AN: Heard that Minecraft 1.19 is in the works.
Looks like Hackers are back on the menu boys!
Really though, My Craft is in 1.14 version. Five more Hackers would have to die before we reach 1.19.
Another Wynn chapter. What does any of this have to with the Stigmata War Arc it's named after? Maybe it's nothing. Maybe I'm just trying to squeeze in some Wynn development on the side. Maybe you should just join the Discord and voice these questions to the other viewers. I thought the Discord Link someone put on the forums would be permanent, but since it doesn't look like that's the case, just PM me your Discord name/number and I'll send the invite myself. Probably would save time. I don't know.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add Titans.
Chapter 206
King's Trials (Part 2)
[Nether]
It was a good thing Spring suggested a day of rest, because the labor involved in making the actual Wither Skull Grinder was backbreaking.
It was technically a Wither Skeleton Grinder, but the ones making it had no illusion as to what it was really for: Wither Skulls.
After hiking all the way back to the top of Blitz Peak with a load of Wither Roses and dirt, the trio of Spring, Carmen, and KillGore located their hidden portal and used it to access the Nether. Then Carmen had to ferry them - and several dogs KillGore insisted they bring - across the sea of lava until they reached the Fortress that would serve as the site for KillGore's grinder.
KillGore then had to do some surveying work on the location, watching sections of the Fortress for hours at a time while Spring and Carmen kept the Mobs off him. He was looking for the area with the most optimal spawning environment for Wither Skeletons, and after checking everything, leaving no nether brick unturned, he had a satisfactory answer.
"There." He said, pointing to an intersection of four walkways - a crossroad - with no roof, high above the sea of lava, where Wither Skeletons were already clattering about. "We'll build it there."
After verifying the area, KillGore marked the center of the intersection with a block of dirt before ordering Carmen to demolish the entire surrounding Fortress and nearby netherrack surfaces in her giant form. Carmen balked at such a laborious task, but Spring smoothed things over and got her to start.
The loud, violent sounds of demolition soon followed as Carmen's giant fists and legs ran through the nether brick Fortress like a wrecking ball. Meanwhile, KillGore and Spring busied themselves with dirt and carpet, using a more delicate hand to replace the chosen crossroads with a platform of carpeted dirt.
"This enough?" Carmen asked after an hour. There was no visible bit of the Fortress, no bit of nether brick left visible. She destroyed it all.
KillGore took one glance before shaking his head. "More."
"What!? There's nothing left!"
"KillGore will tell you when there's nothing left. The surrounding netherrack platforms have to go. We can't leave any nearby surface for Mobs to spawn. Either destroy the landmasses or cover them in stone buttons. Pick your poison."
Carmen grimaced but complied. There was something surreal about a giant Magma Cube Hybrid taking orders from a squeaky-voiced midget, but Spring made no mention for fear of angering either of the two.
More hours passed as KillGore and Spring continued work on the dirt platform. They made a nineteen by nineteen block area, then expanded it further out of nether brick and covered it with a different shade of carpet.
"Why the extra area of nether brick?" Spring asked.
"KillGore won't bore you with the science, but it'll mean more Wither Skeletons in our grinder." He almost sounded respectful telling him that. No blatant insult questioning his intelligence or anything. Spring worked dutifully in turn.
They built a glass wall around their area, separating the carpeted dirt interior and the carpeted nether brick exterior. It was a two block high wall, with a smooth stone slab ceiling a block higher. KillGore explained the gap in the glass wall was so that the Wither Skeletons will see their prey and move towards it, while the ceiling was meant to keep the Mobs trapped within. Large Magma Cubes and Blazes wouldn't be able to escape. No Mobs were spawning now because of the carpeted surface, allowing the two to work safely.
"There. Now am I done?" Carmen returned, wiping her forehead of molten sweat from exhaustion. She had indeed destroyed many of the surrounding netherrack landmasses, but KillGore was not satisfied.
"Keep going."
Carmen threw up her hands and rapidly swore in another language before taking out her frustrations on a landmass, kicking it apart like a toddler with a city of wooden blocks.
"She's done a lot already." Spring noted.
"Don't coddle her. This is necessary." KillGore informed while digging out some iron blocks from his backpack. "We want all Mobs to spawn here, at this grinder. Removing the surrounding surfaces as far as possible will make all those Mobs have to spawn here. It's a matter of science; one that KillGore finds laborious to explain again and again."
"I get the picture. But you have to admit we're not being subtle." Spring pointed out. "The Nether may be vastly infinite, but a grinder in the center of nothing will raise alarms should a Crafter stumble upon it."
"Once we perfect the grinder and yield the first batch of skulls, we'll bring it to the attention of the Endward Cult. Have them send troops to guard it closer than the portal highways they patrol." KillGore swore, having given the idea much thought. "The grinder only needs to be unguarded for a short time. The odds of anyone finding it are low enough to be a negligible risk."
"You're pretty smart, you know that?"
"Yes, please, laud me more." He preened smugly. "KillGore is the type that flourishes with praise."
He set the iron blocks down in a T-formation before finishing with a carved pumpkin on top. Immediately, the iron scarecrow morphed into an iron golem, its red pits in hollowed eyes gazing at the two as it was trapped on the outskirts of the dirt platform in an iron barred cage.
"The golem is to guide the Wither Skeletons." KillGore informed for Spring's benefit, making sure to build a gap between the platform and the golem. "They'll be attracted to the golem, thinking they can get to it this way. Instead, they'll fall through this gap, take near-fatal fall damage, and trickle to the kill floor where we'll be waiting with either Looting swords or dogs."
