The Wither Invasion Page 5

  “Tharus had his own portal linked to the Far Lands. It’s hidden somewhere within Wizard City. Monsters on the ground, you are to go into every building and search for this portal. Rip every door off its hinges and break down every wall; this gateway to the Far Lands must be found.”

  Krael turned his attention to the withers. “My brothers and sisters, use your flaming skulls to tear the roof off every one of these iron buildings. Destroy everything in sight until you can peer into every room. With the golem protectors turned to rubble, there is nothing here to stop us.” The monsters shouted and growled with savage glee.

  “It is time to erase Wizard City from the surface of Minecraft. Go forth, my friends, and destroy everything!”

  Hundreds of monsters instantly spread out, each finding their own doors to pound on with clawed fists until they buckled inward and shattered. Meanwhile, the withers floated across the city, sending down a hail of flaming skulls upon the iron roofs. Krael drifted up into the air with Kora at his side, watching the destruction.

  “Back during the Great War, I would have never dreamed we’d be here, destroying the great Wizard City.” Kora laughed with vengeful glee.

  “Yes, I know, wife. And when we find Tharus’s portal, we’ll become an unstoppable flood, covering not just the Wizard City, but all the Far Lands with destruction.”

  An intense iridescent glow built up around the Crowns of Skulls on his three heads, the magic getting stronger and stronger as he channeled it into amplifying his voice. “I’M COMING FOR YOU, WATCHER, AND THERE’S NO PLACE FOR YOU TO HIDE!”

  Both Krael and Kora laughed as they thought of all the violent, destructive things they would do to the Far Lands and their enemy, Watcher.

  They moved in silence through the wide, ancient corridor, the sounds of their footsteps and Er-Lan’s claws clicking on the hard stone floor the only things they could hear. The purple glow coming from Planter, Mirthrandos, and Watcher cast a circle of shimmering light around the party; Mira’s glow was much brighter, since she was the most powerful of the three.

  They entered a wide corridor, maybe twenty blocks across, the ceiling twice that distance in height. Pieces of stone walls dotted the edges of the passage, most of them having crumbled over the years.

  Watcher slowed and ran his hand over the remains of a mossy cobblestone wall. “What was this place?”

  “This section used to be called the Market Place.” Mira’s scratchy voice filled the passage. “Wizards would trade spells or enchanted artifacts. Sometimes villagers would come down here, terrified of us, but hoping to get a cure for an ailing sibling or child.”

  “Did you help them?” Planter asked.

  The old woman shrugged. “Sometimes, I suppose, if the problem seemed challenging enough.”

  “Challenging enough?!” Planter scowled. “You should have helped them regardless of the problem.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Mirthrandos glared at her, frowning. “If we helped every NPC whenever they had a problem, they would have been here in the thousands. Sometimes, people need to take care of themselves.”

  Planter shook her head in disgust. “You don’t get it. When someone asks for help, they’re baring their soul to you, letting you know they can’t take care of their families, but they’re willing to swallow their pride and ask for help. You wizards should have felt honored to help someone—they’re putting their trust and hopes into your hands. But instead, your sense of superiority got in the way. You are totally—”

  Suddenly, pain enveloped each of the wizards, and they fell to their knees as a spike of agony burrowed through each of their minds. Only Fixit stayed on his feet, rushing back and forth between Planter and Mira, trying to help. And then, as quickly as it came, the burning pain disappeared, leaving each dizzy and weak.

  “What was … that?” Watcher gasped for breath.

  Mirthrandos sighed, a look of sadness and fear on her wrinkled face. “He did it.”

  “Did what?” Planter asked.

  “Krael broke through the shield surrounding Wizard City.” She slowly rose on shaky legs. “We must have still been connected to him or the City somehow.”

  “Now we’re certain, then: Krael knows about Tharus’s portal.” Watcher stood and helped Planter to her feet, then moved to Er-Lan and helped the zombie.

  The ancient wizard nodded. “He’s probably demolishing the city while we stand here talking. I’m not sure how much time we have.”

