by Terry Mayer
"Maybe they went inside and looked around then came back to seal the entrance but the cats had already followed them?"
"Don't know boss, the footprints are everywhere, surely they would have noticed them?"
"Who knows Munster? Come on, let us take a quick look inside, and then seal it up before the mobs arrive. We'll worry about those cats if we find them in here."
Moving into the first room, they both light a torch and survey their surroundings.
"Nice boss, you think there is treasure in here."
"Guaranteed Munster. Only question is who will find it first."
"Doesn't matter who finds it, only matters who ends up with it," replies Munster running his thumb along the edge of his sword.
"Right you are, ok, let's seal this place up. I'll seal the entrance you check for any other passages, just leave the main one open, we can start there."
Moving forward as the sun dips below the tree line, PowerGlide places blocks of cobblestone across the entrance and plunges the temple into darkness, now lit only with the torches they carry. Moving around the room, he places torches at each corner and lights the place up.
"Right, you ready to hunt?"
"Always boss."
"Good, then let's bag ourselves some player's heads," he laughs, moving down the main tunnel.
*****
Shuffling through the jungle, the foliage heaves, and thousands of tiny feet move forward. Not a sound is heard above the smashing vegetation, but a wide corridor is created as thousands of creepers continue their march after their prey. Suddenly bursting out of the jungle they march forward, into the fast flowing river and are rapidly swept over the waterfall to the waiting mist below. Like lemmings, they continue this suicidal mission until they have all disappeared over the edge and peace once more descends on the jungle.
*****
"Come on Hailey, keep up. The temple can't be much further but we're loosing daylight."
"You keep going Jay, I'm going to hang here for a moment."
"Right, but don't rest too long, we only have about twenty minutes before we lose the sun."
"Ok Jay, I'll be right behind you."
Slipping quietly into the jungle foliage, she draws her bow and stares down the tunnel like trail they have left through the jungle foliage. After a minute, she hears something approaching stealthily. Notching an arrow and drawing her bow, she waits for whatever it is to come into range. Slowly, a fully armored figure appears along the trail and moves towards her, checking the ground at regular intervals.
Why you big sneak, she thinks, aiming for the break in the armor between the leg and the hip. As the figure moves into range, she lets loose an arrow and rapidly fires a second. Hoping to predict where the figure will move.
*****
Moving along the jungle trail, Warlord bends down and examines the ground. Less than five minutes ahead of me now, he thinks, standing and continuing forward. Suddenly, from the jungle foliage ahead, an arrow fly's out and strikes him in the top of his leg, finding the narrow gap between his armor. Screaming in pain, he throws himself to the floor on his left as another arrow streaks by. Rolling to the edge of the jungle, he kneels and looks for an opponent. Another arrow shoots from the jungle and embeds itself in his shoulder. Bellowing in agony he jumps to his feet, turns and runs back down the trail, but not before another arrow finds a new home in the back of his leg. Limping out of range, he turns and spots a dark shape detach itself from the foliage and disappear up the trail.
Hobbling back along the trail for another 40 blocks he stops and makes sure he has not been followed then bends and snaps the arrow from his leg. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he reaches for the arrow in his leg. Even to touch this arrow is agony but he knows he will not be able to move properly unless he can remove it. Placing a twig between his teeth, he bites down hard and, with a determined tug, rips the arrow from his leg, passing out as he does so.
*****
Running along the trail Hailey soon catches up with Jay.
"Where have you been? You can rest when we are at the temple."
"Sorry Jay, I thought I heard something following us so I wanted to check it out."
"Nothing there then?"
"Oh yeah, we were being followed by another player, but I think I have persuaded him to find somewhere else this evening."
Looking at Hailey with a smug smile on her lips, Jay asks, "go on then, don't leave me hanging."
"According to his name tag it was Warlord999, you ever heard of him?"
