AN: 9000 Views. Whoot Whoot!

Congrats to Slenderbrine for getting last week's puzzle right. The answer: Watermelon. It has a green layer over a white layer over a red layer, and in the middle has seeds. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.

(::)

This chapter is a bit later than I usually post. But it's still technically on Wednesday. So it'll hold up in court.

Puzzle: A man and his son get into a car accident. The man dies, but the son is in critical condition. He is rushed to the nearest hospital where the doctor says, "I cannot perform surgery on this boy, for he is my son." How is that possible?

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add moving sidewalks.

Beta: Void of Shining Darkness

Chapter 31

Leavings and Meetings

[Cobb]

"…So there I was. Battling atop a bridge suspended over a lake of molten lava. Carys and I were evenly matched. Any hit I scored on her was quickly returned and she was truly living up to her reputation as one of Ringwood's most wanted."

The listening guards oohed and aahed as I told them how I defeated Carys_Angel…with maybe a bit of embellishment here and there.

Our group of one Captain, eight guards, three Silver Intent agents, and one me, trudged along the rugged landscape. The trees were more sparse and a giant range of mountains lay on the eastern horizon...along with a tall, unknown structure.

Wynn had explained that today was the day we'd get to Daymonte. From what I could guess, she had taken several envoy missions to Daymonte on behalf of Ringwood, so she had long since memorized the recognizable landmarks of the Kingdom. Most likely the tall, unknown structure in the mountains.

As we travelled, a few of the guards asked if I could describe my victory over the deadly Carys_Angel. I turned to Wynn for permission, but her response was a shake of the head, no.

So I decided to tell them anyway.

"As our blades scraped against each other's in a deadlock, she said, in a voice as soft as she was deadly, 'You are indeed a worthy foe, King_Cobb. It would be such a waste to kill you…Join me and together we can rule this realm!'"

"She did not say that!" The guard named Daniel exclaimed in disbelief and wonderment.

"Oh she said it, alright." I lied, appreciating how invested the guards were in my story. Wynn just rolled her eyes, but didn't protest against my 'personal' account of events. She, along with Floyd and I, were the only ones who knew how the criminal really died: fishing rodded into lava by Floyd. But since we told His Eminence a different version of her death, the story we had to stick to was that I had fishing rodded her in. My skill with the fishing rod would bolster the story by itself, and Wynn had already told His Eminence she believed my story. Without any evidence to dispute otherwise, she had to play along.

And once I found that out, I proceeded to milk the hell out of it.

"Then what happened? Then what happened?" The guard named Micah asked eagerly, sounding more like a child hearing a bedtime story. I cleared my throat to sound as manly as possible.

"So I say to her, 'I'd never join forces with the woman causing so much pain to the people of Ringwood!'" That particular line earned a lot of audible praise from those around me. All except for Floyd (too focused on staying awake to listen), Soul (too disinterested to care), Wynn (too Wynn to not be Wynn), and the guard Bitters (too disgruntled by all the attention I was getting, to appreciate the story).

"'Then you must DIE!'" I did my best Carys impersonation and began gesturing wildly. "Our swords were nothing more than a flurry of silver as we yearned to end each other's life. But in my clumsiness, I tripped on a rail. That split second was all she needed to get a jab in and disarm me of my blade."

"No…" One of the guards whispered at how I was seemingly defeated, even though I was standing right in front of them, and therefore survived. The other guards let out small gasps.

"How did you get out of that?" The guard named Spencer inquired. A hushed silence befell them all, and I kept them in suspense as long as possible.

Then I slowly reached into my backpack, grasping for my signature tool.

"Carys held her sword against my neck, and triumphantly sang, 'Any last words before I send you into lava?'"

"'Just two.'" I responded, both in story and out of story, as I whipped out my fishing rod. "'FISHING ROD!'"

The guards broke out into cheers at the tool I held up and began chanting 'Fishing Rod Champion!' over and over. Wynn, patience running dry, covered her ears to try and tune it all out. I had to raise my voice just to finish the story.

"And so I hooked her by her clothes and pulled her into the lava below! Her final words as she fell were, 'BLAST YOU, COBB! YOUR IMPRESSIVE FISHING ROD SKILLS HAVE BESTED ME!'"

"That's so cool! What was her face like? Was she shocked? Or more angry like this?" One of the guards began making enraged faces in an attempt to capture Carys' final moments, but my attention was suddenly pulled away by another guard.

