AN: In case anyone was wondering, I'm using 1.8 as the version of Minecraftia. I mean, yeah, 1.9 has a lot of cool new stuff (electra, beets, lingering potions), but the new combat system looks annoying and Enchanted Golden Apples are so much weaker. I'm not too sure I'd want the good stuff of 1.9 in my story if it also meant having the bad stuff.
But, that's a problem for later. The answer to last week's puzzle: a sponge! It has holes, but can hold water. I know an answer like that is debatable, (especially since I got a wide variety of answers) but 'sponge' is the answer I was looking for. Sorry. Congrats to TheDiamondArcher for being the first to get it right. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.
(::)
Now, enjoy Part 2.
Puzzle: How many 9's (not including decimals) are there between 1 and 100?
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, Wooden Hoes would do more damage.
Beta: TheWritingReader
Chapter 17
Hurdle (Part 2)
[Cobb]
Well, I had a good run…oh who am I kidding? I don't even think I lasted a week! I thought as I took a step back.
Carys was slowly advancing like a predator that knew when its prey was trapped. Her purple boots padded across the ledge with that same tense sound.
*tk tk* *tk tk*
Yeah, I know that's the same sound a clock makes, but when you're staring down a skilled assassin, everything they do is terrifying.
Sneezing, drinking water, sleeping.
It can get to you.
Just as Carys was about to get to me.
*Gulp*
"You've run long enough, King_Cobb." Carys spoke softly, even though I could tell she was restraining herself from carving into me immediately. "I must admit, I never thought I could feel this much anger towards a single person."
She pointed the tip of her golden sword at my neck and continued her slow pace forward. In response I slowly backed up to the edge of the ledge, making sure to keep her blade away from me. But I was running out of ground...and below me awaited a searing hot pool of lava.
"You know, I was going to hang your head on my wall, but I think that privilege should go to your blue-haired friend over there." I glanced behind me to see Floyd desperately searching his backpack for anything that could save me from Carys.
"After all, they do say being cooked in molten lava is the most excruciating way to go." She commented with a smile as she pushed her blade forward, forcing me to give up even more ground.
While physically paralyzed and unable to form words, my inner thoughts were racing in an attempt to think up a way to escape.
Fighting was out of the question. She'd cream me before I could even try to get a jab in.
Talking was pointless too. She wanted me to die in the most painful of ways. How are you supposed to talk that out!?
And there was nowhere to run. I was stuck between a rock and a hot place…or some similar metaphor.
One more push and I'd be in the lava. And Carys looked like she was enjoying every second of it.
The woman was deadly. She took down a Stickman all by herself, and those things were terrifying!
Heart: Brain! If there was ever a time for you to do something, it would be now!
Brain: I'm trying! I'm trying!
Actually, I bet that Ender Pearl I found was dropped by the Stickman. Carys probably just forgot to pick it up.
Brain: Cobb! That's not helping!
I'm sorry I'm too scared to think right! If I had enough time to think up a plan...
Liver: If only we could teleport out of here! We'd be set!
Brain: Liver, I thought I told you never to talk ever ag—
Wait! He's on to something!
"No last words? No last ditch attempts to escape? I must admit I'm disappointed." Carys commented with a shrug before she kicked at my torso, sending me falling off the ledge.
"COBB!" Floyd shouted in horror as he could only watch while I dropped towards the boiling lava.
As I fell, I twirled in mid-air so that I was facing the ledge Floyd was positioned on and fumbled at the pouch of my belt holding the ender pearl.
Back above-ground, Carys threw the ender pearl for a reason! If I'm right, then it can teleport a player from one place to another. Just like the Stickman we faced!
Brain: That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! Teleportation? Next I suppose you'll tell us that Invisibility is possible too!
Stomach: No time to argue! Just throw the thing!
I aimed the pearl as best I could and chucked it. The world seemed to pass in slow motion as the pearl sailed over the magma pool. Still I continued to fall and the lava was coming up fast.
I saw Carys' sinister smirk as she peered eagerly over the edge to witness my demise. I saw Floyd calling out with his hand outstretched, even though we both knew he would never reach me.
All of my hope was placed upon that pearl, but the lava was closer than ever.
...
Oh no.
I was too late. I would hit the lava before the pearl reached Floyd's ledge.
