AN: Blah Blah Blah.
GO!
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd add lettuce.
Chapter 155
The Lie to End All Lies
[Cobb]
"I see you got your weapon back."
"Is that a hint of reproach I detect, Noman?" Jade countered before passing me a diamond blade. "Here, Cobb, I got your Sweeping Edge back."
I turned the blade over in my hand while glancing at the cutlass firmly affixed to Jade's belt. It wasn't hard to guess where she had reclaimed them from. I didn't want the exact details, but I had a feeling we wouldn't be hearing from Nephrait again.
I shouldn't have cared. She stabbed me in the back after I rescued her from those Pigmen. And after she tried to frame Jade and the rest of us and all those other people in the Pit…
But I always circled back to Mitr's story. How McGahn had her hired to plant false evidence and arrest the people obstructing his way. She wasn't completely evil.
But Jade. She took exception. Stealing her weapon was one thing, but stabbing me in the back sent her over the edge. Now, Nephrait was gone, and all I could think was how much of a waste of life it was. Maybe it was because I was comparing it with the hero of the hour, Noman, who single-handedly talked down an angry mob of cultist haters and spared the execution grounds a whole lot of bloodshed. Aikido. What a thing…
Speaking of the execution grounds, after non-aggressively talking the ACC into submission, Captain Obsidian had descended the stairs only to prop himself against a post and stare emptily at the Crafters joyously reuniting after years of confinement in the Pit. Most everyone was talking and hugging—spouses were kissing—and the ACC were so outnumbered they knew any aggressive move they made would end unfavorably. They stood guard around their Captain, unsure of what to do, but unwilling to abandon him. McGahn might have been able to issue orders in the Captain's place… if he wasn't missing.
"Where is that snake?" Soul growled, keeping his eyes peeled for the missing councilman.
"Seems as if McGahn is McGone." Lenz tried to joke, only for an apple to appear out of nowhere and hit him in the head. "Who threw that!?"
"He probably realized he had no more power here and fled. Can't imagine there are a lot of Pit escapees who are happy to see him." Jade commented, looking to the crowd of cultists. The only genuine cultists around. We could tell since they were separate from the rest; they had no one to embrace. There was something sad about that. "We need to address the elephant in the room. What are we going to do with these real cultists?"
"We kill them. They're criminals." Soul said like it was the most obvious thing.
"And we're not criminals for breaking them out?" Arquero asked.
"Hey, we had no knowledge that things would snowball like they did."
"A shame. I was about to credit you with doing something impressive." I joked.
"Well, you still can. I mean… maybe it was all part of my plan. You don't know."
"I think I do."
"No killing, please." Noman, always the pacifist, said.
"We do owe them." Floyd rubbed his head sheepishly. "Without their presence, the ACC might have tried something. It's only because we outnumber them six to one, though most of these guys are unarmed…"
"And they were nothing but nice to me in prison." I added, biting my lip. "They called me Sir and everything. I don't want them going back to being killers, though."
"I have an idea." Soul volunteered.
"Is it Cobb commanding the cultists to lay siege to the Obelisk where they'll get slaughtered by Hackers?"
"Well if you're just gonna go out and say it…"
"Speaking of Hackers," I turned to Floyd, "what happened to Sandra and Winslow? Did they go back to the Clan or something?" Everyone but Jade looked away uncomfortably. "I don't like those looks…"
"They're dead." Soul said bluntly, making both Jade and I recoil. "Courtesy of Noman and Floyd here."
"Oh, guys…" My voice was full of sympathy for the pacifist and the Hacker who were both forced to kill. "I'm so sorry you had to—"
"Not your fault." Floyd shrugged off. "In fact, it was because of them that the ACC found you in the underground library. Sandra was hoping they'd get rid of you for her."
"What she didn't expect was for one of us to be wielding an almighty artifact." Soul boasted, making Noman shirk away. "Have any idea about that, Cobb?"
By the looks on everyone's faces, Noman had told them about the artifacts and his mission for Notch. While I wanted him to share that only after befriending everybody, it looked like Noman's hand was forced after he killed a Hacker. The guild wanted answers and I wasn't there to make up an excuse. On the plus side, it looked like Noman was closer to Lenz and Floyd, not just in proximity. He didn't seem to get on with Soul, though. Made sense, considering they were like night and day.
"Wait, what artifact are you talking about?" Jade voiced. "How were you able to kill a Hacker?"
I sighed. Jade was the last to know, having not been around for Noman's artifact discussion. Noman sent me a pleading look, and I took that as my cue to take Jade aside and explain to her Noman and his mission.
[Execution Grounds]
Captain Obsidian stared listlessly at the crowd of Crafters cavorting around the scaffolding. Many of them he recognized as Crafters he threw into the Pit, meaning they had escaped. They were speaking amicably with the people who had been present since Cobb's 'trial' began—many of whom had spoken out against himself, McGahn, and the ACC. Therefore, it stood to reason that everybody surrounding him was a cultist, and should be locked away.
But it was all so confusing to the Captain.
He was no stranger to exterminating a population of cultists. He had done it when he discovered the presence of cultists in his home village. Those monsters had killed everyone he ever knew in that sleepy town, and he responded in kind, slaughtering them to a man and beginning this crusade of his to rid Akasha—and one day all of Minecraftia—of the cultist scourge.
