by Terry Mayer
'Take that back Wimp, or I swear I will kill you. TAKE IT BACK.'
Wow, talk about blowing everything out of proportion. Darth was seeing red and there was no talking him down. I was starting to get a little worried that this would end very, very badly when Mr Mayer stepped into the crowd.
'Good morning everyone, are we ready to commence today's lesson. Darth, you seem a little worked up, is everything alright.'
'I'm fine,' he managed to pry out between his gritted teeth.
'Good lad, and how about you Jeb, everything ok over there?'
'Yes thanks Sir, all A ok here,' I replied, and it was. Never had I been so happy to see a teacher in my entire life. A life that could have very easily ended if Mr Mayer had not arrived when he had.
'Good good. Well, lets get on with the lesson shall we. This morning we are going to learn the basic art of combat. Please get out your Wooden Swords and pair up.'
We all moved off in groups, I grabbed Numbers and made a hasty retreat as far from Darth as possible.
We spent the rest of the morning learning how to Jab, Lunge and Thrust. Cool huh, that's what we combat experts call attack moves. Then we learnt how to Parry, Guard and Defend, cool defensive terms. By the end of the morning I was feeling pretty good, ready to advance beyond the basics.
'Right, it's almost time to break for lunch, so let's have a little fun before we stop. Darth, into the center please, so who can you fight, hmm, ah yes, perfect. Jeb, maybe you would like to engage with Darth?'
'No thanks Sir, I'm all good over here.'
This comment got laughs all round.
'Sorry Jeb, you misunderstood me. That was NOT a request, now get over here.'
*gulp*
I ran over and stood facing Darth who gave me a wicked grin and mouthed - Time to die wimp.
*double gulp*
'Right you two, keep it clean and let's see what you have learnt this morning.'
That was like giving permission to lions to eat the gladiators. Darth let out an ear piecing scream and jumped at me, smacking his sword down on my head. THANK YOU Mr Larrson for insisting we only use Wooden Swords until after our training with Mr Mayer was complete.
I fell to the floor and Darth stood over me, grinning. 'Is that it wimp? That was almost a waste of my time.'
'Very well done Darth, right, next person. Come on Jeb, get out of the way, you have had your go.'
And that was it. I crawled out of the way and Darth went on to demolish everyone who opposed him. At least I was not the only one to get beaten but I was the first so that's all anyone will remember. *shame*
Saturday
We have our final tests in Crafting and Basic Survival skills next week. Everyone who passes gets to go home for the weekend, all who fail have to stay back and re-test. I am going to study like crazy all weekend.
Monday
Today's crafting lesson was the last one before the test tomorrow. The test will be divided into two sections, with a Theory Test in the morning and a Practical in the afternoon. Will sit up all night if necessary, cramming for the final exam.
Tuesday
Ok, today is the day I get to prove I am just as good as these older kids. Test starts in about an hour. Wish me luck.
YESSSSS - I passed the Theory Test this morning. Yeehaaa!!!
It was really easy in the end, probable because I sat up all night cramming, but I knew every answer. Mr Larrson gave me a perfect score, way to go JEB!
Practical Crafting 101 went like a breeze, well more like a hurricane actually. It was a close call but I passed with flying colors. We all had to gather in the Crafting Room and take turns making objects. Mr Larrson drew names from one hat and item descriptions from another, the chosen person then had two minutes to collect everything they needed from the ingredients bench and craft the object on the Crafting Table, which was placed behind a screen in the middle of the room. All the other school teachers were seated in the corner of the room, watching the proceedings. Talk about pressure!
Mr Larrson called my name. 'Jeb, will you please craft a Stained Glass Block, your time starts now.'
'No worries Mr Larrson, I know exactly how to do that,' I replied and strolled over to the ingredients bench.
Right, 8 x Glass Blocks and some form of Dying agent and I will be set to go. Uh, where's the Glass? I hunted everywhere looking for Glass Blocks and then it hit me, I had to make my own. Ok, don't panic Jeb, I've still got time, I'll just stuff 8 x Sand into the Furnace and noooooo. Where's the Furnace? And that's when I really started to panic.
