AN: First chapter of 2020. Better start it off with a riddle.
You know the drill: Get it right, you get a Victory Cookie (::) and acknowledgment next chapter. Get it wrong or answer too late, you get a Negative Cracker [::] and will be branded as losers for all eternity... or until the next chapter comes out - which, let's be honest, is eternity.
Puzzle: I'm tall when I'm young, and I'm short when I'm old. What am I?
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. Bwuh.
Chapter 145
In Raiding, Be Swift
[Soul]
Captain Glowing_Obsidian. He strode into the studio and commanded the attention of every soul. He lugged a giant fricken sword—a cleaver—behind him for Notch's sake! A Tinker's weapon. From my experience, if you wielded one of those, you knew how to use it and you were automatically a badass.
It was easy to see where Glowing_Obsidian's inspiration came for his name. His hair, peeking out from beneath an orange leather cap, was black and dyed cherry red in streaks—cracks—like obsidian heated over molten lava and bursting with energy. He wore a heavy black leather jacket, jeans, and a black belt and backpack. He was covered in diamond armor, cementing his status as a formidable Captain.
His face was hard and unyielding and his eyes were doubly so, twin grey orbs that took in the gathered ACC members.
And then they sought us.
Nephrait and Bhajan both saluted the Captain as he approached. "Sir." They said in unison. Jade and I looked unsure of how to greet him, but we needn't have bothered since he made the first move.
"Who are these two?" His voice was a low snort and I momentarily thought I was staring down a ferocious bull.
"They're new recruits, sir." Bhajan reported, introducing us. "They've come from outside the mesa to investigate the irregular cultist activity."
"Is that true?" He asked us, to which I shakily nodded. What was I doing shaking like a newborn fawn!? This was the time to make an impression. Show I was tough! "And what would you know of such things?"
"W-Well…" Of course, my voice cracked. Damn it! I was blowing it! BLOWING IT!
"We want to know why there are so many arrests." Jade answered for me, less affected by the manly waves Obsidian was throwing out. He was testosterone personified.
"You didn't answer my question." Obsidian stepped into Jade's personal space. He was taller than her and Jade was forced to tilt her head up or else give ground. "What of the cultists makes them business of yours?"
"They've—"
"I want to hear it from them, Bhajan." The Captain stressed, forcing the ACC member to silence. "Speak. I want to hear it."
Jade looked to me a moment before taking the initiative again. "It's my business because… I lost my husband to a cultist. He was cut down right in front of me." She frowned to herself. "Letting them get away with that… on top of all the awful things they've done… would be an insult to his memory."
At this point, everyone was watching and listening to us. It wasn't just Obsidian's presence. They all probably had similar stories of revenge against the cult. That's why they were here. This was Akasha and their scars ran deep.
I found my voice again when I thought of Silent. When I thought of Attila and her Skyscraper communities.
"I fight because of shame." I said, causing Obsidian's attention to snap to me. "I fought cultists in the past and lost. But it wasn't me who paid for it. My close friend died for me and I've been cursing my weakness ever since." I looked up, my expression firm. "I hate the Endward Cult because I know there are others like me who are just as weak and powerless to stop them, and I work hard every day to try and be the man that can protect Minecraftia from those cold-blooded killers. That's my purpose."
Obsidian had listened attentively and I saw a few ACC members nod in solidarity. There must have been one or two among them who had felt powerless, both at the hands of cultists and Hackers. They could instantly sympathize.
"Loss." Obsidian finally said, startling us. "It's the one thing that connects the ACC. Personally, I don't trust someone unless I hear what they've lost, so I'm gonna share too." He lifted his head, thinking back. "I lost my whole village." Immediately I felt a pang run through me, remembering the community of Attila's… and how it was blasted apart by Teal and her cultists. "Akasha was low on manpower, but there were always stragglers living in cozy little villages. That made them easy targets for the cultists to attack. They killed every man and woman and stole their Heads. Claimed they were sacrificing their bodies to free their souls. I was out hunting when it happened and when I returned…" His eyes darkened. "I lost it."
He subconsciously gripped the cleaver at his belt, squeezing it to bleed out the tension in his fist. His grip looked strong enough to splinter bone.
After a few tense moments, he relinquished his hold and breathed out. "As strange as it sounds, I surrendered my fear and let instinct take over. That's how I was able to slaughter those cultists in turn. I became a wild man, driven by rage, and it scared them so badly that—" He let out a low chuckle. "Let's just say my reputation precedes me."
"That's… that's horrible." I said honestly. "I couldn't imagine losing your village like that. Losing everyone you cared about…"
He slapped a hand on my back. Hard. Good God, how many levels did he have behind that strength?
