“What now?” Stitcher complained.
“You’ll see,” the older sister replied.
“I don’t like this . . . What’s going on?” the younger one said.
But Hunter ignored her. She moved behind the young girl and carefully inserted the wool into her ears.
“You better tell me what you are—oh my.”
Stitcher’s voice instantly softened as the needling sound was cut back to almost nothing. Everyone’s voices were muffled a little as well, but not so much that they couldn’t talk to each other. Gameknight had discovered a useful fix, if only a temporary one, that would make their journey much easier.
“Now that’s alright,” the young girl said with a smile.
The siblings hugged, each silently apologizing to the other.
Rationing out the wool block, the three of them moved through their party and applied the hearing protection to everyone. In minutes, all the NPCs joined Gameknight and Monkeypants in relief and relaxation, smiling again as the mindless screech from Herobrine’s XP was reduced to a much more manageable level.
Herder and his wolves burst out of the trees, surrounding the camp. A dozen wolves now accompanied the lanky youth, their white fur standing out in the darkness of the forest. Herder smiled at Gameknight, his whole face lit with joy, but as he drew near the ender chest, the smile turned to a scowl, his bright eyes narrowing to tiny slits. The wolves, sensing his discomfort, started to growl, their eyes turning red.
Gameknight moved to the young boy and held out two pieces of wool. One of the wolves growled and bared his teeth at the User-that-is-not-a-user, ready to strike.
“Herder, come over here for a minute,” Gameknight said calmly.
The young boy moved forward, cautiously, his eyes filled with anger and his head likely throbbing with pain. He glanced at the ender chest still held by Monkeypants, and his eyes stayed there for a moment longer than they should have. But he continued coming closer, and when he was near enough, Gameknight placed the wool in the boy’s ears. Like the others, Herder’s face relaxed as a smile replaced the scowl. The wolves backed down, too—their red eyes fading to black and their bristling fur smoothed down on their backs as their leader became calm.
“Oh . . . that’s nice,” Herder said as he rubbed at the back of his neck.
“Herobrine’s XP,” Gameknight said, pointing to the ender chest.
Herder nodded his understanding.
“Now that that’s settled, we need to get moving,” Digger said as he stood and stretched, getting ready to resume the march. “Which way?”
“We need to get rid of this ender chest as quickly as possible,” Crafter said. “I think we should go through Two-Sword Pass to get to the Northern Desert.”
“Two-Sword Pass—what is that?” Gameknight asked.
Hunter rolled her eyes.
“You users don’t know anything, do you?” she accused, then flashed him a grin.
“Two-Sword Pass is where Smithy stopped the massive army of monsters before he drove them to The Abyss,” Stitcher interjected. “It was where he first used his two swords. Legend says that he pulled out his two swords and pushed back the invading army single-handedly.”
“I doubt that,” Hunter said. “Single-handedly? That sounds like a bit of an exaggeration.”
“Legends commonly become exaggerated with every telling,” Monkeypants said. “But likely there is a kernel of truth within the story.”
“Thanks for the lesson, professor,” Hunter said sarcastically, then lowered her head as she heard her own words. “Sorry, that incessant whining is still putting me on edge. The wool helps, but I can still hear it.”
“It’s okay,” Monkeypants replied. “We’re all on edge.”
“Let’s get going,” Digger said. “We need to find a place to camp soon, and I don’t like the looks of this forest. We’re too exposed here.”
“Digger’s right,” Crafter added. “Come on, let’s speed it up.”
Suddenly, the whining from the ender chest increased, the volume cutting through the wool and stabbing at all their patience.
“Did the whining from the box suddenly get louder?” Gameknight asked.
“How should I know?” Crafter snapped, then smiled apologetically when he thought about the tone of his reply.
“Something’s going on,” Gameknight said quietly to his father. “We need information. I hate being blind out here. Hey, what’s Herder doing?”
