AN: Well, I think I reached a milestone. Or maybe it's more of a meterstone. Either way, My Craft has over 1000 views and 11 Favorites. I consider that an achievement. So thanks to all you guys and gals for taking the time to read my humble tale. And if it feels slow, please tell me!
Next, the answer to last week's puzzle was a tricky one. So I'm not surprised nobody gave me the right answer. Who's buried in Grant's tomb? Nobody since tombs are above ground! So no cookies for anybody! And if you want to contend that...
Next Puzzle!
Puzzle: How many eggs can you put in an empty basket?
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, Invisibility Potions would work on armor too.
Chapter 14
Poison
[Noman]
"Get…BACK!" I shouted as I slashed at another Zombie. It fell with a dying grunt and vanished in a puff of smoke. I collected the EXP and rotten flesh as I struggled to catch my breath. I had killed about fifteen Zombies without rest or the aid of my God-like armor. The diamond sword was strong enough, but I didn't know how much longer I could go on.
"*Huff* *Huff* Gotta…keep…training." I inhaled some steak to satisfy my hunger and returned to my sloppy sword stance: two hands gripping my sword in front of me with shoulders squared, back straight, legs tense and ready to spring forth at a moment's notice.
Helena was right about the Mobs spawning from darkness. All I had to do was wait the in the forest during the night for Mobs to attack. It was the only way I could think of to improve my combat capabilities. Which were—to put it nicely—poopy.
The rattling of bones caught my ear and I turned to spot a squadron of Skeletons moving towards me. The book specified to use long-range weaponry and I concluded that my 'Infinity' bow (whatever that meant) fit that requirement. But I never shot a bow in my life and Helena only gave me one arrow.
Thanks for that, Helena. If I had more arrows, I'd take some practice shots and learn how to shoot. But nope! Just one arrow.
I couldn't let that stop me, though.
I charged forward in a swift zigzag to dodge the flurry of arrows to come. Some managed to hit their target, but most of them sailed right past. Once I was close enough, I jabbed the nearest Skeleton in the torso before finishing it with an upward vertical slash.
The other two Skeletons backed away to keep some distance. Before they could fire, however, I took cover behind a nearby tree. I waited for my health to recover while I planned my next move.
I'll wait for them to get close, then jump out and surprise them with a series of quick slashes and inane gibberish. That should confuse them. I was so lost in thinking of gibberish that I failed to notice the hissing coming from above.
Suddenly, a large Spider dropped from the tree I was hiding behind and fell right on top of me. It got a few bites and scratches in before I managed to push it off and scramble away.
As I ran, an arrow caught me in the side and sent me staggering into another tree. I turned to see what had shot me and gasped at the sight.
The Spider that fell on me was not alone. It had a Skeleton riding comfortably on top of it.
I was shocked. The book never described what to do in the event of a Mob fusion and I had no idea if the Mobs would act separately or as a set while together. But I couldn't back down. I was the Billionth. I had a responsibility to the people of Minecraftia…or at least that's Notch wrote.
I gathered my courage and remembered how weak Spiders were. Taking each Mob out individually was probably the best way to do things.
I charged straight towards the Spider-Skeleton…um, the Skeleder…the Spideton? The…the thing with the…uh…Spider and…
…
The Skeleton riding the Spider, you know!
Anyway, I charged at it, but it was prepared. My straight charge was interrupted by a hail of arrows courtesy of the Skeleton half.
After taking some hits, I switched to my zigzag strategy to get close. However, I continued to take hits as the Spider half zigged and zagged to keep me in the Skeleton's line of fire.
It was then I realized the Mobs were coordinated as a fusion. They combined their strongest traits to kill Crafters more easily.
In short, I was outmatched.
To make matters worse, the two Skeletons from before joined the fusion in shooting me. As much as I hated to admit it, I had to retreat. My health was too low and I too inexperienced to handle the Mob rider.
'There's always the Severe Shield.' A tiny voice in the back of my head spoke. And for a second, I considered it. The Mobs wouldn't stand a chance against the chestplate and I would survive to fight another day.
However, I shook those thoughts from my mind and instead turned to run. No! I swore not to use that chestplate until I was the Billionth that Crafters could look up to! Arrows whizzed past my head as I ran further into the darkened forest. If I use it now, all my training would have been for nothing. I can't just submit when things look bleak.
'But,' came the small voice again. 'You could die.'
I jumped and latched onto some tree leaves (they were surprisingly able to hold my weight) and hoisted myself above the treetops. If I can't do this without my fancy armor, then maybe I deserve to die.
I continued running and leapt across treetops to get away from my pursuers. Behind me, the Arachnid Archer (Yes that's a great name!) had climbed the trees and continued its firing.
I ducked and dodged and dipped and dived and dodged as best I could, but one of the shots nailed me in the shoulder. That one shot unbalanced me and I fell through the canopy of trees, hitting the ground with an audible thud that knocked the wind out of me.