In his head, he always likened it to cutting away a tumor infecting an otherwise healthy body. The cult was always the minority, and he served to protect the innocent majority from further infection.
But what he was facing now was no minority. It looked like everyone in Akasha had been in on it. The whole Kingdom was cultist-populated, and it was only now that he could see it.
What exactly was I protecting, then? He silently asked himself. What did I spend those three centuries doing?
If McGahn were here, Obsidian was sure he'd have a perfect explanation. Except he wasn't here. The Captain couldn't find the councilman anywhere. It was like he just ran off.
And without his reassuring words and theories, Glowing_Obsidian was left to think about everything he'd come to doubt the last couple of days. He came to think more about the accusations being thrown around and the words of the men he was trying to execute.
Nephrait had been framing people on McGahn's orders to enforce his regime upon the populace.
Why else would everyone react so negatively to the ACC? If the cultists outnumbered them by this much, why weren't they pressing their advantage and slaughtering the Anti-Cult Committee? Why were they left alone?
Obsidian could see no profit in the cult allowing him to believe he was winning the war on the Endward Cult only to reveal such a disparity in numbers. He wasn't the smartest, but even he could tell something was amiss here. And if the only other explanation was that he was fighting in a Kingdom of cultists…
Then he had to accept that Cobb and Nowhere were telling the truth, and that McGahn and Nephrait had been framing people to keep themselves in power. And he had fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker.
Like Soul had said, he really was a puppet.
The Captain reached for his massive iron cleaver and stared at the reflective surface. His own lost expression stared back at him, and he hated it.
He shifted slightly as he removed his armor and turned the blade around, touching the sharp edge to his unprotected torso. He gripped the sides firmly between his fingertips and stared at the sky one last time before he thrust the—
"Whoa! Hey!" A hand grabbed the cleaver by the handle, the two having a brief tug of war. "What do you think you're doing, knucklehead!?"
Obsidian looked up into the hard face of Lost_Soul.
"I'm making things right." He replied flatly.
"Well you're going about it wrong." Soul and some ACC members, noticing the Captain's state, removed the weapon from the Captain's grip and set it aside. "You're pointing the sharp end the wrong way."
"You were right about everything." Obsidian said dully. "I've been McGahn's puppet for centuries." He laughed bitterly, palming his face. "Tanner above, I tortured and imprisoned hundreds of innocent people…"
"If it helps, not everyone was innocent." Soul offered. "Maybe fifty percent were true cultists. Glass half full."
"Glass half empty."
"Hello, Captain."
Obsidian looked up to see a face he hadn't seen in a long time. "Mitr. You… ah…" He bit his lip. "I thought it was suspicious that one of McGahn's friends turned out to be a cultist. He didn't even spare his allies?"
"You weren't there at the time McGahn snapped," the councilman spoke quietly, "but it was born from all the frustration and guilt he felt over Lagaat's death. I was trying to talk him down, and that wasn't what he needed. He needed a strong warrior to enforce his laws—someone the public admired. Nobody but you fit the role."
"And what about the innocents who ran and were killed?" Obsidian asked. "McGahn didn't feel the need to worry about them!"
"Now you get why I snapped." Soul spoke. "That first outing with the ACC, I killed people too, thinking they were cultists. I imagine what I did was only a fraction of the bodies you feel responsible for. It's why I tried to warn you." His red eyes burned with hatred. "Because manipulative rats like McGahn are too gutless to do the dirty work themselves. They got to get others involved and lie."
"That's my friend you're talking about." Mitr argued.
"The same friend who threw you in the slammer?"
"…Point made. But Captain," Mitr spoke again, "what you were about to do here…" He glanced at the cleaver cautiously. "It's not the answer. Justice will prevail, so you can't check out yet. You owe it to Akasha as its Captain."
He frowned while glaring at the ground. "…If there's a way to make this right, I'd be willing to do it. I just don't know where to start."
Before the councilman could make a suggestion, Soul cut him off with a dangerous glint in his eye.
"Oh, I know how we can start."
[Cobb]
The execution grounds began to clear up after Captain Obsidian and the former councilman Mitr politely asked them to disperse. The ACC made no aggressive moves on the Captain's orders and Soul assured them that I'd handle the cultists separate from the innocents. He left about ten ACC members anyway, not just if the cultists got violent, but also to see what I'd say to them. Seemed like he was taking more precautions. Not so trusting anymore. The Captain, Soul, Lenz, and a contingent of ACC members and guards took the Asmodeus to Indrad Rock with the intent to search for the fleeing McGahn. He had a lot to own up to and an angry Captain to face.
As for the other notable prisoners I spent time with…
Bakara and his wife, councilwoman Tyaag, expressed their gratitude for busting them out of the Pit. Though Bakara's smile thinned ever so slightly when he saw me with Jade. Apparently she was the one who caught him during that ACC raid the first night we arrived in Akasha. It was awkward up until they left.
We were happier to see Peedit and Kapila back together. Noman bowed lowly to the stuttering Innkeeper, profusely thanking her for standing up for her love and being the first to speak out during the trial. Kapila also complimented his wife, saying he'd never felt prouder. Then they had a few mutterings about how certain actions put them in the mood and sharing a nightly rendezvous. After that we hastily rushed them away before our faces could burn any brighter.
