Reflection (A Sequel To Redemption)

Chapter Three: Xanthus

*crashes through wall*

I HAVE A CHAPTER-

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Y'all I am so sorry about this huge wait for the chapter. I had a lot of chaos going on in my life (/pos) and little to no time to write. Actually, just none. I started this chapter less than a week ago.

That being said, here you go!

WC: ~1100

Enjoy!

"Now what?" Xay asked, filling up a gap of silence in the room. Xisuma turned to him, his grip on the book in his hands tight.

"Well... how do we bring him back?" Xisuma asked. There was no answer, the Hermits glancing around amongst themselves for some sort of idea.

Then, it hit Xay.

"Oh," he said out-loud. "Oh."

"What?" Xisuma tilted his head at him, his face a mix of confusion and worry.

"I... I think I know someone," Xay mumbled. "But... you're not going to like it."

"I'm willing to do anything," Xisuma pressed. Xay sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Fine," he muttered. "Come back with me to the End, all of you."

"There's someone I need you to re-meet."

Xay opened up the doors of the dungeons, sighing softly. Something about it was oddly refreshing, perhaps the sort of memories that came with the all-too-familiar doors. He walked down the aisle until he reached the very end. The lights grew dimmer here, carrying a much more grim atmosphere. Inside was a prisoner, his hands bound behind his back, completely chained up, his head tilted down.

Someone in the group sucked in a breath.

Xay stiffened, then braced himself, taking a deep breath.

"Helsknight,"

The prisoner looked up at his name, glowing fire eyes narrowed in suspicion. He arched an eyebrow, his eyes moving fast like lightning, surveying everyone in the group.

"I- I thought he was dead," Xisuma breathed, kneeling down to eye level with Hels.

"Bet you wished I was, Admin," Hels hissed. Xisuma winced and stood back up.

"This isn't a good idea," Wels spat. "He's dangerous."

"He attacked Xisuma!" Impulse chimed in. Xay stared at the knight in shock.

"You... didn't tell me that," he said slowly, undertones of fury in his voice. Hels shrugged.

"Didn't feel a need to," Hels sighed.

"You attacked my brother," Xay's hands clenched into fists as he spoke. "And you didn't feel a need to tell me?"

"I was mistaken anyways," Hels grumbled. "I don't trust Watchers. A Watcher Admin in a server is just plain suspicious."

"How- how did you know he was a Watcher?" Xay asked slowly. "The Hermits only found out recently..."

"Had a hunch," Hels said dismissively. "I tried to kill him to protect the rest of the server. Specifically Wels. Turns out it wasn't the smartest decision."

"You- what?" Wels sputtered. Hels raised an eyebrow at him.

"Bet you thought I betrayed you this whole time," he noted. "I don't know what I expected, but I probably should've guessed this. You were always pretty dense."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Hels sighed, tilting his head back. "That reminds me, what are you all doing here? Decided to pay me a visit or something?"

"Actually, uh, we were wondering if you could help us with something?" Xay said.

"Sunk that low, have you?" Hels asked dryly.

"Yeah, lil' bit," Xay grumbled. He took out a key from his cloak and unlocked the cell door, stepping inside. He started to unbound Hels, who stayed silent.

"Xisuma, I don't like this," Xay heard a voice whisper to Xisuma, one of the Hermits that he hadn't managed to remember the name of. "What if he just tries to kill you again?"

"What would I gain out of that?" Hels called, having no regard for simulating the Hermit's privacy. "I now realize that the Admin isn't a double agent, so why would I kill him?"

"I trust him," Xisuma offered. "I trust anyone Xay trusts, and I honestly admire the lengths he was willing to go to in order to protect Wels, even though he was mistaken."

"Remind me, why are we unbounding him if we don't even know if he can help us yet?" Etho's voice was sarcastic.

"Because he doesn't deserve to be here," Xay said simply.

"You might as well explain the predicament," Hels suggested.

"Who's gonna do it?" Xay called.

"I will," Etho replied. "Friend. Friend died. Book. Dead friend trapped inside book. Now what?"

"Stupendously helpful, Etho," Xay sighed.

"I try,"

"What a thrilling tale," Hels said sarcastically. "Really. How enticing."

"Oh, shut up," Xay grumbled, throwing the last of his bounds aside and standing up, offering a hand to Hels, who took it and stood up with him.

"I assume you two know each other?" Xisuma guessed. Xay snorted.

"My only place with the Watchers was tending to the prisoners for years," he pointed out. "Of course we know each other. I knew every prisoner held here. From Hels to Etho to that chirpy one that just laughed hysterically whenever I asked her how in the name of the Void she managed to anger Zena bad enough to get sent to prison. Head of glitter and butterflies, that one."

"Now," Hels said to Xisuma. "Someone please tell me what's going on."

"Oh my god," Xay breathed. "He knows the word 'please'!! He has basic manners!! Write that down!!! Write that down!!!"

"And you have basic stupidity," Hels noted. "But I think we were all already aware of that."

"Oh, you are SO asking for-"

"Any time you two would like to stop flirting would be pretty good," Etho remarked. "Preferably soon, but hey, who am I to rush your romantic future?"

"Anyways," Xisuma interrupted before Xay could come up with a retort. "Hels. What Etho was trying to say earlier is that essentially our friend, Grian, who's a Watcher, was killed by Zena. However, due to some sort of magic that none of us really get, he was able to sort of... be transported into this book?" Xisuma held out the book as he spoke. "We can communicate with him through it, and we were hoping we could also, somehow, get him out. And Xay thinks you might know how."

"Hels has experience with a different kind of magic," Xay chimed in. "Not Watcher or Voidwalker. Not even End, but rather Nether." Hels nodded in confirmation, then took the book and flipped to the marked page, the most recent conversation.

"Ah," was all he said for a second. "Okay. If I'm correct, Grian must've cast some sort of spell on the book while he was alive. I'm not entirely sure what he did, but it involved some sort of trickery that I'm not exactly sure about."

"So... you can't get him out?" Xisuma asked.

"Never said that," Hels replied. "I think I know- oh." Hels stared at the book, then up at Xisuma. "You can save him, Admin. I may know how."

"But it might just cost you your life."

OOOO??? OOOOOOOOO???

-Storm