AN: What's this? A relatively short Chapter? Madness!
Okay, I'm not gonna inflate the word count with an Author's Note.
Congratulations to Dang2112 for getting last Chapter's riddle correct. The answer: 3 brothers, 4 sisters. Enjoy your Cookie and your acknowledgement.
(::)
Puzzle: What word does the following: The first two letters signify a male, the first three letters signify a female, the first four letters signify a great, while the last five letters signify a mixture of salt and water. What is the word?
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I would have kept Command Block commands in the same format.
Chapter 151
The Pit
'You're making good progress.'
'It feels like my arms are gonna fall off. I can't even keep track of how many times I've been knocked flat on my… butt.'
'Thirty-seven times just today, but who's keeping score?'
Old Man Bailey smiled wryly as he helped his young pupil to his feet. The two had been training in aikido all day. They both could use a break.
'I don't feel like I'm getting any stronger.'
'It's not about strength, son.' Bailey chastised. 'It's about using your opponent's strength against them. Disarming and tripping them so that their own weight becomes their downfall. Aikido is the spirit of loving protection for all beings.' He sighed. 'I just wish Casimir realized that.'
'...Do you still worry for him?'
'Of course. A master always worries for their students. And, obviously, loving protection and all that.'
'Right.'
'But you're not like him. You're so adamant about non-violence that you've adapted aikido to your shield. That alone shows me your strength of character.'
'But… what if my strength of character isn't enough to protect myself and my opponents?'
'Don't underestimate the human will, son. On occasion the Voice of Peace resounds like thunder, jolting human beings out of their stupor.' He smiled. 'I hope you find that voice one day. Because when it lends you its power, you'll find that you won't have to fight.'
[Noman]
I felt the roughness of the sand at my knees. Heard the alarms slowly die out as more and more of the redstone circuitry was burned. I only vaguely recognized that the Akashic Records was still burning.
Someone was trying to call to me, but it sounded distant. I was swaying on my knees, sick at the thought of what happened to Winslow. His Head was still there, and bits and pieces of his Inventory were still littered about.
It had been an accident. I just… I just wanted to protect myself.
I forgot about protecting him.
I didn't think his Hack would trigger the Severe Shield. I didn't mean for him to die! Aikido was about loving protection! I could never kill someone!
It was the chestplate.
Every time… it was the chestplate.
The voice I was hearing grew more agitated. A head shoved itself in front of me. Gray hair with violet tips. It was Arquero. He was bruised and battered from getting tossed like a ragdoll, but alive. The relief was as distant as his voice.
I don't think my brain was processing things correctly.
I saw him shake me slightly while moving his mouth. The sensation meant little until I saw him snarl and raise his hand to slap me awake. That's when I acted.
I caught his hand before he could strike me and activate the Severe Shield.
"Don't… hit me…" I whispered, letting his hand fall and stepping away from him.
That's when things started to become clearer. The sounds, the sights, his voice.
"…we need to get out of here…" He said instead, though he looked at Winslow's remains with an awe that made me ill. "Holy crap, you killed a—"
"Stop." I begged, rubbing at my head and ripping off the Severe Shield before shoving it deep down into my backpack. "What's… happened…?"
"The ACC guys we knocked out are waking up and Obsidian is still out there. The fires are dying down, but…" He trailed off, turning to the massive wall of sand. "The Portal is on the other side of this mess. If we dig through—"
I wordlessly gripped him under the arms and used the Bottes Zephyr to ascend to the top of the library. The Book Burglar let out a startled yelp, but I tuned him out. My thoughts were still a troubled storm and I just wanted to get out of there.
We exited through the TNT-blasted ceiling and out into the cool night sky of the mesa, and then towards the buildings of Akasha. Below, we left a ruined library and a slain Hacker, a permanent reminder that my aikido philosophy amounted to nothing.
[Akashic Records Ruins]
Captain Obsidian watched the Book Burglar and the suited man take off into the sky like the dead Hacker's smoke trail had before. However, unlike the dead Hacker, Nowhere_Man had no need for dark smoke or evil powers to fly. His were unlike anything he'd seen before.
He also never thought he'd bear witness to a Hacker's death. Yet there was no denying Winslow's fallen Head.
And with that irrefutable fact, there were some serious consequences to consider. A dead Hacker so close to the Obelisk would call the entire Hack Clan upon them. He'd have to consult with his Majesty and McGahn, but he was fairly certain there'd be no mileage in promulgating his death.
Nowhere_Man was another issue entirely.
'All life matters. Even my enemy's!'
He… he didn't know what to think about that guy. What he said and did were so outside what he thought a cultist would or could do. It wasn't what he was used to, and it confused him more than he wanted to admit.
He also noticed that none of the ACC members with him were dead. Nowhere_Man and Arquero had ample opportunity to slay them, but instead they disarmed or incapacitated only. That wasn't how cultists operated. He watched as his men awoke, taking in the scene of the ruined library and wondering, like him, what the hell had happened.
There was no way they'd believe a Hacker and cultist had a duel where the Hacker died.
"I need some help over here!" Came a jubilant, feminine voice from the other side of the sand wall. It was Nephrait, and by her voice she was struggling with something heavy. "Hey! Obsidian! You catch the other two yet? You out there?"
"Get this sand wall down." Obsidian ordered his dazed men before raising his voice. "Yes, Nephrait, we're here! Our two got away!"
"Really?" She paused, letting out a quick huff. "Well, it shouldn't be a problem. In fact, if we get some reinforcements, I bet we can catch them."
"Are the other members with you?"
