It was a Friday when he went missing. It had been growing colder ever since the portal had dimmed. It's usual warm purple radiance now a faint, pulsing glow. The village had become unusually quiet; children no longer played; people no longer left their homes. All that could be heard was the distant growls and silent murmurs that echoed from the portal.

  Steve was an experienced explorer, he was known to randomly disappear and return a few days later with some fancy new discovery. But on Friday he left, and never returned. Days passed, then weeks, and finally one month of Steve being gone. Surely, he’d been taken by the frigid winter, and that’s when the villagers begun to think: “Why is it so cold?”

  The portal had grown cold, along with its fading light. Unlike years prior; snow now gathered on its obsidian frame. Along with something new. As the sunlight rose above the horizon, it illuminated a shimmering, teal item on top of the portal. Villagers left their homes and gathered around to see what it was.

  Suddenly, the quiet town was illuminated with hushed whispers and gasps: it was the diamond chest plate that belonged to Steve…


~~~



  “He’s gone in there and died!” A woman shrieked from the back of the library.

   “He’s in trouble! We should go in!” Another man yelled.

  The town library was filled with arguing adults and half-baked judgments. Each person inside had one of two opinions; rescue, or destroy.

  “Enough!” A wandering trader demanded, stamping his staff on the wooden floor. Immediately the villagers turned to the new man standing in the door, tuning in to his unfamiliar voice.

  “It’s a portal to the Nether. I’ve only seen one once before…” His gruff voice began his tale; “It’s warmth began to fade as well, and it was because on the other side a creature of pure evil had been born. One day the creature escaped, destroying the portal and everything around it. Thankfully it could not survive in our world, but the devastation it caused before it died was…” He began to get quite, his voice breaking. “Horrific.”

There was a silence in the room and the air became heavy as everyone listened intently. They all knew the consequences of this thing now being in the middle of their small town.

“We need to destroy it!!” A man shouted, causing those in agreement to shout as well.

“That won’t stop it!” The wanderer shouted, louder then the hollers of the crowd. “Your missing one must have known this and gone to slay the creature.”

“Why?” A girl asked quietly.

After a somber silence, the gruff man replied, “The thing is a massive black creature with wings… It eats blocks and entities a like, and breaths pure hellfire. If it’s left in that other world it will destroy everything.”

“So?”

“So?! That world is underneath ours! If it’s destroyed so are we!” At his words several people went pail.

“We need to rescue him.” A voice echoed from the back of the room. The crowd turned to see the butchers teenage son.

“What are you doing here?” The butcher asked “I told you to stay home!”

“We have to rescue him Dad! He went in to save us and now he’s in trouble!”

“No. That’s my final answer, its too dangerous-”

“Sir, I encourage you to listen to your son.” The wanderer stepped closer to him, leaving the butcher in shock. The room had begun to murmur at this point.

“But our people-”

“Will be safe.” He said firmly.

“Alright” He finally agreed, “But I want the village to evacuate just in case.” The gruff man nodded at his requirement.

“I’ll lead them to a safe place. Here.” The wanderer tossed a map to the Butcher.


~~~



There they were. A small group of villagers clad in leather and chainmail armor, standing and the magnificent maw of the purple beast. Behind them, their loved ones pilgrimaged, led by the wandering wise man. He looked back and smiled, watching the crowd, iron swords in hand, disappear into the purple light……