AN: Been playing God of War in preparation for God of War Ragnarok. Beat it in seven days. 100%. Freya scary dude. I just got a PS5 so I've been playing old ps4 games I never got around to playing. Going for Red Dead Redemption 2 now. How can I do that when I never played the first one? I dunno. How could I play Elden Ring and God of War 4 without playing any of the past ones? I can piece the story together well enough.
Nothing happens this chapter. You can skip it.
Am I telling the truth, or am I being a trickster?
Yes.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, Vexes would drop something upon death.
Chapter 216
An Ill Omen
[Lenz]
We returned from our redstone experimentation outing like returning conquerors glut with victory. Our brains had been jam packed with knowledge. New ideas for redstone machinations were already battering within my skull desperate to be given form.
I had a lot of fun.
Any guilt I felt for ditching Z7 took a backseat in favor of the redstone rush I was currently experiencing. It was just like the days at the college or in the lecture halls. How I missed having such stimulating conversations with engineers I considered as equals. People who could follow what I said and improve upon my ideas. I welcomed Arwen and Belenzia being smarter than me. If they knew things I did not, it meant that I would learn from them things I did not. It was refreshing to draw from their experience. Ines had good friends.
We entered the lighthouse basement while still sharing the things we learned. Awaiting us down there was Z7, Shroud, and Aurand. All members of Team Epsilon. Z7 was sitting against a wall with a dagger in one hand which she kept stabbing into the wood floor only to wrench it out violently. In her other hand was a book that she speedily Quickswapped into another dagger upon our arrival. Shroud and Aurand were laid out against the floor, battered and beaten.
"...Lenz, are your escorts okay?" Arwen pointed out the two before directing his next question at them. "What happened?"
"Just some... light sparring..." Aurand panted. He rolled over while clutching his side. "Oof, I need a heal. Where's Baltic and Witige?"
Shroud groaned on the floor. "How come making Z7 feel better puts us in a world of hurt?"
"(Suck it up you big babies.)" Z7 called out. She stood up and pushed off the wall towards us. I gave her a questioning look while her eyes were locked on Ines talking to me about redstone. Z7 passed us slowly.
"Oh, Z7!" Ines suddenly broke off when she got close. "Svool. Svool." She was saying 'hello' in Jibberish like I taught her. She hoped for a favorable reaction, but Z7 only raised an eyebrow in challenge.
"(You think yourself an expert in my tongue?)" She asked in a speed I knew Ines could not follow. The engineer's face morphed into confusion as she was overwhelmed. "(I can tell by your vacant expression that you can't comprehend a word of this. You may think yourself smart, but my words aren't something you can casually pick up. Try talking to me without that nerdling holding your hand, you-!)"
"(Enough!)" I blurted out while getting between the two.
Ines may not have been able to understand, but I was not liking where Z7 was taking the conversation. Ines shrunk upon herself at the rising volume and wondered if she made some mistake or said something she should not have. My thoughts on forgiving Z7 for this morning were pushed aside by her recent hostility. Z7 kept flipping her daggers between her fingers in a way I did not like as she stared at me through her curtain of hair.
She said nothing more as she brushed past us and up the stairs. I watched her leave with a troubled scowl.
"What did I do now?" Ines asked. "You said 'svool' meant 'hello'."
"It does." I assured. "Z7 is just being a brat." She was still upset I snubbed her for training. That was no reason to get angry at Ines, though. It was my decision. If anything, she should be mad at me. "Best keep your distance from her."
"You're probably right."
"Ugh..." Shroud groaned as he sat up. "Thanks a lot, nerds. We just spent the afternoon getting thrashed by Z7 to try and cheer her up, and you just undid all our work in a few seconds - Ow!"
"If Z7 wants to pick fights - with you or us - that is her choice." I washed my hands of her. I would talk to her as soon as she quit being a child.
Ines' lectern and comparator were still there, so she decided to pack it all up. No sense leaving the lighthouse a mess for the mayor. However, after packing most of her stuff up, Ines paused at the lectern, examining the book stand carefully and scanning the base and the surrounding area.
"Anyone see my redstone textbook?" Ines asked. "I could've sworn I left it on the lectern."
"I'm allergic to redstone, so no." Shroud replied with a bit of snark.
"None of us would've touched it." Aurand added.
Arwen and I tried to help her find it, but we came up empty. I could not imagine any Paragon taking it. Perhaps Cobbert...?
[Cobb]
I sat on the short beach of Milstatt in the shadow of the windmill lighthouse with a ring of bookshelves laid out before me. I had caved and splurged on the bookshelves and lapis. I wanted that Looting Sword to better improve my chances at a trident. It would cost some levels, but I had the benefit of not having to spend them until I was sure I'd get the best Looting Enchantment. Enchanting tables presented the enchanter with limited options. You were shown at least one of the enchantments you'd get if you selected it. In that sense, I could make an informed decision without having to waste EXP. I'd have to in the end, but that was my choice. I just hoped to run into a couple bands of Griefers on the way to Oak Docks.
Another problem was that whatever enchantment I was presented with for a tool, I was stuck with. Say I put in my gold sword and got three options: Unbreaking, Sharpness, and Bane of Armadillos. If I took the sword out and put it back in, I would have those same three options until I committed to an enchantment and spent the EXP. To get around that, I would have to ask the Paragons to try enchanting the sword and see what enchantments they were offered. If they got Looting, I would have them do it, then reimburse them the levels. I sighed forlornly. My poor levels.
Another another problem was the old Testificate barraging me with lightning trivia. Just how many facts could there be about lightning? I was beginning to understand.
"Clooouds aaare pooositively chaaarged aaat the tooop aaand neeegatively chaaarged aaat the booottom." Professor Fulgur - or as I liked to call him Grandpappy Zappy - told me without being prompted. "Liiightning iiis aaactually the neeegative chaaarges iiin the cloooud attraaacted to the pooositively chaaarged grooound. The striiikes baaalance the diiifference iiin chaaarges."
"Fascinating." I spoke absentmindedly.
Oh, how I wished I hadn't acknowledged his existence. I should have just pretended to be a statue until he walked off. Now I was stuck listening to him and I didn't have the heart to tell him to go bother someone else. Maybe Perry or Witige could draw him off and grant me a little respite-
I turned and saw that the two were gone. They fled while Fulgur was busy talking with the sacrifice: me. Cowards. I wish I had thought to do that. Really, I should have known something was up the second Dwight and Wing threw the guy at me.
I turned my focus back to enchanting. I had already spent a staggering number of emeralds for all the pieces of the enchanting process. I allowed myself three sets of three lapis lazuli to facilitate the enchanting process, and I bought twenty-two bookshelves to maximize the tier of enchantments that I could draw from. One or two bookshelves wouldn't cut it. I needed the enchanting table surrounded. The table itself I borrowed from Witige along with the thirty-six nuggets needed to make two more golden swords.
Nine emeralds per bookshelf and one emerald per lapis. I was down two-hundred-and-seven emeralds. That was almost my entire share. Any more and I'd have to take out of Lenz's wallet.
Favorable Testificate deals my ASS!
"There you are." A weathered voice called. "I've been looking for you."
"Hey, Baltic." I greeted as the aged alchemist approached. "How goes the hunt?"
"Not too good." He sat down beside me. "The grassy plains are lacking in horses and the village has nothing. Gave them away to a lady named Trish."
"Heard about her." I said. "She's a bit of an enigma. I think she discovered some Bounty Day trick. All the Testificates adore her - call her a hero - yet not one of them can explain what she did. The iron golem was more honest. It has to be some kind of mind control."
