AN: Nothing happens this Chapter. You can skip it. (:I)

The answer to last chapter's riddle was 10,10,10,10 in the corners, 3 and 2 in the center circles. Congrats to AustinL0926 for guessing it right. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgment.

(::)


Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd stack Lingering Potions.


Chapter 192

Scream

[Lenz]

"I want that, that, and that. Oh, and that stuff over there? I want that too."

The SutsCo facility bustled as Scouts scrambled to gather merchandise for the demanding customer: Trenay.

The other Paragons made requests of their own, having been promised a free SutsCo shopping spree for winning the SutsCoDown Throwdown Showdown, but nobody was more demanding than Trenay.

"I want stacks of ender pearls and some of those Chorus Flowers. Yes, flowers! I want to be able to grow these things myself. Give me some Chorus Fruit too while you're at it."

This was likely an outlet for her impatience with the Scouts, coupled with payback for making her think her comrades had died. They had promised her items, and by comparators, she was getting her items.

"I want two stacks of Dragon Breath. What's that?" She asked curtly of a flustered Scout.

"That, madam, is our supply of firework rockets. The Wyverns use them as propulsion with their Elytra to-"

"Gimme that too." She interrupted rudely. "I also want a full set of tipped arrows of every potion variety. C'mon, don't keep me waiting."

The Scouts flitted about to retrieve the items for her and the Paragons shared a laugh at their expense. We were all of us averse to the Scouts after the madness they put us through. The only thing that could have made it better was if I was gifted my very own airship.

Sadly, Landon could not program me one. He refused to leave the End, and an airship could not cross dimensions. He also refused to teach me the commands necessary to program one. Instead, he let the Scouts cater to our every whim while he dealt with other matters.

Among the SutsCo merchandise, I secured myself a few of those nifty Pocket Boxes and filled one with a supply of tipped arrows. The extra Inventory space was a godsend, and the Paragons felt the same as they secured Pocket Boxes of their own. The only exception was Cobbert, who left the facility early as he had no interest in the merchandise. I could feel his disappointment as he left; he had come here in search of Herobrine only to find Landon instead.

There was something else off about the fisherman, however. After the dragon was slain and we were reunited with Baltic and the rest, he looked upon them with something akin to remorse. I did not understand what he felt guilty about; he should have been proud to have slain a dragon, even if it was not a prime dragon.

"What's that over there? You better not be holding out on me!" Trenay's overly entitled voice cut through my thoughts. "And where are those Wonder Wings I wanted?"

"We don't have a pair to give you. They're still backordered. Landon made that clear." A Scout explained much to Trenay's chagrin.

"Then get me some enchanted gear! Your stores always sell top tier stuff. I want the enchanted books AND the gear. You're not getting paid to dawdle!"

"Ma'am, we're not getting paid at all-"

"THAT'S WHAT I SAID! You're not getting paid and that's final!"

"(I almost feel bad for them.)" Z7 commented as she crunched on a cookie beside me. "(Almost.)"

"(You said it.)" I agreed, appreciating the Scouts' misery. They had tried to win our eternal servitude, after all. Z7 offered a palm full of cookies to me and I gratefully accepted one. The two of us crunched on the confectionaries as Trenay continued working the Scouts into the ground.


[Cobb]

I didn't wait up for the others.

I warped back to the central island through that End Gateway, pumpkin on my head, and wandered towards the edge of the island, my mind only vaguely focused on my destination. I had too much to think about.

Maybe I just didn't want to be around Baltic, Shroud, and the others that died in the dragon fight. I couldn't look at them without feeling guilty.

I was guilty about not feeling guilty. Wrap your head around that.

I didn't care when they died, but I cared enough about not caring that they died that I felt like a miserable ass. I mean, these guys fought beside me. We all banded together to kill the dragon, just like the First Ten had done, and it was supposed to be a great moment of camaraderie and understanding. Bonding and making new friends...

And it just wasn't because I had no Heart.

I clutched my chest and reached deep down to try and grasp that transient part of myself, but every time I made a grab, I started to feel unendurable anguish and hatred and sadness and self-loathing and pain. All of it was pain.

I gave up with an angry sound as I wandered to my destination. The edge of the central island. In particular, this was the spot where I had first spotted that End Stone bridge stretching out into darkness. I had always wondered what it was for, or if it had any connection to Herobrine. I now knew it connected to the outer islands, and that Landon and the Scouts had most likely built it for exploration purposes, before they learned how to use End Gateways.

I sighed as I sat at the beginning of the bridge, my legs dangling off the side. I took off the pumpkin and just stared into the empty black Void. It was mesmerizing, and I felt like I could stare for hours and just ponder on things.

How much time had even passed? Was it time for us to return to Daymonte yet? There wasn't much of a way to tell.

I was brought out of my musings by a distant roar. I turned towards the source and spotted the flying figure of Landon beside the fountain portal. It was no longer encased in a bedrock cube; he had taken it down to set up four of the same End Crystals found on the obsidian pillars.

The glowing crystals sent particle beams of light into the sky, where the distant roar of the Ender Dragon could be heard. Then, one by one, the light beams shone to the tops of the ten obsidian pillars, reconstructing the destroyed End Crystals. When all ten returned, there was a roar more thunderous than any before it, and a dark shape emerged from the black Void above.

The Ender Dragon was back.

I stared at the twisting dragon with a thrill of fear, remembering how easily it could launch me off the edge. I half-made to stand up before recalling Landon and his resurrecting Command Block. We couldn't die in the End. Even if we did, we wouldn't lose EXP or our items. I'd die and spawn right back at the facility.

I sat back down and got comfortable. Here, death was just an inconvenience. No ending in the End.

I snorted at that before the floating Landon spotted me. I cursed under my breath, not really wanting to talk with that nutcase, but he seemed to want to talk with me since he darted right towards me. The last time he did that he punched a hole through my back, so I was a little apprehensive. Even while he was wearing his silly Dragon Head.

"Yo, Cobb! Fancy meeting you here. Thought you'd be picking up some pricey SutsCo merchandise."

"I was never interested in the items. It was Trenay who wanted them." I said.

I just wanted to find Herobrine.

"Yeah, but you could always regift them to someone. You'd be their new favorite."

He had a point. Floyd or Soul would appreciate the extra inventory space. There was just the small matter of crossing Minecraftia to deliver.

I craned my neck towards the unsealed fountain portal. "How'd you respawn the Ender Dragon?"

"End Crystals." He answered simply, taking off his Dragon Head to reveal his High-Beam eyes. "Just place four at the midpoints of the fountain and magic does the rest. We saw it in a Bounty Day vision."

"What's the recipe for one?"

"Nothing too troublesome. Eye of Ender in the middle, Ghast Tear under it, and the rest is glass. Oh, and it can only be placed on bedrock or obsidian."

"Really? Why?"

"Dunno." He shrugged. "Maybe it's because they're only ever used on obsidian pillars or the bedrock fountain. Outside of Healing the Ender Dragon, they're a volatile explosive. The slightest touch and BOOM! Not exactly the best home decor."

"And the Dragon can only be respawned in the End?" He nodded. "Guess these things won't be terrorizing any Kingdoms, then."

The End Crystal recipe was simpler than I thought. In fact, with Baltic's help, I could probably make one or two with the spare glass I had. The bedrock/obsidian restriction was the only problem.

"So..." Landon clapped his hands together as he rocked on his heels in the air. "I haven't forgotten about your other win conditions. Figured I could take care of them here and now while your companions are shopping."

"Alright. Go ahead." I prompted.

Landon took a deep breath before his face turned serious. "You wished to know of the Scouts' End Portal location. I told you and your companions where already. Triple Point."

"Yeah, but where is that?"

"Don't you know your geography? Triple Point is at the intersection of three regions: Dover Plains, the Redbone Desert, and the Lacquerlands. You can get there by following the Red River."

"Three regions. Red River." I mentally noted, not that I could forget. "Got it."

"You better not pay us a visit." Landon advised. "If the Head Scoutmaster finds you, he'll want to kill you to claim the Slay an Endward Cult Executive Badge, and I'd rather be the only Scout with that badge."

"I can hardly believe there's someone you take orders from when you have Command Blocks at your disposal."

"Gotta respect badge winners." Landon shrugged. "I made the rules, so I have to follow them. Speaking of which... you also wanted a favor of me. A suitable prize for your victory. What is it?"

"...Forget it." I dismissed.

"No, go on. I'm curious."

"It's nothing."

"Might I remind you I am bound to fulfill the conditions of my loss?" Landon insisted. "I must honor the SutsCoDown Throwdown Showdown. Now tell this curious Landon_Noir what it is!"

