Out of Your Control - a Hermitcraft AU

~ Chapter 3 ~

Iskall finally hit the ground after falling for about forty minutes. The area surrounding him was dense and hot. Stress was lying unconscious beside him, but he almost couldn't see her through the smoke in the air. He tried to wake her, but not before something hit the back of his head.

Now sitting in what appeared to be a throne room, Iskall looked up and saw-

"Tango?!"

"Yep! Can you believe it? Me, one of the champions to participate in a world-wide war," he said smugly, his laugh echoing throughout the room. Lava fountains poured from the walls, which were made out of bricks. A blood-red carpet lined the floor, making its way from the entrance to Tango. But now that he could see better, he saw that Tango now had horns growing out of the top of his head and a pointed tail, like a demon.

"What's going on?" Stress mumbled, waking up.

"Yes, well, I was given the power of fire, and I will win this war. And now," he said triumphantly, getting up. "You work for me."

Walking towards Stress and Iskall, he drew up a shrine and everything went dark.

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"What?!" Grian yelped, dodging one of Doc's arrows. "I'm not anything like that! What are you even talking about?!"

Doc huffed. "Fine, so, everyone has powers and I believe that the Elementals are meant to protect the world, but now turned on one another they fight for the role of leader. Those elements are fire, earth, air and water. You, Grian, have the element of air."

"How do you know that? Keralis can fly, too! In fact, I think it makes more sense that it's him!"

"No," Doc said firmly, pulling out his bow again.

"Well, can you not kill me?" Grian asked, frowning.

"You really don't get it, do you! Fine, but you'd better be careful, Grian," he huffed, turning around.

Reluctantly, Grian nodded and just before Doc left he handed Grian a small piece of paper, coded. 

"If you need some help," Doc said. "And just so you know, you are a bit obvious."

"You're a mind-reader, of course you'd think that," he retorted.

"Sure thing," he sighed. And then he left Grian to his thoughts.

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Mumbo missed his friends, especially Grian, who acted so weird that morning. It hadn't occurred to him that Grian could be part of the war. He sat back down on his bed and pulled out his phone to message Iskall again, but there was still no response. Same with the last twenty or so texts Mumbo sent him. He was really starting to worry about his friend.

Suddenly, a piece of dirt fell through his ceiling and landed on his bed. And another piece. Then the entire hobbit hole caved in on him. Mumbo could feel himself being shoved through the earth, as though he was being transported somewhere. He realized with a jolt, that this was obviously part of the war. But why would someone kidnap other people? To make an army, he thought, wanting to smack himself.

Finally, the dirt around him fell away, revealing a pink sweatered girl standing in a clearing.

"Stress?"

"Hey love," she said, sickly sweet.

"W-where's Iskall?" Mumbo asked, looking around.

Oh, he's fine, but seriously, I'm not Stress. I mean, she would never take part in a battle. Only Tango kept his name, the traitor." The last part she barely mumbled.

"Where are we?" Mumbo said, trying to back up, until he realized that there were vines wrapping around his ankles, trapping him in place.

"My kingdom," the Stress look-alike carried on. "I wanted to get out of Tango's hell hole as soon as he caught me. I mean, what type of throne has lava surrounding it. Not mine!

"Anyway, your power is smarts, obviously, and I'd like that on my side." She walked over to Mumbo and kneeled beside him.

Mumbo watched the Stress look-alike make a type of rune and tried to figure out what this all was.

"Also, my name is Terra, the Queen of the Earth," she said. Mumbo couldn't talk, even if he wanted to, as Terra lifted up the rune, engulfing him in darkness.

Welp I have a bad habit of ending chapters in cliffhangers but ya know *shrugs*

Hope you like it anyways! (727 words)

- Neon