Day 71 (con’t)

Day 71 (con’t) 

I watched the three walk around there house till after sunset. The house is just stacked dirt with open air windows and sheet of wood across a doorway. It had been built in the middle of the clearing without any thought of defense. Large craters that were indicative of the exploding creatures lined the clearing and parts of the house. wood and stone was piled haphazardly around the camp. A large fire pit had been dug. After dark they lit torches. Light poured through the cracks in the walls and would blind anyone to the happens outside of the house. These people had no idea of the dangers in this world.

I turned to return to the boat. On my way back I noticed all the trees they had cut or pushed over for fires. The trees were removed more by blunt force injury from stone tools or even hands than the clean cuts or iron or slicing of diamond.

Their mine shaft was dug straight down for the first 10 meters. It appeared that they had piled dirt and stone to create an afterthought stairway. Broken tools, all wood and stone, lay in a discarded pile next to a tree stump.

I returned to the boat and gathered all my belongings on the shore, took the boat into deeper water, and sunk it. I swam back to the shore gathered my things and made my way back to The Bunker.

I returned and all of the lights were out in the house. The doorway for the Bunker was on the other side of the clearing but still in full view of the house. I had built the Bunker to blend into the mountain and its entrance is easy to miss if you don’t know its there.

I walked back into the forest and made my way around to a point in the mountain where the forest grew up to the rock. I spent a few minutes in the dark looking but I found it. A large loose stone and pushed it to the side and revealed a pathway. I crawled inside and replaced the stone followed by more stones until I was sure that no one could possibly accidental find the backdoor. I lit the torches that lined the walls as I went. The narrow cave opened into a larger room and upon locating another stone door it opened to The Bunker.

I drew my sword and stepped into my home. There were only silence, dust, and darkness. It was immediately apparent that no one had been here since my departure. I moved to the front door and piled stone outside of it and sealed the opening. Now they would never find the The Bunker.

I returned to my bedroom and crawled into the warm covers and the soft mattress, glad to be home at last.

Day 71

Day 71
I woke this morning hungry on a cold and windy bay. Luckily for me the bay was fresh water and I still had plenty of meat. After a quick breakfast, huddled under my poorly constructed bedroll, I pulled up my improvised anchor and continued to the north-east at a slow pace. The wind shifted several times from pushing my into the shoreline or pushing me out into the bay. The sky was overcast and time dragged on.

After hours of travel I finally saw a large peak appear on the horizon. I knew that nestled in its shadow would be the door to the Bunker, to my home. I paddled faster.

By the time I arrived at the mountain I was wet, cold, and exhausted. I pulled my boat onto the shore. It was only a half hour walk from here to the Bunker. I ran.

I ignored the tree stumps that used to be trees, I ignored the hill that had been grass but was now wheat, I even ignored a mineshaft. But what I could not ignore, built in the clearing next to the bunkers entrance, was a makeshift sodden house and the three people inside.

Day 69

Day 68
The Ledger was open to a page that held crafting instructions for an item with the simple name of “map.” I had seen it before but had dismissed it because I did not need a book to tell me how to draw a map, but the item described within was not a simple piece of cartography. The Ledger claimed that this item, aided by something almost mystical, would map this world by the crafters experiences.

I had not better ideas (other than wandering around aimlessly). The crafting would be simple. Paper was a necessity obviously, and the only other component was a “Compass”. I scoured The Ledger for any mention of a “Compass” and finally found it in a folded over page. To craft all I needed was Iron, which I had in excess, and Redstone, which I had an excess at The Bunker but I haven’t seen it since leaving 5 days ago. Has it really only been 5 days?

With the daylight already failing (Had I just looked at the Ledger all day?) I set out toward a lake where some sugarcane had been growing. The sun had slipped beneath the horizon and the tell tale moaning of the undead were starting as I returned with my satchel filled with sugarcane. I’d process the plants into paper tomorrow.

I stashed the plants in the corner chest, ate an apple that I picked up on my sprint, and began to dig down from inside my house. Its not going to be pretty, but I am going to dig for some Redstone.

Day 69
Hours of digging and my Pickaxe has broken. Nothing lasts forever even fortified with magic, I guess. I was out of wood, covered in dust, mud, and gravel, and still had not found Redstone as I emerged from my hasty mine. The sun was high in the sky. I was dirty, I was tired, I was hungry, and I still had work to do. I grabbed my Axe and my final pitted sword and headed outside. I walked into the forest and cut enough wood to hopefully finish the mine and keep me warm. Then i headed down to the lake again for a quick swim.

I took my time returning to the Hovel and walked the long way around. There was still hours of light left and needed food. I found it in the form of a large cow. I returned to the hovel loaded with meat. I at quickly and decided to try for redstone again. I crafted a pickaxe of iron it paled to its predecessor of enhanced diamond, but it should do the job.

I found Redstone only minutes later. I rushed to the crafting table and turned quickly to the instructions for the Compass. I arranged the iron around the redstone crafted the compass. I held it and spun it around. The needle constantly pointed in a single direction. I pocketed it and turned to process the plants into paper. It took time but near sunset I had enough.

