Overworld in Flames

by Mark Cheverton

  “What are you grinning at, fool?” Charybdis asked.

  Gameknight said nothing. Instead, he sprinted away from the lava ocean in a zigzag path, the blaze king following close behind. Fireballs crashed all around him as he ran, but he was moving too erratically for the monster to score a direct hit.

  Finally, a fireball came close, scraping against his leg, causing pain to shoot up his side. He flashed red with damage as his HP dropped. The heat of the fireball was indescribable. Agony surged through his nerves as his leg throbbed.

  Turning, Gameknight fired another volley of arrows, aiming around the blaze instead of directly at him. Two more arrows hit, causing his enemy to flash red.

  Another trio of fireballs rocketed down at him. Gameknight moved to the right, but this time, Charybdis had spread out his shots. The balls of fire landed to the right and left of his position, smashing into the ground with the force of a blacksmith’s hammer. One of the balls struck Gameknight directly in the chest. The heat was mostly absorbed by his diamond armor, but some of it still made it through. It felt as if someone had poured molten metal on him; the pain was nearly overwhelming.

  A loud crack sounded. Gameknight reached up and felt a wide fissure in his chest plate. That fireball had nearly consumed his armor. One more like that and the diamond chest plate would be worthless, which meant the User-that-is-not-a-user would be in grave danger.

  Putting away his bow, Gameknight sprinted directly toward the monster. A look of shock covered the flaming monster’s face as he watched the User-that-is-not-a-user unexpectedly approach. Suddenly, Gameknight pulled out the snowballs that Snowbrin had dropped when he died. Throwing them with all his strength, he launched an icy attack at the monster.

  Charybdis moved upward, away from the threat, but the snowball’s range was still great. The chilly attack landed multiple hits on the monster, causing the creature’s internal flame to sputter for a moment. But then the monster’s flame grew bright when he launched a counterattack. Fireballs rained down around Gameknight as he backed up again, throwing the last of the snowballs that he had at the blaze king. One more hit Charybdis, but the monster still had enough of his internal fire to fight back.

  As he retreated, Gameknight tripped over the edge of a netherrack block and fell backward. Instantly, Charybdis pounced, heaving more of the deadly spheres down upon him. Gameknight rolled to the left as one of the balls smashed on the ground, then rolled again to the right, missing the second flaming ball. But as he stood, the third fireball struck him square in the chest.

  Pain blasted every nerve as a burning sensation flowed across his body. A loud crack sounded as the last bit of his diamond armor fell to the ground in pieces; he was defenseless.

  Charybdis laughed with malicious glee as he fired another volley of fireballs at his victim. Gameknight watched the glowing balls approach in slow motion, fear overwhelming his mind. But just before they hit, Butch stepped in front of him. The first fireball struck the big NPC in the shoulder. But with his sword, he batted away the next two, causing the spheres of death to fly back toward the blaze king. The flaming monster dodged the fireballs by moving to the left and allowing them to just miss.

  “Butch, thank you,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said. “You saved my life.”

  “Let’s just get this done,” the big NPC said as he pulled Gameknight to his feet. “I’ll be your armor … ATTACK!”

  The User-that-is-not-a-user nodded and charged toward the monster with Butch directly in front of him. The big NPC batted away most of the fireballs that fell down on them, using his body as a shield for Gameknight999. With his bow humming, the User-that-is-not-a-user fired a continuous stream of arrows at the monster.

  Flash … red. An arrow found its target.

  Grunt … red. A fireball hit Butch.

  The big NPC staggered for a moment, then continued to charge forward, cutting away at the fireballs that fell near. Gameknight could see cracks running along Butch’s iron armor; it would not withstand many more hits. But it was also clear that Charybdis was near death. The monster’s flame was dimming and flickering with uncertainty. All three of the battling warriors were near death, and the outcome of this battle could still go in any direction.

