Chapter 3: The Last Standoff

Behind them was a couple of horses conveniently helping themselves to a plentiful amount of hay bales that Crafter must have made for them. “What are you waiting for? Hurry up so that we can get this stupid battle over with already!” Hunter exclaimed, clearly annoyed. Gameknight and Kane hopped onto the back of Crafter’s white horse that he had named Shadowfax with the Name Tag that Kane had given him. Amazingly, Kane was just able to grab it from an abandoned mineshaft before he was trapped by cave spiders and hung in a web above a wooden platform.

The group galloped back through the Village, and approached the Monster Lord Salaburn, who was smashing his sword into the ruins of Woodcutter’s old hut that was made out of oak wood with birch planks along the top. Realising that he must have died in his home when it was destroyed, Gameknight jumped off of Shadowfax momentarily and quickly constructed a small cross out of wood and gave a salute to his deceased friend. “Rest in peace, Woodcutter” he muttered as he saluted, and pixel tears ran down his blocky face. “You will not be forgotten”.

“I know that it is sad that he passed, but we really need to get on with this conflict” Crafter said to him from behind, and he saluted to Woodcutter too before helping Gameknight back onto the horse. “You will not be forgotten” he repeated again, before Kane put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. “Thank you Kane, you are a good friend” The-User-That-Is-Not-A-User said to his companion and he gave him a smile.

A few moments later, they were in view of Salaburn, and using their special enchanted bows that the Enchanter in their old Village had given them, they opened fire on the wound that Gameknight999 and Kane had caused previously. Flame enchanted arrows cut through the air and they landed more and more hits on their enemy, causing the Monster Lord to shriek in pain. This initial attack was enough to get Salaburn to momentarily stop destroying the rest of the NPC’s Village and instead tend to his intruders. “You will never win, User-That-Is-Not-A-User!” he bellowed, and using his full strength, he summoned a fireball the size of a Ruined Portal and smashed it behind himself and into the horses.

Multiple horses lost their life in the inferno, as they had no chance of escaping without their owners. The group looked behind themselves and saw XP (Experience Points) scattered on the floor where their trusty horses used to stand. All that was left was Shadowfax, his mane flickering with fire before he burned to death and dropped the special woven saddle that Crafter had placed on his back the day before.

“Nooooooo!!” Crafter yelled and he ran as fast as he could towards what was left of his steed. Tears were let free and they flowed down his face as the NPC picked up the saddle and placed it into his inventory. “I’ll never find another horse as beautiful as that one again” Crafter thought to himself. Channelling his anger for his horse’s death into the fight with Shadowfax’s destroyer, the NPC took the frontal position in the makeshift attacking formation that his companions had created, and drawing his sword, he ran towards the Monster Lord with only one thing on his mind: “You will not live another day, horse murderer”. Crafter swiped at the monster’s exposed skin and Salaburn flashed red.

In retaliation, the Monster Lord swapped weapons and drew a massive chain from his inventory, swinging it with all of his might at the attacker. Crafter blocked the strike but it cost him his sword’s crackless gleam, as it broke suddenly after it subdued the strength of the hit. The party again started to fire more of their deadly fire arrows, and after his Diamond Sword broke, Crafter retreated back behind his comrades and took out his bow and joined his friends in combat.

Hunter and Digger heaved out a few stacks of cobblestone from their inventories and made a reinforced barricade with the dark-coloured stone and some obsidian. They seemed very angry, and when Herder realised this, a smirk appeared on his cube-shaped face. Pushing his fingers into his mouth, he made a loud whistle, and to everyone’s amazement, hundreds of wolves howled and ran out of the forest towards the sound. After giving his army their orders, Herder screamed and charged with the wolves into the side of Salaburn. The Monster Lord was now even more outnumbered, but still he swiped at the wolves and slayed about ten in a single hit. But the wolves proved to be too powerful and they kept attacking until Salaburn was no more. “Avenge my death, Burnewt!” the Monster Lord yelled before disappearing from existence.

“We actually won!” Crafter squealed happily, and he drew out the saddle and placed it back where Shadowfax had fallen. “Great job, friends!” Gameknight and Kane said to the rest of their group. And after a hearty meal to celebrate their victory, they set off from the remains of Shontaka Village and searched for a new home, but little did they know that they were about to walk straight into a trap…

To Be Continued…

Okay, well bye again! 🙂