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The explosion echoed through the city, the large wooden doors splintering. But no one screamed this time, no stopped what they were doing to see what happened. That happened a long time ago, twenty-five years ago. Not on the dot twenty-five years, but just about. An explosion similar to that one did go off, many years ago. Thats when the people screamed, and dropped what they were doing to see what happened. The one thing that was and is similar between that day and this day is that the guards on duty made sure to protect the city and it’s citizens.
“Hey Michael, Mike, the TnT went off... I think we have visitors.” The leather-cladden guard shook his iron-cladden friend, who was asleep in a makeshift wool bed. They were in a ruined church-like building, it’s glass windows shattered, it’s pews broken, and parts of it’s roof caved in.
The half-asleep Michael sat up in his bed, and look at his friend, “Why would anyone want to come here, Walter? This place is more hellish then the Nether...”
“They could be more thieves or raiders.”
“What is there left to steal? The gold is gone, the diamonds are gone, hell, the redstone wires were clipped from their mechanisms. The iron was ripped from the hinges of the all the doors in the city.”
Walter rolled his eyes. “Well that TnT went off, and theres no signs of undead anywhere, it’s too late in the morning. I’m going to investigate.” He opened the chest next to the small camp, pulled out a bow and some arrows. He headed out the door and left the church, Michael snoring loudly behind him.

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Torix grabbed the small child, and dove out of the way as the iron golem exploded into iron fragments and rose petals. The other testificates fled behind the other two iron golems. Torix got up, scratched pretty badly, but the young villager was unharmed.
“Gah... There must be raiders inside the city walls... Ooof... No one move until we know we’re out of this minefield.” The young villager ran back behind the golem whimpering for his mother. Torix tried to stand, but he was too injured. “Hell, those raiders will pay...”
“Torix? Torix are you okay?” A young girl, a human girl, ran up the gravel path, a large wooden chest on her back. The clinking of glass bottles rang from the chest. She put the chest on the ground and ran to Torix.
The old villager smiled weakly, revealing his holed teeth. “Beth, I’m not sure if I’ll make it... I was hit pretty hard...”
“Don’t say that, old man! I think I have a potion that can help you...” She opened the chest, and pulled out a bright red potion. “Drink this, it should help you out.”
Torix drank the mix, and coughed loudly, red smoke at his lips. “Holy... What was... In that one? Spider eyes and gunpowder?” He coughed some more.
Beth sighed a sigh of relief, and looked to the scared villagers. “He’s okay guys, he just needs some food. Golems, scan the local area. Who ever laid that TnT is probably still around, and we need to get into the city,” she looked down at Torix, “All of us in one piece.”

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Walter pressed his back to the crumbling wall, listening in on the newcomers’ conversation. He glanced around the wall to see the foes. He saw quite a few testificates, two iron golems, as well as some chunks of smoking iron scattered about. He then saw her, the only human in the whole group. She had a white blouse-like shirt on, and a pair of green shorts, and a matching pair of shoes. She also had long, black, flowing hair, accompanied by a green bow. He instantly fell for her. But before he could call out to her, he ducked behind the crumbling wall, a golem passing by. He had to direct the attention of those stupid automatons so he could free the girl from her captors. He glanced back around the wall, and saw some wooden planks on the ground near a tree. An undetonated trap! He took his bow and knocked an arrow. He pulled back the string, took in a deep breath and released. The arrow flew straight and narrow and his the trap, blowing up. The group screamed in fear, the large tree falling down and blocking the path. Walter got up from behind his cover and ran for the girl. He grabbed her hand and made a U-turn for the city. “Don’t worry you’re safe now!” Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, glass shattering everywhere, and he was covered in a strange liquid. He staggered a bit before collapsing to the ground. He was dead, he knew it.