Delaney? Delaney was gone along with her Testificate friends Sue and Clyde. We weren't really on the best of terms, though I fulfilled my promise by breaking her out. Maybe it was better we never saw one another again.
Casimir. Another guy I promised an escape. He was talking with Noman. The two aikido pupils looked to be getting along now that McGahn was deposed. He had only hated Noman because he got in the way of his plan to fix the Mess Kingdom. But now, things were looking up.
"I might even be able to live here again." He joked with a fond smile. "…I should also visit the Old Man again. I hate to say he was right, but… I never thought this Kingdom could be fixed nonviolently. Maybe the namby-pamby aikido has more mileage than I gave it credit for."
"I think that's very mature of you, Casimir."
"Oh can it, Nowhere! Talk your way around these cultists and I'll really be impressed."
Arquero went off to tell Alexicon the good news: I wasn't dead. And also that McGahn's tyrannical regime would relax a little. I asked him to meet us up at the Taamba Kaata Inn, Peedit's place, when they got the chance. I had something to return to the old librarian.
And last but not least, Moorkh and Kesh, my cultist acquaintances. They, along with all the other genuine cultists, waited by the butte. I approached them confidently with Jade, Noman, Floyd, Casimir, and ten ACC members backing me up.
"Sir Cobb." Kesh saluted. "I'm impressed with your level of foresight. You put yourself in danger and allowed your Lieutenant to talk an angry mob down and force the councilman to flee. Masterfully done!"
The ACC members looked to us suspiciously, but I ignored their stares.
"Thanks. Can I ask you guys for a favor?"
"Yes, Sir Cobb! Anything!" Moorkh and many others strained to make their voices heard.
"Can you give up on being cultists?"
"We—what?"
Brain: Yeah, this isn't going to work. Blood? What do you say?
Blood: We blow them all up… with nail bombs…
Brain: Love it. Bladder, make it happen.
Bladder: Roger that.
Alright, easy.
"Listen," I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly, "seeing all those couples reuniting after years of separation made me realize that you guys have been locked up in prison for a long time. You haven't even seen the spoils of the Bounty Days, or of the two new Bounty Days approaching."
"There aren't two Bounty Days approaching." One of them dismissed.
"Bet you fifty emeralds there will be." I whispered only for Floyd and Noman to swat my arms simultaneously. "Anyway, my point is you guys have suffered enough, and I'm thinking you should just forget about being cultists and just live your life. Go out, find a girlfriend or boyfriend," I hugged Jade closer, "get a job, make friends, go on adventures, get laid."
Far from looking excited, many of them looked betrayed. "What are you saying, Sir Cobb? It's our responsibility to free the souls clinging to this wretched plane. They remain unaware that the best life they can make for themselves here is paltry compared with what they can experience in the Next Life."
"We all have to do our part." Moorkh said firmly. "We already compromised Herobrine's belief by letting those prisoners reconnect with loved ones, now you're telling us to just give it up? What did we suffer centuries of imprisonment for, Cobb?"
This was bad. They weren't calling me Sir anymore and they were getting angry. Maybe Noman was a better hand at this. Indeed, he was trying to settle things nonviolently.
Otherwise, Floyd would demonstrate his MultiAura and Speed on them.
"Please, you can't just go around killing people. It's not right! All life is precious."
"Yes, but life isn't extinguished when it's ended. It can't be ended. The only way forward is endward. Life continues in a new plane. That's Next Life."
"Yeah, but… but that doesn't mean you get to decide when and where a life should move on." I tried.
"I can't believe you're acting like this." Kesh snapped. "After defending Herobrine's books in front of everyone."
"He did what!?" Jade stared at me with wide-eyed shock and… pride? "You… haha… you publicly defended Herobrine in front of a mob of Akashic citizens? That's like the worst place you could think of!" She sounded hysterical with her giggles. "How do you walk around with balls that big?"
"Can we not talk about Cobb's balls?" Floyd shut that down before flashing his Hacker powers for the cultists, frightening many. "Trust me, fellas. You don't want to return to your old ways. The Endward Cult is turning peaceful."
"What sort of Executive are you? Letting your Lieutenants speak like this."
"Look, I just…" I rubbed the bridge of my nose, thinking of how to convince them. "We all die at some point, alright? Maybe it's faster if you do it, but… but that doesn't mean we shouldn't make the most of it. You're free after three centuries and the first thing you want to do is something that'll get you thrown back in?"
They all adopted contemplative looks at how I phrased it. I was getting to some of them at least.
"Look at where forcing your ideals has gotten you. You can't force people to die if they're not ready, or if they have someone they don't want to leave behind, or they still have something they gotta do. It's just not right."
"So, what, we just… go on?" One of them asked.
"I'm giving you this chance, because otherwise you guys might have to go back in jail. Do you want that?" They all shook their heads. "Then please, just… live a normal life. Have fun. We didn't have to kill anyone to change their minds, so why do you have to?"
Moorkh narrowed his eyes. "Was this always the plan, Cobb? The second you dropped into the Pit, were you always thinking of getting us to give up on the cult? You were never going to make Kesh or me a Lieutenant, were you?"