At least my aim was good. I commented sadly while watching the pearl stay on course with the wall above Floyd's ledge.
I closed my eyes and prepared myself as my head made contact with the fiery lava first. The pain exploded in a searing blast and I could only scream in blinding agony.
Then my upper torso entered the lava and it was the same explosion of white hot pain that enveloped me.
The pain was as excruciating as Carys predicted, but just as soon as it came, it left. It was also accompanied by an odd sensation coursing through me. As if my entire being had faded before racing with an instantaneous speed away from the molten lava.
I materialized along the cavern wall and landed with a muffled 'crunch' on the ground beside Floyd. He turned around and looked wide-eyed with surprise, confusion, relief and happiness.
Also I was on fire…again.
"HOT HOT HOT!" I screamed as I pulled out my trusty bucket of water and put myself out. I then picked myself up and supported myself along the cavern wall as Floyd ran up to me and hugged me.
"I don't know what you just did…but that has got to be the coolest thing I've ever seen!" He laughed as he patted my back and I returned the pat awkwardly.
Mostly, I was just happy to be with a friend rather than with an enemy.
Speaking of which…
"WHAT!? NO!" Carys screeched in fury as she smashed her fist into the cavern wall. "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE DIED EXCRUCIATINGLY!"
I quickly sipped the healing potion Floyd gave me to repair the lava damage before wiping my mouth and facing Carys.
"Sorry, Carys! It looks like you're no match for my quick—EEK!" I jumped as a flaming arrow missed my…family jewels…by an inch. Carys wasn't going to let us go without a fight as she fired a volley of fiery arrows aimed right at us.
"Leg it!" Floyd yelled as we took off into the tunnel. The arrows barely missed us and soon, even Carys' enraged screams began to fade.
We stopped at a raised wooden platform as we caught our breath.
"I'm…getting really…fucking tired…of running around…these tunnels." Floyd panted and I nodded while eating my last piece of rotten flesh.
"Yeah…but…did you see…that raised bridge…back there?" I panted out as I sat myself down.
"Yeah…why?" Floyd asked with a raised brow.
"Because that's our ticket out of here."
"There's some iron!" I pointed out a small vein and Floyd immediately mined it with his pick. Then he set down his furnace and popped some coal and ore in.
"You sure you don't want to make any armor or weapons?" He asked as he set down a crafting table.
"Right now, I just want to get out of this mountain. Hopefully, we have enough to make the recipe." I drummed my fingers against the tunnel wall as we waited for the iron to finish cooking.
"If it's anything like a boat, then we'll probably need five ingots for a cart." He speculated as he handed me his weakened bow.
"What's this for?" I asked.
"Just in case something happens."
I silently nodded. When the iron was done, Floyd whipped it out and arranged it in a 'U' shape to create a minecart.
"Perfect! Now we just need to find our way to that bridge." I built a staircase and dug through the tunnel ceiling to reach a higher mineshaft floor. We did that for a while until we were high enough and retraced the path where we assumed the lava pool would be.
Minutes later, we found our target. We exited out onto a ledge similar to the ones we were on before, only further up. But we made sure to stick to the shadows in case Carys was still lurking around.
Which she was.
She was atop the suspended bridge, kneeling down upon the track before she got up and walked towards the opening I saw the train of carts disappear through. If the tracks from Miner's Warren really did extend beneath the mountain, there was a good chance that that track would take us right to Ringwood.
But how to get past Carys...
"Ugh! Doesn't she have any hobbies to be tending to?" Floyd whispered under his breath.
"Pig riding was probably all she had." I joked even though there was nothing funny about her bloodlust.
"Should we find another way around? Or just team up against her?" Floyd asked as he tried to stifle the growls emanating from his stomach. We were both out of food, but Floyd hadn't eaten in a while. He wouldn't last long without food and we both wouldn't last long in a prolonged fight.
What we really needed was a way to take her out in one shot. My eyes dropped from the bridge to the pool of deadly lava below.
"I have a better idea…a plan, if you will." I suggested with a smirk.
Floyd looked nervous. "Are you sure this plan will work?" he asked. "Give me a percentage."
"Um...75 percent."
"Alright, I guess that's good enough."
"Oh no. That's the percent chance of failure."
