AN: Before we begin the Chapter, I'd like to apologize to you viewers. For the past five weeks, I was enjoying my winter break and thus did not update 'My Craft'. I usually take a break around this time, so it slipped my mind that I should have informed you all rather than have you waiting for five Wednesdays for updates and be consistently dissapointed. For that, I am sorry.
Next up, it has come to my attention that there have been some dissatisfied comments regarding this story. Some have been polite criticisms while others have been a bit more offensive. Reading them, I was wondering if I should say anything or if it would be better to just ignore them and move on.
Ultimately, I decided to speak about the harsh criticisms in my own words and try to defend myself as best I am able. You don't have to read them if you don't want to. You know exactly where the Chapter starts. I just figured I'd say my piece and then move on.
Okay, so here it is.
Regarding the length of this story: 'My Craft' was the first fanfic I posted and I'll admit I had a lot less Chapters planned in my head. But as I kept writing and writing, I realized that my planning of the characters and events felt too rushed. I needed time for the readers to get to know the characters. Although, additionally, I've always had problems making stories drag on. I just have trouble finding good stopping points, even though there exists one for this story. But then again, it's Minecraft. It doesn't really have an end goal (even if it has an End). Mojang and Microsoft just kept adding to it with new updates and stuff to see. Even Minecraft Story Mode added in extra Chapters that didn't seem as interesting as the initial story. The difference between them and my story is that I'm writing this for fun, while also trying to keep the story interesting. It's tough. But I didn't spend time planning out these characters and typing up these interactions because I wanted to make money off a free story. I just wanted to tell an engaging story. I actually have another fanfic I want to work on that I actually solidly planned out Chapter-wise, but I'm forgoing that for now so I can work on this. In short, this is a long story (kind of an oxymoron there). And I'm an inexperienced writer who can't figure out how to water down content. Just look at the word count if you don't believe me. Is every Chapter good? No. Are there some good Chapters litered around? I seem to think so, and only because my viewers let me know that. That's why I keep trying to improve my writing.
Regarding my Beta: AxeHelix was the second Beta I had. I didn't know him very well, but the relationship I had with my first Beta was the same I had with him. I would send over the Chapter and ask for it to be proofread as well as ask for their opinion. I kept the plot of the story mostly to myself, only sharing tidbits at a time. And for a Beta, I suppose that can be frustrating. I always considered Betas to be proofreaders, but maybe they're also people to help bounce ideas off of. But since AxeHelix was a viewer as well as my Beta, I didn't bounce ideas off of him enough. He said his words went ignored, but I can only recall one time he messaged me to change something dialogue-wise, which I did. I tried PM-ing him to find out when I ignored him, only to find that he blocked me. He also PM-ed me something, but since he blocked me, I can't read it (which is just monotonous.) Furthermore, some of the things I sent him to proofread were late and I kept messaging him letting him know he didn't have to Beta certain weeks. When it became clear that AxeHelix wanted to stop Beta-ing, I said he was free to stop whenever, just to let me know. I expressed this as politely as I could since I didn't want him doing something he didn't want to. As a result, I feel that his last message to me in the reviews was something of a slap to the face. Not only because he said I treated him like a tool, but because he called the readers of this story cunts, which I find intolerable. You can offend me all you want, but insulting the viewers? That, I can't stand.
Regarding the relationship between Teal and Mark: Among the scenes between these two characters, there was an M-rated scene that many considered to be rape. Obviously, I don't approve of rape. I don't think it's funny for anyone to sexually force themselves on anyone (Ironically, AxeHelix's own OC, Veronica, fits that description towards Wynn to a tee), but the relationship between Mark and Teal is more than just that. They have a history. They have a very odd romance between them. That's how their characters are. Just like Wynn and Veronica. However, I will admit that the scene I described may have gone too far. In the future, I will tone down their interactions so as not to offend anyone. I did not mean to write it as rape, given that nothing came of it. But I will be more careful in the future.
And that's it. I know some of you may have been worried that I wasn't typing anymore because there was some review war going on, but I'm fine. I was just taking a short break. I've also decided to Beta my own stuff since I don't want anyone to feel like I'm using them just because I wish for a second opinion to check my mistakes. From now on, I'll check my own mistakes.
Thank you.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add a recipe for Potions of Luck.
*==Part IV==*
Wanted for crimes they're not entirely sure about, the Beginners have fled from Ringwood. Their destination is the Kingdom of the Clouds, Zeppil, where they hope to obtain an airship to stay one step ahead of their pursuers. However, with most of Minecraftia convinced they're cultists, escaping one hell could just as easily be finding a worse one.
Chapter 93
Two For One
[Cobb]
"Wow! How crazy was that adventure we just had!?" I asked my friends after clearing Mt. Mur.
"I know, right?" Soul agreed heartily. "I still can't believe half of that stuff happened. And I was there! I saw it with my own two eyeballs."
The days we spent clearing that mountain were certainly some of the more exciting moments of my life. Just trying to recall all that had happened…
"Remember how we ran into that tribe of Jibbermen? They were going to sacrifice us so we had to trick them into believing Floyd was a God! Unbelievable!"
