AN: Well, here it is. The conclusion to Noman's Arc. I won't say anything more and let the Chapter do the talking.
Congrats to Ari-Dexel13 for getting last week's riddle. The answer: Phone. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgment.
(::)
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, arrows could be shot out of the air.
Beta: Void of Shining Darkness
Chapter 51
Merits
"NO!" Noman shouted out in desperation, all the while trying to pry himself out from the falling gravel.
At his current Health, hitting the ground would kill him, whether he wore the Severe Shield or not.
As for the Voda Shlem, even if he could manage to get it to work, it was meant to slow down oncoming attacks, not nullify fall damage.
If he hit the ground, he'd be dead. And Ciro would be left victorious to claim the Billionth's artifacts.
He needed something to cushion his fall.
As he glanced around, he spotted a stream of water cascading down the cavern. It must have been the same water he used to flow down earlier.
But…why can I see it in this dark cavern? Are my eyes just adjusting?
Shaking those thoughts away, he realized he should be thinking less about dim lighting and more about saving his own bacon.
Putting more strength into it than he thought he had, Noman flailed out of the entombing gravel and drifted towards the stream of water. As soon as his torso was surrounded by the stream, he felt all of his falling velocity slow down, abruptly bringing the feeling of his organs to his throat.
However, in his haste to get to the water, he seemed to have drifted too far into the stream. He came out the other side, regaining a bit of his lost momentum before impacting the ground.
Yet for all the pain and discomfort he felt, he greedily accepted it as signs that he was still very much alive.
*TWANG*
Reflex alone saved Noman from an explosive death. He was able to narrowly evade Ciro's latest arrow, shot across from him instead of from above. The arrow impacted some thick, black, crystal-like substance before exploding. Oddly enough, the explosion didn't leave a crater.
Noman turned towards the source of the arrow to see Ciro standing before him yet again.
Ender pearls were the first thought that crossed the Billionth's mind to explain how he got down so fast without any effort. It was probably the same way he survived falling down the first time. He simply chucked an ender pearl against a shelf floor before he hit the ground. Noman was willing to wager they were also the same way he infiltrated Maplefrost's party.
However, that wasn't the only question of Noman's that was answered.
Even at the latest level of the cavern—so deep underground that there should have been no light—the area was illuminated by a warm, orange glow.
Lava.
Several shallow pools of it were spread around the floor, with an occasional space filled with that same black, seemingly indestructible, crystal-like block wherever water flowed. There was no steeper fall awaiting them. No hollow floor for them to fall through.
This was the bottom.
"You should have just let it end." Ciro called from across, already materializing another arrow into that bow of his. "You're a hundred years too early to challenge me."
Noman frowned at that. "I'm not here to challenge you. I'm here to claim those artifacts and stop the Endward Cult." It was probably a bad idea, especially since the artifacts were a sore topic with Ciro, but Noman couldn't think of anything else to stall with. His Health was far too low to make any sort of counter-attack.
Predictably, Ciro scowled. "What do you know about the justice the Endward Cult deserves? They were claiming lives and causing tragedies since before you were spawned! What gives you the right to claim responsibility for everything they've done?" He gripped his bow so tight Noman thought it would break. "What makes you more qualified than me!?"
Noman paused to try and make an argument. "I…"
"No!" Ciro bellowed, pulling back his bowstring. "You don't know! You aren't qualified! And with this arrow I'll prove it!"
Without any other options, Noman did the only thing he could think of.
"…What are you doing?"
Noman had taken off the Voda Shlem and Severe Shield…and was backing up to one of the pools of lava.
"Maybe I'm not qualified for this…" Noman began carefully, all while Ciro kept his eyes glued to the artifacts. The helmet in one hand and the chestplate at his belt. "I've already had to make choices—choices that I wish I could take back—but I'm going to keep trying until I get it right."
"Oh?" Ciro questioned, momentarily lowering his bow. "And why would you go through all the trouble?"
