AN: Hello again. Sorry for the delay. Still trying to get the planning down for this West Arc. I have a lot of scenes I want, but I need to string them together in a cohesive way, and it isn't easy. I'm also juggling this and my Rises In The East story, which I'll also be publishing a new chapter for today.
I'm satisfied with what I got. Exter has a lot to go into, and this feels like another solid chapter to ease the readers into a new kingdom. Let me know what you think. I like reading reviews.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd send myself a list of 1.21 Updates to make it easier to plan Bounty Day visions.
Chapter 252
Exter
[Noman]
It was around noon. December 12th. Exter's capital was closer than I ever saw it.
Against the stark, black obsidian of the Lacquerlands, Exter's capital was like an oasis, as in I could actually see greenery poking out. Trees, grown for the sole purpose of lumber, dotted the capital bordered by two tall, solid stone walls. The walls surrounded the capital in a square, with the corners being four large lakes of lava. A river threaded the southeast lake of lava, providing a water source to the people of Exter. The entirety of the capital was nestled in a ring of mountains that looked like jagged black teeth. In my opinion, it was the combination of the obsidian mountains and the tall double walls that served as ample protection against the Stigmata scourge.
The Western Division HQ is somewhere in there. I thought to myself. Leadstripe... and the mastermind of the west...
"So how are we doing this?" Soul's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Who's going in the lawful way and who's sneaking in?"
"We'll all be sneaking in." Carys informed, beginning our detailed briefing. "All ten of us will slip in without getting our Citizenship Informations looked at."
I tilted my head. "How come?"
"You tell me." She encouraged condescendingly. "Go on, Noman. Rack your brain for the answer. With how small it is, it shouldn't take more than a moment."
"Y'know, Carys," Ciro began casually, "I think I remember reading an article somewhere saying you're more likely to teach people something when you're not being a total bitch."
Several sets of eyes turned on Ciro and mouths fell open in shock. I could hardly believe he said something so crass to Carys. The Angel of Death tried to vaporize Ciro with her glare, but Ciro seemed immune to her scariness.
"...Is it because the Hackers saw us at the Obelisk?" Floyd raised his hand, both to answer Carys as well as to pull her attention away from folding Ciro like fresh laundry.
Carys took the distraction, if only to keep herself from disemboweling anyone before we were even in the capital. "...That's right. The Hackers saw us attacking their home, and the cultists and Hackers are working together. It's not outrageous to infer that the two groups are sharing information, which makes our blending in that much harder. We also have to keep it mind that someone high up in the Brimstone Bastion has connections with the cult and will likely be tipped off if we enter the capital the official way. Therefore, no point in entering the capital as we are. Best to be unregistered while we do our investigative work."
Right. We were looking for whoever facilitated the dead drops for the Tinker's weapons that kept falling into cultist hands. Someone from the Brimstone Bastion who'd been there as far back as three-hundred years ago. The other lead was one Terenti_Murst - a third party messenger who delivered the book messages that facilitated the deal for 4Blite's diamond battleaxe four months ago. One of those leads would surely lead us right to the Western Division's doorstep.
"Hang on. Won't we be in trouble once we're caught?" I asked. "If we enter unofficially - illegally - and the guards find out, we could be thrown in jail."
"Which is why we'll have to keep a low profile." Anibal filled in, guessing the course of action from past experience. Carys nodded. "Carys is a wanted criminal, Kal and Floyd are Hackers, and thus subject to Exter's extradition deal with the Hack Clan, and Noman fought with Captain XoX."
"I was defending a girl who didn't want to go to the Hack Clan!"
"Doesn't matter. Although XoX's approach was heavy-handed, and he's still a cultist suspect, he was upholding the law trying to bring in a lost Hacker. You interfered, so you probably have a small bounty on your head." Anibal noticed my disheartened expression and tried to console me. "Hey, it's not all bad. Worst thing they can pin on you is obstruction of justice. What is that, twenty? Thirty emeralds tops? And that's not enough to warrant dead or alive. Not like Carys, here."
"I'm worth a hundred emeralds." She said it with pride and a smug grin.
"Wasn't Cobb worth a thousand?" Soul couldn't help but bring up, earning a whack to the gut.
"And I was worth two-hundred-" Floyd started only to get whacked in the gut next.
"Zip it, both of you."
"...Worth it." Soul groaned, hunched over.
"Moving on..." Anibal continued. "All we need to do is keep a low profile. We don't draw attention. We stay stealthy. We don't get caught committing crimes - though we'll still be committing them."
"What crimes?"
"Spaatz and I will be checking their Hall of Records for that Terenti_Murst fella." Anibal answered. "We're gonna rifle through their records, which is admittedly a crime, but it's faster and will draw less attention than us requesting them in person. Sometimes those nosy Hall of Records pencil pushers ask for Citizenship Information." She noted with a hint of annoyance.
"Meanwhile, we'll be seeking out a suitable safehouse to operate out of." Carys explained.
"We're not gonna evict people again, are we?" Soul asked.
