The Jungle Temple Oracle Read online

  “We have to get out of here, somehow,” Gameknight said.

  Crafter nodded.

  “But how?” Digger asked. “The extreme hills ring this place. We cannot climb them. The only way out is back through the jungle.”

  “And the zombie army will likely be waiting for us,” Stitcher added.

  Gameknight looked out at the jungle, lost in thought. He was waiting for some idea, some brilliant and clever solution to appear in his mind, but there was nothing . . . only silence. But then a voice echoed within his brain, a familiar voice . . . Shawny.

  Look behind the temple, his friend said.

  “What?” Gameknight asked aloud.

  The NPCs looked at him as if he were crazy.

  Look behind the temple, Shawny said. What don’t you understand? Sometimes I think you are so dense and . . .

  Nevermind! he snapped.

  “Someone look behind the temple,” Gameknight ordered.

  Two villagers ran behind the ancient structure, then returned in seconds.

  “There are a bunch of chests back there,” the Woodcutter said, his red smock standing out against the gray stone of the temple. “They’re filled with boats . . . hundreds of them.”

  “Boats?” Hunter asked. “How are we going to battle an army of zombies with boats?”

  “We aren’t,” Gameknight answered. “We’re going to escape. This is all part of Herobrine’s plan. He thinks that we’re trapped here and he’s hoping that the zombies will destroy most of us and probably destroy the wolves as well so that he can return. Well, we won’t play his game. We’re going to disappear again and then face him in a place of our choosing.” Gameknight then reached out and placed a hand on Hunter’s shoulder. “The battle for Minecraft is not over . . . it is just beginning.”

  “The User-that-is-not-a-user grows wise,” the Oracle said, her voice resonating with wisdom and age.

  “Quickly, we need to dismantle our defenses and then get to the boats,” Gameknight999 ordered.

  “But where will we go?” someone asked.

  “Away from here,” Monet said.

  Gameknight nodded his head, then pulled out his pick and started taking apart the defensive structures they’d built, the rest of the NPCs joining in.

  Monet moved to his side and spoke in a low voice.

  “Tommy, do you know what you are doing?” she asked.

  He scowled at his sister.

  “Sorry . . . Gameknight999, do you know what you are doing, where we have to go?”

  “No,” he whispered, “but anywhere is better than staying here.”

  “Do you have a plan?” she asked.

  The only plan he’d formulated was to run away. He thought about sailing across the ocean and arriving at some new land. But then suddenly the puzzle pieces started tumbling around in his head, and one of them landed in place.

  A village . . . of course, he thought.

  And then the other pieces started to fall home, the plan slowly coming together in his head.

  Minecarts . . . and traps . . . big traps, he thought.

  And as the rest of the pieces fell into place in his mind, Gameknight smiled.

  CHAPTER 26

  TO THE SEA

  The boats slowly moved out across the ocean, first in pairs, then in large groups. Each held a lone NPC, for that was all that would fit in the boat . . . one person. Gameknight stood on the shore and watched the boats head off into the distance, all of them continuing their journey to the east.

  “Come on,” Stitcher said to Gameknight.

  “Not until everyone gets in a boat,” he answered. “I won’t leave anyone behind.”

  She shrugged, then jumped into one of the small wooden vessels. Pushing off from the shoreline, her boat slowly moved across the water, heading out into the open ocean.

  Just then, Smithy was walking by with Herder draped over his shoulders.

  “I can’t leave them behind,” the lanky boy complained, flailing his arms and legs. “They are my friends.”

  “You know they can’t go into the boats,” Smithy said to the boy. “And if you stay here, the zombie army will get you. The only way is for you to leave with the others, then the animals will just go off into the jungle and live out their lives in safety.”

  “But . . .”

  Smithy ignored the boy’s complaints and dropped him in the boat, then gave it a shove so that it moved away from the shore.

  “My friends . . . my friends,” Herder cried, but continued heading to the east.

  Smithy then turned to Gameknight.