"I thought this version could get skulls without a Looting sword."
"It can, but KillGore is just saying it would be made easier with a Looting sword. The cult will be sure to spare us theirs once they learn of what we've made."
"Aaah, so it's what 'we' made, eh?" Spring spoke knowingly, making KillGore freeze. "Not just 'your' masterpiece, not just 'your' destiny, hm?"
"Hmph! KillGore only means to speak the truth! Spring and Carmen helped so Spring and Carmen share the credit! KillGore does not see what the big deal is! We're a... team." He spoke the last words with an embarrassed flush. "A-Anyway! KillGore must attend to the dogs! Excuse me!"
He scurried off to the opposite corners of the dirt platform and led dogs to be placed on smooth stone slab perches surrounded by wooden trapdoors in a makeshift pen. This one Spring knew. Skeletons and Wither Skeletons fled from dogs. This way, the Wither Skeletons would flee from the side of the dirt platform with dogs, and approach the side of the platform with the iron golem. A great way to funnel the Mob they were after.
Four hours passed while KillGore and Spring attended to the last piece of the grinder: the kill floor. They had to build down precariously to allow the Wither Skeletons enough fall damage, but once they reached the proper depth they built a platform for KillGore to work. They were just about to install the hoppers when giant Carmen stormed forward looking cross.
"¡Okey! ¡Eso es todo! ¡He destruido hasta el último pedacito de netherrack en un radio de cien metros de este lugar! Entonces, si tienes el descaro de decirme que hay algo que me perdí, ¡te desafío a señalarlo! ¡Terminé, me escuchas! ¡Hecho! ¡Me duelen los puños y los pies de tanto golpear y patear cosas! ¡He estado nadando en lava y mi piel está toda seca! ¡Estoy cansada y hambrienta y quiero dormir en una cama que no explote! Hff hff hff hff!" Her chest rose and fell in great heaves after her tirade, her large eyes challenging KillGore as she loomed over him.
"KillGore doesn't speak Taco Bender." KillGore shrugged maddeningly.
Carmen's glowing orange eyes grew shadowed and crazed at the midget's lackluster response for all her hard work. Her face twitched and something seemed to snap. Her vibrato voice let out a humorless chuckle that soon devolved into crazed laughter promising pain if someone didn't show her proper appreciation. Fortunately, Spring was there to make up for KillGore's poor self-preservation instinct.
"Hey, you know what I think?" He shouted.
"That KillGore should have named the perros 'KillRoy's Furries'?"
"It was a TYPO!"
"Actually, I was thinking you did a great job. More than half of what needed to be done." Spring elbowed KillGore. "Riiiiight?"
"What? Oh, yes." KillGore realized with a bit of disappointment. "I suppose she has done more than her fair share. Her responsibilities as a Hybrid to us have been fulfilled." Carmen's eyes widened at the implications.
"Then... you mean... I can finally...?"
"Yes." KillGore sighed, packing up his hoppers. "Let us change you back as promised."
She squealed in delight before grabbing Spring and even KillGore in her massive hands and hugging them against her chest. The two sunk into her jiggling skin, barely able to filter in air as she spun around with glee.
"Let's go right now! We can make the next new moon!" She declared happily before swimming away from the incomplete Wither Skeleton Grinder, Spring and KillGore in tow.
KillGore looked at the grinder forlornly before banishing it from his mind. He made a promise, and so far Carmen had delivered. He'd settle her business, then settle his own. The grinder was nearly done anyway. It'd be tougher to travel to without Carmen to ferry them, but that was irrelevant to their deal. He and Spring would just have to do without.
The next time they visited the grinder, they would make it operational.
[Mt. Mur]
The Zombie Villager, Cobb II, was set ablaze and Wynn's body was shoving WorkingMann onto the ground, covering him from the two Paragons taking aggressive action.
Quickly, Mann took the bucket of water from Wynn's belt and poured its contents out, the water dousing the flames engulfing Cobb II and saving it from an untimely death. He breathed out a sigh of relief before Wynn rolled the pair of them behind a rock.
"Not very Paragon of them." Mann noted.
"Chinami you jackal!" Wynn shouted. "You're attacking His Eminence after he told you how to move your Mob during the day! Have you no honor!?"
"Yeah, I can't imagine this'll net me any emotional virtue points, but I'd be an idiot not to run interference on you two." She nodded to Broderick who pulled his Flame bow taut, aiming again at Cobb II. Wynn and Mann couldn't even do the same and target their Zombie Villager as it wasn't there. What had they done with it?
Broderick launched an arrow and it would have landed had Wynn not kicked the Mob out of the way. A simple kick of damage was better than a flaming arrow with who knows what other enchantments on it.
"Come on, old man. Just drop out." Chinami crooned. "Become part of the Ringwood Carys is building. You crave those emotional virtue points so badly, do the nice thing - step down and let a younger, more worthy monarch take the reins."
"I intend to, but I hope you don't mean yourself or Kenji. I've seen butterflies more monarch than you two." Mann countered, earning a deep frown from Chinami. The Paragon drew her sword before running towards Mann.
Wynn moved to intercept.
"Your Eminence! Take Cobb II and escape! I'll deal with these two!"
"Yeah, deal with us. Just like you dealt with Ember. Oh wait." Chinami's sword scored a hit against Wynn's side, though her words did far more damage. "You didn't deal with her. You just watched while she slayed your king, the one you were supposed to lay down your life for. Face it, you're a failure, and Mann must be going senile to have you as his Second. A king like that would be running Ringwood right into the ground!"