For a few seconds, I just laid there on the ground trying to catch my breath. Belly exposed like a defenseless turtle. I could hear the rattling of Skeletons getting closer, but I was too exhausted to stand, much less fight. My health was at an all-time low and I didn't have the time to regenerate my health.
"I'm a failure." I spoke to myself as I awaited the Mobs to find and finish me off.
'No!' The small voice pleaded frantically. 'Just put on the chestplate! Nobody is here to judge you so just use it and live!'
But I didn't care. "Without the Severe Shield…I'm nothing. Nothing special. Nothing heroic. I'm just a Crafter with a ten-digit number." I dropped my sword uselessly at my side.
I closed my eyes and braced myself for being erased from existence. The way Helena described it made it sound so common and everyday. And the way those hostile Crafters died supported her description. Maybe it would be a sweet relief to the pressure placed upon the mantle of the Billionth.
I heard the sound of something shattering. Must be my shattered spirit. Always figured it was more of a metaphor than an actual object shattering.
…what's a metaphor again?
As I laid upon that ground, I felt empty and nonexistent. As if my body had already accepted the inevitable.
Amazing…I think…I think I feel my soul passing on.
Although, come to think of it, did the body always have such a strange sensation in its final moments? Every pore of my body felt like it wasn't there. I had to feel the sides of my body just to remind myself I was alive and not some corporeal ghost.
The hissing and rattling got closer and closer until finally I felt a heavy thud, that must have been the Arachnid Archer, hit the ground a few meters away.
I kept my eyes screwed shut, hoping the Mobs would make it fast…
Yet nothing happened. The fusion just made confused hissing sounds.
I cracked an eye open to see what was going on. There, directly across from me, was the Arachnid Archer and its two Skeleton buddies. They were confusedly searching the forest and didn't even react when their eyes passed over my prone form. Twice!
Why aren't they doing anything? Shouldn't they be pumping my body full of arrows or gnawing my face off? Not that I'm complaining of course.
I remained still and prayed that they would move on. Perhaps the vision of Skeletons was based on movement. After all, they had empty sockets for eyes and ears. How could they see or hear anything?
Maybe they just sensed Crafters through the vibrations felt in their bones. Or maybe they used echolocation like bats. Or maybe they had unholy powers that enabled them to see the very souls of Crafters with their empty pitiless eyes.
But none of those suggestions explained why the Spider half of the fusion couldn't see me. Especially when it had a whole bunch of eyes.
Eventually, the fusion and the Skeletons left the area and just like that, I was alone. I waited a minute just to make sure the Mobs had gone before sitting up and getting a steak to eat. It was then that I noticed something peculiar.
Do steaks float?
The steak appeared to be hovering in front of me and I was so shocked I dropped the slab of meat on the ground.
Then I noticed how my arms and legs were no longer where they should be. I couldn't see them, but I could still feel them. It was almost like I was…Invisible!
"Agh! What?...How?...AGH!" I waved my hands in front of my face hoping they'd reappear, but they remained imperceptible. My eyes darted from my torso to my limbs. For whatever reason, I was entirely invisible.
Oh no! No, no, no! I'm…I'm here, but not here at the same time! Did I…did that last fall…am I dead?
I panicked at that thought. Helena said when people died they vanished, but I didn't think she meant they turned invisible. I thought it would be more like leaving the world of Minecraftia and returning to the void. Instead, it was like I was a ghost doomed to forever haunt the world.
"How am I supposed to be the Billionth now?" I despaired as I got to my feet. I checked my arms and noticed the faint tattoos that displayed my Health, Hunger, and other things. For whatever reason, they weren't invisible like the rest of me. And there was an additional tattoo of a blurred man with a timer beside it.
I've never seen that tattoo before. Is it because I died that it's there? But then am I really dead when my Health Meter says otherwise? Ugh, I just don't—
*Rustle*
"Oof!" *THUD*
Once again, something fell from a tree and landed on me, but unlike before it wasn't a Mob. At least I hoped it wasn't.
Whatever it was, it leapt off of me (making little effort to avoid stepping on my fingers and face) and stooped down to pick up my dropped diamond sword and steak.
Alright, ghosts can't feel pain so there goes that theory. I surmised as I tenderly nursed my crushed fingers. I glanced up to get a better look at what fell on me.
More like who fell on me.
Standing there was a young woman with short bright orange hair and eyes to match. Her bangs swept to the right, only slightly touching her eye. Her pale skin was a stark contrast to her wardrobe. She wore a skintight black jumpsuit that extended past her arms and legs and covered her mouth like a mask. All along the jumpsuit were orange designs. Orange bands on her wrists, orange dots trailing up her shoulders, multiple orange bands equally spaced along her legs, orange bands running along the sides of her torso. Orange bands everywhere!
Even her black shoes had orange rims along the heel. She wore an orange and black belt and a black backpack with (what else) an orange stripe. A black hood with, thankfully, no orange designs, hung from her back. She practically looked like some kind of mysterious, jumpsuit, orange-banded, ninja. And above her head was her name: Creation's_Spark.
