Chapter Text
If William didn’t have absolutely amazing peripheral vision, they would have hit both the Lich and the tree headlong.
However, with the help of a very kind and very concerned wisp smacking him in the shoulder, they managed to hit the Lich and only kinda hit the tree. Even that’s not quite right, it’s more like they did hit the tree, but not before a massive airbag-like construct kept them from completely totaling the car.
Now, in his defense, William only had a half a second to come up with something, and a giant blue Whoopee cushion was honest just quick thinking. If Dakota hadn’t distracted him, it might have been able to be an actual air bag or maybe something cool than a massive bag of flatulence.
In Dakota's defense, he really should have been driving, and now he had a headache, and the reverberating fart sound of the impromptu airbag and whoever was laughing really didn’t help it.
In Vyncent’s defense, Whoopee cushions are objectively hilarious.
They found themselves on the outskirts of the city, next to a small maintained hiking area. Several trees surrounded them, and a walking path could be seen in the distance. The ground was tamped dirt and William didn’t even want to think what it was going to cost them to clean this car after they took care of the Lich.
The long, drawn out farting sound was interrupted with the sounds of breaking branches and a loud THUD as the Lich hit the roof of the borrowed car rolling onto the hood of the car. His head turned, bones cracking and readjusting as he glared at the three of them. The eyes pierced into the cars glass, menace dripping from his exposed bones. It seemed like not even being hit by a car could harm this creature. He pulled himself up to his feet on top of the hood of the car, robes crackling with energy, and he screamed a brutal roar at the three of them.
William took one look at him and immediately put the car in reverse.
The Lich was immediately thrown off of the hood, the veritable rug being pulled out from under him. He tumbled to the ground again, having to try and stand for the second time. Dakota was already halfway out the window before the car had stopped moving.
“We got you now villian!” Dakota exclaimed, sliding over the hood of the car and dropping to square off with the Lich. Vyncent leapt through his broken window, tucking and rolling before kipping up into a fighting stance. William opened the car door like a normal person and closed it behind him jogging over to join his friends. He had just reached them when Dakota started sprinting toward the Lich.
The Lich roared, facing towards Dakota.
Dakota darted at him, whipping around, sending a spinning kick right at the Liches face. In a flash the Lich struck, grabbing Dakota's foot and stopping his momentum entirely. Serrated, razor sharp claws began to grow from the Liches fingertips, cutting into Dakotas leg.
“You just don’t know when to stop!” He growled, glaring at Dakota with rage filled, glowing green eyes.
“We’re the Prime Defenders!” Dakota countered.
A giant, glowing, human sized slice of pizza collided into the Liches side, smacking him away from Dakota. Dakota wrenched his leg out as the pizza struck, tearing his leg out of the Liches grasp. The Lich snarled, taking a couple steps to steady himself as he glared at the person who sent it. William stood, arms outstretched and hood up, eyes and hands glowing with a brilliant blue fire.
“And we never know when to stop!” William finished Dakota's phrase, calling the cheesy weapon back to his side.
“You mean you could make a huge slice of pizza this entire time?!?” Dakota yelled at William.
“No! I mean, maybe?” William returned, glancing at a glowing pepperoni that had fallen to the ground.
“Guys now's not the time!” Vyncent yelled at them both, rushing toward the Lich with his sword at the ready. He took a swing as the Lich who jumped away from it, parrying it with his claws. Vyncent glared, taking a second swipe and hitting him right in the arm.
The Lich hissed, turning on Vyncent and clawing into his arm. Vyncent shouted in pain and backed up a couple of steps, glaring as the Lich smiled maliciously. His robes began to flutter around him as he began to float back up again.
“Oh no you don’t, not this time,” William muttered, sending the pizza out again and smacking the Lich on the head with it and sending him back to the ground. The pizza shattered like a plate and disappeared as it struck the Liches bony head. The Lich collided with a thud on the dirt, surrounded by a rain of glittering blue. He struggled to stand again, snarling at the three of them.
“You are all going to die!” He announced, his hands beginning to shimmer with that telltale sickly green glow. It was now or never.
Vyncent locked eyes with Dakota and gave him a small nod. Dakota cracked a wide smile in return. The pair charged at the Lich, Dakota dodging right getting one quick kick into Liches ribs as Vyncents sword locked in between the Liches long sharp claws. Dakota swept around behind the Lich, Vyncent wrenching his sword out from the creature's grasp.
“Cole Style! Axe Kick!” Dakota shouted, slammed his foot into the back of the Liches knee, sending him almost to the ground, right where Vyncent wanted him. In a clean motion he swung the sword.
It struck true.
There was silence and then a harsh thump as the Liches head hit the ground. His body toppled over shortly after, collapsing into a pile of robes and bone. The bones began to decay and wither away, turning to ash in front of their eyes. Vyncent panted, almost daring to believe it was finally over.
