Dylan's Perspective

spt* *spt* *spt*

It had been roughly fifteen minutes since I had decided to follow Sarah, and during that time the curious orange slime girl had remained mostly silent aside from a few more bluntly asked questions. I still wasn't getting any bad vibes and likely that she was just a naturally quiet person, but it still left the atmosphere between us tense at best.

In other news, we weren't anywhere near the Hills or the Plains biome anymore, but rather some type of forested biome, possibly an Arctic Forest based on how cool it was getting as time went on.

I was glad I'd decided to bring my jacket, though that reminded me how I had been stopped by a certain red eyed silverette on the way out of the cottage. She had demanded to know where I had seen those 'sheep' before letting me leave, and made sure to say it in a tone where she absolutely didn't believe me one bit about their existence.

Thankfully, a combination of me giving her my map with the Sheep's location and Cupa agreeing to help her find them, got her to drop the matter. It hadn't been all bad though, as she'd given; 'more like shoved into my arms hard enough to bowl me over.' the bag she'd been carrying, which happened to have just what I had been wishing for. A few packs of different kinds of seeds, a handful of iron ore, a few stacks of wood, and even a curious little fruit sapling of some kind, literally everything I'd been needing for some basic tools and a small garden to get things rolling.

To say I was ecstatic about it was an understatement, though I still couldn't figure out how the heck that all fit into such a small bag. 'Maybe it's part of some kind of extra storage mod or something.'

spt* *spt* *spt* "You must really like farming, probably even more than me," Again I was taken aback by the Slimeling's words, which held a wisdom to them that belied her youthful appearance. It was certainly more than a tad bit off putting to say the least. "It's quite odd to see a human show such an interest."

"Well what can I say, my folks raised me on a farm most of my life and I just kinda grew to love it. The plants, the animals, it all just sort of clicks for me," As I was talking, a plain blue butterfly floated it's way towards us, gently swaying in the breeze before landing on my finger when I held it out, making my lips curl into a smile. "And I just can't help but love every bit of it."

'Man I can't believe how many mods I put in, this place keeps feeling less like Minecraft and more like home with each passing moment.' I thought with a peaceful sigh as the butterfly took off once more and fluttered away into the distance.

"... Hmm, you really are a strange human after all." Sarah stated, getting my attention again as she smiled softly, though unlike her previous ones this one felt far more genuine.

Not really sure how to react, I just smiled back before we focused back on the road, a much more comfortable silence settling between us now that the awkward air had been shattered.

10 minutes later…

The frosty ground crunched under foot and every breath caused small billows of steam as I rubbed my arms a bit for warmth, the chilly air really starting to nip now. It wasn't too bad yet though, so to take my mind off the weather I decided to ask a question that had been nagging at me for most of my time here.

"Why does it seem like everyone has such distrust in humans? Come to think of it, I haven't even seen another human anywhere." Despite the abruptness of the question, Sarah didn't even so much as falter as she walked, though I did notice that for a split second her form seemed to shudder for a lack of a better term. 'Is that the slime version of shivering perhaps or was it just getting so cold she was gelatinizing?'

spt* *spt* *spt*

"We have our reasons," A comical drop of sweat rolled down the back of my head and I couldn't help but wonder if all Slimelings were like this. "You are very strange for a human, do you know that?"

"Yeah, or so I've been told by you people." I said with a sheepish chuckle while rubbing the back of my head, which earned me a curious look from the orange girl.

"How interesting, you referred to us as 'people', rather than simply addressing us as 'monsters', very perplexing indeed." At this point I was almost certain this slime wasn't as young as she appeared, but what she said made me wonder about the humans of this world even more.

"Well yeah, why wouldn't I? You can think for yourself, we can talk to each-other, and you seem rather nice," I listed off with a shrug. "Other than being different species we aren't all too different from one another."

Now that actually got a visible reaction from Sarah, even if it was just her eyes widening a bit, that showed just how impactful my words had been to her.

spt* *spt* *spt*

And once more a comfortable silence settled, Sarah seemingly stuck in her thoughts while I took in the surroundings to see if I could discern any other mods I'd installed before coming to this world.

I didn't have to look long as with a loud rustle a small herd of deer, two bucks, one prominently bigger than the other, along with three does and their fawns meandered into the clearing. 'Oh wow… so much detail, they look just like real White-Tails.'

"Haaa…"

Hearing a soft gasp beside me, I looked over to see Sarah's slack jawed expression, her eyes looking ready to pop out of her head as she stared at the herd. Now that made sense, no one here should have ever seen deer before given they're a part of one of the mods I'd only just installed.

Sadly, the deer happened to hear the gasp as well, and faster than I could blink, they immediately sprinted away, vanishing into the safety of the treeline within moments.

"I guess you've never seen deer before, huh?" I asked jokingly despite already knowing the answer, only to be met with silence as the orange Slimeling just kept staring at where the critters had once been. Trying a more direct approach, I gave her shoulder a gentle shake which snapped her back to reality while marveling myself at how solid she felt despite being literally made of slime. "Hey, we should almost be there, right?"

"Uh yes , it's just past this clearing." She muttered quickly before taking the lead again, the soft pattering of her feet ringing against the icy ground.

