AN: And we're back!
It's been two months but Part VIII is ready to commence now that I've had the time to rest my creative brain muscles. I've also been working on something on the side that I'm desperately hoping to get out. A My Craft spin-off of sorts, if you will.
More importantly, I'd like to thank my readers for dropping Favs and Follows in the hiatus season. We're now at 945 Favs and 978 Follows, and My Craft has risen to 2nd place in both Favs and Follows in the Minecraft genre on fanfiction. I couldn't have done it without your treasured support, dear readers. Thank you. Maybe one day we'll hit #1.
Without further preamble, enjoy the beginning of Part VIII of My Craft, complete with a Part summary.
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd hire me to make a video game plot for it.
*==PART VIII==*
The time is now. The Beginners and Paragons are ready to confront the Cult's Eastern Division in Oak Docks and investigate the Western Division in Exter. But the best laid plans seldom survive contact with the enemy. Cobb and his friends will have to step up their game as they face the Executives and their Lieutenants head-on.
Chapter 237
Aftermath
[Noman]
After warping out of the Obelisk, I found myself squashed into my respective Stasis Chamber in the floor of Tinker's ruined mansion's dining room, my body sore and exhausted from the whole ordeal. I was also submerged in water, as was the chamber's design. I forgot that bit in the insanity of the Obelisk but was now being reminded of it as water clogged my throat and soaked my white dress shirt. Fortunately, the soul sand that was also part of the Stasis Chamber's design created an upward current that propelled me to the surface and into the trapdoor. I pushed the trapdoor opened and burst out of the water, gasping and coughing. My hands clung weakly to the side of the hole.
A pair of hands seized me by the collar and 'helped' me out of the watery hole. The strength with which I was hoisted out was such that my legs never made contact with the edges of the hole. My feet didn't even make contact with the floor as I was suspended in the air, dripping wet, by Carys' powerful hands. Her crimson eyes found mine before she closed them and gave an unforgiving smile.
She may have still been upset over me warping her back prematurely.
"You made it. Good. We need to debrief."
I was given no opportunity to argue as Carys carried me out of the dining room and into the living room by my soaking collar. I didn't have the energy to break free, nor the desire to. My body was slack as I was hauled off like a cub with its scruff in the jaws of a lioness.
In the living room, I saw a whirl of activity from the alchemists, Albert and Reuben. I was the last back, but others were in need of medical attention.
Ciro was on his feet and favoring one side as he accepted food and a Potion of Healing II. He had gone toe to toe with Null for the short time I left him, and I was glad to see he survived. When he saw me with the Arcticum Arma and Stivali Magma, he visibly relaxed and drank his brew.
Soul was in a chair, the pink particles of Regeneration swirling around him and fixing his broken arms. Cat-Face was curled up into a ball on his lap, and Christopher Squawken was resting on his shoulder. He spared me a glance and a noise of acknowledgement before he went back to staring at Floyd.
Floyd was laid back in his chair, his eyes wide and blackened and his body unresponsive as distorted waves of smoke continued to emanate off of him. He was in the same state as he was at the Obelisk. His new anti-Hack Hack was still in effect, with no one the wiser. The alchemists threw splash potions of Healing and Regeneration at him, but his Health showed he was perfectly fine. Nothing they did could resuscitate him or break him out of this strange state. Kal was at his side, confusion on his face, as he failed to recognize what Hack Floyd was manifesting. It was one never seen before. Kal was also drinking a Potion of Healing to repair what damage Null did to him.
Anibal was on her feet, her arms folded, as Spaatz tried to get any information out of her. She was tight-lipped, eating rabbit stew as she looked at the injured. She was probably thinking about Dyson and Stayer, the two casualties in the aftermath of their assault on the Obelisk that resulted from her lapse in judgement while wielding the Severe Shield.
Carys, having been sent back prematurely by me, was fine and had energy to spare as she hauled me towards an empty chair.
"Have a seat. Take a load off." She said as she threw me none-too-gently into the chair. I groaned in mild soreness as my body ached, but my eyes were wide open as Carys leaned down with her hands on the armrests of the chair, pinning mine down. I vaguely registered she had her scythe back, the diamond weapon hanging off her belt. Her crimson eyes bored into mine as she got in my face.
"Debrief. What happened? Why's he like that?" She jerked her head in Floyd's direction.
"...It's not my place to say." I decided, having given it a bit of thought in the short time between when Floyd first manifested his new Hack and now. I wasn't eager to let Carys know about Floyd's potential as a secret weapon against Hackers. Unless Kal tried and failed to activate a Hack in Floyd's presence, they wouldn't know what his distorted smoke meant.
"The fuck does that mean?"
"Means it's his secret to tell, not mine." I answered. "Also language."
"Can I punch you?"
"If it'll make you feel better."
Carys reared back a fist and looked ready to slug my face before Albert hurried over and stopped her.
"Don't further injure the injured, please!" Albert begged before throwing a Potion of Regeneration at me. It was instant relief to my sore and damaged body, my Hearts ticking up.
"Tch." Carys dropped her fist but refused to relent. "How did this happen?" She demanded, gesturing to Floyd again.
"Just wait for him to wake up."
"He might not wake up at all. Kal doesn't know what this is, but he's guessing it's a new Hack. Did Null do this to him, or is this Floyd's new Hack? Well?"
"I repeat, it's not my place to say."
