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The skulk was welcoming, comforting, warm, it made them feel majestic.

Although it was annoying how much their new captive kept on whimpering.

"Shut up!" They snarled, lunging for him and grabbing his throat. He reeled back as much as he could with a choked sob escaping him.

"You're pathetic." They hissed, very much annoyed. They let go of his neck and began to pace, little skulk flowers and mountains and trees appearing where they stepped.

Something was bothering them. Anytime Frog looked at their hostage, they felt a pang of recognition and excitement. It was strange and they didn't like it.

"I'm going to ask you a few questions and you're going to answer them truthfully." Frog commanded, coming to a stop right in front of him.

"Who are you and where are you from?"

The person shuddered but after a moment began to pipe up, his voice hoarse. "I'm Jimmy Solidarity, and I'm from Empires."

That name recalled some memories of pure happiness and excitement, drawing and doodling late at night with a smile on their face... Why could they remember this stuff?

"What were you doing in HermitCraft?" Frog asked instead.

"I... I was helping fight off a bunch of skulk, and then Martyn and I flew away... and I ended up here."

He seemed to be telling the truth.

"What are the Hermits planning?" They might as well be prepared, even though they would clearly win against any enemies, no matter the size of the group.

"I... I don't know."

Lie. Frog lashed out with a clawed hand and scraped the side of his face, leaving two shallow cuts on his cheek. He gasped in pain.

"Tell me the truth..."

"Okay, okay! They..." Jimmy coughed violently as the skulk tightened around his chest. "They're making plans to save the prisoners here, that's all I know!" He cried out. The skulk loosened from around him, still tight enough to be pinning him to the cold ground.

"Good."

That's it? That's all he knows?! What a waste of time.

Frog stalked away from him, to the circle of clear ground in the center of the room. They summoned little figures of skulk, playing with them and making them move around. It was a whole story they could watch, making the characters spin and react and run from threats.

After a while, it got boring, so Frog pulled their sketchbook towards them and stared drawing and taking notes on their prisoner's appearance. They noted the shaggy, dirty blonde hair and the discarded Sheriff's hat on the ground a while away.

Frog felt eyes staring at them and whipped around. "What are you looking at?!" They growled, resulting in a quiet squeak if fright from Jimmy.

"N-nothing..." He mumbled, looking down at his hands.

Frog narrowed their eyes. Maybe they could at least give him something to watch. With a flick of their hand, the skulk around Jimmy's arms wrapped around them and brought them up in front of him, his hands creating a little platform where tiny skulk figures grew and moved about, completely oblivious to the giants staring at them. A detailed storyline, with character growth, sorrow, anxiety, problems to be solved.

They just hoped it was good enough to keep him from interacting with them.

It had been a while, maybe a day or two. People were recovering from an intense battle. Naya and Joe had worked together to bring every book on possession and rituals to the underground bunker, where everyone else was. Various Hermits and Empires hybrids of all different types milled about, here and there you could spot a human.

The bunker was just big enough to fit Ember in, so there was lots of room. It was filled with little light orbs Naya had created, and off near the side on the walls people were practicing battle techniques, aim with arrows or potions, and chanting words.

It would be rather peaceful if everyone wasn't so tense.

Pine was unconscious, and they lay in a makeshift bed under Ember the dragon's wing. Naya had figured out how to sling a saddle of some sort onto Ember's back so people who weren't able to fly could use Ember for faster transportation.

Right now Naya and Stress were reading up on the books they brought down, commenting little things like how ritual circles needed to be done or where to get materials.

Martyn let himself smile for the first time in hours. Little cubbies for sleeping and hanging out were dug out in the walls for anyone, and right now he was in one of the ones that was higher up, resting in his nest of blankets. Grian had created a similar nest with gigantic blankets in the cubby next to his, and stray feathers were left when the avian had jumped down.

Somewhere nearby, a group of five or so people erupted into cheers and laughter, praising Joel as he won the cornhole game against Scott.

It was honestly like a big party, only a lot less music and a lot more tired and injured people. The only really serious injury was with Gem, who had lost one of her arms and was now being helped by Doc and Iskall to make a robotic replacement.

Joel had new scars he was boasting about, False, Stress, Bdubs, Scar and Grian all had bandages wrapped around some part of their top half, and Mumbo had the tips of his mustache singed from an explosion of fire.

Martyn's smile faded to a gentle frown. Something was missing. A cheerful face he'd helped fight in battle wasn't here now.

He spent a moment pondering what it was before he realized.

"Jimmy!"

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