When you awoke, you felt so disoriented that moving felt akin to swimming through molasses. Sunlight was beginning to peek in through the temple's broken windows, but instead of hurriedly leaving your spot on the floor, you stared up at the temple's roof.
There was no way that had been real, right? It was just the imagination of someone with too many old stories rattling around in their head.
But...
You clenched the blanket in your grasp tighter.
You could still feel the roughly scraped smiley face etched into Clay's mask on your fingertips. Even worse, you could still remember things that weren't in the dream. You somehow knew that there were armies of them - of the people with the masks. All the same. That had been the point of them in the first place.
If you took their faces, took what made them human, eventually they would become something... else. Something that didn't feel.
Did they still exist? Would you be able to tell Clay apart from any number of them if they did exist? Was Clay even real?
You pulled your blanket up over your head and let out an unsteady breath.
This seemed like a problem for later. Whether or not Clay was real, whether or not that dream was real, you still had things to do. Existential crises could come later.
You carefully folded up your blanket and set it aside. First things first: breakfast. Then, you'd begin hunting creepers in the forest. In the beginning, you had been afraid of them, but they were sort of normal to you now.
You stood up and winced at the pain in your back – sleeping on solid stone was really doing a number on your spine – as you stretched your arms as best as you could. The dog – who you were pretty sure Technoblade had named Princess – was watching you carefully as you moved from her corner of the temple.
"Hey there," you greeted her gently.
She bared her teeth at you in warning, and you sighed dejectedly. She must not have forgiven you for kicking her mid-battle yet. To be fair, you still hadn't quite forgiven her for taking a chunk out of your leg.
"You're the one who bit me," you huffed. "I was just defending myself."
Suddenly, she rose to her feet and began scenting the air, causing you to take a cautious step back. Yeah, you definitely weren't quite over the whole leg thing.
"What?" you asked her. "Do you smell something to eat? Preferably that's not me, but..."
Her tongue lolled out of her mouth as she stared outside the temple, and as you leaned over to see what she was staring at, she bolted outside, barking excitedly. You flinched back as she ran by you, but she seemed more concerned with what was outside.
"That better be a squirrel or-"
You froze in the entryway to the temple. The lead Butcher with the scar – Quackity, the one mentioned in your dream – stood just past the clearing, a diamond axe in hand and the dog wagging happily at his feet.
Your heartbeat thudded loudly in your ears as you drew the diamond sword that you stole, and for a moment, you considered yelling for Technoblade, but you remembered the warning in your dream.
Save Quackity from Technoblade.
What you would give to be able to simply call for Technoblade and let him have his revenge for... whatever it was that Quackity had done. But if this dream was real, if it was a message from your goddess, then there was no way you could let Technoblade know that Quackity was here.
Slowly stepping out of the temple, you carefully eyed Quackity. He seemed... normal. Just another Butcher. How important could he possibly be?
"What do you want?" you asked.
Much to your surprise, Quackity just smiled at you and stepped out from the undergrowth.
"I'm surprised you're alive," Quackity said. "I'm glad, though. You didn't deserve to die like that – wounded and alone in the woods."
"You were the one trying to kill me," you pointed out with a snort. "Don't expect me to believe that shit."
Quackity cocked his head to the side curiously. You felt as if you were being examined; although, you couldn't imagine why.
"I found you, you know," Quackity said. "You were bleeding out at the bottom of that hill. I could have slit your throat there or drawn Technoblade away from you. If I had wanted you dead, you'd be dead."
He had been there. You didn't know why or how, but he had been there.
Why?
Why had he and the others hunted you down? You were forced to leave your home, to retreat to this place in the forest with the Blood God, and for what? If he hadn't wanted to kill you, then why?
"You're lying," you bluffed with a scoff. "You were just too scared to kill me with Technoblade hunting you, that's all. You're just a little duckling with your feathers all ruffled trying to act bigger than you are."
Quackity just smiled at you and fiddled with the axe in his hand. He reached down to pet the dog at his feet, and the little traitor rolled over on her stomach with her tail wagging wildly.
You were hoping for some real answers, or at least a reaction to give away his intentions, but Quackity hadn't fallen for it.
"If you wanted to know why I didn't kill you, then you could just ask."
You grit your teeth together as annoyance bubbled up in your chest. Why couldn't he just come out with it? He should just do or say whatever he was here to do or say instead of implying things and baiting you into asking.
"Fine. Why didn't you kill me?" you asked.
"Simple. I think you're going to be incredibly useful," he answered.
"Useful for what?"
Suddenly, Quackity's expression turned dark as his gaze focused on something - or, more likely, someone - behind you. You shot a glance over your shoulder as the sound of footsteps greeted your ears.
Technoblade, armored in a strange purple armor, was approaching quickly from the inner sanctum, his sword already drawn and clutched in his hand.
