AN: Keeping the 'J' Chapter titles going!
Congrats to AwakenedKarbon for guessing last chapter's riddle correctly. The answer: Chalkboard! Enjoy your Cookie and your acknowledgement.
(::)
Puzzle: I have a cat that has three kittens: Mospy, Topsy, and Spot. What is the mother's name.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add a Crafting Recipe for Chainmail Armor.
Chapter 103
Jade
[Cobb]
"Cobb? Wow! Long time, no see."
"…Jade?"
It was her alright.
The shoulder-length green hair that billowed out like a curtain. The purple eyes that glimmered, even in the dark. She wore a form-fitting green leather jacket that helped… ahh… accentuate her hips—I mean features. She wore a purple undershirt and dark jeans with purple accents that hugged her… er, ahh, sh-she had black socks! Purple sneakers. Black belt. Green backpack. A-and she wasn't wearing any armor.
The name above her head read 'AceOfJades'.
"Yeah," I began after realizing I had just been staring at her. "I haven't seen you since Ringwood."
She didn't seem to mind me ogling her though, since it looked like she was doing the same to me. Her eyes took in my jeans, my black-and-white hoodie, my blue undershirt. She quickly shook her head. "Sorry, what did you say? I'm… still a little out of it." She laughed sheepishly.
"Is that what you call getting jumped by a couple of thugs?" I questioned, to which she glanced aside. "What were they doing to you anyway?"
"Nothing." She replied in a clipped tone. "Just… I'd rather not say. Anyway, forget them. They're gone, like you said."
I decided to follow her lead and let it drop. "Anyway, like I was saying before, I haven't seen you since Ringwood with all those fresh spawns."
"Fresh spawns?" Jade tilted her head before her eyes lit up. "Oh, that's what you call them! You mean the… oh…" She suddenly glanced down again, a look of guilt on her face.
I couldn't figure out what she was so guilty about until I remembered what day I had met them all. It was the same day of the cultist attack on Ringwood.
"The Creeper Herd." I muttered breathlessly, causing Jade to shrink upon herself again. "They didn't…?"
"No." She said shortly. "We got caught in the middle of it before we could reach the walls. The others… they…" She let out an aggrieved sigh. "I barely escaped through the trees. The Creepers were all over them. There was nothing I could do." She held herself tightly. "There was nothing I could do…"
Tentatively, I reached out a hand to comfort her, but realized, with a pause, that we weren't really familiar enough for the gesture to mean anything. Instead, I settled for words.
"It's not your fault. It's the cult that was behind the attack." I folded my arms and leaned on one of the buildings, thinking back to that day. "A lot of Ringwood's people died in that attack. It just… don't feel bad about surviving. It just means you denied those jerks another kill."
She let out a small laugh. "That's a silver lining, I suppose." She locked eyes with me. Purple staring into green. "Thanks." She reached out a hand to pat me gratefully, but stopped halfway, probably coming to the same conclusion on what we were. Instead the arm fell down to clutch her wrist awkwardly.
"So…" I began, having trouble talking with this girl for some reason. "You're a long ways from Ringwood. What brings you to Jolin?"
"Oh you know!" She placed her arms akimbo and glanced up, not quite meeting my eyes. "Just meandering from place to place. Seeing the sights. Things to see, people to d—things to do, I mean!" She hastily covered up with a blush. "Things to do, people to see. Things are what I'm doing. People are what I'm seeing. Yes, yes."
"Uh-huh." I nodded along unconvincingly. She noticed.
"Oh? And what are you doing out here? Hmm?"
"I'm resting up. Getting supplies. That sort of thing." I answered easily before a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
If Jade had survived the Creeper Herd… wasn't there the chance that she knew about my wanted poster?
What if she knew right now? What if this was all some kind of ruse to gain my trust and lead me into a trap or something? A thousand emeralds would be worth it. A literal King_Cobb's ransom.
"Are you on your own?" She asked, leaning to the side before a thoughtful expression crossed her face. "I tried traveling alone, and it didn't turn out so well. I'm hopeless when it comes to fighting. But not you." She smiled. "I saw what you did with that fishing rod. Pretty impressive. I bet you're better with a sword… or, er, wait! That's—that wasn't an innuendo or anything, I just… I'll be quiet now." She added in an adorably small voice.
Wait, adorable? What is wrong with me?
Brain: Cobb, this is your brain talking. This chick is trying to lead you astray with her feminine wiles! You must resist! Do you hear me!? Resist her advances! No, means no! Don't let her sneak up behind you!
Heart: Nonsense! She's a perfectly nice girl.
Brain: She's a devil in disguise!
Heart: Well, I like her.
Brain: Devil worshipper!
Back to Jade's question of whether I was alone or not… I wasn't going to answer that since I didn't know what her intentions were.
Brain: Yes! Good thinking, Cobb! Besides, people with green hair can't be trusted. Remember Burke, the mohawk guy? He bombed Halstatt. Not a nice guy. Couldn't be trusted. Case and point.
Stomach: Didn't Captain Iron_Lung have green hair too?
Brain: I said, case and point.
Bladder: Yeah, and what about that mysterious green-haired Crafter that helped us in Ringwood and in the forest? He was nice.
Brain: Case. And. Point.
Wait a second. The mysterious green-haired Crafter...
My eyes focused on Jade's lush green hair that seemed familiar in more ways than one. Could it be…?
"Cobb? You're staring at me a lot. Do I have something on my face or—?"
"You're the one…"
"Huh?"
"The mysterious green-haired Crafter." I pointed at her confused face. "You're the one that helped us get off that wall. You helped us against those guards. You're the one that helped get those dogs off me when I called out to you! With the bucket of water, right?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh come on, it had to be you!" I exclaimed. "You were in Ringwood, you followed us here and helped us so that—" My eyes widened slightly. "Why would you help us?"
"Cobb, I seriously don't know what you're talking about." Jade tried to argue. "This is the second time we've met each other."
"You couldn't really call all those other times meeting one another." I saw through her word choice, growing more suspicious by the second. "Why would you help us? You must have known about the bounty if you were in Ringwood."
"What bounty?" She questioned, playing dumb. "And who's this 'us' you keep referring to?"
