AN: This Chapter marks the story surpassing one million words! And we're nearly at 300 favs!
This Chapter took two weeks to write, but it is well worth the wait, trust me.
Also, I'll be responding to reviews for this Chapter in honor of passing one million words.
Without further ado, I'd like to present the end of the Jolin Arc.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. Bwuh.
Chapter 115
The Second Age
[Cobb]
Two days.
It had been two whole days since we last felt the sweet warmth of sunlight.
There in the Root Cellar, all we had to show the passage of time was the guard with the clock in his hands, tasked with watching us in our modest cell. I say modest because it was nicer than the ones Jade and I had glimpsed when we first broke in. It was larger—likely due to Enyeto or Alaqua pulling some strings—and it was meant for two. They couldn't store us all in one—something about safety precautions, four criminals were more likely to break out from a confined space than two—so they compromised with two apiece. Floyd and Jade were bunking together next door. I was with Lenz.
Though, when they were first separating us, Jade looked disappointed not to be sharing with me. It made me remember that she had some small—or maybe not-so-small—infatuation with me. She was pretty—ah, I mean IT was pretty awkward. I didn't know how to undress—ADDRESS it.
…
I wasn't lost in her eyes.
Throughout the two days, the guards kept calling us to empty rooms for individual interrogations. Though, in our case, it was probably more like a Q&A. We hadn't been trying to kill their princess after all. It was the Berserkers who were likely getting grilled, and if they hadn't sorted out their story before getting caught, then they were in serious trouble.
The way I saw it, they were navigating a minefield with their stories, trying to craft the perfect excuse for why things turned out the way that they did. How much did Dahlia tell them, how much did they contribute to the assassination if they were complicit at all, and if not them, then who was really responsible? If they all spouted different versions of events, the guards could just go back and forth, calling out lies and mistakes. That was the brilliance of interviewing them all separately.
In our case, all we had to do—and this is what I told my guild—was tell the truth.
We had our share of crimes to own up to—breaking into the Root Cellar, then Berserkers HQ, then the Review, and then the whole arson thing—but, compared with attempted regicide, it was a small matter.
Well, okay, maybe not small, but less. Lenz had claimed it was him to have started the fire in the bazaar, not Soul. That had been a surprise. And I had to confess to breaking into the Root Cellar and Headquarters with Jade. Not to mention, Lenz gave a tear-stained confession about blowing up the Berserkers' airship as well as the front gate to their HQ with Ciro's exploding bow. He was more broken up about the airship than the HQ, and the guards punished him for his actions by giving him double portions of food and giving him redstone to tinker with whenever he wanted.
The guards also asked for our other accomplice—Soul—but we honestly had no idea where he was. If he was smart, he would be hiding in the Kingdom somewhere, watching to see if we would be let off or not.
The Beginners were earning quite the reputation, both inside and outside the prison, thanks in no small part to the guards' gossip. The four of us were practically celebrities. Lenz, the long-range archer who shot down the Berserkers' ship. Jade, the green-haired parkour master. Floyd, the Blue Blur, the Variant Hacker. And, of course, the guy with the fishing rod. The others definitely pulled their weight more than me this time.
Heck, I was so downplayed, people thought Floyd was the actual leader, even though the wanted posters said I was the Executive and he the Lieutenant.
The guards asked about that too. Our guild had so many discrepancies and rumors it was hard to get a clear picture. We told them the truth, we weren't cultists and we had no idea what made Nitebane send out those posters. Though, in a weird way, our wanted status was what dragged us into the Berserkers' schemes in the first place. Those bounty hunters would have had no reason to catch us otherwise.
Back to our fame, the people of Jolin celebrated us. A few hints from the guards informed us that Desideratum was well-under-way to being amended. Not abolished, amended. I was halfway to outrage that our efforts didn't do away with that stupid law altogether, but the guards stopped me. According to them, Desideratum would be drastically different from the edict that was first drafted. The new law, the Law of Sanctions, was written and looked over closely by both King Ahote and Princess Alaqua, and it had some major changes.
For one, Bounty hunters would be strictly limited in what they could take. Requisitioned weapons and enchanted gear would have to be returned within forty-eight hours with repaired durability. It was sort of like renting equipment, complete with a late penalty should the bounty hunter not feel like returning it. If they still refused to return the gear or pay the cost of the item in question, they would be barred from Jolin entirely; their citizenship passes revoked with no chance of returning.
There were plenty of other stipulations, proving that the Princess was listening to the people's concerns and wasting little time penning them down on the new law. The Berserkers, despite the scandal, would be allowed to remain in Jolin, so long as they returned as much of the gear they requisitioned and reimbursed the Kingdom for whatever was leftover. Estimates ranged to half-a-billion emeralds in accumulated costs.
Most of the Berserkers would stay under the new rules of the Law of Sanctions. Dahlia, the assassins that attacked the Review, and the other leaders like Oliver and Brandr, however, would not be forgiven. They would be facing life imprisonment or death.
I wouldn't want to be them right now.
So everything was wrapping up rather nicely. All except for one thing.
We were still stuck in Jolin. And Lenz really, really wanted to get to Zeppil.
There was no telling how much longer we would have to stay.
[Floyd]
It must have been late since the guard currently watching us was dozing off. Or maybe, after guarding a Hacker for two days without incident, they had finally relaxed.
I could have escaped the Root Cellar any time. I knew the shortest route out. All it would take was a thirty-second—sorry, thirty-five second dash when they brought me in for questioning. But I didn't.
I was on my best behavior for these people to show them the kind of Hacker I was. I would face whatever they had waiting for me, even though I had a strong feeling they would let us go.
So I didn't Hactivate once. And the guards, in thanks, refrained from paralyzing me whenever I had to leave my cell. Mine and Jade's.
And speaking of the green-haired ally, now that the guard was finally asleep, I could get to the bottom of things.
"You want to tell me about that cutlass of yours?"
Jade stiffened from her position on her bed before turning to regard me. "What, are you talking about what Dahlia spouted out? The woman was hysterical." Jade offered breezily. "She was out of options and opted to throw out nonsense to distract us. And it worked. Why, she would have killed Alaqua if not for you rescuing her. You really saved the day. Is it wrong I hope Dahlia gets the death penalty?"
She was trying to divert me; giving out praise so I wouldn't dig deeper. Any other time I would have accepted it, but not now. Not when her abilities were in question.
"It's an oddly specific lie to spout, Jade." I continued, causing the green-haired beauty to frown. "Dahlia seemed pretty confident about you having a cutlass at your belt. And I always wondered what happened to those pursuing Berserkers after we fled their Headquarters." I narrowed my eyes at her, to which she avoided my gaze. "Is there something you're not telling us?"
She closed her eyes. "No. There's nothing I have to add. Dahlia was just trying to trick you."
I watched her carefully, but she didn't look to be budging. She was a really good liar like that. And I knew she was lying. Too many things weren't adding up. She claimed to be an amateur, but her parkour skills alone were nothing to laugh about. She had helped bust me out of Berserkers HQ, and she kept Dahlia from murdering the Princess through her own skills.
So I knew she was lying. I just needed the right way to make her talk.
So, with a sigh, I sprung my trap.
"Alright, I believe you."
At once, Jade's eyes snapped open and she jerked her head towards me.
"You're a Beginner now, so I should have no reason to distrust you." I continued, reclining back onto my own bed, my hands placed behind my head and my crossed leg bobbing rhythmically. "Cobb trusts you too. And he wouldn't do that if you couldn't be trusted."
Jade's pupils quivered, as my words started to make her think.
"I mean, you were completely honest with us this whole time, so there's no reason to suspect anything now. It's not like you're hiding some mind-shattering secret, right?"
