Under The Helmet || Hermitcraft AU

Chapter 4

POV: Grian 
Word Count: 815
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Flying over the Nether roof, Grian spotted the portal for the shopping district, glowing brightly and illuminating the deep red sky. Might as well restock the GGG, Grian thought, I have twenty minutes to spare anyways. 

He rocketed into the portal's hypnotizing depths and found himself in the Cowmercial District. The harsh sunlight reflected off the slimy mycelium and Iskall's giant slime claw. A large, white concrete building caught his eye behind Xisuma's Honey Pot, contrasting with the mottled green and brown landscape in front of it immensely. 

Diving down onto his small, wooden makeshift raft, he checked to see if he had made any more sales with the golden carrots. To his surprise, Grian's carrot barrel was completely bought out, leaving him with 13 diamonds and a note reading IOU half a diamond -False ;P.

 Emptying his bulky boxes into his best-selling sand and gravel barrels, he wondered what challenges to task his other hermits. Interesting ideas such as "make a panda head farm" and "milk a brown mooshroom"  formed in his head, but as he flew back to the expansive jungle he called home, he had come up with a perfect plan. A dragon egg lamp would do good in his mansion anyway.

10 minutes later

Grian landed softly on his feet on the stone floor of the new-and-improved Hermit Challenges meeting place staring around, especially impressed. Mumbo has done a really good job decorating this! he thought, running his hands over the emeralds embedded into the stone, pleasantly warmed up by the fire. He turned his head and laid his eyes upon the giant barometer, with each of the initiated hermit's heads stuck onto it. He chuckled upon noticing that, instead of a Mumbo Jumbo skull on the barometer, there was a Bumbo Baggins head embedded into the stone.

He heard a small thump behind him and spun around on his heels. There stood a bemused Stressmonster staring around at the light grey stone contrasting vividly with the emerald green leaves of the jungle trees.

"Hey Stress", Grian said.

"Oh hi, Grian!" Stress replied, "This meeting place looks spectacular! Do you know who rebuilt it?"

"No, but I presume it was Mumbo, he seems pretty dedicated to this hermit challenges stuff doesn't he?"

"Hmm..." Stress replied thoughtfully. She turned her gaze to the sky. "Have you any idea where the others are?" She asked, "They're late."

As if triggered by her words, there was a woosh from above. The two looked up and saw Mumbo plummeting down towards them followed by a rather disgruntled looking Iskall. 

"So I see you all got my message!" said Mumbo, "and have you seen my giant eight spanner base yet? I've finished filling in the concrete and iron!"

"I love the decoration of this place Mumbo!" Grian said, still staring around.

Iskall scowled, "Grian, I  built this bro"

Unable to keep the excitement off his moustached face, Mumbo fished about 20 slips of paper from his inventory and tossed everyone 5. 

"What about that "only one challenge" thing?" Asked Iskall curiously, ignoring what Mumbo just said and started to lean over an anvil.

"Nope, that ship has sailed," Mumbo replied bouncing on the balls of his feet, placing his 5 challenges into a dropper. 

Iskall dropped his 5 challenges into the other dropper and Stress pressed the button. Then she put her's into the dropper and Mumbo pressed the button. *Repeat until everyone has a challenge*

"Now everyone read out their challenges to the group. 'Make a note block song'" announced Mumbo, scowling at Stress.

"Fly 10 000 blocks?!" whined Stress lowering herself onto the warm stone by the fire

"Get an Ender dragon egg and give it to Grian?!" read Iskall turning to face Grian, "How do you expect me to-"

But Grian wasn't listening. He stared at his slip of paper, mouthed the words and turned to face Mumbo. 

"TAKE OFF XISUMA"S HELMET!?" Yelled Grian, his face turning red. "HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THAT?"**

The others turned to face him, their eyes wide with shock. Stress's hand slipped into the fire. She quickly pulled it out, wincing and sucking on her fingers.

After a while, Grian finally calmed down, took a deep breath and said, "That is so much easier said than done. You know no one on the server has ever seen his face under that visor. See you guys in a few days" he spat, punching the challenge acceptance bell and flying into the setting sun, towards his base.

Iskall and stress exchanges glances and turned towards Mumbo, whose eyes were still focused on the dark silhouette of Grian, growing smaller as he retreated to his base. "Grian does have a point," Stress said anxiously to Mumbo, leaning on the barometer "How is he expected to do that though?"

"I guess he will just have to be creative"