Chapter Text
A body. A body covered in gore and red. Where did they fall from? Mumbo knew this area like the back of his hand and there was nowhere that they could have either jumped off or been pushed off. Sure, there was Grian’s mishmash of different epic styles, but that was all the way on the other side of the bridge.
Mumbo waited and waited for the person to show signs of life. What else could he do? Scar was out and so was Grian. He was all alone. Besides, the Hermits always pranked each other. That’s what this was… a prank.
Minutes dragged on and on. Mumbo had to avert his eyes at some point because the sight was just too grisly for him to stare at.
He waited…
…and waited…
…and waited…
Gah! He couldn’t just do nothing! Of course he couldn’t! Do you take him for a heartless fool? The person hadn’t moved in all of the time he had watched them. They must have been seriously injured.
Of course, being a hermit, Mumbo had no access to emergency services to aid this person. Why would he? It’s totally not like he and his friends are the most accident-prone people to ever exist…
Mumbo punched in Grian’s identification on his communications device and pressed the ’ connect ’ button. Nothing. It didn’t even ring. Grian mustn’t have charged it or something… which was rather unlike him because he always used his device to arrange pranks and source creepers for god knows what. Never mind, he couldn’t worry about Grian. Mumbo tapped in Scar’s identification and it instantly connected.
“Uh… Hey Mumbo! What’s up?”
“Hey Scar… Can you pop ‘round real quick? Someone just kinda fell out of the sky.”
“What? How do you mean ‘fell out of the sky’?”
“I mean, I was checking my chests and suddenly there was this huge boom. I went out to see what happened… and there’s somebody on my bridge. I think they’re hurt.”
“What? Who is it?”
“I’m not too sure. There’s too much blood and rips to recognise their clothes.”
“Can you see their face?”
“No. I’m not especially keen on rolling them over, I think the bread that I ate for lunch might revisit if I do.”
“Alright… I’ll bring Shelby as well, maybe she’ll be able to help.”
Mumbo agreed and the connection ended. He didn’t know how much longer he could stare at the body. They were just laying there… motionless. Could they have been dead? No. Mumbo shook his head. He mustn’t think like that.
Shelby and Scar must have used their elytras and probably the last of Scar’s rockets to get there. Before they even stepped foot on the bridge, Mumbo could hear a not-so-subtle gasp from Shelby.
“Are they…?” She adjusted her hat in discomfort.
“I’m not sure.” Mumbo felt awkward. He hadn’t meant to make her so uncomfortable.
“Not to worry Mumbo, I’m sure they’re just badly injured! Nothing a little magic can’t fix!” Shelby plastered an obviously fake smile onto her face and dug around in her satchel for a while. “Aha! A potion of good health! Learned this one from my tutor after I almost died falling off my broom.” She took a tentative step forwards and knelt down. Her false attitude dropped.
“Shelby, do you want me to do it?” Scar asked. He’d been awfully quiet, probably in as much shock as Mumbo.
“No… I can- I can do it,” she responded. She sounded rather unsure about the entire thing. Shelby reached out to touch the person, probably to roll them over. “Oh, I should probably put gloves on.” She placed the potion next to her and put leather gloves over her hands. “Here goes nothing. You guys can look away if you want.”
Both Mumbo and Scar shook their heads. No way were they going to miss this, they needed to know who this poor person was, and if they knew them.
Shelby’s nervous hands were already caked in blood as she rolled the person over. They were a bit too far away to see specifics, but from Shelby’s gasp, Mumbo knew he wasn’t going to like the news. From what he could see, Mumbo could tell that this person had light brown hair and fair skin.
The poor witch became frantic, almost knocking over her potion of good health as she put one of her ears to the person’s chest, not caring about the gore coating the side of her face as she did that. “No, no, no, no, no…” She breathed. Scar opened his mouth to ask what was wrong but ultimately decided that it was probably best to leave her to her work. She popped the cork off of the potion bottle and opened the person’s mouth. The sparking orange liquid inside the glass emptied into the person’s throat and she had to lift their head so that it would go down.
Seconds passed.
More seconds passed.
Minutes passed.
“Goddamn it!” Shelby exclaimed and chucked her glass bottle off of the bridge. Scar rushed forward in an attempt to help her. He stopped suddenly and his hands went to his mouth before he dropped to his knees. Shelby took off her gloves and threw them off as well. She looked at the person’s body and a few sobs left her before she brought her hands to his chest. “Scar, get ready to take over! You know the rhythm, right?” She asked. Scar nodded. She leaned over the person’s chest and started performing CPR. “1, 2, 3, 4…” She took a large gasp of air and put her mouth against the person’s. More gore spread over her face. She resurfaced. The person wasn’t awake. “1, 2, 3, 4…” She repeated the gasp and then the transfer of air.
