My Craft

by OnTheCobb

Devoid of memory or purpose, a new Crafter is pushed forth into the unforgiving land of Minecraftia. Armed with nothing but his wits, he must…well…actually he's pretty witless. Hopefully he won't get killed in the first week. Hopefully.

109. Commit

AN: Stop threatening puppies, Cam! You too, Dang!

This Chapter is pretty much two Chapters worth of content, because damn it I want the Jolin Arc to be over! I want them to get to Zeppil already!

But anyway, after having Chapters where nothing major happens, here's a Chapter where a TON of major shit happens. Don't believe me? Read and see.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. I've said it over a hundred times.

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Chapter 109

Commit

There's a word known as 'Jibberman'.

It's used to describe people that are wrong.

People that can't be understood. People that speak in a backwards language. People whose names are a jumbled mess.

People that were left in the Void for far too long.

They're in the wrong, because they are a minority.

Most Crafters think of a name for themselves in the first few days of the Void. So they got out early.

They were made right.

Jibbermen were made wrong.

But what about the in-between?

The Crafters who thought up a name at the very cusp of insanity in that endless abyss.

They're an even greater minority because hardly anyone manages to claw their way out of insanity seconds before it consumes them. The people who still have sense enough to throw out a name.

You'd think those people would be commended for their struggle.

They aren't.

These special in-betweens. They have wholesome names. But their tongues are still tangled in the language of the Jibbermen.

Not forever. Eventually they would recover their vocabulary. Their tangled tongues wouldn't last long.

Just long enough to experience the loneliness of being a Jibberman.

For them, society has no place.

'How can we communicate?'

'Why do they talk weird?'

'What's wrong with them?'

That's what I imagined they all said to me. Not that I could understand them at the time. Maybe all Jibbermen were like that at first before learning how the normal Crafters talked. Maybe I'm just another special case.

But as an in-between, I got a taste of true loneliness. Nobody would lend a hand to me. I was ignored and forced to learn how to survive in Minecraftia.

Alone.

It was in some grimy alley when I first realized this and broke down. My whole life seemed destined to be as screwed up as my garbled language. How was I supposed to thrive in a world full of people who wanted nothing to do with me?

That's when I found my first dog.

It was scavenging in the grimy alley for scraps, and instead it found me. It wasn't tamed. It was hungry.

And, like me, it was alone.

A kindred spirit.

I fed it, and it instantly warmed up to me. It was satisfied with the rotten flesh I gifted it; I had nothing else. Yet this thing wanted to follow me.

Turns out that dog wasn't the only stray. The Kingdom I was in was full of them.

So I searched high and low, and found starving dog after starving dog. I fed them all rotten flesh, wishing I could give them some of that richer meat; a worthy reward for their unconditional companionship.

For what I gave them, though, they were loyal. They watched over me while I slept. Killed some beggars that tried to rob me.

They were good at killing, but only when they worked together.

It got me thinking about what else we could accomplish working together.

We brought in our first bounty shortly after. It was a paltry sum compared to what I make now. But it got us actual steak! We feasted like kings!

The dogs accepted me, not for what I was or how I talked, but what I could get for them. I was their master. They learned to protect me because I kept them fed.

And that was how I became the tamer of one-thousand hounds.

Hunderprest.

---

[Lenz]

What little of the Crafters remaining in the bazaar quickly fled as the battle began.

The hounds sprang forward, the ones hit with Potions of Swiftness easily outpacing the others. Soul was caught on the back foot, swinging his axe in desperation. The dogs ducked low, skidding below the axe and between his legs. Then, using one of their forepaws, they pivoted on the spot before leaping onto Soul's back and sinking teeth into the flesh between his armor.

At the same time, the Berserkers on my side advanced. Fighting in the narrow bazaar suited me more, however. And with no innocent Crafters to get in the way, I had little trouble hitting the oncoming bounty hunters.

What was a problem was the fact that their diamond armor protected them from most of the damage. They must have had Projectile Protection, for my shots pinged off of them musically. All my shots managed to do was push them back a bit. I could not suppress their march.

Behind me, Soul wrestled with the swiftness dogs. That was when the strength enhanced dogs jumped in, barreling into Soul's gut and knocking the wind out of him. The dogs were different from last time. They had a solid formation.

Soul's axe skidded to my feet and I quickly pivoted to launch two arrows at the dogs piling onto him. I knocked two off, freeing Soul enough to punch another one in the nose, but it cost me as a Bounty Hunter wrapped an arm around my neck from behind.

"I got one!" He cheered into my ear while I struggled to free myself. My eyes lit upon Soul's discarded axe and I kicked it towards him. It scraped against the wooden floor before he grabbed it.

And lobbed it straight at me.

I wrenched my head aside as the axe buried itself into my captor's face. He released me with a shriek and I took the opportunity to ignite him with my flint and steel.

He caught fire.

As did the floor.

"Crap!" One of the Berserkers shouted in alarm, ignorant of his burning ally. "Put out that fire! Else the whole tree will burn!"

That was right. We were in a tree. The floors were wooden planks, but they were supported over branches and leaves and wrapped around the tree.

So if we were cornered…

While the Berserkers searched their Inventory for buckets of water, I grabbed Soul's axe again and slid it back to him. Then, I took my flint and steel and began burning more and more of the floor. It caught and spread.

"I get it!" Soul realized as he batted one of the strength enhanced dogs into a flaming stand. The beast howled before fizzling into nothing. Hunderprest cursed before grabbing a set of Fire Resistance Potions from the same stand and dousing his dogs with them. They surged into the fire without fear.

More of the floor burned away, revealing softer leaves that caught like kindling. And in no time at all, the fire started to open a gaping hole in the center of the bazaar.

Space was a problem. The fire kept burning away our footholds. I had to climb atop a watermelon stand just to avoid the flames licking at my heels.

Remember. Moving artillery. Keep it moving.

From my higher vantage point, I had a good view of the Berserkers. They were so busy fighting the fire, they could not fight us. Maybe it had something to do with Desideratum since containing the damage criminals caused was part and parcel to apprehending wanted individuals. They would hardly be a help to Jolin if they just let fires spread out of control.

Since they were mostly occupied, I turned my arrows towards softer fur. The swift ones were too quick to hit, but the strength enhanced ones could not escape the sight of the Gray Eagle.

I killed one and Soul swung at two more, knocking them back into Hunderprest who quickly dispensed Splash Potions of Healing.

"Quit suckling on his potion teat!" Soul shouted in frustration while scarfing down cooked chicken to replenish his Hunger.

"Control the fire already!" One Berserker shouted out. "You, you, and you. Get more water!"

More and more of the leaves burned away, revealing a lower canopy full of stalls and stands.

Success!

"Soul, we are jumping down!" I shouted as I climbed down from my stand, patting out fires with my bow. Soul was busy engaging some dogs and managed to kill two more before breaking off.

Hunderprest tried to boost his dogs with a new splash potion, but I launched an arrow through some flames and straight into his shoulder, setting him ablaze.

Soul just jumped into the hole, but I was more careful climbing down. My hands got singed by some burning leaves, but I caught hold of some vines to lower myself down.

Slowly…

Carefully…

A dog jumped on my face.

"Comparators!" I cursed as it bit my ear and clawed at my face, causing me to lose my grip. We plummeted to the bazaar below, where fortune struck as I landed on a slime block stand, the bouncy material cushioning me much like the slime pads in Daymonte.

I rolled off with a dog still chewing on my face before Soul wrenched it off and chucked it over the side. He helped me up and pulled me between some stalls.

There were a few panicked screams as Crafters had not yet been evacuated here. They had spotted the fire burning above and had tried to clear out, but it was still a stampede.

"Do you think they will be able to extinguish that fire?" I asked with a hint of worry.

"That's their problem. Heads up!" He pushed me aside as one of Hunderprest's seven remaining dogs tried to jump me from above. The others soon fell, followed by Hunderprest himself and two of the six Berserkers. It looked like the rest were controlling the fire.

I got a shot off at one of the falling Berserkers, chipping his health, but it was pointless against their Projectile Protection. We needed something tougher.

"Soul, we can lose them in the stalls. It is practically a maze—"

"No! I'm sick of running away—"

"Before you start," I hissed, "we are not running away. Hunderprest and his dogs have hounded us long enough. We are finishing this. But we need to separate them first."

Soul's surprise at my conviction only lasted a second before he nodded grimly. Using him as a blocker, we strong-armed our way through the crowd and slipped between a pair of stalls selling paintings.

We came to a diverging path, one way leading to a main street and the other going under a stall selling gardening tools.

"You go that way, I'll go this way?" Soul suggested, to which I nodded.

"We can break them up pick them off—hand me your anvil."

He raised an eyebrow. "Is now really the time to be repairing tools?"

"Anvils have another use." I explained, taking the heavy object and stuffing it in my backpack. "I can handle the Berserkers."

"Okay, break!" Soul went down the one path and I crawled under the tool stand just as the hounds and Berserkers pushed through the crowd. They spotted us and, fortunately, broke off in a favorable way.

I need a high space! I thought as I glanced up. Glowstone blocks illuminated the underside of the canopy, cutting through the darkness of the night. Some vines trailed upward and I quickly scurried over to them.

"The archer went this way! He's on his own!" A voice called out behind me. I hurriedly fastened my hands into the vines and began to climb. The anvil felt heavy in my backpack, but I kept climbing.

The vines snaked under a branch and I hoisted myself atop it before rolling over onto my stomach and holding my bow out.

Time to test these out. I notched one of my new Spectral Arrows and fired it at one of the approaching bounty hunters. I did the same to the other, and while they did no damage, they marked the two of them with a glowing outline.

"The hell is this?" One of them questioned, holding his arms up and gazing at the glow. "Are you hurting at all?"