"I'm just going to cut in here one second." Ciro snaked in past Carys before she could get violent and tugged the Arcticum Arma artifact out of my belt. "My payment." He held the chainmail leggings in the air for everyone to see before stowing them away in his backpack. Right. He had claimed them after all. That was the agreement in exchange for his help.
He also took out the Severe Shield, which Soul had been wearing, and the Bottes Zephyr, which Anibal had been wearing. "You shouldn't loan these out lightly. Not when anyone can just snatch them up. If you lose these again, I'm keeping them." He remarked wryly before shoving them into my hands. My fingers, still numb and exhausted, fumbled them, and the artifacts fell to the floor. I was too tired and made no move to pick them up. Ciro blinked as he stared down at them before, with an embarrassed huff, he bent down, picked them back up, and placed them more deliberately into my hands, going so far as to close my fingers around them for me. "Uh, there. Don't lose them." He added awkwardly to save face before walking away.
Ciro and I now had three artifacts each. Severe Shield, Bottes Zephyr, and Stivali Magma for me. Yanhua Gong, Destierro del Palillo, and Arcticum Arma for Ciro. That, plus the Vivlio Zythopoiias in Nitebane, made seven artifacts. All that was left to find were Lieutenant Teal's Voda Shlem, and the elusive Endabou, of which we had no leads.
"What happened with Null and Serafina?" Kal interjected once Ciro had moved on. His tone was beseeching. "Why did she help us? In all the time I knew her, she-"
"We all need to debrief." Carys cut him off seriously. "We all need to sit down and share exactly what went down today... and who we lost." She added, noticing Dyson and Stayer's absence despite their triggered Stasis Chambers. "If Floyd isn't dead or dying, leave him alone. The debrief takes precedence. No one falls asleep until I have the full picture!" She snapped with a swat to my head as I was starting to nod off. I just wanted to sleep for Notch's sake.
"I'm sorry I had to warp you back, Carys."
"No you're not."
"...You're right. I'm not." I couldn't contain my smile, but I at least tried to appear apologetic about it. It only served to anger her further.
Regardless, we sat in Tinker's living room, nursing our recovering wounds and tired bodies, and we began to debrief.
Some interesting points came to light as everyone shared their version of events.
First off, of the eight hostile Hackers we encountered at the Obelisk, four of them were gone. Marshall_Worren, Espen, Xavier, and Giovanni. Considering my prediction that it would be a bloodbath, I suppose I was lucky that only four were killed, in no small part thanks to my interference with Carys. Serafina and those lost Hackers were spared.
That was another point. The eleven lost Hackers that were frozen had escaped in our mail delivery airship. We didn't know where they were heading, but that was probably for the best given how hungry Carys was for Bounty Days.
Four Bounty Days were in our future. They'd trigger a week from now. December 11th. It would be the single greatest swell of information in a day ever.
We lost two. Dyson and Stayer. Killed by Giovanni. Anibal announced this with great remorse while Spaatz looked furious at having been left behind on the mission. Anibal also owned up to her mistake without Soul having to rat her out. She told Carys how she became reckless with the Severe Shield, allowing Giovanni to sneak up and freeze her armor and sword off. Carys' disappointment was palpable despite her not saying a word.
Reuben and Spaatz explained that, after Dyson and Stayer's map blips vanished, they'd tried to summon them with their Stasis Chambers only to get nothing, confirming their deaths. Furthermore, they explained that Soul's blip vanished when he entered the Nether, and that the two mistakenly assumed he was also dead, not even bothering to trigger his Stasis Chamber, and wondering why Anibal's blip was stationary for so long. The reason being she was frozen. As they debated whether to trigger it or not, Soul's blip returned from the Nether, and they kept the chamber on hold up to the point my blip went over and got Anibal and Soul's blips moving again. At that point, they operated under the assumption the three of us were alive, and that our Stasis Chambers needed to be manned. Ciro and Anibal's return only confirmed who was still alive.
I had to confess about prematurely sending Carys back to spare Serafina and the eleven lost Hackers. Carys looked unamused at being reminded of how she'd been tricked, and Kal looked contemplative as I told him how Serafina thawed out her lost siblings and gave them the choice to leave, going so far as to protect their getaway against the second strongest Hacker in Minecraftia.
It was proof that Hackers were capable of good as well as evil. They were open to change. They didn't have to die.
At some point during the debrief, Floyd's distorted smoke wore off and his eyes slid shut. Albert pulled back his eyelids and confirmed his eyes were no longer black. His breathing was steady and his Health was full. It was like he was sleeping.
Kal told us how he awakened a new Hack while fighting Null. Triggerbot. He even demonstrated it, shooting a solid stream of scorching-hot smoke out of his eyes at a speed like a laser. It punched through the dining room wall and out into the mansion grounds. He had better control over a new Hack than Floyd, but then he had been part of the Hack Clan for centuries. He also said Triggerbot was easier to command. He just had to envision what Null did to Adina.
Unfortunately, the talk about Kal's new Hack naturally steered us to the topic of Floyd's new Hack, something only I knew and felt would be better left to Floyd's discretion to share only after I had informed him of it first. A Hack to turn off Hacks sounded unprecedented based on Null's reaction. This was something that could defang a Hacker's greatest power. Even Entity 303's Invulnerability would be powerless.
But then how soon would Carys make us go back to the Obelisk using Floyd like a weapon?
Even if the Beginners and Paragons agreed to be more forthcoming with intel, this was one secret I felt should stay a secret, at least until Floyd decided otherwise.