Trembling I opened the Ledger to the map page. I placed the compass back on the table with the paper. I began to feel faint. As I hit the dirt floor images flashed through my head. Images of the last few days, my sprint to the lake, the search near the hovel, the trek from the Bunker, my first few days here then darkness,

Day 70?
I lay on the floor, the smell of burning meat, the sound of wind through trees of water dripping onto rock, and the sight of sun pouring through my door. I managed to stand up and walk outside. The sun was lower in the east. I was out all night (just one night?). I had searched, hunted, and worked with barely any sleep running on pure adrenaline for days. Surely collapsing after that ordeal made sense (or was it the map?)

I splashed some water that had pooled onto my face and returned to the hovel. I grabbed a hunk or over cooked beef and gnawed on it was I looked at my new creation. It was largely a blank piece of paper. A scant bit had filled in. The markings stretched in and out of the blank areas like corridors in a mine. I located a small blue field that could have been the nearby lake. Then noticed to the south east, following a corridor was a small brown a grey point that didn’t fit in its surroundings (It that the Hovel?) From that point I found the other landmarks The beacon on the hill, a long winding corridor ending in a sandy shore, a swampy coast, and then a large mountain with the largest mapped area around it. The Bunker?

If the map was accurate I had taken the long way around. I had set out going northeast along the shore line of a large body of water (ocean?) and then turned due south through line of hills. From there I turned west, passed the Bunker and ended up the western edge of the large lake/bay. The pinpoint of grey on a open green field just inland of the bay must be the beacon. Since then I had focused my search to the west thinking (wrongly) that I was still east of the bunker.

I’d have to follow the same path back over land and the thought of traveling through the caves and deep forest again was not appealing to me at this juncture. I decided to travel over the large lake.

I packed up all the food I could carry, the Ledger, sword, pickaxe, and bedroll. I left behind the crafting table, tools, iron, and ruined armor. I had better gear at home anyway and they would only slow me down. I buried the Hovel and did a quick job of camouflaging into the hillside. I left a small marker if I ever would need to return.

I arrived at the Beacon mid morning. I torn it down. The grey point on the map melted into the field of green. An hour later I reached the sandy beach and crafted a boat.

I pushed off of the shore and set out along the shore heading south east. The coast began to curve northwards mid afternoon. According to the map (which is more complete now than when I had set out this morning) I was over halfway through the bay by sunset. I fashioned a crude anchor with my pickaxe and positioned my boat far enough away from the shore to avoid the undead. i’m glad I brought the bedroll. Tomorrow I return home.

Day 66

Day 66 I woke this morning and quickly ate the remaining pork and crafted a new Ax. I put on my armor and sheathed my sword. Both items were dinged and pitted, but I’d rather use them than my fists. Lastly I strapped my trusty pickaxe to my back. I set out.

Halfway through the day I had made a semicircle around the beacon. Nothing looks familiar, no sign of my bunker. I did happen to find a cave and replenished my supply of coal and even found a rich vane of Iron. I might have enough to replace my armor.

On my way back to the valley I happened across a flock of wild sheep and helped myself to their wool. The sheep may be cold tonight, but I will sleep well for the first time in days.

I gathered more wood for the evening fire hoping to find another pig for supper but I would not be that lucky tonight.

Returning to the hovel I packed my new found materials away. Then I noticed The Ledger on on top on the crafting table. I had not left it there. I grabbed my sword and rushed outside. There was no one to be found. I double checked my supplies and everything was accounted for.

I spent the last few hours of the day fortifying the hovel. I piled more dirt to blend it into the hillside. I obscured the door from sight with dirt and stone. And finally I dug a crude trap at the entrance.

Exhausted and hungry I crafted a crude bed from the wool I had collected and collapsed into it.

Day 67 I looked at The Ledger, untouched from yesterday. The page that it was open to can get me back to the bunker.

Day 65

Day 65 I woke in my small hovel at day break.  The night before I had made the decision to stay at my hovel, making it my base of operations, until I find the Bunker.  The priorities  are clear at the moment, wood, food, then searching.

There are plenty of trees around so I begin to clear them with a crude stone Ax that I crafted last night.  On the third tree a wild pig appeared from the forest.  I carefully moved over to it and dispatched him with the my ax, which promptly broke.  

I placed the meat in my furnace to cook and ventured out.   I climbed the hill I tumbled down yesterday and with calmer eyes scanned the horizon.  Nothing seemed familiar.  It didn’t surprise me as I had built the bunker to blend into the landscape, to both avoid any opportunistic bandits stumbling across it and ransacking it and for ease of building.

On the hilltop I built a tall pillar of stone with torches on top.  I should be able to see this beacon while searching for the bunker. Hopefully it will keep me from getting further lost.

Once that was completed the sun had begun to set.  I retreated to the hovel and feasted on freshly cooked pork.

Tomorrow the search for the bunker is on.