The Wither Invasion Page 11

  But Watcher knew they had to fight now. Those back at the Wizard’s Tower needed time to prepare, or all was lost.

  That scratchy, jagged itch in the back of his mind told him something terrible would happen soon, but what, he didn’t know. Which of the villagers would never see home again? Watcher would find out soon enough, and then he’d have to add those lost lives to the growing list of dead heroes etched forever into his memories.

  Krael floated through the sweltering air as tiny cubes of sweat ran down his dark forehead, most of the moisture evaporating before it reached his eyes. He wanted to wipe his brow somehow, but with his lack of arms, it was impossible.

  “I hate desert biomes,” he growled.

  “I like them.” Kora looked at her husband and smiled. “The lack of life makes them seem clean and fresh.”

  “But what about the cacti? They’re alive.”

  “Well, sure, the cacti are indeed alive,” Kora said. “But with all those razor-sharp spines, what’s not to like about them?”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Krael glared up at the oppressive sun overhead, then surveyed their surroundings. “I can hear the echo of magic in this desert. Likely, Tharus created this desert as an additional obstacle.”

  “An obstacle for what?” Kora asked.

  “If anyone were to go looking for Tharus’s portal, they’d have to cross this sweltering desert. It would probably dissuade the curious from venturing too close to the poison swamp and his little secret.”

  Kora nodded.

  “That’s what I would have done, but I would have added more monsters and—” Krael suddenly stopped speaking and glanced around, as if looking for something, then stared straight down at the sandy ground. “This is a good spot.”

  “A good spot for what?” Kora moved to his side, floating back-to-back with him, watching for threats.

  “Withers, gather around me.” Krael’s voice boomed across the lonely desert. “Keep the ground forces away.” The wither army formed a wide circle around their king, then fired flaming skulls at the ground, encouraging the monsters to keep back.

  “What are you doing, husband?”

  “Something important.” Krael slowly moved toward the ground, Kora descending with him. “Below the sand, there are layers upon layers of stone, stretching all the way down to the limit of Minecraft. I can sense those layers through the Crowns of Skulls.”

  He moved closer and closer to the ground until his stubby spine rested on the hot sand. Kora stayed a few blocks off the ground, afraid to be too low.

  The wither king closed his eyes and concentrated, the three Crowns on his heads glowing brighter and brighter until the lavender glow even pushed back on the yellow rays of the sun, painting an iridescent circle on the sand. Some of the blocks within the sparkling circle started to smoke, their tops turning black as the powerful magic charred their speckled faces.

  Krael’s breathing grew strained as he inhaled and exhaled faster and faster to take in enough air to support the terrible strain on his body. Sweat poured down his dark heads, flowing across his closed eyes and leaking into his mouths; the tiny cubes tasted salty and warm.

  Krael’s magic allowed him to sense the rock beneath the sand. It stretched down many blocks until it merged with the bedrock layer at the bottom of Minecraft, where, just below the bedrock, Krael felt something dark and terrifying … the Void. Fear nibbled at the edges of his senses as his magic probed the deadly Void; no creature could survive the Void, not even Krael.

  I wonder if the Crowns of Skulls would keep me alive in that terrifying darkness? he thought, but knew he’d never attempt that test, it would be foolish and possibly fatal.

  With a deep breath, Krael poured his magic into the bottom of the bedrock, sending a message across the thin layer between life and death, between Minecraft and the Void, letting it expand in all directions. Concentrating his power, he pushed the magic as far as possible, letting it infect as much of the bedrock layer as his power would allow. When the magic had spread as far as it could, Krael took another deep breath, then gave the sheet of magic a push upward, back toward the surface. His enchanted message slowly seeped through the blocks of sand, rock, dirt, and gravel, percolating up through the dark layers of the Far Lands until it reached the air and bubbled into awaiting ears.

  At that moment, Krael’s army of mismatched creatures suddenly froze and listened to the whispering voice in their malformed ears. They growled and snarled as the words formed in their minds, making them angrier and angrier.

