Hello! Crimson Dawnbreak here. If you're reading this, either you're a fan of Minecraft, or you're a really confused pizza deliveryman. Anywho, this is an introduction to a faction on a Minecraft server I play on, called Eowcraft. (Fun server.) The faction is known as the Black Halo, and I have in no way exaggerated their abilities in this story. If you want to play on Eowcraft, I suggest you look it up. Newbies are frowned upon. OneShot. I don't own Minecraft, so don't hate on me.

-Crimson Dawnbreak

Another successful raid.

This was only one of the thoughts that crossed cannoneer Jak Enfield's mind as he looked upon the sizable heap of gold and diamonds upon the airship's deck. He was a member of the pirate gang the Sky Dogs, and they hadn't disappointed him yet. Today they had hit a small military convoy, and so far it hadn't been a mistake. They had gunned down the escort ships with their heavy cannon, and it had been a simple matter to blow out the bay doors and capture all the crew. The barge had been chock full of riches and equipment for a small settlement far outside the Litheus territory. He glanced over to the main balloon strut. The captain was there, interrogating the commanding officer of the barge, who was tied to a chair. Ah. The captain. How to describe him? He was a stout dwarf by the name of Earl Graniteface, and normally did the majority of his talking with a heavy war axe. He was shouting at the commander of the barge now. "I asked ye when the next convoy be comin' through these Skies?" in reply, the commander, a tall human, worked up a large glob of saliva and blood and spat it directly into Graniteface's eye. The captain didn't react as one might expect. Instead of shouting or screaming, he calmly wiped the spit off his face, and delivered a powerful backhand that knocked the human from his seat and broke his nose. The commander righted himself, spitting out several teeth. He smiled, a none to pleasant sight, and Jak winced. The human wasn't in good shape. His nose was squashed, and there was blood streaming down his face. His left arm ended at the elbow, courtesy of Aodhan's saber. He couldn't take much more of this beating, and he would eventually crack. They always did. Jak allowed himself a rare smile. They would have twice as much booty by the end of the month. He didn't even need the money. He was the heir to a large fortune left to him by his late father, a dragon slayer. He had only signed onto this crew for the fun of murdering and pillaging. The commander was saying something now, and it snapped Jak out of his reverie. "I'm giving you one chance, Earl. Can I call you Earl?" the captain's response was another backhand. The commander shook it off like one might a mosquito bite. Jak frowned. This one was tougher than most. "Well, back to the subject of your one chance," the human continued. "You have a matter of minutes before something extremely unpleasant happens to you and your crew. If you release my men and I, you might just save yourself." The commander glanced at the quarter mast. "Oops, too late. Good luck captain, you'll need it." The commander involuntarily glanced at the mast. Jak followed his sight line. There was a slight shimmer in the air, right at the top of the mast. Like a heat haze. But they were in the depths of Litheus, a snowy tundra. How could there be a heat haze? Jak turned his gaze back to the commander. He was grinning widely. Jak could feel unease creeping over him. He grabbed the captain's muscled arm. "Captain, I think we should do as he says." Granitebeard shook him off like a troublesome fly. He turned to the commanding officer. "What do ye mean, ye son of a slime?" he roared at the commander. The commander seemed to be having a good time. "Why, The Black Halo, of course." The captain was about to yell something else at the commander, when he paused. The reason was not immediately apparent; then Jak looked down and noticed the black, curved blade sprouting from the captain's chest. He was dead before he hit the ground, the blade slid out of him with barely a noise. Jak looked to where the captain had been standing, his expression one of shock. Because standing behind the captain's body, was a figure in armor. The armor alone was impressive. It was void black, and seemed to absorb all the surrounding light. There was a full-face visor, with a purple sheen to it. The creature wearing the armor was holding a black scythe, with a glossy black blade. It was about seven feet long, excluding the blade, which was another three. The devil, for that is what Jak was sure this creature was now, also had an array of very proficient weaponry hanging from his belt, and a bow slung over his back. He held the scythe, and Jak immediately new this creature knew how to use it. He twirled it expertly, sliding the blade home between two of the deck boards. Aodhan was the first to gather his wits, unsheathing his saber. Aodhan attacking seemed to break the crew out of their stupor. Jak noticed out of the corner of his eye Smith bringing the heavy cannon to bear upon the assassin, and Einrich Splinter pointing his musket at the demon's head. The rest of the crew drew their various weapons, advancing slowly towards their adversary. This man gave off the air of a predator, and Jak got the feeling that he was an experienced killer. He would show the crew no mercy. His assumption proved correct. The demon-like figure flashed into action, flicking a dozen black needles at Smith, the needles burying themselves in his skull. He slumped forward over the controls, rotating the cannon towards the cabin, and firing it. The cabin exploded, showering the crew with debris. Flaming beams took half a dozen other pirates out of commission, and the demon calmly withdrew an object from his pocket, tossing it at the cannon. It flew past Jak's face, and Jak noticed it was a flame charge. But you can't get fire near the cannons, his subconscious argued dimly. It will explode. And explode it did, effectively tearing the ship in two.

The ship started to keel, and the quarter mast started to fall, tearing a big chunk out of the deck, crushing another few pirates. The demon flashed into action, simply slicing Einrich in half, and burying a long, hooked sword in Aodhan's skull. Finally, Jak was the only one left. The figure advanced on him twirling his scythe expertly. He grabbed Jak's face with his spiky gauntlet. Jak felt his face start to bleed. "Now, let me give you a message for Herobrine when you meet him in the Nether," the figure's voice was filtered strangely through the helmet giving it a reptilian sound. "He better start amassing his troops, because we're coming for him. And he better be ready." With that, he slid his dagger blade across Jak's neck.

Me again. If you want to review, now's the time. And if you feel like showering me in e-cookies, go ahead. I won't judge. Constructive criticisms are appreciated, and just in case you find any spelling or grammar errors, I blame Microsoft word.

-Crimson Dawnbreak