"You guys evicted people? What?" Ciro asked with a tone reserved for finding out your teammates regularly committed crimes.
"Perfect safehouses don't fall out of nowhere, you know." Carys rolled her eyes.
"...What about a giant Zombie clad in golden armor?" Floyd asked, his eyes staring into the distance. "Do those fall out of nowhere?"
"...Do you have dementia? What are you on about?" Carys asked before Floyd pointed to the west. She turned and her eyes widened slightly. The rest of our group followed her gaze and saw what Floyd meant.
There was a giant Zombie clad in golden armor lumbering towards the capital from the west. There was a name above its head, designating it 'Goliath'. It had seemingly sprouted out of nowhere, having not been present a second ago. As unusual as it was, it wasn't my first time seeing something like it.
"Tha-That's the same Mob I saw in the Labyrinth!" I exclaimed in a panic despite the fact that we were quite safe. The gold-clad giant Zombie was miles away from us.
"You're familiar with that thing?" Kal asked.
Indeed, it was the same size and Mob type as the Titan guarding the Bottes Zephyr in Dinnerbone's Labyrinth. The only difference being that this one - this Goliath - was clad in gold and wielded a golden sword. The Titan was a bare, giant Zombie.
"Where the heck did it come from...?" Carys asked to herself, confused. "How did something that big even...?" She trailed off as a series of fireworks began exploding around the Goliath's chest, damaging it. Someone was fighting that thing.
Someone needed help.
I was already putting the Bottes Zephyr on when Carys shouted. "Don't you fucking dare! You are not blowing our cover like that!"
"She's right, Noman." Ciro chimed in, allowing a moment of relief to cross Carys' features before it was obliterated by him taking out the Destierro del Palillo. "We'll do better with a field goal."
I beamed at the immediate, unquestioning support and nodded before putting on the Stivali Magma instead. Against Carys' protests, Ciro lined up the shot and poked me with the Destierro del Palillo. I was propelled forward in an instant, likely over a portion of the capital's walls, my surroundings speeding by too fast to register the specifics. It was almost as if I was teleported, smacking into the giant Zombie's chestplate with a spurt of yellow fire from my artifact. The giant Mob became wreathed in undying, golden flames and became more agitated, breaking off its advance towards the capital. As I fell, I switched out my Stivali Magma for the Bottes Zephyr and landed gracefully on the air before descending safely to the obsidian ground.
I landed amongst fifty or so Crafters armed with crossbows and rockets as they watched the Goliath engulfed in unusual yellow flames. I had some explaining to do, I was sure.
"No need to thank me, citizens." I began.
"Thank you? Thank you!?" One Crafter spoke with mounting anger. "Do you realize what you've just done!?"
The confusion gave me whiplash. "Whu - huh? What...?"
"You just spoiled our attempt at the David and Goliath Badge, you idget!"
At once, I felt a wave of traumatic madness overwhelm me as those spoken words reminded me of a chaotic neutral acquaintance I had met early on in my travels. If they were talking of badges, that made them...
"...You're Scouts?" I croaked in horror.
"Don't change the subject! How are you gonna compensate us for ruining our run?"
"N-Now wait just a moment! That giant..." I trailed off as I pointed at the still-burning monster. "...it was heading towards the capital! You were shooting at it! I thought you needed help."
"You mean you presumed we needed help." A female Scout accused with folded arms. "It's like they say: When you presume, you make a Pres out of U and Me."
I blinked owlishly before another Scout hastily whispered something to the female Scout, causing her to blush.
"That is, what I meant to say was when you assume you make an Ass out of U and Me." She turned to her fellow Scout with pitiful eyes, looking hopeful. "Do I still get my Clever Wordplay Badge?"
"In your dreams, sister. You blew it."
"Awww..."
As a practitioner of Aikido, it was impossible for me to feel negative feelings towards any person or persons, but the Scouts were an exception. They had an annoyingly special place in my brain reserved solely for them after my experience with MarbleFinder. Now I didn't hate him. Far from it. Marble taught me to value lives more than artifacts, and he provided invaluable aid on the night cultists attacked the auction at Lord Maplefrost's mansion. It was just...
Scouts were annoying.
They were the definition of chaotic neutral, just as likely to cause harm as they were to remedy it. They didn't do good for the sake of being good, and they didn't do bad for the sake of being evil. All they cared about was badges, and they would do anything, up to and including burning their own badges, to satisfy the requirements to obtain new badges. It was an endless loop, yet they kept at it. They were one of the three biggest guilds in Minecraftia. Why people flocked to them, I would never understand.
"I'm sorry for... uh... ruining your badge..." I said, sounding contrite. "But that giant could've done real harm."
"We had it well in hand." The Scouts protested. "After all, we spawned it, and not for the first time."
"...You what?"
"Perhaps we've said too much." A Scout I assumed was the leader piped up. "We should clear out before the guards apprehend us. We'll spawn a new Goliath another day." He then turned to the still-burning giant before turning back to me. "Since you're so keen on stealing our thunder, you can do the honors of cleaning up after us. Ta-ta."