  “What’s happening?” Kora asked.

  Krael floated back up into the air. “I whispered my message of hatred to all the monsters in the Far Lands.” He glanced at Kora, a satisfied grin on each of his ashen skulls. “I was already bending the minds of a small number of monsters in this world, but now, my message is reaching many thousands of monsters. Soon, they’ll start attacking every NPC village. As long as my magical spell resides down there in the bedrock, it will continue to play, driving the monsters of the Far Land into a violent rage.”

  “That’s fantastic,” Kora said, her six eyes beaming with pride.

  “In addition to distracting and weakening the NPCs, my whispers of rage will drive many monsters to us, swelling our ranks until this army is bigger than anything seen during the Great War.”

  The other withers around Krael smiled, then bowed their heads to their king in recognition of his greatness.

  “Where do we go now, husband?” Kora asked, looking around.

  “First, there is another task I must perform.” The wither king glanced at the monsters surrounding him. “All of you should back away from me.”

  The withers floated back, pushing the monsters on the ground away as well.

  Krael closed his six eyes and focused on his magic. As before, the Crowns gave off a purple glow, its radiance growing brighter and brighter until the nearby monsters had to turn away, the intensity too great. Some moaned in fear, afraid the King’s magic might cause them harm.

  Ignoring the sounds of terror from his horde, Krael pulled as much magic as he could from the three Crowns. He felt as if he were burning from the inside, the magic searing his nerves, but he kept drawing on the incredible power held within the three enchanted artifacts.

  Nearby, a monster screamed in terror and fell to the ground, fainting from fear. It made Krael growl with annoyance.

  When he thought he’d drawn as much power as he could possibly contain, Krael focused his mind on the Far Lands, then released his hold on the magic. An iridescent blast of energy flowed out from the wither king, washing over the monsters around him and then traveling outward into the landscape.

  Opening his eyes, Krael watched the wave of magic speed away, the unstoppable storm of shimmering power growing dimmer as it spread outward. It grew fainter and fainter until it was no longer visible, but Krael knew the energy had not diminished; there was enough power in that spell to flow in an ever-widening circle, spreading through the Far Lands until, eventually, it would spread into the Overworld.

  “What was that, husband?” Kora slowly moved to his side.

  “I’ve sent out a spell to modify the monsters of this world.” Krael smiled, pleased with himself. “The monsters on this plane of existence will no longer be burned during the day; they’ll now be impervious to the harsh rays of the sun. Let that throw a little fear into the hearts of the villagers.”

  Krael floated higher into the air, his wife at his side. “There is an extreme hills biome to the east of here. There we will gather more monsters … and meet an old friend.” Krael laughed as if he knew a secret.

  “An old friend … what are you talking about?” Kora glanced at the other withers, looking to see if any understood.

  “I can clearly sense that fool, Watcher.” Krael smiled. “When we were on a different plane of existence, he was but a tickle in the back of my mind, but now, I can sense his presence. I don’t understand how it’s possible, because I didn’t know th
e Crowns of Skulls could do it. When Tharus created these Crowns, their original purpose was to find magical weapons made by the monsters, but when I wear them, they give me the ability to sense my enemies.” He turned and scanned his army, a satisfied expression on his three skulls. “We’ll have a little reunion with that boy-wizard and his other magical friends soon enough. In a single attack, the last wizards of Minecraft will be destroyed, leaving us free to take the Far Lands for ourselves!”

  “Fantastic, we’ll end this war sooner than I thought.” Kora smiled at her husband.

  “End it sooner, ha … it has only just begun.” Krael laughed. “After we destroy the wizards and exterminate all villagers in the Far Lands, then we’ll cleanse the Overworld of their NPC infection, too. And after this world is sterilized, we’ll move to the other Planes of Existence until every NPC is gone.” He glared at the landscape around him. “I’ll make them regret ever trying to imprison my wife in that Cave of Slumber.”

  Kora nodded, but a concerned expression had settled on her three faces. “Husband, don’t you think too much killing might be—”

  “Soon, we will rule everything!” Krael called out, interrupting her.