"Shut up! SHUT UP!" Wynn screamed, her movements becoming more impulsive and aggressive. Her lunges overextended trying to stab Chinami, leaving her open to more damage. In her rage, she missed Chinami's Second getting by her and moving towards Mann and Cobb II.
Broderick fired another flaming arrow but Mann withdrew a shield and was able to deflect it without getting burned. He couldn't avoid Cobb II clawing at his exposed back though.
"I'm trying to protect you, Cobb!"
"Uuuuuuhn..."
Wynn broke through Chinami's guard and skewered through her armored shoulder before kicking the Paragon in the chin. "Still think I'm a failure!?"
"Actually, yeah." Chinami grinned before pointing behind her. Wynn spared a glance and felt soul-crushing regret when Cobb II was splashed by a Potion of Healing II. Armor didn't offer much protection against potions, and the healing brew was like poison to the undead. Cobb II reeled in agony before a flaming arrow found its neck, killing it instantly. Half of its diamond armor was dropped along with a few meager pieces of rotten flesh.
Wynn's rapier sunk to the ground, a familiar sense of self-loathing gripping her heart. She had let Chinami rile her up, make her forget all about Mann and their charge.
"A failure through and through. That ought to set you back." Chinami grinned before picking herself up and whistling for Broderick. "We're done. Let's go."
"What about taking out the competition?" Broderick asked, his flaming bow drawn and pointed at Mann hiding behind a shield.
"That's only as a last resort. Kenji thinks they'll serve us better as losers than a corpse and a broken woman." Chinami jerked her thumb and Broderick got the hint, relaxing his bowstring and stepping away from Mann.
Then Chinami spoke to him. "Consider this a warning. Withdraw from the competition. Elevate Kenji from the sidelines. He's the king Ringwood needs."
"He'd be a figurehead - a puppet king dancing to Carys' tune." Mann denounced with absolute certainty. "His first priority will always be to Carys, not the people he'd be sworn to protect. He'd lead everyone here to slaughter if that's what Carys wanted!"
"Maybe so, but Ringwood may already be too far gone to recover." Chinami said. "If they're going to fall anyway, better it be done in one last blaze of glory than a protracted, pathetic, and frankly futile display. At least with Carys, they'll die fighting for something."
Her words reverberated inside Wynn's head and made her muster a vaporizing glare towards Chinami. They were going to use what was left of Ringwood's people as cannon fodder against the cult. There'd be no effort spent rebuilding or amassing funds. No attempt to build Ringwood back to its former glory. They were going to turn the scared citizens into soldiers and throw them against the Endward Cult, then act like it was for something noble.
Chinami returned the glare with a contemptuous look. In her eyes, the Paragon didn't even consider Wynn a threat. She and Broderick left the two where they lay, dispirited and defeated.
At least one of them, anyway.
"Come on, Wynn." Mann prompted after Chinami was well out of earshot. "We need to go back down and get a new Zombie Villager."
"...I failed you again."
"It's alright. We can name it Cobb III. Better than the sequel."
"I screwed up!" Wynn shouted over him, her eyes misting with tears that she valiantly tried to fight. "I let her get to me and just... just..." Wynn clenched her fists and drove them into the ground in despair. "I'm a failure. I keep thinking I can make things right and instead I only make things worse."
"Wynn. Stop it."
Wynn flinched at the sterness with which Mann spoke to her. His expression reflected the utmost seriousness as he forced the Captain to look him in the eye.
"It doesn't matter if you're a failure. It doesn't even matter if you've been a failure your whole life. Just know that you can't be a failure here. Not now. You know why?"
Wynn blinked. "Because... because we can't let Kenji become king."
"Exactly." Mann nodded. "This isn't about us, but the remaining people in Ringwood. Giving Kenji the crown would be as good as dooming those people who are counting on us to turn things around. The citizens who returned, your guards, the reserves from Daymonte. They're still here because despite everything they still have faith we can lead them to a better tomorrow. That won't come about by feeling sorry for ourselves and all but handing the monarchy to a couple of punks. You got it? Feel sorry for yourself on your own time, after you've exhausted every option and done all you can. We can still win this thing!"
"...You're right." Wynn wiped her tears and stood tall. "We're Not Dead Yet."
"No we're not!" Mann smiled confidently, giving Wynn a strong pat on the back. "Now, we need a plan. A strategy so jewel-like that one could call it a stratagem!"
"You had me until that last part." Wynn deadpanned before turning away and thinking to herself. "Hmm. If our opponents are going to divide and conquer, so should we. You head back down and grab a fresh Zombie Villager. If they're so convinced we'd give up, there shouldn't be any opposition waiting for you."
"And what will you do?"
Wynn pointed her rapier up towards the mountain. "I'll be running a little interference of my own, and getting a few virtue points here and there while I'm at it."
[Dover Plains]
It took a while - a few weeks - for Spring, Carmen, and KillGore to safely traverse the Nether to where they stashed the Heads taken from the cult's depository, followed by transporting them out via ender chests and clones. Even with KillGore chipping in, transporting a thousand-and-one Heads was a cumbersome chore considering their limited inventory space. A few new moons were passed, but finally the stars aligned and everything was set.
There was a degree of caution when going over where to do the 'return Carmen human' ritual. Lazuli, Exter, and Oak Docks were too close to HQs, Ringwood and Nitebane held burning grudges, Akasha was a crater, and there may or may not be a horribly misnamed Wither in Jolin or Zeppil's future.
