Day 73: The great journey begins...

     I was ready! I had everything I needed packed, without taking too much. I had the tent and sleeping bag, a compass, the map and the note THEROS sent yesterday, I had the stone - obviously - my bow and quiver full of arrows, and also a load of provisions, along with some milk I managed to put into a glass bottle with a wooden stopper! I also had some new armour! Well, it didn't look like armour as such, just a simple leather overall which covered all parts of the body except for the head. Under specific regions of the leather were reinforced sheets of iron as added protection. The irons sheets were thin but strong and lightweight, and provided protection to the front of the arms, legs, chest and back. I could essentially take an arrow to the chest with this armour, and the best bit is it doesn't hamper my movement at all, even with the fully-laden bag on my back! I said my goodbyes to Chiron, before extinguishing the torches and securing the door. I didn't want Chiron to go missing again, especially after he's only just got over his paw. I think it may have just been a sprain, but still...

     I set off West towards the stone beach, and off on the beginning of my arduous journey. It would take maybe two days to get there, and another two back, but I was willing to do anything to take revenge on HoN Co.! I had got to know the area around me quite well in the past few weeks, and I had got to the point where I knew where I was going based on the compass and landmarks alone! I had established a series of mental checkpoints in my head, which allowed me to judge whether I was progressing ahead or behind schedule. The stone beach was the first, followed by the large cliffs I would have to pass where I would have to travel North. Then the large waterfall to the West would be the point where I continue travelling West again, following the coastline. From there, the next checkpoint was the crossing point to a landmass further to the North East. I continued West until I saw the familiar grey stone exposed next to the water's edge. The stone beach! I was making excellent time!

     The seething hatred for HoN Co. was only just held at bay by the thought of their faces when learning about the destruction of two more of their precious portals! After that, I would work with THEROS, hopefully as a member of L7 to destroy the remaining portals, and bring down HoN Co.! I tried to distract myself with the scenery; with the path I had chosen practically skimming the edge of the coast the entire way, it made for stunning views, and soothing ambient sounds. The sound of rushing water alone was enough to wash away my anger, but I still felt the same inside; HoN Co. were going down! After about two hours, I had reached the small forest area to the East of the large cliffs. It had taken a little longer than expected; maybe I had taken in too much of the surroundings! Setting my mind into the right frame, I continued on from the far South side of the cliff, it lying parallel to my path all the way North. It had only been a few weeks since I was up there scanning the surroundings, trying to find Jonas' house! A LOT had happened since then, most of which I regretted or didn't want to think about. I had lost my home and practically become a fugitive, living in secret, away from the guards of the so called "company" I worked for! A lot was messed up with life, but there was no changing the past... Merely attempting to foresee the future!

     After another two hours, I had made it to the far Northern end of the cliff, and had emerged beside the huge waterfall I had found the first time I had come this way! It was beautiful how all of the water that had pooled around below and ran into the sea had come gushing from a small hole up near the top of the cliff! Trying not to get too distracted, I continued at a slant, heading more or less North West as though I were going towards the island with the portal. This took me past the large pool I had passed before many times, but also around an area I hadn't been around in a long time. Not wanting to get lost, I literally stayed within a few metres distance from the edge of the water, ensuring I followed the curve of the land to take me to where I wanted to go. As a result, I could easily go across to the other landmass by crossing the thing little divide without ever having to consult the map! That is if I didn't become distracted or come under attack and lose my position! I thought this to be very unlikely, and staying on the edge ensured that any landmarks I could see were easily identified if I needed to consult the map. As I made my way in this direction, I noticed a few small islands in the middle of the sea, which, after taking out my map, I noticed that they correlated with the detail! Whoever drew this map did so with a great degree of accuracy. It had served me very well, but the only problem was it was a bit small. Sometimes it lacked detail when I needed it. Putting the map back after confirming the location, I continued in the North Westerly direction for about three hours. I wanted to see if I could get through the entire walk without needing to stop... It was going to be a challenge, but it meant less walking for tomorrow!

     I was about a third of the way when I decided to have a snack. I had reached the end of the trek towards the North West, and had resumed the Northern route for a while. It was going to be a straight run North from now on until I needed to cross to the other landmass. It had already passed midday, and I was very happy with my current progress. I continued walking as I snacked on bread and milk. I had attempted to cool the milk by keeping it in the bottles submerged in water overnight, but it had warmed up again whilst in the bag. However the milk still tasted fresh, and was very sweet. The bread gave me the energy to continue without needing to stop, and the ten minutes or so it took me to eat and drink it took my mind from the arduous journey. After that, it was back to the letting my mind wander! The note that THEROS had sent me had answered the questions I asked, but as always, it had opened up new points of interest. Who were the other five members of L7? What did they do? Did they specialise in something? How did they always find me? Millions more, but they'll probably be answered in the coming days when hopefully I can join them. I had to remove all contact with the previous life I had, and live with them, working and fighting against HoN Co. ... To be honest I couldn't think of anything better! I had become lonely recently, and taking revenge was going to be ever so sweet! They may not have wronged me directly, but now I know they placed that cage near the portal to attract Creepers from it to kill me. I take that very personally!

     Another three hours and I had finished the journey travelling North. Up ahead, I could see the small crossing that was linked on the map. It was a small cluster of trees on both sides, linked together with a thin patch of sand extending the length of the gap. This would be very easy to cross, and it was unlikely anyone would see me. Except... I began to wonder if someone from the L7 was watching me now... I wouldn't know about it, and they could be tracking my every move! I suppose that would be the way to prove I had destroyed the portals. However, if they could track me... Could the guards, or the figure...? I cast it from my mind, trying to think about positive things. I began to think about the wealth of information I would be allowed to access if I was allowed to enter into the L7! From the way THEROS stated, it sounded as though they knew everything that needed to be known, and would most likely have equipment that I could only dream of making! I was happy with my compass, and the very basic piston-gate mechanism... Not that that mattered anymore... Chances are, I was never likely to see that place again! I had put so much time, effort and resources into that place... But even if I could go back, I would only feel like burning it down... It was tainted to me... It could never be the same again, and going back would only make me do something I would later regret. I would get to the location of a previous portal, travel through the tunnel, destroy the remaining portals in the temple and return to Jonas' house and wait for further instructions. From then on, I would have to forget about the life of Syeonyx... I would be someone else entirely!

     It's started to get dark, and I've made about a further two hours worth of progress since the small link between landmasses. I've more or less kept following the coast the entire time. However this puts pay to the idea of rowing back! There was no way to cross the beach link to get from one body of water to another! Unless I either dug out a small channel, or carried the boat over the gap! I would come to that hurdle as and when it is necessary. For the moment, I am settling down for the night. I have stopped a little early to give me ample time with natural light to put up the tent. Previous attempts haven't been particularly fast, but there was always a first time.

     I'm shacked up in my tent, and I'm just waiting for the tiring exercise to catch up on me to send me to sleep! I've walked practically non stop throughout the entire day, and yet I feel incredibly awake despite this! Looking back at the map, I estimated that I had travelled probably over halfway! The last bit was going to take a bit of time, and was considerably more boring than today. Last time it had taken about four hours to get through the long tunnel to the dirt hovel. However this time I would need to be more cautious about guards hanging around. They may have a feeling - or already know - that I'm heading back there to destroy the remaining portals, and HoN Co. may have placed guards to protect them! I would have to psyche myself up if I was going to have to kill someone, and if it was possible I would settle with injuring them. The death of a person would be too much for my consciousness, unless I knew it was the only option to me... I'm hoping that the L7 can teach me to respond better to violence, as I can see it being used heavily in the future! Looking again at the map, I also noticed a small gap between the landmass I was on now, and the one I needed to be on... This would mean going for a little swim if I wanted to stay on the map! I was hoping I could wade most of the way, but I am prepared to swim the distance. Tomorrow sounded like it was going to be considerably more eventful... and tiring! Especially if I was going to row back! I was going to need my sleep!

Syeonyx signing off

Day 72: HoN Co. will fall!

