AN – Alright, here's next chapter.

Doc: Magma does not own Terraria. Any references to movies, games, products, TV shows, etc. are also not owned by Magma. Any dialog/events/characters that are not canon belong to Magma. No copy write is intended.

All information on Terraria is from the Terraria Wiki.

The Slime Rain and Floating Island

Sarid laid in the shade of a tree, her eyes closed and listening to the sound of the wind as it rustled the tall grass around her, as well as the leafy branches above her. Taking a breath through her nose, she inhaled the fresh air, smelling the faint sweetness of the grass and the clean air, gladly filling her lungs with it.

It had been three days since her trip to the mountains, and all the homes had cooling devises. She still had the ice, though the idea that Autumn and Xanos had proposed to her was to use it to keep food cold, and they were now working on blue print for such a device.

She opened her eyes, seeing the leaf-laden branches and how they danced in the wind, rays of sunlight streaming through momentary gaps. Sitting up, she looked down upon the village, watching as the residents went about their day, now able to enjoy the coolness of their homes.

I need to build that pool house... Sarid remembered. She had the plans drawn up, the problem now was where to build it.

A quiet footstep sounded behind her, she looking and seeing Asher, causing her to stiffen.

"…"

"…"

They watched each other in silence, Sarid then looking back forward. Asher said nothing, but slowly walked over to her, sitting down beside her.

"…"

Neither of them said anything.

"…Uh…So, um…thanks for installing the cooling machines."

"Hm." Sarid hummed.

"…" Asher shifted awkwardly, glanced up at her, then looked back down at his feet, blushing. "…So, uh…other than the whole almost…freezing, part, how was your trip?"

"…" Sarid looked up, able to see the clouds as they drifted over the village, then seeing the one that didn't move. "…Asher?"

"Yes?" He answered quickly, looking up at her.

"That cloud isn't moving." She told him, pointing up at it. He followed her finger and saw what she was pointing at, a single, large cloud that remained in place.

"…I wondered…" He murmured, his word barely audible.

"Wonder what?" Sarid asked, still watching the cloud.

"Well, I've read of clouds only found here that can support Floating Islands-"

"What?" Sarid looked at him quickly, Asher looking at her. "A…Floating Island?"

"…Y-yes, a…island that…floats…" His voice withered down to a whisper as he spoke, Sarid staring at him. She blinked, then looked back at the cloud. "…I-I could…I could tell you m-more about them, if you want."

"…How do I get to it?" She asked, looking back at him.

"Uh, w-well, you, you could uh…build a tower up to it…" He told her.

"…Hm…a tower…" She hummed, looking back at the cloud. Asher stared at her, swallowing.

"…I-Is there, uh, a-anything else you…want to…know?"

"…Hm." She hummed again, standing up and walking down the hill. Asher watched her go, walking down the hill toward the castle. He sighed, his shoulders slumping a bit, and pulled his knees up, resting his chin against them. After a moment, he tucked his head down, sighing again.

A bit later, Sarid was looking through the storage area, getting stacks of grey bricks, though she quickly found that she did not have enough. She half-frowned, then put them back, going to another chest and pulling out stacks of dirt. Putting them in her pack, she was running an idea through her head when –

SPLACK!

Hm? Sarid mentally asked, looking over her shoulder. There was silence, when another, similar sound reached her ears. Standing, she went out of the storage room and looked around, when she heard the noise, making her jump some.

Looking, there was slime splattered one of the windows.

…?

She went to the window, looking at the green splatter, her lip curling up in disgust.

What in the world is this? She wondered, when another slime splattered against the window. After watching it a moment, she turned and ran out of the Work Wing, into the main hall and across the bridge, going out the Grand Doors and looking up at the sky. Slimes of all colors fell from the sky, splattering or bouncing off of the homes, hopping around as if they were taking over the settlement.

"What…?" Sarid asked, when she noticed they were bouncing toward her. Pulling out her Space Gun, she fired at them, making quick work of them as they dropped slime and coins.