The young NPC was standing with some of his new wolves on the edge of the NPC group. He’d been carefully brushing their fur with his stubby fingers before, but now he just stood there with the animals looking up at him, confused.
“Herder, send out your wolves so we will know if any monster gets close to us,” Gameknight said.
The lanky youth did not respond. He stood still, staring off into the darkening forest. Gameknight moved to his side. Placing a hand on his shoulder, the User-that-is-not-a-user turned the boy so that he could face him, and as he did, he again thought he caught a glimpse of the boy’s eyes glowing a soft, pale white. But as Herder focused on Gameknight999, the boy’s eyes became the normal dual colors, one a pale green, the other steely grayish-blue.
“Herder, are you OK?” Gameknight asked.
“Ahh . . . yeah . . . of course I’m OK,” the boy replied. “What were you saying?”
“I need you to send your wolves out to watch our perimeter,” Gameknight explained.
“OK,” Herder replied, then knelt and stroked the soft fur of the largest wolf, the pack leader.
Moving his mouth near the furry ear, Herder spoke a single word.
“Protect.”
The wolf gave a loud bark, then shot out into the forest, the rest of the pack doing the same, fanning out in all directions.
“They will howl if they see anything,” Herder said with a smile.
“Well, I hope we don’t hear anything tonight, because—” Digger started to say, but was cut off as a long howl pierced through the silent forest.
“Great, just what we need,” Hunter said as she pulled out her enchanted bow. The surrounding forest was painted with rippling iridescent light as purple enchantments flowed up and down her weapon.
Monet, are you there? Gameknight typed into the chat.
Yep, she replied.
You see any monsters nearby?
I can’t really see much, she replied. The tree branches are blocking a lot of the visibility.
OK, keep watching and tell me if you see anything.
Sighing in frustration, Gameknight moved next to a tree and pulled out blocks of dirt. Jumping into the air, he placed one of the blocks on the ground, then did it again, over and over, as he moved higher into the air.
“What are you doing now?” Hunter asked.
“I need to look around,” Gameknight answered. “We need to see what is approaching so we can plan what to do.”
“That seems wise,” Monkeypants added.
“Why do you have to be so dramatic, Gameknight?” Hunter said.
“Hunter, be nice,” Stitcher said angrily.
“He’s always doing these things,” she replied. “Plus, why are you always telling me to be nice? I’m not going to do it just because you tell me. Maybe you should just worry about yourself for a change.”
“If I don’t tell you to behave, who will?” Stitcher snapped.
“Girls, please,” Monkeypants said. “Herobrine is making you two argue. Is that what you want, to play his game and do what he wants you to do?”
“No,” the two said simultaneously, both looking guilty. Stitcher reached over to her sister’s ear.
“No wonder we’re fighting. Your wool came a little loose.”
Hunter smiled and returned the favor. “Yours, too. Sorry I lost my cool.”
“Keep checking those wool earplugs, and remember: when you know you’re stressed, count to five before responding,” Monkeypants advised. “This will keep you from snapping
at each other.”
Hunter nodded, then flashed the faintest of smiles at her sister as she drew an arrow out of her inventory and fitted it to her bowstring.
Gameknight cast a worried glance at his friends. He could see the tension and anger on their square faces and knew that if they didn’t get rid of Herobrine’s XP soon, they would be at risk of fighting amongst themselves again. The wool earplugs can only help so much, he thought as he made sure his were secure. Pulling out another block of dirt, he continued to climb until he reached the branches of the tall spruce. With his axe, he carved into the foliage, creating leafy steps that took him to the top of the forest canopy.
When he reached the top and looked out, Gameknight was shocked at what he saw. A group of spiders was moving through the forest, their black bodies barely visible in the darkness. The one thing that was clearly visible was their multiple red eyes, all of them burning with hatred.
“Spiders,” Gameknight hissed.
“What?” Hunter shouted.
“There’s a spider out there?” Baker asked.
“Not a spider . . . lots of spiders,” the User-that-is-not-a-user replied.
