My Craft

by OnTheCobb

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

124. Round Three

AN: That's three Wednesdays in a row!

Forum: www fanfiction net/forum/The-CornCobb-Weekly/218218/

Just replace spaces with dots. Better link on my profile.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. Bwuh.

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Chapter 124

Round Three

[Cobb]

When we got back to the Inn, Floyd and Lenz were already in a deep sleep. They needed their rest for tomorrow's events, so I wisely kept Soul from kicking them awake. After our encounter with Leadstripe… and Noman… there was a lot we had to fill them in about. But it could wait until after the games. Preferably while we were celebrating in our brand-spanking new airship.

True to her word, Captain Fo walked us back and had four guards posted outside. If Leadstripe did show up, they'd alert her and Captain Bak in an instant.

"…Thanks." Soul grunted just before the Captain left. It was low so she wouldn't hear it, but hear it she did, and she turned around to offer an astonished look. "We could have handled it on our own, but… well… having back-up didn't hurt…" When Soul looked away, an amused smile cut across her face.

"What's this? Do I detect manners, Soul?" He grumbled to himself, earning a chuckle. "Your thanks are appreciated, but unnecessary. As you are all law-abiding citizens of Zeppil, it is my job to protect you."

"…Don't go regretting it when our team mops the floor with yours tomorrow." Soul came back with a vengeance, though Fo's amusement soon sharpened into something else.

"Your team is formidable, yes. But I'm not one to back down from a challenge. Bak and I have been at this for years." It wasn't a boast so much as a fact. "That airship will belong to me."

"Not if I can help it." Jade interjected, a competitive gleam in her eye and a hand on her hip. "I came in first once, and I would've gotten it twice if…" Her eyes narrowed. "If that cheater hadn't have interfered."

"What's that?"

Jade quickly explained about the getting shoved during the first parkour event, along with several other competitors. The fact that nobody had done anything seemed to rile the Captain up.

"Atrocious." She growled. "This is supposed to be a test of honor. A symbol of sportsmanship. To hear that someone would dare taint our hallowed battlefields…"

"Yeah, they tainted all over it." Soul added.

"Thank you for letting me know, Jade." She nodded. "There's a chance the cheater slipped past the preliminaries. I'll have the judges and guards watch the sky islands for subterfuge. And I'll keep one eye open as well."

"Why watch the sky islands?"

"Oh, that's right. You wouldn't know yet. The final stage of the Parkour Event will be held on the floating islands." Jade gave a little start. "The guards have been hard at work renting out the islands from the wealthy owners and stringing wooden platforms and bridges across them. By tomorrow, they should be ready for the most dangerous parkour race of all time. Thousands of feet in the air, with fifteen seasoned competitors." The Captain flushed. "I'm excited just thinking about it."

"Seems a little extreme doesn't it?" Noman added, having listened to everything.

It garnered the attention of Jade and Soul, the two of them still unsure of where Noman fit into all this. Realizing his mistake under their combined gazes, he quickly shut his mouth.

"Rest assured, it isn't as death-defying as we'd lead you to believe. None of these fifteen master parkourists would make the rookie mistake of slipping off a platform or mistiming a jump. But just in case," she withdrew an ender pearl from her belt and waved it at us, "each finalist will be provided one of these. In the event they fall off, they can simply throw the pearl at the buildings below and save themselves the fate of becoming a Crafter-flavored pancake."

"Only if they remember to." I voiced under my breath, worried despite what I knew about Jade. She could parkour with the best of them, but a fall from that height would throw anyone into shock. I couldn't help but think how far down that drop was.

I felt Jade squeeze my hand, the parkourist sliding beside me. "I'll be careful, don't worry." She assured before adopting a challenging smirk. "It's as good as won."

The Captain chuckled. "You're quite confident, but there's more to these games than winning first place." Her eyes roved over Jade and me. The ones competing tomorrow.

"Here's a tip from a veteran: It's the steady win that prevails in the end."

And with that last tip, she turned and strode away. Tomorrow, she'd be well-rested and ready for the main event.

"What did she mean by that?" I had to ask.

"Not sure." Jade shook her head. "Maybe that we shouldn't count our chickens before they hatch. We still have to win, right?"

"I'll tell you what it was." Soul folded his arms. "The Captain is trying to play mind games to throw you off. She wants you to second-guess yourself and do something stupid. Jokes on her though! Cobb does stupid shit every day!"

"Language!"

"…Who are you!?"

"He's… uh…" I threw myself in front of Noman, struggling for an answer that wouldn't give too much away. "He helped us against Leadstripe. He fought him off."

"Last I checked, correcting foul language and colliding into me doesn't equate to fighting him off." Soul folded his arms, looking at the doe-eyed stranger doubtfully.

"You weren't there for it, but he held his own." I defended.

"But why is he here with us?" Jade asked reasonably. "Shouldn't he be back at his own place? Unless he's staying in one of the rooms here…?"

"I-I don't have a room." He shuffled nervously. "In fact, maybe I should get back to my own Inn. My horse is stabled there and—"

"You'll stay here. In a separate room. I'll pay for it." I said, with no room for argument. The others looked puzzled, but I had an excuse ready. "Leadstripe could still be out there and it'd be more bothersome asking the Captain to post guards at two Inns instead of one. Having him stay here is safer and easier."

Soul accepted my reasoning without batting an eye. Even if he doubted Noman's fighting skills, he couldn't deny that he had been a part of the fight and the Lieutenant would be looking to kill him too. Even more so taking into account who the real Billionth was.

Jade alone looked skeptical. "Is there something else going on here, Cobb? Is this a new candidate for our guild?"

"No!" Noman and I said at the exact same time. We glanced back at one another awkwardly.

"What I mean is—"

"—I'm very busy—"

"—he's not quite qualified—"

'—wouldn't want to burden you—"

"—doesn't even have references—"

"—and I'm pursuing other interests." Noman concluded.

There. That hadn't been suspicious.

"If it's to benefit my safety," Noman turned to me, "I'd be happy to stay here for the night. A cheap room will do, though I really… really should leave in the morning."

"Alright." I walked him to the front lobby where a yawning Crafter was waiting. "You guys get some shut-eye." I said over my shoulder to Soul and Jade. "I'll join you after I get Noman settled in."

"Are you sure? You need sleep too." Jade reminded.

"I'll get some. Trust me, facing XoX while exhausted is the last thing on my mind. I just want to make sure Noman is safe. I owe him for saving my neck."

"Still doubt it." Soul called, already on his way to our room. Jade lingered for a few moments, but, after my incessant urging, followed the axe-wielder back to the comfort of her bed.

That left me some alone time with the Billionth.

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"Okay. We shouldn't be overheard here."

I had purposefully chosen the cheapest and furthest room from ours so that the others wouldn't catch wind of it. The room was a dinky thing, four-by-four with no bathroom and one seedy bed. Noman took his seat on it while I chose to remain standing by the door. I'd hear anyone that approached.

There was a reason I didn't let my friends know about Noman and his title as Billionth, and I had a feeling Noman was going to make that reason apparent.

"Okay. Tell me everything."

"…There's not much more that I haven't already told you." Noman clasped his hands together, gathering his thoughts. "The cult is after the Billionth because they assume he—I—will bring about its destruction. I was warned of this, and therefore sought to conceal my number. By sheer circumstance, I took your number and you took mine. So the cult hunts you now."

I nodded along until he finished. Then it was my turn.

"There are a few details I think you're missing."

"Such as?"

"Is it an assumption that you'll spell the end of the cult," I asked, "or is it a guarantee? Because I'm pretty sure Leadstripe was acting like it was a guarantee."

"There are no guarantees. Not until I actually manage it. Destroying the Endward Cult was a task given to me by—" He stopped short, his face uncertain.

"By…?"

"…By Notch. The Second Crafter."

"Ah. Another overlooked detail." I rolled my eyes. "I heard from a Captain friend that Notch died a while back. So," I waved my arm, "did he come to you as a ghost or…?"

"Very funny. No. He left Helena a book." I started at the name drop. Helena? She had a part in this? "The book and… some equipment," he glanced aside, "were left in her charge for hundreds of years following Notch's demise. If I'm right, he was slain by the Founder of the Endward Cult."

"…Founder." I repeated that word, trying to discern some hidden meaning from it. 4Blite and Leadstripe thought I knew where the guy was. The whole cult thought I knew where the guy was. Which meant… he was still alive? At the very least they couldn't prove he was dead.

It was time to test my theory though. If the fake Billionth didn't know where the Founder was, maybe the real Billionth did.

"What can you tell me about the Founder?"

"Nothing. I have no idea who he is."

I frowned, not believing him for a second. "You sure about that? Because the Endward Cult seems to think the Billionth knows something—"

"How could I know?" Noman asked, helpless for an answer. "Notch was slain by him three-hundred-and-fifty years ago. I wasn't even a glimmer in Minecraftia's eye. One of Notch's books said they fought in the Nether—maybe… maybe there? But I have no assurances. Plus, isn't it strange that the Founder won, and yet he didn't return to his cult?"

"Yeah… yeah that is strange…"

I was only half-listening. The Nether was his only lead, but even the real Billionth had no idea what the cult was talking about. Neither of us knew where the Founder fucked off to, and that was bad since the whole cult thought otherwise, and were only keeping me alive because they thought I had that information.

If they caught and questioned me I'd be screwed.

Worse comes to worse, I can just bullshit them and say the Nether. Never been there, but from what I hear it's a hell-hole.

But Noman truly didn't know.

"What do you know, then?"

"H-Huh?" He asked, confused about the topic change.