I was so startled by this new person showing up, I froze. She was just standing there, holding my sword and steak, not even bothering to look at me. Her eyes were focused on something a meter to the left of me. I stayed silent, but my thoughts were a cacophony of chaos.
A Crafter! What should I do? Should I talk to her? Should I ask for my sword back? Is she hostile? Why did she land on me? Is she going to kill me? Is she going to steal my steak? Why does she wear so much orange? Am I rambling too much? Can she help me? Is she putting up a sign?
Sure enough, she placed a sign in the ground and began writing something on it. I couldn't make the sign out as her back was obscuring it. Once she was done she placed a bucket of something before the sign and stepped to the side. I squinted my eyes to read the writing in the dark.
'SORRY I LANDED ON YOU. MY POTION WORKED BETTER THAN I THOUGHT. PLEASE DRINK BUCKET.'
"Potion? Bucket? Why would I…?" I voiced my concern as I turned to look at the orange-haired ninja. Once, again she was looking anywhere but at me. She even jerked her head back and forth as if she was trying to locate something. But what could she possibly…
Oh right…
Still invisible.
I returned my attention to the bucket and picked it up. With my limbs still invisible, it floated eerily in my hand like a ghostly object. Its contents were a cold, white liquid that I was hesitant to drink. I looked towards Creation's_Spark one more time for some kind of confirmation. She was now staring avidly at the bucket in my hand and nodded encouragingly…to the air.
I took a breath to steel myself for whatever I was about to drink and downed the whole bucket in one gulp.
As the liquid, which I recognized from somewhere as milk, went down my throat, the nonexistent feeling I was feeling, vanished as I reappeared. I felt myself swelling into renewed being as my arms and legs and torso rematerialized before me.
I was back.
A small clapping sound caused me to return my attention to Spark. She stood there applauding that I had understood her sign. I couldn't tell if she was smiling under that mask, but her eyes seemed bright…sort of.
"Um…thanks for…that." I replied lamely as I held out her leftover bucket. In response, she held out my diamond sword and we traded items. She also gave me back my steak, even though I had a ton of it in my Inventory. "So, you mentioned a potion earlier?" I asked hesitantly. I still wasn't sure how Crafters were supposed to react. Last time, I was attacked for being polite.
She closed her eyes and nodded as she withdrew a book from her belt. She began writing stuff in it before she handed it to me. I opened the book and read. It wasn't titled or signed.
[YES. WHEN I SAW YOU FALL AND LIE THERE, I MADE THE CHOICE OF USING A SPLASH POTION OF INVISIBILITY ON YOU. THAT'S WHY THE MOBS COULDN'T SPOT YOU.]
[I'M CREATION'S_SPARK. BUT YOU CAN JUST CALL ME SPARK.]
Okay…can she not talk or something? I looked up from the book and saw that she was miming something. Her hands were mimicking turning a page.
I looked back to the book and turned the page.
[YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING WHY I'M NOT TALKING. WELL IT'S A LONG AND PAINFULLY TRAGIC STORY.]
I looked up again with a sympathetic expression, but once again she mimed turning the page to which I complied.
[I JUST DON'T TALK MUCH.]
I stared at the five words on the page before flipping to the next one expecting more of a back-story than that. But I only met blank page after blank page. After which I deadpanned at Spark for her lack of detail.
She just shrugged.
Some back-story. But she mentioned a Potion of Invisibility? There was something about potions in the book, but I never knew something like that was possible.
"Well, back-story or not, your quick thinking saved me from becoming a pincushion. You're actually the first Crafter who hasn't tried to attack me." I thanked and complimented her at the same time as I returned her book. At once she was scribbling out her previous words and writing new ones with a feathery quill. Once, she finished with her latest message, she returned the book.
[YOU PROBABLY MET THE ENDWARD CULT. WERE THEY WEARING BLACK CAPS?]
I remembered the three men I killed and nodded uncomfortably and she snapped her fingers for me to give back the book. Again she scribbled out her words and inputted new ones before returning the book. The communication was tedious to say the least.
[THEY ALWAYS PATROL HERE. TRYING TO KILL ANY CRAFTERS THEY CAN FIND. YOU'RE LUCKY NOT TO HAVE GOTTEN KILLED BY THEM.]
"Endward Cult. Killers, huh." If they were killers, then it was okay that they died…right? I mean, they try to murder anyone they find and they just…found me. I technically was defending the innocent. Does that make it…okay?
I'm lucky? That's an understatement. The odds of me becoming the Billionth were exactly a billion to one.
Although the odds of me actually accomplishing anything are probably lower than that.
And what about my mission…
MY MISSION!
"Oh, um, I'm actually looking for something…or rather somewhere. I only know that the name of it is the Crystal Catacombs. You wouldn't happen to know where that is would you?"
