Chapter Text
Rushing out of the Basilica, Craftee and LegionVee made it to the pillar entrance as they watched the city before them. Their breath clogged in their throats as their eyes glistened with newfound horror and worry.
Almost immediately they acknowledged the buildings on fire as cloaked figures fired crossbows armed with fireworks, streets flooding with endless hollering and the clanking of chainmail with the stomps of horses charging. The smoke… The amount of smoke was large and left far more sinister intentions than what they could imagine.
“My people…” Muttered out LegionVee as he immediately ducked behind the pillar, his eyes still wide from the sight before him.
Following in suit, Craftee hid behind the pillar as a firework whizzed past him, missing quickly yet too closely. Heart racing, he began to open his inventory panel, frantically looking through what items he held on him.
“Legion, what weapons you got on you?” Questioned the brunette as he quickly gazed at the still stunned Legionary. Furrowing his eyebrows, he raised his voice to catch the attention of the other player, “Legion! Weapons! We can’t stand here while they burn your island!”
Shaking his head and opening his inventory, the legionary scanned before raising his head to shout, “My Netherite sword, shield, and a bow with infinity! Some copper ingots and a single Blaze rod! You?!”
Cursing under his breath, the brunette spoke, “Diamond sword, iron axe, a ton of arrows, a single piece of redstone and half a stack of smoke TNTs…” Gently leaning his head back against the cool pillar, Craftee felt a small pull at his pants. Looking down, he noticed something in Chester’s mouth. “What’s this?” Talking the item from the hopping chest, an idea formed quickly as his eyes darted at LegionVee. “Legion! Toss me the copper ingots and that Blaze rod! Oh, and that bow!”
Stuttering in his actions, Legion managed to toss the items requested as he tried his best not to be hit by any stray fireworks or even arrows. “Craftee! What is the plan!?” Called out the legionary as he took out his shield and sword, striking down a charging figure in an instance, “Because now they’re charging!”
“Chester, buddy, attack while I craft!” Ordered the man, watching the happy chest growl and begin his execution. Smiling a bit, the brunette continued his crafting as he shouted his plan, “The plan is I build us a wacky and silly weapon like I always do and we don’t die!” Finishing up his craft, the brunette laughed as he lifted the newly made weapon, which happened to look like a gun.
“Taste this, you nerds!” Exclaimed the brunette as he stepped out and began to fire his newly made weapon, arrows littering at high speeds into the cloaked figures, “Ha! And I didn’t even have to test it! Vee, Chester! Come! We gotta find the rest!”
Impaling and ramming a figure against a pillar, LegionVee scoffed as he ripped his blade out of the victim and charged towards the call with the wooden chest following close behind.
As they kept their haste, Craftee began playing with the gun in his hands, muttering endlessly as he gave it a smack, “Come on… You were just working, don’t break now.” Huffing in frustration, he gave the gun another and more heavy handed smack, leading to a gentle beep being heard. The brunette gave a small laugh as he raised the weapon slightly and called out in victory, “Now we’re talking! Chester, you got something I can use? Can be anything, even a structure!”
Eyes widening and a baffled stare, the legionary questioned the man's sanity, “A structure? Craftee, are you insane!? I rather not ruin my island any further!”
“Fine,” Responded the man as he caught a coughed up stack of emeralds, “HHuh, useless currency finally becomes useful. Thanks, Chester.” A bark escaped the sentient chest as the man took aim at some of the cloaked figures and blasting emerald shards into them.
“You function on cartoon logic and it is scary.” Shuddered the Legionary as he shoved a charging figure to the concrete, earning a satisfying gasp for air as he slammed down the blade of his sword into them, “Yet it’s useful and quite amazing.”
“Where is the man who claims to be a king of this place!?” Roared out a voice from above, the distortion clear yet unsettling as it mocked the heroes below them.
Aiming at the figure, Craftee glared as he kept his guard up. This being didn’t seem normal or even fragile in terms of ego or build. Taking a small glance at the Legion whose shield materialized and rose in defense, he felt a bit uneased yet calm enough to think properly.
“Where is LegionVee!?” Thundered the figure once more, earning a roaring and chantiful choir of cloaked figures striking their weapons together as they mocked the sound of hoglins squealing.
Upon a closer attention to the detail of this anarchistic figure, Craftee’s eyes widened at the attire, the cloak, the skull turned mask that focused out two glowing red eyes. This creature of a player was no mere follower, but a treacherous leader of the group that still hollered out as an eerie and war like choir of voices.
“We will not stop until the king’s head is on our platter! His crown will be our prize and his body will be strung to show the people that they are free!” Cackled the figure, their voice echoing as they swung an axe into the building roof, the stone tiles cracking and flying down from the harsh strike, “Down with the government! Down with these Kings and bastard royals! Blood! We demand blood!”