"…I'm sorry." I admitted. "But the killing has to stop. What you do with your life, I don't care, just so long as it isn't murdering people."
"Must be nice talking from that glass house of yours Cobb." Kesh puffed out her chest. "Exactly how many people did you have to kill to become an Executive?"
One pig.
"I'm washing my hands of this. What you people do next is up to you. Though if you're smart, you'll see a once in a lifetime chance when you see it. This is your one free pass. Don't waste it."
The cultists were obviously upset with the way we were laying things out—and yeah, maybe we should have felt bad if we were actually Executives or Lieutenants—but the alternative was killing all of them or throwing them back in the Pit. At least this way, maybe some of them would realize this wasn't the life they wanted to live, and they'd hang up their black-leather caps. Plus, they had to have enough sense to know that they didn't stand a chance against a Hacker like Floyd.
They all quietly left the scene. Hopefully for the better.
"You really think they'll listen to you?" One ACC member asked skeptically. "What's stopping them from falling back into old habits?"
"Absolutely nothing." Jade sighed. "Cobb, was this really the best option?"
"…I don't know." I admitted. "I guess I hoped I could sway them all into giving it up, but they're as fanatical as can be. We repaid our debt, so it isn't our problem anymore." Just then, I got an idea. "Hey, ACC guys. Could you maybe get someone to track those cultists and keep an eye on them? Make sure they don't start anything troublesome?"
"You're leaving it to us?"
"I mean, are you called the Anti-Cult Committee for fun or…?"
"How are we supposed to keep track of a group that big? They'd overpower us the second they noticed us."
"They don't have horses and half of them are unarmed. You could definitely outrun them." I suggested. "It's like they're on parole. Just keep an eye on them until it looks like they're about to do something Endward culty. Then you can bust them."
"Would've been easier just to throw them back in the Pit where they belong."
"Oh, like all the other innocents you threw down there? Sorry." I apologized quickly, seeing how their expressions fell. "You're right that these guys are evil. I just… wanted to give them a chance."
"You did the right thing, Cobb." Noman assured. "If even one of them gives up being a cultist, it'll be worth it."
"Your naiveté does not instill confidence."
"We'll get some guys to watch them." An ACC member promised. "With the direction they're going, we can have some horses follow them out tomorrow morning. I doubt they have water for this mesa biome and they'll have to hunt to feed themselves. Add Mobs onto that and there's a good chance most of them will die in the wilderness tonight."
"That's the spirit. Happy thoughts." Floyd rolled his eyes sarcastically while Noman looked troubled at the thought. "Nothing more we can do about it. Let's head back into the Kingdom. We got to find the rest of Cobb's gear."
"I want my Backlash back!" I mock cried, making the others laugh. "And a shower. I'm covered in sand and sweat."
Showering was first on the list.
On our way back to the Taamba Kaata Inn, we noticed a distinctive change in the Kingdom's atmosphere. Before, the citizens stayed inside, spoke in hushed tones, isolated themselves, and glanced warily at every passerby. But after the events at the execution grounds, people were chatting amicably with one another and there was a greater sense of trust. Without McGahn and the ACC breathing down their necks, people finally had the freedom to speak their mind and be themselves.
Nobody seemed to bother with us as we walked into town. No tolls were taken and no entry passes inspected (a good thing since Floyd and I had none). With so many people being wrongly accused as cultists, they saw us as more nameless victims. Our wanted posters were met with much cynicism.
"I can get used to this." I smiled.
"Wish I could say the same." Floyd mumbled as a pair of Crafters threw themselves out of his path. Seems his Hacker status preceded him. "I'm putting on the Creeper Mask."
"You have nothing to be ashamed of, Floyd." Noman said supportively. "Display your eye-lines with pride."
"I appreciate that, but it's better I keep my face hidden." Floyd pulled the mask over his head. "People are celebrating after the way things have been. I don't want to ruin their good mood."
We arrived at the decrepit Inn. Seems like in our absence, those jerk wads that had wrecked things before had come back to deface the place again. Water was flooding the lobby and bits of the walls and furniture were broken. The ender chest was missing again.
Peedit and Kapila weren't standing behind the counter. From the sound of the backroom, the amorous couple was making up for lost time. Noman helpfully put a 'DO NOT DISTURB' sign on the backroom door while I helped myself to a refreshing shower, wiping off the sweat and sand I had accumulated throughout the day.
Once I was all washed up, I found Jade waiting for me with a few legs of mutton and a tall bucket of milk. I thanked her in-between bites, tearing into the meal with reckless abandon. A few satisfied burps later, I was ready to head back out.
I had a few errands to take care of now that I wasn't a wanted man. It would probably be my one persecution-free day since I became a wanted criminal, and it was following an afternoon where I was almost publicly executed. The world works in mysterious ways…
Anyway, I intended to make the most of the day. Like I told those cultists, live life to the fullest. And I knew just the girl to spend it with.
"You want to go on a date?" I asked out of the blue, shocking Jade.
"Do I—Yes. Yes! That sounds great, let's do it!" Her voice sounded so excited and her smile was brilliant. She started going around the room, collecting her stuff and straightening her clothes. She had to stop for a second and sniff under her arm before suddenly deciding she also wanted a shower and that she'd be out in a few minutes.
