rope fence. Hanging from the stockade in the center was Farnsworth.
Above Farnsworth in the stockade stood the Enderman who had killed my father. His purple eyes were locked on to Farnsworth as a grim smile spread across his face. I knew I had to find a way to get Farnsworth out, but I was stumped. If I waited until night, we would be overrun in minutes, but I was still at risk from creepers and Endermen if I went during the day. The only thing I could think to do was to cause a distraction.
I had noted a forge when I first entered the city and, with its master penned in here, no one would be tending to the flame, which could give me just the opening I needed. I snuck back downstairs and into the drainage system without being detected and made my way for the forge. I reached it and snuck inside, pleased to discover that the forge itself was just what I had hoped. Some of the forges in wealthier cities used magma for their heat rather than coals because the magma would stay a more uniform temperature and also had the ability to reach flaming temperatures than no coals could ever reach. But there was a flaw in their design: if one of the bricks were to be removed from the heating chamber, the magma would spill out and light anything and everything that it touched on fire instantly.
I removed one brick and replaced it with a dash of redstone attached to a timer. When the timer finished counting down, it would trigger the redstone and destroy the last remaining block. With my plan set up, I snuck back into the drainage tunnel and returned to the square to await my distraction. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wait long. The magma flowed out of the forge and into a nearby wagon, which went up like dry kindling in the middle of summer. The fire then spread to another building that was filled to the brim with zombies who were hiding from the day.
As the smoke began to rise, the creepers and Endermen took notice and went to investigate. I waited until the Enderman who killed my father teleported out to check the scuffle before bursting out of the grate and running to the square. I cut the rope in a single swing with my precious diamond sword as the freed people pushed past and ran in all directions. I shattered the lock on the stockade and was just lifting the latch when I felt a cold hand on my shoulder. Without hesitating, I swung around with the diamond sword. It vanished with a pop and my heart sank, but the scarred Enderman just glared at me.
Thinking quickly, I grabbed my canteen and opened the cap, tossing it at him in one motion. He bellowed and teleported before the water could touch him. I released Farnsworth and retrieved my sword, which had only been teleported a few feet away. The scarred Enderman returned, grabbing for me, but he was met with a dagger in his side. Farnsworth ripped the dagger from its purchase and swung again just as I swung for its other side. The Enderman avoid Farnsworth’s dagger, which led him directly into my blade. His eyes widened as the diamond cut his flesh. He stood for a moment, stunned, but before he could teleport away I threw a dampened blanket over the top of him. Two more slashes and he hit the ground, not moving, but just as I was about to finish him off two more Endermen teleported in, grabbed their scarred companion and teleported away. I turned with my blade, at the ready for another attack, but it never came. All around me, zombies and skeletal archers were being forced into the streets by the citizens I had set free, all of them bursting into flame. It wasn’t long until the city was ours again.
I slumped down on the steps of the square, resting my forehead against the pommel of the sword.
“Impressive work, kid,” Farnsworth grinned. “How did you think to use water like that?”
“It was a bit of a long shot, really,” I responded tiredly, “I remembered you mentioning the torture and thought he might have a weakness or fear of it.”
“And your fighting technique?” he asked.
“Father always told me that a good smith needs to understand and be able to use the weapons and tools he forges. If a smith can’t properly swing a sword, he won’t know if it’s poorly balanced or not. He trained me every day that he didn’t have to spend travelling to Darsooth and he never let me slack off, not even for one day.”
“Well he trained you well, and you even avenged him with your grandfather’s sword,” Farnsworth chuckled.
“This sword belonged to Widow Berken’s late husband. She gave it to me as I was leaving; she seemed to feel badly that she couldn’t house me any longer.” I answered.
“Berken was your mother’s maiden name. Your grandfather was Alexander Berken, a master smith for the order of rangers,” said Farnsworth.
“Why didn’t my father tell me the Widow Berken was my grandmother?” I asked.
“Your grandfather died not long after your mother passed. The Widow Berken was so distraught that she disowned you and your father. Your old man refused to leave, he felt it was his duty to stay in Tanlin and keep the village safe and well in honor of your mother,” he answered.
“I just can’t believe no one ever told me,” I said sadly.
“It was hard on everyone kid; I wouldn’t hold it against them. You can always go find her after this if you want to.”
It seemed, for the time being at least, that the fight for the city was over. Farnsworth sent a messenger to the capital city to inform the king of these new developments and to mention the fear that the Endermen had of water. The scarred Enderman was never seen again in my time, and I like to think that he will never come back. But whether he succumbed to his wounds or is biding his time before taking up his revenge once again, I doubt I’ll ever know.
###
About the Author
Mark Mulle is a passionate Minecraft gamer who writes game guides, short stories, and novels about the Minecraft universe. He has been exploring, building, and fighting in the game ever since its launch, and he often uses in-game experiences for inspiration on creating the best fiction for fellow fans of the game. He works as a professional writer and splits his time between gaming, reading, and storytelling, three hobbies and lifelong passions that he attributes to a love of roleplaying, a pursuit of challenging new perspectives, and a visceral enjoyment the vast worlds that imagination has to offer. His favorite thing to do, after a long day of creating worlds both on and off the online gaming community, is to relax with his dog, Herobrine, and to unwind with a good book. His favorite authors include Stephen King, Richard A. Knaak, George R. R. Martin, and R. A. Salvatore, whose fantasy works he grew up reading or is currently reading. Just like in Minecraft, Mark always strives to level up, so to speak, so that he can improve his skills and continue to surprise his audience. He prefers to play massive multiplayer online games but often spends time in those games fighting monsters one on one and going solo against the toughest mobs and bosses he can manage to topple. In every game, his signature character build is a male who focuses mostly on crafting weapons and enchanting, and in every battle, he always brings a one hander sword and a shield with as much magical attributes as he can pour into them. Because he always plays alone, he likes to use his game guides to share all the secrets and knowledge he gains, and who know—he may have snuck some information into his fiction as well. Keep an eye out for his next book!
Other books by Mark Mulle
Please visit your favorite ebook retailer to discover
The Obsidian Chronicles
The Obsidian Chronicles, Book One: Ender Rain
The Obsidian Chronicles, Book Two: Hell and Back
The Obsidian Chronicles, Book Three: Of Dragons and Demons
The Untold Story of Steve Trilogy
The Quest: The Untold Story of Steve, Book One - The Tale of a Hero
The Quest: The Untold Story of Steve, Book Two - The Unfinished Game
The Quest: The Untold Story of Steve, Book Three - Endings and Beginnings of a Legend
The Doppelganger Trilogy
The Doppelganger, Book One – Steve’s Chance
The Doppelganger, Book Two – Steve vs. Herobrine
The Doppelganger, Book Three – The Ender Dragon Reborn
The Cult Trilogy
The Cul
t, Part One
The Cult, Part Two
The Cult, Part Three
The Dragon’s Mountain Trilogy
Book One: Attacked by the Griefers
Book Two: The Hidden Village
Book Three: The White Mobs
The Legend: The Mystery of Herobrine Trilogy
Book One: The Start of the Quest
Book Two: The Truth about the Myth
Book Three: Herobrine versus the World
The Temple of Destruction Trilogy
Book One: The Lost Treasures
Book Two: The Curse
Book Three: Notch versus Herobrine
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