Chapter Text
Etho had been aimlessly strolling through the server, his thoughts drifting when suddenly, a boiling-hot figure materialized out of thin air. This figure was practically sizzling, flames licking up from his body as he muttered under his breath, clearly lost. The air around him shimmered with heat.
Etho eyed the newcomer warily from a distance. Definitely not a normal player.
The creature looked up, his molten gaze locking onto Etho. "Where in the Nether am I?" he growled, his voice dripping with frustration.
Etho blinked, straightening. He felt like he should probably step in. He wasn’t one to leave people in a bad situation, even if this guy looked like he could fry him on the spot.
"You aren’t in the Neth-"
Before Etho could finish, the sword was already at his throat. A sizzling blade, glowing hot, pressed dangerously against his skin.
“Woah, woah. I only have one life!” Etho yelped, raising his hands defensively.
“As you should!” the creature hissed.
Etho tried to stay calm. He wasn't panicking, nope, not at all. Just a normal day on the server.
“Alright, alright,” Etho began, attempting to keep his voice steady. “So, uh, what exactly are you?”
Wrong question. The sword inched closer.
“That is something you don’t need to know,” the creature snapped, eyes flashing dangerously. “Now, tell me, where am I?”
Etho raised a brow. "Right...Looks like no one says hello anymore, huh?" He cleared his throat awkwardly. "You're on my-well, X’s server."
"X?" The creature tilted his head, clearly confused.
Etho, trying to stay composed, shifted his weight. "Uh, yeah. X is the admin. You know, a player?"
The creature’s brows furrowed in confusion. "A player?"
Etho winced slightly at how literal this conversation was getting. "Yeah, okay, so he’s also a god?"
At this, the sword definitely inched forward.
“Oh, okay, okay,” Etho quickly added, “I get it, I get it. You really don’t like gods. Fine, I’m on your side with that.”
The creature narrowed his glowing eyes, as if deciding whether Etho was telling the truth. "You don’t like gods?"
Etho nodded earnestly. "Yeah. Nope. Not at all. In fact, we’re trying to get away from them. This server? Best place for that. X protects it from outside influence, keeps things...mostly peaceful." He hesitated, thinking about how much X had kept the server safe from external threats. Then, he remembered the portal. "Wait-how did you even get here?"
The creature waved the sword around vaguely, dodging a couple of Etho’s near-misses. "The place hopper."
Etho blinked. "The what?"
The creature began to mime, making exaggerated gestures with his free hand. “The purple rectangle.”
Etho’s eyes widened as understanding hit him like a ton of bricks. “Oh. The portal.”
"Yes."
Etho rubbed his temple. "Okay, so...you're from the Nether."
"Yes." The creature's voice was flat, resigned.
“You don’t like gods?”
"Yes."
"And you’re running from them?"
"Suppose."
Etho’s fingers twitched at the intense heat radiating off the creature, but he steadied himself. He’d been through worse. "Right, perfect."
Reaching out cautiously, Etho grabbed the creature’s wrist. The skin burned beneath his fingertips, but Etho didn’t flinch. He had to keep his cool. “I’m gonna take you to X,” he said matter-of-factly. “He’s gonna want to meet you. Maybe he can help.”
The creature jerked his arm back, eyes narrowing dangerously. “And if I don’t want to go?”
Etho gave a half-smile, the kind that said I’ve seen worse. "Then you can stand here, playing with your sword. Your call.”
The creature glared at him, then-after what felt like an eternity-reluctantly let out a sigh. "Fine."
“Great,” Etho replied, almost too chipper. "Now we’re getting somewhere." He motioned for the creature to follow. “Let’s go meet X. I can already tell you two are going to get along just fine.”
As the flaming figure trudged behind him, still radiating heat and an ominous aura, Etho found himself thinking about how strange this server had become. A new player, a creature out of the Nether, and a whole bunch of things way above his pay grade. But, somehow, it felt like just another day here.
Besides, if the gods were going to get involved, Etho figured they might as well start with a bang.