She continued like that for a while before her movements grew tireder and tireder. “Scar!” She breathed.
Scar seemed to take control of his emotions and immediately take over what Shelby was doing. “1, 2, 3, 4…” He whispered. He did the same transfer of air that Shelby did.
While all of this was happening, Mumbo just watched. Something twisted in his gut and he couldn’t bring himself to walk forwards to find out the identity of the person. He didn’t want to. Mumbo had a feeling that he wouldn’t like it.
Scar called for Shelby to take over. She did. She called for Scar to take over. He did. Nobody wanted Mumbo near the person. He couldn’t perform CPR anyway, he didn’t know how.
“How long has it been?” Shelby called out behind her. “Mumbo!”
“Oh! Uh… five minutes.” He responded. Initially, he didn’t know who she was talking to.
“Shit! Come on…” Scar tried harder and harder to resuscitate the person, but when Shelby placed her hand on his shoulder, he just held the person’s hands up to his forehead and sobbed.
I guess you could pinpoint that moment as the moment Mumbo knew. He knew who the person was. He’d had a horrible suspicion ever since his communications device wouldn’t connect.
Mumbo rushed forwards. Shelby stood up sharply and tried to block his view. Tears lined her face along with a sickening red. “No, Mumbo.”
“Move out of my way, Shubble.” He said. His teeth were gritted and his heart doing somersaults inside his chest.
“I can’t let you look at him, Mumbo…” She raised her arms to block him even further.
“So it’s him?”
Shelby nodded her head.
Mumbo could hear Scar’s muffled sobs. He could hear Shelby’s broken breathing—like a panic attack—he could see blood all over her. Why wouldn’t she let him see him?
“Shelby… please?” Mumbo didn’t notice that tears had escaped his eyes until he ran a hand through his hair and caught a bit of wetness on the way up.
“I’m sorry, you don’t want to see him like this…” She took a deep breath.
“He’s my best friend!”
“I know.”
“Shelby, I can easily walk past you.”
“Go on then.”
Mumbo didn’t move.
“You’re not seeing him like this, let me and some others clean him up and then you’ll see him. I wouldn’t have let Scar see him like this if I could help it.” She looked back over at a distraught Scar.
“What happened?” Mumbo ground his teeth. He needed to see him. He needed to see his best friend.
“Judging by how high he fell, and the ripped elytra on his back…” She paused and took a shaky breath. “I’d say elytra accident.”
“He’s had elytra accidents before, none of them has ever done this. What else?”
“Well… I didn’t want to say because it’s just speculation, and you know how he gets- got, sorry. You know how he got in all sorts of predicaments…” She lowered her arms and fiddled with her fingers.
“What is it?” Mumbo asked a bit firmer this time.
“Well… he’s got an arrow in his side.” She took a deep breath. “I’d say, judging by the evidence, that he was shot down.” She looked directly into Mumbo’s eyes. “Mumbo… I think Grian was murdered.”
The funeral day felt so unreal. Grian’s coffin was levitated by Shelby and did a tour of the server, everyone said their goodbyes. The actual funeral was weird. The air was stagnant, people snivelled, and some even got agitated and took it out on others.
Scar, Mumbo, Joel and BigB carried his coffin in. The entire room was quiet except for the occasional stifled cry. Both Scar and Mumbo said a few words and each said a eulogy.
Beads of sweat stuck to Mumbo’s palms as he shakily stood from his place in the front row. He slowly trudged over to the lectern and began the speech he had been practising.
Thank you all for coming today, I know a lot of you had to cross oceans to get here. I know Grian wouldn’t have wanted us to cry and mourn, he would have wanted us to celebrate his life and move on. Grian was an inspiration to us all, all the way from the first time he joined our Hermit adventures. I personally remembered his early days with us and I’m sure Scar does too.
Grian was something else. He was a good friend, always pranking us, always ready for a laugh. I’ll miss him. I already do. He was determined, talented, and very, very funny. These qualities drew people to him wherever he went.
I’m sure you all remember when he went ‘round stealing all of our doors, and I know lots of you didn’t even notice until he pulled them all out at the end of our stay in our seventh location.
I remember when he built an entire A.I just to get me elected as mayor, or when he built the same A.I for ideas about things to do. The dedication that he had for his crafts was something else. He broke into my safe so many times, I didn’t think it was humanly possible. But that was who he was, determined.
The world lost a good one. I won’t stand here and say that he went peacefully because we all know he didn’t, and who would I be to lie to you? I hope he finds the peace that he’s looking for in the afterlife, whatever that may be.
I won’t lie, I’ve felt empty since I found out that it was him that died, and I don’t know when or if that emptiness will ever leave me. But, I’m getting through. Barely. I want to try and remind everyone of the love that Grian left behind, and the lives that he touched while he was here. This gathering is a time for happiness, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t sad. Grian could best be described as a force, and when something like that is suddenly gone from your life, it’s not something you get over quickly.