With a little more walking we made our way through the clearing… and straight into one of the most heartbreaking scenes I'd ever seen.

'What in the hell?' I couldn't help but wonder as my gaze drifted over what had to be the most run down and depressing village in existence.The houses were all but collapsed with only a handful either functional or recently repaired, almost everyone was dressed in nothing but glorified rags, several of them looked sick and a few seemed nearly on their deathbed as they huddled around fires and magma blocks for warmth.

On a slightly happier note, a small group of people led by another slime girl, only this one was a softly glowing red, could be seen passing around supplies such as fresh food, new looking coats, thick woolen blankets, and wood to rebuild fires. Yet with everything I saw, all of my questions about this world were only bolstered that much more.

'Dear lord, they all look like they've been barely making it by, What is wrong with this place?and where's the villagers?' Yet more questions that I'd have to get answers for, preferably rather sooner than later.

"Welcome to Peat, home of the north-eastern Creeper Clan," Sarah said with a sad smile while tugging at my shirt, snapping me out of my shocked daze. "Come on, we're almost there."

Not waiting for a response, the little orange slime girl grabbed my hand and started dragging me along towards an old blacksmith's shop which appeared to have been somewhat refurbished recently.

As I hesitantly made my way towards the shop, my dread only grew as more and more people came into view, all of them in miserable condition.

My heart practically shattered when I came across a small little girl, maybe four or five years old, shivering madly as she sat beside one of the collapsed homes, a small burnt out fire a few feet away. The poor thing was all by herself in this freezing weather and had yet to get a blanket or coat to help stay warm.

"Hey, are you alright little one?" I asked after breaking away from Sarah, kneeling in front of the girl and gently rubbing her head, getting her to look up with a startled sniffle, her quivering red eyes locking with mine as my fingers ran through her dark orange locks, "Where are your parents?"

The sadness and grief in her gaze as her head drooped and eyes started watering said it all, it was a look I knew all too well after seeing it on my own face for so many years after my own folks passed, though I had my sisters to care for as well. Glancing around, I saw the supply group was still on the other side of the run down village, focusing their attention on the sickest and weakest people first.

Seeing as it'd probably take them quite a while before they reached here, there were a LOT of people who needed help, I figured I'd help where I could as well. Slipping my jacket off, I quickly draped it over the little orangette, making her blink in surprise as she was enveloped in its warmth before looking up at me in confusion.

"I think you need that more than I do right now." I said with a soft smile as I ruffled her head some more, making her lips curl up ever so slightly as she pulled the jacket tighter around herself.

"... What's your name mister?" She whispered quietly in a polite tone, her voice sounding melodias yet haggard from hunger and thirst.

Smiling a bit brighter myself, I rubbed her head one last time before standing back up. "I'm Dylan, I hope that jacket helps with the cold, it wouldn't do for an adorable kid like you to catch a cold now."

She blushed lightly under the praise while shyly covering the lower half of her face, "...I'm Ruth." This made me chuckle lightly as I dusted off the snow on my knees before it soaked through the cloth. It was cold enough already now without my favorite jacket, I didn't need to make it worse by being cold and wet.

Hearing someone clearing their throat, I glanced back to see Sarah standing where I'd left her, a neutral expression on her face belied by the impatient tapping of her foot. "Oh boy, looks like I gotta go, I'll see you later okay?"

I turned to leave but didn't even get more than two steps when something latched onto me, and turned back to see Ruth clinging onto my shirt with her face buried against my side.

"..I… I... don't go… please." She mumbled out quietly, her grip on my shirt tightening as her trembling legs almost gave out under her, making me sigh softly as I rubbed the top of her head again.

"Oh alright then, why don't you tag along for a bit?" Getting a slow nod from the orangette, I gently picked her up and set her on my shoulders, frowning internally at just how easy it was because she was so light. "You comfortable?"

"...Zzzz…"

"I'll uh, I'll take that as a yes." I said with an unsure smile when all I got in response was some soft snores from Ruth as her face planted right on top of my head, the combination of excitement, joy, and comfort being too much for the young Creeper girl.

Not really knowing what else to do, I awkwardly made my way back to Sarah, who was staring up at me with a mixture of exasperation and amusement.

"You're quite the push-over, aren't you?"

"Just take me to this Pa guy already." That smug grin on her face made my brow twitch. 'Great, smart and sassy, what a fantastic combination.'

The rest of the walk was left in total silence as we finally made it to the Blacksmith building, earning a few odd stares but otherwise left alone by the other inhabitants.

Slam* However, the door to which immediately snapped open the moment we got close, making me jump a bit in surprise and instinctually step back as a male figure mostly covered by the shadows cast by the building itself was revealed.

"Finally, you sure took your sweet time getting here. What's up, you decide to take the scenic route or something?" The figure asked jokingly before he stepped back inside without even waiting for a response. "Well whatever, c'mon in unless you'd prefer freezing your butt out there."

"Uhhh, alright then." I muttered while making my way inside, ducking a bit so Ruth didn't get hit by the doorway, the temperature instantly skyrocketing to more comfortable levels thanks to a large cobblestone vat filled with lava.