"Ugh, fine." I relented. "I wanted to ask to study the Shulkers for an entry in my Mob book," I held it out to the Scout, "but that was before you pitted us against them in your challenge. I pretty much got the most of its tactics and appearance, so I didn't need the favor after all."

Landon accepted the Mob book and flipped through a couple pages before he found the Shulker entry I had started. It wasn't as detailed as Herobrine's books-the Shulker's Health was left empty-but it explained the levitating missiles and the amount of damage they dealt. It was the best I could do with what little time I had.

Landon read through the book curiously, a hand coming up to scratch his chin. He seemed to be considering something before he snatched the quill and started scribbling into the book.

"Hey! Don't just write whatever you want!" I tried to take the book back but Landon floated out of reach and continued to jot stuff down unimpeded. I tried snagging him with my fishing rod to drag him down like a parade float, but he kept floating out of the way. It was infuriating.

After a few moments, Landon gave a contented nod and dropped the Mob book. I caught it and tore it open to see what he added. What I saw surprised me.

"I filled in additional information about the Shulkers." He explained, floating closer. "We've dealt with them enough to know their Health. When their shells are up, they act as armor. The same protection as a full set of diamond. Without it, they're vulnerable. That's when you attack."

He also made note of their Health. Fifteen Hearts. Fifty percent more than a Zombie. The entry was incredible descriptive filling in the information I missed or didn't know about.

Flipping through the book, I was also pleasantly surprised to find he made an entry for the Ender Dragon. Technically, it classified as a Bounty Day Mob since its tactics and behavior were updated by the pulse of new information. It followed the same format as the previous entries, and nothing about it looked out of place or unusual. For once, it seemed Landon_Noir did something normal. How kind of-

"...You did this for some Mob Encyclopedia Badge, didn't you?"

"Yep, yep!" I internally groaned. "And that's why I won't even charge you the favor for it. Is there anything else you want?"

"Let me think about it..." I sighed as I stashed the book away.

"Well, while you think on it, have these."

"Hm?"

A green Pocket Box was suddenly thrust into my hands. Inside were things like Chorus Fruit, Ender Pearls, Eyes of Ender, and a nice new set of enchanted diamond boots. They had Protection IV, Feather Falling IV, and Depth Strider III. The numerals meant they were all high-end stuff, and hinted that the others were getting good gear too.

"You like the color?" He asked, pointing to the dyed Pocket Box. "Green. Matches your tunic." The colors of Ringwood. "Green's my favorite color too. It's why I made the symbol of the Scouts be an emerald phoenix."

"...you really don't care."

"Hm?"

I chuckled humorlessly. "I said you really don't care. We've told you we're cultists, and I told you I never wanted this gear, and yet you'd willingly hand it over. Don't you realize the high chance we'll use this gear for evil?"

We weren't really cultists, but then he didn't know that. That's what made his decision to hand over the gear more maddening. He truly didn't care what we did with it or what befell Minecraftia. He had all the power of Command Blocks, and yet he hid himself away to pursue the pointless badge quests. To do things like raise a company only to declare bankruptcy and destroy Minecraftia's economy. What was wrong with him? With all of them!

"You just don't care." I repeated, my voice rising. "You never care unless there's a badge in it for you! How can you be like this!?"

"Look who's talking." He replied. "You cultists should be called nihilists. I saw you fighting the Ender Dragon. I saw how impassive you were after your companions fell to their demise. Like you were made of stone." My breath hitched at the spot-on accusation. "You think life is fleeting, but life is a chance to do and feel things. It's not something to be swept aside. So why shouldn't we pursue badges when they provide us with goals to work for. It's no different from your goal to find your precious Founder."

"That's right." I said through gritted teeth. "I came here to find Herobrine. I thought I had a lead. I thought I could find him and ask all these questions bottled up inside! But it was a bust!"

I gestured to the End Stone bridge reaching out into the Void. "I thought he built this! I thought he was the only one with access to the End! I thought I had a clue, but it was really just you Scouts! You built the bridge to the outer islands-probably for some stupid Bridge to Nowhere Badge-and you took over the End!"

"Do you have any idea how disappointed I was after you took off that Dragon Head? To find you instead of Herobrine..." I cut off with an angry noise, the sound echoing into the empty void.

What was I even doing talking to him? Landon didn't care. This was just a waste of time.

"Three corrections." Landon replied, holding up three fingers. "First, it's called the Bridge Builder Badge," I rolled my eyes, "and I got it for my work on the Cadboro Bridge."

"Second, the outer islands only existed after the first Bounty Day. Before that, we followed this bridge and found a chest with some notes about beacons and how to craft them with Nether Stars."

Followed...? Notes…?

"Third, this bridge existed before we fought the prime dragon." Landon concluded. "We didn't make it."

I stared at him silently, my mind piercing together this new information. So the bridge was built before the Scouts discovered the End and after Herobrine discovered the End. And if they didn't build it, the only other person could've been...

"...Herobrine."

"That's right." Landon nodded at my wonderment. "The End Stone bridge went on and on, seemingly forever. But when the Bounty Day struck, the islands appeared and overwrote what was built out there." He nodded to the void. "Fact remains that someone built it, and someone left those notes on beacons. Maybe it's the Herobrine you're seeking." He paused. "Maybe he's out there now."

"...Why tell me this?"

"Because it's another impossible task." He explained. "Just like a sought after badge, you seek this man who keeps moving further and further away. To overcome the distance, you need to work harder than anyone. If finding Herobrine is your one, great merit badge, I'd like to see you succeed." He smiled. "There can be no greater feeling than accomplishing a long-awaited goal."

In the wake of Landon's speech, I stared out across that thin bridge, straight into the darkness. The lead I thought was a dead end had been revived. Someone had been here before the Scouts. Someone had built the bridge. And I knew from his lab that Herobrine was seeking a dragon egg.

That meant he was searching for a Prime Dragon. A dragon he could slay and win an egg from. That's what he was scouring the End for. Jeb had the egg, and Herobrine wanted it, but he had been betrayed and lost it. So he returned to the End to find a new one, building a bridge out into the void in the hopes of locating an End island with a dragon.

But his line of thinking was all wrong. He didn't know that he had to activate a new End Portal to spawn a Prime Dragon capable of dropping an egg. Did that mean he wasted centuries building out into the void, finding nothing?

But cut to today, and the outer islands appeared following the Bounty Day. Herobrine wouldn't be building out into the void anymore. He would have islands to explore. He would have something new to search after years of emptiness.

Was he even sane anymore at this point?

If my theory was right, Herobrine could very well be out there now. Further away than Landon or any Scout would've explored, but out there all the same.

However, if that was the case, it would be impossible to locate him.

Unless...

"Here's my favor from you, Landon." I announced determinedly. "Teleport Herobrine here."

Landon's eyebrows lifted.

"You can, right? You teleported us into that jail cell before."

"...I can." He spoke carefully. "If Herobrine is here in the End, I can teleport him to me so long as I know his precise name. Are you sure that's what you want?"

I hesitated for a moment, thinking what the Founder of the Endward Cult might do. What if he was crazy and hostile? What if he couldn't be reasoned with? We couldn't die in the End thanks to Landon's safety net command, but what if Herobrine could nullify that?

I bit my lip. The others had been placed in jeopardy precisely because of my rash decisions in making contact with Herobrine. I may as well have been inviting disaster by calling Herobrine here.

He was as unpredictable as the Scouts, yet somehow felt more dangerous.

"Alright, I'm doing it."

"No, WAIT!"

The Command Block was already set and the button pressed. I felt a panicked tension mixed with the smallest bit of excitement that soon broke when the Command Block spat out an angry beep and a jolt of electricity. Landon's spotlight eyes fell on the Command Block and narrowed.

"Well that's never happened before."

"What... what did it do?" I asked, sweating. I could feel my heart racing under my chest.

"It didn't do anything. Huh." Landon tried retyping the command only for the angry beep to resound, followed by a jolt of electricity like a blown fuse. "This is a first for me."

"Did it not work because he's not in this dimension?" I asked, fearing I had been wrong.

"No, if he wasn't here, there's be no beep or short circuit." He hummed in thought before settling his fingers over the keypad. "Give me a name of someone."

"Who?"

"Anyone. So long as they're in Minecraftia and alive." He clarified.

"Wynn_Whispers." I said the first name that crossed my mind.

He typed in the name and clicked the button. No angry beep. No electric zap. Nothing.

"See, that's what should have happened if he wasn't here." Landon said before typing something new. He clicked enter and nothing happened. "It doesn't mean dead either. I just put in the name of a Scout who died here months ago. Still nothing like that beep." He tried Herobrine's name again. Beep. Jolt.

