AN: Oh boy. Another long-ass Chapter.
For those of you wondering, XoX's name is pronounced 'Zox'. Think of the first X like the X in xylophone or xenophobe.
Also, warning, there may be some feels this Chapter. Maybe. I don't know how thick-skinned my readers are. Maybe it'll mean nothing. Maybe you all have hearts of stone.
On with the Chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. Bwuh.
Chapter 121
Cutlass
[Below the Spleef Arena]
"Excuse me."
Four Crafters clothed in red leather turned in response, but it was only the biggest of the group that Abyssal_Shadow sought to corner before the day was done. And there was no better place than the secluded corridors beneath the Spleef Arena.
"I'd like to borrow your Captain for a moment."
XoX glared at the man while the rest of his team took up defensive positions. Two of them had bruises on their faces from where XoX had struck them with a shovel in his frenzied battle-lust. Despite that, they all spoke at the same time, words tumbling free.
"Captain XoX is really busy—"
"Captain XoX is tired from his victory in—"
"—he's not a man you should annoy—"
Their protests were cut short when XoX stepped into them, his buff body shifting them aside like leaves. His hazel eyes regarded Shadow seriously, and the claw-like scar over his eye never looked more intimidating.
"Leave." He grunted to his teammates, though calling them that was generous. For all their aid, he acted like they were insects beneath him. It had Shadow clenching his fist in disgust.
Even then, his teammates tried to protest, warning the Captain that this talk was unnecessary. Only when XoX growled and reached for the warhammer at his belt did they retreat down the corridor, out of sight.
Finally alone, the two remained silent, Shadow sizing the larger man up.
"So…" Shadow began, breaking the hush. "This is the kind of Captain Exter employs. A shining pinnacle for all guards to strive for." He said, voice laden with disgust.
XoX said nothing.
"A Captain who beats his subordinates." Shadow continued, shaking his head. "You're nothing better than a mad beast. Ogre of the West indeed."
XoX said nothing, his eyes glazing over. Bored.
"And before you ask why my opinion should mean anything," Shadow went on, "I was the previous Captain of Exter. And I valued the lives of my guards. I sure as hell wouldn't be forcing them into a competition, let alone beating them before an audience with a shovel. Where's your pride?"
"Pride." XoX finally uttered, the word meaning something to him. He held up a meaty finger before flexing and pointing to his bicep. "Pride. Here."
Shadow scowled. "Your pride is your muscles? Really?"
"Strength is pride." XoX went on. "Talk is cheap. I listen to you blabber and blabber about what a Captain should do. But whether I am Captain or not, it does not change my way. Fight all. As many as I can. Get stronger. Fight stronger." He narrowed his eyes. "Was hoping for blue girl today. No show. Maybe blue girl tomorrow."
"Being a Captain is more than just being the strongest physically." Shadow argued. "You need to have the strongest character. You owe it to the people. They trust you to—"
"You are ex-Captain." XoX cut off, causing Shadow to pause. "You lecture me? You? A quitter? If it's a problem, then maybe you should not have resigned."
"…I had to resign." Shadow said through his teeth, fists bunched up at his sides. "People died because of me."
"Then they weren't worthy of much." Shadow's head snapped up so fast that bits of tears flew into the air. "Like the fodder I defeated in arena. Like the 'teammates' who do what I say because they're only worth what I say."
"You—!"
"And if they hate it, they can fight me to submission. Can become new Captain. I could not care less for the position; Let the strongest prevail. But they submit because they're weak." He sent him a pitying smile. "Just like Mr. Ex-Captain."
There was a rush of movement. A diamond blade tickled XoX's neck. A warhammer was raised high, poised to crush Shadow's skull. The Ex-Captain was breathing hard and fast, his crimson eyes trying to burn holes into XoX's.
"You got fire, Mr. Ex-Captain." XoX complimented. "Maybe if blue girl is a no show, you can provide a challenge."
"Be careful what you wish for." Shadow threatened. "I'm not as rusty as you'd think."
The two Captains slowly stepped back, Shadow putting his weapon away.
"Tomorrow. In the arena. We settle with shovels." XoX grunted, turning to lumber away, his warhammer leaning heavily on one shoulder. "We'll see who's stronger… and who submits."
Shadow watched him go, wondering for the life of him what possessed the king of Exter to enlist such a brute.
Maybe because another Captain up and resigned. His traitorous mind spoke up, causing him to bite his lip. He turned on his heel to leave...
…and nearly bumped into another Crafter.
Reflexes honed through years of service as a Captain had him reaching for his sword, but he stopped himself. The blue-haired man before him showed no intention of harming him—not even reaching for the bow at his waist—though his eyes were covered by a blue tinted eyeshield. Chen_Tzuyu.
"Do you need something?" Shadow asked, a bit angrier than normal on account of XoX's challenge.
Chen lifted his eyeshield, revealing a pair of silver eyes that shifted to look over Shadow's head.
"Sorry." Chen bowed his head, though his gaze remained locked over Shadow, where his name would be. "I heard a name mentioned and thought it was an old acquaintance. Abyssal_Shadow." He said aloud. "Abyssal does sound an awful lot like it. My mistake."
"Ah, I go by Shadow."
"Then I'll refer to you as such. Less confusing for me." He bowed again, lowering his eyeshield. "Though we probably won't see much of each other. Again, sorry for bothering you."
"No… problem…" Chen was around the corner before Shadow could get the words out.
[Cobb]
Jade and Floyd were kind enough to guide me to our room while I was busy thinking about tomorrow's problem: XoX. The Captain was a force to be reckoned with, easily crushing the competition in his arena, and even the threat of disqualification didn't seem to deter him from doing it again.
I had only survived because I outlasted the time limit. There would be nothing like that for Round Two. Only fifteen would pass. Fifteen out of sixty-two. And I had to be one of them.
"Don't worry about it, Cobb." Jade, seeing my distress, tried to comfort me. "Soul watched all three arenas from the stands. He'll know XoX's weaknesses and we'll be able to make a plan for you. Right, Soul?"
"The guy was wrecking shit everywhere. Aside from curling up and praying, I don't see Cobb—OW!" Jade stamped onto Soul's foot, an innocent smile plastered on her face. Her eyes, however, looked deadly. "I mean, yeah, he was full of weaknesses…"
"You were expecting emotional support from him?" Floyd asked incredulously to which Jade replied with a glare.
"No, Soul's blunt honesty is what I need right now." I rubbed my head, thinking things over. "I may be green when it comes to spleef, but I'm not alone in the arena either. Everyone's probably thinking the same thing—that XoX is the obstacle. Was there anyone you saw that looked like a challenge to him?"
"Well," Soul rubbed his chin, "that Captain Bak guy stayed at the top level of his arena. And Abyssal_Shadow was on top in yours. Along with XoX, I'd say those three are the top contenders. Makes sense, seeing as how they're all Captains."
"Abyssal is a Captain?" I asked. "Which Kingdom?"
"Exter. And he's an Ex-Captain. It's what the woman I was sitting next to mentioned." He explained. "He resigned in the early days, but he's still as strong as any Captain. And did you see the way he was glaring at XoX?" Soul shook his head. "Between that and Bak and Fo's thing, these Parkour Games are full of Captain rivalries."
Abyssal_Shadow had been glaring. Right after XoX hurt his men for cooling him off.
"You think Shadow will go after XoX?"
"If he does, it'll make a great fight. Two Captains of Exter, old and new. The announcer will have a field day hyping it up and you just might evade their radar while they're fighting it out." Soul leaned against the wall, his eyes fixed on an empty bed. "Shouldn't the nerd be back by now?"
