Weaver stood his ground, refusing to mount the magical device. Entity sighed, then yanked on the rope, but this time Weaver was ready for it and pulled back at the same time. The tug of war made Entity303 stumble just a bit.
Weaver laughed and gave the user a satisfied grin.
With an unbelievable swiftness, Entity303 drew a sword from his inventory. It glowed a bright yellow but had a blood-red color at the sharp edge. The user attacked, bringing the shimmering blade down onto the villager’s shoulder. Weaver grunted and fell to one knee, flashing red as he took damage. Now Entity303 was the one laughing.
“I bet that hurt. You know why?” He moved forward to stand directly over the wounded NPC, glaring down at him. “That’s called an infused longsword, and it has magical powers you don’t even understand, like being able to go through armor. So if you think I’m afraid of your little friends, you better recalibrate that square head of yours. They still live, but only because I allow it.”
The user yanked on the rope and pulled Weaver to his feet. He then pulled out a piece of beef from his inventory and stuffed it in the boy’s mouth.
“It won’t be helpful if your HP drops to zero, at least not yet. So do as you’re told, unless you want to taste my sword again. Get on the broom.”
Weaver sighed, then mounted the broom as if it were a horse, his legs dangling on either side.
“Why are you doing this?” the young boy asked. “Why are you leading them all over this strange land?”
“Well, you see, my young villager, I want your little friends to unlock the White Castle for me, and slay the beast that hides within the bowels of that fortress. When they accomplish that, and I’m sure they will, though most will not survive, your foolish friends will be unlocking for me tools of great power, which I can then use to destroy all of Minecraft. By dragging you along as bait, I’m forcing them to do all the dangerous work while I just watch. Ha ha … you’re all morons.”
“We’ll see,” Weaver whispered, a scowl on his face.
Entity303 just smiled.
“So we’re going to this White Castle soon?” the boy asked.
“No, no, I’m not done torturing your friends yet,” the user explained. “I want to see them battle the Snow Queen, and maybe do a couple of rounds with the Minotaurs and the Minoshroom in the labyrinth, and then perhaps get lost in the Goblin King’s Stronghold for a while. I think a battle down there with the goblin knights, the block-and-chain goblins and the knight phantoms would be fun to watch. There won’t be many of your friends left after all that, but oh well.”
He mounted his broom, then pulled the rope tight.
“You stay close now, villager. If you fall off your broom, then I’m just gonna let you dangle down and smash into the trees. You hear me?”
Weaver just grunted, an angry frown on his square face.
“Ha ha, you heard me all right,” Entity303 said with a laugh. “It’s time to fly fast. We have an appointment with a three-headed monster.”
And with that, they kicked off the ground on their sparkling brooms and shot through the forest and into the fire swamp, the roars of a distant monster filling the air.
CHAPTER 20
THE HYDRA
An ashen haze hung over the dark landscape, as blocks here and there continually belched smoke into the air. Pools of lava cast an orange glow on the surroundings as glowing embers leapt into the air like kernels of popped corn from an overheated frying pan. Dark ash floated up from the molten stone, adding to the charcoal-gray mist that lurked just off the ground.
The aroma of the place assaulted Gameknight’s senses. It smelled of smoke and ash and sulfur and dust … but that was the good part. With every breath, it seemed as if he could taste the air. His tongue felt as if he’d just licked the remains of an old campfire and everything seemed to be covered with a thin layer of grime. The fire swamp was almost worse than the Nether.
A gray block with a dark center sputtered a small puff of ash. Empech shot forward, grabbed Gameknight’s arm and yanked him back just before a column of fire blasted into the air. The two companions fell to the dark, charred ground. Another sputtering sound off to the left was followed by more flames shooting into the air. One of Herder’s wolves yelped in pain when a fiery column licked its side, leaving behind charred fur and a wounded leg.
“Gameknight, what did you take us into?” Herder growled.
