Banished: Resistance is Futile

[16]

"Come on, Xan!!!" The child's voice echoed across the Void.

"But- it's so high!" Xanthus yelled back, his red eyes wide with fear. The pale endstone crunched under his boots, a few lingering endermen glancing his way before returning to sulking about.

"Just use the elytra dad gave you, and you can make it."

"But it's really far away! I don't want to fall into the Void!!!"

"No one wants to fall into the Void," Xisuma muttered to himself.

"I-I don't want to go-"

"We're going to be out past curfew," said the older brother, trying not to get annoyed.

"See.. this... this is what happens... when you-you make me go out with you-"

"What? Oh no no, Xan. You're the one that made me chase after you and your fantasies. Hearing voices? Seeing things?" Xisuma crosses his arms. "You're just scared, Xanthus. Scared of growing up."

Xanthus froze, staring into nothing.

Yes, he was scared, not that he would ever admit it to his brother... but not of growing up.

The things he saw were not... natural, even for this world. Dark shadows, whispers echoing from them, red eyes staring outwards from the mist, their glow piercing his mind.

Purple flames danced in his vision, and screams of a faintly recognizable voice swam round his head.

A sword being held to his throat, someone crying out in the distance to not do it.

And a single feather. Red, gold, and black. It would always land on his nose, when he went to this scape. Whether it was reality or dreams he wasn't sure.

But when he touched the feather, or rather, when it touched him, he felt a wave of peace wash over him, and the voices changed into something kinder. Gentler.

But the feather wasn't there right now. He could see it blowing away in the wind, just out of reach, fingers barely brushing it.

"I-I..." Xanthus took a step forward, placing a hand on the back of his neck.

The voices were growing louder now, calling out his name. Shadows slowly crept in at the corners of his vision.

Xisuma saw the look on his brother's face, seeing it morph from fright to... something much stronger. All annoyance gone, he propelled himself into the thin air of the End and dove towards Xanthus.

Reaching the other End island, he stopped. 'Should I touch him? What if that makes it worse?'

He's only attention-seeking.

'But what if he isn't?' Who was he even talking to?

Confused, he shook his head, the voice fading away mid-sentence.

Placing his arms on Xanthus' shoulders, he stared into the boy's eyes. "Listen, Xan, it'll be alright."

Whimpers was his only response.

"If you're scared of flying back to the house, I can try to carry you and umph-"

Xanthus lunged forward, hugging his brother around the waist, stopping Xisuma from talking anymore.

The older boy ran a hand through the younger's thin white-blonde hair, cooing calm words. "It'll be ok. Just let me know when you want to go."

Xanthus nodded into his brother's abdomen, silent tears falling down his face.

And just like that, he closed the gap between himself and the feather, reaching out and grasping it.

^*^

"What f this lasts forever? Is he really safe here... send him..."

"We can't risk sending him there... can't breathe... monsters..."

Xanthus sat huddled on his bed, knees tucked up close to his chest, feeling the phantom wait of the feather in his hand.

Xisuma sat next to him, stroking a hand through his white-blonde hair, humming a little melody.

All while their parents argued in a hushed whisper outside their room in the kitchen.

"...uncle... Watchers... find him... Darkness..."

"The Void has plans... too young..."

Xanthus lifted his head to face his brother, a worried expression on his face. "What are they-they saying about me?"

"All good things... don't worry about it." Xisuma paused his stroking, placing the hand around his brother's back. "And whatever happens, I'll be here for you."

"I'll be here for you too, X."

^*^

Quiet.

Not a sound.

No hearts beating.

No clocks ticking.

No chickens clucking.

No villagers hrming.

...Silence.

It was beautiful.

But scary.

Grian's eyes shot open, confused.

Where was he?

Oh right.

The events of yesterday-or who knows how long ago-came flooding back.

An encounter with a drowned, Jellie up a tree... wings.

Grian sat up, wincing in pain. His left arm ached, and his torso felt like it was on fire.

Then, a sound.

The soft footfalls from the other room.

Then the door creaking open.

Then... a man.

"Oh, you're up." The man-Xanthus, if he remembered correctly-looked up from his hands. He was carrying some sort of potion bottle, with a bubbly amber liquid inside. "I was just brewing up a healing potion."

Silence answered his statement.

Xanthus nodded, chuckling. "Wondering if it's poison?"

The Enderian took a seat by the empty fireplace. "One-" he counted off on his fingers "-I saved you from dying. Two, I took you into my home so that you wouldn't get hurt. Three-"

"Alright, I get the point." The Watcher laid back down, head resting on the pillow.

Xanthus huffed a laugh.

A few moments passed before Grian spoke. "So... who are you. Where are we. Didn't you have wings? I- is this a rustic..." He didn't finish the sentence, feeling tears prick at the corners of his eyes.

"I am an Enderian, we're in a mesa at the end of the world, what wings, and yes."

Something about the man set Grian's warning bells off.

Eyeing Xanthus one more time, he took a breath, saying one more line before going quiet.

"Who are you really?"

^*^

I WANT THEORIES. I WANT HEADCANONS. I WANT WHATEVER THIS BOOK HAS SPARKED IN YOUR BRAIN. REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. ->

Also, an omega pog to KitKatExists for drawing me that magnificent fan art at the top ^^^^^^^^^ Your art style with those characters!? 💋

Maya <3