Bones of Doom

by Mark Cheverton

  “Let’s go down.” Blaster ran down a line of dark stairs leading to the bottom, toward the not-so-inviting red arch.

  Watcher moved carefully down the steps, the rest of the villagers following. Parrots flew around them, squawking loudly. He wasn’t sure if their loud calls were those of excitement … or warning. Regardless, Watcher knew they had to continue.

  When they reached the bottom, the villagers gathered around the bottom of the stairs, uncertain about the wall of water surrounding them, the invisible blocks holding back the flood. Fear was painted vividly on the square faces of the villagers as they stared up at the waters; each of them knew that if one of those barrier blocks were to break, the crushing flood of water would destroy them all.

  “Well … are we going in?” Blaster pointed to the red-and-black structure.

  Watcher stared at the huge entrance. It was a wide, curved opening rimmed with blocks of redstone and coal spaced along the edge. The dark cubes resembled black teeth along the edge of a prehistoric leviathan’s mouth, the great maw waiting to swallow those foolish enough to enter. It brought a trickle of fear that spread through Watcher’s body. Instinctively, he put on his chain mail, hoping the metallic layer would somehow protect him from the dangers circling about in his mind. He shuddered just as his parrot landed gracefully on his shoulder. It startled Watcher, but when he felt its beak nuzzling his neck, he smiled.

  Somehow, Watcher sensed danger within this structure. He wanted to warn everyone, though he had no idea as to the peril. Before he could speak, Cutter spoke.

  “Let’s go. I’m sure there are hidden weapons in there. We must find every one of them.” The big NPC glanced at Mapper. “Any idea what we’re looking for here?”

  The old villager just shrugged. “The book didn’t really specify what was here, but it did say something.”

  “What?”

  “Well, it was sort of a hint, I guess, for where to look.” Mapper said. “The book said, ‘Search the tip of the sword.’”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Blaster asked.

  Mapper just shrugged.

  “You’re a big help.” Blaster removed his green armor and replaced it with black. “Come on everyone, let’s look for a sword.”

  The villagers moved into the gigantic structure, the dark stone walls blocking out the rays of the sun. Many of them held torches high over their heads to light the shadowy passages, but the darkness of the place seemed oppressive, as if the shadows were somehow seeping into their souls. A strange, ancient feeling seemed to fill the place, as if they’d all just gone back in time. The refreshing salty air from the beach was now replaced with stagnation and dust. A layer of grime covered the floors and walls; it was as if this place had been deserted for hundreds of years.

  Deep in the back of Watcher’s mind, a memory tickled his awareness, letting him know it was there, but too insubstantial to be recognized. Like seeing someone’s face he recognized, but not being able to remember their name, the memory nagged at him, but stayed just out of reach. All he knew for sure was something bad happened here a long, long time ago.

  Watcher stayed at Planter’s side; he wanted to make sure she stayed safe. With his enchanted bow and her enchanted golden axe, a circle of shimmering light followed them through the structure.

  “Check the side passages for monsters.” Cutter pointed to a few dark corridors that extended away from the main hallway.

  Small groups of villagers explored those passages, planting torches as they moved through the ancient building. Watcher glanced down one of the side passages and could tell much of the ancient structure actually extended out of the dry hole the ancients had carved into the ocean somehow. These extensions off the main tunnel were completely surrounded by water, with moisture dripping from the walls and ceiling. If someone accidently broke a block, those passages would quickly fill; they had to be careful.

  The villagers returned from the corridors that stretched off the main passage, reporting they were all empty and devoid of any furniture or items. They continued down the wide hallway, everyone looking for pressure plates and tripwires on the ground.

  Far away, at the end of the huge corridor, a strange purple glow could be seen painting the walls and floor.

  “What do you think that is?” Planter asked.

  Watcher shrugged. “I don’t know, but I don’t like it. Unexpected things are never good.”

  She nodded, then gripped the handle of her axe tight.

  They moved down the stone-lined hallway with archers walking along either wall, swordsmen and the infirm in the center. Their footsteps echoed off the cold walls and dusty floors, making the group sound like they were a troop of a thousand, and not just a few score.

