~The First Step~ a Hermitcraft AU

Chapter 30 (Xisuma/Mumbo)

wc: 1150

tw: vague descriptions of body mutilation, prison conditions

A dozen cups of coffee and seven teas later, Xisuma and Scar had formulated some kind of plan. It wasn't much of one, with too many assumptions or generalizations, but it was somewhere to go. Better than the panic with the rest of the members.

"If all works out, there won't be any necessary fighting," Xisuma said, scratching out a few words on the piece of paper in front of him.

"We should bring a couple of good fighters anyway," Scar replied. "I've got magic, but I'm crap at combat."

"Iskall and False," Xisuma murmured. "Although we need to ask them first. They have to know what's going on."

Scar doodled some plants on the paper in front of X. Vines dangled onto the scratched out ideas. "Ren would be good too. First we should figure out our own way to get there in the first place." Jellie pawed Scar's leg with a soft meow, and he picked her up and settled her into his lap.

"I don't think my magic is enough," X commented. "I have some void magic too, but not enough to do it on my own."

Scar nodded. "My faerie magic will work."

X opened a little screen in front of him, code scrolling and letters popping out in front of him. "What's with the faerie thing anyway? How'd you get here?" He thought for a moment. "When you joined you said you were just a normal player."

"That's a long story," Scar said with a sigh. "Around the time of the creation of Hermitcraft, Watchers started running out of magic. They attacked some other magical groups, like the Enderians, and stole their magic." There was a pause. "They attacked the Faeries, but I escaped through a portal with some friends, but we got split up."

X saw his grip tighten a bit on Jellie's fur.

"I'm sure they're okay," X said gently. Scar nodded.

"Jellie actually lived with the Faeries with me for a couple of months. She was still a baby when we had to leave." He pressed a kiss onto her forehead. Her large eyes squeezed shut, a purr escaping as she snuggled closer to Scar. "Although it's why I used a cane for a while when I first escaped. The portal was made really fast, which is why we got separated, and it hurt my leg in the process. While we were still over there, I almost got killed by a Watcher." He pointed to the scar running down his face. "Luckily, I didn't."

X hummed in response. "Glad we have you," he said lightheartedly. He squinted at the code as Scar gave a little laugh, eyes widening as he registered what was on the screen.

"There's a record," X said, back to business. "On here. The code barrier was broken through before." Text scrolled past. "People came through it."

Scar sat up straight. "What?"

"I'm gonna go in to check it out," X said, standing up. "Just a moment." He held out his hands and let the code drag him in.

He appeared in the dark abyss. It wasn't difficult finding the hairline fracture; it wasn't that obvious in the code form, but here, it stuck out like a sore thumb. Purple cracks surrounded some floating binary, and Xisuma drew closer, hand reaching out.

Watcher signature, he realized, eyes widening as he saw the little imprint on one of the numbers. It wasn't new, it was from a previous season.

But that was something to worry about later. Because X might have just found their way into the Watcher kingdom.

~~~

Mumbo sat up against the walls, hearing a door slam and protests. The voice clicked instantly.

He lurched towards the bars, trying to get a good view. Grian was being dragged down the hall, decidedly not past his cell- they'd put him in a different one. But Grian's words weren't confident or well chosen like before. Now, his facial expression seemed panicked as the guard unlocked the cell and shoved him in, and Mumbo could no longer see him.

The guard stalked down to the other end of the hallway. Mumbo waited for the heavy footfalls to fade somewhat, then risked a timid, "Grian?"

There was no response for a moment. "Mumbo."

"What- What happened?" Mumbo pressed himself closer in on himself, fear making his heart pound.

"It's fine, Mumbo." Grian's voice was tight. "Be quiet. Don't get in trouble."

"Are you going to be okay?" Mumbo's mind raced. "Will- will I be okay?" He winced. That sounded too selfish.

"It'll be fine, Mumbo." The words sounded forced. "Eat however much chorus fruit you can and just stay quiet. Don't pay attention to what happens to me."

Mumbo went to protest, but the footsteps drew near again, and he reluctantly drew back.

He was tired. It was hard to fall asleep with just a raggedy blanket, but as he curled in on himself in the corner, he couldn't stop himself from falling asleep.

...and he woke up.

He was jerked unpleasantly from his unrestful doze to the sound of harsh commanding. Instantly alert, Mumbo crawled towards the door, peeking out timidly.

The guard was at Grian's cell again, speaking in Galactic and pulling Grian out. Grian was protesting loudly, and although his expression was blocked by the mask, Mumbo could see the panic in his jerky movements. Fragments of his voice echoed over to Mumbo's ears, but he couldn't understand anything.

And then Grian was gone, and Mumbo was left to wallow in his own pity again.

For a moment, he settled against the back of the cell, trying to ignore his stomach's loud protests.

Maybe I'll be here forever, he thought dazedly. Maybe I'll die here.

Someone's face flashed into his mind. He didn't catch it before it was gone.

There was a guard at his door. Mumbo opened his eyes, looking up to see.

A normal looking guard had seemingly paused outside his cell door, as if confused while taking a stroll down the hall. Mumbo could feel the guard's eyes scanning him and his tattered suit through the mask.

A word, quieter than those morning in which the world seemed to pause, the only noise the faint tweeting of birds in the distance.

"Are you... from a... server?"

The language was stilted, and English was obviously not the guard's first language. But it wasn't a harsh question, so Mumbo gave a shaky nod.

The guard's lips moved with no sound. Mumbo blinked, and then the guard was gone. He could hear footsteps echoing down the hall.

Mumbo curled back up onto the blankets, hands clutching a piece of rotting chorus fruit. It was cold. He was hungry. The hermits will rescue me, he thought, then felt bad as he remembered Grian, in a cold room somewhere.

~~~

There were three sets of footsteps.

Two feathery thumps.

One agonized scream.

GUYS I PROMISE HE'LL GET THE WINGS BACK DONT LEAVE FHAOISFHPQHAPS

the speed of updates might increase as we get into what i've rly been waiting for this entire time altho im not rly sure, sorry that my updates have been getting rly slow, these chapters are getting heftier and i've been pretty busy lately :(

if you're confused as to any lore or anything (i'm not great at foreshadowing or explaining :p) then feel free to pop a question in the comments!

thank you for reading! have a good day or night wherever you are!

-Ete