At this question, she didn't immediately scribble down an answer. She adopted a contemplative look for a few seconds. Just when I was about to give up on expecting a positive answer, her eyes lit up in realization and she furiously wrote out her reply.
[I'VE HEARD OF IT. IT'S OVER IN RINGWOOD. I'M HEADING OVER THERE TOMORROW IF YOU WANT TO TAG ALONG.]
"Really? Uh…of course! That sounds great." I stuttered out surprised at how helpful Spark was being.
[I HAVE A SHORTCUT BACK AT MY PLACE. EASIER THAN CLIMBING MT. MUR.]
She picked up her sign from the ground and gestured for me to follow. I munched on some steak as I jogged over to her side.
"Gosh, you're really helpful. Is there a…reason for that? I mean no offense, but the Crafters I've met have all been rather…hostile." I ventured as she was already writing her reply.
[LET'S JUST SAY I HAVE A SOFT SPOT FOR NEW CRAFTERS. ;D]
"Semicolon 'D?' What's that mean?"
[NO NO NO. SEE, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A WINKING SMILEY FACE. IT'S A SYMBOL OF ENDEARMENT.]
"Oh…well then wouldn't this be better?" I scribbled down my own winking face.
[^_0]
She eyed the book and nodded respectfully.
[DAMN THAT IS PRETTY GOOD. MIND IF I USE IT AS MY GO-TO WINKING FACE?]
"Sure." I chuckled at her words, happy to finally have someone to talk to, even if it was through a book. "It'll be one small step towards repaying your kindness."
[Cobb]
Let me think. First, it was that time by the Crapshack. Then into that cave with the iron. So this makes the third time I've ventured into a dark cavern.
These thoughts crossed my mind as I fell through the darkness into the heart of Mt. Mur. Floyd was right behind me…or above me…as we descended.
In hindsight, maybe setting water and floating safely into this cavern would have been a better alternative than plummeting at high speeds.
Although when you're set on fire, common sense goes out the window.
Oh, right. I'm still on fire.
"HOT HOT HOT!" I yelped as the flames engulfed my body.
I wished that the flames burning my body were the only problem I had to deal with, but unfortunately, that distinction was awarded to the red-eyed ravenette leaping down after us.
I wonder what will kill me first? The fall, the fire, or Carys.
"You're not getting away that easily!" Carys shouted from above.
I'm kind of hoping for the first option.
*THUD*
My descent was abruptly stopped as the ground met my face. Luckily, my bones broke my fall.
I groaned as I withdrew my water bucket and put myself out. Wherever I landed, it was pitch black.
Figures.
"Cobb, where are you?" Floyd hissed from somewhere nearby. "How far is this drop?"
I checked my belt for torches and readied to set some down before remembering that Carys was right on our tails as we fell.
If she's still around, maybe this darkness is for the best. She can't see us.
"Oh, is that you Cobb?" Floyd asked from somewhere to the left of me.
Before I could answer, a yelp and a resounding slap met my ear. "Unhand me you dog!" Came a feminine voice.
"Carys!?" Floyd shouted frightened. "I didn't mean to…wait you're the enemy! I don't have to apologize when you're trying to kill us!"
"If I could move, you wouldn't be given the chance to apologize." Carys seethed with gritted teeth.
She can't move? Curiosity winning out over fear, I set down a torch to illuminate the scene before me.
The three of us had landed in a narrow tunnel. Only it was different. Unlike the previous underground tunnels, these ones seemed to be man-made. Someone or something clearly carved out a straight pathway through the stone and wooden beams were holding everything up. But that's not all that was there.
I had landed on the center of the tunnel. Over by some wooden beams and fence posts was where Carys and Floyd had landed. They, however, didn't hit the ground. Something had caught them during their fall and held them slightly above the ground. Something that looked like…
"Giant cobwebs?" I voiced as I walked up to Floyd's immobile form. Meanwhile, Carys was frantically hacking away at the cobwebs restricting her movement. Her diamond sword cut strand after strand and I was starting to think that we shouldn't stick around for when she freed herself. "Floyd, try and wriggle out of that web."
"I'm trying." Floyd strained this way and that as he attempted to slip loose of the restricting threads. I took out my wooden sword to help, even as Carys shouted out curses directed at me.
"Come over here so I can fix your dumb faces!"
I sawed a dozen strands before responding to Carys' insults. "Look, I'm sorry about Mr. Waddles—"
"PIGGLES! MR. PIGGLES!"
"…Mr. Piggles," I corrected. "But he was just a pig lying there. How could I have known that he had an owner?"
Carys redoubled her efforts to escape the webbing. I was lucky she landed in a particularly large clump of it. It kind of made me wonder what made the webs.
"The name. The lead! The POST! THE SIGN! THE—"
"Yeah, there was no sign." I stated frightened as I yanked harder on a thicker strand. Floyd was nearly out, but so was Carys.
"It shouldn't matter if there was a sign or not!" She screeched as she swung her diamond sword just short of hitting me or Floyd. "For your crime, you will face the wrath of the Angel of Death!"
