Iskall frowned. His thoughts raced. No way to get home? Did that mean that these strangers would have to stay here? For how long?

Though he didn't want to say anything, he found the newcomers quite unpleasant. They carried a chaotic energy, but not the same type of chaos as the Hermits. A more uncontrollable, warlike energy, and to Iskall, it smelled of trouble.

"No way to get home?" the boy called Tubbo asked tentatively. He seemed to be the shyest of the newcomers. Dream nodded, exhaling.

Philza stepped forward, wings brushing the boy's shoulders. Addressing the group, he spoke with a calm, steady voice. "But we're going to figure out a way to get home, yes?"

Iskall watched Grian scamper forward, seemingly less scared of the newcomers than he had originally been. "We can help you get home," the small blonde offered.

Iskall bit back a scowl. He shot Grian a look, hoping his meaning was clear. What are you thinking? We don't know these people.

Grian glared back at him. His eyes seemed to say Be nice, Iskall.

Mumbo, having witnessed the interaction, coughed. He shrugged at the pair as if to say If we help them, they can leave faster.

Iskall sighed. His friends were right, but he didn't like the warlike way these strangers carried themselves. They would cause trouble, he was sure of it.

Instead of voicing these thoughts, he turned back to the strangers and forced a smile. They looked confused at the silent conversation they had just bore witness to, and Iskall smirked slightly.

"Yes," Iskall said. "We'd like to offer our assistance in helping you get home." He heard Grian and Mumbo breath a sigh of relief.

The one called Dream, who seemed to be the leader of the group, raised his hand. "Thank you for your offer. We accept your help."

Iskall narrowed his eyes as the pig-hybrid growled. "Why are you trusting these people, Dream? You don't know what they want."

Dream ran his hand over the mask that hung looped around his belt, broken. "Do we have another option, Techno?"
Iskall was momentarily shocked at the rather open display of distrust. "Excuse me," he butted in. "We don't like you being here any more than you do. Do you want to get home or not?"

Technoblade glowered at him. Iskall, though he knew the pig man could easily beat him up, didn't back down, glaring right back. Mumbo hurriedly stepped between them. "Guys, stop it. We're going to figure this out, but we can't fight."

Turning to Iskall, he murmured through gritted teeth "What is wrong with you?"

Iskall shrugged, casting a glance at the strangers. "Don't like them."
"Why?" Mumbo questioned, turning himself and Iskall away from the newcomers so that their conversation was private.

"They're trouble, I can feel it," Iskall said. "Up until today, things ran smoothly in this land. Now, not only does a 'glitch' appear, but a group of war-hardened strangers appear through it and can't get home!" His voice rose in volume, and Mumbo hushed him.

"Iskall, we will get them home. It's in everyone's best interests. But you have to not provoke them, ok?" Iskall nodded. "Thank you," Mumbo said.

"But what do we do?" Iskall asked.

"I think there's only one person who might know what to do," Mumbo said, clearly deep in thought. Understanding, Iskall nodded.

When they rejoined the group, Tommy, Grian, and Tubbo were chatting easily. Tommy seemed to be poking fun at the blonde, who was just laughing in return. His refusal to get mad seemed to encourage the teenagers more. Philza, Dream, and Technoblade were discussing Dream's gauntlet quietly.

"Grian!" Iskall called, motioning for the blonde to join the brunette and the raven haired man.

Grian jogged over. "What's up?"

Noticing the conversation, Dream, Techno, and Philza stopped talking to listen in.

"I think we need to take these people to see Xisuma," Mumbo said.

Grian hummed thoughtfully. "Are you sure this isn't a problem we can figure out?"

Iskall almost rolled his eyes at his friend's optimism, chuckling a little. "Grian, this isn't something that's happened in all the history of Hermitcraft. It's not something that the three of us can just put our heads together and solve."

"That's right. We need an Admin," Mumbo added.

Grian nodded, wings fluttering. He opened his mouth. "Yeah, you're right. But how are we going to get them all the way to Xisuma's jungle?"

"Flying?" Iskall asked, spreading his wings and using a tone of voice that indicated he thought it was quite obvious.

"They don't have wings, except for Philza," Mumbo replied, shaking his head.

Iskall sighed. "Of course they don't."
Grian giggled slightly. "I guess we have to walk, then."

