Xelqua Rising || The Lost One AU

5.Prayer

Re-edited: 11/1/23

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Grian froze. He asked for this? There was no way that he had. Why would he? He tried to think back to the time before the Watchers turned his whole world upside down. He could not recall anything from that time.

"What do you mean?" He asked, the anger he had now being held back, though the dam was ready to burst again. Miesall grew pale, waving his hands in front of his face.

"I-I've already said too much! Forget I said anything!" He replied quickly. The words could not be taken back, however. Grian stood up.

"Tell me what you mean." He demanded.

"Oh ender, the Great Ones— they're going to be pissed at me! Grian, please understand!" The Watcher cried, hands folded in a prayer. The blonde hesitated. It was not like a Watcher to beg, or use such language as 'pissed.' That didn't mean he was going to stand down. He took a deep breath, letting some of the anger roll down his shoulders.

"Tell me," he instructed, much calmer. "Tell me everything."

Miesall's shoulders drooped as he hung his head. "Well, I am probably already in trouble..." he began with a sigh. "You were in a bad state. You said a prayer to what you players refer to as the gods. The Listeners— the Listeners heard your cry. Intending to play the role of cruel gods, they tried to take you. We saw you and we saved you from their clutches. Evolution is a server that we claimed especially to watch over you from."

Grian stared at the Watcher, not believing his ears. The Watchers had saved him from the Listeners? Why had he called to them? Was it because they had manipulated him? A sea of confusion shone in his eyes. "Why?" He whispered.

Miesall shook his head. "I do not know any more than that, Grian."

"But your eyes! Certainly you saw something!"

"Look, us Watchers have hundreds of eyes, but they are not all seeing. The universe is virtually infinite; even we cannot watch all. The damage they have done though, that cannot be undone. Not even the Great Ones can undo it."

"What damage?"

"Your memories from back then... we cannot return them to you."

Grian leaned against the table, holding his head as he felt the start of headache coming. This all was a lot to take in all at once. Was it possible that Miesall was lying? There's no way he would want this, right? Then again, if the Listeners are anywhere near as terrible as Miesall said, then yes, he could very well see himself asking for this, not knowing exactly what he was getting into.

"I've told you too much at once. This must be what the Great Ones had warned me of..." Miesall noted to himself. "You were never meant to find out this way, and certainly not all at the same point in time." He lifted his head and spread out his arms, his wings unfolding as well. "Come, let me rejuvenate you, then you should take some time to process this all."

Grian stared at the Watcher. He wanted to refuse. He did not want to be told what to do, yet he desperately needed his body tended to in ways this place did not accommodate for. He was still tempted to decline, but he allowed his legs to walk around the desk and stand beside Miesall. He allowed the creature to touch him in ways he was not comfortable with, to use his magic to restore his body.

"The Great Ones," Grian began as the tingling sensation died down. "They must know more, certainly." He turned on his heel and started out the door. Miesall's mouth just about fell on the floor before he started flying after the smaller male.

"Grian!" He called, "You cannot expect them to let you walk in! They— they do not allow to be seen unless you are called by them! You— you will be punished! They do not mess around!"

Grian did not listen; instead, he only quickened his pace. Running now, he raced to the central part of the temple in which the Sanctum laid. Miesall flew past him, like a dart, white feathers fluttering everywhere. The blur whizzed past him, took a sharp turn in front of the human and instantaneously stopped, now blocking the path. How could he do that— to go from what looked like a hundred blocks per second to completely still in a matter of milliseconds without looking like it even disoriented him! His wings were fully spread out along with his arms.

"Grian! You cannot do this! I am gravely serious!" He exclaimed.

"I need answers. Answers you can't— or won't— give." Grian growled, pushing past the Watcher and continuing to run towards the entrance. He had become blinded by his anger and would not listen to reason. Miesall whipped around and immediately shot past the blonde, racing him to the tall marble doors in which the Great Ones hid behind. Coming to yet another abrupt stop, he now stood in front of the door. It took Grian a good fifteen seconds to catch up to the speed demon. He bent down in front of Miesall, lowering his head as he tried to catch his breath. A bit of sweat trickled down his forehead. The other hadn't even lost his breath.

"Look... if you're going to do this — and I still do not support this in any way to be clear— ... you have to do this at least semi properly. For your safety." Miesall tried to reason, arms out in defense. Grian rose, crossing his arms.

"My safety?" He asked suspiciously, eyebrow raised. He was fed up with these stuck up, glorified stalkers.

"Yes! The Great Ones... they are so powerful that when you gaze at their face, at all! Even out of the corner of your eye! You will be utterly destroyed! Reduced to ash!" He threw his hands up for emphasis. "Even us Watchers— if we do as well, then— we will surely perish as well! You cannot break the rule— not even twist it a bit! I have watched you for years; I know you like doing that! You must not— you cannot bend these rules!" He exclaimed one more. The human stood there, unmoving as the Watcher rambled on. He stayed silent for awhile, considering this.

"Fine," he huffed. "Now let me in."

"That is not all," Miesall said, sucking in a breath. "You cannot speak under circumstances."

Grian's eyebrows shot up. "What." He stated more than asked.

"Verbal speaking is forbidden in the Sanctum of Seers."

"You said that I was excluded from that rule."

Miesall shook his head, his curls bouncing around. "Not in the Sanctum. There must be absolutely no way that the Listeners have a chance of listening to the Great One's conversations. Only signage is allowed. If not, chaos may ensue and all will be lost. Please Grian, you must understand!"

"Then how am I supposed to speak to them?" The human asked, getting more and more annoyed by the second.

"I shall speak on your behalf, just trust me." Miesall blurted.

"Trust you! Why...?" Grian started, but he found himself trailing off. His eyes seemed to only register what a nervous wreck the usually pristine Watcher was. His white feathers stuck to his white robes, his hair frizzed from the frantic flying that he had done, his face looking as if he had just seen great tragedy with his hundreds of eyes. He was willing to look horrible in front of everyone, too busy to even use his magic to fix himself up. It was clear that what he had said was incredibly important to him. Grian sucked in a breath and then let it go slowly before meeting the Watcher's gaze (if they saw like he did, at least.)

"Fine," He muttered. "But you must tell me what they said, exactly how they said it." Now it was Miesall's turn to let out a sigh, and as he did, his appearance was magically tamed back to a presentable state. He started to sign silently as he turned towards the door.

"Let us hope that they will not be too angry..."

The door seemed to open by itself. Miesall walked inside, followed by Grian. Whatever was inside was hidden by a blinding white light. The smaller male instinctively shut his eyes in attempt to protect his human eyes. After they had adjusted underneath his eyelids, he slowly opened them to be greeted with...

NOTHING?!