It had been two days since the zephyr attack and Yaebi still felt pretty awkward around Shelby. He couldn't make sense of it all. Sure he wanted to be close to her but now he was just nervous. Though Shelby didn't seem to mind. Every time he looked back at her she smiled warmly at two hadn't spoken in a while now. He felt like keeping his distance now. He didn't want to avoid her though. His feelings for her had never been greater. He would do anything to keep her safe. Then why won't you talk to her, he thought. He figured that after he revealed his true feelings for her he'd find a sense of closure.

"Hey Yaebi," the captain called, "come here."

"Ok," he answered, "just a sec."

Yaebi, at the time, was preoccupied with another task. He was helping rebuild the mast. But he might as well not keep him waiting. He dropped everything and joined Demented at the upper deck. He wondered what it was. As Yaebi left two other people took his place. Shame, he was actually starting to enjoy building. Yet whatever the captain had to say was probably important. Even if it wasn't he would've happily obliged in having a conversation with a good friend. Demented was the captain however. He climbed up the wooden stairs wondering what the captain had to say. He paused in between steps. Could this be another training session? Yaebi shook it off and continued climbing. He was met by a very calm yet happy Demented. Something was off for some reason. The captain looked somehow different. Yaebi couldn't put his finger on it. This was Demented's usual look: always presenting a warm smile but always remaining at ease.

"Hey Yaebi."

"Hey."

"Great to see you."

"It's nice to see you to."

"How's Shelby?"

"Ok I guess."

The two always saw each other. They had somehow develops a close relationship. The captain seemed to prefer Yaebi's presence over the other men as far as Yaebi knew. But he wasn't his first mate. No, that position belonged to someone else. Someone Yaebi didn't see that often. The captain got down to business.

"So you probably have no idea why I called you up here."

"Not a clue," he responded.

The captain started to pace back and forth.

"Well the first mate thinks you need more training."

"Again?"

"Yes, again."

"What was wrong with doing it with Cockatrices?"

The captained looked troubled.

"Apparently mobs don't count."

"Why not."

"They just don't."

Yaebi was confused.

"How else am I supposed to train?"

The captain grinned. Something told Yaebi this was going to get interesting.

"I'm gonna train you."

Yaebi spent the next several minutes suiting up into a type of special armor. It was light yet effective. That's why Demented looked different, Yaebi realized. He couldn't believe he didn't notice what the captain was wearing. Once done, Yaebi was handed a sword. He examined the blade closely. This doesn't look very effective, Yaebi thought. The blade was made out of light wood and the sides were dull. Even the tip was rounded. How could this hurt anybody. Yaebi noticed the captain pull out a similar looking sword. He was starting to get an idea of what was going on. Following the captains example, he pulled out his good sword and tossed it to the side. Once done, Demented looked at the boy intently. He was expecting something.

"Just tell me when you're ready."

"Oh, um of course."

He looked at the captain. He was prepared for something. Yaebi, obviously not dumb, knew something was up. He looked at the captain who was totally unfazed. He just looked ahead, expecting something. Yaebi knew what was up. They were dueling. This was how some people trained one another. Those who trained were not hurt intentionally. That's why his sword was dull. The captain was not his real enemy. And since he wasn't, there was no use for real weapons. Of course, there was still a possibility of getting hurt. Yaebi tightly gripped his blade, keeping his eyes focused on the captain.

"Ready," he uttered.

