AN: Nothing interesting happens this Chapter. You can just skip it.
I went a night without sleep to type this out so you better appreciate it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd call it Stardew Valley.
Chapter 156
The Truth
[Cobb]
I woke up early to the sight of a peaceful Jade snoozing beside me. It was quiet at the Taamba Kaata Inn, and that was just how I liked my mornings.
As appealing an idea it was to stay in bed, I still had some things to take care of. So, stretching my arms and taking great care not to disturb my green-haired girlfriend, I left the room and headed up the stairs to get to the roof. From there, I could access the Asmodeus where Lenz had docked it.
I went to Carys' old—I mean MY room—and clicked open the bedside chest to find exactly what Lenz had promised: My recovered Inventory. It was all there. My treasured green-dyed leather tunic, Backlash—my Knockback II fishing rod—my Citizenship information and Entry Passes—which would have been a pain to replace—and the rest. The only things missing were the Herobrine books, which McGahn had burned at the trial yesterday. They were all copies anyway. The originals were still in my ender chest along with all the other books Noman, Lenz, and I had salvaged.
Not the Journal Entries, though. Those had been lost when the ACC burned and collapsed the ceiling. Herobrine's adventures would be forever lost to the people of Minecraftia.
…Or would they?
There was a reason I asked Alexicon to swing by the Inn. Just as there was a reason I picked up book supplies. I sat on the bed in the room and spread out the books, ink sacs, and feathers before thinking back on what I read.
Brain: Whuff… Alright, I'll lend you a hand. It started something like…
By noon, I was shaking my cramping hand with a taxed mind and bloodshot eyes. But I had done it!
Brain: You suck so hard…
I shut the books just in time for a knock on my door. It was Jade, Lenz, and Noman, and with them were the thief-librarian duo, Arquero and Alexicon.
"Perfect timing." I smiled wearily. "Jade, can you set down an ender chest? We have some important tomes to withdraw."
Jade nodded and produced the chest while Alexicon smiled fondly.
"Arquero toldeth me what transpir'd yest'rday." Oh, Notch, I forgot how irksome her manner of speech was. Just keep smiling, Cobb. "I am joyous thou art safe, and pleased with thy loyalty to the booketh."
She must have been referring to how I defended Herobrine's books in front of that mob. I shrugged. "I just decided to use what he said when he was trying to be good. If anything, it was just selective reading."
"Ch'rry-picking." She summarized. "Eith'r way, thee stoodeth up f'r what thee hath believed in. And thee did protect mine own tomes!" She cheered when the three of us took out the Herobrine books we managed to save. Things about Next Life Theory, Crafting Recipes, theses about philosophy. She accepted them all with a smile.
Lastly was the Mob Books. How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts, Advanced Mob-Slaying, and Mobs of the Nether. The original copies of the second and third, a copy of the first from Helena. Still, a copy was better than a copy of a copy. The former could be copied while the latter could not. So long as she had them, Alexicon could spread the books easier and safeguard them from disgruntled Crafters.
When I offered her the Mob Books, however, she shook her head. "Nay, Cobb. Thee shouldst keepeth the 'riginals. I only require a copyeth."
"What? But why? They'd be safer with you. I got my copies burned."
"Thee has't the eidetic mind AND the strength and mettle to defend them. No hands art saf'r than thy owneth."
I looked down at the Herobrine books. They felt heavier in my palms after what she said, yet after reading through them, I pretty much had them memorized. Already I had strategies and methods for dealing with the newer Nether Mobs.
Alexicon was entrusting them to me.
"Besides, cautel'rs shall still beest able to readeth them." She assured. "The Akashic Records shall at every moment beest a safe haven to readeth."
"Even with it having been burned down for the second time?" Noman asked, earning a sigh from the librarian.
"We'll build again." Arquero promised. "Things might get more lax with McGahn McGone—"
"Oh, so he can make that joke, but I cannot?" Lenz griped.
"—but I can't trust Akasha's citizens as far as I can throw them. No way are we setting up another aboveground library. We'll probably just expand our bunker and start gathering books again."
"The Book Burglar is back in business?" I smirked.
"Damn straight."
"Language, please." Noman chastised.
"Sorry."
"T wonneth't beest easy, but most wondrous things seldom art."
"You only take out what you put in." I summarized much more normally.
