The labyrinth of monsters (a Hermitcraft and third life AU fanfic)

Chapter 26 - Tango

'Cleo...' I stare at the body as Grian says her name. Dead. Suicide. Driven to it by all the deaths. Joe's death. I can tell my winged friend is thinking the same thing.

'Were any of you very close to her?' Iskall asks.

'I wish I was... I never spend any time with her at all...' I realise sadly. 

'We should still bury her with the others. Ren?' 

The dog nods, dragging Cleo carefully back to the graveyard. I'm stuck staring at Skizz's grave. It's covered in blue and yellow flowers. His and Impy's favourite colours. He wasn't even one of them. He died fighting against them. I doubt that the Others' graveyard did the same. They just buried and returned to normally. Suddenly, I think of an idea.

'Can I... can I write Impulse's name below Skizz's. They were brothers.' 

'Sure.' Pleased I can remember my friend in a place I can go, I pick up a knife from my pocket, crouching next to the grave and engraving. 

Brother of Impulse (RIP)

'That's beautiful.' Jevin's voice compliments from behind me. Standing up, I thank him. 

'It's very simple. I didn't want to write too much.'

'It's all you need. I can't believe how beautiful this place is. Iskall showed me before when he went to bury False.' 

'What happened? Why did you join him?' 

'He trapped me and asked if I wanted to join him. I said yes. I didn't want to come back to a place where I knew no one respected me. Best to let them think I was dead.'

'We did.' 

'I could tell.' 

The conversation seems to be at an end so I look around. Cleo's finished being buried. Grian nods over at me, and I smile back. 

'Let's Go.' Iskall calls. The group moves on, me with them, but I look back to see Ren limping far back.' 

'Wait!' They all stop. 

'No... I'm fine... I'll be just behind...'

'No, you need help. Stay here. We'll be back as soon as possible.' 

'I'll stay here.' Grian offers. I nod too. 

'Fine. We'll be back. I'll get some golden apples and healing potions.' Iskall leads Jevin away, leaving me Grian and Ren behind again.

'So...' Begins Grian, trying to converse. 

'We're all here.'

'Yes.' 

An awkward silence. 

'How's not-getting-over-Impulse going?' 

'Fine.' I lie. The image of my best friend dying in my arms comes back to mind. I try to get rid of it. 

'That's good.' Grian doesn't seem convinced with my answer. Ren's lain down on the floor next to us, clearly in pain. Me and Grian both exchange a worried glance.

'Ren, Are you sure you're ok?' I ask again. 

'No? It really hurts...'

'It's ok. Iskall and Jevin will be back soon anyway.'

'Hopefully... this really hurts...'

'What is it that hurts?' I ask, crouching down next to the half-man. 

'My leg. That mad creeper monster stabbed it.' 

'I'll try and cover it... there must be something useful in all this foliage.' 

'Scar's the one that would've known about all of this stuff. He was good with plants. He made most of these trees himself.'

'You mean... grew?'

'Made, actually. He built them all.'

'Someone built these?' I look around the vast selection of trees. All of them are so unique and beautiful and realistic. 

'He was an amazing builder...' Ren replies, before whining with pain again. 

'Are you ok?'

'Still Not.' He's clearly stopping himself from howling with the agony. Blood still drips from the stab wounds in his leg. He claws the ground with his claws. Grian's looking desperately around. I'm searching my pockets, and find a healing potion.

'Here! Drink this!' 

I don't know why I had it, but it works. Ren relaxes slightly, and his injuries begin to fade. It's then that Jevin runs back into sight. 

'What's wrong?' I ask instantly. The slime's panting, and after a moment of recovery says.

'There's a note to all of us.'

'All of you?'

'Us. Grian, Tango, your names are also on it.' 

'What?! Where is this?'

'In our meeting room. It says to meet where Etho died?'

'Oh. There...' I try to hide the memory again. The last of Impulse's sanity. The body. The writing. My friend.

'Tango, are you alright?' Grian's voice shocks me to reality. I nod. He frowns. 'I know you're not.'

'Then why did you ask?'

This seems to stump him. 

'Can I continue?' Jevin pleads. 'Anyway, it's in the meeting room. We met Beef and Wels there. They'd already seen the letter.'

'When is this?' Grian asks, giving me a frustrated side-eye about my lack of communication. 

'2 days time we're meeting. And it said to bring weapons.'

'It must be the others that sent it.' 

'No one there knows I'm alive! How's my name on it? And why would they ask to meet us in our land?' 

'I don't know! But they clearly did.'

'It might be from the creators...' I suggest quietly. 

'What?'

'The creators of this place. The ones that sent us all in here to start with.'

'Might be. Anyway, Iskall called a meeting between us right now to discuss it. Ren, can you walk?'

'No.' 

'Right. Who'll carry him?' 

'I can walk!' 

Ren gets tentatively to his feet, and we set off slowly, with him hobbling behind us. We leave the graveyard again, setting off to where the others are.

Bad chapter again... and still no inspiration. 

Also, I just want to share the thing that's been stuck in my head for the last few weeks. 

Ya'll know Hermitcraft? What about

Kermitcraft.

I'll leave you with that thought.