AN: You're about to get another pair of chapters, since I finished 264 before this one. You can expect the next chapter within a few hours of me publishing this one. If you're to thank anyone, thank the self-contained nature of Lenz's side. So much easier writing for a guy on an island, almost like the roots of this story, when the content was low, and cringe, and you only had Cobb to follow. Good times.
Struggled for a bit over a title before picking this. Whatever could it mean?
Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd change how Piglins are transformed into Zombified Piglins shortly after leaving the Nether.
Why? Just why?
Chapter 263
The Subtle Art of Gaslighting
[Cobb]
"We interrupt this walking to bring you... more walking. What the hell?" I complained as we rounded a bend in the netherbrick highway - the current path tunneling through a netherrack landmass - only to come upon another stretch of netherbrick highway. "I thought these paths were meant to by shortcuts between cultist outposts. Shouldn't we have struck a portal by now?"
We couldn't judge days outside of how often we ate, but we'd gone through about seventeen meals. That was, what, five days? Six? Seven? We should've located a portal frame by now.
"Not necessarily." Baltic sought to explain. "We have no way of knowing if the portal we chose has the fastest route. Maybe a week is long for us, but if it gets us to Exter or the Morel Islands in that time, that's a tenth of the travel time."
"It could also be blamed on the new Bounty Day biomes sprouting here." Dwight supplied. "The new biomes and Mobs we keep running into have roadblocked what would otherwise have been a straight path. We keep finding cultist remains as we go. They're not coming out of this without casualties."
Those Hogmen were the likely culprits. They were easy to handle when all they had were crossbows against my Projectile Protection and Thorns armor set, but when they had swords, they hit like trucks. I would've had to waste a totem if not for Dwight shooting the Mob off of me.
"I think we're closing in on a portal, though." Baltic reasoned.
"How do you figure?"
"This tunnel." Baltic pointed out. "It takes a lot of effort to tunnel through a mountain of netherrack. There are even torches set up. Why not build the highway around it? Unless, of course, Abyssmal had to set up the portal specifically within the landmass."
That was actually a good point, and something I hadn't considered. People usually chose the path of least resistance, so tunneling through a chunk of netherrack instead of going around was, as Baltic assumed, because they needed the portal to be set up within.
"Alright, let's rally." I urged in an effort to motivate the three of us into jogging. "We'll rest after we exit this tunnel or find a portal. Let's pick up the pace."
Going down the long stretch of highway at a bit of a jog, we finally saw the blessed sight of an obsidian portal frame.
""YES!"" Baltic and I cheered in unison.
Then we noticed the lack of active purple portalstuff within the frame.
""Nnnnooooooo..."" Baltic and I whined, drawing out the sound.
We got closer to the frame. There was a sign next to it, which read 'Defunct: Do Not Use'. Dwight narrowed his eyes as he circled the portal.
"Why label it defunct...?" He began before his eyes zeroed in on something and showed acknowledgement. "Ah, I see. Yeah, that makes sense."
"What makes sense?" I questioned, joining him on the other side of the portal to read a second adjacent sign.
[AKASHA PORTAL]
"Oh. Right. That does make sense." I sighed miserably.
With Akasha Nuked, the portal on Minecraftia's end, as well as everything else in that kingdom's capital city, was vaporized. No exit portal, no safe passage. Coincidentally, this had to be the portal Jade used to leave Akasha and secure that fake incriminating note from 4Blite. That meant there was a Ringwood portal a day's walk from where we were. Though it was doubtful the Ringwood one would be operable, considering the Northern Division destroyed all ties to their Ringwood HQ.
"Can't we just take a risk and light a new portal?" I practically begged. We were taking too long.
"Believe me, I want a working portal out of here just as much as you," Baltic replied, "but not if it gets us killed. We need an active portal."
"Tch. It's not like we'll be in any less peril. Who's to say an active portal wasn't broken and reset, or that it's safe to use?"
"There's a higher chance of the portal safely transporting us within the Border if it's active than not." Baltic affirmed. "I'm sorry, Cobb, but it's too risky to use an inactive portal frame."
"But we finally found something." I complained.
"Hey! We still found something!" Dwight called out from a little ways away. We saw he was pointing to a series of signposts stacked atop each other.
"What did you find?" Baltic hurried over.
"Looks like a marker." Dwight pointed. The signs read as follows:
[OAK DOCKS -]
[RINGWOOD -]
[DAYMONTE -]
"See, we came from the Oak Docks direction." Dwight pointed the way we came in. "So then Ringwood and Daymonte must be this way. They're the next nearest portals."
"Ringwood's out. They cleared their base and broke off all ties, and the Northern HQ's portals were sabotaged when the guards searched the place." I pointed out, recalling what Wynn told me. "Which leaves Daymonte."
"Which leaves Daymonte." Baltic agreed. "And something tells me the survivors of the Eastern Division HQ that we're following have the same idea."
"We gotta beat them there."
The three of us followed the direction of the signposts, continuing down the tunnel and then splitting up towards Daymonte when we came to a T intersection. We found more cultist remains as we went, as well as more Hogmen which I speared at a distance with my trident.
[Floyd]
"I just don't get it." Captain Lizabet was positively stumped as she stood over the three Dover Plains councilmen while they were being tended to by her guards. Noman and I had dragged them inside, and the guards had seen my Hacker Strength on display, and had been thoroughly intimidated. The Captain was okay with me, though. "The leader of the Hackers brought these three to you, alive? They'd sooner grind us into coffee and drink us then take Crafters hostage. Did it have something to do with you being a fellow Hacker, Floyd?"
"Maybe they can tell us what happened." Ciro suggested, pointing to the three Lords. Lord Prescott, Lord Cohnbosch, and Lord Hampterfuppinshire. "Rouse them. I'll be keeping a low profile over there." He pointed to a corner and started heading that way before I stopped him.
"Wait. Why keep a low profile?"
"Well, last time I was in Dover Plains, I sort of killed two of their Lords - Turdfellow and Maplefrost. So, you know, they might not be too happy to see me."
"Oh, that's right." Noman grimaced, remembering something distant.
The guards went to work nudging and lightly slapping the Lords awake after healing them. All of their limbs had been broken, but were now mended thanks to the Splash Potions of Regeneration administered to them. Cohnbosch was the first to come to, but when he did, his clouded eyes found mind and snapped open in an instant.
"H-HACKER! Get back! W-We were only following argumentum ad populum!"
"Relax, councilman." The Captain stepped forward, though the Lord's eyes flickered to her for but a moment before holding on me. "This Hacker is on our side. You're in Exter's capital, right now. Your fellow Lords are beside you." Cohnbosch glanced left and right to the councilmen that were beginning to stir from unconsciousness. "Entity 303 dropped you off on us. Hey." The Captain snapped her fingers to get his attention. "I need you to focus. Do you know who I am?"
"...Y-Yes, I think so." Cohnbosch drew comfort from that which he knew. "You're... a Captain of Exter, and a Dame. Lizabet."
"Good." She nodded. "Now, are their any other councilmembers from Dover Plains that were taken or killed, or is it just you three?"
"I-I don't know. The last thing I recall is that terrifying Hacker breaking into my room with Prescott in hand. Then he... he grabbed my arms and... and next my legs... and he... squeezed..." He shuddered at the memory.
"He didn't say anything? You didn't provoke or dare him to attack you?"
"Of course I didn't! You think I have a death wish!?"
"So why did he take you?" I asked. "Why take the three of you?"
"How should I know? I can't begin to fathom how your kind thinks."
I pursed my lips and rolled my eyes, attributing that rather racist line to the fact that he'd been crippled and kidnapped by a Hacker.
"I already told you this Hacker is on our side. He helped carry you inside." The Captain pointed out. "He's not like them."
I looked to the ceiling testily. So there's a them now?
"What's the difference? Those killers all have the same eyes, with the same lines. Erp!" Cohnbosch let out a frightened sound when he saw a burst of dark smoke flare out from my eyes over his rude comment.
"You think I'm going to attack you?" I asked cynically. "You think I'm gonna go nuts, break all your limbs, steal you away?" Cohnbosch became timid, and Noman had to step in to redirect the conversation.
