Long chapter coming up. You have been warned.

Tim's POV

We ran through the forest as fast as we could, dodging trees and animals alike. The smoke up ahead was clear to see, and the smell was getting stronger. Everyone else was panting slightly, but I was fine. It comes from being older I guess. I glanced down, and saw tracks.

"Ho Zip! Look at the tracks."

Zip glanced down. "They're mob tracks. Lots of them," she said, still running.

"Do you think they could have something to do with the fire?"

Zip didn't answer, but I knew that we all were thinking that the mob tracks had everything to do with the fire.

Alex, who was leading, rounded the corner. Zip followed. I came around next and almost crashed into them.

"Come on guys what's the big..." Then I saw it.

The village. 

The front gates were hanging off the hinges, the walls were knocked down in places and it was all on fire. I heard Jade and Luke stopping behind me. We stood there for a time, staring into the chaos. Then, as if from a silent signal, we all ran into the village, fearing the worst.

Jade's POV

Luke and I ran next to each other. The others split off to look at their homes and to try and find someone, anyone. As I ran, I tried to not look at the bodies that littered the street. Adults, kids and mobs all lay side by side, wounded and sometimes burning. I tried not to match bodies with names, but I recognised too many of them. Bill the logger, Joseph the butcher, David, Leda my babysitter as well as many others. Ashes were everywhere.

I had a very strong suspicion as to what I would find at my house, but I didn't say it, wishing that I was wrong. But when Luke and I reached home, I saw that I wasn't wrong. Our house was just a shell. I didn't want to walk in, didn't want to risk seeing the bodies of Mum and Dad. Luke gently grabbed my arm.

"Come on Jade."

We walked side by side into what was our house.

Zip's POV

I walked down the road, eyes open and aware. I saw everything, but I pushed my feelings down, focusing on the task at hand, getting home, seeing if there was anyone left. I was worried, terrified even. I started walking faster, then I was jogging and then I was running.

Running up to my house, running through the doorway, running past things that I didn't want to name, running into what was my bedroom, collapsing on the floor and crying. Crying because I knew it was hopeless, I knew that no one in the village had survived, I knew that I was an orphan now.

My fingers clawed at the ashes on the floor. It was gone. Everything I knew was gone, burnt to nothing but ashes, crumbled to nothing but ruins. Everything we knew was gone. I wasn't alone. But what was the point? Why were we still alive? We should have died with our families, the people we loved. It would have been easier. Easier than being alive and seeing them dead.

Tim's POV

I ran along the wall, dodging the bodies of people and mobs. I didn't want to breath, didn't want to disturb the ashes that lay all over the ground. Didn't want to think of Mum, didn't want to think of my sister, what might have happened to them. But each step I took sent ashes into the air, each time I breathed I could smell the smoke, and I kept thinking of my mother and my sister. I could see my house, still standing only because it was made out of cobblestone. 

Maybe it was alright, maybe they were alright, maybe it was all good, maybe everything was going to be fine.

Oh no they're not alright, they're not alright, it was not good.

Because now I could see that the door was burnt to tinder, the window panes were gone, and my sister....

No, not my sister.

She was lying the in doorway, burnt and very much dead. I fell to the ground. My sister, my little sister, burnt, dead. I couldn't help her. I had failed her, failed to be there when she obviously need me most. I remember my last words to her; I'll be back before you know it. You'll be safe here. I promise.

I cried, ashamed.

Alex's POV

I slowly walked the way to the orphanage where I used to live. I wasn't sad about the people who I'd find dead there, no one there was nice to me, let alone friends with me. The only friends that I did have I went hunting with. I walked down the street, past the orphanage that was just a collection of sticks and ash.

But thinking of the people who had died made me think of my parents. The parents who might have been among those dead today if they had not died years ago.

I had to keep moving, to keep the tears away, to stay up and to not fall to the ground. I walked past the park, past the market, past the clock tower, all the way to the wall.

I walked past the ashes, the bodies. The people who had once lived, had once laughed and ran. Now cold, burnt, dead. The wall had been exploded and was crumbling slowly, block by block. The black patches on the ground showed that suicide creepers had caused the damage. They had opened the way to the destruction of these people, these families. Just like they had to my family. Just like they did to my parents.

I couldn't walk any longer. I fell among the ashes, unable to move.

???'s POV

The village was destroyed. I knew that before I even walked through the gate. Fires were still burning and every building was damaged in some way. Everywhere I looked I could see where the mobs had been; spiderwebs draped from the roof of one building to another, a black patch on the ground from a creeper, arrows from skeletons and bites from zombies. Bodies were everywhere.