"Controlling the hearts of the Testificates." Baltic surmised. "It's a tempting offer. Especially when considering all the fabulous trade deals."
I scoffed. "Yeah, well if there are any 'favorable' trade deals, I haven't seen them. This is highway robbery! You know how much these bookshelves cost me?"
"Items with more materials-"
"-cost more. I know. I've heard." I just liked to complain. "It still blows."
"Well, here's something that might not blow." Baltic smiled kindly. "I figured you should be the first to know. Despite it being unfavorable for us, I don't really mind. It seems fitting."
"What are you talking about?"
He made sure to look me in the eye when he said it. "Wynn_Whispers is the new monarch of Ringwood."
I was stuck registering what he just said for the first few moments. I was so preoccupied with the enchanting that I paid him only half a mind. I was paying him my full mind now, my body angling towards him as I searched his face for any deception. When no joke or deceit came, I felt a proud smile spread across my face. It was infectious and I was soon chuckling to myself.
Against all odds - no, I always believed in her. Against what everyone else thought, Wynn triumphed against Carys' lackeys and claimed the throne. The home she had fought to defend was now hers. There had to be a story. Wynn intended for Mann to take the throne, so something must have happened to convince her to take it. Maybe my words got through to her. Maybe Mann abdicated it to her. Either way, I was certain Ringwood was in good hands. I felt a comforting warmth spreading beneath my green-dyed leather tunic. My symbol of home.
Baltic saw how I reacted and smiled tenderly, his eyes crinkling as he was happy for me. It was surely treason to feel happy when good things happened to Carys' sworn enemy. Wynn taking the throne in the King's Trials was surely an insult to the Paragons. Carys had to be seething - and that just made me smile for a whole other reason - and yet Baltic looked so content, so unbothered by it. Really, the old man was too soft to be part of Carys' entourage. How exactly had such a man land himself under her employ? I hoped to ask him one day.
For now, I was too delighted to ask him his story. Wynn was King - or Queen, rather. Craving details, I asked Baltic what he knew. It was made official last night. From what the alchemist told me, Mann had tricked Wynn into becoming monarch.
How do you trick someone into becoming queen? That's a whole other level of shenanigans. Mann was a true artisan of the bamboozle. He also had my respect for stepping out of retirement and participating in the perilous trials just to give the title to Wynn. She needed the confidence boost after Ember. I was happy for her, though I couldn't imagine the difficulties that came with the title. She'd be shouldering a whole new set of burdens, and I hoped Mann and some others were helping her out.
The most important thing I got out of it was that Wynn wasn't quitting. She was climbing higher, and I had to too. I couldn't fall behind her. I had to be ambitious. Daring. I needed to take the risk.
I knew then that I would happily sacrifice my levels for a chance at that Looting Sword.
"She'll make a good leader, Wynn." I said confidently.
"If she's half the leader you are, I'm certain Ringwood is in good hands." Baltic told me sincerely. I smiled under my pumpkin at the compliment. Baltic didn't know, but I was only chosen as leader because people kept looking to me. I never wanted to be, but I had my friends' trust.
"Speeeaking ooof leeeaders," Professor Fulgur butted in, "caaan aaanyone teeell meee the diiifference betweeeen aaa Daaart Leeeader aaand the Stepped Leeeader?"
"Oh my God, NO!"
"Weeell I'll teeell yooou." Apparently, he wasn't getting the hints I was dropping. "Theee Stepped Leeeader iiis theee iiinitial stroooke ooof liiightning."
"Well, just wanted to tell you the good news." Baltic dusted his hands and fled. "See you later!"
"Wait, please, TAKE ME WITH YOU!"
"Theee Stepped Leeeader iiis alsooo theee faaastest. Iiit maaakes theee paaath fooor theee subseeequent Daaart Leeeaders thaaat caaarry theee reeest ooof theee liiightning frooom theee cloooud. Aaa booolt ooof liiightning geeets iiits briiilliant liiight frooom theee Daaart Leeeaders goooing baaack aaand fooorth frooom theee cloooud to theee grooound. Theee speeeed ooof thooose retuuurn stroookes iiis insaaane."
"Thank you for that nugget of wisdom." I said flatly.
"Yooou're weeelcome." Professor Fulgur smiled tenderly.
Heart: Can't... say... no... to... that... face...
Brain: I didn't know I'd be getting this much lightning knowledge. I'mma just gonna file that away in the nonimportant drawer somewhere between dyed concrete and Soul's spawnday.
Bladder: That's my favorite drawer.
Blood: Grandpappy Zappy talks too much. The water is right there. We should drown him...
Liver: Don't you dare!
Blood: What? He can learn the conductivity of water... by asphyxiating on it. It'll be a learning experience for the old codger...
The day waned longer than I would have liked with Professor Fulgur's factoids serving as background noise. It was enough to make me contemplate the pros and cons of drowning the guy. Thankfully, I was granted a reprieve to the monotony with the appearance of another familiar face. This time it was Heather.
"Hey." She greeted with a wave. Then she took notice of my bookshelves and enchanting table. "Doing some enchanting, I see. Why did you get twenty-two bookshelves?"
"To properly surround the enchanting table. That way I get the maximum enchantments."
"...You do know you only need fifteen bookshelves to get the maximum enchantment, right?"
My head dropped to the side as I let out an aggravated sigh. "I do NOW."
Brain: So many emeralds wasted.
"Should've gone to Dwight." Heather pointed out. "He and Anibal are experts on enchanting."
"Yeah, well Dwight was a little busy throwing Professor Fulgur here at me so..."
"Thuuunder iiis the sooound cauuused byyy the suuudden iiincrease iiin temperatuuure, aaand heeence pressuuure, ooof aaair iiin the paaath of aaa booolt ooof liiightning. The aaair heeeats uuup aaand expaaands rapidlyyy, resuuulting iiin anythiiing frooom aaa loooooong, looow ruuumble to aaa suuudden loooud craaack."
"I will pay you twenty emeralds to take him off my hands." I pleaded.
"Can't do it."
"...I will let you take me to the guards and claim the thousand emerald bounty on my head. Right now."
Heather chuckled thinking I was kidding. "You really think this isolated village will have a thousand emeralds lying around? No village would. Best they could do is take you to Nitebane and claim the reward straight from Jillian. Answer is no. Besides, I wouldn't take him off your hands for all the money in the world." She smiled at my low groan, but soon became serious as she watched me work. "Trenay thinks she's figured out the rocket problem."
"That's good. Have her pass some along to Lenz." I said. "Surprised you didn't stick around to watch the fireworks."
"Luis was being a pain." Heather's face twisted unpleasantly.
"What's the deal with you two anyway?" I asked. Before they had gotten along like nauseating lovebirds, but after Daymonte they had been cold and distant towards one another. All of us noticed.
"Things are... rocky between us." She hesitated.
"I can see as much." I replied dryly. "So what's wrong?"
She gave a half-smirk. "This some more of that 'getting to know your ally' stuff you were talking about?"
"Yep." I said without looking up from my enchanting table. I put my gold sword in as well as the three lapis. The enchantments came up - none of them Looting - and I picked the most expensive one without caution.
I was awarded Sharpness IV and Unbreaking III. My proud green level of 38 dropped to 35.
"Damn it." I cursed, though I slid the sword into my Pocket Box. If it had Unbreaking, it would last me a while. I then took out my next set of lapis and my second golden sword. "Whether you tell me or not is up to you. Not like I care about you two getting together. I don't like couples."
Heather got closer to observe the enchanting process. She also decided to share and opened up a bit. "Luis and I like each other. I want us to be something more."
