AN: Well... here you go.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add tears.
Beta: AxeHelix
Chapter 81
Brothers and Sisters
[Soul]
Damnit.
After all of Cara's insistence for me not to charge into battle and fall into an Endward Cult Lieutenant's lap, what happened?
I fell right into Lieutenant 4Blite's lap.
I wasn't even trying this time and I did it!
Lieutenant 4Blite… it was hard judging how much of a threat he was since the last Lieutenant I encountered appeared as a bubbly woman but was as strong and batshit as a dominatrix Disney Princess.
4Blite, on the other hand, was dark-skinned with snow-white hair, cold purple eyes, and a general air of detachment. It was as if he felt he was far above us, or he believed us to be inferior compared to him. One of his sleeves was ripped and the arm within even more so. He used an axe too, albeit an enchanted diamond one, but I couldn't ignore the weapon similar to my own.
He seemed intimidating enough, what with him being unbothered by the surrounding Creepers, flames, and cultists. The cat at his side did little to damage his imposing image. He looked disdainfully towards us as if we were insects
But what was he saying?
"Please, proceed with bringing down the axe on my incompetent subordinates." He gestured to Spring and Parker. "I saw the fires and came to investigate. I should have known it would be tied to the slothful Spring. Only he could have failed so spectacularly."
"Wh—Hey!" Spring shouted in outrage. "We're on the same side here! If this is about what happened at the Gathering, I—"
"4Blite, sir." Parker cut off his fellow cultist in a desperate appeal to the Lieutenant. "We were just about to execute these interlopers. We haven't failed you yet! If you'd just give us a second we could—"
"But you have failed me." 4Blite drawled coldly, walking along the perimeter of Creepers created by the three cats. He swung his axe off his shoulder like a metronome. "These two Crafters," he pointed at me and the floating sword that was an invisible Cobb, "have eyes and ears, so they can obviously see my brilliance. They have witnessed my use of cats to herd Creepers to Ringwood. They know of the most important factor in my plan. So tell me," he tilted his head towards the two cultists, "who let them live long enough to see this?"
Parker was speechless and 4Blite was about to continue until another voice felt the need to call out.
"Is this some kind of trick?" Cobb asked with genuine confusion.
4Blite paused to glare balefully at the invisible Cobb. "Excuse me?"
"Is this some kind of trick?" Cobb repeated. "You telling us to kill your own men. It's some kind of trick, right?"
4Blite rolled his eyes and held them so that they just stared at the sky. He did this for a solid three seconds before looking back towards Cobb.
"No, this isn't a trick or a ploy." He explained with a hand massaging his temples. "I'd really appreciate it if you killed these failures. I don't want to waste the oxygen or the effort to end their worthless existences."
"…Do we get anything out of it?" Cobb felt the need to ask.
"I'll kill you mercifully. That should be compensation suitable enough."
Even though he was invisible, I could tell Cobb was frowning. "That's a terrible deal!"
"This isn't a negotiation." 4Blite countered. "From the fiery path behind you, I can assume the pair of you is responsible for cutting my herd in half. Yet another mistake my subordinates failed to correct."
"You try stopping flames, asshole!" Spring threatened to Parker's shock. "Some Lieutenant you are, killing off your own men! Ember won't be too happy about that now will she?"
Ember? Who was that? Another Lieutenant like 4Blite? Or… someone even higher up? An Executive?
"Ember will be even less happy knowing you're throwing her name around in the presence of two Crafters." 4Blite countered to Spring's embarrassment. "Although, there are hundreds of Ember's out there. It is quite the common name. And since these two won't last another hour, I suppose there's no harm.
"As for killing you off," the Lieutenant shrugged one shoulder, "all she'll know is that you two bravely sacrificed yourselves to allow the Creepers to enter Ringwood. Ah, martyrdom. The most convenient excuse for incompetent cultists."
"Yeah, starting to think this isn't a trick." Cobb muttered while Spring flipped off 4Blite.
In-fighting aside, 4Blite seemed like a strict, unforgiving boss. At least Teal got along with her cultists… to some extent. She never suggested killing them and she didn't seem like the stringent type. I couldn't help but wonder which of the two showed standard Lieutenant behavior.
"So will you kill them or not?" 4Blite snapped me out of my thoughts as he made his way around the Creeper perimeter. "Go ahead. I won't stop you."
I narrowed my eyes. "Then why are you swinging that axe like you're going to use it?" His hand tensed up on the axe and his frown deepened. "You want us all dead anyway. How do I know you won't attack the second I turn my back?"
At this, the white-haired Lieutenant let out an annoyed sigh. He stopped circling the Creeper perimeter and his own cat stopped by his side. He let his head hang with his hair obscuring his eyes and face as we waited with bated breath for whatever he was about to attack us with.
Then, after suddenly jerking his head up, the Lieutenant whipped out his axe in a flash of diamond and swung it into the nearest living thing.
*MREOW!*
It was Spring's cat that was first to feel the brunt of 4Blite's axe. I could tell it was his by the way the cultist screamed out "Mr. Mittens!" The cat was sent hurtling backward in an unnatural way that made me believe the Lieutenant's axe had a Knockback Enchantment.
4Blite didn't stop there, however. He sprinted around the perimeter towards the next nearest cat besides his own. Parker let out a startled gasp of realization and grabbed Spring just before 4Blite sunk his axe into the second cat. It wasn't knocked back, but rather killed instantly.
Parker ignored his dead cat and kept dragging Spring away. "Forget them, Spring." He hissed. "We got to live long enough to get to Ember. She'll protect us and deal with 4Blite."
I didn't understand their urgency until I saw 4Blite charge towards us. I raised my axe to block and I saw Invisible Cobb raise a sword out of the corner of my eye, but 4Blite passed us without a glance. He sped by, ignoring the two of us in favor of targeting—
My eyes widened. "Cat-Face! Run!"
Too late. 4Blite stopped in front of my cat, reared his foot back, and kicked the defenseless animal in the side. The cat snarled and hissed, more out of pain than anger, and scampered away deep into the Creeper herd. The Creeper's dove aside to let the cat pass, but it made me aware of something else.
4Blite had driven away or killed the cats making up our Creeper defense perimeter. His was the only one left.
He returned the diamond axe to his belt and grabbed his own cat by the scruff of its neck, tucking it into his arms. He tilted his head to spare us one last frosty glance before backing into the herd of Creepers. They all moved aside to let him through…
While the Creepers closed in on us.
