I do not own Minecraft or any of the characters.
War
John climbed the stairs, stopping at the edge of the balcony beside Dawn, watching the gate in the distance. It was late, the city lit with torches and with countless soldiers and even Royal Guards patrolling the street. The guards wore standard iron armor. The Royal Guards wore armor that was either gilded iron or a seemingly random type of gemstone, and all of them had the Royal Guard insignia branded on the chest, an ornate crown with a pair of great swords crossed behind it and a ring of gemstones around the insignia. The top of the wall was lined with Royal Guards in gleaming emerald or ruby armor, all of them with diamond swords at their waste and with bows ready.
"Do you think we can win this?" John asked.
"No," Dawn said simply. "But they didn't see what happened at your village. They don't understand. And my status as a former Royal Guard isn't helping me persuade anyone that we should leave."
"Hey, I meant to ask you, how did my parents know you if you and me are about the same age?" John asked. "They left when I was an infant."
"Simple," Dawn smiled. "They kept tabs on the Royal Guard. And once I joined, I tracked them down, becoming their informant for years."
John smirked then shook his head and turned back to the view.
"Should have known," John sighed. "So, how do you think they'll attack? Tunnel up through the streets?"
"Probably," Dawn nodded. "There's nothing to stop them. Hell, once they get the Wither Star, they'll probably collapse the city to finish us off."
"What is the Wither Star?" John asked. "I mean really."
"Well," Dawn said, thinking. "Originally, it was a Nether Star, a crystal shaped like a four-pointed star that is the hear of a Wither, a three-headed monster that lives in the Nether and lives only to destroy. A Nether Star is the physical manifestation of their evil. The Wither Star is, according to legend, a Nether Star that contains the souls of hundreds of Withers, rather than only one. According to legend, a monstrous creature called the Angel of Death summoned hundreds of Withers and then killed them all, sealing their souls into a Nether Star. That star turned black, becoming known as the Wither Star. The Angel of Death supposedly used its power as his ultimate weapon to conquer the world. Then, one day, according to legend, another monster, Herobrine, fought the Angel or Death, killing him and taking the Wither Star. Then, he attacked the kingdom but was stopped by a lone hero who locked him away in a desolate land where no one dares go. The Wither Star, however, was stolen by the Witherlord, who used its power to attack the kingdom, the only force that stood against the Angel of Death's forces before Herobrine. The war, however, was generations later and no one knows why. But in the war, the star was eventually captured by the kingdom and the Witherlord and Skeleton King's armies were driven off."
"And now the kingdom has grown arrogant, believing they are strong enough to fight the forces alone after the Skeleton King has had years to plan and prepare," John summarized.
"Yes," Dawn nodded.
"Do you know who my father was?" John asked.
"I do," Dawn nodded. "He was a mercenary. Born a peasant then trained by a Royal Guard. When his teacher was killed by bandits, your father became a mercenary, traveling around and defeating groups of thieves for a price. Eventually, when the war began, the kingdom hired him to fight for us, as he was among the most skilled fighters who ever lived. It's probably where you get your own natural talent. And yes, you do have a natural talent. Anyway, during the war, he became a hero among the Royal Guard. Jack and Martha became close friends with him during the war. That's why he gave you to them when he died."
"I see," John said, staring out at the darkness beyond the walls of the city. "I don't suppose Herobrine is going to pop up and slaughter us all."
"Well," Dawn smirked. "If he does, it's in your bloodline to stop him."
"Come again?" John gaped.
"The hero that stopped him was determined to be an ancestor of your father's," Dawn said. "Plus, during the war, it was rumored that Herobrine had escaped. Your father went to investigate and when he returned, an army of skeletons was following and he was severely wounded but claimed that Herobrine was still imprisoned. The thing was, supposedly, and this one is entirely rumor, the wounds weren't consistent with skeleton swords."
"So you're saying my father fought Herobrine," John said. "And that's why he died."
"I don't know if it's true, but that's what the rumor says," Dawn shrugged.
John stared at her before shaking his head. He stared out at the darkness in silence. It was one thing to believe that every skeleton in existence was about to kill him and that his father was some great warrior. It was even possible to believe that he was only fighting to protect a stone filled with the souls of hundreds of monsters. But believing his father had fought and defeated some super powerful monster capable of beating an unstoppable force, that was something entirely different. Though he wasn't sure how.
