AN: I can practically hear the angry readers upset that it took me this long to publish a Chapter. You have every right to be upset. This Chapter was... well, you tell me what you think.
Also, because someone asked, I've put another puzzle into this one. As always, the prize is acknowledgement next Chapter and a Victory Cookie shown below.
(::)
Puzzle: What tastes better than it smells?
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add metal boats that could sail across lava.
...Did I use that one before? I feel like I mentioned iron boats before.
Meh.
Beta: Myself
Chapter 65
Nitebane (Part 2)
Bits of moonlight filtered through the hole-ridden skyscrapers, dimly illuminating the grim ruin that was Nitebane. As the Silver Intent group continued to sneak through the Kingdom, narrowly evading Griefer patrols, Floyd began to realize the sheer scale of how broken Nitebane had become.
There was one building that could have been a college. It had ornate stone sculptures of books, and the blue-nette thought he could see some desks through one of the rooms… though he could only see into one of the rooms because a chunk of the wall was missing.
There was a small park; Perhaps for citizens to walk their pets. It had grass and benches… or at least what may have once resembled benches. Now they were just hunks of wood. Were Griefers so petty that they had to steal benches!?
It looked like the Griefers had a hand in ruining everything. Didn't matter if it was valuable or not. Street signs, sidewalks, trees, lamp posts, windows, buildings. All crumbling, broken, burned, or blown up.
The blue-nette was starting to wish his Potion of Night Vision would wear off. Being able to see so much mindless devastation as clear as day was starting to get to him.
"I know it's tough to look at." Cara spoke up, seeming to read Floyd's mind. "But this is real. All of this has happened… and can happen again."
"Not if we can help it." Soul mumbled.
There wasn't much else to say about it.
A few moments later, Cara's eyes lighted up. "That's the place." She was looking eagerly at a ruined bathroom. It was definitely a bathroom because there were holes in the floor, filled with water, and a nasty odor that clung to the air. The bathroom's walls and stalls were knocked out, leaving only the foundations behind.
"…Is this gonna be like the secret base in Ringwood? You know, like the one with the hay bales?" Floyd questioned tentatively. "Because a ruined bathroom doesn't sound too appealing."
Cara rolled her eyes. "Yes, there's a secret base. Finding ways to hide these bases is half the fun. This one, in particular, is tricky to find since nobody would ever try and enter."
Floyd looked wary. "How do you enter it?"
Cara smirked as she strolled up to the ruined bathroom and gestured to a water-filled hole in the ground.
Floyd looked between the purple-haired Crafter and the toilet, putting the pieces together.
When it finally clicked, he took a step back. "I'm not jumping in that."
"Oh, you will."
"But it's disgusting!"
"If it was sanitary, everyone would be breaking in." Cara explained with a snicker. "It's really not that bad."
"Yeah, Floyd. Just grow a pair and jump." Soul replied gruffly. "Meanwhile, I'll wait up here."
"Oh?" Cara raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to see the outpost yourself?"
Soul tried to act nonchalant, even though his eyes darted to the toilet and he was slowly inching away from it. "No… when you've seen one outpost you've seen them all. Besides, I need to stay up here to… guard the entrance. Yeah. Can't let any Griefers find it."
"Now who needs to grow a pair?" Floyd mumbled.
"What was that?" Soul growled.
"I said, 'Now who needs to grow a pair'." Floyd repeated without shame.
"Ahem!" Cara cleared her throat, getting the other two's attention. "While I would love for you two to keep arguing in the open where Griefers or Hackers could see us, I need to remind you that we have a mission to complete." Cara glanced at them both. "So quit being a couple of babies and jump in already."
Floyd and Soul stole another glance at the disgusting toilet, then back to Cara who was struggling to keep the frown on her face. With a resigned groan, the two Crafters walked up to the toilet.
"It's nothing… just a hole with water." Soul took in steadying breaths, which proved to be the wrong move since the air had a stench to it.
"Just pretend it's a cold bath." Floyd pinched his nose with his fingers… and then pushed Soul in first.
"Don't you daaaAAAA—FUCK!" As he fell, the axe-wielder threw out his hand and grabbed Floyd's arm, pulling him in too. "If I'm going down… I'm taking you with me!"
Floyd shrieked in disgust before he fell head first after Soul. The toilet was deeper than they expected and opened up into a big room just below the floor. The two Crafters fell into a heap, the toilet stench sticking to their clothes.
"UGH!" Floyd covered his nose as the smell of excrement assaulted him. "No wonder nobody finds this place! Nobody would jump into a toilet!"
"Yep. It's pretty silly." Cara commented meekly as she climbed down a ladder by the wall.
…
There was a ladder by the wall?
Soul got up off the floor and pointed at Cara, looking outraged "Wha—! You said the toilet was the only way in!"
"I never said that." Cara replied simply. She was trying so hard not to laugh that her face was straining. "I don't know why you guys wanted to use the toilet entrance when there was a perfectly good hidden ladder available, buuuuut to each their own."
"I… you…" Soul looked like he wanted to strangle Cara, but settled for a disgruntled, "You suck."
"Love you too." Cara replied warmly before walking past the two. "But in all seriousness, welcome to the Nitebane outpost." She walked up to a set of wooden doors and knocked on them loudly. "Void? You here? If you're asleep, say something. If you're drunk, don't."
There was a great clatter behind the doors, sounding like multiple objects had fallen off a table. A few muttered curse words followed before the door was flung open.
"Cara! Good to see you again!" Cara was enveloped in a crushing hug by a male Crafter. He had messy brown hair, chocolate-brown eyes. He wore a blue-and-white checkered hoodie, khaki jeans, and a brown belt and backpack to hold his gear. Above his head was the name Void_Dweller. "For a second, I thought you were some Griefers that fell into the toilet by accident."
Cara blinked owlishly. "Has that happened?"
Void laughed. "You'd be surprised. Oh, and I see you brought some fellow members." The brown-haired man sniffed the air before pulling a face. "And I see you pulled the same prank on them as I had you."
Cara smiled sheepishly. "I couldn't resist."
"Well then, you two," he pointed to Floyd and Soul, "there's a shower in the back you can use to clean that stank off of you. Cara can fill me in on why you're all here in the meantime."
The two Crafters nodded gratefully as they pushed each other in an effort to use the shower first.
They passed through a room that looked very similar to the Silver Intent base in Ringwood. There was a table with several chairs surrounding it, a large map that displayed Minecraftia, brewing stands, chests, beds in little alcoves along the wall, a proud Silver Intent banner… and a shower room.
