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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.
Cover photo by Megan Miller
Print ISBN: 978-1-63450-593-2
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63450-594-9
Printed in the United States of America
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Protectors of the Overworld
Chapter 2: Buried Books
Chapter 3: Colorful Catastrophes
Chapter 4: Test for Survival
Chapter 5: Enchanting
Chapter 6: Battle for the Book
Chapter 7: Storming the Palace
Chapter 8: Staying Alive
Chapter 9: The View
Chapter 10: Surprise Attack
Chapter 11: Helpful Hints
Chapter 12: Spellbound
Chapter 13: Daniel’s Story
Chapter 14: Potions and Portals
Chapter 15: Burning Down the House
Chapter 16: Facts over Fiction
Chapter 17: Villagers
Chapter 18: Rewards
1
PROTECTORS OF THE OVERWORLD
Violet rushed through the dense forest, tripping over the roots of a tree. “Ouch,” she said, rubbing her leg.
“Are you okay?” Noah stopped.
“I think so,” she said. But Violet was in pain.
“We have to keep going. They’re coming after us. We don’t have much time.” Noah was worried.
Violet pulled a potion of swiftness from her inventory and took a gulp. “I think I can make it. But what’s our plan?”
Noah looked behind them; a gang of five rainbow men carrying diamond swords was approaching. “Our plan? Run!”
Violet handed Noah some of her potion. He drank and the two sprinted through the forest, trying to escape from their enemy.
“I don’t see them,” Violet looked back. “Do you?”
Noah took a quick glance. “No, I don’t either. But I don’t trust them. We have to keep moving.”
Noah and Violet had been exploring the fields and caves outside their village when the pesky rainbow griefers arrived. Every day their village lived in fear of Daniel and his league of powerful griefers. Noah and Violet were tired of the attacks. Recently, the attacks were becoming more severe, and this one was particularly harsh. Usually when Daniel and his band of bullies approached them, they would hand over whatever treasure they found or resources they had, and the griefers would take it and leave. This time Violet had offered the griefers potatoes and an emerald, but they shot an arrow at her anyway. When Noah came to her aid, one of the rainbow griefers struck him with a diamond sword and demanded everything in his inventory.
Reluctantly handing over diamonds, a sword, and armor, Noah said, “Please, leave us alone.”
The griefer laughed and struck him again.
Violet and Noah sprinted away, but the determined griefers had trailed behind them. Now the pair looked back and realized the griefers were no longer following them. They were finally far enough from the village that they felt safe. They had reached a sandy beach; it was the perfect spot for a restful holiday vacation, but this wasn’t a time to rejoice. Noah and Violet were exhausted and upset.
Violet said, “Noah, I don’t want to run anymore.”
“What else can we do?” asked Noah.
“I want to fight,” replied Violet. “I know we can outwit Daniel. He might have a lot of griefers working with him, but we’re smart. We need to come up with a plan to save our village from Daniel.”
Noah looked out at the water and walked along the sandy beach. He thought about Violet’s proposal. “But they stole my armor and my diamonds. I don’t have very much left.”
“I’ve been hiding a lot of resources,” Violet told her friend. “I think we can do it.”
“Do what? You mean actually stage an attack on Daniel? We aren’t that powerful.”
“But we have to try. Nobody else is fighting back and our village is being destroyed. I can’t watch this anymore. I want to live in a peaceful village,” pleaded Violet.
“Maybe we should move?” suggested Noah.
“And abandon everyone we know? Let them deal with the wrath of Daniel and the griefers? I couldn’t live with that guilt. I couldn’t build a new home, knowing all the people I cared about were being threatened every day.”
The sun was beginning to set. Noah and Violet were far from home.
“We need to find shelter,” said Noah, looking at the setting sun. He knew that in minutes mobs would be crawling around this serene beach, targeting him and Violet.
“Don’t worry. I can build something,” Violet reassured Noah.
“Great—you’re the best person for the job.” Noah was excited to help his friend. Despite the awful circumstances, he was happy to see Violet building again.
Violet was a master builder. Before the rainbow griefers took over, she had been invited to partake in building competitions all around the Overworld. But once the rainbow griefers invaded their peaceful town, the townspeople weren’t allowed to leave. Before the invasion, people would travel from all around the Overworld to see Violet’s home. She lived in a tree house that she had designed herself. Besides being skillfully designed, it also had a fantastic view. Their village was located in the Jungle Biome, and her house was high atop a tree overlooking the water.
She had also built a tree house for Noah, who was her best friend. She had even built a small footbridge that connected their homes. The twin tree houses attracted a lot of attention. People would ask her all about how she had built them, and would request tours. However, once the griefers settled in their village, the questions stopped coming, and so did the building competitions. People stayed away from their village. It wasn’t a safe place. The entire Overworld knew about Daniel and his griefers. And now that her town was filled with violence, Violet had no time to build. Her life wasn’t about intricately designed homes; it was about survival.
