Chapter Text
The Crownbearer felt equally about everybody they saved. They had saved random followers all the same. They never truly had a strong conviction to protect any of them more than they already did.
Until very recently, that is.
On one of their crusades, they had sent after the typical resources they required. But along the way, they heard something that was very common to them at this point.
A scream of someone about to be sacrificed.
Naturally, they had come towards it, as it always meant a new follower to turn to them. But what laid before The Crownbearer had shocked them. It was… not a normal being. It had no fur, no feathers, no nothing. It was just… a flesh being. And it was bawling it’s eyes out and screaming at the fact of them being sacrificed. That’s when it hit them. No matter the species. This was just a child. It reminded them of… how they were before the crown took them. Something about seeing this… made them angrier then they had ever felt. They couldn’t let them lay a finger on it.
There are no more chances from The One who Waits.
They had sprung into action almost automatically, slashing and rolling until the only thing left of the cultists were tattered cloth and pools of blood and viscera on the floor. During all of this, the child somehow managed to escape from their binds and curled up into a ball in the corner. The Crownbearer saw this and tried to do the usual, sending them down to the cult for work or something other. But… neither of them wanted to. The Crownbearer hesitated, not wanting to send him away just yet. He was still a child. Sending him to work or devoting him to praying felt… wrong. The child didn’t want to either. When The Crownbearer reached out their hand, he recoiled and tried to protect himself from it, almost expecting being hit.
The Crownbearer saw this and tried to take a more softer approach than usual. This was a younger being, after all. They squatted down, and waited until the child had eased up a little. “HELLO.” They accidentally boomed in their high pitched voice, as they were used to only using it for a sermon. The child winced at it, and The Crownbearer held up their hands as the universal symbol of woah now . They cleared their throat, and tried again. “Hello. Are you alright?” They said, still high pitched, but much more mellowed and calm. The child did not answer.
“Do you happen to be injured?”
The child paused for a moment, and nodded. He shakily held out his arm, showing a large gash across it. The Crownbearer laid it gingerly in their hooves, as they brought out a small kit created by one of the followers. They pressed a few drops of flower extract against the wound, as the child made a pained cry. “It will only sting for a moment, okay? Please just try to breathe.” They said, applying a form of bandages to the wound. The child did not respond, but gripped the hems of his torn and bloodied outfit in pain. The Crownbearer finished dressing the wound, and let the arm rest. The child took it back, and wrapped it back around him. “Do you have a name, child?” The Crownbearer said.
“…isaac.” The child spoke, with tears threatening their eyes and their voice cracked and strained from the screaming. The Crownbearer’s heart almost broke in two on hearing it. “That is a wonderful name, Isaac.” The Crownbearer said. They slowly reached out their hand and stood up, wanting to help Isaac up. “Would you join me, please? I will assure your safety.” Isaac paused for a moment, then took The Crownbearer’s hand. He did not let go. He instead launched himself into them, and weeped. The Crownbearer was taken aback by this, but consoled Isaac nonetheless. “It is alright. You will be alright.” The Crownbearer said, patting his back. They both sat there for a while, letting both of them take a very well deserved break.
For a moment, The Crownbearer felt only one burden. Not the leading of a cult, not the pressure to kill the old ones, or to bring The One Who Waits back to power.
They just wanted to protect this poor kid.
From that moment on, carrying the young boy in his arms, he would do everything in his power to make sure the boy never felt any fear like he had in that moment. He picked up Isaac, making sure he felt comfortable, and looked for a way out.
One lamb entered, and two of them exited. The Crownbearer was no longer alone.