AN: Oh God, writing for Alexicon hurt. Oh God, it took so long and rereading it made my head hurt. So many apostrophe's and eth's. You don't know the horrors I've seen.
Hope everyone is staying healthy, washing your hands, exercising, and disinfecting EVERYTHING. Maybe some of you are out of school. This Coronavirus is getting crazy. I'm mentioning it in the AN, not to scare you, but as a reminder to keep clean and healthy. Don't be stupid like those idiots doing the self-proclaimed 'Coronavirus Challenge'. Yeah, some people are licking toilet seats on planes and calling it the Coronavirus Challenge. I'm not kidding. People are morons.
Don't lick toilet seats, kids. Wash your hands.
Moving on... Conflagulations to PiRounded for guessing last Chapter's riddle. The answer: Your Breath! Enjoy your Cookie and your acknowledgement.
(::)
Puzzle: What has a bottom at the top?
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft.
Found the Woodland Mansion and a portal to the Nether. Used it to try and get back. Died in the process and lost my gear, but I made it home. Sigh.
Chapter 148
Knowledge is Power
[Spring]
I ducked as the Hacker's sword nearly decapitated me. After being on the receiving end of one of his punches, I knew how monstrous his strength was. His Hack was some kind of enhanced strength. That, plus his teleporting when struck ability, made a direct confrontation impossible.
Fighting on the catwalks added a level of balance to the fight. One slip would send you falling to the factory floor where cultists were still being pelted. Some had seen us ender pearl up and had sense enough to do the same to take the fight to the snipers, but we had been ambushed first. Our numbers were dwindling.
The Hacker, Kalmarin, looked frustrated to be taking so long on what he considered a grunt. I felt good about that. If I wanted to stand out to Ember, I'd have to first stand out to my enemies.
That's right. I'm not as strong as you, but I can hold you up. I'm just a nasty speed bump for you, but your horse can't get over me right away.
He had to be the one leading them. There's no way a Hacker would take command from anyone else. I heard that when the Hacker in Halstatt was slain, the Griefer army he had amassed basically collapsed upon itself and fled. It was a long shot, but maybe if I could kill him…
I twisted to the side, positioning my back to the edge of the catwalk before striking with my sword. It struck and his warping ability activated, making him end up off the side. He threw out a hand and clung on. I was about ready to stomp it off before realizing that another hit would just warp him back onto stable footing. That moment's hesitance allowed him to grab my foot and drag the both of us off.
"Spring!" Park shouted, notching an arrow only to realize it would only benefit the falling Hacker. Instead, he wrenched his aim to the side and fired at another sniper, knocking them off.
Kalmarin and I struck the factory floor with enough force to wind the both of us. My Health was in a dangerous place. Glancing at his smoking arm, I saw that his Health wasn't much better and it wasn't immediately ticking up. Most Hackers were feared for their regenerative powers, but it didn't look like he had any. He was mortal, just like the rest of us.
Even though it hurt, I swung my sword towards him, only for him to roll out of the way. He came back and aimed a kick directly for my ribs. I was too hurt to stop him. With my Health so low, one strengthened kick and it would be all she wrote.
No… I never got to show Ember my worth…
There was a rush of familiar burnt orange hair, a thin shimmer of diamond, and a melodious voice.
"Sorry, but I have an investment in this one."
A diamond rapier shot forth so fast it might have been an explosion enhanced arrow. It slid under Kalmarin's oncoming foot, the toe of which struck the rapier's guard.
There was a sound like an explosion of wind as Hacker met Executive. Ember_Waves had strength capable of stopping 4Blite's axe cold, but this Hacker's strength was on another level. I saw her arm visibly strain, but her expression showed no panic. Instead, she flicked her wrist, the blade of her rapier upending the Hacker's sole and flipping him onto his back. She then extended an arm against my chest and jumped back, carrying me away from the fight.
She offered me a wry smile. "That's twice I've saved you. I hope this doesn't become a regular thing."
"Uh… ah… n-no…" Damn me for stammering, but she was so cool! "S-Sorry, I couldn't—"
"You held your own against a Hacker." She cut me off, patting me gently on the shoulder. "You've done enough. Leave the rest to your Executive." She turned her attention back to Kalmarin, leveling her rapier at him. "This is where an Executive's other responsibilities come to light."
Kalmarin got to his feet, glaring at the woman. "You're an Executive?" I hated how he eyed her up and down, even if it wasn't lecherous. "You do have a different air about you. Are all the Executives super models?"
"Flattery will get you nowhere. And I prefer to think of myself as a role model than a super model."
"You must know the other Executives, though." Kalmarin said.
"Oh, sure. Let me just blurt their names out like the stupidest person alive."
"I wasn't suggesting you're stupid." Kalmarin replied with a grim smile. "I was suggesting that the Angel of Death will have the names once she's done working you over."
"Ah, but who will be working over whom?" Ember smirked, a glint appearing in her light-blue eyes. "Now tell me, Hacker, will you give up the Angel's identity before the pain, or after?"
The Hacker shot forward, his sword reared back and smoke pouring out of his body. His eyes were terrifying and he was bellowing out a great battle cry.
"Ember! He has enhanced strength and a warping ability to take your back when hit!" I called out, hoping to help her. I saw her ears twitch at the information before she steadied her stance.
Just as Kalmarin was about to strike, Ember surprised everyone when she forwent her rapier and instead delivered a solid palm strike to Kalmarin's jaw. Predictably, Kalmarin warped behind her and I shouted a warning…
Only for a lightning-fast stab of her rapier to strike just as the Hacker materialized. Right into his armored chest… but the rapier's weapon ability allowed it to bypass armor as if the Crafter wasn't wearing any. So Kalmarin was feeling every inch of that diamond blade.
There was another warp, but Ember's hand was already there from the palm strike. She took a forward step, extending her arm further, and struck his chin with her elbow. Another warp behind…
She launched a precise kick at his knee and there was a loud snap before Kalmarin warped again, only this time he was curled up on the ground, howling and clutching a leg bent at the knee the other way. The smoke had extinguished itself, like a blown out flame, and his eyes were screwed shut in agony.
Ember looked down at the broken Hacker, idly waving her rapier in tiny circles.
"After the pain it is."
That settled it. I was head over heels for this woman. I had to close my mouth and look away so she wouldn't notice how taken I was by her display of power, finesse, and technique. She was as beautiful on the battlefield as she was normally—no, she was even more beautiful!
"KAL!" Came a shout from the Hacker's dark-skinned female ally before she came barreling for Ember. I needn't have worried. Ember saw the lack of Hacker lines and merely stopped the woman's diamond blade with the tip of her rapier, just like she had with 4Blite.
*Tink*
The attacker, Anibal, only had a single second of shock, before Ember twisted and slashed her across the torso once, twice, three times. A flurry of blows that bypassed her diamond chestplate and would surely—
A flying dagger came out of nowhere and forced Ember to stop her assault short. She hopped back, dodging it and coming to a stop beside me.
It was only then that I noticed how dire the situation was. There were only a smattering of cultists left, most of them having fled or, if the piles of gear and heads were any indication, dead. There were some fighting on the catwalks, Park among them, but there were way more snipers than cultists. They could distract them from shooting us, but not for long.
And to make it worse, backup had arrived. But not for us.
A woman with long purple hair and a scarred face retrieved her dagger before taking up a position besides Kalmarin and the now unconscious Anibal. She was shortly followed by a blue-haired old man holding potions, a crimson-eyed woman with spiky black hair and a diamond scythe, and a large group of battle-hardened warriors. They all had diamond gear and were staring down the Executive. She may have bested a Hacker, but even she couldn't take them all.
