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Hey guys, Proof here! I've decided to start another series. This one is about Steve's unexpected journey to discover the origin of the Minecraft universe. I'm going to try to add a chapter daily; however, I'm keeping very busy with school and work, so I can't make any promises. Now, I know you're thinking, "Proof! Shut up and get on with the story!" So that's exactly what I'll do. Without further delay, I present to you...
Steve's Journey
Discovering The Origins of Minecraftia
Before I begin the next chapter, I want to give a shoutout to epikface and TheMiner169, who became my very first subscribers!! Please, if you enjoy this story and want more content from me, don't hesitate to subscribe. It takes one second of your time and means more to me than I could ever say with words. Of course, you're always welcome to throw hearts and shiny blue rocks at me as well! Anywhoo, here's the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do writing it!
Want to find out what happens next? Subscribe and check back regularly for the continuation of Steve's story!! Feel free to drop a diamond or a favorite!
--PD640
Steve's Journey
Discovering The Origins of Minecraftia
Prologue
It began as might any other day -- I woke up as the sun began its slow climb into the sky, causing the horizon to transition from the black tint of nighttime to the familiar baby blue shade that could be observed at any point during the day, passing through a warm, orange hue in between. As usual, my back was stiff upon awakening -- the result of a lifetime of hard work, as well as sleeping on a rather flat bed for as long as I could remember. I began my day with a pork chop and a slice of cake for breakfast. I sat at my kitchen table and stared lazily out the window. I would need to go mining today, as my supply of coal was running dangerously low. I wasn't looking forward to leaving my small farm. After all, it was a very dangerous world in which I lived. Too many times to count, I'd found myself face-to-face with a creeper. How I loathed them -- once, one of their number had snuck up behind me as I was returning from one of my monthly woodcutting expeditions. I was weighed down by lumber, and when I finally heard the foul beast's hiss, it was too late for me to react. Had it not been for the leather armor I had donned that morning, I would not be here today. I shook myself back into reality. This was not that morning. I was no longer a foolish boy. Now, I was older. Wiser. Better equipped to handle the dangers of this world. I made my way to the chest beside my bed, and from it, I removed my suit of iron armor and its accompanying sword. I also grabbed my bow, along with 24 arrows and a handful of torches. Last, but certainly not least, I retrieved my worn iron pickaxe. It would need to be replaced soon. But I couldn't worry about that now. I would cross that bridge when I came to it. On my way out the door, I snatched up a few loaves of bread. I proceeded down the gravel path that led through my farm. As I reached the fence gate, I turned to look upon my homestead. It was all I had. My whole life had been devoted to one thing, and one thing alone -- survival. I did not think of my cows, pigs, and chickens affectionately. No, they were a means to an end. Merely a source of sustenance for my hungry mouth. I had the will to live, no one could deny that. But was mine a life worth living? Could I, or any other man, be whole, simply by surviving for survival's sake? I shrugged off the thought and returned my mind to the matter at hand: coal. The mine I planned to exploit was a good 30 minutes' walk away. I set out to the northeast at a steady gait, never once looking back towards my farm. If only I'd known then that I would never see it again.
Chapter I -- The Blind Man
There was nothing unusual about the walk to my regular mining hole that morning. As I descended the steep hill that led to the valley in which the cave was located, I felt a dull pain in my knees. This was nothing new; simply the result of years of roaming the harsh terrain. I reminisced to the days of my youth, when I could easily sprint up and down these hills. How long ago had that been? 5 years? 10? 30? It was hard to keep track of the passing of time when I lived such a monotonous life. But a monotonous life is okay, as long as it is a safe life. A sustainable life. Those were the things I told myself. But the more I tried to reassure my mind of these things, the more it refused to believe them. Sometimes, I felt as though my curiousity would be the death of me if it was not sated. I shook myself back to the present as I passed the lake where I normally fished. I knew that I shouldn't, but I decided to take a rest there. I sat on the edge of the water and stared downward at my reflection. Maybe I was growing old, but I certainly didn't look like it. I hadn't a single grey hair on my head, nor a single wrinkle on my tanned skin. My muscular body could have easily belonged to a man far younger than myself. I rose from my perch on the soft earth and continued toward the mine. As the mouth of the cave came into my field of view, I thought I saw something standing inside it. I blinked several times and rubbed my eyes. There was nothing there. Perhaps this was another byproduct of old age, I told myself. I continued toward the cavern entrance. Upon reaching it, I was startled to see a torch that I did not remember placing. Interestingly enough, it seemed to be in the same spot that the strange figure I saw earlier had been. Beginning to get nervous, I drew my iron sword from my waist. I was probably just being paranoid, but if a lifetime of a experience had taught me anything, it was that it is always better to tread on the safe side of any potentially dangerous situation. I crouched down slightly as I proceeded deeper and deeper into the old mine. After rounding a corner, I saw something that I was certain hadn't been there before -- a 2-by-2 tunnel that continued for at least 65 meters. And at the end of the narrow passage, there stood -- no, it couldn't be. Or could it? It was a man. My jaw dropped as I beheld it -- or should I say, him. I had never seen another like him before. Sure, I'd had run-ins with the deformed simpletons that were willing to exchange basic items for emeralds, but he was not one of them. He was a real human being, like me. As my curiousity led me closer, I found out that he was a lot like me. Almost a mirror image, in fact. But there was one striking difference: his glowing, white eyes. By this time, I was no more than 10 meters away from him. It seemed he hadn't noticed me. Perhaps the reason his eyes looked so strange is that they had no sight. I quietly turned around and began to retreat -- after all, I had no way of knowing if this stranger was hostile. However, before I'd taken two steps, a voice, which seemed to come from nowhere, yet, at the same time, everywhere, echoed in my ears.
