AN: Good News and Bad News.
The Good News is I got a new job and will be working there starting next week. The Bad News is my writing schedule will suffer and a Chapter a week might not be possible.
That is all.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add Dehydration.
Chapter 181
Daymonte and the Desert
[Cobb]
I was roughly woken out of my slumber by Dwight. My turn on watch. I briefly checked my clock and saw it was close to dawn, which meant it was October 24th.
I yawned as I rolled out of bed and took my position on watch with no complaints. Dwight and Doyle relieved themselves, snuggling into their beds in an attempt to get some rest before sunrise. Watches were traditionally taken in pairs.
And, wouldn't you know it, the other half of my pair was Baltic. He sat across from me and set down a brewing stand, already working on potions. He saw me eyeing the brews.
"Any requests?"
I shrugged. "More damaging potions, I guess. Gotta stick to the endurance training."
"Right…" Baltic furrowed his brow. "The 'training'." He set about making the brews. "You know, if the other Paragons saw the training you were doing, they'd think you were mad."
"Probably am." I said noncommittally. "Not like I'm doing it for fun. I'm trying to get some staying power."
"I'll just make you a bit of everything." Baltic set a bucket of water in a hole and set about filling up some bottles. "You fell asleep pretty quickly last night. Didn't even get a chance to see the wonder on the Paragons' faces."
"Wonder?"
"You got Carys to do what you wanted." He chuckled. "She listened to her enemy. Or rather, her rival."
"No need to correct yourself. We are enemies." I countered, taking out Backlash and examining it. The durability was almost completely gone. I could fix it with an anvil, but that would cost EXP. Mending was another option, but it would cost EXP to enchant, and then even more EXP going forward. No matter what, I'd lose EXP and strength.
Maybe that was why Ember got herself a Tinker's weapon in the first place. Durability never ran out, so she could keep stockpiling EXP forever.
"Enemies don't work together." Baltic pointed out.
"They do if they have a bigger enemy." I shot back. "Enemy of my enemy is my friend or whatnot. Carys isn't my friend, but the Endward Cult's our enemy. They're the only thing keeping us together, and spite is the only thing ensuring our collaboration."
"I thought you said you'd make an effort to be comrades in arms." Baltic said almost desperately. "You said that—"
"I remember what I said." I cut him off. "I remember everything."
"So why are you making it sound like you can't work with the Paragons?" He asked, confused.
"The Paragons aren't the problem." I asserted, to which Baltic made a hum of acknowledgement. "It's Carys. Carys is the one with the problem. No offense, but after the Endward Cult is taken care of, I need to worry about her coming after me next."
The aged alchemist quietly placed some brewing ingredients in the stand. The potions bubbled up, infused with the kind of enhancements that could give a Crafter an edge in combat.
"Carys isn't—"
"I swear to God, if the next words out of your mouth are 'Carys isn't as bad as you think,' then I am going to take all your Mundane Potions and drink myself into a coma." I threatened.
Baltic closed his mouth, his pupils darting as he thought of a different way to phrase it. In the end, he just let the words tumble out.
"She's violent and stubborn, but she has a heart. There's no reason you two can't be allies." He implored. "AND! And. And if you help her defeat the Endward Cult, she might just let go of the past. Waive her revenge towards you and… and go back to how she used to be." He mumbled quietly, earning an arched brow. "All it'll take is a little forgiveness."
"…Forgiveness, did you say?" I said incredulously.
"Yes." He nodded.
It took a lot of self-control for me to not roll my eyes at the comment. Notch, he was as naïve as Noman. I pressed against the inside of my cheek with my tongue, my mouth hanging open as I considered his words.
Finally, I turned to him and shot him a flat look. It was a look designed to convey the bare-bones essentials of my current 'relationship' with Carys.
"She tracked me to Zeppil, made me a worldwide criminal, and beat the piss out of me until I couldn't move." I listed frankly.
Baltic averted his eyes. "Yeah…"
"And if that were all she did," I went on, Baltic's head shooting up so fast it jostled his hair, "then, sure, bygones be bygones. I can forgive that." I gripped my knees tightly and grit my teeth. "But she went after my friends, Baltic. She wanted to kill them and make me watch because she knows it's the best way to make me suffer. And that, I can't forgive."
His expression grew sullen, but he nodded slowly to show he understood.
"Forgiveness isn't as simple as it's made out to be." I continued. "It's not just about saying 'sorry'. You have to want to forgive, and want to be forgiven. For both sides." I sighed. "I can't forgive her for going after my friends. And from what I know about Carys, I don't think she wants to forgive me for Mr. Piggles. She'd never accept my apology. She'd never accept any apology, because if she did, she wouldn't be so fixated on getting her revenge against the Endward Cult in the first place. She can't let things go."
Baltic didn't argue against that.
"There are just some things that can't be forgiven." I noted sadly. "This is just one of them. I accept that."
"So you have no hope the two of you can reconcile?" Baltic asked.
I shook my head. "Most I can hope for is, after all's said and done, we can settle it once and for all. Just me and her."
That's why I can't waste EXP fixing my gear. I decided, stowing Backlash back in my belt.
"When that day comes, I won't hold it against you for rooting for Carys." I told the alchemist. "Just so long as our grudges die with the loser."
He looked stricken by the talk of death, but it was best to plan for the worst. If we survived everything else—Hackers, cultists, and everything in-between—then Carys would be the final foe to face.