Jade bit her lip, her eyes averting once more.
"And, hypothetically, if you were hiding something, and we all found out later," Jade's hand twitched, "it would probably splinter any trust we ever had in you and make you an outcast in our tight-knit guild." I smiled at the woman fretfully wringing her hands. "So please, keep being the guildmate we can trust. I'm sure Cobb likes having a friend like you."
There was conflict in Jade's eyes as she kept shooting me looks. She kept wringing her hands fitfully until she bit back a curse.
"By Herobrine… okay, wait." She breathed out a sigh. "I… I may have something to share with you."
"Oh?" I asked, sitting up. "I'm listening."
She narrowed her eyes. "You can't tell anyone this. You hear me?"
"That depends on what I hear from you." I countered. "Now spill it."
It wasn't what she wanted to hear, but I wasn't giving her much of a choice. She glanced down at the hands clasped before her. "I… The Beginners aren't my first guild…" A bitter smile crossed her face. "They're not even the second. I've been part of countless guilds. The Frost Golems, the Cyan Squids, the Numa Duneraiders, the Guerrillas. So many I've honestly lost track."
"It wasn't like that at first." She looked up, a reminiscent gleam in her eyes. "Why, when I first started out, I had no interest in guilds or fighting. Instead I settled down, got married, lived a quiet life in a snowy village near Lazuli. It was a good life… for a while."
"I'm a seven-digit Crafter, though. I lived the home-life for forty years before I grew tired of it. I… at the time, I wanted something else—something I couldn't quite place into words. All I knew was that it was something neither my husband nor my home life could provide. Though I never dared to tell him that. It was something I felt I couldn't confide in anyone."
"That's when I met her. My teacher. She was a swordfighter, but she knew the stay-at-home-wife life I had grown bored of." Jade smiled warmly. "We talked, and she helped me realize what was missing from my life. For the first time, I felt the excitement of wanting to go out into the world—not just to be an adventurer, but to do honest work as a hero. A savior. Someone who could make a difference!"
"She trained me, brought me up to a passable level, and even gave me the courage to speak my mind to my husband. Though I… never got the chance." She remarked sadly. "Cultists attacked my village. My teacher and I fought against them, but… by the end of it my husband was gone. And so was she…"
She wiped away at the tears in her eyes, gripping her knees tightly.
"…I'm sorry for your loss."
"Don't be." Jade sniffled. "The road I traveled getting here was a difficult one, but along the way, I learned to let go of the grief in the way of my happiness. I know my late husband would be cursing me out if he knew I was miserable." She smiled sadly. "My teacher too."
"So where did you get your cutlass?"
"The cutlass was my teacher's." Jade said. "She always let me test it out during training, and I took it up so quickly she said she'd lend it to me the day I decided to become an adventurer. Obviously, that was before the… you know…"
"God, is there a life the Endward Cult hasn't ruined?" I asked, feeling fresh anger towards them.
"Just another reason why the world needs a savior." Jade said. "Someone like Cobb."
"Someone like Cobb." I repeated before moving on to other topics. "What about your parkour skills?"
"Those I picked up from the Guerrillas." She remarked proudly. "They were a guild of parkourists living in the jungle. And honestly, learning it was the biggest benefit of working with that guild."
"So you're a seasoned Crafter with a lot of guild experience." I summarized. "Then why do you play yourself off as some amateur Crafter?"
At that question, her smile wilted. "Because… they were never about helping people."
"Huh?"
"It's like this." She continued, holding up her hands. "All the guilds I joined were all about money. And they were the kind of guilds that let anyone join, even newbs. I didn't know it at the time, but the sword skills my teacher taught me were actually pretty advanced. And the fact that I had a Tinker's weapon only made me more desirable to the guilds."
"And?"
She huffed. "And when someone comes out of nowhere with expensive weapons and expert sword-fighting techniques, they quickly become the guild's breadwinner."
"Breadwinner? What?"
"It's a term used to describe the best fighter in the guild; the one you reserve all the difficult missions for." She sighed. "It's ironic. My husband was always the breadwinner at home, but when I'm suddenly the breadwinner, I can't stand it! Everyone was super nice and fake to me. They never spoke their mind and walked on eggshells around me."
"Ooooh, I think I get it now. They didn't want to disagree with you or do something to upset you for fear that you'd leave the guild."
She tapped her nose. "Exactly. Working for those guilds… I never really felt like I was part of anything. People would always bend backwards for me and in exchange I had to do all their toughest missions. It was good for training, but horrible for making friends. And to make it worse, they were always about the emeralds! They never dared to accept a mission or quest if they weren't getting paid for it. Much like those Berserkers we dethroned."
She ran a hand through her hair as she sighed. "All I wanted was a guild of equals—people that treated me like anyone else—that genuinely cared about making a difference to the world."
"I'm surprised you didn't join up with one of the big three." I commented, to which Jade scoffed.
"Oh, real funny. The Berserkers were money-hungry, the Scouts were crazy, and the Paragons only care about killing the Endward Cult. They never care about the small-time village getting besieged by Griefers. Not like Cobb did with Halstatt. And they certainly wouldn't have stepped in against the Berserkers like you did."
Well, yeah, you would have to be insane to try that with five people.
"I kept joining and leaving guilds, trying to find one that cared about making a difference and along the way… I guess I decided that hiding my skills was better than showing them off. At least then, people treated me like everyone else. Hiding my cutlass in an ender chest was a small price to pay."
I smiled bitterly, tracing a finger along the lines over my eyes. "Believe me, I know all about hiding your abilities."
"Then you'll understand why I don't want Cobb and the others to know." Jade implored. "I just got them all to trust me. They think I'm just like them. And they're clearly all about helping others. This could be the guild I've been searching all these years for."
"Except you're still hiding yourself from them." I reminded.
"Yeah… except that." She sighed before locking eyes with me and clasping her hands together. "Please, Floyd, you can't tell C—you can't tell any of them. I'm already getting a hang of the group dynamic, I don't want things to change now because they think I'm some overpowered sword-swinger."
"But… you are an overpowered sword-swinger. Right?"
"Yes, but I don't want them to think that!" She said, almost exasperatedly. "I'd rather be the innocuous parkour master trying to learn the ropes of combat."
"Can't you just be yourself?"
"No! No, God, no." She shook her head. "My self would be… a little too intense, I think. Better to just be meek and unassuming. Guys like that sort of thing."
"Oooookaaay." I massaged the bridge of my nose. And here I was hoping Jade would be the one member of the guild who wasn't crazy. "Look, whatever you think of this guild, Cobb won't care whether you're a badass or not. For the longest time, I was worried how they'd react to me being a Hacker. And you know what? They moved past it. All that mattered was that I was their friend."
"That's cute, but this is the real world."
"Says the girl who has to fake how she acts around us."
"Shut up!"
"What's worse, being a stalker, being a faker, or being a stalking faker?"
"Fine, fine, I… ugh!" She slapped a hand to her face. "You can't judge me! You haven't been through what I have, okay? You had to struggle with telling them who you were once? I had to do that every time I went to a new guild. Over and over. And every time I thought they'd treat me like an equal, I was dead. Wrong. I just can't take that again."
"So what, you're just going to fake being amateur Jade forever?"
"Not forever! Just until I die. Or all of you die." She added as an afterthought. "Whichever comes first."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Jade, you… you can't do that."
"Yeah, you can't do that!"
The two of us stopped our argument to turn to the guard who had just woken up.
"You can't hide what's inside." The guard advised, roughly patting his own chest. "You need to be true to yourself, and never—"
"Have you been listening to us this entire time?" Jade asked incredulously.