"Cobb, is your apology supposed to make things worse?" Floyd asked while trying to shush me.
Angel of Death? The hell does that mean? Is that, like, her nickname or something?
But I didn't think too long on it. With a mighty pull, Floyd was free and we had her outnumbered two to one.
And she was still incapacitated.
"Alright Floyd. Let's teach this psycho killer not to mess with—"
"Run." Floyd interrupted as he pulled me down the opposite tunnel and away from Carys.
"Or we can run. That's a good option when the enemy can't move." I sarcastically remarked as we took a few quick turns. Carys' enraged yells echoed off the walls.
"Weren't you paying attention before? When I hit her I was blasted back and she didn't even flinch!" Floyd explained as he sped forward. His Swiftness Potion was still in effect while mine was nullified by whatever Carys threw at me. The result was that Floyd needed to wait up every few seconds. "She's way more experienced than both of us put together!"
I glanced at my left arm to check my health and went pale. The combination of Carys' brutal attacks, getting lit on fire twice, and falling down a great distance had reduced my health to half a heart.
Oh sweet Jesus. A sneeze could kill me. Maybe Floyd was right to retreat.
I checked my right arm for hunger and noticed I was pretty low. But all I had for food was…
FUCK!
I angrily munched on rotten flesh as we took another sharp left. The whole tunnel system felt like a labyrinth and it didn't help that there were little to no torches lighting the way. But if we set any torches down, Carys would be able to track us easily.
As I watched my Hunger and Health meters refill, I noticed something else that wasn't there before. On my right arm were three new tattoos with separate timers beside them.
The first one was of a white wing with only about ten seconds left.
The second one was of a dark ball and chain. The timer had about twenty seconds left.
And the final one resembled the rotting corndogs I usually got whenever I ate rotten flesh. Although, come to think of it, it looks more like a leg of meat than a corndog. The timer on that one kept reverting to thirty seconds every time I ate a new piece.
I quickly pieced together that these new tattoos represented potion effects.
What did Carys hit me with for this ball and chain effect? I wondered as I noticed all the different colored particles surrounding me. Electric blue from the swiftness, gray-blue most likely from the ball and chain, and a dull sickly green that had to have been from the hunger I was feeling.
These potion effects don't last long. Then again, days in Minecraftia don't last too long either. So minutes to me are more like hours in Minecraftia time.
Either way, my Swiftness is about to run out. I thought as Floyd rounded a corner ahead of me.
*hiss*
"Wait, go back go back!" Floyd urged as he returned from the corner he rounded and pushed me in the opposite direction. Chasing him were half a dozen Spider Mobs. But these Spiders weren't like the one I had seen a few days ago. They were smaller and instead of having black bodies they had ones with a venomous blue tinge.
As I turned to sprint, sluggishness overcame me and made it hard to move forward.
It felt like the Swiftness Potion, but in reverse. My bones felt like they were made of lead and it took all my strength and effort just to move my limbs an inch. A weight had settled over me and as much as I tried, I couldn't shake it off.
"Cobb! They're right behind us!" Floyd shouted as he tried to hurry me along. But it was no good. I was super slow.
This must be what Carys chucked at me. A Potion of Slowness to keep me from running away!
I would need a Swiftness Potion just to walk normally and judging by the electric blue particles fading from him, Floyd was all out of Swiftness too.
I just need to last a few more seconds. Then this effect will pass. I thought as I watched my arm.
"Hurry up!" Floyd shouted as he withdrew his wooden axe and began beating the spiders back.
As I watched the seconds tick by, I tried to recall the information I learned about Spiders. Anything to help Floyd fight those things.
[…Their attacks are weak, at 1 and a half hearts per attack, and their max health is low at 8 hearts…]
"Floyd, Spiders are pretty weak, but they're also agile!" I shouted as he dispatched the nearest spider with two swings of his axe.
"Anything else?" He asked as he dodged a Spider's lunge.
"Um…I…" C'mon Cobb! THINK! Use your brain!
Brain! Get off your ass and retrieve my memory files!
Brain: But I'm already sitting down, and the filing cabinet is like…two whole feet away from me. And this couch is sooooo comfy. And my favorite show is—
Lungs: *Sigh*
Brain: Whoa, whoa! Calm down Lungs! Okay, I'll do it just don't freak out!
Thanks, Lungs. Even though you're a figment of my crazed hallucinations, you're a nice figment of my crazed hallucinations.
Lungs: *Sigh*
Brain: Alright let's see…Spiders…Spiders…Ah here we go…
[…Weakness: Any type of attack, fire, Bane of Arthropods, Splash Potion of Harming…]
[…They are able to climb up vertical walls, making standard defenses useless…]
"They can climb up walls, but are weak against fire!" I informed Floyd as he dodged another Spider. He nodded at me before swapping his axe for his flint and steel.
Suddenly, I felt the sluggishness leave me and I regained my normal movements. I swapped to my sword and moved to help kill the remaining five Spiders.