[Noman]
Upon reaching the Red River—the first and only water source in the entire Redbone Desert—I did the only sensible thing and jumped headfirst into the cool, rejuvenating water. Days of sweating and thirst and burning skin were washed away and cast downstream.
I wasn't alone in appreciating the river. Soul and many Paragons abandoned decorum and cannonballed into the water, sending ripples in every direction. Even Carys, for all her talk about enduring the harsh desert climate, indulged in washing herself in the river. She breathed out a sigh of relief after scooping water onto her neck.
The Red River was a quarter mile wide, but not too deep—maybe six or seven meters. Too deep for the horses to cross. High sand dunes made up the riverbank, making excellent cover. Carys probably planned for it by choosing that spot. No chance for us to be seen.
It was nice getting an update on Cobb and Lenz last night, but hearing that they had lost the horses was a bit unsettling. They could get new ones in Daymonte, but we didn't have that luxury. We had to keep the horses we had. Anybody who lost them would be left in the dust.
That meant we needed a way to get our horses across the river. Either building a bridge or guiding them across by nudge or lead. It would take a lot of time.
Carys willed off her boots and slapped her feet in the water while she idly checked her map. She was getting another one of those Morse Code messages, and judging by her pleased expression, she was getting good news.
"What's up?" Anibal asked as she swam over.
Carys mouthed something and Anibal let out a shrill cry.
"BOUNTY DAY!?"
The exclamation got the attention of everybody. News of a Bounty Day meant Minecraftia would be getting some new additions. Blocks, items, maybe Mobs. The Paragons were beside themselves with excitement, swimming over each other to get more information about the incoming Bounty Day.
Floyd kept his distance on the shore, his fingers idly tracing the dark lines over his eyes as he pondered the dead Hacker who triggered the Bounty Day.
"Hope it was that Giovanni." Soul growled balefully—the action lacking in intimidation considering the parrot squawking on his shoulder.
"Raaawk, Giovanni, Giovanni!" Christopher Squawken cried.
"What's with the sullen faces?" Anibal asked, her gaze shifting to us as she leisurely floated around us. "Celebrate, you mopey dopes! There's a Bounty Day tomorrow! Testificates in Nitebane confirmed it. We're about to get some new toys to play with."
"That's one way to look at it." Floyd mumbled before getting up and moving downstream.
"What's his problem?" Anibal complained. "Actually, what's all your problems? You Beginners not like Bounty Days or something? You don't like change?"
"It's complicated." I evaded. Judging by how unbothered Kalmarin looked celebrating the Bounty Day, he didn't know what they meant. None of the Paragons knew a Hacker would have died a week ago.
I knew Floyd's feelings towards the Hackers. He didn't side with them, but he couldn't help but want a truce considering how they supported and cared for him like a brother. They taught him. They protected him. They got angry on his behalf. If not for their superiority complex, they'd get along. All he wanted was for them to coexist with Crafters. The more of them died, the further away that goal would seem. Akasha was already a tremendous setback. Coexistence seemed more like a pipedream now.
"Sadly, we won't be able to celebrate like I want." Anibal pouted. "Those cultists we grilled for information gave up a nearby outpost. Carys wants us to use the Bounty Day as a diversion to mask a raid. We're gonna wipe them all out."
"Tomorrow!?" I gasped. "But… but isn't that a bit soon? We need time to scope the place out! We need to plan!"
"Relax, newbie." Anibal smirked. "You got nothing to worry about with the Severe Shield protecting you. It's us that are at risk."
"That's not what I—"
"What if we're seen?" Soul questioned. "If we're attacking an outpost, and we get seen working together, our alliance becomes public knowledge. The Executives will make plans to break us apart. We won't be safe unless they're all dead."
I whimpered at his bluntness.
"Carys and Kal are working on a strike plan. Teams are being made." She assured. "You guys might wind up split up. And that parrot is sure as hell not tagging along."
"Raaawk, suck my tail feathers, Aniball-licker!" The parrot belted out in an imitation of Soul's voice. Anibal's face burned as she glared at Soul.
"Seriously, I don't know where he's learning these phrases from." He said innocently.
With visible effort, Anibal schooled her face back to normal and let loose a beaming smile as she reached into her backpack and pulled out a cookie. "Polly want a cookie?" She asked, holding it out. Christopher Squawken was just about to eat it when Soul pulled him back.
"NO! The parrot merchant said cookies are toxic!"
"Oh, but how can we be sure?" Anibal cooed innocently as she rose out of the water and loomed closer, the cookie held like a weapon. "Come on, little fella. Open wide~!"
"Raaawk, this bitch is cray-cray!"
"My words exactly! Dive, dive, dive!" Soul dove into the water with his parrot in tow. Anibal swam after him, threatening to stuff Squawken's face with the chocolatey poison.
I let them go, instead busying myself with filling up bottles for the desert ahead.
[Floyd]
Moving downstream and away from the excited Paragons, I sat by the riverbank to gather my thoughts.
Another Hacker died. I didn't know who or how, but another Hacker was dead. The Hack Clan already laid waste to Akasha just because two of their own went missing. What would they do after learning another died?
I cupped a handful of water and splashed my face. This was no time for celebrating. If the Hackers ever found out what Bounty Days signified, each one would come with a Hacker attack. What if they went after Exter or Zeppil next? What if Entity 303 used his all-destroying Nuke Hack to end all life in the Kingdoms? Destruction on that scale was beyond anything anybody could stop.