"Yeah, and they totally bought it." Soul laughed. "Telling them his blue hair designated him as the God of the Ocean. Classic."
"And let us not forget how we had to pay our respects to their tribe's Tree God by gathering a sapling of every existing tree and planting them in their Ancestral Garden." Lenz chimed in. "That acacia tree was difficult to find…"
"And how could any of us forget Cobb's bumper boat duel with the Jibberman Chieftain over that ice frosted pit of lava!" Floyd recalled. "Who could have predicted how that turned out?"
"Yeah… it was pretty great…" We all let out a relieved sigh, satisfied with our memorable journey over Mt. Mur. "Now let us never mention or refer to it ever again."
"Agreed." We all said in unison before moving on.
"Hey, we're here!" I saw a familiar clearing through the trees and quickly sped up my pace. Floyd, Lenz, and Soul followed suit and soon…
All four of us were standing in the Origin Zone.
"It's just like I remember." I smiled as I felt the familiar, comforting sensation of the Origin Zone envelop me. Here, Mobs couldn't spawn and nothing could hurt you… I think?
Just to test it, I turned to Soul. "Hey, Soul. Your axe is stupid."
"WHAT!?" He instantly swung a fist at me, but it couldn't connect. I folded my arms with a smug—albeit relieved—smile as he tuckered himself out trying to hit me. "Take that back you son of a bitch!" Yep, nothing could hurt you in the Origin.
"It has… been quite some time." Lenz noted, taking in the vast, circular meadow and the stone platform in the middle. "If I remember correctly, there was a Command Block hovering in the sky… over…" He trailed off as he pointed to the Origin platform. "Oh my…"
"What is…" I followed his gaze and saw what he was talking about.
Hovering over the stone platform was a single beige block that Lenz referred to as a Command Block. According to Helena—
Oh, I got to visit Helena! Show her how much I've grown!
—the Command Block was put there by the first Crafter to spawn—and Helena's not-so-secret crush—Herobrine. It protected the Origin from Mobs and from Crafters killing each other, making it a perfectly safe neutral zone for fresh spawns.
Now, did she ever have a chance with the guy? Probably not, I mean her nose was ginormous, how would he even be able to kiss her with that thing?
But anyway, that wasn't the strange part that Lenz was focusing on. The Command Block hovering in the sky was… smoking.
There were no signs of flames from what I could see, but smoke was emanating off the thing in a peculiar pattern that couldn't be called natural. It looked vaguely familiar to me, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
"What… what is that?" Floyd spoke with a hint of worry. His eyes were fixated on that dark smoke like it would be the death of him. "Are… are you guys seeing that?"
"Yeah, we see it. It's smoke, so what?" Soul scoffed before walking through the meadow without a care. "Nothing can kill us in here, so there's nothing to worry about. Relax a little."
"I… I don't know… It feels… weird, here, for some reason." Floyd glanced warily at the Command Block before taking a half-step back. "If it's all the same with you, I think I'll wait here."
"What? Are you scared of a little smoke?" Soul challenged, trying to goad the blue-nette into getting closer.
"I just don't want to get too close." He spoke with surprising resolve. He wasn't budging an inch.
"Tch. Fine. We'll go check it out, then." Soul relented. "Just be on standby in case the smoke monster eats us." He snickered before sauntering off, swinging his axe in time with his steps. Floyd didn't take the bait, however. Instead, he opted to sit down and stare at the smoky Command Block from a safe distance.
Lenz didn't feel any trepidation in the slightest. On the contrary, he was fascinated by the phenomenon revolving around the Command Block and wasted no time telling me his observations and thoughts.
"From what I can see, there are two plumes of smoke revolving around the block in an elliptical orbit." He noted, tilting his head as we followed Soul to Helena's house. Yeah, Helena had a tiny wooden house with a fenced in garden. Herobrine had built it for her. "I have never seen such a thing… though, then again, I was not as observant when I had first spawned. Were there always bits of smoke revolving around it?"
I shook my head. "Not that I remember. Maybe Helena knows more about it."
Soul got to the house first and, with the manners and grace he was so famous for, kicked open the door only to cock his head in confusion. When Lenz and I caught up, it was to hear him say the house was empty.
"What? You sure she's not in there?"
"Unless she's learned how to transform into a bed, I'm pretty sure I would have seen her." Soul took a look around the Origin before his eyes locked onto the stone platform. "Maybe she's closer to the Spawn?"
"I pray she is." Lenz spoke worriedly. "Outside the Origin's perimeter, she is defenseless."
"C'mon." I urged as I walked a little faster towards the platform. It was big enough to obstruct some of the Origin Zone from view, but the chances of her hiding behind it on the day we arrived was just—
"…ulse… pulse… pulse…"
"…Do you guys hear that?"
"Pulse… Pulse… Pulse…"
It was a soft chanting. The closer we got to the stone platform, the louder the chant could be heard. Several voices all joined together.
Soul and I climbed over the stone platform while Lenz, for whatever reason, opted to go around it from the left. Maybe he was thinking in vantage points or whatever, but he was cautious.