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Beth breathed heavily, broken bottle shards in her hand. The villagers slowly returned back to the spot, examining the fallen man. Beth turned to the villagers, “Is everyone okay?” The villagers all nodded, and returned their gaze to the man.
“Are YOU okay, Beth?” called out Torix, his tattered purple robes flowing in the wind.
“I’m fine Torix, all this creep did was grab me and try to take me to the city. At least we now know these raiders aren’t as smart as they used to be. Let’s head into the city.” She grabbed her wooden backpack, and began walking into the city gates. “Golems, take this man, he’ll be our prisoner.” The golems for once looked at each other with almost a look of surprise, before following the orders and picking up the man and his gear. They walked into the city.

----------

Michael watched the group pass through the city’s front gates, Walter’s body in the arms of their golem. He jumped off the church rooftop on to a smaller building, and tried to get a closer look at the invaders. It was hard to see, but there was only one human in the group of villagers. He jumped off of the building, landing in a tree before rolling out onto the street. He ran through the city’s back allies where he grew up, taking turns left and right. Almost instantly, he stood in the path of the invaders, his iron gear glistening as he raised his blade in the light.
“Who are you, and why are you here?”
An elderly villager responded, but he spoke in a foreign language to Michael. Suddenly, the elderly testificate was cut off as a response in English came from the human. Surprisingly, a human girl.
“We are... We were the denizens of a small village called Oakwood, located in the Great Plains, near Black River. Our village was attacked, and we were forced to flee. We had hoped to come to the grand city of Diamond Peak to find refuge, but this guy tried to attack us.” The girl pointed to Walter’s limp body.
“Walter! What did you do to him?”
“He’s only been temporarily weakened. It was in self defense, I apologize.” She bowed to the iron-clad man. Beth thought to herself that this was probably a trap, and she and her adopted family were about to be killed. She looked up to hear the sound of metal on metal as the iron-clad man sheathed his sword. “I should apologize too, Walter does get out of hand. I hope he didn’t cause too much trouble.” Michael held out his hand, posed for a handshake. Beth looked at him in confusion. “Oh, my apologies, my name is Michael, captain of the fifth guard squad of Diamond Peak.”
“My name is Beth. I was raised by these villagers since I was very young, and hope to bring them to safety, away from the monsters of the night.” The elderly villager eyed her curiously. “Oh, this is Torix, my adopted father, he’s in charge.” Torix nodded eagerly at his name, and continued to speak in the foreign tongue.
“Uh, what’s he saying...?” asked Michael, confused at the speech.
“Sorry, Oakwood was out of the way, and never had the city officials come to help teach English...” Beth spoke to Torix in the tongue, and he stopped talking.
“Here, follow me, I’ll take you guys to where Walter and I have been staying. Its the only building in the whole town that isn’t collapsed in on itself yet.” He walked towards the church, with Beth and the villagers reluctantly following.

----------

“Human...”
“Silence yourself, it cannot comprehend us.”
“But, he surely can. Look, he is coming around.”
Walter groggily opened his eyes and looked about where he was. There was endless blackness all around him. The sky was black, the walls were black, the floor was black. Just black, and he was floating in it. “Where am I?”
“See, he can understand us!”
“It merely thinks this is a dream, as they call it. It will forget this when it fully awakens.”
Walter looked around, confused. “Who... Where... What’s going on?”
“Hello, human, welcome to our little realm. Past the unbreaking black rock.”
“Silence yourself fool, we cannot reveal much about the unknown to it, it is not ready.”
“Apologies. Human, we are beings of life and death, twee and la, light at dark, and we have come bearing a message.”
Walter looked around, confused, but intrigued, searching for the source of the voices.
“An unhealthy shift in balance is occurring. The night is over running the day, the death taking over life. We need someone to return balance to the world.”
“We chose you, because you meet the criteria that the first heroes had. Blade, bow, bottle is what the heroes had. They used their power to save world and kill all things bad.”
“Silence yourself, fool...”
“Apologies. Our time is short, your reality is returning to your senses. Search for a book under the Warrior’s Crypt. There, we can explain more.”
“Wait, the what? What crypt?” Walter tried to stand, but as he did, the black world started to melt. He fully stood, and was overtaken by a flash of blue and a flash of green.
“Good luck hero!”
“You’ll need it...”

