AN: I wish this chapter was more. But for what I have, it's pretty good...I think.
Congrats to Laner for getting last week's riddle correct. The answer: A door is not a door when it's ajar! Get it? A Jar? Eh? Eh?
...
Enjoy your cookie.
(::)
Puzzle: How many months have twenty-eight days in them?
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add instant messaging via arrows.
Beta: Void of Shining Darkness
Chapter 34
Trail
[King's Fortress]
"So what do you think?" Rotjes leaned forward, eager to hear his Captain's opinion.
Captain Thistle hummed in thought. "Well…it's certainly possible…and an achievement that massive will be carved into the annals of history."
Rotjes wore an excited smile. If the railway was constructed under his rule, he'd be a King of Kings! No longer would his life be tethered to his own mortality. He'd live on in his achievements. Remembered for as long as Daymonte endured and even after. Maybe even until the strange world they lived in became dust.
"I take it you're more worried about the Griefer factor?" Thistle asked, straight to the point.
"Indeed. The badlands between are sure to be filled with bands of Griefers. I need your assurance that you and your men can handle them." Rotjes mustered every bit of severity in that demand. Thistle needed to know what was at stake.
The Captain let out a bark of laughter. "My men are more than capable of crushing Griefers. We outdo them in strength, skill, and loyalty. You have nothing to worry—"
"Urgent news!" The throne room door burst open as a short man slid to a kneel before the King. "Urgent, terrible news, Your Lordship!"
"Athens?" The King questioned his winded messenger. "Do calm down. What appears to be—"
"Forgive me for my intrusion, Your Lordship," Athens blustered out before tearing a book from his backpack. "But we've received a threat addressed specifically to you! You won't believe what the demands are!"
"Well then don't keep me in suspense." Rotjes leapt to his feet and snatched the book from the messenger's hands. He turned the pages and began to read aloud.
[Dear King Rotjes,]
[I love hearing myself talk far more than I enjoy hearing myself write. Plus, I have some overenthusiastic idiots to keep in line so I'll make this quick.]
[We both have something the other wants. You have power over an entire Kingdom while yours truly has security.]
[This security of mine is a good feeling. The feeling that everything belonging to me is safe. Secure. Unharmed.]
[And, being the neighborly neighbor that I am, I'm willing to share some of my security with you. After all, wouldn't you just love the assurance that your Kingdom and its outlying villages were safe? Secure? Unharmed?]
[I use repetition to get my point across. It's a neat writing tip I picked up off a man who is now—for lack of a better term—living impaired.]
[Now, I know what you're thinking: 'Oh, Alec! (Alec's my name btw) how noble of you! Whatever can I give in return for this security?']
[Well, I'm glad you asked, because the greatest cup of sugar you can give to this neighbor is Potato Tech's Command Block Codex. As King, you should have the authority to confiscate a copy of it.]
[You are to deliver the Codex to the Eastern base of Blitz Peak on the 3rd of June . Oh, and make it Midnight. I'm always a sucker for dramatic meeting times.]
[And just so we're clear, I'm threatening your Kingdom. This is not a joke. I have a force of a thousand Griefers at my disposal, and yes, I counted.]
[So unless you want your people turned into crunchy, nonexistent pudding, you'll give me what I want.]
[Love, Alec_Bishop]
[XOXO]
Rotjes narrowed his eyes at the facetious closing. This Alec must have thought himself to be quite the joker.
"That message…was delivered to me along with several Heads." Athens kept his head bowed as he delivered the news, sounding choked up. "They…they were all guards…"
"How dare he…" Thistle clenched his fists, his expression a stormy haze of fury. "How dare that slime kill my guards! My brothers!"
"Calm yourself, Thistle." Rotjes walked up to his trusted Captain and stared him dead in the eye. "Whoever this Alec is, he sent us this message and those Heads to rattle us. Throwing away our composure is just what he wants."
"Then…what should we do, Your Lordship?" Athens asked in a small voice. "Potato Tech would never agree to give up their Command Block data. That's centuries' worth of research they'd be handing over."
"There won't be any Codex transaction between us and this Alec character." Rotjes spoke with finality. "This is obviously a bluff. A thousand Griefers? Ridiculous! Alec thinks he can make this Kingdom yield with a few empty threats?"
"With all due respect, Your Lordship," Athens raised his head, fear prevalent in his small eyes. "He's talking about turning your people into crunchy pudding. Are you certain this is just a bluff?"
"Yes. I'm certain that his 'forces' are nothing but hot air." Griefers were invested in short term gain rather than the long run. They were blind to the bigger picture, seeing no value in communities or trade. They were raw, inexperienced chaos.
Even if Alec won over a few of them, he would never amass a force of the size he promised. Griefers had no loyalty. No respect. It was impossible to keep a thousand of them united and happy.
He had a lot of nerve sending a message like that, especially when he was making threats he couldn't deliver.
"Captain Thistle. Take as many men as you deem necessary to Blitz Peak." Rotjes turned back to his throne. "When the day of the trade arrives, you are to capture this Alec, should he show up, and kill any forces he has. Be prepared for an ambush."
"I'll try, Your Lordship, but I don't think I'll be able to bring him in alive." Thistle smiled grimly, brushing his knuckles across his iron blade to make his implications clear.
"Do what you must." Rotjes agreed. "Threats like these need to be dealt with to safeguard our future investments. And making an example out of this so-called Alec will show the Griefers not to trifle with us."
[Cobb]
It's a scary thing: venturing into the unknown.
"WOO-HOOHOO!"
Not knowing whether you're walking into danger. Not knowing if you're risking your life.
"This is the coolest thing ever!"
So when I passed through that secret piston doorway, only to find a set of rails leading into a dark, stone tunnel, I didn't know what to expect.
"Hahaha! THIS is the roller coaster I've been waiting for!"
But the Crafter I was following had to have escaped via minecart. And he probably knew his way out of the college and back on Daymonte's main bridges. And there was even a chance that the railway exited into the main chasm; I saw enough exposed rails to believe it.