I had to help! I couldn't sit on my ass and lick my wounds any longer! I struggled to my feet, cramming food down my throat to regain Health.
"Reinforcements, hm? Wish I thought of that." Ember commented before slapping her forehead in an act of mock remembrance. "Oh, wait. I did."
No sooner had she said that than a Nether Portal appeared behind us, the black, obsidian structure seemingly appearing out of thin air. The enemies all tensed when the purple portal swirled to life and a figure stepped out, clad in a Skeleton mask.
"Man, did I get it right or what!" The skull-masked man congratulated himself, glancing around the factory floor.
"Impeccable timing, Executive." Ember agreed, keeping the man's identity a secret. Though… if he was an Executive and he was coming in by portal, it could only be Abyssmal of the Eastern Division.
"WOW~!" A bubbly female voice came next as Teal_Larkspur exited the portal, followed by a Creeper-masked man holding potions, then Lieutenant Leadstripe.
"We got here in a flash!" Teal continued, taking note of the enemies all around her and grinning happily. "And it looks like they're having a party~! Thank goodness, I need a good workout. Thanks for bringing me along, Ab—mhmll!" Leadstripe and the Creeper-masked man—who I suspected was Lieutenant MarkAble—covered her mouth with their hands to stop her from dropping the Executive's name.
"Damnit, Teal, is your brain full of tissue paper?" Leadstripe insulted only for Teal to kick him in the nuts—every male in the room winced—and throw off his offending hands. Though she responded to Leadstripe aggressively, Teal caressed MarkAble's hand, gently prying it from her mouth and gazing at him lovingly.
Yeah, that had to be Lieutenant MarkAble.
"How bold of you, Marrrrrrgaret." She switched, the name sounding lame and making MarkAble cock his head. "Hmhmhm. Even in a mask, you're adorable~"
"Save the flirting for later you two." Abyssmal reprimanded.
"Don't lump us together, I'm not doing any flirting."
"Shut up, Margaret."
He groaned into his hands. "That's gonna be my name through all this…"
An Executive and three Lieutenants, and one of them was Teal whose strength was rumored to be on par with the Executives. And they weren't alone. More and more black-capped cultists stepped out of the portal, swelling our ranks.
"Knock out that portal!" The one with the scythe ordered before darting forward into the heart of enemies. Ember stepped in her way, rapier flicking out in a series of stabs and slashes.
"You seem to give orders, but your armor is so weak." Ember noted in the heat of battle. "Your skills are good, but I can't help but wonder why the Angel of Death isn't wearing diamond. Is there a story there or is the Angel someone else?"
The scythe-wielder didn't answer. Instead, she ducked and a pair of arrows flew from behind towards Ember. She twirled out of the way, but the scythe-wielder hooked her boot before tripping her up. Ember was back on her feet in a blink, hopping back and watching her foe with those piercing eyes.
The scythe-wielder's name—Carys_Angel—she was the wanted criminal from Ringwood who was supposedly slain. Her death must have been gravely exaggerated since she was fighting us in the flesh.
The enemies tried to get to the portal to close it, but the Lieutenants moved out to match. Teal intercepted the purple-haired woman with the garbled name.
"Hey, you~" She smiled with a bit of an edge. "You're the one that carved into my beautiful back at Lunar Castle. Just because your face is a scarred mess, doesn't mean you should do the same to others~"
"Blf gzop gll nfxs!"
"Sorry~! I don't speak 'dead woman'!" Teal strafed to the side of a dagger and lashed out with a solid kick. The purple-haired assassin dodged, when suddenly two splash potions struck each fighter.
Weakness for Teal, Speed for the assassin.
They were thrown by the blue-haired old man, BalticSkies. He and a few others were tossing out potions, providing support to the fighters.
Teal groaned at the loss in strength before the assassin blurred and jammed a knife into her shoulder. Teal let out a harsh scream, clawing at the dagger to no avail while the assassin twisted it deeper.
Then, another pair of splash potions struck. Poison for the assassin, Regeneration for Teal.
MarkAble bravely stepped forward. He was no fighter, but he knew his potions. He already had three brewing stands behind him full of simmering bottles while he cycled through his stacked supply.
Teal grinned up at the assassin, her shoulder already knitting back together thanks to MarkAble. Baltic tried to throw more potions, but MarkAble had better reflexes and could throw two for every one Baltic tossed. Soon, the assassin was plagued by Poison, Slowness, and Weakness and Teal was blessed by Regeneration, Speed, and Strength.
"You've got potion support too? Too bad mine is better than yours~!"
Then Teal struck out with a fist that launched the assassin off of her and into Baltic. Teal kicked up to her feet, invigorated and overflowing with power. She danced in place, jabbing at the air as if fighting an invisible enemy. Her smile was nothing short of cocksure.
"I can feel his love! It's making me stronger. I can feel something swelling up within my core~!"
"CAN YOU NOT!?" MarkAble shouted, covering his face despite the mask.
Meanwhile, Abyssmal drew out his bow and aimed at the catwalks above. "Let's see… ten… eighteen… twenty-seven. Shouldn't be a problem."
Then with insane speed, I watched the archer fire flaming arrows into the catwalks. For every shot, I watched a body burst into flames. Not a single arrow missed its target or struck a cultist. Abyssmal only had one good eye, yet he was aiming through a mask and shooting at so many enemies from far away with such precision. Flaming bodies and bits of gear rained down from above, turning the tide of the battle in an instant.
This was my first time seeing him in battle, but I had seen enough to know I'd never be a match for him. I doubted any archer could be a match for him.
Lieutenant Leadstripe was in the thick of it, lashing out with his dagger, but keeping a safe distance. Occasionally, I would see a body explode in a shower of gear, showing that the man was skilled enough. And soon, more cultists ran to his side, beating back the enemies that invaded our weapons outpost.
"Damnit!" Kalmarin winced, smoke swirling around his body. He was back on his feet—one of the potion throwers having healed his broken leg—but his Hackers powers had already failed once against Ember's skills. "We need to fall back!"
"NO!" Carys bellowed, dispatching three cultists handily with her scythe and drawing in their EXP. "They're all here! We can end this tonight!"
"The only thing ending tonight is this scar-studded lame-o and her pathetic lackey~!" Teal cooed at the paralyzed assassin and Baltic. "Margaret, can I get a lift~?" She called over her shoulder.
"Stop calling me that."
"You got it, stud muffin~!"
"…Okay, no… go back…" MarkAble hit her with a Splash Potion of Leaping. Teal then jumped high in the air, her teal-blue ponytail trailing behind her in an arc as she flipped around and brought her leg up at the zenith of her height.
"Time for Teal's terrific TealDrop~!" She cheered, her axe-kick coming down to crush the skulls of both downed foes at the same time.
A scythe met her in the air first, Carys having thrown it.
"Gah!" Teal had no hope of dodging it and was knocked back. The scythe spun in the air from the rebound before Carys grabbed it and pursued the Lieutenant. Teal, still infused with Strength, Speed, and Leaping, bounced to her feet to meet Carys' blade with a kick. Carys spun to bleed off the momentum and caught Teal along the face with the tip of her scythe.
"My beautiful face!" Teal raged, ramming a knee into Carys' chin. She hopped back slightly before grabbing a handful of ender pearls and throwing them all across the room.
"Warp Raid!"
Carys then proceeded to warp around the room wherever a pearl landed, slicing down a cultist or catching Teal by surprise. It was costing her a ton of Health to pull off that move, but she was taking the risk.