In an instant the captain went from calm to ruthless. All rationality seemed to leave the captain all at once. Yaebi was overcome with a sense of shock. He had never seen, nor ever imagined, the captain like this. Yaebi noticed a mischievous and wild look in the man's eyes. The mere sight of them sent a chill down his spine. Yaebi only had a split second to react before Demented swung his blade in his direction. In that nick of time, Yaebi blocked an incoming head shot. The power of Demented's blow was staggering. Yaebi thought he felt the wind knocked out of him. He hadn't expected the man to be this strong. All he could do was hold his ground with blades locked. He was reluctant to fight. Demented was his friend. He couldn't hurt a friend. But Yaebi knew this wasn't the time to be hasty. He looked at the captain's face again. He was now devoid of any expression. Demented swung again, and yet again, Yaebi blocked him. The next shot: blocked. Each attack was powerful enough to send him flying. It felt as if each time he was hit he blacked out for a while. Demented was a lot more capable of hurting Yaebi. He had to shake the thought of being killed. The captain was certainly winning this fight. He kept on pressing the boy into a vulnerable state. Yet he never took advantage of that because, pretty soon, Yaebi was quick to recover. But all the while Yaebi struggled to keep up. He was sweating immensely. The state he was in was dangerous. Yaebi tried to wipe off as much sweat off before the captain attacked him. Once he was pressed up against the railing, Yaebi realized it was time to act. Demented kept striking his blade each time. But the boy was getting exhausted and overwhelmed. The captain just wouldn't stop. He just went into a frenzy for no apparent reason. Yaebi was fed up with this so he went on the offensive. Yaebi's blow was deflected easily. But it startled the captain nonetheless. He wasn't expecting aggression, he thought. All this time Yaebi hadn't fought back. A second later he lunged at the captain. This attack was risky, but a lot more effective. Yaebi smirked. He still had a chance. He charged him again. Not to faze him out though. No, that was a dishonorable move. This type of charge involved blocking with his shoulder. Yaebi's attacks actually were effective. He even saw the captain stumble once or twice. At one point they were at a standstill. Demented swung his blade in long strokes, each time being dodged or blocked. Yaebi managed to fight his exhaustion. Pretty soon he's got to stop, he thought. But the captain did not yield. He kept his eyes locked on the boy. Yaebi was starting to get irritated. Yaebi swung his blade as hard as he could. As usual, his efforts went in vain and his attack was blocked. Though once his sword was met with Demented's, the clashing of the two blades produced a loud cracking sound that could be heard for miles. Yaebi hadn't expected it to be that powerful. He supposed everyone around the ship heard it. As always, no one responded. Did they not hear anything from the top deck? No, that couldn't be possible. He was able to to hear the captain call him up here. Unless. They knew this would happen. The captain wasn't trying to kill him. Why would he think that? Then again, the look in the man's eyes was alarming. Looking closer, Yaebi could tell there was some sort of rationality still present in his gaze. It was hard to notice, but Yaebi was positive that there was still a sain look in his eyes. Without warning, Demented swept his leg landing the boy flat on his back. It hurt of course, but Yaebi couldn't focus on the pain. That usually bought the enemy some time. So shrugging it off, Yaebi prepared himself as Demented once again brought his sword down on him. Once again Yaebi blocked the hit, with blades locked once more.

"Is this really necessary," Yaebi asked regarding the fact that both their blades were locked for the longest time.

The captain did not respond with words. Instead he paried his sword and jabbed at Yaebi. Yaebi's eyes lit up. Thankfully, he was able to get out of the way just in time. As he got to his feet Yaebi noticed his opponent wasn't looking. This gave him an opportunity. Yaebi swung his blade in the direction of the captain. He expected that he would inflict some harm. But with lightning fast reflexes, his blow was deflected. How was that possible? Demented wasn't even looking. Yaebi stood there frozen, not out of fear, but surprise. Demented turned his gaze towards the boy. The look he gave was petrifying. Great, he thought, now I've pissed him off. Yaebi braced himself for what was coming. The captain attacked again this time hastily. His actions were directed from rage. Yaebi knew he was screwed if the captain was in a bad mood. Yaebi decided to try what he did last time. As Demented's sword nearly grazed his head, Yaebi struck the captains side. The impact and speed of the blow made his opponent cringe. He probably hadn't expected the boy to actually land a successful hit. It was quite a bit to take in. Both stood there for moment. Yaebi was still processing he could've won. But that wasn't the reason why he was frozen. He was still processing both the fact he hit the captain and how Demented was probably going to react. As if he wasn't already screwed. But the captain just smiled. All fury had left him. Once again, Yaebi was dumbstruck. His attack is blocked and Demented's pissed. He lands a successful hit and the captain's happy? What the hell is going on. Before Yaebi could protest, Demented firmly grasped his hand and shook vigorously. There was excitement in the man's eyes. Yaebi, already alarmed, felt like pulling away. That's when Demented trapped him in a bear hug.

"Boy, I haven't fought like that in years," he announced.

As soon as the captain let go Yaebi thrust himself away.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Training of course."

