Welcome back everybody to the Minecraft Short Stories Podcast.
This is episode 73 and in this episode I will be telling a
listener story submitted by Dragon Queen.
This story, as always, was submitted through my website,
minecraftshortstories.com on the Submit a story page.
So if you have a story or you want to write one for the
podcast, maybe get read, then that is the place to do it.
You can find the link in the description or just, you know,
Minecraft shortstories.com. Anyways, one quick note for the
patrons over on Patreon who listen to the Minecraft Short
Stories Prologue podcast. There was not a new one for this
week. There won't be one for a little
while more because I'm preparing a lot of big stuff for the
Prologue podcast and for this podcast.
So look out for that. Thank you guys for being patient
and I cannot wait for you guys to listen to what I have plans.
Anyways, another thanks to Dragon Queen and let's get right
into this story. Just before the story begins,
I'd like you guys to know. So Spotify for Podcasters, which
is the podcast service I use, they have removed the insight
editing tools. So now I have to add in my own
music, make sure it fades in the background and stuff.
So this first story where I'm learning how to use an audio
editor may be a little bit rougher than usual, but
hopefully this will end up increasing the quality
production of the podcast now that I'm doing it completely
manually. So I just want you guys to know
there may not be background music if I can't figure out how
to do it, but thanks. The Withers Revenge by Dragon
Queen part one. The time had almost come.
Alex glanced to her left, where Steve was busy sorting their
gear. They had acquired a solid set of
diamond armor, each complete with bows and arrows, swords,
and potions of regeneration, fire resistance, and strength.
Though Alex was confident that the materials they had worked so
hard to get would be enough in the battle.
Something about the third member of their party had been giving
her an ominous feeling in her gut, one that she was having a
difficult time shaking off. As she tended to the campfire,
she sat in silent thought. Steve and Alex had met EDA Fix
Well in the Nether, scavenging for another work to prove their
potions. He seemed to have been wandering
through the quarters of the fortress as he had come across
him, looking absentmindedly out of one of the fenced windows at
the expansive lava lake surrounding the area.
He had turned around when he saw them, nodding his head in
greeting. His small smile had to met his
eyes, which were like dark pits. He wore a kind of armor Alex had
never seen before, a dark purplish black color.
Alex wasn't easy when she and Steve first met Edifix, but he
soon proved to be surprisingly pleasant and well tempered.
At the Nether Fortress, it asked them what the purpose of their
journey was, and Steve had answered, saying the words Alex
shivered with anticipation to hear.
We're attempting to defeat the Wither.
Edafix had smiled again, responding that he had also been
working towards that goal. Alex had glanced at Steve.
Why don't we battle together? He nodded.
You're welcome to come along. Edafix had accepted the
invitation and accompanied them back to the overworld where the
three of them had finished preparing for their upcoming
adventure. Now Alex watched as Edaphix
strutted up to her and Steve with that same emotionless smile
he'd had back at the fortress. At this point, Alex had gotten
used to it and didn't think of it as anything suspicious.
Maybe Edaphix wasn't used to company, as he said he had
stayed in the Nether most of his life where humans were scarce.
Maybe he felt like you need to smile so it's not the same weird
and it was just a natural for him.
He's certainly been through a lot, Alex observed as she
glanced at the dark scar running the length of his face and down
his neck. According to Edafix, he'd had
that scar since he battled a Piglin Brute and a Bastion a
year ago. Steve approached Alex and
Edafix, carrying a Shalker box full of all their gear, freshly
inspected. Setting down the box, he took a
deep breath and held up his diamond sword in the light.
This is it. Nothing more needed to be said.
All three of them knew exactly what came next.
Over the course of the next day the companions made their way to
the Nether portal, many adventures used as it was near
multiple villages and easy to access.
It had been a ruined mess when it was first found, but someone
had eventually repaired it and it was now the centre nether
hub. Shops surrounded the portal,
selling nether related materials, items and weapons.
Two guards stood by the entrance in case any ill meaning entities
attempted to pass through and cause a commotion.
Decked down their gear. Steve Alex Anita Fix arrived at
the portal and took a final look at the bustling scenery behind
them. Finally, Alex saw in
anticipation. It's been months since we
started preparing for this. It better be worth it.
Part 2. Steve was ecstatic.
Scared, but ecstatic. The Wither was one of the most
dangerous entities ever to exist.
He and his friends were about to battle it and hopefully defeat
it. As he stepped through the
portal's glowing purple haze, he closed his eyes and willed
himself to stay calm. This was not going to be an easy
battle. The Netherac platform that all
travellers saw as they entered the main nether portal came into
Steve's view. He waited as the others appeared
through the mist after him. Alex looked excited but nervous,
and Edifix, he looked completely at ease.
Steve wondered if there's something else in play of this
strange character he and Alex had met on their nether war
excursion. Edifix, with his unusual name,
unusual back story of living in the Nether most of his life,
definitely made Steve curious and slightly unnerved by him.
But he's done nothing wrong, Steve thought.
He sighed to himself as they silently walked the path leading
to the Wither's fortress. Everyone knew about the Wither,
how it was undefeated, terrifying, and only a few had
lived to tell stories of its immense strength.
Its fortress wasn't exactly hidden either.
By taking a path directly from the Nether Hubs portal, one
could reach the fortress in less than a day.
It had been years since the last adventurer battled the Wither,
the stories of the monster from the Nether dwindling in
frequency over time. Steve knew the battle was likely
to result in his own defeats, but he was determined to try for
victory. He and Alex had trained for
months for this day, and they weren't going to back down now.
When around 3 hours of walking had passed, the slight tint of
Nether brick reached Steve's vision.