In the end, I didn't know the best way to resolve the problem of the Hack Clan. They just seemed like an impossible riddle.
And yet, they had two of the artifacts we needed. One way or another, we had to get our hands on them.
As I leaned back on my butt, I noticed I wasn't alone. Someone was to the right, kneeling by the river on the same side as me.
What was he doing…?
"Oh Holy Water!" He professed, his hands reaching for the water in supplication. "You bless this barren desert with your presence. Many Crafters are rejuvenated by your cooling touch. You are salvation for parched lips, sore feet, and sandpaper tongues. I, Drowned_One, am but a humble servant of your cause. Please, revitalize this lowly body with your sacred quintessence."
He brought a bottle to the water before scooping it up. He held it like it was liquid gold.
"A thousand thanks and a thousand pardons for this gift you have bestowed. Blessed be the water." He drank deeply and let out a sigh of relief. "Haaa. I am not worthy."
His light-blue eyes darted sharply, finding me in a second. I hadn't made any sound or movement, but my blue hair was pretty noticeable in a desert. His own hair was short and sea-green. He blinked at me.
"Greetings, child." Drowned_One greeted creepily. "I got some little puppies. Do you want to see them?"
"…Not really." I took a wary step away from him. Guy was weird.
"You sure?" He asked. "They're adorable. And they're right here. Right by the Holy Water. They're floating."
"I'm sure." I took another step away from him. "Anyway, I should be going. My friends are probably worried—"
As I turned away, an ender pearl was thrown before my path, Drowned_One teleporting in a rush of movement.
"The water wills you to reconsider." He droned before tackling me off the riverbank and into the water. We fell with a loud splash, my arms and legs struggling as the guy weighed me down.
"What the hell is your problem!?" I coughed, desperately trying to reach my sword. He drank something then. Two potions. As he did, his movements slowed down considerably, but he grabbed my legs and pulled down into the river. I kicked, but couldn't dislodge him before I was dragged beneath the surface.
I held my breath, glaring at him as he dragged me deeper and deeper. He was muttering to himself, having no trouble breathing in the water.
"Water is salvation, child." He droned. "Your sacrifice will rejuvenate the water, which in turn will rejuvenate all who drink from it. You will become part of a greater whole."
THIS GUY IS CRAZY!
I finally tore out my iron sword and began to slash at the arms clinging to my legs and dragging me down. However, no matter how much I slashed, he shrugged off the damage as if I was a toddler beating him with a stick.
Why can't I get this guy off!? I panicked, one hand covering my mouth to help hold my breath. He must have drank a Water Breathing Potion so as not to drown, but what was the second potion?
He was moving slowly and taking more damage. As far as I knew, there was no potion that could do both.
I couldn't hold my breath any longer! An air bubble escaped my mouth as my lungs burned for oxygen. My Hearts started ticking down soon after. My thrashing weakened.
"There is nothing to fear, child." Drowned_One's voice droned. "Just let the soothing water envelop you."
Shut UP!
I threw down both arms and commanded my Hacker smoke to action. A set of ebony spines prickled along my skin before launching point blank into Drowned_One's face and torso. He reflexively released me to clutch at his ruined face—despite not appearing to take much damage—and I violently kicked away from him and towards the surface.
As soon as my head broke the water, I took a great, rattling breath of air, coughing up water and swimming away from the pious water loon. Both hands clung to the riverbank before I pulled myself out and directed both arms towards the water. I fired a volley of MultiAura towards the place I remembered him to be, and then fired it all along the river just to be safe. Hundreds of spines riddled the surface with enough force to touch the bottom. I kept at it for a solid minute before my Hacker smoke receded.
The river's surface was still, and I scanned the banks for any items or Heads or body parts. Nothing floated to the surface. No sign of Drowned_One.
I coughed up another bit of water before shakily getting to my feet. No sign he was dead. He must've escaped.
I didn't want to get in to check if he was still around. Instead, I grabbed my gear and hurried back to the group upstream. I had to warn them of the guy in case he made a reappearance.
"Nutcase." I muttered to myself, shaken by the randomness of it all.
[Lenz]
We packed up and set off in the morning. Judging by how Cobbert rotated his shoulders and winced every other step, he had undergone more of his draconian endurance training with the help of Baltic's potions. He was committed to getting stronger.
It reminded me of how far I could still climb as an archer. So, as we walked east, I figured I could do some training of my own.
Months ago, when Mastah Veronica taught me the importance of mobility, she had demonstrated Arc Shot, a skill I struggled to grasp. It involved applying just enough force to an arrow to get it to angle downward. Pros could fire over walls and strike a foe under cover.
Mastah Veronica could pull it off. Ciro_Che demonstrated his Arc Shot aptitude with the Yanhua Gong in Jolin, and Chen Tzuyu—the Azure Jay in Zeppil's Parkour Games and a former Bird of Prey—called them simple. I could intercept arrows, but apparently there were former Birds of Prey even better than that. Chief among them, the former Birds of Prey leader—the Night-Raven, Abyssmal.
After getting shoved down by Perry, I came to realize how terrible my close combat skills were. I had no skill with a sword. I could wear no heavy armor. The only thing I excelled at was the bow, so I had to learn every archery technique available if I were to have a chance against the higher-ups of the Endward Cult.
Had I been stronger, I might have been able to help Noman and Ciro when Ember showed up. I thought to myself. I was there. I could have fired a shot, even if it meant taking out 4Blite or Leadstripe.