“ALRIGHT!” Dakota shouted, leaping up in the air and cutting through the silence. Vyncent felt a hand on his shoulder, looking over to see William standing at his side.
“You did it, Vyncent.”
Vyncent nodded, looking over at him and then looking back at where the body used to be and then looking over to where the skull still lay.
“The Greats would be proud of you.”
Vyncent paused and then looked over at William, laying his hand on top of Williams. He smiled.
“Thanks to you guys.”
“HEY! This guy had jewelry on him!” Dakota yelled over before half muttering to himself. “I got Lich dust on my fingers.”
“You did most of it, Vyn, give yourself some credit too.”
“I mean, I wouldn’t have made it this far without you guys. Even if I had gone back home- I don’t think I could have faced him alone.” Vyncent sighed, “I guess, thank you for staying with me.”
“Yeah, hey, I don’t think I said that to you yet. Thanks for staying here, staying on Prime.” William smiled, giving Vincents shoulder a small squeeze.
“Like I said Will, you guys are my family. I couldn’t leave you.” Vyncent smiled.
“HEY GUYS! JUST TO LET YOU KNOW LICH DUST DOESN’T TASTE AT ALL LIKE CHEETO DUST!”
“Dakota please don’t eat the demon guy’s ashes.” William pleaded.
Vyncent chuckled as William started over to where Dakota crouched, a tell-tale grey smear at the corner of Dakota's mouth.
The two began squabbling about the nature of food and what can be eaten. William tried to reason that, no, this was not like eating charcoal on a marshmallow, and it was more akin to eating a full bone. Dakota countered some fact about what he ate while he was in the woods that seemed perfectly reasonable to Vyncent but made William blanch even paler. They bantered back and forth as Vyncents smile began to bloom. Yeah. This was his family. Maybe he should call Tide, just to talk. It’s been a while, and while Tide didn’t always understand him, he always listened. Maybe William and Dakota could stomach one more plate of beef stroganoff. It might even be an improvement on Dakota's preferred diet.
“Hey what’s that?” A question from Dakota brought Vyncent out of his thoughts. He wandered over to the pair, noticing William had brought out his magnifying glass. He used the handle of it to push off some of the dust, revealing a shimmering gemstone. It swirled with blues greens and golds, a sparkling vortex contained in the heart of the gem. There was a carving on the other side of the stone, something he couldn’t quite make out from the angle the stone lay.
“Have you seen something like this Vyncent?” William muttered, gingerly uncovering the object, careful not to touch the artifact. He brushed it off as best as he could with the impromptu excavating tool.
Vyncent shook his head. The coloring seemed vaguely familiar but it was years since he’d been in contact with something like it.
“I think it’s magic, I’ll- wait.” Vyncent paused, “Right I can’t contact The Greats anymore. It’s probably magic? I guess?”
“Look! There’s another one!” Dakota exclaimed from next to them. Not pausing to allow William to warn him against it, Dakota's hand shot out to grab the new stone. William caught the glint of a bright pink or red stone half covered by the dust before Dakotas darted in front. Before anyone could react A golden electric bolt shot out of the stone, zapping the palm of his hand before he could even make contact with it. The shock sent him back, recoiling and clutching his hand.
“AH! Stupid rock! Ok, maybe don’t touch it.”
William smiled at Dakota's immediate regret and began brushing away the dust from the second stone.
“Are you alright Dakota?” Vyncent asked.
“I’m fine.” He responded, deciding to lean over Williams shoulder instead, “it got me pretty good, what is that thing?”
“I’m not sure.”
William uncovered the stone. It shimmered in a pink tinted dance, red flecks flickering inside it. The carving was visible on this one, it was what looked to be a bear-like creature but it had a round moon of a face and a carved beak. It was in a sitting position, with its front paws covering its ears.
“Oh, that’s an owl bear. Those used to roam the woods by my house back before the Lich took over.”
William nodded.
“Hey Vyncent, you think since you’re from the same place it won’t try and zap you?” He asked.
Vyncent shrugged. “Well, we might as well give it a shot.”
“Just be careful dude.”
Vyncent cautiously, reached out to try and touch the same glittering pink stone Dakota had tried to touch. Only this time, there was no shock, and no bolt lightning struck. He could feel a small, almost static charge that quickly dissipated as his fingers brushed against the cold stone. He picked it up, weighing it in his hand. It felt powerful, if that could be something that could be sensed, and the movement of the swirls seemed to pulse.
“Can I try and hold it again?” Dakota asked, his voice tentatively hopeful.
“I found another one I think.” William was still fishing through the pile.