As if on cue, Lenz entered the room. He was frowning, and we instantly assumed the worst.
"Why the long face? Don't tell me you lost in archery."
"Hm?" Lenz looked up, only just realizing we were there. "Oh. No, no I trounced the competition. In fact, I tied for first place in today's event."
Soul whistled in appreciation while Floyd sank into his bed. "Better than me. I barely qualified for tomorrow. Everyone was so fast…"
"…Anyone else see the irony here?" Jade said with a grin.
"It cannot be helped." Lenz moved to his own bed, leaning over his knees. "Floyd's power would cause an uproar. It is better kept hidden."
"Yeah…" Floyd sighed sadly before shaking it off. "What about you? If you won your event, why aren't you congratulating yourself?"
"Because I did not win. I tied. And to an archer of considerable skill. His name was Chen_Tzuyu, but more alarming was his moniker: The Azure Jay."
"Azure? So… blue? A blue jay?"
"No, an azure jay."
"It's clearly a blue jay. He's just trying to be fancy." I protested. "I mean, you wouldn't call a greenhouse a jadehouse, right?"
"Leave my name out of it."
"Azure Jay…" Floyd's eyes widened. "Isn't that like your own nickname? The Gray Eagle."
"Or like Veronica's name. The Golden Hawk." I realized. "All archers. You think it's more than just a coincidence?"
"Considering the announcer in my event referred to the two of us as 'Birds of Prey' I very much doubt it." Lenz continued. "Perhaps they are a guild? I have never heard of them, but maybe that is only because they operate exclusively in Zeppil." He rubbed his chin. "One thing is clear, though. The Azure Jay… Chen… will be standing between me and victory."
"I had problems on my end too." Jade took over with a scowl. "Someone crashed into me mid-parkour. Crashed into a bunch of others too. I saved myself, but the others weren't so lucky. Someone's breaking the rules."
"Are you shitting me!?" Soul pushed off the wall, his fists clenched. "Cheating? Weren't the judges watching? No, you know what, they wouldn't be, since it benefited the Captain. Fo's in your event, right?" Jade nodded. "How convenient. And I bet she was conveniently unaffected by the cheating, securing herself a spot, right?"
"You really think Captain Fo would resort to cheating? Come on—"
"Why not? You heard her; she's in a rivalry with Bak. She'd do anything to win. Anything." He stage whispered, as if that was all the evidence needed.
"She wouldn't cheat." I said firmly, getting everyone's attention. While I barely knew Fo, I could understand the honor a Captain had to uphold. I thought of Wynn, who would sooner die than disgrace her King, or Enyeto, who bowed his head to a group of criminals for saving his princess. "Call me crazy, but Fo wouldn't accept a win if she had to cheat. Neither would Bak. It would disgrace the heirs backing them. The Captains are on the level."
"Which means someone else is cheating." Lenz accepted my reasoning, as did the others. Even Soul, though he did so with a grumble. He really didn't appreciate Fo throwing him in jail, even if for just a day.
"I'll have to keep an eye out tomorrow." Jade decided, flopping back on her bed. She folded one leg and, with a bit of concentration, willed her sneakers and socks off. It couldn't do anything for her cursed leather boots, but it enabled her to get a better grip on her foot before rubbing it. "Oooh, that's the stuff." She moaned blissfully, the heel of her palm digging into the sole. "Mmm, my feet have been killing me all day…"
"The cost of parkour." I summarized before sighing. "I guess you're not in the mood for a training exchange, then?" I was already half-sitting down before Jade shot up.
"No. No, I don't mind. I'm good." She willed her footwear back on, though she winced a bit as she made her way to the door.
"Look, it's fine if you're tired." While our trade-off of parkour training for combat training was helpful—especially since evasion saved me in spleef—exhausting our best parkourist the night before Round Two was a bad idea. "In fact, forget I said anything. We should all get our rest."
"Tch. You all need your rest. I'm not the one competing tomorrow." Soul said. "Charles needs Silver Intent recruits. There's gotta be one or two good candidates amongst the competitors. I'll ask around, try my luck. Who knows, I might just find the next Angel of Death." He snickered, causing Floyd and I to blanch. It went unnoticed by Soul as he left the room.
"Hey, how come you guys look so nervous whenever someone brings up the Angel?" Jade asked.
"No reason!" Floyd and I echoed inconspicuously. Jade let it go with a shrug.
"Anyway, rest is important." She admitted. "But I'll be fine. I could have gotten first if not for that cheater, and I'll be twice as careful tomorrow."
"But… your feet—"
"Are sore, yes." She grinned teasingly. "If it's worrying you so much, you can give me a foot rub after we're done training."
I laughed. "Deal. Though I can't promise a five-star massage. Or that I won't somehow cripple you."
"Well, luckily there are no vital organs in my feet."
As we bantered back and forth, exiting the room and leaving Lenz and Floyd behind, we were stopped in the hall when someone blocked our path, a smile on their face.
"Just the man I wanted to see." The Crafter, Eric, greeted with a wave. "How goes it, Billionth?"
I tensed under that nickname, but smiled back all the same. Maybe it was because 4Blite had used that name before trying to take me. Maybe it was because Thed and the Hackers were looking for the man that killed Alec. Still, it was my number and my chosen nickname for the games, so I let it slide. I just had a bad feeling about people looking for me.
"The name's Eric." He greeted, holding out a hand to shake. I took it without thinking. The man didn't extend the gesture to Jade, showing he was only here for me. "I'm a competitor in the Spleef event, just like you. And I'm happy to say I scraped by today too, just like you."
Scraped by by the skin of my teeth.
"Were you in another arena?" I asked, Jade remaining silent.
"Yeah, I was in the same one as Captain Bak. Obviously." He chuckled sheepishly, making me remember that XoX wiped out the whole other arena's competitors. "That's… actually what I wanted to approach you about."
I raised an eyebrow, prompting Eric to continue.
"See, it isn't fair that XoX could influence the games like this. We were supposed to advance into three separate arenas after the first round, but because that muscle-brain eliminated a good chunk of people, they're cramming us all into one stage. And I don't like it."
"And there's no guarantee he won't do it again. You saw what he did to his team. That monster is out of control." Eric continued, sounding like he had practiced this speech. "So I figured it's only fair we give ourselves a fighting chance."
"By…?"
Eric looked behind him furtively before whispering aside. "By forming an alliance."
My eyes widened in surprise, but Jade cut in. "You mean like cheating?"
Her eyes were narrowed and it was clear she was suspecting Eric or his team of being the cheaters. Instantly, Eric waved his hands.
"No, no. Pfft, no!" He glanced around again before continuing in a whisper. "No rules against ganging up on a stronger opponent. I double-checked. Nothing cheat-worthy about it."
"I don't think an alliance is going to work against Captain XoX." I said, hesitant about the idea. "The guy took out his whole arena."
"He only won because everyone was fighting everyone. They weren't united. They weren't working together. We'd be different." Eric continued, trying to win me over. "A lot of people resent him for screwing over the games. I talked it over with a couple of Round Two spleefers, and they feel the same. You wouldn't just be allying with me. You'd be allying with thirty Crafters."
I couldn't believe it. Thirty Crafters? That was like half of Round Two's competitors. If that many people worked together, knocking out XoX would be as simple as surrounding him and digging the snow right from under him. He'd be helpless!
