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

The Chilling Darkness

Teedo strolled down the darkened corridor. His footsteps echoed off the dark brick walls. The Wither Skeleton had an important task. That stranger Steve had finally struck a deal with the blazes, and now the master must know of it.

Though no one beside his skeleton cohorts knew it, Teedo was spying on the Regent himself. All too easily, the Wither Skeletons had secured their own hold on the Nether. In hindsight, it seemed ridiculous: an entire army made of living torture devices willingly serving these whiny snobs.

No, in reality, the skeletons had been making their own plan since the beginning. They had more power than the pigmen or the blazes realized, and Teedo preferred to keep that power. Strangely, the master preferred that power stay secret. He had a communications network set up, and Teedo was the messenger at the head of the system.

Almost nervously, he approached a gargantuan door. A torch hung on each side of it. It was constructed of a black metal and was very thick, warning any onlookers off. Teedo knew he couldn't have emotions, not the way other things had them, but the master still instilled a sense of fear.

Teedo would have jumped if he could have. The door let out a ear splitting clang. Slowly, bolts began to unlock, and the door began to creak open. Somehow, the thing inside could sense him. It never got even better, even after years of doing it.

The door finished opening, and Teedo entered. The door being opened was the only invitation he was going to get. As soon as he entered, the door swung closed. The master preferred darkness. In fact, the master had stayed in this chamber for longer than anyone could remember. The most powerful blazes knew it was here, but they didn't care. They didn't disturb it; it didn't bother them. Teedo would tell it what they wanted it to know, and vice versa.

The darkness was chilling. Despite the raging heat outside, Teedo's bones rattled as he shivered. There was an unnatural coldness. He could see nothing, and yet he felt it in there with him.

"Teedo," an ancient voice whispered in the Wither tongue. It was so quiet yet so powerful. This was the voice that struck fear into the hearts of so many. "Your arrival was not expected. What news do you bring?"

"My Lord," Teedo explained. "I bring important news. The one known as Steve has made an alliance with the blazes."

"Could he be like Herobrine?" asked the voice.

"Perhaps," answered the skeleton. "But his main thought seems to be getting back to his world."

"Then that can be used to our advantage. My spies in the overworld tell me that a battle is beginning. Herobrine may seize power once again. If this warrior finds a way to the overworld, I can enter it as well. Then, I can complete my power."

"But how are we to do this, my Lord?" Teedo inquired.

"We must make an alliance with this Steve. He must trust us. Meanwhile, inform the blazes that we intend to leave."

"Why must they know?" a shocked Teedo wondered.

"They must know to help us," the voice answered, "or die."

"As you wish," Teedo granted.

"And Teedo," the voice ordered.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Once this Steve has outlasted his usefulness, he must die. If need be, I will kill him myself. I have sensed his soul. He is not like Herobrine. There is too much Notch in him. He has been seduced by Armstridge, but he will be too weak to control him for long."

"Then what will we do?"

"I will show him our true power. He will learn to bow before us. And then, once he is dead, we shall reunite with Herobrine. Our vision will be realized. We will see our plans completed."

Teedo shivered again as a raspy, sinister laugh echoed off the walls. It was something that sounded straight from the depths of hell. Raw power crackled around him. The darkness became suffocating, and more than ever before in this room, Teedo feared for his life.

But then it was over. The moment had come and gone, and it was ready. Teedo sighed inwardly. It may have been something incredibly different, but it was their master. It protected the Wither Skeletons, it gave them a purpose. It gave them something to serve.

"Your bidding is my life, Master," Teedo whispered, bowing. The door opened again, and Teedo exited. He was simultaneously terrified and jubilant. The time his people had been preparing for for millennia had finally come. The master would establish his power, and they would know a world beside this awful pit. They would once again live.

And no one would stop Teedo from seeing that dream come true.