"Wait! Hold on! How'd you spawn that thing?" I trailed off as the Scouts withdrew compasses from their backpacks. I found myself lost for words as they did something with those compasses and vanished without a trace. "What the-!? Hello? Where did... what just... Come back!" My words were meaningless as the Scouts blinked out of sight one by one through the use of those strange compasses. I couldn't believe they were able to ignore the giant burning Zombie like it wasn't a mess they made, but more than that I wondered what sort of item those compasses were. A Bounty Day item perhaps? It either turned them invisible or warped them away.
This was why the Scouts irked me. They were so fickle. One moment they could be helping you, the next they'd be sabotaging you, then the next they'd be killing you. They were far too unpredictable, and the strange compasses only added to that. Marble never had one of those things.
Unfortunately, I had bigger things to worry about. The Goliath was still stomping about and burning. The eternal flames would kill it eventually, but it would be safer to put it down before any innocent Crafter crossed its path. I switched to my Severe Shield and hurried to its ankle before hacking away while taking care not to get kicked. On the fifth swing, the Goliath toppled into oblivion, dropping a paradoxically tiny amount of EXP and a single golden chestplate - not Goliath-sized - that I left untouched.
Were they serious about spawning the Goliath? I thought worriedly as I remembered another man-made Mob that decimated Ringwood. If such a thing is possible, Dinnerbone must've done the same to make that Giant in the Labyrinth. However its made, a Mob that big poses a serious threat to Crafters, especially in the hands of the erratic Scouts. And they're going to spawn more...
I could just imagine them laying waste to Exter, all for the Collapsing Kingdom Badge or some name of the like. Those Scouts were agents of chaos, and Exter was supposedly where they were based out of.
I should keep an eye out for them. I decided. It would be adding more to my plate, but I needed to take on more responsibility now that I had another artifact at my disposal.
Heeding the Scouts' warning about Exter guards, I got out of the area fast. I used my map to coordinate where I'd meet my friends.
When I got back to the others, I told them about the Scouts and their spawned Goliath, and its resemblance to the Giant guarding Dinnerbone's Labyrinth. Ciro had some intriguing insights to share on that.
"Dinnerbone, Jeb, and... you know who... were the Redstone Trio - the Trinity of Redstone developers." Ciro began, going out of his way to avoid speaking Herobrine's name. "You know who shared Command Blocks with Jeb and Dinnerbone, and they each made developments all their own. The Labyrinth you speak of must've been made from Command Blocks, so it's not wrong to assume the Giant you saw there was also spawned from Command Blocks. If you know who could make Stigmata, other Mobs could probably be made from Command Blocks."
"Wouldn't that mean the Scouts have a Command Block?" Floyd asked.
"That's a scary thought." Anibal looked ill.
"How come?"
"You clearly never met a Scout before." Anibal tilted her head to me. "Noman gets it."
"They're chaos personified." I summarized, earning a round of nods from the Paragons.
"A Scout with Command Block knowledge is like... like a chimp with a machine gun." Anibal said.
"That sounds awesome." Soul added thoughtfully.
"Not awesome when the chimp would shoot you as readily as it would eat a banana." Carys added. "I, and many others, avoid the Scouts on principle. They're unpredictable, untrustworthy as allies against the cult, and, frankly, they have nothing I want. Moving on..."
When Carys turned to me, I thought I was about to get torn into for defying her orders, but she had something else to inform me about. To inform us all about.
"We got messaged back about the meeting in Oak Docks. That massterbaitor wound up telling the cultists where our group is, who our group is, how many of us there are, and without getting his loser friend back." Her lips drew back in a snarl. "Fortunately, Baltic and Trenay were there to make those cultists pay for it. They gave up way more intel than we did. We know where the Eastern Division HQ is, we know the names of all their higher-ups, and we know they're amassing Withers. They're moving on the Eastern HQ tomorrow."
"Seriously!?" Soul exclaimed in disbelief. The emotion was shared by Floyd, Ciro, and me. "They're really doing it? They're taking on the whole division? That's great! They have the numbers for that?"
"From what I'm hearing, the Eastern Division won't be at full strength. Half of them are leaving with their Executive - the former leader of the Birds of Prey guild, and the greatest archer in the world, Abyssmal - to go watch some duel up north. Not sure about the significance, but I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth. This is a window we'd be fools not to take advantage of." Carys rubbed her chin in thought. "As for us, we need to operate under the assumption the cult knows we're here. Now that our location has been given away, sneaking in would just needlessly have us fall out of favor with Exter's guards."
"We should compartmentalize." Albert suggested, earning Carys' attention. "The ten of us entering Exter need to divide our access based on cultist criteria and public criteria. Cultist criteria should include the Ten Eyes spy guild, as they're working with the cultists through their leader Mox. Which of us can't go in because of the cultists? Which of us can't go in because of the public?"
"So in that case," Ciro's mismatched eyes flickered amongst the ten of us, "Carys, Noman, Floyd, and Kal should sneak in because they're at odds with the public... and the rest of us should go in normally, since we're neither Hackers nor law breakers."
