by Mark Mulle
Chapter Three
“But mayor, don’t leave us!” Cried one villager.
“How are we supposed to live on our own?” Another one said.
“You’re our only hope!” Said another man.
As the mayor left the village, he heard cries from its citizens. Steve, Wendy, and Bartholomew followed closely, and as the fence shut, the villagers kept crying for Duran’s name.
“Don’t they realize that I can’t help them unless I leave?” Duran asked them.
“You were giving them hope. And now that their only source of hope is gone, they feel like all is lost,” Bartholomew stated. “I get it. I used to lead a band of thieves. Whenever I left them to do my own mission, they ended up being practically worthless. They stayed at my base like lost puppies until I came back. Some people just need a leader, as sad as it sounds,” Bartholomew said.
“I know what you mean, but still. I just hope that this journey won’t take too long.”
While Steve, Wendy, and Bartholomew carried swords and daggers, Duran held a giant battle axe with pride. As they made their way to the bottom of the hill and headed their way northwest, two Creepers ambushed them. Steve prepared his sword, but before he could, Duran jumped in front of him and swung his mighty axe.
The head hit both of the Creepers, splitting them in two horizontally. Both top halves flew in the sky and disappeared into the horizon. Their bottom bodies fell down and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
“Unreal!” Steve declared.
“We should have brought him with us earlier!” Bartholomew replied.
“I’m not as good as I once was, that’s for sure. In my prime, I could have taken down an entire army of Creepers in one fell swoop,” Duran told them.
“Oh, quit with the humble bragging,” Wendy joked. Duran made a hearty laugh as they went down the field.
As they were walking, Duran suddenly spoke. “Have you heard about the legend of the Wither?” he asked.
“I’m not sure,” Steve replied.
“I have. But I wouldn’t touch that thing even if you paid me to,” Bartholomew replied.
“I agree. It’s an ancient three-headed serpent with skulls for heads. According to ancient texts, the Withers used to roam this world, almost putting it to an end, much before the Ender Dragon supposedly did. It took armies to finally end the Withers’ reign. They could spit out skulls that caused destruction and disease, and their bodies healed quickly from any injury. They were truly a force to be reckoned with,” Duran explained.
“Why are you asking me this?” Steve asked.
“Because I’ve heard some travelers claim that they’ve seen a three-headed snake,” Duran stated. “The Withers are extinct, but according to some, they can be resurrected. The Wither Skeletons are their close relative, and they live in the Nether. The Nether is also home to soul sand, a mineral said to host the spirits of the deceased. When you shape the sand to form a T, and place three Wither Skeleton heads on them, it’s said to create a Wither. I have a feeling that the Ender Dragon has resurrected a Wither Skeleton. If so, we’re in for a lot of trouble.”
As he said this, Steve felt a bout of anxiety growing in him. The Ender Dragon was bad enough, but an almost indestructible serpent? Snakes make him shiver as it was, but the idea of a Wither Skeleton made him want to hurl.
Around them, the land was steadily growing barer. A week ago, there was still grass, flowers, and animals. But now, the grass became wilted, and there were no animals in sight. The trees that surrounded them were stripped from their leaves, and their wood began rotting.
“Was the earth like this when the Ender Dragon took over before?” Steve asked.
“According to the old tale, it was. Before the Ender Dragon took over, people fought wars over silly disagreements. But during its reign, people would fight one another just for fresh food and clean water. The land was exactly how it was now. When the Ender Dragon was defeated, it changed back to normal, but I don’t know how long it took,” Duran replied.
“Meaning that it could instantly change back to normal, or it could take weeks, or even years,” Wendy replied. “Imagine having to live in this world for decades at a time.”
Steve shivered. “Which is why we need to defeat the Ender Dragon right now before it gets worse.”
“You told me that the Ender Dragon is your brother, correct?” Duran asked.
Steve simply nodded.
“When the time comes, can you defeat him?” he asked. “Can you take your own brother’s life?”
“I really hope that it doesn’t have to come to that,” Steve replied. “I hope that I can free him from the dragon’s spell. Especially since I was the one who started this mess in the first place.”
“You didn’t start it!” Wendy replied. “You were just a kid when it happened. The revival of the Ender Dragon was thought out since its death, and you were just a pawn who didn’t realize it. If it wasn’t you, it’d be someone else.”
Steve let out a sigh. “I suppose you’re right, but I’m still filled with regret.”
Duran looked at him, his eyes widening. “I don’t know if you can free your bother or not. But if you can’t, will you defeat him?”
Steve looked down. “I honestly don’t know.”
“One has to, or else this world is doomed,” Duran replied.
Duran brought food and fresh water, but by the fifth day, it began running a bit short. Having to sleep on an empty stomach, with his lips slightly dry, Steve surprisingly drifted off to sleep.