There was a grim silence that made the Captain's stomach drop like a stone.
"Fifty men… They're all dead, aren't they?"
"…I'm afraid so." She declared somberly before a sharp whack sounded on her side of the wall. "I caught the bastard though. He put up one hell of a fight, but I caught him. We'll be sure to extract justice."
Obsidian perked as more of the sand wall was dug away to reveal Nephrait and the unconscious form of Executive King_Cobb.
She held up a map, waving it urgently. "His buddies are on the move."
[Soul]
"Wake up, Floyd. Wake up!" I shook the guy hard, but no response. "Maybe I should try hitting him?"
I had carried Floyd out of that ruined restaurant following Sandra's death, but only because he fainted. That MultiAura thing he did must have taken a lot out of him. The few citizens walking Akasha's streets had already cleared out upon seeing two Hackers duking it out. That gave us enough cover to slip away without detection into a dark, vacant alleyway.
Floyd was still limp, though. At least his Health was fine.
"Soul!"
I whipped around brandishing my axe only to relax when I saw Noman flying towards us carrying… not Cobb or the nerd.
"Who the hell is this?" I pointed while Noman touched down on the ground and let his companion take a few shaky steps.
"This is Arquero." Noman introduced briskly, stowing away the map he used to find us. "The Book Burglar. But he's good!" He added hastily, like he thought I'd instantly attack.
He thought right.
"What happened with you two?" Noman asked, gesturing to the passed out Floyd.
"I could ask you two the same thing." I countered, pointing to their charred clothes and fatigued bodies. "But, since you asked, Sandra started attacking us and I was forced to deal the killing blow, joining the short list of legendary Hacker-Slayers." I smiled proudly. "Oh, and Floyd helped. A little."
Noman's face twisted uncomfortably, but it was Arquero who spoke up. "You killed a Hacker too!? Sweet Tanner, what sort of people are you?"
"Only the most badass guild in Minecraftia: The Beginners!"
"…How come I've never heard of you?"
"Well, we… wait, you killed a Hacker too?" I suddenly realized.
"Yeah, Noman here just—"
"Stop." He begged, gripping his stomach. "Cobb and Lenz are unaccounted for, as is Alexicon. We need to find them."
"Oh, right!" Arquero slapped his forehead in realization. "If they got away, they should be at the emergency escape bunker along with the rest of the books."
"And if they didn't get away?" I asked, waving my own map. "There should be six white blips in Akasha. One for each of us."
"Yes?" Noman took out his own map to compare.
"So, then, why are there only four blips?"
"Map blips don't show up in the Nether." Arquero explained. "It's another dimension, so if they went in, you wouldn't be able to see them."
"The Nether!? What were you guys up to? I thought you went to visit a library!"
"We did! It just… got complicated and… the ACC attacked and we got split up. Cobb, Lenz, and Alexicon fled into the Nether."
"But how'd you kill a Hacker?"
"We're not talking about that!" He declared stubbornly.
"Oh, come on! I'd want to brag if I killed one."
"I thought you did kill one." Arquero pointed out.
"Uh, of course I did! It was ninety-two percent me, eight percent Floyd."
"How did you get those numbers? What happened?"
"We're not talking about that!" I echoed Noman's words. "Anyway, you're saying Cobb and Lenz are in the Nether, that's why they're not showing up?"
"Yes."
"Okay, then…" I pointed to the one white blip separate from our own. "This white blip has to be Jade. She went after Cobb while I tracked down Floyd."
"Hang on…" Arquero squinted at the map. "That blip looks like it's at the Akashic Records… and it's moving towards us."
"How would you know that?"
"Hey, I helped relocate half those books. I think I know where on a map it is."
"Well, maybe Jade saw the ruined library and the lack of fishing morons and decided to regroup." I reasoned. "So let's just wait for her. And while we're waiting, you can share how in the hell you killed a Hacker."
"I-I don't…" Noman trailed off, not even bothering to chastise me for my crass language. "I didn't…"
"Come on, don't be modest. Give me details!"
"I don't want to talk about it!" He snapped, turning from us and walking to the other end of the alley. Floyd stirred slightly, but didn't wake.
"Sheesh, what's got him so touchy?" I asked aloud. "You'd think he was ashamed of defending himself. Can you tell me what happened?" I turned to Arquero instead.
"Not if you're looking for details." He replied. "I was a bit injured at the time, on account of being thrown through a few bookcases. I just saw those shadowy hands going for Noman and then just… poof! The Hacker was dead."
"Just poof? That's the lamest story I've ever heard!"
"It's what happened. Not even Obsidian could match the Hacker, but Noman could."
"The Captain was down there too? What about Nephrait?"
"I didn't see her. There were plenty of ACC members though. We held our own." He sighed. "I just hope Alexicon got out okay."
"She's…?"
"The librarian of the Akashic Records and a close friend."
"You banging?"
"No!" His face grew hot. "We're friends! Just friends!"
"Okay, okay. No need to shout. Don't worry. If Cobb's guarding her, she'll be just fine."
"I hope so. How many Beginners are there?"
"Well, there's me, Cobb, Floyd, Lenz, Jade, and Noman, so six."
"…Just six?" He spoke nervously. "And you're a renowned guild?"
"Hey, if you knew half the stuff we've accomplished, you wouldn't be—"
"Guys!" Noman returned from his end of the alley looking panicked.
"Finally ready to share with us the details of your awesome duel with a—"
"It isn't Jade!" He interrupted, pointing out the alley. "It's the ACC! Captain Obsidian is leading them! He has a map! We need to get out of here!"