With AceOfJades having revealed my strengths and weaknesses, they would all know how weak I was up close. I had to come up with a countermeasure, but all I could think of was mastering Arc Shot.
So that was what I did. Using my Infinity bow, I would notch an arrow and fire over trees to hit the trees behind them. As training went, it was paltry compared to the torture Cobbert went through, but I had to start somewhere. Arcing shots over trees seemed as good a method as any.
It was a challenge, though. Holding the bowstring too much had my arrow fly high. Too little and it would not have the power to clear the trees. And the varying heights in trees meant there was no constant. Every shot was different and I had to do it while walking.
The Paragons—particularly Z7 and Trenay—took a vague interest in what I was doing. Even Cobbert spared a glance, though I doubted he understood the significance of my training. Only a true archer could guess.
I wished we still had our horses. Walking and shooting was taking its toll. Also, a few Paragons complained about the trek, Heather rubbing her soles.
"Ugh, this sucks." Heather winced. "No airship, no horses. I thought the days of walking everywhere were behind us."
"We just going to ignore how we had to follow you on foot for four days?" Doyle pointed out, with Aurand and Shroud raising a pair of brows.
"I thought you mysterious assassins were supposed to stalk in shadows and uncomplaining silence." Heather snarked, only to give a start when Luis stooped down and offered her his back. She smiled then. "What a gentleman~"
As Luis bore her weight and carried her, my eyes nervously strayed to Cobbert. His face was pinched and twisted, his lower jaw jutting out as he forced his gaze away from the couple. Baltic noticed as well, but said nothing. It was a marked improvement from when he went over and pushed the two apart, but Cobbert still held disdain for couples after AceOfJades. The fewer displays of affection he saw, the better.
As I went back to shooting, I gave a sharp intake of breath as Z7's bedraggled face was within my personal space. I lifted my tinted glasses and scowled at her, this being the third occasion where she snuck up on me.
"Wl blf vmqlb trermt nv nrmr svzig zggzxph? (Do you enjoy giving me mini heart attacks?)" I demanded. She grinned.
"Lmob ru blf pvvk nzprmt rg hl vzhb. (Only if you keep making it so easy.)" She replied. "Dszg'h drgs gsv yld? (What's with the bow?)"
"Training. Er… gizrmrmt." I translated simply.
She raised an eyebrow at the trees I was shooting over. I could tell what she was asking.
"Kizxgrxrmt hsllgrmt levi xlevi. Xzoovw Zix Hslg. (Practicing shooting over cover. Called Arc Shot.)"
"Zix Hslg. (Arc Shot.)" She hummed thoughtfully, observing the shots I had taken. Particularly the ones that came up short of the first tree. "Rh nrhhrmt kzig lu gsv hproo? (Is missing part of the skill?)"
I scowled at her and she just shrugged.
"Nfxs orpv Qryyvirhs, R zn hgroo dliprmt lm rg. (Much like Jibberish, I am still working on it.)" I folded my arms. "Ru R zn tlrmt gl yv z yvggvi urtsgvi, R mvvw gl ovzim mvd zixsvib gvxsmrjfvh. R mvvw gl yv ivzwb uli zmbgsrmt. (If I am going to be a better fighter, I need to learn new archery techniques. I need to be ready for anything.)"
She snatched the infinity bow right out of my hands.
"What…? Hey, I was not ready!" I reached out to grab it back, but Z7 danced out of the way, her long curtain of purple hair sweeping up to conceal her hand and the bow. When the curtain came back down, the bow was gone, and in its place was one of her iron daggers. I was astonished, forgetting again to translate. "How did—? What did you do with my bow?"
With a soft laugh, she flipped the dagger over so that it spun around her finger. She flourished with both arms, my eyes tracking where the dagger should have gone, but, once again, inexplicably, the dagger vanished into thin air.
"Rh gsrh z girxp? (Is this a trick?)" I questioned, craning my neck to look behind her. She had daggers at her belt, but no sign of my bow. Items did not just disappear. Not unless they were burned or thrown in lava.
"Ml girxp. (No trick.)" She answered before holding both arms out, palms up. Her hands were empty. "Jfrxpwizd!"
"Jfrxpwizd?" I questioned, the word unfamiliar to me.
While I endeavored to translate, she spun in place, her curtain of hair sweeping up to obscure her body and hands for maybe half a second. This time, I thought I saw her elbow move. When she spun back around, her hands were not empty anymore. One held a dagger while the other held my Infinity Bow, which she tossed back into my fumbling hands.
It was then I understood the word.
"Jfrxpwizd. Quickdraw."
I never considered it before, but as an assassin with an assortment of Tinker's daggers, Z7 had to have the sharp reflexes to re-arm herself anytime she threw a knife. She had fast hands which could fly to her belt or backpack and withdraw a new dagger in maybe half a second.
The bow did not actually disappear. She just used her long sweeping curtain of hair to obfuscate my line of sight. A distraction which gave her a window of opportunity to move items around—make it look like they vanished. She could pull it off because of her reflexes and because she had hair so long it dragged beside her bare feet; it concealed her backpack from sight as well as half of her belt's pockets.
"Ulitvg Zix Hslg. (Forget Arc Shot.)" She said dismissively. "Nzhgvi Jfrxpwizd gvxsmrjfv. Evib fhvufo. (Master Quickdraw technique. Very useful.)"
