However, Gameknight knew the spiders couldn’t resist snapping their sharp mandibles together, making that telltale clicking sound that always announced the monsters before they arrived. So, moving in complete silence, the army kept an open ear out for the clicking beasts. Fortunately, either they avoided the terrible creatures, or the monsters weren’t out looking for them.
Soon, they came upon the torches that Gameknight had placed in the ground on their previous trip, when the four of them were surrounded by zombies.
“Smithy, how do you think Herobrine made the spiders back there at the bridge so much stronger?” Fencer asked.
“I don’t know,” the User-that-is-not-a-user whispered. “Herobrine has special powers that his artificially intelligent viral computer code gives him. He is continually unpredictable.”
“Whatever he did, I wish there was some way to even things up a bit and level the playing field,” Fencer said.
“Me, too,” Gameknight replied. “If all the monsters are that much stronger, then we’re in trouble.”
He thought he heard a sound at the back of the army.
“Fencer, come with me,” Gameknight said.
The two of them stepped out of the formation and moved to the back of the army. Many of the warriors gave them confused looks, but Fencer just waved them forward. When they reached the rear, Gameknight stood still and listened intently. The sound of rustling leather armor and boots swishing through the long grass filled his ears, but nothing else.
“I thought I heard something back here,” Gameknight said. “Guess not.”
“Just your imagination again,” Fencer replied. “Come on, let’s catch up.”
They turned and walked forward, following the crushed grass the group of NPCs left in their wake. While they walked, Gameknight turned to Fencer.
“Fencer, I think this thing with Herobrine is escalating,” Gameknight said.
“What do you mean?”
“You know, the spiders getting deadlier,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said. “Who knows what we’ll face next. We’ll have to get better weapons and armor, because I think the monsters will be getting meaner and more violent. It’s an arms race, and I’m not sure if I’m the best person to be leading the villagers. I think I should come forward and reveal my true identity.”
“The only thing keeping all the NPCs together is Smithy,” Fencer said quietly. “If you tell the truth now, it will destroy everyone’s faith and courage.”
“But we’ll have to eventually, right?” Gameknight asked. “I don’t feel good about lying to everyone. It will just make coming clean that much more difficult.”
“Trust me,” Fencer said. “I was with Smithy a long time, even before the Awakening. All he ever did was care for others and make sure everyone was safe. You are doing the same thing, just in a different way. This is a good thing you’re doing.”
“How can telling a lie be a good thing?”
“Because you’re saving the lives of countless NPCs,” Fencer said, his voice growing in volume.
“Shhh,” one of the warriors said at the back of the formation.
“Sorry,” Fencer whispered. They slowed and moved a little farther from the others.
“I just think we need a plan,” Gameknight said. “I don’t feel good about lying to these villagers. They’re good people, and deserve respect and truth.”
“Fine, but not yet,” Fencer whispered. “Just trust me. I’ll tell you when it’s a good time, and then you can blab it to the whole world.”
“Well,” Gameknight considered, and was about to object, when a voice came from the soldiers ahead of them.
“We’re there,” they said.
Gameknight and Fencer moved to the front of the group. Ahead, they could see four stone spires stretching up high into the sky. The orange glow of a massive lava flow lit the area as the thick molten stone slowly oozed down one spire, moving like thick, deadly honey. Another next to it was covered with two cascading waterfalls. Higher up on the steep mountains, the stone blocks were covered with a delicate frosting of snow, the actual peaks lost in a small group of clouds passing overhead.
Glancing up at the moon, the User-that-is-not-a-user estimated how long they had until sunrise.
“Here’s what I want to do,” he said. “We’ll move through the forest under the cover of darkness, then approach Dragon’s Teeth from the east.”
“Why not just sneak up there now?” Fencer asked.
“If the light from that lava reflects off anything, we’ll be spotted easily in the darkness,” Gameknight explained. “If we approach from the east, at dawn, then we’ll have the sun at our backs, and the monsters will have a harder time seeing us.”
