Hermitcraft server, a few days later...

"You sure I can't come, dude?" Mumbo whined.

"Yes, Mumbo, you'd only get yourself killed." Grian rolled his eyes,

"Okay. And you're all packed up? I mean, I packed a bag, too. Just in case." Mumbo supplied.

"Yes! And no, you won't be needing the bag you packed." Grian was irritable.

"Okay..." Mumbo sounded so downcast Grian almost felt bad. Almost, except he would feel way worse if he really did drag Mumbo into this whole mess.

"You ready!?" False yelled, swooping into Grian's elytra landing pad, where he and Mumbo currently stood. Grian gave False a thumbs up and opened the palm of his hand. A golden number materialized, hovering just a few centimeters off his skin.

"What's that?" Mumbo eyed the golden 1.

"If you're clever, you'll figure it out." Grian bit. He had forgotten Mumbo was watching.

Grian quickly opened a portal with his hands (which he could now do in front of people since he was a 'tier eight') and threw the 1 in. The portal instantly turned a brilliant gold. Grian quickly muted the color with a flash of magic, but it was still an obvious gold hue.

"Wow, where's that taking us?" False's eyes went wide when Grian gestured for her to come see.

"I'll tell you all in a second." Grian was distracted as he watched Xisuma and Gem arrive on the landing pad. Both Grian and False were watching the pair approach, so Mumbo had just enough time to slip through the golden portal without anyone noticing.

"Hey everyone!" Gem waved cheerfully as she made her way up the stone staircase. "Is that the portal?"

"You know that's gold right? We're going to an ancient server? Firstly, they're all abandoned, second - how in Minecraftia did you get clearance to open an ANCIENT server portal! Only prime admin's have access to those portal keys! Most are unstable!" Xisuma gaped.

"Well... I kind of stole clearance, if you know what I mean. And no, hopefully this particular server isn't completely abandoned." Grian looked away shiftily. He noticed Mumbo had left, and guessed he was too disappointed to say goodbye. I'll make it up to you, Mumby.

"How on earth did you steal a portal key from the prime admins!?" Gem gasped,

"Err... me and Prime 2 are kinda' buddies?" Grian suggested. False burst into laughter. Gem reluctantly smiled. Xisuma glared.

"But seriously, how?" False asked through her tears of laughter.

"I snuck through the window in the middle of the night and took it from a key drawer." Grian was actually telling the truth. He hadn't wanted Pearl to catch him and question his motives.

"How'd you know which one was the key drawer?" Xisuma's voice was full of undisguised suspicion. This time Grian had an answer.

"Wow, Xisuma. You're not catching on too quickly. I lived in admin headquarters for six years, remember?" Grian snickered, "Before the primes realized I was such a nuisance I was actually forced to be a cleaner. Prime 1 was messy. She always left out keys."

Grian was telling the truth about his mentor leaving portal keys lying around all over the place. She went on lots of weird little 'trips'. Grian still wasn't sure what they were for.

"Woah, you lived with-"

"Not now," Grian's tone was exasperated, "Questions while we're walking. Or flying, your elytras are all in good shape, right?" All the hermits nodded. "Well then, off we go!"

Grian ushered Gem, False, and Xisuma through the portal, respectively. The second he went through the portal closed and all that remained were a few flecks of golden dust.

. . .

The admins tumbled through the sky.

"I told you the portals were unstable! It led us right out into the middle of the sky!" Xisuma called.

"You did not! You just said the servers were unstable!" Gem admonished her mentor.

"Equip your elytras, already!" Grian soared past the flailing admins with easy grace,

"You're the best flier on the server! That's not fair!" False stuck out her tongue as she finally managed to secure her elytra and began to glide with Grian.

"I've been practicing for..." Grian thought back to when he got his prime wings. It had been over three years now. But the practice they had given him was invaluable. "Three years."

"I got my first elytra six years ago, so that's not an excuse!" False growled.

"What can I say? I'm just a natural talent." Grian grinned. False zoomed towards him and tried to punch him, but Grian easily avoided the blow, snickering.

Gem and Xisuma rocketed up to join them. "Where to?" Xisuma asked.