"Maybe you got taken because you were the ones most vocal about Exter." Noman suggested. The other two Lords were finally cognizant enough to go through the same reactions to me as Cohnbosch before being somewhat reassured by the Captain. "You supported the tariffs on crops shipped here, the embargo, and the call for war. Maybe the Hack Clan took exception to that since Exter is feeding them and finding their lost kin."
"Now see here! The Hackers can't pin that on us!" Lord Hampterfuppinshire protested. "We were merely adhering to argumentum ad populum."
"What's that mean?"
"An appeal to popularity." Captain Lizabet looked upon them with disdain. "They were just following what the majority of their people wanted."
"Don't look at us like that." Lord Prescott said. "Every kingdom in Minecraftia is against the Hackers, except when they're enslaved to them. Sdraw's at fault for rushing to butter them up, making a deal like he did to find their lost brothers and sisters. Is he out of his mind? The citizens of Dover Plains are not going to sit quietly while he feeds those monsters and gives them strength. The Dover Plainers remember what the Hackers did to them, and every other kingdom."
"So you're quick to cast blame on King Sdraw," I chimed in, thoroughly unimpressed with these so-called 'Lords', "but you'd be in the same position once the Hackers move on from Exter to Dover Plains when it comes to grocery shopping." The Lords looked awkward at the uncomfortable truth, or maybe they just didn't want to argue with a Hacker. "It makes less sense for why you want a war with Exter. If this place goes, you're the next nearest kingdom on the chopping block."
"...They might go to Zeppil, yet."
"That's disgusting." The Captain uttered the words coldly. "And disgraceful. You'd happily pass the buck rather than do something."
"What can we do?" Lord Prescott asked impotently. "Those monsters can wipe out a capital. They can't be killed-"
"In case you haven't noticed, a lot of us 'monsters' have been dying this year." I pointed out roughly. "If Nitebane can stand up to them, you can too."
The Lords exchanged uncertain looks, intimidated so much that they dared not argue. "...What happens to us now?" Cohnbosch asked dubiously.
"Well, since your lobbying has pissed off a whole lot of Exterians, I doubt you'll last an hour on your own." The Lords shivered at the Captain's blunt statement. "So we're going to have to escort you to Brimstone Bastion, where you'll be comparatively safer." The guards helped the three Lords to their feet and formed a defensive perimeter around them. "After that, it's up to His Highness to decide what to do to you."
"N-Now see here," Lord Hampterfuppinshire protested, even while he was being herded forward with his fellow councilmen, "you can't take us out there! We'll be mobbed! We'll be beaten with sticks!"
"I suppose it is a big difference being amongst those who your laws have hurt, isn't it?" Captain Lizabet phrased it sarcastically. They'd get no sympathy from her.
"But-!"
"Don't worry. A big, bad Hacker you Lords are so afraid of is personally going to protect you." I spoke harshly while marching them outside of the building. Noman and Ciro followed.
"Floyd, are you good?" Noman asked. "You shouldn't take their words to heart. They're just scared; they're recovering from a traumatic kidnapping."
"Sounds more like they were always rotten." I countered. The way they judged me - judged all Hackers on the actions of a few - rubbed me the wrong way. Part of me wouldn't have minded if they died, but a greater part understood that keeping them safe was more important. "Let's just escort them to the bastion so I won't have to deal with them anymore."
Our armed escort moved swiftly and carefully. We needed to get the councilmen off the streets and behind the bastion's walls as soon as possible. If the citizens found out who we had, they'd mob us in seconds. Such was their rage with the decisions they made regarding Dover Plains and the embargo.
As we moved through the darkness, I couldn't stop thinking about what 303 said and did.
Why drop them off on us specifically? I wondered. 303 is working with the cultists. He has to be. But what are the cultists even planning? We figured they were fanning the flames of this brewing war. Does having these councilmen here help or hamper that?
Kidnapping the three councilmen angered Dover Plains, and they jumped to conclusions blaming Exter for it. But now that we had them safely in custody, the truth of what happened could be known, and it would be revealed as one big misunderstanding. Maybe even a peace deal could be struck, averting war altogether.
Provided we could protect the councilmen from thousands of angry Exterians. That had to be the play. We were handed hostages, and if an Exterian murdered them, they'd become martyrs killed on foreign soil, mirroring what Dover Plains did to that Exterian fisherman.
The deaths of these guys could be the spark that starts a war. I thought to myself. We need to keep them breathing. My eyes darkened, letting loose a small burst of dark smoke. Whatever it takes.
We were halfway to the bastion when the councilmen we were escorting got identified by some random bystanders. All it took was one stupid screamer, and suddenly citizens were crowding us and getting in our way. The guards and Noman brought out their shields to repel them, and the councilmen huddled together more closely at the abuse being hurled upon them.
"Flatlanders!"
"Money-grubbing tyrants!"
"You'd see us starve just to line your pockets!?"
People started throwing bricks at them, and Captain Lizabet was quick to cut them down with her Iron Longsword. It was then that the abuse extended to include us.
"How could you bring those parasites into our home, Captain!?"
"Fattening their own fat pockets means more to them than our lives!"
"This isn't the first time Dover Plains tried to start a war with us!"
"Kick them out with all the other flatlanders!"
"Nikolai_Murmansk died on foreign soil! Now it's these pricks' turn!"
"Disperse immediately!" Lizabet's coarse voice commanded. She blocked more bricks with the broad side of her battleaxe. "DISPERSE! Anyone challenging me is challenging His Highness! Clear the way! Let us through!"
Our progress ground to a halt. We could no longer move forward, and we were slowly being surrounded by Exterians on all sides. The councilmen shivered, cowering amongst the guards for protection while the citizens bayed for blood.
And then, a particularly armed force of citizens - maybe retired adventurers or small-time guild members - came into view. They wielded diamond swords and wore grim expressions.
"Stand aside, Captain." They demanded. "We know you're just doing your job, but these people... well, we'd be better off without them."
"You'll do no such thing. Now stand aside." The Captain refused to budge.
"We can make it worth your while." Another of the armed mob incentivized, taking out a stack of emerald blocks. "All yours if you just look the other way. You can tell His Highness we broke through, and that you tried to keep them alive." The councilmen shivered at the threatening implications. "You can spin the story however way you want-"
Lizabet's blue eyes hardened into sapphires. "I am an honor bound Dame of Exter!" Her authoritative voice boomed impressively, rattling the angry mob and drawing sighs of relief from the councilmen. "I will accept no bribes, and the very thought insults me! These men are under the protection of the highest authority in the land!" She slammed her battleaxe into the ground. "NOW STAND ASIDE BEFORE I FORCIBLY REMOVE YOU!"
"Don't think that's gonna cut it." Ciro muttered while drawing the Destierro del Palillo. True to form, the armed mob began to move. Some had been dissuaded, but others were more hard-headed, readying themselves to launch an attack on the trio of councilmen.
"Do something, Captain!" Lord Cohnbosch pleaded. "They're going to kill us!"
"Stop this madness!" Noman protested, blocking the Exterians with his shield, only for it to shatter.
Seeing no other way to prevent the councilmen from dying, I took off my mask and summoned my dark powers.
"Everybody calm down, right now!"
My voice boomed impressively, and all other sound was chased away once black smoke started gushing out of my eyes and enveloping me. The Exterians' eyes went wide in fear, and they suddenly forgot their anger with the councilmen in favor of shrinking back and pointing at me as I strode forward.
"H-HACKER!" They screeched.
"MONSTER!"
"MURDERER!"
"HE'S GONNA KILL US, RUN!"
Half of the mob cleared off instantly, escaping from sight into the nearest buildings, alleys, and even the sewers. I looked over those that remained with a deep scowl.
"W-Why are you on their side?" One brave citizen demanded. "You'll be just as starved out if they don't give us food!"
"It doesn't matter how I'm involved!" I fired back, silencing further protests. "If these men die, you'll have far worse problems on your hands. Now let us pass, or face the terrifying might of FLAWWED_FLOYD!" I raised my arms and fired dozens of MultiAura spikes into the air, scaring what was left of the mob into beating a hasty retreat. The spines didn't hit a single person and dissipated in the sky well before they succumbed to gravity, but the bluff worked to clear our path.
"...That was too close." The Captain, the guards, and the councilmen breathed a collective sigh of relief. "Thank you, Floyd. We better hurry before they return."