Some time passed before Sarid saw one that was unfamiliar, being blue with a crown of dark blue spikes sticking out from it. Her brows furrowed down some, though she fired at and killed it, picking up the coins it had dropped when some force struck her, throwing her a few feet before she landed in a crouch, skidding one or two feet, then stopping and putting her hand forward to keep her balance. Looking up, she saw a gigantic blue slime with a jewel encrusted gold crown on top of it, while in the center there appeared to be a person in black clothing.

It jiggled, then jumped, almost landing on top of Sarid, she rolling forward out of the way.

She came up from the roll and turned, pulling out her Space Gun and releasing rapid fire, little pieces of gel flinging off of the main Slime. A smaller Blue Slime sudden appeared, latching onto Sarid's leg, surprising her. Looking down, she saw it hanging on, and so she stamped her foot, causing it to fall off her leg to the ground. Her Space Gun was aimed at it, when the giant Slime hit her again, throwing her again.

Pain erupted in her back as she struck a flat object, and she then fell forward, able to catch herself and land on her left foot and went down onto her right knee, her left hand steadying her.

"S-Sarid?!"

She looked up, seeing that it was the side of Asher's house she had hit, Asher looking over the side of the porch railing, a mixture of shock and confusion on his face.

"Asher! Inside!" She told him, then looking back at the giant Slime.

"Th-That's King Slime!" Asher yelled, Sarid then taking off toward it. Pulling out her Phaseblade, she switched it on, then jumped and brought the glowing blade down on King Slime, the slime burning away, the edges of the cut shriveling to a dark blue crust and releasing a horrible smell.

King Slime made a noise, then jumped at Sarid again, though she rolled out of the way again, pulling out her Space Gun and shooting it more. The little flecks of slime flung off of King Slime as she shot it, when she noticed that they were gathering together, making a smaller Blue Slime.

Her eyes darted around, seeing several of them hopping toward her, when one of them was suddenly hit with an arrow.

She looked at Asher's porch, seeing him there with a bow and quiver of arrows.

"A-Asher! Inside!" She yelled again, when out of the corner of her eye she saw King Slime jumping at her again. Rolling out of the way again, she went back to shooting him, when she noticed King Slime had gotten smaller.

Sarid put away her Space Gun and pulled her Phaseblade back out, then ran at King Slime and sliced it again, then again, and again and again and again.

I need to kill this before it can get to Asher. She thought seriously, her teeth grit and not allowing King Slime any room for a counter strike. The Phaseblade carved away slime, which gathered on the ground as multiple smaller Slimes, which were killed by Asher's bow.

Suddenly, after a hit from Sarid's Phaseblade, King Slime almost seemed to explode, blue slime being flung everywhere. Pulling out her Space Gun, she made fast work of the remaining Slimes, Asher still firing arrows. When they had all been picked off, Sarid turned to Asher's house, he still on the porch, and walked over to it, going up onto the porch.

"H-How was that?" Asher asked. "I, I've been practicing my aim and-"

"What were you thinking?" Sarid asked him through grit teeth.

"…I-I, I…wanted…" His voice trailed off, he shrinking away.

"Asher, while I support you fighting in defense, I can easily handle fighting a few Slimes. Don't do that again." She told him, then turning and going off the porch to the ground, and to where King Slime had died. She picked up the items it had dropped, then went off to the castle to look through them.

Asher watched her from his porch, until she disappeared behind the Grand Doors, and he watched those for a bit before hanging his head. Turning, he went into his house and went up to the second floor, to his bed and laid face-down on the bed, sighing.

Later…

Sarid was pleased to discover that she not actually need to use the dirt to build a tower up to the Floating Island.

Instead, she went tree jumping, leaping from branch to branch high above the ground, until she reached the Floating Island, and from her bag, she pulled out the Flying Carpet she had gotten from the Pyramid. She went up to the highest point in the tree, then unraveled it and jumped, the carpet taking flight and carrying her up to the island.

