Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Statement of Dr. Fan135 of the Historical Department. Today marks day three of being in the Essempi Lands and we have yet to see any people or hybrids. Mobs have also oddly disappeared from this area and nothing spawns at night. According to the map that was given to us on loan by C. Zombie, see im giving you credit too."

"Cub." Pearl scolds fondly.

Cub grins but continues on.

"We are currently in the ruins of what was once L'Manberg. We have made a shelter in Church Prime due to the fact it is the only building unclaimed by nature nor the vines. Without further testing, we can not confirm if the vines are demonic in nature. Due to visible indicators, Bdouble O'Hundred and Pearl Moon of the Botanical Department believe it is very likely."

Cub switches off the microphone and turns to his teammates. Pearl and Bdubs were standing at the entrance of the church, watching for any signs of life. Doc was finishing packing up his travel science kit.

"Remind me where we’re going again?" Bdubs asked as Cub led the way through the town.

Most of the vines were easy to sidestep and the small group had learned early on that they were constantly shifting and moving around. They had also discovered that the Crimson Vines also didn't like Sculk, alien foliage and whatever Bdubs had protecting him. Doc was, well, Doc. He probably fell under the same category as Bdubs.

"We are going to King Eret's Castle. Eret was the last King of House Brine before House Crimson took over. King Eret was believed to have died during the battle and laid to rest somewhere close by. Before the Essempi fell, many people had reported sight of a tall willowy figure with stark white eyes roaming the castle, which was believed to be Eret. A few people had also reported Eret asking about a knight but Eret would disappear before they could continue trying to communicate with them."

"I didn't sign up for ghost hunting." Pearl told him and Bdubs nodded his head in agreement.

"I am aware. However the rules state that we need at least four people to go exploring and Doc and I have always wanted to come here," Cub said with a shrug.

Here, was Essempi Lands and here was also the castle, to be more specific. Two crumbling towers greeted them, and there seemed to be a remnant of a statue, as some of the bricks remained on top of what was left of the crumbling bridge. The vines were barely holding it together, swaying in the heavy breeze.

The small group didn't have much choice but to walk underneath it. The castle still seemed mostly together, although some of the windows appeared to be broken or missing altogether.

Abandoned tools and trinkets were scattered across the ground. Some of the walls around the entrance had faded red stains.

"What’re you guys looking for anyways?"

"King Eret's Knight. It has a very high chance of being the one and only Knight Class NPC made by the Prison Warden before he went mad."

Bdubs stepped over a withered flag, the once black and red colors had faded into grey and pink. The outlines of a symbol had also faded, leaving behind a slightly discolored circle shaped symbol.

"Seems like everyone went mad,” he mused.

"You two would definitely know all about that," Cub mumbles.

"Excuse me, Mr. Sculk!"

"Hey now, hey now. I never said I didn't."

"Alright alright boys. That's enough now. Bdubs lets set up in here while the other mad folk go play with a ghost."

Doc laughs and guides Cub to one of the two doors on the right side of the throne room.

"Alright, Cub. I know you said that there was no map of the castle but wasn't King Eret buried here?"

"Nothing but speculation. Most people seemed to think he was buried here, since his ghost is said to have been seen here. However I do recall reading a letter between two individuals that possibly implies Eret was buried in Las Nevadas, or even further out in the desert lands."

"Do the individuals have names?"

"The writer was FG and the receiver was BBH. If my suspicions are correct, then FG is FoolishGamers, a god of the sea and a totem of undying. BBH is probably Badboyhalo of House Crimson."

"Does this god still live?"

A sudden clap of thunder startles both men. They look outside to take notice of the storm that is quickly rolling in and Cub types a message to Pearl.

Cub Fan135 to Pearl Moon: A storm has rolled in. I think we will probably have to stay the night here. Anything on the vines yet?
Pearl Moon to Cub Fan135: I was just about to ask you that. Vines are officially demonic in nature and seem to be trying to communicate. Anything on that Knight of yours?
Cub Fan135 to Pearl Moon: Be careful, immunity or not. Nothing yet but this storm is giving me weird vibes.

"I don't know, Doc. You've dealt with reviving dead gods before, how long can they live without worship?"

Doc opens his mouth to answer but Cub lightly tugs on Doc's coat, pointing further down the hall. Doc looks where Cub is pointing and stands there as near slack-jawed as Cub.

The figure is tall, with brownish hair and a red dress highlighted by the flash of lightning as the storm outside begins to take full effect. The figure also seems to be wearing a golden crown, sunglasses and is rather pale. Ghostly pale.

"Doc? Are you seeing this?" Cub whispers.

"Seeing is believing." Doc responds.

While both men were skeptical on the subject of ghosts, it was more so about how they came to be, rather than if they were real or not. Cub believed it was a strong emotional attachment that kept people in the living world long after their bodies had faded. Doc believed it was similar to how people became gods which required worship.

The figure takes a step towards the window before turning to face them. They look startled before they- run? glide? float?- towards them and stop within an arms length.

The figure matches King Eret's description perfectly. Wavy brown hair with solid white eyes and freckled skin.

Their red dress has a brownish purple chestplate over it, most likely netherite.

"Hello alchemists! Are you here to help me heal my knight?"

"Your knight?" Doc asks.

"Yes my knight. My knight has fallen and the Prison Warden won't release Sam to fix him."

"Yes we are here to help you and your knight. Where is he?" Cub lied, hoping it would be enough to finally get some information on the knight.

Eret shone with joy.

"This way, this way. Come, come. Quickly! We don't have much time!"

Eret turned around, took one step and vanished.

"Huh. So that was Eret."

"Do you know anyone else with brown hair, white eyes and looking for a knight?"

Both Doc and Cub locked eyes, seemingly having the same thought of one of their other friends: Joe Hills.

Lightning strikes just outside the window.

"Shall we explore, until Eret comes back or Pearl and Bdubs call us?" Doc questions, looking around once more for their friendly ghost.

Cub grabs a torch to guide them down the hall in the direction Eret came from.

This part of the castle, when compared to the outside, seemed to be the most intact. In fact, it was almost like it had never been touched at all. Torches, although unlit, lined the walls and the carpet was rather dusty but not faded.

It was almost like someone had kept this hallway clean for a reason.

The lightning flashes, bouncing off of the stone wall. Some shiny catches the corner of Cub's eye and he pauses in front of a draped curtain with the corner of what he assumed to be a picture frame.

"Doc, come look at this."

The black haired man pulls the curtain down in time with a lightning strike, causing a shiver to run down his spine.

The picture was of King Eret, a knight in silver armor and a creeper similar to Doc in gold armor. There was also a man with gold skin and shark fins, and a demon with black skin and red clothes. He also sported a bright blue diamond choker. All of them were smiling to some degree.

"That's King Eret, Welsknight, the Warden, FoolishGamers and Badboyhalo."

"So that's our knight."

"Your knight, huh? Eret has been dead for far too long and neither of you are related to her."

Both men jump back and hiss like cats, hackles raised and ready to run if needed.

The voice comes from a tall man that nearly blends in with the shadows in the hallway. His eyes glow red and something behind him moves, a tail?

The man raises an eyebrow at the reactions of the other two.

"Who are you and why are you looking for Welsknight?"

"Im Dr. Fan135 and this is my associate,
Dr. 77. We are researchers of Crystal Cliffs Academy."

"I read in a book that someone, who we now know as the Warden-,” the shadowed man growled lowly-" made him. But there were no notes on the creation and very little on the Warden." Doc added.

"Oh there should be plenty on that bastard. But if you're looking for notes on the Knight, you would need to search up Sam Awedude."

"Why not the Warden?"

Eret's words from earlier come back to Cub.

"Eret said that the Warden wouldn't release Sam."

"Even in death they hoped those two were not the same. Outside of death he wasn't the only one..." The man scoffs, then trails off.

"Are Sam and the Warden, the same person?" Doc asked.

Red eyes look down in what is possibly sadness.

"Unfortunately. But that's not important anymore. What's happened has happened and nothing can change the past. Not even I can."

Cub metaphorically steps out onto a very precarious branch.

"Are you FoolishGamers?"

"Why does it matter?"

And yet, the god steps in front of the window. Both Doc and Cub's eyes widened.

Foolish is completely grey, with claws and fins that are inky black. His outfit was a simple, yet elegant black shendyt that belonged to an ancient kingdom from so long ago only Cub had known it existed because he had grown up on it alongside Scar.

Foolish was one of them. He seems to acknowledge the fact that Cub knows something about him but with a subtle shake of his head, Foolish says nothing of the matter.

A khopesh sat neatly at the shark hybrid's side.

Foolish grins, open and sharp toothed.

"Say, Doctors, what do I get out of this? I know where Welsknight is, but what do I get if I take you to him?"

Cub moves to pull Doc further down the hallway, away from Foolish, but pauses as he takes notice of Eret's ghost. She is silent but waves to him. Cub spares Doc a glance before running towards the king. Eret takes off running, continuing in the direction they were already heading in.

Eret walks through a door at the end of the hall, and Cub throws it open, finding a dark spiraling staircase. His vex magic tingles and he lets it take over, using his night vision. He stumbles down the steps, eager to stay in sight of Eret's ghost.

Eret walks through the door at the end of the staircase, leaving Cub behind. Before he can open the door, thundering footsteps turn into two tall and heavy bodies crashing into him.

"Oof."

"Shit!"

"The fuck was that for, Eret!"

"You can communicate with them?" Doc asks, helping Cub up and finding his glasses for him.

"Not really, just makes me feel like I'm not alone," the god whispers.

The door is inconspicuous, nothing important to note. It's locked, however, and neither Cub nor Doc have the key.

