AN: WHOA! HOLD EVERYTHING!
When the innocent life of a puppy hangs in the balance, you better believe I'm gonna publish something! CamTheGreat is out of his mind! Teal is sane compared to him!
Seriously though, I got caught up with work. And clubbing. And playing the Kingdom Hearts collection. I just HAD to max out my level, forms, and beat all the special bosses. Even Sephiroth and Lingering Will. Yeah, I beat them. I didn't have much time to bang out a Chapter. Updates are still on Wednesday and I'll post one next week.
In other news, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! My Craft is three years old! Yep, three years ago I started this crappy story... and it's now become a sub-par story. They grow up so fast. (Y_Y)
Sigh. Back then, I remember the Chapters were so much shorter and less interesting. I even had them typed ahead of time so I could just post them without having to rush.
Those were the days...
Oh yeah, and Congrats to Laner13 for guessing last Chapter's riddle correctly. The answer: A bed. Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgment.
(::)
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd make it so it could run without having to update Java every five minutes. I know I probably made that argument before, but it's really interfering with how I test out whether or not a Minecraft player can actually do any of the things I'm writing they can do.
And no, I will not just update my Java, because that's just crazy talk.
Chapter 108
Practical Pairs
[Cobb]
Night time.
I peered out from my position between two huts. Both of them were concealed between a thick root that arced above the ground. And ahead, I spied what was most likely the entrance to the prison. Guards were entering and leaving that spot in patrols, meaning it was either a high-security prison or a restaurant with a free buffet table for guards.
"That's got to be it." I whispered behind me, waiting for Jade to poke her head out to see for herself. However, after a few moments of silence, I turned to see that my green-haired companion was gone. "Crap! She slipped away!" I hissed, beginning to panic. "I knew I couldn't trust—Bwah!"
I staggered back as Jade pounced onto the ground before me. Apparently she had been surveying the scene from the roof.
She placed a hand on her hip as she frowned at me. "What were you saying, Cobb?"
"Well… you were supposed to stay behind me…" I muttered, slightly embarrassed at being caught.
"I figured two vantage points are better than one." She shook her head before beckoning me to the corner. "I spotted the guards flashing some identification before entering. Not to mention, I bet they have an invisibility detection chamber to take care of sneaks. It wouldn't be very 'high-security' otherwise."
"It already isn't high-security." I pointed out before kneeling to pat the dirt. "It's built into the ground. We should be able to dig right into it."
I mean, if it worked on the cult's outpost…
"And you think that'll work?"
"Yeah. It's built into the roots, right? What are they gonna do, line them with bedrock? We'll just bore right into them."
Jade still looked unsure. "If it's that easy… they might have constant guard patrols to deal with it." That was actually a good point. "If you're not careful, you could dig yourself right into the middle of one of them. And what about navigating the roots?"
"That's where the Invisibility Potion comes in." I held up the light gray bottle with a smile. "Eight minutes of invisibility should be enough for me to avoid the guards and find Floyd."
"But… wait… what about me?" Jade asked with a tilt of the head.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you're only holding one potion and only one of us can drink it at a time." She explained, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "So what am I supposed to do?"
"Uh… you have the most important job of all!" I spoke earnestly.
"Don't tell me it's watching the burrow hole."
"You'll be wat—I mean…" My eyes darted as I struggled to think of something. "Um… moral support?"
She folded her arms, looking unimpressed.
"Okay, fine, I need you to watch the hole." I relented. It wasn't because I didn't quite trust her completely. If a guard discovered the hole, they would know something was up and the whole prison would be on high alert. It was an important job. Really! "I wouldn't mind the backup, but if a guard stumbles on this—"
"They won't come back here. And even if they did, we could just cover it with dirt. Let me come with you."
I sighed. "Jade, I only have one potion. How am I supposed to—"
"Well, wait, can't we just use these?"
My eyes widened as the green-haired parkourist pulled out two light gray splash potions from her backpack. Those were definitely invisibility potions. But my pleasant surprise soon turned to suspicion.
She showed me her Inventory before. There weren't any potions of any kind. I know because those were what I was looking for.
My eyes slid over Jade's purple orbs. She looked expectant and a tad… nervous?
Should I call her out on it? Or would she be expecting that?
…Best to play it dumb and safe.
"Why didn't you say you had these earlier?" I beamed proudly, causing Jade's nervousness to evaporate. She smiled back and stowed one of the potions away. "How many of those do you have?"
"About four."
"Perfect." I pretended to smile, knowing for sure she didn't have four splash potions in her Inventory when I checked. She either stole them between then and now, or took them out of her ender chest. There was no telling what else she had in there. And that didn't really help her case.
One good thing, however, was that she couldn't pick back up an ender chest after she placed it. It would just break into eight obsidian. She needed a Silk Touch pickaxe to pick it back up. Not even my shovel would work on it.
So she only has two more opportunities to take from her ender chest!
…Unless her ender chest has more ender chests AGHHHHHH!
Forget it. I thought as I took out my iron pickaxe and began tunneling into the dirt. I expanded it into a decent stairway while, above, Jade covered it with dirt. She hurried to my side and helped dig with her own pickaxe while placing torches to keep things lit.
The two of us kept things quiet as we descended. There was no telling how close to the Root Cellar we were. Hopefully there would be a layer of wood to let us know. We were pretty much digging in the metaphorical dark.
Finally, Jade's pick scraped against wood. She turned to me, making a gesture with her hands, and I somehow understood what she meant. We then proceeded to expand the tunnel, unearthing more of the wooden chamber before us.
With a good portion exposed, I pressed my ear to the wood, listening for any guards. Almost immediately, I caught the dull thumps of footsteps passing by before they faded… only for a new set of footsteps to replace them.
