Six Stone Souls (The Pack)

Chapter 2

Warnings: Dead peeps

~Vikk's P.O.V.~

     "Okay so first things first... I need tools and food."

     Strolling over to the nearest oak tree, I size it up and determine it stretches up about six blocks, not including the leaves. Balling my hand into a fist, I drive it into the tree, which sends a sharp pain through my knuckles. But I ignore the pain and continuously punch at the wood, until finally it's all broken down, leaving me with six oak logs and two throbbing hands. Wonderful.

I waste no time in popping up my inventory and turning the logs into planks, and four of said planks into a crafting table. Plopping down the crafting table on the grass, I make some sticks and, combining two sticks and three planks, a wooden pickaxe. I know from experience that making a full set of wooden tools is a waste of time and wood, because the next step is getting stone to make a furnace and stone tools, so really I only need a pickaxe to get started. Taking a quick glance around it only takes me a few seconds to spot a small indent in the relatively flat ground, signifying a cave. I sprint over to the entrance, whipping out my pickaxe and approaching the nearest block of stone. Raising the pickaxe high above my head, I drive it vigorously into the stone, repeating hits a few times until it shatters and a single block of cobble stone pops into my inventory. I continue doing this until I have a decent amount of cobblestone. Then exiting the cave and returning to my crafting bench, I use my remaining wood and my newly collected stone to craft a full set of stone tools (besides the hoe) and a furnace.

"Alrighty then, now I just need to get some food." I say, as if someone were listening.

Scanning the landscape I quickly spot a small herd of sheep grazing the lush grassy field. Perfect. Now I can get food and make a bed. So gripping my primitive stone sword tightly, I walk over towards the sheep. The nearest sheep, oblivious to the danger and its overall doom, raises its head. It stares blankly at me, baahs, and continues its nibbling on the tall grass. I raise my sword preparing to strike down the sheep, when suddenly something peculiar catches my eye. Lowering my sword, the sheep wanders away as I silent examine the pillar of smoke off in the distance. And I don't mean from a small campfire. The black cloud of smog rises high into the sky, casting a large shadow over the area where crumbling and charred figures are silhouetted against the flat plains.

     Any thoughts of food are pushed to the back of my mind as I start towards the wreckage to investigate. The first thing I notice, even from far away, is that the structures are buildings. Each and every single one is either burnt completely to the ground or on the verge of collapsing. Some of them still have flames dancing on them, smoke rising into the sky. Once I get close enough I can see what I originally thought where clumps of wreckage, are actually burnt corpses. The bodies lay across the entire village, rings of items surrounding their limp figures. Whatever happened here these people didn't die too long ago... They haven't despawned yet.

     Out of the corner of my eye I see a rectangle of burnt wood, snapped from the columns it seemed to be standing on. I curiously make my way over the the wrecked sign, squatting down and wiping the soot from it's surface. Although faded and charred, I can still make out some very faint letters.

     " Welcome to Chesterfield..." I read aloud. "Population 77."

     Out of the corner of my eye I see a small shard of stone by my feet. I pick it up and drag it along the '77' on the sign.

     "Make that Population 0." I joke darkly, scratching out a rough '0' beside the now totalled '77'.

     I make my way down the gravel pathway leading into the village, the only sound being the pebbles crunching under my feet. As I pass by some of the bodies start to despawn, their items disappearing soon after. I frown when I see body of a small girl, who couldn't have been more than five, fading out of existence. Why do I get the feeling Herobrine was here. And torturing children? That's a whole new kind of low.

     My train of thought are broken when a pillar of wood falls beside me, a sign reading 'Library' tacked onto the top. I stop walking and gaze upwards at the building beside me. It might me the sole standing structure in this entire village since it's made mostly of cobblestone and bricks. Maybe there'll be a map in there that can show me where I am. Assuming anything survived the fire that is... I reason, turning and walking towards the entrance.

I cautiously walk up the cobblestone stairs, place my hand on the doorknob, twist it, and try to push the door open. The entire thing snaps from its hinges and crashes to the ground, sending up a could of soot. I cough and try to wave away the particles, taking a few steps back.

"Well *cough* I wasn't expecting *cough cough* that." I choke out, waiting for the soot to settle back down.

Once the dust and soot settles, I step over the doorway into the dark library, a thin layer of dust and embers covering every square inch of the room. The only light is the dull daylight filtering isn't through the holes in the ceiling and walls. All around me there are burnt and torn page, scattered books, and remainders of tables and chairs. It's not long before my eyes land on a slightly charred map, still tacked to the wall and not near any bookshelves. That would explain why it didn't catch on fire. I stroll over to it, tearing it off the wall and spreading it open with my hands.

"Let's see here..." I mumble, blowing off the dust as my eyes scan over the worn paper.

A small white dot marks my location, which happens to be in the middle of Chesterfield. To the south is a bit of plains and then the start of a mountain biome - which I assume is where I woke up. Hmm this map doesn't cover too big of an area... I note silently, continuing to study the landscape. Off more to the North of the plains there is a picture of a villager head, which I can only assume marks the location of a village. And the biomes that surround the plains seem to be a spruce forest, a desert, and an ocean biome. Also by the border of the spruce forest and plains biome there seems to be a small town with the label 'Waryville' beside it.

     Just when I'm about to roll up the map and stash it in my inventory before heading towards Waryville (in hopes to find civilization) something catches my eye. Up near the very top right hand corner of the map, almost uncharted, inside the ocean biome, is a small picture of a guardian. My eyes lock onto the picture, and I stare at it for a good ten seconds. Could that be... The monument I'm supposed to find? ... I guess it's worth a shot. I roll up the map, putting it away for later use. Then exiting the abandoned library, the sun just begging to set, I part my lips to speak.

     "Well... Let's see what's left here for me to loot."

~~~

Questions of the chapter:

What is your favourite ship within the pack?

My answer: #Poofless 5ever (although I often rotate between Poofless, Vikklan, and Merome)