AN: Congrats to GeneralIronSword for getting last week's puzzle right. The answer: A candle! Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.
(::)
Also, special shoutout to AxeHelix. If it wasn't for him, I don't think I'd be updating as frequently. He keeps me in line, so be sure to thank him for this content.
Puzzle: There are two cars in front of two other cars. There are two cars behind two other cars. There are two cars beside two other cars. How many cars are there?
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I would allow you to shoot while running.
Beta: AxeHelix
Chapter 84
Beginners
[Luis]
I sat in my room, my fingers drumming at a desk with a book opened before me.
The report I was working on should have been finished days ago. It was filled with information about King_Cobb, gleaned from several days of spying. He had a steady source of income through his Silk Touch Shovel, he recently enchanted a yet unknown weapon, and he was friends with Captain Wynn.
He launched an attack on an Endward Cult outpost, which Wing used as cover to extricate vital cult information, and his number was one billion. The last piece of information was more troubling, since it tied together with the 'Legend of the Billionth' being spread around bars.
Carys isn't going to take this well. I thought to myself, remembering how Carys had always stressed the importance of slaying the Hackers herself, with no help from anyone else. She wanted to be the first Crafter to kill a Hacker. She wanted that accomplishment for herself to know and respect.
But Cobb had been quicker. More than that, there was still no word about Nitebane being freed from Griefers. Carys should have struck by now, but the news was taking longer to reach Ringwood than expected. Either there were delays in information passing because the people were hesitant to travel to a Kingdom attacked by Creepers, or, the unthinkable, Carys had lost.
I had to believe it was the first reason. Carys wasn't stupid. She trained for such a fight. She knew their Hacks. She ran it through her head a thousand times. No, she wouldn't fail.
I mean… she already failed at being the first to kill a Hacker, but I wasn't going to throw my life away and point that out to her.
As for Cobb, well…
Who knew what Carys wanted with him. If he could kill a Hacker, maybe we were trying to recruit him. In which case, we needed to find a way to bring the two together.
The report would be the first step. It had everything on Cobb and it would have been finished…
If it didn't need to include Flawwed_Floyd as well.
His number was already known, and Brett had informed Wing about Floyd's reasons for joining the Silver Intent organization. He was good with a sword, fast, and determined. He sounded like an average Paragon member.
But it was also believed that he died. Supposedly, he had been killed by an Endward Cult Lieutenant. Only he survived. That was interesting. Especially since it revealed the identity of another high-ranking Endward Cult member.
Cobb and Floyd. Both of them would have made good Paragons with a little bit more training. I wasn't going to be biased in my report, however. Only the objective facts.
As I was making the finishing touches and planning on what to write for my letter, there was a light knock at the door before Wing crossed the threshold. He looked like I felt: annoyed.
"What happened to spying on Cobb and Floyd?" I asked calmly, even though I was holding back the urge to shout. He didn't have to write reports. He didn't have to phrase bad news carefully. All he had to do was watch, listen, and report. Was that so hard?
"That's what I was doing, but then I saw someone else." He defended. "A Captain who wasn't supposed to be there."
"What's so odd about Iron_Lung showing—"
"It was a Daymonte Captain." He stressed. "Blonde, with good eyesight and aim. Ring any bells?"
It did. That was Velocishot, also known as the 'Golden Chickadee'… or was it the 'Golden Owl'? Anyway, she was bad news. With her 20-20 vision and bow expertise, Wing would've been picked up immediately. He did the smart thing and retreated.
"And yet another powerful Captain Cobb interacts with." I hummed to myself as I jotted some stuff down. "He certainly has connections."
"Whoopee." Wing groused, falling backward on his bed. "Spying on someone more important than me. How enjoyable. But hey, at least I got to enjoy the Bounty Day with only one of my friends instead of all of them in Nitebane."
"…There'll be another Overshadow." I offered, guessing what was really bothering my friend. "This could be more important."
There was a scoff. "Wish I could believe it." He muttered before turning his back to me.
I shot him a sympathetic look, but he wasn't watching me. He was still disappointed over being assigned such a mission. History was being made in Nitebane and he was trapped, Kingdoms away, following the life of some nobody. Little wonder he was so unmotivated.
I let out a weary sigh. "The report is done, more or less. It's got everything about Cobb's traveling companions and friends, skills, and information. Floyd's is a little lacking, but Carys wanted us to focus on Cobb anyway." I turned in my chair. "As soon as we get word Carys won in Nitebane—"
"Of course she won." Wing interrupted without looking at me. "She's Carys_Angel. Nothing can stop her."
There was still respect in his tone, even with the underlying note of petulant dissatisfaction. He didn't have doubts like me.
"—once we get word and know Carys is in Nitebane, we'll send the report and an accompanying letter. Afterwards, we'll… probably make our way back there." It was as lackluster as it sounded, but it was what the Angel wanted. We had to be ready for when the Hackers or cultists retaliated.
I got up from the desk, deciding it best to leave Wing to his sulking, when he suddenly called out.
"Wait."
He got up from his bed, his eyes glaring fiercely at the wall.
"Forget going back to Nitebane. You still need to write that letter?" I nodded, unsure of where he was heading. "Then I want you to write something from me. If Carys wants to know so much about these two, I say we get them to meet in person. Then maybe she'll think twice about stiffing us out of major operations."
[Cobb]
I think Veronica's real nickname was the 'Golden Hawk' of Daymonte. Why? Because she was patrolling Wynn's mansion like a hawk, impatiently awaiting the Captain's return from the Palace. But Wynn wasn't at the Palace. She was hiding in the Inhouse, with no sign of coming out.
That left the rest of us to try and distract her from searching the outhouse. We owed the Captain, after all, for building a bunker under her home after she let Soul off the hook for burning down the woods.
Lenz was content to praise the Captain for her many feats of archery. She soaked up the praise arrogantly, showing off her prowess by calling shots upon the decorations of Wynn's mansion and then making them with ease. Erin was upset over her firing arrows inside the house and reprimanded her enough to get her to stop, albeit reluctantly.
Soul's distracting was… well…
He had started out okay. And by 'okay' I meant he and Veronica had started hurling insults at each other.
It began with Soul asking Veronica what made her attracted only to women.
"Well, you see, there was this guy I met one day. And he was so pig-headed and underwhelming that it traumatized me. Since then, I've sworn off all men, only seeking romance with women. And no woman is more woman than Wynn. Bleh, tongue twister."
"Seriously? That seems kind of weak." Soul had replied. "What was the guy's name?"
Veronica had smiled. "I think it was Lost_Soul."
Then the shouting had happened, followed by the insults.
"You know, I think there's a word for people who obsess over first loves to the point of breaking into their homes." Soul barked. "They're called stalkers."
"Shut up, Shrimp on the Barbie!"
"…What the hell does that even mean?"
"It means your dick is small!"
"Grrrr! At least I have a dick! How are you going to satisfy Wynn without one?"
"I'm not going to launch into a Sex-Ed course with the likes of you, Monsieur Pencil-Prick."
"Oh, suck my dick!"
"How can I? There's nothing there!"
And then their insults reached a level where I couldn't even understand half of them.
"I slept with your wife!"
"I don't have a wife!"
"Well, I'll wait! I'll wait until your honeymoon night, when you are looking lovingly into her eyes, and she's looking lovingly into your eyes, and then I'll burst into the room, punch you in the face, and fuck your wife."
"You stay away from my hypothetical wife!"
"Why should I? You'll only hurt her once she finds out you have nothing to offer with that toothpick you call a penis."
"I am this close to losing it!"
"Are you using your member as measurement?"
Finally, it got to be too much for Soul, who grabbed his axe and lunged at the blonde Captain. I doubted he was mad enough to kill her, but it didn't matter. His momentum was stopped cold as Veronica unloaded three quick arrows into his chest, sending him collapsing onto the table. He growled in protest, but Veronica was quick to leap on top of him and pin him with her weight.
"And that, lady and gentlemen, is why you don't start a fight with the Golden Parakeet." She ruffled Soul's hair just to rub her victory in his face. Lenz clapped lightly at the impressive display of archery, prompting the Captain to perform a theatrical bow.