"Ugh." He facepalmed.
"Hey, don't worry. Just trust." I gripped his shoulder and smiled innocently.
He dragged his hand over his face and gave me a hard stare. "Fine. Let me hear your plan."
"Alright, here's what we're gonna do…"
I crept across the bridge, making sure I wouldn't trip and fall, and gathered my courage.
Once I entered the opening where Carys walked through, I kept my eyes and ears open. Which was hard since it was super dark.
Eventually, I managed to spot her checking the track about fifty feet away. And she hadn't noticed me yet!
Okay Cobb. You were scared before, but now you have a decent plan.
The key to this plan is timing. Timing and teamwork.
Brain: And let's not forget blatant taunting!
Alright brain! Give her your best shot!
"Hey Carys!" I called out. She immediately stood up and whirled on me with her sword drawn. She narrowed her eyes at my provocation. "I was looking for someone to test my combat skills against. Then again…you're a psycho." Her eye twitched. "That's the end of the sentence."
And then I turned and ran back the way I came. While I couldn't hear her shouting any curses, I could make out the sound of her boots clacking against the rails as she sprinted after me.
*tk tk* * tk tk*
Well, good to know I make an excellent distraction. Nice job Brain.
Brain: Happy to help.
I scrambled across the suspended bridge before turning around with my weakened bow out. Only, it was my first time holding a bow so I didn't really know how to best look intimidating.
Maybe she won't notice.
Not five seconds later, and Carys rushed onto the bridge with her gold sword held loosely at her side.
We eyed each other up and down before Carys openly pointed and laughed at me. "Is that really how you hold a bow? What number are you anyway?"
"None of your business. And this is just a…new way of holding bows!" I defended weakly as I tried to get a better grasp of the tool.
"You're not fooling anyone pig-killer. You're out of your league. But go ahead and shoot me if you can." She held out her arms and closed her eyes, puffing out her diamond clad chest as if daring me to take a shot. "It'll hurt you more than it'll hurt me."
It wasn't just her cryptic taunts that kept me from firing. I had no arrows. The bow was just a bluff. But the more time it bought, the better.
Eventually, she lowered her arms and swapped her sword for a bow. "Then I'll make the first move."
She shot a single arrow aimed high at my forehead and I swiftly ducked as it sailed overhead. I put way to much weight into that duck though and I stumbled to regain my footing on the narrow bridge. However, Carys didn't seem to mind waiting for me to recover. She even looked amused as she readied her next arrow.
This time, it was aimed at my knee. I leapt back to dodge and tripped on one of the tracks before landing hard on my back. Carys chuckled darkly at my clumsiness before taking a few steps closer to my prone form.
She's playing with me. I thought as I got back up to my feet and swapped my bow out for my wooden sword. I held it in a defensive stance.
In other words, sideways.
Carys smirked and raised an eyebrow before swapping out for a sword. This time, one made of iron.
"Look, I'll let you off with a warning if you just back down now. Trust me, you don't want any of this." I gestured to myself in an attempt to intimidate her since reasoning was a bust. Although it appeared to have the opposite effect.
She scoffed. "If you're gesturing to your weak noodle arms, and scrawny posture, then you're right. I wouldn't want any of that." She advanced with that same slow pace. She almost looked casual as her confident red eyes fixed themselves on my terrified but determined green ones. "But I do want to kill you."
"I'm serious." I threatened as I waved my sword back and forth. "I'm dangerous!"
She chuckled darkly. "You? Dangerous? You have no idea who I am, do you?"
"Should I?"
"I bet you've never even heard of Enchantments have you." It wasn't a question so much as a confirmed statement. I could only shift my eyes left to right as I was unsure of where she was going with the conversation.
She nodded at that. "Thought so. Well then I hope you enjoy this little demonstration." As soon as she uttered that last word she raced forward, aiming her sword at my neck.
I held up my sword in defense and took a few steps back to prepare. As soon as she was close enough, her blade crashed into mine and I felt my arms go numb at the force she put into it. Her metal sword dug into my cheap wooden one and for a second I was worried it would snap in two.
But nope.
It snapped into three.
Seriously!?