The top side was ringed with white cloud, the inside having trees, dirt and grass, along with a blue and gold structure, some metal that protruded from the ground shining in the sunlight. The structure seemed oddly familiar in some way, the Flying Carpet landing before its door, windows letting in the late morning sun. She stared at it a bit, trying to figure out why it seemed familiar, though she could not recall.

Sarid stepped off the carpet, the picked it up and rolled it up, putting it into her pack as she approached the structure, opening its door. The inside was lit by the sunlight coming through the windows, a table with two chairs at it against the far wall, a chest to her left, and three different banners hung from the left wall.

Going to the chest, she opened it to find a pair of golden horseshoes, some metal bars, a few grenades, glass jars, a blue object with a spinning yellow fan on the front, and rope. She laid these out on the table, except for the blue object as it was too big, and looked them over, then picking up and inspecting the horseshoes.

She noticed there were smaller ones stuck to them, which she pulled off and looked at, when it suddenly made her think of a shoe outline. Curious, she sat down and put the larger part up to her boot, to find it suddenly stuck to the sole. The smaller part fit her heel, and the second horseshoe of the pair attached itself the same way on her other foot. Standing up, there was no difference in how her feet had felt before, much to her surprise. Putting the other items into her bag, she got the banners from where they hung and put them in as well, then went outside.

Pulling out her Nightmare Pickaxe, she went to the metals that stuck from the ground and mined them, then filled in the spaces with dirt, and rested under a tree for a bit. Her mind was busy with thoughts, such as finding the time to build the Pool House, work on the castle interior, and some other things. Getting out a water skin, she drank from it, then put it away and stood.

She went to the edge, pulling out the Flying Carpet, and jumped off. The carpet unraveled under her, she holding the edge, and she flew down to the ground, safely landing. The carpet was rolled up again, and she started back toward the village, heading into her castle. Going into the work wing, she put her bag aside and hung up her cloak and the vest she wore. Picking up her bag, she went into the storage room and put somethings away, then went out into the work area and went up onto the loft, setting the blue item with the fan in an empty space.

Sarid stared at it a moment, then sighed, going down the stairs to the work area.

Hannah sat with Asher in his kitchen, Asher having his head down on the table and Hannah pouring tea.

"…So, have you learned anything else about Terraria from those books from the Dungeon?" She asks him.

"Hmm." He hummed.

"…Is that a yes or a no?" She asked.

"…There's supposedly a temple buried out in the jungle somewhere." Asher told her.

"Interesting! Tell me more."

"Hannah, I know you don't find it that interesting." He sighed, sitting up and looking at her.

"…" Hannah sighed, setting down the teapot. "I just don't want you moping around because of Sarid."

"I know, but it's just! Just that – It's like, I can't…" He sighed, slouching.

"Don't slouch." Hannah told him, he sitting up again.

"…She just won't talk to me." He mumbled, then putting his head back down. Hannah sighed, leaning forward and holding herself up with her hand, chin in her palm. Her finger on her free hand tapped again the table top, trying to think of something.

They then heard the door downstairs, followed by Sarid calling "Asher?"

He shot up so fast his chair fell over, taking him with it. Hannah sighed again, then got up and went to the top of the stairs, and saw Sarid at the base of them.

"What was that?" She asked.

"Asher. What do you need?"

"I wanted to ask about a pair of golden horseshoes I found on the Floating Island."

"Oh! Those!" Asher said, rushing over to Hannah and looking down at the base of the stairs. "I read up on the Floating Islands after you left and-"

"Why?" Sarid asked, confused.

"…W-well, I figured you, uh, would find some stuff up…there and would like to know about it." He explained, gripping his sleeve.

"…Very well…"

"…A-anyway, they're called Lucky Horseshoes. They keep you from getting hurt when you fall."

"…Hm…" Sarid hummed, thinking.

