Chapter 6: Infiltration
Journal Entry: MG
Month 2, Day 27: I woke back at the cave yesterday... I'm starting to question if what I just went through even happened; the only proof that suggests so is a pouch of emeralds I never had. This must be that Spider chick's idea of a reward for 'entertaining' her... ...I'm weak... Even with so much power, it's not enough. The humanoid mobs can treat me like a joke. Just one could easily kill me. I'm not gonna just settle down in town. I think I need to find a way to kick my training up a notch. It isn't just power I need. I might need to find someone willing to help me. But I can't blow my cover either... What to do, what to do...
MG's P.O.V.
I saw two pale-green girls heading towards a dark cave. Guarding the entrance was a Zombie that was slightly taller than the norm. The Zombie let out a tired groan and let them pass. It took a while to find this place, but here I am. I took a deep breath, and went before the bouncer. I was in my one 1-Tai form, keeping my head down. My hands were black. He ignored me until I was just about to pass. Then he grabbed me by the shoulder. He was taking a whiff of the air. The Zombie opened his drooling mouth, letting his tongue hang out. His breath smells rancid! But I endured the horrid stench. After he groaned, I was granted passage as a reward.
(Note to self: Take another shower...) I kept traveling deeper down the cobblestone steps, the dim light of torches growing further and further away. It was dark for a while, but then, light. The entire kingdom was this huge underground cavern. Grass was here and there, but no farm animals. There are plenty of Skeletons and Zombies about; some cubed, a few somewhat human. The roads were paved in gravel; the same as the Villagers. The buildings themselves were made of stone brick and spruce planks. There were glowstone street lamps, surrounded with wooden trapdoors. They were meant to keep the dumb ones from burning their hands. I soon found what I was looking for.
It was made of these dark purple blocks I've never seen before. I think those might be netherbrick. The building's a bar, that much I knew. This is the spot I promised to meet her. Inside, everyone was non-cubed. Except for the bartender; he was a normal Villager. His ankle was chained, so he can't run. I don't think he's afraid of getting eaten, though; he's probably used to this line of work. I decide to take a seat at the counter. The bartender notices me.
"Can I get you anything?"
"Nothing right now..." I actually forgot: My voice changes when I transform. He went back to drying some of the glasses, still chatting me up.
"...We don't get many Wolves around here. You lost?"
"...I'm just waiting for someone."
"Oh, yeah? Where you from?"
"A nice, cozy den in the Taiga."
"Ah. The Taiga biome. I used to have a cousin who lived there..."
"You know, I really just want to sit in peace and quiet for a while." I was quick to tune him out. Even though he's a Villager, I'm just not ready to trust anyone here.
"Ah, but of course. How rude of me." He bows to me mockingly, returning to his dishes. How has no one eaten this guy? I sat there for a few minutes, feeling someone's gaze on me. I didn't dare to look back.
*Warp!* This tall woman dressed in black warped to a stool right beside me. That's all I could see without staring at her. She decided to bother me next. The whole time my inner voice was screaming in my head saying, "Don't fuck up!"
"You're not from here, are you?"
"No more than you are." (Burn...)
"Waiting for someone?"
"Yeah, actually."
"Who?"
(Well aren't you curious...) "Dunno. Forget."
"Forgot, huh?" I think she's still staring. Again, trying to act casual here.
"You know what, can I just get some water?" I requested from the bartender. He slid the bottle across the table, only for the girl next to me to smash it. The sound surprised me.
"Oops! My bad." The bartender never complained as he cleaned the mess, but I told her off.
"You probably shouldn't do that..."
"It was only an 'accident'." She sarcastically replies. Now she's just messing with me.
"Here you go..." The bartender set a new bottle in front of me. I hesitated, thinking she was going to do the same thing. But she let me drink from this one.
"Is it another Wolf?" I kept drinking. "...A Zombie?" Still kept drinking. "...Well, I know it's a girl. She's must be SOME Creeper!"
(Calm down... She's just guessing...) I stopped drinking and took a refreshing gulp of air instead. "Yeah. Still waiting on her..."
"Something wrong, bud?" She made a big deal of me impatiently shaking my leg. "You look like you're hiding a secret..."
(Sure. I shake my leg and I'm obviously up to no good.) "No, just annoyed. You see, this person I don't know won't stop bugging me. If only there was a way to tell her I'm not interested..."
*Gasp!* "You ARE holding a secret! But I wonder what it is... Maybe it's that girl you're meeting..."
(Why the hell is she so persistent?)
"...No? Then maybe it's what's you hide in that backpack..." I still had Ray's dagger in there.
(Wait. Is she...?)