"Ngh. This isn't fun anymore!" Teal pouted, pulling out a light blue leather cap from her backpack and putting it on just as Carys warped close.
Suddenly, Carys slowed. She was in the middle of her scythe swing, but as soon as Teal put on the cap, she moved in slow motion.
"Carys! What are you waiting for!?" Someone shouted.
Teal laughed triumphantly, rotating her arm like a windmill and aiming a bone-crunching haymaker into Carys' face.
Or she would have, if an ender pearl hadn't touched down elsewhere at that moment, warping the scythe-wielder away. Teal over-extended and spun in place, looking confused at her missing target.
Carys, meanwhile, had her eyes locked on Teal—or rather the leather cap she was wearing. She mouthed something, but whatever it was got drowned out by the fighting. She threw a Splash Potion of Healing at her feet to restore her Health.
"Come on, don't be shy~" Teal taunted, gesturing with her arms. "I promise you won't get slowed down this time. Really~!"
Carys narrowed her eyes before drawing her bow. Teal laughed, relaxing her posture as if daring her to take a shot. In response, Carys tilted her aim slightly to the right and fired.
Teal's smile dropped almost as fast as she moved to intercept the arrow meant for MarkAble. She was still too slow, however, and the arrow caught the alchemist in the leg, eliciting a pair of cries from the Eastern Lieutenants: One of pain, one of anguish.
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
The bull charge came at Carys with reckless abandon, allowing the calmer fighter to dodge with ease. The second Teal lost control, she lost what made her truly deadly.
Carys tried to exploit it further, taking another shot at the hurt MarkAble, but her arrow was intercepted by a flaming one.
"Hey, leave our potion-man alone." Abyssmal warned with little heat, his flaming bow making up for it. "He's got a lot of our paperwork left to do."
"…Hate… you…" MarkAble grumbled.
"I think of you as a brother too, Margaret."
"Ugh…"
Carys stared down the Executive before a surge of bloodlust had her dodge-rolling away from a fishnet-clad kick aimed to snap her spine. She then had to deflect a dagger thrown by Leadstripe only for a rapier to skewer her left shoulder. She had no time to breathe, however, as Ember back-flipped away just as a volley of flaming arrows pelted her. They all targeted Carys at the joints, weakening her stance, shearing off loads of Hearts, and making her catch fire.
She was sent staggering back, panting with exhaustion, yet fighting through the flames covering her body. One of their potion supporters thought fast and hit her with a Splash Potion of Fire Resistance, but the damage was already done.
Carys remained on her feet, however, glaring at the Executives and Lieutenants in her way. Kalmarin and that purple-haired assassin recovered and joined at her side, weapons drawn. The other enemies marshaled their strength and stood with her… but only the ones still alive.
Cultists were still pouring from the portal and we had them surrounded and outnumbered. The snipers above were taken out and Baltic was dragging an unconscious Anibal around.
They had to know they were fucked.
The Hacker muttered something to Carys, but she made no show of keeping things secret, throwing their hands away.
"Does it look like we can escape? We have to fight our way out."
"There doesn't have to be a fight." Ember suggested, offering her hand kindly. "A new life is waiting for you, Paragons. Just throw down your weapons and accept that your time in this world has come to an end."
"Not until you're all dead." Carys threatened.
"Well, it was worth a shot." Ember shrugged, swiping out with her rapier as she rushed forward.
She had to stop short when an arrow whizzed towards her from above. It was promptly intercepted by Abyssmal's arrow…
*KA-BOOM*
Before exploding!
The explosion blew up chunks of rock and—*GASP*—blasted Ember into the factory floor. The cultists surrounding the Paragons all had time to shout in alarm before a barrage of arrows rained down from the catwalks. Abyssmal intercepted each with one of his own, but these arrows exploded on contact, killing cultists, drowning out sound, blasting rock apart, and generally causing pandemonium.
It was all I could do to dodge panicked cultists and make my way over to where Ember was hurt. I grabbed her arm and pulled it over my shoulder before dragging her out of there. I was helped by Lieutenant Leadstripe, the closest on the scene.
"They're escaping!" I could barely catch Abyssmal's shouts as he was kept busy intercepting the volley of explosive arrows. How anyone could make arrows explosive, I had no idea. Was it a new crafting recipe from the Bounty Days? It was the first I was hearing of it. "Stop them! Teal, go after them! Teal you can kiss your boyfriend's boo-boo's later!"
Teal, however, ignored her superior, shielding MarkAble from the explosions with her body—maybe a bit too excessively as she was smothering him with her chest.
"It's for your safety!" She argued/moaned.
Lucky bastard.
In the end, none of our best were pursuing the Paragons, which meant that in all the confusion, a handful of lowly cultist grunts would be the only thing between them and a clean getaway. We'd whittled them down, but they were escaping.
It was a total disaster.
A dazed Ember leaned her head into my chest.
*Happy Noises*
[Cobb]
*Angry Noises*
The momentary shock at being presented the third in Herobrine's Mob books wore off when I remembered what the guy did. I was almost—almost—tempted to crack open Mobs of the Nether, but I threw it and the other two books onto the ground.
"I don't want these!"
Alexicon's eyes slanted and she gave me a disapproving glare. "One shouldst treateth books liketh a fine mistress. Doth thee smack thy mistress into the dirt?"
Alright, that one I understood. "No, I don't smack my mistr—my girlfriend. Dang it, speak normally. Anyway, I'm not the one who wants these books. This guy," I pulled Lenz in front of me, "he's the one who loves to read. Give them to him."
"I do enjoy reading." Lenz chimed in. "But I am more interested in how you have Herobrine's third Mob book." He picked up Mobs of the Nether and flipped to the last page, humming with interest. "There is a section in Jibberish here too. How did you keep these books safe?"
"That would be my job." Arquero stepped forward. "I used to be a common thief, pickpocketing emeralds, diamonds, and rare items. Alexicon was my last target, but she commented on how poor my skills were. In a story stranger than fiction, she pointed me towards some informative books on how to be a better thief. Since studying them, I've been able to steal bigger game. You ever heard of the Golden Statue of Tanner?"
"…No?"
"That's because I stole it." He said proudly. "Broke it into sections and smuggled it off of Indrad Rock. The left leg and ass were the hardest, but I got it. On a completely unrelated note, would you like to see the golden statue I built of myself?"
"Vanity, thy nameth is Arquero."
"ANYWAY," he said a bit louder, "I owed Alexicon for the burglary tips and tricks, so when the ACC came for her, I helped to save as many books as I could from the burning Akashic Records and we relocated here. Since then, I've taken the title of the Book Burglar, stealing any books I could find—especially Herobrine books—and refilling Alexicon's collection."
"That's very noble of you." Noman nodded.
"Thanks." He rubbed his head sheepishly and glanced aside. "Sorry about taking your books. Alexicon is crazy about the author."
"She'd have to be crazy to have a section devoted to him." I grunted, glaring at the chest atop the altar. "What, does she revere him or something? Is she a cultist?"
"Nay. Art thee?" She fired back.
"No."
"Then t's settl'd." She clapped with a closed-eyed smile. "The rec'rds art free of cultists." She plucked Mobs of the Nether from Lenz's hands and presented it to me. "Might I int'rest thee in a novel novel?"
"No thanks." I gritted through my teeth, turning away from the librarian and the Herobrine book. "We got our books back. We can leave now."
I heard Alexicon make a dissatisfied noise before she stooped down to gather the other books I had thrown down. Lenz was trying to take the third book back, wanting to inspect the back page written in Jibberish, but Alexicon wasn't giving it to him. Instead, she hurried over to get in my way.
"What is it, now?"
