AN: God, fight scenes are hard.

Anyway, enjoy.


Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. Bwuh.


Chapter 128

Cobb vs Carys

[Floyd]

It had happened in a flash.

One moment Lenz and I were checking out the slots, the next we were splashed with the Paralysis potion combo and dragged into the shadows. A curtain of purple hair fell over my shoulder and a feminine hand was slapped over my mouth, muffling my cries for help. A pale man with short, silver hair did the same for Lenz.

We didn't know what was going on, but the two of us were carted away by at least five people. We were taken from the great hall, up a series of stairs and corridors. We met up with guards along the way and they stopped us, asking what was going on.

"Nlev zhrwv." The woman dragging me muttered.

My eyes—the only part that could move—darted, confused by her speech. Was it a code? A password? Whatever it was, the guards didn't deem it an appropriate response and leveled their blades at our kidnappers. Finally some help.

"We're Paragons." One of the others—Darkened_Wing—stepped forward, his answer shocking both me and the guards. He exchanged a few more words with the guards before they agreed to let us pass, shooting Lenz and I some hateful glares.

The Paragons. Soul had mentioned them more than enough times for me to know they were the Angel of Death's guild. I looked at each one of them, trying to piece together a reason. Was this because we killed their leader and they finally tracked us down for revenge? Or were they acting under the assumption we were cultists, our wanted posters offering a tantalizing bounty for anyone.

I couldn't voice any of my questions, seeing as how I still had a hand slapped over my face. And while Paralyzed, I couldn't use my Hack to break free. My Speed would only counter the Potion of Slowness, allowing me standard movement for thirty-five seconds. It was too small a window to break free, grab Lenz, and make an exit. And it would leave me vulnerable.

Better to keep it close to the chest. Wait for the right moment.

A moment the Paragons never allowed. They refreshed the Paralysis effect when there was only a minute left, throwing splash potions of slowness and weakness over my head.

They didn't do the same for Lenz. When he could walk on his own, Darkened_Wing and the silver-haired guy—Dark_Shroud—stood him on his feet and marched him forward at sword-point.

The fact that they let him walk but kept me anesthetized… it didn't bode well. Did they know I was a Hacker…?

Down a few more corridors, we were led up a spiral staircase. And since Lenz had to carry his own weight for an extended period of time up flights of stairs, what happened next was inevitable.

"I… I cannot…" Lenz gasped, falling to his knees. "Lungs… burning…"

"Tch. Get up, scum." The Paragon with the wavy blond hair jabbed his sword into Lenz's back, but the engineer was too winded to notice.

"No… no more…" He clutched his chest, sweat pouring from his face. "Too many… stairs…"

"I said get up!" The blond roughly yanked Lenz by his scarf, strangling the poor engineer before setting him upright and shoving him forward. Lenz cried out as he tripped, his shin banging against a stair before he landed on his hands. "Up! Up! Or I swear you'll regret it."

"Give him a break! He's frail." I snapped aloud, only because the purple-haired woman had let go of my mouth. It wasn't Lenz's fault his stamina was poor. They just kept pushing him.

"I don't take orders from you, Lieutenant." The blond mocked, making a show of kicking a struggling Lenz. "You cultists must be at scraping the bottom of the barrel to be recruiting weedy little shits like him. I can break obsidian faster than he can going up some stairs."

"You don't want to be held up? Then carry him yourself." I countered, even as the purple-haired woman pressed me forward.

"Oh yeah, well how about I—"

"Perry." Dark_Shroud admonished. "We are on a time schedule. If it gets us back faster…" He gestured to the panting engineer meaningfully.

The blond, Perry, muttered something darkly before grabbing Lenz's scarf again and dragging him up the stairs like luggage. He grunted in pain as his lower back and rear banged against the stairs over and over. I winced sympathetically, thinking he might have been better off crawling.

Mercifully, we reached the top of the spiral staircase into a tower with a large window. And outside that window was a dark wood airship, connected to the window via a thin plank. Lenz instantly forgot about his bruised rear.

"Comparators. Are you taking us aboard that?"

"Unfortunately." Perry griped, dragging the engineer across the plank first. "Why the Angel of Death ordered it is beyond me." He mumbled under his breath.

Lenz was too busy fanboying over the airship to notice, but I heard him loud and clear. The Angel of Death ordered it. But the Angel of Death had perished in lava months ago. I had been there to see it!

So… she survived.

Now everything made sense. The Paragons were avenging their leader alright. But on her orders. This had nothing to do with our wanted posters… or maybe the two weren't as unrelated as I thought.

My mind was thinking so hard it was churning smoke. And not the Hacker smoke that would have been infinitely more useful right about now. I was as helpless as ever getting dragged across the plank onto the airship.

Then, suddenly, I realized who really should be panicking right about now. The person who killed Carys' beloved pig.

"Cobb…" I whispered fearfully. He was still on the dance-floor with Jade. Was Carys there too? Were other Paragons waiting?

What were they going to do with him? What were they going to do with us?

"The design is impeccable." Lenz spoke aloud, startling me out of my thoughts. He was laid against a wall—the two of us in some sort of loading bay—and he looked like a man not being kidnapped and forced against his will. If anything, he looked appreciatively at the inside of the airship.

Of course. I groaned internally. This is his first time on one. My first time too, come to think of it.

It was made out of dark wood and I caught black sails as we were transferred across the plank. Lenz was turning his head in every direction, drinking in every detail. I was laid out on the opposite wall across from him, two Paragons watching me closely with splash potions at the ready.

"Well, we got 'em." A fifth guy—Dorian—said needlessly. "Baltic stocked enough splash potions, right? I don't want this Hacker getting the jump on us."

So they did know. How? Had they seen my smoke before? Or did they recognize me by my lines, like Attila had.

"We should be good." Wing nodded. "What we're not stocked on, however, is coal. Our engines are looking a little dry. Baltic wants us to refuel."

"Let him get it himself. I'm not running errands." Perry grumbled. "I already had to lug this one up the stairs."

"Oh, repeaters!" Lenz exclaimed, startling four of the five Paragons into pointing their weapons at him. "Is that a speaking tube over there? How ingenious!" He pointed to a small hole in the wall. "I have read that they can transmit sound throughout the ship directly from the bridge. The makers must have carefully crafted miniscule chambers to redirect sound like that."

"...Seems we have an airship savant on our hands." Dorian commented.

"Oh, I would not call myself a savant." Lenz humbly deflected. "Though this airship is quite well-made. Tell me, which model number is it?"

"Er…" Dorian and Wing looked to one another awkwardly. "We don't know. Baltic's usually the one who does airships."

"Well, may I speak with this Baltic fellow?" Lenz asked, completely serious. "I would love to pick his brain on—"

"Oh for the love of—shut up!" Perry threw his sword near the engineer. It clattered against the wall noisily, prompting Lenz to zip his lips. "You think this a show-and-tell? We're kidnapping you! That means, keep your mouth shut and try not to annoy me!"

I had to admit that Perry had a point. Now wasn't really the time to talk about airships, no matter how obsessed he was. In fact, I doubted Lenz even knew why we were being kidnapped. We never mentioned the Angel of Death before. That was a secret only Cobb and I shared.

Suddenly, the purple-haired woman detached herself from the corner and approached a cowering Lenz. She knelt by his side and held an iron dagger to his neck before rolling him on his side and going through his Inventory. Her name was as garbled as the Jibbermen I encountered, and her speech matched.

"Ivwhglmv tziyztv." She muttered, letting a handful of repeaters fall through her searching fingers. Lenz tilted his head slightly, his ears perking at the sounds she made.

"…Could you say that again?"

"What did I say about talking, cultist?" Perry spat, standing over the engineer. He titled his head back to face the wall, allowing the purple-haired woman to continue. "What are you looking for Z7?"