"You heard me. Notch left behind an impossible task for the 'Billionth'," I emphasized with air-quotes, "but that's a lot of pressure to leave behind on one person."

"Tell me about it."

"My point is he wouldn't have given you that mission without a means to get it done. So what's your plan? What do you know?" I folded my arms. "How are you going to eradicate the cult?"

"I…" He glanced aside, thinking fast. Was he weighing the pros and cons in his head? Either way, he concluded with a sigh. "I do have a plan—"

"Great—"

"—But I can't tell you it."

"...And why is that?" I said, eerily calm.

He rested his hands atop one another, looking down at them. "It's the Billionth's mission. It doesn't concern you."

A fist slammed into the wood behind me, startling the black-haired man. A second later, I realized it was my own.

"Like hell it doesn't concern me."

"L-Lan—"

"Don't you fucking say language!" I pointed at him. "A man tried to kill me today. A man thinking I was you. Don't you think I'm obligated to know why I'm supposed to be such a threat to them?"

"You're not the threat to them." He shot back, his tone more firm than before. "I am. I am the true Billionth."

"Our information says otherwise."

"I am aware of that," he hissed, "and I apologize for taking your number. But I cannot apologize for something I had no control over. I have no responsibility for the number you chose. If it were up to me, nobody would have this number. Nobody would be targeted."

"Yeah, that doesn't really do me much good now!" I pushed off the door, not caring how loud I was getting. "But maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. Maybe I should be thanking you! I've always wanted to be the center of attention, and now I got it! So thanks, Noman! I'll be sure to let you keep my head if they remove it from my body!"

"It's not my fault!" He shot up. "You took the number!"

"No, you just didn't want to take the heat! No matter what, your actions disrupted the number order. Someone would have gotten the Billionth number one way or the other." He paled at that revelation. "Yeah, that's right. You were offering someone to the chopping block. You just didn't care who."

"You're wrong! Of course I cared!" He stood face-to-face with me. "I started hearing legends about a Hacker-Slayer in Halstatt with ten-digits. You did that! You painted targets on your own back." I faltered, conceding his point. "I wanted to find you. To warn you about the dangers the title brings. And when the time came, I protected you from that cultist. I did all I could!"

"Warning me? Warning me?" I shook my head. "What kind of warning is this? You tell me I'm being hunted for my number after I discover I'm being hunted for my number." Noman flinched as if struck. "That's not a warning that's hindsight!"

"…I intended to warn you beforehand."

"And are you going to stick around?" I asked suddenly. "Are you going to protect me with your shield forever? Or are you going to focus on that mission you can't tell me about?"

His silence said it all.

"Well, thanks Noman. Really." I nodded, my voice thick with sarcasm. "I'll be sure to keep doing what I've been doing with this information. Meanwhile, you just… I don't know… save Minecraftia or whatever."

He snagged my arm before I could leave.

"Don't act like you're the only victim here." He hissed. "To uphold this mission, I had to travel far, face impossible challenges… kill people…"

"Join the club."

"And!" He tightened his grip. "…I had to do it nearly on my own."

I froze, the words resonating with something.

"I've had to isolate myself and deal with… dangerous items… burdened with an impossible mission and not knowing whether I could do it on my own. Not wanting to risk the people I cared about. I didn't ask for this number!" He shook my arm, his eyes glaring.

"Often I wonder… why was it me?" He asked aloud. "Why was I the one with this burden? Why couldn't I live a normal life with adventures and friends?" He looked me up and down. "The two of us… we're separated by one number. I could have been you, free from this, and you could've been me."

For the first time, I looked at Noman like I was looking into a mirror. His dark suit with the white undershirt. My black-and-white hoodie. His black hair. My brown hair. His shield. My fishing rod. Nowhere_Man and King_Cobb. The two Billionths.

If I had just taken a little bit longer planning my name…

If he had spoken his name a little bit sooner…

How different would things have been?

I pulled my arm out of his grip.

"I don't want to be you." I shook my head. "I have one World to save, and it isn't this one."

He could have the glory of killing the cult for all I cared. I had something better. Floyd, Lenz, the ass with a face, Jade, Wynn, Erin. I had plenty to protect. And if being the Billionth in name put them in harm's way…

I wouldn't hesitate to sell Noman out.

Why not? He talked big, claiming to bear the burden of Billionth, but he was the one who gave it up. He didn't want to be hunted. Did he think I wanted to be? I already had half the world thinking I was a wanted man. And the Hack Clan knew one of their own was slain by a Billionth. Was I just supposed to add the Endward Cult to the band-wagon?

Soul would want to do it. Floyd too. They were in the Silver Intent; they'd jump at the chance to fight the cult, especially hearing of a way to eradicate them once and for all. They'd follow Noman to hell and back if that's what it took to avenge their fallen friend.

Just like I had… when I thought Floyd was dead…

The feeling of Floyd's death was still fresh in my mind, even though the grief had passed. Floyd was fine. But the cult was still out there. Teal, 4Blite, Leadstripe. The Lieutenants were crazy strong. Beyond any of us in a one-on-one fight. And they wanted me…

If they ever caught me, I'd have no information about their Founder. I'd have nothing. And they would take out their anger on me, or worse, the others. Unless I gave them someone else…

"Are you going to tell me how you're planning to kill them?" I broke the silence. It would be different if I had a sure way to kill them. Noman knew a way. He had to. He just didn't want to share with me. He was content to sacrifice us for his glorious mission.

"…I can't."

"Then there's no reason for me to stay." I turned to the door, but paused at the threshold. "I have a family to worry about, Noman. I'm going to tell them I'm being hunted, because they deserve to know. Just like I deserve to know." He didn't dare look me in the eyes. "I won't tell them about you, but only because they would throw their lives away for your mission, and I couldn't take that."

I tilted my head, glaring at him.

"Don't assume your number will die with me. The cult may have our scent, but if it can save even one of my friends, I'd sell you out in a heartbeat. And just so you know," the door creaked, "that's a proper warning."

The door slammed shut and I stalked back to my room, trying to swallow the ugly feeling in my throat.

---

[Soul]

Next morning, I didn't bother waiting for the others to wake up. I left a note with an excuse before heading straight to Zeppil's Silver Intent base. Past the garden of sugarcane, down the hidden ladder, through the dimly lit tunnel, and up to the double iron doors. I knocked twice with my axe against them and waited.

A turquoise eye peeked out, but unlike last time, Moist_Charles opened the doors right away.

"Soul. How are—?" He cut off upon seeing my harsh expression. "What's happened?"

"Nothing much. I just ran into a freaking Lieutenant last night." Charles gave a start at that. "But I must have been mistaken, since you said there hasn't been any cultist activity as of late."

Charles looked troubled hearing this. That made two of us. I was getting sick of being jerked around like this.

"That's…" Charles walked back to his desk, sitting down heavily. "This can't be right. They shouldn't have the resources to—"

"Which is it, Charles!?" I snapped, planting both fists onto his desk. "Brett had us march down here saying there were cultists. Then you tell me there are no cultists. Then I find Leadstripe out to kill people in the streets! So someone has to be wrong!"

"I understand why you're upset," Charles began, his own voice annoyingly calm, "but I have only told you the same facts I know. Brett said there was an assassination attempt by the cultists against the royalty, but there was no such thing. My agents have been keeping an eye out, but there have been no cultists in Zeppil."

"That's bullshit! I fought a Lieutenant just last night! Your agents need to get their eyes checked!"

"You don't understand." He massaged the bridge of his nose. "My agents haven't been looking for black-leather caps. They've been keeping an eye on Crafters, noting any unusual disappearances or deaths. In any cultist-occupied region these same disappearances are part and parcel to the cult's MO."

He stood up from his desk, his face set into a troubled frown. "Back when the cultists had control over Zeppil, they were brazen. Bold. They stole Crafters from the streets, their homes even, and butchered them like cattle before taking their Heads as trophies. It was a dark time at the hands of the Southern Division, and those that dared to stand against them were cruelly disposed of."

"I know all that. Then the Angel of Death appeared." I was well aware of the woman, the myth, the legend. "The butchers became the butchered at her hands. She and the Paragons obliterated the Southern Division and freed this place. What's your point?"

"My point is that things are far better now than they were back then." He stressed. "If the cultists are still here, then they're being unusually discreet. No disappearances, no dead people with missing Heads. Even the guards are keeping an eye out. They despise the cult as much as us. But—I repeat—there has been no cultist activity."

"Then how do you explain Leadstripe attacking last night?"

"Actually… I was hoping you had an answer." Charles steepled his hands. "Leadstripe's wanted posters haven't reached this far south yet. So he knew he could slip in without incident. Nobody would have been the wiser to what he was doing here… so what was he doing here, exposing himself just to claim a few Heads? It doesn't add up."

"Cultists kill people all the time." I dismissed. "It's not out of the ordinary—"

"—for a cultist to kill people, no. But a Lieutenant is not your run-of-the-mill cultist. They operate under the Executives orders, but they're usually not far from their grunts."

"So what are you saying?" I asked, wanting him to stop all this postulating.

"I'm saying Leadstripe came here for something, but it wasn't important enough to bring any cultists with him. Not for any long-term operation. More like an errand he was certain he could accomplish himself."

Charles had a point there. The same Lieutenant had some cultists go with him to steal the Looting sword in Dover Plains. And Teal had brought a good chunk of men with her to Nitebane too. If it was a mission, he would have been careful to bring at least a few bodies. But, when fighting in the street, he had no back-up. He had no cultists helping him fight.

"He was alone." I realized, speaking my thoughts.

"Exactly. It'd be much easier to slip in and out of Zeppil alone, especially without a wanted poster in circulation. He only came here for an errand. He wouldn't reveal himself so foolishly." Charles frowned. "Tell me, who was it he was trying to kill?"