  The hallway finally ended at a large room, the walls and floors bathed in a soft, purple light, some of the iridescent glow leaking into the dusty passage. Watcher poked his head into the glowing chamber and scanned it with his keen eyes. The chamber was filled with wooden furniture, book cases, crafting benches, and a line of furnaces along one wall, all cold and silent.

  “Where’s Er-Lan?” Watcher asked.

  Shuffling forward, the zombie moved to the boy’s side.

  “Can you send in a couple of parrots and have them look for any hidden monsters?” Watcher glanced up at the bright red parrot that was still perched on his shoulder.

  Er-Lan moved his green head next to the bird and whispered something to the creature. Instantly, the bird leapt off Watcher’s shoulder and took to the air. Flapping its wings, the parrot flew up near the ceiling, around ornate chandeliers made of redstone blocks and across the massive room. A couple more parrots shot into the glowing chamber, banking in opposite directions. Squawking as they flew, the creatures flew around the chamber multiple times, then landed on the chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. The largest parrot made a series of long and short squawks, then ruffled its feathers.

  “The birds say all is safe,” the zombie said.

  “Great,” Watcher said, slapping the zombie on the back. “Come on.”

  Moving cautiously into the glowing chamber, Watcher scanned the surroundings. The chamber was circular in shape, with a high ceiling of netherquartz. Obsidian cubes were intermixed with the red and white netherquartz, forming elaborate patterns in the surface high overhead.

  “Everyone, watch out, I’m going to flip this switch,” a voice said from the far side of the room; it sounded like Blaster.

  There was a click, then lines of redstone dust along the walls grew bright, giving off a crimson glow. The glowing lines crisscrossed the walls and climbed up to the ceiling until they reached the chandeliers high overhead. The redstone lanterns in the intricately designed hanging structure came to life, generating a warm crimson radiance that filled the chamber.

  “That’s better,” Blaster said with a smile.

  He waved at Watcher and was about to say something when his mouth fell open in awe. The boy pointed at the floor of the chamber. Glancing down, Watcher too was stunned. The floor had a wide stripe stretching across it, from one wall to the other. The stripe was a bright blue, the surface polished to a glassy sheen. Watcher reached down and ran his hand across the light blue surface, stunned at what he was seeing.

  “These are diamond blocks.” Watcher was amazed. He stared down at the stripe; it must have been a dozen blocks wide.

  He ran along the diamond stripe from one wall to the other. The stripe narrowed to a single block at one end; the other fanned out wider for a few blocks, then suddenly ended, a single line of dark, obsidian blocks stretching from the diamond to the opposite wall. The cyan stripe glowed with a faint purple glow; it was incredible and likely worth a fortune. Near the end of the diamond stripe, an iron door stood closed, embedded into the wall of the chamber.

  “Everyone, search the room.” Cutter’s commanding voice boomed off the stone walls.

  “What about all this diamond?” someone asked.

  Blaster pulled ou
t an iron pick and swung it down upon one of the blocks. He swung it again and again, but the shining cube refused to show a single crack.

  “Don’t waste your effort.” Cleric pointed to the faint, purple glow that wrapped around the glistening blocks like a protective cocoon. “Can’t you see? They’re enchanted. Likely the ancients put some sort of spell on the diamond blocks to keep people from stealing them.”

  Blaster nodded, then put away the tool.

  “Anyone find anything?” Cutter said.

  The villagers all shook their heads.

  “You mean to tell me there’s nothing here?” one of the villagers complained. “We trudged through that terrible jungle for nothing?”

  “Maybe this place had already been raided,” Mapper suggested.

  No, this isn’t right, Watcher thought. There must be more here. He looked up at the chandelier. A blue parrot looked down at him from the light fixture, then squawked and flew into the air.

  “I wonder what the room looks like from up there,” Watcher whispered to himself.