"No. Must have been a useless arrow." The other laughed. "I guess we glow in the dark now. Was that his master plan? I'm petrified!"

As they laughed, one of them separated from the first, planning to climb up from a different side and flank me.

Little did they know I could track them through the tree, however briefly, by their glowing outlines.

As one glowing outline crouched at the base of the tree, intending to wait while I was distracted with his companion, I took out the anvil and placed it beside the branch, letting gravity take hold.

It crushed the crouched Berserker flat.

There was a loud metallic clang, the sound of denser iron meeting diamond and crushing that too, before an explosion of gear burst forth from the crushed Berserker.

"No!" The other Berserker shouted before abandoning all caution and climbing up the vine. "YOU BASTARD!"

Not wanting an angered bounty hunter to get within reach, I loaded some more arrows and tried to knock him off the vine. He withstood most of them, climbing higher and higher, but one managed to catch him in the eye. Projectile Protection or not, that would hurt anyone.

He fell down, hitting the bottom, but not dying. He swore like a fiend as he wrenched the arrow out of his eye and fished inside his backpack for something.

My eyes widened as he pulled out a flint and steel.

No…

He could not… he would risk burning everything!?

He looked mad enough to try. And he was about to, had a diamond axe not buried itself in his back.

"I thought you said you could handle them!" Soul griped as he ripped the flint and steel out of the Berserker's hands and pressed down on the axe with his boot. There was a pained scream before that Berserker too died in a shower of gear. A sizable portion of EXP flowed into Soul's arm.

"Apologies. I was hoping to kill two Berserkers with one anvil." I pointed to the item, giving Soul permission to pick it back up. "I take it you defeated the dogs?"

"…It's still a work in progress." He groused just before something bowled him over. Only, there was nothing there. "Gah! I took out two of them before that bastard doped his mutts with Invisibility and Strength. Now they hit like trucks and I can't find the devils!"

My eyes roved over the area, my bow held ready, but it was hopeless. When they were not ripping into Soul, the invisible dogs were untraceable. Even with the Spectral Arrows, I would need to hit them first. And how could I hit what I could not see? We would simply have to wait for the invisibility to wear off.

Unless…

My eyes turned towards something else. An alley that led to a dead end.

That could work.

"Soul! Run to that alley!" I gestured to the side. "It is your only means of escape!"

"What!? But—it's a dead end?"

"Trust me!"

Soul let out a huff before he waved his axe to stave off the dogs he could not see or fight. He hurried along to the alley and I assume the dogs followed if their barking was any indication. And where was Hunderprest?

Predictably, Soul ran into the alley until there was nowhere left to run. He pressed his back against the wall and had his axe ready.

"Now would be a really good time to spring your master plan, Lenz!"

"Right!" I notched my remaining Spectral Arrows and sent a flurry of them into the enclosed alley, low.

As they pelted the area, one of them struck Soul, doing little damage and outlining him with a white glow.

The other arrows sunk into the ground of the alley, they were spread out enough to cover most of the area closest to Soul. And, just as I thought, they outlined the five remaining dogs. Their Invisibility could not stand against the Spectral Arrow!

"That's more like it!" Soul grinned as he surged forward, driving his axe into one of the outlines and killing it. I did my part, shooting from my vantage point and dispatching two more of them before I heard a rustling from above.

Next thing I knew, I was bodily tackled off my branch. I landed with a hard thud, a knee following soon after. My chainmail did little to protect me from that punishing drop.

Hunderprest's fingers clasped around my neck, trying to choke me out. His face was the image of grief and anger as he pulled out his sword.

"You…" He hissed as he tightened his fingers, raising his sword.

He diverted it at the last second, deflecting the body of his last dog as Soul battered it at him. Soul ran at him, his axe swinging fiercely.

Hunderprest ran forward to intercept, but he stumbled as I kicked out at the back of his heel. This time he was on the back foot, as the stumble cost him a step that Soul was more than happy to capitalize on. His axe swung true, catching Hunderprest under the armpit and into his upper torso. It cleaved through a huge chunk of his health and caused spittle to fly out of his mouth before he was rocketed into a stall for glass. It shattered under the force and Hunderprest was left lying in the ruins, gasping for breath through what must have been a few broken ribs.

He coughed painfully. "You… you cultists… no mercy from you…"

Soul helped me up, his eyes narrowed at the downed Berserker. He was beaten, undoubtedly. All his dogs were dead, and he was hardly a threat without them.

And yet…

I almost felt sorry for him.

"I know you might think this cruel of us," Soul spoke as he walked up to the man, "but this doesn't make us cultists. We did what anyone would do, hounded by someone like you."

Hunderprest laughed through his broken ribs, grimacing all the while. "Don't… don't lie to a dying man. I've seen your Executive's Inventory. You're all cultists. All of you…"

Soul shook his head. "I'm done trying to convince you."

"Convince yourself. You're about to prove just what kind of person you truly are. Isn't that why you're about to execute a defenseless man?" Soul gripped his axe tighter, causing Hunderprest to smile. "Ah, yes. You claim not to be a cultist, but I am certain you'd fit in well with them. You've already laid waste to all my beloved dogs. Not a single one survived…" His head fell back wearily. "Cultists only know how to kill and rip out a Crafter's heart."

"I'm nothing like them!" Soul shouted, pressing his axe into Hunderprest's neck. "You did this! You hunted us for emeralds! You're the reason we're hunted here! Even after Cobb let your ass live!"

"How juvenile." Hunderprest sighed. "Well, you must have decided by now. Be quick with it, my hounds await me on the other side…"

Soul's face settled down and he lowered his axe for a fraction of a second, gazing down at the defeated bounty hunter.

Then, in a flash, he pressed the axe against his neck and stomped down with his foot, killing Hunderprest instantly.

Splash potions, diamond gear, and steak fell from his slain form, followed by his disembodied Head. More EXP flowed into Soul's arm as he hung the diamond axe back onto his belt.

The abandoned bazaar was silent as Soul picked through the gear, salvaging potions, emeralds, and steak. There was plenty of meat for the dogs he cared for.

I did not dare make a sound, instead averting my eyes as Soul dug through the dead man's remains.

"…It had to be done."

Soul stopped his scavenging long enough to tilt his head to regard me.

"It had to be done." He repeated. "He would've kept coming after us if we hadn't. Right…?"

It was half pleading, seeking assurance. I did not want to see Soul this way. Unsure and questioning.

"Yes. There was no other way." I reassured, though in my head, it sounded dubious. Maybe there was a way that Hunderprest could have lived and we would not be dogged by him.

But I had no doubt it would be more troublesome than just killing him.

"…Soul?" I reached for his shoulder, but he stopped me with a word.

"I… I think I know what my role is in this group." He announced as he sifted through more gear. "I can't do any of the amazing things the rest of you can do, but at least I can do the nasty things all of you won't."

He lifted himself, his back to me as he looked upon Hunderprest's Head one final time.

"I'm an executioner. Ready, with my axe, to take the lives that threaten us. Someone has to do it… and it sure as hell shouldn't be Cobb."

Soul let out a resigned sigh before turning on his boot. "Let's get out of here. We got what we came for."

"Y-Yes… Of course…" I nodded. As Soul passed me, I took one last glance at Hunderprest's Head before following the axe-wielder out into the night.

---

[Cobb]

We hit a snag getting into the Berserker's Headquarters.

Finding the place was easy. As Jade had said, we just had to follow the rioters protesting against Desideratum. They surrounded a large wooden building carved into one of the large-yet-smaller-than-the-Gift-Tree outlying trees. They were all clamoring that the Berserkers leave their Kingdom and return what they had stolen.

And therein laid our snag. The building was shut tight against the protesters who beat fists and wooden sticks against its doors. Some Berserkers watched from the windows, making sure nobody did anything crazy. It looked like an impenetrable fortress!

"Your friend's got to be in there." Jade whispered into my ear so I could hear it over the angry protests.

I would've commented on how pointless it was for her to mention that since there was no way we could get in, but I knew that if I did, she'd put me on the spot, asking if I had some half-baked plan, which I didn't.

The Berserkers were watching the crowd like hawks from high windows and balconies. We would need to climb up fifty meters of blocks just to pull ourselves inside, and the sentries would surely see us. Invisibility wouldn't help, since there was no opening to exploit. They were sealed tight. Even with the cover of night on our side, I couldn't think up a way in.

"Any ideas?" I instead asked to my partner in crime. I was surprised by the intensity on her face.

Her purple orbs were roving the building in the same way she had making Parkour jumps through the trees. She was navigating the obstacles in her head, trying to find a way to get up there.

Once or twice, I saw her eyes dart to some branches higher up the tree. Covered in dense foliage, they extended, almost like arms reaching out to touch the Berserkers' Headquarters, but they were always cut short. It looked like the Berserkers had trimmed them, much like a gardener tending his hedges, in order to prevent daring Crafters from bridging across to break in.

It looked like that was the only way in, since Jade's eyes kept darting to it over and over. The problem was it was still too far away. The gap between the branch and the building was too large. Not to mention there were plenty of smaller gaps interspersed along the branch. It was impossible. Meaning we had no choice but to tackle the Headquarters head on—

A dull hum that had nothing to do with my brain's thinking sounded out over the din of rioters. It got louder and louder, until I saw, with my own two eyes, a large flying ship emerge from behind the tree we were on.

An airship.

I had never seen one up close before, and certainly never in action. Lenz would have probably flipped. It was the size of a building and yet it moved gracefully through the air, pulling around the tree to dock beside Berserker HQ.

The rioters pointed to it and seemed even more frenzied. Maybe they took it as the Berserkers flaunting a wealth born from their pockets. I had no doubt that, had the airship been close enough to the floor, the rioters would have set it ablaze.