The escort continued to move forward, and I caught Prescott, Cohnbosch, and Hampterfuppinshire looking suitably contrite and grateful as they gazed at me.
My dark smoke fizzled out, though I felt a twinge of pain hearing the insults those Exterians hurled upon me out of fear. 'Monster'. 'Murderer'. They judged me without me even having done anything to them.
"Good save, Floyd." Noman came over and smiled. "You averted a crisis. Doesn't it feel good to-"
"This is the last thing I'm doing, and I'm done." I repeated my words from earlier, not in the mood for empty accolades. I didn't care to be a Knight, and I didn't feel this was a good use of my time, scaring off scared citizens. "Period."
The rest of the escorting passed in uneventful silence, and we safely got the three Lords behind the walls of the Brimstone Bastion.
[Cobb]
The netherbrick road had exited the netherrack landmass it had tunneled through, becoming a bridge across a sea of lava. After a meal and a long stretch of walking, we came across an obstruction. A literal wall of black stone - the base of some gothic castle or bastion that appeared to have dropped smack dab in the way of the netherbrick highway. It was wide enough that I couldn't see where it ended on either side, and it stretched pretty high, forty or fifty meters tall, with buttresses that projected out near the top.
"What fresh horror is this?" Baltic asked aloud.
"Whatever it is, it wasn't kind to the cultists." Dwight remarked, pointing out the piles of gear accompanied by Heads and black leather caps. There were also shallow tunnels into the black bastion, but they didn't go too far in from what I could tell. The cultists died trying to get through; they were repelled by something.
Instead, I saw a makeshift road built out of netherrack that tapered off to the side, going into a pickaxe-dug tunnel straight through netherrack. The cultists' attempt at a detour, no doubt.
"Guess it's the beaten path for us." Dwight opted. He and Baltic were already moving towards the detour the cultists made. A detour that would undoubtedly add a day to our travel time.
"Hold up." I stopped them, my eyes taking in the structure before us, and seeing it as one big obstacle I'd rather not detour around. I ran a hand against the cracked blackstone brick. "...I say we cut through."
Baltic eyed the structure warily. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea, Cobb. It's uncharted territory."
"Pick a direction and it's uncharted territory." I spoke dully, poking a hole in his logic. "Hell, even the way we came from is uncharted territory, but I'd rather go forward than take a detour."
"The cultists didn't go this way." Baltic argued. "Look at the gear piles. You honestly want to risk a path deemed unsafe by an army of cultists?"
"Those cultists," I stressed while preparing my grade-A gear, "have a day's head start on us, and are likely looking for portals out of here, same as us. If cutting through this bastion allows us to overtake them and reach the portal first, I say we take the risk."
"I dunno, man." Dwight seemed reluctant as he eyed the littered remains of the slain cultists. "What if whatever killed these asswipes is making a home out of this bastion?"
"Well, I'm fully expecting there's something in there that will try to kill us, just as I'm expecting us to get killed." Baltic and Dwight shuddered at my callous comment. "But that's what the totems are for." I held up one of the golden idols and rattled it gently. "The cultists don't have these on them. That's what separates us from them. When - not if - we run into trouble - because you know we will - we got a few of these acting as safety nets for each one of us."
Baltic and Dwight held up their respective totems, taking them into consideration.
I sighed and closed my eyes. "If you want, we can put it to a vote. I'm not gonna browbeat you into this or assume command via a might-makes-right dictatorship. My vote is for cutting through." I opened my eyes and made a chopping motion with my hand as I pointed directly through the black bastion. "If you two say otherwise, we'll go around. Just be quick with your choice; I don't wanna waste any more time than we have to."
Dwight rubbed his chin in thought, and even Baltic appeared to be mulling it over. I tapped my foot patiently, my arms folded as I awaited their answer. Of course I wanted to go through, but they had their own good reasons for going around. I couldn't ignore them. Not if we all wanted to get out alive.
"...I vote we go through." Dwight made his choice resolutely, making Baltic sigh.
"It's out of my hands, then." Baltic relented.
I nodded, though I derived no satisfaction from it. Baltic wasn't wrong about this being a risk, but those cultists were treading through the same Nether in search of an active portal, and there was little reason for them to keep it active after going through it. We needed to head them off.
"I'll take point." I volunteered, arming myself and readying my totem. "Totems at the ready, everyone." Baltic and Dwight did as bidden, and, after I broke a deeper chunk off of the bastion with my pickaxe, the three of us stepped inside, all our senses on high alert.
It wasn't long before we broke into an open section of the bastion, illuminated by orange, iron lanterns hanging from the ceiling.
We heard the aggressive oinks and squeals of Hogmen shortly after.
"Steady as can go, gentlemen." I advised, tunneling further in, past [BASALT] and [BLACKSTONE].
I pressed my ear to the wall before me, picking up a whole lot of angry Hogmen trying to strain through the wall to get us.
"Spare a cup of Ghast Tears, Baltic?" I asked. The aged alchemist gave me three, which I combined with eyes of ender and glass to make three End Crystals. "Go back. Go back." I whispered to them while setting down three obsidian against the base of the wall for me to plant the crystals on. Baltic and Dwight gave me a wide berth, and once the explosives were set, I jogged over to join them and readied a snowball.
One toss, and the wall before us, and the gathered Hogmen behind, and the parts of the floor, ceiling, side walls, and bastion foundation closest to the blast, were obliterated. The Hogmen were reduced to nothing more than golden swords, golden armor, crossbows, and orbs of EXP.
"No kill quite like overkill." I grinned as I poked my head through the smoldering ruins of the bastion. "Attila was right. This is cathartic."
There was an angry, brutish snort from behind that had me slowly turn my head to look up at trio of Hogmen markedly different from the ones I'd encountered. Yet another variation of the porcine Mobs. They were more muscular, clothed in black tunics and shorts, with massive, gaudy belt buckles of gold. They had a vertical scar stretching down over their left, beady, white eyes, though they could still see through them just fine. They wore a gold vambrace on their left arm and wielded golden axes as they bore down on me. They also hit hard enough to drop me from full Health to half-a-Heart in one strong swing. "OW! OH!? Oh shi-!"
I sneezed as I respawned through one of my totems. I blinked in surprise before crab walking backwards on hands and feet as the trio of brutish Hogmen - Hogman Brutes - advanced.
"Cobb!" Dwight shouted, shooting an arrow to gain the attention of one of the brutes. It worked, but I still had two of them to contend with. I sacrificed a few precious moments to get back onto my feet, taking a punishing swing to the shoulder that obliterated my totem-granted extra Absorption Hearts and numbed my right arm. The attacking brute got damaged in turn by Thorns, but it looked to be powering through it. They clearly had a lot more Health than the normal Hogmen.
But I was back on my feet! I sprinted forward and parkoured up a ruined bot of wall, keeping myself just out of reach of the Hogman Brutes. Their axes scraped against the wall in impotent fury while I just took out my trident and started jamming it down into their faces.
Across from me, I saw Baltic had hit the brute chasing Dwight with a Lingering Potion of Slowness. The Mob slowed, allowing Dwight and Baltic to take turns shooting at it until it perished. It tanked quite a few hits, becoming as riddled as a pincushion by the end of it, but it died all the same, leaving behind a golden axe and a larger-than-average portion of EXP.
Bladder: Based on the number of times you're skewering these pigs, they must have over twenty Hearts of Health.
Brain: Twenty-five by my count.
That made these brutes twice as sturdy as the average Mob. They eventually died, angrily squealing at me all the while, but they also made me burn a totem. I at least knew what to expect from them next time.
"I think that's all of them." Baltic wiped the sweat from his brow as he gave the ruined interior of the bastion another look over. There were a few chests lying around, but they had a bunch of miscellaneous gear. Arrows, golden apples, golden and iron nuggets, obsidian, golden armor, blocks or iron, golden ingots, something called [GILDED BLACKSTONE] that looked like blackstone with chunks of gold inside. String, [CRYING OBSIDIAN], golden carrots, magma creams, and a diamond pickaxe with Curse of Vanishing that Dwight laid claim to.
"Sure, be my guest. Take it all." I dismissed it. Baltic found use for the Magma Creams, the Golden Apples, and the Golden Carrots, but it didn't seem like particularly useful gear to me.
And, really, what gear was useful aside from food? We needed to escape.
"It was Jade wasn't it?"