"Yeah, he's a tricky player. Kills everything he meets, players or otherwise, but he's also got a good brain in his head."
"Well, he didn't look so clever running off with four arrows stuck in his armor."
"You got four arrows in him, nice work Hailey. There are not many people who could get the drop on Warlord and walk away to tell the tale."
"Ah, he's not so tough, if he hadn't had that iron armor he would be dead now."
"No doubt, so where did he go?"
"Last I saw he was hot tailing it back up the trail. I don't expect we will see him again tonight, but just in case I'll keep my eyes peeled."
"Nice work, I must admit I didn't even know he was there."
"That's ok Jay, you have other things on your mind, not to mention you're the one cutting the trail."
"Talking of which we better get a move on, look, you can see the top of the temple above the trees. Only about another 40 blocks."
Cutting for all he is worth, Jay slashes his way towards the temple while Hailey keeps her eyes peeled on the trail behind them, not really believing that Warlord would give up so easily. As dusk draws in on them, they burst out of the jungle into a wide-open clearing with a giant temple ruins in he middle.
"Right, no time to waste, up to the entrance, go." As they run across the clearing, Jay continues, "straight into the first room Hailey, it's usually a large anti chamber, if it's clear I want you to seal all the entrances and light some torches. I will seal the main entrance, once we have a secure area we'll make a plan."
They reach the stone steps and bound up them, two at a time. Slowing as they reach the top, they move cautiously into the temple and Jay lights two torches and throws one to Hailey. Taking a quick surveillance of the large empty room, they complete their tasks and seal not only the front entrance but also all tunnels leading from the room. Sitting on a block in the middle of the chamber, Hailey turns to Jay and asks.
"So, what now?"
*****
11 - Game On
As darkness descends on the plateau, hundreds of zombies burst from the forest, pushing and shoving, racing for the steps cut into the side of the cliff face. They can smell their prey, and have been driven insane - at least more insane than they are already - waiting for the sun to set before they are able to pursue the fresh meat.
Reaching the jungle floor, the first of the zombies set off along the trail, with hundreds of their fellow meatheads in pursuit. They move relentlessly, even at a shuffle they cover the ground quite quickly and before long they reach the fallen tree. The first of the zombies mill around, following the scents left by their prey, they circle the tree a dozen times before one zombie finds the new trail and shuffles after the players. Before long, all the zombies are shuffling and rambling along the trail, groaning and moaning, sensing fresh meat up ahead.
*****
Pulling themselves from the river, the creepers crawl up the bank next to the boats, and then move off along the sand and into the jungle. For many minutes the creepers continue to pour from the river, until just a few stragglers remain, who run after the others and disappear from sight, leaving thousands of small footprints in the sand.
*****
Waking some time later, Warlord looks around but can see very little. Rubbing his eyes he realizes that they are not the problem, darkness has descended while he has slept. Jumping to his feet, a sharp pain runs through his leg and he is reminded why he passed out. Rea
ching into his inventory, he removes some cooked pork and gobbles it down, immediately feeling his life points increase, and the pain in his leg diminishes. Quickly assessing the situation, he remembers what happened to him and grimaces. Drawing his sword, and a torch, he once again moves forward along the trail, keeping a careful eye out for any mobs that may spawn at any time.
Approaching the end of the trail, he can see a large clearing opening up at the far edge of his torch light. Moving into the clearing, the shadowy shape of jungle ruins comes into sight. So that is where they were heading, let's take a little look and see what they are up to. Turning quickly at the sound of moaning he spots a couple of zombies shuffling out of the forest at the other side of the clearing. Ah no, not more zombies. Rushing forward he slices both of their heads clean off and looks about to make certain that they are alone. Breathing deeply, he gives a sigh of relief, seeing nothing moving in the clearing.
