Two Weeks And A Day

Day 8

Prompt: Joe's debts to the ConVex have led him to form a close relationship with the business. Everyone thinks it's one-sided until Cub and Scar take Joe to the well where they got their magic, and let him touch the water.

Scar lazily threw a rock down the well. There was a splash and a flash of bright light. Cub turned around and looked down the well contemplatively. He the glanced briefly back up at Scar to tell his fellow Vex off.

"You don't know what's going on with those rocks, do you? I mean, look what the water did to us!" Cub waved his hands in the air, lighting a small blue flame of Vex magic in his right hand to prove his point.

"But nonetheless, nothing happened to the bucket, did it?" Scar pointed out, before his watch buzzed. He showed Cub the time, stating: "Time to meet up with joe. He says he's going to fully pay off his debts."

"I highly doubt that. He'd need to summon diamonds out of nowhere." This remark from Cub made Scar pause in thought.

"We've been working with Joe for a while, haven't we?"

"Uh-huh. Your point?"

"Well, what if we gave him the ability to actually summon those diamonds?" Scar elaborated, pointing at the well.

"You couldn't be thinking..."

"Oh, but I am." 

"Alright, let's see how it goes then."

Grinning, the two Vex put their masks on, more out of habit than anything else, and walked out of the dusty cavern to meet up with Joe.

Meanwhile brought to you by a mysterious journal. It has eight pages.

Joe waved goodbye to Cleo as he approached the Vex, diamonds in hand. Here's hoping he had the right amount. He smiled, greeted them, and handed over the currency. They counted the diamonds, and Joe could practically fell the surprise emanating from behind their masks.

They looked up at him, and Cub said:

"It appears your debts have been... paid."

"Well, we have a little gift for you now, I suppose!" Scar continued, taking him by the arm.

The Vex led Joe to a cave, which he seemingly hadn't noticed before. There was a Well in the middle of the room, just standing there. Joe looked down it, and then turned to the other two, bewildered.

In response, Cub motioned to Scar, who began pulling up a bucket of water from the well. Scar dipped a cup in it, handing it to Joe. When Joe refused, Scar elaborated.

"This Water is what gave us our Vex magic. We're basically inviting you to formally join the Vex."

"This feels kinda like a cult, but okay!" Joe took a sip of the water. It tasted nice, and he downed the whole cup.

He felt his feet leave the ground, as swirls of Galactic lettering surrounded him. He felt a sort of energy running through him, a feeling of power. It was beautiful. And then the moment was over. He fell back to the ground, eyes glowing. Cub pulled out a Vex mask and handed it to Joe.

"Welcome, friend."

With this Time Skip, I will earworm you! Observe:

Tetris. Music.

Joe sat on the mountain, practicing his new abilities. It honestly felt strange, like he knew everything but didn't at the same time. He chuckled to himself. It was probably just some kind of dissonance, from the magic that had just suddenly been dropped on him.

He focused his energy into lifting a rock, when a sudden pain ripped through his arm. When he looked, he saw Vex-Blue lines rippin their way through. He heard voices whispering, and promptly freaked. He saw Scar at the foot of the mountain, and flew down in a blind panic.

"Take it away." Joe clutched at Scar's sleeves, a desperate look in his eyes.

"What?" Scar has not been expecting Joe, much less in whatever state this was.

"The Vex magic. I can't handle it. Please... take it away." Joe was shaking as the words came out of his mouth, it seemed he was barely keeping his composure. Scar shook his head sadly.

"If we could get rid of it, why do you think we would have it?"

"What? What do you mean, it doesn't seem to hurt you at all!" Joe chuckled confusedly.

Scar rolled up his sleeve in response. Blue-tinted scars ran up and down it, spreading like veins. Joe stared in shock. Scar smiled sadly.

"Cub tries his best to stop it spreading, but there's only so much he can do. As for Cub himself... the magic is making his mind slip away. I try and be there for him, help him through the bad times, but it's getting more and more difficult."

"Both are happening to me, though!" Joe retorted, now mildly confused.

"I'm sorry Joe. I'm sorry." Scar pulled the taller Hermit into a hug, and the two stayed there for a good couple of minutes while, unbeknownst to Joe, Scar patched him up.

Back to the cliffhangers? Ya oui. But the subplot should be picking up, soon enough. You'll see.

OdalRune, signing off from the past!