Hola, chicos y chicas! Here is Chapter 2 of EnderGuards: Protectors of Minecraftia, so please enjoy! Like I said, this is my first FanFic, so I'm not really sure of what I'm doing most of the time, so thanks for being patient with me!
In this chapter we switch tones a bit; the past tense "old-time story" tone is dropped, and we now adopt the narrative style common to most stories as Aeries Company is introduced.
What you're about to read is a Minecraft-based adventure story. I have altered several details of Minecraft's storyline, physics, etc. in order to make the story flow more smoothly, so please bear with me as I warp and alter Minecraft a little. Comments and constructive feedback are always appreciated, and if anyone bothers to read this and likes it, I'll gladly continue the story. Thanks! -Mobius
The iron sword clove the air, arcing quickly toward its target's head, but before it could connect it was met in midair by a deep-golden blade, abruptly stopping it short with a jarring crash. Giving a twist of his arm, the owner of the golden sword forced his opponent's blade down, and the wielder of the iron weapon jumped back quickly, letting out a startled yelp as the sharp yellow blade whipped past his torso, scratching his iron armor as it passed. Pressing his advantage, the gold-armored soldier advanced on his adversary, striking quickly and powerfully, methodically battering down the hapless combatant's defenses until, with a final strike, the iron sword clattered across the glowstone-studded cobblestone floor. Weaponless, the erstwhile wielder of the iron blade stood stunned as his gold-clad opponent whipped his sword up to his throat and held it poised. Silence filled the room for a moment, and then the gold-armored Steve lowered his weapon and stepped back, surveying his sheepish adversary analytically.
"Not bad, Palermo, but remember: don't give ground. If you have to move in a fight, move sideways—or better yet move forward—but don't move backward! Backing up allows your enemy to control the fight; he has more power behind his strikes because he's moving naturally while you're awkwardly hopping backwards, he can see where he's going while you can't, and most importantly, he has the psychological advantage, since he's advancing while you retreat. In general, backing up will almost certainly lose you the fight, so don't do it! Got it? Good!"
The gold-armored Steve said all of this very quickly, and the still somewhat dazed Jonathan Palermo nodded absently as he retrieved his sword; Lieutenant Branche's rapid-fire method of speaking always gave him a headache, and it didn't help that the Lieutenant seemed to favor a "beating-the-hell-out-of-them-is-the-best-way-to-make-them-learn" teaching method.
"Alright, who's next?" Lieutenant Branche queried energetically, looking eagerly at the remaining five Steves sitting on the benches. The quintet looked at each other dubiously, none of them particularly eager to have a sparring session with the gold-armored Lieutenant. They were EnderGuards, members of the most elite fighting force in Minecraftia, charged with the protection of the famed Citadel and the three Strongholds, and they knew no fear on the field of battle, but still, none of them relished the prospect of fencing with the somewhat crazy Lieutenant.
"Come on, come on, who's up for some training?" Branche repeated, grinning slightly and raising his blade. "How about you, MacKimson?"
The reclining Steve in question glanced up, startled at his officer's unexpected request, and beside him his tamed wolf pricked up his ears and sat up, peering intently between his master and the Lieutenant.
"Ah, well, I don't…oh, all right," the rather introverted MacKimson stuttered, knowing that to refuse would be unwise. Reluctantly, he drew his blade and trudged into the arena. As the Steve departed, the dog stretched, yawned, and prepared to follow his master into the ring, giving a soft "Woof!", but Rey MacKimson, realizing his mistake, turned and firmly ordered him to sit. Grumbling, the tamed wolf sat down again, dropping his head onto his paws as he surveyed the ring. Taking positions across from each other, Branche and MacKimson readied their blades, their eyes locked on each other as they awaited the start signal. The noteblock sounded, and the two Steves began circling each other warily.
His sword recovered, Jonathan Palermo took his seat on the bench, watching the battle. He was new to this regiment; new to the EnderGuards in general, in fact, and most of his new comrades had been fighting alongside each other for years, making him the odd Steve out. While they had made him feel welcome, he knew they still considered him "The Newbie", which was why Lieutenant Branche had made him spar first, and he was determined to learn from them, and gain their genuine respect. MacKimson and Branche's match seemed disorganized and chaotic, much as the others had assured him the battlefield was, but as he watched he began to notice a distinctive pattern. The Lieutenant's fighting style seemed to consist largely of reliance on armor and very up-close melee fighting, pressing aggressively into the fray, while MacKimson's method was the polar opposite; the introvert with the dog had a habit of dodging and blocking each strike, returning blows only when he saw an opportune opening. It was a classic match of strategy against raw power, and Palermo wondered what the Captain would think of the fight between the Lieutenant and the Ranger/Pathfinder. Jonathan had barely met the Captain, but he had trained under him long enough to know that the Steve favored both methods of warfare on the field of battle; Tactical, stealthy strategy to get close to the enemy, then pure, determined power added to the cunning to overpower and outsmart one's foes. The combination had won many battles for the Captain and his regiment of EnderGuards, known as "Aeries Company", and Jonathan Palermo was proud to be serving under him.