This went on for a few minutes before, thankfully, there was a lull in the patrols. This was our only chance.
Jade and I wasted no time kicking in the wall and pulling ourselves into the wooden corridor of the Root Cellar. We definitely made a noise, however, and I was quick to seal up the entrance we made before marking it with a torch in a slightly higher position. We would come back to it later to use as an escape route… after we saved Floyd, of course.
I double checked the patchwork and found it passable. No one would notice. The footsteps were getting louder and I quickly turned to Jade, hoping she would toss out the potions. Instead, I blushed when she pressed herself into me.
"What, uh, what are you doing?"
"It's a splash potion." She explained with a bit of a blush. "We need to be as close as possible for it to hit us both."
"Sure, but… this close?" I asked. We were practically occupying the same space. Her hair was tickling my nose.
"Yes."
A shatter of glass and the two of us were rendered invisible to the naked eye… as soon as I stripped off all my armor. Jade had a tight grip on my hand as she pulled me aside to the walls. And not a moment too soon. Guards arrived from both sides of the corridor.
"You guys heard that too?" One of the guards asked.
"Yeah. Sounded like cracked wood." Another said as he ran his hand along the wall. Jade and I ducked beneath it as it passed. "Someone could have broken in. But if we have both sides of this corridor covered, where'd they go?"
"Should we tell the Captain this?" One of the guards asked. "I think I saw him training someone in the gym—"
"That wasn't just any someone! It was the Princess, you dope!" One of the guards snapped before running a hand over his face. "We need to contain this. Have everyone be on alert. And watch the prisoners. Nobody would bother breaking into this place unless they wanted to break someone out."
"Yeah, we'll take care of our own problems." Another guard nodded as Jade and I shimmied away. "I don't want the Berserkers to have another excuse to call us incompetent."
"Well, hopefully the Captain and Princess can rid us of those parasites for good." Another spat, to a chorus of cheers.
Jade and I slipped away, rounding a corner and falling behind a separate guard patrol journeying deeper into the prison.
It was here that we began to see some cells. Inside, prisoners were either fast asleep on their beds (since it was night time) or else restlessly pacing the floor, throwing out curses to the guards we were following. Most of them looked ruthless, but some of the others seemed passive and, dare I say, innocent.
Maybe they were just good pretenders, but they didn't hurl barbed comments at anyone. Instead, they gripped the bars and begged to be let out. They pleaded poverty, saying they had no choice but to rob those stores after the Berserkers took their emeralds. They claimed the attacks were just meant for revenge against those that abused Desideratum. They shouted they were innocent! Innocent! Innocent!
The guards wore conflicted expressions, but soldiered on through the corridors of anguished cries. It painted quite the picture of the Berserkers. Jade kept tugging me along, since the cries were making me falter. They just sounded so… genuine.
After somehow managing to get through that, we found ourselves in a corridor consisting of doors with signs hanging over them. One of the guards we followed mentioned they were special holding cells, used for interrogations.
Our invisibility was about to wear off when Jade tugged me into the closest available room. The door made a sound as it closed, but the guards must have neglected it in favor of continuing their patrols. With barely enough time to check the room was empty, we flickered back into sight.
"I didn't think there'd be any fans of Desideratum here," I whispered with folded arms, "but even the guards despise it. What kind of law is that?"
"It's actually more common than you think." Jade commented. "Desideratum is just one of the more extreme cases. Some people would do anything for safety. Even if it means sacrificing their freedom."
"I guess heroes really are dead." I mumbled sadly before gazing around the holding cell. Thankfully it was one of the vacant ones. "There's got to be a way to narrow down our search. None of the prisoners in those cells had blue hair."
Jade hummed to herself. "…paperwork?" She suggested with a shrug. "I mean, there's bound to be paperwork involved in a prison, right? Gotta keep track of those prisoners somehow."
It was as good a guess as any. "But where to look? We can't just keep wasting invisibility potions."
Not unless Jade had fifty more in her ender chest.
"Do we just follow someone important-looking and hope they lead us to an office?" I reasoned.
Jade sighed wearily. "You know, I was hoping you would have actually had a better plan than just this."
"Plans are hard. I don't know how Lenz does it." I defended before making a gesture of mock hearing. "What's that? Sounds like Jade wants me to give her an 'unsatisfactory' for her trial period performance review."
Her eyes bulged. "No, wait, I'm sorry!" She waved her arms frantically. "Take your time. Think it over. No rush." She added as she gave a worried smile. "I am Beginner material."
"That's better." I smiled before thinking to myself. I had only ever been in one prison before. But Wynn had never mentioned an office building. Ringwood's prison and the Root Cellar could have had different structures for all I knew.
"Well, if I was an office, I suppose I'd be in the center. That way, anyone could get to it."
Jade nodded along. "Yes… and it should have easy access…"
"But be far away from the cells in case any prisoners broke out." I finished.
"Well, it narrows it down at least." She peeked out the door to check for guards before nodding that the coast was clear.
And again, she drew me close to her so that we could share the potion.
[Lenz]
"This is… wow—I… I've never had someone bring in this many grass blocks—"
"Apologies. I understand how unorthodox this must seem." I explained to the merchant appraising the two stacks of grass blocks we gathered. Soul stood behind me, leaning on a wall and keeping his eyes peeled for guards and bounty hunters. "I do not mean to be rude, but I was hoping to sell these as quickly as possible."
The merchant hummed before beckoning a second merchant to come over. The two whispered between themselves, sometimes heatedly, while pointing at the grass blocks. Eventually, the second merchant was pushed towards us.
"May I inquire where you obtained this many grass blocks? And, also, why you are in such a hurry to part with them?"