  “Do you think Krael knows where to look?” Planter reached down and patted Fixit gently on the head; the concerned mechite still had a worried expression on his tiny metallic face.

  “I don’t know,” Mira said. “All of us scoured Wizard City after Tharus was killed, looking for his portal, but we never found it. Maybe he wrote some hints in a book or something; he was arrogant enough to do something like that.”

  “Figures … just like a wizard,” Planter said, her voice filled with contempt.

  Watcher shook his head. “Come on; we need to get back to the village. It’s time to prepare for war. We need more weapons and more soldiers, and it’s likely we don’t have a lot of time.”

  He took off running, his companions following close behind. As he ran, Watcher could feel the faintest itch in the back of his mind, probably due to Krael—somehow, he could sense the monster with his magic. Glancing at Planter, he could tell she was feeling the wither king’s presence as well, with the look of disgust on her face making it plainly evident.

  “I hate feeling that monster in the back of my mind,” Planter said as she ran. “It feels like—like a rusty nail tickling the back of my brain.”

  “You’re right, that’s exactly how it feels.” Watcher glanced at her and nodded, expecting a smile in return, but all he received was a grimace.

  I’m glad I can feel Krael’s presence in the back of my mind, Watcher thought. It reminds me of what we need to do, and maybe it’ll be useful somehow.

  He smiled, but instantly turned his grin to a frown when Planter glanced at him. He didn’t want to give her the wrong idea.

  “It is getting brighter ahead,” Er-Lan said from where he ran just behind Watcher.

  Watcher nodded. “Yeah, we’re getting back to the populated section of the Wizard’s Tower.”

  Fixit streaked ahead of the others, his tiny legs a blur of motion. The mechite squeaked and whistled as he approached the homes the villagers had built against the walls of the ancient structure, the wolves in the village barking their replies.

  “What’s he doing?” Watcher asked.

  “He’s gathering the wolves and mechites.” Mira glanced at him. “Fixit is likely telling the other creatures from Wizard City about the Great War that’s about to start. Make no mistake about it, Krael wants to destroy every NPC and burn every village to the ground. This is exactly what happened before. The wither king back during the Great War was Kaza, not Krael. You likely don’t know anything about that wither king.”

  Watcher shook his head. “No, we know a lot about Kaza. He imprisoned hundreds of NPCs, making them slaves.”

  “We destroyed that monster and saved all our friends,” Planter said, a proud smile spreading across her face. But when Watcher glanced at her, she scowled and looked away.

  The old woman nodded. “Kaza was the original king of the withers when they betrayed the wizards and joined forces with the monster warlocks. Krael’s goal now is the same as Kaza’s hundreds of years ago: the extermination of all villagers.”

  “That’s just great.” Planter’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “More violence is just what we need.”

  “Well, we aren’t gonna let Krael do this … not without a fight.” A look of stern determination appeared on Watcher’s face. “It’s time we told the others what’s going on; we have preparations to make.”

  Then, before any of them could respond, he sprinted toward the main gathering area in the base of the Wizard’s Tower, thoughts of battle and de
ath filling him with a terrible sense of dread.

  Watcher stepped into the base of the Wizard’s Tower and was instantly enveloped in a cacophony of nervous chatter; the villagers had sensed something was happening, and they were scared. Afternoon rays of sunlight shone through the stained-glass windows at the top of the structure, painting the upper reaches of the interior with a palette of oranges, yellows, reds, and blues, but because it was late afternoon, none of the colors reached the Tower floor, leaving the NPCs in shadows, magnifying their fear.

  Blaster pulled out a torch and placed it on a wall, Cutter and Mapper doing the same nearby. The flickering light calmed the NPCs a bit, but by the looks on their faces, Watcher could tell they were still uncertain and afraid.

  Pulling a block of dirt from his inventory, Watcher placed it on the ground, then stepped on top and raised his hands. “Quiet everyone, quiet, please.” He turned in a circle, catching the eye of everyone in the village, his calm expression silencing the crowd.

  “What’s going on, son?” Cleric asked. “The wolves and mechites got all excited, and a bunch of them went up to the forest; it seems like they’re on guard, watching for something. What happened?”