Still…
"This alliance is only until XoX is out of the picture." Eric assured. "But maybe they'll agree to take out Bak and that Shadow guy too. They're the frontrunners right now. Plus, it'll give us as good a chance as any to win our teams some points. And with a Hacker-slayer on our side," he grinned confidently, "we'd be unstoppable."
It sounded like a good deal. Before, XoX had seemed like an insurmountable challenge. But now, I could see a chance. My best chance to make it to Round Three. To secure points for Lenz's airship.
But… we would be ganging up on the Captain. Maybe even the Captains if Eric had his way.
I just got done defending Fo on the basis of an honorable victory and here I was contemplating a duplicitous alliance.
"Come on." Eric nearly begged, seeing my hesitance. "These are guys who are always slated to win. They can beat any of us one-on-one, but we have a chance to even the playing field. To give others a shot at the gold. So what if it's not honorable? It's not life or death. It's just a game."
He was right. It wasn't life or death.
But still, I didn't feel right—
"Sounds like a good deal to me!"
I turned to Jade's beaming face, but I bit back the question on my lips when she subtly dug an elbow into my side.
"Just go with it. I'll explain later." She whispered covertly.
I paused for a moment, but after a second elbow I gave Eric my answer. "Y-yeah. Okay. Sounds good."
"Awesome!" Eric clapped, not giving me a chance to rescind. "The others will be pleased we got the Billionth backing us up. I'll point out the ones in the alliance when we gather tomorrow, just before the games. The Ogre of the West won't know what hit him!" He shook my hand again and went back to shake Jade's too (probably for helping to convince me) before returning to his room with an excited whoop.
I turned to Jade, an inquisitive look on my face.
"Later." She explained before hurrying us out of the inn to start our late-night training exchange.
[Noman]
Left turn… Right turn… Double back... Straight on…
I recited the instructions as I went through every convoluted twist and turn the Labyrinth set before me. Over and over, I would pass the same order of blocks, make progress by performing a different action, and then hiss in annoyance when a misstep teleported me back to the start.
My stomach growled loudly and I had to clutch it as a wave of discomfort passed. My Hunger Meter was steadily draining without food, and I had no idea how long I had been at it. If the Labyrinth's twists and turns went on any longer, I'd starve to death before escaping.
I kept telling myself that the next obstacle would be the last. That there'd be no more turns after I returned to where I left off on the path. I passed the iron block, the gold block, the lapis block, the emerald block, the redstone block…
I was on my twentieth block—a diamond block—when the Hunger pains began. There were no more drumsticks left on my arm, and my body was compensating by draining from my Health Meter instead. I felt so weak, taking half a Heart of damage at a time. I couldn't even run, instead only hobbling along the wall.
The Labyrinth brought me to a different crossroad. Three paths. I looked at them wearily as I lost another Heart. No time to waste and no time to guess. One more misstep and I would starve before getting back to this point.
Surrendering to luck, I went straight through the crossroads.
I stepped into a crossroad and out into a giant, illuminated chamber. Pillars lining the sides.
By then, I was used to the disorienting feeling of teleporting to different places, so I wasn't rattled. But my breath got stuck in my throat when I saw, lying at the end of the chamber, a chest. It was propped up against the back wall, right before my eyes.
A weak smile crossed my lips. "I did it…"
I hobbled forward, losing another half Heart, before something massive struck the floor, shaking the very foundations of the Labyrinth and bringing me to my knees.
*UHNNN!*
A voice boomed throughout the chamber, forcing me to cover my ears. It was similar to the moan of a Zombie, but magnified a hundred times. I got my explanation as to why by cracking an eye open.
Towering before me was a giant Zombie.
I barely measured past its shoes it was so big! Its height could barely be contained by the ceiling, and it tilted its terrible face to look down on me with sunken eyes and rotting, sickly green skin.
I had no idea Zombies could get so big! Or was this more of the Labyrinth's magic at work? Either way, the thing was lumbering towards me and I had no weapons to defend myself with.
I backed up, trying to keep eye contact with the oversized Mob, all while starvation chipped away at my Health. His footsteps shook the floor, unbalancing my weakened self and making it impossible to run away (even if I could).
I fell to the floor, coming face to face with something I had missed upon entry. A Crafter Head—one wearing a black hat with a brown goatee. Dead eyes looked back at me. Another victim of the Labyrinth.
As the giant Zombie grew closer, I grabbed the Head—the only available item—and hurled it at the Mob. It bounced harmlessly off the giant's legs, but in the brief time I held the Head, I glimpsed the name.
Dinnerbone: The first King of Zeppil.
Confusion and horror warred within me. According to the artifact list, Herobrine had made Dinnerbone the Bottes Zephyr. What was his head doing down here? What had happened? If the Labyrinth was supposed to house the artifact, why would Dinnerbone have died trying to get it? It didn't add up!
While trying to make sense of it all, something intrusive struck my mind without warning. My senses were overlapped by something that had nothing to do with the giant Zombie before me. Similar to the headaches brought on by a Bounty Day, I found myself assaulted by a different kind of pain, separate from the hunger pangs and seizing terror of being flattened.
*One final test to escape the Labyrinth.*
I clutched my head as words invaded my mind. The voice sounded robotic, lacking any emotion or feeling. And yet, it had a far-off echo to it. Like it came from the ghost of a distant past.
*Claim your treasure, but beware. The Titan which defends its lair.*
*Commit to mind, your latest sight. Before the Titan robs your light.*
And just like that, the voice bouncing around my skull stopped. There was no sign of anyone to have spoken it. It was like magic.
The giant—the Titan, as it was called—stomped forward. The force of it sent me into the wall. The thing hadn't even touched me.
I struggled to my feet, my eyes looking between the Titan's legs to the chest lying against the wall. The treasure had to be in it. There was no place left to go. And if the voice was to be believed, and the only way to escape was by claiming the treasure…
The Titan swung its airship-sized arms like clubs. I bundled into a ball in the lowest corner where the wall met the floor. The arms and claws raked against the wall, but were too large to touch me. I could feel the force behind its blows though. The way its movements pushed aside wind to ruffle my hair and clothing.
Eyes wide, I crawled along the wall towards the pillars, hoping he wouldn't be able to reach me. Another Heart was chipped away. If I could just slip past him…
*UHNNN!*
There was another earth-shaking moan before everything went black. It wasn't like being knocked out, since I could still think and panic about why the lights went out, but it wasn't like the lights went out either. If so, my eyes would have started to adjust.
Instead, it was like a dark fog had inexplicably materialized out of nowhere, filling the room with its obscuring haze. I could still see a bit of my arm and the floor, but it was so dark for some rea—
'Commit to mind, your latest sight. Before the Titan robs your light.'
Don't tell me… is this fog the Titan's doing?
*UHNNN!*
The dark fog was closing in all around me, making it impossible to tell where the Titan was. The ear-shattering moans bouncing off the walls weren't helping either. I held my arm right before my face, spying a tattoo and potion effect I had never seen before. It was of a dulled, darkened eye, dark gray particles emanating off of me to match the effect. And the timer for it was…
…Forever.
As if it couldn't get any worse, a second tattoo appeared beside the first one. Another potion effect. This one gave off purple particles and depicted a Crafter vomiting. I barely had time to note the timer for it was infinite as well before the room began to spin.
I panicked, staying in place while the room around me wobbled and warped. It would have made me nauseous if the black fog wasn't already choking my vision. My stomach growled in protest, taking away another Heart.
I was so weak… and blind… and the moans were growing louder as the Titan tried to catch me. Huddled in a corner, my senses being robbed one after another, I had no chance of getting to that chest. Everything was dark and spinning and horrible and the pain… the pain was growing more and more in my gut. I hated it! I hated the hunger, the pain, the suffering! I wanted it to end! I had nothing left!