So, I plunked down the minecart I luckily brought and sped after him.
And it truly was as terrifying as it sounded. My heart was pounding in fear…and not from exhilaration.
"Oh! Here comes another jump! Hands in the air! YAH-HAHAHA!"
Those shouts of delight? Pft. More like shouts of…um…non-delight. I was taking the situation 100% seriously. No enjoyment whatsoever.
"I hope this never ends!"
…
…Alright, so maybe I was enjoying it more than I should. But I couldn't help it! Whoever built that railway knew a thing about roller coasters. Every time the cart twisted and turned, I felt like my organs were doing back-flips. The sharp cuts. The steep drops. The way they got my heart pumping! It was what that pathetic Redstone Fair roller coaster should have been doing!
I held my hands out to feel the rushing winds pass over me. The tunnel was lit by torches, making it easier to see, and whenever the cart felt like it was slowing down, I passed over one of those accelerator rails. Almost like whoever built the track knew where to place them to keep the cart going.
But the track didn't have just one route. I saw branching paths fly by, always accompanied by some strange device with an arrow sticking out of it. Sometimes the cart followed these branching paths. Other times, it didn't.
After several minutes of enjoying myself, I realized how far I was going and began to worry where the cart was leading me.
What if I was getting further away from the Inn? What if the tracks led outside the Kingdom?
What if Wynn was already back at my room, watching the seconds tick by in eager anticipation? All while meticulously ordering the fifty volume hell she was going to force read to me.
Death by boredom. What a way to go.
Only while thinking about Wynn's punishment did I realize the cart was slowing down. There were no more of those accelerator tracks to keep it going. Which meant I was close to the end of the line.
The cart rolled out into an open cavern, lit up with several electrical—or rather redstone…ical—lanterns. The cave led to a stone brick structure built into the surrounding rock. It looked like part of the structure was blasted away, exposing the inside.
And kneeling there, beside a vaguely familiar redstone contraption, was the same gray blur I had followed.
"Comparators! Where did I go wrong?" The blur spoke in a familiar male voice, like I had heard him before. "I know I duplicated this to a T. So where did I slip up?"
I carefully stepped out of the cart, trying not to catch the mysterious blur's attention, before ultimately catching my foot on the rim and tumbling to the ground. "Oof!"
That caught the blur's attention. He whirled on me, panic streaked across his face, as he backed away. "Y-you! What are you doing here!? Why are you stalking me!? What…What do you want!?"
"Whoa! Calm down, buddy!" I took a moment to check his appearance, soon realizing that I had met him before. "You're the lever-button guy from the fair. The one with the failed project."
He had tousled dark-gray hair and an ashen complexion. He wore large yellow tinted glasses with gray rims and a matching pair of yellow-tinted and gray-rimmed goggles over his head. He had a dark brown, collared shirt with a gray undershirt and a pair of navy blue jeans. Wrapped snugly around his neck, was a maroon scarf. His belt and backpack were the same shade of brown as his shirt.
And the name hovering above his head: Lenzington.
"You're one of those perverse, stalker types, eh? Well, you're not going to eviscerate me and wear my Head like a hockey mask! No, sir!"
"What?" I scoffed incredulously. "No, I-I just need—"
Lenzington wasn't listening, however, as he bolted down a hallway, deeper into the stone brick structure.
"Wait! I just need some directions…aaaand he's still running." I let out an exasperated groan as I chased after him. Why is it that I have to chase people? Is it my face? Do I have the face of a stalker/serial killer?
At least the guy wasn't fast. College students must have been all brain and no brawn because Lenzington was already jogging after a few seconds of sprinting. Though he took every turn he could, trying to confuse me enough to escape.
Sprinting down the stone structure, I noticed some of the bricks were cracked or mossy, and cobwebs covered the place like a nose on a Testificate. Not to mention, there were several half-demolished redstone contraptions lying about. Wherever I was, it was clearly abandoned and unused for some time.
Which meant the college student was my only chance of finding my way out.
"I'm not here to hurt you, alright!?" I tried to reason as I turned a corner, just spotting the ends of his maroon scarf slipping past an open iron door that promptly closed. I ran up and tried to open it, but the damn thing had no handle and didn't budge.
"Oh, come on!" I kicked the door in frustration and searched the wall for any kind of switch. I found a small stone button, cleverly camouflaged with the surrounding bricks. With a click of it the door swung open, allowing me to continue before closing behind me. "Iron doors need a switch. Good to know."
There was only one hallway to follow, so I quickly sprinted forwards to catch up with Lenzington. "If you could stop running so I can explain myself that'd be great!"
"You can't…deceive me…stalker…" Some winded gasps sounded nearby and I followed them to find the gray-haired student down a long corridor. He was leaned against a wall and clutching a stitch in his side.
"I'm not a stalker!" I argued as I took a step forward, but the student surprised me by pulling out a bow.
"Need…need a moment…to catch my breath…stay back…" He readied an arrow and aimed it towards me. Only his aim was far off, pointing at some wooden pressure plates on the floor instead.
"Look, I'm just lost!" I held up my hands as a sign I meant to harm before taking another step forward. "If you'd just—"
*TWANG*
His arrow flew forward and stuck dead center in the pressure plate. All of a sudden, his end of the corridor opened up, revealing several blocks I learned from the fair were called 'dispensers'. They were mainly used as turrets for rapidly shooting arro—
Shit.
No sooner had that thought crossed my mind than arrows started pelting out of the wall. All pointed down the corridor at me.
I took one in the shoulder before slamming myself close to the wall. Next second, a hundred arrows breezed past, turning the floor and opposite wall into stone pincushions.
I reached into my backpack for some wooden planks and built a barricade to block any stray projectiles. Meanwhile, Lenzington, finally catching his breath, grabbed a handful of arrows on the floor and took off with a shout of, "Return from whence you came!"