“Sure man, if you want to try.” Vyncent said
“Yeah, I do.” Dakota responded, reaching out with the same hand that had gotten struck. Once again, there was no zap of golden lightning, and instead of cold, the stone felt warm. He picked it up, laying it on the mark the lightning had made in the center of his palm and the colors seemed to brighten. It felt alive, the colors glittering in time with Dakota's own heartbeat.
“Oh that’s sick!” He exclaimed, “these really are magic! This one likes me!”
“Come on Dakota, it’s just a gem.” William countered. The third gem had been uncovered, orange and yellow hues glittered inside of it. William could make out the beginnings of a carving of a similar bear that was covering its mouth.
“Says you! I bet none of these rocks are gonna zap you.” Dakota teased.
“I think that’s a good thing.” William countered. “Hey Vyn, can you pick up these two as well?”
“Sure man”
Once again, there was a small static like charge as he picked them up but nothing as explosively dramatic as the golden bolt that hit Dakota. The pair crowded over Vyncent as he weighed the two stones in his hands. Both had carvings of owl bears, the orange and gold one had its paws covering its mouth while the blue and green one had its paws covering its eyes.
“Huh.”
“I wonder what they do.”
“I’m gonna try and touch them.” Dakota announced, already reaching toward them.
Before William could say “Dakota no” for the fifth time today, he had already done it. Once again no shock and no lightning hit him as Dakota picked up the shimmering blue stone.
“Huh.”
“See! This one doesn’t like me so it didn’t zap me.”
“Dakota that doesn’t make any sense.”
“Sure it does! Maybe it’ll like William.” Dakota posited, “Hey William! Catch!”
“Dakota, no-“
The gem was already in the air as soon as the word ‘catch’ was spoken. William wasn’t good at sports to begin with and when spoken by Dakota, the phrase ‘catch’ usually meant something very heavy was about to come flying at his head. So it really shouldn’t be any surprise that instead of making any moves to actually catch the item thrown, William immediately opted to protect his face. Which in this case was a very good thing. A bolt of the same gold lightning shot out, striking Williams left hand and making a similar mark to the one Dakota had gotten.
“See! That one likes you!” Dakota exclaimed happily while William bit back a curse.
“It’s got a kinda funny way of showing it.” Vyncent quipped, picking up the stone again. He handed it out to William again. William gave Dakota a small glare and gingerly picked up the stone. It had the same unique effect, green glints shimmering in time with his breathing. Strangely, it still felt cool, as if it was reflecting William's own cool skin.
“I wonder what they are.”
Vyncent shrugged. “No idea. Hey Dakota, you said you found some rings too?”
“Yeah! They’re over here.”
Vyncent and Dakota gathered around, Dakota pointing out a few glittering pieces and Vyncent diligently picking them up. The pair managed to gather a small stack of items, even one cut and polished green gem that Dakota had spotted in the place the skull had been. After a short bit, they had managed to accumulate a pile of items, many of which Vyncent was certain were magic in nature, but he would need more time with them to figure out what they did. He even managed to pick up one of the Liches claws, considering its use as a knife.
While the pair retrieved the artifacts, chattering and joking while they worked, William studied the stone in his palm. The more he stared, the more the stone seemed to react to him, the greens flickering to a light cyan when one of the wisps got close to it. He ran his finger along the etching and the swirl of green and light blue followed in its wake.
As he watched, the green sparkles swirled in the blue stone, coalescing into a small mass against the side of gem. It looked like tube of magnetic sand, collecting against the side where a magnet called them. Only there was no magnet here, something else was pulling the shimmers to the edge of the stone.
William probably would have brushed it off as his eyes playing tricks on him if he didn’t notice a wisp directly in the path of where the gem was pointing too. The wisp bobbed up and down, just staring at him, patiently waiting for him to get closer. William looked back down at the stone. Like a compass pointing north, it pointed him directly toward that wisp.
He took a few steps towards the wisp. As he met the first wisp, a second wisp popped up, just a tiny bit further down the way. He was near the Bentley now, a few steps away from the tree that had slightly hit. William walked towards the second wisp, curiosity overtaking him.
“William?” Dakota called over to him.
William disregarded it. “I just gotta check out something.” He responded.
Another few steps. Another wisp. He was standing by the tree now, scanning his surroundings for where he was being led to. William paused as he saw the last wisp. It floated, staring at him in the darkest part in the shadow of the tree. William stood at the edge of the shadow, looking back at the wisp. He looked down at the stone in his palm. The colors and sparkles spun around the edge rapidly, creating a whirlpool like effect. He looked back at the wisp, still waiting, and still staring.
“Vyncent, Dakota, I think there’s-“
A hand shot out of the shadows, wrapping a vise-like grip around Williams ankle. In a sharp swift most on the hand wrenched him off his feet, dragging him into the shadows. The final wisp still floated, its gaze impassive as it watched William scrabbling at the dirt as he was dragged into the darkness.