Hels Rebellion

Chapter 6: Who's this guy? (Part 2)

"You've become very attached to those Hermits of yours." The words crawled across the floor and held Grian in place. It snapped him out of his recollection and pulled him from the vibrant memories that weren't quite his own. He took a moment to reflect on the question.

"Ye-yeah, I guess so," he treaded carefully, "Why..?"

"Well, while your collaboration with that server may be necessary for what we have planned, I don't believe you need to achieve that particular level of closeness to them. Your home is here. Not with the players."

Grian suppressed a growl and looked down. He didn't want Xelqua to know he'd hit a weak spot, but also knew that his double was fully aware of what he was saying.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he grumbled.

Xelqua raised a brow, just slightly, and turned to face the man. When Grian refused to look up, the player simply hummed and turned towards one of the glossy windows.

"You know," he spoke dangerously, "A lot of those non-players outside of these walls would die just for a small taste of what you have. Of what I've given you."

Grian was silent. His eyes narrowed slightly as he continued losing his staring contest with the floor. So Xelqua continued.

"The ability to access an inventory. To use items from branching outer dimensions. To be able to heal from magical items and use those blessed enchantments."

He turned back to Grian. Circling the man slowly, like a beast circling its prey.

"To be able to come back from the dead. To not fear death in the same way those mortals do. The same way you did before I rescued you."

Grian was tense, and his eyes finally snapped shut, he stood firm - but his body felt as though it was under the weight of this entire building.

"I've given you all of that. And how have you repaid me?"

He opened his eyes, but remained quiet. Xelqua stood behind him, stare burning into his skin. The man stepped around him slowly. He grabbed Grian's hand and lifted it parallel to the floor.

A mark shone across Grian's wrist. A red heart floating translucently above his skin. One final life left.

When it was obvious Grian wasn't going to answer Xelqua let out a disappointed sigh and let his hand fall. "You've given me nothing. After all I've done for you."

Now Grian snapped back, "That's not true! I do everything for you on the server! Build, grind, socialize. I'm the only reason I'm friends with the hermits! The only reason we're on the server!"

Xelqua still showed no rage, "The only reason you're on that server with your "friends" is because of what I have allowed you to do. You have no idea what I had to sacrifice to even temporarily boost you to the same status as a player. And for what? So that you can turn your back on me for your new "friends?""

Grian was already running out of an argument. Xelqua was right, as much as he hated to admit it. Xelqua had given him everything he had - other than the relationships he had built maybe.

But Grian's status, Grian's ability to build anything beyond a simple rustic house... he owed that to Xelqua.

He wouldn't lose this yelling match however.

"I could have made friends with them just as easily if I wasn't a player. I didn't need you for that."

Xelqua's eyes narrowed. Grian had made a mistake.

The ground beneath the builder violently shook and Grian fell back, catching himself before slamming onto his elbows to keep himself elevated.

He looked up in shock as Xelqua's eyes only looked right through him. They had darkened and the lighting from the divine decor seemed to cast an impenetrable shadow over half of his face.

Tremors wracked the building as large, golden spikes covered in misty green vines rose from the floor, breaking through the detailed tiles to nearly block Grian's view of his attacker.

The builder struggled to get up, and tried to flip over, lifting himself partially off the ground before the newly arisen stone slammed down, wrapping themselves over his body, effectively pinning him to the floor. His arms were out in front of him, freed, but he lacked any tools to help him escape.

The building finally stopped trembling and Grian coughed up a bit of dust that had risen from the broken floor. Xelqua hummed from behind him, and the hermit tensed as the man's footsteps clicked their way towards his head.

Xelqua stood in front of his alter, arms crossed behind his back as his frown worsened. Grian could hardly stand to meet his cold gaze.

"My patience has run thin, NPG."

Grian's eyes widened. It had been a long while since Xelqua had used that term for him. That name.

His eyes darted up to meet Xelqua's, filled with dread and terror. "W-what?"

Xelqua only looked down at him, a glare of mild contempt shone in his eyes, in a way Grian himself could never even comprehend seeing on his own face.

"I've grown tired of showing mercy. I freed you to serve me. Not to frolic around with a server of morons and conspire to betray me. I won't kill you, NPG, that would do me no good. I won't even lock you back in the closet," Xelqua crouched down to Grian's lowered height, an arm lazily across one raised knee.

"I want you to be able to see me take over your "friends'" server from the inside. I want you to see what you could have been a part of. If you had just done what I told you to do."

He stood up once more, dusting a bit of debris off his sleeves, looking away from Grian. He didn't look back down, instead just crossing his arms behind his back, and walking away.

Grian struggled again against the restraints, pushing up in an attempt to snap the heavy structures. It was useless, the stones were too heavy and his muscles felt too weak.

His arms shook and his chest fell to the floor. He let out a weak cough as the stones seemed to tighten on his lungs.

He couldn't struggle anymore. His arms were too tired to even begin to lift himself, and his legs had long since gone numb.

He swallowed weakly as tendrils of deep grey flickered on the edges of his vision. His face burned. He needed air.. he couldn't breathe... he needed to..

A single, nearly silent wheeze escaped from Grian's throat before his head went limp against the floor. His lungs screamed for help and his brain went silent.