God, what a nerd. I thought to myself as the repeated 'thunks' of arrows hitting planks assaulted my ears. It must have been some kind of redstone trap hooked up to the pressure plates. And I didn't have time for them to run out of arrows.
I built my barricade up as high as it could go before constructing a staircase. The arrows were low enough to the ground to allow me to construct a wooden walkway above. It took most of my planks, but I was able to build my way past the trap.
Back to following Lenzington, there was only one way for him to go: A hallway leading into a small wooden library.
I spotted him climbing up a ladder to an overlooking balcony.
"You almost killed me with that trap!" I called out angrily as I stormed into the library. It was lit up by a chandelier of fences and torches hanging from the ceiling. Bookshelves were along the walls and arranged into aisles, all dotted with cobwebs. It reminded me of the mineshaft under Mt. Mur.
"You left me no other recourse!" He called from above, peeking his head over some fence posts railing. His yellow-tinted glasses made it impossible to see his eyes, but he seemed to realize he was trapped. The library had only one exit and I was sure to stand by it.
"Just hear me out, okay!?" I shouted out while taking out my fishing rod just in case. The student would see less threat in a fishing tool than a sword.
Little did he know, I was an expert with it.
"Save your words! I know you've been following me! Ever since the college!" He challenged stubbornly while leaning left and right on the fence post railing. "You must be pretty sharp to have gotten this far! Those track switches I set up are small enough that only an expert archer could hit them from a moving minecart."
I thought back to the minecart ride and the devices with arrows sticking out of them. All set up at crossroads in the rails.
"I can't shoot the broad side of a cow. There were arrows already in the track switches. I was just along for the ride." I argued back. "And I wasn't stalking you! I needed directions on how to get out of the college and you were the first person I saw. So I followed."
"Comparators! I should have known my arrows would stick in the switches." He swore to himself before refocusing his attention to me. "Pretender! You're obviously here to steal the secrets of these hallowed halls! Or kill me! Whichever comes easier to you!"
"Hallowed…What are you talking abou—No, scratch that. I don't care what this is about." I dragged a hand over my face in annoyance. Now I knew how Wynn felt all the time. "Look, could you just tell me where I am so I can find the nearest exit and leave? You want me gone, right?"
Lenzington raised an eyebrow suspiciously but kept his head down while he considered my words. I noticed the bow at his sides and vaguely wondered why he didn't try and shoot me. I was pretty much helpless against long-range weaponry.
"You are currently in the Northeast Sector of Daymonte. A location where entry in prohibited." He stated in an official tone.
"Prohibited? Oh no…" If I got caught somewhere I wasn't supposed to be, I'd definitely end up arrested. Though that was nothing when compared to the hell Wynn had in store for me. The image of fifty volumes worth of text flashed before my eyes, making me shudder.
"This stone brick structure is completely sealed off from the rest of the Kingdom…except by my railways. But you'd require a practiced marksman to align the tracks back to the college." He slowly lifted his head. "I assume that's where you wish to return?"
"Yes! Exactly!" I nodded quickly, hoping I'd finally convinced him to help me out. "Please! Get me back to the college's front doors and I'll be on my way! You'll never see me again!"
"And you guarantee not to tell a living soul about this place?" He urged to which I nodded in confusion. Why did he want to keep such a creepy place a secret? "Very well, then. That is our contract."
With that last utterance, he climbed down the ladder and hesitantly made his way forward.
"My name's Cobb, by the way." I introduced myself as I stepped aside to let him pass.
"Lenzington." He greeted curtly before leaving the library. "Now if you'd follow me…"
At least he's being helpful. I thought to myself while checking my clock. The first slivers of night were already peaking into view on the golden disk. Dusk would come next, then Midnight.
I had until then to get back to the Inn.
[Wynn]
"Excuse us. We're just trying to make our way through."
"You're doing it wrong, Wynn. You got to be pushy to push through crowds. It's kind of in the word." My fellow Captain explained before jostling some Crafters aside. "Official business! Move it or lose it!"
Making our way into the Redstone College was made more difficult by the crowd of Crafters pouring out. There had apparently been a Fair, demonstrating the engineering prowess of the students. If it hadn't already ended it may have been a good spot to answer our redstone questions. What better place to find a redstone expert than a Redstone Fair?
Instead, we had to hope somebody in the College's halls of learning could help.
When the crowd finally thinned out, we walked down the locker-filled halls, not really knowing where to start. A classroom perhaps? Or maybe just any random student?
"Haha!" I turned to see Veronica pointing at a student. "You have to take exams and I don't! Suck it, nerd!" She taunted while sticking her tongue out. The student huffed indignantly before marching away.
"What do you think you're doing?" I questioned in mild annoyance. "We're here to ask questions. Not heckle students."
"I can't help it! I love to heckle. Especially when it involves people that aren't me." She grinned while laughing at another student scribbling notes down. "Besides they're engineers and technicians. It's not like they can make witty comebacks or fight back. What are they gonna do? Rewire my lights?"
"They may have to take exams," I began while massaging the bridge of my nose. "But you're a Captain of a Kingdom and therefore have to maintain an image of authority. You're a major force behind the laws of Daymonte. That takes effort to maintain."
Veronica paused in her ridicule and appeared to think for a minute.
Did I actually get through to her?
"What are these 'laws' you speak of? The word is unfamiliar to me. Along with the words 'work' and 'effort'."
I rolled my eyes at her flippant tone. "Don't forget the word 'tact'."
"Sure, throw that in there too." Veronica shrugged while toying with her hair. "Whatever keeps you from thinking up more words."
Veronica took a look around before her eyes zeroed in on a random Crafter. "Hey, you!"
The startled Crafter turned to regard Veronica, and then checked behind him to make sure it was him she was pointing to. "Me?"
"Yeah, you." The blonde responded, casually resting a hand on her hip. "Tell me everything you know about Redstone Mechanics!"
"I'm just the janitor."