"He may have started it, but don't act like you didn't egg him on." Floyd said as he frowned at the blonde. "What kind of Captain goes looking for a fight?"
"The kind that likes a good fight." Veronica countered before slowly stepping off of the axe-wielder. "Or the kind that protects its allies. Like Wynn did when she took care of Burke in Halstatt."
Veronica fell back into her seat before glancing around the mansion again. "What's taking her so long, anyway? I wanted to thank her for catching that slime… and for other things."
"Yeah, just keep those other things to yourself. Don't want to corrupt anyone's innocence." Soul grumbled, massaging his chest where the arrows had hit.
Veronica huffed. "Get your mind out of the gutter. I was talking about her aid in Halstatt."
"Oh. How interesting." I spoke with a straight face. "What happened in Halstatt?"
As if I didn't already know.
"You haven't heard? I figured you would have been with her." She commented before smiling to herself. "I heard it from the village when I went to pick up Burke. She and her guards defended them from Griefers led by—get this—a Hacker!"
"No!" I gasped in fake surprise while Lenz smiled knowingly. Even Floyd gave an anxious twitch.
"Oh, yes!" Veronica nodded eagerly. "Someone named the Billionth helped her out, but I bet she did most of the work taking out that Hacker and his dastardly Griefers."
Floyd idly rubbed his eyes.
"That certainly sounds like the honorable Captain we all know." I nodded with a small laugh. "Willing to risk her life to protect the people she cares about. We could all learn to be more like her."
"Yeah, she's awesome." Veronica muttered dreamily before shooting me a suspicious look. "Don't admire her too much, though. Everyone knows admiration is a small hop away from sex."
"We're just friends." I explained for what felt like the umpteenth time, much to Erin's relief.
It seemed to satisfy the Captain. "Good. You two just keep being friends. Better yet, she can just be your big sister. Gives me less to worry about."
She was like a big sister. I didn't have to go far to imagine that, what with her teaching me about Minecraftia and letting me live in her mansion.
I noticed Floyd getting up from his chair and walking towards the front door, but Soul was the one to call him out on it.
"Where you going?"
"Out." Floyd called back curtly before pausing. "To see… Cara. We need a fifth guild member, right? I was going to ask her to join."
"Oh, good thinking." Soul nodded. "Wait up, I'll go with you. Wanted to see if Brett's got any new missions for us."
Floyd hesitated before nodding. "Let's just hurry. It'll be dark soon."
"Sure thing." Before the two left, Soul turned in the threshold of the door and flipped off the blonde Captain. "Later, old bird—OW!"
Veronica's arrow had weaved through the closing door to hit Soul in the face; a parting shot for his parting shot. The look of satisfaction on her face could only be called smug.
"Hrm… That's odd." Erin noted to herself as she looked at a chest near the front door. "Did they forget to deliver today's newsbook? Or… is it because everything is shut down?"
"Oh, it's the newsbook you want?" Veronica reached into her backpack and pulled out a neat little book. "Here. Picked it up before I got in. Forgot I even had it."
"Th-Thank you." Erin nodded respectfully before skimming through the news. Her expression didn't bode well. "How awful… some Crafters cornered a cultist."
I raised an eyebrow. "How is that awful?"
"Because he wasn't a cultist." Erin muttered sorrowfully. "They thought he was wearing a black-leather cap, but it was a grey-leather cap at night. He was beaten to death before they realized."
I felt sick to my stomach. Killing someone over the color of a cap? Were people that frightened of the cult?
"There are more cases than that. All from inside Ringwood." Erin sighed as she flipped through the book. "Princess Deo even made a statement—"
"Princess Deo?"
"King Miles' heir." Veronica filled in. "Honestly, I don't even live here and I know that. What were you saying?"
"Deo made a statement denouncing the actions of the cult and calling for them to turn themselves in."
"…And she thinks that'll work?"
"No…" Erin shook her head sadly. "But maybe it gives the people some hope? To see someone up there, not afraid. It gives people courage."
"Ringwood will need more than that." Veronica leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. "Wynn must be feeling the pressure. I hope she's alright."
"She's stronger than you think." I muttered while Erin passed the newsbook to a beckoning Lenz. "She won't let this stop her."
"Oh, I know that!" Veronica shot up from her chair, trying to correct her words. "I'm not saying she's weak or anything. She's strong and proud and disciplined! She's grade-A Captain material! What do I have to worry when I know she'll do the best damn job a Captain can do? You just misheard me is all!"
"You don't have to shout—"
"REDSTONE REPEATERS!"
Lenz had jumped to his feet so fast his glasses had been knocked askew. And in his eyes, I saw an excitement and greed comparable to how Erin looked whenever I suggested accompanying her to the market.
She really loved going to the market.
"Redstone repeaters…?" Veronica questioned while Lenz ran up to me and shoved the newsbook in my face.
"Cobbert! Cobbert! Cobbert! Read! Read! Read!" He chanted, losing all eloquence and reason. "It is the most amazing news for me—er, the guild!"
"All I see is darkness." I mumbled into the book still being shoved in my face. I reached up and grabbed it with both hands before pulling it off my face. Lenz stepped back, trembling with excitement as he watched. He tapped the book repeatedly, urging me to read.
I had never seen him so excited since entering that lab back in Daymonte. My curiosity was peaked enough to give it a glance. I began to read it aloud for the sake of everyone present.
[Wealthy Zeppil playboy dies in cliff-jumping accident. Guards say that he missed the water.]
"Oh, how horrifying!" Erin gasped while Veronica immediately lost interest.
"How is this amazing news?" I turned to the engineer who began frantically shaking his head.
"No, not that! There is more! Skip to the bottom!"
I skimmed through the page before finding what I expected the engineer would be more excited about.
[His seven wives…]
"Seven wives?"
Veronica regained interest only for it to be dashed as I continued to read.
[His seven wives are currently selling off his possessions, agreeing to split the emeralds amongst themselves. While most of his enchanted gear, diamond weaponry, and other valuables have been sold, there are still a few things too expensive to have found a buyer.]
[They include the playboy's luxurious mansion, a fabled map to buried treasure, and the playboy's personal airship.]
"…Airship?"
Lenz nodded frantically. "Airship! A genuine airship! Keep reading!"
[A price for the unsold items is still being negotiated between the seven wives in Zeppil. Given the amount of emeralds each one is worth, however, it is unlikely any Crafter would be able to afford it.]
"A negotiable price! Do you know what this means, Cobbert!?" Lenz was hopping around, his glasses bouncing off his nose, barely clinging to his face.
"You bet I do." I locked eyes with the engineer. "It means polygamy is perfectly legal in Minecraftia."
"Yes, and if we—No!" Lenz suddenly flushed with embarrassment. "Comparators, you are missing the point! Here!"
He wrenched the book from my hand and pointed at the word 'airship'. "A redstone airship is sitting in Zeppil—the literal Kingdom of the Clouds, the birthplace of the airship—just waiting to be purchased. And look!" He reached into his belt and tumbled a handful of emeralds between his fingers. "We have a suitable sum of emeralds to afford a mechanical wonder such as this! An airship for my very own—er, the guild's very own!"
I pretended not to hear that slip up. "How will it help the guild?"
"Airships are a mysterious method of transportation brought forth by Zeppil's fervent studies of Command Blocks." Lenz launched into a historical explanation as if he had memorized it from a textbook. "Their first King, Dinnerbone, one of the first ten Crafters to spawn into Minecraftia, began the art when Jeb, King of Daymonte at the time, presented him with a Command Block as a birthday present. Dinnerbone worked tirelessly, studying and developing the commands that could take a structure of blocks and move it through the air. These became known as airships.
"Once perfected, he made sure to pass the technique onto his heirs, ensuring only Zeppil could produce the glorious technology. Similar to how Exter produces unique weapons, Zeppil produces aviation technology. And both are worth an extraordinary amount of emeralds. But for good reason. An airship can travel in two days what on horseback could take ten! In other words, a Crafter could cross from Exter to Oak Docks, a journey that would normally take two months, in just under two weeks!