'Ahh yes, the typical vanilla blacksmith shop, something even mods can't quite seem to change it.' However it seemed to have a few adjustments made inside, like the building itself had been expanded, the lava had a glass case blocking any stray sparks, and… a smeltery? 'Odd, I don't remember adding Tinker's Constructs. Or wait, wasn't it part of one of the mod packs? Dammit, why didn't I pay more attention to what I added?'

"So, you're the one who gave those new clothes to Culipa? I'll admit, I was more than a bit skeptical when she told me a Human of all things made them for her yet here you are." The man spoke again, snapping me out of my thoughts as he sat down on an old stool, the glow from the lava illuminating his form in the process.

His hair was a mix of blonde and red giving it an almost flamelike appearance, sharp orange eyes that scanned me over intently despite his relaxed posture, a pair of foxy ears stuck out from either side of his head at a slight backwards angle, and a fluffy tail nearly as long as he was tall slowly swayed behind him.

An orange neckerchief with black fang-like designs covered the lower half of his face whilst his short ragged black trench coat flapped around him loosely to show the newer looking orange shirt and grey pants.

'He also knew I was a human before I said anything.' I took a nervous gulp, trying my best to hide my anxiety at the situation…

"Hey now!"

"Gah!"

Before damn near jumping out of my skin when he seemed to just 'pop up' next to me in a blink.

"Try not to look so worried!"He said while putting an arm around my shoulder with a chill smirk. "I'm not gonna do anything to you. Yet."

That last part didn't exactly wash away my worries.

"Uhh, sure, and I'm assuming you are this 'Pa' person that Sarah was talking about?" As soon as I said 'Pa' the 'fox like person' had released a sigh of humoured aggravation.

"I told you to only call me that in the shop," 'Pa' stated while turning towards Sarah, who was now toting a large box full of fruit on the way back out the door. Glancing back at him, the Slimeling simply smiled with an 'innocent' tilt of her head before continuing along her way. "Why you cheeky little…"

'Well at least I'm not the only one she does that too.' I couldn't help but think in mild amusement at the scene before the man cleared his throat with a chuckle.

"Oh right! Where are my manners, the name's Kit, it sure is something to meet you." He said while I deadpanned at that greeting.

'Something? Not even a 'pleased to meet you'? What am I, some sideshow attraction now?' I thought before holding a hand out towards the now named Kit. "Uhh, my name's Dylan, Dylan Rayson, it's a pleasure to meet you Kit."

"Ahaha, yeah, you'll have to earn my respect before I shake that hand of yours, but I like your spirit!" The foxy guy said with a chuckle while patting me on the back hard enough to almost knock me over, my hands shooting up immediately to make sure Ruth didn't tip or fall.

"Ow, anyways, is there any reason in particular that you wanted to see me?"

"Oh yes, straight to business then," Kit said with a nod, his posture turning more serious as he retook his seat and stapled his fingers together as his eyes bore into me like a drill. "As you may have noticed already, things aren't exactly that great around here."

"You could say that again," I agreed with a nod as I reached up and gently rubbed Ruth's head, getting a happy murmur from the child as she snuggled further into my hair. "No offense but most of you guys look like you haven't eaten in weeks."

"And you would not be wrong, food had been quite scarce for some time, resources short in stock, and supplies severely limited. Hell, before me and my little ones arrived here last month most of these folks were lucky to get even a single bite to eat each day," As he spoke, Kit's gaze grew more piercing with each word, as if he was literally staring the answers and secrets right out of me. At the same time, a near etheric glow started to emanate from his form and eyes, filling the air with a heavy pressure that seemed to bore down on me from all directions. "So, 'friend', maybe you can enlighten me on the part of how that suddenly changed completely overnight."

Sweat started to form on my brow as I realized just how serious this guy was, and that depending on what I said from here on out, I would either be walking out of here or be carried out in pieces.

Culipa's Perspective

What that human had said was completely ridiculous I'd thought to myself, there couldn't possibly be any sheep here. They along with most other species of animals had gone extinct long ago due to the Human Scourge, their relentless ravenous thirst for destruction having wiped every last one out of existence.

That's what we'd been told by the Clan Elders at least, and none had any reason to doubt their word since not even they had been exempt to the ravages of hunger and sickness.

Which is why when I'd gotten to the top of the hill leading to the area marked on this map the human had given me, I was left completely and utterly dumbfounded at the sight of dozens of these supposedly extinct creatures wandering around at their own pleasure. 'They're back? How... how is this even possible?!'

"Hooo! They're still here!" Before I could even think of moving, the sound of someone shouting snapped me out of my thoughts and I turned to see Cupa and her Ender friend rushing down the hill excitedly. However, while my sister barely avoided tumbling down the hill as she ran, Emilia was not as lucky enough to avoid such a fate and ended up skidding to a stop face first with a mouthful of dirt.

Too caught up in her own excitement to notice, Cupa slowly came to a halt next to one of the walking balls of fluff and started happily petting it, earning a happy bleating from the critter as it kept eating.

I just couldn't fathom it, we'd been told stories of animals like this one for years, about how the human scourge had annihilated them all, wasting away at any food resource that was available recklessly while leaving nothing behind for the Mob Clans.

And yet, here they were, like nothing had ever happened.

Slowly making my way down the hill and into the clearing, a few of the sheep gave me curious glances but otherwise went about grazing without a care.

