God of sky,God of Gods…
Deep inside a thoroughly explored forest, two travelers were calmly making their way through the snowy tundra, seeking materials. They walked aimlessly, gathering provisions and anything useful for the upcoming battle, one only vaguely mentioned before. The only sounds heard between them were the heavy croaking of snow beneath their feet and the singing of birds that had stayed in the area despite the cold.
It didn't matter how quiet the woods were or how peaceful their journey seemed. Eris still felt a creeping paranoia at the back of her mind. Her eyes darted around, and her head followed every suspicious movement and sound as they made their way to who knows where. She certainly didn't.
'They will find you. You are not safe here. Imagine if someone ran up to you right now and stabbed you.'
She heard in her head a voice that was not her own, a voice she could not recognise. She spun around, looking behind her and froze in place. Desperate, she looked for the source of the voice. The colorless woods held no sign of life other than a fox, but she could imagine them—hiding in the bushes, waiting for the right moment to jump out and raise an axe against her, breaking every bone in her body and killing her on the spot.
"Is everything okay?" Techno asked, pulling her out of her thoughts and imagination, startling her.
'They are on to you. They will find Phill, Techno, and you, and they will kill you.'
She had never felt this scared. Her hands were trembling, eyes wide as she stared down Techno. Her vision kept playing tricks on her. She saw shadows of animals and men running around the treeline, as if teasing the idea of slaughtering them both. She shook her head, and Techno couldn't help but sigh, taking a few steps towards her. His hand reached out to her, a hand she could have sworn had been bloodied just a short while ago - and she didn't have to look far for proof, as the edges of his fingernails still bore a shade of crimson.
He was about to say something, to calm her and attempt to understand what was going on in her head, where even she herself couldn't comprehend her thoughts, but a crack of a branch made her sharply drop the crossbow that was strapped to her side and shoot in the direction from which the sound had come from. The arrow almost hit Techno's head, only narrowly missing him, and with a harsh thud, the arrow landed in the nearest tree, scattering the birds that were sitting in its branches.
'They are coming for you, Eris.' She once again heard that incessant voice in her head, but this time it wasn't a stranger's voice, but rather, a voice she knew all too well, belonging to a man who couldn't keep his promises for the life of him.
"Eris, what's going on?" Techno asked, having grabbed her shoulders in an attempt to ground her. He had seen that expression before - those terrified, dilated eyes, the way those lips trembled with every breath - he'd seen it so many times, but not from Eris. He had seen it in a mirror years ago, and when she looked up from his chest with that expression, he heard the same click as he did then.
However tightly he held her or tried to talk to her, she kept quiet, like keeping another secret that he would never hear, and she was, but not because she didn't want to tell him. She was scared and confused, that's all. Her body stood still as she gave him a smile that only further proved to Techno that something was not right. And yet, somehow, he also figured that nothing he could say or do would help.
"Come with me," he pushed out from between his teeth, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her further through the tundra.
They made their way through the thick snow, almost to Eris' knees, up the side of a gentle mountain, finally reaching a cliff with a grand view of the entire tundra, and for a split second she thought she could see the smoke coming from the cabin chimneys faintly visible in the distance. Despite still not being quite high compared to most other mountains in the area - the cold air made it quite difficult to take a breath as the air seemed quite thin already, though perhaps it was Eris' own state that made it so.
Her eyes trailed back over to Techno, who was evaluating the distance from the edge to the ground before making his way back to Eris. He stood so close to her that she could really feel the height difference between them. She knew he was wearing boots that added to his height even more with their heels, but even without them - she knew he could overpower her in almost any regard. The feeling of him standing so close made her mind race with the ideas of what he could do to her right now… but she trusted him, didn't she?
"Jump."
"Excuse me?" almost instinctively, she stepped back, taking a grip on the hilt of her sword, a motion that didn't remain unnoticed by the piglin hybrid.
