AN: Can't think of anything to say here.

Uh...

Go?

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I haven't written it once, I've written it over a hundred times.

Chapter 112

Beginners vs Berserkers

[Cobb]

The plan was ruined.

Nowhere in the plan were we supposed to fall through the ceiling in the middle of the peace talks, when the other councilmen were turning on Dahlia. But Ciro and his boom-bow had other plans, and now that we were out in the open, the plan was out the window… which would have also been a great escape plan—out the window—had the Brambles had any windows to speak of!

Jade and I got to our feet instantly, standing atop the table and seeing the councilmen, Berserkers, and Captain from an elevated vantage point. Though Captain Enyeto cut such a towering frame that he was about at eye level with me. His gaze scowled as he recognized us.

"King_Cobb!" He shouted instantly, his sword already off his belt and pointed at me. "You got a lot of nerve breaking in here!"

The other councilmen, recognizing both my face and name, quickly figured they were in danger and pushed themselves out of their seats, their voices rising in alarm and fear.

"Run! That man's a cultist!"

"I heard he bested a pair of Captains from Ringwood and Daymonte!"

"Don't be deceived by his stupid face! He's a killer!"

"My face is not stupid!" I protested, trying to call out the one asshole in a group that always felt the need to criticize my looks. "But that's not the point! We're not here to hurt anybody. Dahlia's the one who—!"

"Dahlia, protect us!" The councilmen pleaded, their criticisms over Floyd's escape from her custody forgotten in lieu of this new danger. In fact, more councilmen flocked to her than to Enyeto. The King among them. Only Princess Alaqua moved to the Captain's side.

"Everyone calm yourselves." Dahlia called over the din, Ciro sidling up beside her. "There are only three intruders. Nothing the Berserkers cannot handle." She boasted before sweeping her arms out. "Stay behind us. We'll keep you safe."

"Of course. We'll… Alaqua, Enyeto! Hurry over here!" King Ahote commanded, only for the Princess to shake her head.

"I can protect myself! And even if I couldn't, I feel safer with him than her!"

"Damnit, Alaqua, now is not the time for petty—"

"Cobbert!" Lenz hissed, pointing to Ciro. I whirled around to spot the bounty hunter subtly notching an arrow before letting it go with a quick, silent shot.

Nobody noticed him fire it at the wall, but nobody missed the explosion that rocked the Brambles.

"What is… TNT!?" The King guessed wrongly.

"It must be the other intruders!" Dahlia was the first to assign blame. "They must be cultists working with Cobb!"

"Stop making up crap!" I took an angry step towards the guild-leader, only to be stopped when Ciro pointed an arrow at my chest.

The Captain surged forward in an instant, launching himself at Jade, who couldn't hope to match him in strength. Lenz notched his own bow, but looked unsure whether to strike at Ciro or Enyeto.

Everything was a mess, and Dahlia was benefitting from it, if her smirking eyes were any indication. And just when we had the others questioning her.

"ASSASSIN!" A cry rang that chilled my bones.

From out of the hole Ciro blasted in the wall of leaves, a masked Crafter wielding an enchanted diamond blade emerged before darting quickly to the side. Not towards the councilmen and King…

But towards the Princess!

"STOP!" I screamed, whipping out Backlash only for the assassin to duck beneath it. He picked up speed, the sword flashing out.

Captain Enyeto turned from a wounded Jade, his eyes wide with panic as the assassin neared Alaqua. I could tell Dahlia was grinning behind me, her plan finally coming to fruition.

And the Princess. The Princess could do nothing, with no weapon, as the assassin's blade neared her neck. All she could do was tilt her body, using her leg as a pivot, as she grabbed the assassin's wrist and neck and—

Hold on, what?

Next thing I knew, Alaqua was slamming the assassin into the floor, her hair disheveled from the dodge, but otherwise perfectly fine. She then twisted the assassin's wrist, causing him to wince and drop the weapon. The fluidity of the actions spoke of training in self-defense. Had Enyeto taught her that? The two had been talking about training back in the Root Cellar.

It came as a surprise to Dahlia as well, if her rapidly paling face was anything to go by. The Princess kicked the sword far away and the guild-leader's eyes followed it before she growled something into Ciro's ear.

Enyeto turned on a dime, hurrying over to Alaqua and the masked assassin, just as more masked assassins came pouring into the room. Seems like the hole Ciro punched in the wall led to the hallway, giving the assassins a shortcut past the guards. How convenient.