"Gsivzgh." She replied in her Jibbermen tongue. Again, I saw Lenz's ears perk.

Perry sighed. "Why do I even bother?"

"Look, someone needs to get coal." Wing tried again, looking to his fellow Paragons. "I can go to the market, I don't mind, so long as someone takes over guard duty."

"The Angel wanted Z7 back with her anyway. As soon as she's free." Shroud added, watching as the purple-haired Jibberwoman—Z7—produced something from Lenz's pack. "What you got there, ma'am?"

"Nzk." She answered.

My eyes widened. She had pulled out Lenz's map. The one synced to all the Beginners' locations. This was a disaster!

"Oh, hey… good find." Perry nodded appreciatively. "See all these white blips? This must be one of their maps."

"Let me see." Wing walked over while Dorian and Shroud hit me with another dose of Paralysis. Just when I was starting to get some feeling back!

"Hmmm. One of the blips is in Ringwood. That's where that Captain Wynn is. Cobb stayed in her mansion for a while. No clue whether she's a cultist or not." Wing moved on. "These two blips are obviously these two." He walked over and pulled out my map just to verify. "And these other two maps must belong to Cobb and that green-haired girl with him."

"You mean the one you neglected in your report?" Perry mocked.

"She only joined up recently. She helped them out in Jolin." Wing defended, going back to the maps and squinting his eyes. "Now what about this last blip nearby? Who does this belong to…?"

Soul. I thought worriedly.

Perry scoffed. "What? Did you forget another one?"

"No. There shouldn't be anyone else here. The only one I can think of is that Lost_Soul guy, but he was never supposed to be here."

My eyes darted. What did he mean by that? Soul hadn't had a wanted poster, true, but neither did Lenz. So why didn't they think he'd be around?

I tried to think about it. Soul hadn't been with us when we 'fought' Wynn and Veronica. And he hadn't been apprehended in Jolin either. No, he left Brandr unconscious before slipping away, only joining back with us after the four of us were cleared of our crimes. He didn't have to wear cursed armor like us.

So… did they not know about him?

It was as good a guess as any. To them, Soul was an unknown.

"Hang on, I'll make a copy of this." Wing set down a Crafting Table and quickly combined paper with a compass to make a blank map, then made a duplicate of Lenz's map. "There. Now this one is linked up."

"So now what? The Angel wanted these two," Perry gestured to us, "so you think she'll want this mystery guy?"

"Whoever it is could be a cultist." Dorian noted. "I heard Leadstripe was in town recently. Maybe it's him."

"It's too good an opportunity to pass up. But we need to be careful." Wing nodded, taking the map copy in hand and returning Lenz's. "Someone come with me. We can get both the coal and this other guy. If things get dicey, we'll ask the citizens for help. They love us anyway."

"I'll go with you." Dorian volunteered a second before Perry could raise his hand. "Stealing these two was too easy."

"We'll keep them under control." Shroud spoke for himself and Perry, tossing some splash potions at me again. "You guys just be careful. Don't take any chances."

"Roger that."

This was terrible. I watched helplessly as Wing and Dorian chucked ender pearls out of the airship before warping away in a puff of purple particles. They were going after Soul and he had no idea that the guild he idolized so dearly was after him. I had to warn him somehow. But I couldn't move a muscle!

"Tch. What a drag." Perry griped, tilting his head towards Z7. "Well, are you going to report back to the Angel?"

"Zmtvo."

"Yeah, yeah. Zmtvo. Whatever that means. Hey!" Perry dodged a dagger thrown at him by the Jibberwoman. "Sorry! If you just talk normally, this wouldn't happen."

"Zhhslov." The Jibberwoman reached into her belt and withdrew an ender pearl. She trudged over to the side, intent on lobbing it to who knows where.

"H-Hold on!"

Z7 paused, her head tilting to look at the engineer who was reaching at his belt for something. In a blur, she, Shroud, and Perry all had blades at his throat, the threat clear if he tried to draw a weapon. I called out for Lenz to stop whatever he was doing.

"J-Just a moment of your time…" Lenz quivered, pulling out a book. He held it up, a clear sign that it wasn't a weapon. Was he trying to read them Airship Piloting 101?

The three Paragons narrowed their eyes as Lenz flicked open the book. It was only then that I realized what it was.

Advanced Mob-Slaying.

"…O-Okay… ah…" He flipped through a few pages until he reached the back. Then he looked between the Paragons and the pages before working his mouth.

"Gsrh… fmslob… zylnrmzgrlm…" He spoke in an irregular collection of sounds and vowels that sounded nothing like a human language. It did sound similar to something, though. And when Lenz finished a few words, he looked back up expectantly.

Perry and Shroud still had their blades pointed at him, their heads tilted in confusion. But Z7 had lowered her dagger.

"Gsrh fmslob zylnrmzgrlm…?" She repeated and with much less difficulty than the engineer. He lit up like the sun when he heard her. That was when I realized it was because it was the same sounds she made. It was her language.

The back of the Advanced Mob-Slaying book was written in literal Jibberish.

"Astounding… er…" He glanced back at the book for a moment, picking out a different set of words. "Rg uorvh… zilfmw…" He skipped back to a different word. "Drgsvi. Drgsvi. Drgsvi…"

Z7 pushed the purple hair out of her face, looking at Lenz like he was an oddity. "Drgsvi…" She gestured to him with her dagger. "Blf hkvzp orpv nv? Yfg blfi mznv rhm'g… dilmt."

This… this could be a good thing. Lenz was distracting them trying to talk like her. They weren't paying attention to me anymore. I felt a finger twitch as the Paralysis nearly wore off. Come on…

"Dilmt… dilmt… uh…" Lenz flipped through the pages nervously. "I-I am afraid I do not know that word—"

"What the hell am I watching?" Perry suddenly snapped, knocking Advanced Mob-Slaying aside. "I can't understand a word either of you are saying!? And… HEY!"

I was too late. Perry chucked the splash potions at me from across the room, paralyzing me once again. A few more seconds and I could have done something.

"He was trying to distract us!" Perry raged, kicking the engineer. Lenz dove over Advanced Mob-Slaying and stowed it safely in his belt before Perry got another kick in. "These cultists will resort to anything!"

"W-We are not cultists!" Lenz pleaded, covering his head from the assault. "Th-the wanted posters are lies. We are just a guild. The Beginners." He tried to reason on deaf ears. "Please, we have helped Crafters all over Minecraftia. We defended Halstatt from Hackers. We saved Jolin. Cobb even killed the criminal Carys_Angel."

I tried to tell Lenz to stop talking, but Perry blocked me from view, getting up real close to the engineer's face.

"No kidding?" His smile was full of teeth. "Your boss killed Carys_Angel? Carys is dead, huh? Dead and gone?"

"Th-That is correct. He—ULK!"

I shouted as Lenz was kneed in the face, his skull slamming into the wall. Perry grabbed his scarf, bringing the engineer up before socking him straight in the jaw.

"Enough of your crap! Carys_Angel is our boss! She wouldn't be done in by a couple of sniveling cultists like you!" Lenz curled in on himself, shielding his head and face as Perry proceeded to kick him. "That's right! Cower! Cower and shirk away when you're finally getting everything you deserve!" Perry's boot kicked Lenz's glasses into his eye, causing the engineer to howl.

"STOP! STOP IT! PLEASE!" I shouted, desperately trying to call my Hack forward. Thirty-five seconds or not, I had to do something!

Perry yanked Lenz's shielding arms away and drove a fist into his face over and over until the engineer couldn't whimper past swollen lips. "Look at you, the trash of the earth. You know how many people I lost to cultist assholes like you? It'd serve you right if I just end you now."

He reached for his sword and smoke started creeping into my vision only for someone else to grab Perry's offending hand.