Both scientists look to Foolish, whose eyes match Doc's redstone in color.

"What do you want from us?"

"I want what you can not give me."

"But you asked-"

"Just take the key, and take what you want. Eret obviously wants both of you to take care of Welsknight and I don't know the first thing about whatever the heck he is."

Doc takes the key and turns his back enough to open the door. The god's quick change in demeanor was questionable. Although Cub supposed that some of the rumors could have been true, that King Eret and FoolishGamers were possibly lovers once.

He had seen few gods truly love their mortals, had seen few fight tooth and nail and grant them immortality to keep them by their side. Or maybe they had a friendship that went deeper than any love could.

Cub wasn't really the mushy type, that was more Scar's thing, but he loved to hear his brother talk about the possibilities of soulmates and reincarnation.

"Cub, look!"

Doc's voice broke Cub from his thoughts and he gasped when he saw what Doc was pointing to.

In the center of the dark room, stood a man in knight armor. It was likely once silver, but now it was dark with age and dust and covered in cobwebs.

The man held a sword in front of him inscribed with words from an ancient language. His helmet visor covered his eyes but it was very clear who he was.

"Let's clean this place up a bit. I'm going to text Pearl."

Cub Fan135 to Pearl Moon: We have found our knight
Cub Fan136 to Pearl Moon: how are things with you and Bdubs?

It takes a moment for her to respond, nearly too long and Cub is about to send another message when both of his friends and Foolish, come running into the room, slamming the door shut just as quickly behind them.

Bdubs is clearly short next to Doc but he looks even more ridiculous next to the god.

"What's wrong?"

"The freakin' vines are what's wrong! It's living and freakin’ whisperin' and- and a whole can of nope! Thorns and thyme I don't miss those things." Bdubs waved his arms around while pacing and Cub wanted to laugh even more.

"I second that. Who's this?"

"This is FoolishGamers, totem and god. Foolish, this is Bdouble O'Hundred and Pearl Moon. Fellow botanists who were try-"

"Yeah, I know who they are, and what they were doing," Foolish snarled. "You're lucky all it did was whisper and that both of you have slight immunity to that 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨! Honestly I'm surprised you do Bdubs."

“I don't know why. Ponk had a way with plants. If y’all had listened to him-”

"What are the Crimson Vines exactly?" Pearl interrupts, walking around the knight statue in thought.

She makes a couple rounds before pausing next to Doc.

"I genuinely don't know. Bad, he- look lets just say he messed with something he shouldn't have and now everyone is gone except for me."

“Woah! I didn't know you guys were talking about this knight!" Bdubs shouted.

"What do you mean? Actually, let's leave that for later. Foolish, do you know how to wake him up?" Doc asks, reaching out to touch the knight slowly before steadily brushing off the dust.

"No. I told you I don't even know what he is. He just showed up one day with Sam and became Eret’s knight."

"Pearl, you're lost in thought. Do you know anything about this Knight that you haven't already told us?"

"I didn't think it was relevant at the time but-"

The door bursts open, causing all five to jump.

"Sam Bucket!"

Foolish turned around and cursed.

"Oh fuck me and the mcrib."

In the doorway, stood an entity that appeared to be a creeper hybrid in a farmers outfit with a bucket on his head.

"Sam Bucket!"

"Shit shit shit shit. Dr Fan-whatever, you and your friends need to take Wels and run back to Church Prime. Now."

"But-"

"No buts just get out of here. And do not let that thing touch you!"

"But the books-"

"Things change! GET OUT NOW!" He thundered.

"SAM BUCKET!"

Sam Bucket threw a bucket at the group and they scattered like mice.

Doc scooped up the knight, ignoring how Welsknight instantly went limp as if he were just sleeping.

The small group runs back up the stairs, through the castle and back out into the town. They don't stop running until they make it back to Church Prime.

"WHAT...the moss...was that!?" Bdubs pants, before collapsing onto the cool stone floor.

"I second that. Wait, our items are back there! We need to go back!"

"Foolish said not to stop running until we got here. We can ask him when he comes back, Pearl." Cub huffs, not used to running for his life.

He usually flew or fought whatever was attacking him head on, but he saw the look in Foolishs' eyes, the way the 𝘨𝘰𝘥 -cleary still a powerful god despite the lack of followers- 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘥. If gods were afraid, well, it was pretty much one of the biggest fuck you in particular the universe could give.

If Admins and Devs, who were usually just slightly less stronger than gods themselves, ever showed fear then you best hope your death is swift.

Cub had seen Xisuma show fear one time, and he prayed to whatever existed and would listen, to protect them so that that look would never cross his admins’ face again.

Doc lays Welsknight down on one of the crumbling benches closest to them but remains standing, however shaking the entire time.

Pearl walked over to Welsknight and dismantled his chest plate and helmet. The man had curly yellow blonde hair and rounded human ears. A bright red scar- paint? birthmark?- spiderwebbed across his face, from his left eye and dragged itself down his face and underneath his tunic.

"Pearl what are you doing?"

“There is an old legend amongst the people of the Northern Seas, of a man in silver that protected those who can not protect themselves. If my suspicions are correct, then that legend was real and this is that man.”

"What are you doing, Moon? What are you truly?" Doc asked again.

Pearl just looked up at Doc and although Cub couldn't see her face, he knew she was smiling. Ancient magic swirled around them, breaking the dark storm overhead and warming the earth with sunlight. Pearl captured a sunbeam from the nearby window and turned it into a ball, placing it on the knights' chest.

She whispered something, or maybe it was Cub's vex instincts reacting to the godly magic that filled the room. He felt his hunger rise up and quickly left the room to stand outside in the light.

He didn't want a repeat of the last time he ate god magic.

Bdubs followed him, the glare not saying anything at first.

Then a heavy sigh followed by, "Why are you here Cub?"

Cub gestured back inside.

"Doc and I were looking for Welsknight. I didn't know Pearl knew him, nor how. But I suspected it when she agreed to join us so quickly. Did you know she could do that?"

"Do you need to eat?"

Bdubs pointedly avoids the question.

"No. Bdubs, answer me."

"Cub-"

"Hello Welsie! Been a while, yeah?"

The pair instantly rush inside to find Pearl sitting casually on the floor, Doc sitting next to the knight trying to get him to stay put so he could check Welsknight over and the Knight in question, scrambling backwards and clutching his chest.

"W-what? Who are you? Where am I?”

He keeps crawling backwards away from Doc, who has finally let him go.

"Crimson Widow? N-no no. You wouldn't smile if- and Sam- n-no no no Sam was blonde and-"

He breaks off, coughing. Everyone grimaces as a particularly wet cough rattles the man.

“Welsknight?”

It wasn't a question, but rather a statement. It seemed to do the trick and Welsknight’s eyes met Pearl's.

“I am not Crimson Widow, dad. I have not been her in years. You are safe. The creeper is Doc, and he knows first aid for code. Can he check your vitals?”

Wels eyes Doc wearily before shaking his head.

“Oh, Pearlie. I-im sorry. Im sorry that i wasn't there for you-" "It's okay." "And no, t-the the last time i-i let someone, let someone do that, it did not end well for me.”

“You're coughing up blood. We need to check you out,” Pearl tries to coax but Wels adamantly shakes his head, insisting he is fine. That this is normal for him.

"Hol' up! We're just going to ignore the fact that Pearl called Welsknight, dad?"

"Yes Bdubs. Because Welsknight isn't my dad but Wesley, a past life of his, is. Technically speaking. I understand you can't trust us yet but can you please tell us what you remember?”

“I- A lot. I remember a lot of things.”

Bdubs comes forth and squats about an arms length away.

If Wels pressed himself against the wall any further, he would be outside.

“Let's focus on the present times, okay? Do you recognize me at all? Maybe my cloak?”

Bdubs never took off his cloak but he did this time, holding it out for Wels to gently brush his hand over it. Recognition flashed in his eyes.

“You were one of Ponk's lemon saplings, weren't you? But I thought all of their trees burned down.”

“Ponk grew more elsewhere. Sam helped, so did you and Eret.”

It was true. He remembers long days of doing nothing but planting trees. He remembers the mud fight during a particular rainy season. The rest of Bdubs' siblings and himself playing together like little kids. "How's ja end up in that room anyways?"

Welsknight nodded. “I-I remember that. But I knew I was no where near the library when..." He takes a breath and continues: "I remember Eret and I going to a feast, the Red Banquet, it was called. Bad had invited us under good intentions but something told me it didn't feel right. That something bad was going to happen. I should have,” Tears welled up in the younger man's eyes and he wrapped his arms around his legs.

“I should have tried harder to stop my king from going,” he sobbed. Bdubs lunged forward to wrap his cloak around him and hug him tightly.

The lemon-glare turned back to look at his three friends.

“Any sign of Foolish?”

“Nothing yet. The sculk doesn't even want to expand here.” Cub told him, walking back to the church entrance. “Those Crimson Vines aren't natural.”

“I-i don't know what Bad did, but he,” Wels sobs. “He wasn't the same after his husband died. B-bad claimed Skeppy was just sleeping and never died. That portrait, the one, the one in the hallway? His collar was diamond. That's all he had left of Skeppy.”

“Is there any way to control the Vines?”

Wels shakes his head. “Everyone succumbs to them in the end. Either y-you, you die, or you go insane.”

Chills ran down Cub's spine.

“Foolish said we were slightly immune to it. Any idea why?”

If Wels was more willing to talk, Cub was going to get whatever answers he could out of him. Bdubs had now moved to sit next to Wels, who he had tucked under his arm. Wels had given part of the cloak back, although most of the moss and leaves had slowly started to crawl and attach itself to Wels' tunic.

