The mobs charged across the stone bridge with only one thought in mind, “Kill Gameknight999.” In their haste to get across, many were pushed off the narrow walkway, falling into the waiting arms of the molten lava that surrounded the bridge and island. It made no difference, though, a handful of monsters killed by their own thirst for violence as compared to the hundreds streaming out of the tunnel; the odds were still impossible.
The defenders opened up with bows, striking out at the monsters from a distance. Gameknight’s enchanted weapon was singing as the bow string vibrated after every shot, reverberating with the other bow strings nearby, creating a sound like an orchestra warming up, every filament oscillating on a different note, both dissonant and harmonious at the same time. He fired a headshot at a zombie, then another one at a cave spider, then a skeleton, his hand not able to draw back the bow fast enough to hit all the targets before him. An arrow bounced off Gameknight’s armor, a gift from a skeleton. Brushing it aside, he kept firing.
“Concentrate on the cave spiders,” Shawny yelled.
The cave spider’s poison was lethal, the only antidote being milk, something that none of them thought to bring to this battle. The smaller cousin of the standard Minecraft spider, they were ferocious in battle, typically found in dungeons underground. Now, they led the charge across the stone bridge, their furry dark blue bodies scuttling across the ground on eight short, hairy legs. All the bowmen focused their shots on these beasts, firing arrow after arrow at the furry black terrors. In no time, all of the spiders had become pin cushions, feathered spikes sticking out of their bodies. Then they popped into nonexistence.
Another arrow streaked over Gameknight’s shoulder, striking the user behind him.
“Now, aim for the skeletons,” Shawny yelled as the monsters came closer. “Take out their archers.”
Some of the zombies were pushing forward, almost within reach of the defenders. Their bows would offer little defense against the green monsters when they were close. Drawing his sword, Gameknight999 charged forward.
“FOR MINECRAFT,” he yelled, the battle cry resonating off the stone walls of the cavern.
Reaching the first zombie, Gameknight struck out at his head, killing him in three blows. He then turned and sliced at his neighbors, but some of the zombies were trying to get around him, encircling him with their extended green arms. Suddenly, there were users at his shoulders: Disko42 on his right and PaulSeerSr on his left, each with an enchanted diamond sword in their hands. Then Zefus came forward, adding to their numbers. Their blades were shimmering cobalt blurs as they came down on their opponents, cleaving zombie bodies into nonexistence, but the mass of attackers was too much for the four defenders to stand their ground.
“We have to pull back!” PaulSeerSr yelled.
“No, fight like in Wing Commander,” Game-knight said as he slashed at a gold-armored zombie, “hit and run, hit and run. Come on, follow me.”
Gameknight then ran to the left, the three users following. They streaked across the battlefield, striking out at all targets of opportunity as they passed, not killing the zombies, just doing damage as they streaked by. After running across the width of the island, they turned around for another pass. This time, their second attack on those at the front of the mob was lethal, their blades killing the zombies and brushing away the leading edge of the monster army like an eraser to a white board. Still the mobs pushed forward. Now regular spiders were pushing their way to the front while the slower bouncing slimes were just starting to make their way across the rocky bridge.
“This isn’t working,” Disko42 said. “We have to get off this island.”
“Not yet,” Gameknight yelled, slashing at a spider, the furry beast managing to land a blow before disappearing, “we have to get all of them on the island, so that we can spring the trap.”
“Then we need to pull back, to make room for them,” Zefus said, slashing at a nearby skeleton, changing the creature into a pile of bones after two swings of his shining blade. “Move back to the other bridge.”
“Right,” Gameknight agreed.
Disengaging from the battlefront, he moved back to their archers, Shawny at the front.
“Pull back to the other bridge,” he said to his friend. “Have swordsmen go to the front and protect the retreat, archers to the other side of the lava. Get ready with the redstone.”
Shawny nodded and gave the commands. Half of the archers quickly filed across the bridge as the other half drew their blades and charged forward. Gameknight could see one of the users, HoneyDon’t, move to a lever that was placed on the dirt wall of the cavern, waiting for the signal to throw the switch; it was the first half of their little surprise.
