AN: Here's the Part IV Finale. Lot of notes at the end. Please enjoy.
Also, to answer the reviewer Herman Tuwoe, yes you can make an animation for My Craft. I would like to see it.
I don't own Minecraft. Bwuh.
Chapter 130
Beginners vs Paragons (Part 2)
[Asmodeus: Loading Bay]
The loading bay was a medley of mad combat, with blades and splash potions flying and the very battlefield doing the same in the skies over Cloud Castle. Floyd watched helplessly—his paralyzed body crammed into a concealed niche—as the Beginners and Paragons fought one another.
That assassin… Z7. She hadn't taken her eyes off his spot yet. She had been the one to hit him with Paralysis potions the first chance she got. They didn't want to take the chance of a free Hacker running around.
Except he already couldn't move because of his Hack's accursed cooldown!
He couldn't even bang his head against the wall, frustrated at how helpless he was. Why were his friends the only ones fighting for their lives? He should be in there! He should be evening the odds!
He clenched his eyes, trying to focus on that burning power deep within.
Come on, you Hack! Do something! Hactivate again!
Nothing.
How did Thed do it? Or Alec? Or any of the other Hackers out there? What did they have that Floyd didn't? How come they could call upon the power—abuse it whenever they wanted—but he couldn't even make it work when he desperately needed it.
Z7 kept her eyes on Floyd's hiding spot, always trying to disengage from one fight and gravitate towards him. Luckily, Jade and Soul alternated between getting in the assassin's way, but it was getting harder. Of the five Paragons that had warped onto the ship, Z7 was undoubtedly the toughest. Jade and her were an even match one-on-one, but only if it was one-on-one. Not when two other Paragons freely interfered.
Not to mention, Noman was facing Perry and Shroud at once and losing ground. The numbers were bad. If only they had someone to occupy the assassin. Just one more person…
They're wary of me. Floyd thought, trying to force his limp hand to move. They know I'm a Hacker and are wary of me. Z7 will want me dead before I fully recover… I can't fight, but… I can at least be bait.
If only I could MOVE!
Floyd fruitlessly tried to shift, but found his body as unresponsive as ever. The potion effects were wearing off, but that meant nothing if he was still fatigued from his Hack.
He gave up with a sigh, closing his eyes and trying to remember anything Thed had mentioned about Hacks.
'Achieving this state is trickier than it looks. It requires you to look deep inside yourself and grasp the power—command it—to work for you. You can't be timid or polite. You really need to take charge.'
He was trying to take charge. But that wasn't enough. He barely bought his Hack an extra five seconds, even with all the training he did.
…How had he felt when he got those five seconds?
He had been saving the princess of Jolin from a very nasty fall. He had been at his limit… but sought to surpass it. And he did.
Z7 slashed at Soul before letting a dagger fly. It was only the axe-wielder's stubbornness that deflected the blade from striking Floyd's neck.
Surpassing his limits. That was what he wanted at the time. But… it was more than that.
Hackers had been painted as scum with unfettered powers and no one to stop them. They killed and plundered and were hated for it.
Floyd didn't want to be remembered like that. He didn't want to see himself like that. He wanted proof that he was his own kind of Hacker. One that used his powers for good.
That was what bought him those extra five seconds.
And that was gonna buy him some more time.
He closed his eyes once more, tuning out the sounds of battle, as he found that dark power he called upon so often.
I need this.
I don't need speed, but I need to move. Just to move.
Smoke began to filter through his eyes, creeping down his neck and clinging to his body like an aura.
I can't be a burden to them now. I need to help them fight.
He thought of the beat-up fisherman currently engaged in a life-or-death battle with that monster below. He thought of how Perry cruelly tortured Lenz. He thought about the Beginners fighting a mere fifteen feet away.
They need me. They need a Hacker. So do your fucking job, Hack, and get me moving!
Just as the paralysis potion wore off, Z7 threw another one at the blue-nette, alarmed by the smoke rolling off his body.
She was even more alarmed when, despite under the effects of the Paralysis combo, he unstuck himself from the niche he was crammed into and got to his feet.
His sclerae were pitch black, contrasting sharply with his purple eyes. The fact that he could move seemed to worry the fighting Paragons.
"What the—shouldn't he be paralyzed!?" Perry shouted.
"It must be his Hack at work." Shroud noted, slipping under Noman's shield-bash. "We saw him running. It must be a speed of some sort. It's counteracting the Potion of Slowness much like a Potion of Swiftness would."
Z7 narrowed her eyes as Floyd drew his iron sword. He put on a brave face, even though his body felt like it was being stretched to the limit. Better his enemies didn't know how much of a strain this was putting on him.
The important thing was that he had the undivided attention of the strongest enemy on the airship.
And for that, he'd gladly thank his Hack for listening to him for once.
With the assassin distracted, the battle turned in Jade's favor.
Jade's cutlass swiped at Heather's legs, causing the Paragon to leap back. She twirled around in a horizontal slash, but her sword was diverted to crash into the wooden wall. Jade took the opportunity to knee the brunette in the ribs before elbowing her face back.
Heather rolled onto her knees and rubbed her face where the blow had struck her. Her disgruntled frown slowly turned into a smile. "Bad move."
Jade raised an eyebrow. "What are you—" She was cut off by an iron sword slamming into her back and sending her rolling across the bay. The silver-haired Luis watched her, his eyes narrowed and unforgiving.
"Thanks, Luis." Heather smiled at her fellow Paragon, causing the silver-haired Crafter to blush.
"She had it coming—Whoa!" He barely caught Soul's axe as the full weight of it crashed on his sword. Luis' arms strained at Soul and his potion enhanced Strength.
Soul's teeth were gnashed together as he pushed with all his might, forcing Luis to his knees. But he was stopped when Heather drove her sword past Luis' shoulder and into Soul's gut. She gave it a twist, eliciting a hiss that forced him to let up his attack and gave Luis the opportunity to uppercut him in the jaw.
"Thanks, Heather." Luis smirked, causing Heather to blush.
"Hey, just returning the favor."
Jade picked herself up and, through frustrated panting, pointed her cutlass at Heather. The brunette moved to stand back-to-back with Luis. She faced Jade while Luis faced Soul. Their defense was perfect.
"Hey, Jade!" Soul called out while dark red particles of his Potion of Strength swirled around him. "These guys are fighting as a team."
"Yeah?"
"And they're pretty good."
"Yeah."
"Should we try to make a strategy or something?"
"No."
"Good." Soul laughed as he readied his axe. "Wouldn't want to waste time."
The two of them charged simultaneously and Luis and Heather prepared their guard to repel them.
Just as Heather was about to slash at the green-haired Crafter, she threw down a bright green Potion of Leaping and launched into the air over the strike. Her hair grazed the ceiling, but she was able to land in a handstand on Luis' shoulders, weighing them down.
The added weight was just enough to throw off Luis' guard, allowing Soul to barrel into him and Heather in a reckless tackle. Jade had already jumped away, using Luis as a springboard before the axe-wielder could connect.