While I was admiring it, thinking of the airship waiting for us in Zeppil, Jade tugged at my arm excitedly.

"That's it! They've done it to themselves! We can get in now!"

"What?" I jerked my head up to the building, still as impenetrable as ever. "How?"

In response, she grabbed my finger and pointed up to the airship. It was docked between those extended branches and Berserkers HQ. A makeshift platform. But…

"Hang on. That's still too far to jump. We can't make that." I argued, only for Jade to shoot me a perplexed look.

"What are you talking about? That jump is clear as day." She pointed to it again as if I was seeing things wrong. "I could make that in my sleep. It isn't far at all."

"…Are we looking at the same jump?" I questioned as I squinted my eyes again. No matter how I looked at it, it seemed to be twice the distance I could jump. Twice the distance a regular Crafter could jump. Unless Jade had Potions of Leaping, I didn't see a way to cross.

"It's—oh, I forgot, you're not a Parkourist." She realized. "Well, look, that jump is completely possible. You haven't been making jumps like me, so I get why you think it's not, but it is. Trust me."

Trust her? That was the whole reason I brought her along; to see if she would stab us in the back at the first chance she got. No bounty hunter would risk breaking into headquarters of one of the three largest guilds in Minecraftia.

…Or would she?

I still had no idea who she was or if her story was true or false. I needed something to tip the scales.

And chances were that that 'something' would show itself while we rescued Floyd.

"It's all right." Jade must have mistaken my silence for hesitance, since she flashed me a reassuring smile, her hands held up. "Here, since you aren't used to long jumps, why don't you wait here and I'll free—"

"No." I spoke sharply, startling the woman. "I'm not waiting down here with you doing all the hard work. Just…" I looked up to the large gaps between branches and paled. "Just… help me make the jumps."

Jade's eyes widened before she flashed a beaming smile. "You got it, guildmate!"

"We're not guildmates yet." I reminded her, but she paid it no mind as she dragged me back over to the suspended wooden bridge leading to the Gift Tree.

The branches reaching across to Berserker HQ belonged to the Gift Tree, so we had to start our journey there. The other option was climbing to the top of the outlying tree to drop down, but that would probably involve breaking our legs or getting spotted rappelling down via water bucket. I liked my legs and didn't want to get wet, so I chose the more strenuous Parkour option.

Sigh.

"This is great. Nothing screams guild bonding like helping one another cross dangerous gaps! I mean, if you don't pay attention to everything I say and do, you could fall to your untimely death. But don't let that discourage you! Parkour can be fun!" She hastily rushed the last bit out, but for some reason, it made me worry more.

It didn't help the higher we climbed. I was starting to get vertigo looking down. There were no vines or pools to catch me. Just plenty of open space to reach terminal velocity.

And now I was thinking what a Cobb Pancake would look like. God, I needed a distraction.

"Hey, so, where did you learn Parkour anyway?" I asked.

"Self-taught." She boasted with a smile. "I always enjoyed the feel of the wind in my hair as I jumped and ran. You'll see what I mean while we're jumping the gaps. It's exhilarating."

No, don't bring the topic back to the jumps. I've never Parkoured in my life!

"Plus, it came in handy when I was running away from Mobs and Griefers. I used to be terrible in a fight. I mean, well, uh, I still am, obviously, just… you know… not as bad… now." She finished awkwardly before walking a little faster.

"Not as bad will have to do. We'll probably have to fight some Berserkers." My eyes were downcast as I recalled Soul's protests. "Might have to kill some…"

"But I thought you didn't want that." She said, perplexed.

"There's a lot of things I want, but I need to get Floyd out of there in one piece." I explained before letting out a weary sigh. "Maybe the Berserkers are shitty for exploiting this Kingdom, but they're also technically following the law. That's why that Princess is going to fix it. If we go around breaking in to places and killing bounty hunters, then we'll be viewed as the ones in the wrong. I just wish Soul could see that."

As we climbed higher and higher to the branch, I replayed Soul's argument in my head. We were going up against bounty hunters—people who would most certainly want to track us down. They weren't the sort of people we could just attack and spare without expecting some form of retribution.

Wynn wouldn't have killed them. But then again, Wynn wasn't the type of woman to get mixed up as a criminal. She defended the law. She served her Kingdom.

I pressed a hand to my green tunic, right over my heart, thinking of home.

"…What do you think, Jade?" I decided.

"Hmm?"

"About the bounty hunters. Do you think I'm being naïve, sparing them? Or that I'm doing the right thing?"

She hummed to herself, rolling the question around her head. However, by that time, we had reached the appropriate branch. She still hummed to herself, even as she effortlessly made the first jump, crossing to the next branch without even a moment to consider it.

"I… er…" I balked as I approached the edge of the branch, only to peer over it and see the steep drop below. Then I hastily backed away. "Um… sorry, am I supposed to be doing something a certain way here?"

"Yeah. Commit!" She shouted back before taking a running leap off the leaves, her legs folded before her as she sailed across. She cleared the jump with ease, rolling with the landing and taking the next jump in stride. "Commit!"

"Commit? Commit to what?" I asked as I paced along the edge of the first branch, looking for the closest point. There was one, but it still looked too far. I wasn't sure I could make it. "You're not giving good lessons here!"

I bunched my legs, ready to try, but stopped when I took in that drop once more.

I can't make that jump.

"Commit!" She shouted with a jump, clearing onto the fifth branch. She was getting away from me. "Commit!"

"Commit what!? Suicide!? Because that's all I'm seeing if I try to make these jumps!" I shouted back, wishing she could just show me what to do.

I saw Jade's shoulders rise and fall in the most world-weariest of sighs before she hopped back across the branches so that she was standing on the other side of the jump I was on.

"You need to commit yourself to the jump!" She explained, gesturing to the gap. "Your body can make this jump if not for your mind telling you you can't. Quit second-guessing yourself!"

"So what? If I chant 'I think I can, I think I can', I can suddenly pull off crazy stunts like you?" I asked incredulously.

"I told you. I've seen what my body can pull off." She pressed a hand to her chest. "I know my limits. I know the distance I can jump. I just look for things I know my body can do, and I don't go back and forth like a wishy-washy fisherman pretending to be a leader."

"…Huh?"

"I'm sorry you had to hear this from me, Cobb, but you're hesitating with more than just these jumps." She rested a hand on her hip. "You're going back and forth on whether you should kill or spare bounty hunters. A leader can't be indecisive like that."

"But… but letting Hunderprest go endangered the others." I conceded. "What if Floyd gets hurt because I don't have it in me to kill a bounty hunter?"

"You can't think like that! Make a jump with doubts and you'll just fall." She gestured to the gap between us. "You need to pick something and commit to it, no matter what happens to make you think otherwise. If you can't stand by your choices when they go wrong, then you didn't have much conviction to begin with! Who'd want a guild leader like that?"

"But—"

"JUST JUMP ALREADY!"

I frowned before taking another look at the gap. It still seemed out of reach—no! I couldn't think like that. I had to commit to it.

I can do this. I thought to myself as I backed up for my running start. I can do this!

I ran forward, ready to leap with everything I had.

I CAN DO THIS!

Brain: But maybe you can't—

"SHIT!" I exclaimed as my traitorous mind snuck in that niggling doubt that made me skid to a stop at the edge, at the last possible second for me to back out. But one foot had already left the ground. I was half-committed and poised to fall.

With no other choice, I pushed off the edge in a sort of stop-go motion that ate up all my momentum, propelled me across, and had my upper torso slamming into a branch, knocking the wind out of me.

Jade let out a yelp as she dove for my arm before it could slip away. Fingers wrapped around my wrist and her foot caught on the edge of the leaves as she pulled me back up to safety. I scrambled onto solid ground, my heart beating like a drum.

Heart: Ohmygodohmygodwealmostdiedwealmostfellalmostdiedavirginohmygodohmygod—

"Now, see, you didn't commit."

"I DID SO COMMIT!" I shouted back, rightfully anxious and unwilling to admit that, yeah, I didn't fully commit. "It's harder than it looks! Ugh, stupid brain!"

I banged my head on the leaves while Jade shifted awkwardly in place from one foot to the other. It took another minute to get over my near death experience before I picked myself up and stared at the next branch.

"Are… you going to be okay—"

"YAAAAAAAAH!" I shouted as I ran full sprint for the gap, not giving my mind the chance to second-guess me.

"Parkour!" The word sprang from my lips as I made the jump, my sneaker going further than I thought it could and meeting the edge of the branch. Enough to gain the traction to pull my body across the rest of the way without falling to my death. There! I was able to put off the bad thoughts until after I made the jump.

"There you go!" Jade cheered as she made the jump far easier and with more space than me. She slowed to a stop at my side and gave me a thumbs up. "Commit to your choices and never look back. That's the way to Parkour."

"Yeah, you're right." I smiled as she made the next jump and I followed, but with sloppier, slower jumps. She patiently waited for me at each new branch. "And I guess I need to be the same way with my beliefs."

"You guess?"

"I mean I know I have to commit to my beliefs!" I corrected. "No second-guessing! I'm not killing in cold blood!"

"Right!" She cheered. "Same with your hesitance in letting me join the Beginners! Forget about your doubts and just sign me up—!"

"Nice try, but you're still on a trial period."

"Awwww…"

---

[Floyd]

I woke up to the feeling of someone ramming a foot into my face.

As rude an awakening as that was, I shouldn't have been able to feel it since I should have still been paralyzed. No movement. No feeling. No pain. So why was I hunched over, cradling what felt like a broken nose.

"See? What'd I tell ya?" A cruel voice called from above me just before another kick was dealt to my dazed face. "As mortal as you and me."

