Chapter Text
XISUMA
There had been news of hunters.
Normally, Xisuma would avoid talk of the Hybrid Hunters, it being a touchy subject for most of the Hermits.
But this is his responsibility.
Recently, there had been a meeting between the admins of the land, and news was spread by the Empires admin, Fwhip, that one of the most fortified hunter bases had been abandoned recently after a rebel attack on it.
Unfortunately for Xisuma, it was closest to Hermitcraft, which means it was his job to get a small team together and search it for any left-behind hybrids, or files or information, in case anyone needs help.
Xisuma wandered through his cirque-coded town, smiling but beneath his façade he was terribly worried. He knew one of the best and most-trusted people to bring would have to be Etho, but X knew that there was quite a few problems with asking Etho.
The main one being Etho’s past.
Xisuma knew barely any- no, he knew nothing of the frostling’s past, but one thing he did know was that when Etho turned up in Hermitcraft, many years ago, they was injured and terrified with a hunter collar around their neck.
But no matter what, Etho never told anyone about their time prior to Hermitcraft.
Xisuma made his way to Etho’s jungle base, deciding to walk instead of fly.
The voidwalker eventually arrived at the jungle, smiling when he saw Etho and Bdubs chatting about something while working on a part of Etho’s base.
“Hey! Etho! Down here!” Xisuma yelled, causing Bdubs to nearly topple off the base.
“Oh moss, ya scared me!” The Glare sighed, grabbing a block so he didn’t fall “When did you get here?”
“Just then.” X said, raising an eyebrow. “I need to talk to Etho about something”
Etho’s frostling tail wagged “Sure!” The frostling leaped off the roof, grinning beneath their mask. “What can I do for you?” they asked.
Xisuma gestured for the frostling to follow. “Come.”
Etho and Xisuma walked in silence through the curtains of jungle leaves.
Once far enough away, Xisuma turned to Etho.
“So, Etho. You might’ve heard news of the recently abandoned Hunter base.” The voidwalker said, voice wavering a little. Etho nodded.
“Let me guess, you want me to come with you to search it through?” Etho asked. Xisuma let out the breath he’d been holding
“Oh thank stars I thought you’d say no but your like one of the best people to bring-”
“On one condition.” Etho broke off Xisuma’s rambling.
“Uh…” Thoughts scrambled through Xisuma’s mind. Etho was a very confusing person
“don’t worry, its nothing bad!” They assured “I just promised Bdubs that I’d hang out with him today, sooooooo~ can he come with?”
Xisuma smiled. “Of course, if he wants to” he added the ‘if he wants to’ at the end to be polite, but X knew the Glare would never say no. Bdubs is always happy to do anything, especially if it means the moss-lover gets to hang out with Etho. The pair made their way back to the frostling’s base, with Bdubs greeting them by falling off the roof and face-first into the mud.
“AHHHH-” splat “I… I MEANT TO DO THAT” Bdubs proclaimed, dusting off his mossy cloak with a missing-tooth smile
Etho laughed as he helped Bdubs up. “Sure.”
“Me and X were just talking, you wanna come with us to explore the abandoned hunter base?” They asked.
“Well I’d have to clear my very VERY busy schedule very busy lost to do- AHAH IM TEASIN’ YA LETS GO!” Bdubs cheered, hyped up.
“When we going?” Etho turned to the voidwalker.
“Uhhhh now?” Xisuma shrugged, checking his clock.
“Amazing!” The Glare said, putting on his elytra. Xisuma and Etho put theirs on as well, and soon they were swiftly flying through the midday sky.
They flew over the mountains encasing Hermitcraft, then flew for a while longer over a spruce forest until a deepslate fortress seemingly appeared out of the leaves like a dark void cracking through the earth.
“I think…” Bdubs’s voice went soft, unlike his normal voice at all. “… I think this is the base.”
END