"What!?" I tore out my map and saw that the approaching white blip was nearly on top of us. "He has a map!? How—?"
"We don't have time to waste. Ditch the maps!" Arquero ordered.
"No way! Without these we won't be able to find the others!"
"Well, with them, the ACC will be able to find us!" He countered urgently. "Hide them in an ender chest if you can't bear to burn them, but get them out of your backpacks! We have to run!"
Reluctantly, Noman withdrew his flint and steel and set a small fire before throwing his synced map into the flames. I rummaged in Floyd's backpack and took out his before tossing it and mine to join Noman's in getting burned to cinders.
For so long, those maps had been an indispensible tool in helping us locate one another. It was hard to watch them burn away, but our survival depended on it. The risk was always there that if someone got their hands on one of our synced maps, we'd all be in danger.
That day had come. And survival demanded we cut them loose.
"Good. Now, to make our escape." Arquero signaled for us to follow him towards the other end of the alley. Noman helped me carry Floyd and we escaped out the side.
"Was Cobb or Lenz with them?" I asked Noman. "Or Jade maybe?"
"I didn't see them."
"Well, one of them must have lost their map. Or…" I trailed off, the implication clear.
"I'm sure they're all alive." Noman assured. "We… we just need to gather our thoughts. We need a safe place."
"Already on it." Arquero promised, leading us through the kingdom and away from the approaching ACC. "We're going to the bunker. That's where the Nether Portal exits. Whether they're there or not, we'll know who got captured and what happened."
It was the only plan we had.
[Noman]
The bunker, as it turned out, was outside of the Kingdom. It made sense, since Arquero and Alexicon could hardly build a safe bunker atop the mesa. Getting there proved to be a bit of a challenge as it required us to use ender pearls to bypass the toll gates which were locked down tight. Then, we had to trek through miles of the Dryrock Mesa with the rising sun as our only backdrop. The temperature went from bone-chillingly cold to comfortably warm… and then to unbearably hot and dry.
We couldn't stop by the Asmodeus for supplies. It was too risky, and besides, Lenz had removed a vital piece of redstone so that it couldn't be operated without our consent. But without the engineer with us, it also meant we couldn't fly it anywhere. It was still safely hidden in the sands.
The long walk out into the desert gave me time to think about Winslow. His death was still weighing heavily on my mind. It didn't matter that he tried to kill me. Aikido was meant to protect all life, and if I wasn't strong enough to keep everyone from getting killed, the blame was with me. And to make matters worse, Soul was burning with curiosity over how I bested a Hacker in mortal combat.
How long before the Severe Shield was revealed?
Cobb had warned me to befriend everyone before sharing information about the artifacts, but so far I only made a connection with Lenz. Soul, Floyd, and Jade were still beyond me.
But Soul was the worst. While I lamented, he lauded. He bragged about it, like killing a Hacker was another notch to add to his belt. We were complete opposites. He was a foul-mouthed, hot-tempered, battle fanatic and I was polite, peaceful, and tried to settle things without violence. Even our weapons reflected our natures. Axe vs Shield.
We worked together, but… I don't think either of us would be able to understand the other.
And now the artifacts might come up. Only Cobb and I knew of them, but that wouldn't last for long.
Walking across the red sand, we passed a small group of bunnies that had Soul murmuring something about 'killer rabbits'.
"You couldn't have built this place closer?" Soul complained, hauling Floyd on his back and dripping with sweat. Was he actually using Floyd's body to block the sun?
"You think perfect bunker space grows on trees?" Arquero countered, wiping his forehead with the back of one hand. "We had to set up rails and a portal pretty far. We're lucky we managed to link the portals up successfully. Course, I never thought I'd be separated from Alexicon. We usually stick together."
"If I sweat anymore, sticking together won't be a problem." He tore off a hunk of mutton, swallowing loudly. I wasn't in the mood for food, despite how far we'd traveled.
We passed a few more mesas before Arquero stopped us at one. It looked like any of the others we passed, but Arquero assured us the bunker was within. It was that moment that Floyd finally regained consciousness.
"Huh… where am I…?"
"Good you can walk on your own." Soul lowered him gently despite his harsh words. "Wakey, wakey, eggs and… fucked up situation."
"…Am I sunburned?"
"You're just imagining things."
"Wh-where's Sandra…?" He asked, rubbing his head. "And Winslow…?" I felt a sharp pang. "What happened last night?"
"Lost_Soul says he killed a Hacker." Arquero chimed in.
Floyd narrowed his eyes.
"Look, we can discuss details later, but I think we can all agree who did the lion's share of the work. Floyd, you passed out so maybe your memory is a bit off. I can fill in the parts you—"
"I… killed Sandra."
He said it as if he couldn't quite believe it and I immediately zeroed in to the sliver of regret on his face. Without meaning to, I spoke up.
"Winslow's dead too."
He jolted at the information, looking up at me. "H-How…?" He paused, remembering something before his eyes darted to who was present and who wasn't. "Cobb and Lenz. Sandra sent him after you! Did he—?"
"We're about to find out exactly what happened." Arquero interrupted, guiding the three of us towards the mesa. "Save your questions for later. I need to know if Alexicon is safe first."
He walked up to a pair of dried, dead bushes in the sand at the base of the mesa. He rummaged in his backpack before withdrawing a redstone torch. He placed it between the dead bushes…
…and the red sand piled against the mesa dropped away, revealing a wide passageway.
