Freeze or Fall

Chapter 31: Comfort in the little things

It was silent for a few minuets after Grumbot had confirmed Joe's theory.

Finally, Mumbo broke the silence. "What can we do now?"

"We survive, and try to free our friends in the process." Doc's calm voice rang out. "Starting with Ren."

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Grian had forgotten how it felt to be restless.

Sitting on a cobblestone box for who knows how long is pretty boring, and Grian had taken to building random little things in the space he had.

It was a small challenge for himself, putting a ton of random items in a chest and then whatever he pulled out he had ten minutes to build. It helped pass the time, but not by much. At one point he placed down some random blocks and played the floor is lava (minus the lava, of course).

He eventually found himself sitting in a comfy little alcove he'd built, preening his wings. He wondered what kind Taurtis would get. Do all faeries have feathered wings? Or do some have butterfly or maybe beetle wings? What if some had dragon wings?! Grian shook his head at the thought.

He wondered how many other Fae were out there. It wouldn't be a stretch, since faeries do have glamour. Could it be possible there was another faerie in Hermitcraft? No, it was too unlikely.

Grian poked his head out of the little spruce alcove to take a glance at Taurtis.

He was still AFK in the killing chamber, EXP swirling around him. Grian was about to brush it off when he spotted an odd shape on Taurtis' back, under his shirt.

Oh. Oh!

Grian climbed out and glided down, turning off the machine. He then grabbed Taurtis' arms and began vigorously shaking his friend.

Taurtis frowned, tiredly blinking his eyes open. "Wh- Grian?"

"Okay, take off your shirt."

"I- Grian!" Taurtis sputtered.

"Not like that, your wings need room to grow!"

Taurtis snorted. "Okay, okay. I'm guessing this worked?"

"I think so. I'm gonna grab some shears." Grian answered, unfolding his wings again. In a few strong flaps, he was back at the house. After he dug through countless chests, he located the shears and hurried back.

Taurtis was sitting with his legs dangling over the contraption, his blue shirt sitting in his lap. When Grian landed next to him, he was happy to see a small pair of dragonfly wings sitting between Taurtis' shoulder blades.

"So um... What now?" Taurtis asked awkwardly.

Grian racked his brain. "Well, we kinda have to wait for your wings to grow in a bit. I brought the shears so we could cut holes in your shirt for them, but we can't do that until they're about half-size."

"You know a lot about this."

Grian sat down, handing the shears to his friend. "I did mainly go through it on my own. I kinda regret not telling anyone though."

Taurtis frowned. "Why? I'm sure they would've understood."

"That's the thing. I know they'd understand, and when they found out they did. I guess I was paranoid." Grian sighed. "Everyone's so different in Hermitcraft, but that was just how they were born. Or in some cases, how they'd always lived."

"Sounds like a fun group."

"Oh, they're the best." Grian grinned. "Cleo, for starters, is a zombie. No one really knows how she's sentient, not even her, but she just rolls with it. And of course there's Jevin, a slime. Same deal as Cleo. No one knows how, no one really minds. Doc's part creeper, part cyborg. He doesn't like to talk about his past, but underneath his intimidating outside, he's really sweet."

"There's Ren, of course. Part wolf, really sweet, and an amazing storyteller. There's also Stress, I don't know how she's able to adapt so quickly, but she's impeccable to any biome and quite proficient with regular potions. False and Keralis are both great at PvP, though Keralis is more known for his building."

Grian found himself rambling, a warm feeling spreading though him. "And we also have TFC, he's the Grandpa of the server. He's really wise, a genuine veteran. I don't know xB or Hypno that well, nor Beef, but I've heard good things about them." Grian lit up. "I can't forget Joe! He's a poet at heart, and gives great advice. There's also Bdubs, he's the only person on the server with a healthy sleep schedule."

That earned a chuckle from Taurtis.

Smiling, Grian continued. "We've got Team ZIT too. Impulse, Zedaph, and Tango have been close-knit for a long time. All three are insane in their own way. Then there's Concorp."

"Concorp?"

"Yep, Cub and Scar. They apparently have made deals with the Vexes, which means they make chaos every now and then. Both are great builders too. And then we have Wels and Etho. Wels is the most gentlemanly knight I've seen, and Etho is... Well Etho is like me but quiet."

"That sounds terrifying."

"He's great. And then there's Iskall and Mumbo. They were my business partners and probably my closest friends. They both are great at redstone, despite Mumbo being a spoon. And finally there's Xisuma."

Grian sighed. "He's the admin, and I don't know how he does it. Despite his admin duties, he still comes up with amazing builds. And despite all that, he never pushes himself too hard."

Taurtis smiled. "You really miss them."

"Yeah... I hope I can go back to them when this is over. They've probably moved onto their seventh world by now." Grian fidgeted. "I hope they're alright, with the current events, and all."

"They sound like a resilient bunch. I'm sure they're just fine."

Grian shook his head. "Anyways! I've been rambling, sorry."

"No, no it's fine! It was nice, hearing about your family." Taurtis answered.

"Maybe when this is over, you can join me. I can introduce you to everyone and-"

Taurtis laughed. "Oh it's fine, my watcher training isn't over yet, and I plan to watch over Evo in the future."

"Promise to stay in touch though, yeah?"

"Promise."

Grian blinked. "Oh, your wings have grown in a bit."

"That was fast." Taurtis turned to glance at his back.

The dragonfly wings were a mixed shade of amber and purple, reminding him of an Ametrine gem. They buzzed slightly, seemingly aching to move despite not being fully grown. There was a slight metallic sheen to them, reflecting the now setting sun in a way that made them look like they were glowing.

"They're really pretty."

"Thanks."

Silence fell over the two for some time, as the sun fully set.

Eventually, they would have to head back to the house to sleep. But until then, they were free to take a little bit of time to relax.

A soft, perfume smell drifted on the breeze, one Grian recognized. A slight channel of Hippie Grian confirmed the source of the sweet smell. The hint of honey amongst the floral scent was too familiar of him time in the Hippie camp.

Taurtis seemed to notice it too, glancing around. It didn't take long to find where it was coming from.

The field under the XP machine was covered in flowers, many different types and colors mingling together. A slight buzzing gave away the bees that were floating around, taking advantage of the fresh nectar.

With a contented sigh, Grian glanced up at the sky, where the stars began to show.

They were going to be okay.