AN: How crazy was that Super Bowl, huh? I think I yawned. TWICE!
Anyway, have a Chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. Bwuh.
Chapter 125
And The Winner Is…
[Cobb]
"Floyd, hit me."
"…Okay." Floyd whipped out his sword and started slashing at me with it.
"Yeah, Floyd! Show me the stuff." I stuck out my chest, gritting my teeth through the pain. "Keep it coming."
"Yah! Grah!"
"Yeah, Floyd, unleash the beeeeast!"
"Yaaaaaagh!" Floyd let out a shrill battle cry. "Unleash the beeeeast!"
"Come on, Floyd, bring it, that's nothing!"
"Yah! Hah! Tah!"
"YOU'RE WEAK, FLOYD!"
"RRRRRAGH RAGH! HAGH! Hagh!" Floyd flopped over, spent, his sword losing the last of its durability and crumbling in his hand. "Agh… agh… I'm done."
"Damnit, this armor really is Unbreaking." I glared at the cursed brown leather, desperately wishing I could wear my green leather tunic again. Floyd had chipped off a bit, but it was still hanging together. "Lenz! Show me what you got!" I shoved a sword into his hands.
"But… my arms are feeble." His hands shook taking up the blade. "And arrows are expensive…"
"Here, I'll help."
Soul threw Lenz at me, the engineer's head cracking against mine. The two of us slumped to the ground in a heap.
"Armor's still on both of them. Guess I didn't throw hard enough…"
Jade gasped at my downed form before rounding on Soul with cutlass drawn. Soul panicked. "Jade, go back to pretending to be weak! Stay away from me, woman! ARGH!"
A flurry of crescent cuts later and Soul was lying beside us, groaning. Jade dusted her hands with a satisfied smile.
"You know, I have to admit, it's great to be able to be myself around you guys." Soul groaned painfully. "Oh, that's sweet of you to say~" Jade sang brightly.
"Yeah, I'm happy you can beat up—I mean be yourself around us too." I added, letting Jade help me up. "I wouldn't mind having sword skills like that."
"I'd be happy to train you in-between parkour lessons." She smiled prettily.
"Cool. And, just to be clear, you can say no." I hastily sputtered. "I don't mean to take advantage of your skills. If you don't want to train me—"
"It's fine. It's fine!" Her hand took mine and offered a gentle squeeze to cut off my rambling. "I know what you mean." She brought herself within my personal space. "It's no trouble."
She was almost hanging off me, but I found myself strangely comfortable with it. She traced her thumb against the back of my hand, sending goosebumps up my arm. I swallowed thickly before trying the same.
"Oi. Get a room you two—OOF!" Jade's foot stomped onto Soul's chest, the former's glare silencing him. Our linked hands quickly released.
With all the events concluded, the Parkour Games were nearing its Closing Ceremony. All the teams were gathered together in the Sprinting stadium, waiting for the points to be tallied and the trophies awarded. This was the culmination of three days' worth of effort, when one team would be recognized as the Parkour Games' champion.
"So how did you all do?" Lenz asked, holding up a block of gold that had to be first place. Jade had one of her own, holding it up with a confident smirk.
Then their eyes turned to me. They immediately looked sympathetic—causing me to twitch in annoyance—before expressing surprise at the block of iron I showed off.
"I knew you could do it—!"
"I always believed in you, Cobbert—!"
"Uh-huh. Sure you did." I rolled my eyes. "And for your information, I came in second. Almost had a hat-trick of Captains."
"So that's what that creep meant." Jade said, earning some curious stares. "Sorry. XoX cornered me before I got here."
"What'd he want?"
Jade face heated up and her reply dripped with disgust. "He knew I was on your team. He told me he defeated my man and that he could show me what a real man looks like."
"Ugh. He didn't."
"He did. But don't worry." She smiled brilliantly. "After a swift kick, he demonstrated what a real man does to protect their lower region."
"Underhanded and merciless. I approve." I grinned viciously. Hearing what XoX did, I had no pity for him. He deserved worse for creeping on Jade.
"What about you, Floyd?" Lenz asked. "How many points did you earn?"
"…One." He held out his empty hands, no block of gold, no block of iron, not even a block of lapis. "I was dead last in the sprint. Sorry."
There was a lull in our excitement. Sure, maybe it was arrogant to think we'd score high in every event, but hearing that our best sprinter came in last? It was a blow, even if we could understand why he couldn't rely on his Hack.
"Well… I'm sure it'll be fine." Jade tried to act like it was no big deal. "I mean, with all the points we've accrued, we should—"
"Your attention please!"
Our conversation, as well as the background noise of all other competitors, soon died down as a man and woman called everyone to attention. They stood atop an elevated wooden platform, flanked by twenty white-capped guards.
