The Arrow & The Blade | A Minecraft Story

Chp 9 | The Dissipation I

The sun shines no longer, its light overtaken by darkness, just as he said it would. Streets hopefully aren't running red, but casualties are inevitable. I've got to hand it to him, this plan is immensely thought out, relative to his previous scheme.

We make our way through the dark clouds, Ronin calling out directions, me following them. I'm trying to move as quickly as possible without using the entire stash of fireworks, which has worked thus far, but with an indefinite distance, such a strategy could eventually become ineffective. "How you holding up?!" Ronin yells from his airborne boat, to which I respond with a "Fine, you?!". "Not too bad, it's just cold as hell up here, even with armor on!" he replies. He's not wrong either, but I had to get high above the Wither Storm in order to avoid its tractor beams, and I haven't come down from this height because it gives us the element of surprise when we arrive. Ronin begins yelling once more, "Holy shit, we're moving, we're moving on the map!" "In the right direction?!" I ask, "No, we're just going across it, from the looks of it you'll have to take a right!"

I veer to the right descend just below the clouds. He indicates that we are moving towards the marker, so I increase my speed slightly. "Before we do this, we should rest!" Ronin says, "There's a peninsula connected to the plateau his compound is on, we could use it as a temporary campsite and scope out the place!" He suggests. "Sounds good, just let me know when I should begin our descent!" I reply.

I was eventually given the word to land, so I dove head first into the water just behind the peninsula. Evidently I was moving so fast when we landed the lead broke, leaving me drenched and him safe in his wooden boat. Once I resurfaced I hoped in his boat and we made our way towards the peninsula, climbing up to the flat surface. "Looks like a good place to rest, cut a couple trees down and we'll be set." Ronin began, "Wait, we can't risk making ourselves known. If we're going to camp here it would have to be under ground, the light we'd produce at night would give us up instantly." I interject, taking out my shovel and digging into the ground below. Ronin nods and follow suit, and we begin making a 4x4 space underground.

As the day becomes dusk, we settle in. A camp fire was made and Ronin cooked some extra food. After scoping out the mainland, I make my way down to our camp, if it can even be called that anymore. "Whats it look like up there." Ronin asks as I place the dirt above me. "Literal hell." I say, "Seems like he's found a way to bring the Nether to the overworld. Looks like a damn crimson forest. Land's running red, just like he said. It's also heavily populated with red skeletal creatures of some sort." I grumble, sitting down next to the camp fire. I take a pork chop and scarf it down, then proceed to put my newfound info to good use and form a plan.

R: "Can I ask you a question?"

IB: "Technically you just did. You can ask me another if I can reciprocate."

R: "Done. So, what made you come back?"

IB: "My initial response was impulsive and driven by past experience. I realized that not too long after I left you. What I lacked, you had, it was only logical for us to work together. I'm no fool.

R: "I see. So, what's your question for me?"

IB: "Just want to know a bit more about you."

R: "Well for starters, my real name is Tyler. As you've probably noticed I'm more into close-quarters combat. I always dreamt of bringing our adversaries to justice, just never thought it would amount to this. After a couple years in the army I joined this organization, been there ever since.

IB: "Family?"

R: "Yeah, the usual. You?"

IB: "Dead."

R: "Ouch. Sorry."

IB: "It's cool. We should get some sleep, we've got a job to do."

He silently agrees and turns in. I put out the fire and lay on my bed and stare at the ceiling, getting lost in my own thoughts. 'The Wither Storm is in the city, but what's he got going on here. Surely he's not so confident that he'll wait it out and come back to a destroyed city and a people who will bend with the slightest amount of pressure. How will this all play out, I wish I knew.'
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Outskirts of Erebus' Compound | 1500 Hours
The time has come. This ends, here and now.

IB: "I count at least, 250 Reapers."

R: "This is starting to feel more and more like a suicide mission."

IB: "Yeah, but we've got the entire city counting on us, not to mention, the world."

R: "Yeah, no pressure. So what's the plan?"

IB: "Take out enough Reapers to get us through. Get inside, take him down, destroy the command block. Yes I know, easier said than done."

R: "How the hell are supposed to destroy the command block? Not even these tools will break it."

IB: "I'll figure something out. Let's move."

I couldn't tell him how I planned to destroy the command block. He would detest it instantaneously. Once he figures it out he still will, but at least by then it'll be too late.

We make our way inland, crossing the land bridge connecting the peninsula and the mainland. Once we get close enough, the Reapers attack. Armed with shiny red swords, two attempt to stab me, but I dodge and smack the sword out of its hand with my trident, which I then use to stab the two, and swing them to the side. On the far right of me I see Ronin making katsu out of the Reapers, so I return to my current adversaries. I take out my bow, and start lighting them up.
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Erebus' POV
"So they've come to stop me hmm? Too late. The power of the command block is mine and mine alone. Even if they do kill all my Reapers they'll never make it here, not as long as I can spawn armies at the flick of a wrist. Speaking of..."

He inputs a command to spawn in a regular wither and flips a lever, powering the command block.

"Now, let us watch their resources and energy dissipate, along with the rest of them."
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IceBolts POV
R: "The fuuuuuck!?"

IB: "What?!"

R: "He spawned a regular Wither!!"

IB: "This guy...."

I take a couple shots at it before it starts firing flaming wither skulls at me. I block one and dodge the other, which kills a nearby Reaper. Me and Ronin bob and weave, as there's no place to run for cover that this thing can't destroy.

IB: "New plan! The Wither lacks prejudice, it'll destroy any and everything, just like its juiced up counterpart back at the city. We can use him to get rid of the Reapers and then kill him, leaving us without extra opposition."

R: "Let's do it!"

We circle back towards the skeletons, with the Wither hovering over us as it rains flaming skulls down upon us.