Masters of Enchantment

"Look, Davis."

The very next day, Steve showed me the results of his recent research.

On the low obsidian table surrounded by bookcases lay an open book, its pages mottled with obscure symbols. When I approached, the pages began to turn on their own. It was as if the book waited for what I would do next.

"Uh… What is it?"

"An Enchantment table. Look, you put an object here. Such as your sword."

I did as Steve said.

"Now open that bottle that the priest gave you. That way you'll get a better result, I think. Then put your hands here. That will connect you to the magic."

I put my hands on each of the diamond-covered corner of the table.

"Now focus on any line in this book. It's all right if you cannot understand it, the magic will work anyway."

A jolt ran through my body and I pulled away with gasp, feeling a faint tingling sensation in my palms. My diamond sword glowed and gleamed with a pearly sheen. As soon as I picked it up, tiny flames burst around the blade.

"A Fire Aspect! That's lucky." Steve said with surprise. "I just got the common Sharpness. But that's fine. My bow got Infinity."

This time it was my turn for surprise. Now, when Steve shot arrows from his bow, their number would never run out.

I stayed at the enchantment table and played around a little more. The only worthwhile achievement became my boots with Slow Falling to protect me from fall damage. The rest of the enchantments proved unimportant. The armor would protect a little better against arrows and the pickax would break up stone faster. Still, I liked the feeling. I was like a powerful spell caster, who could change the very essence of things!

"The more you try to enchant, the weaker the effect." Steve explained. "We might have to go back and see if we can trade for some more of those potions. Oh! And I didn't show you the most important thing, yet! Let's go."

We went to the back yard, where a strange obsidian structure now towered, with posts and crossbeams forming a rectangular frame where a person could easily step through.

"I've learned how to build portals to the Nether." Steve said, looking up at the structure. "I've read that in the past people used these portals to travel across great distances."

"The Nether?? Isn't that… the Underworld?" I verified.

"Yup, exactly. Are you scared?" Steve teased.

"Not a bit!" I declared. "But do we really have to go there?"

"Of course! Where else could we get some useful ingredients? We will need them to become stronger. Or did you forget that we still have to fight Herobrine?"

With these determined words, Steve took out a lighter and brought it close to the lower frame of the portal to make a spark.

A purple glow stretched across the space between the obsidian blocks, gleaming like a soap bubble.

Cautiously, I stepped toward the portal and touched the lit space with my hand. My fingers passed through the film without encountering any resistance. It was impossible to see what waited for us on the other side. Faintly, thought, my ears caught distant heart-freezing groans, strange wheezing, and other scary sounds.

Steve looked at me and grinned.

"... On to more adventure!" With a brash look, Steve boldly stepped through the frame, startling me as his hand grabbed me and pulled me along with him.

Darkness blotted out my vision and dizziness hit.

"The road to the Nether is paved with good intentions." A vague saying popped to my mind and then the Nether swallowed us.

…

"…Gone!"

"Slipped into the neighboring world."

"When did they become so strong?"

"Not important."

"Their path runs through the Underworld. What if they die before?... Perhaps it is worth following them through the portal?"

"No. There is no need to hurry."

"They survived the siege by the living dead. That means that they will survive even the Nether. Sooner or later they will return."

"And then..."