"Aye." Alexicon smiled sadly. "I only wisheth Herobrine's Jounral Entries hadst did survive the conflagration. Anon, they're gone f'rev'r, and nobody shall ev'r knoweth his st'ry."
"Well, I wouldn't say that."
The librarian looked up in bewilderment before her mouth opened in a perfect 'o' at the eight books I held up with a satisfied smile.
"It took some doing, and they won't have Herobrine's signature" I handed them to the librarian's shaking fingers, "but I'm confident enough in my eidetic memory to say I got 98% of things right word for word. Of course, I can't account for the two missing volumes I didn't read, but—OOF!"
I was taken aback as the mousy librarian shot into my gut like a missile and wrapped her arms around me, her glasses knocked askew as she smiled a watery smile.
"Whoa, hey, hands off my man." Jade protested, half-amused.
"Thanketh thee." She cried, hugging me tighter. "Thanketh thee, thanketh thee, thanketh thee. A million thanketh thees!"
"H-Hey, it's alright!" I patted her back awkwardly. "I just figured it'd be better having some record in case someone like me ever showed up and wanted to learn the truth about the guy."
"This means m're than thee knoweth!" Her voice was so high-pitched, I swore the Asmodeus windows were about to crack. "Thou art a true champion of literature, King_Cobb. Liketh the starry-ey'd bards, I shalt singeth praises of thy h'roism!"
"Th-That's okay, Alexicon. Really." I tried to pry her off, but to no avail. "Little help here, guys."
"Group hug!" Noman suggested.
"What!? No! That's not what I meaaaant!"
I was fighting a losing battle as Noman, Jade, Lenz, and a shrugging Arquero all surrounded me and joined in on the hug.
Heart: Doesn't it just warm your heart, Brain?
Brain: Fuck you, I'm running on fumes from remembering eight volumes. I'm switching command of major motor functions to Bladder while I take a nap. Go nuts, man.
Bladder: Score!
"Guys, c'mon!" I protested. "It's hot and I'm sticky."
After several minutes of hugging—during which Soul cracked open the door, saw us, and then slowly closed it and left—we finally had the librarian settle down. Only then did I tell her to forget about the praise singing she intended to do for me. She had a counter-offer.
"How about instead, thee'll returneth to Akasha one day with thy owneth Journal Entries, detailing the adventures thee wenteth on. I wouldst loveth to pres'rve thy st'ry."
I actually liked the sound of that. Maybe centuries from now the Trillionth would read it one day while having doubts about whether I was a hero or villain, and he'll learn how a dead pig set me on this crazy road of infamy.
The truth was truly stranger than fiction.
"You got it!"
We bid goodbye to Arquero and Alexicon in greater spirits than when they arrived. Noman was still bummed about the dead end regarding the Vivlio Zythopoiias, but there was little the librarian or any of us could do. Though now that we were all on the same page regarding the artifacts, everyone was tossing out theories on where the others might be hidden.
"I bet they're in the hands of powerful Crafters." Jade offered. "Whoever has the artifacts would be making a name for themselves."
It was nice to have everything out in the open. By Noman's fond smile, I could tell he was thinking the same thing.
We also had some re-syncing to do, since half of us had our maps burned. I used the blank maps I bought along with my own to make four new copies: Three for Floyd, Soul, and Noman, and the fourth to go in my ender chest Inventory in case I ever needed it. Soon, we were all synced up again and I could see all our little white blips in the Dryrock Mesa region.
There was that seventh white blip still in Ringwood, though. A remnant of the fresh spawns we helped at the Origin Zone. Troy, Guile, Nance, Gina, and Wyatt. We gave them two maps so they'd find Ringwood easier. Jade had admittedly stolen one to track us down, but it looked like the fresh spawns were still chilling in Ringwood. I hoped they were as tightly knit with one another as the Beginners were.
Though… it would be a problem if some guards or bounty hunters got a hold of their synced map and expanded it to track us down.
When I handed Soul his map, he nodded to it, pleased. "Thanks. I'll probably need this."
Wonder what that was about?
I was on a copying roll, so I made a copy of Mobs of the Nether for Lenz so he could have the whole trilogy. He was also still translating the Jibberish in the back. The new book had an excerpt of jumbled words, just like the other two.