"Quick! Follow Cat-Face!" A floating sword rushed towards the gap in the herd left in Cat-Face's wake. It was already closing in on itself and so was our perimeter. I moved to follow, only for a sword to crack against the side of my face, knocking me to the ground.
"Do us a solid and slow these Mobs down, would you?" Spring laughed as he and Parker followed their only salvation through the herd. It was a cheap shot and I cursed not killing him when I had the chance, but I didn't have time to be angry. The herd was closing in on all sides.
I scrambled to my feet and sprinted forward. Behind me I saw the Creepers swallow up our perimeter. The pathway ahead was already resealing itself with the suicidal Mobs. Two Creepers got dangerously close and I had to dispatch them with my axe and Strength.
But there were more. So many more. Ahead I saw Spring and Parker weaving between the Mobs before finally reaching the edge of the herd. They then vanished into the trees, likely going to find that Ember person they talked about.
I gnashed my teeth, furious that they had escaped. There was no way I could find them again in those woods. My chance to avenge Silent was wasted.
I lashed out at three more approaching Creepers and my desperation to escape the herd took on a violent edge. I knocked Mobs aside with both weapon and fist, tackling through ever-closing gaps of green, explosive death. Their gaunt faces were upon me. Their soulless eyes eager to blast me to oblivion. A chorus of hisses dogged my footsteps, always a second behind me.
The edges of the herd were within reach. The safe zone. I put on one more burst of speed, waving my axe around like a madman, driving off whatever Mobs dared to approach.
And I was out.
My sprinting turned to stumbling as I put more distance between myself and the herd. The Creepers that broke off to pursue me had trouble navigating the thick woods and eventually turned back. Once I was safely away from them, I fell to my knees in exhaustion.
My Hunger Meter was low, but my Health was still full. I just had to find Cobb and Cara and get back to Ringwood—with a few dozen cats. It wouldn't be hard since they still had their maps on them.
I reached into my belt to withdraw some food and my map, but I soon dropped both of them…
To dodge the diamond axe trying to kill me.
[Cara]
Who could have predicted the backfire plan would backfire? Not me, that was for sure.
It was going well at first. I was lighting fires, sporting my black goggles, and steadily narrowing the valley in which those Creepers could pass.
Then Soul said, 'Fuck everything!' and decided to run across the valley lighting one big fire. I could tell it was him by my map—which oddly enough had a new white blip. The blips stayed together so I assumed Cobb just figured out how to make a copy.
But—getting off track—Soul and Cobb ran across the valley, burning all the trees, which, let me tell you, makes utilizing backfire needlessly difficult! The whole point of backfire is to stop fire from spreading by using controlled fires to burn into one another and snuff each other out.
This? This was impossible! To control it, I'd have to run across the Creeper herd too (not sure how Soul and Cobb managed that without dying) and create a similar swathe of flames! It was nuts!
Sure, desperate times called for desperate measures and we had to stop the Creepers by any means, but… but these means were pretty mean! I mean, what was Soul thinking!?
I had to make it out alive just to ask him. Just to hear him try and explain himself.
It wouldn't be easy though, given what I was currently facing.
"Come on out girlie!" One of the cultists shouted.
It was naïve thinking nobody would try and stop us. Cultists see fire cropping up and damaging the herd they spent who knows how long gathering, then they'd come to investigate. I was in the middle of lighting a grove of birch trees when I noticed them approaching. They saw me and chased, and more of them showed up to try and corner me.
I was hidden behind a pair of trees atop a sort of knoll. I looked down it and saw five or six cultists creeping around with swords drawn and… cats? Whatever—Cats by their sides. I quickly ducked back under cover just before one of them looked up towards me.
"We know you're here somewhere!" A different cultist screamed. "We'd like to have a friendly chat about why you were out here burning our herd. Maybe you were the one that infiltrated our outpost?"
He was talking about Cobb, but the other things he was saying made no sense. Cobb hadn't told us anything about the herd before we saw it with our own eyes. Any moron could tell it needed to be stopped whether they broke into an outpost or not.
"This isn't good." One of the female cultists chimed in. "The fires are spreading too fast. This whole valley will soon be an inferno. Might even be worse than the Blaze of 420."
"No, nothing could be worse than the Blaze of 420."
"Eh, it'll be close. Anyway, I don't want to be barbecued." The female continued. "We should leave that girl and get out of here—"
"And risk pissing off 4Blite?" A different cultist asked. "Have you heard the guy lately? He keeps gushing about this herd like it's his 'magnum opus'. How many times did he drill into us that 'nothing should disrupt his carefully crafted plan'."
"You sound just like him." A cultist joked. "But you need to act like him too. Try turning your nose up and acting all superior."
The cultist did just that and spoke in a colder tone of voice. "Do not fail me, my cultists, or you shall learn of a wrath colder and crueler than any I have employed before."
"Hahaha! Oh man, that's scary accurate! I'm getting chills!"
"Would you two knock it off!" A different cultist snapped. "This herd is everything for 4Blite, but he only put so much effort into planning and organizing it because he believes if Ringwood falls, Ember might reconsider making him an Executive of the Southern Division."
I froze as my ears picked up this new piece of information. Ember? Executive? Southern Division? I had to hear more.
"4Blite's got a lot riding on this herd." The cultist continued while searching the woods for me. "Even if the Creepers are cut off by that fire, half of them are still inside the Kingdom. They'll do the work for us, so long as we take out the meddling Crafters disrupting things out here."
They meant me. Soul and Cobb, too.
"But what about the fires?"
"Let them burn." Another cultist answered. "Sure, we'll have to retreat, but the fires hurt Ringwood too. Not like they can move the whole Kingdom out of the way of getting burnt. Ha!"
Crap! The cultist let out a laugh and pointed because he had seen me. I quickly slid down the knoll and ran in the opposite direction. Behind me I heard the footsteps of cultists giving chase. There were six of them with six cats trotting alongside them.
I glanced down at my belt to consider my options. I had a bow, but only eleven arrows. I had a sword, but I wasn't good enough to take on six enemies at once. Maybe Soul or Cobb could handle as much, but not me. I had a damaged flint and steel, a Potion of Regeneration, some food, and some spare blocks. Those were the only useful things.
I checked my map and saw Soul and Cobb had crossed over to my side. They weren't too far away, but not close enough that I could get to them without those cultists catching up to me. I had to fight them on my own.
I had to do this on my own.
I glanced left and right before spotting something that could help. One of my earliest fires. It was now a raging inferno chewing up trees and leaves.
