Attack of the Shadow-Crafters

by Mark Cheverton

  “Smithy, another group is coming from the south!” one of the archers shouted.

  Gameknight glanced over his shoulder and saw another cluster of spiders approaching. Two groups … that was not good.

  The spiders charged up the hill. Bowstrings sang as arrows streaked down at the lead monsters. The first few spiders fell under the barrage, but as soon as the next lines of attack reached the NPCs, the archers could no longer shoot without risking hitting their own.

  A great crash filled the desert air when the spider claws met swords. The monsters spread out so they surrounded the villagers. Though they were outnumbered, the spiders fought as if they didn’t care about their own survival. Their wicked curved claws slashed at armor, scratching the tough leather and putting small gashes in the protective coating.

  Gameknight could see this fight was not going well. Their troops needed something to inspire them. Leaping forward, Gameknight landed right in the middle of the monsters. Spinning like a top, he slashed with his dual swords, tearing into the HP of multiple creatures. They tried to reach him with their claws, but his swords drove them back. The villagers saw the insane attack by their leader and cheered. They pushed forward, attacking with renewed courage.

  But more of the fuzzy monsters emerged from the desert, adding their claws to the battle. There were now at least thirty of them, and the villagers behind Gameknight were all tired. They needed a trick to get out of this battle and drive the spiders away.

  And suddenly, the solution popped into Gameknight’s head: creepers.

  “Weaver, you remember that trick we did with the creepers at the village?” Gameknight shouted as he destroyed a spider.

  “Sure do,” shouted the young boy.

  “Do it … now!”

  The User-that-is-not-a-user fought his way back to the villagers, then slashed at every monster that came near. He glanced left and right, looking for villagers that needed help. One of them, a builder, shouted out in pain. Gameknight streaked to his side and charged at the monster before him. The spider saw him in the blacksmith’s armor and helmet, and the creature’s eyes glowed bright with excitement. Its claws slashed at Gameknight, first bouncing off his iron helmet, then striking at his chest. The User-that-is-not-a-user blocked the attack with his left blade, then struck the beast with his right. It screamed in pain and tried to attack, but Builder was there to drive the attack home. After two more hits, the monster disappeared, a look of fear and despair on its hideous face.

  “Everyone, back up!” Weaver yelled.

  The villagers scooted back as far as they could. A group of young NPCs then stepped forward and dumped water on the ground before them. The liquid spread, pushing the spiders back down the hill.

  “Everyone, use your bows!” Gameknight shouted.

  In an instant, the warriors put away their swords and pulled out their bows. The desert came alive with the twanging of bowstrings as the villagers fired upon the creatures. Struggling against the watery flow, the spiders tried to move forward and reach the NPCs, but the young kids were adding more water to the defenses every second, pushing the spiders a little farther down the hill each time.

  “Keep firing!” Fencer shouted.

  Gameknight fired three quick shots, like his friend Hunter from the future had taught him. The trio of projectiles struck a spider, one after the other, and brought its HP to zero. But before the monster disappeared, Gameknight999 was already aiming at another monster. In minutes, the villagers had cleared the desert of spiders save for one that stood far away, out of range.

  “Herobrine ssssendsss a messssage,” the spider hissed loudly.

  The monster had purple eyes that glowed bright in the darkness. They reminded Gameknight of the eyes on the Ender Dragon, purple and evil. Instantly, he recognized the beast; it was Shaikulud, the queen of the spiders.

  “Tell your master we are not afraid!” Gameknight shouted back.

  The spider laughed.

  “Herobrine wantssss you to know, he issss coming for you,” the spider queen said. “He will desssstroy all of you, then do the ssssame to all the villlagessss in the Overworld. Ssssoon thissss land will belong to the monssssterssss.”

  Before Gameknight could reply, Shaikulud turned and scurried off into the desert.

  “Friend of yours, Smithy?” Fencer asked.

  Some of the NPCs laughed.

  “That’s Shaikulud, the spider queen,” Gameknight said. “And yes, I’ve encountered her before.”