"As if you don't know." I rounded on her, withdrawing the map from my belt and seeing just what I expected. "Funny. My map says there are two map-holders right where we're standing, but we're the only ones here. Why do you think that is, Jade?"
"I… I… I don't know." She backed off with her hands held up in surrender. "But maybe you should calm down before—"
"You've been tracking us this whole time. From Ringwood to Jolin."
"Wait, I—"
"You helped us escape… but only when someone else was trying to catch us! Was it because you wanted the bounty all to yourself? Were those thugs even attacking you are did you fake that just to get me out here?"
"I… I may have known those guys, but I—"
I advanced on her, forcing her against the wall and pinning one hand beside her while the other reached into her belt to pull out the synced map.
"How'd you get this? Did you steal it from the fresh spawns? Did you kill them!?" I accused.
"NO!" She shot back. "I would never—!"
"Then why do you have it? I want answers, Jade!" I demanded. "What are you after? My bounty? Tell the truth!"
"Okay! Okay!" She finally relented, glancing aside. "The truth is, I… I… wait, what the heck is happening over there?"
"Nice try," I rolled my eyes at her weak attempt to distract me, "but you gotta get up pretty early in the morning to fool somebody with that old trick—"
"No, really, look!" She tilted my head with her free hand towards where she was looking and my grip on her instantly slackened.
"What the…?"
It was the Keebler Inn. But with about fifty brown-capped guards storming the place. They were all armed with iron blades and armor, and, with a series of muffled noises and crashes, they pulled out a limp Floyd, paralyzed by potions from the look of it.
I let go of Jade to turn my attention towards the Inn, which proved a mistake, since it revealed myself fully to the guards. They pointed at me while yelling something, but it was drowned out by Floyd's desperate shout.
"COBB, THEY FOUND US OUT! RUN!"
That was all he got out before a guard clonked him on the back of the head, knocking him out. The other guards shouted at me to stay where I was as they rushed over.
I readied my fishing rod, intending on fighting them to save my friend, but a hand tugged on my hood in the opposite direction.
"Come on! You can't take them all on!" Jade reasoned as she dragged me away from the incoming guards. "Follow me! I can help you lose them!"
My brain was jammed at how quickly the situation had turned. I was in fight-or-flight mode and the adrenaline needed to be used whether I wanted it to or not. I needed to make a snap-decision.
So, with a frustrated noise, I turned and followed Jade, allowing her to guide me to safety… or a trap.
"Stay close." She called over her shoulder as she turned the bend of the building. She ran to the main catwalk, but instead of going around, she leapt across the gap, effectively cutting corners and shaving off time. I didn't want to risk a jump like that, so I just went around.
But the guards chasing behind me cut the corner just like Jade had. They didn't seem bothered in the least by it.
Jade was fast. But she hung back every so often to check that I was keeping up.
We soon reached a diverging catwalk that joined back up further along. Instead of picking a direction to go, however, Jade simply leapt down the middle, springing off a single fence post in the center before landing with a roll on the other side and going on as if it were nothing.
I looked at the jump she made, gulped, and decided to go around instead. How was she making those jumps look so easy?
The guards behind me too! Some of them made the jump, while others decided to take the long way around, not confident in their own abilities.
Jade waited up for me before going around the bend of another building. I followed, but then lost her as she was nowhere to be found.
"Up here." I heard a voice. Looking up, I saw Jade hoisting herself up the edges of the wooden building, effortlessly scaling it as if she were a spider monkey. Once she hit the top, she took out a bucket of water and poured it down for me to follow.
I sputtered and swam upstream like a salmon and she pulled me up the rest of the way just as the guards got there. They tried swimming up the water at first, until Jade bucketed it back up. Then they went about scaling it like she did.
"How are they following us like this?" I asked madly.
"It's called Parkour." Jade explained as she tugged me along the roof.
"Parkour?"
"Negotiating obstacles by running, jumping, or climbing." She filled in before glancing off the roof of the building towards another building hanging from another level. It was low enough that we could probably reach it if we jumped, but…
I glanced down the gap separating the two buildings. It looked to be more than a hundred meter drop. No water or vines to break our fall. If we missed, we'd die.
Jade didn't even give it a second thought as she leapt off the side of the roof and nimbly grabbed the edge of the other building, swinging once before hoisting herself up onto a precarious ledge as if it was stable footing.
"Okay, your turn!" She called out, gesturing for me to do the same.
"Are you crazy!?" I shouted back. "I can't make that! I'll fall!"
"No, you won't! It's easy! And I'll catch you if you come up short." She called back. "Just get a running start! Hurry!"
I glanced back to the guards who were nearly on the roof and then glanced back to the steep drop awaiting me. One slip-up and I'd be dead.
"Come on! I promise I'll catch you! Trust me!"
Trust…
That brought back some of Wynn's parting words when I left Ringwood.
'Don't trust anyone either. No telling what new lows people would stoop…'
Right. When my bounty was concerned, I couldn't trust anyone besides my friends. What was Jade even trying to accomplish here? She had followed us, tracked us, stalked us, and only protected us when our bounty would have been snatched up by someone else. Why else wouldn't she interact with us when we tried to find her? Why else would she support us from the shadows? She was only helping me now so she could keep my bounty out of the guards' hands. Oh, she'd catch me for sure, but then what? Where would she take me? Would she paralyze me when my back was turned and ship me off to Nitebane?
No… I couldn't trust her. Wynn had warned me about this. I wasn't going to fall for it.
"Cobb! Jump already!" Jade called out again, her hands held out in preparation to catch me.
In response, I shook my head slowly and pulled out an ender pearl. Her eyes widened.
"Wait! Cobb! Don't—"
But I had already lobbed the thing towards the base of one of the outer trees. Jade cursed to herself, but moved to shimmy down the ledge of the building she was on. I was tackled from behind by one of the guards who proceeded to splash me with the Paralysis Potion combo and inform me I was under arrest.
