~The First Step~ a Hermitcraft AU

Chapter 24 (Grian)

wc: 1000 on the dot 

tw: mentions of blood, mind control, crying

im sorry i have no update schedule fpfpiodhosp i have just been captivated by some beautiful dsmp works ahhh

btw i do have a story on dsmp that is incredibly new, i also just started ao3 so if you don't mind checking out my story and giving me some feedback here's the link to my fic (check comments):

enjoy the chapter :)

A barrage of voices hit Grian like a tidal wave.

He doubled over in the little stone space, one hand grasping a creaky old chest, knees buckling. Grian ground his teeth together, shaking his head as the sounds of men and women and children hissed and clamored for space in his mind.

Revenge, they called. Blood.

And he felt hands, fingers, groping the edges of his brain. Black and violet hues gathered at the corners of his vision and made it blurry and unfocused. 

Please us, the voices whispered, grasp digging in a little tighter. A migraine began to work its way into Grian's head. Or we will make this much worse.

Grian's breath hitched as he saw eyes, violet eyes that looked to be scratched with a stick in the dirt, angular and sharp, crowd in front of his now black vision. The all blinked in unison, and the hands returned, skin of different textures concealing his own sight. When they receded, Grian was still leaning against the chest.

Joel was the one who killed me, Grian said to the voices.

No, they cried. No. Joel is a friend.

If Bdubs hadn't killed me before, I would be on three lives, Grian said to the voices.

No, they cried. Red is good. Red is blood. Red is sweet.

A shiver of fear went through Grian's entire body. Who do you want me to kill? he asked desperately, grabbing his hair and clenching his fists.

Mumbo. The voices were sure.

No. Grian was sure.

And then Grian felt the hands return and wrench his brain in their grasp. Mumbo, Grian thought. He was sure.

~~~

Grian heaved himself over the top of the ladder, armed with nothing but a pickaxe.

A raven-haired man stood on a cobblestone platform. Mumbo. A wild grin split Grian's face and the pure terror in Mumbo's eyes.

"Mumbo!" Grian stumbled to the top, one hand on the railing and shoulders hunched. He swung his pickaxe around in front of him. 

"Grian?" Mumbo stuttered, taking a step back. "Are- are you alright?"

Grian laughed, a high pitched thing that echoed throughout the vast nether roof. "Better than I could ever be, Mumbo Jumbo!" He wiped his mouth on his wrist, he was sure he felt blood dribble down it.

Yes, the voices said. They were pleased.

"Oh, the bliss you'd be in if we could be together," Grian continued, taking a wobbly step forward. Mumbo took one back.

"W-what do you mean?" Mumbo held his sword out in front of him. Grian, if he were himself, would be very worried seeing as his weapon was... not exactly a weapon, but he wasn't himself, so he was undeterred.

"Join me," Grian whispered. 

He swung the pickaxe up and over his head, feeling the point connect with the cobblestone slab below him, which broke away. Mumbo yelped and hopped backwards, the stone falling. Grian didn't bother to wait until he heard it hit the ground. 

Grian felt maniacal laughter escape his mouth as he swung the pickaxe again and again, and each time he saw stone dislodge he swore a spark of purple flew up, although Mumbo didn't seem to notice it. 

Kill him, the voices shouted. Make him like you. Make him suffer for surviving.

Make him suffer.

Grian hopped onto the railing, crouching and slamming the cobblestones from below Mumbo, the voices cheering the entire time.

He swung again, but this time the pickaxe didn't hit the cobble well, and the momentum had him tipping. Grian's feet slipped on the railing and he was leaning back, and gravity was starting to take him, and-

A hand wrapped around his wrist and yanked him back, making him stumble into the other railing and fall back onto his haunches. He was suddenly aware of an absence of a handle in his hand and turned to see his pickaxe rapidly disappear from view as it swung end over end towards the ground.

The simple action quickly cleared Grian's mind as he stared over the ledge.

Kill, the voices insisted.

I could have killed myself, Grian replied.

Better than sparing him, the voices snarled, and suddenly Grian remembered being in this same position, except his arms thrown over his head and eyes shut tight as someone told him of his minimal worth.

"Crap," Grian muttered. He looked up at Mumbo, who towered over him easily even while he was standing and was now very much like a giant. "M-mumbo?"

"Grian," Mumbo replied, and his shoulders slumped with relief. Grian felt tears prick his eyes and he sobbed into his hands, face burning with guilt and shame. Hands wrapped around him, but this time they were warm and calloused but comforting. Grian was vaguely aware of his snot staining Mumbo's suit, but it was ruined anyhow with all the rips and stains in the fabric.

They were like that for a while, the only sound Grian's sobs and bits of stone crumbling from the holes in the path. After a while, Grian pushed away from Mumbo, wiping his eyes off.

"I'm not going to kill myself," Mumbo said softly.

Grian laughed lightly. "I didn't expect you to."

"After this, we're not friends anymore."

There was a pause. "For this..." he felt bad saying game, but it was the only thing he could describe it with without bringing Watchers in. "For this game, right?"

A small smile split Mumbo's face. "Of course."

Grian stood up, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "Sorry, about... about that." 

Mumbo sighed. "It's alright, I know it... it wasn't you."

Grian nodded with a smile, then froze when he felt the hands again, brushing against the darkest corners of his mind. 

He turned tail and fled, purple began to flash and pure adrenaline forcing his wings out of his back and through his jumper. He took a few running steps and took off.

He swerved dangerously as he flew, afraid to enter a dive after what happened only an hour ago (only an hour?) but still not wanting to overshoot the nether portal. Grian jerked as the first voice entered his mind, but he had no time to decipher how it sounded before the masses flooded in.

And they are angry.

angst

thank you for reading! have a good day or night, wherever you are!

-Ete