By then I was starting to relax. "So what does it mean?"

"Not sure." He rubbed his chin. "I've been teleported before, so it's not like those with High-Beam eyes can't be teleported. The only thing I can think of is that Herobrine's made a belay teleport command for himself. He's unaffected by other teleport commands."

"He can do that?"

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure how he did it. But he did it. If nothing else, this proves he's here in the End somewhere" He clicked the Command Block again only to repeatedly get beeps and shocks. "Look at the poor thing. It'll blow a fuse before it can bring Herobrine here."

"Can you teleport someone to Herobrine instead?"

There was a flurry of keystrokes, a click of a button, and the same angry beep. "No good."

"Then... what about your 'tell' command?" I suggested. "The one where you spoke in our minds. Will that go through?"

"Give me a second." He changed the command and pressed the button, his eyes brightening at the absence of beeps. "That actually went through! I just said 'Testing, Herobrine!' Whether he replies or not is another story."

Did that mean we were actually talking to Herobrine? Was he picking up the messages we were sending? Was he hearing the words in his mind? I remembered how intrusive I thought Landon's words had been during the showdown. Maybe Herobrine wouldn't appreciate us intruding on his private thoughts.

At the same time, though, I wanted to talk with him. I wanted him to answer back. We'd leave the End soon, so I didn't have long to look for the guy, nor did I have the time to wait for a response. There was also the possibility that he was dangerous and would attack my friends, so I had to proceed cautiously.

My mind made up, I turned to Landon.

"Can you show me how to send messages as a favor?"


After Landon left me with the Command Block and the knowledge on how to send messages, I started typing my carefully chosen words.

[Herobrine.]

[If you can hear this, you should know that this is not indicative of losing your mind. I'm speaking through a Command Block. It was left by someone who dealt the killing blow to an Ender Dragon and obtained the High-Beam eyes, just like you.]

[You're probably thinking that's preposterous, but it's true. An Ender Dragon respawned and was killed. An egg was dropped, but it was destroyed, and someone gained Command Block sight.]

[I know you're looking for a Dragon Egg. I don't know why, but I'm here to tell you I'm going to find it first. If you want it, you're going to have to find me. I have questions for you that I want answered.]

[Who am I? I'm a simple Newb who's read your books. Your Journal Entries and even your trilogy of detailed Mob Books with the Jibberish decoded message at the back describing Withers. I have the trilogy with me right now, and am actually working on a new Mob Book in your same style. Mobs of the Bounty Days, I'm calling it.]

[These books are what got me interested in you in the first place. They taught me how to survive against Mobs and they helped me to protect my friends. I respected your teachings.]

[When I found out your history with the Endward Cult and the Kingdoms, I lost faith. It was like learning my teacher was a killer. But I came to understand that the knowledge you passed down and the legacy you left behind was only as good or bad as the ones abusing it. So, before a Kingdom of people that despised you and were going to execute me for possessing your books, I defended you. They all forgot your Mob Books taught them how to fight standard Mobs and survive. They all forgot how you established civilizations with the First Ten. They forgot all the painstaking research you underwent to improve the lives of your people. All they remembered was the bad.]

[I've been hearing a lot of things about you that I don't want to believe, and it's made me conflicted on whether I can treat you as a source of advice or a threat to my World. I know you directed the Hackers against your former friends, but I want to know what was going through your head at the time. To me, friends are the most important connection that can be made... and the most painful when broken.]

[I've recently gone through a terrible betrayal and a devastating loss from said betrayal.]

[Persons that were close to me have died, and there is no one to blame but myself.]

[It was so much of a burden that I had to close off my Heart or else risk unendurable grief.]

[Trusting no one, opening up to no one, and shedding tears to no one. That's how I've been for the past two weeks.]

[And I think to myself, this must be how you've been for the past four-hundred years.]

[I don't know everything about you. Where I left off was you giving artifacts to your friends and then sending the Hack Clan after them. You never sent them after Notch, though. He was your best friend. Your brother.]

[They say you killed him.]

[I can't help but draw comparisons between you and me and how we dealt with betrayals from people close to us. No matter the circumstances, I can assume there were painful emotions involved.]

[So the question I really want to ask is did you kill Notch?]

[And if you did kill him, did the pain lessen, or was it more unbearable than ever?]

[If you truly killed him as the world claims, that's really all I want to know. Because, if that were the case, then there are only two outcomes for you to be feeling.]

[Either you feel guilty for killing your best friend and that guilt torments you to this day, or you feel nothing, shrugging off his passing as him passing to your supposed 'Next Life'.]

[Neither case appeals to me.]

[I don't want to be someone who doesn't care whether others live or die. I don't want to shut myself off anymore. I don't want to carry this pain for centuries and not feel happiness again. I'm going back to the way I used to be, but stronger. I want to learn from this and keep myself from becoming like you, hiding away in the End with only yourself to talk to.]

[If you ever get the courage to face Minecraftia again, you can find me. When we meet, you'll know it's me when I show you Mobs of the Bounty Days. Hopefully by then we can talk at length without you killing me.]

[-K]

With the last of the message sent, I sat near that bridge and gazed into the distance. If Herobrine flew in from the Void at that moment, I would have definitely crapped my pants. There'd be no reply since he didn't know my name. I made a point to not reveal too much that he could find me easily. It would definitely be a challenge.

I wasn't going to scour the End for him. He could come back whenever he wanted and look for me on Minecraftia's turf. If he thought I had the Dragon Egg he would want to find me all the more. Then I could learn everything about his past, face to face.

Everything in that message had been candid. After Jade, I never wanted to trust anyone again. I just wanted to get stronger and abandon the hurt beating in my chest. That was why attempting to reclaim my Heart always brought on agony.

I set down an ender chest, preparing myself for what came next.

I thought I could get on without my Heart, but it was clear after watching the others die and feeling nothing, that that wasn't the kind of person I wanted to be.

I placed a hand on the lid of the ender chest, taking a deep breath as I did so.

Maybe it was safer feeling nothing. If you never care for anything, you won't have to hurt when it's gone. But at the same time, you're missing out on that uplifting euphoria of happiness-the kind I only tasted when I was with Jade.

The chest creaked open and I was presented with a sight only I could see. Often times I gazed at the inside just to confirm what I'd done and been capable of... and feeling afraid after.

It was a reminder of a dark moment. A time when I acted on impulse and did the one thing you can never take back.

I reached inside and took out Jade's Head.

Her eyes, once shining like amethysts, were dulled in death. Her Head stared vacantly back at me and made me close my eyes and press my forehead to hers.

"Goodbye, Jade."

I let her Head tumble from my fingers and fall into the Void below. Down, down, down. Into oblivion. Never again would it be seen, and if I had my way, nobody would ever know what I did to her in her last moments.

'See... you... in... the... Next... Life...'

'Love... you... lots... and... make... you... cry...'

It had been a dark moment.

With the momentum of letting go of Jade and remembering what she meant and means to me, I felt a great swell of anguish grip my chest. I used that pain and closed my eyes, visualizing the golden organ locked away in my subconscious.

It glowed like fire, and, remembering how painful touching it would be, I thrust both hands forward and grasped it before shoving it back into my chest and holding it in.

Searing pain. Grief. Sadness. Erin. Agony. Loss. Betrayal. Guilt. Anger. Love. Jade.

My mouth twisted into a rictus of unendurable anguish as the events of the past weeks all caught up with me and I screamed. I screamed louder than I ever did as I vented all the feelings I had bottled up into the empty Void where nobody could hear me. I was by myself save for the Ender Dragon and the Endermen milling around.

The pain in my chest grew as the memories and feelings tied to my Heart became more prevalent. It felt like the organ was being ripped open and it made me scream all the louder. I could feel the veins in my neck tighten as I diverted all my breath and energy into screaming into the Void.

Tears sprang from ducts that had long since dried out as I remembered the time I spent with Erin and Jade. They were both gone and it was my fault! I'd never talk with either of them again!

Erin...

Those times she felt concern for me. When she helped earn us emeralds. When she spent time with me and I felt at ease. When I refused her coming with us out of respect for her safety.

Jade...

Those times we kissed on the airship or danced in Zeppil. The times we trained, the times she was the happiness I clung to at my lowest points.

I cried and screamed, and screamed and cried. Falling to my knees as I endured the full brunt of my pent up emotions. Time had only made the pain worse for ignoring it, and now... now...

Now the pain was lessening.

My screaming petered out as I collapsed forward onto my forehead, the tears leaking in full. I sucked in greedy breaths between the sobs that wracked my body. My throat was raw and I felt lightheaded from the lack of oxygen, but the pain in my chest was lighter.