"Circus performers can cry their hearts out!" Jade grinned before rushing after the downed Heather. Her cutlass caught her shoulder while she was recovering and the two continued their battle while moving down the airship.
"Heather!" Luis called out with concern as he struggled to his feet only to be tripped and sent crashing back down by the axe-wielder tangled up in his legs. "Damnit, let go!"
"Sure thing. Just as soon as you get off our airship!" Soul received a boot to the face for that.
"It's our airship, asshole!"
"Don't see your name on it!"
"What are you, four?" Another kick caught Soul in the eye, forcing him to let go. "You weren't even supposed to be here! It was just supposed to be Cobb, the blue-haired one, and the nerd."
"Not supposed to be here? What are you—?" Soul's eyes widened and he rose to his feet with his axe held before him. "Did someone tell you we were coming? Who was it?"
Luis fixed the axe-wielder with sharp purple eyes. "You have no idea how widespread the Paragons' information network is. We know everything."
"Not enough to know about me or Noman." Soul countered. "I bet you thought you were sitting pretty, thinking you had us all captured… only to have us swoop in and shit all over your plans. Gotta say, it feels good to stop the bad guys."
An iron sword swung down, barely being blocked by Soul's axe. Sparks flew as the metal blades scraped against each other.
"You're calling us the bad guys? That's a laugh." Luis' eyes pierced Soul's. "Who's the one stealing the airship here? Who's the one attacking us?"
"You attacked first, asshole." Soul replied. "I used to respect the Angel of Death and the Paragons. But after seeing what you did to Cobb…" His crimson eyes narrowed, thinking back to Cobb's injured and beaten-up form, and he started pushing forward, forcing Luis to give up ground. "It's obvious I looked up to the wrong people."
Luis' arms strained until Soul suddenly let up, surprising the Paragon and creating an opening for Soul to sock him one right in the face. His glasses indented into his nose, temporarily blinding him as he clutched his face.
"I don't care who you are or how badass your reputation is." Soul pointed his axe at the prone Paragon. "You mess with my friends, then you best prepare for an axe up the asshole!"
"Language!"
"Language!" Noman shouted at Soul's latest swear word. Honestly the man was like a runaway profanity train. Just because the situation was dire didn't mean anyone should resort to cursing.
His opponents didn't share that opinion. The blond with the enchanted iron armor and the enchanted diamond sword swung from the left while the ghoul-faced one in the black great coat swung from the right with an iron dagger. Noman's shield couldn't block both of them.
He made the most sensible choice, blocking the diamond blade, but the iron dagger still cut into his unprotected side, causing him to shout in agony.
"Hmph." The blond scoffed before kicking the shield-bearer in the groin and forced him down. "This punk's nothing."
"I can handle him, Perry." The ghoul-faced Shroud assured. "Why don't you head up and end this joyride?"
"Gladly." The Paragon named Perry nodded as he rushed over to the ladder. It would take him right to the bridge where Lenz was piloting.
"Wait!" Noman called out, only to receive another kick to the side. When he looked back up, Perry's legs were slipping up out of view.
"Let's not worry about him." Shroud commented as he kicked Noman across the loading bay. "Instead let's talk about the mysterious Crafter that suddenly showed up to protect King_Cobb and his other allies."
Noman struggled to his feet and raised his shield as Shroud's dagger flicked towards him.
"What? Were you just some hapless nobody that Cobb picked up off the side of the road? With your tidy black suit and tie." Shroud taunted, his dagger scraping against the shield again and again in a high-pitched screech. The shield blocked the damage, but each hit caused Noman to skid back. "You certainly fight like an extra. Cowering behind a shield like a turtle in its shell."
"…no idea…"
"Hah? What was that?"
Noman glared up before surging forward with his shield raised. Shroud barely had time to roll over him before he spun around for a slash. Noman spun too, catching the blade with a newly drawn sword before thrusting with his shield again in a bash to the chest that stunned the Paragon into retreating.
"You have no idea how much I'm holding back." Noman spoke, sounding conflicted. "I've seen you people do atrocious things to Cobb. Horrible things. But…" He shook his head, regaining his determined frown. "Killing you isn't going to undo anything!"
Wing raised an eyebrow. "You know… it almost sounds to me like you think you're sparing me. As in you think you actually have a chance at killing me."
"I could." Noman countered, causing Shroud to scowl. "But I won't. Just leave the airship and return our friend and nobody has to die."
Shroud chuckled darkly. "If you honestly believe that, then you're the one that's gonna die today. Because I won't be holding back."
Floyd threw himself to the side as an iron blade skimmed past his neck. The purple-haired assassin, Z7, was ricocheting off the airship walls, her daggers humming through the air like a horde of angry wasps. His armor was holding up, but every time she nicked him he lost a Heart of Health. He couldn't keep fighting in the confined loading bay.
At the same time, he had to consciously keep his Hack activated. It was the only thing allowing him to move through the potions she was flinging at him—something she quickly realized and exploited. Drop the Hack for even a second and she would be on him.
How he was even holding it for this long, he had no idea. Maybe it was because the potions were tricking his body into thinking he wasn't Hactivated. His Hack was on and it should have been making him go faster, exhausting him, but instead his muscles were moving at their normal pace. It was like a car with the gas pedal floored while the emergency brake was on. The car couldn't crash into a wall if it couldn't move.
If that were the case, this would make great Hack training. If he survived, that is.
"Proo." His odd opponent whispered while flipping her daggers. "Proo blf."
"Yeah? Well 'proo' to you too." Floyd shot forward with his sword aiming to slash across her chest. The assassin ducked beneath the strike and reversed her grip on a dagger before slashing at his hip. The blue-nette winced, but fought through the pain enough to kick out with his leg. It caught Z7, tripping her a bit, but did nothing damage-wise. She easily recovered and hopped back before whirling around and letting something fly out of her hand.
Floyd instinctively ducked just in time for the sailing dagger to miss his eye and stick itself into the wall.
He quickly reached out and pulled the dagger free of the wall before hurling it outside the airship. "Ha! Looks like someone's down a dagger." He smirked.
The assassin simply reached a hand into her backpack and pulled out a handful of daggers that she almost mockingly thumbed through before selecting one made of diamond.
"…Fuck."
Floyd ran the length of the loading bay, never stopping as daggers kept sticking into the wall where his head had been. He abruptly stopped when one of them landed ahead of him and fell to his knee when another caught him in the thigh. He had to admit, for a Jibberman she was pretty strong.
His attacker flipped the daggers in her hand and glared coldly at him. "Wrv, vmvnb."
"How am I supposed to make witty comebacks when I can't even understand you?" The blue-nette asked with a grimace before rolling out of the way of another dagger.
[Asmodeus: Bridge]
Despite the hectic situation the Beginners found themselves in, Lenz was enjoying himself, whistling a jaunty tune on his lips as he piloted the Asmodeus over Cloud Castle's skies. What was the point of having his dream if he couldn't take the time to enjoy it.