"Leaving so soon, Steve? You just got here."
Assuming it was the man behind me, I broke into a sprint in an attempt to escape. However, the passage in front of me suddenly became filled with stone. I barely managed to stop short of hitting it. I turned round to face the man, holding my sword at the ready.
"You really think that's going to help you?" said the voice with no source again. I noticed that the man's lips did not move. Was someone else in the room? "No, just you and me," the voice answered my unspoken query.
"Who -- what are you?" I stammered.
"In response to who I am, I will say only that no one has called me by my real name in a very long time. In response to what, I was once a man just like you. In fact, I am still a man, although a very different one than I used to be."
"How do you talk without moving your lips?"
"After those who betrayed me stole my tongue, I had to find another way to communicate. So I talk with my mind." This explained why his voice seemed to eminate from no particular place. It also revealed how he knew my name.
"Where did you come from?"
"I came from nowhere, and I came from everywhere. I have been in this cave far longer than you have been in this world."
"Why?"
"Why?" With this word, he gave a chuckle. "I've been waiting for you of course." For me? What did this strange telepath want with me? As if on cue, he said, "I am here to help you. To give you something that I wish had been given to me. Something that could have saved me. Now put away that sword and come sit by my fire."
I did not feel completely comfortable being so close to this man, but I thought it would be unwise to cross someone with such powers. This being the case, I sheathed my sword and approached the man.
"I see no fire," I said to the man.
"Ah, but of course." With these words, something spectacular happened: the walls of the cave around me began to disappear, as did the cold and the musty smell. Even the man faded into nothingness. No sooner had my previous surroundings vanished than new ones began to assemble themselves. A forest materialized around me, along with the sound of crickets chirping, water flowing, and, finally, a fire crackling. I was seated on a log, the heat of the fire warming my body, which had been filled with the bitter cold of the cave. I heard footstepts coming from behind me, and I spun my head round to get a look. It was a man, presumably the telepath I had just met. However, his eyes appeared normal now. He was carrying lumber in his arms. He tossed a few logs into the flames in front of me, and it seemed as though he was not aware of my presence. The man sat down on the log opposite me and produced a wooden bowl filled to the brim with mushroom soup from his bag. As he sat there drinking the cold stew at a leisurely rate, two men emerged from the dense forest.
"Hey, H.B., you won't believe what we found!" said one of the newcomers. He had light skin and blond hair, and his old t-shirt and jeans were rather tattered.
"Unless you found Allison, I don't really care," replied H.B. in an annoyed tone.
"You might change your mind once you see this!" said the other man. He was of darker complexion than the other two men, and his hair was jet black. He wore a brown leather jacket over a red polo shirt and gray slacks. He was also the shortest of the bunch.
"Al, I can promise you, whatever it is you found, I'm not interest --" H.B. was interrupted mid-sentence as a large grey wolf came bounding out of the brush. I was surprised to see the creature not rip out the man's throat, but rather lick him affectionately.
"Wonderful, just wonderful," H.B. proclaimed as he returned to his feet. "You two blunderheads have got a wolf following us. He'll steal all our food and his pack will kill us while we sleep."
"You don't understand, H.B.!" the light-skinned man said. "You know those bones that Al decided to keep for good luck? Well, as we were wondering along, we came across Fido here, and he seemed to take a real interest in them. So we gave him one and voila! He's been following us around ever since!"
"I can see that," H.B. groaned. "We can't have the risk of travelling with a dangerous wild animal. We have to put him down."
"No we don't!" interjected the blond. "Because, as we were makin' our way back here, we got jumped by a couple zombies! Al and I, man, we thought we were goners. But then Fido here pounces on 'em! He almost got killed, actually, and he did it for us! Like he's loyal to us!" There was a pleading in the man's eyes that said, "Can we keep him? Please?" H.B. sighed.
"Fine," the leader said after a pause. "But, if your pet gets in my way a single time, I won't hesitate to chop off his furry head, you understand?"
"Oh, thank you, thank you so much!" the blond man exclaimed.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," H.B. said. "You two morons get to bed soon. We've got a big day tomorrow." With these words, the leader laid down on his own bed, and, although he was feigning annoyedness and indifference, I could've sworn I saw a smile on his face.
"Leaving so soon, Steve? You just got here."
Assuming it was the man behind me, I broke into a sprint in an attempt to escape. However, the passage in front of me suddenly became filled with stone. I barely managed to stop short of hitting it. I turned round to face the man, holding my sword at the ready.
"You really think that's going to help you?" said the voice with no source again. I noticed that the man's lips did not move. Was someone else in the room? "No, just you and me," the voice answered my unspoken query.
"Who -- what are you?" I stammered.
