The Monster in the Mountain #Blogbattle #Fantasy

This is my entry for this weeks blogbattle run every week by my good friend Rachael Ritchey. This week’s word is Cave. Go and look up the blog battle section in Rachaels blog for rules and how to join in. If you are thinking about joining in, you should, there’s no pressure and it’s great fun!

Steve walked up to the cave in that curious way that crafters  do. Jumping and running, making sure to not touch the ground for too long as you never knew what was there. Steve approached the cave, he had seen it the day before just before night fell and decided to return to it the next day. Steve drew his diamond sword and made sure his bow was easy to get to. Creepers, zombies and all kinds of monsters liked to hang around in caves and he needed to get in there to find out what he could mine. coal, iron and diamonds were always needed and caves were the best place  to find them.

As he walked into the entrance he noticed and broken and weather worn sign, what it said he couldn’t read any of the words. with caution Steve entered and after a little way the darkness submitted to dim torch light and the dim glow emitted by a small lava flow. He found a number of blocks of coal and picked up his iron axe to dig it out. After collecting a few pieces of coal and cobblestone some more coal revealed itself and then some iron. This was turning out to be a good cave. Just then he froze, the low moan of a zombie could be heard and he looked up to find one walking towards him. He picked up his diamond sword again and charged towards him. A few swipes of his sword and the zombie was soon gone.

As Steve picked up his iron axe to begin mining again he heard something else. He wasn’t sure where from. Looking around he couldn’t find out where this noise was but he thought it was below him. finding what looked like a blocked passage he descended it, finding a few goodies on the way like the odd bit of gold or iron he dug down. He was definitely getting closer, the noise was getting louder and louder. Then the last blocks shattered and he stood there, stunned by what he saw. He had found a huge chamber with coal and iron and gold all over the walls and floor, lava pools lit the cave and made it look creepy. In the middle of the chamber was a huge Ender Dragon, sitting on top of a huge pile of gold ingots and diamonds.

Steve didn’t think the Ender Dragon had seen him yet. It seemed to be resting now… it didn’t seem to happy, or active as Steve approached it, bow at the ready and golden apples close at hand to help him heal if this turned into a fight.

“I know you’re there Steve – I can sense you” he heard a woman’s voice say in his head as clear as he might hear it with his ears.

“I’ve been waiting for someone to release me for a long time now. Will you release me? In return you can have all that this cave can give.”

“Err… yes…” Steve said aloud, unsure if he was meant to talk or think. “I will help you… but how? I don’t have the materials I need to make a portal”

“You don’t need to” The woman’s voice echoed in his head again “Take your axe and dig out around the raised area at the end of the chamber – it hides a portal”

“If I do this, will you promise not to hurt me?”

“I promise, I just want to get out of this cave and back to my kingdom in the Ender World.”

Steve walked over to the raised area, his pick axe ready to dig out the portal. He kept his weapons close and made sure he watched the Dragon as he dug. Sure enough he found a portal and dug and dug until it was completely uncovered. When the last stone was mined the Dragon grinned, flapped it’s wings and rose into the air.

“Thank you Steve. Today I will spare you, but if you venture into my world then you will not be as lucky again – Goodbye”

With a roar the Dragon dove into the portal and was gone in a flash. Steve looked round, as quickly as he could he collected all the coal, iron ore, diamonds and other useful things as he could. he threw away the cobblestone as he didn’t have room for that as well. But he kept some so he could seal the cave again. Steve left the portal open, he wasn’t sure why, maybe one day it would be useful, but if he ever ventured there again he was prepared to find any kind of horror from the Ender World waiting within.

With a hop and skip he left the cave, with all the riches he could dream of to fill his chests and furnace. Maybe one day he would return to the cave, maybe one day he would dare to enter the portal. Maybe… for now he had lots to things to craft and food to find and creepers t avoid.

Copyright 2015 Simon Farnell

No ownership claimed to images – Images found on Google.