"Mlg sviv." Z7 warned, her long hair covering her black eyes once again. Even so, she had her dagger poised to lash out if Perry continued.

"She's right, Perry." Shroud advised. "Four-eyes might be asking for it, and I would love to shut him up, but Carys specifically ordered us not to kill them unless the Executive could see it. We have our orders. Do you want to go against them?"

Perry cooled off, lowering his fist and tossing the limp form of Lenz behind him. The engineer rolled to a stop at my side, his face badly hurt and his Health Meter desperately trying to fix him. He barely stirred.

"Lenz? Lenz are you still with me?" I asked, hoping he'd respond. "Come on, stay with me. You're okay."

It was a lie. Neither of us was okay. All I could do was talk to comfort him, and even that was worthless.

"Just tell Carys to hurry back." Perry said to Z7. "The longer we wait, the quicker my patience runs out. He says one more thing I'll rip his damn Head off."

Lenz trembled slightly. It was the only sign he heard anything.

Z7 quickly ender-pearled away and Shroud stood over us, potions at the ready.

"F-Floyd…" Lenz whispered, his voice so weak I could barely hear it.

"Shh. You just rest up, okay?" I whispered back. "Regain your Health."

"F-Floyd…" He repeated, his eyes closed shut from the damage yet still leaking tears. "Are w-we going to die here…?"

My breath caught as I fought for an answer. I really wished I could tell him no.

Instead I remained silent, powerless to do a thing.


[Cobb]

Green eyes met crimson. Carys with her scythe and me with my fishing rod and sword. There was a beat of silence as we attempted to burn holes in each other's heads with just the power of our glares.

The blood pounded in my ear, urging me forward.

Blood: Kill… Kill her… Kill her now…

Carys pushed off the stone tower, darting fast with her scythe scraping behind her and leaving a trail of sparks. I spun in place, gathering momentum.

"CAST!"

I sent my hook straight for her, but Carys was ready. She leaped over it, spinning in the air and extending her scythe out. She struck like a diamond whirlwind and I threw myself out of the way just before it crashed into the stone battlements.

I still got hit anyway. There was some kind of area of effect. A greater chunk of the stone battlements was splintered apart than where it made contact. It must have been the scythe's ability. I got nicked for my efforts, a whole Heart lost.

Carys yanked the blade out of the stone and turned to me with a smirk. "Try throwing that line at me again. See what happens."

Well, since she asked so nicely…

I flicked out Backlash again, aiming for her sleeveless turtleneck. Instead of dodging, however, she held up her arm, allowing the line to wrap around. I thought she was being cocky, but then she wound her fist around the line, pulling it taut.

We both pulled back, but I paled realizing I was the one skidding towards her. In terms of raw strength, she was stronger.

She wound her fist more, pulling back and forcing me to stumble forward. Then she slammed her foot onto the taut line, pulling me to the ground. I tried to pick myself up, but she already wound both fists around the line and pulled with a mighty heave.

I found myself hurtling towards her, but I quickly angled myself using my parkour training and brought up the handle of Backlash. I'd have to use its Knockback to gain some distance.

Carys spotted this and scoffed, bringing up her scythe. The second she was close enough, I struck out with Backlash.

At the same exact second, she placed her scythe on my shoulder, blade resting against my back.

"AUGH!"

With the sound of tearing leather and the sensation of my arm being sliced off, I fell to my knees. The Knockback worked all right. It forced Carys back while her scythe was hooked against my shoulder, adding to the strength of her cut. The Angel of Death, on the other hand, only skidded a few dozen feet before coming to a leisurely stop.

"I don't fall for the same trick twice." She taunted while I clutched my ruined shoulder in agony. "Oh, look. I took off some cursed armor for you. Your welcome."

I cracked an eye open and saw that she was right. My cursed leather tunic fell to pieces, freeing me from its curse. It would've been better if it didn't cost me incredible pain. I only had three Hearts left.

Something moved from the corner of my eye. Jade shouted a warning, but I was too wounded to do anything as a splash potion caught the side of my head. I winced, expecting some debilitating effect… only for my Hearts to tick up to seven. A Splash Potion of Healing? A second one was tossed at me, restoring me to full.

The pain now gone, I stood back up, eyeing the thrower cautiously.

"Don't look into it too much." Carys put the rest of her splash potions away, flourishing her scythe to point at me. "It wouldn't be much of a match if you died after the first round. Not that anyone could call you a match for me."

"You're crazy." I threw out.

"Is that anyway to thank me for giving you a second chance?" She asked mockingly. "Go on. Show me what you got."

Gripping my sword tightly, my eyes sliding to where one of the Paragons was clearing out Mobs from a dark corner. I flicked my gaze back to Jade. Killing Carys wouldn't guarantee Jade's safety. But it would provide a good enough distraction for us to parkour off Cloud Castle.

"You want to see what I got, huh?" I asked, reaching into my backpack and pulling out my cherished Ringwood leather tunic. Dyed green, it had Mending and wouldn't break so easily.

Carys narrowed her eyes. "More leather? Don't you have any diamond gear?" She sighed. "Oh well. I'll take the rest of that cursed stuff off of you." She sliced at the air with her scythe. "No matter how much it hurts."

She ran forward, but had to fall back as a snowball crashed into her unprotected chest. She raised an eyebrow at the disintegrating ball of frost.

"I should feel insulted." She growled, raising a hand to bat away the flurry of snowballs I was throwing at her. "When are you going to take this seriously? I'm trying to kill you."

I ignored her mocking, hurling snowball after snowball at her. They didn't do any damage and were only a minor hindrance, but I had learned that even minor hindrances can make a difference.

My eyes checked the dark corners of the battlements again. Spiders and Zombies crawled around and were quickly put down by the Paragon, Luis.

Carys had finally had enough, running forward and spinning her scythe as a barrier against my snow flurry. She got up close and grabbed my arm before flinging me over her shoulder and into the hard stone. I coughed out in pain, but swung my diamond sword at her legs.

She hopped over it and tried to stomp my chest in, but I rolled away just in time. However, I caught the tail-end of her scythe as it reaped my side.

I backed away even further, but then an arrow struck my forehead. It packed a certain punch and I found myself tumbling head-over heels a few feet back. And then I was lit on fire.

"Agh!" I cried out, trying to put out the flames while Carys laughed cruelly. She was going full bow now and was shooting flaming arrows my way.

Brain: You throw snowballs at her and she replies with flaming arrows!? What's wrong with her!?

I rolled along the ground, barely dodging the volley of flaming arrows, but that was more Carys' doing than mine. She delighted in keeping me on the cusp between life and death, all while I suffered.

My cursed leggings were the next to go, burned away by the relentless fire. Once again, my Health was dangerously low. But just like before, Carys threw a Healing Potion at me, fixing me back up. She didn't feel the need to toss a Fire Resistance Potion, though.

I glared at her through the residual flames scorching away my Health, but she only reveled in my hatred of her. "Oh, you have no idea how happy this makes me. For weeks I've been throwing daggers at your wanted poster, wishing it were you." She placed a hand on her hip cockily. "It's so satisfying to have a proper punching bag."

My eyes finally caught a flash of green spawning in the darkened corner. I grinned viciously.

"Yeah, well this punching bag punches back!"

With flames still covering me, I flicked out Backlash. Carys had her guard up and had an expectant smile, but it soon turned to a frown when she noticed my fishing line wasn't aiming towards her.

Luis was just about to kill a newly spawned Creeper when my line snagged it first and reeled it in. I spun on the spot, building momentum and taking the explosive Mob for a ride. So Carys wanted to know how I killed a Hacker? I'd show her first-hand!

"CREEPER FLAIL!"

The Mob was sent hurtling towards the Angel of Death. Her eyes widened and she brought up her scythe to try and kill it first, but it came in too fast. The tell-tale hiss preceded the flash and she cursed.