"In response to who I am, I will say only that no one has called me by my real name in a very long time. In response to what, I was once a man just like you. In fact, I am still a man, although a very different one than I used to be."
"How do you talk without moving your lips?"
"After those who betrayed me stole my tongue, I had to find another way to communicate. So I talk with my mind." This explained why his voice seemed to eminate from no particular place. It also revealed how he knew my name.
"Where did you come from?"
"I came from nowhere, and I came from everywhere. I have been in this cave far longer than you have been in this world."
"Why?"
"Why?" With this word, he gave a chuckle. "I've been waiting for you of course." For me? What did this strange telepath want with me? As if on cue, he said, "I am here to help you. To give you something that I wish had been given to me. Something that could have saved me. Now put away that sword and come sit by my fire."
I did not feel completely comfortable being so close to this man, but I thought it would be unwise to cross someone with such powers. This being the case, I sheathed my sword and approached the man.
"I see no fire," I said to the man.
"Ah, but of course." With these words, something spectacular happened: the walls of the cave around me began to disappear, as did the cold and the musty smell. Even the man faded into nothingness. No sooner had my previous surroundings vanished than new ones began to assemble themselves. A forest materialized around me, along with the sound of crickets chirping, water flowing, and, finally, a fire crackling. I was seated on a log, the heat of the fire warming my body, which had been filled with the bitter cold of the cave. I heard footstepts coming from behind me, and I spun my head round to get a look. It was a man, presumably the telepath I had just met. However, his eyes appeared normal now. He was carrying lumber in his arms. He tossed a few logs into the flames in front of me, and it seemed as though he was not aware of my presence. The man sat down on the log opposite me and produced a wooden bowl filled to the brim with mushroom soup from his bag. As he sat there drinking the cold stew at a leisurely rate, two men emerged from the dense forest.
"Hey, H.B., you won't believe what we found!" said one of the newcomers. He had light skin and blond hair, and his old t-shirt and jeans were rather tattered.
"Unless you found Allison, I don't really care," replied H.B. in an annoyed tone.
"You might change your mind once you see this!" said the other man. He was of darker complexion than the other two men, and his hair was jet black. He wore a brown leather jacket over a red polo shirt and gray slacks. He was also the shortest of the bunch.
"Al, I can promise you, whatever it is you found, I'm not interest --" H.B. was interrupted mid-sentence as a large grey wolf came bounding out of the brush. I was surprised to see the creature not rip out the man's throat, but rather lick him affectionately.
"Wonderful, just wonderful," H.B. proclaimed as he returned to his feet. "You two blunderheads have got a wolf following us. He'll steal all our food and his pack will kill us while we sleep."
"You don't understand, H.B.!" the light-skinned man said. "You know those bones that Al decided to keep for good luck? Well, as we were wondering along, we came across Fido here, and he seemed to take a real interest in them. So we gave him one and voila! He's been following us around ever since!"
"I can see that," H.B. groaned. "We can't have the risk of travelling with a dangerous wild animal. We have to put him down."
"No we don't!" interjected the blond. "Because, as we were makin' our way back here, we got jumped by a couple zombies! Al and I, man, we thought we were goners. But then Fido here pounces on 'em! He almost got killed, actually, and he did it for us! Like he's loyal to us!" There was a pleading in the man's eyes that said, "Can we keep him? Please?" H.B. sighed.
"Fine," the leader said after a pause. "But, if your pet gets in my way a single time, I won't hesitate to chop off his furry head, you understand?"
"Oh, thank you, thank you so much!" the blond man exclaimed.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," H.B. said. "You two morons get to bed soon. We've got a big day tomorrow." With these words, the leader laid down on his own bed, and, although he was feigning annoyedness and indifference, I could've sworn I saw a smile on his face.
Chapter II -- The Desert
Over the next few days, I came to the conclusion that I must be in some sort of memory. I wondered what the blind man sought to gain by showing me a story from his past, but it seemed that there was little I could do to escape. This being the case, I decided to just play along and watch the events unfold before my eyes. So I traveled with the men, whom I found out were on a mission to find a girl named Allison. It seemed that she was rather important to H.B., and I supposed that she was probably his girlfriend. The light-skinned, blond man (who seemed to be the least intelligent of the trio) was named Eric. He and Al had decided to name their tamed wolf Water, because, in Eric's words, "Well I don't suppose we'd be alive without 'im, now would we Al?"
We walked as long as daylight was on our side every day, stopping only once to eat lunch in the mid-afternoon. After five days of travel, we made it out of the forest where I had first "met" the trio, and we came into large desert. The hot desert sun began to take its toll, and H.B. soon realized that a change in strategy was needed. We were lying under a makeshift shelter that we had erected from oak wood and wool on our second afternoon in the desert when Al addressed the topic that was on all our minds.
"We have travel at night."
"No," H.B. replied sternly.
"It's the only way we can make it, H.B.! We'll die of heat stroke or dehydration if we keep trying to travel during the day."
"And we'll have our flesh ripped off by zombies if we travel at night."
"At least we can fight zombies! Water can help us with that. But there's nothing that he or any one of us can do about this heat."
H.B. sat stroking his face for a while, contemplating the idea of travelling by nightfall.
"Okay," the leader responded after a long pause. "We'll travel at night. But when a skeleton's arrow pierces your heart, don't say I didn't warn you."