—
Etho leaned against the doorframe of Xisuma’s house, arms crossed casually as he surveyed the creature’s fiery form. The heat radiating from him was almost tangible, warping the air around them, yet Etho barely seemed bothered. His dry tone carried as he addressed X, almost in passing.
“Etho-” X began, his voice calm but carrying a weight that made it clear he was sizing up the creature, his gaze soft but observant.
"Hi, X." Etho gave a lazy wave before gesturing to the figure next to him. "This is...what’s your name?"
He shuffled slightly, not entirely comfortable under X’s gaze, but still trying to hold his ground. "Tango."
Etho raised an eyebrow at the introduction, offering a small, dry smile. "This is Tango. He’s from the Nether."
X’s eyes widened imperceptibly, his posture stiffening, not out of surprise, but more out of concern. "The Nether?"
Tango shot X a glance, his firelit eyes flicking toward him sharply. "Why are you so shocked that I’m from the Nether?"
X blinked slowly, his voice laced with curiosity but a touch of caution. "Sorry. There’s just never been any players from the Nether before. Not in all of existence."
Tango’s fiery presence seemed to flicker for a moment, his posture tightening, his voice almost biting. "Yeah, well, that's because we aren’t players. The Nether was closed off to players until one of them came through and killed some of us."
X’s brow furrowed at the mention of 'us,' clearly taken aback. "Us?"
Tango’s expression hardened immediately, his grip tightening on his sword for a brief moment. His voice dropped, sharp and clipped. "You don’t need to know."
X didn’t press any further, his gaze shifting just slightly as he took in Tango’s defensiveness. He exhaled softly, as if understanding, "okay. That’s fine."
Etho, leaning lazily against the wall, broke in with a sarcastic smirk, his voice dry as always, "he’s running from the gods."
X's attention immediately turned to Tango, his expression serious but not threatening. "Are you?"
Tango hesitated for a moment, glancing between X and Etho, before giving a short nod. "Yes."
X’s gaze softened, almost parental, his voice steady as he asked, "did Etho tell you I’m a god?"
Tango glanced at Etho, before nodding cautiously. "He did."
X’s lips pressed together, as if absorbing the information. His posture was relaxed, but there was a certain weight to his presence, almost protective as he asked, "did Etho also tell you that we’re running from gods?"
Tango's lips twitched slightly, his tone guarded but not hostile. "Yes."
X nodded slowly, looking between the two of them with a quiet thoughtfulness. There was a pause, the air thick with unspoken tension, before he spoke again, his voice firm but caring. "Good. Did you want to stay here and lay low for a bit?"
Tango’s uncertainty flickered, the fire that usually burned in his eyes momentarily dimming as he shifted on his feet. "Uhh..." he trailed off, clearly unsure.
X watched him closely, his expression softening, like a parent offering a safe place to rest. "You don’t have to choose right now. You can go wherever you want, you can go to another server, the Nether, anywhere you want. However, nowhere will be safer than here."
Tango swallowed, the uncertainty clear on his face. He looked to Etho for some sort of reassurance, but Etho’s nonchalance didn’t provide any comfort. "Okay," Tango finally muttered, his voice quieter now.
X smiled faintly, a quiet understanding passing between them. "Okay?"
Tango took a deep breath, standing a little straighter despite the unease in his voice. "I guess I’ll stay. I’m, um..." he hesitated, eyes flicking between the two of them before he admitted, "...I’m a blaze, and possibly a self-proclaimed god?"
Etho, ever dry, raised an eyebrow and gave a mock-skeptical glance. "You’re a god?"
Tango’s mouth twisted into an almost reluctant smirk, his fiery eyes still sharp. "Self-proclaimed."
X gave a small, almost amused tilt of his head. "God of what?"
Tango squared his shoulders, a faint flicker of pride-or perhaps defiance-sparking in his gaze. "The God of Blood, or as the Nether knows me... the Blood God."
Etho blinked, taking a step back as he processed the words. "The Blood God?"
Tango stood taller, his aura simmering with restrained power. "Yeah, that’s me."
"Great. Let’s get you settled, Blood God," Etho continued, his tone teasing, though a little warmer than usual. "We’ve got plenty of room for egos around here."