"Get her!" One of the assassins shouted before an arrow found his neck, courtesy of Lenz. The engineer had the right idea. We couldn't kill the councilmen or guards, but some Berserkers disguised as assassins? They were fair game.

Backlash whipped out again, snagging one man and dragging him into another. One of the assassins lunged at me, but Jade blocked his sword long enough for Lenz to get a shot in.

Enyeto, meanwhile, was fending off a half dozen assassins at once. His blade clashed against diamond armor as he kept Alaqua safely behind him. And even when an assassin managed to slip through, the Princess proved she was no slouch by forcing them back with a punch or a kick.

"They're after the Princess!" King Ahote deduced from behind the Berserkers. "Dahlia, please, you have to save her!"

"Don't worry, your Highness. I'm on it." Dahlia noted darkly as she jerked her head in our direction, prompting Ciro to move forward, subtly notching his bow.

"Off the table!" I warned. We all leapt from the wood, just as it exploded, courtesy of Ciro. It left a gaping hole in the floor, revealing layers of canopied leaves further down.

The first assassin that struck crawled after the diamond blade with a desperation that made me think it was important. I rolled past two sword chops and dove for the blade at the same time as the assassin, the two of us wrestling with it. His head, covered with a Skeleton mask, cracked against my lip. I drove a fist into his gut before trying to wrench the sword free.

Then, another explosion ripped the floor out from under us. Several bodies fell through the Brambles before landing in a heap on a layer of leaves. I was kicked off the skeleton-faced assassin by someone, and I vaguely heard a "Run Alaqua!" before I spotted a head of sky blue hair disappearing behind green foliage.

Just how many of us fell down? I wondered as I got to my knees, only for another masked assassin to kick me over. He raised his sword, but an arrow caught his wrist, causing him to drop it. I took it up instantly, finally having a sword once again, and lashed out at the assassin before scrambling away.

I glanced at the sword and cursed. It was diamond, but it wasn't enchanted like the blade that first assassin had. Seeing his desperation to get it back, it must have been important to Dahlia's plan. Maybe it was strong enough to kill the Princess in one hit. But where was the skull-faced assassin!?

My eyes scanned the leaves, picking apart masked assassin, but they all wore Zombie or Creeper masks. One idiot even wore a pumpkin. Why?

But then I spotted the assassin by the edge of the leaves. I caught the flash of the enchanted murder weapon before he jumped down. Shortly after he was 'chased' by Dahlia and Ciro. Then Jade. And then, finally, Captain Enyeto. They were all likely going after Alaqua.

"Lenz we gotta hurry!" I shouted.

"But what about the councilmen? They are defenseless up there!"

"The Berserkers won't kill them! They're only after the Princess! If she dies, she won't be next in line for the throne and Desideratum stays forever!"

"But…"

"Let the guards handle security. They have to prove they're not worthless after all. Besides, we can't leave Jade alone with them!"

Lenz reluctantly agreed as he jumped down beside me. The two of us hurried along. Some assassins got in our way, but between Backlash and Lenz's archery, we cut a path through and jumped down after the collection of Crafters.

[Floyd]

"My name is Flawwed_Floyd! My name is Flawwed_Floyd! Fear me, Rah!" I shouted as I dashed around the Brambles' gates. Guards chased behind, clearly overhearing me. I only hoped one of them would relay the message to the councilmen inside.

How's that, Dahlia? Let's see you explain how someone in your custody escaped!

At first, I was worried she'd let everyone know I was a Hacker. It would be a convenient excuse as to how I escaped. 'What could I have done to restrain him? He was a Hacker, for Notch's sake!'

But then, considering how much Jolin despised Hackers for what they did and how it forced them to resort to Desideratum, it was possible it would heap more hate on the Berserkers than ever. A dangerous being was kept under their watch and only escaped after being taken from the Captain's custody? Maybe they'd even question why she bothered to keep me alive after discovering my dark secret.

And I could spill the beans on that by Hacktivating in front of everyone, but then that would only last thirty seconds before I ended up stalled out and at the mercy of the guards.

Better to save it for something important.

As I rounded the Brambles, I heard explosions coming from inside and worried that Cobb and the others were in trouble. It had to be Ciro and his bow at work, but there was little I could do from the outside.

And Soul was supposed to watch out for messengers! He was supposed to make sure nobody alerted the assassins! Just what was he doing?

