This is a series to my sequel on Amazon – Tenentes (Wielders): Legends of Minecraft Stories. I really hope you enjoy them both.

Introduction.

Power. Strength. Control. Three stones exist, each holding the key to becoming the most invincible force the world has ever seen. Whoever finds them will rise above all—unstoppable, untouchable.

But power is never given. It must be earned. Across vast landscapes and through infinite worlds, the search begins. Battles will be fought. Alliances will be tested. Portals will open to the unknown.

Yet, true strength isn't just about winning fights. It's about knowing your worth, standing tall, and choosing the right path—even when everything is against you.

The race has begun. Who will claim the Premium Powers?

The Race Begins.

Amidst the coarse, cobblestoned streets of the town, the pitch-black and dimly moonlit sky cast an eerie glow in the night's atmosphere. Chilling temperatures swarmed as quick and nimble footsteps raced through the dark and narrow streets. With the town entirely quiet and asleep, those movements were all that you could hear dominantly in the pin-drop silence.

From observing this closely, the footsteps were made by a young ebony-skinned girl about 4.3 feet with a slender frame. Partly clad in pieces of a light suit of armor with a tomahawk, she dashed over barrels lying across sides of the street. Her heart beat spiked as beads of sweat ran from her forehead near her panicked eyes. She must've been running for her life. Her chest tightened, and each breath felt heavier as dread clawed at her.

She did this for about 10 minutes until she saw a tall, hooded sword-wielding figure in black combat robes a bit far from her. From his action stance, he was probably about to cease the girl's escapade with his gleaming blade. Nonetheless, she couldn't stop now, not when her life was hung in the balance.

To counter this, she increased her dashing speed, jumped atop a pile of barrels, and leapt with pushing force towards him. Soaring above the man, in a second of focus, she readied her axe behind her head. Eventually— "SWOOSH!"—she swiftly and angrily swung her weapon onto the swordsman's face, her face tightened, spelling his demise...

"CRACK!"

***

In a small and dark bedroom, that same girl jolts out of her slumber instant. She sprung upright, panting softly through her slightly parted lips. Seconds later, recovering from this, she relaxed her shoulders and composure while crashing on her back onto her mattress. She probably had a nasty dream.

The bed she wakes on is built just for her body frame and a tiny candle on a mini, coarse wooden desk beside her just provides the small heat it can to rival the chilling air there.

As she laid down there whilst curling slowly with a clenched face, the haunting image of the hooded figure and the crack of his bones echoed in her thoughts. As she tugged her covers closely to her, her teary eyes definitely showed to be the aftermath of that harsh experience. It must have been traumatic for her, given how rough of a night she had.

***

"THUD!"

A stocky, middle-aged man slammed his massive mug of mead onto the counter of a lively tavern. Around him, his friends chatted in hushed tones, occasionally chuckling. Despite the warmth of their company, the young, slender bartender wore a sullen expression. His sharp gaze swept across the room, his unease evident.

The tavern was filled with heavily armed criminals and bounty hunters, their weapons—massive axes and swords—glistening under the dim candlelight. Scars marred their faces and arms as they quietly cleaned their blades, their presence casting a menacing air over the establishment. Friendly faces were scarce. The amber glow of the evening sun pierced through the wooden shutters, casting eerie patterns of light across the damp, smoke-filled room. Muffled grumbles and low chuckles echoed in the tense silence. This was no place for the weak-hearted.

Then, the tavern doors swung open with a slow but forceful whoosh.

The chatter died instantly.

Standing in the doorway was Fatimah Lawal—the same slender, dark-skinned girl from that fateful night. She remained still, her right hand gripping her helmet, her armor still donned from her chase. Her jet-black braids cascaded over her shoulders, her piercing gray eyes scanning the room. A silent authority radiated from her, commanding attention.

Her gaze flickered to the left. The patrons instinctively followed her eyes. Then, she turned her head straight ahead—toward a table of three. And there, sitting stiffly among them, was a young man.

Effiong.

He was of average height, fit yet slightly chubby, clad in simple brown robes. His face, usually warm, had drained of all color. Fatimah's eyes gleamed with recognition. A smirk tugged at her lips.

At last.

With a slow, deliberate motion, she raised her crossbow, aiming directly at him. The tavern guests shifted uneasily, bracing for trouble.

"Effiong," she intoned, her deep voice slicing through the silence. "Get up."