I… had failed…
I screwed my eyes shut, the dizziness too much for me. Another moan was cut off as I covered my ears too. There was nothing I could do for the pains in my stomach, but… those wouldn't last much longer. It was nearly over.
"…oma…"
I had been a fool to leap into the Labyrinth without reading the whole tale. Without the Severe Shield, I was nothing!
"…Noman…"
And now, the world would be without the Severe Shield forever. The artifact lost to the trials of the Labyrinth. I was going to die down here, just like Dinnerbone.
"NOMAN!"
Something whacked my head, causing me to bite my tongue. I let out a pitiful moan, rubbing it, as I peeked an eye open.
"Stop spacing out." Old Man Bailey chided, poking me with the stick in his hands. "We still got daylight to burn."
"R-right." I shook my head, clearing the troubling thoughts as I took up my shield one more.
Old Man Bailey smiled as he jabbed out with his stick. I took the blow with my shield before attempting to knock the weapon out of his hand. The aikido master saw this coming and doubled the grip on his stick, locking my shield arm in place.
Narrowing my eyes, I shifted my arm along the shield, rolling it under and over his stick before scraping against his chin with the edge. His eyebrows lifted before he brought the end of the stick up into my face, whacking me smartly.
I stumbled back from the strike, clutching my nose, before Bailey got into my guard, sweeping my legs out from under me and sending me crashing to the ground. When I opened my eyes, the end of his stick was jut out before my face in a threatening manner.
Old Man Bailey smiled as he moved the stick to the left, offering it in place of a hand. I gratefully grabbed on and, with his help, hauled myself to my feet.
"Another loss…" I sighed.
"Don't let it get you down. I'm a master at this. There's no way you can beat me with two weeks of training. But," he smiled warmly, "you can probably give some Crafters a run for their money."
"Right, I just got to stick with it." I scratched my head, looking down at the shield in my hand. I chuckled. "I'm trading the Severe Shield out for another. I only hope this one will have less blood on it by the end."
"It will." Bailey assured. "Then again, that's all up to you."
"Hm?"
"Listen, closely Noman. This training is all well and good, but it's meaningless unless you understand the philosophy behind it." Bailey folded his legs, sitting down and laying the stick across his lap. "All living things draw strength from their sense of survival. Those with life seek to stave off death through whatever means. But aikido draws strength from benevolence. Compassion. Kindness. You need to be strong enough to protect your own life, and that of your enemy."
"There is no better style of fighting for your mission." Bailey fixed his aged eyes upon me. "If you are truly tasked to protect this world, you need to remember who it is for. It's your life. Their life. The lives of every living being that call this world home. With so much on the line, you need to be strong. Your duty demands it."
He looked out to the setting sun, its rays streaming across the red sands of the mesa.
"To fall is to let this world die. To give up is to do others harm. Even if it's your dying breath, you must go on, because it is for the world."
Old Man Bailey shot me a smile.
"You're going to save a lot of lives with that shield. Whether by protecting or not taking. And if you ever doubt yourself, if there's ever a darkest hour where you can't find the light, remember that you draw strength from a goal more noble than any other."
…He's right…
"You want to save the world? Well, it's only a hopeless dream when you lose hope in it. Anything is possible so long as you're breathing!"
I'm still breathing…
"And if you're breathing, you can remember why you need to take another step. And then, you can work up the strength to take that step. And then another… and another… and another…"
I can't give up here… what's keeping me from taking another step? I can still do that much!
"Before you know it, you'll have the world saved. All because you remembered why you fight."
For the sake of the world, I can't die here!
*UHNNN!*
My eyes snapped open, determined and blue. My vision was still shadowy and swirling… but I was still alive to take another step. I brought myself to my feet, even though the Hunger should have been doubling me over in pain. My insides writhed and clenched. I relished the feeling.
Through tumbling vision, I saw the edges of the Titan's arm reach to squash me. I rolled to the left, hugging the wall and hiding behind the pillars. The massive Mob was too big to squeeze through, granting me a bit of safety.
Still, I could barely see past the nausea and fog. The chest was too far back to even glimpse, and walking out into the open was inviting the Titan's wrath onto me. I felt another Heart get chipped away. I had no idea how much Health I had left, but I knew I needed food fast. I needed to eat… to live another day…
What was it the voice had said?
'Claim your treasure, but beware. The Titan which defends its lair.'
'Commit to mind, your latest sight. Before the Titan robs your light.'
Commit to mind… the layout of the chamber…
Last I remembered, the chest was along the back wall.
Knowing what I had to do, I closed my eyes, shutting off the effects of the Nausea and Blindness. The Hunger still hurt, but there was nothing I could do for that now. Instead, I hugged the wall, moving alongside it while the Titan's deafening moans reverberated through my bones. It's attempts to reach me through the pillars were as fruitless as ever.
And I knew the pillars lined both sides of the chamber. I was safe from its reach.
Further and further I went until I hit the back wall. The chest should have been a couple paces away.
However, the wall was free of pillars and I couldn't run. Meaning I had to crawl alongside the corner where the wall met the floor. I was reminded of how an ant evades a slipper in much the same way.
*UHNNN!*
I crawled out carefully, the Titan bellowing louder in mounting frustration. Crafter-sized claws raked overhead, gargantuan feet tried to stomp me out, but I remained safe in my corner.
Another Heart left me before my head bumped into something smooth and made of wood. Fumbling hands reached out, prying back the latch, and opening the chest. I reached in, lowering my whole elbow into the chest. My fingers grazed something leathery…
*UHNN—!*
The moan cut off suddenly, surprising me into opening my eyes. Not only had the Nausea and Blindness worn off…
But I was wearing my Severe Shield.
I fell to me knees, tears coming to my eyes as I reached into my belt, ripping out sweet, familiar cooked mutton and stuffing it in my face like there was no tomorrow. I wept joyfully and unashamedly, even as passing Crafters eyes me strangely. The Labyrinth had teleported me one last time, returning me to the gates of Cloud Castle, in the very heart of Zeppil. It was late at night. A lot of time must have passed, though I was unsure of the day.
I didn't care. I was happy. I was alive. My Hunger and Health Meters were slowly refilling. My Inventory was returned, down to the most miniscule grain of sugar. There was no Titan. No more twists and turns. I had escaped the Labyrinth, just like the boy from the story had.
But there was one welcome addition to my Inventory.
In my backpack was a pair of pristine, white-dyed leather boots. They didn't appear enchanted in any way, but the name on them was unmistakable.
I smiled as I held up the Bottes Zephyr before storing both them and the Severe Shield back into my backpack.
Thanks for the pep talk, Bailey.
[Soul]
"Hey, you!"
"Hmm?"
I sidled up to a buff looking guy on the street. I recognized him from the Spleef Arena. He did pretty good, taking on two opponents at once.
A good Silver Intent candidate.
"Hey, buddy, you hate the Endward Cult?" I asked, earning an arched brow. "I do too, and so do a lot of other people. Not so long ago, Zeppil was under their thumb, but thanks to heroes like the Angel of Death, this Kingdom is better than ever!"
I grabbed his shoulder, ignoring how uncomfortable he looked.
"We need more fighters. We need people with grit. And buddy, you look like you could slay a hundred cultists all on your own!" I laid it on thick.
"Is this… a Paragon recruitment pitch?" He finally asked, though he was trying to wave to his buddies for help. I'd have to give them the pitch too.