"Thank Notch." Another guard panted from behind the first guard. "We caught them both before the Berserkers caught wind. The Captain will be pleased—"
That's all I heard before the ender pearl made contact and I was warped down to the base of the tree in an instant. I took the customary two-and-a-half Hearts of damage from the pearl, but it started to tick back up immediately with my full Hunger Meter. The foliage was thick, and there seemed to be even thicker roots built from jungle logs that crisscrossed in a complex network. I was warped into lying on top of one.
I couldn't move due to the Paralysis, but I had escaped the guards and Jade all on my own.
It was still dark, though. Especially at the base of the unlit trees. And the Paralysis would last a good chunk of time.
*RATTLE*
I gulped in panic as I heard the clatter of bones ring out across the jungle floor. From my position on the thick root, I could see a chilling skull peer out from the darkness. Its empty sockets spotted me and it raised its bow as it took rattling steps.
I began to breathe hard as one of the arrows sailed a bit high. The second arrow was much closer, hitting the root just before my neck. The third shot hit its mark, rolling me onto my other side from the impact. I mentally thanked Soul for making everyone iron armor, realizing that its protection could mean the difference between life and death right now.
Another arrow flew overhead before another one hit my tunic, rolling me onto my belly so that I couldn't see the next stack coming. That made it worse when I heard the twangs and then braced myself for the impact I couldn't see, only for noting to come.
I was in full freak-out mode and I began to hyperventilate when another arrow struck me, sending me rolling off the edge of the root and hitting ledge after ledge as I tumbled down before landing in a crumpled heap upon a lower root. My body was staring up at the night sky, and I could see my arms.
My Health was at five Hearts, my Hunger was too low to regenerate anything, and the Paralysis timer said it would last for another thirty seconds.
Okay, no problem. I can do this. Just thirty more seconds and then I'll be—
*UHNNN!*
My pupils shot to the left to see two Zombies climbing up the side of the root, their dead eyes focusing on the limp prey before him.
"Craaaaaaaap!" I whined as the Zombies crept closer and closer. One of them reached down to bite my face off…
Only for an arrow to hit it in the neck, causing it to moan in pain. My pupils darted back to the Skeleton that had cleared the edge of the root and was no shooting at me as it made its way down.
The Zombie with the arrow sticking out of its neck moved towards me again, and I shut my eyes in preparation for the pain.
But it never came, as the Zombie actually walked over me to get at the Skeleton shooting arrows.
They were fighting each other?
Yeah, the Zombie was getting in the way of its shots (whether by choice or just because it was between me and the Skeleton) and was trying to attack the boney Mob. And when the Zombie got close enough to lash out, the Skeleton refocused its fire onto the Zombie.
The second Zombie, however, was unobstructed from scratching at me with its jagged nails.
"Urgh!" I winced as nails screeched across my iron leggings like nails on a chalkboard, and the Zombie bent down to rip into my throat. I lost another three Hearts of Health before I regained feeling in my arms.
The Zombie raised its arms again, but I kicked out at its legs, forcing it to fall on its front. It crawled after me, but I got back up onto my feet and rammed my sword into the back of its skull, before giving it a sharp, killing kick. EXP floated into my arm…
And was then forcibly sucked up by my tunic. It flashed purple and I gasped at the brilliant show of enchanted energy as some of the tatters on it sealed up as if sewn back together.
The Mending Enchantment. I realized as I connected it to the EXP I had gained. Just to verify, I turned my attention to the Skeleton and Zombie fighting one another with sword raised. The Skeleton won, and I imagine it let out a rattle of cheer before I swiftly broke it into a pile of bones and arrows… and EXP.
That, too, floated into my arm before getting sucked up by my Mending tunic. It flashed with glowing energy before restoring itself a bit. So there was no doubt, the Mending Enchantment converted EXP into durability. But only if it was gained while wearing the enchanted item.
In the middle of making the discovery, I heard noises growing closer from the surrounding darkness. Skittering legs, low moans, the rattle of bones. I needed to get out of there.
Sticking to the root, I climbed over a dip that slowly leveled out and followed it towards the outer tree, keeping the Gift Tree at my back. I took out my map to check my bearing. Jolin was basically shaped like a hexagon. If it were a clock, then I was walking towards six o'clock. There were two white blips at four o'clock. Floyd's white blip was getting taken to the center. Jade's white blip was heading my way.
I grit my teeth. I couldn't ditch the map now. Sure, it would throw Jade off my trail, but then I'd have no way of tracking the others. And for that matter, how long would it take the guards to figure out Floyd's map could track me?
"Well, Floyd called it." I groaned, getting on my hands and rear so that I could inch my way down a root as massive as the Gift Tree was tall. "Things definitely got worse."
[Lenz]
"Hrmm…" I hummed as I held the map before my tinted glasses. "A lot of white blips are moving about… including our current stalker."
"Excuse me, sir." I looked up to see a Testificate in a black apron being guided by the merchant I had been conversing with prior. "This is the Testificate selling the armor you requested." He introduced him as Armen.
"Ah, yes, very good." I hastily shoved the map into my belt before scooping out the emeralds I had on hand. Soul had certainly robbed quite a few, taking more than half of my money. Still, forty-seven should be enough for what I wanted to get.
"How much for a full set of chainmail armor?"
"Thirty-six emeralds."
I visibly sweat-dropped. "That… seems a little expensive, no?"
The Testificate, Armen, frowned deeply, disgruntled by my words. "I'll have you know that chainmail is impossible to get anywhere except via trading, and the maximum cost range for a full set is between thirty and forty emeralds. Thirty-six is a reasonable asking price."
"You know how much redstone I could buy with thirty-six emeralds? This is high-way robbery!"
"Well, gee," Armen said innocently, "I suppose if it's such a problem you can go look for chainmail armor on your own OH, WAIT, YOU CAN'T BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SPAWN NATURALLY! BLEHEHEHEH!" The Testificate stuck out his tongue and waved his nose tauntingly at me, causing me to bite back a rude comment.
The chainmail had been Floyd's idea since he said it was lighter than iron with the same level of protection as gold. It was something a weakling like me could carry without complaint. But for the price they were asking…
…
"…How much for the set, minus the helmet?" I had a leather cap after all.
"Thirty."
I sighed before counting out the proper emeralds.