"An apt summation." Albert nodded. "You're correct. While Carys can't fool the cultists - since they've been warned of her presence - she can at least fool the public by sneaking in. Assuming they're set up here, the cultists - and the spies of the Ten Eyes - will have eyes on us as soon as we enter through the toll gates. In a sense, we'll act as bait, but the cultists and spies will need to watch their step all the same. Any move they make will risk setting the guards on them."
"I don't quite get it," Soul spoke slowly, "but if it means I'm free to go shopping for animal minions, then I'm all for it!"
"Do you think you can do some food shopping too?" Floyd asked, to which Soul readily agreed. "Thanks. We're really scraping the bottom of the barrel on things to eat."
With our groups settled, I broke off to approach Carys. "I'm sorry for defying your orders, Carys."
"Hn." She grunted.
"I didn't mean to jeopardize our infiltrati-"
"You just saw people in trouble and couldn't sit still about it, right?" She cut off with fake smile and a crazy look in her eye. "You had to uphold that Aikido you won't shut up about, right? Yeah, I know."
I wisely remained quiet, sensing she was angry.
"But all is forgiven, right? Because I can't kill you?" She let out a harsh laugh before smothering it like a pillow over someone's face. "It's gonna cost you."
Noman recognized the silky tone Carys reserved for when she was being particularly cruel and gulped nervously.
"You, my impulsive, naive, insubordinate little son of a bitch, have the unenviable task of going to SutsCo, waiting on all the lines and clerks, filling out all the tedious forms, observing all the cumbersome but necessary procedures and processes, and acquiring me the Wonder Wings I ordered but were regrettably stolen prior to delivery." She declared. "And until you bring me the wings, you can consider your map message privileges revoked. No more relaying or sending messages for you or any other Beginner... or Beginner sympathizers." She added in regard to Ciro. She allowed that to sink in before adding, "Very unfortunate. At such a crucial time as this, on the eve of an attack on the Eastern HQ and with a friend's life at stake, one would be desperate to hear how events occur as they unfold, no?"
"You can't do that!" Soul burst out.
"Yeah," Floyd added. "Keeping up to date on what our friends are doing on the other side of Minecraftia is your responsibility as part of this alliance."
Carys thrust a finger at me. "If he's going off on his own and defying direct orders, then he's the one shirking his responsibilities as part of this alliance!" Carys spat back. Floyd frowned deeply but had no way of arguing. "I can't kill you for insubordination, but there has to be a punishment. Actions have consequences. If he can't follow orders at a crucial juncture, he's not worth having around when the going gets tough."
"The guy beat up the number two Hacker, he's been balls deep in tough going!"
I appreciated the support, even if the wording could've been better.
"Well, maybe he wouldn't have had to be balls deep in danger if he didn't send me back early!"
"Well maybe if you weren't a bloodthirsty-!"
"Guys, enough! Enough." I called an end to the arguing myself, getting between Paragons and Beginners before I faced Carys. "I don't regret jumping in against that Goliath. If getting the wings is the cost for doing the right thing, I'll get you your wings. Where's the SutsCo store, and how do I prove to the clerks I'm picking up the wings on your behalf?"
Carys was silent as she sized up Noman's determination before she turned to Anibal. "What was the funny address again? It was T-something...?"
"Tverskaya. 1461 Tverskaya."
"Oh, good lord. What she said." She turned back to me while I committed the name to memory as best I could. Then Carys took out a book and quill and started writing. "This... is... a signed note of intent... proving I asked you, and you only, to pick up the wings for me." She handed me the signed book before pulling another from deep in her backpack. "And this is a copy of the original purchase order which they failed to deliver on. Show the clerk both of these, and they'll tell you what to do next."
My eyes widened at the receipt at the bottom. "You paid ten-thousand emeralds for these!? Up front!?"
"I really wanted those wings." Carys affirmed. "And they better deliver on the twenty percent discount Baltic secured for the inconvenience, else SutsCo is gonna lose a branch."
Twenty percent of ten-thousand was two-thousand emeralds she'd get back for the inconvenience. That was twenty times the amount Notch left me when I first spawned, and it was like pocket change to Carys. I hated to imagine the cultist corpses she pillaged for that money.
"This is ridiculous." Floyd pointed out. "How is he supposed to get your wings while laying low."
"That's his problem. I just want my wings." Carys spoke indifferently.
Floyd was about to argue until Ciro placed a hand on his shoulder. "Forget it. We'll figure it out in the capital. If Noman is determined to do this, we should support his decision."
Floyd accepted the Millionth's reasoning and let go of his protests, which I felt grateful for. However, before we split up, Carys dragged me aside by my collar and growled lowly in my ear.
"Don't think this makes me fine with future insubordination just because I get stuff out of it. My orders are absolute. My orders can mean the difference between life and death. Cultists aren't like Hackers - they can think and plan. Their intellect is only matched by their cruelty. One slip-up could cost you dearly." She shoved me back. "Don't get too comfortable."
"How can I with you around?" I shot back, earning an amused snort.
