Chapter 48: What Must Be Done
Blake was awakened as usual by an announcement from Celia. It was the morning after they'd reached the camp (2 Larsson, as he'd been keeping track of the calendar), and while he at least felt rested it would have been nice to sleep in for once.
"Up, everyone! We should get moving to speak with Gwendolyn!"
"Is it at least a little after dawn this time?" he grumbled.
Celia huffed. "I gave you all an extra hour! Time is of the essence, you know."
He got out of bed, yawning. "Thanks for the generosity, Countess."
Blake's vision was still coming into focus, but he thought he saw Celia roll her eyes as she went to give Melissa a shake. Cupa and Felix were already up, the former fully alert while the latter looked even groggier than Blake felt.
The party didn't even wait to have breakfast; they just grabbed a few cuts of meat from their food stores as they left the tent. Ember was outside, speaking with a few soldiers and a tall blonde Network agent who Blake vaguely recognized from the island village. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but they all looked troubled. Ember broke off the discussion when he saw them exit.
"The Genesis Cores you collected will be even more helpful than we thought," he said. "Granitetown was going to send its armed forces to join us, but we heard they aren't coming."
Blake's heart sank at the news. "Guess we got here just in time… what changed?"
"I was there to give the troops information on Gwendolyn's behalf," replied the blonde Networker. "Things were going well, and they were almost ready to mobilize their forces, but… there was a disaster."
"What kind of disaster?" asked Melissa.
She sighed. "The details are a little shaky, but apparently a Wither appeared in the downtown area last night."
Blake looked to his friends and saw four horrified stares, with Celia in particular having gone white as a sheet. Even Cupa, who'd only just learned what a Wither was, seemed distressed. "Were a lot of people hurt?"
"It was mostly contained to one city block, but the casualties were high enough that Granitetown had to drop out of the attack to ramp up its own defenses," she said. "They sent me back to deliver the news, and I had to rush here overnight."
"I'm glad you weren't caught up in it, Evelyn," Ember told her. "Ava would've been distraught."
"Withers do not just appear from nowhere. Do Granitetown's leaders know what happened yet?" Celia asked, with a very pronounced waver in her voice.
"I left just as their official investigation was getting started, so I wouldn't know," said Evelyn. "But I did hear some buzz around the city that someone stepped up to fight it. Two people, actually: a villager in black armor and somebody who… like I said, the details aren't clear, but from what I've heard the killing blow was dealt by a person who fought it with plants."
"That sounds like somebody with a Genesis Core," Melissa said.
Blake had only heard of four Cores which could manipulate flora. The Usurpation had both Bonemeal Cores, and his group was in possession of the purple Grass Core, the counterpart of which was bound to…
"No… that couldn't be him. There must be another plant one we just don't know about."
"Whoever it was, they didn't stick around after the battle," Evelyn continued. "Both of the heroes just disappeared."
Ember crossed his arms, frowning. "At least Granitetown is safe again, but that leaves us with even fewer reinforcements. We'll just have to hope Ava's contact will come through for us."
He looked at Celia and Blake again and pointed somewhere behind them, away from the edge of the lake. "Sorry, you wanted to meet with Gwen, didn't you? Just head for the commanders' tent, the long white one up there. You can't miss it. Gwen should be finished going over the new plan with the leaders we've gathered by now, so you'll be able to speak with her."
"We shall, thank you," Celia replied. "Come along, everyone."
Blake followed her, but his mind was still fixated on the mysterious heroes of Granitetown.
As Cupa trailed after her companions to meet Gwendolyn, she wondered if she should have tried to find a change of clothes in the mansion. The group passed by soldiers getting up for the day, too many to count, every one of whom gave her an alarmed double-take. She hadn't considered how her moss-themed wool cloak might attract attention, especially from people who were already on edge for the fight to come. Nobody had mistaken Cupa for a monster for more than a second, but having so many startled eyes on her was a little nerve-wracking. She felt singled out, and for all her desires to be more like her new human friends the subtle differences between them only became clearer.