"Wonder where they are," Dawn finally said. "We wouldn't be able to see them if they attacked now. What are they waiting for?"
"The night is darkest just before dawn," John said. "Dawn is in a few more hours. It shouldn't be long now. But I can't help feeling we're missing something big."
Just then, the ground began to shake violently. They both lost their footing. John slammed into the wall, falling to the ground and Dawn fell forward, screaming as she fell off the balcony. John threw himself forward, grabbing her hand and driving his sword into the floor of the balcony, struggling to hold on as the shaking got worse. Dozens of feet below them, several guards shouted in fear and confusion, then in dismay. John looked outward, Dawn twisting around to do the same. The source of the shaking became clear. A massive square of Obsidian was rising from the ground, breaking free as it did, causing the ground to shake. It had to be easily six hundred feet wide, and three hundred tall. More than big enough for an army to march through.
Finally the square stopped, the shaking dying down. John pulled himself and Dawn back up, years of working a farm and his training with Kendrick and Brandon allowing him to pull them both to the top without falling. Once on top, they stood, John pulling his sword out of the ground as they stared out at the square.
"Please tell me that's not what I think it is," John breathed.
"It's...a Nether portal," Dawn breathed. "He's going to open a portal for the Witherlord!"
As she said this, purple energy began to spread in the square, starting in the lower left corner and reaching outward, the energy spiraling and swirling like smoke, and shining, giving everything, including the city, and eery purple glow, despite the torches.
"We have to get to the gate," Dawn said. "Even if the Skeleton King can't break in, the Witherlord can."
The two of them sprinted down the steps, reaching the street in minutes and finding guards sprinting toward the gate. Just as they reached the ground, Damian ran over with Melody.
"Kendrick and Brandon are at the gate," Damian said. "What now?"
"Every castle has a way out," John said. "The King should be inside. Tell him I asked for him to smuggle you two out. Keep her safe, Damian. We'll meet you outside."
Damian nodded and ran into the castle with Melody. Then, John and Dawn ran for the gate.
"Not even a hug goodbye?" Dawn asked.
"Now's really not the time for a long goodbye, don't you think?" John asked.
Dawn nodded an agreement as they slowed to a stop, a ways back from the gate yet. The glow from the portal was shining through between the doors and around them, and everyone present was on edge. No one had expected a portal, let alone one so overwhelmingly massive. They could hear feet, marching in perfect step and growing closer. Something, somewhere, roared. John held his sword ready, then turned and looked around.
"He said we wouldn't see them coming," John breathed.
"We saw them," Dawn said.
"No," John said. "We saw the portal. We hear something coming. We don't see what."
"You think it's a distraction?" Dawn asked.
"I think that the back door might be less safe than we hoped," John said.
Dawn's eye's widened and she sprinted away, toward the castle. John turned back to the gate as something hit it with a massive crash, and it rocked inward. Dust fell from the wall and people shouted in fear, backing away. The door was hit again. John looked up at the top of the wall, seeing the archers all firing toward the ground in front of the door. The door rocked inward a third time and a gold block fell from the door, shrinking as it hit the ground, breaking a ground block as well. John gulped, taking a couple involuntary steps back as the door rocked inward again, several more blocks falling from the door, light shining through the gaps.
"It won't hold!" someone wailed.
The archers on the wall began to fire frantically, but a moment later, arrows began to return. In seconds, the archers were forced to either crouch behind a parapet or jump off the wall to the top of a building then make their way to the ground to join in the battle in the streets once the gate finally gave, which it obviously would. Seconds later, the gate, now practically crumbling, was bashed inward for the fifth time, the massive metal beams meant to hold it shut smashing and falling away as several miniature gold ingots, except for one. The gate swung back into place one final time before being destroyed. With the final hit, the gate all but exploded, full-sized gold blocks sailing through the air, hitting several soldiers and damaging the buildings around them. Rather than hundreds of skeletons charging in, a single, massive green creature did. Its legs, though muscular, looked disproportionate to its torso, which bulged with muscle and was pockmarked with battle scars. Two yellowed, chipped tusks jutted up from its bottom jaw, and it swept an entire line of soldiers aside with a single swing of its massive wooden club.
"Troll!" someone shouted.