"Do you think you could teach me proper combat use for the fishing rod?" The guard named Solara asked shyly. "I've been trying, but I still haven't gotten the hang of it."

"And that's enough of that." Wynn interjected with a forceful yank of my hoodie. "Cobb, while I'm fine with you finding absurd ways to weaponize the most meager of tools, I thought I made it perfectly clear," she slightly squeezed the same arm she broke only a week ago, "I don't want you teaching fishing tactics to my guards."

I gulped, remembering the pain of a broken arm, and quickly nodded to get her to release me. She tightened her grip a little, just to make the message clear, before she released me.

Solara looked disappointed, but didn't protest to the ivory-haired Captain. She was a guard after all, and was probably brought up on strict discipline.

But I could still argue.

"Captain," I began, remembering her title more easily, "you've seen how useful the rod is in battle. So you can't really deny its—"

"I'm not denying its use. I'm just saying it's not easy to get a handle on. It takes time and patience to master it, and even then, all it can do is draw people in or annoy them."

"Well, yeah, but…wait, how do you know it's hard to get a handle on it?"

Wynn visibly stiffened before forcing her attention forward. "I don't know! I could NEVER know and will never know because I've NEVER used it! EVER!"

"…um."

"EVER!" I saw her left eye twitch and thought better of prying into her choice of words. After all it wasn't like she'd actually wield a fishing rod, what with all the times she'd insult it with her big words.

'Ineffectual.'

'Unconventional.'

'Stupid.'

Did she think I had a dictionary on hand?

Bladder: I have one.

Stomach: Not needed right now.

"Captain, I get it." I began in an understanding tone as I urged my donkey to keep up with her horse. "You think the fishing rod can't do damage."

"That's what I just said."

"But what if I told you I came up with a way to cause damage with it."

She raised an eyebrow as if intrigued. "And what would that be?"

"Simple," I responded as I held up the tool. "I've already used it to pull in enemies as human shields. So what if, instead, I use it to pull in Mobs like projectiles. Like I'd hook on to them and then swing them into other people."

"What, so a sort of…Mob flail?"

"Yeah, yeah! And I just thought up the perfect attack name for it." I held up my arms and parted my hands as if reading a large, shimmering sign. "Mob Flail."

Wynn frowned at me for passing her name as my own, but otherwise rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you'll find some way to make it work."

"And then you'll finally respect it as a weapon?" I asked eagerly. If it could launch Zombies at Crafters, there could be no denying its usefulness in battle…though it would require the presence of Mobs.

Wynn didn't even bother answering as she halted her steed. "We're here." She turned to address the group. "Good work, men. We've officially made it to Daymonte. And with a minimum of delays too. You should all be proud."

While the guards congratulated themselves, I stared confusedly at the rugged badlands in front of me. There were patches of grass and gravel forming a flat valley leading up to the distant mountains. There were a few Crafters walking by, but besides them, the only sign of civilization was the towering structure in the mountains.

I turned to the Captain. "Is Daymonte that tower in the distance?"

Wynn shook her head. "No, that's Ohm Tower: the structure that powers Daymonte's integral systems."

"...powers…what?" I questioned. Why would the Kingdom need anything powered? And how would a tower power anything in the first place? "If the tower isn't the Kingdom, then what is? All I see is barren badlands."

"Take a closer look." Wynn suggested as she gestured to the lands again.

I narrowed my eyes, paying extra attention to any important detail. The passing Crafters were all traveling towards the center of a large area, but I couldn't see what they were moving towards.

Then I no longer saw the Crafters.

I blinked and rubbed my eyes before watching another group of distant Crafters do the same. They walked to a certain area, no change there, but then they suddenly disappeared, as if the land swallowed them up.

"What's...I don't…Where are they disappearing to?" I asked frustrated. There must have been some kind of deeper secret to Daymonte.

Wynn smirked to herself before urging her horse forward. The guards and Floyd's group followed, leaving me behind in my confusion.

I also noticed something else. While some Crafters were suddenly disappearing at several areas, some Crafters were appearing in others. Well, not so much appearing as rocketing up from the ground before landing perfectly fine.

What the…

I urged Ace to follow the group as we neared one of the Crafter-disappearing areas. The landscape looked as flat as ever.