I recognized the man as Prince Yukuo. So the woman beside him must have been Princess Daju. Captain Fo was Yukuo's champion, and Captain Bak was Daju's. The two royals had ordered their Captains to compete as part of their rivalry, providing them the best teammates money could buy.
It's a shame that Jade and I beat their best, then.
Indeed, Captain Bak and his team were giving us the death glare. Defeating Bak in Spleef. Lenz outmatching their archers. Jade finishing the parkour race first. They had every reason to be furious with the star rookies that came out of nowhere.
And yet, Captain Fo seemed oddly relaxed. If anything, she looked content. Was she just a graceful loser? She had to know that her team had no chance of beating ours. We had two gold blocks!
Up on the wooden platform, Princess Daju stepped forward. "Thank you all for yet another phenomenal Parkour Games. Though the years may pass, I hope the memories and rivalries forged from these trying contests will remain in your hearts and minds."
She clasped her hands together, as if praying. "And now, I must selfishly request we remember something most foul. A time when such competitions were postponed, when survival mattered above all else. A time when the Endward Cult held this Kingdom in the vice-like grip of fear."
Floyd, Soul, and Jade listened breathlessly, as did many of the other competitors. Anyone with a grudge against the cult knew what she was talking about, and knew enough to keep quiet.
"But, even when all hope seemed lost, an angel descended from the heavens to answer our prayers and slay the dastardly cultists plaguing our great land!" The Princess spoke with great fervor. "The aptly named Angel of Death killed Executive GardenWalker and eliminated the Southern Division in its entirety! And for that, I ask a moment of silence, to commemorate our fallen and our savior. Without her, these Games would still be a thing of the past."
She closed her eyes and lowered her head, hands still clasped in prayer. The entire stadium did the same. Fifty-thousand Crafters must have been watching, and yet you could hear a pin drop.
Soul and Lenz respectfully dipped their heads to offer a prayer. Floyd and I were a bit more awkward about it for obvious reasons. However, we knew enough to keep our heads down and go along with the rest, even if the prayers were a little less respectful.
Hey, Carys.
How are you?
Dead. Right. I'm sure Floyd is sorry about that, but, in our defense… it was in our defense.
Didn't know you were a cult slayer at the time. You seemed more like a crazy psycho screaming about a pet pig.
So… yeah.
Amen.
At least I said something. Floyd only dipped his head for half-a-minute. Jade even less.
But one by one, the competitors and audience lifted their heads and turned their attention back to the Prince and Princess.
"Thank you." Daju finished her prayer before handing the reins over to Yukuo.
"Now, for the moment I'm sure all of you have been waiting for, I'm sure!" He strode forward, his voice carrying far and wide. "Here are the point tallies for the top three teams!"
This was it. Lenz was vibrating with excitement and the competitors listened with bated breath. Even though many of them had to have scored zero points, they were just as invested in the results as we were.
"In third place, with a total of thirteen points, Team Daju!"
There was a round of applause as Captain Bak and his team took the stage. He was handed an orange banner—intended to represent bronze—and he held it up with a forced smile. The Princess rested a hand on his shoulder, comforting him. The sight of his rival's team out of the running buoyed Prince Yukuo's spirits and he continued his announcements with a winning smile.
I couldn't help but think how that smile would fall to pieces once he handed out the other banners.
We had scored fifteen. Thirteen points was close, and I didn't understand how Bak's team scored that many, but we were still ahead. Again, we had two gold blocks.
"In second place, with fifteen points…"
…Wait.
"…Team Beginners!"
Blank shock must have shown on my face. Second? We scored second!? I didn't even move to the wooden platform until the other competitors jostled me awake. I wasn't the only one. Everyone was unmoving, confused. Lenz's face was frozen in a rictus of disbelief, as if his brain had short-circuited.
We meandered onto the stage, gaping like a couple of fish. I didn't even register the gray banner—a symbol of silver—shoved into my limp hands, still stuck on the score and thinking there must have been a mistake.
We… we had two gold blocks! Nobody else held that many! So which team got more points!?
"And in first place, it is my pleasure to announce the winning team, with a grand total of sixteen points," the Prince beamed brilliantly, "Team Yukuo! Congratulations!"
Captain Fo and her team took the stage last. They were already close by, as if expecting the victory, but were cheering one another on a job well done. The Captain flashed the Prince a grateful smile on her way up.
"That's impossible!" I blurted out. I could feel the eyes of the competitors and audience, but I didn't care. I worked my butt off in that Spleef Arena! The silver banner tumbled out of my hands as I faced the Prince and Princess. "We placed first in two events! How could we have lost?"
"I told you before, didn't I? The steady win prevails in the end." Captain Fo strolled up to us, her team hanging back. She didn't even look offended at my outburst. Instead she looked amused. "This is a lesson only a veteran competitor can learn. Shall I teach you?"
"Teach what…?"