Well, I thought darkly, the cultists did say they didn't want to get barbecued. I reasoned before jumping into the inferno and weaving through burning bark and singed grass. The smoke was thick and suffocating and the heat rolled over my skin in scalding waves, but I grit my teeth and ventured in deeper.
As if to spur me on, an arrow lodged into a tree to my left and several shouts and curses could be heard from behind. The cultists were trying to pursue me through the fire, but having a rougher time with it. The sound of a cat's yowl told me the cultists' odd feline companions were reluctant to follow.
Good. Stay out of the fire. I thought to myself while covering my mouth from the smoke. Just go away.
"No way I'm going in there!" One of the cultists complained. "Let her burn to death."
"We have to be sure." Another cultist commented. "Todd. Payla. You two surround the fire on that side. The rest of you take left. We'll wait her out. The fire or the interloper. One of them is bound to die out."
Of course they had to be smart. I internally groused. Why can't they ever just be the buffoonish underlings like in the movies?
As the cultists spread out, I stamped out a bit of burning grass, cringing at the sensation of burned flesh. Once the fire at my feet was patted out, I got to my knees and began using my hands to dig into the now warm dirt. I got five blocks down before my fingers jammed painfully into stone. I held in a pained whimper and used the dirt I had just dug up to cover my latest hiding spot.
After a few moments, I set down a torch and looked over my map. Judging by my position, I estimated where the cultists were surrounding. After figuring that out, it was only a matter of picking a direction and digging through dirt.
It was a slow process, punctuated by the occasional sound of a cultist overhead, but I finally dug myself to the point where I could resurface without being seen.
I stealthily broke the dirt above my head, softly digging piece by piece until sunlight streamed down into my tunnel. I poked my head up and spotted a cultist on his own. His attention was focused on the burning woods, expecting me to jump out at any second.
The crackling of the flames was loud enough that he didn't even hear me approach. When I got close enough, I withdrew my sword and struck him across the head as hard as I could. He went down like a sack of bricks and a few short stabs later he was reduced to a pile of gear.
I sifted through his Inventory, but clicked my tongue to find nothing good. He didn't have any arrows either.
I lifted my head up and viewed around the burning woods the cultists had surrounded. I could've tried to stealthily take them all out, but…
…
My mission was to stop the Creepers. Not to kill the cultists.
And after all, Soul and Cobb were waiting for me.
Just as I was getting ready to leave, however, an agonized scream rang through the air. My head whipped around trying to locate the source only for a second, louder scream to drown out the first. It was coming from the burning woods those cultists were surrounding.
I looked back in time to see some gear skitter across the ground, followed by a clash of swords. Someone was fighting the cultists? I craned my neck to get a better look and just about dodged an arrow coming from my right.
The three cultists that had gone one way had returned to investigate the screams. Seeing me and the pile of gear that had been their comrade, they were quick to try and kill me. I ran fast, but two arrows found my back before I found cover.
Even then, I craned my neck to try and get a glimpse of whoever else was fighting the cultists. Besides the sounds of crossing swords, I couldn't see anything.
Is that Soul? Did he… wait, it couldn't be him. He doesn't use swords. Cobb then? I checked my map to see. No, both blips are South of me. Is it a guard or something?
"Crap, did she have back-up!?" I heard one of the cultists shout behind me. "Todd's dead! Wendell too! Geiger! Go help Payla! We'll get the girl!"
So they were splitting up? I didn't know who had come to help, but an enemy of the Endward Cult was a friend of mine! And facing two cultists sounded a lot better than six.
I took out my flint and steel and lit a path of flames in the grass. Then I got around the other side of it and swapped in my bow, aiming an arrow at the approaching cultists with the flames between us.
Once they got close enough, I fired two shots. They went through the fire, ignited, and soared towards the two unaware cultists.
One of the cultists reacted fast enough, jumping to the side to avoid the flaming projectile, but the second cultist got a face-full of it, lighting up like a furnace. He rolled around in the dirt, giving me all the time I needed to shoot him with more flaming arrows. He died by the fourth.
I heard another painful scream echo through the burning woods and I worried for a second that it might be someone other than a cultist. That moment of lost focus cost me when the second cultist barreled into me in a strong tackle that drove the breath from my lungs.
We hit the ground in a tangle of limbs and my bow cracked on a burned stump before bouncing off to the side. The flash of iron told me the cultist had his sword drawn, but I quickly grabbed his wrist with both hands and held it off. He tried to grab my neck, but I tilted my head and sunk my teeth into his skin with everything I had.
"Argh!" He winced as he tried to tear either of his hands free. Getting enough air into my lungs, I slipped a knee between his legs and pushed off the ground, rolling us over and down a nearby knoll.
Can't let him go! I thought determinedly as I bit my teeth deeper into one hand and tightened my grip on the other . The second I let go, he'll kill me!
At one point in our roll down the knoll, the unnamed cultist kicked his foot against the ground, propelling us at least a few feet off of it. We bounced once, twice, and then on the third I felt pain explode in my gut from the knee he just buried into it.
We stopped bouncing, but our rolling picked up speed to the point where I was getting dizzy. The whole world was spinning, fiery blurs and the cultist kept trying to free his sword to kill me.
But it was when the fiery oranges melded to sickly greens that I realized where we were rolling towards.
The herd.
Thinking fast with less oxygen than most people would require, I stopped biting on his hand and used my hold on his other like a lever to toss him towards the herd. He let out a squawk of surprise before getting over the dizziness and realizing just how screwed he was.
I threw out one of my arms and managed to snag something before figuring out, with a painful cry, that it was a burning tree.
Still, I clung to it because the alternative was the same explosive death I watched unnamed cultist go through. Guy must have set off twelve Creepers at once since bits of dirt and burning wood reached me as debris.
The burning tree was the only thing holding me up on that grassy knoll of death. And it hurt. Like holding a hand over an open flame, except the open flame was still-burning bark which seared my skin and made me catch fire by extension. My hearts were going down, but still I refused to let go of the lifeline tree.
The Creepers saw me and started to trot up the knoll. They had trouble though because of all the craters caused by unnamed cultist's death. I could pick out his gear and Head amongst the moving bodies and it was starting to get to me. The possibility of death. The idea that I might die the same way; in a fiery Creeper explosion.
When I started to reach my other hand up to further grip the tree, it broke. The fire burnt the block right out of existence and I found myself holding onto nothing but my own burned skin. Of course, cruel gravity set in and I found myself slipping down the slick grass towards my Creeper-faced impending doom.