"And, and what's better! You can combine them with an obsidian skull to keep from getting hurt by fiery…uh…things…"

"…Thank you." Sarid told him, then turning and leaving.

She left the Library and went back to her castle, and into the work wing, then into the storage area, and retrieved several pieces of obsidian. She crafted the skull first, then the Obsidian Horseshoes, which she then attached to her boots.

Curious to try them, she went out of the work wing to the main hall, and went to the bridge, stopping in the middle of it. Up above her were hangers where some banners hung, she looking for an empty one. Spotting one, she activated her rocket boots and flew up to it, then shut them off, allowing herself to fall.

The ground rushed up, and her feet hit the ground, though she felt no pain. She stood up from her crouch, smiling to herself, as she now had a great help in her acrobatic abilities.

Later…

"So it'll be insulated to keep the cold air in."

Sarid sat with Autumn and Xanos in Autumn's home, the three of them around her kitchen table, which was covered in blueprints.

"Very good." Sarid told Autumn. "At least my trip to the mountain will be worth it now."

"We had something kinda like this back in the swamp." Xanos said.

"Swamp?" Autumn asked, she and Sarid looking up at him.

"Yeah, though we lived really close to a waterfall. There was a cave behind it, and the water in there was always really cold. We'd put our winter provisions in there so we'd have food when it was scarce."

"…Neat!" Autumn said, grinning.

"Well, if you two need any materials, please notify me."

"Will do." Xanos told her.

Sarid left then, going down to the first floor and out of the house, onto the eastern street. The sun was setting, painting the roads and buildings a ruddy red and cool indigo, Sarid stretching and taking a deep breath. She listened to the birds evening songs and the crickets warming up for their nightly numbers, when she suddenly recalled that a week had passed since the Parajay had last docked.

She knew that they could be delayed by weather, but twice in a row seemed a little strange…

"You did what?!"

Lance stood before Flint with a document from General Howe, Doc sitting off to the side. They were in Flint's hotel room, afternoon sunlight coming through the windows.

"Since the sailors there refuse to cooperate, I asked permission to hold their ships until we get information on Forte."

"…Are you MAD?!" Flint asked him. "These aren't the types of men to go against each other! You've wronged them in their eyes, and now?! Now do you honestly think they'll give you aid?!"

"They will if they want their ships." Lance told him. Flint stared at him in shock for a moment, before smacking himself.

"…What in the world possessed you to do this?!" He asked.

"Commander, they are holding up an official-"

"Do you think they care?!" Flint yelled, Lance jumping some. He took a deep breath and put his heads to his head, turning away to pace the floor, his hands smoothing his hair back.

"…" Lance watched him, still surprised that he had yelled.

"…You're in trouble now mister." Doc told him, sipping his tea. Lance shot him a look, which Doc simply smiled at. He looked back at Flint and froze, scared.

Flint stared at him with a glare that could kill, Lance swallowing.

"…We will continue this discussion later." He told him. "Leave."

Lance made no objection, but instead rushed to the door and slipped out, closing it behind him. As soon as he was gone, Flint sighed and went to a chair, sitting down.

"Nothing but trouble, that one." Doc said.

"Aye…" Flint sighed, taking off his glasses and rubbing his face. "Been like that ever since he was a boy…"

"Tea?"

"No thank you."

"Your loss." Doc shrugged, drinking some more.

"…I honestly wonder if this is worth it."

"How so?"

"The people's money going to pay for the hotel room, traveling expenses for the men to come here and investigate someone who's long gone instead of keeping the peace like we're supposed to."

"What government is perfect?"

"Sarid's probably."

Doc chuckled at that. They sat a bit longer, the sun sinking outside, when Flint finally got up, going to the coatrack beside the door.

"I'm going to go to that little bakery down the street." He told Doc, putting on his hat. "You want anything?"

"Mm, their rhubarb pie is excellent."

"That's what I was going to get." Flint told him, pulling on his coat and giving him a smile. Doc smiled back, and Flint left the room, going down into the lobby and out the front door. The street was busy with people, he walking through them, when felt eyes watching him.

