fWhip's Perspective-

fWhip put his scarf over his nose and mouth before snapping his goggles over his eyes. He nodded at his knight, who carefully took one of the caged canaries out before walking into the cave.

The canary stayed silent, and they ventured deeper into the cave, fWhip mining some of the redstone and other minerals found in their journey.

About an hour later, they had gone down a small path at one of the forks in the cave when the canary died.

"Come on." fWhip said, nodding back towards the way they came. "We gotta go."

The knight nodded and the two followed the torches back outside.

"We got a good haul though; this should be perfect." fWhip walked out and he saw his father standing by the river, looking disgusted.

"Dad? Is something wrong?" fWhip tugged down his scarf and Bryson pointed to the river where codfish swam.

"What's...oh." fWhip frowned deeply and Bryson swung his sword, the fish getting struck through their hearts.

"Tell me, have you figured out what exactly you'd like to add onto our empire?"

fWhip nodded. "Yes, I was gonna add a safe path up the mountains and build a bit of a sanctuary."

Bryson hummed.

"I- I know it's not as big as your machine, but I think it would be beneficial to represent our empire." fWhip said confidently.

His father chuckled. "I wouldn't expect you to build something as complicated as I am. Trust me, that machine has more parts than this entire kingdom."

"What is it meant to do?"

"If all goes according to plan, it should be able to replace all cod..."

fWhip's eyes widened. "R-really? Wow! That's great!"

"So you keep doing what you're doing and I'll do mine." Bryson smiled.

"Just one problem...where do we get salmon?"

"The Ocean Empire. Have the builders help you make fireworks for us to trade with them."

"But I thought the fireworks were for The Mythlands."

"We have plenty to spare, the materials are so plentiful here after all." Bryson ruffled his son's hair and fWhip nodded.

-

Over the course of the next week, they had been making fireworks and sketching out fWhip's salmon sanctuary on the two peaks.

This surely would solidify his ruling over the empire and show others that he was not to be messed with.

fWhip smiled to himself and checked his pocket watch, seeing that he had to leave with his father for the Ocean Empire in only a few minutes. He glided down and met Bryson at the carriage before stepping inside.

"Do they know we're on our way?" fWhip asked.

"They don't tend to leave their empire. You see, the people of the ocean are similar to our enemy in the swamp."

"They're idiotic?"

Bryson laughed and he wrapped his arm around him, pulling him close.

"You're not wrong, but no the people of the ocean are similar in the way that they are part fish. But the more elegant of the two, being part axolotl."

fWhip's eyes widened, fascinated.

"So are they our enemy?" He asked.

"No, but not exactly our ally. I'm honestly not clear on where they stand with the cod, but this should have them sealed in our trust."

To anyone wondering what machine fWhip's father is talking about, he's building the reactor that caused the rapture.