"Thee careth not f'r the books?" She asked, pointing to the stack of Herobrine books.
"No, I don't."
"…How much damageth doest an Enderman inflict?"
She said it so fast that my mouth immediately replied. "Five Hearts."
I quickly slapped a hand over my mouth, desperate to take back the words. Curse my eidetic memory! I spared a glance at Alexicon and found the librarian with a smug smile.
"Comical. Thee careth less, but rememb'r lots." She perused Advanced Mob-Slaying, tapping the page where I got the information from.
"Fine. So I read the books enough to memorize them. That was before I found out Herobrine was the big cheese of the Endward Cult." I folded my arms. "Now I know. And now that I know, I don't wanna know. I don't want to pick up another Herobrine book again. Now if you'll excuse us…"
Alexicon's eyes darted to my belt, then Lenz's, then Noman's before she adjusted her glasses.
"Might I int'rest thee in a booketh about fishing?"
"I'm not—" I paused, looking at Backlash on my belt.
"P'rhaps a tome on redstone circuitry?" She went on.
"I am listening."
"Lenz…" Noman sighed. "We promised the others to be back after we found our books. We don't have the luxury to read right now."
Finally, some common sense. Noman had my back, and no book could get him to—
"Wouldst thee changeth thy tune f'r the Vivlio Zythopoiias?"
Noman's eyebrows lifted.
Noman, you traitor.
"I seeth I has't thy attention." Alexicon adjusted her glasses with a smile. "Thy Artifact List wast a fascinating readeth. A particular int'rest to me wast the section on Tanner's fabl'd brewing book of fusty."
Brain: Okay, she's gotta be making up words now. The hell is a fusty?
Bladder: Fusty means old.
Brain: How do you know?
Bladder: I read Trolius and Cressida in college.
Brain: ...
Heart: I prefer Romeo and Juliet. It's very romantic.
Stomach: The one with the dual suicide, where the characters only knew one another for four days? Yes, very romantic.
Blood: I like Hamlet. Literally everyone dies in the end. And Macbeth. Very gory. Very delicious.
Liver: Guys, Blood scares me.
Blood: You're right to be scared… I'll unseam thee from the nave to the chops…
Liver: *Whimper*
Brain: I feel like he's quoting something… and I don't care.
Lungs: *Sigh*
"What is the Vivlio Zythopoiias?" Lenz asked. "And what Artifact List? Was that the book they stole from you, Nowhere?"
"Um…"
"Thee knoweth not?" Alexicon asked. "T's a—"
"It's a very powerful book!" Noman shouted. "It's a book that holds the power of potion effects."
That was the abridged version of what it could do. I could still remember the specifics in my mind's eye as if I was reading its entry.
[Vivlio Zythopoiias]
Tanner fancied himself an alchemist and a reader. He spent much of his free time perusing books in the Akashic Records. Therefore, I opted to make him an Artifact in the form of a Brewing Book.
I know what you're thinking. "Herobrine, how can a book be an artifact? How can you weaponize a book?" Three words: Knowledge is Power.
The pages of the book contain every status effect in existence—not just the ones you can only get via potions. Effects such as Haste, Mining Fatigue, Nausea, Absorption, Blindness, Wither are made available through the Vivlio Zythopoiias. Instilling the effect is as simple as flipping to the appropriate page and selecting it. The effect time is infinite. They can be used to improve the wielder, or be shot forth from the spine as a color-coded beam to affect enemies. A beam of Healing can deal with Zombies and Skeletons while a beam of Harming can kill everything else.
Furthermore—though I have yet to test it—the pages of the book should update with each Bounty Day, provided a new status effect is introduced to the world. That means the book should theoretically be self-filling. However, I don't expect a Bounty Day to occur by the time I'm ready to give this to Tanner, so I may never know if it worked, but I have confidence in my Command Block programming skills. I'm sure it will update.
Appearance: It looks like a Written Book, but it's the contents that distinguish it. The text within lists the specific status effect, and—unlike other books—the text is color-coded to the appropriate effect, respectively. No other book in Minecraftia would have colored text.
Weakness: Infinite duration status effects sound daunting, but they can be dispelled—like all effects—with a healthy dose of milk. Stock up on buckets and pray you're not lactose intolerant, because one shot with a beam of Wither effect and you'll be dead within a minute.
Location: Akasha
"What do you mean it holds potion effects? It is impossible for a book to hold anything other than knowledge." Lenz said matter-of-factly.
"Amen, brother." Arquero nodded.
"I know it sounds spectacular," Noman continued, "but it's real. And it can prove to be an asset." Noman urged, turning to me. "We could use it to blind and paralyze our foes, making it impossible for them to attack. Peaceful resolutions to violent altercations."
Noman's staunch pacifism; A product of his aikido philosophy and battle style. Or maybe it was the other way around. Either way, he hated to kill.
Blood: Wimp…
Noman turned back to Alexicon. "So… you have the Vivlio Zythopoiias here?"
"Aye and nay. A mirr'r'd sooth, to keepeth thee content." Arquero shot the librarian a strange look. "A paradox. A crab with nay meat, an oyst'r with nay pearl, a chest with nay gold."
"Um… is that a yes?" Noman asked, trying to be polite.
"Cometh." Alexicon gestured before pointing to Lenz and me. "Redstone and fishing. I can leadeth thee to the books."
"I shall take you up on that offer." Lenz went along happily. "Though, might I thumb through Mobs of the Nether a bit more?"
"Actually, we really should be leaving…" I trailed off as they followed the librarian out. "Aaand I'm being ignored. Swell." I harrumphed and folded my arms. Arquero offered an apologetic smile.
"Sorry. Alexicon has a habit of recommending books to people. She does it so that everyone can discover the joys of reading. I can't really complain, since, y'know, it got me into reading Get Rich Quick: A Thief's Guide." He glanced around the Herobrine section. "Maybe you can read some stuff while you're waiting."
"Not in this section." I dismissed, walking back the way I came and away from the thief. There were enough signs showing the sections and wings. Surely there was something that could keep me busy.
To my great frustration, I kept thinking of Mobs of the Nether.
There's gotta be a better book.
[Floyd]
"Hyah! Rah! Dadadada!"
In the safety of the gym, I lashed out with a series of lightning quick sword slashes, breaking some hastily constructed armor stands and basic workout equipment. With my Speed activated, my damage output more than tripled. I wasn't stronger, but I could land more hits per second.
"Yes, good, brother." Sandra encouraged as she watched from the sidelines. "Envision the pathetic Crafters before you as you break them down. Show them why you are superior. Show them the difference between you and them. You are a God, and their continued existence is only because you deign it to be so."
Aaaaand there went my good mood. I instantly turned off my Speed and slumped to the ground.
"I'm not a God, Sandra."
"You are!" She emphasized, smoke pouring out of her body in anger. "I told you to say it. You. Are. GOD! All Hackers are Gods."
"Right now, I feel like a dead fish." I pointed out, prone and unmoving on the gym floor. Sandra let out an aggravated sigh before coming over to help me up. "I'm not training to be some great destroyer. I'm training to be an asset for my friends."
"You'd be a God if it weren't for those deceitful worms…"
"What was that?"
"I said if you started thinking like a God, maybe you'd start acting like one."
"Couldn't agree more." Came a rough voice from the door. Unfortunately, it wasn't Soul.
"Winslow. How'd it go?" Sandra leaned me against a bench rather hastily before going to him.
"Not too bad a flight. I made great time. Told them we'd be here a bit longer, and no, brother, I didn't mention you. If I had, you'd better believe the more overprotective brothers and sisters would have flocked here to fuss over—"
"That's great! Tell me more about it in the other room, okay? Cool." Sandra didn't bother to wait, dragging the bigger and stronger Hacker into the adjacent room and out of sight. I could do little to follow them as incapacitated as I was.