Clearing the top of the platform, we walked forward and I let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the first living being that welcomed me into the unforgiving land of Minecraftia, so many years ago.
Heart: It's only been a little over a month—
So many years ago.
Heart: Really, maybe fifty days tops—
Soooooooo many years ago.
Heart: I—
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—
Heart: Okay! Years. So many. Whatever.
The Testificate, Helena, was standing in the center of a group of Crafters. Since they were facing the platform, they noticed us immediately. Their loud chanting trailed off as Helena, with wide eyes and a delightful smile, broke away from the group to run up the steps of the platform.
"King_Cobb!" She greeted, waving animatedly enough for her nose to bob along. "You came back! You actually came back!"
I met her halfway down the steps, a fond smile on my lips. "I was in the neighborhood." I replied as I held out my hand, expecting a shake.
Helena stopped in front of me, looked at my hand for a second, before shaking her head and spreading out her arms. "Come on. Bring it in." She gestured with her hands. "Make it a proper reunion."
I chuckled before shrugging and giving her a hug. She had a surprisingly tight hold for a Testificate and even managed a few pats, which I returned awkwardly.
"It's so good to see you, again." She pulled back to look into my face. "Hardly anyone ever returns after spawning."
Her words made me feel a little ashamed of the other Crafters. Hadn't anyone bothered to visit the Testificate that first welcomed them into the world? Were fresh spawns the only ones she interacted with? That wasn't fair.
"Oh, and I remember you!" Helena pointed to Soul stood beside me. "Lost_Soul. Number nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine-million nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine-thousand nine-hundred-and-eighty-five, right?"
"Right in one." Soul replied, looking impressed. "That was a while ago, though. How do you remem—?"
"If there's anything I pride myself on, it's my memory." Helena boasted proudly. "Herobrine and Notch tasked me with numbering everyone, but I wouldn't feel right seeing the numbers as nameless faces. As such, I can recall the number, name, and face of many of the Crafters that spawned on this platform." She tapped the stone below her with her foot, letting her statement sink in.
"Is there a trick to it or—Whoa!"
Something large and heavy fell onto my shoulders with a loud clap, causing me to crumple to the ground. Helena and Soul jumped back to avoid it while my face met the stone platform.
Helena coughed to clear her throat. "Also, Cobb, we shouldn't talk on the platform since Crafters spawn on it without warning. Just so you know."
"Thanks, Helena." I mumbled sarcastically into the stone before attempting to crawl out from under the newly spawn Crafter.
This was made tougher when the new Crafter, DouGlassCannon, proceeded to freak out.
"What the… where am I!? What is this place!? Everything is so bright! What is this comfortable cushion I am laying on?"
"The cushion's name is Cobb and he would like to ask you to get the heck off him!" I hissed as I rolled the panicked and now apologetic Crafter off of me.
DouGlassCannon had charcoal eyes and curly, tan hair. He wore baggy, gray shorts, a light-green shirt, and a belt and backpack the same shade of green. On his wrists and legs were clear, glass bands and… he had no socks or shoes. Barefoot.
But hey, he had the same dark lines that Floyd had over his eyes. So that was something familiar.
"Greetings, number one-billion five-thousand and twenty-one!" Helena stepped over me to greet the newest Crafter. His eyes snapped to the center of her face and it wasn't hard to imagine what he was focusing on. "There's no need to be startled. So long as you're within the Origin Zone, you are safe."
"Origin Zone…?" DouGlassCannon questioned, tilting his head to the surrounding meadow. "Number… what's going on here?"
"You've just spawned into the world of Minecraftia." Helena explained in a slow, practiced tone learned from years of welcoming Crafters. "There are others like you, Douglass. Right over there, in fact." She pointed to the group of Crafters waiting at the base of the stone platform. "They've all been through the same so you should have no trouble talking with them about—"
"My name…" Douglass interrupted, pointing a finger at Helena. "How did you… I just chose that name in that dark place."
"It's called the Void." Soul added gruffly, causing Douglass to nearly jump out of his skin. "The dark place you were in. It's called the Void."
"…the Void…" Douglass repeated, testing the word. Though he suddenly gasped as he looked at something over Soul's head. "Words! You… you have words over your head!" He twisted his head towards me. "And so do you!"
"Um… yeah." I shrugged awkwardly. "Every Crafter has their name above their head."
"What's a Crafter?"
"Oh, uh, wow." I rubbed my head sheepishly. "I sort of forgot how clueless I was when I first spawned."
"Cobbert. Cobbert!"
I was distracted from my explanation about Crafters by Lenz, who had just finished chatting with the Crafters at the base of the platform. He had an urgent expression on his face as he approached at a brisk pace.
"What's up, Lenz?"
"The Command Block!" He pointed up without missing a beat. "And that is precisely the issue. Those Crafters told me they were chanting because a pulse is to be expected. And not of the redstone variety!"
I raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
"Oh, that?" Helena was quick to interject with a smile. "It's nothing to be afraid of. In fact, it's a good thing. Even better since you all arrived to witness it."