"Because I believe Notch intended for the Billionth to be a Crafter of genuine innocence." Noman recalled the words Spark had used to cheer him up. "A Crafter with the desire to help those in need."
"Eh?" Ciro scoffed loudly. "Genuine innocence? What good is that against the Endward Cult? You've wasted my time with your answer!" He raised his bow again, intent in shooting the Billionth.
"S-stop!" Noman shouted while holding the Voda Shlem out…right over the lava pool. Ciro's eyes widened fearfully at the action. "If…if you shoot…both of the artifacts will fall into lava with the rest of my Inventory! You'll have nothing!" Noman desperately willed away the hesitance in his voice to make the bluff believable. It was his only chance.
"You'd go so far…out of spite?" Ciro questioned cautiously as he lowered his bow.
The hand holding the Voda Shlem shook slightly. "You bet I would!"
Ciro, however, was watching Noman's hand very closely. And that small, little shiver was all the confirmation he needed. "No…I don't think you will." He raised his bow again and walked towards the on-edge Billionth with the utmost trepidation.
"S-stay back! I mean it!" Noman shook the helmet threateningly, hoping to appear willing. However, all it did was slow Ciro down a moment before he resumed his walk. "Lower your bow! And don't come any closer! I'll…I'll throw the artifacts into the lava!"
Ciro shook his head, his eyes glittering maliciously. "You won't. You've gone to so many lengths just to possess that Voda Shlem. And you wouldn't have come down here, looking for my bow, if you didn't care about the aryifacts more than your own well-being." Noman could hear the sneer in Ciro's voice. "You won't toss them. You don't have the stones for it."
"I…I…" Noman backed up to the lava pool as far as he could. The hand holding the Voda Shlem was shaking violently…but he couldn't let it go.
Ciro was right.
"You don't have the stones and I can tell you exactly why." Ciro continued, trying to keep Noman's attention as he slowly drew nearer. "You're not cut out to be a savior. You're not meant to be a hero. All you are is a delivery-boy, here to present to me what is mine."
Ciro lowered his bow and extended a hand to reach for the Severe Shield at Noman's belt. Meanwhile, the Billionth was wrestling with the words Ciro had just spoken.
No…that's not true…I'm more than a delivery-boy…
I…I…
Noman was on the verge of frustration and Ciro was on the verge of grabbing the artifact…
When suddenly…
"Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na dah-da-dah-da-dah dah-dah bah-da-dah-dah."
Ciro paused to look around for the sound, his hand still hovering near Noman's belt.
Noman looked around as well. Mostly confused, but also a tad hopefully. Is that…no, it couldn't be…
"Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na bah-ba-bah-ba-bah BADUM! GERONIMO!"
Noman and Ciro both located the sound coming from above at exactly the same time. When they looked up, they saw something large falling through the cavern's darkness. Something that was heading straight for them!
Ciro instantly reloaded his bow and fired an arrow at the oncoming mass.
*BOOM*
The explosion ripped through the air, echoing across the cave and splitting apart the oncoming object into three separate masses, all of which impacted the floor around Noman and Ciro…
And splattered.
"…Slimy?" Noman questioned aloud, even as the three green masses each morphed to form a separate entity.
"Catch me!" A male voice shouted an instant before one of the green masses caught him. "Ow! Slime Burn! Ow!"
"…Marble?" Noman asked, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Scout roll-call!" The blond shouted enthusiastically, brandishing his Longsword with a pose. "Marble!"
"Legoless!" The legless Slime-girl chirped with a flamboyant pose.
"B-bethany!" The left-armed Slime-girl stuttered timidly, offering her own shy pose.
"Righty." The last right-armed Slime-girl droned dully, her only attempt at a pose being a half-hearted wave.
"Yeah!" Marble shouted, pumping his fist in the air. "Now that's an entry worthy of the Dynamic Entrance Badge!"
"Tch. I knew you lot were nearby. Waiting to ambush me." Ciro got into a stance, expecting a battle.