"Your team performed exceptionally. Better than anyone could have predicted." She conceded. "But you lost because of the games' unique scoring system. Placing first only guarantees a team wins if every player gets first. With twenty or nineteen points, nobody could beat you. But a mere fifteen?" She smiled. "That's doable."
"Comparators… she is right." Lenz clutched his head, a disgruntled frown on his face. "If every member of her team placed second… or even third…"
"They would have sixteen points." Jade finished. "It's the steady victory."
"Exactly." Captain Bak inserted himself into the conversation, his team behind him. "After years of competing against one another, we've realized that victory hinges on the top six spots in each event. That's usually our target range. If Ju-Long hadn't blown it in Archery…" He threw the admonished archer a fierce glare.
"I had to take out four-eyes!" Ju-Long defended, pointing at Lenz.
"And in doing so, failed the team." He sighed. "Not that it mattered. Many of the top places were taken by other exceptional players. XoX, Abyssal, low_bttry, Chen… and Team Beginners."
"And it was precisely that which worked in our favor." Fo grinned triumphantly. "The more skilled teams vying for the top, the less points to go around."
I had to stop and go over the points in my head, just to make sure.
Our team was the only one with two five pointers—Jade and Lenz placed first in Parkour and Archery—but XoX got first in Spleef… and the sprinter from Fo's team came in first too. Floyd must've been kicking himself for coming in last.
But what about the four-pointers? Second and third for four events. Eight spots in total. In Spleef, I barely got second and Bak barely managed third. Abyssal got fourth, three points. So Fo's teammate must have gotten fifth or sixth for three points.
In Archery, Chen came in second. Fo's archer—Li_Wei—came in third. That was another four points.
And then Parkour, where the Captain herself came in second. Four points.
Five plus three plus four plus four equals…
Carry the one…
Sixteen points!
That was one more than fifteen! Notch damnit, math!
"You see now?" The Captain cocked her head, a hand on her hip and a smile on her face. "Many first-time competitors make the mistake of thinking they can win so long as they have an exceptional person in one or two events. But this is a team game. You're only as strong as your weakest link. And your weakest link scraped a single point."
As much as I wanted to deny it, the Captain was right. If Floyd had gotten just one more point, we would have tied. He could've done it, too. He could've easily gotten first. At the cost of being revealed as a Hacker.
"Sorry guys…" Floyd said.
"No… this can't be…" Lenz fell to his knees, the truth finally hitting him hard. "My airship…"
"It's my airship now." The Captain pointed out, unknowingly driving a knife into Lenz's heart.
"Congratulations, Captain, I'd like to congratulate you." The Prince presented Fo with the golden banner, which she held up like the trophy it was. Technically, her whole team should have been a part of holding it up, but since the Prince had recruited the team specifically for Fo's victory, they deigned to let her have her moment.
Then they would get paid for their participation.
"Fucking rigged." Soul spat.
"I still can't believe it." Jade shook her head. "All that work…"
"Now that the victor has been decided, I'd like to present the emerald reward, flown in via the grand prize, the newly dubbed airship, the Anemoi!"
"Cobbert… could we leave, please." Lenz asked, his voice a low warble among the smattering applause. "I… I do not wish to witness another enjoying the airship…"
"Of course." I sighed. Lenz was doing his best not to cry, but it was clear that sticking around would break him. Better to preserve his pride. The others thought the same, gathering around Lenz to shield him from onlookers as we made our way off the stage and to the stadium's exit.
"W-We'll get you an airship, Lenz." Floyd swore hurriedly. "I promise. We won't rest until we find you one." A little extreme, but only because he felt responsible for losing.
"I appreciate the words, friend…" Lenz sighed sadly. "But with how rare airships are, perhaps it would be best to move on."
"Piss on that!" Soul growled. "What's the matter with you? Didn't you want an airship more than life itself?"
"Of course I do! But…" He trailed off, turning to glance at the airship as it cleared the stadium to be delivered right to Captain Fo. The Anemoi had a slim design, made of light wood with bright sails. Arrow turrets were mounted along both sides for combat. It was as big as a mansion, yet it floated as a feather. The audience ogled, taking great pleasure in admiring the refurbished airship. It was truly a prize worthy of first place.
Lenz bit his fist at the sight of it, prompting Floyd and me to cover his eyes. "Don't look directly at it!"
"I… I cannot… I am too weak…" Lenz whimpered.
"Don't worry, buddy. We're strong enough for all of us."
As we marched a blind Lenz up the stands and away from the landing airship, there was a sudden shout from behind.
Jade let out a shocked gasp and I spun around in time to watch as a white-capped guard fell onto the sprinting course only to explode in a shower of gear. My eyes widened as too more joined him.
"AAAAAAAAH!"
Everywhere along the stands, members of the audience let out horrified screams as they watched guards getting thrown off the Anemoi and sent plummeting to their deaths. The competitors below shielded their heads from the descending mass of bodies as best they could.
