When Past Meets the Present

XV

Holy Shist. No, I still asleep. How did this get 300? Last I checked it was 250. Also, Part 15!

"Care to help?"

They had a magic mental conversation that I could have entered but for the sake of the author being sick enough that every breath hurts her chest and she wants to finish this quickly so she can sleep and for plot convenience, I didn't.

Wait, author? Plot convenience? Anyways, moving on.

"We'll consider your offer. But we want to know exactly who you are."

"Seems fair..."

"I am the Irka, and this is the Onoro."

"Alright, Irka. My name is Grian, but you already knew that. Before I was a hermit I was on a server that the watchers took interest in, it was called evolution, it was the first place for their symbol to show up, that's why it's called the EVO. They tested our world, the usual deal, and I was deemed worthy enough to join them. At first, I tried to decline, but they didn't like that so they threatened my server mates, I finally agreed and I became one of the most powerful watchers ever, and the most powerful watcher alive.

Six years after I joined their ranks I messed up bad. As punishment, I had to watch as they destroyed evolution. They even made me come down to finish off my best player friend. I put up with them until about a year ago (a week before the start of the season) when I escaped their realm and teleported to a random world, this one, and I set up protections from them imminently. After a week I got lonely here so I accepted the hermits to this world and disguised everything watcher related.

Everything was going fine until a month ago when they finally found a server that was concealed from them by a power of magic that only one person has managed to reach in the last 150 years. Me. They've been looking for me since I escaped. At first, they only sent dreams, then they kept sending the EVO symbol. Most recently they hit me with a pretty big yet simple spell, that somehow got through my defences and turned me into a fae.

I'm not entirely sure why but I think it was because I only just have control of my watcher powers but the added magic of being a fae probably could make me lose control and I'd hurt another hermit or accidentally take down the border that keeps them out.

That's everything about me that concerns the watchers. Any questions?" They blinked and stared at me as if I'd just told them I was their God in disguise. Who knows, maybe they thought I was, all the other watchers were evil, I was the only good one, probably even the first.

"Ok, we'll help you. But, what if the hermits come looking for you? Would you be willing to attack them? Or even just to sit by while others deal with it? There is the possibility they could get seriously hurt or die. We can warn everyone but we can't promise no perma-death." - Onoro

"I can fight them if I have to. I'd rather only I fought with them if they come though. If any of the hermits come, I'll fight them by myself. Unless I can't for some reason, if that's the case the others can fight." - Grian

"That's fine, but you'll be like our other students. You'll have to follow all the rules. We can put you with the other illusioner trainee. A new fae would be a good match for them. And maybe you could even spar with one of us with your watcher powers." - Irka

"Other students?" - Grian

"Did you think we just send unprepared illagers into battle? No, when we reproduce we give birth to illagers. Then, much like you humans, they go through 6 years of basic schooling before their talent shows. When their talents show we sort them into a profession. Then they train with someone with more experience in their profession. The professions are Pillager, Evoker, Vindicator and Illusioner. Pillagers are the most common, then Evokers and Vindicators. Illusioners are very rare, there are only three of us here. The two of us and one trainee. Your power level as a fae should match theirs nicely." - Onoro

"So it's basically a school for magic? Been there, done that, got the trauma." - Grian

"Oh, they have a similar system with the watchers?" - Onoro

"Yeah, at least this time it'll be my own free will. I mean, nothing can be worse than the facility, can it? (Mhh, foreshadowing? Honestly, I don't even know yet.) Do you beat students for misbehaving? Do you have a curfew that doesn't allow students any free time and barely enough time for work? Do you starve students for failing classes?" They looked shocked when I said that. "Based on your expressions I'll take that as a no. Alright then, I'll do it. When do I start?" -Grian

(I swear there will be no more dialogue in this part. There just isn't that much to write about when they're sitting around in a cell, plus Grian is tied up so he's not doing too much other than talking.)

They untied me and let me bring my birbs in who unleashed many questions that I wasn't fast enough to answer. They moved us into a spare room and warned me not to leave until they told everyone else about me being here or else they'd mistake me for an intruder and attack. I built a tree branch perch for the birbs to rest on in the corner. They gave me some supplies and said I could do whatever I wanted to do with the room as long as it wouldn't disturb anyone outside the room. 

First of all, if I decided to practice in my room I would make a lot of noise and I needed more space so I made a small closet and cast a spell on it that expanded it from the inside but did nothing to the outside. (Like the magic tents from Harry Potter.)

Secondly, I had a shulker box full of magical items that I brought with me from the library. So I built a second, smaller library off a main infinity room to store them all in until I asked if there was somewhere else I should have put them. I put up more spells to protect them than last time.

Since I had almost unlimited space and I was feeling a little homesick so I wanted to rebuild a couple of my friends' bases. I didn't end up sleeping that night (much to the disapproval of Ari) but after a full night of building Mumbo's base almost fully done, minus all the redstone stuff of course.

It must have been almost time for me to get introduced to everyone because just as I was putting the finishing touches to the super smelter I heard a knock on the door. I ran out of the pocket world and into the spare room. The Irka was waiting for me outside the door, luckily she didn't come in.

(I know I said no more dialogue but I was struggling to write this bit without just a bit of speech.)

"Good morning, Grian."

"Good morning, Irka. So I guess I'm getting introduced now?"

"Yes, but I just wanted to go over some stuff now before we leave."

I invited her in, she sat on the bed while I sat on a small couch I made.

"I'd just thought you'd like to know that everyone here gets code names once they're sorted into their profession. We do this in case one of us goes rouge and uses their magic against us. If they have your name they could do some really bad stuff. Now you don't have to get one if you don't want to but I'd recommend something, even if it's just something small like Grain it'll still do a lot." - Irka

I thought about it for a minute. The watchers had forced the name Xelqua on me and I did everything I could to forget about that name. Maybe I should stop avoiding it and accept it, it was my name for six years. Maybe they weren't the best years but I had had some good times as Xelqua. I met Zuhiknau, sure we spoke to each other in English and he called me Grian but all that was still done as Xelqua.

I looked up from my thoughts to see the Irka looking at me, waiting for my response.

"Call me Xelqua."

Irka is what they call a female illusioner and Onoro is the same thing but male. And Zuhiknau (Ex/Alex) never liked his name so he preferred his watcher name, unlike Grian who hated the watchers and everything about them.

WC:1500

Cheers,

Isabelle