And just like that, it was chaos. Archers were firing at the troll, whose back was already lined with countless arrows, and soldiers on the ground were fleeing as fast as their feet would carry them. This behemoth of a monster stood more than double Damian's height, and had its eyes locked on John.
"Oh terrific," John growled as Kendrick and Brandon stepped up beside him.
"Why is it always me?" John asked them as the three backed away.
"Good question," Brandon asked. "Remind me to ask you later."
John snorted in amusement then turned, sprinting down a side street. There was a deafening roar and a moment later, the troll was blasting its way after him, arms smashing the walls of the buildings to make room. John sprinted around the corner, skidding on the smooth stones of the road, then ducked as the corner of the building exploded past him. He found traction, sprinting away from the troll just as its club crashed down where he had been. A staircase on the right came into his view as the troll began to bear down on him. He sprinted up the staircase, leaping off the top as the troll smashed through it. John landed on the troll's head, stabbing his sword into it then ripped the sword back out and leapt sideways off the troll onto the roof of a building. He looked toward the gate and felt his blood run cold. The soldiers had returned, but now there were black-boned skeletons flooding into the city, fighting with the soldiers. It was a vicious battle but it wasn't clear which side was winning.
John turned back to the troll as it grabbed the steeple of a church and hurled it at John.
"Shit!" John shouted, sliding down the roof he was on then leaping to a balcony the next building over.
The steeple crashed into the building he had been on and obliterated the roof. Then, the troll exploded out of what was left, swatting at John with its free hand. John leapt off of the balcony, driving his sword into the troll's side just as the troll's hand smashed the balcony and a large portion of the building's wall. John ripped his sword out, dropping to the road and landing in a roll as the troll tried to stomp on him, barely missing. John stood, turning back toward it just as several arrows hit the troll in the face, making it stagger backward. John spun, looking down the road to see Kendrick, Brandon, and Dawn all aiming bows at the troll. It roared, lumbering down the street at them and the three scattered into side streets, John doing the same. After a moment, John dove backward as the troll exploded out of the building on his left, crashing into the other one but stopping, roaring and charging at him.
"Leave me alone!" John shouted, running back the way he had come.
At the last second, he dove sideways into an alleyway and the troll stomped past. Just after it was past, John stood, turning and finding a group of Wither Skeletons charging at him, stone swords drawn. John turned, sprinting out of the alleyway just as the troll crashed into it, killing the skeletons before chasing John. An arrow stuck into its front ankle and the troll roared, veering sideways after Kendrick, who turned, fleeing. John turned, watching as Brandon ran out of a side street and sent an arrow into the back of the troll's head. It turned, roaring at him and charging. Then, Dawn stepped out, hurling an entirely iron spear into the troll's front ankle, the back foot catching on it and sending the troll toppling to the ground. John sprinted forward, driving his sword into one of the Troll's eyes as Brandon stabbed the other and Kendrick stabbed the troll in the base of the skull. Finally, it exploded into a massive cloud of smoke and all of them sighed in relief, breathing hard. They turned, hurrying back through the city toward the gate.
When they arrived, they found that the soldiers were still holding, but only barely. Then, reinforcements arrived. For the skeletons. Wither Skeletons twice the size of the others with what looked like leather pauldrons and a pair of massive iron swords. They reached the guards and slashed their way through in an instant. They charged at John and the others and John gulped, taking a step back as Kendrick and Brandon stepped forward. John glanced at Dawn, seeing terror written all over her face as she stared at the approaching monsters.
"Get out of here," John said, stepping forward. "Find Damian and Melody. Get them out of the city."
"The secret tunnel was flooded with skeletons," Dawn said. "Just like you said. Most of the army is there, for when they try and ambush us. How do we get out?"
"Break through the wall," John said. "I'm sure the King has TNT somewhere."
"I think that's been tried," Dawn said.
"Then find rope and rappel down the outside," John said. "Just get out of here."
Dawn stared at him for a moment before nodding and sprinting away. John sighed, turning back to the skeletons as Kendrick and Brandon both smiled back at him.
"She's very pretty too," Brandon grinned.
"Don't start," John growled. "I'm working hard not to run away."
"So are we," Kendrick snorted. "You're not the only one afraid."
