A Change In The Horizon || The Lost One AU

1. A New World

AN

Hello everyone! Welcome to the second book of The Lost One series named A Change In The Horizon! If you haven't read the first book, Xelqua Rising, I would highly suggest checking that out first so you can get some context on a lot of things. 

On a bit of a sadder note, I wanted to take a moment to recognize the passing of TFC. He was, and always will be, an amazing Hermit. May he rest in peace. 

~🌤~

When Xelqua came to at long last, he found himself blinded by the sunlight peeking out between the leaves in the trees. He let out a loud groan as he sat up and began to look around. Trees surrounded him in every direction, an army of brown trunks surrounding him in the clearing he was in. Beside him was another Watcher, just a few inches taller than he was.

What exactly had happened? At first, he couldn't remember a single thing, but little by little, memories began piecing themselves together in his mind.

He was named Grian originally. For a few years, he was trapped on a server named Evolution with about ten others. Their captors, the Watchers, had ordered them around, forcing them to chase senseless clues under the false hope that just maybe, they could be let out one day. It was a terrible situation, but the players had all grown close and made the best they could of what they had.

Then that fateful day had come. The Watchers had become angry because one of the Evolutionists somehow made their way into their holy temple. As a punishment of some kind, they demanded that one of them become a Watcher. In the end, it was Grian that had volunteered.

There in their sacred temple in the dimension named the Downside Up, he was looked down upon by all the creatures. Little by little, he learned their ways, but not without insults and babying. There was only one Watcher that took little part of this, the only other one with a heart. The one that laid beside him now.

Xelqua's gaze softened as he studied the other with his detached invisible eyes. His white hair had become a bit dirty, and his robes of the same color had become creased by the way he was laying. His three pairs of wings laid outstretched as far as they could, speckled by sunlight.

Miesall, he had been named. Or as Xel liked to call him, Miesalt (or even just Salt). Considering Watchers did not have relationships with each other, romantic or platonic, the two had grown quite close. Xelqua had spent far more time with him than any other, although it was to be expected seeing as the the creature was his teacher this last century or so.

Xelqua stood up now, sending his detached eyes to search the area further. Since becoming a Watcher, he had hundreds of eyes. For some reason, however, now he only seemed to have ten, and instead of seeing everywhere, he could only send his eyes out about twenty feet from his body.  It unnerved him a bit, but being in a world after so long was what took his focus right now.

From what he saw so far, this was an empty world. That was good, he supposed. He sat back down, waiting for the other to wake. It wasn't until the sun rose high in the sky that Miesall did come to.

'Xel...' he signed silently with his hands. 'Where are we?'

"We appear to be in a forest." Xel responded in the tongue of the higher species, Language. He also signed his words, as was required of the Watchers anytime when speaking. Privacy of any kind was strictly forbidden among the Watchers.

Miesall rubbed his face, trying to get his bearings. Xelqua could feel that he was trying to send out his eyes, exploring this world. It was only natural for him to do, after all. Yet, there were only a few other eyes around him. 'I... can not see clearly.' He signed.