AN: Yeesh. This Chapter may be a liiiiiiiittle bit sad. You've been warned.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add Potions of Withering.
Beta: Myself
Chapter 68
The Tragedy of Nitebane
"Could this be it?"
Cara turned to follow Void's line of sight. There, along the wall, was an iron block with several levers attached. They overlooked a glass tank filled with water and were labeled 'FLOW CONTROLS'.
"Good find." Cara walked over to examine the levers. "One of these is bound to turn the water back on."
"Great." Void took another swig of his potion. "Now all we gotta do is figure out which one."
Cara glanced at her clock. "We got time. Let's work it out."
As Attila had predicted, getting to the water control station was simple and the Mobs were few. She was right on both counts. Which meant she would also be right about the route towards the pits having more Mobs.
Cara couldn't help but worry about her two teammates. The Mobs weren't the only issue on her mind. From what she'd seen of her, Attila was a demolitionist who cared deeply for her people. The skyscraper community clearly meant a lot to the brunette, but just caring wasn't enough to rule out all her suspicions.
Sure, she had information on the Endward Cult, but only because she served that same cult. She had nearly killed Soul, and her band of survivors were desperate enough to steal from Griefers. Cara didn't know enough to trust Attila.
And now they were separated! That was like the number one thing a leader shouldn't do. Never split the party!
Cara didn't know if she made the right decision mucking around in the sewers, just to gain a little more intel in their crusade against the cult.
"…ara. Cara!"
"Hm?" Cara blinked thoughtfully. "S-sorry, what did you say?"
Void sighed. "I said you look a little out of it."
Cara looked aside. "Yeah, well, I guess I am."
"Wanna *hic* talk about it?"
Cara's eyes glanced to the control panel of levers, before her eyes lighted on a wooden table in the corner of the room.
"I'd rather burn something."
"…Huh?"
"Burn something." Cara repeated, looking a little restless. Her body leaned to the right and the left, and she fingered the flint and steel at her belt. "I just… I need to blow off steam. Is that weird?"
Void glanced between Cara and the table before shrugging and stepping aside. "Not at all. Go nuts."
Cara had stopped listening after 'not' as she jogged over to the table, running her hand along the smooth oak surface. There was a layer of dust and cobwebs were bunched along the part closer to the wall.
That was good. Cobwebs would burn with the table
Cara repeatedly struck the table with her flint and steel, igniting it in a wild, but transient blaze. The table was reduced to ashes, but even that wasn't enough for the arsonist. She made sure that even the ashes were ashes as she struck the ground again and again and again.
At that point, Void had taken a long, deep drink of his Awkward Potion, leaning his head back to get the very last drops. Then he immediately tossed the empty bottle and pulled out another one from his backpack, bringing it to his lips and spilling some onto his shirt.
When he finished his second drink, Cara had gotten whatever was bothering her out of her system. She walked over, looking a bit brighter, and smiled at Void. "Thanks."
"We all have our habits." He raised his empty bottle as he said that, watching as Cara moved to the control panel with the levers. "Do you wanna talk now?"
Cara thought about it for a moment. "Do you ever get the feeling that things can be so much worse than they are right now?" She began without turning to look at him. "Like, there's bad vibes warning of some impending doom, and you want to run away from it… but there's just something keeping you there to face it."
Void blinked at the empty bottle in his hand. "Is that what you're feeling now?"
"…Mhm." Cara mumbled as she looked down. "Is that weird?"
"No." Void stepped up beside Cara, checking the levers for any label. "This is your first mission as a leader, right? You're probably just feeling nervous. I don't *hic* think that's weird at all. It's natural to feel apprehensive." Void smiled at the arsonist. "But, I think you'd be more excited."
Cara tilted her head in confusion. "Excited?"
"Yeah. Not only are you getting your mission done, but you're also getting vital information for Brett." He clarified. "You're going above and beyond, and that shows you got *hic* drive."
"Is it really okay, though?" Cara questioned. "There are people trusting me to bring everyone back home, safe and sound." She thought of the promise she made with Cobb. Floyd and Soul's friendship had improved and the blue-nette had gotten some sleep. At the very least he wasn't trying to kill himself. "Maybe it's better to give up on drive and just make it back alive."
Void hummed to himself, deep in thought. Then, with a gasp of realization, he withdrew a new bottle from his pack. "Did I *hic* ever tell you why I drink?"
"…I don't think I've ever asked—"
"Well, I'm gonna tell ya!" He slurred, sloshing some of the Awkward Potion on the control panel. "See, I drink… because Minecraftia sucks!"
Cara looked at the drunkard flatly as he let out a boisterous guffaw. "Ye-up! It sucks! Sucks so bad, it could be mistaken for a vacuum cleaner! S-U-C-K-S! Sucks, sucks, sucks!
"So… I drink!" he took a large gulp of the Awkward Potion before coming back for air. "I drink for every moment life here sucks!" Another gulp. "Awkward Potions are *hic* awesome like that. They take away the pain and would never betray me! Good ol' Drinkie!"
He hugged the bottle close to his chest, though his eyes slowly opened to reveal bleary orbs.
"I even drink… for the times I know things will get fucked up. And in Minecraftia, things always get fucked up." He wiped his mouth before blinking dazedly. "Um… I think I had a lesson in all of this somewhere…"
Cara waited patiently as the drunkard scratched his head, downed the rest of his bottle as if it would jog his memory, and then light up in realization.
"Oh, yeah! See, *hic* the way I see it, if things are always gonna get fucked up anyway, there's really no point in half-assing or doing just enough to scrape by." He shot Cara a lopsided grin. "Bad things are gonna happen, whether you're prepared for them or not. No sense in feeling apprehensive about it. It's too tiresome." He raised his bottle in triumph. "Rather, you should focus that time in doing something worthwhile. That's living!"
