AN: Wow. Cobb got so much hate last Chapter. Like, an unprecedented amount of hate. Enough hate that people sided with the uninteresting Noman over him. That's impressive. And people are acting like it's out of character for him, despite the fact that he already explained why he cares about his friends more than anything. All of Chapter 131 was him freaking out and having nightmares about Carys killing his friends. Fear is swaying his decisions.
I'd like to remind everyone that Noman was gonna leave the group to fend for themselves and refuses to use the Severe Shield in any battles. He also isn't telling Cobb anything when he's clearly involved by being called the Billionth.
The biggest concern is that people think Cobb's jeopardizing the world for four people... but it's not like the world is in any immediate danger. His friends are, and he needs to bolster his defenses for when Carys arrives. Obviously, if the world goes, his friends go too. He's just prioritizing what matters most.
I'm just saying, his actions aren't coming out of nowhere and Cobb and Noman are both being a little selfish.
With that said, congrats to XDrinkingWater for getting last week's riddle correct. The answer: A skull! Enjoy your cookie and your acknowledgement.
(::)
Puzzle: I have no feet, no hands, no wings, but I climb to the sky. What am I?
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd make a cure for Witches.
Chapter 133
Ghost Town
[Cobb]
"What kind of landing was that!?" Soul exclaimed, glaring at the pilot.
"The no fuel kind." He countered coolly. He flicked the levers and plates experimentally, but the Asmodeus refused to budge. We were truly out of fuel.
Stuck in the side of a hilltop, the only exposed part being the bridge. Everything else was buried in dirt, as weird as that was to say. Lenz had explained it before, but there was a big difference between a long-worded explanation and witnessing the real thing.
To put it simply, the airship was one type of block - as defined by the Command Block - and the hill was another type of block. The two blocks could phase through one another, but they were both solid to us. Had we been a second later getting to the bridge, we would have been crushed to death.
"I'm sure you have a good reason for crash landing us like this." Floyd started before suddenly collapsing. He had used his Hack to get us to the bridge, and now he was reaping the debilitating cooldown effect. I hurried over to prop him up against the wall while Lenz explained himself.
"I could have let us run out of fuel in the air - we would have just hung suspended - but I did not wish to risk the possibility of Carys finding us." He gestured out the windows to the hills we were nestled between. "Unorthodox, yes, but like this we should be harder to spot."
"A little more warning would have been nice." Soul groused, accepting the explanation enough.
Getting out was a simple matter of Jade busting one of the windows and clambering out onto the hill. The rest of us followed with Noman and I carrying Floyd between us. I guess he felt he owed him for the earlier save. Despite his clear resentment for me, he helped.
Heart: You're scum, I hope you realize.
I didn't have a choice. What was I supposed to do?
"Good choice." I nodded absently, looking to the hills. I could see Lenz's sense landing it the way he did. The hills covered what was exposed of the ship from most angles. Only a closer look would reveal anything, and nobody would think to do so.
"Now," Soul held up a pickaxe, "we mine."
There was no point leaving someone behind on watch. Without coal, nobody could steal it. And while the engine room was currently merged with the side of a hill, nobody could put in coal without first digging it out. We'd do that after we obtained enough fuel reserves.
No, the real problem was the thunderstorm.
Rain pelted our faces the second we stepped out, and the blinding lightning and deafening thunder weren't doing us any favors. The cloud cover meant darkness, which meant Mobs spawned and tried to kill us. Soul got to test his newly enchanted axe, both protecting us and regaining what levels he lost.
We were only afforded shelter after first breaking through a layer of dirt and stone, digging deep into the hill for the needed coal. We were hopeful we'd find some soon. We all wanted to get out of this storm.
A full day of digging and we only found twelve measly lumps.
"Someone's picked this place clean." Jade remarked, pointing out pre-dug tunnels and missing sections where ores would have been. "A passing Crafter maybe? Anyway, it doesn't look like we'll find anything." She tossed her pick aside in disappointment.