"No need for sap, young man." The Captain comforted. "If I wanted to be pitied and coddled I wouldn't be here. I consider myself lucky just to have an outlet for all this anguish. Before Councilman McGahn found me, I moved from place to place, routing out cultists and torturing them for intel about others. Being part of the ACC allows me to put my talents to better use in protecting this Kingdom. For that, I'm truly grateful to the councilman and all the comrades I've met while serving."
"Now who's being sappy?" Nephrait smirked. "Anyway, I think everyone's showed up that's going to show up. Why don't we get the briefing out of the way so we can move ahead with the raid."
"I was just getting to that." The Captain clapped his hands twice, signaling to the rest to gather round. "Alright, listen up. I'll try and keep this as brief as possible since there are cultists about," several boos and hisses erupted from the gathering crowd, "and we don't want them to get away. So… here we go."
"We've received a tip about a group of cultists gathering at a local cafe. The owner goes by the name Bakara. Not only is he organizing the gathering, but his wife owns a seat on the council." There were a few startled gasps from the ACC members.
"From our own council…" One of them whispered.
"While we have no evidence of councilwoman Tyaag acting in the interest of the Endward Cult, the connection between the two is alarming enough for us to investigate, even without the knowledge of tonight's cult meeting. Our mission tonight is to capture Bakara by any means and then interrogate him about his reasons for arranging the meeting, his connection with the councilwoman, and any other intel he is willing—or unwilling—to give up."
"The cafe is only a few blocks away." Nephrait took over, plastering a large map on some item frames and sticking it to the wall. "It has two floors, but few exits. We're expecting at least thirty cultists present, but we're hoping we can contain them to the first floor. Make them more manageable. We need Bakara alive, but if the others run or resist arrest, you have permission to use deadly force."
There was a kind of energy to the ACC members after they heard those words. I could feel it too. It was the same feeling I had when fighting a cultist. Justified bloodlust.
Those cultists would get what was coming to them.
"We'll also be searching for evidence." Captain Obsidian continued, pointing to his belt and backpack. "We don't want to give them the chance to burn any crucial information, so search their Inventories the second you catch them. Toss away weapons and flint and steels, look for books or slips of paper. And above all, catch Bakara."
"Do you think Bakara is a Lieutenant?" One ACC member raised their hand. "Maybe an Executive?"
"We don't think he's that high up the food chain, but we don't want to take any risks." Nephrait stressed. "Assume he's dangerous and cannot be taken down alone. Work in pairs."
"If that's all the questions you have, I'll start going into depth about the layout of the building. I'm sure many of you have visited it for a bucket of milk or a cookie in your free time," there were a few snorts of amusement—even I found myself laughing, "but to those of you who don't frequent the place, try and partner up with someone who has. It'll make mapping the place out easier for you."
As Obsidian went more into detail about the specifics of the raid, I found a smile slowly spread across my face. This man… he was a professional. He was outlining all the entrances, the size of the building, the location of furniture, the stairwell, possible ambush points to watch out for, formations. He was a seasoned veteran in the art of the raid, but he was conveying so much in such a brief period while also making sure his people understood everything.
I had no problem having this guy lead.
I always respected people of action, be it Obsidian or Carys. And this Captain was starting to look like the new Carys.
[Carys]
The Endward Cult's weapon outpost was practically a maze of underground corridors. Navigating them would be difficult enough without the patrols of cultists sporadically passing us. Any time that happened, however, we were quick to surprise and subdue, extract information, and then consign them to oblivion. They'd probably thank us, since they believed that whole next life bullshit. We were just 'liberating' them from this plane, just as they no doubt did to other Crafters. I was sure the other teams were encountering just as many cultists on their end. So long as they kept things quiet…
Kal, Anibal, Z7, and I each led our own team. They were reasonably balanced so there was no concern of any of our own dying. Encountering a Lieutenant might heat things up, but I was confident the teams could handle themselves.
I pray to whatever God that exists that I encounter a Lieutenant.
I also jumped into killing the cultists we passed, slaughtering them as quietly as possible. I was a true Angel of Death in that sense, reaping the EXP from their disintegrating bodies to restore what I spent on paltry iron armor. They never saw me coming until it was too late. My armor didn't see a single nick or loss in durability. It was a shame I didn't have my Wither Skull Mask, but it wasn't like any of my victims could ID me. I was too brutal. Too swift.
In raiding, you had to be swift.
If there was one good thing about being low-leveled, it was that I could level up easier by killing cultists. The levels came easily. One level per body until I went from twenty-two to thirty. Then it took two cultists per level. It would take a while to get back to fifty-seven. But my strength was returning. Slowly but surely, it was returning.
Baltic tossed out a pair of potions, paralyzing the final cultist and allowing me to heave him to his knees and slam him into a wall. "Where are you storing the weapons?"
