Chapter Text
Mumbo did not like parties. That much should have been obvious from how he stood in the corner, avoiding everyone and nursing his drink. All the best magicians from around the three dimensions had been invited to their party. Each sect had to nominate one magician, and now they all sat mingling with one another. Except the antisocial ones like Mumbo.
A servant traded Mumbo’s empty drink for a new one, and someone approached to have their own drink. A vex using a wheelchair, one whose face was covered in scars. Behind him, one of his wings had been torn in half, leaving him with only the inner part of his left wing.
“Why hello there,” the vex greeted.
Mumbo nodded once and returned to his drink.
“I’m Scar,” the vex continued.
“Mumbo.”
Scar must have sensed how desperately Mumbo wanted to be alone because he said, “Well, nice talking to you,” and he wheeled away.
By nature, Mumbo was an awkward but talkative man. But he didn’t like being introduced to a lot of new people at once. Especially a lot of new people he was supposed to compete against. Not that he fully understood the competition yet.
The stage where the entertainment had stood emptied as the musicians filed out, and everyone collectively moved toward the stage as Xisuma, one of the King’s advisors, approached the stage. The man was easy enough to recognize—he never went anywhere without his gray and black helmet. Like Mumbo, he was an End hybrid. But he was the type who couldn’t breathe Overworld air. Mumbo was one of the lucky ones.
“Thank you, everyone, for attending the party tonight,” Xisuma said into the microphone. “I hope you all are enjoying the party, and I hope you’ve gotten a chance to introduce yourselves to each other. We are going to run through some quick introductions, as there aren’t many of you, and you’ll come to know each other well soon enough. I’ve been given information by your sects. Please just wave so we can tell who you are.
“First we have Etho, the representative of the Redstone Guild.” A man with white hair and a scarred eye waved from near the front of the crowd. A black mask covered the lower half of his face. “Etho is a renowned redstoner, credited with some of the most important innovations in the last century of redstone science and magic.” Xisuma read from the cards, but he at least had the skill not to make it sound bland.
One by one, the competitors were introduced. Impulse, a piglin brute hybrid from the Nether sect. A creeper hybrid from the Hostile Hybrids. A zombie hybrid from the Animators. A human from the naturalists who looked suspiciously like the supposedly extinct glares.
“Next we have Scar, of the Vex kingdom.” Scar was the marred vex who had introduced himself earlier in the night. Mumbo got a better look at him now—long brown hair that grayed near the temple, grayish blue eyes, and hands that ended in claws. “Scar is one of the founding members of Convex, the first vex business in the Overworld.”
Oh, so this was one of those rich guys. What was the other one’s name? Bear or something? Either way, this was one of the two richest conmen in the Overworld. Mumbo hadn’t expected him to look like he’d fought a hoard of wardens, but everyone was different in person.
All that was left were the two elephants in the room. And Mumbo had the honor of being next.
“We have Mumbo Jumbo, the End executioner.” He winced at his job title. He hadn’t asked to be one of the most talented killing machines of his generation. He hadn’t chosen his field of study at all. But he had to admit, no one could control End crystals with as much precision as he could. “He is currently third in line for the throne of the End.”
Did his advisors really have to add that part in? Now he was certainly a target. But he had to turn his attention to the single biggest issue everyone had wanted to avoid.
“Our final guest is Xelqua, of the Watchers.”
Everyone had seen Xelqua enter. Watchers were the most obvious in appearance. They wore long purple robes and flat white masks that covered their entire faces. No holes for eyes, nose, or mouth. Not to mention the double set of white wings every Watcher had. Xelqua waved slightly, but shrunk in on himself.
“He is the first Watcher to have slayed an Ender Dragon.”
Well…fuck. Mumbo was an End Dragon hybrid. Obviously, there was a difference between hybrids and the dragons themselves, but the fact that Xelqua’s claim to fame was having killed one of his homeland’s most valued beings made Mumbo want to stay as far away from the man as possible.
“I’m sure you’re all wondering why you have been gathered here,” Xisuma continued. “To answer shortly, King TFC has passed away.”
Gasps and rushed whispers spread across the room like a settling plague. The King was dead? Why hadn’t anyone been notified?
“His majesty has no heirs,” Xisuma said. “As such, he set forth a plan for who his heir would be before his death. And his heir will be one of you.”
They all glanced at each other like they couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Mumbo certainly couldn’t. Especially because there were representatives from other dimensions here. What right did they have to rule the kingdom of Hermitcraft? They were only tangentially tied to the kingdom, after all.
“You all will be competing in a series of trials to show your worth as leaders and magicians. You will research ways to improve the kingdom. Ultimately, you will make your case before the Council of whether or not you should be Rule of Hermitcraft.”
Void, this was worse than Mumbo had ever thought. All his magic was good for was killing. He had no hope of winning.
_____
Xelqua understood why he’d been asked to join the competition. He was the Watcher’s greatest hope at having a King on the throne. He was far more powerful than any of their other fledglings, and any of the full Watchers were far too old to be an effective ruler for a long enough time to establish any change. Which was why Xelqua had been carted across Hermitcraft early in the morning to reach the castle by nightfall.