Pearl had taken a seat on his other side and the knight leaned closer to her.

He looked rough, although that was to be expected, considering the guy had been technically sleeping for years. He had helmet hair and dust on his face. His cheeks were sunken in and his eyes held very little glow.

“Wels, what year was this?” Doc questions, gesturing around them.

“There's no way I've been sleeping however long you're implying with that question.”

Doc gestures outside and around the church.

Welsknight's eyes glance around the room and he slowly comes to his feet. Bdubs and Pearl help him up and they walk slowly to the entrance of Church Prime.

“No. This is just a nightmare and I'm going to wake up in just a few seconds.”

“I’m sorry Wels, but this is the truth.”

Welsknight shook his head shaking all over.

“N-no, it's not real. IT'S NOT REAL!”

He bolted.

“WELSKNIGHT!”

“GET BACK HERE STOOPID!”

Pearl is silent yet she slips past them all with much more speed than expected. She doesn't run ahead of Wels to stop him, she just keeps pace with him.

“GUYS LOOK OUT!”

Crimson Vines start shooting up from the ground and aiming for the fresh and alive bodies as they run back to the castle.

Cub lets the sculk deflect the vines, although he can hear more than just the sculk screaming. There are voices in the vines, screaming and pleading for help. For vengeance.

Bdubs doesn't seem to be faring any better, lemon leaves turning rotten where the red attaches itself to him. His hair is growing darker, almost black now with rot.

“Bdubs, we need to get you back to Church Prime! You're dying again!”

Cub grabs the glare by the shoulder and forces him to look at him.

“Bdubs-”

“But Wels-”

“Doc and Pearl are with him.”

“I know him. He won't listen to them!”

Bdubs breaks free from Cubs’ hold and stumbles backwards, tripping over roots. He falls and yelps. Cub helps him back up and follows the shorter man.

The Crimson Vines are screaming.

It just sounds like garbled nonsense but Cub knows that's not true. It feels like the sculk but the sculk almost seems nicer.

Perhaps that was just the warden speaking.

They make it into the castle, tracking mud and water inside. The scientists wince at the mess but mentally apologize to Erets' ghost.

He hoped the ghost would show up and help them, but if earlier was any indication, then Eret was stuck in a time before everything happened.

Cub could hear the shouts of Wels' name above them and he pushed himself to go faster. Bdubs split off to the right, jumping into the tree in the center of the castle and disappearing.

Cub ran into the room where they first found Wels, but no one was in here. He ran back upstairs, turning the corner and stopping, trying to listen for any sound.

It was silent.

Not even the wind from earlier could be heard. It was like everything just…froze.

Goosebumps spread through his arms but that was the only warning he got before Cub was thrown into the nearest bookshelf. It had a domino effect, causing the surrounding shelves to fall, and sending who-knows-how-many-years-of-history to the ground.

“SAM BUCKET!”

“What does that even mean?” Cub groaned seeing stars, and not the pretty ones high in the sky that shone like diamonds.

“SAM BUCKET!”

Cub dodged this time and ran back upstairs, taping into his vex magic. He ignored the sweet, mischievous laughter that echoed through the bond, since focusing on other things like running away from this "Sam Bucket” was more important.

Although it wasn't unusual for a creeper hybrid to be born without the ability to ignite themselves, Cub did find it odd that the only creeper around this area, in general, couldn't. Creepers were also typically pack animals, although again, it wasn't unusual to see one or two roaming around by themselves. If Cub had met Sam Bucket before today, he might have even said that Foolish and Sam Bucket were packmates.

For now though, it was just one more unanswered question.

The tower opened back up into the main part of the castle, and Cub immediately found Pearl running towards him with her scythe. Cub instinctively rolled out of her way and a sharp metal clang and two gasps rang out.

“Welsknight!”

“SAM BUCKET!”

“Sam Bucket, stand down!”

Cub turned around to find Wels with his back to Cub, blocking Pearls’ scythe with a gauntlet-covered arm and holding Sam Bucket back with his other.

“Sam Bucket?”

Well at least he wasn't screaming now but how the hell could Welsknight understand him?

“Please, friend. Stand. Down.”

Cub and Pearl watched as the creeper did just that.

Wels sighed.

“He protects us from the vines. If he had caught you, Cub, he would've picked you up and taken you back to Church Prime. “

“Then why did Foolish insist we run away from him?”

Wels shrugged.

“No clue. Sam Bucket has always been friendly to me.”

“Sam Bucket.”

Wels snorts in humor, Cub hopes.

“How can you understand what he’s saying?”

Wels shrugs. “I always have been able to. What does he sound like to you?”

“He just says Sam Bucket a lot,” Cub says, eyeing the odd pair.

“Huh. Well, okay then. He said, "Your friends are with Foolish.”

“Where are they?”

“Sam Bucket!”

Sam Bucket runs off in the direction of the courtyard. The trio followed him, stopping just outside the entrance to the courtyard. Cub could tell it had been well-cared for in its youth.

Now, vines and flora crawled up along the stone walls and the old fountain in the center was crumbling, no longer holding water and letting it trickle into the grass around it. Moss covered the fountain's centerpiece, which looked like it might have been a flower once.

To the right of them, a large lemon blossom tree shadowed the courtyard. Foolish and Doc were standing by it, and Doc held Bdubs' moss cloak in his hands.

“Is Bdubs okay?”

“He's connecting with his roots. He- WHY IS THAT THING HERE!!? WELSKNIGHT?”

“SAM BUCKET!”

“SHUT THE HELS UP BOTH OF YOU!” The knight shouted

Everyone took one step back.

The knight walked straight up to Foolish and jabbed him in the chest.

“Alright, i need you to explain something to me bucko. Where is everyone?”

First, at the word bucko, which even caused Doc to snort, Foolish's eye twitched. Then a clear debate crosses the gods’ face before he makes up his mind. Although Cub winced, despite the fact that there was no real way to soften the blow of the truth.

“Dead. You, me and Bdubs are the last of the folks who lived here.”

“Where are Sam, Boomer and Hannah then?”

Foolish's face grew dark.

“Don’t know and don't care. Lady Death can have her fun with Sam. As for the other two, probably with him.”

No one expected Wels to punch Foolish, least of all the god himself.

“And if Sam could bring Eret back-”

“Eret wouldn't have wanted that and you know it! You shouldn't even be aware of-” Foolish stops and looks around at the new faces.

His gaze stops on Pearl.

“What. Did. You. Do.”

“I woke him up.”

“Wait- I shouldn't know about Sam making bodies? Because that just opens up a new can of worms, and there are no crows to feast on them. No, there should be because-”

His rambling is drowned out by the sudden storm shaking the castle.

Doc and Sam Bucket push Cub, Wels and Bdubs, who has now stumbled out of the tree, back underneath the archway and into the castle.

“What's going on? Bdubs? Do you know?”

“I don't know anything about Sam making bodies but I do remember he sneaking off quite a lot. Boomer and Hannah too. Like teenagers sneaking out on a school night.”

The two gods are still arguing outside, shadows and wind swirling around the pair.

“YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO WAKE HIM UP!”

“YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO KEEP HIM ASLEEP!”

“WELSKNIGHT REQUESTED IT HIMSELF.”

“Sam bucket?”

“I'm fine.”

Wels stood in the archway, Bdubs’ mossy cloak around his armor. Bdubs had taken guard at his left while Sam Bucket had taken his other side. Doc and Cub stood and watched the two argue.

“Kinda wish I had some popcorn. I haven't seen Foolish fight with another god in years.”

“Remember DreamXD?”

“I remember how petty they were. They shaped the desert and the mountain and seas.”

Bdubs turned to look at Wels.

“When did that happen?”

“Years before the Red King I think. Like, I want to say before the north was claimed, maybe? Well okay, that was shaped by Exor and Aoer. But Foolish and DreamXD definitely had a hand in shaping these lands. Why else would we have named it-,” Welsknight breaks off with a hiss, clutching his head.

“I think Foolish was right. Pearl had to have done something, because now I know more than I should for someone who has only lived once. Unless these memories aren't mine?”

“Who would they belong to then? Pearl?”

Wels shakes his head, shrugs his shoulders, then removes the cloak once more.

“Keep it, Bdubs. I would hate to see you lose something so precious again.”

Then the knight does the stupidest thing a human could do.

He gets in between the fighting gods and with strength no mortal should have, he holds both weapons- a scythe and a khopesh- back.

The fight stops instantly.

Bdubs leans over and whispers his earlier question.

“Why are you really here Cub?”

Cub’s throat is tight, his lips are glued shut. He can't breathe. His body shakes.

Breathe.

He can't-

Cub faints.

‘Ello Cub. I was beginning to wonder if you would ever sleep.’

Cub looked around and found himself swimming in a sea of silver and gray and blue.

‘Where are you?’

Cub's voice echoed.

‘Where haven't I been? I don't have much time, but please remember: the sculk sings a song. Listen to it.’

Cub wakes up to two bright icy blue eyes staring straight at him.

“‘Ello Dr. Fan135. I was beginning to wonder if you would ever wake up.”

“I’m, I'm awake. What happened?”

“Well the moon and tides aren't talking to each other, at least not on the matters involving myself. Never thought I would ever be glad to have people ignore me. Anyways Bdubs and Doc are cooking some food and Sam Bucket is around here somewhere. He has his own agenda.”

Cub pushes against the tree roots surrounding him and finds little issue. Bdubs must've formed the tree around him so the warden wouldn't hurt himself in his sleep and knew he was awake.

“And you trust him?”

“Certainly more than I trust you.”