I pressed myself against the knoll and dragged my boots as much as possible, but it was no use.
I'm going to die.
And then I felt something grip my hand and stop my fall in its tracks.
It was…
[Soul]
"Urgh…"
I held my head, dazed by the latest strike. 4Blite strength's was on par with mine. Even the axe he used reflected my combat style, though he didn't hold it in a reverse-grip.
Not to mention, his axe was definitely enchanted with Knockback. I knew because his latest strike had sent me hurtling through several rows of trees before I slammed against a half-burned oak.
4Blite came marching after me. His pace was brisk and straightforward, but he had a slight frown adorning his face.
I coughed painfully, checking for any broken bones, before I hobbled to my feet. "So you're taking me out?" I asked, causing 4Blite to pause. "What about Spring and Parker? You're gonna let that bastard rat on you to your boss?"
His eyes narrowed. "So you know how to pick up context clues. And you picked up on how much I loathe Spring. I suppose I had better be straightforward, however, just to drive in my point." He raised his axe and brought it down to crush my skull. I quickly raised my own axe to intercept and found myself in a contest of strength with the man.
"No matter how I've treated them," he spoke coldly, "once Ringwood is decimated, Ember will see once-and-for-all that stringent, soldierly methods yield results. Punishment?" He scoffed. "I'll be rewarded for my services to the cult. A thousand times over for crushing a Kingdom through my own means. The times of '4Blite the Lieutenant' will be over, and then…"
His lips tilted up. "Spring's whining will mean less than nothing to her."
"Sounds like a good plan." I winced out as I tried to push his axe up. Even exerting all my strength, I could barely budge the thing. I was even screwing my face up in concentration while 4Blite was able to monologue without losing any amount of power. "You know, we're pretty similar."
"I agree." 4Blite nodded. "We both use axes, we both let our strengths speak for themselves,—"
"—And we both can't stand Spring."
"Quite… though I wonder if that means, were we on the same side, that we would be good friends or bitter rivals." He shrugged. "I suppose we'll never know. Now," he suddenly pressed down with twice as much force and I felt my arm buckle, "call your friend."
"Ggk!" I grit my teeth as his axe began to scrape my skin. "I… I don't know who you mean!"
"You're a terrible liar. That's where we differ. The invisible friend." 4Blite elaborated with a roll of his eyes. "I know he's still out here somewhere and I prefer to kill any loose ends that might make their way back to Ringwood. If the knowledge about the cats ever got back—"
"What makes you think he'd come back?" I choke out despite the axe trying to decapitate me. "Why would my life mean more than all the ones in Ringwood?"
At this, 4Blite raised his brows as if I've asked a question with an obvious answer.
"Because good guys always aspire to be heroes."
Before I could question what the hell he was talking about, I felt the axe lift up before striking at me from the side. The diamond cut deep and the Knockback Enchantment flared to send me flying back towards the herd. I skid to a stop into a clearing just shy of the herd. I struggled to my knees only for a boot to stamp onto my back and pin me there.
"I hope you're watching this, Invisible Crafter!" 4Blite called out to the woods, his cold voice echoing through the air. "Unless you want to watch this young man cut down like the blasted weed that he is, you'll reveal yourself to me!"
My eyes widened. "Don't do it!" I spat out, straining against 4Blite's strength. "He'll kill us both if you—"
4Blite silenced me with another harsh stamp.
"Perhaps you don't believe me." 4Blite commented before raising his diamond axe and leveling it at my neck. "Perhaps you'd like to witness it for yourself."
"Perhaps you should shut the hell up." Came a nearby voice before an iron sword popped into existence and slashed at the Lieutenant. 4Blite tried to block, but Cobb had the element of surprise. The sword struck 4Blite's iron armor and took out a Heart or two before sending him skidding across the dirt.
"Yeah, I really like Invisibility." Cobb commented before he yelped as I kicked him. "Ow! What was that for!? I just saved your life!"
"So you somehow managed to intervene at just the right moment to save my life while being invisible?" He asked skeptically. "You were nowhere close enough to offer help anytime earlier? It could have only been then. Is that right?"
That shut him up. I could just imagine his eyes darting around and a cold sweat breaking across his invisible face. "…Okay so, maaaaaybe I was watching… for, ah, for a little bit, before I decided to, you know, jump in."
"Exactly." I groused before readying my axe. "Next time it looks like I'm losing a fight, jump in sooner."
"I thought you could handle it!"
"He was tossing me like a ragdoll!"
"Well I—" I couldn't catch the rest since 4Blite just launched me across the woods with that damn axe of his. I felt my back creak as it slammed into another tree. I reached to my belt for some food, but froze when I noticed 4Blite lifting his hand up like he was choking an invisible person.
"Invisibility blocks sight, not sound." 4Blite commented before rearing back and slamming his hand into the ground. The distressed choking noise coming from his fist told me he had located Cobb. "You are far too noisy to fully utilize this potion."
I tried to get up to help, but found myself sway on the spot before tumbling to the ground. I was more injured than I thought. I would need time to fill my Hunger Meter and regenerate my Health.
If that wasn't bad enough, Cobb's Invisibility began to wear off. His black and white hoodie materialized first before blossoming out to shape his torso, head, and legs. In a few seconds, he was fully visible, 4Blite's hand still choking the life out of him.
The Lieutenant raised his axe, looking ready to kill Cobb once and for all. His eyes slid over his form before stopping just above his Head. They narrowed slightly, scrutinizing something (perhaps the best way to decapitate him), before all of a sudden, his purple irises widened in an emotion unlike anything he had shown before.
Shock.
"You're…" He spoke softly, looking Cobb up and down. "King_Cobb. The Billionth…"
I saw 4Blite's grip slacken as he looked upon Cobb with an appraising glance. Cobb, grateful for the Lieutenant's crushing grip to be off his neck, took great, greedy gulps of air. The fisherman suffered a slight coughing fit before he finally registered what the Lieutenant had said.
"You… know of me?"
It must have been the wrong thing to say because the next moment, 4Blite had pressed his axe dangerously close to Cobb's neck. The fisherman tilted his head away from the sharp diamond edge, but 4Blite wrenched his face back into place so that the two were looking each other in the eyes.
"…Where is he?" 4Blite asked with what I could only describe as barely restrained excitement.
"Huh?" Cobb replied, trying to pry the blade off his neck.
"Don't play dumb!" 4Blite shouted suddenly, spit flying from his mouth. "The Founder! You know where he is! You must!"