  Another of Gameknight’s arrows struck the blaze king just as the monster fired a volley of white-hot balls. The impact of the arrow caused the first two fireballs to veer wide to the right, but the third one fell straight on them, hitting Butch in the stomach. His iron armor shattered as he fell to his knees and collapsed.

  “NO!” Gameknight shouted as he drew an arrow back and fired.

  When he released the shot, his enchanted bow shattered, its strength finally consumed.

  Dropping to the ground, he grabbed Butch and held him for a moment.

  “Don’t stop … destroy the blaze,” Butch coughed. “If he gets to the lava ocean he will be healed … get him now!”

  Gameknight knew he was right. Carefully, he set the big NPC on the ground, then drew his sword and shield. The blaze was surprised to see the shield; he’d probably never seen one before, as they were new from a recent software update.

  Gameknight advanced as the blaze threw balls of death down upon him, the burning attack smashing into his shield with the force of a giant’s fist. He could feel the heat building up on the shield, the center beginning to glow bright. It wouldn’t last long until it—

  Crack! The shield shattered into tiny shards and fell around his feet.

  This was it. Gameknight knew that if the blaze landed just one hit, he was dead. He had to time everything perfectly, so that the monster wouldn’t have time to avoid his attack; but if he timed it wrong himself … then he didn’t have a chance.

  Charbydis’s internal flame suddenly blossomed and grew bright, obscuring the monster’s vision for just an instant. Gameknight quickly rolled to the side, then threw his diamond sword at the monster with all his might. The enchanted weapon tumbled end over end through the air. It seemed to Gameknight999 as if it were moving in slow motion. Charybdis attacked, his fireballs bursting into life, streaking down at the spot where Gameknight999 had been standing. Just as the second fireball shot through the air, Gameknight’s sword struck home, hitting the blaze king in the chest. He flashed red one last time, and an expression of shock came over his glowing face as the realization of his demise filled his mind.

  Charybdis tried to say something to Gameknight, probably one last insult, but he disappeared before the words could form. He vanished with a pop, his blaze rods falling to the ground alongside Gameknight’s sword. The few blazes that had survived the battle with the snowmen, seeing their leader destroyed, rose high into the air and fled into the haze of the Nether.

  Charybdis, the blaze king, was dead.

  CHAPTER 31

  BUTCH

  A cheer rose up into the air as the villagers celebrated their unlikely victory.

  “We did it!” they shouted.

  “Gameknight999!”

  “The User-that-is-not-a-user saved us!”

  “Gameknight and Butch destroyed the blaze king!”

  Oh no, Gameknight thought. Butch!

  Gameknight turned and saw the big NPC still lying on the ground, his breathing labored. He sprinted to him and knelt at his side. Black tendrils of smoke rose from his smoldering clothes like magical snakes taking flight. He patted the still-burning sections with his blocky hands, then pulled out a flask of water and offered it to his friend.

  “No, water will do me no good,” Butch coughed. “My fate is sealed. I can feel the last of my HP slipping away and I know what is in store for me.”

  “Butch, you saved me and helped me destroy Charybdis. You saved a lot of people with your sacrifice,” Gameknight said.

  The big NPC coughed.

  “You were right, my thirst for vengeance just left me feeling empty,” Butch said. “I led these villagers down here and they were almost destroyed because of my need for revenge. But you saved them
with your plan. You thought, while I just reacted. Gameknight999 is the true protector of Minecraft, and I am nothing but an empty shell.”

  “No, you are not an empty shell. Your sacrifice to protect me saved all these people and saved Minecraft. If you hadn’t stepped in front of me, Charybdis would have won, and his reign of fire would have devoured the Overworld. You did what you said you’d do: protect Minecraft with every fiber of your being …”

  Butch coughed again. “I guess I did, didn’t I?” he said as a smile formed across his boxy face.

  He took one more strained breath and peered up at Gameknight999 with a look of contentment on his face. Then, with a pop, he disappeared, his items littering the ground. Gameknight felt a presence behind him, and glanced over his shoulder, tears streaming down his square cheeks.