I was so close I could see my crimson orbs reflected in his terrified eyes. "Wh-Who do you think you are? You're d-dead! All of you will—"
I cut off his spiel with an elbow to the cheek before dragging him back up and slamming him harder against the wall. "I'm low on EXP right now, so I have no qualms about wasting you to boost my level. Tell us what we want to know."
The cultist spat in my face. "Like t-telling you would save me at this point. Ask someone else—"
I buried my scythe up and into his ribcage, his body falling apart and turning into gear and EXP.
"They're scum, but as least they're loyal." Dorian remarked, kicking aside the dead cultist's head.
He wasn't wrong. Maybe if I had my mask I could intimidate them by my reputation alone, but here, I was just regular Carys_Angel, the ultimate cultist slayer.
"Keep moving. We have to find where they're storing and crafting the weapons."
With me leading the way, we took the next couple of corridors. Every fork I came across, it was a toss up whether I'd go left or right. My Paragons followed me without question, however, and we chanced upon some stairs that led further down.
Turning the next corner, we ran into Z7's group finishing off a patrol of cultists. They were all accounted for and the Jibberwoman hadn't even broken a sweat yet. Witige, Shroud, Luis, and Heather looked to us, relieved that we weren't a new band of cultists.
"Carys, I got a message from Anibal." Baltic noted, holding out a synced map. "She found where the weapons are being made, but it's crawling with cultists. She needs all of us there to surround them. Kal's already en route."
"Then so are we. Lead the way and we can—"
"EEEEEK!"
I whirled around towards the unfamiliar feminine voice and spotted a cultist with long, burnt orange hair and light-blue eyes. She was… startlingly beautiful. I mean, I was straight, but if I wasn't… er, a-anyway, she may have been beautiful, but not very bright to shout out 'EEK!' when faced with a band of foes. And who even shouted 'EEK!' anymore? 'AHH!' was all the rage nowadays.
Z7 threw her dagger instantly. So fast that no one could have possibly reacted to it. But the female cultist turned to flee just in time. The dagger flew harmlessly past her shoulder, missing even her long, flowing locks.
Something was wrong. Z7's reflexive throw was too fast for the cultist to dodge. Even by chance.
"Intruders!" She shrieked, running around a corner. "Help!"
Dorian, being the closest, drew his sword and powered up with a Potion of Swiftness. "I've got her!" He promised.
But my eyes were still on the cultist. Her light-blue eyes were wide and afraid… and yet… there was something sharper within them. Something concealed.
Something deadly.
"Dorian, come back!" I warned too late as Dorian chased the woman around the corner. I didn't even get to see her name. I pursued with Z7, Shroud, and Heather backing me up. I pulled myself around the corner, scythe drawn…
Only to find a pile of gear and Dorian's Head lying on the ground. The cultist was nowhere to be found.
"What the… Dorian…" Shroud looked upon the fallen warrior breathlessly. "But… how… he was only out of sight for ten seconds…"
"Defensive positions!" I called out, my eyes scanning the empty corridor for any sign of the cultist that did this. "That woman was no mere grunt. She had to be a Lieutenant or an Executive to do something like this so quickly."
"But… but Dorian was wearing enchanted diamond armor." Heather noted, picking up the gear from the pile. "Notch, th-there isn't even any damage on it!"
"Did anyone catch the name on that cultist?" I asked without taking my eyes off the corridor. Had she faked fleeing to take her pursuer by surprise? Was it all an act? If so, she was smarter than I thought.
"N-No. They're just words. I never pay attention." Shroud mumbled, gazing at the pile in disbelief. "It was only ten seconds…"
"I saw the start of her name." Baltic noted, looking forlornly at the dead Paragon's Head. "Ember-something."
"Ember." I repeated, committing the name and her appearance to memory. She was a dangerous foe. Probably high up the food chain in the cult's hierarchy. "We have to keep moving. She saw us so she'll tip off the rest of the outpost. Batlic, warn Kal and Anibal about her. Tell them to keep their distance; she might even be at my level."
The Paragons gasped at that admission alone. I didn't want to say it, but to kill Dorian so fast while he wore enchanted diamond gear meant Ember was probably a match for me. Baltic obeyed my orders, sending out the message to the others using his map.
I knew there would be high-leveled enemies, I just didn't realize how strong they'd be.
If someone like her is here guarding things, that just means this weapons' outpost is important.
"Stick to formation. We're doing this."
[Ember]
Killing the guy may have been a mistake. Only one group of Crafters would be bold enough and well-equipped enough to invade an outpost like this.
The Paragons.
That name made my fingers tremble in agitation. That group was almost as galling to my ears as the name of their leader. The Angel of Death.
I gripped my diamond rapier, envisioning that black masked girl's neck at the end of it. She had to be here, a part of the raid on their weapons' outpost. But she wasn't among the group she came across. No Wither Skeleton mask among them.