*KA-BOOM!*

There was an explosive cloud of dust as the stone Carys had been standing on was obliterated. I caught a glimpse of a body falling through the floor into the throne room below, her scythe spent spinning into the air before falling down after her.

"C-Carys! OOF!"

Heather clutched her mouth as Jade took the opportunity to slam the back of her head into her captor's face. She pulled out her cutlass and spun, lashing out against Heather and kicking her into Baltic.

"Jade! Run!" I called out, just as the flames ceased burning me. As much as I wanted it to be true, Carys wouldn't die from an attack like that. The Creeper Flail bought us a few precious seconds. We needed to get away. Use our maps to track the others down. Assuming they were still alive…

Jade didn't need to be told twice. She made for the towers, intending to use her parkour skills to scale them. I followed her, intending to use what she taught me to climb down Cloud Castle. I wouldn't be as good at it to escape damage, but it was better than getting tortured by Carys.

We made it to the towers when a large shadow passed overhead. I glanced up, but the shadow was already behind me, lashing out at Jade.

The parkourist cursed, flipping away as a pair of daggers whiffed her neck. The dagger-wielder was a woman with long purple hair. Her name was as garbled as a Jibberman's, but I recognized the first two characters: Z7. This was another of Carys' Paragons. And she was just as skilled with a Tinker's weapon as Jade.

Jade lashed out with a series of fast, crescent slashes, but the purple-haired assassin deflected them with dual-wielded daggers. I flicked out Backlash to help pull her off of Jade, but an ender pearl flew in my way before I was suddenly staring down crimson eyes.

A boot buried itself in my stomach, slamming me against the tower while Z7 lured Jade further and further away.

"We're not done here, yet." Carys whispered darkly as she reared back her scythe. I ducked just before she sliced clean through the stone where my head had been, but she brought the handle down on my skull, jarring my brain.

Brain: OW!

I dizzyingly tried to stand, only for my blood to freeze as I heard Jade cry out. I looked past Carys and saw Heather and Z7 double-teaming her, the assassin slipping past Jade's guard and carving up her back.

"Leave her alone!" I slurred, trying to get to her only for Carys to get in my way and kick me back down.

"That was a pretty good hit you got on me." She was charred from the Creeper explosion, but it looked like whatever damage it did was already healing up. "You were biding time with those snowballs, weren't you? Waiting for a Creeper to spawn."

I got back to my feet and swung my diamond blade at her. She deflected it with her scythe, refusing to budge.

Jade cried out again.

"Get out of my way!" I shouted.

She smirked. "Make me."

Sword and scythe crashed against one another.


[Soul]

"So you encountered a Lieutenant before?"

"Sure did." I smiled. "Teal_Larkspur. Hardly a challenge. I bested her with my eyes closed."

"But… you let her escape… because?"

"W-Well, my eyes were closed, so she ran away. Like a coward."

"I see." Noman nodded, accepting it as the truth. "And what about 4Blite?"

"Oh, I beat him up too. But he… got away."

"I see. And Leadstripe also…"

"Got away, yes."

"Detecting a pattern here."

"Yeah, the pattern that cultists flee before me." He didn't need to know all the details, like how Teal snapped my neck like a twig. "So? What'd you think?"

"It was more… casual than I expected."

Noman and I were near the prison, having just exited the secret sugar cane entrance leading to the Silver Intent base. Charles had been happy to explain to Noman what the Silver Intent's goals were and how he could help. There was also talk of what Noman would be good at.

"You were more interested in intel gathering. Why? You're pretty good with that shield."

"Personal preference." Noman replied evasively. "You can never have too much knowledge. Besides, I'm a bit of a pacifist."

"Could've fooled me. So, want to go and celebrate your indoctrination into the Silver Intent? I'm buying."

"That's kind of you to offer, but I should best be on my way. I've spent a lot of time here." Noman rubbed his arm awkwardly. "Thank you."

"For…?"

"For pointing me to the Silver Intent. I'm not sure if it will bear anything, but I appreciate having something to do." He sighed. "And… it was nice talking to someone again."

"You don't get out much, huh?"

"My one constant companion is a horse enslaved to carry me around." He deadpanned. "And even he would leave me if I didn't provide ample sugar cubes."

"Yeesh. Well, try to make friends, alright."

He sighed. "Easier said than done." That last muttering probably wasn't meant for my ears, but I waved him away all the same He hurried down the street and turned the corner.

"Well, that's out of the way." I clapped my hands and glanced back to Cloud Castle, wondering how Cobb and the others were faring with their boring, fancy-pants party.

Looking up, I saw a silhouette against the moon. A large airship docked beside one of the castle's tallest towers. It had great black sails and was made from dark wood. Nothing like the Anemoi we got back for Captain Fo.

"If everyone's got an airship like that, Lenz should have no trouble finding a seller." I was getting ready to return to the Inn when I suddenly felt like I was being watched. Even though the street was full of Crafters enjoying an evening stroll, it wasn't any of them I felt.

"Lost_Soul." I whirled around as a pair of chuckle-heads approached me with enchanted iron armor and swords drawn. They weren't guards, but they knew my name. That raised a few red flags.

"Who's asking?"

"Drop the tough-guy façade." The first guy, Darkened_Wing, said before pointing his sword at me. "You one of Cobb's cultists?"

I narrowed my eyes. Definitely a red flag.

"You should know I consider being called that guy's subordinate to be a grave insult. But not as much as being called a cultist." I pulled out my axe, testing them. "The last guy who did that lost his dogs and his head. So would you like to take it back?"

"Not particularly." Wing and the guy beside him, Dorian, both raised their swords. "You might want to reconsider fighting a pair of Paragons. We've already captured your Executive and Lieutenant, and if—"

"W-Wait a second…" I lowered my axe, my eyes lighting up. "You two are… Paragons?"

"That's right." Dorian nodded. "The bane of the cult's existence, we—"

"Oh my God, I'm a huge fan!" I did not squeal excitedly.

"You… huh?"

"You better not be pulling my leg!" I warned. "The Paragons are my idols—especially the Angel of Death! The first time I heard how she decimated the Southern Division, I got chills! She's a total badass, with her black skeleton mask and her dominating attitude. And you guys—her guild—get to talk with her daily! I wish I could do that!"

"Er…" Dorian glanced to Wing who could only scratch his head. "Is this a trick to get us to drop our guard? Cause it's working."

"So what's she like?" I asked, not fanboying in the slightest. "Does she do a hundred push-ups a day? Does she go riding out into the wilds, raiding Endward Cult outposts and drinking the blood of her enemies? I'm joking, everybody knows Crafters can't bleed."

Wing suddenly shook his head, pointing his sword at me once more. "Whatever trick you're trying to do, it won't work! We already have your fellow cultists trapped. Now come quietly or we'll have to take you by force."

"This… doesn't sound like a recruitment pitch." I frowned glancing between their weapons. "Also, what do you mean 'fellow cultists'?" Suddenly, realization hit. "Oh, wait, wait. Hold on. You think…? Cobb and Floyd…? No, hahaha, no. Those two idiots are not cultist material." The Paragons must have been deceived by the wanted posters. Understandable. "The wanted posters for them are fake. You've got the wrong—"

I was cut off as Dorian leaped forward and tried to slash me with his blade. "Hey!" I deflected it with my axe, but Wing rushed in too and nicked my diamond armor. "Whoa, whoa, hold on! You guys would attack one of your biggest fans?"

"We have our orders from the Angel herself." Dorian noted. "Anyone connected to Cobb is an enemy to be rounded up. Your Lieutenant wasn't nearly this difficult to capture."

A shiver ran up my spine. "What do you mean? Where's Floyd?" My eyes strayed to Cloud Castle and began to panic. "I'm telling you, you have the wrong guys!"