Turning to look at the clearing again, he saw the last of the furry monsters disappear amidst the forest trees, heading directly for their position.
“Are they cave spiders?” Crafter asked.
“No, just the larger females,” Gameknight shouted down to his friends.
“The Sisters,” Crafter said, his voice sounding worried.
Gameknight moved back down through the tree branches and then dug away at the dirt blocks until he was on the ground again.
“You sounded worried when you heard it was just the Sisters,” Monkeypants said. “Why?”
“If there are none of the Brothers here, that means they must be tending the eggs,” Crafter explained. “First a group of spiders attacked the village right after the zombies, and now a group is following us and getting ready to attack. This can only mean one thing.”
All eyes shifted to Crafter. The NPC rubbed his chin as he became lost in thought.
“You want to share that one thing with us?” Hunter asked, annoyed.
“Oh, yeah,” Crafter stammered, coming back to the present. “It must mean there is a new spider queen controlling all the Brothers and Sisters.”
“A new queen . . . How could that be possible?” Gameknight asked.
Crafter shrugged, then glanced down at the ender chest still under Monkeypants’s arm. Herder’s gaze also went to the chest, Gameknight noticed.
“I can hold on to this for now,” Herder offered.
Monkeypants paused and gave the young NPC a slightly suspicious look, but passed the chest over. “Okay, Herder,” he said. “But be careful with it.”
“A new queen? This is great,” Hunter said sarcastically. “I’m sure this new royalty is after Gameknight999 like all the rest.”
“And her subjects are on their way right now,” Digger said, a grim look on his face. “We need to get out of here—quickly!”
CHAPTER 9
SISTERS ATTACK
The NPCs sprinted through the forest, weaving around the massive spruce trees, Gameknight and Monkeypants bringing up the rear. Glancing over his shoulder, the User-that-is-not-a-user could barely see the spiders through the forest, their fuzzy bodies blending in with the dark veil of night. Their eyes, however, were not difficult to see at all. They looked like burning red embers of hatred. It was difficult to estimate how many spiders were chasing them; the multiple eyes made it seem like there were a hundred giant monsters on their heels.
“Herder!” Gameknight shouted. “We need to use our wolves as a rear guard.”
Herder nodded, then whistled loudly, the shrill note cutting through the forest like a knife. The wolves that ringed their formation now all returned and went to Herder’s side. Bending over as he ran, Herder said something to the alpha male alongside him. Instantly, the wolves peeled off and disappeared into the shadows again. The lanky boy had a worried look on his face as his furry companions disappeared, but then a look of relief as the NPCs all heard shouts of surprise from the pursuing monsters and victorious barks and howls coming from the four-legged protectors.
Shifting the ender chest from his right hand to his left, Herder drew his stone sword. Its edge was razor sharp and lacked the scratches and dents that many others showed from countless battles. The sword was not his weapon and everybody knew it; Herder’s greatest strength lay not in fighting, but in his way with animals. He had little skill with a weapon and was more likely to hurt himself instead of the enemy.
Ahead, Gameknight could see a large jumble of mossy cobblestone. The clicking from the spiders was still audible, but he could no longer see them in the darkness. The wolves must have slowed them down enough to allow the companions to extend their lead. Perfect. Surveying the approaching structure, Gameknight realized this would probably be the best place to mount their defense.
“We make our stand here,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said. Jumping over the rocky wall, he landed gracefully, putting his sword away and pulling out a block of dirt. “But we need to start building defensive structures—fast.”
The NPCs went to work, each knowing exactly what to do; sadly, they’d had a lot of experience doing things like this. In the distance, they could hear the growling of the wolves as the furry protectors nipped at the flanks of the spiders, slowly reducing their HP. Likely, they were not destroying any of the monsters, but they were doing a good job delaying them while Gameknight and his friends put together a hasty defense.