  “When?” someone asked.

  “It was … err … a long time from now, I mean, ago,” he stammered.

  “Whenever it was, I think I’d rather not meet her again,” Fencer added quickly, frowning at Gameknight.

  “Me, too,” Gameknight agreed. “Let’s move out and get to that desert village.”

  The NPCs placed blocks of sand on the watery flow, cutting off the streams and allowing them to continue to the east. They then moved with renewed haste, running through the desert toward the village they all hoped was there.

  CHAPTER 4

  DESERT VILLAGE

  The army moved quickly, eyes watching the dark terrain with care. Their wounded were kept at the center of the formation. Gameknight placed a ring of swordsmen around them, then a ring of archers on the outside. If they spotted any monsters, the archers would slow them down as the swordsmen moved into position; that was the hope, anyway.

  They continued east, with the tall line of mountains and extreme hills to their right and the open desert on their left. Gameknight was at the head of the formation, taking the path that would be the easiest on the wounded. As a result, he wove around dunes and clusters of cactuses, their sharp, pointed spines poking anyone that strayed too close.

  Nothing stirred in the desert as they made their trek toward the unseen village in the distance. Their surroundings seemed unusually quiet, and that worried everyone. The gentle east-to-west wind blew constantly against their backs, coating the back of their armor with dust. Occasionally, one of the brown, dried bushes would rustle in the breeze, making a sound that reminded Gameknight of a rattlesnake, though he didn’t mention it to the others; they would have no idea what a snake even was.

  The tension in the air was palpable. Their nerves and their courage were stretched tight to the point of breaking. If another group of monsters fell on them, it would likely shatter the resolution of the army, maybe permanently.

  We have to get to the desert village, or everything could be lost, Gameknight thought.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll get there,” Fencer said, as if the User-that-is-not-a-user had been speaking out loud.

  “How could you tell that I was worried?” Gameknight asked.

  “Because every muscle in your body is clenched, and you walk stiff, like an iron golem,” the NPC replied with a smile.

  “I think maybe we should tell them all the truth about Smithy, before things get too far out of control,” Gameknight whispered.

  “Are you kidding?” Fencer growled in a low voice. “The courage of this army is hanging on by a thread. It would destroy them. Don’t worry, when the time is right, we’ll come clean. But for now, you have to keep on pretending to be Smithy until all this settles down a bit.”

  Gameknight sighed.

  “Fine,” the User-that-is-not-a-user replied reluctantly.

  Suddenly, Fencer shouted out loud, making him jump.

  “There it is!”

  Gameknight looked where Fencer was pointing. Off to the right, the soft yellow glow of torches lit the desert as sandstone houses came into view. Light from the open windows spilled out onto the sands and bathed the desert with a welcoming illumination that eased many fears. To everyone around him, it seemed like paradise.

  “Come on, everyone, we made it!” the User-that-is-not-a-user shouted.

  The villagers cheered and began to run faster. Gameknight stood and waited as they passed, so he could bring up the rear. He wanted to make sure no one was left behin
d. At his side, he found Weaver, the boy’s bright blue eyes almost glowing in the dim lunar lighting. Wilbur was walking along at his side.

  “Let’s go, Smithy,” Weaver said as he moved next to one of the wounded soldiers and offered him assistance.

  Gameknight turned and scanned the desert, looking for any unwelcome red fireflies. Fortunately, all he saw was empty sand and the occasional green, prickly cactus standing guard over the empty landscape. The silvery light from the half-filled moon was enough to see out a couple dozen blocks in all directions; they were alone.

  “Oink, oink!” Wilbur insisted.

  “I know, boy,” Gameknight said. “We’re going.”

  He patted the pig on the head, then turned and headed for the village. When he reached the last couple soldiers, he put his arm around a woodcarver that was limping badly to offer his support.

  As he neared the desert community, Gameknight saw there were no defenses at all. The village was completely open on all sides. There was no watchtower, no archer towers … not even holes in the ground to trap some monsters; the place was completely defenseless. They’d have to do something about that soon.