I was sad. This sadness would probably stick with me for the rest of my life, but it was finally out there. I truly felt all the accumulated grief in my life and accepted it. No longer would I close myself off. I wouldn't hide away here like Herobrine.

I was ready to heal.


[Daymonte]

"Those drunks still aren't back yet?" Witige complained, to which Heather shook her head. They and Wing were the only ones guarding the beds of those that entered the End. It was around noon. They'd return tonight at the latest. If not, someone would have to be sent after them. "Why don't we just message Carys to whip some discipline into them?"

"How much authority do you think she has on the other side of Minecraftia?" Wing pointed out with a sigh. "Besides, I don't want to snitch on anyone."

"Luis has it coming." Heather was sat in the corner, huffing to herself. The seedy, enclosed room didn't offer much space and was filthy. Despite hating every minute she spent there, she'd rather be there than drinking with Luis.

"You're uncharacteristically antagonistic towards their lack of discipline given how you were drinking with them just last night." Witige pointed out.

"Yeah. What'd he do to make you so steamed?"

"Apparently, waging war means you can screw anyone you want without it meaning a thing." Heather declared heatedly.

Wing cringed. "Oof. He didn't actually say that, did he?"

"Worse." Heather recounted, her fury dampening. "He doesn't want me and him to mean anything. He's afraid it won't last."

"He has a point."

Heather glared at Witige.

"What I mean is, the flower of love can't properly bloom on the trampled warfront." Witige clarified. "Where would you find the time to go on dates and deepen these budding feelings you have for each other?"

"I'd figure something out..." Heather replied, though she sounded unsure. "It's just... that stupid nerd got us talking about the future after we've beaten the cult, and it got me thinking about me and Luis and if I was happy with the light flirting we get up to." She rubbed her shoulder. "I like Luis, and we deserve more than what we have now. But when he just shuts me down with that-that... UGH! He's impossible sometimes!"

"Luis and I are partners, so I can say with certainty that he needs someone like you." Wing comforted. "However, I agree that you should wait until the cult's gone before trying to woo one another."

"By then it might be too late." Heather sighed, remembering Luis' words that they could die at any moment. That was why they had to get together and enjoy as much time as possible.

The door creaked open slowly, the sound jolting the three Paragons into action. Heather and Wing drew their swords while Witige sat up with a splash potion cocked.

A tall woman with orange twin tails, light-blue eyes, and a green scarf tugged up over her mouth appeared. There were some surly Crafters behind her, and her fist had bundled a handful of the seedy innkeeper's shirt. He was stood on his knees, his face stricken as he pleaded with the woman.

"Thank you for showing us to our room." Maira_Kahel uttered simply before throwing the innkeeper aside. The three Crafters behind her then surrounded him and beat him to death. She stepped forward with unnerving grace, like this was her own room she was walking into.

"Bit small..." She frowned, realizing there wasn't much space to fight. The room was sixteen square meters and half of that was occupied by beds. Maira was practically standing next to her targets.

"You common thugs or cultists?" Heather asked.

Maira shot her a look. "Would it really make a difference?"

"You're right. It won't."

Wing raised his shield and darted forward at the same time Maira brought up her sword. Attacking was a secondary concern for Wing. His primary concern was getting the attackers out of the room so the beds wouldn't be touched. As such, he brought his shield up with the intent of crashing into the intruder and forcing her back into the hall. Maira was light-footed, however, and her fast reflexes allowed her to flip over the shield and Wing. The Paragon's momentum carried him forward and he bowled into Maira's backup, sending them skittering back, sliding on the slain innkeeper's discarded items.

No sooner had Maira landed than a Splash Potion of Harming came at her face. She dropped her body in a sprawl, avoiding it at the last, but she couldn't avoid Heather's follow-up kick as it was delivered to her chin. The Plague rolled with the blow and rolled further back when arrows sunk into the spot she had been. Heather pursued out into the hall, Witige strengthening her with a Splash Potion of Strength.

In the hallway, Wing's preemptive strike had additionally succeeded at disorienting Maira's backup. Wing was able to kill one before the other two were on guard. They battled it out while Heather and Maira stared one another down. Witige watched with potions on standby.

Maira darted forward, her blade coming up to Heather's face before she feinted for her body. Heather took the hit but replied in turn with a slash aimed for Maira's throat. The Plague understood what the Potion of Strength aided strike would do to her Health. Instead of backing off, she stepped into Heather's guard and halted the arm at the bicep, stopping the strike an inch from her own neck. The two grappled for a moment, testing their strength.

Heather had a Potion of Strength coursing through her, but Maira had a higher EXP level. As such, the two strained against one another, looking for an opening.

Heather smirked before turning both of their bodies and switching positions. That was when a Splash Potion of Harming struck Maira's back and made her take a knee. She glared at Witige as he prepared another, but paid Heather back when she pulled the Paragon towards her and planted a foot into her stomach before flipping her in the way of the next potion. Heather winced at the damage before she was tossed at Witige, squashing the alchemist and leaving the two in a tangle of limbs.

Maira pounced upon them, raking her sword against Witige who howled in pain. Heather shot back up and kneed the Plague in the face before the two crossed blades for a while.

Then, as if to break the tension, a part of the wall suddenly caught fire. Heather and Maira looked at it with varying degrees of bewilderment before the fire spread to consume the wall.

"Is this your plan? Burning us alive?" Heather asked.

However, Maira was just as surprised by this development she disengaged with Heather and looked at the wall with no small amount of confusion.

"Who in blazes is trying to burn us out?"


Okay, Erma. Don't panic. Guards can smell panic.

Erma_Gourd whistled nervously as she stood outside the seedy inn beside three fellow cultists. They weren't escapees like her, which meant she had absolutely nothing in common with them, or to talk about. Everyone stood around in silence, watching the inn with weapons at their belts. Maira had already gone inside with some cultists to deal with the Paragons: the bad guys.

Erma was having an exhausting time running around lately. First, she had to accompany Keen and Cyan on their arson trip to Jolin. When the guards cracked down, she had to intervene just to get those two crazies out of there in one piece. She must have done a good job since Maira asked her to provide backup while she killed some Paragons.

Of the nine Plagues, Erma and Maira had yet to have wanted posters. Erma had been seen in Jolin-she was fairly certain she made an impression-but it would take time for news to circulate. She could show her face in Daymonte without worry, though Maira insisted on keeping her face hidden. The habits of an assassin, most likely.

Still, she didn't want to press her luck. She had to appear casual. Cool and collected. Like she belonged here, stationed outside a seedy inn, when she was really preventing any outside interference so Maira could kill those Paragons.

She was being depended on, so she couldn't screw this up. She had to be alert. Ready for anything!

"Heya, Erma!"

"HAWAWAWAA!" Erma screamed, the released tension making her jump. She spun to face who had snuck up on her and paled when she saw Keen and Cyan. The crazy arsonist and the crazy sadist respectively "Hwa-hwa-What are you two doing here!?"

"Well, we were ruffled when Maira turned us down and instead invited you out here as backup." Cyan said.

"Yeah, we can do stuff!" Keen insisted, the flint and steel in her hands sparking idly.

"Also, we owed you one for keeping the guards off us in Jolin." Cyan added. "So, we figured we'd tag along and lend a hand. Maybe watch you work some more."

"I appreciate the thought," Erma spoke hastily, her eyes darting to the passing bystanders, "but really, we have this under control. So please go hide yourselves!"

"You think we can't handle this too!" Keen accused, her eyes tearing up.

"No, no, no! I didn't mean it like that! Please don't cry!" Erma panicked. Among the escapees, these two had the highest bounties and would likely be recognized the easiest. Already Erma could see bystanders running away. "I'm sure Maira would have asked you for help if this involved mass murdering. No one is better at that than you!"

"Aww, shucks." Cyan blushed.

"But this is a covert operation. Sneaky, sneaky, you know? Maira just needs to smoke some people out of the inn."

"You mean that inn there?"

"Yes, Keen. And I was only brought along to keep watch and prevent any disturbancces." Erma explained while Keen wandered out of sight. "But it's hard to keep a low profile with two high profile escapees hanging around. So please, I beg you, just hide somewhere while Maira takes care of things."

"Alright, I get what you're saying." Cyan nodded. "But I don't think you can call this a covert mission anymore."

"Why?"

"Because Keen set the inn on fire."

Erma turned and already flames were engulfing the front of the seedy inn, Keen fanning them with a gleam in her eyes.

"HAWAWAWAA! No, not again!" Erma grabbed fistfuls of hair as the flames grew into an inferno. If the bystanders didn't recognize the crisis before, they definitely did now.

"Fire! FIRE!"

"Someone call the guards!"

