I stood at the bow for hours. The air temperature slowly dropped, and I could see my breath. Suddenly, a coat was draped over my shoulders. Lauren leaned up against the rail next to me.

                    "Thanks." I said. She only nodded. We stood silent for a few moments.

                    "Listen, sorry about stealing your stuff." I said. She shrugged.

                    "Can't say I blame you. Would'a done the same in your situation." She said. A few more moments of silence followed, and I continued.

                     "So... Coulter explained the revolution to me. He mentioned your brother. You keep making allusions to him. Who is he?" I asked. She sighed defeatedly.

                       "I don't really like talking about it... He's one of the Warlords chosen three. One of his best fighters. Probably a bigger patriot than everyone in Arcent Flo combined." She said. I looked down.

                       "Sorry about that." I said.

                       "Not your fault. I've listened to him spout off Legion propaganda to me ever since my parents died in the war. I've been talked to about the Legion more than I thought would be possible. Life got you down? Join the Legion." She said bitterly. I had no idea how to respond to that. She shook her head.

                    "What about you? Any siblings?" She asked. I shook my head.

                    "It was always just me and my dad. We lived in this small little two-story house. It was usually just me home alone while he was off bickering with the other council members." I said, chuckling slightly.

                   "You had a good relationship with him?" She asked. I nodded.

                   "Best I could have asked for. He had a great sense of humor. Dad jokes. My friends loved him. Never busted us for underage drinking, just got one himself." I said.

                          "You had a good friend group?" She asked. I chuckled.

                          "More family than anything. Rick, Dan, Big Doug, and... Sarah. Rick's parents were both members of the guard. In fact, his dad ran the thing. Great sense of humor. Managed to brighten up even the crappiest situations. Dan was a pretty chill dude. Highly religious. Never really knew much about his birth family. He was adopted when the pigman lost the war. And Big Doug-" I cracked up. "Dude, Big Doug was the definition of 'Party Addict.' He escalated them like nobody's business. He could never stay on the surfboard. He was shaving our first year of middle school. His sense of humor was crude, out of nowhere, and unique." I shook my head. "The twin brother I never had. And Sarah-" My voice caught. Lauren frowned.

                     "Girlfriend?" She asked. I sighed, and nodded.

                     "The attack was my fault. The night before was her 16th birthday, and I thought it was such a great idea to set off fireworks. Led them right to us.I got my family killed." I said.

                    "Actually..." Lauren said. I looked up, confused.

                   "Not all of them. Those escaped pigmen? That was Big Doug, Sarah, and this annoying kid named Will." She said. I whirled to her.

                      "Seriously?!" I said, "Because if this is some kind of cruel joke..." I trailed off.

                     "Not a joke. They're alive, Dean." She said.

                     "Shouldn't we turn around and get them then?" I said. Lauren shook her head.

                     "Half the Wither Legion is out there searching for them, including that general with the Nether Blade. You need more than basic training to beat him." She said. I slumped. She was right.

                          "Land spotted! Argenta City ahead!" Bill shouted from the wheel. I looked ahead, and my breath caught.

                           The city was sprawling. Blackstone (not my family's invention-blackstone as in the rock) buildings ringed up a hill that led up to a massive castle lined in gold. Chiefs Landing Bastion. Home of the Piglin Chief. A massive oval area sat at the base of the mountain. Goldtusk Arena, named after the legendary warrior who had built it. The bay area was ringed in massive buildings snaking out of the lava sea with ballista along the edges. Seagaurds. The brutes manning the ballista nodded to us respectfully. I pulled up my hood and facemask. I immediately began to feel warmer.

                  Bill pulled us into a dock, and Sadie dropped the gangplank. Coulter led off confidently. An old man with an axe for an arm stood slowly, and Coulter rushed to help him stand.

                  "Desmond, you really need to stay in bed." Clairesse said, and hugged the old piglin. He waved them off.

                    "The first time I spend all day in bed is the day I die, kid. I ain't that old yet." He said.

                    "Desmond, you're literally a hundred and twelve years old." Coulter laughed, and handed Desmond his cane. He waved Coulter off again, and looked me dead in the eye.

