It was one of those slightly strange days.
I received an order from SquirrelFaic99, a chatty player who seemed to have gone a bit nuts (no pun intended). She wanted an enchanting table, which was strange, because she was so afraid of hostile mobs that she never went into caves or fought them. So why should she want one? She couldn't have leveled up that high, anyway.
Still, she was willing to trade me a stack of bread and a cake (she mainly spent her days baking things), so I accepted the deal. Even if she couldn't find any use for it, who was I to turn down some extra, needed food?
I decided to get the materials. Finishing up my breakfast of bread and milk, I put the bucket back into my chest and got out some obsidian Onionboy had given me (he didn't really find much use for it, since he thought it was ugly and he didn't like nether mobs because his bow skills and accuracy was horrible). I needed the diamonds and book, so I made up my mind to visit HugoAlienasdf, the smithy, and Jinxlolol, the player who made paper, books, and written books (she also kept a library of stories).
Emerging onto the cobblestone street, I shut the wooden door behind me. It was a bright and crisp morning, and a small breeze blew. It was extremely comfortable as I set off towards the center of the town, where a large plaza with a fountain was located. There weren't many people, and it wasn't a big distance, so I didn't see anyone along the way as I walked into the circular central part of the village.
The gentle flowing of water could be heard as I strolled along towards the blacksmith's shop, waving at HelenHeather1999 (who, along with her friend Kylespoungepie, brewed potions). HugoAlienasdf was his usual grumpy self, picking mineral ingots out of a chest as I walked to the counter.
"Hmm, so it's RowanTheTurtle. What do you need" he asked me without even looking up from what he was doing. I waited for a second before replying, "I want two diamonds. They don't have to be tool-grade, since I'm making an enchanting table."
"Alright then, here you go," he said gruffly, shoving two shabby-looking diamonds at me. "That'll be 10 gold ingots," he told me, referring to the currency used in Kingsville (we paid for most everything in gold ingots, except for tiny things, which were bought and sold in gold nuggets). Nodding, I looked in my inventory and put ten of the shiny yellow bars on the counter. HugoAlienasdf retrieved them without another word and put them in a special enderchest for safekeeping.
Exiting the stuffy, heated blacksmith shop, I walked across the plaza to the Jinx Palace, which, ironically, was a very small store, owned by Jinxlolol. The inside of the shop seemed to be unnaturally cold, and a chilly breeze was blowing from somewhere, as if it was permanently winter. Jinxlolol stood in the back, looking at one of her chests, which probably contained books. Walking up to her, I waited until she looked up before asking to buy one.
"No problem," she said in her high-pitched, shrilly sort of voice as she handed me a mysterious leather-bound book. "That's going to be three gold nuggets," she added, and I gave her the amount and exited the store quickly, not wanting to be in that place any longer than I had to.
Now that I had the ingredients to make the enchantment table, I prepared to travel back to my house. Although I wished I could go find Onionboy or Lyra, I decided I didn't have enough time. Besides, one of them (probably Onionboy) would probably see me as I made my way home.
Strolling back down through the cobblestone streets, I paused at an intersection before continuing. Further down the road, I saw EurekanMediterranean, a nerdy sort of fellow who made redstone currents for the city. His house was also probably the second largest, only smaller than the mansion that Noble140 owned.
"Hi," I said to him, and he nodded, his glasses gleaming. "Greetings," he replied, and continued to walk in the opposite direction. My house was not far now. I could see its roof as I turned a corner and walked straight into someone.
"Oww!" a light voice exclaimed, and I realized it was Lyra. She seemed to be in some sort of hurry, and she had been carrying a pile of books in her hands. They now lay around the cobblestone street, and she hastily picked them up. "Sorry," I said, but she merely shook her head. "I've got to hurry," she replied. "See you, Rowan," she called over her shoulder as she sprinted in the opposite direction, towards the town hall.
Reaching my house, I opened the door and walked inside, closing it behind me. My living room was as untidy as I had left it. However, I didn't feel like organizing at the moment, so I ignored the messy tables and chairs and walked up the stairs to my second floor, where my crafting benches sat off to one side of the wall, with a few furnaces and several chests towards the other side. I could see the street through a window at the front of the room, and a hallway at the back led to my small bedroom.
Walking over to the crafting table, I got to work on the enchantment table. It would take nearly the whole day to make it, since it was so complex. I had to get the diamonds and book just right, and the obsidian had to be hammered into the exact shape. I knew that although I would be paid well, it would still take a large chunk out of my time.
Hours later, my stomach rumbled. It was time to have lunch. Sighing, I left the diamonds and book at the table. I had spent the whole morning carving the obsidian, which now looked at least remotely like an enchanting table and not the large, raw pieces that had been in my chest. Sunlight streamed through the glass pane window, and a soft melody played as the day shifted to noontime.
Walking out of my dusty house, I headed for the town plaza, intending to get a piece of steak or maybe some bread and milk at the café near Hugoalienasdf's blacksmith shop. Passing by some houses (one of them being Onionboy's), I continued towards the center of the town.
The plaza was as noisy as usual. Hugoalienasdf had his usual grumpy look as he gently polished some diamonds behind the open-air counter of his store. I could see EurekanMediterranean repairing the redstone current that lit up the street lamps, and Jinxlolol was in her musty book shop, putting some of her old rune books into a chest. I strolled past the massive fountain, the gurgling water flowing from the top, and towards a small restaurant near the road to Noble140's mansion.
Stepping inside, I went over to one of the tables and sat down. Aniseedlist, the owner of the café, smiled at me and asked me what I wanted. I told her I was ordering a steak and some bread and milk. Paying her 3 gold nuggets, I went back to staring out at the fountain.
