#so any situations they're not in won't be shown which should keep things more manageable

[respectable-username]

Res gon' give it to ya. I'm gon' give it to ya. Res gon' give it to ya. Whaaaat? A new chapter of my fic is what!

If you've not been following along, this is part of the Hermitgao3ng event, taking a line from the song Hermitgang as inspiration for a story. This particular fic is about Gem being mind controlled into enchanting items for her fellow Hermits that trap them into an unknown dimension. If this piques your interest, you can find the first chapter here!

I'm gon' give it to ya - Chapter 11

11. Reinforced

Fandom/collection: Hermitcraft/@hermitgang-ao3

Words: 3640 of 24740 total so far

Summary: The Hermits try to open the portal, but it takes a lot more than they expected.

Preview:

Another flash ran through the city as Gem's hands made contact with the enchanter. The sculk sensors let out yet another warble as the wave rushed through them, though this time their dancing tendrils stayed in sync after the light had passed, waving together as if to an unheard rhythm.

The glow danced around Gem's body, jumping towards her hands as the several hundred levels from the enderman farm coursed into the enchanter, flowing from the top surface down in intricate lines through previously unnoticed grooves in the sides of the table. The enchanter started to hum as the levels kept pouring in, growing in intensity as the power increased and the light grew stronger.

And then the hum changed, as if it reached some threshold and overflowed.

Tendrils of light shot out from the base of the enchanter into the surrounding brickwork, that same greeny-yellow glow trailing through the cracks and cervices in the stone. They crawled towards the giant pillars on either side of the altar like vines, twisting and turning as they made their way up, up, up towards the portal.

As the light travelled, a different song seemed to come from the surrounding cavern. It was as if the sculk sensors themselves were singing, an otherworldly warble more melodious than any noise she'd heard them make before, calling out to whatever lay deep beyond the stonework.

The tendrils of lights wreathed around the giant structure, forming a halo of light that knitted together at the top. The sensors' song grew in intensity, as if anticipating what would happen next.

And with the loop completed, the light changed direction, redirecting inwards into the reinforced deepslate from all sides.

"It's working!" shouted Grian, spinning around to get a better view of the show.

"I don't have enough level," said Gem, wincing through the raw exertion of her power. Indeed, the glow around her had already started to wane, her hair drifting lower and lower towards her shoulders as the magic drained away.

Ren stepped forward, putting his hand on Gem's shoulder. He winced slightly as the glow passed through into his hand and up his arm, racing to surround him, but he held firm as the Gem seemed to refuel her power.

The veins of light pulsed stronger, the reinforced deepslate taking on a glow of its own. The song slowly crescendoed, becoming clearer and clearer as the levels continued to pour into the enchanter.

Then suddenly, with the sound of a bolt sliding into place, the centre-most bottom frame lit up fully, as bright as glowstone but with that same greeny-yellow that characterised everything the enchanter did.

The sensors warbled again, a new layer of harmony added to the song as it passed.

"Holy smokes," said Etho, staring up at the portal in awe. "It's actually working."