Two showers later, Floyd and Soul were back out, feeling clean and refreshed. Cara was seated at the table, explaining the current mission to Void_Dweller.
"…Brett must be pretty confident if he wants to replace that banner." Void mused. "It'll get the cult's attention for sure. Though with how dangerous Nitebane is right now… he should have sent more of you."
"Does that added danger have something to do with the Hacker we ran into on the way here?" Void looked startled at Cara's latest comment.
"You… you ran into a Hacker?" Void spoke in a hushed whisper. "By Notch, how did you—"
"We kept hidden." Cara stated simply. "Some other Crafters weren't so lucky. Is there any particular reason for Hackers to be here?"
Void nodded fervently while Soul and Floyd took seats around the table, ready to listen to what the brown-haired man had to say.
"With Nitebane as ruined as it is, some would say it's no longer a Kingdom. Others, however, would argue it's still a Kingdom, only, instead of a monarchy, it's more like a tyranny." Void explained with a weary sigh. "Since it first fell apart, and the line of Kings slain, Nitebane has been constantly beset by groups of bandits and Griefers. Their strongest warrior is usually the one that claims the throne and, by extension, the cozy seat at Lunar Castle.
"However, their 'reign' only lasts as long as they remain undefeated. Not much they can do if a stronger warrior rolls into Nitebane, with a stronger crew, and starts making demands and claims. So it's a cycle of Crafters coming in, fighting each other for dominance, taking over, reveling in spoils, and getting toppled by the next group of knuckleheads. For the longest time, Nitebane was a juicy steak being ripped apart by dogs."
"…Was?" Floyd ventured. "Isn't it still like that?"
Void chuckled humorlessly. "Well, that's where the Hackers come in. See, one such Hacker, by the name of Ocan, saw Nitebane as a challenge; A dog-pile of scum with the winner sitting up top. Naturally, he came into town, and used his Hacker powers to kill the current dictator.
"The Griefers that infested the town, like rats, were drawn to Ocan's powers (Griefers always are). They kneeled before him, and respected and accepted him as the strongest in Nitebane. Whenever someone came to challenge him, Ocan ruthlessly murdered them. The dog-pile of power soon ended, as aggressors were too afraid of the infamous Hacker name.
"Now, Nitebane is the Griefer capital of Minecraftia. Griefers are free to kill and destroy and torment without fear of being driven out. And until Ocan is killed, it's only gonna stay that way."
Void pulled out an Awkward Potion from his belt and downed it in one gulp. From what Floyd understood, it was like alcohol.
"With a Hacker as dictator, it's not unusual to see other Hackers entering or leaving the Kingdom. I suspect they have a loose system of communications between themselves. They like to keep in touch."
"Yeah, well the one we saw really kept in touch with that couple." Floyd muttered, thinking back on the Crafters he couldn't save from Espen.
"Did you say a couple of Crafters?" Void questioned with interest. "Strange. I couldn't imagine what a couple would be doing in Nitebane. It's not exactly a honeymoon spot."
"Well maybe they had a dangerous mission to do too." Soul commented sarcastically. "Speaking of which, don't we have a banner to replace… at the Center for Disease Control?"
"Center of Planar Trade." Cara corrected.
"Doesn't that just roll of the tongue."
"Sadly, Soul's right." Cara sat up from her seat, ignoring Soul's frown. "While it's been enlightening playing catch-up, we came here to resupply. We need food, Potions of Night Vision, arrows… the works."
"Of course." Void stood up and walked over to a pile of chests. He rummaged around, tossing things overhead for Cara to catch. "Let's see… three Potions of Night Vision… Strength, Swiftness… do you prefer steak or fish?"
"Steak."
"Fish it is, then!" Void ignored the annoyance on Cara's face as he tossed her, Soul, and Floyd a stack of cooked fish. The brown-haired man then shoved a fistful of steak into his backpack. "I hope you won't mind if I tag along on your mission. I've been cooped up for the past several days."
"We don't need any more help." Soul replied harshly.
"Not that we don't appreciate the offer." Cara tacked on hastily. She shot Soul a disapproving frown, but he merely shrugged at his rudeness. Even if Void's offer was with the best of intentions, Soul saw it as a sign of weakness to accept more help.
Void, however, took Soul's harshness in stride. "There are a lot of dangerous spots between here and the Center. You think you can navigate them all by yourselves?"
"Well…" Cara looked hesitant as she thought it over. "I guess it would pay off to have someone who knows the area better…"
"Then it's settled!" Void clapped his hands decidedly. "Just let me pack my sword and I'll be ready to—OH! Wait… if we're going to climb the Center of Planar Trade, we'll need some ladders…"
"I can make some." Floyd volunteered. Anything to help the group. "How many will we need?"
"A lot." Void replied as he brandished an iron sword and donned some armor.
Floyd quickly placed his crafting table and converted all of his oak wood planks and sticks into ladders. By the time he was done, he had thirty ladders, one oak wood plank, and five sticks.
"How good are you with that sword?" The axe-wielder eyed Void critically.
"Well…" Void considered himself for a moment. "On a scale of 1 to 2, I'd say I'm a solid 1.531."
"…What's with that scale—"
"Though, I personally think I fight better drunk." Void already withdrew a bottle of Awkward Potion and sloshed it down before his eyes looked unfocused and hazy. "Awrighty. Time to… *hic* goooo…"
Soul had to duck as Void spastically swung his sword around in a drunken stupor. He then turned to Cara. "You couldn't have said 'no', could you?"
Cara looked sheepish at that. "In my defense…" She paused for a few seconds, thinking of an excuse, before giving up and turning on her heel. "Let's go."
Soul snorted. "I wish I could dodge arrows as well as you dodge questions—Ow!"
The axe-wielder rolled around on the ground with an arrow lodged in his foot, courtesy of Cara. "Keep working on that." Cara smirked before ducking with a yelp as Soul threw a cooked fish at her. She quickly ascended the ladder, shielding her face from the volley of fish.
"Wheeee… *hic* let's goooo fight us some banners!" Void stumbled forward, bumping into Floyd's chest. "Oh… so sorry miss…"
"I'm a guy." Floyd replied flatly.
"…Ooooh." Void replied dully, scrunching his eyes to focus on Floyd's face. For a second, Floyd felt compelled to cover the markings over his eyes. The urge was quelled soon after. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure I'm a guy."