Instead, I thought about my latest proficiency with Speed. It wasn't just about willing it to activate. Following Sandra's lessons, I'd learned to associate its activation with an emotion. The feeling of wanting to be somewhere in time or do something in time. If I could get from place to place in a blink, I could better protect people. Innocent Crafters and friends included. After all, that had to be what granted me those five extra seconds when Princess Alaqua was falling from the tree in Jolin. I wanted to run faster, so I did.
Tempering my Speed—training it like a muscle—was granting me better control than when I was blindly fumbling with it before. No offense to Lenz or his help timing my Hack, but it never netted the results I was getting now. I had a good grasp of my Hack's limits, could keep a consistent time check in my head, and could recover faster from expending Speed than I could before.
As for MultiAura…
It wasn't so clear. And unlike the last Hack, this one was suffering from involvement with other Hackers. They kept telling me to channel my hatred for Herobrine, but every time I did and it was starting to work, they'd say something they thought would encourage my hatred, but would really highlight how awful the Hack Clan was and make me forget who I was frustrated with. Then the power would collapse or run amok and I would be left panting and exhausted on the ground or with nothing to show for it.
It was probably a bad thing, but thinking about Cobb, Lenz, and Noman currently on a mission to obtain their lost Herobrine books proved to be a better fuel source for channeling MultiAura. It just made me so mad how they were breaking their necks searching for the writings of a lunatic. Why!?
And then there was Cobb. He revealed Carys' involvement with the Hacker deaths in Nitebane because he wanted to use them to kill her. What the hell? Did he not believe in us to be able to fight her off next time? Sure, they had gotten the drop on us, but we were stronger than ever. What did he think I was training for? Who did he think I was going through this torture for?
It was like he didn't have any faith in us!
It made me so mad, I could EXPLODE!
I didn't notice the smoke until it was too late.
At once, spines of smoke blasted in every direction, breaking windows, embedding in sandstone and workout equipment, and turning the gym's interior into a pincushion. They stuck solid for a few seconds before sublimating into that familiar dark vapor and vanishing into thin air.
I heaved a great gasp, not proud of how I got them power to activate. Thinking like that about my friends was dangerous… literally.
Sandra was back in a flash, eyes wide sclerae black. "What happened? Is everything okay?"
"Just a premature release." I internally cringed at my choice of words. "A-Anyway, where's Winslow?"
"I sent him back out to get something for training." Sandra dismissed with a wave. "He'll be back in a bit. Anyway, did you activate MultiAura while I was gone?" She looked pointedly at the broken windows."
"…Maybe."
"Good! What were you thinking about?"
How frustrating my friends could be.
"I… don't remember."
"Darn. Well, take a breather and we'll try again in a bit. And don't forget, you're…"
I sighed. "Invincible."
"Good, but say it like you mean it."
[Noman]
Lenz lost interest in the Vivlio Zythopoiias shortly after being led to the section on Redstone. He lifted both pairs of his tinted eyewear as he gazed upon shelved chests filled to the brim with books on redstone mechanisms, circuits, clocks, and innovations from all-recorded history.
I've never seen him run so fast. He didn't even care to ask for Mobs of the Nether.
The librarian had a radiant smile after seeing Lenz pouring so eagerly over the books.
"You really like recommending books." It was a statement rather than a question, and it got Alexicon nodding.
"I doth believeth something v'ry magical can happen when thee readeth a booketh."
"Like the magical powers of the Vivlio Zythopoiias." I guessed, only for her to shake her head.
"Books art a uniquely p'rtable charm." Alexicon spoke with a passion. "They alloweth thee to travel without moving thy feet, and can containeth knowledge compound'd ov'r centuries. Having a large quantity of inf'rmation ensures the latest gen'ration is cunning'r than the lasteth. Th'ref're, t's my solemn duty to ensureth this knowledge survives."
"It must be tough to protect it all." I commented, looking around at the shelves and chests surely stuffed with books. "Especially with Akasha and the ACC. Did Councilman McGahn and Nephrait turn the citizens against you like they did for the others?"
"Nay. Those savages did want to burneth mine own books." She snarled. "Herobrine's nameth wast to beest stricken from ev'ry tome. I'd lief'r consume mine own hand than deface a booketh! Thus, we w're at odds."
"That's one way of putting it. They burned down your library."
"Only half, but aye. Wast truly a tragic loss." She sighed, looking visibly distraught. "Arquero's been helping me refill the chests, but t's slow going. Luckily, I wast able to saveth the 'riginal Herobrine copies."
"What do you mean?"
"An 'riginal can beest copied. A copyeth can beest copied. But a copyeth of a copyeth, cannot beest copied." She explained. "The 'riginal allows f'r the greatest numb'r of copies and the greatest spread of knowledge. Hadst they burn'd the 'riginal copyeth of Mobs of the Nether, the knowledge wouldst has't been lost f'rev'r and et'rnity."
Or worse. If they had unknowingly burned the Vivlio Zythopoiias, Minecraftia would have been down one artifact. Speaking of which…
"If you don't mind me asking, how did you wind up with the Vivlio Zythopoiias?"
"King Tanner did love to readeth." Alexicon smiled sadly. "T seems liketh just yest'rday that gent wast sitting cross-legged, surrounded by books. He wouldst spendeth hours 'mongst the shelves…" She gave a reminiscent sigh. "I beheld the brewing booketh, then. Herobrine sign'd it himself, so it wast deem'd contraband liketh all the oth'rs."
"And he just gave it to you? Why?"
"Seeth f'r yourself." She stopped at a lone chest on a raised dais similar to the Herobrine section. A sign clung to the chest, labeling it to contain the artifact I was seeking.
It was… too easy.
What, no Labyrinth? No rival trying to blow me up with an explosive bow? It was just sitting there?
I took a step up and reached for the chest, clicking it open and finding…
Stacks of books.
"…Whut?"
I took out a handful and flipped through the pages, feeling my heart plummet. "These… none of these have colored text. They have the potion effects, but the text is in black. It's all in black!" I began scooping out more and more books, digging through them in the hopes one of them was the right one. "They're all copies! Where's the original?"
"I doth not knoweth." Alexicon said. "I only did copy the 'riginal to pres'rve the booketh."
"Preserve what? There's nothing of worth here." I snapped, furious. "You said you had it!"
"A mirr'r'd sooth, to keepeth thee content." She repeated from last time. "A crab with nay meat, an oyst'r with nay pearl, a chest with nay gold."
In other words, an empty promise to keep me content.
I let my hands fall so that my knuckles dragged against the endless copies. "You got my hopes up for nothing."
"F'rgive me. I hadst to keepeth thee h're."
"What?" My head spun round. "Why?"
She looked to the distance. "One of thee is conflict'd." She waved Mobs of the Nether with her free hand. "I wilt showeth yond gudgeon'rman what knowledge is w'rth."
"…Gudgeonerman? What's—hey, wait!"
She was already in a passing minecart. "Enjoyeth the library!" She called before zooming off somewhere deeper into the Akashic Records.
I knelt there alone, in a pile of copied artifacts. There went my hope for finding the Vivlio Zythopoiias.
Sighing wearily, I started politely heaping the copies back into the chest.
[Cobb]
It was at the far end of the library where I found something that wasn't a book.
It had been illuminating the outskirts of the Herobrine section, so I bothered to check it out. Now, I was face to face with a black monolith shaped like a door. And in the middle was a bunch of purple swirling liquid—it sure as hell wasn't water. It hung vertically without dripping from the black blocks, almost like a purple film.
