The Edge of MINECRAFT (Being the Second Volume of the Minecraft Trilogy)

The Wither: Part II

And so it begun.

Steve, baring fresh wounds from this hellish creature, met it head-on. The Wither, as it called itself, psychicly hurled more flaming skulls at the warrior. Steve, still charging in fighting stance, dropped at the last second and slid under the Wither. The skulls hit the ground in the other side of the tower and exploded. Steve transitioned to a roll and retrieved his golden sword from the sand.

For just a tick, Steve paused and caught his breath, but it felt like eons. He hadn't really stopped and thought at all after this creature had been freed.

Selena was dead. Just thinking about it was enough to rip another sob from him. Steve knew he hadn't loved her, not in that way, but she had been a friend when he had none, a treasure that was rarer than all the quartz and gold stored by the blaze kings. She had been a fighter, one who questioned the actions of her people. A dissident wasn't a popular thing to be, but that never deterred her.

And now she was gone. This thing had killed her. But Steve was still figuring out exactly what it was. It claimed that it was the leader of the Wither skeletons, and Steve didn't doubt that. But what was it? It had spies on the overworld, it had an alliance with Herobrine, the blazes feared it-- what kind of creature held that kind of power?

"What are you?" Steve cried again as he rose. The Wither turned again to face him.

"I already answered that," he rumbled in that sinister voice. When it talked, all three skulls looked at Steve, but none of the mouths moved. Instead, the voice just radiated from the creature itself.

"But what are you really?" Steve persisted. "Every creature here was created through the soul sand. Are you some skeleton that just got more exposure?"

"Oh, you silly little boy," the Wither scoffed. "I am no mortal creature of Minecraft. I hail from a much older world, a place of Dragons and Golems, a place far across the void. I bring a power incomprehensible to the people of this realm. Herobrine realized that, though he was not the first. There was a sorcerer before him, who almost fulfilled my plans, before these two brothers killed him. And now, I've made my skeletons a mindless army. They follow me without hesitation, holding on only to the promise of power they know I will give them."

"Why do you look exactly like them?" Steve inquired, still bewildered.

"I needed a physical vessel, and they gave it to me in return for my promise. And it's no lie. All who serve me will be rewarded."

"While millions of others burn?" demanded Steve.

"There can't be winners without losers," the Wither countered.

"Well this time," Steve muttered, gripping his sword, "you lose." Without a moment's hesitation, he took off full speed at the monster hovering in front of him. The Wither grinned and launched several skulls at once, cackling. Steve dodged most but then swatted at one with the thin side of his sword. It exploded in the contact, hurling him against the wall of the tower.

Steve picked himself up just in time to dodge another skull. This one blasted a hole in the tower wall, sending the chunks of netherbrick spiraling down into the lava lake below. Steve ran at the Wither again. This time, he was ready. When the first skull was launched, he turned his sword and struck it with the broad side. That sent the projectile hurtling back toward its origin. A surprised Wither was blasted back by the resulting explosion.

The smoke cleared just in time for him to see Steve's fist. The warrior's punch collided with the monster's main head, sending it rearing back. Steve whipped his sword around and sliced his foe again before it shrieked and retaliated.