That left Dover Plains, Carmen's home kingdom, as the locale for the ritual. Spring thought it rather fitting that she'd be brought back into her own flesh and blood within the very kingdom she was stolen away from and robbed of centuries ago. They settled on a far-flung village near the border between the rolling, fertile plains and the Lacquerlands. Carmen had no problem with the location now that spawning a Wither was off the table. Indeed, she and Spring were in high spirits knowing their labors would soon bear fruit.
The only mopey pants was KillGore, who wanted the ritual done as fast as possible so they could get back to finishing the Wither Skull Grinder. Nothing else was more paramount in his head. He constantly harassed the two, keeping everything and everyone on schedule with his hilariously ridiculous alto tenor voice.
Now, the village they chose had a name. A perfectly mundane village name that wouldn't have tripped any alarms or nothing. However, Spring, Carmen, and KillGore were so focused on the night of the new moon and turning Carmen back that they didn't bother to memorize the name. So for the sake of convenience, we'll call it the Village of Hoogibsashit. Because that's just how little it mattered and maybe the writer was just a little too tired to come up with a name. So this one time let's all just cut him some slack and pretend Hoogibsashit is a well thought out and cultural name. Yeah? Great. Moving on.
Hoogibsashit was rigidly patrolled by guards wearing yellow-dyed leather caps. Everyone was paranoid about a Wither attack laying waste to them just as it had Ringwood. The Nether Portal Spring, Carmen, and KillGore popped out of was buried under the village wall, complete with a cave network that led to the outskirts. The trio used this to avoid prying eyes, though they ran into the odd guard patrol and had to hide Carmen and her clones.
"What are you boys doing?" One guard asked.
"None of your business, you clod! KillGore goes where he pleases."
The guard paused before giggling to himself over KillGore's alto tenor pitch. The midget looked about ready to erupt at the blatant disrespect, so Spring had to smooth things over.
"Please excuse my friend. He gets picked on a lot." Spring spoke over KillGore's squawking. "We're just passing through."
"You got Citizenship Information?" Another guard questioned sharply.
"Yes." Spring lied. He had to part with his Citizenship Information and a bunch of other items to make space in his backpack for the Heads. Heads he was sure the guards would find in distressing quantity. "We're not entering the village though, so-"
"New rule." The guard cut him off. "Any suspicious persons need to show Citizenship Information. Doesn't matter if you're passing through Hoogibsashit or not."
"Por el amor de dios! Let's just kill them already! I wanna be human!" Carmen hissed from behind.
"Stay hidden!" Spring hissed back before raising his hands and speaking to the guards. "Suspicious? Us?"
"Well, that guy calls himself KillGore, so yeah. Kinda suspicious."
"Now you're just making assumptions." KillGore folded his arms. "And when you make assumptions, you make an ass out of u and mptions."
"Just show us your Citizenship Information so we can - Hey! GET BACK HERE!"
Spring and KillGore did the opposite as they ran off while Carmen stayed hidden. No telling how the guards would react to a Hybrid. Spring and KillGore couldn't very well show the guards their backpacks full of Heads. They'd lock them up or kill them. Which meant they were left with no other option but to flee from the guards that pursued them.
How is it that I'm on the outs with the Cult yet still suffering all the disadvantages that come with them!? Spring complained internally.
"How dare those fools make KillGore run! We should stand and fight! KillGore can destroy them all with but a wink of his delectably evil brutality."
"I know you can." Spring lied, knowing KillGore's strength. Even with his high EXP and whatever winking nonsense he was talking about, he was outnumbered. "But we can't take on the whole village."
"Ngh. You are right." He conceded.
He and KillGore didn't have much cover on the plains to hide from the guards. Instead, they ran towards Hoogibsashit and used the wall for cover, ducking around before splashing themselves with a Splash Potion of Invisibility. They hugged the wall and covered their mouths as the platoon of guards rushed right past them.
"Where'd they go!?"
"Might've gone invisible or ender pearled. Alert the guards and search the village! Nobody runs unless they have something to hide."
Spring and KillGore snuck away, only speaking to each other when they were well out of earshot.
"Man, the guards have never been this trigger-happy. I mean, demanding citizenship information just for being near a village is just plain paranoid."
"The resurfacing of Withers will do that." KillGore commented sagely. "Things have been escalating in the world and tensions are high - will be driven higher once the cult is properly rolling out Withers and Hybrids. When that time comes, it'll be hard to discern the sympathizers and believers from the scared masses who join us."
All the more reason for Spring to earn his way back into the Endward Cult. The cult's firepower and transportation network put the kingdoms at an overwhelming disadvantage. How were they supposed to prevent Withers spawning? Consistently spawning them for a few days would reduce a populous kingdom to an empty ruin.
If they didn't take him back, he'd be as good as dead.
"Let's get back to Carmen before she misses us." Spring suggested.
"A moment." KillGore tugged back, his EXP strength stopping Spring and making his arm pop. Through watery eyes, Spring turned to the space KillGore's voice came from.
"What is it?"
"This is the only time we can talk in private. From one man to one evil incarnate."
"Okay."
"In your opinion," KillGore spoke seriously, "do you believe this Hybridization ritual will work in returning Carmen to her original form?"
Spring took a moment to process the question and what it meant. "...You're insinuating that it won't? Carmen came up with it-"
"Carmen is a desperate woman dead set on getting her old life back and willing to try anything, and you didn't answer KillGore's question." KillGore spoke frankly. "Do you think this will really work?"
Spring shrugged. "I don't see why not. What was done one way can be undone the same way, right?"
"That's like saying you can uncook meat with fire." KillGore dismissed. "Let me be the first to offer my doubts on this course of action ever working. Herobrine studied the Hybridization Ritual to turn Crafters into something new. He wanted to change their very being. Something like that will not be remedied so easily."