With our groups for entering the capital set, and our plans made, Carys, Floyd, Kal, and myself split off towards the southwest lava lake to sneak in while Soul, Anibal, Ciro, Albert, Reuben, and Spaatz went towards the southern side of the capital's walls.
We'd regroup inside.
[Soul]
As we got closer to the capital's walls, I fished out the emerald blocks I borrowed without asking from Tinker. Anibal did the same. I didn't think it would be as expensive as Akasha. Exter seemed fairly normal, after all.
However, as the six of us approached the toll gates, we took notice of a lot of upset Crafters leaving in droves. These Crafters had belts and backpacks overflowing with essentials like food, water, wooden planks, emeralds, and weapons. They all had various looks on their faces. Angry, disgruntled, resentful, sorrowful, benumbed, prideful. It was a wide spectrum of emotions. Spurring them along - a little overaggressively - were the purple-capped guards of Exter. A whole platoon of them were armed with swords and bows as they hurried the Crafters out of the capital. They came here fully expecting a fight. There was a tense atmosphere.
"What is this?" Ciro asked, his mismatched gaze flicking left and right. "Everyone's so tense. It feels like a riot's about to take place."
"Knowing our poor luck, there'll probably be one." Reuben noted pessimistically.
Anibal narrowed her eyes as an authoritative figure strode forward amongst the guards and slammed her iron battleaxe blade down upon the obsidian ground, her hands resting on the handle. Her steady posture and slate blue eyes dared anyone to try and cause a commotion. She had waist-length black hair, and a longer, thinner, iron sword at her belt. Her name read Lizabet_Agafonov.
"Captain." Anibal identified, pointing with her chin at Lizabet.
"This is wrong!" One of the Crafters protested as they were pushed away from the toll gates. "You can't do this! I've lived in Exter for years! I'm Exterian!"
"That's not how the Exterians see it." Captain Lizabet spoke back, her voice husky and coarse. "You need to clear the area. Now."
"We're not even affiliated with Dover Plains! This is ridiculous!"
"One of the Scouts' giant Zombies was roaming out here a little while ago! Add in the Stigmata and it isn't safe out here! Let us back in!"
"I demand you bring His Highness here!" Another Crafter chimed in, braver now that others had spoken out against the guards. "There's no way he'd allow this!"
"King Sdraw is the one who gave the order." Lizabet revealed, earning gasps of disbelief. "He wants you all to leave Exter's walls. I'm here to see his orders through."
Someone shot an arrow at the Captain. It nicked her purple leather cap, but she didn't flinch or react, despite the damage. When the guards made to punish the shooter, drawing their own bows, the Captain raised her hand to stop them. They grudgingly backed down, maintaining their position against the walls.
"This can't be! You're kicking us out of our homes! How can Sdraw justify that!?"
"Because it's either this," her husky voice boomed impressively, "or you get lynched by an angry mob we're not prepared to handle! Do you understand!?"
The Crafters simmered down at once, their protests smothered in the face of an irrefutable fact.
"You've seen the unrest." The Captain continued, pulling back her frustration. "Tempers are high. Your neighbors aren't the people you once knew. King Sdraw can see the writing on the walls, and you should too. We've already had casualties."
"But we have roots here." A Crafter whimpered. "Please. This is our home too."
"Home shouldn't be a place where your life is at risk." The Captain pointed out grimly. "This is for your own safety. We... We cannot protect you." She admittedly with deep shame. "I am sorry. The guards are not equipped to handle these levels of unrest. I'm sure the situation is the same in Dover Plains." She sighed. "Your life is more important than your home. I wish I had something better to tell you, but I don't. Find refuge elsewhere until this petty war comes to a close."
"And who knows how long that'll be." A Crafter muttered before turning to leave.
After hearing all that, we got something of a clearer picture on what was going on. Some sort of civil unrest amongst the Exterians. A lot of people were being forced to leave, but it didn't stop people from entering either. Crafters apart from the ones leaving were able to walk up to the toll gates just fine, going through the typical searches and toll payments.
"Let's ask the toll operator." Albert suggested. "I want to know what's going on between Dover Plains and Exter."
We walked up to the toll operator - a wiry, nervous-looking man - and asked to be let in. The toll was only an emerald each, but before the searches could be conducted, he had a question for us.
"Before we begin, I have to ask," he started, "are any of you originally from Dover Plains? The first kingdom you were accepted in. Was it Dover Plains."
Five of us shook our heads at the odd question, but Albert was somewhat defensive. "What does it matter?"
The toll operator sighed. "Because if you are, I can't let you in."
"Why's that?" Ciro asked. "Does it have to do with the drama we just witnessed, or the unrest in the capital we heard about?"
"It's a long story." The toll operator lamented. "I'd rather not go into it. If you're from Dover Plains, I have to turn you away. This is for your own safety."
With no way to hide his Citizenship Information, Albert admitted to being originally from Dover Plains.
"You can't enter the capital, then." The toll operator made a diverting gesture with his hands. "Please vacate the area. Anyone from Dover Plains can't be allowed entry."