Three grudging purchases later, I was the owner of a [CHAINMAIL CHESTPLATE], [CHAINMAIL LEGGINGS], and [CHAINMAIL BOOTS]. I wasted no time putting them on since my Inventory space was pretty full, and I marveled at how light they were. It was almost no additional weight.
"Pleasure doing business with you." The Testificate said smugly, emerald green particles shimmering off of him at a trade well done.
"You are despicable." I countered which made his smile widen before I turned with what little emeralds I had left.
Comparators, now I have to sell Grass Blocks here in order to have enough to afford the airship in Zeppil. But Cobbert has the Silk Touch Shovel. I need to find him.
The next order of business was satisfying my hunger. Since Cobbert and Floyd were already in the Kingdom, I had to assume they settled their stomachs already. I walked up to a food stand that was thankfully NOT run by a parsimonious Testificate, and requested some food.
They offered either seven apples or eight cooked chicken for one emerald each. The chicken was easily the better deal, so I spent three emeralds for twenty-four cooked chicken. Plenty to last me the next few days.
In between hearty bites of chicken, I spotted another merchant in front of a stand with item frames holdings swords, bows, and—best of all—arrows!
Sixty arrows for five emeralds was a tad pricey, but I was in desperate need. Without them, I had no way of fighting. It was a necessary investment. After all was said and done, I had a mere nine emeralds to my name.
But I figured it was worse for Soul. It was no secret the axe-wielder had been searching for diamonds throughout his mining excursions. He was probably looking for an armor set of the same material, the price of which would be greater than the chainmail I bought. And he needed food too.
He will need more emeralds than what he took from me to get what he wants.
[Soul]
"HOW MUCH!?" I roared at the merchant, who stood his ground with a neutral expression.
"Forty-eight emeralds for the full diamond armor, nine for the diamond axe, fifty emeralds for the Sharpness V Enchantment, thirty-five emeralds for the Fire Aspect II Enchantment, forty-one emeralds per Protection IV Enchantment, and five emeralds per Potion of Strength II would total about… three-hundred-and-twenty-six emeralds. And that isn't including the food, which would cost you another eight emeralds." He explained without missing a beat.
I couldn't believe it. I could barely afford the diamond axe and full armor with what I had, and that was without the enchantments. But I needed to prioritize food since I was near starvation. And yet…
"Rip-off artist!" I accused before kicking the man in the shin. He let out a cry of pain as he hopped on one foot before he glared at me.
"Get out of my place! Out! I refuse to sell you any of my wares! OUT!"
With a huff of anger, I promptly left, figuring I could get a better deal elsewhere.
Oh how wrong I was.
Ironically, the first place had had the best deal. It was all the other places that were rip-off artists, as I promptly pointed out by kicking them in the shins. I left bruised shins and stores that I couldn't go back to in my wake, but it was worth it.
Finally, I found a place where I could buy eight cooked chicken for an emerald. And then I spent the rest of what I had on the full diamond armor and axe I wanted.
[DIAMOND AXE], [DIAMOND HELMET], [DIAMOND CHESTPLATE], [DIAMOND LEGGINGS], [DIAMOND BOOTS]. I chucked all my old iron gear off the side of the tree and put on the new stuff immediately. It was so shiny and felt more powerful than the junk I had settled for. I felt like a tank, and I banged a fist against the armor with a laugh.
And my new axe… God, it was a thing of beauty. Sharper and stronger than iron, it could cut through even the thickest of tensions. I plucked a hair from my head and dropped it onto the axe and watched as it was cleanly split in two. Awesome.
I'd like to see Teal beat me now. I thought confidently as I walked through the bazaar with a bit of a strut. The other Crafters gazed upon my armor with envy. Even without the Enchantments, I wouldn't be beaten anytime soon while wearing it.
"No! You can't take it! You can't! I'll be ruined!"
I looked up from admiring my armor to see the same merchant I had first asked for supplies before I kicked him in the shin. He was lying on the ground, with both hands wrapped around the legs of a strongly built Crafter… now outfitted with diamond armor and holding a pair of Enchanted Books.
The strongly built Crafter looked indifferent to the merchant around his legs. "This armor is needed by the Berserkers to better protect your town from criminals. You should be honored that your merchandise is bettering your Kingdom."
"Please! I beg of you! The Enchantments alone are worth too much! You can have the diamond armor, just, please, let me keep the books! Please!"
The burly Crafter narrowed his eyes. "I thought I told you this gear is needed elsewhere. Don't tell me you've forgotten about the Law of Desideratum." He added with a smug smirk.
"That's not fair!" One of the watching merchants rushed to the first's defense, glaring daggers at the burly Crafter. "You need evidence of a criminal in the Kingdom before requisitioning anything."
"Right on the mark." The burly Crafter, Brandr, countered before he turned elsewhere. "Ciro. The posters."
From nearby, a second Crafter with a black facemask and mismatched eyes stepped forward, offering a Snow Print to Brandr. He snatched it up and held it out for everyone to see. It was a wanted poster of a ginger-haired girl with square-framed glasses.
"InesTheInsipid. She's been sighted around here. And we need the best armor and enchantments available to find her." Brandr suddenly kicked at the merchant wrapped around his legs and marched forward, looming over the second merchant. "Since you have so much to say, maybe you can supply us some valuable gear as well? Care to chip in for your Kingdom?"
The second merchant quickly looked away, clenching his fists.
"That's what I thought." Brandr smirked smugly before shoving the merchant away by the face. "Now run along before I get—"
"Before you get a clue?" I spoke as I walked brazenly up to the burly man.
He turned to regard me, his flaming red hair swishing in the breeze and his purple eyes glaring at me coldly. "Oh, you have something to share too? Why don't you beat it, deadbeat." He looked at my armor appraisingly before giving a dismissive wave. "I already GOT a set of diamond armor. Just need to enchant it."
"You know, funny thing, I asked that merchant for the same gear not ten minutes ago." I folded my arms, refusing to back down as the kicked merchant watched from afar. "It was way too expensive though, so I kicked him in the shin and called him a rip-off artist." The merchant rubbed his shin as if remembering the pain. "So to see you just waltz in and take it without having to pay? What's your secret?"