"Like any of this has been easy!" Spring countered. "All the gathering and stealing and planning just to get to today. She's poured enough sweat into this to deserve a happy ending, and so have I."
"Doesn't matter how deserving you are. Some ailments are irreversible, and all we can do is accept it." KillGore sighed. "Herobrine wanted to become a Hybrid himself, Spring. He wrote about it in a little notebook, and not once did he mention the process being reversible. For all we know he could've been prepared to live as a half-Mob for the rest of his natural life."
"I don't care what he was thinking. This process has to be reversible." Spring asserted. "It'll work. She'll go back to how she used to be and be able to live a normal life again."
"And if she doesn't?"
"Huh?"
"If she doesn't turn back - if the ritual goes awry - what then?" KillGore asked reasonably. "You have to be prepared for any possibility, Spring. What's your Plan B for Carmen_DelaCruz should this fail?"
"I... I'd..." Spring stuttered, at a loss for words, his mind dancing on the edge of avenues and directions that would ultimately be empty and unfulfilling for Carmen as a Hybrid. If this failed, the kingdoms wouldn't accept her, the cult wanted to kill her. She had nowhere to go. No future. Everything was hanging on tonight's ritual. A ritual that may in fact fail. And if it did, he would have... to...
To Carmen he would have to...
"...It has to work." Spring asserted, forcibly banishing the unpleasant thoughts. "The ritual will work. Don't make me second guess things."
"So be it." KillGore accepted. "Whether this succeeds or fails matters little to me so long as you help finish the Grinder we started." KillGore moved past Spring, tugging his arm along. "What Carmen does with her life, marred or otherwise, is ultimately up to her."
Yeah, right. Spring thought. KillGore could pretend he didn't care all day, but he bothered to voice his concerns in private, away from Carmen, knowing it would upset her. He was being considerate, and that wasn't the quality of a person who didn't care.
When Spring and KillGore rejoined Carmen, they kept their private conversation from the Hybrid and moved further away from Hoogibsashit in search of a suitable spot for them to safely perform the ritual.
The outcome of which would decide Carmen's destiny.
[Mt. Mur]
Wynn leapt onto a particularly high ledge, aided by a Potion of Leaping. Darkness covered Mt. Mur as night descended. Since torches would give her away, she used extended Potions of Night Vision to see as clear as day. It seemed Kenji and Chinami didn't prepare as well; they left a trail of torches to light their path and lead Wynn right to them.
As she went, Wynn made sure to complete any available sidequests from Testificates and guards for virtue points. Most of them involved fetching something for someone or killing a certain amount of Mobs for someone, demonstrating virtues of both heart and body. Admitedly they fetch quests were tedious, but by racking up points she was doing her part to secure the win for Mann while he brought up a new Zombie Villager. Wynn cast a look down the darkened, Mob sprinkled mountain, hoping Mann would have the sense not to risk ascending until the sun was out.
Wynn hiked another mile before spotting a cheap, crudely built, wooden shack to her left. She knew a sidequest when she saw one, and quickly diverted her course to see what sort of points would be awarded.
The shack was small with a window - making it more a booth than anything - and inside was a single guard. He raised an eyebrow at Wynn as she approached.
"No Mann?" He asked.
"He's coming." Wynn waved off. "Did you see Chinami or Kenji? How far behind them am I?"
"I can't tell you." The guard shook his head. "That would be considered information that can aid you. The Trials prohibit it."
"Right." Wynn sighed in frustration. "So? What sidequest do you have need of me for?"
The guard frowned. "You could at least pretend to roleplay, can't you?"
Another more weary sigh. "Alright. Please, distressed citizen, tell me what ails you. I am a humble servant of my King, ready to aid any in need."
"That's more like it." The guard nodded respectfully. "I have a riddle for you. One that would test your mind."
Mental virtue points, then. She was in need of those. But a riddle? She wasn't really good with those. Then again, how hard could it be?
"Alright, go ahead." Wynn gave him permission to relay the riddle.
"What does one do to wind up in a grave."
"Or to cast an object in the colors you crave."
"Next, give me a word to connect two averse things."
"A word shared by traitors, discord, order, and borrowings."
"Then, when nothing is left, you'll know this last word."
"String them together and offer me this item you've heard."
Wynn showed blank thought after hearing the riddle. "Er... could you repeat that? Slower?"
The guard nodded and repeated the riddle just as before. At the end, he wore a proud smile. "Pretty good, huh? Spent a few weeks coming up with that one. Hardest part was making it rhyme."
"Did it have to rhyme?"
"Rhyming riddles are what separates the amateurs from the artistes." The guard scoffed.
"Well I think you have too much free time on your hands and the guards could use some more training drills." Wynn countered smoothly before thinking on the riddle.
Three words which strung together formed an item the guard wanted. Another fetch quest, but one that depended on her smarts. Wynn would have to work each one out one at a time before piecing them together to narrow down what she had to fetch for him.
Notch, she hated riddles.
Let's start with the first word. What does one do to wind up in a grave? Well, they'd have to be dead, so... die? Yes, and that matches what you'd do to cast an object in the colors you crave! You'd dye! So die or dye is the first word. Does he want a specific dye?
A word to connect two things...? A bridge? A string? Tape? Glue? The emotional bonds that hold us all together? Ugh, it could be any of them. What was the second half of the clue? A word shared by traitors, discord, order, and borrowings? What do they all have in common? I'll come back to it.