So they were suspicious. It made sense. After all, a single grass block was a fortune in itself. Selling two stacks of them would earn enough emeralds for a Kingdom's treasury. Anyone would question why that many emeralds were needed.
Fortunately, I had thought of that while I was pulling the grass blocks from the dirt.
"I obtained them from an owed debt; a friend of mine offered them as collateral in lieu of emeralds and he never paid." I explained with rehearsed ease. "Now, I find myself short a few emeralds with Jolin's tax collectors breathing down my neck. My friend did mention I could sell them for a sizable sum, but I never bothered looking up the value of these blocks. Are they worth anything?"
I could practically see dollar signs in their eyes. The suspicion of where these grass blocks came from evaporated in the face of my excellent word choice and the merchants' desire to turn a profit. I pretended not to know the value of what I held because obtaining emeralds was vastly more important than maximizing our wealth. The two shared a look, conveying a silent message before, with a bit of a struggle, they feigned aloof indifference. Behind tinted glasses, I watched them like a hawk.
"Well, perhaps we can sell them…" One of them drawled. "Though… it might be hard to find customers for it. What do you think?" He asked his fellow merchant.
"Hmmm. It might be a hassle… Ah, but there was that one fellow asking for grass blocks right? Just the other day? Though… he might not be back yet."
They kept throwing out hints and suggestions, making it seem like the blocks had little hope of selling. Behind me, I heard Soul snort and I quickly sent him a look to be quiet. Now was not the time to break character.
It was fortunate the guards had no time to acquire wanted posters of us. They would need to go to Lazuli to make the Snow Prints, and by then, we would be long gone. Though, I had been sighted in Ringwood. There was a possibility my Snow Print was already being prepared and en route to Ringwood.
The merchants bickered back and forth before one of them finally shrugged and said, "Auction, then?"
The other one pondered this for a moment before relenting. "Yes, perhaps someone in an auction would purchase these. But the next auction is in a few days. How long do you boys have to pay off your taxes?" He asked suddenly.
"Not long enough to wait for an auction." I sighed in fake disappointment before slowly reaching for the grass blocks.
"Whoa, whoa!" The merchant pushed my hand away gently, a smile plastered on his face. "Wh-what are you doing?"
"Well, we do not have the time to wait for an auction, I am afraid." I explained sadly. "So we will simply have to take them elsewhere. Maybe if we sell them on the streets...?"
"That won't be necessary!" The other merchant flung himself forward, clinging to the grass blocks for dear life. "Uh… we… we can buy them off of you now! W-we wouldn't want such polite boys to be at the mercy of tax collectors and Desideratum, right?"
As Cobbert would say: Hook. Line. Bobber.
The other merchant looked nervous to make such a proposition, but when weighing the alternative of letting so many grass blocks slip away, he quickly reconsidered.
"We'll pay you a reasonable sum." He negotiated. "But since you won't be staying to see them sell, you'll be offering us your share of the percentage should they be purchased."
That was to be expected. Erin had told us that an auction house claimed a percentage of whatever was sold, since they were the ones doing the selling. Usually it would be 10 to 20%, but since we were not sticking around, the auction house would claim 100%.
Then again, that meant they had to pay us up front.
"What price did you have in mind?"
The merchant considered this a moment, before holding up three fingers.
"Three-thousand emeralds."
Behind me, Soul choked. But I drowned it out by raising my voice. "Sounds reasonable enough! Deal! And my, my, what a deal!"
Three-thousand emeralds—or three Cobbert's worth—for two stacks of grass blocks. It sounded good enough at first, but really, we were getting ripped off.
A grass block would normally go for seventy emeralds each. Instead, we were accepting twenty-three per block—a third of the price. Indeed, we were getting money up front and the auction house would be in debt for a little bit, but only for three days. Come the time of the auction, they would easily unload those blocks and get back triple what they paid for.
And the sad thing was it still might not be enough for an airship. We still had the golden shovel, though. We would just have to sell more in Zeppil.
I handed over the grass blocks while one of the merchants left to fetch the emeralds. The remaining one was smiling, pleased at how the transaction had gone.
"Well, sir," he stressed with a widening smile. "Might I interest you in some merchandise to spend your freshly gained emeralds on?" Immediately, he went back into merchant mode. These types of people were always ready to turn a profit. "I can see from that bow on your hip that you are an archer. Perhaps some enchantments? A bit more bang for your buck?"
"I might be persuaded." I replied before taking out my bow to examine. I did have something in mind after my run-in with Ciro. "By chance, do you have an explosion enchantment?"
He quirked an eyebrow up.
"Or maybe, some explosive-tipped arrows." I tried instead. "I recently witnessed someone fire arrows that exploded on impact, and I was interested in trying it for myself. Would you have anything like that…?"
The merchant frowned to himself, folding his arms and thinking. "Explosive arrows? Boy, I've never heard that one before. Potion-tipped arrows are one thing, but explosive arrows? Never." He unfolded his arms and shrugged. "Not that I have potion-tipped arrows anyway. It was one of the new things from the Bounty Days, and nobody knows how to make them."
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly as I've said." The merchant walked over to another counter that had bows and arrows in item frames. "Plenty of folks in Jolin had the same vision of tipped arrows on the Bounty Day, but the recipe for them remains a mystery. Explosive arrows might be the same. They may require an element we don't know about. Who did you see using explosive arrows?"
I hung my head. "A bounty hunter."
"Oh." The merchant's face twisted into a snarl. Seems like everyone hated bounty hunters here. "Maybe it's an enchantment then. Those Berserkers are always stealing new things…" He trailed off as he clenched his fists before breathing out a sigh. "They actually 'requisitioned' a few Infinity enchantments off of me a while back. I still hold a grudge over it. Sorry."