“I like that idea,” Carver said. “The glare of the sun will blind any of the monsters that look in our direction, giving us the advantage.”
The other NPCs nodded in agreement.
“But to do this, we need to move fast,” Gameknight added. “If we get to the east side too late, then we’re in big trouble, and the monsters will easily see us. It has to be timed just right.”
“Leave it to Smithy to come up with a crazy plan like this,” Weaver said. Gameknight glanced at him and grinned a devious grin. “Fencer said it earlier: ‘Smithy be crazy!’”
The other NPCs chuckled, some of them slapping Gameknight on the back.
“Come on,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said. “We need to be quick and quiet.” He turned to Weaver. “Can you carry Wilbur?”
“No problem,” the young NPC replied.
“OK … let’s go.”
They hustled quickly through the forest, weaving around trees and shrubs as they ran. Gameknight kept the glowing spires of Dragon’s Teeth always in view as they moved beneath the leafy canopy. The army flowed through the forest like a silent, leathery tide. NPCs with the best eyesight were positioned on the periphery of the formation, keeping their eyes peeled for any movement from the rocky mountains. Fortunately, no monsters approached. By all indications, it seemed as if Herobrine did not know of their presence. Perfect.
Gameknight eyed the moon nervously during their sprint through the forest. By the time it was halfway to setting, the NPC army had made it through the forest and over a series of grass-covered hills, which ended in a narrow valley. Only the snowy tips of Dragon’s Teeth were visible over the rise, their sharp, dagger-like peaks stabbing into the dark clouds drifting overhead. The group ran northward, racing the moon as they moved into position. With the rocky spires now directly to the west, the warriors slowly ascended the sloped side of the valley and peered up at the nearby mountains.
The sky behind them began to blush a deep crimson, a warning that the sun would be rising soon. It cast a warm glow upon the landscape, replacing the terror of the night with a feeling of serenity and hope. That was, until the moans of the zombies reached their ears.
Moving closer to Dragon’s Teeth, Gameknight could see at least a hundred zombies shuffling about, large groups of spiders and skeletons mixed in with them. The assortment of monster bodies made for an awful kaleidoscope of color that blanketed the stone between the steep spires. It was at the same time beautiful and terrifying.
Beneath them, Gameknight could feel deep vibrations. The ground underfoot began to rumble with something that felt and sounded like subterranean explosions, the detonations muffled and barely audible. It felt as if the very fabric of Minecraft was shaking in fear.
“You see how many monsters they have out there?” Fencer said.
“More than I can count,” Weaver replied.
“Maybe we should get out of here now,” Fencer suggested nervously.
“Not yet. We need to get closer,” Gameknight said. “All I can see are the monsters out there on the ground. We need to see if Herobrine has any defenses that will need to be dealt with.”
Closer? Fencer mouthed to Weaver.
Crazy, the young NPC mouthed in return.
The small NPC army moved
closer to Dragon’s Teeth as the collection of monsters growled and moaned, filling the air with hatred.
CHAPTER 16
DISPOSABLE RESOURCES
Herobrine materialized at the top of one of the Dragon’s Teeth and gazed down at his army. Below him, a massive group of monsters was arriving. Huge companies of zombies and skeletons shuffled toward the Teeth from the north, flowing around large hills and between the massive stone spires like a speckled green-and-white tide. Throughout the area could be heard the clattering bones of the skeletons and the sorrowful wails of the zombies.
To the west, a black wave of spiders was crawling out of the Great Chasm. They scuttled out of the deep ravine like a reverse flood, climbing the sheer walls with ease and spreading across the landscape like a dark blanket of angry red eyes and sharp claws. They moved straight into the hole in the ground that sat between the four mountains, hiding their numbers from any unwanted viewers.
Moving up from the south was a group of creepers. At the front of the emerald wave was a glowing green creature, waves of blue and red sparks dancing across the monster’s body.