"Jeb save us!"

"Is Jeb a FIREMAN!?"

Erma ran over to the fire and helplessly tried to put it out by blowing on it. Cyan and the cultists watched in morbid fascination as the fire continued to spread.

Keen looked upon her work proudly. "Burn, baby, burn. This go inferno!"

"What'd you do!?" Erma grabbed the arsonist and shook her by the collar. Her efforts had no effect on Keen's pearly smile.

"There's no dilemma that can't be solved with ample amounts of fire. Ask any arsonist." Keen replied happily. "I'll smoke out those Paragons with actual smoke. Then, when they come out, wham, bam, thank you ma'am!"

"But what about all the attention we're drawing!?"

"Wham, bam, thank you ma'am!"

"But Maira's still in there!"

"Wham, bam-!"

"NAHHHHH!"

Erma threw the arsonist aside and tugged her pigtails out of frustration as the fire raged. This was Jolin all over again! Keen never thought of the consequences. She just set things on fire! Once again, Erma had to clean up her mess! She may have wanted to fit in, but not this badly. The Creepers gang never tried stunts like this!

"Stop and put your hands up!" An authoritative voice commanded. Cyan, Keen, and Erma turned to spot a platoon of guards arrive with more coming in by the minute. "PearlyKeen! We know you're there! We have you surrounded!"

"How'd they know it was me!?" She gasped overdramatically while a fire burned behind her.

"An audience! How wonderful!" Cyan gushed, brandishing some Splash Potions. "I knew you'd need our help."

"B-but isn't this because you blew our cover?"

"Questions are for later! Actions are for now! Unleash the beast, Erma!" Cyan declared as she lobbed Splash Potions of Poison upon recoiling guards. They fell back behind shields, prompting the other cultists to jump in.

"What's unleash the beast again?" Erma asked in confusion.

Keen tugged on Erma's shirt. "I think she means when you turned up the heat on those guards in Jolin."

"Th-that was just a good day for me." Erma insisted. "I mean, I didn't fight any differently than I usually do. Maybe the guards weren't at one hundred percent?"

"I dunno." Keen said doubtfully. "You were tearing through them pretty efficiently. Like a one woman army!"

"W-well, if you think it would help..." Erma drew her swords and approached the fighting, her hazel eyes wide and nervous.

The guards poisoned by Cyan cried out in agony as they fell back feeling like they were drenched in acid. She had made the weak, long-lasting variety of poison, ensuring the suffering would be drawn out. Cyan cradled her chin with both hands, reveling in the symphony. Her head shivered, sending ripples down her long, golden-bronze hair.

"This is the best~❤️!"

"SHIT! That's Cyan_Gift!" One guard tripped and fell in his panic. "Keep her away from us at all costs!"

"Oh, a fan. Enjoy a taste of this, love!" She chucked another potion, the resulting screams making her smile.

Erma inched over to the nearest group of guards, her diamond swords shaking slightly. "C-Come and get it! I'm not afraid!"

The guards, sensing her hesitance, perceived her as an easy target and proceeded to gang up on her. They were unprepared, then, for her devastating opening move.

"WAAAAA!" Erma screamed, shutting her eyes and swinging her swords wildly as she ran forward. "HAWAWAWAA!" The nearest guards raised their swords to block, but Erma parried their blades with startling speed and energy. She had to be wildly swinging, yet her swordsmanship scored hit after hit while batting aside any attempts at striking her. Her style was like a helicopter blade, or a blender, shredding into the guards without end. "HAWAWAWAA!"

"What's with these crazy chicks!?" One guard shouted before he was puréed into dropped items.

Even shields were useless as Erma just kept beating against them. If they even tried to lower their shields, they'd get shredded. Three guards learned that the hard way as they died from her whirlwind.

"HAWAWAWAA!" Erma shouted more out of panic than a battle cry, her eyes still shut. "AM I DOING ANYTHING?"

"Yeah! You're roasting them, Erma!" Keen cheered. "Go, go, go!"

"O-Okay! HAWAWAWAA!"

At one point, Erma ran directly into a crowd of guards, still swinging madly. They closed around her with weapons drawn, obscuring her from sight. Then, a few moments later, the center of the crowd exploded open, bodies, gear, and Heads flying as a whirlwind of enchanted diamond liquefied the poor guards. Those with enough sense retreated from the spinning 'HAWAWAWAA' of death.

Splash Potions struck their undefended backs.

"No fair, Erma." Cyan pouted. "I'm missing out on their howls of pain." When the guards were so poisoned that their Health was at half-a-Heart, she tossed out a Splash Potion of Harming and killed ten of them at once.

"Shoot them!" One guard commanded desperately under the two-pronged onslaught.

Many drew bows and fired at Cyan and Erma. However, the two escapees had no trouble dodging, despite Erma's eyes being closed! And not once did her mad swings cease. Her unorthodox swordsmanship could attack for hours on end and allow her to dodge projectiles at the same time. Things might be different if Veronica, the Golden Hawk of Daymonte, was shooting, but she was away on business. There was no better archer in Daymonte.

Despite being hopelessly outnumbered, the cultists held control of the battlefield. The Plagues were supplementing their forces, surpassing the guards with quality instead of quantity. Guards were getting chopped up or poisoned by the second, their EXP flowing into the Plagues and making them stronger.


"You guys smell smoke?"

On one of the stone bridges crisscrossing between Daymonte's chasms, Perry, Dwight, and Luis were walking to their next bar destination, hoping to rekindle the buzz that had been ruined last night with Wing's disappointed words. They had yet to check in with the others, but after what was said, they weren't in much of a hurry to be lectured.

Dwight and Luis sniffed the air, catching the faint scent of smoke. They could even spot some smoke trails rising on either side of the bridge. Perry looked over and spied the source: a burning building on the lower levels, close to the chasm wall.

Their inn...

"Shit..." Perry mumbled to himself. He grit his teeth and swore louder, slamming his fists into the bridge. "Shit, shit, SHIT!"

"Isn't that... our building...?" Dwight muttered with a pale face. "Hey, PERRY!"

Perry vaulted off the bridge, his body angled towards the burning building as he fell. His eyes stung as smoke got in them, but he kept them open to see the slime block landing pad.

Shit! He thought to himself. Cobb's stupid words were replaying there too.

'Can I count on you for this?'

'These beds are important. If one of them vanishes, you might lose one of your friends.'

'Just know that I'm counting on you to protect these beds. If they're gone and I don't come back, I'll make sure you never hear the end of it.'

I'm such an idiot! Even if it was a one in a million chance, I never should have left my post! Wing and Witige were right; I'm a sorry excuse for a Paragon! Now those two are fighting without backup and I've jeopardized everyone just to kick back a few drinks! IDIOT!

Perry cut air resistance by straightening out his body and keeping his arms at his sides. His body was like a missile as it struck the slime pad and bounced to a standstill before he scooted off and sprinted towards the inn. Behind him, he heard Luis and Dwight land safely on the same pad.

Guards were moving towards the inn just like they were, while civilians were running the other way. With so many guards, Perry figured things might not be so bad. A few cultists wouldn't be a match for this many bodies.

When he reached the area outside the burning inn, however, he saw how dire things really were.

There were only six enemies from what he could see, and half of them were grunts already being subdued by the guards. But the other three, all women, were slaughtering guards using a combination of unorthodox swordsmanship, splash potions, and fire. Lots of fire.

"You know, you guys should really invest in wooden bridges." One of the females suggested while lighting lines of fire. Perry recognized her as PearlyKeen while the other was Cyan_Gift. They were big name escapees from Ringwood, now working for the Endward Cult. He didn't know the third one, Erma, but she seemed to be the most deadly, shredding through guards like paper.

"HAWAWAWAA!"

Perry's gaze flitted between the guards getting torn apart and the burning building and quickly decided which matter was more pressing. He ignored the three ladies and instead ran to the burning inn.

"Whoa there, love!"

He stopped short before a potion could splash him. Cyan_Gift had broken off to impede him. He glared at her and she shivered in excitement.

"Ooh, so serious! How I yearn to twist that expression into agony." She licked her lips. "Not many would run into a burning building, let alone look me in the eye without wetting themselves. You must be a Paragon, love. Come to save your little friends? I'm afraid you're a little late."

"Yeah! They're probably barbecued by now!" Keen chimed in.

"It can't be too late." Perry denied, his sword coming out. "Stay out of my way."

"Why don't you make me, tough guy?" Cyan shook a splash potion at him before having to leap back when an arrow tried to gouge her eye.

Luis loaded another arrow while Dwight ran in to clash with Keen. The innocent arsonist could only light fires to keep him away.

"Get moving, Perry!" Luis urged. "Heather's in there!"