The Prince and Princess were in a panicked, confused state, and the guards rushed to their side to protect them from any possible threats. Meanwhile, the two Captains leapt into action, running to where the guards were landing to try and cushion their fall. They succeeded once or twice, but too many Zeppil guards were being pushed off the airship.
"What the hell is going on!?" Soul shouted, only for Lenz to affix his tinted goggles in place.
"It airship has been commandeered!" He adjusted his goggles, unable to look away. "The crew are being knocked out. Someone is at the bridge."
"More cultists? Is Leadstripe back?"
"No. It is a woman." He leaned forward slightly. "Her name is… Rudy!"
"That's…!" Jade scowled. "That's the cheater from the Parkour Event! The one that shoved me! Her whole team was a bunch of cheaters, the Onyx Ocelots!"
"I see more people on board. Likely the rest of her team." Lenz reported, lifting his goggles. Two more guards were thrown overboard before the airship began to ascend towards the other side of the stadium. "Comparators, they are trying to escape with the winnings!"
"…Should we do something…?"
It was Jade that asked this, but she was just as unsure as the rest of us. It wasn't our airship getting stolen, it was the Captain's. And it would still be the Captain's even after we saved and returned it. So was it smart to risk our lives for it?
"We should." Lenz answered for the group.
"You sure? The Captain will probably be able to handle it." Soul threw out.
"The Captain is already busy protecting her men." Lenz pointed out. "This is the second time I have had an airship taken from me. I refuse to let that happen to anyone else."
"Yeah, I kind of figured you'd say that." I sighed, focusing on the Anemoi. "Alright, Beginners. Let's retake that airship!"
The others nodded in assent before following me up the stands towards where the airship was trying to clear.
"Besides," Lenz added under his breath, "if we retrieve the airship, they will be very grateful. And appreciative. And generous." He rubbed his hands deviously. "Very generous indeed."
We rushed up the steps of the stands two at a time, Lenz lagging behind. The airship floated overhead, a massive, unstoppable vehicle piloted by thieving cheaters. It was too high to reach and gaining altitude faster than the steps we were ascending.
All too soon, we ran out of steps. The back of the airship mocking us as we gripped at the fences making up the edge of the stadium's stands.
"How do we get up to that?" Soul asked, hoping for ideas. I had nothing, but Jade had an answer in the shape of a blue-green sphere.
"Ender pearls." Floyd realized, digging through his Inventory. "I only have two."
"Three in total." I whispered under my breath, even as Lenz caught up. "So only three of us can go up there."
"Ooh ooh, pick me coach!" Soul exaggerated, dancing on the spot. "Put me in the game! I'm raring to go!"
"And me!" Lenz lunged forward. "Please! I can pilot the airship! I can land it!" If his tinted glasses were off, the glint in his eyes would have been unmistakable.
"You can't." I shot him down immediately, but I quickly explained. "We're looking at close-quarters combat up there. Your long-distance archery is better off supporting us from the ground." I looked over the group, thinking fast. "Soul, Jade, and I will go. We need our best fighters. Hope you don't mind."
"Not at all." Jade smirked, drawing her cutlass with her free hand. "I owe that Rudy a little push."
"Lenz. How do I land an airship?" I asked while Floyd passed out his ender pearls.
"Redstone repeaters! Am I doomed on this mortal plane to suffer!?" He let out an aggrieved huff before handing me his copy of Airship Piloting 101. "Everything you need is in Chapter One: Airship Systems. Do NOT lose that book."
"No coffee stains. Got it." Jade and Soul stood on either side of me. We winded up for the throw, our arms clutching the pearls tightly and our eyes zeroing in on the back of the airship. Missing would mean certain death.
At once, the three of us lobbed our pearls.
"Good luck, guys." Floyd flashed us a thumbs up. "We'll see about getting you some air support."
"Expose them if you can." Lenz added, pulling out his bow and notching an arrow. "Get me a clear line of sight and I will not miss."
"You got—"
*ZWIP*
"—it."
I suddenly found myself along the back of the airship. Gravity took hold faster than I would have liked, causing me to slip down the sleek wooden surface. I dug my feet in as hard as I could, slowing my fall enough to snag the edge of a back window. My feet dangled precariously over the moving Kingdom below.
"No sweat." I muttered breathlessly before glancing up. Of course Jade had stuck the landing perfectly, climbing up onto the airship's roof with Soul in tow. I offered them a wave to show I was fine before smashing the glass window with a sword. I clambered inside, dropping to my feet and lurching slightly as the whole airship moved to the left.
Got to stop this thing. I thought, taking out Lenz's book. Okay... Chapter One… There were a couple of boring words I skimmed through. I skipped a few pages, looking for something useful, only to stop at the word 'stop'. I traced back the sentence, reading it carefully.
