To the Void Part 2 (Steve)

When the sun set, I embarked on my quest. The path led through a swamp. Other than smetterings of somewhat dry ground and trees, it was a hot, humid expanse of mud. Careful not to fall into the mud, I walked on land and the occasional lily pad. A zombie challenged me, but I calmly drew my sword and slayed it in one hit. I did not eat its flesh. Rotten flesh tastes like moldy head cheese and has the texture of sinew; the sickening substance is best left out of one's inventory. I went on and found myself in a cave. I felt an arrow in my side and spotted a skeleton in the distance. I couldn't hunt a pig with a bow well, let alone a skeleton. Running for cover, I ducked behind a tree. Another arrow hit my arm. I plucked the arrows from my body, keeled over in pain, an, as the map scrambled again, tried to sleep. 

I woke up wet and humiliated. What would Caitlin think if she saw me like this? No one else knew about this but Andrew, my doctor and best friend. I trudged on at night, barely evading more arrows. The smell attracted more monsters; they backed me into a cliff. I scrambled up its face, but not without difficulty. My hands shook as I hung on for dear life trying to find the next hold. I placed my foot on the wall and barely reached a small indentation in the wall. If I hadn't remembered to use my feet, I would have made a tasty Steve pancake for the skeletons, zombies, and creepers chasing after me. That thought made me smile. A sense of humor protects in ways that diamond armor just can't.

Trudging deeper into the cave, I found diamonds and stopped to mine them. Little did I know that this was a trap. I hung by my foot from a rope like a helpless pig. A woman in a pink shirt assessed me with piercing green eyes. She looked puzzled.
         "Andrew! What? Wait.... You're Steve." She looked at me again. "Have you seen Andrew?"
         "Yes, I'm Steve. My question is: Who are you and why am I hanging upside down by my foot?"
         "I'm sorry. I just didn't want Andrew to sneak off at night. I set this trap to teach him a lesson about scaring me like that."
         "And you snared the wrong guy."
         "Right. I'm sorry about that. I'm Sofi, by the way." She cut the rope with a sword, which I noticed she wielded uneasily. I fell on my back. Sofi slipped further into the mineshaft. I continued following the path on the map and emerged in a violent sandstorm. Covering my eyes, I tried to walk forward. A strong gust of wind knocked me off my feet and into hot sand. Luckily, I found a village where I could gather some supplies. I was so desperate for water that I tried to drink out of the farming plots, but a villager offered me some well water. I drank gratefully, letting it cleanse me from the inside out. She was pleasantly surprised that I asked and told me about herself. I listened and gave her a diamond. It would give her food for a lifetime. Again, the sun set, allowing me to follow the map. The path ended at the ocean. Its calm, vast waters beckoned me into the unknown. I made a makeshift boat out of some wood I had and sailed on with only my intuition as a guide. Knowing the map would serve no further purpose to me, I folded it into something crane-like and burned it with my torch.
         I didn't think as I went on. I just went in what directions seemed right. A creeper blew me off my feet, but I brushed it off. I think I twisted my ankle, yet I felt no pain. However, a greater pain washed over me like a tidal wave. I dug straight down and landed in a stone room where silverfish assaulted and overwhelmed me. What if I failed this quest? What if Caitlin died, rejected me, or wasn't who I thought she was? What then? No. If I died, I didn't it to be from silverfish. I killed them off and entered the portal.
         The desolate stone landscape made me wonder how anyone lived here at all. I looked around for any signs of life, but the only thing I found was a large black dragon with terrible violet eyes.
          "Give up, Steve. You can't possibly win."
          "I'm not here to fight you." I drew my sword and donned my armor
          "Of course you're here to fight me, brave hero. That's what you all want: to slay me, the Ender Dragon. When you fail, I'll make sure no trace of you is left." I flashed back to a memory of bidding my high school sweetheart farewell. I barely remember her name, but I remembered this: She would fight the Ender Dragon to save her sisters from doing its bidding. I knew her name, but I had no specific memory of her. Still, this aspect of Vivienne Netherfield was all so new to me. She was talented, intelligent, and kindhearted, but she never struck me as brave, at least not in a heroic way. Vivienne's legacy will not die in vain. I raised my sword and challenged the dragon.
          At first, I fought with ease as I did so for Vivienne and Caitlin. Then, I realized I've haven't eaten anything in a week and drank very little water. My concentration faded. My movements failed; my sword became heavy as if it were the first time I picked one up. I took one last swing and, as my balance failed, I fell to the ground and everything went black.