Narration

It had been just normal day in the land of Minecraftia. The chickens were clucking; the pigs were oinking. The day was nearly over, the sun was at the bottom of the horizon. And in the peaceful village of Blockfield, a young boy in particular was playing around in the local stables with the horses.

"Hey horsey!" he said with excitement as he pet one, then tried to jump on its back. The horse snorted, then bucked the little boy off and walked away. The boy fell on the ground, but wasn't hurt. "Hehehe," he laughed giddily as a colt began to nuzzle his armpit curiously, sniffing it loudly. "you want to play too?" He began to rub the horse's neck. It snorted with contentment.

"David?" Mom's voice called from his house a dozen blocks down the street.

"Yeah, Mom?" he called back.

"Are you in the stables again?" her voice questioned.

"Maybe!" the young boy shouted.

"Get out of there! You know Mr. Billy wouldn't like you to be there without his permission!" her voice ordered.

"Awww, fiinnee…" he moaned and made his way out of the stables, making sure he closed the fence gates this time. Last time young David had forgotten, horse colts had gotten out and Mr. Billy yelled at him.

"Come inside, dinner's ready!" Mom added. David looked back at the horses and grinned.

"I'll try to bring some more apples and sugar with me next time." the young boy promised and ran over to his house.

David's POV

Mom and Dad sat at the dinner table, waiting for me. Paws, our orange tabby cat, lay curled up on a furnace, snoring away. I quickly rushed into my seat and looked at my dinner. We were having cooked porkchops, apples, rabbit stew, and a baked potato-along with glasses of milk.

"Be sure to eat everything, deary." Mom said.

"Yes, Mom." I replied as I picked up the apple and took a huge bite.

"So, David…" Dad started between bites, "Did you see Emily again today?"

"No, I played with the animals today." I answered.

"Even though we told you not to…" Mom murmured.

"I just can't help myself. Horses are so cool!" I finished off the apple and picked up the baked potato next.

"They're dangerous. If you approach one from behind, or surprise them in any way, they could panic and hurt you." she muttered to herself, "I just worry…"

"Ah, come on Maria. I remember when I used to play with animals when I was young." Dad said with a smile, "And look where I am now."

"That's not reassuring…" Mom mumbled and Dad chuckled.

"Anyway, so I hear from the other villagers that the school will be open in a couple days." she said.

"That's good to hear." Dad muttered.

"Especially considering most of the other villages have their own schools right now. The school itself was built in a couple days. Finding the teacher and organizing the schedule seems to be much a lot more difficult." she murmured.

"Oh yeah." Dad replied, though I could tell he wasn't listening.

"I hear the Administration for the Education of Children is sending a teacher from Diamond City." she revealed, which caught Dad's attention.

"What? Did you say Diamond City?" Dad gasped and bits of food particles flew out of his mouth. "That's pretty great to hear!" Mom sighed in annoyance.

"Honestly, Joseph, that's disgusting." she scolded, "We're not animals, so don't eat like one."

"Actually, I heard from Professor Martin that humans technically are animals, just a vastly superior type of them. You know how smart he is." Dad pointed out.

"That's not the point…" Mom bit her lip, as she always did whenever she was annoyed.

"Alright, I'm sorry for spitting, honey." Dad apologized, a playful smile on his face. Mom sighed.

"Anyway, so this new teacher supposedly is great with kids."

"The big question is; will they teach David how to use swords?" Dad pondered, "He's going to need to learn combat training for when he eventually grows up and moves away."

"I surely hope so." Mom took a bite of her porkchop, then continued, "I would expect that the one of the first things they are going to teach students is basic combat. Thank goodness we have the iron golem to patrol the village."

"You mean Bob?" I reminded.

"Yes, deary, I mean Bob." she smiled.

"He gave me a flower today." I said gleefully and brought out the poppy. Or was it a rose? I had heard people call it both of those things.

"Wow, that's really nice to hear. Did you thank Bob?"

"Oh, um… no…" I mumbled once I remembered the incident. Dad gave me a goofy shrug.

"David, you really have to work on that." he reminded.

"Sorry…" I heard a knock on the door.

"I'll get it." Mom got up and headed over to the door. Once she opened the door, I heard a familiar voice come from outside.

"Hi, Mrs. Stonefield, may I come in?" Emma's voice requested.

"Emily?! What're you doing out this late at night!? Come in!" Mom ordered.

"Thank you." I looked back and watched as Emma entered the house, and Mom closed the door behind her.