"…but your hair is blue. Light-blue in fact. That's a girly color."
Floyd sighed. "Soul, tell him I'm a guy."
"Why do you want me to lie to the man, Floydette?" Soul smirked as he climbed the ladder, leaving the blue-nette to weather Void's drunken accusations.
"I knew it!" Void hiccupped. "Brown, black, or gray, they're a man. Yes way... Light blu-ish or greenish, they don't have a pe—"
"What kind of a nursery rhyme is that!?" Floyd quickly covered his ears and climbed up the ladder (a remarkable feat in of itself).
Void followed after with a drunken chuckle. "If you think that's too inappropriate, wait until I sing the one about the dispenser and the blaze rod!"
"Cara! Be a leader and keep this drunk away from me!"
Despite Void's drunkenness, he took the utmost of care traversing Nitebane's darkened streets. It was either a testament of his experience with Nitebane… or a testament of his tolerance to Awkward Potions.
"Thank goodness for these potions." Cara whispered, spotting a crack in the road that she otherwise wouldn't have seen without night vision. It was true that the additional brews proved invaluable to navigating the streets and evading Griefers.
"Night Vision is good, but Strength Potions are even better." Soul grinned as he tapped the dark red potions at his belt. They were also of a higher rank, meaning they could more than double a Crafter's power. It was no wonder why the combat-aggressive Soul preferred them.
"I like *hic* Awkward Potions… followed by Mundane Potions… and Thick Potions…" Void slurred as he held up an empty bottle, the contents of which he had forgotten to have just drank. "…Where'd it all go?"
Unsurprisingly, Floyd noted how all the Potions Void mentioned were alcoholic beverages. He probably should have said something about Void's drinking… but ultimately decided not to get between a man and his liquor.
"What about you, Floydette…" Void murmured, eliciting a groan from Floyd and a chuckle from Soul and Cara.
"One, I'm not a girl. And two, I like Potions of Swiftness." Floyd pulled out the electric blue potion from his backpack and admired it. "Feeling the wind course through my veins… that racing sensation… feeling like I can outrun anybody… nothing like it."
"Well, if you prefer running away like a coward." Soul sniped, dampening Floyd's spirits. "I prefer to tackle things head-on."
"Sometimes it's better to run away." Cara interjected, not missing the veiled insult towards Floyd. "You can't be expected to win every fight you come across. Rather than bet everything on one battle, it's better to live to fight another day."
Soul scoffed as if he doubted it. "Why do tomorrow what you could do today?"
Cara shrugged. "You could get more intel. Stand a better chance."
Soul shook his head as the group cut through a torn skyscraper. "You don't need intel or time or any of that nonsense. Haven't you ever heard of the 'Angel of Death'?"
"Oh, here we go again." Cara rolled her eyes. "Another spiel about your hero?"
"Who's the 'Angel of Death'?" Floyd asked, eliciting gasps from his three companions. He thought the name sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember where he heard it.
"How could you NOT know about the most famous, awesomest, badass in Minecraftia?" Soul practically shouted. After a slap from Cara, he wisely toned his voice down. "The Angel of Death is the leader of the Paragons, one of the three largest guilds in Minecraftia. She's also famous for decimating the entire Southern Division of the Endward Cult! She's a legend!"
"The entire… division?" Floyd's eyes widened. "But that would be a quarter of the entire cult, no?"
"That's the thing!" Soul shouted fervently. "She did all that in a single night, and she didn't need any plans or useless crap like that. No, she got shit done! That's the kind of person I want to be. No nonsense, tough as nails—"
"A woman."
"A woman—shut it, Floydette!"
Cara, however, rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Soul, you're almost as obsessed as Brett. He's been trying to contact the Angel of Death for months." Cara explained to an interested Floyd. "Wants the Paragons and the Silver Intent to join forces against the cult. Despite his offers, he hasn't gotten a response. But, really, the Angel hasn't made much of a move since the Southern Division. I wouldn't be surprised if she's trying to keep under the radar."
"She's so powerful, she could probably blink in the direction of the cult and they'd be wiped off the map." Soul praised, his red eyes sparkling with admiration. "What I wouldn't give to meet her in person…"
Void hiccupped. "Would you give up your left nut?"
"My wh—okay, I would give almost anything to meet her."
"…yoooouuuuur right nut?"
"I was thinking more in terms of emeralds or weapons and less in terms of my nuts, Void."
While the two bickered, Cara looked out between two buildings and her eyes lit up. "Bingo! The Center of Planar Trade."
Floyd looked over her shoulders, spotting a massive ornate building. It had entrances on all sides, with steps leading up to pillared supports. Most of the supports were ruined and covered in vines, like the rest of the Kingdom, and there seemed to be lava pouring out on one of the higher level. Higher up, there was a large clock with a missing minute hand. There was a domed roof, with gaps of broken glass and stone. And on the very top of the dome, the part that looked mostly untouched, was a small billowing banner; the design of which Floyd couldn't clearly make out.
"I think I get why you said we needed a lot of ladders." Floyd commented. The Center, while not as tall as the skyscrapers, was enormous. Thirty ladders wouldn't get them anywhere.
"Not to *hic* worry." Void pointed out as he stumbled forward. "We can use those vines for most of the way. The ladders are simply for when we come across a vine-less *hic* surface."
"Okay…" Floyd nodded to himself, taking another look at the Center building. "That doesn't sound so bad."
"Oh, and *hic* did I mention that a lot of Griefers camp out in the Center?"
Sure enough, a group of fifty Griefers rode up the stairs and past the pillars, hollering gleefully about recent kills and acquired gear.
"Better now than later." Soul muttered, his axe in hand and his eyes showing grim determination.
Cara, however, closed her fist around the axe. "Soul, calm down already! You're not the Angel of Death, so don't even think you can try and fight all those Griefers!" Soul reluctantly obeyed, returning the axe to his belt. "We go up, grab the banner, replace it, get the hell out of here. Got it?"
"Got it."
"Got *hic* it."
"Sure."
"Good." Cara withdrew the Silver intent banner… and proceeded to hand it to Floyd. "Go do it."
"Wha—" Floyd barely finished his question before the banner was roughly thrust into his hands, the force of the action sending him stumbling back. "Why me?"
"Because I can tell by the look in his eyes that Soul would rather knock in Griefer skulls than replace a banner. And since Void's drunk, I'd rather he not climb vines up the side of a building, thank you." Cara patted Floyd supportively on the shoulder. "Think of it this way, I trust you the most."