He gracefully guided the airship around a stone tower, pumping his foot against the left-most pressure plate to turn the craft. With goggles fixed over his eyes, he tried to spy either their guild's charismatic fisherman or the unholy force of nature trying to kill him. He came up empty-handed on both fronts.
Suddenly, Soul's gruff voice rattled out of the speaking tube. "Lenz! Problem! There's—"
"Skipper Lenz!" He corrected.
"Fine, Skipper Lenz!" He could practically hear Soul's eye roll. "One of the Paragons slipped away. He's on his way up and we—WOAH!" There was the sound of metal on metal and an angry shout.
"Soul? Soul, come in!" Lenz frantically whispered into the speaking tube, trying to get a response. All he heard was the sounds of combat. "Comparators." He grabbed the bow at his belt and spun on the spot just as heavy footfalls were coming from the corridor.
The door burst open, revealing the angry blond that had beaten him near to death. Perry.
The arrow slipped from his fingers and caught the Paragon right in the chest, forcing him back into the corridor.
"The pilot must not be distracted while piloting an airship." Lenz warned as he spared a glance out the window only to yelp upon seeing an oncoming tower. He quickly back-stepped upon the rightmost pressure plate and narrowly avoided the tower; just barely grazing it by a wing.
Spinning back to Perry, Lenz was alarmed to find him back in the bridge and barreling with a sword, intending to run him through. The engineer let fly two more arrows—one in the knee and one in the shoulder—to slow him down, but Perry better handled them, skidding backward without being forced from the bridge.
His face was seething and he kept coming like an enraged bull. Lenz shrunk back, remembering the pummeling he inflicted upon him.
His back bumped against the control panel. The levers and buttons were calling to him.
He shot three more arrows at the Paragon—not even checking to see if they hit their target—before spinning around to frantically work at the controls.
"Attention passengers! This is your Skipper speaking!" He shouted into the speaking tube. "Please fasten your seatbelts, as we will be expecting some minor," he grabbed two levers and yanked back hard, "TURBULENCE!"
At his command, the Asmodeus veered sharply skyward. Gravity shifted as the bridge turned at an angle; Perry began skidding back along the dark wood towards the corridor and Lenz had to cling to the control panel for dear life.
The floor was at a forty-five degree angle before Perry rammed his blade into the floor, halting himself. He glared furiously at the out-of-reach engineer, even as the room continued to shift.
It was a seventy-degree angle now. The sword was starting to rattle and Perry struggled to cling to the floor.
Finally, when the airship was going straight up and Perry could see the moon filtering in from the bridge windows, Perry slipped free from his sword and crashed into and through the bridge doors now acting as the floor.
Lenz hung like a misshapen chandelier from the control panel, his legs swinging to try and lock onto a decent foothold. Even so, he looked inordinately pleased with himself.
"Redstone Repeaters, I am a genius."
[Asmodeus: Loading Bay]
Down in the loading bay, it was a different story.
The beginners barely had a warning in the form of Lenz's frantic voice before the whole room started to shift.
"W-Whoa!" Jade cried out as she wobbled backwards. Her parkour skills kicked in moments later and she leapt for the loading bay doors, using them as a stable foothold as the airship tilted more and more skyward.
The others weren't so blessed.
With the exception of Z7—who clung to a chest—everyone, Beginners and Paragons, found themselves sliding along the floor before eventually slamming into the back wall.
Noman propped himself up by his shield, reaching to help someone up before realizing they were an enemy. Soul freed his legs from a tangle of limbs and lashed out at someone's chin. Whether it was an ally or not, he had no idea.
From above, a colorful series of potions rained down. Soul brought up his forearm, but the smoky form of Floyd intercepted them. Z7's long purple hair dangled like a curtain as she fished out more splash potions from the center chest.
"Slowness won't stop me." Floyd explained, flexing his Hack imbued body. "But the Weakness is a different story. Agh. I can at least cover you guys."
"That won't cut it. Those Slowness Potions are the only thing keeping you from running over these bastards." If his Hack was free to run, he could end the fight in a second. That was precisely why Z7 kept hitting him with the potions.
Noman struggled to stand only to get his legs scissored by Heather. Soul whirled around and crashed his axe into Luis' armor, the resulting clang startling Heather into protecting him. Shroud took her place, slashing at a weary Noman.
"Fighting like this is awkward." One of the Paragons complained, his footing wobbly as the airship continued its ascent.
Soul begrudgingly agreed. Not like it could get worse.
Then the airship started to tilt to the left…
[Asmodeus: Bridge]
A hand shot out of the bridge doors before Perry reemerged, his face an interesting shade of puce.
"You… fucking… nerd…"
Lenz eeped as the Paragon began climbing the bridge walls, his hands finding any handhold they could and his breaths leaving him in vigorous huffs like the workings of a steam engine. Lenz was at a loss. He stopped yanking the levers back, but he was left hanging onto the control panel with nowhere to go. He couldn't even shoot without releasing his hold.
Perry continued to climb unencumbered, a frightening smile curling his face as he got closer and closer. "When I get a hold of you, I'm shoving this sword straight down your throat!"
Lenz whimpered, his gaze switching from the controls to the pressure plates beside him. With reckless abandon, he swung and kicked at the left-most panel repeatedly.
The airship, and by extension the bridge, began to shift once more. Now the left walls were swinging at an angle. An intention on Lenz's part, given that Perry was using the right walls to climb.
From its vertical ascent, the ship was now turning with its left side facing down. Gravity changed, allowing Lenz to roll along the control panel and safely onto the left wall. Perry was worse off, his climb quickly devolving into him hanging onto the right wall, now the ceiling.
Lenz scurried along the wall and underneath him, making his way back to the corridor doors and arming himself with his bow. Perry dropped and landed neatly on his feet before bull-rushing the engineer.
Four arrows were fired in quick succession, all of them hitting Perry but none of them having the force to stop him. His iron chestplate must have been enchanted with Protection or Projectile Protection for all the good the shots did.
Just as Perry was getting within striking distance, Lenz tilted his bow and fired past him. The arrow whistled by just as Perry bore down with his blade, imbuing it with all his pent-up frustration and energy.
It shredded through both Lenz's Health and his cursed leather tunic. He cried out in agony and stumbled backward before getting laid flat by Perry's follow-up punch.
"About time!" Perry grinned in triumph… only to look puzzled as the bridge began to spin.
Looking behind him, he saw one of Lenz's arrows imbedded in the wooden pressure plate at the controls. The result was making the whole airship roll horizontally.
Lenz crawled over to the corner and secured himself before Perry realized. He made a lunge for the engineer anyway, but the sudden reorientation of the bridge made him misstep and crash face first into the ceiling—now the floor.
The whole ordeal was just as dizzying to Lenz. The seats were now on the ceiling, the lamps were on the floor, and the ship continued to corkscrew without someone actively manning the controls. Perry struggled to his feet once or twice only to get rolled into another wall and landing in a heap.