"Who was it…?" My shoulders fell, my mind putting together last night's events.

When The Captain and I showed up, there were only two people Leadstripe was fighting and only one of them was explicitly being targeted.

Cobb.

---

[Cobb]

"Just like Soul to ditch us." I yawned.

The four of us were just leaving the Inn. There was no sign of Noman which was just the way I wanted it. The talk with him last night was already fading from my mind. Obviously I couldn't forget the 'warning' he dropped on me, nor the truth that I wasn't really the Billionth. Helena had been right. My number was nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine-million nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine-thousand nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine.

I wasn't the Billionth. I was the much less impressive Nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine-million nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine-thousand nine-hundred-and-ninety-ninth.

Ugh. Already I was missing the title. And I shouldn't have been. It was nothing but trouble for me and my friends. Not that Noman would do anything about it. He said as much that he couldn't protect us forever. His aid last night was as insincere as his warning.

"What happened to Noman?" Jade said, as if sensing my thoughts. "I didn't see him at the Inn. Did he already take off?"

"Yeah. He was pretty busy." Busy stealing my number and throwing us to the wolves. "He had to get back to his friends or something." I lied, hoping that would be the end of it. No such luck. Floyd and Lenz overheard.

"Who's Noman?"

"Just a guy that fought with us last night."

"First I'm hearing about it." Floyd hummed.

After waking up to Jade sleeping soundly, Floyd and Lenz had shot out of bed, surprised. Even more so when I explained our midnight duel with a Lieutenant. I purposefully neglected to mention Noman's name, but it looked like Jade wanted to bring it back.

"Even if he was a passing bystander, he made sure we were safe for the night." Jade noted. "I can't believe you'd forget to mention him."

"He was just some guy." I shrugged. "Nobody important. Not like you guys."

"If he wasn't important, why pay for his room? And what did you want to talk with him about?"

"You guys talked?" Floyd asked, getting more and more interested. "And paid for his room?"

"A Lieutenant tried to kill him, I didn't want to be a jerk!" I laughed it off, even while raising my voice. "I just wanted to be careful, alright?" Jade and Floyd looked doubtful by my tone. "Look, he was in danger, but with Leadstripe in hiding I don't think anything bad will happen to the guy." Not while I'm his actual target. "There's nothing else to it."

"Cobbert is correct. This Noman person is no longer our concern." To my immense relief, Lenz swooped to my rescue. "Need I remind you three that today is the day? All our hard work has been for this moment. That airship depends on how high we place in the coming events. We have no time for distractions or detours."

"Exactly." I pounced on the excuse to change topics. "We need to win, no matter what, right? Lenz can almost taste that airship."

"It tastes like realized dreams. Mmmm." Lenz closed his eyes in bliss.

"I suppose you're right. No distractions." Jade sighed. "Captain Fo will be giving this her all. And there's still that cheater to worry about."

"All the focus in the world won't make me run faster." Floyd groaned. "It all comes down to luck. If it's another short-distance sprint like yesterday…"

"You think you have it bad? I have three Captains and only one strategy to take them all out. It's all or nothing."

"And Chen is right at my back." Lenz frowned. "I cannot let up for an instant. For the airship!"

"For the airship!" We all cheered in unison, Noman forgotten. Just the way I wanted it.

It wasn't long before we went our separate ways. Jade had to hitch an airship ride to the sky islands while the rest of us had to go to the respective stadiums.

When I got there, Abyssal, Bak, and XoX were waiting. I tried to be subtle getting there, but someone had other plans.

"Billionth." The vermillion-haired Captain greeted, stomping over into my personal space. "Glad you still here."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because others might want it more." He commented vaguely. "No matter. I had talk with grey boy. We have our fight now. Make it good."

The Captain slammed me on the back, realigning my spine, and began to walk away.

"Wait." I half-called half-groaned, stopping him in his tracks. "Just to make things clear, I'm not hoping for some glorious battle, XoX." His expression was dangerous, but I continued. "While I'm grateful for your assistance last round, I'm here to win. That means being the last to drop among you and those Captains over there." I pointed with my chin to Abyssal and Bak.

"Strongest prevail." He agreed. "That's why we fight—"

"I don't think so." I smirked, earning a growl from the man. "If I can win without fighting you, I'll do it. Because the goal isn't you. It's the airship."

I expected the Captain to get angry. This was a guy who craved blood and fought tooth-and-nail to achieve that high. And he was being denied the fight he wanted from me. But instead, I found him smirking.

"Keep telling yourself that." He chuckled, his warhammer resting on one shoulder. "A man's fire always brought to the fore."

At least I can talk in complete sentences. I thought, watching the vermillion-haired Captain march off. He was a mountain to climb if ever I saw one, and I was glad this wasn't a real fight. He could probably bench-press twenty of me.

It wasn't long before the other competitors filed in; the fifteen of us stood ready as they passed out the appropriate shovels for the last time. Boyin was up in the booth. The audience was in the stands.

After a standard speech from Boyin to get everyone's blood pumping, the fifteen spleefers climbed the final arena for our battle. This one was a lot smaller than yesterday's. With so few of us, it would ensure non-stop action. Though there were more snow layers than usual. Seven. And at the bottom was…?

"Please direct your attention to the bottom layer of this fine arena!" Boyin gestured to the molten blocks making up the spleef arena's floor. The way the air shimmered like a mirage spoke of a blistering hot surface. "These [MAGMA BLOCKS] are another gift from the Bounty Day! Found in the Nether, these blocks will sizzle your grizzle! They're to ensure the finals are hot, hot, HOT! Think of them as an extra incentive not to fall!"

Was he nuts!? Those things looked like solid lava! Would they burn as much as them too? I wasn't the only one worrying, as several other competitors looked nervous. Only a complete nutcase wouldn't be.

"Uohhohho! Perfect!" Said nutcase laughed. "Will warm up faster now!"

"This whole thing is rigged." Abyssal griped before jumping down into the arena. The rest of us followed suit. Not like we could back down now. The snow never felt so chilling.

"Not to worry, not to worry." Boyin assured the audience. "The magma blocks only kill from prolonged contact. It'll be hot though, so don't idly stick around once you fall. The guards will be on standby, assisting any knocked out Crafters."

Small comforts. I didn't feel too eager about getting a hot-foot.

The crowd cheered and already XoX was cracking his neck, stretching his arms.

I closed my eyes. Tuning everything out.

Forget about Noman. That's a problem out there. And if I win that airship, it'll be a problem we can all just fly away from.

"Competitors! Are you ready?"

As ready as I ever was. For the past three days, I had gone in blind for an unfamiliar sport. But dodging things was my forte. That and being unpredictable. And right now, I had an unpredictable, all-or-nothing plan ready.

"Three… Two… One…"

I raised my shovel, awaiting the final words with bated breath.

"BEGIN!"

---

[Floyd]

"On your mark, get set, GO!"

Fourteen sprinters burst out the starting gate, their legs pumping furiously as they struggled to pull ahead…

While one was left in the dust, panting like a dog. Me.

"God… Damnit…!" I coughed, sweat pouring down my face.

I was in a bad spot alright. Round Three was a five lap sprint around the stadium—a simple task for my Hack. And that was precisely the problem. It was simple for my Hack to overcome in thirty-five seconds. But it was impossible for any normal Crafter to achieve in thirty-five seconds.

Even in Round Two, I had to pull back drastically on my powers and zigzag just to make it look possible. I couldn't run like a god without people asking questions, and that would definitely be the case if I ran five laps in thirty-five seconds. I'd be lapping professional runners!

I could hear confusion and disappointment from both the audience and the announcer as the other sprinters pulled further and further away. The gap widened. I was lagging behind, unable to naturally keep up with them. If I blew my Hack now, I'd either stall out after thirty-five seconds or reveal myself to everyone. The latter would probably mean disqualification, both for me and my team.

So… I'd take last.

It was hard to swallow, but it was the safest option. I did my part making it to Round Three. And even in fifteenth place, I'd earn a point for Team Beginners.

I was lapped once by first place—a member of Captain Fo's all-star team, I think—followed by second place—one of Bak's teammates. More and more lapped me until I was watching the back of fourteenth place pull away for the second time.

It was all I could do to just to finish the race without passing out. Then I passed out.

Fifteenth place. Last place. A measly one point.

---

[Jade]

Wind whipped through my hair at speeds that nearly blew me off the platform. Safe and secure my ass!

The final Parkour Event was just as Captain Fo said. A race across the sky islands and the wooden platforms erected between them. Turbulent winds and height aside, one slip-up would send us tumbling down. My safety ender pearl hung from my belt, ready for me to throw it at a moment's notice.

I was leaping from post to post on a rickety wooden bridge, balancing myself whenever the wind picked up. It was cautious work, but rushing through would make me lose. And the others were being just as careful.

Captain Fo had taken a different route, swinging from fence posts to get to the next sky island. The two of us were pretty much neck-and-neck. Others were starting to catch up too, like low_bttry.

As I leapt off the rickety bridge, I heard a panicked scream and watched as two contestants plummeted from one of the structures. They chucked the pearls at the ground and warped to safety a second later. I shook my head. Those two would be getting fifteenth and fourteenth for sure.

Eyes on the prize, I kept moving forward, bouncing off of the island's structures and onto a series of wooden slabs. There was a gap between each one with a thousand foot drop waiting, but I briskly made each jump as if I was playing hopscotch.

Halfway through the race, Captain Fo and I were still tied for first, and the players in back started taking more risks. I caught a glimpse of someone trying to skirt a jump to save time. It cost him the game when he slipped. Thirteenth place.