"Er… yes? I'm a big fan of dramas, so to see a real-life one right in front of me—"
"Get out of here."
"…I only wanted to help." He sniffled before exiting the room.
With that abrupt interruption, it was a struggle to get back into the mood of the argument. But maybe that was better. It allowed the two of us to clear our heads.
"…Okay, Jade. I won't tell the others." I relented, causing Jade to smile. "Don't thank me yet." I stopped her from opening her mouth. "I won't tell them, but you should. I never got the chance to own up to my secret. It sort of revealed itself before I was ready. But it felt really good knowing my friends had my back. So when you finally get the courage to confess your skill, I'll support you. But only when you feel you're ready."
"That's… a compromise I can get behind." She nodded with a small smile. "If anything, I'm glad you're the first to know. There's no way a Hacker would bend over backwards for me."
"Don't tempt me. Or would the great AceOfJades care for anything? Perhaps I may cut the crust off your prison bread?"
"Alright, alright, wind it back." She smirked. "And with the loaves we got, that would basically mean peeling it."
"Awww, how sweet." The guard poked his head back inside, his eyes tearing up. "A reconciliation between frien—"
"Would you get out of here!?"
[Noman]
"There's certainly a lot of Mobs around."
"Now you know why we needed you for protection!"
Escorting the four travelers across Zeppil's hilly terrain proved no easy task. With the extreme hills biome towering all around us, we had to keep to the valley; it would take our horses too long to climb every hill we came across. But circumventing the hills held their own risks. We became easy targets to the Mobs that would naturally move into the valley like water running downstream. We always had the low ground, and the howling winds whipping through the hills made it almost impossible to hear them coming.
I shield-bashed an armored Zombie into the ground where Conrad proceeded to finish it off.
"Say, how do you do those slick shield moves? I've never seen anything like it."
"It's aikido." I replied, my shield blocking an arrow fired by a Skeleton. "Like fighting without the fighting."
"If you say so." Sam shrugged, shooting a Creeper before it got too close. "Eric, you got the last one!"
"And… done!" He exclaimed after slashing the last Spider. He wiped his forehead free of sweat, his chest rising and falling. "Phew. What a workout. Good training for the games."
I titled my head, confused. The others were panting while I still felt fresh. Maybe all that aikido training improved my stamina more than I thought. I was still pulling my weight escorting them all.
They had a map of the area, but there was no real set time for reaching Zeppil since we always kept going around the hills. I wanted to get there soon to get the Bottes Zephyr, but I knew enough to not rush it. Haste bred selfish recklessness, after all.
The four Crafters picked through what the Mobs dropped, but I stopped to take notice of the armor some of the Zombies had. Armored Mobs weren't common, but what was common were Mobs killing Crafters and taking their armor and weapons. They had gotten them from somewhere.
There was a small wooden shack a short distance away. It looked to have been made recently. My eyes looked around for anything else, but the other Crafters called me over to the horses.
"Noman, get the lead out! We need to keep moving if we're going to make it to Zeppil on time."
"O-oh, right. Hang on!" I called back to Eric before taking one last look around. My eyes narrowed as I spotted tracks in the grass. They went around the hill and could have led to a mineshaft or something. But at the incessant urging from the others, I was forced to give it up.
I returned to my horse and spurred it to follow the others.
"Was something the matter, Noman?" Annette asked, drawing the attention of the others.
"Well… those Mobs had armor on." I explained. "And there was a camp nearby. I thought that maybe some Crafters got attacked and killed, the Mobs taking their armor."
"You think so? Mobs can spawn with armor." Sam pointed out.
"I know." I said quietly. "Just thinking what if. Maybe some of them survived and fled into that mineshaft." I pointed it out with my nose, my face growing troubled. "They could be stuck there, scared and alone. M-maybe I should just do a quick sweep for—"
"Noman. Easy." Conrad placated, resting a hand on my shoulder and keeping me from going back. "These things happen in Minecraftia. It's noble you want to help, but there's no guarantee any of them survived. Not to mention, you shouldn't just charge into a situation without any idea of what to expect."
"Conrad's right." Eric folded his hands behind his head. "We have places to be and—"
"What Mister Insensitive means to say," Annette interjected with a directed scowl, "is that there are some people you're just too late to save. The world is that big. Can't be everywhere." She smiled kindly to me. "We're grateful you decided to help us, though. I'd say you're doing good saving people."
I sighed, smiling tiredly. Maybe they were right. There was no telling if the Crafters from that camp were still alive. I could just as easily get myself hurt trying to help them. It didn't make sense to act on a hunch.
"Thanks. And I'm sorry for holding us up."
"Don't mention it."
"Yeah, really, if we started arguing now it would make the next few days unbearable." Conrad deadpanned, earning a kick from Eric.
I laughed at the group's antics before settling into a comfortable silence.
Or, rather, I rode comfortably in silence. The other four talked and joked with one another. As close friends should.
Subconsciously, I let out a gloomy sigh, patting my horse's neck.
[Cobb]
It was the middle of the night when the guards ushered us into an interrogation room. I was pretty drowsy, having been woken up from a nap, but I quickly shook it off after seeing Floyd and Jade waiting for us.
"You guys okay?" I asked immediately. Being separated from them for two days, I had no idea what they had to go through.
"We're fine. They didn't mistreat me for being a Hacker." Floyd assured before appraising us. "Looks like you guys fared the same."
"Better. The guards actually like Lenz for blowing up the Berserkers' airship… even if he keeps moaning to himself about it."
"I am a disgrace to engineers everywhere…" He sobbed into his sleeve.
"It was an enemy airship, Lenz. We'll get you your own in Zeppil."
"…Promise?"
"Promise."
"…Alright then."
"If we can move this along?" The stalwart frame of Captain Enyeto ducked through the door before he stood before us at full height. "There are things that need to be discussed, so sit down."
"How long—"
"There is plenty for me to tell you and not much time, so I ask that you keep all questions and concerns to yourself until the end." He interrupted, his eyes boring into mine. He was quite intimidating when he needed to be. Taller and wider than Wynn, but lacking a rapier or any similar skewering tool. I knew from experience how tough he could be in a fight.
It was with that in mind that I wisely took a seat at the interrogation table. Jade quickly took a spot at my side with Floyd on the other. Lenz took the last one beside Floyd and the Captain walked around to sit on the opposite end. He placed an ender chest down to his left, instantly drawing all of our eyes to it.
What could that be for?
"To begin," he spoke clearly, "you can relax whatever uneasiness is plaguing you. After we are done talking, you will be released from this prison with your respective Inventories returned to you, complete and intact." At that, we all breathed a sigh of relief. It was like a weight had been lifted. We would soon be free to go. "Your Inventories in particular were nearly confiscated." Enyeto continued, pointing to me and… Lenz? "They almost deemed the items within too suspicious to be returned to you, but the Princess managed to beat them down. She trusts you. Don't let her down." He warned.
I was perplexed by what he said. What suspicious items did Lenz and I have? They were strictly against arson, so was it Lenz's flint and steel? But then what did I have that was dangerous? For the life of me, I had no idea, and I couldn't exactly look through it at the moment. Nor could I ask until he was done. I'd have to look through it thoroughly when he returned it.
"The next thing I'd like to say is…" Enyeto paused, his hands lowering to grip at his knees under the table before, at once, he slammed his forehead down onto the table. The noise startled us more than the action, though Floyd was the fastest to recover.
"…Thank you, boys." The Captain pressed his forehead more firmly into the table. "For risking yourselves for this Kingdom and for saving the Princess. You've restored my faith in people… you've restored my faith in heroes." The towering giant kept his head bowed low as he continued. "The Age of Heroes may have ended long ago, but this feels almost like a new age. A Second Age of Heroes. To say that you've inspired the people of Jolin is an understatement."