                      "And this must be Dean. I was told by a shaman in the woods that if I lived to a hundred years old, I would see the last pigman. And once I turned a hundred I was convinced I ate the wrong mushroom, which was perfectly plausible at the time. Now here we are." Desmond said. Was it really that easy to tell?

                       "Nice to meet you." I said, and shook his hand. For such an old guy, he had a strong grip. Coulter chuckled.

                         "C'mon, you bloody grandpa. Let's go to the shop." He said. Desmond nodded, and began shuffling away.

                         "Grandpa, let us help you up the stairs!" Sadie yelled.

                         "The day I'm too old to walk up the bloody stairs by myself is the day I'm buried, kiddo." He said, and began walking up the twelve flights of steep, stone stairs to the street.

                   "Is he actually..." I trailed off.

                          "Yup. That's Desmond for you. The most stubborn piglin in the Argenti Empire, and honestly the most stubborn living thing in the nether." Sadie said, and the creed began following Desmond up the stairs.

                         "What happened to his arm?" I asked Coulter.

                         "He lost it in a duel with the current piglin chiefs dad. He lost the fight, and the crown." Coulter said. I frowned.

                          "So wait-"

                           "Yeah. That's Desmond Goldtusk. The only living Ex-Piglin Chief, the guy who took on the entire Wither Legion by himself with what was essentially a pocket knife. And won." Coulter said. I blinked in surprise.

                     "Jeez." I said, summing up everything I thought about the guy in one word. This guy was practically a living legend.

                      "Move it, slowpokes! War waits for no man!" He bellowed from the front of the line. And yet he was the one holding it up.

                       A staircase that would normally take about a minute to walk up took us thirty minutes to walk, Desmond shouting all along the way for us to pick up the pace.

                      I'm just glad his shop was at the top of the stairs. Desmond led us through the backdoor, and flipped the sign to 'closed'.

                      "Alright everyone, head out and get supplies. Me, Dean, Clairesse, Lauren, and Sadie will get what we need here." Coulter said. They all nodded, and left. Desmond sighed.

                       "So what do y'all need this time?" He asked.

                       "Basic training supplies, like punching bags, trainee weapons-" Coulter started

                      "I get it, I get it. Don't yap my ears off." Desmond said, and led us around the shop, showing us various products that ranged from old clocks to dysfunctional mortars.
                       When he was showing us the armor section, one particular set caught my eye. It was a bunch of tightly woven reeds dipped in silver and painted black and red. It had a chestplate, arm cuffs, leg cuffs, and golden boots. A straw ronin hat stood in place of a helmet.

                   "Classic pigman Samurai armor set. Found this in Cardonia after the war. It never got sold. You interested?" Desmond said behind me, and I jumped.

                    "Too expensive." I said, looking at the price tag. He shook his head.

                    "Too expensive... bah, just take it! You'd be doin me a favor, no one wants it 'cause it's 'Too expensive.'" He said. I looked at him in shock.

                      "Seriously? Free?" I said.

                      "You got a hearing issue, Blackstone? Yeah, It's free, so take the bloody armor!" He growled. Coulter laughed. Desmond walked off, probably to advertise to Lauren.

                        "He likes you. He would never give that to me for free." Coulter said, whistling appreciatively. I reached for the hat, and put it on.

                         "Try the rest of it on." Coulter said. I nodded, and brought the rest of it into the back.

                          I walked out a few minutes later, feeling awesome.

                       "How do I look?" I asked, placing my hand on Berserker's hilt.

                        "Absolutely awesome." Lauren laughed. Coulter, Clairesse, and Sadie nodded in the affirmative. Desmond just grunted, looking at my sword hip.

                         "You need a second katana. The pigmen warriors always had another one at their hip." Desmond said, and shuffled off.

                         He came back a moment later, holding a very expensive looking katana. He popped the seal, and drew the blade.

                         "The sharpest, lightest blade Cardonia had to offer. Made of pure, deep gold. It was forged in the hottest fires in the nether and cooled in holy water blessed by the chief himself. It originally was going to be The Pig King's second katana, but it wasn't destined to be wielded by him and he knew it. It was destined to be wielded by you." Desmond said, resheathed it, and handed it to me.

                  "Ok, THIS I can't take from you. It's too valuable to be free!" I protested. Desmond scoffed.