She demonstrated it once more by quickdrawing a series of daggers from her belt and throwing them at a tree with both hands. The speed at which she performed the feat was dizzying; there was always a dagger in her hands, even while a total of ten of them struck the nearest tree. If that were a Crafter, they would be dead by the fourth or fifth dagger.
Finally out of daggers, she ambled over, grabbed them all, and unstuck them from the tree. Then she approached me, holding one out handle first. I was confused until she pressed the handle more firmly into my hands, prompting me to take it.
It was light. Made out of iron, yet not nearly as cumbersome as a sword. I weighed it in my hand, tilting it from side to side.
"Kizxgrxv wizdrmt drgs gsrh. (Practice drawing with this.)" She instructed. "Pvvk zg rg fmgro blf xzm wizd rg rm szou z hvxlmw. Zmw wlm'g olhv rg, mviwormt. R'n lmob ovmwrmt rg gl blf. (Keep at it until you can draw it in half a second. And don't lose it, nerdling. I'm only lending it to you.)"
She stepped back with her hands on her hips, waiting for me to start training with the small weapon. I awkwardly made space for it in my belt before drawing it from my pocket as quickly as I could. It stuck slightly coming out, snagging and almost flying out of my grip. By her unimpressed expression, I could tell I screwed it up.
So I tried again.
I would have rather mastered Arc Shot than start a new technique that would never come in handy, but with Z7 watching me like a hawk, I had to put in some effort.
Now, I did not mean Quickdraw was without its merits. Being able to quickly swap out items could prove useful. But, in combat—and especially in archery—I only had one ammunition to draw from. I did not know how to make those tipped arrows I saw in that one Bounty Day. Quickdraw would only come in handy when arming myself before a battle or increasing my arrow output. And if I used my Infinity bow, the latter would become moot.
So what use was there in Quickdraw? I had no other weapons to swap to in a fight. The bow was everything.
Still, I took a break from my failed Arc Shot attempts and quietly followed the Jibberwoman's instructions; drawing and sheathing that dagger a hundred times.
[Cobb]
It hurt to watch Luis piggybacking Heather. I couldn't watch them without a dull ache filling my chest. It was all I could do just to grit my teeth and keep moving forward. Fortunately, single Baltic was there to distract me.
"Hey, everyone." He called us to attention, a map fluttering in his hands. "I just got some good news from Carys and Jillian."
"Is it that Carys fell into a latrine?" I asked somewhat hopefully.
"Ew. No."
Reality is disappointing. I thought forlornly.
"I was going to say that we're expecting a new Bounty Day tomorrow." My head jerked up, even as the rest of the Paragons whooped excitedly. I turned towards Lenz, seeing a similar look of surprise on his face. We were both thinking the same thing.
Another Bounty Day? Who got taken out? Not Floyd or Kalmarin—we spoke with them just yesterday. It had to have happened a week ago. Is someone else waging war against the Hackers?
I slowed down to speak privately with Lenz while Baltic and the others kept chatting.
"Are you sure they'll be one?" Witige asked.
"Positive. The Testificates in Nitebane confirmed it." He waved his map again. "Jillian's relayed the details to Carys and the rest. Seems Carys intends to use the Bounty Day celebrations to mask a raid on an Endward Cult outpost in the desert."
"Smart." Heather approved from atop Luis' back. "I wonder what new stuff we'll get."
"We've certainly been getting a lot of Bounty Days." Trenay commented.
"What is this, like, the sixth one this year?" Wing guessed. "I'm not complaining—we get a lot of new toys to play with—but why do they keep happening?"
It was Lenz who answered, his voice sounding over the din.
"A Hacker must have died a week ago. Someone went after them."
As one, the Paragons slowed to a crawl, all of their heads swiveling towards Lenz and I as we kept discussing it.
"You don't think Ciro jumped the gun, do you?" I guessed.
"Not possible. He is nowhere near the Obelisk." Lenz rapped his map. "Floyd is secure. Could this just be another Alec scenario?"
"But then who did it? The Endward Cult? Ember was talking about some almighty superpower left by Herobrine." I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.
Lenz shook his head. "There is too little information to go off of. All we know is that it happened a week ago. Perhaps if we make use of Jillian's information network, we can—"
"Whoa, hey, hold on." Dwight waved his hands as he came over. Only then did we notice that everyone was staring and listening to us with rapt attention. All other sound had petered out. "What are you two talking about? What do Hackers have to do with Bounty Days?"
I looked at him like he was stupid before Lenz nudged me. He pointed to all the listening Paragons, and they all had the same expression of trying to comprehend us.
"Oh, shit, I guess you guys don't know." I scratched the back of my head. "Well… uh… you see… Bounty Days are only triggered a week after a Hacker dies."
"No they aren't." Perry dismissed.
"Yah, they are."
"No, they aren't."
"Yah, they—You guys really didn't know about this?" I asked, incredulously. "Wasn't this why Carys had you kill two Hackers? To trigger a set of Bounty Days?"
"A set of…" Baltic trailed off, thinking back. "Wait, the Halstatt incident… was…" He counted the days on his hands before blanching. "And then the two in Nitebane… and then the two you took out in Akasha—"
"Are you shitting me!?" Dwight exclaimed. "All this time, Hackers were holding back Bounty Days?"
"Yes!" Lenz and I cried out in unison.
"How do they do this?" Trenay questioned urgently. "How does killing a Hacker result in the Bounty Day phenomenon?"