"Guys…you came back…" Noman spoke in disbelief, not even bothering to keep his tears in check. "How…how did you even find me?"
"How could we not?" Righty called out, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "We just followed the sound of explosions."
"But…I don't—why come back …even after what I did…?"
Marble turned to the Billionth, offering a shrug. "Well…I wouldn't be much of a Scout if I left someone behind. Even if it meant earning the Ditch a Fellow Scout Badge." Noman smiled weakly, even as the blond patted him on the shoulder. "Now what do you say we kick this guy's ass and all get out of here?"
Noman wiped the tears from his eyes with his sleeve before returning Marble's confident look. "I'd say…language."
"Really? Ass is a curse?" Marble laughed. "You must have baby ears or something—"
"Hey!" Righty shouted, alerting the two. "If you're both done making up, we could use some help over here!"
Ciro was already firing at the three Slime-girls. Chunks of the ground were blasted apart in his efforts to kill the trio. However, with their pliable bodies, dodging arrows was child's play. The trouble was that they needed to close in to finish him off, and the Millionth was being careful to prevent that.
"I don't know what you Slime-things are," Ciro commented while backing up, "but I'll destroy anything in my way!"
Noman and Marble leapt aside to dodge one of the Millionth's random shots before charging towards the Crafter.
"Hey, Ciro!" Marble called out. "Nice temper you have! Where'd you get it? The temper store?"
"Wha…that…that insult didn't even make sense!" Ciro shouted in anger, focusing his fire on the blond Scout.
"Here's an insult for you!" Righty shouted next. "Your aim is so bad, you couldn't hit the broad side of the ground!"
"I'll show you bad aim!" Ciro fired a shot directly at Righty…only for it to miss as she bent her amorphous body.
"Huh. You're right." Righty spoke with mild interest. "That was bad aim."
Ciro growled, steam practically pouring from his ears, as he turned his attention to the Slime-girl instead of the others who were approaching.
Noman began to see what Marble's plan was. Ciro couldn't aim his bow at five people at once. If they all surrounded him and kept his attention long enough, surely one of them could sneak into his guard.
It just required more distracting insults.
"Hey, Ciro!" Legoless interjected, earning the Millionth's attention. "You're mean!"
"A-and you look scary…sorry." Bethany added meekly, quickly dodging an arrow.
Righty groaned. "Leave the insults to the professionals, people."
However, that last jab seemed to have stirred up Ciro more than any of the other insults. "Scary! SCARY!? How dare you say I look scary!?" The Millionth looked livid and was facing Bethany with his full attention. He raised his bow towards her before turning it at an upwards angle. "Now you'll see what this bow is capable of in a master's hands!"
At that, Ciro shot an arrow, barely pulling the string back, in a quick-fire that had no real momentum to it. The shot arced towards Bethany, but the trajectory was so obvious that it looked an easy dodge.
But then Noman noticed Ciro readying another shot. And then it clicked.
"Bethany!" He shouted. "Dive away!"
But before the Slime-girl could react, Ciro shot a new arrow with full force. This one hit the first arrow with pinpoint accuracy right in front of Bethany, causing them both to explode. The combined force was enough to rip Bethany apart, splattering her across the floor.
The small pools of slime quickly collected into three miniature Slime-girls, each recovering from the blast.
"So that's how she survived the first time." Ciro spoke to himself as he towered over one of the miniatures. The tiny Bethany looked up, her eyes quivering in terror, as Ciro raised his foot. With every intention to stomp her out of existence. "I won't make the same mistake again."
"Stop!" Noman charged in without thinking, swinging his diamond blade through the air to strike Ciro's side. However, the Millionth dove aside, sparing the mini-Bethany but having an arrow already loaded. He blasted apart Noman's ground, forcing him backward before sliding to a stop at the edge of a lava pool. Noman was on his knees, his Health a mere two Hearts...
"Gotcha!" Legoless shouted triumphantly as she leapt towards the unsuspecting Ciro. It looked like her only planned attack was a bear-hug, but given the damage contact with her caused, it might have been enough.