Cobb looked as confused as ever. "I don't… I don't know who you're talking about!"
"LIAR!" 4Blite screeched, grabbing Cobb by the face and grinding it into the ground. He looked demented, completely different from the composed Lieutenant from before. "You know where he is! You were the last thing he warned us about! You must! Know! Something!"
The diamond axe kept cutting into Cobb's Health, causing the fisherman to writhe about in discomfort. He didn't have the strength to dislodge the Lieutenant, nor did he have the knowledge to answer his bizarre questions.
After a few moments of getting nowhere, 4Blite relented. He pulled his axe away and glared into the fisherman's terrified eyes.
"…I can't kill you." 4Blite spoke, more to himself than to Cobb. He looked conflicted, as if he was debating an important decision. "Ember warned us not to… tch! Of all the people to interfere!" He groused, stepping off the fisherman only to stomp the breath out of his gut. "Or maybe it's because it's you that you're interfering here now. Either way… I can't let this opportunity pass. You're coming with me."
4Blite reached into his belt, but had to jump back when I hurled my axe at him. He fully revealed a pair of splash potions in his hand that he would have used on Cobb. The fisherman took the opportunity to crawl away.
4Blite glared coldly at me. "You, however, we don't need."
4Blite darted forward towards me, diamond axe raised to send me to oblivion. Cobb tried to reach out to stop him, but failed. The dark-skinned man was upon me, his axe slashing strongly towards my torso. I was too weak to dodge and the flash of blue that hurtled towards me…
…
The flash of blue that hurtled towards me wasn't his axe.
It was a blur of blue hair.
My breath caught in my throat.
An iron sword diverted the Lieutenant's attack at the last second before a well-timed kick sent him skittering away. 4Blite glared coldly at the newest interloper.
It was Floyd.
"You…" I mumbled dazedly as I stared upon the blue-nette's strong back. I reached an arm out and grabbed his shoulder, just to verify he was really there. The red fabric of his sweater. His jet black jeans. The name Flawwed_Floyd above his head.
This wasn't a dream.
He was real.
He was alive.
"You…" I repeated, completely at a loss for words. The blue-nette was more than happy to help me out.
"I wasn't able to save Silent or Void." His head was tilted down, as if in shame. "But it looks like I came just in the nick of time." He turned around and flashed me a smirk. "Sorry for taking so long."
I cracked a smile at his words. How can he say 'sorry' after all the shit I've put him through? I was a total dick to him. And yet…
He was too good of a bastard. I really didn't deserve him, a schmuck like me. Someone who would think it right to shun a friend for a moment of weakness.
I scoffed. "I didn't miss you that much." I tried to contain the manly tears, but failed when my voice broke. "Though it's great to have you back."
"What is this? An emotional moment?" The cold voice of 4Blite sneered, prompting Floyd to refocus his attention. I stepped up to his side, all signs of fatigue gone. His presence alone was like a second wind for me. With the two of us side-by-side, the prospect of facing a Lieutenant seemed easy.
4Blite took a step forward, hefting his axe over his shoulder. Only to suddenly collapse to his knees with an arrow sticking out of his calf. "Who—!?"
"You bet it's an emotional moment!" Cara called out from her position in the trees. Her bow was notched with an arrow pointed directly at 4Blite. "And you're ruining it!"
Cobb struggled to his feet as well, though he never took his eyes off of Floyd. His self-control was long gone as he began to softly sob at the sight of him. "Floyd… you're…"
4Blite's eyes darted to Cara, Floyd, me, and finally Cobb. He took a few steps towards the fisherman only to pause as Floyd and I closed our ranks around him. The next second, 4Blite had to leap back as one of Cara's arrows almost caught him in the eye.
The dark-skinned man glared coldly at the four of us, his fists clenched at his sides. He looked to be debating whether to take us all on or simply cut his losses. They'd be some pretty hefty losses, however, seeing as how both Cobb and I now knew how to drive away the Creepers. All of his work against Ringwood would be undone if we lived. And yet…
He didn't have a choice.
"…Mission failure." He spoke resentfully, sheathing his axe in his backpack. "Seems like the Billionth is ever-present as the cult's enemy."
Cobb wasn't listening to 4Blite's final words. Too busy was he in gripping Floyd by the sweater to see if he was as real as he seemed.
"What makes you think we're letting you go?" I called out to the Lieutenant. I knew I was pushing it, but he had already acknowledged it as his loss. What harm could a little additional taunting do?
"Whom do you think is letting whom go? Make no mistake, insect. The four of you are far below me in terms of skill." 4Blite spoke coldly. "Your time will come, as will Ringwood's, very soon."
And with his final piece said, 4Blite backed out into the trees, his cold purple eyes glaring at each of us in turn. The underbrush shifted to accept him and he was gone.
After a moment to be certain 4Blite was gone, Cara jumped down from the trees and walked towards us. I met her half-way and grabbed her by the shoulders before hugging her. She seemed surprised for a moment before returning the gesture.
"See? I told you the arson plan would work."
I shook my head. "I'm just relieved you're safe. Did Floyd find you?"
She pulled back with a nod. "He fought off some cultists before pulling me out of an explosive situation. I definitely didn't cry." She added when I gave her a knowing look. "I didn't! I was serious—and, and composed…" She pouted at me when it was obvious I wasn't buying it. "Fine. I bawled my eyes out into his sweater."
"That's what I figured." I countered with a half-smile before turning to look towards Floyd and Cobb. "Speaking of people bawling their eyes out…"
Cobb was a hysterical wreck. He was clutching onto Floyd for dear life, sobbing unrestrainedly into his sweater and repeating that he was alive over and over while the blue-nette kept assuring him that, yeah, he was alive.
"You guys thought I was dead?" Floyd asked in mock betrayal. "Geez. Give me a little credit!"
"Y-you were tossed off a c-cl-cliff!" Cobb shouted burying his face into Floyd. "Th-they said they l-look-looked for you… and… and…" He trailed off as he tried and failed to speak between sobs and a face-full of Floyd's sweater.
"Hey, Cobb, easy." Floyd tried to calm him down, gently pulling him off his sweater. He seemed surprised that the fisherman was so worried. "I'm here, okay? I'm alive. And nothing is going to kill me."
Cobb sniffled, but still refused to let go of the blue-nette. "I thought you… you were gone forever… and that it was my fault for n-not being there to s-save you…"
"What? Are you crazy?" Floyd cast off Cobb's worries by grabbing him by the shoulders and giving him a small shake. "You had nothing to do with that. Teal was the one that tried to kill me. Not you. So don't you dare say you had a hand in it!"