     I received a note from THEROS to day... Easily the longest note, which meant they answered my questions, at least they answered most of them. I wasn't surprised that the current circumstances haven't changed, and they are still expecting me to destroy the two portals to the far North West. With me possessing the only known stone to destroy them, I am the only one capable of doing it. When i woke up, earlier than yesterday, I found THEROS' wolf outside the door with the note. I was a bit surprised to see the wolf still sitting there looking up at me after I took the note, and I suddenly realised why. Going into the chest, I took out a piece of meat, unwrapped it and placed it on the ground. The wolf barked happily, picked up the meat and trotted off, and around the corner of the wall. Even before unraveling it, I could tell it was longer than all the others because it actually went onto two pages! Removing the strong tie, I began reading the note.

Syeonyx      I can sympathise with your situation as I have been in a similar one myself. I will try to answer the questions you have asked of me with the necessary amount of detail, however some cannot be answered because of the severity of the situation. If you have indeed recently escaped the cell then the guards you speak of my attempt to intercept this communication. Any form of identifying where we are could put us both in danger. I cannot answer the first question as it would be dangerous for both of us, however you will already know of me from before.      Before I go any further, you must realise that, no matter how implausible it seems, HoN Co. is the main threat here! Their true intent for placing miners in random quadrants has an underlying purpose, that which I can merely speculate upon. However I believe my theory is accurate, and if it is true, then we must destroy each and every portal we find!      The ship that appeared on the shore outside your wall was a standard HoN Co. vessel. I can't say for sure, but I can almost guarantee it wasn't carrying and investigative team! The ship did not crash accidentally, it was staged! The crew that appeared to go missing set up the camp you found to the South of the ship, and were also searching for a portal. The diary found belonging to someone called "Amie" was a fake, a plant to put you off. The crew staged the crash after plotting an autopilot course for the navigation controls, and jumping ship. They then set up camp in hopes that they would find the portal and secure it before you began to piece together what happened. Instead this is the first you are hearing of it being faked. However, seeing the light of the campfire was a lucky break for you and me! We forced them to retreat, leaving the portal still hidden, only to be found and destroyed by you.      L7 - or Lone 7 - is the name given to a group of rebel miners who have seen past the web of lies HoN Co. has spun, and have cut all ties to them and the outside world. The name is given because obviously there are 7 of us, and we work alone to try to stop HoN Co. Jonas was one of the members, but as you probably already know, he became another a helpless victim of HoN Co. ... We don't know who the figure is. It believed that they came from the Nether into our world through the portals. Some say they are aren't human, and that there are more than one! But most believe them to be simply an illusive figure that works within the higher echelons of HoN Co. ... This would certainly make more sense...      The "S stone" is actually called the Solus stone, and only by the members of L7. It is derived from Latin meaning "the only" or "alone"... For a stone that rarely occurs naturally in Minecraftia, it is an apt name for it. Only the L7 know it as the Solus stone. HoN Co. will most likely refer to it as a portal stone, or simply a stone. In any case, it possess's the ability to destroy unstable portals activated through the means of heat rather than electrostatic discharge, i.e. lightning! These are the most common portals, and because they cannot be destroyed manually once a relationship is established between the stone of the portal and the rift, it makes it a very valuable asset in the war against evil. If it is destroyed or lost, we will be unable to prevent the spread of evil. We believe that the portals are a way of allowing creatures to access Minecraftia from the Nether; obviously the more portals, the more creatures. We also believe these creatures to be under the control of HoN Co., or the figure at least. HoN Co. was the first to find a portal, at least, one of HoN Co.'s miners were. Little is known about the first contact with this portal, but we believe that something corrupted HoN Co. from that day on. An investigative team entered through the active portal into the Nether, but were said to never return. We believe they returned with something of value that HoN Co. wishes to possess in great quantities, but why there is a need for so many portals, we do not know. This is the reason HoN Co. told you to ignore the portal. They feared that you would enter into the Nether, find an artifact or resource that you would later reveal to the public. Whatever they are up to, they are trying very hard to keep it secret.      We do not know what is contained within the Nether. Some believe it to be a portal to a parallel universe where it contains much the same as our universe. However the majority fear that, as HoN Co. has a huge interest in it, whatever it is cannot be good. It could be a weapon, or a sentient life form, anything! The L7 have often debated the possibility of entering a portal into the Nether to explore and understand the danger. But every time the vote has been overridden. I cannot give you any more information with this form of communication about L7. I believe it is necessary for us to meet at some point, providing you can prove you are trustworthy, and destroy the last two portals. Once this has been achieved, I cannot see any reason why a meeting of the L7 would not be a bad idea. We need to strike a major covert offensive against HoN Co. and the figure, and due to the current circumstances, that must be soon!      We actually know very little about Creepers. One of the L7 is currently studying them in the hopes they can provide us with more information about HoN Co. and what they are up to. As you read in the diary, we experienced a massive change in behaviour of the Creepers after the appearance of the figure. By this time we had already formed as the L7 and have begun to wonder if this figure is HoN Co.'s attempt of getting rid of us! As for Creepers being afraid of the stone, we cannot understand this. We have never experienced this before. Then again it has never occurred to us to present the stone to an approaching Creeper! If we meet up, we will need to test this out with one of the 7. The cages you mentioned are one of the foulest parts of HoN Co.'s plan! After considerable monitoring, we believe these cages are a form of lure. It possesses the ability to draw the creatures from the Nether through the portals to them. Something about them is particularly enticing to Creepers, and we have often found numerous Creepers huddled around one cage for no particular reason. We do not know if this is to protect them or if it is like a Creeper-form of catnip! All jokes aside, wherever there is a cage, there is likely to be a portal!      As for why you have been chosen is simple. From the start, you showed some form of reluctance to cooperate with Hon Co., and that's a start! It is how most of us within the L7 began. With the loss of Jonas, our group is not up to full strength, and we have been in search of a worthy replacement. With your unquestioning obedience, you have already proven yourself to be worthy of the L7! If you are successful in your final task, we hope to meet together for the first time in years, and incorporate you into our group. You will be given a new name for the sake of your identity, and you will need to cut all ties to your current existence. Hopefully you will simply "disappear" from HoN Co.'s point of view... Once you become one of the L7, you will be allowed access to all the information we know about Minecraftia, HoN Co., the Nether, portals and Creepers! Destroying the last two known portals is more than a worthy test, and if completed, we will provide you with the means to find us.      I hope this has been enlightening. I am putting a lot of lives at stake here, and I hope you are sensible enough to make the right decision. We cannot sway you to take our path, but all you need to know is that HoN Co. was never to be trusted. The fact that you survived this long after your initial contact with a portal is testament to your luck! So I say again: GO BACK TO THE LAST REMAINING PORTALS, DESTROY THEM, AND RETURN TO THE HOUSE OF JONAS McELDERRY! THEN AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FROM US. WE WILL KNOW WHETHER THEY ARE GONE OR NOT. OUR "SCOUT" IS VERY, VERY GOOD! THEROS

     After reading this, I was stuck for words... HoN Co. had been at the root of this from the very beginning! The ship, the figure, the cages and the portals... They had been a part of it all... Was that the real purpose of a HoN Co.-trained miner then? To find portals and then to be "removed" from service? What could be contained within the Nether to make a company do this to their own employees!?!?! I mean, for God's sake they gave every miner 7 years of training! Was it worth that much to the that they rigorously trained everyone to the peak of excellence and then snubbed them out when their use ran out? I don't know what to think... I need some time to process this...

     I've decided... HoN Co. will fall! I am allying myself with THEROS, and L7 in order to stop HoN Co. from completing their plan. I will travel to the North West and destroy the two portals in the temple and then I will return to Jonas' house. I will then wait for further instructions from THEROS, and meet at the arranged place. I have no idea what this entails, but I am willing to do anything to take revenge on HoN Co. for everyone who has suffered at their hands! I will set off tomorrow, and I am going to spend the rest of the day making a light weight armoured suit! Not a full blown set of armour, but pieces of sheet iron beneath a leather overall. It is extreme, but I will stand a greater chance of survival if I get attacked! I won't have any time to put anything into the diary except for these notes. I hope to be close to the portal site by tomorrow before having to set up camp. I know it will take a few days to get there and back, but it will be worth it.

HoN Co. will fall!

Syeonyx signing off

Day 71: The cow, the wheat and the dye!