I tilted my face up, blinking through the pain. I was still surrounded by bars. I was still in my cell. But why were Berserkers in there with me?

"Mindy, you sure about this? I don't want Dahlia chewing us out." One of the voices spouted nervously. I staggered to my knees. I could move!

"Sure, I'm sure!" The cruel voice—Mindy's I'm guessing—called out before someone else stomped on my chest. There were two of them in there with me and two on the outside. "Besides, this is therapeutic." Another kick sent into my ribs. "The hate is practically leeching out of me."

"But… but he's a Hacker."

"That's why you two are outside of the cell with potions at the ready, relax!" I blocked a kick to my gut with my arms. "He's a Hacker anyway, so it isn't like we're ever letting him go. He'll rat us out to his buddies the second he's free and they'll raze this base to the ground! No harm in getting some kicks in!" She punctuated the word with a blow.

"I… I don't know…" Another voice said. "Maybe Dahlia will cut a deal and let him go. I don't want him seeing our faces."

"Ugh! Fine! More fun for us!" Mindy pulled me up by my sweater and grinned down my broken nose. "Hey there, sunshine. Sleep well?" She slapped me across the face.

"Wha-why are you doing this?" I coughed out weakly.

"Because it's fun!" She smirked cruelly as she slapped me across the face again. "Those are the same words a Hacker shouted when he was slaughtering my friends like pigs." The second Berserker in the cage socked me across the face. Mindy laughed. "Philip lost his wife to a different Hacker. So did the two cowards outside this cell. We had to sit and take it, knowing we could never get away with exacting our pound of flesh from them." Her eyes narrowed in grim pleasure. "Until today~!"

Another slap to the face sent me spiraling to the floor.

Ah. I thought in between the pain. I get it. This is because I'm the only one here who can pay for their crimes.

Another kick to the stomach.

Hackers hurt them.

Kick.

Now they're hurting me.

Slap.

Plenty to be ashamed of.

Is there anything a Hacker's done that I can be proud of!?

---

[Cobb]

"Alright, last jump." I panted as we neared the final gap. Below was a steep drop that ended in the angry citizens protesting against the Berserkers. One jump and we'd be on the airship. Granted, it was probably the biggest gap, but if I believed in myself and committed to it, I would—

"Ooh, wait, this one might be a little tougher. For you." Jade clarified as she paced the branch we were positioned on, her head tilting this way and that. "I can make it, easy. But you, you're still new to this. You might really fall if you try it."

She backed up a little, requiring a running start, but she easily made the gap, both feet clearing the wooden railing on the ship to touch down atop the deck.

Up close, the airship was strange to look at. It looked just like a floating structure, but it could somehow move? Lenz had explained it was due to something something something Command Blocks. And since there were actual words to fill in those somethings, I can only assume my brain dumped that information into the 'I don't give a crap about it' pile.

Brain: Yeup. Right here next to the 'vital memories one must never forget' pile. Can't help but feel these two should be separated…

Anyway! How a solid structure could move was beyond my feeble redstone understanding.

And hopefully beyond Jade's as well.

I didn't think about it before, but everything was perfect for Jade. If we succeeded in breaking Floyd out, we'd have to go the same way we came in: The airship.

If Jade wanted to, she could take us both by surprise—knock us out while we were on the airship—then fly it back to Nitebane. We were practically gift-wrapping ourselves for her.

Alternatively, we could teleport away. We only had two ender pearls on hand in case of an emergency. Meaning one of us would get left behind. I didn't want that one person to be either me or Floyd.

Which left me really hoping Jade was honest or she would turn on us early. At least then, I wouldn't have to feel guilty about us teleporting away and leaving her to the Berserkers.

But… if she's really innocent, then…

"Okay, jump. I'll catch you!" Jade called out as she leaned over the railing, her hand held out as close to me as she could.

My eyes lighted up.

"Hey… uh… couldn't you pilot the airship? Just to move it a little closer to me! Then I can make the jump myself."

"What? No, you think I know how to fly this thing?" She half chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll catch you."

Okay, so she can't fly this to Nitebane… Unless she's lying.

I let out an internal groan at my conundrum. Maybe Jade had a point about my back and forth distrust of her.

"Cobb, hurry up—" Her eyes flashed in panic when the voices of the angry protestors below reached a crescendo. The doors had opened up, this late at night, and diamond-clad Crafters spilled from the headquarters, pushing the protestors aside.

"What's happening?" I called across, even though my eyes were focused below. If only Lenz was here. He could see this. Had they discovered us? Were they getting ready to attack?

"Um… I'm no expert," Jade replied nervously, "but I think the Berserkers are being called out to quell a fire."

"Really? How can you tell?" I asked as I looked up, only to pale. "Oh, Soul, Lenz, you didn't!"

Orange flames cut through the darkness, spreading amongst the wood and leaves of the adjacent tree and making the whole thing look like a torch. That was the bazaar, where Lenz had said they would go to barter for emeralds.

What the fuck did they do!? I brought my hands up to grip my head in abject horror. I was speechless. They weren't supposed to burn one of the trees! What were they thinking!?

"Cobb, this is our chance. Hurry and jump!" Jade snapped her fingers incessantly, jostling me from my shock. "The Berserkers have to put out that fire. This is the perfect distraction. Almost as if it was plan—" Her eyes lighted up a second later, sparkling like amethysts.

And now why is she looking at me with greater respect?

"Of course…" She whispered breathlessly, one hand brought up to her lips. "This must have been your plan all along. You timed it so meticulously that the fire would be visible by the time we got here. It's the perfect cover to catch the Berserkers on the back foot! Brilliant!"

Noooo! I mentally whined as I slapped a palm to my face. Not brilliant! I didn't plan this! A tree is on fire and people could be burning even now! Stop looking at me like that!

I wanted to say all that, but my mouth wasn't working properly on account of my brain still processing the horror before me. One of Jolin's trees was on fire because of what Lenz and Soul had done. And I knew it was Lenz and Soul because, really, what other Jolin citizen would light fires in an all wood Kingdom where they had heavy-handed legends warning about deforestation!

I'll tell you who! Lenz and Soul!

"Brilliant, Cobb!" Jade praised. "The Berserkers handle the fire—they have to. They're bound to help through the same law they're exploiting. But we should still hurry. They could be back anytime!"

She shook her arm again, reminding me on who we were waiting on, before I leaped across the final gap. Too short. Way too short. Jade had to lean forward over the side. My hands stretched as far as they could go, and I just barely caught Jade's hand.

"Hggg!" Her face screwed up from the strain as she supported my weight with just one arm. Her other was clutching the wooden railing tightly. I tried to help, affixing my foot to the side of the hull, desperately thrashing for a foothold or handhold. Anything to hold!

"I got you! Come on!" She huffed and puffed from the exertion. "Oof, you gotta hit the gym or something…"

"It's a work in progress, shut up!" Didn't she know precariously hanging off an airship was not the place to talk about physical fitness… or lack thereof.

My fingers dug between the paneling of the planks, finding an adequate hold so that I could help my green-haired companion. My feet still flailed fruitlessly below, the hull of the ship too smooth and rounded to latch onto.

"Okay… okay…" I winced as I looked for something to grab onto. Jade didn't rush me, but I could tell she couldn't hold me up much longer. "Okay, listen, we're going to swing me."

She could only nod, her eyes closed and mouth shut as she kept me from falling.

Using my handhold in the planks, I pulled myself up as high as I could, my legs held out to the left side. It alleviated some of the burden off of Jade, giving her a break for the amount of effort the swing would take. I looked up to the railing on the right side of me. I would have to shift my weight to complete the swing and get up there.

"On three, okay?"

"…Okay!"

"And not, one, two, three, go. I mean on three, so—"

"Herobrine! Just go on one!" Jade cursed.

"Alright! One!"

I let go of the paneling, Jade letting out a hiss as she bore my full weight once more, and I swung to the right. My outstretched foot hooked onto the railing awkwardly, twisting something in my ankle that elicited a pained cry, but holding firm. My other leg flailed before catching onto the railing as well, allowing me to hoist myself up. I could feel a bruise welling up as I put my body's full weight on my upper thigh, a place it was never meant to be.

Goddamnit, this railing is the greatest foe I've ever faced!

Finally, the railing showed mercy, allowing me to pull myself up. Jade had done the same and was currently rubbing her sore arm. I ate some porkchops and waited for my health to regen to fix my twisted ankle.

"Thanks." I offered to Jade. "How's your arm?" I added, feeling bad about her getting hurt holding my ass up.

"Nothing some porkchops won't fix." She answered cheerfully as she munched on her own. "I'm ready to go whenever you are."

"Well, if you're sure…" I got to my feet and gingerly put weight on my ankle, smiling when there was no pain. I also stomped down onto the deck of the airship, testing it. Solid. Just how was it supposed to move?

The airship was connected to Berserkers HQ via a gangplank. Am I using that word right? It was a thin piece of wood with railing on either side, and it led to a flat balcony we could enter the building from. Jade covertly checked the corners, signaling that all was clear. I swear she was an expert at this.

"Listen, Jade. If things go bad, I need to know if you can parkour out of here."

"Who do you think you're talking to?" She smiled cockily. "I can escape those bounty hunters with my eyes closed."

"Good." I nodded, reaching into my belt to show my only two ender pearls. "Because I have no idea what condition Floyd might be in and I doubt we'll have time for a crash course in parkour. These are our ticket out."

Making our way into the bowels of the headquarters, we hid around corners to avoid as many Berserkers as possible. Even though it was late and many Berserkers had been called to quell the fire, there were still a few awake. We had to proceed with caution. That is, until Jade's eyes lit up with an idea.

"Hey. Drink that Invisibility Potion of yours."

"Why?"