Brandr smirked and puffed out his diamond-clad chest. "Privilege of the law. You should try it some time. Not like you could." He added with a chuckle. "The Berserkers pretty much have the bounty hunter market cornered here. And competing with us could be messy."
Beside him, Ciro, the one with the face mask, rolled his eyes.
"You mention the law, but aren't you just stealing?" I asked, causing another irritating laugh from Brandr.
"I knew it. An out-of-town deadbeat." He stowed the enchanted books in his belt before placing a hand on his hip. "Listen, since you're clearly not from around here, I'll let you off with a warning. Get lost before you say something you'll regret."
"I have a lot of regrets." I countered, pulling out a diamond axe. "But I didn't like that deadbeat jibe, so I don't think I'll regret knocking you on your smug ass."
"You want to fight me?" Brandr tilted his head, a contemplative expression on his face.
"Glad you picked that up. Thought I was being too subtle." I smirked. This was the perfect chance to test out my new gear, and this palooka was asking for it.
"Just let it go." The Ciro guy spoke through his face mask as he looked to me. "A fight would be a waste of time. Namely mine."
"Not like you're fighting." I swung my diamond axe in preparation and all the watching merchants backed off nervously. "Now come on, Brandr. Don't you want to prove how tough you are? Don't tell me you're afraid of me."
Ciro let out a groan. "Just stop. This isn't worth—"
"This won't take long." Brandr smirked, taking out an enchanted diamond sword from his belt. "Just back off if you don't want to get burned, Ciro. Deadbeats like red-eyes over there only understand one thing: Force."
"Red-eyes. How original. I'll call you, purple-eyes."
The two of us squared off, both showing an easy confidence as if sure the other would lose.
We both got diamond armor, but everyone knows an axe beats a sword in terms of attack power. I got this.
I saw Brandr tense his legs and I mirrored his movement, ready to launch forward.
"Brandr!"
The two of us leapt out of our skins, stumbling forward a bit from the preparedness like a false start. We both recovered at the same time and Brandr looked irritatedly to his right. Another Crafter was emerging, this one also clad in diamond armor.
"You're interrupting." Brandr tried to dismiss, wanting to get back to the fight.
"Dahlia sent me to find you." The new Crafter stressed the name, making Brandr go still. "She says there's a new quarry for us. And everyone needs to be present." The Crafter's eyes strayed to Ciro before narrowing. "And didn't Dahlia ask you to get those wanted posters to her on the double?"
"It's Brandr's fault." Ciro pointed out unashamedly. "He said he needed them to get some better armor."
The new Crafter looked at the diamond-clad Brandr before accepting the excuse. "Well, now that you have your armor, you should have no problem reporting back to Dahlia. Right?"
"Actually…" Brandr began before the new Crafter shot him a look. He sheathed his blade with a sigh. "Okay. Lead the way."
Ciro followed the Crafter without a word, but Brandr shot me a haughty smile as he left. "Be thankful he bailed your ass out, deadbeat. Catch you later."
I scoffed. "Says the guy running away." But Brandr ignored it as he left the bazaar with his companions. As soon as all three were gone, the surrounding merchants breathed a collective sigh of relief.
I went over to the two merchants who had been downed by Brandr. "You good?"
"No!" The first merchant moaned. "That bastard took my—"
"He'll live." The second merchant interjected. "He'll be poorer, but… well… merchants here don't make much profit when bounty hunters are concerned." He looked up and offered a nod. "Thanks for asking. But you really shouldn't antagonize those guys. I know you meant well, but… there's no sense getting beaten up over it."
I snorted. "Who's to say I would get beaten up? I could've taken him easy!" I proudly banged a fist against my new chestplate. "He wouldn't have put a dent on this!"
"If you say so." The second merchant offered noncommittally before helping the first merchant onto his feet. "Those bounty hunters won't be a problem much longer anyway. Not if Princess Alaqua has anything to say about it…"
"I still feel like I'm missing something." I asked, gesturing to where those three bounty hunters had gone. "They can just steal stuff and get away with it? Shouldn't the guards be all over that?"
The merchant shook his head. "The guards can't do anything about it because of the Law of Desideratum. But—like I said before—that law won't be lasting much longer."
"D-Do you think the princess will reclaim all requisitioned gear?" The first merchant bawled. "Sh-She has to! She just has to! The emeralds those enchantments cost—"
"Relax, man." The second merchant comforted as he dragged him back to his stall. "Alaqua is just. She cares about her people. You'll see."
As the two left and the rest of the bazaar returned to some semblance of normalcy, I couldn't help but think something was wrong with this Kingdom. Just what in the hell was the Law of Deliri—Deciduo—Derangeliu—whatever it was called.
While I was thinking, I heard a familiar 'Eep!' from my left. I turned and just caught sight of a certain tinted-glass wearing nerd hiding behind a stall. Looks like Lady Luck was smiling upon me.
"Hey, Lenzington!" My smile was full of teeth. "What are you doing hiding? Come on out so I can hit you better for reporting me to those guards!" he turned and fled. "Don't you run away! We both know you can't!"
I chased after the nerd, intending to get sweet vengeance for what he did to me. Something classic would be good. All I needed was a toilet to shove his head into. Or a locker to stuff him into.
"Soul! I am sorry!"
"Not yet you're not!"
[Floyd]
Ugh… my aching head…
I awoke in a dimly lit room, my eyes struggling to make out anything more. I was lying on my back on a bed, but this wasn't the Inn room bed.
I had been taken from there. The guards had gotten the jump on me while I was asleep. Otherwise I could have used my Hack to get away.
And now? Now I had no idea where I was. I blinked over and over to adjust to the darkness and to regain full consciousness. One of the guards that caught me must have struck my head to knock me out. At least I had warned Cobb. Whether or not he got away…
Why was this even happening? We were signaled that our wanted posters weren't here. So why were the guards hunting for us? That toll guard probably tipped them off—his hesitance making more sense now—but he wouldn't have noticed us if our bounties weren't known in Jolin. So what was the deal?
I tried to pick myself up off the bed, but found myself paralyzed. The Potion of Weakness and Potion of Slowness combination. My eyes finally saw the guards posted by my bed. One of which had splash potions in hand and was watching me like a hawk. They were carefully keeping me sedated.