     I woke up late this morning. That little "nap" I had yesterday afternoon didn't seem to help at all! But the rest will always do me good, especially if I'm supposedly going back out again. Chances are it'll take a few days to get a response from THEROS, so I need to prepare for what I assume will be an extended note with the emphasis on "go back and destroy them!"... I don't mind so much, so long as I get some answers to the questions I asked.

     I started off the day by repeating what I did yesterday. Taking a bucket out, I went into the pen, to be greeted by the cow! It actually walked up to me and nuzzled my arm! I'm really surprised how it's taken to me... Maybe I just have a way with animals. After five minutes, I had a bucket full of milk, and I went to take it inside. Before I did, I placed it to one side of the door and went back inside the pen. The bucket of water was empty already, so I went down to the freshwater pool and refilled it. Putting back in the same place, the cow came up to me and began drinking as I left. I really need a name for her rather than "cow"... Going back to the door, I picked up the bucket of milk and went inside. Like before, I poured a small bowl out and drank it, before repeating this and giving it to Chiron. He seemed to love it, and I wasn't complaining either! It was a great change from boring water, and a whole lot better for you too. As I put a cloth over the milk and placed it in the corner, I looked out of the West window to see a perfect row of fully grown wheat! Brilliant! That was my next job. Might make some bread while I'm at it as well.

     Half an hour later and I had ten sheaves of wheat! Carrying it all back to my house, I placed it into the chest, leaving a few pieces of wheat out. I was going to spend another hour or so making some bread. I always loved the smell of freshly baked bread, and it would certainly cover up the smell of damp and mold that was currently infesting this house! I crushed the wheat to make flour, and then added water and some salt left over from evaporating seawater and began kneading. After a few minutes, I placed it into the stove and went down and decided to go down into the library. I know I had seen a book somewhere that had some good recipes involving milk, and even if I couldn't find them, there was bound to be something of interest down there. After twenty minutes, I returned to the house with a book. It wasn't the book I was intending to find, but it was interesting nonetheless. It was all about engines, and how they worked. I had picked it up out of interest, mainly as a result of the giant hunk of iron stranded against my wall! I was wondering if it was possible to get the engine back up and running, and maybe use it as a mobile base. I had more or less come to the conclusion that I was never going to see the house again. All that work, all that effort. Admittedly very little in the way of mining had been achieved, but maybe if I could get the ship working, I could go off to a totally new area and never be in contact with anyone ever again! Then again I couldn't see THEROS allowing that... As I got closer to the top of the ladder, the smell of fresh bread began to waft down, and all thoughts about HoN Co., the house and THEROS disappeared! It would nearly be ready and I was starving!

     The bread is delicious! As usual... I never thought of myself as a good cook, but with nothing to compare it to, I suppose it wasn't that bad. I had a few slices, and then I got an idea. It was something that had occurred to me about a week or so ago. I had seen wildflowers everywhere, and I was wondering if it was possible extract a dye from them to dye cloth. I only had white cloth from the wool, and a few pieces of black from the black sheep. But it would be nice to have different colours, especially with some of the wildflowers being a deep red and sunny yellow! Going just outside of the house, I went down the side, and within a few steps I had already found the two colours I was after!

     After dusting off the stones I used to crush the wheat, I took a bowl and began to pulp the flowers into the bowl, after that, I took a little water from the channel of the farm, and added it to the bowl. After a little while, and after a few move flowers, the water mixture turned into a paste. It certainly looked like dye, but I think I would need to water it down for it to go further. Taking a small amount of the dye, and adding it to another bowl, I added a lot more water to it and then placed a small piece of cloth into it as a test. After thoroughly coating it in the red colouring, I wrung it out and let it dry. After about half an hour, I decided to test it by bathing the piece of cloth in the water. I didn't have high hopes for this, and expected the cloth to lose it's colour. It didn't... After a few minutes of swilling it around, the colour was maintained! Had this worked? I decided to perform a more accurate test, and took a small bowl of water, which I then heated to boiling point. I then repeated the procedure, and to my delight, the colour remained! I had successfully dyed a piece of cloth red and it had remained red through rigorous testing! I was very happy about this! Probably too happy... I was now wondering what other sources of colouring could be used... There were the yellow and red flowers, which presumably could be mixed to make orange... Maybe there were other wildflowers in different colours. Cacti! Maybe crushing cacti would create green dye! It was worth a try... But the only cactus I knew of was near the house... Not likely to be going there any time soon...

     Needless to say, I spent the rest of the morning, and into mid afternoon messing around with dyes! In the end, I had a huge series of large cloths dyed red and yellow, and I was in the middle of making orange! I was curious as to how that would work as the chemicals in the red dye might be incompatible with the chemicals in the yellow dye... Like oil and water... Only one way to find out I suppose...

     After finally acquiring an orange block - and being strangely ecstatic about it - I decided to put away the "art kit" and establish some more serious matters. For one thing, I almost knew indefinitely that THEROS would ask me to return to the temple to destroy the last two portals that I knew of. That meant trying to figure out a path. Looking at the map, there were numerous ways i could approach it, the fastest obviously being to make another boat and row straight across. But this put me in a vulnerable spot because: A) I would be a sitting duck in a boat in the middle of a body of water, and B) There is no way I would get a boat to the water from where I was! I could do what I did last time and make it near the shore, however I had a plan to get mine back! It was probably still down by the beach area to the South of that little area where a hidden portal had been. Later, it turned out to expose a hidden entrance with a tunnel that took me to the place that started all of this off! I would probably have to stick close to the coastline almost all the time to ensure I knew my bearings, and to reduce the chances of being caught. I had to assume, for safety's sake, that the guards were still searching for me... Looking at the map, there was only one path I could realistically take which was long and arduous, but reasonably safe. It would put me onto the landmass where the hidden portal was, and then hopefully I could take the tunnel all the way to the dirt hovel. This journey would take a few days to get there, but destroying the portals would take less than an hour. It would be best to destroy one portal, and then stand guard whilst it recharged, then destroy the last and run off back down the tunnel! Once back out the other end, go back to the beach and retrieve my boat, where I then take a short rowing trip back to the closest edge to the house, which was probably the stone beach. There! I think I was set!

     I think today was rather productive; I milked the cow - which I've decided to call "Bessie" after the initial thought of "Hamburger" being a little evil - I harvested the wheat, made some bread and dyed some cloth. Then to top it off, I sorted out the game plan for the next few days worth of walking which I can almost guarantee I'll be doing... Oh well, I suppose I just need to get rested up, prepare the essentials, and maybe try a bit of target practice...

Syeonyx signing off

Now I wait... again...

     Before rushing out to get the note, I decided to try something which was highly unlikely to work. Going into the chest, I took out a piece of meat and unwrapped it. I then placed it on the floor outside near the doorstep, and waited... I watched the other wolf as it watched me; he saw me place the meat down, and he definitely seemed interested in it... As I backed off, he began panting, and when I was back in the doorway, he bent down, picked the note up and trotted over to the door. Looking expectantly at me, he dropped the note and began eating it! Wow! Had that really just worked? I wasn't going to do anything to it, but the trust it put in me was bizarre! That was the first stage down with... Was it likely to allow me to give it a message for THEROS? Suppose I would find out. I left the doorway, watching the wolf the entire time, and stooped to pick up the note. The wolf kept eating whilst I unraveled the note and looked at it. Pretty much as I expected... They didn't seem to know what danger I was in... or cared...

     "You must return to the temple underneath the hidden house and destroy the two remaining portals. This will strike a heavy blow against our enemy!

     THEROS"

     I had a feeling this note to THEROS was going to inform them greatly as to my current circumstances, and what has happened recently. They're acting as though I have been doing nothing! Escaping the cell of a random prison in the middle of nowhere guarded by who knows and run probably by the figure! Or HoN Co.... I went back inside and retrieved the note, which I rolled up and tied a loose piece of string around. Going back outside, the wolf was still eating happily, so I waited. When it was finished, I showed the note to it. Oddly enough, instead of doing something expected like growling at me, or cocking its head to one side in a confused manner, it snatched the note from my hand and ran off! Was that it? Was it guaranteed that THEROS would get that? Or would the wolf bury it or purposely lose it along the way... I assumed it would take it to THEROS, and then it would be a case of waiting. Well, having said that I still had to wait for a reply. I was terrible at waiting, especially when I was expecting something to arrive... I wouldn't know what else to do. It could be later on today, it could be tomorrow, or some day this week. It might be weeks! I doubted it, now knowing the wolf knew my location, and seemed to be extremely fast when travelling. I suppose I would have to find something... Maybe the cow was ready to milk... Or was that a bad idea...?

