The Hermitcraft Plays

19: Freeze

'7 trapped toys.'

'6 main protagonists.'

Everyone looked to Hypno and Beef, who were debating whether to shout or not.

'FIVE VILLAGERS!'

'I love knowing you're practicing the song, but can you do it quieter and not when we're figuring out set pieces!' Joe burst out.

'4 side villains.' Cleo mouthed.

'3.'

'Dumb.'

'Men.' 

'Two Christmas Vexes,'

'And Etho dressed as a Christmas Tree!'

The group silently applauded themselves, while the set was successfully changed to the last one. 

'Right, everyone in this scene onstage, with no scripts.' Joe added as he saw Scar turning to the right page of his.' The scene was very quickly set, and then began. 

'Is this the right place?' Pearlie started, pretending to be cold

'The map says we need to get through here and we're in those vexes' territory...'

'This is the Ice-Queen's place.' Bellsknight gasped back. 'She must be working with the Christmas Vexes!'

'FREEZE!' Came a very dramatic yell from Stress

'YOU FREEZE!' Improvised Wels back, partially in shock

'WHAT IS FREEZE?' Added Zedaph, prompting Grian to literally walk onstage.

'Well, freeze is a game Joe makes us play where we stand in a circle making up dialogue showing which of us can or can't act.' 

'GRIAN!' Joe bellowed

'What are you doing here?' Stress crossed her arms. Grian looked at her,

'I'm answering Zed's question.'

'No, that's literally my next line, luv.' Laughed Stress, and Grian joined in. Ren pushed past and continued on.

'We're on our way to find the Christmas Vexes and save Christmas... Can you let us through and get there.' By this point, Joe had successfully dragged Grian off the dangerously icy stage and he crashed onto the ground with a yell.

'Ow.' Was all he said.

'Sorry, luvs, but the palace is closed.'

'Then we'll have to fight you.' Wels drew a sword, and Ren growled.

'By the power of skidoodle you will be killed!' Tango declared

'What is skidoodle?' Zed asked as a warcry. Tango and Impulse both looked at him.

'Well, skidoodle is... it's... skidoodle means...' Tango attempted to find an answer. 'It means skidoodle.' 

'The skidoodle guides us to all our actions. And right now they're saying to kill!' 

Which Bells replied to by running at Stress with his sword raised. The ice queen stood her ground. 

'You're going to DIE!' And then she stabbed Bells.

'Bells! No!' Cried Rendolf, running to where their faithful companion had fallen dramatically, dying. 'How could you!' 

'Rendolf, calm down.'

'LET US THROUGH!'

'No.'

A pause.

'Scar!' 

'Sorry! You evil humans think you can get past to kill us? Well... you're wrong!'

'It's that Christmas vex again!' Cried Rendolf. 'Show yourself! And fight us!'

Scar decided to show himself by eating an Elven Kiss, but this promptly backfired when he ended up inside the redstone for the set. 

'Hang on... this might take a moment...' A few more gone, and he emerged again, just climbing onto the stage and not knowing his line.

'Oh no! It's the evil Christmas Vex!' Gasped Ren instead.

'Yes! I am evil! And I will kill all of you!'

A few people clapped as the scene ended. Grian just gave another louder 'ow!', still badly hurt from crashing off the stage. 

'Grian, Scar, Stress, how are the costumes going?'

'They're...' Grian pulled himself into a sitting position, wings at a strange angle behind him. 'They're good enough to show tomorrow if we go and work on the last few bits now.' 

'Yeah, great. And in the meantimes, we can actually work on Scene 8.' Scar and Stress, the fellow costume designers, helped Grian walk a bit, before Cub passed over a much-appreciated healing potion, and they all took off, leaving the least-learnt scene behind them.