"How did you survive anyway?" I asked, walking up to the blue-nette. "Attila said falling off those cliffs was certain death."
"Wow, don't sound so disappointed." Floyd countered sarcastically before he pulled out his iron sword and wedged it between him and Cobb, intending to use it as a crowbar. "I can see what Attila meant, though. Those Guardians swarmed me as soon as I hit the water. They fired laser beams at me and had spikes all over their body. I only managed to get away since I had a Potion of Water Breathing on me." He held up a glass bottle with a small smile.
"It let me breathe underwater where I tried to swim away from those Mobs. When I was climbing into my boat, one of them got a lucky shot and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I had washed to shore on some lonely island surrounded by Guardians. My boat was crushed and there were no trees, so I had a time figuring out how to escape. Luckily, there was an old beach house with a little potted sapling. I planted it with some bone meal and used the wood to make a new boat."
"No wonder we couldn't find you." Cara chimed in, rubbing her chin. "There are a few islands off of Nitebane's coast. You must have floated there."
"…Sorry for that, by the way." I mumbled, looking away from my friend's face.
"Sorry for what?"
"For giving up on you. For being a dick. For thinking you were dead. Take your pick."
"Ugh, don't tell me you were blaming yourself for Teal too." Floyd groaned. "At least Cara wasn't beating herself up about it."
"Are y-you kidding?" Cobb spoke up, wiping away some tears with a small smile on his face. "She was beating herself up the most!"
"Wha—No I wasn't!" Cara defended hotly while Cobb laughed.
"She was questioning her own leadership and drinking herself silly." I spoke to Floyd, not bothering to keep my voice down.
Cara fumed. "Well, I wasn't guilty enough to take on an outpost of cultists like a certain someone."
"What!?" Floyd gasped, looking between Cobb and me. I shook my head and pointed to the fisherman who could only glance away guiltily. "Are you kidding!? Geez, Cobb, badass! What else did I miss?"
"Creepers attacking Ringwood." Cobb answered shortly. "In fact, we got to get back there as soon as possible."
"Sounds like a plan." I nodded. "We can talk about Cobb's screw-ups at the outpost along the way. It'll be fun."
"Hey, Floyd, did you know that die-hard Soul affectionately named his pet Cat-Face? Thoughts?"
"…You little shit." Soul hissed, trapping Cobb in a headlock and rubbing a fist into his head. "How's that feel, huh? You little punk!"
Floyd watched their interaction with a quizzical look. He tilted his head and folded his arms. "Huh. I guess I did miss a lot. Since when have you two been on such good terms?"
"This is what you call good terms?" Cara questioned as Cobb and I stared at them before looking at each other and then back to them.
"I mean, we can go back to hating each other if you want." Cobb suggested, earning a bark of laughter from me. I shoved his head away and he chuckled to himself.
"No, no, it's… I'm happy you two get along." Floyd smiled, looking between his two best friends. "I just never thought I'd see it in my lifetime."
"Crafters live forever though."
"I never thought I'd see it in my lifetime."
"I can't believe I missed you." Cobb grinned, clapping the blue-nette on the shoulder. "Ooh! I got loads to tell you, though! About Lenz, and the secret lab, and the Creeper lady, and the Hacker, and the golden shovel—!"
"Ah… Hacker?" Floyd faltered after hearing that word and seemed uncomfortable repeating it. "What, uh, what do you mean? What happ—"
*Meow*
I let out a manly gasp before rushing over to the cat lying lazily across my axe. "Cat-Face! You're okay!" I picked up the cat and started rubbing my face all over it. "Oh, who's a happy kitty? Who's a happy kitty? That's right, you are!"
"…What am I witnessing right now?" Cara and Floyd asked in unison, sounding sick. Realizing how it must have looked, I quickly pulled Cat-Face off my face and cleared my throat. Then I ambandoned all further dignity by holding the feline by the paws and dangling him off the ground, watching him sway lazily.
"Goood little Cat-Face!"
*Meow*
*Meow*
Before my eyes, more cats began to appear from the woods. At least six of them. At first, I worried they belonged to more cultists. But when I saw them padding over to rub their faces affectionately against Floyd and Cara, I knew they must have been theirs.
"Yeah, for some reason, all the cultists had cats." Cara rubbed her head awkwardly as she assessed the felines. "I guess the rules of pet ownership state that, since we killed their old owners, they're ours now?"
Most of them were all over Floyd, winding their bodies around his legs. The blue-nette looked indifferent about it. He was probably more a dog person.
"They're kind of in the way, though." Floyd commented as he pulled out his sword. "I think I should just kill them or scare them off so they don't follow—"
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" Cobb and I screamed in unison while waving our arms back and forth. Floyd slowly lowered his sword, fixing us with confused glances.
"Trust us." I shared a knowing look with Cobb. "We'll need those cats."
[Wynn]
"Miss Whispers!"
Erin sprang forward, running into my arms and giving me a gentle squeeze. I returned it only as a perfunctory action. Instead, I took more interest the people with her.
Lenzington, a guard, and a few Crafters. They were all soaking wet and looked exhausted, but they had somehow escaped the sea of Creepers occupying the Eastern District. Lenzington in particular beamed with pride.
The others were giving him dirty looks however.
"Never again…" One of the Crafters, Coombes, mumbled to himself, looking traumatized.
"Captain Wynn." The guard with them saluted before addressing me further. "I'm sorry to say that the Eastern District is almost completely overrun. With the way things are going… we just might have to burn the district.
I bit my lip in frustration. There was really no more time left. The Creepers were soon to surround us from the east and west. Even if Cobb had a solution for driving off the Creepers, would it even work at this point?
"Er… Captain?" Lenz tugged on my sleeve, adjusting his goggles to see something in the direction of the Eastern District. There was a ghost of a smile on his face. "I believe you will want to see this."
I turned to see what the engineer was pointing to…
And felt my jaw drop.
Four Crafters. Purple, dark-brown, blue, and light-brown sets of hair that cut through the herd of Creepers like a hot knife through butter. They weren't attacking the Mobs, instead only running through them.
And accompanying them were seven cats, spread out like some sort of barrier. The Creepers looked terrified of the felines and jumped aside to let them pass.
