by Billy Miner
“Then this discussion is over. Show me what you’ve got, snitch,” I say as I get in a position to fight.
“Wraaaah!” he yells as he jumps at me with a ninja kick. I step aside and throw a punch.
Missed.
For several minutes we fight, throwing punches, blocking each other’s attacks, kicking, throwing each other around. He certainly knows what he is doing. I didn’t expect that. Eventually, I wait, pretending I don’t see him coming. He smirks, since he thinks he can beat me now. Closer and closer he gets… until…
Whoosh!
He throws a punch at me and barely misses my head. I grab his arm and twist it around, forcing him in an awkward position and holding him down on the ground.
“Okay, stop!” he begs. “I’ll give you whatever you want. Just don’t kill me.”
“I’m not going to kill you,” I say. “I am going to lock you up in here and leave a note for the farmers, so that they can do whatever they want with a snitch like you.”
“Oh good, I knew you weren’t going to hurt me. You’re not like that.”
“I didn’t say that,” I say.
He looks up at me and…
BANG!
I punch him knockout.
It’s more convenient this way, since now he can’t go anywhere. I drag his weak body over the floor to the barn.
“Look who we have here!” I announce, waking up the others.
7th Notes: Everything or Nothing
Here we sit. We ended up with nothing. All our efforts were in vain. We left the snitch to the inhabitants of the city. We are not executioners but thieves.
However, there is no point in going back now. The only entrance to the treasury that was safe enough to sneak through has been closed and destroyed. It would be near suicide to make another attempt.
The four of us sit on a bench, watching the children of the mountain village play and old ladies walk by, leaning on their sticks. The moldered homes still look grey and broken. The atmosphere is the same: Happy but impoverished and basic. The simple necessities of life are there. Their needs are fulfilled. Maybe it’s for the better, I think. Wealth only makes people greedy and selfish. Why would we want to provide everyone with abundance when superfluity only created misery?
“Are you hungry?” I ask the others.
“A little,” Miroshi says.
“Starving,” Kawaki answers.
Shitoko says nothing. We wait and wait… then we all look at him. He is staring in front of him, drawing circles in the sand with his stick.
“What about you?” I ask.
“I thought perhaps we can buy us a good lunch with this,” he says, pulling out a huge, shiny diamond out of his pocket.
“Holy snaps!” I say. “Where did you get that?”
“I am not one of those second class thieves,” he says smilingly. “I managed to slip a jewel into my pocket before we got caught.”
“Let me look at that,” I say, snatching it from his hand.
“This must be worth a thousand pieces of gold, Shitoko. I don’t think you just stole any diamond. It’s huge, and it’s pure. You’re awesome! We will go to the villagers and give them this.”
“Yes, in exchange for a delicious meal,” Kawaki adds.
We hand the diamond to the village elders. It appears to be of intrinsic worth, so much that there is enough money to renovate and polish every tiny home in the village. We were thanked by each villager, and we felt great.
A few months later we come back. The fountain in the town square works. Flower pots are updated and beautiful. The homes look new and refreshed. The same children are playing on the streets, but this time with several different toys and books to read. The old man we talked to earlier greets us and welcomes us, showing us a house that has been kept empty for a while.
I think we found our new home.
THE END
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Minecraft Hero
Minecraft Story of a True Hero
By Billy Miner
Copyright @2015
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, Billy Miner.
This book is or will also be available in audio form. I have hired professional narrators who do voices and make the story come alive.
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Contents:
Introduction
A True Hero
The Tests
Test 1: Patience
Test 2: Endurance
Test 3: Concentration
Test 4: Strength
Test 5: Intelligence
Test 6: Courage
Honor
Introduction
What does it take to become a true hero? You may think it’s just combat skills, or the power to defeat an enemy or evil villain. But there is much more to it.
Sander is a true hero in the making, although he just not quite there yet. In this story, you will find out how he discovers his abilities and overcomes his weaknesses in a series of tests only a true hero can undergo. The tests happen to become a necessity on his path to seek what he wanted all along.
Read about Sander’s experiences and hardships as his inner spirit grows and his character improves through a number of trying circumstances. Question your own personality as you follow along and compare yourself to the main character in this fun and inspiring, unofficial Minecraft book!
A True Hero
They were the knights of the royal house. Under command of the king, they preserved freedom in the whole country.