"No, this is for something like the Paragons. The Silver Intent. It's more an intelligence agency at the moment to keep track of cult movement, but with your support we might—"
"Not interested." He dismissed, ducking under my arm and power-walking away. I chucked a stone slab at him.
"Yeah, well we don't need you anyway!" I shouted after him. "I got loads of people who would gladly fight the fight! You're just missing out!"
I let out a frustrated huff before spying another buff-looking guy.
"Hey, buddy! Got a few minutes to hear about the Silver Intent? Don't you run from me!"
[Cobb]
"So," I gasped between jumps, "you going to explain why you wanted me to accept Eric's deal?"
Jade had picked out a lonesome street in the Long District that she had leapt over in her Parkour event. There was a fountain in the middle and some lanterns lighting it up, but more importantly it was off the beaten path. Quiet and private. Perfect for our training exchange.
Jade had set up some pillars of jungle wood planks and had ordered me to jump between them to get a hang of parkour. She was the master of it, so I didn't question her. What I did question was why I had to go along with an alliance in the first place. It felt wrong, and I wasted no time in letting her know this.
"I'm not trying to make you do something you hate." Jade explained, her leather-clad feet splashing around in the fountain as she watched. "But it's smarter to go along with them. Think about it this way: If you're allied with them, that's thirty Crafters less that you have to worry about."
I considered that for a moment. Round One had worsened only when my identity as the Billionth was revealed and everyone wanted a piece of me. Now, after showing everyone that I was just as vulnerable and that XoX was the real competition, they would be swarming after him. They would just be doing it more cooperatively than when they went after me.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Or so the saying goes." Jade explained. "If they're offering a truce until XoX is taken out, it's better to play along. You're trying to get to Round Three, and it's easier when half of the competitors are allied together."
I paused after making a difficult leap between pillars to look to the green-haired parkourist.
"So, what, I should help thin out the competition while protected by their alliance?" Even suggesting it made me feel uncomfortable. I wasn't stupid enough to rate sportsmanship as more important than the goal. We needed the airship to evade pursuers after our bounty. It was Lenz's dream to pilot one; it was why he was working so hard in the archery event. But ganging up on a guy who trained for this through his own strength just felt… well… unfair.
If my life or the others' lives were on the line, I'd gang up on the guy in a heartbeat. But for a harmless sports event? Like Eric said, it was only a game.
"Don't think of it as cheating." She said, as if reading my mind. "Think of it as… creatively skirting the rules. I got shoved today, but I recovered. I might even have to shove back tomorrow to win. But that's what I'm going to do. Win. I've already committed myself to a victory, and I won't settle for less. You shouldn't either. Others might call it cheating, but there can be only one winner."
"I don't know, Jade. It… it feels two-faced."
"Oh. Then you're really not gonna like what I'm about to suggest…"
"What is it?"
"Well," she kicked at the water some more, "you only need to stick with the alliance for a little while. At least until the competition is thinned out."
"Okay. That doesn't sound too—"
"Then you stab them in the back."
I did a double take. "What!?"
"I'm just saying," she held up her hands, "that if you want to win, you'll have to take your allies out sooner or later. I say you do it sooner, before they get a chance to do the same."
"I can't believe what—wh-whoa!" I lost my balance on the wooden pillars and fell on my side, but I ignored the pain. "You just said to ally myself with them. Now you're telling me to stab them in the back? Which is it?"
"It's a competition. You need to play both sides." Jade argued back, shaking her head. "I knew you wouldn't like it, but hear me out. These guys are only allying themselves with you because you're the Billionth. That's the first thing that Eric guy said to you. They only see you as someone who can do something for them and…" Her voice hitched. "A-And they're only letting you join b-because they want you to take out XoX."
"So they're using me. I already had that figured out." I defended. "I'm not blind. The guy was kissing up to me, mentioning I was a Hacker-slayer. That's why I didn't want to join. Until you said otherwise."
"So, if they're content to use you, what's wrong with using them?" She phrased. "Have them be your shields. Fight with them. Even with their help, XoX won't be a picnic. So take out others Crafters and maybe let a few allies get taken out along the way. Then, when their backs are turned and they least expect it—"
"Betray them." I finished, disappointed in her. "Stab them in the back."
"Don't make it sound so dramatic." She massaged the bridge of her nose, finally getting out of the fountain and willing her footwear back on. "You're not stabbing anyone! There is no knife, just a shovel and some snow. You're not killing anyone." She suddenly stood up straighter, tone informative. "You know why most backstabs result in murder? Because you're betraying a person's trust in a way so unforgivable that, well, you'll never be able to backstab them again. They'll never trust you again. But these people, you barely know. So who cares if you betray their trust? It's all just a game. You'll probably never even see them again, so what do you care if they see you as a duplicitous shit? They'd do the same to you."
"I—"
"What are you here to accomplish?" Jade finally asked. "What are you here to accomplish? What are we here for? Are we here to be honorable competitors?" She said, fluttering her eyelashes and giving a mock look of innocence. "Or are we here to win an airship?" She placed her hands on her hips, cocking her head. "What do you want and how will you get it? That's what you got to ask yourself."
I was left speechless. Everything she said… the way she said it… It all just made too much sense.
How far had the Beginners traveled for an airship? How much did Lenz want one? We were competing for him. We were doing this for him.
We had to win. Victory was everything.
And it wasn't life or death. Eric had said it was just a game. Pride would be the only thing hurt.
I let out a sigh. "You're… right." I conceded. "I kept thinking this was all real, but… it is just a game. And… they're being duplicitous against XoX anyway. They're teaming up against him." I reasoned, convincing myself more and more.
"Right." Jade added. "This alliance has thirty plus people and there's only fifteen spots for Round Three. They know it can't last. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if some of them aren't already thinking of betraying you."
It would have to be done on the final layer, though. Like Jade said, a backstab only worked if it was the end of something. It wouldn't make sense for a betrayal to happen on the top layer in spleef, since the backstabee would still be in it… and pissed.
"The bottom layer." I deduced. "That'll be the point of betrayal. It'll happen there."
I didn't doubt the others wouldn't try. After all, they probably saw me as much a threat as XoX. They were only allying for a truce against the more powerful enemy.
"That's a lot to consider." I sighed before flashing Jade a smirk. "Think they'll be any hard feelings?"
"Only the hardest of feelings." Jade grinned back. "Which is why you better make sure the 'backstab' sticks. It'll be one of the top ten betrayals of Minecraftia." She exaggerated. "Oh me oh my, what will the nameless audience think?"
"Alright, I get it, I overreacted." Her sarcasm as obvious as 'oh me oh my' was out of place. "It's for the airship. I'm doing it for the airship."
"There you go. Now, how about that foot rub?" She teasingly held up her foot before me, prodding at my cursed tunic. "Pleeeease?"
"Yeah, yeah. After we get through your combat training." Jade's smile slipped away in an instant, her foot falling down. "Something wrong?"
"N-No, no. I'm just…" She tried to smile and barely managed a grimace. "I'm really grateful for your lessons."
"It's only fair." I shrugged, taking out a sword. "Parkour training for combat training. We both get to improve."
"Y-Yeah…" Jade looked away. "Improve…"
[Soul]
"I don't care about your intent, no matter what color it is. Now get out of my way."
A rude person shoved past me, uncaring of what he'd heard. A stone slab flew from my hand and found its way into his neck, knocking him over. I stormed away looking for someone else to recruit. Did nobody care about stopping the Endward Cult?
