“But you make it sound impossible,” someone shouted from the crowd.
“No, I didn’t say it was impossible, I said that I’d tried many times and sometimes I was successful.”
“How many times were you successful?” a high-pitched voice asked.
Gameknight paused and looked to see who asked the question. He found Stitcher looking up at him, her bow in her hand. There was a look of grim determination in her eyes, as if she were daring the Ender Dragon to come stand before her so that she could smite it.
“Once,” he answered sheepishly. “I was only able to defeat it once without cheating.”
This caused a burst of questions, some directed at Gameknight999, some directed at others. The meeting hall just about exploded in confusion as Gameknight’s confession chiseled away at the strength and courage of the warriors.
“Why should we do this thing?” someone shouted.
“You were only able to defeat it once!” someone accused.
“How can we do this and survive?” another asked.
“We are doomed . . .”
Gameknight let them rant and rave, throwing their accusations at him, fear and uncertainty filling their minds and eroding their courage. He let them argue and debate, then raised his hands for silence.
“I know why I was unsuccessful all those times, and I know why I was finally able to defeat the Dragon.”
“Why, User-that-is-not-a-user?” Crafter asked. “Tell us what you learned after all those battles with the Ender Dragon.”
“I was defeated because I went to The End alone, by myself.”
“Why would you go alone if you knew the danger?” Stitcher asked.
“Because I was Gameknight999, the King of the Griefers. And because of who I was, I had no friends and nobody to stand at my side and help me. I tried to defeat the Ender Dragon on my own because that’s all I had.”
“But what about the time you succeeded?” she asked.
“I finally made a friend, Shawny, and he was willing to stand at my side even thought I mistreated him from time to time.” He paused as the memory of his friend filled his mind, making him smile. “I was able to . . . I mean, we were able to defeat the Ender Dragon because we worked together and helped each other. That is the secret to fighting the Ender Dragon.” He paused and drew his sword, then pointed it across the sea of faces. “Look around you . . . are you alone? No! Is there someone that will help you and back you up? Yes!” He waited as the NPCs all looked at those standing next to them, then brought their gazes back up to him. “I tell you this. I’m scared, but we have to go to The End to battle the Ender Dragon. We must defeat that creature to save Minecraft.”
And my family.
“I don’t know how this battle will end.” He glanced down at Hunter, then looked back at the sea of faces. “But all I can promise is that I will be the best User-that-is-not-a-user that I can be and will use my last ounce of strength defending Minecraft. I am as afraid as all of you are, but we must . . .”
“No . . . no . . . no,” Herder stammered.
Gameknight turned and faced the young boy. He could see Herder was shaking almost uncontrollably, his dark hair flying about ever so slightly.
“Herder, what’s wrong?”
“Dangerous . . . dangerous,” Herder said, voice crackling with fear. “I need . . . need more. The dark portal to The End is dangerous . . . is dangerous. More . . . more . . .”
Gameknight moved to his side and spoke to him in a low voice. “What are you talking about? Look at me.”
Reaching out, he pulled the young face toward him. Herder looked terrified, on the verge of panic, his eyes filled with a look of crazed insanity.
“I can feel it,” Herder whispered, his voice cracking with fear. “The dragon . . . I can . . . I can feel . . . feel it . . . and what lies beyond.” He put his hands to the sides of his head, then moved them to cover his eyes pressing them tight.
“It’s OK, Herder, we’re safe here,” he said, but Herder was lost in panic and could not hear. Putting away his sword, Gameknight reached up and grabbed his head with both hands and turned it so that he could look straight into Herder’s dual color eyes.
“The dragon . . . more . . . more . . .” Herder stammered. He sounded as if he were out of his mind.
“Herder, calm down. It will be all right, we’ll fight this battle together. You can stay to the rear where it will be safe.” Gameknight said.
Herder’s eyes slowly focused on Gameknight and the shaking slowly started to subside.
“Yeah, Pig-boy, you won’t be much help there anyway,” someone said within the chamber.