"More like you distrust me the least."
"Glass half-empty, glass half-full." Cara waved off. "Same thing."
"It's not the same *hic* thing!" Void shouted. "I want a glass half-FULL of awkward-y goodness."
"This whole conversation is chalk-full of awkward-y goodness." Soul deadpanned. "But anyway, if Floyd is too tired to handle the stupid flag mission, I'll do it myself." Soul reached out to snag the banner, but Floyd pulled it out of his reach.
"No! I mean—I can handle it, really." Floyd rattled his head to stave off the drowsiness. "I can do it."
Soul didn't look convinced, but stepped away all the same. "So what do we do?" He asked Cara. "Twiddle our thumbs until he gets back?"
"We'll act as lookouts between buildings. If we see any Griefers coming, we'll signal Floyd to wait. If not, we'll tell him to go." Cara pointed towards an intact balcony on the third floor of a nearby skyscraper. "Soul, you take position up there and watch the left side. Void, you stay here and watch the lower left. I'll take position by that gnarled tree and watch the right."
Cara demonstrated which signals to use for which situations and made sure everyone could accurately understand and perform them. With that taken care of, everyone took their positions.
Floyd drank one of Void's Swiftness Potions and got into a running position. The nearest vine-covered pillar was about 100 meters away. If he was fast enough, he could make that distance in a twenty second window.
Looking up to the balcony, Floyd saw Soul give the signal. Cara and Void did the same, prompting the blue-nette to sprint from his cover. He deftly leapt over cracks and ruins, ascending the steps without losing any speed.
He didn't take a moment to rest when he hit the pillar. Instead, he entwined his fingers into the dense vines and pulled himself up. His lungs burned, but he kept his arms moving, pulling himself higher and higher until he reached a small stone lip at the top of the pillar. From there, he carefully placed ladders and a wooden plank for a foothold to climb further.
Thinking to check on his companions, Floyd made the mistake of glancing down. His stomach fell from him as he realized just how high up he was.
Why did I look down!? He internally groaned before shaking his head and pushing on.
Coming to the end of the latest vine, Floyd placed several ladders and hoisted himself up to the building's clock face. A few bats were sleeping beneath the clock's hour hand, but they were soon disturbed and squeaking about.
As Floyd tried to bat them away, his foot slipped on a rung and he lost his balance. That frightening sense of falling gripped his chest as he fell back. Thinking fast, he hooked his leg in between the ladder rungs. He winced in pain as his leg creaked and he found himself suspended upside-down by it.
He bit back an agonized yelp as he tried to pull himself back to a position that didn't leave him dangling hundreds of feet in the air. As he wiggled about, his leg creaked again, still wedged firmly between the rungs. Though it didn't prevent some items from falling out of his backpack.
Noooo! Floyd internally screamed as he saw the Silver Intent banner tumble from his pack. He threw out a hand and caught it, but could only watch as his wooden sword and book about Miner's Warren tumbled through the air.
Getting over the loss of a few measly items, Floyd held the banner between his teeth and pulled himself up by his leg, his hands searching for something stable to grab until they finally wrapped around a familiar rung.
The blue-nette, with some difficulty, freed his leg from the ladder and breathed a sigh of relief… only for something to whiz past his face, disrupting his hair.
He blinked in confusion and looked up, expecting rain. Then he winced as something sharp caught him in the calf. He looked down to see an arrow, courtesy of a band of Griefers at the bottom of the Center.
Soul watched the blue-nette climb up the vines.
Soul watched him get to the clock face.
Soul watched him slip on nothing and fall back to hang from the ladder like a monkey.
And then Soul watched as a few of his items fell. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending how you looked at it), a Griefer had walked out to take a piss. Instead he took a wooden sword pommel to the skull knocking him out cold.
And then the other Griefers had noticed it and grabbed their bows. And now Soul watched as Floyd got shot at.
"One job…" He growled as he withdrew his iron axe. Over by the gnarled tree, Cara was waving at Soul with a complicated set of hand motions. If Soul were to guess, he would say she wanted him to stay put…
But, since she never taught them that hand sign, he would just have to feign ignorance. After he took on some Griefers.
"About time I see some action." He commented as he rolled over the balcony, eliciting a facepalm from Cara.
Floyd hugged the ladder close as the barrage of arrows flew by. Griefers weren't as skilled as most, devoting their time to destruction and suffering, but if you got enough people together to shoot some arrows, one of them was bound to get a bull's-eye.
Speaking of which, two more arrows caught him in the thigh and back, prompting him to get off the damn thing.
"You'll be fiiiine, Floyd!" The blue-nette mimicked Cara's feminine tone as he angrily climbed the ladder, avoiding arrows, with the Silver Intent banner still firmly clenched beneath his teeth. "You're only scaling a fucking building, at night, surrounded by people that want to kill you!"
Doing crazy stuff like that…
That was what Cobb should have been there for.
Finally reaching the domed edge of the building, Floyd hoisted himself up, his breathing ragged as a dog, and spat the banner onto the roof. Winds whipped at his hair, a testament to how high he was. And yet the skyscrapers surrounding him were even taller than that.
Then Floyd's eyes spotted the banner at the very pinnacle of the domed roof. The design was rather simple: A black banner with a purple flower stamped in the center.
And yet the symbol belonged to the Endward Cult, arguably the most dastardly group in Minecraftia. It was hard not to acknowledge to weight of what that symbol meant.
But Floyd didn't have all day to look at it. The Griefers had spotted him and were probably trying to climb up the vines. He snatched up the Silver Intent's banner, hurried right up to the Endward Cult banner, and kicked it down. The wind caught it a little, causing it to flutter back towards where Floyd had climbed up. But the blue-nette paid it no mind as he gripped the Silver Intent banner, displaying a silver horseshoe against a black back-drop, and plunged it into the stone where the old banner had once rested.
The banner fluttered in the wind, proudly displaying its sigil for all to see.
Floyd nodded to himself, backing up to admire his work, before fully turning to run back to the ladder. He picked up the Endward Cult banner (knowing Brett would want it to verify a job well done), and peered over the edge with his bow loaded.
Instead of the Griefers he expected to be climbing up, he simply saw a shifting crowd surround an ironclad axe-wielder—
"One job, Soul…"
"You want some of this!?" Soul lashed out with an axe, cleaving a Griefer into a pile of gear. "I'll give you all of it!"
The axe-wielder had drained a Potion of Strength, not caring how many enemies he had to face, so long as he was fighting something.