"I thought you were trying to kill me!"

"Seriously?"

Yaebi pondered what he was going to say. He was, once again, confused about the situation. He was getting used to this feeling.

"We'll... Not really," Yaebi responded.

The captain nodded. There wasn't much to say. The fight may have seemed real but it wasn't. It was Demented's actions that were alarming. Yaebi wondered if this was how he always trained. It was kind of odd. He obviously took this stuff seriously. Now he was in a more relaxed state which puzzled Yaebi. The captain walked over to the edge of the ship and leaned against the railing, taking in the view. What the nether is going on? Yaebi was once again left exhausted and confused. As if by instinct, Yaebi joined the captain. Maybe he could muster up a conversation. Demented didn't really seem to mind the boy's presence. The two shared the moment looking at the open ocean. There was an awkward silence. The only sound present was produced by waves thrusted against the ship. Yaebi hated awkward silence. Sure the view was nice but the silence irritated him. Maybe I should speak up, he thought. Though Demented was the first to speak.

"Yaebi, you know why I drive a ship?"

Yaebi shrugged. "I dunno, why?"

"It had nothing to do with the ocean," he continued, "it was people's creations that inspired me."

"I'm not sure I understand."

Demented explained what he meant by 'inspired'. He talked about how people constructed these huge landmarks with the sweat of their brow.

"Haven't you noticed all the amazing things people make nowadays?"

Yaebi shrugged. He wasn't quite sure he understood.

"Not really," he answered truthfully.

The captain gave him a surprised look. Yaebi honestly hadn't seen the things people had made. From what Demented had told him, they were everywhere. These were people's hopes and dreams come to life. Yaebi could hardly believe what he was hearing. Not only were there other people besides Shelby, there were entire civilizations that constructed these amazing things. Wait, of course he knew that. That's where they were headed wasn't it? Maybe humans were more sparse than he thought. Of course this kingdom where they were headed would contain quite a few. Maybe this place had a good amount of landmarks. Yaebi figured people from here must move from place to place to build their structures. They must be something, Yaebi thought, Demented seems pretty passionate about this. Demented always seem to talk in an eager tone. But this was different.

"But what does this have to do with you being a captain," he asked.

Demented continued to explain.

"A couple of years ago I decided I wanted to look at these things more often. But it was impossible to walk from place to place just to see them. It never really seemed worth the trip. So I guess I bought this ship so I could journey out and get a better look at them. Best decision ever."

Yaebi sort of understood why he went to this extent just to get a good view. He remembered how awesome it was to build a house with Shelby. It was nice knowing that you could decide what your house was made out of, as long as it was sustainable. The whole process was exciting: getting the materials, building the frame. Even stepping back and examining your own work was a benefit. Maybe Demented felt the same.

"You've seen some pretty great things haven't you," Yaebi assumed.

The captain laughed. "I've seen quite a few eye catchers here and there."

"Give me an example," Yaebi probed, "like, what was your favorite."

The captain pondered this. "Well, there was this one floating Nether garden. I guess you could say it was something of beauty."

Something of beauty?

"The inside was just spectacular. Each room had its own unique look. In the first room were a bunch of well-maintained trees and the second was an entire wheat farm."

Yaebi humored the captain by letting him explain the whole layout of the structure. He was a pretty good listener. From what he could tell, this was certainly something worth seeing. He went on talking about the whole things corridors and staircases. This place must've been huge for how long he was talking. Demented wasn't one to monologue though. Eventually he finished.

As soon as Yaebi was about to leave, another question popped up. IT had been bugging him since Demented's reason for owning a ship still didn't seem to make sense.

"If this ship is only used for sightseeing why is it armed."

The captain sighed. There was a look of depression in his eyes.

"Boy, I never meant for it to happen."

"For what to happen?"

"A few months after I built this thing, people started to attack. These were not mob based vessels. These guys were humans bent on destroying everything they laid eyes on. Whatever was left they took as their own."

"So that's why you purchased the cannons," Yaebi exclaimed, "I figured it was just because of the war."

"Honestly, I heard about this war only a few months ago."

Yaebi hadn't realized how long it had been since he met Shelby. It was merely a week after he met her that he heard about Zambi's armies. Since then they've been running. Yaebi turned his attention back to Demented who appeared to be transfixed with something. Yaebi couldn't tell what it was since looked as if he was staring off into space.