"Witness what?"
She raised her eyebrows as if it were obvious. "The pulse."
"Pulse! Pulse! Pulse!" The Crafters below began to chant as if on cue. "Pulse! Pulse! Pulse!"
"Come on down and chant with us, Cobb." Helena invited. "It's a rare event; happens only once in a lifetime. And you're lucky enough to see a double pulse!" She beckoned Douglass to follow as well, but the freshly spawned Crafter was focusing on the Command Block above and clutching himself tightly.
He looked uncomfortable.
"Pulse! Pulse! Pulse!"
"The hell is she talking about?" Soul questioned. "What's a pulse?"
"Pulse! Pulse! Pulse!"
"It is what Helena calls it." Lenz hurried to explain, his eyes also fixed upon the Command Block above and I could see why. The smoke trails were whipping around the block faster and faster, their orbits constricting. "Her and the newly spawned have no way of knowing, so they refer to it as a pulse. For the other Crafters of the Kingdoms, however, we call it something else."
"And that would be…?"
Lenz turned to look at me.
"A Bounty Day."
…
…What?
I couldn't voice my shock because a sudden—yet familiar—stillness gripped the windswept meadow of the Origin Zone. The world lost its luster and depth. Everything went silent, even the chanting of Helena and the Crafters below. Helena looked eager, but the Crafters looked slightly nervous at the unnaturalness they were witnessing.
Like the world was holding its breath again.
Only unlike the first Bounty Day, we could actually see where the ripple originated from.
The Command Block hanging over the platform was smoldering with dark smoke that I only now realized was the same smoke that had enveloped Alec when he used his Hacker powers. Another smoke trail was still orbiting the block, but it paled in comparison to the plumage enveloping it.
Then, there was a sickening scream; the wail of a dying creature too grotesque to describe. It was a warped, guttural cry of agony that made me sick and it accompanied the dark smoke transforming into a blinding white light.
And from that light came a ripple of rainbow hued numbers and signs, distorting space as it spread outward from the Command Block in all directions.
Soul, Lenz, the freshly spawned Douglass, and I were the closest, and therefore the first, to be hit by the ripple and its invasive visions.
My head throbbed, but I grit my teeth and bore it as an image flashed through my mind of a Mob similar to a Zombie, only with brown skin and dry, sandy-colored, and tattered bits of cloth hanging off of it like a second skin.
Like the dried husk of a cob of corn.
Reality hit hard in the wake of the Bounty Day ripple and I fell to my knees. Lenz and Douglass were the same. Only Soul remained standing. Behind me, the Crafters with Helena clutched their heads while on the ground, wincing from the experience. I couldn't blame them. Bounty Days were intrusive and uncomfortable.
As I struggled to my feet to help Lenz up, I suddenly remembered what Helena said.
This one was a double pulse.
My eyes shot back up to the Command Block, just in time to see the second trail of smoke merge into the Command Block before enveloping the whole thing in its plumage. The same stillness gripped the world again and I braced myself for one last Bounty Day ripple.
Wynn had said these hadn't happened for 500 years, and now all of a sudden we had two on the same day? How was that possible?
My inner thoughts were shoved aside as another vision pierced my brain. This one striking with enough force to make me cry out and for Soul to take a knee.
In my vision, I saw myself. It was similar to the dual-wielding vision where I had watched myself pull out two swords.
Only this time, I was holding something other than a sword in my free hand. It was a golden doll or statue with mini emerald gems for eyes and an hourglass figure. I had never seen something like that before, but I guess that was kind of the point to the Bounty Day visions.
Anyway, the vision changed as I saw a shadowy figure engage my other self in a sword fight. Whoever they were, they were very skilled, dishing out damage liberally while my other self could barely keep up. I thought my other self would put down the statue thing to take out something useful like a fishing rod, but, instead, my other self was clutching the thing like a lifeline.
I wanted to call out for him to drop the stupid statue and wield another weapon, but I couldn't speak. And even if I could, the next instant the shadowy figure's sword sliced at my other self's neck, killing him.
My eyes widened at the brutality of the action and I saw my lifeless Head tumble free… only for my other self to reappear beside it, smiling tauntingly at the shadowy figure. I heard a crack, saw the golden statue shatter to pieces in his hand, and saw my other self drive his sword into the surprised shadowy figure's chest, killing them instead.
Then, when it was all over, my other self turned to look at me and flashed me a knowing smile and a thumbs up.
"…obbert! Cobbert!"
"Wha? Huh?" I felt the ground beneath me and saw the clouds drifting by in the blue sky above. "What… what just…?"
"Oh, good." Lenz sighed in relief. "You passed out longer than the rest of us after that second ripple hit."
"Yeah." Soul chimed in with a grin. "Lenz was about to perform mouth to mouth to revive you."
"That is a blatant lie." Lenz claimed while I just groaned. "And CPR does not work on those who merely faint. You would only need CPR if the person is having trouble breathing, which Cobbert was not. Furthermore, since drowning in Minecraftia is not a matter of having water in the lungs but in being deprived of air for an extended—"
"This is your punishment for trying to be funny, Soul." I whispered with narrowed eyes as I left him to his lecture. I had other things to worry about.