Teleporting to him, Herobrine materialized next to Oxus, the king of the creepers.
“You have brought many creepers with you,” Herobrine said. “Excellent. They will be put to good use.”
“There are more coming, many more,” the creeper king said. “I think when you show all these creepers on the field of battle, it will cause the villagers to just surrender in fear.”
Oxus waited for his glowing body to dim. Creepers spoke by starting their ignition process. The ordinary creeper needed to be careful; if they spoke too long, they could explode. This had the effect of making arguments either very short, or very explosively final. But for Oxus, he could speak without exploding—a gift from Herobrine during his making. This allowed the creeper king to use longer sentences.
“Having my creepers present will likely just stop all fighting and allow all of us to go back to our lives in peace,” Oxus hissed in suggestion.
“Yes, of course,” Herobrine said, the lie flowing easily past his lips. “That’s what we all want, an end to violence so we can all go back to our lives. But for that to happen, I will need many more creepers. Once the creepers you have collected are safely tucked away in the zombie-town underground, then you are to go out and collect more of your brothers and sisters.”
“Yes, Maker,” the king of the creepers replied.
“Excellent,” Herobrine replied.
Closing his eyes, he teleported at the speed of thought, materializing in the huge zombie-town beneath Dragon’s Teeth. He could have just walked there, for a huge hole led underground to the secret cavern, but Herobrine refused to walk like these disposable monsters. He was far too important for something like that.
His army was growing larger and larger in the subterranean cavern. Soon, he would have sufficient numbers to attack that pathetic blacksmith and erase him from the face of Minecraft. But first, he wanted his army to be so vast that he could easily sacrifice many of the creatures, just to make the foolish blacksmith suffer.
Suddenly, a purple mist formed next to him. Erebus appeared within the cloud, his dark red skin making him stand out against the other Endermen in the cave.
“Maker, the progress on the zombie-towns is going well,” the king of the Endermen said. “The blazes are using the creepers very efficiently, to get the most out of each monster’s life when they explode.”
“Excellent!” exclaimed Herobrine. “Now, I need you to supervise the shadow-crafters.”
The Maker pointed to the far side of the cavern. There, surrounded by a ring of lava, sat the terrible shadow-crafters. Each had a monster of one type or another before them, their hands manipulating the creatures, making them stronger or faster or meaner.
“Be sure they understand: if they cannot improve my monsters, then they are of no use to me and can be disposed of.”
“Yes, Maker,” Erebus said, an excited look on his terrifying face.
“Harm none of them now,” Herobrine ordered. “Wait for my command. So far, they have increased the strength of the zombies, made spiders run faster and fight harder, increased the accuracy of the skeletons, and made the creepers smarter. But I need more. They are to drive as much violent hatred into the monsters as possible.”
Herobrine’s eyes began to glow white.
“When that puny blacksmith meets my monsters in battle again, he will be quite surprised. And with all the additional creepers that will arrive soon, victory is nearly guaranteed.”
Erebus’s eyes glowed a bright red as the thought of their impending victory filled his evil mind.
“Soon, my monsters will spread across the Overworld, destroying villages at will,” Herobrine explained. “As soon as this pesky blacksmith is out of the way, then there will be no one to unify the NPCs. Nothing will be able to stand against us. And soon—”
Suddenly, an Enderman materialized right in front of Herobrine and Erebus.
“My King, Maker,” the Enderman interrupted.
Herobrine’s eyes glowed white with anger at being disturbed by this unimportant creature.
“You dare interrupt Herobrine!” the Maker exclaimed.
He reached for his sword and drew it slowly, the sharp edge scraping against its scabbard, creating a hissing noise that sounded like a massive viper.
“It’s just that …” the Enderman took a step back. “Villagers … approaching … Dragon’s Teeth,” the dark monster stammered.
“What’s this?” Herobrine asked.
