Herobrine's War

by Mark Cheverton

  He hated making these decisions alone. If he made the wrong choice, some of them, or all of them, could get hurt. He felt so lost.

  And then the music of Minecraft flowed through the temple like a calming breeze.

  “How many are there?” Baker asked.

  “Maybe twenty or twenty-five,” Stonecutter replied.

  “That’s not so many,” Weaver said optimistically.

  “But look around you,” Baker replied. “We aren’t so many either, and many of those around you are already wounded.” Baker turned to Gameknight999. “Smithy, what do we do? They’ll be here soon.”

  The lyrical tones spread through the temple, growing louder and more beautiful. It brought a sense of peace to all the villagers, but more importantly, it pushed back on Gameknight’s fears and allowed him to think.

  Suddenly, a memory of his family’s last summer vacation popped into his mind. They’d seen prairie dogs in the southwestern United States, the animals’ cute little heads popping up out of holes in the desert, then darting back underground whenever a predator was near.

  That’s what we need to be …

  “Prairie dogs. We’ll be prairie dogs,” Gameknight said, shocked when he realized he’d actually said it aloud.

  “What?” Weaver asked.

  “Never mind,” Gameknight replied. “I have a plan, but instead of everyone just doing it, I want to know your opinions. I want feedback, I want your clever ideas.”

  And so he explained his idea, and some of the NPCs nodded their heads, while others objected and made other suggestions.

  “No, not sand, it must be sandstone!” Baker insisted.

  “Of course,” Builder replied.

  “She’s right. We can take the sandstone from inside the temple.”

  “Okay, so we’re agreed?” Gameknight asked.

  The NPCs all nodded their heads.

  “Weaver, you sure we have enough?” Gameknight asked.

  “I think so,” the young boy replied.

  “Okay, then all we need to decide upon is the bait, and I think we all know who that needs to be,” Gameknight added.

  “Smithy be crazy, that’s for sure,” Weaver said.

  The villagers laughed.

  “Let’s get to work,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said. “We only have maybe thirty minutes before they’re here.”

  Then the villagers all got to work. As they dug, Gameknight moved to the top of the temple and watched their efforts. Suddenly, the Oracle was at his side.

  “You think this is going to work?” he asked.

  “I don’t know, child,” she replied. “You just need to trust your friends and let them do their best, so you can do your best.”

  “I suppose,” he replied. “But I’m concerned about Fencer and the other villagers. How are they going to know where we are? I think we’ll need them with us before this is all over.”

  “Then perhaps you should tell them where you are,” she said.

  “How am I going to do that?” Gameknight asked.

  “I’m sure you’ll figure it out, child,” the old woman said. “Sleep on it and maybe you’ll come up with a solution. But right now, me and my light-crafters need to get into our positions.”

  Gameknight watched as the old woman moved carefully down the side of the sandstone pyramid, leaving him completely alone.

  “Oink!” He looked down and found Wilbur at his side.

  Reaching down, Gameknight patted the little pink animal on the head.

  “I’m glad you’re here, Wilbur,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said to his friend. “I’m not ashamed to say, I’m really scared. If this doesn’t work, then we’ll all be in serious trouble.”

  “Oink, oink,” Wilbur said, then nuzzled his head against Gameknight’s leg.

  He patted the pig on the side, then came up with an idea.

  “If we’re going to face this mob alone, then let’s have a little fun.”

  “OINK!”

  But despite his best efforts, icicles of fear began to stab at him from all sides, as the faint wave of clicking floated in on the wind.

  “Oink,” Wilbur said, a trickle of fear in his tiny pig voice.

  “I know, boy. They’re coming.” Gameknight drew his two swords and waited as waves of dread crashed down upon both of them.

  CHAPTER 20

  PRAIRIE DOGS ATTACK

  The spiders flowed across the sand dunes like a black tide of angry red eyes and razor-sharp claws. Their clicking became louder and louder as they approached, until the sound was nearly unbearable. Gameknight peeked around a sandstone block and watched cautiously, getting ready.