Stealthily approaching the temple, he finds that it is completely sealed with cobblestone where the doors should be. So it looks like they are already inside. Guess I had better pay them a visit. Removing his pickaxe, he hammers away at the cobblestone until it breaks, only to find another one behind it. I wonder how many they put here, hammering at the next one until it too breaks he is shocked to find it is immediately replaced. What the heck? Hitting and smashing the block again, he gets a quick glimpse of someone inside a lit chamber before the block is once again replaced. Digging furiously, he smashes the block, and prepares to smash the next one when an arrow shoots out of the opening and sticks him in his shoulder. Dropping the pickaxe and rolling to the side, he notices that not only is the block once again immediately replaced but also the outside block, completely sealing the wall.
Screaming in a mixture of pain and defiance, he rips the arrow from his shoulder and is about charge the wall when movement at the corner of his eye catches his attention. Glancing over, there are hundreds of zombies pouring into the clearing from the jungle trail he had just entered through. Momentarily stunned at the sight, the first of the zombies are almost on him before he regains his wits and glances around for an escape route. Shocked to see more zombies heading from all directions he realizes that there is no escape this time. There is no way to fight his way through hundreds of zombies. Swallowing, he takes one last look around and then stops. You stupid idiot. Quickly putting his sword away, he grabs some cobblestone from his inventory and places it underneath himself, jumping up and placing a second just as the first zombies reach him with arms outstretched, trying to grab him before he can escape. Quickly jumping again, he places another 3 blocks before he feels safe enough to pause and take stock of his situation.
There are hundreds, if not thousands of zombies, pushing and shoving in the clearing below him. OMG! I have never seen so many zombies."Hey meatheads," he shouts, "come and get me! ha, ha." Looking around for escape options, he nearly falls from his escape tower as an arrow hits him in the leg. Screaming, he pulls it out, and is looking to see where it came from as another shoots past his ear. Skeletons. Jumping up he quickly places another 10 blocks below him trying to get out of arrow range. 15 blocks, should be ok but I have no idea what the skeletons range is when shooting up. Quickly constructing a 3 x 4 platform to give him some protection from below he slumps to the floor and is pondering his situation when in a flash of light an enderman appears at the edge of the platform.
Endermen are 3 blocks tall, totally black, stick insect like creatures that have the ability to teleport. Unfortunately for Warlord, they also have the habit of stealing blocks, and making off with them. Although extremely dangerous, they usually do not engage in combat unless you make eye contact, at least Warlord hopes this is still the case in this mixed up minecraft world.
Diverting his eyes, so as not to antagonize it, he wonders briefly, what it is doing here, when it disappears carrying one of his cobblestone blocks with it. What the....., but before he can finish his curse it reappears, grabs another cobblestone block and disappears with it again.
Jumping to his feet, just as it reappears, he nearly loses his balance as the block below his feet is grabbed and suddenly vanishes, along with the enderman. Jumping to the edge of the platform he quickly replaces the missing blocks, just as the enderman reappears and once again grabs the block below his feet. Jumping to the side as the block vanishes, he quickly replaces it but realizes that he is fighting a losing battle. Just one mistake and the enderman will send him falling into the waiting hoards below. Making up his mind, just as the enderman reappears, he places a block at the edge of the platform and continues to build sideways towards the ruins. Running, placing blocks, and jumping he moves 5 blocks forward before the enderman grabs the block below his feet and sends him falling. Reaching out he grabs hold of the next block and manages to pull himself back onto the platform just as the enderman reappears. Realizing what is about to happen, Warlord jumps in the air and places a block below him just as the enderman grabs hold and disappears. It is too close to call, Warlord hovers in mid air, not knowing if the block he had just placed would stay or fall to the ground, throwing him into to the waiting arms of the zombies below him.
*****
The ocelot gives a deep throated growl, and sniffs along the wall blocking the temple entrance.
"What's up Bluey?"
"Bluey, who's Bluey?" asks Jay.
"My ocelot, got to call her something and she's so dark grey that she's almost blue."