"Oh…" Veronica's hand numbly fell as she lost her confident momentum. "Um…my bad…carry on."
"I think I'll add 'intelligence' to the words you should know." I quipped while the janitor left to his business. The humor of the situation was not lost on me and I secretly laughed at Veronica's expense.
But Veronica was quick to retaliate. "Oh, Wynn." She said in a flirtatious tone, quickly leaning towards me. I was so caught off guard that I froze, watching as her face grew closer, and our noses only inches apart.
"It's a good thing you're cute." She patted my cheek and winked before leaning back, waiting to see how I'd respond.
I didn't respond well.
"I-I…well…l-let's just focus on the case, please!" I quickly turned to hide my blush and jogged towards the nearest classroom. Behind me I could just feel the smug grin on her face. She no doubt found some perverse enjoyment out of teasing me.
I really need to find a way to deal with that. I thought as I spotted a Crafter in front of an empty classroom. He was a red-headed man setting up a redstone contraption hooked up to a piston. By the looks of it, he was a professor.
Perfect.
"Excuse me, are you a professor here?"
The man looked up from his work. "Yes, I teach Time-Based Redstone here at the college. Professor Punzi. You're not a student, are you?"
"No, I'm here because we have some redstone tech questions that need answers."
The professor raised an eyebrow. "By 'we' are you referring to yourself and your imaginary friend?"
"No, I—" I turned around only to notice a surprising, yet welcome, lack of blonde. "Er…never mind."
Guess she didn't want to listen to redstone talk.
"What kind of questions do you have?" The professor asked suspiciously. "Not many people take an interest in redstone. It's a complicated subject."
"That's why I'm here." I admitted, cutting to the chase. "I have a…hypothetical scenario for you."
"I have a class to teach in a few, so make it fast."
"Of course." It was probably best not to alert the professor of the more…explosive…elements of the hypothetical. "Suppose there's a lantern, hooked up to a daylight sensor in such a way that it turns off during the day and on during the night. Now suppose I want a second lantern, connected with the same redstone dust as the first, to turn on during the day and off during the night. What would be the best way to do that?"
"Pft. Is that all?" The professor chuckled as he resumed working on his machine. "That's an easy one; A one-point question on any exam."
"I didn't say I was a redstone genius." I admitted coolly. "That's why I'm asking you."
"Well, hypothetically speaking, the redstone tech you'd need would be a simple inverter."
"Come again?" He couldn't seriously think I knew redstone terminology.
"Inverter: A mechanism that can 'invert' redstone signals." He fished in his belt pocket for a redstone torch, some redstone dust, a redstone lamp, a lever, and a plank of wood.
"A redstone signal can be simplified as a turn on command." He placed the lever and lamp and connected the two with dust before flicking the lever. The lamp lit up in response.
"But if the signal passes through a block with a redstone torch attached, the signal becomes inverted. Turn on becomes turn off." To emphasize his point, he switched the lamp with the wooden block and placed a redstone torch on it. The torch fizzled into a dull, inactive red. "As you can see, the inverter turns off the redstone torch. Inverters are incredibly useful, swapping off's for on's and vice-versa."
I walked around the inverter to get a better look. The inverter didn't take much space; it could have easily fit within the circuitry of the bridge. Just a torch, a block…and some TNT.
There was something else I needed to know. "Are inverters basic redstone knowledge? As in, does every engineer know of them?"
"It's one of the first things taught at the college." The professor responded easily, already beginning to dismantle his model. "Anyone with a shred of redstone experience would be able to make it."
"I see." I responded while inwardly cursing my luck.
Well, perfect. That narrows down possible suspects to anyone in the automated Kingdom. How am I supposed to find this bomber now?
"Is that all the questions you have?" The professor asked, organizing some books and papers on his desk. "Because my students will be arriving any second now."
"No, that'll be—" My eyes widened at a certain book on the professor's table. "Actually, one last thing. Is that the first of the fifty volume Redstone Engineering book set?"
"Why, yes it is." He held out the book. "If you're taking an interest in redstone I can make a copy of it for you…though I'm afraid it would be a copy of a copy at that point and therefore un-transferable."
"Oh, I'm sure I'll make do." I assured happily.
Only forty-nine more volumes to go, Cobb.
"Veronica? I got what we came for…well…not exactly." I called out through the halls, wondering where the blonde had run off to. "I swear if you jump out in a surprise hug attack, I will not hesitate to stab you." I already had a hand at my rapier, ready for anti-hug action.
"Mphhh!"
"Hello?" I called out questioningly. There was a muffled voice coming from one of the door-sealed lockers.
"MPHHH!"
And it sounded angry.
I pinpointed the exact locker and opened it up, only for a paralyzed and gagged Veronica to fall out.
I caught her before she hit the ground and ripped off the item covering her mouth, which turned out to be a name tag labeled 'Blockhead'.
"OW! You couldn't have ripped that off any gentler!?" Veronica complained from within my arms.
"What happened? Who did this to you?" I asked rapidly. I checked her arm and belt to see that none of her health or items were taken.
"It was those nerds!" Veronica seethed, desperately trying to move a muscle. "I went over to make fun of one when a group of them ambushed me. They hit me with the one-two paralysis potion combo, called me a 'blockhead', and shoved me in a locker!"
It was true. She had the Weakness and Slowness effects displayed on her arm and the matching gray and gray-blue particles swirling around her.
Now, if she were hurt, I probably would have been angrier at the students who did that. But she was fine. So I gave karma my thanks for humbling the blonde heckler. Such a thing wouldn't have happened if she hadn't called them names.
"The effects should wear off soon. We have bigger concerns to worry about." I explained as I leaned Veronica against the lockers. "I talked to a professor about the Bridge Bomber. He said he used an 'inverter' to time the explosives properly. It's a basic redstone mechanism. Other than that, this lead led us nowhere."
"Ngh. My nose itches." Veronica wrinkled her nose in annoyance, still paralyzed from moving anything else. "Wynn, can you scratch it for me? Pleeease?"
