Awaken (Hermitcraft Fanfiction)

IX. Banishment and Mission

TW: nightmare, violence, weapons, poison, blood

My premonitions about my demise are growing in frequency.

Xelqua, you must carry on Xylia's training.

Yes, council.

The pain in his eyes as he looked at her as the council's meeting adjourned.

The suspense of the trial as Zeroc joined the anger of the council and Xelqua watched impassively.

The shriek of pain as his pegasus was absorbed into the tormenting stream of magic.

The flashing lavender that tore him from her sight and sent him to an uncharted world.

The murderous glare Xalyn shot her way as they left the Hall of Judgment.

Pearl gasped, sitting up abruptly and thrusting her bed covers onto the floor. Xalyn's cruel, calculating expression was embedded in her mind, their burning eyes driving holes into the realm of her dreams and twisting them into nightmares. Yevir's scream echoed in her mind, reverberating within her skull.

She shuddered, pulling her long-sleeved shirt over the black tank top she wore as underclothes. She paused as she laced up her boots, fingering the ropey scar that wrapped around her lower leg. It was an unfortunate accident that caused it. She had unknowingly stumbled into one of Xalyn's training sessions and had nearly lost her leg to their burning single-stranded whip. She wished she could erase the sick grin that flashed across their face before they helped her to Valyn, a healing specialist in the council.

She pushed the moment from her mind, tugging her loose-fitting pants over the scar and hiding it. She rubbed her forearms, feeling the rough scars that came from blocking numerous close strikes with her flesh. Thankfully, the injuries hadn't gone into more vital areas of her body. The slicing pain of daggers, throwing stars, and dirks was still vivid in her memory. However, the constant pain and torture had forced her to train harder until she was able to exploit her magic and move so quickly she was on the cusp of teleportation.

Yevir had been banished. After a few months, he began envisioning in his dreams about an upcoming void in his future. He never elaborated on his visions, only saying he was sure something would force him to leave the life he loved so dearly. Even with their imperfections, he loved the Order. He had sacrificed his entire life to serve them as a master of strategy. He had led the Watcher armies when they fought off the Listeners attacking the villages.

It couldn't prevent the council from banishing him on the premise of sabotaging the glory of the Watchers. They claimed they had found him conspiring within old scrolls and inciting rebellion in the army. They accused him of corrupting her training with his traitorous behavior. They blamed him for instigating the necessity for stricter protocol.

The event had been over twelve years ago, but the pain remained fresh in her heart.

A commotion erupted outside her window. She rushed to the glass, pushing it open on the tiny, yet effective, hinges. She kept them well-oiled for a rapid escape. Pearl could never explain the fear she felt whenever Xalyn or another council member was in the room. The only ones she felt vaguely comfortable near were Zeroc and Xelqua, and even they were terrifying at times.

It was an escape hatch.

Pearl pushed her head out of the window, searching for the source of the sound. Across the city, a group of Watchers gathered around a single man. Squinting, she made out the angry shapes of the spectral beasts each council member bonded with. Eleven magnificent beings that demonstrated the full power of the council.