A collective breath hitched across the room. No one dared look up. Effiong's brow furrowed, his lips quivering as he hesitantly pushed his chair back. His footsteps were unsteady, his heart pounding against his ribs.

What had he done to draw her attention?

***

Outside, in a shadowed back alley, Fatimah and Effiong stood against the cold stone wall. The muffled sounds of the town carried in the distance, a stark contrast to the tense quiet between them.

Effiong's expression was rigid, his posture tight. Fatimah, however, wore a knowing smirk. She seemed almost pleased to have cornered him like this.

"Been a while, old friend," she said smoothly. "I've got a job for you. Big pay."

Effiong's frown deepened. "Not interested."

"You will be, after your brothers are dead—courtesy of your old gang."

His nostrils flared as his eyes snapped to hers, his fists clenching. "You leech."

Fatimah leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Legend has it, the blood of a member of The Problems must be willingly offered to access the Paramount Key at the Ruins of Optics." Her gray eyes gleamed. "You'll use your blood to help me get it—so we can loot the Amber Stone."

Effiong's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you insane? You want me to risk my life for you?" He hesitated, then hissed, "What about my parents?"

Fatimah shrugged. "That's 2 less mouths for the government to feed."

His jaw tightened. His breath came out sharp and ragged. "How dare you—"

"Shh." Fatimah tilted her head. "Are you in or not?" She let the threat linger. "Because I will let The Problems know where to find your family."

Silence.

Effiong's shoulders sagged. Defeated, he exhaled shakily and muttered, "Fine. What's the plan?"

Fatimah grinned.

***

Dawn bathed the towering castle in golden light, birds chirping from its moss-covered rooftops. Perched atop a colossal mountain, the fortress loomed over the vast taiga forest below.

Within the castle's many halls, a figure crouched low, moving silently across polished wooden floors.

A young man—tall, lean, yet muscular—dressed in black hunting gear crept along the dimly lit corridor. His face mask concealed his features as he navigated the stone-brick hallways, pausing only to listen for patrolling guards.

Finally, he reached his target—a vast, circular chamber shrouded in darkness. Flickering candlelight barely touched the eerie void within. And at its heart, resting on a short stone pedestal, was a brilliant, glowing ruby-red stone.

The moment the thief's golden eyes locked onto it; a slow grin spread across his face.

Jackpot.

Without hesitation, he lunged for it, wind rushing past him as he stretched out his hand. But—just as his fingers brushed the surface—so did another's.

A second thief.

She was shorter than him by 2 inches, her chubby face set in fierce determination. Short red hair framed her fair-skinned face. Dressed in the same dark attire, she clenched her teeth as their eyes met.

A beat of silence.

Then—CLICK.

A pressure plate beneath the stone depressed.

Their eyes widened.

"POW!"

The girl's fist collided with his cheek, sending him sprawling to the floor. Without missing a beat, she snatched the stone and bolted.

The boy groaned, scrambling to his feet. His dazed expression quickly morphed into focus as he dashed after her.

The chase was on.

***

"CRASH!"

The girl smashed through a massive stained-glass window, soaring through the air before landing fluidly in a candlelit hallway. Her feet barely touched the red-carpeted floor before she took off at full speed.

The boy followed instantly, leaping through the shattered frame. He mimicked her movements, his breath sharp as the thrill of pursuit filled his veins.

A wicked grin stretched across the girl's face.

This was going to be fun.

***

Collapsing and running into guards passing by the duo fled through the rooms of the castle. Carrying on with the chase, the boy seemed to lose sight of the girl in the commotion. "Maybe she ran off to the entrance." He thought. Eventually, he fled off to that end of the building.

Suddenly, in a flash, he spotted her standing straight in a rigid form. With focused eyes and her legs at ease. She loaded a crossbow at him from about a mile down the aisle from him. He could sense it. His doom was certain.

Loaded with a huge fire-rocket, the very instant he came the girl launched the ammunition. Immediately, the young lad pulled out his shield and as the rocket darted past him with speed...

"BOOM!"

The massive explosion destroyed a huge portion of the area. Birds were spooked on the windowsill outside.

Despite this, it can't be the end, can it?

***

Guards surrounded the area, scanning the crime-scene. Within the castle below though was a different scenery. Deep within a dark, gloomy garden within the forest the castle was located in, a small and lantern lit pathway lay deep in the bushy parts of a grove. Littered with small pebbles and lined with trampled grass, a small but well-designed entrance to a hobbit hole.