For the time being, I recalled my experiences at the Obelisk in detail. The others did the same, and I was surprised to learn how Soul used the artifacts' Nether weakness to gain the upper hand against Giovanni. The group was also impressed with Carys, Ciro, and my brilliant countermeasures against the Hackers. My Resound technique was a point of particular interest, and Anibal cheered the death of the sleazy Xavier.
Even I found it difficult to find a reason why Xavier deserved to live. Using women the way he did was disgusting.
"So you got an eyeful of Hacker tits?"
"SOUL!"
"What?" He asked as everyone looked at him with disdain. "Guy gets treated to some eye candy and no one is curious? What size were they?"
"Raaawk! Hacker tits!"
"Squawken agrees."
"If you want to see Hacker tits so badly," Carys leaned over, unamused, and lifted the unconscious Floyd's turtleneck to reveal his torso and nipples, "have your fill."
"Eww, sick! That's my friend."
Carys turned to Kal instead, prompting the Hacker to cover his chest and back away. "Don't even, ma'am."
That tangent aside, I continued retelling my side of the assault. Mine was the last account. I told them how I let Serafina thaw out her siblings. I told them how Serafina turned over the artifact and let us go. I pointedly told Carys more than the rest how I changed Serafina's mind and resolved the situation without killing her.
The reaper was the epitome of ambivalence throughout.
I then shifted to our fight with Null, and how he endured every artifact we could throw at him. How we used our Stasis Maps one by one. I assured everyone I burned their maps, ensuring no Hacker could track us to Tinker's mansion.
"How'd you have time to burn the maps with Null still standing?" Carys asked sharply.
"Well... a lot happened..."
"Did you freeze Null?" Kal asked eagerly.
"No."
"So then what happened?" Carys pressed. "I seriously doubt he'd willingly let you go like Serafina. So? Out with it."
"Well, one thing led to another," I answered vaguely, "and we managed to escape."
Carys' face scrunched up in disbelief. Nobody was buying my story. I was leaving out a lot of details.
"I can't explain right now." I threw out a half-truth. "I need to talk with Floyd about it first. In private. Afterwards, it's up to him whether he wants to share."
"If Floyd is involved, it has something to do with that distorted smoke." Carys put two and two together as only she could. "He manifested a power not even Kal knows and turned the tables on Null, leading to your escape. Is that about right?"
I nodded.
Carys hummed thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose that's all we're going to get out of you. It as good as concludes the debrief." Carys stood up from her seat and dusted her hands. "Now then..."
She whipped out her scythe so fast and pressed the dull side of the blade into my neck while I was seated. I stared back at her firmly.
"I don't appreciate getting sent back early. I was still able to fight and there were more Bounty Days I could have triggered. I especially don't like being played the fool. I didn't think you were capable of such cunning, but I'm going to revise my opinion of you and watch out for that down the line." She pulled back her scythe. "I don't know whether to praise you for your backbone or pummel you for your insubordination. Lucky for you, we accomplished our mission, and your actions didn't lead to any loss of life. You will teach me your Resound technique for countering unarmored Hackers and we'll call it even, but don't ever go against me again. Do you understand?"
"I understand."
"Good."
"But I don't consent."
Carys was already half turning away when she jerked her head back so fast her neck cracked.
"Excuse me?"
"I'm done whining." I told her directly while the Beginners and Paragons watched nervously. "From here on, I'll let my actions do the talking. No more deaths."
"Are you saying you'll interfere with my leadership?"
"I'm saying it's in your interest to seek out non-lethal solutions to problems going forward." I spoke clearly without backing down. As tired as I was, I needed to make my position clear. "I'm saying our operations will go a lot smoother with both of us on the same page. Less chance of me going against you." I inclined my head. "I'll happily teach you Aikido techniques if it means showing you a way to win without killing. Just don't think I'll sit by and let you kill whoever you like. That time is over."
"Oh really?" She asked challengingly. "I'd love to see you try and stop me from killing a cultist."
"If you saw what I did to Null, you wouldn't be so eager to see me when I'm pushed."
The two of us narrowed our eyes at each other as a kind of electrical tension erupted between us. Hinting that I'd be openly sabotaging her lethal tendencies had firmly put us at odds. Plus, after tricking her at the Obelisk, she'd be more guarded around me. There was no deceiving her twice.
Even without knowing the whole story, she didn't doubt I showed my violent side against Null.
"We'll see." She spoke after a long, tense silence. Was there a modicum of respect in her crimson gaze. "For now, let's see that Stivali Magma in action."
[Obelisk]
With a good chunk of the middle and lower floors either burned or blasted to bits, Entity 303 placed the memorial for his slain siblings at the base of the Obelisk for anyone to pay their respects. He even allowed the Griefers to come up in a rare show of solidarity.
Holding a memorial service for Hackers was unprecedented as there had never been a case of them dying for almost five-hundred years. But here, having the Heads of four fallen siblings, 303 felt compelled to hold it to honor their memory. Crafters would traditionally burn Heads and belongings, but Hackers were more meaningful. They deserved a proper memorial.
Marshall_Worren.
Espen.
Xavier.
Giovanni.
All slain by Carys_Angel, the Lighter Billionth, and their lackeys.
The eleven lost Hackers were gone. Floyd and Kal had been here too. It was difficult to get the full story out of the rattled Null, but Serafina filled in the parts of most importance.
The Arcticum Arma and Stivali Magma were taken as spoils of battle.