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe because you're the thousand emerald bounty in a base full of bounty hunters!" She oozed sarcasm with every word, making me feel stupid.

"What about you?"

"There's no way everyone here knows everyone. I'll just pretend to be a bounty hunter." She glanced to a set of double doors leading into an office and quickly slid them open, peeking inside.

"Jade!" I hissed as she slipped in for a moment before stripping a set of enchanted diamond armor off one of many armor stands lining the walls. I was more focused on the fish tank full of Guardians in the back. I could tell they were Guardians, even though it was my first time seeing one, based on Herobrine's description. What a stupid idea, though! Who would keep Mobs in a tank?

"Tadah!" Jade whispered as she emerged with her new diamond armor on, giving a little twirl. "Wow this is pretty good gear. Protection IV."

"So we're stealing now?"

"Not stealing. Requisitioning. We are using it to apprehend a criminal are we not? Desideratum says it's legal. I'm just getting into my disguise as a bounty hunter." She grinned cheekily. "Turnabout is fair play."

"Shouldn't we try to be above these scumbags?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying you don't want diamond gear?"

"…Check if they have Projectile Protection leggings."

After raiding whoever's office that was, I stripped off my armor and guzzled my Potion of Invisibility. Jade donned the diamond armor and looked every part the bounty hunter I prayed she wasn't. I held onto her shoulder, giving her permission to start moving and staying close to her so I wouldn't bump into anyone.

Her disguise worked perfectly. We passed a pair of bounty hunters who didn't even get suspicious of her. Jade sold it well by acting like she belonged there. (Which I hoped she didn't.) Though, one bounty hunter in particular ogled her legs as she passed, even wolf-whistling.

She hurried past, ignoring him. I accidentally kicked him, earning a chuckle from Jade.

It was when we got to a group of Berserkers looking out a window that Jade pressed me back, whispering for me to wait one moment. She sauntered forward, offering minor pleasantries to the bounty hunters.

"Those protestors still at it?" She effortlessly wove herself into the conversation, eliciting a chorus of commiserating groans. "When will they give it a rest? Don't they ever sleep?"

"Yeah, you said it." One Berserker laughed. "They don't even realize all their whining won't change a thing. The Review is in Alaqua's hands."

"Dahlia better do something about her." Another Berserker piped up. "We got a good thing going for us here. I don't want to lose that!"

"Relax. Brandr let slip the boss lady has a plan in the works. We're gonna be just fine." The third bounty hunter sipped at a Potion of Swiftness, reinvigorating himself. Were these people so rich they could drink potions as if they were cheap swill? Talk about wasteful.

"Does it have something to do with the… you-know-what in the basement?" Another whispered.

"The you-know-what?" Jade asked curiously.

"You don't know what the you-know-what is?"

"I… wasn't there." She replied slowly.

"Ah. Well, Dahlia brought in a Hacker of all things to help with this Review problem." My heart skipped a beat. That was Floyd! "She doesn't want that getting out, though. So keep quiet about it."

"Yeah, can you imagine?" One Berserker chuckled, glancing out the window. "If those protestors heard we had a Hacker in here, they would call for blood. More so than they already are. It could ruin our reputation."

"Then what's Dahlia thinking making a deal with him?"

As the group of Berserkers dissolved into discussion once more, Jade excused herself, meeting back up with me and leading me down the stairs.

"We have to get him out of here." I hissed into her ear.

"I know. If we keep going down, we'll find the basement." She whispered back, her eyes keeping forward. "Just be on the lookout for stairs."

I could barely focus, though. My mind was abuzz. The Berserkers knew what Floyd was and were keeping him anyway? For what? What was Dahlia's supposed plan for the Review?

And why did it send a shiver up my spine?

Down, down, down we went, passing Berserkers and colossal golden bear statues and banners and paintings until it devolved into dingy stone and dim lighting. Iron cells lined the hall on either side, though there weren't nearly as many as the Root Cellar. This place was never meant to be a prison. Just a temporary holding area for criminals. And it was deserted.

A meaty impact of flesh meeting flesh echoed down the hall of cells, followed by a pained groan and a peal of laughter.

My fist tightened on Jade's shoulder and pulled the rest of me forward as I dashed down the corridor. Jade called out a warning, but my hand was already pulling out Backlash.

The sounds were getting louder as I practically sprinted around the corner before throwing myself through a set of doors. They slammed into the two Berserkers standing guard, sending them to the floor and causing the remaining two Berserkers to whirl their heads towards me. They paused in their beating of a defenseless Floyd inside a cage. All they could see was a floating fishing rod.

My furious face remained invisible.

"CAST!" I screamed as I flicked Backlash, snagging the female by the neck and hauling her over to me so I could sink my fist into her stomach. She sputtered out painfully before the handle of my fishing rod crashed into her temple, sending her to the ground.

The other three Berserkers had caught on, by then, that something was wrong, and armed themselves. The one in the cage tried to step forward, but Floyd caught him by his arm, recovering to a standing position, and spun him around to deliver a solid punch to his face. As ragged as he was, he could still hold his own.

Jade came in next, the Berserkers at the door mistaking her for one of them and asking for assistance. She complied by striking their unprotected backs with her iron sword. It was a sloppy strike, but they were caught off guard.

As the woman who had been attacking Floyd tried to get back up, I kicked her leg out before grabbing her by the shoulders and dragging her to the cage. I brought her face into it before ramming my knee into her nose for good measure. I left her in an unconscious heap as I snagged another of the Berserkers facing Jade and pulled him over to do the same.

Yeah, I was mad.

They were beating him to a pulp.

Soul would have killed people, and I was seriously contemplating it, but first I had to ensure everyone's safety.

The newest Berserker only saw an invisible fishing rod as his opponent, so he blindly struck out, missing me by a mile. I spun and slammed Backlash against his throat. The Knockback Enchantment did the rest, hurling the man across the room and into the wall.

"Cobb! Sword!" Floyd shouted, correctly identifying me. Whether I was visible or not, he knew only one person would wield a fishing rod in battle.

Catching his words, I brought out my iron sword and tossed it to him. His Inventory must have been stripped. He caught the sword deftly and swung it to meet the Berserker's own. The two scraped against one another in a momentary battle of strength before Floyd had his legs swept out from beneath him. He raised his sword the next second to block a savage follow-up.

Meanwhile, the Berserker I had flung into the wall was recovering and Jade was getting pushed back by the last one. That changed when the hook of Backlash fastened itself into the Berserker's sleeve. I pulled hard, holding the sword arm back and giving Jade the opportunity to lash out against his side. The sword bit deep, but these guys had diamond armor. It would take more damage than that to keep them down.

Clenching my teeth, I pulled Backlash with all my strength and managed to lift the Berserker off his feet before using him as a flail to strike the Berserker on the wall. Both crashed into the floor with a pitiable groan.

My invisibility finally wore off, revealing me to everyone. The Berserker still fighting Floyd gasped at the sight, getting distracted enough for Floyd to slam the pommel of his sword into his throat. He choked for air and Floyd stepped into his guard, striking out with quick stabs and ending with an elbow to the face that sent him spinning into the iron bars, hitting them with a dull clang.

Floyd panted for breath before turning around and aiming his sword at the last visible threat.

"Whoa, wait, wait! Hold on!" Jade waved her arms. "I'm a friend! I'm on your side!"

Floyd squinted his eyes as if doubting it, and I could understand his suspicion. This was the first of him seeing Jade and the woman was wearing diamond armor like the rest of the Berserkers. Hell, I wasn't even fully convinced she was on our side.

But I stepped forward anyway, placing my hand on Floyd's sword and lowering it. "Easy. She's with us. For now." I added under my breath so that only Floyd could hear. He shot me a confused look. "Later." I explained. Now really wasn't the time.

Floyd accepted my words for what they were, keeping the sword at his side, but not quite sheathing it at his belt either. He was wary.

"Hi. I'm Jade." She waved awkwardly. "I'm a hard worker with excellent interpersonal skills. I'm also a parkour prodigy."

"What is this? A resume?" Floyd asked to which I averted my eyes.

"I'm a new candidate for the Beginners!"

"It's more of a trial period." I dismissed with a wave. "Anyway, let's get out of here before these guys wake up." I gestured to the unconscious Berserkers. "Can you walk, Floyd?"

"I'm fine. They just roughed me up a bit." That was putting it lightly. I was surprised he didn't have any broken bones. "I just need some food and armor. I don't want to go through this place unprotected. Are Soul and Lenz here too?"

"No, they're being more of a distraction."

"What kind of a distraction?"

"Nothing… major." I replied evasively while sliding him some porkchops and my iron leggings. I donned my own armor, figuring it might be a battle getting out. Jade was already glancing down the corridor, checking for enemies. "Ready?"

His nod was the signal for us to leave. Floyd was kept at the back, being the most injured and vulnerable. Jade was the forward scout and I was in the middle, ready to support either end with Backlash.

We exited the basement without any resistance. The place was empty. But as we got off the stairs and onto the first floor lobby…

"What the—HEY! The Hacker's loose!" We were immediately spotted; our mansel's blue hair hard to miss.

Berserkers started converging on us, cutting off our path and outnumbering us ten to one. Worse, they had potions with them. They were ready for Floyd.

The ones in the back fired arrows, forcing me to cover Floyd by turning around and raising my butt in the air. It sounded stupid, but my leggings were the only thing with Projectile Protection. And protect me they did. The arrows bouncing off my diamond booty without a scratch.

"The only way out is parkour." Jade offered as she eyed a golden bear statue that towered over the lobby. "There!" She immediately sprung onto it, finding handholds and footholds with ease as she ascended the ursine decoration. Berserkers tried to shoot at her, but she was swinging out of the way, not staying in one place for very long.