Laced with vines of all sizes within a grassy mound, the same boy from the castle paced toward it staring at the beauty. Slowly and cautiously, he made his way towards the place. He probably had some intentions of exploring this build. Finally, where he can find this thorn than ruined his plans in the castle.

"Found you." He muttered smiling, staring at the entrance.

But with quick timing, a few twirls in the air then...

"BOINK!"

A metal pan hit his head, and the scene blacked out before him.

***

In a warm and pitch-black room, cubicle sized and littered with barrels, a tall and dusty leather punching bag hung in the middle. A slender man was tied to the bag - the same one at the hobbit hole entrance.

Having his mouth sealed with cloth, he opened his eyes instantly with aghast stares. He then jerked hard within the ropes binding him to the bag. Yeah, today ought to be a rough one.

He didn't carry on for long before footsteps tapped audibly from the darkness. In a flash, he watched a torch instantly light up in the room, illuminating his holder.

Lo and behold! It was the same girl from the castle that stole the red stone! Oh that little... dang it. The boy's brows furrowed on her arrival. While he muffled, the girl with her smiling face, took off his mask swiftly. Puffing sharply, he sure had some business to wrestle.

"You have something of mine, haven't you?!" He retorted.

"None of your business." The chic paused. "What exactly are you doing in my house?"

A short moment of silence.

His teeth gritted hard. "Look madam." He continued. "I no fit break anyhow. As you dey see me so, I go use incantation commot this place, change am for you, o."

The girl raised her brow, with her right fingers on her chest. If that's how he'll play.

She then sighed, as if exhausted. "Knock yourself out." She gleamed, at the same time backing him and strolling into the dark.

Immediately, an almost opaque but translucent blue flaming entity darted straight towards the girl's shoulder. After it sped from within the wall she faced towards her, it formed to shape out a bird of the same color. It was the size of her head, looking like a phoenix.

It gave a grave and quiet misty breath of baby-blue close to the lady's ear. Positioning it to the bird's beak, her mouth gaped. Things were likely to be chaotic somewhere.

She turned back darting towards the boy. "Quick, we have company!" She prompted. Unraveling the boy's ropes, he wore her expressions with panicked eyes. Freeing the young lad, they both rushed towards a coarse, wooden trapdoor on the matching floor, unlocked it, and climbed to the underground in a haste.

Soon after, loud banging sounds echoed in the home from the hobbit hole's entrance. Outside the abode, four tall, grotesque and muscular men with grey skin rammed into the door with a log. Dressed in heavily armed gear with diamond shoulder pads, they crashed into the home with the dark log.

Eventually, they strode gallantly into the living room, cradling loaded crossbows. Their arrows gleamed as someone wearing the same attire as they paced in. He effortlessly weaved through the men staying ahead of them. Draped with a black hoodie and a menacing skull mask, he turned around meticulously, perhaps screening for a valuable. What was this all about?

Losing his patience, he raised his hand, signaling the men forward. As they sneaked through the surroundings, the leaders resounding steps aroused a fierce aura around him. Creaking every door, he passed with little motion, the tension grew. It's like he locked in on a gold mine. Where is it? That thot should better show up. Where is she?

Within the underground, in the small, cement walled room, the phoenix-like creature circled the boy swiftly. It's seemed like it played with and knew him already. As he gave a puzzled gaze, the girl stared, smiling with a confused look. Could her companion actually know this thief.

"Mirai, you know him?" She whispered, propping up on a chair. The bird nodded with speed at this. It later flew to the girl and let out that same misty breath into her ears. Her ears later brightened up as she beamed with glee.

"You're Japheth Nova!" She gasped leaving her seat. "Baldwin Nova's nephew and training Assistant Chief Librarian!"

"Supposed to be." Japheth cut in. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Why?"

"Cuz I don't want to."

That tone. The girl frowned at such a response. What has a privileged boy got to do with stealing gems?

As Japheth backed her, he spied a huge and very detailed map about two meters affront him. With so many makings and spots on the surface, it seemed to be the map of a famous land.

"I've always wanted to meet him." The lady carried on. "My name's Priscilla."

Japheth looked at her as if to answer.

"I've always wanted to meet him." She paused "Master Baldwin was loved dearly by my parents and the more they talked about him, the more I adored him too."

Japheth only frowned staring at the ground. It must have pricked him hearing those remarks.