I split my attention between her and the enchanting table. Once again, the three enchantments were lacking in Looting.
"Here. Let me try." Heather took up the sword and was given a new set of enchanting options. However, she too shook her head in disappointment. "No Looting. Want me to get someone else?"
"...I'll take the risk." I went for it, again going for the highest option. This time, I got Sweeping Edge III and Shapness IV. The green number on my arm dropped from 35 to 32. "Noooo..." I wailed miserably.
One last chance. One last set of lapis lazuli.
"Go on." I prompted Heather, still listening to her plight.
"Luis wants us to just sleep around without it having to mean anything." She went on, becoming irritated and impassioned. She'd been looking for someone to vent to. "He always shuts down any attempt at starting a romance with 'we're at war'. It's always the same with him. We can't deepen our relationship because we can die at any moment. It'll only make the pain worse. There won't be enough time to nurture it."
"Might be right."
Heather whirled on me, her eyes accusing. "What?"
My eyes were wide like a deer in headlights. Or a deer in rifle sights. Could she see through my pumpkin? "I mean, uh..."
"You think he's right? Is that it?"
I stopped splitting my attention and gave all of it to Heather, standing up as I faced her. "Luis doesn't want you to get hurt if he dies, and he doesn't want to be hurt if you die. He... he just wants to spare you a lot of pain."
"You think it's not worth it too, don't you?" She asked, sounding betrayed.
"I never said that." I evaded.
"If we're gonna die anyway, shouldn't we spend as much time together as we can?" She demanded. "And surviving this war, fighting for the sake of a future - a future with Luis and me. What's more worthwhile than that!? Isn't that worth all the pain in the world?"
"You don't know what pain is." I whispered harshly. "You don't know what can happen. The unspeakable horrors - the-the things you can't forget... the things you wish you could..." I trailed off, a hand clawing at the edge of my pumpkin. "There are some things you can't take back. All I'm saying is that you think carefully about what you want-"
"I know what I want. It's Luis. Except Luis keeps getting in the way of it." She declared defiantly before shaking her head in disappointment. "All that talk about knowing people better... making connections and relationships..." She glared at me. "And you're trying to talk me out of this, you hypocrite."
If she could see the face I was making under my pumpkin, she may have taken that back. I was probably wearing the most broken, empty face I could muster as I replayed what having Jade in my life had taken out of me. I was just trying to caution her, so she didn't end up like me. It hurt too much to put into words, however.
She didn't know the truth. All relationships are doomed to end in loss eventually.
"I need a walk." Heather decided curtly as she stood up and walked off. "Hope you get Looting." She parted emotionlessly.
I was left with Fulgur, the words I wanted to say hanging extraneously off the tip of my tongue.
I put in my third gold sword and saw Looting as the second enchantment option. Only costing two lapis lazuli. I selected it with a sour taste in my mouth and was awarded a sword with Looting II, Knockback II, and Sharpness III. This time my number only went down to 30.
I packed up my stuff with little energy. I got what I wanted, yet I felt miserable in the wake of what feelings Heather dredged up.
It's a curse. I thought to myself. Remembering everything.
[Trenay]
The shopkeeper was right. Fireworks were a lot more intricate than I thought. Personally, I felt among those who thought them more science than art instead of vice versa. I paid careful attention to how he made them, yet even I had to take notes to remember everything.
Fireworks could be made with or without a firework star, but only the ones with a firework star would explode. You could say the firework star was the explosion. SutsCo made theirs without so that they could propel their elytron through the air without exploding.
To make the firework star, you only needed gunpowder and a colored dye. The dye determined the color. However, you could add on additional effects or change the shape of the explosion with a few miscellaneous items that the shopkeep had at his disposal. Each firework star was limited to one shape, the default being a small ball explosion. For a big ball explosion, you needed a fire charge. For a Creeper-faced explosion, you needed any kind of Head (the shopkeep thankfully opted to rely on Mob Heads for this). A burst explosion was made with a feather, and a star-shaped explosion was done with a gold nugget.
As for the effects, there were no constraints. You could have a twinkle after the explosion using glowstone dust, a trail effect after the explosion using a diamond (why would anyone waste a diamond for that?), or a combination of the two - twinkle AND trail.
We chose the small ball explosion because it was cheaper, but the shape we really wanted and paid for was the big ball explosion. It was the same shape that Gunnah used and it maximized the area of attack. The large explosion covered the most area, and in a confined space, it was an automatic hit. Inescapable and deadly... even to the one firing it. But with a little bit of caution, the Paragons could safely wield it in battle. Fire charges were the key. The recipe for them was gunpowder, Blaze powder, and coal.
That was another thing. The amount of gunpowder that went into the desired firework was crazy. I had to hope Jillian had plenty of Creepers falling into the Mob Grinders. Adding more gunpowder to the star and paper when making the rocket would increase the flight duration up to three. Adding more firework stars to the paper and gunpowder would make an explosion that could cause more damage. You better believe I told the shopkeep to stack that shit up. Got him to cram the maximum of seven stars into those fireworks for both the small explosions and the big explosions. They wouldn't fly as far, but they would cause a ton of damage - the exact amount, I had no earthly idea. It would be near-fatal, surely, based on what Gunnah could do. I'd have to test on Mobs. I took careful notes on everything the shopkeeper explained.
You could mix and match colors depending on the firework stars you used. The idea was that they were all going off at once, the damage piling up into one tremendous burst.
He gave Dwight and I the fireworks we requested. Eighteen of ones with small explosion and eighteen of ones with big explosion in red, white, and light blue. All piled high with stars to make them pack the most punch. Flight duration was kept at a minimum to compensate. He maintained, however, that our fireworks show would fall flat without more variety, more colors. We decided to keep him blissfully unaware that these 'works of art' would be used as weapons when loaded into our crossbows. Dwight needed to grab his crossbow from Lenz, but Heather and I already had ours. I just needed to find Heather and give her the rockets.
When the shopkeeper told me the price, I was convinced to source the materials myself in the future.
Five-hundred-and-sixty-six emeralds.
Over five-hundred emeralds and he couldn't even give us a stack of rockets.
All the confidence I had to pay for such things quickly dried up, and I was forced to confer with Dwight, and then Luis, Wing, and Doyle outside, to scrounge up enough emeralds. Dwight claimed it was a rip-off, but I understood how our three sets of fireworks could cost so much.
It was the gunpowder. Dyes were cheap, but gunpowder cost an emerald per powder. The firework process needed gunpowder at three different crafting stages - the fire charge, the firework star, the firework rocket - and we needed a lot of it. Three-hundred-and-thirty emeralds went towards gunpowder alone. We were lucky the shopkeep was so stocked with the stuff. Hoarded from Creepers, perhaps? It was cheaper to kill our own Creepers, but then how many would we have to slay with a Looting III sword just for one explosion-packed firework? Cobb's End Crystals were cheaper and arguably more powerful, if stationary. Also dangerous. What you sacrificed in emeralds, you made up for in range and safety.
"Can't believe you have that sort of money!" The shopkeep exclaimed, taking our emeralds and crafting them into emerald blocks for convenience before stowing them away in an ender chest. "And unlike Trish, you don't go throwing your weight around. Better than her in my book. Come again if ever you need grander fireworks!" He bid us goodbye as we exited the shop.
"I have to say, between listening to that shopkeeper and that old Testificate's yammering, I've learned more about lightning and fireworks in one day than I have in my whole life." Dwight sighed in relief. "And now... compartmentalize."
"Don't compartmentalize the firework information. That's useful." I saw him eye my notebook and I hunched over it guardedly. "I'm not letting you cheat off me."