"...Or perhaps, it's what you are..." I started coughing up water, finally catching on. I should've noticed it earlier!
(She's on to you! Abort! ABORT!) "—Blegh, you call this clean?!" I threw the bottle behind him. It smashed into pieces. I felt bad for doing that, but I was kinda hoping to divert her attention. She's not just asking simple questions, this girl's on to me! I was about to head out when—
*Warp!* "Going somewhere?" I walked into pair of boobs... Fantastic! I made the mistake of looking at her. I saw those purple eyes... She had long red hair, and there was a playful smile hiding behind that jacket of hers. Her skin was pale, and she wore an Endercap. "You were about to skip out on paying..."
(Just pay the man what you owe, and GTFO! GO, GO, GO!) "Oh, r-right. My bad..." I just threw some emeralds on the counter and left. I fast walked outta there. She followed me, her long legs made it easy to catch up.
"C'mon, I was just kidding!"
"No! Just stay back!"
"Hey, I'm serious this time!" She stopped while I just kept running.
"You're not gonna come back inside?!" I turned the corner behind a building. She was waiting for me there, casually checking her nails. "Not even for Cupa?"
\\\
Five minutes later, she took me through the door out back of the bar. It had normal stuff in it—a pool table with a modern lamp above it, a PACMAN machine, a soft couch that ISN'T made of hardwood—almost nothing in here is cubed!
"What the—?" She teleported, purposely falling back on to the couch.
"See anything you like?"
"I hate you so much right now..." (...But you got me so good!) I was mentally fist pumping. Okay, so maybe I wasn't as mad at her.
"I'm Andr, by the way; Cupa's friend." I remembered the note now. She did say she was bringing a +1...
"So you're an Enderman?"
"Obviously."
"And you're the one who told on me?"
"You stink, by the way—"
"—BECAUSE I'M A NOMAD!"
"Hey, it's not like I told them the how you look; I simply said it was a human who killed him."
"...Meaning there's no way to know it was me..." I caught on. It was smart to live underground. The Endermen can teleport wherever they want, meaning they can cover a lot of ground. But teleporting below the surface would be difficult to search. I looked around again, noticing we were short one person.
"She isn't with you..."
"You and I are just early, that's all." She assured me. But I was still nervous... I'm in the heart of hostile territory, just because I was curious—and also, I wanted to meet Cupa... I decided to sit in a recliner across from Andr.
"I didn't think a room like this existed..."
"Oh, yeah. Every kingdom has a V.I.P. room somewhere. It's reserved specifically for those of royalty."
"Royalty?"
"You mean she didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?" Now she had me curious.
"It's probably not my place to say. Just forget what what you heard..." Another brief moment of silence.
"...Can you at least tell me where this stuff came from? It looks the same as it does in my world..."
"It's a trade secret kinda thing, but I guess it won't hurt to tell you. This stuff is craftable, but only through unconventional means."
"Unconventional means?" She zipped her lips shut. I get the picture. It was another brief moment of silence before I noticed she was staring.
"Hm? What's up?"
"..." I looked behind me. She was definitely staring.
"Is it the ears, or the tail?" I tried to make it do a little dance. "Pretty cool, right? I learned about this the same time when I... ...Oh." I forgot Andr probably knew. Does she resent me for killing one of her kind?
"I know I already said my name, but let me just introduce myself properly. My name is Andr, princess of the Endermen..."
"So the one I killed...?"
"...Was going to be my husband. Yeah..." It would be a while before I spoke up.
"Do you...hate me?"
"No, not really."
"Why not?"
"Because I never loved him. That's why Cupa and I let you go free." So the black figure I saw that day wasn't just my imagination. She was with Cupa at the time.
"...I already told you my name, but what about you?"
"I still don't know. For now, I just go by MG..." There was a knock at the door. I quickly turn around. Andr teleported to the door and unlocks it. That same green girl entered. She waved shyly, seeing I was already here.
"Hey..."
"H-Hey..." I didn't notice it at the time, but I was smiling. This is the first time I'm actually hearing her voice. When I started smiling, Cupa was smiling.
"...You're wearing a shirt this time." I looked down just to be sure. Still there.
"You'd prefer me without one?"
"I-I don't know..." She blushed. I chuckled a little. It felt great to finally talk to her. Too bad a certain someone had to ruin this moment.
"Boring! Let's see what else is on..." She pressed a button on a remote control. I heard the mechanical whirring of some contraption.
"What's tha—ow!" By the time I turned around, it was already too late. A snowball got me in the eye. The dispenser went back into hiding.
"Much better..." She's starting to piss me off!
"Why are you picking on me so much?!"
"Because a certain SOMEONE has been making my friend worry!"