[Airships were designed not to be eternal. Flight comes with a cost: Fuel consumption. The Command Blocks were tailor-made to remove coal from furnaces to power the vehicle's movement. As such, stocking up on coal reserves is of grave importance. With no fuel, the airship would slow to a slog and then stop dead in the air.]
"Okay, this is good, this is good." I skimmed the paragraph. "The Command Block science goes over my head, but all it means is I got to remove all the coal. Now where would it be…? Aha!"
[Coal reserves should always be kept close to the engine room, distributed equally amongst furnaces via a line of hoppers and holding chests. All Zeppil-brand airships are equipped with such. The engine room can be found either in the hull or the stern.]
"Oh God… what's a stern?"
[Soul]
"What's Cobb doing? He's the one with the stupid shut-down book!"
Wind whipped my face as we carefully walked along the roof of the airship. The ship had gained enough altitude to be among the floating islands, and we were getting closer and closer to the Kingdom's outskirts. The nerd hadn't been exaggerating when he said it was the fastest way to travel.
"We'll have to manage without." Jade lowered herself to keep better balance as she crept along. "Keep your voice down. We don't want those cheaters finding us."
"Not like they can do much. Those turrets are pointing outward, not upward." I scoffed before a shadow passed over. "Watch it!"
We rolled out of the way as the ship bumped into the underside of one of the islands. Wood scraped against dirt and stone, creating a horrible sound as the island swept across the airship's roof.
"Who the hell is driving this thing!?"
"I have a feeling they know we're here." Jade grimaced, shimmying along the side. She found footholds like an expert, unconcerned with the height. But a parkourist I was not. I was stuck hanging onto a wing until it was safe to do otherwise.
The airship cleared the floating land in no time, leaving the area of contact completely unscathed. There wasn't a single missing block from the roof. But then the ship veered sharply to scrape its side against another island. Coincidentally, it was the side we were on. Jade's eyes widened at the approaching mass.
"Screw this!" I took out my axe and busted through the ship's side. Surprisingly, it was as yielding as any other wooden plank, even though scraping against an island had done little to nothing. "Over here!" I called out, prompting Jade to leap from her ledge, swing off a post, and land on the wing before sliding through the hole after me. Just before the ship scraped against the island.
"So much for that." Jade caught her breath and surveyed the surroundings. We were in a small room containing a chest, a bed, a Crafting Table, and some other commodities. "If Rudy's flying this thing, she must be at the bridge. We take her out, we stop this thing."
"Sounds like a plan." I slapped the axe in my waiting hand and Jade pulled out her cutlass. She crept to the door, peeked out both ways, and then nodded to show that the coast was clear.
Our room must've been a bedroom. It exited into a narrow corridor full of similar ones. But as we moved towards the front of the ship, we heard a feminine voice ring out.
"Those pests got into the ship. Be advised, there's three of them. Throw them off this ship like yesterday's trash!"
"Where's that coming from? Is she close?"
"No," Jade walked up to a small opening in the wall. "It came from here. It must lead to the bridge. I think the sound bounces around and transmits like a speaking tube."
"D_Dob. Scour the engine room." The feminine voice returned. It was a bit muffled, but still understandable. "One of them might be hiding there."
"So if we follow this, we'll find the bridge?" I guessed, surprising Jade.
"That's… actually a good idea."
"I'm full of them. In fact…" I went over to where the voice was coming from and bashed it with my axe, exposing a thin tube. It made a loud crashing sound, followed by a garbled shriek.
"MY EARS!"
It cut off soon after I placed a chunk of cobblestone, blocking the speaking tube. "There. Now no more communication for them."
"Two for two. Not bad." Jade praised before the two of us dashed after the tube.
[Cobb]
"D_Dob to bridge. I've scoured the engine room and there's nothing but furnaces here." A scraggly man spoke into an opening in the wall and waited. I watched as he drummed his fingers nervously against his arm. "Hello? Rudy? You getting this?" He tapped the opening, peeking inside. "Hey! Answer!"
So the stern is the back. Knew it. I thought while peeking around the entrance to the engine room. It was guarded by one of them, so they must have known about the fuel consumption thing.
The entire back wall of the engine room comprised of lit furnaces with just a little bit of open space at the back for the hoppers to connect. From what Lenz explained, hoppers worked like an inventory assembly line, taking out items from one place only to shove them in another. And there was a series of large, double-chests along the wall like shelves. They had hoppers poking out of them too.
Those had to be where the coal was stored.
But emptying them meant taking out D_Dob first.
"Somebody answer me!" D_Dob pounded at the wall, screaming into the opening. But no response came. "Grr! What's happening up there?"
He hovered for a second, glancing between the unprotected furnaces and the engine room exit. He was probably debating whether to stay or go.
I was reluctant to fight the guy, because apparently he and his team were strong enough to overpower a squad of guards and throw them overboard. I couldn't be careless.
'Expose them if you can. Get me a clear line of sight and I will not miss.'