Satisfaction and relief spread across Al's face. "Thanks, boss," he said. Eric, who up until this time had been attempting to teach Water to roll over, chimed in,
"I don't much care for this heat. It ain't like the taiga where I'm from."
"Ah yes, I suppose you're referring to that god-forsaken, frozen wasteland where we found your sorry butt in the throws of hypothermia. Am I correct?" Al said.
"Hey, I had that situation completely under control!" Eric defended.
"Yes, and I'm sure that zombie would have trembled in fear to see you lying there calling for your mommy!"
As his compatriots bickered, H.B. stared out into the horizon. There was a look of longing on his face. I wondered if he was thinking about the mysterious Allison.
"Indeed I was," said the voice inside my head.
"I thought you'd abandoned me here," I called out to the telepath.
"No, I have been watching you. But I didn't talk to you. Because you will understand what I have to say until you have witnessed these events first-hand."
"Who was Allison?" I enquired.
"She was..." I sensed that the telepath was thinking of memories that it pained him to discuss. "She was someone who was very important to me. Just watch, and you'll understand."
"No, I don't want to watch. I just want to go home!" But my cries remained unanswered, and I knew that I would not hear from the blind man again anytime soon. So I resigned myself to the fact that I would be stuck in this memory a while longer, and I lay down on the warm sand to sleep.
We walked as long as daylight was on our side every day, stopping only once to eat lunch in the mid-afternoon. After five days of travel, we made it out of the forest where I had first "met" the trio, and we came into large desert. The hot desert sun began to take its toll, and H.B. soon realized that a change in strategy was needed. We were lying under a makeshift shelter that we had erected from oak wood and wool on our second afternoon in the desert when Al addressed the topic that was on all our minds.
"We have travel at night."
"No," H.B. replied sternly.
"It's the only way we can make it, H.B.! We'll die of heat stroke or dehydration if we keep trying to travel during the day."
"And we'll have our flesh ripped off by zombies if we travel at night."
"At least we can fight zombies! Water can help us with that. But there's nothing that he or any one of us can do about this heat."
H.B. sat stroking his face for a while, contemplating the idea of travelling by nightfall.
"Okay," the leader responded after a long pause. "We'll travel at night. But when a skeleton's arrow pierces your heart, don't say I didn't warn you."
Satisfaction and relief spread across Al's face. "Thanks, boss," he said. Eric, who up until this time had been attempting to teach Water to roll over, chimed in,
"I don't much care for this heat. It ain't like the taiga where I'm from."
"Ah yes, I suppose you're referring to that god-forsaken, frozen wasteland where we found your sorry butt in the throws of hypothermia. Am I correct?" Al said.
"Hey, I had that situation completely under control!" Eric defended.
"Yes, and I'm sure that zombie would have trembled in fear to see you lying there calling for your mommy!"
As his compatriots bickered, H.B. stared out into the horizon. There was a look of longing on his face. I wondered if he was thinking about the mysterious Allison.
"Indeed I was," said the voice inside my head.
"I thought you'd abandoned me here," I called out to the telepath.
"No, I have been watching you. But I didn't talk to you. Because you will understand what I have to say until you have witnessed these events first-hand."
"Who was Allison?" I enquired.
"She was..." I sensed that the telepath was thinking of memories that it pained him to discuss. "She was someone who was very important to me. Just watch, and you'll understand."
"No, I don't want to watch. I just want to go home!" But my cries remained unanswered, and I knew that I would not hear from the blind man again anytime soon. So I resigned myself to the fact that I would be stuck in this memory a while longer, and I lay down on the warm sand to sleep.
Chapter III -- The Village
When I next awoke, it was nighttime, and the men were packing up the shelter and preparing to get moving. They rolled up their sleeping bags and extinguished their campfire in determined silence. It was obvious that none of them were looking forward to travelling at night, but, as Al had pointed out, what choice did they have?
After the campsite had been taken down, the three men looked at each other and each of them gave a nod. With that small gesture, they all confirmed that they understood what they were doing and the risks involved. H.B. started walking, and his friends (as well as I) followed. As the leader had predicted, it was not long at all before they were ambushed by a small swarm of monsters. It was then that Water truly proved his worth, viciously attacking anything that came too close to the trio (with the exception of creepers, which the canine took great care to avoid). Eric discovered that the wolf's wounds healed at a remarkable pace when he was fed the rotten flesh of the zombies, which didn't appear to have the poisonous effect on Water that it would have on a human. After a few monster-filled hours, the sun began to peek over the horizon, and we stopped to set up camp.
The next few nights were easier than the first, as the men realized that monsters were much less dangerous than the sun's heat. However, a problem soon arose, and it was in fact Eric who brought it to the table.
"I'm thirsty, H.B."
"Me too, boss," Al agreed.
"Well you're not alone," the leader replied. "But as there's no rain and no rivers here, there's very little I can do about that."
"Well then we need to find some rain or a river," Al said. "Even Water looks thirsty."
This was true. The wolf had been acting rather off-point lately.
"Fine. You see that sand dune out there, Eric?" The leader pointed to a gargantuan mountain of sand in the distance.
"Yeah," said the blond man.