As my eyes got used to the dim lighting of the room, I found that it was a cell with wooden fence posts for bars. The bed I was lying on was the only furniture. The floors and walls were of dark oak.
Outside the cell bars, however, I saw a raven-haired Crafter clad in iron armor and a brown-dyed leather cap. He was a tall, strongly-built Crafter that had a disciplined air about him. The thing that stuck out about him the most, though, was that he had an accessory—a white feather—wedged between an ear the same way someone would hold a pen or pencil. The name above his head read Enyeto.
The raven-haired man was looking through a chest of items. It took me a second to realize why they all looked vaguely familiar.
"My Inventory…" I muttered, causing the two guards standing over me to tense and point their blades at me. Enyeto noticed and he quickly raised a hand to the guards before they reluctantly lowered their weapons.
Enyeto went back to looking through my Inventory until his eyes lightened upon my map. The same map synced with Cobb and the others. He looked it over before furrowing his brow and beckoning the two soldiers standing over me in the cell.
"Did you find something, Captain?" One of the guards asked, bringing the raven-haired Crafter's title to my attention.
He held out the map in answer. "Four of these blips are in our Kingdom. One of them has to be King_Cobb, but the others could be criminals as well. We don't need the Berserkers knowing that, though." He spoke warningly, causing the two guards to nod quickly. Captain Enyeto handed the map over to the guards and jerked his head to the exit. "Find them before they do."
One of the guards left readily, but the other stayed behind. "What of the prisoner, Captain?"
"I got my eye on him." Captain Enyeto glanced towards me before lowering his voice. "Besides, I have the feeling you-know-who will show up to try something. I'd rather be here for that. At least to buy you all some time."
"Ah, I see." The second guard nodded in understanding before saluting. "We won't fail you again, Captain."
With a wave of his hand, Enyeto dismissed the guard. I was soon alone with the Captain, who sat in his seat with my Inventory in the chest beside him. He tapped his fingers on his knees, silently counting. After a while, he rose from his chair and pulled out a set of splash potions which he threw at me to renew the paralysis.
"You can't have an infinite number of those." I spoke, referring to the potions. They required a lot of resources to make—gunpowder and blaze powder among them—and there was no way the Captain could keep an eye on me AND brew the proper potions.
"The Root Cellar has a section devoted to making these." Enyeto answered as he stood before my cell. "They keep our supplies and stock of potions full… when the bounty hunters aren't taking from them."
"…Root Cellar?"
"This prison." Enyeto answered, gesturing to the general area. "It's called the Root Cellar."
I hummed at the name, getting an idea of where I was. Seeing as we were in a Kingdom with a giant tree and this place was called the 'Root Cellar', I hazarded a guess that I was underneath the Gift Tree. There had been a hollow filled with crisscrossing roots. Maybe one of them was the prison? Maybe all of them were the prison?
"Where are your comrades heading?" Enyeto suddenly asked, leaning his head against the fence posts.
My eyes narrowed. "You got my map, so you should already know. Isn't that why you sent those guards out? To catch them?"
"They could ditch the maps at any time." Enyeto answered, making a good point. "Maybe even as soon as they realize my guards are tracking them through it. And that makes this take longer than it has to." He leaned against the cell bars again. "You can make it easier if you'd just tell me where they plan to go. Where they might choose to hide. How many of them there are."
I let out a harsh laugh. "It'll take more than words for me to sell out my friends."
Enyeto frowned to himself before he opened my cell and walked right in. He moved to stand over my bed, looking down upon my paralyzed and helpless form. I was at his mercy and we both knew it.
But I stared him down challengingly. I wasn't going to crack no matter what he did to extract the truth. Images of Cobb and the others flashed before my eyes. Even if they weren't going to kill us to cash in on the bounties, I would hold out as if my life were at stake.
Do your worst. I thought as Enyeto's face grew more grim.
I was expecting torture. Threats. Skirting death by the skin of my teeth.
Captain Enyeto bent low with both arms glued to his sides and eyes closed.
"I beg of you! Please tell me where your comrades are hiding!"
…
I wasn't expecting that.
[An Undisclosed Building…]
"Alright, so what's this about?" Brandr asked, paying only the minimum amount of attention as he poured over an Enchantment Table with lapis lazuli in hand.
"Good to see you too, Brandr." An albino woman with lavender twin-tails drawled from her spot at a desk. Her arms were folded before her as she regarded the Crafters before her. "Ciro. Did you get what I sent you for?"
The man with the facemask wordlessly deposited the four wanted posters onto the table before folding his arms. The woman, named Dahlia_Darko, took her time flipping through the posters before humming at them.
"Only four. Plus the two we got last time." She gestured to the wall where two posters hung. One was of a brown-haired man with a stupid face. The other was of a sky blue-haired man with dark markings over his eyes.
"Well what did you expect?" Brandr asked, after enchanting his diamond chestplate and marveling at the sheen. "Not many criminals want to stick around what with everyone cracking down. The merchants were giving me lip for making some requisitions. And pretty soon, we won't be welcome in this Kingdom anymore."
"Relax." Dahlia waved an arm. "I got it all under control. See, I've hatched a little scheme in this diabolical mind of mine. One that's sure to—"
"I'm sure you find what you're saying fascinating," Ciro interrupted, causing Dahlia to frown, "but frankly I don't give a damn. I got you your posters. Now it's time to fulfill your end of the bargain."
Dahlia got up from her seat and shot Ciro a sideways glance. "Now Ciro. Surely you didn't think just picking up a couple of posters would be enough to square us, did you?"
He narrowed his eyes. "I got spat upon."
"Which is why I sent you. Nobody seems to like us anymore." Dahlia gave a shrug as if to say 'what can you do?' before placing her hands akimbo. "It's a thankless task, but us Berserkers need to do our part… for the good of the Kingdom."
"I'm not a Berserker." Ciro hissed.
"Oh, you wound me!" Dahlia clutched her chest dramatically. "Did all those Heads we gathered together mean nothing to you? All those spoils we fairly split with you—"
"I only needed the emeralds to buy something, and that didn't turn out how I had hoped." He added quietly. "I'm not one of you. I don't care what you're doing here. Just give me the Journal Entry like you promised."