"Techno," Quackity said darkly.
"Quackity," Technoblade responded. "Here to lose another life?"
Another life? you wondered.
It was extremely rare for people to be born with more than one life, and most didn't even know they had more than one until they died. The thought of someone like Quackity having multiple lives made you want to rip his head from his body. Your family, who had been so good, had died with only one life, but someone like Quackity was born with more. What a waste.
"I'm not losing anything, Techno," Quackity said lowly.
"Sure," Technoblade laughed. "How about you come here, and we put that to the test?"
Technoblade took a step forward to stand beside you, but Quackity intervened before he could move.
"No, no, no. You stay right fucking there," Quackity commanded, holding up something in his left hand that you couldn't quite make out. "You know what this is? You know what this is, Techno?"
Realization struck you, and your arm shot out to block Technoblade from moving forward.
"That's a dead man's switch," you said breathlessly. "If he stops pressing it, something's going to explode."
"And I bet you know where I put that fucking TNT," Quackity continued smugly. "Right under your fucking feet."
"He's bluffin'," Technoblade scoffed. "I'd know if there was TNT under my own temple."
"Would you, Techno?" Quackity yelled. "Would you fu-"
"Hey!" you snapped.
Quackity's gaze shot back to you, and you took a shaky breath to try and calm your racing mind. There had to be a way out of this, but you sure as hell didn't know what that way out was.
You glanced over your shoulder at Technoblade uncertainly. From the tense lines of his shoulders, you were pretty sure that he was ready to kill Quackity, consequences be damned. He was a god, so he'd probably survive the blast, but you were very much a mortal. Exploding into a bunch of little pieces wasn't exactly on your to-do list.
"Okay," you took another steadying breath. "What do you want, Quackity?"
"I want a lot of things," Quackity answered with a laugh, "and Techno's head on a stick is one of them."
"But why are you here?"
You watched as Quackity's grip tightened on on the switch in his hand. A shudder ran through you at the thought of what would happen if he pressed it.
"Okay listen, Quackity," you said, raising your hands placatingly. "We don't have to do this. All of us can just walk away. Don't you want that? Because if you explode this place, I'll die, but Technoblade's still going to kill you. If you leave now, we won't follow. Right Technoblade?"
There was silence from behind you, so you turned to fix him with a meaningful look, but you couldn't see anything sort of emotion in his eyes since he had that damn mask on.
He shifted from foot to foot before nodding sharply. You let out a sigh of relief at the motion.
"See? No one gets hurt."
"Sorry," Quackity said, head held high and eyes glimmering with poorly concealed mirth, "but someone always gets hurt. Why don't you ask Techno about that one?"
The switch flipped with a click as Quackity released it, and you stumbled forward as the ground below you shook. Much to your surprise, you didn't instantly explode into a million pieces. Instead Technoblade collapsed to the ground like a marinette whose strings were cut.
Panic squeezed your lungs and filled your chest at the sight of the Blood God, your... friend, doubled over on the ground, clutching his side in pain. A pained wheeze escaped his throat, and your panic morphed into rage.
You drew your sword and pointed it in Quackity's direction. His gaze turned from Technoblade to you, and he gave you a lazy grin.
"What did you do?" you hissed out.
"Aw, little Technoblade didn't tell you?" Quackity jeered, stepping back into the undergrowth. "Better ask him before he dies. And I'd hurry up, if I were you."
You took a step forward as he retreated into the safety of the forest, but you hesitated as Technoblade coughed pitifully behind you.
"Fuck," you grit out as you sheathed your sword and ran to Technoblade's side.
Unsure if you were allowed to touch him, you clutched at the grass on the ground, ripping it out instead of checking him for injuries. Either way, you were certain that you wouldn't find any visible wounds.
"What happened?" you asked him. "What do I need to do?"
"Give me a sec," he mumbled.
You watched helplessly as he pressed his head into the ground, fist curling into the grass beside him as his body shook with pain.
"I'm bound here," he finally gasps out. "I feel the temple like it's me. It-It was supposed to keep my essence safe, but-"
"Isn't there a way to stop it? Can't you just... unbind yourself from this place?" you asked. "There's gotta be another way."
He shook his head.
"It's old magic. Somethin' my friend had figured out. Can't exactly find some more livin' stone out here."
"Living stone?" you breathed out. "Do you need something alive to bind-"
You cut yourself off as a series of howls rang out through the forest. Fear shuddered down your spine at the noise.
"Well," Technoblade laughed, "I guess the rest of the Butcher Army is here."
Without thinking, you grabbed onto his arm and attempted to haul him to his feet, but he stayed firmly planted on the ground.
"C'mon," you hissed out, breath coming out erratically. "We gotta get out of here."