Hunter and Stitcher placed blocks of dirt three high, with spaces in the middle through which they could fire their arrows. They built steps going upward and added more blocks to the top, forming a perch where they could shoot. It was as though they each had their own little archer tower.
Monkeypants ran out in front of the blocky fortification and placed blocks of TNT into the ground while Gameknight put cobblestone and dirt along their rear, closing them in. Herder dug out a single block from the forest floor and placed the ender chest in the hollow. As soon as the dark box touched the ground, the whining sound grew louder and louder until it sounded like a high-pitched trumpet blast. Everyone cringed in response.
“Why is it so loud all of a sudden?” Gameknight asked.
“Who cares? Just get to work,” Hunter snapped.
“Hunter, be nice for once,” Stitcher chided.
“Whatever,” the older sister replied.
“Come on, be nice to each other,” Monkeypants said. “We have to work together. We’re stronger together than apart!”
“Blah . . . blah . . . blah . . .” Hunter mocked. “Just give me something to shoot and I’ll be happy.”
Stitcher grunted her annoyance at her sister.
“I think he knows we’ve stopped here,” Digger said angrily. “Herobrine is calling to the spiders and drawing them to us. Maybe if I smash his XP with my pick then he would . . .”
A look of unbridled anger covered Digger’s square face as he approached the dark box, his big iron pick raised high over his head, ready to strike. Crafter stepped into his path, shielding the chest with his small body.
“NO!” cried Crafter as he moved between Digger and the ender chest.
“Digger, stand down!” Gameknight shouted. “If you break the box, then one of us will get infected with Herobrine’s XP. You’ll be setting him free. Is that what you want?”
Digger turned and faced Gameknight999, his normally-bright blue-green eyes now shaded with confusion and rage.
“The enemy is not here, it’s out there,” Gameknight said, pointing out toward the dark woods. “All of us need to realize that Herobrine is doing this to us, making us stressed and angry. He’s trying to make us fight ourselves so that his forces will have an easier time attacking us. When we bicker and argue, we’re weak. When we work together, we’re strong. Stay focused and remember the people around you are your fr
iends.”
The NPCs gritted their teeth helplessly at first, many of them itching to argue with Gameknight. Not waiting to see their responses, the User-that-is-not-a-user instead buried more blocks of TNT, interweaving his explosive surprises amongst the ones that Monkeypants had already laid. Once his supply of red and white blocks was all used up, Gameknight ran across the soon-to-be battlefield placing torches that would make the monsters easier to see. Finally, satisfied with their preparations, he moved into the forest and hid among the trees to wait for the spiders to arrive. The NPCs all took their places behind the newly-built barricade.
They heard their enemies before they saw them. The clicking sound started off faint, floating out of the darkness as if from a dream, a terrible nightmare. Soon, the spiders sounded like a million angry crickets, all of them focused on the ender chest crying out to them. Then, when it seemed like the noise couldn’t be more deafening, blazing red eyes appeared on the edge of the tree line, tiny glowing dots like blood-red lasers piercing the darkness.
Taking initiative and moving farther from the torchlight, Gameknight hid behind the trunk of a huge spruce, away from the NPCs and his father. The monsters continued to approach, driving straight toward the defenders. As the front of the spidery formation moved into the light, Hunter and Stitcher started firing. As they had earlier in the village, the sisters picked different targets rather than focusing on the same one, working separately instead of together. Gameknight grimaced; he knew that had been Herobrine’s plan all along, and it was working.
Suddenly, a detonation rocked the landscape as a flaming arrow found a block of TNT. The ground shook as a ball of flame formed in the forest, the TNT hammering at the spiders like an explosive fist. The spiders scattered momentarily, but quickly charged forward again, Herobrine’s song calling them to return and fight.
From the fortifications, the User-that-is-not-a-user could hear the NPCs talking.
“Where did Gameknight go? Did he abandon us?” Hunter yelled.
“He would never run away,” Monkeypants said, his voice barely audible over the spiders’ clicking.
Gameknight999 vs. Herobrine Page 6