I groaned before reluctantly complying, extending a single finger to relieve my companion of her itch. After all, it was a small request.
"Thanks." The blonde let out a sigh of relief before her smile turned sultry. "Oh, now my lips itch. You think you can scratch them for me…with your mouth?"
"Aaaaand back in the locker you go." I concluded before slapping the 'Blockhead' label back on her mouth and shoving her into the locker. I leaned my back against it, even as her muffled pleas echoed from inside.
I put all that to the back of my mind as I thought of an alternative way of finding the bomber. There was no way Veronica would drop the case from a mere lack of leads. And as long as she was willing to continue, I had to too. Or else risk the Cross-Kingdom Railway.
All we had to go on was that the bomber was a redstone genius to effectively harness the day-night powered bridges and 'inverters' at the same time. Definitely not Burke's style from what Veronica said.
The only others ways to track the bomber were to either wait for him to strike again and catch him in the act…or track the supply of TNT straight to him.
TNT wasn't easy to make. It took four sand and five gunpowder per block. And the blast radii of the targeted bridges indicated the use of several blocks of TNT.
The gunpowder would be easy enough to find. Just kill a few Creepers. A Mob grinder could handle that.
It was the sand that was tricky. The nearest beach was over a set of mountains; a three day journey East. And with the sand split between the glass and demolitions industries…
Hopefully, Veronica knew a supplier.
I pulled the Redstone Engineering book out from my belt and gazed at the title, wondering what Cobb was doing right now.
Was it wrong not to give him the benefit of the doubt? To search for the fifty volumes before midnight? To assume that he'd already be knee deep in trouble? Somewhere, somehow?
…
What am I saying? This is Cobb I'm talking about.
[Cobb]
Lenzington walked ahead, keeping his hand rested on his bow. "Just this way."
"Are you sure?" I asked questioningly. "Because I don't remember passing any of this stuff." We passed some iron barred prison cells complete with open iron doors.
"We're just taking an…alternative route. A less time-consuming one." The gray-haired student assured without turning to face me.
"So…mind telling me what this place is?" I asked trying to start up a conversation. "Did you build all this?"
"Apologies, Cobbert. I was under the notion you weren't interested in this place." He responded coldly.
Cobbert?
"Well, I'm not." I replied hastily. "Just trying to strike up conversation…Lenz."
He stopped momentarily. "What did you just refer to me as?"
I immediately worried if I had crossed some sort of line. "Uh…nothing. Never mind."
He just stared at me, his tinted glasses making it impossible to read his eyes. Although he could have had his eyes closed and I wouldn't have noticed.
After a few moments he returned to leading the way through the stone brick corridors. "This stronghold of stone was not constructed by me. I stumbled upon it several years ago while working on a personalized railway. The concept was to get me from my apartment to the college in a matter of minutes.
"I was fortunate enough to discover the stronghold, and more importantly, the veritable goldmine of redstone machinations within."
Is it so hard for the guy to talk regularly?
"Then why are Crafters prohibited from this place?" I asked.
"The ghost stories keep people away." Lenzington chuckled to himself. "Amusing how a Kingdom filled with men of Science is susceptible to the bunkum of fearful rumors. 'Monsters of the Earth.' 'Dormant Parasites.' 'The Slithering Floor.' The list of myths regarding this sector goes on."
"So it's only forbidden because of monster stories?" Surely somebody would have investigated the claims. Or was everyone too scared?
"Correct. However, I have no complaints with the current arrangement." Lenzington adjusted his glasses and smirked to himself. "The rumors keep Daymonte out and my redstone and I in."
"Well, I can't blame you for shutting yourself in here. Your social skills sort of suck."
"Who has the time for such monotonous skills?" He challenged. "With all I need to learn—"
"Doesn't mean you can build up a trap. I nearly died!" I protested as we turned a corner.
"The traps—er, trap—wasn't mine." He nearly tripped on his words. "They—It—was wired when I first found this place."
"And you have no idea who set it all up?" Who'd be paranoid enough to build an underground structure with a preset trap, clearly meant to kill?
"…I have a theory." He responded evasively before stopping cold.
"And that theory would be…?" I turned back to see what he was looking at.
*UHNNN!*
Oh, it was just a lone Zombie, trotting towards us. There must have been a patch of darkness somewhere for it to crawl out of.
While I regarded the Zombie with indifference, Lenzington was freaking out. He was hiding behind me, shivering like the temperature drastically dropped. His attention was glued to the Zombie.
"Kill it!" He shouted while shaking my shoulder. "Hurry! Before it gets me!"
"Hey, relax. It's just one Zombie." I tried calming him down, but he wouldn't listen. Not with his attention focused on the Mob. So I quickly withdrew my gold sword and attacked with three quick slashes.
All that was left were a few hunks of rotten flesh and EXP, which flew into my arm.
"See? Easy." I hung my sword at my belt while Lenzington peaked over my shoulder to be sure the Zombie was dead.
"Y-yes. Ahem!" He cleared his throat with a loud cough. "Yes, well, your swordsmanship is impressive."
"Um…not really." I stated as if it were obvious. After crossing a herd of Creepers and coming face to face with a killer rabbit—can't believe I just said that—one Zombie was nothing. "Why didn't you shoot it with your bow?"
"My proficiency with a bow was developed to facilitate operating the track switches." He explained as we continued forward. "I require arrows for effective transportation. Wasting them on Crafters or those…monsters," he trembled at that word, "would be a waste."
We turned another corner and he gestured to the hallway before us. "After you." He insisted politely.
"Um…okay?" I stepped past while eyeing him suspiciously, wondering what brought out his change in tone.
Then I felt something thin and tense catch on my leg. I looked down to see the dim torchlight reflected along a thin line. A string or wire of sorts.
The next instant, I heard the familiar sound of retracting pistons. I looked up just in time to see several balls of fire coming towards me.
Shit.