[Gsv Drgsvi droo yvxlnv tilfmwvw zh rg uozhsvh yofv zmw wlmh 'drgsvi zinli'. Zg gszg klrmg, rg droo yvxlnv rnnfmv gl ziildh zmw ivtvmvizgv svzogs zg zm zxxvovizgvw izgv. Gsv vmvitb gsrh gzpvh, sldvevi, kivevmgh rg uiln uobrmt gll srts. Vmzyormt blf gl tvg fk xolhv zmw kvihlmzo drgs z hgilmt hdliw.]
[Gzpv rg lfg jfrxp, yfg wlm'g yv ivxpovhh. Gsrh gsrmt xzm proo blf rmhgzmgob ru mlg kilkviob kivkzivw. Szermt Ivtvmvizgrlm Klgrlmh zmw Nrop lm szmw xzm xlfmgvi zmw mfoorub gsv Drgsvi Vuuvxg. Zhrwv uiln gszg, kldviufo, glk-grvivw tvzi droo yv ergzo rm uzxrmt gsrh nlmhgilhrgb. Vmxszmgvw Tlowvm Zkkovh, li Mlgxs zkkovh zh nb xlmxvrgvw uirvmw szh mznvw gsvn, xzm zohl pvvk blfi svzogs uiln wilkkrmt.]
[Fklm rgh wvzgs, rg wilkh z Mvgsvi Hgzi, dsrxs xzm yv fhvw gl xizug yvzxlmh: Nztrxzo wverxvh gszg xzm trev zyrorgrvh gl lgsvih.]
[Dvzpmvhhvh: Hkozhs Klgrlmh lu Svzormt, Hnrgv.]
Frankly, in the contest of most annoying, it was a tie between reading this and listening to Alexicon's way with words. No way could my brain remember this.
Brain: My eyes!
The rest of my books and ink sacs, I gave to Lenz. He was the designated office supply store in a pinch, and he stored them all away in an ender chest. As for the feathers, Noman, Lenz, and I pooled our spare flints and sticks to make the archer sixteen arrows. He was running low, so he was grateful for that.
Jade wanted some copies of the Mob books too, but without feathers, I had to turn her down. She seemed so put-down. I offered her mine, but she slapped my arm, chastising me after Alexicon had just entrusted the copies to me.
"We can pick up more feathers later." She promised.
"We need to do a food run, anyway." Floyd suggested. "We're leaving tonight."
He was right. That's what we decided. Akasha was… a mess. A real Mess Kingdom. Things were a bit lighter without McGahn or the ACC accusing the wrong people, but with the 'cultist' arrests investigated per Brett's orders, Floyd and Soul's missions were complete. It was time to move on.
Only… Soul didn't think so.
"Obsidian's being watched." Soul shared with us. "Mitr and the ACC guys are worried he'll do something drastic again. Mitr himself refuses to believe McGahn was secretly a cultist. They've shown him the proof over and over—there's no forging 4Blite's signature—but he's stuck in denial. It breaks my heart to see how deep McGahn's deceptions went."
"So what are you gonna do?" Floyd asked.
"Well…" Soul, in a rare show of timidity, wrung his axe handle. "I've been thinking… maybe I should hang around a bit longer."
I jolted, turning to the axe-wielder like a deer in headlights.
"You want to stay?" Lenz asked.
"Obsidian's a good guy, he's just been pointed at the wrong people." Soul defended. "I want to help him from this."
"But… but we need you…" I said, my voice small. Despite all the times he was a pain, Soul was an integral part of the guild. His strength had helped us more than once. For him to just leave the group made me feel like a piece of my World was slipping away. The routine shenanigans of ours was about to be disrupted.
"Cobb, your girlfriend's standing right there." Soul stage whispered as an insult. He dropped it, however, the second he saw how upset I was. "Agh. Look, it won't be forever. I just want to stay here and make sure Obsidian bounces back. He's tough, he can do it. He just needs a helpful nudge is all."
"Is that the only reason you're doing this?" Floyd asked, his arms folded. "Or is it because you see a bit of yourself in the Captain."
"Bit of both. He's fought using his own strength. I can admire that." He cleaned some gunk out of his eye before continuing. "I don't want him to just curl up and wallow in despair. McGahn tricked a lot of people, but he's gone now. No sense in letting his influence linger. Guy's got to move on."
I felt an uncomfortable twinge in my gut, but it had nothing to do with Soul deciding to stay in Akasha. I ignored it, however, in favor of addressing the current problem.
"Look, if you want to stay a bit longer, we can all stay in Akasha." I offered, somewhat desperately. "We don't have to leave right away. We can buy provisions, take our time. It's not like we're criminals anymore."