-------

Walter groggily got up from the bed he was in. He looked around through sleepy eyes, seeing the testificates, the golems, Michael, and the girl. He smiled looking at the girl.
“Hey guys! Wally’s coming around!” called out Michael, munching on an apple. Wally tried to stand, but was hit by another flash of blue and green. He called out in pain and collapsed to the ground. He began speaking in the tongue of the testificates.
“Woah, Wally!” Michael ran over to Walter’s side. “You okay? What’s going on? Beth, I need your help!” Beth ran over, a bright red potion in her hand. The villagers also ran over, speaking in their language.
“What’re they saying Beth?” asked Michael.
“They keep talking about some old story, the great ones, I think. They were humans from long ago that saved the land of Great Stone from the monsters of the night. Walter here was talking like Sagittarius, one of the generals of the great ones.”
“So what does it mean?”
“Well, he had a vision about the great ones, that’s what Torix is saying.”
“And that means...?”
“According to legend, it means Walter is a reincarnation of one of the great ones, and he is one of the people who will end this hellish apocalypse.”
Michael laid Walter on the bed, where the villagers continued to speak, or rather question, maybe even interrogate the boy. Walter, however, had passed out. Michael turned to Beth. “So, does that mean we’re the other generals then? I mean, we’re Walter’s closest friends. Well, I am, you’re just some chick that he attacked.”
“Pretty bold to say that we’re heroes or anything, but it is a possibility, but don’t get your hopes up.” Beth crossed her arms and looked at the mass of villagers surrounding the sleeping boy. “Hey, why do you think he just jumped out and attacked me?”
Michael let out a loud scoff. “Walter’s something of a wuss. In elementary school, he could never ask any girl he liked out, which was odd, it was only elementary school, too young for a relationship. But the same thing happened in middle school, and through high school. He wanted to join the Iron City Guard to try to show off. So, he most likely has some sort of crush on you. But, how did you put it? It’s pretty bold to say but it’s a possibility?” He scoffed again.
Beth rolled her eyes and blushed. “How did you two get all the out here to Diamond Peak? Its almost of the other side of Great Stone.”
“Ah, we were ordered to investigate the fallen city of Diamond Peak. Like, what possibly could destroy so easily. Well we found out, a few months ago. There were hordes of zombies that attacked the gates and walls. Almost out of thin air, they appeared, and took us almost all out. A few of us survived, though the rest of them fled. I had a pretty bad injury, and they left me here to die, but Wally here saved my life. So we’ve been holding out here.” He turned to the sound of Walter getting back up again.
“Oooh... What happened...” Walter looked around, the villagers backing away from him as Michael and Beth approached. “What going on, Mike?”
“Well, you were speaking in tongues, while collapsed on the ground. You looked like you were twitching too, but it may have been the shadows.”
Beth approached, “Do you remember anything from your vision?”
Walter stared at the girl hard before nearly jumping out of the bed. “Oh, uh...”
Michael laughed, “Told you Beth.”
“Beth...? I’m Walter...” he gulped. “Vision? How did you know?”
“You seem to forget I’m the only human that traveled with a group of twenty or so villagers. You were speaking in the testificate’s language. Put two and two together.”
Walter swallowed again, followed by Michael’s laughter. “Well, Wally? The vision?”
“Oh, yes, uh... There were two voices, they mentioned something about heroes, and a crypt. There were also two flashes of light, one blue and one green.”
Beth translated, and the villagers gasped in shock before cheering happily. “They’re happy. You’re apparently the reincarnation of a long-dead warriors that had helped defeat the monsters of the night long ago. And using you, you can stop the evil, blah blah, save the world.”
“You don’t sound very happy, Beth.” Michael sneered.
“I’m not telling the whole story again to a guy who’s just been made part of it. I hate repeating myself.”
“Part of it? So, I’m now a big hero now?”
“Yep.”
“What do we do then? I don’t even know how to use a sword...”
“Good, only one of the heroes wielded a bow.”
“Then where do we go? The voices mentioned a book in a crypt, but I don’t know where there’s a crypt.”
Michael walked over to his chest next to his bed, pulling out a map. “And bam, right there. Warrior’s Grave. Right here. On this map. Amazing what technology can do these days.”
Beth walked over and grabbed the map. “Hmm... We’ll have to leave through the South Entrance. And it’s quite a walk too...” She looked up and saw Michael strapping the chest, now back pack, to his back.
“Hell, I walked across Great Stone for five days straight, I can handle a small jaunt.” Michael looked to Walter, who also began slowly packing his things. Walter looked nervous. “Hey Wally, don’t be nervous. Maybe now you’ll make something out of you now that you’ve been drafted into some cosmic quest of world saving.”
Beth rolled her eyes and picked up her backpack-chest and all Walter could do was sigh.
Beth whispered under her breath, “Great Stone might need to better choose reincarnations in the future... If there is one...”

