Chapter 12

Chapter 12 TEAM PO VERSUS THE BLOCK PARTY CREMIX!! IN WHICH OUR NOBLE HEROES LAY DOWN THE SMACKDOWN! Jodi was ready for their rematch. They had set their beds up at the bottom of the pit, beneath a low stone ceiling that would hide them from view. They broke through that ceiling now, and Jodi could just barely see the glow of the bridge above. High above. Jodi wished they could just cut through a wall, or somehow respawn back onto the bridge. But they had a plan. A real plan this time. One that the Block Party wouldn't see coming. And

that plan relied on stealth. They would sneak up on the guardian mobs. That meant building their way out of the pit, one block at a time. Jodi hopped up and quickly placed a block of stone beneath her feet. She repeated the action, again and again, so that a pillar of stone seemed to sprout right beneath her. It was slow work, and she had to be careful to keep her balance. But she made steady progress—all of them did, each on their own pillar—and they were perfectly silent as they ascended.

In that way, they were all acting like rogues this time, getting into place for a sneak attack.

When the glowing bridge was within reach, Jodi waited for Ash's signal. Ash looked around, making sure everyone was ready. She raised her blocky fist, and they all leapt onto the bridge at the same time. Their foes honked in surprise. Their stealthy approach had bought them a few precious seconds. "EVERYONE BEHIND ME," Morgan said, and he stepped to the front again. Just like the Block Party would expect. He still looked like a knight, after all. But then he drank an invisibility potion and faded from view. "SURPRISE, SUCKERS!" Jodi cried, and she pulled out a bow and let an arrow fly. "Did you like that?" asked Harper. "Have another!" And she shot her own barrage of arrows into the crowd. The Block Party had obviously been caught unprepared. The sailor and the zombie were both struck by arrows. They flashed red, a sure sign they'd taken damage.

"THE DRAGON IS MINE," said Po. "I owe it one!" Po lobbed a green potion at the creature. The flask shattered on contact, splashing the dragon with poison. While the poison ate away at the creature's health, Po threw a dark blue potion at the dark knight. It was a splash potion of weakness, and it would make the knight's attacks far less deadly. Before the knight could recover, Morgan stepped from the shadows and slashed her with his sword. "SNEAK ATTACK!" he said. "And one more for good measure," said Po. He finished the false knight with a slash from his own sword. Though he still wore his wizard skin, he was now outfitted with a few pieces of diamond armor.

"The illusioner is down, too," said Ash. She stood over the fallen form of the dark mage, a shield in one hand and a diamond pickaxe in the other. "That's all of them," said Po. "WE DID IT!" Together they ran the length of the glowing bridge, coming to a stop just before the great door. "You really think it's in there?" said Ash. "THE KEY TO THE EVOKER KING'S POWER?" Morgan rubbed his blocky hands together. "I say it's time to find out." "Okay," said Jodi. "Go ahead, Morgan. Open the—"