Then, I noticed a dark line grow across the land as my perception changed. The dark line grew longer and wider the closer I got to it, forming a gap in the earth. And the Crafters passing by would walk up to the gap and jump into it. From a distance it would look like nothing swallowed them up.

The gap grew wider and wider until I realized it was a chasm, connected with three others gaps to form an 'X' in the ground. Two long, deep chasms bisecting each other. And at the center was where Crafters were springing up. Literally.

Then it dawned on me.

"It's below us."

"Yes." Wynn nodded in acceptance as we neared one of the chasm's edges. "Daymonte began as a small mining town at the dead center of two naturally formed chasms. Over the years, it evolved and expanded into…well you'll see when we get down there."

"Oh…wait, how are we getting down there?" I questioned as I looked over the edge. Instead of being dark, the chasm was oddly illuminated from a light source other than the sun. However, I couldn't spot any water to cushion the fall. Just some light green blocks a far way down.

How were people even supposed to survive a fall like that?

"We jump." Wynn stated simply as she turned to me and gestured to the edge. "Care to be the first?"

"Wha—Seriously? We're just supposed to jump?" There was no way I could survive a fall like that. Wynn might have been fine since she had Feather Falling boots, but I didn't think my Protection tunic would spare me from gravity! "This isn't like some kind of practical joke, right? We're actually supposed to—"

"Would you just go!?" Came the annoyed shout of Soul as his horse galloped forward.

"Yeah, I will, I just want to ask what's at the bottom to catch—"

"Alright, Cobb, look." Soul began as he massaged the bridge of his nose. "You're wasting my time AGAIN! And as much as I hate the idea of shoving you off a cliff into a chasm…" He paused in his statement as if realizing something. "Wait, what am I saying? That actually sounds enjoyable."

And before I could say anything, he kicked my Ass in the ass and sent both our asses into the ch-ass-m.

"SOUL, YOU PRIIIIIIIIIICK!" I called out in what I hoped would be the final words etched into my tombstone, as I fell into the chasm. I was getting sick and tired of falling into underground places. My only comfort was that I had a good friend to share in my fate.

Isn't that right, Ace?

*HEE-HAW*

Good final words there, buddy.

I looked down as the light-green blocks (that were definitely not water) grew closer and closer. I closed my eyes, expecting the last thing I'd hear to be Ace hitting the ground with a sickening splat…

Only to instead hear a soft, wet, slapping sound, followed by my stomach feeling lighter.

"Huh?"

I cracked an eye open to see me and Ace bouncing around on the light-green blocks, which appeared more jelly-like than solid. Spotting a stone platform nearby, I tried to steer the donkey towards it, made even more difficult with all the bouncing.

Ace quickly stumbled on his own hooves and I fell off, sliding to a stop on the stone part of the platform.

As I pushed myself off the ground, propping myself up by my elbows, I saw, for the first time, the Kingdom I had landed in.

And it was unlike anything I had seen before.

The light-green blocks I landed on formed an 'X' shape with a stone outline just below the chasm's opening at the surface. The center of the 'X' had a large central tower with glass windows and bright lights that connected aboveground. A line of Crafters was standing by, waiting to use it.

But below me was where the real wonder was.

The chasms were deep. Further than I could see, they expanded going down. The walls of the chasms were filled with stone structures for any number of purposes. Some were homes, some appeared as work-places, and some were tunnels working into unseen parts of the Kingdom.

Connecting them all were a series of stone bridges, made from a combination of cobblestone, stone slabs, and some other material that had a white color to it. The bridges extended and criss-crossed about the chasm in complex roads and walkways, some even carrying rails and minecarts, packed with Crafters and all illuminated with some kind of lanterns.

Throughout the chasm, I spotted circular platforms of the same light-green blocks I landed on, only at multiple levels. And Crafters were openly leaping down onto them from higher levels, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Though judging by the height difference in levels, the cushy light-green blocks were probably essential to getting to the lower levels.

As for getting to the higher levels, I spotted several towers similar to the central 'X' one littered around. Each tower usually threaded between bridge layers. Though they were smaller, they seemed to somehow transport Crafters from the lower levels to the higher levels through some unknown means. All I could see was that a Crafter got in at a lower level before ending up at a higher level not a few seconds later.

What stunned me was how illuminated the Kingdom was. This was an underground civilization and yet it shone with all the brightness of the sun. How did they even do that?

