Lies, Deceit, and Secrets

Chapter 22 - Saving Grian

WC - 815

Inside the watcher's keep for the second time, Xisuma found himself extra alert, looking around corners twice before continuing on. He could see that Mumbo was uncomfortable, jumping at the slightest sounds and always looking behind them. Xisuma had told him he should stay with Stress and Etho, neither of which came with them. Stress because she was still having nightmares and couldn't bring herself to. Etho because he didn't trust Grian and therefore stayed behind. Mumbo had told him that he wanted to go save Grian, because Grian would need him more than anyone else.

Several corridors they went through, almost running straight into a watcher several times. They were trying to find the dungeon again, where Grian was likely being held. Xisuma checked around the corner, seeing a watcher walking towards them. He backed up quickly, not bothering to check the closet room before shoving all the hermits into it. "∴⍑𝙹 ᔑ∷ᒷ ||𝙹⚍?" He heard a voice call out in a weird language he couldn't understand, sending shivers down his spine.

...

"∴⍑𝙹 ᔑ∷ᒷ ||𝙹⚍?" Xelqua didn't know what was going on, a small group of people had just barged into his room. None of them looked like watchers and most stared at him with fear, only two looked at him with a different emotion. One was a helmeted man with defiance in his eyes and the other was a mustached man radiating anger. A knock at the door sent them all into a panic, Xelqua didn't know what was going on, but he opened the door to his closet and shoved them in, hoping they would fit.

...

Mumbo was terrified, but he was also angry. These were the people who had taken Grian away from him, this watcher who stood in front of them was a part of the group who had tortured his love for so long. He wasn't going to let them take another person he cared for. A knock broke the silence, Xisuma started frantically trying to shove them all behind him, stopped by the watcher who thankfully hadn't killed them yet herding them into a dark room.

...

Xisuma was so confused as to why this watcher was helping them, but he wasn't going to question it as he and the rest of the hermits hid in the closet, clothes hiding most of them from sight the only two not hidden being himself and Mumbo. Muffled voices came from the otherside of the door, the conversation lasting a few minutes before the door opened abruptly. Xisuma immediately pulled his power together, ready to defend his hermits but he didn't need to, the other watcher had gone and it was just the one who had helped them.

...

"ᓭ𝙹," Xelqua started after letting everyone out of his closet, "∴⍑𝙹 ᔑ∷ᒷ ||𝙹⚍?" The helmeted one was still on edge, keeping the rest of his group behind him. 'What a weird group of people," Clearly none of them were watchers, all lacking the uniform and the wings. A few had blue eyes but they weren't the same as the range of purple blue ones he and Pearl had. She had just come to tell him she and her friends were going on a flight and asked him if he wanted to come. He did, but figuring out who had just barged into his room seemed like a better use of his time.

"If you're trying to ask us something, we can't understand you." The helmeted one informed him. The language he used wasn't galactic, it was silkier, less harsh. He didn't know where he learned it from, but he could understand this new language perfectly.

"Who are you?" He tried to mimic the tone as best as he could, surprised when the helmeted man responded.

"My name is Xisuma, we're looking for our friend."

"I might be able to help you, what does your friend look like?"

"He's short with mousy blond hair, you watchers took him from us."

"I'm sure we didn't take him, watchers don't take people, we help them." The helmeted man looked at him confused, like he didn't believe what Xelqua had told him.

"You took Stress, and when we went to get her you took him instead. Don't tell me that you're helping." The mustached man challenged. He was oddly familiar, Xelqua felt like he had seen him before but didn't know where from. His head was hurting, this mask always caused it to ache and scratched into his face, often cutting it.

...

Mumbo couldn't believe this watcher, how could he think that they helped people? They were clearly evil, although this one seemed nice it could all be a rouse like what Pearl had done. He watched as the watcher rubbed his temples, then reached behind his head, unclasping the mask that was tight on his face. His eyes widened in shock. "Grian?"

Dear Reader,

I'm so sorry for missing an update but, I hope that I can make it up to you by giving you a chapter that's almost three times the size of a normal chapter. I really got into the zone and just started writing like crazy, I swear that when I finished the chapter I thought it was only three hundred words but I guess I was off by a bit.

With warm regards,

Star (She/They)