"No need to apologize." I waved my hands.
"I'll tell you one thing, whoever discovers how to make explosive arrows will probably make a fortune. Same with those potion-tipped arrows." The merchant smiled to himself. "Poisoned arrows. Slowness arrows. Weakness arrows. You could paralyze people from a distance! It's the future of combat."
In the midst of his musings, the merchant snapped his fingers. "I do have something new you might be interested in." He reached under the counter and pulled out an arrow with a golden tip. "Behold. The Spectral Arrow."
He handed it to me and I gingerly took it, turning it over slowly in my hand. It was thicker than a regular arrow and the golden tip of it almost seemed to glow in the dim lighting. [SPECTRAL ARROW].
"See how it glows like that?" He pointed out, tapping the tip. "It's because it's made with glowstone dust. The recipe is fairly simple, just combine the dust with any old arrow. What's special about it, is that it sort of marks whatever it hits. So long as it's a Crafter, Mob, or animal. Test it for yourself."
"Er… alright." I hesitantly took out my bow and notched the Spectral Arrow. "…What should I shoot?"
"Um… eh, what the heck, you can hit me." He dismissed with a wave. "Just don't pull back enough to hurt me. Please."
Nodding at his behest, I aimed the arrow at his shoulder and only pulled back a little before letting go. The Spectral Arrow found its mark, sinking into cloth and skin, but the wondrous thing about it, was that, as soon as it struck, the merchant became outlined by a bright, white light. It was even visible through the counter.
"You are… glowing…" I trailed off as I observed the effect. It only lasted about ten seconds, his outline returning to normal once more.
"See what I mean?" He asked, bringing out another Spectral Arrow from behind the counter. "A target gets marked with that glowing outline. And it's visible through any surface. Even if they drink a Potion of Invisibility, this bad boy reveals their outline. Hunters order these to track the wild game they shoot, adventurers in groups keep track of dangerous Mobs while they're mining deep underground. They have plenty of uses."
"Clearly." I nodded, contemplating the shiny projectiles. Already my mind was at work, visualizing the potential scenarios possessing such an arrow could solve. I would need to clear out my overstocked Inventory, but it was better to be prepared for anything. "I do believe you have sold me on these arrows. I shall take ten. How much?"
"It'll be…" The merchant trailed off, his mouth scrunching up into a smirk. "You know what? You don't have to pay me a thing. Here." He brought up ten glittering arrows and slid them across the counter. "On the house."
"Are you certain?" I asked hesitantly, though I was already running my fingers over the arrows. "You know I have the emeralds for it."
"Consider it a gift. For doing business with us." He smiled easily. Maybe he just felt guilty over paying us a third of the price for the grass blocks. Ten free arrows was paltry by comparison.
Still, I nodded gratefully as I accepted them. "Thank you very much. One more thing. Could you direct us to an ender chest? I wish to do a bit of Inventory management."
"Go right ahead. It's over there near the entrance." He pointed over to a large archway where an ender chest was stashed in a small niche. "I'll give you a shout when the payment is ready." The merchant was suddenly called by another customer standing beside some armor stands. "If you'll excuse me…" He trailed off with a polite wave as he melded into salesman mode once more.
Soul and I made our way to the ender chest and I began to tidy up my Inventory. This proved more difficult than I thought, since practically everything I had I could envision a use for. Redstone equipment, blocks, food, identification, bookmaking material. In the end, I decided to stash away both the golden shovel and a pile of dirt. I laid them beside the map of Minecraftia still tucked inside and made space for the Spectral Arrows at my belt. My regular arrows were there beside them, and I took a moment to familiarize myself with the proper pocket of my belt to draw from.
Satisfied, I stepped away from the chest, gesturing for Soul to do some Inventory management of his own. The axe-wielder, however, stood rooted in place. His head tilted back and staring longingly at some enchantment books.
"Do not even think about it." I spoke loudly, causing his head to snap back. "No more wasteful spending on exorbitant gear."
Soul clicked his tongue, but made no point to argue. He had been surprisingly quiet after his outburst at Ines'. Not once did he protest, though it was clear he was still simmering over something.
Maybe it would have been smarter to accept the silence for the blessing that it was; him and I had little in common and less to talk about. But instead, against my better judgment, I chose to ask what was wrong.
Soul spared me a glance, his arms folded tightly, before he looked away. "You had my back when you said we should have killed Hunder. Did you mean that?" He asked without looking at me.
I paused for a moment, thinking over my answer. "I was only trying to be practical. Engineers often have to be to devise solutions. It makes little sense to endure a problem that could be easily removed. I felt the same way about Hunderprest."
"Then why didn't you kill him when you had the chance?" Soul accused, turning to face me. "You were there. You could have convinced Cobb to do it. And we'd be better off."
I sighed, scratching my head. "I suppose I feared… being at odds with Cobbert." I admitted before laughing bitterly. "Everyone was already praising me for a job well done. I did not want to spoil that. Killing Hunderprest in cold blood would have left a bad taste in all of our mouths."
"Tch." Soul leaned back against the wall. "Bad taste? Cold blood? We shouldn't care about any of that. We know we're the good guys. It's everyone else that's the problem. Nothing to feel guilty over."
"Cobbert does not think like that." I shook my head. "He… he is the type of person who wears emotions on his sleeves. He would not want to kill if he could avoid it."
"Then he's naïve." Soul snapped. "Naïve and stupid."
"Perhaps." I conceded. "But I can argue that is one of the reasons people choose to support him."
"Huh?"