"Come, eat with us. You haven't had dinner yet, have you?" Mom questioned her.

"Well, Auntie Susan tried to get me to eat carrots, but I hid them and pretended that I ate them." she said. I recalled that Emma hated to eat carrots. One time, she made herself throw up a bunch of carrot particles while we were playing. It was disgusting.

"Then, come sit with us. You can sit right next to David. I'll get you some food." Emma ran over to the seat next to me and sat down. I noticed she wore her typical light blue dress. She seemed to always be wearing it every time I saw her. "Hey David!" she grinned. Emma was my best friend, and one of the only people I got along with.

"Hi Emma." I replied and smiled back. I looked at Dad, who seemed to watch us with a weird look in his eyes. He also had a strange smile. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"So, Emily," he started, "what about your aunt? Did she let you out at night?"

"Oh, um… she didn't." Emma admitted, "I kinda… snuck out on my own after she went to sleep."

"Really?!" Dad stammered, "Emma, you know you shouldn't do that!"

"I know… but… it's just that she always goes to bed early. She makes me go to bed early too. It's unfair!"

"Well, here you go!" Mom said as she placed down a porkchop, baked potato, apple, a bowl of stew, and a glass of milk.

"Thank you, Mrs. Stonefield." Emma started with the potato.

"See, David? She says thank you." Mom pointed out, giving me a smile.

"Mom!" I whined. Emma giggled.

"Well, after you've eaten your dinner, I think you should head back home." Dad suggested to Emma, "With Bob's protection, of course. I'll call the golem after dinner."

"I don't want to…" she replied.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because you guys are awesome. You're like the parents I wish I had!" Emma answered. A long time ago, Emma's parents were both killed in a mob attack. We were both babies at the time, and her aunt had decided to take care of her. It was very sad, but Emma didn't remember them much because she had been so young.

"Well, tell you what-you can spend the night here with us. David can make you a bed." Mom said, clearly pleased by Emma's compliment.

"Maria, are you sure?" Dad said.

"Yes, I'll just explain everything to Barbara tomorrow morning." Mom replied to him.

"Yay! Emma's staying over!" I cheered. It had been so long since Emma stayed over.

"It's a slumber party!" Emma cheered. I couldn't even remember when the last time she had stayed over was, probably at least a thousand years ago.

"Well, it looks like you two are done with your dinner." Mom noted and my heart skipped a beat. Uh oh… I thought. "Time to go to bed."

"Aww what!? Noooo!" I whined, "I don't wanna go to bed!"

"Me neither!" cried Emma, "I just got here!"

"Both of you, go to bed." Mom ordered sternly. "It is very late, and you don't want the monsters to come get you… You can stay up, but only until midnight." We shut up, got out of our seats, and headed into my room, closing the spruce doors.

My room was a five-by-five one with a ceiling three blocks up. The whole room was faintly lit up by a redstone torch-which acted as my night-light. My room had a chest where I kept the stuffed mob heads I used to sleep with, as well as another chest containing stuff I took home with me. I had a furnace in the room, though I didn't use it. There was also a crafting table in case I wanted to make anything.

Joseph's POV

As David and his friend went to his room for their slumber party, I turned to look at my wife. Her face was troubled, and I knew what she was gonna say. I frowned.

"Joseph, I think it's time we talked about the dreams I've been having." she said.

"I highly doubt they're anything dangerous. They're just dreams." I replied.

"Joseph, this is serious. If what I saw was real, Blockfield could be in serious trouble!" she explained.

"Maria, dreams are only visions of what your mind sees from an emotional perspective. They aren't real." I informed her.

"I hope they are just dreams. After all, they're just kids." she sighed.

"Let's ignore it, we've got more important things to focus on." I pointed out.

"But the rumors of a madman with a powerful monster going around attacking other towns. Do you think your brother could be behind-"

"That's enough." I said sternly. I didn't want to talk about my brother. Us knights had heard the rumors, and they seemed somewhat credible as we had lost connection with one of our neighboring villages, but I didn't want to think my brother had anything to do with it.

"But Joseph-"

"I said that's enough. You know I don't like to talk about him." I reminded. She sighed and began to head to the bedroom.

"We need to talk about this sometime. Sooner is better than later." she said before she left. I stood, thinking to myself.

David's POV

I was pressing the side of my head against the door, struggling to hear any more of their conversation, but it was silent.

"What're you listening to?" Emma suddenly asked.

"I'm trying to hear what Mom and Dad are talking about." I answered, and she yawned.