Gameknight turned his head a glared at the warriors, daring the individual to speak again, but said nothing. Turning back to Herder, he spoke in a soft voice, only meant for the young boy’s ears.
“Herder, you can stay by my side the whole time. I’ll keep you safe. Together, we can survive the battle. Do you understand?”
“The dark portal . . . dark portal . . . dangerous,” Herder said, his voice sounding as if he were some kind of oracle predicting the future. “The dragon is bad . . . bad. Need more . . . more. Herder can help. Herder knows what to . . . what to do.”
And before Gameknight could say anything, Herder turned and sprinted out of the meeting hall and headed for the surface.
“Herder . . . wait!”
Following in pursuit, Gameknight ran after the boy, pushing through the armor-clad bodies in the meeting hall, but his own bulky armor was making it difficult to keep up with the nimble youth.
“Where’s the User-that-is-not-a-user going?” someone asked.
“Is he running away?”
“What’s happening?”
“Where’s he going?”
Gameknight ran through the corridors. He could feel the NPCs’ confusion and fear. He felt that he had to catch Herder and figure out what was wrong. Something inside told him that this was important; somehow Herder was critical to their success.
As he ran, he could hear footsteps behind him, lots of them. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Mason and Stitcher following him, their weapons in their hands, a look of uncertainty and confusion on their faces. Behind them were the rest of the NPCs, their lumbering forms pressed together in the narrow passages.
“Stay there, don’t follow,” he shouted, but nobody could hear him over the thunderous echoes of the many footsteps and clanking of armor that filled the passage.
Ignoring his pursuers, he ran on in hopes of catching Herder, who seemed to know exactly which way to go to escape the stronghold, moving from one corridor to the next without hesitation. Eventually, he led Gameknight back to the long flight of stairs that extended up to the surface. Herder was already halfway up the steps when Gameknight just reached the bottom.
“HERDER . . . STOP!” he yelled.
“Bad . . . dangerous . . . more . . .”
He couldn’t hear his last words because of the echoing footsteps.
“Can’t go . . . get . . .”
“Herder, wait!”
Bolting up the stairs, he chased the young NPC until he reached the entrance to the stronghold. Pausing to catch his breath, he stood and watched as Herder sprinted into the savannah, heading straight toward the hilly forest in the distance, his pack of furry white companions running at his side.
CHAPTER 27
THE ENDER PORTAL
“That’s right, Pig-boy, run away,” one of the archers yelled at Herder’s back.
Gameknight cringed.
“SHUT UP!” Stitcher shouted as she exited the stairway.
She shot toward the warrior that had made the comment and stood directly in front of him, glaring up into his eyes. Sheepishly, he looked down at the ground and took a few steps back. Hunter came out of the entrance and moved next to her sister. Putting a hand on her shoulder, she pulled Stitcher back and moved to Gameknight’s side.
Looking down at the young girl, he tried to give her a smi
le.
“Where is the boy going? Why is he running away?” Mason asked as he stepped out of the tunnel.
“I don’t know,” Gameknight answered, “I don’t understand what’s happening.” He then sighed as he looked out across the savannah and watched as Herder’s small form finally disappeared from sight.
“Maybe his courage finally gave out on him, and running away was the only avenue left to him,” Crafter suggested as he stood next to his friend, panting to catch his breath.
“No . . . he isn’t running away,” Gameknight said meekly.
“What do you mean?” Mason asked. “Look . . . he’s run away, literally. The boy is gone, he abandoned us.”
A flurry of angry comments burst from the soldiers, accusations of cowardice . . . of failure . . . of being a traitor. Every vile and abusive name that could be lobbed at Herder’s back was cast forth.
“You’re wrong,” Gameknight said. “I don’t know what he’s doing, but he’s not abandoning us, it’s not in his nature. Whatever he’s doing, it’s to help us.”
Nobody listened to the User-that-is-not-a-user, his voice and conviction about Herder sounded weak.
Maybe he had run away, he thought. NO, he wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t leave his friends. But then why? I should stand up for him, shout out his innocence, but they hate him so much . . . are so angry. How can I change all their minds, I’m just one kid, one voice . . . but I need to at least try. He’s my friend, and he would do that for me.