"That's funny." Cara suppressed a smile. "Some would argue that living is living."
"Ehh! Those people don't know what they're talking 'bout!" The drunkard waved off grandly. "Think about that Attila chick! She showed me something I never thought possible: A community in Nitebane! And even now she's got the drive to support that community! There's a whole slew of shit that could hit the fan up there, but she's down here to keep that from happening. She's not *hic* wasting her time worrying. And neither should you!"
He jabbed a finger into her chest, perhaps a bit too forcefully, but it was enough to dispel Cara's worries. As drunk as Void was, his advice had a ring of truth to it. She couldn't worry herself over hindsight. What could have been, what should have been. She didn't have time to dwell, what with the safety of her team at stake.
She had to do what Void suggested. Something worthwhile. And gathering information about the Endward Cult was certainly something worthwhile. And if it led to another fatal blow against the cult that ruined so many lives, she'd go for it.
Cara smiled at the brown-haired drunkard. "You know, you're actually not bad at giving advice when you're drunk."
"Oh, stohp!" Void slurred bashfully as he leaned back to take another sip. As he did though, he tottered in place, nearly losing his balance. He flung out both his hands; one to grab Cara and the other to catch himself on the control panel…
Unintentionally snagging a lever by his sleeve.
*Cha-chunk*
The sound of several pistons retracting in tandem with the switched lever raised red flags in Cara's mind. With not a moment to waste, she shoved Void off the control panel and flicked the lever back to its original position.
Just in time to watch what damage they had done.
The walls sealing the water behind the glass tank had retracted. With nothing impeding its path, the water flowed free of the tank and down the sloping paths of the sewers. Through her night vision enhanced eyes, Cara watched as the wave flowed violently through the sewers.
Just as the wave turned the corner, there was another sound of pistons. Only this time, the walls closed to cut off the flow. Only a hiccup of water had been released.
A big hiccup.
"…Well we *hic* found one of the switches." Void offered helpfully from the ground.
Cara ignored him however, glancing at her clock to see that it wasn't yet time to release the water. And yet they had now sent a wave of it streaming towards Floyd, Soul, and Attila.
Cara gulped. "Maybe it won't reach them?"
A heavy slash destroyed the last of a group of Zombies.
Floyd joined Attila in scavenging the fallen Mobs' drops. He had unknowingly given all his food to the skyscraper community, and the effects of an empty Hunger Meter were starting to get to him. He didn't know what was worse, starving to death or being forced to eat soggy rotten flesh. Even Cobb would have wrinkled his nose at the stuff.
"We're nearly there." Attila announced, looking ill as she tore a hunk of rotten flesh with her teeth. "Soon it'll be goodbye rotten flesh, hello mushroom stew." She hummed to herself thoughtfully. "Maybe I could even spoil myself with some bread."
"You guys really don't have much in terms of food, do you?" Floyd questioned. "Have you tried fishing?"
"We've tried a lot of things." Attila admitted. "Fishing seemed like a good idea at first, but it involved sending people out to either the ocean or the sewers. Both are teeming with Mobs. And fishing usually pulls out junk half the time…"
"I get that the sewers are filled with Mobs." Soul interjected, taking interest in the conversation. "But the ocean? What do you have to worry about there?"
"Guardians."
The term Attila spoke grimly of sounded unfamiliar to the blue-nette, as it had for Soul. Sensing their confusion, the brunette began to elaborate. "Guardians. They're kind of like spiky puffer-fish. Only bigger, with scales, and… oh, and a giant eye that shoots lasers. Pretty nasty."
Floyd and Soul shared a look, not quite sure if the brunette was being serious. "…Lasers?"
"Lasers."
"I… you know what? I'm not even surprised." Floyd had learned to just accept that things in Minecraftia were weird. Giant fish that shoot laser beams? Just a typical day ending in a 'y'.
Attila chuckled at the blue-nette's blind acceptance. "As bad as Guardians are, they're only really formidable in the water. On land they're helpless; flopping like a fish out of water. But schools of them occupy the ocean by the cliffs. If you ever fall off there, and the sharp rocks at the bottom don't kill you, the Guardians surely will."
"Kind of weird to call them Guardians when they're trying to kill you." Soul threw in as he waded through the sewer water.
"I think they're called that because of their spikes." Attila tapped her chin. "They're defensive, or whatever."
"Not that this info isn't useful," Floyd began tentatively, "but do you mind telling us about the Endward Cult? I know you already did." He added hastily after seeing Attila's attempts to argue. "I mean, more about their motives, their Lieutenants… and their history with Nitebane."
Attila frowned. "We still have yet to finish—"
"We're practically half-way there." Soul sounded exasperated. "Just… just half the info. Something to occupy us. This sewer is pretty dull without Mobs to kill."
Attila took a moment to think on it. It was true that, without Mobs to fight, they were just making small talk about trivial things. It would be helpful to have small talk about more cult-related things. Knowing their enemy and whatnot.
"Well… I guess you two have earned some of my valuable intelligence." Attila boasted with a smirk.
"Don't sound so modest." Soul whispered aside.
Attila heard that. "Did I say valuable intelligence? I meant to say, vital, essential, precious, and all around good-god-damn-helluva-damn-good intelligence."
"That's better."
Attila's pleased smirk lasted a moment before it faded to a neutral expression. Neither a frown nor a smile. Just a look that told the guys that she was remembering something from a long time ago.
"Well… I never got high enough up the ladder to meet the Executive of the Eastern Division. I know he was a guy… and a womanizer who'd bang anything with two X chromosomes—"
What's an X chromosome?
"—But there was a Lieutenant I worked with… she was in charge of the subdivision I was part of."
"Did she also get banged by the womanizing Executive?" Floyd couldn't help but question.