Might have...if Ciro hadn't already blasted her with an arrow.
It caught her dead center in the chest, enough damage to hurt her, but not split her. Instead she sailed overhead, arcing straight towards the pool of lava. Noman shot a hand out to grab her and barely managed a grasp her arm, leaving her dangling over the edge of a lava pool.
"Ow! OW!" Noman cried out as the slime burned through his Health. Righty was quick to assist, running to take over Noman's grip and spare him the damage. The contact between the two Slime-girls allowed Legoless to partly pull herself out and fuse with Righty.
But as Noman turned, he saw that Ciro already had his arrow trained on the three of them. His eyes shone triumphantly as he released the arrow…
"Not today!" Marble sprung out of nowhere, tugging the Millionth's ponytail enough to throw off his aim. The arrow sailed high over Noman and the Slime-girls' heads, blasting apart the ceiling and causing something bright and molten to flow down.
More lava!? Noman internally cried out.
Marble kept yanking Ciro's hair, all strategy forgotten in a bout of immaturity. Only for Ciro to elbow him in the ribs and throw him over his shoulder. The Scout slammed into the ground hard, a pained gasp escaping his throat.
"That does it!" Ciro's face mask had fallen in their scuffle, revealing an expression twisted in fury. He stamped his foot down onto the Scout's chest and held the bow at point blank range. An arrow loaded and poking Marble's neck. "I'm going to blow your fucking HEAD OFF!"
"Hey!" Noman shouted threateningly, catching everyone's attention. He was stood at the edge of the lava pool, Righty still helping Legoless, with his hand holding a light blue leather cap over the lava. "Language." He hissed without a shred of hesitance.
Ciro just looked at the Billionth before letting out a harsh laugh, his arrow still pointed at Marble's neck. "What? Trying to bluff your way out of this again?"
Noman narrowed his eyes, not even bothering to comment. The Voda Shlem was held in his hand over the hissing lava. Behind him, lava continued to slowly pour down the cavern walls into where they were fighting.
"Nice try, but as I said before, you don't have the stones to—"
Noman threw the Voda Shlem high, not even bothering to watch it tumble through the air. Arcing straight into the lava pool.
"You IDIOT!" Ciro rushed forward, his eyes wide with panic, as he abandoned Marble in his haste to save the artifact. Noman didn't even stop the Millionth, stepping aside to allow him to throw himself over the lava pool to bobble the Voda Shlem in each hand before safely securing it in his vice-like grip.
He wasn't quite able to clear the pool, however. His upper torso impacted the edge with a painful THUMP and he desperately scrabbled along the stone's surface, hugging the edge.
"YOU ALMOST COST ME AN ARTIFACT!" Ciro bellowed, turning his head to where he was sure Noman would be.
However, Noman was no longer waiting by the lava's edge. Neither was Legoless or Righty. The attempt Ciro was sure the Billionth would make upon reclaiming the Voda Shlem never came. The three had gone over to pick up the Bethany bits and Marble and were now running to escape the cavern.
A cavern that was slowly filling with lava.
Ciro's eyes widened in fear as he saw the lava—lava that he had inadvertently unleashed— flow onto the ground, before beginning to gush towards him. He didn't bring any water.
And the Voda Shlem in his hands couldn't do anything against lava.
"…Fuck."
"Language!" A far-off cry echoed, safely away from the burning lava.
After safely finding their way back to Maplefrost's bunker, two of the three Slime-girls poked their heads up to look out for guards.
"All clear." Legoless called down cheerfully. The next instant, Bethany slithered out, followed by Marble.
Noman climbed forward, taking a moment to glance over his shoulder at the caverns below. He could still make out the glow of lava far below, but felt a detached emptiness towards it. He couldn't fathom why he was feeling so disinterested in Ciro's fate, or the fate of the Voda Shlem. But as he turned back to his companions, Marble stooped down to offer the Billionth a hand up, he felt comfortable with it all.
That thing twisting in his gut was replaced with…well…he felt at ease.
