It all started with those ruins. The miners were right. They were bad luck. If I hadn't decided to start plunging deeper in, then everybody would still be alive. I saw the signs, knew the warnings. And for the genius everyone claimed I was, I had ignored them like a fool.
My name is Rigby. Kerren Rigby. I was a blacksmith in my village, and an expert in the history of Minecraftia. But for all my years of studying, I ignored all my knowledge for a chance at wealth and recognition. Heh, that's how the dark ones always trapped the unsuspecting travelers in the stories. Tainting their minds with promises of power and false wealth… and I called myself an expert. But, no point in crying over spilled milk, I suppose.
My name is Kerren Rigby, and this is my story.
It all started one morning while I was in my study, reading a book on the old Minecraftian Empire. I was awaiting a shipment of iron the miners were supposed to have brought in a few hours ago. It was unusual for the miners to be late, and I needed to craft armor for the militia-men that guarded the mines and the town. I was getting ready to head out to the mines and see what was wrong when I saw the overseer of one of the mines walking up the hill to my home. His name was Kendell Merrick, and we were good friends. But today he had a worried look on his face. He was sweating when he reached the door. I opened it before he had time to knock. He had to catch his breath before he could speak. "Kerren…" he wheezed. "You are needed at the mines." I was confused, and it must have shown. "The assistant overseer is holding down the workers for now, but they are uneasy. I think you should go talk to them, maybe you could calm them down." He seemed to have regained his breath. "Why do they need me? I'm just a blacksmith, I doubt I could help." I asked him. He simply looked at me desperately. "They'll explain at the mine, now come quickly!"
Once down there, he took me to Killian Blackwater, the mine foreman. The Blackwater Mining Corporation flag fluttered behind him. He stood on a small hill and looked down at me and Kendell. "Merrick, you better have a good reason for bringing him here." His voice sounded angry and impatient. Kendell fidgeted nervously. "Y-yes, Mr. Blackwater. He can help calm down the workers." The foreman looked down at me like I was nothing more than an insect. "Make sure that he does. I want this mine in order and producing materials by sundown. I expect double hours from the workers. Got it, Merrick?" Kendell nodded nervously. "Y-yes sir!" Blackwater waved his hand. "Good! Now hurry up!" Kendell motioned for me to follow as he hurried away from Blackwater. Blackwater shouted at one of the miners in the stone pit below. "GET UP! I DON'T PAY YOU TO LAY AROUND ALL DAY!" I turned and looked down to see a group of guards helping up a miner that had fallen on the ground. They escorted him to a building marked 'Infirmary'. When the curtains opened I caught a glimpse of a row of beds lined up against a wall. "Idiots…" Blackwater muttered. I turned to follow Kendell with a sick feeling in my stomach. He stopped me when we reached a group of miners. They looked nervous, their iron picks strapped to their backs. Kendell approached one. "Jonah, what's going on? Blackwater will have my head if you aren't back to mining by sundown. He wants you to do double hours for this distraction." The miner named Jonah nervously shook his. "Can't do that, Kendell. We can't mine further." Kendell looked angry. "What do you mean you can't go any further? You have to!" Jonah shook his head. "Sorry, Kendell. It's bad luck. Three of our men have been injured, and one died when we first excavated it out." Kendell shook his head. "Just show Kerren here what you found." Jonah nodded. "Come with us." I followed him over the hill, a bit worried about what I might find. Nothing in the world could have prepared me for what I found.