A small smile spread across Floyd's lips and he nodded respectfully to the Captain.
"From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for your service." He said before finally lifting his head, a bit of a red mark where it made contact with the table. "I look forward to hearing more heroic tales about the Beginners further down the line."
Hearing him say all that made me a little embarrassed. All that praise was going to my head.
"Unfortunately," he moved on, his shift in tone providing a sharp contrast to his earlier praise, "there must be consequences for your actions."
Jade opened her mouth to argue, but quickly clasped it shut remembering the Captain's orders to remain quiet until the end.
"Yes, you saved the Princess. Yes, you discredited the Berserkers. Yes, your actions led to the amending of a truly despicable law." He fired one after the other. "But your friend here set the bazaar aflame. And there are strict laws in effect that abhor arson of any kind. Even ignoring all your break-ins, the council could not turn a blind eye to fire. This Kingdom and its trees are too valuable. And we should not set the precedent that laws can be broken so long as everything turns out fine in the end. The ends do not justify the means, and lives were very much in danger. People were without homes and merchants lost a lot of sales due to damages. I need you to understand that this cannot be overlooked."
I gulped, but nodded in a show of understanding. He was making it perfectly clear our actions were inexcusable. Even though nobody died in the fire, it was only because of the combined and timely efforts of the Berserkers and guards. If even one person died, I'd be feeling a whole lot worse—and I bet the Captain would have been a lot less lenient about it.
"Normally, arson gets the death penalty or life imprisonment. It's that severe of a crime." The Captain let the statement hang for a bit, making Lenz sweat. He was the one who admitted it after all. "But, through Alaqua's efforts—and recent Bounty Days—a third option has been reached." He patted the ender chest at his side, drawing our eyes to it once more.
"The third option has two conditions." He held up two fingers. "First, the four of you will share the blame of that one's actions, and accept banishment from this Kingdom." My eyes widened. Banishment? They could do that!? "Your citizenship passes for this Kingdom will be revoked, with no hopes of getting new ones. Your names and faces, as well as your numbers, will be permanently listed in Jolin's Ban Record. Under no circumstances will you be allowed back into our Kingdom, and if you are found in our Kingdom, you will be apprehended and executed. No exceptions. Not even the King's protection could save you."
Boy, the Captain sure wasn't sugarcoating it. These were heavy conditions, and it was still the first one.
"Though we do not have your other companion's appearance, Lost_Soul will also be under this ban. Frankly, it can only be in Jolin's best interests that an axe-wielder like him be shunned. I dread to imagine what he might do to our trees."
…Was that a joke?
"The second condition, however, will not be applied to Soul. It will only apply to you four." Enyeto finally opened the ender chest, withdrawing four sets of brown, enchanted, leather armor. "Brown, as I am sure you are aware of, is Jolin's symbolic color, representative of the trees we strive to protect. The very foundations of our Kingdom."
He slid the leather armor across the table, setting one before each of us.
"This is not your average set of leather armor, however. It is enchanted with one of the newest Bounty Day enchantments: The Curse of Binding."
An enchanted… curse?
We all looked at the armor with the same level of confusion.
"Once you put this armor on, you will be unable to take it off until the durability wears off or you die." My eyes snapped open.
What!? I screamed internally.
"Additionally, the armor has Unbreaking III, meaning you will have to endure plenty of battles before it finally breaks and releases you from its curse."
WHAAAAAAAAAAT!?
"This is to be your punishment. You will shed your diamond armor and wear the symbol of Jolin, cursed from taking it off right away. You will have none of the protection afforded you by enchanted diamond gear. If you wish to wear any armor ever again, you will endure battle after battle, tanking blow after blow, hoping the cursed armor breaks before your bodies do. You will also be unable to enchant it since you cannot take it off to put through an anvil."
"W-wait just a second!" Lenz finally shouted, the latest reveal too much for him to keep silent. "Having armor like this will leave us defenseless! Surely this is too severe a punishment for—"
The Captain slammed a fist down onto the table, shocking Lenz back into silence. "This is nowhere near as severe a punishment as you think. Severe is not being forced to wear this armor. Severe is being forced to wear a Curse of Binding pumpkin for the rest of your life like Dahlia and Brandr."
Floyd choked on that bit of information and the rest of us looked with wide eyes.
"That's right. For their attempts on Alaqua's life, they will face life imprisonment and wear cursed pumpkins. The pumpkins will forever and maddeningly narrow their vision, and unlike your leather armor, a pumpkin has no durability. No chance for the item to break and release them from its curse. The pumpkin of shame will sit upon their heads for all time, a permanent, hellish reminder of what they've done." His eyes narrowed upon the engineer. "Do you still think your punishment is too severe?"
Lenz, shivering, rapidly shook his head with his mouth sewn shut.
Doomed to wear a pumpkin for the rest of their lives. Their names wouldn't even be shown under the pumpkin. That would make it easier for them to hide should they ever escape, but what kind of life would they escape to? They'd have to live and fight with fruit on their head. I remembered what it was like wearing one, wandering through the End dimension, and judging by Lenz's terrified face, he remembered too. Endermen would be no trouble, but other Mobs and Griefers and cultists. There was no way they could be bounty hunters with that handicap.
Compared to that, we got off easy.
"I'm sorry if this comes off as ungrateful for all you've done," Captain Enyeto said as he leaned back, his face relaxing, "but every crime needs a punishment, and your friend committed a very serious crime." He waited for each of us to give a nod of understanding before closing his eyes and letting out a sigh. "That's all I had to say. You are free to speak. I will address any questions or concerns you may have."
Now we could ask questions? Not like he was staggering us with all the capital punishment he just hit us with!
Though, in all fairness, he covered plenty. We would be leaving Jolin, but we could never come back. Or, well, we could, but we'd be risking our lives… more than we already had since we got there. Hm…
I raised my hand. "You know, if you gave us another set of cursed armor, we could probably get Soul to wear it. We wouldn't want him to skip out on his punishment after all—"
"We only have the four sets right now." Enyeto shot down immediately. "Curses of Binding aren't easy to purposefully get."
"Darn it."
"So we can't ever come back?" Floyd asked, sounding hurt. "The people… really don't want us around?"
"This decision wasn't up to the people." The Captain assured. "It was the council, the King, and the Princess who made this compromise." He smiled. "If you're worried that the people hate you, don't be. They already know how you saved Alaqua. If it were up to them, they would keep you around, Hacker or not."
Floyd smiled at that.
"Does this ban extend to Jolin's villages?" Lenz asked, still a bit nervous about upsetting the much larger and beefier man.
"I'm afraid it does. It'll take some time to circulate the banned names and faces to every village, but within the week, it should be in full effect. The whole Kingdom is grateful to the Beginners for changing Desideratum and stopping the Berserkers. But it's the council's job to dole out punishment, and they've come to a decision. That's all there is to it."
"There won't be a trial, will there?" Jade asked suddenly.
"No. You'll all be quietly let go. The council doesn't want the people to know you're being banished for your heroics."
"But then how will Soul know he's banished?" Floyd asked. "We have no idea where to meet him, and he's probably waiting on us somewhere."
Enyeto paused to consider it. "…I think we can arrange something. Maybe a newsbook article about which toll gate you four will be departing from and when. We don't have to tell the populace you'll be leaving forever. Will that do?"
"Yes, that should work." Floyd smiled. "Thanks."
"It's the least I can do. Believe me." The Captain stood up from his seat and, as if on cue, four guards walked in, each holding an assortment of items very familiar to each of us.