"Yeah, I can't do that yet." I deadpanned before taking cover behind the statue's legs with Floyd.

"How is she climbing like that?" Floyd asked, impressed.

"Parkour." I said as way of explanation before noticing Jade had climbed to the head of the bear statue. A stream of water, courtesy of her bucket, trickled down as a means for us to follow. "You first."

I gave Floyd a boost before he began to swim up the waterfall. He was covered by the bear statue, but I took out some Berserkers by snagging them with Backlash or bobbering them into annoyance. I used what little Jade had taught me about parkour to get to the bear's ankles before starting to swim up myself.

The Berserkers flanked the statue, barking commands and shooting me, but my legs tanked the hits, affording me minimal damage.

At the railing of the second floor, Floyd and Jade pulled me up before Jade bucketed the water. Then, we were off running.

"Shouldn't we have gotten out through the front door?" Floyd asked as we cut through a pair of Berserkers blocking our way.

"Not with the thousand angry protesters out there!" I shouted as I flung a Berserker into the far wall. "Keep moving! We can escape through the roof with these." I tapped the ender pearls at my belt, earning a smile from Floyd.

"You really thought everything through."

It was funny how much I didn't.

"Of course." Jade gushed. "He's a genius strategist."

It was funny how I really wasn't.

On the stairwell to the third floor, we met three Berserkers with splash potions. They were obviously waiting for us, knowing we couldn't evade the potions in such a narrow space. If we climbed the steps, we would get paralyzed. But stopping wasn't an option either. There was a mob of Berserkers chasing us.

"Guess I'll blow it now." Floyd allowed before he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When they opened again, the sclerae were black.

Jade recoiled in fear, but I was calmer as dark smoke started churning from his eyes, enveloping his very being. He was gone in a blink and a rush of wind. Splash potions fell with startled cries from the Berserkers, but Floyd was just too fast. Berserkers rained down from the stairwells, having been knocked down by the blue-nette. They even hit themselves with their own Paralysis.

Trusting Floyd to cover us for the thirty seconds of Speed he had, I dragged Jade by her arm, snapping her out of her fear.

"Calm down. He's our ally, remember?" I comforted her.

"I… y-you're right…" It was clearly a struggle for her to accept that a Hacker wouldn't hurt her. She made an effort to smile, though. "I trust your trust in him."

And wasn't that a roundabout way of saying she didn't quite trust him. But then again, who wouldn't. This was her first meeting of him too, after all. And didn't I not trust her in the same way?

That brought concerns, however. After the thirty seconds, Floyd would be helpless. He was taking a risk blowing his ace early. And we were escaping to the roof where an airship was waiting.

All Jade would have to do was knock me out and take the airship to Nitebane.

Her moment of truth was coming. I had to be ready for it.

As we ascended the stairs, more Berserkers showed up, aiming bows down at us. Though they were all mysteriously knocked aside by a blue-haired speedster in a trail of dark smoke. I had a feeling Floyd was running around us, constantly stopping threats and shielding us from the worse. I trusted those feelings as I ran up those stairs without fear. I committed to it and was rewarded as our foes were dealt with in a blur of movement.

When we reached the top of the stairwell, Jade tore free her bucket of lava and poured it over the stairs. It flowed down, a mass of molten death, blocking the stairs and ensuring we wouldn't be pursued for a little while.

It was a good thing, too, because Floyd suddenly appeared before us before falling limp onto the floor. The smoke evaporated from his body and his eyes returned to normal. I don't think he killed any Berserkers, but his thirty seconds were up.

"What's wrong with him?" Jade asked, but I simply hauled Floyd over one shoulder in a fireman's carry before soldiering on.

"Sorry…" Floyd mumbled, exhausted.

"It's fine. We're nearly out." We were just approaching the double doors Jade had picked up the diamond armor. The balcony the airship was on was just one more floor up.

However, from around the corner of the hallway, a flaming-haired brute of a man showed up, clad in diamond armor and wielding an enchanted diamond sword. Behind him were ten Berserkers and beside him was a lavender-haired woman with twin-tails.

"Brandr and Dahlia." Floyd hissed from my shoulder.

We stopped in our tracks. Hadn't Brandr been the one Soul had lost to earlier? And Dahlia. She was the one in charge of the Berserkers, the one supporting Desideratum and giving Jolin a hard time.

I gulped. They were probably strong.

"Ha!" Brandr boasted. "Looks like I was right to let Ciro investigate the fire. It was a distraction, wasn't it? To free your Hacker pal?"

"Though it doesn't look like he's in any condition to fight now." Dahlia noted with a smile, her eyes sliding to Floyd's immobile form on my shoulders. "Still, he has my thanks for drawing you out. We've been expecting you, King_Cobb."

Shit. This is bad. I slowly backed up, but Jade pressed into my back with a gasp. I could see why. Fifteen more Berserkers had blocked our retreat. We were cornered.

"I have a proposal for you, Cobb." Dahlia continued, taking an imposing step forward. "One that will benefit both of us."

"Don't listen to a single word she says!" Floyd shouted, which wasn't really necessary, his face was right next to my ear. Ow.

"Oh, but he should listen to my offer. It's the kind one shouldn't refuse." She gestured to the double doors on her left, our right. "Perhaps we can discuss this more in my office?"

It wasn't a request as the Berserkers closed in on both sides. Jade pressed closer to me, and for once, I actually feared what might happen to her. We may have been worth something as bounties, but she was worth nothing to them. That made her vulnerable as leverage. I couldn't risk her life by angering Dahlia, even if her credibility was still in question.

"What do you want?" I growled as we backed away into Dahlia's office—the only place we could go. I held my fishing rod before me, trying to buy time for Floyd to recover his Hacker powers. Lenz had tested his cooldown time, but it had no constant, fluctuating in a way no one could predict. Sometimes, he had been out of it for a full day!

"What I want," Dahlia began as she took another step forward, "can be summed up by that sign above my chair."

"Jade?" I asked, not trusting to take my eyes off any of them. I heard her open the double doors and read:

"I-in Desideratum we trust."

"Exactly. We trust in Desideratum. We enjoy Desideratum. We need Desideratum." Dahlia emphasized as she stalked forward. "Without it, our way of life in Jolin would disappear."

"Cobb." Floyd whispered. "Just drop me and run. I'm dead weight—"

"I'm not leaving anyone behind." I hissed back, causing Jade to fix her purple eyes on mine. "Not anyone." I assured, reaching back to grip her hand.

Come on, Brain! Think! Think of a way out of this!

Brain: Hmm? Whazzat? Oh, sorry, I was too preoccupied thinking how stupid an idea that is.

What? Dahlia hasn't even told us her idea.

Brain: Not that, you nimrod! That tank. With the Guardians swimming around.

My eyes flitted to the tank.

Brain: I mean, seriously, what is she a Bond villain?

Who's… oh, never mind. Normal Sense. I ignored my brain before, suddenly, inspiration flared. Brain, you're a friggen genius!

Heart: But he didn't give you any ideas.

Brain: Hey, shut up. He's praising me.

As Dahlia and the Berserkers closed in on both sides, I struck out a leg, kicking one of the double doors repeatedly before breaking it. Jade noticed and did the same to the other one, though she had no idea what I was planning.

"I offered Floyd the chance to help us with our Desideratum problem, but he stubbornly refused." Dahlia continued, unaware of what we were doing. She smiled. "Hopefully, you won't be as close-minded. Will you, Cobb?"

We backed further into the office, the Berserkers crowding around the door to pen us in. This was it. Now or never.

I flashed a smile of my own. "Please. Where do you think he got that stubbornness from?"

My hand dove into my belt, pulling out an iron pickaxe and hurling it. Dahlia and the Berserkers raised their arms to guard, but it was never aimed at them.

It was aimed at the Guardian tank.

The spinning pick shattered a hole in the glass, and like a dam bursting, all the water and Guardians being held back flooded the office. Jade and Floyd let out a yelp, but so did Dahlia as we were all borne along by the draining tank.

The water flowed out into the corridor, splashing the Berserkers and causing them to slip. But that was the least of their worries. Something sharp and squirming scraped across my tunic before floundering onto a Berserker… and shooting a laser beam right into their face.

Guardians. Not just one, but twenty. I had only seen the two, but they must have been hiding. The tank had been the whole back wall, so it wasn't unreasonable that it was filled with the aquatic Mobs. They had just been biding their time, waiting for a moment to escape and strike out against their capturers.

Brandr sputtered as his diamond sword flashed out to kill one, but he was soon targeted by the lasers. The other Berserkers were struggling between standing up, and fighting off the Mobs that had no trouble moving around the half-flooded office.

Through it all, my hand was still wrapped around Jade's. Floyd sputtered from my shoulders as he coughed up water and we all resurfaced. I lost my pick, but pulled out Backlash again as we tromped through the water as fast as we could.

"Get—agh! Get them!" Dahlia sputtered as she tried to wade after us, only for a Guardian to ram her back.

One Berserker reached out, splash potion at the ready, but I quickly flicked Backlash, snagging something it was actually meant to snag.

"Mob Flail!" I shouted, casting the Guardian at the struggling bounty hunter. With its spikes, it was probably the closest I'd get to an actual flail. That fact was not lost on me as the Berserker fell back with a shriek, freeing us up to escape.

We got into the corridor and Jade let go of my hand so she could run ahead as a scout. I was slower anyway, what with carting Floyd around.

The Berserkers were still recovering when we reached the stairwell of the fourth floor. At that point, Jade turned to grin wildly at me. "That. Was. Incredible! I can't believe you got us out of that!"

"That makes two of us." Floyd offered cynically from my shoulders, albeit with a smile.

"Hey, I have good ideas sometimes." I defended.