"He's right, Soul." Lenz added. "We can remain and help with the Captain. You do not have to do this alone."
"You guys don't get it." He growled. "I've got a personal interest in this. We're so similar. And I want to let him know about the Silver Intent. He'll be reluctant to join another group, so maybe I'll just give him a kick in the ass or whatever."
"But, we can all comfort him." Noman suggested. "We can help build his spirit back and—"
"I know what he needs, and it's not being babied." Soul shot down. "Obsidian is a warrior and he has his pride. He was going to commit Sudoku on himself before I stopped him."
"Seppuku."
"What?"
"Seppuku. He was going to commit Seppuku."
"What'd I say?"
"Sudoku."
"What is that? What even is that?"
"I don't know, but how can you be sure a kick in the pants is what he needs?"
He shrugged. "It's what I'd want if I started questioning myself."
Floyd's mouth went into a thin line, but I could tell he was considering this. I couldn't have that.
"Soul, you shouldn't—"
"Just give me a few days, okay?" He almost begged. "I don't want to hold you guys up. Plus, we got the synced maps; I can catch up to you guys. It'll be fine."
I saw it in his red eyes that his mind was made up. And trying to change his mind would be like pulling teeth. Floyd seemed to have come to the same conclusion because he shot me a look and shrugged.
I sighed, not liking the idea, but knowing there'd be no arguing with it.
"…Okay. You win."
"Nice, because I was going to stay whether you gave me permission or not."
Thaaaaaat's exactly what I wanted to hear. Reassurance all around.
It was at about sunset when we parted ways with the axe-wielder. We checked out of the Taamba Kaata Inn, said our farewells to the happy couple managing it, and undocked our airship. It was with a somber mood that I watched the sun set, caring little for my burning retinas, as we shuttled Soul directly to Indrad Rock. This shouldn't have been as bad; I said goodbye to Wynn in Ringwood when we had to flee, but this was… worse, somehow. Maybe because Soul was always mining for us, always protecting us, always a strong presence for us to rely on, always a pain in my ass.
It was like an elder brother was moving out.
Really, Floyd should have been hit harder. The two had been together through good and bad times since day one. As a parting gift, Soul did Floyd the solid of beating off the last of his cursed gear. Floyd was officially a free man. Lenz and Jade were the last ones still wearing the cursed brown leather armor from Jolin.
We docked at the Rock and Soul got off, flashing us a smirk and a lazy wave. "Be safe out there, you hear? I'll be back before you know it."
I fought back the waterworks and flashed my own smirk. "Try not to get into too much trouble without us."
"No promises!" He guffawed as we undocked and flew through the air. Northeast.
Floyd and I waved well after he was out of sight, and the Beginners were one person short.
"You know what," Noman piped up, "I think I'll miss correcting his vulgar language. I'm sure I was making real progress."
[The Obelisk]
"Brother?"
Thed_Hearst stood up in alarm, pausing in the consumption of his daily meal. The tribute had been successfully delivered and his brothers and sisters were enjoying a rare dinner under the stars.
Then, Entity 303 floated down. And by the smoke already smoldering off his body, Thed knew something had him upset.
"What's wrong, 303?" Another Hacker inquired.
"Winslow and Sandra aren't back yet." Entity 303 growled/echoed, smoke absolutely gushing from beneath his pale hood. "They checked in, but they promised they'd be back by now."
"Maybe they got held up." One Hacker, DouGlassCannon, suggested haughtily. His demeanor had really changed over the months following the discovery of his Hacks. "They're probably scaring the crap out of those worms in Akasha. Putting the fear of us Gods in them."
His words got a chorus of appreciative cheers, but a withering glare from Entity 303 had everyone go silent.
"Something is wrong. They would have checked in by now."
"But, 303, they both have Regen…"
"So did Alec."
The drop of that name reminded every Hacker present about the accursed incident in Halstatt which started this whole crisis in the first place. First Alec, then Urson and Ocan, Poulsen and Kalmarin were unaccounted for, along with however many Hackers were left without an escort after spawning—Floyd included.
And now, Sandra and Winslow were late checking in.
Entity 303 and Null set very strict rules following the disappearances and deaths of so many brothers and sisters. The rules were set to prevent any further incidents while they tracked down the bastards that did it.
It was time for action.
"What should we do, brother?"