"Save it for someone who's interested."

"I'm interested."

Wing and Dorian whirled around as, from behind them, Noman walked out into view. His shield at the ready.

"Noman? What are you doing back here? Did you know I was in trouble?"

"No, I don't have a clock and wanted to know the time." He admitted embarrassedly. "How close is it to dawn?"

"Tch. I don't know. I don't have a clock either."

"Ah. What about either of you fine gentlemen, do you know the—"

"You're really ruining your dramatic entrance, Noman!" I groaned into my hand.

"Uh, right, sorry. A-anyway I couldn't help but overhear how you're calling this man a cultist." He gestured to me while speaking with Wing and Dorian. "But in reality, this man is working against them. He's fought with Lieutenants on three separate occasions and they've all fled before him."

"Right." Wing scoffed. "Like I'd believe that."

"It's the truth! Tell them, Soul."

"Well…" I tilted my head. "I mean, it was two out of three. It's a half-truth—a two-thirds-truth."

"Who the hell are you?" Wing accused, ignoring how Noman called out 'Language!' "We have no record of you and no map blip. Are you a fresh recruit of theirs?"

"Well, the Silver Intent did just recruit me." Noman commented, not really understanding who these people were or what they wanted. "Anyway, the point is that this man is not a cultist. Neither is Cobb or any of the other ones you've captured. I can vouch for them."

"Well, I guess we'll just take the words of some stranger at face value and ignore our Angel's orders." Dorian muttered sarcastically.

"…I don't like your tone." Noman frowned.

"Well, if he's a new cult recruit, he's probably just a grunt. He's even using a lowly shield." Wing jerked his head in Noman's direction. "Take him out Dorian. I'll deal with Soul."

Dorian shot forward in an instant, his sword reared back to pierce Noman's shield. The doe-eyed innocent lowered himself, his expression as unyielding as his shield. When Dorian got close enough, Noman swung out, battering the blade aside. He then ducked under his overextended arm, spun in place, and shoved Dorian's neck down until he was kissing the street. All in the span of three seconds.

That aikido was something else.

"Wh—Dorian!" Wing whipped around, but was stopped as I snagged his arm, pulled back, and slugged him across the face. He dropped a map in the scuffle which I quickly picked up.

Wing bounced back up quickly, ramming his sword towards me face, but my axe swung up into his guard at the same time. We both scored hits, but I had the stronger diamond armor. So while he was wincing beneath the force of my swing, I brought out an object from my backpack—an anvil—and slammed it onto his brow.

He went down like a sack of bricks.

I turned just in time to watch Noman throw all of his weight onto his shield, squashing Dorian against the street like a pancake. He was still struggling and looked like he would wiggle out.

"Geronimo!"

I threw myself over Noman, crushing Dorian further with my weight. The breath was driven out of him and his struggles came to a feeble end. Only then did Noman roll off of him.

What a couple of wimps. Were they really part of Carys' Paragons? Or were we just stronger than their norm. They couldn't have been very high-ranking.

"What was that all about?" Noman panted. He seemed to have struggled with his enemy more than me. Then again, he didn't have an anvil to rely on.

"These guys were supposedly Paragons and they think Cobb and Floyd are cultists." I explained quickly, looking at the map Wing had dropped. "…Shit."

"Language."

"Would you knock it off?" I held up the map for him to see and pulled out my own to compare the two. "I didn't notice them making a new map copy. I should have been paying attention…" I traced the map carefully, spotting the four white blips in Cloud Castle. "The others must be in trouble if they got hold of one of these."

"What kind of trouble?"

"The kind that usually follows us everywhere." I sighed, carefully comparing the white blips to the castle grounds. "The four are separated into two groups. And I think…" I paused, looking up to the airship silhouetted against the moon. "I think two of them are in that thing. I gotta get up there."

"…Let me help." Noman suddenly said, placing a hand on his chest. "If Cobb's in trouble, I owe it to him to help."

I smirked, handing Noman the extra map. "Atta boy. Actions speak louder than words. Let's move."

The two of us sprinted down the street, leaving Wing and Dorian to stew. I didn't want to kill them, but only because they were maybe Paragons and I didn't want to offend the Angel. Then again, rescuing Cobb and going against her orders might just do the same.

The prison and castle were close by, so we made it there without delay. But we hit a little road block.

"Names?" A guard standing at the gate drawled.

"Look, can you move? We don't have time for this—"

"Sir, this is a private party." The guard countered, his nostrils flaring. "Our Captain has given us explicit instructions not to let in rowdy riff-raff or uninvited guests."

I groaned under my breath. "Lost_Soul. I wasn't in the games but I'm friends with Team Beginners. I was told I could—"

"And do you have any members of Team Beginners with you to bolster your claim."

"…No." I hissed through my teeth.

"Then I am afraid you cannot be allowed inside. Good day to you, sir." The guard dismissed me with a gesture and I offered a certain gesture as a rebuttal, prompting Noman to intervene.

"Please, sir. This is an emergency. We believe that lives are on the line, and—"

"While the End-of-Games Celebration is known to be quite 'killer', I do not think the same usage of the word applies." He dismissed. "Whatever problem you believe is occurring, I assure you the guards are more than capable of responding to it. Now, if you'd be so kind as to vacate the line so that other guests can pass."

"Listen you little—mphhflf!" Noman slapped a hand over my mouth and did his best to drag me away. I kept making rude gestures, but had to admit that Noman was smart to pull me away. I couldn't make a scene with so many guards standing watch.

We rounded a corner, stopping out of sight near the iron fence surrounding the castle. Guards were constantly patrolling and one or two of them eyed us warily, hands on their swords.

"We gotta get through." I hissed, my mind thinking up a plan as I angrily chewed some mutton. "If we hurry to the market and buy some ender pearls—"

"No time." Noman's eyes darted left and right before he tilted his gaze up to the tallest tower, where the airship hovered tantalizingly out of reach. He gave a reluctant sigh. "No other way…" he whispered before dropping onto his rear and pulling off his diamond boots.

"Er… what are you doing?"

"Close your eyes."

"…Why?"

"Because I'm shy!" Noman snapped derisively. "Just do it. I don't want anyone to see this." I gave him a reluctant look. "Do you want to save Cobb or not?"

"Alright, alright." I shut my eyes, listening as Noman rummaged in his backpack for something. There was the sound of him slipping something onto his feet, but I couldn't figure out for the life of me what he was planning.

"Okay. Don't open them yet!" He warned before I could try. Then, I felt his back press against my front. "Wrap your arms around my neck."

"…Getting some weird vibes here, man."

"Just do it! And keep those eyes shut."

"Fine, fine." With my eyes still closed, I fumbled forward, wrapping my arms around his neck. As I did so, Noman stooped down and grabbed the back of my knees, hauling me up in some kind of impromptu piggy-back. "This is going to help… how?"

"Just trust me." Noman bent down low, ready to move. "And hold on tight!"

I didn't know what he meant until he suddenly started power-walking. I must have been too heavy for him to run, but what was he moving towards? The fence should have been right in front of us.

Any moment now he'd have to turn or run into metal.

Any second now…

Any second now

I tilted my head as we continued to move forward. My eyes were kept closed, but I desperately wished to open them to see what was going on.

And then, for some reason, I heard some muffled shouts coming from below. My legs dangled from Noman's piggy-back hold and I wondered why voices were coming from the ground.

Then, I felt wind whipping through my hair, chilling me to the bone. It was as if a sudden breeze was blowing across our faces.

Curiosity was getting the better of me. "Noman, what's happening? Why is it so windy all of a sudden?"

"Nothing!" He threw out hastily. "Keep your eyes shut! We're almost there."

"Almost where…?" I couldn't take it anymore and peeked one eye open. "What THE SHIIIIIIIIIIT!?"