However, as I crossed over to another island, there was a solid blur as something was thrown past me to the other island. A second later, I realized it was an ender pearl because a contestant suddenly warped ahead.

"HEY!" I shouted, outraged. "That's… cheating…?"

My eyes widened as the parkourist—Rudy—stuck her tongue out at me before moving on.

Seeing Rudy cheat like that… it made me remember something about the person that pushed me. The leather armor worn… it was the same as Rudy's! She was the cheater! And she did it again!

"Captain!" I tried to signal Fo, but she was too far away. Had she missed the cheater again!? And where were the judges she talked about? The ones that would be keeping their eyes open? Ugh, I couldn't stand it!

I picked up the pace, intending to catch up to that cheating scumbag and throw her off the islands without an ender pearl. It would probably mean disqualification, but I was sick of foul-play.

I blazed past Captain Fo and took risks, steadily gaining on Rudy. She noticed and started to panic, working double-time to stay ahead.

When I get my hands on her…

I kicked off a platform, landing in a roll onto the next island before springing up onto the final stretch. Low_bttry was behind me and Captain Fo's path had merged back into mine. Rudy was a few jumps to the finish line.

"Get back here, cheater!" I shouted, taking the jumps two at a time. Her eyes were wide, but she had an excited smile on her face as she made the jumps. She was close. I was gaining. Fo shouted something, but I ignored her, pushing myself further and further, reaching out with a hand to snag Rudy's leather armor.

"First Place: Rudy!"

My heart plummeted at those words, even as I made the final jump across the finish line.

"Second Place: AceOfJades. Third Place: Fo. Fourth Place: low_bttry."

I fell to my knees, anger overwhelming me as I caught sight of Rudy's smug face. "Better luck next time." She crooned, waving at my defeated form.

"Indeed." A voice rang out. A pair of legs marched past me, right up to Rudy. "YinCang. I don't recall Miss Rudy overtaking Jade in the race. Did she win legitimately?"

"No Captain." A voice spoke from out of nowhere before a Crafter materialized in front of Fo. "I was keeping watch per your instructions. Rudy used the ender pearl designated for her safety to skip part of the course and get a leg up on the competition. In addition, she pushed two of the competitors out early, masking it as an accident. She cheated."

Rudy was left speechless. Her excited smile from moment's ago curling into something horrible and slimy. "You… you were spying on me…"

"On my orders, yes." Captain Fo nodded, staring at Rudy like she was a piece of garbage. "This is a sacred competition. We do not excuse cheating lightly. So when I heard a cheater may have slipped into the third round, I had YinCang here go invisible to keep an eye out. Well done, YinCang."

"Thank you, ma'am." The guard saluted. "Should I escort the cheater from the sky islands?"

"Please do. She will be awarded last place for this event. I'm sure many Crafters will be thrilled to hear they'll be moving up in the score."

"You can't do this! I didn't cheat!" Rudy shouted before YinCang restrained her. "Get your hands off me! That airship is mine! My team deserves it!"

"Your team is the Onyx Ocelot's correct?" Captain Fo continued. "I should have guessed. Your other teammates were guilty of cheating as well. Potions of Swiftness in the Sprinting Event. Forming alliances in the Spleef Event. Trying to bribe judges in the Archery Event." Rudy paled with each revelation. "The Onyx Ocelots are nothing but a pack of cheats."

"You… you just want that airship for yourself!" Rudy wailed. "You're already a Captain! You don't need it! It's MINE!"

"I want her and her team banned from future games. And be grateful you won't be rotting in a cell. Spoiling the spirit of the games like this is bad form. A smudge on Zeppil's pride."

Rudy was soon carted away, screaming and thrashing the entire time. After she was gone, Captain Fo let out an irritated sigh before turning to me.

"I suppose that makes you, the second place competitor, the official winner." She scratched the back of her head, her body language hinting at her frustration. "I suppose I'll take second place, and low_bttry third, and so on and so forth."

"I… I won?" I asked, unsure if I should start celebrating.

"Yes. You won." A judge stepped forward to hand out a block of gold. "This is the trophy for first place. Given Rudy's cheating, I'd say it's yours. You would have won if not for her cheating. Congratulations."

"YES!" I cheered, jumping in the air and holding my prized block of gold aloft. "It's mine all mine!" Five whole points for Team Beginners.

Realizing I should have been more modest—especially in front of all the other competitors—I tried to reel it in. Fo and low_bttry were each awarded a block of iron for second and third place respectively. They would be given four points each. Then lapis lazuli blocks for fourth, fifth, and sixth. The rest just got the points; no trophy for them.

"Well done. I'll admit, you're a better parkourist than I." Fo complimented. She then held out her hand, a rare smile on her face. "I would like to challenge you again some time. Maybe at the next games?"

I smiled knowingly. "If I'm in the neighborhood." I reached out and shook her hand.

First Place. Five Points. And the cheaters were dealt with. Things were looking good.

---

[Noman]

I watched from the cover of an entrance, uncaring for the people that jostled by to get better seats. Apparently the third round of Spleef was a big deal.

Cobb and the other fourteen competitors were in the arena, the announcer counting them down. Whoever won or lost didn't matter to me. I was just there to keep an eye out for Leadstripe. In case he returned to kill the Billionth. Or who he thought was the Billionth.

I grimaced in self-loathing. This was a mess, one that I was at least partly responsible for. Cobb hadn't been far off with his claim. I had basically thrown him to the wolves to remain anonymous. A man who didn't exist. A perpetual nowhere man.

He was clearly mad. And he had every right to be. The Endward Cult now had their sights on him and his friends, and there was nothing I could do about it… save admitting my number to them.

Cobb thought the same. He would have had to to make the threat that he did. If he was ever captured, and the cult interrogated him, holding the lives of his friends in the balance… well… he would out me as the real Billionth.

He probably would have also revealed the information about the artifacts, if I had dared to share it. The artifacts, after all, were my best at destroying the cult once and for all. Together, they had to be powerful enough to accomplish anything. If the cult ever caught wind of them… I couldn't even imagine.

So Cobb was left in the dark about what my mission was. He would be taking all the risks—him and his friends—and I would be free to track down the rest of the artifacts. Such a great, win-win plan for everyone.

Of course, I was being sarcastic. It wasn't fair. Not for Cobb and not for his friends. They weren't the ones with an invincible chestplate on their hands. Or flying boots capable of outrunning anyone. All they had was something I didn't have: Each other.

I was alone. Nobody to talk to but a horse. Wouldn't it make more sense to be the targeted one, instead of Cobb, who clearly had a life he didn't want to lose? At least with the Severe Shield, I could take whatever the cult threw at me. Cobb though…

All he had was everything to lose.

If it was a question of who deserved to be hunted more… it was clearly me.

But if it was a question of what was best for Minecraftia… then having Cobb get targeted first would buy me the time to find more artifacts.

Myself or the world? What was the right thing to do? What was the selfish thing to do?

I didn't know.

All I knew was that I owed it to Cobb to at least protect him, even if he hated my guts. That's why I was there. Aikido always spoke about caring for your enemy. Caring for your not-enemy not-friend body-double probably fit that same description. I think…

Finally, the announcer began counting down the event. All the competitors were ready, armed with shovels, and eager to start.

"Three… Two… One… BEGIN!"

As soon as the buzzer sounded, Cobb took out his shovel…

And dug himself down a layer.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

A loud voice blared past my ear drums, the owner shoving past me to get a better view of the action. I recognized him immediately as one of Cobb's allies. The brown-haired axe-wielder, Lost_Soul.

"COBB, YOU DUMB F—"

"—Firetruck!" I finished for him, sparing many Crafters from his profanity. It proved to be the wrong thing to say, however, since Soul rounded on me, his eyes flashing in recognition.

"It's you! The stranger with the saintly tongue." Is that what he was calling me? "What are you doing here?"

"I… came to watch." I pointed to Cobb, watching as he continued his odd strategy. "I thought the goal of the game was to dig out other players."

"It is." Soul growled.

Currently, Cobb was ignoring all players in favor of digging himself down lower and lower through the layers. He just kept digging down, and the audience and competitors didn't know what to think of it. The vermillion-haired one had shouted 'COWARD!' but other than that, the game went on.

"Coward is right." Soul growled. "The hel—"

"—help—"

"—does he think he's doing? He must have shi—"

"—ship—"

"—for brains if he thinks this dickin—"

"—digging—"

"—around is going to do him any shi—"

"—shin—"

"—ass—"

"—ask—"

'—fu—"

"—fudge—"

"—bast—"

"—bastille!"

"Okay, now you're starting to annoy me!"

"Why does every other thing you say have to be a curse?" I asked, my mind exhausted trying to keep up. "You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"No, I don't believe in incest. Sicko."

I wrinkled my nose at him, trying to return my attention to the game. What was Cobb thinking, digging himself down to the lowest layer? He was inconveniencing himself and giving his opponents the advantage. Was he trying to lose?

…Not that I cared if he won or not.

"You know, it's good you're here." Soul bumped shoulders with me, trying to catch my attention. "I wanted to ask Cobb about last night, but he was in the arena by the time I got here."

"Whatever he told you is what happened." I said quickly. "I have nothing further to add."

"Wow, that wasn't suspicious at all." He said sarcastically. "In all seriousness, I want some answers. And since Cobb is busy, you'll have to do."

I averted my eyes. "…I'm not sure Cobb wants me talking with you."

"Right. Because you and your curse correction are a bad influence on me." He shook his head. "Who I talk to is my business. And since I'm talking to you, it's your business too. How do you know Cobb, anyway? You guys good friends? He saw you settled in last night."