     Satisfied that the note had said all that was necessary, I went into the chest and took out a bucket. The next hour or so was going to be "entertaining"... For someone at least. As went outside, I noticed the cow was still there, doing the usual cow things that cows do... Presumably... It didn't flinch, or even seem to care when I entered through the door and stood there watching it. I approached it, but it never displayed any sign to tell me to stop. It just stood there chewing, watching me approach...

     As I got closer, the cow became more intrigued than scared; it began to approach me. When I was a few feet away, it stopped and we stood there staring at each other for a few minutes. I had a bad feeling that something was going to go badly wrong, and for a moment I was going to pull out. My mind was on other things at the time, but even then I knew this could prove very painful! I closed the small gap between us, and extended a hand to touch it. It backed off slightly, but then came and nuzzled my hand. Was this good? I tried to reassure it, and I know this sounds weird, but I think I managed it. Eventually, I plucked up the courage and bent down, placing the bucket on the floor. The next five minutes was surprisingly peaceful and uneventful. The cow let me milk her! The entire time! There was no sign of distress at any point... Feeling rather pleased with myself, I patted the cow, and walked out of the pen. Brilliant! That went... brilliantly! I went back inside and looked into the bucket; it was nearly full of frothy thick milk. Taking a bowl from the chest I had used for soup, I scooped some up and drank it. It tasted so good!!! It was possibly the sweetest thing I had ever tasted! This was delicious! There was so much more I could do now that I had milk, and access to more as and when I needed it. For the moment, I was content with just drinking it, however. After finishing the bowl, I refilled it and placed it on the floor for Chiron. Sniffing it cautiously at first, he then began lapping it up vigorously. It's not just me then...

     I've noticed that recently the weather has been much different to what I expected. It has rained for a while and it's been getting warmer and warmer. The air is really humid, and I've been sweating just by sitting in the house. I had an idea to cool down, and it turns out to be very effective! I decided to go down into the small room that was hidden by a lever from the main library. I had noticed it was very cool in there, despite the proximity to a lava channel! I spent the rest of the day down there, reading different books, drinking milk and generally trying to keep cool. I've read quite a few books, well... I say "read" but I've flicked through them reading the interesting bits... I think I've learnt a few techniques in fishing, which means I'll probably need to make another fishing rod, with the other back at the house. My old one is still back at the house! I've read a bit about calligraphy and the psychology behind it. It's very fascinating! And it's a great way to distract myself from the current situation. I might move my bed down here, or just sleep here instead! I was right though, it was refreshingly cool down here! I even managed to bring Chiron down here and he seems to love it! I would have thought he would try to go to sleep, but he's playing games with the pressure plates and the hidden door! He'll run towards it and then stop, watch the doors opens, bark a few times and then run to the other side, where he then proceeds to repeat the process! I'm glad he's enjoying himself, because I have a feeling that I'm going to go travelling again, and I'll have to leave him behind for safety's sake. Or I could bring him with me... Provided I can find a way to keep him under control... He's bound to give me away!

     I fell asleep... For the first time in my life I fell asleep in the afternoon! I feel so old now! Admittedly so has Chiron... In fact he's still asleep! I was hoping I wouldn't do this for years to come... Then again, I've been put through a lot of stress recently, and I am really tired. Not to mention the total attempt at sleeping last night! It's finally all caught up with me... Well I just hope that THEROS takes a few days with their reply. I don't think I'm physically ready for any more travelling just yet...

Syeonyx signing off

Day 70: Deep down, I kind of already knew...

     Sleep... Who needs sleep... I didn't sleep at all last night. In fact, I didn't even try! I spent the entire night reading through the diary I found in the hidden room of the library... It answers a lot of questions... But as always, millions of windows are opened whenever I close a door! Almost all of the questions that I can think of are related to HoN Co. and what Jonas has written about them... Is it true? It made sense in relation to my current situation. A whole load of guards after me because of a stone... They were way too organised to be under the control of the figure... Surely...? And this stone I have...? I assume this is the "S stone" he referred to? It must be; the S stone was used to destroy portals! I'm so confused!!!

     Right! I need to get this straight! These people... The L7... They are a bunch of miners, presumably, who are banding together to stop "them". They don't actually so who "them" are, but I can assume it must be the HoN Co. guards... If that's what they are. They have stumbled upon a plot involving the portals which will release a "maelstrom of evil and corruption..."! What does that mean? The L7 are using the "S stone", now in my possession, to destroy the portals and stop the plot. Hang on a minute... That means THEROS is part of the L7! So he DOES know what is going on! He's been holding information from me! I still don't even know what the portals are used for!!! Something about another dimension... But why destroy them? What "evil" is being referred to? And how does this tie in with HoN Co.? I know they supposedly found the first portal... Could that be it? Could that be the link? What did they find in the other dimension...? This "Nether"? Anyway... The L7 kept in contact about portal updates, and the S stone was passed around to who ever needed it. When there were no portals to destroy, it was kept safe in a hidden room, like the one under Jonas' house. Jonas was the last person to store it, hence finding it in the chest in the library weeks ago! There were still unanswered questions though... Like, why had Jonas found a portal, but not destroyed it? Had he discovered it, but had no opportunity to destroy it with HoN Co. sniffing around? The diary seems to show pretty rapid action after the S stone got back to him. Other minor questions buzzed around like "what did 'L7' stand for?" and "What does the 'S' stand for in S stone?". I needed answers! I was being fed small amounts of information and expected to understand the whole picture! Well no more! The next time THEROS contacts me, I'm going to send a note back! Whether his wolf likes it or not!

     I couldn't do anything now... I had a few jobs prepared such as attempt to milk the cow, force grow a few trees etc., but now I couldn't concentrate! I had had no sleep, and the thousands of questions swam around in my head, making me feel dizzy! The expression "head in the clouds" was an understatement! I hadn't properly realised this until trying to cook breakfast, in an unlit stove! I sat there for an hour, thinking... Then it occurred to me that meat generally began to produce a nice aroma when it cooked. Opening it up, the stove was empty of coal, and I hadn't even attempted to light it! If this was how I was with breakfast, trying to milk a cow could prove fatal! After all I've been through, "death by cow" kind of seems like a kick to the face! Worryingly, that seemed a little too literal for my liking... I could only wait for contact from THEROS... That could take hours... Days... Weeks! I could be recaptured within that time! If I moved on again, THEROS might miss me altogether! I needed to dispatch a message to them, and the only way I was going to do that was by waiting for him to send the first. Their wolf was the only one who knew where they were... So I would need to use their wolf to send a message back on the return journey. Although, I had doubts about how easy that would be... Every time I approached it, it would look at me, then down to the note and run off. I would have to worry about that later... For now, I could write the note... It would be best to note down everything while it was fresh in my head. There were a lot of questions that needed answering, and I was refusing to help any further until they were answered! That could be a long time...

     I've been working on the note for some time now - about two hours, maybe - and I think I've covered everything. I'm going to write a copy in my diary to ensure I know what I've asked and whether THEROS answers everything... That is if they respond to it. For simplicity's sake, I have listed them as bullet points so THEROS can clearly see what I am asking. There are quite a few!