"We don't know." I replied. "We're as lost on why as you. We're still trying to figure out the sixth Hacker that died, because we had nothing to do with it."
"…It could have been Poulsen." Heather breathed, earning a nod from Luis.
"That's right! Kal tripped him up with his own ability and banished him to the Void beneath the bedrock!"
Beneath the bedrock? I questioned, wondering if there was a story there.
"That couldn't be it. That was months ago!" Perry pointed out. "If it's like they say and it's one week—"
"Is that an approximation or exactly seven days?" Trenay inquired, a notebook in hand. The intel would likely get back to Carys and Jillian.
"Exactly seven days." Lenz nodded.
"—If it's exactly seven days," Perry went on, "we wouldn't be getting the Bounty Day tomorrow! Kal told us that those who fall below the bedrock are never seen from again! Poulsen's as good as dead."
"What Hacks did this guy have?" I asked. "Did he have Regen?"
"And Creative Control. He was a Level 2." Trenay supplied, eager to get to the bottom of the mystery. "He could designate plots of land and then delete all existing blocks within those plots. That's how he opened up the Void in the first place."
Brain: Well, that's terrifying. Good thing he's out of the picture.
"Alright, well," I waved my hand, reaching for a theory that made sense. "If he was in the Void, maybe he starved to death. He tried to ration what he had, but he ran out of food and died. Boom. Bounty Day."
"But he had Regen. He could just refill what he lost to starvation."
"Which is why it took him this long to give up." I reasoned. "Think about it. He had to go through the wrenching gut pains of an empty stomach, over and over, with no way to satiate his hunger. Falling in a Void of darkness for days on end, no light, no companionship, no sense of time or direction."
It was a morbid way to go, all things considered. And yet, he himself opened up that hole in the bedrock. Poulsen had used that power on Crafters and would have doomed Kalmarin in the same way. It was poetic justice that Poulsen would be hoisted by his own sword.
"After so long, he could have just… given up." I shrugged, the Paragons silently considering my words.
"…I suppose it's possible." Trenay hummed. "As good a theory as any. I'll have to ask Jillian if she's heard any rumors of slain Hackers going back a week." She brought out her linked map and began dropping and picking it back up, the message going out. "King_Cobb, could you give me more details about how Bounty Days are triggered by Hacker deaths? Have you seen it in person?"
"We were at the Origin when Ocan and Urson's Bounty Days triggered." I explained candidly. There was no reason not to share the information with the Paragons. "When a Hacker dies, you notice their Heads give off an aura of smoke? Well, that aura shoots off and goes to the Origin Zone. It sort of… swirls around the protective Command Block. You know, the one hanging over the platform. Anyway, it swirls there for a week and then it outputs that Bounty Day pulse you're all familiar with." They all nodded, having experienced the intrusive acquisition of knowledge. "We don't know why this happens the way it does. We can't exactly research it since we move around a lot."
"No, I get it." Trenay scribbled down. "Kalmarin's often told us that his Hacker smoke is like a dark power deep inside of him. All Hackers spawn from the Origin, so perhaps, upon dying, the power just goes back to where it came from."
"That still doesn't explain why it triggers a Bounty Day." Witige pointed out. "What's the connection there?"
"Maybe…" Trenay hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe it's like there's a blockage. Or rather, Bounty Days and Hacks are fueled by the same dark, smoky aura. The Hackers are siphoning off that power when they spawn. But when they die, the power jumpstarts Minecraftia in the form of a Bounty Day. Testificates say Bounty Days used to happen more regularly before Crafters started coming in."
A time before Crafters. A time before Herobrine. Back then, it was just the Testificates surviving the Mobs. Today, things were all messed up. All because of Crafters. It was sad to think we ruined the world for those big-nosed innocents.
"So then, if we kill more Hackers, we can get more Bounty Days?" Aurand noted.
"Sure." Shroud muttered sarcastically. "Easy peasy."
"Let's just take solace knowing we'll be getting one tomorrow." Baltic concluded. "It's good for us. With people eager to celebrate the influx of new blocks and items, Daymonte's security will be lighter. Sneaking Cobb in will be less of a challenge."
"I still can't believe you guys never figured out about Hackers and Bounty Days. I mean, come on."
"Hackers have never been killed until this year!" Perry exclaimed. "How could we have known?"
"We figured it out." Lenz raised his hand, to which I promptly high-fived.
"Hoooo, roasted!"
"How about I get my flint and steel and roast you?"
"Don't make me take out my fishing rod again." I threatened lowly. Perry scoffed, but I also noted, with some satisfaction, how he backed down. He didn't want to tangle with fishing line.
…He didn't want to get tangled in fishing line?
He didn't want fishing line to tangle with him—
Ah, screw it. Fishing related one-liner. Done.
[Lenz]
It was near sunset when we finally reached our destination. You could hardly miss the raised platform that was Daymonte's Trans-Kingdom Railway under construction. It was sturdy—made of Daymonte-mined stone—and illuminated by redstone lamps. The platform was also raised thirty meters above the trees and ground.
It was my first time seeing it. A railway that, once finished, would be able to transport Crafters between Ringwood and Daymonte. It still had a long way to go, especially with the recent tragedy to consider.
"There it is." Cobbert remarked. "The product of my first envoy mission with Wynn. Guess they got the iron they needed after all."
"Why build it so high, though?" Wing asked.
