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

The Return Trip

Steve surveyed the chaos around him. Everywhere, the blazes were being defeated, with every creature they had ever wronged joining in the fight to bring an end to their evil empire. And that end had arrived.

Gradually, the chaos unwound. The blazes, stubborn as they were, began to surrender. The castle had been taken, Armstridge had been captured, and they were outnumbered-- the blazes were many things, but they weren't stupid.

A smile spread across Steve's face as he saw yet another captain shout the order to surrender, pigmen swooping in to collect their weapons. Some pigmen were now flying around on ghasts as well, taking out any last resistance, though there was almost none by now.

Steve himself was currently on top of a ghast. He pointed his sword, and with a screech, the flying beast turned and headed for a ledge. Steve stopped off of its cloudy ivory back onto the solid brick. Steve felt a little bit of relief; he was glad for the ghasts' help, but their methods of choosing what phased through them and what didn't seemed unreliable at best.

Walking down the paved ground, Steve saw a battalion of skeletons being led away by their pigmen captors. There was no cruelty in the captures, though, Steve noted, only a sense of justice.

In the courtyard, the rebellion leaders had set up camp. Steve approached, looking around for Po. While he spotted several leaders, there was no sign of the chief.

Steve grabbed the arm of one if the pigmen passing by. "Po?" he asked. The pigman just shook his head in reply. Steve's face darkened.

"What he meant to say was that I wasn't present at the moment," came a smooth voice behind Steve. The warrior wheeled to see Po himself approaching. Though he was still very much alive, he walked with a limp and leaned on a makeshift crutch.

"You little sly fox," Steve chuckled. "You totally had me going. That almost wasn't funny!"

"Ah, but it was, wasn't it?" Po asked, a wry grin on his face. Steve nodded.

"What happened to you?" the warrior inquired.

"I got stabbed when we sieges the gates," Po answered. "Just a careless mistake. What about you? You look like someone chucked you out a window."

"Well, that sounds pleasant compared to what I've been through," Steve replied. "It's a long story. But worth it, right? It looks like we came out in top."

"Clearly," Po mused, "though sacrifice were made." Steve felt a wave of seriousness admit this. Sacrifices had indeed been made. None of them would be forgotten.

"I don't suppose you've ever heard of the Wither?" Steve inquired. At this, Po became more serious as well.

"Just rumors," he said. "Whispers of a dark force, something more evil and far more older than Herobrine. Some say the Wither skeletons worship it. Mostly, what one hears of such a thing are just rumors, though."

"Po, I fought it," Steve stated. Po looked at him in surprise. "Armstridge released it on hopes of killing me, though the only casualty," Steve bitterly reported, "was his own niece. The Wither was one of the most horrifying things I've ever seen, and I've seen lots. This thing wasn't some fallen hero, like Herobrine. This thing existed to be evil."

"What happened?" Po demanded.

"I drove my sword through its ribcage. My other sword," he added when he noticed Po glancing at his golden weapon. The pigman chief nodded.

"That killed it?"

"I doubt it," admitted Steve. "It mentioned something about needing a physical form. I think I destroyed what tied it to this world which certainly will slow it down. But whatever it it, I've got a bad feeling it's still out there somewhere."