A movement down a side street drew my eye. Someone was running silently. I turned down the street, catching another glimpse of them heading east. I ran fast, easily keeping up even with my weapons. As I ran, I saw more of the person. I knew that they were white, and that they had an iron sword. And they clicked and clacked as they ran, like bones. 

Zip's POV

I stood up, staggering. There was nothing left for me here. I stumbled out of the door, away from what was my house. Hugging myself, I walked down the street. There was nothing left. Nothing left for me. Not a note, not a sign. I just wanted something, anything. I remembered my dad's red scarf. He always wore it, it was his favourite scarf. It was a lot like the one just to my right, the one tied securely to a rock.

Wait.

My dad's scarf!

I ran to the scarf, hoping for something. I pulled and pushed the rock up and away. Underneath the rock was a neatly folded note. I grabbed it and read.

Dear Zippy

I stopped, tears welling up in my eyes.. Zippy was the nickname my dad gave me. It spoke of love and comfort and safety. The tears ran down my cheeks. I wiped them away and read the rest of the note.

Dear Zippy

If you are reading this, know that I love you very much and I pray that you are well. You have nothing to blame yourself for. No one could have seen this happen, it's no one's fault. 

But Zippy, the mobs are getting stronger. They will take 3 or 4 stabs to the heart before they die. We couldn't stand against them and we couldn't flee. If you are still alive, you need to be careful, and you need to stop the mobs. Something is making them super strong. You need to solve this, for the human race, otherwise we are doomed.

You are ready for this my daughter. Go and get your sword. You are a fully qualified warrior. You can save our race.

I love you.

Daddy.

I wiped my eyes again. Folding the note, I stood up and grabbed Dad's scarf. I won't fail you Daddy. Dad said I was ready, he said that I could have my sword.I ran back to the house and this time I ran into what would have been my Dad's room. There was a trapdoor here. I lifted it up, revealing a small cavity with a covered sword in it. I took of the stone sword that I was wearing. Reaching inside the cavity, I lifted the sword up, uncovered it and put it in my belt. I then walked away from my house, the diamond sword by my side.

Alex's POV

I sat in the ashes, thinking about everything that has been lost. My home, my way of life, my parents. What difference would it have made if they survived that creeper blast years ago only to die here? At least they died peacefully, and not in the panic and pain that this would have caused. I closed my eyes and remembered the last conversation I had with my parents.

"I'm just going to the shops Mum!"

"Okay Alex, don't be too long!"

"Sure Mum."

"Oh Alex?"

"Yeah Dad?"

"Could you see if the bow I hid yesterday is still there?"

"Sure Dad."

My eyes snapped open. The bow! The super special bow my dad had made! The one that was enchanted with Punch II, Flame I and Infinity. I sprinted back through the streets. I remembered where to go. Left, right, right, left, straight, over the bridge, left again. Running until my lungs hurt then running some more. Right, left, right, right, stop. Here. I dug through the ground with my hands until I came to a buried chest. Lifting the lid, I took out the bow and a single arrow. I slung them over my shoulder, then went to find the others.

Luke's POV

Our house was ruined. I pulled Jade along, looking at the burnt walls, the charred floor and the ashes everywhere. 

"It's gone, everything's gone." Jade's voice sounded hopeless.

I didn't know what to say. Everything was gone. Jade pulled his arm out of my grasp and fell to the ground.

"Why are we even here? What are we supposed to do?" Jade started crying

"Hey Jade, look at me! You can't break down now okay? That's not going to help anyone and it's not what Mum and Dad would have wanted! You want to know what we're going to do? We're gonna fight back! We can't let this slide! So are you going to help me or are you just going to sit there crying?!"

Jade looked shocked at my angry tone. I regretted having to do that but it's the only thing to stop him from breaking down. And I was angry at the mobs for doing this. For wreaking my way of life. And for making my big brother cry. Jade wiped his eyes and stood up. 

"You're right Luke. We should fight back."

"Good. Then let's get the swords."

Our Mum and Dad had made iron swords for us when we were old enough. But now we had to use them. Jade and I took down our swords and put them at our side.

"What do we do with our hunting ones?"

I looked at the stone swords that we had for hunting. "Leave them here. We won't be needing them anymore."

Jade and I dropped our old stone swords and with it, we dropped our way of life.

"Let's go and find the others." We both started walking away.

"No wait!" Jade ran back into the house. "Be right back!"

I sighed and waited. Jade came back quickly, like he promised. And he was holding stuff.