The last word, I'll know when there's nothing left. Emptiness? Empty? Hollow? Bereft? There's so little to go on. Then again, riddles are supposed to be clever. They play on words. So maybe he's using left like the direction left. And if nothing is left, it has to be right!
Dye... some other word... and right...
Right. Right. Write? Writing with dye? Does he need black dye to make a book and quill? Or maybe to dye the text on a sign? That's a new Bounty Day feature. Or... or... or...
Wynn blinked after mentally repeating the word 'or' in her head. A word shared by traitors, discord, order, and borrowings!
OR!
Dye. Or. Right. Diorite!
"You want a block of diorite!" Wynn exclaimed.
The guard smiled. "Very clever of you, Captain. You've earned those Mental Virtue Points... but I'll still need the block."
Wynn nodded before digging out a pickaxe from her backpack and beginning to dig. Many considered diorite, granite, and andesite to be useless junk that took up space while mining, herself included. But that just meant there would be plenty to find.
After digging a few meters down in a ten meter radius (and mistaking andesite and granite for diorite), she finally brought up the extraneous block and presented it to the guard.
"What, you don't want to polish it?"
Wynn's glare could be called livid.
"I'm kidding! Kidding. Thank you." The guard accepted the stone from Wynn's claw-like grip and coughed awkwardly. "You earned your points, Captain. Best of luck to you."
Wynn continued her journey up the mountain, feeling just a bit of pride over figuring out that riddle.
[Dover Plains]
On the outskirts of Hoogibsashit, Spring, Carmen, and KillGore enacted the finishing touches for the Hybridization Ritual under Carmen's precise instructions. The night covered them well, and the darkened New Moon rising into position made spotting them impossible. Midnight would soon be upon them.
"Bueno. The redstone dust pattern is perfecta." One Carmen clone nodded while two others kept the Mobs away.
"Does this have to be done out in the open?" Spring asked. The patrol of guards was likely still scouring the plains for them. They were sitting ducks if not for the cover of night and the lack of torches. He didn't like it.
"We don't need to be out in the open, but we do need an accurate estimation of when medianoche occurs." Carmen explained before scowling. "That puta madre Herobrine performed all the rituals in that bunker, but he had a clock to judge the time. Better we just use the luna's position."
"Hey, you're the boss." Spring shrugged while KillGore placed the jukebox and cauldron on top. Then Spring filled the cauldron with water. It was all in the center of the redstone eye pattern. "Okay, we're all set here."
"Okay. It's nearly time." Carmen spoke anxiously, her eyes tracking the New Moon. "It has to be perfecta. Grab the Cabezas. I got the disco."
Spring and KillGore did as bidden and the Carmen clones quit keeping the Mobs away in favor of gathering their own share of Heads and circling the cauldron.
One Carmen held the disc suspended beside the jukebox while another looked at the New Moon. It moved quietly across the night sky as the trio waited with bated breath. Then, just as it was overhead, Carmen inserted the cursed disc '11' and let it play.
The creepy, bizarre, and otherworldly music filled the silence and signaled the trio to dump all one-thousand Heads into the cauldron as if they were making dead head soup. As they did so, Spring and KillGore's eyes widened upon seeing the cauldron's water glow with a pearly luminescence. The light grew brighter and brighter as more Heads were poured in, the water's surface reflecting the New Moon hanging high in the sky while the creepy music played through it all.
"It's working! IT'S WORKING! Esta funcionando!" Carmen's vibrato rumbled gleefully. This was the culmination of all her hopes and hard work. Seeing that water glow must have brought up bad memories of her past, yet, at the same time, she recognized it as her ticket back to her normal self. Her nightmare would soon be over.
It was impossible not to be happy for her, though KillGore's conversation earlier sprouted a niggling doubt in the back of Spring's head.
After all one-thousand Heads - the Materia - were in, Carmen added one more as the Hybridization catalyst to turn her back. Crafter DNA, dropped by a Crafter, to make her a Crafter.
With all the Heads crammed into one cauldron, their work was done. All that was left was for Carmen and her clones to dive in before the music and New Moon ended. There was no reason to delay, yet Carmen felt she had the time to turn to Spring and KillGore with an expression of the utmost gratitude.
"Thank you both for this." Lava tears welled up in the corners of her glowing, orange eyes. "Especially you, Spring. I owe you so much, and I know I put you through a fair share of headaches to get to this point, but, for what it's worth, I'm contento it was you I kidnapped in that bunker all those weeks ago."
"KillGore's getting some serious Stockholm Syndrome vibes here."
"So anyway, one last group hug." Carmen offerred a bright closed-eyed smile before she and her three clones embraced Spring on all sides, one even kissing his cheek affectionately. Spring's face heated up, and for once it wasn't because Carmen scalded him with her touch.
"Don't m-mention it." Spring stuttered.
The Carmen clones released him and, just as the song was nearing its end, they got on all four sides of the cauldron, hefted themselves over the lip, and slid into the water in unison. Their bodies, which shouldn't have fit in the narrow space, disappeared under the glowing, pearly surface leaving only a slight ripple in their wake.
The eerie song played out its final notes and the New Moon passed, taking the water's pearly glow with it. All was quiet as darkness settled about the ritual area once again.
Spring and KillGore shared a dubious look before approaching the still water in the cauldron.
"Carmen...?" Spring called hesitantly, wondering how long she had to stay down there.
Suddenly, the water's surface exploded and something too large to fit inside it ballooned out. The sudden occupation of space blew Spring and KillGore back and into the air before they landed and slid along the grassy plain. Some projectiles started pelting their fronts and they had to shield themselves.
