Redemption (A Hermitcraft AU)

Chapter Four: Mumbo/Grian

Welcome back to Watched! I am so sorry this took so long, I lost motivation. But I'm back now!

You may be wondering why the perspective is 'Mumbo/Grian'. This is because I switch between the two partway through.

WC: ~650 (yet another short chapter, I'm sorry)

Enjoy!

Mumbo sighed. Curiosity filled his mind about the Watcher. 

Let's recap, Mumbo thought sarcastically. He isn't evil, or is he? No one knows. He got all his friends killed just by existing in the wrong place, but he regrets it. And he is still pretty new to some of the Overworld things, despite having been here before. His personality resembles an imaginative five-year-old, and can flip over to that of someone who's seen the entire world die in front of them with just one word. 

Mumbo rolled over on the hard dirt floor. Grian and him had built a temporary dirt hut to spend the night in, and were both sleeping (or at least trying to) on opposite sides of the cramped space. 

This isn't the season start I was hoping for, Mumbo admitted to himself. I wanted to get a head start. Guess that's not going to happen. Is having Grian better or worse, though? Definitely worse.

Mumbo had to suppress a second sigh. Grian seemed like such a great guy, but who he really was was unignorable. 

He's a Watcher.

He could be a friend.

He's going to kill you.

Why would he do that?

No, he's going to get you killed.

Mumbo shuddered after his last thought. Would he and the rest of the Hermit's meet the same fate as 'Taurtis'? Souls ripped away, just because Grian had escaped to their world? 

Was he going to die?

POV Shift: Grian

Grian had never felt worse. At least with Evo, he had felt welcome and didn't think that he was endangering anyone.

Hermitcraft was different.

Here he felt like everyone was doomed because of him.

Here he felt like a waste of space.

Here he felt like they would prefer he just vanish.

Here he almost wished he could go back to the End.

But, he had to stay in Hermitcraft.

Not only did he not know how to get back, but it was a Watcher-proof server.

Grian was finally free.

But at what cost?

Grian glanced at Mumbo, who appeared asleep. Maybe if I just get some fresh air... Grian considered it, then gave in. He almost silently slipped out of the dirt hut and outside.

The moonlit valley had a very serene aura around it. The stars twinkling in the sky, reflecting off of the water. They had built their dirt hut next to a hill, and on the left of it was a forest. On the right was an ocean. Grian inhaled, breathing in the crisp night air. 

Grian stretched his wings, then winced in pain and realization. The pain from his broken wing had dulled, but it was still there. Grian sat down in the grass and pulled his broken wing in front of him.

"Come on, is this something I can fix?" Grian muttered to himself. The wing, usually curved nicely at the top, was bent inwards into a painful position. Gritting his teeth, Grian grabbed the end of it in his hand and yanked it out, trying to snap it back into position.

Crack.

Pain flared through him like an electric shock, as if he had been struck by lightning. Tears jumped to Grian's eyes as the Watcher let out a cry of agony.

That was a stupid move, Grian thought. Although, his wing did look better. Even though it was burning even brighter than before. Grian hugged his knees, pressing them against his chest. He wrapped his wings around himself and took a deep, shuddering breath.

The burn scissored through his veins, and tears were flowing down Grian's cheeks. 

I wish this wasn't so complicated.

I want to go back.

I'm a burden here.

No one wants me here.

Everyone hates me.

I can't go back.

I don't want to.

If I do, I'll be killed.

The Watchers will take me over.

I have to stay.

I can never stay.

I have to go back.

I can never go back.

I will never belong, will I?

I belong nowhere.

I never will.

No one will ever want me again.

I'm so sorry. This probably wasn't worth the wait. Forgive me!

-Storm