"My Inventory!" Floyd exclaimed, his face lighting up. "I lost all this stuff when you took me from that inn. You… you kept it all this time?"
"Unlike the Berserkers, we don't keep what we take." Enyeto said with a note of pride. "Evidence is evidence. And your synced map should be in there too. And you can rest assured; we didn't make copies of it. We have no intention of tracking you down so long as you avoid Jolin and its villages."
"Geez, we're really banned from a tenth of the world…" I spoke aloud, taking back my Inventory from my respective guard. "It's a lot to take in."
"So long as I am not banished from my home…" Lenz muttered, taking his bow and arrows back. "Daymonte is at the forefront of technological innovation after all while Jolin is… full of trees."
"You got something against trees?" Enyeto growled.
"No! Nothing against trees! They are arborable."
"…Arborable?"
"Alright, let's get this over with." Jade grimaced, pulling the cursed leather armor across the table. She slipped the tunic over her torso, putting her arms through the sleeves and smoothing it out. As soon as it was fitted onto her, she let out an involuntary puff of breath, as if the tunic had constricted around her, forcing the air from her lungs. "Oof. It's… ugh, it feels strange." She patted her chest, the tunic fitting snugly, but not cutting off any air.
With the haste of taking foul-tasting medicine, the four of us put on our cursed clothing. The leather boots tightened around my feet before relaxing into a snug fit, and the rest of the armor did much the same. Just to test its effects, I tried peeling the boots off, only to find that they held tight like a second skin. The same with the leggings, the cap, and the tunic. The others tested theirs the same way with the same results.
So we were stuck with them until the durability broke, which would take forever because of Unbreaking III. I suppose we should have been thankful Enyeto didn't add Mending Enchantments too. What was even the benefit of the Curse of Binding? Why did the Bounty Day bring it about?
At once, I missed the green leather tunic of Ringwood. It always felt like home to me. Warm and protective. Better than a diamond chestplate. The stupid brown tunic felt bitter and hollow. I guess that's what made it a punishment.
"Now that that's out of the way, all that's left is filling out the release paperwork and arranging how your compatriot will hear of your release. If you'll excuse me, I'll get right on that." The Captain walked to the door, leaving a few guards to watch us, but paused at the threshold. "Again, you boys have my sincerest thanks." He finished before closing the door behind him.
Just as the Captain promised, news of our release from the Root Cellar spread throughout the Kingdom, assisted in no small part by Princess Alaqua, who announced a going-away ceremony to be held in our honor. It was held at the base of the Gift Tree and saw most of the populace in attendance, including our lost axe-wielder.
"The hell are you guys wearing?" He asked as soon as he saw us. The bastard even had the nerve to be wearing enchanted diamond armor.
While Jade and Lenz filled him in, Floyd and I spoke with the handful of citizens who had the courage to meet face-to-face with us—or more specifically, Floyd. The Kingdom had bad history with Hackers, but those brave enough to talk with Floyd offered words of gratitude and asked him questions about the Hack Clan which he didn't know the answers to. The idea of a good Hacker was still foreign to most.
Compared to him, I was largely ignored. We kept the fact we would be banished forever to ourselves.
Nobody talked for long. Not only were they caught up in celebrations, but they were quickly shunted aside by guards and Enyeto acting as a bouncer. The Princess and King spoke with each of us as well.
"The Berserkers accepted the Law of Sanctions." She said. "And they've agreed to pay off reparations for past requisitions in increments. Within ten years, the debt should be paid in full."
"Bet a lot of merchants are happy about that." I commented, sipping at some bottled water.
"It won't help the ones that already went bankrupt and were thrown in jail, but it's a start." Alaqua sighed. "The guards have also taken the liberty of innovating their training. Apparently, they found it insulting you and that green-haired girl managed to elude them for so long."
I turned to watch the green-haired girl in question showing off some of her more daring parkour moves to the general applause of the guards. "They seem to like her now, though."
"She could sacrifice puppies and they'd still adore her for helping to end Desideratum." Alaqua smiled. "Seeing her in action made me realize how much more I need to train. Even as a princess."
"Huh? Seeing her in action?"
"Oh! Sorry, I mean, uh… Hey! Is that food over there? I should go get some!" She hastily left the conversation.
"What was that about…?"
"Hey, Cobb!" Jade called over with a wave. "Get over here! There are some parkour tricks I want to teach you!"
The celebrations continued into the night, but Enyeto brought the five of us together, ushering us out in silence so as not to disrupt anything. Better we leave quietly. The people were so happy, they had hardly noticed the guests of honor leaving.
Whatever Inventory we couldn't fit in our backpacks was stuffed away in ender chests. Jade restocked her own so that she would be the holder of our extended Inventories. The funds Lenz secured were safely tucked away, and we all had our synced maps back. Soul was understandably bitter over being banished for our efforts, but there was little any of us could do about it. The last act the Captain did was confiscating our Jolin Entry Passes.
Even though night was a dangerous time to go out, we were all fairly stocked on food and resources, and what we didn't have, we shared. Soul, with his un-cursed diamond armor, served as our vanguard. We would survive.
With the jungle Kingdom behind us, we went out a couple of miles before setting up a camp under some trees.
Our next destination: Zeppil.
[Carys]
"In summation, I think we've stockpiled enough EXP bottles to begin trading them." Jillian said while reading from a book of figures. "If possible, I'd like to start with Zeppil, then we can work our way through the other Kingdoms."
"And I'm sure the fact that you were once a Captain there has nothing to do with this favorable trade relationship?"
"…I don't know what you mean."
"Gizmhkzivmg." Z7 murmured in the silence, her attention focused on the floor.
"And I don't know what she means." Anibal joked before gasping as a dagger nearly missed her face. "Okay! Sorry!"
"Blf yvggvi yv…" Z7 mumbled as she was already up working her knife out of the wall.
"Sheesh, maybe she can understand what we're saying."
"Just intent." I commented while looking on at the Jibberwoman. "Z7's speech might be garbled, but I wouldn't put it past her to sense what our words mean. She can at least tell the difference between a mocking joke and honest praise. You should remember that next time, Anibal."
"Yes ma'am."
The five team leaders and myself were positioned around a table in a private room within Lunar Castle. The room was once a private study before we retooled it into a meeting room of sorts. It offered us privacy and security. Our agenda for the day was to discuss our plans and proceedings for the next few weeks. There were other people present as well, though of less importance compared to my inner circle. Anibal's right hand man, Bloody_Dawn, hung on the outskirts along with Attila, who was called in under Kal's insistence, and Heather and Perry at the door, guarding the meeting. Ten in total.
"Anyway, Jillian, I see no problem in shipping the EXP bottles." Baltic nodded. "We can run transport through our outposts for safety."
"Or run into some Griefer camps to get a decent warm-up." I added with a dark smile. Baltic gave me a look. "What?"
"Carys, I know you've been a bit stir-crazy being cooped up in this castle, but my team or Delta can handle the transfer." Baltic attempted to appease, causing me to snort. You'd think after so many years of that he would get tired.
"I was joking, Baltic." I said. "I wasn't really going to go with them. Honestly, why would I go back to Zeppil after I liberated them?"
"For the memories?" Anibal guessed, to which I snorted.
"Not a chance. Make the delivery as soon as possible. We need to get emeralds flowing in and EXP flowing out if we want a favorable deal with the other Kingdoms."
"If they wanted to earn our favor, you'd think they would have captured those two cultists for us." Jillian noted, causing me to frown.
Indeed. I had been expecting those two to be brought before me bound and tied weeks ago. There were plenty of people who would happily catch them for the amount of emeralds promised. Hell, the Berserkers were so widespread you'd think they would have been on top of it.