The lost Hackers had been frozen against their will. 303 did not approve. He fully supported Serafina's decision to unfreeze them even though she fought a sibling in the process. Null kept saying that Serafina helped them escape, but 303 countered saying they only wanted to escape because they were threatened and scared over being frozen for an open-ended amount of time.
More alarming was Null's inability to manifest his Invulnerability after his encounter with Floyd's latest Hack. A Hack that nullified Hacks. It was unheard of. But the reality was that Null was so shaken by his powers getting nullified and getting beaten within an inch of his life by the Lighter Billionth, that he could no longer activate his Invulnerability. He was fully vulnerable. Until he got his powers back under control, he was forbidden from leaving the safety of the Obelisk.
As if the Obelisk was even safe after today...
303's one true haven had been breached. The day he always feared had come to pass. Eleven of his siblings were dead.
It seemed like every move he made was the wrong move. While he was off threatening the Darker Billionth, the Lighter Billionth was a step ahead. He left the Obelisk defenseless in his haste, and Nitebane still held two of his siblings hostage.
The Executive had been right on the money. Going had been a waste of time. 303 didn't know what was best for his siblings anymore.
"I told you not to go."
303 felt smoke violently whip around him as he heard that voice. "Do you not have the tact to hold your tongue until I'm done mourning?"
"Forgive me, but the Endward Cult has no need to mourn the fallen." Sdrawkcab continued without bluntly. "You and I believe in different things. In my soul, I know your siblings have merely passed on into the Next Life. Whether they hold their past powers is debatable, as is whether you would feel an attachment to them if they were without those same powers." He rubbed his chin. "I must admit, I never expected to hear about a Hack that disables Hacks. Most intriguing."
"I am not in the mood to talk with you." 303 gritted out. "Use your lauded intellect and read the room."
"That's another thing. I won't be taking orders from you anymore. From here on, I'm giving the orders."
303 spun around, his expression livid. A Nuker sphere charging in his palm. But to this, Sdraw merely looked bored, having been threatened like this already.
"Do it." Sdraw said daringly. "Kill me in a ball of ruinous oblivion. Though, without the Endward Cult, you'll have to deal directly with the Beginners and Paragons yourself, and we've seen where that's gotten you." Sdraw's perpetual apologetic smile thinned as he voiced his displeasure. "I'm not here to coddle your God complex, I want to win. This may have escaped your notice, but you're not invincible. Nothing is. Kill me and you as good as doom yourselves. You picked a fight with the Paragons and Beginners and failed at every stage. Instead of heeding my advice, you pushed ahead and left this place defenseless. If you think you can turn this situation around, then do away with me now. I only wish I could see the look on your face when the rest of your family lay dead around you."
That did it. 303's Nuker sphere petered out as the imagery Sdraw painted made him sick.
"We've done things your way. We've jumped through your hoops. And for what? A few dead grunts? Not even the big names." Sdraw stepped closer, heedless of any danger. He was fed up with playing nice, and now that the Hack Clan up and declared war on the Paragons and Beginners, they needed the Endward Cult more than ever. "From now on, we do things my way. Tell your siblings that they take orders from me now, and that they should obey them to the letter if they want to survive and start scratching names off this list."
The list in question was a book Sdraw waved around that had a list of targets 303 wanted the cult to either capture or kill. It consisted of King_Cobb, Nowhere_Man, Carys_Angel, Ciro_Che, Flawwed_Floyd, Kalmarin_the_Prophet, Lost_Soul, Anibal_Whiteclaw, and JillianLikeAVillian. Anyone who ever killed a Hacker or held a Hacker hostage. In short, the big names. The opposition to both the Endward Cult and the Hack Clan would significantly drop once those names were dealt with. There'd be no one left to stand against them.
"Here's some tough love for you: If we leave you in charge, it'll only result in more of your dead siblings." Sdraw spoke harshly. "At least with me in charge I'll keep them alive as precious pieces. Not march them into the line of fire."
"...kay..." 303 muttered.
"What was that?"
"I said okay." 303 had to drag the words out of him. "We'll do things your way."
The oldest Hacker pulled down his pale hood and sank onto a mound of rock. His blackened skin wrinkled as he accepted that his family couldn't keep going like this. King_Cobb had a way to cheat death, several powerful artifacts were in the hands of the enemy, and Floyd had an Anti-Hack Hack. With his family threatened, 303 had to compromise.
"I will... permit you to have command over my siblings... within reason. You will run any and all orders by me first before I decide to allow them. I will convince my siblings that following your lead is the best path to eliminating our enemies. I will smooth over any disputes and ensure their full cooperation. However, we will be expecting results. I want Nitebane destroyed and the non-Hacker names on that list to be dead. I also want my kidnapped siblings back."
"And I shall deliver them." Sdraw swore.
303's eyes narrowed. "But if even one more of my Clan dies, I'll know you're just as unfit to lead as I was, and all the concessions made today will have been one colossal waste of time. Should that day come," 303 charged the Nuker sphere in his hands again, "you'll be the first one I kill."
"The survival of your brothers and sisters will be my number one priority." Sdraw swore. His life depended on it.
"Then we are in agreement." 303 sighed tiredly. "Now leave me to mourn. I will be ready to commence our counterattack tomorrow. There will be no lingering emotions to hold me back, then."