Attila scoffed. "I doubt it. That Teal_Larkspur… she's as psychotic as they come. No sane guy would touch her with a ten-foot penis."
"You mean a ten-foot pole."
"…They've also been called that."
"I don't care about their sex-life or lack thereof." Soul dismissed harshly. "What can you tell us about this… Teal?"
"Well, like I said, she's a psycho." Attila continued. "She may look like an innocent, blue-haired woman, but she's got a vicious streak a mile-wide. She toys with her opponents, playing twisted 'games' with them that always end with her opponent's death. I've heard rumors that she'd kidnap Crafters, stick them on a deserted island, and hunt them down."
Floyd looked horrified at that. "But… for what?"
"For sport?" Attila guessed. "She's a thrill-seeker. Or maybe she just gets off on it. All I know is, I made damn well sure she wasn't around when I quit the Cult. That blue-haired crazy would have 'played' with me 'till my Head popped off."
Floyd gulped, his hand idly massaging his neck after Attila's explanation.
"Teal_Larkspur. Teal… Larkspur…" Soul committed the name to memory, repeating it a few times just to be sure. "Lieutenant of the Eastern Division. Got it. Any others we should look out for?"
Attila shook her head. "I can tell you that the Cult's divisions follow a two Lieutenant system, with an Executive that leads… but I'm guessing the Silver Intent already knows that much."
Soul clicked his tongue. "So all we got is the name of another small fry. Then tell us where the Eastern Division is located."
Attila's face wrinkled into a scowl. "First off, I gave you half my info since your job is half over. No more freebies. Second, Teal is by no means a small fry. Underestimating her in battle is a bad idea."
Soul just shook his head. "The Executives are the ones pulling the strings. They're the Endward Cult's leaders. There's no point gunning for some Lieutenant that could be replaced as easily as a Captain."
Attila grumbled as she brushed past. "You just don't get it…"
An arm shot out to snag her shoulder. "What exactly don't I get?"
Attila tilted her head to regard Soul with one eye. "The Executives are higher up than the Lieutenants. Meaning that the Executives are effectively their bosses."
"And?"
"And, would you listen to someone weaker or dumber than you?"
Soul didn't seem to understand what Attila was trying to say, but Floyd understood it well enough. If this Teal person was strong, it meant that her bosses, the Executives, were even stronger… or smarter. Keeping their identities a secret for so long already proved that.
The Endward Cult was far from weak. They had powerful people leading them… and even more powerful people leading those people. And, even though Soul preferred not to deal with small fry, it looked like the Silver Intent would have to slay leagues of cultists just to get a glimpse of their Lieutenants.
Hadn't that Angel of Death done as much when eradicating the Southern Division?
"Uh… guys?"
Floyd turned to the brunette, wondering why she sounded worried. "What is… oh."
Back down the way they came, a great surge of just water was surging towards them, carrying with it a bunch of thrashing Mobs. Attila wasn't kidding when she said turning on the water early would sweep them away.
"Wade for it!" Attila shouted as she desperately paddled forward.
"Why would we wait for it!?"
"No! Wade for it! As in walk through water like your life depended on it!"
Floyd, however, had a better idea. He fished a boat out of his backpack and set it down in front of him. The axe-wielder did the same with his, and the two leapt in just as the surging wave passed. It swept them up, lifting the two boats so that their heads skimmed the roof of the tunnel.
The Mobs caught in the wave were constantly pulled below the water, only to resurface in a thrashing display of limbs. Below, Attila continued to splash forward in an effort to outpace the wave. But it was a hopeless struggle. The wave was simply too fast for her, and it wasn't long before she too joined the Mobs in the rolling cycle of the wave.
"Miss Akrasia!" Floyd called down worriedly. "Are you okay?"
*Glub* *Glub*
"Right, stupid question…"
"Just remember to breathe!" Soul called down pointlessly. "You can't drown if you breathe!"
*Glub*
"I don't think she's listening—Ah!" Soul flinched as he held up a hand to his eyes. "My vision is flickering! Our Night Vision's spent!"
Floyd realized he was right when he noticed his own vision flickering between light and dark. They needed that Night Vision to see. Without it, they'd have no way of navigating the sewer tunnels.
*Glub* *Glub* Another set of agitated gurgles bubbled up from the just water as Attila tried to tell them something.
"What's she saying?" Floyd asked, only for his vision to go completely dark. The Night Vision's effect had finally worn off.
"I think she said to lean to the left!" Soul shouted, and Floyd felt the axe-wielder's boat knock into his, sending them both towards what he hoped was the left. It was impossible to tell with how dark it was.
However, turning the corner, that darkness gave way to a dim light; one that outlined the sides of the sewer tunnel, and it was coming from an opening directly in front of them.
"Is that the exit?" Soul leaned forward to get a better look. "Because I remember Cara telling us that these sewers connect to the sides of that pit."
That wasn't good. If the wave shot them out at their current speed, there'd be nothing to keep them from smacking into the ground. "We have to stop!"
"Too late! Hang onto your boat!" Soul pushed the blue-nette's head down as they sped towards the opening. It got brighter and brighter, the sounds of thrashing water and gurgling overwhelming the two.
The wave pushed them forth, sending them and the swept Mobs rocketing out into the moonlight. The water sprayed into the air, dispersing into large droplets of water containing Mobs, Mob drops, or Soul, Floyd, and Attila. Behind them, the mouth of the tunnel gushed forth with a steady flow of water that quickly died down. Almost as if the wave had been a slight hiccup.
Cara, what did you do!?
Those thoughts came to mind as the momentum of the wave petered out, and the splashes of water carrying everything began to plummet to the bottom of the pit. Soul and Floyd gripped their boats tightly, hoping that they'd somehow catch some falling water to cushion their landing.