I went to the rooms next door and told Noman and Floyd my plans for the rest of the day. Noman was more subtle about my date, but not Floyd. He wore a shit-eating grin and was nudging my shoulder.
"Cobb, you sly dog! Busting out the moves on Jade, eh? I hope you two don't stay out too long."
"Hey, Floyd, are you working on your Soul impression? It's really good."
"Just be sure to wear protection~"
"He can look for his armor after his date, along with the rest of his gear." Noman said in true innocent Noman fashion. "Floyd, why don't we help fix up the Inn for Peedit? We can't leave it in a state like this."
"Sounds fine to me. While we're working, though, can you beat off the last of this cursed armor? The boots are all that's left and the durability on them is pretty low."
"I don't feel comfortable beating people up, Floyd. Even as a favor."
"Well you can't talk it off."
"Watch me!"
I let the two joke around while I thought about where to take Jade. Dinner seemed like a safe choice, though I had some errands I wanted to get done too. I needed books, compasses, and a ton of paper. And, like Noman misinterpreted, I had to find my gear. Logic pointed to Indrad Rock being the most likely place to find it. I'd question Nephrait on where it went, but… well…
Brain: Dead.
After a quick shower, Jade popped back out looking refreshed and ready to head out. She took me by the arm and practically dragged the both of us out of the Inn before we ambled down the street.
"So? What did you have in mind for our romantic date?" She leaned her head on my shoulder, fluttering her eyelashes.
"I got a few places in mind."
I had her plunk down an ender chest so I could withdraw the emeralds to pay for our evening. Fifty emeralds seemed like enough pocket change. It was strange traveling so light, but with Jade around I knew I couldn't be safer.
First place that caught my eye was a bunny farm.
"This is your idea of romance?" Jade asked skeptically as we were ushered into a pen of multicolored rabbits. "I'm starting to have my doubts…"
"Hold your horses." I assured her before guiding her to a pair of chests along the side that read 'FEED'. I opened one and withdrew an item within before tossing it to a startled Jade. "Think fast!"
She caught the carrot dexterously, but doing so caught the attention of every rabbit in the pen. They started swarming her, hopping around, and smothering the green-haired girl in a sea of fur.
"Noooooo! Cobb!" She howled between giggles at the rabbit's tickling fur. "I just showered! Stahahahap!" She fell over and the rabbits took advantage, leaping for the carrot and jumping on her fallen body. It was like she was wearing a blanket of the pint-sized mammals.
When one of them—a black spotted one—jumped on her neck and wiggled its nose next to hers, she broke down and snuggled the thing, cooing adorably all the while. She brought out the carrot and gently fed the bundle of fur. She smiled on fondly, and I pumped my fist at a successful first swing.
And that was only the tip of the dateberg.
After feeding rabbits and wiping the fur off her jacket, we swung by one of the bases of the rainbow-shaped Indrad Rock. Higher up, I could see the Asmodeus docked, meaning Soul and Lenz had arrived to search for McGahn.
I chose this location because there was a rock wall set up along the side of the hardened clay formation. People could climb up and then climb down. There was a beginner course, an intermediate, and an expert. The last one would have been perfect—and easy—for a parkour master like Jade, but unfortunately the place was shut down on account of the death on its doorstep.
Guards had cordoned off the area and were scraping up bits of Nephrait off the sandstone street. I saw her Head and quickly steered the two of us away. Jade noticed.
"She had it coming. She tried to kill me." She said.
"I know."
"She stabbed you in the back. Why did you even try and save her back there?"
"I… she sounded afraid." I confessed. "I guess I'm weak to people calling for help."
She sighed. "You're too good, you know that." She smiled warmly though. "That's what I love about you, though. You're so heroic."
Heart: Now you say something good about her.
"It's a shame that rock wall was closed. You're so graceful and fluid while parkouring. I would have loved to watch you."
"Yeah, I bet you would." She answered seductively, making me blush. "Hey, you know what, I got something better we can try."
I barely asked what before she pulled me along to the side of a tall sandstone building with a fire ladder along the back. She started climbing, beckoning me to follow.
"I haven't done this in ages!" She gushed, clearly excited.
"What is it?"
"Back when I was working for the Guerrillas," she speculated, "we had this kind of parkour training game to improve our reflexes. We'd climb to the highest treetops and play a game of tag while hopping about. It was so much fun with the wind in your hair and the blood pounding in your ear. I got a taste of it back at the Parkour Games, but I wanna try it with you. If you can keep up."
She had to add that last bit, knowing it would stroke my competitive spirit. "Is that a challenge, AceOfJades?"
"It might be, Sir Cobb."
"…You're not gonna let that go, are you?"
"Nope!"
Once we reached the roof of the building, Jade waited until I got to the top of the ladder before tapping my head.
"Tag. You're it."
Then she rushed over to the building's edge before leaping off. I ran after her and watched as she performed a perfect landing roll on the roof of the next building and bounced up on the balls of her shoes, resting her hands on her hips and looking at me challengingly.
Ducking and rolling was a technique Jade taught me early on in the parkour arts. It helped bleed off momentum and reduce damage. The body still absorbed the same impact, but in smaller doses rather than all at once.