Instead, I was short two dead men with not a lead in sight.
Same went for the Billionth. Jillian's connections hadn't heard a single thing about him other than the Halstatt legends being spread around. And that was really all we had to go off of. Legends. I didn't even know what the guy looked like!
"Carys, if it makes you feel any better, I may have discovered something for you to do." Jillian said, causing me to perk up instantly. "A mansion has cropped up in the Woodland Forest and I got reports that some Crafters went in, only to get slain by powerful Mobs—"
"Where is this mansion and how can I get there today?"
Kal rolled his eyes, nudging Attila who stifled a laugh. "Better Mobs than her obsession with the Billionth."
"It isn't an obsession to respect another's strength, Kal." I reprimanded, causing the Hacker to flinch. "Otherwise you could say I was obsessed with everyone here—with every Paragon I ever recruited."
"Sorry, Carys, it's just… you have a wall dedicated to the guy." Anibal said. "A freaking wall."
"Thank you for volunteering to fetch us all snacks, Anibal." I said sweetly with no room for argument. Anibal's mouth hung open before she grumbled and left the room for snacks. "Be a lamb and fetch the mutton! I'm craving it." I called out as a parting shot. "And maybe if my intelligence team wasn't lacking on details, I wouldn't need a wall." I hinted in Jillian's direction.
"Oh, excuse me, I'll get right on that when I'm not juggling Nitebane's problems." Jillian shot back. "Speaking of, I want some recommendations for Captains. We have enough of Nitebane's citizens trained and this will mean less work for me. Any names…?"
"Attila." Kal instantly raised the woman's hand, causing her eyes to widen in shock.
"Hold on, wha—"
"I second that vote."
"Gsriw rg."
"Fourth it?"
"Then I hereby dub thee Captain Attila." Jillian hastily touched both arms onto her shoulders, knighting her before she could protest. "Now, moving on—"
"Hang on, I never agreed to this."
"Well I never agreed to become the ruler of a Kingdom, but if Carys can foist it off on me, I can foist this off on you. Moving on." Jillian abruptly stopped as Perry and Heather entered the room ushering a third Crafter between them. The three bowed respectfully. "What is it?"
"Apologies for the interruption, but this is for Carys." My eyebrow rose in interest at the book held up by the third Crafter. "We just received an intel report. It's from Wing and Luis in Ringwood."
"Luis?" Heather perked up immediately, a smile showing. "That's great! I was worried since we hadn't heard from them in a while."
"Yeah, what took so long?" Perry asked the third Crafter accusingly, only for Jillian to step in.
"The mail services to Nitebane are still sort of vague. My guess is that outsiders are unsure whether or not they can deliver mail to a recovering Kingdom. We've been out of the loop for so long." She commented, scratching her chin. "I suppose one of our outposts picked it up and carried it the rest of the way."
"Give it here." I snapped my fingers incessantly, the third Crafter tossing it into my waiting fingers. "I've been waiting on this information forever."
"Right…" Kal muttered. "They were meant to investigate that Executive and Hacker, right?" Attila stiffened at Kal's side, before averting her gaze. "What do you think they got on King_Cobb and Floyd?"
Hopefully something I could use to make Cobb's life a living hell.
I poured over the book, allowing the other members to talk about the plans for Nitebane. Expansion, training, recruitment. Things I implicitly trusted Jillian to be on top of. So long as they were a combat ready Kingdom, I'd make no arguments.
I hummed as I scanned the details of the report. Most of it was about Cobb, and only a few things really stuck out.
He was living in a Captain's home. Wynn_Whispers. I remembered her from when she tried to stop me in Ringwood. That was the day I got my first wanted poster. If she knew what I was really doing that day, she would have thought twice about vilifying me. Carys_Angel was a wanted criminal, but the Angel of Death was a hero to all but the Endward Cult.
Anyway, if Cobb was sleeping at her mansion, chances were they were lovers or whatever. I earmarked that for revenge material.
The pig-killer had also attacked an Endward Cult outpost. That had my eyebrows lift in interest. Since when did he have a grudge against them? But he was as stupid as ever, going alone. I mean, I probably would have done it alone, but I was me. I could handle Hackers. Cobb? Not so much.
Not only did he survive the suicidal mission on the outpost, but he distracted the cultists enough for Wing to steal intelligence about cultist bases located around the Origin and Ringwood region. Luis included it all in the report.
What else? What else? A housekeeper? Trivial. An archer? Possibly an enemy to look out for. Oh, and his number. I skipped back to the front, eyes glazing over as most of the pertinent information was catalogued.
Number: One billion.
I shot up, a hand slamming on the table loud enough to startle everyone. "No…" I muttered wordlessly, my eyes wide and darting between the name and number as if they couldn't believe it. "Noooooo…"
"Carys?"
This couldn't be possible.
"What's wrong? Carys!?" Someone leaned over, grasping my shoulder. I couldn't fathom who. My brain was still rebooting.
My body lurched, palms striking the table to hold myself up as the damnable report tumbled from my numb fingers. Of all the people to be the Billionth, it had to be him, Mr. Piggles' killer. A fresh stab of pain twisted in my gut as I remembered my beloved steed being eaten alive.
My place in history as the first Hacker Slayer was stolen, not by some formidable warrior, but by that thing! Him and his stupid, pork stuffing FACE!
I let out a fresh gasp of horror as I realized the error of my ways trying to deduce his identity. And I had unknowingly praised his skills. The skills of one of my most hated enemies.
"No… no, no, no…" I wailed, my head hunching forward. "No, no, no, sonofabitch, NOoooOOooo!"
I slammed a fist into the table, breaking a bit of it and causing the Paragons closest to back off. Baltic had a hand outstretched, unsure of what to do.
Slowly, with my eyes concealed by my hunched over head, I spoke to everyone.
"…I need everyone to leave this room for a few moments." I spoke in a shaking voice, my fingers scratching at the table to restrain myself.
Z7 was already gone, her instincts enough to know a primed bomb when she saw one.
"…Uh, w-what?" Heather asked.
"But we're in the middle of a—"
"You all need to leave." I cut her off, my fingers clawing at the wood as I struggled to suppress my growing rage. "I will not be held responsible for how I lash out, nor whom I lash out at."
"Uhh…" Jillian, Perry, and Heather looked terrified. The messenger, excused, had bolted for the door after Z7.
"I am currently holding back a rage so great it would shake the foundations of this castle and deafen anyone within a fifty foot radius of me. So I ask that you all leave and spare yourselves what's about to happen."
"We should leave." Baltic advised, sweating nervously as he grabbed Jillian and Heather and tugged them towards the exit. "I've seen this before. We need to vacate the blast radius before she goes off."
"Wait, but for how long?"
Unfortunately, Anibal chose that moment to return with the mutton.
"Whoa, where's the fire guys?" Anibal asked Baltic humorously as she pushed her way back to her seat. "Come on, I got the food, let's—gak!"
I grabbed Anibal by the neck, her eyes popping as the mutton fell from her arms onto the floor. I had warned them all. Present or not, my ire was going to make an example out of this fool. With no effort at all, I lifted her like a kitten and hurled her body out the nearest window. The resounding crash of glass filled the eerie silence as all eyes were on me.
"Everyone. Out. Now." I gritted.
In three seconds, I was left alone.
With no more possible casualties, I loosened the reins over my anger and found it to be almost foreign to me. It was as if the anger was so great, it had exceeded the container that was my body and became apart from me. Even though the rage was a part of me.
I moved in a dazed trance as I placed Cobb's report beside a chest. My control only got me that far as my hands began to shake. I kicked open the nearest chest and my hands dove for something big and heavy. They came back up with an anvil.