"Fine." He deflated. "Are you gonna share everything he taught us with Carys, Anibal, and Jillian?"
"Not everything. Just the main recipe for the fireworks we're looking for. I'll summarize, though I still need to test and compare results. He didn't give us much." I looked forlornly at my belt pocket that had previously been full of emeralds but was now empty. "Those fireworks weren't cheap. No matter what, we need a lot of gunpowder. Which dye is the most common?"
"Probably white. You get it off bones."
"Or flowers." Luis added. I'm pretty sure there's a flower for any kind of dye."
"I'm not picky. Who cares what color they are as long as they explode?"
"Says the guy who wanted red fireworks."
"Says the girl who wanted light blue fireworks!"
"What about Lenz?" Doyle asked. "You've seen him shoot, and Z7 will want him outfitted with the best projectiles."
"I'm not dropping another hundred plus emeralds on anybody else. Nobody told me the bill before we got here." Dwight grumbled. "The nerd can either buy them himself or source the items he needs to make them."
"You planning on telling him that before or after he gives you your crossbow?"
"After. Duh."
Testing would be another matter. Preferably against a Crafter we didn't care for. Maybe a wandering Griefer would make for excellent target practice. No other way to test how damaging the rockets could be.
I took out one of the large explosion ones and loaded it into my crossbow, pulling back the mechanism until I heard a click. Dwight, Doyle, Wing, and Luis all backed up in fear of it going off, but I kept my finger off the trigger as I stowed it back in my belt. Preloaded, it would only shoot if I pulled it out and pulled the trigger.
I could hardly wait to test it.
[Baltic]
It was beginning to get late.
I kept an eye on the meager force of guards as they patrolled Milstatt's wall. Not one of them looked to have caught on that Cobb was in town. He'd be safe until tomorrow when we left, and I'd make it a point to remind him to swim out of town.
Not for the first time, I was reminded of Carys' orders. The ones she disclosed to the assassins and me. Not only to report if Cobb or Lenz threatened us - which they did and we didn't report - but to allow them to be captured by bounty hunters if the situation allowed. Carys didn't want us to guide them into being captured, but she also didn't want us to interfere in their capture. We were simply to let it happen. They'd get shipped off to Nitebane and be imprisoned under Jillian's thumb. Out of the way and where Carys could keep an eye on them. That was the initial order - one I had agreed to.
Things had changed.
Cobb and Lenz could be trusted. They were committed to fighting the Endward Cult instead of Carys. There was no longer a reason to let them get captured.
Thus, I was keeping an eye out for them. I wasn't just looked for horses.
The absence of horses was unfortunate. It meant we'd have to walk to the bridge. Fifteen days of walking and we'd reach Oak Docks. By then, Jillian and Nitebane might very well be under attack by a Hacker and their Griefer army.
I shook my head. I shouldn't worry. Jillian knew this might happen. She and Attila had been preparing for this outcome. They had all of Nitebane and many Paragons helping them out. They'd set up traps to wipe out the Griefers. The Hacker, or Hackers, would be a tougher battle.
There was no sense worrying. There was nothing we could do. If things were different, maybe Carys would marshal everyone to aid in the defense, but she was on the opposite end of Minecraftia right now. So was the invincible chestplate and any Hacker in our corner. The only Hacker Slayer on this half of Minecraftia was Cobb, and he wanted no part of the Kingdom that circulated his and Floyd's posters. Jillian would have to make do with what she had.
Instead of worrying about that, I should direct my attention within, to the disturbances threatening to break up our alliance. Namely Lenz and Z7.
I was happy they were getting along, but with the introduction of Ines and her redstone engineers, Lenz's attention was drawn away and Z7 suffered for it. From there, things had begun to break down. The two needed to talk with each other. Alone.
My plan to approach Z7 was wasted, however, when I spotted a flash of purple hair at the top of our lighthouse. The lighthouse was lit, its glow serving as a beacon for any boats or airships traveling along the coast.
My gaze lingered on the figure sitting up there all isolated and alone. I took the steps up the interior and then up a ladder to the very top. The light was a bit blinding, but I was able to make out the Jibberwoman sitting quietly, a book held out before her.
She was reading? What could she be reading? She couldn't read common and no Jibberman ever wrote a book.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed two things about the book that saddened me.
First, the book was Ines' missing redstone textbook. Z7 had pilfered it off the lectern when nobody was looking. A meager attempt at better understanding Lenz's passion.
Secondly, the book was upside-down. She didn't know which way the words were supposed to face.
Oh, Z7...
I must have made some noise - a creaking floorboard or the sound of a breath - because Z7 bolted to her feet and whirled around so fast her hair whipped the redstone lamps of the lighthouse. The redstone textbook in her hands was Quickswapped into a dagger that she had tickling my chin. Her free hand had a fistful of my white shirt and she was glaring traitorously at me through her curtain of hair.
I smiled kindly despite the dagger. "Please take your hand off me."
Z7's grip on my shirt slackened and I reached up to delicately pry her grip open and set her hand back at her side. She dropped the dagger on her own and glanced aside in mortification. She understood my intent. She was only on edge because she was caught in an embarrassing situation. She angled her waist in a futile attempt to conceal the redstone textbook I already saw on her belt.
She was trying to appeal to Lenz somehow.
Z7 was the type who flourished from attention. Her cold exterior was probably brought on from the language barrier and having no one to seriously converse with. She was bright at heart. She was so starved for attention that Lenz speaking her language was like a drop of water for a woman dying of thirst. Only a day without and she was already feeling a hole that needed filling.
Lenz had no idea what talking meant to her. Z7 had to tell him that herself.
I gently reached down and took hold of Z7's hand. She looked at it apprehensively, but I led us down the ladder and through the lighthouse without another word. Outside, the sun set, and darkness covered the village. The Testificates all went to their beds while the guards and golem patrolled.
I was met at the base of the lighthouse by the pumpkin-headed Cobb and his new friend.
"Liiightning iiis cooool."
"Lightning is cool." Cobb repeated robotically with a far-off gaze. Good lord, Fulgur broke his mind with lightning trivia. He saw me and fell to his knees. "I'm crying under my pumpkin. Just take the guy already!" Cobb pleaded to me. Behind him, Dwight, Trenay, Wing, Luis, and Doyle returned, though they paused in fear when they saw that old Professor Fulgur was still present.
"I'll help," I promised, "if you can get Lenz and Ines to go out for a walk with us."
"DEAL!" He jumped on it immediately, running into the lighthouse to fetch them. Meanwhile, I snapped my fingers to call Dwight over. He approached dubiously, suspecting what I had in store.
"Entertain Professor Fulgur for a while, would you?"
"Uhhhhh... It's kind of late, Baltic." He tried to weasel his way out. "I'm tired and we got a big day-"
"You'll do it."
"...I'll do it." He accepted grudgingly before dragging out some half-baked question about how lightning was formed. Professor Fulgur glowed with happiness.
"III'm glaaad yooou aaasked!"
The Testificate then launched into a drawn-out lecture about lightning that Dwight accepted with all the grace of a man handed a death sentence. The others - feeling like they dodged a Wither - quickly vacated my sight lest I turn the terrifying Professor Fulgur on them. Cobb then returned with Lenz and Ines in tow. The engineer's mouth tilted into a frown when he saw Z7.
"Is she joining us?" Lenz asked. "She owes Ines an apology. Ziv blf ivzwb gl jfrg zxgrmt prov z xsrow?"
