Thirty-five long years have come and gone. The children you and I once followed are now grown up. Many of them all started their journey and adventures.
Once every year, an annual celebration was held in the Plains biome; the very home where a once great hero set off on his first ever journey to save the OverWorld.
Ava, now a ship's Captain, has just returned to the mainland for the first time in six months. Mooring the ship to the pier, she and her crew then started disembarking the DreamChaser.
"Thomas, can you come into my cabin for a minute?" Ava asked as she took a step outside of her cabin near the stern of the ship.
Thomas was outside tying a mooring line to the railing on the boat deck. He walked over to Ava and followed her into the cabin. Just before the door closed, a faint whisper was heard as the wind howled and blew outside.
Aaaaavvvvvvaaaaa, the voice howled and whispered.
"It's A-V-A, three letters!" Ava corrected as she slammed the door closed.
Thomas was standing over by her desk. The lantern was lit and gave off light. The curtains were covering the windows in the back. The wind continued to blow and howl outside, with some gusts of wind blowing so violently that the ship started drifting away from the pier where she was moored. The ropes were beginning to stress.
"What is it, ma'am?" Thomas said as Ava walked past him and behind her desk. She sat down.
"C'mon Thomas," Ava said as she leaned forward in her seat. "You and I have been friends for how long? Twenty years?"
He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Twenty two years actually. But who's counting? Not me, nope."
"How cute," Ava said as she leaned back in her chair, resting her hands over her stomach. "But in all honesty, when's the last time you've seen your sister?"
CREAK!
HOWL!
The ship was beginning to list to starboard, however Ava and Thomas hadn't noticed the listing yet. It was still subtle enough to not notice it if you weren't paying attention.
Aaaaavvvvvvaaaaa, the creepy whispering voice called out again.
"That damn voice won't shut up," Ava blurted out, not realizing what she said until after the fact.
"What voice?" Thomas asked, "are you okay?"
"Never better," she said, "salt from the seawater is messing with my head."
"Uh huh, that's what the doctor said," Thomas said.
"Anyways, I asked you to come in here because I'm worried about your sister. She hasn't responded to any of my ravens in weeks. Think you could do a wellness check and report back to me before we set sail again?"
"Aye aye, Captain," Thomas said as he stood up and saluted his superior officer; Ava.
"Oh god," Ava said as she chuckled and shooed Thomas away by waving her hand. "We're not Pirates, you weirdo!"
"We could be," Thomas said as he got up out of his chair and started walking back over to the door.
"In your dreams," Ava laughed.
"Pun intended?" Thomas asked as he turned around to face Ava once more.
"Oh god," Ava said as she rolled her eyes, "Leave and go find your sister and spend time with your mom! I'm leaving soon. Just got to finish a few things here before I go. See you in a few days, sailor."
"Ah, you said sailor," Thomas said as Ava jumped up out of her seat and picked up the book closest to her. She stands up and throws it over at Thomas.
He turns around and grabs the handle to the door. But when he went to pull the door open, it wouldn't budge. Tugging and pulling back on it wasn't doing the deed any good.
"That's weird," he mumbled as he tugged repeatedly on the handle, hoping it would open.
"Thomas?" Ava asked as she got up from her chair, "just pull it. It'll budge."
RATTLE, RATTLE!
"Still nothing," Thomas blurted out as he raised his head to look out at the boat deck. When he did, he jumped.
"What?" Ava asked.
Ava walked around her desk and over to him. He stepped back so she could look outside.
"Who's that?" She asked.
"That's the Keeper," Victoria said as she appeared behind them unannounced.
Thomas gasped as he put his hand over his heart and leaned over. Ava turned around to confront Victoria; an old friend who she hasn't seen ever since Daniel died.
"Well, well, well," Ava said as she put her hands on her hips. She smiled and shook her head. "Luck be a lady, it's actually you."
"In spirit, yes," Victoria responded.
"If you're here, then you need something," Ava replied, "spill the tea."
Thomas perked up and looked at Ava.
"Tea sounds good."
"Thomas!" Ava said with a slightly raised voice as she glanced aside at him. "A moment of silence, please?"