Balls of fire are about to hit me.
Maybe I should duck.
Why am I thinking these things when I should be ducking?
Should probably duck n—
Oops. I'm on fire now.
"HOT! HOT HOT!" I shouted as I flailed around, even as more fireballs launched out of dispensers in the wall. Lenzington had been smart enough to duck into another corridor.
I rushed to follow the student to safety, fireballs barely grazing my hoodie, all while the flames ate away at my health. I dove for the safe corridor just as a fireball seared my lower calf, sending me tumbling to the floor.
"Oh, good God! Cobbert!" Lenzington shouted as he leaned beside me, helpless to the flames slowly killing me. "Apologies! Many apologies! I had no idea there was a fire trap there! And now…now you're going to expire and it's all my—"
"I'm good."
"E-excuse me?" He asked incredulously.
I pulled out my bucket of water and doused the flames with a quarter of my health to spare. "See? Nothing to worry about." I picked the water back up with my bucket and withdrew some potatoes to refill my health."
"O-oh!...You had a bucket of water on hand." Lenzington wiped away the odd look on his face and put on a forced smile. "How…fortunate."
"Yeah, I'll say." I responded easily while glancing at the hallway still shooting out fireballs. "I thought you said there was only one trap."
"There are!" He blurted out hastily before pausing to rethink his words. "...I mean…I was under the impression that there was only one…much of this ruin remains a mystery to me…"
His tinted glasses made it impossible to read him, but he was acting suspicious. Almost like he was disappointed I survived the fire trap.
Though was it just me, or did he stare at the water bucket at my belt for a bit too long?
"Well then, we should take greater care to watch out for tripwires and traps." He stated pointlessly, already walking away. "We will require a new detour to reach the rails. Follow me."
"Yeah…lead the way." I followed him, but at a greater distance than before. I hoped I was wrong, but I had the sneaking suspicion that the fire trap was no accident.
Is this college student trying to kill me? I wasn't aware 'stealthy murder' was among the courses taught at the Redstone College.
[Wynn]
"Why are we wasting time in this marketplace?" I asked the blonde casually lounging on a bench. When she said she knew where a sand supplier might be, she didn't mention we had to comb over several merchant stands. "We should be checking large scale shipping."
"If we wanted to waste our time, then yes, we would check major shipping companies." Veronica replied with a lazy wave of her hand. "I'd prefer to catch the bomber today, though. So we're gonna tackle this another way." She pointed a finger at a particular merchant stand. "See that? That's Shady Shin's. If the name didn't tip you off, it's a front for smuggling. Anything a Crafter needs, illegal or otherwise, Shin supplies. No questions asked. If we keep an eye out for Crafters ordering TNT ingredients from Shin, we can tail them and hopefully find our bomber or at least the TNT manufacturer."
"If you know all this, then why is that place still operating? Shouldn't you shut down places selling contraband?" I was outraged at how normal she was treating Shin's. If it were up to me, the so-called 'Shady Shin' would have been in jail before he could blink. Captains should take advantage of every situation that puts another piece of filth away.
"Relax, Snow-Hare." Veronica dismissed in an irritating tone. "Shin is small fry. Plus, since I've identified him, he's an endless source of arrests. You wouldn't believe how many times I've arrested someone for possessing deadly potions or TNT minecarts…all because I watched them make the purchases right here." She stretched out on the bench, humming appreciatively as her muscles and joints popped.
Her words calmed me down a moment, making me reconsider her tactics. If one criminal led to the imprisonment of ten, then it'd be better to let the one slide. Especially if it meant starting the process over. Shin was more useful in identifying criminals than rotting away in prison.
"So we just keep an eye on his customers and hope one of them orders TNT or its ingredients?"
"Yep. You and me in a good ol' fashioned stakeout." Veronica closed her eyes with a smile. "We can pass the time talking, telling funny stories…maybe discuss your relationship with Cobb?"
"There is no relationship." I spoke with finality. Why was she so fixated on seeing something that wasn't there?
Cobb was just an acquaintance. A tag-along for a mission. He had proven himself useful on more than one occasion, but trouble seemed to follow him around like a bad odor. It was a small miracle he hadn't gotten himself killed already. Just thinking about all the times I had to step in to save his sorry—
…
Come to think of it…why did I save him?
The Valley Beast, the Iron Golem, and the Charged Creeper. All those times he could have died, why did I bother to care? Erin would've been upset, and that was the first excuse I clung to…but…
And the green leather tunic I gave him. That was a symbol of the Ringwood guards and was worn with pride. It was one of the reasons I wore a green leather cap at that very moment. Why would I see the need to pass on that symbol to Cobb?
…
Acquaintances? Or two Crafters drawn into unfavorable circumstances?
What exactly…were we?
"Well, if you say so." Veronica shrugged with a knowing smile. "All I know is that the two of you seemed pretty chummy with each other."
Chummy? Is that what she called our 'banter'? As if someone like me could become friends with someone like Cobb. When I wasn't trying to stab his eyes out in annoyance, he was—
"Hey, eyes up, Wynn." Veronica warned while sitting up. "Looks like we've lucked out."
I focused my attention forward to spot a Crafter at Shady Shin's. They whispered some things to each other before the merchant behind the counter (most likely Shin) handed over a couple stacks of sand. The unknown Crafter examined the blocks and nodded in satisfaction before trading a substantial amount of emeralds.
With their business concluded, the unknown Crafter slipped the sand in his backpack and quietly walked away. He was heading out of the marketplace.
"Bingo." Veronica smiled as she leapt to her feet and began tailing the unknown Crafter. I followed close behind, trying not to appear suspicious.
The unknown Crafter made his way to a trampoline tower and waited on line. From what I observed, his foot was tapping impatiently.
"Are we positive he's using that sand for TNT?" I asked my fellow Captain.