"I'll tell you what we do." Null spoke softly, having suddenly sped into sight. "They went to Akasha, right? I say we head over there en masse and get to the bottom of where our missing brother and sister have gone."
"...Took the words right out of my mouth." Entity 303 and Null flared their smoke, and all the brothers and sisters that saw flared their own smoke. The clearing at the base of the Obelisk pooled with a billowing black mist and word of mouth spread like wildfire.
The Hack Clan was going to pay Akasha a visit.
[Cobb]
We were heading back to Ringwood.
It was the sensible destination, despite our wanted status. Floyd had to report back to Brett and the Silver Intent about the completion of the missions in Zeppil and Akasha. He also wanted to get to the bottom of the information regarding the Zeppil mission. There was no evidence of cultists on the rise there, and Akasha's arrests, while suspicious, weren't what the Silver Intent leader painted them out to be.
Jade pointed out some Ringwood villages on the map from her travels. If we kept heading northeast, we could trace a clear path and resupply while we went. She seemed pretty excited to leave the Mess Kingdom behind. We made good time, and the next day, we had the Dryrock Mesa in our rear window.
Jade flipped the Kingdom off. "Worst. Place. Ever."
We traded up to a crisp, birch forest. We had crossed it before on our way to Jolin, but now that we had an airship, we could clear it in a day or two. Aside from finding a village pit stop, we weren't going to stay long.
As for entering Ringwood, it would definitely be risky. The only ones without a known affiliation with us were either Jade or Noman. They could enter the Kingdom and its villages no problem, but Floyd and I were wanted and Lenz was seen fighting with us back in Ringwood. So we were stuck on the ship.
Skipper Lenz didn't seem to mind, though. The only time he dragged himself away from the controls was when he was busy translating the Herobrine Books. He was making more progress by the day if his furious scribbling in his notes was anything to go by. I think he was actually trying to learn Jibberish instead of just translating the back pages. Props to him, but I couldn't imagine it as a useful skill. Jade and Noman took turns flying when Lenz needed to rest.
Floyd was more active, training in the loading bay with his new MultiAura Hack and occasionally collapsing from the effort. He forbade anyone to watch him train, since it was still finicky and dangerous. He was shooting off those ebony spines like a pipe bomb, but he claimed practice would help him temper his new Hack.
"It's what Sandra told me." He added sullenly.
Another point of interest was the two new Bounty Days slated to arrive tomorrow night. It would have been one week since the two Hackers died, and Minecraftia was about to gain some new additions. I wasn't looking forward to the headaches and the intrusive information being rammed into my skull, but some possible new blocks and items sounded promising.
It almost took my mind off the book weighing on my backpack and brain. Almost, but not quite.
It was while I was on the bridge, midday, that I sat pondering and staring at the book signed by 4Blite.
"Mission Update…" I murmured the words as if they had some secret meaning. I went over the book with a fine-tooth comb, analyzing every word and the implications they brought… and I still came out of it unsatisfied.
The others took notice.
"Why are you still holding onto that thing, Cobb? Get rid of it." Jade frowned, turning back to the controls. "Nothing but bad memories."
"I know, but…" I sighed, scratching my head. "Something's been bugging me."
"Is it how McGahn could fool so many people?" Floyd chimed in, having returned from an exhausting training session, dripping in sweat with his sweater willed off, exposing his bare, tanned chest.
"No, it's... it's hard to explain." I folded my arms, staring at the book hard. "Back in the Pit, I talked with a guy named Mitr. He used to be a councilman AND McGahn's friend, and he was with him since way back when the Hackers had the Obelisk constructed."
"So?"
"So, he told me the whole story about McGahn." I explained. "Start to finish. And I gotta say, the way he told the story painted McGahn as a good-intentioned councilman forced into extremes to make people acquiesce to his demands. He was ruthless and he framed a ton of people, but only to make reforms happen within Akasha. If not, the Hackers would have destroyed his home."
"So you are saying he was sympathetic. His motivations were not wholly evil." Lenz speculated. "Perhaps we should admire the lengths he was willing to go, but it does not change the fact that he sided with the Endward Cult."
"…I'm not sure he did."
Everyone swiveled their head in my direction after the ridiculous comment I just made.
"Come again…?"
"Just hear me out. There are two things in contrast here." I held up one hand. "Option A: McGahn was a desperate councilman out to frame people to protect his Kingdom. Option B: He was a cultist and he was imprisoning innocent people to lower the already low population and get the Endward Cult to take over."