  The monsters on the ground and those floating in the air all cheered for their king.

  “Follow me, my friends,” Krael said, his voice amplified by his Crowns. “There’s a desert village nearby that I can feel with my magic. We’ll crush the NPCs there, then look for more villages as we close in on the boy-wizard and his friends. You’ll be feasting on a wizard’s XP soon.”

  The creatures cheered again, then headed to the east, every one of them moving as fast as they could, with delicious thoughts of violence running through their twisted minds.

  Watcher shivered. They were in a frozen river biome, the ground rock hard and nearly flat with occasional mounds of snow here and there. The horses’ hooves made crunching sounds with every step as they broke the thin layer of ice on the ground. The air was icy cold. The constant east-to-west breeze flowing through Minecraft felt as if it were filled with razor-sharp needles—tiny shards of ice, almost too small to see, floated on the wind, each frozen sliver managing to find exposed skin.

  Watcher stood up in his stirrups and scanned the surroundings, looking for threats. Ahead and behind the company, iron and obsidian golems lumbered along, their huge metal heads scanning the area for monsters. All around them, the silvery fur of the iron wolves reflected the afternoon sun, making the animals appear to glow.

  To his right, a river sliced through the landscape like a slithering blue snake, turning one way, then another as the waterway carved a circuitous path around hills of snow. The river’s frozen surface was like cerulean glass, the transparent blue ice showing the chilly water underneath.

  A sudden howl cut through the silence. Watcher glanced down at Fixit, and the tiny metal child smiled, then whistled and chirped a string of notes. He glanced at Er-Lan.

  “Fixit says the wolves like it out here,” the zombie said. “With a clear field of view, monsters cannot sneak up on the villagers.”

  “What else does that little metal child say?” Cutter’s sudden voice was loud, as usual; it startled both Watcher and Er-Lan. “How do we know that zombie is telling us everything it says?”

  “Why would Er-Lan lie? He’s one of us.” Watcher looked over his shoulder at the big NPC in frustration. “You need to stop accusing him of being some kind of traitor. He’s part of our village, and he’s part of my family.”

  The warrior kicked his horse forward and moved up next to Watcher.

  “Even if he’s lying about what he is?” Cutter’s steel-gray eyes bored into the young wizard’s blues.

  “What … you mean he’s not a zombie?” Watcher smiled.

  “You know what I mean!” Cutter leaned forward and glared at Er-Lan, then brought his gaze back to his friend. “He did that thing in the Hall of Planes, and—”

  “Are you still worried about that? The time when Er-Lan pushed Krael back through the portal and saved all our lives?”

  The hulking NPC just nodded.

  “I told you before—my magic leaked into him. That’s the only explanation, and I wish you’d just believe me and leave this alone.” Watcher scowled.

  “Well, it’s funny.”

  “What’s funny?”

  “Your magic has never leaked into anyone else, has it?” Cutter paused for a second, then continued, not letting the young wizard respond. “Oh, wait, I think you thought your magic had leaked into Planter when she used that magic bow from the skeleton warlord.”

  “You mean this?” Watcher reached into his inventory and pulled out the Fossil Bow of Destruction. It had been constructed by the monster warlocks before the Great War and had served Watcher well many times since he’d taken it from the skeleton warlord. He handled it carefully, knowing if he grabbed it too firmly, the magical weapon would reach into his HP for power, just like the Eye of Searching. That was something he’d like to avoid.

  “Yeah, I considered that as a possibility at first, because something had to make it so Planter could use this bow without dying.” Watcher stuffed the enchanted weapon back into his inventory. “So what?”

  “But that wasn’t the case, was it?” Cutter veered around a large mound of snow, then guided his horse across a frozen river, its hooves clattering on the icy surface. “Your magic leaking into Planter wasn’t actually the answer, was it?”

  Watcher shook his head. “You know as well as I do that it wasn’t my magic that allowed Planter to use the Bow. It was the fact that she’s a wizard, like me.”