"Back in Halstatt, we were outnumbered with little time to plan, and Captain Whispers left us to protect her troops. It was a practical decision that any other Captain would have done, but I never would have imagined she would return." I smiled, removing my tinted glasses. "She came back because she wanted to protect Cobbert. Same with her guards."
"Yeah, but Cobb had you there too." Soul argued. "He didn't save Halstatt by himself, even if he did kill that Hacker."
"True, true." I nodded. "But… back when we first met, I… had tried to kill Cobbert."
"What!?"
"It was a misunderstanding." I hastily rectified. "I thought he was trying to expose my discovery and find Jeb's laboratory without me!"
"You're telling me you were plotting murder?"
"I was not plotting—that is not the point." I waved the topic aside. "The point is Cobbert still helped me when it would have been more practical to just kill me. Even when taking illogical routes, Cobbert can still arrive at a favorable solution. And because he did, he saved Halstatt."
"But Hunderprest isn't like that." Soul argued. "He's convinced we're bad. And after killing his dogs, he's never going to stop until we're dead or behind bars."
"Well, I never said every illogical route he takes arrives at a favorable solution." I placed the glasses back on my head and shrugged. "Maybe he was wrong to spare him. Or maybe we are wrong to say he should die. It still remains to be seen."
"What a cop out." Soul grumbled as he threw his head back and ran a hand over his face. "God… why am I even here."
"Well, in the event that some unsavory sorts try and interfere with our sales transactions, you will make a most useful meat shield to—"
"No, I mean why am I here?" He whirled around, both his fingers pointing down. "What was the point of me coming with you guys?"
"Right about now, I could be in Akasha, doing the mission Brett assigned me. I only tagged along because… Christ, that's what I am. Just a tag-along." Soul let out an aggravated sigh. "I mean… I did what anyone should do. I heard my friends were wanted criminals and I knew they weren't so… so I stuck with them. To keep them safe."
He grabbed a fistful of his hair, chuckling bitterly. "Keep them safe. I needn't have bothered. Cobb's been tackling threats one after another and you can shoot a mile away. Floyd's a Hacker. What the hell am I compared to that?"
"Um… er… there there?" I tried. This was far beyond my element. What did I know about protecting others? Or in comforting muscle-brained axe-swingers.
Predictably, I did a horrible job since Soul glared at me before slumping against the wall, looking lost.
"I thought I knew my strengths better than anyone. But in this group… I'm the weakest. Me. Can you believe that?"
"That is ridiculous. Why, I have seen you topple dozens of powerful Mobs! And your skill with that axe is second to none."
"More like I'm none to four." He groused. "Enough so that Cobb would rather trust some broad he met on the street to have his back saving Floyd over me. Instead he's got me running errands with you. Hell, I couldn't even beat a lousy bounty hunter like Brandr, even with all the gear I bought! I'm just… I feel like a spare." He slammed a fist into the wall behind him, gnashing his teeth in frustration before his head hung low. "What am I even good for?"
As Soul's head hung between his knees, I tried to think up a purpose for his company. He was prone to rash decisions, and his impulsive attitude had resulted in problem after problem since arriving in Jolin. From robbing me of emeralds to getting baited by Brandr's taunts. Of the four, he was the companion I least wanted to pair with. Jade would have been preferable.
He was strong, however. The polar opposite to my weak physique. And he was quite good at scavenging when he was not busy searching for diamonds. But that was likely a result of his latest inferiority complex. Thinking back, his obsession with powerful gear and equipment began after leaving the Origin.
After his loss to Thed_Hearst.
Was he just trying to prove himself? To show that he was needed?
It reminded me of how I had done the same, trying to outdo Floyd to prove myself more dependable.
Whatever the case, Soul needed to know what his purpose was. He needed a reason as to why he was here. Something only he could do.
"You are… blunt." I began, tilting my head up as I struggled for a good reason. "More blunt than anyone else. And… not afraid to speak your mind. Everyone can usually tell what you are thinking. And… er…"
"Ugh. Forget it." Soul spat, slumping even further down. "Anyone can be blunt. That isn't a reason to be here."
"Very well. Then… hrm…" I tapped my forehead in thought, thinking of something Soul brought to the table. Something that made him an irreplaceable part of the Beginners.
…Or maybe I should think of something that makes him a replaceable member.
"You. Are. A." I spoke slowly, thinking through the words and keeping Soul in suspense at the same time. "Body."
"…What?"
"A body. You are an able body." I nodded resolutely. "One of four."
"Lenz, if that's the best you can come up with, then—"
"Just hear me out." I interjected before folding my arms. "When Griefers attacked Halstatt, they had an army of a thousand. I doubt each and every one of them had some unique skill or talent that made them a cut above the rest."
"They had a Hacker, though."
"True, but even then, they stack together because it makes them stronger. Griefers have to stick together to survive against professional Crafters."
"So, what, I'm like a talentless Griefer? Thanks a ton." He grumbled.
"No, I mean, having someone to stand beside makes you better." I stressed. "If you were not here, there would only be Cobbert, Floyd, and myself. And Floyd would be captured. But, knowing we have an extra person watching our backs makes us feel safer. And you always seem to project this image of broad-shouldered strength and security."
"…You think so?"
"Of course! Not a moment goes by that I am not thankful you are on our side. You may shove me in a locker or call me a nerd or force us to suffer your rough, sick sense of humor, but at least I know you are doing so as an ally, with only a modicum of malicious intent." I offered a weak smile. "Whether you mean to or not, your presence makes us feel one person safer."
He smirked, regaining his usual confidence. "Aw, you're just saying that."
"No, really! You lessen our burdens and we can always count on you to tackle any enemy. You showed no fear fighting Thed! I would have been terrified to fight that monster up close."
