Tale of Two Brothers #1

Chapter 1 ~ Rose

The square sun was hanging high in the pixelated sky. Translucent, blocky clouds drifted across the light blue expanse that seemed to go on forever.

"Ah... This is the life." Steve sighed, resting his head against a tall oak tree.

Steve had been working all day, since he had woken up at sunrise, finishing his little wooden hut. Steve got up and looked at his newest creation. It reminded him of his grandfather's house back when Steve was only one block high. A tear started to well up in Steve's eye... thinking about his grandfather always made Steve tear up.

"Ah well..." Steve sighed, brushing the tear from his eye.

Steve walked up to his little hut and walked around it... he couldn't find the door. Steve started to laugh, he had forgotten the door... again. Without hesitation, Steve got out his wooden axe and went to work on chopping down a hole for the door.

"YOU FOOLS! DO I HAFT TO DO EVERYTHING MYSELF!?"

Steve dropped his axe, startled by the voice. No... he was more than startled... he was terrified. He knew that voice... but from where? Steve couldn't put his finger on it. Without warning, a deafening squeal followed by the clanging of metal hitting the pixilated ground echoed through the biome. Steve looked around frantically, trying to locate where the sound was coming from. Another squeal echoed, and Steve followed it to a ledge that cut off abruptly.
"Great... More memories..." Steve mumbled to himself.
Steve scanned the biome below him, then his eyes went wide. A huge, no, enormous mansion loomed over the trees of the darkwood forest. Casting ominous shadows across the dark green leaves. A winding path was cut out of the trees and a straight line of mobs, Steve couldn't tell what they were from this high up, were marching down the twisty gravel road that led to the doors of the mansion. Steve needed to get a closer look... but how? Suddenly, a pixelated light bulb flashed on inside of Steve's square head. An inventory box flashed open with a flick of Steve's wrist. He scanned the rows of boxes, looking for one item in particular. At last, he found it. Steve fished out his old pair of binoculars from his pocket and swiftly lay down on his stomach, resting the binoculars in front of his big, diamond blue eyes. Steve scanned the tops of the trees, then his eyes came to rest on the gravel path. His eyes widened when he saw who... or what.. was walking along it. They looked like humanoid pig creatures, but half of their pink skin on their body was moldy green and peeling off to reveal rotting, broken bones. Each of the creatures held a golden sword with a long blade that glinted in the sunlight that drifted through the canopy of leaves. Even where Steve was lying, he could faintly smell the odor of rotten, moldy and decomposing flesh. Steve gulped. He had seen these creatures before... Zombie Pigmen. The residents of the Nether... That could only mean one thing...

Steve followed the line of Zombie Pigmen with his eyes until all of the hostile mobs were surrounding the mansion. Steve knew he would be here... he could feel it in the air. The sense that someone was watching you, the sense of danger and hatred that always came when he was around. Steve couldn't just watch... he needed to be up there. Without a moment's hesitation, Steve stuffed his binoculars back into his inventory and jumped.

The sound of moans, oinks and grunts filled the air of the forest, making it even more foreboding. Up on the ledge, it was sunny and warm. Down here, it was dark and gloomy, with ice cold mist floating in the air, clinging to Steve's light blue shirt and dark blue jeans. Steve darted around the thick trunks of trees, following the gravel path that was on his right, that snaked up to the impressive mansion. The closer he got to the mansion, the more he had to hold his nose. The stench of rotting flesh and congealed blood was overpowering his other senses, making his eyes water and making him want to throw up his lunch, which was just a piece of bread and an apple.