I ran my hand against one of them, wincing at the sharp edges and the hard exterior. Whatever it was made of, I had a feeling I could mine it for days and get nowhere.
Then there was the unusual sound it made. I couldn't even begin to describe it.
Water sloshing and swirling within a giant, rubber ball, rippling in intensity. It definitely rippled.
Something dark and sinister dripping into your ear.
Some great evil slipping sibilant whispers to your soul, beckoning you to enter.
Those swirls of purple light were… almost… hypnotic…
"I seeth thee hath found our Nether Portal."
I blinked, suddenly aware of how close I had gotten to the so-called portal. My nose was an inch away from the purple film before I backed off a good five steps.
"Nether Portal…?" I asked the librarian who had just arrived via Minecart. She carefully stepped out and adjusted her glasses.
"The ACC's sudden turneth 'gainst mine own library did cost me many books. Arquero and I built these rails to make em'rgency transp'rtation easi'r. Th're's a switcheth yond transf'rs the books into minecart chests and sends them hence to a safe bunk'r." She ran a hand against the sharp, black rocks of the portal. "The Nether Portal is an em'rgency exit f'r us. I did get the idea from the Endward Cult. They useth the same p'rtals to get from lodging to lodging."
"You're taking ideas from those killers?"
"Just because they're bad killers doesn't mean they has't bad ideas. Nether Portals art most wondrous f'r a quick escapeth. Besides, Akasha's already convinced we're in league with those folk. Wherefore not b'rrow their methods?"
"I'm sure that's exactly how they'll see it. They're rational people, after all."
"Ang'r maketh people irrational, young gudgeon'rman." She responded, the term confusing me. "Thee of all people shouldst knoweth yond."
"…You think I'm angry about something?"
"Methinks you're anoth'r victim of McGahn's climate of fear." She leaned against a bookcase, unbothered by the sounds the portal was making. "He feeds people's fear with his ACC, and then creates an emotional bias yond inhibits his enemies and benefits his own policies. Ev'ryone's too afraid to beest label'd a cultist cur. Those gents don't knoweth who is't to trust—just liketh thee."
"I know who to trust. I've got my friends for that."
My World.
She held out Mobs of the Nether. "Th're is nay friend as loyal as a booketh."
"Oh, can it!" I slapped the book down, irritated that the librarian didn't even flinch behind her glasses. "How can leather and paper and ink be loyal!?"
"How can leath'r and pap'r and ink beest evil?" She shot back, holding out Advanced Mob-Slaying this time. I smacked that down too.
"How can leather and paper and ink be a friend!?"
"How can leath'r and pap'r and ink maketh someone so fell?" Her latest question caught me off-guard as she held out How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts. "People genuinely don't get this fell ov'r nothing. Thee knoweth these books front and backeth having readeth them so much. Thee feeleth an attachment to them. Th're's a fusty saying. 'You knoweth you've readeth a good booketh at which hour thee turneth the lasteth page and feeleth a dram as if thee has't lost a friend'."
Her words hit close to home, and I could tell she knew it. But she was missing a few details, and I was all too obliged to inform the nosy librarian.
"It's not about turning the last page." I gritted out. "I feel like I lost a friend because I found out said friend was the Founder of the most evil organization in Minecraftia."
"His reputation is not'rious, true, but yond speaks nothing of his teachings, young gudgeon'rman."
"Why do you keep calling me that? Is it an insult? What's a gudgeon'rman?
"A gudgeon is a fish hath f'r bait by angl'rs. T's also someone who is't easily fool'd. Thus, t's a t'rm with two meanings." She smirked. "I'm calling thee an easily fool'd gudgeon'rman."
"Fine. I was fooled. I mistook a villain for a hero. You might be some kind of goddess of books, Alexicon, but these books are good for no one." I looked to the books I had slapped down with great disdain. "Now, I want nothing more to do with those evil things, so keep them away from me."
"Thee soundeth liketh the Anti-Cult Committee." She chuckled. "So consum'd by betrayal and ang'r yond thee fain giveth in to ign'rance. Those gents remaineth convinced what aught writ by Herobrine is as evil as he wast. Dullards, all of them! Knowledge is neith'r valorous n'r evil. T doesn't belongeth to any one p'rson any m're than this collection of knowledge belongs to me. T's neutral and belongs to all who chooseth to readeth and writeth." She tilted her glasses down to look at me with piercing silver eyes. "Doth thee bethink the ACC art right in their actions?"
"Of course I don't." Banning Herobrine's name and writings was one thing, but framing innocent people and threatening to burn down an entire library worth of books was cruel and excessive. "But you can hardly blame them for overreacting this way. Their beloved king died as a result of Herobrine's actions. You can probably fill a hundred cemeteries with the corpses Herobrine's responsible for, so why not despise him?"
"So doth thee despise the sir, 'r doth thee despise his books?"
"Both! I-I don't know, stop asking questions!"
"Methinks thee doth knoweth." She picked up the books and fanned them out to me. "Herobrine gaveth me the 'riginal copyeth of Mobs of the Nether, long ago. He said he did want t to beest widespread and toldeth me about the oth'r two books. I'm actually amaz'd thee hadst the 'riginal copies of his first two w'rks. I hadst fear'd they did burn 'long with the oth'rs. And yet, h're they art. The full trilogy. In pristine condition. Thee must have car'd f'r them a great dealeth to keepeth them with thee, despite mem'rizing them."
I kept silent, glaring at my feet, fists clenched. I thought about all the nights I spent reading about them, studying their secrets. Blocking Creeper explosions, escaping from the Endermen, battling Witches, and Skeletons, and Zombies, and worse.
I wouldn't have been able to do it without Herobrine.
"Herobrine's first booketh wast reject'd. He hadst to edit t enow so a publishing company wouldst accepteth t, and he penn'd in his second and third booketh at the same timeth. Bef're he couldst submit them, howev'r, he did cause the Tragedy of Nitebane. Nobody did want aught to do with him aft'r yond. I wast the only one who is't did accept his books, yet I only did get the third. Getting the Hack'rs to killeth the kings wast the lasteth straw f'r the Cautel'rs of Minecraftia. Any books writ by him w're burn'd and his nameth wast stricken from the pages of ev'ry booketh in the ten kingdoms. The taboo still holds to this day, but nowh're m're than h're in Akasha."
"Well then why didn't you just give them what they wanted!?" I threw out, fed up with being put under the magnifying glass. "If you gave the ACC every Herobrine book you had, they would have left the rest of your library alone! I'm sure there were plenty of authors who didn't kick puppies or sacrifice babies or cause Nitebane tragedies or… or… turn Crafters into… Mob Hybrids!"
"I don't sacrifice knowledge f'r knowledge. How can I condemn a sir who hath spent his life studying the secrets of this realm, yet supp'rt those who wouldst seeth the Akashic Records go up in smoketh? From my own p'rspective, it's the people of Akasha who art in the wrong. But you're not liketh those folks. Thee still careth f'r the books. The devil can cite scripture f'r his purpose. Conv'rsely, a h'ro can cite wickedness f'r his goals. These books, writ by a bad hand, can still doth most wondrous good… if thee chooseth to useth t."
"Stop! I just… I…" I screwed my eyes shut, frustration boiling over. "The books are just bullshit, alright!? Herobrine never cared about keeping Crafters safe from Mobs, he wanted us all wiped out! That's what hurts the most! If it were up to him, we'd all be dead—me, my friends, my World—and he wouldn't even care! Those books are the biggest lie from the biggest liar in Minecraftia! TELL ME I'M WRONG!"