She sidled closer to Felix, hoping he could help get her mind off of the discomfort. "I've been practicing the letters, and I think I've got them down," she whispered.
He rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn. "Really? That's great… we can work on it later…"
"What's the matter? Didn't sleep well?"
"I've just had a lot on my mind," Felix replied, staring at the ground.
Cupa knew there was something more to it, but before she could ask more the group came to a stop. They'd reached the white tent, from which a pitched argument could be heard between several people. Two uneasy-looking armored men were stationed in front of it.
"Celia Lumis, Countess of Luxmouth," she almost mouthed along as their leader introduced herself. Cupa had only known Celia for a few days, but by that point she'd practically memorized her typical greeting. Not that she would argue its merit: the guards stepped aside to let them pass without further questioning. Such high status in the Overworld clearly had its perks.
A long table covered in maps and papers was set up inside the tent. Gwendolyn and other people- all quite a bit older than Cupa- were gathered on one side of it. On the other, and closer to the tent's entrance, stood three men in chainmail armor and loose-fitting clothes which had seen years of sand and sun exposure. The heated debate came to a halt as soon as the party entered, but the three men were still being leveled glares from the others in the tent.
"G-good morning," Celia began, "I hope we are not interrupting anything."
"We were just discussing… compensation for our assistance, that's all," one of the men told her with a smug grin. He had a rough, unshaven face and dark eyes which Cupa couldn't bring herself to meet for more than a second.
"You've been offered more than enough already, Armand, and more than we agreed on in the first place," Gwendolyn said, keeping her tone cool.
"Circumstances have changed, I'm afraid. It's getting more expensive to keep the Gardens safe, and our usual business partners are harder to reach than ever with the war raging," Armand said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I'm sure you understand our plight. Is a small sum too much to ask for, Dame Gwendolyn?"
"That depends. Would it really be going toward the defense of your citizens?" she retorted.
Armand let out the phoniest gasp Cupa had ever heard. "I am appalled by what you're implying. We've only ever looked out for the people of the Sands, and we take pride in what we do. But war isn't cheap, and neither are our swords. I have three dozen Sandstone Fangs ready to fight, and if you really need the extra manpower then you'll pay us appropriately."
"Will this suffice?"
Cupa and the others all looked to Celia, who'd opened the shulker box and taken out the stack of ten emerald blocks. She had an impassive look on her face, but it seemed almost painful to keep up.
Armand's eyes settled on the blocks, and his ugly smirk widened. "Ah, you see? I always knew kids were more considerate than us old-timers. This ought to be enough of a bonus… for this fight, at any rate. Excuse us while we rally the rest of our troops. We'll be ready when you are."
He took the emeralds and stored them away, then beckoned for his two lackeys to follow him. The party hastily split apart to let them leave the tent.
Melissa had put a hand on Celia's shoulder. "You didn't have to do that…"
"What just happened?" Cupa whispered, leaning closer to Felix and Blake.
"We bribed criminals to work with us," Felix muttered, a shadow over his face. "I'll explain it later."
Gwendolyn cleared her throat. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Countess. I'm even more sorry their fee had to come out of your pocket, but I've already spent what I have on hand just to round up help."
"Think nothing of it. If ten emerald blocks is enough to buy their support for the attack, then it is a small price to pay."
The other people in the tent gave each other hesitant glances, then filed outside to give them and Gwendolyn some space. She looked at the shulker box with a sigh. "Yes, about the attack… since Granitetown isn't coming, we've decided there's no point in delaying it. The plan was to strike in a few days' time, but we have just about all the reinforcements we're going to get, and I'm worried the Usurpation is expecting us."
"Have they sent any scouts this way?" Blake asked.