"We were only properly introduced last night." I threw out, hoping to get these questions over with fast. Cobb already made it clear he didn't want me endangering his friends. Talking with Soul felt like something he wouldn't approve of.

"Alright. Next question. How do you know Leadstripe?"

"He's a Lieutenant. A criminal of the Endward Cult. Why shouldn't I know him?"

"Because his wanted poster isn't in Zeppil yet. But he seemed to recognize you last night. And you him. So what's your connection?" He was sharper than he looked. And he was already gripping the axe at his belt.

"…I was in Dover Plains, at the auction house the night Leadstripe stole the Looting sword." I explained, seeing how I had no reason to hide it. "I tried to apprehend him, we fought, and then he got away. We left impressions on one another."

"Enough to be on a first-name basis." Soul nodded, accepting the explanation. "Must mean you're pretty tough."

"Hardly." I scoffed. "I fight without fighting."

"Huh?"

"Aikido." I took out my shield, bracing it on my arm. "I disarm and knock people out. Aikido is the art of peace, protecting life by caring for all things, even your enemies."

"Sounds like a load of bull—"

"—Bullets."

"I'm gonna jam my fist up your ass if you don't knock that shit off."

"…Language."

"Ugh. How are you supposed to fight with a shield, huh? Look." He held up his axe, miming some chopping motions towards my face. "I'm a mad axe-man and I'm gonna chop you up. What're you gonna do? Shield me into submission?"

I gave him a flat stare before swinging out with my Slight Shield, whacking the back of his wrist with enough force to get him to drop the axe. Landing on the corner, I balanced the handle before flicking it skyward. Soul tracked it with his eyes, giving me the opportunity to sweep his legs out. He fell into a heap and I caught the spinning axe with my free-hand. Then I spun and caught it handle out and offered it to the downed man.

"…Okay, so you got some moves." He grasped the handle of his weapon and I used it to help pull him back to his feet. He then proceeded to dust himself off. "Maybe it's not so farfetched that you fought off a Lieutenant."

"I wouldn't lie about that."

"Then could you not lie about this next thing either?" He said suddenly. "Do you know why Cobb was targeted last night?"

This was a definite no-no question, since it would touch on the Billionth issue. Cobb didn't want them to get involved with any of that. I had to respect his wishes. I owed him. Even if it meant lying.

"No idea." I shook my head. "Leadstripe kept trying to knife Cobb. I don't know why he wanted to kill him, but I did my darnedest to prevent it."

"…Okay." He sighed, disappointed. "Also, darnedest? You can't use damnedest—?"

"Language!"

"Your innocence is killing me. Come on! Swear once in a while! It'll feel good." He promised.

"I refuse."

"Come on. Join the dark side." His eyes suddenly lighted with an idea. "No, better yet, join the Silver Intent side!"

"…The what?"

"If you're as good at fighting cultists as I think you are, then do I have the guild for you! The Silver Int—"

"Oh, no, thanks, but I'm not interested in joining your guild." I quickly waved my hands. "Besides, Cobb and I… we don't exactly see eye to eye."

"Cobb's guild is the Beginners. Of which I am a member true, but I'm asking you to join a different guild… of which I am also part of." He folded his arms grinning smugly. "The Silver Intent is an anti-cult organization. Their ultimate goal is to finish what the Angel of Death started and destroy the Endward Cult!"

"…Destroy the cult?" I couldn't hide my interest. "How? Do they have a plan?"

"The plan is to take the fight to them. And we do it every day, going out on missions, gathering intel, breaking up cultist activity wherever we can find it." I ticked off my fingers. "The Silver Intent works tirelessly protecting Minecraftia from those psychos."

"Working tirelessly? Protecting Minecraftia?" The more he said, the more I listened. A guild dedicated to fighting the cult? They sounded like the perfect allies. And if they had an information network, they might have had better leads on the artifacts. At the very least, they must have had people in the other Kingdoms.

"I see I have your attention." He smiled. "We've been taking notice of cultist activity lately, and we've already identified some of the cult's top dogs. We're still recruiting, but every person can help."

"That… that sounds like noble work." I nodded along, already interested in this organization. "So, is it possible for me to sign up?"

"Of course! We need all the help we can get." Soul fist pumped in the air. "Yes! Yes! I got a recruit! Suck it!" He turned back to me, pretending like he hadn't just celebrated. "There's a Silver Intent hideout here in Zeppil. I can introduce you to the guy in charge if you want. You can ask him questions and he can fill you in on anything I overlooked."

"Sure! That sounds wonderful." I was desperate for new artifact leads anyway. "Can we head over there right now?"

"Eh. Later. After the Parkour Games." He looked back to the spleef arena and I did the same, albeit a tad nervous about possibly meeting Cobb again. The Silver Intent wasn't his guild, so maybe he wouldn't mind if I talked with Soul about it.

I shouldn't even be talking with Soul now. I don't want to endanger him. What would Cobb think if he saw this?

These thoughts plagued my mind as I forced a calm smile on my face for Soul's benefit.

---

[Lenz]

When I entered the stadium for the Archery Event, I never would have guessed the final event to be a game of Simon Says.

Allow me to elaborate. The judges from Round Two returned, each of them writing a few noteworthy archery challenges within individual books. The books were then thrown into a dispenser, and would be randomly selected via a button. The fifteen finalists would then attempt the feat. If they succeeded, they stayed. If they failed, they were out. Last archer standing won the gold.

While I was confident in my long-distance accuracy, there was no way of knowing if the events chosen by the judges would play to my strengths or not. If even one of those judges wrote Arc Shot and it was chosen, I was doomed. And these judges would never pull their punches.

"Best of luck, Gray Eagle." Chen nodded. He was already by my side, eyeshield lowered. I recognized him alone as my competition. The others did not hold a candle.

The judges stuffed their challenges into the dispenser before returning to their seats. Then a guard walked up to flick the button. A book shot out.

The competitors waited with bated breath. Li_Wei and Ju-Long. Pixel. BlueEmo. Chen. Me. Victory hinged on our archery alone.

The guard read aloud from the book.

"Shoot a chicken from two-hundred yards away!"

Perfect!

I celebrated my luck. Two-hundred yards was nothing for me. And I only had to hit a chicken. It was more of a problem for the other competitors. Not many had cleared one-hundred-and-fifty yards in the first round.

Bows were armed, and a procession of chickens was led out into the middle of the field. The guards held out seeds, herding the unsuspecting poultry to a grisly fate.

There was an order to things. Down the line, one after another, we fired into the crowd of chickens. Our arrows were carefully tracked, but there was no need for worry. I nailed my chicken without breaking a sweat. So did Chen, BlueEmo, Li_Wei, Ju-Long.

However, not everyone was so lucky. Pixel and four others missed their chickens. Already, a third of the competition was out.

Oh well. Their loss, my gain. I was one step closer to the airship.

"Next challenge!" The dispenser coughed up a new book and the guard read it dutifully. "Free for all! Shoot two competitors before getting shot twice."

My mind jammed trying to comprehend that rule. The other competitors were equally confused, but spread out at the behest of the judges. After a second of thinking, I understood the deviousness of the challenge.

It was a complex math problem. There were only ten competitors remaining. If an archer had to shoot two without getting shot twice, only six people could pass, maximum. A fitting challenge to weed people out.

Though I did not appreciate how Ju-Long was eyeing me.

"BEGIN!"

Immediately, Ju_Long shot at my face. He was still sore over my upstaging him yesterday, and figured knocking me out was the best way to get even.

My arrow intercepted his.

I glared at him through my tinted glasses. Intercepting arrows was a skill I had developed after dueling with Ciro. So long as I observed an archer enough to predict their style, I could intercept their arrows with my own. The memory of Ju-Long's style was still fresh in my mind.

I blocked both of his arrows and then fired one of my own, striking him in the calf. He cursed, readying his bow to retaliate, but another arrow caught him in the side. Courtesy of Li_Wei.

"Damnit!" Ju-Long threw his bow into the dirt. He was officially out. Li_Wei grinned, dodging another arrow before shooting a second unfortunate sap. That was one person qualified.

Needing one more shot, I pivoted in place, looking for a viable target. BlueEmo was walking off, having secured his two hits. And Chen earned his spot when an arrow found its way into my arm. He waved good-naturedly, hoping for no hard feelings.

I ignored the pain in my arm before firing three arrows at three separate archers. The first two dodged, but the third one was shot down. I breathed a sigh of relief, walking off to join the other victors.

A minute or two passed before six competitors remained. The judges really planned their challenges.

"Next!" The guard was already reading from the book.

"Hit yourself with an arrow!"

"Shortest arrow distance!"

"Shoot a target while under the effects of Nausea!"

The challenges kept coming, sometimes knocking out only one competitor at a time. BlueEmo was taken out, and then, when there were three of us left, I beat Li_Wei by a narrow margin.

"Competitor Li_Wei! Third place! You will be awarded an iron block and four points!" The archer for Captain Fo's team accepted the loss gracefully, walking off the staging area to watch from the sidelines. "We're coming down to the end. Once again, it comes down to a duel between the Birds of Prey! Will Lenzington, the Gray Eagle, prevail? Or will it be Chen_Tzuyu, the Azure Jay? You won't want to miss this, folks!"

There it was again. That name. The Birds of Prey. And I was still no closer to figuring it out. Maybe if Chen stayed in one place for a change instead of vanishing all the time.

It was just him and I left. I was not surprised. I always knew he would be the final obstacle standing in the way of my airshi—first place.

"This will be the final challenge!" The announcer boomed, even as the guard flicked the dispenser, a random book popping out. "Let's see what it is!"