"Just because he's from Dover Plains? Why?" Reuben asked.
"I can't go into detail, sir. There are other people wanting to get in, and I don't want to hold them up."
"Well then you need to make time." Anibal's words almost sounded like a threat, which would be bad for our cover. Spaatz pulled her back and whispered something to her, causing her to cool off. She sighed in annoyance.
"I'll stay with Albert." Reuben volunteered himself. "I don't want to leave him alone out here. You guys take care of your business without us. We'll wait for you here."
Meaning they would make Potions of Invisibility and sneak in with ender pearls. Good on them.
"Raaawk! Take care of business!" Squawken parroted. I luckily didn't have to pay for my pets. We handed in an emerald each, got our Citizenship Informations and Entry Passes approved, had our belts and backpacks cleared of contraband, and were finally permitted entry into the capital.
"Change of plans." Anibal chimed in. "We're going to the marketplace to gather intel and check the latest newsbooks. We need to be brought up to speed on current events."
[Floyd]
To get inside the capital, we removed our armor, doused ourselves in Potions of Invisibility, and lobbed ender pearls over the two walls and past the corner lake of lava. After that, we split up. Carys and Kal went to the Brimstone Bastion's outer wall to find the loose piece of stone Tinker reported having traded his weapons through. Noman and I headed for the SutsCo store to get Carys' wings. The bastion was in the center of the capital while the SutsCo store was a little to the east of it.
We got a good glimpse of the capital's building style. All the buildings were made of stone, no sign of wood on the exterior. We saw buildings in brick, stone brick, nether brick, smooth stone, smooth stone slabs, polished andesite, polished diorite, polished granite, smooth and chiseled sandstone and red sandstone, quartz, and some purple and cream-colored block we couldn't identify. They were all materials that wouldn't burn or catch on lava, which made sense given the four lava lakes at the corners of the capital.
There was a river that passed through the capital and threaded around the southeastern lava lake. Apparently, the close proximity of lava and water made some renowned, natural hot springs if the signs promoting them were to be believed. Noman and I agreed to give them a try if we had time later, just to help soothe our stress.
On various streets, we spotted stairwells leading down, which many Crafters disappeared into or appeared from. They often carried minecarts with them, so it must've been like an underground subway system to get around the capital.
There was an ornate stone building we passed that was positively packed with coming and going Crafters carrying ores and pickaxes. The words 'Miner's Guild' were carved into the side.
There was a guard station with a board full of wanted posters. Cultists, criminals, and, shockingly enough, Scouts. One such Scout was a man named Landon_Noir with a seven-hundred emerald bounty, dead or alive. His crimes included reckless endangerment, breaking and entering, embezzlement, harassment, vandalism, tax evasion, obstruction of justice, prostitution, and many more. He was the Scouts' Founder, and a past Scout Master, which I assumed translated to guild leader. There were various other Scouts wanted for a range of crimes I didn't want to go into. I got the impression that their chaotic quest for badges made them not well liked by the people of Exter.
We found Carys' and Cobb's wanted posters too. Then, way off in the corner of the board, I found Noman's wanted poster. It was as Anibal predicted; thirty emeralds for the crime of obstruction of justice. There was no snow print for his face, though. Only a description. The events of Galitsino were too recent or too low priority to have gotten snow prints from Lazuli. They even only wanted him taken in alive. He wouldn't be picked out unless someone paid close attention, and thirty emeralds was one of the lowest bounties on that board. I could tell it made Noman feel bad, though, being a criminal.
Eventually, we reached the address Carys gave us, leading us to SutsCo's purple and cream-colored store. It was made of the same purple and cream-colored blocks we couldn't identify before. There was a line around the block to get in, and plenty of eye-catching merchandise at the display windows.
We knew to be wary, though. This powerful company had ties to the mysterious End dimension. Cobb and Lenz acquired SutsCo merchandise when they went in with the Paragons, but all of them had been cursed and forbidden from speaking of it by the X marks on their tongues. I couldn't fathom how such a curse was even possible, but I knew it meant SutsCo wasn't to be trifled with. Noman felt the same. We were well on guard as we circled the building, unseen.
"What now?" Noman whispered. "I need to go inside, and only I have permission as Carys' proxy to get the wings. When they see my name-"
"I think you're worrying over nothing." I whispered back. "There were like forty Crafters charged with obstruction of justice. You're too small time. Plus, they don't even have a snow print of you."
Maybe if he was King_Cobb or Ember_Waves, he'd need no effort to be identified, but his poster was for something small. He'd be fine as long as he didn't linger. Of that, I was certain.
"Just don't tarry too long. You'll be fine."
"There's a long line, Floyd." I could imagine him gesturing to the Crafters going around the block. "Tarrying is unavoidable."
"Don't worry, Noman. I have a plan to clear that line for you."
"You do? It's not anything dangerous, is it?" He asked suspiciously.
"Rest assured, Noman. I understand what's going on." I spoke seriously. "This is a very delicate situation, and must be treated with great care and sensitivity."