Perry nodded and left Luis and Dwight to their fights while he charged through burning debris that used to be the front door.


"Fire!" Wing shouted, noticing the flames spreading along one side of the hallway. The inn was so shoddily put together and made of wood instead of stone that it caught like dry kindling.

The only upside was that it seemed like the cultists were equally surprised by the fire. They hadn't expected it. Wing took advantage of their momentary surprise by kicking one of the cultists into the fire and killing him.

"I got fire suppression!" Witige shouted before dousing Heather and himself with a Splash Potion of Fire Resistance. Wing disengaged from his foe to get fireproofed the same.

On the other side, Maira and the last surviving cultist avoided the spreading flames, a grimace on the former's face.

"Fucking Keen..."

The fire wrapped around the hallway and enveloped the other wall, filling the inn with smoke and unbearable heat. The Paragons may have had Fire Resistance Potions, but she didn't, having not foreseen this particular outcome. Maira was just about to consider beating a hasty retreat when the alchemist on the other side exclaimed.

"Ah! The beds!"

There was visible alarm on Heather and Wing's faces as Witige detached from the group and ran into the small room. Maira noticed.

"The fire! We gotta get out of here!" The last surviving grunt exclaimed. He made to flee, but Maira grabbed his collar and set him in place.

"A moment." She watched Wing and Heather as they squared off. They no longer had the alchemist's potion support. The Plague also noticed how their attention was split between her and the room catching fire.

Something else was going on, and it might just provide the Plague an edge.

Maira darted in with her sword, Wing coming up to block. Maira slid beneath his legs, snagging his foot as she passed. He was forcibly wrenched off his feet before his body was swung into Heather. The Paragon cushioned the body of her ally as best as she was able, but Maira was upon her with a series of quick slashes.

By now, Heather's Strength Potion had ended, and she was back to standard strength. Witige wasn't around to support either of them.

Heather knocked the sword aside but fell back dragging an injured Wing. She flashed the Plague a pained grin.

"You must have a death wish wanting to fight in a burning building."

Maira didn't rise to the bait. Instead she let her sword do the talking, pushing the two Paragons back with the help of the grunt. Any time she saw an opening, she slipped her blade between their armor and sliced at their bare skin. She was also careful to back off whenever one of them was about to hit back. This way, she could steady inflict damage while the fire burned down walls and gave her more room to move around.

As much as the Paragons were losing, they were hardy. Maira could never quite finish them off. They always slipped away or tagged each other out. They also made a point of trying to shove her into the fire. On one attempt, they succeeded when Wing tackled her into a burning wall. He was fireproof, but not Maira. She elbowed him in the cheek and spun him off her while she frantically tried to pat herself out.

Then one of the hallway walls burned down to reveal the Paragons' room. It was catching fire like the rest of the place, yet Witige was feverishly patting out fires on the eight bunk beds taking up half of the room. He did so with a desperate single mindedness that told Maira those beds were important in some way.

She was already moving towards the beds, her sword raised and aiming to destroy two of them in one swing. The startled 'STOP HER!' from behind told her she had made the right decision. She didn't even bother aiming for Witige, knowing what he'd do to protect the beds.

Predictably, he jumped in the way and blocked the slash with his body. The blade swung down into his left shoulder, a loud crack echoing through the burning building before his legs failed him and he collapsed. The strength Maira put behind her slash was enough to break through his collarbone and dislocate his shoulder. His ruined arm hung limply, jutting out of his skin in a grotesque manner that had Heather almost throw up. Witige had passed out from the pain, his eyes open and unseeing.

Maira lifted her blade for another strike but was thwarted when Heather grabbed her by the twin tails and yanked back. There was a ripping sound and Maira's head jerked back painfully before she backhanded Heather across the face.

Wing had foolishly taken his eyes off the last cultist grunt and paid for it when said grunt drove his sword into his back. Wing stumbled into a burning wall and crawled away weakly, trying to use the flames to protect him. The cultist advanced with a nasty smirk.

Heather and Maira crossed blades for a short while until Maira jerked her head towards the bunk beds. They were caught on fire again.

Heather abandoned the fight immediately and patted out the beds before they could be destroyed.

Only after they were put out did she let out a gasp when she was slashed across the back and sent spinning into the poop hole in the bathroom. Maira wrinkled her nose in sympathy for the Paragon's sticky situation before stepping forward to finish her off.

A strangled cry stopped her cold as she turned to spot a new arrival slaying the last cultist grunt and saving Wing.

"So the drunk sobered up." Maira commented, turning to face a panting Perry. "I should thank you for your incompetence. None of this would have happened if I hadn't found you shirking your duties in that bar."

"Shut up." He growled. "I screwed up, but I haven't screwed up beyond salvaging this shit-show."

"You and your fellow Paragons will die for your lack of responsibility." Maira promised. "Corrupt people like you need to be wiped from this world."

She raised her sword and feinted towards the beds. Perry lunged forward right as she made the fake before she pivoted and swung at Perry. He ducked under it and kneed Maira in the side before the assassin slashed the inside of his leg in the exchange.

They separated and avoided wisps of fire as the inferno continued to go out of control.

Flames licked at the beds and made Perry gnash his teeth.

"The one time beds are in danger!" He raged as he recklessly charged Maira. She slashed at his face, but he took the hit across his eye and grabbed Maira so she couldn't squirm away. "I'M NOT SCREWING THIS UP!"

Screaming in a guttural roar, Perry shoved Maira out of the room and slammed her into the hallway floor where she proceeded to catch fire. After that, he ran back inside and patted out the beds.

"I told him I'd keep these beds safe." He muttered to himself. "Until they return, I have to protect them."

A sharp pain dug into his spine. He turned and spotted Maira on her knees, both hands on the sword she had thrust into Perry's back. Close to the spine.

With a twist, all feeling left his legs and he collapsed upon one of the beds. That strike had damaged his spine, paralyzing him from the waist down. Maira slowly climbed up and angrily kicked his body towards the nearest fire. He caught flames and cried out.

"This is your penance for your sloth." She spoke quietly to the burning man. He was down, Heather was down, Wing was down, and Witige was down. Nobody left to fight. Her gaze shifted to the beds. "I don't know why you keep protecting these beds, but I'll happily ruin you corrupt people's day." She raised her sword to start smashing beds...

...only for Perry, still swathed in flames and paralyzed from the waist down, to tackle her legs.

It was a weak tackle, doing no more than slightly unbalancing the Plague. She looked down coldly at Perry hugging her legs tightly and brought her sword up to stab down into his brain.

"I'm... not... letting... go..." He swore weakly. "He gave me... one job..."

Maira's peripherals caught a flash of movement in the room. Who was it? Wasn't everybody taken down? She turned and caught a flash of purple before a barefooted heel clocked her in the face.

She backpedaled from the strike, away from Perry, and through the burned down wall. Gazing up, she saw a new Paragon with long purple hair and wielding a pair of daggers.

"Dszg hlig lu ifwv zdzpvmrmt rh gsrh? Vevibgsrmt'h lm uriv." Z7 commented before charging Maira.

The assassin brought her blade up only for the superior assassin to weave her daggers around her sword and slash her chest and shoulder. Maira had to give ground as Z7's speed surpassed hers. She was already tired from fighting the others when a fresh fighter appeared out of nowhere. And she wasn't alone.

Bodies started appearing from the eight bunk beds. A large man who looked visibly alarmed at the fire, a woman with a bow who fired at Maira, an old man who tended to the injured Paragons. They all spontaneously appeared from the beds.

So that's why they were guarding them. Maira thought before one of Z7's kicks shattered her wrist. She winced through her teeth and decided that these numbers were beyond her skill to contain. She took off in full retreat down the burning hallway, though she put down some wooden planks to impede Z7's pursuit and at least seal the Paragons inside.

It was fortunate that Maira took off. Had she stayed a little longer, she would have seen King_Cobb and Lenzington appear from their beds last and realized that the Paragons and Beginners had joined forces. As it was, their involvement was allowed to be a secret for a little while longer.

"Blf yvggvi ifm!" Z7 shouted after Maira sealed off the hallway. She sheathed her daggers and looked to the room to see if the others had made it back.

"What is happening!?" Lenz stammered in alarm. "Why is the room on fire!? Why are there injured people!?"

"Witige, hang in there." Baltic comforted as he dragged the unconscious alchemist over. "Bring all the wounded over!"

"The... bathroom..." Wing pointed weakly, prompting Doyle and Shroud to check it out and find an unconscious and smelly Heather submerged in the poop hole. They grimaced at the stench, but hauled her up as Trenay dragged Wing over. Cobb went to Perry.