"Phil said, and you confirmed, that falling calms you down," he reminded her. "Since all the snow from this cliff gathers down at the bottom, it's so deep that even if I were to jump myself, it wouldn't affect me. So…"
Her eyes trailed off to the view over the edge confirming that there was indeed a huge pile below as if neatly set just for her. Feeling Techno's presence behind her and the sounds and voices picking up volume in her head, she shot up into the sky, picking up speed the higher she got, and once her breath had become shallow, making her head spin, she folded her wings and allowed her body to fall.
God of sky - that's what some people called her, the ones who had never seen her or heard of her real name. They said she was the god of gods, but she could not disagree more. She heard what people had talked about gods, how merciful they were, but every time she heard those stories, she couldn't help but laugh. She had worked for these 'gods' herself during her days as a mercenary, and they were anything but merciful. And while being called a god was, in a way, satisfying, she did not wish to be compared to a being that saw mortals as nothing more than bugs.
As she fell through the clouds, the familiar feeling crept upon her from when she had done this time and time again in her youth. The sense of being so fragile, so out of control, made her feel like, for once, she wasn't invincible. She was mortal, yes, but the endless battles made her feel as though she could never be killed. 'God of sky'. What a joke that was to her, because while she was like this now - a long time ago, she was just that, a kid living all by herself.
Well. Almost by herself.
She recalled mountains that decorated the horizon no matter which way she looked, and in between this naturally created barrier from the world was a vibrant field of flowers and a forest hushed by the wind. A waterfall was chuckling along a wall of stone as she made it her mission to sit there and braid a crown of the myriad flowers all around herself. It was as if they were just waiting for her to pluck them, ending their life for a project that would give just a few hours of happiness and joy to those who would see it.
She wasn't a traveler, or a warrior, or some sort of pretender god - she was just a kid, braiding away and enjoying the sunset. She felt special to herself while living in this moment, leading her own life, protecting herself and the person she was living with, the person who had decided to make his way over to her with a grin so wide, she almost thought of it as fake.
He was a timid boy that depended on her for most things. She had the responsibility of keeping him safe and teaching him basic survival skills, and she did not mind as his company was something she enjoyed the most in the world.
"What are you doing here, you big nerd?" She blurted out. "Didn't you say you wanted to try and get over the mountain? How did that go?"
She finally looked up at him and couldn't help but notice his bruised joints and bloodied hands as he presented himself in all of his glory. His clothes had clearly been dragged against the side of the mountain, bearing long, dark lines along the front and, who knows, maybe even the back.
"Oh, don't be so cocky," he remarked, making Eris chuckle a bit. Shaking her head, she continued braiding away as the boy decided to take his place on the ground right next to her.
So they sat. Minutes turned into hours, and soon enough, Eris had made the crown to perfection. The sweet scent of blossoms decorated her hands as she lifted herself up and reached out to place the crown on the boy's head. Little did she know that this would be the first crown he would be wearing, but definitely not the last.
His red eyes were the only thing she remembered about him, along with his warm smile, which made her wish she could stay with him forever. But the moment he looked up at her in confusion and a slight bit of fear was the moment she missed the most. It was a moment of trust, and weakness she'd never felt with anyone else, those moments when nothing but their survival and happiness mattered. With a smile that made his cheeks turn just the slightest shade of red, she quickly fixed his hair.
"It suits you really well," she said. As soon as she let go of the tangle of flowers, his hands reached out to touch them as if to confirm that he wasn't dreaming and the beautiful item really was decorating his head.
"I'm gonna pour it in gold someday."
"I don't think it will stay alive for that long, bud," she laughed while packing up her things to go back home. She expected him to spit back, just like he usually did, but instead, she caught him looking at the ground like he was planning something.
'Why couldn't we stay like this forever?'
Sadly, that wasn't a moment in which she could stay. Sometimes it was a vision she had deep in the night, sometimes a daydream she saw while laying in her bed looking up at the ceiling. It usually felt like she was experiencing it over and over and would go on for hours, but this time she got pulled out of it by loud banging outside the cabin.