"Well, I'm a bit tired. It's midnight already. Nighttime sure flies by, doesn't it? Go ahead and make that bed, could you?" I couldn't hear them talking anymore-they must have gone to bed. I frowned, I had barely been able to hear any of whatever they were talking about.

I lifted my head away from the door and turned to look at my clock above the door. Sure enough, it was midnight. Then I went towards the chest that sat by the window. Heading over and opening the chest, I asked her what color bed she had wanted.

"Could you do a light blue? That's my favorite color!" she requested.

"Sure!" I smiled as I pulled out three light blue wool blocks and three oak wood planks. I took them over to the crafting table right next to the chest and placed them in their proper slots. The wool and wood shot together and disappeared, replaced by a portable bed with light blue blankets and the standard white pillow. I picked it up and went over and placed it one block from my own, so it was close enough to feel like a slumber party but not close enough to feel weirdly close.

"Thank you!" Emma lunged into her newly-made bed and engulfed herself in its large bright blue sheets. I felt myself yawn and realized how exhausted I was. I crawled into my own bed and snuggled up inside the blankets.

"Well, good night…" was the last thing I heard her say before the tiniest of light breathing replaced it, implying that she had fallen asleep. I looked up at the smooth stone ceiling, listening to the faint moaning of the green people of the night. An occasional rattling of bones and hiss of a spider would also be heard, but thankfully I was in here. And they were out there. I also heard the heavy metal thuds of Bob the iron golem walking by our house, which comforted me. And within seconds, I drifted off into sub-consciousness.

I dreamed I was running through darkness, being chased by something that I couldn't see. I couldn't see anything about my surroundings, I couldn't even see what I was running across. But one thing was clear to me-if I stopped running for even one second, I was dead. Laughter echoed throughout the place, and I heard a voice.

"You fool. There is nothing you can do to save this world. You are just a kid!" The source of the voice sounded broken, like they weren't all there. I could tell that the voice belonged to a man. "A young little pipsqueak who has been sheltered all his life from the cold and dark reality of this world!" I didn't respond to the voice-I didn't want to use the energy on anything other than fleeing from whatever was after me.

"Our world is dying! All of mankind-all of US-have ruined it! The Creator has forsaken us all-he left us for dead centuries ago!" the voice boomed. What was he talking about? What creator? "It didn't have to come to this! People have become so twisted-so corrupted in their own desires-in their own ways of life, that now the only solution is to reset it all! I have dedicated my life to my research, and I am perhaps the only person alive who knows the history of our world-the full history! It's disgraceful!"

"Who are you!?" I cried, exhaustion growing heavily in my limbs.

"Who am I?" the voice repeated and I knew it wasn't a sane person who was speaking, "I am the one who will cleanse the world of the filth that covers it! I will be the one to save the Overworld! I am Lucian, and I am the hero that the Overworld has been waiting for!" the voice shouted.

"But, I cannot do this on my own. I need an apprentice who will carry my legacy. And I give you a choice to think about for when we meet. You cannot save this world, but you can create a new one! Will you do the right thing and help me rebuild this world from its ashes? Or will you become just another one of them-another one of the people that believe that every single thing in this world is flowers and sunshine and that everything will resolve itself? Consider this choice wisely, but if you do not want to restore our world, then you will meet the instrument of your destruction along with everyone else!"

Suddenly, I heard a deafening hiss as a creature flew over me and settled somewhere in front of me. I couldn't see it until a glowing pair of pure white eyes appeared, glaring directly at me. I could see the white glow of a twisted smile on the monster's face. Then, two more faces with the same eyes and smile appeared on the sides of the first. Fear overtook my body and I began to tremble. The glowing eyes and mouth rose several blocks into the air and a bursting scream exploded in my face. I couldn't move-I was frozen in terror.

I had only started to see a dark skeletal frame around the features before the voice let out a crazed yell and the dark skeletal monster began to fire its heads at me. I let out a scream of terror as I covered my eyes. Then, the dream faded away.

I shot up from my bed, gasping for breath. I was in a puddle of my own sweat. My heart was pounding. Looking around the room, I began to calm down after realizing it was just a dream. I noticed Emma in her own bed, sleeping away. I heard a weird noise coming from outside, something that sounded like bleep-bloop. Getting out of my bed, I headed for the window and took a look.

A tall black figure stood a few blocks away from the house, with purple particles floating around it. I had never seen any creatures quite like it. I pressed my face against the glass to get a better look. The creature seemed to be holding a block of dirt, with grass growing on top of the brown soil. It was very hard to see in the dark landscape, but the tall thing seemed to be facing away.