A black void surrounded him. Darker than the deepest mine, quieter than the softest whisper, Steve was unsure where to go. He ended up walking across this void until he saw the figure of someone appear in front of him. Steve took out his sword, only to find out that he was unarmed.
“Hello, brother,” the person in front of him greeted as they came into view. Steve gasped. It was Herobrine! His eyes were normal, and it was almost as though Steve was staring into a pool of water.
“Where am I?” Steve asked.
“You’re in the void of the Ender Dragon. I’m trapped in the deepest part of it. With my last bit of energy, I managed to pull you in, but only through your dreams,” Herobrine said.
Steve looked at Herobrine, unsure of what to think.
“The Ender Dragon will have total control of this world soon. People will fight, the world will be destroyed, and the Ender Dragon has become so strong, that not even you three may be able to defeat it. It’s all because of me, I know,” Herobrine stated, looking back.
“It’s my fault, though,” Steve replied. “If I wouldn’t had-“
“No, it’s still my fault. In the end, I should have not drunk the Ender Dragon’s blood. I should have had the willpower to stop it from controlling me. On that castle, I was about to prevent it from being born, but I didn’t have enough power to.”
“No one could have controlled that,” Steve replied.
“Perhaps so, but I still regret it. And now, I must suffer. From this void, I can see you. I’ve watched you travel, and saw all the adventures you’ve gone on. You are braver than I ever could be. I just have to watch as this dragon from the outside of me is destroying the world. I’m the dragon’s last bit of sanity, and soon I’ll fade.”
As he said this, Herobrine’s eyes began welling up. Steve reached out in an attempt to hug him, but Herobrine pushed him back.
“I don’t need any sympathy right now. I just need to figure out how to break free. But no matter how I try, it’s like fighting death itself with a pebble. I just can’t do it.”
He looked at Steve with a stern glance.
“If I can’t free myself, and neither can you, you have my permission to end me.”
Steve went up to Herobrine and began shaking him. “I’m not going to do that. Not in a million years!” he replied.
“I would hope so, but let’s face it. The Ender Dragon is powerful, and we’re nothi
ng more than puppets in his game. My life is meaningless compared to the lives of the millions of people who are suffering because of me.”
“That’s not true!” Steve shouted.
Before Herobrine could reply, everything turned white, and then Steve felt someone shaking his body.
“We have to get out of here!” Bartholomew declared.
“What’s going on?” Steve asked groggily.
“There’s a monster attacking us!” Wendy shouted.
With the dream taking a backseat, Steve stood up, grabbed his sword, and looked around. Wendy and Duran were facing something, and when Steve saw it, he almost thought he was still dreaming.
A massive black snake, about the size of a small building, stood in front of them. For its head, it had three skulls that looked like they came from a standard skeleton, but their bones were blackened.
Duran charged towards the snake, his axe raised. With a mighty swing, he sunk his blade into the snake’s gut.
“It’s the Wither!” Duran yelled. “Quickly, help me defeat him!”
Steve grabbed his sword and rushed to Duran, but just as he did, the Wither thrashed its body, sending Duran and his axe flying. There was a giant gash in the Wither, but in a matter of seconds, it began to close. As Steve sprinted towards it, it began to spit projectiles from its mouth.
Are those smaller skulls? Steve thought as he dodged them. They all missed him by inches, but when they hit the ground, they resulted in a massive explosion. The blast sent Steve flying, and he landed on the hard ground chin first. The Wither then retreated, its wound completely closed, disappearing into the horizon.
As the smoke cleared, Steve managed to get up. He felt the warmth of his wound as he stood. Wendy was unharmed, and Duran was just a little shaken. Steve walked up to the two.
“It attacked just when I was getting up,” Duran explained.
“Why did it slither away?” Steve asked. “It had me right where it wanted me. It could have killed me in just one attack.”
“I wonder that myself,” Duran replied. “The Wither is not supposed to show mercy, or so the legend says.
“Maybe it’s one of the Wither’s off days?” Wendy suggested.
“I doubt that. Anyway, it’s morning, anyway. If the shaman is still among the living, we should make it there by the afternoon.”
Wendy cheered. Steve understood why. The walk had been tiresome for all of them. For some reason, the barren land seemed to drain their energy more. But as they walked, Steve thought about his dream. Was that really Herobrine, or was it just his imagination going wild?
It just has to be him, unless it’s just my guilty conscience telling me that it’s okay to defeat my brother, Steve thought.
They walked for the next few hours, holding onto their weapons tightly and keeping all eyes open. Soon, they walked into a forest, except now it was a collection of giant, rotting stumps. In front of a now empty creek, there stood an old hut.
“That’s where the shaman is,” Duran told them, and they walked towards it.