John nodded as the skeletons, who had still been fighting the few stragglers of the King's army, sprinted at them. They charged forward, Kendrick and Brandon rolling under a pair of massive iron swords and attacking the next two giant skeletons. John ducked under the first's sword then slashed its knees before its head, killing it. Kendrick and Brandon finished their opponents equally fast before the three carved their way into the Wither Skeletons. There weren't nearly as many as had first entered, maybe seventy left, but for three people, it was asking a lot. John ducked under two swords, allowing the skeletons to slash each other before standing, grabbing a skeleton by the eye sockets and throwing him into another sword.
John ducked as Kendrick flipped over him, rolling over his back and bringing his left foot down on one Wither Skeleton, smashing its skull on the ground, before his right foot followed, smashing a second one. John stood back up, blocking a sword in time for Brandon to slash the skeleton before Brandon spun around John, slashing another. John spun, stabbing a skeleton then did a back flip onto another's head and spun, snapping its neck. As he dropped through its smoke cloud, he slashed another then blocked a stab. Then, a very large fist crashed into the skeleton, sending it crashing through the skeletons. Damian grabbed another then hurled it at a giant, smashing the giant's skull with the smaller skeleton, killing both. Then, he waded through the skeletons, stone sword clearing entire groups per swing, his massive arms doubling as battering rams for similar results.
"Glad he's with us!" Brandon shouted, fencing with a skeleton while also dodging several other blades at once, killing anything that got too close.
John spun, ducking under a blade then kicked the skeleton into the one that was giving Brandon a hard time and Brandon killed both. Then, he jumped, flipping over a blade and decapitating the skeleton. He landed on one knee, spinning and slashing another across the waist and killing it before Kendrick and Brandon both flipped over him, clearing a space around them. He stood, turning to look at Damian as Damian killed another giant skeleton, no wielding a pair of iron swords He spun, finishing the last giant skeleton and the remaining normal-sized ones suddenly separated, lining the edges of the street.
"Now what?" John asked, feeling fear grip him, despite not knowing what was happening.
"This can't be good," Kendrick said. "Damian! We should fall back!"
Damian nodded, turning and hurrying toward them just as a roar rang out behind him. He slowed to a stop, turning to look back as the others stared in terror. Standing behind Damian, now in the doorway, was a Wither Skeleton with an obsidian crown with a purple gem matching the one John had seen on the Skeleton King's. The Witherlord had a shroud of darkness clinging to him in the silhouette of a body, glowing red eyes, and an Obsidian sword. The skeleton was a little taller than the giant skeletons, standing about two feet taller than Damian.
"Please tell me this isn't..." Kendrick trailed off.
"The Witherlord," John breathed. "Both of you run. Tell the king he's here. Get us help!"
Kendrick and Brandon both turned, sprinting away as Damian raised his swords and John stepped up beside him, raising his own. The Witherlord roared, starting forward and both John and Damian backed away. The Wither Skeletons formed up behind them and they stopped. Damian stepped forward, slashing at the Witherlord and the Witherlord blocked the slash then punched Damian. A sonic boom rocked the street, knocking all of the skeletons and John over and Damian sailed away, blasting through a building then hitting the next and dropping to the ground. John gulped, pushing himself up as the Witherlord turned on him. John gulped, raising his sword as the Witherlord roared. John staggered back, covering his ears just before arrows began to stick into the Witherlord's face. John turned, seeing soldiers sprinting toward them. That was all it took.
The Wither Skeletons moved to fight the soldiers and John fought his way through them then fled, finding Damian before the two of them ran for the castle. Before we even made it halfway, the front gate exploded off the castle, flying into a nearby building and a massive obsidian golem with redstone down each arm and the right side of its torso in front and ruby eyes lumbered out of the castle, guards flooding around it, careful to avoid it as the guards moved to figh the skeletons following the golem. Damian and John groaned, knowing who was going to have to kill the thing.
"That's going to be problematic," Damian complained.
"Can you break Obsidian?" I asked.
"We'll see," Damian said. "Stay behind me."
John nodded as Damian lifted his swords and began forward. The golem moved to meet him instantly, and Damian slashed at it. His sword sparked off of it and its fist collided with his face, sending him reeling. He crashed into a wall, collapsing it and groaned.
"He packs a punch," Damian growled.