Two of them broke away from the group and crawled towards me with bared fangs. I gripped my sword handle with both hands and swung in a wide horizontal slash. The Spiders were knocked back, but recovered almost immediately.
Meanwhile, Floyd created a barrier of flames with his flint and steel to keep the Mobs at bay. In the process, his flint and steel broke and the wooden support beams caught fire.
One of the Spiders was unfortunate enough to catch fire and flailed around before burning to death. The other two were more wary. They scaled the tunnel walls to get past the fiery fence and surrounded Floyd.
Brain: Oh, hang on there's more. Apparently these Mobs can…uh-oh.
Uh-oh? Why uh-oh!? I internally worried as I dispatched one of the Spiders.
Brain: Listen to this.
[…Furthermore, a variant of Spiders known as Cave Spiders have been sited. Although smaller in size, the Cave Spiders make up for their deadliness in lethal poison…]
"Uh-oh."
"Agh!" Floyd hissed as one of the Spiders bit his arm. He quickly killed the attacking Mob with his newly withdrawn axe and knocked the second one back into the fire to burn. "Ugh…that wasn't…good."
"Floyd, don't let the Spiders bite you! They're actually Cave Spiders and their attacks are venomous." I warned but earned only a deadpan from Floyd as a response.
"Thanks, Cobb. That information really would have been good to know fifteen seconds ago." Floyd winced as he nursed his arm. He didn't look too good. His skin was turning a sickly shade of green. The same green as the particles whirling around his body.
As if sensing his weakness, the last Cave Spider abandoned me and went straight for Floyd. I rushed after and just as it was about to reach him, I batted it into the fire. Its charred body writhed in agony before it vanished in a puff of smoke and burning drops.
"Uhn…I don't suppose…*cough cough*…you remember how to…get rid of the poison?" Floyd choked out as he collapsed against the tunnel wall. He was getting greener by the second and I was racking my brain for an answer.
C'mon Brain! I need a cure! Give me something!
Brain: Sorry, but I'm on my 10-minute break. Come back later.
But 10 minutes is like 12 hours here!
Brain: Then I'm on my 12-hour break. Come. Back. Later.
"I-I don't know what to do!" I stammered as I helped Floyd up and supported him. More hissing was coming from the direction we had been traveling before. Where are these things coming from!? "No time to pick a path!"
I took out my wooden pickaxe and dug out a small niche in the tunnel wall before shoving Floyd into it. He fell in a sickly heap and went into a coughing fit.
I took out some cobblestone and sealed the niche just as the Cave Spiders reached us. The room was plunged into darkness. Even with the wall sealed, I could hear angered hisses and multiple legs skittering across the tunnel.
At once, I set a torch down to light our hiding spot up and began to expand it to allow for more elbow room. Floyd was lying motionless on the ground and I was starting to worry what the poison was doing to him. He looked frailer and weaker than I'd ever seen him. It was hard to believe that a few days ago he was the one that saved me from those cultists.
Well now it's my turn to save him! I thought confidently. And the first step to that was to figure out a way to get rid of the Cave Spiders beating down the walls.
I knelt down next to him. "Floyd. Hey, you gonna be okay?" I shook his shoulder and he began to stir.
"Yeah, I'll…live…" He checked his arm and grumbled before leaning against the wall in a sitting position. "The poison will wear off in a few seconds."
"How much health you got?" I asked as I pressed my ear to the wall to gauge how many Spiders were left to deal with. Needless to say: A lot.
"Believe it or not, half a heart." My eyes widened in surprise and fear as I turned to look at him. Before, I was the one close to dying, but having Floyd as the fragile one made me just as worried. As if he would shatter into a million pieces at the slightest touch. "That poison is rough."
"Alright, in that case wait here. I'll dig a tunnel to get around the Spiders and lead them away while you heal up." I explained while readying my pickaxe.
"What? No." Floyd looked worried. As if he thought I couldn't handle it. "That's a bad idea. Just give me a few seconds to heal up and I'll—"
"You've done enough." I interrupted as I already began digging the tunnel. "Don't worry I can handle this and I'll be back once I've led them far enough away."
"Cobb, don't. I can go with you. I'm well enough to—" As he attempted to get up to prove his point he went into another coughing fit and slid down to the floor.
"Just trust." I smiled confidently as I covered the hole I made with dirt and continued the tunnel. I could hear the Spiders furiously hissing and skittering above me as I dug. There was probably ten or twelve of them.
Okay, so they're weak against fire. I just need to lure them into a trap. Something that'll catch fire easily while they're on top of it. I checked my belt for wooden planks. Yup that'll work.
Once I tunneled far enough away that the Cave Spiders' hisses grew faint, I dug up and climbed out into the larger tunnel. I peeked around the corner and saw the same Cave Spiders still trying to break down the wall Floyd was behind.
Yeah, I got this.
