Attack of the Shadow-Crafters

by Mark Cheverton

  “But what of our king?” another asked. “What do we call him?”

  “His name will be that of an ancient demon that I remember from my life before arriving in Minecraft.”

  The Endermen moved closer, anxious to hear the name.

  “Your king will be the tip of the spear,” Herobrine said. “He will lead my forces against the pathetic NPCs until they are all destroyed. He will show no mercy, and be relentless as he punishes those that resist me.”

  He glared at the creatures in the room, his eyes glowing with a harsh brightness that made the Endermen look away when his gaze fell on them. But the king of the Endermen did not look away. He stood tall, feeling power and hatred surge through him.

  “Your king,” Herobrine continued, “will be called Erebus.”

  The Enderman king let out a spine-tingling screech that cut through Minecraft like a rusty razorblade, leaving in its wake only pain and fear.

  CHAPTER 2

  SEARCHING FOR SAFETY

  Gameknight999 scanned the desert, looking for monsters. Reaching up, he adjusted the iron helmet that sat on his square head, hiding his face from the other villagers. It was very heavy, more for the responsibility it represented than just its weight.

  How did I get in this mess? he thought.

  He was trapped far in Minecraft’s past, having used his father’s invention, the Digitizer, to enter this digital landscape, his entire being sent into the game. But something had gotten messed up, and he’d accidentally been transported into the past, to the time of Minecraft’s Great Zombie Invasion. Now he was stuck in the middle of a war, trying to help the villagers, or NPCs (non-playable characters) defend themselves against an army of monsters.

  They had just finished the battle led by Herobrine’s zombie king, Vo-Lok, where they had defeated him in the desert. They’d escaped the monsters’ trap in the narrow pass that cut through the mountains and pushed the army of villains deep into the desert, bombarding them with blocks of TNT until all the zombies and skeletons were destroyed. Now, a gigantic hole extended all the way down to bedrock and marked the place where the battle had been won. But the cost had been great. Many lives were lost amongst the NPCs, and even more were wounded.

  “We need to find a place to rest and heal,” Fencer said.

  Gameknight moved to his friend’s side and whispered in his ear.

  “You think anyone knows I’m not Smithy?” he asked.

  During the terrible battle, the villagers’ leader, a blacksmith named Smithy, had been hit by multiple arrows and fell from the fortified wall. In the chaos, no one had noticed that Fencer and Gameknight had rushed to Smithy’s side, only to find him gravely wounded. Smithy died, but with his final breaths he had commanded Gameknight to take his armor and helmet and fight in his stead. When the User-that-is-not-a-user had stood wearing the blacksmith’s leather armor and iron helmet, none of the villagers had suspected the identity switch. And when he drew his two swords, the NPCs had rallied behind him, cementing Gameknight999’s guise as the historic and legendary leader, Smithy of the Two-Swords.

  The troops fought with renewed courage at the sight of their fearless leader battling with dual blades. They drove the monsters out into the desert, where they were eventually defeated. But now, without the confusion of battle, Gameknight was more nervous than ever that someone would notice that he wasn’t actually Smithy and was only pretending to be him.

  “I don’t think anyone knows,” Fencer said in a low voice. As far as Gameknight knew, Fencer was the only person who knew the truth; in fact, he’d been at Smithy’s side with Gameknight when the NPC had died and had pushed Gameknight to take Smithy’s place. “Just keep that helmet on. If you take it off, they will see that small nose of yours and instantly realize what happened.”

  Gameknight nodded anxiously, then scanned the crowd of villagers. He could still see the confidence that his two-sword trick had instilled in them, but he also saw a touch of fear. They were far from home, and even though they’d won the battle, Herobrine was still about, ready to cause mischief. That virus was intent on destroying all NPCs. He was pure evil.