"Good. You're going to climb it."
"What?"
"You heard me. Climb up to the top and look around. You'll be able to see for miles up there."
"But boss. You know I'm clumsy. What if I fall?"
"You won't," H.B. said reassuringly, putting his hand on the light-skinned man's shoulder and giving it a squeeze. "Take Water with you. He'll fight off any monsters that try to attack you."
Eric still didn't look convinced.
"You'll be fine," H.B. said warmly, "I promise."
"Okay," the blond mumbled after a moment of silence. He turned and set off for the mountain of sand, Water trotting along close behind him.
For a few moments, we watched him grow smaller and smaller as he increased the distance between us. Then, H.B. and Al sat down in the sand, and we waited.
Eric was back within two hours. He appeared exhausted, and he had some scrapes on various parts of his body, but he was smiling.
"There's a village, boss," he reported, panting.
"Good, very good," H.B. responded. "They'll have a well. And with any luck, they may even know where Allison is." After a pause, he spoke again. "Get some sleep boys. You've earned it." With these words, the leader entered his sleeping bag and dozed off, and his companions quickly did the same.
The next morning, we set off for the village Eric had described. It was about 2 miles away, a distance we covered in approximately 40 minutes; the men were trying not to push their dehydrated bodies too hard. When we finally arrived in the town, I was surprised to see that it was not filled with the long-nosed simpletons I was used to. It contained actual human beings, like the three men I had been observing! I wondered why I had never come across men in my life. What had happened to all these people? Why was it that it seemed I was the only human being (with the exception of the telepath) on the Earth?
I pushed these thoughts aside and studied the village. It was not comprised of simple buildings like the settlements of my time. Each house was an architectural wonder, and all the structures were unique. It was incredible! I was brought back to reality as a man approached the three travelers.
"Welcome to Stonkville!" the newcomer said. "I am Mark Robinson, chairman of the city council. What brings you to our town?"
"We have come seeking cool water and soft beds," H.B. replied. "We have been travelling for many days in the desert, and I don't think any of us remember the last time we had a proper meal!"
"Well you've come to the right place, my friends! Weary travellers are always welcome in Stonkville. Come, I'll show you too the inn." We followed Mark to a large wooden and cobblestone building with at least 5 floors. Upon entering the lobby, we were greeted by a short, plump woman.
"And who have you brought me today, Mark?" the woman asked with a smile.
"Travellers, in need of bed and drink," replied the councilman.
"Well those things, I can gladly provide!" said the woman. "I have three adjacent rooms on the second floor, and you're welcome to them," she said, addressing H.B. and his friends.
"That's a very kind offer, ma'am, but I don't know what my friends and I have to offer you as payment."
"Oh, nonsense!" Mark interjected. "We have plenty of travellers come through our town, and the city council always pays for their first night at the inn."
"You're too kind, councilman. Thank you. I can't tell you how much this means to us." H.B. shook the man's hand.
"I'll send Joe over here later today, and he'll give you a tour of the city," Mark said. "Meanwhile, I'm sure Martha can quench your thirst and sate your hunger." He turned to the woman, who nodded enthusiastically.
"Sounds excellent! Thank you, my friend." The councilman gave a nod of his head as acknowledgement, and he turned to walk out the door.
"Let me show you to your rooms, dearies!" Martha said, and the trio followed her upstairs.
After the campsite had been taken down, the three men looked at each other and each of them gave a nod. With that small gesture, they all confirmed that they understood what they were doing and the risks involved. H.B. started walking, and his friends (as well as I) followed. As the leader had predicted, it was not long at all before they were ambushed by a small swarm of monsters. It was then that Water truly proved his worth, viciously attacking anything that came too close to the trio (with the exception of creepers, which the canine took great care to avoid). Eric discovered that the wolf's wounds healed at a remarkable pace when he was fed the rotten flesh of the zombies, which didn't appear to have the poisonous effect on Water that it would have on a human. After a few monster-filled hours, the sun began to peek over the horizon, and we stopped to set up camp.
The next few nights were easier than the first, as the men realized that monsters were much less dangerous than the sun's heat. However, a problem soon arose, and it was in fact Eric who brought it to the table.
"I'm thirsty, H.B."
"Me too, boss," Al agreed.
"Well you're not alone," the leader replied. "But as there's no rain and no rivers here, there's very little I can do about that."
"Well then we need to find some rain or a river," Al said. "Even Water looks thirsty."
This was true. The wolf had been acting rather off-point lately.
"Fine. You see that sand dune out there, Eric?" The leader pointed to a gargantuan mountain of sand in the distance.
"Yeah," said the blond man.
"Good. You're going to climb it."
"What?"
"You heard me. Climb up to the top and look around. You'll be able to see for miles up there."
"But boss. You know I'm clumsy. What if I fall?"
"You won't," H.B. said reassuringly, putting his hand on the light-skinned man's shoulder and giving it a squeeze. "Take Water with you. He'll fight off any monsters that try to attack you."
Eric still didn't look convinced.
"You'll be fine," H.B. said warmly, "I promise."
"Okay," the blond mumbled after a moment of silence. He turned and set off for the mountain of sand, Water trotting along close behind him.
For a few moments, we watched him grow smaller and smaller as he increased the distance between us. Then, H.B. and Al sat down in the sand, and we waited.