“He is doing the best he can . . . being the best Herder that he can be, and we need to trust him,” Gameknight said. “He didn’t fail us when we rescued Hunter . . . he won’t fail us now . . . I think . . . I hope.” Nobody listened to him, his voice too uncertain, too timid.
“He’s abandoned us in our hour of need,” Mason bellowed. “We will need every able body to deal with that dragon down there, and even that skinny boy could have helped . . . I’m done with him.”
“Do not be so quick to give up on him, Mason,” Crafter said. “Herder may yet still surprise us. Have faith and understand that what he’s going through seems important to him at this moment. We must be true friends to him and help him wherever we can.”
Gameknight looked at Crafter and nodded, but still felt uncertain.
Herder . . . what are you doing?
Turning, Gameknight took a couple steps back towards the entrance to the stronghold, then stopped in front of Mason. “Tell us, User-that-is-not-a-user, what is the plan?” Mason asked.
He glanced around at the collection of NPCs that were standing near the stronghold entrance. There were strong warriors here in all shapes and sizes, men, women, the young, and the old. Looking across the sea of faces, he could see butchers, bakers, and torch-makers. There were farmers standing next to wood cutters, diggers next to boat makers, farmers next to hunters. Every aspect of Minecraft life was here standing before him, with all of their dark eyes focused directly on him, looking at him as if he were going to tell them some great plan that would save them all and make everything better.
I don’t know if I can do this. I’m so tired, I can barely think. The Ender Dragon . . . it’s so big, so vicious, so . . .
And then he thought of something that he realized he had known all along: the only way he could get past all this fear was to confront it. And that would start with the dragon.
Then the sound of murmuring voices around him trickled to his ears. Glancing about the army, Gameknight saw hopeful eyes all staring up at him, their very survival dependent on the User-that-is-not-a-user. But within each pair of eyes, he saw a look of determination in their square pupils, and a sense of togetherness on their faces. This was not just an army, it was a community, no, a family, with each person willing help another with anything they needed.
He wasn’t alone, and that was the key.
He could confront his fear as long as he wasn’t alone and had others with him, their faith in him adding to his courage and strength. Closing his eyes, Gameknight999 imagined himself confronting the Ender Dragon and staring straight into its evil purple eyes, his friends at his side.
I refuse to give up, Dragon, he thought to himself. I refuse to give up to my fears!
And surprisingly, he felt himself stand up a little straighter. It wasn’t that Gameknight was now unafraid, no . . . he was still terrified of the dragon’s razor sharp claws. Only a fool wouldn’t be afraid of that beast. Rather, he didn’t feel like he was trapped by his fear. His willingness to stand up to it, with his friends at his side, had somehow allowed Gameknight to be himself.
And then Hunter’s words flooded through his mind like a tidal wave, pushing aside the remaining uncertainty and fear.
Just be . . . just be.
Gameknight took a calming breath and thought of all the times he had visited The End. He could see in his mind the dragon’s claws reaching out toward him. It smashed everything he had ever built there, destroying every kind of block except for bedrock, obsidian, and end-stone. And the endermen, the many, many endermen that populated The End, they’d be relentless in their attacks. How could it be done?
And then one of the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place . . . the Ender Crystals . . . yes, maybe that would work. Why didn’t he think of that before?
But how would we get down . . . of course, that’s guaranteed to work. What about . . . yes, that might work, but only if . . . and then the pieces of the puzzle started swirling through his mind, clicking into place. . . .
As the plan solidified within his mind, he realized it was very risky. They’d be walking on a razor’s edge, and the slightest nudge would push them off into the abyss. If any one piece failed, then the whole strategy would crumble . . . and many would die. But there was something missing . . . something to do with Herder. He didn’t have all the answers yet, and he wasn’t sure if he could really do this.
But he was Gameknight999 . . . he had to try.
Opening his eyes, he glanced about at the community that surrounded him, their eyes filled with hope. “Ok, here’s what we’re going to do. First of all, we’re going to need buckets of water . . . lots of them. Second, we’ll need . . .”