"Dszg 'xsrow' xzm proo blf rm blfi hovvk?" She retorted casually. It made Lenz fold his arms and scowl, but even this light exchange was welcomed by Z7 as an opportunity to speak with someone. The rest of us couldn't understand a word of it.
"She is accompanying us." I headed off any further argument. "It's a lovely night for a walk, don't you think?"
"Anything to get me away from that Testificate." Cobb shivered.
"Yeah, Fulgur is quite bad, isn't he?" Ines patted his back sympathetically.
The five of us left the lighthouse and proceeded along the coast towards the farmlands. Cobb informed Lenz about the news of Wynn's victory and subsequent elevation to queen, but a silence hung between Lenz and Z7 due to their animosity. The village was small, so they expected - and hoped - for the walk to be short. What they didn't expect was my intention to split them up, which I enacted halfway into the walk.
"So Ines," I started, "I heard about your expedition last night. You have my condolences for what happened to your fellow engineers."
"Thank you. That's so kind of you to say." Ines replied.
"As I understand it, you encountered powerful unidentified Mobs in the mansion." Cobb's pumpkin perked up. "Is that right?"
"Yes. We named them too." Ines replied, further interesting Cobb. The fisherman couldn't help himself, taking the bait I set up.
"You encountered new Mobs?" Cobb took out his Mobs of the Bounty Days book. "I'm filling this book out with new entries. Do you think you could tell me more about them?"
"A book about Mobs? That sounds like the book Helena read to us way back when." Ines reminisced. "Feels like a lifetime ago."
"That's right!" I exclaimed as if just realizing Cobb was documenting new Bounty Day Mobs. "Cobb loves learning about new Mobs. I'd like to hear it too. Why don't the three of us find someplace quiet to share information? Lenz, Z7. You two can finish up the walk without us, right?"
A little heavy-handed (and as blunt as a hammer), but it was the best way to give Lenz and Z7 some alone time. They needed to hash things out without anyone there to interfere. It needed to be between two people speaking the same language.
Of course, Lenz saw the split and argued that we could just stay together while Cobb was told about the Mobs, but it was Ines of all people who served as an ally.
"I think that's a good idea." Ines adjusted her glasses. "Lenz tells me you have an interest in Mobs. I don't mind sharing what I saw." She then turned towards Lenz and whispered to him. "Wrap up whatever drama there is between you two." She inclined her head in Z7's direction. "It does you no good to annoy your escort. Take this time to settle it, once and for all."
Lenz was silent before he nodded imperceptibly. With that, Ines parted and accompanied Cobb and I as we looked for a quiet place to talk. We gave Lenz and Z7 their privacy.
Hopefully they could sort out their issues and not make things worse.
As we left, Z7 turned and caught my eye with hers. She flashed a simple thumbs-up in thanks, which I returned with a quiet nod.
I had to look out for my juniors.
[Lenz]
Alone with Z7.
Funny how a week ago I was comfortable in such a situation. Now I only felt apprehensive. How could Baltic force me into such a thing? How could Cobb and Ines willingly condone this? Some friends they were to just leave me.
"(Alright.)" I broke the silence first and turned to Z7. "(I know Baltic set this up for us to clear the air, so let us get a few things straight. One: You may be my Mastah when it comes to Quickdraw training, but that does not give you the right to dictate my every move. If I feel like hanging out with my friends, I will do it. I do not want you labeling me a quitter just because things do not go your way. Two: You owe Ines an apology next time you see her. She bothered to learn a bit of your language to start a greeting and you threw it in her face. It was rude. Do not take your frustrations with me out on her. If you understand those two points, there should be no further animosity between us.)" I concluded. I was succinct and reasonable. She now knew why her words made me angry. It was her turn to make her position clear in case I missed something.
Z7 opened her mouth, then she closed it. She leaned forward and opened her mouth again, only to close it and back down. I watched her troubled face impassively behind tinted lenses.
"(If you have anything to say, you better say it.)" I told her. "(I want to rejoin my friend. I want to keep talking about redstone.)" Z7 twitched slightly, her hair rippling from the vibration. "(I want to settle this now so there will not be a problem later. Can we settle this now?)"
Z7 stood straighter as if preparing herself. She cleared the hair out of her face - like she did before telling jokes - and showed off her serious gaze. She licked her lips and opened her mouth.
"Le... Leeee..."
My glasses slid off my nose to reveal eyes as big as dinner plates.
"Leeee... Leeeeeeeeee... Leeeeeeeee..."
Faced with the alien sound emanating from her mouth, I gave ground. What was she even trying to do? Why? For what?
"Leeeeeeee... Leeeeeeeeen... nnnn..." She sounded out.
She was trying to speak common. A Jibberwoman was actually trying to speak common. It was unheard of in that it had never been heard. Indeed, she struggled with the word and it came out alien and strange, but she was earnestly trying to speak my language, just as I had spoken hers.
"Leeeeen... Leeeeeennnnnnnnn... nnnnnnnnnn..." Z7 looked miserable and frustrated as she screwed her face up in concentration to get the word right. "Leeeeee... Leeeeeennnnnnn... zzzzzzz... Leeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnzzzzzzz!" She exclaimed at the last. "Leeeeeennnnzzzz. Leeeennnnzzzz. Leeeeee... Leeeeennnnn... nnnnn-"
I grabbed her shoulders to make her stop, turning her body so that we were face to face. My tinted glasses were down, and she could see in my eyes that I understood the weight of her gesture. I saw how important what she did was. She did not have to force herself anymore.
"(What is wrong?)" I asked her seriously. Something had to be up for her to do something like this. Was this really just about me skipping one training or was there something deeper at work? Did Baltic see that? Was that why Baltic arranged this private talk? "(Tell me what is wrong, Z7. You would not force yourself to speak common if this was trivial.)" She defied my expectations with that. "(What has you so bothered?)"
She grimaced unhappily. "(...It's Ines.)"
I shook my head in bewilderment. "(Just because I am spending the day with her...?)"
"(Is it really just a day?)" Z7 asked. "(You looked so happy with her. Who's to say you'll be done in a day? Who's to say you won't spend more time together? Maybe she and her friends abandon their expedition and decide to tag along.)"
"(That will not happen. Ines and the rest want to investigate the outpost. Anyway, why should it matter?)" I asked her. "(Even if they do decide to tag along, I will not keep skipping training. Nothing will change.)"
"(You'll change.)" She countered. "(I won't make you laugh anymore. You won't listen to my jokes. You already gave that up to talk with them.)"
"(That...!)" I threw my hands up. "(Comparators, come on, Z7! These are my people. My alumni. They know redstone. They know how to speak my language. Where am I going to find someone like that? You have no idea what it is like-)"
"(Like I know EXACTLY HOW THAT FEELS!)"
Her emotional outburst had me stunned to silence and left staring at her eyes threatening to tear up. Her chest rose and fell from the effort, and I started to reflect on what she meant. Understanding was not far behind.
Ah. Right.
"(I know exactly what it's like... to find people who speak how you do... and to want to find people who speak like you do.)" She spoke angrily. "(You had to be silent for, what, a few months tops? Try keeping silent for several decades. When your words are considered nonsense. When it's better to keep your trap shut and bottle everything inside under the cold exterior of an assassin. At least redstone is a more accepted language. There wasn't some Jibberish College anywhere! Nobody bothered to learn Jibberish before you.)"
She had nobody to talk to. Sure, the Paragons understood her intent and welcomed her as one of their own, but she would always be a Jibberwoman in their eyes. Someone made to act without being understood. Someone to quietly kill from the shadows without being spoken to. She was the Leader of Team Epsilon, but how much did her subordinates know about her when they never even bothered to study her language?