Dark red particles swirled around him as he spun his axe into a reverse grip. He backhanded an approaching Griefer with his free hand and delivered a solid chop to the torso of another. "I can do this all night!"
A Griefer yelped as his arm was slashed back. "What's with his strength!? He's a monster!"
"We need back-up!" Another Griefer called out as two more Griefers were slain. "Go wake up Lord Urson!"
A few Griefers nodded, eager to leave the scene, as they retreated into the Center.
"Who's Urson?" Soul questioned as he lashed out again, sweeping several Griefers off their feet. "Is he supposed to be the big, bad boss?"
One of the Griefers shot an arrow at Soul, catching him in the shoulder. "Wait until Lord Urson gets hold of you. He'll tear you to pieces!"
"Hmph. I'd like to see him tryyyyyy!?" Soul yelled out in confusion as something snagged him by the shirt, pulling him free of the crowd of Griefers. Looking behind him, he saw that it was a fishing hook, with Floyd, Cara, and Void attached to the other end. "What's the big idea?"
"One job!" Cara pointed accusingly. "One. Job."
"Don't let them get away!" A Griefer shouted, spurring a small army of a hundred Griefers to pursue the Silver Intent group.
"Tactical retreat!" Cara ordered, half-guiding, half-dragging Soul along with her. Floyd and Void kept pace.
"Ooh! I *hic* know what we need!"
"I swear if it's another Awkward Potion, I'll—" Floyd stopped his rant as an electric blue splash potion was thrown at their feet, giving them all the speed to outrun the Griefers.
The four Crafters cut through a skyscraper, weaving between buildings as the angry howls behind them petered out.
However, that didn't keep them from stumbling upon other groups of Griefers.
"Hey, what the—!"
"Fresh kills!"
"Oooh! One of them's a lady~!"
"Grrr… back this way!" Cara called out, backtracking between two skyscrapers. The group followed obediently, even though the shouts and hollers of Griefers were beginning to surround them.
"There they go!"
"Cut them off! Kill them!"
"Did that one guy have lines over his eyes?"
"Leave them for Lord Urson! He'll want a taste!"
"I'm starting to get why this was a stealth mission!" Floyd commented in between breaths. No matter how fast they ran, the Griefers seemed to cut them off at every turn. They probably knew the streets and shortcuts of Nitebane better than anyone.
"Back this way!" Cara shouted again as she squeezed through a thin alley. The rest of the group followed…
Only to come across a dead-end.
"Well, better pour one out for us." Void mumbled hopelessly as he dumped an Awkward Potion into his mouth. Behind them, the sounds of Griefers were getting louder and louder. It wouldn't be long before they…
What was Cara doing with her hands?
Cara's arm was bent upwards, forming a fist, as she frantically stripped off her armor. She kept silent the entire time, her eyes locked on the group in a pleading stare.
Floyd thought for a second before remembering what Cara had said before they entered Nitebane. The signal she had demonstrated with the bent arm forming a fist…
'Stay close, and watch my hands for signals at all times. If I do this, then that means you should strip off all your armor and stay silent.'
Catching her meaning at the exact same time, Floyd and Soul stripped off their armor. Not understanding what they were doing, but too drunk to care, Void followed suit.
The Griefers were getting louder, their shadows dancing across the edge of the alley.
Just as Floyd pulled off his last piece of armor, Cara threw down a light gray splash potion. As the bottle burst forth, all four Crafters suddenly disappeared, their bodies as transparent as a door-to-door salesman.
In the nick of time too. For the Griefers had glanced into the alley not a second later, seeing only an empty dead-end before them. They passed without a second glance, eager to catch the foolish Crafters who had stumbled into their land.
Everyone, even the drunken Void, was as silent as the grave. Nobody dared move, or whisper, or do anything for fear of being found out. Even when the voices of the Griefers died out, the group remained still.
Only when the Invisibility Potion wore off did the group let out a sigh of glorious relief. They dug into the dead-end alley, replacing the stone behind them, and hid inside the second floor of a ruined skyscraper. It was filled with cubicles and papers littering the ground, perhaps an office building.
"Good thinking with that *hic* potion, Cara." Void slurred, mistakenly patting a cubicle wall instead of Cara's shoulder. "Saved our bacon, you did."
"We could've taken them… but, yeah, good on you, Cara." Soul offered, causing Cara to blush at the praise.
"Hehe! It pays to be prepared." She smiled before turning to Floyd. "So… did you do it?"
Floyd nodded, withdrawing the Nitebane banner from his backpack. The group stared at the simplistic flower design. The symbol of their sworn enemy was staring them right in the face.
Cara leaned back, resting her head on a spot of carpet. "Mission accomplished."
"Mission accomplished." Floyd smiled to himself as he stowed the banner back into his backpack. "Not too bad for my first mission, eh?"
There was a slight scoff from an axe-wielder that didn't go unnoticed.
"…What?" Floyd asked directly, not liking the sound of that scoff. He had done a good job. He almost broke a leg climbing that building and yet Soul still thought less of him. "What, hmm? What's the problem?"
"No. No problem." Soul raised his hands up disarmingly before his eyes sharpened. "Just that you consider slipping on nothing and almost falling off as a success."
"What was that?"
"Hey, hey, guys?" Cara got up off the floor, sensing a possible argument. "We did the mission. It was a success."
"That's what I was saying until this guy spoke up." Floyd glared angrily at the axe-wielder. "No matter what I do, you can't give me a break."
"How about I break your arm if you don't shut up." Soul shot back, his fists clenched tight. "Or maybe you can just slip on nothing again and break it yourself?"
"Oooh… sick burn…" Void commented unhelpfully as he took another swig of his drink.
"At least I wasn't running into battle half-cocked!" Floyd pointed an accusing finger at Soul. "Were you trying to fight them all off? What if more showed up?"
"Maybe if you hadn't made a slip-up, I wouldn't have needed to distract them!"
"Maybe if you had stayed put, they wouldn't have seen you and we wouldn't have been chased through Nitebane."
"Running and hiding is the coward's way… though you should know!"
Floyd and Soul instantly drew their weapons, pointing them at one another in a fit of rage. Void watched it all with wide eyes.
"Yeesh. This is getting too awkward to watch." He paused before taking another sip of his drink. "Ahh, that's better."
"Even after everything I've done," Floyd mumbled to himself, his sword meeting Soul's axe, "you don't care. What more do I have to do for you to forgive me? What do you want me to say!? I'm sorry!"