  “Thank you,” the User-that-is-not-a-user said to the big NPC. “I know that was not very easy.”

  “Pffft . . . he’s light,” Smithy said as he jumped into a boat. “See you on the other side of the ocean.”

  Pushing off, the blacksmith headed off to the east, following the other NPCs.

  “This is a good plan,” a voice said next to him, “you know, sailing away across an unknown ocean to some unknown land . . . really a great idea.”

  Turning, Gameknight found Hunter standing at his side, her red hair almost glowing in the light of the rising sun. A moaning sound trickled out of the jungle behind them. Instinctively, she drew her bow and notched an arrow. Gameknight could see that familiar look in her eye; the desire to punish the monsters for what they had done to her family. It still worried him . . . would she ever accept that violence was not the only answer . . . would she ever be at peace?

  “You need to get into a boat,” Gameknight said as he put a gentle hand on her bow and pointed it to the ground. “We can’t stay and fight.”

  “But it’s just a few hundred,” she complained. “I could go out and have some fun for a while, then catch up with you.”

  “You know that if we get separated out there on the ocean, we’ll never find each other. Besides, the time for fighting is over . . . it’s time to run and save the lives of those around us. Fighting isn’t always the answer.”

  “With monsters it is,” Hunter relied. “They’re too different from us. The zombies in their weird zombie-towns, and the spiders with those bizarre purple threads connecting them together . . . they’re strange, and we’ll never be at peace with them. All of the monsters should just be exterminated.”

  “Hunter, you know that’s not true,” another voice said from behind them.

  Monet113 walked up and stood between her brother and Hunter.

  “We don’t need to kill the zombies,” Monet said. “We just need to understand them . . . and they need to understand us. Then we can have peace.”

  “Understand zombies . . . ha! You might as well ask a pig to fly,” Hunter replied. “It will never happen . . . we have nothing in common, other than a desire to destroy each other.”

  Another moan floated out of the dense jungle, causing Hunter to raise her bow again.

  “Hunter, get in a boat, we aren’t staying and we aren’t going to wait for you,” Gameknight999 said. “This is all part of Herobrine’s plans. We aren’t going to let him decide where the next battle will be . . . now GO!”

  Monet grabbed Hunter by the hand and led her to the shore, then gently shoved her into a boat. With her glaring over her shoulder, Hunter’s boat moved off to the east, following the others. Once she was sure that the NPC wasn’t going to turn around, Monet returned to Gameknight’s side.

  “You know,” Gameknight said to his sister. “I was really proud of what you did back there during the battle.”

  “I didn’t do anything special,” she said.

  “Yes you did!” he snapped. “You showed me how to stop the spider queen’s control over the other spiders. And you ignored my instructions at the right time and came out to save me with your one arrow.”

  Monet113 smiled, a pink blush forming on her square cheeks.

  “If it hadn’t been for you, we would have likely lost that battle,” Gameknight said. “You saw what you needed to do and you did it. I have to always calcul
ate what will happen, and plan on contingencies and back-up plans, but you can just act.” He put his arm around his sister’s blocky shoulders. “I really envy that you can do that.”

  “Really?”

  He nodded his head.

  “Even though your impulsiveness gets you in a lot of trouble too,” Gameknight added, “and it seems that I’m the one that has to get you out of it.”

  “Like here, in Minecraft?” she asked.

  The User-that-is-not-a-user nodded.

  Monet wrapped her arm around her brother and gave him a slight squeeze.

  “You think you can’t just act,” she said, “but when you figured out that the spider queen was the key, you just ran out there and attacked there . . . like a crazy guy.”

  “Yeah . . . but . . .”

  “And when you saw the Oracle was in trouble, you charged straight toward Herobrine,” Monet said. “That wasn’t the safest thing to do either.”

  “Well,” he thought about his two friends, Impafra and Kuwagata498, “when you have no choice and can’t retreat, you attack.”