A clear line of sight, huh…
I reached back, plucking a handful of snowballs from my belt. In the other hand was Backlash. When D_Dob glanced back to the opening in the wall, I struck.
"What the…!" He sputtered as snow crashed into his face in a steady stream. I moved to the center of the engine room, flinging snowballs to keep him penned against the furnaces. "Who's there!? Stop!"
I ignored and moved past him, burning through a stack of snowballs before I got close enough to nail him with Backlash. He was flung backwards, bouncing off a hopper and crashing to the floor.
I paid him no mind as I swapped in my sword, breaking as many hoppers as I could. Blocks of coal littered the ground and one by one the fires of the furnaces winked out.
The effect was immediate. I could feel the airship slowing down, and out the windows I saw the floating islands ground to a halt. I bashed a hole in the stern before D_Dob was upon me.
"Cobb!" He snarled. "You're gonna pay for what you did!"
"Me? What'd I do?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"You don't even remember!?" He lashed out with a sword, narrowly missing my nose. "I was in the alliance of the second round! Before you turned on us!"
I had forgotten. There were so many names to remember, I had just gone by team colors.
"I know you were all just trying to use me. You would've done the same. Heck, your team did do the same. All of you cheated, and now you're stealing first prize just because you lost?"
"We worked hard for this!" He countered. I blocked his first slash, only for him to kick me in the gut, forcing me back against the wall. "There's no stopping now. We killed guards. And we'll kill you too if that's what it—!"
D_Dob cut off as an arrow pierced his face. He fell back from the stern, writhing in agony. I glanced at where the arrow had come from with a knowing smirk.
The hole I had made in the stern was enough of an opening for our archer.
"Thanks, Lenz." I mouthed the words, flashing a thumbs up in front of the hole, knowing Lenz would see it. I strode over to the fallen cheater and kicked his sword away before pointing my blade at his neck. "You done? Because my archer is on a hair-trigger and is crazy about airships."
D_Dob looked defiant for a moment, but staring down the edge of a blade quickly changed his mind. He held his hands up in a clear sign of surrender. "…I give."
"Good. Hands where I can see them." I roughly lugged him to his feet. "We're marching to the front of this thing."
"You mean the bridge?"
"Yeah. That."
D_Dob held his hands up, my sword gently poking his back, and I led him out of the engine room. While I wasn't entirely sure where the bridge was, I figured moving in one direction from the back would get me fairly close. My prisoner was also leading the way, though he let out a low chuckle.
I prodded at his back. "What's so funny?"
"Who do you think will be waiting for you at the bridge?" D_Dob drawled. "My teammates outnumber you three-to-one. If you think having me with you will lead to some negotiation, you're sorely mistaken."
"I'm not too worried." I prodded him further down the corridor with my sword, coming across a set of double doors that my prisoner flicked open. "If I know my friends, they probably already have your guys bound and—"
D_Dob stumbled back into my sword, letting out a horrified gasp. He paid no mind to the blade piercing his back, instead preoccupied with the Head lying on the floor. It wasn't Soul or Jade's, thankfully. I didn't know whose it was.
"Oh, hey Cobb." Jade waved from her spot beside an open door, wind whipping through her hair. "We were just finishing up here."
"Nice of you to show up." Soul growled, working his axe out of the floor where a suspicious pile of gear lay scattered.
"Wh-Where's Rudy?" D_Dob asked, reading my mind. "A-And Syrus and-and… Clemont?" His eyes fixated on the disembodied Head. "No…"
"It was stuffy so we gave them a little fresh air." Jade remarked with a nod to the open door. "Like I said, I owed her a push."
"You… you monster!" D_Dob broke free of me and charged Jade, only for the parkourist to nimbly dodge before sweeping his feet with her cutlass. He crashed into the ground, nearly joining his teammates in the deadly drop out the door. Jade stomped his back, pinning him in place at the threshold between life and death.
"I'm the monster? Me?" She leaned forward. "How many guards did you and your friends throw off this ship? How many did you doom to fall to their death?"
I moved forward. "Hey, Jade, that's enough—"
"Are you trying to defend these cheats, Cobb?" Soul got in my way. "They killed guards! They're murderers! This is what they deserve."
"You could've subdued—"
"They tried to kill us, Cobb." Jade's words stopped me short. "It was either us or them."
"Yeah, what she said." Soul growled.
"They thought they could win." Jade turned back to the pinned D_Dob, pushing him closer to the edge. "Little did they know, you had me on your side. Now, what to do with you?"
"P-Please…" D_Dob whimpered. He glanced back to the sheer drop below. Wind battered his hair. "Please don't… I give up… I—"
"The punishment should fit the crime, don't you think—?"
"Jade!" I suddenly shouted. She stepped off D_Dob immediately, turning around and offering me a shrug.