And it was with this comforting feeling that he gratefully accepted the Scout's hand and pulled himself from the floor.
"Well," Righty spoke dryly, "Think Maplecock will notice a giant pool of lava under his mansion?"
"Langauge, please." Noman commented shrewdly, but with a smile all the same. "I'm just glad we all made it out—hey!"
A good-hearted hair-ruffle, courtesy of Marble, disrupted the Billionth's words. The blond was grinning happily. "I'm proud of you, Nowhere. What you did down there was pretty badass, not gonna lie. I mean, the look on Ciro's face when you tossed that helmet…"
He made a good imitation of Ciro's expression, one of outrage mixed with fear, and Noman nodded along, though a tad bit sadly.
It wasn't hard for Marble to notice. "Hey, I'm really sorry about the Voda Shlem—"
Noman looked up at Marble with a knowing smirk. "No you're not."
"Uh…well…yeah, you got me" Marble admitted sheepishly. "That thing was driving me crazy. And seemed to be driving you and Ciro crazy too."
Noman couldn't argue. It was a shame that all their efforts amounted to the same result: Only one artifact. But his friends had all survived.
And that was enough for him.
"At least you managed to get some new recruits." Legoless chirped happily. "Ooh! I can't wait to meet the Scouts! You think they'll like me?"
"Not to worry." Marble turned with a confident smile. "All the Scouts are as charismatic and charming as yours truly…more or less."
"…Take me back to the cage." Righty groaned. "Maplecock's prison is better than whatever madness the Scouts get up to."
"Lang—"
"Shut the fuck up."
"—uage…"
"Don't think that, Righty." Bethany spoke tentatively. "J-just think of all the b-badges we can earn…"
Suddenly, Marble's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, yeah! I nearly forgot!" He pulled out his badge book and flipped through the pages, marking several spots. "…One-ninety-eight…one-ninety-nine…two hundred!" He exclaimed happily. "That's two-hundred whole badges under my belt!"
Noman smiled supportively. "That's great, Marble. Congratulations."
"Thanks! I was really worried I wouldn't make it this high." Marble closed the book and withdrew something new from his belt.
"So, how many more badges do you think you'll need to pass the other Scouts?"
However, Marble ignored the question as he crouched down, working with something in his hand. For a second, Noman was worried that the Scout was giving him the cold shoulder once more.
But as he craned his neck, he realized it was anything BUT cold.
"Why the fire?" Noman questioned, noticing how the Slime-girls all backed away from the flame. They really had a thing against fire.
Then, shock flitted across Noman's face when he saw Marble burn something.
"Marble!" Noman shouted, reaching for the burning badge book before it vanished in a puff of smoke. Gone forever. "Why did you just burn that!?"
"Well, duh." Marble turned, speaking like his madness was the most obvious thing in the world. "How else am I supposed to get my Burn a Book of Badges Badge?"
"The…burn…book…badges?" Noman questioned, practically envisioning the sparks flying from his own head. "But…you…"
"Oh, sorry girls." Marble stamped out the fire, his purpose with it done, and allowed the Slime-girls to approach them once again.
"Hang on one second!" Noman shouted, causing Marble to flinch in surprise.
"I don't see what the problem here is, Nowhere."
"No, I bet you don't!" Noman grit his teeth in frustration. "All this time you've been proclaiming your devotion to these badges! Badge this, and badge that! Badge! Badge! Badge!" Despite his exhaustion fighting Ciro and escaping the cavern, he still found the strength to rant. "And-and-and you just throw the book away!? Are you kidding!?"
"Well, no, because you just saw me burn it—"
"Then what was the point of it!?" Noman asked with immense frustration. "Why go through all that, only to burn the book!?"
Marble smiled. "Nowhere, that's the whole point of the Scouts."
"…huh?"
"Look," Marble placed a hand on Noman's shoulder. "Remember when I told you about Landon_Noir, the very first Scout, and how he founded the first badges. Based on Achievements he envisioned."