Cub winces and Welsknight continues speaking.

“Now Crimson Widow-” Pearl glares at him, which probably doesn't help Welsknight at all. “-Lady Pearl said she gave me my memories back. So tell me why I have two sets of memories. Neither of which you exist in. Yet Bdubs and Lady Pearl, who I do know, say you know me? Did you alter my memories?”

Bdubs grumbles something, and the tree reflects his emotions enough to squeeze the warden hybrid but before he can even try to speak, Sam Bucket rushes in.

“SAM BUCKET!”

Wels' gaze turns surprised and he stands up, reaching out for Bdubs' hand.

“We will continue this conversation later. Bdubs, Boomer is here.”

“Oh man did I miss them.”

“Wait- Boomer?!”

Bdubs' grip on the tree releases, allowing Cub to physically relax. The pair are followed by Foolish who seems to be excited, judging by the way his steps shake the earth. Cub notices flakes of gold amongst the grey, but Foolish is gone before the man can get a better look.

Doc walks forward to help Cub to his feet and they move in silence back to the front gate of the castle. There is a man, Boomer, Cub assumes, with white clothes and a frog hat. He is laughing at something Bdubs or Foolish must've said, judging by the fond looks on the other men's faces.

Boomer has two books in his hand. One goes to Foolish and Cub feels electricity raise the hair on his arms. The other goes to Welsknight, who eagerly accepts it and frowns almost immediately.

“I don't know this language.”

“You wrote it dude. Don't ask me.”

Welsknight sighs and he offers the book to Cub once Cub stands next to him.

“Can you read this?”

Wzd : Kᴙↄ zmw ↄY zTivvw gꙅzg ᴙ Hꙅlꟻow qvvk z plꟻimzo Uli ᴎd wivzᴎH. Hl Uzi, ᴙ wivzᴎ ᴙm UozHꙅvH lU xloli Yꟻg gꙅviv wlvH Hvvᴎ gl Yv lmv xlmHgzmg. Z ᴎzm ᴙm z bꙅᴙgv ozY xlzg bᴙgꙅ Yozxq ꙅzᴙi zmw gvzo vdvH.

“No. But there is another man, well, he's technically a ghost, that writes in this language. Unfortunately, much like ourselves here, he's out in the middle of nowhere. If given enough time, I could probably try translating it, or I can contact his scribe and have her translate it. But she is also most likely with him too.”

“Talk about dead languages,” Boomer muttered under his breath. Wels laughs then sobers up quickly.

“So my options are finding some dead guy out in the desert or looking for someone who is actually supposed to be dead and- Sam is supposed to be dead right?”

Boomer shrugs and for some reason, it doesn't comfort Cub at all. Cub will admit he is insane, and some of the things he's done would probably land him in deep shit with the gods. But even he didn't dare mess with Death.

Her power alone was enough to override whatever another god wrote into the universe.

“So you're going to go find this Sam guy then? Do you know where he's at?”

“My hat does and it's never steered me wrong before.”

Pearl hums.

“Anyone think it's odd we haven't been attacked by the vines yet?” She questioned.

“Pearl! Don't bring stuff like that into existence!” Doc scolds her.

“It's fine. As long as I'm around, they won't hurt any of you.”

“What did Hannah do?” Foolish asked, looking down at his friend.

Boomer gets a lopsided grin on his face and shrugs. Something is wrong with his hand but Cub's been dealing with a fuzzy head since he woke up.

“No clue but the vines don't attack me. I can't even be stained by them. Anyways, Knight, Hat knows the way and your friends can come along too.”

“As much as I like that offer, our exploration trip is ending tomorrow. You only need four for a trip anyways,” Doc says, moving back into the castle throne room and packing up his things.

“Says who? I'm not bound by your rules. Let's go, Boomer.”

Foolish grabs both men by their collars before they can leave the room.

“Boomer, you and I need to have a chat. Welsknight, you were asleep for almost two hundred years. You need to rest.”

“I think I rested enough. I'm not going to break.”

“Wels-”

Welsknight breaks free of Foolish’s grasp and faces the man.

“I won't break, Foolish. I'm not made from glass. Come with us, if you're so worried about me.”

Foolish says nothing and Cub looks away. He feels like he's intruding on something private and he clearly isn't the only one. Boomer guides the group away from them.

“So you guys are immune to this stuff?”

“How are you touching it? It thought you said it wouldn't attack us?” Doc asked, taking another step back.

Boomer is playing with a single vine that seems to be crawling around his hands like a snake. Cub feels the sculk shriek inside his head and he makes eye contact with Boomer. That's when he notices the slightly green tint to his skin. The fact that Boomers's hands are webbed and shaped differently than humans should be. His green eyes are also weird. It's almost like he's using glamor but it keeps flickering on and off like a bad light bulb.

“Oh it won't attack you as long as my sister or I are around. Doesn't mean I don't like to play with it every now and then.”

“What are you?”

Boomer shrugs. “Just a frog hybrid, if that's what you're asking. But what I am doesn't really matter. We've never had scientists visit before. What's so special about us now?”

‘Huh, been awhile since I've seen a frog hybrid. They usually stick to their swamps and pixie friends,’ Cub thinks to himself, now slightly more at peace.

Frog hybrids were practically walking plague sponges. They soaked up a lot of airborne illnesses and oftentimes whatever poison was in the ground too. Cub had heard stories about frog hybrids and their friends going missing in the middle of the night, or being taken from their swamps in broad daylight. To say he was surprised to see one walking around the continent would be an understatement.

The logical side of him said it wasn't that strange, considering the state of the place they were in.

“Cub and I heard about a single NPC created for the sole purpose of protection. We wanted to bring him back to our home to study him and create more knights like him. Bdubs and Pearl also wanted to investigate the Crimson Vines.”

Boomer nods. “Doc, you mentioned something about an exploration trip. Y'all wouldn't happen to be teachers at Crystal Cliffs Academy, would you?”

“And if we are?” Pearl says, crossing her arms. Her tail flicks side-to-side behind her.

“Well, big dogs, I wanted to say that I appreciate your work. Thank you for teaching kids history and science and coding so they don't end up like us. We've had three admins over the years and each one either went mad or disappeared. And if I added the devs, well, that number goes up by a few.”

“You're welcome!”

Foolish and Welsknight rejoin the group. Neither look particularly happy but no one is willing to call them out on it.

“Boomer, you said your hat knows the way?”

“Yep!”

“Then we'll go in the morning. It's getting dark and the lack of mobs scares me.”

“Why don't we go back to the academy then for the night?”

“Eh, that's up to you guys but I'm staying here.”

“Me too. I don't think I'm ready to go interact with people just yet.” Welsknight half-joked

“You'll never be ready, mate,” Pearl laughs.

Night has fallen completely by the time the group has resettled inside Church Prime for the night. Pearl and Doc are back on their server while Cub and Bdubs have elected to stay and leave in the morning to go looking for Sam. Boomer and Foolish left just before sunset because they needed to talk and Cub is still waiting for the storm to start.

The church is quiet except for Bdubs's snoring but Cub knows anything less of a ravager stampede won’t wake the dryad. The warden hybrid is sitting in the doorway of the church, watching Wesknight try to decipher his book by candle light. Foolish's words from earlier come back.

“You should probably rest, Welsknight. Boomer made it sound like we had a long trip ahead of us.”

“Why aren't you sleeping then?”

Cub turns back to face the stars.

“I don't need to. The sculk gives me enough energy that I don't have to sleep unless I want to.”

“Dont trust me?”

“I believe we are on mutual grounds of distrust with one another, Welsknight.”

Welsknight chuckles, then sets his book down. He remains standing, but takes up post on the other side of the doorframe. He taps a foot against the hard tiles of the church.

“You were passed out when I snapped earlier. I punched Foolish who just stood there and took it. I yelled at him and Bdubs and Boomer and even Pearl, for cursing me with the knowledge I have now. I want answers Cub and I think you do too. What are you looking for?”

Cub brought up his knees to wrap his arms around himself.

“Two reasons: One, these people are not mine but they helped me when I was like you. Freshly woken up with a blank in my memories; stumbling around in a new world I knew nothing about. When they were attacked, I stood with them to repay their kindness, and I promised I would help them. My second reason is that you remind me of my friend. He was a knight too, and although I didn't expect Pearl to unlock memories that none of us expected you to have, I hoped you might have seen him once or twice before."

Cub feels Welsknight watching him. He stands up to head back inside, but the blonde-haired man blocks his way.

“How do you know I'm not him? I could have more memories locked.”

“Simple,” Cub huffs. “What does the sculk do?”

“Dude I don't even know what sculk is- oh.”

Cub laughs, loud and freeing. Bdubs's snores stop for a moment but he doesn't wake up. Cub doesn't even notice.

“When you learn about sculk, I want you to come back and tell me what exactly sculk does. He also had strawberry blonde hair. Good night, Welsknight.”

“Good night, Cub.”

Chapter Text

Welsknight doesn't sleep. He takes the first watch instead, standing just outside of the doorway. The crimson vines creep closer to the Church but wither the moment it touches the holy stone. It's a vicious cycle.

Creep. Touch. Wither. Repeat.

Welsknight's mind drifts as he watches it.

Two different stories, with him as the main character. And more, if both gods’ words were to be believed. 

He slid down the wall of Church Prime and winced only at the sound of metal plates slamming together. He chose to readjust each plate that pinched his skin slowly, hoping the slight pain would offer him some clarity. He only did his left leg first because he knew that pain would make him pass out and he could not afford too. It was bad enough he chose to sit down and not watch over his charges the way he was supposed to.

Would they even care?