However, Attila already had that covered.
"Finally filled up my bucket!" She cheered in between gasps for air. Her body angled itself towards the two Silver Intent members, where she hung suspended from their two boats.
When the bottom of the pit became close enough to touch, Attila quickly threw down her bucket of water. The liquid spread forth on contact, creating a puddle large enough to catch the three. Safe and intact.
The Mobs weren't so lucky. Their bodies crashed rhythmically into the ground, killing them instantly and leaving behind a portion of drops. Needless to say, Floyd found it much more impressive witnessing the Mob Grinder in action… when their own lives weren't threatened.
"I'm gonna have a few choice words for that leader of yours." Attila grumbled as she collected the water back into her bucket. "I told her to wait before turning on the water flow."
Floyd narrowed his eyes at the sewer opening on the side of the pit. The water had slowed to a trickle. "I don't think it was intentional. Maybe they were just testing which switch did what?"
Attila reluctantly admitted the logic in that… even though Floyd knew that wasn't the case. Cara was pretty clumsy. She was the same woman who walked into a stationary barn. And having Void, a drunk, with her probably didn't help much either. She probably tripped and snagged a lever, freaked out, and proceeded to set it back before anyone noticed.
Well, we noticed. The blue-nette thought to himself.
The same thought seemed to be going through Soul's mind. He just stared listlessly up at the sewer opening, mumbling under his breath, "Cara… ditzy…"
"See those?" Attila gestured to some odd hollow device that made up the floor of the pit. "Those are called hoppers. They're designed to suck up whatever items Mobs drop when they die down here. There should be a layer underneath for EXP collection." She brought out a pickaxe and cracked open one of the hoppers, revealing a cramped hallway below. "The hoppers are closed off right now, but if we follow this path, we should be able to reactivate them."
"Lead the way." Floyd nodded to the brunette.
The group had no trouble following the trail of hoppers. The absence of water and darkness already made the journey infinitely better than traversing the sewers. And after a few turns, the group had arrived in a large storage room filled with labeled chests and levers.
"This is it." Attila laughed in disbelief. She rushed over to one of the chests labeled 'Bones', and let out an excited titter at the contents. "These chests still have resources in them! They haven't been picked clean yet."
"More like the Griefers didn't bother with them." Soul muttered as he slammed an empty chest labeled 'EXP Bottles'. "They only left what they couldn't use."
"Hey, I'm not arguing." Attila said. She ran her fingers through the stacks of bones piled high. "The rotten flesh and bones will keep my community fed for years. This is better than I could have dreamed." She climbed up a ladder attached to some scaffolding and crossed to a control panel full of levers and redstone. "Once I get this factory working, they won't ever have to go hungry again. If only I had done this from the beginning…"
Floyd's ears perked as he shut another chest emptied of EXP bottles. From the beginning…?
Attila shook her head as she searched for a specific lever. "I wouldn't have had to help those cultists if this factory was an option."
"Hey, Miss Akrasia?" Floyd called out, interrupting the brunette girl's elation. "You never told us what happened to Nitebane all those years ago." Attila froze in her actions, her expression becoming uneasy. "You said you were here from the beginning, that you joined the Endward Cult… and Cara said that the cult had something to do with Nitebane's current situation."
"Yeah!" Soul added. "Everyone keeps talking about what happened and how bad it was, and yet we still don't know what it was! It's not even really intel on the cult either, since, well, apparently everyone but us knows about it. So you have no reason not to tell us."
"I guess…" Attila dragged out, rubbing her arm uncomfortably. "It's… It's not a day I like to remember."
"Please, Attila," Floyd asked, dropping the 'miss'. "What happened to Nitebane?"
The brunette, watched the two Silver Intent members for a while before finally relenting. "Since you two got me this far…"
Attila went silent as she tested a lever or two, prompting Soul and Floyd to climb up and join her on the scaffolding.
"At the time, nobody knew who had started it." Attila began in a low whisper that carried through the silent factory. "But the Tragedy of Nitebane had started at the turn of Minecraftia's first century.
"It was a day that started like any other. Clear sky, a calm sea breeze, and a Kingdom bustling with life. The streets back then were overflowing with life as Crafters rushed to work or to attend classes. The College of Inherent Thought, the one studying Normal Sense, was no exception. Students and faculty filled in to the buildings, eager to learn.
"And then, just when it looked to be another regular day in Nitebane…
"A massive explosion blew out one of the college's classrooms."
Floyd tilted his head curiously. "Was it TNT? Did the Endward Cult attack?"
Attila shook her head sadly. "It was the Endward Cult, but it was no TNT that caused that explosion. It was something else. Something…" Her face darkened. "Monstrous."
Attila shivered as if she were seized by an icy cold wind. Her eyes had that same reminiscent look, but there was a deeper emotion beneath the surface. Fear.
"What came out of that explosion was unlike anything any Crafter had ever witnessed." Attila continued grimly. "And I pray to Notch that nobody ever has to witness it again." Her eyes closed as she tried to recall the details. "A three-headed creature, darker than the blackest night, with a skeletal ribcage for a torso, and shrouded in a deadly miasma. It hovered in the air, shooting its skulls like projectiles over the streets of Nitebane."
Floyd recoiled in disgust. "It… it shot its skulls?"
The brunette nodded. "The creature's attacks were relentless. It blasted apart streets, punched holes in skyscrapers as if they were paper. All in an effort to kill. And not just Crafters." She clarified. "Usually Mobs would only target Crafters. But that three-headed monster struck indiscriminately. Crafters, animals, Testificates, Mobs. It killed anything that moved. And with Nitebane's streets bustling with Crafters at the time…" She trailed off, but the message was clear.
