Kenny grabbed Karen and dodged to the side as warriors charged.
"Oh fuck fuck fuck!" Kenny hissed and shielded her as a spear exploded in a cloud of ice just a few feet away. Ice shards embedded themselves in the skin of anyone nearby. "Goddamnit, Hemlock!"
Karen held onto his jacket.
"Can you summon any animals to help?" Kenny shouted between breaths as they ran across the field.
"Maybe if we were closer to the forest!" Karen struggled to keep up. Kenny had the experience of running from security guards in the mall and teachers. She probably didn't make escapes often.
Kenny nodded and pulled her behind a large rock. A small moment of cover before they ran on again. Most monsters were concerned with the dangerous fey instead of two scuttling humans. Kenny ducked into the forest and ran until the battlefield couldn't be seen. His chest shook from adrenaline and rattled breaths as he leaned against a tree.
"Summon your best, like a dragon or giant wolf. Something that won't kill us." Kenny didn't want to go back into battle, but he totally wouldn't turn down a ride on the back of a giant wolf. What a way to go.
Karen scrunched her face in concentration. "Ummm… Please help, animals."
Kenny frowned. "So convincing."
"Like you can do any better!" Karen retorted, she tried again.
Kenny glanced around the forest, not expecting to see anything. "Wait, is that a goat?"
Karen flipped around, her eyes beaming. "Where?"
Kenny pointed to a scraggly looking animal that hobbled towards them on stiff legs.
It came into their small shelter of trees and stood on spindly legs.
"It looks kinda… Fat." Its stomach was a bit bloated, Kenn was surprised the old beast was still standing. Kenny reached out for it. It dodged away with unbelievable speed as his hand drew near. "What the- get back here!" Kenny took personal offense and sprinted after the goat.
Karen grabbed his jacket. "Wait! That's not a goat, idiot."
"Whatever, just call another animal." Kenny glared at the not goat as it chewed on a flower while absent-mindedly looking in his direction. He could swear the animal had a smug air about it. Karen took slow steps toward it.
"Aren't you beautiful." She whispered. The goat held its head up higher as if pleased. Karen kneeled down and picked one of the glassy flowers. She held it up to the goat. The goat sniffed it, and then ate it with yellow teeth. "See, she's nice."
Karen stood and the animal allowed her to pet it.
"Wait Karen, I wouldn't-" Kenny objected as she began to climb on its back.
"Kenny she won't hurt me. Unicorns are nice." Karen rolled her eyes. Kenny stared at the goat dumb found. Sure, Karen was an adolescent, but she wasn't a little kid. Kenny couldn't see how she thought a gassy goat was a unicorn.
"Blind as always." A silvery voice whispered next to him.
Kenny jumped, Nettle smiled up at him.
"Majestic." She waved her hand towards Karen.
The goat was gone, instead a white stallion with an ivory mane that flowed down its back like ocean waves stood before him. A spiraling horn with a sharp point dazzled in the light as the creature pawed at the ground.
"Okay, now I really don't recommend being up there."
"Can I bring her home!" Karen ran a hand down the swirling mane. "I promise to treat her like a Queen!"
"Sorry to interrupt, but I am calling in my favor." Nettle interjected and stepped in front of Kenny.
"What? Now?" Kenny glanced at Karen. "I'm kinda in the middle of something. How did you even get here?"
"I traveled through the trees. It's quite freeing when my spirit is within the roots. It might cause you some discomfort, though." Nettle placed a hand on Kenny's arm.
"No, I'm not going! I have to-"
Her small hand pressed against the nearest tree and everything disappeared. Surprisingly, dirt smells like dirt. Kenny wanted to scream, but he didn't have a mouth. Or a physical form, so how could he smell? He popped out before he had long to contemplate the cruelty of life. His legs buckled and he coughed up a mouthful of soil and bugs.
"Neat, humans can survive spiritual transportation." Nettle pulled Kenny up from his fetal position and patted his shoulders off.
"What… The fuck?" Kenny panted as he spit the taste of earth from his mouth.
"We had a deal, you are bound. My favor, save my tree." Nettle stared up at him with pleading eyes, as if he had a choice in the matter. "Your sister will be safe under the protection of the horned one."