"That's only because you're better with a bow, anyway. Throwing yourself at him would have just—oh, God, that's what I did." He slapped a hand to his face and let out a groan. "Tactics really aren't my thing. Ugh. No wonder Cobb didn't want me saving Floyd. I'd have probably bashed my skull against the prison until it was reduced to ruins."
We shared a laugh at that—an actual laugh—and Soul's mood seemed to improve.
His mention of Brandr got me thinking about Ciro, and the skills he put onto display. Veronica had taught me about Arc Shot—the art of arcing your arrows—but Ciro_Che appeared to have mastered it. Add that to his explosive arrows and he was a force to be reckoned with.
Perhaps I should try my hand at Arc Shot. It could give me an edge. Or an angle. Ha. Humor…
It was while I was laughing at me own joke that my eyes suddenly caught sight of something shifting past the entrance to the store, between two stalls.
My breath caught upon seeing a brown-collared dog growl, its eyes locked on us, before it turned around and trotted away.
That was…
I stood up without thinking, my eyes fixed towards the stalls. Soul noticed immediately.
"What's up?"
"I think I just spotted one of Hunderprest's dogs." I informed before hurrying back to the counter. We needed our emeralds now.
"You sure it was his? There are a lot of dogs—"
"It is his. It was brown-collared and it growled at us. It knows who we are. Maybe Hunderprest even sent it out to look for us." I kept my voice low as I looked back over my shoulder nervously. "We need to get out of here."
Once the counter was in sight, both merchants present, I quickened my pace. They had the emeralds in block form to make them easier to carry, but they were also arguing with another customer clad in diamond armor.
"Sir, these emeralds are spoken for!"
"Is that any way to talk to one of your Kingdom's defenders? These gems could be better served with the Berserkers."
What? No!
I quickly placed myself between the merchants and the Berserker reaching to swipe our airship funds. "Is there a problem?" I asked, sounding braver than I felt staring down an armored Crafter.
"No problem. These emeralds yours?" The Berserker asked with an arrogant smirk. "Then you should be happy to know they'll be going to a good cause."
"These emeralds are not for you." I argued firmly as I spread out my hands to block him. "They are part of our transaction."
"And now I'm requisitioning them as funds." The Berserker sneered down at me. "Be proud. It'll be the one moment your skinny arms will help catch a dangerous criminal." At those words, he shoved a wanted poster into my face. "InesTheInsipid is a threat that we have to handle."
He did not seem to recognize me as an accomplice of Cobbert's. But he was still flaunting Desideratum to get what was rightfully ours.
"Ines is hardly a threat!" I accused, cutting off the hand that was reaching around me for our emeralds. "You do not need these emeralds. What you are doing is nothing short of wanton self-indulgence!"
"Psh. Yeah, whatever nerd." He planted a hand on the center of my chest and forcefully shoved me. My hip banged against the counter, my hands swinging to try and regain balance. "Run back home and let the professionals do their jobs."
He reached out again to snag the blocks of emeralds, only for a hand to catch his wrist.
"Hey, friend." Soul smiled toothily. "Wanna see me flip a bitch?"
"Whuh—?"
The Berserker did not get any further as Soul snapped a second hand to the offending wrist, spun around, and pulled hard over his shoulder. The Berserker's body flipped over before his back slammed onto the countertop, eliciting an agonized groan and causing his body to curl in on itself.
Soul dusted his hands off before resting his hands on his hips. "Wanna see me do it again?" He asked the floored merchants, one of whom was holding back a smile.
The Berserker rolled off the counter, gingerly holding his back with one hand. The other held a shaking finger Soul's way. "Y-You—Ack—you can't do that to me! You're interfering with official Berserker business! I'll see you arrested for this!"
"I'm quaking in my boots." Soul droned as he gathered the emerald blocks and nodded his thanks to the merchants. "Time to go, Lenz."
I looked up to Soul, gratitude shining behind my lenses as we left the bruised Berserker behind us. Upon reaching the public ender chest, Soul crammed the emerald blocks in for safe keeping.
"Thank you, Soul." I smiled.
"Meh, that guy was a prick." He waved off, closing the chest with a click. "Mission accomplished, right? Let's just beat it before any more of them show up."
I did not need to be told thrice. We ducked out into the bazaar, creeping behind a series of stands and avoiding the guards as we went.
However, we came to an abrupt stop as Soul held out a staying hand. Up ahead were two growling, brown-collared dogs.
"Go back." He hissed, sweeping me sideways into a crowded alley filled with vendors and stands. They advertised a wide plethora of merchandise, from food to potions.
And from several of those stands, diamond-clad Crafters broke off, withdrawing splash potions and enchanted weapons. Their gazes were locked on us.
"Repeaters…" I cursed as Soul withdrew his axe and pressed his back to mine.
Six Berserkers pushed through the crowded alley, and it was a similar predicament behind us, where Hunderprest stood at the head of a pack of twelve brown-collared dogs.
"Had a hunch you might show up here." Hunderprest proclaimed proudly. "I didn't think you'd be stupid enough to offload anything that golden shovel of yours dug up, but it looks like my gamble paid off."
His dogs snarled and barked, scaring away Crafters and thinning the crowded alley. Hunderprest waltzed over to a nearby stand selling splash potions and snatched a few with but a single worded excuse: "Desideratum."
"S-Soul, what do we do?" I looked to the axe-wielder, scared out of my mind. And yet, he stood stalwart and strong, not a crease of worry on his face. He spared me a nod of comfort, and that was all I needed to steady myself.
This was why Soul was here. Because he was brave enough to tackle any foe head-on…
And lead the cowards like me forward.
"We fight like hell."