"John, Damian!" Dawn shouted from off to one side, running over.
"Dawn!" John smiled. "What the hell! You're supposed to be with Melody!"
"Brandon and Kendrick are with her," Dawn said. "We couldn't get out. I came to help you with this."
"Got any way to break obsidian?" John asked.
"I forgot my obsidian pickaxes, sorry," Dawn said rolling her eyes. "We'll have to trick it into killing itself."
"How?" John asked.
"We need traps," Damian said. "We'll use it to break the wall open. Then we'll use the hole to retreat. We can't kill this here."
John nodded and they all turned, running around the golem and toward the castle, wordlessly planning to take the King and the Wither Star. As they reached the gate where the battle had died down a bit, they found numerous wounded and countless dead guards. They quickly finished the skeletons there as the golem stomped after them, moving thankfully very slow.
"Where's the King?" John asked a wounded guard.
"In the treasure room, getting the Wither Star," the guard said before pointing at the tallest tower. "Up there."
John stared at the tower before groaning and sprinting toward the castle, the others following. They sprinted inside to find utter chaos. Skeletons and Wither Skeletons were fighting soldiers all throughout the hallways and chambers of the castle. John sprinted to the first battling pair they found and split the skeleton's skull then moved on to the next, the others following suit. Soon, a group of nearly fifty soldiers was sprinting through the castle with them, leading them toward the tower, which could only be accessed through the throne room.
Finally, they burst through the doors of the throne room and skidded to a stop. Seated in the throne, was none other than the Skeleton King. Kneeling on the ground before him were nearly a hundred skeletons. As one, the skeletons stood, turning toward the guards and charging, outnumbering them two to one.
"Oh god," John breathed as the soldiers moved to fight, most doing alright, but a few falling almost instantly. "This is going to be bad."
John looked to the Skeleton King, who simply stared back at him. He swallowed hard but drew his sword.
Just as he did, several skeletons broke through the line of soldiers, charging at him. John stepped forward, blocking the first sword then shoving it into the second, blocking that slash, before killing the first skeleton. He ducked under a third sword and Damian's passed over him, killing three skeletons before the others charged into the ranks of the guards, trying to help. John stood, finding Dawn at his side and six skeletons charging them.
"You and me again huh?" John grumbled. "Well, at least I'm not dying today."
One slashed at John and he blocked it, kicking the skeleton into the next before grabbing Dawn by the arm and spinning, allowing her to swing around and kick the skeletons. He set her on her feet again and slashed two skeletons. Two more charged at him but Dawn blocked their swords with her pickaxes, throwing the swords away before killing the skeletons. As the last two charged at them, Wither Skeletons began to sprint down the stairs. John cursed, killing the skeleton fighting him and turning toward them in time to see two familiar faces fighting them and successfully slaughtering them. Emile and the man that won the tournament.
"What the hell are they doing here?" John gaped. "How'd they survive?"
"Not sure," Dawn said. "The guy in the coat probably didn't fight last time."
The man was quite effectively slaughtering the Wither Skeletons with an iron bo staff, knocking their skulls off with each swing. Emile was wielding a pair of swords and was quite efficiently laying waste to them as well.
"John!" Brandon shouted.
John snapped back to reality just in time to sidestep a stab and kill the skeleton, looking around. Barely any guards were left, but with John's friends' help, there were barely any skeletons either. However, now, the Skeleton King was on his feet, walking calmly toward John, a sword made out of bone held in his hand.
"You fight as your father once did," the Skeleton King stated, slashing his way through any guards unfortunate enough to be within range, or foolish enough to attack him. "Yet, you're still a bit sloppy. I had hoped that by the time you and I fought, you would be a bit more of a challenge. Oh well. I wasn't able to defeat your father the last time he and I clashed. At least this time, I can correct that mistake."
John staggered away and Dawn moved to attack but John caught her by the back of her armor, all but throwing her to Damian. The Skeleton King paid her no mind, closing in on his target. John swallowed hard then sprinted forward, slashing at the Skeleton King. Just before it hit, the Skeleton King began to shine bright white and sped around John. John spun, switching his sword to his other hand and only barely blocked a slash, flying across the room, sword stabbing into the ground beside him.
"Pathetic," the Skeleton King snorted, walking toward him again.