THEROS      I have felt it necessary to send this note to you in order to establish a two-way form of communication. I have been confused by a lot of things you have said or told me to do, and before I never attempted to contact you. Well, now I need to know! Within the past few weeks I have been captured by guards and imprisoned for a number of days against my will. I was never told about why I was imprisoned, and the guards attempted to keep me docile with poisoned food. I managed to escape and have fled to the location you are aware of. I have the stone and map in my possession. You have instructed me to destroy any portal I come across, without actually fully explaining why. This has all happened to me since your first contact with me. I demand that a number of questions are answered before I am willing to proceed with this 'questionable' relationship. I find a lot of what you tell me hard to believe, especially with a lack of truth, but I have recently stumbled across the diary of Jonas McElderry, one of the 7 members of "L7", something I am sure you are aware of. The following questions are: Who are you? Really! What really happened to the ship that crashed in my area? Did the campsite I found belong to the crew, or to others? What is L7? Who is the figure that I have seen, and the diary has referenced? What is the S stone? I need more than you told me! How does HoN Co. tie into all of this? What is contained within the Nether? Why does the figure want access to the Nether so badly through the use of portals? Who are the other 6 members of L7? What do Creepers have to do with this? What are the strange cages that I have seen scattered around the land? Why am I needed in all of this? Why can't you do it? Why are Creepers afraid of the stone?      I have hundreds more questions which I am having trouble putting into words, but these are the main ones I wish to know answers to. If you ignore them I will refuse to help you in any way, and will either hand over the stone to a guard, or attempt to destroy it! I did not ask to be caught up in this, and I am aware of my standing if I had refused to help. This is the only time I am giving you the chance to fill me in on the details. Refuse it, and I will have no choice... Syeonyx

     Obviously I am bluffing about the last bit; I wouldn't destroy the stone. I know how valuable it is to both sides, and destroying it would result in a huge backlash. If it were destroyed however, it would be beneficial to the figure as it is the only thing stopping THEROS from destroying the portals. The diary mentions HoN Co. numerous times... I only hope this isn't true, although I have a feeling this is actually the case. Ever since they gave me the message to ignore the portal, I couldn't quite trust them. It was technically a valuable find, and they wanted me to ignore it. I go back to it and it is protected by Creepers... It's all too convenient.

     Guess who just turned up?

Syeonyx signing off

Diary of Jonas McElderry (presumed deceased)

Day 343      The time is coming... It has been foretold, and we must, as a group, put a stop to the evil that is causing such an event to unfold. If they succeed, all that we know, all that we love and hold dear, will perish in a maelstrom of evil and corruption. We have but one chance to stop them, and there is nothing of higher stakes than this. They must be stopped... He must be stopped... Before it is too late... Day 347      I have received confirmation from one of the L7 as to the location of another portal. It is concealed beneath the ground far to the East. It has been marked on the map, and I will be receiving it in a few days via the usual method. We are having to be more careful with moving vital information around. There is talk that they are aware of our communications. If we are to maintain our strength and integrity, we will have to be more cautious. It has been suggested however, that all communications are ceased for a short time until it is safe to continue. Day 348      I fear that they may be aware of my location; whilst acting out regular duties to seem inconspicuous, I saw a shadow move across the back wall of the house. After going around to check, I saw nothing there. Am I becoming paranoid? It is irrelevant, I need to remain vigilant no matter what. Day 350      As instructed, the S stone has been sent to one of the L7 to allow them to destroy the portal they found. When they are done with it, they will keep it. It is in discussion as to the recommended silence of communication until it is safe. I hope it will help to ease my mind... Day 352      With a vote of 7 to 0, it has been decided that all non-vital communications will cease for a minimum of 100 days. I am growing more anxious by the day, and the last thing I need is one of wolves bringing back one of them, along with the message. The last message I received was from one of the L7 indicating the destruction of the aforementioned portal to the Nether, and the safe storage of the S stone. Now we wait... Day 353      I have recently started seeing strange green shapes off in the distance. I cannot truly say, with any clarity, what they are, but I have never seen them before. From a distance, they appear to be walking cacti... This is stupid... They do not have such powers to transform flora and fauna! Do they...? Day 355      I saw another, much closer than the last! It was approximately 5 and a half feet tall, with no arms, and four feet. It's body consisted of various shades of green, perhaps a camouflage technique. The face is always the same; a vacant stare, with a gaping mouth. They do not appear to make any noise at all; they even seem able to walk silently regardless of the terrain or speed. What are they? They do not appear hostile, however I have not let one see me yet... Is it sensible to attempt communication? Day 356      I believe I see a pattern... Whenever I see a strange, green creature, it never sees me because it is always hidden beneath a rocky outcrop, or under dense foliage. A number of theorems have entered my mind, the main being an allergic reaction to the intense UV rays emitted by the sun. This leads back to the possibility that this creature is the result of a mutant cacti plant, or some other relative species of flora. I have yet to determine the possibility of this, let alone understand it. Maybe the capture of one of these creatures would allow for sufficient experimental investigation. Day 360      One of the L7 has broken the silence and sent a message to me, and presumably the others. They seem to be experiencing the same strange creatures as well! This is more serious than I thought. If there are more out there, could they pose a potential threat? They seem to be docile, much like the other mammalian species of this region, even interacting with other creatures. However, there has not been an interaction between a human and one of these... Not as far as I know. I will prepare an experiment to attempt communication and interaction with one, in the hopes it will prove passive in nature. Day 362      The attempted communication and interaction with one of these creatures has hit a problem. Whenever I have approached them, the reaction displayed is often that of aggression. The creature puffs itself out and begins hissing, but does not advance or attempt to attack me. This is possibly a method of deterring me from attempting to eat it. I am unable to determine if it is capable of attacking in self defence. Of note, however, was the unusual reaction of a small number of them. When approached, they would either completely ignore me, or run away at incredibly fast speeds. This variation in behaviour leads me to believe that they are as unique and complex and humans, demonstrating various moods and personalities unique to the individual. The ones I can get close to do not hiss, nor do they make any other noise, let alone attempt communication in a form I would understand. More thorough investigation is needed. Day 363      The individual creatures who seem docile in nature allow for me to physically interact with them. They do not appear to display any apprehension towards me at all. Of additional note however, one of the previously assumed docile natured creatures began to display the same aggressive tendencies as the majority. After backing away, the creature returned to its normal behaviour, but was weary of the distance between me and itself. Day 365      For the first time, I have studied these creatures at night. They actually wander around, and even display frolicking natures in the absence of the sun! Each creature, when approached, seemed intrigued as to my presence, and allowed me to approach. I believe it is the sun that makes them edgy and aggressive. This leads me to assume they are nocturnal, and yet it leaves me confused as to why they are still awake during the day. Day 370      I have noticed a dramatic decline in the number of these creatures within the last few days. I have also noticed a strange figure skulking in the shadows around my area for some time. Like the other creatures, when approached the figure disappears. Could this be one of them? Could this be him? It was unlikely, and as far as I could tell, I presented nothing behaviour-wise that suggested I was anything but a regular miner. I hope this is the case. Day 389      The strange creatures seemed to have returned, in their droves! There are loads of them, and they are now wandering around fully exposed during the day! This is of significant interest to me, and a new attempt at interaction is called for to determine the cause of this new display of unusual behaviour. Day 390      The creatures are now considered hostile! When approaching one, it turned to look at me, and began the usual display of defence. It puffed itself out, began hissing, and then did something purely random and pointless which I have been injured by, as a result. The creature seemed to blow itself up! I am not fabricating the truth, the creature literally detonated itself when I was within a few feet of it! I was blown backwards approximately 15 feet, and received a shattered ulna, and cracked radius. I will need to inform the others of this development, and caution them about interaction with the creatures. That is if they haven't already done so... Day 396      One of us have been attacked! The one holding the stone for safety was attacked by multiple creatures, causing severe damage to their house and area. They believe it to be a coordinated attack, with a hidden commander... Could it be? Are they able to control these creatures? They have sent the S stone to me and I hope to receive it in the next few days. So much for communication silence... Day 397      I have received the S stone, and have placed it within the usual hidden place when I am entrusted with its safety. With a diary being an easy-to-misplace item, I am leaving out the location of this hidden place for obvious reasons. It has been a week since the incident, and my arm is beginning to heal well. I hope to revert to normality within the following weeks. Day 404      The creatures have begun to get a little too close to my house for comfort. If they get too close, I am worried they will destroy it. I am likely to have to begin killing them, in the hopes it keeps them from my house. It's a good job my arm is almost back in shape. Day 407      I've had to build a wall around my house for protection. The two metre high construction is enough to prevent them from getting too close. I will probably have to make a gate to ensure the entire wall is secure, as at the moment there is a single entry point which is rather large. Day 412      A creature blew up the gate I installed a few days ago! A totally unprovoked attack leads me to believe that this was coordinated... Either that, or the door got too close... Numerous creatures then advanced through the hole, and I was forced to put them down with a bow I have recently constructed. It is primitive, but effective, leaving the option to add additional effects to the tips such as poisons and suppressants. I have burned the carcasses of the few that got through, except one. I am hoping to conduct an autopsy on it to determine the cause of the new volatile nature. Day 423      I have been much to fascinated by the anatomy of these creatures to enter any entries! It is amazing! The biology of these creatures is totally alien to anything I have ever seen before, leading me to believe that they are otherworldly! As for the cause of the new volatile nature, I am unsure. Seeing as though the communication silence isn't working out, and no new developments have occurred, I have sent a message to one of the L7 instructing them to kill and study one of these creatures. His knowledge of the anatomy of animals is much greater than mine, and I'm hoping they can shed some light on this. Day 433      I have received information stating that the volatile nature is due to a change in the biology of the pigmentation in the skin. Certain "foreign" substances have been genetically implanted into it to cause the skin to produce a chemical which is volatile when exposed to increased levels of adrenaline in the blood, shown by increased levels of stress. Hence, when moving too close to one, the stress generated causes the release of adrenalin and acts as a catalyst for the "explosive" pigment. They also believe this may have affected their brain chemistry, which allows them to be fully exposed to the sun. Maybe this change in their DNA has caused a side effect which has proved beneficial. To them anyway... If this is true, then we may be drastically underestimating the power of these people. If they can make DNA cause a reaction in your body to start an explosive chain reaction, who knows what they can do... I'm beginning to wonder why I ever signed up to them in the first place. I never wanted to do this... Day 434      I've just heard the sounds of helicopter blades and a plane... I think they're coming for me! I couldn't see anything, but I have taken refuge in my hidden place. The stone has been hidden deep within a seemingly random location, and they are unlikely to find it. The others know the protocol that we enforced: if there is no contact from us after directly communicating to one of the others, we must assume something has happened to them, to wait the customary 100 days, and then return to their area and search for any evidence. The bad thing is that I happen to have the S stone in my possession, so I could be putting everything we have worked for in jeopardy! I have secured it in a place I hope is safe, but only time will tell. I will be hiding this diary as well so the others will know my side of the story. Day 435      They've got in! I'm doomed! It is them! I am hiding the diary in a few minutes, in the hopes it will survive. I will remain outside the hiding place however, in the attempt to deter them from the hidden location. God, why did I have to get caught up in this? I found a portal, HoN Co. tells me to leave it, and then I get caught up in the L7! If I had ignored it... If I had never found the portal, I would still be a miner to this day, doing my job! I learnt the truth about HoN Co. About what they had done, and to who. The others had found out in similar ways, and had slowly recruited others. Only 7 of us were lucky enough to be part of the L7... And I was one of them. The others who ignored us were quickly removed by HoN Co.! Even warning them didn't seem to sway them... To be honest... I kinda wish I had chosen death a long time ago...