"Sorry, Ciro." Dahlia shook her head, her lavender twin-tails waving in the air. "But I need more from you. There are some bounties that need to be collected and I think you're just the man for the job."
He narrowed his eyes. "That wasn't part of the deal."
"The deal's changed. Or hadn't you heard?" Ciro clenched his fists, but made no move to argue. "The Journal Entry was kept within Jolin's Royal Library. Even with the Law of Desideratum, I had to pull some major strings to get my hands on this."
Before Ciro's eyes, she held up a simple book. But the way Ciro latched onto it, it was clear whatever was written inside was of the utmost importance to the heterochromatic Crafter. He watched with irritation as Dahlia clicked open an ender chest before storing the Journal safely inside. Only she would be able to withdraw it now. He needed her.
"…You'll hand it over once I collect some bounties?" Ciro asked, just to make sure the deal was clear.
Dahlia clicked her tongue. "Not 'collect' so much as capture. They're wanted alive, after all. But yes. That is what I want from you. From both of you." She added a bit louder to reach Brandr who had finally finished enchanting his gear. "Jolin is at a crossroads at the moment, and for the Berserkers to stay on the right path, we need to take action."
Brandr nodded enthusiastically to show he was all for it. Ciro's was subtler and reluctant.
"Now, the two guys we're going after are named King_Cobb and Flawwed_Floyd." Dahlia pointed to the wanted posters depicting the two. "One's already been taken into custody according to our reports, but that actually works in our favor. But they also seem to have accomplices. Isn't that right, Hunder?"
A Crafter with wild, dark blond hair stepped out of the shadows of the corner, a few dogs padding by his side.
"Hunderprest? Is that you?" Brandr asked incredulously. "I haven't seen you for a while. Where are the rest of your dogs?"
Hunderprest gnashed his teeth and clenched his fists. Beside him, his hounds whined.
"Hunder lost most of his dogs trying to catch the bounties we're going after." Dahlia filled in, much to Brandr's shock.
"But that's… how could two guys take our that many dogs?"
"It wasn't just two guys." Hunderprest spat, looking up to glare at Brandr. "There were two others helping them. A brown-haired axe-wielder with red eyes and a gray-haired redstone nerd with orange tinted glasses.
Brandr and Ciro's eyes both widened at the same time, certain they had seen Crafters of that very description earlier that day. Brandr in the bazaar and Ciro in the guard barracks.
"Since that Floyd guy was apprehended by the guards a little while ago, the others must still be somewhere in the Kingdom. Finding them won't be easy."
"Uh… yeah…" Brandr chuckled sheepishly.
"Like a needle in a haystack…" Ciro supplied awkwardly.
[Noman]
The sun rose on the red sands of the Dryrock Mesa, bringing the temperature back to something somewhat manageable.
I spurred my newest steed, Beetroot, across the flat expanse of sand between tall mesas while nibbling on some bread. Supposedly, I would be seeing the hills of the Zeppil region soon, if Bailey's directions were to be trusted.
Which they were. The man had given me food, a new horse (the one Carrot made love to the day he died), and had trained me in aikido for two weeks. He was my mentor in the Art of Peace. And I hung onto the book to further learn from its teachings… while also taking some liberties when my own moral code had something to say.
The result was my own style of aikido. One that valued life above all else.
Saying my goodbyes to Bailey had been a misty-eyed affair. He was happy at my improvement, but sad to see me go. I was the same, though I promised him I wouldn't turn out like Casimir. I would protect life.
The Griefers living on his farm also said goodbye. Under Bailey's tutelage, they had begun learning how to till land, and were already good at harvesting crops. They had trouble knowing when to harvest the crops, but Bailey acknowledged that small steps were still steps. He'd still have to do most of the farming until they completely learned, but it was no bother to the old man.
He had been right to let them stay on his land.
As I continued riding Beetroot south, I spotted a group of Crafters revealing themselves from near one of the mesas. They saw me and spurred their horses to intercept.
Here we go. I internally thought as I slowed Beetroot to a trot and then dismounted. I petted her head and fed her some sugar. At least I thought it was a her. Any two horses could mate, which meant they could be either male or female. Calling Beetroot female just made it easier on the mind. Otherwise the pronouns and biology of it all just made my head spin.
The group of Crafters galloped towards me and my horse and surrounded me. They were armed with swords and axes, but unlike Griefers, they had matching iron armor. There were ten of them in total.
"Hello." I called out cheerfully, startling the group. "Can I help you?"
One of the Crafters dismounted his horse and stepped forward. He was probably the leader. The name above his head was Ben.
"Yeah, you can help us." He said with a raspy voice. "Give us all your gear… and your horse too… then get lost."
I raised my eyebrows at the group. "Why? Have I done something wrong?"
One of the other Crafters spoke up. "You rode into our turf. And we want everything you got. Every last bit."
"I didn't know this was your territory. Forgive me for saying it, but this stretch of mesa looks like any other." I laughed lightly, trying to diffuse the tension with a joke. It didn't work, but I noticed how haggard and starved the Crafters looked. "You're not Griefers, are you?"
"We may as well be." One of the other Crafters spoke up. "Our food ran out and we're too far away to make it back to Akasha."
"We need your stuff more than you do!" The leader shouted in a raspy voice. "So hand it over and beat it!"
I held up my hands in surrender. "I'll be more than happy to share some of my food with you. I'll even give you some emeralds so you can buy whatever gear you may need in Akasha." My eyes narrowed. "But I will not hand over all of my gear to you. I will not."
The ten Crafters tensed, readying their swords.
"You don't exactly have a choice in the matter." The leader rasped while pulling out his blade.
"It's your choice, not mine." I countered, my hands still raised. "Choose."
There was a moment of silence, the only sound being the wind rushing across the mesa.
The leader lunged forward with sword raised.
My shield blocked it before it could cleave me in two.
Not the Severe Shield, but my aptly named Slight Shield—a black shield with a blue cross of my own design—which blocked the sword with a dull 'thunk'.