With that knowledge in my head, I gave myself a running start and jumped after her. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I dropped, ducked, and rolled with the landing. I didn't bounce up to my feet right away like her, but I made the jump with a minimum of damage.
When I looked up, I saw the back of Jade's hair teasingly fluttering out of view. I chased after her.
"I'm gonna teach you not to underestimate me!" I laughed as I jumped after her.
"Sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you from way back there!" She taunted.
She vaulted off a lamppost and landed on the edge of a billboard like it was a balance beam. With careful steps, she marched along it, flashing me some side-eye.
I didn't take the same path. Instead I swung on a horizontal pole and somersaulted onto a different roof, running along it to get a better angle on the evasive parkour master. She saw my intended path and changed course, kicking off the billboard and landing on a windowsill, ducking into it on one end and appearing on the other a few moments later.
I performed a few short hops on ledges and swung around a corner by clinging to a support beam. Jade was above me, running along a roof with a soft patter like rain. My footsteps were more a reckless romp.
She kept showboating with a series of gymnastic-like twirls and somersaults—undoubtedly keeping in mind my comment about wanting to watch her moves—and gave me a chance to catch up. I shimmied up a sandstone pillar and hoisted myself onto the same roof as her just as she was getting ready to jump.
Panicking on how to keep her in place, I spouted the first thing that came to mind.
"Jade! Carys on your left!"
Jade jolted and her head spun to the left in search of the deadly Angel of Death. The moment of panic was just the distraction I needed to wrap both arms around her midsection and pull her back off the ledge.
"Tag!" I laughed triumphantly as we both fell back onto the roof, her on top of me. "Gotcha!"
"You cheated!" She tried to pout, but couldn't between her giggles. We rolled around on the roof, her constantly trying to turn around in my grasp and me just holding her tight. Finally, she extricated herself from my hug and turned around to pin me onto the roof, giving me a teasing glare.
"That was a dirty trick." She accused.
"It worked, didn't it?"
"If by 'worked' you mean it made my heart fall into my shoes, then yes. Yes it did." She narrowed her eyes mischievously. "Now it's your turn to run."
"What…?"
She got off of me and stood with folded arms. "I'm it, now. And let me tell you, I don't need tricks to parkour circles around you."
Uh-oh.
"I'll give you a thirty-second head start." She smiled haughtily before slowly counting. "Ooooone…"
I bolted before she got to two, running and jumping over buildings in a mad dash to put as much distance between us as I could. Thirty seconds later and four blocks down, I hid in the shadow cast by a balcony and clutched at my chest while catching my breath.
There was no way she'd find me.
"Found you."
I definitely did not scream like a girl when Jade whispered in my ear. I did, however, rocket to my feet only to bang my head on the damn balcony and fall back down. Jade was doubled over with laughter as I clutched my head.
"Very funny. Laugh at the injured guy."
"Hahaha… Sorry…" She wiped a tear from her eye, though the wide smile on her face told me she was having a good time. "That'll teach you to challenge the master at her own game."
"Lesson learned." I rubbed my head for a little bit and blushed when Jade pulled it down to give it a kiss.
"There, better?"
"I'm not a toddler."
"Even though you act like one. Kidding." She placated. "Hey, I worked up an appetite. Wanna grab a bite?"
She had a point. Parkouring really made you hungry. Fortunately, there was a restaurant nearby for us to initiate the dinner part of our date.
After weeks of mutton and a few days of prison food, I decided to order a nice steak dinner with a side of baked potatoes. Jade picked out beetroot soup and a carrot salad. The two of us were deep in conversation while enjoying our respective meals.
"So the Guerrillas taught you everything you know about parkour?"
"Yeah. They were a pretty cool guild." She picked apart some of her salad. "After the Beginners, I'd say they were the next best guild I worked with. At least there I felt a little bit like I was with equals. At least, in the beginning."
"They abused your sword skills?" I guessed.
She nodded. "I was having so much fun learning how to parkour, I spilled the beans about my skills with a cutlass and suddenly I'm being fast-tracked on all the S-rank missions the guild was getting. I didn't think it could get bad so quick."
"You must have made friends, though."
"I mean, I got along great with one or two of the parkourists," she admitted, taking a sharp bite of a carrot, "but then everyone was trying too hard to get in my good graces. It felt too forced, and I knew it was because they wanted to depend on me to take more difficult missions and earn them more prestige."
"That's terrible." I said sympathetically. "It's strange, though. You'd think with me being a Hacker-Slayer that people would be lining up to win me over."
"That's because they think you're an Executive." She pointed out after taking a sip of her bright red soup. "Nobody wants to fraternize with a cultist. They're too busy wanting to kill you. That's probably why most of them keep their identities hidden."
"Well, I'm glad to hear you're more comfortable with the Beginners." I smiled. "By the way, how did you part with the Guerrillas? I can't imagine they'd let you leave without begging on their hands and knees or bribing you."
"Let's just say it ended in a high-speed game of tag in the treetops where I really, really, really didn't want to get caught."
I hummed in understanding and we got to talking about more trivial things, like where the Beginners should head next. Where even could we go? We were wanted in every Kingdom from Exter to Oak Docks and it was that bitch Carys' fault. Even if we stormed Nitebane and demanded they retract the posters and reward, the misinformation would already be out there. Plus, forcing Carys into submission was like squeezing blood from a stone. It couldn't be done.