"Well…yeah?"
"Well, he may have liked the challenge those Achievements brought him, but even more than that, he treasured the comrades he made completing the Achievements. You think Landon could have slain a dragon single-handedly. Or collect enough rails to build a one-thousand long minecart track? Or hold down a Skeleton while he shot at it from over fifty meters away?" Marble laughed to himself. "No! Nobody could alone! And that's why Landon loved every second of completing Achievements! Because of the friends he made along the way."
Noman's mouth hung agape. So…there's…an actual method to Marble's madness?
"When he ran out of Achievements, Landon felt empty, knowing there was nothing more he could complete with his friends. And I'm sure they felt the same way. That's why he made new badges—why the Scouts pick a new Scout Master every five years to think up new badges. We'd run out otherwise!
"So, I'm not exactly doing it for the badges." Marble admitted. "Don't get me wrong, I love the sense of accomplishment they bring whenever I get one. But they're just pages in a book. More important are the people I befriend getting these things. They're the true worth—the true merit to these badges. And I've met a ton of interesting characters gaining these badges. Like that time I earned my Infiltrate an Exter Strip Club Badge…or when I met you getting my Prison-Break Badge!"
Noman felt like it was only yesterday that Marble had fallen through that ceiling, humming his ridiculous tune. Was he…only thinking of meeting new people?
"Oh, Marble!" Legoless gushed, pulling the blond Scout into a hug. "That's so touching! You truly are a good person!"
"Ow…ow…ow…ow…three-second rule!"
While Marble struggled to free himself from Legoless, Noman recalled the cardinal rule in Marble's book—probably in all the Scouts' books.
Never abandon a comrade to die.
So then…the Scouts were not a guild focused around badges—well, they were, but that didn't matter as much as their comrades. Their friends.
'I know that those badges are just random achievements thrown to you…stepping stones on a path to nothing!'
Noman felt his gut wrench at what he had said to the Scout. He had no idea the badges meant so much more…
"I…" Noman shook his head slightly. "I'm…not sure I understand it perfectly…but—" Noman looked up at a snickering Marble. "What?"
"Nowhere, you already understand it perfectly." Marble had a habit of making confusing things sound obvious. "You wouldn't have chucked that Voda Shlem if you didn't."
Noman's eyes widened slightly as realization slowly dawned on him. "You mean…?"
"Yep. One thing you need to remember, Nowhere, is that the destination may be a pretty sight, but the journey getting there—the people and places you meet—those are unforgettable."
The Scout extended a hand, grabbing Noman's and depositing their collective emeralds—the ones from the auction—into his hand.
"The badge book may have burned, but there's no way anyone can burn those memories from my head." Marble tapped his blond locks meaningfully. "Just try and remember that next time you go all artifact crazy."
Noman wiped his eyes with his sleeve again. He wasn't crying. Shut up. "Yeah…yeah, I don't think that'll burn from my head either."
Marble smiled. "I'm glad."
"Hate to interrupt this beautiful moment, but can we all get out of here?" Righty griped from beside a weeping Bethany. "I haven't had fresh air in I can't even remember how long."
Noman and Marble nodded along and the group made their way through Maplefrost's bunker, winding their way through until they reached the Testificate holding room.
"The way was right through…here…" Noman paused, looking at the cages surrounding them. All the Testificates kept imprisoned. "Hey, Marble?"
"Hmm?"
"What are you going to do after we get out of here?"
Marble shrugged. "What I do best. Getting badges. Meeting people. Making friends…and enemies if I feel like it. I'll probably head to the Dover Plains' Scout Den to properly recruit these three." He pointed to the Slime-girls. "They seem pretty eager to join, no matter what the one-armed one says."
"There's two one-armed ones." Noman clarified. "As for me, I'll probably pick up another artifact trail. At least I won't have to waste my time in Exter for the Yanhua Gong." At Marble's dubious glance, Noman made sure to add, "Don't worry. I won't let the artifacts get to me again."