The storm did more to dampen our spirits - and bodies - than the lack of coal. It just would not let up, and I wasn't looking forward to moving to a different site just to get soaked through the bone. Though Jade made the most of it, stretching provocatively while the drenched leather jacket she wore clung tighter to the skin. I gulped thickly.
She stopped the second anyone else tried looking at her, smirking to herself at the effect she had on me. I tried to hide my blush, but she clearly noticed.
Hmm. Maybe two could play at that game.
As we walked towards the other hill, I made a show of taking off my tunic and wiping the water off my hoodie before willing that off too. It vanished a flurry of light particles, leaving me with my blue undershirt. Jade's eyes flickered to attention as the shirt hugged my form. I wasn't ripped, but there was a little muscle showing. Enough to get her looking if I stretched…
A lightning bolt zapped me mid-stretch.
It came out of nowhere, and yet it really didn't because we were traipsing around during a thunderstorm. Still, it was random. As if God had said 'Stop that,' before throwing down volts of reproval. Ironically, keeping the leather tunic on would have spared me some damage.
I had Jade's attention all right, along with everyone else's as they picked my cooked form off the ground. The rain put out the fire before it could start, but I felt every hair standing on end and my very bones hurting.
"We need to get out of this storm!" Jade called over the wind and thunder. Lenz climbed partway up the hill and began to scour the horizon for shelter while Soul and Floyd got me onto my feet. "How do you feel, Cobb?"
"...Like popcorn…" I croaked, my hands shaking to check my singed eyebrows.
I noticed no words of concern from Noman, who just looked away or examined his fingernails.
I did what I had to.
"Friends!" Lenz called out, pointing to the distance. "I see roofs! Buildings! At the base of those hills to the west!"
The rest of us narrowed our eyes to look, but were unsurprised to find nothing. Lenz's eyesight was leagues beyond ours, the engineer having no problem peering past the obscuring storm. We trusted his words as he led us to the buildings.
Lightning crashed around us, making me flinch. Even if my Hearts had ticked back up I didn't want to get zapped twice in one day. Each boom of thunder made us scamper along faster, though, and we reached the front gates of the community in no time.
"Shansi Village…" Lenz read from a simple sign next to dilapidated gates.
It reminded me of Miner's Warren - the run-down village that seemed an eternity ago. Shansi was just as abandoned, and yet untouched. Usually Griefers would break or pillage from the structures, but everything looked pristine. The buildings with the curved roofs reminiscent of Zeppil's architecture were perfectly suited for living. And while they didn't have a stone wall to keep out Mobs, they did have a gate surrounding the perimeter of the village.
So why was it a ghost town?
"I don't have a good feeling about this place." Noman spoke up in a rare vocal display.
"Yeah, there should be guards or somebody." I agreed, looking at the row of buildings.
It might have been a good thing, though. Even though our wanted posters hadn't been circulated in Zeppil, there was still a chance we'd be identified, either from travelers entering Zeppil or from the authorities in the aftermath of Carys' announcement. I was sure Captains Bak and Fo were hard at work getting the word out about us. It would let Wynn know we were still okay.
But if we were in an abandoned village, that wouldn't be a problem.
The others must have thought the same because we hurried through the gate and into the closest house without a second thought.
The house was what you'd expect. Two floors, a living room with a fireplace (that Floyd was quick to coax to life), a kitchen bare of any food, a bathroom, a few bedrooms, and a small study. What mattered was that it was dry, and the water drenching our clothes and dripping from our clothes was quickly dealt with by the warm fire.
"Nobody's home." Soul reported. "But most of the chests are empty. Like they left in a hurry or something."
"I wonder if the rest of Shansi is like this." Lenz posed, occupying himself with Advanced Mob-Slaying. The others had more practical ways of passing the time. Soul took turns whacking Floyd and Jade with a stick to get rid of their Curse of Binding armor. I was lucky Carys did mine for me, as weird as it was to admit. They were in for a long, painful time.
The only one not doing anything was Noman, stuck in a corner and watching the storm rage outside. Approaching him now was a bad idea. Better to give him time to cool off.
Liver: Does Blackmailing him feel good?