Eric was back within two hours. He appeared exhausted, and he had some scrapes on various parts of his body, but he was smiling.
"There's a village, boss," he reported, panting.
"Good, very good," H.B. responded. "They'll have a well. And with any luck, they may even know where Allison is." After a pause, he spoke again. "Get some sleep boys. You've earned it." With these words, the leader entered his sleeping bag and dozed off, and his companions quickly did the same.
The next morning, we set off for the village Eric had described. It was about 2 miles away, a distance we covered in approximately 40 minutes; the men were trying not to push their dehydrated bodies too hard. When we finally arrived in the town, I was surprised to see that it was not filled with the long-nosed simpletons I was used to. It contained actual human beings, like the three men I had been observing! I wondered why I had never come across men in my life. What had happened to all these people? Why was it that it seemed I was the only human being (with the exception of the telepath) on the Earth?
I pushed these thoughts aside and studied the village. It was not comprised of simple buildings like the settlements of my time. Each house was an architectural wonder, and all the structures were unique. It was incredible! I was brought back to reality as a man approached the three travelers.
"Welcome to Stonkville!" the newcomer said. "I am Mark Robinson, chairman of the city council. What brings you to our town?"
"We have come seeking cool water and soft beds," H.B. replied. "We have been travelling for many days in the desert, and I don't think any of us remember the last time we had a proper meal!"
"Well you've come to the right place, my friends! Weary travellers are always welcome in Stonkville. Come, I'll show you too the inn." We followed Mark to a large wooden and cobblestone building with at least 5 floors. Upon entering the lobby, we were greeted by a short, plump woman.
"And who have you brought me today, Mark?" the woman asked with a smile.
"Travellers, in need of bed and drink," replied the councilman.
"Well those things, I can gladly provide!" said the woman. "I have three adjacent rooms on the second floor, and you're welcome to them," she said, addressing H.B. and his friends.
"That's a very kind offer, ma'am, but I don't know what my friends and I have to offer you as payment."
"Oh, nonsense!" Mark interjected. "We have plenty of travellers come through our town, and the city council always pays for their first night at the inn."
"You're too kind, councilman. Thank you. I can't tell you how much this means to us." H.B. shook the man's hand.
"I'll send Joe over here later today, and he'll give you a tour of the city," Mark said. "Meanwhile, I'm sure Martha can quench your thirst and sate your hunger." He turned to the woman, who nodded enthusiastically.
"Sounds excellent! Thank you, my friend." The councilman gave a nod of his head as acknowledgement, and he turned to walk out the door.
"Let me show you to your rooms, dearies!" Martha said, and the trio followed her upstairs.
Chapter IV -- The Surveyor
The travellers spent the next three days in Stonkville. On the day of their arrival, the councilman had kept true to his word, and sent Joe, a rather cheery fellow, over to the inn. He gave the trio a tour of the village (although "city" would better describe this urban metropolis), which was filled with buildings ranging from small wooden barns on the outskirts of the town to colorful towers that scraped the skies. Martha's inn proved to be a very suitable base of operations for H.B. and his party, as it was located almost exactly in the center of Stonkville. After Joe dropped off the friends at the inn following their tour, they each took a shower and then convened in the leader's room to eat dinner and discuss a plan.
"So what's our angle, boss?" Al said as he took a bite our of a warm steak.
"Well, we'll need to find some source of income to pay for our rooms," H.B. remarked. "Eric, you can be in charge of that."
"Me?" the blond man exclaimed, a bit of the cake he was chewing falling out of his mouth. "How?"
"I don't know, you can wash dishes at a restaurant for all I care. Just get us some emeralds. That's all these people seem to be interested in."
"Fine," Eric groaned. "Why do I always get the crappy jobs?" he muttered to himself.
"Al, you can do the same. Use Water. I'll bet you a diamond chestplate that none of these people have ever seen a tame wolf before, and they'll pay heavily for the opportunity to do so."
"Will do," the dark man replied.
"As for me," the leader continued, "I'll do some sniffing around and see if any of these people know anything about the temple that the priest mentioned."
At the time H.B. said this, I still didn't know much about Allison, how she had gone missing, or where exactly the trio planned to look for her. Until this point in time, I hadn't even given that much thought. As my curiousity began to eat me up, and the men exchanged goodbyes and took their leave for the night, the telepath's "voice" resounded in my head.
"I won't tell you who Allison is, because you'll find out soon enough. But I will tell you about my brother. My worst enemy for so long now. Yet, he was once my best friend. But he acquired wealth, fame, and, worst of all power. Power corrupted him. Turned him against me. His own brother." I sensed overwhelming sadness from the blind man. "Allison's father was a priest," he continued, after a long pause, "of the highest standing. He was a very gifted mage; a talented potion brewer and a prodigious enchanter. He theorized the existence of another dimension, one which he named 'The End', because, in his words, 'It will be the end of humanity if the guardian of that realm should ever escape into our world.'