Ok, come on Jeb, quick. I grabbed 8 x Cobblestone Blocks from the Ingredients bench and dashed over to the Crafting Table, well that's at least one thing I didn't have to make. Laying the Cobblestone out in all the squares except the center, I made my Furnace and quickly stuffed 8 x Sand Blocks and 8 x Wooden Blocks inside.
I retrieved the eight Glass Blocks from the Furnace and I checked the time. OMG - TEN seconds left. I grabbed a piece of Lapis Lazuli from the Ingredients bench and dashed back to the Crafting Table, placed all the Glass Blocks in the squares and the Lapis Lazuli in the center. I grabbed the Blue Stained Glass and held in aloft just as Mr Larrson called time.
'Cutting it a little close there Jeb, but nice job.'
Phew, I'm glad that was over. Well the afternoon preceded a lot smoother after that shaky start. I went on to craft a Beacon, a Bass Fess Banner and some Melon Seeds - yeah that last one was real easy but I guess it's just luck of the draw. Mr Larrson called me in at the end of the test and told me I had passed the Practical exam. Way cool, fist bump Mr Larrson.
Yeah, maybe I shouldn't have tried that with Mr Larrson. I stuck my fist out there and he left it dangling for so long my arm nearly fell off, then he looked up and grabbed my first and shook it - yeah I know, he shook it!
Anyhow, I passed, Crafting 101 is complete, just Basic Survival Skills 101 and I'm out of here for the weekend.
Wednesday
Last practice day for Survival training was today and I'm so sore I can hardly move. We learnt how to Spawn today. Sound easy doesn't it. You stand next to the Survival Room door and Mr Mayer asks if your ready - sure, go ahead, I'm ready. He presses a button and BOOM you arrive in the Survival Room. Cool huh!
Well it would be cool if I arrived standing up. Seven times he sent me through the Spawner and seven times I ended up flat on my face in the Survival Room. Nearly everyone ended up face down the first couple of times but they all got the hang of it by the end of the afternoon. Mr Mayer has asked me to come back tomorrow and try again. If I can't master Spawning then I will fail on Friday.
Thursday
This was supposed to be a study day but Mr Mayer gave me some additional help with spawning, but it made no difference. Seven more Spawns and seven more face plants. *shame*
Mr Mayer gave me a book to study on stylish spawning techniques and said I just needed to believe in myself and everything would be ok. I sure hope he is right as the test is tomorrow.
Friday
Today's the day. Survival Skills Test. Pass this and I get to go home for the weekend. Please, please, please let me spawn properly. I've been up all night studying how to spawn in style, but I will be happy to just land feet first.
We all gathered outside the survival room, shuffling nervously. They called our names individually and we had to go into the survival room and perform certain tasks assigned at random, rather like the Crafting Practical.
My name was called and I walked to the spawner. My heart was in my mouth, come on Jeb, you can do this. The guard looked at me, 'you ready?' he asked. I swallowed and nodded and he pressed the button. BOOM - everything I had learnt came flooding back and I landed in the Survival Room not only feet first but with STYLE.
YES! Way to go Jeb. I was on such a high if they had asked me to fly I could have done it. Looking around, the first thing I noticed was a viewing stand on the hill packed with all the teachers, watching the tests. What a way to make an e
ntrance, with such an important audience. I could see a couple of the teachers smiling, so they either thought the same or I messed something up without realizing it.
*gulp* I should have known they would be here after they were at the Crafting exam but it's still daunting.
'Jeb, are you ready?'
Spinning around, I realized that Mr Mayer was waiting for me.
'Sorry Sir, just a little nervous.'
'That's ok Jeb, take your time and you will do fine. Now, for your first test I need you to build a survival hole, you have 20 seconds and your time starts now.'
'What? A survival hole...'
That's as far as I got as the sky went dark and four Zombies, yes FOUR, shambled over the hill towards me.
'Look out behind you Mr Mayer, ZOMBIES,' I screamed, but he just nodded and continued to mark notes in his little book, and then it hit me. This is the test, survival hole, Zombies approaching, get on with it Jeb!'