Soul loosened his grip on his axe, looking conflicted. "I… I don't want to hear an apology… I already know how sorry you are…" Soul remembered the nightmares Floyd had had. He already knew what he was going through. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't forgive the blue-haired Crafter for leaving Silent to die.
Floyd looked confused. "Then what do you—"
"Somebody, help!"
A new voice cut through the tension, startling the Silver Intent group. It came from one of the many broken windows overlooking the street.
"Help!"
It was a female voice, and it was so full of fear that it immediately drew Floyd to the windows.
Down below, he could see a girl lying in the middle of the street. She was huddled upon herself, looking scared and defenseless. Staring her down were a couple of Griefers armed with pickaxes.
"Well, what do we have here?" One of the Griefers questioned with sadistic glee as he eyed the girl. "Looks like somebody's a little lost, eh boys?"
The Griefers behind him chuckled as they advanced.
Cara, Soul, and Void joined Floyd at the window to watch the girl.
"They must be stragglers from the Griefer horde earlier." Cara commented. "We better stay hidden—"
"We got to help her." Floyd spoke clearly, making to leap out of the window.
"No, Floyd!" Cara hissed, grabbing the blue-nette by the arm. "You go down there, and you could expose us all over again!"
"She's right." Void advised. "We should just wait for them to pass."
And let another innocent bystander be carved up by those Griefers? Floyd bit back those words, his body straining to jump down.
"Were you part of that group that dropped in, girly?" One of the Griefers taunted, walking right up to the defenseless girl. "Go on. Say something!" He raised his pickaxe, aiming for her head.
"Someone, help!"
"Hahaha—huh?"
An arrow was lodged into the side of the Griefer's face, momentarily surprising him before he screamed in pain.
"Floyd! Don't—!"
"I'm not standing by to watch anymore!" Floyd shouted, loading another arrow into his bow before hopping down.
Cara shook her head. "No, it's not that! It's—"
But Floyd didn't hear her. He hit the ground and shot one of the other Griefers before switching to his iron sword. He sprung forward, slashing at the Griefers with little to no resistance. In between strikes, he got between them and the girl, protecting her.
After batting aside one of their pickaxes, the blue-nette carved his blade into a Griefer's back, sending him to oblivion in a shower of gear. That was all the remaining Griefers needed to see before they cut their losses and ran away.
Floyd huffed to catch his breath before turning to the downed girl. "Are you oka—AGH!"
The blue-nette was suddenly set ablaze as a bucket of lava was poured at his feet, courtesy of the 'defenseless' girl.
"Floyd!" Cara shouted, though her warning was a little late.
The girl scooped the lava back up into her bucket and plunged her hands into Floyd's backpack, grabbing the first things that met her hands. The blue-nette, being engulfed by flames, could do little to oppose her.
Withdrawing her gear-laden hands from his backpack, the girl turned on her heel and sprinted as fast as she could down the street. An arrow was shot at her by Cara, but it missed her shoulder by sheer luck. As she turned a corner, Floyd noticed a brown shape chase after her.
Still on fire, Floyd frantically searched his belt before withdrawing an amber brew. He downed the Potion of Fire Resistance and immediately felt the burning agony subside.
He was still wondering what had just happened when Cara came up to him. "Idiot! What would a defenseless girl be doing on the open street!? It was an act!"
"An… act?" She was faking it? For what? To hope somebody would come to her rescue… only for her to then turn on them?
And then she had lit him on fire and stolen his gear. What kind of a person would play on another's weaknesses like…
…!
Floyd's eyes widened as he reached his hand into his backpack, searching for something he couldn't find. "Crap! She took the banner!"
It took a moment for Cara to realize what he meant, and when she did, she gnashed her teeth. "Mission Unaccomplished…" She murmured under her breath.
"Soul went after her." Void popped up, pointing down a street. "He had his axe drawn and he looked pretty bloodthirsty."
"We need that banner back!" Cara stressed urgently, giving Floyd a once over before taking off after the axe-wielder. Void followed next with Floyd at the rear.
I messed up again… He internally cursed.
He slammed a fist to his forehead, cursing himself for his naivety.
I messed up again!
He didn't even notice the wisp of smoke that seeped from between his clenched eyelids, fizzling out as quickly as it had come.
The girl ducked down a familiar alley, stowing the stolen gear into her backpack. She heard heavy footsteps behind her, but didn't look back for fear of tripping.
Soul's crimson eyes hardened as he followed her like a shark smelling blood. While it was no surprise that Floyd had been outsmarted, Soul wasn't going to let that thief go without a good thrashing.
The axe-wielder felt like he was gaining, given how the girl kept turning corners in an attempt to lose him. The close-knit buildings created alleyways that only allowed a single Crafter through at a time. Soul hoped the girl didn't realize the advantage that provided her…
No sooner had he thought that than the girl turned around, placing three buckets of lava across the alleyway. They flowed down, barring the path, and bringing a smug grin to the girl's face.
Soul's eye twitched and he picked up speed. No way was some little shit gonna outsmart him!
"Rargh!"
Soul dove right through the lava blockade without even flinching. The lava seared his skin and he felt the flames lick across his body, but he pushed through the pain and right out the other side to tackle the surprised thief.
"Oof!"
The flames burning Soul's skin eventually died out, leaving him coughing and burnt. But his eyes were as cold as ever as he glared down upon the thief.
"You Griefers like stealing from people, huh?" Soul questioned as he grabbed the thief by her neck. "Like pouring lava on people that help you?"
The girl struggled to push Soul off of her. "I'm… uck!... not a Griefer!"
Soul ignored her though. "Your girl in peril routine was pretty believable. Why don't you try it again and see if I think twice about sparing you."
"Ggh! I… I was… uck!"
The girl was gasping for breath as Soul raised his axe.
"Stop."
A new voice whispered that single word into Soul's ear. He glanced to his side to see another girl, this one with a pale, freckled face and long, curly, dark brown hair. More notable about her was the fact that she had a sword pressed against Soul's neck.
Floyd narrowed his eyes before ducking beneath her sword and twisting to slash her across the chest. The new arrival simply slid under the strike before angling her body up and springing off the ground to deliver a sharp kick to Soul's jaw.
The axe-wielder's vision jarred and he was forced to give up ground to the girl. Despite her young appearance, she seemed fairly tough. She was tall and lanky, wearing a black tank top, gray sleeveless shirt, army green cargo pants, and combat boots. She had a dark red belt and backpack and her grayish green eyes glittered with anticipation. She was eager for a fight.