  “Wilbur, go up to the top and make some noise.”

  The pig turned and ran up a set of sandstone steps to the top of the square towers that stood to the side of the temple entrance.

  “OINK, OINK!” the pig said.

  Wilbur’s cries drew the attention of the spider horde, and they stopped their search on the sandy ground to stare up at the little animal. Gathering every bit of courage, Gameknight casually climbed the stairs and stood at the animal’s side.

  “Now Wilbur, that’s no way to speak to our guests,” Gameknight said, his voice loud enough for the monsters to hear. “It’s not their fault that their queen, Shaikulud, is a coward and afraid to join her pathetic spiders here. Most cowards hide in dark caves. I’m sure she’s doing the same.”

  The spiders began clicking even louder, then charged forward, fury burning in their red eyes. Gameknight picked up Wilbur and ran down the stairs, then entered the temple from the tower door. He sealed it after stepping through, then dashed down the stairs to the ground floor.

  A huge section of floor was now missing, exposing the deep pit that was once hidden under the temple. The User-that-is-not-a-user moved along a one-block wide path, and stood on a lone square of sandstone over the center of the hole. Pulling out a shovel, he quickly broke the sandstone path just as the spiders entered the temple. Their clicking echoed off the ancient walls of the structure, anger filling every set of their burning eyes.

  Needles of panic stabbed at him, telling him to run, but the User-that-is-not-a-user held his position. He had to stick to the plan; the others were counting on him. And regardless, there was no place to run to … he was quickly becoming surrounded by a swarm of lethal spiders.

  With just the single entrance, Gameknight had to wait for all of them to enter; he wanted all of the spiders close to him. The monsters glared from across the open space, every one of them wanting to tear at him with their wicked, curved claws. Wilbur, being held under one arm, oinked angrily at the spiders; it made Gameknight laugh.

  “Are you all here?” the User-that-is-not-a-user said. “It took you long enough, but none of you are very bright, are you?”

  “You sssspeak bravely when you’re out of reach,” one of the spiders said.

  “Why don’t you get a little closer, then?” Game-knight asked. “I’d like to see you come and get me.”

  With the shovel still in his hand, he broke the sandstone under his feet and fell straight down. It felt like slow motion as he plummeted to the bottom of the pit. He knew if he was off by just the smallest amount, he might not survive. But his fears were washed away when he landed directly in the center of a single block of water, the liquid cushioning his fall. Climbing out, he set Wilbur down, then filled the water in with sand.

  “Come on down … if you can climb those steep walls, that is,” Gameknight said, then laughed.

  “Fool,” the spiders said. “We can climb thesssse wallssss with easssse.”

  The spiders flowed over the edge of the pit in a hideous black wave of fangs and claws. Gameknight didn’t wait around to watch. Instead, he and Wilbur dashed into a side passage that had been prepared. He placed a pressure plate on the empty squares of sand, then sealed himself inside the tunnel.

  Following the short passage, he found a flight of stairs carved into the desert sand. Gameknight and
Wilbur climbed steps until they were halfway to the ground floor of the temple, then moved to a half-slab opening and watched as the spiders scurried down the walls. When they neared the ground, the eight-legged monsters paused. The floor was covered with pressure plates, and they knew enough to be cautious. One of the spiders moved down and stepped on one of the stone plates … nothing happened.

  Gameknight smiled.

  Then a few more monsters moved onto the pressure plates … still nothing happened.

  Gameknight giggled.

  Satisfied there was no danger, the rest of the spiders flowed across the floor of the pit and began scratching at the blocks that sealed his escape tunnel.

  “Fools,” Gameknight whispered, “Apparently those idiotic spiders know nothing about redstone repeaters.”

  “Oink,” Wilbur said in his soft pig-voice.

  “Three … two … one,” Gameknight counted, then yelled in a loud voice, “BYE-BYE!”