It had been a surprise to be sure. I left the office to use the restroom only to stumble upon a group of armed Paragons. What are the odds?
It must have been fate for me to come across the invading group. The same group that killed Garden. It would be a mercy sending them to the next world. One they didn't deserve…
Looks like the restroom will have to wait.
[Jade]
Under the cover of night, it was child's play for us to surround the targeted building without attracting suspicion. I was worried that the ACC goons would just be another bunch of useless grunts, but they were surprisingly stealthy, making a minimum of noise, if any, and sticking to the shadows. They had even gone over the layout of the building, deducing the best entry points to ensure that the cultists within wouldn't escape. Obsidian trained them well.
I partnered up with Nephrait and Soul partnered up with Bhajan. Obsidian was on his own, and as for the others… I don't know, they were still nameless grunts to me. I know they introduced themselves at the studio after Soul's moving speech, but for the life of me I just couldn't remember them. It says a lot when you can't recall someone's name, even when that name was hovering inches over their respective heads.
I wasn't as invested in the raid as Soul was. Sure, it would ingratiate us deeper with the ACC and deal a blow against the cult… supposedly… and take us a step closer in figuring out why Akasha kept churning out cultists for them to arrest. But here's the problem. I was following Obsidian, not Cobb.
I wanted to follow Cobb. I trusted Cobb. Cobb was nice. Cobb was reasonable. Cobb cared about me. But Cobb would never conduct a raid like this. I'd much rather help a reluctant Cobb look for those Herobrine books, but Soul needed an ally here.
And, despite their previous infighting, Cobb would be upset if Soul died. I couldn't let that happen.
So, if following Obsidian's lead was what it took, then that was what I'd do.
I had my cutlass ready and I saw Obsidian draw his massive cleaver. He had his hand raised, commanding the attention of all the ACC members as we awaited the signal.
When he closed his fist…
*CRASH*
Windows shattered and doors were broken down as everyone entered the cafe. Screaming and shouting could be heard within, followed by Obsidian's roar and Nephrait's order that they surrender themselves.
Moving to the front of the surge of ACC members, I expected desperate fighting from the cultists caught by surprise. Surely they would prefer an honorable death over getting taken alive. To my surprise, however, I fought my way to the front to find unarmored and defenseless Crafters with their hands in the air, surrendering.
…Huh?
Glancing around, I saw a few people running, but… a majority of them were just giving up without a fight. Or rather… they couldn't fight. There were no swords or weapon hanging off their belts. Sure, we caught them by surprise, but even I would have had a weapon on hand. What had they even been doing before we came in?
The ACC guys took advantage immediately, grabbing the surrendering cultists—if they even were cultists—and pinning them to the floor. The ones that ran became the targets of excessive force as the ACC members caught and beat them into the floor, knocking many of them senseless in the process. Captain Obsidian tore through one fleeing man, killing him instantly, and making three nearby Crafters switch from running to surrendering.
Soul helped in laying people out, and it didn't look like he saw any problem with the scenario, likely assuming we caught them by surprise. He sliced one guy apart with his axe, causing gear to spill across the floor like blood. There was more screaming, more beatings. They never stood a chance.
It didn't look like they needed my help. Just as I was about to sheathe my cutlass, I spotted someone on the second floor balcony looking down at us.
"Bakara!"
Nephrait shouted, pointing up at the startled ringleader who quickly fled from the balcony. The green-haired woman moved up the stairs with purpose, her weapon drawn.
I flipped up onto a table, bounced off the wall, and parkoured onto the balcony before she could get there. Bakara threw himself through a door off to the side and I ran after him. I could hear Nephrait struggling to keep up behind me.
"Jade, wait!" She called out. "He's dangerous! Do not engage alone!"
"I think I can handle him." I countered as Bakara looked behind him at his green-haired pursuers and cried out.
"I'm innocent! Stop!"
"The innocent don't run, Bakara!" Nephrait yelled. "Give yourself up! This building's surrounded!"
"I know what you're trying to do!" He panted defiantly, taking a left out a door onto a balcony overlooking the street. "I won't let you hurt my wife!"
What's he talking about?
Nephrait and I reached the door at around the same time—she was a fast sprinter—and we watched as Bakara hoisted himself over the guard rail and dropped out of sight. He landed hard on his ass but fought through the pain to get to his feet and keep running. We were more graceful, leaping off the balcony and landing on our feet like a pair of cats before continuing to pursue the man.
"Seriously, Jade, you should let me take him! I'm faster than you." Nephrait proved this by passing me in her all-out sprint and gaining on the man.
Maybe, but I can parkour better. I thought, forgoing the chase to ascend a nearby building.
Bakara turned down an alley and I followed from the rooftops, getting a good overhead view of where he was going. Nephrait was closing in, but Bakara clearly knew the streets. He kept making sharp turns down alleys and streets, outmaneuvering the sprinter with ease. But not me.