"Most likely as a precaution against Mobs and Griefers." I explained, pointing up. "The tracks are illuminated by redstone lamps so that Mobs will not spawn. Why, I bet you the track is interspersed with powered rails atop redstone blocks. And the courier service could use these same tracks with activator rails, minecart chests, and minecart hoppers. They could even rig up detector rails to trigger points in which the minecart passes to ensure the rider's safety. The redstone possibilities are endless!"
"He really, really likes redstone." Cobbert bothered to explain to the Paragons.
As we got closer to the elevated platform, we saw that the base was made into pillars and archways of stone bricks to act as support while a wooden platform held the track in place at the top. There was a crew of builders and engineers setting down the blocks, and a smaller crew of red-capped guards tasked with protecting them. They saw us approach and a few of them armed themselves warily. Meanwhile, Witige, Doyle, and Aurand moved to conceal Cobbert. He was still a wanted man, so they made sure to surround him so that his name and face would be lost amongst the mass of bodies. I would soon know if my own wanted status applied as Cobbert's did.
"We're not Griefers." Baltic assured, stepping forward to talk. "We're heading to Daymonte and were hoping we could take the Trans-Kingdom Railway as a shortcut."
"The TKR isn't ready for human traffic." One guard spoke officially. "You want to get to Daymonte, you'll have to walk."
"Are the rails not set down yet?" Trenay inquired.
"No, they're set down," another guard said, "but it's not officially opened. Can't you see they're still working on it?" He pointed to the building crew. "They've been working twice as hard since hearing the news about Ringwood. Our friends desperately need relief aid from us, and the TKR is the best way to ship supplies and manpower. We already sent a force on horseback to bolster them."
"So Wynn won't be on her own." Cobbert breathed out, relieved.
"Mastah Veronica came through, it seems." I nodded.
"You know Captain Veronica?" One guard asked of me. I did not see any recognition from any of the guards. Looked like Trenay was right. My wanted poster was Ringwood only. Not yet circulated in Daymonte.
"She taught me some archery." I nodded, slightly put off from the attention. "Fact is, we just came from Ringwood."
"Is the Kingdom as bad as the rumors?" One guard implored. "The stories the refugees tell… I don't know whether to believe half of them. Three-headed monsters that shoot screaming heads of decay. It's the stuff of nightmares."
"Those Endward Cult punks have gone too far." Another guard growled to much assent. "They won't get away with attacking our allies."
"All the more reason you should let us use your railway." Perry stepped forward, his presence imposing. "We're members of the Paragons acting on orders from the Angel of Death herself to track down the Endward Cult's Eastern Division."
His words had the desired effect, stunning the guards into awestruck murmurs. They were one of the Big Three guilds. They had the reputation. Perry, Dwight, and Wing basked in the attention while Heather and Trenay just rolled their eyes.
"Perry, we're not supposed to make a spectacle of ourselves." Baltic chastised before withdrawing a sizable portion of emeralds from his belt. "Whether you believe us or not, we'd prefer you keep our presence here a secret. Of course, we'd be willing to reward you for your silence." He placed the emeralds in the lead guard's hands. "And we'd be willing to reward you further if you would, say, look the other way while we use your convenient railway." He pressed even more emeralds into his hand.
The guards shared a quick glance and a smattering of murmurs. Cobbert sunk deeper into the back so as to not be identified while they deliberated.
Finally, the lead guard addressed Baltic. "You'll use your own minecarts. We can't be lending you ours." Baltic nodded immediately. "The TKR is dotted with guard towers where the guards can rest, swap patrols, grab supplies, and keep an eye on traffic. They're watching the rails and won't let you pass unhindered. They only allow builders, engineers, and guards to use the track. All of which wear red-dyed leather caps like ours. You'll need to wear them, and also carry a TKR Maintenance Pass for when you reach the end. Those, I can get for you." He accepted the sum of emeralds and handed them out to his fellow guards. "How many of you are there?"
"Fourteen."
"Okay. Be right back." He went off to a small supply chest while the guards ogled us. In no time at all, he returned to hand out the red-dyed leather caps and the pass. I took Cobbert's for him so the guards would not get a closer look at his face.
"Wish you Paragons luck." The lead guard nodded respectfully before they all dispersed.
"Well, that certainly set me back in emeralds," Baltic noted sadly, "but we did it. Aurand, Trenay, Wing. Do you have seventy iron ingots?" They nodded while swapping diamond and iron helmets for red-dyed leather caps. "Alright. Make fourteen minecarts. We don't want to linger too long. Cobb, you'll need an Invisibility Potion for when we get close to the Kingdom. Can't let you be seen." He handed the fisherman one. "Remember to take off all your armor before you drink it."
"Not my first time sneaking." He nodded.
True. Very true.
"Now, all that's left is how we get up there." Baltic wondered aloud as he stared up at the elevated platform. It was a thirty meter climb, and it did not seem like there was an available path up. A single ladder was swamped with builders and engineers ascending to add to the TKR. No path for a small band of trespassers. "Z7, if I give you a Potion of Leaping, can you—"
Before he could finish, Cobbert jogged over to the stone base of the platform's pillar and, with a short hop onto the structure, began to dexterously climb. The Paragons (and some of the builders) watched in surprised fascination as he found handholds in the stone bricks, hauling himself higher and higher before grabbing onto the archway and swinging up onto it like a balance beam.
He shimmied across, unaided by potion, and jumped higher to cling onto the next portion of the archway. After that, he grabbed onto the wooden edge of the platform and swung himself onto it. The builders and engineers on the ground beside us applauded his parkour performance.