My latest outburst had me panting to the silence between us, save for the sounds emanating from the portal. But I said my piece. I said what was really burning me up.
Herobrine was an enemy. He would've done everything in his power to wipe out Crafter kind, and that included my friends. Herobrine was a threat to my World, and the followers he left behind even more so. They were actively following in his footsteps, targeting the Kingdoms and killing people. It all came back to him and his lies. The books were just a bitter reminder of that. One I wished to forget.
After a while, Alexicon gathered the trilogy of books and turned on her heel. I thought that would be the end of it, but she demanded I follow her. Like I needed any convincing to get away from the weird purple portal.
I followed the librarian, but narrowed my eyes when I saw we were staying in the Herobrine section. Was she still trying to convince me to take the books? I already told her no!
She stopped at a set of chests and opened one up. I caught what was written on the sign next to it and felt my jaw go slack.
[The Last Testament of Herobrine]
"Some of the entries art missing," she said. "Burn'd at the hands of the ACC. What dram I did save, howev'r, shouldst painteth thee a clearer picture."
"I'm not gonna—"
"Wheth'r thee readeth them 'r not is up to thee." She cut me off. "The knowledge exists and thee seemeth to beest convinced about Herobrine's evil nature no matt'r what I sayeth. Then, thee shouldst has't nay ado reading through these and seeing f'r yourself just what kind of p'rson Herobrine wast. Taketh the truth right from the h'rse's mouth, so to speaketh." She slid the first book forward and I found my fingers curling around it subconsciously.
"Readeth t. Readeth them all." She repeated, pointing to the pile of books. "See the sooth. Receiveth the st'ry from someone besides the cult-hating ACC. And, if't be true thee still feeleth the same way about these Herobrine books," she gently placed the trilogy on the floor beside a bookshelf, "I gage, I shall nev'r impresseth his writings upon thee again."
She lingered for a moment longer… before breaking the tension by jumping into a passing minecart and speeding away. I stared at where she vanished before glancing down at the book she gave me.
Herobrine's Journal: Volume 1
I let out a frustrated whine as I cracked open the chest and prepared to throw the book back into it with violent finality. I raised my hand up and… and…
I let it fall to my side, the book still clutched numbly between my fingers.
The truth, huh?
I was too curious to just leave it. My return visit to the Origin had taught me that the cult's Lieutenants had started out as regular people. What if… Herobrine was the same?
'You're just like Herobrine.'
Floyd's words still haunted me, giving me another reason to compare my life to the First Crafter to have ever spawned. I had his story at my fingertips. How many Crafters could have claimed to read this? Maybe there were some cultists who'd kill for their Founder's life story. They wouldn't be so hesitant to open the first page…
I let out a heavy sigh and plunked my butt down upon the floor, crossing my legs to take up the least amount of space. Then, I opened up the first page, and proceeded to read.
[Jade]
Parkouring up Indrad Rock and infiltrating the headquarters of the Anti-Cult Committee would be so much easier without the dead weight.
"Hey, wait up." Said the dead weight. He was gasping for breath and his veins bulged from his skin as he hefted himself up a rock I could hop up in a flash. Even Cobb, a fledgling in the ways of parkour, could have scaled the rock face with ease. Though, if he were here, he'd say the obvious and point out that sneaking into the hornet's nest was suicide.
But then, it wasn't his cutlass held hostage.
"Hurry up. We need to keep to the shady side otherwise we'll get spotted." I ordered, tapping my foot impatiently. "The sooner we get this done, the less time Nephrait will have to stash my cutlass."
"What makes you think she still has it?" Soul asked, having finally gotten a good handhold.
"I saw how greedily she eyed it. She wants it, so she'll keep it." I reasoned. "Whether she went ahead with planting it at the Inn to frame me, I don't know. She wouldn't have to now that Cobb revealed himself and the whole kingdom thinks we're cultists. But either way, she'll see it ends up in her hands. So we just gotta hide in her office or bedroom and ambush her."
"As nice as that sounds, shouldn't we grab this by the root and just ambush McGahn. A councilman wouldn't be good in a fist fight, and if we scare him into admitting his guilt we can prove to Obsidian that we're the good guys."
"And what if the opposite happens and McGahn sticks to his guns before we kill him and we end up galvanizing the Captain and all of Akasha even more?"
"We won't kill him. We'll just make him sweat, maybe piss his pants a little." He tried to convince me with little success.
"If we want to turn things in our favor, we need to weaken our enemy first. That means taking out Nephrait, and, more importantly, getting my cutlass back."
"You really care about that thing, huh."
"My master gave it to me." I closed my eyes. "It's very important."
"Well, we'll get it back. Don't worry." He smirked. "I'll fight for the both of us, since you're handicapped."
I scoffed, tapping the iron sword at my belt. "I can still fight. I just fight better with my cutlass. That Nephrait bitch will regret stealing from me…"
"Geez, you have a real hate boner for her, don't you?"
I shot him a flat look. "Ew. If you're gonna gross me out, I'll leave you in the dust." I hopped up several rocky ledges just to emphasize.
"H-Hey, wait!"
We scaled to the top of Indrad Rock by late afternoon. Soul was covered in sweat, but he was just stubborn to make it. I only had a thin sheen of moisture upon my brow, which I daintily wiped away with a flick of my sleeve.
There were orange-capped guards and ACC members covered in orange leather. Getting around the sandstone castle where Akasha's king resided would be tricky, but not impossible for a parkour master.
"Okay Soul. Wait here and stay hidden. I'll be back in a couple of hours—"
"Not a chance!" He growled before whipping out an ender pearl and throwing it at a high window before I could stop him.
"What's wrong with you!?" I hissed. "We only have two pearls. What if one of us needed a quick escape?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we—"
He warped away mid-sentence and I let out an annoyed huff before stealthily parkouring past patrols and up into the main castle. I paused for a moment to look behind me and below, spotting all the guards and ACC members littered about. It didn't look like they saw us.
I followed the sound of indiscreet rummaging and found Soul ransacking an office.
"What are you doing!? You can't just ransack someone's place! They'll know we were here."
He pointed to the sign beside the door.
[Nephrait's Office]
I joined Soul in ransacking the office, taking extra care to fling papers, break furniture, and throw cobblestone everywhere. The axe-wielder aided by chucking bits of gravel over Nephrait's bed.
After working that out of my system, I began searching the chests more carefully, hoping to find my stolen cutlass, or, barring that, some evidence of McGahn's duplicity. Sadly, it looked like Nephrait wasn't the type of idiot to leave a paper trail.
"Find anything?" I asked Soul.
"Just some book on complex jargon that Lenz would have a better time understanding." Soul groused, tossing a book at a wall. "Wish those guys were here helping us instead of getting sidetracked. Especially Cobb. What's that guy thinking going along with Lenz and Noman?"
"Cut him some slack. He's still trying to figure out who Herobrine is to him." I said, peering under the bed for a diamond blade. "It's not nearly as black and white as you and Floyd think."
"Oh, don't tell me you're team Herobrine too."
"I-I don't know what you mean!" I shot back hotly. "There's no team. It's just…" I sighed. "Not everything Herobrine claimed was evil."
"Oh yeah? Name one thing."
"Well, if it's just the one, then I support his 'Next Life' theory." I began. "And not just me. A lot of Crafters believe in it. They like the idea that fallen Crafters are reborn in the next life, and that their souls are everlasting, waiting to be reunited with their kindred spirits. The Endward Cult believes the same. They just take it a step too far by actively killing people."