“I posted Endermen around Dragon’s Teeth as sentries,” Erebus explained. “I didn’t want any NPCs sneaking up on us.”
“And this Enderman here spotted them?” Herobrine asked.
Erebus nodded.
“Excellent,” Herobrine said, slapping the Enderman on the arm. It startled the dark creature so much that he disappeared, then materialized a dozen blocks away, shaking in fear.
“Erebus, it is time we tested our new monsters,” the evil Maker said. “Let’s see if these shadow-crafters are doing anything useful or not. It is time you commanded your army in battle.”
“It would be my pleasure,” Erebus said, then cackled a spine-tingling laugh that caused the monsters in zombie-town to shiver in fear.
CHAPTER 17
OLD FRIENDS REUNITED
Gameknight led the party of villagers closer to Dragon’s Teeth as the bright light of the sun cast long shadows before each of them. The barren peaks stretched high up into the sky. Though the spires were only a few blocks wide at the summit, they were immense at the base.
Moving around the perimeter of one of the mountains, Gameknight could see huge groups of monsters walking to the center of the fang-like formation. They descended into a large hole that likely led to some kind of tunnel or cavern system. The number of monsters was frightening, but even worse: upon closer inspection, Gameknight could see that many of the monsters were creepers. That would be a big problem.
Deciding he’d seen enough, Gameknight slowly backed away, edging across a stone-covered clearing and toward the birch forest. But when they were almost to the edge of the woods, a growling sound filled the air.
“Zombie,” Fencer whispered.
Gameknight quickly drew his swords and backed up slowly. The growling was getting louder, but now additional voices joined the first … there was more than one of them.
Suddenly, a group of decaying green monsters burst from the forest and charged across the clearing. Something about them was even more terrifying than usual. The zombies looked somehow meaner and stronger. They moved quickly towards the NPCS to attack. Charging straight toward him, the lead zombie lunged at Gameknight, its razor-sharp claws swiping across his chest, slicing easily through the leather tunic.
More villagers charged ahead, standing side-by-side as they stood their ground before the monsters.
“Move forward,” Gameknight said. “Push them back.�
�
The villagers attacked, the swordsmen slashing at the zombies, while archers fired their arrows from between NPC bodies. Many of the villagers yelled out in pain as zombie claws slashed through leather armor to the soft flesh beneath. Somehow, the monsters were stronger and more vicious than any of them could remember.
“Keep advancing,” Gameknight said.
There were only a dozen of the monsters, and he had at least sixty warriors, counting the kids brought by Weaver; this battle should be easy. But the zombies continued to fight and gave little ground, their ferocity startling. The stinking creatures were wounding one villager after another. When one of the NPCs was hurt, they would step back and use their bow from afar as another took their place. But soon, all of the villagers were injured save for Gameknight999. And even though the zombies were also wounded and losing the battle, they refused to retreat.
But slowly the decaying beasts fell. Finally, they were all destroyed, and Gameknight glanced around at his companions. He only saw a few piles of items on the ground, thankfully, but the deaths of the villagers hung heavy on his mind.
Would the real Smithy have done any better? Gameknight thought. Probably. Am I good enough to lead these brave villagers? Or am I just a fraud?
Doubt circled through his mind as he stared down at a leather tunic that hovered on the ground near his feet. The brown armor was sliced to shreds, and a discarded sword floating right nearby.
“We need to get out of here,” Carver said, his arm around a wounded villager.
“I agree,” Fencer added.
“OK, let’s go,” Gameknight said.
He turned and peered back toward the mass of monster bodies flowing into the dark hole that sat between the rocky spires. Suddenly, the monsters stopped their descent and all turned their evil heads directly toward the villagers.
“Oh, no,” Gameknight moaned.
“They know we’re here,” Carver whispered. “We need to get out of here, now.”
The NPCs slowly retreated, trying to make as little noise as possible.
Attack of the Shadow-Crafters Page 9