                       "Who said it's free? What I want from you is something of equal worth. I don't care if it takes you years to give me. Just bring me something of equal worth." Desmond said.

                        "How's this for a deal? I'll bring you the warlord's gladius." I said confidently. The room, including Desmond, fell silent. Desmond nodded.

                          "Sounds like a deal." He said, and shook my hand. I slipped my new katana into my belt, and rested my palm on both hilts, overwhelmed with gratitude.

                            "Thank you." I told Desmond. He waved me off.

                      "Thank me after you bring me that Gladius." He said, and a creed member busted in, looking panicked.

                      "The Legion just took all the stuff we just bought. All of it!" He said. Coulter started forwards, but I stopped him.

                        "I'll take care of it." I said, and went to the door.

                         "Dean, wait! Think about this!" Coulter yelled. I turned.

                         "I did. All I've done since the attack is run. I'm done. They want me? They can eat my katana." I said, and stepped onto the street. A little further down the street, I could see some wither skeletons loading up a wagon with the stuff they had bought. I walked forwards.

                         Onlookers stared at me in shock. I heard one younger child say, "Mommy, is that a pigman samurai?" I smiled a little bit. This felt awesome.

                         "Legionnaires!" I bellowed, and they turned. It took them a hot minute to process that I was standing there.

                           "A pigman? I heard you were all dead." One said, leaping down and drawing his Gladius. I popped Berserker from its sheath.

                            "My name is Dean Blackstone." I yelled, and the legionnaires looked a bit shocked at that.

                              "I believe those items don't belong to you." I said.

                              "What's it to you, kid?" He sneered. I could tell more soldiers were circling me.

                         "How about you fight for it?" I taunted.

                        "Gladly." He yelled, and slowly walked at me. The other soldiers began circling me. I got into my fighting stance, and gripped Berserkers hilt tightly. I breathed in, and out. Again. And again.

                         One lept forwards, and I swung Berserker across their chest. They fell, and the others charged.

                       I deflected a blow behind me, and slashed another one down. The lead on lept at me, and our blades locked.

                       "I fought in the Great War. I've killed many pigmen. What do you think makes you different?" He said harshly. I headbutted him, and kicked him away. With one broad stroke, I brought the last two down. I kicked the leader down, and planted a boot on his chest.

                      "I have something more to fight for. I'm the last of my kind. When I die, the pigmen die. But if I'm going down, your empire is coming with me." I said, and buried my katana into his chest.

                           I quickly pulled Berserker back out, and resheathed it. I looked around, and realized I had an audience.

                          "Did he just say-"

                          "Pigman-"

                           "The last one-"

                           "He's the Last Pigman-"

                           I surveyed the crowd, and planted a little seed of rebellion into the Argenti people.

                           "The wither skeletons have for too long suppressed our people. I think I'm not alone in that sediment. Although I, for one, am not going to stand by and watch! I'm going to fight them to my last breath! Will you!?" I yelled. Silence for a moment. But one of them started cheering. Followed by another. And another. Soon, the whole crowd was yelling, screaming for freedom.

                         I saw Coulter and the Voyagers watching. Coulter smiled proudly.

                         People started coming up to me and started talking.

                         "We've waited so long-"

                         "I can't believe- it's really happening."

                          "If you ever need help, somewhere to hide-"

                          "Dean Blackstone, The Piglin Chief would like to speak to you." A brute told me. I turned to him.

                          "When?" I asked, surprised by the confidence in my voice. The brute smirked.

                          "Right now." He said, and a carriage forced its way through the crowd. The brute opened the door for me, and I crawled in. Only guards, with a captain, sat in there. The captain looked my age.

                               "My father will meet us in the throne room. My name is Cole." The captain said, and shook my hand.

                               "You're the prince?" I asked. He nodded, and added "It's an honor to meet you, Dean." Cole said. The prince of the piglins was honored to meet me? He continued.

                           "That was quite the show you put on out there. Why did you do it?" He asked. I shrugged.

                          "They had stolen my friend's stuff. I was getting it back." I said, barely realizing I called the Voyagers my friends.

                           "Hm." He said, and looked out the window.

                           "Oh look. We're here." He said. I peeked, and was stunned at the front garden. Twisting Crimson trees stood out of the ground, seeming to reach for the sky. Twin lava falls fell from either side of the main gate.