"Language!" Noman called out, and he had to shout because the wind was blowing through our ears, muffling sound. We were inexplicably standing hundreds of feet in the air and still ascending. Noman power-walked past the high towers and walls of Cloud Castle, piggy-back carrying me along for the ride.

"Oh my God!" I panicked, my feet dangling over open air. I gripped Noman even tighter. Those had been guards shouting from below, just as confused as I was over Noman's newfound ability of flight.

"How are we… how are you… Are you a Hacker!?" I questioned, trying to wrap my head around this. Thed had had flight powers, but no smoke was coming off of Noman.

"It's kind of hard to explain." Noman answered back as we climbed higher and higher towards the black airship. I hoped his flight didn't have a time limit, otherwise we'd be in trouble. "We're approaching the airship!"

"Uh… yeah!" I glanced up, the design on the sails becoming more prominent. "They're probably expecting us… well, actually there's no way they can be expecting this." I gestured to the guy walking on air.

"I'd expect not."

"Okay, then I got a plan." I checked my map, verifying the two blips on board. "Here's what we do…"


[Cobb]

My body struck the ground for what felt like the fifth time, my Health nearly empty and my cursed armor stripped away. I gasped for breath, exhausted beyond words.

A second later, a Healing Potion splashed against my back.

"Baltic. I'm out of Healing Potions. Toss me some." I gnashed my teeth at her voice. How uninterested she sounded, as if toying with a man's life was as everyday as paying her taxes.

Jade was disarmed and seized by Z7. A dagger held so tightly against her throat that she couldn't swallow. Her terrified eyes found mine, begging me to get up.

With my Health back up, that should have been no problem. But instead of getting to my feet, I barely got on one knee. My Health may have been full, but after getting beaten up, burned, slashed, and kicked back down over and over and over, I-I was running out of energy. Stamina, staying power, endurance. It had nothing to do with my Health Meter. Her cruelty was slowly draining me.

"Carys…" Baltic, the old man, stepped forward tentatively, a handful of bright red potions in his hand. "Maybe you should stop. Don't you think this has gone on long enough?"

"No." Carys replied without missing a beat, taking the potions and fixing them to her belt.

"But…" Baltic tried valiantly. "You haven't even asked them anything about the cult, or… or their plans." He glanced to Jade. "Don't you think you've softened them up enough? At this point they'd probably tell you anything—"

"No, we're not done yet. Isn't that right, Cobb?"

She turned to face me, her taunting voice making my blood boil. She strode over, her boots clicking against the stone in that horribly familiar staccato.

*tk tk* *tk tk*

Carys walked right up to me used her boot to roll me onto my back. She leaned down, her crimson eyes glaring into mine.

"You're not done yet, are you Cobb? Baltic seems to think so." She tilted her head, smiling darkly. "No, how could you be? You're the Billionth. The Hacker Slayer. You even had the Berserkers running scared. You can do anything." She pointed her scythe at me. "Well, what are you waiting for? You're full of Health and I know I haven't broken any bones yet. So get up."

Fingers tightened around my diamond blade, but I couldn't for the life of me muster up the strength to swing it. And even if I did, Carys would just as easily knock it out of my hands before throwing me into the ground for my trouble.

"No? Hmm, maybe you are done." She grabbed my chin and forced me to look at her, getting close enough that I could feel her breath on me. "You really can't fight no more? Not even a little? If only your friends could see you now."

I glared at her wearily, wishing I could do something to hurt her. My fingers twitched and I desperately wished I could throttle her smug face. Floyd… Lenz… I had no idea whether they were alive or not, and Carys wasn't privy to tell, holding the information over me. Taunting me with their fates. I hated her.

"Well, you lasted a long time, so I can't really complain." She admitted before her smile darkened. "But, if you can't fight anymore," she leaned in, her voice a whisper, "then I'll have to finish up with her."

Dread pooled in my gut as Carys got to her feet and turned to Jade, twirling her scythe to rest on one shoulder as she did so. My hands shook as I placed them both beneath me and forced myself to move. I couldn't let her go through this. I wouldn't.

"Wait…" My voice was weak, but it carried in the silence. Carys slowed to a stop and turned to face me, an eyebrow raised.

"Oh?"

Steadily, I pushed myself onto my knees, then onto one foot. Every movement was an uphill battle, and yet I kept urging myself up, telling myself I had to do it. I was the only one who could. Even though every muscle was screaming at me not to, that there was no way I could beat this demon.

With a considerable amount of effort, I stood upright. Facing the Angel of Death—feeling the deadly confidence she was exuding—I had no doubt that my days were numbered. I was staring back into the crimson-eyed face of death incarnate.

I was scared.

But it was for Jade that I picked myself up. Because she was my friend, and if Carys was going to kill her it'd be over my dead body.

So, I filled up on mutton, put on whatever armor I had left, and shot Carys the cheekiest, most defiant smirk I could muster.

"I can do this all night."


[Floyd]

"Shroud, you good on splash potions?"

"I will be in a moment." The two had been taking turns watching over me or else replenishing their stock of splash potions to keep me paralyzed. There was a couple of clinking sounds from a chest near the corner of the loading bay. "Done."

The two watched us like hawks, even though I couldn't move and Lenz was so beaten up he couldn't see. His Hunger Meter was half-empty as well, so he couldn't even heal up the damage Perry inflicted. They didn't even toss him a Healing Potion out of pity.

"Hang in there, Lenz." I whispered to him. It was all I could do.

But maybe not all I should do.

I closed my eyes in thought. Cobb and the others were in trouble, and just waiting around wasn't going to do anyone any good. Forcing my Hack was the only option I had, and it would only let me move normally with all the potion effects weighing me down, and even that would only last a short while.

Thirty-five seconds. That was all the time I had to make a difference. And if I messed up, it was over.

I opened my eyes, taking in the sight of the beaten engineer. His eyes were bruised shut and if blood existed in Minecraftia it would probably be leaking out of him. Forcing my Hack was risky, but it was the memory of Perry thrashing Lenz that gave me the resolve to try.

I let out a calming sigh, going over where my sword was and keeping track of the two Paragons. Killing the two in such a short time would be tough: I had no idea what they were capable of. It would be better to take on one at a time, maybe push them off the airship if I could.

I decided to strike the next time one of them went to restock their potions. It was Perry's turn next. I waited patiently, my face calm as they kept me sedated. Then, when Perry went back to the chest, I reached deep down, calling upon that dark smoke to lend me its power. Demanding it give me the strength to save everyone.

I was interrupted by a faint knock coming from outside the ship.

"Hello?" A familiar gruff voice called. "Pizza delivery for the Paragons."

Perry and Shroud turned to the open loading bay door where, fortunately, I could see from my paralyzed position.

Standing on the edge was Soul, bracing himself against the door's threshold, the wind whipping his hair and clothing. He was grinning like a loon, his eyes tracking the two Paragons carefully.

Swords and daggers were drawn in an instant. "You… you're that Soul guy Wing mentioned. He said you weren't supposed to be here, but it looks like he dropped the ball."

"So, I'm gonna need you boys to sign for this pizza." Soul ignored Perry, his expression oozing confidence. I didn't know how he got up here, but if this was his big rescue plan I'd rather Lenz take out Airship Piloting 101 and bore our enemies to death!

"You smug cultist fuck." Perry growled taking an imposing step forward. "C'mere. I'll sign your face with my blade."

"Are you mad because I messed up the toppings and brought you pineapple instead?" he asked innocently, a frown coming to his face as Perry marched over. "Well then, wait here I'll get a fresh pie."

Just before Perry was within lunging distance, Soul stepped off the door's threshold, falling out of sight and drawing a panicked yelp.

Perry and Shroud rushed over to the open door, shocked at the axe-wielder's move. That was until they looked down, and noticed his fingers were holding onto the threshold for dear life.