On one hairpin turn, Nephrait completely lost Bakara and went a different path that led her to a dead end. I could hear her curse before doubling back.
But she was too late. My feet had already planted themselves into Bakara's back in a crippling drop kick. He collapsed into the street, skidding slightly and groaning in pain. I grabbed his arms and pinned them behind his back, tickling the back of his neck with my cutlass.
"End of the line, buddy."
"No, no… have mercy, Nephrait."
"I'm not Nephrait." I stressed, allowing him to tilt his head to look at me. I saw in his eyes that he didn't know who I was. It brought a frown to my face.
"Then… please, let me go. I haven't done anything wrong."
"What do you call that cultist meeting you organized, then?" I said, remembering Obsidian's orders to search a target after capturing them.
"Cultists…? Is that the lie McGahn spun!? Nonsense!" He spat. "We were meeting to arrange support for my wife, Councilwoman Tyaag."
My eyes narrowed as I searched his belt and backpack one more time, finding no books, no weapons, no nothing. He was clean. "So the ACC guys got it wrong. This isn't a congregation of cultists?"
"If 'cultist' is synonymous with political opposition…" He trailed off.
It sounded like some kind of conspiracy. Come to think of it, it explained why none of them were armed and why they surrendered so easily. They weren't cultists. That much was certain.
"Look, I'm new in Akasha. If there's something I'm missing, you need to share if you want any kind of help."
"It's blatantly obvious." He growled. "Akasha is ruled by the ACC and McGahn. They're the ones with the real power. And anyone that threatens the status quo is framed and thrown in the Pit faster than you can say—"
"That's enough out of you!"
Nephrait caught up and shut Bakara up with a swift blow to the back of the head. The man stilled underneath my grasp, unconscious. I got up and looked suspiciously at the woman.
"He was already caught. You didn't have to—"
"He was trying to trick you." She interrupted. "These scumbags are clever." She kicked the body. "He was likely trying to lure you in with false words before he killed you. It was fortunate I made it in time to—"
"He had no weapons to kill me. I searched him."
"I told you to wait. If you can't follow orders you won't have a place on the ACC for long."
I narrowed my eyes at the woman and she narrowed her eyes back. If I wasn't suspicious before, I was heavily on guard now.
"What else did he say to you?" She asked suddenly.
"Why should it matter? It was all bullshit anyway. Just as you said."
"That's… maybe what he said could be…" she tried for an angle, but ultimately gave up. He instead gestured to the body. "Care to help me carry him back? Obsidian will want to question him once he wakes up."
"If you didn't knock him out we wouldn't have to carry him or wait for him to wake up." I countered coolly. "It's almost as if you weren't thinking when you knocked him out. Like you did it on a panicked impulse—"
"This is a nice weapon you have." Nephrait suddenly said. To my shock, she was holding up the very cutlass I had sheathed at my belt. When had she—? "It's so sharp and sparkling. You must care for it quite a bit."
I swiped it back, my purple eyes glaring a hole through her head. "Touch my weapon again and you'll have it speared through your eye socket."
"Ooh, scary." Nephrait waved her hands, but was otherwise unfazed. "You gonna help me lug him back or keep threatening me? Because I don't think Captain Obsidian will be happy with you dragging your feet."
She had some nerve saying that considering I caught the guy. Still, if she wanted an excuse to prove that Bakara was innocent and that this whole raid had been a waste, I was happy to oblige. I grabbed Bakara by his right arm and Nephrait took his left, her hand lingering on his belt a little longer than normal.
We dragged him back to the building where the ACC were nearly done wrapping things up. Every Crafter in the building prior to the raid was either captured or dead. It didn't look like we had a single casualty.
Because none of them were armed. I thought traitorously, glancing around at the solemn faces of the conscious ones. What Bakara said makes sense. If this was merely to drum up political support for Bakara's wife, none of them would be armed. And here we are just barging in and attacking without warning. This accursed Mess Kingdom…
Obsidian noticed our quarry immediately and marched over without preamble. "You caught him. Good. I was worried he'd gotten away."
"He would've if not for me." I said before Nephrait could open her mouth. She shot me a glare and I decided to rub salt in the wound. "He gave Nephrait the slip, but I was happy to pick up the slack."
Two ACC members came over to take Bakara off our hands and I could feel Nephrait's anger at my comment. So much for being green-haired friends.
"Good work, Jade." Obsidian praised before looking over the unconscious man. "What'd you find on him?"
"Nothing worth mentioning. No weapons. No books. Nothing to implicate him as a cultist mastermind—"
"With all due respect," Nephrait interrupted, practically sneering the words, "but why not let Captain Obsidian search him himself. He has been doing this longer than you."
