[Author's note: Oct. 23, 2021]

AHHH sorry this one took so long! School is exhausting me and writing so many chaps so fast wore me out. Luckily, I'm DONE with Xisuma flying around and meeting every hermit - those chapters get so hard to write after FIVE of them xD So, I should get back on a better schedule now LOL sorry again! 

Hope you enjoy this chap!! More soooon!!

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The village Bdubs had been building was impossible to miss. The large structures towered over the skyline and Xisuma admired the stunning pallets and complex shapes.

He drifted around the village, eyes and ears pealed, searching for Bdubs, or anyone else who may be staying nearby. He could see the very starts of the castle on the hill - but it didn't seem Bdubs was working there either. There was a single, "Scar for Mayor" poster with fraying edges, billowing in the breeze.

He frowned, it would take forever to try and find a single player within all these buildings... he had already messaged Bdubs and the man didn't respond.

"Bdubs!!!" he heard someone else calling the players name. It sounded like Scar.

He launched a rocket towards the sound, gliding over and spotting the male.

He looked distressed, but paused his yelling as Xisuma landed next to him.

"Scar? What's wrong?"

"I can't find Bdubs!!" he whined, "I've checked every building. I can't shake the feeling that something bad happened..."

Xisuma tensed, Cub had said something similar... and it made the admin worry that maybe their vex magic was picking up something the other hermits couldn't.

"I'm sure its fine," he placed a hand on the man's shoulder, "He could be anywhere on the server, I'm sure he's just distracted! He could even be over at your base looking for you."

Scar's eyes were misty, and he sniffed. "You think so?"

"Yeah, here," he retracted his hand, pointing to himself, "I still need to go check up on the rest of the jungle folk anyway, why don't we go together again?"

Scar mumbled something before nodding, "oh, okay, yeah, yeah. That sounds good. I haven't been to check on my base in a couple of days - I'm sure Jellie misses me too!"

"Exactly," Xisuma smiled, "Lets head through the nether, we can catch up with them quicker."

The man nodded just slightly before both men headed down towards the bridge, where Bdubs' nether portal was safely hidden.

Once in the Nether, the air was warm and dry and both men flew, once again, in absolute silence.

Until the shrill yell of a ghast signaled from above, sending a fireball right between both men.

Xisuma launched a rocket and sped away from the fireball, while Scar dodged to the side, nearly bashing into a low hanging netherrack stalactite. Xisuma yelled out his name before the man pulled another rocket and caught himself in the air. The ghast shot another flame.

Scar was still stabilizing himself, and Xisuma turned, using one arm to keep his elytra out before he pulled out his bow, letting his elytra close as he aimed and shot a single arrow at the mob.

He didn't get a chance to see the arrow his as he turned back around, flying up to Scar - who was still narrowly dodging a few nether obstacles.

The men caught up with one another and Xisuma motioned to the man to drop lower, right as the Ghast let out a pained, dying gasp.

Xisuma let out a relieved sigh and Scar spared one more glance back.

The ghast was gone, and Xisuma looked to the other hermit, "Are you alright?!"

Scar looked unsettled but he nodded, "I'm fine." There was no laugh, no humor, just absolutely ridged.

Xisuma frowned, guess it was too close to joke about... even for Scar.

The rest of the trip was silent - as was the arrival to the jungle. The only sound was small huff as Xisuma readjusted his helmet to the humid climate.

They stepped into the center of Mumbo's base - but it was clear the man wasn't there - nor had he been there for at least a few days. Below the storage room was only half filled with dying grass - and cobwebs littered the edges of the chests.

Neither of them wanted to wake Stress in her base, and so they made their way to Grian's mansion to see if Mumbo was there.

As they approached the mansion and Xisuma made his way towards the doors, Scar paused - lingering near the path. Xisuma turned back, looking with concern to the other man.

Scar took a step back, "Oooh," he said softly, "I don't want to go in there..."

Xisuma blinked, taking a small step closer, "Is something wrong?"

Scar hummed, "The, uhm, the energy in this house," his voice was shaking, "I don't like it."

Xisuma tilted his head just slightly, "Because of the mansion... or something in it?"

"I... don't know."

The admin looked to the mansion then back to the hermit. He was rather good at reading energies but he knew he was nothing compared to the ability of the vex. Whatever Scar could see would be dangerous, which means Xisuma would have to enter. For the sake of the server.

"How bad do you think it is?" he pried.

Scar shook his head, "I can't tell. I'm not used to negative energies like this - not here. Not on Hermitcraft!"

Xisuma's alarm bells were giving him a headache, and despite the cooling technology of his armor - he still felt like he may sweat himself to death.

Scar's eyes were still on the mansion, staring it down as though it may come to life and charge him.

"Alright," the admin sighed, "Well, I have to go in there anyway. You're free to stay out here if you don't feel safe."

Scar spared a glance to the man before his eyes darted back to the doors of the mansion, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Xisuma nodded, "I've got to make sure everything is okay in there-"

"Then I'm coming with you!"