Totally intent upon the fight and his own ruminations, Jonathan did not notice as an eighth Steve stepped quietly into the training area. Clad in pale-blue diamond armor, the newcomer held himself with an authoritative bearing and looked every bit the respectable military type, but as he witnessed the sparring match being waged, he leaned casually against a cobblestone pillar and munched on some bread as he watched Lieutenant Branche and Sergeant MacKimson continue their fight. Despite the Steve's nonchalant attitude, however, Sergeant Rae Caceres, the company's bow expert, noticed him enter and abruptly shot to her feet, her iron armor glinting as she stood at attention, saluted smartly, and yelled
"Aeries Company, Captain on deck! Atten-HUT!"
The effect on the rest of Aeries Company was immediate; the three iron clad Steves still sitting on the oak wood stairs that served as benches also sprang to their feet, snapping to attention as they saluted the diamond-armored Steve, and the two combatants in the arena instantly sheathed their weapons and followed suit, MacKimson dropping his in his haste, causing Branche to scowl at him. Caught off-guard by the sudden appearance of his captain and the flurry of activity, Jonathan Palermo was a moment behind everyone else as he leapt up and saluted, and the lag was quite obvious, earning him a glare from the Lieutenant, as well.
"Great," he thought, "another 'Newbie' move…and in front of the Captain, too!"
Surveying the saluting Steves bemusedly, Captain Jack Kolya stepped into the torchlight, returning the salute so his regiment could relax. His gaze swept across each of them, lingering for a moment upon the apprehensive Palermo, before he glanced at the bow expert with a somewhat exasperated air.
"Caceres, how often have I told you that's not necessary?"
Rae Caceres grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, sir. EnderGuard protocol, you know."
The Captain snorted. "Right. Well, I have some good news: we're going out on assignment."
There were several exclamations of surprise and excitement as Aries Company absorbed the news.
"What! Really? Where?!" shouted Yenix Sullivan, tapping his iron axe against the oak-wood bench. Sullivan was a rather combative Steve, preferring an axe over the conventional sword, and he was constantly jumpy and excitable, making him something of a terror on the field of battle. Captain Kolya observed the uproar with an arched eyebrow, waiting until his regiment calmed down before he continued.
"Well, apparently the Citadel has done its job. If Minecraftia is so safe that a simple routine assignment causes this much excitement, then perhaps we EnderGuards are becoming redundant." The other seven Steves calmed down considerably, looking somewhat shamefaced. The Captain chuckled and continued, "At any rate, this is a routine assignment; a small, quiet village in the nearby Plains Biome has had some of its citizens disappear while mining, and they can't find any trace of them. Steves are continuing to disappear, so they sent a pig-rider to the Citadel, asking for some help, and we're being sent to investigate. Any questions?"
A somewhat gangly Steve near the rear straightened up and called across the room, "Captain, am I likely to need to carry any splash potions?" His name was Martin Fletcher, and he was Aeries Company's medic.
"We're not too likely to encounter much combat, so I doubt it, but it couldn't hurt," replied Jack Kolya, "Maybe three each of Healing, Regeneration, and Harming."
Fletcher nodded somberly; splash potions of Harming were expensive to make, and he hoped he wouldn't need to use any in combat on this trip. Captain Kolya looked around the room again, a raised hand catching his eye. He nodded at its owner, giving him permission to speak. A short, stocky Steve stepped forward, looking at his commanding officer with barely contained glee.
"Captain…you mentioned mining?"
Kolya nodded at his Demolition and Tunneling expert. "That's right. The Steves disappeared in the village's mine."
"So…will we need TNT?"
Kolya's expression grew concerned. "That mine is the village's livelihood, Graham. We don't want to destroy it. Still, I suppose a little firepower is never amiss."
Graham Yaltor nodded, slightly disappointed, as he began to take mental inventory of his redstone and pickaxe supply.
Frowning slightly at Yaltor for a moment longer, Kolya gazed once more at his regiment. "Anything else? No? All right, then; we depart at sunrise tomorrow. Form up at the Citadel's Main Gate after breakfast. You should probably get your gear ready, everyone. Good night." Turning, The Captain exited the training chamber, followed quickly by Branche as the second-in-command hurried to catch up to the diamond-armored Steve. As the rest of the regiment straggled out, Jonathan Palermo walked slowly to the door, lost in thought. This would be his first mission with Aeries Company…and he was as nervous as if he were venturing alone into the Nether; he had never been in combat before. "Stop it," he thought "the Captain said that we're not likely to encounter combat. And even if we do, everyone else has been in hundreds of fights. They'll know what to do. Besides, this could be my chance to prove that I'm not a 'Newbie'! If I handle myself well, maybe they'll really accept me as a real part of the regiment." His mind filled with alternatively terrified and hopeful thoughts, Jonathan Palermo flicked a lever, shutting off the glowstone lamps, and left the training room to prepare for his first mission.