Huh…
Cats…
I turned to the guard. "Tell every able-bodied Crafter to scavenge through pet stores and back alleys for every cat they can find. Solara." I pointed to the archer. "Gather as many fishermen as you can and take them to the Ringwood pond. Catch as many fish as you can carry, we'll be using them to breed kittens if we have to."
I was ever-grateful that Solara didn't question my odd request and instead opted to follow orders. "You two." Lenz and Erin looked started at being addressed. "Go find Captain Iron_Lung and tell him that Creepers are afraid of cats. If he doesn't believe you, tell him it's from the same source that told me how to block Creeper explosions."
Lenz was quick to agree, but Erin was more reluctant. "But… but… but that's Cobb out there, isn't it?" Erin whined, jumping up to try and glimpse Cobb's hair over the hundreds of Creepers. "C-can't I wait a little bit until he gets here? Please? I just want to see if he's okay! A-and maybe if he's h-hungry… or… or… if he needs to be more comfortable… or—"
"No." I shot her down coldly before turning her around and pushing her towards Lenz.
A few minutes later, Cobb and his group of companions cleared the herd. That was when Cobb glimpsed me. He froze upon making contact with my amber eyes and he looked… apprehensive.
And he had every right to be. The second he was within stabbing distance I was going to jam my rapier through his bottom and hold him over a fire like a Cobb Kebob! He had no idea how worried I was for him. How he had just disregarded me completely to go on his stupid quest for vengeance. Informing Ringwood about the cats wasn't going to cover all the worry he put me through.
It wouldn't even come close.
I saw Soul and Cara exit the herd next. They each placed an arm over Cobb's shoulder and helped push him toward me. Then, bringing up the rear was…
…
Floyd.
So he had survived. Despite my anger towards the fisherman, I couldn't help but feel elated that he still had his friend beside him. Considering how much it tore at him, finding out he was still alive must have been quite the tear-jerking moment.
I watched like a hawk as Cobb breathed out a resigned sigh and walked towards me. He swayed slightly and looked injured, fatigued, and filthy. Soot from the fires clung to his clothes—oh, yes, the fires he caused. Another problem he heaped onto Ringwood.
He better pray it rains tomorrow.
He walked right up to me, but not close enough to invade my personal space. He kept himself an arm length away. he was like a timid deer, poised to flee at the slightest sign of hostility.
"Wynn…" He began, voice heavy with regret. "I… I'm sor—"
"If you want to say sorry," I cut him off, tone stern and unforgiving, "you'll need to tell me what you did wrong. It has to be the one action you took that upset me the most for me to forgive you. And I want to hear why." I added.
Cobb looked at me with his mouth slightly parted, his face lined with shame and fear. He honestly looked a little lost to be asked such a question, almost as if he didn't know where to begin with where he went wrong. He made so many mistakes in such a short amount of time. Was it even possible for him to guess what had hurt me the most?
Cobb searched my face for the answer, but when it was clear he'd have to work it out for himself, he tilted his head down and adopted a contemplative look. His eyes closed as he thought back to the days of his depression and grief. The days in which he tackled an outpost on his own. The days in which he closed himself off from the world. From his friends.
Seconds stretched on into minutes and his three companions fidgeted in place. Still, Cobb took his time. It angered me that he even had to think about what made me most upset. It should have been obvious.
Finally, his eyes slowly opened and he looked back to me, his green eyes as hard as emeralds.
"I'm sorry I felt my pain didn't matter to you."
In one step, my arms were around his back, gripping him in a tight embrace. He twitched apprehensively before settling into the hug, his own arms wrapping around my back and his eyes crinkling with tears.
"I'm sorry…" He mumbled softly into my shoulder as tears started to well up. "I'm so sorry…"
"Why did you do it?" I asked, moving a hand up to cradle his head. Soul, Floyd, and Cara took that as their hint to leave. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"…I don't know." He shook his head, sobbing heavily into my shoulder. "I… I wanted to tell everyone… but… but I would've just been spreading the pain. I would've been… I would've been acknowledging his death." He was having trouble getting the words out. "It… it hurt… s-so much."
"I know."
I patted his head comfortingly, even as his sobs grew in intensity and incoherency.
"I… I knew y-you would have… w-wanted to know…" He continued through a hoarse throat. "You would have w-wa-wanted to know… the second I was feeling b-bad." He shook his head, burying it deeper in my shoulder and clinging tighter to my back. "I… I felt… I felt v-vulnerable… I d-didn't want… want you to s-see me like that. I didn't kn-know how to f-feel… I… I…"
He couldn't finish, so I helped him out a little bit.
"You thought your pain would be a bother to us. That it would be pointless baggage. Am I right?"
I felt him nod against my blouse and I hugged him tighter.
"So instead," I began with a small smile, "you thought taking on an Endward Cult outpost, starting fires in the woods, and leaving the Kingdom without telling anyone would be less of a bother to us. Is that right?"
He let out a sound that was half sob and half embarrassed laugh. "I'm an idiot…"
"I know." I smiled.
Suddenly, all the anger I felt towards him seemed pointless, as if it had all just melted away. It was impossible to stay mad at such a whimpering, tear-stained bundle of innocence.
"I truly consider you a friend, Cobb." I moved away so I could look him in the eyes. His were red and watery, but he had to know what I thought of him. "I worry about you because you're my friend. Even though I pick up on things, I can only ever know something's wrong if you tell me."
He nodded quickly, splashing his hoodie with tears. I quickly wiped them away with some paper in my backpack.
"So please, don't ever close yourself off again." I spoke gently, resting a hand on his cheek. "Because there's nothing more painful than watching a friend suffer."
Cobb nodded again, managing a smile as the tears were finally cleared away. He threw his arms around me once more, saying how sorry he was over and over. I let him continue for a few minutes, patting his head and whispering soothing words into his ear. There was no rush. The guards, Solara, and Iron_Lung would have the situation under control without me. The Creeper herd could wait.
Sure, stabbing Cobb with my rapier would have been warranted after all the turmoil he put his friends through.
But honestly, I didn't mind the two of us hugging it out.
