Minecraft: The Hunted

Chapter 1: Hunters

Kari's POV
After running for so long without stopping, my breathing soon became ragged and came out in short, disjointed gasps. Inhaling was difficult, and exhaling came out with a woosh like the panting of a tired dog. A second later, I couldn't take it any longer and skidded to a halt so abruptedly that the heel of my blue and white sneakers left a small mark in the ground. A tree happened to be growing beside me that I could lean on while I recovered. I almost fell over as the wall of oak wood supporting me disintegrated into clumps of ash piled neatly on top of a blackened stump. I instantly knew that my companion was right beside me.

"Sorry!" Bren hissed apologetically, going almost as red in the face as his fiery hair, which was flecked with streaks of black and yellow. With bright cerise eyes, a cardin and black jacket and orange jeans, you could easily tell that he was a nether being. And being what people called a 'Mainblood', he flames up easily, especially while feeling fear. Which, I have to admit, happens a lot. Most nether beings are hotheaded and as constantly heated as their dimension is, but not Bren.

"It's... fine..." I managed to say amid the gaps, in which I took great deep breaths of air. There was a short silence where I tried to quieten my (incredibly loud) breathing, which was like a cacophony itself in the eerie, foreboding lull of sound pressing down on us. It wasn't the peaceable sort of silence like the sort in a library on a warm, summer day, or an awkard silence that comes after a lapse in a conversation and everyone struggles to think of something to say. It was a dark, cryptic silence that sent shivers scuttling down my spine. It was quiet... WAY too quiet...

"Where the nether have they gone?" I muttered, referring to our pursuers who were just on our tail a few seconds ago. Bren opened his mouth to reply, but there came a sudden rustling that sounded unpleasantly like someone forcing their way through a wall of undergrowth. There was a moment when we looked at each other and after inaudibly freaking out at each other via glance for a few seconds, I looked upwards. The sky was like a massive canvas with a brilliant array of purples and blues bleeding into each other and speckled with brilliant dots of light. A cloak of dark greyish cloud slowly travelled across the heavens, veiling the beautiful, almost perfectly round ivory moon. It was smack in the middle of the sky, signifying the middle of the night. Well, at least our nocturnal cover could remain.

I looked around, seeing another lonely tree standing a few metres away with a few small, flimsy saplings scattered around. It wasn't the thickest, tallest tree in the forest, but it would have to do. I motioned towards it, and Bren nodded. Soundlessly, we made our way towards it. The grass was uneven, short in some areas and having a few patches that reached up to my waist. The entire time I was uncomfortably conscious of footsteps tailing us. I only hope we can make it in time. Luckily soon enough the trunk of the medium tree was in front of me, and I scaled it quickly enough. Living in the wild under constant danger had taught me a few nifty tricks, that was for sure. Bren followed me up, calming down slightly. I could tell he was trying his best not to burn the foliage around us and blow our cover. I could smell just the slightest edge of charring, but kudos for trying.

A minute or so later (the sounds had stopped for a short while), I saw a girl emerge underneath. She had vibrant red hair that stood out like an Enderman in the Nether, styled in curls that bounced everywhere around her vivaciously. I kept silent, not sure whether or not she was a friend or foe. She scanned the area around with bright green eyes cautiously, one hand over the hilt of her emerald sword, which hung from her leather belt. I relaxed a little as I caught a glimpse of a long, bushy fox's tail swishing behind her, and the glint of fangs. A glitch. One of us.

I could tell Bren had reached the same conclusion, but something made us hang back instead of jumping down to greet a fellow ally. Maybe it was the fact that she had stopped still as if sensing danger approaching. If she had rabbit ears, I'm sure they'd be perked up and swivelling around right about now.