"Here Luke. You might want this." Jade held out my favourite jumper. A bright green one with a creeper face on the front and back.

"Thanks Jade. How was it not destroyed?"

"Oh, I locked it inside a chest that I buried in the backyard. Don't ask why I did that." Jade put on his jacket that had a slime face on the back. "And I also locked these inside as well." He held up his favourite headphones. Black ones with a green stripe down the middle. He had the music for them too.

We both continued walking down the street.

Tim's POV

I had failed my sister. Failed my mum. Failed my father. Failed everyone. My father told me to look after and protect mum and my sister. Then he died on a hunting trip. I had done what he had told me to do, I had looked after my family and made sure there was always food on the table. But I couldn't save them. My father had given me an axe to protect them, but I didn't. 

I looked up. I couldn't protect my family, but I can protect my friends. I climbed in my house through the window. Walking up to the back of the house, I pulled down the iron axe that was hanging there. Holding the heavy axe carefully, I walked back to the front of the house but then stopped. I put the axe down and looked for a knife. I then etched a name into the handle of the axe. 

Hanna.

The name of my little sister.

Picking up 'Hanna' again, I walked back out into the village, determined to protect my friends.

Jade's POV

Luke and I walked through the village, iron swords by our sides. We had decided to walk to the main square, figuring that that would be where the others would gather. Sure enough, Zip was already there. She had a new diamond sword at her side and her bow and arrows on her back. She looked up as we approached.

"Hey guys. Nice swords."

"Same thing about yours. Have you seen Alex or Tim?"

"No, but I'm hoping they come soon. I have big news." Zip was very serious.

"Here they come now." Luke pointed down a small street. Tim and Alex were walking up it, side by side. They also had new weapons. Tim had an iron axe and Alex had a... was that an enchanted bow? 

"Dude, sick bow!" Luke exclaimed.

"Thanks Luke. Nice upgrades guys," Alex replied

"I guess some good did come out of this."

???'s POV

I had lost the white figure a little while back. They were heading in this direction though. I peeked around the side of the alley, looking to a square. No one was here. No wait, there was a girl dressed in black with a sword at her side. She walked to the centre of the square and looked around. Not long after, two boys wearing green jumpers came up to her. They started talking with the girl, then two more boys joined them, one with a bow, one with an axe. 

The five of them kept talking, but I was distracted by the white figure. It was hiding in the shadows on the opposite side of the square, it's sword out. I took my sword out too.

Alex's POV

"So what now?" Tim asked.

"My dad left me a note," Zip said, taking out a sheet of paper from inside her jacket and handed it to Tim. 

Tim started reading. "Dear Zippy."

"Woah woah wait. Zippy?" Luke started laughing.

"Shut your mouth Luke."

"I'm sorry, but Zippy?" Luke was really laughing now.

"LUKE SHUT UP RIGHT NOW OR I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT THIS SWORD CAN DO!"

"Okay, okay I'm sorry Zip. It's just... LOOK OUT!"

I turned and saw a white figure speeding towards us. It had it's sword out, ready to kill.I couldn't react fast enough.

Out of nowhere a sword came spinning out and the point took the figure in the neck. The figure fell over but instantly started getting up again. Zip started to draw her sword but before she could, another figure raced out of an alley and sliced the head off the first figure with a diamond sword.

By the time this fully registered, Zip, Luke, Jade and Tim all had their weapons out. I quickly pulled back my bow, ready to release. The person with the diamond sword just looked at us.

"Really?"

She then bent down and picked up her other diamond sword. She put them both in a sheath at her back.

"You have back mounted diamond swords?" I blurted out. Then I blushed. The girl just looked at me.

"Yeah. I find it a lot easier. Are you guys still planning on killing me?"

"Oh uh sorry." We all put away our weapons. I looked down at the beheaded figure. Now that it was still, I could see that it was a skeleton. But what skeleton has an iron sword? The girl looked at me and seemed to guess what I was thinking.

"It's an elite skeleton. They're specially trained, expert fighters. But they have slow reactions."

"Thanks for saving me. My name's Zip. This is Luke, Jade, Alex and Tim." The girl nodded at each of us.

"Nice to meet you guys. My name's Fury." Fury looked at the sun. "It's starting to get late. Come on, you guys can stay at my place. How do you get out of here?"

Zip led the way out of the village. "I take it you don't live in the village?"

"No, I live in the forest. Up in the trees. And we're not going to make it before night comes if we don't go faster."

Fury led the way out of the village, out of our old lives, into a new and slightly frightening future.

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Welcome to the end of that 3024 word chapter with way too many POVs.