“We’re here for the Hydra. And if I remember the Twilight Forest mod correctly, that monster is in the center of the fire swamp,” Gameknight said as he stood, then helped Empech up. Another sputtering puff of smoke in the distance. A bright yellow-orange tongue of flame shot into the air, the roar sounding like the blast of a tiny hurricane. “I’ve never seen the monster before, but I have heard rumors that it’s difficult to defeat.”
“Great!” Stitcher exclaimed, an inhuman hunger in her eyes.
“What’s with the fire shooting up out of the ground?” Hunter asked.
“Those are called firejets,” Gameknight explained. “We need to listen and watch out for each other.”
“I like the firejets,” Stitcher said with a strange sort of grin. “They probably cooked everything in this biome for us.”
Squawk!
Digger reached down and picked up Tux.
“Don’t worry girl, you’ll be OK, I promise,” the stocky NPC said to the penguin.
Squawk, squawk, she replied.
They moved through the dark, ashen terrain, weaving their way around lava pools and smoking blocks. Many trees were barren of leaves, but a few still had their foliage. The leaves were dark, rusty reds instead of bright greens, and the grass was also similarly colored. Everything in this biome was either gray or some flavor of brown and dark red, and it was all covered with a thin layer of ash.
The wolves moved out in a large circle around the party, each scanning the area for monsters. Gameknight would have liked to have them closer, but Herder would not relent; he sent the animals out on patrol regardless of what was said.
A tremendous growl filled the air, followed by another guttural roar and the gnashing of teeth.
“That your friend?” Stitcher asked excitedly.
Gameknight nodded his boxy head.
She smiled, a look of excitement sparkling in her eyes.
“There’s its lair up ahead,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said. “The Hydra will be near, so everyone be ready. Herder, you should bring the wolves in. It would be bad if one of them stumbled into the monster.”
“My wolves will lead the attack,” Herder said, his voice ringing with pride.
“No, just bring them back,” Gameknight said. “We’ll figure out a strategy when we get closer.”
The lanky boy gave him a scowl, then whistled, the piercing sound echoing across the landscape. Instantly, ghostly white forms emerged from the haze that hung over the land and came to his side.
“OK, let’s move up quietly,” Gameknight said.
The party moved forward, weaving around the burnt remains of an oak tree, then jumping across a small stream of lava. Ahead was a large mound made of reddish-brown dirt, charred grass, and stone. Along the edge, Gameknight noticed the mound was not a solid hill. Instead, the inside was carved out; the mound only forming a hollowed-out half of a dome. And standing at the center of the dome was their prey, the Hydra.
The monster emerged from within the earthen dome, its heads moving out of the shadows first, followed by the hulking remainder of the giant’s body.
Hot needles of fear pierced every inch of Gameknight’s body as he stared in disbelief at the creature.
“That is the Hydra, yes, yes,” Empech said. “An ancient monster that was erased from Minecraft long ago, but brought back to life by your adversary.”
Gameknight said nothing; he just stared. It was the largest monster he’d ever seen in Minecraft. It stood on two large feet, a long, scaly tail stretching behind it like a massive, ridged snake. Its body was covered wi
th thick scales, the sides and back colored a dark blue, while bright green scales spread across its chest and legs. Three gigantic heads sat atop long necks similar to the Ender Dragon, the green scales protecting the front of the necks. The monstrous faces had blazing red eyes, terrifying mouths, and sharp white teeth that seemed to shine brightly even though there was no sun in the constant twilight of the biome. Green, bony ridges ran down the back of each neck, coming together into a single line of scaly protrusions that extended down the long, dangerous tail.
“We’re supposed to fight that?” Digger asked, his shaking voice barely audible over the roars of the Hydra.
Squawk, Tux said with a shaking voice.
“Maybe we can climb up over the hill behind the creature,” Crafter said. “If we’re careful, it might not see us.”
Suddenly a laugh filled with vile contempt came from behind the monster. Gameknight moved closer until he could see through the smoke and ash. Behind the hydra stood Entity303 in enchanted white armor. Six blue horns stuck out from the back of his shining white helmet, giving him the appearance of some kind of snowy creature. An expression of pure hatred was carved into the user’s face as he stared at Gameknight999. The user glanced up at the Hydra and smirked, then stared back at his nemesis. A rope extended from one of his blocky hands, the other end wrapped around a small boy: Weaver!