"Maybe once in a blue moon."

"Hey, get off my back!"

"Drop me and I will." He joked. As if I would. He was still unmoving. "Are we almost out?"

"Yes!" Jade cheered as she pointed out the balcony. "Home free!"

Cool night air greeted us as we rushed out of Berserkers HQ and onto the airship. Jade hung back, checking for any pursuers, and I eagerly wrenched the ender pearls free. Jade could parkour across and I could teleport with a simple throw. Floyd might be a problem since he couldn't move, but maybe if I placed the pearl in his hand and threw it for him, it would—

"Cobb! Look out!"

My mind was blank as I realized my mistake. Floyd's warning should have never been a warning at all.

I had taken my eyes off of Jade at the most critical moment.

She had hung back. The two bounties she was after were on the airship. One of us couldn't move. And I had presented my back to her. So lost in our triumphant near-escape that I forgot the obvious.

She was never our ally, she was an enemy.

Even though I knew I couldn't stop whatever attack was coming, I spun around anyway, just so I could look Jade in the eye as she stabbed me in the back. I wanted to see her traitorous eyes for myself. I wanted the confirmation that everything she had done was all an act meant to lower my guard. I wanted to see the satisfaction of a job well done.

She was still standing by the gangplank, her eyes wide and hands empty.

"No, your left!"

A sword struck me from the left. Its owner had been in the blind spot formed from carrying Floyd over my shoulders. He must have been in the airship's cabin, only to emerge at the worst possible moment. The critical moment.

The moment I heard about an enemy and my mind jumped to Jade. The moment I turned to face her when I should have been looking elsewhere.

I screwed up.

The sword knocked me to the railing, causing Floyd to fall off and slam into the deck. Worse, my left arm was knocked aside, the pair of ender pearls slipping between the railing and falling away like sunken stones. They weren't even thrown.

I shouted in frustration as I batted the sneaky Berserker away with Backlash, but it could never fix my screw-up. Our one foolproof escape plan just went out the window.

More Berserkers started pouring from the ship's cabin, all clad in diamond and armed to the teeth. Jade closed in, trying to fight off the nearest bounty hunter. She wasn't as skilled as them, her enchanted armor being the only thing keeping her alive.

Ugh! I should have never doubted Jade! After all she did to help, I should have known she wasn't hiding anything!

I rushed to Jade's side and blocked an overhead Critical Hit with my iron helmet. It weakened the durability considerably, but allowed Jade to sneak a hit under the attacker's armpit.

"Cobb! Oof!" Near the railing, Floyd let out a panicked shout before a Berserker grabbed his head and forced it into the deck. Once, twice, thrice, until he lost consciousness.

"NO!" I rushed over to help, only for a flying kick to catch me in the side, causing my back to slam into the railing and nearly topple over.

"Cobb!" Jade cried out before two Berserkers double teamed her and sent her into the railing as well. Her armor was holding up, but we were outnumbered six to one.

"Jade! Just go!" I shouted while ducking under a sword and jabbing Backlash into the nearest face. "You can parkour away! Find the others!"

"What happened to nobody gets left behind!?" She argued as she waved her sword with one hand to keep the enemies away. Then, with her free hand, she withdrew the bucket of water and dumped it over the side. "I swear, I get us out of this, you better make me a Beginner!"

I laughed at the idea, thinking it was hopeless. Hell, she already deserved to be a Beginner for sticking with my stupid plans. What had I been thinking breaking into Berserker HQ?

And I spent so much time distrusting Jade, I never got the chance to truly know her. Maybe she could have been a good friend if I hadn't been so cautious.

Well no more. If she got us out, I would put all that behind me. I would trust her as a comrade. I would welcome her into my World.

With our last hope being the flowing waterfall at our backs, I flicked Backlash and snagged the unconscious blue-nette being carried away. A Berserker capitalized on my preoccupation, slashing at my head and shattering my iron helmet along with a good chunk of my Health. I was left dazed, my head spinning when Floyd's body came barreling into me from the force of my own tug. We both went over the side.

There was a feminine cry. The trees were spinning. Wind buffeted my hair. My fingers were fastened into Floyd's sweater.

I saw the ground approach, felt myself move through something cold and wet…

And then nothing.

---

"…obb… Cob...!"

Something was shaking me gently.

"…ake up… ease…" The voice pleaded. It sounded distant and muffled.

Sense crept back into my fingers as they felt around, brushing against bark. My eyes fluttered open next at the voice's insistence.

There was a shrill gasp before someone helped me into a sitting position. "Easy, easy. You're alright. Floyd, he's up!"

My hearing improved, recognizing Jade's voice in an instant. I rubbed my head, feeling a headache coming on. A head of blue hair was by my side immediately, checking me over to see if I was concussed.

"Agh… what happened? Whoa!" Jade instantly rushed in to hug me. "Jade? Where are we?"

"We did it." She smiled brightly, tightening her hold. "We did it! We fucking did it!"

"Did what? You don't mean…?" She pushed off my chest to nod rapidly, flashing a misty smile, before going back in for another hug. "We got away!?"

I only had to take in my surroundings to verify. We weren't on an airship, or locked inside Berserkers HQ. We were free, not a Berserker in sight, back in the Root District. It was the section beneath the Berserkers' tree—we must have fallen all the way down—but that didn't explain how we survived.

Unless… the wet sensation must have been me passing through the water. I realized, remembering the bucket Jade had poured. She must have gathered it back up before jumping herself and used the water to cushion herself just like we did.

"But… what happened to the Berserkers?" I asked, half in relief and half in confusion. Surely one of them would have been quick enough to land in the same water, or better yet use an ender pearl to catch up with us. So why didn't they pursue?

I looked to Floyd for answers, but it was Jade who beat him to it.

"You both were knocked out after that fall." She explained with concern in her eyes. "Considering you were holding on to Floyd, I was amazed you angled yourself enough to hit the water!"

I had been so dazed and out of it at the time. I didn't even remember thinking about the water. I guess I just subconsciously wanted to live, so my body did the work for me.

"And the Berserkers…?"

"I… actually don't know." Jade admitted, glancing worriedly up the same tree the Berserkers were situated on. "I blocked the water as fast as I could and readied my sword to try and fight them off, but… none of them tried to jump down. Maybe they were afraid they'd miss? It was a pretty long drop. Nothing for a parkour master, mind you, but still…"

Was that it? They were scared? I turned to Floyd for confirmation, but he just shrugged. "Hey, I was knocked out too. Though, I woke up first. My cooldown ended shortly after." He demonstrated by swinging one of his arms and then stretching them. His eyes strayed to Berserker HQ above. "We were out for a while, it's already dawn."

He was right. There was no brilliant sunlight of dawn, but that was only because we were in the dark Root District—the foliage above blocking most natural light. Some filtered down, appearing as orange and gold cracks amongst dense green, but the cool shade covered us like a blanket. We were also behind some thick roots that bridged out of the dirt. Jade had probably dragged us to safety while we were out.

We… had really made it.

"Holy crap…"

"I know, right!?" Jade laughed. "We broke into the Headquarters of one of the three major guilds… and escaped!" She could hardly believe it. "For a second, on that airship, I-I thought… I thought we would…" She trailed off meaningfully, but I got the message.

It had certainly been a close call. I wasn't even sure if they were trying to catch us alive by that point. We had already rejected whatever offer Dahlia had, and letting a Hacker go would have been the last thing on their mind.

But that was all behind us. We made it. We rescued the mansel and escaped by the skin of our teeth. And most importantly…

Jade was in the middle of babbling when I finally returned the hug, bundling her up in my arms and causing her to blush and go still. "C-Cobb?"

Jade had stuck with us through it all. Even when she could have saved her own skin, she stayed. She fought. She covered for us. She contributed in ways that helped facilitate our escape. And most importantly…

She proved herself.

"Welcome to the Beginners."

Jade's already wide eyes doubled in size. Her lip trembled as she tilted her head to regard me.

"W-What?" She asked, the tone of her voice rising to match her hopes. "Say it again, p-please." She said as if she couldn't believe her ears.

"You said if you got us out of that, I'd make you a Beginner." I reminded her with a reassuring nod. "And I'd say you earned your spot. And once the others see Floyd returned safely, they'll be sure to give glowing praises for your trial period."

"I'm really… I'm really one of you?" She asked, encouraged by my congratulations. "You won't take it back? I'm a Beginner?"

"Yes!" I practically yelled, smiling at how happy she looked. "You're stuck with us now! No getting out anytime soon."

Jade flashed the biggest smile I had ever seen and hugged me tighter to her. "Thank you, thank you! I won't let you down! I promise! I'll—"

"Hey, not to ruin the moment or anything, but we should probably continue this somewhere safer." Floyd advised, gesturing to his unarmored self. "I don't want any guards or Berserkers deciding to show up when I'm practically naked."

"Oh, right, right! Don't worry, guildmate!" Jade stressed with a smile as if relishing the new title. "We got a safehouse to lay low for a while. It's close, so we should be able to make it back before noon. Then we can think about sneaking out of Jolin."

"Yeah…" Floyd replied slowly before turning to me. "Hey, are you good to walk or do you need a bit of a breather?"

"I'm okay." I said, taking a step forward—only to clutch my head and stumble. Stupid headache. "Ugh, actually I could use a minute. That one guy hit my head hard."

"Looks like you could use a new helmet too." Floyd noted before turning around to go. "Come on… Jade was it? Let's go scout ahead so we don't run across any enemies."

"Can't you do that by yourself?" I asked curiously.

"I'd prefer a second set of eyes." Floyd replied.

"You got it, guildmate!" Jade jumped to attention before following Floyd around the thick root.