By the time she had come back and given me my food, the sun had moved a little. Jinxlolol was taking a stroll around the plaza, while Hugoalienasdf had went off to do something. EurekanMediterranean was still fixing the street lamps, and linkueiraism, a snobby, aristocratic sort of fellow, was striding across the plaza to the town hall. Nobody really liked him, but then again, he was the town assistant (sort of like a co-mayor), and nobody dared to defy him.
As I finished my steak and was about to leave, someone entered aniseedlist's cafe. I only had to glimpse the white hoodie with a electric-blue creeper design to realize it was Onionboy. Spotting me, he smiled and sat down across from my table. We conversed for a while before he seemed to remember something.
"Hey Rowan, they're hosting a town meeting at the town hall tomorrow. I think we're all supposed to go. Make sure you don't miss it, because if you do, linkueiraism is going to find some sort of excuse to humiliate you." Standing up, he ate his food and prepared to leave, saying, "Sorry, but I gotta go. There's some sort of damage in the wall at the western area, so I have to stand around and guard the place while the builders fix the hole in the cobblestone." Nodding, I watched him leave, and then stood up, preparing to go back to my house.
It was late evening by the time I finished with the enchanting table. Stepping back to admire my work, I smiled as I took some melon slices out of my chest and ate them to celebrate my accomplishment. The enchanting table had four diamonds at the edges, with a square, obsidian body and a red felt covering. But the strangest part was a spinning book that was floating on top of the obsidian, absorbing what looked like strange characters from a bookshelf nearby. Lifting it off the table, I put it into my inventory and went downstairs and out of my house, delivering it to SquirrelFaic99.
It was almost dusk as I stepped out onto the cobblestone street, closing the wooden door behind me. I started to walk towards the other end of town, where SquirrelFaic99 lived, passing several houses along the way. Between the gaps, I could see the cobblestone wall, and beyond that, the darkening forest.
The town plaza was deserted save for Jinxlolol, who was humming as she walked around the edge of the fountain, and Hugoalienasdf, who was still sporting his grumpy look as he polished the counter of his blacksmith store. Aniseedlist's café seemed empty, but I could see her inside as she cleaned the tables and prepared the next day's food. I waved at EurekanMediterranean, who was putting the final touch on the last street lamp, before walking past the café and onto the southern area of Kingsville.
SquirrelFaic99 lived above her store, which was known as the Nutbread Bakery. Entering the building, I was overcome by a pleasant smell of baking bread and sweet cakes. SquirrelFaic99 was nowhere to be found, but I saw her nameplate moving around on the 2nd floor, and I guessed that she was baking something. She seemed to sense that I had entered, and she came downstairs, holding some sort of large, cherry-topped cake. Setting it aside on a nearby table, she turned to face me, and I looked in my inventory for the enchanting table.
"Here's your enchanting table," I told her, giving her what had taken me the whole day to make. Nodding, she thanked me, and I received a stack of bread, along with the large cherry cake, as she had promised. I also picked up some little honey cakes, which I paid two gold ingots for, and left her shop. The stars had begun to show, and I could see the squarish moon rising up from the horizon, while the sky turned a fiery shade of orange as the sun set. Setting off at a sprint, I was determined to make my way back to my house before night fell. I didn't have a sword on me, and I would be defenseless against any mobs that were able to get past the cobblestone wall.
The plaza's street lamps turned on as I ran past. Hugoalienasdf had closed down his store, while Jinxlolol was locking her door. Aniseedlist's café was dark and deserted, and she was probably at her house, which was not far from mine's.
Suddenly, I heard a slurping noise, and I saw a spider, its eight hairy, black legs carrying it towards me, and its multiple, ruby-red eyes reflecting the moonlight. I sprinted even harder, running towards the edge of the plaza. However, as I was about to reach there, I saw another spider run forward and block my way, trapping me by the fountain. Instincts kicking in, I began to run along the edge of the water, with the two spiders right after me. My hunger level was dropping, and I didn't know if I would be able to keep it up for long.
After what seemed like my fifth lap, I glimpsed a glint of metal, and one of the spiders was hit by what looked like a sword. It curled up and died, and I turned around for a second, trying to see who was rescuing me.
Big mistake.
The next thing I knew, I had tripped on a rock and the spider was gaining on me, its hairy body jumping up and down. I screwed my eyes and waited for it to sink its fangs into my skin, but it never came.
Instead, I felt someone reach out and help me up, and I saw Onionboy, a bloody, iron sword in his hand. "Sorry about that," he said, "Those spiders keep climbing over the walls. I have to deal with them all the time. They're really annoying, sneaking up on you when you're busy dealing with creepers or whatever." Examining me, he laughed and commented, "You're covered from head to toe in bits of dirt. You should go take a bath, man." Nodding, I smiled. "Yeah, I will."
"Just doing my job," Onionboy said, waving off my thanks. "What were you doing out here at night, anyway? I don't see many people out here. It's usually just me and the other guards."
Checking my inventory, I was relieved that nothing had dropped out, though a few of the bread looked dirty. "I had to give SquirrelFaic99 her enchanting table." Handing a few of the small sweet cakes to Onionboy, I said, "Here, have these." Eating one of them, he managed to say through a full mouth, "Yeah, thanks man. You should go home."
Thirty minutes later, I had finished my bath (Onionboy was right, I was covered in filth from tripping and falling onto the muddy ground, and the water that I had used was a nasty shade of brown as I poured it down the drain), recorded SquirrelFaic99's request in my book, and lay down on my bed, trying to sleep. Looking through the window outside, I looked at the stars as the moon slowly made its way across the nighttime sky.
Little did I know that in less than 24 hours, everything would change.