"None that we've seen, but the Iron Garrison fighters who came to join us are saying things don't look good in the plains. There's a new wave of invaders trying to break through, and more mobs than ever have been appearing in the night. We can't afford any delays if we want to get a handle on things, so we are setting out tonight and marching under the cover of darkness. We will arrive at the Usurpers' city tomorrow morning… and we will stomp out their hold on this region."
"It's a good thing we got here when we did, then," replied Celia. "But if the battle is so soon, will your troops have time to learn to use the Genesis Cores we brought?"
"Likely not. We'll need to distribute the less complicated ones, just to avoid unnecessary risk to our forces, and the people who wield them will need to adapt quickly."
The situation seemed bleaker by the second. Cupa was the newest of newcomers, yet even she knew the struggles of getting used to a Core; anyone who used the dirt ball from Teras to move blocks risked getting knocked off their feet by the kickback if they didn't stand just the right way. And here they were, delivering a whole pile of Cores to soldiers who likely had no experience with them. She was worried: what if their contribution didn't amount to much after all?
"In that case, I wish to fight with you."
Everyone in the party went stiff as a board, looking at Celia in unison. Gwendolyn didn't show as strong of a reaction, but she did frown and raise an eyebrow. "You, Countess?"
"I can use a sword. I have experience in battle against the Usurpation, and I am accustomed to wielding a Genesis Core by now. I'm certain I could be of assistance."
"But you're not a soldier. You're a noble, one of the very few left."
"Does that matter right now? Without Granitetown your numbers are less than desirable, and you yourself said there is much at stake. The war affects me as well, Dame Gwendolyn, and I will not stand idly while others fight if I can help in any way."
Cupa looked between the two, watching the firm resolve in their eyes as they locked gazes. It was the first time she'd seen Celia so authoritative: apparently, the Countess could be quite intimidating when necessary.
Gwendolyn looked at the rest of the group. "And what about your companions? Do you speak for them?"
Celia turned to Cupa and the others, and the confidence she'd presented herself with faltered. "I… I would not force anyone to join me."
None of them responded for a moment, and the five of them glanced uncertainly at one another. Melissa spoke next. "We're a team, right? Let's discuss it together." Her tone was steady, but not quite enough to mask her worry.
"If you're set on fighting, I won't stop you, but you all really need to think about it. If you choose not to fight, I'll arrange for the Network to escort you home," Gwendolyn declared. "Come and find me before sundown with your choice."
They returned to their tent in silence, the decision looming overhead like a phantom circling its prey.
It occurred to Blake how little of the war he'd actually seen.
In traveling with Celia, he'd had plenty of run-ins with the Usurpation Army. He'd discovered Genesis Cores and battled soldiers from the Far Lands more times than he would have liked, and he'd even encountered one of the invasion force's leaders. Yet he'd never dealt with more than a squad or so of Usurpers at a time, and even in those cases the outcome normally involved fleeing or sneaking around them. The front lines of the war, where confronting the enemy was a necessity and where the densest fighting took place, were something he'd only heard bits and pieces about. They'd seemed so comfortably far away. Now that he was potentially going to join a large-scale attack on the Usurpation's fortress city, however, "the war" had become much more tangible, and he had no idea how he was supposed to feel.
When the group entered their tent, it was almost a minute before anyone spoke.
"What should we do?" Celia began, an audible crack in her voice as she tried to sound composed. "I would like to hear everyone's thoughts."
"Are we really going to fight them?" Blake asked. "I know we've come a long way, but I think this is too big for us."
"He has a point. We may be in over our heads," said Melissa.
Cupa was glancing at the three of them yet didn't say anything. Felix had taken a seat on his bed and was looking at the floor, deep in thought.
Celia frowned and crossed her arms. "You heard what I said to Dame Gwendolyn, yes? We have experience fighting the Usurpation already."
"Have we ever been on top of things when that happened?" Blake retorted. "We've never done much more than just run away."
"Things will be different this time! We'll be in a well-equipped, well-organized attack force and surrounded by allies!"
"The soldiers here do look very capable, I'll give you that," Melissa replied.