I swapped my shovel for my pickaxe and began tearing up the tunnel's stone floor and replacing it with planks. So once I finish laying down the ignitable material, I'll get the Cave Spiders' attention, lure them over here, and light them up! Easy-peasy.
*HISS* *HISS*
What now!? The spiders were making a bunch of angry noises. I stopped building the wooden trap to take another peek around the corner.
It was Floyd. Fighting off the Cave Spiders with a newly made wooden sword. He didn't bother with waiting behind the wall and instead went straight for combat.
What is he doing!? I told him I had a plan! As I abandoned my trap construction to go help, he took out three spiders in a single swing before getting a bite to the leg. The offending Cave Spider barely had time to retreat before Floyd stabbed it in the face.
I couldn't understand how he was taking so many hits when moments ago he was at half a heart of health. But as I got closer and dispatched two nearby spiders, I saw that in addition to the sickly green colored particles surrounding him, he had vibrant pink particles swirling around. It must have been one of his other potions. Whatever the effect was, it looked like it was helping the blue-nette cope with the spider poison.
Floyd let loose a flurry of blows against the pair of spiders closest to him while I dodged a coordinated lunge from three of the eight-legged Mobs. The poison was what worried me the most.
And to think that these things are just a variety of Spiders! Is there a variety of Zombies that shoot lasers out of their eyes? Or-or maybe one of Creepers that explode into different elements? Oh, God that would be horrifying!
I heard the sound of burning flames and turned to see the support beams from earlier still on fire. Deciding to use my trap one way or another, I ran to the beam with three Cave Spiders in tow. Floyd was taking on the remaining two spiders and looked to be okay.
Once I got to the support beams, I whipped out my flint and steel and helped the fire spread by lighting more support pillars and wooden planks. The inferno grew so much that two of the three spiders chasing me were immediately burned to a crisp. Hmmm…I wonder if I can eat Spider meat…
The third Spider leapt through the flames and fastened its teeth onto my forearm. I rolled and flailed in an attempt to dislodge the Cave Spider, but it clung on for dear life. I felt a blood chilling sensation creep up from where the spider was biting me and the pain on my forearm flared to the point that it felt as if it was being torn apart. The poison was more debilitating than I thought.
Even with the pain clouding my mind, I quickly rolled over to one of the burning support beams and, using my free arm, pressed the Cave Spider's body into the fiery lumber. Immediately, the Cave Spider relinquished its hold to hiss in agony before I finished it with one last shove into the blazing pyre.
Panting and groaning in pain, I stumbled away from the burning structure and huddled against the wall. I could already feel the poison spreading to my shoulder as sickly green particles swirled around me. As I examined the bit arm, I noted the newest tattoo of a heart with a yellow-green teardrop along with the timer beside it. Ten more seconds of this!? The hearts that represented my health had also changed. They were no longer vibrant red and instead had an ill yellow-green color to them. And they were depleting fast.
Just as I was starting to worry what would happen when I ran out of health, the depleting hearts stopped, leaving me with half-a-heart.
Oh thank God.
Brain: Yo! I'm back from my lunch-break. Turns out the cafeteria was out of chicken nuggets. Can you believe that? Any who, what'd I miss?
Debilitating poison. Nearly dead. And…cafeteria?
Brain: Yeah, the food's not that good most of the time. Makes me think about bringing my own lunch every now and—
Why do I have a cafeteria in my head!?
Brain: Cuz we'd starve otherwise. Duh.
That…that doesn't make sen—
Brain: There's something here about curing the poison. Not sure if that's pertinent information—
It is! It is!
Brain: Okay, hold your horses…HAHAHA! Seriously!?
What? What does it say?
Brain: Pftt…you're not gonna believe this.
[…Drink milk to cure yourself of harmful poison before it weakens you to the point of near death…]
...
…what?
Brain: Quick! We need to find the nearest milkman! Or a bowl of cereal! Or the udders of a—
Stop joking! There's no way Herobrine wrote that down!
Brain: I'm not jok—well I was about the milkman, cereal bowl, and cow udders—but that's really what was written.
"Cobb!" Floyd called out as he ran over to help me up. "You okay? I know how bad that poison hurts."
As I picked myself up I could already feel the burning sensation of the poison fade away. "Yeah, I'll be fine after some food. But what about you? I thought you were low on health."
"Oh, right! I waited for the poison to wear off then used the Regeneration Potion." He held up the empty bottle as proof. "Those Cave Spiders were no match for me. Now come on. I can cook us up some steaks."
"Yeah, Floyd. That sounds…great." I muttered hesitantly as we walked back to the hideaway. "But…you didn't have to waste the potion. I had a plan."
"Right." He chuckled as he gestured over to the still burning support beams. "I saw your 'plan' in action."
"I'm serious." I affirmed a bit louder before calming my voice. Don't flip out…just explain yourself. "I had a plan to distract the spiders and it would've worked fine."
"Look, I took care of the Cave Spiders so what does it matter if you had a plan?" Floyd asked with a raised brow.
