Chapter Text
Isaac did feel afraid, he didn’t deny that.
Even if he felt comfortable with the odd lamb person (“You are allowed to call me The Crownbearer, child.” He remember them speaking.) he still couldn’t shake the fact that he hated this environment. He was expecting a cultist to jump out at any moment and strap him to an altar again. He clutched his hand tighter against The Crownbearer’s. They took notice of this. “Is everything alright, young Isaac?” They spoke. Isaac nodded. “…yeah. Just… scared.”
“I assure you Isaac, no harm will come to you while I am here.”
“…You sure?”
“Of course I am.”
“You really really really sure?”
“Yes…?”
“But a-“
The Crownbearer laid a hand on his head and rubbed it. “I promise.”
Isaac was satisfied enough with that answer. Or, moreso he didn’t want to make The Crownbearer angry. He’s already seen what happens when they do. (He can still smell the blood.) It was a mostly peaceful walk; occasionally The Crownbearer would
find a flower and put it in their bag, Isaac keeping a watchful eye for traps, and a lot and a lot of inane walking.
That was all changed though, when the sky went red, and so did The Crownbearer’s eyes.
“Isaac.” The Crownbearer spoke, with newfound fear in their voice. “You must find a safe place to hide. One of the old bishops will be arriving soon. Do not let them see you.”
“B-but you promised I’d be safe with you!” Isaac cried.
“You still are. I will not be far.”
Isaac didn’t feel comfortable at all leaving The Crownbearer, but nevertheless he hid. There was a large mossy pillar that he snuck behind. He took a peek through a small crack in the pillar.
There was a large pool of black tar-like substance pouring out of a red pentagram seeping around The Crownbearer’s feet. The Crownbearer looked almost… afraid of this.
Isaac soon knew why.
A towering mass of green and horns, cloaked in a robe encrusted with moss, mushrooms, and the essence of the forest. A large, bloodied bandage was wrapped around what he could assume was its eyes. It had a large black triangle over top the bandage, and had an oddly similar crown to The Crownbearer’s.
“LAMB.” The voice boomed, the ground almost shaking as Isaac felt his blood run cold at the voice. “YOU WALK THESE LANDS AND TAKE OUR SACRIFICES. WE HAVE LET YOU RUN RAMPANT FOR FAR, FAR TOO LONG.” The Crownbearer could not respond, as they began to be held up by an invisible force, leading into the being’s hand. “I WILL ENJOY FINALLY RIDDING YOU OF THIS FORM MYSELF.” With that, the being scraped across the lamb, multiple times, with their claw-like appendages. They relentlessly did this, unwavered by the lamb’s cries and bleats of pain. Isaac watched on in horror. His mind was splitting into two. He needs to go and help, but he has no idea how he can do that. He patted down his ratty cloth, trying to find something he could use, when something clattered out of it.
A butcher’s knife.
He didn’t carry this. He would have known if he carried something this weighty and sharp. The only time he remembers seeing this knife is… his mom. Oh, god.
He wasn’t about to look a gift chariot of unwarranted self-reflection in the mouth, though. He held it in his shaky hands, and he tried to sneak over.
It was pretty easy, as he was a small boy and the pained slashing sounds also helped mask his noise, as horrible as they made him feel. He was quivering when he finally got to the beast. With all his power, he threw the knife at the black triangle located on the beast’s bandage. He missed it a little, but it stuck in all the same. Blood oozed out.
“AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!” The beast cried out in pain, dropping the lamb onto the ground. Isaac winced in pain at the noise as it boomed through his ears. The lamb landed on the ground with an uncomfortable thump. The crown was surprisingly still atop their head, barely moving. Isaac tried to help them up and get them out of there, but they were really heavy. He spent all his energy on throwing that knife, and now his adrenaline is running out. Despite all this, the lamb picked themself up, grabbed Isaac’s hand, and ran out of there. They ran for what seemed like hours, but the lamb did not seem to show tiredness.
The Crownbearer had stopped in a weird area, walls covered in marble. “We… we will be safe here.” The Crownbearer squeaked, no longer having the booming voice they had due to their weakness. “U-um… are… are you okay?” Isaac asked.
“Of course I am f-” A ragged cough shook The Crownbearer’s body, showing a little bit of blood in the spittle. “F-fine. I am fine.”
“I’m… no, you’re not.”
“Please Isaac, do not worry. I will be alright.”
“N-no!! We need to get you help!! Or something!!”
“Young Isaac, it is alright. As The Crownbearer I-” Another horrid cough. This one brought them to their knees. The bleeding was getting worse, and they were fading fast. Isaac needed to do something, whether the lamb thought they did or not. He looked around the room, and tried to see if anything was there that could help them. They uncovered a chest in a corner of the room, and searched inside. It was mostly gold coins and… bones (Isaac made VERY sure not to touch them), but two things caught Isaac’s eye. A tarot card, and some weird heart-shaped object. There was a vague sense of familiarity when he picked up both of these, but he didn’t pay it much mind. He looked at the tarot card, and it boasted saying that it could give two “heart containers”, whatever that meant. It sounded healthy, though, so he brought it over to where the lamb was. “I um… don’t know if these will help, but-” Isaac did not finish, as the lamb snatched both out of his hands. The lamb held up the tarot card, and chanted something as it hovered and burned down to cinders. The deep wounds on the lamb’s chest began to close by a large margin. They then gobbled down the heart (Isaac very much so looked away) as the wounds finally closed. They sat up. “Thank you very much, Isaac.” Their normal voice now boomed. “You were very brave. I am very, very proud of you.” Isaac felt a warmth flutter in his heart hearing that. Something that had not taken place in his heart for a very long time. Only when his mother would tuck him in after saying his prayer, or his father talking about his latest project.
He grasped The Crownbearer’s hand, now smiling, and stepped into the unknown depths ahead. Together.
____________________________________________________________________________
It had been about three weeks since the two had first met.
Isaac and The Crownbearer now lived in the temple of a forgotten field filled with followers and buildings. Isaac was held with high regard in the cult, as they were the child of The Crownbearer. Isaac made sure to keep his distance, though. The Crownbearer would always be there as he slept, so he would always have somebody to comfort him when he woke up from a nightmare. Isaac was safe. The Crownbearer had purpose.
And they were both happy.