Floyd recalled the skyscraper bases riddled with holes. The streets that looked to be bombed. He thought it was just a result of Griefer attacks… he never imagined that an unspeakable creature was to blame.
"The guards were quick to respond." She continued, leaning on the control panel for support. "They had to, of course. What with a giant monster laying waste to their Kingdom. The Captains called in every available guard and planned to contain the creature between the skyscrapers. Then they would throw everything they had at it."
"It didn't work, did it?" Soul muttered, looking somber.
Attila shook her head. "No. At first, it looked like the creature was being beaten back. It was always hovering out of sword range, and the guards had to settle for pumping it full of arrows. The creature had a lot of health, far more than any run-of-the-mill Mob, but their arrows were definitely leaving a mark.
"Then, at one point, the creature was forced to the ground, looking like it was exhausted. The guards saw this, thinking that they had won… But they weren't even close.
"The creature wasn't exhausted. It had simply focused its energy on defending and healing itself rather than flying. A field of energy had enveloped it, deflecting arrows as if they were crumpled up bits of paper. As for healing itself… another ability of the creature was revealed."
Floyd paled. What more could a creature like that be capable of?
"The skulls it launched… they were infused with the same corrupted miasma the creature possessed. And it carried with it one of the deadliest potion effects none in Minecraftia: The Withering." She glanced at her arm, the one holding her Health Meter. "Upon contact, the miasma would infect us with the withering, turning our hearts from a healthy red to an empty black. It became impossible to judge our health, and the effect slowly drained us like a Potion of Poison. But unlike a Potion of Poison, the effect didn't stop at half a heart. Withering drains you to death… and so far, it's the only known effect that can kill a Crafter.
"To make matters worse, the effect drains the target's health and gives it straight to the attacker. Wither Skeletons have the same effect, though I doubt either of you have encountered one of them." Floyd and Soul's shaking heads said it all. "So, with nearly two-thousand guards fighting this thing, and the creature getting health back every time its projectiles withered somebody… it was a losing battle.
"The guards had lost a third of their numbers before they figured that out." Attila sighed wearily. "And, seeing that their attacks were doing nothing, the Captains ordered a full-scale retreat and evacuation. But even if they were done with the creature… the creature wasn't yet done with them.
"It continued its rampage. Busting through buildings and withering Crafters until it regained its health and could fly freely through the air once again. Any Crafters brave enough to try to oppose it were quickly eradicated. And any Crafters stupid enough to cross its path fared even worse. I… a few of my friends were among the casualties. But I think everyone lost someone during that time."
"Hold on…" Floyd interrupted, latching onto the brunette's words. "During that time? Don't you mean during that day?" Attila closed her eyes, steeling herself to continue the rest of the story, but Floyd had already assumed the worst. "No. You can't mean—"
"The creature went unopposed for two weeks." Attila choked out. "Two whole weeks, that damned monster flew around in search of Crafters. The structures of the skyscrapers kept it relatively penned in, but that only meant it had nothing to do but terrorize Nitebane. Twenty percent of the population was estimated to have been slain by it, while sixty percent had successfully evacuated westward to Jolin and Zeppil. The Kingdom was in ruins and the streets were filled, not with bustling Crafters, but the only Mobs the creature refused to attack: Zombies and Skeletons."
"So then what happened?" Soul questioned intently. "What finally took care of the creature?"
Attila tilted her head back to look up at the factory ceiling. "When word spread about Nitebane's situation, strong Crafters and bounty hunters flocked here to try and slay the monster… but they died like all the others.
"Then… when hope was all but lost, King Notch of Ringwood arrived." The revered tone the girl used to describe him spoke volumes of what he was capable of. "Notch, armed with his best weapons and most trusted allies, entered Nitebane to face the creature and end Nitebane's suffering. It was a brutal battle, one that cost Notch several of his most powerful men, but he somehow achieved the impossible. The creature's days of terrorizing Nitebane were over."
"But… then the bandits and Griefers invaded, right?" Floyd filled in, to which Attila nodded. "They saw the Kingdom weakened, and took the opportunity to make it their own."
Again, Attila nodded. "From what I heard, Notch tried to assign some of Ringwood's guards to Nitebane in an effort to rebuild. But his advisors overruled him, claiming to do so would further weaken their forces and lead so many of their guards to their death. In the end, evil was quicker to take over. The rest of Nitebane's ugly past you already know."
Floyd nodded, though he had one more thing to verify. "The explosion at the college—the one that spawned that creature in the first place—it was the Endward Cult's doing, wasn't it."
The brunette closed her eyes. "I didn't know it at the time—nobody knew it at the time—but yes. The college's classroom was reserved for an Endward Cult meeting. And the one who unleashed the creature upon the people of Nitebane… was none other than the founder of the Endward Cult."
Silence settled over the trio of Crafters after that declaration, giving Floyd time to make sense of it all. Whatever that creature was, it's only purpose seemed to be to kill anything that moved. It had devastated Nitebane and Crafters were helpless to stop it.
And with how many Crafters it slaughtered, it seemed like something the Endward Cult would concoct. The only question was what they did to summon such a monster.
And was it possible for them to do it again?
With a sigh of finality, and maybe a bit of relief at being done with the story, Attila flicked a lever, causing the factory machines to hum to life around them. "Once I found out the truth, that the cult I worked for to support my community had been the very cause of my community's suffering, I left." She wiped her hands on her shirt and patted the control panel. "The Endward Cult always claims that they're the good guys. That they have a Crafter's best interests at heart. But all I have to do is remember that day—the Tragedy of Nitebane—and it's suddenly clear who the men of evil truly are."
She turned to look at the two Silver Intent members and nodded to them. "Don't ever forget it."
"We don't need that to tell us those cultists are evil." Soul spared a glance to Floyd as he spoke. "We already have our reasons for wanting them gone. This only adds fuel to the fire."
