[✔] Someone Named Xelqua (Hermitcraft Fanfiction)

XXV.

(I would like to make this clear, since a few people asked. This is not a shipping story. I apologize if you were looking for a ship, but I can't write that since I am inexperienced in that area of writing. The characters that are close are just really good friends that treat each other like siblings. Thank you.)

False managed to recover just before she hit the water, rocketing up and doubling back to fight the Watcher. However, since I was lower and the elytra wasn't aligned correctly, I put my hands together in a diving position, took a deep breath, (despite having the wind knocked out of me) and entered the water gracefully. I slowed down and pulled up just before I hit the sand and gravel at the bottom.

Pulling the seaweed and kelp out of my face, I plugged my nose and looked up. Through the distorted water, I saw the Watcher and False engage in a flashy battle. Purple magic sparked, both of them struggling to accurately hit each other. False was knocked back a few blocks, having trouble staying in the sky.

I tried to use a rocket, but the elytra wasn't activated. I mentally sighed. I grabbed the obsidian sword and held onto it tight.

I shot out of the water with a spin, trying to shake the water out of my clothes and wings. I sprayed water all over the place as I forcefully beated my wings down to get higher in the air. I bent out of the way a stray shot of magic came my way. The sun reflected on the Watcher's face, catching my eye.

Squinting, I focused my vision on their face. Pitch black hair fell over their eyes, but they brushed it away, revealing their face as a whole.

It was half covered with a white mask.

Right there and then, it suddenly dawned on me.

This entire situation wasn't their choice, they had put the mask on.

Shaking my head in disappointment, I ducked under another stream of Watcher magic. They succumbed to the tempting voice of the mask.

I was pulled out of my thoughts as the Watcher let out an ear-piercing scream. False had managed to land a strike between their shoulder blades. She had probably noticed it wasn't their choice, having mercy on the poor player.

The Watcher turned, blood dripping down their back. Purple magic sparked around them, furiously flashing. False was about to be severely harmed. Obliterated on the spot.

I did what first came to mind.

Fly and ram into the Watcher at full speed.

I grunted upon impact, sending the Watcher away many blocks. They yelped in pain, grasping the side. I continued towards them, slapping the Watcher across the face before they could react. They grunted, rubbing where my hand made contact. They turned his head towards me, most likely glaring at me. Without warning, they shot towards me with one flap of their wings, mask in hand.

I let out a terrified squeak as the mask came dangerously close to my face. I leaned back, narrowly avoiding the cursed accessory. I lifted my leg up and spun, hooking the Watcher in the side. They staggered through the air, quickly tiring from keeping themselves up and fighting two other Watchers.

I retreated slightly, thinking of how to get out of this bad situation. What I could do was destroy the mask and book it out of here, but I don't want to severely injure the Watcher. It wasn't their fault they were doing this. However, they were foolish enough to touch the mask in the first place.

Making a plan on the spot, I quickly gained altitude and circled the Watcher. I ignored a cut that appeared on my arm from more magic.

Bringing the sword up, I deflected the magic that came my way. It shot back towards them, stunning the Watcher for a few moments. In those precious moments, I shattered the mask with a small explosion spell. It fell towards the ocean, pieces fluttering through the wind. False set fire to each of the remaining pieces, making sure there is no more left in case the others find one.

"If we can't get the mask on you, we will take you-" The Watcher snarled. I interrupted him with a sting of magic. It left an angry welt on the bottom of their jaw, stunning them once more.

I pulled False away and dove downwards. We quickly glided down to a nearby shore and hit in the thick trees. I tried shaking my almost-dry wings out, breathing hard. I tucked them in, making a mental note to deal with them later. My clothes were still wet and I didn't try drying them. Maybe if I summon the water...?

Adrenaline quickly left my body, making me fall to my knees. I had never fought in the air like that, and with the combined absence of adrenaline, I was drained.

Tiredly looking over my shoulder, the Watcher had followed us. They were farther away, giving us more time to escape. False hastily pulled me up and went further into the forest we took shelter in. The thick leaves of the forest prevented sunlight from reaching us and was harder to see through.

"Grian, I don't think X was in his base." False finally said in a hushed tone, speaking for the first time we entered the forest.

"What?" I managed to get out. Where else would he be at a time like this?

"He would have sensed that magic we sent back and forth, heard everything, and came out. He has sensitive magic sensing and sensitive hearing." False explained, looking around for any sign of Watchers.

"How do you know this?" I asked, poking by head out from the tree I was leaning on. No sign of Watchers. I pulled False with me, venturing further into the forest.

"I know the hearing part because of a previous experience, and magic because I hear Joe asking him on the side quite often." She said. By the time she finished her explanation, the leaves were so thick that there was barely any light. I pulled out a torch, holding it up to see. It wasn't the brightest (in fact, it was quite dim), since I dove into an ocean, but it was something.

"Why can't we text Xisuma to meet us somewhere?" I said, pushing a branch out of my face.

"The Watcher would know. Because Watcher magic is the strongest magic in all of Minecraft, they can sense us. They can also see private messages, somehow. When I watched over a server, I saw those messages." I raised my eyebrows in realization, dipping my head once. I stepped over a large root that was most definitely possible to trip over.

"Is that why I can see private messages?" I questioned.

"Yes. I can too, but I mute all the ones that I'm not supposed to see." False confirmed, pushing a branch out of the way. I ducked as it bounced back, almost whacking me in the face. I straightened up, running a hand through my light brown hair.

"Yeah, I figured I'd do that too. Respect their privacy..." I trailed off, looking up at a large mountain that didn't seem naturally generated (though it was). The cliff was like a barely slanted wall, going farther up than I can see. The leaves were very high up (maybe almost forty blocks), but so thick you couldn't see through.

"Grian- move!" False yelled, causing me to freeze for a millisecond.

A part of the cliff had broken off. The landslide was directly above False and I.

I desperately looked for an escape. Trees surrounded us on the sides with their leaves sealing the top.

We were going to be crushed.