"(I never realized how much better things have gotten until the day you snubbed me.)" She revealed. "(The day you spoke excitedly with Ines - when she was making you smile instead of me - I didn't like it. I was alone again. Nothing had changed - I was back to how I was before I met you - and yet everything felt worse. I didn't know how much I needed someone else to talk to until I had it... and then lost it.)"
I rubbed my arm guiltily, my mind conjuring up the times I was unable to speak more thoroughly about redstone because no one shared that interest. It was lonely being the smartest person in the Beginners. No one could understand redstone the way I did. Not like Ines or Arwen or Belenzia.
Z7 knew exactly what that was like. She knew more than her fair share of what that was like.
"(...I am sorry.)" I spoke candidly. "(I depreciated our bond without understanding what it meant to you. I never realized... speaking with me was such a comfort, or that you valued it so highly. I should not be the only person you can confide in. I did not consider myself your sole outlet.)" She wiped at her eyes. "(For you to have to force yourself to speak my language just to make me see...)" I trailed off, the words leaving me.
Z7 let her hair cover her eyes again in an effort to conceal her tears. She reached into her backpack and produced Ines' missing redstone textbook. I wondered where that went. So she had taken it. Another attempt to speak my language and hold my attention, perhaps? She did not elaborate as I accepted the book and stashed it aside.
"(...I'm sorry for being rude to your friend... and for trying to hog your time.)" She apologized in turn, her voice small and fragile. I never imagined she could sound like that with how cool and detached she carried herself. "(I just... I didn't want to go back to being quiet. I wanted to be heard again. But you're the only one who can hear me.)" Her head fell, the purple curtain of hair rippling and dragging along the ground. "(You'll always be the only one.)"
Right. Nobody else to listen to her material. Nobody else to open up to. Nobody else to communicate with. She did not have a voice with anybody else. All she could do was read and convey intent.
Was there really no solution?
I shut my eyes and spoke loftily. "(Now that I recall, you called me a quitter earlier.)"
"(I'm sor-)"
"(I suppose I shall have to throw those words back at you, then.)" I cut off, bewildering her. "(Or do you plan on finishing what you started?)"
"(...I don't understand.)" She replied, completely lost.
"(My name.)" I told her. "(You merely spoke the abbreviation coined by Cobbert. Finish what you started and say the full name in common.)"
"(Lenz-)"
"(In common.)" I emphasized. Z7 looked defiant, but she licked her lips and concentrated.
"Leeeee... eeeeeennnnnnn... nnnnnnn... nnnnnzzzzzz... zzzzzzz..."
"(Two more syllables. Come on.)" I encouraged. "Len-zing-ton."
She heard the sounds I was making and tried to emulate. "Leeeeeennnnn... z-zzzziiiinnnn... nnnnnnnn..." It came out as a frustrated growl. "Leeeennnnn... zzzziiiiinnnnn..."
"The sound is 'ing'. ING ING ING. Len-zing..."
"Le-Leeennn... zi-ziiiiinnnnng... zzzzzzzing..."
"(Good. Almost there.) Len-zing-ton. Len-zing-ton."
She screwed her face up in focus. "Leeeennnn... zzzziiiiiiing... t-t-to-ton-nnn." She choked out. "Lenzzzingtonnnn..."
"(That is it! Again.)"
"Lenzzzingtonnn."
"(You got it! Another.)"
"Lenzzzington."
"(Once more.)"
"Lenzington, Lenzington, Lenzington!" She exclaimed three times just to prove she got it. She looked impressed with herself for managing. A Jibberwoman that could speak common and a Crafter who could speak Jibberish. We were quite the pair.
"(I heard you loud and clear then.)" I told her, earning a snort. "(That name will be your starting line. From this point forward, I shall teach you how to speak common.)"
I caught her eyes expanding behind her curtain of hair. She made to spout out denials and excuses not to, but I headed them off with but a raise of my hand.
"(If I can learn Jibberish, you can learn common. I can teach you after Quickdraw training... if you will still put up with me?)" She nodded quickly. "(Then it is settled. We shall work together and develop for you your voice. It will be hard work, make no mistake, but it will mean you will never have to keep silent again. You and your material will be heard by everyone.)"
She was breathless, then. Daring to hope and clinging to my every word. "(You really think I can learn your language?)"
"(I do.)" I smiled back assuredly. "(You are far cleverer than you think. I might have to draw up a lesson plan, but it will be an easier time than how I learned it. You have me, someone who understands common and Jibberish. We shall figure it out together.)"
She smiled under her curtain of hair. "(Alright. I'll try it, but I'm not calling you Mastah.)"
"(What about Professor? Or Teacher?)"
"(I don't think so.)"
Z7 swatted me tauntingly with her long hair but otherwise bumped against my side in an intimate manner. The distance between us was shorter now that our misunderstanding was resolved. The rift was amended, and, more than that, I think we came to understand each other a little better. I could relate with the assassin in a way I never thought of.
We both wanted to talk about interests that nobody around us wanted to listen to.
[Cobb]
After parting with Lenz and Z7, Baltic, Ines, and I settled on Milstatt's wall beside the windmill mounted over the west gate. It was past midnight, then. The descending moon illuminated the plain leading up to the wall and we watched as common Mobs meandered or else beat their limbs futilely against the wall. They wanted inside to rip apart the defenseless Testificates sleeping cozy in their beds. However, the wall was built strong and unyielding.
If was there that Ines gave me more details about the Mobs she encountered in the Woodland Mansion. These were ones introduced following a Bounty Day, thus they deserved a spot in my work-in-progress Mob book.
Good thing too, because the pages were looking a little empty.
"We encountered three new Mobs." Ines told us, her gaze downcast as if recalling some traumatic memory. "They showed up during our first venture into the mansion and they made short work of our crew. Vindicators."
"Vindicator...?" I asked, jotting the name down in my book, then tapping my quill on it. "That's an unusual name. Did they drop something that referred to them as Vindicators?"
"It's just the name Arwen came up with." She shrugged. "I don't think there's any real significance behind it. None of the Mobs dropped something that told us their name."
"It's a mouthful."
"The others are less syllables, I promise. Arwen, Belenzia and I named one each. I came up with Evoker for mine and Belenzia came up with Vex."
"What even is a vindicator, anyway? Other than a mouthful, I mean."
"A person who clears someone of blame or suspicion." Baltic defined. "Or a person who shows or proves something to be right, reasonable, or justified."
"Very good." Ines complimented. "Of course, to prove one thing right means making the other thing wrong."
So then Noman is a vindicator of Aikido. I thought. And the Endward Cult is a vindicator of Herobrine and his Next Life philosophy.
"So what do these Vindicators look like?"
"Like Testificates, just with sickly gray skin." Ines summarized while adjusting her glasses. "Dark gray buttoned shirts. Cyan pants..."
"They wielded axes, didn't they. Iron ones."
Ines blinked in surprise. "Yeah. You've seen them?"
"In my most recent Bounty Day vision." I explained, remembering the specifics. "There was also a gray-skinned Mob with a crossbow and some sort of rhino beast. Are either of those the Evoker or Vex?"
Ines pulled a face. "I don't know of any rhino beast... but the crossbow wielding one sounds like one of the ones sighted at the outpost."
The same one she sent those Screw Divers to clear out. If she had no idea about the crossbow wielders or the rhino Mob, then what were the Evokers and Vexes?
"Let's stick with one Mob at a time." Baltic suggested.
"Right." I jotted down the appearance of the Vindicator. "Tell me more about the Vindicators. What did they do? What did they drop?"