                        The carriage pulled to a halt, and the door opened. I stood and the guards led us inside.

                         The entrance hall alone was sprawling. Pillars reached for the vast domed ceiling, veins of gold winding up them. The walls held paintings depicting bloody battle scenes and past chiefs standing proudly. I felt small just standing there.

                      The opposite side of the hall from us sat a tall crimson door that a pair of guards opened as we approached it. The throne room. Twin streams of lava ran through the floor, leading away from the throne. On either side of it two lava falls fed the streams. The throne itself was made of solid gilded netherite. Heavily armed guards stood on either side of the streams. And on the throne sat one of the most fearsome piglins I had ever seen.

                          He wore a flowing black fur robe and a deep red crown. Battle scars and vibrant tattoos wrapped up his arms. A long, black beard reached the middle of his chest. A tattoo of a serpent ringed around his ear. He looked down on us with a cold, hard stare. An air of deadly force and cruel command surrounded him. The air around him made me feel like I should be taking orders from him and him alone.

                     Cole kneeled, and had to pull me with him.

                    "Father. I present to you Dean Blackstone, The Last Pigman." Cole said.

                    "Stand, pigman. Let me see you." The chief boomed in an extremely deep voice that commanded respect and attention. I stood, and removed my hat. The chief stood, and walked down to me with an insane amount of confidence. He nodded.

                           "You're younger than I would have expected. Early twenties?" He asked. I shook my head.

                           "Sixteen, sir." I said. He didn't even flinch. Instead he nodded, turned, and sat on his throne once more.

                              "What exactly prompted you to attack those legionnaires?" He said, a hint of cold anger creeping into his voice.

                                So I told him. Starting from Sarah's birthday party to the fight outside. He sat and listened to the whole thing, not interrupting me once. Once I finished, he nodded.

                        "So you're to be trained by Coulter Argos-Borne?" He asked once I was done.

                         "Yes, sir." I said, and remembered something.

                         "Sir?" I asked.

                         "Yes?"

                         "I was supposed to give you this." I said, and walked towards him, pulling the paper my dad gave me out. The guards stepped in front of me, holding their axes in an X shape.

                    "Let him pass!" The chief bellowed. The guards stepped back, and I handed him my dad's note. The chief read it for what felt like a tense few minutes. At about the middle of his reading, I thought I saw a hint of fear in his eyes.

                        He looked down on me.

                        "You said Colter Blackstone gave this to you?" He asked.

                          "Yes, sir. My father, sir." I said.

                         "Your father was an honorable man, Dean Blackstone." He said, and threw the note into the lava stream. "We will stand behind his son, and see this war to the bitter end."

                                I looked at him, confused.

                               "...Sir...? What exactly did my dad's note say?" I asked. He glared at me with such ferocity I took a step back.

                               "Cole, take him with you to the dojo. Send him away with some equipment. Help the Voyagers pack. Then come back and prepare the troops." The Chief said and waved us away.

                             "Wait, what's- why does he need to prepare the troops!?" I shouted as Cole pulled me away. He looked at me, surprised.

                                "What?" I asked.

                                 "Did you just yell at the Piglin Chief?" He asked. I winced, realizing my mistake. Cole whistled, impressed.

                                   "The only people who've ever yelled at him are The Pig King and your dad. And they were adults." He said. I frowned as he kept walking.

                            "My dad? Why?" I asked.

                            "Because he and The Pig King were trying to convince him to attack the oncoming Legion. Ah, here we are." He said, and slid a door open.

                              "Wait here." He said, and slipped in. He only left me with more questions that I decided I would ask Coulter.

                           A few minutes later, Cole came back out pushing a rack of training equipment.

                           "Take these, and hurry to Soulfire. You won't wanna be around here much longer." He said, spun on his heel, and swiftly walked away.

                            A hand fell on my shoulder, and I spun around, nearly drawing Berserker.

                            "Whoa! Calm down kid, it's just me!" Sadie yelped.

                            "Sorry. Bit on edge." I winced. She nodded.

                             "Understandable. The Chief is intimidating, isn't he?" She asked. I nodded in the affirmative.

                              "C'mon, Coulter is waiting for us down at the docks. He wants to know what happened." Sadie said, and led me away.