Normally, she would assume it was Phil starting a new construction project or Techno practicing out on his own again, but not today, not now. Her blood ran cold, imagining what could be happening outside, 'they found you' ringing in her ears as she jumped out of bed, covering her body with a robe and running outside barefoot. The cold snow pressed against the skin under her feet, yet she still did not care and stopped in the middle of the front yard when she spotted it.
A strange man with a lollipop stick clenched between his teeth was hanging over one of their metal trash bins, looking for something. A brown coat that had been through the fires of hell was hanging over his body as he looked up and spotted her. In a haze, he brushed off his clothes, almost like thinking they could be made presentable with just a single hand movement and dramatically bowed down. Most would see this act as a form of respect, but Eris knew better from how the man carried himself.
"Good morning, my lady," he said, and as soon as he lifted his head, Eris noticed the white streak tangled in his hair, countless stitched up scars on his face and his dark and cold eyes that made shivers run down her spine.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
"Well, I was invited by my father. I couldn't just walk in uninvited; that would be crazy of me!"
"Oh my fucking god, Will, you scared me," she sighed, rubbing her eyes with her hands like attempting to remind herself to calm down.
Wilbur made his way over to her with a gait that more reminded of the motions of a swing or a suffocatingly formal military parade, but came out so overly dramatic that it was almost funny. He ran his eyes over her, an action that left an unpleasant tingle on her skin without needing to give him a look, and proceeded to give his best welcoming smile, but it came out more creepy than anything else.
"I see you have returned to Phil after all these years," he spoke with a teasing tone, almost like accusing her of something, "I heard from people that you have moved to a snowy tundra, but I didn't want to believe it. I don't suppose you did this to drag him with you, or, just a hypothesis, you wanted someone to keep you safe?"
"I would never do that to Phil, and what do you mean drag him with me? Drag him where?" The questions were only meant to sate her curiosity, but the way they passed her trembling lips just made Wilbur confirm that something was up.
"Well, maybe not Phil, but everyone knows he's living with Technoblade, and I'm sure you wouldn't have missed that opportunity, now would you, God of Sky?"
Blood god, God of Sky, Angel of Death - all nicknames given by survivors of battles and wars long past. While they were usually flattering titles worthy of pride that any warrior carried, knowing they were strong enough to earn it, in this situation, the nickname didn't sit well with Eris. She was already scanning the area in pure paranoia for anything she could use to kill Wilbur. The image of his glossed over eyes looking at her but never being able to see her drove her more and more to do it without waiting for the end of the conversation, wherever that might come to be.
He should have known better than to push her buttons, he should have, so why was he doing this? She hadn't changed, had she? What was he even accusing her of? What did he even know? She didn't have anything to say.
"You don't feel anything for Technoblade after all."
Her eyes dropped to her feet which were covered with a thin layer of snow and were already picking up that beautiful red color she loved. The image of Techno flashed in her mind, like a reminder to keep calm and that this was just a test. He made her feel calm, he made her feel safe, but why him?
"It seems like you're questioning yourself there, Eris - you shouldn't trust him. He'll drop you the second he has the chance, plus rest assured he knows more about you than you think."
"What do you mean?" She looked up with so many questions shimmering in her eyes. Was she really questioning Techno, of all people? Why not, she knew him for a much shorter period of time than Wilbur, but she also knew that Will adored messing with people; it was probably his favorite thing to do.
"Well, I know you wanted to kill Schlatt before we got the chance."
"We?"
"Well, yes, but I can assure you," he leaned over a little bit, hovering just above Eris' shoulder, close to her ear, "we didn't get to kill him. He died of a heart attack, but I'm sure it doesn't matter to you, does it?"
Her eyes went wide. All she knew, she hoped for, had shattered, and the ground was going to eat her alive on the spot. The sweet boy's smile, whose name she could never remember, flashed before her eyes as her hands gripped around thin air, nails stabbing into her palms and drawing blood. All of this didn't go unnoticed by Wilbur.