"I'm here, aren't I?!"
"That doesn't excuse that you—!" Cupa got our attention. She looked worried.
"Hey... Does that hurt?" I calmed down a little.
"...Does what hurt?" She points at my back. The hole in the back of my shirt was ripped wider. I grew a second tail without even noticing. Not just that; my muscles grew more mass. And my hands look like little claws now. "No. ...I can't feel a thing." I reverted back down to just 1-Tail. The new one just fades away. It was just my pitch black hands now. I hold the original in my hands.
"Wanna feel?" Cupa was reluctant at first, but soon put a hand on it. I noticed she was wearing a pair of leather gloves. She was trying to be gentle with it, though there was no need. Andr just gave a light tug. This didn't faze me.
"See? Can't feel a thing."
"Why not?" She complains.
"I dunno..." I gently poke Cupa's forehead with it, playfully pushing her back like a child. "I can control it, but I don't think it's real..." I dismissed that tail as well. The door is still locked, so there's no need to stay like this.
"Um... Can I ask why you wanted to meet here?" Andr was curious as well.
"Oh, yeah. Why meet where you're surrounded by mobs?" I clear my throat to fix that irritated voice of mine.
"Well, until I can get any leads, I'm just wandering around aimlessly. Since staying in a village is out of the question, I figured I should stay where I blend in."
"This might not be a good place to live. No one's said anything to you yet, but Wolves aren't exactly welcomed here."
"Why not?"
"Because Wolves protect the Cubehumans. That is what Hostile Kingdoms eat."
"My kingdom isn't enemies with the Wolves." Cupa was the one to suggest.
"Are you offering me a place to stay?"
"Well, I'd have to pull some strings...but getting you a room shouldn't be a problem."
"Then I'll take it." I was quick to accept.
"You sure?"
"If it means I get to see you more, then..." I stopped myself. Cupa barely knows me. If I just come out with it and get shot down, I'll just feel stupid...
"...Cute. Cupa, can I talk to you in the corner?" She didn't even wait for a response. Andr teleported her away. I couldn't understand what they were saying. The reminds me: still need to figure out how these ears of mine work. Are they just there, do they even work? I dunno. They soon came back. Cupa looked upset.
"What's wrong?"
"How long can you hold those tails?"
"I can hold one for half a day."
"Yeah, but how 'bout three of them?" It took me a minute to crunch the numbers.
"About...less than an hour." Andr groaned while Cupa just lowered her head.
"What?"
"I'm surprised you even passed for a Wolf in the first place."
"What do you mean?" Cupa was the one to ask me another question.
"How old are you?"
"I'm 18." Their eyes widened.
"Like, as in years?" Andr kept us on track.
"Okay, so let's say he is a Wolf. The average 150-year-old has three tails."
(As in ALWAYS?!) My eyes were the same now.
"1-Tails are normally younger than 70, too." So they just grow more tails as they get older?! Man, I really did screw up...
"This might take a while to work out. Cupa, you can do whatever—just make sure no one sees him."
"You're serious, though? I can go with her?"
"It's not like you're strong enough to kill a—" Cupa stares at Andr. "...Nevermind. Just make sure to stay inside. I'll come up with something later."
"Why later?" Andr had to remind me of the obvious.
"Because it's almost nighttime. More mobs will be awake and active. We have to focus on getting you outta here while we still can."
"Right..."
"Here. Wear this." Cupa handed me a pale grey coat. It was the zip-up kind, with its own hood. "This way you won't need to bother with a tail."
"Wow..." I was already trying it on. The coat was nice and long. It was also baggy enough so if I did have a tail, it won't tear through the coat. The sleeves were a proper fit. The hood was long enough to cover the top half of my face if I needed it to. Everything was just the right size.
"It's perfect..." This just feels right, like concealing my identity is part of who I am. I was staring back at Cupa now. She had a warm smile...
"Great! Let's get you out of here, now..." Cupa nodded in understanding and grabbed her hand.
"Aren't you coming?"
"Oh! Yeah, sorry." I gave Andr my shoulder. There was silence for a while. She was probably concentrating. Then we were off!
*Warp!*
[To Be Continued...]
Wolves
The common variety of Wolves are nothing special. But the Alpha variety possess a unique ability different than other mobs. They can absorb and manipulate energy found within nature. Because this energy is natural and clean, Alpha Wolves do not come down with the same illness as other mobs do. As they grow older, their bodies are able to absorb more energy. As a result, their bodies grow more tails. The highest number they can achieve is 8 tails. The greater number of tails, the higher their status as Alpha. If an Alpha somehow takes on human form, they may now think human, but their natural instincts remain unchanged. They are still very much a Wolf.