‘Okay. Okay, Wels. It's been a few hundred years since you died. Well, since Eret died because you're technically alive. Foolish said Sam is only the one with answers, but he refuses to go with us tomorrow. Everyone else is dead, at least that's what Foolish is implying. And look at the world around you, would a world look like this if everyone was alive?’’

He squeezes his eyes close, inhaling a shaky breath as the faces of old friends and enemies flash through his mind. 

*“Awww you two look like you're brothers!”

“Eret, just because we have blonde hair and blue eyes doesn't make us brothers,” Punz told them, not bothering to look up from where he was cleaning his knife. “Purpled is my only sibling and I'd like to keep it that way.”

“I’m just saying that Sam must've had you in mind when he created Welsknight. Right, Sam?”

Welsknight stood still, waiting for orders. King Eret walked around him, looking him over before stopping in front of Welsknight. The King was slightly taller than him.(Welsknight filled that information away) Easier to spot in a crowd due to their height and aura, but hopefully not too hard to defend. Not that it would matter anyways. If Welsknight needed more training or something replaced, he would just go to Sam.

“Sort of a mistake, sort of intentional. People might mistake him for Punz which allows Punz to do whatever he needs to.”

‘That’s right. I am a decoy for the real threat,’ Welsknight thought, seemingly finding himself unbothered by that notion.

“Now, Sam, that's no way to treat my new knight. What is your name?”

“Welsknight, your majesty. At your service.” He bowed.

Punz and Sam snorted and Eret took off his glasses to glare at them. Welsknight had never seen completely white eyes before. Perhaps Sam forgot to tell him that Eret was blind? 

“Oh please, no need for such formalities amongst friends. And ignore these two. They are just being rude today.”

“May I ask you a question, sir?”

“You may,” Eret answered.

“Are you blind? Sam didn't tell me.”

“No. I can see just as well as you can, or well enough, considering you aren't human. My father had white eyes and so I have them now.”

“What do you mean he isn't human? Sam can't make anything else, right? Right?” Punz questioned, eyeing the scientist.

“Of course not!”

Wels wasn't the only one who flinched from the suddenness of Sam's reply.*

Sam had been very jumpy those days. Welsknight didn't know why then, and he's still not sure what he would have done with the information he has now. The Warden would probably still exist, maybe worse than he was then.

“An ingot for your thoughts, big dog?”

Wels startles and Boomer snickers. His eyes were red, like he had been crying, and he seemed a little wobbly on his feet. The knight pats the space beside him and the frog hybrid takes the offered seat.

“For everything that Sam did when he created that body, Welsknight sure is jumpy, dude.”

“My thoughts are worth much more than ingots, frog boy.”

Boomer croaks and both men giggle. It's freeing for a moment then both men quickly sober up. Welsknights’ hand reached into buzzcut hair and dragged his fingers along his scalp. He ignores the way his voice cracks.

“Thinking about the day I met Eret and Punz. How quickly Sam responded when Eret questioned if I was human or not.”

“He labeled you an NPC. What did that even stand for?”

“I don't even remember, man. But he didn't want people to know just what exactly he was doing.”

“That's bullshit. He wanted everyone to know. I mean, if I wasn't a Dev and was looking for a way to live longer, I'd be stupid not to take the chance at a new life. You were elsewhere, but I watched Sam go toe-to-toe with Philza over this!”

“Then why did he deny Dream?”

Boomer raises a single, platinum eyebrow. 

“Okay, maybe Dream didn't need that kinda tool in his arsenal. But Sam made me keep it a secret. Looking back, it felt like the whole world knew, Boomer.”

Welsknight paused and turned his head to look at his friend.

“Did they?’

“I honestly can't confirm or deny that dude. I have no clue. But hey, let's take a step back and breathe for a moment, yeah?”

Welsknight nodded and stretched his legs out in front of him. He pulled out his book.

“Whatca got there?”

“This? My journal. Can't read a word of it though. Cub said he knew someone that could.”

“And you trust him? Seemed like you wanted to snap his head off earlier, big dog.”

Wels froze, remembering his words from earlier.

“I don't,” He frowns. “Maybe? I don't think I trust anyone anymore. And I had literally just woken up Boomer. I am not a morning person.”

Boomer laughs and Wels joins him. He could vaguely recall a few mornings where he was allowed to sleep in, and Eret made sure he wasn't disturbed and any other times he had coffee. Very strong coffee.

Welsknight looks to the sky, as if it would have all the answers. The knight looked up at the moon and at least now, he partially knows the reason why he did it so much. Pearl had called him dad. It was a little weird but it felt right. Wels was also pretty sure she wasn't biologically his. In fact, he was one hundred percent sure he couldn't have kids at all. 

It wasn't his life as Eret's knight but instead it was his life as Pearl's adoptive father. His memories of that time were even more scattered than his current life was- Pearl probably didn't even fully know what she was doing- but he did remember being married to lady with blonde hair and green eyes; her crying, apologizing for not being able to carry children and Welsknight- Or, what was it that Pearl had called him? Wesley?- telling her that it wasn't her fault. That he also couldn't have children.

“I- Boomer, all jokes aside, I'm glad you're still here. And that you're willing to help us, all of us, with our tasks.”

“Of course, dude. What else are friends for?”

Welsknight refused to acknowledge his eyes turning misty and hugged Boomer instead. 

Boomer hugged him back, then pulled away and stood up.

“You don't have to sleep outside, man. And you can't fight the vines.”

“I have slept enough. I'm gonna try deciphering whatever language this is, and hopefully get some headway before I talk to Cub's friend. And I know Boomer- I'm not you.”

“That's probably a good thing.”

“If only because the world can't handle two Boomers,” Welsknight snarked.

“I know you haven't been around in a minute but there are definitely more than two boomers.”

“And the world is still around?”

“And the world is still around. Night, knight.”

“Night, ribbits.”

Welsknight sighed, letting his exhale shake his whole body. Despite the near two hundred years of sleep, or whatever it was that he did, Welsknight was tired. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep though so he picked up his book and tried to decipher the words in the silver light of the moon.

There are a few words crossed out and erased. Wels assumes that he needed to rewrite the book for some reason. He skims through the text but none of it makes a lick of sense. 

ꀸꍏꌩ CXC: ꉣꀤꊼ ꍏꈤꀸ ꊼꌃ ꍏꁅꋪꍟꍟꀸ ꓄ꃅꍏ꓄ ꀤ ꌗꃅꂦꀎ꒒ꀸ ꀘꍟꍟꉣ ꍏ ꀭꂦꀎꋪꈤꍏ꒒ ꎇꂦꋪ ꂵꌩ ꀸꋪꍟꍏꂵꌗ. ꌗꂦ ꎇꍏꋪ, ꀤ ꀸꋪꍟꍏꂵ ꀤꈤ ꎇ꒒ꍏꌗꃅꍟꌗ ꂦꎇ ꉓꂦ꒒ꂦꋪ ꌃꀎ꓄ ꓄ꃅꍟꋪꍟ ꀸꂦꍟꌗ ꌗꍟꍟꂵ ꓄ꂦ ꌃꍟ ꂦꈤꍟ ꉓꂦꈤꌗ꓄ꍏꈤ꓄. ꍏ ꂵꍏꈤ ꀤꈤ ꍏ ꅏꃅꀤ꓄ꍟ ꒒ꍏꌃ ꉓꂦꍏ꓄ ꅏꀤ꓄ꃅ ꌃ꒒ꍏꉓꀘ ꃅꍏꀤꋪ ꍏꈤꀸ ꓄ꍟꍏ꒒ ꍟꌩꍟꌗ.

Welsknight flips to another page, this one is inked heavily with red pen and the letters are smooshed together, as if he had been running out of space despite the fact that there were still quite a few pages left.

ꀸꍏꌩ CLXXV: ꀤꃴꍟ ꌃꍟꍟꈤ ꀸꋪꍟꍏꂵꀤꈤꁅ ꂵꂦꋪꍟ ꒒ꍏ꓄ꍟ꒒ꌩ, ꎇ꒒ꍏꌗꃅꍟꌗ ꂦꎇ ꉓꂦ꒒ꂦꋪꌗ ꀎꌗꀎꍏ꒒꒒ꌩ ꓄ꍟꍏ꒒ꌗ ꍏꈤꀸ ꅏꃅꀤ꓄ꍟꌗ, ꂵꍏꌩꌃꍟ ꋪꍟꀸꌗ. ꀭꍟꃴ ꌗꍏꀤꀸ ꀤ ꌗꃅꂦꀎ꒒ꀸ ꀘꍟꍟꉣ ꓄ꋪꍏꉓꀘ ꂦꎇ ꂵꌩ ꀸꋪꍟꍏꂵꌗ ꓄ꂦꂦ ꌗꂦ ꀤꂵ ꍏ꒒ꌗꂦ ꀸꂦꀤꈤꁅ ꓄ꃅꀤꌗ ꎇꂦꋪ ꃅꀤꂵ. 

Welsknight feels a headache coming on so he closes the journal and sets in next to him. He looks to the moon, hoping she would have some kind of answers for him. His other memories crawled through his mind making his headache worse. They were slow enough though, that he could pick them apart piece by piece.

One memory in particular stood out to him.

Three children with brown hair, running around and playing with swords. Each wore something that looked like it belonged to Eret, what with its crimson color and gold trim. Pearl had a crescent moon shaped mask and the taller of the two boys wore a crooked crown. The shorter, and probably the youngest of the siblings, wore a helm made from scales and seaweed. 

He knew they were saying something because their mouths moved. He couldn't hear them though and let the memory drift away.