Shut up. I need the Severe Shield to kill Carys. And having Noman help out will improve our chances. Besides, he can have both artifacts after she's dealt with. I'll personally see to it.
Stomach: Whatever makes you feel better. Now fill me up. I'm starving.
I silently munched on some food, hoping the storm would end sooner rather than later. We had coal to mine.
[Noman]
Which one of them has it?
I pretended to look out the window whenever Cobb was watching, but when he wasn't I snuck glances at the four suspects. Floyd. Lenzington. Soul. Jade. One of them had been given the Bottes Zephyr for safe-keeping, if Cobb was to be believed. But his actions certainly fit his motives. What better way to ensure I'd protect his friends than make them the only access to an artifact. Ender chests possessed unique access, like a password. Only that Crafter could take out whatever was put in.
But which one could it be?
Floyd was a Hacker, but his Hack - speed - was temperamental. If he had better control, then giving him the artifact for safe-keeping was a sensible choice. He could just run off into the sky. But not when he was at risk of stalling from the cooldown. He'd become unable to move in the air and go splat against the ground.
Lenzington? Unlikely, since he was weak in a direct confrontation. But then, didn't the artifact suit him better? He could use them to get to a higher vantage point, far from harm, and snipe out enemies. He couldn't be discounted.
Soul was the opposite. He liked fighting directly with his axe. The Bottes Zephyr wouldn't benefit his fighting style and, as naive as it was to think, the axe-wielder would never approve of blackmail. Not when he and I were on good terms. I had a feeling he didn't have the artifact.
Jade. His girlfriend. She had been in his room this morning. He could have given her the Bottes Zephyr and told her to stash it. He could have told her everything. And she was rather testy to me. Plus, she was a parkour master. She had the reflexes and flexibility to make the most out of the artifact. Instead of climbing up buildings, she could climb on the air itself. Not to mention, she was the only one with readily available ender chests to draw the artifact from. She was the most likely to have them.
There was also another factor to consider. I quickly turned when Cobb looked my way, but refocused my attention when he was occupied stuffing himself.
The cursed armor.
For some reason, four of the Beginners had worn brown leather armor enchanted with some sort of curse. The Curse of Binding. So they couldn't take it off, and more importantly, they couldn't put anything on.
Cobb's armor had been beaten off since then, but Floyd, Lenzington, and Jade all had some bits of cursed armor still remaining. They were working on taking them off - if you could call Soul beating them with a stick as progress - but with their feet covered by cursed armor, they couldn't use the Bottes Zephyr.
Speculation was all I could do, however. Despite my suspicions, any one of them could have the artifact, and would therefore have to be protected. I had planned to do that from the start because I was a decent human being. The only thing that changed was that I had to stay. I couldn't continue my search; I was bound to the Beginners while they held the artifact.
I resented Cobb for forcing me like this. For wrapping me up in his juvenile schemes just because I told him 'no'. Carys was a problem of his own doing, yet he was coercing me into aiding him and acting like he was in the right. And I hated how I had to sit and take it.
I no longer felt bad about painting a target on his back. Even Aikido couldn't forgive him for this.
[Cobb]
Even after midnight, the storm refused to stop. If anything, it got worse! Lightning lit up the sky and crashed into the buildings, momentarily setting them ablaze before the rain extinguished them. A stir-crazy Floyd was out checking the other houses for supplies. He could only get swatted with a stick for so long before growing tired of it. Good news was that Soul knocked off Floyd's cursed tunic and Jade's cursed cap. It would take longer for the rest of it, but the two quickly swapped their destroyed armor for diamond enchanted counterparts.
We passed the time with idle games. Charades, Rock-Paper-Scissors, Chopsticks, 20 Questions (Lenz was a beast at that game). Mostly we were trying to take our minds off the storm.
That changed when the door slammed open. Jade and Soul went from pantomiming rowing to battle-mode, drawing their respective weapons in three seconds flat. They found themselves pointing their weapons at a drenched Floyd.
"Trouble." He gasped breathlessly.
That was all it took for us to follow him out, our weapons drawn. Had Carys inexplicably found us?