  “Well … Krael and his army of monsters are coming to the Far Lands soon, and we need to—”

  The crowds exploded with questions and comments before he could continue. Some pulled swords from their inventory, while others fitted arrows to bowstrings and glanced at the entrance, ready to defend their families.

  Suddenly, a voice boomed through the tower, accompanied by a loud clanking sound—Cutter had moved next to Watcher and banged his diamond sword against his iron chest plate, yelling at the top of his lungs, “BE QUIET! BE QUIET!”

  The villagers, always afraid of Cutter’s temper, slowly stilled their voices and looked up expectantly at Watcher, scared expressions on their square faces.

  “I know you’re frightened, but you need to listen to what I have to say so we can prepare.”

  The NPCs grew calmer as they stared up at Watcher.

  “That’s better.” He gazed down at Planter and smiled. “Mira took us to a secret room called the Viewing Chamber, where we saw Krael and his army of monsters heading for Wizard City. We think the wither king is looking for a hidden portal within the city that’ll let him and his army leave that world and come to the Far Lands.” The NPCs glanced at each other and began to murmur, but with a stern look from Cutter, they went quiet. “A few minutes ago, we felt the withers break through the shield protecting Wizard City. Eventually, he’ll find the portal and will bring his army here.”

  Mapper pushed through the villagers and moved closer to Watcher, his bald head reflecting the flickering light from the torches, which gave the ring of gray hair around the edge of his head a warm glow. “How many monsters are in his army?”

  “Well, you remember he had maybe two hundred withers, right?”

  Mapper nodded.

  “Now, he has at least that many warped and distorted monsters on the ground as well.” He turned and glanced down at the NPCs around him. “With Mira’s wolves, mechites, and golems helping us, we might have a chance to stand up against either the withers or the ground forces, but not both. We need more soldiers.”

  “You gonna use your magic wand and clone a bunch of people?” Blaster smiled at Watcher as he thought about the Wand of Cloning, which had helped them on numerous adventures.

  “It takes a lot of magical power to clone people.” Mira’s scratchy voice chiming in from the back of the crowd startled many of the NPCs. “I doubt we’d have enough strength to clone more than a dozen, and then all of us wizards would be too tired to fight.” She glanced up at Watcher. “That’s not a solution.”

  “So the first thing we need to do is recruit more NPCs.” Watcher turned to his father. “Dad, I need you to form squads of NPCs and send them to every nearby village. Convince them to join our cause, and bring everyone here. If any NPCs stay in their homes, they won’t stand a chance against Krael and his mob.”

  “I can do that, but how will I convince the other communities that this is truly serious?”

  “We’ll send an obsidian golem with each group.” Watcher glanced at Mira, and she nodded. “That’ll give the groups some protection, as well as something for the villagers to see; none of them have ever seen an obsidian golem, since they don’t exist in the Far Lands. Maybe that’ll convince everyone this is truly serious.”

  Cleric nodded. “I can do that.”

  “We also need people to start making potions and crafting weapons and armor.” He glanced at the crowd, looking for someone to lead that effort.

  “Leave that to me.” Mapper raised a hand in the air.

  “No, I have something else for you to do,” Watcher said. “We need someone else.”

  “I’ll take care of the potions and crafting,” a voice said near the back of the crowd. It was Brewer.

  The tall NPC moved through the crowds, pushing others gently aside as he approached Watcher. He was easily a head taller than any of the other villagers; his dark green smock with its black stripe running down the center stood out against the brighter clothing around him. “No one brews potions better than I do. Most of the ingredients for potions of healing, rejuvenation, and swiftness are already in my chests. I’ll get those made while I oversee the crafting of weapons and armor.”

  “Good.” Watcher smiled.

  “But, son, what will you be doing?” Cleric asked.

  “I’ll be leading a large squad of warriors out into the Far Lands.” Watcher glanced down at Blaster, and the boy smiled excitedly.

  “Why? What do you hope to find?” Cleric had a concerned expression on his wrinkled face.

  “We’re gonna try and find Tharus’s portal in the Far Lands.” Watcher stared down at his father. “If we can destroy it before they come through, then we’ll stop the war before it even starts.”