And there was more. So much more that I couldn't even fathom. Flashing lights, moving billboards, whirring minecarts that set off fireworks, beeps and notes playing musical tunes, a giant clock face besides one of the buildings, flying structures that wove between bridges, monorails (whatever those were) that sped along suspended tracks.

And lining the platform I stood on were a series of banners, all displaying the same image: A red thunderbolt with a light grey background.

I was torn away from my gazing by the similar wet, slapping sound of the light-green jelly blocks behind me, followed by the whinnies of horses. I turned to see them having as much difficulty as me when traversing the blocks on horse-back. It was made even harder when some of the guards were more occupied with the sights around them than keeping balance.

When Wynn's horse tripped on its hooves and tumbled to the ground, she quickly leapt into the air, performing an elegant flip, before landing perfectly next to me. The guards were amazed, thinking she had planned that maneuver from the beginning.

She just didn't expect her horse to stumble. I thought to myself as I helped Ace to his feet and onto the stone part of the platform.

"So what do you think?" Wynn asked with folded arms. "Impressive, no?"

I understood that she was referring to the Kingdom and I nodded slowly. It truly was impressive. "I can't even…all these lights and…I-I've never seen anything like it before."

"Yes." She agreed as she took everything in. "Daymonte, the Automated Kingdom, is quite a sight. Especially for new Crafters like you."

Wynn spotted something in the distance and beckoned the group to follow. The guards fell in line, closely followed by Floyd, Cara, and super-douchebag-guy-that-pushes-people-into-chasms-when-they're-not-fully-prepared. Also known as Soul.

Just to annoy him, I stepped on the heel of his left hiking boot just as he was about to lift it. He stumbled and tripped before falling to the ground and I quickly hurried past him. He growled and tried to catch my leg, but I pulled it out of his reach.

By the time I caught up to the group, towing Ace as fast as he was willing to go, they were standing in a line in front of some kind of toll gate. Wynn was at the front, talking to a red, leather-capped guard. I caught a few words of their conversation.

"…official envoy mission from His Eminence, MilesPerMinute. The eight green-capped Crafters and that last awkward looking one with the green tunic. They're all with me."

Awkward looking? I thought, wondering if I should be offended or not.

The red-capped guard nodded before jotting some stuff down. "Alright, then I'll only need to see their Ringwood citizenship information before I grant you all temporary entry passes. The horses can go with you."

Wynn quickly displayed her documentation before being allowed through. The rest of the guards did the same. As I awaited my turn, I noticed Floyd, Cara, and Soul on a separate line. Soul was shooting me dirty looks while Cara was busy slapping Floyd awake to ask if he brought his citizenship information.

When my turn came around, I fished in my backpack for the documents and handed them over to the guard. He glanced over most of it, but his eyes lit up at something. "Really? One Billion? We've finally reached that number?"

"What are—I mean…yeah. That's my number." I had forgotten my number was officially changed from 999,999,999 to 1,000,000,000 after the incident back at the Hall of Records. Apparently it was a big deal.

"That's the largest number I've gotten so far!" The red-capped guard exclaimed while jotting something down. "You must feel pretty special to have a number like that!"

"Yeah, that's me. Special." I replied lamely as the guard handed my book back along with a slip of paper that must have been my temporary entry pass. The book I could grab, but the temporary pass slipped through my fingers and fell to the ground. "Sorry." I apologized as I stooped down to pick it up…only for my hand to pass through it.

"Huh? What's…Oh! Full Inventory." Every slot in my backpack and belt must have been filled, making any additional item impossible to pick up. Which meant I had to toss something.

But what to pick? I had so many wondrous and useful items. Rotten flesh was out of the question, it was food after all, and the actual food was out of the question too. I needed my clock to tell time and Wynn would probably kill me if I dumped any of my citizenship documents or the iron pick I used to mine up resources for Ringwood.

The stacks of granite, andesite, and diorite? No way! I suffered a rapier to the balls over them. And the water bucket was useful literally every time I caught fire.

Fishing rod?

Pftt. Yeah, right.

Though, there was one thing I felt I could ditch. It was an item that was weakened and that I had never been able to use correctly.

The bow.

Yeah, Floyd gave it to me as a 'just in case' back at Mt. Mur, but it had served its purpose in bluffing Carys…and failing in my incompetent hands to hit anything.

So, with a minimum of sadness, I withdrew the bow and tossed it over the side of the platform, down into the chasm.