Perfect.
I turned, slinging the thing over my shoulder as I flung it across the room. I watched it, feeling brief satisfaction as it slammed across the table before it crashed into a pillar.
More.
I whipped my head, my eyes catching sight of an axe before my fingers flew to the handle. A one-armed throw found the axe head crashing through beautiful stained glass windows.
Another.
With an inhuman scream, I hurled armfuls of Anibal's mutton into the air, watching the cooked meat stick to every surface, the savory juices causing some of them to slide down.
I needed to break more. To scream more.
I stalked over to ornate armor stands lining the wall and whipped out my scythe, breaking each one and causing the armor to fall with greater, clamoring crashes. I kicked a helmet so hard it struck and chipped the wall.
The banners. I could tear those down. They were all ripped from the walls before I could blink, the sound of tearing fabric pleasing me in my incensed fury. If only Cobb could be pulled apart as easily as these banners.
Splash potions were wrenched free and chucked chaotically, no target in mind. One flew out the window Anibal was thrown from. The others smashed against stone, spilling their contents for nobody.
Another short, frustrated shriek split the air. No longer satisfied with smaller objects, I clawed loose part of the table, raised it over my head, and threw it across the room into the hearth where it burned furiously.
I knocked over the water bottles my Paragons left behind before upending the table entirely. I was panting now in short, seething breaths.
I took a running start and kicked and punched the debris I had already loosened. My footing was wobbly as I walked over shattered bits of furniture and smashed the chest. Its contents spilled free across the floor, adding to the obstacles. How I wished it was Cobb instead of the chest and his Inventory spilling across my feet.
How!? How could he do in a month what took me years to plan!? And to think I actually wanted to recruit him! Just thinking about it makes me want to vomit!
I looked left and right. Shelves lining the walls? I don't think so! I gripped the sides and rocked it back and forth until the whole thing came off. I let it fall in a heap, already moving on to the next, my fingers flexing in anticipation.
Months worth of reports were flung into the fire. A stack of papers into the air, the pages falling like leaves.
I nearly tripped dragging the remains of a chair by my foot before I kicked it free and tore up a music player.
More ragged breaths, more breaking things. I shouted, cursed, yelled, and screamed until it hurt. Then, I made my rounds, searching the room for anything left to break.
My scythe flicked towards the ceiling, killing the lights and bathing the room in darkness save the orange glow from the hearth.
My chest rose and fell, my heavy breaths standing out in the silence. In the darkness. Unflatteringly, this would be called a tantrum. If anyone dared call it that, I'd kill them.
I'd kill them dead.
Again, in a slow, trance-like state, I walked over to the report, navigating the ruined room by the light of the fire.
My anger was still there, still bubbling beneath the surface of my blood-red eyes, but it was muted after tiring myself out in such a way.
It was a hollow satisfaction, wishing I had Cobb before me instead of some furniture.
Furniture, after all, never begged for mercy.
My limp fingers closed around Cobb's report and I closed my eyes as I, with great difficulty, calmed myself down.
I can't let this go. I thought rationally.
I can't let this frustration fester. I can't let this go unresolved. It'll mess with my mind.
I have to act on this.
I took a deep breath, counted to ten, and then exhaled, allowing a dark smile to spread across my face.
I turned on my heel, the report securely tucked beneath my arm.
Five Paragons leapt away from the door as soon as I opened it. They all had their weapons drawn and looked uneasy. Ah, it seemed like they all heard me. My voice was pretty hoarse.
My vicious smile did little to calm them down. "A-Are you okay, Carys?" Baltic bravely asked with Kal right behind him in case they needed to run.
"Never better." The short and sweet reply caused the five gathered Paragons to gulp nervously. "Is Anibal alive?"
"Yeah… yeah, Dawn went to get her and I sent Witige to give her some Healing Potions." Baltic reported, his eyes only leaving mine to glance at the report under my arm. "What… uh… If you don't mind me asking, what was in that report?"
"Just some… interesting news." I gritted out, the promise of vengeance keeping my dark smile in place. "News I think I need to act upon. Change of plans everyone. I'm not going to the Woodland Mansion for training." I addressed the watching Paragons and smiled when I saw the assassin returning. "Z7. Bring two of your best men. We're going on an important mission."
"Bvh, Zmtvo." She nodded before darting back to Team Epsilon. I turned my attention to Kal.
"I want you and Attila picking up Z7's slack in protecting Jillian. I don't want any cultists or Hackers getting too close to her." Kal looked confused at what I was planning, but he nodded at the order nonetheless.
I looked over the rest of them. "Heather and Perry. You're coming too. Get prepped for battle. We leave tomorrow. Baltic, you're flying us. The rest of you are dismissed."
The Paragons dispersed to tend to their orders except for two. Jillian and Baltic.
"Carys, what is the meaning of this?" Jillian asked. "First you flip out, and now you're assigning a mission without explaining it to the rest of us? What happened to you laying low?"
"I agree, Carys." Baltic spoke up, looking alarmed that he was flying Carys and Z7 somewhere. The two were next to unstoppable when covering one another. It was one of the reasons the Jibberwoman had been trusted with guarding Jillian. "What did you read in that report? Where are we going that requires such pressing attention?"
"That depends." I answered elusively before holding up the report. "This book was dated to have been sent nearly a month ago. Thirty-two days to be precise."
"So what?" Baltic asked, earning a dark chuckle.
"So, on foot, how long would it take a group of Crafters to get from Ringwood to Zeppil?"
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Leggings [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III], 1 Golden Shovel [Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Sword, 64 Cobblestone, 47 Cobblestone, 5 Dirt, 19 Torches, 37 Coal, 35 Cooked Chicken, 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 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}
[EXP: 23]
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Leggings [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 30 Iron Ingots, 1 Fishing Rod, 2 Ender Pearls, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 5 Emeralds, 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, 24 Cooked Porkchops, 1 Potion of Fire Resistance {8:00}, 17 Gunpowder, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}
[EXP: 29]
Inventory (Lenz): 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Leggings [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 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, 28 Arrows, 16 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Stick, 1 Crafting Table, 16 Sugar Cane, 15 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 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte 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 [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV, Feather Falling IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Bed, 1 Furnace, 1 Anvil, 35 Torches, 1 Splash Potion of Swiftness {1:07}, 37 Dirt, 64 Cobblestone, 31 Cobblestone, 5 Stone Slabs, 49 Coal, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Armor Stand, 48 Emeralds, 49 Steak, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}
[EXP: 48]
Inventory (Jade): 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Leggings [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV], 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, 5 Ender Chests, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Dover Plains Entry Pass}, 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, 33 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: 9]
Beetroot the Horse
AN: Uh-oh...
I actually wrote Carys' freakout on paper first before typing it out. It's inspired by the Citizen Kane freakout where he completely trashes a room, but stops at the snow globe. Youtube it.
And four-fifths of the Beginners have to wear cursed armor. No good deed goes unpunished.
Hi Noman! Bye Noman!
Jade lets Floyd in on her little secret. But how long before she lets the others know?
Review, Fav, Follow. And enjoy the canon omake below. (^_^)
Omake: Letter to Wynn
"Hey, Jade, is parkour spelled 'ore' or 'our'?"
"It's 'our', and yeah, I know it's spelled awkwardly."
"Thanks!" Cobb scribbled the correction down before nibbling on the quill in thought. "Now how to explain Jolin…?"
"What are you writing, anyway?" Soul asked, looking over Cobb's shoulders.
"I'm writing a letter to Wynn. Since Troy and those other fresh spawns we helped in the Origin decided we were criminals, I figure they didn't pass on my message to Wynn. This is just to let her and Erin know we're still alive and well."