My bow was already drawn, an arrow notched.
"Sic 'em." Hunderprest commanded, throwing the requisitioned splash potions of Speed and Strength at his hounds, invigorating them with newfound power.
[Cobb]
We ended up burning through another Invisibility Potion before we located a room near the center of the prison. A sign pointed it out as Captain Enyeto's office, and while I didn't know an Enyeto, it was hard to mistake the title. Jade and I slipped in without being spotted, easy.
It was a pretty basic room. Medium-sized desk, some saplings in the corners atop grass blocks, a quaint picture at the back, and over two dozen chests embedded into the walls and stacked like shelves. They were double chests, and had signs over them with different letters in alphabetical order.
"Good find." Jade praised as a torch floated over to the chests, guided by her invisible hands and body. I watched as the torch glided across the chests, going down the letters, only to stop at 'F'.
"Flawwed… Flawwed… Flawwed…" She muttered while flicking through several books. "Let's see… Ah! Here we go." The book opened up before her invisible self and I watched as the pages slowly flicked by.
"What's it say?" I asked as I peered over where I thought her shoulder was. Her silence was telling though. "Which cell is he being held in? Where is he?"
Our Invisibility wore off then, revealing a disgruntled Jade as she handed the book to me. "He isn't here."
"What?" I snatched the book to see for myself, but I needn't have bothered. Jade told it straight.
"The Berserkers picked him up earlier today." She huffed, kicking at one of the chests. "The official statement is that they 'requisitioned' him under the laws of Desideratum. Looks like the guards had no choice but to turn him over."
"Ugh! Are you kidding me!?" I hissed as I chucked the book into the ground. It bounced once and then slid behind something. "All that time sneaking around, breaking in here, and our blue-haired mansel is in another castle!"
"Well maybe we could—I'm sorry, mansel?"
"You know." I rolled my eyes. "A male damsel. A mansel! Or a dudesel, I ain't picky."
She wore a bemused smile. "Somehow, I don't think mansel or… dudesel is a thing."
"Course it is. Ask anybody."
"I've never once heard of a term like that in my life." She spoke flatly before leaning back on the desk. "Anyway, what's the plan now? If the Berserkers took him, he's probably tied up at their headquarters."
"You know where that is?" I looked up, my eyes brightening a bit.
"Sure, just follow the rioting." She folded her arms. "But shouldn't we head back to Ines' place? Work out a new strategy?"
That would have been the smart thing to do, especially given our shortage of potions, but Soul had made it scathingly clear. Come back with Floyd or not at all. Lenz and Soul. Those two were holding up their end of the mission, it was only right that we would hold up ours.
Besides, the more risks we took, the less likely Jade would go along with them. Unless, of course, she was serious about joining the Beginners. Nothing said true devotion like blindly following an idiot for a leader.
"It's late anyway. Now is our best chance to strike. Under the cover of darkness." Cliché, but effective. "Just tell me it isn't somewhere underground."
"No, it's out in the open… sort of." She hummed in thought. "On one of the six trees surrounding the Gift Tree. If we hurry, we can—" Her eyes went wide as she pressed a finger to her lips and pointed to the door where voices were approaching.
I clamped my mouth shut and dashed over to Jade as she pulled out our last Splash Potion of Invisibility and cloaked us as the door opened.
One of the Crafters, a tall, raven-haired man with a strong back, switched from a pleasant smile to a perplexed frown. For a moment, I worried he had heard the tail-end of the smashed bottle of our potion. His eyes scanned the room and he held a hand back to protect the other Crafter. A female with short, sky blue hair.
"Something wrong, Captain?" The girl, Alaq—Alaqua!? That was the Princess wasn't it? And the other guy… yeah, he was Captain Enyeto.
"Nothing, I… I must have imagined it." He said cautiously as he waited a few more seconds, holding his breath. Jade and I barely made a peep as we shrunk in upon each other, taking as little space as possible. "Hmm…"
His eyes roamed over the office again, but Alaqua ducked under his arm, crossing the threshold with familiarity.
"Don't stand between a sweaty woman and a bottle of water." She panted, wiping perspiration from her brow. She sashayed over to a chest behind the desk, prompting Jade and I to shuffle quietly to the left to avoid making contact. One little peep or brush against their hands and the jig was up.
If only that Captain wasn't guarding the only exit!
"You'd sweat less if you didn't make so many unnecessary moves." Enyeto advised, though he himself had a bit of sweat to him. "You're improving, though. I'd say you could hold your own quite well."
"Yes, well, how can I expect my Kingdom to survive without bounty hunters if I can't first." She greedily guzzled down a bottle of water before breathing out a sigh of relief. "Mmm, that's good. Anyway, these lessons are the first step to surviving without those leeches."
"But so late?" The Captain asked, shutting the door and taking a step inside. I squeezed Jade's hand, silently urging her to act. We crept around the desk and closer to the door, but hugged the walls.
"Time waits for no one." She moved around the desk before leaning on it much like Jade had. "Speaking of leeches, Dahlia, the Queen Leech herself, came up to the Fort. Want to tell me what that was about?"
"The usual." Enyeto frowned. "She wanted something outrageous, I told her no, she tattled on me to the King, she got her way. You know she had the gall to take the prisoner we captured? That Flawwed_Floyd guy. Gone like that. Can you believe it?" The Captain stretched his arms, popping his back as he did so. "Let me tell you, Princess, the approaching Review and your efforts are the only thing keeping me going. Putting up with Dahlia and the Berserkers would be too much otherwise. How'd that talk with Ahote go?"