More weapon strikes rang out, now against shields and walls of rubbled homes, growing louder and louder, becoming headaches and raising the beat of the heroes' hearts. And the chants…. Oh, the chanting for blood as some loudly cried in Chinese or squealed like brute Hoglins, the endless rung of either “Blood for the blood god”, Chinese forms of “A thousand battles, a thousand victories”, and the only chant that seemed to matter to the ears of Craftee and LegionVee, “Techblade never dies!”
“Craftee…” Nerved out the Legionary as the hilt of his sword seemed to slip ever so slightly, “You don’t believe that creature to be…?”
“He’s dead.” Stowed out the brunette as he lowered his makeshift launcher and rose to a calmer stance, “That’s not him, that’s someone else trying to be him.” Walking forward, he tossed his weapon aside, allowing it to dematerialize back into his inventory as he switched it out for the soft shine of a diamond blade. “Let’s see if they do actually have some sort of fighting chance.” Swiping his sword through the air, the man shouted towards the figure, “And who are you supposed to be!? The Caped Pig or Oink man?”
Glaring down to the brunette, the figure smirked as they stepped closer to the edge — arms outstretched as a form of dramatic flair as they spoke once more, “Craftee! Pray tell, feeble hero! What brings you to this kingdom of enslaved folk?” The chants continued, now a bit more quiet as the figure still spoke, “Come to finally help us, or keep up the idiocy of playing hero.”
“I’m here to stop you, word got out that you wanted to force your beliefs.” Counter the man with a cocky smile that didn’t seem to reach his eyes.
“Our belief, dear man, is to allow the people to be free of any government! Choose for themselves and allow themselves to be true even if built in taboo!” Cackled the figure as it twirled in amusement before stepping off the ledge and dropping down in a stylish way to the ground below as the blood stained and worn burnt like cloak flowed through the air, the oddity rang as they seemed unharmed by the height of the fall and even seemed to be smiling manically.
Stepping closer, the figure placed a playful finger at the tip of Craftee’s sword and gently pushed down, the tension growing as the brunette glared down at the figure. All he saw were two beady red eyes as they glowed under the flames that roared near them yet seemed to allow the rest of their skin to hide under the shadows of the Hog skull. The figure chuckled a bit as they tilted their head back a bit, “Look at you! The diamond man who invokes fear into Pillagers!” Beginning to shake from the chuckling, the figure gave a sigh and lean close to the brunette, making small glances at the Legionary and the sentient chest, “How curious though, you can display such fierce and whimsical attitude but before me, you cannot take my presence with the same sheer amount of jokes or sickening cheerful attitude.”
Swiping his sword away, the brunette thrusted his blade forward as it waited mere strands away from the masked figure’s neck, “You can’t be reasoned with jokes. You’re a cheap imitation of an actual legend.” A small scoff escaped the other person’s lips as their eyes rolled before hearing the rest of the brunette’s words, “You’re trying to ruin my friends' perfectly happy and great community.”
Striking the weapon away, the figure seemed to loom over as the sword of the diamond man sank deep into some rubble by the sheer force. With swift and eerie movement, the figure gripped at Craftee’s throat and gave a small squeeze. The sound of voices seemed to hush along with the crackling of the fires as the creature ushered a threat, distortion now less and more of a human like tune, “A kingdom can never be truly happy or great, not when there is a government that imposes rules and needless propaganda. Rome was not built in a day, yet it fell to misery in one. Do tell, you ridiculous and buffoon moron, what reason do you have to protect this so-called Community when it will all fail the moment we salt their fields and slaughter their cattle?”
“Because I can get under your skin even when I’m not joking around,” Taunted the brunette as his hands wrapped around the figure’s wrist, trying to keep some distance. Yet this taunt earned a squeeze at his neck, he choked a bit on air as he attempted to pull back, “Alright, alright! Relax man! It’s… A little hard… To breathe here…”
The hue of the figure's eyes flickered, almost becoming brighter, “You have jokes even in times like this?” Bringing the man closer, their voice returned to a distortion, now gritting their teeth, “You aren’t a hero, Coppins. You are no man that will be remembered, you will be for- GAH!”
Throwing both back, the figure shouted in pain as an arrow flew into their arm, allowing the brunette to fall onto the ground with a rather painful thud and cough out his stability before quickly standing up.
“Fucking harming arrows!” Growled out the figure as they ripped the arrow out, letting a loud and squelching sound play, “Who the hell dares to interrupt?!” Searching around, another arrow flies into their vision yet misses as the figure grabs it mid air, staring at it momentarily with annoyance and slight ridicule before scoffing and full force chucking it into the direction where it came from.