"Fine, fine!" Kenny forced the rising bile back down and steadied himself. Worry and anger threatened to make him stomp back to Karen, but he knew it'd be in vain. He would save Nettle's stupid tree and get back via dirt travel. Kenny was vaguely worried that other orifices would be filled with dirt, but he didn't have any choice.
Nettle pulled him along to a small clearing. They his behind a low boulder. Smoke rose up from a small fire, a battalion of goblins hobbled around it. Their green piggish faces were in permanent scowls as they threw rocks at birds and basked in their odor. The snow was melted in several places, scorch marks bleed up nearby trees with blackened branches.
"They're killing trees. They've already started two forest fires, I've managed to put both out." Nettle looked exhausted, dark circles lined her eyes.
"Why didn't you just get the other nymphs to beat them up?" Kenny sighed and watched the hobgoblins throw twigs into the fire.
"We are not warriors, and if we died our trees would perish anyway." Nettle pressed her lips together. "I don't condone murder, but these creatures only exist to do evil. And I fear more will follow, there are already other evils lurking around. They must have strayed in from the dark army."
Kenny felt the weight of his weapons. Could he actually bring himself to use them? After all the goblins were kinda cute, in an ugly way. As he was deciding, one perked it's large, leathery ears up. It pointed at Kenny with a squealing shriek.
Kenny turned to Nettle, only to find an empty space. She definitely wasn't a warrior.
"Okay now, I don't want to hurt you." Kenny stood as the small beasts circled him. They were probably only three feet at the most, but they had an assortment of sharp spears and torches. "But you gotta go. Shoo." Kenny waved his hands.
The goblins stated at him with beady eyes, they grunted to each other in a guttural language.
"See, you guys are kinda cute. If it'd been orcs I wouldn't have hesitated to stab an ass, but you guys are just- ouch!" Kenny hopped away as a spear dug into his side. "Well I'm going to feel absolutely terrible later, but I have shit to do." Kenny pulled the small pistol from his waistband in one hand, thanks Jimbo, his knife in the other. "One more chance to go." Kenny said hopefully. A few bared blood stained teeth while the others began stabbing him to see how tender he was.
"Okay."
Nettle grimaced as Kenny threw his weapons down and kicked them under a spiky bush. "Okay, I'm going to hell. Take me back now." Kenny grabbed Nettle's arm and touched the nearest tree. "Please." He begged, the battle must be well underway. It'd be nearly impossible to find Karen on that open field.
Nettle nodded and suddenly everything smelled like dirt.
Kenny was prepared and stumbled into a tree this time. They were at the tree line, the bloody battle only feet away. Kenny coughed up all the dirt he could and scanned the crowd.
"I wish you luck, hero." Nettle's voice whispered in the wind.
Tweek gripped the cold dagger, his knuckles turning white from the stress. Adrenaline swept through his veins, and nearly overwhelmed his fear. Nearly. Craig had cloaked him under layers and layers of powerful magic to make him appear as a dark fey, yet he couldn't help but feel like he'd get recognized and stabbed. With all the blood lust on the battlefield, Tweek wouldn't be surprised if he was killed by friendly fire. Friendly stab? Friendly claw? None of the monsters had guns, just sharp teeth, long claws, deadly magic, not to mention swords, knives, maces. All that fun stuff.
Craig, unfortunately, drew a lot of attention. Whether it was his powerful status or terrifying demeanor, Tweek couldn't tell because frankly both scared him, and he wasn't even Craig's enemy. Most who noticed him in the heat of the battle were distracted enough to be sliced down by High fey, arrows, or Gelidus' claws, which seemed to swoop in from nowhere. Craig took care of the rest with a long sword he'd conjured.
As they sprinted across the field it became more dense. The fighting like a huge mass of writhing maggots. Tweek was sure his lower half was completely covered in blood. Every time he stepped on something even remotely squishy, a shiver swept down his spine.
It wasn't hard to distinguish between normal dark fey and the King, his power radiated like Craig's. The same feel, yet Tweek could tell them apart. Craig pulled Tweek through the crowd, dodging under a flying spear.
