Work Text:
The home of the watchers was truly beautiful. Grand spires rose up from the void, encrusted with diamonds, gold and all other manors of treasure sparkled in the void glow. Oh and how the void itself was beautiful, a mirage of galaxy entire worlds laid over each other. Tendrils rose up from the void. Twisting, gripping them trying to pull the spires down into the inky abyss to reclaim them as their own to no avail.
Geminitay flew high above them. Cladded in shimmering Netherite armour almost camouflaging themselves within the Void above. She had forged it only days prior in preparation for this break in, just in case things went airy. Gem knew she stood no chance against watchers even so, they were god-like on par with the most ancient of Void walkers. Xisuma had told her as much once he caught wind of her plan and agreed to help.
Xisuma plan better work or she was putting her antlers on the line for nothing. She trusted X, she did. He was a good man, a smart one, a good admin, that's rare these days.
Gem refused to lose. not again, no matter how risky this was, X would pull through, he had to. He just had to.
With a spyglass in hand, Gem studied the spire hoping for some sort of entrance or a crack she could slip through, anything. At a mid way section on a spire just barely in render distance, she spots it, a crack lining the wall. Gem lets a few rockets rip, soaring over. Landing, she grips onto the wall and reaches her hand out, her fingers curling around its edges. Gems swings herself over and plants her feet on the wall. Pulling a pickaxe from her inventory, she swings.
Gem chips away at it until it’s big enough for her to slip through. She crawls down the rafters as echoes of worlds long abandoned dance throw the hallowed halls beneath her hooves.
She needed to reach the center of the Watchers Crown. If they hadn't moved the warped gate from last season –and let’s be honest they were far too prideful to bother–‘what kind of mortal would be foolish enough, what kind of mortal would be strong enough.’ The Watchers must have laughed out, their pride drunk cords leaving impressions of something barely mortal. But to answer their theoretical rhetoric, a World walker, one with primordial blood flowing through her and a taste for blood.
Gem peers into the halls from her perch on the rafters. “Nobody there, Good.” she whispers to herself. This makes her job easier doesn't it. Following the direction of the loadstone compass she and X had found in Grians chest monster the night prior. Parkouring across the beams to find her prize, her family friends.
She feels it before she sees it. That overwhelming force pushing back on her, passing through her body, making her code vibrate at uncomfortable frequencies. A warp gate, a powerful one at that, holding powerful people back. Grian and Martyn, she felt their essence seeping through the code of the grand gateway. Gem had to take a second –much to her displeasure– to admire it, she was still a builder afterall.
It stood tall at the centre of the room, the purple turned and twisted, spiralling and breaking off as more spirals formed. Mesmerizing.
Gem flew to the ground.
The code of the world warping around it, green and black binary drifting in and around it, clipping through the pillars, the world's code dancing through the Chamber. Mesmerizing.
Gem inched closer.
The frame of the gates; Amethyst, diamonds, and gold encrusted into the obsidian to form beautiful intertwing patterns. Murals of past victories and deaths covering the structure with new ones forming as the long seconds passed. Mesmerizing.
Gem took a step closer.
The gateway stood in the centre of the chamber as the world warped around it.
Gem could see herself in it. When did I get so close? She thought.
“How fascinating, a young fawn walking into the hunter's home.” The voice was mocking, light and soft as it echoed and warped. A laugh could be heard as they spoke as if the time didn’t apply to them, it was all occurring at once.
Gem turned to stare at the creature. Its form hidden behind its wings warping around hugging it. Its face, rings of fire orbiting around it as purple liquid poured from where its eyes should be but instead in their place black holes sat. A white marble crown sat on its forehead with crescent moons trailing down each side. His lips are slim and soft white like snow.
“OH! Hi there, I have come with a proposition for you, mister watcher.” A smile formed on Gem's face, she used all their acting skills and restraint to keep this smile, this act up praying to the ancestors that any faults would be left to their fear of the Watcher. Their hatred hidden away.
“Oh how fascinating, what is your proposition, little fawn?” The watcher's voice warped the air around them as the void he called eyes somehow stared into their souls, watching them.
“I want to join the Life Games!! It seems fun and, well, one of them I wouldn't mind tasting their blood.” A fake smile formed on Gem's face as she stared at the watcher.
“OH!! A new contender and a volunteer no less, oh how fun.” The watcher seemed to cheer at this revelation. Chants and claps layer itself over her voice. “Oh I should check your mind just to be safe. I doubt you can do anything though.” At this moment Gem was glad X had implanted those false memories into her mind the night before, no matter how painful it was.
“Well I see no malicious intent behind those actions. Welcome Geminitay, World walker and daughter of Jane, you're just in time.”
Xisuma, I pray your plan works.
Gem took another step through the gateway.