The Executive accepted the Hacker's wishes and left the base of the Obelisk, his brain practically on fire as he considered all the schemes and plans he could pull off with the help of his powerful new pieces. He could see the dominoes getting set up now, just begging to be toppled with world-altering consequences.
[Soul]
The sky had gone dark.
While Floyd recovered and Noman went around unfreezing the mansion's staff, I waited in the mansion grounds as soon as my arms were healed up and the debrief was over. I was dutifully followed by Cat-Face and Christopher Squawken, the pets never leaving my side.
Out on the grass, I reached into my belt and struggled to withdraw the massive iron cleaver that had once belonged to the late Captain Glowing_Obsidian. Just holding it parallel to the ground took an immense effort and made my arms tremble.
This mansion was its birthplace. Tinker made this very cleaver. Though, calling it a cleaver was rather odd considering cleavers usually looked like rectangular kitchen knives. In my opinion, it looked more like a Zweihänder or a buster sword like one of those animu guys with spiky hair wield. Very impractical and cumbersome, but there was no denying the power indicative of its size. Giovanni took a shine to it, and you needed serious muscle to wield such a thing. It probably had special effects like Tinker's other weapons, not that I knew them.
"It suits you." A voice noted somberly from behind. The dark-skinned Anibal appeared, setting a torch down to light up the grounds.
"Really?" I asked hollowly. "Because I feel like a fraud." My arms gave up the strain and the massive sword dropped, the blade digging into the ground under its own weight. "This is Obsidian's blade. Not mine."
"You won the blade." Anibal asserted. "The allegiances of weapons constantly shift... unless you're petty with Curse of Vanishing." She added in annoyance. "Anyway, that asshole Giovanni won it off Obsidian, and you won it off Giovanni. That makes it yours."
"That simple, huh?" I sighed sadly. "I can't even hold it for long."
"Weapons changed hands a lot in the theft and arms unit." Anibal explained. "We kept the good stuff for ourselves and traded or sold off the rest. If there was something we wanted but lacked the skills or strength to wield, we'd just train ourselves to gain what we were missing." She looked down in shame. "I guess I didn't think the same applies to artifacts..."
"You already know what you did wrong." I stopped her from spiraling into self-deprecating thoughts. "It was addressed. Don't keep beating yourself up. I'm not dredging up the past. Not when I ran from Akasha like a coward."
I remembered the day the Hackers reduced that kingdom to nothing. The people who died. The chaos.
"Captain Obsidian saved me." I told Anibal, my eyes locked on the sword sticking out of the ground like a gravestone. "He got me out of there alive. It was like I was his first responsibility." I shrugged. "All I did was idolize him and stop him from slitting his own throat. He didn't owe me. I didn't think he owed me. Not like how he ended up."
I could still envision how Giovanni froze and shattered him. The Captain was no coward, though. He lunged straight at the Hacker with no fear.
"He saved me, and he died. And that was it. Can't pay him back."
I felt something brush by my leg. It was Cat-Face, rubbing its face against me and purring. I smiled despite the sad thoughts and felt my heart lighten as I stooped down and pet it.
"You saved me too, little guy. You were amazing against that Hacker."
"Raaawk! What about me, bitch?"
"You too, Squawken."
The bird seemed to huff in acceptance.
"You already paid him back." Anibal assured, stepping forward and kneeling down beside me in the grass. "You avenged him by killing his killer. Avenged Dyson and Stayer too. They-" Anibal had to take a steadying breath. "-They knew they were infantry. They knew they were expendable and most likely to die out of any of us. I think that's why they chose to go out fighting... for my sake." Anibal sounded so dejected as she said that, her eyes misting up before she wiped them. "Ugh. Thanks for sticking it out too." She said, her shoulder bumping mine. "I hate to imagine what that asshole would have done to me had you just noped out of there. Why didn't you?"
"I dunno. I guess the same reason why Silent and Obsidian and Dyson and Stayer stuck their necks out. The same reason why any infantry sticks their neck out." I looked up into the sky.
"And that would be...?"
I turned to look at her. "Because we're a team. Ride or die."
Anibal took a moment to register my words before she cracked a smile. "Damn straight. All for one and one for all."
After that, a silence settled between us as we pondered the words of comfort we exchanged. The two of us just sat on the grass, Obsidian's cleaver before us, staring at the stars that slowly became visible as the sky darkened. Cat-Face and Christopher Squawken rested on my lap and shoulder, my fingers scratching behind the cat's ears.
"Wonder how much longer the thawing will be."
"Noman will want to get everyone with the artifact." Anibal reasoned.
Another stretch of silence followed before we both spoke at the same time.
""You can claim Noman's new artifact.""
As we caught the echo of the other's words, we both burst into snickers and giggles. All the time we spent arguing about who deserved the artifact more, and suddenly it didn't matter. Neither of us were truly ready to wield such power. Not like Noman, who defied Carys, swayed a Hacker, and faced Null and lived to tell the tale.
I'd try using the cleaver, though. I was an axe man, so it would be a heavier burden to master, but I was willing to try it to honor Obsidian. I was also going to work to tame more animals and make my own animal army like Hunderprest. A few dogs would be nice.
"Hey, you guys!" Anibal and I turned and saw Spaatz waiting at the mansion's threshold. There was a member of the mansion staff accompanying him. "Noman just finished unfreezing the staff! He's about to thaw Tinker. Let's go see!"
Not needing any further prompting, the two of us stood up. I tugged the iron cleaver out of the ground and stored it in my backpack before taking my pets and following Anibal back into the mansion.