The loud cry of a man appeared, earning a small from the figure as it looked over. There stood an injured blonde man as he gripped at his arm, clearly grazed by the arrow tip but not enough to decommission him.
“Ow! Jay wasn’t kidding when he said these arrows hurt, Craftee!” Hollered Dan as he still gripped at his arm, “It’s like a papercut but hurts more than it should!”
Eyes widening a bit in amusement, the figure hummed as it began to step towards Craftee, now with a bit more life and mad enthusiasm in each step, “Look at that, the hero does have backup, foolish ones, fortunately.” Sensing easement, the figure immediately swung their shield out and guarded themselves from the mocha toned gentlemen’s axe strike. Lowering their shield a bit and giving a smug smile, fangs visible beneath the Hog skull as the figure ripped the axe from Jay’s hands and swiftly tore that same axe from their shield. “What an interesting attempt. Did Craftee teach you or was it that tutorial friend of yours?”
Jay stepped back, fear clear in his shaking hands as the figure taunted him, his axe now in the hands of this being that chose anarchy and a psychotic intimidation.
“The God of Blood calls for us to do his work!” Hollered the figure, their arms raising to the sky, signaling for the weapon drumming and chants to start again, “He heard the voices as we do! We are vessels of this great ancient one! Blood for the Blood God!” Taking a moment to inhale, they looked down at Jay— looming a bit as they let out a distorted and blood churning Hoglin squeal, “Oh Woe to ye! Woe to those foolish enough to grant blindness to this kingdom!” Giving another sigh, her neck snapped towards LegionVee as she chucked the measly iron axe at him, striking just a bit away from his feet as he jumped back in shock.
“Dan, take the shot!” Shouted Craftee as he watched his friend aim at the figure’s head, “Now, Dan, now!”
Silence fell as the sound of the crossbow’s band cracked through the air.
Cloaked figures still bashing their weapons together and chants still crowed above the fires within the city bounds.
Craftee backed up as he watched the figure, looming and now huffing a bit as he glanced between their rattling figure and the piercing arrow tip that dripped blood through the tattered cloak.
“Idiots. All of you.” Croaked the figure as their fingers wrapped around the arrow, groaning in frustration as they ripped it out, taking a good piece of the cloak with it.
Every one of the hero either gagged or stepped back with eyes wide as they witnessed, this figure— No, this Creature had ripped an arrow from their heart area and still stood, taking simple breaths as they tossed the spent arrow aside and slicked back their hair, not caring about their own blood mixing within their hair.
“Since you and your friends seem to have bested me… For now…” Glanced the figure as they pointed a scrawny and slightly long yet well manicured finger towards the legionary, “He shall live a little longer, yet mark my words, your crown and head will be ours, Legionary.”
Kicking dirt up as he bolted, Craftee attempted a charge yet was met with the injured figure throwing a splash potion of Blindness down, obscuring his and others sight, earning him to trip and land onto the dirt.
All he could hear as he cried out for the figure to halt was reckless steps and hog like squealing as their leader ordered for a retreat. Their boots, dirtied and blood stained, were still in a bit of a view as he attempted to get up but was kicked back down. Looking up, Craftee could only see the piercing rubies that glowed under the skull this being had.
“The Blood God will have his blood, and we will free these people.” Hushed the figure before stepping away into the shadows created by the potions effect.
Moments passed as the reckless steps and weapon clattering became silent, the chants no longer audible and the effects no longer lingered.
Rising to his feet, Craftee sighed as he looked around, the fire had simmered down as he watched soldiers and common folk run around with buckets of water, attempting to stop the spread of the flames. Running his hands down his face, he quickly made his way to Legion with an apologetic look as he began to stammer, “Vee, I’m so sorry. I should have…”
Placing his hands on the brunette’s shoulders, the Roman man gave a small squeeze to bring the other back down to reality, “Craftee, it’s alright. We can rebuild and we aren’t starving for materials. All that matters is that the people are safe for now and your friends are okay.”
“Vee, I don’t… I could have done something.”
“No you couldn’t. That’s not me saying you suck or anything. I’m saying that even my army was ill prepared and taken by surprise at their attack. You did what you could and still kept my people safe, that I am thankful for.”
Giving a sigh, the young man dropped his head and groaned as he agreed with LegionVee and looked at his friends walking towards him. His eyes gazed at Dan’s wound and a bruise forming on Jay’s face, making him curious on when he was struck or if he fell due to the temporary blindness.
“Let’s return to my home, I’ll be able to get a medic to come tend to your wounds and heal anything else that we can’t see.” Cleared out the Roman man as he patted Craftee’s arm and began leading them away from the wrecked area.