The Enderdragon's Baker (A Minecraft Story)

Queen Bee

"And- done."

The four people backed away from the board and looked over it. Lines, circles, and notes in red littered the huge map pinned to the wall. Zach had written all the city and town names that the path went through while Anna traced the actual path he went, Endie reading them out to them. Blue little 'x's marked where members had spotted him. What all of them noticed immediately was how he laced between many places, completely avoiding some.

"Does he normally swerve past towns like that?" Endie asked.

"Yes and no." Anna stared at the map. She's talked very little since breakfast so hearing her say anything caught their attention. "Some of these make sense, but others are actual checkpoints. He shouldn't be avoiding them."

"Rarely do people avoid somewhere like that unless they're in danger." H shared a look with Anna.

"Then we've got some places to check." She turned and headed for the house door. "I'll go tell my brothers, mind getting ready while I'm gone?"

"No problem." They all answered. She nodded briefly before closing the door, her mind already making a game plan.

...

"Ok, Zack. I need answers." H smirked and Endie rolled his eyes. Zach chuckled and finished writing down the list of towns.

"About Queen Bee out there?"
"Yes."
"If we have time after getting ready, then fine."

"Pft, time? Look who your talking to, just watch." He teleported away and they could hear him popping into other rooms around them.

"You give in to easily." Endie frowned.

"It's not like I'd tell him anything she doesn't want me to." Brine teleported back in, tossing everyone's bags onto one couch and collapsing onto the other, tiredly. "Anna's pretty open about most things, but unlike her brother's, I know when to keep my mouth shut."

"You all act more like friends than being your bosses."

"That's rich coming from you, Brine."

"Hey, you guys have stuck by me a lot longer than any mortals have been around each other. Might as well be childhood friends by now." Brine grumbled. "Also, your teleporting us, I'm too tired now."

"Then don't race around like that." Endie answered. Brine mumbled an unintelligible answer. It was most likely just sass anyway.

"Your immortal, too?" Zach pointed to Endie.

"Yep. Me and my friends help this idiot with anything he needs." Endie smiled. "But this isn't about us."

"I knew you wanted to know, too!" Zach laughed. "Anyway, let me just make this clear: I'm hired by them, but they aren't my bosses. If anything, we are more like friends or coworkers than bosses."

"You treat Anna like one."
"She is a special case."
"And why is that?"

"I vowed my life to her, not them." He shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, I care about them all. They have all treated me like one of them and I appreciate it, but she's the only one who's been around since I was a rude little shit of a kid. I'll listen to them, but her word far outweighs theirs. Maybe Freddy's, because the kid's cute." He glanced at the door as Anna came in, smirking to himself. "So yeah. She's my boss."

"Pft, yeah. Sure." She giggled, checking her back. "Anyway, anyone mind that I've got a plan already?"

"No complaints here, bossy Anna is entertaining as hell." Brine snickered and Endie elbowed him.

"What are we doing, Ann?"

"We're investigating two cities today and if we find nothing big with them, were checking the other two tomorrow.  Freddy was dropping off supplies from city to city, so I had Arin contact everyone he was suppose to meet." She closed her bag and smiled at Brine. "You packed them to get information from Zach, huh?"

"How'd you know?!"

"Everyone's ready but Zach knows what I'm missing." She paused before Zach's smirk fell.

"Oh crap, I did forget!" Endie and Brine held back a laugh. "We'll grab them on the way out, their in my room."

"And why are they there?"
"I got you some new ones, the old ones are garbage."

"Rude!" She pouted and he snickered. They headed out the door, passing people coming and going from the base. Some were just coming in and other's were just heading out, coming in earlier to get a mission and such. "But thanks."

"What are you missing?" Endie asked.

"Seeing as you don't know, I'm guessing she hasn't practiced in a while." The insinuation alone made her frown.

"Not since my home blew up, no." She mumbled and Brine instantly looked away from them all.

"Sounds like an excuse to me." He answered, slyly. Anna scoffed, a grin spreading across her face. "Sure you aren't rusty, Anna?"

"You wanna be the one to test it?" Zach put his hands up.

"No thank yoou, not making that mistake again."

"Sounds like you are." H chuckled.
"Stop fueling her fire." Endie answered.
"No way, I wanna see this happen."

"Anna fights with daggers." Zach answered, simply.

"Seriously?" Endie asked. She shrugged.

"I don't resort to violence unless I have to. I don't like it. But talking it out gives people a chance to jump you. So I kept daggers on me when I worked here. Their faster than taking out and waving around some sword and a bow isn't as good the closer the target is and takes too long to load if you missed. After I left, I stopped keeping them out."

"You lived in Cobblerock." H said, flatly.

"I never said I didn't have them on me. Plus, I didn't really need them." She hugged Endie's arm happily. "Endie would never let anything happen to me with him around."

"Ya damn right."