Even more secrets...

     What I found today blew my mind... I couldn't take it all in, and yet there was proof! I still can't quite grasp the entirety of it, and I am unable to convey any emotion in response to it... How could I...? It made no sense, and logical sense at the same time, and yet I still found reasons in my head to think otherwise. It couldn't be...

     After I saw the wolf, I went back inside, trying to determine the possibility of it belonging to THEROS. Maybe they had sent the wolf in search of me to see if I was still alive... Maybe THEROS hadn't known I had been captured and was confused as to my lack of action at his note... Had they even tried to contact me recently? I hadn't received anything... Maybe THEROS had sent the wolf out to look for me so they could begin sending me notes again... I tried not to read too much into it; it was still possible that it was a feral wolf that got a bit nosy... Twice? I eventually shook it from my mind and tried to concentrate on something else. I had finished luring the cow into the pen, and I was happy with the time it had taken to do that, as well as actually build the cow pen! If the pen was strong enough to hold the cow, only time would tell, but even from looking through the window, I got the impression the cow didn't mind all that much. There was plenty of grass and wildflowers for it to eat. Admittedly there was a considerable lack of space that it was used to, but hopefully it wouldn't matter too much. I went over to the bed, and picked up the book about cattle I had been reading; it proved surprisingly useful despite Chiron's lack of cooperation. He was now curled into a ball in the corner next to the stove. I wasn't really too bothered as things had worked out as planned - more or less - and I wanted his paw to get better. Which reminded me: I was going to have a look at it soon... Putting the book back into the shelf, I decided that now would be a good time to go and get another book. However I was intrigued as to what I could find in the library below. It was chock full of books, and could possess information that could prove invaluable to me! Either that, or a load of nonsense that I would never use in my life, ever!

     I went over to the corner of the house, where the large painting hung above a slightly elevated step. Bending down, I reached out and pressed the small notch that stood camouflaged against the wall, and watched as the slabs slid to one side underneath the step. I looked down into the small hole, and became very anxious for some reason... Maybe it had something to do with the incident that happened last time I went down into a small passageway... I shook it from my mind, knowing that was impossible. No-one would be here without me knowing about it! Surely... I lowered myself into the hole and began to descend the ladder. As soon as I reached the bottom, a wave of heat crashed over me! I had forgot about that! The lava that had blocked the path before had been covered over with a series of hidden slats that covered the lava when the lever was pulled. I hadn't reset the lever from the first time I had been down here, so the slats were still in place. Still dubious as to the integrity of wooden slats over a channel of lava, I took a tentative step forward, making sure the slats could bear my weight. After I had convinced myself, I began the short walk across to the other side. I exhaled a sigh of pure relief when my foot hit the cobblestone on the far side, however it was short lived when I realised I would be crossing it again in a few minutes time... Well, that depending entirely on whether there was a decent book to read... And if I didn't get carried away!

     Continuing down the tunnel, I remembered about the next part to this passage. I passed the skeleton again, assuming they were the remains of Jonas... Who else could they belong to though? I got to the seemingly random bookshelf, and stepped forward onto the pressure plate. The bookshelves slid to either side, revealing the hidden library within. Gauging the position of the other pressure plates, I lunged forward into the room, allowing the doors to remain open as I passed through them. Stepping further into the room, the bookshelves slid back into position, leaving no trace of their intent to hide. Despite being here before, I once again stood in awe at the number of books that had been amassed here. Obviously I had been to libraries before, but to see this many books in Minecraftia, owned by a single person was insane! After looking around the room, I noticed a lot of them seemed to be hand written, possibly by Jonas himself. Taking one randomly from the shelf, I flicked through the pages, seeing intricate drawings of flowers and other flora, with detailed descriptions, properties and annotations. Had he really written all of this? How long had he been here to amass this library of knowledge! He must have been here for some time... Putting the book back, I turned around to look at each shelf wondering where to begin...

     I don't know why I took a photo of the library... It seemed appropriate at the time, and I'm glad I did. Before putting the camera away, I examined the image as I do with every one I ever take. Looking at it more closely, I noticed something in the top left corner... What was that? I first though it might have been my thumb getting in the way; with it being a small LCD display, the image made it hard to distinguish. Looking closer however, I noticed it wasn't a thumb... Looking up from the camera into the position the object appeared in real life, I noticed something I had completely ignored... How could that be? I had been in here twice, and this was the first time I had noticed it! I had looked around the room in awe, from the top of every shelf and yet this had remained hidden! Looking back at the image and back to the object, I couldn't quite grasp how fortunate my timing and placement in the library had been. The object - initially thought to be my thumb - turned out to be a lever! Near the ceiling, and hidden partially by the wall, the handle of a lever stuck out! Putting the camera away, I walked over to it, reached up and pulled down on the handle. A screeching noise, followed by a few thunks caused me to jump back! I had had enough of traps and hidden objects to last me a lifetime, and here I was still finding them! Chances are, one of these days I was going to find a trap that wasn't so nice... Was this one of them? After a few moments, I noticed a small section of the bookshelf begin to slowly slide away into the wall! Just above where the lever had been, a small hole was widening, to reveal a small, brightly lit room! What was this?

