able to steal it many years ago. I can still feel its presence, but it will be up to you to find it … and survive. It will likely be guarded by the most vile and dangerous of creatures.”

  “Where is this book?” Gameknight asked.

  “It is held in the most ancient of buildings, older than the temple in which we met.”

  “Where is this place?”

  “I cannot say for sure. But there is only one biome where I haven’t looked, so it must be there,” the Oracle explained.

  “Where … what kind of biome are we looking for?”

  “Deep Ocean,” the Oracle stated.

  “Ocean … how can the temple be in the ocean? I thought it would be a jungle temple or maybe a desert temple.”

  “No, this temple, though only recently made visible to users, has been hidden in Minecraft since its creation. The temple you seek is an Ocean Monument, and it lies deep underwater. But you must go with care, for terrible beasts guard the Monument, and the worst of them, the Elder Guardian, will be protecting the Book of Wisdom.”

  Gameknight had heard something about the Ocean Monuments. They’d been in the 14w25a snapshot, but he hadn’t bothered to look at it, only reading a few scant details online.

  “No one, user nor NPC, has survived an encounter with the Elder Guardian. You must be clever and brave, for the slightest doubt will bring your downfall. And if that happens, woe to us all.”

  “Can you tell me anything more?” Gameknight asked. “How do I destroy the Elder Guardian?”

  “You must be creative and do what Herobrine does n
ot expect you to do,” the Oracle said, “for the Elder Guardian is waiting. And when you go into the Guardian’s Monument, you will be in his domain, and he will have every advantage. But you must hurry. Herobrine is bringing monsters here from the other servers. He is destabilizing the pyramid of servers and threatening the existence of all. Only the User-that-is-not-a-user can solve this puzzle and survive; if you cannot … everyone is doomed … doomed … doomed …”

  Her last word echoed throughout the Land of Dreams like the cold beat of a funeral drum. Gameknight started to ask the Oracle one last question when someone grabbed his shoulder and shook him, slowly drawing him out of the Land of Dreams and back into the waking world. As the silvery fog thinned, Gameknight thought he saw something in the mist. It was a tall, brown rectangle, with ten individual sections to it, four of the top sections empty.

  Slowly, he recognized the object … but didn’t understand. Was this a hint from the Oracle, or something from his past experiences in Minecraft? He couldn’t be sure, but as the Land of Dreams faded and the waking world became solid, he knew what he needed, though he didn’t know why … yet.

  “Gameknight, are you awake?” a voice said.

  Opening his eyes, he could see it was his sister, Monet113, her fluorescent blue hair framing her square face and adding a bright accent to her colorful armor.

  “Gameknight, are you—”

  “Yeah, I’m awake,” he said.

  “It’s morning; we’re heading to the village,” she said.

  Gameknight stood and stretched his arms. He could see the orange light of dawn trickling in through the holes they’d put in the temple walls.

  As he walked, he suddenly realized that the shape he’d seen in the mist was a door. But he still didn’t understand what it meant.

  Doors … why would we need doors? he thought to himself.

  Then the music of Minecraft swelled within his mind and he laughed. Looking at the other NPCs, he could tell that they all heard it, for a satisfied smile came across all their faces.