[Soul]

My axe lashed out at the flaming-haired brute, scoring a tiny scratch on his diamond armor. Brandr and I were duking it out on a branch beneath the suspended bridge, having fallen down in our tumble.

As the fight dragged on, I was getting more and more frustrated by his armor. No matter how many times I hammered away at it, it wouldn't break!

Brandr waved his sword at me and I, remembering its Fire Aspect enchantment, put some distance between us.

"You know, deadbeat, I just gotta ask." Brandr sneered as he swung his sword before him. "Were you the one that nixed Hunder, or was it one of your pals instead?"

"It was me." I admitted shamelessly.

"I figured. Don't let it go to your head, though. All you did was beat a guy that relied on dogs to fight."

"And now I'm fighting a guy who relies on his armor to fight." I countered, causing Brandr to scowl. "You can't tell me you don't see the irony."

"Don't throw rocks from glass houses. You think you're better than me? You're wearing armor, too."

"Then how about we settle this like men?" I suggested, relaxing my stance. "We both lose the armor and fight with our fists, yeah? No tricks, no advantages. Just you and me. What do you say?"

"I say… no." He ran forward and slashed at my chest, causing me to erupt in flame. "Ha! Fool! Why would I lower myself to your level when victory's already in the bag?"

"Funny. I was thinking the same thing!" I grinned back, unperturbed by the flames licking my chest as I lashed out at Brandr's neck. I had my Splash Potion of Fire Resistance to thank for that. Just one of the things I looted off of Hunder's dead body.

"GAH! You tricked me!"

"Just trying to use my brain for a change!" I smirked, remembering Lenz's advice.

'So if you are having difficulty fighting a muscle-head, use the muscle in your head to outsmart them.'

My second slash caught Brandr's chest, clanging off his armor, but forcing him to stumble back. The flames kept swirling around my body, but I was unaffected… for another minute anyway.

"Not bad, deadbeat." Brandr complimented. "But you can't beat superior armor. All you can do is delay me, and it doesn't even matter! By now, Dean will have warned the Berserkers about the location change. The Princess is as good as dead… and you along with her."

"That a fact? Well, come on and prove it. I'm not losing to you a second time!"

Axe and sword clashed as we continued our heated duel.

[Lenz]

"Ugh, why haven't we caught up with them yet?" Cobbert cursed as we continued through the Brambles. It was a thickly woven tangle of leaves forming a tunnel on all sides. That made it significantly easier to follow Alaqua's trail, both for us and for our enemies.

"Sorry… for… slowing… down." I panted as I struggled to keep up. My stamina was always worthless compared to the others and now was no exception. But I could not just stop. The Berserkers were still a threat to be handled. "How… how are… are we going… to fight?"

"Winging it like we always do. What do you mean?"

"I… I mean…" I clutched a stitch in my side beneath chainmail armor. "There are three Berserkers and a Captain down here with us. And I doubt the Captain will believe we are protecting Princess Alaqua."

"Then… then we won't fight him and just focus on Alaqua."

"Enyeto might not give us a choice…"

Explosions sounded from up ahead, forcing us to pause and share a look before continuing.

We hurried along between a narrow gap of leaves before breathing in fresh air and feeling the wind through our clothes. The tunnel had opened up into a thin platform with no walls, letting the wind hit us, but only for a short bit of space. It did not appear natural, however.

"The walls were blasted open… looks like Ciro's work." I remarked.

"Well, at least he was nice enough to leave us a way across." Cobbert pointed to the thin floor still remaining. "Come on, we better—"

No sooner did those words pass his lips than an arrow pierced the thin floor of leaves, blasting it to dust. Cobbert was blown back by the force of it before crashing into me, the two of us lying in a heap.

Another explosive arrow was fired upon us, but before it could detonate the floor, I rolled out from under Cobbert and—making a piteous noise—intercepted the projectile with my body.

'If you don't think you can beat him in archery, forget it and face him head-on!'

I remembered Soul's advice, even though it was painful to do so. Meeting his arrows head-on meant I would be facing the brunt of those blasts. Fortunately, Ines had given me something to counter them.

"Blast Protection…?" Ciro noted as he dropped down from above, taking up a loose stance before the freshly made gap he created. His mismatched eyes slid over my enchanted chainmail armor. "It seems you've done your homework."

"I always submitted my homework on time! The college offered no amnesty for late assignments."

"…What?"