“Ow... My feet hurt...” cried out Michael, his armor making loud squeaking noises as he walked, his chest-pack making loud thudding noises.
“Mike, you didn’t complain when we walked for five days straight to get to Diamond Peak...” called out Walter, who lead the group with Beth, the female member of the trio.
“Awww, is the big bad knight’s wittle feeties sore?” called out Beth, taunting Michael.
“Shut up you two, I haven’t worked out in the past three months we were stuck at Diamond, okay? Geesh...”
Beth and Walter laughed as Michael grumbled angrily.
“According to the map the villagers gave us, there should be large cemetery over this hill,” called out Walter, map and compass in his hands. “Speaking of which...”
Beth and Walter reached the top of the hill. The looked down over the large cemetery, tombs and gravestones scattered about. Heavy breathing came from behind the two, and they turned to see Michael pulling up the rear. “I... I think... I know... Why... I’m also... tired... Wheew... I’m carrying... Like, forty-five... Pounds of equipment...”
“Well, if you expect us to carry enough food, water, and basic supplies, we wouldn’t even be able to stand” said Michael.
“Yea... But... You’re not... Carrying... Anything...”
“That’s because he’s some ancient reincarnation of some ancient warrior. Plus he has asthma.”
“That’s... Not... An excuse...”
“Come on now guys, let’s get into that graveyard, it’s almost dusk”, Walter said, checking his gold watch. The trio walked down to the large iron gate, which was partially destroyed due to years of rust. Well, Beth and Walter were the ones who walked down; Michael mostly tripped and stumbled like a drunkard, collapsing at the bottom of the hill, but you get the idea.

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“And you’re certain the villagers are okay?” asked Walter, eating a piece of pork.
“Of course they are, they have golems protecting them. It takes a lot to take down one of those guys”, assured Beth, pulling out some item out of her chest-pack.
“What are those, witch?” asked Michael, apple stem in his teeth. He was using his iron sword to carve a small figurine in his hands.
Beth glared at Michael before speaking, “These are what I use for my potions. All I have, however, are fermented spider eyes and some brewing notes used by the villagers. And what are you carving there, a dolly for the baby?”
Michael glared back, “I’m just carving a figuring of a man. No one specific, just an average Steve.”
There was a rustling heard behind the camp, causing a dead silence between the group. Beth grabbed for her potions, their black liquids sloshed about. Walter also grabbed his, and knocked an arrow. Michael sat up and gripped his sword with two hands.
“You guys heard that right?”
“I sure did. Could it have been the wind?”
“No way in hell that was that wind. We would have felt a breeze”.
“Heheh, maybe the folks buried here are walking around, no longer afraid of fire!”
“Shut up, Michael, that could be true!”
“You worry too much Beth. Zombies are just clumsy corpses, afraid of bright lights. They aren’t too bad, unless we get overrun, like what happened to Wally and I.”
The three of them sat back down, a little on edge, but relaxed again, returning to what they were doing previous. Another rustle was heard around thirty minutes later.
The group jumped back up, weapons in hand. “Okay, I’m certain that there is something out there.”
“What is it then? Definitely isn’t a pig or a cow.” Suddenly a loud shriek was heard, echoing throughout the cemetery.
“Ooooooh man... Not good...”
“We have to go out there and find the source of that shrieking, don’t we?”
Michael gulped, and took a deep breath. “We have too. Especially you, Walter. You’re the hero here.”
“Why am I not surprised you would say that...” Walter took a few steps into the darkness. “Okay guys... It seems safe...”
“It SEEMS safe? I don’t care if it SEEMS to be full of emeralds and diamonds, I’m not going out there unless it IS safe,” Beth stated, her voice quivering in fear.
Walter rolled his eyes, “Fine, then it IS safe! Now lets go find the source of the shriek.” Suddenly there was another shriek, coming from deep in the cemetery. The trio all gulped in unison, and then walked away from the safety of their fire.