     The screeching noise slowly stopped, and the bookshelf now had slid right into the wall adjacent to it. Peering in, I noticed that the room was very small. It possessed no bookshelves like the hidden library did, instead, there was a chair, a chest and a crafting table... Gathering confidence, not knowing what to expect, I inched closer into the room, expecting a Creeper or a zombie to appear out of nowhere, or a strange cage contraption to be hidden just out of sight! But there was nothing else in the room except the wood that made up the walls. Knowing the room was empty, my main worry now was the bookshelf sliding back into place and trapping me, but after a few moments of silence - except my laboured breathing, and pounding heart - I decided it is probably safe.

     I stood there for some time, trying to understand the significance of this room... Maybe it was a quiet room... Or an office...? I didn't know. There was nothing in the room itself to hint at its purpose. The only thing that might shed some light on it was the chest... Walking over to it, I carefully prised open the lid and looked inside. The chest was bare; it held nothing but a large amount of dust and a few large wooden splinters... Just as I was about to close the chest, I noticed a slight glint of light appear from the bottom-right corner. Reaching down, I felt around and found a small, rectangular object sat at the bottom of the chest. A book! Well this wasn't overly surprising considering it led from a hidden library. Closing the lid, and looking down at the cover, I tried to make sense of it... I couldn't understand what this meant; the book was old, and leather bound, with a strange seal printed onto the front. It was odd, like a tribal symbol with the number "7" printed in the centre of a strange circle it made. The only way I could describe it was by saying it looked like a crude meteorite with flames licking away to the right, and a "7" printed onto the body of it. The book was held together with an old metal clasp lock, which after a bit of force, popped open. I read the first page and couldn't believe it! It was a diary! Possibly belonging to Jonas! I continued reading, being unable to make less and less sense of it as I went... It began:

Day 343      The time is coming... It has been foretold, and we must, as a group, put a stop to the evil that is causing such an event to unfold. If they succeed, all that we know, all that we love and hold dear, will perish in a maelstrom of evil and corruption. We have but one chance to stop them, and there is nothing of higher stakes than this. They must be stopped... He must be stopped... Before it is too late...

     What is this...?

Syeonyx signing off

Day 69: Oh dear... I'm slowly turning into a farmer!

     I woke up with grand schemes set in my head! I really wanted to see if it was possible to get milk from the cows that were scattered around. I got up reasonably and set straight to work without breakfast! I could wait until later! I had more important things to do!

     I rummaged around in the chest, looking for some stone or something to dig stone out with. In the end, I found a small amount of cobblestone, and decided I could always get the rest from the nearby mine. That was something else I was going to do! I had found a portal down there, but apart from that, very little in the way of exploration had been done. Going outside, I set the cobblestone down in a pile and went off to the mine. As I walked, I saw a white animal sitting a few hundred metres away staring at me... Stopping, I looked closer and I could have sworn it was a wolf! Was it THEROS's? I couldn't tell; I was too far away to see any hint of a collar. Before I got the chance to get any closer, the wolf stood up and trotted away to the East. Odd... Had that wolf belonged to THEROS? It looked so familiar for some reason... It hadn't approached though... Maybe it wasn't. Casting it from my mind, I continued to the mine, with diamond pickaxe and bag in hand. I would only need a small amount of cobblestone to create a small base wall, and then finish the rest with a fence. Then I would put in a wooden door... Which Reminded me: I needed to go and chop some more trees down for lumber. I got to the mine, but instead of descending into it, I mined a small amount of cobblestone from around the edge. I had set myself a task, and I didn't really want to be distracted again. Putting the desired amount into my bag, I set off back to the house, following the path that lead round. I got to the house, tipped the added cobblestone onto the rest of the pile and chucked the bag to one side. I then proceeded to arrange the cobblestone in a rough wall shape before cementing it in place. I had decided to maintain secrecy by putting the cow pen - not sure if that's the right word... - to the side of the house, but within the confines of the wall. That way the cow still had plenty of grass to eat and I had a better chance of keeping it hidden. Keeping the cow away from the growing crops was also a high priority!

     I had a little cobblestone left, so I took it inside, and put it back into the chest, along with the bag. I then searched around for some wooden planks, however I ended up finding a few already constructed fence posts! There weren't many, but there was enough wood to at least finish off the job. Taking out the fence posts and the planks, I went over to the crafting table where I began to mimic the design of the fence posts that were already there. As I did, I tried to think about why Jonas had crafted these... I hadn't seen an example of fence posts being used around the house... I couldn't remember much about the mine when I first went down into it to destroy the portal, but I don't think fence posts had much use down there. There definitely weren't any in the tunnel or in the library room... After an hour or so, I had crafted enough fence posts to cover the entire cobblestone wall, allowing me to see over into the pen, but preventing the cow from escaping... Assuming the cow couldn't jump two metres into the air! Taking them outside, I fixed them into position along the wall, securing each side with with the main wall. Now all I needed was a door! Time to go and get some wood...

     After some rooting around inside the chest, I found an old axe; it had definitely seen better days, and I thought it would be best to make a new one, rather than take this and have it break on me! I removed the head of the axe and kept the shaft, whilst I took some iron I had smelted yesterday and remelted it. After an hour or so, the iron was hot enough to mold, but not too hot for it to be a liquid. I shaped the iron using a poker from the crafting table and then waited for it to cool. I then sharpened it using a piece of cobblestone until the edge was sharp enough to chop wood. It wasn't overly sharp, but it was sufficient. I then went out to the East and chopped the single tree that stood alone along the Eastern side of the house. After initially felling it, I chopped the trunk into smaller sections, and dragged them to the house one by one. I then chopped these into smaller pieces, whereupon I then sliced them into planks. I then spent a good hour nailing the planks together to make a sturdy and thick door to keep the cow within the pen. Using some already softened iron, I then made two hinge pairs and fastened them to the door. Nearly done. Now I just needed to attach it to the wall...

     After fastening the door to the wall, I went back into the house to get Chiron. When I found one, I would need his help in rounding the cow up in through the archway and then through the relatively narrow doorway. I also took two large clumps of solid iron with me. If it all went horribly wrong, I could always try to scare it into the right place by slamming these together. Going outside the wall, it wasn't long until I found a cow... In fact I saw three! Not wanting to get ahead of myself, I settled on one cow and began to advance. The whole time it stood there chewing constantly, not caring about how close I got... After I was close enough, I tried to get Chiron to go around to the other side and make it run towards me. Instead he ran towards it, barking like mad causing the cow to run off in the opposite direction! I called Chiron back, who did so reluctantly. He seemed to think it was all one big game, and using him was not a brilliant idea. I didn't really know what I could do except one thing. I walked around to the other side of the cow and called Chiron to me. The cow looked a little uneasy, but remained where it was. Telling to stay put, I walked a little to the right of the cow and began making noises with the iron clumps, whilst walking towards the cow. The cow began to move away from me until it was almost level with the house! Was this working? I couldn't tell, it was too soon. I brought Chiron back to me and then told him to stay put just to the left of the wall. I then went to the right and just behind of the cow and began banging the iron together again.

     The cow began to advance through the wall. This was great! It stopped just outside the steps to the house. Once again I called Chiron to me, getting him to stay put just to the right of the cow. This would hopefully stop the cow running around to the back of the house. I then began advancing again banging the iron clumps, whilst driving it to the left through the door of the pen. At one point the cow didn't move and I thought I had messed up, but eventually the cow began to edge towards the door. After some louder bangs, I managed to speed the cow up and I closed the door once it was in. YES! I had a cow! Now I had access to milk... I hoped. Oh dear... Does this make me a farmer now...?

     I stood at the side of the fence looking into the pen, seeing what the cows reaction was. It didn't seem to mind really; it was already eating again, and the lack of wide open spaces didn't seem to bother it. However that was likely something to monitor over the next few days. Realising the cow would need water, I went into the house and took the bucket I had used to collect seawater. I then went over to the pool of fresh water and filled it up. On the return journey, I saw the wolf again. It was a little closer this time, but I still couldn't make out whether it had the same markings or a collar as the one THEROS owned...I placed the bucket down and began to walk towards it to get a better look, all the while it sat staring at me. When I was about one hundred metres away, it stood up and ran away to the West. I gave chase, but by the time I ran over to the hill it had sat upon, it was out of sight... That must belong to THEROS! Maybe THEROS was using his wolf to look for me... Alternatively, the wolf could belong to the guards, and they might be using it to find me instead! Worried at the possibility of this latter idea, I returned to the bucket and took it to the cow.