"Where's Jade?" Cobbert called out, standing beside me with his diamond sword drawn. "And Alaqua!" He added as an afterthought.

"She went on ahead. Your green-haired friend was quite slippery. And I'd wager the Princess has run out of room to run."

"So then what are you doing here? Didn't you want to kill her and secure Desideratum?" Cobbert accused. "Isn't that what the Berserkers want?"

"What about what you want? What about what I want?" Ciro countered. "I couldn't care less about this Kingdom and neither should you." He tugged his facemask down, revealing a troubled frown. "To go this far to protect the Princess, there's no way you can be cultists. That, at least, is a relief." His eyes hardened. "But this isn't about a Kingdom of trees, this is about the fate of the world."

"…Are we talking about the same thing?" I whispered to Cobbert, who could only shrug in confusion.

"I'll elaborate for you." Ciro continued. "Dahlia possesses a Journal Entry that I must get my hands on. The knowledge inside could provide the key to locating a power lost for centuries… inside the Bough Terminus."

"The… Bough… hang on, I've been there!" Cobbert suddenly shouted, stepping forward. "I've been to the Bough Terminus! What's so special about it?"

"Hmph. The Bough Terminus was a station, designed by Grum to utilize one of the nine artifacts created centuries ago by that bastard Herobrine." Ciro explained venomously. "However, the artifact may as well have been cursed for all the good it did. It garnered the attention of a Hacker, who, in his desire to claim the artifact, attacked Jolin and murdered its King, plunging Grum's pride and joy into the clutches of Desideratum… and the Berserkers."

Ciro's eyes focused on ours with such intensity. "Don't you see!? It's all a circle! You think the Berserkers are the core of the problem? You think they're to blame, well they're not! It goes back further than you know. And so long as that artifact is here," he clenched his explosive bow tightly, "it is destined to happen again… only this time, at the hands of the TRUE monsters: The Endward Cult."

"Okay… uh… clearly you have more invested in this than us… and a history, I guess…" Cobbert awkwardly pointed out. "So… you're trying to help people? You want to stop the cult to help people, right?"

"Yes!"

"Then why are you supporting Dahlia! She's only interested in keeping Jolin at her mercy! How can you stand by and watch as she ruins so many lives… and with murder, no less!?"

Ciro opened his mouth to argue, but suddenly stopped. Slowly, he pressed a hand to his face and let out a low chuckle. "That's exactly what Floyd said. Seems like trying to talk with you is one big circle as well. And here I was, ready to offer you a chance to run off." He lowered his hand and tugged his facemask back up, his eyes shimmering with resolve.

"That Journal Entry will be mine by the end of the day so long as Alaqua perishes. That… is a sacrifice I am willing to make. And if the two of you won't back off, well…" He notched an arrow and pointed it at us.

"Then you leave me no choice."

"Cobbert." I whispered to my companion as I readied my own bow. "You can jump that gap with those parkour skills, yes?" I gestured to the open space behind Ciro.

"Yes. I just need to commit."

"Then go. I shall stop his first shot, giving you an opening."

"What!?" He hissed, the action serving as a trigger as Ciro fired an explosive arrow right down the middle, splitting the both of us up. "Lenz, no, you can't handle him on your own!"

"Maybe not, but protecting Alaqua is the priority right now." I called out, desperately ducking beneath Ciro's bombardment. "And Jade needs your help too. At least here, I only have one opponent to worry about. She has three."

Cobbert looked conflicted, having to choose between Jade and me, but I knew he would see the choice the situation called for. There was only one way forward.

Cursing himself, Cobbert made a mad dash for the gap. Ciro raised his bow to intercept, but I countered with an arrow of my own, which snagged his facemask before he dodged. He twirled on the spot and tried to fire another arrow, but Cobbert was already in mid-leap across.

Frustrated, Ciro instead pointed his shot at me, and I was treated to an explosion across the torso that blackened my body with smoke before I slid to a stop atop crushed leaves.

The blast had hurt… but less with the Blast Protection armor I had on. Many thanks, Ines.

I propped myself up and weakly smiled as I caught Cobbert barely making the jump by the tips of his fingers. He hauled himself over just before Ciro could blast him off and hurried ahead.

"Good." I groaned as I got to my feet, my bow ready and arrows poised.

Ciro did the same, albeit with more confidence and with a bow that could blast me apart if I made one wrong move. It was a dilemma. Like building a redstone clock circuit in a two-by-two space… without redstone!