The leader's eyes widened in surprise before I pushed back, sending him tumbling back. The other bandits took that as their cue to strike.
Two of them swung at me from behind, so I quickly ducked with my shield raised and angled upward to deflect. Then, when they passed, I remembered my training and bumped their backs with my broad shield, causing them to stumble away.
But taking a minimum amount of damage.
Two more came in from the side. I sidestepped to avoid the first strike, and then rapped the end of my shield on the hand holding the sword. The bandit dropped it with a hiss before I clotheslined him with the shield's edge, knocking him out cold. The other bandit tried to take a jab at my side, but I spun in place, bringing my shield up between us and letting the blade stick into the sturdy wood. I then wrenched the shield aside, robbing the thug of his weapon before kicking out against his legs, causing him to fall face-first into the sand. I then brought my shield down on the back of his head. Another one down.
No time for rest though, because four more of the bandits came at me at once.
Remembering my lessons, I held my shield up with both arms and took the brunt of their barrage of strikes. They drummed against the shield in a cacophony of thunks and thuds that I endured in stride. And when they started to tire, I pushed back, charging forward in a tackle that bowled them all over.
They collapsed into one another and even I tripped and fell, sandwiching the shield on top of their tangled bodies. They cried out in protest, and I quickly rolled off of them before smacking each one in the back of the head with enough force to knock them out.
I had practiced that move a lot with Bailey and some volunteering Griefers.
I still had some holes in my form, however. The proof of which was when another bandit managed to slice my side while I was distracted. I twisted away, swapping arms with my shield and holding it before me in preparation. The bandit circled me slowly, trying to look for another opening.
In that instant, I rushed forward. He brought up his sword defensively to block…
But I had foreseen that, and stopped short in a feint before reaching for his hand and yanking it and the sword aside. I then grabbed him by his shirt collar while my shield was held firm on my arm, and—with a grunt of effort—hauled him off his feet and over my head before slamming him into the sand. He coughed painfully, but stilled after I brought the corner of the shield down upon his skull.
Three bandits left. I rolled out of the way of arrow fire, and then blocked another. The archer kept shooting at me atop her horse and I quickly ran towards her, tanking shot after shot as they impacted my shield. I ran forward all the same, brining my shield up before me with both hands.
When I got close enough, instead of attacking the rider, I simply rapped the flat of my shield against her steed's rear. Hard. Predictably, the horse did what any horse would do after getting slapped in the rump and galloped away, much to the archer's distress. She tried to calm it down, but the gorse was having none of it.
The last two bandits, one of them being the leader, were more wary of me now that I had taken out eight of their fellows. I dropped the shield to my side and addressed the two of them.
"Please stop fighting me. I don't want to hurt anyone."
The bandit leader scoffed before he and the other bandit charged me. I shook my head sadly before knocking the first bandit's sword aside, then spinning to backhand him across the face with my shield. Another hard shove was all it took to down the dazed bandit.
Then the leader lashed out with a slash that I barely avoided before I rolled my entire body towards him sideways, stomping his sword into the sand before bringing my shield down on the crown of his forehead. His back hit the sand hard, and he weakly made to stand before I pressed down on him with my shoe and finished him with another solid blow to the head.
I let out an exhausted breath as the bandits lay defeated before me. The tenth bandit was still trying to calm her horse as it rounded one of the mesas a good distance away.
"I warned you not to fight." I spoke to the unconscious bandits.
I dragged the bandits into one big pile, making sure they were all resting on their backs, before I took out a sizable portion of my food and laid it before them. If they ate it sparingly, it would last them two or three days. I also left them twenty-two emeralds. Hopefully enough to get themselves supplies.
With that settled, I returned the Slight Shield to my Inventory and mounted my steed. "Let's get going." I coaxed Beetroot kindly before she trotted away from the downed bandits.
The aikido lessons had paid off.
And I was feeling pretty good about resolving the fight without killing a single person.
Old Man Bailey would be proud.
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Golden Shovel [Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III], 54 Cobblestone, 19 Grass Blocks, 1 Ender Pearl, 28 Torches, 37 Coal, 62 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 22 Cooked Porkchops, 1 Water Bucket, 3 String, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green, Mending I, Unbreaking I], 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 5 Emeralds, 5 Rotten Flesh, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Jolin Entry Pass}
[EXP: 23]
Inventory (Floyd): {Empty}
[EXP: 29]
Inventory (Lenz): 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 2 Levers, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 9 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 28 Redstone, 18 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Hoppers, 3 Pistons, 2 Sticky Pistons, 21 Cobblestone, 25 Dirt, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 25 Gunpowder, 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Green], 1 Chainmail Chestplate, 1 Chainmail Leggings, 1 Chainmail Boots, 62 Arrows, 18 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 16 Sugar Cane, 22 Cooked Chicken, 11 Paper, 6 Ink Sacs, 4 Leather, 9 Emeralds, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Jolin Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}
[EXP: 12]
Inventory (Soul): 1 Diamond Axe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 64 Iron Ingots, 57 Iron Ingots, 12 Gold Ingots, 5 Ender Pearls, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Milk, 1 Diamond Helmet, 1 Diamond Chestplate, 1 Diamond Leggings, 1 Diamond Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Anvil, 1 Bed, 1 Furnace, 35 Torches, 5 Cooked Chicken, 37 Dirt, 64 Cobblestone, 34 Cobblestone, 50 Coal, 38 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Paper {Jolin Entry Pass}, {Ringwood Entry Pass}
[EXP: 40]
Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Chestplate {Severe Shield}, 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness I], 1 Black Shield {Slight Shield} [Blue Cross], 1 Bow [Infinity], 34 Birch Wood Planks, 35 Iron Ingots, 19 Sticks, 13 Torches, 1 Bucket, 1 Crafting Table, 15 Beetroots, 14 Bread, 1 Birch Fence, 1 Bed, 1 Book {Notch Mission II}, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Book {The Art of Peace}, 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, 7 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, 2 Bones
[EXP: 5]
Beetroot the Horse
AN: Too tired to write something for this AN. Just that there are a ton of new faces in Jolin... and old ones. But new Kingdoms tend to have new people. Both good and bad.