"Think about how easy it would be to travel and accept mission! You could be anywhere in the blink of an eye, without having to be impeded by terrain, Griefers, or Mobs. All of the top guilds have at least one airship for just this purpose! Our guild should have one too. Nay, we need one! And do not worry about piloting. I can take on such a joyful—ah, burdensome task. Yes! It is sure to be difficult learning how to pilot one of those glorious marvels of redstone and Command Block innovation. All the possible levers and buttons and pressure plates and, and, and…" Was he frothing at the mouth? "Why, I am dizzy just thinking about it…"
"Sounds like you really want to pilot one of these things." I commented with a nervous laugh, his gushing having freaked me out.
"I have always dreamed of piloting one. Any redstone engineer worth their salt would!" He clasped his hands together, a goofy smile adorning his face. "To be at the helm of such a large redstone machination. Demonstrating the fruits of hard work and innovation. I would be the envy of the college! That would show them calling me four-eyes!"
He was sure excited about possibly owning an airship. Though, his explanation had definitely interested me. The only Kingdom I had traveled to was Daymonte, and I was still reeling from how awesome it was. If airships were as fast as Lenz claimed, how easy would it be to visit other Kingdoms and explore everything they had to offer. New items, new people. And the guild would be able to move about faster too.
Hell, we had already spent a ton of emeralds on the Inhouse. Why not spend a metric fuck-ton more on an airship? What use were banks anyway, right?
It was an investment. Plus, Lenz would lose his mind getting to pilot his dream machine.
"Well, I'm sold." I closed the book, causing Lenz's face to brim full of joy. "I wouldn't mind crossing Kingdoms easier. We'll set off to Zeppil in a few days with as many emeralds as we can carry. I'll have to check with Floyd to see if he's okay with it, but you can be sure I'm all for it."
I flinched in surprise when Lenz's face, once so full of joy, fell to genuine disappointment.
"You are… double checking with Floyd?"
"Well, obviously. He's coming with us." I narrowed my eyes at the engineer. "Is that a problem?"
His disappointment seemingly vanished as the edges of his lips pulled up. "No. No problem at all. It will be a good chance to get to know him."
I felt a pressure lift from my shoulders. "Yeah, I'm sure you two will get along great. He's a really cool guy."
"…I cannot wait." Lenz smiled before awkwardly glancing aside.
Veronica cleared her throat. "Hey, Erin. Why don't you go to the market for a bit and restock on food. I'm sure Wynn would appreciate it."
"B-But I just went sh-shopping yesterday—"
The Captain smiled. "Cobb can go with you."
"We're quite low on everything. We better hurry before it gets dark." I never saw Erin move so fast as she interlocked her arm in mine and, rather forcibly, dragged me out the door and towards the…
"Isn't the market the other way?"
"Y-Yes, well, there's this shortcut I know that passes through this lovely field of flowers…" Erin blushed without losing any of her grip. "T-trust me, it'll be worth it."
I would have if she wasn't pulling me along so fast.
[Lenz]
My fake smile only lasted until Cobbert was out of sight. After that, it wilted to a depressed frown.
While my greatest desire was to pilot such a machination of advanced redstone technology, I was not upset because Cobbert had not yet approved our guild's acquisition of an airship.
Cobbert refused to go anywhere without Floyd. It was a testament to their friendship, how one worried about the other. Anyone else would have been touched to witness comradeship of such magnitude.
And yet…
"Why the long face, four-eyes?"
I nearly leapt out of my skin over how close Veronica had sounded. Whirling around, I saw the blonde Captain grinning at me with her head tilted almost curiously.
"Pardon me, Captain, but must you call me four-eyes?" I shot back with the smallest hint of annoyance.
"Hmm…" She looked me up and down before noticing my goggles. "Eyes, glasses, and goggles? I'd say you've just been promoted to six-eyes!" She laughed as if she thought herself clever. Little did she know I had heard that comment before, with far less humor and far more malice.
"So, why you look so upset?"
I frowned. "I am not upset."
"That's, like, what everyone says when they're upset." She raised an eyebrow towards me. "You seemed pretty into that nerd talk just a second ago. Then he brought up Floyd and you clammed up quick."
I glanced aside. "Should it really be your concern?"
"No, but Wynn isn't showing up anytime soon. Gotta kill time somehow. Plus, your sour mood means you can't praise me as much. So tell Aunt Veronica what ails ya!"
"Aunt...? No." I shook my head. "While I appreciate your concern, it is my own problem, and I wish to be left alone to deal with—"
"Come oooooon." She complained, grabbing my shoulders and leaning on them. "I even got rid of those two so you could speak your mind. Erin's so thirsty it was pretty easy."
I struggled under her grip. "Please, let go."
She shook her head. "Tell meeeeeeeeeee." She groaned as she slumped to her knees, holding onto my shoulders to keep herself upright. It was getting tougher to stand with her dragging me down.
"This is not how a professional Captain should behave."
"Now you sound like Wynn, which turns me on, just so you know." She smirked before groaning again, losing all support in her legs and instead clinging onto me like some kind of spider monkey. "Tell meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…"
"Hey! Stop! I am going to—"
With a final groan, the world tilted and I was dragged to the floor before being flipped onto my back by a flash of blonde. When I opened my eyes, it was to see the Captain standing above me.
"See how your problems can drag you down?" She asked with a hint of amusement. Maybe the metaphor would have worked better if it was not her who had dragged me down. She offered her hand anyway to pick me up, which I accepted. "So what's up? You not a fan of that Floyd guy?"
Figuring it would be pointless to ignore her and risk her dragging me down again, I let out an irritated sigh. "Cobbert was devastated when he thought Floyd was dead. He cried. He suffered. And he planned to get revenge for it. Alone. He has a deep friendship with Floyd. And I have a deep friendship with Cobb. But… I do not know Floyd enough to say I feel comfortable traveling with him."
I looked back at the Captain, who was listening intently. "I would have helped Cobbert if he asked. He did not need to go behind my back with his revenge plot against that outpost. I would not have told anyone. I just…" I threw up my arms. "I thought that after Halstatt, he would see how useful I could be."
Veronica's eyes widened. "Wait… you were at Halstatt? As in, the battle of a thousand Griefers, Halstatt? The same battle Wynn fought, Halstatt? The battle against a Hacker, Halstatt? That Halstatt!?"
Her words brought out a proud smile. "I did not just fight at that battle. I took out two-thirds of their army."
"Damn! No kidding?" She looked at me skeptically. "How'd you do it?"
"I utilized DayCarts' Law of Signs and a piston to devise a large-scale, retractable pitfall trap that was sprung at the moment the Griefers would suffer the maximum losses."
"…I have no idea what you just said."
I rolled my eyes before spreading out my arms. "Big trap." I summarized, to which she nodded in understanding.
"Well, shit, after doing that much I can't imagine why he'd think you weren't dependable."
"He did more, though." I sighed, losing my confidence. "He killed a Hacker."
"Really? So that Billionth Legend stuff is the real deal?" Veronica looked extremely impressed. "I just thought the Hacker got scared off. And Wynn's little brother did that? And when I talked about it—Oh, he was messing with me by feigning ignorance."
I nodded. "Cobbert was beaten and bruised, and yet he dealt the killing blow when anyone else would have thought it impossible. And then there was the Creeper herd." I looked up at the ceiling. "Where others see insurmountable walls, Cobbert just keeps finding ways around them. I wish I could be a quarter as strong as him. I wish I could help, but…"
I glanced at the carpet beneath my feet. "I do not think I can ever measure up."
Veronica snorted, causing my head to shoot up. Did she find my story amusing!?
"Sorry. Not to sound too dismissive, but I don't think you have anything to worry about." She smirked down at me. "Not many Crafters could limit an army like that. You're pretty dependable."
"Then why does he not use me?" I implored. "Why does he not ask me for help? Why does he look to Floyd for advice more than me? Why does he refuse to allow me the chance to demonstrate my use!?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on." Veronica cocked her head to the side, staring at me as if I had grown a second head. "Are you trying to be useful or dependable?"