  Balls of fire blossomed into life as the explosives under the floor of the pit detonated, wrapping deadly petals of flame around the hapless spiders. The whole temple shook with the blast, causing sand and dust to fall from the ceiling, momentarily making Gameknight and Wilbur cough.

  That was the signal for the others. Inside and all around the temple, NPCs broke the sandstone over their heads and popped out of their little prairie dog holes, storming the temple. Villagers with pickaxes dug holes into the walls of the temple, allowing others to charge in with bows in their hands. The warriors lined the edges of the pit and opened fire on the monsters. Some of the spiders tried to climb the sheer walls to escape the rain of barbed projectiles, but they only made it a few blocks before their HP was consumed. In seconds, the cratered floor of the pit was filled with glowing balls of XP and clumps of white string.

  Gameknight and Wilbur followed their tunnel to the surface, then broke the sandstone and emerged on the top floor with the rest of the villagers.

  “SMITHY!” the villagers chanted.

  Suddenly, a clicking sound filled the air near the tunnel entrance. A lone spider had scurried into the temple to see what had happened. When she saw all of the villagers with bows drawn, the creature quickly turned and fled. Baker rushed after the creature. When she passed through the temple entrance, the NPC held her sword with two hands over her head and threw it at the escaping monster. It tumbled end-over-end as the gleaming blade streaked through the air. It struck the monster in the back, completely destroying the monster’s HP. The spider barely had a chance to glance back at her attacker when she disappeared with a pop, leaving behind more glowing balls of XP.

  Seeing the creature destroyed, Gameknight ran up the side of the temple and mounted the top of a tower. He gazed out into the desert, looking for any fleeing black dots moving across the pale sand. In seconds, the entire group was outside the temple, staring up at him as if he were crazy.

  Suddenly, Baker was at his side.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “The spiders came from that direction, right?” he asked, pointing to a sandy mountain.

  “I think so,” she replied.

  “If any spiders escaped, they’ll probably head back that way,” Gameknight said. “Do you see any?”

  “I don’t know,” Baker replied. “Stonecutter, get up here and help us look!”

  The stocky NPC climbed the steps and stood next to Baker. The three of them stared out into the hot desert, looking for anything out of place. They scanned the surroundings for minutes, but saw nothing.

  Gameknight breathed a sigh of relief.

  To the west, the sun was slowly settling on the horizon, casting warm shades of red and orange on the sand.

  “It looks like we got them all,” Gameknight finally said with a smile.

  “Good,” Baker replied. “It seems you were just the right bait, and if—”

  “Wait,” said Stonecutter.

  A chill ran down Gameknight’s spine. He turned and looked in the direction the NPC was pointing. Far away, on a distant dune, they could see a lone spider scurrying up the sandy face, moving as fast as the creature’s eight legs would carry her. The monster stopped for just an instant, then turned back and glared at them. Gameknight thought he could see her burning red eyes, but from this distance, that would be impossible.

  “We have to catch that spider,” Stonecutter growled.

  “She’ll tell Herobrine that we’re here,” Baker said. “We must stop her.”

  “That’s impossible,” Gameknight added. “She has a huge head start, and when they’re sprinting, spiders are faster than us. We’d never catch her without horses.”

  “Horses?” Baker asked. “What are those?”

  “Ahhhh, nothing, never mind,” the User-that-is-not-a-user replied. He forgot that horses wouldn’t be added to Minecraft for a while; they were in the early versions of the game. “Besides, it’ll be night soon, and the monster will just disappear in the darkness. We’ll never catch her.”

  “So what do we do now?” Weaver asked from the sandy ground.

  “We get to Olympus Mons as quickly as we can,” Gameknight said. “But you can be sure Herobrine will be right behind us.”

  “Then I guess we better get moving,” Baker replied. “The sooner we get there, the quicker we can end this stupid war.”