“Swordsmen, forward!” Gameknight yelled, his own glowing sword held up high. “FOR MINECRAFT!!!”
The warriors charged forward, echoing the battle cry. To his surprise, he found Crafter at his side, his own iron sword swinging wildly, cleaving monsters in two.
“What are you doing here?” Gameknight yelled. “Get to the other side of the bridge where it’s safer.”
“Our fates are tied together, my friend,” Crafter replied. “I stand with you.”
A spider leapt at the duo. Their swords rang together as they simultaneously attacked the furry beast. Sprinting across the battlefield, Crafter and Gameknight were a whirlwind of death, spinning between monsters, one of them attacking while the other defended. It was like watching a graceful ballet, except, of course for the mass of claws and fangs that were reaching out at them, looking to rend flesh from bone. As they made their second pass, Game-knight noticed that most of the monsters were on the island now except for the creepers, who were staying back, all of them clumped on the bridge at the other side of the cavern, the endermen still in the mouth of the tunnel. Gameknight could feel all of the monsters’ anger and hatred, their thirst for his death somehow resonating within his mind. It was a terrible feeling having all of that malice focused on him, but he had to shove it aside and throw up some kind of barrier or he would be overwhelmed. Pushing back his fear—no, his terror—he sought out his friend, Shawny, and found him on the right flank, sword flashing through slimes, cutting them in half, then chopping at the smaller green bouncing blobs. Moving to his side, Game-knight pointed at the creepers and then gestured at all the monsters.
“It’s time,” he yelled to his friend.
Shawny nodded, then turned to HoneyDon’t, ready to give the order, the blocky hand already on the switch. Before HoneyDon’t could move, an enderman appeared at his side, reached out with its long black arms, and took the block of dirt on which the lever was placed. The switch fell to the ground along with the redstone that was placed behind it. It floated momentarily on the stone and then fell into the lava; the lever was gone. Another enderman appeared to take more dirt blocks, its maniacal chuckle driving spikes of fear into those nearby, then disappeared in a cloud of purple particles, more redstone floating on the ground.
“The redstone,” HoneyDon’t yelled to Shawny, his British voice still sounding humorous, even at this moment, “it’s destroyed!”
Shawny ran across the bridge, pushing through the defending archers on the narrow ledge and stood next to HoneyDon’t. The redstone circuit was completely destroyed.
“Does anyone have any levers?” Shawny yelled.
No one did.
“We have to close off the monster’s escape. Destroy the far bridge,” Shawny said, fear in his voice, “or they’ll escape.”
They all knew if the monsters escaped then this battle was for nothing and would have to be replayed again, somewhere else on this server, that is, if they survived the battle at all.
Running back onto the island, Shawny called to his friend. Disengaging from the battle, Gameknight and Crafter came near, their armor scratched and dented from the blows they had received.
“The redstone trigger for the far bridge is ruined,” Shawny explained. “We can’t destroy their escape route. The monsters will be able to get away when we trigger the trap; the plan’s a failure.”
Lowering his gaze, Shawny looked to the ground in defeat, an arrow streaking overhead, just barely missing his helmet. Gameknight glanced at the far bridge, then surveyed the battlefield, the rocky island littered with the armor and weapons of the fallen. The monsters were pushing forward, driving their swordsmen back to their side of the island. Their users were shooting from the narrow ledge, firing arrows as fast as they could, slowly reducing the mob army, but there were so many monsters and so few defenders that it looked as if they had little chance.
“Without destroying that bridge, the plan will never work,” Gameknight said solemnly. “You should retreat. Take the tunnels out the back of the cavern and run.”
The taste of defeat sat bitter in his mouth. They’d lost; he’d lost. This world of Minecraft would be destroyed and these mobs would get closer to the Source, closer to his family, his little sister. What had he done? If only more had come, if only he hadn’t been such a jerk to all those other players, maybe . . . maybe . . . and then the sound of Erebus’s chilling laugh resonated throughout the chamber. Turning, Gameknight stared across the cavern and locked eyes with the dark red enderman. The mob king was actually smiling somehow, with an eerie toothy grin, like a snake about to strike. Then Ere-bus laughed again as all hope left Gameknight999.