~Chapter 1: Fiery Motivation~

She ran her hand through her medium length black hair as she watched the world from atop her cliff house. It was early morning and the sun had just came up so the mobs were gone. She sighed and slid off the wooden roof to the side of the mountain and looked ahead into where the mountains slid into the desert. That way was a Millenaire village, what they called villages where successful miners had started a living, not like the villages where most of the inhabitants had oversized noses.

She opted out on jumping from the cliff into the vast lake she lived beside, instead traversing the homemade spiral staircase she built into the mountain side. She sprinted over the wooden bridge over the water, only stopping to glare at a squid. Finally she leaped to the opposite shore, amid the dark green grass. She sighed from her moment of adrenaline. She looked ahead and said to herself, "Might as well get a move on!"

She scanned the landscape as she walked with many a memory of a Enderman and creeper attack. She frowned as he remembered one such attack. The villagers were so kind to take care of her after that darned creeper snuck up on her. There was also an odd incident involving a skeleton, an arrow, and her knee. Miki still didn't know why that villager had laughed so hard. Luckily there was no Endermen or creepers around today. She used to worry about mobs under trees but she took care of the tree problem.

It usually took her about most of an afternoon to reach the village and today was no exception for when she reached the village it was about an hour before sunset. She literally sprinted to the inn where the innkeeper greeted her, "''Hello Miki! Usual room?"

She dug in her pocket as she nodded. The innkeeper said as he always did, "You don't need to, young one!"

She sighed, as she always did and made her way to the room. They made this exchange every time since she helped them fend off a particularly horrible zombie invasion. The rooms were always usually very simple, with a bed, crafting table, and furnace. Though hers was a bit more decorative since she had paid a decent amount to lay claim to it. It wasn't much, just a painting on the wall and a table but it made her feel special. She looked outside as villagers started to migrate to their homes and the sky became a lovely yet foreboding pink. She collapsed on the bed for a dreamless sleep.

The morning came with birds calling, the village bustling, and the sun shining. She exited the inn, whilst saying goodbye to the innkeeper, and made her way to the shop. As she walked in. the shop owner, Maria, said to her, "Ah, Miki, I was wondering' when you'd come!"

Miki grinned as she replied, "I've found difficulty to coming down but also didn't feel like it. Then I ran low on supplies!"

Maria turned to sort wood but still held her conversation, "Well, we were missing' you! You know what they say! 'It takes a village to raise a child!' "

Miki rolled her eyes at this, for Maria always brought it up once but said, "Yeah, yeah! So what do you have today!"

Maria chuckled. "To the point you are! We have arrows, as always! What else you need?"

As she dug in her pocket Miki said, "Well I need some food, and some glass!"

Maria placed two stacks of arrows, about twenty pork chops, and a stack of glass blocks on the table in front of the cloaked girl and said, "You know to price, gal."

Miki grinned even wider as she slid the deniers on the table and grabbed the goods. She spoke, "I also need the anvil to repair my bow. "

Maria gestured towards the back, "As always."

Miki strolled towards the back and repaired her bow, repairing the cracks in the wood and changing the string. She held it up to the light and frowned. With her free hand she grabbed the polish and wiped the wood. It gleamed afterward and Miki held it up and whooped. Maria chuckled to her self as she continued to sort wood. Miki did this every time. She stopped to watch as Miki walked back to the front and asked, "You going' home?"

Miki shook her head as she answered, "No, I want to say hi to some people!"

And that was the plan until she got out of the shop and found deep gray plumes of smoke from her mountain. She yelped, "Well that plan has been scratched! Tell the others I said hi, Maria!" and thus she was off.

Maria called after her, "Wait, Miki!" and ran after as well, holding her dress.

Miki scrambled over the landscape, adrenaline giving her the power to make it home in only a few minutes.

She collapsed just in sight of her home but didn't look up in fear of what she would see. Maria stopped by her and said, "Miki, look up. You're going to have to sometime, honey."

Miki sighed and raised her head to see her home burning, flames devouring it like a ravenous beast. She screamed and got up to run to it but was stopped by Maria grabbing her cloak and yelling, "There's no use!"

Miki turned around and screeched, "It can be saved!"

Maria responded coolly, "One of our hunters is over there; I see him. He'll put out the fire but you'd waste you time going up that deathtrap you call stairs! I assure you he'll bring back anything of worth but other than that there's nothing' we kin do. Let's go on back. You always welcome at the village."

Miki stopped and turned towards Maria, nodding. Maria released her cloak, satisfied she wasn't going to attempt to run. Miki picked up the end of her cloak and wiped her eyes as she followed Maria back to the village.

By the time they had returned night was creeping onto the village and so everyone was making their way home. Miki was no exception as he made her way back to the inn for a second night. The next morning, Maria came to wake up Miki and asked her, "So what do you want to do, missy?"

Miki literally jumped out of bed, grabbed her cloak, and dramatically put it on, with the black folds flapping like bird wings. She whooped, "Maria! I have had...an epiphany!"

Maria chuckled and said, "Well, come outside and tell me all about it!", and thus the two walked into the middle of the town.

The two sat near a fountain in the middle and Maria asked, "So this epiphany, you say? What is it?"

Miki stood up, ready for a dramatic speech, "ahemed" for effect, and began, "This has broke free the ties that held me back and I'm free to explore the world of Minecraftia! I can see the city of Mistral, the Kingdom of the Saplings...even the majestic golden airship of the Sky Army! Imagine it. Imagine it, Maria."

Maria shrugged, "I guess its all great but not for me. For you, definitely. But girl, the world is full of danger! You sure you're up to it!?"

Miki nodded vigorously, "Yeah, I can! I've surviving up there for years with minimal injuries!"

Maria asked in a low voice, "And there's nothing we kin do to stop you?"

Miki nodded again and Maria nodded, "Well if that what you want, no one kin get in your ay. Let's tell everybody so we can get you on your way."

Thus the pair gathered up the village asked where she was going to go and Miki was stumped until one of the elders, Nico, strode up to her and said, "There's more mountains to the north-east, across that small desert. How about that."

Miki nodded and answered, "Yeah. Despite the desert, more mountains sound great!"

And thus, after all of her goodbyes, she turned and walked into the desert, to see the world.