"It matters because I asked you to trust me." I replied with a hint of anger. "I could've taken out the Cave Spiders without wasting the—"
"The potion was mine to use as I saw fit and I used it to save both our lives." Floyd answered with a scowl. "You think that was a waste? To save our lives?"
"No, but I—"
"Then this conversation is over." He finished as he entered the small opening to the hideaway. I grit my teeth and kicked the wall in frustration.
Brain: Ooooh. Looks like I did miss something.
Why couldn't he just trust me? I could have handled those spiders just as well as him!
Brain: No offense Cobb, but shouldn't you be worrying more about…oh I don't know…the hot killer Crafter that wants to murder your guts!
Oh yeah. Carys. She was still lurking somewhere. Although since I didn't even know where we were, chances were she would have just as much trouble finding us. Still, leaving that up to chance was just asking for trouble.
And encountering more Cave Spiders would be another problem…that Floyd would just take care of himself.
And just like that, my mind was brought back to Floyd's refusal to trust me. I told him to wait, but instead he ignored me and put himself in danger.
I know I'm not as good at combat as he is, but I'm good at using my head. He should have trusted me enough to handle it. I'm not just incompetent dead weight! And I could've proved it too…
"Cobb, I just cooked some chicken and steak." Floyd returned from the hideaway holding a bunch of cooked meats at his belt. "You're probably hungry right?"
He held out some steak and I eyed it warily. "No thanks…I've…lost my appetite."
Stomach: WHAT!? Brain this is a code red! Talk some sense into him!
I'm tired of Floyd treating me like a burden that needs to be taken care of all the time! I don't want his food. I can be just as useful as him.
Stomach: Who cares!? He's offering you free food and you deny me this luxury!
"You sure you're all right?" Floyd questioned with a surprised face. "Before, you traded iron for pork chops but now you're saying no to free food? And your stomach is growling pretty loudly."
"I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me." I dismissed firmly.
"No, it's not that I…ugh…alright." He put the steaks back into his inventory. "Just don't whine for food later."
"I won't."
Stomach: I will.
Not now stomach!
Stomach: No! Fuck you! I'm not eating anymore of that Zombie flesh!
I'll find something else to eat.
Stomach: Like what!?
Like…like…Aha! I walked over to the piles of drops left by the Cave Spiders and picked some up. Like these roasted spider eyes!
Stomach: WHAT!? Wait!
I popped one in my mouth before Stomach's imaginary voice could dissuade me. I looked at my Hunger Meter and smiled. Ha! One whole corndog of hunger back. See stomach? I can find alternative sources of—
The familiar poison effect tattoo reappeared before I could finish my thoughts. Apparently spider eyes were poisonous to eat.
Brain: Priceless.
Stomach: I…take it back…the rotten flesh is…better.
"Ugh." I clutched my stomach in pain and curled into a fetal position until the effect passed. Floyd just shook his head and returned to the hideaway while munching on some cooked chicken.
Yeah, who needs edible food? Rotten flesh is for tough guys anyway. I reasoned to myself as I munched the sickening drop. And I think I'm getting used to it.
At the time, it was hard to tell whether the terrible taste in my mouth was over the spider eyes and rotten flesh I was consuming, or over the issues I had with Floyd.
I just knew I felt a lot worse than when I was poisoned.
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Hoe, 1 Wooden Sword, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Flint and Steel, 47 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 5 Coal, 22 Torches, 1 Chest, 1 Stick, 31 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Wooden Pressure Plates, 1 Trapdoor, 1 Stone Slab, 3 Oak Doors, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 35 Dirt, 1 Sign, 1 Lead, 1 Saddle, 1 Water Bucket, 12 String, 1 Bone, 1 Bowl, 1 Leather Boots, 4 Spider Eyes, 6 Rotten Flesh, 1 Emerald
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Sword, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Bow, 13 Cobblestone, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 5 Sticks, 31 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Book, 1 Paper, 3 Flint, 4 Coal, 11 Dirt, 2 Gunpowder, 16 String, 5 Spider Eyes, 2 Steaks, 3 Glass Bottles, 1 Potion of Healing II, 1 Awkward Potion, 1 Head {Crawford}
AN: Trouble's brewing. And this Author's Note is long.
That was my attempt at a disagreement between two characters. I tried to make it as genuine as I could, but I'm not sure if I did it right.
But in other news, special thanks to DarkWolf133 for the first viewer OC featured: Creation's_Spark. I hope I represented her in a good light. I felt Noman was the one who needed an ally more than anyone, so you'll get to see more of Spark in future chapters.
Bet you guys didn't think I was taking the OC suggestions seriously. Well I am. And worry not, because more viewer OCs are in the future. And any OC suggestions are always welcome.
So, fav, follow, review, OC, send feedback, answer puzzles, and have a nice National Chewing Gum Day.
...that actually is today, September 30, believe it or not. Right alongside National Hot Mulled Cider Day. I fail to see the connection.