Flight or Fail

Chapter 1: What?

It was just a normal day when Grian noticed something was off.
He'd been flying around the jungle, watching Mumbo build even more redstone machines, when he noticed his back ached. Assuming he'd just been using his elytra for too long, the young hermit landed directly in front of his mansion, hunched over in pain. He stumbled through the door and collapsed in his bed, hoping no-one saw him.
Unfortunately, False had been watching him for about two hours, making sure that no destructive pranks went wrong and injured him. Now, she was swooping down to knock on the door.

Inside, Grian gave up on his mild dream of sleep and staggered towards his bedroom, back hurting like he'd been hit with a sledgehammer. Unable to bear it any longer, he ripped his sweater and shirt off and felt around his shoulder blades for whatever was causing this much pain. What he found was two small stubs on his back, in the middle of his ribs. Panic set in fast. He dug around for a mirror in his drawers and finally pulled one out and when he checked the unusual markings, he learnt nothing more.
A loud knock at the door brang his rushing thoughts to a startling halt. Quick as a sparrowhawk, he yanked his sweater back on and stumbled over his own feet to reach the door, opening it with an exhausted huff.

"Grian?" asked False, looking at his ragged form and wondering what had happened in the last five minutes that had made the perky hermit look absolutely wrecked. "Are you okay?"

"Yup. Completely. 100%!" replied Grian, sounding so completely hysterical even he could hear it. "Just tired from flying around all day."

"I was just wondering, since when you were going into your house you looked in pain. Are you sure everything's alright?"

"My back just hurts a little bit," he responded, wondering why it felt like a lie when it was the complete and utter truth.

Ah. That was why. It didn't hurt a little bit. It hurt an unbearable amount.

"If you're sure… Just remember, if anything is wrong, you can tell us," she sighed, waving farewell before departing back to her base.

After narrowly dodging that bullet, he slammed the door shut and immediately fell to the floor, clutching his head in pain. What was before just a little bit of back pain was now like giant flaming claws gripping his chest and a throbbing headache. He couldn't take the pain any longer. The thoughts that normally constricted his brain were even stronger now, and in mostly defiance of them, Grian pulled his sweater back on and dashed out the door, towards Xisuma's house.

"There will come a poet, who's weapon is his words, he will slay you with his tongue, oh-" sang the bee-man as he casually walked down his stairs, heading to answer the frantic knocking at the door. His voice stopped instantly when he recognised Grian's signature panicked yelp from outside as lightning flashed down and rain lashed the younger man.

Time to hurry.

X opened the door to see a shaking, crying builder practically curled up in a ball in front of him. Before the admin could ask what was wrong, he was surprised by a strong hug.
Grian hated hugs. What was happening with him? Choosing carefully not to say a word, Xisuma responded by gently pulling him inside and closing the door, shutting the raging storm outside and safely away.

"Grian?" asked Void, readjusting his helmet in mild panic at the sight of the happy-go-lucky young adult effectively collapsed at his doorstep in tears.

"I-Iwasjustflyingandthenandthenmyback-" began Grian, hugging his legs to his chest.

"Slow down. I can't help you if I can't hear you."

Taking a deep breath, he started again, "I was flying around and my b-back started to hurt so I went back home but it got worse. False asked me if I was okay and I said it was. My head-"

At the word 'head', Grian broke off into a pained wail, gripping his hand to his chest and bending over. Immediately, like a swan protecting its nest, X zoomed over and held the shaking hermit on his feet, checking that his pulse was steady.

"Okay, I need you to try and go to sleep in here. When you wake up you might feel better and can tell me what on earth is going on."
Grian nodded.

"Do you want me to tell the other hermits?"

He shook his head, whispering "Especially not Mumbo." before passing out in the desperate hug of Xisuma Void, who lay him down on a ragged old rug by the fire.

First Chapter! My spacing of paragraphs will continue to suck through the entire story, most likely. This story gets more depressing fast, so be warned. The trigger warnings are definitely there for a reason.