"What are y—are they not the same thing?"
"Uh, NO." She rapped me on the head as if it were empty. "There's a big difference. A sword is useful. A bow is useful. But a comrade is dependable. They're not tools assigned one general use. They're individuals with minds off their own."
She shook her head. "You hear anyone ever calling someone 'useful', it usually has a negative connotation. Like if they say, 'Oh, you're useful', it's just them seeing a person as a tool. But if you're called dependable, that means someone trusts you to do anything you set your mind to. Big difference."
I blinked at my hands. "But then… what if Cobbert wants me to be useful, a word that here means a tool, and not dependable, a word that here means trustworthy?"
"Then he's a schmuck, a word which here means a douchebag." Veronica laughed. "If he can't see how dependable you are already, then I say fuck him… unless you're not into that kind of thing."
I ignored her mischievous words in favor of her previous argument. From her phrasing, I definitely wanted to be dependable instead of useful. Back when I was traveling with that group of bullies, I had been neither dependable, nor useful. I was simply dead weight. But now that I was following Cobbert and learning how to help people, I definitely wanted to be someone he could depend upon.
But between Floyd and I, which of us was more dependable and which more useful? Which of us was the better best friend?
I could not help but fear Floyd had the advantage.
"Sheesh, it's like watching a soap opera. Okay, look! You're an archer, yeah?" Veronica inquired, snapping me out of my thoughts. I nodded, prompting her to continue. "Then tell you what. Let's you and I have an archery duel. Womano a Mano. I could check out your skills and teach you a few of my own. Just to make you feel more dependable."
My eyes widened. "R-really? But… but you are a renowned archer! With skills I have yet to learn!"
"Aw shucks, you flatter me." She waved her arms coyly, but dropped the act quick with a confident smile. "I won't be going easy on you, though. It'll be tough, and all the humiliation and embarrassment will be at your expense. Still want to try me?"
Humiliation? Embarrassment? Those were cruel teachers to be sure. But the idea of getting archery tips from such an experienced Captain…
It would go a long way to making me more dependable.
"Do your worst."
Her evil smile made me shiver.
The blonde Captain darted around the backyard, setting up some fence posts and bits of red wool. I let out an involuntary gasp when she neared the outhouse, but relaxed once it was clear that she was only setting up a target on it.
"Okay!" She clapped before rubbing her hands together eagerly. "So, before we get started, I'm going to need you to call me Mastah Veronica."
"Er… Master—?"
"No, no, no. Not Master. Mastah! You really got to emphasize the 'h'."
I arched an eyebrow. "And that will make me a better archer?"
"Hey, hey! Who's the teacher here?"
"You are." I confessed with a sigh.
"Wrong! I'm the Mastah!" She pulled a dramatic pose before turning her head towards me. "Now get it right. And throw in a pose too."
"Um… alright?" I angled my body to pull off the same pose, wincing at how foolish I looked before clearing my throat. "Please teach me, Mastah Veronica!"
"That's more like it!" She slapped me on the back, unbalancing my fragile pose and sending me to the dirt. She frowned at how little force she used. "Hmm. Not too sturdy are you? That could be a problem."
I picked myself up quickly, worried I had messed up before training even began. Veronica, however, was as unreadable as ever.
"Okay, so let's see your archery skills at work." She pointed at the targets set up before pulling out her bow. "Try and hit the same targets as me."
"Yes, Mastah." I nodded, already pulling out my own bow and swapping tinted glasses for tinted goggles. I focused my eyes on the ten targets. They weren't too far away, only intended on giving her a grasp of my skills. I awaited her signal, eager to display them.
She pulled back the string, her breath going still as she narrowed her eyes at the targets. I did the same.
When her eyes snapped open, she fired an arrow directly at one of the targets. Before it had even hit, she was already drawing back her second shot. Then the third, and fourth, and fifth.
Her pace was a little faster than mine, but our shots were equally accurate. We both let loose ten arrows, hitting every target dead center.
When it was over, I expected her to be impressed. Instead, I watched as she pointed the arrow a ways over the hedges that separated Wynn's backyard.
"You see that ruined chimney?"
I turned towards the same direction and saw what she meant. Five blocks away was a mansion with a brick chimney. It was missing a few blocks, but it seemed the tenants did not care enough to repair it.
"Yes, Mastah, I see it."
She smiled. "Good eyesight is a plus. But can you hit it from here?"
As soon as she posed her question, she let fly an arrow. It arced through the air as quick as the wind, crossing street after street until finding its mark in the heart of the chimney.
Mine landed beside it not a second later.
"Oho." She nodded, looking mildly impressed. "Not bad. Not bad."
I smiled proudly at her praise, but recoiled when I saw her point her bow to the sky.
"How about this?"
She pulled back an arrow with all her might and let it fly high into the sky. Trails of stars followed in its wake as it contrasted with the clear, blue sky.
I was confused. What had she been aiming for? Did she just want to hit a cloud?
She was smiling about it too, watching the arrow climb higher and higher. I could not figure out what she was aiming for.
The arrow soon began to lose speed. When it reached the pinnacle of its height, it angled downwards and gravity took hold of it. It twisted through the air, gaining speed as it angled down towards…
It hit the outhouse target. Dead center.
My mouth hung open. "How… how did you…?"
"That's called an Arc Shot." She grinned smugly. "I bet that's a little out of your league."
I felt a flash of annoyance at her smug tone and almost attempted to take the shot just to prove her wrong. But there was no way I could make such a shot.
It relied upon angling the arrow properly to account for gravity, wind, the maximum height an arrow could go, and the time at which it would hit the target. With enough trial and error, I could probably line up the correct shot.
But not on the first attempt.
"Arc Shots may seem like gimmicks, but they can be useful in a fight." Mastah Veronica spoke offhandedly, pulling back her string again, but only partly. She launched an arrow with minimal force into the air. It performed a small arc before hitting the dirt a few feet in front of her. "They can be time-delayed projectiles from the sky, or they can be rapid, baby-hops that do little damage, but annoy the heck out of an enemy."
Sounded a lot like Cobbert's bobber technique.
"Arc Shots are great training for your archery." Mastah Veronica continued. "They force you to familiarize with your own assets. Height, speed, force, time on the drawback. These are all things you need to consider when taking an Arc Shot, which is why only experienced archers can make one on the first try." She gazed at the target she had just made. "That shot is about a hundred years worth of experience."
"A hundred years!?" I gasped. "But… but I do not have a hundred years to—"
"You think expert archers just pop out of the dirt like daisies?" She asked with a note of derision. "Hell, no. Everyone has to train. I bet even you had a method of honing your archery."
Well, she was right about that. I had fired arrows at buttons to shift minecart tracks. How many years had I spent doing that?
Enough that it became a daily routine for me.
"Well, not like you have to use them anyway." Mastah Veronica shrugged. "They just help you identify your limits. Knowing how much or how little strength you need to put into your shots. Though I highly recommend practicing it from time to time. Let's move onto the next lesson."
"And what would that be, Mastah Veronica?"
"Alright, first, stop calling me Mastah Veronica."
"What!? But you said—!"
"I'm no longer Mastah Veronica." She backed away from me, twirling her bow. "I am now… Evil Veronica!"
"…Excuse me?"
"We're going to fight." She dropped the charade while rolling her wrist. "This is just some pre-fight role-playing to get us in the mood. Just play along."
"Um…" I wanted to argue, but I was actually learning more about archery so… maybe there was a method to her madness. "Okay… Evil Veronica?"
Evil Veronica wrinkled her nose. "Mmm. Don't sound so awkward. Just be genuine! Pretend I'm a Hacker or cultist trying to kill you."
"But you are not trying to kill me… right?" I added warily.
Evil Veronica displayed a smile full of teeth. "Who knows?"