"Oh, so it does matter. Well, there's always the option of revenge."
"I don't think revenge is a good idea," she almost whispered.
"What do you mean!? Revenge is good, revenge is a way to get closure. I blew up all of my issues, and look how well I turned out!"
She ran her eyes over him. The stench of cigarettes and old sweat mixed with stale blood and dirt was reeking off him in a cloud of musk. He looked unhinged, he looked psychotic, and yet, something about the way he spoke to her tempted the idea in her head even more.
'Down with Schlatt, down with the past. Kill everything he loves, and you can be with Techno forever.'
Techno? Why Techno of all people? She was trying to read herself, but it felt like there was a wall in front of her emotions and memories, a wall that could not be climbed or broken. Yet, despite this, she could imagine Techno and her sitting in a flower field where she and the boy sat once, looking at the aurora, imagining what kind of things Phil was telling his lover. It felt peaceful, it felt right, it felt unreachable, but maybe one day... One day? With Techno?
"Wilbur?" she heard behind her, and hearing that voice at this moment, in the middle of this thought, she couldn't help but feel her cheeks heat up.
"Oh, hey, Technoblade! Haven't seen you in a while! I was just having a little conversation with Eris right now."
'Please don't ask what about.'
"I see, well you can come to my house and we can talk through all the plans so far."
"Sure thing!" Wilbur said, but before he made his way over there, he placed one hand on her shoulder and leaned in once more, his breath heating up her freezing body. "Think about what's important to you. If you decide to take revenge, I'll be right there for you; just let me know when."
And with that, he left Eris in the cold - confused, scared, and more on edge than she had ever been. It all was too much.
Everything felt different. Everything felt out of place. She experienced emotions that were almost never present, not anymore. Instead of the cold tundra, she used to stand in castles decorated in gold and built with marble. She stood in front of men and women who held higher power over her and everyone else. There was no fear, no confusion, just her work and how many people she could kill in the short time that was given.
This same way, she had found herself way back when, standing in front of Schlatt, who, despite his messy and yet formal attire, gave off the impression of greater power, just like the ones before him and even those to come after.
He had heard of a winged God who did anything for a good deal, and he could not pass on the offer, so when he had claimed L'manburg - later renaming it to 'Manburg' because from his words 'this country doesn't take L's', even though later on everyone would find that it certainly did - he had commissioned Eris so that he would be able to keep his power for as long as he could.
She had put up with his drinking and misogynistic remarks because it was her job. No comment or quip could really spark any type of emotion in her. He had asked his henchmen to find her, which was an easy task, and his offer was so great that she could not pass on the opportunity - even if it meant standing against the things she believed in.
She was right, and everyone else was wrong, but all she could really do was keep it all to herself. For as much as she desired, she could never change the world to her liking.
So when did that all change? Was it when Schlatt had betrayed her? Or maybe when she was granted the option of freedom and tranquility. Had Technoblade made her weak? Could she trust him?
She had known him for a few months now. His smile always warmed her heart despite how rare it was, and his presence had always put her at ease. Above all else it was the undisturbed moments they shared, let it be in the forest or at the bottom of a cave, that she cherished for days, looking back at the time she had well spent with the Blood God.
She had not allowed herself to be this carefree since the boy she kept so close had died before, torn apart by wolves. It was no one's fault. She sometimes blamed herself for not being strong enough or not thinking of a plan, but being as young as she was, there was nothing she could have done. After all, they had lived in mountains which had separated them from all civilization, both left as orphans in the middle of nowhere, living off of each other's company. He was everything to her back then, and no matter how much she tried to erase his memory or the feelings he had given her, he was still the reason she had become who she was - a merciless God with no emotions to spare.
