Far above the tranquil valley, a storm was raging.
Several bolts of lightning course through the darkened sky, illuminating the rain that pounded ferociously around me. The wind is howling at a deafening volume; it's blowing so violently I begin to wonder how long I have before I'm ripped lose and sent hurtling to the forest below. Chilled to the bone, I tuck my arms further into the sleeves of my cloak; not like it was helping me much anyway. My average attire, consisting of jeans, a brown tunic and a long, stained cloak is not suitable storm clothing. I must look completely insane, but right now, there are more pressing matters to consider than my basic appearance. My soft, bearded expression betrays none of the anxiety churning in my stomach. I'm expecting someone. That's why I've brought this sword. Mind you, I don't normally equip myself with dangerous weapons when I schedule lunch with a friend. But today I have no intentions of parking in a meal. And the man I'm expecting is no friend.
Several freezing moments pass when suddenly, I detect an ominous presence nearby. The atmosphere surrounding me grows noticeably colder- and not because the rain has finally seeped into my undergarments. I feel a pair of eyes scorching into my back. A furtive grin sours my expression. Raising my voice above the storm, I call out into the night.
"I know you're there. Stop hiding and show yourself, unless you're afraid." My smile broadens. "Come out and say hi, friend. Don't tell me you're shy."
My words are met by nothing but the familiar cascade of wind and rain. Then, something moves by my ear. I peer expectantly into the storm, but at first see nothing. Then, the sickly familiar glow of two haunting, glowing white eyes appear. He's right in front of me, less than ten feet away. He's looking at me, staring.
He's here.
A voice like thunder rumbles in the distance.
"I'm never shy."
My smile thickens, and a twinge of humor dances in my gaze. "Those people you torment agree. It appears you don't like to show your face anymore."
The glowing eyes stare at me unwavering.
"It is more frightening this way."
"Ah, yes. The players think so too. However I've begun to think that you're losing your touch." I allow a hint of scorn to enter my tone.
Lightening strikes the sky, and for a moment I'm able to distinguish the form of a person standing against the rain; I can briefly see his purple pants and his uneven blue shirt. Before I can blink the world is surrounded in darkness again, and all I can see are those unblinking white eyes.
"Do not insult me." His voice rumbles like an avalanche. "My fear tactics are unconditional."
My smile fades. "Then you already know why I have summoned you."
"Yes."
I try to force down the resentment clutching at my chest. Right now the worst possible thing to do was become angry, but the frustration is so intense I can't prevent the scorn from dripping into my tone.
"We had a deal."
He says nothing in return. Infuriated, I speak more harshly:
"I agreed to let you in because players liked the concept. I wasn't anticipating this. This is felony. This is inexcusable. You have completely broken the trust I bestowed onto you."
An inhuman growling reaches my ears.
"I have done only what you wanted of me."
"Then explain this." Reaching into my waistcoat I withdraw a shaggy brown sack. Opening the sack I try to ignore the horrible stench of rotting flesh, and withdraw a bloody, decapitated human head. Across the unfortunate person's eyes were words, burnt into his flesh, that spelled out, "Always watching." With a sour expression I toss the body part. It lands with a soggy splash in the sparse dirt.
A sickening chuckle rises above the storm.
"Ah, that."
"Yes. That. And he's not the only one. That village down there is littered with bodies. The residents are so terrified they all left- the one's you kept alive, anyway."
Another bolt of lightening lit the dark sky. "You cannot hold me accountable for this, sir," he growled. "You instructed me to frighten these people. I have done exactly what you have asked of me."
"Frighten people. You are supposed to scare them, not chops their heads off," I reply, angrily.
"I have merely expanding upon the stages you set before me. Now, the people are more frightened than ever." Lightening cracked overhead, so close it distracted me from my confronter; when I turned back, those white pools of illumination were right in front of me. He was right in front of me, and the light produced from his eyes was nearly blinding.
"This is what you wanted." Thunder rumbled in the distance, lending weight to his words. Bitterly I stared back, trying not to blink in his intense gaze.
"I never wanted you to murder anyone."
"The barriers you placed were troublesome, and interfered with my work. Bypassing them was mandatory."
My grip tightened around my sword. "Those 'barriers' kept people safe. Did it ever occur to you that I put them there for a reason?"
He laughed again, making me flinch.
"You with your rules," he rumbled. "They have always been a nuisance. Always in the way, ruining the fun. It makes me sick. I have installed true terror amongst the players. Don't you understand? This fear shall spark tremendous interest. You will have more players than ever before."
My hand tightens around the sword's handle. "But what if it scares the kids?"
He doesn't answer at first. Those luminous white eyes keep staring at me, unmoving, as lightening cracks in the distance. His response is long-coming, and when he finally speaks, I can hear the coldness in his tone.
"Children should not be permitted to play a game so obviously designed for mature audiences."
"Wrong." I can't stop the frustration from entering my voice. "It was made for everyone- and I should know! I built it myself. But perhaps that fact is so insignificant that you've actually forgotten it. In that case, you're even stupider than I thought. I can't believe yo-
He lashes out at me, aiming for my neck. Before he can get within inches of touching me, a small explosion goes off that sends him reeling backward, sprawling into the mud. I glare down at him, unfazed.
"Nice try. Do you really think I'd be dumb enough to go anywhere without my wards?" Satisfaction flares inside me as I watch my foe pick himself out of the mud, and groggily struggle to his feet. His clear white eyes completely are completely incapable of displaying emotion, but I can tell from the intense vibrations claiming his body that he's incredibly, extremely, raging mad.
"Be grateful for your pathetic magic tricks!" His voice rumbles like thunder. "They are the only thing left to protect you; but mark my words, one day they will fail you, and then you will be at my mercy."
"Don't be so certain. Even without my abilities, defeating you would be an easy task."
A horrible chuckle escapes his mouth.
"You are deluded, old one. One day, I shall find you when you are weak. And then there will be nothing left to protect your precious servers from my wrath."
His arms rose beside him, stretching up to the heavens. With a sudden jerk he was levitating, floating just feet off the ground. His commanding voice rang out, booming with power and purpose.
"Minecraft will be mine!"
And he was gone. In a sudden bright flash my enemy disappeared, vanished into the storm. I cast out my senses to try and locate him, but wherever he had gone, I couldn't detect him. Terror clutched my heart; had I really just unleashed that ungodly creature onto the world? I kept searching, kept casting my senses out; but he was gone. There was nothing left but the hammering of the rain, the rumble of thunder and the howling of the wind.
I was alone on the mountain again.