"…Alright. Go ahead." I gestured to Obsidian and he began searching Bakara's belt and backpack. He wouldn't find anything.
At least, that's what I thought at first until he pulled out an iron sword from Bakara's belt. The Captain frowned at it while I could only stare in open-mouthed shock.
"No weapons, hmm?" Nephrait taunted, causing me to grit my teeth.
That bitch. She must have planted it on him while we were carrying him. Which means she probably planted something else…
Just as I predicted, the Captain pulled something new from Bakara's backpack. Something I knew wasn't there on my first search. A book.
Obsidian flipped it open and scanned a few pages. "These are orders for an attack on the Pit. Seems the purpose of tonight's recruitment meeting was to gather forces for a prison break."
"Fortunately, we were here to stop them." Nephrait said, a smile on her lips. "I dread to imagine what might have happened."
"I'll have to follow up on this." The Captain stowed the book away in his backpack and turned to regard Soul as he approached. "You did good work out there, young man. Nearly took out as many cultists as I did."
"Aw shucks…" He blushed, kicking at the ground. "It was nothing."
"I might have need of your assistance again in the future. Both of you." He added, looking to me. His words brought a frown to Nephrait's face.
"Sir, is that wise? She couldn't even spot a weapon and book on Bakara's body. She's not ACC material."
"There was nothing on his body." I shot back. "You think I would apprehend someone without checking if they were a threat?"
"Jade, stop arguing with them." Soul whispered, though Nephrait cut him off with an arm.
"Oh, so I suppose the book just spontaneously appeared in his Inventory?"
"Why don't you tell the Captain what you were doing tampering with Bakara's Inventory? I saw you put something in his belt!"
"That's a serious allegation, miss." Obsidian spoke.
"Well, if it's anything like what she didn't see in Bakara's belt…"
"I'm warning you—"
"ENOUGH!"
Obsidian roughly seized Nephrait and I by our shoulders and pushed us away and down. I could feel our knees groaning in protest at his monstrous strength. This guy wasn't just a reputation. He could back it up if need be. Right now, though, he had enough of our bickering.
"I'm not one to point fingers over minor mistakes." He growled. "Jade. While I'm grateful to you for catching our target, Nephrait is more experienced than you and knows more about Akasha's criminal proceedings. You will give her the respect she deserves." Before Nephrait could smile smugly, the Captain whipped his head her way. "And you Nephrait. You understand how covert our enemies can be with hiding evidence. Is it so hard to consider that Bakara was concealing the sword and book while conscious?" She bit her lip in remorse. "Tonight was a successful raid with no casualties. It should be a moment of celebration, not this petty arguing."
At once, he lifted his hands off our shoulders and the intense pressure was gone, leaving only numb shoulders in its wake. Soul stood by me while Nephrait got up under her own strength.
"Bakara has been caught and a tragedy has been averted. That's what I'm taking away from this raid. And if the two of you don't want to be taken away from any future raids or operations, you'll let go this pettiness and learn to cooperate. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Captain."
"Yes, sir." I echoed.
"Good. Now," he turned to the guards holding Bakara between them, "take him and the others to the Pit. I wish to interrogate them about names and locations. See if they know where Arquero is hiding. After that, you can retire for the night. Again, good work everyone."
There were many salutes and clear words of gratitude and respect from the ACC members. Soul took a moment to offer his own thanks to the Captain and ask for further missions if any came up. The two exchanged addresses or contact information, but I barely paid attention as I kept my eyes trained on Nephrait.
She made sure the Captain was engaged with Soul before returning my glare, her lips drawn back in a sneer. Her hands were on her sword, but she simply turned and walked off, my eyes following her until she was out of sight.
"What's your problem, Jade?" Soul growled, seeing the hostility on my face. "Do I have to call your boyfriend back just to get you to play nice?"
"I'm telling you, there was no sword or book." I stressed. "Nephrait planted them to trick Bakara. Which means there's more going on here than the Captain's aware of."
"Say what? Is this another conspiracy of yours like that thing with Brett?" He asked, skeptically. "People can make mistakes. Why can't you admit to your own?"
"Did any of the people you killed tonight seem like cultists?" I hissed, justifiably angry at how little he believed in me. If it were Cobb, he'd believe me in a heartbeat. "They had no weapons."
"Because we got the drop on them."
"Tch. These people are as much cultists as Cobb is an Executive. They're being framed."
"So… no, no that can't be true." He said nervously. "If that were true, then that means Obsidian and I just killed blameless Crafters, and I refuse to believe that. They ran, Jade."
"Some of them ran, but the rest gave up, because, except for Bakara, the ones that ran all died!"
"I… but the Anti-Cult Committee should be on our side. Why would they be allowed to do these things if they were all a lie? Someone would have had to notice something sketchy going on."