  Cleric smiled and placed a hand on his son’s shoulder, pride showing on his wrinkled face.

  “If we can’t find the portal in time, then we’re gonna harass Krael’s forces and slow him down while we try to evacuate the villages in his path. Hopefully, it’ll give everyone here time to prepare for war.”

  “That sounds dangerous.” The worried tone in Cleric’s voice was obvious.

  “Yeah, dangerous for Krael,” Blaster said with an enthusiastic smile.

  The other NPCs laughed, some cheering.

  “Leaders, gather your volunteers and let’s get to work.” Watcher stepped off the block of dirt, then dug it back up with a shovel. “Mapper, where are you?”

  “Here.” The old man stepped forward.

  “I need you to gather every map you have.” Watcher put a hand on the old man’s shoulder. “We need to figure out where Tharus’s portal is located.”

  “On it.” Mapper turned and ran toward his house.

  “Watcher, I need you over here,” Blaster said nearby.

  Watcher turned and found his friend standing next to Fencer, who was staring at Blaster with adoring eyes. Watcher smiled; he always found Blaster’s discomfort over Fencer’s adoring attention hilarious.

  “What’s up?” Watcher asked.

  “I told Fencer you had a special job for her.” Blaster gave him a wink.

  “Ahh … oh, yeah, that special project.” He had no idea what Blaster was talking about, but went along with it.

  “Come on, Fencer, it’s down here.” Blaster led Fencer and Watcher down a long passage, the torches on the walls throwing small clouds of ash into the air.

  Watcher glanced at Blaster, hoping he’d tell him what was going on, but the dark-haired boy just shook his head and kept walking as two burly NPCs suddenly fell in behind the trio; obviously, they were part of the plan. Fencer seemed oblivious to what was happening; her loving gaze was completely focused on Blaster, unaware of the two new additions to their company.

  Finally, Blaster reached a doorway and stopped.

&nb
sp; “It’s in here.” Blaster pointed to the dark room. “Right, Watcher?”

  “Ahh, yeah, this is the place.” He glanced at Fencer. “Thanks for helping us with this. It’s really important.”

  Blaster smiled and nodded. “This is imperative. I’m glad you can help, Fencer.”

  She beamed with happiness as Blaster gazed at her. Moving into the room, Fencer pulled out a torch and looked around. Before she could turn around, the two huge NPCs stepped into the doorway and stood with their hands on their hips, barring her from leaving.

  “Sorry, Fencer, but I can’t have you following us this time; it’s too dangerous.” Blaster shrugged, then turned to leave.

  “Oh, no, you don’t!” she shouted. “I’m going with you.”

  Blaster shook his head. “These are the two strongest NPCs in the village. They’re twins, one named Chopper, the other Breaker; I’m never quite sure which is which. They’re gonna keep you here until we’re long gone. You can’t go with us.” He smiled as he backed away, Watcher at his side.

  “I don’t think so.” Fencer glared at the two giants, then reached into her inventory and pulled out a wooden stick.

  “What are you gonna do with that, little girl?” one of them asked.

  “Watch and learn.” She gave them both a smile, then went to work.

  Using the stick like a sword, she struck Chopper in the stomach, but it just bounced off as if it had hit a block of stone. The NPC laughed, then reached out to grab her, but Fencer just attacked Chopper’s arm, cracking the stick across his elbow. He shouted out in pain, but she wasn’t done yet. Crouching, she spun across the ground with her leg extended. It caught Chopper at the ankles, sweeping his legs out from underneath him. The big villager fell backward, landing hard on the brick floor as Breaker now moved toward her, an angry frown on his square face. Fencer rolled across the ground away from him, then stood and rapped him across the top of his head; Breaker put his hands up to his stinging head, leaving his stomach exposed, so she drove her blunt weapon in his stomach, using the stick like a spear. The giant villager doubled over, groaning in pain and holding his belly. With a quick double strike, Fencer hit his knees, causing them to buckle. Breaker fell to the ground, landing right on top of Chopper with a thud.