“And the world is still around,” he mumbled to himself. “Gods be damned. All of you. Is this just some kind of game to you? Do you think it's funny to torture mortals?”

As expected, the gods did not answer. Despite the nagging feeling it wasn't a good idea, he threw his book down onto the ground. Wels stood up and started to take off his armor. He threw it with no mind to care about the noise he was making.

“I bet you're laughing. Especially you, Xornoth, because you were right! Immortality isn't all it's cracked up to be and it makes us go mad!” With a final heave, Welsknight’s chestplate is thrown across the street.

“Who the hels even is Xornoth!?”

He slumps back down against the wall, sobs shaking his body. He wanted Eret back. He wanted to train with Punz and Sam before they were corrupted. He wanted Ponk to teach him more about the lemon trees and lemon glares. He wanted Bad and Skeppy to walk up to him and say that it was all just a game.

Welsknight was tired of games. Of lies. Of half-truths. 

He closed his eyes, willing his headache to go away.

When he opened them again, Bdubs was shaking his shoulder gently. Dawn was stretching across the sky so he must've slept for an hour or two.

“Foolish brought us breakfast. Are you up for eating?”

“Yeah, yeah. Should be. Guess we'll find out, won't we?” Welsknight tries to joke but it falls flat.

“How’d ya sleep outside? It's too cold for me.” Bdubs's cloak is wrapped tightly around his shoulders. “Where's yer armor?”

Wels doesn't respond with words but instead with the actions of picking them up. The Crimson Vines have treated it the same way they've treated the holy stone of the church, and Wels can't find it in himself to figure out why.

He also pointedly ignores the look from his friend when he walks across the street to pick up his chestplate. He fixes it as he goes.

“You're solar powered, man. I spent quite a few nights out in the cold during the war, remember?”

“Which war?”

Wels stopped for a moment to think.

“Second L’Manburg war. The one that killed Wilbur and caused Eret to absorb L'Manburg again.”

The look on Eret's face would haunt him forever. They had no intention of taking what was left of L'Manburg after its people had fought so hard to break free from Eret’s grandfather. But when House Crimson had made its move against House Brine, they did not care who would be caught in the crossfire. Wilbur refused to put aside his differences but his younger brother Tommy, and his brother's best friend Tubbo, went behind Wilbur's back because they knew Eret would protect their little country and knew they had the gunpowder that House Brine needed.

If only it had worked.

“I remember that. It was just before our trees burned and House Crimson framed Sam and a couple of other folks for it. It was so messy.”

“That's war for you, Bdubs. No victors or losers. Now, you mentioned breakfast?”

Amber eyes look a little less dim as Wels changes the subject.

“Foolish gave us fish and eggs! Boomer is cooking right now!”

“Fantastic idea everyone, let's have the poison guy cook us a meal,” he jokes as he follows Bdubs inside the church.

“Only some poisons. You needed your beauty sleep and so did Bdubs. Cub doesn't know how to cook.”

Wels looks at Cub. He appears calm. Collected. Like the kind of guy who could have an anvil drop on him and he would laugh. A little bit like Techno, maybe?

“I can bake. I can't cook.”

“I'm the opposite. My wife did all the baking and I did the cooking.”

“Dude when were you married?” Boomer asks.

“Pearl literally called me dad.“

“You don't need a wife to have a kid. Besides, she looks nothing like you.”

“Genetics?” Cub questions.

“Pearl is adopted. Boomer, you and your twin sister don't look anything alike. You aren't even the same species!”

“It happens man. Mom was a frog princess and dad was a dryad.” 

“I thought it was a frog prince?” Cub asked.

Boomer grins and Welsknight opens his mouth to dispute but before he can say anything, Bdubs and his loud mouth beat him to it.

“He wishes he was a frog prince.”

Wels can't help himself. The sound that escapes him doesn't sound like much of a laugh. If anything, you would think that something had spawned in.

Cub has to set his plate down so he doesn't drop it because he's laughing too hard. Boomer looks offended as he passes the next plate of food to Bdubs, then makes a smaller plate for Wels and takes the last bit of food for himself. There isn't much food on his plate but he hopes he can eat it all anyways and keep it down. Welsknight had never gone this long without eating before. Sam made sure he always had food and drinks between lives if he wasn't ready to go jumping into the next one.

Bdubs sits next to Cub, taking a moment to rub his right arm, pulling up the sleeve just enough to reveal burn scars that never quite healed. He leans his head on the other man's shoulder.

“Mornin’ Cubby. Shreep well?” 

“I catnapped. You know I don't sleep.”

“I slept well, thank you for asking!” Boomer announced, stirring the food around in the pan over the hearth fire.

“I was gonna ask you but then you interrupted me! Learn some manners, princeling!”

Wels rolled his eyes, smiling.

“What was this again? Where did you even get this?” The knight asked, before shoveling more food into his mouth.

“Fish and eggs. Foolish brought it out from the Summer Palace. That area, and the North, are some of the few areas left that aren't full of Crimson Vines.”

“Even Las Nevadas fell?” Wels questioned, voice barely above a whisper.

Boomer didn’t meet his eyes.

“Foolish’s palace and the surrounding desert, Techno’s cabin and the rest of the north, and further out to Cypress. Snowchester and Las Nevadas fell not long after your death. I don't remember much but my nightmares do. Sometimes it's Bad and Ant cornering me against a wall of lava. Or maybe the egg hatches and the vines shoot through my body, tearing me into pieces. I stayed as long as I could but the vines were a constant force. I grew tired and so I left like a coward.”

“You are not a coward, Boomer. You did what you could and left when you could fight no more. Where was Foolish during this? Or Sam? Or He-who-shall-not-be-named?”

“Foolish? I've never seen him so pissed off. He turned black and red, which was just a testament to how furious he was. Storms raged against the vines, Welsknight. But even his fury for his lost lovers was not enough.”

“King Eret, I assume? Few gods truly love their mortals but some of the history texts that are still legible from here, often depicted them to be lovers,” Cub interrupted.

“They were. Foolish adored Eret- made Foolish human. And although the knight doesn't want to admit it, Foolish loved him too.”

“Boomer-”

“Wels-”

“-I KNEW IT!”

Three pairs of eyes blink and look at Bdubs. The glare continues on.

“I knew you and Foolish had something going on! No one believed me but I knew. You can't be like that with each other and not have some kinda history!”

Willing his face to cool down, Welsknight took a stab back at his friend.

“What about you and that fox boy? And don't Wels me, Boomer. He tolerated me because Eret liked me. I was just another thing that could protect his lover. Now, Boomer, you said your hat knows the way? Can we trust it?”

Cub looks a little uncomfortable, Bdubs is still sputtering and Boomer just sits there with a stonecold face. Welsknight didn't know why Boomer couldn't understand that there was no love between him and Foolish, only a mutual respect for their king. They were decent friends and that was that. Anything else was, well, foolish. 

“It’s never steered me wrong before. I recommend we stop by Techno's cabin. With luck, Philza will be there. If not, I'll just leave a note for him to find. From there, we head west towards Cypress Crepts. Sam's Castle is just north of there and although he probably won't be home, he won't mind us snooping around looking for your stuff.”

“I've never heard of Cypress Crepts until I met Bdubs and he won't tell me anything."

“I gave you those books-”

“What books, Bdubs?”

“The ones Eret wrote before he became King? What other books are there? Did Cal-”

The world shakes and the group shares a look. Bdubs coughs and starts again.

“Our gods did not want this world to breach containment. Some of us were able to leave, like me and Boomer. Some were unable too or chose to stay. Cypress Crepts is home to many of the folks who couldn't, or choose not to, leave. Any books I had were written by Eret and no one else!” he shouted, little flowers blooming around his cloak in indignation.

“And yet, I'm here now. Seems like your gods aren't particularly happy with that,” Cub commented, his teal eyes glittered mischievously.

“They don't like you because you aren't one of us. You aren't from here,” Welsknight said.

“Neither are you, I would assume? Since you have multiple bodies and all.”

Wels shrugs. “Not here, no. But I consider Sam's castle my home right now. Feels like my spawn point, you know?”

“Gods are jealous creatures. Except he tried to stay neutral, ya know?” Bdubs said, much calmer than before.

“Neutral, sure, and I'm some random frog guy who likes eating mushrooms for fun. That was rhetorical, assholes,” Boomer quickly adds on before anyone could say anything.

Cub laughed as Bdubs and Welsknight both sputtered something about language.

“I think I like you, Boomer. What can you guys tell me about Cypress Crepts? How'd it get a name like that anyways?”

Wels let his mind drift as he picked at his armour. It was dirty. He needed polish and a rag and probably an entire day too. There wasn't anything he could do about it now though, as his inventory was empty and he knew no one else had the supplies he needed. He also didn't know much about Cypress, having spent most of his time in Sam's castle.

Out of habit, he checked his inventory again. Just his journal and his helmet. His sword was sheathed at his side. Nothing that said he was Eret's knight aside from the dirty armor and the cape that was half eaten by decay.

Tears burned his eyes. He takes a breath, then another. 

‘Come on, self, you can't break down. One foot in front of the other,’ he told himself.

“Welsknight?”

“Y-yes?”

“I wanted to apologize. For what I said earlier about gods loving their mortals. I didn't know it would be a hard topic for you.”

“I'm not mad at you because you didn't know. It's just something that others thought existed but it wasn't there,” he trailed off, then shook his head. “Anyways, Boomer!”

“Ayo?”

“Are we walking north?”

“I mean, you could if you really wanted too. But nah, man, I got us rides. Come on!”

He walked confidently down the path that led away from Church Prime and towards the front entrance gate. He whistled two notes and three horses came from around the corner of the road to the right of them. One was a dark brown stallion with four white socks. Another was a zombie horse and the last one was a skeleton horse. 