  He glanced up above him, half-expecting to see the letters spelling out his name hovering over his head. As a user, Gameknight should have had his name glowing over his head along with a server thread stretching up into the air, connecting him to the servers. But he didn’t have either now, because he wasn’t really logged into the game like he usually would have been. Instead, he was completely in the game. Gameknight could feel everything. He could feel the heat of the sun and hear the rasp of the dried shrubs that rustled in the constant east-to-west wind that always flowed across Minecraft. The dust that rode on those winds clogged his nostrils and made him thirsty. So he was a user in the game, but not really in the game; he was the User-that-is-not-a-user.

  “Where’s Mapper?” Gameknight shouted in a deep, baritone voice. Smithy’s voice was lower than his, and in order to keep up his disguise, he would need to sound like the blacksmith as much as possible.

  “Here,” a scratchy voice said.

  The old villager pushed his way through the crowd that was milling about on the sandy terrain. They were heading vaguely south, but with no particular destination in mind. They were just glad to not be battling any monsters.

  Gameknight moved to the NPC’s side.

  “Is there a village nearby?” the User-that-is-not-a-user asked.

  “Well, there is the village back in the savannah, but it’s far from here,” the old NPC said. “I don’t think everyone will make it.”

  “I know that,” Gameknight said, a little impatient. “Ahh … sorry,” he added, shaking his head to clear it. “Isn’t there anything closer?”

  “I remember there being a desert village to the east, near the Great Chasm.”

  “‘The Great Chasm’?” Gameknight asked. “What’s that?”

  “It’s a deep ravine carved into the Overworld,” the old NPC explained. “It stretches through multiple biomes and goes right through the mountains that run along the edge of the Northern Desert.”

  “So it will keep monsters from approaching us?” the User-that-is-not-a-user asked.

  Mapper nodded, his long gray hair falling across his square face.

  “Then lead the way. We’ll rest there and replenish our supplies.”

  The army turned and headed toward the east, using the rest of the daylight to move as far as they could before nightfall.

  “Oink.” The sound came from behind him. Gameknight turned and found his pet pig, Wilbur, staring up at him. He looked like he was uncomfortable.

  “Ahh … is the hot sand hurting your feet?” the User-that-is-not-a-user asked.

  “Oink,” the pig replied.

  Bending down, Gameknight scooped up the pig and held him in his arms.

  “We’ll be somewhere a little more comfortable soon,” he said to his companion.

  “What do you think happened to Herobrine after the battle?” a young boy said next to him.

  Gameknight looked down, shocked by how bright the youthful NPC’s blue eyes seemed, especially next to his long, dark brown hair. The boy wore a bright yellow smock with a chocolate brown stripe that ran down the center. The likeness was unmistakable: this was Weaver, the great-uncle of his friend Crafter, that he’d left back in the future … or present … or was it the past now? It was very confusing.

  Normally, when he used his father’s Digitizer, it would just send Gameknight into the game, but a bolt of lightning had struck his house right as he activated the device, and something strange had happened … which had landed him here, a hundred years in the past. It was terrifying, but also exciting at the same time. He was standing next to Crafter’s great-uncle, long before Crafter’s parents had ever been born. He knew from Crafter that Weaver had taught him everything he knew about TNT. That knowledge had saved countless villagers in the present … or future … or … ugh, it was so confusing it made his head hurt. But if
something happened and Weaver was killed, then there would be no one to teach Crafter how to use TNT, right? It would change the future, and possibly lead to the destruction of countless lives. Gameknight had to help these villagers with this war, and at the same time, protect the ancestors of his friends. Little Weaver here was one of the most important ones.

  The young boy reached out and petted the pig.

  “I don’t know what happened to Herobrine,” Gameknight said. “I lost sight of him when we destroyed Vo-Lok and the monster army.”

  “I saw him from the hilltop as I was firing the TNT cannons,” Weaver said. “He was watching from a distant sand dune with the creeper king and the spider queen. They just stood there for a while, then disappeared after we were victorious.”

  “He likely ran away to sulk,” Fencer said.

  “Maybe, but you can be sure he’s still out there,” Gameknight said. “And he’s planning something. We still need to be careful. I have no doubt Herobrine is likely preparing for another attack.”

  “Smithy, you’re always expecting some kind of attack,” one of the villagers said. Gameknight turned and saw it was Stonecutter. “Smithy, you be crazy sometimes. You’re like that stranger that came to our village. Whatever happened to him?”