And Gameknight999 explained his plan for the battle with the Ender Dragon.
As the NPCs were collecting everything they needed from the Overworld, Gameknight waited impatiently by the stronghold entrance. As he stood there, he relived all those other battles in The End. On those countless trips to face the Ender Dragon, Gameknight had felt no fear because he knew he would feel no pain; it had just been a game.
This time it was different.
Closing his eyes, Gameknight imagined the gigantic, razor sharp claws of the dragon ripping through the iron armor of these warriors like it was paper and shuddered. Many would die and there was nothing he could do about it.
Just be.
He pushed aside the thoughts of what might happen and just focused on the now, as his father had taught him.
Many of the NPCs had now returned with their supplies and waited around the entrance, most of them afraid to venture into the alien stronghold. They milled nervously about, all of them tense and scared, talking amongst themselves. He could hear many of them questioning why “pig-boy” had run away.
I hate that name, Gameknight thought to himself. I should have said something about that . . . should have stopped them from calling him that name long ago, somehow.
Funny how brave and strong he felt after the one being picked on had already been abused and was gone. It reminded him too much of school, of the bullies abusing him, calling him names, taking his hat . . . all the little things that on the surface looked insignificant, like a game, but when put all together made the victim feel afraid to be seen, like they’re less important, less of a person than the bullies.
I hate bullies . . . hate how they make me feel about myself.
More of the NPCs arrived with the remaining supplies. They were almost ready.
I should
have said something . . . should have told others about the teasing and bullying so that Herder didn’t have to feel so alone.
More voices started to fill the Overworld, more comments about the cowardly “pig-boy” running home to his mommy. Anger surged within Gameknight. He heard Hunter say something to the warriors, but his rage made her words unintelligible.
I hate bullies! Listen to them, they still pick on him even after he’s gone.
“HIS NAME IS HERDER,” Gameknight shouted to everyone . . . to no one . . . to himself. His voice echoed across the landscape as if David himself were challenging Goliath of Gath. He turned and faced the NPCs, anger erupting within him like an unstoppable volcano. “His name is Herder and he is MY FRIEND! He doesn’t deserve your ridicule. He’s done nothing to any of you to warrant your abuse other than help anyone that ever needed help. And I tell you all now, right now, that I accept Herder for who he is, even if he’s different from me. Herder is my friend!”
Gameknight’s voice sounded like thunder. All mumbles and comments instantly ceased as the eyes of the army were instantly drawn to the User-that-is-not-a-user. He turned and glared at those near him, then placed a block of cobblestone on the ground and stood on it so that he could glare at everyone. A look of rage and fury was painted on his blocky face.
“He is my friend and his name is Herder, not Pig-boy. He doesn’t deserve your abuse or mistreatment. He’s always the first to volunteer to fight, the first to offer to help another.” He glanced at Hunter, then continued. “In fact, if it hadn’t been for Herder, we would probably have failed in saving Hunter. We were successful because of him. You all patted us on the back when we returned, but none of you said a thing to Herder. You should be ashamed.”
I should be ashamed.
“The monsters of Minecraft have bullied all of you at one time or another. You all know how it feels, yet you can still do it to one of your own.” Gameknight paused as he moved his gaze across the crowd. “The whole reason why we’re fighting to save Minecraft is because we’ve had enough of the bullies like Erebus and Malacoda. Just because they are stronger than us, it doesn’t give them the right to do whatever they want. We won’t stand by and let the monsters do this to us anymore . . . and yet you all stand by while Herder is bullied . . . I did too.” Gameknight lowered his eyes to the ground for a moment as a look of shame covered his face. “We all let Herder suffer alone and that was wrong. We all had the chance to stand with him and let him know that he had friends, but we did nothing.” Sighing, he looked up again, a renewed look of determination on his face. “He is the best of us and deserves to be treated better, even in his absence. And if you can’t accept that, then you should just go back and not follow me to The End.”
Confronting the Dragon Page 20