  “Ah, I see, so you thought your magic had leaked into Planter, but it didn’t; actually, she was a wizard.” Cutter’s voice was growing louder, his anger rising. “So why don’t you think it’s the same with that zombie?”

  Watcher glanced at Er-Lan and gave him a reassuring smile; the zombie looked scared. “I just know. Why isn’t that good enough for you?”

  “Because when that zombie shows his true colors, villagers are gonna suffer.” Cutter glared at Er-Lan. “I’m not gonna let that happen, no matter what you believe.”

  Watcher sighed. “Cutter, I wish you’d just trust me and—”

  Suddenly, the sounds of screams echoed in the young wizard’s head. It made his head spin as a sickening dizziness spread through his body.

  “Help …” Watcher’s pleading voice was weak as he fell off his horse.

  “Watcher, what’s wrong?” Cutter leapt off his horse and knelt at the boy’s side.

  The other NPCs gathered near, staring down at the boy.

  More shouts of agony and terror echoed through his mind. Watcher could almost feel the pain these ethereal voices were feeling as their cries for help went unanswered. Sweat poured down his face, his body feeling burning hot as if he were trapped inside a raging inferno, yet at the same time, a merciless cold dug its claws into his skin. A potion of healing splashed across his armor, the liquid seeping quickly between the diamond plates and soaking into his skin, but it had no effect.

  “I can hear them dying,” Watcher whispered. “Krael … he’s killing villagers somewhere, and no one is there to help.”

  Distantly, Watcher felt as something was clasped around his neck. It was a thin chain of some kind with a cold stone dangling on the end.

  “This is a blocking stone … I made it myself.” Mira stared down at Watcher, slowly lifting his head and cradling it in her lap. “In a moment or two, it’ll help with the sounds.”

  Watcher looked up at the ancient wizard, her warm eyes trying to hide the fear she felt for him.

  Another group of screams slashed through his mind, but this time, they were softer. Maybe it was because of the blocking stone, or maybe there just weren’t as many NPCs still left alive in the besieged village.

  The dizziness faded, leaving Watcher feeling empty and ragged—like a wet cloth wrung out too many times. Slowly, he sat up.

  “What happened?” Planter
stood over him, her emerald-green eyes filled with concern and fear.

  “Krael … he’s started his destruction.” With help from Mira and Planter, the young wizard climbed to his feet. “That horrible wither is destroying a village somewhere. I could hear the screams of his victims … it was terrible.” He lowered his gaze to the ground. “And I couldn’t do anything to help those poor souls.”

  “What could you have done?” Mira put a hand under Watcher’s chin and raised his head until his eyes met hers. “You’re here and Krael is … who knows where?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” He glared at the ancient wizard. “I did nothing when the zombie warlord attacked my village, and many people were hurt. I can’t just let others suffer because I wasn’t there … Something must be done. I can’t bear hearing them suffer.”

  Watcher lifted the chain around his head. A faceted gemstone as black as night hung on the end of the chain, shimmering with magical power. He raised the stone and slid it under his chest plate, then turned to Mira. “Thank you. That amulet helped a lot.”

  The old woman nodded. “Somehow, you’re linked to Krael; it’s likely your magic mixed with his somehow during a battle. The blocking stone will muffle the suffering of his victims in your ears. Just keep wearing it and it’ll give you some protection from those sounds.”

  “Okay.” He turned to Blaster. He was about to speak when one of the forward scouts shouted, “I see the extreme hills up ahead!”

  A villager wearing white leather armor and riding a white horse came galloping up to the company. Blaster rode out to meet him, also wearing white to blend in with the environment. The two NPCs spoke briefly, then the scout turned and headed back into the frozen landscape while Blaster returned. Fencer rode out to meet the young boy, but he ignored her and headed straight for Watcher.

  “She said that—” Blaster started to say.

  “She?” Cutter interrupted.

  “Yeah, she.” Fencer caught up to Blaster and moved to his side. “That’s Farmer, and she’s one of our best scouts. Isn’t that right, Blaster?”