The only sensible thing to do regarding the Angel was as Jade suggested.
'You have to kill her.'
Brain: How you gonna do that?
Still working on it.
Stomach: Work later. Right now, I'd like another bite of that steak.
After polishing off dinner, we concluded the night running a few errands at a market, then a paper supply store. I bought empty maps, ink sacs (which cost a small fortune with how far the ocean was), feathers, and books. I had to dip further into my savings just to cover the costs, but it was worth it for what I had planned. I owed Alexicon, after all.
By the time we were done, it was close to midnight. The moon was out in full, lighting up the streets where the citizens of Akasha gathered freely. And, as an added treat, on our way back, someone had the great idea to launch fireworks in celebration of the freed innocents. Explosions of red, orange, blue, and gold bedazzled the night sky, illuminating a familiar airship with black sails and capping off what was to me, a pretty good date.
When we got back to the Taamba Kaata Inn, the Asmodeus was there waiting for us. People pointed out how weird it was for a dingy inn to host such a sleek airship, but point is all they did. Floyd and Noman looked to have fixed the place up while we were gone, and the airship signified Soul and Lenz's presence.
We entered the no-longer-flooded lobby—where Peedit waved hello from behind the counter—and ascended the steps to return to our rooms. We were both pretty tired, so it looked like we'd both retire.
That was put on hold when we entered our shared room and saw the fuming faces of the rest of the guild. Every head swiveled in our direction and Soul got to his feet first.
"About time, lovebirds. We got some news to share."
"Ugh, can't it wait, Soul?" Jade pleaded, massaging her temple. "We just got back from a delightful evening and we're tired and our feet hurt. So if you could just put a pin in whatever you want to say, we can—"
"McGahn's dead."
"—put off sleeping and listen to everything you're about to tell us. Hold on."
While I stood there in complete shock at the latest news, Jade went over to the bathroom and filled a bucket with water before dumping it upon herself. Then she refilled it and dumped it on me.
"Okay, we're both awake. What happened?"
"It was Obsidian." Soul clarified. "The guy lost his shit and slit McGahn's neck open the second we found him. Nobody could stop him."
"I thought he was fine." I said. "He was under control. What made him flip out?"
"This." Soul slapped a book down on the table and I looked at it apprehensively. "You're not gonna believe this shit."
The way everyone was looking, it was probably bad. Still, it wasn't the first time I opened up a book with trepidation. I flipped open the pages, taking notice of the title and author.
"…signed by—" I let out a strangled gasp and covered my mouth, prompting Jade to poke her head over my shoulder and ask what it said. "—4Blite…"
Jade's eyes widened and she pulled the book to the side so that she could read it aloud.
[Mission Update]
[Congratulations are in order, Grosvenor. Thanks to your and Nephrait's work behind the scenes, more and more innocent Crafters are being locked away, thinning Akasha's already dwindling population. It has been a slow process, I'm sure, but your work for the Northern Division will soon bear fruit. Within a year or two, I predict the population will be low enough and so disjointed that our Division will be able to steamroll through their defenses and claim the Kingdom as the latest sacrifice for our glorious mission. Not even that fool of a Captain will be able to stop this.]
[Keep the populace unaware of your true goal. When the time comes, you will be welcomed back to the cult as a hero. You may even get promoted to Executive.]
[I will update you on any changes in the plan. Burn after reading.]
[-Lieutenant 4Blite, Northern Division]
"Herobrine above…" Jade breathed out, releasing the book and letting it rest in my numb hands. "Where… where did you find—"
"It was in McGahn's office. The Captain let us make a copy to take back." Lenz explained. "We found your Inventory as well, Cobbert, it is on the Asmodeus."
The news that I had my gear back should have been a mood-brightener, but all I could think about was the book in my hands.
"The second Obsidian found that, he went apeshit. I can't blame him." Soul growled. "Looks like Brett was right to send us here after all. A cultist was working right under our noses."
Noman hadn't chastised Soul's foul language once so far. That was how shaken he was by this. "So McGahn was using the cover of the ACC to frame and imprison innocents. It wasn't just about eliminating his opposition; it was about tilting the numbers in his favor."
"And Nephrait was in on it." Jade hissed. "Glad that bitch is dead. McGahn too."
"He died screaming." Soul said with relish. "He kept trying to plead with Obsidian, but the Captain's face… he had had enough. The councilman was put down like a dog."
"We shouldn't talk about it like that." Noman tried.
"WHAT!? You're going to tell me he didn't deserve it!? Huh!?"
"Soul, stop it." Floyd intervened. "The point is he's dead now. Better yet, the book proves McGahn's compliance with the cult AND vindicates Cobb's innocence along with everyone else freed from the Pit."
"But… wait…" I stumbled, my brain struggling to catch up. "There were genuine cultists in that prison."
"Yeah, we saw." Floyd nodded. "No way those guys were acting. They were real cultists."
"My guess is that the Captain threw the right people away along with the wrong people." Soul voiced his opinion. "He didn't just imprison the 'leads' Nephrait and McGahn threw his way. The Captain's in a bad way right now. I really wish I could stick around and help him out."