"I'm sure the nerd would be creaming his pants if he saw the redstone behind this thing." Soul remarked as we followed the Book Burglar inside. It was much cooler; a welcome relief to the desert sun.
We didn't walk far before we found ourselves in a wooden chamber overflowing with chests and minecart rails. In the corner was a black frame of obsidian. A familiar, violet-haired librarian was flitting back and forth, examining chests and carts and taking a mental note of everything. She whirled about when she heard us enter and her eyes widened.
"Arquero!" She exclaimed, running forward.
"Alexicon!" He reciprocated, running forward to hug her close. "Thank goodness you're safe."
"Just friends, huh?" Soul sniped under his breath. Though, Alexicon was openly weeping. She didn't look overjoyed at the reunion.
Another head popped out from between chests. "Friends!" Lenz greeted, scrambling over carts and rails to get to us. "Nowhere, I see you safely escaped with the Book Burglar. Well done!"
"It was a close call." I replied, off-put by the concern. I guess he really was worried about me. "Anyway, what happened? Wasn't Cobb with you?"
At the mention of Cobb, Lenz averted his gaze and Alexicon's let out a louder sob.
"That gentle gudgeon'rman. He protected me, but he… he…"
"What happened?" Floyd pressed. "Where's Cobb?"
Lenz lifted his tinted glasses and looked us dead in the eye. "Cobbert got captured by Nephrait."
As soon as the words were out, Soul grabbed at his forehead and leaned back, teetering in place. Floyd threw up his hands in anger. I could barely process that the chipper fisherman was now in the hands of the enemy. They thought he was an Endward Cult Executive, and now he was in the hands of the Anti-Cult Committee. That sentence alone spoke for itself what was in store for him.
"We made it to the portal, but Alexicon was still cataleptic." Lenz continued, sounding helpless. "I-I took some shots at her, but she used Cobbert like a shield. I could not risk us getting caught too. The portal was right next to us…" He sighed. "It was all I could do just to drag Alexicon through."
The librarian sobbed again. "Arquero we has't to holp saveth that gent! He did protect the books!"
"I am pretty sure they have Cobbert's map." Lenz continued, pointing to an ender chest in the corner. "I stored mine away, hoping you would do the same, so they cannot track us. I also broke the Nether Portal so that we would not be followed." He pointed to the inactive black frame next. "Alexicon awoke, I told her everything, and we have been waiting here ever since. Alexicon's been checking what books were saved. A lot of Herobrine's journals were burned and more books did not make it out in time—"
"Forget the books!" Soul growled. "That loser's in trouble! We need to rescue him!"
"Aye," Alexicon nodded, "we must rescueth him!"
"…Why is she talking like that?"
"Easy there, Alexicon." Arquero cooed, patting the woman on the back before looking up to face us. "King_Cobb kept his promise to keep her safe, so you can count on this master thief to help you rescue him."
"Good to hear." Floyd nodded. "Do you have any idea on where he might be held?"
"Aye, the Pit! The Pit!" The librarian nodded fiercely, her glasses bouncing around on her nose. "The cesspool wh're the ACC's vile deeds art hath left to fest'r."
"The Pit?" I asked.
"It's Akasha's highest security prison." Arquero explained. "Every criminal, cultist, or complicit cultist is held there. It's gotten engorged recently with all the framing McGahn and Nephrait have had a hand in. If your friend is alive, he's likely to be held there. It's inescapable."
"We shall see about that." Lenz said coolly.
"We can't just go in without a plan." Floyd spoke up. "Arquero, was it? We need you to tell us everything you can about this prison."
"We'll need all hands on deck. Where is Jade?" Soul asked. "She'd jump at the chance to save her boyfriend from prison."
"Was she not with you?"
"Yeah, but she left to go after Cobb and your group."
"But… we never saw her make an appearance at the Akashic Records." Lenz answered, genuinely confused.
"But… but her map blip was missing." Soul answered back, growing more confused. "There were only four before the three of us burned our maps. The last one would have been Obsidian looking for us. So Jade's blip was already off the map…"
"Then she is safe. She must have realized Cobbert was captured."
"Without attempting to save him? That doesn't sound like here."
"Maybe there were too many." I reasoned. "She could hardly overcome an army of ACC members. Especially since Nephrait still has her prized cutlass."
"Well then how in the heck are we supposed to locate her!?" Soul growled. "Without a map, none of us know where to look!"
His words gave us all pause for thought. He was right. Without a map, Jade would have little luck in finding us. It was only due to Arquero that we met back up with Lenz and Alexicon.
Sadly, it looked like Jade was on her own.
"She had ender chests." Lenz suddenly said. "Cobbert gave her a bunch of them as a gift. So she probably stowed it away like I did. Once we save Cobbert, we can take the Asmodeus and take out the map high above the Kingdom without worry of getting boarded or attacked by the ACC. Jade should be able to notice a large flying airship. We can find her that way."
"…That could work." Floyd nodded.
"We need to save Cobb first."
"Right."
"Shouldn't be a problem." Arquero said confidently. "We got two Hacker-Slayers on our side."
There was that uncomfortable pang again, and even Floyd was averting his eyes at the gasps and unwanted attention from Alexicon and Lenz.
"You slayed a Hacker!? Like Cobbert?" Lenz asked me. "Did a trail of smoke shoot off into the sky?"
"I-I can't remember." I murmured.
"It did for Sandra." Floyd answered. "It looked like it went towards the Origin Zone."
"That supports our theory on Bounty Days…" Lenz whispered under his breath.