I gulped nervously to which she responded by facepalming. "Oh, boy. I'm not really going to kill you! I'll just—I don't know—smack you around a bit? Just to give you the incentive not to hold back." I was far from confident and it must have showed on my face. "Ugh, how am I supposed to motivate you?" She frowned to herself, tapping her chin in thought, before turning back to me. "What's your favorite thing in the world?"
"Redstone." I replied instantaneously.
"Aha! That'll work." She grinned. "Just pretend I'm a Hacker hell-bent on burning all the redstone and redstone ore in Minecraftia."
"WHAT!?" I shrieked in horror, forgetting we were just pretending. "No! You cannot!"
"Oh, but I can!" Evil Veronica cackled madly. "As we speak, my Griefers are putting the finishing touches on my 'Redstone Doomsday' Machine! Once activated, all redstone and redstone ore in Minecraftia will be replaced with lava! And the world will no longer face the sloth of automated everything! Mwahahaha!"
"You…" I clenched my fist, imagining a world without redstone. A world without dreams. A world where you had to take the stairs instead of an elevator. "You MONSTER!"
I pulled up my bow and launched an arrow right at Evil Veronica's heart. She dodged it with contemptuous ease.
"Fool!" She bellowed with a mocking smile. "You think that you can challenge I, Velocishot, the most powerful archer in existence? HA!" She raised her own bow and notched an arrow pointed directly at me. "I'll kick your ass, six-eyes!"
[Floyd]
"Hey, wait up!" Soul called out as he struggled to keep up with me. "Seriously, Floyd, where's the fire?"
"Just wanted to talk to Cara real quick." I called back, which was a half truth. I did want to talk to Cara to offer her a spot in our unnamed guild, but I also wanted to get away from the topic of Hackers that Veronica brought up.
It got tense listening to her talk about Hackers when I was one too. I kept sweating thinking about what would happen if she identified me as one by my marks. Or Cobb or Lenzington, who fought a Hacker in Halstatt and, therefore, knew what one looked like.
Sitting with them at that table, talking and cracking jokes, I couldn't shake that uncomfortable feeling in my gut. Any second, I expected smoke to start pouring from my eyes and revealing myself to everybody. Hacker. I was a nervous wreck anytime one of them said the word. Like it was a taboo that would chip away at my control until the dark smoke started billowing.
And then, just when I thought nothing would happen and I could relax, Veronica fanned the flames and spread the smoke by discussing the same Hacker Cobb had killed. I couldn't take it.
How much of that hate would have been directed at me had they known? For them to find out that there was a Hacker in their midst… I couldn't risk it. Cobb and Soul clearly despised them—despised us…
I shielded my eyes from the sun, tracing the dark lines over them. I had always though it make-up or something. But to learn they held such evil powers… I felt diseased.
It felt like a sickness.
I can't let them know. I thought resolutely. I have to keep it hidden.
Not that I had much control over it to begin with. It only ever came out in desperate situations, and even then not all the time. The one time it worked was against Teal, and it had only lasted thirty seconds at most before my body shut down.
A power like that—No! It wasn't a power. It was a curse. The Hacker curse. Hackers were deadly and dangerous. Crafters feared them for their cruelty. They were rotten to the core.
And, like it or not, I… was one of them.
I was a Hacker.
Would I become like the majority too? Would my behavior gradually change, making me more aggressive? Would the Hack influence me to turn against the others and seek out other Hackers? Or was it already at work?
There was so much I didn't know about the curse and nobody I could talk to about it. I needed… I needed to get the answers from a Hacker. I needed to know how and why they chose a path of chaos and destruction when they could have just lived as regular Crafters.
And, most importantly, I needed to find a way to remove it.
With all the thoughts buzzing around in my head, I quickly got turned around and lost amongst Ringwood's streets. Soul had to drag me back by my arm just to guide me the right way towards the Eastern District.
"I can't help but notice the guy with the word 'Lost' in his name has a better sense of direction." He commented as we left wooden buildings for fields of crops. "Is there something about that blonde Captain that rubbed you the wrong way? Because, let me tell you, I think she's bad news."
"Your opinions have anything to do with her dick comments?" I asked.
"No. I just don't like her." Soul grumbled. "It's not even a lesbian thing! I just don't like her."
"You're probably not the only one. Her ego is boisterous enough to scare most people off. Captain Wynn hiding from her is evidence enough."
"Yeah, I don't see those two hooking up." Soul frowned before glaring at me. "Thanks for having my back when she was insulting my manhood, Floyd!" He pointedly and sarcastically spat.
"Not like I could have disproved her claims." I shrugged with a hint of a smile. "She was fairly bold. I half thought she would have pulled your cargo shorts down."
"She would have lost an eye, then." Soul growled, idly rubbing his chest where Veronica had shot him. "Stupid archer…"
Finally, we managed to reach the Granger Barn. We climbed down the secret ladder behind the hay bales and entered the secret room that made up the Silver Intent headquarters.
"Whoa…" Soul paused as he took another look around the room, a hand on his chest. "I… honestly feel a little spoiled after seeing the bunker Lenz built. This place is a dump by comparison."
Sad to admit, but he was right. The Silver Intent's bunker had a lower ceiling than Lenz's Inhouse and less room to move around in. The beds and potion stands were all squashed together here. No space to relax. Most of the comfort of the bunker was put into the adjacent room, and only because it was like Brett's personal study.
Now, though, Brett wasn't in his study. He was at the brewing stands, busily making potions and weeping as he broke up blaze rods into blaze powder.
"So many blaze rods… wasted… I hate Bounty Days…" Brett muttered under his breath as we approached.
"What are you making?" I asked, looking over his shoulder at the brightly colored potions.
Brett finally took notice of us. "Oh, good, you're back." He nodded to us before remembering my question. "Potions of Healing and Regeneration. The cult's gotten more forward in their attacks so I figured something to heal damage was necessary. If you're looking for Swiftness or Strength, however, I'm afraid I'm all out. Cara took the last of them for her mission."
"Wha—mission?" Soul asked in surprise. "You already sent her out? What about the Bounty Day? Who'd you pair her with?"
"I didn't pair her with anyone." Brett replied while focusing on adding redstone dust to one stand and glowstone dust to another. "There are too many incoming missions to worry about designating teams. Half the Silver Intent is busy helping to rebuild the Kingdom and herd Creepers away. We're spread too thin and need to find more members." Brett pushed off the brewing stands to collect more ingredients. "Besides, she can enjoy the Bounty Day on her own time. Not when we have work to do."
"But we wanted to talk to her about something." Soul scratched his head with a frown.
So much for having Cara join our guild.
But about what Brett had said…
"Does that mean you have missions for us too?"
Brett looked up from his chest, holding up a pair of books. "Indeed I do."
He tossed one of them to Soul and the other to me before returning to his work at the stands.
"The first mission involves cultist activity in Akasha. The Kingdom has had some bad run-ins with the cult, but it seems like their guards are finally cracking down. There have been over a hundred cultist arrests in that Kingdom just this year."
"Whoa, seriously?" Soul looked up from his book and then back down before tearing open the pages eagerly. "Akasha is to the west… and there's been so much cultist activity there? You don't think…"
"That the Western Division is in Akasha." Brett finished with a nod. "It's possible. Akasha has always had reason to pursue and imprison cultists. Though, despite all the arrests, cultists are still cropping up with no end in sight. If the Western Division is there, it would explain all the activity."
"So you want me to investigate it, huh?" Soul frowned at the book. "You think one person can handle that?"
"You'll have to." Brett stressed. "We're stretched thin until we find more members… or allies." A ghost of a smile flitted across his face. "This is just us making due."
"And I have to make due in Zeppil?" I asked, holding up my assigned mission.
"That's right. The Southern Kingdom of Zeppil." Brett explained as he swapped out the freshly made potions. "As you know, it used to be ruled by the cult's Southern Division."
"Yeah." Soul grinned. "Before the badass Angel of Death rinsed them."
I pointedly looked away when he spoke of that lunatic I had thrown into lava. Why had someone so powerful been so upset over a pet pig? Why did she even have a pet pig to begin with!?
