Mysteries of the overwor.., p.6
Mysteries of the Overworld,
p.6
CHAPTER 25
Dad froze. i waited for him to tell us what to do or say something encouraging.
Instead, he said, “There’s no way we can reach the house.”
“No!” It took me a moment to realize I’d shouted that. In my head, the Ender Dragon let out a low snicker.
The mobs were mostly zombies, but I also saw an Enderman in the crowd, standing at the front of the pack like a guard. As soon as the mobs saw us, they began heading our way.
What do we do? I thought frantically. There was no way to plow through all these mobs—even Dad thought so!
Then I had an idea.
I could turn into an Enderman again. Everyone could grab on and I could teleport us all right in front of the door. Once we were in the house, the Enderman wouldn’t be able to get in because of the water, and the zombies wouldn’t be able to get past the iron door. We would be able to just wait until dawn, when most of the mobs would be gone.
It would only take one quick teleportation. I’d resisted the Ender Dragon before. But was it too risky? What did she mean when she said, The more you turn into an Enderman, the better my spirit will be able to possess you?
“I have to do this,” I said. “Everyone, as soon as I’m done, take out the other Enderman and hop on my back!”
Just like before, I ran at the Enderman before anyone could try to talk me out of it. I heard Dad, Aunt Alexandra, and Maison all shouting something, but I couldn’t make it out over the hissing of the zombies.
Remember who you are the whole time, Stevie! I ordered myself as I leapt at the Enderman.
I felt the blackness and the cold again. It was even worse than I remembered. I felt myself grow. I stood there blinking down from my height, half aware as someone behind me shot the other Enderman through with arrows. I felt as if I should care about what happened to my fellow Enderman, but I didn’t. There was only one being I really cared about.
Welcome back, Stevie, the Ender Dragon said.
Yes, my queen, I responded.
CHAPTER 26
I turned on the humans behind me and watched them all shrink back in fear. The girl was holding the crystal shard. The crystal shard that belonged to my queen!
I lunged for her. She cried out and took a step back. Zombies were coming up from behind me to help in my mission, and even more approached the people from behind. There was no way they could escape.
“Stevie!” a man yelled at me. “I’m your father. Take us to the door!”
Why would I listen to him?
Take the crystal from the Earth girl and teleport directly to the End, the Ender Dragon said. Then you will be given a reward.
It’s enough just to serve you, my queen, I thought.
Even though I couldn’t see her face, the sound of her voice made me think she was smiling. Excellent.
“Not this again!” said the boy. “Stevie, it’s Yancy! Stop scaring us and remember who you are.”
What was there to remember? I knew who I was. I was the Enderman Stevie, the servant of the Queen Ender Dragon. That’s who I’d always been.
“You chose to turn into an Enderman to protect us!” the girl with the crystal said. “Remember us? Your friends and family? We built a tree house together! We’ve gone on so many adventures!”
That sounded vaguely familiar. But the mobs were really closing in on them. Maybe if I just sat this out, the mobs would take care of the kids and the crystal shard would be mine. I wouldn’t even have to do extra work for it.
No, the Ender Dragon scolded. Take it from her. Don’t be lazy, my Stevie. Destroy the girl who holds my crystal. If you love me, you’ll do this.
I did love my queen. I stepped up to the girl. I would destroy her and take her crystal.
She let out a scream and struck out at me with her weapon, knocking me back. For some reason, that scream made me pause. Something deep inside of me wanted to help someone who screamed like that. I could tell they were scared. Why would I attack someone who was that scared?
So what if she’s scared? the Ender Dragon said. That just makes her easier to defeat. Take what’s ours.
Suddenly, I knew what I had to do.
CHAPTER 27
The ender dragon saw my response and began to roar in fury. No! she shrieked. Nooo!
I’d turned and gestured for my friends to jump on my back. They all did, and as soon as they were holding on, I teleported us directly in front of the house, being careful not to get water on myself.
I will still have you! the Ender Dragon rampaged. You have no chance of collecting all the crystal shards! And when I’m free from the End, I will go after you first!
Everything happened in a flash. The people jumped off my back, Aunt Alexandra hit the switch to open the door, and Dad fought back the mobs all trying to converge on us. In a rush, I remembered who these people were—they were the most important people in the Overworld to me. Maison touched me on the shoulder with the crystal and I was back to being myself.
“Get inside!” Aunt Alexandra cried as the door opened. We all rushed in so fast we got wedged in the doorway for a second. Then we all flew through. Zombies were trying to push their way in behind us, but Dad shoved them backward with his sword and closed the door. The zombies kept hissing and spitting and clawing at the door, but we knew they couldn’t get in now.