"Then be careful not to burn out." Attila said before she hiked a thumb towards a set of crumbling stairs. "We can get out that way. By now, I'm sure your leader has turned on the water. Let's head back."
Floyd and Soul nodded as they followed the brunette girl out of the factory and back onto the surface. She truly was a veteran, despite her appearance. She was a citizen of Nitebane, and proud of it. She had seen all the ugliness the Kingdom endured, and yet she kept on fighting for her community.
It was something Floyd couldn't help but admire.
And judging by the reverent stare Soul fixed her with, he felt the same way.
Floyd, Soul, and Attila navigated the streets, sticking to their standard routine by avoiding Griefers. Growing up in the worst conditions of Nitebane, Attila knew almost every back alley and shortcut to slipping around undesirables. With minimum delay, the group had wound up on the street leading up to Attila's skyscraper. The brunette pointed it out, since, to Soul and Floyd, it looked exactly like all the others.
But she needn't have bothered. From the enthusiasm shining in Attila's eyes… the pure unbridled joy of a girl eager to bring her people good news, food, and resources… one only had to see that to know that those eyes reflected her home.
"Soul! Floyd!"
Attila and the two Silver Intent members spun on the spot, weapons drawn, before their shoulders relaxed. It was only Cara and Void calling out to them from a burned down building. (Hopefully a burned down building Cara had no hand in.)
As Floyd and Soul approached, Cara rushed forward and flung her arms around their shoulders, pulling them into a strong hug. "I'm glad you're both alright."
"You make it sound like we were in any danger." Soul replied confidently, trying to free the arm squashed against his side. "Don't worry. There's nothing that can kill…" The axe-wielder spared Floyd an unreadable glance. "…Us. There's nothing that can kill us."
Floyd felt a swell of elation over hearing that. There were still cracks in their friendship that needed to be mended, but at the moment, Soul seemed to accept that Floyd was a trusted teammate.
Progress. He thought with a smile, freeing his arms to join Cara in her hug, much to Soul's distress. "You can let go of me now…"
Outside of their three-person hug, Attila watched on fondly. Floyd wondered if they reminded the brunette of her own people… and her own relationships with them. Caring about one another was probably at the core of their little skyscraper community. It was how they survived for so long and endured so much…
"You wanna hug *hic* too?" Void offered the brunette, his arms held invitingly. "Bring it in…"
Attila stared at him evenly before uttering a simple, "No," and brushing past.
"…I'll just hug my bottle then." Void intoned sadly as he brought the bottle up to his cheek. "You'd never *hic* not hug me, right?"
Attila took a few steps towards her skyscraper before stopping short. Her back was facing the four Silver Intent members and her shoulders slowly began to relax, as if a great burden had lifted from her.
"Oak Docks." She spoke, loud enough so that they could hear her. "The laidback, oceanside Kingdom with more beaches and resorts than they know what to do with. That's where you'll find the Cult's Eastern Division."
Cara released the guys from her hug and took a step towards Atilla. "Any specific place?"
Attila shook her head. "All I know is they operate in Oak Docks. If you go poking around, I'm sure you'll find something… if they don't find you first."
"And the Lieutenant—?"
"She already told us." Floyd interrupted, grasping Cara by the shoulder before stepping past her. He bowed his head low towards the brunette. "Thank you. This information will surely help."
"No…" Attila shook her head, though her back was kept to them. "I should be the one thanking all of you." She brought an arm up to wipe her face. "I… I almost lost all hope… I thought living was struggle enough… I didn't want to fight those Hackers again…" She made a sniffling sound that Soul and Floyd respectfully ignored. After being so strong for so long, she was allowed this moment to cry. "But… but you helped us get supplies. That's one impossible problem solved."
Attila wiped her face with her sleeve again and turned to fix the four Silver Intent members with her most sincere smile. Her eyes were tearing up, but that only seemed to embolden the gratitude shining through.
"From the bottom of my heart, thank—"
In that precise moment, Floyd expected only one word to follow. It was such a standard phrase, 'thank you' that his brain had already processed the second word before it was even uttered. He had already gleaned the meaning of Attila's words from her posture, her heartfelt emotion, her tears, and everything he had ever learned about her over the night.
He was expecting the sentence to finish with 'you'.
He was expecting a few more parting words to be exchanged before the brunette girl waved goodbye and returned to her skyscraper to tell her people the good news and celebrate their good fortune.
However, he was not expecting the opposite.
He was not expecting the worst.
He was not expecting a massive explosion to erupt from Attila's skyscraper.
Attila's eyes dilated in gripping terror before she whirled around to face the sight before her. Smoke and debris drifted down from the blast, leaving a fiery crater at its origin. The building already had holes riddled into it, but this new crater, spanning two floors, put them all to shame.
And it was right where Attila's community laid.
The Silver Intent members were left in shock after witnessing such a violent explosion, but for Attila, whose home was up there, it was even worse.
"K-kate…?" The brunette muttered as she took a shaky step towards her home.
As if a fuse had gone off at her words, another set of explosions assaulted the skyscraper. They tore down the sides, ripping it apart and leaving a trail of devastation behind. Torn iron. Shattered glass. Crushed stone. Wood and vines catching to the tendrils of fire spreading forth. The explosions didn't stop.
"KATE!" Attila screamed, abandoning all concern for her own safety as she bolted towards the burning and exploding skyscraper. The sheer terror in her tone was enough to make Floyd feel sick.
The Silver Intent members didn't say a thing. They didn't have to. Even though they didn't owe Attila's community anything, they were already rushing to help; Floyd and Soul at the front.
It was bad.
