Nicky Drayden - Minecraft: The Dragon

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CORNERSTONE

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Cornerstone is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com.

First published in the United States by Penguin Random House in 2021
First published in the UK by Del Rey in 2021

Copyright 2021 by Mojang Synergies AB. MINECRAFT and the Minecraft logo are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

Minecraft: The Dragon is a work of fiction. Names, places and incidents either are products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Jacket art and design: M. S. Corley

Book design by Elizabeth A. D. Eno

ISBN: 978-1-473-59754-9

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the authors and publishers rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

Overwatch: The Hero of Numbani

The Prey of Gods

Temper

Escaping Exodus

Minecraft: The Dragon

To Alex

Builder of wondrous worlds,
creator of magnificent contraptions,
your ideas and imagination
delight me
to the End and back

Zetta hid behind a cactus at the edge of the town square, waiting for the last few townspeople to finish up work and return home for supper. The shadows in the desert town of Sienna Dunes were growing long as the sun dipped low in the sky. The sand beneath Zettas feet started to cool, and the breeze suddenly became crisp as the heat of the day drained away.

Zetta bundled up the collar of her blue tunic with one hand and kept her other hand firmly against her leather pack, which held her entire inventory of glass bottles, nether wart, and her prized brewing stand. She was the greatest potioner Sienna Dunes had. Well, she was the only potioner Sienna Dunes had. One day, however, she would be great, but first she needed to practice, and to practice she needed to fill these water bottles without getting caught.

In the middle of the town square stood a sandstone tower with small windows cut all the way to the top, and at the highest point hung a big brass bell to rally the townspeople in case of an emergency. In the bell towers shadow sat the towns only well. Water was scarce and highly valued in the desert, and taking more than your fair share was frowned upon. If people saw Zetta filling her bottles up too often, theyd get suspicious and start poking around in her business. She couldnt let anyone find out she was experimenting with potions. Not yet. Especially not her father.

Zetta watched carefully as all the shop owners in the square began to pack away their outdoor displays. The grocer put away her fruit stand, carefully storing away the melons and berries and exotic apples for the next day. The owner of the slime shop bundled up his slime balls and shoved his display of slime cubes into a chest.

And on the north side of the square, right near the town hall, the bookshop vendor sighed as he flipped through the last few pages of a book, then placed it back onto a lonely bookcase. Apparently, he used to run a whole library, until the people of Sienna Dunes lost their curiosity about the world and got stuck in their ways. Now the old library was a cactus nursery. Like Sienna Dunes needed any more of those.

Finally, the square was nearly clear. Zetta ran over to the well and stood next to it, trying not to seem suspicious and failing badly. Her hands were shaky, and her eyes were darting all over the place. Carefully, she slipped her hand into her pack, pulled out a glass bottle, and uncorked it. Just as she was leaning over to fill the bottle, Zetta heard footsteps clomping in the sand, getting closer. She straightened up and shoved the bottle back into her pack, then looked to see Mayor Maxine walking right toward her.

Another beautiful evening in Sienna Dunes, Mayor Maxine announced to no one in particular. She stood tall and dignified, and she smelled of the kind of delicate flowers that would instantly wilt under the deserts harsh sun.

Very beautiful, Zetta quickly agreed. Im just sitting here, enjoying the breeze. And definitely not trying to steal, er, borrow, um take a little water to make potions in a town that doesnt think too highly of potioners.

And the wall is coming along nicely, if I do say so myself. I appreciate your work in the terracotta mines. Its people like you who keep this town safe. Mayor Maxine looked down at Zetta in the kind of way that said, Why yes, I am the mayor. Thank you for noticing.

Zetta became instantly aware of the orange terracotta dust that covered her brown skin. She felt the grit upon her eyelashes. In her coily black hair. In her socks. She inhaled so much of it during her mining shifts that she wouldnt be surprised if she one day sneezed out an entire terracotta brick.

The wall is impressive, all right, Zetta said through clenched teeth. In truth, she thought the new wall being constructed around the town was an eyesore. But mining terracotta for the mayors pet project had earned Zetta enough emeralds to afford a brewing stand, so she couldnt complain too much.

Keep well, citizen, Mayor Maxine said, and then she was off with a hasty walk that was more like a horses trot.

Zetta breathed a sigh of relief. She turned around and quickly filled her bottle. She didnt even understand what the big deal was. The well never seemed to run low. Once shed helped her grandpa fill ten whole buckets and the water level hadnt even gone down an inch.

Zetta startled when she felt a touch on her shoulder, and she nearly fumbled the glass bottle into the well. She caught it at the last moment, then turned to see her father standing there, barrel-chested and fierce with a strange kind of charm. He was the kind of guy who crowds parted for.

Dad! I Zettas tongue suddenly felt too large in her mouth. She needed an excuse. Something quick, so he wouldnt ask too many questions about the water bottle.

The towns blacksmith had her store set up right across from the well. In the storefront window behind a No Enchantments sign, dozens of weapons and tools were displayed, made from both stone and iron. Zetta knew for a fact there were diamond tools, too, but those were kept locked up safe in the back.