Lenz moved steadily, hugging the walls and ceilings as they became ceilings and walls, content to watch as Perry crashed over and over, but looking for that opportunity to skim past him back to the pressure plates.
This was not how a Skipper should operate an airship.
[Asmodeus: Loading Bay]
"AAAAAUUUGGGHHH!"
Bodies tumbled around the inside of the rolling loading bay, Beginner and Paragon alike. How could anyone focus on fighting when it was all they could do not to slam repeatedly into things?
"I'm gonna kill that nerd!" Soul managed to groan before his body crashed into a Crafting Table. "OOF! Damnit, Lenz, keep it steady!"
"Language!" Noman cried out before both he and Shroud slid backwards outside the loading bay doors. They hung on tightly, knowing that it would rotate back to the top at some point.
"Hey, I'm fine with this." Jade laughed, vaulting off rolling walls and furniture like a monkey. "I'm not a parkour master for nothing."
Indeed, this was her element. She could find the smallest handholds, spy the most secure path to traverse, and even predict the orientation of the loading bay based on how fast it was spinning. Gravity had no hold of her, and the Paragons watched warily as she crossed from wall to wall over their heads while they were left to tumble and crash. Not even Z7 could keep up.
Jade's eyes narrowed as she spotted Heather struggling to prop herself between a table and a corner. Jade swiftly spun her cutlass before bouncing off the walls and swinging off of lamps.
Heather could only look up in worry before Jade pounced, her cutlass sinking under the Paragon's armor and eliciting a sharp wince. Then, Jade wrapped an arm around her neck and collapsed her body atop hers.
"I'll be taking these." Jade whispered, her hands snaking into Heather's belt and robbing her of her ender pearls, just as the airship rolled again. Jade used Heather's body like a sled as they slid down the angled ceiling towards the loading bay doors.
"Happy trails~" Jade smiled sweetly before riding Heather's body out of the doors, making sure to catch herself on the threshold, and then watching as Heather dropped out of sight.
"HEATHER!" Luis screamed, making a reaching motion for the doors before letting it fall dismally. His face worked into a frenzy as he turned on Soul, slashing with his diamond armor in a powerful strike while he was busy clinging to a light fixture.
The axe-wielder dropped like a sack of bricks, his head crashing through a window as the left wall became the floor.
Luis took advantage, dropping atop him and stabbing him repeatedly while trying to stuff the rest of him out the shattered window. Soul's hands fumbled at Luis' face, trying to push him off, only to be rewarded by the Paragon's teeth biting into his thumb.
Soul flailed his legs and caught Luis in the cheek with his knee, stunning him long enough for the axe-wielder to recover. His diamond axe lashed out and scored a hit against Luis' armor, breaking the leggings. The Paragon rolled away, and then rolled again when the airship changed orientation.
Both Soul and Luis slid to the doors, though they caught themselves and hung on, much like Noman and Shroud, who were now fighting on the outside of the airship.
The suited man and the ghoul-faced Paragon paid incredible attention to their footwork. Fighting outside a rolling airship meant they had to keep moving to stay upright, otherwise they'd slide right off. This was made harder by the high-speed winds whipping at their faces; It felt like one strong gust would blow them off.
The shield blocked most of the wind for Noman, but could do little when Shroud's daggers slid under and around it. Early on, he decided to protect his face more from the gouging daggers—a lesson he learned while fighting Lieutenant Leadstripe—but Shroud kept nicking at his leggings and shoulders.
"You can't defend forever." Shroud warned, darting around Noman only to have the shield kept between them. "Either I get you, the rolling ship gets you, or the wind gets you. Which do you prefer?"
"None of them." Noman challenged, sweeping out with his shield only for Shroud to take a daring jump. The wind blew in and carried him overhead, but Shroud landed carefully and used his new position to score a hit against Noman's flank.
He stumbled clutching at his wound and then slipped as the airship rolled upright once again. He fell off the roof and landed hard on the gangplank used for docking.
As he struggled to his knees, Shroud landed before him on the same plank, his dagger ready.
"Cosmic justice." Shroud noted with a soft smile. "You pushed Perry and I earlier. Now we do the same to you."
Noman glanced behind him at the open sky and the castle far below. They were descending back down, but not nearly as fast as he wanted to.
His fingers wavered to his backpack, thinking of a sure way he could turn this fight around. His fingers ghosted over a diamond surface.
'Life itself is always a trial. In training, you must test and polish yourself in order to face the great challenges of life. Transcend the realm of life and death, and then you will be able to make your way calmly and safely through any crisis that confronts you.'
Noman closed his eyes. His fingers grabbed the artifact and put it on.
"Whatever you're trying, it's too late!"
Shroud flicked out with his dagger, but Noman performed a side-step off the plank, seemingly dooming himself…
Only to push off of solid air with his Bottes Zephyr.
His raised shield and defiance of gravity caught Shroud completely off-guard. The bulk Noman's weight slammed into his shoulder, unbalancing him from the plank. The Paragon's arms worked fruitlessly, flailing in the air to recover what was lost. But he eventually teetered, his center of weight tipping over the side to plummet out of sight.
Noman snagged his leg first and fell after him. The two dropped down, Shroud thinking the man insane for choosing death after his assured victory, but Noman shocked him even more by flipping around midair and then stopping himself by landing on… nothing.
The suited man stood on nothing, dangling Shroud upside-down by his ankle.
The Paragon glanced down nervously and noticed they were a lot closer to Cloud Castle. Enough that a fall wouldn't kill him. Noman plucked the ender pearls off his belt and then unceremoniously released him. Shroud angled himself to land on his feet, but his gaze shot up to where Noman stood, suspended upon the very air by those white-leather boots.
"H-How…"
"Aikido." Noman smiled back politely. "Have a safe night."
And with that, the suited man pushed off the air and ascended back to the spiraling airship, leaving Shroud to gawk upon Cloud Castle's tower.
[Ramparts]
Carys was relentless trying to catch the weakened fisherman. While the only thing keeping him alive was the fact that she wanted him to see his friends die first, she wasn't above beating him into submission.
Cobb knew a direct confrontation was hopeless. He was exhausted, both physically and mentally, while she still had stamina to burn. She had better gear, potions, and weapons. Fighting her as he was now would be like extinguishing a forest fire with a bottle of water.
Instead, he relied on one of his greatest strengths: Avoiding a straight fight.
Carys darted after him, but he quickly leapt across a gap to a different rampart, balancing on the parapets as he moved. Carys fired a volley of arrows to knock him off, but he took cover behind a tower.
He peeked his head back, just to verify her position, and when she prepares to jump over to his side, Cobb hurls a flurry of snowballs. All it takes is one to hit for her forward jump to go awry. She cursed under her mask and withdrew an ender pearl to complete the jump.
Kicking away a spawned Endermite, Carys marched towards Cobb's position…
Only for the fisherman to jump back across the gap, infuriating the angel even more.