“What are you waiting for?” Entity303 shouted, pointing at him with a glowing yellow sword. “Why don’t you come and take my prize from me, if you dare.”
He yanked on the rope, pulling Weaver closer to him. One of the heads of the Hydra turned to see the source of the sound. The user pulled out a splash potion and threw it on himself, then Weaver. Instantly, the pair disappeared, the invisibility potion hiding them completely.
The Hydra, seeing nothing, turned back and stared at Gameknight999 and his friends.
“You know why I brought you here,” Entity303 yelled. “If you want to see this villager remain alive, then you better get to work. I expected you at the Snow Queen’s palace, but the fire swamp will do as well … for now. If you get too hot from this confrontation, then maybe the Snow Queen’s Aurora palace will cool you down next. Ha ha ha …”
“Smithy, he’s heading for the White …” Weaver yelled, but then grunted and went silent.
“Now, that’s a shame; I had to hit your little friend over the head,” Entity303 said. “I’m sure he’ll be OK … well, maybe.” The evil user laughed again. “You better get to work, Gameknight999. Your unconscious friend here needs your help. It wouldn’t be good for you to let my trail get too cold. Ha … too cold … Snow Queen … I’m hilarious!”
Entity303 grunted with effort, then grew silent, his footsteps causing small puffs of ash to rise off the ground as he moved deeper into the hollow earthen dome, then disappeared through an opening in the back of the hill.
“He’s taking Weaver away,” Gameknight exclaimed. “We need to stop him!”
“Um, I think the Hydra there might be in the way,” Hunter said.
“It’s too big,” Digger moaned.
Crafter nodded his head, his long blond hair falling across his face. “I don’t know if we can do this.”
“We need to deal with that beast somehow,” Stitcher growled. “Any ideas?”
“Yeah, I have one,” Gameknight said.
He drew his diamond sword with his right hand, the iron blade with his left, then turned and smiled at his friends.
“FOR WEAVER!” he screamed, and charged straight at the Hydra.
CHAPTER 21
PIECES OF THE PUZZLE
Gameknight charged straight at the monster, his enchanted diamond sword held high. The Hydra’s three heads swiveled and glared at him as he approached, their red eyes like burning coals. The center head opened its mouth, the many razor-sharp teeth glistening from the internal fire. Tiny, glowing embers danced on its tongue as it pulled in a huge breath, then spat balls of fire at him.
Rolling to the left, the User-that-is-not-a-user felt the heat of the projectiles as they streaked by his head, the smell of smoke and sulfur filling his senses. More fireballs fell around him. Gameknight danced around them carefully, ducking and weaving as they plummeted toward him. The burning spheres sat on the ground, shouldering for a moment, then exploded, tearing holes in the dark red landscape.
The right head moved near the ground, then opened wide. A stream of flames flowed out of the monster like the fiery exhaust from a rocket. Patches of the ground began to glow where the flames hit, the last few tufts of grass burning away, leaving only ash. Gameknight turned, zigzagging, hoping the monster could not move as quickly as he could. Fortunately, he was right. The User-that-is-not-a-user was able to stay ahead of the flaming torrent, but just barely.
The left head spat a fireball at him. It landed in front of him, the sphere glowing on the ground. Gameknight sprinted toward it, then jumped over the explosive, allowing it to explode far behind. Moving up to the monster, Gameknight999 swung his diamond sword with all his might. The weapon hit the green and blue scales and bounced off as if they were made of steel, the blade vibrating in his hand, making his whole arm ache. The creature did not flash red, nor did it cry out in pain. In fact, it seemed the Hydra didn’t even notice his blows.