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“Okay, I’m starting to think we’re just all going crazy. We’ve searched this boneyard from all four corners, and there’s nothing here but markers for who died, where and when.”
“But that scream came from somewhere in the cemetery. We have to be close.”
“We’re just hearing things, can we head back to camp. I’m too damn tired to have to fight anything...”
“Fine Michael. Beth, we’re heading back to camp, c’mon.”
“Hey guys, I think I found something over here...” Michael and Walter looked at each other with confusion, and walked towards Beth.
“What did you find?”
“Guys, check out this grave stone... There’s no name...”
“So? It’s just whittled away probably. This place is over three-hundred and fifty years old.”
“There’s still words on it genius, but it’s some kind of riddle... Listen to this: ‘Deep in the earth, the caverns gave birth. The child does destroy, protect and save. Free of it’s will, but to life is a slave. What is it?” The trio sat there, pondering the riddle.
“It’s iron.” The answer came from Michael. “Iron is a slave to humans and villagers, and used in armor, swords, tools and golems. Can we go back to camp now?”
Suddenly, the shriek came again, much louder, causing the group to jump again.
“I just heard that scream again, and you would not believe what I heard it say...”
“Was it Michael’s name?”
“Yeah...”
“Well Mike, looks like you seem to be chased by a-” Walter turned to see Michael running back to their camp.
“I think little Mikey needs his sleep before he can comprehend ghosts and such chasing him.”
“I agree. Let’s get some rest and continue this search tomorrow.”