When Techno appeared, seemingly by accident, she had dropped her guard and emotions overflew within her like they had been sealed off for years. He confused her, he scared her, yet she still felt the most comfort with him and the fear of losing him set her off even more. Would he lie to her? Did she have any reason to doubt him? No, not so far, but her mind took a different approach to this because, like an instinct, she refused to be hurt and would betray anyone first if she had even the slightest of doubts.
That's how she ended up here - deep in a cave, alone with Phil and the sounds of his pickaxe clinking against stone and ore. He was so focused on mining that he had almost forgotten Eris' presence. Eris had told him she wanted to help with his usual chores, but really, her paranoia was getting the better of her and who else to bombard with questions than Phil?
The dim light of the lantern flickered across their faces as they sat in the cold and damp cave, silent. She was trying to once again think of good conversation starters that most likely would only benefit her, but her mind would not grant them to her, nor a discreet way of easing into her questions.
"Phil," she started, and when she heard him hum in return, she took it as a sign of him listening and proceeded. "How did you meet Techno?"
A deep sigh followed by a warm giggle escaped him as he placed stone in his bag. "It was a long time ago. He was such a young man back then, and I think it was a little bit after you left. I was traveling, and stumbled into him and the land he owned back then. It wasn't much, it was quite a small and useless bit of territory, but it was nice. After a bit of talking, I decided to stay around and well, at some point, we moved on from that and parted ways."
To Eris, this didn't seem like important information, but she still enjoyed Phil's stories and had no issue listening to them, even if they were worthless to her. She moved over to him to help with the material collecting as she had intended. The rocks were cold and wet, but she ignored their unpleasant sensation and used her strength to her best abilities to make the work faster.
"After parting, I met him again after the revolution in L'manburg and moved in with him," he stated, almost like he was proud of his choice - and perhaps he was. It wasn't every day you could meet a person in these lands who valued relationships over material wealth.
"Has he ever lied to you?"
"Where are these questions coming from?"
Eris froze at the inquiry, almost doubting herself, but that lasted just for a little bit as the realization had been brushed off once more her mix of curiosity and paranoia took hold once more. She decided not to answer and continued placing the rocks inside the bag.
To her lack of response, Phil sighed and continued his work. "He has never lied. He hides information that he deems unimportant, but he never lies. Not as far as I know."
She wished to believe it, and to an extent, she did, but the things Will had told her kept echoing in her mind relentlessly. She should have trusted them. Despite what Techno knew, what Phil knew, even if it wasn't much, they still stuck by her with no question. They still tried to calm her when she got startled by a sudden noise deep in the night or when she had one of her many nightmares.
She would knock, no, bang on Techno's door, and when he opened, she would jump in his arms and cry, clinging to his clothes desperately to feel some sort of safety. She had no one else, and yet the two people that had placed her needs above theirs now were suspect to her.
"Mind telling us what's going on?"
And as usual, Eris had no response to Phil's question. Maybe it was fear or maybe just pure spite that made her conceal the truth, but despite this, Phil kept pestering her, hoping this would be the one time when she opens up.
But it wasn't. As soon as Phil had made up his mind to push the conversation a bit further and placed his hand on her back, someone walked into the cave looking for him. Someone Eris was scared to see or maybe ashamed.
"Phil, Wilbur wishes to speak to you, and we are planning to have the meeting in a bit," Technos monotone voice echoed throughout the cave, making Eris' heart jump.
'He called for Phil. He thinks you are weak. He doesn't need you.'
Phil left as soon as Techno had walked out, leaving Eris all by herself. Her eyes trailed down to her hands that, despite being pitch black, still candidly showed the dark blood decorating her fingertips. She had cut herself with the rocks and hadn't even noticed. And there it was: a single tear had fallen from her eyes, a tear that shocked her. Why would she cry?
'He'll choose anyone over you, and when he has the chance, he'll drop you.'
"Shut up. Shut up!" She screamed. She had no clue what was going on, no clue what she was feeling, and yet everything seemed like too much. It washed over her like a wave, and she had no strength to hold her ground. Was she going to break?