The fortress was minutes away. Alex inhaled sharply beside him,
her features glinting with sweat from the heat of the lava all
around them and possibly the nerves of what was about to
ensue. Steve was nervous as well, and
he tried to take deep breaths to calm his racing heart as he
reached the fortress's towering walls and fiery columns.
They raided their weapons and prepared for the final battle.
The first thing Steve saw when he entered the fortress was a
throne made of what looked like the same material Edaphix's
armor was forced out of. No one sat upon it.
The room was eerily quiet, unlike what Steve had expected.
Alex, standing to his right, was scanning the room, trying to map
out where the Wither might be residing.
Could something have happened to it during the long years of
silence in this fortress? Just as Steve was about to
suggest they look around for any signs of the monster, a hoarse
shriek echoed throughout the chamber.
He froze, slowly moving in a circle to locate the direction
of the noise. Another shriek, sounding closer
this time, and Steve was ready to act quickly if he needed to.
Alex tensed, one hand on her enchanted bow, and another
grasped an arrow from her quiver.
A moment of complete silence, and then the Wither emerged
through an opening in the upper wall, a whirl of black bone, its
three heads hissing and smoking as it found its new enemies.
But just as soon as it spotted them and Steve and Alex aimed
their weapons, it paused in an almost surprised way, stopping
mid air. Steve lowered his sword, unsure.
Confusion etched Alex's face. You Remember Me?
Said Edaphix. Steve whirled around.
What? Edaphix grinned vindictively,
genuine satisfaction on his face.
You had no idea. He walked directly up to the
Wither, which was still floating in the same place.
Steve watched his realization in horror flooded Alex's face.
It was you. She quivered then, stronger,
angrier. You spawned the Wither.
You tricked us. She clinched her fist around her
bow. Steve knew that Alex was right.
Edaphix had spawned the Wither. His whole living in the Nether
back story. That scar on his face is
probably the doing of the Wither when I had first spawned, but
now it was on Edaphix's side. Now Steve and Alex would have to
fight both Edifix and the Wither.
Edifix actually petted the Wither.
And then I can't believe you offered to let me join you.
Give me the perfect opportunity to sabotage your plan.
I can't have you killing my pet. Steve swallowed bitterly.
You're a traitor and a liar. Now fight us like you've surely
been itching to do for the past week.
He fell. Alex stand next to him, and
knowing she, at least whenever betray him, gave him just the
right amount of courage he needed.
He stared straight to Edifix his eyes.
You're not going to take away our opportunity like this.
Go ahead, unleash your monster. Part three, My monster.
He to fix chuckled, sitting on the throne.
OK. He turned to the Wither.
Go on, destroy them. The Wither, as if breaking free
from a trance, launched itself at Steven.
Alex. He watched the two warriors
dodged Wither's explosions and try to hit it, maneuvering every
which way. He realized, as one of Alex's
arrows lodged in the Wither's rib cage and it lurched
painfully, that they might actually have a chance of
victory. That would certainly not do, he
thought. He stood up for him, his nether
right throne, and took out his sword, forged to have the same
material. He may just have to do this
himself. Alex was breathing heavily as
she shot arrow after arrow at the Withers restless form.
It dodged, shot back, lurched and whirled as she frantically
tried to aim her bow. Come on, she thought, willing
herself to focus. She chugged a strength potion,
hoping you would give her a little more accuracy, but she
must have been a little too focused as she didn't see Edefix
slowly approaching her from behind.
Just as he raised his sword to attack, she caught the motion
out of the corner of her eye and quickly rolled to the side as he
swung at the place she was standing a second ago.
He turned and growled, irritated.
Not today, creep. Alex said through stronger
breaths. The strength potion must have
worked. Before Edefix could prepare
another strike, she smoothly aimed and shot an arrow directly
into the gap of this helmet. Edefix stood there for a moment
and slowly fell to the ground, but Alex had no time to
celebrate as the wither was still trying to explode Steve,
who's leaping all over the place to avoid the smoking skulls
launched at him. Alex joined Steve in the thick
of battle where minutes went by of hurry, dodging, running and
striking. They were losing energy as their
breathing became laboured and their taxless accurate.
Steve ran beside Alex, avoiding the explosions behind him.
Alex, Alex. He gasped.
It's weakened, a couple more hits to the head might do the
trick. Steve was right, the Wither is
moving slower now, if you could hit it with one more arrow.
She stopped running briefly to load her last arrow.
Aim, and now the arrow sailed through the air and successfully
hit its target, the Wither's right most head.
The monster roared. Your turn, Steve.
She shouted. He nodded, positioning his sword
so he could throw it. The Wither came closer and Steve
took the opportunity, throwing the diamond blade with all his
might at the Wither's middle head.
Alex watched the Wither shriek one last time before falling to
the ground, truly defeated. It exploded in white smoke,
dropping only a star shaped glowing crystal.
Steve walked forward and picked up the star in amazement,
holding it up to see it better. Alex approached him, still
panting an exhaustion. I wonder what it does.
She said. It's beautiful.
They destroyed the Wither. Steve still couldn't believe it.
Oh, and need to fix? Alex began.
Steve gasped. Where is he?
He had completely forgotten about him in the midst of
battling the wither. Over there, Said Alex, casually
pointing to a spot near the middle of the chamber.
ETA Fix was lying on the ground. And then he disappeared in a
puff of smoke. Steve laughed, impressed.
Good job the ends. Thank you guys so much for
listening and also thank you to Dragon Queen for submitting the
story and for Lamb be right on the podcast.
Also thank you to all the other listeners who have submitted the
stories over the years. All of you guys write amazing
stories and they're fun to read and I'm sure listen to.
So thanks for listening and I'll see you guys inside the next
episode.