[DISCONTINUED] Deities [Dream SMP AU]

Chapter 7

                                   A shadow stomped around in a gloomy, gray palace ruin. It raised its head when a larger, dark shadow whisked by with a growl. The first shadow followed the darker one quickly.

                                   "Did you do your job correctly?" The darker shadow hissed, not looking down at the first shadow.

                                   "N-no sir-"

                                     "Worthless maggot!" The taller shadow growled, turning abruptly and whacking the smaller into a pillar.

                                     The shorter yelped in pain, a crack rising up the gray stone and bits of the pillar littered down.

                                      "Fuck it up again," The taller seethed. "And I will personally rip out your life spark."

                                     "Y-yes sir!" The smaller shadow scrambled to its feet and saluted, wincing a bit. "I won't fail you again, sir!"

                                    "You best not." The taller flexed long claws and walked away, the shorter shadow slumping once it was gone.

                                      "Those scouts will be dead soon," The shadow hissed.

                                                                 ********

                                        Eret hummed, oblivious to the current events going on outside. He was busy sorting through a junk chest in a tower and hadn't checked chat in a while, having been very focused. He shoved one last item in and sat back with a sigh.

                                         He began to munch on a baked potato and opened chat. Eret nearly choked on a bite of the vegetable when he read some of the messages.


<The_Eret> What the hell happened??? Is everyone okay???

After a moment, a message from Technoblade.

<Technoblade> I mean, I guess? Nearly died to some shadow trex thing, met some god thingies and George nearly died. So yeah, we're okay lol

<The_Eret> Holy shit. Where are you guys?

<Technoblade> Just a little bit down the river from your castle.

<The_Eret> Okay, I'm on my waybgehge

                                    Eret yelped when he hit a wall, glasses and crown flying off. He grunted and turned. Blood drizzled from his nose. He gasped.
                                  A lanky shadow thing stood right where Eret had been sitting. It had large antlers like an elk and a Cheshire-cat smile. Where its eyes would be sat eye sockets.

                                   "What the fuck.." Eret breathed, taking out his sword.

                                    "Stupid human," The shadow snarled. 

                                    Eret narrowed his eyes and instead rushed to the ladder and down it. An angry screech could be heard as he left the tower. He opened chat and began to run. The air had become incredibly cold in the tower, and warmer as he left the shadow behind. 

<Technoblade> Uh... okay?

<The_Eret> So uh. Shadow things, am I right? Hahah. One tried to kill me or something.

<Technoblade> Oh ok

<The_Eret> Anyway I'm on my way.

                                     Eret closed the chat and focused on going down the river. He sighed. He didn't have enough time to grab his glasses and crown, so he'd have to deal with.. Things. He heard voices soon, they weren't very far from his castle apparently. 
                                      
                                     "Eret!!" Tubbo yelled, running over and giving him a hug.

                                     "Hey Tubbo-" Eret chuckled. He pat the brunette on the head.

                                     A pair of giant dog-like creatures walked up to Eret. One was a dark blue with patches of ice replacing its skin while the other was a light blue with bones showing. The navy blue one wore a flower crown of tulips while the other wore one of marigolds.
        
                                     "We heard you were attacked by a shadowling," The light blue one spoke. Eret blinked in surprise, then found his words. 

                                      "What's a shadowling?-" Eret asked.

                                      Wilbur began to quickly explain what they were, and they went over to where George was sitting on a crafting table. A pair of smaller dogs were sat by him. Technoblade was sitting in the grass messing with his axe, Tommy sat beside him, talking about something that the tusked man wasn't paying attention to.
                                       
                                        "So you're gods and goddesses from another realm?" Eret asked as he sat down in the blue-green grass across from Techno and Tommy. Tubbo plopped down beside the blonde.

                                         "Yes." The navy blue one, Neptune, confirmed, laying beside the white-eyed man.

                                         "Cool."

                                         Uranus sat beside Neptune. "We've been fighting the shadowlings for millions of years," She flicked her ears. "We were defeated after a battle a few centuries ago. But we've gotten stronger since then."

                                         Eret nodded.

                                          Bad plopped down on the other side of Eret, Skeppy at his side. "So what happened?"

                                         "Well, I told you I was attacked by a 'shadowling'. I was just sorting a junk chest into multiple chests, and had a moment to take a break. I was looking through chat and then flung into a wall." He rubbed his nose softly. "I got a little nosebleed from hitting the wall so hard. The shadow made me lose my glasses and crown."

                                           "Why do you hide your eyes, though, Eret?" Skeppy questioned. 

                                            Eret shrugged.

                                            "So what happened after that?" Bad hummed.

                                            "I ran. It took off a chunk of hearts, even with netherite on."

                                            "That happened when we first encountered the shadowlings," Techno spoke up. "One scratched me and it took a lot of hearts off."

                                              "Shadowlings are powerful," Neptune sighed. "That is why we were defeated in the first place. The court of Escabaria had decided we back down."

                                             "I remember that day, as clear as water," Uranus huffed. "You got very angry at them, though." She chuckled and nudged Neptune slightly.

                                             The navy blue colored god grunted.

                                             "Wait, really?" Pluto gasped. Eris looked as shocked as her companion sounded.

                                             "I forget you hadn't completed your training at that time." Uranus hummed and settled into the grass slowly.

                                             "Woah, training?" Quackity waved his hands in front of him. "You had to train for that stuff?"

                                              "Of course," Neptune shifted to look at the man. "We are not created with our skills and power. We learn to take control of it and to use it wisely."

                                              "Woah." Tubbo breathed.

                                              Schlatt huffed and propped his elbow on his knee, resting his chin in his palm. 

                                             "Being a deity is kinda hard," Pluto huffed. "But it's soo annoying when people call you a demigod or demigoddess. Ugh."

                                             "It's annoying as hell." Eris hissed.

                                             "Big rip." Tommy snorted.

                                           The group began to move onto other topics, laughing and retelling the stories of bad and good times.



                                                               ********

                                            "Did you do it?"

                                            "I failed, sir."

                                             Silence.

                                             Then a bone chilling scream of agony.