Reaching the base of the burning skyscraper, the group didn't just find bits of stone and wood. They found wooden bowls. Swords. Leather armor. All things a Crafter of Attila's community would carry. And by the way the gear was arranged, it looked as if they had fallen to their deaths.
"N-no… no…" Attila whimpered as she fell to her knees in a pile of her people's gear. Her eyes were staring up at the skyscraper as more and more explosions engulfed it. Floyd desperately wished she couldn't make out the faint screams emanating from above.
Beside him, Soul gnashed his teeth. His eyes were also locked on the exploding building above, furious at whoever had committed such horror.
Someone had to have rigged so much TNT into the building but who could have done it. Griefers? No, they hadn't been able to make it up there. It had to have been someone else. The smugglers maybe? But what would be the point. So then who else was there?
That question was answered as a black-capped Crafter emerged from behind a lamppost and stalked towards the kneeling Attila. Floyd's eyes widened as he recognized the Crafter as a cultist.
"Attila! Watch out!"
But the warning went ignored. Tears dripped down Attila's face as she could only watch the carnage of her people. The people she cared about more than her own life. The people that were her life. She looked to be broken.
"Prepare to be freed, my friend." The cultist spoke serenely as he withdrew a sword and aimed it at the brunette. "To another life."
Before Floyd could ready his weapon, Soul surged past and buried his axe deep into the cultist's chest. With a pained cry, the cultist fell back, only for two more black-capped cultists to emerge. One of which had his arms laden with Crafter Heads.
"Fool!" One of the cultists spat. "How dare you interfere with our work! You are only delaying your own salvation."
"You did this, didn't you?" Soul's voice shook with anger, his crimson eyes glaring with a burning fury. "Of course you did. That's all you people ever care about. Killing!"
Behind him, Attila was hunched over, clawing at the ground as she sobbed. "No! No, no! No! Why!? Why now!?"
Her anguished cries only fueled Soul's anger as he practically choked down a Potion of Strength and charged the trio of cultists.
The cultists were quick to disperse, scattering from the axe-wielder's devastating first strike. Soul was belligerent, however, chasing after the cultist preoccupied with carrying Heads. A horizontal slash leveled towards his torso forced him to stumble back to dodge. Soul continued to spin with his strike, coming back around to deliver another horizontal slash, this time to the neck.
The other two cultists wouldn't allow it. Their swords struck at Soul's legs, causing him to lose balance and half stumble, half-spin into the ground.
"Time to join your fellow Crafters…" The serene cultist stated as he withdrew a maroon splash Potion of Harming and aimed it at Soul.
"Not again!"
A light blue blur dashed past the serene cultist, electric blue particles of a Potion of Swiftness emanating off of him. Floyd's sword slashed across the cultist's arm, forcing him to drop the potion on his own feet.
"Ngh! Why can't you Crafters understand… Oof!" The serene cultists got the wind knocked out of him, courtesy of Soul's fist.
"We understand perfectly!" Soul roared as he socked the cultist across the face. "We're the ones protecting the world from YOU!"
The cultist carrying Heads was about to aid his companion, but Void had stopped him first. The drunkard had stabbed the cultist in the back before kicking him off his sword. A few Heads tumbled out of his grip and clattered across the ground. Attila's eyes seemed to stray to one of them.
"You protect the world?" The serene Crafter mocked while backpedaling away from the rampaging Soul. "Don't make me laugh! The people in that community… they lived in poverty! They clung desperately to a life beyond saving. Keeping them alive was just cruel—"
"NO, IT WASN'T!" Soul snarled, his face twisting with righteous ferocity. "THEIR LIVES MEANT SOMETHING TO HER!"
The axe-wielder pitched his axe like a tomahawk, surprising the cultist and forcing him to deflect with the side of his sword. The next instant, Soul followed up with a reckless tackle that left the two rolling about on the ground.
The cultist that was previously carrying Heads was forced back by a combination of Void's sword skills and Cara's arrows. "Ughhh… these aren't just some wimpy Griefers… I knew she should have stayed for this!"
Floyd sidestepped a vertical strike using his potion-enhanced speed and nailed the cultist under his arm. However, his sword glanced off the cultist's iron chestplate and allowed a counter-attack that destroyed the blue-nette's helmet.
The strike to the head disoriented Floyd, causing his vision to blur slightly before an elbow came crashing into his sword, knocking it out of his grip.
The dizzy Silver Intent member had his hands frantically scrabble against his belt, searching for a suitable weapon. But the first thing he brought up was the Zombie Mob Head. The confusion it caused bought the blue-nette two seconds before the cultist kicked the Head away and slashed at the defenseless Crafter.
The strike hit Floyd's head again, shaving off a good portion of Health and sending him to the ground. His vision was already swimming and everything sounded distant.
"Rest easy, my young friend." A cold voice stated from nearby. It had to have been the cultist, raising his sword to finish the blue-nette once and for all.
"Giving up again, I see." A familiar, yet distorted voice rang out.
Floyd's eyes widened as he perceived that same white-haired apparition that haunted his dreams. Silent was standing there, leaning against the cultist that was about to end Floyd's life.
You… what are you? Floyd's hazy mind tried to process the apparition of his dead friend. Why are you here?"
The apparition shook his head dismissively. "Didn't I tell you to stop holding yourself back?" He tilted his head curiously, causing his glasses to turn opaque again. Like a pair of glowing eye-sockets. "Or will you allow for more of your friends to die because of your own cowardice?"
…No. Floyd refused as he propped himself up off the ground and stared the cultist dead in the face. I'm not letting anyone of my friends die again!
"W-what the—" The cultist paused in his strike, his sword falling a little at the sight of the blue-nette. "Y-your eyes…" The cultist's voice was barely a whisper and he looked to be terrified of Floyd.