After some time, she finally mustered the willpower to walk out of the cave. There was no reason to stay there all by herself, so she had decided to collect the materials and carry them out herself. Her eyes had gotten used to the darkness, the only light source being the lantern, so when she stepped out, the sun almost blinded her. But as soon as her eyes got used to the light, she noticed Techno, who seemed to be enjoying himself. He was holding his sword as confident as ever towards a boy Eris couldn't recognise.
His blonde hair shimmered like gold in the sunlight, and he seemed to radiate confidence through his stance despite being built like a twig compared to the man before him. He self-assuredly tried to strike Techno with his iron sword and despite that, every hit was easily avoided by Techno in just a few steps. It was almost hilarious to see the boy try so hard, losing his breath in the process, as Techno danced around the attacks, laughing at him as he did.
'Even I can hit him at least once,' she thought as she made her way towards them on her way to stow the ores Phil had collected in his home.
"Ey, Techno, who's that?" The boy almost shouted, making Eris stop in her tracks. Technos eyes burned against her skin, making her flinch.
"Oh, that's Eris," Techno remarked nonchalantly, but despite his dry answer, he was almost inviting her to come over for introductions. Despite her state, Eris placed everything down in the snow and slowly made her way over to them.
"What is she like, your maid or some shit? She looks like she can barely hold a spoon."
"Tommy, I can assure you she's more capable than you think," Techno remarked, and for a second, Eris could see some sort of confidence in his statement, like he knew she could flatten him in a few strikes if she wanted to.
"Challenge accepted, bitch," Tommy stretched out and rolled his neck, then braced himself for a fight he was confident he'd win. This stunned Eris, but as soon as Techno reached out to give her his sword, she knew he was serious. However, she refused the sword and took out her own, spreading out her wings like she always did.
"Oh, this is going to be interesting," Techno remarked while stepping further aside, like knowing something Tommy didn't.
As soon as Tommy launched towards her with all his strength, she stepped to the side the same way as Techno did and kicked him, knocking him out of balance. This seemed to piss the boy off as he growled and went for an overhead strike, which he whiffed completely, earning another kick to the side.
Eris could hear Techno laughing, and clearly, Tommy heard it too, as he seemed more enraged than before. They were stuck at a standstill as both waited for each other's attacks, but Tommy refused to wait for long and slashed at Eris again. And again, the only contact made was between his side and the heel of her boot.
"What the fuck!?"
"Tommy, I think the 'maid' is kicking your ass a little bit," Techno laughed once again, clapping to the show Eris was putting on.
"She's not even using her sword! This is some bullshit. How can I win if she's not attacking?"
"As you wish," she said, her wings opening wide and launching her in the air.
All Tommy could do was stare up at her figure as it blocked out the sun, as she descended down upon him with all her weight and knocked Tommy off his feet straight into the snow. Her foot was placed over his chest, and the sword in her hand was pointed towards his neck. Unlike her opponent, she wasn't out of breath; she wasn't even noticeably tired, having beaten the poor boy with a single attack.
As soon as Techno declared her victory, she stepped aside, allowing the boy to get on his feet and dust himself off. No word better described his mental state than 'salty', as Techno made his way over to her and placed his hand over her hip with a boisterous laugh.
"Tommy, you're like a cat, so much noise yet got yeeted by a girl!" he remarked, still laughing at Tommy's sour face and clumsy attempt to get up on his feet, still reeling and catching his breath from the girl's attack.
"Careful, cats can still scratch," she reminded in a joking way, but still seemed to be focused on the strange way that Techno was holding her.
Was he proud? Did he finally acknowledge her? She lightly shook her head and tried to focus more on Tommy's crumpled face so she wouldn't be carried away by her thoughts once more.
"Alright, since she's so strong, you two have a fight! I wanna see how strong she really is then."
"Alright," Techno let go of her and stepped across from her, taking his sword out once more, ready for a proper fight.