Marble nodded with a smile. "Then I guess this is goodbye."
"Well…not quite." Noman drew out the words with an uncharacteristically mischievous smile. "See, you need to re-earn all those badges, right?"
"…yeah?"
"Like, say, the Prison-Break Badge?"
"Yeah."
"And…you could say…with all these cells and cages," Noman gestured around the room to the miserable Testificates locked away, "that this place qualifies as a prison."
Marble's eyes lit up. "I'm listening."
"I'm normally against this sort of thing," the Billionth turned to the three Slime-girls who had caught on fairly quickly if their eager smirks were any indication. "But we can't very well stand by and let these Testificates get abused, right?"
"No, you wouldn't be much of a Billionth if you let innocent Testificates down." Marble agreed, rubbing his hands together deviously.
"So…just this once…for this one badge to start you off…"
"Fuck, yeah!" Marble whooped enthusiastically, already racing off to break open cages.
Noman smiled with a content sigh. "I'm not even going to say it…" He mumbled before following his comrades.
His friends.
Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Chestplate {Severe Shield}, 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness I], 1 Bow [Infinity], 1 Wooden Axe, 13 Torches, 1 Bucket, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Stone Bricks, 7 Gravel, 1 Book {Notch Mission II}, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Dover Plains Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Dover Plains}, 1 Arrow, 2 Glass Bottles, 11 Steaks, 7 Enchanted Golden Apples, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Blue], 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 9 Emeralds, 2 Bones, 14 Rotten Flesh
[EXP: 1]
AN: Thus ends the Noman Arc. Again, I don't regret it.
More importantly, I think I just wrote something deep and meaningful. And this is supposed to be an Adventure/Humor Story! HA! Take that, genres!
So, yeah, if you haven't already figured it out, the main point of this Arc was to show how Noman's obsession with the artifacts is bad, and that he shouldn't lose himself trying to get them...less he turn into Ciro.
The similarities between badges and artifacts are closer than you think. Not sure if that was subtle. Was that subtle? Or too subtle? Not subtle enough? The Scouts' objective made a good contrast with Noman's mission in my opinion.
And Marble was the loyal Scout with the heart of gold. I'm gonna miss him. Though I've missed Cobb probably as much as the rest of you. So, as promised, we'll return to his adventures with a brand new Arc. Hope you're ready...
Also, there's one last thing in the Omake. Surprisingly it has relevance to the plot, but it didn't fit with the ending I wrote.
See you all next week! (^_^)
Omake: All for Naught
"What do you mean the Testificates have escaped!?"
Lord Maplefrost held the collar of his guard with balled up fists. His whole auction party had been one disaster after another. First the Endward Cult strikes, and now his collection of Testificates was in jeopardy.
"Apologies, sir." The guard spoke up, doing his best not to react to the Lord's anger. He was the one paying them after all. "The guards reported that all the cages have been busted open."
"Even the Slimy cage!?"
"Especially the Slimy cage."
"Ngah!" The Lord threw the guard onto the floor and turned his back on him to face his roaring fireplace. "If anyone finds out the secret to my emeralds…I'll be ruined! Take as many men as you need and FIND. THOSE. TESTIFICATES!"
"The guards are already searching." The guard assured with a bow. "If the culprits are still in the bunker or on your property…we'll find them."
"You better." Maplefrost growled, heading to his brewing stand to make himself a drink. He needed one after all the day's misfortune. The only good piece of news was the bundle he had made selling the auction items. Most of it would have to go to repairing the dining room and bunker…he desperately wished he sold that leather helmet to those two guests.
Three-hundred emeralds would have covered the damages quite nicely. Especially given how the helmet was—
*SMASH*
"What the—MMPH!" The guard Maplefrost had just spoken to was grabbed by the mouth and, before he could shout in protest, was slammed into the wall twice before a sword finished him off.
Maplefrost dropped the drink he was making, all color draining from his face as a man in a red trench coat brushed past the fallen guard's gear to stand before him. Maplefrost vaguely remembered him as the same man who lost the bid on the Voda Shlem.