"You know the Captain of Ringwood?" Jade asked with interest. "I hear she's a strict taskmaster."
"That's putting it lightly…" Cobb mumbled.
"One moment…" Lenz quickly perused what had been written in the book before grabbing the fisherman's arm. "Cobbert, you cannot send this!"
"Huh? Why not?"
"Think. We are wanted criminals in Ringwood. This letter hints at close companionship with Miss Whispers."
"He's right, Cobb." Floyd chimed in. "Mail gets checked at the toll gates. What'll people think when they see you writing all chummy with her? It'll damage her reputation."
"Ah, shoot, you're right." Cobb frowned, looking at the book in his hand. "But I want to let her know we're doing well. Avoiding danger and all that."
"…How is throwing ourselves against a guild of bounty hunters considered 'avoiding danger'?"
"We won didn't we?" Soul commented arrogantly. "Anyway, if you're worried about writing to her as a friend, just write to her as an enemy."
"Hey, that's a great idea!" Cobb said earnestly before erasing all that he had scribbled and starting fresh. "Dear Wynn—no, no that's too friendly. Um…"
"To the Captain I put in their place…" Soul suggested instead, oddly getting into it.
"Yeah, yeah, that's good!" Cobb scribbled it down. "Everyone, help me out here. I'm open to suggestions."
"I can proofread!" Lenz's hand shot up.
"Don't forget to mention the Endward Cult every other sentence." Jade said. "They think we're cultists after all…"
"I can do insults." Soul offered, rubbing his hands evilly. "I can definitely do insults."
"It shall be the best nemesis letter ever." Floyd joked.
"Captain! Captain!"
"Spencer, if you wanted to shout at my front door, you should have brought Captain Iron_Lung." Wynn said as she opened her door up to the five guards. Erin was behind her, diligently working on dinner. "This must be a serious matter if you've come directly to my home. What is it? Theft? Kidnapping? Murder? Tax fraud?"
"Well… no…" Spencer rubbed his head awkwardly as the guards behind him refused to come to his rescue. Instead, he held out a book. "This just came in from the mail today. It caused quite an uproar and… well…"
"Stop stalling and just spit it out. Can you not smell the delicious dinner I have waiting for me?" This was Wynn's only time to rest in between performing her Captain duties and overseeing repairs in the wake of the Creeper herd. "Now who's the letter from?"
"It's… from Cobb."
The book was snatched so fast, the only thing that could rival it in speed was how quickly Erin dropped everything and rushed to the Captain's side, eyes fixated on the tome.
The guards stepped back, but Wynn hesitated to open it. She and Erin had been burning to hear news from their moronic fisherman for nearly a month, but they had also known that no news was good news, given their wanted status. Now, they had written confirmation that Cobb was alive and felt safe enough to send letters to them. What would be inside? Would it be something damning her reputation? Would it speak of complicity in helping them escape? Would it reveal slip-ups hinting at the Beginners' current location?
No. Wynn thought, her eyes narrowing.
Cobb was no fool. Or… he was a fool, but he wasn't a stupid fool. Or… well… that Lenz guy seemed smart! Surely he'd have checked this letter for landmines. Because if not, this would cause problems.
"Just open it already!" Erin hissed, reaching out her fingers to pry open the leatherback. Wynn held it just out of reach, shooting her a warning glance.
Whatever was written inside, they had to be careful. Knowing the guards were watching, Wynn took a deep breath, schooling her features into the picture of neutral serenity. She couldn't let her emotions show. She couldn't let any of them know she was happy to hear from Cobb.
With her perfect mask in place, the Captain gazed indifferently at the book between her hands before opening up to the first page.
The mask cracked.
[To the Captain put in her place,]
[While on my travels, I encountered a white rabbit hopping about, and I had to stun it with my fishing rod before killing it. And doing so made me think of you, the Captain I wrecked with but a simple fishing rod. So I figured I'd cast you a letter.]
[Hail Cultists.]
[I just wanted to say I'm ever so thankful for your inadequacy as a Captain. Had you been even a smidge more competent in ability or poise, my companions and I might have been captured by you in Ringwood those many weeks ago.]
[Hail Cultists.]
[So thanks again! You really made it easy for us.]
[You'll be pleased to hear I'm doing great! The Captains in Jolin were even more incompetent than you, and I continue to evade them with minimal effort. And don't even get me started on the Berserkers! They were a bunch of—and these are totally my words—punk-ass bitches.]
[Hail Cultists.]
[Oh, and we got a new member too! She's super nice. She's even giving me parkour lessons!]
[Anyway, just wanted to let you know that I'm still raising hell and having fun! I'm sure you have words for me and I'd love to give you my return address, but frankly, I'm not convinced you won't use that information to find me and skewer my balls to the wall. So you'll have to have this letter to tide your frustrations over.]
[Hope you're having a good summer.]
[Your Forever Nemesis,]
[Cult Executive King_Cobb]
[P.S. Hail Cultists.]
The Captain slowly lowered the letter. Her mind was the unwilling host to a wide spectrum of emotions. Relief that Cobb was alive.
Anger that he felt the need to insult her competency as a Captain...followed by understanding considering the hands this letter must have passed through to get to her.
Humor, that he still felt the need to drum up the fishing rod, on top of repeatedly mentioning the Endward Cult in a way so overt that only his closest friends could detect the falsehood.
Concern, that he seemingly made enemies out of Jolin's guards and the Berserkers.
More understanding that only Cobb could make enemies out of Jolin's guards and the Berserkers after she specifically told him to stay out of trouble.
Intrigue, that he managed to make a new friend despite it all.
Indignant fury, when she re-read the greeting at the top of the letter.
Pride, that he remembered how dangerous her rapier could be in her capable hands.
And finally, generally, fondness. Fondness, that he bothered to send her a letter in the first place. Even on the run, he still had the time to send her a letter like this. He still had the nerve to send her a letter like this.
Wynn shook her head, suppressing a smile knowing the guards were watching. "That idiot…"
She'd probably keep the letter, just as a fresh reminder to his endearing idiocy. She'd certainly give him an earful if he ever returned… so long as he was no longer a wanted criminal.
"WHAAAAAAAAT!?"
The Captain's warm thoughts were cut off by yelling that would put Iron_Lung to shame as Erin roughly wrenched the letter out of her grip and stared at one line in particular with bloodshot eyes.
"WHAT'S THIS ABOUT A NEW MEMBER!? AND A 'SHE'!? A 'SHE' IS GIVING HIM LESSONS!?" She shrieked. "'SUPER NICE' MY FOOT! SHE'S A HARLOT COBB!" The housekeeper wrung the book as if it were someone's neck.
Oh, right. Wynn thought worriedly. Erin's not-so-secret crush. Cobb, why did you have to mention your new teammate was a girl? Now I have to deal with this.
"MISS WHISPERS, DINNER'S ON HOLD! WE'RE GOING TO JOLIN TO SAVE COBB FROM THAT SKANK!" Erin stole the rapier from my belt and waved it in the air wildly, her eyes turning crazy. "SHE'S NOT GETTING ANY OF HIM!"
"Um… guards?" Wynn ordered, pointing to the crazed Erin not-so-subtly. "Mind calming her down?"
The guards looked wary, but obeyed the Captain' orders, holding up hands to try and appease the vengeful housekeeper. The armored guards were pushed forward, taking the hissing and clawing Erin in their arms as they lifted her up. Her flailing had the rapier whacking people in the face before Wynn reclaimed her weapon.
"Goddamnit Cobb…"
"LET GO OF ME! REEEEEEEEEEEE!"
AN: At least he's checking in.
Next time: The Zeppil Arc.