  “I think he died in the battle,” one of the other NPCs said. “Don’t even remember his name.”

  “It’s not important,” Gameknight said, trying to change the subject. He knew they were talking about him. “What we need to do now is get to that desert village and take care of our wounded. Herobrine will not wait until we’re healed to launch his next attack. As soon as he is ready, he’ll strike. We need information so that our defense will be ready when Herobrine returns.”

  “Yep, you’re right, Stonecutter,” one of the village elders said. “Smithy be crazy alright.”

  The NPCs laughed as one of them slapped Gameknight on the back, almost making him trip and drop Wilbur. Quickly, the User-that-is-not-a-user reached up with one hand and grabbed his helmet so it wouldn’t fall off, then continued marching with everyone else to the east and toward the distant village that still lay hidden behind the horizon.

  Suddenly, a high-pitched screech rode in on the gentle breeze. Gameknight strained to listen, thinking at first that it must be his imagination, because he knew of only one creature in all of Minecraft that could make that sound. It might be his fatigue making him hear things, he thought, looking down at his arm and watching tiny little square goose bumps form and spread.

  But then Wilbur glanced up at him with an expression of fear on his pink face as well; maybe the noise was real? Gameknight shuddered as a feeling of terror slithered through his soul.

  CHAPTER 3

  SPIDERS

  They trudged through the desert, those that were still healthy wrapping their arms around the shoulders of the wounded. The sun hung low in the west, moving slowly toward the horizon in the late afternoon. The sky had not begun shifting from the bright blues of day to the warm red and eventual black of night, not yet. But it was coming soon, and none of the villagers wanted to be out in the open at night. Nighttime was monster time in Minecraft.

  Gameknight scanned the desert with his keen eyes, searching for threats. That terrible screeching noise earlier still had him worried, though he was trying to convince himself that it was just his imagination.

  What was that?! he thought, suddenly noticing something sharp and dangerous looking from the corner of his eye. But when he turned to face it, he found it was only a cactus, the tiny brown dried bush at his feet, rustling in the wind.

  I’m too jumpy; I have to calm down.

  “Smithy, are you OK?” Fencer asked loudly as he strode up alongside him, the NPC’s eyes filled with worry. Then, when he was close enough to be out of earshot of anyone else, whispered to the User-that-is-not-a-user. “What’s going on, Gameknight? The real Smithy wouldn’t be jumping at the sight of desert flora.”

  “I know, I know … I just thought I heard something back a while ago and it has me a little freaked out,” Gameknight replied.

  “What did you hear?” the NPC asked.

  “Ahh … well,” Gameknight stammered. “I thought it sounded like an—”

  “Look, a desert well!” one of the scouts suddenly shouted.

  Gameknight ran up the sand dune in front of them. As he reached the crest, the next dune came into view. Sitting on its peak, a desert well stood tall, its square structure looking out of place among the flowing sea of smooth sandy mounds.

  “Go check it out,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said to the scout. “Take some others with you.”

  The scout, Runner (named for obvious reasons, Gameknight quickly realized), pointed to three others and dashed forward. He sprinted down the dune face and across the sandy desert, easily outpacing his companions. He ran so fast that he reached the structure when the other three were just beginning to climb the hill. Gameknight watched as Runner inspected the well carefully, making sure there were no traps. He then scanned the surroundings, looking for monsters, and eventually waved the rest of them forward.

  “Come on, everyone, let’s get some water,” Game-knight said. “Those that are wounded drink first.”

  The army moved down the hill and crossed the hot, sandy landscape. Some of the injured had difficulty climbing the next hill and had to be helped, but most made it to the well without any difficulty.

  Glancing to the west, the User-that-is-not-a-user saw the sky begin to blush a warm orange that slowly shifted to red. The boxy white clouds stayed brightly lit, standing out against the darkening sky. To the east, stars began to show their sparkling faces through the blue veil. The eastern sky was growing black, signaling the villagers to begin worrying.