The man looked mad. Furious, in fact. His heterochromatic eyes were burning with a cold hatred and his clothes were blackened with soot, as if he had fought his way through lava. And as Maplefrost's eyes slid to the sword in the attacker's hands, and with all the guards searching the grounds for the Testificate thieves, he desperately wished the man's anger was not directed at himself.
"Out with it, Maplefrost." The man, Ciro_Che, demanded. "Where's the Voda Shlem?"
Maplefrost, if possible, turned even paler at the disgruntled attacker's question. "The Voda Shlem…is in a safe and undisclosed location—and is no longer for sale…"
"Liar!" Ciro growled, taking a menacing step forward and fishing a light blue leather cap from his backpack. "This was all that was down there! And it's nothing but a fake!" At those words, he violently chucked the cap into the fireplace where it burned to nothing. "Now where's the real one!? I know you have it!"
"I-I-AGH!" Ciro had fisted a handful of Maplefrost's shirt and lifted him above the ground, slamming him into a wall. "Wait! I-I don't have it!"
"Don't bullshit me, Maplefrost!" Ciro slammed the stuttering Lord into the wall again. "I saw you demonstrate its power during the auction! You have the artifact, so where is it!"
"No-no-I…I…" Maplefrost's eyes were wide with terror. "I made it up!"
Ciro's hand loosened a bit from Maplefrost's shirt, causing the Lord to fall in a crumpled heap upon the floor. He shrunk in upon himself and massaged his sore chest, still looking at Ciro fearfully.
"...Care to explain that, again?" It was the sudden calmness of his voice that made Maplefrost all the more worried.
"Well…I…the Voda Shlem's legend is very well-known amongst the Families and Dover Plains…everything from the color to the name…to the item's power…and…and it's been missing for so long—"
"You faked the artifact?" Ciro questioned, his eyes showing a glimmer of clarity. "I see...Anything to earn your Family more emeralds. It must have been the easiest scam you ever had—dye a cap light blue, change its name, and sell it for three-hundred emeralds." Ciro narrowed his eyes. "And I bet those volunteers you called to the stage to test its power…were some of your guards in disguise. Did you bribe them to move slowly while attacking you?"
"Please…let me go…I'm sorry…it was just for the emeralds, I swear!"
"No wonder the helmet didn't have the right particles…and why that fraud couldn't activate it. A fake using a fake!"
Maplefrost had no idea what Ciro was talking about, but he noticed how the man's sword was held tighter than ever. "Please…I didn't mean to waste your time…just put away the sword and let's talk like civil—"
"In that case," Ciro kicked at the Lord, positioning his blade over his chest, "You're not worth anything to me!"
"NO! Please!" Maplefrost begged. "I'll pay you what the Voda Shlem was worth—Double its worth!"
Ciro glared at the man coldly. "What do I need emeralds for? I only needed the wealth to purchase the Voda Shlem. But now that I know it was a fake…" The sword raised itself even higher.
"NO!" Maplefrost shielded his face. "I'm too rich to die!"
And with a sharp stab, Lord Maplefrost breathed his last.
"What a waste of my time…" Ciro growled, returning his sword to his belt and creeping out of Maplefrost's room, making sure to close the door behind him.
The only thing Ciro had gained was the assurance that his theory regarding what Notch had done with the Severe Shield had been correct. It was in the Billionth's possession. A fake so stupid as to throw away an artifact of unimaginable power…only for the artifact to turn out a fake.
Now I have competition finding these artifacts…but that's fine.
He's an amateur anyway. Even with the strongest artifact he still couldn't win.
So let him collect as many as he wants.
Because when I find him again, they'll all be mine…
And he'll be dead.
AN: RIP Maple - oh wait. The guy was spawning Testificates and keeping them imprisoned underground as his own personal emerald supply.
And he was willing to pass off a dyed leather helmet as an all-powerful and expensive artifact.
So...yeah. No RIP for him.