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Chapter 2 | Fear Of The Unknown

WC: 2165
Warnings: None

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The tunnel leading to the Shopping District had a minimal design, making use of the teal wood you found in warped forests. The design was tileable and repeated itself for a short while until it opened into a smaller room with a glass floor. Below it was a much larger hub, with tunnels that led in all four cardinal directions.

Various portals were stationed inside the room Ranboo and Cleo were in. There was one portal in the center, which was the one Cleo led Ranboo to.

The other side of the portal was a drastic shift from the dimly lit nether hub. The grass here was unusually vibrant--even brighter than the turf you found in jungles. The portal Ranboo and Cleo had emerged from was constructed underneath a taller building that resembled some kind of government building, made out of sandstone and brick.

The rest of the Shopping District was a mishmash of different styles of building. It was easy to tell what each store sold just by looking at the exterior. The whole area had a general buzz around it, like it was constantly busy and never really stopped.

Ranboo didn't realize he had an expression of awe on his face until Cleo chuckled, glancing over at him. "Yeah. It's cool how even though none of the buildings match, they just sort of...fit together, right?"

The two made their way down a concrete-paved walkway with tall, bushy trees on either side. Upon closer inspection, Ranboo noticed that there were diamonds amongst the leaves. When the sunlight hit the gems right, the trees seemed to sparkle.

Cleo glanced at her communicator again, humming under her breath as she read her new messages. "Xisuma's over at his honey shop. It's a little ways away, but since I don't have any spare elytra to give you we're just going to have to walk it."

Ranboo did a double-take, confused. "Sorry--elytra?"

Cleo looked over at him, raising an eyebrow slightly. "...You don't know what elytra are?"

Ranboo got the feeling he should, but the word didn't ring a bell with him. He shook his head.

"Oh." She still sounded confused, like elytra were supposed to be common knowledge, but she explained it to him.

"Elytra are wings." She turned around to show Ranboo the pale purple wings strapped to her back. Ranboo had noticed them before, but he'd thought they were some kind of cape--nothing to pay attention to. As he studied them now, though, he noticed that it was split into two parts. The wings looked lightweight and were slightly transparent.

"They're pretty rare and are usually found once you've got diamond or netherite armor and such," Cleo went on. "You've gotten to that point, right?"

"Of course," Ranboo said, sounding a bit defensive.

Before Cleo could interrogate him more, they were interrupted by two new voices coming from nearby. Two Hermits flew in and landed on the streets a little ways away from Ranboo and Cleo. Ranboo noticed that the elytra was made for gliding, not flapping, and it closed on itself once you landed.

Only one of the Hermits had elytra on, though. The other, who donned a worn red sweater and gray jeans, had actual wings sprouting from his back. They were much bigger than the elytra was and resembled bird's wings.

Ranboo couldn't ignore the slight double-take both the Hermits did as they studied him. Even next to Cleo, his appearance was unique. He tried to adjust the crown on his head, but all he did was make it more lopsided. The nether's heat had helped dry his clothing, but it was still slightly damp.