"The final challenge shall be," the guard slowly opened the book, adding to the dramatic tension. "Arc Shot!"

My heart plummeted, as did my hopes of taking first. Arc Shot. My worst skill. The one that required a meticulous understanding of one's own reflexes, firing speed, snap-time, and so much more. Veronica had instructed me to practice it, but I always put it off. Never had I regretted that choice more than now.

My eyes strayed to the Azure Jay. He was on the other side of the spectrum. He used Arc Shot for the second round, showing off for the judges. There was no better event for him to topple me in.

"Archers! Center stage!" The announcer ordered. From the sidelines, several guards went out and built a wooden wall and a target. "Both competitors will be given a chance to fire an Arc Shot over the wall to hit the target behind. The first to miss will be in jeopardy, and will then be knocked out of the running if the other guy can land his shot. We keep going until one of you fails jeopardy or the judges declare a winner. Prepare yourselves! The Gray Eagle will go first."

"Good luck." Chen gave me a gentle nudge in the direction of the wall, but I nearly stumbled, my nerves making me weak in the knees. I had no chance of making an Arc Shot. All I could do was prolong the inevitable as I meandered over to the wall, bow held numbly between my fingers.

The audience went silent to let me concentrate, but it could not stop the blood pounding in my ear at the task before me. Slowly, I raised my bow, pointing it up and to the peak of the wall.

Just a quick flick of the wrist. I tried to calm myself. Pull back just enough to clear the… wall… oh, Comparators, why is everything spinning!?

It was just like the Nausea challenge all over again. My fingers trembled to hold the string taut. The tension was building. I had to ease up. The arrow would just go flying—

Without meaning to, the arrow slipped out from my sweat-dampened fingers, containing all the tension of a coiled spring as it shot over the wall and far, far, FAR away from the target. It landed a good fifty yards away, and the silence from the crowd was deafening.

"Er… the Gray Eagle… has taken his shot?" Confusion was evident in the announcer's voice. "Does he know what an Arc Shot it?" He asked aside to one of the guards, who could only shrug.

People started muttering, and glancing at the judges table confirmed my worst fears. They were all frowning, disappointment plain on their faces. But nothing was worse than Chen.

He lifted his eyeshield, staring dumbfounded at where the arrow had landed, then back at me. As if he could not quite believe it. He took a glance at the bow in his hand and he must have seen the anguish on my face. His mouth worked, trying to say something, but no words came. Finally, he lowered his eyeshield, obscuring his silver eyes, and looked away.

"Well… I guess even the best of us choke." The announcer soldiered on, trying to work the crowd back up. "A-Anyway, this is one lucky break for Chen! Lenzington is now in jeopardy! All he has to do is make an Arc Shot and he wins!"

It was just as he said. All Chen had to do was what he already proved he could do in the second round. One shot—one accursed arrow—and he could claim first place. The five points would be his. And there was nothing I could do about it. I stepped aside, ready to let the Azure Jay drive the final nail in my coffin.

At least I earned four points. I thought despondently. Second place is still good. Combined with the others, we may still have a chance to—

"I forfeit."

My breath caught and my thoughts, already frayed, completely derailed when I saw whose hand was up. Chen. The Azure Jay. The one on the precipice of victory… suddenly gave up?

The crowd was in an uproar, as were the judges.

"What is the Azure Jay thinking!?" The announcer hissed. "We can't end the third round like this! With a misfire and a forfeit! Judges… judges do something! He can't quit just like that, can he?"

"What are you thinking, Chen?" Shimei, the strict judge from yesterday, spoke for everyone. "You're a returning champ for this event. And we all know you can make an Arc Shot with your eyes closed. I hope you're not trying to make a mockery of this game."

"It's a personal problem." He exaggerated rolling his arm, wincing slightly. "My shoulder is sore from three days' worth of shooting. I've never been pushed this far before." The eyeshield made it impossible to read his expression. Was he telling the truth? "There's no point even making an attempt. It's my loss. I forfeit."

The audience could not accept it, and neither could I. Even if, deep down, my heart was lifting over the prospect of claiming first place, I did not want a victory like this. I wanted a fair win. Chen had been fine a second ago. So why was he quitting now?"

The judges were still arguing amongst themselves, wondering if they could force Chen to make the shot anyway. Finally, it was Shimei who brought them all to order.

"Enough." He sighed. "If the Azure Jay is truly as tired as he says," the look on his face said he doubted it, "then we have no place to force him to continue. The rules allow for forfeits. Though I still think he should at least make an attempt at an Arc Shot. I do not wish for that last arrow to be what closes this event."

He meant mine. It was just as bad as he said. But Chen shook his head, no.

"Arm's too sore." He stuck to his story. "Besides, with such distinguished archers, I'm proud to take second place. I have no regrets here."

"Very well." Shimei shook his head, but gestured to my breathless form all the same. "Since Chen has officially forfeited, that means first place will be awarded to Lenzington, the Gray Eagle! Congratulations."

The applause was scattered, awkward and unsure… and just as anticlimactic as the final result.

I won.

But only through a forfeit.

I got five points for my team.

But was left with an unsatisfactory ending. This was not the archery duel I had expected. And all the challenges I had to brave to get to this point… suddenly felt like one giant waste of time.

That must have been how the audience felt too, because they suddenly started leaving the stadium, grumbling to themselves about the lackluster ending. The competitors were furious, not just to have lost but for someone else to win by pure luck. That is what it looked like.

I was given the gold block of first place, but it may as well have been a log for all it meant. Winning the airship through my own strength, that was what I wanted. Not this. This was unacceptable.

I tore my gaze away from the block and watched Chen get presented with one of iron. He accepted it wordlessly, the eyeshield still covering his eyes. He made to leave, not wanting to be accosted by curious competitors.

I followed.

At the exit of the stadium, Chen suddenly ducked past a side-entrance that went beneath the stands. Probably because there was a crowd of angry spectators waiting for him. Nevertheless, I ducked in after him, finding myself in a corridor with bits of light filtering in from above.

Chen was just ahead, ready to turn a corner, only to halt after catching a glimpse of me. His eyeshield masked his eyes, but he waited for me to approach.

"Chen." I began, panting from chasing him. "I—"

"Before you start, I'd like to apologize." Chen bowed his head low, hands held at his side. "This is the second time these games I've mistaken someone for somebody else. I must have put you through a lot of confusion these past couple of days."

"I…" This was not what I wanted to ask about. I was more concerned over why he gave up. But it felt like as good a place to start. My curiosity was piqued. "You are talking about that Birds of Prey business?"

"Yes."

"If you do not mind me asking, what are the Birds of Prey? The announcer mentioned it before. And your name. It—"

"Azure Jay." He nodded. "A color and a bird. Well, I suppose I owe you an explanation for my misunderstanding. Come. Sit with me."

He lowered himself onto the floor by the wall, patting a spot next to him. After a brief moment of unease, I took the offered spot, though I shifted a bit away from him. Close contact would have been awkward.

"What are the Birds of Prey." He stated more than asked. "They are a very, very old guild. One of the top three—before the Scouts, Berserkers, and Paragons claimed the roles. The Birds of Prey were a guild of archers that operated out of Zeppil."

"Now these archers were by no means ordinary." He boasted, a reminiscent smile on his face. "They were the archers of all archers. Masters of the bow. Ten of them could decimate an army of two-hundred if they were far enough away. And every single arrow would find its mark in a Crafter's eye. They were just that good."

"And, those that were talented, a cut above the best of the best, were given a title. A nickname, based off the color of their hair, and a bird of their choice. Naturally, I went with the Azure Jay." He tapped his steel-blue hair.

"Or the Golden Hawk." I said aloud.

Chen chuckled. "That's not a name I've heard in a while. Velocishot was her name, right?"

"She goes by Veronica, now. Captain Veronica." So that was the connection. Her moniker made more sense than ever. "She was a Bird of Prey."

"Yes. And it looks like she took an apprentice." He nodded to me, but I shook my head.

"She did not train me much. A few days. I taught myself most of it."

"I could tell. In the end, anyway." He lifted his eyeshield, and it was then I saw just how dull and empty his eyes were. "These past couple of days, I thought I was watching an old guildmate. One I had forgotten, maybe." He shook his head. "I was so excited to find a fellow talent that I sort of assumed you were one."

"What does that mean?"

"Don't take offense." He raised an arm. "You were skilled, sure, but not at the same level of a true Bird of Prey. Not a Gray Eagle."

"…I came in second." I defended.

"You came in first." He corrected.

"No, I came in second." I shot to my feet, frustration clear. "I know your excuse was a lie. Your arm was just fine. So why give up? Why throw away all your hard work when there were so many other archers who wanted your spot?"

Staring into his eyes, they were just as dull as ever. Gone was the gleam I saw in the earlier rounds, when he watched me in action. When he kept his eyes on my archery instead of his own, and nothing could tear them away.

He sighed. "I've won this event more times than I can count. I come here every year just for this. To scout for archers." His eyes slid shut. "…And to find the rest."

"The rest?"

"The Birds of Prey always competed in the Parkour Games." He explained. "Zeppil was our home, and we figured we could represent our guild in the Archery Event. We would rent out our services to the competing teams and test one another for the title of top archer. It was fun, competitive, and we got to advertise ourselves to the public. You saw how the announcer was playing up our duels. It was just like the old days, Bird of Prey vs Bird of Prey… or so I thought."

"I held my own." I felt angry at how he was dismissing my skills. "Better than my own. I came in first in nearly every round."