[Ringwood]
"We've received replies from our missives to Lazuli and Jolin."
Queen Wynn raised her eyebrows in mild surprise. "Already? That was quick. I thought it would take longer to send a messenger there."
"One of the perks of the Paragons' Team Delta, ma'am." KenjiStrawWalker replied proudly. In addition to being Ringwood's Captain, he was also a member of Team Delta, privy to all the contacts of Jillian's information network. "We have Paragons in Lazuli and Jolin with linked maps. They send map messages through morse code. They've already made contact with the monarchs and expressed Ringwood's desire for a united alliance against the Endward Cult and their Withers."
"Wonderful." Wynn's advisor, former king WorkingMann, nodded from her side. The elderly man's presence was a comfort to the ivory-haired queen. "And what is their response?"
"...Not great. They want us to send help."
Wynn blinked. "Send... help?"
"If anyone needs help, it's Ringwood." The other Captain, Chinami9, declared. "We've just started getting back on our feet with Carys' and Daymonte's aid. With no help from Jolin and Lazuli I might add. What do they need our help for?"
"Unfortunately, their situation is rather dire." Kenji spoke grimly. "They're experiencing their own Wither attacks."
The gathered 'council' of Ringwood stood stunned upon hearing this. Queen Wynn herself felt a spike of trauma as she recalled the night those three Withers laid waste to her kingdom. In the silence that followed his announcement, Kenji opened up a map of Minecraftia and started pointing.
"Here in the north, villages are being attacked by Withers being airdropped by an airship with black sails - our stolen Asmodeus." Kenji noted with disdain. "Those bastards are using our own ship against us, but more alarming is that they've never been this liberal with Withers before. We suspect they have a source for the materials, and it seems to be a stable one considering we have reports of six villages being hit by Withers. With the increase in cultist activity and Lazuli villages that have had their population wiped out, it's safe to say that the Endward Cult's Northern Division moved from Ringwood to Lazuli."
Meaning they inherited Ringwood's problems. It was a selfish thought, but Wynn couldn't help but bear responsibility, and she was sure there were those in Lazuli who felt the same. If Ringwood had dealt with their cultists, they wouldn't have moved north. They'd been too lax. The one heavy-handed force was Carys, and she was branded a criminal for executing Ringwood citizens without a trial or evidence implicating them as cultists.
"What of Jolin? Are Withers being airdropped there too?" Wynn asked.
"In that case, it's more of an isolated incident, but still a serious one." Kenji traced his finger down the map to the jungles. "From Cobb's Mob books, we know Withers chase and kill the nearest living thing. A single Wither flew in chasing rabbits and ocelots before getting caught in the jungle's tall trees, hindering its movements. It's only been making progress by blasting the trees in front of it in its purpose to vanquish life. Only one village has been affected, though most of the population was able to use the trees like cell bars and parkour away. The Wither is still in the jungle, wreaking havoc, and everyone's too afraid or too uninformed to deal with it. The Berserkers already lost some bounty hunters trying to take it out."
"The unusual thing about this Wither is that it's named. KillRoy's Furry." Kenji commented with an odd look as he flipped through his notes. "We think it might be a typo on 'Fury' or 'Folly', but we ran the name 'KillRoy' by several kingdom records and Wing and Aurand found a match for someone supposedly living in Oak Docks."
"Why supposedly?" Mann asked.
"His address was empty, and the guards don't know where he is and haven't seen him for weeks. They also have it on record that he was admitted into Oak Docks, but that there's no record of him ever leaving."
"But since they can't locate him, KillRoy likely has other means of moving in and out of Oak Docks undetected." Chinami surmised. "Swell."
"So he's a cultist, then?"
"And a midget." Chinami added as she looked over Kenji's notes. "Blond hair. Beady black eyes. A hilariously high-pitched voice. Small man syndrome."
"Is he a Lieutenant or Executive, you think?" Wynn asked.
"Nah. The Eastern Executive is a scraggly archer. Body type and occupation don't match what Carys and Kal encountered at the weapon outpost. We can also rule out him being a Lieutenant since that position is more likely filled by the man supporting Teal at that same outpost. He was a skilled alchemist of average instead of below average stature. Also, his voice didn't imply he was high on helium."
"So you're saying this KillRoy is a grunt?" Wynn asked. "Then why is a Wither named after him?"
"Poorly named after him." Chinami added under her breath.
"Who knows? Maybe KillRoy is a rank entirely different from Lieutenant." Kenji guessed with a shrug. "He could be the one tasked with supplying the cult with Wither materials."
"Well, whatever you call it, that thing is causing panic in Jolin." Mann slapped his aged palm against a pillar. "It simply must be stopped."
"I mean, we can pass a message onto Nowhere_Man." Chinami suggested, the name of Cobb's ally making Wynn twitch. "He's with Carys and he's taken out Withers before. Leave it to him. That's all we can really do. Ringwood has its own defense to-"
"Why bother Cobb and his allies with this?" Wynn interrupted. She stood straight and addressed her gathered 'council'. "Ringwood received the requests for help."
"Only because Ringwood barely survived a Wither attack. They don't know it was thanks to Nowhere_Man. They think the kingdom fought them off." Chinami pointed out.
"Cobb and his people have their own problems. It's time we take care of ours."
"There are six Withers in Lazuli and one in Jolin. How are we supposed to fight them without Nowhere_Man's invincible chestplate?"