I spun with an intense expression pointed at Dwight. "Excuse you?"
"She's who taught you how to parkour, right?" Dwight guessed. "You brushed us off when we asked who taught you in Daymonte, but it had to be her, right? That's why you didn't want to talk about it, even though you're good at it."
I reigned back my intensity, seeing he meant nothing by it. "...Yeah, that's right." I replied tonelessly.
"You were close."
"...Yeah."
Dwight nodded. "...Does it bother you knowing she's still out there?"
"That's not what bothers me." I answered vaguely.
"...What'll you do when you see her again?"
If he only knew.
"...Dunno." I mumbled after a while, knowing I would never see her again anyway. "Maybe I'll just... see where my feelings take me..."
"Yeah, well," Dwight patted me on the back, "it's screwed up what she did to you. If the Paragons ever find her, you can trust us to deal with her in your stead. Maybe you'd want to settle it more personally-"
"We should probably get moving." I cut him off, having nothing further to add. "Thanks for your concern, Dwight, but Jade is..." I trailed off. "She's just another person I couldn't save."
"I'm sure you did all you could, man." Dwight comforted. "Some people... just don't want to be saved, or don't feel they need to be saved. Or they need more time and devotion than you can give. The cult and Ember had their hooks in her long before she met you. It's not your fault she chose them over you."
"Yeah..." I spoke ruefully. "Yeah..."
"Justice will come for her soon enough."
"...Yeah."
We didn't linger. Neither in the bastion remnants, nor on the topic of my dead ex.
[Noman]
It was the afternoon of December 19th when I found myself knocking on the iron door of King Sdraw's private study. I flicked the switch to open it and poked my head inside.
"You called for me, Your Highness?"
"Yes, Sir Noman. Come in, come in. You're letting the tranquility out." He joked lightly, earning a chuckle as the iron door shut behind me. It really was serene in his private study. His own little safe space. The jukebox in the corner was playing a melody different from last time. It was a calm, relaxing nature-like melody played on a watery echoing synth, accompanied by other synths playing chords.
"Far." King Sdraw gave a name to the musical piece. "My own little slice of nature in this bunker of a study." I sat down across from him. "Now, do you have any idea why I've summoned you here today?"
"Is it about the three councilmen we escorted here?" I guessed.
"No, but there has been progress on that front. The councilmen are under protective custody and will not be harmed. It also means they're confined to the bastion, as I've no doubt the incensed Exterians would tear them limb from limb." Sdraw smiled apologetically. "But, I've sent messengers to the approaching Dover Plains army coming from the north. I've gone so far as to enlist the aid of SutsCo's one-day rush shipping department. They're flying on rockets and Wonder Wings to inform Dover Plains that the three councilmen are alive, unharmed, were kidnapped by Entity 303, and are now in discussions with me for a peace treaty."
"So a peace treaty is underway?" I asked eagerly.
"It's getting there." He answered diplomatically. "The Dover Plains councilmen are making quite a lot of demands, and I've been trying to find a good middle ground. Mostly, it's deciding which assets I can turn into bargaining chips without upsetting my citizens. But that's not why I've summoned you."
"Oh." I thought for a moment. "...Is this about me agreeing to help Captain Lizabet with the Stigma in Voronezh?"
"No, but that's another thing I'm grateful to you for volunteering for. Despite the Stigma under her belt, I feared for her safety in this matter. Your accompanying her is another weight off my mind, Sir Noman. Thank you."
I smiled at the king's gratitude, but I was at a loss for why else he would've summoned me. "...I don't know why else you'd need me here, Your Highness."
"Right, then." He folded his hands atop his desk and spoke clearly. "I've heard some rather unsettling news. From Captain Lizabet. Regarding Carys." King Sdraw added and added until I cottoned on. "Now, I want nothing more than to believe these are just unfounded rumors, but the Captain was particularly vocal on the subject, and I've heard testimonies from the guards under suspicion. So, I'd like to hear your thoughts. Do you think Carys is... unbalanced?"
"Uhhh..." I floundered for words, feeling uncomfortable. "...What exactly did you hear?" I asked, trying to buy time to gather my thoughts.
"Well, she accused two guards of being cultists, then proceeded to interrogate them." King Sdraw began. "However, when pressed for evidence, she had none to give. And when the Captain questioned them, they said Carys wrongly accused them because she, well, heard pig squeals that neither guard could corroborate. That was the basis for her suspicion of them; they didn't hear what she heard. And then the unannounced search she started last night, rudely rousing my guards from their slumber. Am I getting the facts right? Am I misinformed on any of the details?"
"That... would be the objective version of events, yes." I felt compelled to tell the truth, no matter how reluctant I was. I was going against Carys' side again, but she brought it on herself. It wasn't like I could lie to a direct question from Exter's king.
"I see. And, what would your subjective take on this be?" The king questioned sharply.
"Ah..." I rubbed the back of my neck and broke eye contact. "That feels like Carys' personal, private information. I don't think I should disclose that..."
"Sir Noman, please. I accepted Carys claiming responsibility for the cultists and Hackers with the understanding that she could handle the burden and the pressure it entailed. If she's cracking under the strain, I need to know. She needs to tell me, and, if not her, you need to tell me." The king emphasized. "Where we are with these peace proceedings, I need to know if Carys is in full possession of her faculties. Otherwise, I'd be held responsible for granting my blessing to an unstable individual."
He had a point, there. More than that, he needed assurances that Carys was still sane in light of these conflicting reports. I hesitated, debating how much to tell of Carys' private matters, but ultimately the truth won out. I needed to make the king understand why Carys was acting this way.
"Alright, alright." I sighed. "Recently, Carys received a troubling update about one of her closest subordinates." I explained. "He went missing, and we've not gotten word back from him. This person means a lot to Carys, no matter what she claims otherwise."
"Indeed?"
"Yes." I nodded. "If you ask me, I think Carys is more affected by his disappearance than she lets on. It's got her frustrated that she can't do anything about it, but she also needs to maintain a strong, indomitable image. As a result, I think the stress is... making her relive particularly painful memories. Maybe as hallucinations."
"...I see." King Sdraw's apologetic smile never broke, but I could tell by the crease in his brow that he was deeply troubled by what I was telling him.
"B-But I'm sure it'll pass!" I hastily added. "She's becoming more focused on the investigation, and I think that'll help curb these hallucinations. Carys is in full possession of her faculties." I reassured.
"...Very well. I will take you at your word, Sir Noman." The king nodded in acceptance. "Thank you for sharing this with me, and thank you for bringing this matter to Lizabet's attention. I trust you'll continue to keep us apprised regarding Carys' temperament?"
"Of course."
"Good man. Lizabet and I both, as well as the whole kingdom of Exter, owe you a great deal for all the hard work you've done."
"A-Ah, well," again, I rubbed at my neck, "actually, Your Highness, I... have a confession."
"Oh?"
"You see, the-the reason I've been volunteering so much..." I hesitated, my fingers fidgeting. "While I find it fulfilling making a difference, the real reason I'm helping so much... is because I'm responsible for Exter's current strife with Dover Plains."
The king slowly leaned back in his seat. "You're responsible? How so?"
"Carys told you how we have a lot of Hacker Slayers in our group." He nodded. "Well, when I killed a Hacker named Winslow_Downes in Akasha, his death triggered the Hack Clan's anger, which led to them wiping out Akasha, which led them to turn to you for food, which led Dover Plains to raising their crop prices-"
"Let me stop you right there, young man." The king stopped me with his firm, authoritative voice. A kingly command. "You are not responsible for this situation. Not in any way, shape, or form. There are many factors at play, many factors to consider."
"...What kind of factors?"
"The prevalent disdain of the Hack Clan, for one. No kingdom wants to be seen fraternizing with them, even if it's under their thumb. I mean, you saw what Akasha was like." He added. "It was literally called the Mess Kingdom. What kingdom would want that? Dover Plains was justified in their contempt for the deal I made. But, also, another factor, greed. Dover Plains saw an opportunity to make money exporting their crops to a kingdom with little to no fertile land. It was taken to the point of extortion. Did you make Dover Plains greedy? No. It was just a factor, like temperature or humidity. The conditions were suitable for a perfect storm, that's all it is."
"...Yeah?"
