Under The Helmet || Hermitcraft AU

Chapter 14

POV: Grian
Word Count: 1489
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It had almost been three weeks since Grian had fallen asleep atop his snowy mansion. With the Nether Update and the Mayoral Election, there was a lot to be focusing on other than his dreaded Hermit Challenge. Over these long, busy weeks, Grian had made an effort to look out for Xisuma, to explain and discuss what had happened in the honey pot, but he had been nowhere to be seen.

Other than his unsuccessful search for Xisuma, he had barely been in contact with any of the other hermits over the last fortnight; he was busy as heck. He had hosted the announcement of the mayoral polls and had built Grumbot's "alternate reality" with Mumbo, and done some more personal tasks like expanding his mansion and preparing his nether base.

He still felt guilty about what he had done to X but hadn't talked to anyone about it even though he was a little childish at times, he knew where the line between pranks and privacy lay.

Grian closed his shulker box and embraced the crowd. The rest of hermits laughed as he arranged the slips of paper neatly onto the lectern before him. He plastered a huge grin onto his face through his newly-forged Netherite helmet as he announced to the small, eager crowd of hermits around him,

"Now what we've all been waiting for... Congratulations to... Scar! The final winner of the mayoral race!"

The last concrete powder block was placed on the tally, causing a stream of fireworks to issue themselves from the top of the pillar.

The hermits around him cheered and pat him on the back before Scar dug himself into a hole, partly in embarrassment and partly to change.

"Hang on," Grian said, counting the slips of paper in his off-hand, "Mumbo, we didn't get a single vote!"

He forced a laugh and turned to face Mumbo who smiled and shrugged. Their eyes met for the first time in days, but Grian's smile faltered as he turned away determinedly to stare at Scar's vote-tally-meter-thing, which fireworks were still erupting out of.

Noticing something was wrong, Mumbo's grin also faltered as he walked up onto the podium towards Grian.

"Hey mate, what's wrong?" Mumbo asked, standing on the stairs beside Grian, listening to the cheering and laughing off the Scar supporters in the town hall behind them.

"Is it that we didn't get any votes?", Mumbo asked, looking a little worried, "You've been acting a little... out of it recently,"

"No," Grian murmured, turning away.

Just as Mumbo sat down, Grian jerked up and jumped into the air, his elytra catching him. As he floated to the ground, he pulled out some rockets and blasted himself away.

"Meet me at hermit challenges at 5:30 pm on Friday the 17th!" Mumbo yelled, chasing after him.

Grian almost chuckled at his specificness.

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How can I avoid this... thought Grian almost two weeks later, pacing around his bedroom in his hobbit hole. I could say I'm not well? I could say I am busy at that time..?

Grian collapsed into his bed and buried his head in his hands. He truly didn't want to disappoint Mumbo any further. At 20 past 5 on that Friday, he stood himself outside of his cozy hobbit hole and prepared himself for the event.

He exhaled, equipping his elytra to his back. He tried to make a run and jump take off, but stumbled over his shoes and fell face-first onto the lush grass.