[OLD] Blood On Fire (A Hermitcraft AU)

Chapter Three: Crazy

Quality chapter name, am I right? XD

I have a new idea for the warnings. I'm going to put a comment on this with them, so that if you don't get triggered, you don't have to have any spoilers. I will comment the warnings here, and if you don't want to be spoiled, then don't read the comments!

WC: ~1000

Enjoy!

"You're crazy," Xay snapped, stepping back. "You're off your rocker insane."

"There are facts to back up that statement," Hels agreed. "But this really isn't the time to debate my mental health state."

"What the actual hell is that supposed to mean?" Xay growled.

"You don't want to know," Hels grumbled. "But that's unimportant. What is important is that you have to come with me-"

"And what makes you think that I'm going to listen?!" Xay cut him off. "I met you, like, a couple of days ago. And all you did was save my life and mysteriously know my name."

"'All I did'," Hels scoffed. "Ungrateful much?"

"Okay, fine," Xay sighed. "Thank you for saving my life. But I still think you're crazy!"

"And why is that?"

"BECAUSE YOU JUST EXPECT ME TO TRUST YOU!"

"We share a power," Hels pointed out."

"That doesn't make you more trustworthy!" Xay yelped. "That makes you less trustworthy, if anything!"

"How does that make me less trustworthy?" Hels flashed back.

"I don't know, it just does!"

"You're not making any sense," Hels muttered.

"Like you're making any more sense!"

"We don't have time for this," Hels mumbled under his breath. "Usually the ones we take are less... objective."

The ones we take-

"'The Missing'," Xay thought out loud. "You- are you-"

"I'm one of the people who take 'The Missing', yes," Hels confirmed all of Xay's fears.

"I'm getting out of here," Xay spat. "I'm getting out of here and getting you arrested."

"Hmm, maybe that wasn't the best thing to tell you to make you trust me," Hels mumbled.

"NO KIDDING!" Xay shouted. Hels sighed.

"Well, I suppose I have no choice," he grumbled, snapping his fingers. "I didn't want to have to do this, but you're being a stubborn brat, so here we go."

Xay couldn't do anything except watch in horror as Hels pressed his flaming palm against the nearest tree.

Xay screamed as the blaze spread throughout the tree, then to the next tree, then to the next.

"The fire won't kill you," Hels noted. "But the smoke will. I advise you to follow me."

"How- how could you do that?" Xay shrieked, frozen in shock.

"Through the flames we go," Hels sounded bored, and he grabbed Xay's hand and practically dragged him into the nearest large blaze.

It was a surreal experience.

The flames roared around them, flashing red and orange. It would have been oddly beautiful, if they hadn't just committed arson.

"This is illegal," Xay mumbled. "This is so illegal. Just as illegal as kidnapping. You've committed squirrel-slaughter."

I just watched a person BURN DOWN A FOREST.

...

Dang.

"You're having fun," Hels observed.

"No, no I'm not!" Xay yelped. "This is very stressful!!"

"Mhm. You like the fire too, I can sense it."

"Shut up,"

This is insane.

Hels is insane.

...I might be too.

WE JUST BURNED DOWN A FOREST.

"I can't believe you just did that," Xay murmured. "That's... not okay."

"Says who?" Hels asked, flashing a smirk.

"You- I-" Xay stuttered. "That's not how it works! Just because you have powers doesn't mean you can abuse them!"

"Eh, I needed a scene anyways," Hels said dismissively. "You're dead to the rest of the world."

"W-what?" Xay whispered, feeling like he was struck.

"The idea is that you died in this fire,"

"B-but what about Xisuma?!" Xay pointed out. "I-I can't just leave him! He- I don't want him to think I'm dead!" Hels glanced at him with a sympathetic, almost pitying expression.

"Sorry," Hels replied. "But there isn't much I can do about that."

"Please," Xay begged. "I- he's going to be so sad..." Hels sighed, then turned fully to face him.

"There are consequences with being gifted," he murmured. "And I'm sorry. I really am, but there's nothing we can do. Come with me or die, that's how it is. And we have to go before the smoke gets to us."

Tears sprung to Xay's mind as a sickening picture came to his mind.

A crying Xisuma, sitting by Xay's grave.

I can't let that image become a reality.

"We have to go," Hels mumbled. "It's hard, but we have to go."

I said I'd be back...

I shouldn't have gone to the forest.

It's all my fault.

But before Xay could protest any more, Hels snapped his fingers again.

The fire swirled around them, causing Xay to squeeze his eyes shut so that he didn't blind himself. He tightened his grip on Hels's hand subconsciously as he heard sirens blaring in the distance.

It's over.

"Hold on tight," Hels instructed. "And I wouldn't open up my eyes if I were you."

Xay did as he was told, and blindly followed Hels. They were making some turns and travelling at a relatively quick pace, and then suddenly...

Hels wrapped his arms around Xay, and then they were falling.

Before he knew what was happening, before he could scream, he felt his feet back on solid ground.

Xay cracked his eyes open, blinking slowly as he registered the surrounding area. They were in a cave, and, looking up, Xay saw a vertical tunnel where they had come from, but no light. The place was lit up with flaming torches instead of sunlight, although Xay wondered how they had gotten in here.

"Above you is a fake tree," Hels explained, echoing Xay's thoughts. "It'll burn with the fire, and this place'll be hidden through other forces. There's quite a few people like me, who take 'The Missing', we're a whole organization."

"How wonderful," Xay spat, still refusing to trust Hels. Hels rolled his eyes, then smirked.

What is he up to now-

"Turn around," Hels murmured. Xay sighed, turned around, and almost shrieked out-loud.

That can't be what I think it is...

That thing isn't supposed to exist.

What?!

Haha, cliffhanger go brrrrrrr-

-Storm