"We manage." Wynn declared simply. "We prove that even at our worst, we're still strong. If we resolve their Wither problems, we're more likely to secure an alliance with Lazuli and Jolin."
"With all due respect, ma'am, that's seven Withers." Kenji replied. "And you're not Carys."
Wynn coolly raised a brow. "Last I checked, Carys never took down a Wither."
"No, but this is a reckless plan relying on strength. Something Carys would do." Kenji explained. "Unless you have some kind of plan, I can't condone this."
"Oh, I'm sure the Queen has a plan." Mann supported with a tender smile. "Your Eminence?"
"Still not used to that." Wynn wrinkled her face being called that by her former Eminence. However, she went into a deep thought with regards to the Withers. "If the cult is using Withers more, we'll have to come up with countermeasures sooner or later."
"And?" Chinami urged.
"I had Cobb share its weaknesses from his Mob books." Wynn explained. "Like Wither Skeletons, the Wither is weak to Splash Potions of Healing. It can also drain health from the victims it hits with its projectiles, so less people fighting it is more advantageous. Had the Berserkers known this, they may have been able to kill the one in Jolin. We can help them out by sharing what we know. Tell them to trade with Fletcher Testificates for Arrows of Healing. Either that or purchase them from SutsCo."
"What about Lazuli?"
"Lazuli, I'll handle personally." Wynn surprised them. "Kenji, have someone in Lazuli send an airship here to pick us up. You and I will be handling the Withers there."
"Are queens supposed to get their hands dirty?" Chinami asked.
"This one is."
"Oh, damn, okay then."
"Meanwhile," Wynn continued, "arrange for someone in Jolin to pass on the Wither's weakness to the Berserkers."
"Or better still," Mann, a veteran of politics and surgical in his execution, provided counsel, "pass our intel to King Ahote directly and let him pass it to the Berserkers. That way they know it's from us. The Berserkers have a bad habit of taking bows for work not their own." There was a murmur of assent from everyone at this idea.
"How do you intend to use me in Lazuli?" Kenji asked hesitantly. "Not for fodder, I hope."
"I need a skilled enough archer. If Veronica was here, I'd give her the job." Wynn explained. "All you really need is a bow enchanted with Punch II."
"But how will-?" Kenji paused for a second, before it dawned. "Mm. I think I see where you're going. That could work."
"It has to work." Wynn said almost desperately. "Once we provide aid to our neighboring kingdoms, we'll be in a better position to ask for an alliance, especially if it's against the cultists spawning these things. Anything from Dover Plains, yet?"
"No, but that's to be expected when they have twenty-two families vying for power." Kenji wrote off. "If it were one monarch, we'd get a straight answer, but things are too divisive there. There's also some conflict brewing between Exter and Dover Plains over a rise in crop prices that's demanding their full attention."
"Well, keep at it." Wynn ordered. "Impress upon them the destructiveness of the Withers. If we don't stand together, Ember - I mean the cult, will pick us off one by one."
Inventory (Cobb): 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness III, Fire Aspect I, Sweeping Edge III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Pickaxe [Efficiency II, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Leather Tunic [Dyed Green, Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection IV, Feather Falling III, Unbreaking III], 18 Obsidian, 8 Ender Chests, 43 Chorus Fruit, 59 Cooked Salmon, 55 Cooked Chicken, 7 Rotten Flesh, 64 Oak Planks, 64 Cobblestone, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 1 Bed, 30 Blocks of Coal, 64 Torches, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 Water Bucket, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Potion of Night Vision {8:00}, 64 Snowballs, 64 Snowballs, 16 Eggs, 11 End Crystals, 16 Ender Pearls, 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash 2.0} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Lure II, Unbreaking III], 1 Trident {Awe} [Riptide III, Unbreaking III], 1 Trident {Shock} [Loyalty II, Channeling], 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Bounty Days}, 1 Green Shulker Box {Pocket Box}, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying
Green Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 36 Eyes of Ender, 32 Blocks of Emerald, 8 Emeralds, 1 Diamond Cutlass, 25 Lapis Lazuli, 64 Books, 64 Glass, 64 Glass, 64 Glass Bottles, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Fishing Rod, 2 Books, 1 Enchanting Table, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Nether}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Bounty Days}
[EXP: 34]
Inventory (Lenz): 1 Chainmail Helmet [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Dragon Head, 1 Chainmail Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Chainmail Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Chainmail Boots [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Dagger, 16 Ender Pearls, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Compass, 1 Bow [Power IV, Flame I, Punch II, Unbreaking III], 1 Bow [Infinity], 1 Crossbow [Piercing IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Crossbow [Multishot I, Unbreaking III], 64 Arrows, 64 Arrows, 16 Firework Rockets {Flight Duration: 1, Small Ball x 7, Gray x 7}, 16 Firework Rockets {Flight Duration: 1, Large Ball x 7, Gray x 7}, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 62 Dark Oak Planks, 50 Chorus Fruit, 59 Cooked Salmon, 56 Apples, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}, 1 Red Shulker Box {Pocket Box}, 1 Gray Shulker Box {Pocket Box}