  All of the villagers stood behind him, with Crafter and Hunter at the front of the group. Gameknight could feel tears evaporating off his cheeks from the heat of the Nether. He was overcome with grief at seeing Butch die. That villager had been a mountain of strength and courage, something that Minecraft needed. But as Gameknight looked at those around him, he realized that all of these NPCs had the same strength and courage, for those traits did not come from muscles and size, but rather from within. And all of the villagers had seen the strength of character in Butch, and they now carried his memory … and his courage.

  Gameknight stood and raised his hand, fingers spread wide, then clenched his hand into a fist as tiny square tears tumbled down his cheeks. He squeezed his hand tight as he closed his eyes, trying the crush the grief from his heart, but all he did was cry harder at the loss he felt in his soul.

  A gentle hand settled onto his shoulder. Opening his eyes, Gameknight found Hunter gazing up at him, her red hair glowing like a crimson halo in the fiery light of the Nether.

  “It’s time to go home,” she said softly.

  He nodded and lowered his hand, then started to head back to the portal. They walked in silence across the Nether, the only sound coming from the moaning zombie-pigmen, who had been oblivious to the battle that had just been fought on the shore of the Great Lava Ocean. The villagers scanned the skies for more blazes, but the flaming creatures had lost the will to fight after the defeat of their king.

  When he reached the portal, he stared back down at the Nether fortress and the glowing ocean. He could see the exact spot where Butch had perished and thought, I should come back some day and build a monument to him. Maybe something made out of packed ice.

  The villagers began to step through the portal, teleporting back to the Overworld, while Gameknight stood next to the magical gateway. Hunter moved to his side, silent and contemplative. Crafter and Digger stayed back as well and waited as the rest of the villagers stepped through the portal. Finally, Stitcher and Herder approached, the two young NPCs walking with the grandparent army, making sure everyone made it.

  Once all the elderly had gone through the gateway, the six friends glanced at each other solemnly.

  “He gave his life for me,” Gameknight said as tears began to tumble down his cheeks again. “I’ve seen lots of people perish in Minecraft, but none of them had ever knowingly sacrificed their life so that I could survive.”

  “It was a noble act that we will all remember for the rest of our lives,” Crafter said.

  “But who’s to say that my life was more important than his?” Gameknight asked. “I don’t understand.”

  “It isn’t for us to understand what Butch was thinking,” Hunter said. “All we can do is live our lives the best we can, helping as many people as possible, so that we can continue to be worthy of his sacrifice.”

  “Hunter is right,” Crafter added. “Butch did what he said he wanted to do: protect Minecraft and the lives of every villager. He gave the last ounce of his life to do that. The only way we can thank him is to make the most of the life Butch has given us and do good deeds … no, great deeds. We must be worthy of his decision and his selfless act.”

  “Agreed,” the six companions said in unison.

  “You know,” Gameknight said with a sigh as he turned to look at Crafter and Digger. “I thought the villagers stopped needing me, that they needed Butch more. It seemed like all the villagers wanted to follow Butch. I felt unnecessary and insignificant.”

  “We never stopped needing you, Gameknight,” Crafter said. “Maybe we just took you for granted and figured you would always be there for us. We were wrong. We should have let you know how special you are to us, and we’re sorry.”

  “Yeah … there is no replacing the king of the griefers, no matter how hard we try,” Digger said with a smile. “You will always be a part of all our families.”

  “That’s right,” Hunter added. “And you won’t forget it again, if you know what’s good for you!”

  “OK,” Gameknight replied sheepishly. “I guess I was just feeling insecure.”

  “You should never doubt your value to your friends,” Stitcher added.

  “Yeah,” Herder said. “Look around at the people you help. They are living happy lives because of the many times you’ve helped everyone. It’s easy to forget that people care about you, and it’s easy to feel alone … I know that better than anyone else. But I’ve learned to judge myself by the friends I keep, and you should do the same.”