The battle near the middle wasn't as dense, but it was more dangerous than the outskirts. A dazzling woman in light armour made repeated jabs at the King, around his feet bloomed thick roots and vines to trip him.
Craig narrowed his eyes, "That is the Queen of the High fey, Verenestra. Let's hope she doesn't kill us."
"B-but we're on her side." Tweek responded over the sound of the battle screams.
"She may not know that."
As much as The Queen was doing, the King equally matched her power. Ice stabbed through the ground in sharp stabs, the air turned into a minefield of razor sharp snowflakes. The Queen pulled back as the dark King threw out a sharp icicle, stabbing her in the abdomen. Like a flash of lightning, Craig had thrown one of his daggers. A barrier of ice stopped the projectile before it ever touched the King, but Craig had distracted him long enough to run onto the field. The Queen staggered back and was quickly removed by two Knights. She fought against their arms, but stopped once she spotted Craig.
Tweek's heart squeezed as his feet glued him in place. Meanwhile Craig approached his father, his feet barely touching the ground.
"Son. You should've run away to the puny mortal world, at least you would have had more time alive." The King rumbled.
Craig gripped his sword tightly and took controlled breaths. In, out. In, out.
"Look how easily they fall." The King waved a hand to Verenestra, who was nearly out of the clearing. "The humans are mere sheep compared, the world belongs to us!" The kind roared. "You're weak! We are strong! And we are rightfully taking our place."
Craig lowered his body and raised his sword. "Enough."
"Do you think your petty magic can disguise that human from me?" The King met Tweek's eyes. Tweek's breath hitched as his swirling red orbs threatened to hypnotized him. No, no, no. Craig warned you. Tweek hadn't ever noticed he had been raising his dagger. He forced his arm down. He wanted to throw out some witty remark, yet his throat was glued shut.
"I said enough!" Craig ran at the King and slashed upwards. His sword exploded against a wall of ice.
"You'll have to do better than that!" The King brought down a hail storm of ice shards. They cut Craig's skin in small slivers. Craig hissed and slashed again. The King blocked the blow with a metal gauntlet and pushed Craig back. Craig took small steps back only to be caught off balance by a thick root. He fell backwards, his eyes darting to Tweek as the King approached.
Tweek felt his heart beating out of his chest as he ran around the back of the King. The good thing about being underestimated and basically ignored, they never expect you to shove a silver dagger up into their arm. The King screamed as dark blood streamed down the side of Tweek's blade. Tweeks hands slipped as he attempted to pull it back out.
"Move!" Craig cried out.
Tweek was too slow, the King had flung around at the pain and elbowed Tweek in the temple. Tweek stumbled to the ground, small stars flashing across his vision.
The King pulled the dagger out easily and flung it to the ground. "What a foolish decision." He summoned a long blade made of ice and stood over Tweek. "You have been a pain. I will enjoy this." The King growled and kicked Tweek back to the ground, a soft yelp forced from his throat like an animal. His bruises would truly never heal. Another kick, Tweek lost his breath and rolled onto his side.
Craig exploded. Anger, and primal instinct, overwhelmed him. The ground froze solid beneath him, the air condensed. Pure power rushed through his veins like liquid nitrogen. Bystanders forgot their fights as shock spread over the field in a massive wave.
Tweek dug his heels into the ground as he attempted to crawl backwards. Ice threatened to creep up over his limbs. The Dark King seemed to forget Tweek as Craig threw himself onto the tall form.
Only it didn't look like Craig, it's sharp teeth and hatred filled eyes weren't Craig. Tweek gaped as the two flailed around.
Craig tore at the King with sharp nails that hit his metal armor with such force sparks flew. A savage monster. Craig was showing his true colors.
The King fought back, but his stabbing ice did little against Craig's frenzy. A well placed swing and Craig tore deep into the King's cheek, cold blood streamed freely over exposed bone. Craig pulled back at the injured howl the King emitted, blue dripping from his aching hand. His chest heaved as the world tilted, never had he exerted such force. His knees buckled as the King pressed a hand to his mutilated face. His eyes burned with rage as Craig fell to the snow. Small blue lights danced across his vision like small portals to another realm, Craig couldn't focus well enough to see the other side. The King hissed and laid his sword against Craig's cheek.