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Golden Sword [Sharpness I, Unbreaking I]{Weak}, 1 Golden Shovel [Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 15 Cobblestone, 12 Flint, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Clock, 43 Dirt, 1 Bucket, 4 String, 6 TNT, 14 Steak, 30 Cooked Mutton, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00},1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Iron Helmet {Weak}, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green, Unbreaking I], 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Leather Pants [Dyed Black, Unbreaking I], 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Black, Protection I], 9 Rotten Flesh, 46 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}
[EXP: 21]
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Bow, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 3 Sticks, 3 Ladders, 8 Cobblestone, 1 Oak Wood Door, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 13 Cooked Fish, 3 Wool, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 5 Arrows, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds
[EXP: 20]
Inventory (Lenz): 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 3 Levers, 4 Wooden Buttons, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 17 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 24 Redstone, 64 TNT, 15 TNT, 1 Hopper, 1 Dispenser, 3 Blocks of Redstone, 5 Pistons, 10 Cobblestone, 10 Torches, 13 Wheat, 2 Sticks, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 9 String, 25 Gunpowder, 15 Steak, 2 Cooked Mutton, 42 Arrows, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}
[EXP: 5]
Inventory (Soul): 1 Iron Axe, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Strength II {1:30}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 20 Oak Wood Planks, 24 Steaks, 9 Emeralds, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}
[EXP: 35]
AN: That concludes the Creeper Herd Arc (Now you see why I didn't name the Arc at the beginning). The next Arc will be a mini-Arc called the Bounty Day Arc. It'll probably last about two or three chapters.
Anyway, this Chapter was originally going to be called 'Brothers' as in Soul and Floyd, but then I had the Wynn scene at the end so I thought, hey, Brothers AND Sisters AND I can kill off all those Royal Whispers Shippers in one go! SOLD!
The Inventory list has never been bigger as Floyd is still alive. But, I mean, it's not like anyone totally called that. (9_9)
Everyone thank AxeHelix for Beta-ing this Chapter. I had him waiting forever on it. I'm such an ass.
AxeHelix: You really are an ass.
Omake: Overshadow (Part 7)
The throne room was quieter than it had ever been as the two adversaries circled each other like wolves. Carys had her scythe held loosely behind her while Urson kept a tense grip on his sword.
This was the moment of truth. The moment in which months' worth of preparation and planning would either come to fruition or failure. A pivotal event in the Paragons' history was standing before the Angel, and she'd be damned if she let it slip through her fingers.
Urson watched Carys with the same careful consideration he'd shown at the beginning of the fight. Only now, he acknowledged how powerful she was. For someone to fight on par with a Hacker without any of the same abilities was borderline suicidal. Yet here she was, doing just that.
When Urson circled to a point where he was closest to the throne where Ocan's gear lay scattered, he made his move.
Carys had to duck as Ocan's Head was kicked towards her by the remaining Hacker. It was only meant to be a distraction as Urson charged forward with smoke billowing in his wake. He let out a guttural war cry as he swung his diamond sword down, intending to kill the Angel of Death with his One-Hit-Kill.
Carys wasn't one to be done in so easily, though. She sidestepped the killing strike and retaliated by dragging her scythe across the Hacker's exposed chest. He winced from the blow, but refused to give up ground. Instead he fought through the pain and lashed out with close-range slashes.
Carys, knowing how deadly they were, dodged them all. But being in close proximity to Urson's KillAura was steadily robbing the Angel of her Health. Every time she tried to get some distance, Urson followed. He was belligerent and knew that the longer he fought in close range, the more damage she'd take.
Carys' eyes narrowed through her Wither Skeleton mask as she retaliated with scythe slashes of her own. Each one did as much damage as Urson's KillAura.
This was the final battle. A war of attrition. Both sides were doing just as much damage to each other. There was no time to back off or regroup. It was a bloody, reckless onslaught of damage in which only one of them could win. And there was no way Carys was backing down.
*SLASH* *SLASH* *SLASH*
*SWISH* *SWISH* *SWISH*
Carys' Health was falling fast, but she knew that without even having to glance at her Health Meter. She knew her own body better than those silly tattoos on her arms. It was Urson's Health she kept an eye on. She watched as those deep red hearts turned black and empty and felt herself come one step closer to victory.
*SLASH* *SLASH* *SLASH*
*SWISH* *SWISH* *SWISH*
Urson's eyes were watching her Health too. For the same exact reasons. He knew landing a hit could end the whole thing, but he couldn't for the life of him hit the damn woman!
This battle would be settled by whoever flinched first; Whoever turned chicken at the last second for fear of dying. That would be the moment where everything would be settled.
*SLASH* *SLASH*
*SWISH* *SWISH* *SWISH* *SWISH*
Urson grit his teeth as his Health reached dangerous levels. His eyes darted to Carys, wondering how she could keep attacking without fear. Didn't she have any sense of self-preservation? Why wasn't she backing off? Why wasn't she disengaging!?
Urson's eyes flickered, his Hacker smoke fizzling out for a second. He… he couldn't lose. He was a Hacker! The strongest beings in Minecraftia! The ones that inherited the world! The ones unchallenged by even the strongest of Crafters!
They were superior in every way! He wasn't going to lose! Not when he had every excuse to triumph!
He was the best!
"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Urson bellowed, putting all his strength into one final slash towards Carys' torso.
"Those all the final words you can muster?" Carys screamed in response, her crimson eyes dilating. She dropped to her knees fast, dodging Urson's sword the skin of her teeth. Then, with one final burst of energy, she darted beneath Urson's outstretched arms, a flash of diamond aiming high.
Her scythe scored a hit deep into Urson's neck, tearing free the final Hearts of the Hacker's Health. And, in an explosion of gear and smoke the color of night, Urson's Head lay motionless upon the throne room floor.
Two seconds. One for each Hacker.
That was all the time it had taken for the Griefers to drop everything and flee. They were already losing to Kal's forces, but seeing their invincible Hacker leaders' Heads tossed down from Lunar Castle… that was the final nail in their coffin.
They truly had no honor or purpose in their miserable lives. They only spread destruction and grief when it was on their terms. Like a bunch of schoolyard bullies, they only fled when an adult arrived to break up their fun.
There were stragglers, of course. Some Griefers clung to the shadows of Nitebane's ruined skyscrapers or else hid themselves in sewers like the rats they were. So desperate were they to cling to the one safe haven for them in all of Minecraftia, they failed to realize what Nitebane's citizens would do if they were to find them first. After so many years of occupying their Kingdom and causing untold chaos, the Griefers would be lucky if the Crafters of the skyscraper communities only killed them.
But that was neither here nor there. Only two things mattered to Carys as she gathered her Paragons into Lunar Castle to celebrate their victory and conclude final preparations for Operation: Overshadow.
One: She had stepped into the halls of legends by being the first Crafter to kill a Hacker.
And two: Nitebane now belonged to the Paragons.
AN: Things are wrapping up for the Paragons.