"Well then maybe he should have been around to appease his fervent followers." Soul grumbled. "They're a menace."
"The ACC is a menace. Again, things aren't black and white, Soul."
"They are if you're a dog." There was a pause. "Cause they're colorbli—"
"Yes, I got the joke."
"Well you didn't laugh."
"Because it wasn't funny."
"Everyone's a critic." He kicked aside some loose papers more out of frustration than active searching. "I've got nix. Nephrait must have the sword on her, or stashed it somewhere else."
"Then we'll just have to wait her out." I folded my arms and leaned against the wall, eyes on the door. "Once she gets back, we make her hand it over and tell us anything we need to expose the ACC."
"Sounds like a plan. Except," he walked over to the window overlooking the courtyard and pointed out, "I think I see her down there."
"What?"
I joined him, peering down upon the orange-garbed Crafters—guards and ACC members alike—as they gathered into a sizable force seventy strong. At the head were Captain Obsidian and Nephrait. They were armed to the teeth, and, once they were all accounted for, Obsidian gave the order to move out.
They marched down Indrad Rock, the sunlight from the setting sun glimmering brightly off their weapons.
"What are they mobilizing for?" I wondered aloud. It couldn't have been for a search party or else they'd separate into smaller patrols. Instead, they moved as one, united force.
I didn't like the look of it.
[An Hour Earlier…]
Nephrait walked with a small patrol of ACC members, admiring her latest acquisition. The cutlass moved through the air faster than her heavy sword and it always dealt those critical crescent slashes. It was a true work of art, and, with its previous owner in cahoots with an Endward Cult Executive, it was all but hers.
She didn't even feel bad. Sure, she was going to frame her fellow green-haired sister and take the cutlass anyway, but since Jade was already a cultist, she was doing the world a service by stealing her weapon. It had been so long since they caught a genuine cultist, she had forgotten that anyone could be guilty until proven innocent. Even the innocent ones you're trying to frame. Ha!
The icing on the cake would be to catch Jade and the rest of her cultist riff-raff and throw them in the Pit where they belonged. Unfortunately, the search so far had turned up nothing.
"No sign of them here." Nephrait announced, holding up a map of Akasha and mentally scratching out the west side. "We should sweep the houses as we head to the north side. Georgie, why don't you take—"
Nephrait was cut off by a smoky hand grabbing her face over her mouth. She tried to shriek in alarm, but the sound was further muffled when a second smoky hand grabbed her by the throat.
Both spectral hands kept their grip on the green-haired woman's face and neck as they hoisted her up. The nearest ACC member made a grab for her legs, but came up short.
Nephrait was choking, her legs kicking wildly as she was lifted higher and higher. She tried to grab at the smoky hands, but nothing she could do could pry them off. Her cries came out weak and only died out when she came face to face with the one commanding the hands.
Winslow_Downes.
If the smoky hands didn't tip her off, the dark lines stretching vertically across his eyes were a dead giveaway. And then there was the smoke seeping out of those same eyes, the black sclerae, and the smoke enveloping him like an aura.
She was staring down a Hacker.
She didn't immediately regain her breath when the smoky hands repositioned themselves to hold her by the scruff of her collar.
"Afternoon." Winslow greeted as if he hadn't just plucked her from the street. "Rest assured I'm not after your pathetic life. I won't even bother to remember your name after I'm done here."
Nephrait remained silent, glancing at the street fifty blocks below her. This guy was flying. The ACC members below could only kneel and bow, appearing as small as possible. It was the only action they could think of that might spare their lives.
"I hear the ACC is looking for Alexicon, the Book Burglar, and the visiting Executive, King_Cobb." Winslow went on, though he already had her undivided attention. "Well, what if I told you that all three of them will be at the same place, tonight, just waiting to be ambushed by your men?"
"…Where?" She couldn't stop herself from asking. The prize was too tantalizing, even when faced with a Hacker. This was a chance to root out the remaining flies in the ointment of McGahn's regime.
"You'll find them at what's left of the Akashic Records, buried deep below the Kingdom." Nephrait's eyes widened comically. "I recommend checking under Naak Ke Niche Miner's Anonymous. Have fun."
"Wait… why tell me this?"
"…Let's just say I have a personal interest in seeing that hoodie-wearing insect squashed like the bug that he is. I do hope the ACC can deliver."
He let her go, then. She fell the fifty blocks and would have died if not for a smoky hand catching her by her braid at the last second. It felt like someone was ripping out the back of her head, but she was safely stopped and then let go to fall upon the ground, battered and shaken, but alive.
After that, Winslow took off to the skies, his Hacker smoke trailing behind him. The ACC members shakily got to their feet, watching the skies as if fearing the Hacker's return.
"Nephrait, what should we do?" One ACC member asked. "Should we trust him?"
You're damn right I'm gonna trust him. She thought to herself, a smile coming to her face. She didn't know what grudge the Hacker had with King_Cobb, but if he was going to dangle a juicy tip like that, she'd be a fool not to follow up.
The Akashic Records. Alexicon. The Book Burglar. The Executive. And Jade.
Now was the chance to take them all out for good.
"Report back to Indrad Rock, find the Captain, and bring plenty of flint and steel." Nephrait ordered, massaging her neck where those smoky hands had been. The smile grew wider despite the fear still running through her. "We've got some cultists to smoke out."
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 [Sweeping Edge III], 1 Banner {Beginners}, 64 Cobblestone, 61 Cobblestone, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 4 Gravel, 3 Feathers, 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, 60 Emeralds, 2 Ender Chests, 4 Snowballs, 9 Gunpowder, 12 Cooked Mutton, 27 Rotten Flesh, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Nether}, 1 Book {Herobrine's Journal: Volume 1}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 27]
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, 18 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, 23 Redstone, 17 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Hoppers, 3 Pistons, 2 Sticky Pistons, 48 Cobblestone, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 25 Gunpowder, 23 Arrows, 16 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 28 Cooked Mutton, 64 Emeralds, 16 Sugar Cane, 8 Paper, 5 Ink Sacs, 3 Leather, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 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, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Armor Stand, 1 Ender Pearl, 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}
[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 Bed, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 16 String, 21 Cooked Mutton, 14 Torches, 30 Jungle Wood Planks, 64 Cobblestone, 34 Cobblestone, 30 Emeralds, 24 Obsidian, 2 Buckets, 1 Compass, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Clock, 9 Ender Chests, 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, 10 Cooked Mutton, 4 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 {Artifact List}, 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, 64 Emeralds, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 18 Bones, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 49 Gravel, 9 Flint
[EXP: 25]
AN: Wash your hands.
Fav, Follow, Review, PM. Profile, Forum, Discord, Minecraft Server.
What's that? Why should you care about the Discord Server? Why, that sounds like the perfect chance for a shameless plug-in!
We got loads of cool stuff on the discord. We got Chapter previews without context in the form of random pics. We got people you can talk about My Craft theories with. We got fan-submitted artwork in case words aren't enough to show you what these Crafters looke like. Maybe even submit your own artwork. Ask questions... maybe I'll be awake or free to answer them. Or just get to know some new people on Discord. Don't have Discord? Well then this probably isn't for you...
But wait, there's MORE!
We got a Minecraft Server! Relive the nostalgia and enjoy a game with some... interesting characters. Build your dream house, search for villages, or, my personal goal...
...Journey into the End and gather Shulker Shells and monopolize the market because they're super useful and everyone wants one. Maybe play mini-games that I'm working on (still a work in progress) to spice things up. It's not My Craft's world, but it's the closest our budget could allow.
What's that? ...You don't like Minecraft? Well... then... uh... why are you reading this?