"An eye for an eye." The King slowly dug the blade into his tender flesh. Craig couldn't see the point in this display of sadism as he'd be killed shortly after. It was purely unnecessary vengeance. He couldn't even bring himself to groan out as dull pain attempted to reach him. Instead of cold fire it felt vaguely like a bug trying to bite him through silk. He closed his eyes. And suddenly the pain was gone, instead he got to see the blue realm.
Tweek wasn't sure what possessed him to act the way he did. He didn't know how his insignificant dagger ended up buried up to the hilt underneath the King's arm. One second he'd been petrified on the ground as the King shouted to the crowd in triumph, poised to kill his only threat to the throne. The next he was on his feet, a very surprised tyrant staring down at him. Tweek pulled back, his brain catching up with his body. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he'd struck the heart. A mildly important part of the body.
The King staggered backwards, his sword dropped to the snow. He reached around and pulled out the dagger, the whole blade a glistening blue. His attention turned away from Tweek as he attempted to walk to his army.
Tweek was shaking so bad that his only option was to collapse next to Craig. His arms felt like noodles, but he managed to lift Craig enough to hold onto him.
Spectators stepped back, royal guards and Knights not willing to take the dying King. His body fell to the ground, already becoming elements. Ice ribs and dirt flesh covered in dark velvets and metals. Gelidus landed behind Tweek with a thud, his breath blowing against Tweek's blond hair.
"I-is he…" Tweek swallowed, his dry throat unable to form the words. The armies stood by, unable to decide if they should be killing one another.
"We must go, fighting will likely break out once more. Ideas last even after death." Gelidus shook his head, his white eyes staring down the crowd as if daring them to approach. No one dared.
"I can't-" Tweek looked down at Craig, tears rolled down his cheeks and mixed with Craig's blood. Tweek didn't know how to stop the bleeding.
Gelidus made a 'hmp' sound and narrowed his eyes. "I will assist the new King as a sign of good will." He leaned down and bit Tweek's cape. As Tweek was jerked up he suddenly understood why kittens cry so loudly when their mamas pick them up. His legs failed as he landed on Gelidus' back. Apart from nearly being choked, he seemed fine. Craig was set between Tweek and the back of Gelidus' wings, a snug cove. "Hold on."
Kenny had only run onto the field when everything stopped. Powerful magic jolted through his skin and into his bones, he would have fallen to the ground had two hands not grabbed his shoulder.
"Kenny, so you live." Bas smiled at him, a grotesque sight as blood stained parts of his face.
"Have you seen Karen?" Kenny's inside felt like magically scrambled eggs, but he managed to keep standing.
"Did you feel that? It is dark power. Something terrible must be happening, I hope the Queen is alive." Bas stared off into the distance with sad eyes, as if trying to see the action. "Come with me. Hemlock wants all the humans to go back, as the fight finishes here there are still monsters in South Park. I will be going too, I will be able to see the ashes of the dead." Kenny hadn't even noticed they'd been jogging away until they reached the end of the army. Bas was excellent at distractions.
Kenny stared back at the battlefield. "First he wants to preserve us, now he's sending us back? I just want a nap." Kenny leaned against Bas' shoulder as he spit out a ladybug. "Gross."
"The armies in South Park will be a piece of cake, do not worry."
Kenny couldn't be more relieved to leave the battle, even at a standstill he was scared for his life. Bas followed an invisible path into a snowy cave. The cave was glowing from soft mosses and mushrooms, and a small tear in reality. Kenny recognized the other world. Home.
Tweek collapsed onto the courtyard. Gelidus snorted at his gracelessness. Instantly elven servants ran out to marvel at the two ton dragon that had dropped into the middle of the castle's garden.
"Take care of this boy." Gelidus folded his wings as two maids rushed forward. Before Tweek could stand up, Craig was gone. Hopefully to a doctor and not the dungeon.
Gelidus turned and shifted on his feet as he prepared to take off.