I turned over the book in my hands, hardly able to believe everything it implied. The book was signed by 4Blite. The Northern Lieutenant had held the book in his very hands and wrote these very words before sending it to the councilman.
It almost felt like déjà vu, but I couldn't quite put my finger on why.
"So… we foiled a cultist scheme?" I ventured, a little unsure.
At my words, Noman and Soul cracked a smile each—one more vicious than the other.
"You bet your noodle arms we did." Soul propped himself against a wall. "Looks like our mission to Akasha was a bigger success than we planned. I bet McGahn was even a Lieutenant with how important this operation was."
"You just want an excuse to say you caught a bigger fish." Jade rolled her eyes.
"Oh? Let me sum up my involvement here: I killed a Hacker and stopped a Lieutenant."
"Give it a rest, Soul." Floyd swatted him. "If anything, Noman should be credited with most of those."
"Eh, if it's alright with you, I'd rather not take glory for the deaths of two people."
"See? He doesn't want it. I'll happily take the credit off his hands."
"No, Noman! He'll be insufferable if we leave him like this." Jade argued. "Hell, I'll take the credit so long as it's not him!"
"You guys never let me have anything nice!"
As everyone laughed at the axe-wielder's rage, I looked at the incriminating book clutched tightly in my hands.
I should have been pleased to have helped stop a cultist plot. From what was said in the book, it would have spelled trouble for the meager population of Akasha. Instead, everyone was free and out celebrating, and nobody seemed to care that the councilman was dead.
Me?
I pocketed the book and slept on it.
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Diamond Sword [Sweeping Edge III], 4 Empty Maps, 15 Books, 15 Ink Sacs, 15 Feathers, 1 Book {Mission Update}
[EXP: 27]
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 1 Diamond Helmet [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [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, 12 Cooked Mutton, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Emerald, 1 Iron Sword {Weak}, 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 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, 1 Bow, 13 Arrows, 14 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Stick, 1 Crafting Table, 16 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, 50 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, 35 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 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV], 1 Diamond Cutlass, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 13 String, 8 Cooked Mutton, 14 Torches, 12 Jungle Wood Planks, 60 Cobblestone, 30 Emeralds, 22 Obsidian, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Bucket, 1 Compass, 1 Clock, 6 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: 37]
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], 22 Birch Wood Planks, 34 Iron Ingots, 17 Sticks, 2 Signs, 1 Bucket, 1 Crafting Table, 2 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: Thus concludes the Akasha Arc. There'll be another Chapter to wrap up any loose ends, but it'll be the start of the next Arc as well.
Things have been so hectic for Cobb, I decided to cut him a break. His character was very much, 'I almost got executed today and I want to enjoy life to the fullest. I should ask Jade out for a date!' There's romantic fluff or whatever and the two have fun. Not like Cobb's a casanova, but he had sense enough to save the boring errands until the end of the date. Hats off to him.
This whole Arc lasted me sixteen chapters, but I feel like I did a decent job because I actually planned it to fit that length exactly. This is just some end of Arc notes.
The whole point of this Arc was to touch upon the dilemmas of three characters: Cobb, Noman, and Floyd. All three of them coping with something or other.
For Cobb, the Herobrine reveal is on full display in a Kingdom that taboos and despises him, and initially, he feels betrayed by who he considered a hero. He adopts the mindset of Akasha's citizens with regards to the cult's Founder and wants nothing further to do with him. It's only after meeting Alexicon and reading Herobrine's journal entries that he realizes how Herobrine got to where he was and he sees firsthand what made him admire the guy to begin with. Herobrine helped people. He made Minecraftia what it was, and that's the guy Cobb chooses to idolize. It gets to the point that he'd rather defend him to a crowd of cult-haters rather than denounce him one word further.
For Floyd, he's also shaken by Herobrine's reveal, but more so with how it affected Hackers. He blames Herobrine for the fear Hackers are regarded with, and what's more shaken is his Hacker powers, which he learns more about thanks to the instruction of Sandra and Winslow. It's only after he learns that the Hackers were always uptight that he redirects his anger towards his 'brethren', particularly when they decide to kill his friends without his consent. He turns his powers on his teachers and, in a fit of rage, kills one dead. While he learns more about his powers and gains another weapon in his ever-expanding arsenal, it's with a bitter taste as he looks upon the Head of Sandra.
For Noman, he unleashed the power of the Severe Shield to survive a killing blow from Winslow... not realizing that the Hacker's abilities would trigger his chestplate's deadly Thorns Enchantment and kill the man. Feeling like a failure, the only thing that can rebolster his confidence is if he nonviolently settles a conflict in true aikido fashion and convince an angry mob not to lynch his favorite fisherman. What wins the day in the end isn't violence, but logic and reason. And that, my dear readers, makes this Noman's greatest victory to date.
Of course, the readers get a heaping helping of lore with the Herobrine journal entries. Tell Me A Tale I think was the most popular chapter of the Arc. I'll be asking people later on the Discord because I'm genuinely curious. There'also plenty of world-building with the ACC, Akasha, the Akashic Records, and all the characters I threw in. I hope it was an enjoyable Arc for you all.
This next one might be even better.
FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. PM. FORUM. DISCORD. SERVER. POPTARTS.