I sat back, leaning against the root, while munching on the last of my food to fix my migraine. My eyes strayed to the Berserkers' tree where we had fallen from. Against all odds, we'd survived them.

And better yet, our guild was one member stronger.

---

[Floyd]

I waited until we were a good distance away. I wasn't even looking for threats, since there was something else that needed my full attention.

I turned to the latest random Crafter that had just popped into our lives and fixed her with a stern glare.

"What really happened back there?"

Jade blinked back, the question catching her off guard before her face morphed into one of confusion. "Back where…?"

"How did we escape?" I pressed on, all the while watching her eyes carefully. They betrayed nothing.

"What… I just told you how. You guys fell down and—"

"What really happened to the Berserkers?" I went straight to the point, causing her to reel back. Cobb may have bought her excuse about 'not knowing what could have happened,' but that was only because he didn't know better.

I did.

I had been caught by those bounty hunters. I had to endure their hatred for what I was. I got to see their paranoia firsthand. They had all known I was a Hacker, and they would have never let me go if they could help it. Because they believed, incorrectly, that I was a brother of the Hack Clan. They reasoned that if I ever got away, I would lead their whole guild to ruin by telling my fellow Hackers. The Berserkers knew if I ever escaped, they would have to face a bloody retribution the likes of which nobody could have been prepared for.

So to hear that they just let me go…?

It didn't make sense. They would risk the wrath of Hackers rather than a simple fall? No. Just no. Something else was at work, and Jade had been the only one awake at the time. So…

"What really happened?" I repeated, advancing on the bewildered woman.

"Floyd…" Jade spoke slowly, shaking her head and eyeing me fearfully. "I told you everything that happened. I'm just as confused as you as to why they didn't follow, but I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth."

A small part of my mind told me her fear was justified because she knew I was a Hacker, but I threw aside caution as I took a hold of her. She tried to move away, but I held firm.

"You're telling me nothing else happened while we were knocked out?" I questioned, to which she shook her head. "Dahlia didn't call them all back, or someone else didn't occupy their attention. They just chose not to follow?"

"Yes." She nodded along. "I… I don't know why. But… but I'm glad, because if they had followed while you two were knocked out… well…" She glanced aside, closing her eyes before exhaling. "If they really followed, it would have been a massacre."

Silence stretched by as I observed her face. Slowly, I let her slip free from my grasp. She was right. How many Berserkers would have been chasing us? We were swarmed on that airship, and surely more would have shown up. Maybe I was just being paranoid. The Berserkers might not have jumped down for any number of reasons. Maybe they didn't feel comfortable fighting outside their base, where enemies could have been lying in ambush. Hunder still thought we were cultists. Maybe they were worried about facing a supposed Executive and Lieutenant with possible backup.

It would have been foolish to send troops into an unknown situation. Better to play it safe, right.

Still… just letting a Hacker go…?

I would make them regret that. But not in the way they would think.

I'd have to talk with Cobb and the others about it—I guess that included Jade now—but that was for later.

I stepped away from Jade, watching sullenly as she kept her distance. I was, after all, still a Hacker.

"Sorry," I apologized, "I just… you'd tell us if there was something else, right?"

"Of course, Floyd." Jade replied evenly. "If there was anything else—anything at all—my guild would be the first to know."

---

'You need to pick something and commit to it, no matter what happens to make you think otherwise. If you can't stand by your choices when they go wrong, then you didn't have much conviction to begin with!'

The two bodies fell to the roots below. Brown hair and blue hair. They crossed the flow of water, stopping their momentum, cushioning their fall. Their lives had been spared.

Jade landed next, the water cushioning her as it did them.

She tried to block off the water, but it was too late.

The Berserkers were already there. Either pulling out ender pearls, landing in the water, or even taking advantage of Feather Falling boots stolen through Desideratum. They all landed, brandishing weapons and advancing on the trio. Brown, blue, and green.

Commit…

Someone had to fight them off.

Commit…

Someone had to protect them.

Commit…

Taking a moment to ensure her two allies were truly knocked out, the green-haired woman reached into her backpack and withdrew an ender chest. She slammed it into the surface of the roots they were standing upon, shocking the enemies into stopping.

She opened it with a click, reached inside…

And withdrew a diamond cutlass.

Her expression darkened as she flicked her favored weapon to the side before moving it before her. The curved blade reflected purple eyes and caused all the Berserkers present to become wary of the latest development.

With barely a whisper, she darted forward to the nearest enemy and lashed out with a lightning-fast slash across their neck. White stars erupted off the blade's edge in a wide crescent as it descended. The struck Berserker grabbed their throat in pain, foolishly dropping their weapon.

The green-haired woman took advantage.

Dozens of crescent swipes flew from her cutlass, slicing into the feeble Berserker's guard and cutting it apart, piece by piece. Within a few moments, the only thing impressive about the man was the impressive pile of diamond gear he left behind. His Head clattered to the ground unblinking.

Shouts were heard as the other Berserkers distanced themselves from this grossly underestimated threat.

This was not the same woman who was an amateur in sword-fighting prior.

Jade stalked forward, her leg sweeping out to nudge Cobb's unconscious body behind her as she took a stance. Her intent was clear as she glared at the remaining bounty hunters.

There was a beat of silence before the fighting began anew. Twenty Berserkers charged the green-haired Crafter, who darted between leaves and around roots like it was second nature. Where others saw obstacles, she saw opportunities. She made use of the terrain to outmaneuver her opponents before finding blind spots to exploit. Her blade always erupted in white stars when she struck, the crescent slashes of her cutlass inflicting more damage than her paltry iron sword had done.

It felt good to finally use her prized weapon.

And it was only because the others were unconscious. If Cobb or the Beginners ever knew how skilled she was, she would never hear the end of it. They would throw her at all their enemies, just like her other guilds had. Their friendship wouldn't have been genuine, only a façade to keep her happy while she served as their trump card. Willingly accepting tougher missions for more pay, just so she could do them. She didn't want all that pressure on her. She just wanted to be like everyone else.

And of course, his guild only had four people. Five if she joined, and she wanted to join, but not if it meant them all rallying behind her. She needed a guild of equals. A guild of peers.

She was hoping to avoid showing off. But they had forced her hand.

She had to commit.

Or else risk everything.

She wanted this guild to work.

She needed this guild to work.

And she'd have it work, even if she had to be called a stalker.

Again and again her blade struck, the Berserkers' feeble offense not doing much against the enchanted diamond armor she had procured from Dahlia's office. Even better, they all relied on their gear too much. Cobb may have been an amateur, but even he could make some of the jumps and climbs these Berserkers failed to take advantage of.

They were glut on the spoils of Desideratum.

It was when twenty enemies became five that they finally started to realize how outmatched they were. They were blindsided. One moment they were chasing injured criminals, the next they were the ones being chased. And killed.

It was like she told Cobb. You had to commit to a task to get it done right.

They tried to surrender or flee, but she couldn't have that. Cobb would disapprove, but none of them could share what they had seen. They would expose her skills to the guild she was trying so hard to be a part of.

None of them could be allowed to live.

She darted after them, making sure Cobb and the other one were safe before doing so, and she slayed them all.

Piles of gear and Heads were strewn about. Jade carefully picked them all up, earning a few levels of EXP for her troubles, and swept them into a neat little hole. As suitable a grave as any for leeches who preyed upon Jolin's people. She had no sympathy for them.

Cobb was the worthy one. He had infiltrated their base with a pittance of soldiers—not even aware of the combat prowess Jade possessed—and nearly managed an escape. He had fought against Hackers, befriended one even. He had stood against the cult. He was unlike anything Minecraftia had ever seen before.

He just needed a… helping hand.

Jade returned to the two unconscious Crafters and breathed a sigh of relief that they were, indeed, still unconscious. She took a moment to rub the handle of her cutlass one last time before depositing it back into the ender chest and splintering it apart into obsidian. She couldn't have Cobb asking questions as to why an amateur combatant has an Exter exclusive weapon.

She dragged the boys to a secluded spot between some roots, realizing that there were still signs of combat that she couldn't completely erase. She laid them both down gently, taking extra care with the helmetless Cobb. They would wake up on their own, presumably with a lot of questions and only her to answer them.

"Now…" she spoke to herself, "to get my story straight…"

---

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III], 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, 1 Water Bucket, 9 String, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green, Mending I, Unbreaking I], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 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): 1 Iron Sword, 1 Iron Leggings

[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, 44 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 Diamond Helmet [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Boots [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Bed, 1 Furnace, 1 Anvil, 35 Torches, 1 Splash Potion of Strength II {1:07}, 1 Splash Potion of Swiftness {1:07}, 1 Splash Potion of Invisibility {2:15}, 1 Splash Potion of Fire Resistance {2:15}, 37 Dirt, 64 Cobblestone, 34 Cobblestone, 50 Coal, 38 Jungle Wood Planks, 48 Emeralds, 55 Steak, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Jolin Entry Pass}, {Ringwood Entry Pass}

[EXP: 48]

Inventory (Jade): 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV], 1 Iron Sword, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 25 Baked Potatoes, 23 Cooked Porkchops, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 24 Coal, 36 Torches, 38 Jungle Wood Planks, 64 Cobblestone, 29 Cobblestone, 16 Obsidian, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Bucket, 1 Compass, 1 Clock, 17 Emeralds, 1 Ender Chest, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Jolin Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Dover Plains}, 1 Paper {Lazuli Entry Pass}

[EXP: 25]

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: A new Tinker's weapon has appeared! The Cutlass! Every hit with it is a Critical Hit, which is to say that none of them are Critical Hits.

Also, Floyd's free. Yay! And the Beginners just got a new member! Somebody better crank out those membership cards.

Jade's loyalty is no longer in question... or is it?

Leave a review, fav, follow, PM, whatever floats your airship.