The Lost Watcher

Chapter 8 - A War Waged

T/W: Character Death (Sorry not sorry. Reeces)

Upon hearing the name, a look of rage passed over Xelqua's face. The other deserters didn't matter. Taurtis, Gemini, who needed them? One could teleport, the other could world hop, who cares? The other couple? No one knew them. But Xanthous? They couldn't afford to lose him. He was too powerful, too... unpredictable.

"Xelqua," said Aurum, a hint of warning in his voice.

"Thank you for informing us," Xelqua told the Watcher. They nodded, and quickly ran off.

"Xelqua, listen to me," said Aurum, "whatever you're thinking, stop thinking it."

"We can't just lose Xanthous. I'm getting him back, one way or the other."

Xelqua smiled, realizing that he can use Xanthous' own system against him. He pressed the Watcher mark and imagined Xanthous' mind. He was abruptly thrown in, and the weird double vision took over again. In front of him, he not only saw Aurum and Gem but also Xisuma, Xanthous' brother.

He felt a prickle of heat hit him, and nausea came over him. He wasn't thrown out immediately though, though he couldn't tell if that was because Xanthous was weaker or he was stronger.

"Xanthous?" said Xisuma.

Xelqua smiled, but it was not kind. It was a cruel, twisted smile.

"Hello, Xisuma. Your brother has deserted us. This will not do. You have an hour to return him to us. Leave him at server spawn. One hour. One hour before the full force of the Watchers falls onto your server."

Xelqua snapped, an hourglass appearing in Xanthous' hand. Xisuma grabbed it, and the sand started to fall.

"Time's ticking."

With that, he felt himself fall out of Xanthous' mind and back into his own. The two Watchers stared at him.

"What did you do?" whispered Gem.

"Prepare the army of the Watchers," Xelqua snapped back.

He snapped his fingers, conjuring the same hourglass he gave to Xisuma.

"When the last grain falls, be ready."

Gem's mouth opened and closed several times before he nodded and went off.

"Xelqua," pleaded Aurum, "this is pure madness. Do we need Xanthous?"

With a look of steel in his eyes, Xelqua nodded.

"He is perhaps one of the most important Watchers we have. We can't lose him."

Aurum sighed. Too many Watchers had tried to defy Xelqua. Too many had failed. If his boyfriend wasn't listening, he wasn't going to push it.

They stood around waiting. Seconds turned into minutes, which quickly turned into the hour that Xelqua had given. Gem showed up, with a sizable group behind him.

"Last chance to say no," said Gem, his voice laced with pleading. "You don't have to do this. This isn't you. I know that. You should know that."

"We are the Watchers," he responded, "You can't just stop being a Watcher. We aren't leaving until I say so, and that won't be until Xanthous is safe with me. Am I understood?"

Gem hesitated, then nodded.

"Good. Let's go."

He opened a window to the Hermitcraft spawn. Instead of seeing Xanthous left there, he saw all of the hermits, minus Xisuma, Biffa, and Xanthous waiting. He smiled again. This would be easy. He turned back to the Watchers.