The projectiles were Heads. Specifically the thousand-and-one they dumped to make the ritual work. That wasn't right. The Heads were supposed to be used up. So if they were still there, that meant...
KillGore frowned deeply and averted his eyes after discovering that the large thing that burst from the cauldron was Carmen in her giant form and still very much with dark red and black jiggling skin and glowing orange eyes. She was still a Hybrid.
As KillGore suspected, the ritual had failed. There was no going back once you were a Hybrid. It was irreversible.
Spring stood up with a look of lost despair etched into his face, but that was nowhere near Carmen's reaction once she opened her eyes. She was sat on her knees, looming over them all, as she gazed down into her gigantic, trembling hands and saw not pale, beautiful skin, but ugly, dark red and black magma slime.
Her vibrato voice made a small, broken sound at the back of her throat, a choked sob, before her hands shook even more, closing into great fists before she slammed them into the dirt, destroying the ritual circle and chunks of the ground. She beat them into the ground again, her fingers splaying out and clawing at great tracks of the plains.
"No va a funcionar." She said with a startling, eerie calm. It wasn't hard to guess what it meant.
"M-Maybe we missed something..." Spring tried, hoping against hope for a solution to Carmen's problem. "We can try again next New Mo-"
"IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK!" She screamed, tearing up great chunks of land. "IT'S RUINED FOREVER AND I CAN'T GET ANY OF IT BACK! NOT MY HOME, NOT MY ALTON, AND NOT EVEN MY OWN FLESH AND BLOOD! NOTHING'S EVER GOING TO GET BETTER! I'LL JUST BE A MONSTRUO FOREVER JUST BECAUSE I WAS STOLEN FROM MY HOME BY THAT PUTA MADRE HEROBRIIIIINE!"
She wailed in despair, ripping up grass and dirt and stone when she got deep enough. She threw it into the air and Spring and KillGore had to shield themselves as it pelted the plains, mixing with the Heads that had been scattered about.
Spring tried to console her.
"Carmen! I'm... I'm sorry the ritual didn't work, but you're not a monster! I swear!" Spring pleaded, desperate to get through to her. "You're beautiful however you are! Those people who called you a monster don't know-!"
"The noise came from over there!"
Spring whirled around as the platoon of yellow-capped guards from earlier approached on horseback. He went white in shock, freezing in place. They were surrounded by Heads and caught red-handed. There would be no explaining their way out of this.
"There those two are!"
"You two are under arrest for suspicion... of..." the guard trailed off as his gaze turned upward towards the giant Magma Cube Hybrid. Her back was to them, but there was no mistaking its subtle, living movements "M-Monster!"
Carmen hunched her shoulders at the hurtful word - the word any Crafter would hurl at her for the way she looked. She was a freak. An abomination to forever be shunned.
"Sir, what is that thing!?"
"I don't know!"
"It's moving!"
"Shoot that thing! SHOOT IT!"
The guards pulled out bows and a salvo of arrows were launched into Carmen's giant, exposed back. They sunk into her skin and they must have hurt, but Carmen barely winced as she slowly turned, her glowing orange eyes staring into the guards' souls with unbridled rage.
She clenched a fist, a red haze settling over her vision.
Before the guards could reload, Carmen's great arm swept their entire platoon aside. Horses screamed and bodies were thrown everywhere. It was all Spring could do to tackle KillGore out of the way and shield him from the debris.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"
Carmen's vibrato rent the air and blew out everyone's eardrums as she screamed into the night sky with all her pent-up rage and fury. She had surrendered to her base Mob instincts to kill and maim, opting to take it out on the guards. Since they were so quick to label her a monster, she would show them a monster.
She stepped over Spring and KillGore and speared her whole arm into the dirt where a guard had been trying to recover. Another guard tried to ride away only for Carmen's foot to sweep up and punt him through the air where he eventually landed with a splat of fallen gear. The force behind her movements kicked up so much wind and shook the earth. Spring and KillGore could only hug the ground for dear life as Carmen continued her rampage.
She let loose another scream of anguish, louder than the last, as she crushed guard after guard. Only three of the platoon remained, and they had enough sense to drop everything and ride back to the village for help. Carmen watched them flee and chased after them with slow, quaking strides.
"Carmen, WAIT!" Spring shouted only to get drowned out by another roar. He covered his ears and winced through busted eardrums, yet he kept heading after her until he was forcefully tugged back by a strong arm.
"What do you think you're doing?" KillGore demanded.
Spring slapped his hand away. "I'm going after her! She isn't thinking straight! She can't fight a whole village!"
"On the contrary, KillGore thinks Hoogibsashit has the disadvantage." KillGore remarked. "But that's besides the point. What are you going to say to her to calm her down?"
Spring drew a blank as his gaze swiveled between Carmen and KillGore. He had no idea what to say.
"This is what happens when you don't plan for what happens." KillGore stressed. He watched Carmen go off with a bitter face. "You must have known something like this would happen. Instead you counted too much on the Hybridization working. Wishful thinking is not preparedness."
"So you want to just leave her!?" Spring snapped.
"Yes! She's inconsolable and angry. Let her get everything out of her system before talking with her." KillGore reasoned seriously. "Once she's exhausted herself, she'll be more willing to hear reason. But right now, she needs to vent and destroy." He pointed to Hoogibsashit just as Carmen reached it, swinging her legs into wooden and stone buildings. "Best thing we can do is leave her to it."
Spring hovered between running after her and staying. She needed someone there for her, yet KillGore was right about Spring not knowing what to say. So far his consoling words had been met with dismissal.