"T-told you I'd h-han... dle it..." Perry tried to smirk only to clench his eyes in pain.

"...You sure did."

Cobb looked at him and his paralyzed legs with a helpless expression. He hadn't expected Perry to follow his orders, let alone in such a self-sacrificial way, and yet he protected the beds to the very end against a stronger foe. He felt any words he tried would be too weak to express his gratitude.

"You did good, Perry." He offerred a watery smile. "You're a hero."

His eyes widened at the genuine praise and he tried to sit up straighter only to stumble and be caught by Cobb.

"Easy. Save your strength." Cobb reached over and hefted the Paragon onto his shoulder before taking him to Baltic. The alchemist and Lenz were already busy making a Lingering Potion of Healing II.

"This should get you fully healed in no time." Baltic assured before throwing one down. A healing cloud of red particles spread out from the point of the broken Lingering Potion. Wing, Witige, Heather, and Perry were laid out within it. Immediately, their Health started to tick back up. The potion restored two Hearts per second for five seconds, but could affect a larger area. It was like an area of effect heal.

With his Health full, Perry's injured spine fixed itself, and he and Wing could stand on their own. Heather and Witige were still out.

"Where's Dwight and Luis?" Trenay demanded.

"They're outside fighting Ringwood escapees." Perry explained. "Keen and Cyan are among them and the guards are getting trounced."

"Then let's lend them a hand." Cobb nodded to Lenz.

"No, you can't." Trenay denied them. "Those escapees are cultists. We can't tip our hand to them that we're collaborating. If they escape and they see you, we lose our element of surprise. You and Lenz should sit this out."

"Yeah, just let us handle this." Doyle assured.

"No." Cobb spoke with an authority that quieted the Paragons. "Those assholes started this mess and injured our own." Perry blinked at the fisherman's fury on his behalf. "I'll not sit back and let them get away with it! They want a fight? We'll give them one."

"But you can't be seen-"

"Then King_Cobb won't be." Cobb put a pumpkin on his head, concealing his name. Going a step further, he willed off his recognizable black and white hoodie and put aside his green dyed leather tunic so that his torso was covered only by his light blue undershirt. His diamond leggings would conceal his pants enough.

With his disguise set, he turned to Lenz only for the engineer to shake his head.

"I cannot wear my pumpkin! It will narrow my vision too much! How can I be at my best with tunnel vision?" In reply to that, Cobb offered him Landon's oversized Dragon Head. "...now that I can stomach."

He wordlessly put on the Dragon Head, concealing his name and face, and proceeded to will off some of his more identifiable accessories.

"Baltic, what do you think?" Trenay asked.

"I say we let them fight." Baltic accepted. "They're disguised enough, and we need all the help we can get."

"There's just the small manner of escaping this burning building." Shroud spoke sarcastically. "The hall's been blocked off and everything is on fire-"

"I got something I'd like to try." Cobb said through his pumpkin. He placed down a Crafting Table and took out some glass. "Baltic. I need some blaze powder and a couple Ghast tears."

Baltic did as bidden while the fire continued to spread. Lenz reached for his Pocket Box and readied his ammunition. This would be his first trial with tipped arrows.

Cobb combined his ender pearls with Baltic's blaze powder to make Eyes of Ender. Then he combined them with Ghast tears and glass, just as Landon taught him, and made four End Crystals. Even in item form, they pulsated with untapped power.

"Stand back everybody." Cobb warned before walking up to the burning hallway. He placed a block of obsidian first since End Crystals could only be placed on obsidian or bedrock. Then he placed the End Crystal before rejoining the Paragons in the tiny room. The sight of the crystal confused Perry and Wing - the only conscious Paragons that hadn't gone to the End - but everybody else recognized the volatile object for what it was.

"Fire in the hole!" Cobb shouted as he lobbed a snowball at the crystal.

*KABOOM!*

It detonated in a tremendous explosion that took out the burning wall and a bit of the floor, creating a large enough gap to the outside. Cobb, Lenz, and the Paragons vacated the smoldering remnants of the seedy inn, carrying the unconscious with them. As soon as they were free of the burning wreck, they took deep breaths of smoke-free air and rejoiced in the cooler temperatures.

Then they turned their attention on the four femme fatales still fighting.

Luis and Dwight were bruised and down while the guards were keeping their distance. Erma was still using her wild swordsmanship and Cyan and Keen looked to be about to finish Luis and Dwight until Maira showed up. They turned their attention on the Paragons and the two masked figures that escaped the burning inn.

"Hey! What's the big idea wrecking my inferno with your explosions!?" Keen pouted, glaring at Cobb.

"Who do we have here? Gourd Man?" Cyan mocked. "Why don't you and Dragonface take off those masks and show us those lovely faces... so I can twist them into something more appealing." She licked her lips with a sadistic expression.

"Gray Eagle."

She arched a brow in confusion. "Pardon, love?"

"Not Dragonface. I am the Gray Eagle! Apprentice to Mastah Veronica, the Golden Hawk of Daymonte!" Lenz declared before loading a tipped arrow. His words had the Daymonte guards look to him hopefully. "And as her apprentice, I will not allow you to terrorize her Kingdom - our Kingdom - anymore!"

"Another Bird of Prey? Ooh, well I'm shaking now, love." Cyan hugged herself mockingly. "Guess I'll have to RIP off your mask the hard way!" She charged forward with a splash potion in hand.

Lenz fired three quick shots. Cyan dodged them with ease before realizing they were aimed at the others behind her. Erma and Maira dodged, but Keen got struck in the chest before gray blue particles swirled around her and her body slowed down.

Tipped arrows? Cyan thought in alarm. Those are expensive.

She was able to get close, intending to take advantage of an archer's weakness in close combat. She had a Splash Potion of Poison with his name on it!

However, as she reared back her arm, the Gray Eagle guy stuffed a purple fruit in his mouth. What a time for a snack!

The potion flew, but the dragon-headed guy vanished, stunning Cyan into blankness. The random teleport of the chorus fruit placed the Gray Eagle behind Cyan. He reoriented himself in an instant and fired point blank at Cyan's exposed back with a green arrow.

She flipped back from the hit but winced as she took damage. Her eyes widened in recognition of the green particles. Her mad gaze flew to the Gray Eagle.

"You'd poison ME!?" She screamed before switching to Splash Potions of Poison II. She wasn't going to draw out his suffering this time. She wanted his Hearts to drain away.

Cyan fought through the poison and lunged at the Gray Eagle, but the engineer was ready. At this distance, he could only fire a single shot with his bow before she was in his face with those potions. He loaded an Arrow of Harming II and fired...

Only for Cyan to slide under it and kick up with both arms reared back, her grin the wrong side of vicious.

"Checkmate, love!"

It was too late for the Gray Eagle to reload his bow.

So he drew his loaded sidearm instead.

"Crossbow!"

The mechanism released and the projectile struck Cyan in the eye. One of her potions caught the Gray Eagle, but he fought through the pain and stepped around the screaming Plague clutching at her ruined eye.

The arrow had been a regular one, loaded since Lenz did his tests on the Bounty Day days ago, but it was effective. Cyan was so preoccupied, she didn't notice the Gray Eagle notching a new arrow.

"RAHHHHHH! WHAT THE HELL!" Cyan screamed, her head whipping around to find the Gray Eagle.

She got a pair of arrows in the back. One for Weakness, one for Slowness. The paralysis combo.

"...Shit." She gasped as her body seized up and she collapsed face down, her waist-length bronze hair obscuring her crazy red eyes. The guards cheered her defeat and the Gray Eagle's victory. He made sure to counter the poison eating his Health with a Regeneration II potion before he turned to the other fighters.

Z7 seemed to have an axe to grind with Maira; theirs was a fight she was going to settle. Maira was clearly losing, falling back under Z7's superior moves.

"Erma! Take over!" Maira shouted.

Erma saw her ally's distress and hurried over with her wild 'HAWAWAWAA!' style. Baltic and Cobb eyed her warily before the former took out a Lingering Potion of Slowness and dropped it in Erma's path. The cloud spread and Erma had to stop short or else lose her speed advantage.

Suddenly, an arrow struck Z7. The Gray Eagle had fired upon his own ally! She winced at the attack and the Paragons screamed, but outrage turned to understanding when electric blue particles swirled around Z7 and her speed doubled. She grinned.

"Gszmph, mviwormt!"

If Maira was struggling before, now she was helpless. Z7's daggers carved into her and she was suddenly regretting ever crossing these Paragons.

She had sense enough to guide the fight to the side of the stone bridge. As soon as she got close, she lunged off the side and dropped out of sight, fleeing. Z7 snorted at her cowardice.