"Until that horrendous Arc Shot showed me you were just another Bird of Prey wannabe." He got to his feet, frowning at me. "Until that little screw-up, I thought you were better than all the other run-of-the-mill archers in this game. After years of dueling against weak archer after weak archer, I thought I finally found a fellow Bird of Prey. Even your name fit." He raised his bow, shaking it at me. "But you couldn't even pull off a simple Arc Shot."

"It… it is not simple."

"The bow is an extension of yourself, and it can extend your reach to the skies above. That's the first thing they taught us in that guild." He clasped his bow tightly. "So long as you have a bow and an arrow, hitting a target should be as simple as reaching up to touch your face. You have the control. You have the range. And you shouldn't have missed."

"Just because I missed an Arc Shot, does not mean I am any less an archer than you. Did you forget I could—"

"Intercept arrows? I saw. I also know fellow Birds of Prey who could do that and then some."

That caught me by surprise. I thought intercepting arrows was my own skill, something that nobody else developed. But thinking on it, Minecraftia has been around for five-hundred years with over a billion Crafters. Was it so farfetched that I was not the only one who could do it?

"You are not a Bird of Prey." He spoke firmly. "The name you call yourself. It's an insult to my guild, and I wish you not to use it anymore."

He had a lot of nerve saying that. Like my effort in clearing the Archery Event meant nothing. He called all the other competitors run-of-the-mill, but there were some that scored higher than him in the second round. There were some real talents! How high were the standards of these Birds of Prey if I was the only one who had come close?

"Where are the Birds of Prey?" I asked, causing Chen to stiffen. "You said they were once one of the top three guilds. They are not now. Why is that?"

"…The Birds of Prey split up. Centuries ago." He waved. "Because our guild leader flew the coop. No pun intended."

"Hah." I scoffed. "Your entire guild was held together by one man? Not as great as you would lead me to believe."

Chen scowled. "He wasn't just 'one man'. He was a living legend. A brilliant talent with no equals. He won first place in every Archery Event he competed in. No other archer, Bird of Prey or otherwise, could hold a candle to the Night-Raven, Abyssmal."

"Abyssmal?" My eyes widened. "But… but I thought he was in the Spleef Event?"

"I thought so too. But that was Abyssal, not Abyssmal. That was the second misunderstanding I made, but you can see why. The names are similar." He sighed heavily. "I keep coming here, hoping to find other Birds of Prey, but praying I'd find the Night-Raven again. Year after year, I keep expecting him to show up and challenge me, just like we used to. Then I could lose just like I used to. But all I do is… win."

"Is that why you forfeited?"

"Yes." He closed his eyes. "It would have been another empty win for me. Like you said, that Arc Shot would have been child's play. Personally, I'd rather have Abyssmal. So the win is yours. My other teammates are archers, so it's not like they'll win any points in their events. Victory in these games was always unattainable for me."

"…Seems like a lot of wasted effort."

"It is." He agreed. "But maybe next year, there will be a true Bird of Prey waiting in the wings. And then, if I find Abyssmal, we can start rebuilding the guild from square one and return it to its former glory."

"…I think you are wrong."

"Hmm?" Chen glanced at me. "You don't think it's possible."

"Not with your standards, no." I lifted my tinted glasses, staring at the man. "I saw countless talented men and women who could wield a bow. And you pass all of them up because they do not have a bird moniker? If you keep searching for perfection, you will lose so much more."

"Is that what you told yourself when you flubbed your Arc Shot?"

"It is the truth." I stressed. "And I know, because I am in a guild that is full of imperfections. And it has done the impossible precisely because of those same imperfections."

"I do not need to be a Bird of Prey to call myself the Gray Eagle. But my bow belongs to the Beginners, and it is for them I fight and surpass my own limits, not for your standards."

Any time there was a threat, I stepped up my archery. Whether it was standing my ground in Halstatt, staying in motion against Mastah Veronica, fighting off Hunderprest and his dogs, or intercepting Ciro's explosive arrows. I was evolving.

"The Beginners?" Chen raised a brow at the name. "Never heard of them."

"Well remember it. Because mark my words, they shall be the greatest guild in the world. And the greatest guild needs the greatest archer." I raised my bow, swearing on it. "I will become a better archer than any of you Birds of Prey. And then I will come back to these games and beat you for real."

The Azure Jay, his eyeshield still lifted, looked back into my eyes with something of a shocked expression. Archers with tinted eye-wear, the both of us. Had to be a coincidence. Eyes were the window to the soul, and right now we were both staring each other down, our range of emotions on full display.

He was nostalgic. Bitter that the good times ended. Desperate to get them back and sure that he needed the best archers to do so.

I had the ambition to be the best. But not for him. Not for me either, but because my guild deserved it. They, who would go so far as to enter a competition for me. I did not appreciate Chen dismissing my archery as worthless. It had saved lives. I was the Beginners' dependable archer, Lenzington, the Gray Eagle!

And my redstone skills were not too shabby either.

"…I'll be here waiting." Chen accepted my challenge. "Next year's games. See if you can manage a decent Arc Shot by then."

And with that, the Azure Jay lowered his eyeshield and rounded the next corridor, his footsteps echoing in the silence.

---

[Oak Docks]

"This sucks!"

"Calm your tits, Teal."

"Oh, blow me! Wait… I take it back. Get Mark to blow me. Only then will I be appeased."

Abyssmal was lounging on the beach, staring out into the tranquil waves and thinking to himself. Behind him stood an irate Teal_Larkspur, wearing a Skeleton Head for a mask and taking out her frustration on the sand. Mainly because she knew what awaited her if she tried taking it out on the Executive.

"I could be in Zeppil right now, fighting XoX in the Spleef finals." It sounded like she was pouting under the Skeleton mask. "Instead I have to be stuck here, wearing this stupid mask because everyone knows my gorgeous face." She kicked more sand, breaking up blocks of it and throwing them at Abyssmal, much to his annoyance.

"And you! You could have breezed past the Archery Event! And Mark could've been there to serve us refreshing potions… with his shirt off." She salivated at the thought before shaking it free. "Why didn't you want to go? We could've had a winning team!"

"Reasons." Abyssmal offered, scratching at his eye-patch.

"You're staring at the waves like an angsty teen." Teal pointed out before letting herself fall back and sprawl out in the sand. "Herobrine, this is so boring! I got to arrange another Survival Games soon."

While Teal rolled in the sand, whining and pouting for all the world to see, Abyssmal directed his one eye up into the clouds.

The sky. He wondered if it was the same sky visible from Zeppil. That Kingdom of the Clouds, where the familiar Parkour Games would be taking place.

There was a small twinge of regret, knowing he'd be missing out. But a second later it was smothered by the reminder that there was nothing to miss out on. He never lost an event. Over and over. His was a talent that none of the Birds of Prey could ever match.

It got old after a while.

So much so that the mere thought of showing up sickened him.

He would much rather lounge on the beach, planning the Eastern Division's next move against Nitebane.

Either that or picking up chicks.

He idly strummed at the string of his bow, the sound like a familiar symphony for him.

"XoX is never going to let me live this down." Teal complained into her mask. "Just thinking about all the action I'm missing—and he's hogging—in that Spleef arena makes me wanna scream!"

---

[The Spleef Arena]

"Uohhohho!" XoX laughed while tearing out great tracts of snow. He doomed two more competitors to fall and he barely looked winded. "Where Billionth go? Too scared to face me!?"

Cobb had been absent from the upper layers the second the game started. Instead, he chose to dig himself out, dropping through many of the floors. The competitors had yet to see him.

XoX, Abyssal, and Bak were all together on the third layer, having dropped every other competitor in their efforts to win. But with XoX all warmed up, there was little they could do to stop him.

"Aaagh, this is ridiculous!" Abyssal groaned, lobbing a flurry of snowballs at the vermillion-haired man. He bore them all, slowly advancing to attack the ex-Captain.

Bak jumped in from the side, surprising the larger XoX and using his speed to sneak in a few digs at the snow. XoX faltered, his footing shaky, before he fell through to the fourth layer.

"I didn't ask for your help." Abyssal raised his shovel against Bak, but the Captain retreated a safe distance.

"I wasn't giving it. I just saw an opportunity to—!" Bak cut off as the snow beneath him broke apart. A shovel tearing into it from below.

"GET DOWN HERE!" XoX bellowed, even as the Zeppil Captain fell down. He was plucked from the air by XoX's meaty hands before being swung around and slammed into the snow. Bak's vision blurred, his throat hurting, as the snow gave way and he and XoX were both sent down to the fifth layer.

Almost all of the competitors were on that layer. The heat from the magma was becoming more noticeable, making them sweat. Even if it was still two layers down, the threat was still there. What wasn't there, however, was Cobb. The Billionth was still absent from the fighting.

"WHERE IS HE!?" XoX whipped around, frustrated not to find the spleefer in question. "HE RUN AWAY!? MAKES ME ANGRY!"

He still had a hold of Bak, slamming him more and more into the snow. The Captain could barely hold on. One of the other competitors foolishly thought to approach and dig out XoX while he was occupied. A shovel backhanded him across the face instead, sending him spiraling into a hole to the levels below.

"That's one competitor out!" The announcer, Boyin, shouted over the action. "Fourteen to go… oh, make that thirteen! Eleven! They're dropping like flies!"

That confused Bak. Even as in danger as he was, he couldn't fathom how competitors were falling so quickly. They were all mostly on the fifth layer. There was still two more. But the ones that just dropped were knocked out almost immediately. Did they lose their shovels on the way down? That was the other condition for disqualification.

And where was Cobb?

He didn't think on it long, as Abyssal jumped down and landed on XoX, mashing snowballs into his face.

"Cool off already!" He shouted, trying to slip snowballs down XoX's tunic. The man raged, releasing Bak and trying to get the ex-Captain off of him.