"They're nothing like the stories told us, but they're definitely sheep." I muttered to myself as I walked up to one of the creatures, who just started at me with a… look as it chewed on a mouthful of grass.

"Ohh! You're so soft and fluffy!" A comical drop of sweat rolled down the back of my head as I looked over and saw that my sister hugging one of the sheep with her face snuggled in its side, which happened to have the same color wool as her hair. It was actually a pretty funny sight to see in my opinion... at least until she decided to literally jump onto the back of it.

"Hey! What are you doing!? Get off of that thing this instant!" I yelled while exploding into action both figuratively and almost literally as sparks jumped from my hands. Unfortunately, it seems my sudden 'request' sent the creatures into a fright as they all scrambled off in random directions, including the one Cupa was riding.

"Whoaooaaa! Hey! Easy there Sherry! It's okay!" My sister exclaimed as she held on tight to 'Sherry', the sheep bleating in fear as it sprinted away at surprisingly fast speeds.

"Cupaaaa!" I yelled while chasing after the runaway duo, just managing to keep pace. "Get down from that thing this instant! You could get yourself hurt!"

"Stop yelling Culipa! You're scaring them!" Cupa yelled back with a light glare as she managed to get her bearing enough to sit up on Sherry. However, all her words did was annoy me further, to the point I instinctively let loose a couple more small explosions from my hands as I fell further behind.

"Don't be foolish, they're just dumb animals! Now get off of it this instant!"

That… that was the wrong thing to say it seemed if the even angrier glare the little orangette sent my way meant anything. It actually made me recoil…

"Whaa-*Thunk* ...ow." And thus miss the loose stone sticking up out of the ground by my feet.

While I was busy pulling my face, and what was left of my dignity, back out of the ground though, Cupa finally managed to get Sherry to calm back down and hop off. Without even sparing a glance back at me, she stomped off back towards the main clearing with Sherry in tow and regrouped with Emilia.

Whispering something into the Ender girl's ear, Cupa was given a shocked look by her friend as she muttered something back, before nodding as she grabbed the taller girl's arm and dragged her off in a seemingly random direction along with her Sheep friend.

All the while continuing to ignore me like I wasn't even there, which honestly felt like someone just stabbed one of my hearts.

2 hours later, Dylan's Perspective

I couldn't help the feeling of exasperation flowing through me at the situation I was currently in as I stomped through an arid Grassy Plains Biome, the brittle vegetation crunching loudly underfoot with each step.

'I mean, I know I said I'd do anything to help out but this is a bit much, right?' I asked myself while looking down at a large map, my hand tracing over several different marked spots, a good few of which had been X'd out.

As it turned out, Kit had been planning to help the people of Peat get moved to a more suitable place to live ever since he'd arrived there. However, even with the help of his Slimelings, he had been so focused on getting everyone back on their feet first that he'd only been able to get some basic recon done of the surrounding areas.

So instead he dumped the job onto me after out little chat, along with some jargon about proving trust and cooperation. But hey, I wasn't one to turn down the chance to help some people in need, even if that did mean walking for several hours… through rough terrain… in the middle of the day… without a coat since I left it with Ruth back at the village.

On the plus side, I did finally get something to eat as I munch on a chunk of Monster Jerky, which was just as salty and bland as I'd always imagined it would be.

'Kit told me that this map would show me possible areas for a new village, but does it have to have so many specific requirements?' Once again according to Kit, the members of the Creeper Clan, as the inhabitants of Peat were called, thrived best in warm, humid, and damp places to help balance out their natural explosive nature. 'That means either a Seaside Biome, Swamp Biome, or a Rainforest Biome.'

With that in mind I had been trekking towards the nearest most suitable location I could find on the map, what seemed to be a moderately sized swamp a few miles due east of the village. Unfortunately, the shortest path to get there meant crossing straight through this desolate place first, which would certainly explain why nobody from Peat had found the place yet.

'I should check if there's a more suitable route for the rest of the village when they start moving, I doubt they'd do very well in their condition.'

spt* *spt* *spt* "So where are we going Mr. Human? Father said to accompany you, but neglected to tell me as to where exactly." The Slimeling beside me asked as she skipped along with a cheery hum as she fiddled with the strap to her satchel.

However, this wasn't the orange one I was used to traveling in silence with, but rather a new golden one named Selina, who was practically the polar opposite of her orange tinted sister.

Instead of being quiet, kind, and sharply sassy, she was curious, energetic, yet still managing to keep this sophisticated air about her, mostly thanks to her literally sparkling form.

"Well, we're going to go and find a new location for the inhabitants of Peat to live." I told her with a tired smile before glancing back at the map. 'It looks like just 10 more minutes of walking. It was only midday, so I should have plenty of time to get there, scope it out, and get back with the all clear to start moving.'

Kit said that he'd take care of the housing, however I had no clue as to how he could do that with less than half the day to build a house, not to mention housing for all the inhabitants of Peat.

"Well duh, I knew that you silly Mr. Human. I meant where exactly?" Selina asked again with a playful giggle, making me cough awkwardly with a sheepish smile.

"Oh right, sorry" Holding the map down so she could see, I pointed to the marking that was the Swamp. "We're heading here."