Sander was such a knight. He loved what he did. Each day, he trained his fighting skills with sword and shield in hand. His favorite way of fighting, however, was with two swords. There were many moves you could make with two swords that you couldn’t make with one, or with a shield for that matter. He had had the privilege of dwelling with the royal family, and the other knights respected him. It lived a happy life.
One day, however, he walked through the city and saw a robbery. A petty thief snatched the purse of an old woman and took off, leaving her on the floor and disappearing into the distance.
“He’s going down,” Sander said as he started to chase him.
He turned around the corner of a city block and looked. The thief was too far away to catch up with. Determined to catch up, Sander sprinted as fast as his legs could carry him. He panted and sped through the streets, b
ut to no avail. The thief was too fast.
He paused, caught his breath, and leaned forward with his hands on his knees. Disappointed that he was in such bad shape, he still tried to go into the direction of the vanished criminal and ran towards another city block.
Then he saw it: Another knight sat on his knees on the thief’s back, holding him down and telling him to be quiet and return the bag.
Sander had mixed feelings. Although he was glad the thief got caught, he was very jealous of the other knight and wondered if he had fallen behind. We considered himself one of the worst knights of the royal guard from that point on. That evening, he went to bed and wished he was stronger, faster, and wittier. Why couldn’t he catch the thief? What did he have to do to become a better warrior?
The next day, he woke up discouraged and decided to spend some time in the local cathedral. It was empty. He was the only one there, besides the priest who always conducted the meetings there. He sat down on a bench and the priest with the purple and white coat of the church joined him, sitting right next to him. He had a hat with a cross on it and a rod in his hand, which he leaned against the bench next to them.
“What’s the matter, my son?” the priest asked.
“I couldn’t even catch a simple thief yesterday,” Sander answered. “I don’t know if I should continue with this knight stuff. Maybe I just don’t have enough talent.”
“And what do knights do?” the priest asked.
“You don’t know that?” Sander asked, returning the question.
“I do,” the priest answered. “I just want to see if you know why you do what you do.”
“We protect citizens, I guess,” Sander says.
“Do you think that is important?” the priest asked.
“Of course,” Sander said. “It’s the only way to secure their safety.”
“Then go out there and keep doing what you do,” the priest said. “The people need you. This is no time for discouragement. Enduring to the end is one of the main purposes of life. It’s not all about talent. What you have to do, is develop your talents. This is the only way to become a true hero, to get the most out of life.”
Sander thought for a while. The priest was right. This was important. He just needed to find a way to become better.
“There once was a man,” the priest continued. “He had three servants. And each servant received a number of coins. He gave five coins to the first, two coins to the second, and only one coin to the third servant. The man told them he would be back within a week. When he left, the servant with the five coins worked hard and earned five more coins. The servant with two coins did the same and earned two coins. But the servant with only one coin was afraid to lose his coin. He buried it in the ground. When the master of the servants came back, he was satisfied with all except for the servant with the one coin. Why do you think that is?”
“Because he didn’t do anything with it.”
“Exactly. Now, let me ask you another question. Do you think he was more satisfied with the work of the servant with five coins than the servant with two coins?”
“No, I don’t think so. The servant with only two coins did his best and used what he had to multiply his earnings.”
“You are correct,” the priest said. “You see, it’s not so much about how much you’ve been given, my son. It’s about what you do with what you’ve been given. He who has been given much, of the same is much expected. You have certain gifts and talents. Don’t sit around moping and hoping you’ll receive more. Just use what you have and become better each day.”
Such wisdom from an old man! Sander was amazed.
“Thank you,” he said. “I know what to do now.”
He stood up and left the building with great confidence and determination to improve his skills.
The Tests
Back at the palace, Sander trained with the other knights. He did his best with every move, but lacked the ability to excel. After practice, he walked to the commander, whose name was Lucius.
“Sir,” he said with great respect. “I have an inquiry.”
“Speak, soldier,” Lucius said as he glanced at him.
“I want to do more. I don’t know how, but I am just not good enough. Is there any way to improve incrementally and more speedily?” he asked.
“What is your name, soldier?”
“It’s Sander, Sir.”
“I am glad you asked me this question, Sander. Most soldiers just do the bare minimum. They collect their paychecks and go home. They don’t understand the purpose of their knighthood and they lack passion. If I can offer you more, would you be willing to pay the price?”