"Indeed." Brett nodded. "With the cult vacated, it was the perfect spot to set up a Silver Intent base of operations. It has a few members, but it is still relatively small. Which is a problem, since there are signs of the cult returning there." Brett pointed at the book. "There was an attempted assassination on the Kingdom's rulers. The assassin escaped, but not before witnesses caught a glimpse of his black-leather cap."
"They're bold enough to attack royalty? With witnesses present?" I asked incredulously. "I always thought the cult worked covertly."
"They're growing more daring by the day, emboldened by successful attacks like the one that almost killed this Kingdom. The more attacks that succeed, the more people they win over to their cause." Brett gripped the table like a vice, his fingers digging into the wood. "They need to be thwarted before they amass the forces to wipe us out. We need to stop them. They can't regain a hold in the Kingdoms they've been driven from."
"So that's why you want me to go there." I perused the book with a more focused eye. This was an important mission. One that demanded my full attention as well as one I needed allies for.
Well, Cobb was free at the moment.
"That mission looks tricky." Soul commented while glancing between our books. "Akasha and Zeppil are neighboring Kingdoms, right? Maybe Floyd and I should—"
"If you are suggesting that the two of you form a team to complete both missions, I must advise you to reconsider." Brett turned around, focusing his attention on us instead of the potions. "The longer we wait in responding to threats, the further our enemies will advance. These missions are both priorities and both must be completed simultaneously. No cutting corners."
"But—" Soul tried to argue. "Safety in numbers is—"
"No. Cutting. Corners."
Brett wasn't budging. These were two missions we'd each have to do alone.
Seeing Soul's hesitant expressions, Brett breathed a weary sigh. "I didn't want to have the missions like this. If it were up to me, I would have sent you two with Cara to tackle the Akasha mission and worried about the other ones later. But I just can't." He shook his head, looking tired. "I can't."
"We understand, Brett." I spoke on Soul's behalf, though the axe-wielder looked a little more comfortable with the idea of splitting up. "We'll do you proud on these missions. I promise you."
Brett's mood cheered up a bit at my comforting words. "Thank you, Floyd. I know you'll do a fine job. I have the utmost confidence in you two. Now…"
He gestured to the brewing stands.
"How about some potions for the road?"
After we stocked up on Healing and Regeneration potions, Brett bid us good luck and we left the same way we came in. We waited until we were in Soul's small living quarters before speaking our minds about the missions.
"This is a load of bull-crap." Soul threw himself on the bed with a frustrated growl. "Why do we have to go alone on these missions? We can handle them both better if we worked as a team."
"Considering how our last mission went, I'm not so sure." Soul simmered down, remembering how we had been crushed and how Void had been killed. "Maybe these missions are more suited to our individual skills. Like Brett thinks your strength will be more useful in Akasha than in Zeppil."
"Tch." That was Soul's way of saying he couldn't argue. "I assume you're going to see if Cobb can tag along?"
I smiled. "Guess I'm easy to read. Yeah, I figure he'd want to come with me anyway, even if I didn't ask him. After the fiasco in Nitebane, it's like he thinks I'm made of glass and can shatter at any moment. Can't say I blame him."
"You can probably expect that nerd for the ride too." Soul commented before laying himself upon the bed. "At least you got a party of three. I hope the nerd can hold his own against cultists."
"I'm sure he's skilled… enough." I added in response to Soul's skeptical glance. Lenz had helped Cobb at Halstatt and, while his swordsmanship was non-existent, his archery was top notch. In that way, he was almost the opposite of Cobb, whose archery was horrible, but swordsmanship was… passable?
Okay, bad example.
"Anyway, I better head back to Wynn's to let Cobb know about the mission we got. I'll leave it up to him to decide whether he wants to come or not. He doesn't have any responsibility to the Silver Intent, after all."
"Yeah, I better look for supplies myself." Soul sat up from his bed while reaching a hand back to sift through his Inventory. "I'm getting low on food. And emeralds…" He sighed sadly.
"Same." I frowned upon checking my belt and backpack. "I'll ask Cobb if he can spare any—he said he'd pay us for being part of his unnamed guild. I'll come back with some tomorrow."
"No thanks." Soul dismissed to my surprise. "I'd rather not laze away and depend on the charity of others. I'll earn my own emeralds to pay for my own food. Unlike Cobb with his magic shovel."
That was Soul for you. Stubborn and proud.
"Just don't starve to death." I joked as I moved to the door. "I'd hate to look for a replacement axe-wielder for the guild."
"Ha! Like anyone could fill my shoes."
And with that, I left Soul's living quarters and made my way back to the Northern District.
[Lenz]
"Augh!"
A sharp slap came out of nowhere and sent me tumbling into the dirt. My cheek stung and my breath came out ragged, but still I stood up. I could not allow Evil Veronica to defeat me. There was too much at stake.
The blonde witch cackled. "Oh, did that hurt? My apologies. You were so defenseless and open just standing there that I couldn't help myself."
"Help yourself to this, villain!" I exclaimed before pulling up my bow and launching three quick shots at her. They were right on target, but, yet again, Evil Veronica managed to dodge them just by running to the side. She did not slow down, looping around towards my right.
Remembering Wynn's advice at keeping my eyes open, I stared her down, firing two quick shots. At the speed she was going, there was no way she could—
She cut quickly to the left, dodging the arrows by a wide margin.
She darted towards me again, raising her hand to perform another slap. She had made a fatal error, though. She was at point-blank range, right in front of me.
As her hand reared back, I loaded a single arrow and shot as quick as I could. Directly at the center of her body. This time, without a doubt, the shot would—
…Miss entirely as she again cut to the left in a spin move that added centrifugal force to her slap. It connected across my face, sending spittle flying, and forced me to the ground.
How!? I thought in frustration, clutching my stinging cheek. How can she keep dodging!? All my shots were right on target!
"I thought you said you were an archer." Evil Veronica called over in a lofty tone. She was admiring her nails, as if fighting me was beneath her. "If so, then how come your shots keep missing? How come you're just standing around waiting for me to attack?"
"Your mind games will not work on me, Evil Veronica!" I called back as I struggled to my feet. "I refuse to give up. I will never let you destroy all the redstone!"
"Um… you do realize I was just acting, right? I don't really have a redstone doomsday machine."
"Oooh, you are a clever one!" I conceded to my foe. "But I am immune to your distracting words. Nothing will stop me… from stopping you!"
"…Okay, yeah, I think this has gone on too far." Evil Veronica sighed, dropping her haughty attitude as she readied her bow. "Your eyesight and aim is exceptional, but there is a glaring problem with your archery that sets you firmly at the amateur level. Can you tell what it is?"
"…A problem?" I asked in bewilderment. "What are you—?"
"If you can't tell, I'll show you in a way you can understand." Evil Veronica lightly hopped in place while readying an arrow. I saw her eyes flash dangerously as she moved.
She began to encircle me in a fast-paced sprint, keeping a fair distance away. I loaded an arrow to try and hit her, but quickly gasped upon seeing a problem. She was moving so fast, I had to account for her speed and shoot ahead of her in order to land the arrow in time. But that was easier said than done. She was not giving me any time to judge her speed!
She pulled back her bow and let an arrow fly directly at my feet. I was so weary and worn that all my weight was on my legs. With no hope of dodging, I could only watch as the arrow—
…Stuck into the dirt a centimeter before my shoe.
I stared at the arrow with a cold sweat dripping down my face. She missed? But her archery is legendary! How could she—?
Another arrow stuck into the dirt before my feet. This time, it stuck a centimeter behind my heel. I turned to look at it, only for a third arrow to stop at the back of my other heel.
Evil Veronica was still circling me, firing off arrow after arrow. All of which stopped short of hitting my feet. Her sprinting and firing did not stop for a second.
More and more arrows rained down at my feet, riddling the grass with the white feathers of the fletching. Yet not a single one hit. I was too tired and too scared to move an inch.
Finally, Evil Veronica stopped at the same spot she had started and returned the bow to her belt with a twirl.
Across from her, I stood on what looked like a bed of criss-crossing arrows.