"Wait! You're leaving already? We just got here." Tweek furrowed his eyebrows.
"Everything comes to an end, my journey with you has just met its." Tweek stared up at him with unintentionally sad eyes. Gelidus sighed and slithered around after a heart beat. "Tiny sentimental beasts." He muttered after a breath.
Tweek didn't want to spend their last moment rambling on about the future, but he couldn't help it. "Gelidus, I don't belong here." Tweek muttered. His heart strung as he thought about Craig, he desperately wanted to see him.
"I cannot tell you where to go, only that the world isn't black and white. If you wish to leave I'm sure one of the servants would surely be glad to take you home." Gelidus rumbled like a purr.
Tweek shifted on his feet, he felt like hugging the enormous lizard. His arms wouldn't even fit around Gelidus' neck.
Gelidus instead leaned his head forward and pressed it against Tweek's. Only this time Tweek wasn't afraid of being eaten.
"Good-bye."
Tweek sat in the garden, unable to move from the sculptured hedges until long after Gelidus had disappeared into the distant sunset.
Several fey servants had stayed in the garden perimeters. They hadn't approached Tweek, instead they milled around the stone walls nervously. The probably didn't know what to do about a human in the garden, and weren't sure if they would get in trouble for it.
Tweek blinked as a fey spoke to him. He had been thinking so hard he didn't even see the woman approach.
"I'm s-sorry?" Tweek stuttered.
"The King is awake, he demanded you be found." She said in a high pitched voice. Her wide eyes suggested she was frazzled.
Tweek felt the urge to run away, but instead followed her into the castle and up several flights of stairs. The long rugs and ornate walls did nothing to alleviate his nerves. The decor was too royal, Tweek wasn't Royalty. He was just a lower middle class kid from Colorado.
Mahogany double doors led into a master bedroom filled with plush chairs and fireplaces, velvet drapped in front of iron and frost windows and down the walls. The plush carpet felt like a luxurious blanket against Tweek's shoes.
"I'm fine!" Craig said with an annoyed look on his face as he swatted away a woman's hand. He sat in a King sized canopy bed. The blankets pooled in his lap, his bare chest bandaged along with the left side of his face.
"Your majesty, I implore you to allow me to do my job." The woman's white hair could be natural or from stress. Tweek guessed the latter as her mouth set in a tired frown.
The fey that had escorted Tweek cleared her throat. "Introducing-"
"Tweek!" Craig jumped out of bed, causing several nurses and the head doctor to scream something about stitches.
Tweek was relieved to see Craig had pants on as he was swept up into a hug.
"I blacked out mid battle. A general, blacking out." Craig laughed, his voice cracking.
Tweek wrapped his arms around Craig's sides, afraid of hurting him. The cold of his body flushed against Tweek's cheek and neck .
"Everyone out." Craig cleared his throat and spoke solidly. The nurses looked to the white haired woman, she just sighed. Kids these days. She stood and left, unwilling to argue with the King.
The room emptied slowly as the staff filed out one by one.
Craig pulled back, his blue eyes sparkling. Tweek opened his mouth to say something, only to be stopped by a sudden kiss. His argument melted away, problems forgotten as Craig pulled him closer. Tears threatened to trickle down his cheeks as the inevitable hung in his mind.
"I love you." Craig whispered as he set his jaw against Tweek's hair. "I know what you're thinking, but wait until tomorrow. Tonight, just spend tonight here."
Tweek nodded, "O-okay." Any more and he wouldn't be able to hold the emotional flood back.
Tweek didn't bother changing clothes. He kicked off his boots and shed the outer layers of his outfit to get rid of the stench of battle. Craig obviously wasn't one hundred percent as he climbed back into the bed, but he made sure to whisper small nothings to Tweek and pet down his crazy hair. Tweek laid his head against Craig's shoulder, their soft breathing the only noise in the dim room. Small blue flames gave off barely enough light for Tweek to make out the features on Craig's face. His pale green eyes scanned every detail. Craig's breathing slowed, his sleepy heartbeat like a lullaby to Tweek's ears as he drifted to a deep sleep. The uncertainty of tomorrow was another world, another lifetime, away.