"Absolutely. Think of this." The king continued. "A small speck of snow rolls down a mountain, gathering more snow as it rolls, forming into a snowball that rolls further and further and gains more and more mass and momentum. That small speck of snow may have 'gotten the ball rolling,' so to speak, but it is just as much a part of the rolling ball as any other speck that got picked up to shape it."
"Standard fare politicians certainly love to heap blame on a single scapegoat, but I don't think that way. I prefer to think of these factors at play as... as dominoes."
"Dominoes?"
"Yes. That is an apt metaphor. Dominoes." King Sdraw smiled. "No one domino will amount to much. It's only by positioning them in a series, just right, that they topple in an impressive chain of cause and effect. Maybe you were the first domino when you killed Winslow," I looked down, ashamed, "but, by the same token, you can blame Winslow for attacking you. You can blame the Hack Clan for their violent nature towards those they deem lesser. You can blame the order in which you spawned into Minecraftia, for Zipshin's sake! You were spawned in a time where Akasha was under the Hack Clan's thumb. If not for that, you wouldn't have experienced any of these things. There is no one person to blame."
"Huh..." I blinked as I considered what he was saying. "I... never really thought about it like that. I was so quick to blame myself," I scratched my head, "I didn't stop to consider I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"It's selfless of you to blame yourself for everything," the king went on, "but one thing I've found is that the world is full of critics, ready and willing to heap blame upon you, sometimes for things outside your control. Do not count yourself amongst their number. Don't count yourself amongst the ones blaming all their problems on you."
"I get what you mean." I nodded, grateful for the advice. I paused for a second. "...But I still feel a little bad."
"Then be of service to Lizabet. Clear your conscience." The king waved one hand airily. "Just rest assured you have nothing to apologize to me for. I do not blame you for this current situation. Rather, haven't you been doing everything in your power to rectify it? What more needs to be said? You're a chivalrous knight through and through."
I smiled at the praise, my heart feeling a little lighter. "Thanks, Your Highness."
[Carys]
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
After tearing the bastion apart from evening to noon, that was all my Paragons had to show for it. Nothing.
No sign of a Pigman Hybrid on the grounds. No loud squeals haunting the corridors. Absolutely nothing to prove I wasn't some crazy loon seeing things. Which of course meant my whole guild saw me as a crazy loon seeing things.
I had worked them tirelessly, ensuring nobody got sleep until something substantial was found to prove me in my right mind. I ordered Kal and Anibal to search the rooms of the bigwigs inhabiting the bastion, infringing on their privacy and causing quite a bit of displeasure that they had to explain away. I combed the nightly grounds with Reuben and a few Potions of Night Vision, hoping to find traces of the pigman intruder that showed himself to me at our bedroom window. I had Soul, Spaatz, and Albert questioning the patrolling guards, asking them about anything unusual lately. I also had them look for the two 'guards' who'd been present when the first pig squealing sounded, but, annoyingly, they'd been asleep and had an ironclad alibi excusing themselves.
We checked the bastion from top to bottom, and, as time lengthened without finding anything, I grew increasingly frustrated and angry, snapping at my Paragons when they suggested calling off the search, or making me clarify just what we were looking for, or when they looked at me like I was a bomb about to go off.
"I'm starting to regret not doing the charity work with Noman." Soul had remarked crankily as the sun rose and the search continued. Noman, Floyd, and Ciro hadn't come back yet and were exempt from what appeared to be 'a wild goose chase cooked up by loony, loony Carys.' They did show up later, with reports I barely paid attention to, but by then it was noon on December 19th, and the Paragons decided, against my direct orders, to call off the search lest we aggravate the bastion's inhabitants any further.
Like I cared about the bigwigs. A cultist was amongst them. Likewise, I didn't care about Notaman receiving Dover Plains councilmen from Entity 303 and escorting them back to the bastion. He was summoned by the king, and I was left as the only one still searching the bastion for any signs of the pigman I know I saw.
"I know what I saw." I muttered under my breath as I stalked the halls heading back to the shared bedroom... following another fruitless search. "I'm being dogged by these porcine apparitions, and nobody believes me. They're supposed to be my guild; my word should be law to them." I huffed as I continued down the corridor, the door to the shared bedroom in sight.
"Carys_Angel." I paused and turned around as I was stiffly addressed by my full name by none other than Spaatz. "Ah, m-ma'am..." Spaatz rectified his tone, becoming more formal. It might've had something to do with my bad mood. He was coming from the corridor I'd just come from. Had he gone back out to search? "I've come to pass along a message. A summons." He clarified.
"...A summons?" I asked tonelessly with a hand on my hip, already guessing the sender.
"From Sdrawkca - King Sdrawkcab." Spaatz corrected himself again, though he sounded uncomfortable using the title. "He wants to see you right away. In his private study."
"And he couldn't have any of his hundreds of guards play messenger, he has to send my Paragon to deliver it?" I rolled my eyes.
"...He was quite urgent about it."
"Fine, fine. Walk me down." I ordered, turning away from the shared room and going back on myself, my destination being King Sdraw's private study. I only made Spaatz come with me because I was more likely to be targeted by my porcine tormentors when I was on my own, so I could be gaslit into thinking I was crazy. Whatever the source of these 'hallucinations', they wouldn't dare target me while I was with another Paragon or Beginner.
We moved down corridors and smaller stairwells to reach the grand staircase - a massive room with wide sets of stairs connected in a T shape, joining the second floor of the east and west wings before leading down to the bastion's main floors. There was a large, stained glass window from which rays of sunlight streamed in across the stairs, depicting the first king Zipshin. Dozens of guards stood stalwart on either side of the carpeted floor before the staircase, positioned between pillars. They saw us as we descended the stairs, though they only had eyes - heavily shadowed, bloodshot, tired, cranky eyes - for me.
"...Ma'am." One greeted tightly, trying to appear respectful despite the commotion I'd stirred up last night. I had spoiled their sleep.
Another female guard was not quite so polite. "We were up all night because of your unannounced search, ma'am. You better have found what you were looking for, or I might just strangle someone."
"She likes sleep." The telegraphic speech and gruff voice of XoX added. He lumbered in, his hazel eyes on me and me alone. "Angel fight now? Too tired?"
"I'm never too tired to whoop ass." I countered, earning an eager grin from the 'Captain' that I was quick to extinguish. "But I got a meeting with your king. We'll have to take a raincheck-"
XoX's dissatisfied face and my own thoughts were lost to me as I heard a resounding pig squeal from behind.
"CAREEEEES~!"
I spun on the spot, my scythe drawn and my crimson eyes wide in a mix of shock and fury by the sudden appearance of my porcine tormentor. Appearance, being the operative word. I could see it as well as hear it, and it was ugly stood at the top of the stairs.
It resembled the reports from the Paragons at the Eastern Division HQ. A being that was half Crafter, half Zombie Pigman, with pink skin rotted green in places, exposing bones. Despite the state of decay, its exposed ribcage, skull, and bones moved. They expanded and contracted organically, like it was breathing and fully functional. It had enough to mark it as a Zombie Pigman - the half a pig snout and the mud brown loincloth - but it also looked hideously deformed, and just enough like a person - with a patchy tuft of black hair on the left side of its head. It was a Hybrid, and was disturbing to look at.
I also noticed it was a little different from the Zombie Pigmen I was familiar with, but that it matched what I saw last night, staring in through the balcony window. It had a more pronounced snout, one beady, white eye and a wider, exposed eye socket, curved tusks, and droopy ears.
"I called it right that you were a Hybrid!" I pointed my scythe at the pigman. I was feeling triumphant in being right about something, even if it failed to account for the phantom Mr. Piggles I saw at the Western HQ. That pigman had been whole and unrotten, and had the name 'Mr. Piggles' over its head. The Hybrid before me had no such name, but that matched the reports from the east. Moreover, it had foolishly revealed itself in broad daylight, before the Captain, dozens of gathered guards, and even my fellow Paragon, Spaatz. This time, I'd be vindicated!
"You see!?" I shouted to Spaatz while pointing at the pigman. "You see, you see, you see!?"
"...No?" Spaatz blinked in confusion, his eyes scanning where I was pointing and focusing on nothing. "What am I supposed to be seeing, ma'am? Do you mean the stained glass window...?"