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The group slowly awoke, and packed up their belongings.
“Uhg... Too early...” said Michael, munching on a carrot. “Why did we have to get up this early...”
“Because, you’re being haunted by some riddle giving spirit, that’s why.”
“Uhg... I hate the dead...”
“Hey, Beth, Michael... Wasn’t that grave from yesterday over here?”
The two ran over to Walter, who was looking at a large crypt. It was decorated with stone statues, and covered in moss; it was quite a sight.
“This wasn’t here yesterday, was it guys?”
“Uh, Wally, I’m certain we would have remember a body box like this. Look, it has little people with swords carved into the sides.”
“Who’s grave is this, Wally?”
“It says ‘Sir Garrison N. Ashton of Emerald City, Died in Battle’. Wait, Emerald City? There isn’t a town called that anywhere on Great Stone, is there?”
Michael scratched his 5 o'clock shadow, thinking. “Well, theres Iron City, Lazuli Port, Golden Heights, Diamond Peaks...”
“...Oakwood, Birchbranch, Sprucefall...” Beth continued the list, “No, there’s nothing named Emerald.”
“So, some dead guy’s buried here from a non existent city?”
“Apparently so, Michael. You’re not scared are you?”
“I am not, Beth! I didn’t kill a horde of zo-”
“Hey guys, its open.”
Beth and Michael turned to see Walter opening the door to the crypt, loud squeaking noises emanating from it’s hinges. “Woah... Guys, there’s a staircase in here... Guys?”
Walter turned to see Beth and Michael tip-toeing away from the ruined building. “Guys, I’m not investigating this on my own...”
“Good! Then we aren’t investigating it!” The jeer came from Beth.
“C’mon guys, what if we find something historical down there? We can unlock the mysteries of the an-”
A loud shriek came from the stairwell, “Warriors... Come...”
The trio all froze where they stood, eyeing each other in fear. A white mist began pouring out of the crypt, filling the graveyard.
“So... Uh... How’s that crypt sounding? Pretty good, right guys? Beth, Wally? Yeah... Let’s go... Uh... Step inside of it, maybe look around...” Michael made a mad dash for the crypt, Beth shortly behind.
Walter rolled his eyes and followed the two into the crypt, down the stairs. They traveled down, torches on the walls. Suddenly, a loud crash was heard.
“I think the door just shut on us...”
“We have to go back! We can’t-”
“What makes you think we’ll bust that door down and open? If a forty-five pound door just shut itself with no wind around, something natural isn’t here, and there’s a good chance we aren’t making it back out through the way we came. Let’s just keep moving.”
“Damn Wally, what’s with this whole ‘knight in armor’ deal? You seem to act... Manlier.”
“Well ever since that vision I’ve felt more comfortable with ‘scary things’. So, really, I feel quite confident.”
“Hey guys... I see the ground floor...”
The trio stepped onto the moss-lined floor. They looked around to see skulls and coffins lining the walls, torches lighting the room dimly. A large sanctuary-like building sat in the middle of the room, an elaborate coffin sat on top.
“Oh... Kaaay... I feel like we just stepped into a ‘Brine worshipping altar... The hell is this?”
A shuffling noise came from behind the trio. They turned, readying their weapons. Michael looked around, eyeing the darkness. Something was there. He knew it. There was no wind, no leaves falling.
“Sword...”
Michael jumped and turned around, swinging his sword. The sword of metal hitting meat was heard. “Holy sh- Who did I hit? Everyone okay?”
“Fine...” was all that was heard in the dark.
“Wh- Who’s there? Wally? Beth?”
“Gone...”
“Who keeps saying that?” Michael backed up, into a torch. It fell over, and rolled in front of him, revealing a hideous creature. It was a person, emphasize on “was”. His skin was rotted and green, bones and muscles peeking through his skin. His eyes rolled about loosely in his head, as if to see all that was happening in the room. He had grey mottle, and some places removed, hair. His teeth were rotted, his tongue no better. He wore a rusted suit of armor, but slight gleams of blue shone through. Diamond armor, rusted and dusted, but still diamond. The creature began to laugh, the sound sounding as if a bottomless pit were laughing.
“I... Gnash... Swordsman... Was... Aston...”
Michael simply stared in horror. “Where... Where are Beth and Wally?”
“They... Walk... Us... Soon...” ‘Gnash’, as it was called laughed again.
“You... You killed them? How?”
“Talk... Slow... Walk... Slow... Kill... Fast...” Gnash reached for his rusted diamond blade, which hung by his side. “Want... Friends...? Kill... Gnash...” He shrieked, the same shriek heard before in the graveyard above, and dove at Michael with incredible speed.

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Another zombie fell, an arrow pierced between it’s eyes. It collapsed into a cloud of smoke, leaving behind it’s rotten flesh.
“Beth, where the hell did these things come from?” Cried Walter, who stabbed an arrow right into the chest of another zombie. The sound of glass shattering came from behind him; Beth was using miscellaneous potions to fight off the dead.
“As soon as we reached the bottom of the stairs, I heard a rustling sound, and suddenly, these dead guys starting crawling out of the coffins. And Michael vanished, the only person who can fight close handed.”
“Where could he have gone?”
“I don’t know, but people don’t just vanish. I hope he’s okay...”