"You free to go," Demented said, "I need a moment."

Yaebi nodded and left Demented alone. What was that all about? On his way down, he ran into a farmiliar face. Apparently she was going to see the captain. The two locked eyes for the first time since they kissed. Yaebi was already starting to go weak in the knees. It was one of those moments Yaebi felt awkward. The two hadn't realized they were merely inches away. This time, however, Shelby was the first to blush.

"Oh- hey," Shelby uttered.

"Hey."

"I was- looking for you."

Yaebi decided to change the subject before it began. It was something he wasn't going to be comfortable explain.

"I want to talk to you," he said.

"Um, okay."

"It's about the kiss."

Shelby looked left and right as if making sure the coast was clear. She leaned in closer to tell him something no one else could hear.

"Let's do this somewhere else."

The two hid behind the mast out of sight from the rest of the crew. It wasn't the best place to talk in private, but at least it was somewhat helpful. Yaebi looked to Shelby who was purposefully trying to avoid his gaze. That type of behavior made his heart wrench. Yaebi was the one to start.

"So I was wondering. When you kissed me."

Silence.

"Do you really feel that way about me?"

Shelby shrugged, still avoiding his gaze. Maybe she doesn't, he thought, maybe I'm just dreaming. Well, nothing was stopping him from confessing. She might as well know the truth.

"I've had feelings for you for a while now," he said.

Shelby persisted to look away.

"So... I want to know if you've felt the same."

Those last words set her off because as soon as he said that she took off. It was now apparent she was avoiding him. Being as he was, Yaebi followed to see if she was alright.

"Shelby!" he cried.

She rushed inside the cabins and shut the door behind her. What did I say, he thought. Without warning, he busted in. He couldn't see anyone at first but heard the vague sound of crying. This cry was filled with hurt and angst. It was more of a whimper however. Yaebi went straight to the source which, a matter of fact, was Shelby. She was curled up behind a cot. Yaebi was afraid to say anything. Seeing what was going on, Boga came out and started to lick her. Shelby didn't even try to stop him. She was in way too much of an emotional state to respond to any outside stimuli. Yaebi rubbed the back of his head thinking about what he could say. Before he could, he heard her mumble something. He listened closer and could make out words.

"Not like Adam. Please not like Adam," she muttered.

Wait what she mean by, "not like Adam". Yaebi would have to say something eventually.

"Look I'm sorry if I said anything sensitive but I really.."

"It's fine just- just go away!" She cried.

Those words struck him hard. She had never talked to him like that before. Why was this happening? He loved this girl, so why did it feel like all he did was hurt her? No, he thought, I'm not going away. Leaving her alone would just delay things.

"You know what screw it," he announced, "I really do care for you. So when you kissed me I thought you felt the same."

"I do," she cried.

"Then what's wrong."

"Notch don't this to me," she muttered.

"What's wrong. Look Shelby you can tell me. I'll understand," he gestured.

"No," she said, "You won't."

"Just try me."

Yaebi continued to plague her asking for a reason to her grief. She kept avoiding the subject. But this was something serious that he needed to know.

"What's so wrong with having feelings?"

That was when she finally snapped.

"Because I don't want to lose you!" She cried with desperation in her voice.

Yaebi gave her three minutes before questioning her again. She was really in serious pain.

"Shelby I'm not going anywhere. Remember, I'll keep going just stay by my side. Now I don't know about you, but I plan to continue going with you," he declared, "now tell me what do you mean by 'losing me'."

Those words seemed to calm her down a bit. It was enough to make her willing to talk.

*sniff*"Well remember how I told you about Adam?"

Yaebi listened intently as Shelby went on about her relationship with her old friend Adam. She told him how they grew tight among the years. Apparently, the two had developed feelings for eachother. Before long, they decided to act on those feelings. They truly loved each other. Back in those days, Shelby was the happiest. Nothing she knew of could tear them apart. But that all changed. What happened next was something that still hurt her till this day.

"One day," She said, "he went out saying he was going to find the End portal. He told me to stay home incase anything bad happened."

"Well, what happened?"

The next part she could barely say outloud.