  Glancing around at the room, he imagined how the chamber would appear from high overhead. Moving to one end of the room, he stood on the line of obsidian blocks at the end of the diamond stripe. With his head down, he walked along the stripe again, noting the section that was very wide but abruptly narrowed to the dozen-block-wide stripe. As he walked, he could see the light from the magical enchantment leaking out from between the blocks. When he neared the opposite wall, the stripe grew narrower and narrower until it ended with a single block. From above, that single block would look like a point … or a tip!

  He turned and looked down the length of the stripe.

  “It’s not a stripe,” he said.

  “What?” Planter asked, confused.

  But Watcher was lost in thought and never heard her question. He stared at the far end. The blocks of obsidian would look like a handle and the wide section a hand guard.

  “What are you looking at, Watcher?” His father came next to him and stared in the same direction. “It’s just a wide stripe.”

  Watcher shook his head. “No, it’s not a stripe, it’s a picture of a huge sword.”

  Cleric turned and looked at both ends of the stripe, then smiled and nodded his head. “Search the tip of the sword … that’s what the book said.”

  Watcher nodded. He drew an iron pick axe from his inventory and moved to the single block of diamond at the tip of the stripe. He swung his tool down onto the cube, striking it hard. His pick rang like a bell as the shock of the impact vibrated through the handle and into his arms. He smiled … there was a faint crack in the cube.

  “Look, there’s no purple light leaking around this cube,” Watcher said. “It’s not protected.”

  He swung his pick down onto it again and again. A spiderweb of cracks spread out farther and farther until they reached the edge of the cube. After six strikes, the diamond cube shattered and floated, in miniature, off to the side.

  Dropping the pick, Watcher reached down into the hold and grabbed a wooden chest covered in dust. He set it onto the ground as the other villagers gathered near.

  “Well … open it!” Blaster exclaimed.

  Watcher grabbed the lid and lifted. The cover screeched as the rusty hinges complained about the many centuries that had passed. Inside was just a single item. It was a helmet made of some kind of metal, but the surface was mirror smooth, reflecting the faces that stared down at it. Along the top of the helmet, precious gems studded the perimeter, one of each kind found in Minecraft. The silvery helm reminded Watcher of his sword, Needle. They both reflected the surroundings, almost like mirrors. It was as if they were made by the same materials.

  Reaching in, he pulled it out and held it over his head. The instant he touched the shiny object, it seemed to make a connection with something in his inventory … his sword. Somehow, this helmet and Needle were linked. Maybe it was because they were made from the same material … or maybe they were made by the same wizard, or warlock. He wasn’t sure, but there was a clear connection; Needle could now feel the presence of that helmet, and the sword transmitted that feeling to Watcher.

  Everyone in the chamber was stunned at the sight; it was the most beautiful thing they’d ever seen. The helm gave off the characteristic purple glow of magical enchantments, but this artifact pulsed with power, as if it had a heartbeat. Watcher realized the object’s pulse was synchronized with his own, as if they were somehow linked.

  Suddenly, the clattering of bones echoed down the long passage.

  “Skeletons,” Cleric whispered, a look of fear in his eyes.

  “They’re coming down the main hall,” one of the warriors said. “We’re trapped.”

  Suddenly, an arrow flew into the room and embedded itself into the far wall. It was followed by twenty more deadly projectiles.

  “What do we do?” Mapper asked.

  “Form lines on either side of the doorway,” Cutter said. “We’ll get them in a crossfire when they enter the room.” He glanced at Blaster, then pointed to the door near where the chest had been found. “Get that door opened; we’re too exposed in here. We’ll hold them off as long as we can.”

  Blaster nodded, then ran to the iron door and began searching for levers or buttons that would cause it to open.

  The rattling of bones grew louder and louder as the monster horde moved closer. Villagers ran about the chamber, looking for a safe place from which to fire, but there were no safe places … they were trapped. Suddenly, the rattling was joined by a harsh, malevolent laugh, a clicking sound accompanying each chuckle.

  And then, the largest skeleton Watcher had ever seen stepped into the chamber. The monster wore a full suit of iron armor and held an enchanted broadsword that glowed with evil-looking magical power. The monster stared straight at Watcher, then pointed with his massive weapon. The young boy reached into his inventory and pulled out Needle, the silver helmet still in his left hand.