“Yes, Sir,” Sander answered.
“After this there is no more turning back. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“I don’t know what I have to do, Sir, but I am willing to do whatever it takes. I want to become a true hero, a soldier you can be proud of, Sir.”
“Very well,” Lucius said. “Then I will introduce you to the six severe tests any knight must pass through in order to become a true Knight of Honor.
“Sir?”
“Follow me and I will show you,” Lucius said.
Sander followed the commander to another building, one that he hasn’t set foot in ever before. The building looked like a great hall, simple but disguised with weeds, trees, and bushes, as if it had been left desolate for years.
When they entered, Lucius knocked on the door three times, pauses, and then knocked again.
“The password?” a voice said from behind the wall.
“Honor and virtue. Diligence and valor,” Lucius answered.
“That is correct,” the voice said.
“Let’s go,” Lucius said as he entered the building, beckoning me to follow.
When I got into the building, I saw a dozen knights with expensive armor and majestic symbols on their clothes. Training gear was lying around, as well as inspirational quotes and plaques. Scrolls, paperwork, and feathers with ink were placed on the table. The knight were wearing red and yellow, the royal colors, according to codes and traditions.
The knights turned around.
“Greetings, commander Lucius,” they said, stiffening up like disciplined warriors and ready to obey.
“As you were,” Lucius said.
The knights relaxed their pose and looked at him and Sander attentively.
“Men, we have a new contestant,” he started. “This knight here, Sander, has agreed to take the six severe tests. We will start tomorrow immediately. You may congratulate him.”
“Wow, good job, buddy,” one of the knights said as he shook Sander’s hand.
“You made a wise choice,” another said.
“Do you have any idea what you’re getting yourself into, kid?” a voice said from all the way in the back.
Behind the other knights sat a grouchy figure. His helmet covered his entire forehead, including a small part of his eyes. His armor looked worn and he hadn’t shaved in days. He stood up and walked straight at me, looking at me from angle.
“What are you talking about?” Sander asked.
“Why do you think we call them the six severe tests?” he asked, poking his finger in Sander’s chest. “They aren’t easy. They aren’t even safe. You better watch your back or these tests will get you killed. Are you prepared to risk your life for some honor?”
“I am not doing this for others’ praise and compliments,” Sander said. “I want to prove myself as a true hero.”
“To whom?”
“To myself.”
“In that case, good luck, kiddo. You will need it,” the knight said, patting Sander on the shoulder. “If you can overcome your own weaknesses, this will be worth your while in the end.”
Test 1: Patience
“The first test is that of patience,” Lucius said. “Follow me and you will understand.”
They walked for an hour and left the city. The bridge extending over the Grand River was in sight. Th
e sun was setting. The atmosphere was peaceful. Not much of a test, or so it seemed to Sander.
“Here you go,” Lucius said as he handed me a fishing rod, some bait, and a net.
“Sir, you want me to fish?” Sander asked.
“Yes,” he answered briefly. “There will be a banquet in one day. You will need fish for at least fifty people. The test is this: You may not eat any of the fish you catch. The fish are a scarce delicacy and we need them for the banquet. The city has placed restrictions on the amount of fish you catch, let alone eat. As the royal guards, we have permission to catch them, but not to consume them. Do you understand?”
“Clear, Sir.”
“Good. I expect you to assert yourself and catch enough for the banquet. I will see you tomorrow. Do not disappoint me.”
And gone he was, leaving Sander alone with the fishing equipment.
Silently, he began unpacking the gear and setting up a fishing rod. He sat and waited.
He waited…
and waited…
and waited…
and waited…
Nothing.
He saw some fish pop their heads above the water, but they didn’t bite. The bait wasn’t effective enough to catch their attention, let alone to catch them.
Sander gave up.
“Stupid fishing rod,” he said in frustration.
Obviously this wasn’t working. He decided to let the fishing rod be and turn to the fishing net. He grabbed it and entered the water until it got up to his waist. He threw it in and pulled. Again and again he made attempts to catch a single fish.
Again… nothing.
Maybe he wasn’t doing it right, maybe there weren’t enough fish, or maybe they just wouldn’t bite after sunset. Sander didn’t know. But whatever the reason, he was failing. This wasn’t going anywhere.