"Uh-huh."
"Mitr was so impassioned about defending McGahn—he tragically lost one of his closest friends to the Hacker leader, spurring him to recruit Nephrait and Obsidian. Anyone opposing his regime was framed and locked up with the rest of the cultists. Genuine cultists. You all saw them."
"Nobody's denying there were cultists in that prison." Noman assured. "However, we're assuming those were the ones Obsidian caught, since McGahn and Nephrait would never willingly put fellow cultists in prison."
"That's only if we accept that Nephrait and McGahn were cultists."
"Well, how else can you explain that book?" Jade countered, pointing to the thing at my feet. "It was signed by a Lieutenant and made clear references to both McGahn and that klepto. It was in the councilman's office. He's our guy!"
"You know, Obsidian thought the same thing when he found planted evidence on all those innocents." I shot back, shocking the group into silence. "All Nephrait had to do was get to them first and slip Herobrine books or contraband and weapons into their belts and backpacks. You don't think this could be something similar?"
"What are you suggesting, that someone… framed McGahn? They framed the framers?" Lenz asked.
"Oh, come on." Jade scoffed. "Are we really second-guessing ourselves? Have you read the Mission Update?"
"Have you? Just look at this!" I pointed out a line that kept jumping out at me. "'Burn after reading.' If it says that, why would McGahn leave it lying around in his chest for anyone to find? This guy was always framing people. Nobody knew the importance of contraband possession inside and out like McGahn and Nephrait. So why in Notch's name would they NOT burn the book, leave it in a chest, and just fuck off to my execution? It doesn't make sense!"
"Maybe he was… cocky." Jade shrugged. "Complacency. People so sure they won't get caught that they start to believe it and they make stupid mistakes. They trip up."
"But to trip up on something they abused so often," Lenz mumbled under his breath. "I think I see what Cobbert is getting at. And he is correct." He moved over to me and traced the line in the book. "Pragmatically speaking, it would be more sensible to destroy the evidence, especially when it outright advises you to do so."
"The Endward Cult is all about 'freeing' people and collecting their Heads." Floyd nodded along, seeing my points. "If McGahn were a cultist, he could kill people a lot easier by simply bumbling the tribute. The Hackers would get mad and finish what they started, wiping Akasha off the map. Instead he spent three-hundred years providing for them…"
"It doesn't make sense, right?" I sought assurance. "I'm not thinking crazy, right?"
"No, no I can see what you're getting at."
"But the book was signed." Jade protested weakly. "You can't forge a signature."
Again, there was a dull pang of déjà vu, like this had come up before. Someone was shouting angrily and shoving me against something that made my spine bend painfully. I couldn't place the when or where or who, though.
"That's right, it was signed." Noman chimed in, rubbing his chin in contemplation. "That's conclusive proof that the book was held in 4Blite's hands. And he mentioned McGahn and Nephrait by name. Almost… intentionally."
The shield bearer was right. It was intentional. Lieutenants wouldn't risk mentioning one another by name for something so important like the collapse of a Kingdom. Mentioning the names was never meant to be cordial, it was meant to incriminate.
"The book was planted." I realized breathlessly. "McGahn and Nephrait weren't cultists. They were innocent of that, at least."
"Wait, so you're saying 4Blite wrote that book, purposefully mentioned them and signed it, and then planted it in McGahn's office for someone to find…"
"…Knowing the Kingdom of cultist haters would find it and condemn McGahn." Floyd finished, a hand coming to his mouth. "Jesus Christ, he really did frame the framers… and we fell for it!"
"Oh my God," Noman gasped in horror, "Obsidian killed… he killed…"
"It went just as they planned it." I finished the morbid thought. "4Blite had Akasha's citizens do the work for him. All he had to do was plant a book. It's almost poetic how his own tactic was used against him. No wonder he pleaded innocence before the Captain…" I trailed off, feeling sick.
"But why have McGahn killed?" Floyd asked. "Why did the Endward Cult do it? And how the hell did 4Blite slip that book into McGahn's office without anyone noticing?"
"Jade, you were in his office before Nephrait attacked." Lenz chimed in. "Was the book there when you got there?"
"What? No. I wasn't look—" Jade abruptly cut off. "I didn't see any book. It must have been planted after we left."
Lenz swiveled his head, his lenses hiding his eyes as he looked to the parkour master while the rest of us kept talking.