Floyd turned to me, his expression serious. "Sandra's X-Ray hack saw something that put the fear of death into her. Something happened in the Akashic Records." I couldn't stand to look him in the eye. "I'm guessing you killed Winslow. She saw it, and that weakened her enough for me to kill her."
"With my help." Soul chimed in.
"Oh, give it a rest, Soul!"
"I'm only assigning proper credit! I did a good chunk of the work."
"You spun her around and used her like a shield."
"It was more dramatic than that! It had to be!" He defended. "It was an epic-tier reversal."
"Well if it wasn't for Noman killing Winslow, Sandra's defenses wouldn't have lowered for that one moment. So really, he should be getting the cred—"
"I don't want it!"
Everyone looked at me like I was crazy, but I continued to wail.
"I don't want the credit! I didn't mean to kill him! He wouldn't stop! I had no choice! It wasn't—it wasn't even my power!" A voice in the back of my head was telling me to stop, but I ignored it, instead whipping out the diamond chestplate and showing it to all of them. "THIS! This is how I did it! This is how I stood up to Carys at the Wailing Vale! THE SEVERE SHIELD KILLED WINSLOW, NOT ME!"
And after that first admission, it all came out. My true status as the Billionth. My mission to obtain the nine artifacts and defeat the Endward Cult. How Cobb and I swapped numbers. How he found out about my mission and initially sought to push me away before begrudgingly offering his help and welcoming me into the Beginners. It all came out. The truth of everything.
I could see how Soul's eyes gleamed when I told him about the invincible Severe Shield. I could see Floyd's interest at hearing at a way to eradicate the Endward Cult. Even Lenz showed awe at the items crafted with Command Blocks by Herobrine himself. At least his interest was purely redstone-related.
"So then… you have a Hacker-slaying chestplate." Soul said after I was done… and I hated him for it. Out of all the things I said, that was the point he took away.
"YES!" I bellowed. "Yes, I have a Hacker-slaying chestplate! And it kills Crafters too! It kills anyone regardless of whether I mean for it to or not! It's a deadly tool of destruction and I hate it!" I gripped the chestplate before me, trying to squeeze the life out of it. "I hate how I keep killing with this thing, and I hate how I keep finding the need for it! I thought by learning aikido, I would be above using this! But nothing changes! I'm not strong enough to settle things without violence! Winslow's dead because I was too weak!"
"You're not weak!" Soul argued. "For Notch's sake, Noman, you repelled the Angel of Death and took down a murderous Hacker! You're a hero! You shouldn't be ashamed of it—"
"You don't understand." I snapped. "None of you could ever understand. All you do is fight and kill and excuse it with a shrug of 'self-defense'. You're all relieved that Sandra and Winslow are dead. I'm not like you! I can't just shrug it off, okay? I hate killing! That's why I fight with a shield! That's why I learned to disarm!"
"Nowhere," Lenz spoke up, "protecting oneself and others is not a cause for this—"
"Oh, is that what Cobb did?" I whirled on the engineer. "How many ACC members chased after you through that portal, huh? An awful lot, from what I heard. How many of them got killed chasing you through the Nether? How many did Cobb kill? He couldn't even show a shred of mercy!?"
Lenz tore of his tinted glasses and revealed a deep scowl. His hands were closed into fists and they shook with barely contained rage. It honestly surprised me that the engineer could look so furious.
"…Do you know why Cobbert got captured?" Lenz asked.
My mouth twitched as I was unable to answer.
"We were all set to leave the Nether." He went on. "The Portal was right before us. But then, Cobbert heard Nephrait calling for help. She was being chased by the same Zombie Pigmen that tore her men apart." He glared at the floor. "He could have just left her. Nobody would have blamed him. Instead he went to save her… and after the Pigmen were dealt with, she stabbed him in the back and captured him." He closed his eyes and sighed.
"You talk so high and mighty about mercy, thinking it is beyond our capacity," his eyes slid open and looked at Noman sadly, "but the fact of the matter is that Cobbert's moment of mercy is what got him locked up in the first place."
I was at a loss for words. Cobb… he… he saved a life that had tried to kill him. He had shown mercy. Maybe he was even thinking of my aikido lessons and what I would think to hear he left someone to die without doing anything.
Well, he did do something.
And now he was paying for it.
I closed my eyes, feeling a new pit of shame open up in my stomach for ever doubting Cobb. Instead of being thanked for his mercy, he was being punished. And maybe next time, the fisherman wouldn't be so merciful when someone cried for help.
[Cobb]
"Guys, give him some space. I think he's waking up."
I shifted slightly, groaning over my sore neck and the cold stone floor.
"Do you need some water? Food?" Asked a concerned voice.
I licked my parched lips. "Water…"
The next second, a bottle was pressed to my lips and I gulped greedily. I opened my eyes and tried to make out the shapes in the dark. After draining the glass, I wiped my mouth with the back of my sleeve.
"Thanks, Noman."
"Noman? Is that one of your Lieutenants?"
I blinked in confusion, my vision clearing and making out the names and faces of those above me. I wasn't surrounded by guild. I was surrounded by a pack of strangers in what looked like a barren stone cell.
What happened…?
Blood: You saved Nephrait… That's the problem with bleeding hearts. They always get you killed…
I sat up quickly and the gathered Crafters gave me some space like skittish deer. I took in the cell more closely. No bed or furniture. A lone torch to serve as light. Though there were no cell bars or locked doors. The way out was unbarred.
"Where am I?" I asked, more to myself, but the Crafters were eager to answer.