And above her head was the name attila_akrasia.
"You looking for a fight, too?" Soul flipped his axe, reversing the grip. "Because I'd be happy to oblige."
The girl named Attila withdrew a potion from her backpack, tossing it lightly. "Attacking two young girls, in a dark alley, at night? Are you Griefers trying to look like rapists?"
Soul growled, charging forward in a wild attack. Attila drank her electric blue potion and swapped out her sword for TNT.
Just as Soul raised his axe to attack, the girl darted forward, displaying the effects of her Potion of Swiftness. She bounced along the narrow alleyway, confusing Soul with her sharp movements. The axe-wielder lunged after her, but only managed to break a chunk of the alley.
With every second or third bounce, Attila placed a block of TNT. Noticing this, Soul tried to break the TNT faster than she could place them, but it was impossible to match her speed without a similar potion.
Once ten TNT were set up, Attila placed a redstone torch down, igniting the nearest one. Trapped, Soul had no other choice but to escape into one of the buildings. He desperately dug out a wall as the TNT hissed away.
As the first blast went off, Attila grabbed the thief girl and put some distance between them and the ensuing blasts.
Soul wasn't so lucky. The explosion caught his back, ripping through half his Health, and sending him careening into a wooden shelf in the adjacent building. He bounced off the top before crashing through a window back into the main streets.
A second later, Attila and the thief came sliding from out of the alley. "Not so tough now, are you?"
Soul snarled as he clambered to his feet. "Just for that… I'm not taking it easy on you any—Grah!"
Attila had already driven an elbow into his gut, cutting the axe-wielder off. Fighting through the pain, Soul grabbed hold of Attila with one hand and fished a Strength Potion out of his belt with the other. He downed it quick, grinning deviously at Attila's worried expression before using his new strength to swing her into a busted lamp post.
Soul refused to let go, however, winding up to throw her against something equally painful. Attila responded by balling her fist into his shirt, preventing him from throwing her anymore.
"Let go!" He growled, throwing a punch at her face. Attila barely dodged it with a turn of her head before sweeping at Soul's legs. The action caught the axe-wielder unawares and sent him flat on his ass with Attila's combat boot placed squarely on his neck.
"You're tough for a Griefer, I'll give you that." Attila muttered as she put more pressure on his neck. "But you picked the wrong day to mess with my family."
"Well… you're tough for a Griefer… but… I'm… not… done—ugh—yet!" Soul frantically tried to break her hold, but his efforts were increasingly fruitless.
"Wait… you think I'm a Griefer?" Attila questioned, the pressure on Soul's neck letting up for an instant before she pressed down again. "Don't lie! You were the one attacking Kate in that alley."
Attila was about to fish out some more TNT when a voice cut across the street. "Soul!"
Floyd, Cara, and Void ran forwards, looking worried for Soul's safety. Their weapons were drawn, ready for a fight.
"Release our comrade!" Cara warned, though she looked to be sweating from the tension of the situation.
Attila raised an eyebrow. "And who are you? Your comrade just tried to kill Kate over there. Sadistically, I might add!"
Cara looked tense, not knowing whether to attack right now or try and talk more. Floyd, however, made his choice instantly when he returned the sword to his belt and held his hands up. "Your comrade, Kate, stole from me. Soul was just trying to get my stuff back."
Attila turned her attention to the blue-nette and let out a sarcastic laugh. "It looked to me like he was trying to torture a defeated girl."
"...I apologize for his actions." Floyd continued, his hands still raised to show he meant no harm. "Tempers have been rather high today without a thief stealing from us. We thought… we thought she was a Griefer."
"Well, I thought that the asshole beneath my boot was a Griefer." Attila commented casually as she ground her boot into Soul's neck. "I'll ask again: Who are you?"
Floyd took a step closer. "We… well, we're—"
"The Silver Intent." Cara interjected. She still had her bow drawn and pointed at Attila, daring her to make a move. "We're an organization dedicated to eradicating the Endward Cult."
"Then why did he have this?" The girl behind Attila, Kate, spoke for the first time as she held the Endward Cult banner Floyd had retrieved.
Attila glanced back. "Kate, I love you, and you made a damn good point just now, but I thought I told you to only steal from Griefers."
"I was!" Kate protested before she adopted an ashamed look. "But… one of them… one of them got in the way and I just reacted like I usually did!"
"We'll talk about this later. As for you," Attila turned back to Floyd only for her eyes to widen fearfully. "Those… markings…"
Floyd raised a questioning brow as he took a step closer. "If you're wondering about the banner, it's from the Center of Planar Trade. We were tasked with tearing it down and replacing it with our own banner."
Attila didn't seem to have heard him. Her grayish-green eyes were locked with Floyd's. Or more precisely what was around them.
"Those eyes…" She growled as she withdrew her sword and pointed it at the blue-nette. "You're one of THEM!"
"One of… huh?" Floyd was genuinely confused, taking a step back in an effort to calm the girl down.
Soul, seeing an opportunity, used the last of his potion strength to push the distracted Attila off of him. He rolled to the side, dodging Attila's blade and skittering towards the rest of his group.
"You are Griefers!" Attila accused. "Only Griefers would hang around a Hacker!"
Floyd's eyes widened in fear, even as Void stepped up to argue. "Girl, you crazy! None of us are Hackers and none of us are Griefers either!"
Attila spat on the ground. "Tell that to the blue-haired one! He's got the markings of a Hacker all over his eyes!"
Floyd felt the group's attention fixed solely on him, even as he rolled the girl's words inside his head.
"He's evil incarnate." Attila continued. "Just like the scum ruling this Kingdom."
"Floyd, what is she talking about?" Cara questioned, a bit of fear in her eyes.
"You're wrong…" Floyd mumbled, shaking his head frantically. "I can't be a Hacker… I-I didn't even know what one was until today!"
"Liar!" Attila accused. "You might look all innocent now, but deep down you're a twisted, depraved—"
"Th-that's not true!"
Surprisingly, it was Kate who interrupted. Her small voice quivered as she sidled up to Attila.
"He fought some Griefers that tried to attack me." Kate explained. "And not once did I see any smoke emanate from him. He was actually quite skilled with a sword. What Hacker would take the time to practice swordsmanship, Attila?"
Attila's eyes glanced to Kate, though they darted back to Floyd whenever she could spare them. "Kate, now's not the—"
"A Hacker wouldn't act like that, Attila." Kate pressed. "And a Hacker certainly wouldn't leave an opening to be killed. I could have burned him to death with lava!"