"McGahn was heading the ACC—a group sworn to the destruction of the Endward Cult. 4Blite was probably thinking it was better to eliminate their leaders while sowing discord all at once. Two birds, one arrow."
"It also really messed up Obsidian." I added. "He's so shaken... should we turn this thing around and let him know the truth?"
"You think that'll make him feel better?" Floyd asked cynically. "Yeah, I can imagine how that would go. 'Hey, Obsidian, turns out, you weren't being manipulated by a cultist, you were manipulated by another cultist into killing the guy you thought was a cultist but wasn't. Have fun shaving with your Cleaver.' Yeah, let's not."
"Okay, you make a good point." I waved the book before me, disturbed by how covert and sinister it was. A few words on some pages got McGahn killed and covered without anyone mourning him. The only one who saw through it from the start was Mitr. He alone never doubted the councilman, and why would he when the two were longtime friends.
Friends would never betray another's trust like that.
[Floyd]
That night, we docked at a clearing in the Birch Forest.
There was a village just a few more miles north, but we had decided to get there in the morning so we'd be ready for the new Bounty Days. Tomorrow night, Sandra and Winslow's deaths would change the world.
I tried to think of how beneficial this was, but it just made me angrier at myself—and at all Hackers in general. Our death brought bounty. Did that mean our lives were cursed?
…I never wanted to kill her.
I splashed my face with water, trying to forget about it. Noman was certainly feeling better after his speech at the execution grounds. He and Cobb noticed we were low on food and offered to get some hunting done in the forest.
Lenz was holed up in his room, furiously translating. He had this vacant look on his face the last I saw of him, like he was running a scenario in his head.
Jade was off by herself somewhere on the ship. She had been rather quiet after the truth of 4Blite's book got revealed.
As for me, I decided to do some Hacker training outside for a change. It was a tranquil clearing and the cool night air was a pleasant change to Akasha's climate.
I touched down on the grass and prepared to channel my anger at Hackers...
…When Lenz came sprinting out of the airship.
I could immediately tell something was wrong. Lenz's glasses were askew and I could see the raw panic in his magenta eyes. He was running like his life depended on it and he instantly sought me out.
"FLOYD!" He shouted. "Where is Cobbert!? I need to talk to Cobbert now, RIGHT NOW! It is urgent!" The words were tripping on themselves as they poured from his mouth.
"Whoa, hey, calm down. Cobb and Noman are still out hunting. What's…?"
"It is Jade!" Lenz wrung his hands, his head twitching nervously. "She is… she did… she had the perfect position… she climbed… the office… the chest… she opened it… I saw her through the window… and then Nephrait came in… I did not think that… that would mean that… not that…" He grabbed my shoulders, trying to make sense. "Floyd, Jade is a—!"
"Get away from him, Floyd!"
I spun to watch Jade drop down from the airship with narrowed eyes and her cutlass drawn and aimed at… Lenz?
"He's a cultist, Floyd! He's been selling us out to 4Blite!"
I stepped back and away from Lenz as if struck, the accusation baffling me as much as it put me on edge. I looked to Lenz, not in suspicion, but in slack-jawed bewilderment. He had his bow drawn, an arrow notched and pointed directly at Jade's heart.
"Do not listen to her, Floyd! She is the real cultist!" I spun to stare at the parkour master. "She broke into McGahn's office! She opened his chest! She had everything she needed to plant the book there, and it took Cobbert sharing his theory for me to realize—"
"Don't you think Lenz could have just as easily flown up there and planted the book?" Jade shot back, her purple eyes hard and unforgiving. "I was fighting Nephrait! Ask yourself when would I have had the chance to plant anything? He's the real culprit!"
"Remember when Jade went missing for a whole day!" Lenz accused. "Her map was gone. We could not track her!"
"The ACC were tracking us all! I had to stow my map away!"
"She was unaccounted for a whole day! That was when she met with 4Blite and got him to write the book! She is a cultist!"
"I wasn't the one conveniently in the Nether, though, was I?" Jade countered. "The cult travels by Nether Portal, everyone knows that. You let Cobb get kidnapped by that klepto freak to give yourself an alibi!"
My head darted back and forth as I found myself between the two at-odds Crafters. Lenz tightened his bowstring and Jade gripped her cutlass tighter. They were about to launch into combat, and I had no idea what the hell was going on!