"Easy there. I was just kidding." She put the cutlass away and backed off, allowing D_Dob to scramble back onto the safety of the ship before closing the side doors. "We need at least one of them to prove to the Captains that we didn't steal this thing."
"…I guess." Soul huffed, moving out of the way to examine the pile of gear littering the floor.
I kept my eyes on Jade, even as she busied herself with checking the airship controls. I was breathless, thinking she was going to push him off. She had almost gone too far there, but… it didn't look like D_Dob would try anything anymore. In fact, he huddled in a corner, too afraid to meet Jade's eyes.
She and Soul just got caught up in the heat of the moment; those cheaters were trying to kill them after all. She was fine now. Everyone was safe—everyone that mattered at least. The airship was secured. We won. There was no point making an issue of it. Not after we just made up.
How hypocritical would I be reprimanding her for taking things too far when two days ago I was condemning her for holding back? There must have been something wrong with me going back and forth. She was completely justified in her actions. It was self-defense.
Besides, she was just kidding, like she said. She was never going to kill D_Dob.
…Right?
"I'd like to thank you for your help." Captain Fo stood before us. "You acted admirably, taking down that team of cheaters. If I hadn't been preoccupied protecting the Prince and the guards, you would have had my support in the air."
Not long after stopping the airship, Captain Fo saved me the trouble of scouring Airship Piloting 101 by warping aboard via an ender pearl and taking command of the situation. We expected accusations and blame from the Captain, but Floyd had cleared things up, warning the Captain of the true thieves and our efforts in stopping them. The sight of a detained D_Dob only bolstered our story, absolving us from any involvement in the theft.
We happily handed over the reins of the Anemoi and, after fixing the furnaces in the engine room, Captain Fo landed the airship back in the stadium.
Being the only one left alive to take the blame, D_Dob was arrested and taken away. For his involvement killing guards, his time in prison wouldn't be kind.
"My mistake was giving those cheaters a second chance." The Captain cursed herself. "I didn't think they deserved prison, but I never would've imagined they'd do this. Many of those guards had family…" She looked aged and weary. "I only wish I had been up there to personally drop Rudy out that airship."
"But… you would have only apprehended them, right?" I asked, a bit hesitant.
"Considering the number of guards those cheaters killed, nobody would have minded an execution or two." She spoke darkly. It made me shiver just how callous the Captain sounded. Wynn would have at least tried to subdue them. "As it stands, you were justified in taking them down. Self-defense and all that."
"No sweat." Soul shrugged, completely unbothered. Jade much the same.
"It would have been though." The Captain tilted her head. "The Anemoi is fast enough to have cleared this Kingdom in no time. There would have been no way to keep up without an airship of our own, but by the time we mobilized one…" She shook her head. "What I'm trying to say is thank you. I'm very grateful for your timely aid. It must have been hard, knowing how much you wanted to make this airship yours."
"Perish the thought." Lenz dismissed with a grand sweep of his arm. "I respect the meticulously crafted airships too much to simply let one get stolen by some unappreciative thugs. It was our honor to reclaim it."
I wouldn't go that far. I raised an eyebrow at Lenz's behavior. He had been crushed to lose the Anemoi to the Captain. What was going through his head?
"Still, I wish there was some way to repay you for your help." The Captain looked to each of us for an answer. "Special honors for services? Or maybe an emerald reward for apprehending the cheaters?"
"Well," I caught a smirk behind the engineer's hand, "while a reward sounds appealing, I am afraid there is little we want. We are well-stocked and wealthy. We only journeyed this far for a better mode of transport. Alas, we tried our best, but lost to the superior team."
"I see." Fo pondered to herself for a bit, prompting Lenz to turn around and lift his tinted glasses, offering a furtive wink before facing forward once more.
I think I knew what he was getting at.
"Yeah, it's too bad about that airship." I added loudly. "It was the one thing Lenz wanted more than anything, and he came in first in the archery contest just to get it." I sighed loudly. "Truly a shame that there's nothing that can be done."
"Indeed." Lenz sighed exaggeratedly. "But buck up, friends. For we prevented the Anemoi's theft, ensuring its proper owner can enjoy her spoils of victory."
"Well, I'm touched you would think of your opponent and be the bigger person." The Captain praised. "It speaks of good, upstanding character."
Lenz smiled, awaiting her next words.
"Well, I should get going. I have a victory party to prepare for."
The smile shattered like glass as the Captain moved away. "J-Just a moment!"
"Hn?" Fo turned back around, watching a transfixed Lenz struggle for the right words.
"Er… that is…" He cleared his throat, plastering a smile back on. "We rescued your airship."
"Yes."
"We… prevented it from getting stolen."
"Yes, I'm aware."
"We…" Lenz looked back to us, but we could only shrug. "We were noble and fair and… we were hoping you would offer us the Anemoi as a reward." That was the reason he was acting all nice and humbled. If it wasn't for us, she wouldn't even have an airship. The least she could do was reward us for our—
"Why would I give you the airship? I won it fair and square."