"They wielded iron axes and were fast." Ines described with a far-off look. "Maybe as fast as Zombie Pigmen. But the axes they carried... axes are the strongest offensive weapon. Even stronger than a sword, though they swing slower. Two hits were enough to kill an unarmored Crafter. They dropped iron axes, obviously, but also emeralds. Almost like they were once Testificates before turning an ill shade. We only encountered a handful in the mansion's rooms, but they tore us apart in those confined corridors. Combine that with other Mobs and it was utter pandemonium."
"...I'm sorry for your loss." Baltic spoke sympathetically. Ines just shook her head.
"Not your fault. They knew the risks." She sighed. "Funny thing is, the Vindicators weren't even the worst of it. The Evoker and Vexes were the real problem."
I scribbled down 'Fight at a distance' for Vindicator tactics before listening to the next Mob from the mansion.
"Evokers," Ines began, "are a spell-casting Mob. We only ever found the one in the mansion," she wore a haunted look, "but that one Evoker was enough to kill most of the armed escorts we had. We had to resort to the Screw Divers, and it was only thanks to their efforts that the Evoker was slain."
I wrote down the letters with a troubled frown. Spell-casting? I didn't like the sound of that. I took them as a serious threat and made a note of it in my book.
"I called it an Evoker because it evoked spells. Magics."
"What sort of magic we talking here?"
"The dark, deadly kind." She countered, making Baltic gulp. "The Evoker could summon things - the Vexes being one of them."
"The Vexes were summoned?" I asked, bewildered. "You mean they were never there at the start? The Evoker had to spawn them?"
"Exactly." Ines hugged herself. "Those pale blue, ghostly, winged pixies - irksome, vexing little buggers - with little iron swords. The devilish sounds they made as they laughed. I hear it in my nightmares." She grimaced. "They delighted in killing us and could phase through walls and solid blocks. Too damn small to hit. Like trying to swat a fly. They swarmed us and their attacks dealt six or seven Hearts each. We lost so many to them..."
I wrote it all down with a grim expression. "The Evoker kept summoning them?"
"Yeah. They started taking damage after a set time, though, so they must have a time limit. They kept pursuing us through the walls, though. Even when we ran away, they could easily outmaneuver us. It was a massacre." She paused for a second before revealing, "I only survived because a body was covering me. The Vexes struck the person covering me."
"I'm so sorry." Baltic apologized, moving over to place a hand on Ines' back. "Cobb, maybe we should stop making her relive this."
"No, no. I want people to know about these things." She wiped her eyes under the glasses and put on a strong face. "If this Mob book can save lives, I'll tell you everything I saw. You just get it published."
"You got it." I promised, jotting more things down. "Any weaknesses?"
"Splash potions are worthless while they're flying and they're damn hard to hit with a sword. You'd have to be an ace sniper like Lenz to shoot them." Ines commented. "I'd say your best bet is making sure they're not summoned at all. Take them out at the source."
"The Evoker." I deduced. "Tell me about what he can do."
"Well, the Evoker wears a black and gold robe like the kind worn by clergymen and priests. Same gray-skin, big forehead, and giant schnoz as the Vindicators." Ines explained. "He doesn't have any sword or weapon. His only weapon is his summoning magic. He can summon Vexes, like I told you, but he can also summon - how do I explain this? - crocodile fangs? Yeah, he summons crocodile fangs."
"Crocodile fangs or alligator fangs?" I asked seriously.
"I don't know. The hell kinda difference does that make?"
"Well alligators have a U-shaped rounded snout, and-"
"They're jaws of teeth coming up from the ground!" Ines shut me up. "The Evoker either summons them in a straight line as an attack, or in a circle around him as a defense. They deal three Hearts per hit, so they're less of a threat than the Vexes, but you still need to take him out quick before he can summon help. Three Vexes at a time, and only when he raises his arms and produces white particles. Dark purple particles signify incoming fangs. He has no other attack."
"Then up close and personal is the way to go." I decided as a weakness. You had to kill an Evoker fast before it could summon the real threat, Vexes.
"The jaws do the same damage regardless of what armor you're wearing." Ines said. "Enchanted gear is your best defense against it. Apostolos and the Screw Divers weren't as affected with their enchanted gear."
"Alright. I think that's all I needed." I said, closing the book. I'd have to ask the Screw Divers about the Health of these new Mobs since they were the ones most likely to have fought them. "Thanks for this, Ines. Really. I know it couldn't be easy."
"Nobody knew how not easy things could get." She spoke gloomily.
"Did you at least find any of the redstone stuff you were looking for?"
"Nope." She shook her head sadly. "Slim pickings, I'm afraid."
"Damn. That sucks." My heart went out to her. All those engineers died looking for something that wasn't worth it. "Sorry you had to go through all that."
"It wasn't a total loss. Managed to snag a little souvenir." She felt around in her backpack and withdrew something golden. "A good luck charm. Check it out."
I caught the tossed object with both hands. It was small - about the size of my fist - and it weighed about the same as a lump of coal.
"It's some sort of totem or idol. The Evoker dropped it when it died and Apostolos let me keep it."
"Totem of... Undying." I read the item's description while the carved pumpkin over my face kept my appearance impassive. It was small, gold, with emerald gemstone eyes, and it resembled a doll in the likeness of a Testificate - pronounced forehead and big nose. The head was the most detailed, with the arms and legs being simplified to shortened stumps in a T-pose.
"It's a nice little paperweight." Ines commented idly. "I kept it thinking it made me lucky. I was lucky enough to survive that mansion. Lucky enough to live long enough to accept the totem." She shrugged. "Some might call it a trophy-"
"I've seen this." I said aloud, not entirely speaking to Ines or Baltic. "My third Bounty Day vision..."
"You've seen it?" Baltic asked. "Does it do anything?"
I gripped the totem a little tighter in my hand. "It-"
"Hail the conquering heroes!"
I paused and turned my head towards the moonlit plain. Towards the triumphant voice. It was the Screw Divers - I'd recognize Apostolos with that trident anywhere - and they were flanked by two iron golems. The golems took care of the Zombies and Skeletons populating the poorly lit plain with ease.
"They're back." Ines smiled as she leaned over the wall and greeted them. "Apostolos! Up here! I expect that back when you're done with it." Ines spoke aside to me while pointing at the totem before going back to address the Screw Divers. "You cleared out the outpost?"
"Done and done, ma'am!" The other male Screw Diver called. "We took out every one of those crossbow Mobs. Liberated a few golems too, as you can see."
"MORE GOLEMS!?" Ferrus - Milstatt's golem - roared as he lumbered out the gate and met the two golems. "WHAT NAMES?"
"ME WANT BE CALLED QWONGO!"
"ME WANT BE CALLED SHERYL!"
"SHERYL AND QWONGO! ME FERRUS!" The golem introduced. His hollow eyes sized the two up. "WHAT YOU ENJOY DOING?"
""CRUSHING PUNY MOBS!"" They roared in chorus.
Ferrus slammed his metal arms into the ground in a thundering crash, his face cracking into a merry grin. "DID WE JUST BECOME BEST FRIENDS!?"
""YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!""
They threw their arms up and wrecked a bunch of Mobs in celebration while the Screw Divers brushed past them and towards the front gate.
"We'll give more details later." The female Screw Diver called up. "Do any of you have milk? Apostolos got afflicted by some weird effect and it's taking forever to go away."
"What sort of effect?" Baltic asked.
"Dunno. I'm not hurt, but I feel like something is off..." Apostolos muttered, and he was close enough that I could detect the dark green particles swirling around him. "It's unsettling and I want it gone."
"Cobb, you got some milk?" Baltic asked.
