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.”