I thought back to what Bakara was trying desperately to convey. About the nature of Akasha.
'Akasha is ruled by the ACC and McGahn. They're the ones with the real power.'
"Maybe it's time we investigate all the arrests that've been going on from a different perspective. Come on."
[Indrad Rock]
Akasha was a Kingdom of past glory.
It was built with a large population in mind. The many rooms making up Indrad Rock were designed accordingly to house the political figures that ran such a Kingdom in collaboration with the King.
However, since the exodus of citizens, both public figures and political figures, Indrad Rock became an empty shell, housing only the most stubborn… or the most resilient.
As such, the councilmen that remained had the pick of the litter when it came to offices, sleeping quarters, and other amenities. And no councilman had a better office than one Grosvenor_McGahn, councilman of Akasha and backer of the controversial Anti-Cult Committee. Even the King's quarters barely won out in terms of space, comfort, and opulence.
Councilman McGahn was a middle-aged man with dark hair tinged with grey. His receding hairline left his forehead broad and barren, save for a few creases brought on by his stressed job. He wore a dark blue suit over a white undershirt and a pair of black khakis. Dark shoes, an orange tie, and a black belt and backpack. His eyes were a rich orange, like two glowing suns.
The councilman was currently engaged in a conversation with Captain Chaara regarding the appearance of two Hackers that morning.
"Did they mention what brought about this unexpected visit?"
"Just that they said they were 'looking for one of theirs,' sir."
The councilman hummed in worry. "That would explain the plus one accompanying them per the reports I've been getting. Though why he or she is wearing a Creeper mask is beyond me. Without knowing his or her name or face, I fear offending the concealed Hacker while they are unmasked."
"Sir, we can't just leave them to roam amongst the populace." The Captain protested. "We cut this deal to avoid something like this. And now Briant, one of your own ACC members, is dead."
"I know. I don't like his death anymore than you," he lamented, "but you saw the threat immediately and ordered him to keep silent. Your quick reaction most likely spared a lot of lives from Winslow. He's known to be unforgiving." The councilman sighed heavily. "I hate to say it, but Briant forfeited his life the moment he talked back to a Hacker. There's nothing we can do but monitor them and stay out of their way."
"I don't like this." The Captain clenched her fists.
"I know." McGahn took out a book and scribbled something down before handing it to the Captain. "Here are the names of a few ACC volunteers who wanted to deliver the Hack Clan's tribute. I've marked down the ones who are more reserved and obedient. They won't lash out in a fit of passion like Briant. They can take his place." The Captain reluctantly accepted the list, knowing that there was little time to argue. The tribute had to be delivered. "Briant's ender chest inventory can't be recovered now. Go to the kitchens. I've prepared backup food for just this sort of emergency."
"Thank you, sir." The Captain nodded. "What about Briant's wife…?"
"I'll be the one to notify her." He accepted. "That much, at least, I can do. Just focus on delivering the food. We'll all sleep a little easier this month once it's done."
"Yes, sir." The Captain nodded before turning and leaving the office. Just before she left, she bumped into a green-haired ACC member.
"'Scuse me." The ACC member slipped by Chaara, her hand twitching to the Captain's belt.
"Nephrait." Came the halting voice of McGahn before the ACC member retracted her fingers.
"Councilman." The woman greeted evenly before the Captain shut the door, leaving the two to talk. "What'd Chaara have to say?"
"The worst of news. Three Hackers are currently occupying Akasha." The green-haired ACC member bit back a gasp hearing that. "I'm only telling you because I want you to steer clear of them. If you're not careful, those sticky fingers of yours will get cut."
"They're not just my sticky fingers," Nephrait waltzed over and sat on the desk, showing off her fingertips. "They're yours too. Yours to do with whatever you please."
"Get off my table, if you please." He frowned. She rolled her eyes, but acquiesced, taking a seat on the chair instead. "How did the raid go?"
"It went just like any other. The 'culprits' were caught and the 'evidence' was found. Only…" Nephrait hesitated. "There was a bit of a problem."
"What."
Nephrait winced, but continued. "I don't know how, but someone beat me to the arrest. She was just so fast, bouncing off the walls and parkouring like it was nothing! I couldn't keep up."
McGahn hummed. "Are you sure you just weren't too slow?"
"I'm not slow." The green-haired woman huffed. "She was just too fast. There's a difference."
"The difference being that someone else got to the 'culprit' before you could plant the 'evidence'."
"Yeah…" She rubbed her head, feeling sheepish. "She also took a page out of Obsidian's book and searched the guy before I could get to him. I was able to plant the evidence by the second search and convince Captain Obsidian and the rest, but… the girl knows I did it. She kept watching me the rest of the night."
"So you were caught in the act?"