  “Wizard … I am General Rusak, the skeleton warlord’s second in command, and I have come for you,” the gigantic skeleton said ominously, his jaw clicking together with the words. “You will not leave the warlock’s War Room alive.”

  A chill settled across Watcher’s soul as fear permeated every fiber of his being. This skeleton was the most terrifying thing he’d ever seen, and his violent hatred was pointed straight at him. He was petrified, too scared to move, and all Watcher could do was stand there and shake in terror.

  CHAPTER 18

  The huge skeleton charged straight at Watcher at the same instant that a large company of bony monsters flooded into the room. A couple of NPC archers fired arrows at the skeleton commander, but somehow he was able to deflect the shafts with his massive sword.

  The skeleton moved closer, knocking aside pointed shafts as if they were insignificant bugs. The rest of the skeleton horde attacked, forcing the NPCs to turn their bows away from the hulking monster and toward their charging foe.

  The armored skeleton commander stared down at Watcher’s weapon and laughed. “You call that a sword … boy?” He laughed again, then glanced at the helmet. “I see you’re planning on stealing something that doesn’t belong to you.” The battle raged around them, with skeletons and villagers all firing upon each other; it was as if they were in the eye of a violent hurricane, shouts of pain and fear revolving around them. “That artifact belongs to the skeletons. Give it to me, and I guarantee your destruction will be painless.”

  Watcher said nothing and just shook his head; he was too scared to speak. Slowly, he backed away as the battle raged around them, but the two combatants seemed separated from the rest of the fighting. None of the skeletons seemed anxious to attack Watcher, and certainly none of the villagers were interested in tangling with the massive skeleton.

  Gripping the relic in his left hand, Watcher just stared up at the monster, silent and afraid.

  “Very well,” the monster said. And with a bellowing scream, the iron-clad
skeleton charged, swinging the massive sword at Watcher’s head.

  Before the blade could reach him, Needle came up and deflected the blow. The two enchanted blades clashed together, causing sparks to burst from their keen edges. The force of the impact vibrated down Watcher’s arm, making it numb for just an instant. He backed away, frightened of the gigantic skeleton, but not just this skeleton … all skeletons. Watcher was terrified at being close to the creatures; something about the bones and skulls … it was like a living nightmare for him. He could shoot at them with his bow from far away, but when they were within arm’s reach, Watcher was petrified with fear. This was something no one else knew about him.

  “What’s wrong, wizard, aren’t you going to fight?” The huge skeleton swung his blade at Watcher, and again, Needle came up just in the nick of time, barely deflecting the blow.

  Watcher continued to retreat, his mind nearly petrified with fear.

  Suddenly, one of the NPCs, a big villager by the name of Builder, stepped in front of the boy, his iron armor and sword lacking the enchanted glow of the skeleton’s. “You leave him alone!”

  “Or what? Are you going to stop me?” Rusak laughed a loud, hollow laugh, his jaw clicking together, then without warning, he charged at the NPC.

  Builder stepped to the side, allowing the overhead strike to slice down, cutting only air, then swung his iron blade at the monster. It hit the skeleton’s armor and bounced off, doing no damage. Rusak laughed, then attacked again, this time feigning to the left, then attacking to the right. The monster’s glowing blade cut deep into the villager’s armor, tearing out huge chunks of Builder’s chest plate.

  “Watch and learn, boy,” Rusak said to Watcher. “This is how you will be executed … soon, very soon.”

  The skeleton blocked an attack by Builder, then charged at the villager, his enchanted sword moving faster than Watcher thought possible. He struck Builder over and over again, the villager frantically trying to block the attacks, but to no avail. The skeleton’s blade tore into the NPC’s armor, tearing it to shreds until it fell to the ground in pieces. He then continued the attack, striking the doomed NPC again and again until his HP was exhausted. The expression on Builder’s face struck Watcher to his soul; it was a visage of fear and uncertainty and overwhelming sadness … and then the NPC disappeared, his inventory clattering to the ground.