Everything is skulk.

Tendrils cover the world as far as I can see, which isn't as far as I'd like as any further than a few blocks is obscured by thick fog... it's dark, the only light aside from the glowing portal behind, in the sculk below and the dancing blue flickers around. Souls. I pull my sweater closer, grateful for the layers in the sunless world. Next to me, Gem's drawn her sword again. Doc's followed suit with his trident. Martyn's at my side. Cub's hiding the terror I see in every inch of his body... the raised shoulders, wide eyes, pale face, hands in pockets fidgeting, breath shallow. Keeping close to the rest of us, particularly Doc, who's closest.

In a last minute brainwave, I realised the places here had to correspond to Hermitcraft. So I bought a map. I marked our direction heading in, and now I figure we need to go roughly towards our left. 

'This way.'

The sculk around lights up. I fall silent. Doc's now holding Cub's hand. I keep focus on the map instead of the constant twinge of pain in my back the sculk's giving me. 

Further away from the portal, we fall into flickering blue twilight. It's strangely beautiful, but impractical. Martyn pulls out a torch, keeping the map in its light. But it should just be a straight line. Unless the place Scar and Mumbo were taken isn't the Sculk's home. 

'We should hurry up!' Gem whispers.

'We can't stop sneaking, or we'll alert the Sculk.' Martyn explains. 'And then we'll alert Pearl and Scar.' I nod, continuing along even slower than the tendrils slithering beneath our feet.

'We're getting nowhere.' Growls Doc, ever the pessimist. I sigh.

'If you want to head back, head back. The rest of us are staying, right?' Nods. Doc falls silent again. 

'Wait, can't we bring the sculk to us?' 

'Why would we do THAT, Martyn?!' I shoot back.

'They attack, but we're ready for them. Hit them with all our power, force them to tell us where Mumbo and Ren are, because they can't be possessed, and get out quickly... HEY! SCULK! WE'RE RIGHT-!'

'Martyn! Shut up!' I hiss, covering his mouth. 'We don't want it to come to us!'

'Well it's too late now...' Gem grimaces. I glare at Martyn. He's not focussed on me. 

'Shh- shh! I heard a reply!'

'None of us...' 

'I'm a Listener, my hearing's better than yours... There's someone running from... there.' He points vaguely to the side.

'Pearl.'

'No... no, Pearl doesn't run like that. It's more like- wait- REN!'

Martyn breaks into a sprint away from our perfectly decent route. 

'You 3 stay here.' I demand, handing Gem the map before following. 

'REN! IT'S ME! IT'S ME!' Martyn continues to yell, refusing to listen to my demands to be silent. But I have to admit he's right as a familiar voice calls back.

'MARTYN!'

It's Ren.

30 seconds later I see him through the fog, charging for Martyn, knocking him to the ground with the force of his hug.

'Oh- oh my goodness- dude...' He sobs, voice hoarse but joyous. I can't fight my own wave of delight and hope for Mumbo.

'I'm here, I'm right here.' Martyn frees himself, hugging back. 'Oh notch... you've lost weight... and you're freezing cold.'

'I ran out of food far too fast... do you have any?'

'Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Here.' Martyn hands over half a stack of golden carrots... most of them appear to be gone in a matter of seconds. I stay stood, letting the pair reunite as I keep watch for Pearl.

'Cub, Doc and Gem are waiting for us back there... whenever you're able, we should head back.'

Ren's attention shifts to me, dog ears perking as he realises.

'Grian! You're back from the sculk!' 

'Yeah, I survived.' I have to smile. 'And you did too.' A nod. I take in his terrible appearance - his torn clothes, the blood, the shadows under his eyes. It might be the light, but his hands look blue with cold; he isn't wearing enough to survive the chill.

'Here,' I pull off my sweater, throwing it over. 'Wear this. It should warm you up.'

'What- what about you? Grian I can't.'

'You've been here far longer than me, Ren. You need it... come on.'

Ren pulls on the sweater, thanking me - where it's intentionally loose on me, it fits him perfectly. He stands, holding to Martyn for support. I run over to help on the other side and together we travel back to the others... they slowly appear through the fog, spotting us. Doc breaks into a run at the sight of us.

'Ren! Oh my goodness man... you're ok.' The 7 foot hermit engulfs his smaller friend in a huge hug, before breaking away. 

'What happened? How did you survive Pearl?' Cub asks. 

'Luck.' Ren admits, freeing himself from Doc's embrace. 'I woke up first... saw her lying unconscious. Panic just set in... I didn't have time to think before I was running. I didn't want her to wake up and... take me prisoner.'

'Have you seen... anyone else around?' I let hope for Mumbo rise again. Hope that quickly vanishes as Ren shakes his head.

'Except Pearl then... why? Are more hermits missing?' 

'Scar and Mumbo.' Gem explains. Ren's eyes widen.

'Dude... how long ago was this?'

'A couple weeks or so since...'

'15 days.' Cub's accuracy surprises me for a moment before I realise. Of course he's been counting the days since his best friend disappeared. 'Scar's been gone for 15 days.'

'Well... Since you're here, we can get them back,  I... looked around this place a lot while I was trapped. I know where they'll be. We'll save everyone.'

Martyn gives a whoop before quieting as he remembers. 

'We... we won't be able to save everyone. There's been more casualties. Joe.' I realise as I speak that's not all he's missed. 'And Xisuma. And... Pix is now possessed.'

'Dude...' Ren's expression falls. 'That's terrible... what... what happened?' 

'Pix killed Joe. Xisuma... couldn't cope with what the Sculk made him do.'

I nod at Gem's quiet explanation. Martyn's hugging Ren again as he fights tears. I realise quickly how much worse this is for him, hearing about everything all at once. I try to find any good news to make up for it. 

'Tango's doing a lot better though.' Cub finds it before I do. 'And I think I heard progress on... wings...?'

'They're good to go, whenever Grian's ready.'

'Of course... how's the... pain?'

I don't have time to reply as another voice interrupts.

'What are you talking about here?'

Pearl.