Jade's parkour lessons paid priceless dividends. The high towers and ledges of Cloud Castle were perfect for parkourists; Jade herself climbed these for the games. He couldn't fight, but so long as it was a game of keep-away, he could last.
He just needed to have faith his friends would survive. He spied the Asmodeus slipping behind a tower and a look of maddening exasperation crossed his face upon seeing the thing spin in the air like it was piloted by two drunken monkeys.
He tore into some cooked mutton and darted for a wall leading to a higher section of the castle. Carys pursued, her red eyes glimmering balefully under that mask.
I need to commit! Cobb thought, jumping up and grabbing a handhold before scaling the wall. Carys stopped at the base, pausing for a moment as she watched on. Was it possible the legendary Angel of Death sucked at parkour?
Finally, something I have her beat at.
Cobb hoisted himself onto the higher rampart just in time to see an ender pearl shoot by and strike a nearby wall. Carys popped into existence and charged straight for him.
"Crap!" Cobb turned to jump back down, but not before Carys hooked her scythe through his hoodie and dragged him down. His head cracked painfully against the stone brick, but he fought through the pain, bringing his arms up and blocking a punch to the throat.
Knowing that getting caught in a grapple was bad news, Cobb jabbed out with Backlash to separate them, only for Carys to divert the strike with her handle and then swipe at Cobb with her elbow. He bit the inside of his cheek and shot up and away, but Carys snagged his tunic, drawing him close.
On instinct, Cobb's head struck in a sloppy headbutt that dazed him more than Carys. He watched those crimson eyes narrow before Carys reared her head back and delivered a proper headbutt of her own that had Cobb's nose crumple.
He could almost hear her sneering, 'That's how it's done!'
She still had a hold of his tunic, keeping him from escaping. Through blinding tears of pain, Cobb delivered a knee to Carys' crotch. She let out a grunt of pain and Cobb smirked…
Before whimpering in a high-pitched tone when she did the same to him.
Brain: That's just a gender weakness right there…
Cobb hunched over, his legs crossed protectively, allowing Carys to roll over Cobb's back and then wrap an arm around his neck from behind. Cobb panicked and his hands flew to his throat, but it was too late.
Carys had him in a sleeper hold and soon squeezed his head and neck, pulling him close and cutting off his oxygen. His fingers scrambled, but nothing could pry away those strong arms.
His eyes darted as his feet struggled to kick her, but she blocked every attempt with her own, dragging him to and fro to speed up the process. Cobb could only hiss words, his vision fading fast.
"When you wake up again, I'll make sure the first thing you see is your friends' Heads." Carys taunted, her eyes glowing behind that black mask.
Her eyes…!
Cobb abandoned trying to pry off those arms and instead fumbled at Carys' face, tracing the contours of the mask. His fingers slid over the teeth, the temple, and then felt around for the eye holes. And when he found them, he stuck both his thumbs in and pressed as hard as he could.
"AAHHHH!" Carys screamed, squeezing tighter on the chokehold and prompting Cobb to hook his thumbs into her sockets. Another ear-splitting scream erupted just as his vision was fading and Carys was forced to let go, kicking Cobb away. Something came loose in Cobb's hands as he fell forward gasping.
He looked down in his hands and found Carys' mask staring back at him. He had torn it off. Looking over, Carys was clutching at her eyes, swearing like a fiend and fumbling for a Healing Potion to fix herself.
Cobb pocketed the black skull mask and crawled away to catch his breath.
Then he spotted an ender pearl hurtling towards them.
He panicked at the idea of facing a second foe, but when the ender pearl landed and the Crafter appeared, he smiled wearily.
The freshly teleported Jade took stock of the situation, saw Carys was blind and vulnerable, and darted so fast she made Cobb's head spin. Her cutlass hummed as it cut apart the wind before being driven into Carys' gut. The angel cried out and Jade proceeded to wrench her blade free before driving it into her again and again. Each one was a Critical Hit.
The Thorns Enchantment was doing damage to Jade for every successful hit, but she didn't care. Her face was warped into a visage of fury as she cut Carys apart.
Desperately, Carys wrenched a maroon Splash Potion of Harming from her belt and crammed it into Jade's face. She recoiled and tried to wipe it off with her sleeve, only for Carys to recover and carve into her with her scythe. Jade skidded back to Cobb's side, her eyes watching Carys like a hawk.
"Jade… you shouldn't—"
"If you say something stupid like I shouldn't risk myself coming down here, I will punch you." She replied shortly and Cobb's mouth clicked shut. Her face softened for a second, though. "Everyone's still alive. Still fighting. So let's hurry and get back to them, alright?"
Cobb knew he should be terrified for Jade's safety. Carys was unstoppable. Even after all the damage they had just inflicted upon her, she shrugged it off, downed a Potion of Healing, and looked ready to go. There were cracks in her unbeatable aura, though. No longer was she smug or overconfident. She was just as mortal as the two of them.
And even though Cobb didn't want her here—didn't want Jade or any of his friends to risk their lives by staying—he was touched by their loyalty for him. They weren't just a band of idiots, they were a guild. A big dysfunctional family.
And they would all live to see tomorrow. And the days after.
He readied Backlash and Jade readied her cutlass.
They just had to get past her.
[Asmodeus: Roof]
The airship had finally stopped spinning out of control. Instead, the ship angled downwards, heading straight for Cloud Castle.
In all the confusion, Floyd, Soul, Z7, and Luis had ended up on the roof of the airship, the pairs still locked in intense combat.
Jade had gone to back-up Cobb and Noman was nowhere to be seen, but Soul didn't let that bother him. He was focusing his everything on fighting the Paragon before him.
Floyd, on the other hand, was desperate in avoiding Z7. The assassin had run out of splash potions and was now attacking Floyd recklessly, knowing that when the timer ran out he would have full access to his Hack. She was determined to end him before that could happen.
The extreme winds and sloping airship didn't help matters.
Soul struck out with his axe, only for Luis to leap back and fire a barrage of arrows. They glanced off Soul's armor and he couldn't help but smirk.
"You're nowhere near as good as our archer!" He hurled his axe like a tomahawk, forcing Luis to duck as it embedded itself into the wool of the sails.
Soul wasted no time, barreling forward and tackling Luis into the mast. The two rolled and grappled, Soul's superior strength giving him the edge.
Until Luis swallowed a Potion of Strength.
Soul's arms shook as Luis pushed back, their hands squeezing one another's in a bid for dominance.
"Just… Give… Up!" Luis snapped, bearing down on the axe-wielder. Soul struggled, trying to outlast the duration of the potion for as long as possible, only to spot something in his peripherals.
He smiled challengingly.
"Smiling in the face of your demise?" Luis asked. "I admire that."
"Oh, I'm not smiling at my demise." He said, grabbing the ender pearls at Luis' belt. "I'm smiling at yours."
Confusion flitted across Luis' face and he looked up just in time for the stone of Cloud Castle to crash into his face.