Considering Zeppil's history with them, they should have been more eager to help. They sure respected the Paragons. I kept seeing statues of the Angel of Death all over the districts. Flowers and emeralds were even placed at the foot of these statues, like offerings. Nobody dared to steal from them; that said a lot about how the people felt.
I just wish they would give the Silver Intent a chance. Granted, if it were a choice between the Silver Intent and the Paragons, I would choose the Paragons every time—they all had to be badasses—but the more groups against the cult, the better.
And right now, our group needed recruits.
"Hey, you there! Listen to what I have to say or I'll chuck a slab at you!"
[Noman]
I finally got to read the end of the Labyrinth myth.
Where last I left off, the boy had found the Labyrinth's treasure and had become successful, wealthy, and happy. It was the perfect, storybook ending.
But everything was not perfect. For one man's success meant another man's failure. Wealth gained also meant wealth lost. Fortune for one meant misfortune for others. And the bright future the boy had gave way to dark shadows of jealousy and greed. And it was beings of this same dark, smoky shadow that pursued the boy doggedly, intending to claim the Labyrinth's treasure for themselves.
Pursued by beings of smoky darkness, the terrified boy fled to the only place he thought he could truly escape to. The Labyrinth.
But the dark figures followed.
With dark smoke surrounding him and nowhere left to run, the boy chose to lock the treasure away in the deepest part of the Labyrinth, knowing to do so would doom him as well. But the boy could not allow the treasure to fall into the hands of the smoky figures.
Resolved, the boy locked the treasure away, and added to the Labyrinth's defenses to ensure that only a worthy man could come and claim it. And with that, the boy walked the ever-changing maze for all eternity, alone, reflecting on the life he had led and the life he left behind.
The End.
I closed the book softly, my mind trying to separate fact from fiction.
The boy from the story… could he have been Dinnerbone? From Herobrine's artifact list—which I had open beside the first one—he had been the only known person to possess the Bottes Zephyr. And while the myth hinted on Dinnerbone finding the artifact in the Labyrinth, I doubted Herobrine would construct a trial like that just to hand someone something.
But the last part, about the boy building on the defenses of the maze…
Maybe Dinnerbone built the Labyrinth…?
He had the artifact… but was pursued by shadowy, smoky figures… and knew that the only way to protect it was to hide it, and build the Labyrinth around it as some kind of test. And the part about dooming himself to walk the maze forever… it would explain why his Head was in that final chamber. He sealed it off and let himself die to keep it secret.
But… he had a powerful artifact. So what 'smoky, shadowy figures' were pursuing him to make him choose death over fighting back? How strong could these figures be to have a King running?
And what about the Labyrinth itself? Where was it? How was it made? How could people get teleported back and forth or get hit with infinite potion effects? How was the Titan spawned? It was beyond comprehension.
"Every question I ask just gets me more answers." I sighed, closing both books and laying down on my bed. At least I had my privacy in the Inn. Nobody was coming to my room.
Nobody.
"Phew, what a day." I closed my eyes and smiled, imagining something. "You guys will never believe what I've been through today."
'Let's hear it.'
'Go on. Don't keep us in suspense.'
"Alright, well, I was tracking down this myth. You know, the one I got from that village. And I'm trying to be optimistic about it, it's my only lead. But, guess what, there were animals mentioned in the myth that corresponded to the different animal-named districts!"
'Wow, that's really clever!'
'I never would have thought of that.'
"So, going off these vague clues, I find a secret passage at the bottom of a pond. Thank Notch I bought Water Breathing potions. Otherwise I would have drowned."
'Oh, are you okay?'
"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry." I kept my eyes closed, my voice hitching slightly. "A-Anyway, at the end of the passage was a trio of giant one-eyed pufferfish! They could shoot laser beams and-and I had to wear the Severe Shield just to survive!"
'So what happened next?'
"Well, after that, I went down a second tunnel. It might've been for sewage or something, I'm not quite sure, but it led me to a button puzzle. The correct buttons corresponded to the animals mentioned in the myth, but some of the banners depicting the animals were torn down, so I had to guess a few. And I got penalized for every wrong button by either taking a ton of damage or getting teleported onto a sky island. Twice!"
'You were teleported? But how?'
'And how could they have damaged you? You were wearing the Severe Shield, right?'
"I would have died if not for it. I'm fine though." I kept my eyes shut, almost able to imagine other people in the room, listening attentively to my tale. "Anyway, I got frustrated retracing my steps, but I finally got the button combination right… only to get teleported into the Labyrinth with my entire Inventory gone."
'What!?'
'No way! Even the Severe Shield?'
"Everything. I had a similar reaction, but I persevered, knowing not to would mean starving to death. The Labyrinth was as maze-like as the myth said, but I made it to the final chamber. The chest with the Bottes Zephyr was right there, waiting for me. But there was one more challenge I had to face. The Titan: A giant Zombie!"
'You have to be making this up. How could there be a giant Zombie?'
"I swear to Notch, it was a giant Zombie. And while I was staving off starvation and not getting trampled to death, I got assaulted by potion effects that robbed me of my sight and made me dizzy. I was in real trouble. Even I thought I was going to die."
'How did you get out?'
'Yeah, tell us! We're at the edge of our seats!'
"Well, even though I was in real trouble, I remembered what Bailey told me. I remembered why I had to fight. Why I had to keep going. I was doing this for the sake of the world. For everyone. And I couldn't just roll over and die without seeing you guys again."
I sat up from the bed, opening my eyes with a smile, half-believing someone would be there.
But I was as alone as ever.
If anything, the silence only seemed louder after talking to myself.
Flecks of tears dripped down my cheek, hitting my hands.
"So… so… I p-persevered… and-and escaped w-with this." I reached into my back and shakily presented my prize to nobody. "The B-Bottes Zephyr. I got t-two artifacts now…" My vision blurred from the tears, gazing at empty chairs and lonely spaces. "I'm g-going to s-save the w-world…"
How many times had I risked my life today? And nobody would even hear of my adventures. I had no one to share them with. Nobody would listen. Nobody would care. It was all just me.
I was a real Nowhere_Man. Talking with nobody and trying to save the world.
I should have been happy to be alive. I should have been happy to have the boots. But, even with the artifact in my tear-stained hands, it felt so hollow.
Because I was alone.
[Soul]
"So, in conclusion, the Silver Intent is a great way to get back at the bastards that try to stamp us out of existence. Are you interested in joining?"
"Please, get off me!"
"Not until you answer the question with a 'yes'!"
"Guards! Anyone! Get this weirdo off of me!"
"Hey!" I twisted my head from my position over the pinned man. "What are you doing to that poor man!"
"Wuh-oh."
I got off the guy and darted down an alley as three white-capped guards approached. And I was really making progress with that last guy! What rotten luck.
You'd think after all the people I talked to and all the stone slabs I had to chuck, I would get one recruit. Maybe I'm doing something wrong…
…
Nah, it's just them.
[Cobb]
Blades crashed against one another, Jade wincing under the strain and backpedaling.
"Don't backpedal." I instructed. "Or, if you were always going to retreat, don't meet me head on. One or the other."
"R-Right." Jade grunted as she disengaged, but she tottered slightly, allowing me to sneak in a strike. She leapt back and hid behind one of the wooden pillars I used for parkour training.
"Come on, Jade. Use your parkour skills." I tried to advise. The whole point of this was to make her a better fighter. She was great at parkour. It was something she should've used more in her style.
Jade screwed her eyes shut, letting out a disgruntled huff before scaling a pillar. She jumped overhead, forcing me to tilt my head to track her.
But, in a surprise turn, she pushed back off a pillar she jumped to, making me lose track of her enough to get caught off guard by a drop.