I felt my mouth fall open, a look of horror flitting across my face as I double-checked that the rotting pigman hybrid was still there. It was still standing there, clear as day, casting a shadow from the sunlight streaming in. It even let loose more of its haunting squeals.
"CaaaReees~! CaaaReees~!"
"H-How..." My breath hitched. "How can you not see it!? It's right there!"
"What is? Ma'am, I don't see anything out of the ordinary." Spaatz shrugged helplessly. "What are you pointing out?"
"THE PIGMAN! THE ROTTING PIGMAN HYBRID, SQUEALING MY NAME! RIGHT THERE!" My finger shook furiously as I pointed.
"...What Angel talking about?" XoX asked slowly.
I turned to XoX, then. Gnashing my teeth at him. He had an odd, dispirited look on his face as he witnessed my insane ramblings, like I was some rabid dog. It was then I noticed that the dozens of guards lining the grand staircase were also shooting me wary looks. They were unsettled by my volatile reaction, and they too were looking to where I was pointing, their gazes lost and unfocused as they failed to find what I could see.
"...No. No, no, no." I shook my head, feeling a headache coming on. "Can't you all see it!? Can't you all hear it!?"
"CaaaReees~! CaaaReees~!"
"...Hear what, ma'am?"
"What is she talking about?"
"She's cracking."
"Maybe we should call her Paragons or the king here..."
As the guards muttered amongst themselves, I felt my grip on reality start to spiral. Not one of them could see or hear the thing when it was clearly before my eyes? That was impossible! That would mean the guards were cultists, the Captain was a cultist, and my own Paragon, Spaatz, was a cultist! That was the only explanation! They were all gaslighting me!
Either that... or... or I... was... actually-
No, no, no! I slapped my face, banishing that thought before it could fully form. No, no, no! I'm not crazy! I'm not losing it! It's them! All them! O-Or it's some trick! A cloaking device that selectively masks sights... and sounds... so that only one person could see or hear them!
It was the lamest excuse of all, but I refused to believe the alternative. I needed to put an end to this.
"Ma'am," Spaatz began slowly, "you're seeing things that aren't-"
"Okay, you know what?" I flourished my scythe, catching it with a sharp slap of flesh on the handle. "I'm gonna bring that thing so close under your nose that you feel the splash of piss on your face after I'm done beating it out of him! Then try and tell me there's nothing there!"
I broke away from Spaatz and charged up the stairs two at a time, my scythe reared back to hook around the hybrid and drag him down. If I had to beat the pigman to a piggy pulp and prod at Spaatz' face with its rotting hooved feet to prove it existed, I'd do it. Anything to get even one single person on my side.
However, as I was about to reach the top of the stairs, my vision suddenly blacked out, just like how it did at the Western HQ. One moment I could see, the next, darkness.
I swung my scythe anyway, hoping to catch the hybrid based off my memory. Of course, my swing missed, and I was left swinging blindly and ineffectively screeching. I heard the guards call out to try and calm me, but it was drowned out by the squealing of the pigman, joined by dozens of other squealing voices of varying tones to form an unholy chorus.
"CaaaReees~! CaaaReees~!"
"This shit's getting old!" I screamed furiously, still unable to see while I continued to lash out. "I'm not scared!"
Then, the darkness lifted. I could see again. I blinked at the sudden brightness, then let out a strangled gasp upon seeing the grand staircase absolutely populated with the rotting bodies of various Pigmen hybrids. All of them buffeting against one another as they squealed at me.
"CaaaReees~! You let me die~! I was left to rot because you let me get eaten~! This is what's become of me~! Look at what you've done to me, CaaaReees~!"
"Shut up! SHUT UP! St-Stay away from me!" I lashed out, trying to ward off the dozens of hybrids as they closed in. My vision went black again, and this time I slipped off a step and my body lurched sideways before striking the staircase. I felt and heard the pigmen jumping and moving out of my way as I painfully tumbled down the full length of the stairs. The chorus of squeals continued to torment me all the way to the bottom, where I groaned trying to kneel up.
"Carys_Angel!" Spaatz was at my side in an instant. I heard XoX and a few guards crowd around me too, but none of them dared to touch me. They were too afraid to after what they saw of my unstable reaction. Spaatz sounded like he was at a loss on what to do. "D-Don't worry! I'm getting the others!" And then I heard him run up the stairs. Missing the crowd of pigman as he went.
That wasn't possible. There was no way he could've climbed the stairs packed with that many pigman. Not unless... they weren't really there...
"Go call Sdraw!" XoX ordered one of his guards. I could hear him more clearly now that the pig squealing started to peter out. He nudged my shoulder with his massive hand, and suddenly my sight returned to me. I was looking up into his bare muscled torso and hazel eyes. He looked troubled. "Angel okay?"
"I..." I ignored the pain of falling down the stairs, and I even forgot that XoX was a suspected cultist. Instead, I sat up on my own and scooted away from him with a shameful expression on my face
Then, when I looked around the gathered guards, I noticed that the dozens of Zombie Pigman hybrids were gone from the steps. It was like they were never there. My gaze became unfocused as I tried to process what had just happened. I couldn't follow anything. Nothing made sense.
I-Is this really all in my head...? I can't-
I held my head in my hands and rocked slowly in place as I tried to gather my thoughts. Nobody had seen what I saw, and dozens of Zombie Pigman hybrids had been squealing their heads off without anyone batting an eye. The only thing they reacted to was me. To them, it looked like I ran up the stairs, fought off something they couldn't see or hear, then fell down the stairs all on my own.
A few minutes later, King Sdraw and Noman emerged from the left side of the main floor, Captain Lizabet emerged from the right side, and the Paragons and Beginners emerged from the top of the stairs. The Paragons saw the crowd surrounding me and rushed down in record time to create some comfortable distance.
"Carys? Carys! What happened? You're injured!" Albert quickly healed me up with a Splash Potion of Regeneration.
"Carys, what happened?" Anibal asked.
"I'll tell you what happened." One guard spoke up. "Your leader just freaked the hell out! She had a panic attack or something!"
King Sdraw looked to Noman, who could only turn away awkwardly.
"What kind of panic attack?" Kal asked.
"It wasn't a panic attack." I protested in a low groan.
"She started screaming about rotting pigmen and squealing, then started swinging her scythe at nothing at the top of the stairs." The guard continued, pointing up the stairs where it happened. "She's crazy! First she goes off on Ned and Collin-"
"Don't call our leader crazy." Anibal warned.
"Well what would you call it, then?" The guard turned to his fellows. "You all saw what she was like. Speak up."
"...She acted like she was fighting something that wasn't there." One guard chimed in after working up the courage.
"She just kept getting angrier and angrier." Another added. "She was screaming at us, blaming us for not seeing or hearing what she could."
"Is that right?" King Sdraw asked again, though his closed-eyes were aimed at Noman who still refused to lock gazes.
"I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine." I told them firmly as I got to my feet, shrugging off any attempts to help me, even from my own people. I had no rational explanation for what I did. If I told my Paragons, they'd just think I was crazy again. I didn't need that. Not from them. I just wished I could pretend it never happened.
"Hey, are they telling the truth?" Soul asked pointedly. "Did you really flip out over nothing?"
"Just drop it, Soul. I'm fine."
"Fine!? This is not what fine looks like!"
"...Ma'am, maybe we should get you out of here. Back to the room."
"Kalmarin, do not speak to me as if I were a child, I'm fine." I shot back waspishly before letting loose a frustrated huff. "J-Just forget it." I ran a hand over my face, desperate to re-exert control over my features. To maintain some semblance of composed strength. My image was cracking faster than I could fix it, and I valiantly tried to move on. The privacy of the king's private study would be ideal to recompose myself. Buy myself some time. I swiftly turned to the king. "You summoned for me, Your Highness?"
King Sdraw balked. "Er... I never summoned for you."
"...Excuse me?"
"I mean, I wouldn't mind meeting with you, if that's what you're offering, but I did not summon you." He pointed to Noman. "I was engrossed in a discussion with Sir Noman when a guard called us over about the disturbance. I would not have two summonings be in conflict with one another."
I blinked in shock. "You didn't send for me?"
"No. Not I."
I rounded on Spaatz in an instant. "Spaatz, didn't you tell me His Highness summoned me?"
"...Bwuh?" This time, it was Spaatz who balked. "I... I never said that."