I could not keep up with her movements. She was too fast—no, it was not just that. It was because, like she had said, there was a fundamental problem with my archery.
It was the reason she could keep dodging my arrows in an open space. It was the reason she could close the distance to slap me. It was the reason she could circle and peg me in with arrows without worrying about hitting me.
"I am too stationary." I realized.
"Bingo." Evil Veronica smiled, walking up to my motionless form. "For archers, distance is everything. We fight close-range combatants on our terms, nailing them from afar with arrow after arrow until they give up or bite the dust. Your aim and eyesight are good, but only when hitting stationary targets. You probably have experience fighting enemies in narrow quarters, but in an open space, it isn't hard to dodge."
I briefly recalled the Griefers in Hlastatt. When I was protecting Solara, I had been shooting them down a narrow street. They only had one direction to come at me from, so my shots all landed. If it were an open space, however, they could have surrounded me and I would have been helpless.
I fell to my knees, brushing aside the arrows littered at my feet. "I… I give up."
"Damn right you give up." Evil Veronica boasted with a grin. "I'm way above you in terms of archery, but you'll get to my level eventually. After a couple hundred years, maybe you'll even get me to break a sweat."
"I can see now how hopeless I was to challenge you." I gripped the grass at my feet. "You have bested me, Evil Veronica. But please…"
"Eh?"
My head shot up with tears dripping down my face. "Please, I beg of you, do not destroy all the redstone! It means so much to the engineers of the world!"
"…For fuck's sake—"
"Please, spare the redstone!" I bowed lowly, my forehead scraping the grass. "Grant me this one request, and I will—Ow!"
I clutched the back of my head as Evil Veronica shot an arrow into it.
"Minecraftia to Six-Eyes!" She exclaimed with a roll of her eyes. "I'm a Captain, not an evil Hacker! There is no redstone doomsday machine! So snap out of it!"
"Uh… I… oh…" My face heated up as I realized how stupid I had sounded. "Oh, Jeb, kill me now…" I whined while hiding my face. Had I really believed that she was… and I even called her Evil Veronica throughout the battle!
Oh, the humiliation!
"And here I thought you really enjoyed role-playing." Evil Ver—ugh, stupid! Good Veronica! Regular Veronica. Veronica! "Maybe we should have agreed on a safe-word or something to let both of us know it was all pretend. Like… 'Broken Arrow'. Something easy to remember like that."
"…Please allow me to apologize for calling you Evil Veronica." I prostrated myself before the Captain. "Also, may we pretend this never happened?"
"Well, you didn't say 'Broken Arrow', so I know it wasn't pretend!" Veronica grinned cheekily. "Oh, man. The guards back in Daymonte are going to laugh their pants off when I tell them this!"
My face fell into my hands as I whined lowly.
"Anyway, back to archery tips." Veronica dusted off her hands before walking up to me and pointing at my feet. "During our 'fight', you never moved unless I smacked you around. You can't do that in a real fight, otherwise you're just asking your enemies to run up and kill you. Remember, you want to fight close-combatants at a distance, since it benefits you and not them."
Again, I recalled fighting those Griefers in Halstatt. I had remained standing in one place. It was because Solara was behind me and I had to protect her, but it also allowed one of them to run up and hit me. If I had moved instead, I would not have gotten hit.
Veronica hopped lightly in the air, darting side to side. "You gotta be light on your feet. Move around a bit. Look for better vantage points or angles or, if you're outnumbered, fall back to a distance you're more comfortable with. Don't just stand there like a dead fish." She jabbed my still form with a finger, just to emphasize her point. "You're not a turret. You're moving artillery."
It was as if a lever had been switched inside my head, lighting up my path. It was so simple, yet I had not seen it.
I had been narrow-sighted, both in my archery and in my field of view. I needed to move around more. Look for spots I could be the best archer I could be. I would not get anywhere just by standing around. I had to move!
I was moving artillery!
Before, I had been still, shooting at still targets. Now, I had to be moving, shooting at moving targets.
"Thank you, Captain Veronica—"
"Upupup! I want my title of Mastah again."
"Mastah Veronica. Thank you for your invaluable advice. It has opened my eyes. I am certain it will help make me a better archer." I smiled gratefully. "I do not know how I can thank you."
The Captain smiled indulgently. "You already have. I owed you for Halstatt."
"Hmm?"
"Anyway, enough of your gratitude! Your Mastah wants to see her pupil soar to greater heights. Like a majestic fucking eagle. I want you to try shooting while moving." Veronica advised. "Like I did, but you don't have to go at my pace. Take it slow for now. We'll ramp up if we have time."
"Yes, Mastah Veronica!" I called back enthusiastically before hurrying to a spot and taking out my bow.
Like she had said, I was ready to soar like a majestic eagle!
And after a few minutes of moving around...
"Holy crap, you're slow!"
I was like an eagle all right. Spread-eagled. And wheezing for sweet oxygen. Being weary from the previous fight had nothing to do with it. My stamina was just laughably low.
"This might be a problem…" Veronica noted while sitting beside my exhausted form.
*Gasp* *Pant* *Wheeze*
"Yes, you're right. Your piss-poor conditioning makes your movements sluggish. You probably couldn't swing a sword to save your life, either. Until you build up your stamina, you'll never be able to shoot while moving."
*Pant* *Wheeze* *Gasp*
"Why, yes. I speak winded pretty well."
*Gasp* *Pant*
"Don't let it get you down. It just means you gotta practice. All there is to—"
*CREEEEAK*
There was a creaking noise loud enough to be heard over my gasping. Both Veronica and I turned towards the source, only to spot a flash of white disappearing behind the closing door of the outhouse.
Uh-oh. I thought to myself as my eyes strayed to Veronica, who was, predictably, looking upon the outhouse lustfully.
"There you are~" She breathed out with a loving smile, ignoring me in favor of the ivory-haired Captain hiding in the outhouse.
The blonde got up and took two steps towards the wooden structure before Wynn flung the door open and made a break for the hedges. She probably figured her best bet was scaling them and finding shelter in her neighbors' home.
An arrow cut her off, but Wynn performed a spin move similar to Veronica's to evade without losing any of her speed. Electric blue particles were trailing in her wake, the obvious signs of a Potion of Swiftness.
She weaved between the arrows being fired to impede her, all while Veronica closed the distance with an excited smile. "Wynn! You know running only makes me want you more!"
"Why do you think I was hiding?" Wynn called back anxiously. "This is exactly what I knew would happen!"
"That just means you know me so well!" Veronica caught up to Wynn before diving towards her with arms outstretched. "Hug!"
"No hug!" Wynn shot back, throwing a Splash Potion of Leaping at her feet in order to perform a pike jump right over Veronica's embrace. They both touched the ground at precisely the same time before whirling upon each other. Wynn drew out her rapier and Veronica her bow.
It was mesmerizing watching two Captains fight. These were Crafters who had reached a higher level of combat, capable of going toe to toe with one another. They were only fighting over a simple hug, and yet they were going at it as if it were life and death.
Wynn waved her rapier before her to scare Veronica into retreating, but the blonde countered by shooting short Arc Shots that hit Wynn from behind, forcing her forward and into her waiting arms. The ivory-haired Captain gnashed her teeth before ducking beneath closing arms and through the blonde's legs. But Veronica snapped her legs shut, trapping Wynn's ankle. Only for Wynn to sweep across with her free leg and knock her down. The both of them quickly returned to their feet and partook in their dance yet again.
Back and forth. Reversals and moves I was too weak to perform. A blur of white and gold.
Truly a fight for the ages.
"Hug!"
"No!"
"Huuuuug!"
"No, means no!"
"Hug, hug, hug, hug, hug!"
"No, no, no, no, no!"
…
Truly a fight for the ages.
After a brief exchange, the pair of Captains flipped away from each other, both looking slightly winded.
"Come on!" Veronica called out. "Just let me give you one, big ol' hug! One loving squeeze (kissing optional) and we can move on."
"I told you I'm not a lesbian." Wynn countered. "We're just friends and I'm not partaking in anything that will give you false hopes of something more."