Attila looked conflicted as her eyes darted to the girl beside her. "…You may have a point…"
"Just because every Hacker you've seen has those marks, doesn't mean that guy is too." She held up the Endward Cult banner. "And why would a Hacker have this? It wouldn't make sense."
"Then… they're part of the Endward Cult!" Attila held her sword between the two sides. But the action was half-hearted, as if she was doubting her own accusations.
"We're not cultists." Void clarified. "We're not Griefers or Hackers either. We're just Crafters on a mission. So if you could return that banner and the rest of our friend's stuff we'll be on our way."
Attila quickly thought everything over in her head. The four Crafters before her weren't wearing the black leather caps of the Endward Cult, and claimed to be part of some anti-cult organization. Her head tilted to look up at the Center of Planar Trade's domed roof. She could just make it out between two skyscrapers, and she couldn't deny the sight of ladders that climbed their way to the top. Wasn't that evidence enough that they had gone up there?
One of them, the blue-haired one, had the distinctive Hacker markings that she had seen on every Hacker she had ever spied upon. Yet, out of all of them, he was the first to try and negotiate peacefully. If he was truly a Hacker, surely he would activate his powers and kill her in the blink of an eye. And the group he surrounded himself with was so small… they couldn't be Griefers. And they didn't have the markings so they couldn't be Hackers either.
And the man she had fought, Lost_Soul, he was ruthless, sure, but he was also skilled with an axe. Griefers were usually talentless on their own, opting instead to travel in packs. But to fight one-on-one like that, and even to damage her, she couldn't think of any Griefer who could do that.
No matter how she looked at it, this group of Crafters were just that; a group of Crafters.
"Attila." Kate touched her hand. "Put the sword away."
With a tense inhale of breath, Attila slowly complied, staring at the Crafters as if they were the strangest sight she had ever seen.
The Silver Intent group, seeing Attila's action, quickly followed suit. The six of them simply stared at each other, not sure if they should say something or remain silent.
Kate was the one to break the ice. She shuffled forward, only for Attila to rush up to her side, as if she were worried of a sudden attack. Kate bowed her head in apology to Floyd and returned his items, which he gratefully accepted.
Attila kept her eyes on him though, remembering what those dark markings were capable of.
Her attention also slid across the banner that passed between hands. The symbol of the Endward Cult.
A group she long wished to forget about.
"So… we're cool?" Void bothered to comment, missing the tense atmosphere entirely. "We're cool, yeah? Cool? Yeah?"
"…Yeeeeah." Attila stretched the word out, her grayish-green eyes revealing nothing.
"I'm sorry I stole from you." Again, Kate bowed low to the blue-nette. "See, I'm only supposed to steal from Griefers—"
"Like the ones that attacked you." Floyd filled in, understanding her thought process.
"Yeah." She rubbed her head awkwardly. "They actually lower their guard the more you act defenseless and weak… though I guess I acted too weak since it got you involved."
Floyd smiled. "Just means your acting is good enough to fool anyone." Kate smiled at the praise. "Though what were you hoping to get from my backpack?"
Kate's smile instantly fell. "Well, we need all the supplies we can—"
"Kate." Attila spoke sharply, causing the girl to clamp her mouth shut. "We don't know these people."
"And we don't really know you." Soul grumbled. "Like, for instance, what are non-Griefers doing in Nitebane? This isn't the place to raise a family."
Attila flashed the axe-wielder a vicious grin. "Sounds like somebody's still sore about getting his butt whooped."
"In your dreams, little girl."
"Actually, Soul, from what I saw, she definitely kicked your ass." Floyd stated without shame.
"Ha!" The explosive girl laughed with a hand on her hip. "Even your own comrades know how badly you lost."
Soul glared at the girl. "One guy is not all of my comr—"
"He got decked."
"Stick a fork in him, he was *hic* done."
"…"
Attila leaned forward with a smug grin. "You were saying little lost boy?"
Before Soul could retort, some loud bellowing and shouting was sounding from nearby. It must have been the Griefer horde that chased them from the Center, drawn by Attila's explosions.
"Kate, time to jet." Attila urged as she pushed the girl forward. "Nice meeting you weirdo's. Hope you don't get stabbed a hundred times."
"Fuck you too." Soul proudly displayed his middle finger to the retreating girls, before turning back to his group. "Can't believe I wasted another Strength Potion."
"I can." Cara retorted flatly.
"This is *hic* bad guys." Void announced to his fellow Crafters. "The Griefers are coming from all directions. We won't be able to make it out."
"Use another Potion of Invisibility, Cara!"
She shook her head. "That won't us any good when they'll practically crowd this street and stumble into us! We need to hide!"
"But where can we…"
"Kate, get back here!" Came Attila's hiss as the young Kate waved the Silver Intent group over.
"They're not bad people, Attila, we should help them." Kate argued back before calling to the group. "We have a safe space if you'd like?"
The Silver Intent group looked at each other searchingly. "Can we really trust them?" Soul asked, glaring at Attila's shadow.
"…No, we can't." Floyd spoke, though he followed after Kate at her urging. Cara and Void, caught between an unknown situation and a soon-to-be Griefer place, opted to trust Floyd's instincts.
Soul was the last to follow, grumbling to himself.
"I didn't get my butt whooped…"
Inventory (Floyd): Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Wooden Axe {Weak}, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 5 Sticks, 3 Ladders, 17 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Banner {Endward Cult}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 1 Potion of Swiftness II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Water Breathing {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 56 Cooked Fish, 10 Ink Sacs, 3 Wool, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds
[EXP: 13]
AN: Do you see why I had to split this Chapter into two parts? Too much to talk about. So I won't even.
I will say that writing dialogue for the Silver Intent characters is hard. Between Soul's gruffness, Floyd's confusion, Void's alcoholism, and Cara's leadership... it ain't easy. Oh, and I need to write humor too. It was sooooo much easier writing between Cobb and Wynn... it practically wrote itself.
Additionally I will talk about the TWO OCs I used in this Chapter. The first one was Void_Dweller, submitted by Platypotato. He's an added face to the Silver Intent roster. And then there's attila_akrasia, submitted by AngelTheSeventh. Love the character, but the name is the most annoying thing to spell correctly. I just know somewhere along the way I'll screw it up.
Hope I represented the characters in a good light.
Again, sorry this is late. Though what's a few hours, right? Hours? Right?
...Bye.