"No, you gotta get outa here," he huffed, pulling his arm back to cradle his stomach. "I really don't want to die, my brand'll be ruined, but I'll respawn."
"Respawn where?" you asked pointedly.
Your gaze searched the edge of the clearing, watching closely for movement. They had to be close, any minute now they'd come bursting forth from the treeline.
Panic seized your throat at the thought.
"Dunno. Quackity probably destroyed everything down there."
"You'll respawn in a city, Technoblade," you hissed out. "I'm sure the Butcher Army has already set up a trap."
A memory arose, unbidden, of the smooth yellow stone of the end and the glittering gems that decorated Spawn. You tried not to focus on that too hard.
"Well, what do you suggest? I tie my life force to you?" he laughed weakly.
"Well, yeah."
"Heh?"
A series of shouts came from nearby, but you ignored the itch in your legs to run. You didn't even know him that well, but this whole thing was complicated. He was a god, but you had been instructed (probably... maybe...) to keep him safe. Technoblade wasn't a bad man (god, you reminded yourself), that much you could tell already, so you couldn't leave him here no matter what you were told to do.
"Look," you said in a hushed tone, "I know that we don't really know each other that well, and I'm just some mortal that stumbled across your temple, but I need you to trust me on this. You know that they'll kill you, and it won't matter how many lives you have left, or if you can even die, because I guarantee that they've trapped your respawn point. Please, just do whatever it is that you need to do to unbind yourself, or whatever, and let's get out of here."
Even though the mask hides his expression, you know that he's doubtful. In his situation, you weren't even sure if you would trust yourself with this. You weren't exactly sure why he was bound with old magic or even what it meant to be bound, but you could tell it was sacred.
The Butcher Army was close, though. There wasn't time to ask, and there wasn't time for much of a choice.
"Fine," he huffs. "Cut your hand on your sword, just enough to bleed."
You did as instructed, hissing against the cool bite of the diamond blade. He reached for the sword, and you let him take it.
Part of you expected his blood to be golden or silver - something rare and beautiful - as he sliced his own palm, but his blood was as red as yours.
"Are you sure about this?" he grunted, keeling over again as a fresh wave of pain shuddered through him.
"Yeah. Might as well just do it," you said with a nervous laugh.
"Great," he said dryly. "This is gonna hurt. A lot."
Technoblade outstretched his hand, bloody palm up, and you swallowed nervously. You could hear the Butcher Army now, though, just outside the treeline. It was now or never.
You placed your hand over his, letting your blood mingle with his. His palm was unnaturally warm, and the slide of blood over his palm made you feel slightly nauseous with nerves. For a moment, there was nothing - just a quiet hum in the back of your head that felt like raw magic - and then it hit you.
The air punched out of your lunges in a sharp breath, and pain shot up your spine to jab at the back of your neck. A warm presence pressed gently against your own consciousness as your body shook with tremors.
Nether heat. Raw wounds on wrists and ankles. Soft chanting in foreign voices. Where is dad? Where is mom? Where are Leda and Castor and Pollux? Iron slipping over tongue. Teeth sinking into throats. Blood burning in eyes. Everything red hot. Why? Why? Why?
Blood for the Blood God.
You were tugged to your feet and forced to stumble blindly after Technoblade. Fire burned your lungs with every breath, but you managed to keep up with him. Technoblade seemed just as disoriented, pressing his hand into the side of trees to keep himself standing.
South. You were heading south. An internal compass seems to light your way.
"They're trying to drive us south, closer to the city," Technoblade managed to grit out. "So we need to-"
"-head north," you finished for him.
Carl. Get Carl.
"Carl," you choked out at the same time he did.
The presence in the back of your mind whispered of horserunhoovesfastnorth. The world seemed to spin at that, and you felt yourself crumble to the ground to vomit.
You were pulled up by an arm around your midsection and pulled further into the forest by a hand on your arm. Trees passed, and the path became rocky.
Technoblade stopped at some point, leaning against a bush, and you felt his consciousness beginning to fade. You grabbed his arm and threw it over your shoulders. He leaned against you as you began to haul him along despite your own fading strength.
There was a cave. A button. You paused to dry heave, and when you resurfaced, you were being hauled up onto the back of a diamond plated horse.
Technoblade sat in front of you, and you clenched your hands in his red cape to steady yourself.
"Hold on," he croaked out.
And, really, there wasn't a choice, was there? Not when you could now hear a thousand voices chanting Blood for the Blood God and pain pierced your body at every movement. What was even stranger was the unsteady presence in the back of your mind. You could feel the strands of your own consciousness tying together with his, reaching out blindly to bind the deepest parts of you with him.
This, you realize as the horse - Carl, your mind supplies - gallops along the cliffside, was not what you had expected when you woke up this morning.
Hopefully this wasn't permanent.