When Past Meets the Present

XXII

WC:1000

Back in time to Grian's dream when Xisuma did it

"Long time no see, Xelqua." Alova was, as usual, towering above me in the dark, smoke-filled room.

"I was wondering when you'd show yourself. What took so long?" I asked as casually as I could.

"Well Isabelle may or may not have forgotten about us until she started to write this part," the fourth wall groaned in the distance, "but that's not important. What's important is that we're in! I'll be seeing you in person within a matter of hours. I do hope you have something planned for our reunion, last time you completely forgot."

"Alova, you're going to scare him off." Zuhiknau was standing next to her. Only slightly taller and wearing a watcher's mask. He also had some dried blood smeared on the visible bottom half of his face as if he hadn't washed since the last time I saw him in the dungeon. "We wouldn't want him to be scared of us, would we."

"You're right, I'm getting ahead of myself. Anyway, We're calling to let you know in case you wanted to save us the trouble of having to break your defences and hand yourself over now on your own free will? None of your server mates would get harmed, and we know how much you just hate it when others are hurt because of you."

"You'll never break-in. I'll patch the hole before you could even get your weakest watcher through. You know as well as I how much my magic would increase because of my emotions if you were to harm any of them. I can already beat any Watcher with one hand tied behind my back. If you harm them, I'll use that rage to destroy every single watcher I get my hands on, and I'll show no mercy." I threatened, with absolute certainty that I would fulfil that threat. Alova looked uneasy because she knew I was being completely honest.

"You can try. You're only one measly little watcher but we are many. It's true, you might've had a chance if you took us on one by one but you couldn't stop a whole army at once." They gestured invitingly into the void so I peered into the void back to the facility where a massive army of watchers was waiting to jump worlds, to hermitcraft. I recognise a couple of their magic signatures as old friends who were some of the best fighters I've ever seen. They all had Watcher masks on.

"They're not doing this by choice, you're forcing them to attack me. And you know I won't hurt them because of that."

"Did you expect us to send some incompetent idiots that you wouldn't feel bad killing? You are the best of the best so we'll treat you as such."

"Just think about our offer. You can end all the suffering and leave the players none the wiser, or put them in harm's way just for your own selfish needs. As soon as we get in they'll abandon you and world jump, leaving you behind for us anyway. The very least you can do for them is let them keep their world, after all, it will be your fault they lose it in the first place. But if you're that selfish then stay, it makes no difference to us. We'll get you either way." Alova drew back her arm and punched me square in the face.

Dream over and time skip to when he wakes up after Mumbo puts him to sleep

I woke up alone in my room at the hermit camp. I remembered someone saying the illagers were attacking and Mumbo ensuring I wouldn't get up. Well too bad Mumbo, I am up now and there is nothing you can do about it.

I grabbed my stuff, equipped my armour and ran out, only to find the hermits and the illagers arguing about me going back to the mansion. I waited for the right moment to step in for dramatic effect.

"We just want to talk to him." There's my chance.

"Hey, guys, what's up? What did you want to talk about?" I asked from behind the hermits. They must've expected me to be up so soon because they were shocked enough to allow me to push through.

"OI! GET BACK IN THERE AND DON'T COME OUT UNTIL WE SAY YOU CAN!" Iskall sounded so much like one of the instructors I had to flinch.

"Nah, I'm fine." I recognised Quetta as one of the illagers standing there which confused me a bit. "Oh, hey Quetta. What are you doing here? I didn't think you'd be one."

"What, you think I can't handle a mission? Say that to my face!"

"Be careful, Quetta," the Onoro warned, "Let's get down to business. We think they'll be here soon."

"How soon?"

"A few hours at the most."

"Dammit! She was right."

"Wanna come back to fix it?"

"Of course!"

You know what happened next

I hate editing old spells. You've probably never cast a spell before but if you've ever gone back and read over something you wrote ages ago and realise how bad you are when people don't sugar coat it for you, that's what looking at my old spell felt like.

It was horribly inefficient and 'bulky' if that makes sense. It would've been easier to just remove the whole barrier and set up a new one. But then in the few minutes while I was making the new one they could get in so I didn't.

I felt a huge rush of magic that was only slightly less than my own. A new magical force had just entered the world. I panicked and rushed to fix the hole, it was a sloppy job but there was a bigger problem.

There was another watcher on the server. Someone almost as powerful as me. Someone familiar. Someone that was alone.

That someone was Zucky.