The Temptation of Power ||| Hermitcraft Watcher AU

Chapter Four

It was a long way from home. Thousands of blocks, in fact. But if that was what made this possible, then that was what he'd do.

Grian looked around, checking one last time that no one was there even though they wouldn't be, before placing his mask on his face gently. He felt an increasingly familiar buzz of warmth and security fill him, and he flapped his wings. They still felt strong, if a little less so than they had been before he ran away. This was going to be the first time in years he'd really moved them, and he was really looking forward to it.

He sucked in a breath before launching himself off the sandy ground of a small, isolated island. He wobbled slightly, his usual way of flight being very different from this. For a second, he felt like he was falling (and realised he should've set his spawn before doing this before remembering that he'd most likely fall in the sea anyway and wouldn't take fall damage) before managing to spread the feathery wings and glide.

He regained his balance and then pushed himself back up into the dark sky, remembering how to fly again. It was like riding a bike, once you could do it you never forgot, although if you came back to it after a long time you might wobble a bit before getting back into the swing of it.

After a few minutes, he felt himself grinning as he flew down towards the island and pulled to the side in the last second, before gliding up and doing a loop-the-loop. Then he glid down and circled the island again before going off in a random direction and gliding above the sea, reaching his hand down into the water.

He laughed as he flapped his wings and went up again, going as fast as he could. It was much faster than an elytra could ever go, even with a hundred rockets per second. He'd forgotten just how much better wings were.

He let out a "Woooo!" and another laugh as he flew upside down momentarily through a cloud. The evaporated water felt cool against his face.

A couple of phantoms spawned, but he killed them within seconds using the purple fire. There was nothing to worry about, nothing to threaten him. For those few hours he spent flying around in circles, his mind was clear and he was happy.

When the sun began to rise, Grian teleported himself back to his starter base since it was quicker and easier, before taking off his mask and placing it back in his Ender chest. The cold washed over him like a bucket of water, but he simply bit his teeth together and tried to ignore it.

* * *

Each night, Grian went to the island in the middle of nowhere and either practised flight or magic, or both. He was getting stronger, but he still felt clueless about why.

Why had the Watchers chosen now to make an appearance if they'd allegedly been there the whole time? Why was he so cold without the mask? Why had they not done anything to him yet? Why had they told him the hermits were dangerous? Why had they chosen his friends, of all things, to lie about? Because they had to be lying, right?

On Hermitcraft, all days were equal - in the aspect of having no weekdays or weekends - and although they did have the names Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday etc. none of the hermits really kept track of them. Grian didn't, at least. If there was any important event, such as the monthly server meeting, it was always announced on their communicators anyway, so it didn't really matter if he didn't know the date.

He was pretty sure it had been four days since he had last spoken to the Watchers.

That evening, when he went to the island, he put his mask on, but didn't light his hand with fire or take off into the sky. Instead, he muttered in Galactic;