"But the priest also spoke about great power that men could attain if they could conquer the beast. And my brother wanted power. So he asked the priest how to reach this realm. But the priest refused him. My brother, knowing he could not best the mage in combat, sought another form of blackmail. He came to my house one day -- not for me, but for Allison. For my wife." Again, I sensed great sadness and pain. "I wasn't home. My brother took her and went back to the priest, this time pressing a sword against his daughter's throat. He asked the priest again how to reach the realm, and this time, the priest told him. 'In the desert far to the east of here, there is a temple. Inside it, you will find the answers you seek. Now please, give me my daughter.' But my brother did not. No, he said, 'Priest, if the words you speak are true, your daughter will be returned to you unharmed. If not, you'll never see her again.'
"And with those words, my brother set out for this desert. When I came home later that day, I found the priest in my house. I asked him what he was doing and where Allison was, and he told me what happened. He also told me that his words to my brother about the desert temple were untrue. 'Oh yes, your brother will find a temple. But it will not contain the answers he seeks. Only traps and monsters. If we are lucky, these will end him. But if not... I shutter to think what he will do to my Allison. To my baby girl.' I'll never forget how he sobbed that day. I asked him why he lied to my brother. 'Do you not understand?' he said through tears. 'If your brother harnesses the power that lies in The End, he will conquer everyone in this realm! No one will be spared from his tyranny.' I knew this was true, but I was still angry that he would jeopardize my wife's safety by giving my brother false information.
"I told him that I would seek out this temple and ensure that my brother's schemes were ended permanently and that Allison was safe. But I was not confident in my ability to do this. My brother had always bested me in all things physical and mental. So I asked the priest to accompany me. 'Oh no. I am bound by sacred oath to never leave this town. I cannot come with you. I am sorry... But there is something I can give you.' He reached into his robes and drew from his waist a glowing diamond sword. I gaped at its beauty. I had never seen anything of its magnitude of wonder before. He told me that it would give me a decisive edge over my brother. So I took it from him, gathered my two closest friends, and set off eastward."
I had a feeling that was all the telepath intended to tell me for the time being, but it was plenty to keep my mind occupied. The next morning, the three travellers ate breakfast at a nearby restaurant, where Eric had indeed secured a job as a dishwasher. Al set off for the town square to attempt to raise revenue by showing off Water's repetoire of tricks (which, by this point in time, included sitting, standing, giving paw, and playing dead), while H.B. went to city hall, hoping to find a surveyor with a map of the surrounding area.
I chose to follow the leader, simply because his task seemed the most interesting (or should I say, least monotonous). Luckily, H.B. was met with almost instant success. He was introduced to a man named Larry, who confirmed that he had seen such a temple on an expedition.
"I've got a map I could sell ya," the surveyor said. "It'll make gettin' to yer temple easier 'n gettin' wool off a sheep.
"Sound excellent," H.B. replied. "How much?"
"Ah, now that's the part ye may not like so much. I don't reckon you've got 75 emeralds, do ye?"
"75?" H.B. exclaimed. "That's insane!"
"Man's gotta make a livin' somehow," Larry said casually, giving a shrug of his shoulders. "And it ain't everyday that I get a feller comin' through here askin' me fer a map. So I reckon these maps are like luxury goods, see? So really, 75 ain't all that bad."
"You're sure you can't come down any?" H.B. asked.
"'Fraid not, lad."
"I understand. Thank you for your time." With these words, the leader turned and exited the building, returning to the inn, where he spent the remainder of the day waiting for his companions to arrive. When they finally did, the three of them gathered once more in H.B.'s room for dinner.
"How'd it go?" the leader asked.
"Awful, bloody awful," Al replied. "These folks are right stingy with their emeralds. The whole day, I stood out there in the blazing sun, and you know what I got? Seven. Seven stinking green gemstones. Shameful, that's what it is."
"You think that's shameful, then you're gonna think this is just robbery. I got four for washing dishes," Eric chimed in.
"Eleven emeralds in a day," H.B. muttered. "Four of them we'll have to spend on the room and food, and we can't even count on the other seven, once people get tired of Water's tricks." He paused for a moment. "I hope you boys haven't gotten too attached to Stonkville," he said finally, "because after tomorrow night, I don't think we'll be welcome here anymore."
"So what's our angle, boss?" Al said as he took a bite our of a warm steak.
"Well, we'll need to find some source of income to pay for our rooms," H.B. remarked. "Eric, you can be in charge of that."
"Me?" the blond man exclaimed, a bit of the cake he was chewing falling out of his mouth. "How?"
"I don't know, you can wash dishes at a restaurant for all I care. Just get us some emeralds. That's all these people seem to be interested in."
"Fine," Eric groaned. "Why do I always get the crappy jobs?" he muttered to himself.
"Al, you can do the same. Use Water. I'll bet you a diamond chestplate that none of these people have ever seen a tame wolf before, and they'll pay heavily for the opportunity to do so."
"Will do," the dark man replied.
"As for me," the leader continued, "I'll do some sniffing around and see if any of these people know anything about the temple that the priest mentioned."
At the time H.B. said this, I still didn't know much about Allison, how she had gone missing, or where exactly the trio planned to look for her. Until this point in time, I hadn't even given that much thought. As my curiousity began to eat me up, and the men exchanged goodbyes and took their leave for the night, the telepath's "voice" resounded in my head.