"Yes you did!" I raised my voice, feeling like I was being gaslit by my own Paragons. "You told me Sdraw summoned me to his study! You passed on the summons!"
"I..." Spaatz took a wary step back and looked left and right for help, not knowing what to say. "M-Ma'am, I never passed on any summons. And anyway, why would I be the one to do that and not one of his guards?"
I shot forward faster than Spaatz could react, seized him by the shoulders, and proceeded to violently shake him. "DON'T FUCK WITH ME, SPAATZ!" I screamed into his terrified face. "You walked with me down here! You left to call the others!"
"C-Carys, you're hurting me...!" Spaatz groaned at my vicelike grip on his shoulders.
"Then tell them what really happened, damnit!"
"Ma'am, maybe we could just take a break, and-"
"Kal, SHUT UP!" I exploded at him before turning back to Spaatz and shaking him harder. "Quit changing your story! You were here!"
I felt a hard shove from the side that sent me tumbling onto my hands and knees, away from Spaatz. Anibal, the perpetrator, had a furious expression as she glared down at me. "Lay off him, psycho!"
They were words spoken in the heat of the moment, as a result of my manhandling of one of her last surviving team members. She didn't really mean them. She had defended me against them. As the seconds ticked by, I could even see a hint of regret at the word she couldn't take back. Psycho. It was a word used to describe monsters like Teal_Larkspur or Ember_Waves, not your own guild leader.
Still, what she said in the heat of the moment had a sobering effect on me, and I felt all my anger leave me. I was suddenly all too aware of the apprehensive looks I was getting. From my Paragons, from the Beginners, from the guards, from the Captains, from the king.
Everyone was looking at me like I was crazy.
Anibal mustered her courage and started over. This time, in a more composed voice. "Look, Carys. I don't know what you think you saw, but Spaatz was with us in the room the whole time you were out. He never left. And he didn't call us here, the guards did."
Spaatz and the rest of the Paragons nodded or murmured in agreement, backing up Anibal's claim. I looked to them helplessly, lost and confused.
That... That can't be. Spaatz walked me down here. I thought before slowly turning to the onlooking guards.
"You saw me arrive with Spaatz... right?" I asked them. It was bordering on pleading.
They shared wary looks before one brave soul stepped forward to answer. "M-Ma'am, you were on your own coming down the grand staircase. This man wasn't with you before you started screaming. Nobody was with you. You came here alone."
I felt disoriented by the testimonies and facts beating me over the head. I felt powerless in a way I'd never felt before. My confidence was dwindling, and my word, which used to hold so much weight amongst my Paragons, was being questioned. It was a new, abhorrent sensation that I wanted dispelled.
I desperately needed validation for the things I was experiencing, but nobody seemed able to grant it. There was no evidence beyond what I saw or heard, things nobody else could see or hear. Was I hallucinating these things?
There's nothing wrong with me. I thought to myself, despite all the wary faces I saw that were convinced otherwise. I'm not confused, or... or unbalanced. This isn't... I'm not affected by Baltic's disappearance! I've never been this unsure of his fate, but... but that can't be why I'm like this! I AM NOT CRAZY!
...
...Am I?
"We, uh, we'll take her back. Sorry for the disturbance, Your Highness." Kal gently wrapped an arm around my back while I was staring at the floor, my hand idly fiddling with my silver cross necklace. I didn't protest as my Paragons ushered me aside, away from the wary gazes of the guards and king. I caught a few words whispered amongst the guards, though.
"This woman? Is she okay?"
"...unhinged..."
"...cracked..."
"...crazy..."
I screwed my eyes shut as I bore the humiliation. What is wrong with me!? Why do I keep hallucinating!? How do I get this to stop!?
[Brimstone Bastion: Sdraw's Private Study]
"Oh, man! That was good! Did you see her face?" Nikitakrylya laughed to herself remembering Carys' confused, lost expression. "That was priceless. Bravo, Andrey, bravo."
"While I do detest taking these lesser forms," 'Spaatz' said before 'his' features faded into black smoke to reveal Andrey_Nichto, "I have to admit I'm taking a great degree of pleasure in making Carys_Angel crumble."
It was late, December 19th. Sdraw's private study was filled with six people. Three cultists, three Hackers.
"You were a little stiff addressing her with her full name." Leadstripe pointed out while wearing a Crafter Head to conceal his freakish nose from being made fun of. He was still coming to grips accepting he was beautiful just the way he was. And that his nose wasn't big enough to land airships on. "I doubt you could fool her as Spaatz a second time."
For it was Andrey under the guise of Spaatz who had told Carys of Sdraw's summons. It was to lure her to the grand staircase, where Sdraw's planned performance could chip away further at her sanity. All the Zombified Piglin Hybrids amongst the Western Division could gather, then disappear with potions of invisibility, all while the cultists posing as guards could feign ignorance and make Carys doubt her own eyes and ears, just like Ned and Collin had done. A quarter of the guards posted in the bastion were secretly cultists, despite not knowing King Sdraw was their own Executive.
The pig squeals Carys had been hearing were from Zombified Piglin Hybrids, and it had been Andrey who took the form of a bipedal pig with the name 'Mr. Piggles' to rattle Carys at the Sinarka Volcano. All the intel Jade supplied the cultists with proved invaluable in messing with Carys' emotions.
"You two are certainly working well together." Sdraw praised Leadstripe and Andrey. Any time Carys threatened to attack one of their own, Leadstripe would step in and inflict Blindness on her while concealed with his own invisibility. His Illusioner powers were well worth the disfigurement.
"Now what do we do?" Nikita asked eagerly. "When are we gonna," she drew a finger across her neck in a slicing motion, "to Carys?"
"Patience, my dear. Patience." Sdraw smiled indulgently. "Carys still has a small bit of defiance left to snuff out before an attempt can be made on her life. I have two offenses planned: one at a slaughterhouse and one in this very bastion, but there are some loose ends that need to be tied up before we move forward."
"XoX no like it." The large, mountain of a man voiced his displeasure and cut through the good mood. "Angel is proud warrior. She deserves honorable death. Not this." He disapproved gruffly. "This slow decline. Seeing her crumble. Makes XoX want to weep."
"Listen, XoX." Sdraw leaned over his table and pointed to the larger man with a book. "There's a plan, and it's working, so we're sticking to it. This plan is only succeeding because we're all working together, leveraging our unique talents. Your warrior spirit may find it distasteful how we're chipping away at Carys, but this is how we deal with her. Not everything has to be a revelrous battle of pride. It's the subtle art of gaslighting."
XoX grunted in displeasure. "XoX no like lighting gas."
"Where does the Lighter Billionth come into play?" 303 spoke up for the first time, his voice a mix between a growl and an echo. He was stood in the corner with his arms folded, the strongest presence in the room. Both XoX and Leadstripe couldn't help but feel uncomfortable in his presence, though Sdraw was able to speak to him like equals. "And why deliver the councilmen to him?"
"Well, while Carys is slipping further and further into self-doubt, Noman is growing more and more in self-confidence." Sdraw smiled. "I'm lowering one and elevating another, but it's - excuse my lack of modesty - so masterfully done, that it pits Carys against Noman, and it won't be to the detriment of either the Endward Cult or the Hack Clan. Noman's welcome to help out Exter. He finds it fulfilling, and he'll happily run himself ragged under the pretense of becoming an exemplary knight, forgetting all about his mission to stop us. And once he leaves for Voronezh for four days, it'll be the perfect time to pick off the others."
"And the councilmen?"
"Noman and his people have shown the Exterians that they'll defend the ruling class of Dover Plains." Sdraw explained while scribbling down a script and procuring old snow prints for Andrey to memorize. "And everyone is now aware that the councilmen are under my roof, and that they have the support of a Hacker."
"I do hope you're not making my wayward brother a pawn in your game." 303 warned lowly.
"Perish the thought. I'm specifically keeping your siblings out of harm's way because I desperately require your strength, 303, and I know that their lives are paramount to securing your aid." Sdraw clarified. "All I'm saying is, protests will soon rise in response to the councilmen's presence here, and Noman and his people will find themselves as enemies of Exter's people, and as readily available scapegoats should anything, ah, unfortunate happen to me. You'll get it." He reassured.