Lenz's mouth fell open and Floyd slapped a hand over his face. It wasn't that stupid of a suggestion was it?
"But..." Lenz stumbled forward. "But we did a good deed!"
"Yes. And I thank you for that." She folded her arms. "If there was anything else I could give you I would, but the Anemoi remains mine." She stated firmly.
"B-But…" Lenz struggled for words. "I… we… you…"
"While the purpose of this competition was to compete with Bak and to uphold Prince Yukuo's honor, I cannot simply hand over the hard-won airship—the gift my Prince arranged I could claim only in triumphant victory and nothing less. Doing so would be an insult to the Games, to the Prince, to Zeppil, and to all the competitors who battled for a chance at victory." She explained, her eyes as serious as ever. I could see she wasn't budging on this. "Gratitude is one thing, but it's naïve of you to think I would freely give away something that was nearly stolen."
When she put it like that, it did sound kind of stupid. No wonder Floyd facepalmed. And now Jade was facepalming too. It was that obvious.
Lenz was left stunned, standing there and looking out into the middle distance as he once again had to accept that the airship was out of his reach. He didn't even stir when Fo gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder.
"I'm sorry. If you're looking for an airship I can see about introducing you to some wealthy owners at tomorrow night's End-of-Games Celebration. All competitors are invited," she added, looking to us, "and it's being held in Cloud Castle. They'll be food, dancing, fireworks, entertainment. You should stop by. I promise it'll be a wonderful evening."
I think the only word Lenz heard was airship, but the Captain didn't wait for any acknowledgment from the listless engineer. Instead she strode off, arranging to speak with the fallen guards' loved ones. That left the five of us alone, the Anemoi taunting us as it hovered overhead.
"Welp, I learned nothing!" Soul said with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. "Good guys finish last, I guess. Glad we risked our lives for nothing. Anyone else feel like a huge waste of time?"
There was some muttered assent from Floyd and me, but Lenz kept silent, turning to face us with tinted glasses hiding his eyes.
"…It was not a total waste, Soul."
"Huh?" The axe-wielder was caught off guard. "But... flying that thing was your dream wasn't it?"
"Dreams do not have an expiration date, Soul." He lifted his glasses, revealing clear eyes. No tears. "Besides, this experience has taught me something better." He looked to the four of us. "Having a guild of friends willing to go so far to make my dream a reality, I could not be more blessed."
"Snff… no problem, man…"
"Soul, are you crying?"
"No! Lenz is just… such a sappy nerd that it… gets me emotional sometimes…"
The five of us shared a laugh, surrounding and hugging the engineer who we knew must have been disappointed deep down. The Parkour Games were over, and the result left us just as airship-less as before.
But we could at least say we went the full mile. We gave it our best and came up a point short. Not bad for first-time competitors.
"Come on, gang." I urged, moving us to the stadium's exit. "Let's go celebrate our loss."
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] {Weak}, 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 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, 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, 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}
[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, 30 Iron Ingots, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 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, 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}
[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, 64 Emeralds, 28 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, 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, 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}
[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, 58 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: So ends the Parkour Games. No airship for Lenzington, but at least the after-party might be promising. Lenz does the Macarena like nobody's business.
Been playing KH3. I'm not very impressed with the gameplay, and I have to sit through Haley Joel Osment trying to do a whimsical voice for a sixteen-year-old kid. Ugh, it makes me cringe. Not to mention they had to include Disney World attractions as attack moves because the franchise wasn't advertising Disney enough. It hurts. But it's my childhood. Gotta see it through.
Just in case anyone was confused about the scoring and how the Beginners lost, I'm gonna include a score roster below. DNQ stands for Did Not Qualify.
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Parkour Games Score Roster
Team Yukuo: 2nd in Parkour (4), 3rd in Archery (4), 5th in Spleef (3), 1st in Sprint (5) = 16 Points
Team Beginners: 1st in Parkour (5), 1st in Archery (5), 2nd in Spleef (4), 15th in Sprint (1) = 15 Points
Team Daju: 4th in Parkour (3), 9th in Archery (2), 3rd in Spleef (4), 2nd in Sprint (4) = 13 Points
Team XoX: DNQ in Parkour (0), DNQ in Archery (0), 1st in Spleef (5), DNQ in Sprint (0) = 5 Points
Team Azure Jay: DNQ in Parkour (0), 2nd in Archery (4), DNQ in Spleef (0), DNQ in Sprint (0) = 4 Points
Team low_bttry: 3rd in Parkour (4), DNQ in Archery (0), DNQ in Spleef (0), DNQ in Sprint (0) = 4 Points
Team Abyssal: DNQ in Parkour (0), DNQ in Archery (0), 4th in Spleef (3), DNQ in Sprint (0) = 3 Points