Suddenly, the creature turned around and glared at me with purple eyes and open jaws lined with teeth. I lost my footing and fell back on the ground.

Once I got back to my feet, I ran back to the window. The creepy creature was gone. It was as though it had vanished into thin air. Seeing its purple eyes had filled me with dread. They looked menacing and calculating.

Feeling very tired once again, I crawled back into bed and tried to go back to sleep. It was difficult with the nightmare I just had and seeing that mysterious creature, but after a few minutes, I drifted off to sleep again.

I couldn't see or feel anything. I could only hear two voices talking in the darkness.

'One would think that after its destruction, the land would finally be free from danger…' one of the voices said. They didn't sound anything like the speaker of my previous dream had. They sounded ancient and wise beyond comparison. I didn't know what they were talking about.

'Unfortunately, that won't be the case this time…' said the other.

'You are right, 'tis indeed a troubled land in need for heroes…'

'And it was already so fortunate to have so many throughout the ages… so long ago…'

'Yes, yes, but we are repeating ourselves…'

'It must be said that it was very much unexpected for the new hero… to be such a young child…'

'Yes, the universe has certainly chosen the unlikeliest of humans…'

'But can he save the world? How can a simple kid stop this great threat?'

'By believing in his strengths… After all, everything he need is already within him…'

'And even if others may try to make them feel helpless, he still has yet to know the true value he holds in the universe…'

'It is quite beautiful, the innocence of childhood…'

'Yes, it is, and he will soon embark on a path that few others will understand…'

'Yes, for now, let us watch our young hero go through the challenges of life…' The voices faded away, and the dream vanished.

I opened my eyes and saw sunlight streaming through the window. Getting out of my bed, I loudly yawned and stretched. I noticed that Emma was gone. I groaned and stumbled out my door.

My parents were both in the dining room serving freshly crafted bread. Emma sat on a stair block, talking to them as she grabbed a loaf.

"Hey." I started as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. Mom and Dad glanced at me.

"Good morning, dear. Did you have a good night sleep?" Mom asked.

"I wish…" I mumbled. At this, Emma turned around and stared at me.

"Did you have a nightmare or something?" she asked. "You look weird."

"Yeah, it was scary. You?" I questioned.

"No…" she muttered. Mom's humming and Dad's reading of the daily newspaper told me that they weren't really listening. I went over and sat down at the table. Taking a loaf of bread, I gobbled the whole thing down. I hadn't even realized how hungry I was, which was weird-considering that last night's dinner had been pretty filling. I wondered if me sprinting in my dream last night had anything to do with it. Probably not.

"So, what're you two going to do today?" Mom asked, "Anything fun?"

"Actually, I'm going to check out the new school." Emma said, "I just can't wait until school starts." Uh oh… I thought in my head.

"I'm sure David would like to go as well." Mom hummed, "He is looking forward to going to the new school as much as you."

"Yeah, but we can go tomorrow, on the first day of school." I pointed out.

"But I wanna see what the school looks like before everyone else." Emma argued. "I wanna get to know the layout, and maybe meet the teacher."

"Emma," I gritted my teeth, "we really don't want to go there today…"

"Why not?" she complained, "You never want to go to the school. I just don't understand why."

"David, if Emma wants to go, it'd be polite to be a gentleman and escort her." Mom pointed out. Dad was still reading his newspaper, completely unaware. "And plus, it'd be a good idea to become familiar with the place before school starts."

"But-" I stopped when Mom gave me a silent but dangerous look. I got the feeling that if I kept it up, she was gonna grounded me or do something else unforgivable. "Okay…" I resigned.

"Yay!" Emma cheered, then jumped out of her seat and ran over to the door. "Come on!" With a groan, I followed her.

Well, hello there. I see that you must be at least a little bit interested if you've gotten this far *insert doge face* Well, hi, I'm the writer of this series. And I gotta say, I put a lot of work into this series that you are currently reading. About five years(at the time of writing this) of work. Which is funny, because I haven't even written the entire series after all that time. No, it's because all that time went into another book series that eventually didn't work out, as well as working out the entire timeline for this world called Minecraftia. And(you can skip this and move onto the next chapter if you're bored btw) throughout that time, I've come up with a grand total of ten book series that I could write about, but haven't decided on if I'm going to or not. In fact, this very series is #8 in that series timeline, and is part of a trilogy series that I simply call the Hero's Trilogy :D