Chapter Text
“Clay?”
The front door was opened.
“Clay!?!”
He was already stumbling out the house and was met with the dirt floor.
“Gosh Phil, you looks miserable”
He looked up to see a particular sheep hybrid and of course thank all heavens, holding Clay. Who looks blissfully unaware and making hand grabbing movements towards something behind him.
“Puffy!” He stumbled up to his feet, “where was he this time? I am so sorry-”
She sighs and passes the small toddler to him.
“He was just here in the yard, are you okay?”
Phil wasn’t sure how to answer Puffy. He had a dark circle under his eyes, and it was clear from his skin not much sunlight as well.
It...It has been a hard time for him, but his managing.
“It's nothing Puffy, just a bit busy with things hahaha”
Puffy didn’t look amused, the sheep hybrid looked like she was going to ask something but looked hesitant.
She sighs once more.
“You have the brain of a bird than one of a human” Puffy pinches Dream’s cheek lightly, “Isn’t that right little duckling, you got a bird brain for a father” She said in a baby-like voice, cooing at Dream, with his response is one of a loud pitch laughing squeal and grabbing her hand.
“Birb baain!Birb baain!You a bird brain!” He yelled putting his hands up, laughing.
“Ah another word in his vocab, thanks Puffy” Phil snorted.
“Hahah oh come on it is really better than him learning other words like sh-”
“Shhh! It's like you're not even trying!” Phil laughed, covering Dream’s ears.
“You're no fun at all,you sound like Bad.” She pouted.
The sheep hybrid was a kind woman.Phil had known her for a while now, from what he had observed she is kind at times but a big jokester and scary at times. Her abilities with a sword and shield are quite skilled as well.
Her smile dimmed,dropping into a small frown. Her cheering posture had become serious. She claps her hands together, seemingly starting what her original purpose was to meet him (other than finding his once lost baby of course).
“So, the commander-”
The air around them changes,Phil clutches the small bundle in his arms tightly. His breath shifting and his wings that were before calmly folded suddenly opened up aggressively, causing the man to look bigger than he was; an almost animal instinct. His wings changed from white to a darker hue.
“I’m not coming back.”
“I was not expecting you” Her brown eyes stared back, making a defensive gesture telling him to calm down. She shuffled her hand into her bag and took out a small envelope. “Commander wanted to give you this, Schlatt seemed amused by it, so I assume it is what you're thinking.”
The blonde man glared at the envelope. It had a formal look to it, if not looking stifled and neat. He gave him a feeling of discomfort, to being uptight. The uptight feel that always described him.
What a bitter feeling it gave Phil, a bitter feeling it gave him so. But even so, his mannerisms timided down and his wings shifted back to folded and to its original lighter color.
He accepted the envelope but as soon it was in his grasp he ripped it in half and passed it back to Puffy.
“I can’t think of a clearer response.”
She nodded and accepted it back.
“I’m sure the commander will be very pleased by seeing this.” While her voice tried to remain stiff, there was a clear amusement in it. Puffy put the ripped card back into her bag. “I’m sure this is not gonna be the last your going to hear from him”
“Oh i’m sure as well, why do you think I am leaving?”
“You are? I would have thought after she died....well you would stay? After all, you build this house with her.” She pointed out behind him.
“I need a change of atmosphere,perhaps somewhere north. I heard things are rather more peaceful in the winter biomes.” He simply said.
Years had gone by where the common hybrid and human could not meet eye to eye, or even different species of hybrid could not seem to stand in the same room as one another. For Phil it had been another ridiculous war to another.
He wanted to no part of it, for he had another things in life than fighting.
Dream tugged on his hair, pulling it with his two gubby hands as a pillar to reach what he assumes is a bug, he gently pushed him down deeper to his grasp. To only get what he assumes is a small annoyed pout from the baby, it made Phil smile a bit.