"You're in the Pit, Cobb, sir." Moorkh, a man with long blond hair and a ragged tunic and pants, stepped forward. "They brought you in last night. It's morning now, sir."
"Then why is it so dark…?"
"It's always dark in the Pit, Cobb, sir." Another Crafter, female, chimed in. "This is Akasha's maximum security prison: a glorified hole in the ground." She joked. There was a smattering of nervous laughter, but it ended abruptly when I didn't join in. "S-Sorry, sir. I use levity as an icebreaker."
"Why do you keep calling me sir?"
Brain: Who cares? I like the respect!
"Well, we figured it would be appropriate, given your standing." Moorkh said. "We're unsure which Division you command, so we might not even be under your authority. That is to say," he hastily tacked on, "your authority as an Executive is absolute, Cobb, sir, but we're unaware of the decorum you'd prefer."
Division? Authority? Executive?
Brain: Ooooooooh. I get it. They're cultists.
I glanced at the ten cultists gathered around me and saw expressions mixed between nervous and hopeful, but visible in all of them was that lone nugget of respect.
For once, being called an Executive could work in my favor. But it wouldn't do to let the power go to my head. No. I had to be the same humble King_Cobb I always—
"I want to be called Sir Cobb."
"As you wish, Sir Cobb."
Brain: Yeeeeeeees…
"As a matter of fact, I want all of you to only call me Sir Cobb."
"Yes, Sir Cobb." The cultists chorused, a few of them falling to their knees in the heat of the moment.
"Oh, no, no need for kneeling. That's just weird." I stopped them before they could do anything embarrassing. "Just spread the word to any cultist how I wish to be addressed."
"Yes, Sir Cobb. Right away, Sir Cobb."
As two of them left to spread the word, I relaxed a bit. There was more to my request than letting the power get to my head. From what I learned, many innocent Crafters were imprisoned by the ACC's paranoia; not all of them were cultists. This way, I'd know which ones were real cultists by how they addressed me.
And while they're taken care of, I could locate my—
When I reached for the map I had at my belt, I paused when I noticed it wasn't there. Nothing was. My belt was bare. And not just my belt. My backpack was cleaned out. I didn't even have any of my armor or weapons!
My Inventory was completely gone.
"Fucking Nephrait!" I cursed, kicking a wall before swearing at my bent toes. The cultists kept their distance, terrified of catching my ire. Even when I was hopping on one foot while clutching the other, they still thought me intimidating.
I can't believe this! I risked my life to save her and she just… just… NGH!
And now I was trapped in a maximum security prison with a whole mess of prisoners and cultists… with no idea whether the others got away or not.
Although… if they got caught, wouldn't they be here too?
"Sir Cobb? Is there anything we can do for you?" Moorkh asked.
"Were there any other prisoners who came in with me?" I asked urgently. "Gray-haired guy with tinted goggles and glasses? Maybe a violet-haired librarian? A dark-haired man in a suit?"
"Nobody by that description, Sir Cobb. But," he glanced to his fellow cultists, "perhaps we missed something? We can take a look for you. Just rest here and we'll—"
"I'm well enough to go with you." I assured, standing straighter and ignoring the pain in my neck from where Nephrait kicked me. Those sandals hit hard.
"Very well, Sir Cobb." The female cultist nodded. "We'll show you around."
The cultists surrounded me like an entourage with Moorkh and the female one, Kesh, placing themselves at my sides. As we walked to the cell's exit, I had to ask.
"They don't keep the doors locked?"
"No point, Sir Cobb." Kesh answered. "Inside a cell or inside the Pit, walls surround us all. It's inescapable."
"Speaking of which," Moorkh interjected. "Forgive me for asking, Sir Cobb, but what's your plan for escaping? An Executive as infamous and widely circulated as yourself should have a plan on getting us all out of here, yes?"
"…Yes." I lied. "I just… ah… need a few more details before anything substantial can take… form."
"Naturally, naturally. I can hardly wait, Sir Cobb, for the moment we pay Akasha back for locking us up here." There was a dark smile that promised retribution. "They'll rue the day they crossed us."
Red flag!
As they escorted me out of the cell, I spied more Crafters lingering about. There were stone cells much like mine and just as barren, placed side by side and stacked in a circular pattern. Sunlight was shining now, but it shined down from a hole in the ceiling. The hole was as big as the dimensions made by the cells, and there looked to be some stone ledges spiraling up from an otherwise steep, slick wall.
"Is the Pit inside the city?"
"No, Sir Cobb. We're miles out from the city. The higher ups wouldn't allow their Kingdom's worst criminals in the same vicinity as their scant few citizens."
"I don't see any guards. Where are they?"
"At the top." They pointed up. "No need to guard us when the Pit is prison enough, Sir Cobb. They lower a waterfall whenever they need to enter, and that's only when they're depositing or withdrawing prisoners. Food and water, they just toss down, content to let us fight over them."
Our entourage drew the attention of many of the Crafters lingering outside the cells. Like me, they didn't have an item on them save for some water bottles or a hunk of bread. However, as unarmed as they were, they were still glaring daggers at me. Not everybody was pleased to have an Endward Cult Executive among them. Sadly, they were probably the innocent ones.
One of them cut in front of us.
"YOU!"
The cultists barred her path with arms outstretched, but the woman jerked her head up so she could get a clear glare at me. I recognized her instantly.
"Delaney?"
Delaney was the woman accompanying Beican and his friends when we encountered them at the Wailing Vale. Her entire group got wiped out in that mine by that haunting Ghast Hybrid. The only ones that survived were her and her two Testificate companions, Sue and Clyde. We ferried them to the Akashic village of Chataan and parted ways. That was the last I saw of her.