"Ah, of course, that should be a perfect place for the people of Peat to live," The golden Slimeling said with a nod before slouching with a pout. "Hopefully we get there soon though, my feet are killing me!"

"Well, it shouldn't be too much longer now, just about ten to fifteen more minutes." I said with a chuckle as Selina slumped even more with a groan before taking out my makeshift pencil and began to plan out a few possible routes to the Swamp.

10 minutes later...

By now I had planned out at least 3 alternate routes that don't involve trekking through the dry Grassy Field, however...

'I don't want to take them through the mountains, they've dealt with enough cold, not to mention the paths could be too narrow and dangerous.', I crossed off one of the paths on the map, 'We could always take the Redwoods forest though, hmm, that one seems like the longest route though, and they're all still recovering from starvation.' I left a question mark by that one, leaving it as a maybe option. 'I guess that just leaves this one.'

The last option followed a calm river almost to where we are now, meaning that part of the journey could be cut down via boat-ride until they reached a branching segment, which thankfully ended at a lush clearing just under a mile from the swamp biome itself.

I was brought out of my thoughts when I felt a tugging on my shirt,and looked down to Selina with a curious expression. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Do you know what kind of plant that is?" She pointed towards the edge of the arid biome, I actually had to squint my eyes to see what exactly she was talking about. The moment I did though, my eyes widened and a grin formed on my lips when I recognized what she was pointing at.

"No way." I mumbled to myself excitedly, my pace beginning to pick up until I was moving a full blown sprint.

"Hey! Wait for me! I cant run that fast!" Selina called out as she tried to keep up, her feet squelching loudly as they splatted flat against the ground with each step.

When I made it to the plant I finally saw a truly beautiful sight that filled me with hope for the people of Peat. "Yes! I knew they'd be here! It's a wild rice patch!"

I felt my heart leap for joy, there was so much rice here, at least an acre's worth which was enough to feed the entire village for weeks. But more importantly, if there's rice growing here, then that means... I felt a grin grow on my face.

Back when I was on my family farm, I'd studied up on all kinds of crops and vegetation, and rice is exclusively known to grow in moist watery places… like swamps .

Taking a deep breath, I felt a smile grow on my face. 'The air, it's nice and humid here.'

Sure enough, a quick look around and I was greeted to the muggy river and pond filled muddy terrain of a classic Swamp Biome.

spt*...*spt*...*spt*... "Oi! You left me behind, you jerk!" Selina exclaimed indignantly once she caught up finally, smacking me hard enough to briefly splatter her hand across my back, which was an odd feeling for sure.

"... uhh, s-sorry about that! I just got excited when I saw these guys."

Her expression of anger switched to curious wonder when I pointed to the rice plants. "What even is it? I've never seen anything like it before."

I will forever deny the starry eye gaze I got as I pulled the golden Slimeling closer.

"Well, this right here is called a rice plant, one of the few types of edible vegetation you can grow in swampy regions like this one!" As I was speaking, I reached down to the nearest plant and carefully pulled off a few grains for Selina to see. "It has dozens of uses, food, fuel, some beverages, all sorts of stuff."

Now it was the Slime girl's turn to have stars in her eyes as I continued to list the various uses and types of food that rice was good for.

"Hooooo! How exciting! So many possibilities!" She picked up a piece of rice from my hand, eyeing it with childish wonder, her eyes literally sparkling. "All those applications in such a small thing, fascinating!"

I couldn't help but chuckle as I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's some neat stuff, this could mean all the difference for the people of Peat."

"So…" Selina's gaze suddenly went from curious wonder to a questionable stare pointed straight towards me. "Are you saying that this is a suitable place to settle?"

Looking back towards the golden Slimeling, I gave her my brightest smile as I gestured ot the surrounding area. "This is the perfect place, the climate is just how Kit wanted, they'll have plenty of food and water to go around, and with some guidance and hard work they should be able to even prosper. We couldn't have found a more perfect starting point."

"Alright then." She said after I finished my explanation before pulling something out of her satchel, something I didn't recognize from any of the mods that I knew about. It looked kinda like an Ender Pearl, only with a strange runic stone casing that glowed a soft orange.

Before I could ask what it was though, Selina tossed the mysterious item to the ground and I was blinded by a sudden flash of light, forcing me to cover my eyes as I fell on my ass.

"Hoh? So this is the place you found huh? Gotta say, not too bad," My eyes widened, no, it couldn't be, how'd he get here so fast?! "I'll be honest though, didn't think you'd get the job done so quickly."

"Father, you should check out these plants," I heard Selina say. "Mr Human was just telling me about all the things they can be used for."

"Oh really?"

By the time I could see again, I was greeted to the sight of Kit standing in the once empty space to my left, examining some of the rice plants closely as Selina repeated everything I'd just told her before turning back to me.

"Hmmm, looks like I was right in giving you a chance after all," He said while offering me a hand, his mask crinkling up to show that he was smiling. "Good job, I'm glad to see my trust wasn't misplaced."

"No problem," I said while accepting his hand, before grunting as he pulled me up with ease and nearly launched me in the opposite direction. Stumbling a few steps, I hissed lightly while rubbing my now aching shoulder with a grimace. 'Geez, this guy is no joke, I thought he was gonna rip my arm off for a second.'