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Michael screamed as he ran through the coffin filled crypt. Gnash ran behind him, his legs nearly impossible to see. “Why... Scared... Just... Dead...” He swung his sword, the diamond blade cutting through the stone floors, stone walls, and even some coffins, and the tenants of them.
All Michael could do was run. Every time he looked back, Gnash was closer. Hungrier. “Wait a sec...” Michael stopped, and swung his sword at the zombie. The iron blade struck the zombie in the... helmet... With that swing, the blade popped like a cork, it’s metal shards raining around Michael. Gnash laughed again.
“Iron... No... Work... Diamond... Best...” Gnash raised his sword again. Michael dove out of the way, and headed for the coffin in the center of the room, atop of the small sanctuary. As he ran, he felt something grab his ankle, causing him to trip and fall. He hit his head on a sharp corner of the stairs, his helmet shattering as well. He blacked out.

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“Huuuuuuumaaaaaan.”
“Shut up, you treat them like they are one of us!”
“They technically are if you-”
“No they aren’t, that’s why we live here, and they live there. It’s simple.”
Michael bolted upright, swinging his sword vigorously. Er... sword-hilt. That’s right, it broke... “Who’s there? More dead that wish to fight me?”
“Oooo... I take back what I said about it earlier, I like this one. Such strength!”
“I ask again, who is there?”
“We are the great protectors of Great Stone. The dusk and dawn, the dirt and sands, the water and-”
“Blah blah blah, we’re the same beings that visited your friend, like three days ago. Blah blah blah, you’re a hero, blah blah blah, we’ll give you temporary strength to fight the zombie general, you know the deal, right?”
“Wait, so I am a hero too? Cool... Wait, where are my friends? They vanished when I was attacked!”
“They are in a different... Chamber? Is that what you humans call them? It’s a complicated ancient system that we used when we-”
“Do not tell it too much! We don’t want to pop his brain like a spider-eye in a piston!”
“Very well... Human, your time with us is done. Go save your friends, now.”

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Gnash sluggishly walked over to the fallen human. It’s sword broke, it’s helmet broke. There was even a trickle of blood down the side of it’s head. It look so very delicious. But it fell too easy. It was no fun. But a zombie has to eat. Gnash opened his mouth, and grabbed the human’s head. He could smell the brain inside... Suddenly Gnash felt his lower jaw fly off his head, which snapped backwards, so he could only see what was behind him, upside-down. He readjusted his to see what hit him, only to get punched into the chest, ribs shattering. He felt the bone shards cut open once-vital organs. He would have been dead if he were alive. Gnash finally saw what was attacking him, his dinner! But something was different this time... His eyes... Were they glo-
Michael threw his fist forward, landing a solid blow into the zombie’s shoulder. It shrieked in surprise, possibly pain as well. Michael relentlessly punched blow after blow into the corpse, breaking through it’s diamond chest plate.
“Please... No... Gnash... Not...”
The zombie’s pleas were not heard, as Michael was not Michael. Slowly but surely the zombie fell to the floor, shrieking, before it exploded into a cloud of smoke.

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“Walter! I finally found Michael! He looks badly injured though...”
“Holy... His helmet’s broke, his blade’s in pieces, what attacked him?”
Michael slowly spoke, “I killed it... The zombie...”
“We were killing tons of zombies, what so special about yours?”
“Michael weakly rolled his eyes, and got up. He stood before the two, shaking. He half walked, half limped, over to where Gnash had fallen. He wobbly leaned over, and picked up the diamond helmet left behind. He put it on, it’s new shine glimmering in the flickering torchlight. He then picked up the diamond sword, and swung it a few times before sheathing it. Beth and Walter stared at each other with both awe and fear of their friend’s physical stability.
“Are you two... Coming or... Not?” Michael began walking up the staircase at the end of the room. Walter and Beth quickly ran after. They emerged at where they went down, the sun rising before them. Michael took a few steps forward, raised his sword, smiled, and then collapsed to the ground.
“I can’t wait for him to tell us what happened to him... It has to be good...”
Beth simply rolled her eyes.

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