Six Stone Souls (The Pack)

Chapter 3

Warnings: Tiny bit of blood

     ~Vikk's P.O.V.~

     "Finally... I... Made it..." I wheeze, doubling over in front of the rolling waves.

     After searching the village for any items that were left behind, I set out towards the ocean marked on the map. But apparently I wasn't thinking it through very well, because for some reason I decided leaving at night would be a great idea. Long story short I had to kill off mobs the entire way here. Although to be fair none of those... Ehm 'buildings' would've provided much shelter. Oh well.

I managed to pick up a full set of iron armour from the blacksmith, although it's on the verge of shattering. There was also some left over cookies and a few pieces of dry bread, along with a few slightly torn cloaks. I took those too, although they don't look like much they might come in handy later. In a bunker I accidentally stumbled across I managed to find a few night vision potions that weren't shattered. And finally I managed to find two swords; a half worn out iron sword and a brand new stone sword. So now I stand at the edge of the ocean biome, water stretching on endlessly in front of me. The waves slosh against the shore, sending small water droplets landing on my feet. I take a deep breath knowing that going in only armed with an iron sword isn't the safest strategy. But armour would weigh me down too fast. I need to get in there, save whoever is in there, and get out. I step into the water, getting my doors ready in my hotbar. Because of the way doors interact with water, by placing one down it will create a pocket of air. That way I won't drown.

Although it looks far away, and although I can barley see the faint glow of the sea lanterns, I can just make out the expansive shape of the ocean monument.

"Alright... Let's do this."

I pull out my night vision potion, swigging it down in one gulp. Nothing looks different since it's still daytime, but the moment my head disappears under the water, everything is lit up as if there isn't water there in the first place. My cheeks puffed out, I scare the area to try and pinpoint the monument once again. It only takes me a few seconds to spot it, and just the sight of the guardians constantly circling around it sends a shiver down my spine.

     Realizing with a jolt I'm starting to run out of oxygen, I make a beeline for the monument. Along the way I have to stop multiple times to place down a door and breathe, but after a good ten minutes I'm nearly at the entrance. I'm about to shoot through the entrance, past the circling guardians, when suddenly my vision darkens and lightens a couple times before everything becomes extremely dark. Crap! The night vision potion ran out! The only thing allowing me to see is the faint glow of the sea lanterns surrounding the entire monument. I scream, bubbles of precious air escaping as a guardian charges past me, missing by an inch. My lungs start to feel uncomfortably tight as the guardian spins around, charging up a ray beam. Unable to move quickly enough to dodge the glowing green beam, it skims my side, sending my tumbling underwater directly into the wall of the monument.

     The last bit of air left in my lungs is knocked out and I struggle to place down a door. The instant a pocket of air opens up I take a deep breath. And then the door is being smashed to bits by another well aimed beam. Without warning a second, and then a third, is coming from out of nowhere, dosing me with pain. Screw this, I can't fight this many at once. I need to get inside.

     Ignoring the angered gurgles, I whip around and begin swimming as fast as I can down the dimly lit corridors. Every corner I turn wields a new guardian I need to evade, and eveytime I stop to get air I'm aware of the guardians catching up. And fast. This time before I even get a chance to flee, the door is being shattered to pieces and not two seconds after a guardian is ramming into my side. I know better that to scream, fill up my lungs with water, and drown. Instead I wince in immense pain and whip around, stabbing my sword in the guardians eye. I pull back as blood pours out of the wood, and the guardian makes a pained gritting sound, flailing around and knocking into the other guardians behind it. The water is clouded with red, both from my side and the guardians now slashed eye, blocking the view between us. Seeing my chance to escape I push off the wall, delving into the very centre room of the monument where, for some odd reason, are no guardians. Strange, usually the most guardians are found in the treasure room. At least from what I understand...

     But I don't get too long to stay on the question, because soon enough guardians are spilling into the room from behind me, multiple beams targeting on me. My eyes widen in fear and I desperately claw my way through the water and to the very centre structure; a small cage made of dark prismarine blocks that hold eight gold blocks inside. As the guardians swarm around me, I desperately strike at the rare stone with my flimsily stone pickaxe. If I can just get inside and mine out the gold blocks, it will be filled with air. And I don't think the guardians will be able to fit through either. I think, wincing every time a beam hits my back.

     I can feel my strength being drained away with every hit, but I will myself to continue, slowly but surely breaking into the centre. At first I'm surprised to see no gold in the centre, just open space. But then I realize this monument must have already been raided, since it was marked in the map. I also realize there are still at least twenty guardians firing at me from behind. Wasting not a second more, I pull myself into the hollowed out area, closing off the hole with so blue stone before a guardians can try to get in.

     Panting heavily, throughly exhausted from trying to evade tons of guardians, swimming to the bottom of an ocean, and almost drowning on multiple occasions, it takes me a minute to realize that I'm standing in complete darkness. That's right, I didn't get a chance to drink another night vision potion after the guardians found me. I note, pulling out a bottle filled with the rich blue liquid.

     I pop off the cap, tilting my head back and letting the cool substance glide down my throat. Instantly my surroundings become clear, and as I wipe a few drops of potion from my lips...

 

     I realize I'm not alone.

~~~

Question of the chapter:

Where is everyone from?

My answer: I'm from Canada 🇨🇦