"Alright then, if it's all the same to you, I'm gonna get this place ready. Hum… Dylan, I'd like you to go back and bring everyone here right away."

"U-uhh, what?"

Culipa's Perspective

It had been a few hours since Cupa had stormed off with her friend in tow and she still hasn't returned. To say I was getting worried was an understatement, sure this area was known to be relatively peaceful but there was still a chance that a stray Feral could have wandered into the area.

When my concern grew too strong to ignore, which admittedly didn't take very long, I started actively looking for the pair. I checked in the cottage, around the lake, anywhere that I thought she could be after she just stormed off and everywhere the map showed that the human gave me.

However, after nearly forty minutes without even a glimpse of Cupa or Emilia, a groan of aggravation and worry slipped past my lips as I trudged back to the last possible place they could be. "That little pipsqueak had better be here or I'm gonna… what in the hell?"

On the positive side, I found both the girls I was looking for, but the sight I was greeted to upon finding them was… odd to say the least

"Oi! Emilia, put the stone over there! And hand me that wood!" Cupa called as Emilia set a plain stone block along a precariously heaped up pile of wood, dirt, and stone in a very, very vaguely similar manner to a wall.

'What is she doing?' I wondered, a sweat drop running down the back of my head as I stepped before the 'wall' and cleared my throat loudly, getting my sis and her friend to jump in surprise as they finally noticed my presence.

"H-Hey! Do not take another step towards this wall! For if you do you shall incur that wrath of the Dynamic Duo!" Cupa exclaimed dramatically once she recovered, pointing at me from atop her 'wall'. "None shall pass our impervious defenses!"

It seemed she was quite proud of her and Emilia's build, though the same could not be said for the Ender girl herself. The poor girl took every step like she was walking on eggshells, and for good reason as the structure creaked and groaned ominously under her feet.

"Cupa, what in the name of the Nether are you doing?" I asked dryly, exasperation clear in my voice as I rubbed the side of my brow with one hand.

"This land has now been claimed in the name of Cupa and her bestest friend Emmy!" She yelled while reaching down for something, soon revealed to be her old hoodie tied to a stick to act as a makeshift flag. "And our first decree is this, no older sisters allowed!"

"Oh for the love of… Is this really what you've been doing for the past two and a half hours?" I mumbled to myself with a tired sigh before looking back up at the self proclaimed 'Dynamic Duo'. "Get down from there right now Cupa, you're going to hurt yourself up there."

Cupa pouted at me angrily as soon as I said this, trying to act all scary and intimidating but only managing to make herself look even more adorable then usual.

"Mmmmm, no! This is our sanctuary! And the sheep are our citizens! We must protect them from rude meanies like you!" She raised her makeshift flag above her head and waved it around like an adorable orange lunatic. Her friend shyly nodded her head, though unlike my sister remained in place as she once again stared down at their barely stable structure with a nervous gulp.

"Your sanctuary huh?" As I spoke, I made sure to pointedly look to the side, where there was a huge gaping hole that had yet to be filled yet and even had a random sheep casually meandering through as it grazed. "Yeah, looks reeeeeally safe and secure."

"A-aahh, don't mind that opening! I-its just... an illusion! A decoy!" The orangette said nervously, waving her hands and flag around frantically as nervous sweat poured from her brow. "Yeah, a decoy! A trick! Nothing more! Ahaha!"

Thunk* *Poof* "A-aaahh... ahh," Unfortunaly, with all her frantic motions, Cupa ended up striking one of the dirt blocks the makeshift wall was made of, causing a small puff of dust to fly up right in Emilia's face. "Ahhhh… ahhh... aaAACCHOO!"

CRASH*

With a solid deadpan on my face, I walked up to the now collapsed pile of blocks that had once been a wall and crouched beside my sister's half buried form. "Sooo, how's that 'sanctuary' holding up?"

"Mmmpphhh," My sister groaned out with her face still implanted in the ground before pulling herself free with a soft popping sound and hopping back to her feet with a figer pointed at me once more. "Grrrr, this battle may be lost, but mark my words! The war has only just begun!"

With her piece said, the orangette grabbed her friend by the arm and dragged the dazed Ender girl onto the back of the sheep she called 'Sherry'.

"Onward Sherry! To victory!"

A sweat drop rolled down the back of my head as I watched Cupa spur the sheep on in an over dramatic manner while holding her flag up. What really got me wasn't that she got onto it's back again though, but rather that the sheep was barely even phased by its rider's actions as it just trutted away at a slow casual pace.

Yet it seemed Cupa either ignored how slow it was going, or didn't want to acknowledge it, as she continued to pose and act dramatically during her 'amazing' escape. Meanwhile, a somewhat recovered Emilia just blushed shyly as she went along with her friend's actions, despite how silly they were.

For what had to be the hundredth time that day, an exasperated sigh escaped my lips as I followed after them, pinching my brow as I already felt a headache starting. "I really hate being the responsible one sometimes."

3 hours later, Dylan's Perspective

A smile made its way onto my face as the gentle rocking of the boat I rode on washed through me rhythmically in an almost soothing manner.