Now Violet brushed up on her rusty building skills to construct a crude cabin. It took very little time to make, offering just the bare necessities to survive the night—shelter and a bed. By the time night had set in, they were safely tucked away underneath their red wool blankets. Before heading to bed, Noah lit a torch and left it on the door so hostile mobs wouldn’t come near their small makeshift home.
When morning finally arrived, Violet got out of bed. Noah was already up. He was preparing some breakfast.
“I found these apples the other day. I can’t believe I was able to hide them from Daniel.” Noa
h offered one to Violet.
“Thanks,” she said, taking a bite. “I just want you to know, when I was talking about fighting the griefers, I was serious.”
“You mentioned that you have supplies. What do you have?”
Violet rattled off a long list of supplies, from potions to diamonds. “See? We can do it. We just have to come up with a plan.”
“But how did you hide all of those supplies?” Noah was shocked.
With a sly smile, Violet replied, “I have my ways.”
“How?” Noah insisted.
“I hide everything in a chest in my house.”
“But that’s not safe. They are always breaking into people’s homes.”
Violet said quite confidently, “Don’t worry. It’s all booby trapped.”
“Wow! No way!” Noah exclaimed, impressed with her clever thinking.
“Once we get back home, I’ll share everything with you. We can outfit ourselves with great armor and weapons, and plan our attack. We will become warriors.”
“I’m not sure I’m cut out to be a warrior.” As Noah said these words, the four rainbow griefers that had been following them ripped the hinge from the cabin door and showered Noah and Violet with arrows.
Narrowly avoiding being hit, Violet was able to build a wall with a few blocks and then grabbed Noah. “Quick, hide behind here.”
“We know where you’re hiding.” The griefer laughed. “It’s just a matter of time before we destroy you.”
Violet handed Noah armor and a sword. “Sometimes you don’t have a choice what you become. Sometimes you just have to do it.”
2
BURIED BOOKS
“I can’t go out there,” stuttered Noah. “I’m not a fighter.”
“Don’t worry—I’ve got this.” Violet grabbed a block of TNT and threw it over the wall at the griefers.
Kaboom! Parts of the wall fell on Violet and Noah. They brushed away the rubble and looked out at the small empty room.
“We destroyed them!” exclaimed Noah.
“See? You are a warrior,” Violet told him.
“But you’re the one who threw the TNT.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’re in this together.” Violet walked out the front door and Noah followed.
“Not so fast!” a voice called out.
A large rainbow griefer approached Violet and Noah, holding out his diamond sword.
“Don’t point that at me,” threatened Violet.
“You have destroyed my friends. And you have upset Daniel. He doesn’t like to lose any soldiers.” The rainbow griefer stood in front of Violet.
“Soldiers!” Violet laughed. “Is that what he calls them? Because I call them bullies and criminals.”
“Now that you’ve defeated a few of our men, you think you’re very strong. Don’t be overly confident. This is one battle you’ll never win.” The rainbow griefer struck Violet with his sword.
Noah lunged at the rainbow griefer. With every ounce of energy in his body, he hit him with his diamond sword. Then he pulled out a potion bottle and splashed a potion of harming on the griefer. The griefer became weak and couldn’t fight back. Noah delivered a final blow, and defeated the evil griefer.
“Noah, that’s fantastic.” Violet was thrilled. Noah was learning to defend himself.
“I couldn’t see him hurt you,” Noah told his friend.
“See? You are a warrior.” Violet smiled.
“I guess so.” Noah shrugged.
“We have to head back to the village. If Daniel knows we’ve destroyed five of his men, he is going to retaliate. I don’t want him blowing up our tree houses. If he does that, we’ll lose all of the valuable resources I’ve hidden in the chest,” said Violet.
Noah and Violet walked back to the village. Just when the iron golem that sat by the village shops was in sight, Noah stumbled upon an opening to a cave.
“Wow, I’ve never seen this cave before,” said Noah.
“I don’t think we have time to explore. We have to head back to the village—I’m worried about our homes. I don’t trust Daniel.”
“But maybe we can find something in here that will help us defeat Daniel,” suggested Noah.
Violet knew that he was right; there could be diamonds or emeralds they could mine, and they needed supplies, badly.
They lit torches and entered the cave. It was dark, and a cave spider crept between their feet. Noah hit the spider with his diamond sword.
“I don’t see anything here.” Violet dug her pickaxe into the ground, but it was barren. There was nothing to mine.
“Yes, it looks like this cave has already been looted,” Noah agreed.