We sprinted through the rain after Floyd, and as he turned a corner onto a different street we saw movement and flashes of Creeper-green.
Mobs. A smorgasbord of Zombies, Spiders, Creepers, Skeletons, and a few Witches. They were attacking a group of Crafters and Testificates. All but one of the Crafters was on the front lines with swords, protecting a trio of Testificates and the last Crafter behind them. None of them wore the white caps of the Zeppil guards.
Floyd, Soul, and Noman reacted first, jumping right into melee range and drawing the Mobs' attention from the band of Crafters. Lenz picked off the Skeletons with his bow and Jade and I brought up the rear, tearing through enemies with practiced ease. After fighting Carys, Mobs seemed slower and weaker.
The band of Crafters looked surprised but grateful for our intervention, and parted their formation to accept us. There were eight of them in total. Five Crafters, three Testificates.
Soul's newly enchanted axe tore through Zombies like paper. He eagerly collected their EXP, replenishing the levels the axe cost. The Creepers' explosions were blocked by sword and shield, the damage mitigated. Jade's blurred slashes dealt critical hit after critical hit to the Spiders and showered her in string and spider eyes. The band of Crafters helped when they could, calling out dangers and forming a protective line.
The Witches were a problem, though. Three of them. One of their splash potions poisoned Floyd and another weakened Soul to the point where he couldn't swing an axe. Lenz focused fire on them and gave Noman an opening to get closer with his sword.
He raised it and I half expected that to be the end of it, but all of a sudden one of the Crafter band threw themselves in the way. Noman stilled mid-swing.
"Please, move!" He warned, trying to get around the Crafter, but to no avail.
"You can't!" The Crafter, a female, wailed. "They're our friends!"
"What!?"
"Beatrix, get BACK!" One of the males from the Crafter band shouted, a sentiment I echoed. "They're not the same people anymore!"
"But-"
Too late. The Witch cackled before hitting the woman AND Noman with a splash potion of slowness. Its fellow would have piled on with a potion of harming, but Lenz shot them both back, killing one.
"No! Jamal!" Beatrix grieved for the dead Witch. What was wrong with that woman? Couldn't they see the Mobs were trying to kill them? Did she always give Mobs names? Also, what sort of witch name was Jamal?
Agatha was a much more suitable name.
"Miss, please move aside." Noman chastised, trying to pursue the Witches before they could drink any healing potions.
"Y-You can't!" The woman cried again. "We traveled with them! They're our friends!"
"What are you talking abou-?"
His question was drowned out as lightning crashed from above, zapping close to the building the Testificates were cowering against. One of them was hit and I thought that it was surely dead…
Except it walked out of the column of lightning as a Witch. Pointy hat, wart on nose, and purple robes. One of the other Testificates screamed as the newly made Mob turned to them, a splash potion of harming in hand and a dark gleam in its eyes.
"Reese! Reese, don't!" The Testificate begged, tears in its eyes as Reese cackled maddly. "Reese, it's me! It's me!"
The Witch once named Reese advanced maliciously before one of the Crafter band took her out. It was done with a grim expression. But it was done.
Now the woman's ravings made more sense. The Witches had been Testificates. Fellow traveling companions before the lightning transformed them into alchemy-crazed monsters. They weren't the same people anymore.
That knowledge made the rest of us fight harder and kill the Witches quicker. Despite Beatrix's cries, we dispatched them all and one of the Crafter band herded the last two Testificates into the building to spare them the same fate.
More lightning zapped the streets, killing a few Mobs, missing my friends by inches, charging a Creeper…!
"CHARGED CREEPER!" I warned at the top of my lungs, flicking Backlash out and snagging the glowing blue Mob right as it was about to sneak up on Noman. A shield wouldn't do much against that blast. Just ask Alec.
"Charged Creeper Flail!" I yanked back and hurled the Charged Creeper at whatever was left of the Skeletons. It intercepted one of their arrows and the enraged Creeper hissed, flashing brightly until…
KABOOM!