With nothing to stop her blade, she swung across my chest in a heavy slash. As soon as the iron made contact with my body, I was suddenly flung backwards and took a lot of damage. I bounced off the bridge and rolled a few more feet before finally stopping. The splintered fragments of my wooden sword were sent to the molten lake below.
"That," she grinned maliciously as she hefted her sword onto her shoulder. "is a combination of Knockback II and Sharpness III Enchantments. It certainly packs a punch doesn't it?"
I groaned as I got to my feet. "Alright Carys, last chance to back off or face the might of my…" I withdrew the first tool I could think of from my Inventory.
"A wooden hoe?" she mocked. "That's the best you have?"
"Yeah well, it takes a hoe to beat a hoe." I countered with a smirk.
Brain: OH! Somebody get an ice pack cuz Carys just got BURNED!
She didn't look too amused at my joke as her eyes lit up with hatred. Once again she rushed forward and swung her blade. Knowing how dangerous her weapon was, I jumped back to dodge her first strike then sprawled to avoid her second.
I readjusted my grip on the hoe and whipped it across her legs in an attempt to unbalance her. In response, she stuck her sword into the bridge and used it to vault herself off the ground. My hoe hit nothing but air before it stopped cold against her stuck blade.
Still in the air, Carys unleashed a sharp kick to my forehead, sending me off the bridge. I reached out my hand to grab the ledge and barely saved myself from falling into the lava pool below.
Carys returned to her feet and unstuck her blade before standing over my hanging form.
"And here we are again." She commented as she lightly pressed her boot against my fingers that were desperately holding me up. "You must be fated to die by lava."
"I…wouldn't be too sure." I mumbled under my breath as I focused on hanging on.
"Oh, and I'm supposed to be surprised that your blue-haired friend is skulking around waiting to shoot me?" She mocked with a roll of her eyes and a hand on her hip. My eyes widened at her revelation.
*TWANG*
Carys didn't even have to look to know where the shot came from as she moved her head slightly to the left to dodge. Then in one fluid motion, she withdrew her bow and aimed a shot in the direction of the shooter. Over by one of the cavern ledges, I spotted the arrow hitting its target, causing the figure it hit to burst into flames and flail around.
Carys turned her attention back to me. "I know a distraction when I see one. It was a nice plan though." She commented as she pressed her boot harder on my fingers. "Unfortunately for you, the weak will always be just that. Weak."
"Ugh…actually…" I winced in pain, "that wasn't our plan."
"…What?"
"And CAST!" Floyd shouted.
A fishing hook whizzed from one of the many cavern ledges and fastened itself to Carys' green sweater.
Both Floyd and I had bows, but no arrows. Luckily we had the next best thing: a fishing rod! We were also fortunate enough that a lone Skeleton decided to take a shot at Carys, even if it did end up burnt to a crisp. Its unintended aid was appreciated.
With a mighty pull, Floyd yanked Carys clean off the bridge. I watched as the specifics of our plan dawned in her eyes and the realization hit her as she fell towards the pool of magma. She fumbled with her belt for a second and took out a bottle of some orange liquid before she splashed into the deadly lava.
To her credit, she didn't scream out in her demise.
I started to chuckle in disbelief as the success of my plan hit me and I hoisted myself back onto the bridge. I could hear Floyd's cheers as he built his way over to me and I laid out against the tracks to get over the pain and soreness I felt from facing Carys.
Not to mention the heat from the lava was making me sweaty.
"Ha!" I shouted while laying on the bridge. My exhaustion wasn't going to ruin my celebratory gloating. "Who's...the weak one now...Carys!? Looks to me like it's the girl that fell into lava!"
Once Floyd reached me, he patted me on the back and returned my fishing rod.
"Looks like we caught ourselves one big fish huh?" I joked.
"Yep. The old bait and switch worked well." He punned back.
"You could say we caught an angel fish?" Floyd frowned and blinked at my pun. "Y'know because…her name was…angel…Well I thought it was funny." I folded my arms and stood up.
"I've heard better." Floyd looked over the edge upon the magma pool. "Holy crap. What a terrible way to go. It's a shame we couldn't get all that gear off of her. We would have been set for life."
"Hey, I'll settle for not having to deal with a psychotic killer anymore. Now let's get out of here already." I fished inside my backpack for the minecart. Floyd did the same before we both plopped them down on the track. After carefully steadying them, we jumped in and let the carts carry us forward.