Hopefully, it wouldn't hit anyone on the way down.

With newly made space, I finally picked up the temporary pass and hurried through the gates. Unlike Ringwood, there was no Inventory check, which I felt was weird given how the security of a Kingdom should be of the utmost concern.

…

I was spending waaaay too much time listening to Wynn.

I was snapped from my thoughts when I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see a weary Floyd. He offered an apologetic grimace. "Cobb, I'm sorry to leave so soon…but Soul really wants us to get going to Nitebane."

"Oh…yeah…that's fine." I replied sadly, both because of Floyd's sleeplessness and because we were saying goodbye. Only this time, I had no idea when or if I'd ever see him again. "But…why enter the Kingdom and get a temporary pass if you're leaving right away?"

Before Floyd could answer, a head of purple hair sprung up between us. "I can answer that!" Cara exclaimed cheerfully. The talk with her had really changed her mood from gloomy to cheerful almost overnight. "The Kawa River passes through the bottom of Daymonte's chasms. If we travel south by boat, we can cut travel time in half. Plus, it'll get us as far as the Restful Meadows."

"What she said." Floyd commented with a small smile. "We'll sell our horses before we set sail. I should have enough wood for three boats."

"That's good." I offered lamely. More than anything, I wanted Floyd to understand that he didn't have to keep his nightmares a secret, especially from his friends. Then again, I secretly wished he didn't try and become friends with the Silver Intent. Cara seemed good-hearted, but Brett sounded too manipulative and Soul too bloodthirsty.

"Well…" Floyd began awkwardly as he patted me on the shoulder. "I'll…see you back at Ringwood."

"Yeah. Be careful." I offered back. Though just as he was about to turn and walk away, I felt I should say more. "Wait!"

He sent a puzzled look my way, and I struggled to sound out what I wanted to say.

I wanted to tell him not to get sucked into revenge. To not become like Soul and give up his mercy.

I wanted to tell him that he shouldn't tackle his nightmares alone. That he shouldn't think he had to take them alone.

I wanted to tell him that Soul wasn't worth the trouble. That living well was the best kind of revenge he could get on the Cult that killed his friend. That I wasn't comfortable with following him on his warpath against them.

But instead, all I got out was a strangled, "Good luck."

He nodded determinedly before flashing a thumbs up and walking away.

I hung my head dejectedly, cursing myself for failing to speak my mind, but Cara ruffled my hair comfortingly. "Don't worry. I'll make sure to fix things with him…with both of them…somehow." She adjusted the goggles on her forehead before turning to follow her companions. "Leader's promise."

Watching them head off, I was a little worried that things would go wrong for them. But Cara's words weren't those of a scared wanna-be leader. She truly wanted their mission to go well. And I was sure she'd do everything in her power to fix the group's issues.

Because, as Wynn put it, their lives were in her hands.

Speaking of Wynn, I quickly caught up with her and her group of guards as they stood on the edge of the platform, staring down at the chasm and all the crossing bridges. I heard a bit of Wynn's mumbles. "Disgraceful. Not even an Inventory check…"

"Floyd and his group left." I explained to Wynn. She nodded before turning to her guards.

"We're tethering our horses and one Jackass—not you, Cobb—up here. I've already paid someone to watch them since, if we take them any lower, they won't be able to get back up to this level." I handed Ace's reigns, to a senile-looking horse stablemen as he grabbed all the other horse reigns. Though as Wynn handed her horse over, I caught her whispering something.

"If my horse is harmed in any way or if a single resource is missing from that Jackass' cargo, there will be severe repercussions. Am I clear?"

The senile horse stablemen nodded fearfully before hurriedly tugging the horses towards a stone stable.

"Now," Wynn clapped her hands to gather everyone's attention, despite the fact we were already awaiting her commands. "There's a rather nice Inn that I've frequented several times on past envoy missions. It should be suitable enough to house us until I've delivered my message to Daymonte's King."

"Where is it?" One of the guards asked, to which Wynn responded by merely pointing below.

"One thing you should know about Daymonte, its main feature is verticality." She adjusted her boots and diamond armor as she neared the platform's edge. "The Kingdom's architects thought it would save time by setting up slime block platforms all along the chasm to make for comfortable landings. It certainly makes getting around simpler. Just aim for a platform on a level and…JUMP!" She leapt off the side, performing a double front flip for style, and angled for a platform several levels below.