"Before he left I gave him a dagger. His initials were welded into it so we could know it was his. So he walked away and never came back."

Yaebi felt sorry for her but what did the dagger have to do with anything? He was afraid to ask. He was already walking on thin ice.

"I killed an enderman five months after he left. When I went to the corpse to collect the loot, it was holding the knife. It was the same exact knife, it had the initials and everything."

It was all coming together now. He understood what she meant by losing him. She was afraid if she loved him the way she did Adam then he would end up disappearing. Yaebi doubted this but knew it must have been traumatizing losing someone. He came down to eye level with her, kneeling so he could see her face.

"Look, I promise you, I'm not going anywhere."

Shelby got up and embraced him. Yaebi was caught off guard but decided it was only natural. He rubbed her back to help calm her down even more. Her heavy breathing was going down.

"I'll hold you to that," she whispered.

Yaebi left her be. He had already said enough. It was better to leave her alone now. He headed for the nearest fence post and leaned over the side. It was 3:00 now and there was nothing much to look at. Why would Demented travel across the sea if there's nothing to look at? Though when he looked closer, he could make out an object in the distance. A landmark? No. This thing was getting closer and was coming up fast. A minute later and it was apparent that it was another ship. Yaebi didn't know what to think. The one ship they encountered before ended up being an enemy. What would these guys be? His question was immediately answered, because before he could get an even better look, a fiery projectile was launched from the distant ship. Yaebi flinched didn't have to duck, because they missed by a longshot. It was apparent it was no misfire though.

"Everyone man the cannons," Demented yelled.

It just got real. Yaebi dashed down to the cellar and fetched some ammunition. When he got back, The ship was much closer now. Let's just say it wasn't the greatest view. The whole thing looked like a piece of crap. There's experienced building and then there's just effortless crap. Not to mention the ship didn't look like it could take a hit. Despite that, it's crew members continued to howl at them. Demented ignored this and barked orders at the men. He had never seen the captain like this. He was really taking this seriously. Even though the enemy fired lava bombs they could never get a good hit. These guys seemed easy, but maybe Demented knew better.

"Who are these guys," he asked.

"Griefers," the captain growled.

The captain wasn't in the mood now. He could only have one thought on his mind: blow these bastards out of the water. Yaebi loaded one of the cannons and covered his ears. He expected the ship to be in pieces. Instead it only blew apart the shell of the ship. Inside were fragments of obsidian and cobblestone. For idiots that only knew how to destroy stuff, they managed to find a way to keep it intact. The battle was fierce, not as fierce as the battle with the last zephyrs but still.

they were staying out of range of their cannons and none of their ammunition worked.

"urrr!"

Yaebi saw Demented grunt, "this is taking too long" he walked over and climbed into one of the cannons.

"fire one" he shouted as he lit the fuse on the cannon.

Was he freakin insane. Nothing could stop the man from crashing into the ship. The next thing he saw was Demented brandishing his blade in front of the griefers. They must've been shitting their pants then and there.

"This," he yelled, "is for Jerry!"

For the next couple of minutes Demented almost single handedly took care of the whole crew. Though, Yaebi did pitch in, throw his knives at the enemy. Everyone watched in awe as he cut them apart with his obsidian sword. Before Yaebi could comprehend what he had just seen, Demented had already boarded the ship.

"Blow it up," Demented ordered.

"Who the nether is Jerry?"

"A giant *****."

"Wait, What," Yaebi asked, alarmed by what he just heard.

"Baah, I'm just kidding. Jerry was the name of this one structure I built. It was sadly griefed."

Demented nudged him in the shoulder. Thank Notch he was kidding. Not that he hated this place but Yaebi wondered when they'd reach the kingdom. His thoughts were distracted as Shelby approached him. Her eyes were bloodshot from all the tears. Yet she stood strong. She was the one confronting him. She made it clear that she was willing to speak.

"Thanks for talking to me."

Yaebi didn't fully understand why she was doing this now. They had just won a battle. His mind was blown once again because before he could say a word, Shelby grabbed his face and kissed him. He was not going to get used to this.

Sorry it took so long to post this chapter. You know I've got other things going on. But I still love adding to this story. You may notice it's a little rushed. By the way if I am to be referred to in any fanfiction I will go by the name of either Mega or Disciple.