Even though I'd thrown it a good distance away, the explosion knocked many of us off our feet. We got off easy compared to the undead Mobs; bones and bits of dirt fell with the rain and a massive crater was left as the supercharged Creeper's calling card. There was a faint ringing in my ears as I got to my feet, gazing at the destruction with a bit of pride.
The others dealt with the rest of the Mobs, until finally, with the death of the last Spider, the streets were safe once more.
"Thank you for the help." The apparent leader bowed lowly before us. After dealing with the Mobs and gathering arrows for Lenz from the slain Skeletons, the band of Crafters invited us to talk and share company until the storm passed. It wasn't like we left anything at the old house, so we accepted. The new place was a larger residence and had all the amenities of the first, including a piping hot fireplace.
"Normally, we can handle the odd Mob or two," the other male Crafter, CormacMcCognac, piped up. "However, they ambushed us. And then, when the lightning struck, Jamal, Tina, Raul and Reese, they…" He trailed off with a somber expression.
"Things derailed fast." The leader, Beican, finished. "Had you not arrived, we may have suffered greater losses. You have my humblest gratitude."
"We were happy to do our good deed for the day." Soul nodded, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Anyway, Floyd's the one that found you. The thanks should go to him."
Floyd and Beican went back and forth expressing and dismissing gratitude in turn while one of the other members of the band introduced us to everyone.
"My name is Mirabelle." She performed a slight curtsy, parting her beautiful flowing dress. It had been soaked in the rain, but she had dried it off pretty quickly by the fireplace. I noticed she was the Crafter who stood back with the Testificates, refusing to fight. "The one humble-arguing with your friend over there is my husband Beican. You've met Cormac."
She moved to the Testificates, but paused. They were still shaken from their fellows' transformation. Ultimately, she decided to introduce them from a distance. "That's Sue and Clyde. They were part of a village to the north, but wanted to tag along for safe passage to Zeppil. Better market to trade. They predicted this storm, but they didn't predict how violent it would get."
Unsaid was that the four fallen Testificates also sought to migrate.
"And finally we have my two best buds, Bea and Delaney." The last two woman were lounging on the couches. Delaney had a pixie bob cut hair-style and waved good-naturedly, but Bea, or Beatrix, was as somber as the Testificates. "Bea was rather close with Jamal and the others. They traded often." She added in a tactful whisper.
"We're sorry for your loss." Jade spoke sadly, comforting the women. Beatrix stirred slightly, sniffling at the words. "It's dangerous traveling in a storm. More so when you're traveling with Testificates."
"We know. Again, we didn't predict a storm this bad. Almost like it came out of nowhere." Mirabelle beamed across the room at her husband. "Of course, my darling Beican told us about this village. If not for him, we might be cowering against a hill at the mercy of the elements."
"We lost four friends to this accursed village." Beatrix sobbed. Nobody quite knew what to say to that.
"A-Anyway, we should introduce ourselves." I tried. "I'm Cobb. This is Jade. That's Floyd, Soul, Lenz, and… Noman."
The shield-bearer was standing beside the Testificates, listening to their grief with a pained expression. Of course he would be sympathetic and kind. I'd feel better blackmailing him if he were a total asshole, but no. He was Mr. Perfect.
I was the total asshole.
"So why are you guys going to Zeppil?" Lenz asked, ingratiating himself into the conversation.
"We're architects." Mirabelle flexed her arms proudly. "We received a contract from a client in Zeppil who wants a lavishly designed mansion adhering to a unique visual aesthetic." She spoke the words like a master. "My husband didn't want me going alone, so he and his friend Cormac tagged along. And the Testificates were tagalongs for our tagalongs." She sighed to herself. "He worries too much, sometimes."
"I know that feel." Jade said, her eyes sliding to rest on mine.
"Well it's a good thing he did." I defended loudly. "With all those Mobs, he was right to care too much. Better to be safe than sorry. Wise is the man that cares too much, and will do anything to protect those closest."
Jade rolled her eyes and the women shot me peculiar looks. But across the room, I saw Noman fixing me with a fierce glare. Maybe my words were a little too on the nose. He let out a noise of irritation before moving out of earshot.