"God, that's such a Wynn answer." Veronica sighed dreamily before adopting a mischievous smirk. "You know, I bet your other persona, the Ivory Skull, would loosen up and give me a chance."
"Don't you dare bring up that blasted name!" Wynn seethed.
"Fine. Keep resisting. We both know you can't keep this up. And then you'll be too tired to avoid my snuggles!"
"I'd sooner turn over my Captainship to Cobb!"
"Did someone say my name?" Cobbert interjected, stepping into the backyard with Floyd beside him and Erin cowering behind. "Oh, sweet, Captain Fight! Go for the legs, Wynn!"
"Already planning to!" Wynn darted forward, stopping short right before Veronica to sweep at her legs. The blonde leapt back, displaying the importance of an archer's movement, before firing off three arrows.
"Six-Eyes! Cheer on your Mastah, too! It'll give me strength or some bullshit."
"Oh… uh…" I struggled to think of something suitable. "Avoid the rapier's sharp end!"
"You call that a cheer!? Wynn, let us swap cheerleaders real quick, mine sucks!"
"S-Someone should stop them." Erin shivered from behind Cobbert's back.
"You're right." Cobbert nodded. "Someone should stop them. Not it."
"Not it." Said Floyd.
"Not it." I replied on instinct.
"Not it—gosh darn it!" Erin sort of cursed. To her credit, she at least took a hesitant step towards the fighting Captains. Then she saw the flash of an iron rapier, heard the twang of a bow, and wisely stepped back behind Cobbert. "I-I think we should just let them settle this."
"I like the way you think." Cobbert smiled, eliciting a blush from the housekeeper before we all made our way back inside.
The two Captains barely noticed, keeping all of their attention on one another.
[Cobb]
"Wow. So you're heading to Zeppil too?" I asked the blue-nette. "What are the odds?"
Brain: Yeah, it's like our lives are just one poorly written story with intersecting plot points.
Hush you.
"Does that mean we are definitely going to Zeppil?" Lenz asked hopefully. "We are going there to acquire an airship for our guild? Is it official?"
I gave Floyd one last searching glance before smiling at his approval. "Yes, it's official. The three of us are going to Zeppil!"
As soon as those words left my mouth, a large pile of food was deposited in our laps, courtesy of Erin.
"N-Now it's a long trip to Zeppil, so I figured I'd stock you boys up with some food to keep your energy up. I have steak, cooked mutton, cooked chicken, apples, and for you, Cobb, the baked potatoes you love so much."
My mouth was watering just looking at the spread. "You're the best Erin!" I gave her a quick hug as thanks, but just as I was about to let go, I felt her go limp in my arms. "Whoa, Erin?"
She had passed out. It must have been her fever again since she was as red-faced as ever. Though she had a goofy smile on her face too.
"Huh, I hope she's okay."
Floyd looked at me balefully. "Cobb, I'm not going to lie… if you don't give her a kiss right now, I'm going to tear my hair out."
"What!?"
"You heard me. I'm literally watching two hopeless cases who don't know what they're doing." Floyd explained to my confusion. "Just give the poor girl a kiss. Something."
"I hugged her. A kiss would just be too bold."
"A kiss is the least boldest thing she wants you to do with her, I can tell you that."
"Ugh, fine! I'll kiss her on the forehead! Is that alright?"
Floyd shrugged. "Bit of a cop-out, but sure. Just give her something." He and Lenz proceeded to stock up on the food Erin had prepared, though I could see the both of them sneaking glances at me as I moved towards the housekeeper's forehead.
She was still unconscious, so she wouldn't remember it anyway.
I leaned my face down, right above her brow, and gave her a feather-light kiss for less than a second.
When I leaned back up, it was to the slow clapping of Floyd. "Bravo. Very romantic." He drawled smugly.
"Oh, shut up." I shot back heatedly. "She's been a big help getting us food and emeralds. I really wish she was part of the Beginners."
"…The Beginners?"
"Our guild." I explained as if it were obvious. "I decided to call us the Beginners as a way to get people to join us. They'll be more likely to once they see we're just as inexperienced as everyone else. Anyone can join us, even freshly spawned beginners."
"But I thought our guild name would be something more compelling, like the Redstone Squad."
"…No." I wasn't going to go into the reasons why that was a terrible name. Lenz didn't need to hear such cruel words.
"The name just came to me on my walk with Erin." I explained in order to get the two to see my motives. "We all spawn from the same place, with nothing to go off of but fragmented Normal Sense. Nobody can deny that connection we all share. That at one point or another, we're all beginners. And even after gaining experience and learning, there are still things we're bad at. There are still ways we can lose. Our numbers don't have to define our worth or skill, because we're all still just beginners." I grinned. "That's why we banded together and made a guild out of it!"
That earned a laugh from Floyd and Lenz.
"You know, when you put it like that," Floyd smiled, tracing a hand over his eyes, "I think the name isn't half bad. A good name for people who don't know enough about Minecraftia… or themselves."
"It is better than half bad." Lenz supported proudly. "It is a wonderful name. Perfect for Crafters that can accept their own weaknesses… while striving to prove their strengths."
Clearly the two of them had hidden meanings of their own within their words, but for now, we were all agreed upon our name.
And I was agreed on the name I had given to my newest weapon. Unlike the guild name, however, it required me using Wynn's anvil and a majority of my EXP. But the Backlash was ready. And the first enemy I used it on would be in for a big surprise.
"It's getting pretty late." Floyd got up after packing up all Erin's food. "Mind if I crash here for the night?"
"Yeah, the Inhouse has enough rooms. We'll probably be leaving in a few days, since we need maps and other supplies."
"We should also stockpile our emeralds." Lenz advised. "We should store them in an ender chest, lest we risk getting robbed en route."
"Look at us." I smiled broadly, glancing between my two friends. "We're already sounding like an organized guild. The Beginners are going to be bigger than any of the Big Three."
Floyd smiled. "Watch out Endward Cult."
"And Hackers." Lenz added, to Floyd's slight discomfort.
"Because today is the first day the Beginners put your reign of evil to an end."
It was a goofy speech, one in which I hadn't even realized I was the leader those two opted to follow. But, like it or not, they chose me to lead. They were my World. They trusted their lives to me, and, like Wynn had once said:
'Are you a special kind of idiot? Or are you making a special effort just for me?'
…No wait, that wasn't the quote. Too far back.
Uh…
'…their lives are in your hands…'
Yeah, close enough.
But at the time, sitting around Wynn's kitchen table, with Erin passed out, and two Captains fighting each other in the backyard over a hug, I felt confident enough in saying I was ready to take on the world and protect my World.
The next morning, the shit hit the fan.
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III], 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, 64 Steak, 64 Cooked Mutton, 64 Baked Potatoes, 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, 6 Rotten Flesh, 46 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}
[EXP: 6]
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Shield, 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 Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 2 Flint, 2 Gunpowder, 9 String, 10 Ink Sacs, 5 Cooked Fish, 64 Cooked Chicken, 64 Apples, 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, 64 Steak, 28 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 Shield, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 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, 18 Steaks, 9 Emeralds, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}
[EXP: 35]
AN: Well, that ending wasn't ominous.
So much stuff this Chapter. Veronica teaching Lenz some archery moves, the formation of the Beginners, and the group getting ready to travel to Zeppil. For those of you that have no idea how to track Cobb and company's movements, check out my profile for a deviantart link to the Minecraftia map. It was drawn by a good friend of mine and it helps tell you where everything is.
This also basically concludes the mini Bounty Day Arc. The next Arc will focus on the group traveling to Zeppil, with a few twists and turns along the way. Ideally, I want them to get to Zeppil before Chapter 100. But with my writing pace, who knows if that'll happen. I'm gonna try though.
No Omake this week. Though next Chapter, as promised at the end of this one:
Shit will hit the fan.
This is the start of the shit hitting the fan. Keep your mouths closed, otherwise it'll fly right into your mouths.
...I think I took this metaphor too far.
Uh, uh... LOOK! A distraction!
*Runs away*