River and Wood, A Minecraft Tale

Chapter One, The Inferno

It began in a new world, on a dark night. Thunder crashed behind the shadows of the trees as the sky cried with rain. The wind howled, and the groans of zombies could be heard in the distance along with the slight hissing of the treacherous creepers. It was a full moon tonight, where we lay this scene. Here, a valley that was covered in both oak, dark wood and grassy plains existed. An ocean lay farther north, and to the far end of the south was a jungle biome that was unexplored. The forest was rather thick, with brush, vines, and plenty of game to eat. Villages lay quiet on the desolate country side with farmers, blacksmiths, fletchers, and cartographers trying to get some sleep despite the flashes of lightning. To be out at this hour would be suicide, especially with all the monsters. However, she wouldn't let it stop her. At the edge of the dark forest, perched on a thick and sturdy branch, crouched a woman. Her hair was the color of gold. It fell behind her back, hiding away in the depths of her leather cloak. She wore a black hat that shaded her face and folded upwards on the right side of her head along with a form fitting, navy blue uniform underneath her outer armor. A bow and quiver were slung over her shoulder as well as a leather satchel. Carefully, she watched. Her blue eyes scanned the night as her ears were listening carefully. No one except her would dare to be here in this place at this time. It wasn't just the night that held fear. Looking ahead, she could see it: an outpost that peeked out above the trees and towered just above the forest's edge. That was where the true fear lived.

Smiling to herself, she turned to her satchel that sat on her lap. More thunder illuminated the structure as she pulled out an old, but very resourceful map. As quick as she could she marked her surroundings and stuffed it back inside the back before deciding it was time to do what she came here to do. The heavy rain fell from the leafs, barely shielding her from its heavy droplets. Slowly, she began the climb. She gripped the bark with her gloved hands, and made her way to the forest floor. When she was close enough, she jumped to the ground with a quiet thump. The rain continued as she started forward, her feet moving in a single file line to maintain her stealth. The more she moved, the closer she got to the glowing light up ahead. Of course, this was no welcoming light, it was one that belonged to the enemy. Closer and closer, she was quick on her toes, but not too quick. Crouching down once more, she crawled on the wet grass that soaked her sleeves as well as her trousers. The ground was too wet, too muddy to continue crawling. She pondered if she should turn back, but realized she was far too near to do such a thing. Besides, it had taken months for her to find this place. Suddenly, she heard them. Low, gruff voices were talking up ahead. Pulling herself into a clearing behind a single oak tree, she listened. She was roughly fifteen feet away from the entrance. She knew she could make it if she ran, but didn't want to risk it. If they caught her, they'd put an arrow straight through her head, or perhaps they'd bury an axe into her heart. Through the rain's constant pitter patter, their words were barely audible. With her back against the trunk of the mighty tree, she slowly turned her head to see how many were there. As blurry as they were, there was about six of them.

Six men stood guard, wielding either a crossbow or an axe that was held firmly by their hands. She knew these weapons were made specifically to take care of outsiders such as herself, which was why she was prepared. However, these men weren't ordinary. They weren't the type of people you'd see in the villages and bazaars. Their skin was gray due to their concealment behind the dark oak trees, and their eyes were ravenous with a thirst for blood. Their heads were shaved, and their faces were chiseled yet strong. These were pillagers. In other words, they were brutal. They were the ones that would raid lands and murder people just for their own profit. Not only did they terrorize villages, but they also tampered with things humanity wasn't meant to tamper with... such as the dark powers of strange magic. That's the reason she was here, you see. She had gone out of her way to stop these dark deeds by doing something crazy-something a teensy weensy bit overboard. This woman, this town-hero, was going to blow up their outpost.