"The usual." Alaqua replied in kind. She shook her head and I listened intently as she explained it. "He and most of the council are firmly for Desideratum, no matter how much I try to make them see. It's like I'm bashing my head against a brick wall. Uff! Why can't they see what that loathsome law is doing to us!?"
Jade tugged me along, trying to urge me out of there. I had stalled, listening to their passionate conversation. The door was cleared, though.
"So… abolishment needs more traction." Enyeto said sullenly. "I guess if it were that easy, anyone could—"
"Nuh-uh. No way." Alaqau pressed a finger to his chest, pushing the taller man back into blocking the door. I pulled Jade back before they could collide, though she instead collided with me, hugging onto me for support so she wouldn't fall. "We are not going to back down, or talk about backing down. We're abolishing that law at the next Review. I don't care how stubborn they are. I'll hammer in the facts so much, they'll abolish the law just to shut me up!"
"I know you will." Enyeto tried to mollify her. "Just remember, you don't need to push yourself to abolish it right away."
"Actually, I do." Alaqua said defiantly before glaring at the floor. "The whole Kingdom talks about my efforts with such light—you've heard it. And I'm not going to wait until I'm Queen to rid us of those bloodsuckers. It's happening the day of the Review. No waiting. No mercy. Those Berserkers have squeezed us enough as is."
Enyeto smiled fondly. "Then I am looking forward to a Desideratum-free Jolin, Princess Alaqua." He leaned forward to pat her on the shoulder, giving us the chance to get to the door.
"You just make sure your guards are up to the task." Alaqua smirked back. "The last thing we need is an excuse to call those… leeches… back?" Alaqua tilted her head and pointed to somewhere in the corner.
"Did you drop that book?"
My eyes widened and I felt Jade squeeze my hand as Alaqua pointed to Floyd's record book I had carelessly chucked onto the floor. Enyeto's eyes zeroed in on it immediately and he stooped down to pick it up.
To hell with it! The door was free.
"How did this get—?" His head whipped to the side as he heard the door creak open. His sword was unsheathed in an instant and he jumped to protect Alaqua. "Who's there!? Guards! Security alert!"
His bellowed cries echoed down the hallway we sprinted down. Enyeto was preoccupied with guarding Alaqua, but he must have sounded some kind of alarm, because guards were crawling all over the place.
We had to go down several corridors and press ourselves against walls as guards passed, and even then we barely made it to the spot we had burrowed into from before our Invisibility wore off. Prying the wall open, Jade and I crawled up, through layers of wood, stone, and dirt until we reached the spot between the two huts. We covered our tracks and slipped away as more and more guards poured from the Root Cellar's only entrance.
As suspicious as it might have looked, we ran all the way to the base of the Gift Tree before hiding away under the stairs to catch our breath.
Captain Enyeto and Princess Alaqua had given me a lot to think about. Namely the anti-Desideratum thing. Whatever the Berserkers had planned taking Floyd, I was fairly certain they wouldn't need him anymore if the law keeping them happy was abolished. If they could only take things to catch criminals, then Floyd was bait to capture me!
Brain: Don't they know cake would have been better bait?
Not to mention, if the Berserkers got kicked out of the city, there was a good chance the both of us would end up in Nitebane within the week.
Or worse. Dead.
It looked like we had escaped the Root Cellar, but the night was still young. We had another place to break into. And if I was right, they were expecting us.
"I should've went with Lenz for the funds thing." I panted. "Would have been easier. Bet those two are lounging back at Ines'."
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 2 Ender Pearls, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 64 Cobblestone, 47 Cobblestone, 5 Dirt, 19 Torches, 37 Coal, 12 Jungle Wood Logs, 64 Jungle Wood Planks, 16 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 11 Cooked Porkchops, 1 Water Bucket, 9 String, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green, Mending I, Unbreaking I], 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 5 Emeralds, 2 Gunpowder, 8 Rotten Flesh, 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, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 25 Gunpowder, 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Green], 1 Chainmail Chestplate, 1 Chainmail Leggings, 1 Chainmail Boots, 58 Arrows, 10 Spectral Arrows, 18 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 16 Sugar Cane, 18 Cooked Chicken, 11 Paper, 6 Ink Sacs, 4 Leather, 9 Emeralds, 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, 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, 2 Cooked Chicken, 37 Dirt, 64 Cobblestone, 34 Cobblestone, 50 Coal, 38 Jungle Wood Planks, 3 Emeralds, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Jolin Entry Pass}, {Ringwood Entry Pass}
[EXP: 40]
Inventory (Jade): 1 Iron Sword, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 35 Baked Potatoes, 29 Cooked Porkchops, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 24 Coal, 36 Torches, 38 Jungle Wood Planks, 64 Cobblestone, 29 Cobblestone, 8 Obsidian, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 Compass, 1 Clock, 17 Emeralds, 2 Ender Chests, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Jolin Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Dover Plains}, 1 Paper {Lazuli Entry Pass}
[EXP: 16]
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, 7 Beetroots, 8 Bread, 40 Cooked Mutton, 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, 5 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, 60 Emeralds, 2 Bones
[EXP: 7]
Beetroot the Horse
AN: If only Cobb knew...
Will Soul and Lenz defeat Hunderprest and his Hounds of Basketcase? Yes. They'll rub barbecue sauce and bacon on the hounds and watch them eat each other because it is a dog-eat-dog world.
Will Cobb rescue Floyd? I hope not otherwise some sicko might immediately ship the two together. And I do not want to see Floyd throw down with Erin on WWE Catfight for the young fisherman's attention.
Will anyone prove that 'mansel' is a thing? Probably in this Arc's finale. Or next Arc's finale. Or the Arc after next Arc's finale. Or the Arc after next Arc after next Arc after -
None of this and more. Next time, on My Craft.