But, maybe this is something that we will never just “get over”. Quite frankly, I don’t want to forget Grian, so I’m trying to deal with the pain that comes along with his loss because I still get the opportunity to remember his life. I hope you will join me in remembering and celebrating Grian today and always.
Thank you.
Mumbo sighed and stepped outside of the hall. It had been a long day.
He fumbled around in the pocket of his black trenchcoat. He pulled out a packet of cigarettes and an ornate lighter. He flicked the cap off the lighter and used his thumb to roll the toggle. A dancing orange flame emerged from the hole and he took one of his ready-made cigarettes to it. He placed the non-lit end of the cigarette in his mouth and breathed a sigh of relief.
“That’s a bad habit y’know?”
Mumbo raised his eyebrows and took the cigarette out of his mouth and blew the smoke. “Mm. Been trying to give it up.” He said.
“Pass me a light.”
Mumbo looked to his left and passed the person who was talking to him his lighter. It was Joel. His hair was dishevelled and the green streak was muted now, like its brightness was controlled by his mood. Joel wore the same black suit as he did, and there were dark circles underneath his eyes. “Where’s Lizzie?” Mumbo asked as Joel lit his cigarette and gave the lighter back to him.
“Inside.” Joel puffed on his cigarette. “She stopped smoking a while ago.”
They both stayed in silence there for a moment, still very much in shock from the death.
“You’re welcome to stay with us,” Joel said. “Until you’re alright to be left alone, that is.”
Mumbo shook his head. He didn’t want to be a burden. “I’m alright, I’ll stay in my vault. Besides, I have to move all of his stuff out of his base.”
“You don’t have to do that just yet, you can wait until you feel better.” Joel breathed out some smoke.
“Does it make me a bad person for wanting it all just gone? I don’t want to see it anymore. I can’t stand seeing his base every day knowing that he won’t ever come out of it, or try and scare me with shriekers. I just want it all done.” Mumbo sighed and took another puff of his cigarette, a large ash falling to the floor.
Joel shook his head. “I don’t think so. I still think you should wait a little though, just in case you have a change of heart.” Joel sighed.
Mumbo turned his head to face Joel. “I’m alright, promise. Absolutely chobblesome.” Mumbo chuckled a little to himself.
“Absolutely what?” A smile crept onto Joel’s face.
“Chobblesome! Did he not tell you about it? Grian went ‘round saying ‘chobblesome’ and tried to convince everyone that it was a real word. I think people actually fell for it.” Mumbo smiled at the memory he’d almost forgotten.
Joel and Mumbo laughed for a bit.
“You got an ashtray?” Joel asked.
“Mm.” Mumbo pulled out a portable ashtray and let Joel extinguish his cigarette and pop it in there. Mumbo followed suit a moment after.
They still stood with their backs against the wall, gazing out at the mix of grey concrete and luscious greenery. Mumbo hung his head. “I can’t believe he’s gone…” Warm tears rolled thick down his cheeks.
“I know, mate, I know.” Joel wrapped his arms around Mumbo’s shoulder and pulled him close.
They stayed that for a while, so long that Lizzie actually came out to check on them.
“Hey…” She said. Dried tracks of tears lined her cheeks.
“Hey, Lizzie.” Joel pulled Mumbo tighter for a minute.
“Shit,” She breathed. Lizzie searched her handbag for a minute and pulled out some tissues and a packet of jelly babies. “Here,” She said, handing Mumbo the tissues and letting him take a few jelly babies. “They always help me.”
“She’s been livin’ off ‘em for the past few days,” Joel laughed.
Mumbo smiled and took his favourite, the red one. Joel took the green one. “Now that is rancid.” Mumbo fake-gagged at Joel’s choice.
“What’s wrong with lime?” Joel removed his arm from Mumbo’s shoulders and placed his hands on his hips.
“You’re just wrong,” Mumbo said as he ate his own jelly baby.
Lizzie picked out the pink jelly baby for herself and laughed at the boys as they bickered about the flavour of jelly babies.
“Where’s Scar?” Mumbo finally asked.
“He’s gone. Said something about how he ‘just can’t do this’ .” Lizzie sighed. “I feel so bad for you two right now. I’m so sorry.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “Maybe we should go and check on him?” She turned towards Joel.
“Yeah, probably.” Joel nodded. Lizzie placed her packet of sweets back into her handbag and kissed Mumbo on the forehead. “Get some rest, okay?” She said.
“I’m coming with you.” Mumbo smiled weakly at her.
“You should really be focusing on you right now, Mumbo.” She looked towards Joel.
“I want to make sure he’s okay, Scar’s my friend too.” Mumbo buttoned up his trenchcoat.
“There’s no stopping you, is there?” Joel asked.
Mumbo shook his head.