The guards gasped in astonishment at such a method of travel, but I looked down excited. Jumping down onto safe, cushiony blocks sounded like fun. And I was sure it would work seeing as how I already survived one fall.

I quickly jumped after her, whooping energetically, as I fell into the chasm. The feeling of weightlessness as my body accelerated down, the wind whistling past my ears. It was like an exhilarating roller coaster ride, miles above the minecart ride I experienced at Mt. Mur.

I followed the Captain's trajectory, aiming for a single light-green platform, before bouncing off the [SLIME BLOCKS] with that same jelly sound. It really was like a giant trampoline as I continually bounced before finally settling and walking off onto solid stone.

Above me, I saw the other guards jumping off one at a time, all aiming for the same platform. Wynn, in the meantime walked along a bridge connecting our slime platform with the chasm wall. Along the wall were several stone buildings, one of which had a flashing sign that read 'Stonewall Inn'.

"Wh-whoa!" Solara shouted after she fell down and stumbled on the slime blocks. I quickly caught her before she hit the ground and helped her off the slime blocks just before the next guard fell down. "Thanks."

"No problem." I turned back to the flashing sign with a curious expression. "What's making that sign flash?" I asked aloud.

"It's most likely powered by redstone." The guard named Noah voiced as he stepped off the slime platform. "I've heard that Daymonte is a Kingdom at the height of redstone technological advancements. The lights, the signs, the mechanics. It's all redstone."

"Redstone?" The term sounded somewhat familiar, perhaps some word or phrase spoken in passing. But at the same time it was foreign to me. It must have been really amazing to power so much stuff.

When the last guard fell down onto our level, we began walking over to the Stonewall Inn Wynn had gone towards.

But then I stopped when I heard something faint from above. It was a shout that was getting louder and louder like it was approaching us.

"WAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIT!"

I looked up in time to see a Crafter falling towards us. At the last second, she angled towards the slime platform and bounced high over our heads, twisting in midair, before landing perfectly in front of our group.

She looked up with a wide grin on her face as she stared at the eight guards and myself. "I'd recognize those caps anywhere! You're from Ringwood! And quite a big group too!" The mysterious girl walked up to us and peered over our heads as if looking for someone.

She was an averagely tall girl with long blonde hair, big green eyes, and sporting an easy-going grin. She wore a pink sweater and white shorts along with a pair of khaki boots. A single-strap magenta backpack and belt held her Inventory and gear. As for armor, she wore an iron chestplate and leggings along with magenta-dyed leather boots and cap. The armor glowed with the same Enchantment energy that my tunic had.

All-in-all, she had the air of an easy-going and confident person.

"Um…can we help you?" Bitters questioned, not even bothering to hide his rude tone.

The girl's grin widened as she turned her attention to the green-haired guard. "How polite of you!" She gushed. "I suppose if you're not too busy getting that stick out of your ass," Bitters face heated up in embarrassment while some of the guards tried to hold in their laughter, "I'd like to know where your Captain has run off to. You're traveling with Wynn, right?"

"That's Captain Wynn to you, stranger!" Bitters responded angrily. "And why should we tell—"

"Seriously. Go see a doctor cuz that stick ain't coming out anytime soon." She shot back easily, enjoying the anger growing on Bitters' face and the laughs I didn't bother to hold in.

Just as Bitters was about to open his mouth to retort, another voice sounded out.

"Velocishot! Enough messing with my guards." It was Wynn who had just returned from the Stonewall Inn. She looked aggravated at having to deal with the girl before us.

The girl named Velocishot quickly spun around and leapt at the ivory-haired Captain. "Wynn!" She cheered, opening her arms wide to embrace her. Wynn responded by stopping the girl's face with her hand and keeping her at arm's length. "I missed you so much!"

"It's only been a few months." Wynn responded evenly, though she couldn't keep a small smile from appearing on her face. "But it's good to see you again, Velocishot."

The girl, properly foiled in her hug attempt, stepped back with a pout. "C'mon, Wynn. There's no need to be so formal around friends. Just call me Veronica."

I looked above the blonde girl's head. The name 'Velocishot' was floating over her head. So then Veronica must have been her preferred name.

It made sense. After all, it's not like Crafters knew choosing a name in the Void would mean choosing a name for life. Someone could have named themselves 'poopy-diaper-baby' as a joke and have been cursed to endure that name until they died.