  About twelve to fifteen homes and buildings made up the village, with the only source of water, a well, positioned at the center. Around the well, the newcomers were congregating, while some of the more severely wounded were already being taken into homes for treatment.

  “Who is the leader of this village?” the User-that-is-not-a-user asked.

  “I am,” a tall, skinny NPC said. “Who is asking?”

  Gameknight stepped forward and gazed at the village leader. He wore a dark brown smock with a light brown stripe running down the center. Neatly-combed long, gray hair fell down to his shoulders and across his back. From his clothing, Gameknight could tell this NPC was a farmer.

  “I am … um, I’m Smithy, and I lead this army,” Gameknight said.

  “That’s Smithy of the Two-Swords you’re talking to!” one of the NPCs shouted.

  The other warriors all shouted at the same time, “SMITHY!”

  Gameknight raised his hands to calm the troops. He then turned and faced the villager.

  “We are in need of assistance, Farmer,” Gameknight said. “We’re embroiled in a war and need supplies.”

  “A war? We don’t want any part of a war,” Farmer said warily.

  “It’s too late,” Weaver snapped. “You’re involved whether you know it or not.”

  “Weaver, please. Be quiet and let me handle this,” Gameknight said.

  “What is the boy talking about?” Farmer asked.

  “Well …” Gameknight explained Herobrine and the monster army that they’d defeated. He also explained Herobrine’s desire to destroy all the villagers across Minecraft. “You see, Herobrine wants the Overworld for the monsters. He will destroy every villager just out of spite.”

  Farmer did not reply; he just stood there, considering the information. He glanced around at his own villagers, their concerned eyes focused on him. But then one of them nodded their blocky heads, then another, and then another.

  Gameknight smiled.

  “Then we must help,” Farmer said. “We will do as you ask, Smithy. Just tell us what you need.”

  “Excellent,” Gameknight said. “First, we need help with our wounded.”

  “The most severe have already been taken into our homes,” Farmer said. “What else?”

  “We need to get a wall built around this village as quickly as possible,” Gameknight explained. “As soon as Herobrine figures out we’re here, he’ll throw everything he has at us.”

  Farmer pointed at a group of builders and nodded. Instantly they began to work, placing a line of cobblestone around the homes and buildings, marking the location of the fortifications.

  “Next, we need a watchtower so we can see the monsters when they’re approaching.”

  Farmer gestured to another set of villagers. They were masons and knew exactly what to do. With cobblestone in hand, they ran to the center of the village and began outlining where the tower would stand.

  “And lastly, we’ll need a lot of stone and a crafting chamber,” Gameknight said. “Diggers, get to work. You know what to do.”

  The stocky NPCs moved to the corner of the outlined watchtower and began to carve steps into the ground, constructing a secret tunnel that would lead to the crafting chamber that didn’t exist. Not yet, at least.

  “You act like you’ve done this before,” Farmer said as they watched.

  “Sadly, I’ve done this a lot in the past.” Or, in the future, rather, Gameknight thought. “We also need food.”

  “You are welcome to the crops we have in the fields, but sadly, that will likely not be enough for everyone,” Farmer said.

  “Then we’ll expand the fields and grow more wheat and melons. But we need food now; we’re almost out,” Gameknight said. “Farmer, where do you go if you need to hunt?”

  “There is a birch forest not too far away, but you’ll never find it at night,” the village leader said. “To get to it, you must get across the Great Chasm that lies to the east. It runs through many biomes and can only be crossed at one place: the Midnight Bridge. On the other side of the bridge, you’ll find a forest biome rich with cows and chickens and pigs,” Farmer said.

  Wilbur oinked and moved behind Gameknight.

  “Don’t worry, you’ll be safe here,” he said to the pig, then raised his voice so all could hear him. “We must keep our pig mascot safe. Smithy would be very, very disappointed if someone thought this pig might make a good snack … right?”

  “SMITHY!” the villagers replied in agreement.