The airship, in its downwards descent, had clipped through a portion of Cloud Castle. The mechanics of airships allowed them to phase through solid structures without causing damage to either the airship or the structure. The airship could pass through, but the Crafters on board could not.
Soul pressed his body flat against the airship as the stone tower clipped through the Asmodeus, knocking Luis out and off in the process. Once the tower was gone and it was safe to stand back up, Soul spat off the side of the ship.
"Asshole."
Floyd and Z7 pressed themselves against the roof as the tower passed by, but the assassin was quicker, leaping atop Floyd and trying to drive her dagger into his socket. Floyd brought up his hands and tried to stay her strike, even when she pressed down with greater force.
"R droo mlg uzro nb Zmtvo." She muttered through a curtain of hair, her lips drawn back in a snarl.
Floyd, smoke still seeping out of his eyes, glanced down at his arm and the timer ticking by with the slowness and weakness.
"I don't know what you just said," he puffed from exertion, "but time's up for both of us!"
The timer on his arms hit zero and his Hack kicked back into gear, free at last.
Smoke swirled around him with greater intensity and he released Z7's hands only to wink from existence before her very eyes.
There was a rush of wind… or smoke… and Z7 threw herself out of the way without even knowing what was happening. Her instinct's demanded it, but she was far too slow.
Floyd delivered ten punches into her sternum in a second.
The assassin shot off the airship, the wind completely knocked out of her. She landed in a roll on the castle grounds, low on Health and dazed. She fished for an ender pearl… only to freeze when she saw that the eight ender pearls she should have had on her belt were gone.
The Hacker had swiped them the same instant he struck.
"Lfgnzgxsvw…" The Jibberwoman sank to her knees.
Floyd panted heavily after launching the woman from the ship, her ender pearls clutched in his other hand. His eyelids felt heavy as he turned back to Soul. He shot him a weak grin, seeing that he had dealt with his adversary too.
He was about to say something when the airship turned sharply, tilting in a whole new direction as per Lenz's whims. It was going back to the battlements where Cobb was.
Floyd turned towards the bridge, only to hit his limit then and there. He collapsed onto the wooden roof, smoke extinguishing from around his body. His eyes were back to normal and he was utterly limp and exhausted. The price to pay for his Hack's acceleration on his body.
And then, as the airship tilted, his body began to roll.
And roll faster. And faster!
"Fl-Floyd!" Soul shouted, surging forward to stop the blue-nette.
The limp Hacker was helpless as the ship's angle forced him to roll further and further along the airship's wing, heading straight for the edge. Soul was the only one close enough to save him, and he was too far away to catch him in time!
Floyd glimpsed the approaching precipice every time he rolled, and when his body went off and Soul was a second too late to grab him…
He fell into the arms of someone else.
"Whoa there!" Noman gasped, just as startled as the man in his arms. "I got you. Is everything okay?"
Forget that! Floyd wanted to know how the suited man was standing on thin air! Nothing was supporting him, and yet he walked along the moving airship like he was taking a stroll. He even ascended over the airship, Soul breathing out a sigh of relief over his saved friend.
"Soul, why aren't you freaking out over this? The guy is flying!"
"I… saw it earlier." Soul explained. Noman took off his white leather boots and suddenly the magic was ruined, he and Floyd falling down and landing securely on the airship's roof. "I think it's a new enchantment or something…?" He didn't sound too sure.
"Don't we have to check on the pilot?" Noman suggested evasively.
"Oh, right! It's about time we get this ship under control."
[Asmodeus: Bridge]
Lenz had gone through a lot of his arrows changing the direction of the ship, and although he bought himself some time flying through Cloud Castle's structures, Perry refused to be beaten.
"Run out of tricks, have you?" The blond Paragon wiped his face with barely repressed triumph. "Time to end this, then. Goodbye, cultist scum."
Suddenly a hand tapped him on the shoulder.
"Huh?"
Soul and Noman stood behind him, shield and axe staring him in the face. Soul offered a cheerful wave.
"So you're the one who's been throwing off our pilot."
The bridge was overcome with sounds of axe chops, shield bashes, twanging arrows, and muffled curses before Perry's beaten, arrow-riddled body was expelled from the bridge window like yesterday's trash.
Noman pocketed the ender pearls he stripped off of Perry's body and Lenz got back to piloting the ship, steering it back onto a steady course.
"I appreciate the assistance." Lenz nodded. Soul brought Floyd to rest against the wall, the four of them restless after their respective fights. "Is Jade alright?"
"She went down to help Cobb. We took care of her cronies, though." Floyd mumbled sleepily.
"Then all that's left is the Angel." Soul grimaced, looking out the window to see how the two lovebirds were faring.
[Ramparts]
Jade let out a defiant battle-cry as she bounced off the castle walls and towers, striking Carys at different angles while in constant motion. The Angel of Death was hard-pressed, dodging or diverting each attack while keeping her attention on Cobb's Backlash.
The fisherman was patient, watching carefully for any window where he could ensnare her, or else acting as a safety net to pull Jade out if things got too dangerous. One such time, Carys brought her down and Cobb had to snag her by her leather jacket and pull her to safety.
"Almost had her on that one." Jade reassured her efforts before charging back in. Carys brought out her fire bow, prompting Cobb to throw a couple of snowballs to cover her movements.
The flaming arrows melted the snowballs, but allowed jade to slip past Carys and resume her multidirectional attacks. White stars erupted from her blade and every exchange brought her closer and closer to cutting Carys at the neck.
Her crimson eyes were burning holes into both of them, as she brought out her scythe and smashed it into the ground, creating a small shockwave that threw off Jade. Then she darted in, aiming to reap her head.
Cobb pulled her away again.
"How many times will you do the same trick?" Carys taunted…
Before her eyes widened at Jade getting swung back at her.
"Jade Flail!"
Jade spun with the throw, white stars erupting off her cutlass and transforming her into a spinning disk. Carys brought up her arms, but screamed as Jade slashed through her, shattering her diamond chestplate!
Jade skidded with the landing, throwing a cheeky smile over her shoulder. Carys glared back at her, patting her chest and checking her Health.
"Not bad." She complimented, drinking a Potion of Regeneration and grabbing the remainder of her ender pearls. "You're not the only ones with a special move."
At once, she threw out all ten of her ender pearls in a circle and readied her bow and scythe.
"Warp Raid." She whispered.
The first ender pearl landed near Cobb. He jumped away from it before she teleported, but got nailed with a flaming arrow in the process. He whipped out Backlash to catch her…
Only for her to warp away as a new ender pearl landed near Jade.
"AGH!" Jade shrieked as the scythe carved into her back, weakening the cursed leather. She turned to counterattack, but Carys was already gone, the next ender pearl having landed elsewhere.
Jade ducked a flaming arrow, but Carys was gone again, sniping at her from a different angle. Then she was carving up Cobb with her scythe. Then she was shooting at both of them from a new position.
