Chapter Text
Steve ruffled the fur on his wolf's head and scratched behind his ears. "I'll be back soon, Rufus," he spoke to his pet. "I'm heading out to mine now. Guard the house while I'm gone, 'kay buddy?" It made Steve feel bad to leave his pets at home for his more dangerous adventures. But for long mining trips like this, he knew it was for the best, after what he had witnessed happen to his cat near a lava stream. He grabbed his tools off the lid of the chest, all iron except for his diamond pickaxe, then proceeded out the door. Today I will not return until I find more diamonds, he thought to himself.
Steve walked along the edge of a mixed forest, for quite a distance in hopes to find a new cave. The hot afternoon spring air filled his lungs as he breathed. Today the grass and the flowers seemed to stand still. The trees were like statues. Steve didn't think much of it until he heard a soft rustling in the forestry. Must be an animal or the wind, he thought. But there was no wind today. The rustling, although barely noticeable, continued to follow Steve as he walked. Was he being watched? He began to become anxious. Maybe it was just his imagination. Such a great idea to head out mining while going crazy right?
After a while, in the distance could be seen a huge ravine which crossed a winding river. Steve ran towards the edge and peered over. Near the bottom he spotted some oak planks, fences, and rails. It couldn't be... a mineshaft?! Steve's mood changed completely as he safely rode down the water streams.
...
Several long hours passed as Steve grew more exhausted. Mobs were thankfully rare up to this point, but no diamonds were found yet. All the loot chests were overflowing with more rails, coal and beetroot seeds. Steve was still determined but it was getting late. Lapis and redstone were abundant, which he had no care for at the moment.
Finally, at last, Steve fulfilled his duty. He discovered a chest, deep down in the depths of the cave, that contained 6 of the shiny blue stones as well as other goodies. He was too tired to display any emotional response but he was satisfied, even if it was only a small amount. He was also too tired to notice the hissing sounds coming from a cave spider spawner a few dozen blocks away, until one spider jumped on his back while he was rummaging through the chest's inventory.
"Gaahhh!!!" He yelped as he danced around like a bat, doing everything he could in a desperate panic to get the spider off. It managed to bite him on his right shoulder before being sliced about by Steve's iron sword. He leaned against the stone wall, wincing every time the sharp pain radiated through his arm. The poisonous venom made him feel weaker every second. Steve turned his head towards the spawner and saw many more tiny spiders coming for him. Gathering his senses, he grabbed all his tools and valuables before doing his best to sprint away, not in the mood for a fight.
"Shit, shit, shit..." Steve muttered to himself as he attempted to escape the labyrinth. Mobs seemed to emerge from the shadows much more than before. The mineshaft was so extensive, and he had spent what felt like days in there trying to find diamonds. Were they always this hard to obtain? He definitely didn't have the energy or time to mine his way out, and all of his gear was up to its full usage. Follow torches on the left, he repeated in his head, hoping it would lead him to open air. Then he realized the entrance he came in was from the side of a ravine, so he would have to find a new opening. The poison continued to seep through his bloodstream.
"I can't die like this!" he cried. He was only getting more and more exhausted, and the spider bite only got worse. How much longer could he continue like this? There had never been this many monsters around Steve. Zombie groans were left and right. He didn't want to look back to see if more spiders were following him. Finally, in the distance was a ray of light entering the cave! He dragged himself to see the opening, but the moon shone disappointingly among the black sky. Of course it had to be nighttime! But he had no other option. He mustered up all his remaining energy to climb up the steep entrance, every two blocks moving forwards falling back one.
He was past halfway when a new sharp and excruciating pain came from his ankle, and Steve looked, to his horror at an arrow lodged there. He felt the blood trickle down his foot. His grunts became shallower. He was so close to the surface! Yet, his head was pounding and vision was beginning to fade. With one last push of strength, he hauled himself over the edge and rolled a few feet.
Steve felt dizzy as he struggled to get upright. Now he was at the surface, in the middle of a large plains biome, but in severe pain and completely drained. Not to mention he had no idea where he was. Then he let out his last cry in terror as a creeper hissed from behind him and blew up, throwing Steve forwards, and having him tumbling on the terrain until he lay sprawled on his back, his armor now surrounding him in pieces. Small pools of his own blood formed.
So this is really how I do die.
His breathing began to slow and his blinks were held longer each time. He remembered his wolf waiting for him at home. The moon shone high above to his upper right. The grass felt cool wrapping gently around his body. Quiet footsteps approached the area slowly as Steve lost his consciousness, before everything faded to black.