“Kiwi?” He whispered, before he broke into a run.

Wels ignored everything other than his horse, who he hugged tightly the moment he touched her. She softly whinnies and settles her head on his shoulder. It felt like the happy ending to a fairytale.

“Oh, Kiwi,” he whispered into her neck. He ran a hand over her bones and held her tightly.

He was not getting emotional over seeing his horse after who-knows-how-many years. That was something only Bdubs did.

He just stands there for a moment, feeling his horse sniff and lick at him. He chuckles and pulls away to find Cub sitting behind Bdubs on the living stallion, while Boomer has taken the zombie horse.

He pulls away, chuckling. He climbs onto her back and Kiwi rears up on her hind legs before crashing down and bolting through the town. Welsknight whoops and guides her north so that when she finally settled, they would at least be somewhat close to his friends.

Even though they had left early, it would still be a while before they reached Techno's cabin. When they stopped for lunch, Cub questioned the distance.

“I have no idea what state the main portals are in. Bdubs and I stayed in Cypress Crepts. I'm pretty sure the egg or vines overtook them.”

“I've heard you guys say egg a few times. It was also mentioned once or twice in the books Bdubs let me borrow from him. What exactly did it hatch into?”

Wels is the first to respond. “I was dead when it hatched.”

"Sam refused to talk about it and it never reached Cypress. My older brother kept it away from me when I lived in the main part of the Essempi Lands. Ponk wanted to use it to make new glares or just new kinds of people. He was more Doc's level of crazy.”

“I…” Boomer started, dragging his palms down his face. “Foolish went ballistic the moment Eret and Wels were killed. He brought the whole cavern down and I blacked out, waking up in Cypress. Foolish and Sam never told me anything, no matter how many times I asked. And there was only one other person who was there that I could've asked but he's still pissed at me.”

“Still?”

“Yep,” Boomer told him, popping the “p”.

“And how long have you been around?” Wels teased, lightly.

It was meant to be a harmless prank. No one was supposed to get hurt.

“Long enough, knight. I know gods can hold grudges, anyone can, but I'd like to think that he and I have set a new world record with this one.”

Wels chuckled. “I've never met a god who doesn't hold grudges.”

“Sounds like my brother's husband. He quite enjoys getting his revenge and being petty towards those who've wronged him.”

Wels flinched, although he couldn't tell you why. He was, as previously mentioned, no stranger to vengeful gods nor people in general. Although his memories as Eret's knight were few and far between, still scattered in the wind, he felt that it wasn't entirely related to that. 

“Perhaps something with Lady Pearl?’ he thought to himself. He looked back towards the group with a gentle nudge from Kiwi and for a few moments, he was lost in another memory. 

But before he can chase it, he catches the sight of Bdubs taking his cloak off and soaking up the sun. His white and brown hair seem fluffier, the scars on his arms look smaller and when he opens his eyes, Wels notices that his amber eyes are brighter.

"Hey, knight. Think you can keep a sandwich down?"

"I kept the fish and eggs down earlier, didn't I?"

"You didn't eat much though," Boomer pointed out.

Welsknight still takes the offered sandwich. It's a plain meat and cheese sandwich, kept fresh with whatever magic Cub had. He'll have to thank the warden later. There's something about him though.

Wels needs to keep an eye on him.

Something nags in the back of his mind when he hears Bdubs laughter. It's louder than he remembered or maybe Wels' ears just didn't quite work like they used too.

"Bdubs, you really can't be the last lemon glare, can you?"

The shorter man flinches and Wels mentally kicks himself. There were probably better ways to ask that.

"I am. My siblings were killed when their trees were burned."

Wels' nods, in acknowledgement of the pain Bdubs went through. He opens his mouth to say something, but really, what can you say to something like that?

Instead, he pats Bdubs on the shoulder and helps him pack his things as an apology for bringing up the topic.

Bdubs passes his cloak to his friend to hold, then takes it back once he mounts his horse.

"Cub, are you riding with me again?"

"Actually, I'd like to ride with Welsknight. If you don't mind?"

Aside from the obvious timegap between now and the last time he had even ridden a horse, the knight tried to recall if he had ridden Kiwi with two people before. Kiwi used to pull the Christmas sleighs around town but pulling sleighs and holding two riders were two different things.

"Let Kiwi sniff you. If she likes you, she'll push her head into your hand. If she doesn't like you, then she'll back away from you."

Kiwi sniffed him, then snorted. She chuffed then moved forward until Cub was next to her instead of beside her.

"Well, I guess she approves of you. Climb up and hold tight."

Wels offers a hand to Cub who takes it and pulls himself up onto the saddle behind Welsknight. With a gentle kick, they're off. Neither man speaks, the tension between them noticeable enough that Bdubs and Boomer have traveled farther ahead to "scout" the area. Welsknight knows what he needs to do though.

After a few minutes more of silence, Wels slows Kiwis' pace a little bit more and clears his throat to get the scientists attention.

"Okay, so let's pretend yesterday didn't happen for a moment. I'm Welsknight. I just found out I've been sleeping for almost two hundred years and this isn't even my real body, apparently."

"Dr. Cub Fan135. I am a scientist and teacher at Crystal Cliffs Academy. Any notes that Doc and I ran across, you were labeled as an NPC. Doc was vaguely familiar but I had never heard the term before."

"Non-Player Character. Sam didn't want people to know what I actually was so he made up a story that I was a robot. That anything like me was just a robot and he was very, very good at making them look human. I remember that Sam said Dream, his admin, stopped by once, while he was making me. "

The memory came back, blurry and it sounded like he was underwater.

"Have you been taking lessons on lying from Tommy? A robot, Sam. Seriously?"

Dream poked him in the leg. Welsknight, although he wasn't quite Welsknight then, had been forced out of his body. Out of body experiences were not uncommon for him but each one had been by choice.

Never by force. 

Welsknight could see his body, the messy lab, the smoke that spilled out of Sam's mouth. He could see the dark green tendrils that slipped out from behind Dream's mask. He could feel the darkness.

He also got the feeling of being watched although Dream was still looking and facing towards Sam. 

It had been one of the few times Welsknight felt true fear.

Whatever Dream was, it was not friendly. 

I have no idea what you're talking about. He's a robot. What do you want Dream? I don't have time to dilly-dally." Sam asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I want a spare body."

"No."

"I can bring this entire castle down." Dream said, gesturing to the entire room. The earth shook and rumbled. 

Sam's fur was beginning to puff up. More smoke spilled from his mouth.

“Then you definitely won't get a body then. Dream, Death already wants me dead, you can't threaten me."

"XD will protect-"

"The hels he will! He doesn't protect Foolish or C-”

Green magic swirled around the room. It wrapped everything in a bright, neon light. It reminded Welsknight of spiderwebs. Or more fittingly, as Welsknight later learned, marionette strings. 

"THEY MADE THEIR CHOICE!"

Welsknight nearly fell out of his saddle, held up by only Cub. His times between bodies either left him with foggy memories or nothing at all.

"-kay? Wels, are you okay?"

"Y-yeah." He coughs. "I'm fine. Just remembered something. It happens."

"Ive never seen anyone react to memories like that before."

"I thought you said you were like me? No memories and all that."

"Well, it's been some time since I've been memory-less. I still have blanks though. And sometimes I feel like I'm getting close but the next thing I know, I lose it. All my progress towards that one specific thing, gone. It's maddening."

"Yeah. It is."

Wels, with Kiwi's reins in hand, urges her to catch up to their friends.

"Boomer, you've got memory problems right? Do you remember anything, ever?"

"I remember some things. But if you're asking about my life before I came here? Nah, man. Not much. I think I jumped too many times."

"Jumped?"

"Yep! Do you know what a Dev is?"

"Yeah. I know a few and I'm best friends with some of them."

"Have they lost their minds yet? It's a nasty side effect that no one likes to talk about. You lose your memories, your sense of self. You fade and you are not remembered by anyone."

“Eh, pretty sure they were already crazy to begin with. What about Admins?”

“People who keep their minds. Sometimes Dev’s are lucky and write stuff down to remember things. Sometimes they don't lose their minds. Sometimes, they have help from a god to remember things.”

"You can't just stop something like that," Bdubs said, then paused and asked again.

"Can you?"

Boomer shrugged, and guided his horse to avoid the low hanging branch. 

"I can still jump, B. I just chose not to. My hat told me to come back to Eret's Kingdom and that's when I found you guys storming the castle like you were replaying history."

"That's one way to word it. It will be night soon. How much farther are we going tonight?" Wels said, looking up towards the tree covered sky.

The forest seemed to creep in on them the further they traveled in. The winds are beginning to pick up and Wels shivers. It sounds like someone walking in a very old house as it shakes the leaves and makes the trees sway. He catches sight of orange particles and turns away, pretending they are fireflies.

"Up to you. I've traveled further on less sleep and been fine."

"Sam here but Bdubs is gonna need his beauty shreep soon."

"Hey! He's right but hey!" Bdubs is close enough to playfully shove Wels who shoves him back. Their horses snort.

They all chuckle. 

"We brought tents. But Church Prime seemed like that safest spot."

"It is. It's stood for nearly three hundred years and the vines have been swarming it for two hundred years. That doesn't include the three wars, the fires or demon summoning-" 

"What?" Cub asks.

"-and the fact that Lady Death herself killed another god there before these lands even existed. Oh the demon summoning?"

"That's a holy place. Even if someone didn't believe in the gods, they would be able to feel the energy rolling off that place in waves. How can a demon be summoned?"