"I'm not sure... I just know at least one of them is here." Grian sighed,

"How'd you know they're on this server, specifically?" Gem questioned.

"A relative of mine gave me a hint." Grian smiled a small, knowing smirk.

"I thought you didn't have any living family." Xisuma winced as soon as he uttered the insensitive words, "Sorry, Grian..."

"Nah, it's fine. I actually have a certain... estranged great-grandfather. I didn't even know he was around until just this past week. He visited me in the hospital." Grian covered Notch up spectacularly.

"Uh...cool." Was all Xisuma said. Why did Grian have to be such a wild card?

. . .

"Already! Let's set up camp for the night!" False gestured to an empty clearing in the spruce taiga.

"How far do you think we have to fly? Do you have any coordinates?" Gem set down her deep green bed.

"I... uh... well I might not be entirely sure where we're going. But I'll know when I feel it." Grian admitted. The three gave him a strange look.

"When do you feel it?" Gem giggled.

"When we get close... my, er, grandfather said that the particular person we're looking for has a... well, a tangible aura." Grian explained haltingly.

"How is your grandfather so knowledgeable about the secret you supposedly heard in the watcher's lair?" False echoed Gem and Xisuma's thoughts exactly.

"Because my grandfather was friends with one of them a long time ago." Grian said in a finite tone. It was obvious he wasn't in the mood to answer any more questions.

"G'night." Gem yawned as she stretched out under her blankets.

"Night," The others responded.

Grian listened to others breathing even out one by one. He gradually began to realize he was the only one left awake. But for some reason he couldn't sleep. Grian quietly stepped out of bed and ventured into the forest. There was no fear of hostile mobs in ancient servers. They had long since been wiped out.

As Grian tread silently through the undergrowth, he allowed himself to relax. With a shimmer of gold, he unfolded his large multicolored wings. Grian breathed in the warm, earthy scent of the old grove. He allowed his magic to flow through his body, lighting up his magic marks.

Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that something was gravely wrong. Grian risked a small golden flicker of light. The forest remained eerily silent. Suddenly he felt something. The hairs on Grian's neck rose as the uncomfotable sear of eyes boring into him awoke.

Grian swivelled around just in time to see a dark figure dissapear from sight. Grian cursed softly and allowed a golden film to mist over one of his eyes. The intruder's footprints lit up with a bright red glow. Not purple or violet - so it wasn't a watcher... but not any shade of admin magic.

Grian's jaw dropped as suddely the footprints vanished. His spell wasn't working. But nobody could override a prime admin's magic... not even the head watcher.

Grian extinguished the small spark of golden light her had been carrying around and folded his wings back in. He needed to get back to camp and make sure False, Xisuma and Gem were all right.

"Grian!? Are you okay? What's wrong!?" Xisuma bolted up as Grian tripped over the extinguished camfire in the dark, sending the wood flying in all different directions with a loud clutter.

Gem and False sat up blearily. It was obvious Grian had woken all three of them up with his commotion. "Sorry... I couldn't sleep so I took a little stroll-"

"In the middle of the night? Alone in pitch black? With no torch?" Gem's tone was incredulous.

"Uhh... yea, maybe not such a great idea looking back." Grian admitted.

"Mhm. Ya, might not wanna' do that in the future." False grumbled.

"Let's just go back to bed. Grian - sleep." Xisuma moaned as he pulled his blanket over his face.

"I - yes - but wait, guys. Something weird happened. I could feel someone watching me. Like, while I was walking. I rushed back here as soon as I saw it run off." Grian explained quickly.

"And you think that someone is who we're looking for?"

"Oh - wait, really? I thought - never mind. I guess so. That - that really didn't occur to me." Grian chuckled. Xisuma's eyes narrowed. He was almost always suspicious now.

"Who do you think it was?" Xisuma challenged.

"I don't know! That's why I rushed back here! Do you think it could be who we're looking for?" Grian's eyebrows scrunched together. He was oviously thinking hard.

Zebdar and Niaya... Grian thought, black or red and probably green for Niaya. I guess if it's Zebdar's decendant here he could have a red aura. And a higher power's direct descendant might be able to overrule my spell? It sort of makes sense... but why would they be hiding from me?

Grian had too many questions, and no answers. Yet.