"Ooga Booga Booga! Hacker power go BRRRR!"
Exterians screamed and fled in terror as ebony MultiAura spines shot out of my arms and made pincushions of random street posts and buildings. Of course I wasn't really aiming at anyone. I also had my Creeper mask on so that nobody would catch my name or face. The blatant red sweater would be telling for anyone that knew my wardrobe, but oh well.
Dark smoke swirled around me as I purposefully marched down the street. My plan worked like a charm as the Crafters dutifully on line for the SutsCo store quickly gave up their spots in favor of escaping the crazed Hacker seemingly on a rampage. More customers poured out of the store and made for the stairwell to the subway, thinking it was their best choice for escape.
I caught sight of a visible Noman near the store's entrance, clutching his forehead with a look of bug-eyed surprise and guilt over the chaos I was creating.
Yeah, I was lying about the great care and sensitivity bullshit.
But it worked to clear the crowd, so Noman could do his thing. After the street was sufficiently spooked, I used my Speed Hack to zoom off in an untraceable blur to the nearest vacant, clean, public restroom stall before I crashed on the toilet and went limp from the cooldown.
[Noman]
Great care and sensitivity indeed - why is everyone but me a bad influence? I complained to myself as I entered the greatly vacated SutsCo store. Some clerks were nervously leaning at their stalls, trying to see if the 'Hacker threat' had left yet. There were also a few customers leftover who were either too brave or too scared to leave. As Floyd guessed, they didn't even look twice at me despite my criminal charges. Same with the clerks.
"Excuse me. Sorry. Can you help me?" I walked right up to the nearest stall without delay.
"Oh! Of course, sir." The clerk was a bit thrown off. "You sure have guts coming right up when a Hacker just went down the street, or maybe you're a vulture that just saw your moment now that the line's gone."
"Eheh... Right..."
"Well, either way, SutsCo values your patronage, sir." The clerk beamed with a smile fit for the face of a customer service representative. "How can I be of service?"
I quickly handed over the signed note of intent and the purchase order copy Carys had entrusted me. "Someone bought some wings - Wonder Wings - a while ago. They paid up front and it was never delivered. I was wondering if you could help with that?"
The clerk inspected the note and purchase order carefully, as if trying to pick out a forgery. Finding no problem, he gave a satisfied nod before handing them back. He didn't seem to mind that the purchase order was signed by a wanted criminal. Maybe SutsCo had Tinker's mindset and they didn't care who they sold to.
"The paperwork is good, sir, but I'm afraid to say we don't have any Wonder Wings to spare right now." The clerk spoke politely. "While we are forbidden from revealing SutsCo trade secrets involving our merchandise, I can tell you that the Wonder Wings are our most popular product but are sadly in short supply."
"You can't reserve them? Carys paid up front. And in full!"
"We know, sir, and we're prepared to offer a full refund, and some additional store credit for the inconvenience." The clerk actually leaned over, pulled open an ender chest, and revealed a lime box that unscrewed to reveal it to be positively packed with emerald blocks. Not gems. Blocks. I blanched, realizing they had Carys' full ten-thousand emerald refund at their fingertips. How much profit did SutsCo get up to!? "We're not in the habit of reneging on fully paid purchases, but the wings were stolen from this very location back in October, and all our other wings are tied up."
I sighed dejectedly. "How long until the wings are next available?"
"Maybe six months...?" I winced at the time frame. Half a year. Would Carys really ban us from map messages until I got her those wings? We needed to know how Cobb and Lenz were faring! "We could hold Carys' emeralds for a year until the wings are next available, but I understand that ten-thousand emeralds is too much money to just be left sitting around. That's why I suggested the refund. Of course, this would invalidate the wings' discount secured by our Daymonte branch."
"Yeah... that makes sense." I said, already sounding resigned. At the very least, Carys would be mollified getting back the emeralds she paid for nothing. Maybe it would be enough to beg her mercy. "I suppose I'll take the refund, please."
"Don't forget the store credit, sir." The clerk reminded, trying to help me out. He really was a good customer service rep. If there was a customer satisfaction survey, I'd give him all tens. "I'll fast-track the paperwork for you. Might as well since the store's empty for the first time since I started." He slipped me a five-hundred emerald store credit voucher from under the counter. "Feel free to peruse our merchandise on display, see if anything tickles your fancy. This could take up to an hour, even fast-tracked."
"If you'd be so kind, thank you." I nodded back politely before the clerk went off to gather the necessary forms for me to sign. These were the tedious procedures and processes Carys dreaded.
Expecting to be there for a while, I stepped away from the counter to do as the clerk suggested. There were more of those unscrewing boxes that were called Pocket Boxes. Portable chests you could carry on your person to hold multiple objects. It was like an extra backpack, and it came in a myriad of colors.
The block materials were from the End dimension, which was likely where the wings came from too. They must've been hard to find if SutsCo were charging ten-thousand emeralds apiece.
