The Temptation of Power ||| Hermitcraft Watcher AU

Chapter Ten

When Xelqua arrived back at his base, he pulled out his Ender chest to get out the best armour he had. He didn't have netherite yet, so diamond would have to do. Besides, it wasn't like he was going to be in any danger. He also got out his mask and put it in his inventory; it felt like something he wanted to have on him, just in case. As a second thought, he also stuffed his cloak in his inventory - why not?

It had only been ten minutes, but he could see people gathering again outside his window, so he went out and joined them.

"Hey Gri, are you excited?" Scar asked, waving his sword around like he was attacking something.

"Yep." The blond replied, watching as the hermit nearly hit Doc.

"Sorry." He said to the creeper. Xelqua chuckled.

It wasn't long until everyone was there, fully geared up and chatting in anticipation, all apart from Bdubs and Doc who seemed to be 'playfully' arguing about something.

"Ok hermits." X announced, and everyone silenced. "Stick with at least one other person at all times, although we'll try to all stick together anyway, and let's just go."

"Onwards!" Tango called out, and they all made their way to the door. Iskall supplied some levers which they used to open the iron barriers. They came out into a fairly large room, the floor made of sandstone and the walls of stone. There were obsidian words (in Galactic) engraved in them.

"What are all those symbols?" False asked.

"They're words, in the language of Galactic." Joe said, going up to them and inspecting them.

"What do they say?" Iskall asked.

"Not sure, it would probably take me a couple of hours to decipher them. I'm not very good at translating." Joe replied. Xelqua read them while the others theorised; You've outgrown them. They were right, he had.

"I can read Galactic." Xisuma said, drawing his attention back to the present. All eyes landed on the admin. "It says 'you've outgrown them'."

"That doesn't make any sense." Beef said.

"It probably does and we just don't know the context." Etho replied. Pearl, Mumbo and X's eyes looked to Xelqua. He ignored them. He had a feeling people were about to follow their eyeline and question it, but luckily False changed the subject.

"Hey, look what's through here." She called, and everyone turned to see her stood by an open door. She went in and people followed.

There were two stone statues - ones Xelqua recognised to be Oリᒷ and T∴𝙹. They were stood, their stances neutral and their wings in a closed position behind their backs. There were more words on the wall between them, reading They're already turning, and a staircase going around the walls of the room.

"Is that what a Watcher looks like?" Keralis asked.

"Must be." Pearl replied.

"They're terrifying." Cub said, and everyone agreed. The hermits would be scared of Xelqua.

"What do the words say, X?" Stress asked.

"'They're already turning'." He supplied.

"What are?" Bdubs asked.

"I don't know, that's all it says." The axolotl replied. You are, Xelqua thought. He glanced around and noticed the suspicious expressions on Pearl and Mumbo's faces.

A few minutes later, they went upstairs. There were chests every other block against two opposite walls, the remaining ones being one where the stairs were (there was another set leading further up) and one that had only two chests and a sign between them. Above each chest was a hermit's name, in English.