  “You always do that, make excuses for your bravery,” Monet chided. “This community of NPCs will follow you to the end of the world if necessary because they have faith in you, as do I.” She then held her hand out, gesturing to all the boats that were moving off across the ocean. “Look what you’ve done here. You’ve snatched everyone from the jaws of defeat and escaped Herobrine’s trap. Those zombies are going to come out of the jungle at sunset and find everyone gone. You’re a hero!”

  “Well . . . I don’t know . . . I mean, I still have to figure out how to use this . . .”

  “You’re going to figure out that weapon-thing, I know it, so don’t worry. And then Herobrine will be sorry he ever tangled with the User-that-is-not-a-user.” She paused and looked up at him. “I’m glad you’re my big brother.”

  And before he could say anything, she jumped into a boat and move off across the ocean, leaving Gameknight standing on the shoreline. Looking around, he could see that all the other villagers had left, and for the first time in a long time, he felt proud of himself.

  Maybe I can handle this responsibility . . . being the User-that-is-not-a-user, he thought. I can’t be the hero that these NPCs need if I don’t imagine myself in that role. And I think now, I can see myself being that person.

  “The User-that-is-not-a-user is beginning to understand,” said a scratchy voice from behind.

  Turning, he saw the Oracle walking toward him. The old woman moved slowly, painfully, through the jungle, her wooden cane helping her to walk. It clicked when it found purchase on a rocky block or the occasional cube of sandstone.

  “What do you mean . . . I’m beginning to understand?”

  “Handling responsibility is a skill like any other. It takes practice, but more importantly, it takes faith in yourself to know how and when to do the right thing,” the old woman explained. “Sometimes, it is the heaviest of burdens when you have to make a difficult choice, and sometimes it is the greatest of joys. In either case, it takes character and faith in one’s self to handle the responsibility that has been thrust upon you. And I see you learning to have faith in yourself and your friends . . . especially your sister, for you cannot do all this by yourself. A wise leader uses the strengths of the people around him.”

  She moved to his side and looked at him, her eyes boring straight into his.

  “But what if I can’t figure it out?” Gameknight said as he pulled out the weapon. Its pink surface seemed to glow in the light of morning. “Everyone is counting on me, but I don’t know what to do.”

  “You still have much to learn,” she said as she shook her head. “Have faith in yourself and in those around you, for help will come to you from the most unexpected of places.” The Oracle then placed a wrinkled hand on his shoulder. She then spoke in a low voice as if uttering the secret to some sacred mystery. “Look to the lowliest and most insignificant of creatures, for that is where your salvation will lie.”

  “What?”

  But she did not answer. Instead, the Oracle turned and started walking back to the temple.

  “Come on, I need to get you into a boat,” Gameknight said.

  The old woman shook her head, her gray hair waving back and forth.

  “No, my place is here,” she said, glancing over her shoulder.

  “But the zombies, they’ll . . .”

  “They cannot harm me,” she responded.

  “But what about Herobrine . . . won’t he return?”

  “Most certainly.”

  “Aren’t you afraid of him?” he asked.

  She stopped and turned to face Gameknight999.

  “Herobrine is but a spoiled child who will never be satisfied with what he has.” She took a step closer. “He cannot harm me just as he cannot harm you.”

  “But I can’t defeat him in battle . . . he’s too fast.”

  “Then don’t battle him . . . or at least don’t fight him the way he wants. He can be defeated; you just have to figure out how. And to do that, you’ll need wisdom and strength.”

  “You mean I have to get stronger?”

  “No,” she replied. “You only need strength of character and courage to do what is necessary.”

  “But what about the weapon you gave me, how do I . . .”

  “It is the same with the weapon. You need character and wisdom to know how to use it, and more importantly, when.” The Oracle took two slow, methodical steps back to Gameknight, then leaned close so that their blocky heads were almost touching. Moving her lips so that they nearly brushed his ear, she whispered in a scratchy voice. “You already know what the weapon is, you just haven’t opened your mind to the possibility yet. The wisdom, courage, and character, that is what’s needed . . . the User-that-is-not-a-user already possesses these traits. You just don’t realize it . . . yet. Hopefully, at the critical moment, when everything hangs by the thinnest of threads, you will come to understand your potential and do what is needed . . . everything depends on it.”