The two friends were walking toward the exit when they saw a chest hidden in the dark corner.
“Noah, do you see that chest?” Violet thought she was imagining it.
“Yes . . . what is it?” Noah held his breath as he slowly opened the chest. He was worried it could be a trap set by a griefer, and might explode when he opened it.
“Oh, wow!” Violet exclaimed. “Look at this.” She pulled out a shiny brown book tied with red ribbon.
“It’s an enchanted book.” Noah leafed through the pages.
“This is going to come in very handy.” Violet looked at the book. “It must be extremely powerful—look at all of the items we can enchant with it.”
“But we don’t have an anvil.” Noah knew that would be vital to enchanting armor and weapons.
“I do!” Violet said happily. “It’s hidden in my house.”
“We need to get back to the tree houses.” Noah grabbed the book and placed it in his inventory.
Walking toward the exit, Noah and Violet could hear voices. They hid in a dark corner, keeping a sharp eye out for cave spiders as they listened to the people who entered the cave.
“Oh no!” Noah said in a quiet whisper. “It’s rainbow griefers.” His heart began to pound and Violet hoped they couldn’t hear it. She knew there was no way Noah could control his heart racing. He was nervous. She took a deep breath and stood by her friend, watching as the two rainbow griefers explored the dark cave.
“Where is it?” the rainbow griefer asked his companion. “Are you sure Daniel said the chest is in this cave?”
“Yes, we have to find the chest. If we come back empty handed, Daniel will be furious,” replied the other rainbow griefer.
“What’s in the chest that’s so valuable?” questioned the first griefer.
“Daniel claims this chest has the most powerful enchanted book in the Overworld. The other rainbow griefers hid it here during an attack.” The second griefer searched the cave some more.
Violet watched their feet walk by. She contemplated attacking the griefers, but they passed without noticing the two thieves hiding in the dark corner.
“I found it!” one of the griefers called out.
Violet could see them both hurry over to the chest.
“It’s been opened!” The griefer was shocked. His colorful body shone in the dark cave.
“Somebody has stolen Daniel’s book. They are going to pay.”
“But who could have found it?” the first griefer questioned.
“I don’t know, but Daniel will find out. He is extremely powerful. Nobody can hide from him.”
Both griefers agreed that Daniel was powerful and whoever was in possession of the book would suffer.
Noah’s heart beat faster. Then he dropped his sword.
“Who’s there!” one of the griefers called out.
“I see them! I see the thieves,” the other griefer shouted.
But the day was ending and a creeper lurked through the entrance of the cave. The griefers tried to sprint, but they couldn’t get out of the way in time. The creeper exploded.
Kaboom!
“I hope they couldn’t see our faces.” Noah was terrified.
“I’m sure it will be okay,” Violet reassured her friend, trying to believe the words as she said them.
3
COLORFUL CATASTROPHES
Violet and Noah sprinted toward the village and their tree houses. They worried the rainbow griefers they had defeated in the cabin might have respawned and begun searching for them. When they finally reached the tree houses, Noah and Violet climbed up the wooden ladders and watched for the rainbow griefers that might be trailing behind them.
“I think we’re okay,” Noah said as he looked out from the entrance. Noah and Violet had a panoramic view of the village and the water, so they could watch to see if the rainbow griefers were coming down any of the streets toward their home.
As Violet opened the door to her house, she was shot with an arrow.
Noah’s heart began to thump. I can do this. I can do this, he told himself. Violet struck one of the griefers with her diamond sword.
“Get a potion, Noah. Help!” she called to her friend.
Noah grabbed a potion of weakness and crossed the footbridge to Violet’s tree house. As soon as he was inside, he threw it on the two menaces in Violet’s living room.
The rainbow griefers were weakened. Violet knew this was a small victory.
“Tell Daniel he won’t win this war!” Violet screamed at the rainbow griefer as she hit him with her sword.
Noah, too, used his sword to hit the griefers until they were defeated.
“Wow, you’re a really good fighter,” said Violet, putting her sword away.
Noah was shocked. He had had no idea that he would be able to win that battle. “Thanks,” he said rather humbly.
“We have to see if they stole our supplies and then get out of here fast. They know this is where we live. We can’t stay here. We have to get the stuff and go.” Violet hoped the chest was still in her bedroom. She remembered it was booby-trapped, so if the griefers even attempted to open the chest, they would have activated the pistons and fallen through the wooden floor to the ground below. She hadn’t noticed any griefers on the ground, so she hoped it was okay.
“And we need to enchant our swords,” added Noah.
“Yes—let me get the anvil.” Violet sprinted to the corner where she kept the chest.
“Okay, where is it?” Noah was feeling anxious and wanted to be prepared for the next attack.
The Secret Treasure Page 1
