Chapter 1: The Spy and the Miner

I hit the stone. Again. And again. With every hit, shards flew and I felt like I was getting closer to precious metals. I needed it. Three hours of mining have given me only ten pieces of gold ore, five-hundred grams of redstone, thirty pieces of iron, ten diamonds, and a hole miners cart of coal. That is only one-eighth of what I usually get an hour.

I needed to receive more. I needed to survive. I need to-

The pickaxe I mined with broke. I saw how it's metal tip was stuck in the stone, separated from it's body. The other tip of the pickaxe broke twelve days ago. Today's work was done.

I loaded my earnings into the minecart. It was pulled by a coal-powered minecart which was hooked onto the storage carts. I placed all my earnings and some stone into the cart, then I proceeded to pull a lever, which was made of wood with a stone tip to the direction I wanted the cart to go. Then, to launch it, I smashed a button on the side of power-cart. The cart started travelling away to my home, noisily clanking against the railing as it disappeared into the well-lit corridor. I proceeded to walk to an empty cart, made of iron, pulled just like the storage carts. Although unlike the storage carts, it had a nice, soft, leathery seat. It also had a door which allowed me to enter the cart with no jumping the cart walls.

I sat down into the seat, loaded three lumps of coal into the furnace and pulled a lever in the cart. I launched off after the storage cart. About ten minutes later, I arrived at my destination.

I was in a giant cave. It had the shape of the dome, with water and lava pouring out of holes from the walls. Torches and glowstone glowed in my domain. Every time I stepped onto the ground, I could hear the clanking of my metal boots against the stone.

It's not a piece of steak living underground in a cake. Actually, it wouldn't be if I didn't have my minecart system. My minecarts deliver me around the cave. After mining, I smelt all my ores in my furnaces. Then, I use a different minecart system up to the surface.

I smelted my ores, and that's where I am going now. Up to the light. Up to Oaken Village. A village surrounded by the fresh smell of forest. It's buildings made of stone and wood, it is a village located northwest of Minecraftia. Its consistencies aren't very special: A tailor, an inn, a priest, a smithy, and some other stuff.

As I sat in the minecart, pulled the lever into the UP setting, and took a last look around the cave, very quickly, in a blur, I thought a saw a humanoid figure close to my TNT deposit, which was protected from creepers by fall-to-your-death traps triggered by pressure plates. If a creeper blows up close to it, it would bring down my home. I then looked back there. Nothing. Looks like it was just my imagination.

I descended from the shaft. As sunlight beat my face with a warm glow, I inhaled the air around me. Pure. Clean. Fresh. Not like the stale and dusty air of the mines.

I was in a forest clearing. Birds sat on trees and sang their songs. Rabbits jumped joyfully around me. In the distance, I could hear the calls of a cow. I then stepped out of the minecart. The grass was soft and cool. I always wondered how could it remain at such a temperature in such a sunny place.

I then started my walk to the village. It would only take five minutes to walk there, and five minutes back. When I got there, I could see buildings, all built with great care. I saw a boy enter a pawn shop with a note block. It was heavily modified, like the one I use at home in my creeper trap. It is supposed to emit a recorded sound which draws the creeper into a specific hallway, where, while following the sound, the creeper will jump down into a hundred-block hole. Creepers are green monsters, with no arms. The smile on their sickly heads... It's as if the monster looks into your soul and reveals your sorrows. They don't actually do that... But the sad smile they have makes you remember sad moments of your life.

Anyway, creepers are strangely attracted to TNT. And when I say "attracted", I mean they want to blow themselves up right next to it. But they are more attracted to players, so if you record a sound of, lets say, a talking or mining player, they run to the place and blow up. So, to fight them getting my TNT, I recorded a sound of me talking on a note block. As soon as a creeper steps on one of the pressure plates surrounding the TNT depot, they activate a sound, which leads them to a corridor, where they accidentally fall and die.

I walked into the blacksmiths.

The blacksmith was standing behind a wooden counter. Swords were on racks and armor on mannequins.

"Hello, Alvor", I said.

"Oi, Arkiaas.", Alvor replied.

He glanced on the sack I was carrying over my shoulder. "So, what did you bring today?", He said.

"Lets see...", I said. Pulling out a smaller sack, I dumped its contents on the table. "Freshly smelted gold and iron, and some diamonds."

"I need all of it. How much?", asked Alvor.

"Three-hundred Jebbins."

"Alright." Alvor looked down under the counter and pulled and three small sacks. He handed them all to me.

"Also", I said, slipping him one of the bags. "Can you make me a customized sword?"

"Sure. Any specifications?"

"Yes." I slipped him a short crumpled up paper which I took out of my pocket.

"Pick up your sword tomorrow."