He Watched the stolen glances that passed his way. The Watchers liked to keep to themselves. It was rare for one to be among the other citizens of Hermitcraft. Today was likely the first time most of these people had seen a Watcher in person.
“Feel free to continue to enjoy the party,” Xisuma said. “When you are ready to turn in for the night, one of the servants will lead you to your quarters. We start at eight tomorrow morning.”
Xelqua had not enjoyed the party. He couldn’t eat or drink in front of others. Not without taking his mask off, and that wasn’t allowed. Only Watchers could See other Watchers without their masks. But Xelqua wasn’t sure being antisocial was the way to win the game. If everyone here hated him, then why would anyone want him to be King?
He had a few options for friends to make. The other outcasts. Although, Impulse had joined with Doc and Etho the moment the party had started, all discussing the implications of redstone magic. That left the End Dragon hybrid. Was that the smartest move, given his history? Especially if the man was an executioner, of all things?
“Hey, you’re the Watcher, right?”
Xelqua turned to See a vex wheel up beside him. Scar. The broken vex conman. “My name is Xelqua.” Even if it didn’t feel like his name.
“Right. Xelqua. I’m Scar.” He stuck his hand out, and Xelqua reluctantly shook it. “I have to say, Watchers are a lot shorter than I expected.”
Xelqua groaned internally. He was well aware he was short. “It’s a me thing. Not every Watcher is short.”
A lopsided grin crossed Scar’s face. “You’ll have to tell me more about the Watchers. You all seem fascinating.”
“Says the vex who looks like he lost a fight with a world eater.”
Scar didn’t laugh at that like Xelqua had thought he would. He grimaced for a moment, then plastered a grin back on his face. “Don’t bring that up again.” His tone was harsh and clashed with the smile.
“Noted.”
“So, do you have to wear the whole Watcher getup every day?”
He nodded. “These are my clothes. We all dress like this.”
“Ooo, so you’re part of a cult.”
“We are not a cult.”
“Exactly what someone in a cult would say.”
The tall End Dragon hybrid approached the group. He wore a three-piece suit, far too formal for this kind of party. His black hair was shorn close to his scalp, and he had a mustache that matched his nervous energy. His wings were folded behind his back, and his eyes had an unnatural red hue that didn’t match his dragon heritage.
“Sorry, I um…I was tired of just standing in the corner,” he muttered.
“You’re fine. I’m giving Xelqua a hard time. It’s what I do.” The casual grin was back on his face. “Tell me about killing people.”
Mumbo sputtered and stumbled over his feet, spilling his drink on the floor. “Excuse me?”
“You’re an executioner, aren’t you? I want to hear all about it.”
“I don’t—I don’t usually talk about my job,” Mumbo said. “Especially not with strangers.”
“Then let’s not be strangers! We’ll all need someone to lean on in this competition. Why not join up? Everyone else is doing it.”
Xelqua had certainly Seen the groupings. He supposed this group of misfits wasn’t awful. “I’m in.”
Mumbo’s eyebrows quirked up. “I um, I guess I’m in too.”
“Perfect,” Scar said, clapping his hands together. “Now, I’m going to hit the hay. Chronic pain is a bitch, and we have an early morning ahead of us.”
Xelqua didn’t need much sleep, but he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to see his quarters. He’d need a lot of space for his magic. He also needed to make sure it was secure. The last thing he needed was for someone to barge in and see something they shouldn’t.
_____
Scar laid down in bed, stretching out his legs as best he could. The quarters were nice, spacious and filled with expensive furniture. The bed was one of the most comfortable he’d ever laid in. Even had enough room for him to spread his wings out without the full one being cramped.
He’d been self-conscious about the whole affair. He’d begged and pleaded with Cub to go in his place, but Cub assured him he was the best fit for the competition. And he supposed he was. He had the charisma of a King that Cub lacked. Although, Cub was one of the most intelligent people he’d ever met, so maybe he should stop letting the other vex underestimate himself.
Someone knocked on his door. Scar waved a hand and used magic to open the door without moving. The dragon hybrid—Mumbo—stood in the doorway.
“Mumbo! Come in, come in!”
Mumbo shuffled forward, shutting the door behind him.
When he didn’t speak, Scar continued. “What brings you here?”
“Do you trust Xelqua?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
“He killed an ender dragon.”
Oh. Did Mumbo think he was in danger? “I don’t think Xelqua wants to hurt you. I think he would have done it by now if he did.”
Mumbo didn’t respond.
“How about this? You stay with me tonight. We’ll keep a watch over your room since you’re across the hall. If Xelqua comes, then we confront him. If he doesn’t, then we both sleep.”
“How will we know he’s here if we both fall asleep?”
Scar nodded toward the door, where his cat Jellie had fallen asleep. “She’s a good guard cat.” He couldn’t help but laugh at his own joke. “In all seriousness, she’ll meow herself hoarse if she thinks there’s someone awake to give her food. If Xelqua goes to your door, then she’ll hear and make it our problem.”
Mumbo still looked at him in disbelief. “Why should I trust you?”
“What do I have to gain from letting you get hurt? I don’t want the entire End on my doorstep tomorrow. Besides, you’re good company.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “You think so?”
“Oh yeah. I think we’re going to be good friends. Xelqua too, once we’re sure he’s not here to kill you.”