Imagine if my name was King_Keith instead of King_Cobb.

I'm disgusted just thinking about it.

Back to the conversation…

"Captain Wynn. You know this stranger?" Bitters asked with perhaps a hint of worry over possibly insulting one of the Captain's friends.

Wynn opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by Veronica. "You're damn right she knows me! After all, I am one of the Captains of Daymonte: the Golden Hawk, Veronica!" She posed flamboyantly.

If she was expecting us to let out shocked gasps at her exclamation, she misread the situation. We had no idea of the legends or Captains of Daymonte. The only one that gasped was Bitters, and it was probably because he couldn't believe the girl before us was a Captain of anything.

After realizing nobody was admiring her title, she awkwardly lowered her arms. "It's kind of a big deal. She mumbled before regaining her grin. "So Wynn, what brings my favorite Captain to Daymonte? Couldn't wait to see me again?"

"An envoy mission." Wynn corrected with an eye roll. "For a serious joint-construction project between our Kingdoms."

"Oooh, sounds serious." Veronica responded with interest. "Well, it's a good thing you know one of the coolest female Captains of Daymonte—"

"You're the only female Captain of Daymonte."

"—Because I can pencil you in tomorrow for an audience with the King. And then maybe after, you and I could crack a few skulls and track a couple of criminals, eh?"

"Maybe…" Wynn responded evasively. "That is very 'cool' of you. Now if you'll excuse us, I need to see that our group gets settled in, alright."

"Of course. Of course. And hey, if you need any help…settling in…don't be a stranger." She winked before falling backwards off the stone bridge, descending further into the chasm.

After Veronica exited, Wynn cleared her throat and motioned for us to follow her to the Inn.

A few of the guards shared confused looks before staring at Wynn as if she had grown a second head. And I shared their confusion.

Strict, stern Wynn? Actually being on friendly terms with someone?

Today must be opposite day.

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [Sharpness I, Unbreaking I]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Wooden Axe {Weak}, 1 Fishing Rod, 54 Cobblestone, 64 Granite, 64 Andesite, 64 Diorite, 12 Flint, 1 Coal, 20 Torches, 1 Minecart, 64 Oak Wood Planks, 32 Oak Wood Planks, 8 Oak Wood Stairs, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 45 Dirt, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 3 Glass Bottles, 10 String, 2 Ender Pearls, 11 Baked Potatoes, 19 Pumpkin Pies, 39 Cookies, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green, Unbreaking I], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 21 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}

AN: Alright. THIS is the closest I've ever come to not publishing a chapter on time.

It's a shorter chapter, yeah, but there was only so much I wanted to address. The group finally made it to Daymonte and Floyd and Cobb are off to do their own things. And since three characters are exiting, it only made sense to bring in a Daymonte exclusive character. Special thanks to AxeHelix for the OC: Velocishot. You'll see more of her later.

The concept of Daymonte was especially fun to think up. Like Wynn said, it is a vertical Kingdom with redstone tech everywhere. Just the idea of jumping onto slime block platforms to access the other levels, not to mention the other modes of transport that could be done with redstone. It was too good to pass up.

A bit of humor and a bit of seriousness. Made for a good introduction to Daymonte.

Omake: Poor Example

Wynn sat upon her room's cobblestone chair, arms tightly crossed as she fixed the two guards before her with a stern glare. Noah and Solara couldn't hide their guilt as they stared at the carpeted floors, awaiting the arrival of their fellow guilty guard.

The three guards together had broken an established rule. And they would receive a lecture at the ivory-haired Captain's hands that could channel as much disappointment and guilt-induced trauma to forcibly make them see the error of their ways.

Or her name wasn't Wynn_Whispers.

There was a light knock on the door. "Enter." The Captain responded neutrally, not wanting the guard outside to gauge the tone of their meeting. At least not until he sat down besides his fellow guards.

Spencer, the third guilty guard, slowly opened the door. Wynn immediately noticed how his eyes darted to the other two; saw how the realization dawned on him.

Oh yes. They were all in deep trouble.

Resigning himself to his face, he loosed a drawn out sigh and took his spot in an unoccupied chair next to Solara. With everyone present, Wynn cleared her throat to begin.

"I trust you all know why you're here, but I'll allow you the chance to explain yourselves." Wynn stood up and paced around the three seated guards like a predator sizing up its prey. "On the day we left for Daymonte, do you remember what I bothered to waste ten minutes of my time to explain to all of you?"