  Gameknight smiled and patted Wilbur on the head.

  “I’ll keep an eye on your friend while you’re away,” Farmer said, turning to the animal. “I have a little girl that would love to meet you.”

  “Oink,” Wilbur replied happily.

  “Excellent,” Gameknight said.

  “Smithy … I wanna go,” Weaver said.

  Gameknight turned and could see the boy was eager to leave and help the army.

  “I’m good with a bow,” he added, “and can climb any tree to get apples.”

  “OK, Weaver, you and I will—” Gameknight started to say but was interrupted.

  “And I’m going wherever Smithy goes,” Fencer said, then folded his arms across his chest, daring anyone to challenge him.

  Gameknight flashed his newfound friend a smile, then glanced at Farmer. “Can you give us a guide so that we can find this bridge and gather some food?”

  The NPC scanned the village for someone not yet busy. Gameknight could see a stocky NPC leaning against a building with an axe in his hands. He wore a charcoal-gray smock with a brown stripe running down the center. His axe seemed razor-sharp, as if it had seen little use, even though the villager handled it as if he were an expert. Standing there, gazing out into the darkness, it seemed like he had nothing to do.

  “What about him?” Gameknight asked, pointing at the NPC.

  “Well …” Farmer said.

  The village leader looked around for someone else, but all the other villagers were busy with building or digging or tending to the wounded.

  “OK. He doesn’t do anything useful around here anyway. We can spare him,” Farmer said reluctantly. “Carver can be your guide.”

  The stocky NPC stood up straight and held his axe in his right hand.

  “Take them to the forest,” Farmer said, an angry tone in his voice.

  The village leader then turned and left the group to take Wilbur toward his home.

  Gameknight glanced at Carver. The NPC looked back with bright green eyes filled with an emptiness the User-that-is-not-a-user instantly recognized. It was the look of someone that did not belong, something that Gameknight had felt many times … being an outsider. The User-that-is-not-a-user had felt that at school all the time, having lunch alone, spending time in the library alone … few understood him there
. When he’d been transported into Minecraft and found that he’d traveled into the past, that was originally how Smithy’s village made him feel: like an outsider.

  But now, in the guise of Smithy, he had been accepted, and it felt great, even though it was not terribly sincere. Gameknight was afraid to remove his helmet and show everyone who he really was. Living a lie was not a very good idea, but right now, the village needed a strong leader, and that leader was Smithy. If he exposed his secret now, it could make their army fall apart, and then they certainly would no longer accept him.

  Gameknight wasn’t sure why Carver felt so alone, but he could certainly sympathize with him.

  “Come on,” Carver said simply. “Let’s get moving.”

  The NPC trudged off to the east, with Fencer, Weaver, and Gameknight following close behind.

  CHAPTER 5

  HUNTING

  Carver led them to the southeast, shifting from walking to running periodically to move as quickly as possible. Rather than heading in a straight path, the NPC took a circuitous path through the empty landscape, curving his way around hills and dunes. It made the trek a little easier, and also kept them hidden from any unwanted eyes.

  An uneasy quiet seemed to wrap itself around the four companions. Perhaps it was the impending threat of Herobrine, or maybe it was Carver’s reluctance to go with them. In either case, no one dared violate the troubled silence. No one spoke, nor needed to; they were only required to follow their guide and find food when they reached the forest.

  Glancing overhead, the User-that-is-not-a-user stared up at the stars sparkling down upon him. It always made him wonder what was out there … other planets, other dimensions? Or were the stars just decorations pasted on the ceiling of Minecraft to add a bit of mystery? Gameknight always wondered about that, but never had the time to really do any investigating.

  Suddenly, some of the stars disappeared. Surveying the sky, he could see groups of clouds moving overhead, blotting out the heavenly canopy. Thicker clouds were now visible in the distance, with a solid grayish-white layer approaching from the east. Right now, the half-filled moon was still shining down upon them, but Gameknight could see it would soon succumb to a blanket of clouds and be blocked from view.