As we entered the track tunnel, we spotted a track hooked up with gold and red wires. As soon as we crossed over it, the pace at which the carts were going quickened and we were propelled forward and away from the heart of Mt. Mur.
Although, if we had stayed and watched the pool of lava for a few more seconds, we would have noticed the feminine hand of Carys rise up from the molten rock, completely protected by a potion of fire resistance.
[Noman]
"Oh sweet ground! I'll never let you go again!" I gushed as I kissed the earth I knelt on.
Spark cringed in disgust as she stepped out of her cart and checked the cargo to see if it was all safe.
That minecart ride was far worse than I imagined. To say there were steep drops was an understatement. And barreling over that pool of lava was terrifying!
Thankfully, I was able to retain my masculinity.
[YOU SCREAM LIKE A GIRL. AND EVEN WE DON'T SCREAM THAT MUCH.]
"Thank you for that Spark." I sighed as I got up to examine where we were.
We appeared to be in a small cavern similar to the station Spark had at her house. Only there was no visible exit. Instead, the whole room was sealed in dirt.
"So now where do we—OOF!" I cried out as Spark thrust a large pile of the same pink cargo she was carrying from the minecart chest into my arms. "What are these for?"
She already had her answer written down as she held the book up to my face.
[DID I FAIL TO MENTION THE TERMS OF MY KINDNESS? YOU HELP CARRY MY MERCHANDISE INTO RINGWOOD IN EXCHANGE FOR ME LEADING YOU TO THE CRYSTAL CATACOMBS.]
"Yeah I think you missed explaining that." I stated with a scowl before resigning myself to my fate. "But I guess I owe you one…or two…or five."
[THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE I NEED YOU TO PROMISE ME A COUPLE OF THINGS BEFORE WE GET INTO THE KINGDOM.]
"…Very well. I swear to abide by your conditions no matter what they are." I held up my hand to pledge my word, but some of the pink items fell from my grasp. As I stooped down to pick them up I got a better look at what they were. [SPIDER EYES].
[DON'T YOU WANT TO HEAR WHAT THEY ARE FIRST BEFORE YOU SWEAR ANYTHING?]
"I'm afraid not. You've already helped me so much." I complimented as I crammed the spider eyes into my backpack. "To ignore your requests would tarnish my pride."
At once, she scribbled down several pages of conditions and I gulped at what I would be forced to do.
[THANKS. ALRIGHT HERE ARE THE CONDITIONS. MAKE SURE TO MEMORIZE THEM BECAUSE I'M BURNING THIS BOOK.]
As I read she took the minecarts off the track and withdrew a shovel.
[1. DON'T SPEAK TO ME UNLESS WE'RE BOTH ALONE OR WITH OTHER PEOPLE I 'COMMUNICATE' WITH.]
[2. DON'T QUESTION WHAT I DO WHEN WE HIT THE MAIN GATE AND DON'T DO ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS. I WILL BE WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES.]
[3. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE NOTHING ILLEGAL IN YOUR INVENTORY AND THAT YOU DON'T TRY AND ANGER THE GUARDS.]
What's with these conditions? I get the third one, but what is she going to do that would make me question her? And why doesn't she want me to talk with her?
Once I memorized her conditions I handed her the book back and she reciprocated with an emerald.
"What's this for?" I asked as I held the gem in my hand.
Instead of writing out her response she merely held out her hand and rubbed her fingers together.
"…I'm afraid I don't follow." She slapped a hand to her face as she continued her finger rubbing motion and added an outstretched hand motioning to come forward.
"…"
She angrily scribbled out a message and shoved it under my nose.
[TOLLS! IT'S FOR TOLLS! HOLY CRAP ARE YOU TERRIBLE AT CHARADES!]
My face grew red in embarrassment as she pulled out a set of metallic items and lit a fire. As she tossed the book with the instructions on it, I vaguely wondered if she wanted to burn the other message book as well. I checked my belt for it, but widened my eyes when I saw it wasn't there anymore.
I then searched my backpack for her book, but found nothing. I concluded I must have dropped it somewhere, but shrugged all the same.
Once Spark finished burning the book, she took out her shovel and dug a small opening in the wall that lead to the outside. She walked out first and I followed her.