"Yeah. Unless he's making a glass statue, he wouldn't need that much sand." Veronica seemed pretty sure the unknown Crafter had TNT on the mind. "Plus, how many average Joe's carry that many emeralds on hand? This guy's obviously running errands for a bigger criminal. And with any luck, it'll be the manufacturer supplying TNT for our resident bomber."
"That's fine and all, except if we catch him, he can just as easily claim the sand's for glass."
"Don't worry your pretty head about that." Veronica assured while the unknown Crafter entered the trampoline tower and bounced upward. "Catch him and we'll see if I can't get him to talk."
I nodded in understanding as we made our way to the tower.
"Y'know, Wynn. I don't see any reason why we can't ride this tower together." Veronica stated with a smile. "It would save us the extra trip, right?"
"Just get in the thing already." I spoke, not at all amused. She wanted to waste time teasing when we could lose our only lead? Where were her priorities?
We followed the unknown Crafter to a dingy bar. He glanced left and right before entering while me and Veronica stood nearby.
"Think he's seen us?" I asked, taking the Crafter's suspicion as a sign.
"Well, your snow-white hair is easy to spot." Veronica replied before hastily adding, "Not that I don't like it, of course."
"This," I grabbed a handful of my hair and held it up to the extrovert, "is ivory-white. Not snow-white."
"Riiiight." She rolled her eyes and held out a handful of her hair. 'And this is blonde-blonde and not yellow-blonde."
I shook my head at her unrefined eye. Surely a sniper like her couldn't be color-blind. "I'm going in there just to be sure." I announced as I casually strolled over to the bar.
"If you need a drink you can just be honest." Veronica said with a smile, walking beside me. "We all know how much more agreeable you get when you have a few drinks in you. Like that time when you—"
"I told you never to bring that up!" I hissed with flushed cheeks as the memory came to mind. Never again would I go drinking with the boisterous blonde.
As we entered the bar and Veronica chuckled to herself, I immediately noticed a lack of Crafters. The bar was completely empty, save for a lonely bartender that wasn't our lead.
"Excuse me." I motioned to the bartender. "Did a Crafter come in here a few minutes ago?"
"Sure did." The bartender replied grumpily. "Thought he was gonna order something, but he instead asked for a backdoor. Said he was being followed by some snow-haired woman."
"Aha! Told you! It is snow-white!" Veronica grinned in satisfaction.
"That's what you're focused on? Not our lead that got away!?" I questioned angrily before rushing back outside. I scanned the passing crowds, before relocating the Crafter jumping off the bridge. "Blast! He's getting away!"
I didn't wait for Veronica's reply as I vaulted over the bridge. No way was I going to lose him.
The Crafter aimed for a slime pad far-off to the side. It was one I couldn't reach, even if I angled myself perfectly. So instead I selected a slime pad further down and curled into a ball.
As soon as I hit the pad, I was bounced up towards the bridge I saw the Crafter aim for. I somersaulted in the air and extended my hands just enough to grip the bridge's edge before pulling myself up.
The Crafter was already hurrying away. "Hold it right there!" I called out, to which he turned to face me. "I have a few questions for you."
"I'm not in a talkative mood." He responded as he backed away.
My eyes narrowed. "Don't make this a chase, criminal. You won't get far."
"I'll take my chances." And with that, he spun on his heel and sprinted away. Closely followed by me.
He ran off the bridge and onto a street carved along the chasm wall, withdrawing a sword and swinging it wildly to part the oncoming crowd. I pulled out my rapier and downed a Swiftness Potion.
Whatever distance he put between us was meaningless as I caught up to him. My blade was held back, muscles tensed to spring forward and skewer the criminal in the back. At full health, he'd survive.
But just as I was within striking distance, the criminal grabbed a couple of Crafters and pushed them towards me. Caught off guard, I held my strike and slid between while they tumbled behind me.
I rolled back to my feet just in time to watch the criminal run down an alley and nerd-pole his way up a building using the sand he was carrying. "Try and get me down, bitch!"
Without wasting time to think, I pulled out a torch from my backpack and ran to the sand tower. I broke the base sand block with a swipe of my rapier before replacing it with a torch. As the sand succumbed to the forces of gravity, the torch destroyed every falling block that fell on it.
Who's the bitch now? I smirked as the tower crumbled and the criminal let out a surprised yelp. He almost lost his balance, only to blindly leap towards an adjacent building, trying to get hold of anything to stop his fall.
His hands found purchase on a windowsill, in which he hoisted himself through.
I quickly downed a Potion of Leaping and wall jumped up the alley to reach his window. I tumbled through only to find myself in a hallway leading off into a stairwell below.
"Shouldn't Veronica have caught up by now?" I wondered aloud as I rushed down the stairwell. The criminal was only delaying the inevitable running. It would've been much easier accept he was caught and surrender peace—
"Don't fucking move!"
I froze immediately at what I saw.
Standing before me was the criminal, panting heavily, and looking desperate.
And he was holding a sword against another Crafter's neck. The implications obvious.
"Well, here we are at hostage situation." The criminal announced brazenly. "You know, this wouldn't have happened if you didn't fucking chase me! Bet you feel really stupid now, huh?"
I remained silent, my eyes darting to the Crafter held hostage. He must have been an inhabitant of the building we found ourselves in. And judging by the health on his arm, the criminal already got in a few hits before I arrived. To the point where the hostage would die in one more hit.
"Lower your weapon." I commanded with all the fierceness I had. But it didn't register to the criminal scum. Not when he had a human shield warding me off.
He laughed. "How about you lower your weapon? Unless you want this innocent hostage's gear splattered all over the floor." I was hoping the criminal would keep his attention on me, not noticing his hostage's health ticking back up. But he kept a watchful eye on both of us, dealing another hit to his hostage to keep his health low. "I'll say it again: Lower your weapon."
Without any alternatives, I slowly lowered my hand and my rapier to my side.
"Good girl." The criminal commented in approval which only furthered my anger towards him. "That's quite the fancy sword you got there. A Tinker's Exclusive, right? All the way from Exter?"