The Hermits, who were all accustomed to flying and hadn't walked a long distance in ages, collectively groaned, before laughing. The tension that had hung in the air since the newcomers arrived dissipated with the laugh, as shoulders eased and expressions lightened.

Grian's eyes suddenly lit up, glowing with a look that Iskall knew all too well. He was about to pull a prank.

"I almost don't want to know what you're thinking," Mumbo said, smiling.

"I just want a chance to show off my wings," Grian said, smirking. "It truly is a pity they can't fly, but that doesn't really matter to us..."
Iskall gasped dramatically. "Grian! Are you suggesting we... leave them behind?" He spoke with an overdramatic flourish.

"Of course not! We'd come back for them, obviously," Grian said, still giggling through his words.

The Hermits grinned. The three of them, though peaceful, we're always down for a small prank here and there. Grian especially. Iskall smiled at the idea.

Catching the group of newcomers' attention, the trio could barely hold back giggles as they talked.

"We're going to take you to see our leader," Grian told them, smiling.

"His name is Xisuma. If anyone can help you, it's him," Mumbo added. "He resides in a jungle, a little ways away from here. Not too long of a journey by flight."
Iskall almost cackled at the reference to flying, knowing what was coming, but restrained himself.

"Why are you guys... laughing?" Tubbo asked, a little confused.

"You're fuckin' up to something," Tommy said loudly.

At this, the Hermits couldn't contain themselves. They burst out laughing, only wheezing harder at the confused expressions on the strangers' faces.

After several moments, they calmed down, wiping small tears of laughter. Technoblade groaned. "I see our assistance is only the most competent people," he muttered. Philza chuckled at that.

Iskall quelled the last of his laughter, heaving a sigh. "It's nothing important, just a... uh... an inside joke," he covered quickly, smiling at the laughs he received from his friends.

"If you three are done joking around, we have things to attend to back home and we'd quite like to get going. If you don't mind, that is," Technoblade responded, eyes cool.

The Hermits ignored his icy tone. "Of course," Grian quipped. "Xisuma lives this way." He pointed off towards the distant jungle that Xisuma called home.

"That's so far," Tommy complained, brow furrowed and tone indignant.

Grian laughed yet again. "Don't worry, we can just fly there!" He launched himself off the ground, followed by his friends.

"But we can't fly..." the protests of the group faded away as the trio laughed. Grian spun and flipped in the air, diving down, weaving through branches, and twisting and turning. Iskall knew he was putting on a show for the newcomers who were watching.

He glanced back seeing a fourth figure fly towards them. It must've been Philza. Grian continued to whoop and fly around, having fun doing his favorite activity.

Mumbo and Iskall laughed and slowed down, hovering, waiting for the much slower flier, Philza, to reach them.

"Took you long enough," Iskall teased light-heartedly.

Philza stopped flying, hovering next to Iskall and Mumbo. "My friends can't fly," he said simply. "They don't have wings, or have you forgotten?"

Mumbo laughed and Iskall wheezed. "Sorry, sorry," the cyborg hybrid apologized, though he didn't %100 mean it. "Everyone around here can fly. I guess we're just used to it."

Philza kept a neutral expression. The sun was beginning to set at this point, casting a sheen over his silvery white wings. Their clothes all billowed slightly in the breeze created by three sets of flapping wings. "I see. Your friend's a fancy flier, isn't he?"

Mumbo and Iskall glanced over to the graceful figure of Grian, still performing an aerial show. "You could say that," Mumbo replied lightly.

"Could you tell him to come down, perhaps? He was the one who offered to help us," Philza said. His words, however, were not malicious. They instead just offered a desire to get home.

Iskall and Mumbo, who had had their fun already, nodded. "Grian!!" Iskall called, alerting the small blonde that it was time to return. Grian flew over, halting perfectly besides the other three, laughing.

A soft smile flitted across Philza's face, which Iskall noted. The cyborg smiled. "Let's go."

Author's note
Damn, it's been a hot minute since I updated, huh? Well I'm back! Sorry this chapter and previous chapters have been really dialogue heavy. I promise the plot is going to start really soon, probably next chapter. I have tons of ideas for this book but god knows I'm terrible with getting said ideas down on paper. I promise I'll try to update this book more frequently. But in the meantime, take this chapter. 1522 words.

-may the pog be with you,
the writer person