Mastah Veronica's words came to the fore of my mind, once more.

'And what happens if, on our journey, I encounter one of these master archers as a foe?'

'Hmmm. You'd probably be boned.'

[Cobb]

He'll be fine. He's a resourceful nerd. I thought to myself as I continued through the winding Brambles, which opened up occasionally to reveal the rest of the Kingdom.

Needless to say, getting to a point where I was all by myself was the last thing I wanted. But it was too late to turn back now. For better or worse, the Beginners were scattered, left to fend for themselves. It was my fault, for okaying such a reckless mission, my only comfort being that everyone else had okayed it first.

"They'll be fine." I spoke to myself. "They have to be…"

Right now, I needed to back Jade up. Dahlia and the assassin were still unaccounted for, and if what Ciro said was true, the Princess was running out of time.

I was just about to round a bend in the leafy tunnel when the sounds of clashing swords caught my ear. Cautiously, I pressed my face to the leaves, peering through them. The shapes were a little blurry, concealed by so much greenery, but one of them was definitely Enyeto, if his hulking frame was anything to go by.

And he was fighting… Jade!? Shit, yeah, that was green hair I spotted. Wow, she was holding her own.

But no time for that, she was in trouble! And with her occupied, that meant Enyeto had let Dahlia and the assassin go by? What the hell!?

"Hey!" I shouted, rounding the bend and arming myself with my diamond sword. The fight stilled, their attention on me in an instant. "Why don't you pick on someone… your… oh."

It wasn't Jade.

It was… I don't even know who it was. The guy had green hair, though. More lime than green, but if you looked at it in a certain light it was—what the hell was I saying!? Point was, it wasn't Jade. A discarded Skeleton mask over to the side and a wardrobe of diamond armor told me this guy was the assassin with the deadly murder weapon.

And not Jade.

"Oh, wrong person. Sorry for interrupting, I'll just—"

"Executive! You came!" The lime-haired assassin suddenly exclaimed, his voice full of hope.

My response was eloquent. "Whuh?"

"Thank goodness you arrived! Now we can kill this Captain and finish off the Princess! Glory be to the Endward Cult!" He shouted reverently, a hand placed on his chest.

…What the hell was he talking about?

"So you were behind this attack!" Captain Enyeto leapt back before withdrawing a second sword from his backpack and pointing them both at the lime-haired assassin—Oliver—and me. "What stake does the cult have in killing the Princess?"

Wait a second. What was… oh. Ooooh. Oooooooooooooh.

That limey bastard.

"Hey, hold on, he's lying!" I called out, pointing to Oliver. "He's making you think I'm a cultist and that this was all my idea—"

"But it was all your idea, sir."

"No! Shut up! Captain, this guy's a Berserker. Dahlia sent him to kill the Princess. It was all in the letter we sent you!" The Captain lowered his sword for a second and I prayed he'd believe me.

"Executive Cobb, there's no need to lie anymore. It's just us and him, here." The bastard Oliver undid my words, sewing his own lies while he was at it. "Your Lieutenant, AceOfJades, went on ahead to kill that guild-leader and then Alaqua. Then this Kingdom will be in complete disarray, just like you wanted."

"Okay, seriously, shut up! No henchman would be talking this much."

"Why, we would have slain her, had the Berserkers not interfered. Their timely arrival was truly a spot of bad luck for us. God, they're amazing."

"Oh, shove it! Your acting sucks."

"No one's going anywhere!" The Captain shouted over our bickering. His guard and his swords were raised once more. "You'll both be taken in for questioning so I can get to the bottom of this! Surrender yourselves or prepare for a fight."

"What!? No, hang on—"

"He's onto us, sir! Let's take him now!"

"Rggh! Okay! That's it!" I withdrew my sword and pointed it at Oliver. "I'm taking you down first so you can't refute me no more."

"Sir, why?" Oliver cried out in fake shock. "Did I do something to dishonor the cult?"

"STOP TALKING YOU FAKER!"

I lunged for Oliver, but the assassin was ready for me, blocking my blade and backpedaling to the side of the tunnel.

"Why are you attacking me, sir? Is this part of the plan? To lure the Captain into a false sense of security?" God, why couldn't this guy stop talking!? "If that is the case, I will make it look convincing before you kill me. After all, my life must be good for the cult. Praise be."

Okay, seriously, even cultists weren't this over-the-top. But it did the job of making the Captain doubt me, and gave Oliver an excuse to fight back at the same time. He struck back with his diamond blade, slicing up my torso.