"Sorry Captain," he said as he took a few more steps back, resting his back up against the bookshelf.
"Who is this "Keeper" and why is he attracted to me?" Ava asked.
Ah, yes a backstory. I'll keep it brief.
"He emerged days after Daniel's death," Victoria began to explain.
"Strange," she said.
"The others and I have reason to believe his intentions are not for the faintest of heart. Ever since then, blockheads all around the OverWorld have been going missing."
"Missing? As in—what? Gone off the grid missing?" Ava asked.
"We've been keeping an eye on him from afar, and we've discovered a pattern. It travels at night in the cover of darkness, bearing a lantern. As far as we can tell, he's the only one. But we have other reasons to believe he's not working alone."
"Who's gone missing? How many? Who?"
Victoria hesitated to answer. Ava took a step forward and put her hand out.
"Is Annabelle—?" Ava said as her face expression went from curious to worried. "Is she okay?"
Victoria looked over at Thomas and then back over at Ava.
"V, is she okay? Is she in danger?" Ava asked again with a more clear concerned attitude.
"She's safe, for now."
"What does that mean?"
"The Keeper is going after those who were closest to Daniel when he was alive. That means—"
Ava looked over at a painting hanging on the wall below the clock. It was a painting of her and Annabelle when they were kids. She gasped.
"She's in danger?"
"We have every reason to believe that, yes," Victoria said, "and that thing out there, the Keeper, is coming for you."
"It's only a matter of time then?" Thomas asked. "Before he gets us all. Then what happens?"
Victoria shrugged her shoulders with uncertainty.
"Poppycock!" Ava shouted. "You exist to protect the OverWorld and all of us, do you not?"
"Not quite, but yes somewhat."
"Then protect us! You and everyone else are going to find a way to stop that thing from taking what I love most. She's all I have!"
"And I assure you, we are doing our best to gain the advantage on the Keeper. Until then, you'll have to be patient. We can't be to blame, Ava. This isn't our doing. Were the good guys and are not your enemy."
"Where is she then?"
Victoria raised her arm and pointed over at the map on the wall in between two more bookshelves.
"I've marked her current location on the map. But you must hurry if you want to catch her. She's constantly on the move. I wish we could've reunited under better circumstances, Ava, truly."
"Thank you, V, really. I'm sorry I overreacted like that," Ava apologized. Victoria smiled and nodded.
"I understand your frustrations. Do not apologize. It was good to see you again. Hope to see more of you again more often."
"You will," Ava promised.
"Good," Victoria said, "I'm counting on it! Now go to Annabelle."
She then faded away into small glowing particles. The particles slowly disappeared with Victoria. When she was gone, Ava rushed over to the map. She ripped it off the frame it was on, looking down at it. The red marker wasn't moving, which meant Annabelle wasn't currently on the move.
The door then opened by itself. When they looked outside, the Keeper was nowhere to be seen.
"Be safe, Thomas," Ava said with a smile as she rushed over to her armor stand, taking her diamond sword off of it. "If he's coming after me, he's coming after you too."
"I will. You as well, Cap," he said.
"Thomas! Call me Ava, okay?" She said with a subtle sigh as she walked past him and outside onto the boat deck. "We've been friends our entire lives. It's Ava, not Captain. Okay?"
"Yesss Ca—I mean—Ava."
"Ha! Good save," she said as she ran down the ramp and onto the pier.
Once she was gone, he was the only one left aboard the ship. He walked outside, leaving the door open by accident. But when he went back to close it, it slammed shut.
"Okay, very funny," Thomas said as he put his hands on his hood and laughed off the false prank.
Ttthhhooommmaaassss, the creepy voice whispered from behind him.
"Uh oh," Thomas mumbled as he heard faint breathing behind him. When he turned around, the Keeper had returned.
AHH!
Ava had made it to the forest treeline. When she heard his scream, she thought little of it. She hurried into the Dark Oak Forest, rushing to warn Annabelle.