Until right now, anyway.
"You cultist, scum-sucking, son of a bitch!" She hissed, spit flying. She was unarmed, but one should never underestimate a lady's fingernails. She clawed at me like an enraged tiger.
"How dare you insult, Sir Cobb!" Kesh shouted in outrage before I stopped her and them from attacking.
"Delaney, how'd you end up here?"
"Is that a joke!?" She screamed. "We were doing fine in Chataan until the guards showed up and arrested us. Apparently the group we had flown in with was carrying illegal contraband—books written by the devil we dare not name!"
"Sir Cobb! You have books written by Herobrine!?" Moorkh asked with breathless wonder. The tabooed name got mixed results; the cultists in the room looked on with reverence while the innocents looked on with revulsion or plain indifference.
"I kept telling them I had no knowledge of your books, but they didn't believe me!" Delaney continued. "They called me a cultist collaborator and threw me in here without so much as a trial. Sue and Clyde, they claimed were Testificate spies acting as the cultists' eyes and ears. I've never heard of something so stupid!"
"I-I…" I stuttered.
I had been so preoccupied discovering Herobrine's involvement with the cult that I hadn't even considered Delaney getting caught up in our situation. It slipped my mind! But how would it look to the guards? We had the Herobrine books and we dropped her off. That made her suspicious. And with Akasha's paranoia, suspicious was grounds for imprisonment.
"I don't care who your Hacker friend saved me from! You're the reason we're in here, you bastard!"
"Is she referring to Lieutenant Floyd, Sir Cobb? How did you recruit a Hacker to our cause?"
"Delaney, I'm sorry for—!"
"SHUT IT!"
She finally got around my entourage and clawed at my face. I let out a yelp and fell back only to be caught by three cultists.
"She struck Sir Cobb! Beat her to death!"
"No! No beating!" I tried to stop them, but they surrounded the lone woman with raised fists.
A dark-haired young man swooped in and placed himself before Delaney before anything could happen.
"Back off." He threatened with raised palms and a calm posture.
"Outta our way, Casimir. Your fancy moves can't stop all of us."
"Oh no?" He asked idly. "I'm well-versed in aikido. Before I mastered swords, I mastered the stick. But before the stick, I mastered hand-to-hand." He looked to me. "I can easily handle a wimp who'd shirk from a lady's fingernails."
Oh, now that's just mean… wait, did he say aikido?
Two cultists charged Casimir and both of them wound up flat on their asses with little effort on his part. More cultists were gathering around us though. Thirty… forty… holy crap, how many of them were down here!?
"Stop attacking. That's an order!" I shouted as loud as I could. It got the cultists' attention and made them lower their fists and back off. "That's better. Look, Delaney, I never meant to get you locked down here."
"I don't want to hear your bullshit." She spat. "Notch, you could have killed all my friends for all I know."
"No, I…" I thought about Beican and how he flipped out, nearly killed Lenz, and ultimately died to a Creeper. I thought about Mirabelle, Beican's wife who selflessly entered the Wailing Vale to find us coal. Beatrix and Cormac, killed by that monster…
It wasn't any of my fault, but if I were Delaney, I'd hate me too. A lot seemed to have gone bad when she encountered us.
"…I'll get you out of here." I promised. "You, Sue, Clyde. I'll make sure you all go free. I swear it."
She clicked her tongue. "I'd like to see you try."
"I'd also like to see that." Casimir spoke up. "How do you intend to free her and a pair of Testificates from this inescapable prison?"
"I'm still working out the details, aikido boy."
He bristled. "You've heard of aikido?"
"My friend uses it."
"I doubt it. It's a pretty rare technique… wait." He frowned. "By any chance is your friend named Nowhere_Man?"
I saw the strong dislike in his eyes and knew they weren't friends.
"Hypothetically speaking, if I said yes…?"
"Then I'd want to break your fingers, legs, and jaw since that punk helped ruin my chances of fixing this corrupted kingdom."
"…Isn't aikido all about non-violence?"
"That's one interpretation. Not mine, but it is one."
"Uhhh…"
"However, aikido does involve a measure of forgiveness." He added. "I might be willing to let bygones be bygones… so long as you include me in any escape you attempt."
"…That sounds fair."
"Good." He lowered his palms, sizing me up. "I'm Casimir."
"King_Cobb."
"He doesn't have to address you like us, Sir Cobb?" Kesh asked.
"No, it's fine. And I don't want you guys attacking anyone anymore. That goes for all of you!" I gestured to the surrounding cultists who Casimir only just now noticed. Even he would have trouble fighting off fifty foes with his bare hands.
"Why should we play nice, Sir Cobb?" One suspicious cultist asked. "We outnumber them and we got you backing us up. We could slaughter them all under your leadership." The innocents all tensed up, watching us carefully. "What gives?"
My eyes darted to the disgruntled cultists. Right, they were all about killing people, so this was confusing for them. I had to say something convincing or else risk losing their loyalty.
Actually, was it about slaughtering people? Herobrine had mentioned in his journals how he believed in a 'Next Life'. He believed there was something after all this. If these people were truly his cultists…
I straightened out and used my most authoritative tone. "We kill to free Crafters from this infernal plain!" I admitted to roars of approval from the cultists. "Surely a new life would be preferable to this godforsaken pit! However," I interjected, "the Crafters here are not yet at peace."
The cultists shared a few confused looks and the innocents looked on in worry.