I took Backlash into my other hand, but before I could attempt anything, Enyeto barged in, cleaving into both our armor with his dual swords. I fell flat on my back, but Oliver's armor must have had enchantments since he got up faster.

"I don't think he's buying our ruse, sir." Oliver warned, causing me to groan into the floor.

I got to fight both of these guys? How is that fair?

The Captain, seeing me still prone, focused his attention back on Oliver, the two engaging in a display of advanced swordplay, with Oliver's quick, sharp slashes and Enyeto's powerful, heavy-handed blows. Oliver would sneak in a slash under the arm while Enyeto would sweep out with crushing strikes that would have wrecked any unarmored Crafter.

Forget this. If Jade went on ahead, she's probably protecting the Princess from Dahlia. I don't have time to waste here.

I tried to sneak around the fighters to the branch of leaves that continued on, but both fighters suddenly broke apart, their attention swiveling back to me.

For a brief moment, the two actually worked together, charging me as I tried to slip past. I brought up my blade to deflect them, only to suffer the same sharp slashes and heavy blows they had been using on one another.

As a blade slapped the side of my face, I realized that, since neither one wanted me to pass, they would momentarily focus on me if I tried. Oliver to keep me from interfering with Dahlia, and Enyeto to keep me from harming Alaqua.

At the same time, neither Enyeto nor Oliver could let the other one go. It was a Mexican Stand-off where any one of us getting through could tip the scales in our party's favor.

Just as fast as they'd teamed up against me, the two were once more at each other's throats, and I was left lying on the outskirts, subdued for the moment.

Brain: On the bright side, you can brag to your friends that you've been in a three-way.

Heart: …You really have no shame, do you?

Brain: Nope. Not an ounce.

It looked like I'd have to fight them to pass. With an annoyed groan, I armed myself with Backlash in one hand and my sword in the other.

Whatever I do, I better do it fast. Jade's all on her own, and there's no telling how long she'll last against the leader of the Berserkers!

[The Brambles]

"Dahlia! What are you doing? Where's Enyeto?" Alaqua questioned as the Berserker got closer. All the same, the Princess kept her distance, remembering what the Captain had warned her about.

Dahlia shook her head, her twin-tails softly tapping against the sides of her head. "Oh, Alaqua. Let's not bandy words like this. Your anxiety is as clear as day. You're nervous. Worried for your life. So many people want you dead and it's clear you've been forewarned by those fools."

Alaqua dropped all pretenses, openly glaring at the guild-leader. "He almost ignored the warning. Enyeto didn't believe you'd actually have me killed… at first. I convinced him otherwise, though. I know that there's nothing you wouldn't do to keep the power."

"You said it yourself. No mercy, right?" Dahlia grinned as she fished out an ender chest from her belt and placed it onto the ground.

"Weapons were banned from the Review, but I have plenty of experience bending rules to suit me… as I'm sure you're aware." From the ender chest, Dahlia tugged free an enchanted diamond blade, along with a full set of diamond armor. They made Alaqua press her back against a wall of leaves.

"You, on the other hand," Dahlia went on, slowly donning the armor, "are without weapon and armor. And while your self-defense skills came as an… unwelcome surprise, I sincerely doubt they will do you much good against a trained bounty hunter such as myself."

"Even if you kill me, then what?" The Princess said, her voice shaking slightly. "Floyd still busted out from your custody. And the Captain saw you run after me. People will always suspect you."

"They'll suspect Cobb and his cohorts more. After today, everyone will associate the assassins and your death with the mad ravings of the Endward Cult." Dahlia, now fully clad in diamond, stepped forward with her sword raised. "Cobb will take the fall, and, as far as the King will know, I was ever his Kingdom's dedicated protector, who was tragically too late to save his heir."

The Princess raised her hands as the blade descended, hoping to at least catch it or divert it like in Enyeto's lessons, only for a blade of iron to catch it from the side, forcing it away from her.

"Wha… You!" Dahlia hissed as a flash of green hair spun on the spot, a blade flashing out to nick Dahlia's armored chest and send the guild-leader jumping back.

Alaqua was confused as she saw the green-haired woman who fell from the ceiling of the Review take a guard position before her. She was inspecting her blade closely, her brow furrowed in annoyance.

"Who… who are you?" The Princess asked. The green-haired woman's diamond armor was similar to what the Berserkers wore.

