The Temptation of Power ||| Hermitcraft Watcher AU

Chapter Ten

"What?" A couple of people muttered in confusion. Scar went up to the one with his name.

"Don't open it!" Cub said, but he already had. "Oh, I thought it would be trapped."

"What?! Look at all this copper!" He exclaimed, grinning and taking some as if to check it were really there.

"What?" X asked, going over to look in and seeing it filled completely with stacks upon stacks of copper blocks.

"I think they're gifts or something." Scar said, pulling out an empty shulker box and transferring the materials.

"Gifts?" Iskall asked, going over to his chest and opening it. "Dude! I got three tridents! And... a stack of diorite?" A few people laughed and he pulled out a flint and steel to burn it. Everyone dispersed and found their own chests, finding valuables waiting for them.

Xelqua went over to the two lonely chests by the middle wall. The sign between them read You must choose in Galactic. The right chest was labelled 'Grian', and the left was labelled 'Xᒷꖎᑑ⚍ᔑ' (Xelqua). He drew in a shaky breath and looked back at the others. They were all preoccupied with their own chests and didn't seem to have noticed him. He turned back to his choice.

Grian or Xelqua.

Xelqua or Grian.

He took a deep breath. He already knew what choice he was going to make so there wasn't much point in thinking it through - that way, he might collect an audience, which was something he certainly didn't want.

He opened the chest on the left. Inside, was a note. It read (in Galactic):

At first you numbered us, but now you have gained our trust.

Then it said their names. Their names.

He stepped back, the chest closing on it's own, and put his hand to his mouth.

"O⍑ ᒲ|| n𝙹ℸ ̣ ᓵ⍑." (Oh my notch.) He said, louder than he'd intended. Galactic had become his thinking language again, so when words came out unfiltered that was the language they'd be in. It was like how Iskall often said 'nej' when panicking.

"What did you say?" He distantly heard Xisuma ask, but he didn't pay any attention to it. The Watchers trusted him, they gave him their names. That was not a small thing. He stared at the paper with disbelief.

They had told him their names.

They had really just told him their names.

His breathing was shaky but not with panic or fear or any other negative emotion. He couldn't believe it. Then he became aware that everyone was staring at him.

"What is it?" Someone asked, although he didn't know nor care who. They all glanced at the chests and he realised they would know what had happened soon. He flipped over the paper and on the other side was a single word;

Upstairs.

He couldn't hang around for much longer; people were approaching him. He let go of the paper, letting it burn up in purple flame before hitting the ground, turned and ran up the stairs. He knew people were following but couldn't bring himself to care. On the way up, he took off his diamond helmet and kicked off his shoes. Then, in the moment he was out of sight, let his chest-plate and leggings mysteriously vanish off him and end up on the floor next to him.

There was an active portal.

And the Watchers.

He grinned, knowing how important this moment was. Oリᒷ and T∴𝙹 stood before him, no longer Oリᒷ and T∴𝙹, but instead their new names.

He remembered the rest of reality when he heard the clanging of armour and swords being pulled out behind him.

"Oh fuck." False said behind him, presumably realising she had no chance against the Watchers now that they were stood in front of her.

"Grian, get back from them!" Mumbo yelled.

"Get away from our friend!" Iskall shouted at the Watchers. The group of all the hermits were stood back, nearly against the wall, as they were all too scared to be the first one to approach the powerful gods. Xelqua was stood in the middle of the room, facing the portal and Watchers. None of the hermits could see his smile.

"I ᓵ⍑𝙹ᓭᒷ." (I chose.) Xelqua said.

"Grian?" Mumbo asked, unsurely. He was scared.

"He's speaking Galactic." Joe mumbled.

Wᒷ ᔑ∷ᒷ !¡ꖎᒷᔑᓭᒷ↸ ∴╎ℸ ̣ ⍑ ||𝙹⚍∷ ᓵ⍑𝙹╎ᓵᒷ, xᒷꖎᑑ⚍ᔑ. (We are pleased with your choice, Xelqua.) Formerly-Oリᒷ replied. Judging by the hermit's reactions behind him, they weren't used to having words placed directly into their heads, nor were they expecting it.

T╎ᒲᒷ ℸ ̣ 𝙹 ᓭᔑ|| ⊣𝙹𝙹↸ʖ||ᒷ. (Time to say goodbye.) Formerly-T∴𝙹 said, before turning to the portal. Xelqua started to walk forwards but a hand grabbed his arm and False, Iskall and Doc rushed forwards.

"We won't let you take him!" Iskall yelled as they went forwards. Formerly-T∴𝙹's hand lit up and they held the three (now fire surrounded) hermits in the air. Xelqua turned to see that it was Mumbo holding his arm.

"Grian what's going on?" He asked quietly. More hermits ran forwards towards the purple fire-surrounded hermits but they too were stopped in the same way before they had even moved half a metre.

Control your friends. Formerly-Oリᒷ said in English, probably to spite them. Their 'voice' sounded strange in the language. Xelqua glanced at Mumbo one last time before snatching his arm back.

They're not my friends. He 'said'. He'd always resented speaking the way Watchers did and had usually just spoken normally, but now? Why not speak like a Watcher? He was one, after all.

"Grian..." Mumbo said, his voice breaking slightly and he imagined he was probably crying. Xelqua felt no guilt like he might've expected.

He took off his gloves, pulled his cloak out of his inventory and put it on before letting his wings phase into existence. Then he put on his mask. He sensed the Watchers smile with approval at him. He also sensed the hermits look at him with sudden fear.

"Please, Grian..." Mumbo said. Formerly-T∴𝙹's hand extinguished and the hermits were released. They stood still as shock echoed between the walls.

Lᒷℸ ̣ 'ᓭ ⊣𝙹, (Let's go,) T∴𝙹 said, stepping into the portal. Xelqua did the same and formerly-Oリᒷ followed.

They stepped out into the familiar Watcher's End, inside the dark, obsidian temple that was their home.

We're proud of you, Xelqua. Formerly-Oリᒷ said. Xelqua smiled.

You can spend a while getting used to being a Watcher again, then we'll give you some things to do. Formerly-T∴𝙹 said.

Okay. He replied.