  Gameknight999 climbed the sand dune and approached the well. Fencer met him with a bottle of water in one hand.

  “Here,” his newfound friend said.

  He handed the bottle over. Gameknight took it and chugged all the liquid inside. The water felt cold and refreshing as it went down his throat, cooling his body just a bit, a welcome relief to the oppressive heat of the desert.

  “Thanks,” the User-that-is-not-a-user replied, handing back the empty bottle. “Any idea how much farther we have to go?”

  “Not sure,” Fencer replied. “I think Mapper is a bit lost but doesn’t want to admit it. He’s certain it’s to the east of here. The question is: how far?”

  The land around them began to grow dark as the sun settled behind a line of hills to the west. Overhead, the black sky spread across the heavens like a blanket being drawn across the world, with holes in the covering to allow the stars to shine through. Glancing to the east, Gameknight scanned the darkening desert, looking for the village that was hidden somewhere out there in the bleak wasteland.

  Tiny sparkles flicked across the sky unexpectedly. What was that? Gameknight thought. Fatigue pulled heavily on every muscle, especially his mind. Am I seeing things? But he couldn’t have seen fireflies in Minecraft; they were only in modded versions of the game, like the Twilight Forest. Blinking his eyes, he gazed out into the dark landscape. There it was again, though: a group of red spots moving around in the darkness, getting closer. His tired brain attempted to process what he was seeing, but he was just too exhausted to make any sense of it.

  “Fencer, you see that out there?” Gameknight said. He pointed in the direction of the red spots.

  The NPC stared out into the desert, looking for what Gameknight was pointing at.

  “I don’t see anything,” Fencer said. “But I’m pretty tired. What am I supposed to see?”

  Gameknight peered into the darkness again. The spots were gone, the desert empty. Then they appeared again, but this time there were more of the red spots, a lot more of them, and they were getting closer. Suddenly, recognition hit Gameknight like a ton of bricks, filling him with renewed energy … and panic.

  “Spider eyes … they’re spider eyes!” the User-that-is-not-a-user exc
laimed.

  “What?” Fencer asked.

  “Spiders are coming!” Gameknight shouted. “Everyone put your backs to the well and get ready. Wounded to the inside, swordsmen to the outside.”

  “We need some archers on top of the well,” Fencer added. “Get up there fast.”

  A group of warriors placed blocks on the ground, making some rough steps, then climbed to the top of the well. Only eight of them could fit, but it was better than nothing.

  “Where’s Wilbur?” Gameknight said suddenly, thinking of his friend.

  “Oink oink,” the pig said.

  “Weaver, take care of Wilbur for me,” Gameknight said. “Pick him up and keep him near the well where it will be safe.”

  “But I was going to fight,” the young boy complained.

  “Just do this for me,” Gameknight snapped quickly.

  The NPC sighed, then scooped up the animal and moved behind the warriors.

  Gameknight smiled. It would not only keep Wilbur safe, but Weaver as well. He had to keep that boy from harm’s way. If he didn’t, who would teach Crafter about TNT in the future?

  Turning, he stared out into the desert. The villagers could all see the red, glowing eyes of the spiders now. They were approaching from the north and moving fast. Gameknight turned so he was facing the mob, then drew his two iron swords.

  “We aren’t afraid of a bunch of puny spiders, are we?” Gameknight said.

  A feeble cheer rose from the defenders. He turned and faced the warriors.

  “I know you are all tired, but this is just a probe,” Gameknight said. “Herobrine is testing us, checking to see if we have any courage left after the battle with the zombie king. But I say to you: we can meet this challenge, because we are fighting not just for ourselves, but for all of Minecraft. Now, are you ready?”

  “Yeah!” they cheered, half-heartedly.

  “I said, ‘ARE YOU READY?’”

  “YEAH!” the villagers cried.

  Gameknight smiled, then turned and faced the oncoming monsters. He could now see their dark, fuzzy bodies in the silvery light of the moon rising in the east. There was a dozen of the monsters—not a huge threat, but still enough to do some damage to these villagers, and Gameknight999 wasn’t going to allow that to happen.