In the distance, Spring watched as Carmen ripped open a second-story building, grabbed the people inside, and threw them through other buildings.
"If you go now, you'll just get caught up in her rampage, and we both know she wouldn't want that." KillGore said as the deciding point. It was enough to convince Spring that they should let her have this.
So, the two cultists sat on the torn plains, hugging their knees to their chests as they watched Carmen take out her anguish upon the hapless citizens of Hoogibsashit.
"...I wasn't-" Spring started only to cut off. It took a while before he mustered up the words. "I wasn't leaving it to wishful thinking. I just... I really wanted her to have a win, you know?"
"Hmm." KillGore nodded.
"I thought... that the three of us had started something big, and we could all get what we wanted. That I could help her get what she wanted. She's lost or had to give up so much that I thought I could get her a little bit of it back." Spring gripped his arms tightly. "But... there's no going back for her. And there's nothing I can do about it." He shut his eyes as Carmen let loose another agonizing cry. "And that's what stings the most."
"Then perhaps," KillGore spoke meaningfully, "what you ought to focus on is not what you can't but what you can do for her."
Spring's eyes slowly opened to stare at the village getting attacked. The New Moon hung amongst the starry night sky, slowly dipping towards the horizon.
What can I do for Carmen...?
She can't go with the Crafters and she can't go with the Cult. She's in anguish. Herobrine did this to her. I owe it to her to end her suffering. Maybe it would be kinder. Maybe it's what she wants now.
The sword at his belt never felt heavier.
AN: So, when I was first typing this, I may have accidentally wrote full moon in some places before correcting it to new moon. Ritual has to be done during the New Moon.
Snuck in a riddle there. Reminds me of Victory Cookies.
Just to be clear, the timing between Spring's story and Wynn's story isn't happening at the same time. Spring's side of things are over the course of a few weeks while Wynn's side are over the course of a few days. I'm just paralleling them for thematic reasons.
Still no Cobb unless you count Cobb II. Have an Omake.
My Craft Stew: Stuck in Your Shadow
Lieutenants Leadstripe and 4Blite faced each other on an arena of combat, trading steely gazes as they sized each other up. Leadstripe had his iron dagger out while 4Blite had his battle-axe propped up before him, his hands resting on the handle.
The two had challenged one another to a duel to the death.
It was a rare practice in the Endward Cult, but extreme disagreements were usually settled with death combat. The loser would just go to another life, so nobody in the cult batted an eye. The Executives were certainly for it, though they were a little confused.
"You're fighting who?"
"I'm fighting Leadstripe."
"But you're Leadstripe."
"I... no, I'm 4Blite."
"Oh, shoot, sorry."
"I don't think you are."
"I told you sir, I have to duel 4Blite to secure my position as-"
"But aren't you 4Blite? Or is this one of those, 'I have to conquer myself' type of dealies?"
"No, Sdraw! I'M LEADSTRIPE! 4Blite has dark skin and I have glasses, we're two completely different people!"
"...I'm so confused right now, what?"
"You see, it's shit like this that gets me riled up!" Leadstripe raged. "I have presence! I have an identity! I might not have thighs or tits like Teal, but I'm not a rock, alright! I'm tired of getting mistaken for that cold-blooded man! We're settling this once and for all!"
Which led to the deathmatch between the two. Only the strongest 4Blite would survi - I mean only the hardiest of Leadstripes would prev - uh, no, wait, um...
...
As the combatants began to circle each other - and the onlookers watching wondered how one man could occupy two separate spaces at once - the two Lieutenants had one thought on their minds.
Only by killing him will I no longer be mistaken for him.
Then they attacked!
Leadstripe darted low with quick stabs and slashes. He never let himself get caught flatfooted, always moving to confuse 4Blite and keep him guessing.
4Blite, on the other hand, was slow and methodical, relying on patience and his armor's defenses. He would take multiple hits to his Health, but he would also glean information on Leadstripe's attack patterns. He was waiting for him to slip up and overextend. Once he did, 4Blite could deliver a crushing blow with his diamond battle-axe.
In the meantime, the audience were hurting themselves trying to follow what was going on.
"Whoa, Leadstripe just took a hit from 4Blite... no wait, 4Blite is the one taking damage from 4Blite... um, or was it Leadstripe with the axe?"
"Hey, which one is the cold-blooded Lieutenant?"
"Are you sure Leadstripe is even a Lieutenant?
"Why couldn't it be Teal and Jade having a disagreement that could be settled with some friendly naked mud wrestling?"
"I can't gamble like this..."
The disparaging comments were enough to throw Leadstripe's focus for a mere moment. His left foot shot out further than intended and 4Blite was able to parry while winding up his swing. The axe head buried itself in Leadstripe's torso and the knockback effect it possessed threw the glasses-wearing Lieutenant into a wall. There was a loud crack before he slid down and slumped, his hat falling askew.
4Blite marched up to him, planted his boot on his chest, and brought the battle-axe down upon his face. The next instant, Leadstripe exploded into gear and his Head toppled to the floor.
"Finally." 4Blite breathed a sigh of relief. "The darkness is at an End. I can finally be my own unique person."
"The winner is Lieutenant Leadstripe of the Western Division... I think?" Ember announced hesitantly before earning a listless look from 4Blite.
The sad irony was that the only person who saw him as he was, was the person everyone kept mistaking him for. The same person he killed.
They were only noticed when they had the other to be constantly compared to.
AN: So, this Omake is just a Discord joke that several viewers can't tell the difference between Leadstripe and 4Blite.
FAV. FOLLOW. REVEIW. PM. FORUM. DISCORD. CUPCAKES.