They hadn't trained together for a short while, but that hardly mattered. Eris knew that no matter how much they trained, no matter how many times she attempted to prove herself, he was holding back. She may be the God of the Sky, but he was still the Blood God. Tall tales and nicknames, yes, but well earned ones. Usually, she had the upper hand and the element of surprise, but she didn't have that with him, never with him. Her speed was outmatched by his strength, and her strength was outmatched by his polished technique.
A fight between two gods of the battlefield would normally be a destructive thing, of course, so it only made sense for them to hold back, lest one would end up killing the other. Still, Techno opened with an overhead strike which, had it been aimed at Tommy, would likely have cut his life short - but Techno knew Eris well enough to know she'd parry the attack. Only briefly did their weapons clash, however, as he quickly moved his blade down for a swing at her side, forcing her to jump back.
Eris darted into the air, attempting against Techno the same strike which had put down Tommy - but their swords met again, and for all the force she'd put into the attack, Techno still managed the strength to not just hold his ground but to push her back, her boots drifting through the snow. But she still stood as much as he did.
Her breath was staggered - slightly to be sure, but she could still notice it, yet Techno stood unfazed, awaiting her next move.
'He's gonna make a fool out of you.'
Eris charged towards him, swinging once, twice, and three times and more, like trying to chop down a stubborn tree that would never fall, but every one of her attacks was parried. She was getting sloppy. She was desperate. She was weak. It seemed like her emotions were taking over, and she had no control over her body anymore.
Taking advantage of the chaos in her head, Techno ducked down beneath one of her swings and swiped at her feet with his boot, the elytrian crashing down into the snow. But, before he could threaten her with his blade and end the fight, she lurched forward and grabbed him by his collar, pulling him down while kicking herself over to be on top of him.
He was finally breathless, and with her on top, she thought she had finally won.
She thought she had defeated the blade.
But as soon as she felt that glimpse of hope, she realized a moment too soon the motion Techno was still allowed in his arms, which soon thrust forward, crashing into her shoulders and throwing her off. Moments later, there was a sword at her neck.
She had lost.
It wasn't a shock to her, as she had held no advantage in this fight, but the anger and disappointment were still eating her alive as she stared into his ruby eyes. It seemed like he had seen this all as fun and games while her blood was boiling, and despite it being a spar and her pinned state, she still felt the urge to kill the pigling looming over her.
"Looks like I won, Versailles." His remark stunned her and pulled her out of the rage straight into confusion.
Since when did he call her that? Why did he call her that? She was so confused that she didn't know what to say, what to do. All she did was stare at him with wide eyes feeling something familiar about the nickname, but what was it? The moment seemed to drag on for a while as both refused to move, trying to catch their breaths.
"Oh, why don't you kiss while you're at it as well?"
Both of them had forgotten that Tommy was watching the whole show, and as soon as he spoke, both were broken out of their trance as Techno finally got off of her.
"Are you two dating or some shit? Because there's definitely some tension."
"Tommy, don't be weird."
"What? I'm just saying what everyone's thinking!"
And that's how it ended, with Techno making his way over to Tommy, leaving Eris still in the snow. He seemed to be giving her mixed signals. Maybe he left to avoid the awkward situation or maybe to calm down Tommy, but Eris saw it as a betrayal. Between the instinct to kill him and the confusion over her feelings, once she got up and saw Wilbur making his way out of the house and into the woods, she ran after him, disregarding whatever comment Tommy threw her way in passing.
She ran as quickly as she could, screaming his name and fluttering her wings occasionally. Despite his leisurely pace, Eris couldn't catch up, only seeing his figure when he was already in the forest. He had stopped when he heard her call his name, and as soon as she finally caught up to him, completely out of breath, he couldn't help but smile.
"Take a breather now, will you?" He remarked with a grin, standing pompously over her.