Cobb ran around the lingering cloud and slashed with his sword at Erma. He couldn't use his fishing rod in this fight, as it would be a dead giveaway of his identity. The cult knew all about his unorthodox fishing tactics, so he would have to do what he did best and improvise.

Erma evaded his attacks with short exclamations, as if she was afraid of getting hit. However, she was definitely more skilled than she looked, especially when she unleashed her belligerent 'HAWAWAWAA!' style.

The twin swords that had shredded so many guards slashed at Cobb, chipping away at his Health. Thanks to his endurance training, however, he did not flinch and instead threw down a Lingering Potion passed to him by Baltic.

Immediately, the two fighters slowed down. Erma's speed was cut in half, and her reckless style lost its destructive power for as long as she remained in the cloud.

A Splash Potion of Swiftness II struck Cobb next, allowing him to dart into the cloud and cross blades with the Plague with a speed advantage. His vision may have been narrowed by the pumpkin he wore, but all he needed to see was the woman's blades as his sword clattered against them. His Sweeping Edge III increased the range of his slashes.

Erma's eyes widened in panic at the masked man's strength and persistence. He may have been faster, but speed had nothing to do with the way he fought. He would bucket down lava, ender pearl to a different angle mid-battle, and even trip her up with a flurry of snowballs! And he showed no sign of stopping!

When the Slowness cloud faded, Erma tried falling back to her 'HAWAWAWAA!' style only to be kept on her toes by some arrows shot from the other Paragons. More dangerous were the tipped arrows from the other masked enemy. Who were these guys!?

A snowball threw off her balance and allowed her opponent to drive a knee into her gut. She responded with a sharp kick to his head. Anyone else would've reeled from such a strike, but her opponent shook it off and came back fighting fiercer than ever. His endurance training in the woods had paid off. He could take a hit and his stamina was better than ever.

Erma backpedaled and finally got enough distance to unleash her 'HAWAWAWAA!' style. The violently swinging sword would have slashed Cobb if he hadn't blocked with a chunk of obsidian. He placed the block right before him just as Erma swung, the blade bouncing off with a ringing noise that had her arms rattling.

Cobb then threw an ender pearl behind him before placing an End Crystal on the obsidian.

Erma's blade missed him by inches as he warped away, arm reared back to throw a snowball. The ball of ice left his fingers and went on a collision course with the End Crystal.

"Bang."

Erma instinctively blocked with both blades and leapt back as the crystal detonated, frying the front of her body and face. That blast was as destructive as a Charged Creeper, yet as expected of a Plague, she reacted fast enough to survive. She coughed up a bit of smoke as she limply fell through the crater in the stone bridge towards the river below. Cobb watched her fall out of sight before turning to the last fighter remaining.

Keen jolted like a deer in headlights when Cobb, Z7, Baltic, and everybody looked at her. She was still slow because of the Gray Eagle's arrow, and she was dragging an immobilized Cyan with her. She chuckled sheepishly when she saw everybody looking at her.

"Hehe. I guess I have some arson charges to explain, huh? Migyaaaahhh!?" She screeched as an Arrow of Weakness struck her, completing the paralysis combo and sending her and Cyan off the side of the bridge.

The guards cheered the Gray Eagle's triumph, him having won them over as Captain Veronica's apprentice. While they gave him three cheers and he stood stoutly, Cobb went over to where Baltic was checking on Luis and Dwight. The alchemist already had a Healing cloud enveloping them.

"How you guys holding up?" He asked.

"Just fine, Gourd Man." Dwight joked before wincing from some angry poison burns.

"Is Heather safe?" Luis asked, to which Baltic nodded. "Thank goodness. I feared the worst."

"Next time you'll stick to your posts." Baltic chided while their Health refilled.

"I still can't believe it." Dwight winced. "That Erma chick was mopping the floor with everyone before you showed up. Your fighting was on par with Carys. You took her out so easily! How'd you do it?"

Cobb couldn't help but smile under his pumpkin. "You know, it just felt like everything clicked into place."

Brain, Blood, Heart: You're Goddamn right!


Inventory (Cobb): 1 Carved Pumpkin, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV, Feather Falling IV, Depth Strider III], 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Diamond Sword [Sweeping Edge III], 12 Cobblestone, 2 Glass, 16 Ender Pearls, 9 Ender Pearls, 52 Glass Bottles, 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Furnace, 17 Flint, 1 Flint and Steel, 17 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 Milk Bucket, 10 Coal, 33 Snowballs, 4 Ender Chests, 30 Obsidian, 64 Steak, 22 Steak, 2 End Crystals, 15 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Nether}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Bounty Days}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Green Shulker Box {Pocket Box}

Green Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 64 Eyes of Ender, 64 Chorus Fruit

[EXP: 38]

Inventory (Lenz): 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Dragon Head, 1 Chainmail Chestplate, 1 Chainmail Leggings, 1 Chainmail Boots, 1 Carved Pumpkin, 32 Pumpkin Seeds, 1 Iron Dagger, 16 Ender Pearls, 13 Cobblestone, 1 Compass, 25 Gunpowder, 1 Bow, 1 Bow [Infinity], 1 Crossbow, 42 Arrows, 11 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 41 Steak, 63 Chorus Fruit, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}, 1 Red Shulker Box {Pocket Box}, 1 Gray Shulker Box {Pocket Box}

Red Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 1 Shears, 1 Lever, 13 Tripwire Hooks, 9 Redstone Torches, 8 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 18 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Hoppers, 3 Pistons, 2 Sticky Pistons, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}

Gray Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 63 Arrows of Poison {0:11}, 64 Arrows of Harming II, 64 Arrows of Harming II, 63 Arrows of Weakness {0:30}, 60 Arrows of Slowness {0:30}, 64 Arrows of Fire Resistance {1:00}, 64 Arrows of Healing II, 64 Arrows of Invisibility {1:00}, 64 Arrows of Leaping {1:00}, 64 Arrows of Slow Falling {0:30}, 64 Arrows of Night Vision {1:00}, 64 Arrows of Strength II {0:12}, 64 Arrows of Swiftness {1:00}, 63 Arrows of Swiftness II {0:11}, 64 Arrows of Water Breathing {1:00}

[EXP: 21]

Inventory (Baltic): 1 Carved Pumpkin, 1 Iron Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 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, 1 Diamond Pickaxe [Silk Touch I, Mending I, Unbreaking II], 10 Arrows, 3 Brewing Stands, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}, 1 Water Bucket, 28 Bones, 14 Steak, 1 Ender Chest, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 26 Emeralds, 1 Lingering Potion of Slowness {1:00}, 1 Lingering Potion of Slowness {1:00}, 1 Lingering Potion of Healing II {0:05}, 1 Lingering Potion of Healing II {0:05}, 1 Lingering Potion of Harming II {0:05}, 1 Lingering Potion of Harming II {0:05}, 1 Lingering Potion of Harming II {0:05}, 1 Splash Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Splash Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Blue Shulker Box {Pocket Box}

Blue Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 64 Glass Bottles, 12 Glass Bottles, 64 Dragon's Breath, 64 Dragon's Breath, 1 Dragon's Breath, 48 Blaze Powder, 46 Nether Warts, 30 Soul Sand, 63 Phantom Membranes , 64 Blaze Rods, 23 Fermented Spider Eyes, 59 Carrots, 55 Melon Slices

[EXP: 30]

Inventory (Z7): 1 Carved Pumpkin, 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 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 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 21 Charcoal, 14 Torches, 18 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 16 Pumpkin Pies, 45 Baked Potatoes, 1 Bucket, 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}, 1 Purple Shulker Box {Pocket Box}

[EXP: 42]


AN: I'm thinking there might be some angry viewers regarding Jade's confirmed death. I debated killing her off since she was such an interesting character, but I ultimately decided that the Endward Cult had too large of a victory in Ringwood not to sustain some casualties.

At the same time, not even Cobb knows if what he did to her was right. He let her go and was punished for it when she killed Erin and brought the cult that Wither Skull. That could've been one less Wither to fight. Not to mention she told the cult everything about them. To let her go again would invite a similar scenario and Cobb didn't want to take that risk. He was angry with blood thundering in his ears. A Dark Moment.

He is the Darker Billionth, after all.

First use of the ❤️ symbol. Maybe will use more for a certain teal-haired Lieutenant.

Teal: Maaaaaaark~❤️! I have a new way of showing how much I love you~❤️! I love you this much~❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️!

Mark: *thousand yard stare*

Cobb and Co now have Shulker Boxes! They get their own Inventory spot and increase the list of text you can find at the end of these Chapters. Also gives me more to keep track of.

yay...

FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. PM. FORUM. DISCORD. DONUTS.