     I've been thinking about that wolf... It won't belong to the guards because they would have used one to track me by now. If they had, chances are I would be looking through from the wrong side of a cell door by now. I don't think it was a feral wolf because it wouldn't wait for me to get too close before running away. It would be instantly weary of my distance and would warn me, not just trot off... The problem was I couldn't see if it had a collar... If it had, there was a good chance it belonged to THEROS... Does that mean I'll be getting a new note within the next few days...?

Syeonyx signing off

Day 68: Back to nor... Actually, I won't jinx it this time!

     I needed today! I was so relaxed, not having to worry about skulking around in fear of being caught! I spent the entire day doing what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do them! Admittedly it was a bit weird adjusting to a dead man's house - especially with him being under the house! - but I didn't really have any other option. I was just going to stay here until I got any word from THEROS, the figure and their guards manages to find me, or when I decide to go back... The latter may take more time than the others, obviously.

     I woke up relatively late in comparison to the other days. Partially because the bed was incredibly comfortable, but mostly because I wasn't going to have to constantly watch out for my back in case a guard was there! I was still going to have to keep a look out for anyone that might be looking for me, in which case I could hide beneath the house in the strange tunnel. After all, that library would provide hours of entertainment if I had to retreat into there! In fact, I was tempted to go down and get some more books to read. There were hundreds of titles, and some of them were bound to be more interesting than the ones up here already. Eventually crawling out of bed, I planned out the day more casually whilst cooking some salted meat I had taken fro the ship. Looking into my bag, and then in the chest, I realised that first on the agenda would be to go hunting! I probably wouldn't need to go far because I could hear the sounds of wildlife all around, and the area was pretty flat. Chances were this place was a widely used area for grazing animals like cows and sheep. There was bound to be a source of fresh water too! After finishing up, I took my bow and quiver and left the house. I had instructed Chiron to stay put and rest his paw, but he seemed rather content with sleeping anyway. I closed the door and walked towards the arched entrance of the wall. This was impressive work! Not only was the wall was sound and stable, but the arch was incredibly robust, and provided a thin entry point. I was tempted to craft some large wooden doors or gates to put the way, but I had more demanding things to do. Besides, I would like to keep the majority of the external house the same so the guards aren't as suspicious if they come snooping around. Exiting the wall, I turned right and instantly saw four pigs! This was going to be too easy! Taking an arrow from the quiver, I arched my arm back and let loose... The target practise would do me good!

     After taking out each pig individually, I set to work stripping them of useful meat. I left the rest to be picked at by whatever animals wanted them, and turned my attention to some cows. They were grazing close to fresh water source, and I took the opportunity to bag one! It took three arrows to the neck! It may sound grizzly, and I can't say it wasn't messy, but it was a necessary thing for me to stay alive! I needed to eat... Circle of life and all that... I have never actually killed a cow before, getting most of my meat from fish and pigs. Cows were different altogether, but just as delicious! After stripping off the necessary meat from the cow, I needed a way to preserve what I had. There was no way I would be able to keep all of this in the time it takes me to eat it! I would have to find some way to preserve it, and the only way I could find was to salt it. This wasn't really an issue as there was a supply of salt in the form of the sea nearby. I took the meat back to the house, wrapping each piece in a separate piece of cloth, and putting them into the chest away from Chiron's slobbering mouth! I found a small bucket under the bed and I went down to the sea and filled it up. I then returned to the house and put it on top of the stove and lit it and let it burn. Hopefully the salt content was enough to only merit one or two more trips. The heat would evaporate the water and leave salt crystals at the bottom. Then it was a case of coating each piece of meat generously in salt, and wrapping tightly back in the cloth. As the bucket was able to carry a reasonable amount of water, the water would take hours to evaporate. Instead, I decided to make a small farm around the back of the house. Hidden from sight, and able to provide me with wheat, it was a great idea! I took my diamond shovel and headed around to the back of the house! Busy busy busy!

     After determining the approximate length of the channel needed, I started digging a small trench that spanned the length of the back of the house. This would allow me to grow the maximum amount of wheat without it being visible from the front. The wall was actually a great asset; it protected whatever was inside from view within a height of two metres at least! Unless I was growing super wheat, no-one would see it from the back! After finishing the trench, I went inside to get a bucket, and realised there wasn't one spare! I would need to make one... I didn't really mind because it tested my skills, and allowed me to let my mind wander. I went into the chest and took out the small amounts of lumber that was there. Jonas hadn't refined it so I spent half an hour stripping the bark, and chopping it into planks, and resting them against the side of the stove the dry them out. After they were considerably drier, I took them to the crafting table and began shaping them to form a wooden bucket. It was crude, and not entirely water tight, but it would do. Attaching a cloth handle to it, I took it out to the small pool of fresh water and raced back to the trench! The bucket was considerably less water tight than I had first assumed, and I lost about a third of the contents. Going back inside, I stuffed the obvious holes with cloth rags and went out for another try. I saved more this time, but still lost quite a bit. I repeated this until the trench was filled to about four fifths filled. Phew, that's all the to-ing and fro-ing done. Now to plant some seeds!

     I left the bucket outside and went back in to retrieve the seeds and a hoe I had found. It didn't look like it had been used... Maybe he had had plans to grow a farm... Until his untimely demise... Shaking it from my mind, I began to till the earth, ready for the seed. This was a part of the job that required no actually thought to it at all, and my mind wandered as it does so often... I began thinking about THEROS, and what the next step was... Surely they weren't going to expect me to go back to the dirt hovel? That was miles away and the chances of getting caught were huge! I had a feeling that THEROS doubted I was still alive though, so I'm hoping I can wait for this all to blow over. Eventually, the figure will probably think I'm dead or long gone... I hope that HoN Co. sends a task force to deal with them first though... When they do, I will probably go back with them... It's been fun here in Minecraftia, but no pay check is worth what I've been put through. After a few moments, I realised I had started tilling the ground nowhere near the water trench! Putting my mind back on track, I put lay the hoe down and began to scatter the seeds on the freshly tilled earth. A few days, maybe weeks - depending on the soil quality - and I would be having bread again! I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth going out into the open and looking for other food sources. There's only so long I can live on fish, meat, bread and water! I still hadn't tried milking a cow yet! If that was even possible... I was willing to try, even if it got me injured... I could really do with some milk!

     I went back inside to check on the bucket of water, to find it all gone... Looking into the bottom, I saw the reward for my patience! A large amount of salt! About half of what I needed so i went back to the sea and got another bucket of water. I walked back, just as it began to get dark - it gets dark really quickly when you keep yourself busy! - and put it back on the stove. There wasn't really much to do now, so I secured the door and had another root around in the chest. I found a lot of raw iron that hadn't been smelted yet, so I decided to make use of the already lit stove. I put a load more coal in and waited for it to get really hot before adding the iron. It would take awhile for the iron to liquify and separate from the rock and stone. But I wasn't going anywhere, and I wasn't complaining of the heat. Chiron decided to curl up in front of it again, whilst I lit some torches and began scanning the shelves for a good book. It was nice to get back into a more relaxed routine, without having to constantly look over my shoulder... I'm wondering if there's any need to go back at all...? I have what I need here; a farm, meat, a shelter, a hidden passage to hide in if needed, and total security from knowing that the guards were unlikely to know I was up here. I eventually settled into a good book about cows... I don't know why, but it might help if I decided to go looking for milk tomorrow!

     The rest of the water finished evaporating, and I had plenty of salt to use with the meat. I spent a good hour salting each chunk after cutting it down, and wrapping them into individual cloth rags. Now they would keep for considerably longer with the moisture being extracted from them by the salt. A good wash off and cooked just right and I could have myself a proper steak! I'd begun to wonder if there was any source of fruit or vegetables around... I had a severe lack of both in my diet, but I wasn't too worried. I preferred to eat what I liked rather than living as everyone else did. Although there wasn't as much stigma associated with that living alone! I'm actually learning a lot from this book about cows, and I think I have a strategy... I'm just wondering if it's possible to have one tamed... Or just wander around an enclosed space of grass. Then I could have milk whenever I wanted! Why did this never occur to me months ago...

Syeonyx signing off