Warp Raid allowed her to strike from multiple locations without any chance of being countered. By the time she was located, she was warping somewhere else. The teleports should have been causing her more damage than she could take, but the Regeneration Potion she downed earlier must have been saving her. Even so, to fight through all that damage while at the same time dishing some out…
Cobb couldn't help but admire her commitment to kill them.
Jade countered the flaming arrows with her water bucket, putting herself out. But the scythe strikes kept coming until the last ender pearl fell. Carys ended with a slash across Cobb's face, sending him tumbling back into Jade's arms.
After that barrage, all three of them were looking worse for wear. The Regeneration was still healing her, but Carys was leaning a bit on her scythe. Jade and Cobb were both covered in sweat and slightly smoky from the burning arrows.
But between the three of them, Carys still looked the best. And Cobb the worst.
"How's that?" Carys challenged, twirling her scythe as she approached. "I've been saving that move for a Hacker. It has no weaknesses."
"…I wouldn't be too sure." Jade let out a breathless laugh as she slipped something into Cobb's hands.
"Yeah?" Carys' chest rose and fell. "And where is it lacking?"
"Well," Jade held up an ender pearl, "you're out of these, right?"
Carys' eyes widened just as a shadow passed overhead. She whirled around and saw her airship with the loading bay doors wide open.
"No…" She turned back to the pair and charged them with her scythe. "NO!"
Cobb took the ender pearl Jade gave them and the two used the last of their strength to lob their pearls over Carys' head and into the Asmodeus. Cobb watched in slow motion as Carys' glowing red eyes and menacing expression grew closer, her scythe aiming for Jade and Jade alone.
And then, just as the tip was about to pierce her neck…
The two found themselves in the loading bay.
"Cobb!" Noman and Soul looked startled by the sudden appearance, but tended to them nonetheless.
"Oi! Nerd! Everyone's inside! Floor it! Floor it!" Soul screamed into the speaking tube, prompting the Asmodeus to pick up speed and leave Cloud Castle behind them.
Cobb hobbled over to the loading bay doors to close them. As the wind whipped through his hair, cooling where sweat touched his face, he saw a small diamond-clad speck standing upon the battlements, just looking at him.
He expected her to pull a reserve ender pearl from somewhere and attack again.
Instead, the doors slid shut and he was left breathless, not even daring to think he was safe.
Cobb's arms felt numb. After a night of constant fighting, his nerves stretching to the breaking point, only to go slack at this latest calm… it didn't feel real.
He couldn't fathom it, so Cobb let the others guide him from the loading bay, up the ladder, and into the bridge. Concern flared when he saw Floyd leaning against the wall, but it passed when he saw his head bobbing as if he was struggling not to nod off.
Lenz was happily piloting the ship, though he spared a glance or two, checking on the status of the group.
Jade collapsed beside Cobb, her chest rising and falling gently and her head lolling to the side. She held some mutton in her hand, but the appetite wasn't there and it was left uneaten.
Noman was fussing about, Potions of Regeneration and Healing in hand, asking if anyone needed them or was suffering any major injuries.
And Soul? He swaggered over to Lenz and slapped a hand over his shoulder.
"See? Told you we'd get you that airship."
…
"Pfft…"
It started off small, Lenz stifling a chuckle at the matter-of-fact way Soul phrased it. Then Floyd joined in, letting out a tired chortle. Jade clutched her side, laughing through the internal bleeding just because it was a moment of pure relief. Even Noman let out a slightly confused laugh, not familiar enough with the Beginner's antics to get their brand of comedy.
Soul looked pleased at what he had created, and let out a hearty laugh, pumping his arms in victory. Similarly, everyone cheered, laughing louder as the full realization of their safety kicked in.
Everyone was laughing.
…Everyone, but Cobb, whose mind was burned with the image of Carys glaring at them from atop Cloud Castle. A reminder that things weren't over.
The exhaustion finally caught up with him, and Cobb fell over unconscious, the last thing he heard being the laughter of his friends…
But the last thing he thought of was his nemesis: Carys_Angel.
[Ramparts]
Rage.
Pure, homicidal rage.
That was the emotion coursing through Carys' veins as she watched that airship—her Asmodeus—float away, annoying cargo and all.
Her fists shook, fingers clawing at her scythe. She. Was. Fine. Completely… In… Control…
She wasn't breathing heavily with hunched shoulders. Her face wasn't heating up thinking on how Cobb escaped her again! She wasn't even thinking about… about…
She reared back her head and screamed to the heavens.
"MOTHERFUCKER!"
She couldn't stand it! It was maddening! She had him—she fucking had him—dead to rights! Dead to dead! Every base was covered and he had nowhere to go! And she had been leagues stronger than him in every respect! She even brought along Z7, her prized assassin, to sweep up the Hacker and the other trash. The timing of the ambush had been flawless. Cobb hadn't even noticed!
So why was he escaping with her airship and all of his friends perfectly intact with their Heads still firmly connected to their necks?
Nowhere in her careful preparations was she the loser. Watching that ship get further and further away tore her up inside. She couldn't even warp up there since she used all her pearls in her Warp Raid. Just thinking how those fools would be celebrating their escape, having outmaneuvered and outsmarted a superior opponent.
Those infuriating bastards!
She hurled her scythe into the ground, the diamond tool clattering on stone and spinning to a stop near the edge.
Slowly, her Paragons approached, following the sound of her rage. Many of them moved gingerly, as if treading on thin ice. They, like her, were equally confused as to how they had been bested by what they assumed to be cultist grunts. Cannon fodder turned cannons.
Where had it all gone wrong? Where in her planning had she allowed him and his guild to turn things around? His friends had been detained. He was beaten thrice over.
No… No… she had an idea.
An eerie calm settled over her, something that caused the Paragons behind her to stiffen. The only exception was Baltic—who knew her for too long and was blameless in tonight's fiasco—and Z7—who patiently awaited whatever punishment Carys would dole out for her failure at handling the Hacker.
Slowly, Carys turned to face her assembled Paragons. They were all there. Baltic, Z7, Perry, Luis, Heather, Shroud, Wing, and Dorian. They had all survived—a fact that should have been praiseworthy… if she could ignore the glaring setback eating at her pride.
"Wing. Luis." The two Paragons paled when Carys made a 'come hither' motion. "I have something to ask you."
The two gulped loudly, but knew that to ignore her command would risk worse punishment. With trepidation, the two wounded Paragons limped to her sides.
"When I told you to research Cobb and his allies," she spoke in a controlled, clipped tone—completely at odds with her earlier enraged screaming, "was it not implied that I meant all of his allies?" She glared at them through cold crimson eyes. "Did you neglect to mention a few names?"
"W-We… uh…"
"Because I was only told that the archer and the Hacker were the ones to look out for." Carys continued, her legs bending to pick up her scythe. "Had I known that he had others, like say… the loud-mouthed axe-wielder, the suited shield-bearer, or his green-haired girlfriend with the diamond cutlass I heard nothing about," she tilted her head, "I may have been able to take the proper steps to ensure that THIS NEVER HAPPENED!"