I wasn't listening. My mind was far away. I still had that totem gripped in my fingers as I recalled something about dark green particles. My last Bounty Day vision. The most recent one where I first witnessed Vindicators. I ran through the steps the me in my vision executed.
He killed the crossbow Mobs...
He got the dark green particle effect...
He returned to a village...
Then the war horn...
And then the crossbow Mobs... and the Vindicators... and the bull-rhino Mobs...
Apostolos was already stepping into Milstatt by the time I was screaming for him to stop.
As suddenly as he crossed the gate's threshold, the dark green particles swirling around his body dispersed and disappeared. Apostolos showed elation for a moment before the sound of a war horn blared across the village. It was the sound of a crackling, muffled trumpet. The guard on watch looked up in confusion, as did Baltic, Ines, and the golems.
I looked up in unease.
"What's going on? What's that horn-?" Baltic asked before being interrupted by screams coming from the village. I heard Testificates wake up screaming in their homes, their voices shouting the same thing.
"They're coming!" One shouted.
"It's happening! HIDE!" Another wailed.
"IT'S A RAID! A RAID!" A third screeched.
A Raid...? I could feel genuine terror in their voices and the guard looked alarmed before going off to check on them. One Testificate burst out of his home and climbed the stone bell tower to ring the bell at the top.
"WARN THE VILLAGE! IT'S A RAID! A RAID!"
"Hey! Stop that! You'll wake everybody!" The guard reprimanded.
However, after ringing the bell, several glowing outlines started appearing on the dark plain outside the village. Ines planted her hands on the wall and adjusted her glasses looking out into the distance.
"There's... there's something out there!"
The Screw Divers armed themselves and the iron golems stood at the ready knowing something terrifying was coming. I nudged Baltic.
"Get everybody out here on the double." I told him with a forced calm. "Tell them to be ready for a fight. Hurry."
Baltic saw my face and knew I wasn't joking. Nor was I one to casually give orders. He understood something bad was coming and he quickly left the wall to gather everybody.
"What is it, Cobb? What's going on?" Ines asked.
I turned to the moon lighting up the battlefield and saw that a crimson red bar had placed itself over Milstatt. The Ender Dragon had a pink bar of Health. The Wither had a purple bar of Health. This Raid had a red bar of Health, putting it in the same class and making it just as threatening as one of those boss Mobs.
"I don't know." I told Ines honestly. "But get ready for a fight."
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, 56 Glass Bottles, 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Furnace, 17 Flint, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Totem of Undying, 15 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Stick, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 Milk Bucket, 10 Coal, 64 Snowballs, 11 Snowballs, 3 Ender Chests, 37 Obsidian, 37 Steak, 2 End Crystals, 9 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, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 4 Nautilus Shells, 32 Blocks of Emerald, 5 Emeralds, 1 Lapis Lazuli, 64 Books, 2 Books, 1 Golden Sword [Sharpness IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Golden Sword [Sweeping Edge III, Sharpness IV], 1 Golden Sword [Looting II, Knockback II, Sharpness III], 1 Enchanting Table
[EXP: 30]
Inventory (Lenz): 1 Chainmail Helmet, 1 Dragon Head, 1 Chainmail Chestplate, 1 Chainmail Leggings, 1 Chainmail Boots, 32 Pumpkin Seeds, 1 Iron Dagger, 14 Ender Pearls, 13 Cobblestone, 1 Compass, 25 Gunpowder, 1 Bow, 1 Bow [Infinity], 1 Crossbow, 42 Arrows, 1 Crafting Table, 11 Steak, 1 Stick, 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}, 1 Book {Redstone Textbook}
Red Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 1 Shears, 1 Lever, 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}: 1 Crossbow, 1 Crossbow, 1 Crossbow, 1 Crossbow, 1 Crossbow, 1 Crossbow, 1 Crossbow, 1 Crossbow, 1 Crossbow, 1 Crossbow, 1 Crossbow, 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 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 Water Bucket, 28 Bones, 1 Ender Chest, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 20 Emeralds, 36 Cooked Chicken, 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 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, 64 Dragon's Breath, 64 Dragon's Breath, 45 Blaze Powder, 42 Nether Warts, 30 Soul Sand, 63 Phantom Membranes, 64 Blaze Rods, 20 Fermented Spider Eyes, 51 Carrots, 51 Melon Slices, 55 Rabbit's Feet, 50 Golden Ingots, 1 Golden Nugget, 55 Gunpowder, 54 Redstone Dust, 55 Glowstone Dust
[EXP: 30]
Inventory (Z7): 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 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, 9 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 3 Pumpkin Pies, 19 Baked Potatoes, 1 Bucket, 1 Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 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]
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Diamond Helmet [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Shears, 2 Iron Ingots, 29 Steak, 2 Sticks, 29 Coal, 20 Torches, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Diamond Boots [Projectile Protection IV], 16 Gunpowder, 16 Ender Pearls, 2 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Bucket, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 44]
Inventory (Soul): 1 Diamond Axe [Sharpness V], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 62 Iron Ingots, 20 Flint, 12 Gold Ingots, 1 Shears, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV, Feather Falling IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Jukebox, 1 Music Disc {chirp}, 1 Bed, 1 Furnace, 24 Torches, 34 White Wool, 61 Cobblestone, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Armor Stand, 10 Steak, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Exter Entry Pass}
[EXP: 41]
Cat-Face the Cat
Christopher Squawken the Parrot
Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness I], 1 Diamond Chestplate {Severe Shield}, 1 Leather Boots {Bottes Zephyr} [Dyed White], 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Diamond Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 60 Nether Warts, 20 Soul Sand, 28 Steak, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Shears, 10 Cobwebs, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Water Bucket, 5 Buckets, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Brewing Stand, 33 Glass Bottles, 4 Packed Ice, 1 Ender Chest, 16 Ender Pearls, 4 Ender Pearls, 3 Phantom Membranes, 61 Glowstone Dust, 29 Gunpowder, 18 Redstone Dust, 61 Blaze Powder, 62 Golden Nuggets, 61 Brown Mushrooms, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Exter Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {The Art of Peace}, 1 Enchanted Golden Apple
[EXP: 35]
Inventory (Kalmarin): 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Mob Head {Skeleton}, 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness III, Unbreaking I], 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 34 Cooked Chicken, 39 Apples, 1 Bow [Power I], 36 Arrows, 12 Ender Pearls, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 40 Torches, 31 Sand, 12 Cobblestone, 21 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 Milk Bucket, 43 Coal, 1 Clock, 1 Compass, 1 Iron Pickaxe [Unbreaking I], 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Old Reliable} [Unbreaking III, Efficiency V], 1 Book {Meetup}
[EXP: 37]
AN: The Raid begins.
Had to do a little testing and research on the gold sword combinations. Basically, I gave myself 38 Levels and three golden swords and a bunch of bookshelves and kept enchanting until I got three options that fit my criteria. First two failed but the third one got a solid Looting II and for only two lapis. Honestly, the enchanting cost less levels than I thought.
I also had to look up the Evokers, Vindicators, and Vexes as it's been a while. How they behaved, how they looked, what damage they could do, what they dropped. That way Ines is telling Cobb the straight facts. Cobb's Bounty Day visions finally have relevance, though one would have been better realized ten seconds sooner.
Lot of perspective changes for such a small village. Cobb's got his sword, Trenay got her fireworks, and Lenz and Z7 got an understanding going. Hopefully it'll be enough to repel the incoming Raid.
FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. FORUM. DISCORD. GOLDEN CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH COOKIES AND CREAM ICE CREAM ON TOP.