Shelby PoV

'Cub?' Gem says. 'Cub! Please wake up! Scar is worried sick about you!'

'There's no point Gem. He can't hear you.' I sigh.

'Well, someone has to keep him company. And the spells don't work!' She replied.

'Is there anything, anything you know that might help?' I ask.

'Well, there is this one time Cub responded to Scar...' She said.

'Wait what!?' Why didn't she mention this sooner for the love of the heavens above!

'Here.' Gem walks up to me, and shows me her amethyst-covered comm. A video. 

Scar and Cub were cuddling. But what surprised me, is that Scar wasn't the one sleep talking. It was Cub. He started shifting in his sleep, to snuggle closer to Scar, and was muttering. It was muffled, so I couldn't really hear it all, but from what I heard was a bunch of 'I love you's'. There was a small pause, but eventually Scar started snuggling closer to Cub. 'I love you Cubby'  Scar said. 'I love you too Scar' Cub responded. 

'What...' I mutter to myself, confused. 

'Maybe...' I start to say as an idea forms in my head. 'What if Scar tries talking to Cub? If he did it once, surely he can do it again!'

'Yeah! Even if he can't, maybe a vex spell or two may!' Gem added excitedly.

Then, it clicks.

'Gem, did you take a class on Magical Biology and Minds?' I ask.

'No, but I know someone who did!' She responded.

'Who?'

'I know you're not to fond of him since he keeps trying to steal your girlfriend, but it's Joey.'

'Joey!?' Is she crazy!? 'He's no witch!'

She just shrugged. 

'Fine! Whatever!' I start yelling, but notice the change on Gem's face. 'Just. . . get Joey and get back as soon as you can...'

'On it!' And Gem was out my door, brighter than before. 

I sigh. In the mean time, I walk over to my bookshelf.

'Animals, Beasts, and How They're Alike' 

No. 

'How To Deal With Skeletons to Withers' Not that one either

'Hippogryphs; How To Avoid Glass Walls' Strange. . . Here!

'Magical Curses and Side Effects: Volume 1' I whisper under my breath. This book got banned a while ago, after the witching school got corrupted and all. I opened the first page.

'Chapter One: Zombie Bites' Nope. 'Chapter Two: Goblin's Greed.' Nuh uh. 'Chapter Three: Different Avians and Their Needs.' What? Why is that even in here. . . Maybe that will- Nope, stay focused Shelby!

'Chapter Four: Eyes, Ears, and How to Resist.' Weird name, but no...

~~~~~~~

After awhile, I hopefully found the chapter I needed.

'(hapt3r $3v3nt33n: Th3 Ward3n'$ Cur$3'

I wonder why it's all messed up? Maybe another language or... something.

'N0t mu(h |$ kn0wn, but th3 (ur$3 |$ a(tually an unkn0wn 3nt|ty,' I start to read. Huh. 'Y0u n33d t0 f|nd a way t0 3|th3r A. Lur3 th3 3nt|ty 0ut 0f th3 p3r$0n$ h3ad {Y0u w|ll n33d h3lp} or B. F|nd a way t0 (alm th3 ent|ty d0wn and tak3 |t 0ut y0urs3lf. Th3$3 ar3 th3 0nly way$ {bel|3v3 me, |'v3 tr|3d}. |f $u((3$$ful, th3 p3rs0n w|ll 0nly b3 m0r3 $u$(3pt|v3 t0 man|pulat|0n, and w|ll l|k3ly hallu(|nat3. A cl0$3 fr|3nd may b3 abl3 t0 h3lp |n th3s3 ca$3$'

Thats it? That all we have to save Cub? Why!? I try reading the small print at the bottom.

'Written by Tinzel F. Chef, 2022.' Huh? This book is years old, and it says written in 2022?

'Magic paper.' I realize. Magic paper is paper that is able to be changed by the one who wrote on it. The name though... it seemed too similar. 

Tinzel F. Chef, Tinzel F. Chef, Tinzel F. Chef... Where have I heard that name!?

The name 'Tin F. Chef' suddenly entered my brain.

TFC!

I need to go back to Hermitcraft, now! But what about Scar, or if Cub somehow woke up?

'Shelby!?' I hear Scar yells from downstairs.

'What is it?' I yell back.

'We have company!'

Oh no-

'How much!?'

'Pretty much the entire server!'

'Scar, get up here now!' A second later, he runs up the stairs carrying a small bag.

'Hide in there.' I say while pointing to an empty cupboard. 'And drink this.' I add, shoving three invisibility potions in his bag. Scar half walks-half sprints to the cupboard and then starts to squat down, but stopped half way down. 

'My leg braces are stuck!' He whispered in a nervous voice.

'Ok-' I start to say, but got cut off.

'Shelby! We want you, Scar, and Cub's body to walk out of this building in one minute, or there will be consequences!' I hear someone call in a nervous voice. It sounded like they were underwater. So it was either they fell into the lake, or it was Jevin. Probably Jevin.

'Ok.' I said again, more to myself. 

'Scar, do your leg braces matter in vex from?'

'Nope!'

'Will you be able to turn invis while in vex form?' 

'Yup!'

'And can you turn Cub into vex form too?'

'Sure can!'

'Great! Now do it as fast as you can. Now, hide in the roof. It should have a diversion of sorts in there, now what are you waiting for? Go!'

I didn't bother to see if he went or not. I had walked down the stairs when they called one more time.

'Sh-Shelby!' Definitely Jevin. I grab my wand and put it in my pocket.

'7 inch, mangrove wood, dragon scale core!' I remember the wand lady say when I was shopping for witching school. 'Quite the rare wand young lady! I only gave one other person this, not to long ago actually! Da wand be easy for hiding if you ever need to.' 

'Ten seconds! And don't try anything! We already have Cub and Scar in custody!' This time X says. Bold of them to assume I'd actually behave.

I reach for the door knob.

'I'm coming out now!' I call.  I can hear them murmuring behind the door.

'See' Doc said. 'I told you she wasn't that naive!' Naive? NAIVE!?

I open the door and walk out.

'Hands behind your back!' called X.

Good. I smirked under my breath.

'Bring them out False!' Suddenly, False flies down with two very realistic manikins of Cub and Scar. It worked!

'They ain't saying a word, serves them right.' False said.

'What the hell-' Someone yelled. Heh. 

'Glitter bomb!' I yell. Suddenly, sparkles and glitter shoot out of my hands, filling the air with the shiny dust.

'Hell yeah!' I hear someone call. Joey. But he wasn't alone. Behind him were fWhip, Joel, Scott, Jimmy, two people I don't recognize, and Katherine. I smile at her. She smiles back. Gem was there two, carrying colorful splash potions. 

'Attack!!!' fWhip yelled , pointing at the hermits. Everyone suddenly started fighting. Hand-to-hand combat, swords, rituals, everything. And then Jimmy and the other one of the people I didn't recognize both turned into God x2-, no, god-looking beings, dressed in green head-to-toe. Some of the hermits also turn into the same being, or a similar being dressed in purple. 

Watchers and Listeners, I assume. There was one more being, but-

'AHHHH!' I scream as someone, a Watcher, shoots a beam of magic into my head. It starts getting blurrier and blurrier...

'Shelby!' I heard Etho scream in shock.

Then black...

Holy crap. This is still probably cringey as hell, but I can only do so much without my coffee.

Word count: 1192