Spencer and Noah looked down, too ashamed to answer their Captain. Only Solara was brave enough to offer something. "You explained to us the inefficiency of a fishing rod in standard combat situations."

"Yes." Wynn nodded, though her expression was kept stern. "So you can imagine my confusion when I learned that three of my elite guards, soldiers I had handpicked for a mission across deadly territory, were taking secret lessons from a certain brunette fisherman."

The Captain could practically visualize what it would have been like. Cobb standing in the middle of a room, teaching HER guards the combat secrets of the fickle fishing rod. And the guards listening intently to every stupid tip or lesson he spouted! With respect! Respect that should have been reserved for her and her alone!

While she seethed, the guards quickly whispered amongst themselves before nodding in agreement. Then Solara raised her hand. "Captain Wynn, we don't understand the bases of your allegations. Where did you hear such—"

"I happen to have heard it from a trusted source." Wynn interrupted, her voice heavy with disappointment that her guards would try and feign innocence.

By God, they really are learning from Cobb!

For the first time, Spencer spoke up. "Who told you?" He paused to think for a moment. "Was it Bitters?"

"The source wishes to remain anonymous." The Captain responded evasively.

"Yeah, it was Bitters." He mumbled to himself as he leaned back in his chair, already thinking how to get back at the sellout.

Before Wynn could dispute Spencer's assumption…an assumption that was entirely true…Noah spoke up. "Forgive us, Captain. We know how opposed you are towards unorthodox combat techniques, but after seeing the fishing rod champion in action—"

"Don't call him that."

"—the…er…King_Cobb in action, we merely sought to expand our combat horizons. Why after just a few short lessons, we've mastered the 'bobbering' technique."

Wynn's ears perked at hearing that and she gave each guard a severe glare. "Then you admit to practicing with the fishing rod in secret?" She received a nod from each guard and let out an aggravated sigh. "And what, pray tell, is the 'bobbering' technique?"

None of the guards dared speak. They were most likely worried the question was a trap; answering would demonstrate how much they actually learned and would only dig them a deeper grave.

"Well?" Wynn prompted with folded arms. "Explain."

It wasn't an invitation. It was an order. And Solara reluctantly began. "W-well…bobbering involves launching the bobber of the fishing rod at an opponent, momentarily knocking them back without hooking onto them."

Wynn visibly frowned at the perfectly described answer, making Solara shrink upon herself.

"And Noah," the Captain spoke as she turned her attention to the young guard, "what is the proper timing to utilize such a ridiculous technique?"

Noah blinked in confusion, no doubt wondering why the Captain would want to know the specifics of something like that. "Well…Cobb said half-a-second after impact would usually—"

"And did he drill any other absurd techniques into your head?" Wynn interrupted. "What about his Mob Flail? Has he perfected that yet?"

Noah looked at his fellow guards, who shrugged helplessly at their Captain's odd questions. "Um…no. He hasn't taught us that yet."

Wynn, realizing the loss of her stern tone, quickly calmed herself. "Based on what you've told me, it seems there is no doubt you have been learning from him. I am very disappointed in you three."

The tone from the Captain was enough to make the guards avert their eyes. Wynn could tell how much they were regretting betraying her trust. If the punishment she planned for them wasn't enough to curb their fishing rod attitude, she was sure the memory of her disappointment would.

"I will discuss your punishments later." Wynn spoke neutrally as she held out her hand. "But first, I must ask you to hand over any and all fishing rods. You are no longer to train with Cobb."

The guards, with guilt etched across their faces, removed the tool from their backpacks and handed them to the Captain. Solara actually handed over a second backup rod, no doubt to use when her first one broke.

Wynn laid them on her bed before pointing to the door. "You may go." The guards wasted no time bowing to their Captain before hurrying out the door, looking perhaps a bit dejected that they had been stripped of both the tool and the lessons that went with it.

As their footsteps echoed down the hallway, Wynn waited until they died out completely before turning her attention to the four fishing rods on her bed.

She picked them up.

And slid them into her backpack.

Half-a-second after impact. Wynn recited to herself as she left her room, intent on finding a secluded location in Daymonte to practice 'bobbering' on some unfortunate Mobs.

Was she a hypocrite? Yes.

Did her guards or Cobb need to know that? No.

AN: Nobody's perfect...or needs to know that.