It was more of a tackle, however, and it looked clumsy. Not at all like the parkour stunts I knew she was capable of. Her sword slid free, leaving her defenseless.
I got to my feet, diamond blade held out, only to lower it. "Are you sure your legs aren't hurting? That fall wasn't like you—"
"I can fight fine." She gritted out, kicking my blade aside and diving for her own. But, as she brought the iron blade up to eye level, she regarded it distastefully.
Seeing an opening, and wanting to test something, I reached a hand into my belt and withdrew the snowballs from my spleef fight. Smiling mischievously, I chucked a handful at the distracted female.
"Bobber."
They struck her face and she sputtered incoherently, waving her sword in an attempt to bat them aside.
"Bobber. Bobber. Bobber."
"St-Stooop!" She cried out, dropping her sword even as the handful of snowballs I had ran out. When the salvo ended, she glared at me. Her glittering purple eyes hardening with frustration.
"Always be unpredictable." I explained, swapping my sword with Backlash. I flicked it out, snagging Jade by her tunic. "It keeps your enemies on their toes and—"
"GrrrrrrAAAAAH!"
A cry of rage. A twist and flip of the body. Suddenly Jade's foot was crashing into my face. I let out a pathetic cry of pain as I found myself flat on my back with Jade springing up into the air only to transition into a knee drop into my gut. The breath was driven out of me, and only then did Jade roll off and pin me in place.
"How's that for fighting!" She spat, panting for breath.
I blinked in shock, looking up at the girl and watching almost immediately how her pupils shrank in fear.
"I-I…" She released me as if burned. "Oh, Herobrine, I-I am so sorry, I just…" She covered her face, her eyes screwed shut. "…lost control… I didn't mean to—"
I tried to laugh it off, but failed on account of a collapsed lung. Instead I just waved my hand, struggling to sit up. Jade noticed this and was at my side in an instant, letting me lean on her. I quickly swallowed some mutton to heal the damage.
Coughing once, I gave her a lopsided grin. "Th-that was pretty good." I tried to sound strong, but failed. Her attack had caught me off guard, coming out of nowhere. "Don't apologize. Keep fighting like that and I won't have anything to teach you."
Jade kept silent as her head fell, her hair blocking out her expression. I was worried I had said something wrong.
"Jade?" I tried. "Hey, I'm a tough guy, don't worry about—"
"You already don't have anything to teach me."
"H-huh?"
She looked up with hardened purple eyes. "Cobb, you're a terrible swordfighter."
Silence settled over the abandoned street.
"Uh—"
"You keep leaving yourself open every time you slash, you lead with your right, your strikes are too telegraphed—Oh, and you rely too heavily on tricks! Snowballs and fishing rods aren't going to damage anyone! At least use splash potions or fire—something that could at least whittle away at a foe's Health rather than their patience. You have so many emeralds, yet you can't invest in a decent enchantment for your blade? And you have the nerve to tell me I'm not using my parkour skills!? I could be bouncing around these pillars, slashing away at your Health. What about the parkour skills I'm drilling into you? Why aren't you using your surroundings? Take the high ground, mix up your footwork here and there. I could have thrashed you ten times by now if not for all the times I had to hold back because your swordsmanship is nearly nonexistent!"
She took a deep breath, having had her tirade non-stop. She looked a little less stressed, as if she had been holding back weeks worth of complaints over my poor fighting skills only to unleash them with all the subtlety of tearing down a dam. I found myself shell-shocked and more than a little hurt by her criticisms.
"And the reason I know all those things," Jade continued, pulling out an ender chest from her belt, "is because I'm more experienced than I let on." She withdrew a diamond sword with a curved blade and guard. It looked different enough to be a Tinker's weapon; one I hadn't seen yet. "I know how to sword fight. I've been with several guilds that didn't work out. And… I lied to you." She said, her voice small. "I lied about what I could do because every time the guilds didn't work out was because I admitted what I could do. Because they all relied on my skills—saw me only by my skills—and put too much pressure on me."
She looked up into my blank face, her eyes watery. "I'm… I'm sorry. For not telling you sooner."
For a while, the only sound between us was the running water from the fountain, splashing away. Jade had her arms held before her, timid and scared. But she wasn't really timid and scared. She could actually fight. She was apparently a better swordfighter than any of us. She was holding that diamond blade close to the chest… just like all her secrets.
"This…" I finally said, taking a step back and cupping my forehead. "God, this is… a lot to take in all at once. I'm… going to need a second. Excuse me." I tottered over to the fountain, swaying dazedly. When I reached the fountain, I gripped the edge of the basin for support.
"Cobb…?" Jade tried.
I took a deep breath before plunging my head under the water and screaming in an outburst of realization. A torrent of bubbles flew up past my face to the surface, the water muffling my yell like a pillow. This went on for ten seconds before I whipped my head out, splattering water onto the street and staring up into the night sky.
"Okay, I'm ready to talk now." I spoke evenly, turning to Jade and sitting on the fountain. I wiped the wet hair out of my eyes and looked to Jade… with a different set of eyes.
She wasn't an inexperienced Crafter. She was seasoned. She was skilled. And she had been keeping it a secret all this time. While I didn't understand all her reasoning behind that from her brief listing, it still came as a surprise.
"Show me."
"Wh-what?"
"Show me what you can really do." I prompted, leaning onto the basin. "Go on."
Tentatively, Jade lifted her Tinker's weapon before her. Then, she pivoted into a swing that lashed out at the pillars we had erected, gouging marks into the wood and looking quite lethal. She took a running start and bounced off the pillars, her movements more fluid than I had ever seen.
Springing higher and higher off the pillars, she performed quick swipes I could barely track save for the white stars that erupted from her curved blade every time. Wide crescents of Crit Aura contrasted with the dark night sky, a visual marvel to watch. She swung off the pillars with her parkour skills and delivered strikes with deadly precision and ferocity.
So yeah, she was really skilled. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was like I had been traveling with a kitten, only to discover it was leading a double-life as a tiger.
Sensing I had seen enough, Jade ended with a big finish, flipping herself onto the tallest pillar before somersaulting into a perfect landing right before me. She returned to her initial nervous pose soon after.
"Okay," I said, carefully. Again, I cupped my forehead, not sure what to say. "I mean… tell me again why you were hiding this?"
She sighed. "I learned advanced sword fighting from my teacher. She provided me with the cutlass and skills to make a name for myself. I became a formidable fighter only because of her. I'm grateful, but…" She looked aside. "I never knew how strong she made me compared to the rest of the world. Suddenly, every guild wanted me. It was good at first… until I found out they weren't really after me, but my skills."
"So you're telling me every guild you came across never tried to make friends with you?" I asked, skeptical. "None of them saw a pretty girl burdened by pressure?"
She blushed a bit. "Yes. Was I not clear?"
"I don't know!" I suddenly snapped, standing up and making her flinch. "Apparently, I don't know you at all, so yes. Be more clear! I mean, everything else you said was a lie, right?"
"N-No!" She shot back, though she retreated. "I… look, I told you the truth. Floyd said you would—"
"Why are you bringing him up, this has nothing to do with him!"
"He… he was a Hacker!" The words tumbled free. "He… he didn't tell you at first, b-but you forgave him." Her tone was desperate.
I bit back my words, knowing they would make me sound like a hypocrite. I wasn't blind enough to miss the similarities. Floyd and Jade. Both of them had known the truth about themselves before the group and had chosen to keep it secret for an extended period of time. Both had their reasons. But there was one difference.
