JeromeASF - Bacca and the Riddle of the Diamond Dragon: An Unofficial Minecrafters Adventure

Copyright 2015 by Jerome Aceti

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The Minecraft game is copyright Mojang AB

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Brian Peterson

Cover artwork by Josh Bruce (www.inkbyte.net)

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-0398-8

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-0399-5

Printed in Canada

Chapter One

T he zombie took a step forward.

Bacca smiled and waited. So did the crowd of spectators sitting in the amphitheater around him.

The zombie took another step across the raised platform. Then another. Then another still.

In his hand, Bacca held his most prized possession in the entire Overworlda glistening diamond axe named Betty. It shimmered in the light of the moon above, and felt perfectly balanced in Baccas hands... almost like it was a part of him. Betty had seen Bacca through many adventures, and proved itself worthy of every challenge. If a finer weapon existed anywhere, Bacca did not know of it.

Bacca carefully took aim at the zombie. The watching crowd could no longer contain their excitement.

Whats he going to do to the zombie? someone asked expectantly. Can you see?

I wonder what hes waiting for? asked another.

Is that Betty ? asked a third. Ooh, its all... sparkly, like!

The crowd didnt know exactly what they were there to see, but that was part of the appeal. With Bacca in charge, they knew that, whatever it was, it was going to be something good.

In addition to being talented with an axe, Bacca was the most celebrated crafter in the entire Minecraft universe. He was always constructing staggering, inventive environments that bordered on the unbelievable. Glistening skyscrapers. Endless labyrinths. Treetop canopies that seemed to extend forever into the sky. And Bacca always built these things with his friends in mind. People from servers all over the Overworld came to marvel at his creations. He also had a devilish sense of fun. Some of his creations were pranks or tricks. You never knew precisely what you were going to get with Bacca. That was part of what made him such a showman.

The zombie on the platform took another drunken, staggering step toward Bacca. Betty gleamed brightly in the moonlight. And then descended.

Striking at precisely the right moment, Bacca skillfully knocked the zombie off the side of the platform, down a chute he had created out of blocks of wooden planks. The zombie tumbled back and forth comically along the chute until it was spat out into an alley... leading to a triangle of carefully crafted iron pins. The zombie collided against them and made a satisfying sound. The iron pins toppled over. The crowd began to cheer.

Zombie bowling! said someone. Well, thats a new one. I like it!

I wondered what those pins were for, said another. In retrospect, I suppose it should have been obvious.

Looks like he bowled a strike to me, said a third.

Bacca gazed on in satisfaction as the crowd around him expressed their pleasure in his latest Minecraft construction. Coming up with new ways to be creative never got old for him. The possibilities of Minecraft seemed endless. It was merely up to Bacca to discover them.

Later, after the crowd had left, Bacca strode alone through the empty amphitheater with his girlfriend, LadyBacc, and wondered what his next creation might be. How would he top himself? What would he do next?

Zombie bowling was a hit, said LadyBacc enthusiastically. I totally knew it would be.

I guess, said Bacca sheepishly. I always feel pressure to do better. I dont want to let the audience down. Know what I mean?

Do better? she replied skeptically. For a guy who looks like a hairy bear wearing a three piece suit, I think youve done very well for yourself.

Youre just saying that because you look like a hairy bear in a dress, he pointed out.

Im being serious, said LadyBacc. Think about it. Youve got millions of fans who come to watch the things that you create. Youre one of the most famous crafters in all of Minecraftmaybe the most famous.

Yeah, said Bacca. I suppose so. Its just important to me that I give people a good show.

I think you worry too much, LadyBacc said with a laugh. Everything you build always ends up being awesome. Im sure youll come up with something great for your next crafting project. You always do.

I guess youre right, Bacca said. Thanks for the encouragement.

No problem!

They agreed to meet up later in the week, but for the moment, Bacca was tired from all the days exciting events, and decided to retire for the evening.

To his castle.

Perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking a beautiful placid sea, the castle had ten towers reaching gloriously into the skies above. On top of the highest tower was a spire, and on the spire was a flag with a giant B. The three moats surrounding the castle contained flowing lava, water, and then lava again for good measure. Bacca easily bounded over them as he traced the familiar path back to his front door. (Any zombies or skeletons that came his way would not be so lucky.)

Hopping through his front hallway, he first made for the castles kitchen.

Baccas kitchen was unlike typical ones, in that it generally resembled a large aquarium. As the familiar blue glow came into view, Baccas stomach started growling. He took a moment to enjoy the appetizing sight of the salmon, clownfish, and pufferfish that all bobbed in front of him in the enormous glass tank.

It would be an understatement to say that Baccas favorite food was raw fish. It was more like his only food. Bacca had a hard time understanding why somebody would eat anything else. Maybe the appeal of raw fish had something to do with Baccas hairy, animal-like appearance. Maybe it was because it was the closest thing you could get to sushi in Minecraft. Or maybe it was just because it tasted totally delicious.

Bacca took out his favorite fishing pole from a rack on the wall and dangled his line into the enormous tank. His rod was enchanted with Lure, Luck of the Sea, and Unbreaking. Probably this was why the fish came right to him... but Bacca liked to think that it was also because of his excellent fishing skills.

When he had made a good-sized pile of fish beside him, Bacca put away the rod and began to dig in. Bacca ate with his hands, enjoying the feel of the slippery fish in his claws and relishing ripping each one open with his teeth. So delicious! Again, he wondered why anybody would eat anything else!