Two Bounty Days—or really one Bounty Day since they happened on the same day. Two visions. Back to back. An unknown Mob and a golden statue that… could substitute for a Crafter if they were to die? Something like that. The former sounded interesting, but the latter sounded like a literal lifesaver. Almost worth passing out just to receive that long vision.
The question was how to craft it? It looked to be made of gold and emeralds, but the shape was thin. I would have to try some combinations out just to see what I could get.
"…and that, in short, is why CPR would not have worked in Cobbert's situation." Lenz finished to a listless Soul. "Now that that has been cleared up, we should really talk about why another Bounty Day occurred so soon after the first one."
"What's a Bounty Day?" Helena asked, having returned to us with all the freshly spawned Crafters in tow. There were five of them, not including Douglass, and they were busy discussing with one another what they had seen.
"A pulse to you is like a Bounty Day to us." Lenz explained. "The Kingdoms coined that term and it seems more fitting than—"
"Did he say Kingdoms?" One of the freshly spawned Crafters muttered, sparking a bit of interest.
"Helena didn't mention anything about them."
"Who are those three guys anyway? I didn't see them spawn in… and they're wearing armor!"
"You don't think… they're from the outside…?"
They all began to crowd around us, marveling at the gear at our belts or else prodding at the armor we wore.
"Hey. You can look, but don't touch." Soul reprimanded a female Crafter who was getting a little too intimate with her caresses. "And to answer you newbs, yeah, we're from the outside." I frowned at the word 'newb', not caring for how dismissive it sounded. "You're looking at two seasoned Crafters."
"But there are three of us."
"I counted you and Lenz as half a seasoned Crafter each." I opened my mouth to argue. "You can't shoot a bow and he can't swing a sword." I closed my mouth.
"There are bows?" One of the fresh spawns asked with wide eyes.
"Can we wear it in our hair?" The female one, Nance, asked.
"He means the bow that goes twang twang and shoots arrows, numbskull." Another Crafter, Guile, shot back. "These guys seem to know their stuff."
"Okay, okay. Settle down you five." Helena placated the group before turning her attention to Douglass. "Why don't you introduce yourself and talk with your fellow Crafters."
"Um…" Douglass glanced around nervously before his eyes darted back up to the Command Block. He seemed shaken by the Bounty Day's ripple. "Okay… hello…" He shuffled over to the group, but remained quiet. They waited patiently for him to say something or introduce himself, but eventually got bored waiting after a minute. Instead, they turned back to the three of us and bombarded us with questions.
"Which Kingdom is the closest?"
"How many Kingdoms are there in total?"
"How did you make metal armor? Is it tough to do?"
"Is that a fishing rod at your belt? Are you a fisherman? That's kind of lame…"
"Who said that?" I stepped forward, withdrawing my fishing rod. "Who the hell said that!?" My head whipped from side to side before I spied a tentative hand lift up. His name was WyattsAndVolts. "You!" I pointed an accusing finger at him. "Take back what you said about fishing rods. They are NOT lame in any way!"
"…Sorry. I take it back." He said in a small voice.
"Good." I nodded before dismissing him with a wave. "Now go stand in the naughty corner for an hour and think about what you've done."
"But… there's no naughty corner—"
"Then find the point where two walls meet and make it your naughty corner!" I waved him away again, causing him to trudge away sadly to search for a corner. "Anyone else want to dismiss the fishing rod?"
"…"
"…"
"…fucking sucks…"
"I know that was you just throwing your voice, Soul!" I whirled around, pointing at the axe-wielder as he tried and failed to look innocent. "Don't disrespect the Backlash."
"Is that what you call it?" Soul scoffed before pulling out his weapon. "I don't need a name for my axe."
"Okay, everyone." Helena interrupted, trying to pull the Crafters away from us. Even if it was safe within the Origin Zone, two conflicting Crafters probably weren't good for the impressionable tykes. "Let's give them some space. In the meantime, I can teach you all about Crafting and Mobs over a nice meal of carrots."
"We don't want to do that." Guile piped up to the agreement of his fellows. "We'd rather learn from people who've actually been outside the Origin. Like those three charming gentlemen."
At that moment, Soul and I were fruitlessly slapping at each other, unable to do any damage, while Lenz just shook his head in shame.
"Charming gentlemen, hmm?" Helena asked skeptically before sighing. "Cobb. Would you and your friends mind teaching these fresh spawns about Minecraftia."
"Sure thing." I smiled, placing my arms akimbo. "The first thing you need to know is to avoid breaking the law. Otherwise you may find yourself getting castrated by a white-haired—"
"What he means to say, my young audience," Lenz interrupted, "is that so long as you devote yourself to redstone, you can achieve anything… sans becoming popular."
"What tweedle-dumb and tweedle-idiot are trying to say," Soul cut off, "is that survival is achieved via the business end of an axe."
All the fresh spawns—save Wyatt who was still searching for that corner—blinked in confusion.