"Exactly!" Celia even threw her hands up to emphasize her point. "The odds have never been more in our favor!"
Blake leaned against his bed. "That's not really what's worrying me here. Yeah, the troops are probably more experienced than us, but that's the thing: if we tag along with them, what if we just end up being more of a liability?"
A flash of concern appeared in Celia's eyes. "L-liability, Blake?"
"They're going to be battling the Usurpation, do you really think we'd be any help if they had to spare someone just to look after us? You especially, Countess?"
"I've never been in a fight this big before," Cupa mumbled.
Blake nodded at her. "That's the point. Mobs and Illager squads are one thing, but going up against a real army? We were lucky to pull through in the mansion, and even those numbers were nothing compared to a whole city of Usurpers. Do you really think playing soldier is going to end well for us?
"What would you prefer, Blake?" Celia hissed. "That we slink off with the Network to Luxmouth, and just pray the battle goes well? What if it doesn't? What if the Usurpation holds out, and their forces come for us once again? Will that be when you decide to stand up to them?"
"Enough!" Melissa's command and firm stare sufficed to make both of them go quiet. "We're conflicted on what would be best, but I'd prefer we discuss it without throwing around insults."
Blake wasn't able to meet Celia's eyes again, and neither of them said another word.
Melissa sighed. "Fighting and being escorted home can't be our only two options, can they? Is there anything else we could do?"
"I might have an idea." Felix had stood up from his bed. "We can look for another Genesis Core."
"A specific one?" Celia asked.
"Yes. The purple counterpart to that 'human' Core we have."
Blake shuddered at the thought of it. He still couldn't remember anything from his brief time with it bound. "What's so special about that one?"
Felix opened his mouth, but appeared to lose the words. This happened two more times before he was able to speak. "Sorry, I'm just trying to figure out how to say this… but I think I know what it is. I think I know what all of the Genesis Cores are.
It was like everyone else had turned to stone. That was perhaps the boldest claim Blake had ever heard in his life, yet Felix looked and sounded completely serious. Since clearly none of them were going to interrupt him, he continued. "The Core you grabbed during the fight, Blake, you said it was apologizing?"
"That was what it sounded like. It was just the one voice, too."
Felix inhaled deep. "I took the shulker box out last night to inspect the Cores. I didn't want to disturb anyone, but I had to see something."
"What did you learn?" Celia pressed, apparently not bothered by the confession.
"I felt that Core for myself, but it wasn't apologizing to me." Felix grimaced, as if the memory were painful. "It gave me the worst headache I've ever had, and… it screamed at me. The voice just kept telling me 'You killed him!'"
"Steve?" Blake asked.
"Our attacker?" corrected Celia. He shot her a glare before Felix kept going, drawing their attention again.
"It was like the Core was reacting to me specifically, instead of remembering something else."
"Blake sounded upset about it at the time, too," Cupa said. "Right after that man's body disappeared."
Another thing Blake didn't recall. He hoped Felix had a very good reason to want to find the corresponding Core, because he was in no hurry to repeat such an experience.
"We've also heard about a conflict between the two speakers from some of the visions the Cores have given us," Felix continued, "and one of them made it sound like the fighting was taking a toll on them. Like they were running low on strength."
Blake saw Melissa's eyes start to widen; she must have figured out what Felix was getting at. He, on the other hand, was still struggling to piece it together. "What are you saying, then?"
Felix looked him in the eyes, and then down to the side. "You know the legend. You know the Creators, and their close bond, their battle, and their disappearance. Well… I don't think the true story goes like that."
Celia inhaled a sharp gasp. "You're not suggesting…!"
"The battle must have been too taxing, so they started to shed their abilities. The longer it went, the more of themselves were lost," Felix explained. "Notch and Herobrine never left the Overworld, they've been here all along."
Blake followed his gaze to the shulker box, and an instant later he understood what was being said.
"And we're carrying around their fragments."