“Stevie, what happened there?” Dad exclaimed.
I realized I was shaking. “The Ender Dragon keeps talking to me! She says she’s the one who’s right, and Steve Alexander is wrong, and I have to listen to her!”
Dad gave me a hug. For a moment, I was surprised—Dad wasn’t much of a hugger. It almost seemed like he was trying to prove to himself that I was still there and in one piece.
“But you resisted her,” Dad said. “I used the first crystal earlier to read what Steve Alexander said in the book. That’s why I got all the villagers together. The Ender Dragon is much stronger than any mob in the Overworld—much stronger than Herobrine ever was. It will take everything we have to defeat her.”
“D-do you think we can defeat her?” I stammered. I wasn’t feeling so sure.
“With the Overworld Heroes task force and all the people of the Overworld behind us, yes,” Aunt Alexandra said in a strong voice. “I think we can.”
“I kept losing myself and then coming back,” I said. “I don’t understand it. There was always something reminding me of who I was when I was an Enderman.”
“It was your humanity,” Aunt Alexandra said. “You have to be strong in the face of evil like this.”
I looked at Dad. “I’m sorry we ran off earlier,” I said. “We didn’t know what to do.”
“I wasn’t happy about it, but I understand,” Dad said. “After reading that book, I knew I needed to act immediately, too.”
“Hey,” Maison said. “Let’s see if the second crystal lets us read more!”
We all looked at one another, then ran to get the book.
CHAPTER 28
Destiny lowered the second crystal over the part of the book where the first crystal had stopped being able to translate it for us. Under the new crystal, the gibberish turned to real worlds.
“If you are reading this,” Destiny read aloud, “then you have found the second crystal. I must make the path to finding the crystals difficult because it also helps ensure that the Ender Dragon doesn’t find them first. Be warned that she is tricky. She will try to convince you to side with her.”
I shivered. He was right about that! Did that mean the Ender Dragon had tried to get Steve Alexander on her side too? But everything she said was a lie—wasn’t it?
“If you are brave and strong, you can find the other crystals,” Destiny continued to read. “And know that even if I am not there with you in person, I am there with you in spirit during your journey.”
I shivered again. But this time it was a shiver of amazement. Did what Steve Alexander had written mean that it was his voice I’d heard earlier? That voice had saved me. Thinking about it now also made me feel a little stronger.
“Is he going to go into his life story again?” Yancy asked.
“No. There’s another map,” Destiny said, moving the crystal over it. “This must be where we have to go next.”
We all bent over the book.
“It’s a jungle,” Dad said. “I’ve never been there before.”
“Then that’s where we’ll go next,” Alex said.
“First, you kids need to get some rest,” Aunt Alexandra said, sounding more like a mom than the mayor who made us into a task force. “In the morning most of the mobs will be gone. We can discuss what to do next then.”
Part of me felt too wound up for sleep. But another part of me was exhausted. Dad and Aunt Alexandra made some beds for Maison, Destiny, and Yancy to sleep over, and Alex took the guest bedroom. I got ready to lie down in my own comfy, safe bed with my cat Ossie. I could hardly believe everything that had happened.
I could still hear zombies crying out in the night, but we were secure inside. I had overcome the Ender Dragon’s attempts to control me, even though there had been a few close calls. And I could almost feel the strength of my ancestor Steve Alexander pumping through my veins. He was going to be with me, along with my family and my task force—I mean, my friends.
I will never bow to you, I told the Ender Dragon. And then I went to sleep.
WANT MORE OF STEVIE AND HIS FRIENDS?
Read the Unofficial Overworld Adventure series!
Escape from the Overworld
DANICA DAVIDSON
Attack on the Overworld
DANICA DAVIDSON
The Rise of Herobrine
DANICA DAVIDSON
Down into the Nether
DANICA DAVIDSON
The Armies of Herobrine
DANICA DAVIDSON
Battle with the Wither
DANICA DAVIDSON
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Zombie Invasion
WINTER MORGAN
Skeleton Battle
WINTER MORGAN
Battle in the Overworld
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Attack on Minecrafters Academy
WINTER MORGAN
Hidden in the Chest
WINTER MORGAN
Encounters in End City
WINTER MORGAN
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Attack of the Goblin Army
Winter Morgan
Snow Fight
Winter Morgan
Welcome to Terraria, a land of adventure and mystery. Build a shelter, craft weapons to battle bosses, explore the biomes, collect coins and gems …
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Danica Davidson, Mysteries of the Overworld
