Ender Kingdom (On Hold for Shadows of Mianite)

Chapter Five: The Village

The sky was rapidly getting darker. DiamondBlade mentally slapped himself as he realized that his fight with Shade had stalled them and cost them valuable time. “I’m sorry, Dawn,” DiamondBlade muttered to his horse. “We probably won’t make it tonight. Looks like you won’t have water anytime soon…”

Dawn snorted and neighed, and DiamondBlade wasn’t sure whether it was because she was mad at him or was trying to say that it was alright. Whatever Dawn was trying to say, it didn’t matter, because he still felt bad either way. DiamondBlade shook his head and urged, “Come on, Dawn. We need to cover as much ground as we can.”

Dawn let out a sound that almost sounded like a sigh, but she pushed herself on. DiamondBlade squinted ahead and felt his heart skip a beat. He could see lights! “Dawn!” he gasped. “I can…I can see the village! We can make it!”

Energetically, Dawn neighed and kept galloping. DiamondBlade realized that she was going faster than usual. He beamed and laid his head on the horse’s neck, letting himself fall into the rhythm of her running. Without warning, DiamondBlade felt a wave of exhaustion crash onto him. “Will you be alright on your own? I need to close my eyes for a bit.”

Dawn snorted and nodded. DiamondBlade nodded tiredly and whispered, “Good girl.”

He closed his eyes and fell asleep — but it wasn’t a deep sleep. Something kept him in that area between being awake and being asleep. Well, now I can think about all that’s happening, DiamondBlade told himself.

So what had happened, anyway? DiamondBlade decided to start from the beginning. My computer probably overheated with some lightning surge and transported me to Minecraft. Then I get a stupid run-in with a bunch of monsters and an enderman. I have weird dreams about a villager named Plower and some kingdom. Then I get into a fight with Shade. No one would believe this if I told them what’s been happening to me…

He thought of his family — his parents, his older sisters, his younger brother. Would they be missing him? What was going on back in the real world? DiamondBlade sighed, “I need to get back. I don’t now what’s happened.”

In front of him Dawn snickered and neighed. She sounded indignant. DiamondBlade chuckled and shook his head. “It’s not you, Dawn. You’re cool. It’s just this whole thing…I’ve always wanted to do this, but now that I am…”

Dawn glanced at him for a second, and then turned her head again, snorting. I love those eyes, DiamondBlade smiled. Nothing like them.

The rider and his horse rode on in silence, getting closer to the village with every stride. But DiamondBlade started to get worried when the sun’s glow finally disappeared and the large golden sphere sank down into the horizon. The moon rose, casting the world in a dim, silvery light. The mobs started to appear, and DiamondBlade saw the gleaming red eyes of spiders around them. He whispered to Dawn, “Just a bit more, Dawn. Then we’ll be safe.”

Dawn nodded confidently and kept galloping, hardly fazed by the monsters around them. DiamondBlade wondered, How could she be so sure of herself? There are tons of mobs around us, and yet…she just seems to know. She knows that she can take care of herself and me. She knows that she can reach the village. She’s so sure of her talents…and that’s good. But what about me? I’m still doubting myself. I don’t think I could have reached the village alive without Dawn. No, I couldn’t have reached the village without Plower.

DiamondBlade remembered his new villager friend, Plower, and his strange ability to see the subjects of dreams. How strange…he needs to tell me how he could do that.

A high-pitched wail wrenched DiamondBlade out of his thoughts. DiamondBlade gasped as Dawn bucked underneath him and whinnied. DiamondBlade asked, “What is it, girl?”