  Gameknight looked down at the Oracle and saw a worried look on her wrinkled square face. So far, throughout this entire adventure, she had never looked scared … until now. He climbed off the structure and moved to her side. He glanced around at the faces of the villagers, and saw the same expression—fear. They were all terrified.

  “This isn’t good, is it?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “No, child, I’m afraid it is not.”

  “Any recommendations?”

  “I think you had better contact Fencer sooner, rather than later, and tell him what’s going on,” the Oracle said.

  “But how?”

  “Remember … sleep on it and I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” she replied.

  “Sleep on it … of course,” he replied, frustrated that she wouldn’t just give him the answer.

  “Let’s get moving to this mountain,” Baker said. “I’m tired of waiting around for things to happen to us. It’s time we made things happen to them instead.”

  “Yeah!” the villagers shouted.

  Gameknight gave the Oracle a grin, then headed to the northwest, toward the distant mountain.

  CHAPTER 21

  THE ENEMY IS SPOTTED

  Malacoda soared high over the forest, his tentacles dangling in the breeze while his hateful eyes searched the landscape for their quarry. To the east, the sun was rising, casting rays of light upon the terrain, causing long shadows to stretch from the base of the trees, giving the ground a striped look. Endermen zipped about across the landscape like little bolts of black lightning, their bodies merging with the shadows and disappearing momentarily, only to reappear again when they teleported into the bright morning light. They, too, searched, but the lanky creatures could only see what was directly in front of them and did not have the view the king of the ghasts had from high in the air. Malacoda could see there were no villagers nearby; this sector was clear.

  But the ghast king had been smart, and sent out many of his subjects, with Enderman companions, in different directions to look for the blacksmith. Eventually one of them would stumble upon the villagers.

  Just then, Malacoda’s acute hearing picked up on the frantic clicking of a spider. The creature sounded weak, and trying to signal any monster that could hear her. Peering at the forest floor, he spotted the dark monster scurrying across the leaf-strewn ground. Slowly, Malacoda lowered himself until he was directly in the monster’s path. Extending his long tentacles, the ghast wrapped them around the spider and lifted her off the ground.

  “Where are you heading to in such a hurry, little spider?” Malacoda asked.

  “The enemy … the enemy. He hassss been
found.”

  Instantly, he dropped the spider as the words felt like an electric shock.

  “You found the blacksmith?” Malacoda asked.

  “Yessss,” the spider replied as she looked up at the floating giant.

  “Where?”

  “In the dessssert,” she replied. “I can sssshow you.”

  “No,” Malacoda snapped. “We must wait.”

  “We cannot wait,” the spider replied. “The queen hassss commanded that …”

  Malacoda reached out and grasped the monster with his tentacles again and lifted her off the ground. The spider struggled to get free, but his nine writhing arms were like bands of cold steel.

  Drawing in a full breath, Malacoda let out a cat-like cry that pierced through the tranquil forest like a rusty knife through flesh. Instantly, Endermen appeared beneath him, their dark heads staring up at him.

  “Bring the Maker and the army,” Malacoda commanded. “The enemy has been found!”

  The Endermen disappeared in a cloud of purple, not waiting for further instruction. They all knew the reward for finding the enemy would be great, and the penalty for not finding him was likely death; Herobrine did not tolerate failure.

  Suddenly, a huge fog of lavender particles formed between the trees of the forest as the Endermen returned with monsters under each arm. After materializing and depositing their cargo, the dark creatures disappeared again to retrieve more zombies and skeletons. The ghast king admired the efficiency of the Endermen. They had brought hundreds of monsters to the forest in minutes … it was remarkable.

  Suddenly, a chilling presence materialized on the ground. It was as if every bit of anger and hatred and vile contempt for the living had been focused into one place, directly below him. Instantly, Malacoda knew … Herobrine had arrived.

  Slowly, he settled to the ground and released the spider.

  “Maker,” the king of the ghasts said, his voice resounding with arrogance. “This spider has seen the enemy. Rather than allow her to run across the Overworld to report her findings, I stopped her and sent for the Endermen.”