"So, what brings you folks to Shansi?" Delaney asked. "Nobody visits ghost towns. Or are you like us, taking shelter from the storm?"
"The second one." Lenz said. "We are hoping for the storm to blow over so that we can mine coal."
"Coal? What do you need coal fo-" Delaney's eyes widened in realization. "Oh my Notch! You guys have an airship, don't you!"
"Er…"
"You do! That's so cool!" Delaney's eyes were wide with wonder. "I've only ridden in one once, but it's the only way to travel! Provided you have the coal, of course." She snapped her fingers, an idea coming to her. "Hey, so, this storm doesn't look like it's ending soon. You think you can give us a ride to Zepp-"
"No!" Lenz suddenly shouted, stopping Delaney in her tracks and getting some odd looks from everyone in the room. Way to be subtle, Lenz. "I-I mean, we cannot, be-because… we…" he trailed off, looking to us for help.
"It's out of our way." Jade finished smoothly. "We just got our ship from there and we don't want to retread." Another way of saying we were wanted criminals in Zeppil. "We have places to be, you know how it is."
There was also an upset Carys in that direction, and an upset Carys is a murderous Carys. Also a happy Carys is a murderous Carys. Come to think of it, Carys is a murderous Carys.
"Why didn't you fuel up before leaving?"
"Huh?"
"Didn't they tell you to have enough coal when piloting an airship?" Beatrix was the one who asked, her expression suspicious. "You only got this far with your fuel reserves. Where were you planning to go?"
Jade and I faltered for an excuse, but this time it was Lenz with the save.
"...There was an item error." He invented. "Most of the fuel was charcoal. A common mistake, but a troubling one."
It sounded like a solid excuse, and Delaney and Mirabelle accepted it with a shrug. Beatrix didn't look convinced, but she was forced to drop it when the other half of their band arrived with the other half of ours.
"Soul tells me you need coal." Beican started.
"That's right."
"Well," he looked uncomfortable, "it'd be remiss not to say so, but I do know a place to find coal in great quantities." That caught our attention. "Before it was abandoned, Shansi had a thriving coal mine. Miles and miles of coal deposits buried deep below. The mine's entrance is just down the road, at the base of the hill."
"How do you know all this?"
"I used to live here. Earned a nice sum of emeralds as a miner and enough EXP to wrestle fully grown horses." He squeezed his forearm, displaying the impressive muscle.
Mirabelle whistled appreciatively. "Someone call a vet! Cuz those pythons are sick!"
"Aww, thanks honey." They got together and shared an eskimo kiss in a sickeningly sweet display that had the rest of us shuffling uncomfortably.
"Ahem," Jade coughed meaningfully, snapping the married couple from their canoodling. "So, uh, the coal mine?"
"Ah, right." Beican cleared his throat. "If it's coal you need, you'll find it there."
"Wouldn't it have been all dug up?" Soul asked.
"Most of it was, yes." He agreed. "But there was so much of it that it was stored down there until a time it was needed. I'm not talking about some paltry amount of coal, I'm talking about a deposit so large that it had to be stored in dozens of double chests… in block form."
"Then that is what we need!" Lenz bolted up, and I could imagine the shine in his eyes behind those tinted lenses. "With that much coal, we could fuel our airship for months!"
"Then it sounds like we know what to do." Soul smirked. "Can't believe they'd just leave all that coal lying down there."
"It wasn't by choice." Beican remarked softly, catching our attention once more. "Listen, guys. I told you about the coal as thanks for helping us, but I'm sorry to say that there's another half to this tale. There's a reason Shansi is abandoned, and it has to do with that mine. It's cursed."
"...Cursed." Lenz scoffed. "Cursed? You cannot be serious."
"Shouldn't that be the first bullet point you bring up?" I asked, folding my arms.
"I know. I shouldn't have gotten your hopes up." He apologized. "But the danger cannot be underestimated. And as for your friend's skepticism, I can assure you that the mine is cursed by an inconsolable spirit. It has been for quite some time."