There, at the top, he gazed off the side to look at us before pouring down a bucket of water for us to swim up.
"Hot damn!" Wing exclaimed impressively. "Guy must be part Spider to climb that well."
"Crafters can't be part Spider, Wing." Heather dismissed before going over to where the water touched the ground and swimming up. Perry went after, his expression sour at Cobbert's moment of skill.
I took a moment to watch the water flow down. My eyes strayed when I saw it pool along the ground, seeking out the lowest point to flow towards. A mere puddle. But… if the hole was bigger… and enough water gathered… it would almost be a… a…
I shivered noticeably before forcing my attention on the waterfall and diving in. The other Paragons swam up like salmon, one by one, until all fourteen of us were on the platform. Only then did Cobbert bucket up the water.
"That was pretty good, King_Cobb." Wing praised. A few other Paragons congratulating him.
"It was nothing." Cobbert shrugged, smiling slightly.
"Don't be modest." Doyle spoke. "That was a fine display of parkouring. I don't think Z7 could have done better. Where'd you learn it?"
The tiny smile was gone in a blink.
"Ah… I don't know."
"What, you don't remember?" Perry said curtly. "Couldn't have been that long ago—"
"Can we just stay focused?" Cobbert deflected. "If the minecarts are ready we can get moving."
The Paragons dropped the topic and agreed it was time to leave, but I could tell who the fisherman was thinking about. It was as plain as the strained expression on his face.
AceOfJades taught him how to parkour. That knowledge would be with him for the rest of his life; a constant reminder of her influence.
Returning to Daymonte—to my first home—should have been a happy occasion. Instead, it was soured by the memory of our former friend. Cobbert and I rode our minecarts in silence well through the night.
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Red], 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Boots, 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Diamond Sword [Sweeping Edge III], 12 Cobblestone, 28 Sand, 2 Glass, 50 Glass Bottles, 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Bed, 1 Furnace, 17 Flint, 1 Flint and Steel, 17 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Slow Falling {4:00}, 1 Milk Bucket, 8 Ender Pearls, 14 Coal, 37 Snowballs, 6 Ender Chests, 24 Obsidian, 64 Steak, 32 Steak, 15 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Nether}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 38]
Inventory (Lenz): 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Red], 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Shears, 1 Lever, 9 Redstone Torches, 1 Bed, 8 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 18 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Hoppers, 3 Pistons, 2 Sticky Pistons, 13 Cobblestone, 1 Compass, 25 Gunpowder, 1 Bow, 1 Bow [Infinity], 52 Arrows, 11 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 7 Ender Pearls, 64 Steak, 5 Steak, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Nether}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}
[EXP: 19]
Inventory (Baltic): 1 Iron Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Red], 1 Iron Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Boots [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Sword [Sharpness II, Unbreaking III], 1 Shield, 1 Bow, Diamond Pickaxe [Silk Touch I, Mending I, Unbreaking II], 25 Arrows, 4 Brewing Stands, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 64 Glass Bottles, 45 Glass Bottles, 1 Water Bucket, 60 Blaze Powder, 56 Nether Warts, 30 Soul Sand, 28 Bones, 64 Phantom Membranes, 17 Golden Nuggets, 64 Blaze Rods, 27 Fermented Spider Eyes, 60 Carrots, 58 Melon Slices, 24 Steak, 3 Ender Chests, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 1 Paper {TKR Maintenance Pass}, 8 Emeralds
[EXP: 30]
Inventory (Z7): 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Red], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection III, Unbreaking IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 32 Cobblestone, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 21 Charcoal, 9 Ender Pearls, 14 Torches, 18 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 35 Pumpkin Pies, 26 Cookies, 45 Baked Potatoes, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Splash Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 1 Potion of Slow Falling {4:00}, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}
[EXP: 41]
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Diamond Helmet [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 2 Iron Ingots, 64 Steak, 52 Steak, 2 Sticks, 31 Coal, 20 Torches, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Diamond Boots [Projectile Protection IV], 16 Gunpowder, 16 Ender Pearls, 2 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Bucket, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 34]
Stratus the Horse
Inventory (Soul): 1 Diamond Axe [Sharpness V], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 64 Iron Ingots, 28 Iron Ingots, 20 Flint, 12 Gold Ingots, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV, Feather Falling IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Jukebox, 1 Music Disc {chirp}, 1 Bed, 1 Furnace, 24 Torches, 34 White Wool, 58 Dirt, 23 Pumpkin Seeds, 64 Cobblestone, 62 Cobblestone, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Armor Stand, 64 Steak, 6 Cooked Mutton, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 26]
Long-Face the Horse
Cat-Face the Cat
Christopher Squawken the Parrot
Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness I], 1 Diamond Chestplate {Severe Shield}, 1 Leather Boots {Bottes Zephyr} [Dyed White], 1 Green Shield [Beginners], 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Milk Bucket, 6 Buckets, 2 Cobblestone, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Water Bottle, 1 Water Bottle, 1 Water Bottle, 1 Water Bottle, 5 Ender Chests, 16 Ender Pearls, 5 Ender Pearls, 1 Nether Star, 51 Steak, 3 Phantom Membranes, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Enchanted Golden Apple, 1 Diamond Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Diamond Leggings, 1 Diamond Boots
[EXP: 26]
Snow the Horse
AN: Sorry for the late Chapter. It's still Wednesday though.
FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. PM. FORUM. DISCORD. PASTA.