"Thank you." I said as I walked out the door.

And as I walked out the door, There was a sound of an explosion. I was knocked back, sending my spine right through the door of Alvor's shop, breaking it down. I hit the wall. I tried hearing. All I could hear was the ringing in my ears. My mouth was filled with blood and I fainted.

When I woke up, I was still lying against the wall. The blood in my mouth dried, and my head hurt like hell. I got up, and walked out. Half the forest was devastated, trees fell and I could see a giant crater. All surrounding the location of my home.

I... How could there be a flaw in my design? I tested it! The design worked! It was completely creeper-proof! how did it blow up? Unless that humanoid figure actually existed...

Wait. First, I thought I saw a humanoid figure when leaving my home. It was next to the TNT depot. Then, I saw a boy, entering a pawn shop, with a modified note block, which I just realized looks just like mine. But the thing is, I made that note block myself. No one else should have the same note block as me. If he took that note block, then he freaking blew up all of us!

I stormed around the village. My head pounded. Homes fell like constructs made of sticks. The jingling of the Jebbins in the sack only made it worse. I made a turn, then, I found the boy. Brown haired, with very dark skin. He was lying against a broken wall, with a small ring which was on his left ring finger.

I grabbed him by the collar, and he opened his eyes up wide, his face became pale as he saw my rage.

"You! Why did you steal it?" I yelled into his face.

"Sir, half the forest blew up, the other part is nearly destroyed, and all you care about is retrieving your block?", he said.

"Well, surprise! That note block actually caused the explosion! If you wouldn't have stolen it, the creeper which approached my TNT depot wouldn't have almost blown us all up!"

"Well guess what! It wasn't me!"

"Well, then, how about you repay me by giving me your ring!"

"No!" The boy screamed. He struggled to stop me, and I took off the ring. The boy shifted into someone else: A girl, about twenty years of age, dressed in a not very fancy but agile-looking dress. She had red hair and green eyes. Out of nowhere, she also pulled a dagger. She put it to my throat, with a face full of rage.

"Give me back my ring! Now!" She said.

I put the ring in her hand, and as she slipped it back on and shifted to her previous form.

"Listen. Turn around." She said, now a he, and calmly.

I did. And I noticed something.

"Wait... Why are the trees first falling south then randomly the way they fall north?" I said, confused.

"Don't you understand?" She, or he... It said.

"Understand what?"

"Your TNT wasn't the original source of the explosion."

"What?"

"It was triggered by a greater force."

It's true. What she said.

"My name's Meridia." She said.

"Arkiaas. Arkiaas Allunis Indaara." I replied.

"Listen, Arkiaas. I know what may have caused the explosion. This may sound bizarre... But it was not from this world." She said.

What? Not of this world?

"Holy Aether, what world was it from? Nether? End?"

"No... It was a a god. What you said first was right."

"The Nether? Was it a god of Chaos?"

"No. I meant the Aether."

What? The Aether is the home of all good gods. Aether is the sky. The Nether is home to things which kill and murder. I heard a legend all unaligned gods are banished to Earth.

"Yes, but good can be chaotic. If you would start wanting to make sure something is never harmed, and humans might find it and use it anytime, what would you do?"

"Kill the humans to make sure they never find it?"

"That's what the god will do to all settlements of Minecraftia."

We need to run...

She then said, "I know a settlement of scholars, mages and philosophers who can help us stop this. You will need to come with me."

I was now very confused. I was ready to refuse. "Why?"

"There was a prophecy predicting this. One line said 'The coal man and a chameleon shall prevent it." You are a miner, which fits "coal man". And what are chameleons famous for?"

"Camouflage?" I said.

"Yes. That fits me and my ring."

"Fine. I'll help you."

"We leave tonight."

"I actually need to pick something up tomorrow. Can you wait?"

"Okay. Tomorrow at noon."

The next day, I came into Alvor's shop.

"Hello, Alvor." I said.

"Oi, mate", he replied.

"Did you finish the sword?" I asked.

"Yes, and this is my proudest work yet."

"Let me see it."

I took it out from its leather sheath. It was clear as glass, with a comfortable leather grip.

"Just like you asked." Alvor said "I sharpened it until the stage it could cut steel with no problem, then enchanted it so it would stay like that."

"Thank you, old friend." I said as I walked out of the door.

I then found Meridia.

"Hey", she said, in her original form,"what took you so long?"

"Stuff."

"Get on your horse."

I did so. Then they trotted away from the village.

Note: This is my first FF, and also my first MC story. So please leave opinions and all thank, danke for feedback and follows (If I get any). Also some characters are named after Skyrim characters because I'm unoriginal with fancy names, but take warning, this AIN'T A CROSSOVER SONNY.