I held up a hand. "Floyd… had a vague understanding that he was something to be hated and feared, and had powers he didn't fully know he could control." I held up my other hand and saw that I had Jade's undivided attention. "You had powers well under your control, that you could have used at any time, without repercussion, and kept them hidden, only because you were afraid of losing your place in this guild."
"But… but that's not true!" She shook her head angrily. "You're wrong! I always fought for the guild! I always protected you! How do you think you escaped Berserkers HQ? It was because I fought off our pursuers—"
"Only after we were unconscious." I amended, my eyes narrowing. "You could have fought back on the ship before we fell. You could have fought inside Berserkers HQ. You could have fought any of those times if your fear of being discovered hadn't been holding you back."
"That's not… that's not being fair, Cobb."
"Oh no?" I asked, storming past her. "Then how about when defending Princess Alaqua? From those skills I just witnessed, I'm sure you were kicking Dahlia's butt before Floyd showed up. Then you stopped everything because God forbid if our guild saw that cutlass—"
"Shut up!" She screamed, grabbing my shoulder and spinning me around, tears coming to her eyes. "You don't understand what I've been through! The second I showed my skills I suddenly became something exploitable! I didn't want that from the Beginners! I wanted a guild of equals! I wanted peers!"
"Equals? Peers!? I'm just now finding out that I never knew you at all! All this training we've been doing—I've just been wasting your time! I thought I was helping, but you got nothing out of it! I thought you were our friend. A part of my World…" I clenched my eyes, my voice lowering. "…Did you think we would look at you like a tool? Did we seem that shallow?"
Surely she was thinking about all we were doing to secure an airship for Lenz. About how we challenged the Berserkers for the sake of Floyd's pride. About how I saved a no-name village simply because I couldn't watch good people die. All of those instances should have told her the kind of people we were.
"I… I couldn't…" She glanced aside. "I couldn't take that chance…"
I shook my head. "I'm not angry because you hid it. I'm angry because you valued how the guild looked at you more than the guild-members' lives."
Jade's eyes widened in shock. "Wh-what?"
I looked at her unflinchingly. "Would you have watched one of us die rather than reveal your skills?"
It was a blunt question, one that caught Jade off guard by the implications. But, so far, everything I had heard had only confirmed my fears. How would she have acted if Floyd and I hadn't passed out beneath Berserkers HQ? Would she have thrown the fight against Dahlia—much like how she had thrown the sparring fights against me—only because Floyd was present? Floyd used his Hack to save Alaqua without batting an eye, despite what the Kingdom would think of him. Compared to that, I had no sympathy for Jade's circumstance. Reveal or not, she should have fought her hardest when lives were at stake, not when it was convenient for her.
"O-Of course I would have fought." Jade spoke fast, tears in her eyes. "Cobb, you got to believe me, I'd—!"
"I'm sorry." I said sadly. "I just… I don't know how to believe you."
Fresh tears streamed down her face as my words became clear. Her body shook and I heard a faint sniffle that had my gut wrenching. There was a clatter as the diamond cutlass fell from her fingers before she turned and fled.
"Jade… Jade, wait!" I shouted, trying to stop her. She ignored me, flipping up onto a curved roof and taking off. I knew it was impossible to catch her with my basic understanding of parkour. She was gone.
"Nice going, Cobb…" I slumped to my knees, staring at my reflection from the cutlass' diamond surface. I covered my face and grit my teeth, feeling stupid for half the things I said… even if they were how I felt. To think we had been joking and laughing earlier. Like friends.
I drove a fist into the ender chest she left behind, pulling back only to repeat the mechanical motions. Over and over, my bruised fist struck until the damn thing broke.
My World felt close to breaking too that night.
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 Diamond Cutlass, 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III], 1 Golden Shovel [Silk Touch I, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Sword, 1 Banner {Beginners}, 64 Cobblestone, 47 Cobblestone, 1 Bed, 5 Dirt, 19 Torches, 34 Coal, 3 Cooked Mutton, 12 Jungle Wood Logs, 64 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 1 Water Bucket, 5 String, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green, Mending I, Unbreaking I], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Boots, 22 Emeralds, 2 Gunpowder, 22 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}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 29]
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 {Weak}, 30 Iron Ingots, 1 Fishing Rod, 2 Ender Pearls, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Emerald, 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, 12 Cooked Mutton, 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}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 31]
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, 1 Bed, 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, 36 Arrows, 16 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 16 Sugar Cane, 4 Cooked Mutton, 8 Paper, 5 Ink Sacs, 3 Leather, 5 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}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 15]
Inventory (Soul): 1 Diamond Axe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 64 Iron Ingots, 55 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, 34 White Wool, 37 Dirt, 64 Cobblestone, 31 Cobblestone, 33 Coal, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Armor Stand, 46 Emeralds, 37 Cooked Mutton, 8 Cooked Steak, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 49]
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 Sword, 1 Bed, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 14 Cooked Mutton, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 17 Coal, 36 Torches, 30 Jungle Wood Planks, 64 Cobblestone, 29 Cobblestone, 16 Obsidian, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Bucket, 1 Compass, 1 Clock, 23 Emeralds, 3 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}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 30]
Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness I], 1 Leather Boots {Bottes Zephyr} [Dyed White], 1 Black Shield {Slight Shield} [Blue Cross], 1 Bow [Infinity], 28 Birch Wood Planks, 35 Iron Ingots, 18 Sticks, 13 Torches, 1 Bucket, 1 Crafting Table, 26 Cooked Mutton, 1 Potion of Water Breathing {8:00}, 1 Bed, 1 Book {Notch Mission II}, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Book {The Art of Peace}, 1 Book {The Labyrinth}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Dover Plains Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Dover Plains}, 1 Map {Mesa}, 1 Map {Zeppil}, 1 Compass, 64 Arrows, 6 Glass Bottles, 5 Sugar, 14 Bookshelves, 6 Enchanted Golden Apples, 1 Diamond Helmet, 1 Diamond Chestplate {Severe Shield}, 1 Diamond Leggings, 1 Diamond Boots, 64 Emeralds, 64 Emeralds, 28 Emeralds, 2 Bones
[EXP: 20]
Beetroot the Horse
AN: My Craft is a Humor/Adventure story. Just reminding you all.
This Chapter was tough because I had to address a couple of things. I had to finish up Noman's quest in the Labyrinth while also getting out Jade's reveal of what she can do. Admittedly, I tried some new methods of writing in flashbacks with Old Man Bailey and even threw in Noman talking with himself because he's a lonely sad sack.
Soul's stuff is just comic relief. The equivalent of him going up to people and asking, 'Would you like to talk about our Lord and Savior the Angel of Death?' and then throwing stone slabs at people that disregard him.
Maybe some of you will think Cobb is being a jerk here, but his argument is justified. He thought he was getting to know someone that he really didn't know at all, he's wasting her time with the sparring sessions, and, as far as he can tell, she only fought all-out when it kept her secret safe. Think of how Floyd used his Hack-speed in Jolin to save the Princess despite knowing his lineage would make the people despise him. And Jade did bottle up her skills until Cobb and Floyd were unconscious. It's a legitimate point, and frankly he has no idea what to believe about her because everytime she reveals something new.
I'll talk more about it next chapter, but until then, hope you enjoyed. Have a Merry Christmas all of you. Unless you don't celebrate Christmas. Maybe some of you celebrate Christmahanakwanzika.
Whatever. Happy Christmas. Don't waste your Christmas Wish on a chapter update. Get some socks or Smash Ultimate.
Review, Fav, Follow.