Enough of that. Returning his gaze to the map, it seemed too catchy to miss. Priscilla must know a lot about this place.

"I take it you've been researching Arch City a lot." He motioned to Priscilla.

"And it's suffering." She complained. "In my universe, actually."

Japheth squinted. "What do you mean?"

"I'm from another universe." Priscilla stated. "The Arch City in my world was dominated by a terrorist named The Prime Eclipse."

A short silence.

"This mad man fights for the multiverse, so we both hunt down 3 keys to oppose each other – the Premium Powers.

Japheth folded his arms. Quite the buzz.

"I hunt them too because he wants all 3 to access and conquer universes in greed." She continued. "If I don't get them before he does, I can't easily counter him."

"Well," Japheth remarked. "I have heard of Way Stone multiversal travel, but damn."

Priscilla chuckled "That red gem we found is one of the Premium Powers called The Blood Stone." She pointed. "Used for duplicating items and living things into 7 places."

Japheth's eyes widened. "There's another called the Amber Stone." she proceeded. "That is used for duplicating conjured entities into 7 places and my best..."

She swiftly waved her hands. "The Dark Stone." Priscilla's voice lowered. "This one can be used to see random universes for 10 seconds with a 4 hours cool down."

The young man shook his head. This girl's really done it.

"From my research. I've seen there are no living records of Way Stone multiversal travel." She motioned him to a pile of books.

"Not really." Japheth said. "It would be cool if you could teach me."

"No, I used a different portal." She waved her finger. "This problem is we must meet Baldwin immediately."

Priscilla went on with Japheth's maintained gaze. "His post at the Lilac Library can enable him to find the location of the other relics easily." She said. "Although, I must first gain his trust."

The young lad raised his head. She makes a good point.

"Deal." He spoke. "Although, I still desire for more reason to trust you first, I will lead you to him."

"Thank you, Japheth." Priscilla beamed, as they shook on it.

***

Amidst a huge corridor-like area walled with dark and chiselled prismarine bricks, Fatimah and Effiong in combat underwater gear strolled through. From their focused stares around the onyx-shaded, sea lantern-lit place, something must've drawn the duo here.

Fatimah beamed at the sight. "Damn." She nodded. "Now we just gotta find that vault, dude."

"Yeah, it should be..."

"CRASH!"

The two turned back swiftly, Their mouths agape. Crashing through a massive wall of the corridor, was a huge beast, about the size of three grown men. On all fours its metal plated body parts horns, its glistening green eyes darted at the team. Atop the rhinoceros-like creature, A grey-colored man with matching eyes in a black robe pulled out his mechanical cross-bow at that moment. It studied them. Menace filled the scene. One look at the duo, then...

"BOOM!"

The scene blacks out...

...eventually...

***

"BLAM!"

Fatimah was choked hard against a concrete wall in an alley.

"You thought I was dead, you brat!" A voice barked.

Amidst the lamp-lit night atmosphere, the cold air spiked. A lofty, dark-skinned, body-built woman pinned Fatimah at the neck.

"Guh-ghh, holy shhit..." She gagged.

The brawler flung her to the ground. That wimp.

"Upon all your bullshits, you still didn't get that Paramount Key." She chuckled. Her black armor glistened.

"You listen, nutjob." She intoned. "Rescue Effiong from the hands of those pillagers that took him or I'll trade your limbs for coins."

She crouched, glaring at the now gasping Fatimah, smirked, and walked away. Laid against the wall with relaxed composure, she must have been exhausted. Her eye-sight fazed with her constrained throat, hearing footsteps stopping at her left.

"Figured I'd find you here." A deep voice came from that direction. She looked up sharply.

***

In a gloomy office setting, with cool temperature and only lit with white moon light from a window, Fatimah sat before a man. With a body-built composure, dark-skin and neatly trimmed hair, his chiseled face gave an imposing look. They were probably conversing about something.

"So Effiong is captured." He deep voice settled.

"Yes, Master Kufre." Fatimah replied, her voice solemn.

Kufre clasped his hands under his chin, as if in thought. He later glanced at her.

"Improbus Titan has changed the location of that key." Kufre explained. "My bird tells me It's at Stallion Creek."

Fatimah's eyes widened. Well, she can't be surprised.

"Find that creek." Kufre slowly commanded. "...and bring back Effiong to see your days..."

"...that stone shall rest in my gauntlet."