He stopped, patted his pockets, then turned back toward the hotel and pointed at it for a moment, then waved his hand and kept on down the street. He crossed over an intersection, a cart trotting through it behind him. Breaking into a fast pace, he weaved between people, then ducked into an alley.

A moment later, a person in a baggy, oversized coat walked past, Flint shooting his arm out and grabbing them, pulling them into the alley. They fought back, knocking his arm away and throwing a punch, Flint grabbing their hand, throwing it aside and hitting them right in the face with a palm-heel strike.

The stranger stumbled back, and Flint grabbed their arm and spun them around, pinning them to the wall with their arm pinned to their back.

"Oi! Watch it, me han's still healin'!"

"Oh? How'd you hurt it?" Flint asked in a low voice.

"Some mucker in an arm-wrestlin' match! AH!"

He winced in pain as Flint pressed his thumb into the injured hand.

"You know, I'm surprised to find a sailor up in this area of the city."

"…How'd ye know that?" They whispered.

"Quite frankly you smell both awful and like salt with a hint of fish. You're not from a fishing vessel then. A trading vessel. Just a regular worker, aren't you?"

"Prove it."

"Your hands are very rough, you don't have the air of a captain, and I doubt a high-ranking member of any ship would let some 'mucker' beat them in an arm-wrestling match so badly that they injure their hands and then try to fight someone with it when they could send someone under them."

"…Yer smar'er than they say, Harpoon."

"That's how I survived." Flint told him. He spun him around again, so that the sailor faced him, though Flint kept his hand pinned on the wall behind him, above his head. There was already a bruise on his cheek were Flint had gotten him, and just under the lip of the hood was a red bandana. "You're with Sinbad's men then?"

"Yea." He said.

"What do you want?" He asked him. His eyes darted over to the street for a moment, then looked back at Flint.

"Lis'en, I could git inna lotta trouble if they find out."

"You have my promise of silence."

"Good, good…" His eyes looked at the street again, then back at Flint. "Look, once er twice'a year, a ship called the Night Runner stops 'ere. It goes up to th' very northern coasts and down 'round the southern ones…"

He looked out to the street, then back at Flint.

"The captain, I wouldn't trust 'em with half'a copper. And last I saw 'em, that Forte feller was talkin' to 'em."

"…And?" Flint asked.

"They walked out t'gether after that!" He told him in a hushed voice. "I ain't seen 'em since then!"

"…I see." Flint said, then releasing the sailor's hand. "Well, I appreciate the information."

From his pocket, he pulled out a small bag of silver coins, putting it into the sailor's hand, then leaning next to his ear.

"Tell Sarid he chooses his allies well."

"…Yea, yes sir." The sailor hastily nodded, then rushed out into the street, merging with the crowds.

Flint went onto the bakery, and bought a pie, fresh from the oven.

Later…

"Yes, I believe we should lift the hold on the ships."

Flint sat with Doc and General Howe, in Flint's room while Doc sat across from them, enjoying a slice of pie.

"What for?" General Howe asked. "They're still holding information from us."

"No, I've gotten some." Flint told him. He gained a surprised look, his brows furrowing.

"What? From who?"

"I'm sworn to secrecy."

"Flint, I order you tell me."

"I'll have to disobey." Flint told him, to his shock. "The person who told could get killed if word got out."

"Flint."

"General Howe."

"…" Howe's lips became thin, white lines and the wrinkles around them deepened. "Fine. I want a full report by sundown."

"Understood, sir."

"Good." He stood and shuffled over to the coat rack, getting his coat. "I'll contact headquarters about lifting the hold. Until then, I want you to follow whatever information you got."

"Yes sir."

"Good." He left then, closing the door behind him.

"…So where's Sarid?" Doc asked.

"Oh, probably off on a paradise island lounging in a luxurious crystal palace, dressed in the finest silk robes while being tended to by shirtless hunks."