303 blinked. "...I still don't fully see where this going, but I can accept that you have your plans for them. I'd be upset if you didn't. I dragged those insects all the way from Dover Plains."
"And I greatly appreciate you doing so."
"But you need me for something else?" 303 inquired. "What's your end goal in all this?"
"Well, I want war." Sdraw put it bluntly. "I want Exter and Dover Plains to be so wrapped up in hatred for each other that they'd happily fight to the last man in the name of mutually assured destruction. I'll be wiping out two kingdoms at once, which I'm excited for."
"But, as with all my brilliant schemes, I am playing a much deeper game." The Hackers and Sdraw's Lieutenants all looked up, unaware of a hidden, deeper game. "You see, this isn't the first time Exter and Dover Plains have been on the brink of war. It happened back in 167, when Exter was rebuilding its military after the Hack Clan and Stigmata got through with it. I was just starting out as king, and I was manipulating the situation much like now. Dover Plains was concerned we'd conquer other kingdoms and form our own empire, so they cut off food to us. Thousands starved, and the climate was just right for a devastating war. I had the dominoes set up masterfully. It was to be my magnum opus. My Ninth Symphony." Sdraw's fond smile turned brittle.
"And then the Scouts spoiled everything over a silly, inconsequential badge."
"I've always hated the Scouts." He confessed. "They're like my natural enemy. Nothing they do is to plan, they go off on tangents, and they're so chaotic that my schemes have been foiled on more than one occasion simply because there was a Scout aiming for a badge that I hadn't accounted for. They're too unpredictable to plan around. It's like they superglue the dominoes I set up so everything stalls or proceeds haltingly. It's INFURIATING!" Sdraw slammed his fists upon his desk, seething. "But, to a degree, I can use their insatiable craving for empty badges to my advantage."
"The war that was supposed to be but wasn't - the Cold Wheat War - was stopped by a group of Scouts, and those Scouts earned the White Dove Badge, the prerequisites of which are simply to peacefully end a war with Dover Plains."
"Landon_Noir, a past Scout Master, and a prominent figure amongst the Scouts, failed to obtain this badge." Sdraw revealed. "And Landon is one of two people of all time who've ever successfully obtained the High-Beam Eyes." 303's eyes widened beneath his pale hood. "Only by letting slip the dogs of war will I flush Landon out into the open. He won't be able to resist a badge he'd been denied. He and his Scouts will rush to the front lines to stop this war, and when they do, we help Landon get the Dead On Arrival Badge. Be rid of him for good."
"...It can't be done." 303 admitted his own weakness. "If this Landon is anything like Herobrine, he can't be killed. Not even by me. The Command Block Code makes him invincible."
"There's a way." Sdraw promised simply. "There's a way, and I need you to make it happen, 303. You are the missing piece to this masterful plan. I can't do it without you, and I won't have you if I let any harm befall your precious siblings." Sdraw was laying it on thick, but it was the truth. "However, I also require Ember and Abyssmal, and that can't be done until Abyssmal gets his blasted portals fixed."
Time was running out though. If Abyssmal didn't establish a new transportation network to connect Ember and himself to Sdraw, his whole plan was a bust. The Beginners and Paragons had thrown a wrench in things with their attack on the Eastern HQ.
It was only fair that Sdraw throw a wrench into the Beginners and Paragons' alliance.
"Memorize this face and these lines, and rehearse with Leadstripe." Sdraw handed the written book and snow print to Andrey. "By this time tomorrow, Carys will be either killed or broken."
Inventory (Floyd): 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 1 Diamond Pickaxe, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Diamond Helmet [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Projectile Protection IV] {Weak}, 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV] {Weak}, 1 Diamond Boots [Projectile Protection IV] {Weak}, 1 Shears, 2 Iron Ingots, 24 Coal, 20 Torches, 29 Apples, 64 Baked Potatoes, 44 Baked Potatoes, 33 Cooked Porkchops, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 16 Gunpowder, 8 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Slowness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Weakness {4:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Bucket, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Written Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Written Book {Citizenship Information: Vera_Menchik}, 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, 8 Gold Ingots, 11 Blocks of Diamond, 9 Emeralds, 5 Raw Salmon, 3 Pumpkin Seeds, 29 Apples, 64 Baked Potatoes, 43 Baked Potatoes, 30 Cooked Porkchops, 1 Bucket of Axolotl {Axolittle}, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection IV, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Iron Chestplate {Weak}, 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 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, 1 Spyglass, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Written Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Written Book {Citizenship Information: Mikhail_Tal}, 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}, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}
[EXP: 43]
Cat-Face the Cat
Christopher Squawken the Parrot
Axolittle the Axolotl
Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness I], 1 Iron Helmet {Weak}, 1 Diamond Chestplate {Weak}, 1 Iron Leggings {Weak}, 1 Iron Boots {Weak}, 1 Diamond Pickaxe, 1 Flint and Steel, 10 Cobwebs, 7 Emeralds, 1 Ender Chest, 26 Apples, 64 Baked Potatoes, 49 Baked Potatoes, 32 Cooked Porkchops, 1 Water Bucket, 5 Buckets, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Written Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Written Book {Citizenship Information: Lizabet_Agafonov}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Exter Entry Pass}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Paper {MarbleFinder; 1909 Oleg Street}, 1 Written Book {The Art of Peace}, 1 Written Book {Artifact List}, 1 Enchanted Golden Apple, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II
[EXP: 35]
Inventory (Kalmarin): 1 Diamond Helmet [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Leggings [Protection IV, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Boots [Protection III, Unbreaking III], 1 Mob Head {Skeleton}, 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness III, Unbreaking I], 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Written Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Written Book {Citizenship Information: Boris_Spassky}, 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 1 Bow [Power I], 36 Arrows, 6 Ender Pearls, 57 Baked Potatoes, 1 Spyglass, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 40 Torches, 31 Sand, 12 Cobblestone, 21 Oak Planks, 1 Bucket, 1 Lava Bucket, 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 43 Coal, 1 Clock, 1 Compass, 1 Iron Pickaxe [Unbreaking I], 1 Wooden Pickaxe {Old Reliable} [Unbreaking III, Efficiency V], 1 Written Book {Meetup}
[EXP: 43]
Inventory (Anibal): 1 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 Golden Boots {Stivali Magma}, 1 Spyglass, 1 Crossbow {Buckner} [Multishot I, Unbreaking III], 1 Crossbow {Devers} [Piercing IV, Quick Charge III, Unbreaking III], 64 Arrows, 38 Arrows, 16 Firework Rockets {Flight Duration: 1, Large Ball x 7, White x 7}, 16 Firework Rockets {Flight Duration: 1, Large Ball x 7, White x 7}, 5 Ender Pearls, 24 Cooked Porkchops, 14 Apples, 18 Oak Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Furnace, 1 Bed, 39 Torches, 21 Coal, 1 Map {Paragon Minecraftia}, 1 Bucket, 1 Potion of Invisibility {8:00}, 1 Iron Pickaxe, 3 Ender Chests, 29 Cobblestone, 1 Bow [Flame I], 1 Bow [Power V], 1 Diamond Sword [Sweeping Edge III], 1 Diamond Sword [Fire Aspect II], 1 White Shulker Box {Pocket Box}
White Shulker Box {Pocket Box}: 11 Amethyst Shards, 4 Emeralds, 1 Diamond Sword [Bane of Arthropods V], 1 Diamond Pickaxe [Fortune III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Sword [Smite V], 1 Paper {Gold Citizenship Pass}, 1 Written Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Written Book {Citizenship Information: Lev Aronin}
[EXP: 3]
AN: Gaslighting doesn't exist. You made it up.
A little glimpse behind the curtain to explain the theatricality of events. Carys is spiraling, and Sdraw isn't done with her by a long shot.
Also, you see a bit of what Sdraw's bigger goal is. He's after Landon, and the war is just a means to an end, born out of a deep resentment for what the Scouts stole from him. Of course, a lawful evil schemer like Sdraw would absolutely despise the chaotic Scouts. He's like the kid trying to set up dominoes only for the Scouts to roll over their path and ruin them. How rude.
Cobb visits a Bastion Remnant and comes face to snout with Piglin Brutes. I swear, there is nothing linking these things to being called Piglins in 1.19 Java Minecraft. Hope it doesn't confuse anyone.
FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. FORUM. DISCORD. WATER.