I was surprised when I looked up and saw the night sky. The cart ride was fast, but had taken up most of the day.
But then I was flabbergasted at what I saw just ahead of us.
A massive cobblestone and wooden structure stuck out against the natural trees. I could make out a series of lights from within and the faint sounds of collective civilization pierced the night air.
It was Ringwood.
I was amazed at the sheer size of the place. I expected a Kingdom to be big, but the place looked like it could house hundreds of thousands of Crafters. And according to Spark, the starting point of my mission was somewhere in there.
Spark returned to my side as she closed the entrance to the rail station. I handed her back the emerald she gave me, to which she responded with a raised brow.
"I…uh…already have an emerald or two." Or a hundred. I internally commented. Spark merely shrugged and took the gem before withdrawing a glass bottle with a curved neck and a light grey liquid from her backpack. She stepped away from me and before I could say anything, she chucked the potion down in front of her, vanishing instantly.
"Spark?" I called out as I wondered what just happened. My utterance earned a flick to the forehead as I felt something grip my hand.
As I rubbed my forehead in annoyance, I remembered the rules Spark had written out. Don't question her. Right.
My arm was dragged forward by an invisible force that I assumed to be Spark under the influence of an invisibility potion. It was weird to feel yet not see something, but every so often I spotted a light grey particle emanate from where she grasped my hand.
As we continued towards Ringwood, I felt nervous. I was about to meet other Crafters. People I would have to protect one day if what Notch wrote was true. That was the role of the Billionth.
I recalled the message he left for me at Helena's that I still carried in my belt pocket.
[If you are reading this, then you are the Billionth and have been entrusted with the most powerful gear I could provide. I hope it will aid you in your quest.]
[For you see, a great evil will one day come to this land. And it will be your role as the Billionth to protect the Crafters of Minecraftia 'till your dying breath.]
[Take this book and the gear left to you, and travel to the Crystal Catacombs. There, the next stage of your quest will be revealed. DO NOT LOSE THIS BOOK!]
[Good luck brave warrior.]
[~Notch]
[P.S. I really hope you're not a newb.]
Oh, Notch. I don't know what a 'newb' is, but I'm probably the textbook definition of one.
[Carys]
"Rrgh!" I seethed in frustration as I dispatched another Zombie. Its rotten flesh littered the ground at my feet as I continued my jog to follow the railway that two particular nuisances used to escape.
I bet they're bragging right now. Thinking they've escaped my wrath. Recounting their achievement among friends and admirers. Not many can claim to have angered the unmerciful 'Angel of Death' and live to tell the tale.
They probably think I'm dead too. That I'm no longer a threat! That they're safe from harm. I can practically hear them laughing over how they outsmarted me!
*SLASH* Another Zombie fell.
"Well when I get my hands on those two, I'll give them a punishment worse than death and make all my past acts of ruthlessness look like simple slaps-"
*HACK*
"On-"
*STAB*
"The-"
*SLASH*
"WRIST!"
I took out my anger on more Zombies, swapping to my Fire Aspect Diamond Sword just to watch them burn. I found it more relaxing when envisioning the faces of Cobb and Floyd on the dying Mobs.
Cobb should have been the first to go for murdering Mr. Piggles, yet he escaped, not once, but thrice! And I literally had him in my clutches!
My anger flared in tandem with the flames engulfing my foes. More and more Mobs were starting to distance themselves from me and I thought I saw a few trying to run away in fear. But with my bad mood, they didn't get far.
Clearly I was savoring my vengeance a little too much. I can acknowledge my mistakes…and learn from them.
But to be trumped by a fishing rod of all things! I had a Looting and Sharpness V Gold Sword, a Knockback and Sharpness V Iron Sword, a Fire Aspect Diamond Sword, Thorns and Protection Diamond Armor, a Power V Bow and an Infinity and Flame Bow. I had an assortment of useful potions and food to last a week.
And a fishing rod was what defeated me!?
It was bizarre and idiotic…yet admittedly clever. The fishing rod does no damage upon contact and can therefore bypass the Thorns enchantment. And seeing as how no damage occurs, Protection would also be rendered useless.