She bashed Luis across the face with the back of her scythe and dragged Wing down by the collar, forcing him to look over the ramparts.
"LOOK AT THAT! Do you see!? Do you see what you cost me with your misinformation? I trusted you to look this up for me! This information was of the utmost importance and you half-assed it! And now my nemesis is fleeing the scene with our ride! And all because you couldn't be bothered to do proper research!"
"N-No, they…" Wing stammered over his words as Carys tightened her hold around his neck. "Th-the axe-wielder was never supposed to be here! We didn't know what the girl was capable of! She never had a cutlass before! And… and… the shield guy… we… we…"
"Excuses don't get my airship back." She tightened her hold more, cutting off his oxygen.
"Carys! Stop!" Baltic strode forward, endangering himself by placing a hand on Carys' shoulder. The Angel of Death snarled as she spun, spittle flying from her mouth like a rapid dog. "What good is killing your allies?"
"It'll make me feel better."
"But it won't reclaim your airship!" Baltic warned, redoubling his efforts to pry the choking Wing from her vice-like grip. "And you're hardly being fair criticizing their mistakes without addressing your own."
Carys let Wing go in a heartbeat, the Paragon launching into a coughing fit as soon as he hit the floor. The potion-maker stood firm as the Angel of Death stared him down.
"Care to repeat that?"
Unlike the other Paragons, Baltic wasn't intimidated. The elderly potion-maker looked back calmly into those crimson eyes.
"You had King_Cobb defeated. But you kept healing him to satisfy your own ego. You consistently gave the Executive a chance to escape and let your frustrations control you." He never faltered. "Their escape is as much your fault as it is theirs. As it is ours." He gestured to the other Paragons who had all been defeated by the six cultists. "They got the better of us this time around."
Carys grimaced as if that lone admittance made her physically ill. A pill she didn't wish to swallow.
None of the others would dare question her judgment on things. Only Baltic had the courage to do so, and only because he had known her the longest.
And as much as she hated to admit it… he had a point. Cobb's suffering notwithstanding, she had the opportunity to end it by simply taking Cobb to the airship instead of making a detour to fight him. She wanted to prove she was the better fighter.
Her airship was stolen. Her diamond chestplate was shattered. Her Wither Skeleton mask was gone. Her Paragons were defeated and further shamed by being spared.
She paid dearly for her arrogance. Cobb was having the last laugh tonight.
Her eyes slid shut and she clicked her tongue before turning on her heel and looking out over the battlements.
"…Get us a new airship." She ordered. "We're going after those bastards."
"U-uh, of course!" Wing nodded frantically, and Heather went over to help Luis up. "W-We will get right on that. B-But… ah… They aren't exactly common—"
"Do whatever you have to to get an airship from these people." Carys scowled. "They love us. They want to shower us with gifts. It shouldn't be a chore."
"Yes, you're right… b-but…" Wing looked to Baltic for help breaking the news to the irate angel.
"It'll still take time to obtain one." Baltic filled in. "And then we need to stock it with fuel and supplies—"
"How long?" She cut him off, requiring only the bare essentials.
"…We'll have something ready to go by noon." He promised.
Carys cursed. "Noon isn't fast enough." She stowed her scythe away glared at the airship distancing itself further and further. It was disappearing around Zeppil's outer hills, soon to be lost on the horizon. "Screw it. I'll go myself."
"Carys…"
"There wasn't any time to refuel, right." Carys asked of Wing. "Please, tell me your negligence might actually be to our benefit this time." Wing nodded frantically. "Then they can't fly forever. There's a good chance I'll catch them if I hurry. I can at least keep them in sight."
"How? They're in an airship."
"Then I'll steal a horse." She asserted, stepping onto the parapets and getting ready to jump down. She waved a piece of paper over her shoulder. "You can keep track of me with the maps. Pick me up when you get an airship."
"Carys, you'll be on your own…"
"All the more reason for you to hurry things along." She didn't wait for a reply as she dove off the ramparts and landed on a lower tower, skidding down to the grounds below.
She couldn't sit around and do nothing. Instead she'd keep track of Cobb and his allies as close as possible. Just her and her vengeful thoughts to keep her company.
If Cobb thought he was safe from her, floating in her airship, he was in for a rude awakening.
Also, he better not go into her room.
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green, Mending I, Unbreaking I], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Boots, 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Sword, 1 Banner {Beginners}, 64 Cobblestone, 47 Cobblestone, 1 Bed, 5 Dirt, 19 Torches, 29 Coal, 12 Jungle Wood Logs, 64 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 1 Bucket, 5 String, 21 Emeralds, 11 Snowballs, 2 Gunpowder, 48 Cooked Mutton, 15 Rotten Flesh, 1 Wither Skeleton Skull, 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] {Weak}, 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 Furnace, 58 Cooked Mutton, 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, 8 Ender Pearls, 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 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, 6 Arrows, 16 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 60 Cooked Mutton, 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, 35 Torches, 34 White Wool, 37 Dirt, 61 Cobblestone, 33 Coal, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Armor Stand, 5 Ender Pearls, 28 Emeralds, 64 Cooked Mutton, 21 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] {Weak}, 1 Leather Leggings [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 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, 59 Cooked Mutton, 17 Coal, 36 Torches, 30 Jungle Wood Planks, 64 Cobblestone, 29 Cobblestone, 24 Obsidian, 2 Buckets, 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, 52 Cooked Mutton, 2 Ender Chests, 9 Ender Pearls, 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 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, 3 Sugar, 14 Bookshelves, 6 Enchanted Golden Apples, 1 Diamond Helmet, 1 Diamond Chestplate, 1 Diamond Leggings, 1 Diamond Boots, 10 Emerald Blocks, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 2 Bones
[EXP: 20]
AN: Aaaaaaaand End of Part IV.
This Part took a lot longer than I intended for a few reasons, but I'd like to discuss them here. So... if you don't care, you can go. You don't have to read this. The Chapter's over, and the next Chapter won't be out until May. This is just a commentary.
So here it is.
The Formula for Parts is usally three Arcs per Part. Part IV consisted of the Identity Arc, the Jolin Arc, and the Zeppil Arc.
Part IV should have been finished by the end of January at the latest, but instead it was drawn out six Chapters. I blame it on the Jolin Arc. No matter what you guys say, I consider it filler. It took me longer to address the conflict, the environment, and the characters. Maybe some of you like it, maybe some of you hate it. Not sure which of the Arcs you enjoyed the most. Let me know in the Reviews or on the Forums.
There was also the matter of inconsistent updates. Hopefully I can do a better job in the next Part.
It still boggles the mind that first-time readers can get all caught up with the story in like a week. This story has more words than the Harry Potter series.
As always, the Forum address can be found on my Profile. Check it out if you want to chat with other readers, ask questions, or check to see when the next Chapter is coming out.
Review, Follow, Fav, and see you all in May for Part V.
It's gonna get dark...