"I won't tell you who Allison is, because you'll find out soon enough. But I will tell you about my brother. My worst enemy for so long now. Yet, he was once my best friend. But he acquired wealth, fame, and, worst of all power. Power corrupted him. Turned him against me. His own brother." I sensed overwhelming sadness from the blind man. "Allison's father was a priest," he continued, after a long pause, "of the highest standing. He was a very gifted mage; a talented potion brewer and a prodigious enchanter. He theorized the existence of another dimension, one which he named 'The End', because, in his words, 'It will be the end of humanity if the guardian of that realm should ever escape into our world.'
"But the priest also spoke about great power that men could attain if they could conquer the beast. And my brother wanted power. So he asked the priest how to reach this realm. But the priest refused him. My brother, knowing he could not best the mage in combat, sought another form of blackmail. He came to my house one day -- not for me, but for Allison. For my wife." Again, I sensed great sadness and pain. "I wasn't home. My brother took her and went back to the priest, this time pressing a sword against his daughter's throat. He asked the priest again how to reach the realm, and this time, the priest told him. 'In the desert far to the east of here, there is a temple. Inside it, you will find the answers you seek. Now please, give me my daughter.' But my brother did not. No, he said, 'Priest, if the words you speak are true, your daughter will be returned to you unharmed. If not, you'll never see her again.'
"And with those words, my brother set out for this desert. When I came home later that day, I found the priest in my house. I asked him what he was doing and where Allison was, and he told me what happened. He also told me that his words to my brother about the desert temple were untrue. 'Oh yes, your brother will find a temple. But it will not contain the answers he seeks. Only traps and monsters. If we are lucky, these will end him. But if not... I shutter to think what he will do to my Allison. To my baby girl.' I'll never forget how he sobbed that day. I asked him why he lied to my brother. 'Do you not understand?' he said through tears. 'If your brother harnesses the power that lies in The End, he will conquer everyone in this realm! No one will be spared from his tyranny.' I knew this was true, but I was still angry that he would jeopardize my wife's safety by giving my brother false information.
"I told him that I would seek out this temple and ensure that my brother's schemes were ended permanently and that Allison was safe. But I was not confident in my ability to do this. My brother had always bested me in all things physical and mental. So I asked the priest to accompany me. 'Oh no. I am bound by sacred oath to never leave this town. I cannot come with you. I am sorry... But there is something I can give you.' He reached into his robes and drew from his waist a glowing diamond sword. I gaped at its beauty. I had never seen anything of its magnitude of wonder before. He told me that it would give me a decisive edge over my brother. So I took it from him, gathered my two closest friends, and set off eastward."
I had a feeling that was all the telepath intended to tell me for the time being, but it was plenty to keep my mind occupied. The next morning, the three travellers ate breakfast at a nearby restaurant, where Eric had indeed secured a job as a dishwasher. Al set off for the town square to attempt to raise revenue by showing off Water's repetoire of tricks (which, by this point in time, included sitting, standing, giving paw, and playing dead), while H.B. went to city hall, hoping to find a surveyor with a map of the surrounding area.
I chose to follow the leader, simply because his task seemed the most interesting (or should I say, least monotonous). Luckily, H.B. was met with almost instant success. He was introduced to a man named Larry, who confirmed that he had seen such a temple on an expedition.
"I've got a map I could sell ya," the surveyor said. "It'll make gettin' to yer temple easier 'n gettin' wool off a sheep.
"Sound excellent," H.B. replied. "How much?"
"Ah, now that's the part ye may not like so much. I don't reckon you've got 75 emeralds, do ye?"
"75?" H.B. exclaimed. "That's insane!"
"Man's gotta make a livin' somehow," Larry said casually, giving a shrug of his shoulders. "And it ain't everyday that I get a feller comin' through here askin' me fer a map. So I reckon these maps are like luxury goods, see? So really, 75 ain't all that bad."
"You're sure you can't come down any?" H.B. asked.
"'Fraid not, lad."
"I understand. Thank you for your time." With these words, the leader turned and exited the building, returning to the inn, where he spent the remainder of the day waiting for his companions to arrive. When they finally did, the three of them gathered once more in H.B.'s room for dinner.
"How'd it go?" the leader asked.
"Awful, bloody awful," Al replied. "These folks are right stingy with their emeralds. The whole day, I stood out there in the blazing sun, and you know what I got? Seven. Seven stinking green gemstones. Shameful, that's what it is."
"You think that's shameful, then you're gonna think this is just robbery. I got four for washing dishes," Eric chimed in.
"Eleven emeralds in a day," H.B. muttered. "Four of them we'll have to spend on the room and food, and we can't even count on the other seven, once people get tired of Water's tricks." He paused for a moment. "I hope you boys haven't gotten too attached to Stonkville," he said finally, "because after tomorrow night, I don't think we'll be welcome here anymore."
Want to find out what happens next? Subscribe and check back regularly for the continuation of Steve's story!! Feel free to drop a diamond or a favorite!
--PD640
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Chapter IV : by ProofDust640 08/27/2014 1:28:12 pmAug 27th, 2014
Added one chapter. Attempted to add thumbnail. Again. It didn't work. Again. :(
On a happier note, two people liked my story enough to favorite it and subscribe to me! Yay! :D
On a happier note, two people liked my story enough to favorite it and subscribe to me! Yay! :D
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