My mouth hung agape. "Soul, what the hell!? What kind of rescue is this!?"

Perry scoffed, stomping his foot on one of his hands and crushing it. "Well, thanks for making it easy on us, Mr. Pizza Delivery Man."

"And thank you for making it easy on us." Soul grinned back. "NOW NOMAN!"

A diamond-clad blur swung in from the loading bay's other open door and rushed forward. Shroud was quick to react, throwing a dagger at the assailant, but it bounced harmlessly off a raised shield. Noman's momentum went unopposed as he crashed into the two Paragons and threw them off the loading bay and out the open door.

Shroud tumbled out of sight, falling, but Perry managed to snag the axe-wielder's leg while he was still hanging off the ship. There were sounds of struggle with Soul's hand being held up by an unencumbered Noman.

"That's one pizza," Soul growled, "with mushrooms, pepperoni, and extra GET OFF MY LEG!"

With his one-liner spoken, Soul aimed a kick into Perry's face and knocked him loose. He tumbled out of sight, only for a muffled thud to signal he'd landed on one of the lower structures of the castle.

Noman heaved Soul back onto the ship, where the axe-wielder proceeded to hold out his arms winningly. "See? Told ya it would work."

"Soul," I called out in relief. "Am I glad to see you."

"Thanks for the assistance, by the way." Soul groused before he went bone-white upon seeing Lenz. "Notch almighty, what did they do…?"

"He needs a Healing Potion. Or Regeneration. Something!"

"I have some." Like lightning, Noman drew out a Potion of Regeneration and rushed to the engineer's side. Though weakened, Lenz was able to open his mouth enough for him to ease the healing brew down his throat. His Hearts started filling back up and the damage fixed itself. Noman offered me one, but I rejected it.

"I'm unhurt. I just need some milk or to wait these effects out." I said to answer Soul's question of why I couldn't move. "But Cobb… Cobb and Jade are in danger! The Paragons are after them!"

"We kinda got that." Soul lugged me to my feet while Noman searched the chest in the corner. He pushed aside potions and ingredients before withdrawing a bucket of milk. "By the way, this is Noman. Newest recruit to the Silver Intent. Noman, this is Floyd. Our one and only blue-haired Hacker."

"Hello." He waved politely while kicking off some white leather boots and replacing them with diamond.

"Uh… hey. We can be formally introduced later." I shrugged him off, even as he tossed Soul the bucket of milk. The axe-wielder poured it down my throat with all the grace of a moose, but I power-chugged it. The potion effects were instantly dispelled and I swung my arms to get the blood flowing again. "We need to find Cobb and Jade and get out of this place! They have all of Zeppil on their side!"

"You don't see me complaining." Soul drew out his map and pointed to somewhere near the castle. "Those white blips have got to be them. They must be below us."

"But where? If they're inside the castle, we'll have to fight our way through—"

"Er… excuse me." Noman suddenly raised his hand, looking unsure of whether to get involved in our discussion.

"What? If you need something to do, tend to Lenz. He's..." I trailed off, looking around. "Wait, where'd he go?"

"That was what I wanted to tell you." Noman continued. "As soon as your friend could move he scampered up that ladder over there." He pointed to a ladder that led up into the airship.

It was at that moment that the whole ship lurched forward, unbalancing the three of us.

"What the…?" I gripped the edges of the loading bay doors, watching as we undocked from the tower and sped along through the air. Clouds and stone buildings passed us by as the Asmodeus sailed free. "Who's…?"

"AIRSHIP!" A joyous voice belted from out of the wall. "AIRSHIP!" It came from that speaking tube thing that could transmit voices from the bridge…

Soul and I shared a look before scrambling up the ladder, Noman following after us. Once we reached the top, we followed the sound of sweet euphoria down a hallway and through a set of double doors onto the bridge.

There, standing happily at the helm, was Lenzington.

"AIRSHIIIIIIIIIP!" He practically sang, tears falling down his bruised face; the memory of getting beaten up forgotten in the realization of his most coveted dream. "Oh, Comparators, it is everything I have dreamed of and more!"

The helm was a series of levers and wooden pressure plates that Lenz operated in a manner similar to a game of Dance-Dance Revolution. There was no steering wheel. Instead he would simply step on the left pressure plate to veer left and the right one to veer right. Ascending and descending was left to the levers, but there were other plates in place for any number of actions. It would have been confusing to anyone else.

But Lenz had been reading up.

"Chapter One: Airship Systems!" He suddenly bellowed, flicking two levers down and stomping on the left-most plate. At his command, the airship descended around one of the towers, gliding as smooth as liquid butter. "One must familiarize oneself with the controls of the bridge, ensuring that the vessel is an extension of your own body! Improper usage of these systems could lead to the unlawful harming of your ship and crew!"

It was if he was in a trance, slamming buttons and moving levers all while tears of happiness spilled down his face. We passed so close to a tower that we could touch it, yet there was no sign we were scraping against it. The engineer wove through them masterfully.

"Chapter Five: Airspace!" He bellowed again, shifting to another plate to right the ship. "Making contact with a physical structure is ill-advised, as it could crush your operating crew! Therefore, one must always be mindful of no-fly zones or areas with densely packed buildings! And if another airship enters your airspace, you must signal them or else—!"

"Uh, Lenz? Are you—?"

"That's Skipper Lenz to you!" He suddenly snapped, hugging the airship controls dearly. "This is mine!" he rubbed his face into the levers. "And nobody is going to take it from me! NOBODY!"

"Okay! It's yours! Relax there, buddy." Soul spoke calmly.

"I am calm… I am calm…" Lenz repeated, his breathing returning to normal.

"You good?"

"Y-yes. Sorry, I… lost myself. Because I am finally piloting an AIRSHIP! HA-HA! LIVING THE DREAM!"

He pumped his fist in the air and Noman could only look at us in horror.

"Wait, don't tell me… you're planning to steal this airship?" He looked worried. "B-but we can't! This isn't ours!"

"Quite right! It is MINE! All mine!" Lenz boasted with a hearty laugh. I had never seen him like this.

"I thought you guys were good!" Noman looked a little lost on what to do. "This… this is moving way too fast. We're not pirates!"

"Hey, I'm not happy about this either. I'm definitely going to lose points with the Angel of Death." Soul griped. "But her Paragons crossed the line when they beat the snot out of our nerd. Right, buddy?"

"AIRSHIP!"

"Yeah! This is an airship! Our airship! We're appropriating it! It smells nice. Any weapons on board?"

"Yes, it is fully armed."

"Sweet."

"B-but what about the law?"

"So long as Carys is here, there is no law." I said to myself before placing a hand on our pilot's shoulders. "Lenz—"

"SKIPPER LENZ!"

"Skipper Lenz…" I corrected with a twitch. "We can't fly out of here yet. We need—"

"To rescue Cobbert and Jade, I am aware!" He surprised me, leaning over the controls and pointing down. "The two are out in the open. I spotted them off our starboard." All of us rushed to the left side window. "…Starboard is your right." We quickly ran over to the right side and saw what he meant. "It appears the two are being detained by no less than five Paragons. The Jibberwoman is among them."

"Then full steam ahead, Skipper!" Soul whipped out his axe and me my sword. Even Noman took out his shield, accepting that we were in for a fight. "Let's go save our idiot."

"Aye-Aye!"


[Cobb]

"Don't tell me you're done yet. Is a little light scolding all it takes to break you?"

Blood: Get up… You have to kill this bitch…

I was slumped against a stone tower, beyond exhausted. I tried to prop myself up, but my muscles trembled before giving out under my weight.

I… I can't…

Heart: Get up! Jade needs you!

Through tired eyes, I looked across the battlements, past Carys. Jade. If I gave up, she'd be next. I couldn't let that happen, but no matter what I tried, I couldn't beat Carys.