As she continued to run and pant, a Skeleton walked out from behind a tree. She scrunched her map as she put both hands on the handle of her sword. As she raised her sword, the skeleton aimed his bow and readied itself to shoot an arrow at her. But it wasn't fast enough. Ava swung her sword, and sliced right through him. His bones dismantled and fell onto the ground in a pile.
"I'm coming Annabelle," Ava said in a worried tone, "I'm coming."
As she ran, she paid little attention to her surroundings. She ran right past the Keeper as he stood next to a tree, fully exposed. He stared and stalked her as she ran past.
With that, Ava continued rushing to warn her sister of the danger she is now in. But, unbeknownst to Ava, Annabelle was capable of protecting herself.
Elsewhere in the Plains biome, Annabelle was defending a Village that was under attack by a Pillager Raid. Ax's were swung, Villagers were rushing to get inside as the raid continued.
"Hey dummies," Annabelle said as she teased and mocked two Pillagers, "over here!"
The Pillagers immediately charged at her. She was standing in the middle of the gravel walkway. But little did they know that what Annabelle had done was deceive them. They fell for her trickery. The apparition of herself rippled and fizzled away. Annabelle was standing against the side of the library.
The two Pillagers had fallen into a hole Annabelle had conjured up with magic. At the bottom of the hole was a pool of molten hot lava.
"Haha, dumb Pillagers," she laughed as she walked out into the walkway, to be confronted by another Pillager. This one had an ax as a weapon. Why an ax, you ask? Shiny, sharp, powerful weapon when enchanted. But this one was not.
Right as he charged at her, he readied himself to swing his iron ax. Annabelle raised her left hand, which was glowing a bright red. The Pillager froze and was lifted up off the ground.
A Ravager ran out from behind a house, chasing a screaming child. Annabelle looked up at the floating Pillager and smiled deviantly.
"Please don't," the Pillager begged, "I'm—I'm sorry."
"Your apology means nothing!" She responded as she threw her arm in a forward motion, which in turn sent the Pillager flying through the air, slamming into the side of the enraged Ravager.
With her other hand, she froze the running child and lifted him up into the air. But just when she did that, an Evoker summoned snapping jaws to rise up out of the ground, snapping like falling dominos.
It had caught her off guard. With the child in midair, he began falling back down to the ground; screaming. Annabelle had been bitten by one of the snapping jaws, but it only temporarily phased her.
Just as it seemed the child would plummet into the ground, she used her magic to freeze him again just inches above the ground.
Behind the Evoker, an iron golem attacked by throwing the Evoker into the air.
"Perfect timing, Pete," she said as she pulled her arm closer to her. Doing that, the child soared above the ground and over to her. She then gently set him down on the ground and helped him back up onto his feet.
The first thing he did when he got up was give her a hug. She chuckled and put her arms around him.
"Thank you Annabelle," he thanked.
"Just doing my part to keep you safe," Annabelle said.
BELLOW!
A horn was blown, which signaled to all of the remaining Pillagers to retreat after their numbers dwindled rapidly.
"Ha, they're forfeiting the fight," the child said with excitement as he gave one last hug to Annabelle before running away to go find his parents.
Aaannnaaabbbeeellleee, the Keeper called out in a whispered tone.
As she got back up onto her feet, she happened to catch a glimpse of a figure watching her from the forest treeline.
She frowned as she stared back at it, trying to figure out who it was. But it was hiding amongst the darkness that is the Dark Oak Forest. The only thing she could see clearly was the lantern it was holding.
"Do you want an autograph or something?" She shouted, "I charge three gold ingots."
Then the figure disappeared, not to reappear anytime soon. Unbeknownst to her, the Keeper has been stalking her from a distance too. Just as he did with Ava and Thomas, he was now making a move on her too.
"Creep!" Annabelle mumbled.
"Hey!" Garrett, a Librarian, said.
"Who are you?" Annabelle asked as she rolled her eyes and walked away.
In the roof of the Library, the Keeper reappeared. He watched Annabelle as she took flight and flew away.
TO BE CONTINUED…
MINECRAFT: THE NEXT EPIC ADVENTURE
[JUNE 2024]