"What a life." Doc deadpanned, Flint chuckling.

"No, no…Sarid's returned home. I know that much."

"And the information?"

"False. Sailors look out for those who treat them well, and Sarid has been kind to them if they were willing to risk their necks to try and send us on a goose chase."

"Hm." Doc hummed.

They sat in silence for several minutes, Flint reading a book and Doc eating another slice of pie.

"…So what did happen in that stop in Crystal Bay?"

"I'm not talking about that."

"Well fine." Doc said, putting down his empty plate. He then stood and went to the door, getting his coat. "I'll just go ask the captain who mentioned it!"

"Doc!" Flint exclaimed, jumping up and going after him. He followed him out of the room and down the hall, into to the lobby and onto the street, ultimately ending up back down at the Sailor's Sojourn, angry about the fact that Doc was still able to get ahead simply by the fact he had longer legs.

"Doc I swear-"

He stopped, due to the fact he ran into Doc.

"D-Doc?"

"…" He was quiet, Flint looking around him, his eyes widening when he saw Lance.

"Lance, what are you doing here?" He asked. Lance turned around, looking at him.

"I'm following up on the information that General Howe gave me." He told him, Flint staring at him.

"Lance, go back to the hotel."

"Com-"

"That is an order." Flint told him, Lance flinching.

"…S-sir-"

"Were you ordered here by General Howe?" Flint asked.

"N-no sir, I-"

"Then go back to the hotel. Now."

"Y-yes sir." Lance said, then lowering his head and heading for the door when a sailor stood, putting his hand on Lance's chest to stop him.

"…Wot infermation?" He asked.

The bar was still, no one speaking or drinking, all eyes staring at them.

"About-"

"Lance."

"…" He pressed his lips together, swallowing.

The sailor stared at Lance's face a moment, then turned to look out around the bar.

"Who TALKED?"

A darkness fell over them, men looking around, some pulling out their sea knives while some others stood to look around the bar. The young bartend swallowed, putting away the glass he had been polishing, then looking at Commander Flint, his eyes asking him to do something.

"Lance. Hotel. Now."

"Let 'em talk!" A sailor yelled.

"Who told that gen'ral?!"

"Tell us!"

Lance said nothing, but quickly ducked passed the sailor that had stopped him and out the door, running back toward the hotel.

"What'a runt!" One yelled, mocking Lance's escape.

"C'mon! WHO TALKED?!" A sailor yelled, the men around him letting out a roar of agreement.

Chaos broke loose in the bar, the sailors starting to throw accusations at each other and fights breaking out, breaking glasses and chairs, as well as jumping or tackling each other to the ground. There seemed to be factions, as they would defend sailors from their own crew while attacking sailors from another. A table was flipped and a bottle broke through the window, passersby stopping and looking in on what was happening.

Doc stood amazed at the chaos before him, while Flint stood with an unimpressed look, not even the least bit surprised at what was happening. He looked back at the bartender, who was begging with his eyes.

Sighing, Flint stepped forward and took a deep breath.

"OI!"

All fights stopped, and all heads turned to look at him.

"…Stop that. You're destroying this man's property and place of business, and what's more you're accusing each other without proof. You've got heads and sense, please try to use them."

There was a silence, and the sailor began to break apart from their fighting groups, muttering apologies to each other, while some began to straighten out the mess.

"Good." Flint said with an approving nod. "Now then…I was told the information, which I told to General Howe."

"WHAT?!" They yelled in unison.

"And in return for this information, he agreed to lift the shipping ban."

Cheers and applause broke out, sailors chanting his nickname.

"Thank you. As for the information, I was told about the Night Runner."

A roaring laughter broke out, the men laughing so hard they cried and held their ribs.

"I don't imagine any of you know anything about it?" Flint asked.

"Aye! Th' cap'n's ten feet tall an' invisible!" A sailor yelled, more laughter breaking out.

"Hm. Well, that's something."

AN – Well, this chapter's done.