She deflected every attack. She stopped every charge. And after however many rounds, she was still full of energy. I was no match for her.

This whole fight had just been a means to remind everyone who was stronger.

"Time's ticking, Cobb." Carys called out, resting her scythe on her shoulder. "You better get up unless you're the kind of guy who sends his girlfriend to do his fighting."

"…op…"

"Hmm?"

"…stop…" I whimpered, my voice weak and feeble. "Please… stop…"

"Stop? Stop?" Carys strode up to me and planted a foot on my chest, wearing a pleasant smile. "You think I'm taking things too far? After what you did to me?"

My head drifted against the ground, but Carys tilted my face back to stare at her with her scythe.

"You did this. Not me." She clarified, her crimson eyes glaring cruelly into mine. "You reap what you sow. This punishment was always waiting for you. You're getting everything you deserve." She chuckled darkly. "I hope you remember that when you're watching me kill your friends."

I screwed my eyes shut, trying to block out her words.

"That's right." She continued with relish, her voice boring into my head like a drill. "Tonight's been a delight, but I'll conclude your suffering by making you watch as I kill one of your pathetic friends. But who should I pick?" Her gaze shifted to the captured Jade and she made a mock contemplative sound. "You've been such a good sport, would you like to choose?"

How I wished I could kill her. To throttle her. To wipe that smug grin off her face in some way. To make her hurt…

"…ggles…"

"Hm? What was that?" Carys leaned forward, eager to hear what true despair sounded like.

I swallowed, locking eyes with her and making sure to speak every word with the utmost of clarity.

"Mr. Piggles was a FUCKING PIG!"

There was a strangled choking noise and the pressure on my chest let up for a moment before my collar was seized in a vice-like grip. With a snarl, I was roughly hauled off the ground. Carys' expression was murder and I felt a small niggle of satisfaction that I could get under her skin.

"You bastard! You fucking bastard! Shut up!" She shook me violently. "You have no idea what that pig meant to me! You have no clue!"

Blood: Kill… Kill her now… Do it now!

"Just for that," she hissed, her voice dangerously low as she brought my face close to hers, "after I kill your friends, you're going to spend the rest of your miserable life in the darkest hole I can—!"

I lunged forward, catching her off-guard. Past her chin, with mouth wide and teeth bared.

"ARGH!" She let out a strangled cry as my teeth fastened into her skin. She tried to throw me off, but I bit in deeper, trying to tear out her throat. I didn't know if you could kill a person that way, but at this point I had nothing to lose!

Blood: YES! KILL HER! Rip her apart! She deserves it!

She kneed me in the gut and I coughed through my teeth, but refused to let go. We fell to the ground, her hands scrambling to pry me away. Teeth sunk in deeper, tearing off a bit of her Health. A fist connected with my face, dazing me.

I won't let go! I won't!

"Enough!"

With visible effort, Carys took my face in her hands and pressed down on my eyes with her thumbs. It felt like her nails were trying to dig into my brain. This was no longer fighting. This was a primal struggle for survival between two desperate animals.

I stretched the skin of her neck as she tore me away, but once I was off, she channeled that pain into aggression. An elbow struck out and something crunched under my face before I hit the ground for the last time.

There was a rush of movement as some of her Paragons came forward to check on her. Baltic offered a Potion of Healing, but Carys ignored him in favor of kicking me while I was down. I barely reacted.

She was panting now, clutching her neck with a pained grimace. "Can't believe you'd bite me…" She murmured, more to herself than anyone watching. She rubbed the marred skin, glaring down at me with utter hatred.

"Prop him up." She ordered to her Paragons. I found myself lifted to my knees, my head forced to look on as Carys marched towards the bound Jade, her scythe swinging rhythmically.

"…No…" I whispered, unable to look away.

"Keep him steady, just like that. I want him to see this." She lifted her scythe, the diamond edge prepared to reap gleaming in the moonlight…

Only for the gleam to dim as a shadow obscured the moon from above.

The shadow was cast on all of us down in the battlements and had many turning their gazes skyward. A dark airship with black sails was slowly descending towards us.

"What is this?" Carys asked impatiently, her scythe falling to her side. "I didn't order them to bring the airship down here. Perry better have a good explanation for—"

Suddenly, a series of trapdoors opened on the underside of the airship. Carys' eyes widened a fraction before she threw herself back. The other Paragons cried out a warning.

And then the battlements were bombarded by a barrage of primed TNT.


Inventory (Cobb): 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, 1 Banner {Beginners}, 64 Cobblestone, 47 Cobblestone, 1 Bed, 5 Dirt, 19 Torches, 29 Coal, 12 Jungle Wood Logs, 64 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 1 Bucket, 5 String, 21 Emeralds, 16 Snowballs, 10 Snowballs, 2 Gunpowder, 56 Cooked Mutton, 15 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}

[EXP: 29]

Inventory (Floyd): 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Leather Leggings [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 30 Iron Ingots, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Flint and Steel {Weak}, 1 Furnace, 61 Cooked Mutton, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Emerald, 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 Iron Leggings, 17 Gunpowder, 1 Iron Helmet, 1 Iron Chestplate, 1 Iron Leggings, 1 Iron Boots, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}

[EXP: 31]

Inventory (Lenz): 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Leggings [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Bow, 1 Shears, 2 Levers, 1 Stone Button, 5 Redstone Torches, 1 Bed, 9 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 28 Redstone, 18 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Hoppers, 3 Pistons, 2 Sticky Pistons, 21 Cobblestone, 1 Minecart, 1 Compass, 25 Gunpowder, 36 Arrows, 16 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 62 Cooked Mutton, 16 Sugar Cane, 8 Paper, 5 Ink Sacs, 3 Leather, 5 Emeralds, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}

[EXP: 15]

Inventory (Soul): 1 Diamond Axe, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 64 Iron Ingots, 55 Iron Ingots, 12 Gold Ingots, 1 Milk, 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Chestplate [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, 1 Anvil, 35 Torches, 34 White Wool, 37 Dirt, 61 Cobblestone, 33 Coal, 32 Jungle Wood Planks, 2 Sticks, 1 Armor Stand, 28 Emeralds, 64 Cooked Mutton, 24 Cooked Mutton, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}

[EXP: 49]

Inventory (Jade): 1 Leather Cap [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Leggings [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV], 1 Iron Sword, 1 Diamond Cutlass, 1 Bed, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 61 Cooked Mutton, 17 Coal, 36 Torches, 30 Jungle Wood Planks, 64 Cobblestone, 29 Cobblestone, 24 Obsidian, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Bucket, 1 Compass, 1 Clock, 23 Emeralds, 2 Ender Chests, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 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}

[EXP: 30]

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], 1 Bow [Infinity], 28 Birch Wood Planks, 35 Iron Ingots, 18 Sticks, 13 Torches, 1 Bucket, 1 Crafting Table, 54 Cooked Mutton, 2 Ender Chests, 1 Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 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 Compass, 64 Arrows, 3 Sugar, 14 Bookshelves, 6 Enchanted Golden Apples, 1 Diamond Helmet, 1 Diamond Chestplate, 1 Diamond Leggings, 1 Diamond Boots, 10 Emerald Blocks, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 2 Bones

[EXP: 20]

Beetroot the Horse


AN: Beginners! Counter-Attack!

For a Chapter called Cobb vs Carys, there's suprisingly little of Cobb vs Carys.

Also, I'd like to think after weeks of being denied what he's been dreaming of, Skipper Lenz has gone a little crazy with his airship. Just a little bit.

Also, pure boyscout Noman going along with piracy just because he's there and the pirates are on Cobb's side.

Special thanks to The Perpetual Shadow for the OC Dark_Shroud. I hope I represented him well.

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