“I understand that, I would kill for some peace around here, the whole Nether thing is making the commander work us like dogs.” She scoffed,folding her arms behind her nonchalantly. “I don’t get why to be so fixated on it! It is legit just lava and people who don’t want anything to do with us.”
Phil shrugged.
“The anxiety of war I suppose, growing up it was all he talked about.” His arms shifted, trying to get a more comfortable grasp of the moving baby, “The old man had always talked ill of the place, something involving the god of Elytraion and their god of Blood and a long forgotten war. Don’t quite remember, i always left when he got to his midday rants.”
“Parents, am i right?” She chuckled out. “ My mom would rant all day about humans,ugh don’t get me started on what she said about that is not ‘traditional’! Pff! Made sure to leave as soon as i could. ”
“You were definitely smarter than me” Phil chuckled.
She stared lovingly at Clay, patting his long unruly blonde hair.
“I’m sure you're gonna raise this one better than him right?”
“That's the plan” Phil opened his door wider “Would you care for some tea? I’m sure complaining about our old folks goes better with a piece of toasted bread.”
Before a word out of her month could appear, the commentator attached to her waist started to buzz.
“Ah well there's your answer, talk to you later” She waved her goodbyes before walking off. “I’m sure the conversation between the commander will be so fun ”
“I’m sure it will be” He laughed, waving goodbye to the sheep hybrid and closing the door.
For the longest period of his mind, he had craved adventure. Adventure that involves traveling, fighting glorious battles and the sweet taste of victory,simple plain freedom. All the things he ever read or been told. The glorious feel of winning over being able to defeat humans in battle, to win more land for hybrids and make sure to keep the glorious old days alive. At the time his wife thought of the same, to fight against the humans for safer days.
But that was all before he ever saw his son smile.
Phil only wished his wife was able to see more of it, all before being pushed to a war they started and bloodbath that no one wanted.
“Ba!Ba!” He exactly jumped up and down.
“Okay okay little buddy”
He walked in his disaster or so what he calls his home. There was an incredible amount of dust and dirt around, along with splatters of apple sauce staining the walls from when he tried to give Dream some type of solid food.
He should really think of cleaning things up.
Phil cradles his baby while walking up stairs, the usual energetic and hyper tot actually calming down and starting to get dowsing.
Once he got to Clay's room he put him down into his cradle (he should really think of buying an actual small bed soon, no matter how small his son is). He kissed his son's forehead and tucked him in.
It amazes him how intelligent and imaginative his boy is.
His little dreamer.
He just wanted to have these simple days.
-
Though people could never allow it.
-
The burning smoke rises from the house full of memories, among all the trees and nature around as well.
Burning away,ashes to ashes, as he collapses to the grass ground.
He only left a few minutes, he-he just need to refill on some groceries and other necessities!
Oh god, his baby boy…
Kill
Kill
Kill
Kill
Kill
“Phil!”
Two voices spoke out at the same time, but it was almost like he couldn’t hear them.
Kill
Kill
Kill
Kill
Kill
Just rang in his mind. Blocking out everything around him, all his senses.
All he heard was-
All he needed right now…
Was to kill .
To kill whoever has done this.
He felt everything come back as he felt a harsh hand on his shoulder.
“Phil! Listen to us please!” Said a demon with long horns tinted in red, his expressions told him that he was in clear desperation. “There traitors! The Commander, Schlatt-”
Schlatt?
“I think Schlatt has C-clay but i don’t know! I saw- i saw him holding something? I-I don’t know but-”
“Where is he.”
“Phil-”
“Puffy. Where. Is. he.”
Her mouth stayed shut for a moment, frantic in her eyes.
“His-His at the portals i think- Phil the whole village is one fire! We need to do something! I-”
She couldn’t even finish her sentence as the sudden sounds of flapping feather wings interrupted. And as the sudden crowd of crows came out the woods.
The word “kill” being a constant matra the voices telling him.
But now with the other part being “Schlatt”.
Oh how he would even forget all the years of friendship he had provided.
He is going to tear him into shreds.