"Jevin, you'd consider yourself - what - average sized?" Ren called from the next boat over.
The Hermit in question, awkwardly tucked in his own boat behind Xisuma as he rowed, glanced toward him. "Relative to my brothers and sisters, yes. Why do you ask?"
"That's what I figured. So, if you died, would you multiply, too? I mean - you're big enough for that, right?"
"..."
Ren looked at him expectantly while Jevin gave him a blank stare in return.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Please don't try it."
The boat ride from the Spawn Island was a relatively short one, but the group still found itself in need of entertainment.
Lucky for Jevin, though, X called everyone to a halt before Ren could start experimenting.
"Alright, this should be the spot." The party stopped rowing, and Mumbo stopped the flying machine over his head that blocked the sunlight. "Everyone swimming have their water breathing potions?" Everyone in need of them held up their potions, courtesy of Stress, in affirmation. "Alright, then, drink up, and let's go."
Etho got a head start as the others drank their potions, using his powerful tail to propel him swiftly to the bottom of the ocean. He pulled out a shovel and began chipping away at the ocean floor. He was quickly joined by the others, and, before long, five shovels were chipping away at the gravel, sand, and soil.
Slowly, but surely, the group cleared away enough of the earth that one of them finally found a barrel.
"Found it!" Hypno cried, the water breathing potion carrying his voice to the others. He awkwardly brushed away at the last of the soil and pried it open before repositioning himself to look inside.
"It's...just a note," Hypno discovered, much to everyone's disappointment.
"Never mind that," Mumbo dismissed. "What's it say?"
"Uuh..."
"Right. Forgot about that." Mumbo swam over and took it from him. "Hm...It looks like it says
'Soar to the world's very limit in the sky
Fly 'til you can't breathe, you're so high
Search for the beacon that points to your way
But hurry now, we haven't got all day'"
"False!" Etho exclaimed, taking off for the last few Hermits still at the surface.
As soon as he broke the surface, Etho dashed over the where False was perched on the side of one of the boats.
"Etho? Have you all found it?"
"Not exactly. We're gonna need your wings."
False stretched her wings and readjusted her position on the boat's edge. "Where do I need to go?"
"We're not exactly sure," Xisuma replied, joining the pair. "The riddle just said something in the sky would point you in the right direction."
"And that it's super high up," Etho added.
False nodded and extended her broad wings, readying herself for takeoff. "I'll let you know what I find."
With a couple powerful flaps, she was off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The skies were mostly clear, but that didn't matter as False soared high above the clouds.
The air was thinner up here, to be sure, and False was a little light-headed, but her avian lungs were able to withstand the strain.
Isolated in the sky, it took no time at all to find the gravity-defying statue as it stood above the clouds. It appeared reminiscent of an angel, with wings resting against her back. She pointed South, with her other hand resting against her chest.
False perched on the statue's outstretched hand a moment to catch her breath and rest her wings. Gazing out into the sky, a distant glimmer caught her eye, but she couldn't tell if it was real or just her imagination, or maybe even the thin air finally getting to her.
As False gulped in desperate breaths, she became aware of just how frigid the air around her was. She stretched out her wings, discovering the tips of her feathers had started frosting over.
How was she going to fly such a great distance to reach that faint glimmer, if it was even real at all?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Alright! What's up, guys! Lix here! Hope you guys are having an awesome day, and I hope you enjoyed the latest installment.
How is False going to reach that mirage so far away? Or can she even reach it at all? How do y'all think it'll play out?
Aaannnywaaaaaay, please comment down below, and maybe leave a vote? That'd be greatly appreciated.
See you guys soon!
YOU ARE READING
When Past and Present Collide
Fanfiction"Grian?" X panted. The figure before them stood, revealing that it was, indeed, Grian, although he was not looking great, His hair was wind-blown, sure, but it looked even more disheveled than that. His flying had been so sloppy that Xisuma had bare...