"I don't think you could have helped any worse." Helena commented with a groan before her eyes lifted at the sight of another. "Oh, number nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine-million nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine-thousand nine-hundred-and-eighty-seven. Flawwed_Floyd. Good to see you and Soul are still traveling together."
I turned to see Floyd walking up beside us. He occasionally shot a glance to the Command Block, but he looked calmer for sure. "Yeah, Helena. Still together."
"Is Silent here too?" The Testificate asked, unknowingly causing a pang of grief for Floyd and Soul.
"He… didn't make it."
"…Oh." Helena looked apologetic. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"
"Don't worry about it." Floyd shook his head before turning to us and speaking in a hushed voice. "Guys, did you feel that ripple?"
"We all saw it." I cut off Soul before he could utter something sarcastic. "We can compare visions later. What I want to know is why two of them happened so recently. And why those smoke trails around the Command Block…" I hesitated for a second. "Why those smoke trails reminded me of Hacker smoke."
The three of them looked at me with varying degrees of disbelief. Floyd looked more fearful than the others.
"Hacker smoke? Are you certain?" Lenz asked. "While I admit it reminded me of the plumage coming off of Alec_Bishop, I cannot be certain the two are one and the same."
"No, I'm sure of it." I urged, wishing they would believe me. "It felt… I don't know… it felt evil." Floyd flinched before staring at the ground. "And there was that sickening scream it gave off before it turned bright. Almost like it was dying. You heard it, right?"
"So, what are you saying? The smoke died to give us a Bounty Day?" Soul suggested. "Awfully nice of it."
"No, I… I don't know." I admitted. "I'm just wondering if there's a connection between the Hackers and these Bounty Days springing up."
"Hmmm." Lenz rubbed his chin in thought. "When we killed Alec in that explosion, a bit of that dark smoke erupted from his Head and shot off into the sky."
I remembered it like it was yesterday instead of two weeks ago. It had shot off into the sky. I had always wondered where it had gone. Was this the answer?
"So then, maybe…" I paced before my three friends, trying to make sense of it. "Maybe, just maybe, when we killed Alec, a piece of his power came back to the Command Block and triggered a Bounty Day."
"But that happened in Halstatt two weeks ago." Floyd spoke up. "Why are we only hearing about it now? Is it because his killer showed up? And why two ripples back to back?"
Lenz frowned as he brought up a finger before him. He tapped away at the air as if he was making notes or punching in numbers in a large invisible calculator. He kept muttering under his breath, taking moments to pause before continuing.
"Testificates detected the Bounty Day a week in advance." Soul mentioned before gesturing to Helena who was confused as to what we were talking about, as were the six Crafters behind her. "Helena probably sensed that one and this one. It's how she knew when to get those Crafters to start chanting."
"But that still doesn't explain why there were two." I argued. "These things haven't happened for 500 years… and—and nobody has killed a Hacker yet." I looked up in realization. "Nobody has killed a Hacker yet. Yeah, and… and before Crafters spawned in, Bounty Days happened more frequently."
"In other words," Soul continued for me, catching on, "The first time a Hacker spawned, the Bounty Days suddenly stopped. They were blocked."
"And then more Hackers spawned without dying, so the Bounty Days were kept blocked."
"Until a week ago and today." Lenz commented, having satisfied his mind with whatever he had been calculating. "Coincidentally, the first Bounty Day happened a week after Alec died. And this Bounty Day happened a week after Nitebane was liberated from Hacker rule." All of our eyes widened. "Assuming two Hackers were slain in the process, our theory is this…
"Anytime a Hacker is killed, their smoke leaves their Heads, returns to the Origin from which they spawned, and triggers a Bounty Day one week later."
That… actually made sense. The timing fit and Helena seemed to know that the smoke heralded a Bounty Day. Did the Kingdoms even know this? Probably not. They would have been keener on killing Hackers if they knew it entailed a Bounty Day. They would have all jumped at the chance for new items.
It was possible we were the first to make the connection.
"But that's… that's big news, right?" I reasoned to my friends. "I mean, this means that we can keep triggering Bounty Days by killing those abusive Hackers. We can bring new things to Minecraftia by fighting against them." My mind was whirling at the possibilities. And if we alerted the rest of the Kingdoms, we would have a reason to work together and end the Hackers once and for all. "If anything, this is Minecraftia's way of rewarding us for standing up against evil! This is great news!"
"Yeah…" Floyd turned his back on us as he walked off. "Great."
My good mood was doused at the dull tone in Floyd's voice. He looked sullen as he leaned against one of the platform's pillars, arms folded. Soul sensed the same thing and he shot me a look telling me he'd talk to the blue-nette himself before he ambled after him.
"I'm not sure what you were all chatting about just now," Helena stepped forward in Floyd and Soul's absence, "but the other Crafters would really appreciate it if you taught them some things about the outside."
"Well, we're actually kind of in a hurry…" I began, not wanting to hurt the Testificate's feelings. We had only arrived to say 'hi' and be on our way. We didn't have time to mentor Crafters. And judging by the impatient look on Lenz's face, he wanted to get to Zeppil and his waiting airship as soon as possible.
