Forgotten monsters (Hermitcraft and Evo Fanfic)

Ch 20

A figure stepped out of the town hall and Scar, who had somehow kept him composure before, sunk to the ground weeping. NPC Grian. 

It was obvious he had murdered Iskall, and he wasn't trying to hide it. Flint and steel in one bloody hand, and the still heart of their Swedish friend. Grian didn't look up from Iskall's body, not wanting to see who did it. 

'Why did you kill him?' Xamphe snarled, furious. All that stopped him from charging up to NPG and slaying him was Xisuma holding him back. 

'Oh, I wanted to kill the pharaoh. Iskall just got in the way.' 

Cub turned pale.  

'And if you're wondering why him... I'm a robot, someone must've made me. Turns out your little friend is less innocent than you thought.'

'And if you tried to kill me, I would kill you first.' The pharaoh feigned confidence, drawing his sword. 

'Of course. But this one was almost too easy to kill. Didn't stop it being fun.'

'Why are you doing this?' Scar cried through his tears.

'I already told you. Revenge. But I am kind. I can share the swede's final words with you all.' NPG smiled mirthlessly and began speaking, copying Iskall's voice, horrifically flawless. 

'NO! STOP! PLEASE! GRIAN! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?! SOMEONE! HELP! PLEASE... STOP!' 

The imitation continued  for a few more unbearable minutes, before stopping after a heart wrenching scream. 

'YOU MONSTER! I'LL MURDER YOU! YOU WILL NEVER GET AWAY WITH THIS!' Xamphe screeched, control lost, tears filling the borrowed helmet so fast it seemed like he would literally drown in them. X continued to hold him back, struggling more and more as he too wept. Grian was silent, lost in agony, and Mumbo had also gone mute. 

Even Xamphe eventually gave up his fight, and crumpled in his brother's arms. NPC Grian just stood by the town hall. Watching. Emotionless. Uncaring. Before he walked away without a word, and flew off, leaving his borrowed cowboy hat and friendship with Scar behind. 

Bdubs didn't sleep when night came. Xamphe had joined Grian in sitting wordless by his deceased friend. Mumbo was trying not to look at the body, overwhelmed by the poignancy, and ended up sitting alone behind one of Scar's diamond trees. 

The mayor himself clutched the abandoned hat, crying silently. Cub was trying to comfort him, arm around his friend and former business partner's shoulder. He too had red eyes. Stress was sobbing quietly to herself, and all the other hermits were a mess of pity and sadness. Everyone except  Zedaph, who'd flown off grumpily at what he thought was obvious preference and importance of Iskall's death over everyone else's, especially Tango and Impulse's. 

It was practically dawn when someone spoke again. Xisuma. 

'We should bury the body.' He murmured. 'Bury it in his Omega tree. It's the least we can do.' 

Xamphe nodded speechlessly. Grian didn't react. 

'I wish we'd had longer together...' the admin's brother sighed. 'The moments we had could rival my childhood.' 

'I guess your childhood must've been amazing...' Grian finally spoke, voice dull with grief. Xamphe nodded. 

'It was the best. Both the land and people I was with. I wish you could see the Void, the most stunning place in the universe. I guess it's like the End. At least, the ground is Voidstone, which is almost identical to Endstone. But the sky... like eternal sunset - purple mist over everything, fantasy buildings of purples and blues and whites and blacks... Beautiful in every way.' 

'I wish I could go too...' 

'Talking about the Void?' Xisuma came over, sitting next to his brother. Xamphe smiled weakly. 

'I always wanted to go to the overworld... But because of breathing difficulties in the overworld, I couldn't.' The admin continued. 

'Then as soon as you got a helmet to breathe, you were straight off.' Xamphe interrupted, clearly grumpy about the whole thing. 'Leaving me, half dead, and the Void behind.' 

'What happened? Why were you half dead?' Grian asked, nervously curious. 

'Trap intended for my brother in the suits. I switched them around and took the trap myself. Put me in a coma for years, and when I woke up, X had flown off to Hermitcraft.' 

'GenerikB really wanted me to go.' Xisuma protested, but he too was regretful of the situation.

'Yeah... And if you hadn't gone, you wouldn't be here now...' It was clear that Xamphe had heard that excuse several times before.

'Wait... is that one of my helmets you're wearing?' X changed the subject. 

'Don't have my own one, and the meeting seemed insanely important. Did the only other thing I could. And you have a stupid number of these.' 

Xisuma didn't argue with those points, instead looking back at Iskall. 

'If we're going to bury him, let's do it now.' The admin got to his feet. Xamphe helped lift the demised swede, and together they flew off towards the empty, half-finished Omega tree.