I remained silent, still trying to think of a way to save the hostage and stab the criminal in his cocky face.
"Bet that'll fetch quite the price…" The criminal spoke to himself, eyeing the rapier with greed. His filthy eyes had no place upon my weapon. "Drop it and kick it over to me. Nice and easy."
My eyes narrowed in disgust. "I respect my weapon far too much to kick it across the floor, scum."
"Respect? The fuck—What makes you think I care about any of that!?" He shouted out angrily while shaking the hostage around. The hostage in his hands whimpered in terror. "I'm the guy with the hostage! And you're the bitch who listens! Got that!?"
We just stood there, staring into each other's eyes. His were panicked, but determined. He'd kill the hostage if he was pushed, even if it meant throwing away his only shield.
So, with a reluctant sigh, I lowered my rapier to the floor, taking care not to rest it on any dust or filth. Then I stood myself back up, daring him to make me kick it across.
"Tch. Fine. I'll pick it up myself." He tilted his head towards the wall. "Back away from the stairwell. Slowly!" Once again he slashed at the hostage, who hissed in pain, to keep his health low.
I did as he ordered, feeling exposed without the familiar weight of my rapier. The scum circled with his back facing the wall, all while edging closer to my cherished weapon.
Once we had effectively swapped positions, me by the window and him by the stairwell, he brought his mouth to the hostage's ear. "Pick up the rapier and hand it to me. No funny business."
The hostage nodded in terror as he stooped down to pick it up.
Then suddenly, I felt something zip past my face, disturbing the air and creating a faint rush of wind that tickled my neck.
"GAH!" The criminal staggered backwards, an arrow lodged in his sword hand, and his weapon already falling to the ground.
That was my moment.
With the powers of my Swiftness Potion still in effect, I leapt forward, rolled over my rapier as I brought it up, pushed the hostage out of harm's way, and kneed the criminal in the lower jaw. His head cracked against the back wall before he crumpled to the floor, unconscious.
Even so, I was breathing heavily in anger. How dare that scum try and lay a finger on my blade! I have half a mind to skewer his privates to the floor before questioning him!
While I seethed, I heard the sound of something whizzing through the air. I turned just in time to see an arrow lodge itself in the wall…followed by another…and another.
It was then I remembered the arrow that had provided me the window of opportunity I needed. And speaking of windows, that's where the shots were raining in from: The open window I had my back to.
I glanced out, and just as I thought, I saw a speck of gold on the opposite side of the chasm. A speck of gold that had the accuracy to take a shot from across the chasm, through a one block wide window, past my head, and dead center into a criminal's sword arm as soon as the hostage stooped down.
There was only one person I knew who could do all that.
One more arrow whizzed by my neck, moving a few strands of my hair, before lodging itself in the wall along with the others, completing an image. The Golden Hawk of Daymonte had signed her work, with a big smiley face made completely out of arrows.
"I guess I owe her for this one." I said in acceptance, sheathing my rapier at my belt while internally cringing at Veronica's inevitable boasts.
I still flashed a thumbs-up out the window, grateful her hawk eyes could hit a Crafter a mile away.
And even more grateful we had our lead in custody and a hostage situation averted.
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Wooden Shovel, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Sword [Sharpness I, Unbreaking I]{Weak}, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Fishing Rod, 54 Cobblestone, 1 Coal, 20 Torches, 4 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Note Block, 1 Clock, 2 Signs, 1 Water Bucket, 10 String, 1 Ender Pearl, 7 Baked Potatoes, 19 Pumpkin Pies, 39 Cookies, 1 Leather Cap, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green, Unbreaking I], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 15 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Temporary Entry Pass}
[EXP: 9]
AN: Not much to say. This chapter is running pretty late.
I had some help writing Veronica's dialogue from AxeHelix. Really funny stuff.
Also, Lenzington is a character I came up with. He's as eloquent as he is gray-haired. Plus he wears a scarf, goggles AND glasses. What more can you ask for?
Leave a fav, follow, review, winning lottery tickets. And have a nice day.
Omake: N.E.R.D.S.
"Hear me, hear me, fellow members!" A Crafter clad in red leather armor spoke in a commanding, nasally voice. The crowd before him immediately silenced, eager to hear what their glorious leader wished to announce.
The whole crowd of Crafters were gathered in a large lecture hall; one that had been abandoned for decades.
"Today…one of our brothers was tormented!" Several Crafters gasped in shock before buzzing like a swarm of angry bees. "Tormented by one of the blonde blockheads that taint this Kingdom."
"Taint…Taint…" The crowd intoned lowly.
"Our brothers bravely rescued one of the tormented before paralyzing the blockhead and shoving her in a locker. But that was merely the first step of our vengeance." He held up a picture of a blonde-haired female. "This is the blockhead that mocked us! This is the face of our oppression!"
"Oppression…Oppression…" The crowd intoned yet again, echoing their leader's words.
"And while she's admittedly hot—"
"Hot…Hot…"
"—Tonight, we will take our full revenge!" The crowd erupted into cheers before a single hand shot up.
"Will it be later than midnight?" A small voice asked. "Because it's a school night and I need my eight hours."
There were murmurs of assent amongst the crowd as people began worrying about being late for classes. The leader was busying himself trying to calm everyone down.
"Relax, brothers. If it's such a big deal, then our revenge can wait until the weekend."
"Weekend…Weekend…"
"You can knock that off now, guys. It's…kind of creeping me out."
"Sorry…Sorry…"
"And once the night of our revenge arrives, we will go to Captain Velocishot's house under the cover of night…and completely rewire her lights!" The entire crowd erupted into tumultuous cheers and applause. "Come morning, she'll try and turn her ceiling lights on, only for them to not turn on! We're so diabolical!"
"Huzzah!"
"So says the Nation that Enjoys Redstone Despite Scorn ."
"N.E.R.D.S. Unite!"
AN: I really stretched that acronym to cringe-worthy levels.