"Well, you're here right now." Helena stated with a bit of a frown. "I appreciate the visit, but you could do with staying a little longer. It might be better for these fresh spawns having a fellow Crafter teaching them rather than some old Testificate."
"But…" I looked to Lenz for help, but the engineer could only shrug.
"We do need to sort out our map problem." Lenz reasoned. "Not to mention making a copy of a certain book…" He trailed off meaningfully, making me remember Herobrine's Mob book. "Another day would not hurt."
"Well… I… Ugh, fine." I reluctantly agreed before turning to the fresh spawns. "I guess we could teach you some of the basics. Bring back Wyatt. I think he's spent enough time in the naughty corner."
The fresh Crafters cheered happily and one of them went off to grab Wyatt while Lenz pointed to the west. There, a small patch of land stood just outside of the Origin Zone's barrier. It was far enough away from the trees that Mobs couldn't sneak up and kill us, and close enough to the Origin that we could simply run away like brave, brave men.
We walked over to it in a single-file line. Me at the front, followed by Lenz, the six fresh spawns, and then Helena. I thought about calling Floyd or Soul over, but thought better on it since it looked like the two were talking about something.
Honestly, it seemed Floyd was just a bundle of repressed problems.
[Floyd]
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Clearly you do. Otherwise you would have done a better job of hiding it." Soul shot back without missing a beat. I wished he would just ignore me. "What's eating you? First you wouldn't get close to the Origin, and now you're acting all sullen after we just figured out the one good use for those Hackers. What's the deal?"
The deal, as he put it, was blunt and fairly simple. A dead Hacker was a good Hacker because they were no good anyway and by getting killed they could bring a bounty of new items and gear to Minecraftia. Alive, they killed and terrorized thousands. Dead, they brought advancement to this cruel world. What could be better?
It just so happened that I was one of those Hackers.
"Nothing's wrong." I grit out, trying to sound calm and failing. It clearly wasn't working so I tried a half-truth. "It's not important, I just… how can you be so sure Hackers are bad?"
"…Excuse me?"
"I mean, maybe only a few of them are terrible." I hastily reasoned. "What if we've only seen the worst of them? What if we're condemning them all just for the actions of a few?"
"Floyd, people didn't imagine them attacking Kingdoms. They're a real threat; no better than the Endward Cult."
"But how can we know for sure?" I tried again, hoping he would see things from my perspective without me having to spell it out. "How many Hackers have we personally seen, hmm? Cobb's basing everything on Alec and what Wynn told him. And then Nitebane's situation, while awful, may just be another outlier."
"So then we shouldn't judge the Endward Cult by the actions of Spring, Parker, or Teal, right?" Soul noted derisively. "Is that what you're saying? Because my neck still feels a bit sore from the time that psycho broke it."
"Attila was a cultist too." I reminded, causing Soul to settle down. "She was a cultist, but she backed out because she didn't know what they did. What if Hackers are like that too?" I asked hopefully. "What if they're not as inherently bad as we think?"
I really hoped he would concede my point. It would make telling him the truth easier.
Soul paused, thinking to himself for a few moments. His red eyes flickered with a softer, kinder emotion before he shook it loose.
"No… no, we don't have the luxury to question their morals. Cultists and Hackers. They made their choice the second they went by those names."
"But what if they never had a choice!?" I abandoned what little subtlety I had in a desperate attempt to make him understand. There had to be a better way to explain. "What if the title was suddenly thrust upon them, and, and the world hated them for just being born." I fumbled my words, struggling to hide the truth. "In a world where everyone despised them for things they never did, wouldn't it make sense for them to stick together? Wouldn't you?"
"What… where is all this self-righteousness coming from!?" Soul argued before shaking his head. "Look. We can't wait around giving them the benefit of the doubt. They sided against Crafters and we need to attack them before they cause another Nitebane. Simple as that. Even Cobb agrees, so why don't you?"
"Because I'm—!" I clamped my mouth shut, narrowing my eyes as I struggled to swallow the word that would have condemned me. They couldn't know. None of them could know. "Because… I'm trying to break the mold." I settled on saying. It was vague enough that, to the axe-wielder, it could have meant anything.
Even if to me it meant everything.
[Noman]
"So… hungry…" I moaned as I lay slumped atop my horse's saddle. The steed jostled me and made for a bumpy nap, but I was persistent in my distress.
Another moan tore itself from my lips, but not nearly as loud as my growling stomach.
I was hungry.
Crossing the Redbone Desert had cost me most of my food and there was little I could use to replenish it. No animals. No soil or crops. The handful of villages I had passed had been barren and lifeless, the farms stripped of soil, water, and crops.
I was grossly underprepared for Western Minecraftia, which one traveler had described as being a heck-hole (I say heck in place of a more profane word). Western Minecraftia was an inhospitable wasteland where only the toughest chose to live. The Redbone Desert, Dryrock Mesa, and the Lacquerlands were in a three-way tie for harshest environment.