The woman—Jade—half turned around. "Oh, hey. I'm a member of the Beginners, the guys not trying to kill you. Just so we're clear."

"The Beginners…?" Alaqua asked in confusion.

"It's a new guild. You've probably never heard of it. But it has promise." Jade went back to inspecting her blade, frowning at it from different angles.

"Ah, yes, you were with Cobb and Floyd when you broke into our guild." Dahlia commented as she pointed her sword at the Beginner. "You lot really ruined my Guardian tank."

"You'll live. Or you won't. Maybe it'd be better if I just killed you here." Jade countered, still preoccupied with her iron sword. She eventually sighed and tossed it behind her to the Princess. "There. Use that if you want to fight. I can't cut loose with inferior weaponry."

"Oh? 'Cut loose' did you say?" Dahlia smirked haughtily as she readied her blade. "I was under the impression you were just a lowly sidekick with the climbing skills of a monkey. What do you hope to accomplish without your guild-leader or the Hacker to back you up?"

Alaqua gave a little start at the mention of a Hacker, but Jade smiled innocently back.

"Funny you should mention that, because now that they can't see what I can really do, I'm really gonna do a whole lot!" Jade opened the ender chest Dahlia had left out and withdrew her own blade: A diamond cutlass.

Dahlia's bravado went out the window.

"See, I'm probably the strongest one in the Beginners right now. At least in terms of swordsmanship." In Jade's hands, the cutlass danced in the air, cutting through the air in a display of razor-fast slashes. "But if they knew that, they'd rely on me to do all their heavy-lifting, and that kind of pressure is just too burdensome. I'd much rather be treated as an equal. That being said…"

Jade suddenly turned to an armed Alaqua.

"Hey, if we kill her, would you mind keeping this cutlass thing a secret?"

"Not at all." Alaqua nodded back, stepping beside her. "If anyone asks, we can claim I defended myself from that traitorous leech, with mild assistance on your part, of course."

Jade smiled. "Sounds good to me. I lead, you follow?" Another nod. "Good."

Jade and Alaqua faced Dahlia, who once again was regretting ever having involved these people in her schemes.

"Let's finish this up before anyone sees."

[Berserker HQ]

"Sir, we've received reports of assassins breaking into the Review. It's later than expected and the location has changed to the Brambles, but it's now public knowledge."

"Just as Dahlia planned." A stone-faced Berserker nodded to a force of fifty bounty hunters. "You heard the man! There seems to be trouble that the guards can't handle! What say we lend a helping hand, eh?"

The bounty hunters all shouted their assent, waving diamond blades and splash potions. All of them were elites, clad in diamond armor and on par with Berserkers like Brandr and Hunderprest.

There was Myriam of the Searing Mist, the Golden Thumb Roger_Patric, Ageless Beauty Elizabeth_Patterns, the Humming Hymm-man Petr_Stross… and Bob! Even Bob was there!

They were all legends in their own right, widely celebrated for the number of bounties they'd brought in. And now they were needed by the guild once more.

"Remember everyone, all masked assassins need to be accounted for. Any you find are to be 'apprehended for questioning', not killed. And if you happen to corner the Princess and she's still breathing, you know what to do."

"Understood."

"Good. Then let's go earn our keep."

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Sword, 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, 6 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 Diamond Helmet [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Boots [Projectile Protection IV], 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 [Blast Protection I], 1 Chainmail Leggings [Blast Protection I], 1 Chainmail Boots [Blast Protection I], 44 Arrows, 16 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Stick, 1 Crafting Table, 16 Sugar Cane, 18 Cooked Chicken, 8 Paper, 5 Ink Sacs, 3 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: 6]

Inventory (Soul): 1 Diamond Axe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 64 Iron Ingots, 57 Iron Ingots, 12 Gold Ingots, 1 Milk, 1 Diamond Helmet, 1 Diamond Chestplate, 1 Diamond Leggings, 1 Diamond Boots, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Bed, 1 Furnace, 1 Anvil, 35 Torches, 1 Splash Potion of Swiftness {1:07}, 1 Splash Potion of Invisibility {2:15}, 37 Dirt, 64 Cobblestone, 34 Cobblestone, 50 Coal, 36 Jungle Wood Planks, 48 Emeralds, 53 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 Diamond Cutlass, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 19 Baked Potatoes, 22 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, 36 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: Well, the battles have all been set up.

Place your bets, who do you think will win?