"There is no such thing as spirits." Lenz shook his head dismissively. "Nor are there ghosts, apparitions, phantoms, specters, wraiths, or anything in between."
"Ah, I can see you're a man of science and reason." Beican sat down in a small wooden chair, fixing Lenz with a small smile. "Sure of all that exists, and yet doubtful of that which you cannot conceive."
Lenz took off his glasses, looking at Beican with a pitying look. "'Spirit' would imply something incorporeal, something less than matter. And I have no doubt this 'spirit' you speak of is precisely that. A fantastical story fed by fear, and at the core, a perfectly mundane explanation."
"Well, perhaps you'd care to listen to this old miner's tale first before assigning it some mundane explanation." He leaned back in his seat. "I'd hate for you boys to go down there unprepared for what you might find."
Lenz let out a sigh before taking his own seat. "Very well. Indulge us your spooky tale. If nothing else, it might be an entertaining story. Go on. I shall put on my 'Skepticals'." Lenz made a mock showing of putting his glasses back on, then palmed his chin as he leaned forward, eager to hear the tale.
He was being ruder than usual, but I guess he didn't care for the paranormal. The rest of us were more polite, gathering round the grizzled miner. Even Beican's traveling companions leaned in, interested in the village's past.
"To begin," Beican gazed into the fireplace we had all gravitated towards, "this story is a famous legend known throughout Zeppil. Some of you may have heard of the Wailing Vale..."
The words meant nothing to me or the Beginners, but Noman lifted his eyebrows in recognition and the Crafters of Beican's band all gasped collectively.
"No way. That's this village?" Delaney glanced around the abandoned building with fresh fear.
"I always thought it was a legend." Beatrix admitted. "A myth."
"It's no myth. I was there." Beican nodded, adopting a reminiscent expression. "The year was 117. Back when Shansi was a bustling village. However, since your brilliant friend is looking for an entertaining tale," he nodded to Lenz, "I shall share with you the more poetic version of events before fact-checking with my own account."
He certainly had a way with words. We were all on the edge of our seats, save Lenz, who remained skeptical. We were unbothered by the storm raging outside. The thunder and lightning may as well have been miles away as Beican wove an intricate yarn, whisking us back to when Shansi was unabandoned.
"This is the legend of the Wailing Vale."
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Iron Helmet, 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 Iron Pickaxe {Weak}, 1 Banner {Beginners}, 64 Cobblestone, 61 Cobblestone, 1 Bed, 36 Dirt, 11 Torches, 15 Coal, 17 Flint, 12 Jungle Wood Logs, 64 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 1 Bucket, 5 String, 21 Emeralds, 11 Snowballs, 9 Gunpowder, 40 Cooked Mutton, 27 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: 32]
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Leather Pants [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 30 Iron Ingots, 47 Dirt, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 48 Cooked Mutton, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Emerald, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Diamond Helmet [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 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: 32]
Inventory (Lenz): 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Pants [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, 48 Cobblestone, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 25 Gunpowder, 59 Arrows, 16 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 53 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 [Sharpness V], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 64 Iron Ingots, 52 Iron Ingots, 12 Flint, 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, 24 Torches, 34 White Wool, 58 Dirt, 64 Cobblestone, 62 Cobblestone, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Armor Stand, 5 Ender Pearls, 28 Emeralds, 64 Cooked Mutton, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 22]
Inventory (Jade): 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV], 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Leather Pants [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 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, 16 String, 47 Cooked Mutton, 27 Torches, 30 Jungle Wood Planks, 64 Cobblestone, 64 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: 31]
Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness I], 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, 39 Cooked Mutton, 1 Ender Chest, 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, 1 Arrow, 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}, 18 Bones
[EXP: 21]
AN: Hey look! A band of Crafters our heroes encountered on their travels! How much you want to bet one of them is crazy and/or will be axed off within the hour?
I should say it now, but this is the Wailing Vale Arc. I had this planned out since Chapter 116, where Noman hears about a couple of Zeppil local legends, including this one.
Short Chapter, but you get it sooner.
Follow. Fav. Review. Forum.