The colorful tipped arrows were interesting. I wasn't as good as Lenz with a bow - Who was? - but they reminded me of the Vivlio Zythopoiias and the potion effects you could inflict on others. The duration of the effects was so low, though. A splash potion could afford more time than a tipped arrow. I'm sure they had their uses, though. Like in the middle of long-ranged combat, tripping up your opponent just a little could mean-
I paused in my musings as I caught sight of something. Something on the other side of the store. I narrowed my eyes and craned my neck to get a better look before realizing it was exactly who I thought it was. A familiar face.
At first, I turned around and tried to look absorbed in the tipped arrows I had been looking at. I don't need to say hi. I thought to myself. We only knew each other for a short time. He hasn't even noticed me.
But then, as I thought more about it, I realized I was being a rude jerk seeking to avoid him. He was nothing but nice to me, and he taught me an important lesson about what to place value in.
So what if he was affiliated with agents of chaos? He had helped me.
I sighed. "I should say hi." I decided before turning back around and walking over to the blond who was bent down, stocking the shelves.
I stood over him and cleared my throat.
"In a minute, sir. I'm just finishing up-" Light-blue eyes turned up and widened as the blond man recognized me. "NOMAN!" His innocent face brightened as he stood tall, his mouth splitting into a broad smile. He really was happy to see me, even while I initially tried to avoid him.
I gave a shy wave. "Hey, Marble. Small world."
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 1 Diamond Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Diamond Helmet [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Boots [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Shears, 2 Iron Ingots, 24 Coal, 20 Torches, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 16 Gunpowder, 9 Ender Pearls, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}, 1 Bucket, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Written Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}
[EXP: 48]
Inventory (Soul): 1 Diamond Axe [Sharpness V], 1 Iron Cleaver, 1 Diamond Pickaxe, 60 Iron Ingots, 19 Flint, 1 Flint and Steel, 5 Ender Pearls, 8 Gold Ingots, 11 Blocks of Diamond, 11 Blocks of Emerald, 8 Emeralds, 1 Shears, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV, Feather Falling IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Crafting Table, 1 Jukebox, 1 Music Disc {chirp}, 1 Bed, 1 Furnace, 24 Torches, 22 White Wool, 61 Cobblestone, 14 Jungle Planks, 2 Bowls, 1 Armor Stand, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Written Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Exter Entry Pass}, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}
[EXP: 42]
Cat-Face the Cat
Christopher Squawken the Parrot
Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness I], 1 Shield, 1 Diamond Chestplate {Severe Shield}, 1 Golden Boots {Stivali Magma}, 1 Leather Boots {Bottes Zephyr} [Dyed White], 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Diamond Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Diamond Pickaxe, 1 Flint and Steel, 10 Cobwebs, 2 Ender Chests, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Water Bucket, 5 Buckets, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Written Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Exter Entry Pass}, 1 Written Book {Note of Intent}, 1 Written Book {Wonder Wings Purchase Order}, 1 Paper {SutsCo Store Credit Voucher: 500 Emeralds}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Written Book {The Art of Peace}, 1 Written Book {Artifact List}, 1 Enchanted Golden Apple, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}
[EXP: 35]
Inventory (Kalmarin): 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Mob Head {Skeleton}, 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness III, Unbreaking I], 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Written Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 3 Apples, 1 Bow [Power I], 36 Arrows, 6 Ender Pearls, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 40 Torches, 31 Sand, 12 Cobblestone, 21 Oak Planks, 1 Bucket, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 43 Coal, 1 Clock, 1 Compass, 1 Iron Pickaxe [Unbreaking I], 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Old Reliable} [Unbreaking III, Efficiency V], 1 Written Book {Meetup}
[EXP: 43]
Inventory (Anibal): 1 Crossbow {Buckner}, 1 Crossbow {Devers}, 64 Arrows, 38 Arrows, 16 Firework Rockets {Flight Duration: 1, Large Ball x 7, White x 7}, 13 Firework Rockets {Flight Duration: 1, Large Ball x 7, White x 7}, 6 Ender Pearls, 8 Cooked Mutton, 15 Apples, 18 Oak Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 1 Bed, 39 Torches, 21 Coal, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Written Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 3 Ender Chests, 63 Emeralds, 29 Cobblestone, 1 Bow [Flame I], 1 Bow [Power V], 1 Diamond Sword [Sweeping Edge III], 1 Diamond Sword [Smite V], 1 Diamond Sword [Fire Aspect II], 1 Diamond Sword [Bane of Arthropods V]
[EXP: 53]
AN: Blast from the past.
Marble: I feel like I haven't seen you in 200 Chapters!
West Gang is in Exter's capital, now. They've split up to cover more ground, but there are a lot of factions in Exter to worry about. Plus, there are hints of a deeper conflict just waiting to explode.
If you couldn't tell by some of the names/street names, Exter has a Russian background, so you'll see more Russian names.
I also changed Books to Written Books in the Inventory list, as I learned that a signed Book and Quill becomes the item 'Written Book'. Small detail change, just for the Inventory list, which I'm sure has tones of errors if you look hard enough, but I'm doing my best.
REVIEW. FAV. FOLLOW. FORUM. DISCORD. COOKIES.