"True, good a name as any I suppose. Guess I had better name mine too. Hey, what's that noise?" asks Jay, looking up at the temple entrance.
"Sounds like digging."
"Yeah, well mobs don't dig so that means we have company."
Jumping to his feet, Jay draws his sword but Hailey stops him and tells him to get cobblestone instead. Looking a little bewildered, he does as she says, watching her draw her bow.
"Right, when the block breaks quickly place a new one in the opening, do it twice and then step aside."
Jay does exactly as instructed, and after replacing 2 blocks, quickly jumps out of the way and Hailey steps up to the hole, draws her bow, and shoots an arrow at whoever is trying to gain entrance.
"Fill it in Jay," shouts Hailey, stepping aside.
Jumping back to the wall, Jay takes advantage of the situation, leans forward, and fills the outside and inside holes with cobblestone. Turning back to Hailey he is about to speak, but she shakes her head and looks back at the wall. They stand, waiting for another attempt but after a couple of minutes give a sigh of relief.
"So, did you see who it was?"
"Yeah, it was Warlord again, I guess he never got the message the first time, but I think that will be the last he bothers us."
"Why, you think you killed him with one arrow?"
"Nah, only got his shoulder but what I saw behind him should take care of the situation for us."
"Ok, I'll bite, what did you see behind him?"
"Only about a million zombies, that's what."
"Really, a million?"
"Well, maybe not quite a million, but certainly hundreds, and I don't care how good a fighter he is there is no way he can take on that many and live."
"I don't know Hailey, we did."
"Yeah, but we were ready for them. By the look on Warlord's face, he did not even know they were behind him. He doesn't stand a chance."
"Well, let's wait and see, if you're right we should hear a canon any time now."
Waiting in silence for five minutes, Hailey jumps to her feet. "We can't just sit here wondering, I'm going to open up a block and look outside."
"No!" Jay jumps up and grabs Hailey's arm as she picks up a pickaxe, "if I was him, I would have built a quick wall around me and I would now be waiting for some idiot to open a hole in the wall, and then guess what I would do?"
"Shoot an arrow through it?"
"Exactly, leave him be, he will either make it or he won't. If he tries to get in again we kill him, otherwise we wait f
or the morning."
"Right, sorry Jay."
"No problem, now let's get something to eat, how's your health points?"
"My health points?"
Looking up, Jay looks embarrassed. "Sorry, I forgot you're human, or rather I'm not human, but you are."
"No worries Jay, I'm so used to looking at blockmen that it does not even seem weird anymore."
"Right, so are you hungry?"
"Starving, what you got?"
"Pork, beef, and a little bread."
"Great, give me a beef sandwich."
Breaking the bread in half, Jay hands it to Hailey with a lump of cooked beef, "So, what's the plan? you want to wait here until morning or go explore a little?"
"Explore definitely, I'll go mad sat here, waiting to see if Warlord tries to get in again or not."
"Yeah me too, I know I said we should wait but the tunnels are still going to be dark whatever time of day we explore them and besides, we now have an early warning system," he smiles, pointing at the ocelots.
"Yeah cool. So what are you going to call your one Jay?"
"Stripes!"
"But it doesn't have any stripes?"
"Yeah I know, that's why it's a cool name," he laughs, but Hailey just stares at him with a blank expression. "Well Jack would have got it."
"I'm sorry Jay, I guess I'm not helping much, am I?"
"No but its ok Hailey, Jack's at home, I have to believe that or I will just go mad. Hey, where is Jack's ocelot, it's not here."
"Come to think of it I haven't seen it since Jack, uh, went home."
"No, nor me. I guess after Jack went home, the ocelot up and left."
"Makes sense, Jack tamed it, now he's gone the ocelot reverts to being wild. So, you ready to go?"
"As ready as I'll ever be, come on," he replies, grabbing a lit torch in one hand and his sword in the other. "Let's see if we can find some treasure."