I grabbed my Shovel from my inventory I quickly dug a three block deep hole and jumped in. The first Zombie reached the edge of the hole just as I reached up and placed a Soil Block in the opening. Everything went dark and I sat in silence for a minute until I heard, as plain as day, Mr Mayer congratulating me on passing the first test and to come out.
'Right Jeb, for your next test I wish you to make a Crafting Table. You have two minutes, time starts now.'
'Uh, no worries Mr Mayer, I have one right here,' I replied, and reached into my inventory. What, it's empty, how did that happen, it was full when I entered the Survival Room. Right, Crafting Table, I needed Wood. I ran to the first tree and started hammering away at it with my fists, man, I really missed my Axe right at that moment. As each Block broke apart I gathered it into my inventory. Come on Jeb, you only need four blocks. Right got them, I reached inside my personal Inventory and I placed the four blocks and WHAMO, I had a Crafting Table. (As I've said before, there's no actual WHAMO, it just happens, but that feels like an anti-climax.)
'Well done Jeb, now for your final test you need to hit the targets with all three arrows,' he said, pointing at the Bow and Arrows leaning next to the tree.
'Ok Sir,' I replied looking about, 'where are the targets?'
'If you are ready they should be here any moment.'
And they sure did arrive. Three Zombies shambled out from the wooded area, moaning and coming straight at me. Just great, I had never fired at a moving target before and now I was under real pressure.
Notching my first arrow I took careful aim and let it rip. Yes, bulls eye, or in this case Zombie's eye. Hehe.
One down, two to go. Well I guess the other two Zombie's did not appreciate being fired at because they immediately split apart and came at me from two sides. I started backpedaling, trying to keep the Zombie on my left within my field of sight while getting the one on my right lined up for a shot. Come on, just a little closer, NOW! I let the arrow go and it sailed straight and true and bedded itself right in the Zombies heart. Yes, just more one to go. I turned quickly, searching for the last Zombie and was nearly bowled over as it rushed me. OMG, I had never seen a Zombie move so fast, admittedly, this is only the second time that I had actually seen a live Zombie. Yeah, yeah, I told you already they aren't really live, yada yada yada.
Anyhow, the Zombie rushed straight at me, and it would have sunk it's filthy teeth into my arm if I hadn't flung myself backwards just as it reached out for me. I rolled as I hit the floor and came up with the Bow in my hands. Notching my last arrow I sighted on the Zombie and let rip. The arrow hit right in the center of the Zombie's head and it fell to the floor, DEAD. Well undead, no that's not right, re-dead, uh whatever, you get my point.
I turned to Mr Mayer and he smiled as he approached me with his hand extended.
'Well done Jeb, you not only passed the exam but you did so with a lot of style. That spawn was not exactly text book but it was completely awesome. Well done.'
Cool - Mr Mayer says I have STYLE!
Well that's about it for my first term at the School of Minecraft, I passed all my exams so I'm off home for the weekend. Can't waiting to see Mom and Dad and fill then in on all my news.
Numbers, Hoody and Gravy all passed too, so that is also great news. But I've just heard the best news of all, and I know I'm being mean but I can't help it. Darth failed the Basic Survival exam. Something about Zombies and crying like a baby. Yeah, I just made that bit up but he really did fail, that means he is staying here for the weekend. Maybe, just maybe he will now be a little nicer when I get back. Anyway, I'm signing off for now, the guys want to go and celebrate that we all passed. Hope to see you back here next term.
Jeb - Signing off.
Teachers
Jens Larsson - Crafting Teacher
www.tinyurl.com/JensLarrson
School of Minecraft Course Books Available on Amazon by Mr Larrson
Book of Crafting
Book of Combat
Book of Magic
Book of Survival
Book of Secrets
Terry Mayer - Survival Skills Teacher
www.tinyurl.com/TerryMayer
School of Minecraft Course Books Available on Amazon by Terry Mayer
Awesome Beginners Survival Guide
Awesome Crafting Guide
Awesome Combat Guide
Potions and Enchantments
Secret Bases & Hidden Rooms
Awesome Hints & Tips
More Awesome Hints & Tips
Awesome Minecraft Seeds
Masters of Minecraft - The Awakening
Masters of Minecraft - The Invasion