  “But what about . . .”

  “No more questions,” the Oracle said as she took a step back. “You should listen to your sister and bask in this victory. You defeated the spiders and now are escaping from Herobrine’s trap so that you can fight another day. The User-that-is-not-a-user is truly the one who will save Minecraft.”

  The old woman then put her fist to her chest in salute, then turned and slowly moved back to her temple.

  As he watched her go, Gameknight thought about everything that had happened. He’d done what his dad had told him to do . . . take care of his sister. She was still safe, even though she was still stuck here in Minecraft. He’d also take care of all the NPCs . . . no . . . his Minecraft family. Many had perished, and he felt responsible for every life that was lost, but he had done his best, and for that, Gameknight999 felt good.

  Maybe I can handle this responsibility, he thought. Maybe the secret to being responsible for others is just doing your best and never giving up. That’s what Dad is doing . . . trying to sell his inventions to take care of his family. But I wish he were home, I could really use his help right now.

  Climbing into the boat, he shoved off from the shore and followed the other boats. In the distance, he saw a rocket streak into the sky then explode high overhead, forming a giant sparkling display of light. Some of the boats on the edge of the formation turned slightly to aim for that rocket. Crafter was using them to keep the boats together and on the same course. He always knew what to do.

  “Look to the lowliest and most insignificant of creatures, for that is where your salvation will lie.”

  Looking back over his shoulder, Gameknight could see the Oracle looking out of a window on the top floor of the temple. He waved, her riddle echoing in his head, then turned and headed toward the fireworks in the distance. And as he looked at the fleet of boats before him, he realized that these were all the lives that he’d saved . . . his friends .
. . his family. And for the first time in a long time, Gameknight999, the User-that-is-not-a-user, relaxed.

  THE JUNGLE TEMPLE ORACLE SEEDS

  I had a really fun time choosing some cool and exotic settings to send Gameknight999 and company to throughout this book. Below, I’ve listed some seeds that you can enter into Minecraft so that you can actually see the landscape described in the story! These seeds will definitely work with Minecraft 1.8, but you’ll have to check to see if the edition of the game you’re playing on supports seeds.

  If you need a primer on seeds, a quick search on YouTube should give you what you need! You’ll find countless tutorials on the subject.

  Chapter 3

  Villager seed: -770290065

  Chapter 4

  Roofed Forest Biome seed: 426309126

  Chapter 5

  Desert village: 1264417242569508166

  (Note the desert temple that is partially buried right near the village.)

  Chapter 7

  Birch Forest biome: -9101136179474925827

  Chapter 7

  Ice Spikes biome: -1603209754400422622

  Chapter 8

  Extreme Hills Biome seed: -6113936998497547891

  Chapter 11

  Stronghold, directly under the blacksmith’s shop: 5886950453418879987

  Chapter 15

  Jungle seed: 1977385972517642323

  This is a massive jungle, with lots of temples all through it:

  Temple: x = 507, y = 70, z = 189

  Temple: x = -137, y = 79, z = -459

  Temple: x = -138, y = 83, z = -665

  Temple: x = 261, y = 73, z = -443

  Temple: x = 1177, y = 73, z = -204

  Temple: x = 1350, y = 96, z = 52

  Temple: x = 200, y = 75, z = 245

  Temple: x = -251, y = 80, z = 180

  Chapter 25

  Ocean shore with extreme hills: 3145708

  FROM THE AUTHOR

  I wanted to thank all those who are reading my books. It is heartwarming to receive all of your kind and wonderful emails through my website, www.markcheverton.com. I try to respond to all of you, but sometimes the email addresses get messed up and I cannot reply . . . I apologize for this and I’m working to get this corrected.