Well boat was a bit generous, it would be more accurate to describe my current form of transport a raft, given it was literally just a large flat platform of logs carefully strapped together. Not that I was complaining though, since it did the job for me and the few dozen others riding on it and the three other rafts following behind it. Speaking of the others, to pass the time I made some conversation with the now former natives of Peat, though it mainly involved farming advice and writing down tips for those who really became interested.

'These aren't the usually vanilla game boats, probably a part of some bigger boats mod,' Whichever one it was, it was a good thing Kit knew of it somehow since he'd been the ones to give me these rafts after I showed him the route I'd intended for the villagers of Peat to take towards their new home. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, given that i had to shove an entire town's worth of people, two slimelings, and all their belongings onto just four boats, though I managed to work it out after some careful shuffling around. 'Good thing Realistic Physics doesn't affect floatables, because there is no way this thing should be working with so many people.'

"Zzzzzz….zzzzzz." Of course, there was the small issue where a certain little cutie pie named Ruth decided that she just had to be on the same boat as myself and promptly stole ownership of my lap as her personal napping spot. I couldn't help but flush in embarrassment as I heard the other villagers chuckling and joking about it, especially when a few of the elderly ones started talking about how I was a natural fatherly figure.

"Ahem, so, anyways, before you even start cooking the rice you should make sure to wash it, not much but enough to get any dirt or grime off it so you don't get sick." The other's on the raft with me leaned in close as I spoke, eating up every word with curious and fascinated expressions.

Though, even if they missed what I said I was writing everything down on all I knew about rice farming and how to cook it, as well as a few simple recipes they could use, into a small notebook I'd crafted before we'd left.

I couldn't help but smile gently to myself as I wrote and spoke, these people's excitement reminded me so much of my own when my folks were first teaching me how to farm.

"U-umm, mister Dylan," One of the villagers, a red eyed ravenette who looked just a bit younger than myself with a sheepish blush on her face muttered out softly, getting my attention as she twiddled her fingers as soft crackling pops between them. "I-I just think that it's pretty amazing that you know so much about this 'rice', b-but why are you teaching us about it? N-not that I'm saying we're not grateful or anything, b-but…"

"Why tell you guys about it when I could just take it all for myself?" I finished for her, earning a quiet shy nod. "Well because you guys need it way more than I do, simple as that. And if teaching you guys how to farm rice means you won't have to go hungry anymore than that's what I'll do."

This seemed to appease the girl's curiosity, along with earning a few others as they settled back down. However, it seemed one of the elderly members wanted to talk more as an old man with striking electric silver hair like Culipa's and sharp red eyes took a seat right beside me.

"Uhh, hello sir, I don't think we've been introduced." I said while scratching the back of my head in a sheepish manner.

"...hmm, you act quite strangely considering your race, young man." He stated, causing me to freeze as his gaze seemed to burn into me.

'Holy, I feel like he's staring into my soul.' A shiver ran down my spine at that thought, though I refused to break eye contact, or rather couldn't as my body wouldn't budge an inch. At least, that was the case until he finally looked away with an affirmative grunt.

"In fact, it's almost like you aren't one of them at all. You even address us as if we're your equals, something that 'they've' never done before," The old man continued, which only piqued my confusion and curiosity more. "You have many questions of your own and burdens that you bare, but above all I can see that your intentions are pure."

With those words, the atmosphere settled down from severely tense to only slightly uncomfortable, my nerves settling once I saw that the man wasn't hostile.

"I didn't come over here to interrogate you young man, I can tell that you truly want to help my people and I honestly couldn't be more grateful. I just wanted to know... what do you gain from this?"

I didn't even have to think before answering.

"Nothing, I don't really gain anything from this," Scratching the back of my head, a sheepish chuckle escaped my lips as I flopped onto my back and stared up at the sky. "Honestly I just wanted to help get you all to a better location, I hadn't even thought about anything after that."

If I had been looking, I'd have seen the look of total shocked disbelief that appeared on the old man's face before being replaced with a humbled grin. "I thank you young man, you truly have the heart of a hero class."

'Heart of a what now?'

Before I could ask that question aloud, he got up and left to the back of the boat to a few other elders that had been watching me closely, whilst the others rushed right back towards me and beset me with a waterfall of different questions.

Culipa's Perspective

Three hours had passed since Cupa's little 'project' and I was just laying down at the top of the hill to the clearing at this point waiting to see what she'd come up with next, having grown tired of following her on her 'mighty steed' Sherry after about ten minutes. During that time, any semblance of worry I'd felt from before had fully faded, instead replaced with a bored apathy and mild amusement as I started imagining what silly plan my sister came up with to 'keep me out'.

It wasn't until I began to hear poorly restrained giggling coming from down by the clearing that I'd pushed myself to a sitting position to see what half-cocked scheme she'd settled on.

"...Really?" I asked dryly upon being greeted with the sight of a half-hashed scarecrow at the bottom of the hill with a very vaguely familiar appearance to it.

Sighing with a shake of my head, I made my way down the hill and towards the 'scarecrow', more poorly hidden giggling ringing out along the way from a certain equally poorly hidden orangette.

"Halt!" One of the arms of the scarecrow raised, a badly hidden arm lifting it up from behind as it 'spoke'. "You shall not terrorize these sheep anymore Culipa, for you shall have to go through me! Mister hu- *Cough* errm, Dylan!"