Floyd narrowed his eyes as he stood up, trying to perceive the cultist through his blurry vision… though he could have sword there was some smoke or something obscuring his vision.
Taking a glance at his arm to check his Health, Floyd had to do a double take when he saw the same black smoke he had witnessed only last night. The same black smoke that had enveloped that Hacker.
It was swirling around both arms this time… and his eyes too he soon realized.
"H-Hacker…" The cultist whimpered before an arrow pierced his face, killing him. His gear spilled across the ground, coming to rest at Floyd's feet.
The death was so sudden that the blue-nette was taken aback. The smoke that had begun to swirl around him quickly extinguished itself, leaving him more tired than he should have felt. Both arms hung to the side like lead weights, and his head drooped a little.
"Floyd!" Cara called out, bow still drawn. "You okay!?"
Floyd didn't respond, too preoccupied with his own situation. That… wasn't nothing. He thought to himself. He tried to lift his arms to examine them, but found they ached. He thought back to what Attila had warned him about his eyes. Am I really…?
"It meant something to her!"
Floyd whirled on the spot to watch Soul grapple the cultist so that he was on top. The axe-wielder took a sword to the chest as he brutally smashed the cultist's face in with a chunk of cobblestone. Even when the cultist was stunned, Soul kept smashing his face. He then abandoned the cobblestone in favor of his potion-strengthened fists.
"They meant something to her!" He shouted as his fists pounded into the cultist, killing him on the fourth punch. But still he kept punching. "She didn't deserve this! She didn't do anything to you! SO WHY!?"
The remaining cultist watching the brutal beat down, paled at the sight of it. "Oh, fuck no. I'm getting her for this." He then chucked a slowness potion at Void, collected what little Heads he could, and bolted down one of the alleys.
"HEY!" Soul screamed after realizing the cultist he was punching was no longer alive. "You don't deserve to live after what you did!" Soul followed the cultist, his rage deafening him to Cara's cry of protest and blinding him to the dangers of the situation. He rounded the corner of the alley and disappeared.
"Damnit, Soul!" Cara cursed, clenching her fists in irritation. "I understand his anger… but we're digging ourselves in deeper."
"We better go after him." Void reasoned. "He'll be in trouble if there's more." The drunkard sighed as he glanced at Attila. "Guess bad things happened here after all…"
Floyd turned to look at the brunette girl who had been so wracked with grief that she couldn't fight.
She had crawled over to the place where the cultist had dropped several Heads. One of them, Floyd realized with a struggle for breath, was Kate's. The same thief who had stolen the banner from him before convincing Attila to give the Silver Intent a chance.
Attila gingerly picked up the Head, tears streaming down her face, and she hugged it close to her chest. She cradled it against herself and curled up against the ground. She wasn't sobbing or wailing anymore. She was just crying silently to herself as she clutched the empty husk of her beloved friend.
Before, her grayish-green eyes had always burned with a fierce determination, rivaling that of Soul's. Sometimes it would be a flickering flame, tinged with fear and doubt. Other times it would be a roaring inferno that commanded respect.
But now, that flame looked to be extinguished. The look in her eyes… it was the look of someone who had lost everything. Those eyes were dead.
"Attila…" Floyd walked up to her, wondering what he could possibly say to her. Wondering if he should even say anything at all. If his words would even mean anything to a girl filled with the deepest despair. "I… I can't even imagine what you must be feeling… But… but you can't stay here. The Griefers will hear the explosions. They'll come running!" He reached out a hand to grab her shoulder. "You have to hide or—"
There was a flash of iron as Attila drew her sword and slashed at the blue-nette's arm. Floyd quickly retracted it and backed away, his eyes watching her carefully.
"Just… go…" Attila spoke, her voice fragile and empty. She returned to her curled up position, clutching Kate's Head tightly. "I… I give up…"
Floyd lowered his arm, realizing there was nothing he could do for her. She was broken.
"Floyd." Cara spoke, her voice grim. "Soul's in trouble if we don't catch up to him first. There's… nothing we can do here…" Cara grimaced, watching the brunette girl grieving. "I'm sorry."
Attila didn't respond. Cara didn't wait for her to.
But Floyd was still reluctant. "We can't just leave her here. Those Griefers will tear her apart."
"Maybe that's what she wants."
"Well it's not what I want." Floyd said. He reached into Cara's belt, much to her protest, and withdrew one of her splash Potions of Invisibility. He walked back to Attila, close enough to hit her with the potion without getting hit in return. "Please, keep silent. Don't throw your life away, Attila."
And with that, the blue-nette tossed the potion, cloaking Attila and obscuring her from their view. The only thing they could see was Kate's Head poking out from seemingly nowhere when it was really between her arms. He hoped the Griefers wouldn't notice something so small.
"Be safe." Floyd whispered as he sped off after Soul. His Swiftness potion still in effect, he easily outpaced Cara and Void. And as he led them further towards where Soul had gone and away from the Griefers converging upon the burning and demolished husk of a skyscraper, where so many good Crafters had been slaughtered…
He couldn't help but fear the same happening to Soul.
Inventory (Floyd): Wooden Shovel, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword {Weak}, 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 Water Breathing {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 3 Wool, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds
[EXP: 17]
AN: My Craft is an Adventure/Humor story. Just thought I'd make that clear if this Chapter said otherwise.
Writing Attila's scene was a little heart-breaking for me. I don't know if anyone would feel invested enough in what she's had to endure for the sake of her community. The impact would probably have been bigger if I spent more time describing her skyscraper community to you, the reader. But I didn't really have the time.
More of Nitebane's history is told, and the involvment of the Endward Cult and the mysterious three-headed creature that I'm hoping I don't have to spell out what it is to you people who play Minecraft. Or spend all of twenty seconds google-ing Minecraft creatures.
I'll see you all next week. Laterz.