The Fourth Star - Rewrite

III

He stepped through the portal, anxiety chipping at his thoughts. His hands grasped at his red jumper, digging his fingernails into the fabric with a tight grip. There was a heavy weight on his shoulders, a burdensome feeling of dread that he carried. Even though this new world felt free, the feeling wouldn't last for long. They were already here. They were already working on destroying it all.

A man was waiting there for him to arrive, standing in green armor with a grey helmet over his face. Despite that, his eyes seemed to glow a deep shade of blue behind the tinted visor, as if they radiated with magic. Around his neck was a snake with the same eyes, her scales a shiny white hue. Her scales also gleamed with magic when he caught sight of them.

Stepping forward, the man extended his gloves hand. "You must be Grian, right?" He asked, the magic in his eyes fading away to a dull purple that seemed to be their natural color.

Grian glanced from the snake to the man's hand, before giving a slight nod. "Yes, that's me." He said somewhat hesitantly, shyness in his voice.

Lowering his arm, the man nodded back. "I'm Xisumavoid, the admin of the server. I've been told you're going to help me out."

"I'll try." Grian responded quietly.

"Well, I'd like information first and foremost. Let's chat somewhere a bit more private, shall we?" Xisuma asked, gesturing towards a path in the forest at spawn.

"Yes, of course." He said, his gaze falling to the ground.

They were about to head down the path together, though Xisuma paused as a Hermit walked out of the trees with an armful of logs. Grian slightly hid behind the admin, though he took a moment to examine the man. He was rather tall and thin, wearing a three-piece suit with a crimson red tie. He seemed well presented, with a rather well-groomed mustache, though his raven black hair was somewhat messy.

"Hello Xisuma!" The man greeted with a British accent, before noticing the smaller figure hiding behind the admin. "Oh? Who's this? Do we have a new Hermit?"

X placed a hand on Grian's back, pushing him forward slightly. "Yes, actually. He couldn't join us at the start of the season, but he's here now. This is Grian."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Mumbo!" Said the mustached man with a welcoming smile, his eyes trailing towards the features on Grian's back. He had a pair of mighty wings, deep purple feathers decorating his bird-like features. "Ah, you must be a hybrid! We have quite a few on the server. Creeper, vexes, zombie, wolf. You'll fit right in!"

He sounded rather genuine, with a kind voice and a welcoming glow in his eyes. Grian felt slightly at ease around Mumbo, much more than he felt with Xisuma. Still, he kept his distance. "Thank you." He said quietly, the wings on his back fidgeting as he spoke.

Xisuma placed an arm around Grian's shoulder, which caused the winged male to flinch. "We have a few more things to discuss before Grian can run off. He can catch up with you and the others later."

"Alright! You're welcome to stop by my base later on, it's just a little island out at sea. I've still got some work to do on the starter base." Mumbo said with a wave, as he resumed his journey into the woods. He disappeared through the greenery of trees, leaving Grian and Xisuma alone once more.

After watching Mumbo walk out of sight, Xisuma started to head forward. He took a few steps before looking over his shoulder. "Come on, this way."

Grian frowned, clearly anxious as he and the admin walked towards a cave that was near spawn. The cavern spiraled deep, multiple dark paths winding throughout it. Xisuma walked into the darkness, mindlessly following a path that led deeper underground, where the air grew stale and filled with damp air that smelled of sulfur and decay. The sound of water dripping echoed throughout the cave, faint screeching from bats somewhere further off.