'She didn't really think that this one would work right?' I felt one of my eyes twitch in irritation, 'How stupid does she think I am?'

"I said halt big si-er Culipa, you shall not-" *ThwaSPLAT*

Without any hesitation, my leg shot up at high speed and struck the scarecrow's head with the force of a cannon shot, blasting it to pieces which scattered far and wide all over the clearing.

"GAAAAH! MISTER TROY!" Her cover pretty much blown, Cupa hobbled out of her hiding spot and hugged the now headless stand with a sniffle while glaring at me, seeming more devastated with 'Troy's' destruction rather than her plan's failure. "You'll *sniff* pay for this."

She tried to be intimidating, really, but whatever miniscule intimidation factor she had to begin with was utterly destroyed by her comical sniffling and watering doe eyes.

Meanwhile, a trembling Emilia got out from behind 'Troy' and began to drag Cupa away, with Sherry slowly following them along with a soft bleat.

"Hey, she can't be mad at me for this," I told myself with a shrug, idly glancing up when I felt a few droplets hit my head and saw a few rain clouds moving in, before turning back to 'Troy'. "He should have kept his head in the game."

Dylan's Perspective

'Oh crap, that's not good.' As I was staring up at the sky, some concern shot through me when I noticed a bundle of rain clouds letting loose a light yet steady downpour right in the middle of our path. Now, normally that wouldn't have been a big deal, but given we were still in a cold region, any rain right now would no doubt be absolutely freezing.

I opened my inventory and looked over all the materials I currently had on hand to see if I had anything that might be helpful, but was greeted by nothing but wool and my farm supplies. "Damn, looks like we'll just have to ride this out."

Before I could ponder further on this, the weight on my lap shifted as Ruth woke up from her slumber, rubbing her drooping eyes with a cute yawn.

"Enjoy your nap Ruth?" I ask with a soft chuckle while patting her head as she just nods with another yawn, before gently lifting her up and setting her down closer to one of the magma blocks that several other kids were huddled around.

After that, I turned back towards everyone else while taking in a deep breath to calm my nerves.

"Listen up everybody," Thankfully they all seemed to turn their attention towards me, especially the kids. "There's some rain coming our way, so try to stick together and watch your step, its about to get pretty cold and sl-"

Thunk*

"Whaaa!" A young boy with short black hair yelled as the raft hit something, causing him to tumble over the edge. Acting without thinking, I bolted straight towards the kid and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, trying to pull him back.

Unfortunately, in my rush to do so, I ended up overextending myself and with no way to counterbalance the boy's weight we both fell towards the water. With only a split second to react, I swung my arm, just mustering enough strength to fling the boy back on board before plunging into the icy depths.

The cold struck like a hammer blow, searing my eyes until I squeezed them shut and causing me to gasp in shock before choking as the freezing water flooded down my throat.

My lungs burning for air and body growing numb, I could do nothing but flounder blindly in the desperate hope that I could make it back to the surface until something suddenly wrapped around my waist.

Sploosh* "Gah!" *Cough* *Cough*

In a blink, I was ripped out of the water and flopping back onto the raft, coughing up several mouthfuls of water as I gasped for air. By the time I was done, my whole body was trembling madly from cold and exhaustion, the air stabbing at me like knives.

Thankfully the sensation didn't last long as the old man from before wrapped a heavy blanket around me whilst helping me sit up. Meanwhile, one of the adults brought over one of the magma blocks, the warmth washing over me comfortably.

That warmth only grew as I was bombarded by the children on the raft, their eyes sparkling in amazement while they huddled around me.

"That was so awesome mister!"

"Are you okay!?"

"You scared me so much mister Dylan!"

"Thank you for saving my little brother!"

"T-thank you s-so much for saving me." The young boy, Ruth, and so many other kids all said at the same time, their voices intermingling together into a barely cohesive mess as they clambered all over me in excitement.

"D-don't... mention it." I muttered out hoarsely, only to immediately regret it as my throat stung and ached, making me break out into a coughing fit.

This of course only made the kids huddle around me even more from a mixture of concern and awe.

"Such a selfless lad, got a good head on his shoulders."

"Indeed, and he's so great with kids, just look at how much they already look up to him."

"I know, he'll be such a great father one day, whoever manages to land him will be quite the lucky girl indeed."

And of course the rest of the passengers just had to throw in their own two cents too. Well… at least my cheeks aren't cold anymore.

A/N: I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter! It's a bit longer than normal, but that's because there's so much going on in this chapter! And thank you again for joining us on this adventure, hope you stick around for the next part!

CK: … … Uh… hey guys, still waiting for Dylan to land so it's just me here… *Scratches back of head sheepishly* So, hope you've been enjoying the story so far. It's a bit of a first for me writing in first person and all so much. And thanks to Dylan for making me my own OC, I'm rather flattered.

DA: aaaaaaaAAAAAA-*Thud* ...Ow..

CK: Oh, there you are. Hope you're all here next time too, Ciao.

DA: (painfully drags himself towards CK) ...that...hurt...

CK: *Walks away with innocent whistle*

DA: Hey! ...At least call the hospital… (Passes out)