Xisuma blinked once more, eyes widening just slightly. "You don't have to, though, I would appreciate it."

Scar swallowed thickly before puffing his chest, taking a few steps down the path, "Then I have to go in! Who else will keep the admin safe, right?" he bluffed and the humor hit its mark.

X laughed just slightly, nudging the man, "Okay, big man, pull out your sword - just in case."

The two trotted down the path, Xisuma slowing just slightly to keep pace with the, clearly, still nervous Scar.

The mansion was grand, as he remembered, but the dark prismarine roof and towering grey walls sent chills down his spine as they approached the massive doors.

Which it was clear... Grian never used.

The door's large metallic hinges had rusted a bit, but the wood looked fresh and untouched. They were also extremely heavy - both men tugging on one side, just to squeeze through as the doors slammed shut behind them.

It was pretty empty inside, only the stone floor covered in a few stray torches around the edges. It was just like X remembered, even glancing over to Grian's bed in the corner of the build.

There was no threats, as far as he could see, and no demonic energies pulled at his slayer-senses. As far as he could tell, it looked more like Grian had simply gone out for the day. Almost as though someone was keeping the base clean.

It raised suspicions, and he tightened his grip on the sword - narrowing his eyes. 

Both men walked around the stone floor, Scar's eyes darting every which way, senses sharpened and searching for danger. He stepped closer to the back of the base, where the setting sun trickled in through the smaller unfinished bits of the base. 

The stone floor wasn't finished there, and Scar could see down to the lower layer of the base, the wooden room hidden below the stairs. 

The hermit glanced back to Xisuma, calling him over. The admin made his way to the hole, not letting his eyes rest as he assured nothing would leap out from the shadows at the men. 

They jumped down together, gliding down into the lower layer of the sorting system and spotted him. 

Mumbo was sitting behind the glass where Grian had a hoard of... chickens? Right near the stairs at least a dozen chickens were sitting inside the glass cage - and Mumbo held one of them in his lap, scratching its neck feathers with a distant stare. 

The other hermits looked to one another with confusion. 

X approached the man, and Mumbo looked up at him, snapping out of his haze as the chicken hopped from his lap and waddled to the other end of the cage. 

"Mumbo? Are you alright?" 

The man shrugged, placing his hands limply in his lap, refusing to look to the admin as he watched the chickens peck around the container. Scar stood behind, watching - with his sword still drawn. 

"How long have you been sitting in there?" Xisuma pushed. 

The brit only shrugged again, still watching the birds. 

Xisuma glanced back to Scar who was looking around the base defensively. He looked back to the cage. 

"Can you get out of there?" 

Mumbo nodded silently. 

"Will you?"

Another shrug.

Xisuma sighed and pulled out a pickaxe. He walked forward to the man and Mumbo's eyes widened just slightly. He scooted back, just a bit, as Xisuma broke the glass - freeing both Mumbo and the chickens. The birds scattered all over the base and Mumbo watched, distraught. 

"When was the last time you've eaten?" He addressed the man, tucking away his pick. 

The man shrugged while Xisuma was already pulling out potions and food - and Mumbo stirred. 

"You have to get out of there if you want to eat." 

Silence. 

"Mumbo?"

"I don't want to leave." 

The admin's frown deepened. "Mumbo, you have to. You're going to get ill." 

Scar walked over to the men, "You need to get out of this place. It's just making you feel worse." 

Mumbo shook his head, "I can't leave. I don't want to."

Scar stepped in front of Xisuma, taking a potion as he walked by. "You look pale. Paler than usual. Drink this." 

Mumbo raised a brow, but reached his hand out to take the bottle. 

Scar pulled it back just slightly, just out of the mans reach.

Mumbo frowned. "Do you want me to drink it or not?" 

The American smiled, shaking the bottle, "Not if you don't get up." 

There were a few seconds of silence - Xisuma glancing back and forth between the two men. With a sigh, Mumbo stood - lifting himself of the ground shakily and Scar let out a breath, handing the bottle over. 

Mumbo tried to sit back down again, but Scar grabbed his empty hand, "No, no you don't," he barked and the taller hermit pouted. 

"Please, Mumbo," Xisuma stepped closer to the man, keeping him from sitting back down. "Come now, at least go back to your hobbit hole, you need an actual bed." 

Mumbo glanced back to where he was sitting before sighing. "Okay, but can we go to Grian's?" 

Scar blinked, and before Xisuma could answer - the fellow jungle hermit did. "Yeah, we can clean it up a bit - get it nice for when he comes back." 

Mumbo smiled at that, his eyes sparkling just a bit, "Okay, yeah, that sounds nice."

Xisuma watched as both men walked out, and he followed soon after, just happy Mumbo wasn't sitting in the cage anymore. When he had broken that glass... the man had began starting to smell, and he didn't look well. 

He would walk with them back to Grian's hobbit hole, and he felt a lot better that Scar would be with him.