John looked over at Emile and the other man as they finished the Wither Skeletons and the man with the staff began to collect Wither Skeleton skulls that he had knocked off. He glared at John for a moment, then ran off. John shook his head, pushing himself up and raising his sword, barely managing to block another slash, holding it back only by placing his free hand on the other end of the blade.
"You're weak, human," the Skeleton king growled. "Submit. I will make your death swift."
"Never," John growled.
Just then, Emile slammed into the Skeleton King, tackling him away from John.
"Get the Wither Star!" Emile shouted, backing away and raising his swords, Kendrick and Brandon joining him. "We'll hold him off!"
John wanted to argue but turned, sprinting to the tower, Dawn following. After several minutes of stairs, they finally reached the top, stopping just inside the broken door. There were a dozen or so dead Royal Guards, including Jade, who the king was holding and weeping over.
"Your majesty..."
"Don't," the King growled. "You were right. We should have fled. Are you happy now?"
"No," John said. "Your majesty, let me take the Wither Star. i need to get it out of the city."
"You're right," the king nodded. "It's caused nothing but trouble. Losing my kingdom was one thing. But losing Jade...Where is the Skeleton King?"
"Downstairs, fighting my friends," John said.
"Then we'll have to fight our way past him," the King growled, setting Jade down and picking up a diamond sword, pulling his fir-lined cape off and tossing his crown aside. "Let's go."
The three of them sprinted down the stairs, reaching the ground floor to see Brandon and Kendrick against the wall, struggling to pick themselves back up, and Emile lying headless beneath the Skeleton King, who was waiting patiently for John to return. The Skeleton King stood as he saw the king and John enter and grinned, raising his sword.
"Hello again Your majesty," the Skeleton King greeted. "I've come for the star."
"Guess you'll be disappointed," the king said, handing John a black four-pointed crystal. "Get it out of here."
John turned, sprinting toward the door, Dawn following, then Damian with Kendrick and Brandon over his shoulders. All of them stopped as the Skeleton King laughed.
"Nice try," the Skeleton King laughed. "I know that's a decoy. I know where the true one lies. I can sense it."
John turned to look as the Skeleton King sped around behind the King, stabbing him and lifting him off the ground. The king shouted in agony and fear. Then, the Skeleton King drove his free hand into the King's back, blood spraying out before the king's back practically exploded as the Skeleton King ripped out a crystal identical to the one john was holding, except somehow seeming to radiate danger. John swallowed hard as the Skeleton king turned toward him, grinning even more than usual, considering he was just a skull.
"Go ahead and flee," the Skeleton King said. "I'm done with you. I have what I came for. I'll let the Witherlord deal with you."
John and the others didn't give him the change to reconsider. They were out the door and gone in seconds. As they reached the entry hall, they found the obsidian golem waiting outside. They didn't even slow down as they sprinted past it, avoiding its punches before running to the wall out of the city. The Witherlord was probably finished at the gate by now, but there was no sign of him. After a few seconds, the Obsidian golem stepped into view, pulling up a massive chunk of the ground and hurling it at them. They all scattered, allowing the giant pice of ground to break through the wall for them then scrambled out through the hole, except Damian.
"Go," Damian ordered.
"What about you?" John asked.
"It will follow," Damian said. "I'll keep it from leaving."
"Damian no!" John shouted but Damian turned toward him.
"I'm sorry for bullying you," Damian said. "It was wrong. I'm happy to say I consider you a friend. No leave. I can only keep it busy for so long."
With that, Damian charged back into the city, reaching the obsidian golem in a minute and slamming his swords into it, both snapping. John tried to go help but Dawn grabbed him around the waist, whistling and summoning Faith and Jasper, who had somehow escaped the city. Then, she forced him up onto Faith, climbing up behind him to hold him on as Kendrick and Brandon climbed onto Jasper and the two horses sped away.
Damian crashed into a building for what seemed like the millionth time that day and pushed himself up, seeing the others riding away on Faith and Jasper, John still fighting to return. Then, Damian turned back to the golem, punching it across the face. It staggered backward but before he could punch it again, its fist shot up, slamming into his face and blasting him into the building. Before he could get his bearing again, it was over him, fist slamming down on him again and again and again. Then, it put its fists together, raising them before they both began to descend.
On my way Megan, see you soon, Damian thought.
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