  Gameknight nodded his head, a smile creeping onto his face.

  “Good talk,” Hunter said sarcastically, “but maybe we should get out of the Nether before the monsters change their mind and come back to crush us.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Crafter added. “Let’s get out of here.”

  One at a time, the companions stepped through the portal, Gameknight and Hunter waiting to be last.

  Pulling out a block of TNT, Gameknight placed it next to the portal, and then quickly built a redstone circuit that would give them a few seconds before the red-striped block exploded and destroyed the portal.

  “You ready?” Gameknight asked.

  Hunter nodded her head.

  “Maybe we should stop visiting the Nether,” Hunter said with a smile. “It never seems to be very much fun.”

  “Agreed,” Gameknight replied, then placed the redstone torch next to the circuit.

  Instantly, the redstone turned bright red as the delay circuit started to work. They stepped through the portal together, and as they materialized in Gameknight’s castle, they could hear the echo of an explosion from the wavering purple teleportation field. Then it winked out.

  Moving out of the room, Gameknight took the stairs down to the ground level, then quickly climbed a ladder that led to the top of the obsidian wall that ringed his fortress. He found many of the villagers up there, glaring out at the devastated forest that surrounded their community.

  He glanced around for Crafter and found the young NPC standing off to the right. Gameknight moved to his side.

  “What are we going to do about the destroyed forest?” Crafter asked, his blue eyes filled with doubt.

  “We’re going to replant,” Gameknight said. “You still have tons of bones from past battles with skeletons … right?”

  Crafter nodded.

  “Good. Here’s what we’re going to do,” Gameknight explained. “We are going to find a forest that has not been burned, then trim the leaves until we find some saplings. Then we’re going to dig up the dirt that has been changed to glass and replace it with fresh dirt.” His voice rose in volume so the other villagers could hear. “We’re going to replant this forest, then we’re going to replant the next forest and the one after that, until the damage to Minecraft has been repaired. We’ll use the bone meal from the skeleton bones to make the trees grow faster. It will take a while, but we’ll get the forests back to how they were.”

  He put a hand on Crafter’s shoulder and peered down at the young NPC.

  “We will do what Butch would do: attack this problem head-on and not give up until the task is complete. You agree?”

  Crafter glared
out at all the dead trees that were lying on their sides, blackened and charred, then looked back up at Gameknight999. With his blue eyes growing brighter, he nodded his head.

  “Let’s do this,” Crafter said.

  “Come on, everyone, we have some forests to rebuild,” Gameknight said as he headed to the ground level.

  The User-that-is-not-a-user ran out of his castle and across the grassy plain, heading for the charred forest. He glanced to his right and saw Hunter and Stitcher running on his right, Crafter and Digger on his left. Behind him, he could hear Herder’s wolves howling with excitement. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that the entire village was running in his wake, many of the NPCs with pickaxes and shovels in their hands.

  Gameknight glanced at his friends, and realized the truth in Herder’s words back in the Nether. He had great friends around him, and realized that they had always been there for him. He was honored to be among them and felt important because of their presence. It didn’t matter if he was leading or following; all that mattered was that they were together.

  “OK, everyone,” the User-that-is-not-a-user shouted. “Let’s build us a forest!”

  The NPCs all cheered with excitement.

  “Come on, forest,” Gameknight muttered in a low voice, a smile creeping across his square. “Let’s dance.”

  MINECRAFT SEEDS

  All of the different biomes and structures mentioned in the book can be seen on Gameknight999’s server. Just go to the book warp room on the survival server and you’ll see the buttons for each chapter. You can use the command /warp bookwarps. I’ll be building the creeper hives somewhere on the server so that all of you can see what I was imagining while I was writing. Maybe I’ll try to make one of the burned-out forests as well, if that’s possible … come to the server and find out.

  For those without access to the server, I’ve listed Minecraft seeds for version 1.87. I don’t know if they will work with Minecraft PE or if they’ll work for version 1.9; you’ll just have to try them out and see.