Minecraft by Sarwat Chadda

Author:Sarwat Chadda [Chadda, Sarwat]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Worlds
Published: 2022-11-29T00:00:00+00:00

“I don’t like the look of those clouds,” said Faith. They’d been getting darker over the whole day, and she could feel the electricity in the air. “Looks like a storm’s brewing.”

Pal pointed to a cluster of buildings in the distance. “We could spend the night there, maybe?”

It was better than being caught out in the open, that was for sure. She nodded and started along the track. A meal, something to drink, and a chance to sleep in a bed. That’s all she wanted right now. It looked like a nice place; the warm glow from the windows promised some cheer and even a chance to clean up. They all stank of swamp. The rucksack straps dug into her shoulders. She just wanted to get it off.

“There’s a signpost up ahead,” said Rajah, squinting to read it. “Mahar Town. Anyone heard of it?”

Faith shook her head. “I never knew there were dwellings this far west. I thought the world stopped at the Ridge Mountains.”

Flashes of lightning lit the horizon and a cold, damp wind whipped at their clothes. They were damp through already, but the wind cut like ice. Thunder rumbled as they reached the outskirts of the town and saw their first person: a villager carrying a basket filled with carrots.

Faith smiled at them. “Hello. We’re looking for a place to sleep. Some food? We can pay.”

But the person looked blankly at her, and Faith didn’t understand their language. Faith put her palms together and rested her head against them, the universal sign for sleep. “A bed?”

They merely shook their head and wandered off.

Rajah rested his hand on his axe. “We could just boot a door down and rest up. These villagers don’t look like they’d put up a fight.”

“That’s not what we do, Rajah.”

“Oh, right,” he replied. “You’d have thought I’d know the rules about being a hero by now. So simple in theory, so hard in practice. My father—”

“Hey, guys. Come and look at this.” Pal stood facing a statue in the village square. “Does it remind you of anyone, Rajah?”

Rajah gasped. “It’s…it’s Father.”

Faith looked back toward the signpost. “Mahar Town? Maharajah Town?”

Lightning struck a patch of earth outside the village. It was almost overhead. The villagers just went about their business, oblivious to the storm.

Rajah drew his axe. “We need to find shelter, Faith. Let’s kick that door down and at least keep out of the rain.”

“I said that’s not what we—”

“Hey! You three! There’s a storm coming!”

A man stood at an open doorway, waving at them. “Come in here! Quickly!”

They dashed toward the doorway as they were pelted by rain. Another lightning strike knocked off a chimney. If they’d been any closer…

They barged through the doorway and the man slammed it shut behind them. “What are you doing out in a storm? Don’t you know how dangerous it is?”

But the other two weren’t listening. They stood in the man’s house, staring. There was a suit of armor on a stand, a sword over the mantelpiece, and a fine crossbow with a quiver full of bolts by the door.

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