"COOOLD! COLD COLD! GET OFF!" His arms were too huge to get a proper grip on the squirrelly man, so he settled for jumping in the air and falling heavily on his back.

Abyssal let out a pained 'oof' before reflexively releasing the Captain. Then an elbow was thrown, stunning him. XoX got up and lashed out with his shovel, but Bak intervened, digging out a gap to separate the two before anyone could fall.

"Seven competitors left!" Boyin cheered. "Make that six! My God, Cobb is a genius!"

What!?

Both Abyssal and Bak whipped their heads up. The competition had dropped so severely. Even with two layers below them, people were still getting out the second they left the fifth layer. As proof, one guy just fell through a hole, only to be declared out the next second.

Five competitors left. But there were only four people on the current layer. XoX, Bak, Abyssal, and one other. One was still unaccounted for. Cobb.

"Why is that guy saying Cobb is a genius? And where is he?" Abyssal asked Bak. "Did he hide himself on one of the upper layers?"

"I'm not sure. Something's up."

The other competitor, the no-name one still on the fifth layer, saw who he had to fight against. The trio of Captains. He took one look at them and adopted Cobb's strategy of digging himself down to a safer level.

Only to immediately get knocked out.

"Four left!" Boyin applauded. "Four left! This is incredible! Cobb's strategy is working!"

"What strategy!?" Abyssal shouted, dodging an enraged XoX while Bak circled around.

"Where is BILLIONTH!?" XoX roared, slamming his shovel deep into the snow. "He is hiding like weak COWARD!"

Abyssal and Bak focused their snowballs on XoX, hitting him with an icy barrage in an effort to cool him down. But the heat from the magma below made the attempt useless. Instead it just made him madder.

"RARGH!" He lumbered forward going for Abyssal. He jumped back to keep his distance…

Only for his back to hit the glass wall. He panicked, realizing his mistake, only for XoX to catch him by the arm. Bak ran forward to help, and was rewarded with a face-full of Abyssal swung into him with great force.

The current and former Captains were sent tumbling across the fifth layer before falling into separate holes. They rolled with the impact, figuring they could land on the sixth layer and have a second chance.

And they fell…

And they fell…

And they fell…

…

Where was the sixth layer?

No, where was the seventh layer!?

Both layers were completely gone! They could see the partition of layers based off the wall, and they were both gone. Somebody had dug the two floors out! All that awaited them was the floor of magma!

"Get fucked!" Cobb laughed from his position, huddled atop a single block of snow in the corner of the seventh layer. The only thing he didn't dig out.

Abyssal and Bak cursed his name as they both impacted the magma—Abyssal hitting it a little bit before Bak. They shot up immediately, the sizzling heat spurring them to get off.

"Unbelievable! The Billionth's risky strategy has just taken out two of the frontrunners! It's just him and XoX now!" Boyin was on the edge of his seat. "Who will take first!? The strong Ogre of the West or the Billionth dark horse?"

Cobb glanced up and XoX peeked down from a hole. He looked furious.

"This is no great battle!" He accused. "This is nothing! You are nothing!"

"Why don't you come down here and prove it?" Cobb called back before making a mock noise of realization. "Oh wait, you can't! There's nothing to land on!" He laughed.

Cobb was too far down for his shovel to do any good, but he had plenty of snowballs in his Inventory from all the fast digging. It was why he dropped to the lower floors immediately, knowing it would be his only chance to dig without getting attacked.

He used his newly acquired snowballs to pelt at the upper levels, hoping to luck out and knock off XoX.

But the vermillion-haired Captain scowled, concealing himself with the fifth layer before digging it up. Cobb knew what he was after. He was arming himself with snowballs to knock him off. But Cobb had planned for that.

As soon as the barrage of snowballs came, Cobb held out his arms and braced himself against the glass wall. Caught in the corner like this, it was impossible to displace him. There was no angle for it. The constant stream of icy snow striking his body was annoying, but the magma's heat dispelled it almost immediately. If anything it was refreshing.

XoX would have to try harder than that to—

"AUGH!"

XoX crashed into him like a meteor. All of his muscle-mass flattening the noodle-armed fisherman on his single block of snow. Despite feeling like a pancake, Cobb kept a tight grip on the edges of his block and his shovel, refusing to give up his chance at first.

XoX stomped on Cobb, balancing himself against the wall as he attempted to pry him off. Cobb gave him a face full of snowballs, earning a sputter and a shift in balance. He followed up with a kick that caught XoX's chin.

"Get off my block!" He shouted, throwing out another kick that hit the Captain's shoulder. He teetered, about to go off, only to snag Cobb's foot and drag him down.

"NGH!" Cobb clung tightly to the block, still refusing to let go. XoX tightened his hold on Cobb's foot, the fisherman the only thing holding him up. His muscled arms were like vices. "Let go!"

"Never! This what fight should be like!" XoX shot back before raising his shovel. "A bitter struggle! TO THE END!" He poked and prodded at the lone snow block, even as Cobb's arms strained to hold on.

"Stop! Stop it! What are you…?"

The block broke, and with it Cobb's hold. Both competitors were sent plummeting to the magma below. Cobb was higher though. So long as XoX hit first, he'd—

"UUUOOOOOHHHHH!" XoX roared, pivoting his body in midair. Slowly, Cobb's body was dragged down before the Captain chucked him as hard as he could into the magma floor. Cobb raised his hand to shield himself.

And it was that hand that touched the floor first.

"HOT!" Cobb shouted, his hand sizzling from the touch. He pushed off the floor, only to land on his rear. The faint smell of smoked bacon wafted by before he shot up. "HOT! HOT HOT! HOT HOT HOT!"

"HOOOOOOOOOOOT!" XoX agreed, rolling off of one burning body part only to face another. "HOOOOT! HOT HOT!"

"HOT HOT HOT!"

"HOOOOT! HOTOTOT!"

The two scrambled off the magma floor, sliding on the cool dirt with angry blisters all over their exposed flesh. Their Health was just as damaged, but guards on standby quickly doused them with Splash Potions of Regeneration.

All around them, the audience was applauding. "Never have a seen such a close match!" Boyin commended. "Truly a spectacular end to the Spleef Event! It was close, but the judges have ruled!"

Cobb's head fell into his hands. He knew what the result would be. He saw it himself.

"The winner is Captain XoX!"

If he hadn't have thrown out his hand to cushion the fall, it might have been different. Instead, he scraped by with second. A block of iron was awarded to him. The same was given to the third place, Captain Bak. Abyssal got a lapis block for fourth…

And XoX got gold.

"Uohhohho! Good fight!" A hand was slammed into Cobb's back and he couldn't tell whether he was being endearing or purposefully harmful. It was helping to destroy his cursed tunic, he figured. "Your fire came to the fore alright!"

"The strongest man won. Just like you said." Cobb accepted, rolling his shoulder. He had come close, but not close enough. Still, second was worth four points. And he had been up against three Captains!

It was a small victory.

"Good fight, XoX." Cobb smiled, giving the larger man a lighter pat on the back.

"Look forward to fighting you again." XoX grinned smugly, hoisting the block of gold over his head and laughing triumphantly. His teammates came a second later with the ice. A few of them shot Cobb dirty looks, but XoX occupied their attention with his flailing soon enough.

Cobb laid himself out onto the dirt, closing his eyes as the Regeneration healed him up and his shovel was collected. He felt like he could eat a cow.

With this, the Parkour Games were over.

Now… for the results.

---

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 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, 1 Banner {Beginners}, 64 Cobblestone, 47 Cobblestone, 1 Bed, 5 Dirt, 19 Torches, 34 Coal, 2 Cooked Mutton, 12 Jungle Wood Logs, 64 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 1 Bucket, 5 String, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green, Mending I, Unbreaking I], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Boots, 21 Emeralds, 16 Snowballs, 16 Snowballs, 16 Snowballs, 8 Snowballs, 2 Gunpowder, 15 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}, 1 Block of Iron

[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, 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 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, 3 Cooked Mutton, 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 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, 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}, 1 Block of Gold

[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, 61 Cobblestone, 33 Coal, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Armor Stand, 46 Emeralds, 32 Cooked Mutton, 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 Diamond Cutlass, 1 Bed, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 5 Cooked Mutton, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 17 Coal, 36 Torches, 30 Jungle Wood Planks, 64 Cobblestone, 29 Cobblestone, 24 Obsidian, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Bucket, 1 Compass, 1 Clock, 23 Emeralds, 1 Ender Pearl, 2 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}, 1 Block of Gold

[EXP: 30]

Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness I], 1 Diamond Chestplate {Severe Shield}, 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, 60 Cooked Mutton, 2 Ender Chests, 1 Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Water Breathing {8:00}, 1 Bed, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Zeppil}, 1 Compass, 64 Arrows, 5 Sugar, 14 Bookshelves, 6 Enchanted Golden Apples, 1 Diamond Helmet, 1 Diamond Chestplate, 1 Diamond Leggings, 1 Diamond Boots, 10 Emerald Blocks, 2 Bones

[EXP: 20]

Beetroot the Horse

---

AN: The final round of the games is over. But who will win the airship? I wonder who it could be. It could be anyone.

What's that? The Beginners will win? No, that's crazy talk. They're not the main characters. Clearly low_bttry deserves it more.

Tune in next week, since there's no telling who will win.

Lenz finally figures out more about the Birds of Prey. The Azure Jay, the Golden Hawk, the Gray Eagle, and the Night-Raven.

Leave a fav, follow, review, or check out the forum. I keep it updated on chapter updates. Here's to hoping I post the next Chapter next week!

Forum: www fanfiction net/forum/The-CornCobb-Weekly/218218/

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