"Many of the Crafters here have been separated from their loved ones. I remember one lady on the outside, Peedit, a lonely Innkeeper with an imprisoned husband. She pines for him and desperately wishes to see him again, and I'm sure her husband feels the same in here. How many other Crafters have been separated from their loved ones by the ACC?"
As I went on, I noticed a ripple of murmurs pass among not just the cultists but the innocents as well. Some of them were sniffling with unshed tears in sympathy for the Innkeeper and her separated love.
"Plenty of you!" I answered my own question. "Plenty of you know what I'm talking about. These are separated Crafters yearning for one another. We may be called evil by most of Minecraftia, but even we wouldn't break lovers apart like this. It's just cruel! And killing them now would just extend the duration of their separation. They'd move onto a new life, but not without their beloved other."
More nods of agreement and the innocents looked on in hope. One man even stood up and made his way over.
"You… you know my Peedit?"
My eyes widened as I caught the man's name. Kapila. He was Peedit's husband!
"You… of course I know her!" I spoke earnestly. "She's a sweet little thing who gave us a place to stay at the Taamba Kaata Inn. The Inn was getting harassed by disgruntled Crafters so we fixed the place up for her and drove them off. She misses you so much!"
"I miss her too!" He cried. "Oh, how I miss her so! My sweet Peedit!" He wept.
"I miss my wife too!" Another Crafter leapt up. Bakara. Now why did that name sound familiar? "Nephrait planted false evidence on me to get at my wife, councilwoman Tyaag. The whole ACC is corrupt!"
"I haven't seen my husband in months! I want to go home!"
"I can't stand another week without my beloved's velvety voice!"
"I miss my wife's cooking. Nobody makes cooked chicken like her!"
"I'm single, but I still don't wanna be here no more!"
"You see?" I called to the cultists who looked sheepish. "You'd wish to kill these people before they are reunited with their loved ones? They deserve this one mercy from us, and we shall grant it before letting them decide whether this world is worth living or not! Am I understood!?"
"Yes, Sir Cobb!"
"I can't hear you!"
"YES, SIR COBB!"
I recoiled slightly, not expecting the reverberating shout of assent from the cultists. I never knew I could be a public speaker like this. Of course, I had to admit that reading Herobrine's journals gave me the idea.
If Herobrine was a good man once, maybe the Endward Cult had been the same. They weren't mindless killers. They could be reasoned with just like any Crafter.
"We're getting out of here." I promised, more in the heat of the moment than with a concrete plan. I had to escape, though. If, by now, Lenz, or Noman, or Alexicon, or anyone I knew weren't walking up to me, then they weren't here. They were back in Akasha. And if my map was taken, they'd be hunted down. Maybe they'd join me in the Pit, or maybe they'd stay one step ahead of the law. Either way, we could do anything if we put our heads together.
And with how the ACC were treating people, the innocent Crafters of the Pit deserved to be free and reunited with their loved ones.
And the cultists… would need some work before I felt assured in letting them loose. Didn't want them slipping into murder habits.
"Geez." Casimir checked the cultists and their looks of adulation. "Guess that's why you're an Executive. You got them eating out of your hands in minutes."
"Hehe, yeah, hehe…"
"He can't get us out." Delaney clicked her tongue disdainfully. "Just like he couldn't save Mirabelle…"
"We did everything we could." I defended. "And I will get everyone out. I just… need a little thinking time is all."
"I just want to lay my eyes on my beloved Peedit again." Kapila lamented. "They haven't allowed us any visitation rights."
"And they barely hand out any food, let alone weapons." Casimir supplied.
It looked like everyone had their Inventories cleaned out. No Backlash, no map, no Mob books. No leather tunic dyed with Ringwood's colors.
I was counting on the guys to come to my rescue, but without my map, how were they supposed to find me?
I looked up and out of the pit I was thrown into, staring longingly into the bright, blue sky and the golden sun. Somewhere out there, my friends were waiting for me. But until they came to my rescue, I needed to play to my Executive role and keep the cultists from hurting any of the innocent prisoners. These were people wrongly thrown in here by the ACC and McGahn's scheming. They didn't deserve this.
The cultists did, but, again, there was little I could do about them at the moment besides keep them in check. It was a surprise that the ACC's witch-hunting netted them some actual cultists.
...Though, maybe some of them had some information to lend to an Executive.
Inventory (Cobb): {Empty}
[EXP: 27]
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 1 Diamond Helmet [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 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 Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Boots [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Leggings, 16 Gunpowder, 3 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Invisibility {6:00}, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 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 {Weak}, 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, 17 Arrows, 16 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 21 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 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, 41 Cooked Mutton, 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, 17 Cooked Mutton, 14 Torches, 30 Jungle Wood Planks, 64 Cobblestone, 34 Cobblestone, 30 Emeralds, 24 Obsidian, 2 Buckets, 1 Compass, 1 Clock, 8 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, 2 Ender Pearls, 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, 5 Enchanted Golden Apples, 1 Diamond Helmet, 1 Diamond Leggings, 1 Diamond Boots, 64 Emeralds, 18 Bones, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 64 Gravel, 49 Gravel, 9 Flint
[EXP: 25]
AN: Cobb: And then they made me their Chief.
Cobb comes across a ton of old faces in the Pit. Some you might not remember, but I made sure to leave a little blurb from Cobb to help you remember. The Pit is based off of the prison from the Dark Knight Rises. The only way out is to make the climb. But Cobb's parkour skills aren't at Jade's level. So... yeah...
Fav. Follow. Review. OC. Forum. Discord. Server. Stay healthy.