The way he stood before her made her feel beneath him. This feeling confused her, considering the two people back at home never gave her that feeling, despite them being so much stronger than Will. This should have been a warning, should have been the thing to make her run and reconsider her options, but she was already slowly descending into the chasm, and her choice had been made.
"I'm taking you up on your offer, but-"
"Oh, you are! That's great!"
"Let me finish, Will. I need to see how strong you are, and I also wish to see if I can even trust you," she stated, finally having composed herself.
She had known Will for a while - he would sometimes stay with Phil and spend some time with her. They would do their usual chores and talk about things they thought up on the spot. They clicked really well back then and that was one of the reasons she had left, but now, he was different. He saw himself as someone better than her, and a person like that would have no issue switching sides when he'd see the advantage in it.
"That's fine by me."
"How do you even think we can hurt someone who's already dead?"
"I recently found out he has a place he valued a lot… so destroy that and everything he loved is gone."
"Alright. Guess we're gonna do that next."
She had no idea how much she had doomed herself right then and there, but her mind was so scattered that the idea of losing everything she already had did not occur to her.
So, she left.
Weeks went by, but to Techno, they felt like eons. They had looked for her a bit after the spar but found no trace. She had vanished. Techno was rightfully worried, but as with most issues he faced, he distracted himself by either going on hunts or going through his stuff to make sure everything was in place while reorganizing everything over and over,and over and...
She hadn't said a word, and if it wouldn't have been for Tommy's comments about running away, he wouldn't have noticed. Was she upset? No, that couldn't have been the case, since Techno had defeated her multiple times and it had always ended in laughs.
It was already late at night, and to not disturb anyone's sleep by going through the chests once again, Techno had taken his place on the 'Tommy Panic Box' and picked up a book to read. He seemed so out of focus that the words seemed to be switching places here and merging into one there. He was doubting himself, he was angry at himself for letting her leave, for not calling after her, and the moment he heard a knock on the door, he got pulled out of the book and rushed over to open it, hoping, begging it was her.
But it wasn't. Instead of Eris, Phil was standing at the door with a soft, reassuring smile. They had both been worried by the sudden disappearance, but Phil tried not to show it as much so that Techno would have only himself to worry about. Or, rather, himself and Eris.
"Hey mate. I noticed the lights in the house, so I came to check on you."
With a deep sigh, Techno stepped to the side, allowing Phil to walk in. As usual, he sat down on the floor and Techno followed suit. He wasn't okay and it was noticeable. The bags under his eyes were heavy and his body was trembling, but he couldn't sleep. What if she came back in need of some help?
Phil's eyes seemed like rocks on him, and Techno couldn't help but to feel pathetic. He had waited and looked but to no result, and while Phil felt the same way, at least he could sleep at night knowing that Eris was more than capable of taking care of herself. Techno knew that as well, but seeing her state for the past few days, he couldn't help but to worry that she was in panic out there, alone in the woods.
"Techno, you need to finally rest. If it helps, I'll stay awake for you."
Techno considered Phil's words, but the voices would not let him rest and he knew that. Besides, the sun was already rising and soon enough, he would be called to his usual chores.
"That's-"
But he got cut off in the middle of his sentence, his thought lost completely when a ruckus was heard outside. Branches were breaking, and it seemed like with them the wind was picking up pace as well. The noises were so loud that without a word, without a glance shared, Phil and Techno had gotten up on their feet and ran outside.
And there she was.
Dressed in her usual white shirt and leather boots, but with the addition of a heavy, white fur coat drenched in blood. Her eyes were glowing more than usual and an unsettling feeling washed over Techno when they made eye contact, and she gave him a sickening smile.
She spread her arms and wings like presenting her bloodied self in all of her glory, and the image of Eris's sweet smile and soft voice as they spoke of myths and stories had disappeared with this one horrifying image. The sun was rising over them, almost like showing that this was a new beginning: maybe for him, maybe for her, but Techno could hear another click in his head once she spoke up.
"I'm home!"