The three heads turned their attention to Hunter and Stitcher, who were firing their arrows at the monster. Their pointed shafts made a pinging sound when they bounced harmlessly off the monster’s scales, doing no damage; they were like fleas annoying a massive dinosaur. Gameknight took advantage of the distraction to run away from the monster and reconsider his plans. As he sprinted across the warm sand, a firebomb struck him in the back, then exploded, throwing him forward. Pain erupted throughout his body as his diamond armor cracked under the assault. Digger ran forward and tossed Gameknight over his shoulder, then retreated just as another fireball streaked down at them. It tore another crater into the ground as they escaped, the heat from the fiery blast singing Gameknight’s hair a little. When they were out of range, Digger carefully set his friend on the ground.
“Are you OK?” Digger asked.
Squawk squawk!
“Yeah,” the User-that-is-not-a-user replied as he reached out and patted Tux on the head. “I’m OK, thanks to you.”
Digger smiled, then looked away, his moment of bravery almost embarrassing to him.
Gameknight sheathed his weapons, then turned and faced his companions.
“I don’t think your plan of charging right at the creature worked very well,” Hunter said as she returned to the others, Stitcher at her side.
“Those scales are impenetrable. My sword just bounced off them.”
“My arrows too,” Stitcher growled.
“The scales cannot be destroyed,” Empech said.
“It would have been nice if you’d told us that earlier,” Stitcher growled.
The tiny pech ignored her. “The Hydra is only vulnerable in one place,” Empech said as he took his huge pack off and set it on the ground.
“You gonna share with us where that place is at?” Stitcher asked impatiently.
“The Hydra is completely covered with scales, from head to foot, yes, yes. But when it opens its mouth, the ancient beast can be injured.”
“You mean we can only hurt it inside its mouth?” Crafter asked.
The pech nodded his head.
“Are you saying the place with the massive, razor sharp fangs and streams of fire coming out, that’s where it’s vulnerable?” Stitcher rolled her eyes, then shouted. “That’s a lot of help!”
She stormed away, standing next to a charred tree and staring at the monster.
“So we need to attack it in the mouth?” Gameknight asked.
Empech nodded his head, then pulled a crafting bench out of his pack.
“Empech, what are you doing?” the User-that-is-not-a-user asked.
“Your armor, it will not be sufficient.” the little creature said. “There is a reason why t
he Naga is the Naga, yes, yes.”
He pulled out the Naga scales and began crafting them into something, his hands a blur. In seconds, he tossed Gameknight999 a green chest plate, then crafted a set of leggings.
“Put these on. The Naga armor will give you some protection against the fire, but be warned; nothing will protect you from the monster’s teeth. The Hydra can crush anything with its jaws, yes, yes. You must not get within reach of those teeth. Fight it from a distance, yes.”
Finally, the pech pulled out some leaves that seemed thick and stout, a steely blue tint to each.
“Steeleaf,” Empech said, “very strong, yes, yes.” He quickly crafted a shield and tossed it to Gameknight999.
“You mean use bows on the Hydra?” Crafter asked.
“Bow and arrow will cause only the smallest harm,” Empech replied.
Gameknight looked back at the monster. Craters dotted the landscape where the fireballs had exploded and torn terrible wounds into the landscape.
What am I going to do? he thought. Weaver was right there. I could have saved him if I’d been fast enough. I failed him again.
Gameknight stared at the place where his friend had been standing and sighed.
How many of my friends must get hurt, or worse, in this battle that I’ve already messed up?
He glanced at the monster again. One of the mouths opened wide, releasing a gout of flame that sprayed across the landscape, turning an oak tree into a massive candle.
How am I going to do this? he thought, his words echoing in his head like pathetic pleas.
Like the ghasts, a high-pitched, weak voice said in his mind.
The words sounded as if they were coming from far away, very far away. They were barely audible over his own self-criticisms.
Like the ghasts, yes, yes, the squeaky voice said again, this time a little louder. Like the Lich King.
Gameknight turned and stared at Empech.
You can only do what you believe you can do, yes, yes, the gnome’s voice said in his head.
“What I believe I can do?” the User-that-is-not-a-user asked.
Terrors of the Forest Page 14