Red Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 1 Shears, 1 Lever, 9 Redstone Torches, 8 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 18 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Hoppers, 3 Pistons, 2 Sticky Pistons, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 2 Fire Charges, 36 Charcoal, 4 Torches, 32 Pumpkin Seeds, 1 Book {Redstone Textbook}, 1 Book {Notebook}
Gray Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 1 Crossbow [Unbreaking III], 1 Crossbow [Unbreaking III], 1 Crossbow [Unbreaking III], 1 Crossbow [Unbreaking III], 1 Crossbow [Unbreaking III], 1 Crossbow [Unbreaking III], 1 Crossbow [Unbreaking III], 53 Arrows of Poison {0:11}, 64 Arrows of Harming II, 57 Arrows of Harming II, 52 Arrows of Weakness {0:30}, 49 Arrows of Slowness {0:30}, 64 Arrows of Fire Resistance {1:00}, 64 Arrows of Healing II, 64 Arrows of Invisibility {1:00}, 64 Arrows of Leaping {1:00}, 64 Arrows of Slow Falling {0:30}, 64 Arrows of Night Vision {1:00}, 63 Arrows of Strength II {0:12}, 64 Arrows of Swiftness {1:00}, 63 Arrows of Swiftness II {0:11}, 64 Arrows of Water Breathing {1:00}
[EXP: 25]
Inventory (Baltic): 1 Iron Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Boots [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Iron Sword [Sharpness II, Unbreaking III], 1 Shield, 1 Bow, 1 Diamond Pickaxe [Silk Touch I, Mending I, Unbreaking II], 10 Arrows, 3 Brewing Stands, 1 Water Bucket, 64 Bones, 1 Ender Chest, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 20 Emeralds, 64 Cooked Chicken, 51 Cooked Chicken, 1 Lingering Potion of Slowness {1:00}, 1 Lingering Potion of Slowness {1:00}, 1 Lingering Potion of Healing II {0:05}, 1 Lingering Potion of Regeneration II {0:05}, 1 Blue Shulker Box {Pocket Box}, 1 Totem of Undying
Blue Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 41 Glass Bottles, 64 Dragon's Breath, 59 Dragon's Breath, 64 Blaze Powder, 64 Nether Warts, 30 Soul Sand, 62 Phantom Membranes, 64 Blaze Rods, 64 Fermented Spider Eyes, 64 Carrots, 64 Melon Slices, 64 Rabbit's Feet, 64 Gold Ingots, 64 Gold Nuggets, 64 Gunpowder, 64 Redstone Dust, 64 Glowstone Dust, 64 Ghast Tears, 64 Sugar
[EXP: 32]
Inventory {Jillian}: 1 Book {Vivlio Zythopoiias}, 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness II, Unbreaking III], 1 Bow {Artemis} [Unbreaking III, Punch II, Power V, Knockback II, Curse of Vanishing, Infinity], 1 Bow {Apollo} [Unbreaking III, Flame I, Punch II, Knockback II], 1 Crossbow, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 35 Torches, 1 Book and Quill {Planner}, 1 Book and Quill {Notebook}, 40 Cooked Cod, 46 Cooked Salmon, 56 Arrows, 16 Firework Rockets {Flight Duration: 1, Small Ball x 7, White x 7}, 16 Firework Rockets {Flight Duration: 1, Large Ball x 7, White x 7}, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying, 1 Totem of Undying
[EXP: 53]
Inventory (Z7): 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 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Dagger, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 32 Cobblestone, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 21 Charcoal, 40 Torches, 59 Oak Planks, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 1 Cake, 33 Cookies, 52 Baked Potatoes, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Bucket, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 1 Purple Shulker Box {Pocket Box}
[EXP: 47]
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 Shears, 2 Iron Ingots, 24 Coal, 20 Torches, 1 Fishing Rod, 7 Cooked Mutton, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Diamond Boots [Projectile Protection IV], 16 Gunpowder, 10 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash 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 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, 16 Blocks of Emerald, 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, 4 Bowls, 23 Red Mushrooms, 1 Armor Stand, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 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, 56 Nether Warts, 15 Soul Sand, 1 Flint and Steel, 10 Cobwebs, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Water Bucket, 5 Buckets, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Brewing Stand, 15 Glass Bottles, 4 Ender Pearls, 60 Glowstone Dust, 23 Gunpowder, 12 Redstone Dust, 60 Blaze Powder, 62 Gold Nuggets, 43 Brown Mushrooms, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Exter Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {The Art of Peace}, 1 Book {Artifact List}, 1 Enchanted Golden Apple, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}
[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 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 15 Cooked Chicken, 18 Apples, 1 Bow [Power I], 36 Arrows, 7 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, 43 Coal, 1 Clock, 1 Compass, 1 Iron Pickaxe [Unbreaking I], 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Old Reliable} [Unbreaking III, Efficiency V], 1 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, 25 Cooked Mutton, 28 Apples, 18 Oak Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 1 Bed, 39 Torches, 21 Coal, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 5 Ender Chests, 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: Kinda lackluster, but it's the start of a part.
Anibal joins the Inventory List, adding to the things I have to attempt and keep track of. I had to go back and look at her past items, though if I miss something, I always have the excuse 'it's in her ender chest'. She lost her Sharpness V, Looting III Sword and her armor to Giovanni. She still has a fine arsenal of enchanted blades, bows, and crossbows named after her dead teammates. Plus, her levels sort of went up while she was butchering Griefers en masse.
We get to check in on Wynn for a bit. Ya'll just knew KillRoy's Furry would make a return. More distressing is the Withers being airdropped in Lazuli. Never fear, Wynn is here.
No Cobb for now. I know he's the main character, but he'll get his due once this arc, the East Arc, fully gets in gear.
FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. PM. FORUM. DISCORD. TOFU.