I never crossed to the sharp, obsidian landscape of the Lacquerlands, but the desert and mesa biomes were torture enough. Half of my food I already ate, and the other half I had given away to starving travelers as they passed me by. Oddly enough, I felt like the same starving travelers passed me four or five times, but I must have imagined it. Nobody would be cruel enough to steal food from a fellow traveler over and over again.
Hahaha.
…
…Right?
Well, there was little point complaining. The arid mesa wouldn't get any better if I stayed pessimistic. Nor would my food stores replenish through my moaning and groaning. I needed food.
But every village or town I had passed had been stripped. Nothing but empty wooden buildings and broken wells that I could dunk my head in to beat the heat. Carrot only needed food to replenish health, but I still felt bad for not feeding the poor thing. He was the one lugging me around after all. Sugar was all I could offer him, and even that was running low.
It was when I was cresting a hill that I saw the answer to my prayers.
A valley of red sand stretched before me, reaching between two layered mesas that formed a canyon. A third mesa, larger than the first two, was at the back, and it was from this one that fresh water flowed into the canyon below, forming a river.
The river wound across the sand before disappearing beneath a large wooden farmhouse, similar to the ones I had seen in Dover Plains. Other wooden buildings were set up around the main house along with fenced in areas full of livestock, horses, and—best of all—crops.
It looked weathered, but the crops signified that it was a place that hadn't been stripped. The secure fences and livestock only bolstered the idea.
I was hesitant to approach, though. It was a question of why this place was spared the fate of every other village I had passed in the biome. True, the mesas concealed it well enough, but it was still exposed on one side. Someone should have seen it.
And then there was the question of who the place belonged to. I would never steal from someone (I chose to ignore how I nearly stole an artifact from Maplefrost's mansion), but I needed to eat to stay alive. I would have to ask permission first. And that was only if there was anyone home. If not…
My stomach grumbled loudly, reminding me of my need for food. All I had left was rotten flesh and I couldn't keep it down to save my life. I swallowed the guilty lump in my throat and prayed that the owner of the farmhouse was present before I spurred my steed towards the canyon below.
Please don't be another evil Nana. Please don't be another evil Nana. Please, please, please don't be another evil Nana.
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III], 1 Stone Pickaxe, 1 Stone Sword, 1 Golden Shovel [Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III], 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 13 Cobblestone, 2 Ender Pearls, 12 Torches, 5 Coal, 2 Oak Wood Planks, 1 Stick, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 1 Water Bucket, 4 String, 40 Steak, 64 Cooked Mutton, 55 Baked Potatoes, 1 Pumpkin, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green, Unbreaking I], 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots, 40 Emeralds, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}
[EXP: 19]
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Iron Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Iron Sword, 3 Iron Ingots, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 2 Flint, 8 Rotten Flesh, 6 Gunpowder, 10 Ink Sacs, 28 Cooked Chicken, 40 Apples, 3 Wool, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots {Weak}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Entry Pass}, 4 Emeralds
[EXP: 25]
Inventory (Lenz): 1 Bow {Weak}, 1 Shears, 2 Levers, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 9 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 20 Redstone, 1 Hopper, 5 Pistons, 21 Cobblestone, 25 Dirt, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 25 Gunpowder, 50 Steak, 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Green], 13 Arrows, 20 Wooden Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Pumpkin, 32 Sugar Cane, 8 Leather, 18 Feathers, 10 Flint, 64 Emeralds, 14 Emeralds, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}
[EXP: 8]
Inventory (Soul): 1 Iron Axe, 1 Wooden Pickaxe, 1 Stone Pickaxe {Weak}, 2 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {1:30}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {1:30}, 1 Milk, 1 Iron Helmet {Weak}, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 5 Dirt, 64 Cobblestone, 10 Coal, 7 Oak Wood Planks, 9 Emeralds, 21 Iron Ingots, 30 Cooked Chicken, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Map {Ringwood Region}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}
[EXP: 38]
Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Chestplate {Severe Shield}, 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness I], 1 Shield, 1 Bow [Infinity], 34 Birch Wood Planks, 35 Iron Ingots, 19 Sticks, 13 Torches, 1 Bucket, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Birch Fence, 1 Bed, 1 Book {Notch Mission II}, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Dover Plains Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Dover Plains}, 1 Map {Mesa}, 1 Compass, 64 Arrows, 2 Glass Bottles, 2 Sugar, 7 Enchanted Golden Apples, 1 Diamond Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Blue] {Weak}, 1 Diamond Leggings, 1 Diamond Boots, 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 22 Emeralds, 2 Bones, 14 Rotten Flesh
[EXP: 7]
Carrot the Horse
AN: Noman! Is that you? Everyone thought you were gone forever!
Back to where it all began, Cobb's returned to the Origin Zone. But while he's helping Crafters learn the way of the fishing rod, Floyd is struggling with his Hacker identity.
And that introduction to the Chapter? Don't worry about that, it was just another crazy adventure that will never be brought up or mentioned. Ever.
Also, with two more Bounty Days, Minecraftia jumped from 1.9 to 1.11. You can all probably guess the two new things Cobb saw in his visions.
Review, Fav, Follow, and Blaaaaaaaaagh!