"It's not as bad as you make it." Nephrait said quickly. "The girl, AceOfJades, she's new to Akasha. She hasn't built any trust with Obsidian. Nobody believed her when she said there was no evidence. Her own friend was skeptical."
"But you still have your worries."
"…We had a bit of a spat. I don't think we're bosom buddies." Nephrait said. "I don't know how easily I can plant something if she comes along on the next raid. And she's definitely coming, since Captain Obsidian was so impressed with her and her friend catching the guys."
The councilman tapped his desk rhythmically. "Well, that can be remedied with a little creativity on our part." He opened his desk-side chest and brought out a book before thumbing through it. "Does this AceOfJades have any trademark weapon we can make use of?"
"Oh yeah." Nephrait grinned. "A diamond cutlass. Real gaudy weapon. Makes me green with envy."
"I'm sure." McGahn scribbled something down in the book, thinking to himself momentarily before scratching out a few more things. "We'll need this taken care of before it can escalate further. We can't risk losing control of Glowing_Obsidian."
"Don't have to tell me twice."
"In the meantime, I'll try and negotiate with Councilwoman Tyaag. I'm sure her political support will crumble once it's aired that her husband, Bakara, was arrested tonight on suspicion of being a cultist." The councilman finished the book with a flourish before sliding it across to Nephrait. She pored over the contents with an evil grin.
"Oh, Councilman, you're so bad."
"I prefer calling it thorough. Now go. Put those sticky fingers to work."
"Yes sir." She saluted before leaving her seat and exiting the office. In the silence, McGahn was left to organize his thoughts…
And keep a careful watch over the threats to his regime.
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Mob Head {Skeleton}, 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 Banner {Beginners}, 64 Cobblestone, 61 Cobblestone, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 4 Gravel, 1 Bed, 36 Dirt, 7 Coal, 24 Flint, 12 Jungle Wood Logs, 56 Jungle Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 7 Torches, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 String, 6 Emeralds, 1 Ender Pearl, 4 Snowballs, 9 Gunpowder, 19 Cooked Mutton, 27 Rotten Flesh, 2 Maps {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 33]
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 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, 3 Iron Ingots, 47 Dirt, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 21 Cooked Mutton, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Emerald, 1 Iron Sword {Weak}, 1 Diamond Helmet [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Boots [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Leggings, 16 Gunpowder, 4 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Invisibility {6:00}, 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 Pants [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 2 Levers, 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, 32 Arrows, 16 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 43 Cooked Mutton, 1 Ender Pearl, 16 Sugar Cane, 8 Paper, 5 Ink Sacs, 3 Leather, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}
[EXP: 15]
Inventory (Soul): 1 Diamond Axe [Sharpness V], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 64 Iron Ingots, 52 Iron Ingots, 20 Flint, 12 Gold Ingots, 1 Milk, 1 Diamond Helmet [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, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 18 Gravel, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Armor Stand, 3 Ender Pearls, 47 Cooked Mutton, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {21 Mool Road}
[EXP: 27]
Inventory (Jade): 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV], 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV], 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Diamond Chestplate [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, 23 Cooked Mutton, 14 Torches, 30 Jungle Wood Planks, 64 Cobblestone, 64 Cobblestone, 24 Obsidian, 2 Buckets, 1 Compass, 1 Clock, 1 Ender Chest, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Dover Plains Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Lazuli Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}
[EXP: 36]
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] {Weak}, 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Bow [Infinity], 28 Birch Wood Planks, 34 Iron Ingots, 18 Sticks, 1 Bucket, 1 Crafting Table, 16 Cooked Mutton, 6 Ender Pearls, 1 Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Potion of Water Breathing {8:00}, 1 Bed, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Zeppil}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}, 1 Compass, 1 Arrow, 3 Sugar, 14 Bookshelves, 6 Enchanted Golden Apples, 1 Diamond Helmet, 1 Diamond Leggings, 1 Diamond Boots, 6 Emeralds, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 18 Bones, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 49 Gravel, 9 Flint
[EXP: 25]
AN: No Cobb this Chapter. Again, I'm trying to play with time a bit. Many things are happening at different times of the day, but you'll see that next Chapter when we shift back to Cobb and the wimpy brigade (Lenz and Noman).
On the topic of names, many of the names of Akasha's people are based on a loose English to Hindi translation. Chaara, Tyaag, Bakara, Bhajan. And of course, Nephrait is like Nephrite, which is another form of Jade. Both have green hair and both are at odds with one another.
I try to do that with Kingdoms where the people and villages have names of a certain language. Zeppil was based off China. Jolin I tried Native American. Akasha is Hindi. Daymonte, I think, was based off Austria.
They're not mainstream names and are harder for me to remember, but it adds a bit of character to the places the Beginners go. Like you can tell where they are by the poeples' names.
Anyway, leave a fav, follow, review, or just check out the forum. Details on profile.