As unsure as I was, I couldn't feel even a shred of my Hacker power. The confusion was messing me up, interfering with my emotions, making me second-guess who to side with and who to turn against.
I thought about the archer I learned to respect and the small moments where he was reliable enough to save the day.
I thought about the parkour master, and the secrets shared about revealing her cutlass skills to Cobb. Her insecurities… my insecurities… She loved him.
"Floyd, please, you have to trust me!" Lenz urged, relaxing the string just a bit. "I do not know what Jade has planned, but it cannot be good. We need to warn Cobbert and—!"
"Don't you dare bring Cobb into this!" Jade seethed. "You stood by him for how long and you were always going to betray him!? You're a soulless monster and I won't let you hurt him anymore! Floyd, we need to take him out before he tries anything! If we team up, we can take him down!"
"Do not let her deceive you!"
"C'mon, Floyd! Are you going to let another friend die because of your indecision—!?"
At once, my eyes snapped open and turned blacker than night. Hacker smoke shot to the surface and gushed from my eyes as I turned against the parkour master and threw out my arms with a furious wail. Her own eyes widened and she brought a hand back as hundreds of razor-sharp ebony spines flew at her.
She threw down a block of obsidian and ducked behind it for cover as the spines of MultiAura rhythmically thunked into the dense volcanic glass.
When the barrage was over, I was left seething as I glared at the now outed cultist.
"I told you about Silent," I spoke slowly, angrily, "as an admission of my greatest shame, which I have carried and will carry for the rest of my life. Letting Silent get killed by cultists is a scar that will never heal." I bit my lip before doubling the intensity of my glare. "There's no way a friend would pick at that scar by throwing it back in my face just to win an argument!"
Jade stared at the two of us with mild shock before her expression slowly morphed into something I never saw before. It was something she never shared with anyone, not even Cobb.
"Damnit…" She sighed. "Herobrine above, I fucked up. Complacency. It really was my undoing."
Lenz and I took a half-step back, startled by the sudden change in demeanor. "You're a cultist then. All this time, as part of our guild, you were just another cultist!"
"Floyd…" Jade shook her head, her hand resting on her hip and her cutlass idly tracing loops in the air. "I can honestly say that I'm not just another cultist."
"Liar!" Lenz accused. "You were—!"
"Because the truth is," Jade leveled her cutlass at us with absolute confidence, "you're looking at the Lieutenant of the Northern Division, AceOfJades."
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Book {Mission Update}, 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green, Mending I, Unbreaking I], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Boots, 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Sword [Sweeping Edge III], 1 Banner {Beginners}, 64 Cobblestone, 61 Cobblestone, 1 Bed, 36 Dirt, 7 Coal, 18 Flint, 12 Jungle Wood Logs, 56 Jungle Wood Planks, 7 Torches, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 String, 60 Emeralds, 1 Ender Chest, 4 Snowballs, 9 Gunpowder, 6 Cooked Mutton, 27 Rotten Flesh, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Nether}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[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 Iron Boots, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 3 Iron Ingots, 47 Dirt, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 8 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 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 32]
Inventory (Lenz): 1 Leather Pants [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 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, 29 Arrows, 14 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 11 Cooked Mutton, 64 Emeralds, 1 Ender Chest, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Nether}, 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 (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, 5 Cooked Mutton, 14 Torches, 12 Jungle Wood Planks, 60 Cobblestone, 30 Emeralds, 21 Obsidian, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Bucket, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {3:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {3:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {3:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {4:00}, 1 Compass, 1 Clock, 3 Ender Chests, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 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, 14 Sticks, 2 Signs, 1 Bucket, 1 Crafting Table, 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 Map {Minecraftia}, 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: You guys... have no idea... how long... I've been sitting on this...
HOLY GUACAMOLE!
I just wanna say, you guys have no idea how close you were to picking up the breadcrumb trail I was leaving you in the Chapters. I'd like to give a shoutout, however, to Shadow of the Hitokiri, for starting the Jade suspicions way back when. Many of you noticed the Inventory listings in previous chapters, but I marked Shadow down for being the one closest on the scent.
This Chapter was hammered out really quick, coming out earlier than a week. But the next Chapter will definitely take time. Not least of all because The Last Of Us Part 2 is out and I'm gonna get right on that. I highly recomend you reread some Chapters to see how far Jade's web of deceit truly spans.
Not a bad way to start the Darkest Arc.
FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. PM. FORUM. DISCORD. SERVER. POPTARTS.