The Smiles of Hidden Ghosts - A hermitcraft and Evo fanfic (THIS IS A SEQUEL)

Chapter 24

Joel groaned loudly as his dogs tried to drag him out of bed again. All of them were barking and running around, trying to get him attention. Eventually, he looked up, eyes half open.

'What is it?' He grumbled, failing to climbing out and landing on the floor. He sighed, refusing to move until...

A loud scream broke through the sound of the dogs barking. Joel scrambled to his feet, grabbing his sword and running outside, recognising with horror that it was Martyn.

Into the forest, ears straining for any other noises. He skidded to a stop next to one member of the rustic house army surrounding the campsite. Helpless, he watched, trying not to cry, at the sight of his friend's body, sprawled on the ground, bleeding everywhere. A Watcher stood remorselessly looking up at him. 

'You... you killed him.'

'⍑ᒷꖎꖎ𝙹, ℸ ̣ ∷ᔑ╎ℸ ̣ 𝙹∷. H𝙹∴ ᔑ∷ᒷ ||𝙹⚍ ↸𝙹╎リ⊣ リ𝙹∴ ||𝙹⚍'⍊ᒷ ↸ᒷᓵ╎↸ᒷ↸ ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ʖᒷℸ ̣ ∷ᔑ|| ⚍ᓭ?'

'Better that I did before.'  Joel spat back. 'You enjoying murdering my friends?'

The Watcher didn't reply. The dogs at Joel's feet growled. 

'Attack.'

Joel ran forwards, followed by his dogs. The Watcher didn't even try to run, not even as the so-called traitor sliced straight across his chest. It took mere seconds for the wound to heal.

Oh s***.

The Watcher smiled, the only show of emotion so far, before stabbing Joel in the neck. He stumbled back, coughing blood everywhere. He glared up at the Watcher, falling to his knees next to Martyn. 

So this is what death is-

Joel woke up as a ghost to see two Watchers. 

One of them was a ghost. 

The dead body of Martyn's ghost lay at their feet.

Note to self: DON'T ENTER THE FOREST!

The camp was right next to him. Scar and Grian had just appeared, the former holding a sword he hadn't seen before, a furious look on his face at the sight of the two bodies. Cub and Bdubs's ghosts ran in after them. Joel just stood there, looking around at the chaos that was clearly to come. 

They're all going to die. He thought with a jolt. All of them. Dead.

Zedaph appeared too, holding his crossbow out, ready to fire. The living watcher laughed.

'What's so funny?' Scar asked. 'I think I missed the punchline.'

'||𝙹⚍ ℸ ̣ ⍑╎リꖌ ||𝙹⚍ ᓵᔑリ ʖᒷᔑℸ ̣ ᒲᒷ.'

'Oh, of course we do! We outnumber you 3 to 1.'

'ℸ ̣ ⍑╎ᓭ ∴𝙹∷ꖎ↸ ∴╎ꖎꖎ ʖᒷ 𝙹⚍∷ᓭ. ᔑꖎꖎ 𝙹⎓ ||𝙹⚍ ∴╎ꖎꖎ ↸╎ᒷ.'

'Scar, stop playing for time. He's still going to kill us. You can't talk him into giving you what you want.'

'Grian, I know what I'm doing. Mr Watcher person, would you be interested in any reputation points?'

'SCAR!'

'Grian, shut up! If you don't kill us now, then you will have... 20 reputation points.'

'∴⍑ᔑℸ ̣ ↸𝙹 ℸ ̣ ⍑ᒷᓭᒷ '∷ᒷ!¡⚍ℸ ̣ ᔑℸ ̣ ╎𝙹リ !¡𝙹╎リℸ ̣ ᓭ' ↸𝙹?' Despite everyone else's dubiousness, the Watcher sounded genuinely interested. 

'Whatever you want! Or, you could get a no-kill pass, or some dark oak saplings... ooh! I have a clock if you want.'

ᔑ... ᓵꖎ𝙹ᓵꖌ?'

'Yeah, a clock. Do you want it?' Scar held out the clock to the creature that had just murdered two of his friends. 

'ᓵᔑリ ╎... ᓭᒷᒷ?' The watcher reached tentatively for the clock, and Scar handed it over. With a deep curiosity and interest, the creature closely observed the object, turning it over. 

'So, you'll take the clock?'

'||ᒷᓭ.' And then, as a kind-of afterthought. 'ℸ ̣ ⍑ᔑリꖌ ||𝙹⚍.' 

'No problem! Lovely doing business with you!' The Watcher smiled shyly again at Scar, before disappearing. Grian burst out laughing. 

'Scar, Bdubs just wants to let you know that he would've done the same think if it was him.' Zedaph added. 'With no regrets.'

'Scar, I don't know what's scarier. Skizz making a Watcher beg for their life, or you bribing one with a clock.'

'What?! Everyone likes clocks!'

'True.' Bdubs confirmed. The ghost Watcher was just left standing there, clearly annoyed, before they too disappeared, leaving the group alone. 

Another rubbish chapter...

With added third life references.

Because third life is amazing.