An Enderman blurred in front of me and screeched. I sidestepped its first two strikes before throwing a potion of poison at its face. It wailed even louder and tried to rub away the corrosive potion while I swapped to my gold sword.
"Don't interrupt my thoughts." I stated coldly as I sliced across its chest and finished with a stab into its head. Two ender pearls fell from its destroyed body and I quickly scooped them up.
"Now where was I?" I stated trying to keep track of my thoughts as I switched back to my diamond sword. "Ah yes. Their experience."
But those two were clearly inexperienced. Cobb was fighting me with a wooden hoe at one point. Although using the word 'fighting' would be inaccurate. More like 'flailing uselessly.'
To come up with a strategy like that would imply they are smarter than they appear. With the right training, they could become quite skilled. I'd even recruit them myself if I hadn't already sworn my undying vengeance against them.
But how to proceed with my revenge? There are various options and many suitable enough to fulfill my normal quotas of ruthlessness.
Dunked in lava. Suffocated in a wall. Drowned in a lake. Pushed off a cliff.
Banishment to the Nether is always fun.
But I don't want to settle on my regular brand of cruelty. After what they did to Mr. Piggles, they deserve something even worse!
It's not enough to kill them. I need to take something from them.
Something they value more than their own lives.
Then they'll know how I feel.
But first, I need to verify that they're new to Minecraftia. If they've been around for a while, then they probably already have something of value.
But if they're new Crafters, then they'll need time to grow attached to something or someone.
"Yes." I reasoned with a scheming smile. "Let them know the joys of camaraderie and success. It'll make my revenge all the sweeter."
So I'll track them and bide my time like the waiting snake that I am. And when the time comes, I'll dethrone that 'King_Cobb' and destroy everything he holds dear!
But where are they going?
Ringwood is the closest Kingdom, but those two are so unpredictable. They could be going anywhere. And there's no telling where this track leads…
Just then, my boot nudged something along the tracks that wasn't rotten flesh.
"What do we have here?" I asked as I stooped down to pick up the item. It was a leather bound book. Unsigned and with no title.
And only one message inside.
[WELL, BASICALLY, MOST OF THE TUNNELS AND TRACKS WERE ALREADY SET UP TO CONNECT RINGWOOD TO OUR SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. I JUST NEEDED TO REDIRECT A COUPLE OF UNUSED RAILWAYS AND DIG SOME NEW TUNNELS. NOW TRAVELING TO RINGWOOD IS A BREEZE.]
"Traveling there is a breeze, eh?" I smiled as I pocketed the book and continued my jog forward. My mind was already making sense of what I gleaned from the message.
So they are going to Ringwood. I'd better keep a low profile then.
Maybe even do a bit of shopping. I laughed to myself.
Cobb and Floyd, you have no idea what's coming for you.
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Wooden Hoe, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Bow {Weak}, 26 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 4 Coal, 8 Torches, 2 Chests, 1 Minecart, 31 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Wooden Pressure Plates, 1 Trapdoor, 1 Stone Slab, 3 Oak Doors, 1 Wooden Button, 1 Clock, 37 Dirt, 1 Sign, 1 Lead, 1 Saddle, 1 Water Bucket, 12 String, 1 Bone, 1 Glass Bottle, 1 Bowl, 1 Leather Boots, 4 Spider Eyes, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Emerald
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Sword, 1 Wooden Axe, 1 Bow, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 2 Sticks, 23 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Minecart, 1 Book, 1 Paper, 2 Flint, 1 Coal, 2 Gunpowder, 11 String, 5 Spider Eyes, 3 Glass Bottles, 1 Awkward Potion, 1 Head {Crawford}
AN: And that, my dear viewers, concludes the Road to Ringwood Arc. And it only took...twelve...chapters. It had its twists and turns, but now we're finally getting to a Kingdom! YAAAAAAY!
I'm a sucker for horizontal line spaces. When you see them in the story with no character caption below them, it means the perspective stays the same, but time passes. I used it to overlook Cobb's explanation of his plan to Floyd so that you readers would be just as surprised as Carys.
One of the reviewers was nice enough to note Cobb's nearly full Inventory last chapter. I need to be careful with keeping track of it from now on since I know some of you guys are paying attention.
As always, review, fav, follow, leave an OC, help an old lady cross a street, and have a nice day!