"Oh, I said demon but we really summoned an angel. It's just, well, we preferred the demon. Because the angel that came out of it was a nightmare dude. Like you think demons are trouble, nah man, this one had them cowering. And in all my years of knowing Bad, I hadn't ever seen him cower."

"Speaking of Bad, what happened to him?"

"After the egg hatched and I crawled out of the rubble, he was just gone."

"But House Crimson took over after House Brine, right? If Bad disappeared, then who was next in charge?"

Boomer shrugged. “Uh, I don't really know actually. I kinda, just, left. Antfrost, maybe? Velvet? Hels, could have been some kid who thought that House Crimson was a bombass name and took it for themselves."

“Could have been Fundy.”

Welsknight and Boomer both turned their heads to look at Bdubs.

“What? Come on guys, think about it! Tommy, Tubbo, and Ranboo were in Snowchester. Wilbur was dead. Quackity had Las Nevadas and Technoblade would have never ruled over us. It could have been Ponk?”

Now that idea seemed more likely. 

“All Hail King Ponk!” Wels said. The words felt ridiculous in his mouth. “No, wait. President Ponk, actually.”

“Presdient Ponk has a nice ring to it. she would have liked that,” Boomer said with a sad chuckle.

The group breaks past the treeline and finds themselves in a small clearing. It had enough space for tents and a small fire, perfect for the night.

“Let's stop here for the night. I can help Cub set up tents if you guys want to go get some firewood to stay warm tonight. We're getting closer to the edge of the north and soon we'll need proper clothes. Bet you didn't think that one through, did you, ribbits?”

“Well no, but that's because I wasn't sure what to expect when my hat led me back here. It was hot because of the vines two hundred years ago! Felt like I was in the nether, man.”

He dismounts from his horse and ties him around the nearby tree. Bdubs, Wels, and Cub dismount as well, each wandering off to do their tasks. Welsknight hadn't set up a tent before but Cub guided him through it and laughed when he whacked himself in the face with one of the sticks. Wels flipped him off, earning him an eyeroll.

“Now, now, children. behave or I'm telling mom.”

‘Who's the mom here, dogs, cause it ain't me this time.”

Wels whipped his head around to face the frog hybrid.

“What do you mean this time?”

Boomer shrugs and says nothing. Wels tries to get him to answer but he refuses. In retaliation, Wels takes a tent stake and pokes him with it.

“Children!” Bdubs says in the most serious voice he can muster. To Wels's surprise, Cub breaks first and says, “I'm pretty sure Bdubs is the mom, and he just pretends he isn't."

“No way dude, that voice sounded like my dad or something.”

The fire gets going after that. Food is questionably safe further away from the main part of the Essempi but Wels decides that if he dies while eating, at least he'll have a full belly. He takes out his journal with the intention of trying to read it but Cub's tone stops him.

“So, Bdubs.”

The glare looks up at Cub. His eyes are getting brighter, almost like torch light although that might have been the way the firelight was reflected in them. Wels shuddered at that particular memory. Whatever Ponk did to those trees, even Sam was afraid of her after that.

“You said Eret wrote the books you gave me. Was it just him?”

“No,” and his voice turned a bit quieter. “My big brother helped them. He used to make the joke that he was the best at watchin’ and listenin’, being a wallflower and just, observin’ others. He said the few times he had been caught, people would completely freak out and so he turned it into a game, to see how close he could get to someone without him being noticed. He couldn't sneak up on Dream, Technoblade or even Philza. But he tried whenever he could.”

The air turns somber as Bdubs finally adds, “I think you woulda liked him, Cub. He was always pullin’ pranks and causing mischief.”

“I remember,” Boomer started, hoping to lighten the mood. “BigB, he either painted his skin grey or he was turning grey due to the winter months, but he pretended to be a shadow and followed Good around until he eventually went back wherever angels go. Good times, those were. Then everything went to shit.”

Wels chuckles. 

“We just can't seem to raise the mood at all, can we?”

Various noises of agreement echoed around him. He sighed and caught Bdubs's golden stare. He broke free and smirked when he heard Bdubs lurch forward. He looked around the forest they were in, having recognized the signs but not saying anything. 

He made eye contact with the tree behind him and blinked, causing the creaking to wobble forward. It bumped into Bdubs who shrieked.

“OI! STOP DOIN’ THAT!”

Welsknight smirked. 

“Never.”

It was an amusing little trick that he liked to pull with BigB, although Ponk wasn't too happy with him when he did it.

And while he wouldn't say that he was immune to the fiery gaze, Welsknight did know how to break free from it and not have the creature chase him. And as long as he didn't make eye contact with an Enderman, he should be fine.

Luck was not on his side.

Too focused on that task of collecting firewood, he ended up making contact with a creaking. He followed the orange particles that connected it to its tree and found himself face to face with an Enderman instead.

Its mouth unhinged and it shrieked.

“Shit,” he whispered, already beginning to freeze due to the haunting purple gaze.

He started to fall.

King Eret was the first to appear, face contorted in anger and disapproval. 

“You have failed me. You couldn't protect me when I needed you too and now I'm dead because of you. I strip you of your title and banish you from my realm!”

“Eret! Wait, please-”

“Punz is a much better knight than you are.”

Punz showed up next, and just like Eret, green strings were twisted around his neck.

“Poor little Wels. Funny how a human is much better at protecting his charge than a robot that was designed to do that.”

“No-nonono. I-I was good! I was a protector-”

He was falling again. 

Bdubs grabbed his skin, eyes ablaze. His mouth was wide open in a screech and it made the knights’ head ache. Wels tried to break free from the glares’ grip but Bdubs held on tightly. 

The screeching stopped, replaced by a feminine voice.

“||𝙹⚍ ℸ ̣⍑𝙹⚍⊣⍑ℸ ̣ ||𝙹⚍ ᓵ𝙹⚍ꖎ↸ ⍑╎↸ᒷ ⎓∷𝙹ᒲ ᒲᒷ, ∴-? ᒷ⍊ᒷ∷|| ᓭ𝙹⚍ꖎ ᓵ𝙹ᒲᒷᓭ ⚍リ↸ᒷ∷ ᒲ|| ᓵᔑ∷ᒷ ╎リ ℸ ̣⍑ᒷ╎∷ 𝙹∴リ ℸ ̣╎ᒲᒷ. ||𝙹⚍∷ᓭ ↸ᒷᓭᒷ∷⍊ᒷᓭ ᒷ⍊ᒷ∷|| !¡⚍リ╎ᓭ⍑ᒲᒷリℸ ̣ ℸ ̣⍑ᔑℸ ̣ ʖᒷ⎓ᔑꖎꖎᓭ ╎ℸ ̣!”

There was a name in there. Or maybe a title? 

“P-please,” he sobbed. “Please tell me what y-you want. What do you want from me?”

“I wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for you.” A male voice whispered in his ear but when he whipped his head around, Welsknight found nothing but cold air and dark, washed out woods. He stood up and looked around. There was no sound nor light anywhere, even as he walked in the direction that he knew the camp was.

Goosebumps crawled along his skin underneath his armor and he paused.

“Who's there? I'm not afraid of the gods.”

“You should be. After all, you turned me into what I am now, dad.” Pearl snarled. 

Welsknight whirled around to find her standing tall and with her teeth bared. She had two white wolves with her, each snarling and growling, waiting for the words from their master.

“What are you talking about?”

“Who told us to kill our father?” a deep voice asked. Ren stepped up next to his sister and Wels took a step back. His hands were covered in blood and he had something jagged in one hand.

“I didn't. Pearl, Ren, I didn't ask you to kill Rory. Where's Joel? He-”

“Joel is with the fishes.”

“But Lizzie-”

“She only wanted our crown and you gave it to her on a silver platter!” Pearl yelled and pulled out two daggers. 

Ren, Pearl and her wolves charged him and Wels let himself fall to the ground. But neither blade nor bone bit into him. Instead, a slightly pale hand touched his chestplate and pushed down on it, then released it to let it rise before doing it again. Suddenly, Welsknight realized how little oxygen he had been getting and his vision became less spotty.

“Knight, come on. Breathe with my hand. Deep breath for one, two, three, four. Hold for one, two, three, four. Okay now exhale for one, two, three, four. Come on. Do it with me.”

“Ribbits?” 

Gods above, his voice was shot. The scratchiness caught his throat and he coughed. It felt like someone had taken sandpaper and shoved it down his throat.

“Save your voice, man. Let's get you back to camp, okay? Can you walk?”

Welsknight nods and takes the offered hands to lift himself up. He stumbles a bit but is quickly rightened upwards. He looks around as they start walking back in the direction of the camp.

“What did you see? I know even without the memory issue it's a mess but I understand if you want to sit this one out and not say anything.”

Wels notices that Cub's eyes are an eerie teal in the darkness of the pale garden. His color palette makes him blend in, and Wels swallows.

“I heard your voice, Cub. I think I am your friend and I am so sorry for whatever I did to you.”

The warden looks taken back.

“You can't be him.”

“Maybe…not in this life. Boomer, how much farther?”

“Noon, tomorrow. Maybe evening.”

Wels shakes his head. “I need to go now.”

He wanders over to Kiwi, then decides against taking his horse. The skeletal mare nudges him and goes back to eating grass.

“Ill start walking and you guys can catch up in the morning.”

“If I had known you were so eager to talk to me, I would have shown up sooner. Although maybe I should make you walk through the frozen tundra with no protection.”

The group freezes and turns around as the wind quiets once more. There, sitting on a log next to the fire, is a man with golden antlers, a thick, brown furred coat and a bandana covering the lower half of his face.

Welsknight breaks the sudden silence with a single word.

“Callahan.”